Lorenzo Pole Nicky Hayden First Front Row Start on Motegi

Jorge Lorenzo will start from the front in the AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan, having clinched his second pole position within the space of a week. At the end of a single 75-minute qualifying session, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider headed Marc Marquez and Nicky Hayden, who picks up a first front row start for over a year.

On a weekend heavily disrupted by inclement weather, Qualifying on Saturday afternoon marked the first time the MotoGP™ riders had taken to the track at Twin Ring Motegi. In order to allow the field as much track time as possible, one single session of 75 minutes replaced the usual setup of 15-minute Q1 and Q2 periods.

Already quickest on a drying track, Lorenzo recorded blistering pace as conditions improved towards the end of the period, registering an effort of 1’53.471. Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went second on his final flying lap, demoting Hayden to third; nevertheless, the Ducati Team rider still achieves his best qualifying result since the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 2012. He now aims to take advantage of his grid position with Ducati before switching to Power Electronics Aspar next season.

Lorenzo’s impressive pace was demonstrated by the fact that all riders from third place downwards were over a full second in arrears. Behind, Row 2 will be occupied by Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi for Honda and Yamaha respectively, with the second Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso in sixth position. GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista will line up seventh – despite a crash at Turn 7 - from LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, with the German returning from a fractured ankle. Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was ninth, having already claimed the overall CRT honours for 2013.

Yonny Hernandez completed the top ten for Ignite Pramac Racing, while wildcard Katsuyuki Nakasuga enjoyed a strong session en route to 12th place for Yamaha YSP Racing Team. However, it was a difficult time for Monster Yamaha Tech3 as Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith could manage no more than 11th and 13th spots. Nakasuga’s compatriot Hiroshi Aoyama will begin his home race from 18th position on the grid with the Avintia Blusens FTR machine.

Should he be able to end the race with a points lead of 26 or more, 20-year-old Marquez will become the youngest ever MotoGP™ World Champion and first rookie title winner for 35 years. Taking place over the course of 24 laps and with dry conditions expected, Sunday’s 2013 AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan is set to begin at 2pm local time (GMT +9).

MotoGP

Read More

Moto2 Qualifying Kallio Pole Rafid Topan P5 Motegi

Mika Kallio will start from pole position for the AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan, picking up the top spot in Moto2™ for the first time. The Marc VDS Racing Team rider will share the front row with Xavier Simeon and Johann Zarco, while title contenders Tito Rabat, Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding line up sixth, seventh and 15th.

Ahead of Qualifying, there had been no track action for any category through a lack of visibility and heavy rain at Twin Ring Motegi. Eventually, the intermediate class had one hour of running time in which to set up bikes as well as posting lap times for grid position. On a mostly dry circuit as the sun began to set in Japan, Kallio topped the timesheets with 2’01.248, edging out Simeon by two tenths of a second; this marked Kallio’s first pole since the 250 season closer in Valencia six years ago.

Less than one tenth of a second covered the riders filling spots two to four, with Simeon (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team) second as Zarco (Came Iodaracing Project) demoted Simone Corsi (NGM Mobile Racing) to fourth place in the lack knockings of the session. There was a top five effort from QMMF Racing Team’s Rafid Topan Sucipto of Indonesia, first to be top 5 for Indonesian Rider while Tuenti HP 40 pairing Rabat and Espargaro will line up sixth and seventh from Technomag carXpert’s Dominique Aegerter. The top ten was rounded out by Danny Kent (Tech3) and Mattia Pasini (NGM Mobile Racing).

It was a difficult day all-round for Redding. On Thursday, the erstwhile championship leader had been cleared to compete, having missed the last race in Australia after breaking his left wrist on the Saturday. In pain today, the Marc VDS rider rode to 15th position ahead of a day on which Espargaro could win the 2013 title; to claim the ultimate honour, he would need to finish inside the top seven, with Rabat not winning and Redding far enough behind to be left outside of touching distance. The current margin between Espargaro and Redding is 16 points, with a maximum of 50 remaining.

Sunday’s Moto2™ AirAsia Grand Prix of Japan is schedule to commence at 12:20pm local time (GMT +9), being decided over the course of 23 laps.

MotoGP

Read More

Mazda 3 2014

Such was the plight of the previous-generation Mazda 3 four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. The grotesque smile and black-tongued face no mother could adore kept these otherwise excellent compacts from earning the respect they deserved.

Celebrating its 2010 clean break from the Ford Motor Company, Mazda is strutting its small-car stuff with an all-new 2014 3 family designed and developed in-house with no Blue Oval collusion. The four- and five-door bodies are back, sans grinning grilles, on a 2.4-inch longer wheelbase with a 1.6-inch width stretch. The family resemblance to the CX-5 crossover and the 6 flagship sedan is clear, yielding some of the more attractive small cars less than $30,000 will buy.

The five-door is 1.8 inches shorter overall versus the half inch snipped from the four-door. Models with an “i” suffix are powered by a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while an “s” signifies a 2.5-liter. Both fours abide by the Skyactiv ethos consisting of variable valve timing, direct injection, a 13.0:1 compression ratio, and a penchant for revs. The little engine’s redline is 6800 rpm while the bored-and-stroked big brother tops out at 6500. Four trim levels are available with the 2.0 and three with the 2.5; factor in the body and engine choices and you’ve got eleven different Mazda 3s to choose from.

The 3i Grand Touring tested here is a middle child with a starting price of $24,040 (versus the basement model’s $17,740) and only four options—a $70 cargo mat, a $100 rear bumper guard, $125 door-trim plates, and a gorgeous metallic paint job costing $300 extra. Standard GT equipment consists of 16-inch aluminum wheels, automatic climate control, a seven-inch touch screen with navigation and a rear camera, and a split-folding rear seat. The GT’s Bose sound system boasts nine speakers, HD and satellite radio, two USB inputs, Pandora, Stitcher, and Aha audio. Bluetooth and SMS message delivery and reply are also standard GT fare.

Shift and Shout

Even with this equipment bounty, our test car weighed a reasonable 2892 pounds. While the spunky 2.0-liter engine is happy at its work, it doesn’t move this package with excessive enthusiasm. The run to 60 took 7.9 seconds with but 87 mph showing on the speedometer during the 16.3-second quarter-mile sprint. You’re justified blaming tall gearing for some of that languor, but without it the stick-shift 3i wouldn’t earn the 40-mpg EPA highway rating essential for competing against compact-class competitors, hybrid or otherwise.

Need more speed? Locking the right pedal to the floor yields an impressive 131 mph, attributable to the five-door’s 0.28 drag coefficient and modest frontal area. Alternatively, you can ante up $3250 to $5000 for a 2.5-liter 3s, which adds 29 horsepower to clip 0.7 second from both zero-to-sixty and quarter-mile times.

The attractively tailored, red-stitched upholstery isn’t real leather, although it would take a lab-grade sniff test to confirm that. Painted plastic and faux carbon-fiber accents included with the Grand Touring trim are equally impressive. While the seven-inch touch screen can be an enigma at times, the ‘Commander’ knob on the console does a reasonable job of mimicking Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND controller at a fraction of the cost. The station tuning and seek switches on the steering wheel are much handier to use than the redundant controls hidden in the screen menus.

This first run through our test gauntlet bodes well for better things to come when the Mazdaspeed performance division turns its attention to the new 3. Replacing the smiley face and Ford flavoring with Skyactiv technology was a brilliant move, worthy of a most improved player award in the brutally competitive compact class.

caranddriver

Read More

MINI S Paceman 2013

It’s increasingly clear that the product planners at Mini don’t feel constrained by the brand’s name, an attitude that might have been inspired by Humpty Dumpty’s draconian take on definitions. Just before having his great fall, Humpty said, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it means—neither more nor less.”

The Paceman is the latest proof of the elasticity of the word Mini. Using the elongated architecture that supports the five-door Countryman, the three-door Paceman is about the same size as a Hyundai Veloster—not exactly elephantine, but far from petite. Compared with the base Mini hardtop, still the brand’s bestseller, the Paceman is 15.6 inches longer, 4.0 inches wider, and 4.5 inches taller. And at 3331 pounds, it’s as much as 800 pounds heavier.

Performance Math

The engines available in the Paceman are the same three variations of the 1.6-liter four employed across Mini’s entire product line—one naturally aspirated, two turbocharged. The sum of their specifications doesn’t add up to blazing performance, especially with the optional ($1250) six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission fitted to our test car. Even with the automatic in manual mode, the shifts are deliberate, but not a performance asset.

Propelled by the milder of Mini’s two 1.6-liter turbos (181 horsepower, 177 lb-ft), our Cooper S Paceman ALL4 (as in four-wheel drive) required 7.3 seconds to reach 60 mph, covered the quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds at 89 mph, and consumed 21 seconds reaching 100 mph. Contrast those results with the numbers we wrung from a Cooper S hardtop: 0 to 60 in 6.2, the quarter-mile in 15.0 at 95, and 0 to 100 in 16.7. And the 1.6 turbo in that Cooper S was rated for 172 horsepower; the additional nine ponies came later.

Inevitably, mass will have its say in matters of acceleration and general dynamics. Adding several hundred pounds to the equation mitigates transient response, although in this area the distinctions become less tangible. The Paceman is heavier and taller, but it has the moves and feel that help set Minis apart from the herd. The king-size Mini might not be quite as quick on its feet as its smaller counterpart, but the fun-to-drive factor—limited body motions; quick, tactile steering; a gratifying sense of connection with the car—is undeniably present.

The downside of this last point is something common to all Minis. The stiff springs, the aggressive damping, the hard bushings, and the low-profile run-flat tires (Pirelli P Zero 225/40-19s) provide respectable grip (0.86 g) and okay braking (169 feet from 70 to 0 mph), but at the expense of ride quality that doesn’t take much uneven pavement to become seriously abrupt.

EPA fuel-economy ratings aren’t great for such a small car, at 23 mpg city and 30 highway. We achieved 24 mpg over 684 miles.

Size Matters

But if the Paceman gives something away to the hardtop in terms of performance, it does have some advantages. Specifically, there’s room for a pair of adults to reside comfortably in the rear seats. Try cramming a pair of your pals into the rear of a hardtop Mini, and see how long they continue to like you. The hardtop’s rear seat is essentially a parcel shelf. In the same vein, the Paceman offers substantially more cargo room, with 11.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 38.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. So if utility is an issue, the Paceman delivers.

Beyond that, the Paceman is one of just two Minis to offer the brand’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system (the Countryman is the other).

Arguably, if utility is the objective and the prospective buyer wants to stay within the Mini family, the Countryman, with its extra set of doors, makes more sense. On the other hand, if style tops the list of priorities, then the Paceman has a definite edge in visual cool versus its five-door cousin. The three-door preserves the proportions, rising beltline, and sloping roof of the hardtop on a bigger scale, with its own interpretation of the Mini grille and a going-away view dominated by a set of oversize round taillights.

caranddriver

Read More

Review Suzuki Swift 1.4

Not long since his return to Indonesia at the end of 2012, the figure is now the latest generation Suzuki Swift is a lot we meet on the streets of Greater Jakarta and other cities in the archipelago. Yes, that's the best response to the Indonesian market newcomers in the hatchback segment. It is not only experienced by Swift, but also by its rivals such as the Hyundai Grand Avega 1.4, Ford Fiesta 1.4, KIA Rio 1.4 and Chevy Aveo.

Especially if the main reason is not because of the cars in this segment offers an attractive design, adequate performance, economical fuel consumption, and the price is relatively affordable. So also with its compact dimensions and further confirms its nature as an urban car. And the most important is the design of digandruingi many young drivers.

This is why many manufacturers who participate lowering products in this segment. Then what is the mainstay of the latest generation Suzuki Swift hatchback market to break this growing demand?

Although all components of the platform and the car was new, but this latest Swift still looks very similar to the old one. In fact, when viewed at a glance when the car was speeding, almost difficult to distinguish from the previous generation. The owners of Swift Swift is like the previous figure, it is the reason Suzuki maintains almost the same shape it.

Previous generation Swift has been known as a good-looking car with a roof that sharp, like a knife, plus a black front pillar. However, because this car is a generation that is really new, of course, are required to be able to display the Suzuki Swift design is also impressive new, with the old design considerations so diminaticharus carried over into the next generation. This is why the evolution of the design is done with great caution.

Her face became more refreshed headlight design with longer and more curved look. Similarly, back, side trunk opening is made higher in order to support the robustness of the structure. Design rear combination lamps are also made ​​to be more - fused with the body contour. House mirrors have now been equipped with turn signal. Finally, all four wheels now appear more sporty design with a new 16-inch alloy wheels.

The rest, all new Swift just look fatter and bigger dimensions present the results of a longer 155 mm, and 5 mm wider than its predecessor. Evolution minimalist design is expected to attract more consumers to choose the new Swift.

The platform used is the same platform used - with Suzuki Ertiga. That is, the Swift has a level of NVH ( noise , vibration, harshness ) which is similar to his Big brother 's. Structure made ​​of steel it is also equipped with side impact beams to protect against side impact.

This time its power is generated from a rather unusual source. When Swift previously offered with a 1.5 liter engine, now Swift is only coded K14B engine equipped with a capacity of 1.4 liters. Strength decreased from 100 hp to 95 hp and a peak torque of 133 Nm also reduced to 130 Nm. However, the engine is also used in the Ertiga is claimed to be more fuel efficient.

Just like the previous model, the Swift still uses McPherson struts front suspension and torsion beam with coil behind. The damping system is also used on its twin, Ertiga. So even with a 4 - speed automatic transmission is a transmission that used the same as those used in the Ertiga matic has just been released.

Suzuki Swift now has a length of 3,850 mm. This length is approaching the latest Honda Jazz ( 3,920 m ) and the Chevy Aveo ( 4,031 mm ). So, this car should have been able to give the cabin area of ​​the competitors.

But in fact, the maximum back-row legroom is only 630 mm. Indeed, 5 - passenger hatchback can accommodate three adults in the back seat, but they are more comfortable if the back row is filled by three children or adolescents, because lower roof makes the cabin rear headroom ( 820 mm ) to be more limited.

The same was seen in the trunk. Luggage capacity of 204 liters is not exactly great, even when the second row seats folded though. More than that, the rear seats can not be folded up flush with the surface of the trunk floor.

Baggage door openings are small little difficult access accommodation goods. Indeed, for a supermini size, no rival Honda Jazz luggage capacity ( 399 liters ).

Luckily, Swift cabin soundproof is excellent. Quality of NVH ( noise , vibration, harshness ) is a mainstay Ertiga, also can be felt from the Swift cabin is quiet. Why, minimal vibration K14B engine that sits on rubber pads and is positioned away from the firewall. As a result, engine vibration is reduced succeeded well, as well as with his voice not so audible from inside the cabin. It's just that at high speed, voice articulation tires sized 185/55 R16 are still investigating into the cabin.

Which is also enjoyable Swift is the quality of the cabin interior materials . Plastic material used is better than its competitors . The design is neat and simple , not a lot of instruments and a scattering of buttons on the dashboard .

Meter cluster of interest is now also equipped with multi- information display ( MID ) that can display full information about mileage , fuel consumption , air temperature outside the cabin , until the hour indicators .

Swift is now also features automatic air conditioner . So even with the head in- dash audio unit that is equipped with audio control switches on the steering wheel , and come equipped with a USB socket .

Swift is not equipped with leather seats. However, the thick seat cushion with back support is quite comfortable when occupied for a long time. Availability seat adjuster and adjustable steering wheel makes it easy to find the position of driving.

Storage compartment provided was plentiful with a wide center console, bottle holders in each door, and a large glovebox . Increased convenience features come with the presence of start-stop button . Safety features include dual airbags for front passengers .

95 hp does not sound too great . Maximum torque of 130 Nm is also just , but the rate is higher than the Ford Fiesta 1.4 liter ( 128 Nm ) .

Suzuki admits that despite lower energy depot capacity of 1.5 liter form the 1.4 liter , but the performance of the engine is no less than its rivals . Evidently, Swift managed to drag from rest to the 100 kph in 13.0 seconds . 1.7 seconds faster than the Ford Fiesta 1.4 which recorded 14.7 seconds . In fact , Swift lost only 0.4 seconds from the Toyota Yaris larger 100 cc engine .

K14B engine has been using drive -by-wire technology and has the dimensions of a ring - cash and lightweight . Not only the engine , Suzuki even replace the radiator fan made ​​of metal with a plastic . Total weight of the vehicle from the previous generation was reduced to 75 kg . This achievement is also supported by a new frame structure that is lighter but more rigid .

That is, power and torque are reduced , managed to offset the weight of the vehicle decreased significantly.

4 - speed automatic transmission with gear ratios are tight enough to contribute to channel power from the engine vigorously . Is typical of such transmission is very supportive of the distinctive character of Swift and nimble , but the beat is generated at every turn of his teeth enough reducing comfort .

Meanwhile , rests ventilated disc brakes in front and solid discs at the rear . As a result, the car can stop from a speed of 60 kph in 2.2 seconds and a distance of 15.8 meters . Brake Swift also is equipped with ABS and EBD .

Engine
Installation Front
Type K14B, DOHC, VVT 4 inline 1.372 cc
Bore/stroke 73,0 x 82,0
Compression ratio 1:10
Power 95 hp@ 6.000 rpm
Torque 130 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
Power to weight 95,1 hp/ton
Torque to weight 130,1 Nm/ton

Type  Front Wheel Drive
Gearbox Otomatis, 4-speed

Length 3.850 mm
Width 1.695 mm
Height 1.510 mm
Wheel base 2.430 mm
Ground clearance 140 mm

Chassis
Construction Monokok
Weight 1.000 kg
Wheels 185/55R16
Tyres R16

Suspension
Front McPherson Strut + Coil Spring
Rear Torsion Beam + Coil Spring

Type  Electronic Power Steering

Brakes
Front Ventilated disk
Rear Disc
Anti-lock ABS, EBD,

Performa
0-20     1,4 second
0-40     3,4 second
0-60     5,8 second
0-80     9,0 second
0-100 13,0 second

Fuel Consumption
City 16,4 kpl
Highway 20,3 kpl

Read More

Arsenal Blast Norwich City 4-1

Tepat sebelum kick-off , Liverpool telah pergi ke puncak klasemen Premier League dengan hasil imbang 1-1 di Newcastle . Meskipun mereka turun ke urutan kedua , hasilnya berarti sisi Arsene Wenger akan jelas dengan kemenangan atas Norwich .

Manajer bermunculan kejutan dengan meninggalkan keluar Aaron Ramsey , bisa dibilang pemain Arsenal musim ini sejauh ini. Namun kelalaian diperbolehkan Santi Cazorla kembali untuk pertandingan pertamanya sejak derby London Utara pada tanggal 1 September .

Ini adalah pertama kalinya Santi Cazorla dan Mesut Ozil telah bermain bersama. Perubahan lain dari hasil imbang di West Brom dua minggu lalu melihat Bacary Sagna menggantikan Carl Jenkinson .

BABAK PERTAMA

Arsenal mulai dengan keyakinan dimengerti meskipun Norwich yang tegas . Meskipun tekanan terus-menerus , tim tuan rumah hanya memiliki dua pemandangan gol di 15 menit pertama - Cazorla tembakan rendah dan memblokir upaya Oliver Giroud itu .

Tapi pertama kalinya mereka memotong melalui mereka menciptakan gol ahli .
Wilshere mulai dan selesai beraktivitas . Pada menit ke-18 Inggris meluncur melewati beberapa lawan di tepi daerah sendiri sebelum memasangnya off .

Beberapa detik kemudian dia hanya luar kotak Norwich dan , setelah paling menyenangkan satu sentuhan interaksi antara dirinya , Cazorla dan Giroud , voli bola ke sudut. Ini adalah gol pertama Liga Premier Wilshere di Stadion Emirates .

Dan itu mungkin salah satu yang terbaik mencetak gol di tanah sejak dibuka pada bulan Agustus 2006 . Tujuannya memberi Arsenal bantal dan , dalam kebenaran , Norwich menunjukkan sedikit tanda menyebabkan mereka kesulitan. Akibatnya , tim tuan rumah melaju .

Delapan menit sebelum jeda , mereka bangun dengan kaget . Kieran Gibbs dirampok Russell Martin dan menyeberang rendah ke tiang dekat . Pertama kali tembakan Giroud adalah rendah dan renyah tetapi John Ruddy membuat menyimpan baik-baik saja .

Baru setelah itu , Mathieu Flamini pergi . Orang Prancis itu mungkin masih grogi setelah benturan kepala dengan Alex Tettey . Sebelum istirahat , Ruddy juga diselamatkan dari voli Sagna .

Tapi Norwich berakhir setengah dengan mantra tekanan dan mereka diuji Wojciech Szczesny untuk pertama kalinya ketika Leroy Fer telah mencoba tendangan dari kejauhan. Sebuah gol cukup menakjubkan dari Jack Wilshere, Arsenal memimpin 1-0 saat istirahat.



BABAK KEDUA

Hal ini hujan gol luar sana orang - mendapatkan orang brollies keluar. Ini adalah tujuan lain dari Arsenal yang hanya jeritan Arsenal - sebuah serangan balik selesai dengan itu penyihir kecil Mesut Ozil. Terlalu banyak gol untuk melakukan sedikit lebih dari titik O nya, sayangnya.

Sore yang nyaman untuk Arsenal hanya berubah sedikit kurang begitu. Jonny Howson - salah satu dari 24 mantan pemain Leeds di skuad Norwich - menawarkan selesai dikendalikan indah dari tepi area penalti setelah Per Mertesacker gagal pergi ke mana pun pada khususnya.

Mesut Ozil mencetak dua gol saat ledakan babak kedua meraih kemenangan Arsenal atas Norwich untuk memperpanjang keunggulan mereka di puncak klasemen Liga Premier.

Jonny Howson menemukan sudut bawah dengan 20 menit tersisa untuk keributan saraf . Tapi Aaron Ramsey mencetak gol kesembilan indah musim untuk membuatnya 3-1 sebelum Ozil menyamakan kedua mudah .

Meskipun Norwich mengancam pada beberapa kesempatan , para pengunjung tertangkap oleh tiga momen kelas sebagai Arsenal pemanasan untuk Liga Champions bentrokan dengan Borussia Dortmund pada Selasa dengan kemenangan klinis.

Kekalahan berarti Norwich sisi Chris Hughton ini telah kehilangan empat dari lima pertandingan liga terakhir mereka dan tetap di bawah tiga.


@aditya_flux is a GUNNERS #COYG #VCC

Read More

Pole Position Lorenzo For Australian GP

Jorge Lorenzo has clinched pole position for the Tissot Australian Grand Prix, beating Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi to the top spot in a highly dramatic shootout at Phillip Island.

With only three rounds remaining in the 2013 MotoGP™ season and Marquez able to clinch an historic premier class title win this weekend, the qualifying session at Phillip Island would prove to be one of the most incident-packed of the year.

Ultimately, Lorenzo clinched his third pole of the campaign – his first since Jerez in May – courtesy of a best lap of 1’27.899, but this was only after the reigning World Champion’s Yamaha Factory Racing bike clipped a seagull. The margin at the front would be two tenths of a second, with Marquez able to secure the world crown on Sunday if he ends the race with a points advantage of 51 or more.

The 20-year-old newcomer has now also amassed a points margin large enough to become unassailable in the BMW M Award, successfully winning the prize on his first attempt.

In third place, Rossi – who on only three occasions in his career has failed to finish on the podium at Phillip Island – will start on the front row for the second consecutive race, ahead of GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista who qualified fourth but went off-track at the end of qualifying. Fifth will be Sepang winner Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) - who is the only rider other than Marquez and Lorenzo who retains a mathematical possibility of winning the championship - from Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow, who will start sixth. Row 3 will be occupied by Tech3’s Bradley Smith plus Ducati Team pairing Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso.

Tenth on the grid will be Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone, who entered the Q2 shootout from Q1, as was also the case with Dovizioso. It was towards the end of Q1 when Iannone was involved in an on-track disagreement with Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro, who failed to feature in Q2 for only the fourth time this in 2013. In the meantime, Colin Edwards set the CRT pace as he qualified 11th for NGM Mobile Forward Racing, one position in front of Randy de Puniet while the Frenchman’s teammate Espargaro will be 13th on the grid; both de Puniet and Edwards suffered incidents in the Q2 shootout.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl has taken no further part in the weekend since attempting to ride in opening practice, having fractured his right ankle at Sepang one week ago; the German hopes to return at Motegi next weekend. Australian Bryan Staring will start his home race 21st on the Gresini CRT bike, with fellow countryman Damian Cudlin having qualified 23rd for PBM on his 31st birthday.

Read More

Legenda MotoGP, Casey Stoner

Casey Stoner dilantik sebagai Legenda MotoGP ™ di Phillip Island, Sabtu. Juara Dunia tahun 2007 dan 2011 menjadi Legenda MotoGP ™ ke-20, bergabung pengendara seperti rekan Wayne Gardner dan Mick Doohan.

Stoner bergabung di kelas utama MotoGP ™ pada tahun 2006, tergabung dengan tim LCR Lucio Cecchinello sebelum beralih ke Tim Ducati dan merebut gelar pengendara perdananya pada tahun 2007. Sebuah mahkota kedua datang pada gadis Repsol kampanye Tim Honda New South Wales pengendara tahun 2011, kemudian pensiun pada akhir tahun berikutnya.

" Ini sangat istimewa, " kata Stoner sebagai ™ Legenda MotoGP. " Tampaknya sedikit tidak realistis ketika saya ditawari ini, tapi saya tidak akan menolaknya.

" Saya menghargai yang menempatkan bersama pengendara seperti itu, meskipun kadang-kadang aku tidak merasa seperti saya pantas berada di sana. Saya sangat bangga dengan prestasi kami memiliki selama waktu kita di Grand Prix. Kami tidak mendapatkan keberhasilan yang kita harapkan dalam kategori yang lebih rendah, tetapi dengan MotoGP ™ di tahun kemudian - kecuali beberapa kejuaraan saya pikir kita bisa berjuang agak sulit untuk kami selalu sangat bangga dengan apa yang kami raih. Sungguh merupakan suatu kehormatan bagi saya untuk ditambahkan ke daftar orang-orang seperti itu. "

CEO Dorna Sports Carmelo Ezpeleta menambahkan pentingnya membuat Stoner MotoGP ™ Legenda - ide pertama kali ke Australia pada akhir musim lalu.

" Ini adalah senang untuk memiliki Casey sini dengan kami hari ini dan untuk bisa memperkenalkan dia ke Hall of Fame MotoGP ™ Legends, " komentar Ezpeleta. " Casey telah menjadi pembalap luar biasa bagi kami dan benar-benar sebuah legenda di seluruh dunia. Saya benar-benar menghargai memiliki dia di sini.

" Kami berbicara tahun lalu di Valencia, di akhir kejuaraan, saya mengusulkan kepadanya, ia mengatakan ia akan sangat senang untuk melakukannya dan kami sepakat untuk melakukannya di sini Phillip Island adalah tempat untuk melakukannya dan kami sangat senang dan bangga melihat Casey dan keluarganya di sini. Hal ini sangat penting. Casey adalah bagian dari sejarah kita dan harus ada di sini. "

Casey Stoner lahir pada 16 Oktober 1985, yang berarti ia merayakan ulang tahun 28 -nya pada Rabu pekan ini. Selama karir Kejuaraan Dunia, yang dimulai di kelas 125 pada tahun 2001, Stoner meraih total 45 kemenangan Grand Prix, 89 podium, 43 pole position dan 33 lap tercepat serta pasangan nya gelar juara dunia.



MotoGP

Read More

New World Champion Marc Marquez?

Setelah kagum dengan penampilannya di 2013, Marc Marquez bisa menjadi termuda MotoGP Juara Dunia di Australia akhir pekan ini. Haruskah ia melakukannya, 20 tahun akan menjadi pembalap rookie pertama untuk mengklaim hadiah utama sejak Kenny Roberts melakukannya 35 tahun yang lalu, pada tahun 1978.

Takdir Marquez di Australia akan tergantung pada posisi finishing Yamaha Factory Racing Jorge Lorenzo dan Repsol Honda Team Dani Pedrosa rekan, serta apakah pendatang baru ini mampu mencapainya, tetapi dia harus menyelesaikan setidaknya kedelapan untuk mengklaim mahkota.

Marquez akan menjadi Juara Dunia di Australia di bawah kondisi berikut :

- Marquez menang dan Lorenzo finis ketiga atau lebih rendah

- Marquez selesai kedua , Lorenzo kelima atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak menang

- Marquez selesai ketiga, Lorenzo kedelapan atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak menang

- Marquez selesai keempat , Lorenzo 11 atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak menang atau finis kedua

- Marquez selesai kelima , Lorenzo 13 atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak finis di podium

- Marquez selesai keenam , Lorenzo 14 atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak finis di podium

- Marquez selesai ketujuh , Lorenzo 15 atau lebih rendah dan Pedrosa tidak finis di podium

- Marquez selesai kedelapan , Lorenzo gagal mencetak gol dan Pedrosa tidak finis di empat besar

Tahun lalu , Marquez mensegel gelar juara dunia Moto2 pada sirkuit yang sama, Phillip Island.




MotoGP

Read More

NEW HONDA CB 300R

The Honda stopped making CBX 250 Twister 6 months ago, retired model, and now the successor is the beautiful CB 300R. The bike that 'borrowed' the design for the CBR 300 was Honda CB Hornet 600F which was launched earlier this year. Twister was the 7th bike more sold in the country last year, and has an audience that loves the bike, since launch in 2001 were manufactured nearly 500 thousand units.

The triangular headlight is 60W and has a small fairing that brings the patch panel, the tail is short and a single exhaust outlet is shorter than the old version. Increasing the cubic capacity of the engine was to attend the third phase of Promot 3 without harming the performance of urban naked. "We work on an engine that meets the Brazilian legislation. Promot In this new phase, we need a greater ability to have a lower emission of pollutants, especially in measurements up to 120 km / h. 291.6 cm ³ The fruits are an increase in diameter and the piston stroke (79.0 x 59.5mm). Finally, the architecture remains the same: a cylinder, dual overhead cams command (DOHC), four valves and cooling mixed (air with oil cooler).

So far nothing new, except the capacity. ducts and intake and exhaust valves were reworked to adapt to food for electronic fuel injection system - programmed (PGM-FI) - designed by Keihin to CB 300R. The new bike has more power obviously it has 26.5 hp 24 hp against the Twister. bike has A torque of 2.81 Nm at 6,000 rpm.

Already the bike is more power Honda opted for a 5-speed rates , this to avoid gear reductions mainly uphill streets and hills. With more modern design and robust compared to the CBR 300R Twister gives an impression of being a large bike. This is because the 18-liter tank contributes to this impression Twister was 16.5 liters of tank capacity. the new model comprises two air deflectors that, besides the aesthetic function, assist in cooling the motor.

Pirelli tires into Sport Demon wider measures: the front 110/70 and rear 140/70 (Twister used tires 110/80 and 130/70, respectively). Both alloy wheels in 17 inch with new design. Impressions Turning on the bike it is noticed that the pilot tip in a more comfortable position due to the position of the legs, the bike is safer because it has an anti-theft system in the ignition of the bike. gorgeous With a panel with marker-speed digital and analog RPM marker noted that Honda used the Hornet as a basis for devising this bike.

The motor has instant answers at the touch of the throttle. At low speed the bike did not gasp as the 250cc version and also the Twister was a lot of noise when running. A new CB 300R is quieter and has a well agreed that rates allows the engine too. Testing the bike at high speed the bike is observed that reached 142 km / h. Finally Honda took the electronic injection system that will bring greater fuel economy and, for the old Twister was pretty ugly but lost in the technology for the Yamaha Fazer.

The bike was a quieter, more stable the whole suspension and dampers and breaking more economical because it was almost 30 km per liter of petrol while Twister was 24 km per liter.

motorspoint.blogspot

Read More

Ford Focus TDCi Econetic 1.6

Detail refinements including unique low-drag wheel trims further improve the existing 1.6 TDCi Focus Econetic’s headline economy figure from 76.4mpg combined to 83.1mpg, with CO2 emissions dropping from 99g/km to 88g/km.

That 99g/km model remains on sale alongside this even cleaner version. The two share an engine, mechanical spec and power and torque outputs of 104bhp and 199lb ft respectivey.

In keeping with the ‘less is best’ eco philosophy, however, the 88g/km Focus is only available in lower-end Edge trim (you can have your 99g/km model in Titanium spec, though, should you so choose).

Cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, USB and aux-in connectivity all come as standard, but if you want Ford’s SYNC tech package including DAB radio and Bluetooth, you’ll have to pay an extra £340.

To drive, almost indistinguishable from the 99g/km 1.6 TDCi Focus.

Which is to say engine performance that’s doggedly workmanlike at best, pedestrian at worst, and frustratingly mated to a chassis that displays all of the best dynamic sparkle that an everyday Ford has to offer (which is a considerable amount).

Our previous criticisms of the 1.6 TDCi’s low-rev recalcitrance hold just as true here, with an asthmatic off-boost delivery leading to some awkward moments when pulling away. The sure-fire cure is to give it a heavy boot from a standstill, but that’s entirely at odds with the Econetic Focus’s fuel-saving ethos. With practice and familiarity pulling away becomes less fraught, but it always feels like a more conscious effort than it should be.

That laggy obstinacy tends to be less of a problem once rolling but it never goes away entirely. The motor feels at its best once flowing freely on A-roads and motorways, but it’s punchy and rewarding enough around town providing you time your upshifts carefully. However, an opportunist open-road overtaker this is not.

The compromises in performance do pay off, though. On one particularly feather-footed motorway/urban run, we returned an impressive 72mpg, although such figures have to be worked for. It’s quite conceivable that with even greater restraint it would be possible to edge even closer to the Focus’s official 83.1mpg combined economy figure.

Ford Focus Econetic Edge 1.6 TDCi

Price £18,145; 0-62mph 11.8sec; Top speed 116mph; Economy 83.1mpg (combined); CO2 88g/km; Kerb weight 1350kg; Engine 4 cylinders in line, 1560cc, turbodiesel; Power 104bhp; Torque 199lb ft; Gearbox 6-speed manual


autocar.uk

Read More

VW e-UP

VW isn’t used to following trends, of course, but its electric car strategy has long been one of biding its time, the reasoning being that there is no economic case for rushing in, as customer demand has been too small. Now sales are growing in tune with political pressure and a need to establish a pioneering reputation in the field.

Drivetrain aside, the e-Up is almost entirely familiar. The 81bhp, 155lb ft electric motor sits up front, while the 18.7kWh lithium ion battery pack weighs 230kg and lies in the floor, so the centre of gravity is lower than in a combustion engined car. There are no interior space compromises, and the interior fittings are near identical to standard, save for the charging and eco-orientated instrumentation.

As ever, it is the on-the-move experience that sets an electric car apart. The silent progress is broken only by road noise and the instant torque is a revelation that does much to put the 12.4sec 0-62mph time to the back of your mind. As a result, the VW e-Up is a car that feels swift and special, so long as you are willing to reset your established values.

It’s a surprise, too, how little the additional weight impedes the car. At 1139kg all-in, it is far from light, but there are palpable benefits in ride quality. Handling, too, is reasonable, even if the suspicion is that the extra weight negates any benefits from the lowered centre of gravity. Only the steering disappoints, delivering virtually no feel, although VW is far from alone from facing that accusation in this field.

VW says it has stolen a march on its opposition via its energy recovery system, which at first sounds daunting, but is quickly intuitive to use. Via the shifter that sits in place of the traditional gearstick, you can select from four energy recovery modes of varying aggression, the lightest of which gently slows the car and the harshest of which is the equivalent of a good press of the brake. Examples of opportunities to use the modes include downhill runs or when approaching traffic lights, and if you anticipate the road and traffic conditions well you soon find you hardly need the footbrake.

There are also three driving modes – normal, eco and eco plus – which progressively reduce power and electrical systems depending on how energy minded you want to be.

As with all cars, the e-Up's range depends on how you drive. Measured on the New European Drive Cycle, the new VW e-Up electric car has a theoretical range of 160km or 99 miles. However, wary of over-stating the case and being pilloried by stranded customers, VW revises that figure, suggesting that a more realistic expectation should be 75-103 miles in summer and 50-75 miles in winter.

For what it's worth, we drove 70 miles on hilly public roads with energy conservation in mind at all times, consuming energy at the rate of 9.3Kwh/100km – which gave the Up a genuine range of 112 miles from its 18.7Kw battery. That's a reasonably extreme example, but shows VW's claims are realistic. It is an impressive distance to cover on a charge costing around £2.80, too.

The suitability of the e-Up to you depends on how you live your life. As ever, if you drive distances longer than its range, forget it. Likewise, you need to use it frequently to make the required running cost savings to compensate for the high purchase price.

However, a standard plug will take nine hours to fully charge the car from empty, while a supercharger can do the job in half an hour - both of which open up distinct possibilities for using the car as a daily driver. The infrastructure around you is critical to whether it is a good buy, but it is worth remembering that few people drive as far as it can cover on a daily basis.

The final assessment of this undoubtedly fine car must also wait until we know its exact price. In Germany it will sell for around £22,500 pre-grant. As a result potential buyers will have to weigh up the benefits of owning their battery, as in this case, or paying out less initially and leasing the battery, as with the Renault Zoe.

What’s clear, though, is that the arrival of more competition, and smaller electric cars, is bringing prices down and widening the niche of potential buyers for which they have a practical benefit.

autocar.uk

Read More

After Race Japanese GP 2013

Teams and driver said after race :

Caterham

Charles Pic - 18th
"I had a good start but we'd already decided to serve the drive-through penalty at the end of lap one to get it out of the way and I was playing catch up from there. My target from there was to pass Chilton and I finished almost 20 seconds clear of him so that's about as much as we could have hoped for today.

"I was on a set of hards for the first stint and they held up ok, they felt pretty good and I was given the all-clear to push quite early on so aimed to cut the gap as much as I could. We stopped for the first time on lap 17 and did the second stint on new options and my pace was good on them, right up until the second stop on lap 35.

"The final stint was on another set of hards and I came out around 11 seconds behind the Marussia so pushed as hard as I could and had the gap down to eight seconds with 11 laps left. I was gaining on him at about a second a lap and with five laps left I got him and pulled away, finally finishing 18th. I have to say I'm pretty happy about that, bearing in mind the time I lost on the first lap but I just kept pushing. I think it's a fair result today for the work the whole team put in, and one that shows we never stop fighting."

Giedo van der Garde - DNF
"My start was ok but going into turn one I was squeezed between both the Marussia cars and had nowhere to go. I lost my front wing in contact with Bianchi and then the car went straight off and into the wall. It was quite a heavy impact but I'm ok. Obviously that's disappointing, but it was a racing incident and sometimes these things happen so now we'll move on to India and push for a better weekend there and for the rest of the season."

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - 4th
"Fourth place was the most I could do today, as the three ahead of me were really out of reach and so, given our starting position and how practice went in general, I am happy. It was an action packed race and even if we suffered with traffic, degradation was more normal than in Korea and we were back to having a good pace. Certainly, we need to find something extra if we want to finish on the podium in the next four races. Today, Mercedes had a few problems and we made up some important points, but we must give it our all, if we want to stay second in the Constructors' classification, because they are not far behind. I am very proud of having become the driver with the most points in the history of this sport, even if for a few years now, with the change to the points system, you get more. Now I want to celebrate this record and think about the next race in India. This one is already in the past".

Felipe Massa - 10th
"That was a really difficult day, with the drive-through wiping out any chance of having a good race or bringing home more points. When I came down pit lane, I didn't realise I was going too fast. It's the first time it's happened to me and it's a real shame, because in the first stint of the race, I had a good pace. Having taken the penalty, I was stuck in traffic and the cars that had made a third stop towards the end of the race were able to pass me easily on new tyres. I am disappointed, because I'm sure that without that mistake I could have got a good result. In the remaining races, we must continue to fight and I hope we can be competitive starting right away in India".

Stefano Domenicali, team principal
"The Suzuka weekend began with the sad news of the death of Maria de Villota and our first thoughts are with her. Considering the potential of our car, thanks to the work of the team at the track, we have obtained a result that allows us to stay second in both Championships, in line with our current objectives. With today's fourth place, Fernando tops the list of the all-time highest number of points scored, proof of his extraordinary talent and something which makes us very proud. Up until the penalty, Felipe was fighting for a top five finish and it's a shame that the drivethrough affected his race, so that he was not rewarded for all his efforts. Today's leading trio had a better pace than us, but now it's important that we do not let up at all: over the final four races, we have an obligation to demonstrate that Ferrari never gives up fighting for the top places".

Pat Fry, technical director
"The first part of the race was very intense from a strategic point of view, as it was affected by traffic and the decision to bring forward the pit stops, which most of the teams did today. For us, it would have been a pointless risk to stop earlier than planned, because we had based our race on a two stop strategy and it would have therefore been difficult to make it to the end. Our level of degradation was better than last week's and our race pace meant we could make up places. Today's performance was definitely affected by traffic and even if the podium was not within our reach, the pace was enough for us to have finished right behind the top three by a smaller margin. Fernando drove a great race, getting a very good start and showing once again just how strong he is in the race. Certainly, we can't be satisfied with fourth place, but we are pleased about the fact Fernando has taken the lead in the all-time points table. I am very disappointed for Felipe, because he did not deserve to finish down in tenth place at the end of a weekend that had started so well. I think it's true to say that, without the penalty he would have been able to fight for fifth with Raikkonen and Hulkenberg. For the last four races, we will evaluate if it is worth bringing some improvements to motivate the drivers and teams over the closing stages of this championship".

Force India

Paul di Resta - 11th
"At the start of the race I didn't get a good launch and a few cars came by me, and then we lost out at the first pit stop because the Williams of Bottas jumped us. That compromised the second stint, which is why we went very aggressive with an early second stop to get track position and move ahead of the Williams. The car felt better for the final stint and it looked like we were on course for a point. In the end we were about five laps too short with the tyre life because I couldn't defend from Jenson [Button]. With four races to go we need to take the positives from this weekend and will travel to India determined to get back in the points."

Adrian Sutil - 14th
"It's been a very tough weekend and starting from the back of the grid made it difficult to get close to the points. In the end I finished P14 and had some good battles, but there was a lot of oversteer in the car and it was not easy to be consistent. The best part of the race was the start because I moved up to P16, but we just didn't have the race pace we needed today and couldn't get the performance from the tyres."

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
"We made no secret of the fact that Suzuka was going to be the most difficult track for us in the second part of the season. So it was no surprise that points were hard to come by today. Paul came close in P11, but his race strategy was hampered in the second stint when he was running behind Bottas. He finally cleared the Williams by pitting early for his second stop, but we were missing the pace to fend off the recovering Button and that cost us the final point. With Adrian it was a similar story as he ran behind Maldonado for much of the race and struggled with tyre performance. So it's been an uphill struggle for us, but we remain upbeat as we head to India for the team's home race. The upcoming tracks should play more to our strengths and give us the opportunity to get back to scoring regular points."

Lotus

Kimi Raikkonen - 5th
"I had a very poor start. I left the line with wheelspin and lost a few places which wasn't ideal, but I managed to gain places back later on in the race. After the final pit stop the car was working much better. It ran well in the last half of the race and I was very happy with it. It was a pretty normal race I would say. It's difficult to overtake here so it's good that we got some points. We did what we could."

Romain Grosjean - 3rd
"Today was just a very, very good race. What a start! It was superb to go past both the Red Bulls like that and it'll be one of my best memories of the year. The car was fantastic on the first set of tyres and we managed to pull away, but then the Red Bulls were able to reel us in later on. Ultimately, we were the only car to almost catch the bull. It's been a great home race for my engineer; it's always good to come to Japan and it's really good to be back on the podium again."

Eric Boullier, team principal
"It's great to see such a good fight in the race and both our cars show so strongly. Once again, both drivers, our strategists and the pit crew performed brilliantly and we did the very best we could on track. We don't have the pace to beat Red Bull, but today we showed them that we are nevertheless quite formidable whilst also underlining to Mercedes and Ferrari that we are a strong contender for the final four races of the season. We must say a big thanks to everyone at Enstone for the fantastic car we have in the E21. To see Romain leading the race was very satisfying and we hope to see that again very soon."

Alan Permane, trackside operations director
"It was a great race for us and superb to see Romain leading for so much of it. We were the only team to take the fight to Red Bull; ultimately they were too quick for us but we took a strong and well deserved third place with Romain and a fighting fifth with Kimi. Romain made a fantastic start and we had enough in hand in the first stint to be able to pit a lap later than Mark, but they started to catch us on the medium tyres and Sebastian was able to catch and pass reasonably easily with their superior pace. It's a great feeling to show so strongly at Suzuka."

Marussia

Jules Bianchi - DNF
"All in all I think this is a weekend that was destined not to come my way, which is a shame as I love the Suzuka Circuit. We did our best to fight back and I was very confident in the way we would approach the race. Unfortunately, as I turned into the first corner on the opening lap, van der Garde hit my rear wing which pushed me off track and into the gravel. Nothing more to say really, except my thanks to the Team for a lot of hard work this weekend. We'll be back to do better in India I hope because there are good signs for the car performance."

Max Chilton - 19th
"Generally this has been a really positive weekend for me and one where we've made all the right moves. It was great to qualify ahead of my three nearest competitors for the first time yesterday and today I held position for most of the race, so it was pretty disappointing to lose out just a few laps from the end. I was happy with the way our race was panning out but on the prime tyre in the final stint I struggled a lot more and made a small mistake going onto the marbles, which caused me to go off. From then on, with those tyres, there was little I could do to recover. Although we lost out in the end, I think we have to focus on the positives. The car is a lot stronger and we are in a good place for the fight with the Caterhams."

John Booth, team principal
"A disappointing end to a weekend where we've seen some very positive signs with car performance. Jules' start was again fantastic this week and this enabled him to jump Giedo van der Garde. Had his race continued, then with the turn of pace that we saw on his long runs on Saturday morning, we feel sure he would have had a strong showing. Max was enjoying a good race and we were managing his pace well in order to ensure we made the two stop strategy work. Unfortunately he struggled a little more on his last set of prime tyres and he ended up running wide, which let Charles Pic through. Overall we have good reason to feel encouraged by many aspects of this weekend and we are looking forward to introducing some smaller developments for India, which we hope will continue to improve the pace of the car."

McLaren

Jenson Button - 9th
"The first two stints of the race were pretty difficult as I had massive understeer. That was my fault: on the lap-to-grid, it felt like I had too much front-end, so I took some wing out of the car. It was the wrong thing to do - it left me with too much understeer, and I kept locking up the fronts, which destroyed the front tyres. For the third set, we added some front-wing, and the balance came back to me. In the end, the car was really good to drive - especially my final stint on the Option tyre, which was a lot of fun, especially as I was able to chase down and pass a couple of other cars. In the closing laps, I made a great move on Paul [di Resta] around the outside of the chicane. I made the same move on Felipe [Massa] too, but he forced me over the kerb, so I ended up getting him on the straight. So it was an enjoyable end to the race, but a disappointing beginning."

Sergio Perez - 15th
"It was a very unfortunate afternoon for us. I had such bad luck - things just didn't go our way today. In fact, I think you could say that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We had an incident with Nico [Rosberg] in the pitlane, some of slow pitstops, and then another incident with Nico, which caused me to suffer a puncture - luckily, however, right at the entrance of the pitlane. After a difficult race like this, all we can do is look ahead. In two weeks' time we'll start all over again - I'll be hoping for more luck in New Delhi."

Martin Whitmarsh, team principal
"Today's race was a tough one for both our drivers, but they both showed stout character in dealing with various adverse occurrences with great determination throughout all 53 laps. Jenson made a good start off the line, but through no fault of his own was then embroiled in a first-corner incident, consequently dropping a few places. As a result, he also flat-spotted his tyres, which caused a significant vibration that we elected to curtail by bringing him in for his first tyre stop earlier than we otherwise would have done. We were consequently forced to convert his planned two-stop strategy to a three-stopper, which was a pity, but he drove a truly excellent race thereafter, taking advantage of rubber fresher than that of his rivals in his fourth and final stint to pull off some excellent overtaking manoeuvres and bag a hard-won ninth place by the flag.

"Checo made an excellent start, moving from P11 on the grid to P8 at the end of lap one, and was able to keep pace with all but the three front-runners throughout his first stint. Unfortunately, his first tyre stop was compromised by the unsafe release of Nico's Mercedes, causing him [ie, Checo] to emerge behind Esteban's [Gutierrez] Sauber, behind which he lost a lot of time throughout his second stint, unable to overtake despite making plenty of brave attempts to do so. Then, in his third stint, Checo suffered a left-rear puncture, also ironically in an incident with Nico, which necessitated an extra unscheduled pitstop that put him out of contention for a points-scoring finish. Had that not occurred, he, like Jenson, would have earned some valuable points. From here we go to New Delhi, where we hope to consolidate our fifth place in the Constructors' World Championship by enjoying what we hope will be a less eventful and more productive afternoon than we did here at Suzuka today."

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton - DNF
"I got a fantastic start this afternoon, better than both Red Bulls for probably the first time this year. Mark moved right, so I had to move as well, which sandwiched Sebastian between me and Romain. Seb's front wing clipped my right rear, cut the tyre and that was that. It wasn't his fault at all, just one of those things that wasn't meant to be this afternoon. I feel most gutted for the team - the guys here at the track and in the factory - because they are doing an amazing job right now and we're just not getting the reward for it. Looking to the last four races, I will just be going out there to enjoy them and score as many points as I can for the team. I still believe that second in the Constructors' Championship is in our reach if our luck takes a turn for the better and that's what we will all be aiming for."

Nico Rosberg - 8th
"I made a good start today and was in a strong position until my first pit stop. Unfortunately we then had the incident as I left the pit box which ultimately cost me a top position. We will analyse internally with the team what went wrong but it was immediately clear that we would get a penalty. After that, we switched to a three-stop strategy and that worked out as well as it could for us. I was able to do some good overtaking manoeuvres, although I wasn't happy with Perez as the rules are clear; you can defend once and close the door but you can't switch sides again. Trying to overtake the Sauber at the end was very tough and while it's difficult to be satisfied with eighth place given our potential, at least we were able to salvage some points."

Ross Brawn, team principal
"A tough afternoon for us which was made more frustrating by the fact that we had a good car today and unfortunately did not get the opportunity to demonstrate that. Our lap times were pretty competitive and the tyre durability was good but for various reasons, we weren't able to race well. We suffered a puncture with Lewis off the line and, whilst he managed to recover to the pits, the damage subsequently proved too great to continue. With Nico, we had the issue with the pit stop which led to the drive through penalty. We're normally a pretty reliable team in the pits and I don't fully understand what happened yet but we will investigate and take any necessary actions. The team has worked extremely hard over the past two weeks and I still believe we have the potential to finish the season in second place in the Constructors' Championship but we have to use the potential of the car to the full in the four remaining races to achieve that aim."

Toto Wolff, executive director
"That was a character-building afternoon for our team. Lewis suffered an unfortunate racing incident on the run down to turn one and had to complete an entire lap with a punctured right-rear tyre. That seriously damaged the underfloor of the car and it became clear soon after he went back out that the rear brake temperatures were climbing and the car pulling to the right. So the only sensible precaution was to retire the car after seven laps. As for Nico, he drove a strong race but his finishing position was dictated by the drive-through penalty that he received for an unsafe release at his first pit stop. After that, he recovered well to finish in eighth position and salvage four points."

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel - 1st
"A very rewarding win today; it's a great feeling. I love this track and it's just fantastic to win here. It was a horrible start to be honest; we found ourselves sitting in third place and then tried to go longer in the first stint. I had great traction after I got past Romain and after that the only threat was Mark who got stuck behind Romain. We could then manage the gap until the end of the race. The Championship is the big target of course, but the season is very long still and the best way to wrap it up is not to think about it. I'm happy to go home for a bit now and to relax before we go out to India. That's an impressive country and I'm looking forward to racing there in a couple of weeks."

Mark Webber - 2nd
"We were on the back foot a bit after Romain's great start. I wanted to put pressure on him for the win. Sebastian was on a different strategy to me and in the end it worked out pretty similar. It's hard to know which was right (a two or three stop strategy), as we were trying to cover off Romain. I did my best and in the end it was a good result."

Christian Horner, team principal
"A massive result for the team to achieve a one two in Japan. It was an exciting race that was dictated by the tyre strategy. We split the strategies between a three-stop for Mark and a two-stop for Seb, based on the expected tyre lives on the two cars. Both drivers managed to make it work to navigate their way past Romain Grosjean, in particularly brave moves down into Turn one. A great result for the Team and both Championships and congratulations to Renault for another one-two-three finish on the podium."

Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg - 6th
"I think, we did everything we could today. I was already surprised by the pace of the car going to the grid as it felt really good. Again I managed to keep both Ferraris behind me for a long time, even if it wasn't enough as my tryes just gave up a little bit at the end of the race. We were fighting throughout the race today. Just after my second pit stop I was surprised I was able to pull away a bit from Fernando (Alonso), but he was probably saving his tyres. It was a great team result with P6 and P7, and hopefully a nice present for Peter Sauber. I'm fairly confident we can fight for points again in India."

Esteban Gutierrez - 7th
"Finally I can feel great satisfaction after the race. It has been a lot of work to get up to this point and, while it has not been an easy path, I think it has been a very solid one. Over the past few races we have been improving a lot and, as I said yesterday, we have to keep optimistic and this is the result of that. Knowing we can achieve something like this, you really go forward and do your best and push. Even though the last few laps were very difficult with Nico Rosberg behind me, it was overall a great race. I want to thank the team as is has done a great job today. Also many happy returns to Peter Sauber on his 70th birthday."

Tom McCullough, head of track engineering
"This is our first double points score of the year and a fantastic result for the team. Some good strategy work saw us punching a little bit above our weight for most of the race. Esteban made a great start and had a fantastic first lap and it is really good for him to score his first points today. This has been coming for a while, we never doubted he would make it, and this is a well deserved seventh place. For Nico it was also a good race and he worked hard for his sixth. I hope the boss enjoyed this on his 70th birthday today."

Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal
"This is a fantastic result for us, especially on Peter's birthday. We hope he is happy with this. Both drivers, once again, put up a fantastic fight. It is further proof we are going in the right direction and gives us a lot of confidence for the remaining races, as there is a lot we can still fight for. Hats off to both drivers and to the team that did a great job both at home and here. On behalf of the whole team I would like to wish Peter Sauber a happy 70th birthday. Over the past 43 years motorsport has shaped his life. He established the Sauber F1 Team in Formula One as well as the Sauber brand in motorsport. Sauber is now the fourth oldest name in Formula One. Peter was able to achieve all of that from Switzerland, which four decades ago no one believed was possible. He founded a motorsport team, brought it to the highest level of motorsport and was able to compete continuously in Formula One for over 20 years. Sauber Motorsport today is a technology centre of the highest standard. Peter Sauber always focused on the interests of the team. For that he deserves the utmost gratitude and respect."

Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - 12th
"There are some positive elements from today, because the car worked very well in this afternoon, However, our pit stops were not the best and cost us some time. After the start I found myself in traffic, so the team decided to call me in a bit early for the switch from the Option to the Prime, but the pit stop was slow and just put me back in the traffic. It was hard to overtake, so we tried lengthening the next two stints and the remaining pit stops were not the best. Apart from that, my pace seemed reasonable, so it's a shame, as I think I could have done better, especially as I had a lot of new tyres for the race. I really hope I have a bit more luck and another good car in India."

Daniel Ricciardo - 13th
"I am disappointed not to have scored some points today, because I am convinced I was heading for the top ten, which would have been an encouraging result, after struggling with the balance of the car on Saturday. We started on the Hard tyre and after I made a good start to move up two places, it was looking good as I passed Bottas on the track and moved up the order as those on the Medium pitted ahead of me. I was moving up the order again after my first stop and then I made a move on the outside of Sutil at the 130R and got past him. But after that, I ran wide onto the grass, which lost me a bit of time. Sadly, the Stewards decided I had gained an advantage by going off the track and had to take a drive-through penalty, which of course ruined my race. I was ninth when I came in for the penalty and it dropped me down outside the points."

James Key, technical director
"First of all, the mechanics need to be commended for doing a good job in rebuilding Jev's car after the fire yesterday. We were reasonably flexible regarding our strategy for today, looking at a three stop for Jean-Eric, as he had plenty of new tyres, so it seemed like a sensible choice, while with Daniel we were looking at a two stopper. As often happens at Suzuka, Jev got stuck in traffic after the start, so we brought him in early, but a long stop put him back in the same place. After that he drove very well in the middle of the race, overtaking other cars. Daniel had a clearer start, moving up two places right away and kept out of traffic. Then, well after he passed Sutil, he ran wide onto the gravel, losing time. However, the Stewards decided he had gained an advantage. He therefore had to come in for the drive-through penalty, that cost him a top ten finish."

Williams

Pastor Maldonado - 16th
"It was pleasing to be able to make a move on the last lap to gain a position over my teammate. I felt we got the strategy slightly wrong today and we were struggling with the pace a bit, but we did manage to get 100% out of the car."

Valtteri Bottas - 17th
"At the beginning of the race we didn't look too bad and managed to keep some cars behind us. At the end of the second stint and into the third stint our pace seemed to drop off and we weren't able to keep our positions. As the tyres wore out at the end we did struggle a bit, so unfortunately we couldn't fight anymore."

Xevi Pujolar, chief race engineer
"It was a good clean start and first lap from both drivers. We were racing the Toro Rosso's and the Force India's and aiming for a two-stop strategy. We stuck to strategy but needed to be more aggressive in the second stint to keep them behind so in the end we weren't able to hold them off. Ultimately our pace wasn't good enough. This circuit is hard on tyres and our tyre life was on the limit so we couldn't pit any earlier than we did otherwise we risked not making it to the end of the race. Valtteri and Pastor therefore ended up racing each other, and after Valtteri had been ahead for the majority of the race, Pastor found a way through in the final chicane of the last lap."

espnf1

Read More

Sebastian Vettel is P1 on Japanese GP

Sebastian Vettel took his fifth victory in a row during an enthralling Japanese Grand Prix, which boiled down to a strategic battle with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean.

All three drivers led the race at one point or another, but as the Red Bulls split their strategies between a two-stop for Vettel and a three-stop for Webber, the single Lotus got outfoxed and outpaced over the 53 laps. Webber forced his way through to second place on the penultimate lap, with a strategy that put the emphasis on on-track action rather than playing out the passing in the pit stops.

Giedo van der Garde's race ended on the first lap after tangling with Jules Bianchi

Fernando Alonso finished fourth to ensure the championship will be stretched out for at least one more race, with Kimi Raikkonen recovering from a poor start to finish fifth ahead of another strong performance from Nico Hulkenberg. Esteban Gutierrez took the first points of his career in seventh ahead of Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa in the final points positions.

The start of the race set up the battle for the lead as Grosjean made a brilliant start to lead into the first corner from fourth on the grid. Lewis Hamilton was also in the mix but got squeezed by Webber from the left and as he reacted his right-rear tyre made contact with Vettel's front wing. He suffered a puncture that dropped him to the back of the pack and ultimately led to his retirement due to damage to the floor of his Mercedes.

That meant Grosjean led the two Red Bulls into the first corner, in the opposite order to how they finished. But even though Webber and Vettel looked faster than the Lotus in the early stages they bided their time in the knowledge the race could be played out through the pit stops. The strategies appeared to be fairly fluid, but for the two Red Bulls the foundations had been laid during Friday practice. Webber was running less downforce than Vettel, which meant his car was primed for overtaking but not as easy on its tyres as his team-mate's. Vettel reaped the rewards of that decision and shuffled himself onto a two-stop strategy by using that extra downforce to protect his tyres, while Webber had to take the fight to Grosjean in order to make his more aggressive four stints work.

Grosjean was caught in between, but ultimately did well to stay in touch with what was undoubtedly a slower car. He covered Webber at the first pit stop to ensure he didn't lose track position, but in doing so opened the door for Vettel to run a little longer. Vettel's first stop was two laps later than Grosjean's, but his second was eight laps later than the Lotus, so even though he came out behind the Frenchman in his final stint, passing him for the lead was easy.

Webber, meanwhile, had been putting his pieces in place for a push in the laps of the race and rejoined in third place on medium tyres after his third stop. He was a second faster than his team-mate and Grosjean, which looked as though it would be enough to worry Vettel. However, he needed to get ahead of Grosjean first, and with limited traction due to his set-up he failed at his first three or four attempts to get past into Turn 1. That gave Vettel the cushion he needed and it was only when the battle between Grosjean and Webber came up to a gaggle of backmarkers on the penultimate lap that he finally found a way past on the inside of Turn 1.

By that stage Vettel was clear at the front and well on his way to his fifth victory and another step towards his fourth drivers' title. However, Alonso prevented the celebrations kicking off in Japan by guiding his Ferrari from eighth to fourth. He finished 35.6s off Grosjean in third after being held up by team-mate Massa early in the race and losing a position to Hulkenberg in the first pit stops as a result. He eventually found a way back past the Sauber on lap 46 after a robust defence from Hulkenberg, who lost fifth place to a perfectly executed overtaking move from Raikkonen on lap 52 of 53.

Although the battle for victory in the two championships is all but over, the battle for second in the constructors' is heating up with Ferrari ten points clear of Mercedes and Lotus closing in on, and just 23 points off, third place. The next instalment of that battle and Vettel's sensational success story will come at the Indian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

espnf1

Read More

Dani Pedrosa Win Malaysian GP

Dani Pedrosa has won the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle GP, collecting his third victory of the 2013 MotoGP™ season. Marc Marquez completed a Repsol Honda Team one-two after a nail-biting battle with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, as the reigning World Champion rounded out the podium.

With four races to go in 2013, Sepang marked the first event of a triple-header which next weekend takes the MotoGP™ fraternity to Australia, before racing in Japan on the final weekend of the month. Saturday saw Marquez storm to a fourth consecutive pole position as the newcomer attempted to edge ever closer to an historic title win.

Pedrosa’s victory came as his first for almost five months, having not stood atop the podium since Le Mans in mid-May. He narrowly missed out on taking the lead as Lorenzo swept through at the start, but overhauled the Mallorcan at the end of the first lap. As Lorenzo became involved in an intense battle with Marquez, who finally made the move stick at Turn 14 with just over 11 laps to go, Pedrosa extended his advantage to pick up a second successive victory on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The result means all three of the rostrum finishers retain mathematical possibilities of clinching the World Championship, although Marquez is the only rider who could claim the title at Phillip Island next weekend. Should he do so, the 20-year-old Catalan would become the first rookie premier class title winner for 35 years.

Outside of the top three at Sepang, multiple winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) experienced a somewhat lonely ride to fourth spot as Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) came out on top in a battle with Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3); the Spaniard now moves up to sixth place in the Riders’ Championship, ahead of LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl who was forced to miss the race because of a broken ankle. Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso were seventh and eighth, ahead of lead CRT runner Aleix Espargaro (Power Electronics Aspar) and Yonny Hernandez (Ignite Pramac Racing).

In 15th spot, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards clinched the final point after he, Avintia Blusens’ Hector Barbera and PBM’s Michael Laverty were handed ride-through penalties for jumping the start. A total of five riders failed to finish, including 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden who parked his Ducati Team machine on the start/finish straight after suffering technical problems.

Round 16 of 18, the Tissot Australian Grand Prix, will take place next weekend as Marc Marquez attempts to become the youngest ever MotoGP™ World Champion.

Motogp

Read More