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Petronas Syntium Team on the verge of fourth consecutive Super Taikyu championship title, aiming for win at Motegi

November 21, 2011 at 12:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under BMW, Motorsports

We haven’t really followed Petronas Syntium Team’s progress in Japan, but nothing has changed apparently – they are still dominating the championship! Fresh from a 1-2 finish at the previous round of the 2011 Super Taikyu Series, PST is looking to repeat the same result in the next leg and clinch its fourth consecutive Super Taikyu championship.

To be held on the Twin Ring Motegi Super Speed Way and International Circuit, it will be an intensive weekend as two rounds of the Super Taikyu will happen, due to a postponement of an earlier round when the earthquake/tsunami disaster struck. Drivers will first compete in Round 5 in the Motegi Super Taikyu Oval Battle (two races of 50 laps each) across the 1.5-mile Motegi Super Speed Way. Next up is the Motegi Super Taikyu Final with a 300 km endurance race on the 4.8 km Motegi road course.

Having secured four wins in the ST-1 Class this season, PST’s BMW Z4M Coupe (Car No.1) is looking good to seal the championship title should things go according to plan. Helmed by the winning combination of renowned Japanese drivers Masataka Yanagida and Nobuteru Taniguchi, as well as PST-homegrown driver Dominic Ang, they are sure to get a good fight from teammates in the sister Z4M (Car No.28).

“The team has worked hard to come this far and we are con dent of securing the 2011 title, achieving our fourth Super Taikyu championship title. I am very proud of the drivers and the crew from PST and there is nothing sweeter than success after all that hard work and great effort,” said Team Principal David Wong.

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Audi R8 LMS Ultra to replace R8 LMS GT3 in 2012

November 18, 2011 at 4:20 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Audi, International News, Motorsports

Next year, Audi will be replacing the successful R8 LMS GT3 race car with a new version, the R8 LMS Ultra, which will feature a host of technical developments, including an updated transmission and a new exhaust system equipped with race catalytic converters to help improve the engine’s characteristics. The 5.2 litre V10 mill on the Ultra, which delivers 570 hp, will as such be able to draw even higher torque at lower engine speeds.

Also, the cooling system has been revised – in addition to a larger engine oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler, an oil cooler for the steering hydraulics that used to be installed at the front is now located in the vehicle’s mid-section, and the Ultra will feature enlarged air vents for the cooling system for improved thermal management. Additionally, the air supply to the radiator at the front of the vehicle has been improved, as has interior ventilation.

The chassis has also been updated, in several steps. At the front 12-inch, instead of 11-inch, wheels are now used, and the car will wear wider 30-65/18 Michelin tyres, which will allow more consistent lap times to be achieved.

Optimised brake cooling at the front wheels improves the durability of the braking system, and instead of the previous silent rubber mounts, the transverse control arm mounts will now feature uniball joints. Weight-reduced compression and rebound-adjustable gas dampers with optimised characteristics from partner Bilstein complete the chassis package.

Aerodynamic improvements round off the changes for 2012. The front hood has been widened and now optionally provided with louvres, subject to permission by the homologation rules for the various racing series.

A new wider rear wing is also on, and now features larger end plates – it’s also been repositioned to get maximum downforce and minimised aerodynamic drag, with the improved air flow and larger effective area increasing downforce on the rear axle. Finally, there’s a new front plate, with optimised diffusion under the front end, to ensure perfect aerodynamic balance.

From next year, all new R8 race cars will be equipped with this evolution stage pack, and for existing vehicles, quattro will offer conversions to the 2012 evolution stage. Deliveries of the R8 LMS Ultra are set to begin in March.

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Proton celebrates APRC title clean sweep, we’re told to expect a special edition “yellow” Satria Neo soon!

November 16, 2011 at 7:43 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

They’re not a football team, so no open top bus parade around the city, but Proton proudly paraded their multiple trophies gained from this season’s FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The six-leg championship ended in China earlier this month, where Alister McRae won the rally to clinch the Driver’s title from teammate Chris Atkinson.

That title was one of eight titles won by Proton in this season’s APRC – a clean sweep underlining total domination. The eight titles are the Overall FIA APRC Manufacturer’s title, FIA APRC Driver’s title, FIA APRC Teams Trophy, FIA Asia Cup Driver’s title and the FIA Pacific Cup Driver’s title. Those were won by the Satria Neo S2000s.

Proton’s Group N 1600cc 2WD Satria Neos won the Manufacturer’s title in the FIA APRC Rally Cup (2WD category), the FIA APRC Rally Cup Driver’s title and the FIA APRC Junior Cup Driver’s title. Karamjit SIngh, driving the Cusco prepared Neo, won all five events he entered in 2011.

By the way, this is Proton’s first APRC win after seven years, their previous three wins coming in 2001, 2002 and 2004. Proton returned for a full season last year, finishing second in the Manufacturer’s standings.

At this afternoon’s event, Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin reminded all that while they’re happy with the trophy haul, their main agenda in joining motorsports is marketing and Proton’s in it to “race on Sunday and sell on Monday.” Proton says that events like the APRC provide the brand with enormous exposure, reaching out to an estimated audience of over 390 million viewers worldwide in 129 countries. “It will be a crime not to exploit the success of the Satria Neo in APRC,” Syed Zainal added.

The boss also hinted at a special edition (a special edition, not Special Edition) Satria Neo to commemorate the APRC victory. “Expect some exciting derivative of Neo, perhaps some special edition,” he said, adding later that a “yellow Neo” with “some of the DNA of the S2000″ could be coming out in Q1, 2012.

Could it be a Satria Neo R3 in the rally car’s signature yellow with matching interior accents? Or can we expect an even more powerful Neo with more serious kit? No harm in listing down your wish list, someone might be reading!

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Peugeot wins Le Mans Cup for the second year

November 15, 2011 at 1:32 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Motorsports, Peugeot

Peugeot finished off the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011 season on a winning note, with a one-two finish at the six-hours of Zhuhai race in China last weekend securing a sixth race win – and a fourth one-two – in seven races for the automaker. It had earlier secured the ILMC manufacturer and team titles at the Petit Le Mans race in the United States in October.

At Zhuhai, Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Bourdais, in the number 7 Peugeot 908, claimed victory ahead of teammates Franck Montagny and Stéphane Sarrazin, who were in the number 8 Peugeot 908, after a close race in which the Peugeot 908s once again combined performance, reliability and endurance.

After making its competitive debut this season, the Peugeot 908 celebrated its fifth win in seven races, and the car has displayed exemplary reliability, with only one DNF this year, low fuel consumption and low tyre wear on its way to victory.

The 2011 ILMC season has also seen five pole positions, 13 podium finishes and seven fastest race laps for Peugeot on its way to bagging the championship, which had the 12-Hours of Sebring, 1,000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, 6-Hours of Imola, 6-Hours of Silverstone, 24-Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans in Atlanta and the 6-Hours of Zhuhai as the races.

The manufacturer’s title was secured with 211 points, with Audi a distant second on 119, while for the team title, Team Peugeot Total finished with 113 points, ahead of Audi Sport Team Joest on 85 points.

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Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi GP as Vettel spins out on lap 1

November 14, 2011 at 12:48 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Lewis Hamilton won yesterday’s Abu Dhabi GP, leading from lap 1 to the chequered flag. This happened after pole sitter and world champion Sebastian Vettel spun on the first lap due to a puncture on his right rear tyre, which sent him spinning off the track. He had built up quite a good distance over Hamilton in just a few corners before that happened, and this is his first DNF of the year.

This is Lewis’ third win of the season, his last being the German GP in July. It also comes at a rough patch for the McLaren man, which has saw him collide with Massa more than once and break up with his stunner of a girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. Fernando Alonso finished second for Ferrari while Jenson Button made it a 1-3 finish for McLaren.

The results didn’t do much to alter the standings. Vettel and Red Bull are already the champions, while Jenson Button is looking good to finish the season second in the drivers’ standings. He now has 255 points, which is 10 more than Alonso and 22 more than Mark Webber, who finished fourth yesterday. Lewis is a further six points behind.

Massa finished fifth, ahead of the two Silver Arrows of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. The Mercedes powered Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta were eighth and ninth, respectively, while Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi made a one-stop strategy work to get the final point. Team Lotus’ Heikki Kovalainen was running as high as 13th in the early stages, but finished 17th, ahead only of his teammate and the other new teams.

It wasn’t a very exciting race at the Yas Marina Circuit, with much of the action supplied by Red Bull’s Webber. The Aussie frustratingly lost time with a sticky wheel at his first stop, so he used a three-stop strategy that saw him change to the harder (and slower) tyres only on the last lap. He still didn’t manage to jump Button, the man he was fighting for much of the race, though.

The Mercedes GP Petronas team bosses must have been slightly worried at the sight of their two drivers battling it out in the early stages. Rosberg, who just signed a contract extension, won the duel with the old timer and kept his place till the end.

The next race is the final one of the 2011 season. It’s Brazil two weeks from now.

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Nico Rosberg extends contract with Mercedes GP Petronas

November 11, 2011 at 2:53 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz, Motorsports

Nico Rosberg has extended his contract with the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 team. This new deal will “include the 2013 season and beyond”, which means the German will be with the Silver Arrows till at least 2013. Next season, he will once again line up alongside seven-time world champ and compatriot Michael Schumacher.

“I am very excited to have extended my contract with the Mercedes GP Petronas team. To win in a Silver Arrow will be one of the highlights of my life so far, and I greatly enjoy helping to lead our team in our quest to become the best in F1. I have every confidence that the team will provide me with a winning car, and that we will be able to contribute to the fantastic racing heritage of the Silver Arrows. I look forward to great times in the years ahead with the Mercedes-Benz family,” Rosberg said.

The son of 1982 champ Keke also said that Mercedes GP’s latest appointments such as technical director Bob Bell and technology director Geoff Willis, plus the impending arrival of Ferrari’s Aldo Costa as engineering director, were major influences in his decision to stay. “It was, definitely. I saw this summer that this team means business and is doing what it takes to become the best. I know I’ve got to be patient, but great times lie ahead, I’m sure.”

“We are delighted to have extended our contract with Nico as we know that he is a driver who can win races and championships. Nico has performed exceptionally well for us over the past two seasons, achieving results at the very limit of the technical capabilities of our current car.

“He has an excellent work ethic and, together with Michael, this gives us a driver pairing who consistently push the team to improve and progress. As we continue to strengthen our team for the future, we look forward to providing Nico with a car which will enable him to compete right at the front of the field and achieve his deserved first win in F1,” said team principal Ross Brawn.

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Lotus vs Lotus: it’s all over, with both parties settling the issue amicably – Team Lotus to now race as Caterham F1

November 9, 2011 at 11:05 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Formula 1, Lotus, Motorsports

The long-running Lotus vs Lotus saga is over – the fight that ended up in court has reached an amicable ending. Proton, Group Lotus, 1Malaysia Racing Team and its owner Tony Fernandes have announced – delightfully, the statement said – that the legal dispute in the English Courts relating to the ‘Lotus” and ‘Team Lotus’ brands has now ended on a happy note, with the parties agreeing settlement terms earlier this month.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the deal sees the ‘Lotus’ brand reunited under the sole ownership of Group Lotus. This includes the rights to the ‘Lotus’ and ‘Team Lotus’ names in Formula 1 motor racing. The deal also sees a working relationship established between the parties, who will work together on future projects in the automotive field.

For the 2012 F1 season on, 1MRT will race under the name Caterham F1 Team and will use a Caterham chassis.

“On behalf of Group Lotus and Proton, I would like to express how pleased we are that this matter is finally closed and we can now focus on looking forward to the future,” Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said.

“We understand that this has been a very difficult and confusing time for the fans of the sport and the Lotus brand, so we are glad to have reached a clear resolution on this important matter – I would like to take this opportunity to thank our fans for their continued support, it means everything to us,” he added.

Meanwhile, on behalf of 1MRT, Group CEO Riad Asmat said: “We are proud of what we have achieved by bringing the Team Lotus name back to Formula One when many tried, and although we are sad to say goodbye to Team Lotus, we are excited about owning our own future and being in control of our own destiny. Now we have no one to be compared to. We make our own history and we will remain green and yellow.”

“Now we look forward to an exciting future racing under our new team name of Caterham F1 Team. Please continue to support our very special spirit of never say die and support us on the track, as we move up the field and demonstrate that the good do win,” he added.

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Proton wins China Rally – Alister McRae takes APRC driver’s title, Proton clinches manufacturer’s title

November 7, 2011 at 12:32 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

Proton emerged victorious at the China Rally over the weekend, clinching both the Asia Pacific Rally Championship driver’s and manufacturer’s titles for the 2011 season.

Alister McRae won the driver’s title in style, piloting the Satria Neo S2000 to its fourth victory of the six-round season, finishing ahead of Finnish driver Jari Ketomaa in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Chris Atkinson finished third to make it a Proton 1-2 in the APRC driver’s championship.

The Satria Neo S2000’s dominant performance throughout the season also gave Proton the coveted APRC manufacturer’s championship ahead of Mitsubishi, with Subaru finishing a distant third.

The results in China also saw Proton becoming the first car manufacturer to win all eight major individual titles in the FIA APRC, with the overall FIA APRC driver’s title and FIA APRC manufacturer’s title leading the honour roll.

The other titles are the FIA APRC Teams Trophy; the FIA Asia Cup driver’s title; the FIA Pacific Cup driver’s title; the manufacturer’s title in the FIA APRC Rally Cup for two-wheel drive category; the FIA APRC Rally Cup two-wheel drive driver’s title; and FIA APRC Junior Cup driver’s title.

“The results in China sum up what has been a challenging, but nevertheless rewarding year for Proton. Excelling in competition serves a bigger purpose in that it significantly supports our aspiration in becoming a competitive global car manufacturer,” said Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin.

“Motorsports is one of several key strategies being pursued to enhance the Proton brand especially in markets that we are actively exporting to. In addition, it also enables us to promote the brand and increase awareness in new and potential markets.”

“Motorsports also injects excitement into the brand or a particular model, and it provides a platform in which technology and technical know-how can be developed and applied to future road-going models,” he added.

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Proton looking for clean sweep of 2011 APRC titles – Atkinson and McRae to fight it out for driver’s title in China

November 2, 2011 at 4:21 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

This weekend’s China Rally will see Proton drivers Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson fighting it out for the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) driver’s title. McRae currently leads the championship with 116 points, a mere seven points ahead of Atkinson.

The APRC driver’s title is already in the bag – all that’s left is finding out which of the two Proton drivers is to be this year’s champion. McRae however said that the bigger objective in China will be to secure maximum points to give Proton the 2011 APRC manufacturer’s title. Proton currently tops the point standings with 162 points, and six points behind in second place is Mitsubishi, while a distant third is Subaru.

“China is going to be extremely competitive, given its rough and challenging terrain, the enormous number of entries and especially the high level of competition. And you can bet that the boys in Mitsubishi will be going all out to clinch the title,” said Atkinson.

“Whatever the outcome, Chris and I already have a strong reason to celebrate in that Proton has come out on top this season,” McRae added. The Satria Neo S2000 has been dominant in this year’s APRC, winning three out of five rallies so far as well as securing two second-place and two third-place finishes. McRae and Atkinson stormed to a one-two finish in the China Rally last year.

Proton will also head to China having already won a host of other titles that include the APRC co-driver’s championship, the APRC Teams Trophy, and the manufacturer’s title in the FIA APRC Rally Cup for two-wheel drive. It has also won the FIA APRC Junior Cup driver’s and co-driver’s titles as well as the FIA APRC Rally Cup driver’s and co-driver’s titles through Japanese driver Akira Bamba and Malaysian Karamjit Singh driving the 1600cc Satria Neo.

Additionally, depending on how McRae finishes, the Scottish driver also has a shot of clinching the FIA Asia Cup driver’s championship, in which he currently leads with 60 points. With sufficient points at stake this weekend, Indian driver Gaurav Gill and Japanese Katsuhiko Taguchi – currently at 37 and 35 points respectively – still have a clear shot at the title should either driver win the rally.

Also gunning for a second title is Atkinson, who is currently leading the FIA Pacific Cup driver’s championship with 78 points, and he’ll need to fend off Indonesian Rifat Sungkar for the title.

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Marco Simoncelli accident: Official Statement from Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, Chairman of SIC

October 25, 2011 at 5:43 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Bikes, Motorsports

The Sepang International Circuit sent out this press release today.

On behalf of Sepang International Circuit (SIC), I wish to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Marco Simoncelli’s family members, teammates, fellow riders and the whole MotoGP family. We share the pain and shock of the tragic and heartbreaking loss of Marco Simoncelli on 23 October 2011.

Marco will be remembered as a talented rider and a flamboyant character who never failed to put a smile on the faces of the racing fraternity and his fans with his cheerful demeanour. Above all, he was a great man and a competitor who was destined for even greater things both on and off the track. MotoGP and the racing world is now a lesser place without him.

SIC would like to state that the decision to cancel the race was taken after considering the severity of the accident. The decision was agreed upon by SIC and Dorna Sports SL, the commercial rights holder of MotoGP. SIC made public announcements on the cancellation of the race and Marco’s death as soon as we were authorised to do so, with priority being given to officially inform Marco’s family members first. I hope that fans can understand the situation prevalent at the time.

SIC would like to reiterate that all preparations and precautionary steps were taken to ensure we staged a safe race in accordance with FIM, AAM and Dorna safety requirements. However, the inherently dangerous nature of motorsports does not allow a race organiser or track owner to give a guarantee that nothing untoward will happen during a race.

The Sepang International Circuit is acknowledged as having been designed to be a safe circuit and managed by a team of experienced personnel, on and off track, to handle race events professionally. We work to the highest safety standards and we will continue to ensure these standards are met at every race held at our circuit. At the race on Sunday, circuit personnel acted speedily and professionally to attend to Marco as soon as the accident happened. Despite all that was done, the medical team could not change the outcome of the situation given the severity of his injuries. In the aftermath of this sad tragedy, we will work with FIM and Dorna to see if there is anything else we can do to improve rider safety in races.

We at SIC are honoured to have had Marco gracing our tracks with his dazzling skills and panache all these years. To Marco, may you rest in peace. You will be missed. Addio Super Sic.

Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir

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