F1 Reports

[Ackmann]

Congratulations to Toyota for their first 1-2 Qualifing.

4


Trulli heads all-Toyota front row

By Matt Beer Saturday, April 25th 2009, 12:03 GMT


Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock claimed Toyota's first ever Formula 1 front row sweep as the Japanese manufacturer dominated Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying.

The result was Toyota's first pole since the 2005 Japanese GP, and came after increasingly impressive progress from the team in the opening rounds of the season.

Trulli and Glock held first and second after the early runs of Q3, and although Jenson Button (Brawn) and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) briefly pushed them down the order - fleetingly making it an all-British front row - the Toyota duo moved back to the top with their final runs.

Pole ultimately went to Trulli by 0.3 seconds, with his team-mate Glock enjoying the same margin back to third-placed Sebastian Vettel, whose excellent qualifying form for Red Bull continued.

Championship leader Button had to settle for fourth, ahead of Hamilton and Rubens Barrichello in the second Brawn.

Fernando Alonso claimed seventh for Renault, with the Ferraris in eighth and 10th - Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen split by Williams's Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton's progress actually knocked his McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen outside the Q3 cut-off, leaving him 11th, alongside Kazuki Nakajima, who was closer to Williams team-mate Rosberg than at recent races but still not quick enough for the top ten.

The BMWs will share row seven after another disappointing performance, while Renault's Nelson Piquet finally reached Q2 for the first time in 2009, only for his error at the final corner to leave him 15th.

Last week's third-place qualifier and second place finisher Mark Webber is set to start from the back row of the grid in Bahrain - but through no fault of his own.

The Red Bull was on course to easily make the Q2 cut when Webber was impeded by Adrian Sutil's at the entry to the final corner, leaving the Australian in the bottom quarter of the grid along with the Force Indias and Toro Rossos.

Sutil managed a season-best 16th, although this will be in jeopardy if the stewards opt to issue any penalties over the Webber incident.

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:32.779 1:32.671 1:33.431 2. Glock Toyota (B) 1:33.165 1:32.613 1:33.712 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:32.680 1:32.474 1:34.015 4. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:32.978 1:32.842 1:34.044 5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:32.851 1:32.877 1:34.196 6. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:33.116 1:32.842 1:34.239 7. Alonso Renault (B) 1:33.627 1:32.860 1:34.578 8. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:33.297 1:33.014 1:34.818 9. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:33.672 1:33.166 1:35.134 10. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:33.117 1:32.827 1:35.380 11. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:33.479 1:33.242 12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:33.221 1:33.34813. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:33.495 1:33.48714. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:33.377 1:33.56215. Piquet Renault (B) 1:33.608 1:33.94116. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:33.722 17. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:33.753 18. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:33.910 19. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:34.038 20. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:34.159
All Timing Unofficial

[Ackmann]

11

By Matt Beer Sunday, April 26th 2009, 13:38 GMT

Jenson Button claimed his third win in four races as he took Brawn back to the front in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Delays behind slower cars cost Sebastian Vettel dear and the Chinese GP winner had to settle for second for Red Bull, with pole-sitter Jarno Trulli (Toyota) third and Lewis Hamilton taking the best result of his title defence so far with fourth for McLaren.

A second lap pass on Hamilton proved critical to Button's victory. As the Toyotas led away, Hamilton had used his McLaren's KERS advantage to blast past both Button and Vettel off the line, with the Red Bull and the Brawn swapping places as Vettel tried to fight back against Hamilton.

Trulli lost out to team-mate Timo Glock into the first corner, and was also briefly passed by Hamilton - again thanks to KERS - further around the lap before reclaiming second place.

Button then drafted Hamilton on the pits straight and managed to out-brake the McLaren into Turn 1. This allowed the championship leader to lurk behind the lighter Toyotas throughout the first stint, while Vettel fell ever further behind due to his inability to pass Hamilton's slower McLaren.

Glock had led confidently in the early stages, but fell back into traffic when he pitted on lap 11 and also struggled with the medium tyres in his second stint, ending his chances of victory.

Trulli ran two laps further and then lost time having a spectacular battle with the yet-to-stop Fernando Alonso, all of which helped Button to pull out ahead when he rejoined after his first stop on lap 15.

Vettel ran right through to lap 19 before pitting, and although this vaulted him clear of Hamilton, it was not sufficient to get ahead of Trulli.

The Red Bull emerged from the pits right behind the Toyota, but with Trulli losing a second per lap to new leader Button while using medium tyres in the middle stint - and Vettel unable to get past the Italian - Button's position became ever more secure and he duly resumed his winning habit after the mild disappointment of China.

It was not until the final stops that Vettel managed to pass Trulli, and by that time he was 12s adrift of Button - and in any case Trulli proved faster in the final stint having saved a set of the preferable super-soft tyres for the end. He shadowed Vettel to the flag, before settling for third.

Hamilton dropped away from this contest but still took an encouraging fourth.

Rubens Barrichello came through to fifth in the second Brawn despite his three-stop strategy causing him a great deal of traffic frustration. He just pulled out enough of a margin before his final stop to beat Kimi Raikkonen, who finally opened Ferrari's points account for 2009, and Glock, who probably would have beaten Raikkonen had the Ferrari not activated KERS as they diced after their last pit visits.

Alonso beat Williams's Nico Rosberg to the final point, with Renault's second driver Nelson Piquet showing much better form to complete the top ten, resisting late pressure from Mark Webber as the Red Bull driver tried to recover from his qualifying frustrations.

The first few laps saw some ferocious three- and four-abreast racing in the midfield - and predictably a lot of damage.

All those involved managed to keep going, but Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) and both BMWs all needed new front wings, and McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen fell to the back of the field and also had to pit early to replace a flat-spotted tyre.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain;
57 laps; 308.238km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1h31:48.182
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) + 7.187
3. Trulli Toyota (B) + 9.170
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 22.096
5. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) + 37.779
6. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) + 42.057
7. Glock Toyota (B) + 42.880
8. Alonso Renault (B) + 52.775
9. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 58.198
10. Piquet Renault (B) + 1:05.149
11. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 1:07.641
12. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1:17.824
13. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1:18.805
14. Massa Ferrari (B) + 1 lap
15. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
16. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
17. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap
18. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap
19. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap


Fastest lap: Trulli, 1:34.556

Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 49

World Championship standings, round 4:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Button 31 1. Brawn GP-Mercedes 50
2. Barrichello 19 2. Red Bull-Renault 27.5
3. Vettel 18 3. Toyota 26.5
4. Trulli 14.5 4. McLaren-Mercedes 13
5. Glock 12 5. Renault 5
6. Webber 9.5 6. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
7. Hamilton 9 7. BMW Sauber 4
8. Alonso 5 8. Williams-Toyota 3.5
9. Heidfeld 4 9. Ferrari 3
10. Kovalainen 4
11. Rosberg 3.5
12. Buemi 3
13. Raikkonen 3
14. Bourdais 1

All timing unofficial

[Boxer]

Ferrari has a lot of work to do before the car is competitive. It just is not fast.

[LeManns67]

Yea! Much different year then last years season. I play in a couple of F1 internet contests. 1 Fantasy F1 League and the other is F1tipping.com
F1 Tipping you have to pick the top three qualifiers and top three podium placers. Every week its tough to even have a clue. Practice doesn't help you guess as well. McLaren may contend a little this year but Ferrari is hurting.

[Boxer]

Ferrari is in very tough situation. If the new aero package that they are installing for Barcelona does not make the car competitive, then that is basically it for the season. To make matters even more complicated, Kimi has not endeared himself to anyone at Ferrari and they will likely replace him before next season.

[Ackmann]

For those of you not lucky enough to be in Bahrain to experience the ‘new' McLaren, here are the two cocktails that were served in Bahrain by the team's expert catering department Absolute Taste.

ABSOLUTE TASTE MIDDLE EASTERN BREEZE

1 part sugar syrup
10 parts fresh apple juice
5 parts ginger beer
6 mint leaves
A fresh lime chopped into wedges
Muddle together in a glass and add ice.
To make alcoholic add 3 parts Johnnie Walker Black

ABSOLUTE TASTE DESERT SUNRISE

1 part sugar syrup
10 parts pomegranate juice
10 parts blood orange juice
A fresh lime chopped into wedges
Shake together and pour over cubed ice
Garnished with a wedge of lime
To make alcoholic add 3 parts Ciroc vodka and 1 part peach schnapps

Cheers!

[Boxer]

For those of you not lucky enough to be in Bahrain to experience the ‘new' McLaren, here are the two cocktails that were served in Bahrain by the team's expert catering department Absolute Taste.

ABSOLUTE TASTE MIDDLE EASTERN BREEZE

1 part sugar syrup
10 parts fresh apple juice
5 parts ginger beer
6 mint leaves
A fresh lime chopped into wedges
Muddle together in a glass and add ice.
To make alcoholic add 3 parts Johnnie Walker Black

ABSOLUTE TASTE DESERT SUNRISE

1 part sugar syrup
10 parts pomegranate juice
10 parts blood orange juice
A fresh lime chopped into wedges
Shake together and pour over cubed ice
Garnished with a wedge of lime
To make alcoholic add 3 parts Ciroc vodka and 1 part peach schnapps

Cheers!


Great find. Any idea what Ferrari was serving? Hopefully something very strong that might cause short term memory loss.

[Ackmann]

Great find. Any idea what Ferrari was serving? Hopefully something very strong that might cause short term memory loss.

I haven't heard but I'm sure it was something sour!
Actually Kimi had a respectable race considering.

[Boxer]

I haven't heard but I'm sure it was something sour!
Actually Kimi had a respectable race considering.

Agree, his best performance since before he got fat last season.

Did you see the look on Luca's face when he was down on the pit wall towards the end of the race? Seems he knows that their season is basically finished.

[Ackmann]

Mosley: F1 could survive without Ferrari

By Edd Straw Saturday, May 2nd 2009, 09:56 GMT


FIA president Max Mosley has insisted that Formula 1 could live without Ferrari in response to Luca di Montezemolo's criticism of the budget cap regulations.

The Ferrari chairman hit out at the introduction of the budget cap in a letter to the FIA revealed by AUTOSPORT yesterday.

In the letter di Montezemolo said the budget cap could undermine the credibility of the sport and be difficult to implement. He suggested that "all aspects of the new regulations should be carefully reviewed."

But Mosley insists that the £40 million budget cap is vital for the health of F1, saying that if Ferrari was to be lost to F1 it would simply be "sad". He added that he expects it to be difficult for the team to justify its opposition to the budget cap to the Ferrari board given the amount of money it could save.

"The sport could survive without Ferrari," Mosley told the Financial Times. "It would be very sad to lose Ferrari. It is the Italian national team.

"I hope and think that when a team goes to its board and says, 'I want to go to war with the FIA, because I want to be able to spend £100m more than the FIA want me to spend,' the board will say, 'Why can't you spend £40m if the other teams can do it?'"

Mosley emphasised that the FIA would not back away from the budget cap and that it is vital for the financial health of F1 in both the long and short term.

"The cost cap is here to stay," he said. "There is room for discussion, it might go up or down in 2011 and if the economy picks up, say in 2014, then it might go up. You might adjust the cap in the interests of the sport, but you'll have everyone on a level playing field.

"The credit crunch hasn't really hit F1 yet. Obviously we lost Honda, but the real crunch will come when current contracts come to be renewed.

"Those contracts were signed before their share prices took a dump. I believe FOM [Formula One Management, the commercial rights holder of F1] will not be able to give the teams as much money as they have."

Mosley admitted that policing the budget cap would be difficult, but that any suspected irregularities would be thoroughly investigated.

"The difficulty and danger of cheating would be enormous," Mosley told the FT. "If we had the slightest suspicion that anyone was cheating, we'd send a team in to check. That's part of the deal.

"The [Inland] Revenue can't put even one tax inspector into each business on a permanent basis, we can put several in."

[Boxer]

Conceptually he is right. F1 could survive without.......Mosley.

[Ackmann]

The controversial 'winner takes all' scoring system has been rubber stamped for introduction in 2010 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

The governing body tried to introduce Bernie Ecclestone's favoured system this year, but the late change was vetoed by the Formula One Teams' Association.

We reported in March that the FIA would consult the teams before trying to introduce the system for 2010, but the new sporting regulations for next year already feature the controversial rule.

Article 6 states that the drivers' title 'will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races'.



The news has until now slipped the attention of the media because - unlike all other changes to the rules - the amended rule was not highlighted in pink and underlined in copies of the 2010 sporting regulations.

The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.

This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.

Source: GMM

[Boxer]

I believe they really need to restructure F1 from the ground up.

[Ackmann]

I believe they really need to restructure F1 from the ground up.

I agree it needs a good sorting out. Better than a loss of teams and/or a seperate spin off. If I were the manufactures I would try and get the cap set at 50 Million, adjustable by some average cost factor, no set engine or chassis, more freedom of aero packages and greater tire selection. Would make for better racing I think. Then take their extra funds and focus on ALMS & LMS racing. Especialy the GT2 class since most car buyers can associate with those cars more.

[Ackmann]

I dont like the guy, but I do feel for him and his grief. Not meant to make fun, but I sure hope Ron Dennis has a good alliby.


FIA President Max Mosley's son has been found dead in his home in Notting Hill, West London.


Alexander Mosley, a 39-year-old economist, was discovered slumped in a room by a relative late on Tuesday afternoon.


A Scotland Yard statement said: "We were called at 16.20pm on Tuesday to reports of a male found dead at a property in W11.


"He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is in his late thirties.


"We believe we know the identity of the deceased. The Coroner's office has been informed."


Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, issued a statement of condolence on Wednesday afternoon.


"The FIA extends sincere condolences to the Mosley family on the sad news of the death of Alexander Mosley," the statement read.


"Our thoughts are with Alexander's family and friends, and we would request that the media respect the Mosley family's privacy at this difficult time."

[Boxer]

I agree it needs a good sorting out. Better than a loss of teams and/or a seperate spin off. If I were the manufactures I would try and get the cap set at 50 Million, adjustable by some average cost factor, no set engine or chassis, more freedom of aero packages and greater tire selection. Would make for better racing I think. Then take their extra funds and focus on ALMS & LMS racing. Especialy the GT2 class since most car buyers can associate with those cars more.

It is a delicate balance. They need to be able to set up a structure where teams can still invest a considerable amount to develop leading edge technology but still have a cap so it is just not a money contest.

MLBs system of taxing payroll above a certain $ amount with the proceeds going to the low spending teams might make a lot of sense for F1.

[Ackmann]

It is a delicate balance. They need to be able to set up a structure where teams can still invest a considerable amount to develop leading edge technology but still have a cap so it is just not a money contest.

MLBs system of taxing payroll above a certain $ amount with the proceeds going to the low spending teams might make a lot of sense for F1.

Actually, that is quite interesting. Would be something worth considering really. I dont like the teams hands to be tied or we all loose as far as development, but I still would like to see it be very competetive. Perhaps they could yellow flag it every few laps like nascar so we can see more wrecks and more passing? LOLOLOL Just kidding, that would be awefull.

[Ackmann]

Spanish GP - Friday - Practice Session 2 Results

Friday Practice Session 2
POS DRIVER NATIONALITY ENTRANT TIME
1. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 1:21.588
2. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 1:21.740
3. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault 1:21.781
4. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn GP-Mercedes 1:21.843
5. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1:22.027
6. Jenson Button Britain Brawn GP-Mercedes 1:22.052
7. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1:22.082
8. Nelson Piquet Brazil Renault 1:22.349
9. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:22.571
10. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari 1:22.599
11. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:22.615
12. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 1:22.670
13. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.809
14. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.876
15. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari 1:22.878
16. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 1:22.948
17. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 1:23.173
18. Timo Glock Germany Toyota 1:23.360
19. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 1:23.623
20. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes No Time

[Ackmann]

http://www.speedtv.com/video/popup/20864602001

Check out Despains take on F1 Cap and the Spain GP results videos.

[Boxer]

Ferrari definitely has made major improvements to the F60 but still not good enough to win. Hamilton seemed very pissed in the post race interview, really crapped all over McLaren.

[Ackmann]

Ferrari threatens to leave F1 in 2010

By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, May 12th 2009, 14:53 GMT


Ferrari has confirmed that it will not enter next year's world championship unless plans for a voluntary £40 million budget cap are changed.

Although the team had expressed private reservations about the rule changes and governing processes for 2010, it finally went public with its intentions in a statement issued following a board meeting at Maranello on Tuesday afternoon.

"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future," said the statement.

"If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 world championship. "

Entries for the 2010 world championship close on May 29, with Toyota and Red Bull's two F1 teams having already announced in public that they will not enter if the rules remain unchanged.

It is thought likely that the other manufacturer teams will also join a 'boycott' of lodging an entry by the deadline - with only the current independents Brawn GP, Williams and Force India outfits set to apply.

As with other teams, Ferrari's main cause of concern is the possibility of a two-tier F1 - which would come into force should some teams adopt to run under budget cap restrictions next year while others choose unrestricted finances.

Regarding the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meeting on April 29 that ratified the 2010 regulations, the Ferrari statement said: "Although this meeting was originally called only to examine a disciplinary matter, the decisions taken mean that, for the first time ever in Formula 1, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.

"The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari's uninterrupted participation in the world championship over the last 60 years – the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 – would come to a close."

Although Ferrari is totally opposed to a two-tier F1 system, and has questioned whether or not it is possible for a £40 million budget cap to be introduced next year, the Italian outfit is also concerned about governance of the sport.

As well as being unhappy about the way the rules were pushed through last year, Ferrari thinks there has not been enough consultation with the teams.

"The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams," added the statement.

"The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations."

In light of the developments regarding next year's entry, Ferrari said its president Luca di Montezemolo had been told to look at alternative activities for the racing team.

"Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia's approach to motor sport and to Formula 1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values," said the statement.

"The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company's interests."

Despite Ferrari's strong stance, the FIA said earlier today that it was optimistic a solution to the matter could be found soon. Di Montezemolo is expected to meet with FIA president Max Mosley in the next few days to discuss the situation.

[Boxer]

Classic Ferrari. Enzo used to do this on occassion. Now they will start to negotiate.

[Ackmann]

Classic Ferrari. Enzo used to do this on occassion. Now they will start to negotiate.

Your probably right. I'm sure the FIA will make some type of adjustment to entice Ferrari to take the lead and lead the teams into a fair settlement.

[LeManns67]

Renault to follow Ferrari

Nelson Piquet, Spanish GP 2009
© The Cahier Archive
The French newspaper Le Figaro is reporting that Renault will soon come out in support of Ferrari, Toyota and the Red Bulls teams in saying that they will not enter the 2010 World Championship unless the FIA changes its regulations. They are not opposed to the budget cap, but object to the way it has been introduced and the two-tier system that the FIA wishes to create. Le Figaro says that Renault will announce the same decision today. It is believed that the other manufacturer teams will follow. They have agreed that budgets should come down to around $100m in the next two or three years. The FIA argues that this is not enough because there are no guarantees that the manufacturers will stay and unless the budget cap is lower there will be no new teams to replace them when they leave.

[Boxer]

Renault to follow Ferrari

Nelson Piquet, Spanish GP 2009
© The Cahier Archive
The French newspaper Le Figaro is reporting that Renault will soon come out in support of Ferrari, Toyota and the Red Bulls teams in saying that they will not enter the 2010 World Championship unless the FIA changes its regulations. They are not opposed to the budget cap, but object to the way it has been introduced and the two-tier system that the FIA wishes to create. Le Figaro says that Renault will announce the same decision today. It is believed that the other manufacturer teams will follow. They have agreed that budgets should come down to around $100m in the next two or three years. The FIA argues that this is not enough because there are no guarantees that the manufacturers will stay and unless the budget cap is lower there will be no new teams to replace them when they leave.


Not at all surprised. I expect the German teams will also join ranks with Ferrari shortly.

[Ackmann]

Yes, I agree! the more teams that follow suit the greater chance they have to force the FIA to change the rules in th eteams favor. We have seen a real power struggle between the teams and the FIA for awhile. This is their best chance to unite and FORCE the FIA to give into their demands. If it's only a couple of teams they will probably just get a little more money but not the removal of the two team rules.

[Boxer]

If you step back and look at the whole picture on a "value added" basis, the FIA brrings very little to the party (just the rules), Bernie's F1 organization slightly more (they organize the events and bring in TV/Sponsor $$$), but the majority is provided by the teams. Hence they are the ones who should be in control and call ing the shots. Put another way, the teams could all walk and set up an alternative series fairly easily but it would be near impossible for either F1 or the FIA to put together a new set of teams if the current walked.

If I was Bernie, I would settle soon.

[Ackmann]

Ecclestone: Two-tier will be scrapped

By Matt Beer Sunday, May 17th 2009, 09:42 GMT


Bernie Ecclestone says that although Friday's crunch meeting between the teams and the FIA ended in stalemate over the budget cap, both parties did agree that the controversial two-tier system should not go ahead.

Formula 1's commercial rights holder also believes that the chances of any of the current teams carrying out their threats not to participate in the 2010 world championship are slim.

Under the current 2010 rules, teams can choose to either adhere to a £40 million budget cap and enjoy greater technical freedom, or continue to spend freely but run to more restrictive regulations, which some teams have estimated would leave them up to three seconds per lap slower than the capped teams.

The prospect of two parallel sets of rules was one of the main sticking points between the teams and the governing body, but Ecclestone believes the two-tier system is now highly unlikely to proceed.

"I think the most important thing that upset everybody, they didn't like, was this two-tier technical system, so I think it has been agreed that we shouldn't have that. We should have just one set of regulations," he told the BBC.

"I think everybody is more or less happy with the budget cap. Just how much. They'll go with it higher [than £40 million], maybe it'll be lower. It's a case of just sorting it out.

"Everyone will be under the same regulations."

He added that he had his own misgivings about the two-tier proposal.

"I always thought that was a bit stupid," Ecclestone was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "It was important to get rid of it."

If the two-tier proposal was shelved, Ecclestone had no doubt that the teams currently planning to withhold their 2010 entries would return to the fold.

"I am confident all the teams will still be racing next year," he said.

[Boxer]

Even quicker than I anticipated. Bernie is getting soft in his old age.

[Ackmann]

A revolution coming at Toyota?

The word from Japan is that the Toyota Motor Company is about to announce a massive restructuring, following the loss of $7.7bn in the first quarter of the year. It is said that 40% of the senior management of the company will be dropped when new chief executive Akio Toyoda takes control on June 1. He will be the first member of the firm's founding family to have the top job for 14 years, but will be the sixth to hold that position. It is felt within the family that the company has drifted away from its traditional values in the last few years and the change in management is designed to alter the way of thinking within the empire. There are 30 members of the Toyota board of directors, but more than half of them are over 60. Tadashi Yamashina, the head of the motorsport division, is on the board but is one of the younger generation at 57. He says that he has the support of Toyoda for the company to continue in F1 but he admits that things could change given the current state of the automobile markets of the world. Things will become clearer after Toyoda takes control.

[Ackmann]

By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 20th 2009


Ferrari has lost its legal bid to lodge an injunction against the FIA's plans for a voluntary budget cap in Formula 1.

The Maranello outfit was told by French legal authorities on Wednesday that it did not have a valid reason to block plans for a £40 million voluntary budget cap.

The move means that next week's entry deadline for the 2010 championship will go ahead, leaving current teams a few days to resolve their opposition to the regulations.

Ferrari had gone to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris because it believed that the FIA's introduction of the regulations had been in breach of a technical veto that the team has over future technical rule changes.

The FIA argued, however, that the veto was no longer valid - and that Ferrari had also not used the available opportunities to impose its right.

It was also suggested to the court that imposing an entry deadline of next week was important to help secure the future of new teams in the sport - who need as much notice as possible so as to get their entries in place.

Ferrari has joined several other teams in saying that it will not lodge an entry to the 2010 world championship unless changes are made to the rules for next year.

[Ackmann]

Ecclestone warns Ferrari of legal action

By Jonathan Noble Friday, May 22nd 2009, 09:40 GMT


Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has hinted that Ferrari could face legal action if it walks away from the sport at the end of this year.

Ahead of crunch talks between teams and FIA president Max Mosley in Monaco today, Ecclestone has upped the ante by suggesting that Ferrari would be in breach of contract if it did not enter F1 in 2010.

It comes after a French court ruled this week that agreements in place between Ferrari, Ecclestone and the FIA, which locked the team into F1 until 2012, were valid.

Ecclestone told The Times newspaper that he was in no doubt that Ferrari had a commitment to be in F1.

"We would always respect our contracts," Ecclestone said. "And all the teams that have signed contracts with us would expect us to respect them, and we would expect the same from Ferrari. They are saying they are going to walk, we are saying we hope they respect their contract."

There are also suggestions that Ecclestone has written to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo telling him that television rights money paid to the team, believed to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, may have to be returned if the team breaks its contract.

F1 teams are set to meet on Renault boss Flavio Briatore's yacht in Monaco on Friday afternoon to talk about their response to Mosley's refusal to compromise on plans on a £40 million voluntary budget cap. A meeting with the FIA president is set for later in the day.

[Ackmann]

http://www.velocetoday.com/archives/2756

[Ackmann]

Turkish GP - Sunday - Race Report
The curious case of the unbeatable ButtonJenson Button, Turkish GP 2009
© The Cahier Archive

Jenson Button won his sixth victory of the year in Turkey. His sixth in seven races. This is really an extraordinary achievement and one that has rarely been matched in the history of the sport. If has been done three times in the past: by the great Jim Clark in 1965 and by Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 2004. One can argue about 1952 and 1954 when Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio were both totally dominant - but everyone forgets that the Indianapolis 500 was a round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in those days and one cannot simply ignore that, just because it is an inconvenient! The thing that makes Button's achievement so impressive is that his opposition is right with him. There are no team orders to protect him and he has to pull thousandths of a second out of his hat whenever he needs them. And yet he does it. Over and over. These are not victories that Button is cruising. His car is good - very good - but it is not like the Williams-Renaults of 1992. Button is digging deep and winning in style. The Grands Prix are tense battles which are decided with a tenth here and a tenth there. A slight mistake will destroy a dream of victory. This may not make for great TV coverage, but for those who understand what they are seeing, it is terrific.

And all of this overlooks the fact that Brawn GP is a team which had to change engines in a matter of weeks before the season began, and it did just a couple of tests. The team had to overcome the sense of disruption and fears for the future. To have done what they have done is astonishing - and brilliant.

It is the Cinderella story.

"Today the car was the best it's felt all year," he smiled after the victory. "This is the first race where the car really has been absolutely perfect for me. Definitely this was a victory for all of us at Brawn. To beat these Red Bull guys fair and square was a great victory for us."

As the cars lined up on the grid the Red Bull folk were wary of Button. Sebastian Vettel was on pole, and in theory on the cleaner side of the track, but they knew that the fuel-adjusted lap times gave Button the advantage. All he needed was a good start and a few extra laps with clear air and the job would be done. Vettel would be hunted down and beaten.

In the end he did not even have to pull the trigger. Vettel got away in the lead but then he made a mistake and the dream was over. The plan was to try to surprise with a three-stop strategy, but that did not work out.

Button made a decent start from the dirty side of the grid, but his Brawn GP colleague Rubens Barrichello suffered a clutch problem, which left him at chugging speed when what was needed was a very fast car. Rubens pushed buttons and no doubt swore like a trooper but by the time he was back up to speed, he was stuck in traffic.

At Turn 10 on that first lap Vettel ran wide. Button was on him in a flash. And that was that. From the moment Button was ahead it was no longer about containment, but rather about trying to keep up and Vettel must have known that there was not much chance for him to be able to win back what he had lost

"There was a tail wind there, and actually I nearly lost it on the second lap there too," said Vettel. "It was quite tricky.

"But," he added, "it wouldn't have made such a big difference. It was my mistake, but Jenson was just too quick today. There was no holding him after that."

Button was delighted

"It was good to get away second," he explained. "Sebastian covered the inside which surprised me because it's dirty there, and I sat behind for the first half of the lap. Then he ran wide on the exit to Turn 10 and that was my opportunity. It was good that I got him there because otherwise I wouldn't really have had a chance to pass him."

Instead he was able to look at building up a lead. And that is exactly what did did. With a heavier car...

Vettel's three-stop strategy should probably have been changed.

"I knew the win was not going to happen," said Vettel. "It turned out that a three-stop was possibly not as quick as two today.

Button said he was surprised that Red Bull did not change its plan. Vettel did not give up. He fought back running with a very light fuel load in the second stint. The Brawn was running heavier and could do little, but catching is one thing, passing quite another. In the middle of the race, Button had to soak up the pressure.

"I nearly passed him in the last corners," Vettel said.

For Button it was not a nice experience.

"It's never a nice feeling to see another car catching you at a second a lap even though you know the reason is that you have more fuel," Button explained. "I covered the lines, and as soon as Sebastian pitted I pushed hard again and got the lap times down."

And that was that. Button was gone. Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber was even able to catch and pass the German with a two-stop race. When Sebastien pitted for the third time, Webber was left to lead the charge. After that the team tactfully mentioned that it would be best for Vettel not to challenge Webber. Vettel could not stop himself

"I started from pole position, my strategy didn't work, the situation was not what I wanted it to be," he said. "I enjoy driving and would rather have continued to go quick rather than slow down and carry the car home..."

For Webber second place was another solid performance, equalling his career best.

"I knew that I had to hang on as long as possible in the first stint," he explained. "It worked out pretty well and I managed to go a lap longer and save fuel, which helped me gain some time. I knew Sebastian's strategy so there was a chance to get another position. It was just a question which of us would get second. My second stint turned out well for us."

While all this was happening Barrichello was trying to recover from his start, but he was a little too wild for his own good and ended up colliding with the McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen and spun. Rubens later retired with a gearbox problem. It was Brawn's first mechanical failure of the season.

It was a frustrating day for the Brazilian.

Toyota also ended up doing well, despite the recent traumas at the Monaco GP. The result was that Jarno Trulli finished fourth and Timo Glock was eighth.

"The team deserve a lot of credit for the improvement," Trulli said. The driver too. He made up two places in the first corner, but then dropped to fourth because of a brake problem.

Behind Trulli in fifth place was Nico Rosberg, and that was a decent run for Nico.

[LeManns67]

Funny article, but like all things funny with a bit of truth.


http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=38152

[Ackmann]

Mosley rethinks future over FOTA claims
By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken Thursday, June 25th 2009, 20:41 GMT


Formula 1's future has been thrown into turmoil once again, with FIA president Max Mosley saying he is now keeping his future options open because of what he has called 'deliberate attempts' by teams to mislead the media.

Just 24 hours after Mosley reached a deal with FOTA to end the threat of a breakaway series, he has reacted angrily to what he calls 'false claims' made by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) about the nature of their agreement.

In a letter that Mosley sent to FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo, which first appeared on website www.racefax.com but has now been seen by AUTOSPORT, Mosley makes it clear that he is angry at how FOTA has presented the terms of its deal.

And such is his seriousness with which he is treating the matter, that he has told FOTA that his original plan to step down as FIA president in October is no longer definite.

"Given your and FOTA's deliberate attempt to mislead the media, I now consider my options open," wrote Mosley in the letter. "At least until October, I am president of the FIA with the full authority of that office.

"After that it is the FIA member clubs, not you or FOTA, who will decide on the future leadership of the FIA."

Mosley is furious that FOTA representatives have claimed that FIA Senate president Michel Boeri is now in change of F1, that he himself was forced out of office and that he would have no role in the FIA once he steps down in October.

"We made a deal yesterday in Paris to end the recent difficulties in Formula 1," explained Mosley. "A fundamental part of this was that we would both present a positive and truthful account to the media.

"I was therefore astonished to learn that FOTA has been briefing the press that Mr Boeri has taken charge of Formula 1, something which you know is completely untrue; that I had been forced out of office, also false; and, apparently, that I would have no role in the FIA after October, something which is plain nonsense, if only because of the FIA statutes.

"Furthermore, you have suggested to the media that I was a 'dictator', an accusation which is grossly insulting to the 26 members of the World Motor Sport Council who have discussed and voted all the rules and procedures of Formula 1 since the 1980s, not to mention the representatives of the FIA's 122 countries who have democratically endorsed everything I and my World Motor Sport Council colleagues have done during the last 18 years."

The letter makes it clear that unless FOTA moves to address his complaints, then the deal that was agreed on Wednesday could collapse. The letter was sent prior to Thursday's FOTA press conference in Bologna, where Mosley had hoped an apology would be made - something which was not forthcoming.

Mosley said: "If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you and FOTA must immediately rectify your actions. You must correct the false statements which have been made and make no further such statements.

"You yourself must issue a suitable correction and apology at your press conference this afternoon.

"Formula 1 is run entirely by our 25-strong team without any help from me or any other outsider. There was no need for me to involve myself further in Formula 1 once we had a settlement. Equally, I had a long-standing plan not to seek re-election in October. It was therefore possible for me to confirm both points to you yesterday."

[Ackmann]

He took down giant Flavio but not necciarily the best for F1. Still good to see bad actions punished.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78668

[Ackmann]

Transcript of Pat Symonds' FIA interview

Tuesday, September 15th 2009, 06:44 GMT


This if the official transcript of the relevant parts of an interview between FIA representatives and Pat Symonds, at the Belgian Grand Prix, discussing the Singapore Grand Prix race-fix allegations and the race morning meeting between himself, Flavio Briatore and Nelson Piquet.

FIA adviser: In your own words Mr. Symonds what do you recall being said to Nelson Piquet Jnr at that meeting? This is shortly before the race.

Symonds: I don't really remember it.

FIA adviser: You don't remember?

Symonds: No.


FIA adviser: Nelson Piquet Jnr says that he was asked by you to cause a deliberate crash. Is that true?

Symonds: Nelson had spoken to me the day before and suggested that. That's all I'd really like to say.

(...)

FIA adviser: Mr Symonds were you aware that there was going to be crash at Lap 14?

Symonds: I don't want to answer that question.

(...)

FIA adviser: There is just one thing that I ought to ask you and put it to you so you can think about it at least. Mr. Piquet Jnr says that having had the initial meeting with you and Flavio Briatore you then met him individually with the map of the circuit. Do you remember that?

Symonds: I won't answer, rather not answer that. I don't recall it but it sounds like Nelson's talked a lot more about it.

FIA adviser: Mr. Piquet Jnr also says at that meeting you pointed out a specific place on the circuit where he was to have the accident and said it was because it was the furthest away from any of the safety or lifting equipment and gave the most likely chance of a safety car being deployed.

Symonds: I don't, I don't want to answer that question.

FIA adviser: [Referring to the pre-race meeting] Was it you that did the talking at that meeting Mr. Symonds?

Symonds: I'm sure it would have been both of us but I don't know for sure. Sorry that's a contradiction. I would imagine it would be both of us that would be normal. Actually probably more often it's Flavio that does the talking himself. I wouldn't necessarily always agree with what he's saying but the majority.

FIA adviser: Because just to be absolutely clear here what Nelson Piquet Jnr has said is that at that meeting it was you that asked him to have a crash deliberately?

Symonds: I can't answer you.

FIA adviser: Can I say that if Mr. Symonds you'd been put in the position where you were made to ask Mr. Piquet Jnr to crash it's much better, it would be much better for you in the long term to tell these stewards to hear that today?

Symonds: I fully understand that.

FIA adviser: Yes.

Symonds: I have no intention of lying to you. I have not lied to you but I have reserved my position just a little.

FIA adviser: And you're aware that the stewards may draw conclusions from your unwillingness to assist them in relation to what went on in that meeting?

Symonds: I would expect them to. I would absolutely expect that.

FIA adviser: I think I haven't got any further questions.

[LeManns67]

Sounds guilty of something to me. Looks like they all shot themselves in the foot on this one.

[LeManns67]

Brazilian GP - Sunday - Race Report
Jenson intercepts the title
Brawn GP team, Brazilian GP 2009
© The Cahier Archive
After a miserable qualifying on Saturday, it did not seem very likely that the World Championship would be decided in Brazil. The folk in Abu Dhabi were no doubt happy. Bernie Ecclestone was no doubt pondering astronomical TV viewing figures. It all looked as though Rubens Barrichello would win at home and close the gap to Jenson Button... Ah, but that was on paper...

The moment the lights went out at the start, it was clear that there is no such thing as a script in Formula 1 racing. Barrichello and Mark Webber set off at the first corner in a relatively orderly fashion, but behind them things started to get lively. Adrian Sutil tried to insert his Force India between Webber and Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari's, which was on the outside line. All seemed well. But then the attention was diverted by another bingle as title hopeful Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull found itself in a McLaren sandwich. Heikki Kovalainen spun, forcing Giancarlo Fisichella to swerve on to the grass.

As they were getting this one sorted out, further down the road Raikkonen tried to go down the inside of Webber at turn four, his KERS giving him a slight edge. Webber defended his line, Kimi ran out of space and had a wheel in the dirt and a right front wing in pieces. This slowed him as they went through the corner. Sutil tried to taker advantage of the situation and went for the inside line, only to have the door slammed firmly in his face, whereupon he was somewhat shocked to find that Jarno Trulli was trying to go around the outside in turn five. The Toyota ran out of room, got on to the kerbs and spun, taking out the Force India as it did so. Trulli smashed into the wall on the left while Sutil went for a twirl on the right and came back on to the circuit just in time to be walloped by Fernando Alonso's Renault, which had nowhere to go. All three were out. The Safety Car was deployed and the TV viewers of the world were given live pictures of an irate Trulli berating Sutil - never a great idea when both men were wearing helmets. It was clear, however, that they had different opinions about the incident.

"Sutil was very slow through Turn Four because he was fighting with Raikkonen," Jarno explained. "He was on the inside so I took the outside line but he kept pushing me wider and wider. In the end I was on the grass and had no control of the car."

Oddly enough, Sutil saw it differently.

"Kimi hit Webber and lost his front wing," he explained. "I was following him through the corner but then suddenly I got hit in the rear and lost control of the car. Trulli was there on the outside trying to go round. It was a really stupid maneouvre as there was no space and I couldn't see him at all. At that point it wasn't worth it and it ended my race far too early.

"Jarno was furious and said it was my mistake but I just told him what had happened to me. But it's over and now he's just got to deal with it."

But the action was not over yet. Up in the pits there were various callers. Kimi needed a new nose and new tyres. Lewis Hamilton popped in too, as did Tonio Liuzzi. As everyone was trying to work out who had hit whom, it became clear that these were strategic pit stops: Hamilton changing his strategy to take advantage of the situation - which would bring great rewards later on - and Liuzzi switching to soft rubber for a lap before returning to the medium tyres during a second stop. This lost him minimal time, gave him a full fuel tank and the tyres he wanted and by mid-race he too had risen up the order although his mid-race stop would drop him back into traffic and he would end the day 12th on the road. It was, nonetheless, worth a try.

There was more excitement going on in the pits as both Raikkonen and Kovalainen stopped for repairs. Kimi got a new nose section and new tyres and was off, but McLaren released Heikki a little too quickly, the result being that he took the fuel hose with him and came out just in front of Raikkonen, spraying fuel all over the place. And "whoompf!" Kimi found himself in the middle of a flash fire. He was cool enough to jink to the left and having ascertained that all was well rejoined the fray. Heikki stopped at the Brawn garage where they were kind enough to remove the flailing hose and he then rejoined as well. Up in Race Control fingers were soon busy typing reports and in the minutes that followed McLaren was notified of no fewer than four infractions which Heikki would have to answer for when the race was over. He had a relatively quiet race after that and finished ninth but then the FIA did its investigation and fined him $50,000 for trying to set fire to Raikkonen and gave him a 25-sec penalty, which pushed him back down the order. It did not much matter as he had not scored.

The Trulli-Sutil incident was studied by the FIA Stewards, with Jarno being fined $10,000 for shouting and gesticulating at the German.

Body language can be expensive in Formula 1...

All this was for later, however, as the the racing was soon underway again and Button was the man to watch. No longer hedging his bets, Jenson turned the full force of his talent on Romain Grosjean, who soon gave way after a few lively moves. Having dealt with the oddly-coiffed, border-jumping, Franco-Swiss Renault driver, Button had Oxford-based Japanese Kazuki Nakajima in the gun sight. Not for long. On the seventh lap Button was up to seventh place and homing in on Kamui Kobayashi, who was making his F1 debut (very well) with Toyota. Having qualified 11th Kamui impressed onlookers by being completely unimpressed at having the World Championship leader snapping at his exhaust pipes. He held his ground; made Button work for it.

"He was crazy!" Jenson said later. "I suppose he's just inexperienced, but he moves about a lot in the braking zones, as Nakajima found out. Everyone else was tough but fair but he had to be put in his place."

Stuck behind Kobayashi, Button found his mirrors filled with Nakajima and Vettel.

While this was going on, Barrichello was leading Webber but not making enough of an impression to look like a winner, given their relative fuel loads. Rubens stopped on lap 21 and so the Australian took the lead. Early on Nico Rosberg had been third but at the restart Robert Kubica lined him up nicely and took the position. Robert then chased after Barrichello and Webber and found them slower than he would have thought. He pitted two laps after Barrichello and came out ahead of the Brawn. Webber was still out and Rosberg was then second and Buemi third for a lap before they both stopped. At the same time Button finally nailed Kobayashi with a nice move into Turn 1. This put Jenson into second place and when Webber pitted on lap 26 but was by then so far ahead that he retained his lead while Button pressed on until lap 29 before his stop. That dropped him back to ninth, but as those with more exotic two-stop strategies and even the odd one-stoppers did their thing so Button climbed back to third before his second stop on lap 55. By then he was behind only Webber and Kubica. He dropped back to seventh on that occasion but moved up to sixth when Kovalainen did a late stop and to fifth when Barrichello had a puncture. And that was that. Rubens had been running third but that was not enough to stop Button taking the title and although Vettel was fifth he too was out of the running. The title was Button's to lose. And that is how it stayed all the way to the flag - waved by Felipe Massa.

By an odd turn of events car number 22, powered by a Mercedes engine, finished fifth and made a British driver World Champion - for the second year running. Lewis Hamilton having done exactly that in the mind-boggling finale at Interlagos last year.

Brawn won the World Championship for Constructors at its first attempt, a spectacular achievement.

[Ackmann]

Todt elected new president of the FIA

By Jonathan Noble Friday, October 23rd 2009, 11:37 GMT


Jean Todt is the new FIA president after comfortably winning Friday's election in Paris.

The former Ferrari team principal had been up against former world rally Ari Vatanen for the top job within motor racing's governing body.

Todt got 135 votes compared to Vatanen's 49. There were 12 abstentions or invalid votes.

The entire voting procedure was supervised by an external Huissier de Justice, the French state-appointed public witness.

The victory means he will succeed outgoing president Max Mosley, who made it clear from the outset that he wanted Todt to win the vote.