The region of Quebec in which Montreal sits is experiencing its worse fire season on record, with more than 150 blazes having been reported. Smoke from the fires has been drifting south across Canada and into the United States, with New York in particular being engulfed amid growing health concerns over the toxic air. Tens of millions of people in the US are currently under air quality alerts, with many cities covered by a murky brown haze. Citizens have been advised to restrict outdoor activities, and anti-pollution masks are being distributed in some areas. The situation has prompted worries that a change of wind direction could impact Montreal, which is due to hold the Canadian GP next weekend. However, following discussions between race organisers, local government officials and the F1 Incident Management Group this week, no concerns have emerged about the event being impacted. An F1 spokesman said on Thursday: "The event is not at risk, and we have been assured by … [Read more...] about Canadian GP at “no risk” from Quebec wildfires, says F1
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F1 issues update on Canadian Grand Prix as wildfires rage across Quebec
Formula 1 has stated that the Canadian Grand Prix is “not at risk” of being cancelled, with around 150 wildfires currently burning across Quebec. The smoke across the region spread as far as New York City on Thursday morning, with residents there told to wear masks because of the poor air quality and visibility believed to not even stretch across the Hudson River, which separates two sides of the city. Conditions remain dangerous across multiple areas on the East Coast in North America, but Montreal is not believed to be one of them at this time, though a change of wind direction could still affect Montreal at a later date. Following talks with F1’s Incident Management Group, Canadian Grand Prix organisers and local government officials assured Formula 1 that air quality in the area is good and the race can currently go ahead as planned. A spokesperson from Formula 1 said of the current state of the Canadian Grand Prix: “The event is not at risk, and we have been assured by … [Read more...] about F1 issues update on Canadian Grand Prix as wildfires rage across Quebec
Pirelli confirm Montreal, Austria and ‘new-spec’ Silverstone tyre choices
Pirelli have confirmed their tyre compounds for the Canadian, Austrian and British Grands Prix – with a new specification of tyre set to debut at Silverstone in July. As per previous seasons, Pirelli confirmed that the softest C3, C4 and C5 tyres will be the hard, medium and soft compounds in Canada and Austria respectively, with tyre wear not an enormous issue around Montreal and Spielberg. But at Silverstone, the new C1 compound as debuted in Barcelona will also be used as the hard tyre in Britain, along with the C2 and C3 compounds as the medium and softs respectively. The British Grand Prix will also see Pirelli debut a new specification of tyre which the manufacturers say is “more resistant to fatigue”, bringing forward a planned material change for 2024 with the speed of the cars having increased at a faster rate than anticipated. This pace improvement from the cars compared to last year, by more than a second per lap at several circuits so far this season, has put more … [Read more...] about Pirelli confirm Montreal, Austria and ‘new-spec’ Silverstone tyre choices
New ‘double concern’ identified for Ferrari amidst SF-23 struggles
With Charles Leclerc baffled by the inconsistent Ferrari SF-23, ex-Red Bull driver Mark Webber foresees trouble for the team in the present time and beyond as they work on future developments. Ferrari introduced their new-look SF-23 challenger for the Spanish Grand Prix, which most notably featured reworked sidepods to follow a concept more in-line with that of the dominant Red Bull team. But, while rivals Mercedes seemingly took a clear step forward with their alterations, the same was not true for Ferrari, Carlos Sainz finishing P5 while Leclerc managed only P11 after starting from the pit lane, following a shock Q1 exit in qualifying. Speaking after the race, Leclerc, wide-eyed in confusion, admitted he does not understand what is going wrong with the SF-23, a car that has already been described as peaky, which is therefore not giving the drivers confidence to push at the limit. Leclerc though said the inconsistency has spread to a point where comparing his first and last … [Read more...] about New ‘double concern’ identified for Ferrari amidst SF-23 struggles
‘Toto Wolff still not convinced the new Mercedes sidepod concept is the better one’
Toto Wolff is reportedly “not convinced” Mercedes’ new sidepod concept is better than the zero-pod design but the team changed it anyway, says F1 journalist Christian Menath. Having run a zero-pod design, dubbed that because of the lack of bulk to the sidepods, Mercedes won just one race in 28 in F1’s new ground effect aerodynamic era. But while the team stayed true to their philosophy even after last season’s disappointment, team boss Wolff conceded at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix that the team would probably not win a race without radical changes. Those changes included axing the zero-pods, although that wasn’t the only new part on the W14 at the Monaco Grand Prix with the team also introducing a new front suspension and floor. It’s the latter that from Motorsport-Magazin’s Menath believes it the key to Mercedes’ upturn in form. “What is a concept? You’ve heard that question from the Mercedes engineers quite a lot,” he said on the F1 Nation podcast. “They now have … [Read more...] about ‘Toto Wolff still not convinced the new Mercedes sidepod concept is the better one’
Porsche Wants To Own The ‘Ring With Its New EV Hypercar Concept
When most people turn 75, simply being alive and well is enough of a gift. For Porsche's 75th birthday, however, the iconic sports car company has given itself one hell of a birthday present, a hypercar that the brand says will be the fastest production car ever around the Nurburgring. And yes, it'll be an EV. The Mission X Or it will be, at least, if Porsche decides to build it. This is the Mission X, just a concept for now, but a strong indicator of what Porsche's next moon-shot could look like. Gallery: Porsche Mission X Concept 7 Photos How big of a shot? Porsche says this thing will offer a remarkable power-to-weight ratio of at least one horsepower per 2.2 pounds of weight from a new, all-electric, 900-volt architecture. If we use Porsche's last hypercar as a benchmark, 2015's 918 Spyder and its 3,700-pound curb weight, that would mean somewhere … [Read more...] about Porsche Wants To Own The ‘Ring With Its New EV Hypercar Concept
2024 Ford Explorer Refresh Drops Heavy Camo In New Spy Photos
The last time we saw a Ford Explorer test vehicle, it was draped with heavy covers on the front and rear. Those are now gone, giving us a clear look at changes coming to the stalwart SUV. Per current trends, there's a bigger grille with smaller lights, and the interior could see some changes as well. Let's start with the Explorer's updated face, as that's where most of the changes are happening. There's no mistaking the revised grille that ditches the irregular hexagon shape for a larger rectangular design. Headlights remain fixed at the top, but they are ever-so-slightly slimmer versus the current SUV. The changes also mean a revised front fascia, and the overall effect is quite similar to the Ford Explorer sold in the Chinese market . Gallery: 2024 Ford Explorer Spy Photos 12 Photos There are a few things happening at the rear as well, though changes are far … [Read more...] about 2024 Ford Explorer Refresh Drops Heavy Camo In New Spy Photos
2024 Lexus GX Debuts With 389-HP V6, New Overtrail Off-Road-Focused Trim
The 2024 Lexus GX brings the SUV into its third generation to replace the current iteration that dates all the way back to a debut for the 2010 model year. The new model has a much more chiseled, rugged-looking appearance than the outgoing one. There's more modern tech, too. The new SUV goes on sale in early 2024, and no pricing is available at this time. The Oily Bits The 2024 GX rides on the body-on-frame GA-F platform that's also underneath the LX 600 . It features a double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link setup at the rear. The new model adopts electronic power steering, which Lexus claims offers increased steering feel on- and off-road. An Adaptive Variable Suspension with active dampers is an option. Gallery: 2024 Lexus GX 44 Photos At launch, the only powertrain available is the GX 550 that comes with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 making 349 … [Read more...] about 2024 Lexus GX Debuts With 389-HP V6, New Overtrail Off-Road-Focused Trim
The Lexus GX’s New Overtrail Trim May Come To Other Models
The 2024 Lexus GX is notable for a few big reasons. Yes, it’s a redesign of a 14-year-old product, and yeah, it looks pretty damn cool. If you asked ChatGPT to render a 70-Series Toyota Land Cruiser with a modern Lexus face, the 2024 GX would probably be the result. But beyond looking cool and reviving a nearly dormant model line, the new GX comes not with an F-Sport badge, but repping the new Overtrail trim. To put it simply, Overtrail is to Lexus as Trailsport is to Honda or, for that matter, what F-Sport is to road-focused Lexus products. It’s a light collection of mechanical upgrades that includes some aesthetic touches – the result is improved performance with little to no sacrifice to everyday civility. And if the Trailsports and Rock Creeks and Trailhawks of the world are any indication, the consumers should love it. So that leads to the obvious question: when will we see another Lexus Overtrail, and will it come to the brawny LX ? Gallery: 2024 Lexus GX … [Read more...] about The Lexus GX’s New Overtrail Trim May Come To Other Models