Jalopnik: barcelona

First Footage of Brawn GP Car Testing in Barcelona

Peter Orosz — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Jenson Button takes to the track in BGP 001 and posts an impressive time of 01'21.140 in this first video of the Brawn GP car testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Our new favorite Formula 1 team sure has hit the ground running: after Friday’s announcement that Ross Brawn has purchased Honda’s Grand Prix team to race it as his own, we now have footage of the BGP 001 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

While it does lack sponsorship livery, the car certainly certainly exists and can travel along a racetrack at speed. Driver Jenson Button has posted the fourth fastest time of 01'21.140 at yesterday’s test on the 4.665 kilometer track.

“I can feel the car and the road a lot more with this car than with previous cars, which is great—and it's only going to get better,” Button said, who is perhaps looking for his second Grand Prix victory with the Brawn GP car after scoring his only win in 155 races at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

In additional Brawn GP news, Team Principal Ross Brawn has learned of Jalopnik Space Initiative’s satellite camera and is currently blocking our efforts to take new photographs of his giant outboard brain. Our space team is about to depart from Jalopnik Spaceport to fit a new camera on our imaging satellite which will surely beat the crafty Briton’s cloaking efforts. Please stay tuned.

Photo Credit: Brawn GP

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen's Close Scare

Mark Arnold — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:40:00 EDT

There was a scary moment at yesterday's Spanish Grand Prix that may not have been as scary as Stephane Ortelli's car flying through the air with the greatest of ease, but was scary nonetheless. The fear factor began when some part of the front left ~~tire~~ wheel on Heikki Kovalainen' McLaren Mercedes exploded, sending the car straight into a wall. Race stewards at Barcelona worked for about 10 minutes to safely free the Finnish driver from the wreckage who was taken to the track's medical center wearing a neck brace. But all signs point to a full recovery as he gave a reassuring thumbs-up sign to spectators. Mike Utley did that too, right? Kovalainen is said to be in stable condition, which is more than can be said for the shredded McLaren MP4-23. [AP, Axis of Oversteer]

Schumacher Sets Quickest Lap Just Because He Can

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST

When you're Michael Schumacher, you can pretty much do whatever you want to whatever Ferrari that crosses your path. In this case, he was lending a hand to his old teammates and testing out their revised F1 car, sans traction control. Though technically in retirement, the seven-time world champ racked up 64 laps and set the fastest pace of the day in Barcelona. Though Schumacher's purpose is to help the Ferrari team and drivers, we wonder if his secondary purpose isn't to remind everyone that he's still their superior. [ITV-F1]

Barcelona: Come For the Food, Stay for the World's Cutest Garbage Trucks

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:21:19 EST

I don't know anything about this little cutey except that it sounded diesel. I do know that the super narrow yet well kempt streets of Barcelona demand mini-garbage trucks. Which to our way of thinking, makes these the very coolest garbage trucks of all. Plus, like, somebody (no doubt an Italian) actually took the time to sculpt the fenders! Why? For flavor. And the wheels appear to be forged from scrap-iron and coated with a ceramic glaze. Anyhow, knock off the trash bin and that's one suave looking mini-van camino. Oh, and if you are in Barcelona, eat at Cal Pep — thank me later. More cute after the jump. – Jonny Lieberman