Back to the F1 liveries history - now with look back to season 2001. This was the last year for Benneton (entered next season as Renault) and Prost (went bankrupt before 2002). It also interesting to see how the Formula 1 sponsors have changed since 2001. Some moved from team to team (Vodafone, Red Bull, FedEx), some have disapeared (Tic-Tac, Orange, HSBC, MasterCard, Deutsche Post / DHL, Parmalat, Acer, Korean Air, Beck’s, Veltlins, and the tobacco …). Only 3 teams from 2001 line up are still on grid today - Ferrari, McLaren and Williams, although Williams have changed their engine suppliers since then (from BMW to Cosworth in 2006 and to Toyota in 2007). How will the grid look 7 years from now …

Ferrari

Ferrari (no tobacco)

McLaren

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

Time for another part of F1liveries series - Season 2002 - the season that started with big bang. The season that should have had 12 teams on the grid after Toyota’s entry into F1. But Prost team disapeared just before the season start and the grid was back to 11 teams. Only 10 teams went on to finish the season - Arrows’ last race was Germany… So similar to 2008 … We should have had 12 teams this year (with Prodrive), but now we only have 10 (Super Aguri gone).

This was also the season when Renault completed their takeover of Benneton and Honda left Jordan to fully focus on BAR Honda project … Here is the look back at the 2002 Formula 1 liveries.

Ferrari

Williams / BMW

McLaren / Mercedes

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

The break between races may be a good time to return the F1 liveries series of posts. Two weeks ago I made an overview of all 2008 liveries but it has been more than half a year since the 2004 liveries post … Here is the look back to 2003 - all ten teams, some alternative tobacco free liveries are also featured. For more F1 liveries of the past check the F1 Liveries History tag.

Ferrari

McLaren Mercedes

McLaren Mercedes (no tobacco)

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

I realized I haven’t come up yet with the overview of all the 2008 liveries, so here they are. At the bottom of the article are links to liveries from 2004 to 2007.

Ferrari

McLaren

BMW Sauber

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

AT&T Williams F1 team finally revealed their 2008 livery and released a pre-season interview with Frank Williams. The blue white livery is similar to the 2007 one but somehow it does look better . The biggest looser is Lenovo, their logo has been relegated from the prominent position on the sidepods to the rear wing. Still more visible than AT&T logo though …

Here are few answers from Frank Williams on his drivers and prediction for 2008 season:

Nico returns for his third season this year. How important is he to the team?

He’s fundamental. We have the highest regards for him and we have great confidence that, given the right equipment, he will win races.

Kazuki has been promoted from test to race driver, how has he been doing over winter testing and what are your expectations of him in a race seat?

We knew we were taking a bit of a gamble when we signed him, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised by his testing pace. It’s really only a question I’ll be able to answer properly after the first few races of the season.

And lastly, what are your predictions for the season ahead?

I think the first four places are most likely to be occupied by the same people as last year, sadly. But I do think it will be a brilliant racing season.

More photos of new 2008 Williams livery inside the article (all photos courtesy of AT&T Williams).

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

Few days back I spotted the predictions for the 2008 Formula 1 season made by the Swiss paper Blick based on the winter testing form of the teams. Here is how they predict the form of all 11 F1 teams for the coming season:

Blick has Ferrari and McLaren at the top followed by … Williams. Then follow Renault and BMW Sauber. Red Bull and Toro Rosso next, ahead of Toyota and Honda. Force India is closing the Blick’s top ten. The in-the-trouble Super Aguri is expected to be at the tail of the order.

Now let’s see how it compares with my 2008 F1 team form prediction

• F1 Wolf / Blick

1. Ferrari / Ferrari
2. Mclaren / McLaren
3. Renault / Williams
4. BMW Sauber / Renault
5. Williams / BMW Sauber
6. Red Bull / Red Bull
7. Toyota / Toro Rosso
8. Honda / Toyota
9. Toro Rosso / Honda
10. Force India / Force India
11. Super Aguri / Super Aguri

Blick’s prediction is not bad, but I am for the moment sticking with mine

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

It is just about a month to go and I am going to be silly enough to predict the team’s pecking order for 2008 season . The prediction comes with a preview of all 2008 liveries, as we know them now. Super Aguri is yet to display anything on or off the track…

1) Ferrari - Kimi is having a blast

2) McLaren - They are up there, but they do not have Kimi

3) Renault - The six tenths guy will make a difference

4) BMW - May be closer to Ferrari and McLaren on performance but Renault will re-enter the picture

5) Williams - More competitive than in 2007 but so will be others

Above is the winter livery. Williams will only reveal their racing one before the Aussie GP, but here is a sneak peak.

6) Red Bull - Solid midfielders with a shot at the podium once or twice

7) Toyota - The best of the Japanese brands on the grid (Bridgestone does not count )

8 ) Honda - Will start a further down but will gain few places during the season

9) Toro Rosso - They may have few decent finishes, but their points will not be good for better than 9th

10) Force India - They will be much more competitive than Spyker last year, but 10th will about as much as they can hope for. They would however score some points.

11) Super Aguri - They will probably survive the season despite Mosley’s worries, but at the back of the order and likely without any points.

Feel free to disagree and leave your order in the comments . And do not forget to join the 2008 Prediction Game !

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

Part 1 of The 2007 F1 Cool Things was all about Honda’s Rubens Barrichello and his helmet and there will be bit about Honda in part 2 too.

Season 2007 brought a chance for F1 fans to get on the F1 car livery. First it was Honda with their myearthdream livery. Fans could make an enviromentaly friendly pledge on the myearthdream website, donate some money to a charity and get their name on one of the Honda cars. I made it somewhere on Jenson Button’s car . Here is a photo of the Honda livery with all the names. The tiny white lines all over the Earth are the names of the fans.

Red Bull came with similar idea but went one step further. Fans could get their face on the Ref Bull car for the British GP at Silverstone (although not for the race itself). Donation of 10 pounds to the Wings for Life charity was all that was needed. This is how the Red Bull of David Coulthard looked covered with photos of the fans:

Besides all the politics, spying, team mates wars, something good came out of Formula 1 in 2007 too …

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

Let the pictures do the talking:

Honda got rid of the Earth livery and painted their car all white. Their last winter interim livery was all black…

Force India got rid of the orange Spyker color. The interim livery of the Force India F1 team does not remind me of neither Holland nor India … But Kingfisher is on the nose

The ugly logo that we spotted on Mallya’s shirt during Brazilian GP is on the car, it looks like it is going to stay…

And Michael Schumacher found some inspiration in Kimi Raikkonen, look at his updated helmet and compare it with 2007 Kimi Raikkonen’s helmet (click here)

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here

Browsing the web and the galleries you can see several new things on display in Japan.

First of all, Super Aguri ditched the non-paying SS United and placed several new sponsor stickers on the car, including their new main one - Four Leaf.

Photo:f1.gpudpate.net

Red Bull also has a new logo on the car - 7 Eleven.

Read the rest of this entry »

F1Wolf

labels: plugin code here