Tag Archives: Sebastian Vettel

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Motorsports: Race Recap: Mystery, magic and consistency at the 2013 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix [spoilers]

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By Jonathon Ramsey

Hungarian Grand Prix - lead image

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For the last three years, the question many have asked about the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is “What are they doing?” This year that question is, “What will they do next?” They lured Lewis Hamilton from McLaren. They hadn’t yet cured their tire issues, yet Nico Rosberg has still been winning races. They got away with a seriously illegal questionable tire test. And then after being shut out of the Young Driver Test and a chance to learn the new Pirelli tires, Lewis Hamilton shows up at the Hungaroring – a track where everyone (including Mercedes itself) expected the team to struggle – and puts his car on pole position.

At least this time, everyone, including Lewis and his team, was surprised. Informed that he had taken P1 from Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton asked, “Is that pole?” When he said “I need a miracle” to actually win the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix, however, that part we could believe.

Continue reading Race Recap: Mystery, magic and consistency at the 2013 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix [spoilers]

Race Recap: Mystery, magic and consistency at the 2013 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1-leading Vettel cruises to win at Bahrain

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By Associated Press Three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Bahrain Grand Prix Sunday, easily beating Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean in a race that has been the target of rights groups and anti-government protesters in the divided nation.

From: http://espn.go.com/racing/f1/story/_/id/9196018/formula-one-sebastian-vettel-dominates-win-bahrain-gp-pad-series-lead

Automobiles

Motorsports: Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers]

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Formula One fans and commentators have spent the three weeks since the Malaysian Grand Prix discussing two things more than any other: that pass, and tires. Sebastian Vettel spent days giving his tongue an Olympic workout on the verbal gymnastics parallel bars before finally admitting he passed his Infiniti Red Bull teammate Mark Webber on purpose partly for reasons of payback, partly out of a desire to win – he doesn’t apologize for it and he would do it again.

Then came those Pirellis – every single driver and team representative interview touches on how important it is to understand the tires and manage their degradation. Two races in, though, it seems no team has any clue yet how to make the race-weekend compounds work predictably. The only thing predictable about the soft compound tires that Pirelli brought to China was that they would last for six laps, and that led to an odd qualifying session with drivers reluctant to leave the pits or even set a time.

It also led to the first pole position for an Englishman in a Mercedes-Benz since Stirling Moss did it in 1955.

Continue reading Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers]

Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/YGyE_XpU3lk/

Automobiles

Motorsports: Vettel reserves the right to continue disobeying team orders

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By Zach Bowman

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber

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So says he. While speaking with reporters, Sebastian Vettel said he would probably disobey team orders again if those orders included instructions not to challenge his teammate Mark Webber. As you may recollect, Vettel found himself in hot water after he passed Webber at the Malaysian Grand Prix to take the win. Vettel later apologized for his actions, saying, “I messed up.” Apparently being sorry only goes so far. When asked if he would do the same again, Vettel said that he probably would and that his actions at the Malaysian GP were a form of indirect payback for a lack of support at past races.

Webber caught flack last season after appearing to obstruct Vettel twice at the Brazilian GP as the German driver fought for a team win against Fernando Alonso.

Moving forward, Red Bull has said it will not implement team orders at the end of a race, and Vettel has not been punished by the team for taking the win. The driver said that he failed to understand the order given during the race over the radio and that he immediately apologized to everyone involved. He also said he would have yielded the position if he had been ordered to do so.

Vettel reserves the right to continue disobeying team orders originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Video: Watch Infiniti Red Bull Racing set a world record pitstop time in Malaysia

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By John Neff

Infiniti Red Bull Racing conducts a world-record pitstop in Malaysia - video screencap

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How quickly can you change a tire? The pit crew for Infiniti Red Bull Racing can do it in 2.05 seconds. Actually, they can change four tires in 2.05 seconds, and they did just that at the Grand Prix of Malaysia two weeks ago, setting a new world record for the quickest pitstop in the process.

There must’ve been something in the water over there in Malaysia, as the old pitstop record of 2.31 seconds set by McLaren in Germany last year fell six times during the course of the race. Five of those record-beating pitstops were performed by Infiniti Red Bull Racing, one for Sebastian Vettel on his first stop, which took 2.13 seconds, and four for fellow driver Mark Webber, who brought his car in on Lap 19 for what would be the quickest pitstop of the day and the new world record. Three other Webber pitstops were under the old record’s time, and even team McLaren apparently beat its old record in Malaysia with a best time of 2.28 seconds.

What does a 2.05-second pitstop look like? Scroll down to watch these expert car handlers reshoe an entire car in less time than it takes you to find a tire iron. We’ve also included a video of the previous record-setting pitstop by McLaren that stood for about a year.

Continue reading Watch Infiniti Red Bull Racing set a world record pitstop time in Malaysia

Watch Infiniti Red Bull Racing set a world record pitstop time in Malaysia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lewis Hamilton laying down "off the hook" tracks for his own album? [w/videos]

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

F1 driver Lewis Hamilton walking with girlfriend and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger

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Formula One racecar driver Sebastian Vettel is diversifying his resume by becoming the Director of Performance for Infiniti, and it also sounds like his rival Lewis Hamilton is also dabbling in some extracurriculars. According to Yahoo!, the 28-year-old Hamilton has apparently been stealing away time in a recording studio to record his own pop music album over the last year. The report, which quotes singer/songwriter Angel, indicates that Hamilton might have a second career waiting for him after racing.

So far, Hamilton and Angel have written about 12 songs across various music genres, and another interesting element to his involvement in the music industry is that his girlfriend, Nicole Scherzinger (above), is the lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls as well as a former judge for the reality singing contest, X-Factor. For those who are interested, it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to put out an album just yet. For the moment, it appears Hamilton’s duties in Austin, Texas will be limited to lapping the Circuit of the Americas rather than the performing on the local music scene.

Us? We’re just hoping for an eventual duet with fellow F1 racer and musical hopeful Jacques Villeneuve. Yeah, we went there. In the meantime, we’ll have to keep hope alive by watching Hamilton and friends sing Wonderwall by Oasis in one of the videos below.

Continue reading Lewis Hamilton laying down “off the hook” tracks for his own album? [w/videos]

Lewis Hamilton laying down “off the hook” tracks for his own album? [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Infiniti hires Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Remember when, during the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend last November, we told you that Sebastian Vettel had worked with Infiniti on the new G Coupe and that there’d be more of that kind of involvement on the way? It’s been made official with the three-time Formula One World Champion being named Infiniti’s Director of Performance.

Although the announcement is fresh, Vettel’s time on the job isn’t, Infiniti saying that Vettel went to Japan, the Nürburgring and the Circuit de Catalunya to assist in the development of the Q50 sedan.

When we spoke to Andreas Sigl, the man in charge of Infiniti’s F1 collaboration with Red Bull, about the tie-up he had also said, “Like Mercedes has AMG and BMW has M – whether it’s called IPL or not – we want to have something in that space.” If the brand is still serious about that, Vettel’s chops could help them deliver the kind of performance they’d need as upstarts to challenge the ringleaders of that particular hi-po circus.

We might find out soon enough if Vettel’s s better at taking team orders from Infiniti than Red Bull. There’s a press release below with the officially sanctioned paragraphs outlining his new role.

Continue reading Infiniti hires Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance

Infiniti hires Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sebastian Vettel Named Infiniti’s Director of Performance, Director of Teamwork Position Still Open [2013 New York Auto Show]

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By Kirk Seaman

Vettel Named Director of Performance

Today at the New York auto show, Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen named Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance for the Infiniti brand. Vettel, lead driver for Infiniti Red Bull Racing and three-time Formula 1 champ, already has been helping Infiniti imbue its models with more performance (starting with the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition and more recently with the new 2014 Q50 sedan).

Vettel’s input on the development of the Q50 was said to be significant, as he spent time with engineers in Japan to develop the sedan’s chassis dynamics, performance, and handling. Infiniti is seeking any and all ways to maximize its $250-million deal with Red Bull Racing, and Vettel is the most obvious way to do so. We speculated just a month ago that Infiniti might put a Red Bull Racing badge on an IPL or other Infiniti car, and naming Vettel as head of performance is possibly a step in that direction.

“I am really happy to extend my extend my relationship with Infiniti and become its Director of Performance” said Vettel. “Helping to develop the Infiniti Q50 was a very different type of driving duty for me but I approached it in exactly the same way as I do my Formula 1 car. I am looking forward to working closely with Infiniti in developing more of its road cars in the future.”

Clearly this move was well underway before the events of this past weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, although you have to wonder if Seb will be a more cooperative Director of Performance than he is a Formula 1 teammate.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

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Followup: Ford bondage ads reportedly trigger firings at Indian ad agency

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By Jonathon Ramsey

Ford Figo India cartoon ad with Paris Hilton driving bound and gagged Kardashian family in trunk

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You will probably remember the ads for the Ford Figo hatchback in India, the ones that showcased the extra large boot of the little hatchback by joking that you can fit three of your enemies in the trunk. One of the ads had Michael Schumacher in the front seat, obviously pleased about having Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tied up in the back. But the other two had Paris Hilton and ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi up front and three bound and gagged women in the back – in Hilton’s case (shown above), it was the Kardashians.

This did not go over well, and Reuters reports that certain employees at JWT India have been fired over the matter. It is also reported that the images weren’t actual advertisements, nor were they part of an actual campaign; JWT said they “were never intended for paid publication, were never requested by our Ford client.” A JWT rep said the employees who created the ads did so on their own, Ford commented to Automotive News that the ads were “part of a creative exercise intended to test concepts for an advertising competition.”

The problem, if the story is to be believed, is that the employees skipped the regular review protocols and uploaded their work to an ad industry site – they were found on Ads of the World. That page, like the employees, has been removed.

Ford bondage ads reportedly trigger firings at Indian ad agency originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford of India in hot water for Figo celebrity bondage ads

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By Seyth Miersma

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Apparently sensibilities in India, at least in the case of some Ford marketing partners, are downright lascivious at times. Case in point are a new series of print ads, presumably touting the vast cargo capacity of the Ford Figo hatchback, that involve more than a whiff of T&A, S&M and other sexy abbreviations.

In all seriousness, the advertising campaign is taking some major heat in the Indian press for being outrageously sexist. All three images – which seem to be produced by a graphic artist with some Heavy Metal work in his/her portfolio – show bound and gagged people stuffed into the Figo’s boot. With a tagline reads, “Leave Your Worries Behind.” one version features a peace-sign throwing Silvio Berlusconi holding hostage three buxom and barely clad women, all wearing ball gags with hands and feet bound. Charming. Another version shows Paris Hilton ­similarly kidnapping a trio of Kardashians, while a third (tame in terms of the clothing at least), has Michael Schumacher toting Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.

Clearly in bad taste, at least, the Indian source also questions the timing of these risqué Ford ads, as the follow by days new anti-rape legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. Ford has responded in a statement, that it and its advertising partner (JWT India) “deeply regret” the ads, and claim that they “never should have happened.”

Ford of India in hot water for Figo celebrity bondage ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 Star Lewis Hamilton Sets New Top Gear Lap Record

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By Kurt Ernst

Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton made his first cameo appearance on Top Gear in 2007, during the British driver’s inaugural Formula One season. His Top Gear test track lap of 1:44.7 wouldn’t have been particularly impressive, except for the fact that the track was wet and the final corner, Gambon, was covered in oil from a grenaded gearbox.

Compared to other F1 stars, Hamilton wasn’t too far off the mark. Nigel Mansell managed a 1:44.6 on a dry track, while Hamilton’s former teammate, Jenson Button, produced a matching time of 1:44.7 on an exceptionally hot day. In the wet, with the track nearly underwater, Kimi Raikkonen turned a lap in 1:46.1.

The fastest lap time among Formula One drivers was set by multiple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who cranked out a lap in 1:44.0. That time stood for two seasons, until Lewis Hamilton had a chance to reprise his role on the show. As Planet F1 tells us, Hamilton completed a lap in the Suzuki Liana (used by all F1 drivers) in a blistering 1:42.9, cutting an impressive 1.1 seconds off of Vettel’s previous record.

In fairness to Vettel, Hamilton was driving under clear and cool conditions, ideal for setting a high-speed lap (once the tires have heat in the, of course). Will Vettel have the opportunity to reprise his lap as well? How about Kimi Raikkonen lapping in the dry?

We’ll see the lap on BBC America next Monday, February 25, but the “behind the scenes” video below (from Top Gear’s Transmission blog) sets it up nicely.

http://bcove.me/2lki4b24

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

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Official: Infiniti-Red Bull Racing will seek a fourth title with the RB9 [w/video]

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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This is the car and the team that everyone wants to dethrone. The stability of this year’s regulations means that the Infiniti Red Bull RB9 is a seriously honed RB8; however, that’s a situation probably no other team would complain about seeing that the RB8 recovered from early stumbles and reliability issues last year to carry Sebastian Vettel to a third consecutive driver’s title and the team to a third consecutive constructor’s trophy.

The most noteworthy revisions to the car are the partial vanity panel that omits the driver cooling slot, the even narrower rear end – a feature of just about every car launched so far – and purple sidepods to showcase new title sponsor Infiniti. Adrian Newey, perhaps the most feared designer on the pit lane, said the nose and front wing could be changed relatively easily throughout the season, but he wanted to make sure to get the middle of the car – everything from the sidepods, back – as good as possible since they’re more difficult to re-engineer. His track record leads us to believe he did just that.

Below are two videos, one of the making of the RB9, the other the launch at team headquarters in Milton Keynes.

Continue reading Infiniti-Red Bull Racing will seek a fourth title with the RB9 [w/video]

Infiniti-Red Bull Racing will seek a fourth title with the RB9 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog