3530 replies to this topic

[DrDickAction]

Well if I don't to drive F1-crews' car, I'll be the race engineer that annoyingly comes on the radio at the worse possible moment and tell you that you're faster than Kimi and that you gotta "keep pushin' hard, go!"

My qualifications? I totally look like the geek and watched too many Senna videos in my own aspirations for a driving role way back in the day

Can you do a good northern England accent though?

[_R_]

todays times
Button out of no where

Felipe Massa ended this week's test at Hockenheim with the fastest time on Thursday, although Jenson Button was the surprise of the day as he ended it second quickest overall.

Massa took over the testing duties from Kimi Raikkonen to finish Ferrari's testing programme as the team bid to move on from their British Grand Prix disappointment.

And the Brazilian was the only driver to get under the one minute 15 seconds barriers as he set a best time of 1:14.989 seconds.

"It was a good day's work," said Massa. "We did a lot of kilometres and I have to say the car felt well balanced. This can only mean that we should also be competitive at this track, which is also the case for our main rivals."

Button evaluated new aerodynamic updates on his Honda Racing RA108 to set the second fastest time, just 0.092 seconds behind Massa.

Heikki Kovalainen was third quickest for McLaren, ahead of Mark Webber in the Red Bull Racing car and Scuderia Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel.

Giancarlo Fisichella brought a red flag out with a crash in his Force India at the Sachskurve in the afternoon, while Kazuki Nakajima also forced a stoppage in the morning when he stopped on track with a mechanical problem.

"It was a bit frustrating we could not do more running," said Fisichella. "In the morning we had the technical problem and had to stop for some time, then in the afternoon I had an accident.

"The rear of the car went away and I just lost control through the stadium complex. The car went across the road and there's not much run off area there so I went into the wall. I'm fine, but the car was quite badly damaged.

"The guys did a good job to get it out again for the last 30 minutes. Overall we are making some small improvements and moving forward. We will have to see how they work next weekend."

The other red flag of the day was caused by Fernando Alonso, whose Renault stopped on track at 16:35.

As well as trying out their car developments and set-ups, the drivers were also able to practice starts during a special lunchtime extension.

Today's times:

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Massa Ferrari 1:14.989 109
2. Button Honda 1:15.081 121
3. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:15.289 123
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:15.378 118
5. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:15.556 115
6. Alonso Renault 1:15.593 119
7. Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:15.759 118
8. Kubica BMW-Sauber 1:15.869 107
9. Trulli Toyota 1:16.065 129
10. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari 1:16.113 74

[Redliner]

Can you do a good northern England accent though?

Bloody engineers from Yorkshire couldn't tell a fag from a proper racing car, but i tell you what mate... I can talk any pilot named Shi into mounting that racing car like a proper dog to his bitch and make her go quick around that race track, don't you worry!

[Redliner]

todays times
Button out of no where

This won't last. If it does, everyone at Honda needs to get a tat of Ross Brawn's face on their chest as a sign of respect.

[Nacho]

The dumbo ears are WAY fucking worse than the anvil fin thing.

I sort of liked it when it was just the RBRs, it differentiated the cars. Getting a bit overdone now.

That and RBR's were that dark blue, so they were harder to see. The lighter color cars really lets you see how terrible they look.

[F1]

Looks like McLaren only ran the anvil for the first day of testing. No pictures of it today or yesterday.

amen.

[DrDickAction]

Bloody engineers from Yorkshire couldn't tell a fag from a proper racing car, but i tell you what mate... I can talk any pilot named Shi into mounting that racing car like a proper dog to his bitch and make her go quick around that race track, don't you worry!

throw in a bullocks and you're hired!

[DrDickAction]

That and RBR's were that dark blue, so they were harder to see. The lighter color cars really lets you see how terrible they look.

good point.

[_R_]

and in today's news....

Toro Rosso engineers are working hard to get Sebastien Bourdais up to pace with his on-form team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Multiple Champ Car title winner and F1 rookie Bourdais, on a single-year contract in 2008, has struggled notably since the Faenza based team received the latest car from supplier Red Bull Technology.

"He has a problem with the nervous rear when he's turning in," team boss Franz Tost told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
Vettel admits: "Bourdais prefers a car more with understeer. To me it makes no difference whether it is understeering or oversteering."
So is Bourdais, 29, now fighting for his place at STR in 2009? "Simply he has to find the accelerator pedal," is how Tost puts it.

In the Frenchman's favour is the current state of the driver market for next year. Unlike in the last few years, no drivers have been spectacular in GP2 this season, and Toro Rosso is not going to be keen on installing an all-new driver line-up, should Vettel move as expected to Red Bull.

[_R_]

Robert Kubica is statistically the best driver of the 2008 season so far, the Canadian sports television network CBS Sport said.

Although the Pole is two points behind the three-way tussle for drivers' title honours, CBS said it has based its findings on an analysis of various other factors.

Kubica has made fewer driving errors than any other championship challenger, and has been more consistent, they reported.

The television network said Kubica's average finishing result (4.89), compared even with world champion Kimi Raikkonen (5.33) and Silverstone winner Lewis Hamilton (6.11), is the highest of any competitor.

[_R_]

Formula one is not in Volkswagen's sights within the next three years, the German carmaker's motor racing representative Hans-Joachim Stuck insists.

BMW Sauber team boss Mario Theissen suggested last weekend that other European manufacturers, including VW, Audi and Porsche, are interested in the sport's current direction, including measures to rationalise budgets and road-relevant technologies like KERS.

"For a global automobile company such as Volkswagen, Formula One is always a topic," Stuck, who competed in the 70s, told the German language newspaper Vorarlberger Nachrichten.

Adding that part of his role is to communicate with 'powerful' figures including Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, Stuck explained: "An entry within the next three years is however not realistic. There are still uncertainties in the regulations - (like) the engine freeze."

[_R_]

and last but not least....

End of the road for the spy scandal between the top two teams in Formula One
The scandal that rocked Formula One last summer and resulted in McLaren paying a record $100m fine to the FIA is now over. Today McLaren and Ferrari issued statements stating that 'various disputes' between the rivals teams have been resolved.

McLaren has agreed to pay the cost incurred by Ferrari and the Italian team has pledged to give the proceedings to charity. The team are however to continue legal action against former team engineer Nigel Stepney.

McLaren statement
"In light of the formal closure in December 2007 of the FIA and FIA World Motor Sport Council proceedings against McLaren, and of McLaren’s public apology to Ferrari which we have reiterated, Ferrari and McLaren have agreed to bring the various disputes between them in relation to this matter to a final conclusion."

"McLaren has also agreed to the reimbursement of Ferrari’s costs and expenses relating to these matters and a concluding payment."

Ferrari statement
"Ferrari acknowledges McLaren's reiterated apology for the well known events which occurred during the 2007 F1 Championship and, in the best interests of Formula 1 and taking into account the formal closure in December 2007 of the FIA and FIA World Motor Sport Council proceedings against McLaren, it confirms that it has accepted to put an end to all outstanding controversies between the two teams. Ferrari will donate to charity the concluding payment received from McLaren."

"Ferrari will pursue its claims against Nigel Stepney in connection with the matter."

[_R_]

Takuma Sato's fans had pretty much given up on seeing their idol on track this past weekend at the British Grand Prix. Many of them had bought plane and/or GP tickets well in advance, only to be disappointed when Super Aguri followed Minardi, and Arrows in to the annals of Formula 1 history just two months ago.

So what did Taku do? Rent a kart track and invite his fans, plus a few select journalists, to race him in a 30-minute endurance race. Some fans, who had flown in from across Europe and of course Japan, were new to karting, so Taku graciously took them out for a few practice laps and providing one-on-one instruction. How many people get to have their first racing lesson from an F1 racer?

As Formula 1's silly season kicks in to high gear, rumors around the paddock have Takuma moving back to Honda's F1 team next year (at the expense of Rubens Barrichello or Jensen Button), driving for Team Force India should the F1 newbies switch from Ferrari to Honda power next year, heading up team Japan in A1 GP or even leading an all new Team Honda USA (which should be called Team Acura surely) with Danica Patrick as his team mate. Unfortunately, Takuma wouldn't confirm or deny any such gossip.

[Redliner]

I was just about to post this. How awesome is that? Inviting fans and what not to run around a Go-Kart track. Gotta respect the guy...

[Redliner]

and last but not least....

About the Ferrari v McLaren thing....I thought they were forced to pay FIA 100million, not Ferrari...ibconfused

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

About the Ferrari v McLaren thing....I thought they were forced to pay FIA 100million, not Ferrari...ibconfused

they did.

"...resulted in McLaren paying a record $100m fine to the FIA is now over"

they also are paying Ferrari for court and investigation fees, which Ferrari have said they will donate to charity.

[Redliner]

they did.

"...resulted in McLaren paying a record $100m fine to the FIA is now over"

they also are paying Ferrari for court and investigation fees, which Ferrari have said they will donate to charity.

Ah. Thanks for the clear up. Reading comprehension owns me.

[Nacho]

yay for Taku. Boo on Danica.

She's struggling in an IRL car, she has no business anywhere around an F1 car.

[Redliner]

yay for Taku. Boo on Danica.

She's struggling in an IRL car, she has no business anywhere around an F1 car.

call me sexist, but i sorta don't want her in F1 b/c she's a woman. It's fine if she's a woman, but I want her to gain publicity b/c she wins. Not b/c of her sex.

[AErrorist]

WTF, I didn't get an invite from Sato...


then again, I didn't go to the Silverstone GP, ohh well. Go TAKU

[_R_]

The Stig v F1

"Whoever's in that car is a seriously good driver," said Fernando Alonso pre-race at the British Grand Prix last weekend.

Alonso was watching a man being driven around in a two seat Santander grand prix car by a mysterious white-clad driver.

"I've no idea who he is, but he's definitely ex-F1," Alonso continued.

Who was he talking about? The Stig of course!

Those of you who were at Silverstone last weekend may have noticed the well-known tame racing driving lapping the circuit before the F1 cars went out to the grid.

The Stig had been bought in a Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital charity auction for the princely sum of £35,000, by a man who'd won £5million pounds on the lottery.

His 35 grand got him three laps in the back of the Santander grand prix car, driven by the Stig himself.

You'll know if you watched the race how wet it was, but the Stig threw off the challenge with a shrug.

Or at least he would have if he was prone to any physical expression what-so-ever, but as he's not he just got on with it.

No traction control, no driver aids and cold, hard Avon wet tyres.

The back even stepped out on him at one point, at 178mph, and he saved it.

But then what did you expect from a driver who even Alonso admires?

Sir Stiggington, we salute you.

[PittHockey]

Photochop.... GO!

[Redliner]

Great find. I always wondered how the Stig stacked up against others. And for FA to say he's a "good" driver is pretty cool.

[More&Faster]

stig ftmfw

[tefnut]

Porsche needs to get its ass back into F1. I'll have no one to cheer for once drunken Finn attack retires.

And Stig and Sato FTW