McLaren MP4-23 Nosecone Winglets

McLaren Team made these horn-like winglets halfway up the MP4-23's nosecone have been introduced by McLaren in Hungary. It's a solution not dissimilar to the 'delta' winglets on the BMW Sauber and one that provides a better quality of airflow to the car's sidepod inlets and rear end. It does this by improving the management of the airflow exiting the front wing. This doesn't directly increase front downforce, but instead improves the aero efficiency and downforce load in the central and rear sections of the car.

Valencia Street Circuit For F3 And GT Race

Valencia Street Circuit in Spain hosted a number of Formula Three and GT races over the weekend in preparation for the venue’s debut Formula One event, the Grand Prix of Europe, in August.

GP2 team mates Mike Conway and Ho-Pin Tung clinched the maiden win at the track on Saturday evening, driving a GT3 Dodge Viper, while on Sunday, local hero Jaime Alguersuari won the Spanish Formula Three race.

Following the successful completion of the rehearsal events, the circuit received its track licence from the FIA, ahead of the forthcoming Grand Prix, which will take place from August 22-24, 2008.

Ferrari F2008 Vertical Slits In Rear Diffuser

Ferrari Team made some modification on the F2008's aero package in Hungary was this vertical slit in each side wall of the diffuser's central section. The increased pressure generated by airflow passing through the slits helps improve the extraction of airflow in that central section of the diffuser. This in turn helps to slightly increase the downforce generated underneath the car in this area, resulting in better traction - something that was lacking at the previous race in Germany. This change will almost certainly be retained for the remainder of the season, after it proved effective in improving the overall balance of the F2008.

Fisichella Receives 25second Penalty

Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella has been penalised after unlapping himself under the safety car when he was not permitted to do so during Sunday’s German Grand Prix July 20,2008. Fisichella had 25 seconds added to his final race time and drops from 14th to 16th in the classification as a result.

According to the stewards, when the safety car was deployed after Timo Glock’s crash, Fisichella pitted before the ‘Lapped cars may now overtake’ signal was shown, meaning he should have not then unlapped himself once he rejoined the circuit. The Italian’s penalty promotes Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima and Force India team mate Adrian Sutil one place each, to 14th and 15th respectively.

Lewis Hamilton warns McLaren

Lewis Hamilton has warned his McLaren team to expect a formidable opponent in Ferrari when the F1 Championship enters the final leg in late August. Having been destroyed by Hamilton in the wet in Britain and Germany, Ferrari fought back in Hungary last weekend where Felipe Massa pulled off the overtaking move of the race to take the lead off the McLaren driver. And had it not been for his engine failure three laps before the end of the 70-lap race Massa would have clinched not only the victory but also the lead in the standings. But as it stands Hamilton's fifth placed finish, despite a puncture, extended his lead in the championship by one point over Kimi Raikkonen, bringing the gap to five, while Massa languishes eight points off the pace.

However, the Brit concedes he could have a tough challenge holding onto the lead as the Ferraris have rebounded from their earlier disappointing pace. "They were strong," Hamilton told Autosport. "If we had been out in front then it perhaps would have been a little bit different. "But Hungary showed they had some really strong pace, which we already knew they had. It's just you guys (the media) seem to think there's a huge difference." He added: "I think I drove well. I didn't make any mistakes. I just had a puncture. I brought the car home as safe as possible and scored as many points as I could, so there's not much more you can ask for," he continued. "It's just unfortunate I was the one to get a puncture, and it was a case of 'oh no, not again.' I had it three times last year, or whatever it was, and that's what really lost me the Championship. "It can be very, very costly, but Kimi didn't win, and it actually helps Heikki (Kovalainen) won and (Timo) Glock was second. They are taking points off everyone else, so I'm quite happy. My lead is bigger now and you would never have thought that with all that has gone on this year.

Ferrari Challenge Of 2008

The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Championship is back on track in Europe, Italy and North America, following-up a thrilling and close run season of racing in 2007. Again, the series will feature the stunning Ferrari F430. Following its debut in 2006, the Shell-powered Ferrari F430 replaced the 360 Modena Challenge in 2007, after an interim season in which both cars took to the rack.

The F430 was born from a desire for an even more "GT Style" car in terms of equipment and above all performance. While it is powered by the same 490-bhp V8 engine as the normal roadgoing Ferrari - in fact Ferrari prepares and provides engines to all teams - there is a notable Formula 1 influence across various aspects, including the brakes, which for the first time on a Ferrari race car use carbon-ceramic technology (CCM). One other major departure is the Ferrari F430 gearbox, which, unlike a GT car gearbox, is fitted with its own oil-cooler to reduce operating temperatures and ensure the life of the engine under racing conditions.

The series is the chance for Ferrari enthusiasts to immerse themselves in a unique Ferrari event. Customers are given the chance to enjoy their cars in a structured competitive environment, racing against other Ferrari owners. The competition format means that all drivers have the same engine and technology, so spectators can enjoy watching evenly matched, enthusiastic drivers in fierce competition with 'streetable' Ferrari racing cars.

And, of course, as with all Ferrari GT cars, the F430 Challenge competition cars are fuelled and lubricated by Shell. Once again, Shell products are tested to the limit by these highly tuned supercars, with on-track learning experiences passed back to Shell's engineers, who strive to continuously develop better products for road going motorists around the world. Shell even goes as far as to award the "Shell Cup" to the best gentleman driver each race. From the driver's seat or from the grandstand, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is a perfect way to enjoy passion for Ferrari and performance.

Michael Schumacher Winner Of Go Kart Challenge

A busy few weeks for seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher. First he was back on the Formula One track testing for Ferrari in Barcelona and clocking up fastest times in the process, then on Sunday 25 November he won the International Challenge of Go-Kart Champs in Brazil. The two-race kart challenge hosted by Scuderia Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and supported by Shell, was held at the Ingleses kart track in Florianopolis. Every year it attracts some of the globe’s finest racing drivers.

Michael Schumacher, who was competing against familiar faces from the world of motorsport such as Nelson Piquet Jr. and Rubens Barrichello, won the first race from fourth on the grid. In race two, the German crossed the line in sixth position after suffering some technical problems with his go-kart. However he took the winners’ trophy on an aggregate score of 35, followed by former Ferrari test driver Luciano Burti. Winner of race two, GP2 driver Lucas di Grassi, claimed third place.

Although not victorious at his home go-kart race, Felipe Massa was delighted with the event and the high spirited support of a passionate crowd. In fact he invited his former team mate to come back in 2008 to defend his title and Schumacher immediately agreed to take part.

NASCAR And McLaren Technology Centre

Jim France, vice chairman and executive vice president of NASCAR and the chief executive officer (CEO) of International Speedway Corporation (ISC), spent time at the McLaren Technology Centre.

Commenting on his visit he said, "I am very impressed by what I see here today at the McLaren Technology Centre. I have seen a lot more technology than I would in the garages at Nascar and IRL level where obviously they are also dedicated racers and working with whatever materials they have. However, I am impressed by the level of manufacturing capability at the McLaren Technology Centre and the development and engineering that goes on at this facility"

Martin Whitmarsh, who accompanied Mr France on the tour, said "It has been a fantastic opportunity to discuss and compare notes on our differing areas of motorsport. We share many common goals and aspirations and I know that we can learn a lot from each other."

Shell V-Power In The F1 F2008

Fuel is a subject often discussed in Formula One circles, but nearly always in relation to its weight and repercussions on speed, or its role in pit stop strategy and the distance a Formula One car can travel before it re-fuels. Interestingly, what is often overlooked and rarely considered is what fuel does inside the engine to achieve performance in these areas. Shell and Ferrari work closely together to develop their fuel advantage in this respect.

Ferrari F2008 Shark-Fin Engine Cover

Ferrari have included a heavily-revised engine cover. This full-height shark fin profile (inset) is almost identical to those already introduced by Red Bull, Renault, Toro Rosso and Force India. This revision improves the car's rear-end efficiency and balance, and to enhance its straight-line stability at high speeds. It better manages airflow close to the engine cover, and in particular reduces turbulence generated by spillage from the engine air inlets. This addition could well be used at the season's remaining races, albeit with ongoing revisions. With traction arguably the F2008's weak point at the last round in Hockenheim, even a small improvement in rear downforce should prove beneficial.

Gary Paffet Launch Go Karting

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Gary Paffett was at Buckmore Park yesterday to support the Motor Sports Association's (MSA) Let's Go Karting campaign, which will enable children to experience the thrill of Karting for just £5.

The Let's Go Karting scheme, which will be spread across 16 clubs and tracks throughout Britain, will allow children between the ages of 8 and 16 to get behind the wheel of a Kart for a specially subsidised rate. Organised by the sport's governing body the MSA, the scheme will ensure all the children are provided with full safety training by qualified instructors along with special safety kit and equipment, before having the chance to take to the track and test their skills. The initiative is part of the MSA's Go Motorsport programme, which was launched last week by Lewis Hamilton, and is the first centrally co-ordinated marketing campaign for UK motorsport.

Gary Paffett, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver said, "It was through Karting that I got into Formula One and it's the best way for any kids to get involved in motorsport. The thrill and excitement of Karting is definitely comparable to F1 as the speeds and downforce a Kart generates relative to its size make it really exciting. Karting gave me great opportunities as a kid and I still love doing it when I get a chance. I would definitely recommend children give the Lets' Go Karting scheme a go over the summer."

The action packed day saw experienced Karting children providing a series of demonstrations which were followed with local school children taking to Buckmore's famous track for the first time to highlight how Let's Go Karting will introduce thousands of news faces to the sport.

Toyota Racing Joins With The Dark Knight At Silverstone

A partnership between Panasonic Toyota Racing and Warner Bros. Pictures, Hollywood is coming to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix weekend to celebrate the release of the event movie of the summer: The Dark Knight. The much-anticipated film, which releases in cinemas across the UK on 25 July, is the follow up to the 2005 action hit Batman Begins. The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who again portrays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

To mark the release of The Dark Knight, Panasonic Toyota Racing will adopt a new look at Silverstone this weekend. The Dark Knight artwork will feature on the TF108s and the overalls of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, as well as the team’s motor home. But The Dark Knight theme does not stop there. On show at Silverstone will be the iconic Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles, while some very special media events will bring the excitement of The Dark Knight to life. The Batmobile will even take to the Silverstone track on Thursday evening for a demonstration run alongside the TF108, followed by some unique photo opportunities with the Bat-Pod and Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock.