F1 Bosses Happy With V6 Engines

Recently Bernie Ecclestone has expressed concerns that the new, smaller, V6 engines which will be introduced from the 2014 season will disinterest fans, which would be very costly to the sport.

However, Renault's Rob White and Williams' Adam Parr have jumped to the defence of the new power plants, claiming that the concerns raised are misplaced.

White told Autosport that the future of F1 is not going to be "like shopping cars" explaining that "a single turbo will join together the six exhaust outlets and have a single tailpipe from the back, so that would tend to make the frequency of the engine note much higher than the frequency note from either a four-cylinder engine or from a V6 with separate exhausts."
He also added "These engines are going to be very loud. They are going to be very high-revving engines."

Parr told of the other benefits the smaller units bring to the sport "we will be having the most energy efficient power unit ever created – and that is what really matters. I am thrilled that all the car makers have reached a common situation."

Of course, fans are not likely to be able to hear the new sounds of F1 for themselves until testing begins for the 2014 season, due to the secrecy which all teams enjoy operating under! At least now fans can sleep easy, knowing that the sport will remain just as much of a spectacle as it currently is.

For more on this, visit www.autosport.com

Williams Announce Internal Restructuring

The Williams Formula One team - which has suffered it's worst start to a Formula One season in the team's long history - has announced that Technical Director Sam Michael will retire at the end of the season.

It has emerged that the team's Chairman, Adam Parr, offered his resignation as a result of their terrible performance this year so far, but that this offer offer was declined by team owner Sir Frank Williams.

However, the team has also announced a controversial appointment of a new chief engineer, that of former McLaren employee Mike Coughlan.
Coughlan was banned from the sport in 2007 for his part in the "spygate" scandal, by illegally obtaining technical information from Ferrari - this also resulted in the disqualification of McLaren, who in addition received a record $100 million fine.
Ferrari's Nigel Stepney was also banned for his part in the controversy.

Both Coughlan and Stepney have served the two year bans they received, and are therefore entitled to return to the sport. However, it does raise a question of whether they should return.
Ferrari in particular would not be likely to look upon the return of these individuals very kindly.

This announcement comes just weeks after Marussia Virgin confirmed that Pat Symonds - the former Renault team member who was bannded for his part in the "crashgate" scandal, where Nelson Piquet Jr purposefully crashed his car at the Singapore Grand Prix - has been appointed as an advisor to the team.

Should these 'cheaters' be welcome back into the sport, having served their sentences, or should lifetime bans be introduced? Let us know your thoughts.

For more on this story, visit www.jamesallenonf1.com

Williams Can Return To Glory

Williams Chairman Adam Parr has said that he believes that innovation, not money, will see his team reclaim their position at the front of the grid.

Parr explained that Brawn and Red Bull won their titles because they had the best, most innovative car, despite not having the funding of some of the other teams.

He admitted that his team do not have the capital of some of their rivals at their disposal, but claimed that this does not dishearten them.

Williams revealed their new livery on Thursday, which is reminiscent of their 'Rothmans' car, which took Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve to Championship glory in the mid '90s.

For more, see www.autosport.com