F1: Ecclestone Says No to Electric Engines in the Pit Lane

As you may have already heard, Formula 1’s regulations have been overhauled for the 2014 season with 1.6-liter turbocharged V6s replacing the current 2.4 V8s, while te new cars will also feature a new, more powerful Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).

The whole concept behind FIA’s proposal is that F1 cannot stay behind the times that demand lower fuel consumption and an environmentally-friendly profile.

However, Bernie Ecclestone has discovered what he believes to be a serious flaw in the proposed regulations for 2014. Ecclestone says the article 5.19, which stipulates that cars must run on electric engines alone in the pit lane with no fuel whatsoever sprayed in the V6 gasoline engine, must be crossed out because “people could be killed”.

"Formula One is absolutely not the right place to have electric engine" Ecclestone told the Daily Express.

"It's like having ballet dancers with sneakers. More comfortable, but it doesn't work. There's no way that it will be electric in the pit lane. People could be killed because they won't hear the cars coming," he added.

MRS Racing Team gives Porsche 911 GT3 R

This weekend's ADAC GT Masters racing series at the Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria will see team MRS show off their latest Porsche 911 GT3 R in new colors.

The MRS racing Porsche was prepared by German car wrapping specialist, Cam Shaft, which went for an eye-catching three-tone color theme. You can check out more photos of the car in our gallery after the jump.

New Jersey to Host a Formula 1 Grand Prix

The US could host two Formula 1 races by 2013 if a proposal for a second Grand Prix in New Jersey goes ahead. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, mayors of New Jersey townships Weehawken and West New York are already discussing plans with private investors in order to organize an event in about two years’ time.

The project is about a street circuit on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. And NYC’s skyline would make for a wonderful background. In addition, it relies solely on private investors, so taxpayers will not be asked to pay a penny (or so it is claimed).

"In these uncertain economic times when every direct and indirect revenue source is vital, our own Formula One race could be a very positive boost to our citizens," mayors Richard Turner and Felix Roque said in a joint statement.

The thing is that the US already has a Formula 1 Grand Prix that will be hosted for the first time this year in Austin, Texas. The Big Apple was F1’s mastermind, Bernie Ecclestone, first alternative should the Austin plan fail to materialize.

“It would be in front of Manhattan, with the skyscrapers in the background. Fifteen minutes from the center of New York to the circuit would be marvelous,” said Ecclestone

If the plan receives the green light, it will not be the first time the same country hosts two races in the same year. Germany, Spain and Italy have already set a precedent, although now there are many other cities worldwide fighting for a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Completes its First 24-Hour Endurance Test

McLaren claims it is satisfied with the performance of its new MP4-12C GT3 racer, which entered a 24-hour race for the first time last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. And this despite the fact that from the three cars entered, two factory models retired early and only one run by customer team VonRyan Racing, managed to cross the finishing line.

Car number 59, with project manager Andrew Kirkaldy behind the wheel, came into contact early in the race with another car and as a result hit the wall at Turn 1. Kirkaldy was cleared from the hospital without any injuries.

“The impact was significant. If anything positive can be drawn, it’s that we are delighted to be using the 12C road car’s carbon ‘MonoCell’ chassis in our race car," said Kirkaldy. "It proved here that it is an incredibly robust safety cell for the driver. Just a few hours after the incident, I was back at the circuit with the team.”

The team retired car number 58 voluntarily after what was described as a “thermal incident”. Tim Mullen, who was driving at the time, said that there was a small fire but it was unrelated to any major mechanical failure. The cause of the incident will be investigated by McLaren after the car is returned to the UK.

Finally, car number 60 finished its endurance debut, achieving a very impressive time of 2:23.214 with Adam Christodoulou driving on lap 256.

Chris Goodwin, McLaren GT executive and Chief Test Driver, commented: “The performance of the 12C GT3 and its drivers in car 60 was pleasing. Feedback from the team’s engineers and drivers indicates that the 12C GT3 is meeting its reliability and driveability targets”.

The next step in the MP4-12C GT3's development phase will be at the Blancpain Endurance Series races at Magny-Cours and Silverstone later this year.

Auction Sculpture of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/6 F1 Racecar

Ayrton Senna may have passed away 17 years ago, but the famed three-time Formula One champion from Brazil continues live on in the hearts of many motorsport fans.

The recent documentary film "Senna" directed by Asif Kapadia that depicts his life and death sparked a new interest in anything associated with the Brazilian champion. And what could be more relative than a giant sculpture of Senna's McLaren MP4/6 F1 racer from his last season as World Champion.

The Formula 1 car was dismantled by McLaren in 1992 and was later on given to artist Jay Burridge who turned it into the gigantic “Airfix kit” you see in the pictures.

Now, the sculpture is heading for sale by the International Car auctioneers COYS at their Nurburgring event in Germany on August 13th.

“It really is a fantastic sculpture that would not be out of place in a design or motor museum or on the wall of a corporate office, said Chris Routledge from COYS. "We believe that it will sell for between £30,000 and £50,000 [US$48,800-$81,300]".

F1: Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Report

It's probably getting kind of old, but a Red Bull has once again claimed pole position this year. This time Sebastian Vettel is the one who managed to break teammate Mark Webber's two previous pole positions, while also beating the two McLarens piloted by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to start from the first row of the Hungaroring circuit on Sunday.

The two main contenders for the pole position seemed to be Vettel and Hamilton, and that’s the way the fight ended, with Button and the two Ferraris behind them. However, it’s Felipe Massa who will start from the second row relegating Fernando Alonso, who celebrated both his 30th birthday and 30th race with the Scuderia team, to fifth place.

Mark Webber in the second Red Bull couldn’t match the pace of the front runners, ending up more than half a second slower than Vettel in sixth place.

Mercedes GP put in a solid performance with Nico Rosberg in seventh and Michael Schumacher in ninth place on the grid. It’s just that the 7-times World Champion and the man who has broken almost every record in Formula 1 was beaten (by 0.8 seconds) by his team-mate, but also by a Force India, that of Adrian Sutil.

Scuderia Ferrari's First Visit to the Moscow City

This past Sunday, Russia’s capital city hosted the annual Moscow City Racing event. It was the fourth time in a row that the racing show was organized in Moscow and the first to feature the Ferrari Formula 1 team.

After the press conference, Scuderia Ferrari test driver Giancarlo Fisichella first drove a California in the usual parade, and then last year’s F10 Formula 1 car on the streets of Russian capital.

Fisichella had this to say about the experience of driving a Formula 1 car by the Kremlin walls:

“The organizers have done an amazing job to lay out such an interesting course, which I definitely found more interesting than previous ones of this type that I have driven. You had to be very careful, because the water made the urban streets slippery, but it was really exciting to feel the enthusiasm of the fans as I was driving and they were not put off by the rain, packing the viewing areas around the track.”

Nico Rosberg to Drive Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes W196

Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg will have the chance to drive Juan Manuel Fangio’s legendary 1954 Mercedes W196 at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit next weekend during the German Grand Prix.

The Mercedes W196 was the first Formula 1 car to race with open wheels, coincidentally at Nurburgring, after Fangio faced problems with the "streamlined" bodywork at the British GP. The W196 won the German GP, as well as three other races, in 1954 and another five in 1955.

"Coming to the Nürburgring for the German Grand Prix always feels very special to me," said Rosberg . "This year, I will have the opportunity to drive Juan Manuel Fangio's car from 1954 on the amazing old circuit, and that will be very special."