Red Bull to reveal 2016 livery ahead of tests

Red Bull will unveil their new livery for the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship in a special event in London on February 17.

The team will not be revealing their new car, however, preferring to focus solely on their new colour scheme - which will be revised to reflect the arrival of new sponsors including TAG Heuer and Puma.

Red Bull have not yet confirmed when the new RB12 will be rolled out, although in recent years they have done this on the eve of pre-season testing. This year's first test will take place at Barcelona on February 22-25.

The decision to stage a livery launch ahead of testing means Red Bull are unlikely to return to the camouflage paint scheme which proved a sensation in the opening test last year.

The team have already run once this year - a spectacular demonstration in the snow of Kitzbuhel’s Streif ski course in Austria.

McLaren confirmed earlier this week that they will unveil their new car on February 21, while Sauber subsequently announced their new car would be rolled out ahead of the second and final pre-season test on March 1-4. Sauber will use a modified version of their 2015 car for the first test.

(source: f1.com)

McLaren gave up winter holidays to get 2016 car ready

The Christmas holidays are traditionally a time for the F1 fraternity to relax and recharge their batteries, but McLaren have revealed that some of their staff had to forego a festive break in order to get their new car ready for the start of pre-season testing.


A change to the provisional calendar was the source of the difficulties, with the Australian season opener moving three weeks forward to its now-confirmed date of March 20 - leaving McLaren (and no doubt a number of their rivals) scrambling to adjust their schedule.

"Our entire build programme wasn't lined up for that!" McLaren's operations director Simon Roberts told the team's website. "So we knew we had a problem to solve. In terms of our design and engineering capacity, it's a relatively straightforward re-planning exercise - there's less time to get the work done, so everyone works a bit harder.

"But the build schedule is on a critical path - it needs to pass all the FIA safety tests and be ready for the first test, which was also brought forward. In that situation, you can't just re-plan, you need to do something different."

Roberts explained that the only solution was for some staff to sacrifice their winter break. "In simple terms, we put about eight shifts of work back into the programme over a five-day period - a fantastic effort. In total, there were about 110 people involved and we looked after our Christmas workers with a competitive package.

"We had a really good response, and people seemed to enjoy it too – it was a bit weird, not having all the time off, but there was a good spirit in the place. Everyone knew why they were doing it, and it really cleared the decks.

"Most pleasingly, it meant that, once we came back in the New Year, we were back on schedule – and it felt like the programme had always been phased that way. It was an incredible effort."

McLaren announced on Monday that their 2016 car, the MP4-31, will be revealed on February 21, the day before the first test begins in Barcelona.

Sauber, meanwhile, confirmed that their new car will not be ready until the second pre-season test, also in Barcelona, on March 1-4. The team will therefore run last year's car, but in 2016 branding, at the first session.

(source: f1.com)

Thrills and Spills | The Most Dramatic Moments of 2015

You agree with these? Let us know on the Facebook page!

McLaren announces 2016 car unveiling

The Honda-powered MP4-31 will be revealed on February 21, on the eve of this year’s opening pre-season test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

McLaren hope the new machine will revive their fortunes after a hugely disappointing 2015 campaign, in which the Woking team dropped to ninth in the standings as drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button scored just 27 points between them.

The MP4-31 is the second car of McLaren’s revived partnership with Honda, and despite the extensive teething problems experienced last year, they are expected to retain the ‘size-zero’ design concept for the car’s packaging.

The two pre-season tests of 2016 both take place in Barcelona, the first on February 22-25 and the second on March 1-4. The opening Grand Prix of the year is in Australia on March 20.

(source: f1.com)

#IWCTalksTo: Lewis Hamilton

More Lewis Hamilton!

Lewis Hamilton Interview | Jonathan Ross 2015 (video)

Lewis Hamilton visited Jonathan Ross again last month. Here's a video if you missed it!

Marussia appoint Tombazis as chief aerodynamicist

Marussia have recruited former Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis as their new chief aerodynamicist ahead of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Tombazis, who joins the team with immediate effect, has a prestigious history in the sport, having served as chief aerodynamicist at Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren over the past 23 years. He has spent the last nine years as Ferrari's chief designer.

"I am very happy to be joining the Manor F1 Team at this exciting time in its development," Tombazis said.

"The team has impressive plans and is investing in all the right areas to achieve its on-track ambitions, so I am very much looking forward to being part of that journey.

"The existing design team is already very strong and I look forward to working with a great group of people to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead to help us progress through the field over the next few seasons."

Tombazis will work under the leadership of technical director John McQuilliam, who hailed the new appointment. "I believe this will help to amplify the efforts of a very talented design team that, in recent years, has not had the opportunity to showcase the full extent of their experience and capabilities," McQuilliam said.

"I am confident that, together with our new Mercedes power unit and Williams gearbox and technical partnership, our new aero structure will provide us with the strength to design and develop consistently competitive racing cars to help steer us towards our long-term ambitions."

Marussia, who are yet to reveal their driver line-up for the 2016 season, experienced a staff shake-up at the end of last year following the departures of team principal John Booth and president and sporting director Graeme Lowdon, and the arrival of Dave Ryan as racing director.

However, the team remain on course for the first pre-season test of the year in Barcelona on February 22, having successfully completed the final crash test on their now fully homologated new chassis.

(source: f1.com)