What did we learn from
the Singapore Grand Prix?
Much has been said and written about the
glittering night event, and it certainly was that. However,
it was not a motor race if you believe in the old fashioned
gladiatorial concept of drivers racing each other to the
finish, particularly when the final result can be totally
altered by a safety car and a ridiculous rule.
I am sorry, despite all the exclamations from ITV’s James
Allen about what a “success” the GP had been and glowing
reports in the popular press, the actual ‘race’ was a total
farce, with the FIA’s absurd rules turning what might have
been a race into a lottery. Fortunately, lotteries are legal
in Singapore.
The rule that drivers cannot pit when the safety car is
first deployed is stupid. They can pit later under the
safety car, but only after some official buffoon says they
can - but not before, and heaven help those who pit early
because they are running out of fuel! Those who have to pit,
or run out of fuel on the track, receive stop and go
penalties. That was the case with Rosberg and Kubica.
Rosberg was lucky and returned to the circuit and a clear
track, but Kubica ended up behind slower cars, and with the
150 million dollar circuit design making it almost
impossible to pass, that was the end of his ‘race’.
However, it was heartening for many to see the Sulky
Spaniard ‘win’ his first race for over a year, especially
after his car stopping on him during qualifying and Fernando
screaming “excremento” as he got out of the car. The
interesting part of the ‘win’ was his cutting the chicane on
the first lap and gaining position, which he did not cede
afterwards. This was spotted by Martin Brundle on the
telecast, but was ignored by the stewards, that wonderfully
wise group of officials who in a previous race had handed
Hamilton a penalty for cutting a corner, even though he did
cede the position immediately afterwards, and denied him
even the right to appeal. Consistency? Sorry, but that is
something which has never been part of FIA stewarding.
Actually I did feel quite sorry for Alonso when he was given
his trophy. Obviously stolen from outside the local muffler
shop!
What can you say about Ferrari? The pit crew are obviously
trained by the Keystone Cops. Not only was Massa given the
signal to go while the fuel hose was still attached, but he
was released into the path of Sutil’s Vindaloo Special
(again)! The sight of several red-suited (should have been
red-faced) mechanics running back to the pit with a 20 meter
anaconda on their shoulders was pure American sitcom
material. There will be more than intradepartmental
inquiries over that. I suggest crucifixion may be next, the
Romans were good at that.
Hamilton drove well, but uninspired, Glock and Vettel ditto,
Rosberg drove very well and after that it is hard to do
anything but criticize. Piquet sealed his fate after
destroying another Renault, Bourdais was/is hopeless,
Kovalainen could not pass a Honda, need I go on?
If bright lights, VIPs, sexy Singaporean ladies, fast cars,
noise, crashes, spins and PR in overtime mode are to your
liking, then the Singapore Grand Prix was for you. If you
consider F1 motor racing to be the epitome of the sport,
then do not go or watch the ‘event’ next year. I refuse to
call it a Grand Prix.
Ford Fiesta will be a
world hit
The preview of the new Ford Fiesta at the Bangkok
International Motor Show showed that this was a very well
balanced design. At that stage, it had not been well
evaluated, but since then, it has been getting rave reviews,
and hopefully will revive FoMoCo in its hour of need.
New
Ford Fiesta
After so many years of depending upon large vehicles, Ford
has now been forced to look at the smaller end of the
automotive stakes. Fortunately for Ford, this Fiesta looks
like being their savior.
This vehicle is also intimately tied in to the health of the
auto manufacturing business in Thailand, with a new assembly
line being built for the Fiesta and its running mate, the
Mazda2 at the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate.
Ford is launching the new Fiesta in Australia next week with
two petrol engines and two transmissions, and two body
styles. There will be a three-door and a five-door hatch
body styles, with three specification grades and two engines
on offer - led by a more powerful 1.6 liter DOHC inline
Duratec four cylinder delivering 88 kW of power at 6000 rpm
and 152 Nm of torque at 4050 rpm (up from 74 kW/146 Nm).
This engine is mated to a five speed manual transmission.
It is a fuel miser engine and it is reported that it returns
a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.1 L/100 km and
produces 143 g/km of CO2 emissions (if CO2 emissions turn
you on or off).
The second engine is a new entry-level 1.4 liter inline four
cylinder engine that produces 71 kW at 5750rpm and 128 Nm at
4200 rpm. However, mated to a four speed auto transmission,
it is more thirsty than the larger engine, only returning a
fuel consumption figure of 6.9 L/100 km and higher CO2
emissions of 164 g/km. Both these engines take 91 octane and
are E10 compatible. Australia will not get a European
diesel.
Standard equipment across the range will include twin front
airbags and an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with
electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), plus
air-conditioning, power windows/mirrors, remote central
locking, a rear foglight and 15x6.0-inch wheels with
195/50-section tyres.
The midrange LX variant, available only in five-door guise,
adds alloy wheels, cruise control and voice-activated
Bluetooth connectivity as standard.
Electronic stability control (ESC) with emergency brake
assist (EBA), twin front side airbags and a driver’s knee
airbag will be standard only in the flagship Zetec variant,
and is collectively available as a safety option pack on CL
and LX versions. Zetecs also gain 16x6.5-inch alloys (with
195/45-section tyres) as standard.
The new “Kinetic Design” Fiesta is on average 40 kg lighter
than before due to the increased use of high-strength steels
- which now form more than half of the body structure and
are claimed to increase the torsional rigidity.
MacPherson strut front and solid beam rear suspension
configurations continue, as does a ventilated front disc and
drum rear brake set-up, while a new electric power-assisted
rack and pinion steering system is fitted.
Australia’s supply of the European designed Fiesta will
switch from Cologne in Germany to Rayong in Thailand, which
has a free trade agreement with Australia, from late 2009.
According to my sources, the Thai-built Fiesta will then be
more price-competitive than ever against direct light car
rivals like Toyota’s top-selling Yaris, the next generation
of which could come also to Australia from Thailand, as well
as other Japanese-built cars like the Suzuki Swift and
Mazda2which also comes from Thailand.
I believe that only the five door models will be assembled
here, but personally I want a two door. We shall see.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what was the first mass
produced car with recessed door handles? The answer was the
Fiat 1500 of 1935. (As an aside, I really like the hidden
rear door handles on the Alfa Romeos, and don’t know why
they didn’t do the same for the front doors.)
So to this week. An easy one. Rene Lalique is well known
among car collectors. Why?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Was Hamilton robbed in
Italy?
The FIA debacle continues with the refusal by the
sport’s governing body to hear the appeal launched by
McLaren on behalf of their driver. Lewis Hamilton was given
a 25 second penalty given to two hours after the race was
over, trophies presented and the crowd gone home leaving
dejected Ferrari flags in the mud. This demoted him from
winner to third and handed the win to Ferrari’s Felipe
Massa.
The FIA’s reasoning was that the penalty the stewards handed
out was to be a drive-through penalty, against which there
is no appeal. However, since the race was by then over, they
could not have a drive-through, so the 25 second penalty was
issued instead.
So, despite universal condemnation of the steward’s
decision, the FIA refused to debate it and the penalty and
demotion persists. If Massa wins the world championship
through steward’s penalties, it will be a sorry day for
world motor sport.
Query about hybrids
I received an email from one of the readers about
hybrids. “Hi there, I remember reading some time ago one of
the car manufacturers were experimenting making an electric
car with a gasoline fueled battery recharger built into the
system so plug in overnight would not be necessary an option
not open to may drivers who, say, live in condo blocks. Did
anything ever come of it? Regards, Richard.”
A
parallel hybrid petrol/electric engine
Well Richard, you have certainly got a good memory, because
the hybrid system you describe was used by Dr. Ferdinand
Porsche in 1901 in the Lohner-Porsche. This was the world’s
first ‘series’ hybrid where the electric motors were powered
by batteries, and the batteries were in turn charged up by
an on-board petrol engine generator. Porsche used four
‘in-wheel’ motors, a design that has been used recently by
Mitsubishi!
The interesting fact about Dr. Porsche’s design is that this
is the concept behind the new Chevrolet Volt, where the
motion comes from a battery powered electric motor, but
where the range can be boosted by starting an on-board
petrol generator to recharge the batteries. It will be on
sale in 2010, only 109 years after Dr. Porsche’s design.
Now Chrysler joins the
short-circuit crowd
Latest
news from the US has Chrysler saying they will have their
all-electric vehicles in the showrooms by 2010, attempting
to beat GM and Nissan, which has also said it will have its
EV’s in the showrooms 2010.
Chrysler EV
News from GM is that the Volt will be available in Thailand
in 2011 and projected price is three million baht. Then
there is Tesla in the US who say they will beat everyone
into the showrooms. All this is good for the motorist and
bad news for the oil cartels. I am shedding no tears.
