Автор: ASPPA IMAGES ANO

Schumacher confident Alpine can optimise WEC tyre warming procedures

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The timing of a red flag in qualifying, triggered following a spin for Dries Vanthoor’s BMW, contributed to Alpine’s two A424 LMDhs lining up 17th and 18th for last weekend’s second round of the championship at Imola.

But speaking ahead of a difficult race for the French marque, which was compromised by both cars being embroiled in a first corner incident, sportscar rookie Schumacher stressed that the new-for-2024 cars run by the Signatech team are «improving with each event» and expressed confidence in the growing knowledge it has in working with Michelin tyres.

Asked for his impressions of bringing the tyres up to temperature as he adapts to the WEC, former Haas Formula 1 driver Schumacher noted that while he had previously raced without the luxury of tyre warmers in Formula 2 and Formula 3, the rear-axle hybrid Alpine «is a lot heavier».

«That means you have a tyre sensation which feels like it gives you a lot of grip and then suddenly it might snap on you and you don’t actually quite grasp why,» the German said. 

«That’s what we’re trying to understand right now, is where is the cut-off line between how much do you push on each set. 

«Frankly, for us being in the second event and to already have an understanding of being able to, after a couple of laps, be able to switch the tyres on – maybe not as fast as some other teams, but we’re still able to switch them on – I think we’re in a very good position. 

«At the end of the day, Imola is quite a bit different compared to Qatar, but I think it’s already a step forward. 

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher

Photo by: Andreas Beil

«We’re improving with each event and we’re improving with each test in the knowledge that we’re grasping.

«I don’t have a real concern there that we’ll be able to get on top of it and at some point be able to put in the lap whenever we want to put in the lap.»

Alpine is returning to the top class of the WEC this year for the first time since 2022, when it used a grandfathered ORECA LMP1 chassis rebadged as an A480, having raced in the LMP2 class last year as the ban on tyre warmers in the WEC came into force.

Schumacher’s team-mate Paul-Loup Chatin explained that «there is a big step» between the procedures involved with bringing the Michelin used in Hypercar up to temperature and what the team experienced on the Goodyear tyre in LMP2 last season.

«It’s much more difficult,» noted Chatin, who took a class pole at Le Mans last year in IDEC Sport’s ORECA-Gibson 07 before rejoining the Signatech squad he’d last raced for in 2015 for its Hypercar programme.

«If you push, you can be a hero, but in one tenth you can be a zero because you lost the car. 

«And right now, it’s one of the most important topics, to be better on that. 

It was a bruising start for Alpine at Imola

It was a bruising start for Alpine at Imola

Photo by: Paul Foster

«We saw some teams like us, some teams are maybe a bit better than us right now, so there is a big way to improve. 

«It’s not an easy part of the job for the driver.»

Alpine’s frustrating race at Imola was capped when both cars were issued post-race penalties, as Hypercar debutant Jules Gounon and Nicolas Lapierre didn’t complete the minimum driving time.

Watch: BrrrakeF1 — How IMSA use Advanced Data to Enforce the Rules



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Yamaha MotoGP satellite team «must be an extension of the factory»

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The Japanese marque has been without a customer outfit since the end of the 2022 season, when the former RNF squad elected to sign a multi-year deal with Aprilia.

In recent years, the importance of strong satellite structures has become a key element for a manufacturer’s success in MotoGP – spearheaded chiefly by Ducati.

Currently, Ducati factory-backed Pramac leads the riders’ standings with Jorge Martin in 2024, while much of KTM’s success in the first three rounds has come courtesy of Tech3’s Pedro Acosta.

Securing a new satellite structure is now outgoing Yamaha team boss Lin Jarvis’ primary focus, having recently secured 2021 world champion Quartararo to a new contract.

Asked about this on Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Quartararo has stressed that any satellite Yamaha team must be fully supported by the factory and not simply be a paying customer.

«It’s really important,» he said.»We are – Yamaha and also myself – are working really hard to have a satellite team.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«I think that it’s really important, especially if you check how many laps we can do in the pre-season.

«If you check the number of laps we did compared to Ducati, it’s completely different and you can test many things, but also have the comments of more riders.

«So, this is really important and I think to have… I wouldn’t even say a satellite team.

«For me, it must be an extension of the factory team. They must have factory bikes, factory support and I think it’s important for the riders.

«In the end, the rider you have close to you with the same bike is your first rival.

«But if you have three more, it gives you even more motivation and I think you can even learn more from the others.»

It is thought that Yamaha has been in talks with several teams about 2025, including VR46 and Pramac.

However, VR46 team director Uccio Salucci recently told Motorsport.com that it was likely to remain with Ducati.

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Pedrosa says ‘unexpected’ MotoGP return pushed by «interesting» testing data

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The retired 31-time MotoGP race winner stepped away from full-time racing at the end of 2018 but has made sporadic wildcard outings since joining KTM as a test rider.

Pedrosa raced at the Spanish GP and San Marino GP in 2023, finishing fourth in the latter and seventh in the former in front of a rapturous home crowd.

KTM noted at the start of the season that everything was in place for Pedrosa to wildcard at Jerez again but was waiting for the rider’s green light.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Spanish GP, Pedrosa says it wasn’t something he was expecting to do but «things got a little bit interesting in testing» and prompted a change of plan.

«I’m here at this great GP and looking forward to starting tomorrow,» the three-time MotoGP championship runner-up said.

«I didn’t expect, honestly, to do this one again after last year. But things got a little bit interesting in the testing, so that’s why we chose to do it once more.»

Asked if the «interesting» element was his speed, Pedrosa replied: «Well, the speed is hard to judge when you race alone in testing.

«But we have some items to try, and they are items that are important to try in a more, let’s say, stressful way in order to see what can come out and if we can deal OK with it, because normally in the tests you have all day long to set up things and to modify the bike.

Dani Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Dani Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«So, it’s also with this new format a lot more stressful as we saw last year. So, yes, this is one of the reasons.»

KTM sits second in the manufacturers’ table after three rounds, courtesy of podiums for Brad Binder in Qatar and Tech3 rookie Pedro Acosta in Portugal and America.

Pedrosa says it’s hard to know if the updates he is trying will take KTM a step forward, especially as «records are being destroyed» in terms of lap times in 2024 and it’s difficult to compare testing data against this.

«It’s difficult to say from this perspective because when you are alone things are a bit different,» he added when asked if KTM’s updates will offer a clear improvement.

«So, that’s why we want to measure a little bit the feeling this weekend and see how the bike is performing because this year we can see clearly in the first three races the lap times and the race pace is a lot quicker than last year.

«So, we also have to judge that and adapt that to this year because suddenly everybody is almost half a second or more faster than last year.

«Records are being destroyed pretty much everywhere, even if the track conditions were not super perfect, like in Portugal.

«And the race total time is much faster. So, yes, we have some things we would like to try but we have to put this [increase in speeds] into the equation to see if it’s matching.»

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Lamborghini not concerned over Le Mans reliability despite rain-interrupted test

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The track was wet for the majority of the three days of testing at Portimao for the single long-distance test scheduled by Lamborghini and its Iron Lynx factory squad ahead of the double-points round of the World Endurance Championship on 15-16 June, team principal Andrea Piccini has revealed. 

But the ability of the new-for-2024 Lambo SC63 to go the distance without significant issues on its first appearances in the WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America has allayed any fears over reliability, he insisted. 

“There was a lot of rain and it was not ideal,” Piccini said of the test at the Portuguese Algarve circuit on 26-28 March. 

“But we don’t think it will be a problem: we’ve finished a 10-hour WEC race at Qatar and a 12-hour IMSA race at Sebring, so the reliability seems good,” he said.

“I don’t think reliability is the problem; more important for us is to work on the performance of the car — that is our focus right now.”

The SC63’s race finishes on debut at Qatar and then at Sebring in 13th and seventh positions respectively were followed up by another clean run on the way to 12th position in last weekend’s Imola WEC race. 

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo

Piccini explained that the WEC schedule does not allow time for another endurance run before Le Mans, when Iron Lynx’s solo WEC entry will be joined by the SC63 competing in three of the IMSA enduros this year. 

“After Portimao we had to get ready for Imola and then we are into Spa [round three of the 2024 WEC on 11 May] and after that it will all be about preparing the cars for Le Mans,” he said. 

Piccini did not put a figure on the mileage the Lambo achieved at Portimao’s Algarve circuit, but he stressed that the test was still of value. 

“Quite often you have to race in the rain at Le Mans,” he said. “We did get some dry laps, probably about a third of the running.”

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Five of Lamborghini’s roster of LMDh drivers were present at Portimao, with Romain Grosjean absent courtesy of his IndyCar commitments with Juncos Hollinger Racing. 

Piccini confirmed that Iron Lynx and Lamborghini have abandoned the plan outlined on the launch of the SC63 last year to field its IMSA car alongside its regular WEC entry in Austin at the beginning of September.

He pointed out that there would unlikely be room for an additional entry at a circuit with one of the smaller pit garage allocations on the WEC schedule, adding that it would also be difficult for the team to run a second car. 

“Doing Le Mans with two cars is already difficult in our first year, so it is not in plan now,” he said. 



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Заявка на патент Canon: еще один двойной объектив «рыбий глаз» формата APS-C

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Когда количество патентных заявок начинает набирать обороты, у меня всегда возникает ощущение, что, возможно, это знак того, что Canon собирается что-то сделать. Имейте в виду, Canon троллил меня этим в прошлом, так что все возможно. Вот еще одна патентная заявка, в которой обсуждается двойной «рыбий глаз» APS-C. […]

Статья «Заявка на патент Canon: еще одна камера APS-C Dual Fisheye» впервые появилась на канале Canon Rumors.



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Ещё одна команда Формулы 1 может получить нового титульного спонсора

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Ещё одна команда Формулы 1 может сменить своё название в связи с появлением титульного спонсора. Сообщается, что о возвращении в чемпионат мира размышляет международная платёжная система Mastercard, которая была представлена в гонках Формулы 1 в 90-е годы, но в современности не имеет связей с серией, однако хочет их восстановить.

По информации Sport Business, компания рассматривает возможность титульного спонсора одной из команд. Фаворитом в борьбе за крупную поддержку является McLaren, с которым за партнёра конкурируют Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG и Ferrari, однако три последних претендуют на спонсорство более низкого уровня, чтобы не менять название команды.

Напомним, гоночная команда MasterCard Lola Formula One Racing Team участвовала в Формуле 1 в 1997 году. История коллектива продлилась одну гонку — на Гран При Австралии команда не смогла пройти квалификацию и свернула свой проект.



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Mercedes taking action to cure F1 car’s “underlying balance” problem

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The German manufacturer has endured a challenging start to the 2024 campaign, with its W15 showing flashes of speed but struggling to deliver consistency through race weekends.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have battled a ‘knife-edge’ feeling at times, as Mercedes has failed to nail a set-up that exploits the potential that it believes is locked in the car.

While the team is hopeful that an aerodynamic upgrade package scheduled for the next race in Miami will bring an overall lift to its performance, the squad is also in tandem planning other changes to its car over the next few grands prix.

Speaking in the team’s regular post-race video debrief, technical director James Allison has revealed the upcoming introduction of new parts are specifically targeted at making the car handle much better.

“We’ve got upgrade packages coming to the car but also components that we hope will rectify the underlying balance that is causing us difficulty,” he said, reflecting on another up-and-down weekend at the Chinese GP.

“Much as it’s painful to talk in this way after a weekend like this, I just have to remember that there’ll be races in the future when we’ve executed those things, when we’re back more on the front foot and when we’re progressing, where the pleasure of talking about it will be massive, and that day can’t come soon enough.”

James Allison, Technical Director, Mercedes-AMG

James Allison, Technical Director, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Erik Junius

Allison said that while the team delivered a well-executed race in China to bring home a double points finish, the overall performance was far from the high standards that he and Mercedes expected.

“We’ve had something of a front-limited car all year, especially in the lower-speed corners, and that was really amped up to 11 this weekend,” he said.

“Once you’ve got front tyres that don’t want to go around the corner, that means the drivers have to wait an eon to get on the power on the exit of the corner, you haemorrhage lap time there.

“In extremis, actually to make the car go around the corner, they have to boot it around the corner with the throttle to loosen up the rear end somewhat, and that kills the rear tyres so you end up overheating on the rear as a result of being front-limited.

“It’s no pleasure at all to be taken from a weekend which, even though competently executed and well driven by both guys – no pleasure at all when the hardware itself is not where it needs to be or should be.

“Of course, the challenge that we face in the coming races is to try and move both the set-up of the car and also the pieces that we bring to the car so that that’s improved.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Allison said that going into Miami, Mercedes also needed to change its approach to mid-weekend set-up changes, with both drivers having made big shifts from the China sprint into the main grand prix, which did not deliver the step forward hoped for.

“We definitely learnt during this weekend that if you’re going to be ambitious, be ambitious in the sprint race and then tune it down for the main race rather than the opposite way around,” he said.

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“Hopefully we’ll land a car in a better place, that the upgrades that we’re going to bring to Miami serve us well in a grid that in qualifying at least is really close.

“Around the part of the battle we’re fighting, a few hundredths can make a difference sometimes and a couple of tenths would make all the difference in the world. So, looking forward to seeing how that all plays out.”

Watch: Who Are The Key Players In The F1 2025 Driver Market



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Заявка на патент Canon: камера с внутренним механизмом наклона

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Компания Canon исследовала множество методов более автоматизированного наклона: от электронного управления объективом до этой патентной заявки (2024-057829), в которой движение наклона контролируется внутри самой камеры. Компания Canon в этом патенте демонстрирует технику, позволяющую наклонять датчик, сохраняя при этом […]

Статья «Заявка на патент Canon: камера с внутренним наклоном» впервые появилась на сайте Canon Rumors.



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«Он принял верное решение». Росберг – о переходе Хэмилтона в Ferrari

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Чемпион мира Формулы 1 2016 года Нико Росберг убеждён, что Льюис Хэмилтон принял верное решение, подписав контракт с Ferrari.

В то время как Red Bull остается доминирующей силой, Ferrari занимает уверенное второе место в Кубке конструкторов, после пяти этапов отставая на 44 очка. Mercedes же находится на четвёртой строчке, уступив действующим чемпионам уже 143 очка.

«Это стало огромным сюрпризом, – сказал Росберг в эфире Sky о переходе Хэмилтона. – Никто этого не ожидал. Но если посмотреть на ситуацию в целом, то почему бы и нет? Дело близится к концу его карьеры. Есть две легендарные команды – Mercedes и Ferrari – и я знаю, что Льюис всегда был большим поклонником дорожных автомобилей Ferrari. Так почему бы не сделать этот шаг и не получить другой опыт за рулём красной машины?

Сейчас кажется, что с точки зрения производительности это было правильное решение. Возможно, он сделал ещё один удивительный шаг, как и 12 лет назад, перейдя из McLaren в Mercedes. McLaren в то время выигрывала гонки, а Mercedes была нигде, но в тот момент, когда он сменил команду, всё изменилось. Возможно, Льюис снова покажет чудеса тайминга».



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