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May
7th

Canadian racer Victor ‘Al’ Pease passed away

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Canadian racer Victor "Al" Pease, who contested three Formula 1 Grands Prix in the ‘60s, sadly passed away May 4th at the age of 92.

Al Pease was born in Darlington, England but arrived in Canada shortly after WWII.

He contested the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, Ontario. His Eagle-Climax suffered from serious battery problems all race long and he was not classified.

In 1968, he failed to qualify after a major engine problem forced him to park his car in the paddock.

Finally in 1969, back at Mosport Park, Pease qualified for the Canadian Grand Prix but was disqualified form the race for being too slow.

However, Pease was highly successful in domestic Canadian motor sport competitions, and was inducted as a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1998.


May
7th

F1: Only one Sauber under minimum F1 weight

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From GMM

Only one Sauber driver will be racing under F1's minimum weight limit this weekend in Barcelona, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

The Swiss team, whose Ferrari-powered C33 has been substantially overweight so far in 2014 at the start of the new turbo V6 era, announced ahead of the Spanish grand prix that its Barcelona upgrade features an "extensive weight reduction".

Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt said it is in the order of 10 to 15 kilograms.

But he explained that only one Sauber driver will actually enjoy a C33 in Spain that is now below the FIA's mandatory minimum weight of 692 kilos -- the featherweight Esteban Gutierrez.

It is believed the Mexican tips the scales at well below 60kg, while his German teammate Adrian Sutil is reportedly at least 15 kilograms heavier.

Nevertheless, even though Sutil will have no ballast to ideally position around the car, both drivers will benefit from the lighter Sauber, which should be minimally several tenths per lap quicker, Schmidt added.

F1 Adrian Sutil Sauber C33-Ferrari Esteban Gutierrez
Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil, Sauber C33-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)



May
7th

F1 Technique: Keeping turbo hybrid cars cool is essential

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The new F1 turbo hybrid Power Unit generates a lot of heat.

Additional hybrid systems, a more complex exhaust system, plus an intercooler required for the pressure charging system are all contributing factors to the cooling requirements of the car.

Managing heat is not only necessary in terms of car integrity but also performance and efficiency.

F1 Mercdes AMG Special cooling fans
Special cooling fans, Mercedes AMG, (Photo: Mercedes AMG)

Two opposing influences thereby exist: one focused on ensuring that each of these components operates within an optimal temperature range, the other on packaging the related cooling systems in such a way as not to detract from the aerodynamic efficiency of the car.

Several companies have developed off-board cooling solutions for the F1 cars. One of them is ebm-papst who is now working with Mercedes AMG.

The company has produced a highly specialised off-board cooling solution optimised for the sidepod radiators and roll-hoop of the F1 W05 race cars which will be deployed when the car is on the grid and in the garage.

Ambient temperatures at F1 races can reach up to 40°C with ambient on-car temperatures up to 75°C and an operating temperature of over 120°C for the sidepod radiators.

F1 Mercedes AMG Special cooling fans
Special cooling fans, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: Mercedes AMG)

For grid and parc fermé the sidepods and roll-hoop will be cooled with the new 'S Force' axial fans whose performance curve match the high back-pressure characteristics of the Mercedes system and provide a 518% improvement in delivered airflow. This high performance contained within a small packaging size meets the requirements for a small portable powerful system.

When the car is in the garage, the sidepods and roll-hoop will be cooled via a larger low-noise forward-curved centrifugal solution where the motor and impellor have been integrated into a bespoke designed scroll housing to fit perfectly on to the car.


May
7th

F1: Eight things to know about the Spanish Grand Prix

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We searched the archives and here are 8 important things and facts race fans must know about the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix.

1. The first Spanish Grand Prix was held in 1951 on the Pedralbes street circuit in Barcelona. The race has subsequently been held at Barcelona's Montjuich Park, Jerez, Jarama before moving to the Circuit de Catalunya in 1991, where it has remained ever since.

2. In 1981, Gilles Villeneuve kept five close rivals behind him to win the race. During the second half of the race, Villeneuve used the power of his Ferrari turbo engine on the straights to stay ahead of the pack. Villeneuve, Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann and Elio de Angelis crossed the finish covered by just 1.24 second!

Michael Schumacher, Benetton-Ford, 1994
Michael Schumacher, Benetton-Ford, 1994 (Photo: WRI2)

3. In 1994, Michael Schumacher (Benetton-Ford) finished a strong second, despite being stuck in fifth gear for most of the race. Schumacher used his World Sports Car experience to modify his driving style to find new trajectories and corner apexes.

4. The biggest winning margin in a Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya was in 1995 when Michael Schumacher led home Benetton team mate Johnny Herbert by 51.988 seconds.

5. The smallest winning margin came in 2011 when Sebastian Vettel pipped Lewis Hamilton by just 0.630 seconds.

6. Several drivers stepped onto an F1 podium for the first time at the Spanish Grand Prix - Luigi Musso (in 1954), Brian Redman (1968), Mario Andretti (1970), George Follmer (1973), Gunnar Nilsson (1976), Johnny Herbert (1995), Juan Pablo Montoya (2001) and Pastor Maldonado (2012).

Ayrton Senna - Nigel Mansell, 1986
Ayrton Senna - Nigel Mansell, 1986 (Photo: WRI2)

7. In 1986 at Jerez de le Frontera, Nigel Mansell pitted for fresh tires and charged back, making up over 19 seconds in the final 10 laps of the race. It was not quite sufficient to take the win, but it was very close with Ayrton Senna beating Mansell by just 0.014 second.

8. The 1969 Spanish Grand Prix was the last ever race featuring Formula 1 cars with the "high-wing", the two Lotus cars suffered massive rear wing failures with drivers Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill lucky to escape with their lives.

May
6th

Marchionne to lead Fiat Chrysler through 2018

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Sergio Marchionne will remain CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles through at least 2018 to oversee the rollout of the combined automaker's latest five-year business plan.
May
6th

Marchionne to lead Fiat Chrysler through 2018

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Sergio Marchionne said he will remain CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles through at least 2018 to oversee the rollout of the combined automaker's latest five-year business plan. That's two years longer than indicated earlier.
May
6th

Marchionne QandA: CEO discusses Alfa, aluminum and UAW wages

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Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has faith in Alfa Romeo and doubts about aluminum-bodied pickup trucks while continuing to oppose the long-term viability of two-tier UAW wages.
May
6th

Congressional probe looks at Barra’s, GM executives’ links to switch, report says

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Congressional investigators are examining whether General Motors CEO Mary Barra and other senior executives were more involved than they have publicly acknowledged as the automaker considered how to deal with a deadly ignition switch issue linked to...
May
6th

Merger links Lutz’s VL with Virginia governor’s EV venture

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VL Automotive, a sports car start-up founded by Detroit 3 veteran Bob Lutz, has merged with EV venture GreenTech Automotive to bring its Fisker Karma-based Destino car to market.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler targets 850,000 vehicle sales in China in 2018

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, a bit player in Asia, plans to boost local production and sales significantly in China and India through 2018. In 2018, the automaker wants to sell about 850,000 vehicles in China, versus 130,000 in 2013.
May
6th

ANALYSIS: Volvo Flybrid KERS technology

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Volvo Car Group has been conducting extensive tests - working with UK-based tech firm Flybrid - on flywheel-based KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology that it is claimed can yield fuel consumption savings of up to 25%. Ian Adcock took a closer look for just-auto.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler projects major boost in U.S. market share

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles today projected that it will have roughly the same 2018 market share in the United States as Ford Motor Co. had last year and that its global sales would grow more than twice as fast as the rest of the industry.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler posts first-quarter net loss, trading profit stable

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Fiat Chrysler ended the first quarter with a net loss, hit by one-off charges linked to a deal to fully acquire Chrysler and by currency fluctuations.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler posts Q1 net loss, trading profit stable

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Fiat Chrysler ended the first quarter with a net loss, hit by one-time charges linked to a deal to fully acquire Chrysler and by currency fluctuations.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler targets Europe, Africa, Mideast for double-digit sales growth

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to introduce 34 new or redesigned models to its portfolio in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and is targeting an overall 27 percent increase in sales in those regions by 2018.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler predicts average N.A. dealership will sell 798 units in 2018

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Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram dealerships in North America will sell significantly more vehicles in 2018 than now, the automaker said today. Each dealership sold an average of 566 vehicles last year, the company said.
May
6th

Fiat Chrysler targets Europe, Africa, Mideast for double-digit sales growth

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to introduce 34 new or redesigned models to its portfolio in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and is targeting an overall 27 percent increase in sales in those regions by 2018.
May
6th

1,341-hp Koenigsegg One:1 gets 3D-printed turbocharger: CEO explains why on ‘Inside Koenigsegg’ episode six

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Episode six of and#8220;Inside Koenigseggand#8221; is live online today. The Swedish supercar-maker is touting its latest technology for the new
May
6th

The rise of the barn-find collector car: Difference between barn find and preservation class is bigger than some realize

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Once little more than restorers' fodder, the demand for unmolested, unrestored cars is at an all-time high.
May
6th

Maserati Alfieri coupe coming in 2016, with convertible to follow: The Trident further embraces V6 power; Levante SUV still in the works

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and#8220;Just build it,and#8221; we said, after seeing the deliciously plausible Maserati Alfieri concept at the
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