| Ferg | 02-07-2006 11:20 AM |
Jerez, Day One
[QUOTE]Wurz goes quickest at Jerez
February 7th 2006, 16:17 GMT
Alexander Wurz continued to show that Williams should not be discounted this season when he set the fastest time on the opening day of testing at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday.
The Austrian, driving the hybrid Williams car, overcame two mechanical failures during the day to outpace Honda Racing's Jenson Button by just more than one tenth of a second.
Williams are still focusing their efforts on putting mileage onto their seamless shift gearbox, which they hope to get reliable enough to allow them to start the season with.
Button and third fastest teammate Rubens Barrichello were working on long-run simulations and their pace once again proved that the team appear to be on course to achieve their target of challenging for race wins this season.
Nico Rosberg was fourth fastest in the 2006 Williams, just ahead of Toyota's Ricardo Zonta and Olivier Panis, who both spent the day focusing on tyre work for Bridgestone. Panis in particular was concentrating on a new rear construction, which was believed to deliver some encouraging results.
Christijan Albers had an embarrassing time in the first major test for Midland's new M16 when he pitched the car into the gravel trap with just five minutes of the session remaining.
Midland teammate Tiago Monteiro spent his day working with the old EJ15B car, prior to his first run in the M16 later this week.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.144 48
2. Button Honda (M) 1:18.250 141
3. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:18.626 112
4. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.735 84
5. Zonta Toyota (B) 1:20.162 85
6. Panis Toyota (B) 1:20.339 79
7. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.551 74
8. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:22.318 71
All Timing Unofficial[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Wurz goes quickest at Jerez
February 7th 2006, 16:17 GMT
Alexander Wurz continued to show that Williams should not be discounted this season when he set the fastest time on the opening day of testing at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday.
The Austrian, driving the hybrid Williams car, overcame two mechanical failures during the day to outpace Honda Racing's Jenson Button by just more than one tenth of a second.
Williams are still focusing their efforts on putting mileage onto their seamless shift gearbox, which they hope to get reliable enough to allow them to start the season with.
Button and third fastest teammate Rubens Barrichello were working on long-run simulations and their pace once again proved that the team appear to be on course to achieve their target of challenging for race wins this season.
Nico Rosberg was fourth fastest in the 2006 Williams, just ahead of Toyota's Ricardo Zonta and Olivier Panis, who both spent the day focusing on tyre work for Bridgestone. Panis in particular was concentrating on a new rear construction, which was believed to deliver some encouraging results.
Christijan Albers had an embarrassing time in the first major test for Midland's new M16 when he pitched the car into the gravel trap with just five minutes of the session remaining.
Midland teammate Tiago Monteiro spent his day working with the old EJ15B car, prior to his first run in the M16 later this week.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.144 48
2. Button Honda (M) 1:18.250 141
3. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:18.626 112
4. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.735 84
5. Zonta Toyota (B) 1:20.162 85
6. Panis Toyota (B) 1:20.339 79
7. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.551 74
8. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:22.318 71
All Timing Unofficial[/QUOTE]
| StuBeck | 02-07-2006 04:30 PM |
Red Bull was able to do long runs with their new car which is cool...but they were doing it in near freezing whetehr. I still think the car would have overheated if the issues where there though.
| Ferg | 02-07-2006 04:34 PM |
I saw that...no overheating problems at Silverstone in February...not really the acid test I was looking for you know.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed...hopefully Mr Newey will get them in shape before too long.
:D
I'm keeping my fingers crossed...hopefully Mr Newey will get them in shape before too long.
:D
| finnRex | 02-07-2006 11:52 PM |
Hmmm, could it be that Kimi is going to Ferrari or Toyota? I'm not sure, but I believe that the quote a couple posts ago was his first public negative comment on McLaren. I don't blame him though. More or less McLaren cost Kimi 2 championships, a drivers and a constructors.
Mika
Mika
| artkevin | 02-08-2006 09:18 AM |
[IMG]http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/photos/2006/tests23/diapo_153.jpg[/IMG] Saw this photo from testing in Valencia. Looks like Kimi is going with a version of his Monaco winning helmet and Johnny Walker is putting more money into the team.
| enduroshark | 02-08-2006 09:23 AM |
I think that is just Kimi's way of lighting a fire under Ron and Norbert's butt to improve the reliability and performance of the car.
| artkevin | 02-08-2006 10:50 AM |
Dammit!
Spa is off for 06 offically.
08/02/06 - 16:09]
Belgian GP officially cancelled
The FIA received the confirmation
This year's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix has been called off because of track improvement works, the sport's governing body the FIA announced on Wednesday.
The FIA and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone have ordered the works which are expected to cost up to 20 million euros and include modifying the track, building new paddocks, a new control tower and more seating.
One of the favourite races for drivers the Spa Francorchamps circuit is expected to be back on the F1 calendar in 2007.
The FIA, in a statement, confirmed: �The Belgian National Sporting Authority, the RACB, has written to notify the FIA of the withdrawal of the 2006 Belgian Grand Prix from the FIA Formula One World Championship.
�The withdrawal has been made in order to allow the completion of extensive improvement work to facilities at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
�The FIA hopes that the event will be included once again in the Formula One World Championship calendar from 2007 onwards.�
This year's race, about which doubts first surfaced last month in the Belgian press, was due to be staged on September 17.
Source AFP
Spa is off for 06 offically.
08/02/06 - 16:09]
Belgian GP officially cancelled
The FIA received the confirmation
This year's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix has been called off because of track improvement works, the sport's governing body the FIA announced on Wednesday.
The FIA and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone have ordered the works which are expected to cost up to 20 million euros and include modifying the track, building new paddocks, a new control tower and more seating.
One of the favourite races for drivers the Spa Francorchamps circuit is expected to be back on the F1 calendar in 2007.
The FIA, in a statement, confirmed: �The Belgian National Sporting Authority, the RACB, has written to notify the FIA of the withdrawal of the 2006 Belgian Grand Prix from the FIA Formula One World Championship.
�The withdrawal has been made in order to allow the completion of extensive improvement work to facilities at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
�The FIA hopes that the event will be included once again in the Formula One World Championship calendar from 2007 onwards.�
This year's race, about which doubts first surfaced last month in the Belgian press, was due to be staged on September 17.
Source AFP
| TimStevens | 02-08-2006 10:56 AM |
:furious:
:mad:
:mad:
| Bonzo | 02-08-2006 11:12 AM |
another real road course bites the dust. :(
I have an idea, spend 20 mill at Road America and bring EfOne here.
I have an idea, spend 20 mill at Road America and bring EfOne here.
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-08-2006 11:31 AM |
[QUOTE=Bonzo]
I have an idea, spend 20 mill at Road America and bring EfOne here.[/QUOTE]
That is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time.
I have an idea, spend 20 mill at Road America and bring EfOne here.[/QUOTE]
That is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time.
| Dussander | 02-08-2006 12:05 PM |
If anyone can send me links to high res shots of Kimi's helmet, it would be greatly appreciated. I use to have a subscription to f1-live, but no longer. I'm getting my helmet painted soon and I like that Monaco color scheme.
| Braz | 02-08-2006 01:02 PM |
New Toro Rosso to debut tomorrow
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 09:40 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car will run for the first time at Jerez in Spain tomorrow, autosport.com can reveal.
Donde esta Ferg?
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 09:40 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car will run for the first time at Jerez in Spain tomorrow, autosport.com can reveal.
Donde esta Ferg?
| TimStevens | 02-08-2006 01:06 PM |
Soo... how big will the picture of the bull be on it?
| Ferg | 02-08-2006 02:20 PM |
Sorry for the lateness...I had a midterm this morning and no time for updates.
I just read the news about Spa...and I'm beyond upset. It's just not a complete season without Eau Rouge....DAMMIT!
So without further delay, your F1 news.
[QUOTE]Alonso puts Renault on top at Jerez
February 8th 2006, 16:35 GMT
The Renault and Honda teams continued to battle for winter testing supremacy as Fernando Alonso edged Jenson Button in testing at the Jerez circuit.
Alonso, who was quickest for three consecutive days at Valencia last week, continued to show the new Renault R26's impressive pace, posting a best lap of 1:16.956.
But the World Champion was followed closely by Button in the Honda RA106 and Juan Pablo Montoya, who showed improved pace in the McLaren MP4-21.
Both Button, Alonso and Montoya set the quickest time on short stints close to the end of the session.
Montoya only tested in the afternoon as he waited for the revamped Mercedes engine to arrive and be fitted to his car. The Colombian worked alongside test driver Pedro de la Rosa, the busiest man today and the only driver in a V10-engined car.
Rubens Barrichello was fifth quickest in the second Honda, the Brazilian losing a lot of time after his car stopped with problems at the end of the pitlane. His team spent several hours working on the car before Barrichello was able to return to action.
BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve showed promising pace in the new F1.06, both men working on brake and tyre testing.
Australian Mark Webber was only eighth quickest in the new Williams, but the new FW28 car and the Cosworth engine have proved very consistent at the Spanish circuit.
Webber's teammate Nico Rosberg, testing the second FW28 chassis, did not enjoy a good day and could only cover 29 laps after his car stopped on track in the early afternoon.
Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher were 10th and 11th quickest respectively, the Italian causing one of five red flags on the day when he went off track late in the session.
Tiago Monteiro was the only Midland driver to take to the track today, the Portuguese at the wheel of the hybrid EJ15B. Monteiro, who did tyre testing in the afternoon, will test the new MF16 car tomorrow for the first time.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Alonso Renault (M) 1:16.956 90
2. Button Honda (M) 1:17.114 58
3. Montoya McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.273 53
4. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.425 109
5. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:17.492 60
6. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:17.588 116
7. Villeneuve BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.069 91
8. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.281 86
9. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:18.938 77
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:19.430 103
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:19.681 84
12. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:19.965 29
13. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.911 29
All Timing Unofficial
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Webber impressed by Cosworth engine
By Pablo Elizalde February 8th 2006, 17:30 GMT
Australian Mark Webber says the new Cosworth V8 engine powering his Williams car is "bloody good".
Williams have joined forces with Cosworth for the 2006 season after parting ways with German carmaker BMW, who will race under its won name this year.
The team from Grove have shone in this week's test at Jerez, with test driver Alexander Wurz topping the times yesterday. Some of their rivals have been impressed by the performance of the new FW28 and the Cosworth engine at the Spanish circuit.
And Webber has admitted he is delighted with the performance of the power unit.
"We need to work a bit on the balance of the car but Grove did a good job," Webber told autosport.com after today's testing session at Jerez, where he was eighth quickest.
"It is a good car and so far I have had no problems with the gearbox, and the engine is bloody good. We need to tweak a bit but I am quite happy with that."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]New Toro Rosso to debut tomorrow
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 09:40 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car will run for the first time at Jerez in Spain tomorrow, autosport.com can reveal.
Vitantonio Liuzzi has been granted the privilege of driving the new STR01 car for the first time, with the team having run a modified version of last year's Red Bull Racing RB1 for testing so far. Scott Speed will then take over duties and drive the car on Friday.
The STR01 is believed to be a completely new design rather than just a modified version of last year's Minardi. Only one chassis is currently ready, but it is hoped that a second will be ready imminently.
It was thought that the team originally planned to use an updated version of the RB1 for their first year as Red Bull's junior team, but those plans came to nothing with teams still not allowed to run customer chassis.
And although Toro Rosso remain at the centre of controversy over the performance of their V10 engine, which rival teams want pegged back further, the outfit are upbeat about their prospects.
A team spokeswoman said: "We are all very excited and hope for the best." [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Super Aguri pass another crash test
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 10:39 GMT
Super Aguri have moved another step closer getting their car on the grid following the successful completion of another mandatory crash test this week.
The team have had to make heavy modifications to the 2002 Arrows A23 they plan to start the season with to get it through the more stringent FIA safety standards introduced since the car originally raced.
So far the team have passed all the major tests they have conducted and now just have one more test to go prior to be given the official green light they will need to start the season.
A team spokeswoman confirmed to autosport.com that the Aguri SA05, as the modified car has been labelled, has passed all the monocoque and associated structure static and dynamic tests.
The modifications needed to get the SA05 through the crash tests are believed to have made the car look considerably different from the original A23.
Managing director Daniele Audetto told Gazzetta dello Sport: "It's impossible to recognize that car [the 2002 Arrows]: to conform with the new regulations the bodywork has been completely revised."
The team are planning to run a systems check of the car on February 14th prior to it first official test at Barcelona the following week.
Audetto has made it clear, however, that the team have no illusions about how quick they will be at the start of the season prior to the introduction of their own SA06 car at the San Marino Grand Prix.
"We realise we aren't competitive," he explained. "The first Grands Prix will be useful to gain kilometres and experience. After that, with the new car, we'll try to be close to the top ten."[/QUOTE]
Here's another look at the 2006 line-up (I never get sick of it honestly...) but I did add some chassis info for Toro Rosso and Super Aguri, as well as all the confirmed Friday drivers... Red Bull is aparently waiting for their launches to confirm any names.
[QUOTE]
[B]Renault R26 (M)[/B]
1 Fernando Alonso (E)
2 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)
[B]McLaren-Mercedes MP4-21 (M) [/B]
3 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
4 Juan Pablo Montoya (CO)
[B]Ferrari 248 F1 (B)[/B]
5 Michael Schumacher (D)
6 Felipe Massa (BR)
[B]Toyota TF106 (B)[/B]
7 Ralf Schumacher (D)
8 Jarno Trulli (I)
[B]Williams FW28 Cosworth (B) +[/B]
9 Mark Webber (AUS)
10 Nico Rosberg (D)
[i]Friday Driver, Alex Wurz[/i]
[B]Honda RA106 (M) +[/B]
11 Rubens Barrichello (BR)
12 Jenson Button (GB)
[i]Friday Driver, Anthony Davidson[/i]
[B]Red Bull RB2 Ferrari (M) +[/B]
13 David Coulthard (GB)
14 Christian Klien (AU)
[i]Friday Driver, Robert Doornbos*[/i]
[B]BMW Sauber F1.06 (M) +[/B]
15 Nick Heidfeld (D)
16 Jacques Villeneuve (CN)
[i]Friday Driver, Robert Kubica[/i]
[B]MF1 Racing M16 Toyota (B) + [/B]
17 Tiago Monteiro (P)
18 Christijan Albers (NL)
[i]Friday Drivers, Manfred Winkelhock, Adrian Sutil, Giorgio Mondini[/i]
[B]Scuderia Toro Rosso SRT01 Cosworth (M) +[/B]
19 Vitantonio Liuzzi (I)
20 Scott Speed (USA)
[i]Friday Driver, TBA[/i]
[B]Super Aguri Racing SA05 (SA06 mid-season) Honda (B)[/B]
21 Takuma Sato* (JPN)
22 Yuji Ide* (JPN)
* unconfirmed but expected
[/QUOTE]
I just read the news about Spa...and I'm beyond upset. It's just not a complete season without Eau Rouge....DAMMIT!
So without further delay, your F1 news.
[QUOTE]Alonso puts Renault on top at Jerez
February 8th 2006, 16:35 GMT
The Renault and Honda teams continued to battle for winter testing supremacy as Fernando Alonso edged Jenson Button in testing at the Jerez circuit.
Alonso, who was quickest for three consecutive days at Valencia last week, continued to show the new Renault R26's impressive pace, posting a best lap of 1:16.956.
But the World Champion was followed closely by Button in the Honda RA106 and Juan Pablo Montoya, who showed improved pace in the McLaren MP4-21.
Both Button, Alonso and Montoya set the quickest time on short stints close to the end of the session.
Montoya only tested in the afternoon as he waited for the revamped Mercedes engine to arrive and be fitted to his car. The Colombian worked alongside test driver Pedro de la Rosa, the busiest man today and the only driver in a V10-engined car.
Rubens Barrichello was fifth quickest in the second Honda, the Brazilian losing a lot of time after his car stopped with problems at the end of the pitlane. His team spent several hours working on the car before Barrichello was able to return to action.
BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve showed promising pace in the new F1.06, both men working on brake and tyre testing.
Australian Mark Webber was only eighth quickest in the new Williams, but the new FW28 car and the Cosworth engine have proved very consistent at the Spanish circuit.
Webber's teammate Nico Rosberg, testing the second FW28 chassis, did not enjoy a good day and could only cover 29 laps after his car stopped on track in the early afternoon.
Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher were 10th and 11th quickest respectively, the Italian causing one of five red flags on the day when he went off track late in the session.
Tiago Monteiro was the only Midland driver to take to the track today, the Portuguese at the wheel of the hybrid EJ15B. Monteiro, who did tyre testing in the afternoon, will test the new MF16 car tomorrow for the first time.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Alonso Renault (M) 1:16.956 90
2. Button Honda (M) 1:17.114 58
3. Montoya McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.273 53
4. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.425 109
5. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:17.492 60
6. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:17.588 116
7. Villeneuve BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.069 91
8. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.281 86
9. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:18.938 77
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:19.430 103
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:19.681 84
12. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:19.965 29
13. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.911 29
All Timing Unofficial
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Webber impressed by Cosworth engine
By Pablo Elizalde February 8th 2006, 17:30 GMT
Australian Mark Webber says the new Cosworth V8 engine powering his Williams car is "bloody good".
Williams have joined forces with Cosworth for the 2006 season after parting ways with German carmaker BMW, who will race under its won name this year.
The team from Grove have shone in this week's test at Jerez, with test driver Alexander Wurz topping the times yesterday. Some of their rivals have been impressed by the performance of the new FW28 and the Cosworth engine at the Spanish circuit.
And Webber has admitted he is delighted with the performance of the power unit.
"We need to work a bit on the balance of the car but Grove did a good job," Webber told autosport.com after today's testing session at Jerez, where he was eighth quickest.
"It is a good car and so far I have had no problems with the gearbox, and the engine is bloody good. We need to tweak a bit but I am quite happy with that."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]New Toro Rosso to debut tomorrow
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 09:40 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car will run for the first time at Jerez in Spain tomorrow, autosport.com can reveal.
Vitantonio Liuzzi has been granted the privilege of driving the new STR01 car for the first time, with the team having run a modified version of last year's Red Bull Racing RB1 for testing so far. Scott Speed will then take over duties and drive the car on Friday.
The STR01 is believed to be a completely new design rather than just a modified version of last year's Minardi. Only one chassis is currently ready, but it is hoped that a second will be ready imminently.
It was thought that the team originally planned to use an updated version of the RB1 for their first year as Red Bull's junior team, but those plans came to nothing with teams still not allowed to run customer chassis.
And although Toro Rosso remain at the centre of controversy over the performance of their V10 engine, which rival teams want pegged back further, the outfit are upbeat about their prospects.
A team spokeswoman said: "We are all very excited and hope for the best." [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Super Aguri pass another crash test
By Jonathan Noble February 8th 2006, 10:39 GMT
Super Aguri have moved another step closer getting their car on the grid following the successful completion of another mandatory crash test this week.
The team have had to make heavy modifications to the 2002 Arrows A23 they plan to start the season with to get it through the more stringent FIA safety standards introduced since the car originally raced.
So far the team have passed all the major tests they have conducted and now just have one more test to go prior to be given the official green light they will need to start the season.
A team spokeswoman confirmed to autosport.com that the Aguri SA05, as the modified car has been labelled, has passed all the monocoque and associated structure static and dynamic tests.
The modifications needed to get the SA05 through the crash tests are believed to have made the car look considerably different from the original A23.
Managing director Daniele Audetto told Gazzetta dello Sport: "It's impossible to recognize that car [the 2002 Arrows]: to conform with the new regulations the bodywork has been completely revised."
The team are planning to run a systems check of the car on February 14th prior to it first official test at Barcelona the following week.
Audetto has made it clear, however, that the team have no illusions about how quick they will be at the start of the season prior to the introduction of their own SA06 car at the San Marino Grand Prix.
"We realise we aren't competitive," he explained. "The first Grands Prix will be useful to gain kilometres and experience. After that, with the new car, we'll try to be close to the top ten."[/QUOTE]
Here's another look at the 2006 line-up (I never get sick of it honestly...) but I did add some chassis info for Toro Rosso and Super Aguri, as well as all the confirmed Friday drivers... Red Bull is aparently waiting for their launches to confirm any names.
[QUOTE]
[B]Renault R26 (M)[/B]
1 Fernando Alonso (E)
2 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)
[B]McLaren-Mercedes MP4-21 (M) [/B]
3 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
4 Juan Pablo Montoya (CO)
[B]Ferrari 248 F1 (B)[/B]
5 Michael Schumacher (D)
6 Felipe Massa (BR)
[B]Toyota TF106 (B)[/B]
7 Ralf Schumacher (D)
8 Jarno Trulli (I)
[B]Williams FW28 Cosworth (B) +[/B]
9 Mark Webber (AUS)
10 Nico Rosberg (D)
[i]Friday Driver, Alex Wurz[/i]
[B]Honda RA106 (M) +[/B]
11 Rubens Barrichello (BR)
12 Jenson Button (GB)
[i]Friday Driver, Anthony Davidson[/i]
[B]Red Bull RB2 Ferrari (M) +[/B]
13 David Coulthard (GB)
14 Christian Klien (AU)
[i]Friday Driver, Robert Doornbos*[/i]
[B]BMW Sauber F1.06 (M) +[/B]
15 Nick Heidfeld (D)
16 Jacques Villeneuve (CN)
[i]Friday Driver, Robert Kubica[/i]
[B]MF1 Racing M16 Toyota (B) + [/B]
17 Tiago Monteiro (P)
18 Christijan Albers (NL)
[i]Friday Drivers, Manfred Winkelhock, Adrian Sutil, Giorgio Mondini[/i]
[B]Scuderia Toro Rosso SRT01 Cosworth (M) +[/B]
19 Vitantonio Liuzzi (I)
20 Scott Speed (USA)
[i]Friday Driver, TBA[/i]
[B]Super Aguri Racing SA05 (SA06 mid-season) Honda (B)[/B]
21 Takuma Sato* (JPN)
22 Yuji Ide* (JPN)
* unconfirmed but expected
[/QUOTE]
| artkevin | 02-08-2006 02:21 PM |
Dussander, I got some shots saved on my home computer. I'll try to post them if I can tonight if JoD doesn't beat me to it. She has a very close connection to that helmet design.
Happy to hear that STR will be on track. Too bad we have to wait for Bahrain to see the new paint scheme.
Happy to hear that STR will be on track. Too bad we have to wait for Bahrain to see the new paint scheme.
| Dussander | 02-08-2006 03:22 PM |
Thanks.
I have some shots from Monaco here:
[url]http://dussander.com/helmet/[/url]
the ones that start with "diapoa" are of Kimi's helmet.
I have some shots from Monaco here:
[url]http://dussander.com/helmet/[/url]
the ones that start with "diapoa" are of Kimi's helmet.
| finnRex | 02-08-2006 04:43 PM |
Ferg, thanks for the updates:).
Mika
Mika
| artkevin | 02-08-2006 07:41 PM |
Here ya go!
[IMG]http://f1-pics.com/monaco05/sunday/sunday_mo05_raikkonen01.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.stefans-helmpage.de/Kimi__Monaco_back.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.stefans-helmpage.de/Kimi__Monaco_front.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11254394226932.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11254394262445.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11286026113492.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://f1-pics.com/monaco05/sunday/sunday_mo05_raikkonen01.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.stefans-helmpage.de/Kimi__Monaco_back.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.stefans-helmpage.de/Kimi__Monaco_front.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11254394226932.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11254394262445.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://fotos.chueca.com/handyman3250/ph11286026113492.jpg[/IMG]
| JoD | 02-08-2006 10:36 PM |
Kimi Monaco Helmet
�
�
Dussander - I have a good top view of the Monaco helmet on my hard drive if you'd like me to email it to you. I got it from the official F1 site a while ago, and it doesn't seem to be around anymore for viewing, or I'd post the image or link. Just PM me with an address and I'll send it your way...
Good luck with the helmet. I'm a big fan of the design, so much so that I got it as a tattoo last year. :)
Good luck with the helmet. I'm a big fan of the design, so much so that I got it as a tattoo last year. :)
| Ferg | 02-08-2006 10:57 PM |
I missed your earlier post JoD (not sure how exactly...must be old age) the F1 New Year's Resolutions had me in stitches, great find!
Thanks for sharing.
:D
Thanks for sharing.
:D
| WRSport | 02-08-2006 11:16 PM |
So SPA is really off the list now? grrrrrrrr
| JoD | 02-08-2006 11:18 PM |
No problem, Ferg! I rather enjoy the lighter side of F1. Schumi's Secret Diaries on planet F1 are also a rather good time. I particulary enjoy how he keeps referring to Montoya as "Fatburger."
I'll be sure to post if anything amusing happens to show up, and keep depending on all of you for the real scoop! :) You guys are great!
I'll be sure to post if anything amusing happens to show up, and keep depending on all of you for the real scoop! :) You guys are great!
| artkevin | 02-08-2006 11:54 PM |
What!?!?!
No refrence to the Kimi Monaco Helmet Tattoo on your body JoD?!??!!? :furious:
I had more faith in you. I tried bating you over and over, and there, you just made me say it.
Are you happy!?!?!
Seriously, she really does have a tattoo of the top of the his helmet on her hip. Yes, she is crazy. :D
No refrence to the Kimi Monaco Helmet Tattoo on your body JoD?!??!!? :furious:
I had more faith in you. I tried bating you over and over, and there, you just made me say it.
Are you happy!?!?!
Seriously, she really does have a tattoo of the top of the his helmet on her hip. Yes, she is crazy. :D
| Braz | 02-09-2006 01:57 AM |
pic of said tattoo?
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 08:36 AM |
From the bizzare to the completely surreal, F1 never dissapoints.
[QUOTE]Gerhard Berger buys into Toro Rosso
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 11:26 GMT
Former Grand Prix driver Gerhard Berger has bought a 50 percent stake in Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team.
The Austrian, who has not been involved in the sport since he left his position as BMW Motorsport Director in 2003, will also act in an advisory capacity for Red Bull's entire F1 operation.
The deal, which was announced by the energy drinks company today, sees Berger take control of 50 percent of Toro Rosso's shares while Red Bull purchases 50 percent of Berger's shipping company to form a joint operation.
Berger's involvement with Red Bull comes after a long-standing friendship with company boss and fellow Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz, who dismissed late last year that Berger was planning to be involved in his team.
Berger said today: "Three birds with one stone! The involvement of a company like Red Bull is an important milestone for the Berger shipping company and for its successful future development.
"On the other hand, I am aware that my Formula One know-how is very much valued by Red Bull in general and by the Italian Toro Rosso team in particular.
"Last but not least, I'm looking forward to not only continuing to have a great time with Dietrich Mateschitz, but also to being able to implement serious and visionary business developments together in the future."
Mateschitz added: "I have known and admired Gerhard for twenty years. 18 years ago, he was the first top athlete to drink Red Bull and therefore to make a significant contribution to our growth and to the brand in Austria.
"I am particularly pleased that we will now be able to take advantage of the synergies that undoubtedly exist between us also for joint business activities."
The announcement of Berger's involvement with Scuderia Toro Rosso comes on the same day that the team's new STR01 ran for the first time at Jerez.
Berger told autosport.com last October that he turned down the option of running Toro Rosso because he was not interested in it being a pure marketing exercise.
"My idea for the team was to be successful, and make some money, whereas Red Bull's big motivation is marketing," he said last year. "I've no problem with that, but I didn't want to be involved on that basis."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Ecclestone confident of Spa return
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 13:21 GMT
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is confident that the Belgian Grand Prix will return to the calendar in 2007 - even though this year's race has been dropped to allow building work to take place.
The FIA announced yesterday that the 2006 race at Spa-Francorchamps has been cancelled because there is not enough time for the track to undergo an upgrade of facilities demanded by Ecclestone.
Despite the problems, however, Ecclestone has told the British media that he is upbeat about the prospects of Spa returning next year.
"The race has not gone forever, and I'm happy that they've decided to do the rebuilding work - even though it means the race won't happen this year," he said.
"Spa has not been up to scratch for quite some time and they need to spend a bit of time and money on improving the facilities and building new grandstands.
"If they get their work done on time then there will be no problem at all and the race will be back in 2007, without question."
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Drivers sad to see Spa dropped
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 13:20 GMT
Formula One drivers have today expressed their disappointment at the news that the Belgian Grand Prix has been removed from the 2006 calendar.
The FIA announced on Wednesday that the 2006 event at Spa-Francorchamps would not take place because there is not enough time for the track to undergo a required upgrade of its facilities.
But drivers testing at Jerez today admitted they were sad not to race at one of the most popular circuits among fans and drivers alike.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve told autosport.com: "Damn, that is sad. I'm really disappointed, and now I will just have to be happy with Suzuka."
David Coulthard echoed the sentiments. "It's very disappointing to lose Spa, even if it is just for one year," the Red Bull Racing driver said.
"It's long, it's fast and it's flowing, and if you ask any driver in F1 they would tell you it's in their top three tracks."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Renault investigate rear wing problem
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 11:50 GMT
Renault are confident they will quickly have an answer to a rear wing problem on an R26 that has forced the team to adopt a compromised test programme at Jerez today.
The rear wing on the car of test driver Heikki Kovalainen suffered a problem during testing yesterday, and the team decided to take no risks and cut short the Finn's running while they flew the part back to their Enstone factory for analysis.
Although the team initially feared they would only be able to run one car today, with only one low-mileage rear wing available, the team have decided to get both Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella on track to get mileage on their engines - although the pair are having to swap the rear wing.
That means the team can only have one car in action at a time until they discover exactly what was the cause of Kovalainen's problem. There is a chance a solution can be found by tomorrow, but if not then the team will have new parts ready for next week's test in Valencia.
The problems with the wing, and the knock-on impact on the testing programme, meant Fernando Alonso decided to cut short his testing and return home last night.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]New Toro Rosso hits track at Jerez
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 10:48 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car has run for the first time at Jerez in Spain this morning.
The team's driver Vitantonio Liuzzi has given the Cosworth V10-powered STR01 its first laps, with the team having so far spent its winter testing using a modified version of Red Bull Racing's 2005 RB1.
The new car looks remarkably similar to the Red Bull Racing machine, however, although the team have been at pains to make it clear that the STR01 is an all-new design not based on either their sister team's chassis or an old Minardi.
The only discernable differences appears to be revised sidepods, engine cover, and air intake.
The colour scheme is the same as that of the interim RB1, but the final livery will be revealed in Bahrain.
Team principal Franz Tost said last year that the fact that his team are running a V10 engine this year, compared to Red Bull Racing's V8, means the two outfits will have to operate independently.
"Red Bull Racing will run the new RBR02 and the V8 Ferrari engine, while Toro Rosso will have the new STR 01 with the V10 Cosworth engine incorporating different torque curves from the engine side and with a different weight distribution, which will make it difficult to compare cars or data," he said.
"Because of these differences the teams will operate independently and in their own separate way during the race weekends."[/QUOTE]
Full report from Jerez in a few hours.
:)
[QUOTE]Gerhard Berger buys into Toro Rosso
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 11:26 GMT
Former Grand Prix driver Gerhard Berger has bought a 50 percent stake in Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team.
The Austrian, who has not been involved in the sport since he left his position as BMW Motorsport Director in 2003, will also act in an advisory capacity for Red Bull's entire F1 operation.
The deal, which was announced by the energy drinks company today, sees Berger take control of 50 percent of Toro Rosso's shares while Red Bull purchases 50 percent of Berger's shipping company to form a joint operation.
Berger's involvement with Red Bull comes after a long-standing friendship with company boss and fellow Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz, who dismissed late last year that Berger was planning to be involved in his team.
Berger said today: "Three birds with one stone! The involvement of a company like Red Bull is an important milestone for the Berger shipping company and for its successful future development.
"On the other hand, I am aware that my Formula One know-how is very much valued by Red Bull in general and by the Italian Toro Rosso team in particular.
"Last but not least, I'm looking forward to not only continuing to have a great time with Dietrich Mateschitz, but also to being able to implement serious and visionary business developments together in the future."
Mateschitz added: "I have known and admired Gerhard for twenty years. 18 years ago, he was the first top athlete to drink Red Bull and therefore to make a significant contribution to our growth and to the brand in Austria.
"I am particularly pleased that we will now be able to take advantage of the synergies that undoubtedly exist between us also for joint business activities."
The announcement of Berger's involvement with Scuderia Toro Rosso comes on the same day that the team's new STR01 ran for the first time at Jerez.
Berger told autosport.com last October that he turned down the option of running Toro Rosso because he was not interested in it being a pure marketing exercise.
"My idea for the team was to be successful, and make some money, whereas Red Bull's big motivation is marketing," he said last year. "I've no problem with that, but I didn't want to be involved on that basis."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Ecclestone confident of Spa return
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 13:21 GMT
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is confident that the Belgian Grand Prix will return to the calendar in 2007 - even though this year's race has been dropped to allow building work to take place.
The FIA announced yesterday that the 2006 race at Spa-Francorchamps has been cancelled because there is not enough time for the track to undergo an upgrade of facilities demanded by Ecclestone.
Despite the problems, however, Ecclestone has told the British media that he is upbeat about the prospects of Spa returning next year.
"The race has not gone forever, and I'm happy that they've decided to do the rebuilding work - even though it means the race won't happen this year," he said.
"Spa has not been up to scratch for quite some time and they need to spend a bit of time and money on improving the facilities and building new grandstands.
"If they get their work done on time then there will be no problem at all and the race will be back in 2007, without question."
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Drivers sad to see Spa dropped
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 13:20 GMT
Formula One drivers have today expressed their disappointment at the news that the Belgian Grand Prix has been removed from the 2006 calendar.
The FIA announced on Wednesday that the 2006 event at Spa-Francorchamps would not take place because there is not enough time for the track to undergo a required upgrade of its facilities.
But drivers testing at Jerez today admitted they were sad not to race at one of the most popular circuits among fans and drivers alike.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve told autosport.com: "Damn, that is sad. I'm really disappointed, and now I will just have to be happy with Suzuka."
David Coulthard echoed the sentiments. "It's very disappointing to lose Spa, even if it is just for one year," the Red Bull Racing driver said.
"It's long, it's fast and it's flowing, and if you ask any driver in F1 they would tell you it's in their top three tracks."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Renault investigate rear wing problem
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 11:50 GMT
Renault are confident they will quickly have an answer to a rear wing problem on an R26 that has forced the team to adopt a compromised test programme at Jerez today.
The rear wing on the car of test driver Heikki Kovalainen suffered a problem during testing yesterday, and the team decided to take no risks and cut short the Finn's running while they flew the part back to their Enstone factory for analysis.
Although the team initially feared they would only be able to run one car today, with only one low-mileage rear wing available, the team have decided to get both Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella on track to get mileage on their engines - although the pair are having to swap the rear wing.
That means the team can only have one car in action at a time until they discover exactly what was the cause of Kovalainen's problem. There is a chance a solution can be found by tomorrow, but if not then the team will have new parts ready for next week's test in Valencia.
The problems with the wing, and the knock-on impact on the testing programme, meant Fernando Alonso decided to cut short his testing and return home last night.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]New Toro Rosso hits track at Jerez
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 10:48 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new Formula One car has run for the first time at Jerez in Spain this morning.
The team's driver Vitantonio Liuzzi has given the Cosworth V10-powered STR01 its first laps, with the team having so far spent its winter testing using a modified version of Red Bull Racing's 2005 RB1.
The new car looks remarkably similar to the Red Bull Racing machine, however, although the team have been at pains to make it clear that the STR01 is an all-new design not based on either their sister team's chassis or an old Minardi.
The only discernable differences appears to be revised sidepods, engine cover, and air intake.
The colour scheme is the same as that of the interim RB1, but the final livery will be revealed in Bahrain.
Team principal Franz Tost said last year that the fact that his team are running a V10 engine this year, compared to Red Bull Racing's V8, means the two outfits will have to operate independently.
"Red Bull Racing will run the new RBR02 and the V8 Ferrari engine, while Toro Rosso will have the new STR 01 with the V10 Cosworth engine incorporating different torque curves from the engine side and with a different weight distribution, which will make it difficult to compare cars or data," he said.
"Because of these differences the teams will operate independently and in their own separate way during the race weekends."[/QUOTE]
Full report from Jerez in a few hours.
:)
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 09:34 AM |
Well I never saw the Berger thing coming.
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 10:00 AM |
I had heard rumors that Berger wanted to set up his own team if the low cost rules came through for 2008 and beyond, but like you I never saw this coming. It's great though, Gerhard is one of my all time favorite F1 personalities and it's good to have him back.
[QUOTE]Honda: we are lagging behind Cosworth
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 14:08 GMT
Honda have admitted that they are lagging behind Cosworth in the engine stakes at the moment - and believe they need to make a step forward if they are to challenge Renault at the front of the field.
Shuhei Nakamoto, Honda's F1 engineering director, is adamant that despite the early promise shown by the RA106 there is plenty of room for improvement - especially on the engine front.
In particular he believes that the performance of rival engine manufacturer Cosworth should act as a wake-up call to the team's engineers in Japan to make improvements to Honda's own power-unit.
"At the moment Cosworth has done a good job and we are trailing behind them," he told autosport.com during testing at Jerez in Spain. "We should be able to produce better engines than we have now.
"If we had the engine of that level (of Cosworth) in our car, then probably we will be able to beat Renault. But we have not, so we have got some work to do."
Cosworth's new V8 engine has impressed Williams and onlookers with its power and high-revving capabilities.
Mark Webber admitted yesterday that the engine was 'bloody good', while managing director Tim Routsis said at the launch of the new Williams car last month that he believed his company's engine was one of the best in the field.
"My best opinion is that at the moment we are giving away very little to anybody, if anything," said Routsis. "But it will become much clearer in the run up to Bahrain."
Despite Nakamoto's comments on the performance of Honda's engine, he believes that Honda Racing's chassis is a big step forward over last year's BAR007 - and should allow the team to return to the form it showed in 2004.
"I am reasonably happy with the programme so far and Jenson has done lots of long runs, and he is comfortable with the car," added Nakamoto. "Also, Barrichello is getting there too.
"We still have a lot more to come from fine tuning the chassis and the engine, and I think we are much closer to the performance of 2004. In fact, we should be better as we have gained experience in 2005 so we will not make the (strategy) mistakes we made in 2004."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Telefonica wants Montoya at Renault
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 12:39 GMT
Juan Pablo Montoya is being lined up for a switch to Renault next season, with sources claiming that team sponsor Telefonica is pushing hard to secure the services of the Colombian.
The McLaren driver will be out of contract at the end of this year and his recent comments claiming he was open to offers from rival teams appears to have kicked Renault's backers into action.
According to insiders, Telefonica was left far from impressed at Fernando Alonso's decision to defect to McLaren in 2007 - especially because the team will be sponsored by telecommunications rival Vodafone.
With Telefonica keen to tap into both Spain and the Spanish-speaking South American market through its F1 involvement, having just withdraw from its sponsorship involvement in MotoGP, company bosses are believed to have set their sights on capturing Montoya after his recent outspoken comments regarding his future.
Montoya had said: "I am looking around to see what I am going to do. It's not decided what is going to happen here (at McLaren), but I am open to offers. I've got to see what I'm going to do, but I can't wait to see whether Ron [Dennis] makes his mind up."
It is understood that Telefonica has already made contact with Montoya's manager Julian Jakobi, and although it is not thought a deal is imminent, Telefonica is believed to be putting pressure on the Renault management to chase hard after Montoya.
Telefonica could take over as Renault's title sponsor in 2007, with Mild Seven pulling out of the sport at the end of this year, and that financial input would likely give them a say in driver preference.
Speaking to autosport.com in Barcelona last month, Montoya admitted that an offer from Renault would be very tempting.
"I think at the moment if you had an option from Ferrari or Renault or Williams like they used to be, or a long-term commitment from another team, then you would take it," he said.
However, the major hurdle in convincing Montoya to come on board is the uncertainty about Renault's long-term participation in F1.
Montoya has made it clear that he would prefer a lengthy contract, while Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has reiterated today that the French car manufacturer will only stay in the sport as long as it made business sense to the carmaker.
However, Renault's title success last year and the fact that their R26 appears to be the benchmark at the moment will make any serious offer from the team very tempting for Montoya - especially at a time when McLaren have lost a lot of major technical staff.
Remaining at McLaren in 2007 remains an option for Montoya, although there is also believed to be some interest from Toyota's bosses in Japan now that the Colombian has made it clear he is on the market.[/QUOTE]
Some pics of the new Toro Rosso STR01 Cosworth.
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879924/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879926/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879929/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879931/original.jpg[/IMG]
And here's a nice shot just for JoD :)
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879911/large.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]Honda: we are lagging behind Cosworth
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 14:08 GMT
Honda have admitted that they are lagging behind Cosworth in the engine stakes at the moment - and believe they need to make a step forward if they are to challenge Renault at the front of the field.
Shuhei Nakamoto, Honda's F1 engineering director, is adamant that despite the early promise shown by the RA106 there is plenty of room for improvement - especially on the engine front.
In particular he believes that the performance of rival engine manufacturer Cosworth should act as a wake-up call to the team's engineers in Japan to make improvements to Honda's own power-unit.
"At the moment Cosworth has done a good job and we are trailing behind them," he told autosport.com during testing at Jerez in Spain. "We should be able to produce better engines than we have now.
"If we had the engine of that level (of Cosworth) in our car, then probably we will be able to beat Renault. But we have not, so we have got some work to do."
Cosworth's new V8 engine has impressed Williams and onlookers with its power and high-revving capabilities.
Mark Webber admitted yesterday that the engine was 'bloody good', while managing director Tim Routsis said at the launch of the new Williams car last month that he believed his company's engine was one of the best in the field.
"My best opinion is that at the moment we are giving away very little to anybody, if anything," said Routsis. "But it will become much clearer in the run up to Bahrain."
Despite Nakamoto's comments on the performance of Honda's engine, he believes that Honda Racing's chassis is a big step forward over last year's BAR007 - and should allow the team to return to the form it showed in 2004.
"I am reasonably happy with the programme so far and Jenson has done lots of long runs, and he is comfortable with the car," added Nakamoto. "Also, Barrichello is getting there too.
"We still have a lot more to come from fine tuning the chassis and the engine, and I think we are much closer to the performance of 2004. In fact, we should be better as we have gained experience in 2005 so we will not make the (strategy) mistakes we made in 2004."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Telefonica wants Montoya at Renault
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 12:39 GMT
Juan Pablo Montoya is being lined up for a switch to Renault next season, with sources claiming that team sponsor Telefonica is pushing hard to secure the services of the Colombian.
The McLaren driver will be out of contract at the end of this year and his recent comments claiming he was open to offers from rival teams appears to have kicked Renault's backers into action.
According to insiders, Telefonica was left far from impressed at Fernando Alonso's decision to defect to McLaren in 2007 - especially because the team will be sponsored by telecommunications rival Vodafone.
With Telefonica keen to tap into both Spain and the Spanish-speaking South American market through its F1 involvement, having just withdraw from its sponsorship involvement in MotoGP, company bosses are believed to have set their sights on capturing Montoya after his recent outspoken comments regarding his future.
Montoya had said: "I am looking around to see what I am going to do. It's not decided what is going to happen here (at McLaren), but I am open to offers. I've got to see what I'm going to do, but I can't wait to see whether Ron [Dennis] makes his mind up."
It is understood that Telefonica has already made contact with Montoya's manager Julian Jakobi, and although it is not thought a deal is imminent, Telefonica is believed to be putting pressure on the Renault management to chase hard after Montoya.
Telefonica could take over as Renault's title sponsor in 2007, with Mild Seven pulling out of the sport at the end of this year, and that financial input would likely give them a say in driver preference.
Speaking to autosport.com in Barcelona last month, Montoya admitted that an offer from Renault would be very tempting.
"I think at the moment if you had an option from Ferrari or Renault or Williams like they used to be, or a long-term commitment from another team, then you would take it," he said.
However, the major hurdle in convincing Montoya to come on board is the uncertainty about Renault's long-term participation in F1.
Montoya has made it clear that he would prefer a lengthy contract, while Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has reiterated today that the French car manufacturer will only stay in the sport as long as it made business sense to the carmaker.
However, Renault's title success last year and the fact that their R26 appears to be the benchmark at the moment will make any serious offer from the team very tempting for Montoya - especially at a time when McLaren have lost a lot of major technical staff.
Remaining at McLaren in 2007 remains an option for Montoya, although there is also believed to be some interest from Toyota's bosses in Japan now that the Colombian has made it clear he is on the market.[/QUOTE]
Some pics of the new Toro Rosso STR01 Cosworth.
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879924/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879926/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879929/large.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879931/original.jpg[/IMG]
And here's a nice shot just for JoD :)
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55879911/large.jpg[/IMG]
| Bonzo | 02-09-2006 10:23 AM |
STR01 = noice with the gold accents. Plus with the now possibly superior cosworth, this could be a contender.
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 10:24 AM |
Anybody else think the STR01 looks a hell of a lot like the RBR01?
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-09-2006 12:01 PM |
Anyone else think that Kimi's '3' is too close to the dale '3'?
I love the flat black and pin stripes though.
I love the flat black and pin stripes though.
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 12:08 PM |
Jerez, day three.
[QUOTE]De la Rosa quickest at Jerez
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 16:46 GMT
Pedro de la Rosa led the way during testing at Jerez in Spain today in the hybrid McLaren, just edging out Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella.
The Spaniard spent the day focusing on tyre work for Michelin in the V10-powered car, as teammate Kimi Raikkonen got his first experience of Mercedes-Benz's upgraded V8 engine that the team are hoping will lift them nearer the top of the field.
Raikkonen could manage no better than ninth on the timesheets, despite Juan Pablo Montoya having put in some quick times with the car earlier in the week.
Fisichella had to run a limited programme during the day while Renault tried to get to the bottom of a rear wing problem that test driver Heikki Kovalainen suffered from on Wednesday.
Fisichella and Kovalainen had to share a low mileage rear-wing throughout the day, meaning only one of them could be out on track at a time - but it did not appear to have hampered their pace.
Mark Webber gave Williams some more encouragement with the third fastest time, on the same day that rivals Honda admitted that the Cosworth engine was currently the benchmark in F1.
Webber's performance was even more encouraging considering he was using the standard gearbox that the team may revert to for the start of the season if they cannot make their quicker seamless shift system reliable enough.
Jenson Button, who ended the day fourth fastest while working on a tyre programme, was the sole Honda Racing representative as the team have already been forced to pack up their other cars in preparation for their travel to Bahrain for next week's hot weather test.
BMW-Sauber were left with more cause for optimistism about the overall pace of their F1.06 after Jacques Villeneuve set the fifth fastest time, one place ahead of teammate Nick Heidfeld.
The only blight on the team's copybook was a fuel pump failure that hit Heidfeld after lunch, bringing his testing to an end for the day.
Toyota duo Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher ended the day 10th and 11th overall. The times will have left them more eager than ever to get their hands on the new aero package that will be fitted to the TF106 next week.
Vitantonio Liuzzi completed 79 laps in the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR01 as he got to grips with the new machine. The Italian stopped out on the track late in the afternoon with a mechanical problem, but the test will have provided some encouragement to the team.
Gerhard Berger, who announced earlier today that he was buying into the outfit, is due to make an appearance at Jerez tomorrow.
Midland duo Christijan Albers and Tiago Monteiro ended the day at the bottom of the timesheets as they shared the sole M16 chassis at their disposal.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.451 123 *
2. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:17.479 76
3. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:17.767 104
4. Button Honda (M) 1:17.990 118
5. Villeneuve BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.179 111
6. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.278 63
7. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:18.542 45
8. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.843 60
9. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.929 40
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:19.083 103
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:19.320 107
12. Liuzzi Toro Ross-Cosworth (B) 1:19.394 79
13. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.685 90
14. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.922 63
* Hybrid car (restricted V10)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Nissan's GT line up gives clues on Aguri's
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 15:13 GMT
The identity of Takuma Sato's likely teammate at Super Aguri this season became clearer today when Nissan announced their drivers squad for the Japanese-based Super GT championship.
The absence of Yuji Ide from the line-up, after two seasons racing in the sportscar category, and the confirmation of Sakon Yamamoto all but indicates the long expected news about which Japanese racer has won the fight to join Sato on the grid.
The battle for the second drive at Super Aguri was between Ide and Yamamoto, but autosport.com first reported last year that Ide had signed a preliminary contract with the new team. This was believed to have been clinched on the back of a major sponsorship deal he is understood to have with Japanese bluetooth company Mobilecast.
Aguri have not yet made any announcements about their drivers line-up, even though the team are expected to conduct the first shakedown of their SA05 car next week prior to testing in Barcelona.
Sato's manager Andrew Gilbert-Scott said earlier this week that he expected a deal to be completed for his driver soon.
"I'd be absolutely amazed if it doesn't happen," he said. "Things are moving forward, maybe not necessarily as fast as we would like, but something could be possible this week and Taku's intending to be over for a seat-fitting soon."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]De la Rosa quickest at Jerez
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 16:46 GMT
Pedro de la Rosa led the way during testing at Jerez in Spain today in the hybrid McLaren, just edging out Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella.
The Spaniard spent the day focusing on tyre work for Michelin in the V10-powered car, as teammate Kimi Raikkonen got his first experience of Mercedes-Benz's upgraded V8 engine that the team are hoping will lift them nearer the top of the field.
Raikkonen could manage no better than ninth on the timesheets, despite Juan Pablo Montoya having put in some quick times with the car earlier in the week.
Fisichella had to run a limited programme during the day while Renault tried to get to the bottom of a rear wing problem that test driver Heikki Kovalainen suffered from on Wednesday.
Fisichella and Kovalainen had to share a low mileage rear-wing throughout the day, meaning only one of them could be out on track at a time - but it did not appear to have hampered their pace.
Mark Webber gave Williams some more encouragement with the third fastest time, on the same day that rivals Honda admitted that the Cosworth engine was currently the benchmark in F1.
Webber's performance was even more encouraging considering he was using the standard gearbox that the team may revert to for the start of the season if they cannot make their quicker seamless shift system reliable enough.
Jenson Button, who ended the day fourth fastest while working on a tyre programme, was the sole Honda Racing representative as the team have already been forced to pack up their other cars in preparation for their travel to Bahrain for next week's hot weather test.
BMW-Sauber were left with more cause for optimistism about the overall pace of their F1.06 after Jacques Villeneuve set the fifth fastest time, one place ahead of teammate Nick Heidfeld.
The only blight on the team's copybook was a fuel pump failure that hit Heidfeld after lunch, bringing his testing to an end for the day.
Toyota duo Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher ended the day 10th and 11th overall. The times will have left them more eager than ever to get their hands on the new aero package that will be fitted to the TF106 next week.
Vitantonio Liuzzi completed 79 laps in the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR01 as he got to grips with the new machine. The Italian stopped out on the track late in the afternoon with a mechanical problem, but the test will have provided some encouragement to the team.
Gerhard Berger, who announced earlier today that he was buying into the outfit, is due to make an appearance at Jerez tomorrow.
Midland duo Christijan Albers and Tiago Monteiro ended the day at the bottom of the timesheets as they shared the sole M16 chassis at their disposal.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:17.451 123 *
2. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:17.479 76
3. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:17.767 104
4. Button Honda (M) 1:17.990 118
5. Villeneuve BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.179 111
6. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:18.278 63
7. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:18.542 45
8. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:18.843 60
9. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.929 40
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:19.083 103
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:19.320 107
12. Liuzzi Toro Ross-Cosworth (B) 1:19.394 79
13. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.685 90
14. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.922 63
* Hybrid car (restricted V10)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Nissan's GT line up gives clues on Aguri's
By Jonathan Noble February 9th 2006, 15:13 GMT
The identity of Takuma Sato's likely teammate at Super Aguri this season became clearer today when Nissan announced their drivers squad for the Japanese-based Super GT championship.
The absence of Yuji Ide from the line-up, after two seasons racing in the sportscar category, and the confirmation of Sakon Yamamoto all but indicates the long expected news about which Japanese racer has won the fight to join Sato on the grid.
The battle for the second drive at Super Aguri was between Ide and Yamamoto, but autosport.com first reported last year that Ide had signed a preliminary contract with the new team. This was believed to have been clinched on the back of a major sponsorship deal he is understood to have with Japanese bluetooth company Mobilecast.
Aguri have not yet made any announcements about their drivers line-up, even though the team are expected to conduct the first shakedown of their SA05 car next week prior to testing in Barcelona.
Sato's manager Andrew Gilbert-Scott said earlier this week that he expected a deal to be completed for his driver soon.
"I'd be absolutely amazed if it doesn't happen," he said. "Things are moving forward, maybe not necessarily as fast as we would like, but something could be possible this week and Taku's intending to be over for a seat-fitting soon."[/QUOTE]
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 12:23 PM |
It surprises me that they would go with two Japanese drivers. It seems like Sato would have all the Japanese sponsors one could ever want and there have got to be more experinced drivers out there that wont go through teething problems that Ide or Yamamoto will have to go through. Also, I am a Sato fan (don't hit me) but he is known for writing off a chasis or two. Seems like Aguri would go for a more stable Coulthard type driver with plenty of F1 experience. Say a Joss the Boss or Panis.
On a side note, whats with the name of the car? SA05. I get SA= Super Aguri but the 05?
On a side note, whats with the name of the car? SA05. I get SA= Super Aguri but the 05?
| Wr4wrX | 02-09-2006 12:58 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]I am a Sato fan (don't hit me)[/QUOTE]
Don't worry, Sato will probably do it for us... :rolleyes:
Don't worry, Sato will probably do it for us... :rolleyes:
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 12:59 PM |
Nice....
| NYEJ25 | 02-09-2006 01:37 PM |
[QUOTE=Wr4wrX]Don't worry, Sato will probably do it for us... :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
LOL, it's funny because it's true. I'm so glad he is gone from Honda, I think they have a good shot at the championship this year. But my heart is still will Toyota and Trulli. Then again I would love to see speed do well.
I don't know what team I am going to support in Canada. Maybe all Three. :D
LOL, it's funny because it's true. I'm so glad he is gone from Honda, I think they have a good shot at the championship this year. But my heart is still will Toyota and Trulli. Then again I would love to see speed do well.
I don't know what team I am going to support in Canada. Maybe all Three. :D
| StuBeck | 02-09-2006 02:38 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]Anybody else think the STR01 looks a hell of a lot like the RBR01?[/QUOTE]
It has similarities but isn't the same car, the sidepods are very different and other little touches.
It has similarities but isn't the same car, the sidepods are very different and other little touches.
| StuBeck | 02-09-2006 02:39 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]It surprises me that they would go with two Japanese drivers. It seems like Sato would have all the Japanese sponsors one could ever want and there have got to be more experinced drivers out there that wont go through teething problems that Ide or Yamamoto will have to go through. Also, I am a Sato fan (don't hit me) but he is known for writing off a chasis or two. Seems like Aguri would go for a more stable Coulthard type driver with plenty of F1 experience. Say a Joss the Boss or Panis.
On a side note, whats with the name of the car? SA05. I get SA= Super Aguri but the 05?[/QUOTE]
Its an older car so they're referring to it as an 05 car I believe, the one run in San Marino will probably be 06.
On a side note, whats with the name of the car? SA05. I get SA= Super Aguri but the 05?[/QUOTE]
Its an older car so they're referring to it as an 05 car I believe, the one run in San Marino will probably be 06.
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 02:44 PM |
Maybe it's "05" because that's what the sales slip says.
Do you think Stoddy waited for the check to clear before handing over the keys?
You're right Stu, the new Super Aguri will be called the SA06.
:)
Do you think Stoddy waited for the check to clear before handing over the keys?
You're right Stu, the new Super Aguri will be called the SA06.
:)
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 03:55 PM |
I guess that makes sense. I thought it would be the SA02 or 03. Isn't that the last time that Arrows was on track? It is still one of my favortie chassis by the way.
What I was talking about with RBR and STR is that the STR looks like a RB02 or better yet, a Jag 2 genrations removed. The new RBR seems to be taking more chances in design and the STR looks to be continuing the evolution of the Jags. Sounds like a good move. The RB01 is surprisingly good so why not stick with it and evolve it?
What I was talking about with RBR and STR is that the STR looks like a RB02 or better yet, a Jag 2 genrations removed. The new RBR seems to be taking more chances in design and the STR looks to be continuing the evolution of the Jags. Sounds like a good move. The RB01 is surprisingly good so why not stick with it and evolve it?
| finnRex | 02-09-2006 04:26 PM |
Said it before and I'll say it again. Only seat Sato deserves is a toilet seat...
Mika
Mika
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 05:04 PM |
I knew that was on its way Mika.
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 02-09-2006 05:35 PM |
[QUOTE=Harvey_Mushman]That is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time.[/QUOTE]
No offense, But If you think road atlanta makes the most sense I think you need a motorsports history course.
Laguna Seca it should be.
No offense, But If you think road atlanta makes the most sense I think you need a motorsports history course.
Laguna Seca it should be.
| JoD | 02-09-2006 05:40 PM |
Ferg - Thanks for thinking of me with the awesome photo of Kimi's new helmet. I love that he has combined elements of the Monaco helmet and his "traditional" one from last year.
Braz - As far as pics of said Kimi helmet tattoo go - I don't have any, but I'd be glad to take one. I don't have anywhere to host the image, so if someone would volunteer, I'll share my permanent Kimi devotion with all who care to see (and laugh).
Braz - As far as pics of said Kimi helmet tattoo go - I don't have any, but I'd be glad to take one. I don't have anywhere to host the image, so if someone would volunteer, I'll share my permanent Kimi devotion with all who care to see (and laugh).
| JoD | 02-09-2006 05:45 PM |
From F1Racing.net
Spice Girls ex-manager signs with Honda
09 February 2006
The Spice Girls' former manager Simon Fuller - the man behind the Pop Idol television show has signed with Honda F1 Racing to improve the team's image. Fuller's company - 19 Entertainment will be tasked with spreading the word about Honda beyond Formula One. Jenson Button is expected to be instrumental in the moves. More specific details of the deal or what will happen first have not been released.
Sweet! Does this mean that we'll see Jenson doing a duet with Kelly Clarkson, and Rubens hosting dance parties with Baby Spice?
Spice Girls ex-manager signs with Honda
09 February 2006
The Spice Girls' former manager Simon Fuller - the man behind the Pop Idol television show has signed with Honda F1 Racing to improve the team's image. Fuller's company - 19 Entertainment will be tasked with spreading the word about Honda beyond Formula One. Jenson Button is expected to be instrumental in the moves. More specific details of the deal or what will happen first have not been released.
Sweet! Does this mean that we'll see Jenson doing a duet with Kelly Clarkson, and Rubens hosting dance parties with Baby Spice?
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 09:29 PM |
Oh that's just brilliant, just what Honda needs.
JoD, you can email me the pic and I'd be happy to host it for you.
:)
JoD, you can email me the pic and I'd be happy to host it for you.
:)
| Draken | 02-09-2006 09:31 PM |
mmmmm Posh Spice
| Braz | 02-09-2006 09:32 PM |
well, i do have a we-todd acct.
| finnRex | 02-09-2006 10:06 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]I knew that was on its way Mika.[/QUOTE]
I understand national pride and what-not, hell I'm an American by naturalization, but I'm still proud to have Finnish blood in me. But it ticks me off to no end to see folks fighting for a F1 seat, and this loser of a driver gets all kinds of backing from his country. I guess its great for him, but terrible for the rest of the F1 fans. At least Kimi shows promise, Alonso has proven himself, but Sato has done nothing but crash into others and ruin some good races.
Ugh, it irritates me to no end.
Mika(sorry for the rant)
I understand national pride and what-not, hell I'm an American by naturalization, but I'm still proud to have Finnish blood in me. But it ticks me off to no end to see folks fighting for a F1 seat, and this loser of a driver gets all kinds of backing from his country. I guess its great for him, but terrible for the rest of the F1 fans. At least Kimi shows promise, Alonso has proven himself, but Sato has done nothing but crash into others and ruin some good races.
Ugh, it irritates me to no end.
Mika(sorry for the rant)
| JoD | 02-09-2006 10:06 PM |
Helmet Tat - told you I was crazy!
�
�
[IMG]http://myspace-058.vo.llnwd.net/00490/85/06/490026058_m.jpg[/IMG]
So, here you go. Call me crazy for doing something this permanent, but there is a long story behind this tattoo and why I chose Kimi's helmet that I won't bore you all with.
So, here you go. Call me crazy for doing something this permanent, but there is a long story behind this tattoo and why I chose Kimi's helmet that I won't bore you all with.
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 10:09 PM |
Very cool! :devil:
Here's an interesting little chart...total testing kilometeres each team has covered since the testing ban was lifted in November.
[QUOTE]
Team........................................km
Honda.....................................13,266.430
Ferrari.....................................13,148.750
McLaren-Mercedes....................12,435.556
Toyota....................................11,428.312
Renault......................................9,695.622
Williams-Cosworth........................6,616.822
BMW-Sauber...............................6,141.429
Red Bull-Cosworth........................2,947.700
MF1-Toyota................................2,656.800
Toro Rosso-Cosworth....................2,421.664
Red Bull-Ferrari............................1,771.596
Super Aguri Honda............................0.000
[/QUOTE]
Here's an interesting little chart...total testing kilometeres each team has covered since the testing ban was lifted in November.
[QUOTE]
Team........................................km
Honda.....................................13,266.430
Ferrari.....................................13,148.750
McLaren-Mercedes....................12,435.556
Toyota....................................11,428.312
Renault......................................9,695.622
Williams-Cosworth........................6,616.822
BMW-Sauber...............................6,141.429
Red Bull-Cosworth........................2,947.700
MF1-Toyota................................2,656.800
Toro Rosso-Cosworth....................2,421.664
Red Bull-Ferrari............................1,771.596
Super Aguri Honda............................0.000
[/QUOTE]
| artkevin | 02-09-2006 10:46 PM |
Its cool Mika. :)
I think my affection for Sato is that when he effs up he is at least trying 100%. I see too many drivers just circling the track becuase their car isn't what they want that day (looking your way Ralf and JV). I remember watching him in lower series and he was flawless. I know he as made some HUGE mistakes since being in F1 (Spa this year, Monaco a few years back) that have screwed up his and others races but I feel he gets way more crap then he deserves. People always talk about his point total for this year but don't mention that he had his points taken away in Imola for the illegal stuff and didn't race for two more. Following that, BAR couldn't get his brakes not to go boom. True Button scored points when he didn't but I am not even saying that he is better then Button, I just like him. I felt great for him when he got 3rd in Indy in 04.
I vote for JoD being the most fanatical on this board. Unless that is of course Ferg has some type of F1 Body modification that he would like to tell us about.
I think my affection for Sato is that when he effs up he is at least trying 100%. I see too many drivers just circling the track becuase their car isn't what they want that day (looking your way Ralf and JV). I remember watching him in lower series and he was flawless. I know he as made some HUGE mistakes since being in F1 (Spa this year, Monaco a few years back) that have screwed up his and others races but I feel he gets way more crap then he deserves. People always talk about his point total for this year but don't mention that he had his points taken away in Imola for the illegal stuff and didn't race for two more. Following that, BAR couldn't get his brakes not to go boom. True Button scored points when he didn't but I am not even saying that he is better then Button, I just like him. I felt great for him when he got 3rd in Indy in 04.
I vote for JoD being the most fanatical on this board. Unless that is of course Ferg has some type of F1 Body modification that he would like to tell us about.
| Ferg | 02-09-2006 10:58 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin] I remember watching him in lower series and he was flawless. [/QUOTE]
There you go. Whenever I get into a "Does Sato rate?" argument with my friends I always pull out his 2001 British Formula 3 stats...
12 race wins for Carlin Motorsports against guys like Anthony Davidson, Andy Piralux, James Courtney, Matt Davies, and Derek Hayes, no slouches any of them. By season's end Sato had Davidson flat beaten to the championship, 355 to 273. Anyone who knows a thing or two about racing will tell you that the British F3 Championship is one of the hardest, most competative series out there.
And for the record, no, I do not have any F1 related body modifications, sadly. I was toying with the idea of getting a silhouette of Spa inked onto my arm, but my wife talked me out of it...well that and I sobered up.
There you go. Whenever I get into a "Does Sato rate?" argument with my friends I always pull out his 2001 British Formula 3 stats...
12 race wins for Carlin Motorsports against guys like Anthony Davidson, Andy Piralux, James Courtney, Matt Davies, and Derek Hayes, no slouches any of them. By season's end Sato had Davidson flat beaten to the championship, 355 to 273. Anyone who knows a thing or two about racing will tell you that the British F3 Championship is one of the hardest, most competative series out there.
And for the record, no, I do not have any F1 related body modifications, sadly. I was toying with the idea of getting a silhouette of Spa inked onto my arm, but my wife talked me out of it...well that and I sobered up.
| JoD | 02-09-2006 11:06 PM |
Aww, come on Ferg... It could have been awesome. A little plank dust at Eau Rouge and everything for some color. I would applaud you.
For the record, I was not drunk. Kevin can attest to that.
For the record, I was not drunk. Kevin can attest to that.
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-09-2006 11:21 PM |
[QUOTE=parker/slc/gc8fan]No offense, But If you think road atlanta makes the most sense I think you need a motorsports history course.
Laguna Seca it should be.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I need an English lesson actually. I read it as Road [B][I]America[/I][/B], which is basically in my back yard. Apparently I've got a 'sconnie-centric view of the world. Plus Road America has a bit of history.
Laguna Seca it should be.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I need an English lesson actually. I read it as Road [B][I]America[/I][/B], which is basically in my back yard. Apparently I've got a 'sconnie-centric view of the world. Plus Road America has a bit of history.
| driggity | 02-09-2006 11:31 PM |
[QUOTE=Harvey_Mushman]Yeah, I need an English lesson actually. I read it as Road [B][I]America[/I][/B], which is basically in my back yard. [/QUOTE]
You probably read it that way, because Bonzo typed Road America. ;)
You probably read it that way, because Bonzo typed Road America. ;)
| Bonzo | 02-09-2006 11:41 PM |
<<<<<The only RA I know. :p
[QUOTE=driggity]You probably read it that way, because Bonzo typed Road America. ;)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=driggity]You probably read it that way, because Bonzo typed Road America. ;)[/QUOTE]
| TimStevens | 02-10-2006 07:01 AM |
[QUOTE=parker/slc/gc8fan]No offense, But If you think road atlanta makes the most sense I think you need a motorsports history course.
Laguna Seca it should be.[/QUOTE]
Even if we were discussing Road Atlanta, what makes it any less historic than Laguna Seca? Beyond that, I can think of many more historic tracks in the US, like Watkins Glen or Sebring.
Laguna Seca it should be.[/QUOTE]
Even if we were discussing Road Atlanta, what makes it any less historic than Laguna Seca? Beyond that, I can think of many more historic tracks in the US, like Watkins Glen or Sebring.
| Ferg | 02-10-2006 08:34 AM |
Or Long Beach even.
Morning news.
[QUOTE]Berger: Toro Rosso was impulse decision
By Michele Lostia February 10th 2006, 11:25 GMT
Gerhard Berger has revealed that his 50 percent buy-in of Scuderia Toro Rosso was agreed on the spur of the moment with Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz.
The former Grand Prix driver has been a friend of Mateschitz for several years and, although he had been previously reluctant to accept an invite to help Red Bull's F1 activities, he has claimed it all changed during a conversation in Salzburg.
"Everything happened in one night, even though Dietrich and I have known each other for 20 years, when I was the first sportsman endorsing Red Bull," Berger was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Lately we've met fairly often in Salzburg and one evening, while chatting about the things we did together in the past and about future projects, all of a sudden he told me: 'I'd like to buy 50% of your company.' I thought he was joking, so I replied: 'Fine, then I'm buying 50% of Toro Rosso.' And we did it for real... "
Part of the deal that sees Berger buy into Toro Rosso is for Red Bull to buy 50 percent of Berger's shipping company.
Berger has made it clear that he is not becoming the team boss of Toro Rosso and says he is happy to leave responsibility of that role to fellow Austrian Franz Tost.
"Don't confuse me with the team boss," he explained. "That role is and will be Franz Tost's, a person I trust with my eyes closed.
"My long experience in F1, with all the things learned over the years, will be the contribution I'll bring to the team when I'll be asked.
"I can't miss [attending] the first Grand Prix. As for the others, we'll see one by one."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Briatore: manufacturers should commit to F1
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 13:14 GMT
Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes the time has come for Formula One's manufacturers to accept that their best hope for the future is in aligning themselves with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone.
Although the five members of the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Toyota and Honda , have agreed to stay committed to their breakaway plans until later this year, Briatore has made it clear that he has no doubts where his team are likely to focus beyond that.
In an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport, Briatore said that the only sensible solution for the future was the low-cost F1 being planned by Mosley - and warned that the sport could 'destroy' itself if the breakaway happened.
"It is very simple," said Briatore. "The cards are on the table and everybody is free to decide what he prefers. The ones who want to compete with reasonable cost have to stay in Formula One. The rest have to do something different.
"We only should have one thing in mind. It took ages to bring this sport to the level that we have now. It can take only one season to destroy it all."
Briatore claims that the idea of manufacturers running a championship does not make sense, because of the amount of self-interest likely to exist between the competitors. He thinks only Mosley and Ecclestone are able to look at the bigger picture and help secure the long-term future of the sport.
"People in this business have a very short memory," he explained. "For most of us the world ends at the door of our own garage. Max and Bernie see the whole picture. Mosley has to act as he does, because we never find an agreement. It is normal that doing this results from time to time in not so good decisions.
"But all in all he does a very good job. Bernie made us all rich. I do not understand the people, who complain all the time, that they do not get enough money. I know colleagues who started as normal people in this business. Now, they are normal people with a private jet."
Although Mosley's plans to reduce technology and costs in F1 from 2008 have been on the receiving end of criticism from some manufacturers, Briatore actually believes they do not go far enough.
"Max is right with his new rules," he said. "We must cut the cost to guarantee a future to Formula One. For me he could have gone even further with his cost saving measures."
He added: "A Grand Prix is a two-day event. Friday should be a test day. Then we would not need to test during the season at all. The single tyre supplier and a few additional standard parts on the car will support that. I would cut testing before the season to one week. That should be enough to see whether the new cars are running and everything is safe. We burn millions of dollars with testing and nobody watches us. What a waste of money."
And Briatore has even suggested that the best solution would be for the sport to impose a budget cap - which would be enforced by the FIA in the same way that the Inland Revenue oversees company's accounts.
"The ideal situation would be to have a budget cap of 100 million dollars for each team," he said. "The job of the FIA would then be to police the budgets, just like the tax office is controlling your income and expenses. In such a formula, efficiency would win. Who makes the most with a given amount of money?" [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Renault fix rear wing problem
February 10th 2006, 12:56 GMT
Renault have succeeded in finding a fix to the rear wing problem suffered by Heikki Kovalainen earlier this week - meaning their testing programme is now back on track.
Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella had been forced to share a low-mileage rear wing during testing on Thursday while the team got to the bottom of the structural problem discovered on Wednesday.
But after analysis at the team's Enstone factory, and a big effort from the team on Thursday night, the team were able to resume normal testing activities with two cars today.
Renault's technical director Bob Bell said: "The rear wing is a brand new design, and we noticed a small structural problem this week on two examples, leaving us with just one lower-mileage wing available at the test - which meant we only ran one car at a time on Thursday.
"Obviously, a potential problem with the rear wing assembly can have serious consequences if it fails, so we took a very prudent approach and immediately brought the wings back to Enstone.
"After rigorous analysis, we determined the solution that was required, and the team worked through the night yesterday to implement it. The modified components arrived this morning in Jerez, and the cars were both running again at 09:00."
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Alonso urges Renault to improve
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 12:15 GMT
World champion Fernando Alonso has warned his Renault team that they will need to further improve before the start of the season if they are to maintain their position at the front of the field.
Although the R26 has been one of the strongest cars in testing so far, Alonso fears that his rivals have enough time to close down the gap on the French car manufacturer before Bahrain.
"So far the pre-season is going very well and if the championship would start tomorrow, Renault would be the favourites," he said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER. "But there's still one month to go and our rivals can catch up. We've got up to speed quicker than them."
Alonso's biggest fears surround the team's V8 engine - which he believes is currently behind Honda and Ferrari in the power stakes. His comments amazingly come at the same time as Honda's claims that they are lagging behind Cosworth.
When asked whether he believed Honda had the best engine in the field, Alonso said: "Yes, they're quick in every track and in the paddock everyone thinks they have the most powerful engine around.
"We're going pretty quick, but in terms of horse power we have Honda and Ferrari ahead of us. It's one of the areas in which we need to improve."
Alonso's desire to get Renault to improve comes from his belief that the front of the field will be more competitive this year than in 2005 - when it was pretty much a straight fight between McLaren and Renault.
"I think this year things will be much closer at the top," he said. "Everything is open and the championship will be a lot of fun.
"We'll have more teams fighting for GP victories. Unfortunately for me it won't be like in 2005, when only McLaren and Renault were up there, race in, race out."
He added: "I don't think I'm the only favourite, but just one of them. Both Honda drivers, both Ferrari drivers and both Renault drivers are among the favourites for the first three or four races of the season."
And Alonso has now doubts at all that former champion Michael Schumacher will be back to his best this year after the disappointments of 2005.
"He's very motivated," explained Alonso. "He's always motivated. I suppose that after losing the title last year he'll come back for revenge stronger than ever. "
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Spa set '07 return with 5-year deal
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 11:01 GMT
Belgian Grand Prix organisers have already secured a provisional deal to see the race return to the calendar in 2007, according to a regional government minister.
Jean-Claude Marcourt, the Wallonian Economy Minister, told Belgian radio station RTBF that he has concluded a five-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone to host the race. The government will pay Ecclestone six million Euros per year to stage the event.
This year's Belgian Grand Prix has been dropped from the calendar to allow a major revamp of facilities at the track demanded by Ecclestone.
Under the terms of the new deal, the race organisers will not have to pay any financial compensation to Ecclestone for the cancellation of this year's race
The new deal still needs to be approved by the Wallonian parliament, which could come as soon as next week if a debate is given the green light.[/QUOTE]
Morning news.
[QUOTE]Berger: Toro Rosso was impulse decision
By Michele Lostia February 10th 2006, 11:25 GMT
Gerhard Berger has revealed that his 50 percent buy-in of Scuderia Toro Rosso was agreed on the spur of the moment with Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz.
The former Grand Prix driver has been a friend of Mateschitz for several years and, although he had been previously reluctant to accept an invite to help Red Bull's F1 activities, he has claimed it all changed during a conversation in Salzburg.
"Everything happened in one night, even though Dietrich and I have known each other for 20 years, when I was the first sportsman endorsing Red Bull," Berger was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Lately we've met fairly often in Salzburg and one evening, while chatting about the things we did together in the past and about future projects, all of a sudden he told me: 'I'd like to buy 50% of your company.' I thought he was joking, so I replied: 'Fine, then I'm buying 50% of Toro Rosso.' And we did it for real... "
Part of the deal that sees Berger buy into Toro Rosso is for Red Bull to buy 50 percent of Berger's shipping company.
Berger has made it clear that he is not becoming the team boss of Toro Rosso and says he is happy to leave responsibility of that role to fellow Austrian Franz Tost.
"Don't confuse me with the team boss," he explained. "That role is and will be Franz Tost's, a person I trust with my eyes closed.
"My long experience in F1, with all the things learned over the years, will be the contribution I'll bring to the team when I'll be asked.
"I can't miss [attending] the first Grand Prix. As for the others, we'll see one by one."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Briatore: manufacturers should commit to F1
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 13:14 GMT
Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes the time has come for Formula One's manufacturers to accept that their best hope for the future is in aligning themselves with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone.
Although the five members of the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Toyota and Honda , have agreed to stay committed to their breakaway plans until later this year, Briatore has made it clear that he has no doubts where his team are likely to focus beyond that.
In an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport, Briatore said that the only sensible solution for the future was the low-cost F1 being planned by Mosley - and warned that the sport could 'destroy' itself if the breakaway happened.
"It is very simple," said Briatore. "The cards are on the table and everybody is free to decide what he prefers. The ones who want to compete with reasonable cost have to stay in Formula One. The rest have to do something different.
"We only should have one thing in mind. It took ages to bring this sport to the level that we have now. It can take only one season to destroy it all."
Briatore claims that the idea of manufacturers running a championship does not make sense, because of the amount of self-interest likely to exist between the competitors. He thinks only Mosley and Ecclestone are able to look at the bigger picture and help secure the long-term future of the sport.
"People in this business have a very short memory," he explained. "For most of us the world ends at the door of our own garage. Max and Bernie see the whole picture. Mosley has to act as he does, because we never find an agreement. It is normal that doing this results from time to time in not so good decisions.
"But all in all he does a very good job. Bernie made us all rich. I do not understand the people, who complain all the time, that they do not get enough money. I know colleagues who started as normal people in this business. Now, they are normal people with a private jet."
Although Mosley's plans to reduce technology and costs in F1 from 2008 have been on the receiving end of criticism from some manufacturers, Briatore actually believes they do not go far enough.
"Max is right with his new rules," he said. "We must cut the cost to guarantee a future to Formula One. For me he could have gone even further with his cost saving measures."
He added: "A Grand Prix is a two-day event. Friday should be a test day. Then we would not need to test during the season at all. The single tyre supplier and a few additional standard parts on the car will support that. I would cut testing before the season to one week. That should be enough to see whether the new cars are running and everything is safe. We burn millions of dollars with testing and nobody watches us. What a waste of money."
And Briatore has even suggested that the best solution would be for the sport to impose a budget cap - which would be enforced by the FIA in the same way that the Inland Revenue oversees company's accounts.
"The ideal situation would be to have a budget cap of 100 million dollars for each team," he said. "The job of the FIA would then be to police the budgets, just like the tax office is controlling your income and expenses. In such a formula, efficiency would win. Who makes the most with a given amount of money?" [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Renault fix rear wing problem
February 10th 2006, 12:56 GMT
Renault have succeeded in finding a fix to the rear wing problem suffered by Heikki Kovalainen earlier this week - meaning their testing programme is now back on track.
Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella had been forced to share a low-mileage rear wing during testing on Thursday while the team got to the bottom of the structural problem discovered on Wednesday.
But after analysis at the team's Enstone factory, and a big effort from the team on Thursday night, the team were able to resume normal testing activities with two cars today.
Renault's technical director Bob Bell said: "The rear wing is a brand new design, and we noticed a small structural problem this week on two examples, leaving us with just one lower-mileage wing available at the test - which meant we only ran one car at a time on Thursday.
"Obviously, a potential problem with the rear wing assembly can have serious consequences if it fails, so we took a very prudent approach and immediately brought the wings back to Enstone.
"After rigorous analysis, we determined the solution that was required, and the team worked through the night yesterday to implement it. The modified components arrived this morning in Jerez, and the cars were both running again at 09:00."
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Alonso urges Renault to improve
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 12:15 GMT
World champion Fernando Alonso has warned his Renault team that they will need to further improve before the start of the season if they are to maintain their position at the front of the field.
Although the R26 has been one of the strongest cars in testing so far, Alonso fears that his rivals have enough time to close down the gap on the French car manufacturer before Bahrain.
"So far the pre-season is going very well and if the championship would start tomorrow, Renault would be the favourites," he said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER. "But there's still one month to go and our rivals can catch up. We've got up to speed quicker than them."
Alonso's biggest fears surround the team's V8 engine - which he believes is currently behind Honda and Ferrari in the power stakes. His comments amazingly come at the same time as Honda's claims that they are lagging behind Cosworth.
When asked whether he believed Honda had the best engine in the field, Alonso said: "Yes, they're quick in every track and in the paddock everyone thinks they have the most powerful engine around.
"We're going pretty quick, but in terms of horse power we have Honda and Ferrari ahead of us. It's one of the areas in which we need to improve."
Alonso's desire to get Renault to improve comes from his belief that the front of the field will be more competitive this year than in 2005 - when it was pretty much a straight fight between McLaren and Renault.
"I think this year things will be much closer at the top," he said. "Everything is open and the championship will be a lot of fun.
"We'll have more teams fighting for GP victories. Unfortunately for me it won't be like in 2005, when only McLaren and Renault were up there, race in, race out."
He added: "I don't think I'm the only favourite, but just one of them. Both Honda drivers, both Ferrari drivers and both Renault drivers are among the favourites for the first three or four races of the season."
And Alonso has now doubts at all that former champion Michael Schumacher will be back to his best this year after the disappointments of 2005.
"He's very motivated," explained Alonso. "He's always motivated. I suppose that after losing the title last year he'll come back for revenge stronger than ever. "
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Spa set '07 return with 5-year deal
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 11:01 GMT
Belgian Grand Prix organisers have already secured a provisional deal to see the race return to the calendar in 2007, according to a regional government minister.
Jean-Claude Marcourt, the Wallonian Economy Minister, told Belgian radio station RTBF that he has concluded a five-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone to host the race. The government will pay Ecclestone six million Euros per year to stage the event.
This year's Belgian Grand Prix has been dropped from the calendar to allow a major revamp of facilities at the track demanded by Ecclestone.
Under the terms of the new deal, the race organisers will not have to pay any financial compensation to Ecclestone for the cancellation of this year's race
The new deal still needs to be approved by the Wallonian parliament, which could come as soon as next week if a debate is given the green light.[/QUOTE]
| Bonzo | 02-10-2006 08:46 AM |
Flavio can move ahead 5 spaces and collect 200 as he passes GO.
Way to go Flav for putting a little perspective and some true words into this circus we call Formula One. :)
[QUOTE]Briatore claims that the idea of manufacturers running a championship does not make sense, because of the amount of self-interest likely to exist between the competitors. He thinks only Mosley and Ecclestone are able to look at the bigger picture and help secure the long-term future of the sport.
"People in this business have a very short memory," he explained. "For most of us the world ends at the door of our own garage. Max and Bernie see the whole picture. Mosley has to act as he does, because we never find an agreement. It is normal that doing this results from time to time in not so good decisions.
"But all in all he does a very good job. Bernie made us all rich. I do not understand the people, who complain all the time, that they do not get enough money. I know colleagues who started as normal people in this business. Now, they are normal people with a private jet."
[/QUOTE]
Way to go Flav for putting a little perspective and some true words into this circus we call Formula One. :)
[QUOTE]Briatore claims that the idea of manufacturers running a championship does not make sense, because of the amount of self-interest likely to exist between the competitors. He thinks only Mosley and Ecclestone are able to look at the bigger picture and help secure the long-term future of the sport.
"People in this business have a very short memory," he explained. "For most of us the world ends at the door of our own garage. Max and Bernie see the whole picture. Mosley has to act as he does, because we never find an agreement. It is normal that doing this results from time to time in not so good decisions.
"But all in all he does a very good job. Bernie made us all rich. I do not understand the people, who complain all the time, that they do not get enough money. I know colleagues who started as normal people in this business. Now, they are normal people with a private jet."
[/QUOTE]
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 11:55 AM |
It might be just me but I have never thought that the GPMA was a real threat. Always seemed like a bargaining tool to get the manufactures more cash out of Bernie. I can't seriously see them ever coming together long enough to get a real series off the ground.
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