F1 Pr0n: McLaren MP4-25

Tah-dah!

From the front, McLaren's 2010 challenger doesn't seem too different from the 2009 car.  The nose is higher, but the betting line is that that'll be the norm this season (with the wider front tires last year, the lower nose allowed more ballast to be placed up front.  This season's narrower tires will require a better balance all-round, so the high nose won't hinder anything).

It's when you look at the side view, though, that you realize that we're looking at rolling artwork as much as high-speed racer...


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F1 Pr0n: Ferrari F10!

It's finally time!  The 2010 F1 rollout season is here, and as is traditional, Scuderia Ferrari has the position of honor.  They debuted their new chassis, the F10, this morning.  And here it is:

At casual glance, it looks pretty much like last year's car, but let's take a comparative glance at the 2009 F60, shall we?

The first thing that leaps out you is the sidepods.  On the F60, they go straight across the top, but the F10 is curved, bulging at the outsides.  The nose wing is subtly different as well.  The middle element on the new car, where the Santander logo picture is located, just stops when it reaches the inner limit.  On the F60, they slope down to the limit point.  The air intake has changed, with a more squashed appearance in comparison to the 2009 car.  Other changes are visible on the rear wing and where the sidepods meet the monocoque; look at the Ferrari logo and you'll see what I mean.



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Not Quite F1 Pr0n... Yet

Today, Mercedes-Sauber F1 debuted... their paintjob.

The idea behind the livery is that it's a throwback to the original "silver arrows" of Mercedes.  Back in the day-- if the day you're talking about is 1934 or thereabouts-- the Mercedes team was going to join the  Eifelrennen, but their car was too heavy for the weight restrictions.  So the night before, the team sanded all the paint off, leaving just the silver chassis behind. 

And a legend was born.  Today's paintjob is meant to pay tribute to that one (which really wasn't a paintjob).  The car is (obviously) silver, but has part of it "sanded off", revealing the black carbon fiber underneath (not really, it's just paint, but run with it, okay?).  The greenish-blue on the leading edges of the nose and other places is the color of Petronas, the team's major sponsor.

The chassis this paintjob (actually, vinyl decal, but let's go with paintjob) is on isn't the 2010 MGP W01, but last year's Brawn car.  We should be seeing the new car later this week, when the first FIA practice session begins.  So stay tuned!

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Wow. Just... wow!

Now this is impressive as all heck:

Twenty-frickin'-two Ferrari F1 cars!  Taken in 2003 at the 10th Annual Modena Motorsport Ferrari Track Day at the Nurburgring, the front row features the 1949 Ferrari 166, the F2001, and the 500/625.

Good lord, what that lineup must have SOUNDED like rolling onto the grid... and yes, I'm sure they were mostly pushed up there, I don't care, don't spoil the dream, okay? 

Motorsports heaven.

And this is coming from a Ferrari hater.

^{(original 3000x2000 version available here)}

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The New Noses

As we're all aware, F1 has some new aerodynamic rules that have, for the most part, made the cars look pretty much alike.  While doing the "F1 Pr0n" series of posts, though, I've noticed that there's one place that the teams have been showing a surprising amount of individuality.

That's the nose, and particularly how the front wing is mounted to the pointy end of the car.  There seem to be three main schools of thought on how the wing should be attached under the new rules, and we'll take a close look at them in a second. 

First, however, let's take a look at how the nose of a F1 car has been designed over the past three seasons:

 The 2006 Ferrari nose came with an extra element slung beneath the wing, but had a simple short mounting.

The 2007 SuperAguri nose had a fairly complex, medium-length mounting system, and of course a raised bridge-style wing.

The 2008 BMW nose had a short length mounting, and a very convoluted wing.

Now onto the 2009 noses!

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F1 Pr0n: Brawn Racing BGP001

Well, that's it.  That's the only picture that's been released of the new BGP001, in this case being driven by Jenson Button.  Just noticed that the front wing mounting to the nose is completely different from everybody else's... curious.  I might have to do a post on that, compare and contrast for each team...

I rather like the plain white-with-neon-yellow livery, but there's not a chance in Hades it's gonna stay that way, not if the team wants to last more than one race.

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F1 Pr0n: Force India VJM02!

It took them long enough, but the new Mercedes-powered, McLaren-influenced VJM02 has finally debuted, and here's a shock... it doesn't look like all the others!  The vertical frontwing braces is similar only to Toyota's.  All the others have a chunkier, shorter system.  However, it's my guess that if there's a team out there you don't want to emulate, it's Toyota.  Could be wrong, however; the new rules may have flattened the playing field.  Or not.

It took the team long enough to roll their car out, which is never a good sign.  The team hasn't had any track time in comparison to the other challengers, and thereby are behind in the testing battles.  Where (let's say) Ferrari has already shaken their chassis down and found weaknesses they could work on in the runup to Australia, Force India still has yet to discover their problems.

Kudos for working their team colors into the livery, though.  While I liked the gold and white of last year's livery, this is more appropriate to the "national" flavor of the team.  Orange, green and white are the colors of the Indian flag, after all... they just need the wheels to have 24 spokes.

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F1 Pr0n: Red Bull RB5!

So... it's been nearly three weeks since the last rollout, but today Red Bull debuted their Adrian Newey-designed 2009 racer, the RB5.  Just look at that nose shot... spindly doesn't begin to describe it.  And to be honest?  From some angles, these cars are ugly as sin. 

 Not that one, though. 

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F1 Pr0n: BMW F1.09!

It's the one we've all been waiting for: the car that'll bring BMW up to the level of the big guys, the one that's... um...

...exactly the same as all the others.

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F1 Pr0n: Williams FW31 + Renault R29!

Two rollouts today, both so low-key that pictures are really thin on the ground.  How scarce?  Williams posted renderings of their car on their website, that's how scarce!  Well, let's take a look, shall we?

Okay, not a rendering, granted.  It's also the only decent photo of the Williams FW31 available.  As much as I like the color scheme, it won't stay that way for the season, alas.  Now for a rendering...

Wow.  Exciting, huh?  I'll keep looking, maybe I can actually dig up a REAL photo or two.

Now, Renault...

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F1 Pr0n: McLaren MP4-24!

I have to admit that I'm disappointed with McLaren's rollout today.  Practically no glamour shots (which makes the job of presenting F1 Pr0n difficult), just a car on an angled podium.  Still, it's the new edition of the Glare On Wheels, so here we go...

A more involved nosewing than that on the Toyota and Ferrari with a two-element flap system (the red parts).  Only the upper unit can be adjusted however, as per the tech regs.


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F1 Pr0n: Toyota TF109!

The F1 rollouts continued today with Toyota debuting their 2009 charger, the TF109, with a full multimedia blitz.  If you're interested in seeing their faux-movie trailer, The 2009 Contender, just click HERE.  There's some very well-done movies there, including a video of glamour shots that's actually well-worth watching if you like F1 Pr0n.  Jarno Trulli's acting will amaze you...

Let's look at some still shots of the car...


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F1 Pr0n: Ferrari F60!

It's rollout season for the F1 Circus, and as is usually the case, Ferrari is first out the gate.  This year, however, it actually means something, as this is our first official look at the new aerodynamic rules on a car.

More pictures below!

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F1 Pr0n: Barcelona Testing!

So while the season is done, F1 never really rests.  The past three days have seen the teams congregate in Barcelona, Spain, for the first round of Winter Testing.  Partially this is so the teams can work out prospective new drivers, like Bruno Senna and...

...I'm sorry, I can't restrain myself.  SUPERSATO!!!!!11!eleventy1111!  He's up for a seat with Toro Rosso, one of three going for two drives, and the only one with F1 experience.  If there's any justice in the world, he'll be back in 2009.

But that's not the IMPORTANT news coming out of Barcelona.  Y'see, here's what F1 cars look like now:

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Mark Webber Goes Boom!

As mentioned, Mark Webber had an engine failure in P3 in Shangai this morning.  Reportedly it was somewhat spectacular.

Yup.

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F1 Pr0n: Toyota Put One Over On Us!

F1 UPDATE! has discovered that Toyota was spoofing earlier when they rolled out their so-called "TF108."  Jarno Trulli debuted their REAL car today in Melbourne, and we've got an almost-exclusive picture!  Click below...

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F1 Pr0n: Williams FW30!

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What Goes Into A F1 Car.

Literally.

2006 Honda F1 car, 3000 separate parts.

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F1 Pr0n: Force India FJM01

Yowza!  Force India debuted its race livery today in Bombay (or do you say 'Mumbai'?), and while I don't like it as much as their testing colors (where'd the crimson go?), this is still a very handsome car.

Officially, the colors are white, gold, and titanium (the stripe running from the cockpit to the nose and back).  I've racked my brain, and I can't think of another team that used gold at all... should be an interesting contrast with the McLaren.

Unfortunately for us, the rollout didn't have any good shots from the side or top, but click below for the centerfold: it's worth it.


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F1 Pr0n: Honda RA108

First the good news: that gawdawful "myearthdream" livery is (mostly) gone.  The bad news is that it appears that Honda doesn't go in for glamour photos.

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