So coming off an exciting Belgium Qualifying and Race two weeks ago who's geared up for the Italian GP this weekend!?
More interesting info on the 2014 cars.
Future vision: Engineers discuss 2014 changes
The 2014 season will bring with it some of the biggest changes to Formula One racing’s technical regulations for quite some time. Not only is the sport adopting new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engines, there are also tweaks to the rules concerning aerodynamics and a far greater emphasis on energy recovery systems. We spoke to two technical directors - Toro Rosso’s James Key and Caterham’s Mark Smith - about the new regulations and what effect they’ll have on the design of next year’s cars, but first, here is a summary of the main changes: Engine - it’s out with 2.4-litre normally-aspirated V8 engines and in with 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines, revving to a maximum of 15,000rpm. Gearbox - gearboxes are to have eight forward ratios - rather than the current seven - which each team must nominate ahead of the season. Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) - in 2014, a larger proportion of each car’s power will come from ERS which, together with the engine, make up the powertrain or power unit. As well as generating energy under braking, ERS units will also generate power using waste heat from the engine’s turbocharger. Unlike the current KERS - which give drivers an extra 80bhp for six seconds per lap - the 2014 ERS will give drivers around 160bhp for 33 seconds per lap. To compensate for the extra power being generated under braking by ERS, teams will be allowed to use an electronic rear brake control system. Fuel - to promote fuel efficiency, fuel will be limited to 100kg per race. Minimum weight - to compensate for the increased weight of the 2014 powertrain, minimum weight has been increased from the current 642kg to 690kg. Exhaust - unlike today where two exhaust tailpipes are used, the 2014 regulations mandate the use of a single tailpipe which must be angled upwards to prevent the exhaust flow being used for aerodynamic effect. Additionally, bodywork is not allowed to be placed behind the tailpipe. Nose height - for safety reasons the height of noses will be reduced in 2014. The maximum height is currently 550mm, whereas next year it’s 185mm. Front wing - front wings will be a little narrower next year with the width reduced from 1800mm to 1650mm. Rear wing - the rear wing will also look a little different in 2014 compared to this year’s models. The lower beam wing is being outlawed and the main flap will be slightly shallower in profile.
...Follow link for the rest of the article featuring a "2014 Q&A - Caterham's Mark Smith and Toro Rosso's James Key"
And current standings as of Spa:
Position/Driver/Points
01 Sebastian Vettel 197 02 Fernando Alonso 151 03 Lewis Hamilton 139 04 Kimi Räikkönen 134 05 Mark Webber 115 06 Nico Rosberg 96 07 Felipe Massa 67 08 Romain Grosjean 53 09 Jenson Button 47 10 Paul di Resta 36 11 Adrian Sutil 25 12 Sergio Perez 18 13 Jean-Eric Vergne 13 14 Daniel Ricciardo 12 15 Nico Hulkenberg 7 16 Pastor Maldonado 1 17 Valtteri Bottas 0 18 Esteban Gutierrez 0 19 Jules Bianchi 0 20 Charles Pic 0 21 Giedo van der Garde 0 22 Max Chilton 0