350Km/h F1 Car Takes On Bathurst

[ZAP]

From the SMH

A Formula One car will race around Australia’s fabled undulating circuit for the first time next week as part of the build-up to the Melbourne Grand Prix.

V8 Supercars driver Craig Lowndes and 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button will both pilot a McLaren MP4-23 F1 racer at Bathurst on Tuesday 22nd March, covering several laps before switching to a Late model camira touring car.

The MP4-23, McLaren’s 2008 championship-winning contender, is powered by a V8 engine that can rev up to 19,000rpm – more than three times higher than the average car – and propel the F1 car up to speeds in excess of 350km/h.

Advertisement: Story continues below <iframe id="dcAd-1-4" src="http://ad-apac.doubleclick.net/adi/onl.smh.auto/drive/motornews;cat1=motornews;ctype=article;cat=drive;pos=3;sz=300x250;tile=4;ord=6.4950595E7?" width='300' height='250' scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"> </iframe> Event organisers say the F1 car’s lap times will not be recorded for safety reasons.

The McLaren is only likely to run at up to 90 per cent of its maximum performance owing to the unique challenges of the Bathurst track, though it should still be considerably quicker than the fastest time achieved by a V8 Supercar – 2min 6sec by Lowndes last year.

V8 Supercars are more than 30 seconds slower than F1 cars around Melbourne’s Albert Park grand prix track.

Button says driving at ‘The Mountain’ has been one of his dreams since childhood.

“When I was a youngster, the BBC would always broadcast the Bathurst race, and it was one of those things you’d just switch over and catch, and just be so hooked, because the circuit just looked so intense,” says Button.

It’s not the first time Formula One has aimed to promote the Australian Grand Prix with an F1 car demonstration.

Mark Webber drove a Formula One car across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge in 2005, and the Red Bull star will cross Melbourne’s Bolte bridge this Saturday (19th March) as another dynamic advert for the season-opening race that takes place on Sunday 27th March.

Pity there is not earlier warning as I would drive up there to watch that.

[needfordspeed]

That'd be awesome to watch, hopefully they take decent video footage.

[KeepLeft]

Hopefully there's some people taking "unofficial" lap times

[tab]

That'd be interesting...not much clearance on the F1s so there'd be a fair bit of butt-clenching I'd imagine

Would be awesome down Conrod and through the chase though

[Turbo6FG]

Lowndes will be like a kid in a lolly shop. Should be interesting.

[glensim]

Will be very interesting over the top of the mountain

[XAH03]

Button did a 1min48sec lap

Lowndes did 1min49sec lap.

F1 car smashes Bathurst record

Jez Spinks

March 22, 2011 - 4:02PM

McLaren racer nearly 20 seconds quicker than a V8 Supercar around famous track.

A Formula One car has set a new record at Bathurst – lapping Australia’s world-famous motor racing circuit nearly 20 seconds faster than a V8 Supercar.

The unofficial time of 1 minute 48 seconds was set by 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, who was driving the first modern Formula One car to take to the hallowed track.

Button’s time, set in a 2008 McLaren, surpasses the previous fastest time clocked by a V8 Supercar, a 2min 6sec achieved by Craig Lowndes last year in a Expensive Daewoo Commodore.

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Five-times Bathurst winner Lowndes was only a second slower than the Briton when given his first taste of a Formula One car as part of a special driver-swap event run by Vodafone, the title sponsor for both Button’s McLaren team and Lowndes’ V8 Supercar outfit.

When they swapped to the Late model camira V8 Supercar, Lowndes was six seconds faster than Button: 2min 11sec versus 2min 17sec.

Lowndes says the F1 car is impressive compared with a V8 Supercar, and admits it could have gone quicker.

“When I first went out it was the acceleration [that amazed me] but when you go through turn two you really realise how much acceleration you have,” he says. “In comparison the V8 [supercar] seems to labour up the mountain. "Potentially it could go a lot quicker but realistically I've been told to bring it back in one piece."

Lowndes says he relished the chance to drive the car, admitting he’s not expecting a call from a Formula One team.

“No, it’s about 14 years too late [to get a chance in F1] but it’s extremely satisfying to drive a car that’s purpose built for speed and precision. It was a rush of a feeling.”

Jenson Button suggested the idea of running an F1 car around Bathurst, but says the circuit’s undulating nature wasn’t without its challenges.

“I could hardly turn the wheel coming into the turn [for Conrod Straight] and it was a bit scary down the straight with it being so bumpy,” says Button. “The bit I really enjoyed was from about turn five onwards as you start going up the hill. That section was a real buzz.

“This is an iconic race track and it’s great to celebrate the unofficial fastest lap in an F1 car.”

Edited 22/03/11 09:20 AM by XAH03

[MexicanBatman]

so take another 10 seconds off that for a hard lap.... if they were really to try... I watched all the vids, they looked to be taking it really easy

[Dagabond]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8227392

I'd love that pilots job!! :girlwitch:

[senna_T]

The sound! I"M HAVING A CRISIS!!!