McLaren F1 car to go around Bathurst

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Barra333

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Found this in the newspaper on the weekend. Would be awesome if they pull it off.
CRAIG Lowndes will have a chance to smash his own Bathurst lap record when Jenson Button hands over his Formula One car to the Team Vodafone star for a blast around Mount Panorama. The Daily Telegraph can reveal that moves are under way for V8 Supercars star Lowndes and former Formula One champion Button to swap cars and race around the famous Bathurst street circuit in the lead-up to the Melbourne Grand Prix.
Vodafone, which sponsors both Lowndes' Triple Eight Racing and Button's McLaren F1 team, has lodged an application with Bathurst council seeking permission for the one-off event.
"It would be incredible if it all comes off," Lowndes said.
"It would be a dream to drive a Formula One car anywhere, let alone Bathurst. It would just be awesome, and fingers crossed we can do it."
Lowndes, who has never driven a Formula One car (which boast a top speed of 350kph), said he could break his own record of 2min 06.80sec in Button's car. Lowndes broke Greg Murphy's long-standing record last year but is tipping it will again come under threat with a car that is almost 800kg lighter than a V8 Supercar and more powerful.
Start of sidebar.

"You would be very disappointed if you couldn't go sub-2:06 in a car like that," Lowndes said. "I just have to try and get my head around what it is going to feel like because I have no idea."
One of the most experienced drivers in the country, and the undisputed king of the mountain, Lowndes admitted the prospect of driving an F1 car around Mount Panorama was "nerve racking".
"I have already told the boys that if Jenson can get the thing around in one piece, then I will have a crack," Lowndes said.
"It's going to be quite interesting going through the Dipper in one of those cars. I've driven a Formula 3000 before but nothing like this. It'd be a huge opportunity and a thrill to drive it around the mountain. The thing will absolutely launch coming down the back of the mountain and I don't know I will have it flat coming through the chase like I do in my car. It'll be one hell of a ride."
Button was thrilled by his drive in a V8 Supercar last year and is looking forward to taking on the famous mountain.
"That was great!" said Button after driving the Supercar. "It was difficult to get used to. I was surprised by how much grip it had. I was carrying a lot of speed but turned into a right-hander, got a lot of understeer and ran off."
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Source


UPDATE: It is going to happen on the 22nd March

A modern Formula One car will race around Australia’s fabled undulating circuit for the first time next week as part of the build-up to the Melbourne Grand Prix.

V8 Supercars driver Craig Lowndes and 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button will both pilot a McLaren MP4-23 F1 racer at Bathurst on Tuesday 22nd March, covering several laps before switching to a Commodore touring car.

The MP4-23, McLaren’s 2008 championship-winning contender, is powered by a V8 engine that can rev up to 19,000rpm – more than three times higher than the average car – and propel the F1 car up to speeds in excess of 350km/h.

Event organisers say the F1 car’s lap times will not be recorded for safety reasons.

The McLaren is only likely to run at up to 90 per cent of its maximum performance owing to the unique challenges of the Bathurst track, though it should still be considerably quicker than the fastest time achieved by a V8 Supercar – 2min 6sec by Lowndes last year.

V8 Supercars are more than 30 seconds slower than F1 cars around Melbourne’s Albert Park grand prix track.

Button says driving at ‘The Mountain’ has been one of his dreams since childhood.

“When I was a youngster, the BBC would always broadcast the Bathurst race, and it was one of those things you’d just switch over and catch, and just be so hooked, because the circuit just looked so intense,” says Button.
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The MP4-25 I hope.

Either way, I think this will go horribly wrong if he drives it at proper F1 speeds.
 
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Whincup was around Albert Park. Lowndes will be running around Bathurst. Do hope it gets approved with Bathurst council. Though the dipper I think would be the biggest problem with an F1 car.
 
This tops the limits of insanity :D I hope this goes well, interesting to watch, nerve racking for Craig, very scary too
 
It won't be done at speed. It'll be like Heidfeld doing a lap of the Nurburgring a few years ago - a case of if you break it, you buy it. Lowndes will probably only be running at about 60% of the car's potential.
 
good point, you'd have to be insane beyond solitary confinement or whatever to go 100% at Bathurst.
 
The dipper was scary enough for me in a road car at the speed limit, I couldn't imagine it in an F1 car. :crazy:
 
That sounds very scary. As I said to an Aussie friend of mine, I would gladly jump in an f1 car and take it for a spin around any f1 circuit. It's something I have dreamed about my entire life.

However, Bathurst scares the **** out of me. Great track, but ******* scary. :sly:
 
interludes
It won't be done at speed. It'll be like Heidfeld doing a lap of the Nurburgring a few years ago - a case of if you break it, you buy it. Lowndes will probably only be running at about 60% of the car's potential.
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I doubt anyone has what it takes to run there fast since no F1 drivers race there. I remember it was my fav track from the TOCA series.
 
maSonn09
I always thought Australians were a bit... Different.
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What, exactly do you mean by that?

I/We am/are merely happy at the prospect of seeing a formula one car drive around what is widely regarded as one of the best race tracks in the country. What in that makes Australians... different? You would be happy to see an F1 do a few laps of Knockhill*, yes?

*I am not trying to compare Knockhill with Bathurst, I just know it is the main racetrack in Scotland
 
Barra333
What, exactly do you mean by that?

I/We am/are merely happy at the prospect of seeing a formula one car drive around what is widely regarded as one of the best race tracks in the country. What in that makes Australians... different? You would be happy to see an F1 do a few laps of Knockhill*, yes?

*I am not trying to compare Knockhill with Bathurst, I just know it is the main racetrack in Scotland
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Pretty sure he was joking. Why does it always seem Australians get a little uppy when someone jokes about us on this forum? :rolleyes:
 
Australia does not get noticed much on the world scene, so when it does get noticed it's a bit 'omg, what did I do right?'
Sad example is that they are going to great lengths to find out the total impact the Oprah visit/tv special had on America, flight/travel package bookings statistics have been obtained and flaunted in the papers, etc, they get all excited.

The media is always looking to see if any stories about something in Australia made it into overseas newspapers.
 
interludes
It won't be done at speed. It'll be like Heidfeld doing a lap of the Nurburgring a few years ago - a case of if you break it, you buy it. Lowndes will probably only be running at about 60% of the car's potential.
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Button will be driving the F1 too, so Lowndes won't even get the best time.

It'll be interesting to see what times Jenson can do in a V8, as I assume he'll be driving it in some kind of swap agreement, alhtough I'm sure he won't get near the 2'06.
 
Barra333
What, exactly do you mean by that?

I/We am/are merely happy at the prospect of seeing a formula one car drive around what is widely regarded as one of the best race tracks in the country. What in that makes Australians... different? You would be happy to see an F1 do a few laps of Knockhill*, yes?

*I am not trying to compare Knockhill with Bathurst, I just know it is the main racetrack in Scotland
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Was a joke mate. You lot are different. No one else has the balls to take a F1 car around Bathurst except for an Australian.

And knockhill was primarily built for bike racing and any close car racing is really dangerous. One reason that only the BTCC race there and some club sport level racing.
 
maSonn09
Was a joke mate. You lot are different. No one else has the balls to take a F1 car around Bathurst except for an Australian.
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OK. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Once again, a joke/sarcasm has been lost through the medium of text.
But at the same time, Im sure there are plenty of non-Australians who would give anything to do a flying lap of that place.
 
Just found an update to this, it is happening tomorrow (22nd March) and the car is going to be the MP4-23. Lap times aren't going to be officially recorded. Text and link in the first post.
 
So this little media stunt went ahead today. Button recorded a (unofficial) 1:48 around the Bathurst today. Lowndes was only a second off the pace at 1:49.

Fox Sports article & video link


daan
Button will be driving the F1 too, so Lowndes won't even get the best time.

It'll be interesting to see what times Jenson can do in a V8, as I assume he'll be driving it in some kind of swap agreement, alhtough I'm sure he won't get near the 2'06.
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Funny I haven't found any mention of Button's times in the V8, although I might just not be looking hard enough.
 
Another awesome vid

Reported laptimes of 1'48.5?

Edit.. Tree'd on the laptimes.
 
I've watched alot of footage of this now and this is very kewl. Although a race could never happen I imagine it would be quite a good F1 track apart from Cutting to Forest Elbow where there would be minimal overtaking opportunities...

Alot of comments I've seen or heard is that it was 'only' 18 secs faster than the V8's, although no-one mentions it was the first time here in F1, so car was reasonably 'stock'. So with more testing for optimum gearing/settings this would drop further, plus Jenson said himself normally with tracks within a few laps you are 'orientated' but believes it would take at least half a day here... so I would forsee low 1 min 4x secs... eventually, personally wouldn't be surprised if high 1:39.xxx was achieved.

As for Craig being roughly within a second of Jenson, for this track I believe by far, track familiarity trumps car familiarity, love to see some detailed splits here... more so than just the standard two normally used, I guess Craig was quicker 'over the top' of the mountain.

Those sounds at Bathurst... wow, Australasian wet dream. As a consolation? Bring some important LMP or GT1/GT3 race here...
 
I would love to see the Bathurst 24hr brought back possibly with prototypes as well as GTs possibly as a part of the ILMC in the future would be great although a long way off reality at this stage.
 
Well since Mt. Panorama (Bathurst) isn't in GT5 and the fact that McLaren just did an exhibition run at Bathurst with Jenson Button in their MP4/23, I would say that it is real life footage.

Here are some photos from the session.
 

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