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F1 just got a whole lot quieter, and some people are really unhappy about it

The scene is the front straight of the Albert Park Circuit at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, and what you see on track on either side of the gentleman wearing the orange hat is a Mercedes AMG Petronas being followed by a Lotus. The first major clue, as should be obvious by the nose of the Mercedes, is that this scene was captured last year. The other major clue in the photo is the gentleman in the orange hat: he's wearing earmuffs to silence the noise. We count at least four people wearing them, and that's before the camera pans. Some F1 fans have been pleased with the sound of the new 1.6-liter V6 engines, but it appears that the majority are not; the organizers of the Australian Grand Prix are threatening to sue because of a "lack of sexiness," and F1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone has declared he was "horrified by the lack of [noise]." YouTube user krookzeh has posted a video comparing last year's 2.4-liter V8 cars on the first lap at Albert Park with the new turbo V6 cars on the first lap this year. You can compare the sounds and the number of earmuffs in the short clip below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: ESPN F1 [1], [2], krookzeh via YouTube Motorsports Lotus Racing Vehicles Videos F1 australian grand prix

Lotus Emeya 'hyper-GT' teased before September 7 debut

The Lotus Type 130 became the battery-electric, 1,972-horsepower Evija coupe. After an ICE diversion for the Type 131 to become the Emira, the Type 132 became the battery-electric Eletre "hyper-SUV." The Type 133 four-door is nearly upon us, and we now know its name will be the Emeya. This corrects the error of thinking the sedan will be called the Envya, based on Lotus filing to trademark that name. A brief Emeya teaser for the "hyper-GT" before a debut September 7 announces a challenger to EVs like the Porsche Taycan, spicier variants of the Lucid Air, the Tesla Model S Plaid, and less obviously, the Polestar 5 from the also-Geely-owned sibling brand.  Naturally, the teaser offers just a small taste of what's ahead. We see a quartet of thin, hockey-stick LED headlights, finally exposed after Lotus hid the upper lights behind camouflage on prototypes. There's a full-width LED light bar in back, underneath the active spoiler at the base of the rear window. And a brief moment 18 seconds into the video shows a large front brake caliper in yellow, painted with the automaker's name and the words "Carbon Ceramic."    The Emeya will be based on the same internal package as the Eletre. If the sedan gets two output ratings like the SUV, the template indicates baseline performance from a dual-motor powertrain of around 595 or 893 horsepower, and battery packs of either 92 kWh or 120. European range estimates for the SUV come in at 373 miles for the less powerful S trim, 304 miles for the stouter R. With the sedan having less of a battle to fight against the wind, we'd expect those spec-sheet numbers to improve. Practical use could tell a different story, engineers saying they tuned the Emeya to be a driver's car and benchmarked the Taycan. The feature list should include an 800-volt architecture and fast charging up to 350 kW, all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, active roll control, and the Eletre's active front intake shutters. Figured to be less than two inches longer than a Taycan, spy shots from last year showed the same minimalist driving space as the Eletre, but a dedicated four-seat interior. That extended center console could have been part of an option package, though. The SUV isn't making it to the U.S. until next year. We figure the sedan should arrive here afterward, likely for the 2025 model year. We'll know more on September 7.  Video Green Lotus Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan

2015 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix puts a dark horse in the desert [spoilers]

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen had said after Malaysia that Ferrari can challenge Mercedes-AMG Petronas purely on pace, beyond the scope of tire wear, in the dry. We didn't see that in China, where Lewis Hamilton easily kept everyone behind and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel only got close to Mercedes' Nico Rosberg when Rosberg slowed down to conserve his tires. But the Iceman's words seemed prescient during qualifying for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. At the front, nothing has changed so far this year: four races, four pole positions for Lewis Hamilton. Instead of teammate Rosberg next to him, though, he'll look over to see the scarlet Ferrari of Vettel, who took advantage of Rosberg's cautiousness to snatch second place on the grid. In Q2, Rosberg tried to conserve the tires he'd start the race on and said he couldn't get into a groove in Q3, putting in a time 0.147 seconds slower than Vettel. The second Silver Arrows will share his row with the second Ferrari, Raikkonen – yet again – saying he might have left some time on the table during his hot lap but getting around just one tenth off Rosberg's time. Williams is established as the best of the rest behind two teams this year instead of just one last year, Valtteri Bottas claiming fifth ahead of Felipe Massa. Daniel Ricciardo of Infiniti Red Bull Racing said he wants to fight with the Williams', he'll be helped with a good start off the line for the first time this year. Nico Hulkenberg got Force India into Q3 for the first time since the Italian Grand Prix last year and into eighth on the grid, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Toro Rosso and Romain Grosjean putting in another excellent day's work for Lotus. Come race time, it turned into Mercedes power against Ferrari strategy. When Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle talks about the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team he often mentions how their engine advantage leads to other advantages throughout the car. Not having to use aerodynamic changes to make up for power unit deficiencies, for instance, means they can run the aero setup they want, which optimizes speed and tire wear throughout a lap. It equates to advantage on top of advantage on top of advantage. That's where Lewis Hamilton is right now, so fundamentally dialed in to his car and his racing that he run the races he wants to run. From the front spot, the Brit ripped off another perfect start and led the field into Turn 1, relinquishing the lead only during pit stops.