Button contests triathlon ahead of Sepang race

RichardsF1    Formula 1     Jenson Button

With the Malaysian Grand Prix traditionally being among the most gruelling on the sport’s calendar, Jenson Button has found an appropriate way of preparing for Kuala Lumpur’s tropical climate: the Hawaiian Triathlon.

The UK’s The Times newspaper is reporting that the McLaren driver will compete in the event – comprised of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run – to gear up for the sapping humidity he expects to face at Malaysia.

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More practice miles for Ricciardo

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso

Daniel Ricciardo’s testing duties for the Toro Rosso outfit will take precedence ahead of his championship duties in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, with the Australian confirming that he will miss the season’s opening round in order to drive in Friday practice for the Red Bull sister team.

Ricciardo’s pressure places enormous pressure on the team’s established driver line-up of Jaime Alguersuari and Sébastien Buemi, as the Perth-born clocks up more miles in the Ferrari-powered STR6 in more Friday practice sessions.

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Sauber: Heads will not roll after disqualification

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     Peter Sauber, Sauber, Technical

One of the stranger rumours doing the rounds was that the Sauber team’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix could cost the team’s technical director, James Key, his job.

After switching from his post at Force India Key, Key has been at his position at Sauber for less than one year – ultimately, as the department head, he is responsible for the fabrication error that saw the upper rear wing elements falling foul of the regulations by millimetres. The breach stripped Sergio Pérez and Kamui Kobayashi of their respective sixth and seventh-placed finishes at Albert Park, which could cost the team millions in TV rights revenue.

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Red Bull takes to Cape Town!

RichardsF1    F1 Everywhere, Formula 1     Red Bull Racing

For the first time Red Bull Racing brought the 2010 championship car to South Africa. Swiss racer Neel Jani performed for South African F1 fans in front of an incredible backdrop: Table Mountain in Cape Town. Take a look…

[Video via Red Bull Racing]

Glock: Team has ‘moved backwards’ on pace

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     Technical, Timo Glock, Virgin Racing

Such is the lack of speed in the Marussia Virgin Racing MVR-02, lead driver Timo Glock fears that the team could risk joining Hispania Racing on the list of non-qualifiers at future Grands Prix unless some significant improvements can be made on the new car.

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Whiting: Red Bull front wing is legal

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     FIA, Red Bull Racing, Rules

FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting has rubbished ongoing concerns that Red Bull’s front wing fails the sporting regulations that prohibit flexible aerodynamic components.

Continuing the allegations laid against the team in 2010, the Milton Keynes squad has been accused of running a front wing with extremities that flex under aerodynamic load – so much so that mechanics were seen repairing damage to the undersides of the wings’ endplates at the Australian Grand Prix.

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It’s Kevin Cogan’s birthday today!

RichardsF1    Birthdays, Former F1 Figures, Formula 1    

Today marks the 55th birthday for American driver Kevin Cogan, who contested two Formula 1 Grands Prix between 1980-1, failing to qualify either a RAM-Williams or Tyrrell in his respective outings. But the Californian is much more famous for a bizarre series of accidents in his subsequent IndyCar career…

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You can win this! Enter now!

RichardsF1    Features     Giveaways

Our lucky Richard’s F1 readers have the opportunity to win an Australian-edition 2007 Official Formula 1 Season Review DVD!

The 2007 season was one of the most epic: it was the first season without Michael Schumacher, we saw the spectacular debut of Lewis Hamilton, and the ‘SpyGate’ controversy reared its head.

It all combined to make for a thrilling championship where three drivers went into the final round with a shot of the championship title.

So how can you be in the running to win?

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McLaren, but only lighter…

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren, Technical

McLaren is continuing to plug away away at getting back to the front of the field and build on its unexpected podium finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The team ditched its overly complex ‘octopus’ exhaust system and presented a simpler version of its MP4-26 contender after it endured a poor pre-season build-up highlighted by a lack of pace, coupled with poor reliability.

“We had to manufacture the parts for the new exhaust in a very short time,” McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh told Auto Motor und Sport.

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Karthikeyan: HRT has no excuse to DNQ again

RichardsF1    F1 2011, Formula 1     Hispania Racing, Narain Karthikeyan

Narain Karthikeyan firmly believes he can qualify for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix, despite his Hispania Racing team achieving the sport’s first double-DNQ on the return of the 107% qualifying rule at the Australian Grand Prix.

The financially strapped Spanish outfit had a nightmare race weekend as it kicked off its second championship season, losing practice time while its two cars were being built and then failing to post a quick enough lap time to make the grid for Sunday’s race.

Another problem the new F111 chassis experienced was that it ran with the 2010 front wing from the F110, because its 2011-spec front wing failed to FIA crash test.

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