Alt80 - Five Nights at Bernie's - That's all, folks!

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 FFSA French Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. ATS-Ford 3:33.711
2. Spartec-Hart 3:34.532
3. Osella-Ford 3:34.732
4. Hesketh-Ford 3:38.421
5. Theodore-Ford 3:40.207
6. Riviera-Ford 3:46.580

1980 FFSA French Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 FFSA French Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones- 1:46.737
Drive of the race: Gilles Villeneuve - second win from two, and had to fend off Alan Jones on what appeared to be the quicker 2 stop strategy.
Reject of the race:Andrea de Cesaris - what initially appeared to be another run-of-the-mill engine failure was actually caused by de Cesaris 'forgetting what gear he was in' and over-revving. can you tell i'm clutching at straws

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

Rene renegades from Theodore
After recording a ninth failure to pre-qualify in as many races, Rene Arnoux has walked away from Theodore. "Imagine driving a lorry with a flat tyre down a motorway" said Arnoux following the French Grand Prix "add onto that the loss of motor function in your left arm and you have what it's like to drive that car."

It is as-yet unclear who will replace Arnoux at the Theodore team.

To clarify, Theodore need to nominate a suitable replacement driver or be stuck with the nominated replacement of Silvio Bachot

Renzo Turbo Finds New Home with Riviera

The infamous Renzo Engineering have found a new home for their turbocharged engine project in the strugglign Riviera Formula One team. The languishing squad, the brainchild of founder Alberto Colombo, have failed to qualify for a single Grand Prix since making their debut at the Argentine Grand Prix.

"We hope this will be the start of a Riviera revolution" said Colombo.

[Klon]

McLaren and Nissan to Join Forces

In a press conference in Yokohoma on the day after the French Grand Prix, the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan and Ron Dennis confirmed rumours about a possible Formula One entry by announcing a three-year engine supply contract with Marlboro Team McLaren.

The new revolutionary Nissan VRT30 engine, a 3.0l V12 engine, has been in development since the summer of 1979 and is using the lessons of the Nissan R382 and R383 projects as well as knowledge of staff hired from the Offenhauser USAC projects in advisory roles.

The contract with McLaren was signed mere hours before Ron Dennis informed FOCA team owners of his decision to split fromthe organisation. The new engine was developed in an extreme testing program at Tsukuba Circuit by Masahiro Hasemi and Motoharu Kurosawa.

"The VRT30 is the most reliable and lightest competitive V12 engine ever developed," claimed Dennis, "it's revolutionary design perfectly represents the new corporate vision of McLaren and its sponsors and supporters. This step will allow McLaren to transcend the limitations of the status quo in Formula One."

"In our extensive testing program, the McLaren M23B was compared with both its original Ford Cosworth DFV and the new Nissan VRT30 and the performance increase was noticeable, proving the conceptual efficiency of the lightweight V12 design," explained Dennis further.

Asked when the new engine will see its competitive debut, a Nissan spokesperson commented that the engine could theoretically be raced competitively tomorrow. McLaren are planning to modify their current chassis to house the engine and expect the Nissan-powered M28C to debut at the North American rounds.

Team: Marlboro Team McLaren
User: Klon

G Upgrade: N
H upgrade: Y
D upgrade: Y
M upgrade: N

[Aislabie]

Spartec project "not done yet" - Sparshott
After lots of big predictions, the 1980 season has fallen rather flat for B&S; their top man opened up to an A.R.S.E. reporter about it
- - - - - - - - - -

Bob Sparshott, as Team Principal of B&S Fabrications, presides over a team that has never recorded a Formula One point. Yet he strikes a confident figure: this is a man with a plan.

The British team seem like an entirely new organisation this year compared to last. That much is obvious: piloting their cars have been the exciting British talents of Rupert Keegan and Stephen South - as well as young Belgian Thierry Boutsen on one occasion. Thus is a huge upgrade from a 47-year old Freddy Kottulinsky. Just how has this happened?

Sparshott explains: "In each case, we received funding to run talented young drivers." He refers, one presumes, to the infamous Lotus arrangement that saw his team turn into an effective junior team to the famous British team. "Of course they were highly desirable drivers to us regardless, but we can't go racing if we can't afford cars for our drivers."

Despite its slow speed, the Spartec G71B is unmissable thanks to its distinctive orange hue. It is the second Formula One car the Luton team has built, but the first to be entirely of their own design (the G71A being little but a patched-up March 741). "We didn't get it quite right this time," admits Sparshott, "definitely we expected more from ourselves in the first half of the season. There were some teething issues and it turned out not to be the fastest thing ever. But we're not done yet and we will do better next time."

Sparshott also takes time to stress the achievements of his team. "In one off-season, we set up a team to build and race Britain's first ever turbocharged Formula One engine. Britain has given so much to our sport with names like BCMA, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Cooper, and even teams like Williams right now. With our engine program, we are a part of that heritage."

If that sounded like a sales pitch to the British automotive industry, Sparshott then erased any doubts: "B&S Fabrications and Hart Racing Engines make up a partnership with all the skills needed to put any brand on the map in Formula One. We don't just want to share a grid with Lotus, we want us and our future partners to be the next Lotus."

That comparison is certainly an apt one: while Lotus seem to be on a downward trajectory amid rumours that Colin Chapman is losing his touch, Spartec have turned a team that was but a footnote of Prequalifying into a one that not only qualifies for races, but also finishes them. Who knows what more the future holds for Bob Sparshott's team? Who knows what their next guise will look like?

[Shawn040217]

Theodore shall go for the nominated option of Silvio Bachot.

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 Marlboro British Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. ATS-Ford 3:33.711
2. Spartec-Hart 3:34.532
3. Osella-Ford 3:34.732
4. Hesketh-Ford 3:38.421
5. Theodore-Ford 3:40.207
6. Riviera-Ford 3:46.580

1980 Marlboro British Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Marlboro British Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones- 1:25.016
Drive of the race: Patrick Tambay - benefited from attrition, but was sniffing around the points long before the carnage took hold.
Reject of the race:Marlboro - all four cars retired from the race due to crashes.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

Masahiro Hasemi has been handed a one-race ban for causing the opening lap collision between cars 9, 12, and 18.

Should Marlboro Team McLaren appeal, the race ban will be suspended with a provisional date for a court of appeal hearing set for 14th August 1980.

"Liability" - Ecclestone SLAMS British Track!

Leading Formula One team boss Bernie Ecclestone has labelled the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent a "liability" after an incident-packed British Grand Prix saw up to FOUR British hopefuls ELIMINATED from the race.

"The current speed of Formula One cars, Brands [Hatch] is a liability waiting to happen. Motor Circuit Developments [track owners] have made reforms to the track, but even these are not enough to make the track safe enough for Formula One competition".

In a horrific accident that saw British protege Nigel Mansell cruelly ELIMINATED from a points-paying position, a young Brazilian happened to receive some injuries.

"My thoughts go out to the Brazilian chap" said Ecclestone.

Silverstone signs exclusive British Grand Prix contract

Silverstone Circuit is now the official home of British motorsport, following a deal with Bernie Ecclestone's FOCA and FISA which will see the track be the exclusive host of the British Grand Prix.

Ingo Hoffmann in pole position for vacant Match seat

Brazilian Ingo Hoffmann is the favourite to replace the injured Chico Serra at March, following Serra's season-ending accident at the British Grand Prix. Hoffmann, 27, has been competing in Brazilian stock cars in 1980 after failing to find a European Formula 2 drive for 1980.

It is reported that Skol breweries are demanding a Brazilian replacement for Serra, who cannot fulfill the contract due to suffering a broken back.

Mistral Curtailed

Circuit Paul Ricard have announced the famed Mistral circuit will no longer be used in it's full configuration for Formula One events.

"To ensure the safety of competitors and the longevity of Circuit Paul Ricard as the host of the French Grand Prix, we have decided to cut short the infamous Mistral"said circuit representatives. The current proposals indicate that a right-turn into a esses chicane will be installed halfway down to the existing Turn 1.

Race of Champions cancelled

Following the spate of serious accidents at the British Grand Prix, circuit owners Motor Circuit Developments Ltd. have announced the Race of Champions will not go ahead as planned.

The news is not quite unexpected, with the sparse entry list only featuring the Arrows North Star, B&S Fabrications, Hesketh, Theodore, Osella, and Riviera world championships teams, with a privateer entry from Emilio de Villota's Banco Occidental squad also on the cards.

[Aislabie]

Race of Champions cancelled

*snip*

However, the famous non-Championship race may not be dead yet. There are reports that an effort is being led by B&S Fabrications to have the race reinstated at an alternative venue following Brands Hatch's removal on safety grounds. It is reported that as many as four British venues have been approached to host it.

More to follow.

[Miguel98]

Mosley slams "idiotic" safety standards after Brands Hatch meelee

The 1980 British Grand Prix will not be remembered for Nelson Piquet's victory. Instead, it will be remembered as a day where the current safety standards of F1 were put into question, as multiple incidents saw Elio de Angelis and Chico Serra being transported to the hospital - the later of whom seems to have his single-seater career to be over just as it was starting.

Max Mosley, team principal at March, was particularly displeased - if we're being nice - as to what exactly happened at Brands Hatch. The british manufacturer didn't have a good start to the race - Gauthier, one of the stars of the season, got eliminated by an agressive Hasemi - but it all would be coming worse on lap 50 of the race. Serra, following the Lotus of Nigel Mansell, tried the overtake into Hawthorn's Bend, but a misjudgement saw his March clip the back of the Lotus. His March lifted in an almost 90º angle towards the sky, flipped, and went into the wall at high speed. Serra was extracted while conscious, but in the hospital he has been diagnosed with a fractured spine - his racing career might be over.

Mosley had no idea what had happened until the stewards came to tell him there was a big crash and that Serra was being sent out to the hospital, a good 15-20 minute after the accident took place. "We failed to see Serra come through the line on lap 50, but we assumed he had retired. We had no idea there had been a massive crash until they came down to tell us. I was infuriated.", he claimed. However, his level of anger towards the sport only grew when they showed him CCTV footage of what happened at Hawthorn. "The air just took the car off the ground. It was like a jet taking off. Chico being alive is an extraordinary achievement in itself, but it was all due to luck. The safety standards of F1 are not where they should be. The cars are too fast for some of the circuits and it's clear ground effects is proving to be too hot to handle for the current chassis technology", he added.

Mosley was also critical of some of the circuits that have been hosting Grand Prix's in the last couple of years, claiming the FIA are putting drivers at risk for the sake of a better show. "Look at Brands Hatch, you can barely fit an elbow in some sections, let alone an F1 car. We can't have another Niki Lauda. I fully support Bernie Ecclestone's move to take the British GP back to Silverstone and I also notify I am here to help him push forward F1 safety standards to a point where drivers will not be afraid to stand within a racing car cockpit."

Regarding who will replace Serra for the last couple of races from the 1980 season, Mosley said they were looking at a few lot of replacements, but their current contract with Sokol is in jeopardy as it was connected directly to Serra racing. "We are in discussions with our good partners at Sokol to see how we will proceed going forward", he claimed.

The 1980 Formula 1 championship will carry on in 2 weeks time, with the German Grand Prix, held at the very fast Hockenheimring. Gilles Villeneuve is leading the championship on 56 points, chased by Nelson Piquet on 50 and Alan Jones on 43. Williams leads the constructors championship on 99 points.

March will offer the Chico Serra drive for the remainder of the year to Ingo Hoffmann as a way to honour our contract with Sokol.

[pasta_maldonado]

March will offer the Chico Serra drive for the remainder of the year to Ingo Hoffmann as a way to honour our contract with Sokol.

Ingo Hoffmann has recieved an offer from March to start an F1 career
1-70 - it's now, or never
71-100 F1 isn't for me. I'd rather stay in South America and embrace irrelevancy on the global stage
64 - Hoffmann signs for March

[pasta_maldonado]

Mondadori, Jarier in the frame to replace de Angelis[/b]

The author has learnt of two front-running contenders to replace the injured Elio de Angelis at Alfa Romeo. The Italian, who is out recovering from two broken legs sustained at the British GP, is set to be replaced by either Gabriella Mondadori or Jean-Pierre Jarier.

Alfa Romeo need to nominate a replacement for de Angelis, who will be out until Round 15 - Caesars Palace Grand Prix. If I do not recieve a nomination, Gabriella Mondadori (approval received from Nuppiz) will fill in for de Angelis.

[Klon]

Masahiro Hasemi has been handed a one-race ban for causing the opening lap collision between cars 9, 12, and 18.

Should Marlboro Team McLaren appeal, the race ban will be suspended with a provisional date for a court of appeal hearing set for 14th August 1980.

McLaren will not appeal and instead look towards Hans-Joachim Stuck to appear in the McLaren for the German Grand Prix.

[Aislabie]

Rupert Keegan "expects promotion to Lotus for 1981" - Source

Under the terms of their contract with Lotus, B&S Fabrications included an option that Team Lotus could hire either of their drivers after only one year of their contracted two-year terms. Now, sources close to the Luton-based team have suggested that Keegan may be on the way out for 1981.

It is expected that he would take the team's second seat alongside fellow promising Brit, Nigel Mansell. This will leave B&S Fabrications to scour the driver market ahead of the new season.

[pasta_maldonado]

Stuck in the McLaren With You

McLaren have elected to not appeal Masahiro Hasemi's one race ban, meaning the Japanese driver will miss this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Team principal Ron Dennis has announced Hans-Joachim Stuck will fill in for Hasemi.

RonSpeak obscured by tea stains

Theodore in Jeopardy

Teddy Yip's Theodore team are reportedly facing financial difficulty, reports from Yip's native Hong Kong have alledged. The news comes after the ex-Ensign outfit failed to make the grid for the 10th conescutive race this season, despite new signing Silvio Bachot helping the team to escape pre-qualifying.

The news comes as Mike Ralph and John Macdonald's RAM racing are looking to make the step up from Formula 5000.

Police called to Brands Hatch paddock

Following the British Grand Prix, police were called to the paddock with reports of assault at the Williams garage. However, no arrests have been made, despite Kent Police not leaving the circuit until 9 P.M. at night. Team principal Frank Williams was quick to downplay concerns in a press conference on Monday morning.

"We really must be thankful to the concerned member of the public who heard a commotion and called the police" said Williams at the team's Grove factory "but the reports of violence inside the Williams facilities are completely false. Like any high pressure environment, things can get heated in the Formula One paddock, but that's all it was - a passionate debate amongst team members."

With these rumours of a fracas between the Williams duo, the championship fight threatens to spill out beyond the track. Currently, Gilles Villeneuve leads Brabham's Nelson Piquet by 6 points, with Alan Jones a further 7 points adrift heading into the German Grand Prix. If the Williams pair continue to get on each other's ville-nerves, the championship fight could come to a head.

Come on Frank, you're giving him all the best strategies! The two-stop was impossible today with all the traffic!

If you could manage the traffic, Alan, it wouldn't be a problem. I guess this is why Frank pays me more...

[Aislabie]

Race of Champions saved for 1980


The Thruxton Circuit has stepped up to be the unlikely host of the event.

The famed "Race of Champions", originally due to be held at Brands Hatch until a chaotic race led to its cancellation on safety grounds, has been rescued thanks to a united effort by several World Championship Formula One teams. The rescheduled event is now due to be held at the Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on 31st August.

Arrows North Star, B&S Fabrications, Hesketh Racing, Theodore Racing, Osella Squadra Corse and Riviera have jointly confirmed that they will be present for what, if Jean-Marie Balestre has his way, could be the last non-Championship Formula One race for quite some time.

To fill up the grid, they have recruited a motley collection of privateers, Aurora teams and even one Dywa GP outfit, the Basque Euskadi Lasterketa organisation. This has led to derision amongst some of the more high-achieving teams in the F1 fraternity.

It also remains to be seen how many of the entered teams will be running a full-strength pairing: B&S Fabrications have already announced that they will be running Formula Two driver Rikky Leiviska in place of usual team leader Rupert Keegan, who has opted to sit this event out. The young Finn is highly regarded in European racing circles following a Formula Three campaign in 1979 where he finished second overall to the excellent Alain Prost.

[Kinnikuniverse]

Race of Champions saved for 1980


The Thruxton Circuit has stepped up to be the unlikely host of the event.

The famed "Race of Champions", originally due to be held at Brands Hatch until a chaotic race led to its cancellation on safety grounds, has been rescued thanks to a united effort by several World Championship Formula One teams. The rescheduled event is now due to be held at the Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on 31st August.

Arrows North Star, B&S Fabrications, Hesketh Racing, Theodore Racing, Osella Squadra Corse and Riviera have jointly confirmed that they will be present for what, if Jean-Marie Balestre has his way, could be the last non-Championship Formula One race for quite some time.

To fill up the grid, they have recruited a motley collection of privateers, Aurora teams and even one Dywa GP outfit, the Basque Euskadi Lasterketa organisation. This has led to derision amongst some of the more high-achieving teams in the F1 fraternity.

It also remains to be seen how many of the entered teams will be running a full-strength pairing: B&S Fabrications have already announced that they will be running Formula Two driver Rikky Leiviska in place of usual team leader Rupert Keegan, who has opted to sit this event out. The young Finn is highly regarded in European racing circles following a Formula Three campaign in 1979 where he finished second overall to the excellent Alain Prost.

Lotus is proud to announce its participation in the race of champions with our usual lineup of nigel mansell and bruno giacomelli.

[Nuppiz]

If there's room for one more, ATS would like to enter the ROC with Gabriella Mondadori and Ricardo Zunino.

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 AvD German Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying



1. Spartec-Hart 3:43.266
2. ATS-Ford 3:44.052
3. Hesketh-Ford 3:45.082
4. Theodore-Ford 3:47.622
5. Riviera-Renzo 3:50.830
- Osella-Ford NO TIME SET

1980 AvD German Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 AvD German Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones- 1:25.016
Drive of the race: Hans-Joachim Stuck - taking home a 5th place on the first time of asking, albeit on a track you know well, is no mean feat.
Reject of the race:Alan Jones - Crashed out in the stadium section from a 30-second lead, after the pitstops. Enough said
Dishonourable mention: Pasta - had to edit the track file halfway through to enable pitstops...

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]

[Gertrand Bachot]

Alfa would like to approach Rene Arnoux to drive for us at the Austrian Grand Prix.

[Gertrand Bachot]

Team: Alfa
User: GB

G Upgrade: Y
H upgrade: Y
D upgrade: Y
M upgrade: Y

Engine upgrade: N

[pasta_maldonado]

Inside Lotus's "Party Bus"



Colin Chapman, never a stranger to a good commercial opportunity, recently invited the author to spend the German Grand Prix weekend inside the Essex Team Lotus hospitality suite. One has by now become used to the extravagance associated with Lotus ever since David Thieme's Essex came on board - if anything, opulence has become Lotus' calling card in favour of such fleeting things as success and competitiveness.

The bus has been fully kitted out to provide as a home-away-from home for team principal Colin Chapman, in addition to serving as a PR hub. Consequently, qualifying went by in a blur of luxury, my glass (of coke[cola - Ed.] ) never going empty being almost enough to forget that Nigel Mansell could only manage 18th position on the grid.

Come race day, we assembled under the covered converible roof to watch the action unfold. A masterful strategic drive from Mansell the Briton come home in 4th position, the best result of the year. Chapman and the rest of the team promptly celebrated in style. That Thieme, renowed for his party-throwing abilites, was not present following the race - having left mid-way through the race aboard the Essex-emblazoned helicopter to urgent business - was somewhat of a disappointment; but this seemed to barely register on the scale of the celebrations.

Jones: The Car Gave Way

Alan Jones appeared to have the German Grand Prix in his pocket, with a lead of over 30 seconds with just 15 laps to go. This was to all change suddenly, with the World Champion finding himself in the wall in the blink of an eye. After the race, the furious Australian had only the car to blame
"For the previous 3 or so laps, I was hearing a strange knocking noise over the kerbs" said Jones.
Shockingly, Jones accused team-mate Gilles Villeneuve of receiving preferential treatment within the team after both drivers trialled a new suspension component in practice.
"I asked to run the new parts in the race but was told they were for development only. Before the race, the mechanics are fitting the part to [Villeneuve]'s car. I'll leave the rest up to you" he protested.

A protest has been received following the German Grand Prix concerning the fuel used in cars #5 and #6. Essex Team Lotus were instructed to hand over an additional sample for testing, which have been sent for further analysis.

If the fuel is found to contain illegal performance-enhancing additives, Essex Team Lotus face disqualification from the German Grand Prix and, if further evidence is to come to light, expulsion from the Formula One World Championship.

[Dom_Wings]

The Tyrrell team is ecstatic with their first double podium finish in several years!
We will thus celebrate it with a handling upgrade.

Team: Tyrrell
User: Dom

G upgrade: N
H upgrade: Y
D upgrade: N
M upgrade: N

Engine upgrade: N

[Gertrand Bachot]

Alfa to join turbo revolution

Alfa Romeo team principal Carlo Chiti has announced the latest venture of his Formula One team today; a turbocharged engine.

Speaking to Italian media, Chiti stated: "We are looking into our options. Our engineers are developing a unique solution that will provide a new approach to Formula One's often cagey attitudes."

It has been let slip that the team are modifying their 115-12 Flat-12 engine by fitting it with a turbocharger. Critics have questioned this, arguing it has been done with haste and won't have a material effect on engine performance. Chiti rebuffed them and stated the new engine will "achieve new highs for Alfa Romeo in speed and reliability".

It remains to be seen what, if any, effect this development will have. Chiti claimed the engine has been tested "extensively", although some rumblings from those who have attended the tests have suggested the new engine is "bizarre in every sense of the word".

The new engine, christened the 115-12T, is expected to make it's debut alongside a modified 180B chassis in time for the Canadian Grand Prix, according to the team at least.

[pasta_maldonado]

FISA have thoroughly examined the fuel samples provided by Essex Team Lotus and can conclude that no performance-enhancing additives were present.

Renault fix reliability issues

The sight of a Renault engine smoking by the side of the road has become commonplace in Formula One, but the French 'teapots' have been a more frequent sight thus far this season. Renault now believe they have a fix.

"This year's car produces so much more downforce, it has been shaking the turbo to bits" said the team's test driver and engineer, Jean-Pierre Jabouille. "We have reinforced a few components and should expect to see reliability improve for the next few races."

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 Michelin Austrian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. Spartec-Hart 3:16.085
2. ATS-Ford 3:17.952
3. Hesketh-Ford 3:18.225
4. Osella-Ford 3:18.705
5. Theodore-Ford 3:20.576
6. Riveira-Renzo 3:24.189

1980 Michelin Austrian Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Michelin Austrian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Didier Pironi - 1:35.592
Drive of the race: Nigel Mansell - masterfully held off Keke Rosberg's faster Ferrari for the last 3 laps after a late failure prompted a pitstop for the Finn.
Reject of the race:Rene Arnoux - was handed a career lifeline by Alfa Romeo. Qualified nearly a second off his team-mate, was involved in a T1 accident, crashed out of his own accord, refused to elaborate.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]

[Pinkd56]

Team: Warsteiner Arrows North Star Racing
User: Pinkd56

G Upgrade: N
H upgrade: Y
D upgrade: Y
M upgrade: N

Arrows would also like to offer John Watson the second seat in the Arrows at Monza for £4,300 replacing Chateau. If we feel this works we may be open to offering him more races.

In the event that Gabriel Chateau is not required by Arrows at Monza, he will be available for other teams.

[pasta_maldonado]

With four races to go, both Williams drivers were firmly in the hunt for the world championship. Alan Jones had just scored an emphatic win in Austria to make up for the embarrassment of the German Grand Prix, proving you're only as good as your last race. Meanwhile, Gilles Villeneuve had found a run of consistency to move him 17 points clear at the top of the table.

If anything, it was a brilliant problem to have for a team owner - both drivers in the hunt for the highest honours with four races to go, for the second season in a row. Despite this, the bickering between Jones and Villeneuve was reaching boiling point. With both men out of contract at the end of the year, there was an opportunity to ease the intra-team tension by bringing in a fresh pair of boots to the team. However, the decision about who should stay and who should go was made long before this point... page ends

The Renault turbo engine had been around for three seasons by 1980. Yet, only the troubled mind of Renzo Bizzari had yet attempted to replicate the revolutionary power unit. Ferrari and the ambitious Brian Hart would develop their own units for the start of the 1980 season, but if anything these new engines added to the burning flames of doubt engulfing the paddock.

By the middle of the year, Renault had managed to rack up two victories for turbo power, with the other manufacturers not managing to even grace the podium. Reliability was poor, as was drivability. But Didier Pironi's second at the Austrian Grand Prix changed everything. He finished on the podium despite making three pitstops and losing over 20 seconds with issues. This opened the eyes of the F1 paddock to the power of the turbo engines

[Pinkd56]

ARROWS PERSONNEL EJECTED FROM MONZA
It was a particularly troublesome occasion for Arrows North Star Racing at the Italian Grand Prix. Before the weekend even began, Ulsterman John Watson was set to join the team for the weekend but found himself held at Milan Malpensa airport after a unknown misunderstanding with border officials.

Elsewhere on the Grand Prix weekend, Arrows North Star Racing director Sir Blake Clayton and a mechanic found themselves hurled out of the circuit after Clayton drunkenly urinated on the Scuderia Ferrari team truck following a booze-filled party on the Saturday evening. Two Ferrari team members confronted Clayton but they were both knocked out by notorious former North Star mechanic "Spanners" Gerry Bethridge. The pair were detained by circuit security and were sent home early on Sunday morning.

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. Spartec-Hart 3:19.229
2. ATS-Ford 3:23.571
3. Hesketh-Ford 3:23.851/color]
4. Theodore-Ford 3:24.591
5. Osella-Ford 3:25.946
6. Riviera-Renzo 3:28.968

1980 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Robert Kagan - 1:38.834
Drive of the race: Robert Kagan - measured drive to secure his first career second place, and collected the fastest lap to boot after a late tyre stop.
Reject of the race:Ingo Hoffmann - was on course for his first points finish for March when a lazy spin dropped him to the back of the field.

Lap Charts


Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]
[/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 1980 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. Spartec-Hart 3:01.572
2. ATS-Ford 3:02.185
3. Osella-Ford 3:03.522
4. Theodore-Ford 3:03.979
5. Hesketh-Ford 3:04.073
6. Riviera-Renzo 3:09.814

1980 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones - 1:29.855
Drive of the race: Alan Jones - put his title tilt back on track with a storming drive to win by over a minute.
Reject of the race:Keke Rosberg - collided with Clay Regazzoni on the first lap, the Swiss out of the race through no fault of his own. The stewards ruled it a racing incident.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 Caesars Palace Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying



1. ATS-Ford 2:48.433
2. Osella-Ford 2:49.756
3. Spartec-Hart 2:50.269
4. Hesketh-Ford 2:50.955
5. Theodore-Ford 2:52.460
6. Riviera-Renzo 2:57.003

1980 Caesars Palace Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Caesars Palace Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones - 1:22.823
Drive of the race: Alan Jones - took a second win on the bounce to close the championship gap to just 3 points.
Reject of the race:Marc Surer - picked up a second DSQ and race ban of the season for this little incident - https://streamja.com/q50Q1

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series

[pasta_maldonado]

Down to du-wire!
The 1980 Formula One world championship is set for a thrilling conclusion at the inaugural Dubai Grand Prix later this week. World champion Alan Jones is chasing a second title in a row, just 3 points behind championship leader and team-mate Gilles Villeneuve.

The Dubai Grand Prix is the second brand-new event in succession, with last weekend's Caesar's Palace Grand Prix seeing Brabham's Nelson Piquet drop out of championship contention.

Mondadori refused racing licence
Al Nasr Motor Sports Club, organiser of the Dubai Grand Prix, have refused to recognise Gabriela Mondadori's Italian racing licence, declaring it a "fraud".

Mondadori, originally due to replace the suspended Marc Surer at ATS, is the 1978 Dywa Grand Prix champion and has already competed in two Grands Prix thus far this year. However, Saeed Khalfan, chairman of the Al Nasr Motor Sports Club, announced that the Italian's licence was "clearly fraudulent" and had the hallmarks of "Soviet forgery".

Jean-Pierre Jarier and Rikky Leiviska were favourites to step in at the last minute, but it would be article obscured by sauerkraut

[pasta_maldonado]

1980 Dubai Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. ATS-Ford 3:20.95
2. Spartec-Hart 3:22.315
3. Hesketh-Ford 3:23.277
4. Osella-Ford 3:23.439
5. Theodore-Ford 3:25.093
6. Riviera-Renzo 3:27.905

1980 Dubai Grand Prix - Qualifying



1980 Dubai Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones - 1:39.456
Drive of the race: John Watson - managed to recover from P24 after the opening corner to taking home Arrows' second point of the season.
Reject of the race:Didier Pironi - https://streamja.com/1N2N6

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series
[/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

Jones wins again

The 1980 Formula One season came to a thrilling conclusion in the desert as Alan Jones claimed his second successive world championship. Jones, who won the title with his third straight victory, said:

"Gilles [Villeneuve] put up a fight but naturally the best man won here today. A massive thank you to those behind the scenes who have supported me throughout the year."

Autosport understands that Frank Williams is set to renew his driver line-up for next year, with the World Constructor's Champions allegedly unhappy with the intra-team fracas that has threatened to boil over throughout the year.

Final WDC standings
Final WCC standings

Congratulations to pi314159 for retaining both of his crowns in 1980.

The show must go on... see you in 1981.