Formula 1

Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch

I have had a love affair with Tag Heuer Formula 1 watches for a long time. The most modern ones are the best Formula 1 watches ever in my opinion. A new special model for 2011 celebrates an historic partnership that Tag Heuer enjoyed, as well as the furtherance of the F1 collection. This is the Formula 1 Gulf Edition watch, which presents itself in a similar manner as the range of Tag Heuer Monaco Gulf watches does in partnership with Gulf Oil and auto racing.

The base watch is the steel 44mm wide Tag Heuer Formula 1 Big Date watch. It contains a Swiss quartz movement with the time, subsidiary seconds dial, and big date indicator. The dial is black with a light gray cross-hatching pattern. You then see the Gulf racing stripes (with a thinner orange bar) and the Gulf logo. I think the racing stripes and dial pattern are a really neat edition. Not only is the piece attractive, but it will be particularly attractive to Tag Heuer collectors. The watch will be available on a steel bracelet or rubber strap. I don't believe the piece is a limited edition, and prices should be in the $1,000 range when it is available in a few months.

Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: formula 1, gulf, tag heuer, watch, watches

'American Idol's' Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller Moving on to Formula 1?

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Between the two of them, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have no shortage of successes to claim their own. Many of those accomplishments revolve around reality television programs like "American Idol," "X Factor," "So You Think You Can Dance?" and "America's Got Talent." Bernie Ecclestone apparently thinks quite highly of their show business acumen, and is now reportedly recruiting their talents to bring an added dose of showmanship to Formula One racing.

One idea Cowell and Fuller have reportedly put forward to the billionaire F1 chief is to cut the three-day grand prix weekend to two, and to replace the customary Friday practice sessions with a second preview race.

Cowell is a known racing fan and automotive enthusiast, while Fuller has been actively involved in the sport previously. The producer/promoter headed up the Honda F1 Team's branding initiative several years ago, and recently signed former world champion Lewis Hamilton to his talent agency alongside the likes of David Beckham, Sir Michael Caine and Jennifer Lopez.

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Tags: American Idol, bernie ecclestone, f1, formula 1, formula one, racing, simon cowell, simon fuller

German Carmakers Tapped for Motorsport Safety Cars

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car

German cars Mercedes-Benz, Porsches and BMWs are loved by their owners for their meticulous engineering. But private consumers aren't the only ones who've noticed their capabilities. So have the organizers of some of the most prestigious motor racing series in the world. And though both compete at the top levels, it's not for racing cars that they've been tapped this time. It's for safety cars.

Tags: alms, american le mans series, bmw, bmw 1 m, bmw 1 series m coupe, emergency vehicle, f1, formula 1, formula one, mercedes, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz c63 amg, mercedes-benz c63 amg wagon, moto gp, motogp, pace car, porsche, porsche panamera, porsche panamera turbo, safety car

Continue reading “German Carmakers Tapped for Motorsport Safety Cars”

Jose Cuervo Tequila to Sponsor Sauber F1 Team

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Sports

As tequila enters the mainstream as a premium spirit alongside the likes of vodka and whisky, so will it need a platform to promote itself. And few fora are proving as fitting as motor racing.

After rival distiller Patron promoted its sponsorship of individual teams in the American Le Mans Series to title sponsorship of the entire championship, Jose Cuervo has announced a new deal that takes them straight to the very pinnacle of motor racing: Formula One. The tequila company will be sponsoring the Sauber F1 team, and announced the deal shortly after the team signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to race its cars this season.

Although Sauber may not be among the top teams today, it has fielded some of the best drivers in the sport, including world champions Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve and Sebastian Vettel. Though its best results came during the BMW years in 2007 and 2008 when it placed second and third in the championship, the team has since returned to using Ferrari engines.

Tags: cuervo, f1, formula 1, formula one, Jose Cuervo, sauber, sauber f1, sauber f1 team, tequila

Winning Ferrari F1 Car Listed for Sale at $3 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The amazing 2006 Ferrari 248 F1 racer (above) that was Philip Massa's No. 1 car for the 2006 Grand Prix season has been listed for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $3 million. The car, designed by Rory Byrne and Aldo Costa featuring a 785 hp V8 engine, won seven of the last nine races of the '06 season; overall, the 248 gave Ferrari nine race wins and four pole positions, and second place finishes in both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships. It's just one of the rare Ferrari F1 cars listed on the site by the UK's Red Dog; also up for grabs is a 1974 Ferrari 312 B3 F1 car for $2.2 million; a 1984 Ferrari 126 C4 F1 car for $940,000; and a 1994 Ferrari 412 T1 for $810,000, all with various victories under their bonnets. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Tags: F1, Ferrari, Formula 1, Formula One, grand prix, JamesList, motor racing, race car, racecar, racing

Bernie Ecclestone Capitalizes on Mugging with Hublot Ad

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Late last month Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and his girlfriend were robbed outside his offices in London. The thieves reportedly punched and kicked Ecclestone and made off with some $300,000 in jewelry – including a special-edition Hublot wristwatch – leaving the octogenarian bruised and battered.

Never one to shy away from controversy or turn away an opportunity, however, Ecclestone has appeared in an ad for Swiss watchmaker Hublot bringing further attention to the incident.

The ad for the official Formula One timekeeper features a photo of Ecclestone's bruised face, accompanied by the quote "See what people will do for a Hublot". It is set to run this week in both the Financial Times and the International Herald-Tribune.

Tags: bernie ecclestone, ecclestone, f1, formula 1, formula one, hublot

Formula One Drivers and Staff Ambushed by Gunmen in Brazil

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Formula One drivers are used to making quick getaways, but found themselves in harm's way last weekend in Brazil. While in Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix, the car carrying the defending world champion Jenson Button was attacked by a gang of gunmen. The armored vehicle was driven by a police officer away from the scene of the ambush, delivering Button to safety. The famous McLaren driver praised his driver's abilities, which comes as quite the compliment coming from the world champion.

Button wasn't the only F1 figure attacked during the race weekend, however, as additional reports depicted an attack on a van full of the Sauber team's staff. In this case armed bandits stopped the van at gunpoint and made off with the staff members' bags. Fortunately no one was harmed in this incident either.

Despite the attacks, figures in F1 are not calling for removing the event from next year's calendar, crediting the government with doing all its best to improve socio-economic conditions in Brazil and reducing crime rates, while refusing to blame race organizers for what happens off the track.

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Tags: brazil, brazilian grand prix, f1, formula 1, formula one, grand prix, jenson button, sao paulo, sauber

Flavio Briatore to Open "Billionaire's Square" in Dubai

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

Italian playboy Flavio Briatore, (above, with his much younger lingerie model wife Elisabetta), has signed a deal to open a new Billionaire's Square complex in Dubai catering to those with unapologetically extravagant tastes. Building on the success of Briatore's Billionaire club for the super-rich on Sardinia's swank Costa Smeralda, the $150 million Billionaire's Square development will be constructed on the site of Dubai Media City's Palladium entertainment venue. The complex will include a boutique luxury hotel, a Billionaire Bar and Grill along with several other restaurants and bars, a VIP fitness club and a boutique selling items from Briatore's ostentatious Billionaire Couture line, maker of items like a $50,000 crocodile skin umbrella. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. As my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported last year, Briatore's colorful career as a Formula 1 impresario linked to supermodels like Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell came to an end in the wake of a race fixing scandal.

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Tags: billionaire, Dubai, Flavio Briatore, Formula 1, luxury hotels, playboy, Sardinia, UAE, wealth

Sixty Years of Formula One Racing in Photos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Books

Autocourse: 60 Years of World Championship Grand Prix Motor Racing, new from Motorbooks / Icon Publishing, is a lavishly-illustrated account of the globally successful FIA Formula 1 World Championship from its roots before World War II to the present day. After the war came the glamorous era of the winning Alfa Romeos, followed by stunning victories from Ferrari and Maserati in the 1950s maintaining the Italian tradition before mighty Mercedes captured the crown; along the way technological advances causing several re-inventions. The book follows the action in over 500 images evoking the drivers - the great Michael Schumacher gets his very own chapter – cars, circuits, personalities and issues of each era. The back of the book contains a useful compendium of statistics, champions and more. With more and more countries vying with each other to gain the right to stage a Formula 1 contest, and as the calendar heads towards a twenty-race season, the book also looks forward to the megabucks sport's seventh decade as new teams arrive to take on the established giants.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, books, cars, coffee table books, Ferrari, Formula 1, Formula One, Maserati, Mercedes, Michael Schumacher, motor racing, racecar, racing, sports, World War II

Maria Sharapova Launches The Tag Heuer Formula 1 Steel & Ceramic Watch In Japan

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The most exciting women's watch from Tag Heuer for 2010 has been the steel & ceramic version of their Formula 1 watch. Eagerly anticipated since its debut at Baselworld 2010, the lovely design mixes sport and elegance in a way that is easy to notice. The watch combines a steel and ceramic for the bezel and bracelet links, is available with both black or white ceramic elements. Because women like diamonds, the watch has a tasteful line of diamonds on the periphery of the bezel. The good looking watch (as I recall) isn't priced too bad at all. In the $2,000 - $3,000 range if memory serves me correct.

In Tokyo recently, Tag Heuer brand ambassador Maria Sharapova showed up to help debut the watch. Tag Heuer is extremely popular in Japan, and famous athletes like tennis player Maria Sharapova has always brought welcome attention to the brand and its products.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: celebrity endorsement, celebrity endorsement deals, celebrity endorsements, ceramic, Formula 1, maria sharapova, Tag Heuer, watch

Lotus Offers Limited Edition F1-Style Racers for $1 Million Apiece

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

Got a need for speed and a million bucks burning a hole in your pocket? Lotus has just the thing: a new limited edition Formula 1-style racecar for motorsports enthusiasts and gentleman racers. Just unveiled at the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion in California, the Lotus Exos Type 125 is a Formula 1-inspired track car pairing F1 design and technology with a 650 hp Cosworth V8 engine. Only 25 examples will be built and sold at $1 million apiece, forming a new race league for owners that will also help Lotus develop a new F1 program. With a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and F1 styling, the car also features carbon ceramic brakes and carbon fiber pushrod suspension. Purchasers will be founding members of the exclusive Exos Club, which includes driver training overseen by a team of Lotus engineers, race drivers, mechanics, physical trainers and even physicians – just like the pros.

Tags: California, carbon fiber, Formula 1, Formula One, Lotus, Monterey, motor racing, motorsports, racecar, racing

McLaren to Open Showroom in London's Luxe One Hyde Park

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

Famed British race-bred auto marque McLaren has announced plans for a luxurious new London showroom at the base of the posh One Hyde Park development, currently under construction between Harrods and Harvey Nichols in the swanky Knightsbridge neighborhood. The premises (rendering above) will serve as the flagship for the company to flog its wicked new $250,000 MP4-12C supercar, a carbon fiber rocket with a 600 hp twin-turbo V8 engine. One Hyde Park, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, is due to open in late October with the McLaren showroom slated to follow early next year. As well as its supercar, the showroom will display a selection of McLaren's Formula 1 race cars.

[via Auto Express]

Tags: British car, Formula 1, Harrods, Knightsbridge, London, McLaren, One Hyde Park, retail, showroom, supercar, UK

Rare Racers at Ferrari Event in Nurburgring

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Sports

An incredible array of Ferrari race cars just converged on Germany's famed Nurburgring circuit for three days of test-driving under the legendary Italian marque's Corse Clienti department. 15 Ferrari 599XX and 4 Enzo-based Ferrari FXXs were joined on the track by 10 rare Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 cars, among the world's most desirable vehicles. Amongst them was the F190 raced by Nigel Mansell in the 1990 Formula 1 Championship; the 412 T1 with which Gerhard Berger won the 1994 German Grand Prix; the F300, which was the 45th car built by Scuderia Ferrari for the 1998 season, driven to six wins by Michael Schumacher; and the F2001, with which the German champion won nine races. Also present was the more recent F2007, which took both World titles for the Scuderia team. The beautiful thoroughbred racers are almost as much fun to look at as to drive.

Gallery: Ferrari Corse Clienti Event at Nurburgring

Tags: Ferrari, Ferrari 599XX, Ferrari FXX, Formula 1, Germany, Michael Schumacher, motor racing, Nurburgring, racing, supercar

Whyte & Mackay Presents Special Blends to Force India F1 Drivers

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Being an F1 driver undoubtedly has its perks, from the jetset lifestyle to the million-dollar salaries. Add to that list a specially crafted scotch and it's looking even better.

To celebrate its sponsorship of the Force India F1 team, Whyte & Mackay's master distiller Richard Paterson created a special blend for each of the team's drivers: Adrian Sutil, Tonio Liuzzi and Scottish test driver Paul di Resta. Each blend was matched to the drivers' personality, specially bottled and presented during this past weekend's British Grand Prix.

Gallery: Whyte & Mackay Scotch for Force India

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Tags: f1, force india, force india f1, formula 1, formula one, richard paterson, scotch, whisky, whyte and mackay, whyte mackay

F1 Champ Fernando Alonso Gets a Free Custom Ducati

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Shopping

Two-time world champion Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso is stocking up on high-end Italian toys now that he's in pole position for Ferrari. Back in March we reported that he'd splashed out on a new Maserati GranCabrio from Ferrari's sister marque, selecting a dark gray model with a two-tone beige and bordeaux interior with matching bordeaux roof. Now another iconic Italian brand known for its superfast machines – Ducati – has gifted the champ with a wicked custom Desmosedici RR (above). The $60,000 superbike is painted in a combination of Ducati MotoGP and Ferrari F1 graphics, matching Alonso's race livery. Now that he has a Ducati, observers are looking for Alonso to make good on his challenge to 9-times Grand Prix World Championship motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi. We'll see.

[via Motorbiker.org]

Tags: Ducati, F1, Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Formula 1, Maserati, racing, superbike

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