10 posts tagged “williams-toyota”

Three of my favorite Formula 1 drivers are on top of the Canadian GP and I’m pretty satisfied with the qualifying results. Hamilton is in pole position, followed by Robert Kubica, and next is Raikkonen. These three representatives from the three elite names in F1 will definitely give their viewers in Montreal a great race. The 70-lap circuit of Montreal and the domination of the ace drivers of McLaren, BMW, and Ferrari, will definitely give the rest of the F1 community a must-see race. If I’m going to rate it from one to ten, ten as the highest, I’ll be giving the upcoming Canadian GP an eight. Here’s my preview on each team regarding their performance during the qualifying race.

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  Lew hamilton in montreal
  McLaren – the team has been very consistent and I love the way Hamilton has carried his team all the way to the top. But despite the Brit’s success, his Finnish teammate Heikki Kovalainen remained pretty quiet and getting the seventh spot on the grid. That’s not really bad for the team, but if Kovalainen remains incompetent the McLaren team will soon say goodbye to the number one spot on the constructor’s standings.
• BMW-Sauber – I know I should be talking about the word consistency when talking about the infamous red team of F1. But as far as my eyes can see, the team who’s been very consistent during the previous races was blue team. Yes, BMW is a consistent team and that’s all because of Kubica. I know I’m a bit overrating the blue team despite Nick Heidfeld in eighth place. But you see, with our eyes glued to McLaren and Ferrari, we have forgotten about BMW and how good and consistent they’ve been. I’m definitely going to watch for these two as soon as the Canadian race begins.
• Ferrari – well, well, well. The domination of the red team has wavered since Raikkonen failed to be inconsistent. His teammate, Felipe Massa, remained competent but I don’t think it would be enough to keep the team among the top teams. If Raikkonen continues to be ineffective, Ferrari will have to start thinking for a solution.
• Renault – I was expecting the Renault team to do well in Montreal mainly because of Fernando Alonso. Alonso has an outstanding record in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and I know he’ll do well this Sunday.
• Williams – I just don’t know what to say for this team. They’ve literally had their ups and downs and that made the team appear like a wall between the good and the not-so-good teams.
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  Rubens barrichello
  Honda – I don’t expect much from this team. After Rubens Barrichello left Ferrari, which I’m glad he did, he’s been performing poorly. I know both Barrichello and Jenson Button are good drivers but I don’t think their cars are good enough for them.
• Red Bull – Mark Webber has expressed his pleasure for his car but that eventually ended after his car went slightly off the track. This kept him out of the remaining sessions of the qualifying race and the actual race.
• Toyota – the team is literally struggling and I think they cars need a little refurbishing here and there.
• Force India – the team, I think, is satisfied with their place in the race and that’s being mediocre. And I also think they’ve thrown a lot of chances on getting a pole position. Wake up Force India!
• Toro Rosso – this unlucky team just experienced their worst qualifying race ever and I think their going to experience a lot worse in this Sunday’s race.

So, these are my team previews and I think I’ll have to watch out for the Sunday’s race, where I expect the unexpected.

Nico Rosberg’s crash on the 60^th lap on the Swimming Pool chicane was something really serious. The Williams’ car was terribly damaged especially the right side. The front wheel was missing and when the car was brought to the pits, it was still smoking. Accidents can really happen during a race especially if rain is pouring on the circuit. The chances of having accidents are actually higher because of the soaking wet track. Not only do Formula 1 drivers have to go through the challenging circuit of Monte Carlo, they also have to double their caution because of the rain.

Despite the rain and the accident, Rosberg is fine and is feeling good about his FW30. He even said that his car was doing well during practice sessions and the qualifying race. That’s actually good news for the Williams’ team, which is currently tied with the Red Bull-Renault team. Rosberg, on the other hand, is on the 10^th place in the driver’s standings. If Rosberg prevents himself from getting into an accident, he’ll definitely be able to bring his team the lead it needs. As for the dominating teams, they’d probably be staying on top and the Williams’ team will definitely be the wall that separates the best from the so-so.

It’s still unclear as to whose fault was the accident that happened at the beginning of the Turkish GP. The drivers involved were Williams-Toyota’s newbie Kazuki Nakajima and Force India’s veteran driver Giancarlo Fisichella. The accident almost crushed the Formula 1 cars to pieces. Fisichella said, he’s had a great start and his brakes were all good. So, he doesn’t think it was his fault. Nakajima, on the other hand, said that he just followed the line and got suddenly hit from behind.

Whoever was at fault for the accident, I’m glad that both drivers can talk and remember a bit of the accident. The race is caught on video, so, I hope Formula 1 authorities would give their opinion about how the accident happened. What I do love about this shot is Force India car was shockingly above the Williams – such amazing shot. On this photo, both cars have probably hit each other because there are bits of debris flying. Better luck next time for both drivers and just be glad that they’re both fine and that they can still race for the next GP – the Monaco GP.

Yes, the qualifying round is over and the final lineup for tomorrow’s race is set. I really thought Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes would battle it out during the qualifying round, I was wrong. McLaren-Mercedes dominated the Albert Park getting pole position. This is the final lineup in tomorrow’s race, the driver’s name and his corresponding team:

1          Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes

2          Robert Kubica - BMW

3          Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes

4          Felipe Massa - Ferrari

5          Nick Heidfeld - BMW

6          Jarno Trulli - Toyota

7          Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota

8          David Coulthard - Red Bull-Renault

9          Timo Glock - Toyota

10        Sebastian Vettel - STR-Ferrari

11        Rubens Barrichello - Honda

12        Fernando Alonso - Renault

13        Jenson Button - Honda

14        Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota

15        Mark Webber - Red Bull-Renault

16        Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

17        Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Ferrari

18        Sebastien Bourdais - STR-Ferrari

19        Adrian Sutil - Force India-Ferrari

20       Takuma Sato - Super Aguri-Honda

21        Nelsinho Piquet - Renault

22        Anthony Davidson - Super Aguri-Honda

I really thought Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes will battle it out for pole position during the qualifying round. I was wrong. The only Ferrari that I see near the top spot is Felipe Massa. Kimi Raikkonen is nowhere to be found at the top. I am a K Raikkonen fan, so, I was a bit frustrated to see him at the 16^th spot. But like MotoGP, being on the pole position does secure a win. The win would still depend on the driver’s skills and the team’s strategy. So, I really expect Ferrari to kick some butt as soon as the race starts.

This image is the best I got of the Albert Park Circuit. Goodness, I am really excited about the upcoming season of Formula One. At least now I have a lot of things to write in my blog. Okay, back to F1. The Australian Grand Prix is about to start very soon and F1 drivers are definitely gearing up. These are the names of the teams that are about to race to the finish line: Ferrari, BMW, Renault, Williams-Toyota, Red Bull-Renault, Toyota, STR-Ferrari, Honda, Super Aguri-Honda, Force India-Ferrari, and McLaren-Mercedes. All scores are back to zero.

Before the real race, the drivers get to practice on the circuit. To simply get the picture of the whole circuit and be able to master it before the qualifying round which is the day before the race. Sorry, I forgot to mention about the qualifying round, my bad. The qualifying round that I am talking about is the day where the drivers race for pole position. When you have pole position, it only means that you are starting at the front of the pack. There is also the grid position, which the car’s position during the start of the race. This is also determined during the qualifying. The car with the fastest lap gets the first position, and then the second best goes to the second position, and so on. Nice eh!

The phrase “every second counts” is applicable during the qualifying round. This is where the practice pays off. If the driver has done well during the practice, it is likely that he will do great during the qualifying. But anything can happen. I have watched F1 and I have seen engine fails during races and cars not starting before the actual race starts. Anything can happen and you really cannot do anything about the time that time you have lost.

I cannot find a better picture of the Albert Park circuit, but I do remember it. It is the circuit with a long straight. Yes, I remember. The pit stop lane is the one close to the tight corner (#16). Drivers go for pit stops to refuel and change tires. Using the pit stops could make or break a team’s lead. But I can assure you that during pit stops, you will see the strategic skills of the team and its driver.

Kazuki Nakajima is not the only one that debuts in the upcoming season of Formula One. Force India, established in 2007, debuts as the newest racing team in F1. Before the name Force India came up it was called Jordan then Midland and after that it became Spyker. It may have changed names but the objectives of the team remain the same. I am not going to list the details of team objectives. With the team’s cars ready, the drivers too are geared up. Force India drivers include Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella. With the Schumacher era long gone, everyone has a shot for winning championships in F1 even the Spyker-turned-Force India team could surprise us.

Super Aguri. Does the name ring any bell? Yes. Of course, they are not very new in the Formula One. But they still have a lot to prove. The team has had troubles with the engines and other pieces of their cars. Hey, who could blame them anyway? They’re just started out in 2006 and there are still a lot of improvements to be made on their cars. But for sure, Super Aguri will kick some butts in the race soon and that’s what we have to watch out for.

The previous season wasn’t really good for the McLaren-Mercedes team. They’ve lost all their points which only mean one thing - no championship. The team has presented their new car and is absolutely ready for coming season. And this year’s objective is to win. Because winning each and every race is the best way to secure championships which was elusive last season with all that’s happened to the team.

M Schumacher may have retired but not his former teammate Rubens Barrichello. R Barrichello is driving for the Honda racing team with his new teammate Jenson Button. Even with the experience and skills of its drivers, Honda still had a terrible run on the previous season due to its “eco-friendly” car. That was a drastic and brave move for the team but it just does not work on F1. Being eco-friendly is no use if you cannot finish off first. It’s no wonder they only earned 6 points last season. Winning is a crucial factor in F1 and if they continue on to race with their “eco-friendly” car, they would definitely find their team at the bottom of the pack.

The FW29 was the secret to the Williams-Toyota’s feat last season which placed them at the 4^th spot. But I think it is more than just the engine that brought them closer. It is the team’s strong will to achieve supremacy. The addition of the newbie K Nakajima doesn’t guarantee anything for the team. They’d have to work doubly hard to achieve a higher position, which is a constantly dominated by McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari.

Everybody dreams to be successful. In F1, teams actually dream of seeing their drivers standing at the podium after every race. That is what the entire Toyota team dream of. But winning every race just seems so hard to achieve for Toyota. If the TF108 could do well, then, I think the flaw is somewhere else. The flaw could probably on the car’s design or on the drivers. What do you think?

Ferrari. Who wouldn’t know the name? I pity you if you don’t. But seriously, Ferrari is no ordinary name in F1 because of its domination on almost every race. Experience, excellent aerodynamics, powerful engine, and skillful drivers are the advantages that carry the team to victories. But of course no team is perfect, not even the Ferrari team. They simply have their own approach of dealing and working out their flaws. That is why Ferrari wins championships, it is because of their passion and drive in winning.

For now, these are the teams that I am featuring. The remaining teams will be featured the tomorrow or probably the next day, when I'm in the mood.  Have a nice day to you my reader and I hope you'll come back again for the latest Formula One news. Ciao!..

When I heard that Michael Schumacher has retired, I was actually glad because Formula One is gonna be exciting. I admit, I got bored with Formula One because M Schumacher always wins and none of the opposing teams could take him out even for just a single race. Even his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, is boring. So, I switched to MotoGP, which has actually started and the next race will be in Spain. I am not saying that he’s not good. I am just saying that the race just gets boring every time he wins. It is like doing the same things everyday or like watching Titanic for a hundredth time. With M Schumacher nowhere near the race track, F1 is going to be more exciting.

With the start of the F1 drawing nearer, teams prepare their race cars and their drivers for the practice. And like the NBA, F1 teams change their drivers. These are the following teams racing for the upcoming F1 season:

• Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa
• BMW - Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica
• Renault - Fernando Alonso, Nelsinho Piquets
• Williams-Toyota - Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima
• Red Bull-Renault - David Coulthard, Mark Webber
• Toyota - Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock
• Toro Rosso - Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel
• Honda - Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello
• Super Aguri - Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson
• Force India - Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella
• McLaren-Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen

You are not probably familiar with Kazuki Nakajima. It is because he’s a newbie in F1 racing who is replacing the retired Williams-Toyota driver Alexander Wurz . If you’ve been watching GP2, which is a type of auto racing, you have probably seen him or known him. Among the GP2-turned-F1-drivers are teammate Nico Rosberg and McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. After finishing his GP2 career in 5^th place, K Nakajima is set to race on one of the most prestigious auto racing in the world.

For aspiring F1 drivers, Kazumi Nakajima is one lucky guy. No, I guess I shouldn’t be saying he’s lucky because he’s really worked hard to get to where he is right now. He’s used to racing but F1 is no ordinary auto racing. He’ll have to try his best to win championships or earn points together with his Williams-Toyota teammate, N Rosberg. Best of luck to Nakajima!

The outset of auto racing came decades ago. Auto racing or car racing, whatever it may be called has become one of the popular sports in the world. There are actually a lot of auto racing which includes the Formula One. Formula One or just F1 is a prestigious race where top names in the industry such as Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Williams-Toyota, BMW, Honda, and other constructors display their edge. But there is a name that I really wish to see race in F1 again, Porsche. Porsche have done it before, so, I just wish that they could race again and prove that they are not just a major race car manufacturer but one of the best in the world. Well, it is not like they have not proven their superiority for the past years. All right, maybe I am just excited about the idea of watching Porsche race in the F1.

To drive your attention away from all my thoughts of Porsche-racing-in-Formula-One-someday, I will introduce you to the Porsche GT3 RSR. The GT3 RSR is directly related to the GT3 Cup and the GT2 Cup S but is more superior when it comes to performance.

As you can see, the interior of the Porsche GT3 RSR is built for racing. Its 6 cylinder engine is not like the V12’s of the Ferrari but could still create an incredible amount of 465 bhp (brake horsepower). It is also loaded with a new and lighter 6-speed sequential gearbox which was made for the RS Spyder. With all these state-of-the-art features, no wonder it is considered to be one of the most influential of the 911 dynasty.

McLaren and Honda are not the only teams that made radical changes in their cars. The Williams-Toyota has also made changes on their cars to prepare for the upcoming season of Formula One. The introduction took place at the Valencia Circuit in Valencia, Spain. I actually had a hard time finding a picture of the new car. This is the best I have found. The new car features the FW30 chassis which could help them win points or even championships. Last season, the Williams-Toyota team only had 33 points, putting them in the 4^th place just behind Renault, BMW, and Ferrari.

The official site of the Formula One presents a collection of pictures that displays the exceptional aerodynamic design of the new Williams-Toyota car. When you look at the car’s overhead profile you will easily notice its superb aerodynamics. Among the basic aerodynamic features applied on the car are the front and rear wings. These are some of the basic things that constructors change to provide the car a better grip keeping the car on race track even when running at high velocity. 

If the aerodynamic design of the new Williams-Toyota car works effectively and with the added consistency in the strategic skills of the driver during the course of the season, winning points or even the championship is not going to be difficult for the Williams-Toyota team.