Looking Forward - Formula one, supergt, wrc in 2012 - /shakedown

Today on Shakedown, the theme is all about doing things differently with F1 testing, V8 Supercars, more Japanese race cars, and the Nurburgring. Our first example, F1. Leave it to Adrian Newey and Red Bull to define the best solution to the F1 stepped beak nose rule, using the step to create an air scoop that he says is for driver cooling and delivering an aesthetic that is different and better versus the rest, like versus Ferrari's answer. See, here is the difference between making an effort to do your job the best you can versus mailing it in via time clock watching. The Ferrari guys, they probably leave at 5:00. The Red Bull blokes really care. But who knew Newey took his inspiration from this 1970s F1 car? That's the Eifelland GP car. Google away for more on their F1 history. It won't take long. Add that car to the ugly race car montages that everyone is doing. But we're not going to go there here on Shakedown, because we've got bigger differences to uncover today. And Kimi Raikkonen is here to help. One day on the job, and he's proven his difference. Not with his P1 test times. No. His Day One rip on the DRS magic pass wing flap, called it [BLEEP]. OK. He used the word ridiculous, but we all speak Kimi and know what he really meant. So let the difference making begin. I'm getting really excited about doing our F1 live chat. But I know, enough teasing. We've got to get our Drive act together and announce the details soon. And it may be a *** and require you to subscribe to Drive to enter the chat. So just in case, please subscribe. To get you ready for the F1 discussion, let me suggest a narrowed-down list of key differences that are emerging for the first winter test days. I care not about test times, because everyone's just data gathering, component evaluating, doing shakedowns, or sandbagging. But we think the key differences are this, in no particular order of priority. Number one, the McLaren low nose versus the stepped beaks. Low center of gravity versus getting max air under the car. Number two, Ferrari pull-rod front suspension versus the now F1 standard push-rod design front. So it was an unfair shot for me to take on my Italian friends with their lazy, ugly nose effort, because the Ferrari designers are trying different things on the F2012. And like McLaren, they're chasing the low CG. But Ferrari's doing it by bringing back pull rods to the front end and trying to have it all by installing a very higher-nose configuration for the aero advantage. Thank you again, scarbsf1.com, for the rendering. Push-rod design is top down. Pull-rod design is bottom up. You can see how the springs, shocks, inerters, whatever, are on top of the chassis to free up the aero below, but raise the center of gravity. Pull rod moves it lower. As to suspension operation, pull rod puts more stress on the rods in rebound, when the car is lifted. Push is doing that in bump when the car's compressing. Now here's the Ferrari 2011 versus 2012 comparison again. And you can see the difference. You know, Alonso last drove pull-rod fronts with his Minardi in the '90s. And yes, Red Bull has been using pull rods in the rear for that CG advantage and clearing space for the diffusers for a couple of years now. Number three key difference, this year will be not the diffusers, but the exhaust designs and where the air is being directed. Already there's controversy in this issue. The exhaust has to be visible from top view. And Ferrari and McLaren, while currently deemed legal, have crafted cut-outs to comply. And they were still making cuts at the test. But the real fun will be where the exhaust is being blown. There are two schools of thought on this. Number one, blow the exhaust straight back, creating an air curtain on the edges to enhance the diffuser effect. Or blow the exhaust air onto the rear wings for more down force there. Either way, I'm waiting for the first car to set itself on fire. The last key difference was mentioned by Red Bull, raw power versus fuel efficiency. Red Bull is suggesting that the Mercedes is stronger, but the Renault is more fuel efficient. So Vettel and Webber go to the starting line lighter in weight, 15 to 18 liters of fuel less, up to 14 kilo or 30 pounds. Well, that's the weight of Hamilton's balls, so McLaren's twice as far behind. But I guess I have to balance that with Lewis's brain differential. I mean, how many times did he hit *** last year? Speaking of efficiency, here's Honda and their hybrid CR-Z for the Japan Super GT GT300 class to race against the Toyota Prius hybrid. Now, I found no news on power train, so Shakedowners, fill in the blanks, if you know. But what a difference a few years makes for Honda cars. After pulling out of F1, they're back in it with Le Mans and World Touring Car entries, Indy Car, ALMS LMP, and B-Spec in the US, now this Super GT. And you know NSX will hit the tracks eventually. By the way, that Prius, that hybrid GT300 is a mid-engine V8, evolved from the mid-engine Corollas. Check out the tailpipes. And how cool will GT300 be in 2012, even though the rules have finally negated this mooncraft. But with Honda CR-Z, Prius, and don't forget the Subaru BRZ, Super GT will be wow. First race is March 31 at Okayama. OK. What else do we have for you that's different? Well, more Japanese. This time Nissan and V8 Supercar is announcing that brand is back in the series in 2013 and bringing back the memory of some great Nissan race cars of old, Godzilla on Mount Panorama. Wow. I'm not sure if this is the real graphics for the 2013 car. But go to OriginalGaijin, their blog, for a ton of V8 Supercar 2012 graphics. The link will be in the description. Time for the World Rally Championship update and what is different, although the parties involved are saying no difference. Mini kicked out Prodrive as the factory team. Now they're just a work-supported private entry. But Prodrive says the Dani Sardo effort will continue. The team quote? "Nobody will notice anything different from our Mini World Rally Championship team. It remains just as it has looked to date." So Mini has not fallen off the cliff yet. Sponsorship funds and business performance were the rumored reasons for the change. Prodrive will still build the Mini John Cooper Works WRC customer cars, while continuing to work on further development of the car. Long-term homologation for Mini has been underwritten to 2018. Mini will have the Motorsport Italia-run Team Mini Portugal contest the remaining WRC rounds as the factory effort. Oh, and Sweden Rally did get a TV deal done with Motors TV, so the FIA says, see? No difference with the Rally's handing TV versus us. Yeah, and the promoters and manufacturers are pulling their guns in anger, saying, really? Wait until we negotiate 2013. Seriously, this could be the first real motorsport moment where the manufacturers realize they have all the power in racing and start calling the shots. OK. The final difference maker is at the Nurburgring. The government has stepped in and retaken authority of the place after the development company that was running the place into ruin has finally been called out on their incompetence. Nurburgring Automotive is out. The government is looking for a new operator and claims they've got many inquiries. So Save the Nurburgring may still actually come true. And it all reminds me of the now infamous Fiat Chrysler Clint Eastwood Halftime in America Superbowl TV commercial that basically said we're halfway through a battle for survival, and Detroit is the perfect example of what fight back and reaching for success is all about. Except the Detroit example conveniently forgets that the city is still in ruin, about to be taken over by government control due to its financial mismanagement. And the auto industry is fighting back only as a result of huge government bailouts and debt erasure. And Fiat, in particular, got Chrysler really pretty much for free. Wow. That was tough. So great example of how to fight back and really make a difference, Detroit and Chrysler-- begging, carpetbagging, bailouts, and government takeover when you screw up. So this may be the perfect example of the Nurburgring situation. It's halftime at the Green Hell-- I'm going to do this voice? It's halftime at the Green Hell, and all that matters now is what's ahead. Now, how do we come from-- I'm not going to do this. This is the end of the show. You get the idea. [MUSIC PLAYING]