2807 replies to this topic

[brambilla]

Haha, I wonder if "Herr Lauda" truly does plan on poaching newey as claimed by Donnie Darko :

http://totalf1.com/f...l_claims_Marko/

I guess Lauda's trying to make sure we remember his for his three titles and Mercedes, an forget about Jaguar

[Massa]

LabradoRacer, on 11 October 2012 - 05:06 AM, said:

Honda open to rejoining the F1 circus. Hmm, interesting.

Are the 2014 engines that may or may not happen six-cylinder turbos?  Honda heavily pushed for that engine in IndyCar (and got it), so that seems to be a format they want to work with in racing.

I'd love a Honda return, personally.

[LabradoRacer]

Massa, on 11 October 2012 - 01:53 PM, said:

Are the 2014 engines that may or may not happen six-cylinder turbos?  Honda heavily pushed for that engine in IndyCar (and got it), so that seems to be a format they want to work with in racing.

I'd love a Honda return, personally.

Don't know about the V6 engines. Bernie doesn't want them. Even if it's a no V6, I hope for a Honda return. Let them replace one of those dreadfully slow backmarkers.

[Insider]

LabradoRacer, on 11 October 2012 - 02:06 PM, said:

Don't know about the V6 engines. Bernie doesn't want them. Even if it's a no V6, I hope for a Honda return. Let them replace one of those dreadfully slow backmarkers.

I'm all for that.

[monza gorilla]

Except that Honda were backmarkers anyway, before they quit...........

[Quiet One]

You already have an underperforming top car manufacturer with Nick Fry at the helm. What's to miss about Honda?

I'd rather watch HRT with nothing at their disposal except their dignity still runing inside the 107%, which is a lot more than most of the backmarkers from the past used to achieve.

Poor guys at the back, their feats go unsung.

[The Shadow]

Honda should return.

Their previous ideas (excepting of course Ross Brawn's involvement) would suggest failure. However as with the story of BMW, they exited F1 too soon. Given the era that they were involved in, they bet with the wrong teams for their stature. What they should have done is to concentrate on being an engine supplier first, rather than a constructor. That way they could have minimised their costs while optimising performance and attracting the bigger teams.

[Rainmaster]

I can confirm that I too am open to Honda rejoining the F1 circus.

[LabradoRacer]

Quiet One, on 11 October 2012 - 03:42 PM, said:

You already have an underperforming top car manufacturer with Nick Fry at the helm. What's to miss about Honda?

I'd rather watch HRT with nothing at their disposal except their dignity still runing inside the 107%, which is a lot more than most of the backmarkers from the past used to achieve.

Poor guys at the back, their feats go unsung.

I agree that HRT & co do a lot compared to their budget, but sepia-tinted admiration for the underdog aside, it makes for poor viewing. It's almost a mockery of the sport.

[Quiet One]

LabradoRacer, on 11 October 2012 - 08:08 PM, said:

I agree that HRT & co do a lot compared to their budget, but sepia-tinted admiration for the underdog aside, it makes for poor viewing. It's almost a mockery of the sport.

You are being too hard. History of Motorsport would be nothing without the Eurobruns, Merzarios, Osellas, Prosts, Tolemans, Copersucars, Ligiers etc. Some of them evolved into powerful teams, some others disappeared. Tyrrell, Brabham, and the Lotus, the McLarens...they all had to undergo a painful, slow learning curve. If only the big car manufacturers were given oppotunities to grow for more than a couple of years you would have never heard of those teams...

There have always been backmarkers. These aren't even the worst crop of them. Thanks George they exist.

No, I firmly disagree on this one.

EDIT: Oh, and you are an idiot (that was my "at dogginem" argument...and you don't reply to those neener neener!)

Edited by Quiet One, 11 October 2012 - 09:04 PM.

[AleHop]

I can't believe those rumours about Alguersuari, it's very quiet here in Spain and consensus is on Massa staying one more season.

I doubt JA will have a seat in 2013. He isn't a huge talent and he doesn't have the money.

[Massa]

Honda's interest doesn't seem to actually be from the company itself.  Honda's last three racing engines?  1.6L I4 turbo for WTCC, 2.2L V6 turbo for IndyCar (through HPD, a subsidiary of American Honda), and a 2.8L V6 turbo for LMP2 (also through HPD).  Sounds like the 2014 regulations would play a role, but that's just a guess.

F1 can have 13 teams, so maybe we can have Honda and HRT?  Or maybe Honda would just supply and make HRT a champion.

AleHop, on 11 October 2012 - 09:31 PM, said:

I can't believe those rumours about Alguersuari, it's very quiet here in Spain and consensus is on Massa staying one more season.

I doubt JA will have a seat in 2013. He isn't a huge talent and he doesn't have the money.

I thought Alguersuari already had a seat locked up with either Force India or Sauber, though?

[Rainmaster]

Based on what he said, he does have a seat somewhere. But he also said we'd find out "soon" and this was a couple of weeks ago (iirc). So it's unclear. I suspect he'll end up at one of the two teams Eric mentioned, probably Force India.

[AleHop]

Massa, on 11 October 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

I thought Alguersuari already had a seat locked up with either Force India or Sauber, though?

He said he would have a seat in 2013 a few weeks back but recently he wasn't so positive. I think he implied money requirements were  difficult to meet.

[LabradoRacer]

Quiet One, on 11 October 2012 - 09:03 PM, said:

You are being too hard. History of Motorsport would be nothing without the Eurobruns, Merzarios, Osellas, Prosts, Tolemans, Copersucars, Ligiers etc. Some of them evolved into powerful teams, some others disappeared. Tyrrell, Brabham, and the Lotus, the McLarens...they all had to undergo a painful, slow learning curve. If only the big car manufacturers were given oppotunities to grow for more than a couple of years you would have never heard of those teams...

There have always been backmarkers. These aren't even the worst crop of them. Thanks George they exist.

No, I firmly disagree on this one.

EDIT: Oh, and you are an idiot (that was my "at dogginem" argument...and you don't reply to those neener neener!)

Ah, I've to admit I didn't know about the history part. No, seriously, I didn't. Heck, I hadn't even heard of those names. If McLaren were cast aside on the basis of their initial struggles, the sport would have been poorer, indeed.

But without the power of clairvoyance, it's very hard to tolerate the slowpokes of present.

Double-edged sword, I suppose.

Edit: I'm not an idi...oh shucks.

[LabradoRacer]

AleHop, on 11 October 2012 - 09:31 PM, said:

I can't believe those rumours about Alguersuari, it's very quiet here in Spain and consensus is on Massa staying one more season.

I doubt JA will have a seat in 2013. He isn't a huge talent and he doesn't have the money.

A few weeks ago, he seemed fairly confident about racing. I thought he might replace Kamui, but then both have problems of bringing in sponsorship.

[Massa]

Thanks for the Alguersuari info.

Just wondering...what's F1's procedure for concussions like?  I assume it's normal since the Pérez deal went smoothly in 2011, but I'd be interested in the details.  It's been a huge topic in American sports with tons of athletes ending their careers, losing functionality in their lives, and dying young due to concussions.  It's now coming out as a big controversy in NASCAR.  Their biggest star has been shut down with having two concussions in the last six weeks and at least five in the last ten years; none were disclosed to NASCAR.  With him out, other drivers are coming forward admitting to lying about concussions so they could remain in a championship battle etc, etc.  Another retired driver has admitted to having post-concussion symptoms for the last fifteen years; he can't even shake his head without getting dizzy.  He never once missed a race, though.  Last year, in IndyCar, a driver lied about concussion symptoms but was caught lying and fortunately was parked from racing until medically cleared.

So, with all that drama unfolding, I was just wondering how F1, seemingly the standard in racing safety and by far the most professional racing entity, deals with concussions.  Is there neurological baseline testing?  What kind of disclosure policy?  Certain procedure for getting medically cleared (in NASCAR, the driver has to be headache-free for about a week, then they try to produce a headache, then they have the driver do a lap or two, etc, etc, etc...they invented this policy today, though).

Just curious.

[The Shadow]

AleHop, on 11 October 2012 - 09:31 PM, said:

I doubt JA will have a seat in 2013. He isn't a huge talent and he doesn't have the money.

Yeah. Don't think James Allen is going to get a F1 drivers seat next year

[Rainmaster]

Eric, I think some of the information you want is in Chapter 2, Art.2 of http://argent.fia.co...29_Annexe L.pdf - this seems to be where medical procedures are covered. The Perez situation last year is actually not much of a ringing endorsement of F1's standard here. After all, Perez was cleared to race in the following event but chose not to once he drove the car in practice and felt dizzy (a decision which the team appreciated and respected a lot at the time). Perhaps F1's main advantage then, is a cultural difference (less "macho" than NASCAR)? I don't know. I'm glad to see NASCAR made some changes.

Spoiler

Some edited stuff:

2.1 Neurometric testing

Drivers entered in an FIA world championship may undergo
neurometric testing. The methods of such testing are the
responsibility of the FIA medical delegate of the championship
concerned. The confidential data obtained shall be used for
comparative purposes in the event of an accident in which the
driver suffered a traumatic brain injury.

2.2 Medical examination following an accident or physical
disorder
2.2.1 At any international event

After an accident, even if the driver appears uninjured and/or has
got out of his c#ckpit unaided, or in case of a physical problem,
a medical check-up may be deemed necessary by the Chief
Medical Officer with the agreement of the Race Director / Clerk
of the Course.
[...]
- If the regulations of an event, series or championship
require the competing vehicles to be equipped with an FIA
specification Medical Warning Light, a driver involved in an
incident which causes the light to signal that the determined
threshold forces have been exceeded MUST be examined
by the event medical service without delay at the request of
the FIA Medical Delegate or of the doctor assigned to the
championship or series. The Chief Medical Officer of the
event, jointly with the FIA Medical Delegate or the doctor
assigned to the championship or series, will determine the
most appropriate place for this examination.
In all cases, the team of the driver concerned will be informed.
By decision of the Chief Medical Officer of the event, jointly with
the FIA Medical Delegate in those events where one is present,
the driver concerned may:
- be forbidden to continue in the event concerned,
- be instructed to undergo a medical check-up by the Chief
Medical Officer of the next international event or Championship
round in which he is competing. In such case, the Chief
Medical Officer of the event in which the accident took place
must at once inform, by the most effective means, the Chief
Medical Officer of the following event,
- be informed he is allowed to take part in the following event
without a further medical check-up.
These measures are applicable throughout the event; any driver
who does not comply will be summoned before the Stewards of
the meeting.

2.2.2 Testing and reconnaissance

When participating in private circuit testing or in non-regulated
reconnaissance on roads, any driver of a car that goes off the
road, and/or who experiences any physical problems on this
particular occasion, must be subjected to a medical check-up
and immediately inform his ASN about it.
-In the case of private testing for F1, GT1 or WTCC or nonregulated
reconnaissance for a WRC event, this control must be
carried out before the start of the next international event in which
he intends to take part, under the same conditions and with the
same consequences as those in place for the actual international
events themselves ( see Article 2.2.1). If the case arises, the
doctor responsible for rescue at the private test session in which
the car left the road must inform the FIA Medical Commission’s
secretariat as soon as possible.

[Massa]

Thanks, George.

A little thing for the few posters and perhaps guests in the U.S.:

Formula One will be aired on NBC Sports Network next year instead of SPEED.  I assume the four race span of Montréal, New Jersey, Silverstone, and Hockenheim will air on NBC instead of FOX now.

SPEED will carry the rest of the season.  No word if the U.S. will get qualifying and practice coverage as they do at present, but that will be worked out soon I'm sure.

[LabradoRacer]

Indian court orders Vijay Mallya's arrest for bounced cheques. Can't wait for this fat f*ck scumbag to rot away in jail. The Sahara group is no saint either, getting away with strangely unreported ponzi schemes.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer]

Nice pic of Maria de Villota:

http://twitpic.com/b2rr0d

Also BBC interview:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/19912490

Brave lady.

[Massa]

Confirmed: F1 to NBC.  All 20 races will be streamed live online on NBC's website, too, where I watch NHL games.  You need a U.S. IP address to watch them.

My point being if you use a proxy, it will be a safe and effective way to stream races.

http://bigstory.ap.o...hts-formula-one

[LabradoRacer]

Vettel may join Ferrari in 2014. Interesting. Should be interesting to find out if he or Alonso is faster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/19941541

[BradSpeedMan]

LabradoRacer, on 15 October 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

Vettel may join Ferrari in 2014. Interesting. Should be interesting to find out if he or Alonso is faster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/19941541

why Vettel of course, how dare u ask the q?

[DPR]

LabradoRacer, on 15 October 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

Vettel may join Ferrari in 2014. Interesting. Should be interesting to find out if he or Alonso is faster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/19941541

Well - if you can't beat 'em , sign 'em !

[freaky2]

Sounuds like fun... on paper. Let's see if Ferrari can make themselves attractive enough for Seb.

[DPR]

Today Luca did say "I've always said that I don't want two roosters in the hen-house. I don't like that and it creates instability in the team," source
I don't know whether read that as Vettel is not coming or that Spaniard better win soon or he's history!
I just find it a little strange that he chose to be vague.

[Quiet One]

It never made much sense. Not because it is Ferrari or because it is Alonso. Except for Prost/Senna I've yet to see a pairing of two world champions at the top of  their games being put together. It is suicide no matter how you look at it.

The most recent case was Button/Hamilton, but Button had more or less accepted that he would be a Number 2 at McLaren at first and even then McLaren should be glad that Lewis is leaving, the levels of intra team acceptance were reaching equality and the loss of love between the pair was more and more evident. Next year it could have been civil war at McLaren all over again (the twitter case was just a glimpse).

Can you imagine Vettel saying "I understand that Alonso would be number one for the first year (or couple of years) and then either he will retire or we both will have a shot at it"....Patience is not a virtue Seb has demonstrated so far, and asking that from a probable by then 3x WDC (maybe even 4x!) would be asking too much. And even if Alonso does not win this WDC or next one, I don't think they will merely asking to step aside for Vettel, unless they want Alonso to use his magic and turn them all into toads, like he did with Jean Todt.

Until the day F1 approves 2 winners per race, I can't think of a single good reason to have two guys able to get there in  the same team, except for the fun of watching them crash against each other.

[Rainmaster]

Nope, it makes no sense from Ferrari's point of view and very little from Seb's, in terms of the fact Red Bull are a better team than Ferrari in almost every way right now and it looks unlikely to change. The only reason to have such a deal are if the engine regulations don't change, and sure enough, the opportunity to prove himself against Alonso is probably tempting for him. But there seems to be too much smoke for there not to be a fire here, and everything we've seen suggests Ferrari are looking at a driver for 2013 only, otherwise I am sure Massa would have been gone by now. Actually, a source close to me (my Dad, who heard it on the radio ) said Ferrari are looking at Raikkonen for 2014! Even with their history that would actually make a lot more sense to me because I can see Alonso and Raikkonen getting on so much better than Vettel and Alonso (and not just because Kimi isn't as strong as Vettel ).

Edited by Rainmaster, 15 October 2012 - 01:45 PM.