Mercedes MGP W02 Launch pictures ( 1st of February)

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg revealed their 2011 challenger, the Mercedes MGP W02 on Tuesday 1st February 2011, shortly before the first test session of the year began in Valencia.

The car?s livery is an evolution from its predecessor with a striking high-gloss airbrush effect highlighting the shape of the car. The interaction between the Silver Arrows heritage and the green shading representing the team?s title partner PETRONAS evokes memories of the first Silver Arrow car of 1934 with a modern touch added by 3D partner logos.

The car hasn?t only had an attractive re-spray, it is more of a revolutionary car which has little in common with its predecessor, the Mercedes W01.

Mercedes GP had switched focus on the development of their new car ever since midway last season, when team boss Ross Brawn realized the W01 challenger was not going to make any championship statements in 2010.

?The new Silver Arrow for the 2011 season has little in common with its immediate predecessor. Our chassis engineers have taken a fairly ruthless approach and were determined to shave off every superfluous gram and millimetre. What emerged from this process is a compact and exquisitely shaped vehicle that introduces a host of sophisticated solutions and truly reflects the enormous dedication of its constructors.?

- Norbert Haug

Link
Confident Mercedes set ambitious targets for MGP W02 ( The Official F1)
"A confident-looking Mercedes GP launched their 2011 car in the Valencia pit lane on Tuesday. After their championship-winning success as Brawn in 2009, the team endured a hit and miss 2010 season and are now targeting a return to their winning ways with the new MGP W02, which will once again be driven by Nico Rosberg and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher."


Mercedes MGP W02 Launch pictures

Photos � Mercedes GP/LAT

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Red Bull reflect on another year of glory

Red Bull won both the drivers' and constructors' championships for the second successive year in 2011. Here, design chief Adrian Newey and team principal Christian Horner talk to me about their plans for 2012 and praise the dedication, hunger and desire of Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest ever double world champion.

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Ferrari launch their new 2011 car, F150 (+ Launch Pictures)

Ferrari launched their 2011 spec challenger during a media event that took place at Maranello yesterday (28th Jan'11) ahead of a track debut at nearby Fiorano. The wraps came off the F150 ? a tribute to Italian unification and featuring an Italian flag on the rearward-facing rear wing. The team?s new Scuderia Ferrari logo features prominently on the engine cover. The F150 is the first F1 car of 2011 to be revealed.

?As far as the looks are concerned the rules keep them quite unaltered. The cars look like the ones from last year, but from a technical point of view they will be really different,? said technical director Aldo Costa.

?The car?s evolution has been planned with two big stages: one during the winter tests, where we will mainly develop the area of the mechanics, which means that the car?s structure, the chassis, the gearbox and the suspension will remain the same for the first couple of races. The aerodynamics is simplified and temporary for the first tests, waiting for the real aerodynamic development for the first race,?

further explained Costa.

Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo also attended the media event, and wanted to congratulate Fernando Alonso publicly for his wonderful campaign with the Prancing Horse last year. As far as Felipe Massa is concerned, di Montezemolo called him "our little child" and insisted that it was his brother who drove a Ferrari in these past couple of years, only now the true Massa is back.

Chassis Specification

• Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
• Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
• Limited-slip differential
• Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox ? quick shift
• Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
• Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
• Independent suspension, push-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
• Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 640 kg
• BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13?

Engine Specification

• Type: 056
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium V 90�
• Number of valves: 32
• Pneumatic distribution
• Total displacement: 2398 cm3
• Piston bore: 98 mm
• Weight > 95 kg
• Electronic injection and ignition
• Fuel: Shell V-Power
• Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra

Link

Ferrari F150 ? Launch detail & Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)

"Firstly the front wing is last years; it even has the driver adjustable mechanism which is no longer allowed in 2011. However the nose cone will be fairly definitive, as it needs to match the front of the chassis and being a homologated part, cannot be structurally changed during the season. This front wing may be on the car for the opening test runs, but we will soon see an interim 2011 wing before a final version appears for Bahrain."

Ferrari F150 Launch Pictures

Images � Ferrari, toilef1.com, daylife.com

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