1381 replies to this topic

[DrDickAction]

guess they don't want another situation where someone in a gorilla suit riding in a snow mobile race

At least the possibility of Toyota and William's rear diffusers being illegal shows Toyota is trying to innovate/cheat.

Seriously. If the FIA isn't telling you "nope, that's illegal", you're not innovating

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

At least the possibility of Toyota and William's rear diffusers being illegal shows Toyota is trying to innovate/cheat.

whats new?

[Robert]

Some very good news;
per James Allen
http://allenonf1.wor...-f1-tv-viewers/

Yesterday I wrote about some things we will not be seeing on TV, today I’m posting on a couple of things which will be in the show, although I’m not sure about one of them.

Radio conversations between team and driver have been available for a few years, but the team had a button it needed to press to make the channel open to the TV director. Renault were always very good and open about this, even though it used to irritate them that the director kept playing clips of them telling Fisi to push harder. Ferrari and McLaren were useless at opening the line, and would simply open it at the end, after a victory for some stage managed gushing. This season the radios will be open all the time from every team, so you should hear some much more insightful stuff and get a feel for how the big names come across on radio in the heat of battle.

The other thing I’m not so keen on. I’m told that the teams and the FIA are seriously planning to publish the weights of the cars after qualifying. If this is true I think it is mad as it takes away from the suspense of the opening part of the race and might make teams inclined to do more or less the same thing on fuel strategy as each other, which will create more of a procession.

One of the reasons qualifying with fuel has worked was because there was the chance to go short or long and we couldn’t be absolutely sure, because there was always that margin for driver error.

Also it will devalue the pole before the race has even started if say, Kubica has achieved it by running six laps less fuel than Hamilton and Massa. We’ll all stand on the grid saying, “So what?”

I hope that this change does not come about. The new mood of openess in F1 is good, but this is one step too many for me.

[vietlol]

At least the possibility of Toyota and William's rear diffusers being illegal shows Toyota is trying to innovate/cheat.

Well Toyota has plenty of experience when it comes to cheating

[Nacho]

McLaren and Ferrari, sitting in a tree, k i s s i n g

McLaren and Ferrari have demonstrated a new era of unity, co-staging a media dinner.

Within memory of the bitter espionage saga, the event followed Ferrari's usually Maranello-based spokesman Luca Colajanni spending most of Thursday at McLaren's Woking headquarters.

"If you had told me a year ago that I would be doing this I would not have believed you," he told reporters after meeting with Ron Dennis and other McLaren staff.

Dennis, McLaren Group CEO and still the Mercedes-powered team's boss, told F1's official website this week that his outfit and Ferrari have been "working extremely closely together" in the F1 teams' alliance FOTA.


The 61-year-old will step down as team principal on March 1, but he insists he will devote some of his extra time to "working alongside my colleague Luca di Montezemolo."

Ferrari President Montezemolo currently heads FOTA, the body set up by all Formula One teams for discussions with the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone about the sport's future.

"We're not complacent; we're not reluctant to embrace radical change; we're not hidebound by on-track rivalries," Dennis insists.

[Skyliner]

Well Toyota has plenty of experience when it comes to cheating

So does Ferrari, Renault, Mclaren, etc.

Also, thanks again to Yonson for the pictures. I made a new av from them.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Well Toyota has plenty of experience when it comes to getting busted for cheating

i think this is what he meant

[_R_]

Amid reports of early problems with Renault's 2009 car, the French team last week moved from the Portimao test to a British airfield.

The Spanish newspaper Diario AS said the R29, clearly the slowest of the four new F1 cars in Portugal, was subsequently in action at Kemble Airport, about an hour's drive from Renault's Enstone base.

AS explained that while usually only one transporter accompanies the test team to an aerodynamic or 'straight-line' test, on this occasion there were five trucks on site.

The newspaper also said it is expected that a revised nose will be unveiled for the R29 at the final test at Barcelona, in mid March, prior to the long haul trek to Australia for the first race of the season.

Before then, Fernando Alonso will be present for Renault's next test at Jerez and "hopefully we can make some good progress with the performance of the car there," he told the sports newspaper Marca.

[kngrsll]

so renault are worried it seems

[Redliner]

so renault are worried it seems

I'd like to think that they've already got the fundamentals down - hopefully all the problems are only aerodynamic. I mean look at the car -- it's been hit w/ a fugly stick

[Nacho]

Only by a narrow margin was Mercedes-Benz's continued presence in Formula One approved by the marque's parent board, a report on Sunday claimed.

The German news magazine Focus said Dieter Zetsche, Daimler AG Chief Executive, recently asked the management board to vote on whether Mercedes should prolong its 13-year collaboration with 2008 drivers' world champions McLaren.

Mercedes-Benz is currently McLaren's largest shareholder, and has supplied works engines to the Woking-based team since 1995.

Amid the global financial crisis, speculation continues that other carmakers will follow Honda in withdrawing from the expensive sport.

Focus claims that the management board's vote tallied three votes to two, meaning that for now Daimler AG remains committed to Formula One.


The same magazine, however, said BMW might rethink its BMW Sauber-branded F1 programme upon completion of the quest to win the title, theoretically at the end of this year.

F1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone recently said he is pressing for the manufacturers to commit contractually to the sport long-term.

Organisers of last year's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix have confirmed that changes will be made to the Marina Bay street circuit ahead of the 2009 race.

Turns 1, 13 and 14 will be modified to improve overtaking, a better road surface with fewer bumps installed between turns 5 and 7, and runoff reduced at turn 22 for the benefit of spectators.

The most significant addition will be a dedicated pit entry, with some drivers complaining last year about an unsafe speed differential between cars entering for service and those staying on track.

The pit exit will also be modified for safety reasons.

"While the circuit and the event exceeded expectations around the world, as with any brand new event, there are always things which we now know we can do better," said Singapore's technical and race operations director, Michael McDonough.

Meanwhile, the Business Times on Monday reported that the price of trackside corporate suites for the event has been increased from between 1800-3900 euros in 2008 to between 2500-4100 euros this year.

[kngrsll]

has F1 ever had a year without a manufacturer?

[mads]

has F1 ever had a year without a manufacturer?

ferrari have been in f1 all 60 years.

[kngrsll]

ferrari have been in f1 all 60 years.

oh yeah... but were they building road cars when they started??

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

oh yeah... but were they building road cars when they started??

the 166 Inter came out in '49, so yes.

[_R_]

Williams and Toyota believe their diffuser designs for 2009 are legal, and it is likely the FIA will not intervene, according to Motorsport Aktuell.

It was reported last week that rival teams expressed concerns about the legitimacy of the two teams' separate designs, after 'clever aerodynamic shaping' was used to sidestep the regulation about the maximum height of 175mm.

The Swiss publication claims however that the designs - while using a loophole for extra bodywork not intended for diffusers - conform to the letter of the technical rules.

Separate technical analysis published on F1's official website describe Williams' design as 'highly innovative', and Toyota's 'very interesting', as both use clever shaping of the rear crash structure to effectively increase the height of the diffuser.

It is believed that the teams in question, who are both powered by Toyota's 2.4 litre V8 engines, separately got clearance from the FIA about their interpretations of the 2009 rules.

The FIA has not confirmed publicly that the designs are legal, however, and an official protest can only be lodged by a rival team once the cars are presented for scrutineering in Australia late next month.

can't wait to see how many other teams decide to redesign the rear

[kngrsll]

the 166 Inter came out in '49, so yes.

you can tell my racing history is weak anyways, i wonder if we will end up going back to a majority of privateers?

[mads]

you can tell my racing history is weak anyways, i wonder if we will end up going back to a majority of privateers?

williams vs force india vs rb(s)

maybe webber could finally have a win

[mads]

Oh that rossi, up to his crazy antics again



GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX
Rossi injured in home incident

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 3rd 2009, 14:43 GMT

Valentino Rossi had to receive stitches in his left hand and left foot after a domestic incident in his house in Italy.

The Yamaha team said Rossi was closing the curtains in his house when he tripped and fell onto a glass table, cutting the ring finger of his left hand and the sole of his left foot.

He went to the hospital and received a few stitches.

The team said the injuries were not serious but admitted it was not yet clear whether or not they will make him uncomfortable when riding in this week's test.

Rossi will still fly out to Malaysia as planned and will try to ride his bike when the test begins on Thursday.

[Redliner]

Oh that rossi, up to his crazy antics again



GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX
Rossi injured in home incident

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 3rd 2009, 14:43 GMT

Valentino Rossi had to receive stitches in his left hand and left foot after a domestic incident in his house in Italy.

The Yamaha team said Rossi was closing the curtains in his house when he tripped and fell onto a glass table, cutting the ring finger of his left hand and the sole of his left foot.

He went to the hospital and received a few stitches.

The team said the injuries were not serious but admitted it was not yet clear whether or not they will make him uncomfortable when riding in this week's test.

Rossi will still fly out to Malaysia as planned and will try to ride his bike when the test begins on Thursday.

Glad to see I'm not the only clumsy one

I've never understood how I could put a car square on the apex at 120mph, yet trip over my shoe laces while walking Makes me feel alot better knowing Rossi, who can put a knee on the pavement at 190mph can fall off a chair and get stiches

[_R_]

[_R_]

Glad to see I'm not the only clumsy one
I've never understood how I could put a car square on the apex at 120mph, yet trip over my shoe laces while walking Makes me feel alot better knowing Rossi, who can put a knee on the pavement at 190mph can fall off a chair and get stiches

with the amount of stupid or crazy things I do, I always tell people I'm going to die doing some ironic... like stubbing my toe on a screw and getting tetanus or something...

[mads]

with the amount of stupid or crazy things I do, I always tell people I'm going to die doing some ironic... like stubbing my toe on a screw and getting tetanus or something...

i cut myself on a pastry once

[kngrsll]

he was probably banging the shit out of some random italian models

[Nacho]

Mark Webber is using a cryogenic chamber and sub-zero therapy as a tool to returning to full fitness ahead of the 2009 World Championship.

The Australian, who badly broke the two bones in his lower right leg in late November, is scheduled to return to the cockpit of his Red Bull next week.

It emerged on Tuesday that part of his accelerated rehabilitation programme has been standing in temperatures of an incredible minus-130 degrees for three minutes at a time.

"It's very good for your general well-being, your immune system and apparently it's good for cellulite. Not much of a worry for me... but it's very good for the whole body," the 32-year-old said.

Webber claims his February return is still due to take place, but is realistic about the rigours of action in a F1 cockpit.

"Driving is not like playing tennis. A tennis player can practise before actually playing a game.
I need to get in the car and go and do it to find out about things like the vibration jolts," said Webber, who did some karting in Austria recently.

He insists he will be fit for the first race of the season in March.

"There's been some stuff in the press that I won't be 100 per cent fit for Melbourne which pissed me off. I will be 100 per cent ready to do my job," said Webber.

holy shit.