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06 April 2003: Yes, there is a Ferrari on pole position for today's Brazilian GP. However, it is not Michael Schumacher (he is back in 7th). Rubens Barrichello is the man of the moment, and at his home GP too. The chanting from the fans was deafening after Barrichello snatched pole from the McLarens. However, Mark Webber, driving the vastly improved Jaguar, nearly pipped the Ferrari with a stunning lap. He made a small mistake in the last sector which put him 3rd on the grid behind David Coulthard. Webber may be running a little lighter than the contenders around him, but this is still a very good performance - especially when you take into consideration his fastest time on Friday (see below). Click here for post-qualifying notes and quotes from the drivers. The full grid line-up etc. is accessed from the main Motor Racing page.
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05 April 2003: This week, www.italiaspeed.com, our Italian correspondents, revealed an artist's impression of the styling for the Alfa Romeo 156 replacement. As you can see, the superb detailing at the front is strongly influenced by the Alfa Romeo Brera concept car by Italdesign. This could be a life-saving car for the Fiat Auto Group. The 156 is a very good car dynamically, but the 157 could well be the car that moves Alfa Romeo onto BMW buyer's shortlists. The car shown here manages to be beautiful as well as muscular, and is certainly more distinctive than the current BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class. The only fly in Alfa's ointment could be the next generation 3-series which should follow on from the new-look 5-series shown below. Read our road test of the superb Alfa Romeo 156 GTA here.
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05 April 2003: Continuing the completely unpredictable nature the 2003 Formula One World Championship seems to have taken on, Jaguar have managed to top the times in first qualifying for the Brazilian GP. Mark Webber finished the wet session 0.138 seconds ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Though final qualifying today will decide the final grid line-up for the race tomorrow, first qualifying is usually a good measure of raw speed as the cars run with low fuel for one hot lap. Admittedly the changeable weather conditions in Brazil aided Webber, but it is still noteworthy. Click here for the first qualifying grid line-up - the drivers will qualify for the race in reverse order of this grid. A detailed circuit map can be accessed from the main Motor Racing page.
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05 April 2003: Official pictures of the all-new BMW 5-series were released this week for the first time. It follows BMW's new daring design direction, which encompasses sharp lines, a bullish nose and a distinct sportiness. I don't think the new shape will appeal to everyone, but in my opinion it is at least attractive to the eye, unlike the 7-series. The new-look saloons go on sale in mainland Europe in July 2003, with first deliveries to the UK scheduled for September. Just three models will be available at launch; 520i (170bhp, 210Nm of torque, 143mph, 0-62 in 9.0 seconds), 530i (231bhp, 300Nm of torque, 155mph, 0-62 in 6.9 seconds) and the 530d (218bhp, 500Nm of torque, 152mph, 0-62 in 7.1 seconds). Of that lot, the most exciting prospect has to be the diesel - 500Nm of torque should make it much quicker in real-world driving than the 530i. 2.5-litre and 4.4-litre petrol versions will follow shortly after the launch. BMW have concentrated on cutting weight out of the 5-series to help improve performance and economy. The suspension is all-aluminium for a start, as are parts of the body. Amongst the new car's features are Active Steering, Dynamic Drive (active anti-roll bars), Adaptive Headlights which swivel according to steering angle (yes, I know that Citroen did this in the '50s - the BMW system is a little more sophisticated). New technology also promised for the 5-series is Active Cruise Control and Brake Force Display which enlarges the brake light area when the driver brakes sharply, giving the drivers behind valuable extra time to react. Thankfully the over-complicated iDrive system from the 7-series has been updated to be more user friendly. We will let you know just how friendly when we drive the 5-series for ourselves. |
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