Engineer Toni Cuquerella assumes, as of today, the role of Technical Director of HRT Formula 1 Team. Cuquerella, besides being at the head of technical development, will continue to exercise his role as the maximum figure of engineering on the track.

Since Geoff Willis left the team in September of 2011, the position of Technical Director has not been occupied. The decision was then made for the development of the F112 to take place at the team’s technical office in Munich, at the hands of Holzer Group and the Chief of Aerodynamics, Stephane Chosse, under the supervision of the, until last February, Technical Coordinator Jacky Eeckelaert.

With the F112 put on the track, it’s now time to work on its development and evolution and so, the naming of a person to lead this project is necessary. And no one better than Toni Cuquerella, with his experience in Formula 1 and his praiseworthy work at the fore of HRT, to take it on.

The appointment of the Spanish engineer at the head of the technical department is a new step in the new management’s desire to centralize and take control of all the activities related to the design and development of the car. This will optimize the coordination of the different departments, helping to meet the set targets, and also rationalize resources.

Toni Cuquerella, Technical Director: “The role of Technical Director implies a great amount of responsibility in terms of coordination and decision making. That’s why I’m very proud that the management considers me to be the most adequate person to carry it out. Until now there was a lot of dispersion from within the technical team and that had its repercussions in the concept and quality of the F112. My priority is to solve the current car’s problems to then develop it to its maximum potential, whilst also unifying and expanding the technical department, but I’m confident that we have a good work base and a clear direction to advance and have a good project for the future”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “Toni Cuquerella has been a key figure in the team since its inception and, above all, in this new stage. The transition from the previous project to this one hasn’t been easy and a lot of work has been carried out that without vital figures such as him wouldn’t have been possible. The position of Technical Director was vacant and the development of the F112 was carried out at the technical office in Munich. But now, with the car already on the track, it was important to take control and count on someone influential at the head of the technical office. And because of his experience, judgment and knowledge, Toni’s profile fitted in perfectly”.

Profile
Date of birth: 14th of April 1973
Place of birth: Gandia, Spain
Nationality: Spanish

Antonio Cuquerella was born in Gandía, Spain 38 years ago. He did a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica of Valencia.

In 1999 he had his first role as a race engineer for Campos GP at the Open Nissan. After this he worked in various national and international motorsport categories before becoming Chief Engineer of the Toledo WTCC and Leon WTCC projects at SEAT Sport.

In 2006 he arrived in Formula 1 as a race engineer for Super Aguri F1, where he spent two years before moving to BMW Sauber F1 Team, acting in the same role with driver Robert Kubica.

Towards the end of 2009 he decided to take a risk and back Adrián Campos in a project to establish a new Spanish team in Formula 1, becoming the Chief Race Engineer for Campos Meta. Since the team’s first season, Toni has been the Chief Race and Test Engineer and has been a key figure both in the early days and this new stage of HRT and now he assumes an even more important role as the Technical Director.

Sauber is not yet officially confirming its new team name for the 2011 season.

This year, despite the German carmaker pulling out of formula one before the 2010 season, the Hinwil based team was still known as ‘BMW Sauber F1 Team’.

Former owner Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) agreed to let Sauber keep the acronym in its official title in order to not jeopardise the team’s commercial income due to finishing the 2009 constructors’ championship in sixth place.

But a name change for 2011 will not jeopardise Sauber’s income, due to its fellow teams and the governing FIA agreeing in June to permit the tweak ahead of the next world championship season.

Sauber’s current press releases are issued in the name of its Swiss company Sauber Motorsport AG, but it is believed that in 2011 the official team title will be ‘Sauber F1 Team’.

A team spokesman said this week: “We will communicate the name in due time.”

The team’s managing director Monisha Kaltenborn is quoted by Basler Zeitung: “We have the (F1) Commission’s approval to delete BMW from our name after the end of the (2010) season.”

The report said the final name is not yet published because it might include a new title sponsor that has not been announced.

Robert Kubica and Montreal – that’s a Hochschaubahn: 2007 pilot of the accident, the then BMW Sauber F1 Team at the hairpin difficult, but escaped miraculously with minor injuries. A year later he led a complete surprise double victory of his team ahead of Nick Heidfeld – it was the only win for the Bavarians in the premier class. Last year there was no race in Montreal – Kubica this year but returns to the Ile de Notre Dame. “The Grand Prix of Canada is something like my destiny race,” says the poles ‘Auto Bild motorsport’.

And so he feels: This year a sensation in the air – “with little luck.” Because: “The course our car will be. It’s fast on the straights and is as wonderfully out of slow corners. It is these properties are required in Montreal.” The strength in tight corners is based on the small wheel base of the Renault R30 – no current Formula 1 racing car can compete in this discipline with Kubica’s car. It showed the team had in Monaco, where the 25-year-old is the sharpest of the superior competitor Red Bull pilot was.

And although the Renault engine has a power deficit, Kubica and Vitaly Petrov scores are in the top speed is always at the front – reason is the low air resistance of the R30. Moreover, the French have for the Grand Prix of Canada, a secret weapon in the quiver: the first time is given to an in-house interpretation of the F-shaft system, which turned out on the long straights of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a great advantage. Now the only question is whether the system works right away, or if you have it like Red Bull in Turkey to expand after the first test.

That will leave Robert Kubica after just one season, the team Renault is unlikely. After Felipe Massa contract extension with Ferrari in Maranello in 2012 the door is closed. Even if the pole for 2011 is not linked to Renault, there are few other enticing options. This Renault boss Eric Boullier had managed to retain its number-one pilots in 2011 and to his team. The Luxembourg wants to build the Renault racing team to head the Polish pilots around.

(MotorSportsTotal)

Although BMW decided to interrupt the development of its single-seater in the middle of the season, the C29 is the result of the permanent evolution of the BMW Sauber F1.09.  In its first test in Valencia in February 1^st, one could see its front aileron clearly influenced by the 2009 Brawn GP design.

The nose’s cone drops a little further down, after an update similar to the one already carried out last year.  The top part of the nose is now almost flat, from the pilot’s cockpit to the tip of the racing car.  The front aileron is carefully sculpted to improve the nose’s air flow condition.

The front suspension has been modified and has an independent steering arm to help the front aileron work more efficiently.

Also, following Brawn’s example, the sides have smaller air inlets and big pontoons, the mirrors mounted over them.  We have seen that the rear part has a more pronounced drop to provide with better air flow towards the rear aileron.  As a result, most of the rear suspension arms are open for air flow.  Once again, the racing car’s sculpture has been optimized to improve the new double diffuser.

Specifications

Chassis: Carbon-fiber monocoque.
Suspension: Upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering).
Brakes: Six-piston brake callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs (Brembo, Carbon Industries).
Transmission: Ferrari Seven-speed quick shift gearbox, carbon, longitudinally mounted, carbon-fiber clutch.
Chassis electronics: MES
Steering wheel: BMW Sauber F1 Team
Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
Tyres: OZ

Dimensions

Length: 4.940 mm
Width: 1.800 mm
Height: 1.000 mm
Track width, front: 1.495 mm
Track width, rear: 1.410 mm
Weight: 620 kg (including driver, tank empty)

Engine

Brand: Ferrari, 056 engine
Type: V8 natural aspirated engine, 90 degree cylinder angle
Cylinder block: sand cast aluminum
Valves / type: 32 / tyres
Cylinder: 2.398 cc
Diameter: 98 mm
Weight: kg> 95
Injection: electronic injection

The prestigious Swiss watch company, Certina official sponsor of BMW Sauber F1 team since 2005, has announced today through a press release that it renews its contribution to the scuderia for the 2010 season.

Sauber’s untainted single-seater (untainted because it’s still getting sponsors) will carry Certina’s logotype in the Formula One’s team single-seaters’ rear mirrors, in the helmets, gloves and overalls’ cuffs of the scuderia’s pilots, Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi.

“For many years, the Certina trademark has been closely linked to sports and, specially to the motor sport.  Just as BMW-Sauber F1 Team, Certina’s philosophy is precision, innovation and dynamism,” assured Adrian Bosshard, president of Certina.

Peter Sauber is very proud of the trust that Certina has placed in his scuderia.  “The collaboration we’ve been feeding these years has been beneficial and we’re very happy that it has extended.  Certina and BMW Sauber F1 Team share many values.  Our alliance is natural and we believe it’s a satisfactory cooperation,” declared BMW Sauber F1 principal.