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Issue No. 198 Mar 29 - Apr 4 2011
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EX-FORMULA 1 STAR SHOWS INTEREST IN GOLD COAST V8 RACE. AND HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE ...
WURZ CASE SCENARIO EXCLUSIVE:
WE GO INSIDE DANIEL RICCIARDO’S GRAND PRIX WEEKEND DEBUT!
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Issue No. 198 | Mar 29 - Apr 4 2011
news 4
A Brazilian, an Austrian, and a Brit walk into a series ... 6 Fisi fizzes out Fisichella’s V8 deal falls over 8 Bullish Insight Behind the scenes with STR 13 Webber’s Tyred Eyes Rubber grain costs Aussie 18 Ogier makes amends Portugal win after Mexico crash
chat 30 Five Minutes With ... Sebastian Vettel
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31 Adam: HRT v Minardi
race 34 Australian Grand Prix 42 V8 Supercars 52 Carrera Cup 56 AGP Supports 58 ANDRA 62 IndyCar 66 NASCAR 70 World Superbikes
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WURZ, HERBERT AND SE INTEREST IN THE GC 600 ALEX WURZ – AUT
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ALEX Wurz wants to put his different coloured boots in a V8 Supercar. The former Formula 1 driver and dual Le Mans 24 Hour winner has expressed an interest in racing as an international import in October’s Gold Coast 600. Wurz told eNews that he knew about the event and V8 Supercars, and was keen to be one of the 28 internationals. Between 1997 and 2007, Wurz made 69 Grand Prix starts with Benneton, McLaren and Williams, collecting three podium finishes. Since his last start in China in 2007, Wurz has joined Peugeot’s Le Mans program, winning the race in 2009 with David Brabham and Marc Gene. Off track, he is involved in road safety programs and the FIA Institute’s Young Driver Excellence Academy. While the Austrian is best known for his stint in Formula 1, he’s no stranger to tin-tops, having raced in the International Touring Car Championship and the FIA GT Championship before his Grand Prix debut. “It’s a very cool race, I think,” Wurz said of Surfers. “If it doesn’t clash with any of my Peugeot commitments, I would be interested, yeah. “I think the Aussie Supercars are very cool; the fans like it and it’s a good show. I know they are not easy to drive, but I did some Touring Cars at the beginning of my career, so maybe I’d get on with them.
JOHNNY HERBERT –
“I looked at the circuit last year, Mick Doohan invited me to his house for a few days. He has a beach house and said ‘I’ll show you where the circuit is!’” The Gold Coast 600 falls between the final two rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup; Petit Le Mans in America on October 1 and a to-be-confirmed race in China on November 12. – MITCHELL ADAM
THREE-time grand prix winner Johnny Herbert has joined the queue for a race place at the Gold Coast. Herbert was in Melbourne as the driver steward on the FIA panel for the AGP and made a special trip to the V8 Supercar pitlane to talk to team bosses in the hope of doing a deal for the Queensland street race. His first focus is Garry Rogers Motorsport, where last year’s rookie stand-out Patrick Long – a factory Porsche sports car racer – has been poached by HRT. Herbert was shown the ropes by Roland Dane and said he is super-keen to come downunder. “It would be good. It looks like a good event,” Herbert said. “I’m keen. Big-time.” He revealed he had wanted to come for the first event last year but was too slow off the mark. “I tried last year but I was a bit late sorta getting on the list,” he said. “So I missed out. I was late.” Herbert, who has done a variety of racing since he finished his time in F1, said he has recent touring car experience to make an easier transition to V8 Supercars. “I did Speedcar in Bahrain, and I did the Superstars thing, that [Gianni] Morbidelli did last year. So the last two things I’ve done are like these cars,” he said. “They are about the same weight, but the tyres are a bit bigger. So they are quite similar.” Herbert joked about the popularity of the Gold Coast concept, and the rush to fill the 28 driver slots. “I did bring my cash with me,” he laughed. Herbert, now 46, has an impressive record that includes F1 two wins with Benetton and one with Stewart, as well as victory at Le Mans in 1991. His grand prix career spanned 161 starts from 1989-2000 with Lotus, Tyrrell, Benetton, Ligier, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar. “I always said that if I enjoyed my racing I’d carry on doing it, and I’m still enjoying it. And it will be another challenge. With all the other guys that will turn up, with 28 drivers, it should be fun,” Herbert said. – PAUL WARD
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As V8 Supercar teams scramble to sign international superstars for the second running of the Gold Coast 600, three big names have stepped into the frame
– GBR
BRUNO SENNA – BRA
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BRUNO Senna has thrown his name into the ring as a possible V8 Supercar Surfers Paradise international. The Brazilian said he’s interested in running at the Gold Coast 600, having seen V8 Supercars in recent visits to the Australian Grand Prix. Senna made 18 starts in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship with the Hispania Racing Team, and this year is one Renault’s test and reserve drivers. Before his Formula 1 debut, Senna finished second in the 2008 GP2 Series, third in British Formula 3 in 2006 and made a start in the Le Mans 24 Hour in 2009. One sticking point could be Senna’s promotional duties with Renault, which
conducts numerous roadshow-style events with an older-model Formula 1 car outside of Grand Prix weekends. The Surfers Paradise V8 Supercar round falls on the weekend between the Korean and Indian GPs in October. “It’s a cool idea,” Senna said of the international concept. “It depends on my schedule with the team, because they use us for plenty of PR and those kind of things. “But I’m quite a big fan of the V8 Supercars. I’ve seen some pretty interesting races, the long races and the normal short races, and it’s something to think about.” – MITCHELL ADAM
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