TRACK PROFILE - FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2014

QUIZ - 2014 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Cape Speed set their sights on the 2014 Formula Student UK competition.

The Cape Speed team with CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu who attended the unveiling of their Formula Student racing car.

Image by: Candes Keating

A group of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) engineering students named Cape Speed, will compete in the International Formula Student event at Silverstone, UK in July. CPUT’s Formula Student programme brings together students from different disciplines with a goal of building a single seat race car for participation in the prestigious Formula Student UK competition.

 

Cape Speed's 2014 Formula Student car.
Image by: Enver Van Boom

Formula Student is run by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers at the Silverstone circuit and backed by industry and high-profile engineers such as Ross Brawn. The competition challenges universities across the world to design and build a single-seater racing car and compete in a variety of static and dynamic events, which would demonstrate their understanding and test the performance of the vehicle. The aim of the competition is to equip Mechanical Engineering students with the skills to become Formula One race engineers.

 

Cape Speed made their debut at the 2012 Formula Student competition when they made history by becoming the first team from Africa to complete the 4-day event which included scrutineering and an endurance event. The team was ranked 65th out of 132 overall and came 27th out of 132 for the endurance stage of the event.

 

The car has been named Prins, after
 CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu.
Image by: Enver Van Boom

On the 27th of May, Cape Speed launched their 2014 Formula Student racing car which features a carbon fibre chassis and a fuel efficient engine. The car was designed and manufactured by students based at CPUT’s TIA Adaptronics AMTL research unit and the car was named Prins, after CPUT’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu.

 

The Formula Student UK 2014 competition will take place from the 9 - 13 July 2014 at Silverstone Circuit. 

TRACK PROFILE - Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2014

2014 Monaco Grand Prix - QUIZ

TRACK PROFILE - Formula 1 Gran Premio De Espana Pirelli 2014

2014 Spanish Grand Prix - QUIZ

Do you love Formula One as much as I do? Well if your answer is "YES" give this Quiz a try! Feel free to tweet the answers to @JunaidSamodien_ or leave your answers in the comment section below. #F1Magic #SpanishGPMagic 

Do you know where your car was made?

South Africans really love their cars – it is plain to see in everyday life here, but if you require further evidence you can look to the steady increase in the number of people with car insurance, this despite the costs of our cover being among the world’s most expensive. The global automotive industry has come a long way since the humble horse and carriage in the 1800s, and globalisation has played a huge role in the success and competitiveness of car manufacturers around the world.

Cars have become a part of what we do every day. They are intricately entrenched in our lifestyles and we often take them for granted, but how often do we don’t stop to think where they actually come from?

One of the most popular car brands among South Africans is the Toyota Hilux, with 2 739 sold here in the month of September 2013. Toyota originates in Japan and has its headquarters in Tokyo. In South Africa, all Toyotas are made at Toyota’s headquarters in the Kwazulu-Natal – these are then transported to Toyota dealerships across the country. Another popular vehicle is the VW Polo, selling 2 634 models (September 2013) and the Polo Vivo (2435 sales). VW comes from Germany and is still currently made in Wolfsburg, Germany. Locally, the VW factory is situated in Uitenhage, an industrial town 35 km outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. VW is then also transported to VW dealerships all over the country.

Because car making comes with so many different factors, manufacturers are always looking for new and innovative ways to get ahead of the competition. Many are using the popular Just-In-Time (JIT) system, to make sure their cars get onto the showroom faster. The JIT system means the parts arrive only when they are needed. This reduces inventory and production costs, but it relies on supply and demand. The system of inventory requires an accurate forecast in demand, keeping assembly lines complete and making sure finished vehicles are shipped as soon as they are done.

This means that because Asia currently has the best industrial mix of low-cost technology and affordable labour, it is a firm favourite when it comes to the manufacture of motor vehicles. This is why most brands of vehicles have factory plants there.

Other hugely popular vehicle brands in South Africa are Ford, BMW and Mercedes. While the Ford it is a product of General motors, an American firm, it was likely assembled in Asia. Silverton, Pretoria is the manufacturing home of all Ford vehicles in South Africa. BMW and Mercedes Benz are German products. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Germany and is locally based in Rosslyn, near Pretoria. Mercedes Benz has its headquarters in the German city of Stuttgart, while its local plant is in East London, Eastern Cape.

Peugeot and Renault are French vehicles and if you’re lucky enough to drive a Ferrari, your car was most likely hand crafted in Italy. Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo come from Korea, while Honda and Mitsubishi have their origins in Japan.

Cars and vehicles have evolved so much in the last century; we have gone from the horse and carriage to multi-million rand luxury vehicles. People have also changed their preference in automotive transport, and instead of expensive super cars, which only the extremely wealthy can afford, they are moving toward more practical vehicles. For example, the newest innovations in car manufacturing are cars that can park themselves – Ford and Honda are among the first to do this. It cuts parking time and is especially popular among women and new drivers who haven’t yet mastered parallel parking.

According to consumerreports.org, the top car manufacturers include: Ford, Toyota and Honda. They rank higher than luxury cars such as Cadillac and BMW, due to their constant innovations in making driving easy and safe, especially for the family. As stated before, there are so many aspects that go with manufacturing a car in conjunction with JIT, and 74% of total motor vehicles are those owned by private motorists and the remaining 26% amount to public and commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks. 

Most of the world’s cars come from China, with 14 485 326 produced in 2011 alone (worldmeters.info). This can be attributed to the fact that the average car has over 30 000 unique parts. Most of the additional pieces, such as seat covers, music systems, lights, mirrors and new electronics such as hands-free kits are made and installed in China. It’s cheaper and faster for the industry to perform operations in this way, and the quality remains fairly good.

South Africans spend a lot of time in their cars and are willing to spend a lot of money on them. It is wise to get your car covered by a decent insurance policy so that if something happens to it you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you can restore it to its former glory.

Ayrton Senna: The man behind the legend

The young Ayrton Senna in his Karting days.
Source: FormulaOneStuff.com

Today marks the 20^th anniversary of the tragic passing of Brazilian Formula One legend Ayrton Senna. The tragic accident on 1 May 1994, sent shockwaves through the world of Formula One and all around the world. The funeral in his hometown of Sao Paulo drew hundreds of thousands. Ayrton Senna da Silva was born on 21 March 1960. He was a Brazilian racing driver who won three Formula One World Championships and had began his motorsport career in karting, moving up to open-wheel racing in 1981, and winning the British Formula 3 championship in 1983.

The winner of the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix Ayrton Senna.
Source: Formula1.com

Senna made his Formula One debut with Toleman in 1984 before moving to Lotus the following year and winning six Grand Prix’s over the next three seasons. In 1988, he joined Alain Prost at McLaren. Among them, they won all but one of the 16 Grand Prix’s that season and Senna claimed his first World Championship. Prost claimed the championship in 1989, and Senna his second and third championships in 1990 and 1991. In 1992, Senna managed to finish the 1993 season as runner-up, winning five races and negotiating a move to Williams for the 1994 season.

Former F1 driver John Watson said "He did things with the car that I hadn’t even thought about, let alone put in to practice. After witnessing this, I knew that my time as racecar driver was effectively over.”

Ayrton Senna the Rain-master piloting his McLaren.
Source: McLarenF1

Ayrton Senna is and will also be well known for his exceptional driving during wet conditions, winning almost every Grand Prix in those conditions. But he wasn't always a rain-master. He would win every race in the dry, but when it rained, he wasn’t any good. Completely unhappy with his results in the rain, Ayrton would sit at his local karting circuit, just waiting for it to rain. He would spend hours in the wet, often coming home soaking wet. While every other driver wanted shelter in the wet conditions, Ayrton was the first to get out there and drive.

Ayrton Senna - "Being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, competing to win. And the main motivation is to compete for victory; it's not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it's possible. Sometimes you get it wrong? Sure, it's impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I'm doing it right."

A famous photograph of Senna getting a lift from Mansell.
Source: formulaonestuff.com

Ayrton Senna has been voted the best driver of all time in various motorsport polls. He was recognized for his qualifying speed over one lap and from 1989 until 2006 held the record for most pole positions. He was also much-admired for his wet weather performances, such as the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, and the 1993 European Grand Prix. He holds a record six victories at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, and is the third most successful driver of all time in terms of race wins. Senna courted controversy throughout his career, particularly during his rivalry with Alain Prost. Both the 1989 Championship won by Prost and the 1990 Championship won by Senna were decided by collisions between the pair at those years' Japanese Grands Prix.

Ayrton Senna F1 Statistics:

Ayrton Senna focussed on the job at hand.
Source: RoadandTrack.com

Races Attended	162
Races Won	41
Pole Positions	65
Fastest Laps	19
Points	610
Championships	3 (1988 1990 1991)

The children who attend the Instituto Ayrton Senna.
Source: Michele Zollini

Ayrton Senna’s greatest accomplishments may have come off the track. It only became clear after his unfortunate death that Senna had been donating millions of his own money to charities for children in his home country. Senna recognized the hardships that many of his countrymen faced and was most concerned about kids and their future.

The legacy of Senna's death is that safety standards in F1 and across numerous other formulas have improved significantly. No driver has lost their life in F1 since Senna's death. Ayrton Senna da Silva exuded something that we have never seen before, and likely never will again. Ayrton Senna da Silva gone to soon!

Special THANKS to Riaz Aziz and Rahiema Hoosain.

2014 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand Prix