AndreaModa wrote:I can see her name at the top of her own profile on this very sight in 10 years. Lella Lombardi Mk2?
I'm not so sure about that. She's shown she can drive very well in the Minardi Team USA (HVM) car on road courses, she just sucks on ovals. If Simona de Silvestro goes to Formula 1, and she joins Sauber, then DUH she'll be on F1 Rejects in 10 years because right now, Sauber sucks more than the new teams do! But if she secures a drive with... let's say Force India or another midfield team that isn't Toro Rosso, then she might have a chance to break out of Reject status, or show she can move up the grid and get a better drive.
eagleash wrote:I can see a situation here where for example Red bull are after Kubica, (who may in fact be a Ferrari target anyway), so they put Webber under contract & offer him to Renault (where he has connections) who may be prepared to let Kubica go (knowing he's not 100% happy) if they can get Webber (possibly plus money). We thus develop a football style transfer system.
Um, Kubica is apparently very happy at Renault, and Renault are very impressed with him.
If there was some sort of transfer system developed, the Contract Review Board would have something to say about it. Esepcially if Webber was under the impression he would race for Red Bull before being offloaded to Renault.
Kubica may or may not be happy at Renault but there has been a deal of speculation about him being Ferrari bound at end of season (which of course we now know isn't going to happen) & that he was thus unsettled. It was also speculation on my part as much as anything else. The contract review board might well have something to say. Whether it would make much difference to what a team wanted to do, I don't know. What is the position as a matter of interest with drivers who are sacked mid-season?
On the Kubica situation again; here is Joe Saward's most recent blog on the subject :-
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
No, I don't think Kubica will go to Mercedes. Wasn't he happy out of BMW because of its corporative ambiance? Mercedes would be just the same. Plus, the car they have now sucks, so it isn't a confidence-inspiring team right now.
Phoenix wrote:No, I don't think Kubica will go to Mercedes. Wasn't he happy out of BMW because of its corporative ambiance? Mercedes would be just the same. Plus, the car they have now sucks, so it isn't a confidence-inspiring team right now.
I imagine he will stay at Renault (unless they look like folding again at the end of the season?). The car has shown odd flashes of promise this year. He & Petrov both seem to just get on with the job in hand, including developing the car, & also with each other.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
Alexander Rossi will sign for ART for the 2012 season...only for him to have a rather unfortunate 'accident' before the season starts, involving me, him and a 10kg sledgehammer. Antonio Felix da Costa will be lead driver for the new Monteiro F1 Team in 2013. Nathanael Berthon will sign for Renault in 2014, and win the championship in his debut season.
You heard it all here first.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Phoenix wrote:No, I don't think Kubica will go to Mercedes. Wasn't he happy out of BMW because of its corporative ambiance? Mercedes would be just the same. Plus, the car they have now sucks, so it isn't a confidence-inspiring team right now.
I imagine he will stay at Renault (unless they look like folding again at the end of the season?). The car has shown odd flashes of promise this year. He & Petrov both seem to just get on with the job in hand, including developing the car, & also with each other.
In fact, the car is quite good this year. Furthermore, there's the fact the only way in for Kubica into Mercedes would be the voluntary retirement of Schumacher (which can happen, on the other hand, considering how mediocre this year is being for him).
Stop reading Saward. He's a hack. He believes everything he hears and prints it to get a scoop (when he isn't complaining about air travel, that is). Read Keith Collantine or Adam Cooper instead.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Stop reading Saward. He's a hack. He believes everything he hears and prints it to get a scoop (when he isn't complaining about air travel, that is). Read Keith Collantine or Adam Cooper instead.
You are right he does seem to get a "scoop" on a regular basis in that information later backed up by other sources is the first, to my "feed" at least. & this thread does what it says on the tin; discusses the rumour & gossip of the "Silly Season".
However, I will take a look at the writers you recommend.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
Kubica isn't gonna go to mercedes, because he doesn't like what they're've been doing. The closest they're gonna get to pole this year is when kubica walks past their garage.
ibsey wrote:Things happen in my underwear, every time I hear those Ferrari's.
eagleash wrote:You are right he does seem to get a "scoop" on a regular basis in that information later backed up by other sources is the first, to my "feed" at least. & this thread does what it says on the tin; discusses the rumour & gossip of the "Silly Season".
My issue with Saward is that he's just not a very good journalist. Sure, you throw enough darts and sooner or later you're going to his a bull's-eye, but Saward just regurgitates everything he's been told as if it's fact. He's also in the habit of passing opinion off as fact, which is a big no-no.
eagleash wrote:However, I will take a look at the writers you recommend.
Keith Collantine runs F1 Fanatic, which is probably the best blog out there. He gets a lot of coverage, and a lot of user interaction. He might not update as frequently as Saward (except on race weekend), but I've never know him to post anything that is wrong.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
So, here's my silly season list. I doubt any of this would happen though. Confirmed drivers will be marked with an asterisk. Engine denoted with a hyphen.
Red Bull Racing -Renault Mark Webber* Sebastian Vettel*
McLaren Mercedes -Mercedes Jenson Button* Lewis Hamilton*
Ferrari -Ferrari Felipe Massa* Fernando Alonso*
Lotus Racing -Mugen-built Honda Jarno Trulli* Heikki Kovalainen* Honda reluctantly returns to F1 as an engine supplier, albeit with Mugen. The engine, though powerful, is a bit unreliable, which might as well be typical of Hondas.
Those are the confirmed teams, now...
Torro Rosso -Ferrari Jaime Alguersuari Karun Chandhok After showing impressive results in an uncompetitive HRT and beating his more lauded teammate, Karun gets the nod from Torro Rosso to come aboard. Sebastien Buemi departs the team for Williams, replacing Nico Hulkenberg.
Williams -Cosworth Rubens Barrichello Sebastien Buemi Buemi moves over to Williams, replacing the sacked Hulkenberg. Rubens decides to stay for one more year, despite rumors of leaving the team or retiring altogether.
Force India -Mercedes Adrian Sutil Paul di Resta This was going to be apparent for a long time. Di Resta takes over Liuzzi's seat. Liuzzi remains with the team as a test driver.
Renault -Renault Robert Kubica Vitaly Petrov Despite rumors claiming Kubica was to move to Ferrari or Mercedes, Robert decides to stay with Renault. Petrov signs for another year, and continues to make progress within F1.
Sauber F1 -Mercedes Kamui Kobayashi Nico Hulkenberg A young team can bring either joy or disappointment to Peter Sauber, who now has full Burger King sponsorship. Kobayashi proved to be a good driver albeit with rookie mistakes. Hulkenberg brings in Williams experience, and here he grows into a formidable driver. De La Rosa stays with the team as the main tester. Sauber also switches to the Mercedes power plant as the Ferrari engine gave more trouble than good.
Hispania Racing Team -Cosworth Bruno Senna* Sakon Yamamoto Yamamoto brings money to the table though not speed. Senna improves his racing although he is still mired at the back of the grid. Christian Klein is retained as a test driver. Even with Yamamoto's funds though there is talk that the team is to fold midway through the season as they still have not gotten a main sponsor. There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. A possible deal with Lola could have HRT using Lola-built cars, although if they will be better or worse than the Dallara chassis will be up in the air.
Virgin Racing -Mercedes Timo Glock* Lucas Di Grassi Both Glock and Di Grassi are retained at Virgin, who now have a better chassis and are not plagued with constant hydraulic issues. They are as fast as Lotus now, and look forward to their first points of 2011, provided the car is reliable and quick enough to reach the top ten without any attrition, which will pose a formidable challenge for the small team. They do have Mercedes power though.
Mercedes GP -Mercedes Michael Schumacher* Ho-Pin Tung Infuriated by the blatant favoritism shown by Brawn and Co. to Schumacher, Rosberg leaves for another team. On a gamble, Brawn picks up Tung, and the Chinese proves to be, while a rookie with all that implies, a good driver for the final points paying positions.
New Teams:
ART Grand Prix -Renault Nico Rosberg Jules Bianchi Rosberg joins the ART camp after a falling out with Mercedes; Bianchi ported from GP2. Like all new teams though, they do struggle early on, although they are faster than the new teams of 2010.
Epsilon Euskadi -Cosworth Jose Maria Lopez Adrian Valles Lopez is brought back into the F1 fray after his "debut" with USF1, and Valles is brought over from World Series. Dani Clos comes in as the test driver. The team though is very much so a rookie team, qualifying mostly at the back of the grid (if at all). However, Lopez and Valles do show some brief moments of brilliance, and occasionally make a bid for the points although failing. That said, it will be a learning experience for Epsilon Euskadi, who hope to have more success than fellow country-team Hispania Racing Team.
Durango -Toyota Davide Valsecchi Andy Soucek After fighting tooth and nail to have a car ready, Durango makes it to the 2011 grid. That said, they don't have a sponsor nor do they have the testing time. The result is a car and team much like HRT in 2010. Soucek gets the better of the two drivers and manages to out perform Valsecchi, to the point where Valsecchi's ride could be up for grabs. Their car, a modified Toyota TF110, while quick compared to the HRT of 2010, is obsolete by now despite the powerful engine.
The teams that did not make it were Anderson F1, Cypher Grand Prix, and Stefan Grand Prix, which were all turned down; the former two with the banning of USF1, and Stefan after the brouhaha they made last year. Parris Mullins' attempt at buying a team failed, and thus we do not have a team from the USA or Serbia.
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=374320&FS=F1\ I don't know what I find more surprising. The fact that Sutil looks like staying at the Force next season, the fact that it all but confirms Di Resta won't get a race drive till 2012 or the fact that nobody has picked up on this article.
Then again I get almost all my F1 infomation from here (as in F1 Rejects for Phoenix ) and autosport's news section so I have no idea how believable this is.
Last edited by TomWazzleshaw on 30 Jun 2010, 10:56, edited 1 time in total.
Biscione wrote:"Some Turkemenistani gulag repurposed for residential use" is the best way yet I've heard to describe North / East Glasgow.
Be careful - Motorsport.com isn't the most reliable source.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Red Bull Racing (Renault) #1 - Sebastian VETTEL #2 - Mark WEBBER
No surprises here. Red Bull retain Vettel and Webber for 2011, with the Australian announcing his retirement at the end of the season. The question of who will fill the second Red Bull seat in 2012 is one of the most widely-discussed topics before the 2011 season begins. Popular opinion tips Kimi Raikkonen for the seat, complete with fans campaigning directly to the team, but Christian Horner shoots this prospect down. He needn't have bothered; Raikkonen himself publicly states that he will not return to Formula 1 under any circumstances because he is having too much fun rallying.
Livery: With Red Bull being a household name, Dietrich Mateschitz opens up the floor to major sponsors. The cars retain their purple exterior, with the only Red Bull branding being the titular Red Bull on the engine cowling.
Vodafone McLaren Automotive (Mercedes) #3 - Jenson BUTTON #4 - Lewis HAMILTON
McLaren's lineup is confirmed for three years, starting in 2010. Although many people expect Hamilton to dominate Button, the reigning World Champion proves to be more than a one-trick pony and keeps Hamilton honest throughout the season. But the end of the year, McLaren is shown to have the best driver lineup in terms of them actually getting along with one another, and to dispel any rumours of favouritism within the team, the number issue is settled with a coin toss at the car launch. Hamilton wins, but lets Button pick his number in exchange for being the first person to drive the new car.
Cyfra+ AvtoVAZ-Renault #5 - Robert KUBICA #6 - Vitaly PETROV
Despite MasterCard and Raikkonen rumours, Renault retain both Kubica and Petrov for the 2011 season. Despite never out-qualifying his team-mate all season long, Renault point to flashes of brilliance in Petrov's drives - particularly on circuits he is unfamiliar with - as the reason why they kept him. As Petrov's confidence improves, so to does Russia's financial commitment and the team becomes known as AvtoVAZ-Renault; a mouthful if ever there was one. Kubica's success prompts Polish digtial television network Cyfra+ to join as title sponsor.
Force India (Renault) #7 - Adrian SUTIL #8 - Vitantonio LIUZZI
Although they never quite match their 2009 performances, Force India see out their best season in 2010. Despite talk that Liuzzi would be dropped in favour of test driver di Resta, Vijya Mallya retains him for 2011 after he finds some much-needed speed during the European season, and they overtake Mercedes by the final away leg.
Williams' 2010 season reflects the previous five: up and down, up and down. When the car isn't performing, the drivers seem to forget what they're supposed to be doing. Barrichello banks solid points and even sniffs at the podium on more than one occasion, but Nico Hulkenberg consistently proves to be his own worst enemy, constantly getting in trouble. He has the support of the team, but Sir Frank commits to the kid too much and leaving him with little choice but to keep Hulkenberg for 2011. After talk of sponsoring Renault and possibly Red Bull, MasterCard enter the fray as they realise Barrichello is the fast horse they were looking to bet on with Raikkonen
Mercedes GP Petronas #11 - Michael SCHUMACHER #12 - Nico ROSBERG
Oh, dear. If ever there was an example of how not to run a Formula 1 team, this is it. Mercedes simply cannot catch a break, despite the 'blade' roll bar and downwards-pointed engine fin being the must-have car design features for 2011. The problem is all in the tyres; no matter what they do, Schumacher and Rosberg simply cannot get heat into them. Mercedes abandons its 2010 campaign during the one-month hiatus and instead focuses on how to fix the incessant tyre problems for 2011.
Telmex Sauber F1 Team (Ferrari) #14 - Kamui KOBAYASHI #15 - Sergio PEREZ
Strong performances from Kobayashi - as well as pit gambles a la Valencia - pay off, keeping the team afloat. Pedro de la Rosa, however, leaves the team at the end of 2010 and enters involuntary retirement as Peter Sauber looks for a second driver. He finds Sergio Perez, the Mexican GP2 driver having impressed with a strong third place in the championship overall and bringing much-needed sponsor dollars from Mexican mobile phone provider Telmex.
Monster Energy North American Racing Team (Ferrari) #16 - Sebastien BUEMI #17 - Valentino ROSSI
Parris Mullins does the deal and gets Valentino Rossi into Formula 1. He and a consortium of Silicon Valley investors buy Toro Rosso from Dietrich Mateschitz and establish it as a Ferrari spin-off, reviving the North American Racing Team name. Red Bull are less than impressed when rival energy drink company Monster signs on as title sponsor. Mullins and di Montezemolo convince Rossi to join the team, whilst Sebastien Buemi is kept on-board for continuity within the team.
AirAsia Lotus F1 Team (Renault) #18 - Heikki Kovalainen #19 - Bruno SENNA
Jarno Trulli quits Lotus and Formula 1 at the end of 2010, and Lotus pounces on Senna for 2011 after Fairuz Fauzy is denied a superlicence, fending off a bid from Virgin in the process (Richard Branson hving seen the power of allying the Virgin and Senna names). Lotus is clearly in a strong position for 2011, having caught up with the midfield by the final away leg.
Virgin Racing (Marussia) #20 - Timo GLOCK #21 - Pastor MALDONADO
After the embarrassment of the undersized fuel tank, Virgin finally get their act together and put in some strong showings. Five races behind their development schedule means that they don't quite catch Lotus and the midfield, but projections show that, given another five races, they would be. Timo Glock has nowhere else to go, whilst Lucas di Grassi disappoints and is dropped in favour of Pastor Maldonado after he wins the GP2 title. The Venezuelan has a reputation for recklessness, but the deal is said to be brokered by Bernie Ecclestone who wants to expand back into South America with a Venezeulan and Argentine Grands Prix in the future. Virgin are the only team to retain Cosworth engines, rebranding them as Marussia.
Hispania merge with Epsilon after the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Actually, "merge" isn't so much the right term as "surrender" is. Karun Chandhok is quickly and discreetly dropped, as Epsilon run the Spanish All-Stars in the form of GP2 runner-up Dani Clos and Toro Rosso refugee Jaime Alguersuari. Despite Hispania's ailing fortune in 2010, the team uses a Geoff Wills design for 2011 that is said to be very solid, and the team expect to be in touch with the midfield by the 2011 European season.
ART Grand Prix (Ferrari) #24 - Giedo VAN DER GARDE #25 - Jules BIANCHI
ART win the thirteenth and final grid entry, but are left with little in the way of driver choice. Jules Bianchi does not live up to his promise in GP2, but is promoted regardless. ART also take Giedo van der Garde, who had been campaigning for a Formula 1 drive after a strong 2010 season in GP2, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. As a result, ART is taking a huge risk, but comments abound that it was Ferrari who chose their drivers, looking to establish a C-Team to go with their B-Team.
Scuderia Ferrari Santander #26 - Felipe MASSA #27 - Fernando ALONSO
The big shock of 2010: Ferrari quit Formula 1. Enraged that the FIA refuses to take action against the new teams for being "too slow" and safety car bungles that he claims are a conspiracy against Ferrari to undermine their position in the sport, Luca di Montezemolo pulls the plug. And when the Formula 1 world doesn't react, with teams and drivers claiming that the sport will simply go on regardless, Luca's bluff has been called. The team re-enter, but, having missed the deadline, are forced to carry the 26 and 27.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Wizzie wrote:http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=374320&FS=F1\ I don't know what I find more surprising. The fact that Sutil looks like staying at the Force next season, the fact that it all but confirms Di Resta won't get a race drive till 2012 or the fact that nobody has picked up on this article.
Then again I get almost all my F1 infomation from here (as in F1 Rejects for Phoenix ) and autosport's news section so I have no idea how believable this is.
Although that site may not be the most reliable, in this case it would make sense for Sutil to stay put at Force India - they are in a reasonably solid 6th place (although the upturn in form of Williams may prove to be a problem for them - and Williams are bringing a lot of updates to Silverstone), and most of the better teams are closed.
As for the Kubica to Mercedes talk, I would doubt it - although Kubica has been a bit ambivalent in the press, the form of Mercedes has fallen back badly, to the point where Rosberg is getting quite frustrated, and has started to air his grievances to the German press. On top of that, Renault have probably passed them in terms of performance (and with the new points stystem, they could easily pass them in the WCC in a few races). All in all, it seems that Renault look to be the more promising bet for the future - a strong result in the WCC this year (4th is achievable, although it would require Petrov to start scoring on a more regular basis) would set them up fairly well for 2011 (both financially, and in terms of morale as well).
In fact, I get a bad feeling that if the W02 is not that competitive in 2011, I could well see Mercedes choosing to pull the plug and selling the team on - because in the long term, if the Mercedes team is uncompetitive, and Schumacher keeps having scrappy races, it won't exactly help their image (and moreover, because of the loss of prize money for finishing further down the WCC pecking order, Mercedes might have to start pumping money into the team - something they've ben trying to avoid until now).
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
I think Sutil has one eye on the success other drivers have achieved by growing with a team, letting it develop around him and for him. He could well win a championship before Vettel (and deffo before Rosberg).
"Aerodynamics is for those who cannot manufacture good engines." -Enzo Ferrari
I doubt he'll beat Vettel any time soon, considering that the Force India is yet to reach the same heights as the Red Bulls.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Captain Hammer wrote:I doubt he'll beat Vettel any time soon, considering that the Force India is yet to reach the same heights as the Red Bulls.
I think Red Bull still carry some sort of team weakness, they've faltered too often this season and last to be considered a dead cert for the championship at the moment. If McLaren or Alonso grab the title this year who knows how competative RBR will be next season?
"Aerodynamics is for those who cannot manufacture good engines." -Enzo Ferrari
A more obscure look towards the 2011 driver market...
Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Adrian Sutil T. Gary Paffett Button eventually gets pissed off at the Lewis favouritism and packs his bags, and Sutil is drafted in to replace him.
Superfund Red Bull Racing-Renault 3. Sebastian Vettel 4. Mark Webber T. Brendon Hartley Superfund becomes title sponsor. Not much else changes.
Scuderia Ferrari 5. Fernando Alonso 6. Robert Kubica T. Giancarlo Fisichella Stefano Domenicali claims he 'accidentally misplaced' Massa's new contract in a shredder, and Kubica moves in after all.
Petronas Mercedes GP 7. Michael Schumacher 8. Ralf Schumacher T. Nick Heidfeld Nico Rosberg storms out of Mercedes in a huff only weeks before the start of the season - so the other Schumacher is brought in from Mercedes' DTM team to fill the gap. Ralf proceeds to trounce Michael and win the championship.
Genii AvtoVAZ Racing System 9. Vitaly Petrov 10. Mikhal Aleshin T. Jan Charouz, Nathanael Berthon AvtoVAZ further buys into Renault and rebrands the team as the new majority shareholder. They sign on Aleshin for an all-Russian 'superteam'. Existing Mecachrome engine supply re-badged as Lada.
Tata Motors Racing-Mercedes 11. Karun Chandhok 12. Paul di Resta T. Armaan Ebrahim, Parthiva Sureshwaren Vijay Mallya sells a majority stake to car manufacturer Tata. An even biggier Indian influence than before is exerted on the team - with Chandhok's decent performances at HRT enough to seal the lead drive. Di Resta backs him up.
Williams-Cosworth 14. Jenson Button 15. Kamui Kobayashi T. Bruno Senna Hulkenburg is sacked, not living up to expectations in 2010. Replaced by Kobayashi, and Senna brings in some money with Embratel sponsorship, which is desperately needed to pay Button's ridiculous wage demands.
Carrefour ART Sauber-Ferrari 16. Felipe Massa 17. Jules Bianchi T. Esteban Gutiérrez Massa is demoted to ART alongside ART GP2 graduate Jules Bianchi.
Scuderia Fininvest Ferrari 18. Giancarlo Fisichella 19. Jarno Trulli T. Davide Valsecchi Fininvest buys out Toro Rosso from Red Bull control - and has a full Italian flavour to the team. Trulli is somehow tempted away from Lotus for reasons nobody can fathom - while they 'borrow' Fisichella from Ferrari. They also buy control of GP2 team Trident Racing and turn it into the SFF Junior Team. The team comes under scrutiny amid corruption rumours involving the team, the FIA and Forza Italia.
Lotus 1Malaysia Cosworth 20. Heikki Kovalainen 21. Nico Rosberg T. Fairuz Fauzy With Trulli's sudden departure, Rosberg is able to steal what looked to be Fauzy's seat only weeks before the start of the season. They progress further up the grid, and start scoring a point or two at almost every race.
3M Ferrari North America 22. Will Power 23. Ryan Hunter–Reay T. Alexander Rossi. Robert Wickens Chad Hurley buys HRT out at the end of the season as they declare bankrupcy at the end of 2010. IRL drivers are imported from the States (albeit one of them is Australian) to create the Ferrari/Hurley American dream team that USF1 never was. Unlike ART, who continue to develop their own chassis in Switzerland, Ferrari North America uses a revised Ferrari F61.
Virgin Racing Cosworth 24. Nico Hulkenburg 25. Pastor Maldonado T. Rio Haryanto Despite coming stone dead last in the 2010 championship, Virgin sticks at it. A thoroughly demoralised Timo Glock walks out of F1 for good and moves to the JGTC, while Di Grassi is dumped in favour of Maldonado, who is not only faster but also has crucial PDVSA funding. Hulkenburg seeks refuge at Virgin after being shafted by Williams.
Movistar Epsilon Euskadi 26. Jaime Alguersuari 27. Dani Clos T. Roberto Mehri Epsilon Euskadi wins the bid to become the 13th team on the grid, and appoints Red Bull refugee Alguersuari as lead driver ahead of GP2 graduate Dani Clos. The car is pretty awful, fighting with Virgin to avoid last place most of the year.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
I've decided to revive this thread because of some additional news. I expect that most people have seen that Kubica is staying at Renault until 2012, but a quieter announcement has been made in the shape of the entrants for 2011.
It appears that ART Grand Prix have decided to withdraw their entry for 2011, because of a lack of interest from sponsors, and the high upfront cost of establishing a team. However, they are not entirely abandoning hope of entering F1 in the future, in the expectation that cost cutting measures may make it more affordable to enter a team. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85047
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
mario wrote:It appears that ART Grand Prix have decided to withdraw their entry for 2011, because of a lack of interest from sponsors, and the high upfront cost of establishing a team. However, they are not entirely abandoning hope of entering F1 in the future, in the expectation that cost cutting measures may make it more affordable to enter a team. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85047
ART pulling out because of lack of money? I thought they were swimming in it. Wonder who'll pull out next?
Kubica signing for Renalut was blogged by Joe Saward first thing yesterday morning, but I didn't submit it 'cos no-one wants to upset "The Captain".
& later the ART news.
This morning he says Summerton has signed for Cypher but I haven't posted that either......oh damn, I have.
Any info....Kostas?
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
Joe Saward is a hack. Go and read Keith Collantine's F1 Fanatic - it's not a vanity piece, and it's got an entire community around it. You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it. He also picked up the ART story before Saward (but not Autosport). He's a much better-quality journalist than Saward, and he's one of only three bloggers (the others being Adam Cooper and James Allen) who are accepted as valid sources over at Wikipedia.
Also, Cypher have not signed Summerton. They've said they've spoken with him, but they cannot actually sign him until they know they have an entry.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
mario wrote:It appears that ART Grand Prix have decided to withdraw their entry for 2011, because of a lack of interest from sponsors, and the high upfront cost of establishing a team. However, they are not entirely abandoning hope of entering F1 in the future, in the expectation that cost cutting measures may make it more affordable to enter a team. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85047
ART pulling out because of lack of money? I thought they were swimming in it. Wonder who'll pull out next?
Supposedly, in the junior series they compete in, they have quite strong financial backing, but even so, it would be quite a large jump from GP2, where you could probably compete on a budget under £10 million, to F1, where even the smallest teams, like Virgin or HRT, need around £40 million to operate (and Lotus, who are the biggest of the new teams, are said to have a budget in the region of £50-60 million, and most likely towards the higher end of that budget scale). Equally, there is a slight problem, because their main sponsor is Mumtalakat - however, Mumtalakat is also the biggest shareholder in Mclaren (at 30%). Now, that could create a slightly difficult situation for them in terms of sponsorship, because I would expect that Mclaren would not be pleased if money was being diverted away from their operations. Moreover, Mumtalakat might not want to commit themselves further into F1, especially with some uncertainty about the future of the sport, so they might have baulked at the idea of funding another team.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
Captain Hammer wrote:You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it.
WOW!
Faster than a flying Red Bull.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
Captain Hammer wrote:Joe Saward is a hack. Go and read Keith Collantine's F1 Fanatic - it's not a vanity piece, and it's got an entire community around it. You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it. He also picked up the ART story before Saward (but not Autosport). He's a much better-quality journalist than Saward, and he's one of only three bloggers (the others being Adam Cooper and James Allen) who are accepted as valid sources over at Wikipedia.
Also, Cypher have not signed Summerton. They've said they've spoken with him, but they cannot actually sign him until they know they have an entry.
I have both Saward & (at your suggestion) Collantine to my "feed". So far I have not been particularly impressed with F1 Fanatic. It seems to me to be symptomatic of F1 in the current era. Obsessed with endless statistics & rather dry. I would not go so far as to insult the journalist involved though. After 50 years of reading various F1 writers,from the hallowed DSJ onward, Saward still represents (perhaps) (to me) the combination of information, musings, gossip & general whimsy that I have always found so attractive amongst the top F1 journos.
With regard to Summerton, more info. is still awaited but surely a Co. or team can put anyone they wish to on a contract if that is their mutual desire, irrespective of whether or not they have an actual entry.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
Captain Hammer wrote:Joe Saward is a hack. Go and read Keith Collantine's F1 Fanatic - it's not a vanity piece, and it's got an entire community around it. You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it. He also picked up the ART story before Saward (but not Autosport). He's a much better-quality journalist than Saward, and he's one of only three bloggers (the others being Adam Cooper and James Allen) who are accepted as valid sources over at Wikipedia.
Also, Cypher have not signed Summerton. They've said they've spoken with him, but they cannot actually sign him until they know they have an entry.
You're half right and half wrong.
True, he can't sign any actual contract binding him to a Formula One race seat, but he has a 'deal' with Cypher which I can't really get into the specifics of - mostly because he wouldn't tell me much about what's going on at Cypher. (Yes, I asked him about what's going on, and he was being rather coy about it - which for Jonathan is really unusual lol).
What I can say is I'm happy he got the Cypher 'seat' over that t*** Alex Rossi.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Captain Hammer wrote:Joe Saward is a hack. Go and read Keith Collantine's F1 Fanatic - it's not a vanity piece, and it's got an entire community around it. You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it. He also picked up the ART story before Saward (but not Autosport). He's a much better-quality journalist than Saward, and he's one of only three bloggers (the others being Adam Cooper and James Allen) who are accepted as valid sources over at Wikipedia.
Also, Cypher have not signed Summerton. They've said they've spoken with him, but they cannot actually sign him until they know they have an entry.
I have both Saward & (at your suggestion) Collantine to my "feed". So far I have not been particularly impressed with F1 Fanatic. It seems to me to be symptomatic of F1 in the current era. Obsessed with endless statistics & rather dry. I would not go so far as to insult the journalist involved though. After 50 years of reading various F1 writers,from the hallowed DSJ onward, Saward still represents (perhaps) (to me) the combination of information, musings, gossip & general whimsy that I have always found so attractive amongst the top F1 journos.
With regard to Summerton, more info. is still awaited but surely a Co. or team can put anyone they wish to on a contract if that is their mutual desire, irrespective of whether or not they have an actual entry.
Admittedly, because of my background, I find the statistics useful (although, as ever, how they obtained the figures is just as important as what they show), but I agree that you do need to season the facts with a pit of panache, otherwise it is a little hard going at times. As to Saward, well, he is not to everybody's tastes, and at times you sense that he is following the heard instead of making his own decisions. However, he can be worth checking out sometimes, if you want to take a look at a contrary point of view, and this time around, he may have found out something quite interesting - he is suggesting that, with the team desperate for funding, HRT have ditched Bruno Senna and replaced him with Sakon Yamamoto, who is essentially "buying" the seat with his sponsorship. http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/07/ ... mamoto-in/
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
Captain Hammer wrote:Joe Saward is a hack. Go and read Keith Collantine's F1 Fanatic - it's not a vanity piece, and it's got an entire community around it. You say Saward posted the Kubica first thing yesterday morning; well, Collantine ran it a full hour before Autosport posted it. He also picked up the ART story before Saward (but not Autosport). He's a much better-quality journalist than Saward, and he's one of only three bloggers (the others being Adam Cooper and James Allen) who are accepted as valid sources over at Wikipedia.
Also, Cypher have not signed Summerton. They've said they've spoken with him, but they cannot actually sign him until they know they have an entry.
I have both Saward & (at your suggestion) Collantine to my "feed". So far I have not been particularly impressed with F1 Fanatic. It seems to me to be symptomatic of F1 in the current era. Obsessed with endless statistics & rather dry. I would not go so far as to insult the journalist involved though. After 50 years of reading various F1 writers,from the hallowed DSJ onward, Saward still represents (perhaps) (to me) the combination of information, musings, gossip & general whimsy that I have always found so attractive amongst the top F1 journos.
With regard to Summerton, more info. is still awaited but surely a Co. or team can put anyone they wish to on a contract if that is their mutual desire, irrespective of whether or not they have an actual entry.
Admittedly, because of my background, I find the statistics useful (although, as ever, how they obtained the figures is just as important as what they show), but I agree that you do need to season the facts with a pit of panache, otherwise it is a little hard going at times. As to Saward, well, he is not to everybody's tastes, and at times you sense that he is following the heard instead of making his own decisions. However, he can be worth checking out sometimes, if you want to take a look at a contrary point of view, and this time around, he may have found out something quite interesting - he is suggesting that, with the team desperate for funding, HRT have ditched Bruno Senna and replaced him with Sakon Yamamoto, who is essentially "buying" the seat with his sponsorship. http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/07/ ... mamoto-in/
Would that be the "herd" in your avatar then?
JS does keep getting to my "feed" first with breaking news, Pirelli Tyre supply, 5 sec penalties & a few others I can't quite recall this instant. If someone else came up with the info before him I would use them if I had a mind to post about whatever the news was.
DemocalypseNow wrote: when eagleash of all people says you've gone too far about something you just know that's when to apply the brakes and do a U-turn.
eagleash wrote:So far I have not been particularly impressed with F1 Fanatic. It seems to me to be symptomatic of F1 in the current era. Obsessed with endless statistics & rather dry.
He tends to do that in the wake of each race. Collantine likes his toys, and this year he's found a way to plot every lap time by every driver. But it's the pre- and post-race articles that are really good, and the live blogs held for each practice session, qualifying and the race are pretty good because he's tapped directly into the feeds from several teams and journalists.
mario wrote:I'm wondering what the hell has been going on in this thread [...] it's turned into a bizarre detour into mythical flying horses and the sort of search engine results that CoopsII is going to have a very hard time explaining ...
Captain Hammer wrote:Scuderia Ferrari Santander #26 - Felipe MASSA #27 - Fernando ALONSO
The big shock of 2010: Ferrari quit Formula 1. Enraged that the FIA refuses to take action against the new teams for being "too slow" and safety car bungles that he claims are a conspiracy against Ferrari to undermine their position in the sport, Luca di Montezemolo pulls the plug. And when the Formula 1 world doesn't react, with teams and drivers claiming that the sport will simply go on regardless, Luca's bluff has been called. The team re-enter, but, having missed the deadline, are forced to carry the 26 and 27.
Hahahahaha, I lol'd soooo hard.
Hmm, I wonder what will happen now that ART have pulled out their entry? Mind you, we haven't even heard of any other entries, apart from Cypher and Durango, that have been put forth, and I don't even remember if Durango actually lodged an entry or merely expressed interest. Will we get STEFAN GRAND PRIX in Formula One?!?!? Also, I remembered reading something about as many as 12 (?!?) entries... Where did they all come from? I've yet to see one article or blog entry that digs into who it could possibly be. (cf. my earlier post about shady consortiums, etc. etc.)
I wonder what happens if there is only one new entrant. Will the FIA take them in by default, or can they still reject them if they don't show enough capability? I'm asking just in case Cypher is the only new entry left...
Waris wrote:I wonder what happens if there is only one new entrant. Will the FIA take them in by default, or can they still reject them if they don't show enough capability? I'm asking just in case Cypher is the only new entry left...
The FIA can reject all applications if they feel they aren't worthy of the spot.
Biscione wrote:"Some Turkemenistani gulag repurposed for residential use" is the best way yet I've heard to describe North / East Glasgow.
Waris wrote:I wonder what happens if there is only one new entrant. Will the FIA take them in by default, or can they still reject them if they don't show enough capability? I'm asking just in case Cypher is the only new entry left...
The FIA can reject all applications if they feel they aren't worthy of the spot.
Phew.
Then again, that means they could also reject Stefan.
Remind me, do Epsilon Euskadi (or however it's spelt) still have an entry lodged?
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
New teams analysis. Pretty much explains where everyone (that we currently know of) are at.
Good piece there, sums it up nicely. Not sure I agree that a 6-month period would be a walk in the park, even for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, though.
New teams analysis. Pretty much explains where everyone (that we currently know of) are at.
Good piece there, sums it up nicely. Not sure I agree that a 6-month period would be a walk in the park, even for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, though.
It may well be an exaggeration - and the car they may build may not be a world beater, but it would at least be a decent midfield car and they'd already have a base to work from plus plenty of resources for the following season. The new teams...nada.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
New teams analysis. Pretty much explains where everyone (that we currently know of) are at.
Good piece there, sums it up nicely. Not sure I agree that a 6-month period would be a walk in the park, even for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, though.
It may well be an exaggeration - and the car they may build may not be a world beater, but it would at least be a decent midfield car and they'd already have a base to work from plus plenty of resources for the following season. The new teams...nada.
