***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 35 *****
As the title suggests, this thread is for all things Formula One and other general motorsport related stuff.
This is Volume 34.
Usual rules apply. When we get to around 100 posts, the thread will be locked and the next volume will start.
PLEASE NOTE
As with the IHAQ & the Computer threads, When posting a NEW topic, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each topic in it's own separate segment and stops each new topic from getting mixed up in amongst existing topics. Also please remember to change the subject header.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 16/09/2009 at 15:42
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While I think that the racing is getting better year on year, with the cars and drivers being reasonably level the impact of pit stop strategy is now critical
Must be watching something different to you then, Smokie, so far this season its been dominated by one team with another just starting to come good (as compared with two, possibly three teams last season) and pit strategy has always been the key ever since they allowed refuelling, many years ago...
F1?... yawn....
header changed - as per the ignored "Please Note" request!
Edited by Webmaster on 13/07/2009 at 11:02
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Whether Rubens Barrichello was right or wrong about what he said about the Brawn team after yesterday's race I'm surprised that, as an F1 driver, he wasn't able to control his emotions in public better than he did do.
Edited by Webmaster on 13/07/2009 at 11:02
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after yesterday's race I'm surprised that as an F1 driver he wasn't able to control his emotions in public better than he did do.
what...like some other sportsmen....like, say football
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I always thought that F1 drivers had a bit more grey matter between their ears than footballers, WP...
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I think that was Westpig's point, b308.
Rubens has always been an emotional sort though, but never (IMO) "out of context". He is probably the driver I admire the most, always having to play second fiddle.
Wikipedia says of him "As of the 2009 Formula One season Barrichello is the only driver left competing in Formula One to have raced against the likes of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, making Barrichello the last still-competing driver linked to that era of Formula One."
Wikipedia also says "Barrichello is known amongst Brazilians as Rubens Pé-de-chinelo (Rubens flip-flop foot) due to his lack of good results...". Them Brazilians sure know a thing or two about how to insult people... :-)
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Oops, yes i see your point!
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what...like some other sportsmen....like say football
Driving an F1 car requires a much greater cool, calm, calculated, mental ability than playing football.
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You could easily upset people with comments like that, though probably not here. ;>)
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news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8158445.stm
thank goodness these things are rare these days, what a tragic waste of a young life
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 20/07/2009 at 01:32
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Yes, that was a nasty one, wasn't it?
I think it's quite ironic that his dad survived a long career on both two and four wheels at a time when fatalities were just accepted as part of the game, but his son should lose his life in an age when safety couldn't be taken more seriously. Thankfully these things are rare nowadays but freak accidents do occur and can take away life just as surely as in the bad old days.
It's been a while since I've heard of a fatality in British motorsport, they seem more common in the states with their speedways and concrete walls etc. Such a shame, he could have made it to F1 one day.
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Fatalities and serious injuries are much rarer in motor sport than they used to be, thanks to far better and more expensive safety arrangements both in the cars and in the circuits with armco, run-off areas and so on. Among the most effective campaigners for safety over many years are Sir Jackie Stewart and Max Mosley (both much maligned however, and notably by each other). Of course they haven't been alone.
The strong netting over the driver's window of nascar racers is meant to protect drivers against the ingress of debris including wheels. In F1, the wheel and suspension unit, which tends to break off in one piece, is tethered to the car's main structure by a safety cable to stop the wheels from flying about and doing things like this. Even so the poor young man was very unlucky, just a few inches in it usually with that sort of thing.
Despite improvements, motor racing is dangerous. How could it not be?
A tragedy for the Surtees family.
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it seems a bit odd that they can produce a wheel tether bolt strong enough to " hold" a loose wheel , but they cant produce a strong enough hub nut to hold the wheel on to its original place?
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it seems a bit odd that they can produce a wheel tether bolt strong enough to " hold" a loose wheel but they cant produce a strong enough hub nut to hold the wheel on to its original place?
usually because in a crash, the wheel takes the hub with it. The weak part is in the stub axle or whatever the hub is fixed to, so it normaly takes a bit of driveshaft, stub axle or sometimes complete suspension with it - which in turn can sever the tethering cable.
Edited by Altea Ego on 21/07/2009 at 19:58
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www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jul/25/felipe-massa-...n
Let us hope he recovers quickly.
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fingers crossed for the guy
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There have been two very serious accidents in high-powered single-seater racing in the last few days - one fatal, which were caused by bits flying off other cars. How many other such incidents have there been recently, with less serious consequences? Is there a pattern and what lessons should be learned?
OK, motor racing is dangerous, we know that, but that doesn't mean that the powers that be shouldn't be doing all they can to further minimise the risks, while still providing an exciting and skill-testing sport.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 25/07/2009 at 22:34
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How many other such incidents have there been recently, .. >>
Don't know, but in both cases a split second earlier or later would have meant that the driver in the car behind would have missed the missile completely.
A set of 10 photos of the Massa incident, including a couple showing the injury to Massa's eye/head is on the Telegraph at
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/picturegalleries/5907034...l
Conjecture is that Massa lost conciousness when the spring hit him, which is why he had his feet pressed both on the accelerator and the brakes, all the while holding the steering straight.
I hope Massa recovers fully quickly and can resume racing within a few weeks.
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Is it not ironic that Massa has a serious injury caused by a part of Barrichello's car.... both Brazilian. Senna was Brazilian.
Here's wishing him a speedy recovery.
If Rubens Barrichello was 5% unsure of his desire to continue in F1... maybe time to spend time with those two young sons.
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Too late to edit the above post. The link below is to BBC page of Massa's in-car film of the missile striking him.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/81...m
caused by a part of Barrichello's car >>
which is why Barrichello is particularly badly upset by the incident.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/81...m
Edited by jbif on 25/07/2009 at 23:27
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Both Massa and Surtees were hit on the head by flying debris.
Perhaps it's time to look at open cockpits.
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what does it say on every gate entry to every racing track? what does it say in bold letters on every ticket for entry to any racetrack?
MOTOR RACING IS DANGEROUS.
and trully - it is. You can do (and they have done) loads of things to make it safer, to reduce he effects if things do go wrong. And for a while it will appear safer again.
But its not, it will never be. If you ban open cockpits, you kill F1.
The only true way to make motor sport safe is to ban it.
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Yes, I agree, AE, its a fine line!
If you want to eliminate all risk then you may as well just hire a computer game.
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....If you ban open cockpits, you kill F1....
The days when you could see the craggy features of Jim Clark as he shot past in his open-face helmet are long gone.
I'm not sure what difference a closed cockpit, or maybe a windscreen, would make to the spectacle.
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It would be pointless without risk. We can all be brave at Scalextric.
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The latest news seems to be that he is stable and will recover. There are however indications his eye may be damaged, and that my well signal the end of his F1 career.
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I do hope he can recover and get back to racing next year, he would be a real loss, unlike many others who may never have 'it'.
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www.felipemassa.com/
Re his eye, the news page says "close evaluation has to be done over the next few days"
He is sleeping without sedatives and off the ventilator.
Lets hope the good news continues.
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He certainly seems on good form again.
His video interview is on
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/81...m
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I found it wrong that he was meant to appear on Tv in the usual racing suit and baseball cap covered in advertising at this time of recovery though. He should have been allowed to wear something else.
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The Hungarian GP is nearly over and I am musing on the difference between the two main race commentators.
Brundle, is clear, concise, articulate and so easy to listen to. The other guy (I don't even know his name) is none of those things.
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I must admit, suprised that Hamilton won, but he clearly appreciated what the team had done to drag him from the back of the grid. It just adds another player at the front, so good for the sport.
Bad luck to Alonso and Vettel, not their fault in either case, hope Kimi gets a penalty, its not dodgems.
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Good article in the sunday times, that gives an insight into where McClaren went wrong.
They use uber sophisticated statistical modeling linked to sophisticated airflow analsys and cad/cam. In the past the modeling has told them what kind of % performance gain they should look for, and all the systems have been used to gain that advantage.
Problem tho is the aero rule book for F1 was radically altered.
All the other teams didnt look for a % gain, they looked for maxium performance under the new rules so the old rules didnt feature in their calculations. This meant that the gain they got was outside the paramters the McClaren system thought was feasible. Hence the huge gap, and the sudden shock at Woking during first testing at barcelona against all the other teams, that they had simply not placed the targets high enough.
So Mcclaren were brickwalled by the systems they used, being unable to look outside the box and using evolution, rather than revolution. Computers are not good at revolution.
Funnily Ferrari have also started to improve radicaly at the same time, drawing the conclusion they suffered exactly the same way
Edited by Altea Ego on 26/07/2009 at 16:28
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Hamilton drove an impeccable race. He uses KERS more effectively than anyone else. Raikkonen is next best at using it. I was happy to see Webber keeping up his momentum too. Barichello out of luck although struggling manfully for a point.
Did anyone else hear Bernie Ecclestone claiming he couldn't write?
I wish Lewis Hamilton's lady friend wouldn't jump up and down like that. It makes me feel tired.
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>I wish Lewis Hamilton's lady friend wouldn't jump up and down like that. It makes me feel tired.
And Emotional
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Looks like Raikonnen and Webber escaped punishment for the incidents in the race. Rightly so IMHO. Raikonnen appeared to himself be pushed into Vettel.
Webber didnt actually make contact with Raikonnen on his pit exit.
Surprisingly Renault have been suspended for the next Grand Prix in Valencia for the Alonso incident. Its Fernandos home race aswell so watch this space re the appeal!
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Seems a bit unfair on Alonso, it wasnt his fault really - maybe they should have deducted constructors points to punish the team or have a fine, but nobody was hurt, not even safety car required. I cant stand the silly little man, but id still like to see an even hand by stewards.
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It is harsh however the FIA take a dim view of wheels coming off after botched pit stops and have several rules to stop it happening.
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wheels traveling at 160mph have a habit of climbing fences and hitting spectators if they break free., I can see why the FIA get a bit twitchy about it.
Rules howerer are just words and cant actually stop it happening. Banning pit stops would
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yeah thats ok then but why do they still get away with painting white lines on race tracks that once wet with rain might as well be drenched with spilt diesel ?
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Eh?
I can understand that white lines could be dangerous in the wet, but where the heck does spilt diesel come into it??!
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Seems a bit unfair on Alonso
I thought Renault were being punished? Alonso happens to drive for them and gets paid £15m per year plus sponsorship. And last year Renault paid out £150+ million on F1 plus engines for the team.
He's is not being punished. The team is. And he'll still be paid. Obviously you get more per week cleaning cars than Alonso does :-)
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Alonso said he could see the wheel was loose. He should either have slowed down to a "crawling" pace [by F1 standards], or parked the car off the track in a safe place.
Obviously you get more per week cleaning cars than Alonso does :-) >>
Even with a smiley, that seems uncalled for. ;-)
Edited by jbif on 27/07/2009 at 10:36
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First off I thought Alonso's penalty was a bit harsh....but I understand the penalty was directed at the team for failing to rectify the problem early i.e. get him stopped further up the pit lane...rather than causing the problem in the first place
so I've mellowed a bit.
If the team knew the wheel wasn't on and could have stopped him sooner rather than later, then it was dangerous to let him carry on
Wonder if Renault's appeal will work?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/07/2009 at 19:55
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First off I thought Alonso's penalty was a bit harsh....but I understand the penalty was directed at the team for failing to rectify the problem early
Sorry to disagree but I think the stewards should be penalised for not rectifying the problem early!
This wasn't a racing incident which can't be predicted and happens too quickly to get noticed, it was an obvious vehicular defect which the race stewards and marshalls did absolutely nothing to prevent. Their meant to be the police in this situation (hence they have fancy team e-mail systems and black waving flags), not the post-race judge and jury.
It would be like a footballer not getting a red card for a nasty tackle, only to be told at the end of the game that he's been banned from the next 4 matches.
We'll have drivers banned for loose front wings next.
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It would be like a footballer not getting a red card for a nasty tackle only to be told >>at the end of the game that he's been banned from the next 4 matches.
I wouldn't have a problem with that. It would clean up the game and not have people do things and get away with it by the ref missing it....which is presumably what happened with the stewards
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Did my ears deceive me, or did someone say yesterday that pit stops will be banned next year?
I doubt if many people will miss KERS despite the half-billion euros it has cost the three or four teams that have tried it. MacLaren may be annoyed because it has worked best for them.
But a ban on pit stops sounds pretty bad to me. Fuel and tyres to last a whole race? Cars carrying half a ton of juice on hard-compound non-sticky rubber? Dear oh dear. What next? 2-litre four-clinder diesels with a power limit of 180bhp?
The basement's the limit...
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Refueling is banned for next year.
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Why would they consider diesels, Lud? I'm sure modern technology can cope, though the sight of Mansell running out of fuel on the last lap 20 years ago may be seen again with the current drivers!
Edited by b308 on 27/07/2009 at 15:42
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Pit stops allowed but no refuelling. You couldn't stop pit stops as tyres unlikely to last (and they may need to switch to/from wet tyres etc). And sometimes damage needs repairing or stop-go penalties.
But no refuelling means a big change again. All cars to start heavy (so soft tyres won't last) and they have to guess how much fuel is needed. We'll have cars run out of fuel again which will be interesting...
... I think this is a positive thing though because it will mean the cars won't be getting ever more powerful. There will be some advantage to fuel efficiency too - a lighter car won't need such a powerful engine. But this will lead to a redesign of cars again - none of them could currently hold enough fuel for a race.
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Refueling is banned for next year.
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Is refuelling still banned if they spell it with two 'Ls' ?
Edited by drbe on 27/07/2009 at 16:50
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Yes, twice as much.
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:-) What if someone looses[sic] a wheel due to a lose[sic] nut?
Do you then give them a peace[sic] of mind for your piece[sic] of mind ;-)
Am I a nutter, or at risk of loosing[sic] my mind, for asking these questions.
Edited by jbif on 27/07/2009 at 20:52
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Sic?
You got swine flu?
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Sic? >> >> You got swine flu? >> >> >> >>
No, just siccups[sic].
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Or you gots whine flu. :-)
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Telegraph: Felipe-Massas-Formula-One-future-in-jeopardy-after-Hungarian-
Grand-Prix-crash.html
There is speculation that Renault?s Fernando Alonso, whose team are suspended for the next race in Valencia on Aug 23 and who is widely expected to be joining Ferrari from 2010 anyway, may step into the seat earlier than expected.
If so, will Renault want to dump Piquet [ Hungary was rumoured to be his last race for Renault ]
Some good news - Massa reported to be out of coma and asking questions:
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77383
Monday, July 27th 2009, 18:00 GMT
Dino Altmann, the Chief Medical Officer of the Brazilian Grand Prix, who also attended the news conference, confirmed Massa was now able to speak.
"He spoke, he wanted to know what happened to him. And he had some questions,"
Edited by jbif on 27/07/2009 at 23:45
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Lauda has Schumacher in the frame -
tinyurl.com/nls9b9
He dismisses the Ferrari test drivers as "useless"...
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www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5459257,00.ht...l
{moves to correct place as new discussion; as per the Please Note message!}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/07/2009 at 11:11
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If they had won the world championship last year would they have pulled out? No
If they looked like there were in for a top three this year would they have pulled out? No
If they even had a chance of finishing above Mercedes this year, would they have pulled out? No
Consistently falling behind Mercedes (Ok they didnt one year, but only becuase Mercedes were banned when they were above them) is very very bad publicity, and it looked like it would continue for the foreseable future, Not suprised they chucked it in.
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maybe their particularly bad results this year are because they've been on a wind down...and have known about this for a while
Edited by Westpig on 29/07/2009 at 12:31
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Good - I'm glad they're out of F1. They are not having great succcess yet in SBK ( / WSB - world superbikes), but I expect them to have more success here. Troy Corser did show the BMW did have a brilliant start in Brno, now they can concentrate on race distance.
BMW also had more success in touring car races - again, a much better series (cost wise and spectator wise) than F1.
The superbike series definitely has a direct impact on bike sales, and I suspect the touring cars series would have the same effect. Why does any car manufacturer want to spend millions on F1 in these times ?
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They got into F1 because Mercedes were there, and winning things. MB steer clear of WTC.
F1 has high hi tech glamour image, WTC has a greasy oily boy racer image.
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News agencies are reporting Schuey will race instead of Massa for now. Makes more sense than the stand-in drivers.
He pay not be as young or fit as the younger ones and the car may not be as good as some (it's getting better) but I'd love to see Shuey race in a competitive car against the current racers. I think he still could show them a lesson or two ;-)
Edited by rtj70 on 29/07/2009 at 19:24
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The German racing legend has not driven an F1 car since April 2008 and now has just over three weeks to prepare himself for Valencia.
The ban on in-season testing means Schumacher will not be able to turn a wheel of the 2009 specification Ferrari before first practice on Friday 21 August.
WOWSER WOWSER WOWSER
I am looking forward to this, big time
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Exactly AE! If he has been hailed as good as they say then he should do well.
The spot on Top Gear when the drove that Ferrary 5xx (whatever) had him a lot faster but on "slicks". But he was fast.
But he hurt his neck in a motorcycle accident earlier this year.
This not testing at all is silly - e.g. new drivers. The replacement for Bourdais suffered too from this no doubt.
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>>The ban on in-season testing means Schumacher will not be able to turn a wheel of the 2009 specification Ferrari before first practice on Friday 21 August.
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Now confirmed. I support Frank Williams especially after the rookie was not allowed to practice.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/81...m
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I can understand the ban on testing cars, but a ban on testing drivers in these circumstances is just stupid.
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But they are not testing drivers.
I can see how letting Schumacher or anyone drive a current car during the season outside of a race weekend can help development.
As Williams says, the rule is there and if the driver chosen by Ferrari does need to be familiar with the car then they could have selected a test driver.
The other recent rookie did lots of laps of the Hungaroring on the Friday. I am sure Schuey can get used to the car in the time he has, especially with the use of a simulator. And he knows most of the tracks although ironically not the first one he will race on.
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This is the biggest disapointment and anti-climax since I wat6ched them raise the Mary Rose
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So which Ferrari F1 test driver will they use - disappointing but having followed this news item not surprising.
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I assume one of the ones that Nicky Lauda claimed were "useless"
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Luca di Montezemolo might be quicker...
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Must say I wasn't as excited as AE or my most sport-fanatical car enthusiast friend by the possibility of Michael Schumacher making a comeback.
My guess is that he feels a bit rusty and the Ferrari may not be quite on the pace yet for the next couple of circuits. I doubt if the prospect of struggling with a stiff neck down in the middle runners had much appeal, and I must say I don't blame him.
Michael Schumacher is of course massively talented and very intelligent, but I found his years of dominance a bit boring and have never really taken to champion's or winner's psychology. I prefer my champions a bit flawed.
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Didn't ferrari finish second last time out, Lud?!
Personally I think that it was all a way of ferrari trying to get some mid season testing in and as they didn't get their own way they came up with an excuse for him not to drive... good old Williams!
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Personally I think that it was all a way of ferrari trying to get some mid season testing in
So they unscrewed the bit on Barichello's car as well?
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So if during the season you cannot test F1 cars... what does a test driver for an F1 team actually do?
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So McLaren 1st and Ferrari second in Hungary Grand Prix? Next Grand Prix will be Hamilton vs Schumacher with Webber and Raikonnen thrown in for good measure. Jenson who? Excited? Can't wait!
{why doesn't anyone take any notice of the "please note" message at the start of this thread? Yet another one re-titled and moved as it's not a follow on discussion about test drivers and closed testing}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 30/07/2009 at 01:41
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What a surprise !
Renault cleared for European GP
......"However, Nielsen insisted his team did not realise there was a problem with Alonso's car. " In spite of the live footage and BBC commenting on it ? :-((
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/81...m
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Should really be worth a separate thread I fancy, but I'll put it here anyway to save the mods the anguish.
I'm interested to know what fellow members think about that strange entity that is the modern Grand Prix car. Have the new regulation changes improved racing and/or the spectacle? What changes could be made to improve matters? When was the best era for the GP car?
I think there needs to be a further shift from aerodynamic grip to mechanical grip. There needs to be more freedom and flexibility in chassis design; when regulations are so tight, millions of pounds are spent refining everything to the nth degree whereas in the old days all it took was a bright idea from a fertile mind to achieve the same advantage.
As for costs? Customer engines across the board, have cosworth supply a regulation engine to all the teams - current units are so heavily regulated anyway.
I think that GP racing was better in the 90's than today. Cars were able to follow much more closely and actually pass each other owing to the lack of sophisticated aero-parts causing turbulence.
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I think that GP racing was better in the 90's than today. Cars were able to follow much more closely and actually pass each other owing to the lack of sophisticated aero-parts causing turbulence.
It goes much further back that that, HB, even in the 90s drivers could struggle to overtake...
Last time they had really close racing in F1 was in the 60s... just watch Grand Prix and the slipstreaming that took place, can't remember the last time I saw that in F1, if they get that close these days (and in the 90s) they lose downforce and have to back off!
Colin Chapman has a lot to answer for... produced the best looking F1 car ever in the 60s and then spoiled everything with his use of downforce, skirts etc. in the 70s....
Ah well....
Edited by b308 on 01/08/2009 at 16:03
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On the current BBC coverage of the European GP you can press the red button and select Childrens' BBC audio. Just learned that some bloke ran 20m in flippers in 3 seconds. (To be fair they have also been explaining some F1-related stuff.)
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I like Formula 1. I look forward to the races. I cancel other plans to watch it live. But.....there's something about stretching out on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon......zzzzzzz......Dash it......missed most of it again!!!!!
:-(
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zzzzzzz......Dash it......missed most of it again!!!!!
Heh heh... that's what happens to me with The Wire HB. Of course another reason is that I never fully understand what's going on. Perhaps that's the point, how to keep the viewers coming back.
I thought Valencia was a fabulous race. No one went into those walls and there was no safety car to upset everyone's calculations. The winner was perhaps the most sympathetic man on the grid too. I'm not convinced that the tyre fumble in the McLaren pit lost Hamilton the race.
Button left his charge too late. It wasn't Webber's day. Contrary to many I thought poor little Badoer did all right, learning on the job. He made the sort of mistakes they all make and eventually had the pace of a lower middle runner, not bad under the circumstances. The white line penalty cost him a place or two. I hope they keep him on because he can only improve, even if he isn't champion material.
Other drivers like Barichello. But they don't seem to like Raikkonen much. I wonder why?
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>> zzzzzzz......Dash it......missed most of it again!!!!!
Because its a boring car chase!
If it was exiting you would stay awake and enjoy it, and so would I!
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boring car chase!
Perhaps we were watching different races ON... Do you expect three-abreast wheel-to-wheel Hollywood stuff in modern F1? Or os it piles of shredded carbon fibre you think are missing?
Just teasing really. F1 isn't everyone's cup of tea. Not even mine really, but I tend to take a satirical view of all sport.
Oh, that reminds me: am I alone in finding Usain Bolt's times over 100 and 200 metres improbably fast for a man? Shouldn't there be widely publicised tests to make sure he isn't a woman? It's the latest thing y'know.
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I think the Indianapolis or Daytona races are better, at least most of the time the competitors are within sight of each other and not driving in isolation. At the Daytona 500 you can feel the ground shake as the pack goes past, havent made it to an Indy race yet.
Mr Bolt may be female, they can all run faster than me these days.
Edited by Old Navy on 23/08/2009 at 17:46
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Watched F1 today for the first time in ages
Why do they have a car starting behind the F1 cars at the start
Safety car, why is there two of them in the car and the passenger seems to be pressing something on the dash all the time?
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I think you are getting two cars mixed up.
The car that was on TV with its internal camera is the safety car and he was pressing the "press to talk" switch on the dash when speaking to race control.
The car that follows the start is (AFAIK) the car containing the race doctor to get to any possible incident as soon as possible.
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when I read professor Sid Watkin's book (used to be F1 doctor, not sure if he still is) there was a bit in it where he said some of the professional drivers that would pilot the doctor's car could get a bit carried away with things sometimes. He reckons that at one race when there had been a minor shunt and hold up, causing a bottleneck, the driver of the doctor's car, with him in it, actually overtook one of the F1 cars.
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There is a very interesting item in the press today
"....the FIA has offered the Renault team?s second-in-command immunity from punishment in exchange for full disclosure of how the alleged plan was executed. "
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oh dear....i'd imagine there's no smoke without fire here
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78647
if Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Junior are offered immunity....then that only really leaves Flavio Briatore...
should imagine Max is rubbing his hands with glee, especially after the Silverstone comment from Flavio....shame it's ruining F1, it's otherwise a tremendous soap opera being played out for real.
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I think the people running F1 have lost the plot, these days it seems to be all about politics and cars driving around a track in isolation. Good to see Lotus return to F1 but it needs to return to "racing" on the track, I got so bored with watching the cars driving around in isolation during the last race I fell asleep. It was just a commentator telling us who was X number of seconds up or down on the car in front or behind. When the cars are more than a pit stop time apart they should put the safety car out for a lap to bunch the cars up so that they can be seen to race each other.
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At least we can rely on Lewis to try to overtake... even if he doesn't quite make it!
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Where BIG money is involved I am always of the opinion that there is corruption.
F1. ........ FIX
Which explains why Boy Wonder and Daddy (and Now Big Bro) came from nowhere and in very short time took the title and then has faded. Accolade to Button this year but after first storming now nigh on oblivion. Come on even Grimm could not write such a fairy tale.
dvd
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Are you refering to LH, DVD?
In which case I'd hardly say he's faded... a pole and a win - most F1 drivers would give their eye teeth for that! It was well known that last season trhey were concentrating all their development on the old car to get the title for him so they knew they'd have problems this season, they just didn't realise how bad it'd be...
At least he's a real racer unlike the playboy leading the championship this season.
Edited by b308 on 15/09/2009 at 17:25
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imagine Max is rubbing his hands with glee,
Saw the nearest thing I have to an F1 source - quite near actually - last Saturday week. Seems the powers that be having got rid of Ron Dennis have been gunning for Flavio Briatore with increasing fervour ever since.
Another snippet, as interpreted by me, is that all means including the most roundabout and unexpected are being used to ease Jean Todt into the FIA presidency, and damage his rival with as many members of the extended circus as possible.
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BBC says
Renault accept guilt. Briatore to leave.
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BBC says
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/82...m
Flavio Briatore has left his position as boss of the Renault team after they decided not to contest charges of fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Executive director of engineering Pat Symonds has also left the team.
Renault were summoned by governing body, the FIA, after Nelson Piquet Jr claimed he had been asked to crash to help team-mate Fernando Alonso's race.
It is not known if Renault must still face the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Monday to answer the charges.
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Briatore and Symonds depart Renault without disputing facts.
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Surely they will face criminal charges over that, as it amounts to fraud? In addition to attempting to pervert the course of justice after trying to instigate legal proceedings against piquet?
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