Formula 1 Thread

#301
#301
Godfatha said:
So who is everyone's favorite driver or team? Do you follow a team or do you follow a driver?

I am somewhat torn, I have been a big fan of Kimi Raikkonen when he was at McLaren, but I cannot stand Ferrari. I want to root for Kimi, but just can't find myself doing it. The red of Ferrari represents evil. :) I do want Kimi to pummel Massa into the ground...just something I dislike about that guy...he remiinds me of a tanned Squiggy from Happy Days.

So I cheer for McLaren, they are my team.
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I used to watch F1 in the mid-80's right after I got into open wheel racing. At the time, McLaren had my 2 favorite drivers Niki Lauda and Alain Prost (the professor). Ayrton Senna was coming on with Lotus and later joined Prost at McLaren and turned into a hugely entertaining rivalry (I stuck with Prost).

When he retired, Prost had won more World Championships than any other driver. Senna probably would have beat that record but died in a horrendous crash. Senna was probably the best driver I've ever seen.

Niki Lauda had half an ear (due to a fire) and looked like an alien but was fast fast fast.

Other notables at the time included Nigel Mansel (later to dominate with Williams) and Keke Rossberg (who replaced Lauda at McLaren.

I lost interest for a while but have watched a few races last year and this year.
 
#302
#302
tidwell said:
autosport.com - F1 News: Coughlan confided with several colleagues
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McLaren, predictably, deny these claims...

McLaren have denied that secret Ferrari documents found in chief designer Mike Coughlan's house were handled by any other member of their staff, and insisted that no team member knew about their existence before legal action began two weeks ago.

They also made it clear that no one at the team knew of the situation until Ferrari began their legal action by applying for a search order of Coughlan's house.

The statement said: "McLaren is concerned that erroneous speculation has arisen from inaccurate and misleading reference to the contents of confidential legal papers filed at court in response to Ferrari's UK action to recover its intellectual property.

"This is unfortunate and is prejudicial to a fair interpretation of these matters.

"McLaren can confirm from its own investigation that no Ferrari materials or data are or have ever been in the possession of any McLaren employee other than the individual sued by Ferrari.

"The fact that he held at his home unsolicited materials from Ferrari was not known to any other member of the team prior to the 3rd July 2007."
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autosport.com - F1 News: McLaren: only Coughlan held documents

Oh the drama.
 
#303
#303
In the event F1 does return to Indy, they will use the same layout that the Moto GP bikes will use.

autosport.com - F1 News: F1 would likely use new Indy layout

indytrack.gif


All the same except for those turns on the inside of turn one of the oval. I think the front stretch would still be long enough to allow for overtaking into turn one for the F1 cars, but I loved how they were wide open all the way from the infield back around to the first turn. Incredible speeds.

Actually, looking at the map closer, it also looks like they're getting rid of the hair pin-like turns on the infield just before the F1 cars come out on to the oval track.
 
#304
#304
tidwell said:
In the event F1 does return to Indy, they will use the same layout that the Moto GP bikes will use.

autosport.com - F1 News: F1 would likely use new Indy layout

indytrack.gif


All the same except for those turns on the inside of turn one of the oval. I think the front stretch would still be long enough to allow for overtaking into turn one for the F1 cars, but I loved how they were wide open all the way from the infield back around to the first turn. Incredible speeds.
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Looks like they are changing directions too! Now Turn 1 will really be the first turn.
 
#309
#309
volinbham said:
Birmingham's Barber Motorsports Park should have had that Moto GP race :banghead2: :disappointed:
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no way that was going to happen. the Speedway is coming up on their 100th aniversary and the first race ever in 08 or 09 (that's 19) was a motorcycle race.

i really like that layout.
 
#310
#310
doozer said:
no way that was going to happen. the Speedway is coming up on their 100th aniversary and the first race ever in 08 or 09 (that's 19) was a motorcycle race.

i really like that layout.
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All indications were that it was a go but the city of Birmingham balked at some financial conditions. It may not have suplanted Indy but it was a replacement for Laguna Seca IIRC.
 
#311
#311
Markus Winkelhock will drive for Spyker, at least in the European GP this weekend.

Markus Winkelhock will make his Grand Prix debut at this weekend's European Grand Prix, the Spyker team confirmed on Wednesday.

The deal to replace Christijan Albers, sacked by the team after the British Grand Prix, is a one-off and Spyker are yet to announce plans for the rest of the season.

Winkelhock, 27, is the son of the late F1 driver Manfred and he has been a tester for Spyker this year.
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autosport.com - F1 News: Spyker confirm Winkelhock for Nurburgring
autosport.com - F1 News: Q & A with Markus Winkelhock
autosport.com - F1 News: Q & A with Colin Kolles

Is it just me or does Winkelhock kind of look like Alex Zanardi?

mw.jpg
 
#312
#312
Stepney is ready to talk, trousers, and conspiracy. Man oh man.

Nigel Stepney is ready to talk to Ferrari bosses to prove he has done nothing wrong, and says all the espionage and sabotage claims are part of a conspiracy against him.

Stepney has insisted, however, that he had nothing to do with any of the accusations.

"I'm ready to speak to [Ferrari principal] Jean Todt and to president [Luca di] Montezemolo," Stepney was reported as saying by his lawyers on Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I want to clear my position with Ferrari; I want to let everyone understand it's nothing to do with me.

"And I want to reveal some names of people inside Ferrari who had more interest than myself in doing what I'm unfairly accused of.

"I have nothing against the team and I could never have done such things. I repeat: it's a conspiracy."
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Corriere della Sera also published today segments of what the newspaper says is the Modena police report on the Stepney investigation.

According to the newspaper, a policeman first interrogated Stepney on May 18th, confiscating the trousers he was wearing at the time after finding that now infamous white powder in Stepney's pockets.

"I really can't say how that sand has ended up in my pockets," the newspaper quoted Stepney as telling the police.

"Anyone could have put it there. Last night I left the trousers unattended in the changing room while I was taking a shower."

The newspaper further reports that the initial suspicions arose after a mechanic found what looks like a finely grained, sandy powder near the Ferrari F2007 cars on May 17.

Stepney was linked as a suspect because, according to Modena district attorney Giuseppe Tibis, the Briton was seen twice that day "in immediate proximity to the refuelling machine and the computers" of the two cars.

Furthermore, the police report states that an eyewitness claims to have seen Stepney supposedly emptying the left pocket of his trousers in the location where shortly after the powder was found.

Commenting on the police report, Stepney was quoted by Corriere della Sera as saying: "It's true, I emptied the pockets, as can be confirmed by a friend that was with me at the time. But I don't know how that powder ended in there."
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autosport.com - F1 News: Stepney ready to prove his innocence
 
#315
#315
doozer said:
upon first glance, i was thinking Arie Lyndyke (or however you spell it).
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Arie Luyendyk. I missed his first win at Indy (my first miss in 6 years) in the Domino's car. Before that, he drove the Provimi Veal car -- a freakin' veal sponsored car! It was black with gold letters - very cool but still it was a weird sponsor.

I saw the 2nd win and also saw him blow what should have been his 3rd win at Indy. He hit the wall while leading (blowing away) the field late in the race.

We loved his wife Mieke and her huge Scandinavian lips! :dance2:
 
#317
#317
Valencia has announced their circuit plans for the 2008 European GP.

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.
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autosport.com - F1 News: Valencia unveils circuit plans

Picture of it in the link, but it's too small to really see much other than the basic outline of the course.
 
#318
#318
Honda will have the same driver lineup in 2008, despite the dismal (so far) 2007 season. They're adding people other teams seemingly left and right.

The Honda Racing team have confirmed their driver line-up will remain unchanged for the third consecutive season.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello announced today he had extended his contract with Honda until the end of the 2008 season, meaning he will partner Briton Jenson Button, who had signed a multi-year deal with the Japanese squad.
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autosport.com - F1 News: Honda confirm unchanged 2008 line-up
 
#319
#319
Stepneygate, July 19th Edition

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.
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However, 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.

That action resulted in the FIA changing its floor tests and outlawing the design Ferrari ran at the time - which is believed to have hindered their form.
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Autosport also reveals that the Surrey copy shop that tipped off Ferrari about Coughlan having the 780-page dossier was asked to scan the information in order to transfer it into electronic format and in to a computer disc.

It is understood that after the information had been put on disk, the actual Ferrari document was shredded and burned in Coughlan's back garden.

Coughlan is understood to have been advised to destroy the document after showing a glimpse of it to McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale at a golf club. It is not known, however, when this incident took place.
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autosport.com - F1 News: Stepney warned Coughlan of Ferrari floor
 
#322
#322
Raikkonen easily won the pole, by almost .3 over Alonso. Alonso might've had a chance to beat him but he had quite a moment in turns 5 and 6 where he had to save the car.

Qualifying was highlighted by a violent crash by Hamilton. There was apparently a problem with the right front wheel gun causing the tire to not be put on the car correctly. Hamilton was airlifted but he's apparently fine. No word yet on whether or not he'll race tomorrow...

Qualifying Report & Results: autosport.com - F1 News: Raikkonen beats Alonso to Europe pole

Hamilton crash coverage:
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton crash halts qualifying
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton escapes injury after crash
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton airlifted to hospital for checks
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton 'absolutely fine' after crash
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton made to wait until Sunday
autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton feels fortunate to escape injury
 
#323
#323
Finally, F1 races will be back on live TV here in the US starting with the GP of Europe tomorrow morning. A full pre-race show with Peter Windsor strolling around the grid, complete podium ceremonies with the raising of the flags and the national anthems being played, plus the full post-race press conference.

Coverage begins tomorrow morning at 7:30EST on Speed.

In case you want to sleep in or sleep in accidentally, the race will be re-aired at 12:30PM EST tomorrow afternoon, again on Speed.
 
#324
#324
What a race, eh, Tidwell? I won't say anything in case you overslept, but if you haven't seen it, you have to watch it!
 
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