2810 replies to this topic

[HandyNZL]

Saw that in the news today...kind of like "shoot for the stars", "anything is possible", "dream it, and you can do it", "build it, and they will come"....oh, wait...you f'ed up....you're fired!!...we didn't want to be world famous, or reputable, or have a racing pedigree, or.....

[Massa]

Sebastian Vettel will be David Letterman's guest on Monday.  He will also be driving his Red Bull around the New Jersey street circuit layout.  I wonder if these things are related.  Weird seeing promotion for F1-related stuff in the U.S.  Last time that happened?  To coincide with the 2000 USGP, they had small F1 cars in McDonald's Happy Meals.  You had to put the stickers on.  I had never seen F1 before.  I had a Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan with the sidepod side and top stickers reversed...

[Argento Reloaded]

Massa, on 06 June 2012 - 02:25 AM, said:

I had a Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan with the sidepod side and top stickers reversed...

For a moment I think you´ll say "I had a Heinz... ketchup!!!!!!"

[Massa]

[Gilles V.]

Massa, on 06 June 2012 - 02:25 AM, said:

Sebastian Vettel will be David Letterman's guest on Monday.  He will also be driving his Red Bull around the New Jersey street circuit layout.  I wonder if these things are related.  Weird seeing promotion for F1-related stuff in the U.S.  Last time that happened?  To coincide with the 2000 USGP, they had small F1 cars in McDonald's Happy Meals.  You had to put the stickers on.  I had never seen F1 before.  I had a Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan with the sidepod side and top stickers reversed...

Extremely weird, since F1 is not popular at all in the States, where, as in Canada, they prefer NASCAR and truck racing by far.

[Gilles V.]

I meant Canada, except Quebec, where F1 is king.

[Massa]

I lied: Vettel's driving an Infiniti road car.  Lame lame lame lame.  Lame.

F1 gets about 600,000 viewers on SPEED and 1,200,000 on FOX in the U.S.  NASCAR's closer to 7,000,000 on FOX and 6,000,000 on TNT/ESPN/ABC.  I am willing to guess F1 has more attractive demographics (physically attractive, too, I've been to a NASCAR race, hell, I've been to eight of those and a few hundred stock car and USAC and supermodified races and all that on the lower level and let's just say you never look away from the cars...) in the U.S., though.  There was a time in the mid-90s where it almost worked out dead even with NASCAR and CART, where NASCAR had twice the viewers but CART viewers had twice the income.

Clearly the Happy Meal experiment worked, though, because six years later I was watching my first Grand Prix.  David Letterman repeating everything Vettel says and Vettel driving a road car in traffic around an unfinished circuit that encompasses the site of the Burr-Hamilton duel and West New York Sewerage Treatment probably won't even get one.

[Ikyrotz]

Kimi's apparently into solar panels... From the BBC live feed for the FP1 in Valencia:

Quote

Kimi Raikkonen, meanwhile, had work to do. I'm told that the 2007 world champion, who is known to detest sponsor engagements, rocked up two hours early to a solar energy tradeshow in Munich just so he would have time to talk solar panels with the techies before getting on with his sponsor commitments. Shocked? I certainly am. It turns out he has an interest in the renewable energy so maybe we'll see him putting a set of panels on his Swiss pad.

[Insider]

Schumi's objection to the scrapping of tyre warmers is well-founded.  My main concern with that sort of spectacle boost would be safety - plain and simple.

[HandyNZL]

Meh....plenty of race series in the world don't have tyre warmers...and they all manage.  Tea cup.  In.  Storm.

[Rainmaster]

Bernie faces tax probe: http://in.reuters.co...E8HRFLV20120627

[Insider]

Rainmaster, on 27 June 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:

Bernie faces tax probe: http://in.reuters.co...E8HRFLV20120627

It has become clear in the past 48 hours just why Mercedes have held back from signing the new Concorde agreement. It has long been the companies policy to steer a wide course around any form of scandal. Bernies' involvement in the CVC acquisition bribes case has tainted F1, no matter how devious the greedy little  dwarf has contrived to be. Basically, he has lied through his teeth and I will be surprised if the German authorities don't pursue him. With the UK taxman looking into his affairs and the Serious Fraud Squad sniffing around too, his credibility is under heavy fire. In Stuttgart this morning they will be looking at the options before them. I say, complete withdrawal will be at the top of the list.

[dribbler]

He'll survive, Merc will sign.

[Quiet One]

dribbler, on 28 June 2012 - 01:40 PM, said:

He'll survive, Merc will sign.

So true it hurts.

[Jean Todt]

dribbler, on 28 June 2012 - 01:40 PM, said:

He'll survive, Merc will sign.

I don't know about Merc...but I hope Bernie survives.

[AleHop]

Will we survive Bernie?

I think Mercedes will stay in F1 a few years more but I'm not sure what will happen with Bernie and the Concorde Agreement. Is he not selling F1 to some teams and corporations? Will Bernie attend to the German GP? Will he be prosecuted there?

There are a few questions but will be answered soon.

[Insider]

I said this could happen and believe me it will....

http://www.totalf1.c..._investigation/

[HandyNZL]

So Mr G is found guilty of receiving....so who gave it?  Logically that would be the police/authorities next move, no?

[Insider]

HandyNZL, on 01 July 2012 - 08:21 AM, said:

So Mr G is found guilty of receiving....so who gave it?  Logically that would be the police/authorities next move, no?

I believe Mercedes will be giving Brawn a chance to buy the team who, in turn will probably try to hook up with VW perhaps. Either way, whether Bernie goes to jail or not, I believe Stuttgart will eventually withdraw from F1. This would include engine supply. Another opportunity for Pure or VW.

[Massa]

I've heard, not that I know much, that Honda are taking a look at 2014.  Doesn't mean they'll act on it.

As for Craig's question, I could have sworn charges were already pressed against Ecclestone and if convicted he would face up to ten years (which he will obviously not get).  Did I make that up?

[Insider]

Massa, on 01 July 2012 - 02:43 PM, said:

I've heard, not that I know much, that Honda are taking a look at 2014.  Doesn't mean they'll act on it.

As for Craig's question, I could have sworn charges were already pressed against Ecclestone and if convicted he would face up to ten years (which he will obviously not get).  Did I make that up?

There was a media rumour that the local German prosecutor had warned BE's legal team that he would be indicting their client.  I have heard nothing more than that.

[Quiet One]

http://www.totalf1.c...Alonso_kissing/

Oh, come on, Jens! I expected such comments from a Vettel, even from a Lewis, and that only if asked right after some disappointment when he still sees everything red. But from you? Even though the rest of the interview seems to tone down the out of context quote of the title and make some praise, the "bubbling like a girl" for winniing at home sounded like another dig at Nando. Why so bitter? JB knows that nobody took anything from Seb away. Everybody (and above all, everybody at Ferrari in first place) recognized and praised Seb and acknowledged how "scary" was his pace.

JB's comments this year sound very unlike him. "I am not worried. I have only one guy above me in  the standings...and that Alonso in a Ferrari!" he said at the beginning of season (ouch#1). "This is Valencia, not much happens here" (ouch#2). And now this.

Sounds like losing focus to me and he should not do that. Bashings aside (and he is looking for those with these comments), he is a talented driver, has lots of experience and last year seemed to be finally on his way to fully exploit his potential. The fact that this season seems to be going awful for him should be a test of character. JB is no rookie and he is no Massa.

I sincerely hope to see him back at the top. In such case even these comments would sound funny, because he always strikes me as a more "authentic" guy than Lewis and undoubtfully, a nice bloke.

On another note. Seb was apparently slapped in the wrist by the FIA for his latest comments on SC fixing. I tend to be more lenient towards, Vettel. It was always his characteristic to be a sore loser and journos look for him to obtain these comments when they know he is still fuming. I would have slapped more than a wrist of Dr.Helmut Marko, though,  because he has no excuse and that guy is easily the most despicable character in the paddock right now. It's like Flavio, minus the sense of humor and the thong.

Not so sure that the lack of a thong is a defect, come to think of it...

[Insider]

Quiet One, on 02 July 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

http://www.totalf1.c...Alonso_kissing/

Oh, come on, Jens! I expected such comments from a Vettel, even from a Lewis, and that only if asked right after some disappointment when he still sees everything red. But from you? Even though the rest of the interview seems to tone down the out of context quote of the title and make some praise, the "bubbling like a girl" for winniing at home sounded like another dig at Nando. Why so bitter? JB knows that nobody took anything from Seb away. Everybody (and above all, everybody at Ferrari in first place) recognized and praised Seb and acknowledged how "scary" was his pace.

JB's comments this year sound very unlike him. "I am not worried. I have only one guy above me in  the standings...and that Alonso in a Ferrari!" he said at the beginning of season (ouch#1). "This is Valencia, not much happens here" (ouch#2). And now this.

Sounds like losing focus to me and he should not do that. Bashings aside (and he is looking for those with these comments), he is a talented driver, has lots of experience and last year seemed to be finally on his way to fully exploit his potential. The fact that this season seems to be going awful for him should be a test of character. JB is no rookie and he is no Massa.

I sincerely hope to see him back at the top. In such case even these comments would sound funny, because he always strikes me as a more "authentic" guy than Lewis and undoubtfully, a nice bloke.

On another note. Seb was apparently slapped in the wrist by the FIA for his latest comments on SC fixing. I tend to be more lenient towards, Vettel. It was always his characteristic to be a sore loser and journos look for him to obtain these comments when they know he is still fuming. I would have slapped more than a wrist of Dr.Helmut Marko, though,  because he has no excuse and that guy is easily the most despicable character in the paddock right now. It's like Flavio, minus the sense of humor and the thong.

Not so sure that the lack of a thong is a defect, come to think of it...

I agree about JB - pathetic. He's suffered a fall in the ratings and he's mad as hell. I am convinced it is not his fault but all the same, the remarks were unnecessary in my book. Marko is rubbishing the tyres again and those teams with simplistic design. He really is an old Nazi!

[LabradoRacer]

So it isn't enough that Hamilton has a trophy girlfriend. He now wants McLaren to give him racing trophies he won, too.

[Quiet One]

LabradoRacer, on 02 July 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

So it isn't enough that Hamilton has a trophy girlfriend. He now wants McLaren to give him racing trophies he won, too.

Yeah, I read that too

When I read this stuff I never know whether people at Mclaren are all out of their minds or is it simply a matter that most websites being British they get more of this "backstage" coverage stuff and actually these silly things happen in every team.

I don't know what to make out of this story, tho.

[Rainmaster]

Only according to the Daily Mail, Jay, which is often called by brilliant satirists better than I, the "Daily Fail" - due to its terrible journalism - clever no? How they change the M to an F? Oh nevermind.

On the Button article, I thought everything was fine until the "blubbing" comment. Anyway, here is Gary Anderson on Button's struggles: http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/18669094

[Rainmaster]

Vettel being an a##-kisser, JB will not be happy http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/18673555

[Quiet One]

Insider, on 02 July 2012 - 02:22 PM, said:

I agree about JB - pathetic. He's suffered a fall in the ratings and he's mad as hell. I am convinced it is not his fault but all the same, the remarks were unnecessary in my book. Marko is rubbishing the tyres again and those teams with simplistic design. He really is an old Nazi!

Button should first of all, look at  himself in the mirror and repeat "I am better than this". And then just go out there and prove it. He can do that. And that does not mean winning the championship or even winning races (that will depend on solving objective issues like McLaren's team woes, tires, seup, etc.) I am talking about changing to a more positive attitude. He seems to have lost confidence in himself and can only make things worse and harder for him.

As for Marko...

[Quiet One]

Button has apparently denied via Tweeter having made any mention of Alonso's illustrious hiney. He only mentioned that he found it strange that drivers have became so complimentary. In a sense, that ring as true, as I cannot imagine Jenson saying the arse kissing bit, neither made much sense with the rest of the Alonso arse kissing he made immediately after that phrase.

On the other hand, I don't know to which extents journals can make crap up but I guess somebody has a record of the interview? And correct me if I am wrong but unless Button has been reading too many of my posts and thinking I am an F1 driver I haven't seen too many compliments from the rest of the grid? A few ones but that's usual when a guy wins? "Congratulations on XX for his great win"! They always say that!

As for Hamilton and the trophies, he has benn quite assertive on that issue, I wonder why:

"Winning the British Grand Prix and getting that trophy - it's the best trophy I have ever seen," Hamilton told the Daily Mirror.
"I have not seen it since I won it because Ron (Dennis) keeps every trophy, which isn't good and it definitely won't be happening in the future."

You are right, Lewis. It won't be happening in the future. Pastor will make sure you don't get any other trophies to be kept by Ron or yourself!

Ok, I'll get my coat.

[Insider]

Terrible news that Maria de Villota crashed in testing. I wish her well.