2253 replies to this topic

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

kimi is the only active driver not in the GPDA now.

GPDA boosts membership with Massa

By Jonathan Noble Saturday, April 11th 2009, 12:42 GMT

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) has succeeded in boosting its membership numbers by convincing previous high-profile sceptics, including Felipe Massa and Adrian Sutil, to join the organisation, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

With the GPDA having endured a difficult 2008, with world championship frontrunners Lewis Hamilton, Massa and Kimi Raikkonen not members, its chairman Pedro de la Rosa together with directors Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber worked hard throughout last winter to get the doubters back on board.

With big progress being made on the eve of the season as Hamilton signed up to the GPDA for the first time since he entered F1 in 2007, AUTOSPORT has learned that Massa and Sutil also agreed to become members at the same time.

With a host of reserve drivers and F1 rookie Sebastien Buemi also joining up, it means that Kimi Raikkonen is now the only regular driver who has not yet agreed to become a member.

De la Rosa said he was delighted that the likes of Hamilton and Massa were now on board - which comes after a winter when the GPDA helped agree with the FIA a reduction in super licence fees for all drivers.

"It is important we are all there," de la Rosa told AUTOSPORT. "It is great news that Lewis, Felipe and Adrian have come on board, but also that test drivers like Christian Klien are there too, and new drivers like Buemi. It's quite reassuring.

"I admit we were weak last year, especially when Felipe left. But he has come back, and I'm glad he has. I'm really delighted about Lewis being there too."

De la Rosa said he hoped Raikkonen, who is still considering becoming a member, would also sign up to ensure that every driver on the grid is in the GPDA.

"We wish Kimi was there, as he is one of the top guys, so hopefully he will agree soon too," said the Spaniard.

"The GPDA is an important organisation. Although the drivers fight each other on the track, we must be able to work together off it to solve problems. I believe the GPDA today is stronger than ever."

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/74406

[Nacho]

Adrian Sutil is high profile?

[mads]

even when crashing it sounds sooooooooooo good

and wtf crowd? i don't see anyone there???
I doubt that video will be taken down, it's amateur

there's no reason for it to be taken down, its completely unassociated with Formula One Management.

[Skyliner]

[vietlol]

wtf did I just watch

[Robert]

kimi is the only active driver not in the GPDA now.

Raikkonen's opinion is that we should adjourn early and go for vodka shots, strippers and some karaoke. All in favor?

[MrHahn]

wtf did I just watch

Why can't James Allen just die already

[MrHahn]

I'm hoping this is new, I laughed.

Sir Richard Branson and Jenson Button in spat over Jessica Michibata

By David Murray in London

Herald Sun

April 13, 2009 12:01am


MELBOURNE Grand Prix celebrations turned sour last month when winning driver Jenson Button had a bust-up with billionaire sponsor Sir Richard Branson over his lingerie model girlfriend.

The pair clashed when Button thought the Virgin boss was coming on to his 24-year-old partner Jessica Michibata, during a boozy dinner at upmarket Melbourne restaurant Nobu.

"Richard was clearly very, very drunk and took a shine to Jessica during the evening," a source said.

"But there was a misunderstanding and Jenson became angry. The whole thing got very, very heated.

"Richard thought Jenson was over-reacting, and gave as good back. Both of them were livid."

Brawn team officials and Virgin executives watched the confrontation in "stunned silence".

The blow-up reportedly happened only hours after Sir Richard, 58, announced a sponsorship deal to put Virgin's logo on the side of Button's car.
Related Coverage

Button, 29, won in Melbourne and in Malaysia a week later to help improve relations with his new sponsor.

"This was before Jenson and the Brawn GP team won in Melbourne and Malaysia, and they were an untested team looking for sponsorship," the source said.

"So for Jenson to lose his rag at Richard, it was serious. But things were fine by the next day."

Sir Richard, worth more than $6 billion, is married but frequently surrounds himself with glamorous women to promote the Virgin brand.

[vietlol]

http://forum.planet-...g...mp;start=0



One of the best threads Ive ever seen on any F1 forum

[_R_]

so another night race got canceled due to rain...
seriously, stop the night race shit...

motogp race in Qatar is now scheduled for tomorrow...

[yonson]

Raikkonen's opinion is that we should adjourn early and go for vodka shots, strippers and some karaoke. All in favor?

I

[More&Faster]

this is the michibata chick

http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded

[More&Faster]

http://forum.planet-...g...mp;start=0



One of the best threads Ive ever seen on any F1 forum

[Ximian]

"Coming Summer 2009 to a theatre near you... 'Heikki-Lou'

Heikki Kovalainen was an unassuming, quiet driver who kept himself to himself and thought his life would never change...until he met the fiery Louise Goodman!

She was the older woman of his dreams...but she didn't even know he existed. She was more interested in his more stylish teammate. Then, one day, something happened that would change both their lives forever...

He made her a salad...she made him a man."

Win.

[_R_]

it's been a pretty quiet week in f1... besides the whole lying thing... nothing really has happened...

[kngrsll]

it's been a pretty quiet week in f1... besides the whole lying thing... nothing really has happened...

i found the branson/button fight pretty intresting...

[_R_]

Ferrari has announced a restructuring of its trackside operations in a bid to turn around its disastrous start to the season - with team manager Luca Baldisserri being switched to a factory-based role.

Following crisis talks at Maranello last week to discuss why the outfit has failed to score a point in the first two races of the year, its worst start to a campaign since 1992, the team has ramped up efforts to ensure it changes the situation as soon as possible.

As part of that bid to help improve the performance, the team has decided to set up a new Working Party to fast-track car improvements that are essential if Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are to start delivering the results needed to keep them in the title hunt.

This department will be headed by technical director Aldo Costa, with Baldisserri now handed responsibility for coordinating the factory efforts with trackside operations. Work will focus on all areas of car performance, including a double-decker diffuser if the concept is given the green light by the FIA International Court of Appeal this week.

The staff changes mean that Baldisserri will no longer attend races, with his role at the races now being taken by chief track engineer Chris Dyer.

The decision to move Baldisserri away from his trackside role comes after team principal Stefano Domenicali labelled the team's performance in Malaysia, where errors in qualifying and the race cost it dearly, as 'unacceptable'.

"Well, of course it is not a positive weekend," Domenicali told reporters after seeing Massa knocked out early in qualifying and Raikkonen's race wrecked by a wrong switch to wet tyres on a dry track. "It is the second one in a row and it is not good, for sure. Anyway, what we have to do is react immediately.

"The people have to take their own responsibility for things, and this is important in the moment where either from the performance point of view, and the management point of view, things are not going well. This is for sure not acceptable, and I am not accepting that."

As well as the team restructure, Ferrari will bring a host of new parts to this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix - including a revised front wing - which were evaluated by Marc Gene in straight-line testing last week.

Ferrari has also confirmed that design consultant Rory Byrne and chief designer Nikolas Tombazis will represent the team at the FIA International Court of Appeal hearing into the diffusers, which takes place tomorrow.

the diffuser meeting is tomorrow correct?

[DrDickAction]

at the button/branson flap.

[Skyliner]

FIA requests BBC's Whitmarsh tapes

By Jonathan Noble Monday, April 13th 2009, 19:33 GMT

Martin WhitmarshThe FIA has written to the BBC to ask for copies of interviews McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh conducted with the broadcaster in the immediate aftermath of the Australian Grand Prix.

As motor racing's governing body continues its investigation into the lying controversy surrounding the McLaren team, the BBC has been asked to supply comments made by Whitmarsh in Melbourne that could throw a fresh light on how much he knew about what happened behind the safety car in the closing stages of the race.

Although Whitmarsh claimed at the Malaysian Grand Prix that he knew nothing about Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's former sporting director Dave Ryan denying to stewards that there had been a radio order to let Jarno Trulli overtake, his comments in the aftermath of the race suggest he shared the line they told stewards that the Toyota driver had forced his way by.

In a live interview with BBC Radio 5 shortly after the Melbourne race, Whitmarsh said: "Under the last safety car, Trulli's Toyota fell off the circuit and was on the grass. Lewis passed him as he could legitimately do so, and thereafter Trulli repassed under the safety car and the early indications from the stewards were that they felt that was incorrect. They are doing the full investigation as we speak and we will shortly learn if it is a third or a fourth place."

In another interview that Whitmarsh is alleged to have conducted with BBC pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz, it is suggested he said: "Trulli then retook the place under the safety car, which ordinarily you wouldn't do. I know that the FIA are looking at it at the moment."

The FIA has been alerted to the presence of these interviews and wants the BBC to supply any evidence that it believes will be helpful to its investigation.

McLaren is to face a hearing of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council later this month to answer disrepute charges that it lied to stewards - and forced Hamilton to supply an 'untrue statement' to support its case.

Source: Autosport.com article

[Robert]

the diffuser meeting is tomorrow correct?

Shits getting real at Ferrari. I need a Kimi pole and win to help my pathetic PFF1 standing.

[_R_]

Shits getting real at Ferrari. I need a Kimi pole and win to help my pathetic PFF1 standing.

i'd like to state that i'm both a kimi and ferrari fan...

that said... don't hold your breath unless the diffuser 3 suddenly drop pace...

[shallow777]

even when crashing it sounds sooooooooooo good

and wtf crowd? i don't see anyone there???
I doubt that video will be taken down, it's amateur

I'll say it's amateur it looked like Michael J Fox shot the video

[Robert]

i'd like to state that i'm both a kimi and ferrari fan...

that said... don't hold your breath unless the diffuser 3 suddenly drop pace...

I know. Right now Brawny looks unstoppable.
The quicker picker upper.

[DrDickAction]

10$ says we have 20 diffuser cars for Spain.

As long as the FIA allows it anyways.

[Nacho]

10$ says we have 20 diffuser cars for Spain.

As long as the FIA allows it anyways.

I'll take that bet.








RBR and STR can't use the double decker diffusers due to their pullrod rear end design.