Nissan Gtr Review-Godzilla

the Nissan GT-R has a varied history. Although it has always had a strong following, some models to wear the GT-R badge haven’t always made the grade. But when Nissan do it well, they do it very, very well. Back in 1969, the 2.0-litre Skyline saloon was the first Nissan to wear a GT-R badge.

A coupé followed in 1971 and a replacement model, with production limited to 197 units, in 1973. And that was the end of the GT-R until a Skyline more like the one we know appeared in 1990, with a twin-turbo straight six.

Homologated to let Nissan go racing, the R32 was claimed to have 280bhp, as were the R33 (1994) and R34 (1999) successors. GT-R buyers in the UK should beware – there are plenty of imported GT-Rs floating around on the used market of greatly varying quality. We’d prefer to stick to the cars brought across by Nissan itself, and that’s what our test is based on.

When we tested the 473bhp grey-imported GT-R it caused quite a stir; it demolished pretty much every challenge we laid before it, including being crowned the winner of our annual Best Driver’s Car shootout. The official 523bhp version of the car turns the GT-R into a super supercar.

The GT-R has always had price on its side. It’s not a cheap car: it’s better value for money than cars that are seemingly as fast, and it can outperform cars of a similar price. Seems too good to be true. So is it?

Red Bull considers taking F1 engine penalties for Canadian GP

The Red Bull Formula 1 team will this week consider whether to take its first engine penalty of the season in the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. 

The four-time world champion team suffered a number of failures with its Renault power unit in the opening five races leaving Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat on the fourth and final engine of their allocation with 13 races to go. 

Both drivers got through the Monaco Grand Prix weekend without any failures and the team achieved its best result of the season, with Kvyat and Ricciardo fourth and fifth respectively. 

Though Red Bull won in Canada last year after Mercedes encountered problems, Horner is wary that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's long straights will provide a tougher test as Renault remains down on power compared to rivals Mercedes and Ferrari. 

"The fact we got through this race without any engine issues at all is a step in the right direction," said Horner. 

"But Canada is a much bigger challenge for us than here. 

"We've now got to evaluate what happens in Montreal, whether we take a penalty there or not. 

"It really depends on the state of these engines after this race. 

"It's not hard on the engines round here [in Monaco] and I think it's something we will have to evaluate during this week."

RED BULL PACKAGE MAXIMISED 

Horner believes Red Bull got the maximum out of its Monaco GP weekend, with the team taking advantage of Williams's struggles to edge closer to third in the constructors' championship, cutting the gap from 51 points to 29. 

"Renault have done a good job getting the best out of their current package and we've got the best out of the chassis and drivers," said Horner.

"Fourth and fifth and we beat a Ferrari fair and square. It is as good as we could really hope for."

"We've run maximise downforce and haven't had to compromise on the downforce and we've seen the chassis' full potential."

In the closing stages, Kvyat was told to let Ricciardo through so the Australian could challenge the two Mercedes and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel for a podium as he was on a different strategy to his team-mate.

However, as agreed by the team, when Ricciardo's bid failed, he slowed and gave the place back to Kvyat before the chequered flag.

The drivers did a super job this weekend," said Horner. "Daniil Kvyat put in a great performance.

"He delivered when he needed to and managed the tyres extremely well. And it was great teamwork. 

"With Ricciardo, we had a free stop after Perez stopped to put a set of super-softs on the car. 

"He managed a brave move to get past Kimi and then it made sense to switch the drivers on the understanding that if he couldn't pass the cars ahead he would have to give the position back.

source: autosport

Honda to switch focus with McLaren following first F1 2015 points

Honda chief Yasuhisa Arai will shift the manufacturer's development focus following McLaren scoring its first Formula 1 points of the season in the Monaco Grand Prix. 

McLaren enjoyed its strongest weekend of the 2015 season on the streets of Monte Carlo, with both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso believing they should have comfortably qualified in the top 10 on the grid.

While Alonso retired from the race, Button secured McLaren-Honda's first points of the campaign with an eighth-place finish.

Honda's weakness so far, however, has been a lack of power, and with fast tracks in Canada, Austria and Silverstone up next, Arai knows it is an area that needs swift attention.

"I feel we have finally started," said Arai, after witnessing the new McLaren-Honda era break its points duck in the sixth race of the campaign.

"With hard work there is good reliability. We made the driveability suitable for the special Monaco race track.

"Horsepower was not so important, using only partial throttle, which is a very sensitive area, so we made the driveability good for Jenson and Fernando. They had a good feeling.

"But now we need more power. Please give me the power. 

"If you have any idea, I will accept. I know we need more power, but it's not easy to get.

"Canada is a power circuit, and with heavy braking the energy recovery is also important.

"We will think about how to deliver the MGU-K power to feed that kind of fast, high-speed circuit."

It was not all smooth sailing for McLaren around Monaco, however, as Alonso was forced to pull his car off track in both qualifying and the race.

Arai rejected suggestions of a problem with the MGU-H in qualifying for Alonso, although he confirmed the battery pack had to be changed as Honda ran out of time in trying to discover the root cause.

For the race, with Alonso also on course for a points finish, it is understood an overheating issue that affected the gearbox forced the double world champion to stop after 41 laps.

Despite that, Arai added: "There was good pace from both drivers. 

"Unfortunately Fernando had an issue, but Jenson claimed a very good place for us, so I am very happy.

"For us every race is step by step, so I hope at the next race there is more progress.

"Finally, when we have good pace we go to the podium. That is what I wish. Maybe we can."

At present there is still no decision as to when Honda will use its nine tokens available to upgrade the power unit or ancillary systems.

source autosport.com

Lauda says Mercedes F1 team over-reacted with Hamilton in Monaco

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda railed against his own Formula 1 team for making "a huge mistake" that robbed Lewis Hamilton of victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton was cruising to the chequered flag after leading for the first 64 laps of the race until an accident involving Toro Rosso teenager Max Verstappen and Romain Grosjean in his Lotus turned the blue-riband event on its head.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff conceded his strategists blundered by calling in Hamilton for a pit stop to take on a set of fresh super-soft tyres - a decision Lauda branded an over-reaction to feedback Hamilton gave on the radio.

It resulted in the reigning champion emerging behind team-mate Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari, with no way past and having to settle for third.

"It was heartbreaking for Lewis, for me and everybody in the team," Lauda told AUTOSPORT.

"Lewis did say he was not happy with the tyres, but then we over-reacted by bringing him in, which was a mistake.

"It was completely unnecessary, a huge mistake because this is Monaco where you cannot pass.

"I apologised to him and his team because we ended up destroying his race."

Hamilton, who last week agreed a new three-year deal with Mercedes, was disconsolate and at a loss post-race to understand what had unfolded.

On the slow-down lap Hamilton even parked his car at Portier, the corner closest to his apartment home, and paused for several moments before opting to continue back to parc ferme and a solemn podium celebration.

It revived memories of his hero Ayrton Senna who crashed at Portier in the 1988 race around the streets of the Principality after dominating from pole, with the Brazilian so incensed he left his stricken car and returned to his apartment.

Wolff has no doubt that after taking time to reflect, Hamilton will bounce back at the next race in Canada early next month.

"He has such mental strength and he is on a roll," said Wolff of Hamilton, who still holds a 10-point lead over Rosberg in the drivers' championship.

"It must be very sore to lose that run because it was his to win, but I have no doubt he will recover as quickly as he has always done."

Wolff, though, has dismissed any possibility of Mercedes atoning for their error by 'fixing' a future result for Hamilton.

Suggested to Wolff he might speak to Rosberg, he added: "You would want me do this and then start to play PlayStation. No, we're not doing this."

source www.autosport.com

Monaco GP: Mercedes error costs Lewis Hamilton race victory

A pitstop blunder by Mercedes robbed Lewis Hamilton of a guaranteed victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, handing the win on a platter to Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Nico Rosberg.

For 64 of the 78 laps the race around the tight, twisty streets of the Principality was processional, with reigning champion Hamilton unruffled from the moment the five red lights disappeared to signal the start.

But then Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen careered into the rear-right wheel of the Lotus of Romain Grosjean at Sainte Devote, immediately turning the grand prix on its head.

What followed from Mercedes was unnecessary, for although the safety car was ultimately brought into play - after the 'virtual safety car' sign was displayed for the first time in F1 but soon withdrawn - Hamilton had a 21-second lead at that stage.

Hamilton was then called in by Mercedes to take on a set of super-soft compound tyres, yet as he emerged back on track, Rosberg and Ferrari's Sebastien Vettel passed him.

From a virtually impregnable position Mercedes had contrived to deny Hamilton what should have been the 37th win of his F1 career.

Despite being on much faster rubber over the final eight laps after the withdrawal of the safety car, Hamilton could find no way past Vettel, never mind find himself in a position to catch Rosberg.

It was an astonishing end to an otherwise relatively unremarkable race, with lap one naturally frenetic, particularly through the opening turn at Ste Devote.

Come the sweep through Mirabeau double world champion Fernando Alonso was involved in a collision with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, sending the German into a barrier, resulting in the loss of his front wing.

The incident forced the stewards into an immediate investigation, with the blame pinned on McLaren star Alonso as he was handed a five-second time penalty.

Such was Alonso's pace, however, throughout the opening 30 laps that by the time he pitted to take on a set of soft tyres, switching from the opening stint super-softs, the additional penalty proved redundant.

Alonso, though, did not last too long after his stop, pulling his car off track at Ste Devote with a gearbox issue caused by rising temperatures a day after an MGU-H problem brought an early end to the Spaniard's qualifying session.

Behind the leading trio Daniil Kvyat scored the highest finish of his career with fourth, followed by team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Kvyat was ordered to let Ricciardo through in the closing stages, but the Red Bulls swapped back on the final lap once it became clear that Ricciardo could not make any progress against Hamilton.

Force India's Sergio Perez clinched seventh, Force India's best result of the year, with Jenson Button claiming McLaren's first points this season with eighth.

Sauber's Felipe Nasr and Carlos Sainz in the second Toro Rosso completed the top 10.

In a wretched race for Williams, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa - who suffered a lap-one puncture - were 14th and 15th.

source www.autosport.com

Mercedes F1 team apologises to Lewis Hamilton for Monaco GP error

The face of devastation after his team had let him down

Mercedes has apologised to Lewis Hamilton after a strategic error cost the former Formula 1 world champion victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton was cruising to what would have been his second success around the streets of the Principality until a crash involving Max Verstappen and Romain Grosjean on lap 64 brought out the safety car.

Even though only 14 laps of the race remained at that stage, Hamilton was brought in to take on a fresh set of super-soft tyres, and he emerged not only behind Rosberg, but also Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari.

Monaco GP: Hamilton 'can't express' feeling after Mercedes mistake

Lewis Hamilton said after the Monaco Grand Prix that he could not express how he was feeling after an error by his Mercedes Formula 1 team cost him victory.

The reigning world champion had the race under control, leading comfortably from Nico Rosberg until the race was neutralised following a crash between Max Verstappen and Romain Grosjean.

Mercedes thought Hamilton had enough of a gap back to Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel to make a precautionary pitstop, but he emerged from the pits behind both of the Germans in third place, handing victory to Rosberg.

"I can't really express the way I'm feeling at the moment so I won't attempt to," said Hamilton.

"To be honest it happened so fast I don't remember. You rely on your team."

Hamilton said he initially thought the cars behind him had pitted, so he assumed he was called in to cover off the fact his pursuers would be on fresher tyres when the race resumed after the safety car.

"I saw a screen and it looked like the team was out [in the pits]," he added. "It looked like Nico had pitted.

"I thought the guys behind were pitting, so when the team said stay out, I said the tyres were dropping temperature, and I was assuming that these guys would be on options and I would be on the harder tyre, so they said to pit.

"I did that and came in thinking with full confidence the others had done the same."

Hamilton said the lost victory was particularly painful because of how special the Monaco Grand Prix is to him.

"This race has been close to my heart for many years," he added.

"It was a great feeling in the race, I had so much pace. I didn't have to push too much.

"I could have doubled the lead if I needed. I'm grateful for that pace and I'll come back to fight another day - at the moment I can't think of anything else."

source www.autosport.com