McLaren Duo Baulk At Hill’s ‘Tortoise And Hare’ Analogy, New Silverstone Not Faster Than Monza

McLaren's British drivers on Tuesday responded to a comment by 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill, that their battle for team supremacy can be likened to Aesop's "The Tortoise and The Hare' fable.

Hill used the analogy to describe Hamilton and his teammate Jenson Button; one being a 'tortoise', the other the 'hare'.

Although Button takes the role of the tortoise in Hill's eyes, it was interpreted as a compliment. "He (Button) is not at his maximum the whole time," Hill said.

"Will Lewis mature and be circumspect when he needs to be? I don't know if that's his style."

Hamilton told reporters on Tuesday: "I don't really have a reaction.

"It's always very, very interesting to hear past world champions talk about present drivers and world champions, and then it's interesting to see how it plays out and see whether it's true or false or whether they actually know what they are talking about or not.

"We will find out later on in the year I guess," said the 2008 World Champion.

Button distanced himself from the suggestion he can be likened to a tortoise.

"Those are his (Hill's) words not mine. But if I win the championship then I don't care. I know I won the championship last year because I was quick," he said.

(GMM)

New Silverstone Not Faster Than Monza

According to simulations done by Sauber, Silverstone is not set to become the fastest circuit on the Formula One calendar.

When the British track's new Arena layout was launched, organisers indicated that Monza could lose its mantle as the F1 venue with the highest average speed.

While actually adding more slow bends to the layout, the new half-mile Arena section is expected to make Silverstone faster on average.

But to investigate the claim that Monza could be knocked off the perch as F1's fastest, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport commissioned a study with the help of the Swiss team Sauber.

A simulation lap of the revised layout processed by Sauber's famous Albert II supercomputer projected a laptime of 1.31.0, resulting in an average speed of 233.4kph.

Monza's average speed is about 248kph.

The Sauber simulation, however, shows that the new right-hander at the abolished Abbey chicane will be taken at 279kph, followed by a 281kph left sweep, making it the fastest chicane on the calendar.

(GMM)

Ferrari's Full Blown Diffuser Yet To Come: Report

Ferrari will only get its real blown rear diffuser up and running at a forthcoming Grand Prix.

It was believed that the Italian team began running the Red Bull-style low exhaust layout at Valencia.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reveals that, in fact, the European GP was only the first phase in a multiple-step development for the F10 car.

The first step was a new gearbox, debuted only by Felipe Massa because Fernando Alonso was in the middle of the four-race mandatory period for his existing transmission.

The Spaniard will get the new gearbox at Silverstone, as well as a new rear suspension layout.

The real benefit of the new gearbox/suspension layout, however, is yet to come.

It is reported that the new layout allows a steeper shape of the diffuser, but the downforce advantage will only come when the exhaust fumes are directed through the diffuser.

Currently, Ferrari is working on ensuring that the blown exhaust does not actually compromise grip due to a sporadic airflow.

It is only at a later date that the entire concept will be up and running.

At Silverstone, the F10 will feature the new gearbox and new housing for the suspension. Ferrari is introducing the update in stages, so that when the final concept is ready, the team does not have to wait for Alonso and Massa to reach the end of their four-race gearbox phases to debut it.

"In Valencia, we introduced significant updates on the F10 and there will be more in Silverstone and the races after that," Alonso said.

(GMM)