Formula 1 Thread

[isaidno]

absolutely, out of all the applicants they chose Yanamoto

[Gené and Tonic]

Anyone got a vid of the grand prix. I've seen clips, trust me to miss the best race of the year!

[isaidno]

All the ones on youtube have been taken off. I have it on video. On a separate note, Mclaren let off

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40181

[The Stig]

Former Super Aguri driver Sakon Yamamoto is to join Spyker for the rest of the 2007 season.

The Japanese racer takes the seat vacated by Christijan Albers after Silverstone, and temporarily occupied by Markus Winkelhock at the Nurburgring.

He was crap last season, they could have had Christian Klien (granted average but still better than Yanawhatsit) but they chose him, dear god bring back Minardi.

[Floating Fox]

Quite obvious why they've chosen him!

SPONSERSHIP - Simple as - It doesn't matter if they have a monkey or Schumacer in the car, they'd still do shite.

FoxFanatic - Joining Batracer again?

[Brainy]

He quit.

He doesnt have the time.

[Webbo]

From the BBC.

Ferrari fume over McLaren verdict

Ferrari chief Jean Todt (centre)

Ferrari chief Jean Todt (centre) arrives at the disciplinary hearing

The Ferrari Formula One team reacted with fury after rivals McLaren were let off without any immediate punishment in the F1 spying row.

Despite McLaren being in possession of confidential Ferrari data it was deemed there was "insufficient evidence" it had affected this year's title race.

"This decision legitimises dishonest behaviour in F1 and sets a very serious precedent," said a Ferrari statement.

"We feel this is highly prejudicial to the credibility of the sport."

Ferrari ... finds it incomprehensible that violating the fundamental principle of sporting honesty does not have, as a logical and inevitable consequence, the application of a sanction

Ferrari team statement

The row erupted after the chance discovery that McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan - who has since been suspended by the team - was in possession of a confidential 780-page Ferrari technical dossier.

But the World Motorsport Council's disciplinary panel declined to impose any penalty because it said it could not find any evidence that "this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA F1 world championship."

Ferrari, who sacked former head of performance development Nigel Stepney over his alleged role in the affair, said they could not see any logic in this decision, and would continue with legal action in the Italian criminal courts and English civil courts.

"Ferrari ... finds it incomprehensible that violating the fundamental principle of sporting honesty does not have, as a logical and inevitable consequence, the application of a sanction," the team statement said.

"In fact, the decision of the World Council signifies that possession, knowledge at the very highest level and use of highly confidential information acquired in an illicit manner and the acquiring of confidential information over the course of several months, represent violations that do not carry any punishment.

"This is all the more serious as it has occurred in a sport like F1 in which small details make all the difference."

Much as I'd like to see an Englishman win I can't help feeling that McLaren have got away with murder here.

[isaidno]

from Autosport

The French Grand Prix will stay on the Formula One calendar in 2008 while the season will begin in Australia on March 16, the FIA said on Friday.

The French race was under threat after Bernie Ecclestone said this year's would be last Grand Prix at the Magny-Cours circuit.

Singapore and Valencia will make their debuts next year, with the latter race designated the European Grand Prix.

Canada will be the only North American race after the removal of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. There will be 18 races, one more than in 2007.

Provisional 2008 calendar:

16 March Australia

23 March Malaysia

6 April Bahrain

27 April Spain

11 May Turkey

25 May Monaco

8 June Canada *

22 June France

6 July Great Britain

20 July Germany

3 August Hungary

24 August** Europe ***

7 September Italy

14 September Belgium

28 September** Singapore

12 October China

19 October Japan

2 November Brazil

* Provisional.

** Subject to circuit approval.

*** The 2008 European Grand Prix will take place in Valencia.

[Brainy]

Turkey

[Gené and Tonic]

rfactor work in progress wacky races mod:

[Gené and Tonic]

Vettel replaces Speed at Toro Rosso

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, July 31st 2007, 10:08 GMT

Sebastien Vettel will replace American Scott Speed at the Toro Rosso team from the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Italian outfit have confirmed.

Vettel was released from his contract with the BMW Sauber team earlier today, and he will join Toro Rosso for the remainder of the 2007 season.

Speed had said following the European Grand Prix that he would not race again with Toro Rosso following an altercation with team boss Franz Tost.

Shame

I liked Speed

Timo Glock is now BMW's test driver

[Brainy]

Good move.

[Gené and Tonic]

I fully expect Luizzi to follow him out the door. Bourdais looks likely to join them.

[isaidno]

Doesn't suprise me at all. Speed has been highly critical of Torro Rosso and he's never shown any potential anyway. Bourdais is expected to sign next season.

[Brainy]

I fully expect Luizzi to follow him out the door. Bourdais looks likely to join them.

I've always thought Liuzzi was a driver with potential.

[isaidno]

From BBC Website

Former triple Formula One motor racing champion Nelson Piquet has been sent to driving awareness school - for repeated speeding and parking offences.

The Brazilian lost his licence after racking up too many penalty points.

Piquet and his wife Viviane, who also had her licence revoked, must attend a week of lessons to learn good and safe driving conduct, and then pass an exam.

Only then will Piquet - F1 champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987 - be allowed back behind the wheel.

"I think we have to pay for our mistakes, It's not just a speeding problem, I got tickets for all kinds of reasons, like parking where I shouldn't," Piquet told Brazilian media.

The 54-year-old had been seen speeding around the streets of Brasilia in various high-performance cars, including a BMW convertible, AFP news agency reported.

[Gené and Tonic]

Luizzi doesn't like the bosses and they don't like him basically. Him and Speed are in the same boat

[Brainy]

Heikki Kovalainen drives for the Renault Formula One team, where he replaced the world champion Fernando Alonso at the start of the 2007 season.

He was born in 1981 in Suomussalmi, close to the border with Lapland in northern Finland.

He is a BBC Sport columnist, and lives in Oxford with his English girlfriend Catherine.

This weekend he will be competing in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Nothing's ever too fast - the faster and more power and grip, the better it is

Heikki Kovalainen

What's your earliest memory?

I was two or three years old and I was driving around my home. I had a plastic moped and was pushing it around the house.

What makes you sad?

Losing - at anything.

What makes you happy?

Winning - whatever I do, whether it's a race or a computer game or whatever. If I win, I'm always happy.

What is your greatest achievement?

Getting to Formula One as a driver.

What's your most embarrassing moment?

I was testing a GP2 car in Paul Ricard in the south of France a couple of years ago. They had hired me there as a Formula One driver to give some feedback. It was quite a cool morning and we had cold tyres and I left the garage a little bit too fast and hit the pit wall right out of the garage and took a corner off the car.

I like American cars, with a lot of chrome and tinted windows and a big stereo

What's your best racing memory?

Probably beating Michael [schumacher] in the Race of Champions [in 2004]. It was a fantastic atmosphere to beat him in a Ferrari and then to beat [world rally champion Sebastien] Loeb in the grand final. It's probably the greatest feeling I've had.

What's your resting heart rate?

Fifty beats per minute.

What car do you drive?

A Renault Megane Sport.

What car would you drive if you weren't paid by Renault to drive that one?

Probably some 4x4, a big Hummer maybe, with a lot of chrome and tinted windows and a big stereo. I like American cars. They're always big and shiny and I am quite into tuning things.

606: DEBATE

Tell us what you think

What is your greatest thrill?

Racing. I've also done a little bit of flying. I've got a helicopter licence, and that's also very exciting.

Is there such a thing as too fast?

No. Nothing's ever too fast. Maybe sometimes on the road some people are too fast if they don't know how to control the car, but in racing, the faster and more power and grip, the better it is.

What is danger?

Danger is part of my job. It's always there, but you can't think about it too much otherwise you start to be too slow.

Spa is a proper, proper track - you feel a little bit more like a racing driver than on some of the other tracks; there is still no room for error

Is there a god?

Probably somewhere.

When did you last tell a lie?

Normally I tell the truth whether it's nice or not.

What's the best thing about being Finnish?

Obviously the blonde hair. People like blonde hair. Obviously I hope my girlfriend isn't reading this! Also, we have a good reputation in racing. Whenever people hear about a driver and he's from Finland, they think positive rather than negative straightaway.

Why aren't you a rally driver?

It's a good question, and I'm a big fan of rallying. I have good friends in rallying. It's just that when I drove for the first time it was in a go-kart on Tarmac when I was six years old and I got into go-karts. Some time in the future I'd like to do a bit of rallying.

What's the best thing about being a Grand Prix driver?

Being able to drive the fastest cars in the world.

And the worst?

A lot of travelling is not very good for your social life. We spend a lot of time away testing, racing or doing PR, and it's not very easy to settle down anywhere. It's difficult to say where your home is, because you're always going somewhere.

Kovalainen with world champion Alonso - his best friend in F1

What's your favourite F1 track?

Spa. It's a proper, proper track. Some of the run-off areas are still very small, and you feel a little bit more like a racing driver than on some of the other tracks. There is still no room for error.

And your least favourite?

Probably Paul Ricard. I've been testing there quite a lot in the last few years. It's one of those circuits where there's basically Tarmac and car parks everywhere and artificial chicanes. I don't like it.

What's Bernie Ecclestone like?

He says "Hello" to me every time I see him, and "How are things going?". He's obviously very important in F1

Is F1 a sport or a commercial venture?

Definitely a sport. A very high-profile, difficult sport.

Who's the friendliest Formula One driver?

I get on best with Fernando [Alonso], as a result of last year when I was spending some time with him in the same team. We talk about many other things as well.

When are you happiest?

Probably when I'm at home with my friends, playing some good computer game or just relaxing.

I'm a big James Bond fan - I've got a collection, but I think the latest one is probably the best

What's your favourite computer game?

Flight Simulator.

What's your idea of a perfect day?

Probably includes a little bit of sport, maybe some tennis with friends, and then cook some food at home and watch a movie. It would probably be around my home all day long. Obviously I like to drive and I'm quite happy when I'm driving, but work is work, and free time is free time.

What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?

Probably my gaming computer. I haven't ever bought a house or a car.

What's your favourite film?

I'm a big James Bond fan. I've got a collection of them. I like all of them, but I think the latest one is probably the best.

What's your favourite album?

Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell. I've discovered it quite recently and I'm playing it a lot at the moment.

What's the last book you read?

I think I haven't looked at a book since I left school.

What's your favourite meal?

Pasta with some tomato sauce and bread.

What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Probably shower.

What's your favourite place?

Finland and my home town - Suomussalmi. It's a very small village, peaceful and quiet - that's why I like it.

What's your perfect holiday?

In the winter, going back home to the north of Finland and doing some skiing and a bit of Skidoos [snowmobiling].

Interview by Andrew Benson

[Gené and Tonic]

Nicked this off another forum

The two headlines on Autosport were great too

quote:

Mercedes: Audi won't dominate

By Glenn Freeman Saturday, July 28th 2007, 09:10 GMT

Mercedes believe that they are in much better shape this weekend at Zandvoort than they were two weeks ago at Mugello.

quote:

Scheider on pole as Audi dominate

By Glenn Freeman Saturday, July 28th 2007, 12:40 GMT

Timo Scheider has taken his first DTM pole position in four years as Audi dominated qualifying at Zandvoort.

The German snatched the top spot with 10 seconds remaining in qualifying, as Audi locked out the top five positions on the grid for the second race running.

[Gené and Tonic]

Also good read about Heikki. Wish I'd got into Karting at 6

[isaidno]

Britain’s last Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill will take to the commentary box this weekend when he joins ITV Sport’s James Allen as co-commentator for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 1996 world title winner is stepping into Martin Brundle’s shoes alongside James while Martin is away on holiday.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40217

[Brainy]

Britain’s last Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill will take to the commentary box this weekend when he joins ITV Sport’s James Allen as co-commentator for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 1996 world title winner is stepping into Martin Brundle’s shoes alongside James while Martin is away on holiday.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40217

Is it a coincidence that (one of the two commentators) was away/on holiday for least years Hungarian Grand Prix?

[Brainy]

The Formula One spying row has taken a new turn after McLaren accused Ferrari of winning this year's Australian Grand Prix with an illegal car.

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis made the claim in an open letter to the FIA, the sport's governing body.

"McLaren's reputation has been unfairly sullied by incorrect press reports from Italy and grossly misleading statements from Ferrari," adds Dennis's letter.

Kimi Raikkonen won the Australian GP, which was the first race of the season.

The spying row blew up when McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, who has since been suspended by the team, was found to have nearly 800 pages of Ferrari documents in his house.

Ferrari believe Coughlan received the documents from their now-sacked performance director Nigel Stepney, who says he is innocent.

The FIA world motorsport council (WMSC) found McLaren guilty of possessing confidential Ferrari information, but said there was "insufficient evidence" that the team had used it to their benefit.

However, a strongly-worded letter from Italian motorsport president Luigi Macaluso to FIA president Max Mosley on Monday led to the latter deciding to send the verdict not to punish McLaren to its court of appeal.

We believe the Ferrari press releases, the leaks to the Italian press and recent events have been damaging to Formula One as well as McLaren

Ron Dennis

Dennis's 3,000-word letter is addressed to both Macaluso and Mosley.

In it, he initially applauds Stepney for blowing the whistle on his team ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

Stepney contacted Coughlan, currently suspended as McLaren's chief designer, with regard to two design elements of the Ferrari car he believed to be in breach in FIA regulations.

One - a rear-wing separator - was deemed legal but the other - a 'flexi' floor - was proven to be illegal.

Dennis believes Ferrari ran their cars with the illegal floor at Melbourne and said in the letter: "Ferrari only withdrew the floor device after it was confirmed to be illegal by the FIA.

"Were it not for Mr Stepney drawing this illegal device to the attention of McLaren, and McLaren drawing it to the attention of the FIA, there is every reason to suppose that Ferrari would have continued to race with an illegal car."

He adds: "It is in the interests of F1 that whistle-blowing is encouraged and not discouraged. If team members think that their identity will be revealed they will not whistle-blow."

Dennis further clarifies the relationship between Coughlan and Stepney, with the latter alleged to have provided the former with a 780-page Ferrari technical dossier.

Dennis states Coughlan was ordered to break contact with Stepney but they met in Barcelona in April.

606: DEBATE

The statement raises as many questions as it seeks to clarify

AU

Ferrari have suggested McLaren staff were aware of Coughlan's actions, and that they made use of the documents, strenuously rejected by Dennis as "offensive and false allegations."

He concludes: "The reason McLaren was not penalised is that the WMSC rightly concluded that it should not be blamed for Mr Coughlan's actions.

"It based its decision on solid facts and not false innuendo.

"It would be a tragedy if one of the best world championships in years was derailed by the acts of one Ferrari and one McLaren employee acting for their own purposes wholly unconnected with Ferrari or McLaren.

"We believe the Ferrari press releases, the leaks to the Italian press and recent events have been damaging to Formula One as well as McLaren.

"We will naturally present our case before the FIA Court of Appeal as we strongly believe McLaren has done nothing wrong.

"It is our belief justice will prevail and that McLaren will not be penalised."

________________________________________________________________________________

___

And the weather for Hungary over the next four days is sunny.

Monday thundery showers

[Gené and Tonic]

mon god sending the clouds in a day early

[Gené and Tonic]

Yamamoto on the live timing atm

He's 6 seconds off and 3 seconds off his team-mate..which is quite alot even if he hasn't done much testing