Although far from finished, the F1 racer's been fitted with newly mandated skinnier front tires and a bigger gas tank and it's just finished wind tunnel testing.

The team at Lotus got a late start on their entry and as such are working overtime to complete the car by February 2010 for early testing in March. It's been validated in the wind tunnel, but the parts actually need to be built, complete with all machining, carbon fiber work and assembly. The Lotus will be powered by a Cosworth engine and an Xtrac transmission. [Automobile]

This teaser video is a preview of a larger promotional video, soon to follow which apparently pits everybody's favorite racing movie star against the young phenom. There's also some form of contest involved where you guess the ending for fabulous prize, which are probably watch-based, in exchange for your personal information. Don't know that we need another Formula 1 Chronograph, but we'll happily watch The Duel. (Thanks for the tip Kyle) [Tag Heuer]

The McLaren F1 racing driver reportedly submitted to no fewer than 230 body measurements in order to facilitate the fancy mannequin, apparently between the times he's winning F1 Championships and driving his race car remotely. The resemblance is uncanny, but we're wondering if they plan to update his racing suit as his sponsorships evolve.

[WCF]

The short was created primarily to show off Red Bull Racing's 2009 RB5 F1 car, but it also demonstrates and compares many of the new changes imposed on the F1 series as a whole. We especially like the transformation that occurs from the 2008 car to the 2009 RB5. Thanks to Spencer for the tip!

[Top Gear via YouTube]

Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (phew!), bought the former F1 star his own piece of "The World."

Situated off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, "The World" is a grouping of man-made islands developed to look like a map of the Earth. Valued at roughly $7 million, Schumacher’s island will be located in the southern hemisphere, part of the "Antarctica" island cluster, when completed in a few years, presumably before the Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower in Abu Dhabi is completed.

We’re wondering how long it’ll take to see a track of some sort on it. We’ll be scouring Google Earth until we know. [uk.sports.yahoo.com]

It's interesting that Mosley is promoting energy-efficient programs as the future of F1 racing, and it shows quite a bit of foresight. After all, kinetic energy recovery as developed under grueling race conditions has a good chance of resulting in improved systems for road-going cars. The question is, will race fans give a damn about how one team's KERS system is giving them an extra second per lap, or would they rather hear a tiny pneumatic-valve V8 spinning at 10,000 RPM as the driver bangs through a seven-speed sequential 'box? [Autosport.com]

Yes, F1 has been degraded to a soap opera. The only drama is the interaction between the characters, and if you haven't been watching every episode for the past few seasons, you'll be lost and bored. But even your mother would have been fascinated by the Singapore GP. The local TV ratings in Singapore were higher for the race than they were for the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony. Just looking at the track, which seemed like it'd be visible from space, you could have easily believed it was the setting for some Hollywood sci-fi movie set. It wasn't just the track either; the entire city was interwoven through it and glowing proudly. As for the race itself, we won't ruin it for you if you've still yet to watch it, but full results can found here.

[via Axis Of Oversteer] [photo: Reuters via dailymail]

"The mechanic suffered an electric shock after touching the sidepod and steering wheel of the car. There was a high frequency AC voltage between these contact points, the cause of which has been traced back to the KERS control unit and a sporadic capacitive coupling from the high-voltage network to the 12-volt network. The voltage ran through the wiring of the 12-volt network to the steering wheel and through the carbon chassis back to the control unit."

See, we told you: Magic. [F1-Live]

While Team Honda is believed to be the first organization racing with an active KERS system, the fact that Toyota, acknowledged as world leaders in hybrid technology, is admitting potentially insurmountable problems may lend credibility to calls for postponing KERS implementation. The system is intended to recover energy during braking, allowing it to be stored for later use as an electrical "boost" when needed.

We think the introduction of KERS could provide a new reason to watch what's become a rather dull sport, at least for the first season, as fans tune in to see how things play out. At the same time, if the system can't be proven safe above all else — not just for the drivers and mechanics, but also safe for track workers, rescue personnel, and spectators who could be in the vicinity of an accident — then rushing KERS into the program is a recipe for disaster. And, of course, higher TV ratings.
[Autosport.com; Photo Credit: AutoCult.com.au]

About a week ago, Red Bull Racing was forced to evacuate their garage as the battery pack associated with their KERS system went wrong, threatening fire and explosion. Of course, this kind of news makes us think the next F1 season may actually be interesting to watch. Sure, the sport is great fun when guys other than Schumi are winning, but nothing draws eyeballs like fireballs. [AutoSport]

While we can't nail it down specifically, the license plate will likely be going onto a Mercedes SUV, which tops out at around $111,900 for the 2008 G55 AMG. Thus Mr. Hamilton will have hung a very expensive plate on a pauper's car. Hey, maybe it would have made more sense to buy a new Porsche Carrera GT to replace the one his dad took one off into foul territory. Ah, the rough life of an F1 superstar. [ITV.com