Toyota Says Supra Price Will Be Limited And 'Acceptable'
http://bit.ly/2QKcU8F The new Toyota Supra is coming. Boy is it coming, and Toyota is facing a double-edged sword. The hype for this long-awaited sports car is off the scale on a level we haven’t seen in a very long time, if ever. That’s good; excitement for a new model is always good, but with high expectation comes an equally high risk if the car falls short of expectations. Super Supra:In a recent interview with GoAuto.com.au, Toyota – rather candidly we might add – talks about this pressure, including the Supra’s price. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t spill the beans on specific cost. However, Toyota Supra Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada does talk about the pressure to keep pricing down. “The segment for this Supra is very competitive, there are so many other competitors as you know in this segment,” he said, according to GoAuto.com.au. “So, to compete with that, it has to be so much more fun than its competitors. So, it’s a lot of pressure, and that’s why we have to limit the price as well.” Additionally, Tada said the Supra’s price would be “acceptable for Toyota fans.” What does “acceptable” actually mean? We recently reported on leaked pricing info for the new BMW Z4, which we all know uses the same bones and driveline as the new Supra. The figures in that report push the Bimmer well into the $60,000 range, and while it’s highly unlikely Toyota will dish up a similar sticker for the Supra, even something a little less pricey could still be much higher than people expect. The Latest Teasers:Tada’s comments on competition, however, suggest the Supra could indeed be kept within reach of the masses. A new Nissan 370Z starts around $30,000, while the Ford Mustang GT – presently the best-selling sports car in the world – starts at $35,000. Higher up the scale, a new Chevrolet Corvette starts at $56,000. It would make sense for Toyota to benchmark all these cars, and while it seems quite unlikely the Supra will dip into the $30,000 range, somewhere between the Corvette and Mustang might not be out of the question. Obviously that’s all kinds of speculation on our part, and you know there will be dealer surcharges due to demand regardless of what Toyota says it should cost. The new Supra will debut in just a few weeks at the Detroit Auto Show, but official pricing is likely months away. Source:GoAuto.com.au
Motorsports & Auto News via Motor1.com December 23, 2018 at 02:28PM
Toyota Might Bring Back MR2 With Help From Subaru
http://bit.ly/2EExxvw A few months ago, there were reports of Toyota talking about partnering up with another automaker to bring one more dedicated sports car to the lineup to join the 86 andSupra. The new model names that came up in conversation were the Celica and MR2. Since Toyota already partnered with BMW and Subaru on the 86/BRZ and the upcoming Supra, Toyota have hinted at another partnership with Subaru for the third sports car to be added to the family. Most recently according to Japanese Nostalgic Car, the rumors about Toyota and Subaru are surfacing once again, this time with a mid-engined Toyota. More MR2 Rumors:Not long ago, Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada referenced the Celica, MR2, and Supra as, “The Three Brothers” from the ‘80s and ‘90s and hopes to have a similar lineup in the near future. With this recent mid-engined Subaru floating around, it just could be the missing piece to the Toyota sports car trinity. There isn’t any information on possible power plants to be used in the rumored MR (mid-engine rear-wheel drive) project, but we’re hoping for something a bit more punchier than the 86/BRZ’s 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine. The second-generation MR2 was offered with a turbocharged engine, so there’s hope history might repeat itself. Japanese Nostalgic Car also mentions that Toyota and Subaru are currently working on a new 2.4-liter engine for the next generation 86/BRZ. This new engine could also find its way behind the driver seat of the rumored MR2. It’s all speculation for now, but it’s always fun to think of what could be, especially with a beloved sports car possibly making a comeback.
Source: Japanese Nostalgic Car
Motorsports & Auto News via Motor1.com December 23, 2018 at 02:27PM
Motorcycle News - Church of MO: 2003 Ducati 999
http://bit.ly/2ELMyNa Fifteen years ago, brothers and sisters, Ducati inverted the number of the beast and loosed upon us the 999, and its latest superbike got very little love. It was a style thing, really. You either loved its Raymond Loewy-inspired design, like me and a few other highly evolved aesthetes, or hated it. And so we must ask, Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in the 999’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly that the 999 is swell AF. And the price is right, now, too. 2003 DUCATI 999
By Yossef Schvetz Oct. 16, 2002
By now you’ve read the race-track reports from the bike’s Misano press launch in the print magazines–the infamous launch to which MO was somehow not invited (and for which Ducati will pay through the nose but let’s not go into that now). Here now for your perusal, the first real road test of the new 999 (far as we know), by our own Despondent Correspondent, the one, the only, ladies and gentlemen we give you YOSSEF SCHVETZ LIVE FROM ITALY! Take it away Yossef… –JohnnyB
Yossef up and moved to Italy recently, much better testbikage there than Israel!
Exactlyone year ago, mere weeks after the unveiling at the Milan show, I was riding Ducati’s new 998 on this very road and wondering what the fuss was all about? I’d decided to take Ducati’s new baby to the famous Della Futta pass — a mental road that begins only miles from the Borgo Panigale factory gates — and after less than half an hour of up-and-down twisties my wrists were killing me, my neck was in need of TLC and the obligatory tight crouch had me cursing out loud. Never mind that later, on the superfast autostrada, the bike’s supreme high-speed manners brought to my eyes tears of joy. After four intensive days with the 998, the red devil would remain forever embedded in my mind as the most beautiful and rewarding torture rack ever devised, even for those who aren’t necessarily into S&M. Here I am again exactly one year later, passing the same spot on the 999 and not even thinking about stopping at the roadside cafe where I nursed my aching wrists last year. I feel like gassing it some more for another hour or two. This 999 intruduces a new concept into sport bikes–riding position adjustabality. After experiencing the unbelievable change in feel, comfort and handling that the new Duc allows via its adjustable saddle/fuel tank unit and footpegs–the fixed riding position imposed by all other sport mounts feels plain dumb. Period. In my book, this is a mini-revolution.
And, yes, the grass is definitely greener there.
Which leads us directly to the man who had to carry the hefty task of replacing an icon of motorcycling, Pierre Terblanche. For most people the connotation of a designer is of a guy drafting beautiful sketches across huge white boards, but a little-known fact is that designers are also the ones that have to resolve the so called MMI — man-machine-interface — and first and foremost Terblanche did just that.When you produce a motorcycle that in (heavily) modified form can lap a track less than a second off MOTO GP pace (check out SBK vs. MOTO GP times at Assen this year), then there isn’t much wrong mechanically speaking in the first place. And in various interviews Terblanche acknowledged the fact that in the remaking of Ducati’s flagship, his main target was to improve upon “rideability,” or even more precisely, that of allowing anybody between 6′ and 5’4 to find his perfect riding position. This has been achieved by leaving the trusty tubular frame–the front portion at least–alone, and redesigning the rear part. By narrowing the rear subframe mounting tubes, lowering the rear shock mounting point by 1-1/4″, and having part of the fuel tank under the seat, Terblanche transformed the early nineties arse-in-the-air ergoes of the 916 into something much more up-to-date and humane.
Getting down with your bad self is stupid easy on the new 999.
With frame tubes well out of the way, making the fuel tank and seat slide back and forth was a child’s game. Two long telescoping pins keep the front of the tank in place and all that is needed to change the seat-to-bars distance between three available positions is to take off two bolts and loosen another two. The footpegs are adjustable via numerous mounting holes drilled in brackets welded to the frame, five positions in all, just like in aftermarket kit but from the factory. What about those new curvy bits? My first impression upon seeing the 999 in early photos, like so many critics, was one of total unbalance between the huge surfaces of the front fairing and the vast emptiness under the seat. But the 999 is one of those cases where perfect side views don’t do the real thing any favors. As I pull into the Ducati factory parking lot, the red and glistening 999 awaiting me does not fail to induce compulsive smiling. First there’s the sheer compactness. Think of the narrowness of a two-stroke 250 roadracer in the critical tank/saddle junction and you’re there. The rear part of the tank, next to your crotch, can be grasped between thumb and middle finger; try that on your CBR/GSXR/what have you. More important in the face of the design masterpiece the 999 replaces, is the fact that from standing height, the whole plot starts to make sense, quite a lot of sense. The lack of side panels lets you peer deep into the most intimate parts lurking inside, and the naked rear cylinder head becomes a beautiful, mechanical focal point. The huge fairing lowers somehow become a much less imposing, while the aggressively sculpted tank and tail urge you to get physical with the thing, right here right now. Then there’s that face.
Ducati doesn’t need no stinkin’ radial brakes
There was something feline about the 916’s front end, with its narrow, horizontal lights; I guess Tamburini had a thing about cats. As I bend over the new bike, I read the 999 sticker upside down, 666, and find the inspiration for the 999’s front end. It’s positively devilish, highly distinctive–and it definitely kept growing on me. The tail unit/ integral silencer are sculpted with bold, sharp cuts and have an air of stealth bomber about them, a theme that continues in the aerodynamic foils outside the fairing’s lower edges. If there is a single item that’s a bit out of place here it’s the integrated electronic speedo/rev counter, which has a Nintendo Gameboy look about itLife stinks: I’m sitting behind a desk, so are you, and Yossef’s out galavanting around Modena on a 2003 999. Collective hatred for Yossef! Mechanically speaking a lot has also changed–or not–depending on who you ask. Underneath the new clothes there’s the Testastretta engine with new mapping for friendlier, meatier power delivery. Other changes are notable to the naked eye: New wheels with a busy five-doublespoke (sorry Mr. Orwell) pattern retain the same width dimensions, a titanium-nitride coated fork comes as standard even in the plain 999 version (previously only in the “S” and “R”), and the trademark twin underseat cans have made way for a single futuristic unit containing the inevitable emissions catalyser. The post Church of MO: 2003 Ducati 999 appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com http://bit.ly/2ComzZy December 23, 2018 at 11:33AM
MotoGP News - Jonathan Rea didn't 'set the world on fire' with 2012 MotoGP chance
http://bit.ly/2Gxz8pA Jonathan Rea didn't make the most of his chance in MotoGP when he made two starts for the factory Honda team in 2012, believes fellow four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport http://bit.ly/2uOa9Ei December 23, 2018 at 06:21AM
MotoGP News - Zarco encouraged after KTM MotoGP switch by Lorenzo's Ducati wins
http://bit.ly/2QMrwnN Johann Zarco says Jorge Lorenzo's eventual success on a Ducati gives him hope he can make a success of his KTM MotoGP move Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport http://bit.ly/2uOa9Ei December 22, 2018 at 12:18PM
Motorcycle News - MAGIC BULLET. Bandit 9’s ‘Merlin’ Royal Enfield Bobber
http://bit.ly/2A68azR Written by Andrew Jones Let’s not beat around the bush; Bandit9’s critics have been many and varied. They called out the shop by insisting that all their bikes were nothing but Photoshop renders. They questioned their creativity and even suggested they stole ideas. Such is often the fate of those who choose to rock the boat. But for shop owner Daryl Villanueva, none of this really mattered. Like anybody with an honest-to-goodness mission in life, he knew where he was going and what he was doing. And hey presto, the Petersen Automotive Museum, The Haas Moto Museum and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum have all agreed by opening their wallets. Here’s his latest piece of magic – a Royal Enfield Classic Chrome Bullet he calls ‘Merlin’. “It was an interesting year for Bandit9,” says Daryl with more than a little understatement. “We were fortunate to be part of the Custom Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum in LA. Then we got a call from Royal Enfield to work on a couple of projects with them. I really consider us quite blessed. I’ll take some time during the holidays to reflect on where we’re going. We’re tackling apparel in 2019; We still need to crack that. Maybe I won’t get a holiday after all.” The inspiration behind Merlin was a little unusual; a luxury timepiece. “We wanted to create a very complex piece hidden behind a simple, familiar and legible form. While the face of a watch is beautiful, to connoisseurs, it’s the movement inside – the way it’s made and its heritage that they appreciate. We wanted to approach Merlin in a similar fashion. We wanted to make sure it’s something you could pass on, hence its simple, timeless format.” Besides an incredibly ambitious timeframe of 3 months, Dazza says that the hardest part was the design itself. “I thought the Bullet was perfect. I love it the way it is and I told the gentlemen at Royal Enfield that I actually did not want to touch it. So I had two choices: don’t touch it at all or completely revamp the motorcycle. Thankfully, they gave us the freedom to do our thing.” With a limited timeframe, the team had to pick their battles; changing the proportions was really important to how they saw the finished product, so the frame was re-designed to a hardtail with a nice swoop at the bottom. “We just let the teardrop tank and exhaust follow the frame to keep the lines of Merlin neat. We also cleared the rear to keep the visual mass of the bike in the center between two 21 inch wheels and created fenders that really hug the tires.” “We spent the majority of our time with the small parts. The seat is from the underside of an old Vespa saddle with the springs attached to a frame. We had to resize and reshape it to complement the rest of the bike.” Like the exhibition (or glass) backs of expensive watches that expose the internal mechanism, they decided to do away with the leather cover and leave the springs exposed.
“We spent the majority of our time with the small parts. The seat is from the underside of an old Vespa saddle with the springs attached to a frame.”
“The speedometer was of obvious importance and again, we looked at some fine watches to see how we could adapt their ideas to the motorcycle world. Personally, I’m a fan of Panerai watches and I’ve always loved the radial nature of their dial. It catches light in a mesmerizing way. And we engraved Roman numerals on the dial in place of the usual Hindu-Arabic numbers.” After whetting our appetites for this wrist watch speedo, Daryl continues his glowing description of the bike’s jewel in the crown. “The case is made from steel and tapers subtly at the bottom. The bezel is made from polished bronze and should get a nice patina after time.” It pains us to say that after all that, there wasn’t a photo available at the time of publication. We’ll see if Daryl can’t help us out with a shot. Of course, this dial is Daryl’s favourite part of the bike, too. “It’s nice to spend time on a single detail. If we didn’t have time or budget constraints, I could’ve spent far more time on it. I would’ve figured out how to use sapphire crystal instead of glass. Maybe I could have given it a crystal magnifier so it could show the speed digits like a watch magnifies the date. It’s details like this that I would love to add, but the real world demands you ship your products out,” he sighs. Stupid deadlines. [ Bandit9 – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Jeremy Wong ] Motorcycles via Pipeburn.com http://bit.ly/2LvgxJz December 22, 2018 at 07:48AM 12/21/2018 2019 Kawasaki W800 Street Gets CARB Certification May Join W800 Cafe in US Market- Motorcycle News
Motorcycle News - 2019 Kawasaki W800 Street Gets CARB Certification, May Join W800 Cafe in US Market
http://bit.ly/2Bxu12T Last month, during EICMA, Kawasaki announced a pair of new retro bikes in the W800 Cafe and W800 Street. At the time, Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. announced the Cafe version would be coming to the States, leaving people to assume the Street version would not be making its way to these shores. That assumption now looks to be premature, as both the 2019 Kawasaki W800 Street and W800 Cafe have been certified by the California Air Resources Board. Approved on Nov. 19 but only published today, the CARB executive order certifies two motorcycles for the 2019 model year, bearing the model codes EJ800BK and EJ800CK. We can confirm that Kawasaki uses EJ800 as its internal model code for the W800, with B standing for the Street version and C for the Cafe model (the K at the end is the industry-standard letter representing the 2019 model year.) The CARB certification doesn’t guarantee that the W800 Street will join the Cafe model in the U.S., but it does indicate that it was being considered. Having said that, it’s highly likely that both versions will be offered in the U.S. market and it’s just a matter of time before the Street is announced. Kawasaki did something similar last year, announcing the 2018 Z900RS in December and waiting until May to announce the Z900 RS Cafe. Both versions of the W800 are powered by the same fuel-injected 773cc SOHC parallel Twin, paired with a five-speed manual transmission and twin peashooter-style exhaust. They also share the same frame, suspension and brakes. Where they differ is in the Cafe’s fairing and the riding position, plus some minor styling changes. The image overlay below illustrates the differences. The W800 Cafe uses clubman-style bars and a taller, flatter seat, for a more forward-leaning riding posture. The W800 Street requires a more upright riding position, with the grips higher and further back. The saddle on the Street has a lower profile and a ribbed surface. According to Kawasaki, the W800 Street has a 30.3-inch seat height, compared to the W800 Cafe’s height of 31.1 inches. Sans fairing, the W800 Street claims a dry weight of 485 pounds, down from the Cafe model’s claimed dry weight of 489.4 pounds. Apart from the differences in ergonomics and weight, the Cafe and Street vary slightly in styling. The Cafe model having a blacked out engine and wheels plus knee pads on the tank while the Street has silver-colored wheels and more chrome touches on the engine. The 2019 Kawasaki W800 Street is only produced in a Metallic Flat Spark Black with Metallic Matte Graphite Gray color while the 2019 W800 Cafe comes in Metalic Magnesium Gray with Galaxy Silver.
Obviously, since the W800 Street hasn’t been confirmed yet for the U.S., we don’t have any pricing information. In Canada, where both models have been confirmed, the W800 Street is priced at CA$9,999 and the W800 Cafe at $11,499. For the U.S., we expect a much smaller price difference, with the W800 Street coming in just a bit under the W800 Cafe’s US$9,799 MSRP. The post 2019 Kawasaki W800 Street Gets CARB Certification, May Join W800 Cafe in US Market appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com http://bit.ly/2ComzZy December 21, 2018 at 05:01PM
Motorcycle News - Nicky Hayden tribute: Analog’s Honda XR650L flat tracker
http://bit.ly/2EKl1M2
To commemorate the occasion, the Hall of Fame Museum commissioned two tribute bikes from Chicago’s Analog Motorcycles. American Honda donated the motorcycles, including a CBR1000RR to be wrapped in Hayden’s Repsol MotoGP livery. But the direction of the second bike was left entirely up to Analog shop boss Tony Prust (below).
“I chose to build a flat track bike,” Tony tells us, “because that’s where Nicky’s roots were. I also wanted to remember his American racing heritage, so I chose the AMA 2002 Championship RC51 livery. The rest was about making all that happen, and not looking forced.”
“The 450 would have been fun,” he says, “but I think the air-cooled XR650 fits the bill pretty well.”
“I set out to find a fiberglass tank and tail kit,” says Tony. “But because of its oil in frame backbone and frame design, this proved very challenging. So, as I continue to hone my metal shaping skills, I decided to make it all.”
Tony hand-shaped a new fuel tank to fit the Honda, basing it on the shape of the classic Harley-Davidson XR750 tank. Then he fabricated a tail section, complete with number plates and a custom seat pan, which Dane Utech upholstered.
As for the chassis, the subframe was modified to accommodate the new tail piece. Analog installed a custom-built Hyperpro shock at the back, and a KTM 690 Enduro front end, rebuilt to suit the Honda’s specs. The wheels are flat track-appropriate 19” numbers, featuring Sun rims, Buchanan’s spokes and Dunlop DT3 tires.
There’s a host of smaller upgrades in play too. The team installed Magura handlebars and master cylinders, Oury grips, a Motogadget speedo, mirrors and switches, and their own brand of mini LED turn signals.
Jason at Artistimo Customs handled the paint, successfully adapting the Kentucky Kid’s 2002 AMA Championship RC51 livery to the shape of the XR650L. Certain parts were powder coated to finish things off; some in-house, and some by J&J Powder Coating.
“The AMA, American Honda and the Hayden Family all were there to unveil the machines on stage and they were all really impressed with how they turned out. It was a highlight of our year here at Analog Motorcycles and a great way to end 2018.”
Analog Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Studio images by Daniel Peter | In-process image by Grant Schwingle
The two bikes will be raffled off to raise funds for the non-profit AMA Hall Of Fame Museum. US residents came purchase tickets here. Motorcycles via Bike EXIF http://www.bikeexif.com December 21, 2018 at 04:18PM
Motorcycle News - Craigslist Deal o the Day: Turbo Motorcycle COLLECTION!
http://bit.ly/2AcDtZG Many collectors would be happy to own just one, okay maybe two, perfect original examples from motorcycling’s short-lived but exciting turbo era. Now’s your chance to scoop up ONE OF EACH! For the cost of one supercharged Kawasaki H2 and a year’s supply of avocado toast, you get one each: 1982 Honda CX500 Turbo, 1983 CX650 Turbo, 1984 Kawasaki GPZ 750 Turbo, 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo, and one `82 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo. Five turbos! According to an article a few years ago in Motorcyclist mag by the illustrious Mitch Boehm, these were all “restored by turbo guru Greg Goss of Escondido,” and in the pics they do all look magnificently original and perfect. All the bikes, the CL ad says, are “in fantastic `show’ condition and [have been] featured in magazines and many concourse shows. All low mileage and in original condition. You won’t find better anywhere but off the production line!!!!” These are definitely rare motorcycles, but if they’re ever going to appreciate like Porsche Turbo 911s, it seems like we still have some time to wait. Unlike performance cars which people could actually afford, which went through a serious 20-year rough patch from about 1970 on, motorcycles that would blow the doors off all these turbos proliferated like rabbits directly in their wake – for less money and less complexity. The Kawasaki Ninja 900, case in point, was introduced the same year as the `84 GPZ for sale here. In the early `80s, though, these bikes got our aspiration abnormally elevated like nothing else. For some people it’s just not about the money. The owner didn’t really seem too interested in discussing his reason for putting all these on the market in one block, but he says he still has a bunch of other bikes in an eclectic collection including “all the rotaries except a Van Veen,” which have won awards at the last two Quail shows. Except the Van Veen (which I’d never heard of until now), that must include a Norton Rotary, a Suzuki RE5 – and so ends my knowledge of rotary motorcycles. For some people it’s about the hunt, and finding a good Van Veen is probably not an easy task. How much would you expect to pay for these five slices of motorcycle history? A mere $32,000. That’s only $6400 apiece. The Los Angeles Craigslist ad is here. The post Craigslist Deal o’ the Day: Turbo Motorcycle COLLECTION! appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com http://bit.ly/2ComzZy December 21, 2018 at 02:17PM
F1 News - How did you do in our F1 predictions challenge?
https://bbc.in/2CtWgRT It was a thrilling Formula 1 season with great races, controversy, crashes and superb overtakes with Lewis Hamilton showing his brilliance to win the world title for a fifth time. But how much of it had you predicted way back in March before the first race of the campaign? Before it all got under way, we asked for your predictions on the top three drivers, the best and worst teams and who would be classed as the worst driver. So how did you all do? We have crunched the numbers and these are the results... Drivers' Champion: Your predictionsWhat happened?It looked like being an epic battle between Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, with the German holding an eight-point lead after the British Grand Prix in July. But Lewis Hamilton raced away to win the title, just as 71.2% of you predicted. There were 1.4% of you who were extremely optimistic and tipping Fernando Alonso to win a world title at McLaren. In the end he came 11th with his McLaren so uncompetitive the Spaniard decided to leave Formula 1 altogether. Drivers' Championship runner-up: Your predictionsWhat happened?That's two out of two. Sebastian Vettel was backed by 39.5% of you to come second and that is exactly what he did, finishing 88 points behind Hamilton. The Ferrari man won the first two races of the season - in Australia and Bahrain - and gained further victories in Canada, at Silverstone and in Belgium, but no wins in his last eight races of the season left him well behind Mercedes' Hamilton. Drivers' Championship third place: Your predictionsWhat happened?Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen came third, finishing two points clear of Max Verstappen, who had been backed by 27% of you to take that third spot. The Finn won his first race in more than five years at the United States Grand Prix, although it came after he had already been dropped by Ferrari for next season, with him swapping seats with Sauber's Charles Leclerc in 2019. Constructors' Champions: Your predictionsWhat happened?This was never going to be in doubt. Mercedes, for the fifth successive year, became Constructors' Champions - just as a whopping 76.5% of you said they would. They picked up 655 points throughout the season - 408 from Hamilton and 247 from his team-mate (and "wingman", as team boss Toto Wolff called him) Valtteri Bottas. Constructors' Championship runners-up: Your predictionsWhat happened?With so many of you opting for Mercedes to be champions, it was only natural that Ferrari were tipped to come second. That is what 52.3% of you said would happen - and it did. They ended on 571 points - 84 less than Mercedes - with Vettel picking up 320 points and Raikkonen 251. Constructors' Championship third place: Your predictionsWhat happened?The Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo both won two races in 2018, but a number of race retirements, including eight for the Australian, left the team floundering in third, just as 58.1% of predicted at the start of the season. Drivers' Championship last place: Your predictionsWhat happened?This is where the crystal ball got a bit blurry. Sauber had been absolutely rubbish in 2017 and a lot of you expected them to be clogging up the back of the grid every race again. Charles Leclerc, in his debut Formula 1 season, was tipped by 30.8% to be the worst driver (including by me), with team-mate Marcus Ericsson the second-most popular option. Instead, Leclerc surprised everyone and ended 13th - a performance that has led to him racing for Ferrari in 2019. But it was another debutant, Sergey Sirotkin at Williams, who took the dubious honour of finishing bottom of the pile. He picked up just a solitary point, in Italy, and even that came when he finished outside the top 10 but benefitted from Romain Grosjean's disqualification to ensure all 20 drivers got at least one point. Team Championship last place: Your predictionsWhat happened?Sauber, backed by 60.7% of you to come last, proved the critics wrong by finishing eighth. Only 4% of you could have guessed that it would be a nightmare season for Williams as they came last with only seven points in 21 races, with Lance Stroll picking up four of them in one go by coming eighth in Azerbaijan, one of only three top-10 finishes for Williams in 2018. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://bbc.in/OHg7x6 December 21, 2018 at 12:27PM |
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