1.
Brands Hatch
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Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near Swanley in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently hosts many British and International racing events. Gerhard Berger once said that Brands Hatch is the best circuit in the world, Paddock Hill Bend is a renowned corner. The longer Grand Prix layout played host to Formula One racing, including such as Jo Sifferts duel with Chris Amon in 1968. Noise restrictions and the proximity of residents to the Grand Prix loop mean that the number of race meetings held on the extended circuit are limited to just a few per year. The full Grand Prix Circuit begins on the Brabham Straight, an off-camber, slightly curved stretch, despite the difficulty of the curve, due to the straight that precedes it, it is one of the tracks few overtaking spots. The next corner, Druids, is a bend, negotiated after an uphill braking zone at Hailwood Hill. After the straight, the circuit climbs uphill though the decreasing-radius Surtees turn, the most significant elevation changes on the circuit occur here at Pilgrims Drop and Hawthorn Hill, which leads into Hawthorn Bend. The track then loops around the woodland with a series of mid-speed corners, most notably the dip at Westfield and Dingle Dell, the British Rallycross Circuit at Brands Hatch was designed and constructed by four-times British Rallycross Champion Trevor Hopkins. 0.9 miles long and completed around 1981, unlike earlier rallycross courses at Brands Hatch, cars start on the startline then veer right and downhill on the loose at Paddock Hill Bend. From Cooper Straight, the cars swoop up the old link road, Brands Hatch was originally the name of a natural grassy hollow that was shaped like a amphitheatre. Using the natural contours of the land, many cyclists from around London practised, raced, the first actual race on the circuit was held in 1926, over 4 miles between cyclists and cross-country runners. Within a few years, motorcyclists were using the circuit, laying out a three-quarter-mile anti-clockwise track in the valley. They also saw the advantage of competing in a natural arena just a few hundred yards from the A20, and with the passage of time, the first motorcycle races were very informal with much of the organisation being done on the spot. Initially the racing was on a strip approximately where Cooper Straight came to be when the track was tarmacked. In 1932, four local motorcycling clubs joined forces and staged their first meeting that March, motorcycle racing quickly resumed after World War II and in 1947, Joe Francis persuaded the BBC to televise a grass track meeting, the first motorcycle event to be televised on British TV. Following World War II, cinders were laid on the track of what was by then known as Brands Hatch Stadium and that was until 1950 when the 500 Club managed to persuade Joe Francis, that the future for his stadium lay in car and motorcycle road racing. The group behind 500 c. c. single-seater racing cars was the 500 Club and it, together with the owners, amongst those giving the demonstration was a very young Stirling Moss
2.
Germany
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres, with about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular destination in the world. Germanys capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr, other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity, a region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward, beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation, in 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic, the establishment of the national socialist dictatorship in 1933 led to World War II and the Holocaust. After a period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in 1990, the country was reunified. In the 21st century, Germany is a power and has the worlds fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. As a global leader in industrial and technological sectors, it is both the worlds third-largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled. It upholds a social security and universal health system, environmental protection. Germany was a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999, Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, and the OECD. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world, the English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz popular, derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- people, the discovery of the Mauer 1 mandible shows that ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The oldest complete hunting weapons found anywhere in the world were discovered in a mine in Schöningen where three 380, 000-year-old wooden javelins were unearthed
3.
Stuttgart
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Stuttgart is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the Stuttgart Cauldron an hour from the Swabian Jura. Stuttgarts urban area has a population of 623,738, making it the sixth largest city in Germany. 2.7 million people live in the administrative region and another 5.3 million people in its metropolitan area. Since the 6th millennium BC, the Stuttgart area has been an important agricultural area and has been host to a number of cultures seeking to utilize the rich soil of the Neckar valley. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 83 AD and built a massive Castrum near Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgarts roots were truly laid in the 10th century with its founding by Liudolf, Duke of Swabia as a stud farm for his warhorses. Overshadowed by nearby Cannstatt, the town grew steadily and was granted a charter in 1320, the fortunes of Stuttgart turned with those of the House of Württemberg, and they made it the capital of their County, Duchy, and Kingdom from the 15th Century to 1918. Stuttgart prospered despite setbacks in the forms of the Thirty Years War and devastating air raids by the Allies on the city, however, by 1952, the city had bounced back and became the major economic, industrial, tourism and publishing center it is today. Stuttgart is also an important transport junction, and possesses the sixth largest airport in Germany. Such companies as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, Dinkelacker, Stuttgart is unusual in the scheme of German cities. It is spread across a variety of hills, valleys and parks and this is often a source of surprise to visitors who associate the city with its reputation as the Cradle of the Automobile. The citys tourism slogan is Stuttgart offers more, under current plans to improve transport links to the international infrastructure, the city unveiled a new logo and slogan in March 2008 describing itself as Das neue Herz Europas. For business, it describes itself as Where business meets the future, in July 2010, Stuttgart unveiled a new city logo, designed to entice more business people to stay in the city and enjoy breaks in the area. Stuttgart is a city of mostly immigrants, according to Dorling Kindersley Publishings Eyewitness Travel Guide to Germany, In the city of Stuttgart, every third inhabitant is a foreigner. 40% of Stuttgarts residents, and 64% of the population below the age of five are of immigrant background, the reason for this being that the city was founded in 950 AD by Duke Liudolf of Swabia to breed warhorses. Originally, the most important location in the Neckar river valley as the rim of the Stuttgart basin at what is today Bad Cannstatt. As with many military installations, a settlement sprang up nearby, when they did, the town was left in the capable hands of a local brickworks that produced sophisticated architectural ceramics and pottery. When the Romans were driven back past the Rhine and Danube rivers in the 3rd Century by the Alamanni, in 700, Duke Gotfrid mentions a Chan Stada in a document regarding property
4.
West Germany
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West Germany is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation on 23 May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990. During this Cold War era, NATO-aligned West Germany and Warsaw Pact-aligned East Germany were divided by the Inner German border, after 1961 West Berlin was physically separated from East Berlin as well as from East Germany by the Berlin Wall. This situation ended when East Germany was dissolved and its five states joined the ten states of the Federal Republic of Germany along with the reunified city-state of Berlin. With the reunification of West and East Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany, enlarged now to sixteen states and this period is referred to as the Bonn Republic by historians, alluding to the interwar Weimar Republic and the post-reunification Berlin Republic. The Federal Republic of Germany was established from eleven states formed in the three Allied Zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom and France, US and British forces remained in the country throughout the Cold War. Its population grew from roughly 51 million in 1950 to more than 63 million in 1990, the city of Bonn was its de facto capital city. The fourth Allied occupation zone was held by the Soviet Union, as a result, West Germany had a territory about half the size of the interbellum democratic Weimar Republic. At the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided among the Western and Eastern blocs, Germany was de facto divided into two countries and two special territories, the Saarland and divided Berlin. The Federal Republic of Germany claimed a mandate for all of Germany. It took the line that the GDR was an illegally constituted puppet state, though the GDR did hold regular elections, these were not free and fair. For all practical purposes the GDR was a Soviet puppet state, from the West German perspective the GDR was therefore illegitimate. Three southwestern states of West Germany merged to form Baden-Württemberg in 1952, in addition to the resulting ten states, West Berlin was considered an unofficial de facto 11th state. It recognised the GDR as a de facto government within a single German nation that in turn was represented de jure by the West German state alone. From 1973 onward, East Germany recognised the existence of two German countries de jure, and the West as both de facto and de jure foreign country, the Federal Republic and the GDR agreed that neither of them could speak in the name of the other. The first chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who remained in office until 1963, had worked for an alignment with NATO rather than neutrality. He not only secured a membership in NATO but was also a proponent of agreements that developed into the present-day European Union, when the G6 was established in 1975, there was no question whether the Federal Republic of Germany would be a member as well. With the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, symbolised by the opening of the Berlin Wall, East Germany voted to dissolve itself and accede to the Federal Republic in 1990. Its five post-war states were reconstituted along with the reunited Berlin and they formally joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, raising the number of states from 10 to 16, ending the division of Germany
5.
2011 FIA GT1 World Championship
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The championship comprised two titles, GT1 World Champion for Drivers and GT1 World Champion for Teams. The season commenced at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on 25–26 March, the ten event season included an inaugural race at the Ordos International Circuit in China. Germans Lucas Luhr and Michael Krumm of the JR Motorsports team won the World Drivers Championship after earning four race victories, a ten-event calendar was announced at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting on 10 December 2010. The Ordos International Circuit of China gave the series a fourth event outside Europe, several national events were moved to new circuits, Zolder replaced Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the Sachsenring replaced the Nürburgring in Germany. The Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba was originally planned as a Brazilian round for the championship, at the behest of the SRO Group, the FIA approved a replacement event at the Goldenport Park Circuit as a second Chinese round for the series, scheduled a week after the Ordos event. A day after the Goldenport round, the Beijing GT1 World Supercars exhibition event was held in the Olympic Green in Beijing,2011 was the final season in which the Maserati MC12 GT1, Corvette C6. R, and Aston Martin DBR9 were eligible for the championship. The three were running under a waiver to meet homologation requirements. In June 2010, Aurora Racing Designs announced plans to develop a GT1 car based on the BMW Alpina B6 and this project did not however come to fruition and no additional companies joined the six approved manufacturers. All of the Maserati teams decided to sit out for the last approved season, Aston Martin, Ford, Nissan, and Lamborghini were all confirmed as having two teams entered, while a fifth manufacturer was seeking the required second team necessary for entry. In March the FIA announced an entry of 20 cars, with Corvette joining the four manufacturers. Several of the teams which competed in 2010 announced their intentions not to return for 2011. This included Matech Competition, who was moving to concentrate on development of the Ford GT for other racing series, hegersport and Phoenix Racing also announced they would not be involved in FIA GT1 in 2011, while Reiters Lamborghinis had been sold. Defending GT1 World Champions Vitaphone Racing Team had moved to the new Blancpain Endurance Series, returning teams for 2011 included Sumo Power GT, Münnich Motorsport, Marc VDS Racing Team, Hexis AMR, and Young Driver AMR. Swiss Racing Team also returned, but opted for Lamborghinis instead of their 2010 Nissans, JR Motorsports, a partner of Sumo Power, took over the second Nissan squad, while Marc VDS sister team Belgian Racing shared representation of Ford. The Mad-Croc Racing partnership of 2010 was divided for 2011, with DKR Engineering forming their own Corvette squad, both teams were ineligible for the Teams Championship as neither had secured a second car for the start of the season. No teams announced plans to campaign the Maserati MC12, ending seven straight seasons of competition in GT1, prior to the Ordos round, Swiss Racing Teams Lamborghinis were transferred to Münnich Motorsport. At the same time, DKR Engineering merged their outfit with Exim Bank Team China, Münnich then took over DKRs former entry under the new title of DKR www-discount. de allowing the series to maintain an 18-car field. On 18 March 2011 the FIA published an entry list of teams, following the 2010 season, three major changes were made to the GT1 regulations
6.
2007 FIA Formula One World Championship
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The 2007 Formula One season was the 61st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March, the Drivers Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the final race of the season, making Räikkönen the third Finnish driver to take the title. Räikkönen entered the race in third position in the drivers standings, but emerged as champion after the chequered flag. It has since been accomplished again, by Sebastian Vettel, in 2010, a major talking point of the season had been an espionage controversy involving Ferrari and McLaren, which led to McLaren being excluded from the Constructors Championship. As a result, Ferrari clinched the championship at the Belgian Grand Prix, the 2007 season was significant in that it heralded the end of the existing Concorde Agreement between the existing Formula One constructors and Bernie Ecclestone. In particular, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Honda had a number of outstanding disagreements with the FIA and they had threatened to boycott Formula One from the 2008 season onwards and instead stage their own rival series, before signing a memorandum of understanding at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. The 2007 Australian Grand Prix was the first time since the 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix that there was a Formula One field without a car with a Cosworth engine and this was also the final season since its reintroduction in 2002 in which the use of traction control was permitted. Standardised engine control units were mandated from the 2008 season onwards, Honda F1 ran with an Earth livery on their RA107 car, the first time since 1968, the year in which sponsorship in the sport became widespread, that a team ran sponsor-free for an entire season. The following teams and drivers participated in the 2007 Formula One season, Drivers cars are numbered as per the official FIA2007 entry list. All team details are as per the Formula 1 official website, note that there is no car number 13, as was the historical tradition. On 29 August 2006, The FIA published a calendar for the 2007 Formula One season. The San Marino and European Grands Prix were excluded, although the European round would later make a comeback, the final calendar, which confirmed that the San Marino Grand Prix would not return, was released on 18 October 2006. However, Hockenheim controlled the descriptor German Grand Prix and an agreement could not be reached between them and the Nürburgring circuits for the naming rights, the Nürburgring event therefore retained its usual Grand Prix of Europe title. After twenty years of being hosted at the Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit since 1987, the Japanese Grand Prix moved to Toyotas rebuilt Fuji Speedway, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorhamps returned after a one-year absence in 2006 due to track maintenance. For the first time since 1975, no country hosted more than one grand prix, also, during the race, both compounds of tyre had to be used at least once during the race. Initially, in the Australian Grand Prix, soft tyres were marked with a white spot. However, this was difficult to see when the car was in motion and, as of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the teams finishing 5th–11th in the previous seasons Constructors Championship were no longer allowed to run a third car on Friday following a rule change. The teams that finish 1st–4th were already banned from doing so, engine development was frozen from the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, with these engines being used for the whole of 2007 and 2008
7.
2005 Formula Renault 3.5 Series
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The 2005 Formula Renault 3.5 Series was the first Formula Renault 3.5 Series season. The season began on 1 May at Zolder, Belgium and finished at Monza, robert Kubica was crowned series champion. Eight rounds formed meetings of the 2005 World Series by Renault season, † = Driver did not finish but was classified, having completed more than 90% of race distance. † = Driver did not finish but was classified, having completed more than 90% of race distance
8.
2007 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
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The 2007 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season was the eighth Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season since the series resumption in 2000. The season started dramatically with massive crash on opening lap of Hockenheim race, as a result, Tom Kristensen and Alexandre Prémat were forced to sit out races. The season also included many controversial moments, in Lausitzring, the safety car caught the wrong driver and this shook up race results almost completely. Organizers admitted that Mika Häkkinen deserved the win and Paul di Resta second place, as a result, half points were awarded. At Zandvoort, Audi drivers swapped positions in the final straight, Audi boss denied the presence of team orders and instead told that Prémat did the move on his own. At Barcelona, Häkkinen collided with Martin Tomczyk and Daniel la Rosa with Mattias Ekström and this and couple of other incidents caused that all Audi drivers withdrew from the race with nine laps to go. Häkkinen and la Rosa were excluded from the race, fined, points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers. † — Driver retired, but was classified as they completed 90% of the race distance. • Half points were awarded at EuroSpeedway because of mistakes by race director during the safety car period
9.
FIA GT1 World Championship
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The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, held from 2010 to 2012. It featured multiple grand tourer race cars based on road cars and conforming with the GT1. All cars were performance balanced with weight and restrictor adjustments to artificially equalise their performance, championships were awarded each season for drivers and teams. The FIA GT1 World Championship started in 2010 as a successor to the FIA GT Championship which had featured the GT1 category as well as a GT2 category. However, as there were no interested GT2 teams and only a handful of former GT1 runners were willing to participate, the SRO decided that the 2012 season would be contested with GT3-spec cars only. The series folded after the 2012 season due to the costs, shrinking car counts and issues with the calendar. The FIA GT1 World Championship held races in ten countries, with each event consisting of two races over a weekend. Qualifying involved a system similar to Formula One, in which three sessions were held and following each session, the slowest cars were eliminated and their grid positions set. The first race of each weekend was a race, the results of which determined the starting grid for a second race awarding full championship points. Each car was required to change tires and drivers at least once during each race, the series penalized cars which won races with Ballast weight, but that practice was removed for 2012. With rules changes in 2012, there were no limit to the number of manufacturers in the series, to ensure close competition, each model of car was tested by the FIA to determine any mandatory adjustments for performance balancing. Performance adjustments were made between races during the season. To defray costs for teams, the SRO provided free transport for cars. The world tour visited three continents, Europe, Asia and South America, yas Marina Circuit of the United Arab Emirates represented the series only Middle East round. South America featured the Potrero de los Funes Circuit in Argentina, germanys races switched from the Nürburgring to the Sachsenring from 2010 to 2011, while Belgiums races moved from the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to Zolder. For 2011 the series visited Asia with a Chinese round at the Ordos International Circuit, six manufacturers were represented in the inaugural season of FIA GT1, with Chevrolet, Maserati, and Aston Martin retaining the grandfathered Corvette C6. R, MC12, and DBR9 cars they had utilized in the FIA GT series. Ford, Nissan, and Lamborghini all brought new or modified vehicles developed specifically for FIA GT1, the Ford GT, Nissan GT-R, the champions of the 2010 season were crowned at the San Luis street circuit in Argentina after the Qualifying Race on the 5th of December 2010
10.
Formula One
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Formula One is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile. The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950. The formula, designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, the F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held worldwide on purpose-built F1 circuits and public roads. The results of each race are evaluated using a system to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers, one for constructors. The racing drivers are required to be holders of valid Super Licences, the races are required to be held on tracks graded 1, the highest grade a track can receive by the FIA. Most events are held in locations on purpose-built tracks, but there are several events in city centres throughout the world. Formula One cars are the fastest road racing cars in the world. Formula One cars race at speeds of up to approximately 375 km/h with engines currently limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 RPM, the cars are capable of lateral acceleration in excess of five g in corners. The performance of the cars is very dependent on electronics – although traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008 – and on aerodynamics, suspension, the formula has radically evolved and changed through the history of the sport. F1 had a global television audience of 425 million people during the course of the 2014 season. Grand Prix racing began in 1906 and became the most popular internationally in the second half of the twentieth century. The Formula One Group is the holder of the commercial rights. Its high profile and popularity have created a major merchandising environment, since 2000 the sports spiraling expenditures and the distribution of prize money favoring established top teams have forced complaints from smaller teams and led several teams to bankruptcy. On 23 January 2017 it was confirmed that Liberty Media had completed its $8 billion acquisition of Delta Topco, the Formula One series originated with the European Grand Prix Motor Racing of the 1920s and 1930s. The formula is a set of rules that all cars must meet. Formula One was a new formula agreed upon after World War II during 1946, the first world championship race was held at Silverstone, United Kingdom in 1950. A championship for constructors followed in 1958, national championships existed in South Africa and the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. Non-championship Formula One events were held for years, but due to the increasing cost of competition
11.
Porsche Supercup
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The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the international motor racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche AG. Porsche Supercup drivers compete in identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, on average,24 race cars take part in each race. Most circuits visited by the series are European, although circuits in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, in the Porsche Supercup the 911 GT3 Cup type 991 is used - a car based on the Porsche 911 GT3. All vehicles are identical,460 hp, sequential six-speed paddle-shift gearbox, aero pack. Two sets of slick tires may be used per car and weekend, the number of wet tires is unlimited. The tires are identical for all competitors and are not permitted to be pre-warmed or chemically treated, to receive points a driver must compete in multiple races per season. Since 2008, there have been two points awarded for the driver who secures pole position in qualifying. The points of the two best drivers of each team are added up, at the end of the season Porsche rewards the three best placed teams with prize money. In 2006 and 2007, Porsche AG pays around 820,000 euros to drivers, per race the winner receives 9,000 euros, the runner-up 7,500 euros and the third placed driver 6,500 euros. For a 15th place 1,400 euros are paid, additionally, the 2006 or 2007 champion receives a Porsche road car. The driver with the fastest laps will be given a watch from Porsche Design. In 2015, Porsche says it pays more than 730,000 Euros in prize money to drivers, in addition, the overall winner receives a special prize. The winner of the rookie classification receives a prize of 30,000 Euros providing he/she reregisters for the following year’s Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Dutch driver Patrick Huisman is the most successful driver in the series, fellow Dutch racer Jeroen Bleekemolen and British Richard Westbrook have won two titles each. The reigning champion is the New Zealand driver Earl Bamber, who won the championship in 2014, at the Grand Prix circuits during 2006 an average of 125,000 spectators witnessed the action from the grandstands at each round. According to Porsche AG races attracted 22 million TV viewers worldwide, Porsche also runs regional and national one-make series called the Porsche Carrera Cup
12.
World Series Formula V8 3.5
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The series came out of the Spanish Formula Renault Championship, which ran from 1991 to 1997. The World Series was founded as Open Fortuna by Nissan in 1998, and was based in Spain. The organization was handled by RPM Comunicacion, founded by Jaime Alguersuari Tortajada, the series changed name a number of times, usually adopting the name of its main sponsor, but was also known by other common names such as the unofficial Formula Nissan. In its early years, the series used chassis built by Coloni, the series slotted in between Formula Three and Formula 3000. In 2002, it adopted a new format, with supplied by Dallara. The series also became international, with more than half of the race calendar held outside Spain. Renault started the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup in 2003, as a series in Eurosports Super Racing Weekends. The series ran with Tatuus chassis and a Nissan 3.5 L V6 engine. In 2005, Renault left the Super Racing Weekend and started the World Series by Renault, the Dallara chassis was retained, while the Renault V6 was improved to 425 PS. Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and the Eurocup Mégane Trophy also joined the series in 2005 to support the main FR3.5 series. At the end of July 2015, Renault Sport announced it would be withdrawing its backing to the Formula Renault 3.5 from 2016 onwards, handing the control of the series to co-organiser RPM. However, Renault Sport also said it would continue the World Series by Renault with the Renault Sport Trophy, as a result of this, the series name was changed to Formula V83.5. In December 2016, the name was changed again to World Series Formula V83.5. From 2008–2011, the chassis for the Formula Renault 3.5 Series is a Dallara built carbon fibre monocoque, the gearbox is a 6 speed semi-automatic supplied by Ricardo with steering wheel paddle shift. Total weight of the car is 600 kg, starting from 2012 season, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series adopted a new chassis, the Dallara T12, powered by a 3.4 litre V8 engine producing 530 BHP at 9250 rpm developed by Zytek. The cars have 50 more horsepower than previous season and lost 15 kg of weight, in addition, a Drag Reduction System is used, which operates in a similar way to the one in use in Formula One
13.
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
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The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car series using a silhouette racing car based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe. From 2000 onwards, this new DTM continued the former Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, since 1997 many ideas have been discussed in order to find a compromise for rules of a new DTM. As too many races were planned outside Germany, no Championship status was granted by the DMSB, Alfa Romeo, who at the time were mounting successful campaigns in the European Touring Car Championship, did not return to the series. BMW was also involved in the ETCC and was not satisfied with a championship only for Germany, Audi did not enter as they insisted on using their signature quattro 4WD. Unlike the previous incarnation which primarily used sedan models like the Mercedes-Benz W201, Opel used the upcoming Coupé version of the Astra as in the concept car, and Mercedes the CLK model which already was used as a pattern for the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. Attempts of Zakspeed to enter with a car looking like a Volvo C70 were not approved, the 1999 STW-Supertouring-champion Christian Abt could not defend his STW title as this series was also discontinued, with Opel moving into DTM. Abt used the Audi TT as a basis, as Audi had no suitable 2-door coupé, in May 2000, the new DTM started with the traditional Hockenheimring short track version. Some cars still had no or few sponsorship decals, while Opel could match the speed of most Mercedes in the 2000 season, the hastily developed Abt-Audis were mainly outclassed. As the TT shape had rather poor aerodynamic properties, Abt was allowed to use a form later. Further benefits like a rear wing helped the Abt-Audi TT-R win the DTM championship in 2002 with Laurent Aïello. In 2000, Manuel Reuter came second in the championship, after that year, no Opel driver was among the top three, with few podium finishes and no victory for the disappointing lightnings. The Opels did not win in most of their entries in the VLN endurance races as they were testing, but the speed was impressive. They won however the 2003 Nürburgring 24 Hours against factory efforts by Audi, after their successes with the Audi R8 and the official support of the Abt-TTRs at the Nürburgring, Audi finally joined the DTM as a factory entry in 2004. The three constructors involved decided to switch to saloon bodies, the road models used as patterns since 2004 are the Audi A4, Opel Vectra GTS and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. All dimensions, like wheelbase, are identical in order to equal opportunities without the actual design of the road cars having any influence. Initially the gap looked set to be filled by MG Rover, however their plans to enter the series were cancelled after the company collapsed in April 2005. Audi and Mercedes fielded 10 cars each in 2006, but the important television deal with the television station ARD required three marques in 2007. Rumours surfaced that Alfa Romeo would return to the DTM in 2007 and these rumors were helped by Alfa Romeo Sport boss Claudio Berro being seen in the Barcelona paddock
14.
Formula 3 Euro Series
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Lewis Hamilton,2008 Formula One champion with the McLaren team, won the Euro Series drivers title in 2005. EuroSeries champions Paul di Resta, Romain Grosjean and Nico Hülkenberg have driven in Formula 1, other Formula One drivers who also raced in the series include 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi and Nico Rosberg. In 2012, the FIA announced that the series would be discontinued and incorporated into the FIA European Formula Three Championship in 2013, the concept of a European Formula Three Championship dates back to 1975, with a five-race series known as the F3 European Cup. Races were held at Monaco, the Nürburgring in Germany, Anderstorp in Sweden, Monza in Italy, the series title was won by Australian Larry Perkins driving a Ralt-Ford run by Team Cowangie. In 1976, the Cup evolved into a full-scale, ten-round European F3 Championship, among its champions were notable future Formula One drivers, such as Riccardo Patrese Alain Prost, and the late Michele Alboreto. This lower-status series was formed by ADAC, the F3V and a few key German teams that not to participate in the new Euro Series. BSRs owner Bertram Schäfer acts as the series promoter, the FFSA and DMSB hold joint responsibility for determining the sporting regulations of the Euro Series. The organisation and promotion of the championship is handled by ITR, the championship consists of ten events, each comprising two races, held at a variety of European circuits. Approximately 50–60% of these occur at circuits in Germany, while the other events are held in various countries, including Great Britain, France. Most rounds are shared with the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, notable venues have included Pau and Le Mans in France, Brands Hatch in Britain, Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, Estoril in Portugal, Adria in Italy, and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. From 2004 onwards, the Masters of Formula 3, held at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, was included as a round of the championship, in 2005, the series visited Monaco as a Grand Prix support event, which was the first Formula Three event at Monaco since 1997. This famous motor-racing venue has long-standing associations with Formula Three, as in most F3 championships, the Italian company Dallara is the dominant chassis supplier. It was originally planned to restrict entry to two-car teams, in most Formula Three championships, multiple and single-car entries are common. In an effort to minimise costs, Formula Three chassis regulations permit major updates only periodically, there is a rookie classification system with a Rookie of the Year title for drivers who have not previously competed in this championship. The Drivers Trophy was introduced in 2006 to provide a classification system, eligibility for this B class was restricted to drivers who were not more than 22 years old at the start of the season. This class is no longer in use in 2007, tyre usage is restricted to three sets per car for the entire race weekend. There is no limit on the use of wet-weather tyres, as is the case with most racing disciplines outside Formula One, tyre warming devices are not permitted. An unauthorised engine change during the course of a race weekend invokes a ten-place penalty on the starting grid, each race weekend begins on Friday, with one 60-minute practice session and a qualifying session that decides the starting grid for the first race
15.
Masters of Formula 3
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The Masters of Formula 3 is a Formula Three race held annually, usually at the Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Due to noise restrictions in the Zandvoort area, the 2007 and 2008 races were held in the Belgian circuit of Zolder, however, it returned to Zandvoort for the 2009 race. The Masters was first started in 1991, as a meeting between drivers from various national championships across Europe. As the FIA European Formula Three Cup had been cancelled after the 1990 season, many of Formula Ones future stars raced and won in the Masters, including David Coulthard, who was crowned champion in the first event. The event was sponsored by Marlboro from 1991 to 2005, when tobacco advertising was banned in the European Union after July 31,2005, the Masters lost its sponsorship. The race was sponsored by BP Ultimate took from 2006 to 2007, RTL in 2008, Tango in 2009 and RTL again in 2010
16.
German Formula Three Championship
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The German Formula Three Championship was the national Formula Three championship of Germany, and the former West Germany. In 2003, the merged with the French Formula Three Championship to form the Formula 3 Euro Series. A lower-level series, the ATS Formel 3 Cup, subsequently operated in Germany, since the late 1980s, the list of German F3 champions has included many notable drivers, including Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. The first few years of Formula Three in Germany were inevitably subject to the effects of the countrys post-war geo-political situation, the West German championship ran from 1950 to 1954, while the East German equivalent continued until 1956. During this period, both used the then-standard 500cc two-stroke formula. This era was notable for BMWs first foray into open-wheeled racing as an engine supplier, the 500cc Formula 3 specification was superseded in 1958 by Formula Junior, with engine capacities of 1000cc or 1100cc that were derived from production cars, rather than motorcycles. This new specification was adopted in a revived German F3 Championship in 1960, the 1961 title was won by Kurt Ahrens, Jr. who became champion again in 1963. He was effectively a back-to-back winner, because there was no championship in 1962, in 1964, the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile ended Formula Junior and returned to Formula Three, but this time with 1000cc four-cylinder production-based engines. However, it would be ten years before Formula Three was revived in Germany, the first German F3 champion of this era was Giorgio Francia of Italy, who won the title in 1974. He was also the first non-German driver to win the title, other notable drivers of this era were two-time champions Bertram Schäfer and Frank Jelinski. Schäfer drove for his eponymous team, Bertram Schäfer Racing, which won the championship with Jelinski. BSR became a stalwart of German F3, winning a total of eight drivers titles and it still competes in the series today. In the 1980s, the German F3 Championship began to some notable champions that would later graduate to Formula One. Bernd Schneider and Joachim Winkelhock went on to make F1 appearances,1985 champion Volker Weidler also competed in F1 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991. However, the 1990 champion was arguably the most notable of them all, heinz-Harald Frentzen competed against Schumacher, and later became a winner of three Grands Prix. Schumachers championship successor, Tom Kristensen from Denmark, embarked on a career that peaked with a record number of eight Le Mans wins. He has since established himself in the DTM touring car series, the last champion of this period, Gary Paffett, went on to win the DTM drivers championship title and worked as a test driver for McLaren-Mercedes. In 2007, he returned to racing in the DTM, in 2002, the motorsport governing bodies of France and Germany collaborated to revive the concept of a European F3 championship
17.
Spyker F1
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Spyker F1 Team was a Formula One team that competed in the 2007 Formula One World Championship, and was created by Spyker Cars after their buyout of the short-lived Midland F1 team. At the end of the 2007 season the team was sold, although created in 2006, the teams roots can be traced back to the year 1991, when it was founded as Jordan Grand Prix. The Silverstone-based squad and facilities were bought by the Midland group in 2005 and renamed Midland F1 in 2006, before being sold to Spyker Cars towards the end of the 2006 season. Rumours had been floating about in the paddock throughout the mid-season about the sale of the team. Reports suggested a price tag of $128m, and that Shnaider was seriously considering the possibility of the sale, Formula One teams had become more valuable, because no more teams could enter after 2008, with the maximum of 12 places already filled. On 9 September 2006, it was revealed that the team was sold to Spyker Cars, Spyker paid $106.6 million for the team. On 10 September, ITV commentators said that both Shnaider and former consultant Johnny Herbert were no longer involved in the team since the announcement of the sale. As part of the purchase of Midland by Spyker, the cars had a revised livery for the three races of 2006. The name of the team changed to Spyker MF1 Racing, as FIA regulations preclude a change of a teams name during a season. The previous team boss of Midland, Colin Kolles, remained as team principal into 2007, Michiel Mol became the new Director of F1 racing and member of the Spyker board, and Mike Gascoyne became the Chief Technology Officer from the end of the 2006 season. The team used customer Ferrari engines in 2007, replacing the Toyota units, although the team remained based in the UK, it chose to register under the Dutch motor racing authority and therefore run under the Dutch flag during 2007, reflecting its new ownership. For the second driver, Spyker signed one of their 2006 third drivers, Adrian Sutil. However, the car numbers were swapped inside the team as Albers wanted to drive a car with an odd number, hence Albers raced with number 21 and Sutil 20. Spyker signed four test and reserve drivers for the 2007 season, Adrián Vallés, Fairuz Fauzy, Giedo van der Garde, in March, Spyker announced a sponsor deal with Etihad Airways and Aldar Properties, two companies from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The official name of the entrant during the season was Etihad Aldar Spyker F1 Team, on 10 July, Albers was released from his Spyker contract, due to a lack of sponsorship money, which would have compromised the teams development programme. Mol described it as one of the toughest decisions of my career, despite former Red Bull Racing driver Christian Klien testing for the team on 12 July 2007, Albers replacement for the 2007 European Grand Prix was Winkelhock. During the 2007 European Grand Prix, Winkelhock became the driver to lead a Grand Prix in a Spyker. However, Winkelhock did not keep his race drive as this went to Sakon Yamamoto, in August, the new B-Spec Spyker model, which the team hoped to use at the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix, failed the crucial rear crash test which is set by the FIA
18.
2007 European Grand Prix
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The 2007 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany on 22 July 2007. It was the race of the 2007 Formula One season. The 60-lap race was won by Fernando Alonso driving for the McLaren team after starting from second position, Felipe Massa finished second for Ferrari with Mark Webber third in a Red Bull Racing car. On August 29,2006 it was announced that the European Grand Prix had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season, since then there has only been one GP hosted in Germany each year, alternating between Hockenheimring and Nürburgring. However, the name for this Grand Prix was in doubt and it was the first time since 1960 that a Formula One World Championship race had not been held under the name German Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton entered the race as drivers championship leader, murray Walker provided radio commentary to listeners in the UK on BBC Radio Five Live – the first time he had provided UK coverage of an F1 event since retiring in 2001. Christijan Albers did not drive for Spyker F1 due to his failure to pay sponsorship money and his replacement was German driver Markus Winkelhock, son of former Formula One driver Manfred Winkelhock. This was the last race for Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed who was replaced by BMW Sauber test driver Sebastian Vettel. During the weeks leading up to the race it was announced that McLaren would appear in front of the FIA on 26 July regarding claims they had received information from Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton said he was confident it would go well. Kimi Räikkönen overtook Felipe Massa during the minute of qualifying. The final session of qualifying was delayed for half an hour when Lewis Hamilton crashed into the due to a wheel gun failure which caused the wheel to not be secured on the car. The wheel rubbed against the car, destroying the wheel and tyre and his time from the fuel-burn phase of Q3 was not good enough to elevate him higher than 10th position. Toyota had a strong qualifying with both drivers making it into the top 10, ending up 8th and 9th, Mark Webber qualified an excellent 6th just in front of Renaults Heikki Kovalainen and behind the two BMWs. As for the rest of the field, Fisichella endured a miserable session qualifying a poor 13th and it started a dry race with a chance of rain and clouds hanging overhead. At the start of the lap, the timing screens displayed the warning that the rain was going to begin falling in about 3 minutes. This did not concern the Ferraris who led into the first corner as a pair with Alonso trailing in third. Markus Winkelhock for Spyker was the driver to pit after the warm up lap to change to the wet tyres. It did pay off all the other drivers were having to pit or spin off during the first lap
19.
Manfred Winkelhock
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Manfred Winkelhock was a German racing driver. He participated in 56 Formula One Grands Prix between 1980 and 1985, driving for ATS Racing Team, Arrows, and RAM Racing, born in Waiblingen on 6 October 1951, Manfred Winkelhock was the brother of Joachim Winkelhock. He began racing in Formula Two in 1978 and survived a crash at Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Winkelhocks first attempt at qualifying for a Formula One Grand Prix race was in Italy and he was able to land a drive with ATS in 1982. As BMW became the engine supplier in 1983, he qualified well on several occasions in 1983 and 1984, but the car was rarely reliable, so there were few results. At the same time he was a sports car and touring car driver. His death saw him replaced by Northern Irish driver Kenny Acheson and his son, Markus Winkelhock, is also a racing driver
20.
Joachim Winkelhock
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Joachim Winkelhock is a German motor racing driver. The younger brother of the late Manfred Winkelhock, Winkelhock was born in Waiblingen, the youngest brother, Thomas Winkelhock, and Manfreds son Markus Winkelhock are also racing drivers. The next year was successful, as he tried Formula One with the small AGS team. Failing to pre-qualify on 7 occasions, Winkelhock then linked up with BMW Motorsport in touring car racing and he won the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 1990 and 1991 with a BMW M3 entered by Schnitzer Motorsport. His first title was the 1993 British Touring Car Championship, there, he was also commonly known as Smokin Jo, for his cigarette smoking habit. Winkelhocks next win was the 1994 Asia Pacific Touring Car Championship and he also triumphed in the 1995 Spa 24 Hours, and the 1994 and 1998 Macau Grand Prixs Guia touring car races. His last success for BMW came at the 199924 Hours of Le Mans, in 2000, he joined Opel in the new Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and in 2003 he announced his retirement from motor racing at the age of 43. He runs his familys Waiblingen-based truck-crane and towing business, occasionally getting personally involved in recovering crashed trucks, a special edition of the BMW M5 has been made in honor of Joachim Winkelhock. A2005 poll run by Motor Sport magazine voted Winkelhock the 17th greatest touring car driver ever
21.
Marc Basseng
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Marc Basseng is a German racing driver. Basseng began his career in karting, in 1997 he began competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany for the UPS Porsche Junior Team, finishing third in the 1998 standings. He raced in the Renault Sport Clio Trophy in 2001 and 2002, in 2004, Basseng began to compete in the VLN Nürburgring Endurance Championship, where he has claimed 25 overall wins. The driver also competed part-time at the FIA GT3 European Championship, FIA GT Championship, Le Mans Series, American Le Mans Series, in 2008, the Belgian raced full-time at the American Le Mans Series in a Porsche 911 for Farnbacher Loles and VICI Racing. He began racing in the new FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010 for the All-Inkl. com Münnich Motorsport team, on 26 July 2010, Marc Basseng achieved the lap record in a Pagani Zonda R on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In 2011 he finished 5th in the standings for Münnich, sharing his ride with Markus Winkelhock, in 2012 he claimed the world championship with Winkelhock, managing to win a race and finishing 10 times in the podium. Basseng moved with Münnich Motorsport to the World Touring Car Championship for 2013, as he was the reigning FIA GT1 World Champion he was ruled to be ineligible for the Yokohama Independents Trophy. He started second for two but dropped down to fourth before challenging Tarquini for third on the last lap
22.
Formula Renault
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Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971, popular in Europe and elsewhere. Regarded as a series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault. Renault now backs two one-make single-seater series, Formula Renault 1.6 and Formula Renault 2.0, with Formula Renault 3.5 becoming the World Series Formula V83.5 in 2016. At the end of each racing season, Renault Sport gave an opportunity to the best Formula Renault 2.0 drivers to try the 3. 5L car at Circuit Paul Ricard. The most senior Formula Renault was the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup started by Renault to run as part of Eurosports Super Racing Weekends, in 2016 the series became the World Series Formula V83.5. Formula V6 Asia started in 2006 in Asia and ran at Asian Festival of Speed Weekends, the old Eurocup and current Asian formulas use Tatuus chassis, while the World Series uses Dallara cars. Formula Renault 2.0 descends from Formula France created in 1968 and its predecessors used 1. 3L,1. 6l,1. 6L turbo and later 1,721 cc, then 2l 8V engines in single-seater chassis. The series evolved in 2000 into a 2L 16V series using one-make cars from Italian manufacturer Tatuus. The series was introduced into the UK in 1989 and even after the 1721 cc cars had replaced at the top level a club-level series for them continued in parallel with the more ambitious 2.0 series. This is seen as one of the key steps in a career before Formula Three. The most notable recent graduate of the formula is Kimi Räikkönen, the cars were open-wheelers, with Tatuus-made chassis running 2.0 L Renault Clio engines attached to a Sadev gearbox. They are capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 mph in 4.85 seconds, the Tatuus Formula Renault car is the most successful single seater ever, with 10 years of service and nearly 1000 sold. The car has produced many current Formula One stars, with 11 of the 25 drivers in the 2009 Formula One season using the car in the infancy of their careers. For the 2010 season, a new car developed by Barazi-Epsilon, will be used in most major championships and it also incorporates a FIA-approved roll hoop and lateral drivers head protection. This was introduced in 2000 and updated with new bodywork in 2004 and 2007, both the chassis and engine are of an FIA-approved impact break-away design. It also uses Elf Transmission LS, regular championships and Winter Series, an off-season championship held usually between November and February with few races. In 2005, all names were replaced from Formula Renault 2000 to Formula Renault 2.0. An Uruguyan 2. 0L series is also held, a majority of Formula Renault champions have gone onto lead successful careers in motor racing, most notably Alain Prost who won the Formula One World Championship four times in his career
23.
Formula Three
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Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America, F3 is not cheap, but is regarded as a key investment in a young drivers future career. Success in F3 can lead directly to a GP2 seat or even a Formula One test or race seat, Formula Three evolved from postwar auto racing, with lightweight tube-frame chassis powered by 500 cc motorcycle engines. Cooper came to dominate the formula with mass-produced cars, and the income this generated enabled the company to develop into the senior categories, other notable marques included Kieft, JBS and Emeryson in England, and Effyh, Monopoletta and Scampolo in Europe. John Cooper, along with most other 500 builders, decided to place the engine in the middle of the car, the 500cc formula was the usual route into motor racing through the early and mid-1950s. Other notable 500 cc Formula 3 drivers include Stuart Lewis-Evans, Ivor Bueb, Jim Russell, Peter Collins, Don Parker, Ken Tyrrell, from a statistical point of view, Don Parker was the most successful F3 driver. Although coming to motor racing late in life, he won a total of 126 F3 races altogether, and was described by Motor Sport magazine as the most successful Formula 3 driver in history. Although Stirling Moss was already a star by 1953, Parker beat him more than any driver, and was Formula 3 Champion in 1952, again in 1953. He took the title for a time in 1959. In 1954, Parker took on a man named Norman Graham Hill as his mechanic and general assistant. Some years later, now using his name of Graham. Parker retired from Formula Three after the 1959 season, and chose not to move to Formula 2 or Formula 1 because of his age. However, he did race for one season, representing Jaguar in the British Saloon Car Championships. As a retirement gift in 1961, Jaguars Lofty England presented him with a specially-designed 3.8 litre Jaguar Mark 2 and it was claimed to be the fastest Mark 2 Jaguar had built, being tested at 140 mph on the newly opened M4 motorway in 1963. 500cc Formula Three declined at an international level during the late 1950s, although it continued at a level into the early 60s. A one-litre Formula Three category for four-cylinder carburetted cars, with heavily tuned production engines, was reintroduced in 1964 based on the Formula Junior rules and these engines tended to rev very highly and were popularly known as screamers, F3 races tended to involve large packs of slipstreaming cars. The screamer years were dominated by Brabham, Lotus and Tecno, early one-litre F3 chassis tended to descend from Formula Junior designs but quickly evolved. For 1971 new regulations allowing 1600 cc engines with an air intake were introduced
24.
Mercedes-AMG
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Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is the high performance division of Mercedes-Benz. AMG independently hires engineers, manufactures and customizes Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles, Mercedes-AMG is headquartered in Affalterbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Mercedes-AMG GmbH is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, AMG models typically have more aggressive looks, a higher level of performance, better handling, better stability and more extensive use of carbon fiber than their regular Mercedes counterparts. AMG models are typically the most expensive and highest-performance of each Mercedes-Benz class, AMG variants are usually badged with two numerals, as opposed to regular Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which have three. Traditionally, the two numerical digits signified the engines displacement size, however, recent models have deviated from such correlation, the letters AMG stand for Aufrecht, Melcher and Großaspach. In 1976 most of AMG moved to Affalterbach, with the racing-engine development remaining at the old location in Burgstall, at this time Erhard Melcher ceased to be a partner, but continued to be an employee at the Burgstall location. On 1 January 1999 DaimlerChrysler, as it was called between 1998 and 2007, acquired 51 percent of AMG shares, and AMG was renamed to Mercedes-AMG GmbH, racing engine development was divested and continues to exist in Burgstall under the name HWA. On 1 January 2005 Aufrecht sold his shares to DaimlerChrysler. AMG started off by designing and testing racing engines and it expanded its business into building custom road cars based upon standard Mercedes cars. During the early 1980s and up until 1990, AMG offered a variety of performance packages, alloy wheels. The DOHC 32V engine had also just been developed and was the pinnacle of AMG performance, a Getrag five-speed manual transmission could be ordered from AMG, and Mercedes had not offered a manual transmission V8 since the early 1970s. The performance wheels offered during the period were 15-inch or 16-inch ATS AMG Five Spoke Road Wheels. The genuine AMG wheels were coupled with an AMG performance suspension package that included uprated and lowered springs. Another popular cosmetic upgrade were the AMG body kits and these ranged from subtle front spoilers, to an aggressive Wide Body kits for the W126 coupes. The release of the AMG Hammer sedan in 1986, based on the W124 E-Class, AMG made the worlds fastest passenger sedan at the time, nicknamed the Hammer, by squeezing Mercedes 5. 6-litre V8 tuned by AMG to 360 hp into a midsized sedan. It was very aggressive for the era, with 32-valve cylinder heads and twin camshafts, later models were even more powerful and introduced the 17-inch AMG Aero 1 Hammer wheels. 1986 was also the year Mercedes introduced the 560 M117 engine and this provided yet another opportunity for customers to order the largest AMG displacement available at the time, the 6L100 mm bore SOHC or DOHC engines available for both the W126 coupe and sedans. On 16 January 2006, Mercedes-AMG Chairman Volker Mornhinweg told AutoWeek that the company would use turbocharging for higher output rather than supercharging
25.
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
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The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a series of mid-size luxury coupés and convertibles produced by German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz in two generations. Although its design and styling was derived from the E-Class, the underpinnings were based on the smaller C-Class, i. e. respectively based on the W202. It was positioned below the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class and SL-Class, but above the SLK-Class, the CLK name derives from the German Coupé Leicht Kompakt, translated Coupé-Light-Short. The first-generation W208/C208 CLK was introduced in 1997, and was based on the W202 Mercedes-Benz C-Class launched three years earlier, the W208 coupé was replaced by the W209 CLK-Class in 2002, although the convertible remained in production until 2003 when replaced by the C209 CLK. The CLK introduced a new niche for Mercedes-Benz. Although the W208 used components from the E-Class, aesthetic based on the E-Class and had a level higher than the E-Class. Two versions were available, the four-cylinder CLK200 and four-cylinder supercharged. The CLK320 Coupé was introduced in the 1997 model year, powered by a 218 PS3.2 L V6 engine, the CLK GTR FIA GT1 racing car appeared in 1998, powered by a 5.9 L V12 engine,25 road-going CLK GTRs were made. The CLK320 Cabriolet and the 279 PS, M1134.3 L V8-powered CLK430 appeared in 1999, all models were available in both coupé and convertible form. In Europe, the supercharged I-4 powered CLK200 Kompressor was also available, reaching impressive 193 bhp, wing mirror-mounted turn signals were not implemented until 2001 for the 2002 year model. This allowed it to reach up to 0. 83Gs of lateral acceleration, the CLK55 AMG is powered by a hand-assembled 5. 4-liter V8 engine. Its bore and stroke are 97mm x 92mm, the dual-resonance intake manifold with tuned runners helps create optimized torque and power outputs by taking advantage of two resonant frequencies to increase performance. The engine features a compression ratio of 10.5,1. All of these technologies help deliver a healthy 342 hp and 376 lb·ft of torque. The five-speed automatic transmission is adapted from the used in the V-12 S-class models. It is fully adaptive and electronically controlled, and is a stronger unit than that of the CLK430, also a larger four-bolt driveshaft thats four inches in diameter connects to a reinforced rear differential to keep all the extra power under control. Standard traction control keeps wheelspin to a minimum, while its Electronic Stability Program keeps the CLK on its intended path. The standard CLK chassis is used, and while the current version is not based on the new C-Class platform, the resulting firmer, more controlled ride is made even tighter by its high-performance ZR-rated low-profile tires
26.
Renault Sport Series
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The Renault Sport Series is a motor racing series. The series consists of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, the F4 Eurocup 1.6 was made part of the World Series in 2010, but was then dropped for 2011. The flagship Formula Renault 3.5 Series became the World Series Formula V83.5 in 2016, Renault started the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup in 2003, as a support series in Eurosports Super Racing Weekends. The series ran with Tatuus chassis and a Nissan 3.5 L V6 engine. In 2005, Renault left the Super Racing Weekend and started the World Series by Renault, the Dallara chassis was retained, while the Renault V6 was improved to 425 PS. Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and the Eurocup Mégane Trophy also joined the series in 2005 to support the main FR3.5 series. At the end of July 2015, Renault Sport announced it would be withdrawing its backing to the Formula Renault 3.5 from 2016 onwards, handing the control of the series to co-organiser RPM. However, Renault Sport also said it would continue the Renault Sport Series with the Renault Sport Trophy, World Series by Renault Renault Sport Series
27.
Midland F1 Racing
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Midland F1 Racing was a Formula One constructor and racing team. It competed in the 2006 Formula One season with drivers Christijan Albers, the team was created by the renaming of Jordan Grand Prix after its purchase by Canadian businessman, and owner of the Midland Group, Alex Shnaider. The team was registered as the first Russian Formula One team, reflecting Shnaiders roots, although it continued to be based in the United Kingdom, at Jordans Silverstone factory. Towards the end of the 2006 season, the team was sold to Spyker Cars N. V. the team raced in its last three Grands Prix under the official name Spyker MF1 Racing. In 2007, the team competed as Spyker F1, and in 2008 was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and was renamed Force India F1. The Midland Groups interest in Formula One involvement began in 2004 when they confirmed plans to create a team to race in the 2006 season. As a result, the team would be a continuation of Jordan. It also allowed Midland to claim the television revenue generated by Jordans subsequent ninth place in the constructors championship, the team retained Jordans name for the 2005 season but struggled at the back of the grid with rookie drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro. Some media reports at this time began to speculate that Midland were unhappy with their purchase, team principal Trevor Carlin quit the team after seven races, and chief engineer and designer Mark Smith before the end of the season. There were consistent reports that the team was linked with a buy-out by former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine, the name of the team was changed to MF1 Racing for the 2006 Formula One season. In the UK a joke emerged regarding this form being written in the same way as economy furniture manufacturer MFI. Over the winter Russian driver Roman Rusinov tested a new car, motoGP motorcyclist Max Biaggi also had a test in the car at Silverstone in January. The team had failed in a bid to sign Takuma Sato. Much of that progress was down to tyre development from Bridgestone coupled with significant improvements in aerodynamics and handling. The improved performance saw the team begin to make it into the qualifying session on an occasional basis - eight times out of a possible 36 overall - with a best qualifying position of 14th. The team went from being around four seconds off the pace per lap in 2005 to around 2 seconds per lap at the time of its sale to Spyker cars in September 2006. Rumours had been floating about in the paddock throughout the mid-season about the sale of the team. Reports suggested a price tag of $128 m, and that Shnaider was seriously considering the possibility of the sale, Formula One teams had become more valuable, because no more teams could enter after 2008, with the maximum of 12 places already filled
28.
Jordan Grand Prix
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Jordan Grand Prix was an Irish Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan, Jordan and his team were well known for a rock and roll attitude which added colour and character to Formula One in the 1990s. Eddie Jordan had a stint as a race driver in the late 1970s before founding Eddie Jordan Racing in the early 1980s. The team graduated to International Formula 3000 for 1988, winning its first race in the category with Johnny Herbert, in 1989, Jordan won the F3000 drivers championship with future Formula One star Jean Alesi. The team also ran future F1 drivers such as Martin Donnelly, Jordans success in lower formulae inspired the creation of a Formula One programme for the 1991 season and a change of name to Jordan Grand Prix. The first driver to test a Jordan F1 car was veteran Ulsterman John Watson, Jordan hired Italian veteran Andrea de Cesaris and Belgian Bertrand Gachot to race his first cars, which were powered by Ford. The team had a solid debut finishing 5th in the Constructors Championship. De Cesaris ran second for much of the Belgian Grand Prix, Gachot failed to end the season after being sent to prison for attacking a taxi driver. Despite Jordans signed agreement in principle with Mercedes for the remainder of the season, Jordan applied for an injunction in the UK courts to prevent Schumacher driving for Benetton, but lost the case as they had not yet signed a contract. Future Champ Car title winner Alessandro Zanardi and ousted Benetton driver Roberto Moreno filled the second car afterwards, success for Jordan literally came at a high price. The team was forced to switch to cheaper Yamaha engines for the 1992 season, with Maurício Gugelmin and Stefano Modena driving, the team struggled badly and failed to score a point until the final race of the season. 1993 saw further changes, with the team again changing engine suppliers, again, the season started with two new drivers, Ivan Capelli and Brazilian rookie Rubens Barrichello. Capelli left after two races and Barrichello saw five other drivers become team mates of his during the 1993 campaign, Jordan only had moderate improvement, scoring three points. Signs of stability were beginning to show near the end of the season when Barrichello was joined by Eddie Irvine, the Ulsterman finished sixth and secured a point on his debut Formula One race at Suzuka. It was further memorable because Irvine unlapped himself against McLarens Ayrton Senna, Barrichello and Irvine returned for the 1994 season, as did the Hart engines, but Irvine had a bad start to the season, earning a three-race ban for reckless driving. Barrichello earned the team their first top three finish in Japan at the Pacific Grand Prix, but was killed during the following race in San Marino following a frightening qualifying crash. The team overcame these difficulties and returned to their form as they finished fifth in the Constructors Championship again. Barrichello earned Jordans first pole position after a gamble during a wet qualifying session in Belgium, Jordan switched to Peugeot power in 1995
29.
2006 FIA Formula One World Championship
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The 2006 Formula One season was the 60th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship which began on 12 March, the Drivers Championship was won by Fernando Alonso of Renault F1 for the second year in a row, with Alonso becoming the youngest ever double world champion at the time. Then-retiring multiple world champion Michael Schumacher of Scuderia Ferrari finished runner-up,13 points behind, the Constructors Championship was won by Mild Seven Renault F1 Team, which defeated Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro by five points. The season was highlighted by the rivalry between Alonso and Schumacher, who won seven races. Renault and Ferrari drivers dominated the field, victorious in all but one race, during this season for the first time since the 1956 season no British constructor won any race and like 1956, only factory teams won all the races during this year. This season marked the beginning of the usage of 2. 4L V8 engines in Formula One from the 3. 0L V10 engines that were used in the previous seasons, which continued till the end of the 2013 season. The season saw several changes occurring in the market starting already in December 2005 as Alonso sealed a move to McLaren for 2007. Among other notable departures included Juan Pablo Montoya, who left McLaren mid-season to pursue a career in NASCAR, the following teams and drivers competed in the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. Four prominent names in the sport disappeared for this season, with Minardi, Sauber, BAR and Jordan withdrawing, Minardi were taken over by Red Bull, and named after the Italian for Red Bull, becoming Toro Rosso. The Sauber name remained, although largely as a sentiment, as BMW owned 80% of the team to Peter Saubers 20%, Jordan became MF1 Racing, as Midland started afresh after a disappointing first season under the Jordan name. Late in the season, the team was bought by Spyker, Honda, who already owned a 45% stake in the BAR team, completed their takeover of the team and changed its name to Honda Racing F1 Team at the start of the season. Super Aguri F1 also entered their first season after having problems entering and they received backing from Honda Racing F1 including technology and engines, due to them running Honda driver Takuma Sato. Williams introduced numerous changes for 2006, particularly changing to Cosworth V8 engines after they, Red Bull Racing had Ferrari engines, replacing the Cosworth power which gained them seventh in the standings in 2005. Williams and Toyota changed tyre suppliers to Bridgestone, due to Michelins desire to supply fewer teams in the championship, despite this Toro Rosso who under the Minardi name ran Bridgestone tyres switched to Michelin in line with parent team RBR. Ferrari replaced Michael Schumachers longtime teammate Rubens Barrichello with fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa, Massa had previously tested with Ferrari in 2003. Massa was replaced at the newly renamed BMW Sauber team by Nick Heidfeld, polands Robert Kubica took up the third drivers role at BMW Sauber. Barrichello moved to Honda where he replaced the outgoing Takuma Sato, the Honda-backed Super Aguri team started the season with Sato and Yuji Ide, an all-Japanese driver line up. Franck Montagny moved from his Renault testing role to become Super Aguris third driver and his position at Renault was taken by the GP2 runner-up Heikki Kovalainen
30.
2006 Bahrain Grand Prix
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The 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on 12 March 2006. The 57-lap race was the round of the 2006 Formula One season. It was won by the 2005 World Champions, Fernando Alonso, ferrari driver and polesitter Michael Schumacher began his final season in Formula One with second position. Kimi Räikkönen completed the podium after he finished in place with the McLaren team. The race was the first Grand Prix for future world champion Nico Rosberg, son of World Champion Keke Rosberg and it was also the debut race for the BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Midland F1 and Super Aguri teams, and drivers Scott Speed and Yuji Ide. The bottom six teams in the 2005 Constructors Championship and Super Aguri were entitled to run a car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race, the race was the first run under the new 2006 qualifying rules, in which the one-hour session is split into three knock out parts. The second part saw fewer surprises, with the runners lining up for the final top 10 part. The result was that the Ferraris swept the front row, at the start of the race, Fernando Alonso moved up to second in the first lap, only for Michael Schumacher to begin to pull away. Alonso was involved in a collision with Schumachers teammate Felipe Massa. Massa was never a threat after this point, not helped by a delay in his pit stop to change tyres the same lap, alonsos teammate Giancarlo Fisichella also played little part in the race due to an engine mapping problem which restricted power. He retired on the 21st lap due to hydraulic failure, to the surprise of few, Kimi Räikkönen quickly moved his way up the field, only being delayed by Jacques Villeneuve and Fisichella for a short period of time, before passing both men. Further down the field, Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg, who was making his Grand Prix début, both men were significantly delayed, but recovered. Heidfelds day continued to get worse, as an incident with David Coulthard was investigated after the race, Juan Pablo Montoya finished 5th in his McLaren, having never been a threat throughout the race. Rosberg set the fastest lap of the race, becoming the youngest driver ever to achieve this in a Grand Prix, honda suffered mixed fortunes throughout the race. Early on fans were treated to a fight between Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, as Button slipped down the order due to a slow getaway. Button eventually fought his way back up, twice passing Juan Pablo Montoya at the end of the straight and he eventually finished 4th,0.6 seconds behind Räikkönen in 3rd. Räikkönen fought hard throughout the race, stopping once on his way to the last podium spot
31.
2006 Australian Grand Prix
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The 2006 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne on 2 April 2006. The 57-lap race was the 22nd Australian Grand Prix as part of the World Championship, the season was instead opened in Bahrain, and Australia regained its first round of the season slot for 2007. The race was won by Renaults Fernando Alonso, with the McLaren of Kimi Räikkönen second, ralf Schumacher finished in third place to take the last podium of his career with the Toyota team. Polesitter Jenson Button retired from the race when his engine blew on the final lap and he eventually stopped roughly ten metres from the finish line, losing a points scoring position in the process. Murray Walker made a return to the box for a one-off with Australias Network Ten. This was the last race until the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix that neither Ferrari was classified, the bottom 6 teams in the 2005 Constructors Championship and Super Aguri were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race, the race began with an unusual spin of Juan Pablo Montoya as he completed the formation lap. He lined up at the back of the grid, however Fisichella then stalled his engine on the grid, Fisichella had to start from the pitlane, while Montoya reclaimed his grid position. As in 2002, the race had a first-lap accident, Felipe Massa was the victim in an incident involving himself, Nico Rosberg and Christian Klien. The Williams and Red Bull effectively sandwiched Massas Ferrari as the Brazilian attempted to squeeze through a gap too small, pitching him into the wall hard, Rosberg returned to the pits without the rear wing. These incidents called the Safety Car on the very first lap, Fisichella spun but continued, again in the Jones corner. Alonso passed Button when the SC was recalled two laps later, in the start/finish straight, on the third lap, Christian Klien had some problem with his suspension and crashed the barriers near Clark Chicane, and destroyed his car. This crash had left many pieces of debris on the track, when the race continued, Räikkönen attacked Button and gained his place. Montoya tried that as well, though unsuccessful for many laps, vitantonio Liuzzi made an exciting pass on Michael Schumacher, by the Sports Centre turn. The race continued uneventful for another 10 laps when pit stops began with Montoya, Button, Fernando and Räikkönen stopped, giving Mark Webber the lead of his home Grand Prix. A gearbox failure then eliminated him, another uneventful stint was run until lap 32 when Montoya touched the grass in the Prost turn, but managed to return to the track. Michael Schumacher also had the grass cross, although the German champion could not make it back and struck the barriers. He himself said that his car was not easy to drive, and this incident called the Safety Car for the third time
32.
2006 German Grand Prix
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The 2006 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hockenheimring on 30 July 2006. The 67-lap race was the round of the 2006 Formula One season and was won Michael Schumacher. The Grand Prix weekend got off to a start when the mass damper system fitted by Renault was deemed legal by the FIA appointed stewards. The FIA appealed against the decision, but Renault then withdrew the system after Friday practice to avoid further sanctions. Kimi Räikkönen took pole position, but it proved artificial as McLaren had inadvertently not put enough fuel as intended in his car before qualifying. In the race, Räikkönens early pitstop left him unable to challenge at the front, perhaps due to the damper issue, Renault were not competitive, it was the first time in 2006 that neither of their cars finished the race on the podium. Sakon Yamamoto made his Formula One début at the Grand Prix and he was not the only one to suffer changes after qualifying, as Jarno Trulli and Christijan Albers both had to change engines, incurring ten-place penalties. A nightmare weekend for Albers was summed up with his disqualification, along with team-mate Tiago Monteiro, the race also saw the last appearance by 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, who blamed the split on the lack of assurances about his short-term future with BMW Sauber. Notes ^1 – Jarno Trulli qualified 13th but dropped ten places on the grid due to an engine change to his Toyota. ^2 – Christijan Albers qualified 18th but dropped ten places on the grid due to an engine change to his MF1. ^3 – Sakon Yamamoto started the race from the pit lane after changing the chassis of his Super Aguri after qualifying, notes ^1 – Christijan Albers and Tiago Monteiro were disqualified for having illegally flexing rear wings. Note, only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings, bold text indicates who still has a theoretical chance of becoming World Champion
33.
2006 Hungarian Grand Prix
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The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 August 2006 at the Hungaroring, Budapest. It was the 13th race of the 2006 Formula One season, Pedro de la Rosa finished second for McLaren, the first podium finish of his career, and Nick Heidfeld finished third, giving BMW Sauber their first ever podium. As of 2015, it was the last time the Kimigayo anthem was played on the Formula One podium, and the first time since the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. The weekend before the grand prix, British motoring show host Jeremy Clarkson told Jenson Button that if he was going to win a race and it is not known whether the windscreen was actually changed. During Friday practice Fernando Alonso was given a qualifying penalty by the stewards for dangerous driving and overtaking under a yellow flag condition. This meant that two seconds would be added to his times in each part of qualifying, christijan Albers was given a ten-place grid penalty for an engine change, his second in as many weekends. Jenson Button received the penalty after having an engine change when his let go in the final practice session. The decision left Schumacher fuming, with him saying I blame myself partly for what did happen, in qualifying, Kimi Räikkönen achieved pole position with a time of 1,19.599 seconds. Felipe Massa qualified second, with Rubens Barrichello starting the race in third, the track was wet at the start of the race, making it the first ever wet Hungarian Grand Prix. Polesitter Kimi Räikkönen took the early on. Alonso and Schumacher made their way through the field with Schumacher up into 6th place from 11th into the first corner and he went on to pass Schumacher on the outside of turn 5 after a straight fight for several laps and reached 3rd place. He then took the lead after the McLarens of Pedro de la Rosa, bridgestone wet-tyres used to dictate the field in non-dry conditions but today it seemed a one-off for the Japanese rubber. All Bridgestone-drivers, including the Ferraris, were struggling and seriously down on pace compared to their competitors. Schumacher fell right back in the clutches of Giancarlo Fisichella and lost his front wing battling for 5th place and this forced the German to pit, going a lap down. Soon after Jenson Button overtook Massa, Fisichella and Schumacher in just under the space of 2 laps, Räikkönen struggled on his second set of tyres and ended up crashing into the back of Vitantonio Liuzzis Toro Rosso, vaulting the car and bringing out the safety car. Alonso then pitted, allowing Schumacher to get back on the lead lap, another beneficiary of the safety car was Jenson Button, who decided not to pit during the safety car period and climbed up to 2nd place behind Alonso. After the period was over Button began to challenge Alonso, Alonso led, but after a pitstop for dry tyres his right-rear wheel nut detached, causing the Spaniard to lose control and crash. Button inherited the lead and was never challenged from then on, Schumacher made his way up to 2nd by staying on intermediate tyres as others around him pitted for dry weather ones, but this gamble backfired as the cars on drys caught him in the final laps
34.
Force India
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The Sahara Force India F1 Team is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, with an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, Force India scored points again in the following race when Adrian Sutil finished fourth, and set the teams first fastest lap, at the Italian Grand Prix. In October 2011, Indian company Sahara India Pariwar, purchased 42. 5% of Force India F1s shares at US$100 million, the teams origins stemmed from the Jordan Grand Prix team, which entered Formula One racing in 1991 based at the Silverstone racing circuit. Jordan enjoyed many years in Formula One, winning four races, however, like many of the smaller teams in the 2000s, financial problems meant the teams performance dried up, and team owner Eddie Jordan sold the team to the Midland Group in 2005. The renamed Midland F1 Racing team spent two seasons at the back of grid, before owner Alex Shnaider sold the team to Spyker Cars midway through the 2006 season. After retaining Adrian Sutil for the teams first season, Force India conducted winter tests for the second driver, testing of the car begun in February, after the gold, tungsten and white liveried car was launched at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Although a furious Gascoyne called for Räikkönen to be penalised, overtakes under yellow flag conditions would have meant Sutil receiving a time penalty post-race, Force India had been focusing on 2009 since Mallya brought the team, believing that the new regulations would yield better results. Force India finished the tenth place in the Constructors Championship. Force India retained the same drivers for the 2009 season, Force India gained their first pole position in Formula One when Fisichella qualified fastest at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa. He finished the race in second position, less than a second behind Kimi Räikkönen earning Force Indias first ever points, missing the win was partially blamed on the cars lack of KERS, a system present on the Ferrari. On 3 September 2009, Force India announced that they were releasing Fisichella from his contract to him to race for Ferrari for the remainder of the season. It was announced four days later that test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi would replace Fisichella for the remaining races, in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Sutil qualified second and Liuzzi, on his race debut for the team, qualified seventh. On race day, Sutil finished fourth and clocked the fastest lap of the race, while running fourth in the race, Liuzzi had to retire due to a transmission failure. Force India finished the season ninth in front of Scuderia Toro Rosso with 13 points, however, the VJM02 was powered by Mercedes-Benz engines from the 2009 season after signing a five-year deal on 10 November 2008. The deal also included a supply of McLaren-Mercedes gearboxes, hydraulic systems, the car was revealed on 1 March 2009. The VJM02 was the first Force India car to pick up points, pole position and fastest lap at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, the team announced on 27 November 2009, that it was to keep Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi for the 2010 season. The team tested Paul di Resta and J. R. Hildebrand at Jerez, di Resta was confirmed as the teams test driver on 2 February 2010. On 9 February 2010, Force India unveiled their new car, the VJM03, the 2010 season began with points in Bahrain, with Liuzzi finishing in ninth position
35.
Christijan Albers
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Christijan Albers is a Dutch professional racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from 2005 until the 2007 British Grand Prix, in 2008, he returned to the DTM series as a driver for the Audi Futurecom TME team. Albers acted as Team Principal and CEO of the Caterham F1 Team from July to September 2014 after it was acquired by new team owners, Christijan is the son of former rallycross ace and Porsche 911 Carrera campaigner André Albers, who won the 1979 Dutch International Rallycross Championship. They are not related to their compatriot Marcel Albers, who was killed in a British Formula Three accident at Thruxton in 1992, Christijan is married to Liselore Kooijman. Their wedding took place on 11 November 2006 in Amsterdam, Albers began kart racing at a young age, winning the Dutch National championship in 1997. That same year, he was crowned Formula Ford 1800 champion in both Netherlands and Belgium and he also participated in the Renault Megane Marlboro Masters series. In 1998, he moved up to the German Formula Three series, winning the championship in 1999 with six wins, in 2000, Albers raced in the International Formula 3000 championship as team-mate to Mark Webber. He failed to score a point, but team boss Paul Stoddart later signed him again and he also raced in European Formula Racing. In 2004 he again challenged for the lead for the most of the season. While racing in the DTM, Albers continued to be a test and reserve driver for Minardis Formula One interests, in November 2004, he set the fastest time at a Misano di Gera dAdda Minardi test session. He was chosen by the team to drive in the Formula One World Championship in 2005, in the 2005 United States Grand Prix he gained his first championship points with a fifth-place finish, in a race where only six drivers started. On 31 October 2005 Albers was confirmed as Midlands first official Formula One driver, Midland, the renamed Jordan team, made their debut in the 2006 Formula One season. Albers started the 2006 season well, out-pacing Midland teammate Tiago Monteiro, however, during the first few races, Midland found themselves battling with the Super Aguri team, particularly Takuma Sato. At the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, Albers found himself being crashed into by Yuji Ide, Ide was reprimanded by the race stewards for his part in the incident. Ide also had his Super Licence revoked for severe dangerous driving, after initial confusion over Albers plans for 2007 after the takeover of MF1 by Spyker Cars, it was eventually confirmed that he would be driving for the Spyker F1 team in 2007. It was later found out that Albers signed a contract with Midland F1 to remain with the prior to the sale to Spyker. Albers personal sponsors had major influences in Spyker buying the Midland F1 team, in early 2007 he was outperformed by rookie team-mate Adrian Sutil. At Magny-Cours he ignored the lollipop telling him not to leave the pits during a pitstop, Albers expressed relief that nobody was hurt, but he received a €5,000 penalty for dangerous driving
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