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McLaren Reveals Their Title Contender

 

In a room packed with journalists and eager fans watching via online feed, Formula 1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes revealed their 2012 car Wednesday morning. Hosted at the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, England, drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, along with team principal Martin Whitmarsh, pulled the cover back over the new MP4-27 and gave the public the first glimpse at the potential title contender for 2012.

 Jenson Button (left) and Lewis Hamilton (right), about to reveal the MP4-27

McLaren, one of the most successful Formula 1 teams in racing history, fought hard to challenge the Red Bull Racing team this past racing season. McLaren secured six grand prix victories during the 2011 F1 season and were on podium for 11 other victories, so you can bet they will continue to give it all they've got in 2012 for the coveted FIA World Constructors Championships.

With many months of development now complete, the MP4-27 aims to be the car to beat in 2012.  A complete redesign provides the car with a competitive edge and increased safety. Upgrades to the car's design include a much tighter rear-waist, providing additional aerodynamic efficiency which translates to increased speed. New safety regulations for 2012 necessitate a lower front nose for all cars, but unlike the rather funny looking 'platypus nose' on the Caterham CT-01, the McLaren nose carries a smooth curve with consistent appearance and emphasis on aero performance.


The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson ButtonOther major changes include a redesigned sidepod to address exhaust flow regulations and an updated cooling system. Though each of these changes means tenths of seconds on the track, this could be the competitive advantage McLaren needs to edge out the other teams and take back the championship title.

The 2012 season looks to be a promising one, and with Austin on the calendar in late November, all teams are closely watching our progress. In a Q&A session following the launch, motorsports journalist Dan Knutson asked Jenson about his outlook on Austin and the new USGP; Adam Cooper documented the discussion here at SpeedTV:

 “I'm really excited about heading back to the States,” said Button. “I've never been to Austin but I've heard great things about the city itself, and I've heard also great things about the circuit, the layout, and hopefully we can put on a great show when we get there.

“I remember racing in the States before in Indianapolis which was, you know, a good circuit, but I think the steps that Austin have taken to make sure this is a proper, pukka Formula 1 circuit I think we're gonna love it, you know. It's going to be a lot of fun. And hopefully we have the support of the American fans.”

In addition, Martin Whitmarsh, as he's done many, many, many times, echoed the strategic value in the American market, stressing the need for Formula 1 to be here, despite the struggles with solidifying Formula 1 in America in the past:

“I think all the teams believe it's very important and we've got to make a success of it this time. As we all know, our time in America has been spasmodic and unsuccessful. We have to treat it almost as a new market. But actually there's a huge interest in Formula 1 that is untapped in the States. We've got to work harder. What we have to accept is, America doesn't need Formula 1; we need it more than it needs us.

“So I think the onus has got to be on the teams, the promoter, all of us, to work – and the commercial rights holder – to work very hard to make sure that we educate we promote, we develop the interest, we reach out in America.

“So we've got to work harder than, perhaps, a new Grand Prix in Europe or Asia or South America, where, there is a ready interest and a ready uptake. We've got a real challenge. But it's important. It's important to our commercial partners. The States is still a rather big market for really any multinational company. There are only two world sports, soccer and Formula 1, and for us to be a great world sport, we've got to conquer the States.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team Principal Martin WhitmarshWith the new MP4-27 in their arsenal, the McLaren team might really be the complete package in Formula One. McLaren is the only team with two FIA World Championship drivers, a seasoned management team, and arguably the most technically advanced facility and research program in Formula 1.

Though much of the Formula 1 field has yet to reveal their off-season homework, 2012 could be the perfect storm for McLaren, putting them in back on the leader board and potentially on the podium in Austin for the USGP. With under two months before the season begins, momentum is building for what looks to be a very exciting season.

 

Off-Season Optimism: Livery Launches

"Where are the cars, Dad?"F1 off-season runs from November to March, which is often a painstaking time for an F1 fan in the absence of their beloved sport. But petrol heads are coming out of hibernation as teams begin to launch their livery for the 2012 season.

When referring to F1 cars, “Livery” is the distinct color scheme or emblem(s) related to the team. For example (and I'm simplifying), Ferrari is red; Red Bull is blue, red and yellow; Force India is orange, white and green (mimicking the Indian flag), and so on. As with just about every aspect of F1, there are rules and regulations pertaining to the teams and their livery established by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ("FIA," the governing body for world motor sport). Here are the highlights:

(Reminder: Each team has two drivers. And some have test drivers. More on this later.)

-Every car must clearly display its driver's race number on the front of the car. The driver's number is published by the FIA at the beginning of the F1 season.

-The team's name or emblem must appear on the front of the nose of the car and must be "at least 25mm in its largest dimension."

-The driver's name must appear on the external bodywork of the car and also be clearly legible.

-Each car has an onboard camera, located above the principal roll structure. In order to distinguish between a team's two cars, the camera on the first car must be predominantly fluorescent red and on the second car, predominantly fluorescent yellow.

-The livery must remain unchanged on both cars for the duration of the F1 season (however, it may be altered with approval from the F1 Commission).

Now on to the fun part: Caterham F1 Team revealed their 2012 car, the CT01, late last week. It was interesting because the official release date was published as Jan. 26, however recipients of F1 Racingmagazine received an early treat and images started circulating on Jan. 25. Here's the Caterham CT 01:

The 2012 Caterham CT01 Side note: we tip our hats to Caterham F1 Team's website - it's clean, well-organized and easy to navigate. Cheers.

Below is the most recent information we have found regarding the other 11 team's launches.

Bruno Senna, newest member of the Williams F1 Team, in 2012 team livery.I thought this was interseting and would get your gears turning (pun intended): The website F1 Colours took note of this picture of Bruno Senna, the newest member of the Williams F1 Team. Are there clues in this new team shirt that will have us seeing a hint of red in their 2012 livery? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Want all these dates in a calendar? We've got you covered. Click here to access our shared Google calendar. It includes important F1 dates such as launches and testing, 2012 F1 and MotoGP races, driver birthdays, and Austin community events that may be of interest. Check back often as we continue to update it, or just subscribe and have it populate your personal Google calendar in one click.

Mid-August Target for COTA


Circuit officials are meeting with Bernie Ecclestone this week in London to discuss progress at the facility.  According to Jonathan Noble of Autosport, several members of the executive team including President Steve Sexton, Executive VP Bruce Knox, Director of Racing Operations Chuck Aksland, and Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Geoff Moore.

Geoff Moore was quoted by Noble:

"The race is on. Construction is happening six days a week. The paddock buildings are being topped off, work on the main grandstand has started and we are looking at mid-August for completion."

Details about other discussions with Ecclestone have not been released, though the most promising news in this story is the mid-August target completion date.

The mid-August date gives a three month buffer before the scheduled Nov 18 USGP and an opportunity to hold other events at the circuit.  In presentations from COTA, they have spoken about programming at the circuit to include bike or foot races, smaller racing series, large scale conferences and live entertainment.  Details about such events have been relatively vague since the April 2011 press conference but are more likely to emerge over the coming months with this new target date. Without a doubt, there will be the need to hold an event of some kind before the first Formula 1 race.  I don't think anyone would expect the F1 race to be the first thing held at COTA so we'll have to wait to see what this event will be.

Mid-August is roughly 7 months from today, and though that might seem unattainable, with a 6-day crew going two or three shifts, it is possible.  Over the past month, the paddock building has completely transformed from a foundation into a three story building and the main grandstand foundation is going in as we speak.  Let's hope, for construction's sake, for another dry spring and summer.

The Comeback Kid: Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi in the 2012 Lotus GP race car (source Lotus GP)Rarely do successful athletes relive their glory days after taking a hiatus from their sport. Only a few of the best have accomplished this feat, with many quickly losing the edge on their game as age begins to take its toll. Michael Jordan is one of the few athletes to conquer this feat; he dabbled in baseball in 1994 after leaving his highly successful career in the NBA. With just a year of minor league baseball under his belt, Jordan ended up returning to basketball, making a great run for the playoffs but falling short of winning the title again.

Niki Lauda driving the McLaren MP4/2 in the 1984 Dallas Grand PrixIn the motorsports world, drivers don't often return to the hot seat; they either move on to another series or retire after competing in Formula 1.  The most recent reminder in the industry is seven time world champion Michael Schumacher who left the sport in 2006 and returned in 2010. Despite fighting hard for his position, Schumacher has not made it back into the championship spotlight and has struggled to keep his car in contention for points.

Former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda made quite a comeback following a serious accident and retirement from the sport in 1979, and even went on to earn another championship in 1984 by just half a point over Alain Prost. However, since Schumacher's return to F1, he has yet to step foot on the podium and finish above fourth position. This is quite a disappointment in many respects, yet maybe not a surprise at all.

Before it sounds like I am joining the anti-Schumacher camp (I'm not, I promise), we need to turn the attention back on Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Championship winner and a promising young driver who is making his comeback to Formula 1 this 2012 season.

Kimi had a successful early start in the sport and a great season in 2007, crowning him the world champ in his first year in the Ferrari car. Following a frustrating 2008 and 2009 season, he left the sport after failing to secure a contract with a team. From 2009 until 2011, Kimi had some short stints in other series, including a decent run in World Rally Championship (WRC) and races in both the NASCAR Truck and semi-pro NASCAR series.

Kimi Raikonnen with Lotus Renault GP team principal Eric Boullier Rumors began to run about of Kimi's return to Formula 1 last fall. Then, there was speculation that he would be joining the Williams team. However, on November 29 Lotus Renault GP announced they snatched him up for a two year contract beginning in 2012.

So, can we expect a modern day comeback to shake up the sport?  If Schumacher's sabbatical was an indication, any time spent out of an F1 car can feel like a lifetime.  Kimi, though ten years younger than Michael, must overcome additional obstacles. In addition to a two year hiatus from F1, the FIA rules have evolved (grumble grumble): back then we didn't have the same technical challenges that we have today, such as DRS. Luckily though, Kimi did get a chance to play around with the early KERS system in 2009 with Ferrari, though it was largely in it's infancy of development.

According to former Mclaren teamate David Coulthard and driver Jenson Button, Kimi's return will be stronger than ever before and a welcome sight for the sport. David says the following about Kimi while at the Race of Champions (ROC) this past December to Autosport:

"Kimi stopped too early in his career, there's no question about that," said Coulthard. "He's gone off and had some fun in rallying.

"I did an event with him earlier this year at the Red Bull Ring and he was just jumping on everything - whether it was motocross bikes or the different cars that were there, he just has a great feeling for pushing the limits. So I've got no doubt at all that he will be on the pace."

Even Jenson Button chimed in, offering his surprise about returning to the sport with Lotus Renault instead of Williams and the likely partying that will ensue:

"It was a shock to me that he's going to be racing for the team he is," said Button. "I was really surprised when they announced Kimi. I thought he had a chance at Williams."

"I think it's really good for the sport. As a driver, he's very, very competitive. If he really wants to race, he's going to be quick.

"From what I've heard from the engineers at McLaren, he knows what he's doing in terms of engineering and setting up the car.

"It's good to have him back and the races will be more fun and obviously the evenings after the races will be more fun..."

Kimi's return is likely to shake up the sport a bit, especially with the rise of the Lotus Renault team who has steadily climbed back into the spotlight this past year with a solid 5th position in the constructors championship, moving them into the 'top-tier' with the heavy hitters. Given the rough past couple of years at Williams, Kimi's decision to go with Lotus Renault may prove to be a great launching platform for him to return to the sport, get back into the groove of things, and pull off some great races this year. 

Finally, let's not forget that Kimi is likely to be a great personality for new and existing fans of the sport.  His stoic media contact has earned him the nickname of "Iceman," but off track, Kimi carries somewhat of a party animal reputation (just google "Kimi Raikkonen Boat Monaco"). Without a doubt, he's going to bring more excitement to the sport and cause quite a stir within the Formula 1 establishment. 2012 is going to be a great season.

// Lotus is doing a solid job of sharing info about Kimi's return via their site Lotus Renault GP, here's some Q&A's with Kimi.

Austin Remains on 2012 F1 Calendar

More official reports are emerging that the 2012 F1 calendar has been ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council at their meeting in New Delhi. This means the Austin Formula One race scheduled for November 16-18, 2012 officially remains on the calendar. This is also an opportune time to mention that it was never officially removed from the F1 calendar, despite rumors and gossip over the past month amidst what we believe to be heavy negotiations.

Official Press Release from the December 7, 2011 World Motor Sport Council meeting is here.

While we share in the excitement and relief of this announcement, it will be interesting to continue to see what announcements are made over the next 12 hours; it is 5 o'clock in the morning in Austin, Texas and we expect further details to emerge from Circuit of The Americas. What sort of deal was reached with COTA and F1? Was Tavo Hellmund involved? Will construction resume immediately? Is it feasible to complete the Circuit in time for inspection ahead of November 16, 2012? Have local hotel rooms been released for anxious travelers to book up?

As you've come to expect...stay tuned!

Nick Craw meets with Formula 1 United States team members as well as local, city and state officials and gave the project development plan his approval and a strong “thumbs up”. Nick Craw, ACCUS President for the US, Senate President of the FIA; Tavo Hellmund, Chairman of the Formula 1 United States; Peter Wahl, Managing Partner of Tilke GmbH. Taken 21 October 2010.

The Show Must Go On

All eyes on Austin in this time of uncertainty for the Formula One United States Grand Prix, still slated to begin in Austin in one year. Despite the recent interpretations of fact and soundbytes, at the end of the day (well, today at least!) there is still a November 18, 2012 Austin race on the Formula One calendar. Until it is officially removed, we will continue to move in that direction.

Tavo Hellmund and Bernie Ecclestone, President & CEO of Formula One Management (Courtesy of Formula 1 United States)However, overnight F1's Bernie Ecclestone was quoted in The Independent (UK paper) as saying "The [new] contract we proposed to them is 10 years from 2013. We said we would wait for them."

Moments ago, Steve Sexton (President of Circuit of The Americas) issued the following statement:

"We have been excited for and working towards a 2012 USGP race and now understand that Mr. Ecclestone is interested in moving the Austin race to 2013. We know the U.S. market is important to the teams and their sponsors and 2013 certainly allows time for the Circuit of The Americas to be ready."

So, a loose interpretation of these comments suggests that COTA and Ecclestone are re-negotiating the terms of the F1US contract. There are obvious pros and cons for moving a 2012 race to 2013. The most obvious pro is that this allows more time to develop the infrastructure at Circuit of The Americas to its full capabilities to welcome F1, MotoGP and V8 Supercars all together in 2013. Despite having to wait, the most crushing con is that many American F1 fans are again in an emotional state of confusion and anger. Hopefully, as the dust settles from this Texas showdown, we will be able to quickly get back to our state of creativity and excitement.

There are a few events in Austin this weekend that were planned in order to commemorate the one year mark until our first F1 race. Some may think it's a waste of time to continue with our plans. I completely disagree. Instead of focusing on a one year countdown, it is time to celebrate our accomplishments for the past 18 months!

Hundreds of Austinites have banded together to create a vibrant community for a race that isn’t even here yet. For a circuit that is about 40% complete. The fans, supporters and community connectors are due credit for creating worldwide excitement for Austin, Texas 2012. The fans have opened their arms to visitors who have travelled to Austin since May 25, 2010 to scout out what we're all about: to plan their F1 events and business dealings; to get the lay of the land while listening to live music on 6th Street; to "ride the bull" at Rebel's Honky Tonk in the Warehouse district; to watch an F1 race with fans at Cool River Cafe or downtown with us at Six Lounge. Every visitor that we have met with has shared the same reaction: Austin is an amazing town with people that make it extraordinary. The people are extraordinary because they love their city and they love the idea of sharing what it has to offer with friends and visitors.

Hangar Lounge - 318 Colorado Street

This weekend is about celebrating what we’ve accomplished as a community while continuing to look forward to the future of racing in Austin. Here are two events:

Friday, November 18, 8:00PM – 12:00AM

Hangar Lounge, 318 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas

Free admission and Red Bull drink specials

More info on our Facebook event link by clicking here.

Saturday, November 19, 5:00PM – 11:30PM

The Hitchin’ Post, 12100 FM 969, Austin TX

More details on Wild Bubba's Facebook event page by clicking here.

See you this weekend!