Tag: spa

Video: 1955 Belgian GP movie tells the story of Spa

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Europe, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

With the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix happening this weekend, Shell reminded a few guests what the Spa-Francorchamps track and Belgian countryside were like in 1955. That year the petroleum company made a 30-minute movie about the grand prix – this is back when the track was called the Francorchamps National Circuit, near the town of Spa, and a list of its important corners didn’t include a mention of Eau Rouge – where it was doing the same thing it still does today: working on fuels and lubricants via its technical partnership with Ferrari.

To create the mood, journalists were invited to a vintage cinema where they mingled with Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa and other extras in period fifties gear, and watched a screening of 1955 Belgian Grand Prix. You can scroll down for a screening of your own, as well as the press release, minus the petits-fours and pinups.

Continue reading 1955 Belgian GP movie tells the story of Spa

1955 Belgian GP movie tells the story of Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Forza 5 announces Laguna Seca and Spa, details on new physics engine [w/video]

Filed under: Videos, Audi, Toys/Games, Racing

During Gamescom in Cologne, Germany the Forza Motorsport team showed off another demo of Forza Motorsport 5 and announced two tracks for the game: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Spa-Francorchamps. Laguna Seca and its Corkscrew have been in the previous four versions, while Spa and Eau Rouge are making their first intro to marquee Xbox driving game.

Turn 10 director Dan Greenawalt said during an interview that the power of the coming Xbox One has permitted new tire modeling, and that Turn 10 worked with internationally eminent tire testing institute CalSpan to upgrade the game’s tire science. We won’t know how that translates through the wheel until the game and console launch in November, but we’re told that being able to “collect data on tire variables that have never been isolated” means greatly enhanced “tire physics, suspension, geometry, aerodynamics.”

That sounds like code for getting more feedback, but you’ll need to be a much better driver. You can check out the interview in the video below and a host of new screenshots from the game, featuring the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

Continue reading Forza 5 announces Laguna Seca and Spa, details on new physics engine [w/video]

Forza 5 announces Laguna Seca and Spa, details on new physics engine [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Aug 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Videos

Last month, RSR Nürburgring put the Queen of the Nürburgring, Sabine Schmitz, up against Ron Simons, an instructor at the Ring (which we suppose makes him one of Sabine’s subjects). In that video, the two tangled on the Ring, with the German in her personal Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the Belgian in the excellent Ferrari 458 Italia. The Queen was victorious.

The next challenge saw Schmitz and Simons on the Belgian’s home turf, at Spa-Francorchamps. The cars, this time around, would be equal – two BAC Monos – meaning Schmitz didn’t have the luxury of using her personal vehicle. Factor in that the track was, rather appropriately for Spa, soaked, and that Simons claimed he’d never lost a race at Spa in the wet, and you’d be forgiven for think Sabine’s goose was cooked.

Take a look at video below. You might be surprised by the result.

Continue reading Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown

Watch Sabine Schmitz race Ron Simons at Spa in a BAC Mono throwdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intercontinental Le Mans Cup hits Spa-Francorchamps [spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Peugeot, Racing

Intercontental Le Mans at Spa-Francorchamps

The second round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup took place in Belgium, and even though the Audi R18 took to the starting line for the first time, Peugeot was able to take the top two spots on the podium after six hours of racing.

Interestingly, the qualifying results were the opposite of the race results: Audi racers occupied the first three positions on the grid, and although a Peugeot 908 was in fourth, it wasn’t a team car, it was that of the Oreca squad. Due to an incident-strewn and red-flagged qualifying session, the first Peugeot Sport Total car was back in 13th, the second was in 18th, and the third wasn’t even classified and started at the back of the grid.

In the race, however, it was Audi’s turn for bad juju. The pole-sitting car spun at the first corner on the first lap, one of the drivers accidentally hit the pit-lane speed limiter button during the race, unscheduled stops for new tires and collisions ate away at their positions. Come the checkered flag, team Audi rallied to take third, fourth, and fifth positions, but first and second went to The Lions – that second-place car being the one that started at the back of the grid.

Even with the copious amounts of shenanigans pre-race and in-race, the results aren’t totally surprising: Peugeot has a knack for emerging victorious at Spa – this was the team’s fifth consecutive win in the Ardennes. Have a look at some of the action in the high-res gallery below.

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup hits Spa-Francorchamps [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Audi R18 racers qualify 1-2-3 at Spa

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Peugeot

audi r18 tdi

Audi R18 TDI race cars qualify 1-2-3 at Spa – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi’s newest diesels are running strong. A trio of R18 TDI race cars have qualified 1-2-3 at the Le Mans Cup 1,000km of Spa. It should be noted, of course, that Peugeot’s cars didn’t get the chance to set qualifying times due to a red flag that ended the session for all teams.

Despite the lack of pressure from the French oil-burners, this is a strong debut showing for the new Audi R18 racers. We expect to see some exciting competition between the Audis and the 908s come race day.

New Audi R18 racers qualify 1-2-3 at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 May 2011 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

bruno senna spa lap shot on a cell phone

Bruno Senna laps Spa one-handed – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Formula One driver Bruno Senna possesses some serious driving skills. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be driving the Lotus Renault R30 on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. But is Senna good enough at his craft to hammer out a lap at Spa using only one hand?

The brash Brazillian wanted to give his YouTube followers a first-hand account of what it’s like to drive the R30 at Spa, so he recorded the lap with his cell phone. Actually, it’s not exactly a lap of the classic circuit, it’s more like a stunt session. If you’re worried about distracted driving, don’t, because Senna says in the video description: “Please note I drove within safe limits and not flat-out,” then proceeds to tell others not to drive and shoot video at the same time.

That sounded nice and safe, at least until we saw the video. While we’re sure Senna wasn’t going all out, he was still moving faster than most humans ever should with both hands on the wheel. “Safe limits” clearly means different things to different people, no? Amazingly, Senna turns out to be as good a videographer as he is a driver, as the finished product is amazingly steady and well-composed.

Hit the jump to watch the amazing video for yourself, especially if you’ve always wanted a first-hand account of what a donut in an F1 car would look like. Nicely done, Mr. Senna, but probably not all that safe.

Continue reading Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed

Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R18 TDI to debut at Spa while Aston Martin watches from the pit lane

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Aston Martin, Audi

Audi R18 TDI

Audi R18 TDI (above) and Aston Martin AMR-One (below right) – Click either image for high-res galleries

There’s plenty to be excited about in this year’s Le Mans racing season, and the new Audi R18 TDI arguably ranks chief among them. Audi’s new fixed-roof racer will make its debut at the Spa 1000km race next weekend, showing for the first time what it can do against a competitive field ahead of June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Although we tested at Le Mans recently, we’ll learn a lot more about the new Audi R18 TDI and also how it fares against the competition at Spa,” said Audi’s double champion Allan McNish Aston Martin AMR-Onein preparation for the Belgian endurance race. “The 20-minute qualifying session on Friday afternoon will be the first time when we’ll see the true performance of all of the new cars because it will be the first time when everybody is on the same playing field together at the same time.”

That may not exactly be the case, however, because while Audi’s chief rival Peugeot is sure to be mounting its own challenge, word has it that Aston Martin will sit this one out. The British team is also fielding a new racer in the AMR-One, but rather than take the opportunity to put its new LMP through the paces in a real racing scenario as Audi will, Aston’s focus is on testing the car before the main event at La Sarthe. Follow the jump for official press releases from both teams.

Gallery: 2011 Audi R18 TDI (final livery)

Gallery: 2011 Aston Martin AMR-One

2011 Aston Martin AMR-One front three quarter2011 Aston Martin AMR-One2011 Aston Martin AMR-One side2011 Aston Martin AMR-One rear2011 Aston Martin AMR-One close

[Sources: Audi, Aston Martin]

Continue reading Audi R18 TDI to debut at Spa while Aston Martin watches from the pit lane

Audi R18 TDI to debut at Spa while Aston Martin watches from the pit lane originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mark Webber and Red Bull F1 take us on a tour of Spa Francorchamps

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Red Bull’s Mark Webber running Spa for the Red Bulletin – Click above to watch video after the jump

Although all the F1 focus was on Hungaroring this past weekend, Red Bull is gearing up for the race at Spa at the end of August. This time it’s Mark Webber taking us around the Spa Francorchamps circuit in the Red Bull simulator, and if we can offer a little advice: he might want to be a bit more careful through Eau Rouge come race time… There’ll be an augmented reality feature on the track at www.redbulletin.com soon, but for now you can follow the jump for the video.

UPDATE: Video linked fixed.

[Source: Red Bulletin]

Continue reading Video: Mark Webber and Red Bull F1 take us on a tour of Spa Francorchamps

Video: Mark Webber and Red Bull F1 take us on a tour of Spa Francorchamps originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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