F1 : McLaren MP4-30 revealed

The McLaren MP4-30, the team’s first Honda-powered racing car since 1992, has been pictured for the first time ahead of the 2015 season.

The team are the only one on the grid to use Honda’s new RA615H power unit as the Japanese manufacturer returns to F1 for the first time since 2008.

Together McLaren and Honda won all four constructors’ championships and powered the four drivers’ champions between 1988 and 1991 – a success they intend to replicate.

“I was team principal all those years ago,” said group CEO Ron Dennis, “and while I don’t tend to like looking back to the past our previous record of sustained success was certainly instrumental in creating the confidence to make the decision to partner with Honda again”.

“Now, there’s real hunger to demonstrate the capabilities of the huge talent pool we share between us, and I’m totally committed to driving progress and achieving further success.”

Team principal Eric Boullier, who joined McLaren at the start of last season, said the team is “stronger than ever” following the restructuring which took place last year. “We acknowledge that our journey will require a huge amount of hard work, dedication and application from everyone involved, in both Woking and Sakura,” he said, “but we’re ready and committed to building on the foundations we’ve already established in order eventually to enjoy the results we crave”.

source: f1fanatic.co.uk

F1 : First picture of a 2015 F1 car appears

A rendering of the Williams FW37 is to be published on the cover of a magazine.

The FW37, which was fired up for the first time today by the team at their factory, appears on the front cover of the new issue of F1 Racing magazine. An image of the cover appeared on Twitter ahead of its publication.

The radically shortened nose tip, designed to comply with the revised 2015 regulations on nose shape is among a few notable changes to the FW37.

The car also features the logos of new Williams sponsors Rexona and Hackett.

Honda launches first 'predictive' cruise control

Honda CR-V will be the first car with "Predictive' cruise control

The i-ACC (for Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control), the technology is able to predict when other drivers cut into your lane. The system differs from traditional adaptive cruise control systems in that it keeps an eye on cars in neighboring lanes and their movements, using its camera and radar and a specially developed algorithm. When a car cuts into your lane, the system will apply the brakes gradually, responding up to five seconds earlier than current adaptive cruise control systems.

Current systems are designed primarily to keep a pre-determined distance in front, so when cars cut in unexpectedly the braking can be harsh.

European market Honda CR-Vs will be the first cars to adopt i-ACC. In that region, drivers often travel between the UK, which drives on the left, and the rest of Europe, which drives on the right. The technology is smart enough to recognize which country you are in and adapt accordingly, monitoring the lanes that cars are more likely to merge from.

European Honda CR-Vs also receive a new 1.6L i-DTEC diesel engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission. i-ACC will be available on 2015 model year cars, solely on the Executive trim level.

Now that cars can predict lane cutting, hopefully we can see the road rage go down.

McLaren-Honda to launch F1 car on 29th January

The Honda-powered 2015 F1 car will be launched on 29th January while Ferrari will launch their car on 30th January.

McLaren and Ferrari have both confirmed that they will launch their 2015 cars online prior to the start of winter testing at Jerez on February 1.

The two teams have respectively announced January 29 and January 30 as the dates of the unveils, although there is no confirmation as to whether the cars will be shaken down at filming days prior to the Jerez test.

Force India had already confirmed that it will launch its 2015 livery in Mexico City on January 21.

Honda files patent for Steer by Wire system

Honda is developing a fixed position steering wheel that senses the driver’s hands sliding rather than rotating to change the vehicle’s direction.

The wheel uses piezoelectric sensors to monitor pressure and movement as the driver’s grip and slide across its surface. The system interprets those movements and translates them into steering directions that turn the front wheels. Honda filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on December 11. In the filing, Honda cites reduced vehicle weight and simplified component packaging as some of the potential reasons it is developing the technology. Honda representatives did not respond to a request for comments on the patent filing. 

But Honda isn’t the first automaker to tinker with steer-by-wire systems. The Infiniti Q50 currently uses one, though Nissan’s luxury brand still implements a rotating steering wheel.

Systems that don’t rely on traditional rack-and-pinion designs for turning allow vehicle engineers a greater degree of freedom in where they place vehicle components within a car. Systems like what Q50 uses and what Honda is developing will also play a significant role in large scale adoption of autonomous (self-driving) cars. Infiniti currently offers one of the automotive industry’s most advanced adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems that is capable of semi-autonomous highway driving.

Honda’s application also said in its filing that the fixed wheel could sit at an offset to its axis, reducing the likelihood that the driver’s view of the gauge cluster would be obstructed.

Audi recruit adds fuel to F1 rumors

Audi appears to be taking more steps towards a potential F1 entrance in the near future.

Now, it emerges that former Honda, Brawn, BMW and Williams technical chief Jorg Zander will start work as Audi Sport's new head of technology on Jan. 1.

Volkswagen's brands, however, have consistently played down speculation of a F1 project, and Bernie Ecclestone said earlier this month that he thinks a foray is unlikely.

Rumours of a project were fuelled recently when ousted Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali resurfaced at the German carmaker, where the Italian is reportedly conducting a feasibility study into a turbo V6 design for the VW-owned brand.

The former Ferrari Formula One team principal Stefano Domenicali has no experience of Le Mans-style sports cars, has no experience of touring car racing and does not even speak German. The sources are insistent that Formula One is only possible reason why Audi, which is the successor of the legendary pre-war Auto Union brand and carries its four-ringed badge, would have just hired the Italian, even under the temporary pretense of a non-racing role. 

McLaren-Honda announce Fernando Alonso & Jenson Button for 2015

McLaren-Honda announced on Thursday its new driver line-up for 2015 season.Fernando Alonso will replace Magnussen as their second driver but Kevin Magnussen will still remain an important part of the team, as test and reserve driver.

After the announcement this is what the new partnership had to say...

Fernando Alonso:

“I have never hidden my deep admiration for Ayrton Senna, my favourite driver, my idol on track, my reference.

“I still remember, as a kid, the posters in my wardrobe, my toy cars in which I dreamed I would one day emulate Ayrton, and the kart that my father built for my older sister, and that I ended up falling in love with. That kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of Formula 1, McLaren-Honda, the car that Ayrton drove, the same partnership to which I am now honoured to join, to take part in the next Formula 1 world championship.

“I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me.

“Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest. But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership – a partnership that dominated the Formula 1 scene for so long.

“McLaren-Honda’s repeated and open desire, perseverance and determination in making it possible for me to join their exciting renewed partnership, have been some of the main factors that made me take this decision, not forgetting the most important factor of all: we share a common objective and expectations, and there is a very solid future, with confidence, ahead.

“I have had in-depth discussions with all the senior people at both McLaren and Honda, I have viewed their fantastic facilities in both the UK and Japan, and it is clear to me that, together, McLaren and Honda are in the process of beginning what is sure to be a long and successful partnership. And I intend to give 100% effort to help make it exactly that.

“Finally, I want to thank the persistence of those who have fought so hard for this to come true. I will do everything in my power to deliver for everyone and for our team, based on a formula that has always worked for me: effort, sacrifice, perseverance and faith.

“We have time, we have hopes and we have the necessary resources. Let the legend return: that is our challenge.”

Jenson Button:

“I am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in Formula 1 and my sixth season for McLaren.

“Like Fernando, I am certain that McLaren and Honda will achieve great things together, and I feel sure that, working together, all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team.

“I admired Ayrton Senna enormously, but, for me, it was the exploits of his McLaren-Honda team-mate Alain Prost that inspired me most as a boy. The way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion, and I have tried to emulate his driving style ever since.

“Being a part of new-look McLaren-Honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us, and I am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit. In fact, I am absolutely raring to go.

“I am also very glad that Kevin will remain part of the team. He is a very quick driver and a really nice guy.

“Looking forward, I know the Honda guys well, having driven Formula 1 cars powered by their engines from 2003 to 2008. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for them, and promise to give 100% to make their partnership with McLaren a success.

“Last but far from least, I am very much looking forward to having a driver as fast and as experienced as Fernando as my team-mate. I am sure we will work extremely well together.”

McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis and Honda's Chief Officer of Motorsport Yasuhisa Arai too were delighted with their driver line-up and looked positive about the McLaren-Honda partnership.

Ron Dennis (Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, McLaren):

“I am absolutely delighted to be on the threshold of leading McLaren-Honda to a new era of partnership, and I speak on behalf of all at McLaren when I say that. I am equally confident that our colleagues at Honda share that determination and passion to win.

“As regards drivers, McLaren’s policy has always been to assemble the strongest line-up possible, and in Fernando and Jenson I firmly believe that is exactly what we have.

“We signed Fernando a little while ago, but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed Jenson as his team-mate. For many reasons our negotiations with Jenson took quite a long time, but, now that they have been concluded, we are confident that our collaboration with him will continue to thrive in the future every bit as well as it has in the past. Make no mistake about it, Jenson is 100% committed to McLaren-Honda, to Formula 1, and to winning.

“As a pair, he and Fernando are supremely experienced. Fernando has started 234 grands prix, has converted 32 of those starts to victories, has stood on a grand prix podium 97 times, and has won the drivers’ world championship not once but twice. He is a class act.

“He is 33 – which, for an athlete as physically fit as he is, constitutes a Formula 1 driver’s professional prime of life. Moreover, he is old enough to be experienced and expert, yet young enough to be enthusiastic and energetic. I therefore firmly believe he will deploy those four e’s – experience, expertise, enthusiasm and energy – to drive forward McLaren-Honda’s on-track success next season and for quite a few seasons to come. 

“As for Jenson, at 34, he is every bit as fit as Fernando but even more experienced: he has started 266 grands prix, has won 15 of them, and has stood on a grand prix podium 50 times. He, too, is an ex-world champion, and is one of the smoothest and fastest guys out there.

“To sum up, Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 grands prix between them – a mighty aggregate – and have won 47 of them.

“I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula 1 team.

“Finally, I want to thank and pay tribute to Kevin, who has done a great job this season and will continue to be an integral part of our team. He will be our test, reserve and third driver, and remains an excellent prospect for the future.”

Yasuhisa Arai (Senior Managing Officer, Honda R&D Co Ltd; Chief Officer of Motorsport, Honda):

“Our partnership with McLaren goes from strength to strength, and I am very excited to welcome as part of our Formula 1 team two great world champions, Fernando and Jenson. Yet the magnitude of the announcement is quickly bringing me back down to earth to focus harder and stronger on the seasons ahead.

“Kevin has shown remarkable growth in the 2014 season, and we are delighted to continue working with him throughout 2015 and beyond; we are certain there is much more to come.

“Honda is dedicated to speeding up the development of the power unit based on the learnings of the recent Abu Dhabi test.

“Working together with these very experienced drivers, we will fine-tune and complete the power units to competitive perfection towards the new season.” 

2015 FIA WRC Calender

All rallies in the 2014 schedule were confirmed for next year by the FIA World Motor Sport Council at its meeting in Beijing, with some significant date changes in the first part of the season.

“We’re delighted to confirm the 2015 calendar and to retain all 13 rounds for next season. The breadth of events geographically ensures a truly global championship,” said WRC Promoter’s managing director, Oliver Ciesla.

“We’ve again blended a mix of classic events that date back to the championship’s origins with newer, but firmly established, rallies. All will offer a challenging variety of roads and conditions to ensure that WRC will provide the ultimate all-round test of driving ability,” Ciesla added.

Here is the schedule for the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship

Round	Rally	Dates
1	Monte-Carlo	22 - 25 January
2	Sweden	12 - 15 February
3	Mexico	05 - 08 March
4	Argentina	16 - 19 April
5	Portugal	21 - 24 May
6	Italy	11 - 15 June
7	Poland	02 - 05 July
8	Finland	30 July - 02 August
9	Germany	20 - 23 August
10	Australia	10 - 13 September
11	France	01 - 04 October
12	Spain	22 - 25 October
13	Great Britain	12 - 15 November

2016 Toyota Mirai FCV

The race for the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is really heating up.

Within the past few days, Honda has unveiled its FCV Concept in Japan, BMW is reportedly planning a hydrogen-powered i5, and now, Toyota has officially announced its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle for the 2016 model year.

Called as 'Mirai', which means 'Future' in Japanese, is a midsize sedan which will go on sale in Japan by the end of the year.

The Mirai will go on sale in the U.S as early as next year as Toyota has announced a joint venture with industrial gas supplier Air Liquide to build 12 hydrogen fueling stations in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. There are currently 10 stations in California, but the state has committed to 20 by 2015 and 40 by 2016.

Some features you would definitely like about the 'Mirai' :

• The hydrogen powertrain takes just five minutes to fill.

• Emits no exhaust besides water vapor. 

• Can even siphon energy into an owner’s home with the Optional Power Take-Off device.

• Maximum power output of 153 horsepower.
  
  
• Maximum torque of 247 lb-ft.

• It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in around 9 seconds.

•  Maximum of 5.0 kilograms of compressed hydrogen in two 10,000-psi carbon-fiber-reinforced high-pressure tanks.
• Despite being an FCV, it will have a top speed of 111 mph.
• It will have a nickel-metal-hydride battery similar to that in the Prius and will be fed by a fuel-cell stack tucked under the front seats.
• The solid-polymer electrolyte fuel cell was completely developed in-house by Toyota and consists of 370 cells.
  
  

Power Take-off:

On a full charge, the car provides up to 60 kWh of power to one’s home (or perhaps even one’s depleted Tesla battery) in case of an emergency or a power outage. Toyota claims that’s enough to power an average household for about six days.