Formula One fans are to get the chance to learn how the sport’s technology has influenced other fields of industry at a special exhibition at the UK’s Science Museum in London. The free show, which opens next month, has been organised with input from McLaren and will feature the team’s 2006 car, the MP4-21, suspended from the gallery’s ceiling as its centrepiece.
“British engineers, designers and strategists are at the forefront of Formula One,†commented Professor Chris Rapley CBE, director of the Science Museum. “They are world experts at pushing the boundaries of materials, technology and teamwork.
“The outcome is not only a formidable presence on the grand prix track, but a stream of products and innovations that spin out into the world around us… More info
[ad#cor1]
There are just so many questions to perplex the F1 fan. So many, in fact, that even as the new season looms, we can easily find ourselves debating the background chatter more than the racing prospects.
Could the keen analytical mind of a master detective deduce the answers? I haven’t got one of those, sadly, but I’ve seen a lot of mystery movies, so I’ll give it my best shot.
Question. Will Toyota press the big red panic button and bail out of F1?
Clue 1: Toyota are writhing in agony, they are now forecasting an annual loss of 450bn yen, about £3.4bn in real money. Note that the company is the world’s biggest car maker, and has never previously made a loss. Source here.
Clue 2: Toyota F1’s biggest sponsor is Panasonic, who have just announced they will cut 15,000 jobs and close 27 plants due to falling sales and a predicted loss of …Â More info
NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Thursday in Daytona that NASCAR would monitor the ways teams have been taking advantage of the rule that grants automatic qualifying status to the top 35 teams in owners points.
“We’re not going to change anything tomorrow or for the Daytona 500, but as we go along, we will be looking at the top 35. …We will be looking at it and mindful of the complexities it has taken on,” France said.
That’s sort of like Nero saying he’s keeping an eye on that fire.
Complexity doesn’t begin to describe it. Trying to explain the latest twists and turns in the top 35 is harder than explaining an NFL playoff tiebreaker scenario…Â More info
[ad#cor1]
Saturday night’s Bud Shootout will be “more of an adventure” than in the past, says Dale Earnhardt Jr., the defending champion of the bonus race, and the consensus favorite to repeat.
But leave it to Michael Waltrip, who is a sort of savant in restrictor-plate racing, to ask a rhetorical question and then answer in the superlative.
“I’m sure this question is obvious: Is the Shootout maybe the most anticipated race ever? And I’d say yes.”
Never before have drivers gone into this inherently wild…Â More info