| StuBeck | 07-13-2007 07:19 PM |
I think you're taking it a bit too far. Many places don't have races, places who've had races longer than the US. Not having a race sucks, but its not going to make me less of a fan.
| ptclaus98 | 07-14-2007 12:14 AM |
[QUOTE=parker/slc/gc8fan;18709204]It's going to be hard to not be a fan, I'm a racing freak.
It just makes me dis-like teh non-racing aspect of F1 even more.
[B]So far from grassroots, when people really care about racing. Sure business is business. but that can only go so far for fans.[/B] (hocky lockout?)[/QUOTE]
That's the way it is when you get paid massive amounts of cash, regardless of sport.
It just makes me dis-like teh non-racing aspect of F1 even more.
[B]So far from grassroots, when people really care about racing. Sure business is business. but that can only go so far for fans.[/B] (hocky lockout?)[/QUOTE]
That's the way it is when you get paid massive amounts of cash, regardless of sport.
| artkevin | 07-17-2007 12:29 PM |
[B]Red Bull Racing appoints Geoff Willis
17 July 2007[/B]
Geoffrey Willis has joined Red Bull Racing and will take on the role of Technical Director, reporting to Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey. The new appointment is effective from 23 July 2007.
Click here
Forty-seven year old Willis has worked alongside Newey in the past when both men were at Williams. His first Formula One role came with the Leyton House team from where he joined Newey at Williams, eventually becoming Chief Aerodynamicist. He moved to BAR in 2002 as Technical Director and left the Honda team in 2006, since when he has been tending his garden.
Mark Smith who has been Technical Director since January 2006, has been offered another senior position within the company.
17 July 2007[/B]
Geoffrey Willis has joined Red Bull Racing and will take on the role of Technical Director, reporting to Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey. The new appointment is effective from 23 July 2007.
Click here
Forty-seven year old Willis has worked alongside Newey in the past when both men were at Williams. His first Formula One role came with the Leyton House team from where he joined Newey at Williams, eventually becoming Chief Aerodynamicist. He moved to BAR in 2002 as Technical Director and left the Honda team in 2006, since when he has been tending his garden.
Mark Smith who has been Technical Director since January 2006, has been offered another senior position within the company.
| TimStevens | 07-17-2007 12:41 PM |
Whoa, after what, a year or two with them? That's odd...
| StuBeck | 07-17-2007 03:43 PM |
Who, Willis or Smith?
| OnTheGas | 07-17-2007 04:35 PM |
A smart guy in the garden?
�
�
Since Willis was "tending his garden" since last year, and was with BAR/Honda for four years prior to that, then one might conclude that he was not speaking about Willis.
Interesting that Honda showed much speed until approximately the time that Willis left...
And it is interesting that the Newey designed Red Bull cars have not yet shown the competitive advantage that Newey cars have had previously.
If Red Bull starts finishing solidly in the points most weekends next season, it would speak well of Geoff Willis...
Interesting that Honda showed much speed until approximately the time that Willis left...
And it is interesting that the Newey designed Red Bull cars have not yet shown the competitive advantage that Newey cars have had previously.
If Red Bull starts finishing solidly in the points most weekends next season, it would speak well of Geoff Willis...
| artkevin | 07-17-2007 05:20 PM |
Key word-"finishing"
| StuBeck | 07-17-2007 07:29 PM |
Every Adrian Newey car before hasn't been the fastest either though. I don't really think anyone thought that they would go from 7th (or worse) the last 7 seasons to winning hte world championship this year. Their main problem has been reliability.
Red Bull of course needs to get their reliability up, but I believe they will be able to get around that this year. Next year will show how the combined strength of Newey, actually using an engine for more than a year, and Willis will show what the team is able to do. I don't think it is singularly on one person.
Red Bull of course needs to get their reliability up, but I believe they will be able to get around that this year. Next year will show how the combined strength of Newey, actually using an engine for more than a year, and Willis will show what the team is able to do. I don't think it is singularly on one person.
| OnTheGas | 07-18-2007 01:31 AM |
Where is the speed?
�
�
I'm thinking the keyword is [B]points[/B].
We know that Red Bull and Toro Rosso are not reliable this season. But when they do finish, are they deep in the points? No! OK, so are they shallow in the points? Well... rarely! (Red Bull has earned 6 points so far!!)
For instance, Renault is currently more reliable than BMW, or Ferrari, (1144 laps completed vs. BMW's 1066, vs. Ferrari's 1096). But Renault has earned 31 points for all those laps finished, while BMW has earned 56 for fewer laps completed, and Ferrari 103. (Statistics created from [URL="http://forix.autosport.com/cp.php?l=0&r=2007&c=39"]data sourced here at Forix[/URL].)
If Red Bull & Toro Rosso were fighting it out w/the red cars, and shiny silver cars at the fast end of the grid each weekend, but not finishing, then reliability would be the primary problem... But at this point, the Newey teams need more speed.
We know that Red Bull and Toro Rosso are not reliable this season. But when they do finish, are they deep in the points? No! OK, so are they shallow in the points? Well... rarely! (Red Bull has earned 6 points so far!!)
For instance, Renault is currently more reliable than BMW, or Ferrari, (1144 laps completed vs. BMW's 1066, vs. Ferrari's 1096). But Renault has earned 31 points for all those laps finished, while BMW has earned 56 for fewer laps completed, and Ferrari 103. (Statistics created from [URL="http://forix.autosport.com/cp.php?l=0&r=2007&c=39"]data sourced here at Forix[/URL].)
If Red Bull & Toro Rosso were fighting it out w/the red cars, and shiny silver cars at the fast end of the grid each weekend, but not finishing, then reliability would be the primary problem... But at this point, the Newey teams need more speed.
| StuBeck | 07-18-2007 07:40 AM |
As is said often, it doesn't matter how fast the car is if its not reliable. They need to work on that first, then they can start improving the car to make it faster. And DC has had some good drives recently, and then his car fails and he gets nothing from it.
I was also disputing the theory you were putting saying it was going to be mainly on Willis if they started to do better next year.
I was also disputing the theory you were putting saying it was going to be mainly on Willis if they started to do better next year.
| BillT | 07-18-2007 08:01 AM |
I agree with the 'to finish first, first you have to finish' theory - get the car reliable enough so that you are (almost) always finishing the race, and then work on making it faster.
| StuBeck | 07-19-2007 08:00 AM |
Can anyone copy and paste Autosports spa report for me?
| artkevin | 07-19-2007 09:59 AM |
Spa Treatment
The Formula One fraternity cheerfully returned to Spa-Francorchamps last week, for the first official test at the venue in a couple of decades. But the place has changed quite markedly, as the drivers and team managers soon found out. Is that change good or bad? And what will become of F1's hallowed circuit? Adam Cooper attended the final day of testing to find out
By Adam Cooper
autosport.com contributing writer
Christian Klien, Honda
Last week's three-day Formula One test at Spa was quite an occasion, if only because it was the first such event at the spectacular Belgian venue for a very, very long time.
Back in April 1983 the revised track, already in use for some four years by F2 and touring cars, played host to F1 cars for the first time. It was a month before the first Grand Prix, and the new pit buildings before La Source were still under construction.
Many of the drivers there that week had not driven at Spa before. Indeed, anyone whose F1 career fell between 1971 and '82 never got the chance to sample the place in either of its incarnations.
With the flat bottom turbo cars of '83, Spa proved quite a challenge, and it was love at first sight for all the drivers - and this was at a time when the schedule still included challenging places like the Osterreichring, Zandvoort, Brands Hatch and Kyalami. The first race that May was a great success, and apart from the unfortunate glitch with the botched resurfacing in 1985, the place has thrived ever since.
It's unclear if there were any other tests in the very early years, but certainly from the nineties on, Spa was to remain a strictly once-a-year experience, to be relished in much the same way as Monaco. The fact that most of the original section of the track remained in daily use made closing it for testing less than practical.
The only team that have had the opportunity to run there were Toyota, in the very early days of their F1 prototype testing, in 2001. The team have been back since to run shakedowns on parts of the track, while Renault went there with Heikki Kovalainen in 2005, with the specific aim of checking how a revised oil system coped with the loadings of Eau Rouge. The Finn found the return runs, back down the hill, to be quite exciting.
The bottom line is that last week's test was something special, giving teams and drivers a chance to log some serious mileage prior to September's race. It was a welcome first chance in an F1 car there for Nelson Piquet Jr - whose dad was at that very first test - while others such as Giedo van der Garde, James Rossiter and Sebastian Bourdais can now also say that they've sampled the best track in the world in an F1 car.
Felipe Massa through the new chicane � XPB/LAT
Changes for the better
The occasion also marked the baptism, at least as far as F1 is concerned, of the biggest set of updates the track has seen since 1983. Over the years there has been some tinkering with various corners, in particular Eau Rouge of course, but nothing on the scale of what has been done this year.
The Bus Stop has now been replaced by a new and very tight right/left combination, which leads on to a much longer pit straight - and one that lives up to its name, because it no longer has a curve at the beginning of it. The straight is also wider, flatter and smoother. There's a lot more room at the exit of La Source after some major work on the outside.
But the really impressive job is the upper level of the paddock, which is now much bigger. It has been extended in the direction of the chicane, with a great chunk of stands on columns, including two levels of parking down below and access by lifts straight into the paddock.
The cramped, single storey pit buildings that were unveiled for the 1983 race have finally disappeared, to be replaced by a mighty new complex with offices and hospitality facilities above. The pitlane is much wider than it was, and the new garages are huge and well equipped. The problems that had for so long frustrated teams have now been addressed, and then some.
Opposite the pits, there's been a massive amount of earth moving. A permanent 4,000-seater grandstand is the last of the construction work to be finished - a crane was busy swinging over the track even when the cars were running - and some temporary ones will sit alongside it. There is now much improved spectator access to this part of the venue.
Rave reviews
Inevitably, the Ardennes rain caused a few frustrations (although the weather is poor all over Europe at the moment). In fact, with the 'Ring coming up and the September race weekend likely to see some more precipitation, a little wet running was not unwelcome.
Everyone seemed to be happy to be back, and there was a general feeling that Spa was a pretty good place to come and test, and not just with the Belgian GP in mind. It might be sunny in Spain, but it's a long trek.
"I am impressed," said veteran Williams test team manager Dickie Stanford. "It's like the rest of the circuits around the world now, and it's really good inside the garages. They've looked at other places, and done the job.
New pit and paddock facilities at Spa-Francorchamps � XPB/LAT
"Everything that you need is in the garages. It's involved massive engineering works, I never thought I'd see the amount of work they've done, especially the way they've cut into the bank on the other side of the straight. The only negative side is the weather. At least with Spain you can hope for better weather."
"They've really improved the whole infrastructure," said Toyota team manager Richard Cregan. "It's beyond what we could have expected. I think they've done a fantastic job, especially in the time they had available. We were here in February, I think it was, before they took away everything, and then four months on and everything is new.
"For us (at Toyota) it's an hour and a half down the road (from the factory, at Cologne). It's very convenient, and if you're trying to get bits to a place quickly, it's a lot easier than trying to get them down to the south of Spain!
"Then again, it's quite central. It's not too far away for the British teams. The only thing is that you do have to wait a little bit longer in the mornings for the weather to lift and for the track to dry off, but generally it's good."
Cregan confirmed that the teams were not just thinking about September: "You've got everything in it - high speed, low speed. I think whatever you want to test for, you can probably do a lot of it here. There's no reason why we couldn't be preparing for Nurburgring or a number of other races.
"It's a good circuit to test on. It's one of the greatest circuits in the world anyway. The other thing is that these days, with everyone in the same place, the track rubbers in quite quickly, and on top of that, you've got some comparisons."
A chicane for a chicane
So what of the drivers? Inevitably, they enjoyed being back after nearly two years away. Unusually, the track changes seemed to go down pretty well, but there was one common disappointment. Everyone reckoned that with V8 power levels, any challenge had been sucked out of Eau Rouge. It still made for great viewing, however.
No one was happier to be back than Williams driver Alex Wurz, who had not sampled the track since his 2000 season with Benetton.
"The general feeling is that there are not many tracks left with super high speed corners, so that's quite nice," said the Austrian. "With the V8 car it's less of a ball breaker in Eau Rouge, because it's flat even on high fuel. It's even flat on intermediates. So that's a shame. But it's still Eau Rouge, it's high speed and bumpy, and it's still cool.
"La Source is better, the exit is much wider. It's maybe better for the start. And I quite like the chicane. The Bus Stop was tricky, but this is better. It's pretty slow coming out, but at least it has something, changing cambers and so on. It's much better than that slow chicane at the Nurburgring."
Nico Rosberg in the new pit entrance � XPB/LAT
But will it encourage passing?
"You can maybe try an optimistic manoeuvre there, but I don't think you can get that close in Blanchimont. You have to be pretty damn sure about the braking point!"
On pole for Renault at Spa in 2004, Jarno Trulli is a little more optimistic about the chances of seeing some action there.
"Definitely," the Italian said. "As well, you might have some chance into the hairpin, although the straight is a bit short.
"But with the V8, it's nearly flat everywhere. It was harder before, I believe. I remember in Magny-Cours this year I was so impressed, we were going through the chicane, through the corners, so quick. It was so difficult to make a difference, because anyone could do that. Too much grip, I would say. And here, it's easy. Blanchimont is not even a corner anymore; flat in the wet, flat in the dry."
There was one change that the drivers were not happy with, though. To a man they were concerned about the tight left-hand turn into the pit entry, which is in effect a narrow concrete tunnel.
I stood right on the end of the pit wall to watched the cars coming in, and it was indeed a bit tricky. The drivers head straight towards the pit entry from the middle of the new chicane, and have to stand on the brakes as they turn into it. Anyone who gets it wrong, far from impossible in the wet, could block the entry. As indeed could a car grinding to a halt with a transmission problem or similar. It could all be a bit difficult if the field is charging in as one during a safety car period.
"I'm not happy with this," says Wurz. "Because it's such a tight corner, and you really have to concentrate not to hit the wall. And if somebody hits the wall, the pit entry is blocked. They maybe could have done it a bit better."
"The only down point is the pit entry," agreed Trulli. "It's a bit narrow, and a bit dangerous. I think we need to have a change. An F1 car can hardly go through there. Imagine if someone misses it and crashes into the wall, nobody can come in. It needs to be rethought."
"If a car has a problem and stops," said Super Aguri's Takuma Sato, "and someone else is coming, it can be quite dangerous. It's blind."
It remains to be seen if anything can be done. The wall on the right stands in front of a sheer drop, and the one on the left is the barrier protecting the exit of the chicane. There's not a lot of room for manoeuvre, and apparently one of the walls was already moved after the domestic 12 hours race in June, when a towing vehicle was on permanent standby in case of blockage.
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit � XPB/LAT
Power to the people
Hopefully the Spa test will become a regular feature on the calendar. Certainly the organisers did their best to make it pay, charging folk 20 euros for entry, or a mere five if they had booked a ticket for the race weekend. That was pretty good value for seeing 11 cars running all day long. A PA commentary thrown in, and there were even busy souvenir stands behind the grandstands.
Local press reports said that there were eight to ten thousand people on-site on Tuesday, and at least 14,000 on Wednesday (a public holiday in that part of Belgium). It was certainly pretty busy on Thursday. There were apparently long queues at the gate, and on that busy middle day they actually ran out of tickets to hand over, because the numbers were way more than had been expected.
Many of the spectators had never previously seen F1 cars in action, and as a promotion for the main event, it worked very well. Whether they will now be willing to pay full price to come back in September remains to be seen. The likelihood is that attendance from Germany will be down with no Michael Schumacher to behold, while the recent departure of Christijan Albers may be even more of a blow - Spa was the closest thing to his home race, and thousands of Dutch fans were expected to make the pilgrimage.
Failure to make the event pay its way is why the Belgian GP has had such a chequered history in the recent past. It disappeared from the schedule in 2003, and was absent again last year after a new and enthusiastic promoter struggled to make ends meet.
After keeping his distance for a while, it seems that once again Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is closely involved in Spa's commercial arrangements, and he should know how to make it work, if anyone does.
Ecclestone has dealt with several generations of local and regional politicians since 1983, but despite the odd fight, he keeps taking Formula One back, and every race fan can rejoice that this magnificent venue is alive and well.
It's anybody's guess how much public money has been ploughed into the rebuilding project, but just consider that it apparently involved 36,800 working days - or the equivalent of 181 full-time jobs for a year. Somebody had to pay for all that. And you can be sure that the new-look Spa will give Bernie another stick with which to beat poor old Silverstone...
The Formula One fraternity cheerfully returned to Spa-Francorchamps last week, for the first official test at the venue in a couple of decades. But the place has changed quite markedly, as the drivers and team managers soon found out. Is that change good or bad? And what will become of F1's hallowed circuit? Adam Cooper attended the final day of testing to find out
By Adam Cooper
autosport.com contributing writer
Christian Klien, Honda
Last week's three-day Formula One test at Spa was quite an occasion, if only because it was the first such event at the spectacular Belgian venue for a very, very long time.
Back in April 1983 the revised track, already in use for some four years by F2 and touring cars, played host to F1 cars for the first time. It was a month before the first Grand Prix, and the new pit buildings before La Source were still under construction.
Many of the drivers there that week had not driven at Spa before. Indeed, anyone whose F1 career fell between 1971 and '82 never got the chance to sample the place in either of its incarnations.
With the flat bottom turbo cars of '83, Spa proved quite a challenge, and it was love at first sight for all the drivers - and this was at a time when the schedule still included challenging places like the Osterreichring, Zandvoort, Brands Hatch and Kyalami. The first race that May was a great success, and apart from the unfortunate glitch with the botched resurfacing in 1985, the place has thrived ever since.
It's unclear if there were any other tests in the very early years, but certainly from the nineties on, Spa was to remain a strictly once-a-year experience, to be relished in much the same way as Monaco. The fact that most of the original section of the track remained in daily use made closing it for testing less than practical.
The only team that have had the opportunity to run there were Toyota, in the very early days of their F1 prototype testing, in 2001. The team have been back since to run shakedowns on parts of the track, while Renault went there with Heikki Kovalainen in 2005, with the specific aim of checking how a revised oil system coped with the loadings of Eau Rouge. The Finn found the return runs, back down the hill, to be quite exciting.
The bottom line is that last week's test was something special, giving teams and drivers a chance to log some serious mileage prior to September's race. It was a welcome first chance in an F1 car there for Nelson Piquet Jr - whose dad was at that very first test - while others such as Giedo van der Garde, James Rossiter and Sebastian Bourdais can now also say that they've sampled the best track in the world in an F1 car.
Felipe Massa through the new chicane � XPB/LAT
Changes for the better
The occasion also marked the baptism, at least as far as F1 is concerned, of the biggest set of updates the track has seen since 1983. Over the years there has been some tinkering with various corners, in particular Eau Rouge of course, but nothing on the scale of what has been done this year.
The Bus Stop has now been replaced by a new and very tight right/left combination, which leads on to a much longer pit straight - and one that lives up to its name, because it no longer has a curve at the beginning of it. The straight is also wider, flatter and smoother. There's a lot more room at the exit of La Source after some major work on the outside.
But the really impressive job is the upper level of the paddock, which is now much bigger. It has been extended in the direction of the chicane, with a great chunk of stands on columns, including two levels of parking down below and access by lifts straight into the paddock.
The cramped, single storey pit buildings that were unveiled for the 1983 race have finally disappeared, to be replaced by a mighty new complex with offices and hospitality facilities above. The pitlane is much wider than it was, and the new garages are huge and well equipped. The problems that had for so long frustrated teams have now been addressed, and then some.
Opposite the pits, there's been a massive amount of earth moving. A permanent 4,000-seater grandstand is the last of the construction work to be finished - a crane was busy swinging over the track even when the cars were running - and some temporary ones will sit alongside it. There is now much improved spectator access to this part of the venue.
Rave reviews
Inevitably, the Ardennes rain caused a few frustrations (although the weather is poor all over Europe at the moment). In fact, with the 'Ring coming up and the September race weekend likely to see some more precipitation, a little wet running was not unwelcome.
Everyone seemed to be happy to be back, and there was a general feeling that Spa was a pretty good place to come and test, and not just with the Belgian GP in mind. It might be sunny in Spain, but it's a long trek.
"I am impressed," said veteran Williams test team manager Dickie Stanford. "It's like the rest of the circuits around the world now, and it's really good inside the garages. They've looked at other places, and done the job.
New pit and paddock facilities at Spa-Francorchamps � XPB/LAT
"Everything that you need is in the garages. It's involved massive engineering works, I never thought I'd see the amount of work they've done, especially the way they've cut into the bank on the other side of the straight. The only negative side is the weather. At least with Spain you can hope for better weather."
"They've really improved the whole infrastructure," said Toyota team manager Richard Cregan. "It's beyond what we could have expected. I think they've done a fantastic job, especially in the time they had available. We were here in February, I think it was, before they took away everything, and then four months on and everything is new.
"For us (at Toyota) it's an hour and a half down the road (from the factory, at Cologne). It's very convenient, and if you're trying to get bits to a place quickly, it's a lot easier than trying to get them down to the south of Spain!
"Then again, it's quite central. It's not too far away for the British teams. The only thing is that you do have to wait a little bit longer in the mornings for the weather to lift and for the track to dry off, but generally it's good."
Cregan confirmed that the teams were not just thinking about September: "You've got everything in it - high speed, low speed. I think whatever you want to test for, you can probably do a lot of it here. There's no reason why we couldn't be preparing for Nurburgring or a number of other races.
"It's a good circuit to test on. It's one of the greatest circuits in the world anyway. The other thing is that these days, with everyone in the same place, the track rubbers in quite quickly, and on top of that, you've got some comparisons."
A chicane for a chicane
So what of the drivers? Inevitably, they enjoyed being back after nearly two years away. Unusually, the track changes seemed to go down pretty well, but there was one common disappointment. Everyone reckoned that with V8 power levels, any challenge had been sucked out of Eau Rouge. It still made for great viewing, however.
No one was happier to be back than Williams driver Alex Wurz, who had not sampled the track since his 2000 season with Benetton.
"The general feeling is that there are not many tracks left with super high speed corners, so that's quite nice," said the Austrian. "With the V8 car it's less of a ball breaker in Eau Rouge, because it's flat even on high fuel. It's even flat on intermediates. So that's a shame. But it's still Eau Rouge, it's high speed and bumpy, and it's still cool.
"La Source is better, the exit is much wider. It's maybe better for the start. And I quite like the chicane. The Bus Stop was tricky, but this is better. It's pretty slow coming out, but at least it has something, changing cambers and so on. It's much better than that slow chicane at the Nurburgring."
Nico Rosberg in the new pit entrance � XPB/LAT
But will it encourage passing?
"You can maybe try an optimistic manoeuvre there, but I don't think you can get that close in Blanchimont. You have to be pretty damn sure about the braking point!"
On pole for Renault at Spa in 2004, Jarno Trulli is a little more optimistic about the chances of seeing some action there.
"Definitely," the Italian said. "As well, you might have some chance into the hairpin, although the straight is a bit short.
"But with the V8, it's nearly flat everywhere. It was harder before, I believe. I remember in Magny-Cours this year I was so impressed, we were going through the chicane, through the corners, so quick. It was so difficult to make a difference, because anyone could do that. Too much grip, I would say. And here, it's easy. Blanchimont is not even a corner anymore; flat in the wet, flat in the dry."
There was one change that the drivers were not happy with, though. To a man they were concerned about the tight left-hand turn into the pit entry, which is in effect a narrow concrete tunnel.
I stood right on the end of the pit wall to watched the cars coming in, and it was indeed a bit tricky. The drivers head straight towards the pit entry from the middle of the new chicane, and have to stand on the brakes as they turn into it. Anyone who gets it wrong, far from impossible in the wet, could block the entry. As indeed could a car grinding to a halt with a transmission problem or similar. It could all be a bit difficult if the field is charging in as one during a safety car period.
"I'm not happy with this," says Wurz. "Because it's such a tight corner, and you really have to concentrate not to hit the wall. And if somebody hits the wall, the pit entry is blocked. They maybe could have done it a bit better."
"The only down point is the pit entry," agreed Trulli. "It's a bit narrow, and a bit dangerous. I think we need to have a change. An F1 car can hardly go through there. Imagine if someone misses it and crashes into the wall, nobody can come in. It needs to be rethought."
"If a car has a problem and stops," said Super Aguri's Takuma Sato, "and someone else is coming, it can be quite dangerous. It's blind."
It remains to be seen if anything can be done. The wall on the right stands in front of a sheer drop, and the one on the left is the barrier protecting the exit of the chicane. There's not a lot of room for manoeuvre, and apparently one of the walls was already moved after the domestic 12 hours race in June, when a towing vehicle was on permanent standby in case of blockage.
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit � XPB/LAT
Power to the people
Hopefully the Spa test will become a regular feature on the calendar. Certainly the organisers did their best to make it pay, charging folk 20 euros for entry, or a mere five if they had booked a ticket for the race weekend. That was pretty good value for seeing 11 cars running all day long. A PA commentary thrown in, and there were even busy souvenir stands behind the grandstands.
Local press reports said that there were eight to ten thousand people on-site on Tuesday, and at least 14,000 on Wednesday (a public holiday in that part of Belgium). It was certainly pretty busy on Thursday. There were apparently long queues at the gate, and on that busy middle day they actually ran out of tickets to hand over, because the numbers were way more than had been expected.
Many of the spectators had never previously seen F1 cars in action, and as a promotion for the main event, it worked very well. Whether they will now be willing to pay full price to come back in September remains to be seen. The likelihood is that attendance from Germany will be down with no Michael Schumacher to behold, while the recent departure of Christijan Albers may be even more of a blow - Spa was the closest thing to his home race, and thousands of Dutch fans were expected to make the pilgrimage.
Failure to make the event pay its way is why the Belgian GP has had such a chequered history in the recent past. It disappeared from the schedule in 2003, and was absent again last year after a new and enthusiastic promoter struggled to make ends meet.
After keeping his distance for a while, it seems that once again Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is closely involved in Spa's commercial arrangements, and he should know how to make it work, if anyone does.
Ecclestone has dealt with several generations of local and regional politicians since 1983, but despite the odd fight, he keeps taking Formula One back, and every race fan can rejoice that this magnificent venue is alive and well.
It's anybody's guess how much public money has been ploughed into the rebuilding project, but just consider that it apparently involved 36,800 working days - or the equivalent of 181 full-time jobs for a year. Somebody had to pay for all that. And you can be sure that the new-look Spa will give Bernie another stick with which to beat poor old Silverstone...
| StuBeck | 07-19-2007 11:23 AM |
Cool, thanks :)
| artkevin | 07-19-2007 12:14 PM |
Yuppers
| StuBeck | 07-19-2007 06:25 PM |
I know this is off topic, but Red Bull FINALLY, after three years, is selling a team flag. Now I'll get to replace my Jaguar one which I have on my wall.
| MattDell | 07-19-2007 08:23 PM |
I might have to go to this next year. :devil:
[QUOTE][IMG]http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/formula1/2007/valencia.jpg[/IMG]
Valencia unveils circuit plans
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, July 19th 2007, 09:19 GMT
The planned Valencia circuitThe Valencia government unveiled on Wednesday the final plans for the circuit that will host the European Grand Prix next season.
The urban track will be built around Spanish city's new America's Cup port, and it will have a length of 5.4 kms.
The estimated laptime will be one minute and 37 seconds, with estimated top speeds of over 320 km/h and an average speed of over 200 km/h.
A lap of the Monte Carlo circuit, Formula One's most historic urban track, has an average speed of 159 km/h.
Valencia's circuit will have a total of 25 turns, 11 to the right and 14 to the left, and will be able to host a total of 100,000 spectators.
The construction works are expected to begin in October.[/QUOTE]
Let me know if any other Autosport subscribers can find the full-size image.
-Matt
[QUOTE][IMG]http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/formula1/2007/valencia.jpg[/IMG]
Valencia unveils circuit plans
By Pablo Elizalde Thursday, July 19th 2007, 09:19 GMT
The planned Valencia circuitThe Valencia government unveiled on Wednesday the final plans for the circuit that will host the European Grand Prix next season.
The urban track will be built around Spanish city's new America's Cup port, and it will have a length of 5.4 kms.
The estimated laptime will be one minute and 37 seconds, with estimated top speeds of over 320 km/h and an average speed of over 200 km/h.
A lap of the Monte Carlo circuit, Formula One's most historic urban track, has an average speed of 159 km/h.
Valencia's circuit will have a total of 25 turns, 11 to the right and 14 to the left, and will be able to host a total of 100,000 spectators.
The construction works are expected to begin in October.[/QUOTE]
Let me know if any other Autosport subscribers can find the full-size image.
-Matt
| StuBeck | 07-19-2007 08:46 PM |
Yeah, that looks pretty awesome. That might be part of my trip to Spain next year.
| MattDell | 07-19-2007 11:10 PM |
I might have to tag along. ;)
| StuBeck | 07-20-2007 07:51 AM |
Found out my trip to Spain will probably happen during spring break...so no race then most likely, but it depends on when the race is too. I really want to go to Monaco or Monza though, so I'll be having to make some decisions.
| OnTheGas | 07-20-2007 11:38 PM |
Coughlan emailed Stepney about Ferrari's Moveable Floor
�
�
Previously I shared my concerns about McLaren's vulnerability before FIA...
[QUOTE=OnTheGas;18701528]...McLaren, "[URL="http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/7/6457.html"]have been called (by FIA) to answer a charge that between March and July 2007... McLaren... had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to... Ferrari...[/URL]"
Autosport's Jonathon Noble notes that two things are highly significant in FIA's statement. [B]First[/B], McLaren has been charged w/having the Ferrari docs since March. He provides a little historical perspective... "[URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60737"]It was at the... Australian Grand Prix in March that McLaren famously asked for a rule clarification about the moveable floor on the Ferrari - and... forced a rule change from the FIA... The moveable floor controversy was widely believed to have hindered Ferrari in their fight against McLaren.[/URL]"
[B]Second[/B], and perhaps more significant... If "[URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60737"]the FIA do find McLaren guilty... (t)he FIA International Sporting Code lists a scale of penalties... that... go from a reprimand, fines and time penalties, to [B]exclusion, suspension and disqualification[/B].
And perhaps it is significant that the latter three most serious penalties can only be handed down only if the party in question has been: "summoned to give them the opportunity of presenting their defence[/URL]."[/QUOTE]So yesterday we learned why FIA said that McLaren held information in March.[quote][B][I][URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60908"]Stepney warned Coughlan of Ferrari floor[/URL][/I][/B]
Nigel Stepney emailed McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan on the eve of the season to tip him off about Ferrari's movable floor design, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.
...a reliable source has revealed to this week's Autosport magazine that the March date the FIA has referred to relates to early contact between Stepney and Coughlan.
In particular, the source says it relates to a specific email that Stepney sent to Coughlan, revealing Ferrari's floor design and tipping the McLaren designer off about taking possible action about it.
Although it is not known if Coughlan passed on this information to the team, McLaren did ask for a rule clarification about Ferrari's movable floor design at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.[/quote]Frankly, I see this as good news... At this point, I will guess that the penalty that McLaren may suffer will be less than a loss of points, or exclusion from participation. Instead I'm expecting them to receive a slap on the wrist... and an unreasonably sized fine. I'm hoping that will be it!
[QUOTE=OnTheGas;18701528]...McLaren, "[URL="http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/7/6457.html"]have been called (by FIA) to answer a charge that between March and July 2007... McLaren... had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to... Ferrari...[/URL]"
Autosport's Jonathon Noble notes that two things are highly significant in FIA's statement. [B]First[/B], McLaren has been charged w/having the Ferrari docs since March. He provides a little historical perspective... "[URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60737"]It was at the... Australian Grand Prix in March that McLaren famously asked for a rule clarification about the moveable floor on the Ferrari - and... forced a rule change from the FIA... The moveable floor controversy was widely believed to have hindered Ferrari in their fight against McLaren.[/URL]"
[B]Second[/B], and perhaps more significant... If "[URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60737"]the FIA do find McLaren guilty... (t)he FIA International Sporting Code lists a scale of penalties... that... go from a reprimand, fines and time penalties, to [B]exclusion, suspension and disqualification[/B].
And perhaps it is significant that the latter three most serious penalties can only be handed down only if the party in question has been: "summoned to give them the opportunity of presenting their defence[/URL]."[/QUOTE]So yesterday we learned why FIA said that McLaren held information in March.[quote][B][I][URL="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60908"]Stepney warned Coughlan of Ferrari floor[/URL][/I][/B]
Nigel Stepney emailed McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan on the eve of the season to tip him off about Ferrari's movable floor design, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.
...a reliable source has revealed to this week's Autosport magazine that the March date the FIA has referred to relates to early contact between Stepney and Coughlan.
In particular, the source says it relates to a specific email that Stepney sent to Coughlan, revealing Ferrari's floor design and tipping the McLaren designer off about taking possible action about it.
Although it is not known if Coughlan passed on this information to the team, McLaren did ask for a rule clarification about Ferrari's movable floor design at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.[/quote]Frankly, I see this as good news... At this point, I will guess that the penalty that McLaren may suffer will be less than a loss of points, or exclusion from participation. Instead I'm expecting them to receive a slap on the wrist... and an unreasonably sized fine. I'm hoping that will be it!
| StuBeck | 07-21-2007 09:40 AM |
I still don't see why they would be fined unless the car had a design of it. Its not illegal to talk to other people. I really hope that people start being asses to Ferrari soon though, they seem to pull **** all the time and no one tries to call them out on it. What happened happens all the time, yet Ferrari is just being emo about it for some reason.
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 01:46 PM |
[url]http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61125[/url]
Looks like Speed got assaulted by Tost and might not race again. Maybe he could be in for a drive at Spyker?
Looks like Speed got assaulted by Tost and might not race again. Maybe he could be in for a drive at Spyker?
| TimStevens | 07-24-2007 01:55 PM |
Damn.
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 07-24-2007 02:26 PM |
Soap opera very much?
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 02:28 PM |
[url]http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/38951/[/url]
And Scott's out.
[quote="SpeedTV"]F1: Toro Rosso Boots Scott Speed
Written by: Robin Miller Indianapolis, Ind. � 7/24/2007
Scott Speed walks away from his Scuderia Toro Rosso ride after crashing at the Nurburgring. (Photo: Getty Images)
Two weeks after it was announced Formula 1 was leaving the United States, the lone American in the series is now gone.
SPEEDtv.com has learned that Scott Speed will be replaced -- immediately -- on the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team following a stormy weekend at the Nurburgring.
A source inside the Red Bull-sponsored team confirmed that Speed got his walking papers Monday after a physical confrontation with team manager Franz Tost. German Sebastian Vettel is the likely choice to replace the young American.
"As far as I know, Scott has not been released and he's planning to go to the test this week in Italy," said Mike Speed, father of the former go-kart star, from his California home on Monday night.
"But, obviously, there's been a lot of things going on."
After spinning out of last Sunday's German Grand Prix, along with six other drivers during a sudden downpour at the 'Ring, Speed and Tost got into a shouting, then shoving match.
And this came on the heels of the 24-year-old's first public statements about his treatment since becoming a full-time F1 regular in 2006.
�It�s clear that from my bosses, that me and Tonio (Liuzzi) both have very little support," Speed told RACER magazine's Adam Cooper last weekend. "It�s been that way for the last two years, and it�s a lot more now. At some point I said I don�t care, if I�m not in F1 next year, if I�m with a different team, it�s OK for me. It�s actually made me lot more relaxed and a lot more calm, and I think I�m producing better results now actually.
"It doesn�t take a rocket scientist to read the press and know that Franz and Gerhard (Berger) are pushing like hell to get rid of me and Tonio."
Even though Speed has out-performed his teammate this year, neither has scored a point and Scott's best showing was ninth at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Toro Rosso team is under-funded, by F1 standards, and half of Speed's eight DNFs in 2007 have been mechanical failures.
SPEEDtv.com speculated several weeks ago that three-time Champ Car king Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Senna would replace Speed and Liuzzi in 2008 but, if Vettel is released from his contract with BMW, it appears he will join Bourdais.
"Nothing is official, they (Toro Rosso) have an option on me that expires at the end of this month so if something is going to happen it will have to be soon," said Bourdais, who tested for the third time with Toro Rosso earlier this month.
Speed was first chosen by the energy drinks company as part of its U.S.-based Red Bull Driver Search program, which funded the Californian's climb through Europe's junior formulae ranks all the way to F1. It's logical he might be able to use that connection to come to Champ Car since that series needs young American drivers. Co-owners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven currently sport Red Bull sponsorship.
"We haven't discussed anything like that," said Mike Speed. "Scott never wanted to do anything but F1 and I don't think that's changed."[/quote]
And Scott's out.
[quote="SpeedTV"]F1: Toro Rosso Boots Scott Speed
Written by: Robin Miller Indianapolis, Ind. � 7/24/2007
Scott Speed walks away from his Scuderia Toro Rosso ride after crashing at the Nurburgring. (Photo: Getty Images)
Two weeks after it was announced Formula 1 was leaving the United States, the lone American in the series is now gone.
SPEEDtv.com has learned that Scott Speed will be replaced -- immediately -- on the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team following a stormy weekend at the Nurburgring.
A source inside the Red Bull-sponsored team confirmed that Speed got his walking papers Monday after a physical confrontation with team manager Franz Tost. German Sebastian Vettel is the likely choice to replace the young American.
"As far as I know, Scott has not been released and he's planning to go to the test this week in Italy," said Mike Speed, father of the former go-kart star, from his California home on Monday night.
"But, obviously, there's been a lot of things going on."
After spinning out of last Sunday's German Grand Prix, along with six other drivers during a sudden downpour at the 'Ring, Speed and Tost got into a shouting, then shoving match.
And this came on the heels of the 24-year-old's first public statements about his treatment since becoming a full-time F1 regular in 2006.
�It�s clear that from my bosses, that me and Tonio (Liuzzi) both have very little support," Speed told RACER magazine's Adam Cooper last weekend. "It�s been that way for the last two years, and it�s a lot more now. At some point I said I don�t care, if I�m not in F1 next year, if I�m with a different team, it�s OK for me. It�s actually made me lot more relaxed and a lot more calm, and I think I�m producing better results now actually.
"It doesn�t take a rocket scientist to read the press and know that Franz and Gerhard (Berger) are pushing like hell to get rid of me and Tonio."
Even though Speed has out-performed his teammate this year, neither has scored a point and Scott's best showing was ninth at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Toro Rosso team is under-funded, by F1 standards, and half of Speed's eight DNFs in 2007 have been mechanical failures.
SPEEDtv.com speculated several weeks ago that three-time Champ Car king Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Senna would replace Speed and Liuzzi in 2008 but, if Vettel is released from his contract with BMW, it appears he will join Bourdais.
"Nothing is official, they (Toro Rosso) have an option on me that expires at the end of this month so if something is going to happen it will have to be soon," said Bourdais, who tested for the third time with Toro Rosso earlier this month.
Speed was first chosen by the energy drinks company as part of its U.S.-based Red Bull Driver Search program, which funded the Californian's climb through Europe's junior formulae ranks all the way to F1. It's logical he might be able to use that connection to come to Champ Car since that series needs young American drivers. Co-owners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven currently sport Red Bull sponsorship.
"We haven't discussed anything like that," said Mike Speed. "Scott never wanted to do anything but F1 and I don't think that's changed."[/quote]
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 07-24-2007 02:58 PM |
I hope this isn't the last we hear of him.
I was liking him more and more every week.
I was liking him more and more every week.
| artkevin | 07-24-2007 03:09 PM |
Speed TV is the only source confirming that he is out. There is also an interview on Autosport saying that Scott doesn't want to work for Berger or Tost again so it looks like he won't be in the car one way or another. He does want to stay with Red Bull though.
Maybe Champ Car? Its been a bad couple of weeks for American F1 fans...
Maybe Champ Car? Its been a bad couple of weeks for American F1 fans...
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 03:40 PM |
I think he's out of european racing, since it seems like he probably wants to stay with open wheelers. This only allows ChampCar basically without taking a big step down, and Glock going down to GP2 isn't working out too well for his career it seems.
I hope he comes back, but I really wish he had had a chance in a top F1 car, even as a test driver.
While SpeedTV is the only source, it is really late in the day in Europe, so I'll wait until I hear about stuff tomorrow morning, but SpeedTV is a pretty good source now.
I hope he comes back, but I really wish he had had a chance in a top F1 car, even as a test driver.
While SpeedTV is the only source, it is really late in the day in Europe, so I'll wait until I hear about stuff tomorrow morning, but SpeedTV is a pretty good source now.
| ptclaus98 | 07-24-2007 05:23 PM |
Wow, I knew he was gone, and it's a good thing he did it on his own terms. Berger and Tost were damaging his name within the sport, and him leaving on his terms may be a great thing for his F1 chances, but it's still a double edged sword. I hope he comes to CCWS and dominates, and I hope Liuzzi stays at STR and shows Bourdais the door.
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 05:25 PM |
Liuzzi is probably going to be out by the end of the year too. STR seems to be following the path of Toyota, blaming the drivers for all of their problems.
| artkevin | 07-24-2007 05:47 PM |
[QUOTE=StuBeck;18819100]
While SpeedTV is the only source, it is really late in the day in Europe, so I'll wait until I hear about stuff tomorrow morning, but SpeedTV is a pretty good source now.[/QUOTE]
I think they are right but there are 2 photos labeled as Speed that are obviously Liuzzi.
While SpeedTV is the only source, it is really late in the day in Europe, so I'll wait until I hear about stuff tomorrow morning, but SpeedTV is a pretty good source now.[/QUOTE]
I think they are right but there are 2 photos labeled as Speed that are obviously Liuzzi.
| KAX | 07-24-2007 06:21 PM |
surprised no ones posted this yet
[QUOTE][B]Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP[/B]
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to keep the French Grand Prix on the calendar next year at Magny-Cours.
The Magny-Cours circuit, in the heart of rural France, has suffered from weak attendances in the past, and its future looked even darker when Ecclestone assured the race would not be back in the calendar.
"There is no future for Magny-Cours, 2007 will be the last race at this circuit," Ecclestone said recently. "We should not have gone there in the first place. And we only did so because of former FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre."
The French motorsport federation, the FFSA, said last week they were still determined to fulfil their current contract with Ecclestone, running out in 2011. The FFSA said that they were looking at alternative venues for the race.
However, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon met with Ecclestone on Tuesday and the Briton agreed, in principle, to keep the race at Magny-Cours next year.
"He (Ecclestone) agreed in principle to maintain the race at Magny-Cours in 2008, and even 2009, if there were no other alternative," a spokesman for Fillon told Reuters.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][B]Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP[/B]
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to keep the French Grand Prix on the calendar next year at Magny-Cours.
The Magny-Cours circuit, in the heart of rural France, has suffered from weak attendances in the past, and its future looked even darker when Ecclestone assured the race would not be back in the calendar.
"There is no future for Magny-Cours, 2007 will be the last race at this circuit," Ecclestone said recently. "We should not have gone there in the first place. And we only did so because of former FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre."
The French motorsport federation, the FFSA, said last week they were still determined to fulfil their current contract with Ecclestone, running out in 2011. The FFSA said that they were looking at alternative venues for the race.
However, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon met with Ecclestone on Tuesday and the Briton agreed, in principle, to keep the race at Magny-Cours next year.
"He (Ecclestone) agreed in principle to maintain the race at Magny-Cours in 2008, and even 2009, if there were no other alternative," a spokesman for Fillon told Reuters.[/QUOTE]
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 06:37 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin;18820554]I think they are right but there are 2 photos labeled as Speed that are obviously Liuzzi.[/QUOTE]
True, hopefully that is just a web admin making a mistake.
I hope we get another American in F1 soon with a better team. Hell, I'd be happy if Speed just got a test with McLaren or Ferrari to see what he can do.
True, hopefully that is just a web admin making a mistake.
I hope we get another American in F1 soon with a better team. Hell, I'd be happy if Speed just got a test with McLaren or Ferrari to see what he can do.
| KAX | 07-24-2007 07:51 PM |
im hoping andretti gets a chance when Honda has a good year. Im with you, i just want an american on a decent team to actually prove what he can do.
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 09:35 PM |
I think Andretti will get a chance if he doesn't get killed in the IRL first (yes, I am very much anti-IRL because of the safety issues.) Barrichello has maybe another 2 seasons in him, and Button will probably jump ship again. Even SA is a good team, and I think Davidson won't have much longer. Graham Rahal is probably a good choice too, although it really depends on whether he goes to GP2 next year or not.
| sirfrankwilliams | 07-24-2007 10:13 PM |
[quote=KAX;18820884]surprised no ones posted this yet[/quote]
...makes me think that there could also be a glimmer of hope for the USGP if Bernie says such things, then does a 180 a few weeks later.
[SIZE=1]but not much[/SIZE]
...makes me think that there could also be a glimmer of hope for the USGP if Bernie says such things, then does a 180 a few weeks later.
[SIZE=1]but not much[/SIZE]
| StuBeck | 07-24-2007 10:25 PM |
France already had a contract to 2011. Indy doesn't.
| sirfrankwilliams | 07-24-2007 11:34 PM |
[SIZE=1]*le sigh*[/SIZE]
| TimStevens | 07-25-2007 06:55 AM |
[QUOTE=sirfrankwilliams;18823886][SIZE=1]*le sigh*[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
[img]http://bananapeel.blogsome.com/images/Pepe_Le_Pew_300.gif[/img]
[img]http://bananapeel.blogsome.com/images/Pepe_Le_Pew_300.gif[/img]
| StuBeck | 07-25-2007 07:28 AM |
Looks like Speed is testing today, so hopefully that means he's still with the team as their race driver.
| artkevin | 07-25-2007 08:58 AM |
Man, I didn't see this one coming. He has done a little better in GP2 then he did in F1 last year but I REALLY hope he can step up his game.
[B]Yamamoto to race for Spyker[/B]
By Biranit Goren Wednesday, July 25th 2007, 10:35 GMT
Sakon Yamamoto will race for the Spyker F1 team in the remaining seven Grands Prix of the season, autosport.com understands.
The Japanese driver, who raced for Super Aguri last year in 11 rounds, will replace Christijan Albers, who was let go by Spyker before last weekend's European Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old is currently racing in the GP2 Series with BCN while he continues acting as Super Aguri's test driver.
Yamamoto is set to sign the contract with Spyker today and the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by Spyker in an announcement tomorrow.
[B]Yamamoto to race for Spyker[/B]
By Biranit Goren Wednesday, July 25th 2007, 10:35 GMT
Sakon Yamamoto will race for the Spyker F1 team in the remaining seven Grands Prix of the season, autosport.com understands.
The Japanese driver, who raced for Super Aguri last year in 11 rounds, will replace Christijan Albers, who was let go by Spyker before last weekend's European Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old is currently racing in the GP2 Series with BCN while he continues acting as Super Aguri's test driver.
Yamamoto is set to sign the contract with Spyker today and the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by Spyker in an announcement tomorrow.
| RALLYT-WRX | 07-25-2007 10:11 AM |
[B][SIZE="5"]A Dark cloud hangs over Speed's F1 future[/SIZE][/B]
Speed, Tost and Berger relationship in tatters
25/07/07 10:38
A dark cloud hangs over Scott Speed's Formula One future after he claims he was assaulted by team boss Franz Tost.
Despite reports that the American driver will be immediately replaced by Sebastian Vettel, however, a spokesperson for the team insists that 23-year-old Speed is scheduled to test the STR2 car at Mugello both on Wednesday and Thursday.
Indeed, it has emerged that he has in fact travelled to the Italian circuit near Florence.
But prior to taking to the Ferrari-powered single seater, he has revealed further details about his altercation with Tost in the Nurburgring pits after spinning last Sunday.
Speed told Speed TV that after a verbal argument with Tost, "he hit me in the middle of the back with a closed fist. Everyone in the team saw it.
"
The Californian says Tost then followed him behind the garage partitions and "grabbed me from the front of my shirt, jerked me around and pushed me against the wall."
Speed said he then told other team officials, including co-owner Gerhard Berger, that "if my team chief ever touches me again, I'm going to knock him out."
He admits that his Formula One future is essentially now over, but hoped his relationship with STR's co-owner Red Bull is not permanently damaged.
But referring to Tost and Berger, Speed asserted: "You couldn't pay me enough money to race for those two people again."
[B]Source GMM
CAPSIS International[/B]
Speed, Tost and Berger relationship in tatters
25/07/07 10:38
A dark cloud hangs over Scott Speed's Formula One future after he claims he was assaulted by team boss Franz Tost.
Despite reports that the American driver will be immediately replaced by Sebastian Vettel, however, a spokesperson for the team insists that 23-year-old Speed is scheduled to test the STR2 car at Mugello both on Wednesday and Thursday.
Indeed, it has emerged that he has in fact travelled to the Italian circuit near Florence.
But prior to taking to the Ferrari-powered single seater, he has revealed further details about his altercation with Tost in the Nurburgring pits after spinning last Sunday.
Speed told Speed TV that after a verbal argument with Tost, "he hit me in the middle of the back with a closed fist. Everyone in the team saw it.
"
The Californian says Tost then followed him behind the garage partitions and "grabbed me from the front of my shirt, jerked me around and pushed me against the wall."
Speed said he then told other team officials, including co-owner Gerhard Berger, that "if my team chief ever touches me again, I'm going to knock him out."
He admits that his Formula One future is essentially now over, but hoped his relationship with STR's co-owner Red Bull is not permanently damaged.
But referring to Tost and Berger, Speed asserted: "You couldn't pay me enough money to race for those two people again."
[B]Source GMM
CAPSIS International[/B]
| StuBeck | 07-25-2007 10:12 AM |
[QUOTE=artkevin;18826300]Man, I didn't see this one coming. He has done a little better in GP2 then he did in F1 last year but I REALLY hope he can step up his game.
[B]Yamamoto to race for Spyker[/B]
By Biranit Goren Wednesday, July 25th 2007, 10:35 GMT
Sakon Yamamoto will race for the Spyker F1 team in the remaining seven Grands Prix of the season, autosport.com understands.
The Japanese driver, who raced for Super Aguri last year in 11 rounds, will replace Christijan Albers, who was let go by Spyker before last weekend's European Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old is currently racing in the GP2 Series with BCN while he continues acting as Super Aguri's test driver.
Yamamoto is set to sign the contract with Spyker today and the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by Spyker in an announcement tomorrow.[/QUOTE]
What's funny about that is that they originally showed a picture of Williams test driver on the autosport website.
[B]Yamamoto to race for Spyker[/B]
By Biranit Goren Wednesday, July 25th 2007, 10:35 GMT
Sakon Yamamoto will race for the Spyker F1 team in the remaining seven Grands Prix of the season, autosport.com understands.
The Japanese driver, who raced for Super Aguri last year in 11 rounds, will replace Christijan Albers, who was let go by Spyker before last weekend's European Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old is currently racing in the GP2 Series with BCN while he continues acting as Super Aguri's test driver.
Yamamoto is set to sign the contract with Spyker today and the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by Spyker in an announcement tomorrow.[/QUOTE]
What's funny about that is that they originally showed a picture of Williams test driver on the autosport website.
| artkevin | 07-25-2007 10:53 AM |
[IMG]http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=77058&catID=2126[/IMG]
?
[IMG]http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=72495&catID=1787[/IMG]
?
[IMG]http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=72495&catID=1787[/IMG]
| StuBeck | 07-25-2007 11:17 AM |
Yeah, Nakajima, not Yamamoto.
| artkevin | 07-25-2007 11:32 AM |
For some reason the image link no workee for me.
| StuBeck | 07-25-2007 11:59 AM |
Those aren't images, they're websites :)
| artkevin | 07-25-2007 12:31 PM |
SON OF A.......!
Good call Stu. Now that the joke has lost all punch I will follow up with it anyways.
[IMG]http://images.gpupdate.net/large/77057.jpg[/IMG]
?
[IMG]http://images.gpupdate.net/large/72495.jpg[/IMG]
Good call Stu. Now that the joke has lost all punch I will follow up with it anyways.
[IMG]http://images.gpupdate.net/large/77057.jpg[/IMG]
?
[IMG]http://images.gpupdate.net/large/72495.jpg[/IMG]
| KAX | 07-25-2007 12:36 PM |
they are websites showing an image
| artkevin | 07-25-2007 02:55 PM |
Got it. I suck at the intrawebs.
| RALLYT-WRX | 07-26-2007 10:28 AM |
[B]McLaren Mercedes escape immediate sanction[/B]
Insufficient evidence for the WMSC
26/07/07 16:07
F1-Live.com
No deduction in points or fine for McLaren
McLaren Mercedes have today been handed a suspended sentence by the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
The team were found guilty of having unauthorised Ferrari document in their possession.
It was deemed however that there is insufficient evidence that the team used documents in the possession of Chief Designer Mike Coughlan and therefore escape an immediate sanction.
The council has decided to review the situation should there seem to be a case where such information has been used, the team will be invited back to another extraordinary meeting to face a new charge of breaching the regulations.
World Motor Sport Council � Decision
An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Paris on 26 July, 2007. The following decision was taken:
�The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.
�But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.
�The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA.�
[B]E.A.
Source FIA[/B]
Insufficient evidence for the WMSC
26/07/07 16:07
F1-Live.com
No deduction in points or fine for McLaren
McLaren Mercedes have today been handed a suspended sentence by the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
The team were found guilty of having unauthorised Ferrari document in their possession.
It was deemed however that there is insufficient evidence that the team used documents in the possession of Chief Designer Mike Coughlan and therefore escape an immediate sanction.
The council has decided to review the situation should there seem to be a case where such information has been used, the team will be invited back to another extraordinary meeting to face a new charge of breaching the regulations.
World Motor Sport Council � Decision
An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Paris on 26 July, 2007. The following decision was taken:
�The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.
�But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.
�The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA.�
[B]E.A.
Source FIA[/B]
| StuBeck | 07-26-2007 11:07 AM |
Seems like the logical steps were taken here.
| RALLYT-WRX | 07-26-2007 11:21 AM |
I still think it's going to taint the championships this year because of the what if factor. Plus think how hard it would be to prove if McLaren did or did not use some of Ferrari designs on the new car.
| KAX | 07-26-2007 11:22 AM |
but the tainting has nothing to do with what happens at the FIA. Stepney and Coughlan are the reasons theres a "what if" factor, so the championship can still be debated, i guess.
| StuBeck | 07-26-2007 12:19 PM |
I don't think it will taint much. Stuff like this happens all the time, its just in this case Ferrari is being emo ****s about it.
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 07-26-2007 12:20 PM |
Just in this case?
| StuBeck | 07-26-2007 12:30 PM |
No, Ferrari's been whiny for a while now.
| RALLYT-WRX | 07-26-2007 12:49 PM |
I don't see it as Ferrari being whiny. The teams invest millions of dollars on development for their cars and when someone steals those "secrets" it's the same as stealing millions of dollars.
In this case Ferrari is right. One of their people exposed the documents to McLaren, period. McLaren should have been the one to pony up and come forward letting Ferrari know that one of their own went rogue. But did they? No.
Now whether or not McLaren used those documents is another matter.
And you can call Ferrari whiny all you want, but when you look at their accomplishments you really can't deny they know what they are doing and are one of the top manufacturers of all time when in it comes to racing.
In this case Ferrari is right. One of their people exposed the documents to McLaren, period. McLaren should have been the one to pony up and come forward letting Ferrari know that one of their own went rogue. But did they? No.
Now whether or not McLaren used those documents is another matter.
And you can call Ferrari whiny all you want, but when you look at their accomplishments you really can't deny they know what they are doing and are one of the top manufacturers of all time when in it comes to racing.
| StuBeck | 07-26-2007 12:52 PM |
The thing about it being whiny is it happens ALL of the time, and no one goes on the hunts that Ferrari has done.
I don't see how "stealing" these documents is like stealing millions of dollars either.
The problem is we don't know how much McLaren actually knew, so its difficult to say they should have ponied up to the fact that they had it.
I don't see how their accomplishments has anything to do with the matter either. Many other manufactures have been very successful and they don't go on hunts like this.
I don't see how "stealing" these documents is like stealing millions of dollars either.
The problem is we don't know how much McLaren actually knew, so its difficult to say they should have ponied up to the fact that they had it.
I don't see how their accomplishments has anything to do with the matter either. Many other manufactures have been very successful and they don't go on hunts like this.
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