The Wizard Of OZ - F1 Qualifying In Australia

Jenson Button took his first pole position in three years at the Australian Grand Prix, as Brawn GP utterly dominated qualifying on its debut. Image Credit: BBC

The Wizard Of OZ - F1 Qualifying In Australia

World famous British businessman, Richard Branson, stepped up and threw his sponsorship muscle behind one of the more promising F1 ventures to come along in this era of slick tires and modified areodynamics.

Virgin Group has become the first major sponsor of the Formula 1, Mercedes-powered, Brawn GP team. It is not a title sponsorship deal and the team's official name will remain unchanged for now.

Branson, who had been linked with a takeover of the former Honda team recently, said that moves to cut costs in the sport and a push by the American Gevo company, in which Virgin is investing, to come up with a clean fuel for the sport were contributing reasons for his decision to jump into F1 team sponsorship.

"I am very, very excited to be here today," said Branson, who had flown direct from London after agreeing the deal. "A few weeks ago I said that there were two preconditions for us to get involved with F1.

One was that the costs of F1 should come down. It was just too expensive to get enough new entrants into the sport, and the second one was that F1 should be spear-heading a clean-fuel revolution.", said Bransom at the announcement ceremony at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.

Branson's pledge of sponsorship support was soon rewarded, in that, the two drivers that pilot the Mercedes-powered Brawn GP machines placed the cars in P1 and P2 during qualifying for the OZ Grand Prix event to be run tomorrow.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello confirmed the pace showed previously in testing, with the Briton, Button securing pole position ahead of the Brazilian, Barrichello ... and with rival teams admitting Brawn GP's cars were simply out of reach.

The Brawn team raced as Honda last season but secured their survival with Mercedes engines only at the beginning of this month following Honda's decision to quit F1 because of the global financial crisis. From Saturday, the Virgin logo was added to the previously unbranded white cars - and a new colour scheme will be unveiled at next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix. Image Credit: BBC

This excerpted and edited from autosport.com -

Button leads all-Brawn front row in Oz
By Matt Beer, autosport.com - Saturday, March 28th 2009, 07:03 GMT

Jenson Button took his first pole position in three years at the Australian Grand Prix, as Brawn GP utterly dominated qualifying on its debut.

Rubens Barrichello led Button in a Brawn one-two in both Q1 and Q2, with a clear margin over their rivals in each session.

But in the pole position shoot-out it was Button who emerged on top, beating Barrichello to first place by 0.305 seconds.

Button had taken provisional pole by half a second on his first run, before being briefly deposed by his teammate, but he was able to redress the balance moments later.

Although Brawn GP is effectively a renamed Honda operation, it is officially classed as a new team - which makes today's result the first time a new entrant has taken pole for its debut since the factory Mercedes-Benz team in the 1954 French GP.

The grid line-up was strikingly different to the previous season's form, with Red Bull and Williams among Brawn's main rivals, Ferrari near the foot of the top ten, and the McLarens 14th and 15th.
Reference Here>>

How the field sets up after penalties (the two Toyota cars that originally placed P6-Glock and P8-Trulli, will have to start from the back of the grid for having rear wing elements that were too flexible)

Melbourne results (BBC) -

Final Qualifying
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Position Country Driver Car number Team Qualifying time
1 great britain Jenson Button 22 Brawn-Mercedes 1:26.202
2 brazil Rubens Barrichello 23 Brawn-Mercedes 1:26.505
3 germany Sebastian Vettel 15 Red Bull-Renault 1:26.830
4 poland Robert Kubica 5 BMW Sauber 1:26.914
5 germany Nico Rosberg 16 Williams-Toyota 1:26.973
6 brazil Felipe Massa 3 Ferrari 1:27.033
7 finland Kimi Raikkonen 4 Ferrari 1:27.163
8 australia Mark Webber 14 Red Bull-Renault 1:27.246
9 germany Nick Heidfeld 6 BMW Sauber 1:25.504
10 spain Fernando Alonso 7 Renault 1:25.605
11 japan Kazuki Nakajima 17 Williams-Toyota 1:25.607
12 finland Heikki Kovalainen 2 McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.726
13 switzerland Sebastien Buemi 12 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.503
14 brazil Nelson Piquet Jr 8 Renault 1:26.598
15 italy Giancarlo Fisichella 21 Force India-Mercedes 1:26.677
16 germany Adrian Sutil 20 Force India-Mercedes 1:26.742
17 france Sebastien Bourdais 11 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.964
18 great britain Lewis Hamilton 1 McLaren-Mercedes
19 germany Timo Glock 10 Toyota
20 italy Jarno Trulli 9 Toyota

After this qualifying performance from Brawn GP, backed by the Virgin Group's timely sponsorship ... Richard Branson can now be called, for the moment, the Wizard of OZ.

... notes from The EDJE

F1 Season Begins For The Toyota TF109

The TF109 - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

F1 Season Begins For The Toyota TF109

Yesterday marked the first day Panasonic Toyota Racing debut its new sled that will campaign for the title of the 2009 Formula 1 open wheel motorsports racing season.

The team's eighth season in Formula 1 sees major rule changes so the new TF109, revealed exclusively on www.tf109-premiere.com, looked considerably different to its predecessor, featuring wider front wings and narrower rear wings among other modifications.

The test, yesterday, completed an exhaustive development process which began in October 2007, when the 2009 regulations were confirmed. The TF109 began pre-season testing at Algarve Motor Park in Portugal.

Despite the TF109's fundamentally different appearance, Panasonic Toyota Racing's ambitious goals remain, as Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina states: "Our target this year is to fight to win the first race for Toyota in Formula 1."

Kamui Kobayashi in the garage at Algarve Motor Park Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

The significant progress shown in 2008, when the team hit its targets of returning to the podium and significantly increasing its points total, has bred confidence.

Panasonic Toyota Racing achieved two podiums, one front row start and, with 56, scored more points than in 2006 (35pts) and 2007 (13pts) combined. A Toyota was in the top 10 on the starting grid for 14 of the 18 Grands Prix, finishing in the points 12 times, with nine top-six finishes.

President John Howett says: "We have gained a huge amount of knowledge and improved considerably. There are many elements of our team which are at the very highest level so the challenge now is to fill any gaps and ensure the entire organisation is performing at the very top. Then we must put all the elements together and deliver the success we are all fighting so hard for."

Kamui Kobayashi leaves the garage in the new TF109 at Algarve Motor Park - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

This excerpted and edited from the Panasonic Toyota Racing team website -

THE SEASON STARTS HERE
Portimao Test - Day 1 - Monday 19 January 2009
Location: Algarve Motor Park, Portimao, Portugal
Drivers: Kamui Kobayashi

Panasonic Toyota Racing got its 2009 testing programme underway today at a new venue for the team; the Algarve Motor Park in Portugal. Kamui Kobayashi was at the wheel for the first pre-season tests of the TF109, which was unveiled for the first time on www.tf109-premiere.com last week. After conducting a successful and trouble-free roll-out of the TF109 yesterday, Kamui continued to work on the team's kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), which is being used on track for the first time this week, as well as performing systems checks and gathering information about the new car. Unfortunately, wind and rain, particularly in the afternoon, disrupted the programme. Jarno Trulli takes over from Kamui tomorrow.

Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

Kamui Kobayashi - Chassis TF109-02
Best Lap Time: 1min 50.989s
Position: 5th
Total laps: 46
"Today has gone well and I am happy with the new car. It has been an interesting experience to drive with KERS for the first time and we are understanding more about the system all the time. This is my first time driving at this track and I have to say I am very impressed; the lay-out is really exciting and quite challenging for a driver. The weather was far from ideal, especially in the afternoon, so that meant we could not spend as much time on track as we planned."

Kamui Kobayashi in the new TF109 taking a corner at Algarve Motor Park - Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis
"It is always a very exciting moment to see your new car begin pre-season testing and that is especially true this year after such a significant regulation change. Overall I am very pleased with the initial results from the TF109 and I believe we have good reason for optimism. Of course, it is very difficult to make comparisons to the other teams in the winter, and that is particularly true when the weather is not very good. In addition to the usual challenges of testing a new car, we worked with the KERS system again today. This is a new technology to Formula 1 so there is a huge amount to learn but our hard work in the factory meant we were quite well prepared for this first test and we have collected a lot of important information."
Reference Here>>

Cost-saving is high on the Formula 1 agenda and Panasonic Toyota Racing in the design of the TF109 was committed to reducing expenditure while maintaining the sport as the pinnacle of motor racing.

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have agreed significant reductions for 2009, including a ban on in-season testing, wind tunnel restrictions and factory closures for six weeks a year.

So, heading into a fascinating Formula 1 season, Panasonic Toyota Racing is completely committed to success on and off the track. The 2009 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March, while the 17th and final race is the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November.

... notes from The EDJE

NIGHT MOVES: F1 Racing After Dark in Singapore

Image Credit: From Video - Toyota Motorsports [Ctrl/Click to launch video]

NIGHT MOVES: F1 Racing After Dark in Singapore
Friday 19 September 2008
(from digitial and video assets supplied by Toyota Motorsports)

Panasonic Toyota Racing takes a step into the unknown this weekend with the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. Not only is this the first time the city state has hosted the Formula 1 World Championship, it is also the first time a Grand Prix has been held at night.

Singapore off of the tip of Malaysia - Image Credit: thecommonwealth.org

The island of Singapore lies on the southern tip of the Malayan peninsula and, with an area of just over 700 square kilometres, it is the third smallest state to host a Grand Prix, after Monaco and Bahrain, but with over 4million inhabitants, it is a bustling metropolis.

The new circuit, which is 5.067km long and features 23 corners, is located in the Marina Bay area of Singapore City and includes iconic landmarks such as the Singapore Flyer big wheel, the Esplanade and Raffles Boulevard.

Anderson Bridge as seen in the daytime - Formula One cars will be crossing a portion of the inner bay in Singapore. Image Credit: lousynickseven.spaces.live.com

The lay-out is not just spectacular, it also features several unusual characteristics - the drivers will travel over Anderson Bridge, under a grandstand and through the 300km/h turn six; claimed to be the fastest corner on a Formula 1 street circuit.

That cocktail of glamour, novelty and challenge brings an obvious comparison to another street circuit. "It can definitely be the Monaco of the east because of the character of this street circuit," says Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis at Panasonic Toyota Racing. "But it could be also the Nürburgring of the east because we are talking about 23 corners, which starts to sound like the old Nürburgring!"

The Formula One (F1) Singapore Grand Prix street circuit - The 5.067km long street circuit, consisting of 14 left hand turns and 10 right hand turns offers a number of overtaking opportunities, challenging corners and gruelling sections that will test the true capabilities of the F1 drivers. The F1 Singapore Grand Prix is the first Formula One street race in Asia and is one of three races in the 2008 F1 calendar to run anticlockwise. Top Image Credit: funandfreewheeling.wordpress.com - Caption and Bottom Image Credit: Singapore Tourism Board

Jarno Trulli concurs, although as a driver his priority is to understand the finer points of the lay-out in order to get maximum performance out of his TF108. "I've seen the plans and the Grand Prix looks amazing so far, although you always need to drive the track first before having a proper idea of it," he says.

"You need to understand the corners and the speeds so you know more about the set-up and the kind of downforce we are going to run. It is a new challenge because we don't know the track or the conditions so it will be interesting."

The race consists of an estimated 61 laps with 24 turns consisting of 14 left turns and 10 right turns. Top speeds in excess of 300kph are easily reached at the pit straights and the slowest corners allow the drivers to only reach speeds of 80-100kph. Overtaking opportunities are available at turn 1 at the Pit Straight, turn 7 at the Raffles Boulevard and turn 15 at Esplanade Drive. Total race distance is 308.95 km which is subjected to FIA confirmation. It should also be noted that the start and finish lines are not in the same place so the race distance is shorten than a 61 x 5.067km calculation. The start line is at the beginning of the straight, while the finish line is somewhere close to the middle of the straight. Caption Credit: lousynickseven.spaces.live.com Image Credit: Singtel Singapore GP Simulator Onboard Lap [Ctrl/Click to launch video simulator]

Despite the incredible location, it is the novelty of racing at night which has created a wave of anticipation in Formula 1 circles.

Many team members at Panasonic Toyota Racing have experience of competing at night from the team's adventures in the Le Mans 24 Hours, while others, such as Timo Glock, have experienced it elsewhere in their careers.

Unlike at Le Mans, the TF108s will not be equipped with headlights; instead around 1,500 lights have been installed around the entire track to ensure near-daylight conditions for the drivers. Timo raced under lights during his Champ Car season in 2005, when he finished eighth in a 400km race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so he is more prepared than most of his rivals for the challenge ahead.

"The main issue is that you are driving at a different time of day," explains Timo. "Normally you would be resting in an evening but in Singapore the race will start at 8pm. They will give us as much light as possible but as it is a night race I don't expect it will be like daylight in every corner. That is fine though.

"Driving at night is a fun experience and it is definitely a really good show for the fans; that is the most important thing."

For the drivers, adapting to the different timetable is the key issue but for other team members that is just part of the conundrum of racing at night. An observation team of engineers and logistics experts visited Singapore in July to witness a lighting test and study the impact artificial lights will have on team operations.

Singapore skyline at night - trackside Image Credit: lousynickseven.spaces.live.com

"We have looked at different things," says Chief Engineer Race and Test Dieter Gass. "We have looked at a pit board for example which is visible at night and we have to make sure everything is visible in the garage and on the pit wall. Also the display on the steering wheel might need to be different because normally it has to be quite bright in order to be visible on a sunny day."

Panasonic Toyota Racing has devoted a lot of energy to minimising the effect on team members of the unique timetable, which is the single biggest logistical challenge of the new circuit. "That has been the biggest concern," reveals Team Manager Richard Cregan. "All the other logistical matters are pretty much the same as with any other flyaway race.

"We have worked closely with the FIA and FOM in deciding the timetable and we have worked internally to come up with an appropriate daily schedule because you can't have guys starting work at 8am and leaving at 3am; that would not be fair. So we have come up with solutions to shift the whole working day later."

It is not simply the absence of daylight and the unusual timetable which could create a challenge in Singapore. On September evenings in Singapore the humidity of the day often breaks with heavy rain while teams will experience the unusual situation of air and track temperatures falling during the course of the race and practice sessions.

"I think for us the biggest challenge will be the temperature," says President John Howett. "The surface temperature of the track will be very low and normally Formula 1 tyres work best in higher temperatures. Then of course at that time of year there's a high probability of rain. So we will face difficulty with temperature, made worse possibly by heavy rain. Night racing is a challenge but we're a team that has come from Le Mans so we should be able to handle that quite easily."

So, the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix presents more challenges than any other race on the calendar, but Panasonic Toyota Racing has left no stone unturned in its preparations, giving Jarno and Timo the platform to fight once again for the podium. And that would be the perfect preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway next month.

... notes from The EDJE

Former CCWS Rookie-Of-The-Year Captures P2 Podium In Hamburg

Timo Glock with the "Sharkfin" cowling at The Hungaroring - Caption found at Atlas F1 Bulletin Board - toyota could of won this race /// used tyres glock qualified with otherwise front row start /// pit stop screw up 14 seconds losing 7 seconds extra /// 2nd place and only 7.1 secs behind the winner /// and timo lost 4 seconds behind massa, when he pitted and came right in front of glock. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

Former CCWS Rookie-Of-The-Year Captures P2 Podium In Hamburg

Timo Glock, Panasonic Toyota’s new #2 driver to Jarno Trulli for the 2008 Formula One open wheel racing season, had a race to remember at the Hamburg Grand Prix.

Weekend before last, Timo suffered a terrible accident at Hockenheim that sent him to the hospital for observation. He was released and cleared to race just this last Thursday and on Saturday, qualified in position five on the grid for the The Hungarian Grand Prix at The Hungaroring racing circuit, Hungary.

Timo Glock faces the press after his P5 qualifying position on the grid for The Hungarian Grand Prix. This represents the best qualifying effort in F1 by this former 2005 ChampCar World Series (CCWS) Rookie-Of-The-Year racing for Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports team. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

This excerpted from autosport.com –

Lewis Hamilton put himself in the perfect position to score a third consecutive win by claiming a commanding pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver held a comfortable 0.4-second advantage over the rest of the field after his first Q3 flying lap, and although his rivals closed in, he managed to improve to 1:20.899 to secure the 10th pole of his Formula One career.

Hamilton will lead an all-McLaren front row after his teammate Heikki Kovalainen vaulted on to the outside of the front row with his last lap, having previously languished back in ninth.

Felipe Massa salvaged Ferrari honour in third place, as Kimi Raikkonen could only manage sixth place following another low-key performance.

BMW's Robert Kubica completed the second row, but his teammate Nick Heidfeld had another disastrous qualifying session. His first Q1 flying lap was only good enough for 15th place, and he was rapidly pushed into the elimination zone and then hit traffic on his second run, leaving him 16th and gesturing in frustration at Sebastien Bourdais.

Toyota's Timo Glock was the sensation of the qualifying session - earning an F1 career-best fifth on the grid, four places clear of teammate Jarno Trulli.
Reference Here>>

This excerpted from a Panasonic Toyota press release –

Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)

Summary: Quick throughout, his best ever qualifying in F1 PROVISIONAL GRID: 5th

FP3 3rd Best Lap Time: 1m 20.623s (+0.395s) Laps: 21

Q1 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 19.980s (+0.604s) Laps: 10

Q2 2nd Best Lap Time: 1m 19.246s (+0.178s) Laps: 6

Q3 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.326s (+0.427s) Laps: 8

"That was a very good qualifying session for me and I'm obviously delighted. We made a good start in first practice yesterday. The team did a good job overnight and we made the right choice over set-up. It wasn't easy today because we had a very tight choice over tyres so we had to make a close decision for every lap. But in the end my engineers stayed cool and got it right. In Q2 the car felt perfect. Then on the very last lap it was a bit trickier again because the tyres didn't behave quite as well, but I'm happy with P5. We are in a great situation for tomorrow. It's good for all of us and after Hockenheim this is the perfect answer for the faith I have in the whole team."
(ht: Toyota Motorsports)

The race starts, and in the first corner, Hamilton is resigned to P2 due to a fantastic start by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa from P3 to P1 in the first corner. Timo Glock following directly behind Massa passes BMW's Robert Kubica to take P4 where he maintains position until 43 laps of the 70 scheduled laps had been run. So, with 27 laps to go the race commentary notation picks up as follows:

LAP 27 / 70
Hamilton suffers a tire failure. Timo Glock is rewarded with a chance at a podium position

LAP26 / 70
Glock responds by setting fastest lap of the race (as per race announcer Bob Varsha)

LAP25 / 70
Ferrari’s Massa makes an insurance pitstop

LAP23 / 70
Toyota’s Glock makes final pitstop and is good to go to the end

LAP19 / 70
Kimi Reikonen leaps over Alonso at the final pitstop

LAP18 / 70
Radio communication to Timo Glock - “You are 50 seconds ahead of the next closest car that can go to the end on fuel” - Translation? It is all up to you to finish on the podium

LAP15 / 70
Massa, who has never finished above sixth in his previous F1 runs at Hamburg, is poised to win it all – will move into a 3 point lead over Hamilton in the driver points lead if the current running order holds

LAP12 / 70
Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren-Mercedes too far behind to challenge Massa for the lead

LAP11 / 70
Kimi M. Raikkonen is on a terror, sets fastest lap after getting by Renault’s Alonso for P4

LAP4 / 70
Hungarboring will see a great finish – Raikkonen running in fourth is setting his sights on Glock for third

LAP3 / 70
Race leader Massa has his Ferrari engine blow-up. Keiki Kovalainen in his McLaren-Mercedes inherits the lead

Final Lap / Checkered Flag
Kovalainen Wins his first F1 race, Timo Glock finishes in second after starting fifth, Kimi Raikkonen hangs on to capture third, Alonzo fourth, Hamilton fifth.

Digital camera image of Timo Glock during the post race Podium interview session from SPEED Channel cable television broadcast. Said Timo after the P2 finish, "What an incredible feeling. I couldn't believe it when I saw Felipe's engine go and I was P2. To get such a good result in my first year is fantastic so a huge thank you to all the team, including the engineers, mechanics and everyone at the factory. I knew from qualifying that we had good speed and we've looked strong all weekend. Today I made a good start and gained a place into the first corner. I had a really good car and everything went perfectly until the last stint on the soft tyres. I was struggling a lot and soon I had Kimi behind me. But I knew from last year here in GP2, when I was stuck in the midfield in a really good car, how hard it is to pass here. So when I saw him in the mirrors I knew I couldn't afford any mistakes. This result more than makes up for Hockenheim and now we must keep picking up regular points until the end of the season." Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (EDJE) 2008

This report from autosport.com -

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Hungarian Grand Prix
The Hungaroring, Hungary;
70 laps; 306.663km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1h37:27.067
2. Glock Toyota (B) + 11.061
3. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) + 16.856
4. Alonso Renault (B) + 21.614
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 23.048
6. Piquet Renault (B) + 32.298
7. Trulli Toyota (B) + 36.449
8. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 48.321
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 58.834
10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1:07.709
11. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) + 1:10.407
12. Button Honda (B) + 1 lap
13. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
14. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
15. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap
16. Barrichello Honda (B) + 2 laps
17. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 3 laps
18. Massa Ferrari (B) + 3 laps

World Championship standings, round 11:

Drivers:
1. Hamilton 62
2. Raikkonen 57
3. Massa 54
4. Kubica 49
5. Heidfeld 41
6. Kovalainen 38
7. Trulli 22
8. Alonso 18
9. Webber 18
10. Glock 13
11. Piquet 13
12. Barrichello 11
13. Rosberg 8
14. Nakajima 8
15. Vettel 6
16. Coulthard 6
17. Button 3
18. Bourdais 2

Constructors:
1. Ferrari 111
2. McLaren-Mercedes 100
3. BMW Sauber 90
4. Toyota 35
5. Renault 31
6. Red Bull-Renault 24
7. Williams-Toyota 16
8. Honda 14
9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 8
Reference Here>>

On another note, several teams experienced fuel filling and leaking problems during pitstops in the race. Some teams had fires that had to be put out and it was theorized that because the ambient temperature at the track combined with the very tight tolerances of the fueling equipment coupling itself may have led to an improper fit of the fueling mechanism to the car.

The FIA will investigate.

... notes from The EDJE

Panasonic F1 T108 Mid-Season Assessment Review

Panasonic Toyota Racing Team at the French Grand Prix – celebrating a podium finish of their T108 driven by Jarno Trulli. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

Panasonic F1 T108 Mid-Season Assessment Review

Toyota Motorsport releases a video review of the effort and success of the Panasonic T108 in competition in this 2008 season.

With ten of eighteen races contested, some of the projected pre-season goals have been met, but more has to be done in order to remain the leader team of the "mid-pack" teams.

This explaination of the video package from Toyota Motorsport -

Panasonic Toyota Racing - 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix Feature: MID-SEASON
[Source: Toyota Motorsport - 28-Jul-2008]

With ten Grands Prix of the 2008 FIA Formula 1 World Championship already completed, Panasonic Toyota Racing takes a look at a successful season so far.

Jarno Trulli has been in impressive form, with a best result of third in the French Grand Prix, while new team-mate Timo Glock has adjusted quickly to the TF108 and took fourth place in Canada.

With eight Grands Prix remaining, the team is fourth in the Constructors' Championship.

Available video includes soundbites of the Panasonic Toyota Racing team on the progress of the 2008 season and general views of the first half of the 2008 Formula 1 season.

... notes from The EDJE

2009 IndyCar Series Schedule - Highlighted & Announced

The IndyCar Series in DIRECTV HD today announced its 2009 schedule featuring 18 races, including two new destinations, bookend dates for the state of Florida marking changes to the season-opening and closing venues, and expanding the season-long championship by a month.

In its continuing effort to offer competitors one of the most diverse challenges in all of motorsports, the 2009 schedule features 10 oval races, three permanent road courses and five temporary circuits and includes all but one venue that hosted the IndyCar Series in 2008.

Highlighting the 2009 IndyCar Series schedule:

The season opener will be run through the streets of St. Petersburg , Fla. , on April 5.

The season-finale moves to Homestead-Miami Speedway and will be run on Oct. 11 with the speedway and series developing a championship weekend celebration, extending the IndyCar Series season a month longer than the previous two seasons.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be run on April 19, marking the IndyCar Series’ debut at the 35-year-old event that has hosted F1, CART and Champ Car races as its premier event.

The IndyCar Series will debut in Toronto on July 12. The Indy Toronto, which dates to 1986, will be the first of back-to-back temporary course events in Canada with Edmonton scheduled for July 26.

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will shift from July to Aug. 9, allowing the series to break up what was six consecutive weeks of racing in 2008. With this date change, the Kentucky Speedway event will move one week earlier to Aug. 1.

The Raceway at Belle Isle Park and Chicagoland Speedway are exchanging weekends, with Chicagoland running on Saturday evening Aug. 29 and the temporary street event in Detroit running Sept. 6.

The Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan is shifting to Sept. 19 after running in April since 2003.

The IndyCar Series will be a part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Centennial Celebration with the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race scheduled for May 24.

The IndyCar Series will return to Kansas Speedway, The Milwaukee Mile, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway , Richmond International Raceway, Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway at approximately the same time on the calendar as 2008.

“We are thrilled with the schedule we have developed for 2009,” said Terry Angstadt, the president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. “When unification was announced earlier this year, we talked about the opportunity of developing future schedules on a blank piece of paper, and with today’s announcement we have a solid foundation for developing a consistent, long-term schedule for the IndyCar Series.”

Next season’s schedule will feature four Saturday prime-time events, and unlike the previous two seasons the 2009 schedule affords a couple more in-season off-weekends for drivers and teams.

“Looking ahead to 2009, and with one season of unification under our belts, we know that the IndyCar Series continues to offer the most diverse schedule in all of motorsports,” said Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations division for the Indy Racing League.

“As our schedule has evolved in the past few years, the race for the IndyCar Series championship has become one that demands the ability of both drivers and teams to master a variety of venues and the challenges each one brings with the end result being a true champion.

We are also pleased to respond to our teams and offer a couple of more off-weekends during the core of the season.” , concluded Barnhart.

The complete 2009 IndyCar Series schedule:

Date – Location - Venue Length & Type

Sunday, April 5 - Streets of St. Petersburg - 1.8-mile street course

Sunday, April 19 - Streets of Long Beach -1.968-mile street course

Sunday, April 26 - Kansas Speedway - 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, May 24 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 2.5-mile oval

Sunday, May 31 - The Milwaukee Mile - 1.0-mile oval

Saturday, June 6* - Texas Motor Speedway - 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, June 21 - Iowa Speedway - .875-mile oval

Saturday, June 27* - Richmond International Raceway - .75-mile oval

Sunday, July 5 - Watkins Glen International - 3.4-mile road course

Sunday, July 12 - Streets of Toronto - 1.721-mile street course

Sunday, July 26 - Edmonton City Centre Airport - 1.973-mile airport course

Saturday, August 1* - Kentucky Speedway - 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, August 9 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - 2.258-mile road course

Sunday, August 23 - Infineon Raceway - 2.245-mile road course

Saturday, August 29* - Chicagoland Speedway - 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, September 6 - The Raceway at Belle Isle Park - 2.906-mile street course

Saturday, September 19 - Twin Ring Motegi - 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, October 11 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - 1.5-mile oval

(*) Denotes Night race

Schedule Subject to Change
(ht: Pacific Coast Motorsports)

... notes from The EDJE

Panasonic Toyota Racing & The Dark Knight at Silverstone

Batmobile Facts: The Batmobile is around 10 feet at its widest point, 15 feet long and 5 feet high. It runs on unleaded fuel and weighs 2.5 tons. The vehicle has six wheels - two in the front, outfitted with sprint car race tires, and four at the back, which utilize monster truck tires. The Batmobile has no front axle. The absence of a front axle enables the Batmobile to make extremely tight turns. It can jump 4 feet to nearly 6 feet and has jumped a distance of nearly 60 feet. Image Credit: F1-Live, DPPI

Panasonic Toyota Racing joined forces with The Dark Knight at Silverstone

Thanks to a partnership between Panasonic Toyota Racing and Warner Bros. Pictures, Hollywood came 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 is set to release in cinemas across the USA this weekend on July 18 and throughout the UK, July 25, 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.

Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers, Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli pictured with the Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles featured in Batman: The Dark Knight Image Credit: F1-Live, DPPI

To mark the release of The Dark Knight, Panasonic Toyota Racing adopted a new look at Silverstone over the British Grand Prix weekend which coincided our 4th of July weekend here in the US. The Dark Knight artwork was featured on the TF108s and the overalls of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, as well as the team's motor home.

Batman logo image overlayed on black painted "winglet" aero package element on the F1 TF108 chassis. Image Credit: XPB

On show at Silverstone were the iconic Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles, while some very special media events brought the excitement of The Dark Knight to life.

The Dark Knight Batmobile (rear view) in for a quick, Formula 1 style pitstop with the team of Panasonic Toyota Racing at Silverstone. Image Credit: F1-Live, DPPI

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German GP 2008 – A Home Run For Timo

Since the season began back in March, Timo has developed a great relationship with the team, who of course work hand in hand with him to get maximum performance from the TF108. Timo won at the circuit as recently as 2006, in his first season of GP2. He has already shown everyone at Panasonic Toyota Racing the talent which saw him crowned GP2 champion in 2007 and his ability and work rate has quickly impressed his team-mates. Image Credit: Panasonic Toyota Racing

German GP 2008 – A Home Run For Timo

Please excuse the baseball reference, but the fact that Timo Glock has had a history driving in ChampCar throughout North America it just felt appropriate.

This excerpted from Wikipedia –

In 2005, Glock shifted his racing career to the United States, racing in the Champ Car World Series with Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports team.

His best finish of the year was a second place finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on August 28, where he was defeated by Oriol Servia.

In the closing laps of the race Glock twice managed to retain the lead over Servia by missing the track's final chicane. As the rules require drivers who blatantly gain or retain a position by driving off the racing surface to give way, Timo was asked to move over by Champ Car officials, and let Servia take the lead. Timo obliged midway through the final lap, giving him enough time to try and take the lead back, but to no avail.

Glock went on to finish 8th in the final season points standings and win Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year honors.
Reference Here>>

This weekend, Timo returns home for the Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Timo Glock (born March 18, 1982 in Lindenfels, Germany) considers Hockenheim a home race for him, and that means not only will he be on familiar territory, he will have plenty of familiar faces to cheer him on as he looks for another points finish. “A lot of friends are coming down and a lot of people I know,” he says. “That makes it quite a special race.”

Of course, the ambition for any racing driver is to win, so it is no surprise Hockenheim is one of Timo’s favorite tracks, with a victory and third place on his last visits, as a GP2 Series driver in 2006 and 2007, adding to an expanding collection of happy memories.

“Every time I’ve been to Hockenheim I have had really good races and I’ve won a few times,” he adds. “It’s one of the best races of the year for me, not just because it’s my local track but also because I have been strong there.”

Not only is Hockenheim a home race for Timo, it is the start of the second half of his first full season as a Formula 1 racer.

So far the balance sheet says nine races and five points, but bare statistics only tell a fraction of the story. Timo has shown strong performance since the very start of the season and only bad luck denied him points on his Panasonic Toyota Racing debut in Australia.

A points finish was also looking certain in Bahrain until gearbox gremlins struck but in Canada he got the break his consistent performances deserved, capping a battling drive with fourth place.

The fight for points is fiercer than ever this season, making it tough for a young driver to regularly finish in the top eight when he must compete against a grid filled with 10 Grand Prix winners, including his experienced and brilliantly quick team-mate Jarno Trulli.

That is a formidable challenge, but one which Timo has risen to since joining the team at the beginning of the year. Formula 1 is more complex than a driver simply sitting behind the wheel and letting his talent do the talking; much more work is required to compete at the top – and that suits Timo the “terrier”.
(ht: Toyota Motorsport GmbH)

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F1's Panasonic Toyota Racing Montreal Reality Check

"Seven point rig" control room where the Panasonic Toyota Racing’s TF108 is put through its simulation paces. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

F1's Panasonic Toyota Racing Montreal Reality Check

In the most recent edition of the run for the world championship of Formula 1 open wheel racing, Canada and the track at Montreal proved to be a study in preparation and strong driving for Toyota.

The drives put on by both Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli of Panasonic Toyota Racing was quite impressive once one realizes that Glock qualified in position 13 and Trulli at 14. In F1, to be able to score any points at the end of the race from these starting positions is very rare especially since in F1, only the top eight finishing positions are awarded points.

It did not hurt that during the race, four cars that qualified ahead of them found trouble on the track and had to bow out due to accidents, but this does not completely explain how Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli were able to move up nine and seven positions respectively.

On track performance, incidents, strategy, and off-track preparation all combine into a perfect storm of performance and this video produced by Toyota gives insight to a form of car preparation beyond the wind tunnel.

This provided by Panasonic Toyota Racing –

Panasonic Toyota Racing – 2008 Canadian Grand Prix Feature: Reality Check

The majestic sight of Panasonic Toyota Racing’s TF108, sweeping through corners at speed, is the public face of Formula 1; but away from the Grand Prix track there is another, hidden world of continuous technical development – a world that increasingly relies on digital simulation.

"I think we live in a digital world now. We have to recognize that; and, in Formula 1, we are pushing the limits of simulation and the utilization of computer power to absolutely understand where the performance can be found in the future. So even if we still use track testing or wind tunnel testing normally, the area we’re looking in is pre-defined by computer simulation. And we’re looking in a fruitful area where we can cultivate performance." states, John Howett, President, Panasonic Toyota Racing.

Simulation technologies are used by many departments within Panasonic Toyota Racing.

For example, in its preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix, the team uses a so-called ‘seven-post rig.’

It’s a sophisticated system of hydraulic rams that can exactly recreate the suspension movements of any of last year’s Grand Prix races.

It’s particularly important for the race in Montreal.

Chief Engineer Race and Test, Panasonic Toyota Racing says, "It’s very important because, contrary to other circuits, you have the chicanes where the more you can ride the kerbs the more you can straight line them, and the more time you're gonna gain. That means if you have a car that handles perfect over the kerbs you take them with you and you're going to gain a lot of speed and lap time, just only in the chicanes which you don’t have to gain on the rest of the circuit."
Reference Here>>

"Seven point rig" contact point at the right front tire in a "Back To The Future" type of ride simulator testing tool. The Panasonic Toyota Racing’s TF108 is put through its simulation paces. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

All of these assets for testing strategies paid off. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve invariably delivers a dramatic race and the combination of on track performance, incidents, strategy, and off-track preparation all combined to deliver a perfect storm of performance for Panasonic Toyota Racing's Montreal (digital) Reality Check with Timo Glock placing fourth and Jarno Trulli a sixth.

AT&T Williams F1 Grand Prix Collection

Image Credit: AT&T Williams

AT&T Williams F1 Grand Prix Collection

On average, Williams F1 builds seven chassis per season. Over a thirty year history, that's a lot of cars, so, what do we do with them?

In a video released by AT&T Williams, the race team takes you behind the scenes at Grove and into their Williams F1 Grand Prix Collection and museum workshop.

Image Credit: AT&T Williams

The collection features the most successful racecars from the 30 years of the team’s history.

Cars shown were driven by Allen Jones, Jacques Villenueve, Nigel Mansell, Juan Pablo Montoya and one experimental chassis that sported a six-wheel design. The "Star" notation next to the chassis nameplate is explained.

"We at AT&T Williams are excited to open our doors and show our fans that building a Formula One car is an exciting, organic process that requires dedication and application from all of our 500-strong team. This programme does just that." commented Scott Garrett, Head of Marketing, Williams F1.
(source: AT&T Williams)

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Toyota - F1 - Monaco - 'Nuff Said

Timo Glock's ride getting worked over in the garage. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

Toyota - F1 - Monaco - 'Nuff Said

Monaco is one of the greatest Formula 1 races of the year. It is an iconic example of taking the most sophisticated motorsports equipment designed by man and racing it on a road street circuit through an environment people live in.

When one watches a driver do a flying lap in Monaco, one knows that they earn their salary for the year, right there.

The Panasonic TF108 with Jarno Trulli at speed. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

As far as the value of an event for spectators, one is confronted with the great atmosphere of being in Monaco. You know, the glitz of it all. The glamour of it all. Combine that with Formula 1 racing and one expects an enthusiasm, a passion, that one would probably not get at any other circuit and event in the world today.

This supplied by the Formula 1 Panasonic Toyota Racing Team as it prepares to compete in the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix -

This released video from the Panasonic Toyota Racing Team includes an edited video piece about the Monaco Grand Prix, with soundbites from Team Manager Richard Cregan, Chief Engineer Race and Test Dieter Gass, Senior General Manager Chassis Pascal Vasselon, and Head of Aerodynamics Mark Gillan.

For nearly 80 years, the Monaco Grand Prix has challenged drivers to tame the tight and twisty streets of the Principality.

Jarno Trulli in the cockpit. Image Credit: Toyota Motorsport

The Panasonic Toyota Racing Team can benefit from driver Jarno Trulli’s experience to face the mental and mechanical challenges the race track features, having won his first Grand Prix in Monaco in 2004. Drivers will need to pay particular attention to the tight curves and the close proximity of the walls next to the track to preserve their racecars' gearboxes, brakes and engines.

ING Race Index: Monaco Formula 1 GP - The top video clips of the week are here

FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2008 - May 22-25, 2008

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Open-Wheel Talent At Daytona 500 In A Big Way

Dario Franchitti's "Car-Of-The-Future" / Dodge Journey Charger - The latest big name open-wheel champion to jump into the waters of NASCAR. Image Credit: Freewheeling Daredevil at Daytona during Speedweeks 2008

Open-Wheel Talent At Daytona 500 In A Big Way

That's right, open-wheel racing talent will be represented at the 50th running of the NASCAR stock car season kickoff Daytona 500 in a big way.

Champions League is what we'll choose to call them here at The EDJE. It’s a league within a league and frankly, these drivers, and their skill coming to the most prolific and commercial of world autosport racing series, NASCAR, is long overdue.

The chasm that had existed in the culture between open-wheel and “stock” car racing series was a little like Television actors not respecting Feature movie actors or either not respecting Broadway actors and visa-versa.

Get over yourselves and do what you all do best – RACE!

Sign of the Times – This 50th anniversary Daytona 500 logo will be seen early and often in the countdown the 2008 running of the “Great American Race.” Image Credit: www7.justmarketing.com

Why is it that only two open-wheel racing team owners are fielding teams at NASCAR, and conversely, NO stock car team owners field teams at Champ Car World Series or Indianapolis Racing League?

Those drivers with recognizable names with ample open-wheel racing experience are as follows (past open-wheel champions in BOLD):

Did Not Qualify - AJ Allmendinger (2004 CCWS Rookie of the Year), Patrick Carpentier (1997-2004 CART, 2005 IRL), Jacques Villeneuve (1995 CART Championship, 1995 Indy 500 winner, 1997 F1 Championship)

Quailfied Car #/Position: Tony Stewart #20/6 (1997 IRL Champion), Casey Mears #5/9 ( 5 CART starts, with one top-5 finish, 3 IRL starts, no top-5 finishes/nephew of four time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears ), Juan Pablo Montoya #42/15 (1999 CART Champion, 2000 Indy 500 Winner,F1), Sam Hornish Jr #77/19 (2001, 2002, 2006 IRL Champion), John Andritti #43/22 (1988 CART Rookie Of The Year [61 top-10s in 74 career races in CART], IRL), Robbie Gordon #7/26 (1992-1999 CART [106 starts], Indy 500 [10 starts] ), Dario Franchitti #40/40 (1997-2002 CART, 2003-2007 IRL, 2007 IRL Champion, 2007 Indy 500 winner)

Starting lineup for the 2008 running of the 50th Daytona 500. Video Credit: nadeau1064

This excerpted from ABC News -

An open-wheel invasion of NASCAR is in full swing for 2008.
By TERRY BLOUNT - Feb. 7, 2008

Since NASCAR's early days, stars of open-wheel racing have occasionally stopped by to visit.

Things have changed. Now they're coming to stay.

The 2008 Daytona 500 will have at least three Indy 500 winners on the starting grid -- Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti. Jacques Villeneuve will make it a historic foursome if he qualifies.

Having Indy 500 winners at Daytona is nothing new. Even 45 years ago, four men who would win Indy competed in the Daytona 500 -- A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Troy Ruttman and Parnelli Jones. But two of them -- Jones and Rutherford -- hadn't accomplished the feat at the time.

The 1981 race was the last time two men with Indy 500 wins on their résumés -- Rutherford and Foyt -- competed in the Daytona 500.

In the past, the big names of Indy were just passing through, racing in NASCAR's biggest show as a little sidelight before heading back to the open cockpit.

And for the most part, they were Americans who sounded the same (well, sort of) and didn't have hard-to-pronounce names. They just happened to spend most of their racing careers in a different discipline.

They could make more money and gain more fame by concentrating on Indy cars. Frankly, the idea of racing full time in NASCAR was laughable.

2008 Daytona 500 Pace Car - Image Credit: z06vette.com

Who's laughing now? Indy-car racing did everything possible to destroy itself over the past decade with two competing leagues and constant feuding.

The open-wheelers are here now because it's the place to be. The men who won the past two Indy 500s -- Hornish and Franchitti -- will race full time in Sprint Cup. Neither will race in the 2008 Indy 500.

Montoya coming to Sprint Cup last year was just the beginning.
----
Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier are Canadians who plan to race full time in Cup this season.

Cup will have four foreign-born drivers competing for the first time. Montoya is Colombian and Franchitti is a Scotsman.

They are bringing attention to the sport from people and places that never cared in the past. But there's also an element of NASCAR's old guard that doesn't like it.
----
NASCAR officials have embraced a "return-to-its-roots" theme for the 2008 season to try to regain the trust of the old-school fans. Obviously, the open-wheel invasion doesn't help sell that concept.

Most of the veteran drivers don't care. The open-wheelers are just other guys they have to beat.

"To me, it makes no difference," said Ryan Newman, Hornish's teammate at Penske Racing. "I was an open-wheel driver [sprint cars] when I came in. I just wasn't an IndyCar driver.

"The bottom line is they're drivers, they're competitors. I don't care whether they're male or female, open-wheel drivers or late-model drivers from the local short track. They will learn if they deserve to be here. In the car owners' and sponsors' eyes, they feel that they are."
----
This is an uphill climb on an icy slope. It's unlikely any of them will enjoy the type of success Montoya had last year when he finished 20th in the standings. Montoya won the road race at Sonoma and had six top-10s.

For now, Montoya is in a league of his own among the open-wheel newbies.
----
Talent isn't always enough. Carpentier and Villeneuve don't have guaranteed spots in the field, racing in cars that never have come close to winning.

Hornish, a three-time IndyCar Series champion, does have a guaranteed spot. He swapped points with teammate Kurt Busch. But Hornish is part of a new third car at Penske with a new crew, an almost certain recipe for struggle.

Franchitti is going to an organization (Ganassi Racing) that hasn't won an oval-track race in five seasons.
----
"It was a tough decision to make," Hornish said. "But I got to a point in my career where I decided this was the next challenge.
----
Money tops the list. NASCAR is their best option for cashing in while they can. Villeneuve and Carpentier are 36. Franchitti is 34. Time is running out.

Another reason is safety. NASCAR has become a much safer form of racing compared to open-wheel cars. Franchitti was lucky to escape unhurt from two terrifying airborne crashes last year en route to the IndyCar Series championship.
----
"I know it's going to be hard," Franchitti said. "But every year since I started racing, I've always asked myself one question at the end of the season: 'Do I still want to do this?' Being in NASCAR is what I really want to do."
Reference Here>>

UPDATE - Post Race Results For "The Champions League" (the league within a league) -

50th Daytona 500 Finish – Video Credit: Mikey2448

The race was won by Ryan Newman, Sam Hornish's teammate on the Roger Penske Racing team. So the race was won by an open-wheel racing series team owner.

Order of finish for those who have open-wheel racing experience:

Tony Stewart - 3, Robby Gordon - 8, Sam Hornish Jr. - 15, Juan Pablo Montoya - 32, Dario Franchitti - 33, Casey Mears - 35, John Andretti - 40
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

Automated Pitstops Not So Far Off …

As seen through the rearview mirror - Robotic arm opens the fuel flap, unscrews cap, inserts nozzel, and fuels car ... all without the driver having to leave the car. Image Credit: Rotec Engineering BV

Automated Pitstops Not So Far Off …

Why not?

Why not automate the pitstops of major autoracing series such as the IRL, ChampCar, F1, A1 GP, NASCAR, or American Le Mans?

The Tankpitstop as it appears at a Shell station fueling island. Image Credit: Rotec Engineering BV

In order to gain a racing advantage edge or level the playing field, we have seen the introduction of traction control, rev limiters, run flat tires, carburetor restrictor plates, turbo pop-off valves, custom control steering wheels (with readouts, shifting paddles, adjustment switches, push-to-pass, and more), full on-track RFID to aid in car track position, and etc.

Fans and enthusiasts have long complained that the driver has been taken out of the racing equation.

Here is a technology that, if perfected, could begin the conversion of the work performed by the pit crew team to a robotic process. This technology would allow the autoracing team pitstop to become an automated process as well.

A trip to the gas station of the future may no longer require the driver to leave the car. Tankpitstop the Robot will do it all for you. Video Credit: Copyright 2008 KahawaFilm (www.kahawa.nl)

This excerpted from Reuters -

Dutch unveil robot to fill car gas tank
Reporting by Alexandra Hudson, editing by Ralph Boulton - Reuters (EMMELOORD, Netherlands) - Mon Feb 4, 2008 - 11:25am EST

Dutch inventors unveiled on Monday a 75,000 euro ($111,100) car-fuelling robot they say is the first of its kind, working by registering the car on arrival at the filling station and matching it to a database of fuel cap designs and fuel types.

The Tankpitstop robotic arm as it inserts the fueling nozzel for a fill up at a neighborhood Shell station. Image Credit: Rotec Engineering BV

A robotic arm fitted with multiple sensors extends from a regular gas pump, carefully opens the car's flap, unscrews the cap, picks up the fuel nozzle and directs it towards the tank opening, much as a human arm would, and as efficiently.

"I was on a farm and I saw a robotic arm milking a cow. If a robot can do that then why can't it fill a car tank, I thought," said developer and petrol station operator Nico van Staveren. "Drivers needn't get dirty hands or smell of petrol again."

He hopes to introduce the "Tankpitstop" robot in a handful of Dutch stations by the end of the year.
----
Asked whether he would trust his car to a robotic garage attendant, Jelger De Kroon, filling his black Alfa Romeo at a nearby gas station, said:

"Why not? I guess I could keep my hands free and clean, but I'd hope they have good insurance."
Reference Here>>

Why not level the playing field and automate the work of the racing team pit crew in competitive racing situations?

With this approach, fan and team complaints could be spread out by taking the pit crew out of the equation and implement fully automated and equalized pitstops. Just kidding …

… notes from The EDJE.