Today on Shakedown, the theme
is all about doing things
differently with F1 testing,
V8 Supercars, more Japanese
race cars, and the
Nurburgring.
Our first example, F1.
Leave it to Adrian Newey and
Red Bull to define the best
solution to the F1 stepped beak
nose rule, using the step
to create an air scoop that he
says is for driver cooling and
delivering an aesthetic that is
different and better versus
the rest, like versus
Ferrari's answer.
See, here is the difference
between making an effort to do
your job the best you can versus
mailing it in via time
clock watching.
The Ferrari guys, they probably
leave at 5:00.
The Red Bull blokes
really care.
But who knew Newey took
his inspiration from
this 1970s F1 car?
That's the Eifelland GP car.
Google away for more on
their F1 history.
It won't take long.
Add that car to the ugly
race car montages
that everyone is doing.
But we're not going to go
there here on Shakedown,
because we've got bigger
differences to uncover today.
And Kimi Raikkonen
is here to help.
One day on the job, and he's
proven his difference.
Not with his P1 test times.
No.
His Day One rip on the DRS magic
pass wing flap, called
it [BLEEP].
OK.
He used the word ridiculous, but
we all speak Kimi and know
what he really meant.
So let the difference
making begin.
I'm getting really excited about
doing our F1 live chat.
But I know, enough teasing.
We've got to get our Drive act
together and announce the
details soon.
And it may be a dick and require
you to subscribe to
Drive to enter the chat.
So just in case, please
subscribe.
To get you ready for the F1
discussion, let me suggest a
narrowed-down list of key
differences that are emerging
for the first winter
test days.
I care not about test times,
because everyone's just data
gathering, component evaluating,
doing shakedowns,
or sandbagging.
But we think the key differences
are this, in no
particular order of priority.
Number one, the McLaren low nose
versus the stepped beaks.
Low center of gravity versus
getting max air under the car.
Number two, Ferrari pull-rod
front suspension versus the
now F1 standard push-rod
design front.
So it was an unfair shot for
me to take on my Italian
friends with their lazy, ugly
nose effort, because the
Ferrari designers are trying
different things on the F2012.
And like McLaren, they're
chasing the low CG.
But Ferrari's doing it by
bringing back pull rods to the
front end and trying to have
it all by installing a very
higher-nose configuration
for the aero advantage.
Thank you again, scarbsf1.com,
for the rendering.
Push-rod design is top down.
Pull-rod design is bottom up.
You can see how the springs,
shocks, inerters, whatever,
are on top of the chassis to
free up the aero below, but
raise the center of gravity.
Pull rod moves it lower.
As to suspension operation, pull
rod puts more stress on
the rods in rebound, when
the car is lifted.
Push is doing that in bump when
the car's compressing.
Now here's the Ferrari 2011
versus 2012 comparison again.
And you can see the
difference.
You know, Alonso last drove
pull-rod fronts with his
Minardi in the '90s.
And yes, Red Bull has been using
pull rods in the rear
for that CG advantage and
clearing space for the
diffusers for a couple
of years now.
Number three key difference,
this year will be not the
diffusers, but the exhaust
designs and where the air is
being directed.
Already there's controversy
in this issue.
The exhaust has to be visible
from top view.
And Ferrari and McLaren, while
currently deemed legal, have
crafted cut-outs to comply.
And they were still making
cuts at the test.
But the real fun will be where
the exhaust is being blown.
There are two schools
of thought on this.
Number one, blow the exhaust
straight back, creating an air
curtain on the edges to enhance
the diffuser effect.
Or blow the exhaust air onto the
rear wings for more down
force there.
Either way, I'm waiting
for the first car to
set itself on fire.
The last key difference was
mentioned by Red Bull, raw
power versus fuel efficiency.
Red Bull is suggesting that the
Mercedes is stronger, but
the Renault is more
fuel efficient.
So Vettel and Webber go to the
starting line lighter in
weight, 15 to 18 liters
of fuel less, up to
14 kilo or 30 pounds.
Well, that's the weight of
Hamilton's balls, so McLaren's
twice as far behind.
But I guess I have to balance
that with Lewis's brain
differential.
I mean, how many times did
he hit Massa last year?
Speaking of efficiency, here's
Honda and their hybrid CR-Z
for the Japan Super GT GT300
class to race against the
Toyota Prius hybrid.
Now, I found no news on power
train, so Shakedowners, fill
in the blanks, if you know.
But what a difference a few
years makes for Honda cars.
After pulling out of F1, they're
back in it with Le
Mans and World Touring Car
entries, Indy Car, ALMS LMP,
and B-Spec in the US,
now this Super GT.
And you know NSX will hit
the tracks eventually.
By the way, that Prius, that
hybrid GT300 is a mid-engine
V8, evolved from the mid-engine
Corollas.
Check out the tailpipes.
And how cool will GT300 be in
2012, even though the rules
have finally negated
this mooncraft.
But with Honda CR-Z, Prius, and
don't forget the Subaru
BRZ, Super GT will be wow.
First race is March
31 at Okayama.
OK.
What else do we have for
you that's different?
Well, more Japanese.
This time Nissan and V8 Supercar
is announcing that
brand is back in the series in
2013 and bringing back the
memory of some great Nissan race
cars of old, Godzilla on
Mount Panorama.
Wow.
I'm not sure if this is
the real graphics
for the 2013 car.
But go to OriginalGaijin, their
blog, for a ton of V8
Supercar 2012 graphics.
The link will be in
the description.
Time for the World Rally
Championship update and what
is different, although the
parties involved are saying no
difference.
Mini kicked out Prodrive
as the factory team.
Now they're just a
work-supported private entry.
But Prodrive says the Dani Sardo
effort will continue.
The team quote?
"Nobody will notice anything
different from our Mini World
Rally Championship team.
It remains just as it
has looked to date."
So Mini has not fallen
off the cliff yet.
Sponsorship funds and business
performance were the rumored
reasons for the change.
Prodrive will still build the
Mini John Cooper Works WRC
customer cars, while continuing
to work on further
development of the car.
Long-term homologation
for Mini has been
underwritten to 2018.
Mini will have the Motorsport
Italia-run Team Mini Portugal
contest the remaining WRC rounds
as the factory effort.
Oh, and Sweden Rally did get a
TV deal done with Motors TV,
so the FIA says, see?
No difference with the Rally's
handing TV versus us.
Yeah, and the promoters and
manufacturers are pulling
their guns in anger,
saying, really?
Wait until we negotiate 2013.
Seriously, this could be the
first real motorsport moment
where the manufacturers realize
they have all the
power in racing and start
calling the shots.
OK.
The final difference maker
is at the Nurburgring.
The government has stepped in
and retaken authority of the
place after the development
company that was running the
place into ruin has finally
been called out on their
incompetence.
Nurburgring Automotive is out.
The government is looking for
a new operator and claims
they've got many inquiries.
So Save the Nurburgring may
still actually come true.
And it all reminds me of the
now infamous Fiat Chrysler
Clint Eastwood Halftime in
America Superbowl TV
commercial that basically said
we're halfway through a battle
for survival, and Detroit is
the perfect example of what
fight back and reaching for
success is all about.
Except the Detroit example
conveniently forgets that the
city is still in ruin, about to
be taken over by government
control due to its financial
mismanagement.
And the auto industry is
fighting back only as a result
of huge government bailouts
and debt erasure.
And Fiat, in particular,
got Chrysler really
pretty much for free.
Wow.
That was tough.
So great example of how to fight
back and really make a
difference, Detroit
and Chrysler--
begging, carpetbagging,
bailouts, and government
takeover when you screw up.
So this may be the perfect
example of
the Nurburgring situation.
It's halftime at the
Green Hell--
I'm going to do this voice?
It's halftime at the Green Hell,
and all that matters now
is what's ahead.
Now, how do we come from--
I'm not going to do this.
This is the end of the show.
You get the idea.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
