motor

Mattk · 06-25-2008, 10:04 PM

Come on, when the Australian grands prix were at Adelaide, we went last. Melbourne hasn't always gone first. A few years ago, they switched us with Malaysia, I think.

5vz-fe · 06-25-2008, 10:19 PM

^Sorry dude, I guess I am just tired of waiting for Singapore that's all.

Mattk · 06-25-2008, 10:23 PM

No worries, I was sceptical about the night race at first, but having read a lot about it, it seems like it'll come off well. I'm not sure how they determine the order of races; it's not all that geographically friendly. If I had my way, I'd do a sort of around the world type tour. Sometimes, it's just all over the place.

blue8 · 06-26-2008, 02:14 PM

Singapore night race on September is perfect because the weather is still rainy by that time of the year. Imagine the chaos during race day (potentially very dangerous though)!!!

There were talks that Sepang is willing to host a night race so we might have 1 during the early rounds.

It has just been confirmed that Magny-Cours will once again host the 2009 French GP.

styla21 · 06-26-2008, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by blue8

It has just been confirmed that Magny-Cours will once again host the 2009 French GP.

Damn. I was looking forward to a Paris street race

Was it confirmed, or just tentatively included in the preliminary schedule for next year. My understanding was the dates and locations were preliminaries at this stage.

Mattk · 06-26-2008, 09:14 PM

^Usually by this stage, circuits are already confirmed. But Magny-Cours may lose its spot in 2010, which sucks, because I think it's one of the best races to watch.

HeilSvenska · 06-26-2008, 10:04 PM

As long as Spa's in there, I feel like I should care about F1 at least a bit.

British GP and German GP on FOX. Those will be the only times I watch F1 on TV, it seems.
Maybe Belgian GP online. I hope it rains.

blue8 · 06-26-2008, 10:43 PM

Yeah, Magny-Cours is sure to be part next year. By 2010, it will start considering other venues for the race.

The return of Suzuka should also be fun.

I want the Hungaroring out!

Mattk · 06-27-2008, 09:10 PM

^Won't happen. It's the only Eastern European track. Until Russia gets a slot, you're stuck with the Hungary Grands Prix

blue8 · 07-03-2008, 02:44 PM

David Coulthard will retire by the end of the season:

"I would like to announce today my decision to retire from racing in Formula One at the end of this season," the statement read.

"I will remain actively involved in the sport as a consultant to Red Bull Racing focusing on testing and development of the cars. I have an open mind as to whether or not I will compete again in the future, in some other form of motorsport, so I am definitely not hanging up my helmet.

"My decision to retire was taken earlier in the year and is based on a desire to stop while I am still competitive and enjoying the immense challenge that grand prix driving represents. I also have the desire to look for new challenges within the sport.

"The decision to make this announcement at the British GP should be an obvious one for all to understand, as I have achieved two of my 13 F1 victories at Silverstone and I am a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which hosts this event.

"I am proud of my work at Red Bull Racing and will continue to race with the same focus until the last lap in Brazil.
Thereafter I will continue to help the team develop and move towards their ultimate goal of winning races."

Mark Webber signs a new 1-year deal with Red Bull

"I am very happy to have signed up for another year with Red Bull Racing so early in the season," said Webber. "Continuing with Red Bull Racing for 2009 was a very easy decision for me to make.
"As far back as the middle of last year, it was very clear to me that I enjoyed working with the team, playing my part in its development and helping it move forward.
"So far this year, our reliability has improved and that's allowed us to exploit our performance.
"The progress the team has made in the last 10 months has been excellent and I am looking forward to carrying that momentum through to the end of the season."

Rumor:
Vettel to move up to Red Bull
Bruno Senna to sign with Toro Rosso

Mattk · 07-03-2008, 10:24 PM

http://news.smh.com.au/sport/aussie-...0704-31kg.html

The Melbourne Grand Prix will start at 5pm for the next seven years. Not liking it...

styla21 · 07-04-2008, 01:49 AM

FIA Gameplan for 2011 - New rules and Regulations, Cost cutting, and performance adaptions:

FIA President Max Mosley has asked the Formula One teams for proposals on how to cut the costs of competing in the sport by 50 percent. The proposals, which must be submitted within three months and have the support of the majority of teams, will help form revised regulations for the 2011 season.

“Formula One is becoming unsustainable,” said Mosley in a letter to the teams. “The major manufacturers are currently employing up to 1000 people to put two cars on the grid. This is clearly unacceptable at a time when all these companies are facing difficult market conditions.”

Mosley wants to see rules that will not only halve manufacturer teams’ costs but also ensure that independent teams remain financially viable. He says both must be achieved without affecting the spectacle of Formula One racing in any way.

As part of the changes, Mosley is also targeting a 50 percent reduction in fuel consumption by 2015, without affecting speeds, and wants the rules to encourage the research of road-relevant, rather than Formula One-specific technologies.

He also wants regulations that encourage closer racing and more passing by ensuring “that cars remain aerodynamically efficient when in close proximity to one another”. Should the teams be unable to agree a set of proposals by October 3, the FIA itself will prepare new rules for 2011.

The FIA's statement in full:

NEW RULES FOR 2011
We need proposals for regulations to come into force no later than 2011. These should be delivered to the FIA by 3 October 2008 and be sufficiently detailed to allow precise rules to be drafted.

Reduced costs:
It is for the teams to decide how to reduce costs and also to decide if there should be restrictions on the development budgets of the manufacturer teams and, if so, what these should be and how they would be enforced.

The rules must also allow a back-of-the-grid independent team to operate profitably.

Teams which design and develop their own drive train (usually manufacturer teams) must be prepared to supply a complete and fully competitive drive train to an independent team at very low cost. We would suggest about 2 million Euro per season per team. The complete drive train would include all the new energy-saving technologies (eg KERS) and cost would be a design constraint as it is in the car industry.

Among possible cost savings which the teams may wish to consider are: restrictions on simulators, wind tunnel use, CFD and other home-base facilities, together with long-life chassis components, up to ten-race drive trains, no gear ratio changes during life of drive train, current parc fermé rules extended for entire race weekend and other proposals to reduce the cost per kilometre of operating a Formula One car and the costs of going racing.

We would not object to shared technology, eg of core engine.

Measures to reduce costs must not affect the spectacle in any way.

Improved fuel efficiency:
The objective is a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption for 2011 progressing to 50% in 2015, while keeping lap times and top speeds at current levels.

We believe this can best be regulated by placing a limit on both fuel flow and the total quantity of fuel used in the race (thus limiting both maximum and average power). The road-relevant research objective would then be more power from less fuel.

We hope to see many new energy-efficient technologies deployed. We would like rules to maximise the incentive to develop road-relevant devices for improved fuel efficiency. Teams will need these in order to obtain maximum power from a limited amount of fuel.

We would suggest limiting KERS to 200kw out and 300kw in, with maximum of 1.6 MJ stored energy. We would not exclude taking energy from the front wheels during braking.

We would not exclude the possibility of variable aerodynamics.

Again, it is for the teams to decide how these objectives can best be achieved and whether any, and if so which, restrictions should be placed on the drive train technology needed to produce the necessary improvements in efficiency.

Improved racing:
The 2009 Technical Regulations are intended to improve the racing. We would like to go further, with developments to allow the cars to run in close proximity to one another without losing performance. One possibility is that the car behind should be faster by virtue of being behind not, as at present, slower.

Again, it is for the teams to decide how to achieve these objectives.

blue8 · 07-12-2008, 12:11 PM

More Alonso-to-Ferrari rumors

Reports that Fernando Alonso could be heading to Ferrari in the not-too-distant future have gained momentum with the news that Spanish company Santander is set to swap to Ferrari.

According to reports from Autosport 'high level sources' at Santander have confirmed that the Spanish banking giant will be leaving McLaren and heading to Ferrari as their main sponsors from 2010 onwards.

Santander joined McLaren as a sponsor in 2007 when the team initially signed Alonso, however, the Spaniard's stay in Woking was troubled and short-lived with him returning to Renault at the end of just one year.

Alonso, though, isn't expected to remain at Renault for too long with reports in the press linking him to Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari seat come the end of 2009 when the Finn's current deal expires.

And when that happens Santander are expected to announce their decision to swap from McLaren to Ferrari.

The Spanish banking giant, though, is refusing to comment on the proposed deal.

Asked about a move to Ferrari, a Santander spokeswoman said: "We are not making any comments about this.

"We have a contract with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes until the end of 2009."

Interestingly, Alonso said that he would make his decision on where to drive by the end of the summer which is sometime around September. During that month of course, the Italian Grand Prix will be held - the time Ferrari usually make major announcements.

Although such rumors continue, I don't think it would happen. I would much rather see Robert Kubica in Ferrari

Mattk · 07-12-2008, 11:09 PM

There's no way Ferrari will dump Raikonnen unless he leaves of his own accord. He seems to have fitted in very well and he's already won a title with them.

styla21 · 07-12-2008, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by Mattk

There's no way Ferrari will dump Raikonnen unless he leaves of his own accord. He seems to have fitted in very well and he's already won a title with them.

I don't think that is the rumour.. If the above rumour has merit, it would result would be a Raikonnen / Alonso dream team for Ferrari, and Massa would be elsewhere? However, what is his current contract?

I hope Kubica stays with BMW as by 2009; if they get the new modifications right, they could be genuine title contenders. With a bit of luck they could do it this year, but i'm not holding my breath..