Bugatti Bolide Owners Have to Learn the Track in Something More Tame: a 911 GT3 RS
Recently, Bugatti hosted the first official track event for the Bolide hypercar at Circuit Paul Ricard in France — an event which marked the first opportunity for owners to drive their multi-million-dollar, track-only machines. (Except, of course, the owner who previously rented out Circuit of the Americas for himself,)
However, Bugatti didn't let the owners jump into their 1,500-plus horsepower, W-16 track weapons right away. They thought it would be best to start the drivers out with something a bit more tame. That tamer car? A Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Granted, it makes sense that a Porsche would be used, as Porsche does have a stake in Bugatti via the Bugatti-Rimac joint venture. And the 518-hp GT3 RS is clearly made for attacking road courses, as it comes fitted with a F1-esque drag reduction system, a central radiator sitting in the front luggage compartment, and a suspension that has individual compression and rebound adjustments for each axle. It's the sort of car that requires a steep learning curve to master... yet it was the car used as a set of training wheels for the Bolide.
For the event, each driver was paired with an expert instructor during their morning driving the GT3 RS, before finally being allowed to climb behind the wheel of their Bolide. (Bugatti "Pilote Officiels" Bruno Spengler and Andy Wallace, who've racked up a ridiculous amount of professional racing wins between them, were on hand to assist as well.) With only four Bolides sharing the 3.63-mile course, suffice it to say, the event sounds like yet another refutation of Christopher Wallace's famous maxim; that day, at least, more money didn't certainly equal more problems.
You Might Also Like
You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox
Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners
The Man Who Signs Every Car
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Red Bull requests FIA superlicence exemption for F1 junior
While Red Bull Racing's reserve drivers and junior talents are currently in the spotlights due to Max Verstappen's eleven penalty points, it has emerged that Red Bull submitted a request for a superlicence exemption for Formula 2 racer Arvid Lindblad. According to information obtained by Red Bull's request will be discussed next week during the upcoming FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Macau. Advertisement It's important to note, however, that this request is not directly related to Verstappen's penalty situation and was submitted well before the Dutchman's tally of penalty points hit 11, as Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko clarified. Lindblad is currently competing in Formula 2 and meets all other requirements for a superlicence – the document required to take part in official F1 sessions. He has accumulated enough superlicence points in junior formulas, although drivers can formally receive it only once they turn 18. This rule was introduced following Max Verstappen's remarkably early F1 debut at the age of 17, when he didn't yet have a driving licence. To prevent similar situations, the FIA implemented a minimum age as part of the superlicence system, which aspiring F1 drivers must now meet. Following in Antonelli's footsteps? Last year, however, the door was slightly reopened for talents under 18, when Mercedes requested an exemption for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The process of permitting the Italian to test its F1 machinery was similar to the steps Red Bull is taking now. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15 Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Advertisement It led to a revision of the FIA International Sporting Code, specifically article 13.1.2. Appendix L, which now states: "At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a superlicence at the age of 17 years old." Since Lindblad has already earned enough points before his 18th birthday and currently sits third in the Formula 2 standings as a rookie – with two race wins, including the feature race in Barcelona – he appears to qualify under this clause. The FIA will discuss Red Bull's request next week, when it is on the agenda for the meeting in Macau. If approved, Lindblad would be allowed to participate in F1 practice sessions and could even serve as a stand-in for one of the regular drivers. This could offer Red Bull an extra option given its current situation as Verstappen is teetering on the edge of a one-race ban from the series. If the Dutchman receives a suspension and Red Bull decides to promote one of the Racing Bulls drivers, Lindblad could theoretically replace either Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson at the sister team. Advertisement In addition to Lindblad (if the FIA grants the exemption), Red Bull still has Ayumu Iwasa available as a reserve driver. Read Also: Who could replace Max Verstappen at Red Bull if he lands F1 race ban? How Max Verstappen earned 11 penalty points in 11 months Lindblad turns 18 on August 8, a few days after the Hungarian Grand Prix, meaning the British-Swedish driver would be eligible for his superlicence during the F1 summer break regardless. To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How Adrian Newey is 'provoking' Aston Martin
to help speed up the outfit's development. Newey sparked a warning that despite the team's state-of-the-art Silverstone HQ possessing the best equipment, there was a problem with the data correlating with the simulator. Advertisement Newey identified Aston's loop simulator as an area of weakness and said rectifying the issue was 'probably a two-year project in truth'. However, speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Cowell said his design team had leapt on those comments with a view to proving the legendary designer wrong with his prediction. Cowell said: 'Everything that we're doing can improve and needs to improve. Adrian thinks the same. The great thing with Adrian is he knows the level that we need to get to. So he's setting high standards. I'm setting tough standards within the organisation. And then it's about how quickly can we get there. 'Is it going to take us two years to get there? No, it's not. Is Adrian provoking people? Yes, he is. As is Lawrence [Stroll] and Fernando [Alonso] and Lance [Stroll] and myself and many other people within the organisation. Advertisement 'We are all setting high standards to achieve. And the competitive advantage comes from how quickly you achieve it. 'So Adrian's provoking us. He's saying it's going to take everybody two years to achieve that. And everybody in the factory that I've spoken to that's working around the design team is going, 'well, we'll show him! We'll turn it into months rather than years'.' Andy Cowell, Team Principal and Group CEO at Aston Martin F1 Team with Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Andy Cowell, Team Principal and Group CEO at Aston Martin F1 Team with Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Advertisement Cowell, the team's CEO and team principal, first worked with Newey back in 2004 when the latter was at McLaren; he was working for Mercedes at the time, and says the two have rekindled their working relationship and have open discussions about the improvements they can make. He added: 'I worked together with Adrian, but that's a long time ago now. The last two months we've been working together, and it's very enjoyable. Adrian isn't interested in people management, business organisation, or the way of stitching everything together so that we're all focused on the race car. 'Adrian is focused on the design of the race car, the architecture, and the detailed considerations. He's been in the industry a long time, as have I, and we know our strengths and our weaknesses. I think a strength that we've both got is that we can just talk openly to each other.' Cowell says that his ability to understand the complexities of the F1 hybrid engine – having led Mercedes' successful High Performance Powertrains division – will help him with the integration as Aston switches to Honda engines for 2026. Advertisement He said: 'It's five years ago that I was last poking my nose inside a Formula 1 engine, and so I completely respect that it's Honda's responsibility to create the power unit for '26 onwards for Aston Martin. 'I'm a big believer in everybody that's working on the racing car, whether it's a composite designer, whether it's for suspension, whether it's vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics – we all focus on what's best for the race car, and the best way of coming up with a common language is having a common currency, and that's lap time. 'That said, what I can also do is listen to what the Honda engineers are talking about, what they're battling with, and I can explain that to the people here. I can just take the pressure off this area a little bit. 'And likewise, I can do the same with Honda. I can say, 'look, the integration guys are asking for this because of this'. So hopefully, I can explain both worlds, but we can equate what we're doing from a performance perspective in the common currency of milliseconds.' More: Listen to the JA on F1 podcast at To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
AFC Asian Qualifiers: Indonesia 1-0 China
These 10 F1 Drivers Are DOMINATING The 2025 Season! Buckle up for the ultimate F1 power rankings! We're counting down the TOP 10 hottest Formula 1 drivers heading into the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. From Oscar Piastri's dominant wins to Lando Norris's red-hot streak and Charles Leclerc's Ferrari magic, these drivers are bringing the heat! After thrilling races in Imola, Monaco, and Spain, who's got the momentum? Find out now and see why these stars are the ones to watch! Don't miss the action—subscribe for more F1 updates and check out the latest racing news at 2:10 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
