F1 2012 – Young Driver Test Developer Diary (Game)

Video Copyright © 2011 The Codemasters Software Company Limited

Ocean Racing Technology Enters GP3 Series

It has been announced today that Portuguese team Ocean Racing Technology have entered the GP3 Series, taking over from Tech 1 Racing. This comes after they formed an agreement with Tech 1 Racing, allowing them to enter the GP3 Series as well as racing in GP2.

Ocean Racing Technology have been involved with GP2 since 2009, with drivers’ Karun Chandhok and Alvaro Parente and have enjoyed relative success. Since then they have only won two races, courtesy of Alvaro Parente and Fabio Leimer.

Tech 1 Racing have been involved with GP3 since the inaugural season, back in 2010. They have never won a race before, and have had 9 different drivers’ in a very short space of time, including Formula 1 rookie Jean-Eric Vergne.

“We are very happy to welcome Ocean Racing Technology to GP3.” Said GP3 Series CEO Bruno Michel, “They become the fifth team involved in both of our Series along with Lotus GP, Arden Motorsport, Carlin and more recently Trident Racing. It is a great opportunity for the Portuguese Ocean’s team. This new season is set to be another thrilling one.”

Ocean Racing Technology will make their first GP3 track appearance of 2012 next week, at an official pre-season test in Barcelona.

Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP2 Series Media Service 

Pedro De La Rosa Confirms New HRT Will Have Step Nose

Spanish Formula 1 veteran, Pedro De La Rosa has confirmed that the new HRT F1 car, which is currently unreleased, will definitely include the new step nose design. This design has been used by all teams except McLaren up and down the grid, with some teams even including a hammerhead design at the tip of nose as well.

The Spaniard makes his return to a full time drive in Formula 1 this season with the Spanish outfit after years of test work for McLaren, as well as driving for Sauber for part of the 2010 season and one race in 2011.

Pedro De La Rosa will be joined at HRT be fellow F1 returnee Narain Karthikeyan, who was dropped by the team halfway through last season in favor of Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo. Karthikeyan remains the only Indian driver on the 2012 grid as fellow Indian driver, Karun Chandhok failed to make an impression at Lotus (Caterham) last year.

“The step in the nose of the others [teams] is ugly, but it’s a technical solution that many teams are taking because of the regulations.” Said De La Rosa in Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, “Ours will more than likely also have a step, maybe not as aggressive.”

Yesterday saw HRT release their new 2012 logo, which features a third successive change in color and style as the team opt for a white, black and gold color scheme. This has already been likened to the colors currently used by Lotus, and if their cars are colored the same as their logo, could cause complications between distinguishing the two teams.

HRT suffered another blow yesterday as they lost their technical director, Jacky Eeckelaert, whose contract with the team expired and was not renewed.

Chandhok Aims For World Endurance Championship Drive In 2012

Formula 1 reserve driver Karun Chandhok has announced new ambitions for 2012, stating he’d like to keep his third driver role within Formula 1 and that he’d also like to try and find a drive in the new Sports Car World Endurance Championship.

The Indian driver made his debut in Formula 1 during the 2010 season with HRT after a moderately successful career in GP2, winning two races in three seasons racing for both Durango, iSport International and Ocean Racing Technology. In his first season in Formula 1 he retired twice before being replaced at HRT by Sakon Yamamoto, resulting in Chandhok being left out for the remainder of 2010. In 2011, he was signed as the reserve driver for Team Lotus, and took part in nine Friday Practice Sessions for the team throughout the season, also racing at the German Grand Prix coming home 20th.

However, with the likelihood that he’ll be unable to secure a full time drive for 2012, Chandhok has now set his sights on a different form of motor sport, with his aim now to not only retain his current third driver role with Caterham (formerly Team Lotus) but to also try and secure a drive for the World Endurance Championship, a new Sports Car series for 2012. Chandhok has announced that he’d be willing to accept a drive for a privateer team in the series, knowing that he’ll need to gain experience in this particular form of motor sport after spending the majority of his career in open-wheel, single-seater racing.

Karun Chandhok also hinted that he’d one day like to be able to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours, stating that he’s raced on many other legendary circuits such as Monaco, Spa and Macau and that Le Mans is another box he’d like to be able to tick.

Even though he’s stressed that F1 is still his main goal, it is undeniable that the urge to race full time in a series in becoming overwhelming.

HRT To Extend Williams Partnership Into 2012

 

It was announced today that the HRT Formula 1 team have extended their deal with Williams which permits use of their gearbox and also a new addition of KERs for 2012. 

HRT are currently lying last in the Constructors’ Standings whereas Williams are only 5 points ahead of them and are currently struggling in their worst season in their history in F1. 

The extension of this deal will now permit HRT to use the KERs device, something which they haven’t had on their cars this season and which could well boost them into the right direction of gaining their first ever points in F1. 

Since their first race in last years Bahrain Grand Prix, HRT have struggled to make an impact on the F1 world and have since used 7 different drivers with a mix of rookies such as Bruno Senna, Karun Chandhok and Daniel Ricciardo and experienced drivers such as Christian Klien, Tonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan. Even using many different drivers in such a short time, their highest finish in a race has yet to better 14th, and that was in the 2010 Australian and Korean Grands Prix. 

HRT Team Principal, Colin Kolles, will be hoping that these new additions to next years car will have a positive effect on the team and push them towards higher finishes next season. 

Chandhok Not To Race Indian Grand Prix

Indian Team Lotus Reserve Driver, Karun Chandhok, will not race in this weekends inaugural Indian Grand Prix after the team have elected to keep regular drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen in their respective seats.

Team Principal, Tony Fernandes, had previously hinted that Chandhok would drive his inaugural home race alongside fellow countryman Narain Karthikeyan who was yesterday confirmed alongside Daniel Ricciardo at HRT for the Indian Grand Prix replacing Tonio Liuzzi, however those hints have fallen to nothing as Team Lotus have elected to stick with their regular drivers instead.

Karun Chandhok has driven in 8 races this season as a Friday Test Driver for the team and has raced in only one whole weekend at the 2011 German Grand Prix where he qualified a lowly 21st after being out-qualified by his team-mate and Virgin driver Timo Glock. In the race he finished 20th which turned out to be nothing more than last of the finishing drivers as he was out-raced by his team-mate, both Virgin cars and Ricciardo in the HRT leaving him 4 laps off the pace. 

In 2010 he raced part of the season with HRT in their inaugural season in Formula 1 before being replaced at the 2010 German Grand Prix by Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto who was then replaced by Christian Klien during the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix. 

Chandhok made an explosive start to the 2011 season when he crashed literally seconds into FP1 at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix on the exit of Turn 3 when the car spun to the right and slammed into the wall. 

Maybe these statistics are what put Team Lotus off having him in the car for next weekend, or maybe he failed to produce the right amount of sponsorship money the likes of which Karthikeyan has produced with his Hero Motors deal who will sponsor him and HRT for the Indian Grand Prix.

Liuzzi To Step Aside For Karthikeyan In India

  

Italian Tonio Liuzzi will be the driver to step aside for Narain Karthikeyan at HRT for next weekends inaugural Indian Grand Prix for HRT, not rookie Daniel Ricciardo as expected.

The Indian driver, Karthikeyan, was promised a drive at his first ever home Grand Prix earlier in the year when he was replaced by Aussie rookie Daniel Ricciardo who is backed by World Champions Red Bull in their young driver program. However it was initially planned that Ricciardo would be the driver stepping aside, and Tonio Liuzzi would remain in his No.1 driver role. However recent events and poor results for the HRT team seem to have changed the mind of HRT boss Colin Kolles as he today announced that Liuzzi would be stepping aside and that Ricciardo would retain his role within the team, a role that he has undertaken with immense maturity during his short career. 

Tonio Liuzzi started his F1 career in 2005 with Red Bull in their inaugural season after taking over Jaguar as the teams Friday Test Driver, racing in only 4 races and finding success in his first ever race at the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix finishing 8th. After that he suffered two retirements at the 2005 Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix before finishing 9th in his final race for the team of the season at the European Grand Prix before returning to his Test Driver role.

In 2006 he signed a full race seat with fledgling team Toro Rosso after they bought what was the Minardi F1 team at the end of 2005 and it was a rocky season as he scored only 1 points finish in the 2006 American Grand Prix with 8th place. He stayed with the team in 2007 and had an even more unsuccessful season as he failed to finish 7 of the 17 races and finished only once in the points again, this time in the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix with 6th, his highest ever F1 finish to date. 

In 2008 he failed to find himself a full time F1 drive and had to settle for another Test Driver role, this time with the Force India team. The loyalty throughout 2008 rewarded him with a drive in the latter races of the 2009 season when Giancarlo Fisichella rushed off to replace the injured Felipe Massa at Ferrari after Luca Badoer failed to impress and although he failed to finish in the points, he was kept with the team for the 2010 season alongside Adrian Sutil, and he had his most successful season in F1 with points at the Bahrain, Australian, Monaco, Canadian, Belgian and Korean Grands Prix. 

However after last seasons high, he was replaced by Scot Paul Di Resta and he had to settle for a drive with HRT, a team that had suffered in its first season in F1 in 2010. During the winter of 2010/11 it was even uncertain whether there was going to be funding to keep the team alive into the new season, however they made it and although they failed to Qualify for the Australian Grand Prix, they have battled on throughout this season.

It’s looking at Liuzzi’s current run of results and it’s no surprise that Colin Kolles has decided to replace him with Karthikeyan next weekend, and if Karthikeyan can perform well in front of his home crowd then maybe we could see him remain as Daniel Ricciardo’s team-mate.

Narain Karthikeyan might not be the only Indian driver on the grid come next weekend as Tony Fernandes has yet to decide whether Karun Chandhok will race for Team Lotus. If he replaces Jarno Trulli it will be the first time since the 1973 German Grand Prix that no Italian drivers have taken place in a Formula 1 race weekend whereas if his replaces Heikki Kovalainen it will be the first time since the 1990 Belgian Grand Prix that no Finnish driver has taken part in a Formula 1 race.

If Chandhok races or not, it will be interesting to see if Liuzzi gets his seat back from Karthikeyan, who will have the bit between his teeth to perform not only in front of a home crowd, but also against a new rising star of the future in Daniel Ricciardo.

Karthikeyan Confirmed For HRT Return

It has officially been confirmed that Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan will return to HRT for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next month, and will also take part in the Friday Session at the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend.

Colin Kolles, Team Principal at HRT, has confirmed the deal, stating that although Ricciardo was never down to race at the Indian Grand Prix, commercial considerations had to be addressed. Basically the deal with Karthikeyan having sponsorship from Hero Motors and the whole spectacle and him being Indian made it a no brainer. Which is a shame, I believe, because Karthikeyan is a skilled driver and it would be fairer for him to be chosen because his skill factor, rather than money. The same is currently going on at Team Lotus, where Team Principal Tony Fernandes has spoken hopes of having Indian Reserve Driver, Karun Chandhok, race the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in place of Jarno Trulli. Again, I wish Chandhok was being chosen because of his driver skill rather than the spectacle of Indian drivers on the grid for the Indian Grand Prix. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for other nations, such as Malaysia, where Team Lotus only gave Fairuz Fauzy a Friday Practice drive and not a whole weekend drive during this years Malaysian Grand Prix.

However, there is no space for cynicism in todays sport, otherwise you’d end up going mad. I am all for Indian drivers and races in Formula 1, as they definitely have earned their place in the modern sport. However I just wish these drivers were picked for their skill, which of course they have otherwise they wouldn’t have got as far as they have in Motor Sport, rather than commercial reasons.

I wish both Karthikeyan and Chandhok success in their inaugural home race, and if the weather in inclement, just like last years inaugural South Korean Grand Prix, we could even see an Indian driver scoring points at the Indian Grand Prix and if that’s not a spectacle then show me what is!

Chandhok To Race In Inaugural Indian Grand Prix?

It has come to light recently that Team Lotus reserve driver, Karun Chandhok, could well be in line for a full race weekend drive for next months inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes has voiced hopes of having the Indian driver race in place of Jarno Trulli next month, this news coming only days after Jarno Trulli signed a new contract for 2012 to stay with Team Lotus.

This news is rather surprising as Jarno Trulli had to give way to Chandhok earlier in the year during the German Grand Prix weekend, so it should be only fair that Kovalainen should make way for Chandhok for the Indian Grand Prix, and even though Fernandes believes Trulli to be the No.2 driver, I strongly disagree as Trulli has had 10 years more F1 experience than that of Kovalainen. Both drivers have won 1 race (Trulli won Monaco 2004, Kovalainen Hungary 2008) however Trulli has had 4 more podiums than him in his longer career.

Karun Chandhok however has had a less successful career in F1 when he was replaced at HRT halfway through last season, however he did secure HRTs highest ever F1 finish in last years 2010 Australian Grand Prix by finishing 14th and then repeating it by finishing 14th again during last years 2010 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then he has only raced for Team Lotus once during the German Grand Prix this year and finished 20th, and has driven on Fridays as a test driver several times, all of which struggling for pace. It’s this reason why I can’t understand Tony Fernandes’s mentality in putting Chandhok in the car for the Indian Grand Prix. Yes the whole aspect of having an Indian driver in your car for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix will be great, but when you have two very experienced drivers racing in your team anyway, surely it would be an own goal giving way for a less experienced driver?

Chandhok didn’t even have a very successful career in GP2 & GP2 Asia before F1, having won only two races in Belgium 2007 and Germany 2008, and as much as I like the guy, he has shown more potential as the next BBC Radio Five Live commentator recently than the next F1 superstar.

I just hope if Chandhok does race he makes it all worthwhile for the team who are looking stronger and stronger every race weekend, and will surely be scoring points sooner rather than later.

Picture Copyright © Team Lotus

FIA Inspect Indian GP Track

     

Race director Charlie Whiting of the FIA has today (Thursday) given the new Indian Grand Prix track in New Delhi the green light and announced it has “exceeded expectations” after visiting the site which will hold the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October.

In my opinion it is about time that we had an Indian Grand Prix on the F1 Calendar what with an Indian F1 team in Force India on the grid, and drivers like Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan fighting for their rightful spots on the grid.

There has been worry that the same problems that marred the start of last years Commonwealth Games would affect the Indian Grand Prix, but this has clearly been ruled out. Charlie Whiting has expressed confidence that this years Indian Grand Prix will be a huge success, but will it?

 

I’m sure everyone else, like myself, is looking greatly forward to the Indian Grand Prix in October. I always look forward to a new addition to the Grand Prix calendar, but I can’t help feeling that the majority of the newest Grand Prix tracks have all been slightly underwhelming and have produced races that have not lasted long in the memory. The two stand outs being Singapore and South Korea, and I believe South Korea was only a memorable race because of the torrential rain that fell on race day! Some amongst you might call me slightly cynical in this statement, but since the Malaysian Grand Prix was first  held in 1999, which new tracks have thrown us exciting and unpredictable dry races? Turkey had its moments but has since been dumped from the calendar, Valencia has had only one exciting race in 2010 and that was only because Mark Webber decided to take flying lessons during the race. Abu Dhabi has never really excited me much as a venue, and the whole day/night thing has only been seen by me as pretentious and annoying. I have nothing against day/night races but they shouldn’t be the whole reason someone tunes in to watch a Grand Prix. The new and re-designed Hockenheimring is a shameful remake of what was a legendary and daring track that used to be high-speed and shoot through the Black Forest! China has had its moments but all of those “exciting” races have been wet and the Bahrain Grand Prix has almost always had me snoring after about 10 or so laps.

Now I’m not trying to say that this Indian Grand Prix is going to be the same, and produce nothing new and exciting. I’m just going to reserve my judgement and excitement about this race until after the race has finished. Who knows? Hermann Tilke might’ve struck gold and produced an Asian Spa-Francorchamps or Monza. I highly doubt it, but what I will say is that the Indian Grand Prix fully deserves its place on the modern day F1 Calendar and I hope a track has been built that will relay everything India has to offer as a Grand Prix host!