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Propulsion / Repulsion Perpetual Motion

April 1, 2009 | BMW

MINI USA looks set to take a world lead in fuel efficiency with the announcement today (April 1) of a revolutionary magnetic propulsion system that will extend the range of its MINI E to several hundred, possibly even thousands of miles, on a single overnight charge of electricity.

Drawing on the same Magnetic Tow Technology (MTT) which was announced by BMW (see Note below) in the UK today, MINI USA has developed its own unique Propulsion / Repulsion 0401 (PR0401) System that is just one short step away from perpetual motion in an automobile.

MINI’s PR 0401 System uses a series of magnets situated in the MINI E’s moving and fixed parts of each of its four wheel hubs to both pull and push the wheels in the desired direction, exploiting the magnets’ natural tendency to attract and repel. Not only does this system allow the MINI PR to travel extraordinary distances for just a few cents, it produces virtually no noise as the electric motor can be switched off once the car is moving.

Professor Lirpa Loof, Head of Magnetic Attraction Technology at MINI USA, said: “The Mini E is already leading the way in EV performance, reliability and eco-friendliness but this amazing new system will push it onto another level. We could soon be seeing families travel across the USA from coast to coast for just a couple of bucks.”

“The only energy this system uses is a small draw on the battery to start the vehicle moving forward and then the magnets take over and their natural properties do the rest. This has to be the ultimate range extender,” he added. “Anyone who has played with magnets as a kid or travelled on a Maglev train will understand precisely how this technology works and the kind of performance we are talking about.”

Once moving, only tiny amounts of electric current are required to switch on and off the magnets, as the polarity of the fixed and moving magnets is rapidly switched from positive to negative. The magnets first attract and then quickly repel each other pushing the wheels in the desired direction – either forward or reverse.

One challenge that Professor Loof faced with the PR system was the speed of the MINI EV PR... and how to control it! The speed at which the magnets attract and repel each other is instantaneous, which means in theory the vehicle is capable of phenomenal speeds, restricted only by the time it takes to switch the magnets’ polarity and the wind resistance and drag of the MINI PR’s body. The MINI EV PR development vehicles are currently restricted to a top speed of 250 mph.

“For years, engineers have dreamed of developing perpetual motion for transport,” said Professor Loof, “And thanks to MINI PR, it looks like we are almost there.”

Note: BMW announced in the UK today that its award-winning EfficientDynamics programme has been taken to the next level with the announcement of an innovative fuel and emissions saving system called Magnetic Tow Technology (MTT).

The unique system, developed in conjunction with NASA, works via a discreet unit located in the front of the automobile that projects an enhanced magnetic beam 20 metres in front of the BMW.  Once a suitable target car is located and the BMW is magnetically locked on behind it, the driver is then able to take his foot off the accelerator, switch off the engine and let the automobile in front do all the work. The towing car will not notice any change in manoeuvrability or forward motion.

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Trulli's Penalty Appeal Withdrawn

April 1, 2009 | Formula1

Here is the full statement by Toyota today:

Toyota Motorsport GmbH statement
Wednesday 1 April 2009

Following the decision by Australian Grand Prix stewards to impose a 25-second time penalty on Jarno Trulli, Toyota Motorsport filed notification of its intent to appeal.

This action was taken to preserve any right it may have to utilize the appeal procedure and to give it time to consider in appropriate detail all the facts relating to the incident.

Having considered recent judgments of the International Court of Appeal and referring to the Sporting Code it is believed that any appeal will be rejected on a procedural point such as that defined under article 152, paragraph 5 of the Sporting Code:

“Penalties of driving through or stopping in pit lanes together with certain penalties specified in FIA Championship regulations where this is expressly stated, are not susceptible to appeal.”

Based on this Toyota Motorsport has decided that it would serve no benefit to pursue this course of action.

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Nice View

April 1, 2009 | Grid Girls

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Diffuser, Diffusing, Diffused...

March 31, 2009 | Formula1

Leo Turrini wrote in the italian newspapers that the real story, about Melbourne, was that Ferrari complained about Brawn's diffuser, but Ferrari was (I hate to say it) slower than BMW and Red Bull and these teams used the same diffuser as Ferrari… What the hell... OMG - how much crap about these stupid diffuser/regulations can we listen to?

Do we have skilled drivers in these F1 cars (diffusers or not)? Is it about the drivers’ skill, or all about which team bends the rules in a more ingenious way and has deeper pockets to bending the rules?

What ever happened to the drivers' skills? All that is ever reported about and talked about are the cars - the engines, chassis, KERS, rules and downforce, and... you get the idea. I think this first race showed that some drivers were up to snuff on driving these cars and others without all the downforce help, etc. looked a bit "new" or noob-isch. Not sure, but more needs to be said about the drivers ability to handle a racing car regardless of all the technology that keeps these cars on the track - Am I just missing the mark?

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Penalty - Vettel to sit at 10-place grid

March 31, 2009 | Formula1

Sebastian Vettel has been demoted 10 grid places for next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix after his late crash with Robert Kubica in Melbourne.

Vettel and the BMW Sauber driver had to retire from the Australian Grand Prix following the collision with three laps left as they battled for second place.

Stewards also fined his Red Bull team for telling him to continue.

Remorseful Vettel looked set for a podium finish, but the grid penalty will handicap the German in Malaysia.

The 21-year-old German, who came to prominence after winning the Italian Grand Prix at Monza last year, had tracked Button right from the start on Sunday.

But, with only three laps remaining, the Red Bull driver was slow through the first two corners, allowing Kubica to get alongside on the outside on Turn Three.

In the key part of the incident, which race stewards deemed to be the German's fault, the Red Bull's front wheel tagged the rear wheel of the BMW after the Pole had given Vettel room.

The result was that both cars tipped into a spin, damaging their front wings before they each crashed further around the lap.

And Vettel - a former BMW driver - continued on the track with one front wheel hanging off his car in a doomed attempt to stay in the race, earning Red Bull a fine in the process.

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Trulli penalty pushes Hamilton into 3rd at Australian GP

March 31, 2009 | Formula1

The world champion secured a surprise third behind Brawn GP pair Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

After finishing second in the constructors' championship last year, the Mercedes-powered outfit are off the pace so far this season.

A determined drive from Hamilton, combined with a collision between Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica and a time penalty for Jarno Trulli secured third place for the British driver from 18th on the grid.

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Brawn Button ! Australian Grand Prix 2009

March 31, 2009 | Formula1

Jenson Button secured a dream debut victory for the Brawn GP team after dominating the Australian Grand Prix.

The Englishman led throughout and team-mate Rubens Barrichello completed a Brawn one-two after a dramatic finish. We were glued to the flat screen - Wynn, Keith, Brandon and company, and I.

The Brazilian was promoted after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and BMW's Robert Kubica collided while disputing second place with three laps to go.What a crazy deal that turned into - We were sure that BMW would have the third spot sealed.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli was hit with a 25-second penalty after the race giving Lewis Hamilton an unexpected third.

Clinching an eventual podium finish from 18th on the grid was a superb achievement for the British world champion, given the woeful performance of his McLaren coming into the race.

But all eyes were on Brawn after the chequered flag, with the success of the former Honda team - whose survival was only secured by team boss Ross Brawn in early March - firmly capturing the imagination of the sport as it enters a fresh era under new rules.

Awesome race! - F1 is back!

Victorious Button secured the second win of his 154-race Formula 1 career after driving coolly throughout, showcasing Brawn's speed to keep Red Bull's Vettel at bay for the vast majority of the race to eventually cruise to a finish behind the safety car.

Vettel looked set for a brilliant second place but he and Kubica tangled on Turn Three with just three laps remaining. Both crashed just around the lap, and although Vettel tried to continue on three wheels he was eventually forced to retire.

Brawn's one-two looked unlikely at the start of the race as Barrichello, sat next to Button on the front row, was easily passed by the chasing pack as his anti-stall system kicked in.

The Brazilian also tangled with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to cause significant damage to his front wing, which had to be replaced during his stop on lap 18.

Trulli's team-mate Timo Glock eventually finished fourth in Melbourne ahead of Renault's Fernando Alonso and Williams's Nico Rosberg, who suffered a sticking front wheel at a pit stop on lap 15 which scuppered his chance of a podium finish.

Red Bull's Sebastien Buemi made an impressive debut to secure his first F1 points.

And Ferrari finished without scoring in the season opener for the second year running, as Felipe Massa - running in third place - sustained a reliability failure on lap 45, three laps after team-mate Raikkonen had spun out.

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Australian Grand Prix Results 2009

March 31, 2009 | Formula1

Position	Country	Driver	Time
1	great britain	J Button	1:34:15.784
2	brazil	R Barrichello	1:34:16.591
3	great britain	L Hamilton	1:34:18.698
4	germany	T Glock	1:34:20.219
5	spain	F Alonso	1:34:20.663
6	germany	N Rosberg	1:34:21.506
7	switzerland	S Buemi	1:34:21.788
8	france	S Bourdais	1:34:22.082

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Ecclestone makes USF1 change name to US Grand Prix Engineering

March 27, 2009 | Formula1

I have known about the USF1 or now known as the USGPE project for some months, but until the last few days I continued to be sceptical that the project would have lift off. But recently I've been encouraged with the many things that have come true. The team is fronted by Haas CNC Racing technical director Ken Anderson and journalist Peter Windsor.

Autoblog has reported that the team will promote American technology under the banner "Made in America" and that the cars will be designed and built in Charlotte, North Carolina. A secondary European base will be in Azkoitia, Basque Country, Spain, sharing facilities with the Epsilon Euskadi racing team. Anderson would like the team's cars to be driven by two American drivers and are considering any American driver with the right credentials. The team was officially launched on February 24 on the Speed television channel.

As reported on AutoBlog, there will be no USF1 in Formula 1 racing. A full year before the new American team was set to take to the track in 2010, they have been shot down by the very series they planned to compete in. But it's just the name that the sanctioning body was objecting to.

As if Bernie Ecclestone couldn’t find other ways to create enemies, he has outdone himself this time. Apparently Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management (FOM) weren't overly fond of the use of "F1" in the team's initially stated name. So it's out with USF1 and in with USGPE, which stands for US Grand Prix Engineering. We wouldn't be surprised to hear that Pontiac is now threatening a lawsuit, or perhaps sponsorship.

The strange move comes after much speculation as to what the American team was going to be called. Ecclestone was quoted saying that the only way he would allow the US team to use “F1” in its title would be if they added “Team” to the whole headline. Complications like these really emphasize why the 78 year old man has passed his prime in the sport!

Just for clarification, Formula 1 has allowed "F1" in a team's name, but only if the word "Team" is also used. The lone exception is Williams, which officially goes by WilliamsF1. In related news, Force India was asked to revise their logo because "FI" looks too much like "F1". The team will now use a lowercase "i" in the logo to avoid confusion with the series. Got all that? So USF1 is now USGPE and Force India is now using "Fi" instead of "FI".

So NASCAR and USGPE? Will it ever work - a competitive Formula One team based in the epicenter of the NASCAR industry?

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Results so far... from Melbourne

March 27, 2009 | Formula1

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