Denis Carnahan: Electric Car
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ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
Denis Carnahan: Electric Car
7m ago 7 minutes ago Sun 1 Jun 2025 at 5:21am Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Courier-Mail
29-05-2025
- Courier-Mail
‘Game changer': New F1 rule change brought in for Spanish Grand Prix
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new rule is being introduced at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix and it has the potential to shake-up the remainder of the Formula One season. After McLaren was investigated for its rear wing 'mini DRS' last year and its rear tyre cooling advantage, front wings are the latest area of F1 cars where the rules have been tightened up. The FIA has confirmed from this weekend, all F1 teams will be subjected to updated static load tests. Specifically, the maximum permitted front wing deflection under load will be reduced from 15mm to 10mm. Five millimetres may not sound like a lot, but it gives teams less room to design a front wing that can flex at high speeds. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. The sport's governing body doesn't want aero elasticity to be a talking point in F1. The FIA's Nikolas Tombazis said: 'When championship battles become intense, teams tend to focus on each other's cars a lot, and naturally they raise concerns and over the latter half of the season we came to the conclusion that we needed to toughen a bit more the tests for 2025. 'We frequently test in parc fermé conditions — either on Saturday after qualifying or Sunday morning, as obviously, in parc fermé teams cannot make changes to their car.' It remains to be seen if the front wing change will have an effect on McLaren's dominance or bring the already condensed F1 grid even closer together. McLaren is way out in front in the constructors championship on 319 points, with Mercedes 172 points behind. But only five points separates Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in the battle for second. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is hopeful the change will be a 'game changer' and help turn his team's fortunes around following a difficult start to the season. 'Barcelona is on the calendar of everybody in the paddock with the new regulation for the front wing,' Vasseur said. 'We are working on it for ages now and this can be a game changer for everybody, because we don't know the impact on every single team of the new regulation. 'I think we stick to this, and we'll be focused on this to have the better exploitation of the new front wing.' F1's front wing clampdown begins this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo by) Ferrari's Charles Leclerc told Sky Sports: 'You can hear rumours in the paddock and some people will be more affected than others, for sure. I don't think on our side is going to change a lot, but we'll see.' Speaking to Supercars legend Mark Skaife predicted the front wing change to 'have an effect' on the status quo. 'If the other teams think that whatever the front wing change gives their car a step up or it gets them closer to McLaren, then that's good for the game,' Skaife said. Sauber's team principal Jonathan Wheatley said: 'I'm a very optimistic person and I'm hoping that other teams are going to suffer more than we are.' It remains to be seen what effect the rule change has. (Photo by) Ferrari's team principal Fred Vasseur hopes it will be a 'game changer'. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) 'Healthy' McLaren battle has Prost-Senna potential After eight races, Oscar Piastri leads his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just three points following the Brit's victory in Monaco. Max Verstappen can't be counted out in the championship battle, which is set to go down to the wire this year. Piastri will look to strike back this weekend in Barcelona, where he has struggled in his two appearances at the circuit, qualifying 10th both times. McLaren have opted not to pick a No. 1 driver this year and Skaife believes the rivalry within the team can only be a good thing. 'It's very, very healthy to have the level of competition that they've demonstrated,' he said. 'I know they're not the names yet, but it's reminiscent for me of the Senna-Prost battles. 'In the history of the sport, the Senna-Prost battle at McLaren has probably been the pinnacle, not just because their extraordinary careers and their driving, but because they went about it differently. 'I would have said pre-Monaco that Oscar had Lando's measure. Oscar's been superb. 'Then on the weekend Lando had the counterpunch in a big response, especially in qualifying. 'I'm intrigued. I'm absolutely fascinated as to the swings and roundabouts of how this year's going to unfold.' Watch every practice and qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, including the race on Sunday at 11pm AEST on Kayo Sports. Originally published as 'Game changer': New F1 rule change brought in for Spanish Grand Prix
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- News.com.au
Subaru WRX tS Spec B review
This is the way this generation Subaru WRX should have been from the start. Manual. Adjustable suspension. Configurable drive modes. Improved interior tech. More fun. More grip. More anger. More noise. More wow. NEW WRX DELIGHTS There's a lot to like about the Subaru WRX tS Spec B, but it's also worth noting that this is not a proper STI model, and the 2025 updated range also ushers in the first time a 'non-STI' WRX has crossed the $60K barrier. This example is $61,490 plus on-roads (about $67,500 drive-away) with the six-speed manual gearbox, while there's a CVT auto wagon range-topper at $63,490 (~$69,500 drive-away) that any true Rex Head will tell you isn't a proper WRX. Compared to the regular WRX models, the tS Spec B all-wheel-drive sedan doesn't see any power changes from its 2.4-litre boxer engine, with 202kW and 350Nm – well behind rivals in the performance small car class, considering a Honda Civic Type R has 235kW/420Nm from a smaller engine and it's front-wheel drive only … and the updated VW Golf R AWD has 245kW/420Nm. NEW WRX DISAPPOINTS It's not as fast as others, either. There's no official 0-100km/h claim, but it has been reported at 6.0 seconds for the manual. And it's not as frantic feeling as others, but the changes for the tS Spec B do make a driving difference, though the manual shift is still less precise than in a Civic Type R. The drive mode selection system is aligned with new electronically adjustable dampers, and you've got a host of choices to pick from: Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Individual Mode, the latter of which allows you to customise different attributes to your tastes. It was hard to say what the ride comfort was like on a closed road course test drive, but it seems like there will be some comfort improvements in the more sedate modes, while the assertive settings felt more fitting for this lary looking lout. The new-look 19-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres make for a nicer looking thing, but also help to make it feel grippier in the bends, particularly higher-speed sweepers. In tighter turns there's still a little bit of understeer to contend with, but it powers out of tight sections with theatre. LOOK GOOD, STOP HARD And while the model I tested had the no-cost-optional sports exhaust system, it didn't quite raise the hackles like my 1998 WRX with a 3.5-inch turbo-back with a nine-inch cannon. It also, thankfully, isn't a deafening warble. Better brakes are part of the combo here too, with Brembo six-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, as well as vented and drilled discs that look good and stop hard. And while the current gen model has its haters in terms of its appearance, the Spec B model's huge boot spoiler should appeal to Subie superfans. Inside there are improvements as well, including Recaro bucket seats with power adjustment for the driver, and in front of the pilot is a new 12.3-inch digital cluster to bring it in line with many new models. And, as if to rub a bit of salt into the wound, the leather steering wheel has an STI logo. Rude. NO STI HERE It isn't an STI, but the WRX tS Spec B is a better example of this breed than we've seen to date, but it has taken three years to get this good. And while it might have more presence, it's still less powerful than it should be. 3.5 stars Subaru WRX tS Spec B
