Barcelona - Ferrari - Test day 2
Ferrari’s test session continued today at Circuit de Catalunya, near Barcelona.

For the second day, the world champion team’s official test drivers, Luca Badoer and Marc Gene were on track.

The two drivers continued with the work programme initiated yesterday, which focused mainly on engine and gearbox reliability ... [ more ]

Barcelona - BMW Sauber - Test day 2
Today the BMW Sauber team again concentrated on development work with the 2009 season in sight. Both test cars were interim cars based on the F1.08 with some aerodynamic components complying with the 2009 regulations.

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld completed 76 and 81 laps (354 and 378 kms) respectively, tyres and ... [ more ]

Barcelona - Toro Rosso Ferrari - Test day 2
It was a busy second day of testing for the Toro Rosso Ferrari team in Barcelona today. The team had two cars and three drivers in action. Sebastien Buemi drove all day, while Takuma Sato jumped out of the cockpit at the end of the morning, to hand over to Sebastien Bourdais.

Buemi and Sato did some long runs ... [ more ]

Barcelona - Red Bull Renault - Test day 1
The first test of the winter got underway today in Spain under sunny conditions and, at the wheel of the RB4 as part of a "thank you" from Red Bull for winning the World Rally Championship yet again, the Red Bull Racing driver on hand for the team was five-time titleholder Sebastien Loeb.

Having had a shakedown ... [ more ]

Barcelona - Honda - Test day 1
Honda returned to the test track today just two weeks after the 2008 season finale in Brazil as the Formula One teams travelled to the familiar testing venue of the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona to commence preparations for the 2009 season.

The three-day test will see the Honda team run two programmes. Alex Wurz and Jenson ... [ more ]

Barcelona - Williams Toyota - Test day 1
Williams drafted in Nico Hulkenberg today as the winter test programme commenced in earnest at Circuit de Catalunya.

The F3 Euroseries winner and occasional Williams tester put in 116 laps for the team and posted the 11th fastest time of the 17 runners on track at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.

Williams, along ... [ more ]

Barcelona - BMW Sauber - Test day 1
Today the BMW Sauber and Robert Kubica carried out testing with two F1.08B interim car featuring a modified 2008 chassis with some of the bodywork complying to the 2009 regulations. In addition, Christian Klien’s car was fitted with BMW’s own KERS device.

During the first of three test days in Barcelona the team’s main ... [ more ]

Barcelona - McLaren Mercedes - Test day 1
After the last lap drama in Brazil at the start of the month, the McLaren Mercedes team were back in action today in the first post-season test kicked off at Circuit de Catalunya.

Lewis Hamilton - along with many of his on-track rivals - may be opting to take some time off from driving duties, but today the test ... [ more ]

Barcelona - Renault - Test day 1
Renault kicked off its winter testing programme today at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. Recently confirmed 2009 driver, Nelson Piquet, was on driving duty and was joined by Giedo van der Garde as the 23-year-old received his prize for winning the World Series by Renault.

The team spent the day running two R28s, ... [ more ]

“I am confident that we can be competitive”
Tech3 Yamaha boss Hervé Poncharal was pleased with finishing fourth in the 2008 Teams´ World Championship and is hoping for more success in the coming 12 months.

Sticking with the same rider line-up of Colin Edwards and James Toseland in 2009 Poncharal has high hopes for his Tech3 Yamaha team next season.

In ... [ more ]

With new teammate Mark Aitchison
The HANNspree Honda Althea team has made its decision concerning the 2009 season.

The team has signed Aussie Mark Aitchison and Frenchman Matthieu Lagrive for the 2009 World Supersport Championship.

The 25-year old Australian rider is an extremely talented and dedicated rider. Mark has become one of the most recognized ... [ more ]

''Loeb is the best''
Double World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm holds five-time titleholder Sébastien Loeb in high esteem.

The pair conducted their final battles last year, ending the 2007 campaign with only a four-point difference in their season tallies. While Loeb took the crown, Gronholm retired from the WRC as a competitor. Since then, the lanky ... [ more ]

“He is a good guy”
Andrea Dovizioso´s move to Repsol Honda has been a big talking point for World Championship observers, eager not only to see what the Italian can do with a first factory ride in MotoGP but how his relationship will be with new teammate Dani Pedrosa.

The Italian has been described as `just another rival´ by Pedrosa´s manager Alberto ... [ more ]

After Japan, Wales Rally GB
A few days ago, François Duval confirmed his participation in the World Rally Championship's season-ending Wales Rally GB, which will take place from 5th to 7th December. The Belgian driver will be racing aboard a Stobart Ford car with Denis Giraudet sitting in the passenger seat and reading the notes.

Following the heavy crash ... [ more ]

Continuing the rallying tradition
Peugeot Sport has maintained a strong presence in rallying since the late 1970s thanks, in part, to its products.

A series of models developed for privateers and future champions alike have competed on asphalt and gravel events over the years, from the 104 ZS, the Samba Rallye, the 205 GTi 1.6, the 205 Rallye, the 309 ... [ more ]

End of the road
Following attempts at saving their Canadian round of the championship, Government and municipal representatives have called for a press conference today in Montreal, with all indications pointing at the failure of negotiations with Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

Pending official confirmation later on today, the Canadian Grand Prix will ... [ more ]

And the lost “Dakar” treasure
Innumerable maps, sketches and so-called road books from seven Dakar Rally starts pile up in Volkswagen co-driver Michel Périn's study at his home in Epernay. Year for year the Frenchman, since 2004 contracted to the Wolfsburg based automobile manufacturer, prepared for the world famous long-distance rally with these valuable documents ... [ more ]

Auctioning name for WRC car and Stobart truck
Stobart Motorsport has backed MotoGP star Valentino Rossi's bid to raise funds for Children In Need on next month's Wales Rally GB.

Rossi will drive a Ford Focus RS with full Stobart livery and incorporate the British charity's logo and mascot 'Pudsey Bear'.

In an effort to increase charitable donations ... [ more ]

A race driver, a test driver, and two rookies
Just two weeks after the thrilling conclusion to the 2008 season at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Honda Racing F1 Team will kick off its on-track preparations for 2009 with a three-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona next week.

With the test taking place from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 November, ... [ more ]

Co-driving career to end, says Duval
During his time in a Sapporo hospital following the violent crash he and François Duval endured at Rally Japan, Patrick Pivato underwent several surgeries to fix bones and stop a hemorrhage. The French co-driver was then put into an artificial coma while his body mended.

Needless to say the worse was feared but the ... [ more ]