J.O.U.R.N.A.L. wrote: Team Mecha launches new car, new sponsors Team Mecha's new TM-19
At the team's headquarters, Team Mecha Racing has launched it's new 2019 ARWS challenger, the TM-19. Gone were the traditional "tricolore" livery the team has been wearing since the inception of the team in ARWS, instead replaced with a brand-new orange and white/red scheme, the colors of the team's new title sponsors, Chinese mobile phone giant Xiaomi and the Indonesian branch of fast-food restaurant KFC. John Bean, the team's first point scorer, will be joined by Italian rookie Nino Barlini. In addition, Mahmud Effendi, the team's principal, has confirmed that the team's PURE-Hart engine deal has been increased to works status, after the previous team that held that status, Gauthier, folded mid-season.
PURE-Hart chooses Pertamina as official lubricant partner
The launch of Team Mecha's car is also a stage for an announcement related to PURE-Hart engines used by the team: Indonesian oil company and one of Team Mecha's sponsor, Pertamina, has announced that it was chosen as PURE-Hart's "official lubricant partner". This partnership announcement will saw the development of Pertamina's racing fuels and oils specifically designed for ARWS racing engines, as well as use of ARWS as testbed for development of performance products. The partnership is expected to increase Pertamina's publicity as one of Indonesia's major companies.
Aerond: Livery here, reconversion may be required.
AutoFiction wrote:RUMOUR: Simpson to rebrand as "classic" ARWS team AutoFiction have heard rumours in the paddock at Jerez leading up to this weekend's test that Simpson Motorsports could be setting up shop in Europe and bring back one of the famous team names from the early days of the ARWS - namely Australian Minardi or Prospec.
Team owner Dave Simpson was allegedly spotted scouting new factory locations throughout Europe during the off-season - once at the former Minardi factory in Faenza, Italy and another at the former Prospec factory in England. Simpson has close links to both former teams as a driver, and made way for current Simpson driver Jean-Luc Schiller at Prospec in 2014 when they were low on funding.
The new Simpson 005 chassis was unloaded from the trailer this morning in a generic blue test livery, however team officials are adamant that a major sponsor deal will be announced before Adelaide.
Autosport wrote:Jones happy with first test performance
Sammy Jones has declared himself satisfied with his team's performance in the first pre-season ARWS test at Jerez. While Gary Pacer was only 24th fastest, teammate Nathanael Cameron was 13th.
"Look, we're running last year's engines in the new chassis - the package is a huge compromise at present" Jones told reporters.
"Once we have the new engines, which are what the car has been designed to take, then we'll see an upturn and things will build from there. The main thing is both drivers got plenty of seat time. I'm not concerned that we're not at the front, we never have been in pre-season testing, even in our championship-winning years. There's plenty more to come yet."
Autosport wrote:Pacer off the pace at Jerez
Canadian Gary Pacer was mired in 24th position following ARWS pre-season testing at Jerez recently. The rookie, driving for the British Jones Unipart TAG team, was over a second off teammate Nathanael Cameron's time which was good enough for 13th overall. Pacer was disappointed, but optimistic for the following test and the season ahead.
"Sure, I'm unhappy to be down near the bottom of the times.But we have a long year ahead of us and there's plenty of time to resolve any issues. The car is down on power at the moment compared to others but we have a lot in the pipeline to resolve that. I didn't really gel with the car at first, there's some more setup work needed so that I'm fully comfortable but we're moving in the right direction."
With the first ARWS done and dusted, EVR have declared their surprise at the pace shown from Vixen FA.2 chassis with Shioya 11th and Van Rijkens ending the day 15th. "We didnt expect to be quite this high up this soon" While the team were pleased by the pace of the car the day was not without issues. Shioya's running was curtailed by an electrical issue with the car. "Its the first time the car has run you expect some issues with the car"
Following a guest appearance in Fox Sports 3, CWS champion and former F1 driver Shad Griffith has critized heavily the new crop of AR3.5 graduates, as well as Badu, following recent comments made by his manager.
"You look at these driverrs, and you say to yourself, how did they get in here?!" Griffith said last night while talking to the ARWS commentators. "They have no experience, no sucess that would guarantee them being good in the higher categories.", he continued, "Especially that spoiled brat Badu, being defended by that ****head Antonio della Valle. He has no talent, as shown by his F1 stint, and will pale in comparison to Hawkin even if he was given special treatment." "With an exception of maybe Ardaoglu, every one of these AR3.5 graduates will be relegated to the bin." Griffith concluded the rant.
arwsfanatic.co.uk wrote:Venturi happy with test results
Sauveterre has come out and said that Venturi is quite happy with their test results. "We are mostly looking to iron out the kinks. A new update of the car, the V-505, will be ready on time for Morocco, and we hope that will get us to the top." "This isn't going to be our year, of course, but we are looking to make some gains." "In the end though, this and 2020 will probably be midfield years." Sauveterre concluded before leaving the reporters.
Innacurate tabloid wrote:2-wheeler to debut in ARWS?
Following heavy negotiations, Ducati is supposed to get their own team in 2020. Ducati are impressed with the ARWS regulations, and want to create a 2-wheeler motorcycle/car hybrid for their 2020 debut. Their concept has defied many, with many calling the concept absurd and that it won't past the crash tests. Furthermore, the car will feature a very unique CVT gearbox, alongside a laser-guided engine that can supposedly reach 4200 bhp in 69 seconds.
arwsfanatic.co.uk wrote:ARWS to visit Vancouver and Belle Isle Park in 2020?
Following a increase in North American sale numbers and ratings, ARWS are investigating having two more races, this time at the circuits of Vancouver and Belle Isle Park. The circuits have been well organized and meet all standards according to an insider of the ARWS Commision. The rumours then increased following the release of an "official" document (as it was later proven false) of a letter telling that organizations of the Grands Prix had gone through. While these rumours seem more than likely not true, everyone is having a piece of it's cake at covering it, and at the moment it's all a bit uncertain.
Automobil-Revue wrote:Michelin pulls out, who enters?
Michelin has recently withdrawn from F1. It's still unknown who will replace them though. Some of the main candidates were, according to many sources, Firestone and Avon. Firesstone immediately refuted the allegations, claiming wanting to focus on IndyCar. The other ones are Avon, which are the more likely candidate. Avon hasn't refuted the claims, and their F1 experience might give them the edge in terms of customers. There's also a third side that thinks there will be no replacement, but they are a minority.
Pasta_maldonado wrote:I think normal32 is an old English farmer re-incarnated
J.O.U.R.N.A.L. wrote:Promising test results for Team Mecha
The first season test for Team Mecha in Jerez ended with both of the team's drivers ranking in surprising positions in the timesheet - eighth for John Bean, despite running only few laps before he crashed out, and 12th for the team's rookie Nino Barlini, which ran more laps. Speaking to J.O.U.R.N.A.L., Chandra Adriansyah commented, "Both of our drivers have posted very excellent times, and this is a huge leap forward compared to our previous seasons. However, we are aware that test performance does not necessarily equate actual race performance and are hoping to use the data and feedback we obtained we can do better on actual race situation."
Rejectsport wrote:ARWS Commission to investigate Mecha for alleged fuel additives The ARWS Commission, lead by Daniel Prieto, is to investigate Team Mecha's cars after the team showed improved pace in the first day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
Rumours began circulating around the paddock barely 15 minutes into the session as the Mecha cars were seen with huge flames coming out of the exhaust pipes, possibly suggesting a high-octane fuel or other illegal additives. If the team have been found to have been using illegal fuel, they could risk severe financial sanctions and a possible disqualification from the championship, a source has said.
This news comes as a blow to the Mecha operation, who head into the new season off the back of scoring their first ever point in ARWS. The Commission or Team Mecha declined to comment.
Last edited by pasta_maldonado on 06 Apr 2017, 22:05, edited 1 time in total.
ARWS Reporter wrote:John, what's your take on the recent reports that the ARWS Commission are going to investigate your team for use of illegal fuel additives?
John Bean wrote:Investigate this.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
AutoFiction wrote:Simpson worried about lack of testing pace After a mixed first test at Jerez, Simpson Motorsport are casting doubts over the season ahead with a worrying lack of pace in their new 005 chassis. Whilst Alexey Buyvolov finished a reasonable 7th, his highly experienced team-mate Jean-Luc Schiller languished in 21st and showed serious concern over the design of the new chassis.
In a TV interview, the Swiss driver was quoted as saying that "the downforce deficiencies on this car are frankly terrifying through the high-speed corners, the only thing that's keeping this chassis on the circuit is mechanical grip... which this chassis does has a lot of".
Reportedly the team have been working back at base on the aerodynamics of the car, but have been left scratching their heads to figure out how to improve the aero package. Coincidentally, as reported before the test, Simpson have been rumoured to be looking to move their operation to Europe - perhaps the reason could be to gain access to more advanced wind tunnel and testing facilities and the ability to hire more engineering staff.
Group A P W D L F A GD Pts MRT 2 1 1 0 5 1 4 4 Nurminen 2 0 2 0 4 4 0 2 Simpson 2 0 2 0 4 4 0 2 Fusion 2 0 1 1 1 5 -4 1
Group A threw up surprises as MRT, a team who never take the pitlane cup seriously managed to beat a hapless fusion easily, poor defending and passing allowed MRT to score 4 goals in a pretty one way game. Simpson were hoping for better as they managed to squander a 2 goal lead with some misjudged passes to allow Nurminen to level the game and grab a point. Fusion regrouped but despite more chances at goal they just couldn't get the ball to go between the posts, Simpson grabbed a fluke goal late in the game when the ball bobbled between the Fusion goalies legs during a routine backpass, in the dying minutes Fusion saved face as a last minute corner saw the Fusion goalie run the end of the pitch and managed to head the ball into the net to grab a point. Nurminen played a tight game and managed to hold MRT to a draw with some clinical goals at both ends.
The results mean that everyone is still in it. MRT need a point to go through, everyone else needs to win to have some chance of going through. Fusion need to beat Nurminen and hope Simpson lose against MRT.
Group B P W D L F A GD Pts Kjellerup 3 2 1 0 5 3 2 7 USD 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3 Kamaha 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 Venturi 3 1 0 2 5 6 -1 3 Gillet 2 0 1 1 6 7 -1 1
Gillet looked like they were the strong favourites, they had trained hard, had professional coaching and even a professional player in the team, but although they had a strong strike force the defence was quite weak. They started off well by getting 2 goals in the first ten minutes of the match against Venturi but sloppy defending let the side down. Venturi get one back with a half hearted shot at goal, but confusion between the goalie and a defender on who should clear it let the ball just dribble over the line. Gillet managed to score a belter well outside the penalty box to go 3-1 ahead but a few minutes before half time another shot on the Gillet goal saw the ball play pinball on a few defenders heads before bouncing in the goal off a post. The second half saw Gillet switch to a 4-4-2 formation from the 3-4-3 they started with Venturi changed from a 4-4-2 to a 3-1-6. It seemed to pay off for them as they were kicked long balls into the Gillet half and making a number of shots on goal. They just tore into the defence and were leading 4-3. Gillet showed great skill as their professional player took the ball from the goalie and dribbled the ball into the Venturi box then played a great 1-2 to score what could be the goal of the competition. However it was Venturi who would come out victorious as some scrambling in the Gillet box saw the ball be shot at goal 8 times before it leaked in.
Kjellerup after losing every game last year decided to match there on track performance with some better football playing and they played some good football as they beat what seemed to be a skillful USD 2-1 and they continued this by beating Venturi who played a 7-1-2 formation and managed to stop Kjellerup from even getting a shot on goal until the second half but a screamer from just outside the box sank Venturi. USD and Kamaha played a tight game but a headed goal from a corner gave USD the win.
Gillet tried to regroup and changed their defence and against Kjellerup they did look like they were going to win as at the 75th minute marked they were up 2-0 after some clinical goals from set pieces. However their defence looked like they went on holiday as again they let some simple goals in to let Kjellerup draw the game. Kamaha took a leaf out of Venturis book by playing a 5-1-4 formation and with a long ball game, the ball seemed to spend most of the game floatng in the air between the boxes before Kamaha manged to get a head to one of the long balls and turn it into the net to beat Venturi by a single goal.
Kjellerup need a point against Kamaha to be gauranteed a place in the last 8, Venturi need to win and hope USD and Kamaha suffer loses. Gillet need to beat both USD and Kamaha to have a chance of going through.
RLR 4-4 Voeckler Jones 3-1 Euromotor RLR 2-0 Jones Voeckler 5-2 Euromotor
Group C P W D L F A GD Pts Voeckler 2 1 1 0 9 6 3 4 Lomas 2 1 1 0 6 4 2 4 Jones 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3 Euromotor 2 0 0 2 3 8 -5 0
The group of death with the top two teams over the last two seasons, Rob Lomas Racing and Voeckler. Theirs was the first match played and it was a humdinger, RLR scored first blood with a great goal set up with some good passing, pressing and a cheeky chip over the keeper. However it was not long before Voeckler equalised from a corner and then a great goal with three headers to the box and a hard strike so near the goal line that it tore the net off and the game was halted for 4 minutes as a new net was attached. RLR equalised before half time as the Voeckler defence mistook the referee sneezing as half time but RLR pushed forward and scored a good 1-2 goal. Voeckler protested and the captain managed to get booked in the process. The second half saw RLR score a clinical goal from a corner before taking a 4-2 lead from a free kick outside the box. Voeckler took matters in their hands and pushed forward and managed to break down the RLR defence and score a close range goal. It was marred by a two footed challenge by a defender on one of the RLR strikers that saw the player sent off. RLR took the free kick but fluffed it and Voeckler took the chance on a counter attack and again overwealmed the RLR defence to draw level. The last 10 minutes saw numerous chances on both ends but neither could score and the game ended 4-4. Euromotor looked like a sunday pub team and played like it as Jones who also looked passed it managed to get the numbers and win the match 3-1.
RLR rested some players against Jones but still defended better then they did against Voeckler and had the chances and beat Jones 2-0. Voeckler threw everything they had to make sure they were at the top of the table and at half time were 3-0 up. The Gillet defending seemed to hit them as Euromotor got into the box and scored a soft goal with the Voeckler goalie standing still looking like he was planning his holidays as the ball was struck in the box and at a slow pace went into the net. Euromotor just kept kicking the ball down the field and a defender tried to kick it to a midfield player and made a mess of it to give Euromotor a corner, it was struck well but a Voeckler defender deflected the ball into the net to give Euromotor hope. Sadly it was short lived as Voeckler scored two more fine goals in the 10 minutes that followed to lead 5-2 and forced Euromotor to defend for their lives as they seemed to play a 10-0-0 formation in the last 15 minutes.
RLR need just a point against Euromotor to go through. If Jones beat Voeckler then they will go through else a draw will be enough for Voeckler. Euromotor are playing for fun now as they have no chance of getting into the last 8.
Group D P W D L F A GD Pts Mecha 2 1 1 0 4 1 3 4 Aeroracing 2 1 0 1 4 2 2 3 Vixen 2 1 0 1 1 3 -2 3 Blokkmonsta 2 0 1 1 2 5 -3 1
Mecha started off by showing that their improvements were not just on the track as the team that lost every game last year have started off well with a well earned 3-0 win over Vixen with some good passing play. Blokkmonsta said they were going to give youngsters a try and against Aeroracing they were in a comfortable 1-0 lead at half time. However the second half saw a bad challenge on an Aeroracing player and a player was sent off, several players surrounded the referee and tried to argue their case, however one shoved the referee and was sent off before the captain called the Referee a tosser and was also sent off. With 8 men on the pitch they leaked goals left and right and fell to a 4-1 defeat.
Blokkmonsta after being read the riot act by the team principal played a lot better against Mecha and frustrated Mecha and held them to a 0-0 draw at half time. They went ahead very soon after half time with a fantastic run by ironically one of the older players who floated the ball in the box where it was met by a head of the younger player and was deflected in. They spoilt it by giving Mecha a free kick at the edge of the box and a fake back pass, floated cross and a strike from the edge of the box saw Mecha draw the game. Vixen on the other hand played defensively all match until the end when a long shot from halfway in the Aeroracing area managed to sneak past the goalie who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.
Mecha need a point to go into the last 8, Blokkmonsta need a win and hope Mecha win.
<@Ataxia> these people are making a mess of their crepe suzettes
motorsport.com wrote:Couteau to part company with Fusion Lotto Racing
Astro Racing Group president and Fusion co-founder Jacques Couteau is to officially leave the Fusion Lotto ARWS team, walking out on the outfit prior to the season opener at Adelaide.
Although the Frenchman sold the majority stake of the Fusion Motorsports team to Miguel Rocha's Lotto Racing concern at the end of 2018, Couteau remained on board with the Bath-based team to head up their racing operations alongside Rocha.
"Running this team has been an amazing experience" said Couteau to motorsport.com. "Building up the team from nothing to winning a driver's championship in just under four years is a great feat.
"However, I wanted to focus on my other business interests. We sold Fusion to Miguel Rocha, and I feel it best to pass on the mantle to his organisation at this stage."
It is also believed that Couteau's decision to leave the team is also influenced by Lotto's desire to move the Fusion operation to their own facilities in Belgium, as they currently occupy the Couteau-owned headquarters in Bath. Rumours also link Couteau to a new ARWS entry with his Nebula Grand Prix outfit, although the team were not available for comment.
Couteau's Black Label collection will also be represented at this month's Paris Fashion Week.
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
motorsport.com wrote:Couteau to part company with Fusion Lotto Racing
Astro Racing Group president and Fusion co-founder Jacques Couteau is to officially leave the Fusion Lotto ARWS team, walking out on the outfit prior to the season opener at Adelaide.
Although the Frenchman sold the majority stake of the Fusion Motorsports team to Miguel Rocha's Lotto Racing concern at the end of 2018, Couteau remained on board with the Bath-based team to head up their racing operations alongside Rocha.
"Running this team has been an amazing experience" said Couteau to motorsport.com. "Building up the team from nothing to winning a driver's championship in just under four years is a great feat.
"However, I wanted to focus on my other business interests. We sold Fusion to Miguel Rocha, and I feel it best to pass on the mantle to his organisation at this stage."
It is also believed that Couteau's decision to leave the team is also influenced by Lotto's desire to move the Fusion operation to their own facilities in Belgium, as they currently occupy the Couteau-owned headquarters in Bath. Rumours also link Couteau to a new ARWS entry with his Nebula Grand Prix outfit, although the team were not available for comment.
Couteau's Black Label collection will also be represented at this month's Paris Fashion Week.
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
Ataxia wrote:Also Aerond, here's all of the liveries (except the Voeckler, I don't know what the plan is for that)
I was hoping someone would do me a solid and convert my 2D plan into a 3D GP2 livery. I can do rFactor liveries, I can do GTR2 liveries, I can do GP4 liveries even, but tries at GP2 liveries have never worked out well!
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Ataxia wrote:Also Aerond, here's all of the liveries (except the Voeckler, I don't know what the plan is for that)
I was hoping someone would do me a solid and convert my 2D plan into a 3D GP2 livery. I can do rFactor liveries, I can do GTR2 liveries, I can do GP4 liveries even, but tries at GP2 liveries have never worked out well!
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
Autosport wrote:Hawkin concerned about Fusion's 2019 pace
Terry Hawkin has told reporters he remains concerned with Fusion's pace for the upcoming 2019 ARWS season as rivals Kjellerup look to set the early pace in pre season testing. The reigning champion was goof for only 14th fastest, struggling with car problems during the day.
"Yeah, Kjellerup's initial pace is worrying that's for sure." Hawkin said following the test. "We know we have a competitive package, but I think a number of other teams have moved the game on in the off-season, and we need to make sure we're not left behind. There's any number of teams towards the upper end that could challenge for the title this year and we need to make sure we're one of them."
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
motorsport.com wrote:Lack of pace isn't a concern, says Rocha
After a lackluster first pre-season test for the Fusion-Lotto squad - Terry Hawkin only 14th fastest overall - Rocha showed no concerned over the pace that the team showed in their first outing of the year.
"Hawkin told us what was wrong with the car, and we are working 24/7 to fix it. We suffered some car related problems with our newest downforce upgrade we brought to the pre-season test, and it seems it made the car overheat its engine very easilly over a lap, so we have to be running some low powered engine modes troughout the day in order to gather as much data as possible. Hopefully this problems will be fixed for the second pre-season test, and Hawkin can be assured he'll have the best equipment available." said Rocha in an interview to Het Nieuwsblad, in Belgium.
Regarding the latest comments regarding Badu's signing, he commented that "Badu is a very good driver - I don't get why people are saying about him. In a time where Ferrari were suffering, he won a bloody race for them! He overperformed a dead weight Red Bull then! He's a very safe pair of hands, and I expect that he'll do exactly what I expect from him: bring those points when it's needed."
Mario on Gutierrez after the Italian Grand Prix wrote:He's no longer just a bit of a tool, he's the entire tool set.
18-07-2015: Forever in our hearts Jules. 25-08-2015: Forever in our hearts Justin.
Huge grins were found at the Union Saver Defelopments garage after the first pre-season test at Jerez de la Frontera. Lead driver Naoki Shinjo reaching a well deserved 6th, while newcomer Shinobu Katayama was plagued with issues and only managed a 16th. At the end of the day, USD head boss Karl Lichter Shultz was all smiles.
"Last year we focus in reliability, which allowed us to make the full of the times when Naoki (Shinjo) managed to qualify and started from there. This time, though, we'll go for raw power, and for the first look, I'm pleased with the plan."
Asked about Katayama's comments about the car not be up on power, Shultz only said "Well, maybe Katayama needs to focus first in getting used to the car before talking about performance. And while she only got 16th place, the probable issues with her car appeared earlier, so we can now fix them so there's no excuses on the mechanical front. She'll have all attention from USD, but she also need to prove that the second cars isn't cursed like someone has said on the paddock."
Rejectsports wrote Shinjo wants more power
Although his stunning 6th place on the first practice at Jerez was superb, USD lead driver Naoki Shinjo is sure that the car can be even faster. "Like the boss said, we're focusing on getting more power. Daihatsu has provided us with a new beefy powerplant to start the season, but we all know that the whole package can, and would, be even better. Honestly, I want more power to start fighting for wins, but only time will say..."
Nurminen GP team boss Niko Nurminen was pleased after the first pre-season tests. "These results have confirmed that we did the right choice by choosing BMW as our engine partner. Jantscher had some setup issues which prevented him from getting out the best performance, but given that we're still essentially running last year's chassis while still achieving results such as this shows that we have great potential once the season progresses and the chassis is developed."
Eurosport broadcast for the 1990 Mexican GP prequalifying: "The Life, it looked very lifeless yet again... in fact Bruno did one, slow lap"
Rejectsport wrote:'It was bad, but it was good', says Euromotor boss
The first testing session results were not what Euromotor International's crew desired. But resigned to be a team who will fight for qualification to races, it's not something that picks them in the bad side. At least to Joaquim Alcântara, the German team's boss.
"We are rookies. Rookies are expected to do mistakes. And if we can have mistakes for at least one or two seasons before we build momentum, I won't feel angry', said the Portuguese.
With experience in smaller formulae, touring cars and other racing disciplines, the team arrive to ARWS to try to build a new page to the team's long legacy to live the ups and downs (and the middles) of racing life.
"We admit that touring cars were our main business and we won't deny that. But open-wheel racing is something that I desired to see the team tackle. Even if we are the slowest team on the pack. I don't care, let's go!'
Bertrand Gachot, Pacific, Connew and Piercarlo Ghinzani's No.1 Fan
1995 Rejects-1 World Champion with Driver (Julio Vaca) and Team (V.I.D.A.) - Because the first time you can never forget
Rejectsport wrote:Schnass: "A Cautious First Step"
Andrea Schnass remains cautiously optimistic in regards to the upcoming ARWS season. Having just returned from Jerez for the first pre-season test he appeared less tense as the weekend progressed. "Two top 20 finishes despite the lack of laps we did is encouraging. The car needs better reliability, and as we get used to our new chassis we should see more reliable pace."
When asked about pre-qualifying aspects Schnass was more diverting. "pre-qualifying is always a tossup in this series. Even the likes of Fusion and Jones were stuck at the bottom, so anything can happen. Despite this, we will continue to develop our car and drivers over the long season, and cracking the midfield remains a priority for us."
Nicolas Steele wrote:Real talk: I'm not too surprised by the pace of our machine. It's a foreign chassis that could pull results last season. It will be important for us to develop the car to keep up, though there is always the problem with working in the now and preparing the chassis for next season.
I'll be back in the saddle for the next pre-season test, so ask me then about any specific issues that need to be addressed. Schnass still sees me as a valuable driver, and I'm more than capable of filling in should McFry or Wouter run into issues.
Der Wunderball wrote:Blokkmonsta Football Staff Spotted Outside Mecha Offices
Yesterday, following the first two days of the ARWS Pitlane Cup, suspicious men were spotted outside Team Mecha's Europe offices. The group of 5 men declined to give their names but asked to speak with Mecha's football managers. "We're both small teams right? How 'bout we collaborate to make sure we both get into the top 8?" The leader of the group spoke when interviewed. None of the 5 men seemed to be from Blokkmonsta's players, though a reporter later confirmed that some of them served as player trainers and supply workers.
Blokkmonsta's offices have yet to comment.
Klon wrote:What did poor André do to you for him to be insulted like that?
Barii Mori wrote:The test was disappointing. Although we are using last years car and we were working on race pace and reliability rather then outright speed. We do have some upgrades on the way so we are hoping they will make a lot of difference for test 2 when we will do qualifying tests. Akira had problems with the upgraded engine and struggled to really get a fast lap in, although the Yamaha did seem to give all their teams problems of one sort or another. Nick has been told to do a fast lap in test 2.
Shinobu Katayama wrote:Although I had issues with the gearbox so I could not get a good lap in, I must say I am impressed with the USD chassis, I will say it is more drivable then the Venturi I had last year. The engine is nowhere as powerful but it seems to have good torque which is useful through the corners. I am looking forward to the next test and I hope to give Shinjo something to look at.
Kenan Ardaoglu wrote:I don't want to talk to you guys until after test 2.
<@Ataxia> these people are making a mess of their crepe suzettes
EVR team boss Eric Vincent has hit out at recent comments by fellow AWRS rookie team Euromotor team boss Joaquim Alcântara in which he stated he did not care if they were the slowest team on the grid. " Thats their aim is it" says Vincent "To Finish last, who joins a series with the aim of finishing last. Does he have no confidence in his own team. Or maybe with a car that even BOSS GP would reject for being too old, that's all he can aim for"
RacingCoffee wrote:NC race for ARWS in the sights at the end of 2019?
One of the breaking news for today was that ARWS is planning on hosting a one-off NC GP at a yet to be unspecified location. Now, this is merely a rumor. It is said that the race could take place either the Iberian Peninsula or in Eastern Europe. Nothing is set and stone, and there are many questions left unanswered as of yet. Some have argued that in the case of the Iberian Peninsula, Daniel Prieto is trying to expand the Spanish ARWS fanbase, while on Eastern Europe there is a big market with Alexey Buyvolov untapped.
arwsfanatic.co.uk wrote:Lottogate?
There have been reports from the Kjellerup offices of a suspicious amount of activity nearby, incluiding a spotting of a alleged Fusion mechanic. There are rumours that this is industrial espionage, on an attempt of Fusion to gain perfomance via stolen blueprints. There are no official confirmations, and the reports coming out seem rather dubious, but it is indeed rumoured that Fusion has been doing eye-birding at Dijon.
Automobil-Revue wrote:
Venturi unveil new livery and car; the Venturi V-500
The Venturi team has seen a bit of a tough pre-season testing, running a bare, updated V2-001, the V2B-001, with limited sucess and reliability issues. However, now the V-500 has finally appeared, and alongside it, many have noted very innovative features of the car.
"Indeed, we are very confident that this design will give us the result we want." "The airbox has been designed with cooling in mind, and it's perfomance on telemetry has been staggering.", said designer Jean-Marie Deschamps.
The car shows off a new sponsorship deal with Winfield, thus calling the team Winfield Venturi Formula. Alongside that, Statoil appears as the official fuel supplier, of which it's appeareances have caused speculation to go wild, as it seems that the rumours were true. The front wing design has also been heavily modified, with a more radical and effective design.
There is speculation of a new version, the V-512, being introduced in the 5th race at Morocco.
AUTOSPORT+ wrote:Sauveterre gets injured in soccer match
Following a rather hectic group stage in the ARWS Soccer Tournament, Sauveterre ended up injured after a foul committed by an unspecified Gillet member. Sauveterre has had some minor leg injuries, and will remain in hospital for a few hours. Sauveterre commented: "I have never seen such a lack of sportsmanship in my life. Absolutely disgusting in every sense of the word, especially from these idiots from that pretend country."
Italian tabloid wrote:Pacchia to make comeback?
Following a long conversation between Luca Pacchiarini and some execs, there are rumours that a new version of the Pacchia engine will be made available at some point in the future. The engine at the moment would be on par with the Pure-Hart in terms of power, and there are some further evidence that this is set and stone, but at the moment, it's all just to be taken with a grain of salt. Luca Pacchiarini retired after a semi-dismal stint in the suddenly-cancelled IPC with Alfa Corse.
Pasta_maldonado wrote:I think normal32 is an old English farmer re-incarnated
Rejectwire wrote:Lucarelli apologises to team for mistake
NRE driver Alessandro Luarelli made a very public apology to his team in the post-test driver interviews, having crashed his BMW-powered car into the barriers early in the 2nd day's session.
"I must apologise to the team for this mistake," he said. "We were doing qualifying runs so I was pushing the car, but I really overdid it here. To succeed in testing you need the maximum running, and it's my fault this hasn't happened here, so I will take responsibility and move on."
"There are positives certainly though. Despite next to no running during the day, I managed a time in the Top 10, and Marko was also running well on his long runs in the session. Of course, the engine failing during one of the runs is a small worry, but this is to be expected when you are shoehorning an engine into a car designed for something else. The individual components work well, the testing is needed only to harmonise the two parts - car and engine - together."
Miccoli: Obiettivo secondo posto
Salvatore Miccoli, the native of Pescara, is clear in his goals for the 2019 season. He is already willing to concede the championship before the race has already begun, but he feels 2nd is still within his grasp.
"For sure, Bastiaan [van Nieuwenhuijzen] in the Kjellerup is unreachable," he explained. "The car is the best, and he is the best driver in the team. However, I think second is still on the table. Mark Dagnall has broken mentally. Bastiaan has the upper hand from the start, he was the best driver at the end of 2018 in ARWS and is already embedded fully in the team. Dagnall comes in as the outsider, already on the back foot and scrambling for results. The rest of us can take advantage of this."
"I think it's possible therefore that MRT can win the constructors. Between myself and Cara, and with the second Kjellerup a question mark, I think we can get close, maybe just beat them in the WCC. Therefore the aim for me has to be 2nd in the WDC, for this to be a possibility. You look at the history of MRT in recent seasons, they often come on strong later in the season, so for sure given where we are now, this can be done."
van Nieuwenhuijzen camp eerily quiet after testing
One man has dominated ARWS pre-season testing. Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen topped the times in both days of running at Jerez, in the region of a second faster than the first non-Kjellerup car. Despite his ominous form, the Dutchman and his entourage have been keeping a very low profile, with little news coming from his side of the garage.
In the mandatory post-testing interviews, he kept his answers unusually short, leaving reporters questioning the sudden radio silence from Maaskantje native.
"The car works well, I am happy with it, things are okay on the technical side," he said pointedly. "Testing is over now, let's see what Adelaide brings."
Rumours suggest a rift has already surfaced within the Kjellerup team, with former three time champion Mark Dagnall reputedly trying to throw his weight around in a team that was built around van Nieuwenhuijzen towards the end of last season.
The 5 time race winner is said to be furious at the Brit's internal power plays, and is lobbying for preferential treatment of his own based on the dominant times set in pre-season testing.
With Kjellerup seemingly out on its own in terms of pace, it would appear the Dagnall-van Nieuwenhuijzen battle could become one of the fiercest inter-team rivalries in ARWS history.
Bean says Mecha points are possible
After scoring their debut point last season, John Bean has suggested there could be more points scoring finishes to come for Team Mecha, having followed up his 8th fastest time in the first pre-season test with 15th in the secon test earlier this week.
"I think that while our car is probably better on one lap pace than long runs, we can still pick up some more points during the course of the year," Bean enthused. "We have the factory support of Pure-Hart for engines now, the new car looks decent, and everything seems to interconnect well with the various aspects of the technical package."
Having made waves last year in Buenos Aires by scoring his team's first ever ARWS point in 5 years of competition, the Brit has specific races in mind to break into the Top 6 this time around.
"The street tracks are the ones I think we'll be shaking the apple cart at. More specifically, I think Monaco and São Paulo will be our two strongest races, so we need to aim to reach the finish there. My hope is to go one better this year, perhaps get a Top 5 at one of these events. It's a big task, but it's not impossible for us."
Pacer running out of steam?
Rumours from Japan indicate knives are already being sharpened in the Jones offices, with new recruit Gary Pacer already on the chopping block. The Canadian rookie has been outclassed by fellow newcomer Nathanael Cameron in pre-season testing, and it appears the entourage of Akira Yamamura are already making overtures towards Jones management over their second seat.
While the Jones team has struggled of late thanks to issues with the factory Ford engine supply, they are still a cut above Yamamura's current team Kamaha, who have stuck with an outdated chassis design for 2019 and were well down the timesheets.
"I have seven missed calls from Yamamura's entourage," effused one paddock insider, who asked for anonymity despite not really needing it, being completely anonymous to begin with. "They are desperate to get Akira out of the shitbox Kamaha as quickly as possible. They called me for help, naturally, so put them in touch with Sammy Jones, a close friend of mine. Did I mention I have a book release coming up soon?"
Neither of the teams nor drivers were available for comment.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Andrea Schnass wrote:Going by the pre-season tests, we look to be on track for making qualifying on a regular basis. McFry and Lamberigts definitely doing their job well with what we have, and we prepare for Australia in earnest.
I only just figured out this new chassis upgrade system. The thing took weeks to understand even when I had ARWS staff explain it to me...
Nicolas Steele wrote:Wow, this car is much better than that old piece of garbage from last year. I know it's a hand-me-down, but the car is a step up for sure from the ex-Tropico machine. With our ability to build our own parts for the car I'm sure we can get the rough edges hammered out. Getting the car to finish a full distance will be priority one if I was in charge of R&D, but for now I can just give my advice.
Now if only I can get my qualifying pace down, or I can kiss a race seat goodbye...
Rejectsport wrote:Blokkmonsta to test at Nurburgring after Pre-Season Test
Blokkmonsta's ARWS team will be testing at the Nurburgring on March 1 and 2 in preparation for the start of the ARWS season. The team rented out the facility in order to test and develop new parts for their machine, though the team declined to comment on the exact parts being tested.
"If I told you, teams would know what we're up to." spoke Henri van Dousen, Director of R&D at Blokkmonsta's ARWS garage in Pfaffenhausen, Germany. "All you need to know is that we're getting the car's rougher parts smoothed out so we have a reliable and capable package ready for Adelaide.
The team claimed that will likely have further testing after the first few rounds of the season, suggesting that the team may be taking their time to make sure their upgrades check out and pass scrutiny.
Schnass: "I'll eat my shoes if we don't make the grid"
At Frankfurt International Airport Blokkmonsta team owner Andrea Schnass gave an ultimatum before embarking to fly to Australia for the first round of the Auto Reject World Series. He would put more than his pride on the line when asked about the qualifying pace of his team.
"I'm 100% confident that the team will stay out of DNPQ for the season. If we fail to make the grid, I will eat my shoes in front of a live audience. They're fancy shoes too, to show how confident I am!"
The Daily Fighter wrote:ARWS Team Cover for Russian Front?
The controversial Blokkmonsta Racing Team again shows their turncoat colors in a recent legal violation at their team's ARWS effort. The Daily Fighter reports a leaked commission report from the Reject World Federation reveals Blokkmonsta's connections to the Russian government. The report covers investigation of "unconfirmed trasncations between Blokkmonsta's financial division, it's ARWS team garage, and unknown clients traced back to the IP Addresses of the State Duma." This connection, coupled with Andrea Schnass's recent talks with several Russia-owned firms suggests that the former Communist maintains compromising and possibly illegal ties to the Russian government.
Schnass's connections to Russia are extensive and cover several decades. The German government questioned the team owner in the 1990s for potential activities within the East German Stasi. The erratic German also faced charges in 1989 for previous possession of Red Army military hardware, including AK-74s, Soviet-designed hand grenades, and parts of a T-72 Main Battle Tank.
Both Blokkmonsta and the Reject World Federation have declined our requests for interview.
Klon wrote:What did poor André do to you for him to be insulted like that?
Motorsport.com wrote:Venturi to launch B-Spec at Marrakech?
Following some rather dissapointing test results, Venturi will release a B-Spec version of the V-500. The so-called V-512 will feature a new rear wing, slightly modified skirts, and a new suspension system. Venturi have claimed that this chassis will hopefully propel the team to the top 10 in the WCC, though this is likely the only major upgrade for the chassis, as Venturi are looking forward to 2020 and 2021.
Automobil-Revue wrote:Venturi in trouble?
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Following the announcement that Venturi would release a B-Spec upgrade, people were with question marks over whatever or not if Venturi would have enough money. Indeed, Venturi Automobiles, the company paying for the branding, has pressured this movement as a way to get better results and see a return in their investement. It is said that if the team doesn't get a podium by the 9th race, Venturi would withdraw their sponsorship deal earlier, and the Norwegian investors would step in earlier than expected. Samuel de Sauveterre refuted these claims, but some other sources, incluiding a engineer in Venturi, have claimed that these rumours are truth and Sauveterre is doing damage control, as if Venturi loses their sponsors, Sauveterre would most likely pull out as well.
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Somone.com wrote:Terry Hawkin to try the Triple Crown?
It has been rumoured that Hawkin has made his differences with Jones, in order to attempt the Triple Crown with a one-off operation at Indianapolis 500. The team will be run by a number of Jones newbie mechanics, with a Mazda engine. Jones has refuted the rumours, but they seem to persist, and since Mazda have a batch of engines left, will this be true?
The Chinese Race wrote:Great Wall to update engine mid-season?
Great Wall has been rumoured to be on the works to upgrade their ARWS unit. It has been rumoured that the new unit can reach up to 867. The discovery of the upgrade was made after gum was found blocking the engine unit and restricting it's overall horsepower output. The Chinese people have called this "cheating" and a "clear attempt from the West to tamper with the best of engineering".
O Volante wrote:Rob Lomas in huge debt?
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Following some info from testdriver Andrej Kremnicky, it is rumoured that Rob Lomas won't last the whole season, even with Chinese investment.
"I went there looking for employement around December. Factories were pretty deserted, and the team didn't even have a chassis-engine package ready. The facilities for the cars were pretty outdated and unconventional, and some places just looked plain gross. As you can imagine, I immediately rejected the offer, since I would rather gain more experience than kill off my career driving for a backmarker."
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Pasta_maldonado wrote:I think normal32 is an old English farmer re-incarnated
motosport.com wrote:Hawkin much happier after second test
Despite finishing 3rd fastest - 2 and 6 tenths slower than the two Kjerellup, who appear to be the team to beat - Terry Hawkin was a very happy man as he stepped outside his CL1/19. While the same can't be said about his team-mate Marcel Agyemang-Badu, who was outside the top 20 fastest and 2.1 seconds slower than Hawkin, the defending ARWS champion claimed that "The car feels much better now than it did in the first pre-season test - we brought a brand new suspension package and a upgraded chassis in terms of rigidity, and it seems to have improved handling considerably."
Despite the gap to Kjerellup still beeing big, Hawkin is positive about the season "Towards the end of last year, Kjerellup already had a very good car, and I still could fight them. The same will happen this year, but our goal for now is to win races and amass those points." His team-mate, on the other hand, is still trying to learn the ropes around the ARWS cars, and is still highly motivated about the season and working with Fusion and Hawkin.
Mario on Gutierrez after the Italian Grand Prix wrote:He's no longer just a bit of a tool, he's the entire tool set.
18-07-2015: Forever in our hearts Jules. 25-08-2015: Forever in our hearts Justin.
After a 2018 where the whole grid was shaken up by front newcomers Fusion and Kjellerup, the 2019 is finally here with the 17 teams on the way to Adelaide for the Australian Grand Prix. This is the second year with an extended 18 race calendar and also the second in the current cycle of engines. Renault proved to have the engine to beat last season, but BMW and others are following very closely. In the fast-paced environment this competition brings, things usually don't stay the same for long, and 2019 surely has enough ingredients to assure another exciting, and different season to what 2018 was. Follow us into out team-by-team analysis of what the season might bring, completed by the opinions of our experts: Chris Dagnall, Jacques Couteau, James James Davies and Giovanni Roda
Fusion Lotto Racing
Fusion have endured a hard pre-season so far. The Lotto takeover of the team seems to have confused the hell out of the design and mechanical teams and, while everything seems to be smooth in the management side, truth is the chassis is starting to show its age and it's not the pace setter anymore. On the other hand, the team will continue to have the important support of the Renault engines, and Terry Hawkin will be eager to show he can retain the championship. Badu, on the other side, will probably have a tough time in the rollercoaster that ARWS midfield is.
Championship prediction: 4th
Chris Dagnall: I’m a bit worried about Fusion’s form for this season. Yes, I know Hawkin is the champion, but their chassis is getting too old and all those organizational changes in the pre-season are going to do more harm than good.
Jacques Couteau: What a season we had last year! It was great that everyone's hard work and motivation was rewarded, and Terry did an absolutely phenomenal job in adapting to ARWS straight away. I think that, after I sold a big piece of the team to Lotto, I had to step back and pursue other things. Keeping Terry is excellent for the team, and Marcel should be able to adapt well to the series. It is no secret that I had Tomo signed for 2019, and she was very eager to make the most of her time with us, but I think Marcel can do a good job at the team.
James James Davies: I don't see what Lotto is bringing to the table here - frankly their involvement in racing always struck me as really odd. They've fallen behind in development, so it points out to me these guys need to get their management in order if they don't want to fall into the midfield. They should still contend for a few wins with Hawkin - that kid's the real deal and he proved it last year, despite what the haters might think. He might want to consider switching away soon though, if this downward slide in form continues. Marcel Agyemang-Badu though... I'll be honest - don't think that kid's as bad as everyone makes out, but he lets criticism get to him way too easily. Needs to loosen up and let his driving do the talking. I'm not seeing him do that this year, though.
Giovanni Roda; New ownership, same old shite. Usually when a new investor comes in, everything is shaken up. Instead, they've done absolutely nothing. The first potent Gen A car is now looking limp in its old age, and while the driving lineup has youthful pizzazz, nothing else about this team looks fresh. They are going to go backwards due to staying still.
Jooky Melrose Racing Team
While the new car doesn't seem as reliable as the M9, one must not forget that MRT are the current champions. The team, who seems to be for now second best behind Kjellerup, will have the services of the ever-improving Alberto Cara and the rookie Salvatore Miccoli. While not expected to fight for the wins at first, they always seem to handle correctly the development race and we'll probably see them improving as the season unfolds and the drivers gain confidence in the car. The only concern is respecting the management side, although that shouldn't be a major bump in a team used to suffer from controversial and, sometimes lunatic, managers.
Championship prediction: 2nd
Chris Dagnall: While their pre-season form wasn’t the best, MRT are usually up for something good. I don’t know if they’ll end up having the ultimate pace to catch Kjellerup, but I’m convinced they’ll score a few wins at least.
Jacques Couteau: Ah, MRT are always there! They have a good relationship with BMW, but maybe they've not got the reliability they were hoping for this year and tempers might start to flare a bit. Cara, well, he's probably the best qualifier out there and he was a huge challenge for us last year. If he is a bit more consistent in the races, he will be a big problem for the others. Miccoli is an interesting choice, but considering he's very versatile he should get used to the cars quickly. Where will MRT be is up to the reliability. If they can sort that then they'll be in the championship fight, but if not it'll be like 2016 again.
James James Davies: I don't think you can ever properly count MRT out, but they're starting on the back foot relative to Kjellerup for sure. Cara's proved himself way more capable in a top-tier ride than he ever looked in junior formulae, and the team look like they've responded by giving him an even bigger challenge this year. Miccoli is a real superstar in his own right already, he should have no problems fitting in alongside Cara and performing as well. MRT has the drivers no doubt, but they've gotta get the car in order as well.
Giovanni Roda: Their driving lineup is very strong, the engine is solid and so is the car, but there's nothing exceptional there. The boxes are ticked, and in a year where everyone else is scrambling around to get their shite together, this would be their year. Alas, one team in the field will beat them. MRT will be 2nd. Picking up Miccoli was an inspired choice - he was on the Scuderia Ferrari shortlist, so picking him up is an impressive hire indeed.
Kjellerup by Écurie Prenois
Building on an already very successful 2018 campaign, the Jerez tests have shown that Kjellerup looks like the car to have at the moment. The team got on board a very agressive development plan in 2018, and by the end of the year they already had the best chassis, as spectacular Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen's pace showed in the second half of the season. With Renault on board again, and Dagnall as the driver in the other car, the team looks set to take over 2019 in a massively successful season. The only concern is that both drivers would spoil an internal war, but that won't make the car any slower than it is.
Championship prediction: 1st
Chris Dagnall: They seem to be on the way up from a fantastic end of 2018, so to me they look like the team to beat right now. It’s possible that an internal war between both drivers might dent the confidence inside the team, but an intra-team war could very well have the contrary effect and we could very well see them win most races this season.
Jacques Couteau: Chapeau to Kjellerup, they came into ARWS and immediately looked professional. They were finding their feet a bit at the start, but when they got their new car and Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen joined, they were a huge contender. This year they're one of the favourites, and Bastiaan has been dominant in testing. Whether his relationship with Dagnall will hold up is another question, because Dagnall knows that he needs this move to work. I think they'll win the constructors' title with ease, and maybe Bastiaan will win the drivers' title. I don't know.
James James Davies: I don't get this team. They have the best car, and probably the best driver in the field in van Nieuwenhuijzen. Why the hell are they wasting money on a prima-donna has-been in Mark Dagnall? All he's gonna do is lounge around, make ridiculous demands, whinge if he doesn't get his way, score a couple wins that fall into his lap, and walk out the door in a huff when he gets his ass whipped. How they handle Dagnall is gonna define this team's future - for their sake, I hope they don't screw it all up.
Giovanni Roda: 2019 will be all about this team. They have the most potent engine, coupled to by far the best chassis in the field. Combine this with the most on-form driver at the back-end of 2018 and a three time world champion, and you have a team holding the hand of a lifetime and with everything to lose. This will be the key battle - a face-off between Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen and Mark Dagnall. The latter has the experience but also has been needing to hit the Prozac heavy. The former has the momentum from the end of last year. 20 years from now a movie will be made about this rivalry. Expect fireworks.
Jones Unipart TAG
Jones seem to have stalled somewhere inbetween the top of the field and the middle of it, and have no idea how to cope with the situation. Coupled with the underpowered, but always reliable Ford engines, Jones seem to be enduring their own journey accross the desert and 2019 will be a rebuilding year for them. On the drivers side, Dagnall won't be there anymore to pull out miracles and the team have turned their heads to two rookies. Cameron and Pacer seem a decent pairing, but they will hardly be effective developing the car, so one can predict they will be concentrating their efforts in 2020 sooner than later.
Championship prediction: 5th
Chris Dagnall: Their young lineup is interesting, but they will get more running in the midfield than in the previous seasons. 2019 will be a rebuilding year for them.
Jacques Couteau: I have a good relationship with Sammy, and he was happy to help us when we were setting up our ARWS team over 2016. He'll be the first to tell you it's not gone so well over the last couple of years, and that's mainly because Ford have just not produced a good engine. I think that relationship's coming to an end. They have two excellent young drivers, and I think Sammy has decided that 2019 is a building year to get Nate (Cameron) and Gary (Pacer) up to speed. Nate is excellent and really works hard, and I also know Gary from when he ran in F1RDS. He was a bit jumpy back then, but he's calmed down a lot in the last couple of years. Both will be stars of the future.
James James Davies: Sammy Jones is a moron. He had Hawkin in the palm of his hands for years and right when he comes good, he lets him go. Cameron and Pacer are not gonna fill the talent gap that this team has. Pacer especially just does not have the look of a winner on him. I feel bad for the engineers on this team, they've done some of the best work ARWS has ever seen, and Jones has gone and pissed it all away. I'd advise them to start jumping ship, I don't see this Titanic un-sinking now.
Giovanni Roda: Jones have bit by bit been losing form since winning the title with Rhys Davies in 2016. The factory Ford engines have less power than a hamster in a running wheel. Even with the potent Renaults, the chassis is not good enough to put them firmly above the other dark horses. Their lineup is an inexperienced - if promising - lineup of two AutoReject 3.5 graduates from last year. This is a rebuilding year. But then with how the development lifecycle works, 2020 doesn't look great for them either.
Voeckler Renault
For the first time in years, there seems to be a sense of peacefulness inside the team. While they failed to be the best of the Renault teams last season, the french manufacturer is still compromised in giving the team the best stuff earlier than any of the other teams. By the point the Australian GP starts, Dan Greenlaw won't be a rookie anymore, and the ever solid Phillippe Nicolas seems to bring to the team the perfect mix of young, sparkling talent and solid experience that's always needed to win. While we cannot see the team matching Kjellerup's pace, they should give MRT a hard time in the fight to be the best of the rest.
Championship prediction: 3rd
Chris Dagnall: With the engine they have, they should be able to run alongside MRT and Fusion for now. I’m convinced Greenlaw has a brilliant future in ARWS and could very well take the lead inside the team against Nicolas.
Jacques Couteau: I owe the Voecklers a big thank-you, because they didn't stand in our way when we went for the customer Renault deal last year! They didn't have such a good year last year, they had a lot of reliability issues and a few crashes here and there. De Bock was definitely having a title hangover and fell out of love with the series a bit, and so he's gone to the revived Indycar Series. Greenlaw looked like he has that star quality, but he had so much bad luck over the year that it was difficult for him to show how good he can be. Phillippe Nicolas is a known quantity, he's someone who can win if the car's up to it, and so we'll get a real idea of where Greenlaw is compared to his new team-mate.
James James Davies: Voeckler's kinda the opposite of Jones at this stage - they quite smartly are hanging on to Dan Greenlaw for dear life. If I were them, though, I would've pushed hard to get Miccoli back on-side, or maybe Aimee Gauthier - because Nicolas is capital W washed-up. The car isn't looking too hot though, but I reckon Greenlaw's pace should do enough to carry the team, for as long as they can hang on to him.
Simpson Motorsports
While they seem to be the most advantaged of the Yamaha powered teams, the perennial lack of funding that the team suffers can affect their 2019 adventures. The team seemed to be trying too hard to understand the new car during the pre-season tests at Jerez, and by the looks of it, seems they will still be ironing things out when the home races in Australia come. While the team certainly has potential, and they will be relying the same solid driver line-up, one can wonder if they can still hold the pace of the teams coming behind them, and it looks like the team will have a hard time if they hope to repeat the relative success achieved in 2018.
Championship prediction: 7th
Chris Dagnall: They always look like perennial mid-fielders and there’s no reason to think this season will be different for them. Scoring one or two podiums should be their ultimate goal.
Jacques Couteau: Simpson, as usual, quietly went about their business and were always on hand to pick up points, especially in the second half of the year. I think most were expecting Buyvolov to be getting more podiums this year, but he really struggled to get a grip of the car and was outscored by Jean-Luc Schiller. Schiller used to be this team-to-team pay-driver, but he's become a really class driver over the past few years and has proven his worth as a team leader at both MRT and now Simpson. They were the best Yamaha team by last year, and I think that'll be the same once again.
James James Davies: Now this is a team I can kinda respect - they're doing their own thing and making progress. Buyvolov was kinda disappointing last year, but I think he can still pull a few surprises. Schiller is a pretty capable number 2 as well. If you're gonna count on one team to actually deliver on their goals for this year, it should be this one.
Giovanni Roda: Boring team. Don't care. They are keeping things the same, but I don't believe in continuity when the maximum potential is only 5th. Buyvolov was a one-hit wonder, he is a capable drive but not a world class one like many seem to believe. Schiller is also a serviceable driver, but that's about it. I see no ambition from this team. They have Yamaha engines that, if they were coupled to a better chassis and wrangled by better wheelmen, could do more. They will be the benchmark for acceptable performance, but don't expect anything exciting from them.
Kamaha Revolution Motorsports
Kamaha took a bold bet when they decided to keep their old car for the 2019 season. By this point, the car seems too old and unreliable to keep fighting in the midfield and, unless they undertake a massive development program, it looks like the team would be better concentrating their efforts in the 2020 season. On the other hand, they have the best driver pairing in years in Namamura and Nurmester, and they may hid the car lack of pace, at least at some tracks. One thing is for granted though, 2019 won't be their best of years.
Championship prediction: 10th
Chris Dagnall: They always seem to be in an emotional rollercoaster, don’t they? The driver pairing looks certainly stronger than any of the last 4 seasons, but I’m still not convinced about the car.
Jacques Couteau: Kamaha always seem to be in the same position! Their season was appalling at the start, and the Vantini-Melville combination was a mix of volatile and apathy. When Yamamura came on board, he really clicked with the team and brought in some really big results. He looks talented, he looks like the sort of driver who can roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. I don't know how much Kamaha have improved the car, and if they haven't then Yamamura might jump ship sooner rather than later. Nick Nurmester is a solid acquisition too, much better than Melville.
James James Davies: I think these jokers finally stumbled on something at the end of last year - Yamamura looks like the first Japanese driver worth giving a damn about since I can remember. Nurmester ain't too bad either, so this looks like the first time they actually properly nailed their driver lineup ever. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if they somehow screwed up their car totally over the winter. Which would be about par for the course, honestly.
Giovanni Roda: These guys are as useless as ever. Every time they take one step forward, they take two back. Yamamura is a quality driver, but he can't shoulder the burden of dragging this sorry excuse of a team to points alone. Their 2018 season was saved ironically by another team biting the dust. The inherited Revolution chassis was once a title contender. A very long time ago. The chassis is so old, it belongs in a museum. Kamaha are about to have such a poor season, they themselves may end up consigned to the history books at the end of the year.
Winfield Venturi Formula
Venturi will endure their 2nd season in the series in 2019, and by the looks of it, they have put all their eggs in the basket for this season. While the team should expect big improvement from 2018, that doesn't mean that running in the midfield is going to be easy for them. On the bright side, they have gotten rid of their old chassis, the Yamaha engines seem competitive enough, and they have a solid racer in Fredo Mestolio, if he can recover from his horrendous crash at the 2018 Belgian GP. On the other side of the pit there'll be Kenan Ardaoglu, who could well compete to be the best rookie of the season. Certainly a team to keep an eye on, specially given their choice for tyre supplier.
Championship prediction: 9th
Chris Dagnall: The odd tyre choice makes them an interesting team to watch for this season. Certainly the driver line-up is good, and rumors are that the Bridgestone is the tyre to have in wet races, so they will have chances to score points during the season.
Jacques Couteau: I know Venturi was a new team, but I maybe expected a little more from them. I thought maybe with Katayama and Albertini, they would be in the points more often, but I think the outdated car didn't exactly help their cause. Lucarelli was impressive when he came in, but surprisingly he wasn't kept by the team. That said, they've got Fredo Mestolio, who is a first-rate development driver and gives fantastic feedback. He's also very consistent, and should lead the team well. I only worked with Ardaoglu briefly, but he's very eager to learn and is very quick. Venturi should have a better year in 2019.
James James Davies: Venturi are looking a hell of a lot more promising in ARWS than their dull-as-dishwater F1 team ever did. You can read whatever you want into the respective levels of competition in there, but here, they got an experienced old hand in Mestolio, Ardaoglu looks fairly promising, and their car doesn't look too shabby. This could be a team to watch in years to come.
Giovanni Roda: This team has the right idea, they just don't have the experience to be able to execute their plans to the full degree. With Lucarelli departing, the rationale behind the Mestolio hire is solid - an experienced hand that brings money to the team - but question marks remain as to how he will do after his almost career-ending crash at Spa-Francorchamps. In the other seat, Ardaoglu looks a smart hire. The man has a hard head and plenty of talent, the kind of ego that gets a guy to the top of the sport. He could become a problematic individual if the team fails to deliver a quality car however - which I fear is the main problem here. They have a decent engine, but the chassis looks a class below that of a top ARWS team.
BASF Nurminen Grand Prix
After having to deal with the decreasingly competitive Holden engine for two seasons, NRE have made a huge financial effort to bring the BMW powerhouses to the car for 2020. This should be enough to put the cars at the front of the midfield pack, although they'll have to watch out to other teams in the development race (specially Venturi and USD). On the drivers, Jantscher and Lucarelli seem to be closer to each other than any other driver pairing on the field, and, if they spoil each other, they could well score a podium or two in one of those races when the big teams fail to eat all the leftovers.
Championship prediction: 6th
Chris Dagnall: With the new chassis and engine they should jump to the upper part of the midfield. I think both drivers will be quite close to the other in the time sheets, so it’s more a matter of fitting all the stuff together.
Jacques Couteau: In a series full of massive egos, Nurminen just get on with it and have been building up very steadily over the past couple of years. They had enough of the Holden engines, and this year have thrown quite a lot of money at getting a BMW contract which should help them massively. Marko (Jantscher) had a good debut year, and he's worked with BMW before so he'll be very happy. Sometimes, he gets involved in silly little things, but a lot of the time he's so dependable and knows how to get good results. Lucarelli coming in is a good move, he brings a bit of money but also a good bit of pace as well. Nurminen look good so far.
James James Davies: Nurminen underperformed a little bit compared to what I was expecting last year, and I'm not expecting them to take a big leap forward this year either. Jantscher's been kinda disappointing so far and frankly I'd give him the boot soon if he doesn't shape up and start actually performing. Lucarelli shouldn't be too bad though, but this team needs to look to change something if they want to move further up.
Giovanni Roda: Some good changes here. If anything they didn't change enough. Getting rid of the Holden shitboxes is a great start, swapping them out for the same proven BMW powerplants from the competitive MRT cars. Lucarelli is an astute hire, and the chassis looks like it's been unshackled from the terrible Holden units. The only problem was retaining Jantscher - he did nothing to justify his place in the team. Their two aims should be to develop the chassis, and to convince Yamamura to ditch Kamaha for NRE as quickly as possible.
Peak Aeroracing Engineering
While they somehow managed to save 2018 from being a complete disaster thanks to an stellar drive by Martins in Brazil, 2019 doesn't look good for the Audi powered team. With a seriously underpowered engine, old car and dodgy management, it's hard to believe this team was fighting for championships only two seasons ago. Apart from all the evident problems, Martins isn't getting any younger and Pascal is clearly there because of his money. It's hard to see any reason why this campaign will be a good one for Aeroracing, much to our dispair. The team will be having a hard time even getting out of Pre-Q.
Championship prediction: 15th
Chris Dagnall: I’d be surprised if they score any points at all. It’s a bit painful to see the team in such bad shape, compared to what they were not so long ago. Martins is still an interesting driver to watch, but not convinced he will be able to qualify the car that often.
Jacques Couteau: I don't know how this team who were fighting for wins have suddenly dropped into struggling to get out of pre-qualifying in just one year. Daniel Martins' 3rd at Sao Paulo really saved them. I don't know why they signed Jimenez last year, Shioya only really helped them with qualifying, and signing Pascal this year is just a finance-driven move. He's not quick at all. Martins is a safe pair of hands and will get as much as he can out of the car, but Aeroracing are going to struggle a lot.
James James Davies: Remember when this team was good? Yeah, me neither. Apparently it used to be a thing though. They were awful last year and Martins lucking into a podium was the only positive thing that happened. Martins is obviously past it, though and I would imagine he would want to retire sometime soon, if Aeroracing doesn't decide to land a better driver. Not that anyone would come knocking. Oh, Pascal's crap too, but you already knew that.
Giovanni Roda: They are buying time at this point. Everything about this team is wrong. The chassis design is fundamentally flawed, but it seems they've persisted with an evolution of the same design regardless, and the Audi engine is gutless. Gregor Pascal offers nothing except sponsor money, and it's surely just a matter of time until Martins becomes too demoralised by the whole shitshow to continue.
Union Saver Developments
USD management seem to have build strong ties with the Japanese, and their way of doing business is starting to pay dividends. Together with a steady flow of cash, Daihatsu are making massive improvements every time they introduce an upgrade, and, on the drivers side, Shinjo looks set to keep shutting critics mouths with his performances. Additionally, this year they've brought in perennial Shinobu Katayama in the 2nd car. While the Japanese star is not in her prime any more, she should still be competitive enough to bring home some valuable points if the car holds up.
Championship prediction: 8th
Chris Dagnall: This team has a much better lineup than previous season and also features the misterious Daihatsu engine. The paddock rumors are that Daihatsu will present a few huge upgrades for this season to put them much closer to BMW and Renault powered teams, so it could mean we are in for surprises with them.
Jacques Couteau: USD are another team quietly getting on with things, and getting the works Daihatsu deal was pretty smart. Shinjo surprised me, I didn't think he'd be up to speed after making the jump from F3, but he seemed to adapt well and even scored a couple of points! Having Katayama alongside should be of benefit; she's not quite as good as she used to be, but she's still very quick and should help Shinjo make that extra step up. If Daihatsu bring more updates, USD could score a few points here and there.
James James Davies: Why the hell do people still think giving Shinobu Katayama drives is a good idea!? 2014 was 5 years ago now! That said, I would expect Shinjo to carry this team again this year - guy's got some guts and talent to match for somebody who was a nobody before last year, and still kind of is. They should be decent enough though, Katayama aside.
Giovanni Roda: USD seem to be making the best of a limited hand. Shinjo's general competence surprised me last year, jumping straight from a mediocre year of F3, but somehow made the landing stick. His weak point is race pace, which perhaps the recruitment of Shinobu Katayama will help with. I think the elder of the Japanese pairing has just enough left in the tank to pick up a couple of points during the year. Make no mistake though, the team is being built around Shinjo.
Team Mecha Racing
Together with some fresh Indonesian support, Mecha will look to build up on their 2018 campaign. While a couple points can't be considered full success by any means, they look to have built a surprisingly solid chassis and they've also scored to have full Pure-Hart support. Bean incredibly pulled the miracle points that have allowed the team to move forward from the very back of the fill and will try to repeat the success. On the 2nd car, Barlini is a big question mark. Together with the engine, Mecha will also look forward to the Pirelli tyres, so getting into the grid shouldn't be a problem. Now, when the lights go out at Sunday, they don't seem to have a plan together to score more points, rather than praying for the gods to thunderstruck all the cars ahead.
Championship prediction: 13th
Chris Dagnall: I’m not that impressed by their pre-season form, as it clearly is because of the Pirelli tyres. In my opinion, they will qualify for all or most races for this season, but nothing else than that.
Jacques Couteau: Mecha were a bit of a laughing stock in the past, but they've made some very shrewd decisions in the last couple of years. John Bean made it a good 2018 after he scored the team's first point, and he's helped Mecha come up with a big sponsorship deal with KFC Indonesia. Nino Barlini is in the second seat, and although maybe he needed another year in AR3.5, I think Mecha is the best place for him to learn the ARWS ropes and get himself ready. He's looked quick in testing, which is really good to see. Mecha getting the works Pure Hart deal was very commendable too.
James James Davies: Well I suppose this team is proof of the adage that if you throw twenty billion kinds of crap at the wall, eventually one of the will sorta stick. By some miracle, John Bean (who even is this guy) picked up a point for these perennial losers after five freaking years. I dunno why the hell Barlini is here, but somehow he's also good despite not really looking ready for prime-time back in AR3.5. Then the team makes a good car for once? I dunno what to tell you what kind of shenanigans led to this outcome.
Giovanni Roda: This team is becoming strangely interesting. After 4 years of doing absolutely nothing of relevance, their extreme fiscally conservative approach throttling investment and leading to poor cars and a string of pay-drivers, things are starting to turn. They've become a factory team, with backing from Pure-Hart now that Gauthier have disappeared. John Bean brought them points and has been retained as a reward for his efforts. Barlini has a reasonably good junior record behind him, albeit not to the level of the other series debutants this year. The only problem is the high-deg Pirellis, but this conversely means a shot at a blockbuster result at places like Monaco, where they will need to make their cars the widest in the field.
RUF Blokkmonsta Grand Prix Team
With Lamberigts and McFry as drivers, Blokkmonsta look like they should be free from Pre-Q for a long part of the season, but the rest around the team hasn't moved forward. This apparent lack of progress is much due to keeping exactly the same technical package as last season. Reliability should be the biggest concern to the team, although one must question if they will be looking into 2020 rather than making real progress this season.
Championship prediction: 14th
Chris Dagnall: This team has a couple of fast qualifiers as drivers and that will save them for most of the time, but that car certainly is slow and any points would be a good result.
Jacques Couteau: I don't know what Blokkmonsta's gameplan is here. They seem to have put everything into getting out of pre-qualifying, and that's about it. No regard for the races at all. McFry and Lamberigts can qualify as well as they like, but they drop back every weekend and with the Holden engines, it won't take other teams long to pass them. They have Steele on the bench which is a bit of a waste, and I don't know why he's not decided to make the jump to Indycar or F1 this year. Maybe they have some dirt on him.
James James Davies: Now, you see, I would've thought Nicolas Steele would've been decent for this team, but instead he decides being useless is the hip thing to do. Whatever loser, enjoy not racing I guess. They've got McFry and Lamberigts, so Saturdays are sorted it looks like, but this team isn't finishing a race anytime soon - last time either of these jokers strung a decent amount of laps together was probably playing Gran Turismo as a kid. Also that car belongs in a museum - why the hell are they still running it!?
Giovanni Roda: This team looks to assume the mantle of Mecha as the boring, fiscally conservative backmarker. They have spent nothing on the technical package. It's the same chassis mated to the same shitbox Holden. They have hired two quali specialists, to make sure they actually make it to Sunday this time, but don't seem to have any gameplan regarding what to do once there. They will be an annoyance to the other teams looking to scrape a living - they will take away a quali slot from a team that perhaps has a better shot at doing something on a Sunday than Blokkmonsta do.
Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge
Gillet are finally showing some signs of a revival. While still coupled to their underpowered, home engine, they seem to have understood what was wrong with the design of the car and are even preparing a new chassis which should be ready for when the season moves to Europe. In Shane Walsh, Gillet seem to have finally found a driver they can rely on and Dorval will be there to complete the renovation of the team, finally understanding in order to progress you have to move on. A few points may be on the cards, too.
Championship prediction: 11th
Chris Dagnall: They seem to have finally understood that you need change when things are not good, and so it’s the first time in ages both the team and the drivers are really high in morale. It’s hard to guess where they’ll land, but lower midfield with a point or two wouldn’t be too bad of a result.
Jacques Couteau: Tony Gillet knows that 2019 is the year for his team to improve. They were slow to react to changes in the past, and now they're going the other way a bit and trying too hard. Keeping Walsh is a good bit of continuity, and he's a very talented driver indeed. What they do in the second seat is a bit curious, and I'm pretty sure Dorval is only there because he's Belgian. Personally, I'd have kept Moll on whilst I wait for the next crop of Belgian drivers to come through...like Mestach, Yael de Bock, Rosseels, Kevin van Kerckhoven. Whatever, they need to sort themselves out this year.
James James Davies: Losers gonna lose, I guess. Things look slightly less dire than last year - I guess kicking Moll out the door wasn't the worst call ever. Dorval isn't gonna be much of an improvement though. Still trying to figure out what Walsh thinks he's gonna accomplish while he's here - after all, losers gonna lose.
Giovanni Roda: Small gains only here. Anything was going to be better than the old chassis, but it's not going to get them back to the points. It's a shame for Walsh, he deserves a better car than this. Dorval however does not. If the nationality on his passport was French or Dutch, he wouldn't be there. Thankfully, there are about 3-4 other teams who have managed to screw up pre-season horrendously, so expect to see them in the races regularly, albeit not doing very much of value.
Rob Lomas Racing
When it seemed that RLR would finally start making some progress having signed a technical partnership with MRT and having scored a decent pairing of drivers in Plaza and Pazzini, all hopes of having a good season since they signed a misterious deal with Chinese investors. Since then, all we've known from an increasingly apathetic management is that they signed a deal to have the unreliable and slow Great Wall engines and that Goodride will provide tyres on a temporary basis. The pre-season showed clearly that the hopes for this season have already gone down the drain and we cannot expect any signs of progress for the team.
Championship prediction: 16th
Chris Dagnall: They seem pretty much dead with the engine and tyres they have. If they don’t take care of themselves they will probably fold sooner than later.
Jacques Couteau: The upside is the drivers, and both Plaza and Pazzini are very capable drivers indeed. The downside is...well, everything else. Great Wall engines - okay, they're free - but they're rubbish. They've had a trickle of Chinese money come in, but I think they'll be too far behind to make the most of it.
James James Davies: What? I have to do these guys too? No. Don't even waste my time.
Giovanni Roda: I don't know how much more stupidity I can take. I've already had to talk about Kamaha, about Aeroracing and Blokkmonsta, and now these geniuses somehow screwed up even more. Their driving pairing - Jesus Plaza and Gianluigi Pazzini - is fine, but completely irrelevant. With Great Wall engines and Goodride tyres, they are going to be embarrassingly far away from qualifying for races. We saw with Kingfisher in 2017 what to expect from the Great Wall engine programme, and I don't expect things to have improved since with zero miles clocked in 2018.
Eric Vincent Racing
This newcomers have exceeded all the expectations so far and they look to be following the steps of other new teams that turned quickly into midfielders like Venturi and USD. So far, they seem to have made good judgement with the chassis design, with a simple package, and the Pirelli tyres will probably see them qualifying more often than not. In the drivers side, van Rijkens has all the ingredients to feel at home, while Shioya will add some much needed experience at this stage.
Championship prediction: 12th
Chris Dagnall: This team feels like a smaller version of Mecha, with the aim to qualify for most or all races. It would certainly be achievable with the tyres and driver lineup, which is certainly strong enough for the task.
Jacques Couteau: I don't know a lot about this team. What I do know is they seem to be doing things the right way, and getting Danny van Rijkens and Shioya on board is very good for them. The Daihatsu engines are good, and I think they'll definitely not have a problem qualifying for races. Maybe, if things go well, van Rijkens may be well placed to score a few points.
James James Davies: Well, they look quick for a single lap. Van Rijkens is the kind of driver they need to escape pre-qualifying, but their Pirellis have, like, zero durability. Still, you got to start somewhere. Though hiring Shioya is confusing the hell out of me - I thought that everyone got the memo about him? He's useless if you're trying to move forward.
Giovanni Roda: This small garagiste operation is bread and butter formula racing all the way. Their budget is little, but they're making astute choices based on what they have. Their chassis design appears to be focused on drivability and setup predictability. Their engine is the cheap but punch Daihatsu units also used by USD with some success. They've focused on qualifying for races, which is sensible enough as newcomers, though the choice of second driver is perplexing and disappointing. Hansuke Shioya has not demonstrated any useful talent during his time in ARWS, fluking a sole podium when everyone else crashed or broke down in Canada almost three years ago now. He will drag the team down and needs replaced quickly. Consider getting on the phone to David Neuberg's agent ASAP.
Euromotor International
The other newcomers have produced headlines in the pre-season for the wrong reasons. After seeing their pre-season pace, however, it's clear that 2019 will be a learning year for them, and all their choices (very old chassis, the worst out of the commercial engines, and their driver pairing) seem to confirm this theory. ARWS has shown along history that one can recompose from disastrous first seasons, and EuroMotor will try to follow that path. Only time will tell if they made the right choice.
Championship prediction: 17th
Chris Dagnall: Sincerely, it gives me the creeps to hear the team owner saying last position is good for now. This shows about the level of ambition this new team has. Will probably be stuck in Pre-Qualifying for the most part, together with RLR.
Jacques Couteau: We've raced against Euromotor in AR3.5, and they're not one of the best funded outfits out there, so I don't know how they're funding an ARWS team. Maybe Audi's helping them a bit, I don't have a clue. The drivers also might be bringing enough money, and although Du Lon's been a great super-sub in the past I think asking her to lead a team is a bit much. Takuma Taki...I'm not sure he even raced last year. He must be paying a lot.
James James Davies: Pffhahahahhaahahahahahhahaha! Ahahahahahahahahahaaaa! Hahahahahahahahahaahaha! Hehehehe... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll try and do this seriously - oh wait! They don't even care if they're awful! Ahahahahahahaaa... you can't make this up! These guys are priceless!
Giovanni Roda: I'm going to give as much effort to this analysis as Euromotor are to their ARWS effort - none. This team is so hideously mismanaged and underfunded, one can only assume it's a front for a money laundering scheme of some sort. Perhaps they should be called RICO…
Tread lightly in ARWS. Every decision might be your last.
Technical director Jean-Marc Hadamard confirmed earlier rumors that a break-in had occurred at the Ecurie Prenois factory at Dijon, where the Kjellerup team is based.
"Two days ago thieves broke into our factory and stole data storage devices containing technical details of our car. They were very specific in what they were looking for. This is not a case of a simple burglary, we're dealing with espionage here."
The team have reported the case to the police for burglary and industrial espionage. So far, the perpetrators have not been identified.
"Either they stole the data in the hope of selling it to one of our competitors, or they were acting by order of another team. We'd be really disappointed if it turns out to be the latter," Hadamard stated.
The team has started to invest in better security measures following the incident.
"We expected that espionage would mostly take place in a digital way so we put a lot of effort into that area, but that some people would go as far as physically breaking into our factory to get access to our blueprints was shocking."
pasta_maldonado wrote:The stewards have recommended that Alan Jones learns to drive.
Automobil-Revue wrote:Nathanael Spencer hired for Venturi TD
Nathanael Spencer, former ARWS champion, has been hired as a test driver for Venturi in their 2019 campaign. He was hired due to his high experience, and will develop the car alongside Slovakian Andrej Kremnicky. He will also be the reserve driver should anyone get injured. The team has expressed it's satisfaction for the hiring.
RacingCoffee wrote:MRT linked to Kjellerup break-in?
Following the break-in at Kjellerup, blueprints were seeing received in MRT's HQ, with rumours growing that the blueprints where those stolen in Dijon. MRT immediately refuted the claim, with the blueprints being "plans for the 2020 car". However, the rumours seem to be getting stronger instead of getting weaker.
Pasta_maldonado wrote:I think normal32 is an old English farmer re-incarnated
1. Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen (Kjellerup) -- 1h 39m 02.231 2. Phillippe Nicolas (Voeckler) -- +44.261 3. Alberto Cara (MRT) -- +47.767 4. Gary Pacer (Jones) -- +1:06.263 5. Salvatore Miccoli (MRT) -- +1 Lap 6. Marko Jantscher (NRE) -- +1 Lap 7. Marcel Agyemang Badu (Fusion) -- +2 Laps 8. Nino Barlini (Mecha) -- +2 Laps 9. Naoki Shinjo (USD) -- +3 Laps 10. Nick Nurmester (Kamaha) -- +4 Laps 11. Danny van Rijkens (EVR) -- +5 Laps (*) 12. Hansuke Shioya (EVR) -- +5 Laps DNF. Alexey Buyvolov (Simpson) -- Suspension DNF. Fredo Mestolio (Venturi) -- Transmission DNF. Mark Dagnall (Kjellerup) -- Accident DNF. Dan Greenlaw (Voeckler) -- Accident DNF. Nathanael Cameron (Jones) -- Oil Leak DNF. Akira Yamamura (Kamaha) -- Accident DNF. John Bean (Mecha) -- Water Leak DNF. Kenan Ardaoglu (Venturi) -- Accident DNF. Shinobu Katayama (USD) -- Suspension DNF. Terry Hawkin (Fusion) -- Engine DNF. Wouter Lamberigts (Blokkmonsta) -- Water Leak DNF. Alessandro Lucarelli (NRE) -- Accident DNF. Martin McFry (Blokkmonsta) -- Accident DNF. Jean-Luc Schiller (Simpson) -- Accident
Fastest Lap: Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen (Kjellerup) -- 1:06.640 DOTR: Gary Pacer; Mistakeless drive accross the field to score valuable points on debut ROTR: Blokkmonsta; McFry crashed early, Lamberigts triggered first corner accident and the car didn't last more than a few laps ... can't hardly display worse than that on race day.
Rejectsport wrote:ARWS | VIDEO: Australian GP race aborted after hairpin chaos, awaiting restart
The opening round of the ARWS season was thrown into chaos by several accidents, and a fuel spillage from the leaking MRT of Alberto Cara, which caused numerous drivers to spin off. Notably, both Kjellerup cars spun off at the same corner on the same lap, one of a number of increasingly farcical incidents which led the race to be red flagged.
RejectSport wrote All Things Considered, It Was a Tough Start
For Union Saver Developments, the inagural round of the 2019 ARWS in Adelaide was full of action, even before the race itself started. Team boss Karl Lichter Shultz commented what happened during the weekend. "Adelaide is a weird track for us. Last year we couldn't even pass pre-qualify, and this year we were close to repeat that with an unexpected oil leak in Shinjo's car. It was plain luck that the car hold up until he completed the lap. Then there was Katayama's suspension failure, but with a street circuit like this, it was a failure that not only us suffered all along the weekend. I'm pleased with her job at the wheel. The engine update from Daihatsu has made the car faster, but it's still lacking some extra boost for the race itself. That will be the priority once we return to Europe."
Naoki Shinjo wrote
That was unique. Just starting pre-qualy, doing a standard lap, nothing fancy, and an oil leak made a mess of the engine just when I finished my first timed lap. I was afraid that a 5$ failure could keep the team out of the race, but the time was enough to get into main qualy. On saturday, the car feel was so good. I'm to blame for not improving the time, as I got stuck with some traffic. That was the story of the race itself. I keep my starting position, and started to pressure Barlini, but every time I tried to pass him, he defended so well that left me out of position and ready to be overtaken. Couldn't find more pace, specially since letting the leaders pass, so I prefered to keep the car on track and get to the line. This 9th position was the price of being cautious on a track well known for it's atrittion, but I really expected to be higher. Still need to improve the race pace in general.
Dagnall "not mad" to be taken out by van Nieuwenhuijzen
Mark Dagnall was obviously upset after the accident that put him out of the Australian GP in Adelaide when he was leading the race with massive advantage, but declined to blame teammate Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen despite being pushed out by the Dutch rising star. "Of course I'm disappointed, but the accident could have happened with anyone else. I'm myself to blame for the driving mistake that lead to the accident, rather than being pushed out of the race" Despite having lost a certain win, Dagnall seemed uplift. "I'm not mad at all; We have the best package, and there's still 17 races to go, so the chance to win races will be there. We will now focus on Bathurst and, we will focus race by race from there on".
Tread lightly in ARWS. Every decision might be your last.
Autosport wrote:Jones and Pacer delighted with first points in first race of the season
After a fourth place on his ARWS debut and "Driver of the Race" award too, Jones driver Gary Pacer declared he was very happy to have started the year on a positive note.
"It's fantastic, I'm really pleased to be right up there and getting points on the board at this early stage. We all know the season is a long one so there'll be plenty of chances to get good results, but points mean prizes and I want to be scoring as many as I can at this early stage of the season."
Team boss Sammy Jones was equally satisfied with his young charger:
"It's a solid result to start the year off. I'm a bit hacked off about Cameron's retirement but for Gary to score points is really nice, and sets us up well for the campaign ahead. It's done us all a favour as well by shutting up those w*nkers slating Gary after testing. Now we know we can score decent points, we need to be pushing for podiums."
Autosport wrote:Late-race retirement doesn't dampen the spirits of Van Rijkens
South African ARWS driver Danny van Rijkens wouldn't let a late race retirement rain on the parade of Eric Vincent Racing, as the team got both cars onto the grid, and to the end of the race - Danny's retirement coming late enough to ensure he was still classified.
"For a small team with not a huge amount of money, we've really knocked the ball out of the park today," grinned van Rijkens post-race. "It's a bit annoying that Mecha were the ones to miss pre-qualifying at Bathurst and not us, but we know we have the ability now to clear pre-qualifying. In fact, with Mecha out and Aeroracing in, I think it should be even easier next time. Our next aim is to try and get a top 10 race finish, and from there, why not points in a tough race? Let's dream big!"
Autosport wrote:Hawkin rues Fusion unreliability
An engine failure left reigning ARWS champion Terry Hawkin ruing a missed opportunity at Adelaide, with the Briton downcast in post-race interviews,
"It's hard to see how we can beat Kjellerup right now. They are so far ahead, knowing what we have in the pipeline, I'm not sure where we are going to be able to challenge them. Maybe I'll be proven wrong but right now, it looks like my title defence is going to be painful."
