Formula 1 Thread

[Godfatha]

Oh yeah, think I can say that Felipe Massa is a little, smelly turd.

 

[hohenfelsvol]

Massa was just racing hard.

 

[Godfatha]

Wasn't his racing, although you are only allowed one blocking move (he was all over the track), it was how he acted after.

 

[Godfatha]

Of course, I'm admittedly biased toward him anyway. Haven't liked him, even while he was at Sauber.

 

[hohenfelsvol]

Wasn't his racing, although you are only allowed one blocking move (he was all over the track), it was how he acted after.

Didn't see the after race. Turned channel to British Open.

 

[tidwell]

Holy freakin' Batman!

That was freakin' awesome. Screw the IRL race, I'm gonna watch the replay of this one later today. :rock2:

Loving this little Alonso/Massa riff... anyone else catch their dust-up/semi-duel in the first practice session on Friday? They were messing with each other/passing... 20 or so minutes into the first practice. :lol:

 

[tidwell]

Cool to see Webber get a podium finish, too. He seems like a pretty cool guy from what I've heard and seen of him this year.

European GP Race Report, Results, and Driver & Constructor Standings:
autosport.com - F1 News: Alonso wins chaotic European GP

Hamilton finally had that bad luck/weekend that Alonso keeps talking about. Closed the standings right back up.

Poor ol Kimi can't catch a break in Germany...

Also, on that same note, I didn't give it much thought at the time I read it, but after today... There is a silly conspiracy theory going around on the F1 forum at autosport.com that Kimi performs badly whenever Michael Schumacher is in attendance this season. :lol:

 

[tidwell]

What happened with that 2 hour time limit they kept talking about? Certainly seems like they went longer than 2 hours, unless they didn't count/stopped the clock so to say when they suspended the race after the first 3 or 4 laps?

 

[Godfatha]

What happened with that 2 hour time limit they kept talking about? Certainly seems like they went longer than 2 hours, unless they didn't count/stopped the clock so to say when they suspended the race after the first 3 or 4 laps?

That's what I was thinking, too. I kept expecting the marshalls to call the end of the race, but I am so happy they didn't. It would have robbed us of an amazing finish.

 

[Godfatha]

Holy freakin' Batman!

That was freakin' awesome. Screw the IRL race, I'm gonna watch the replay of this one later today. :rock2:

Loving this little Alonso/Massa riff... anyone else catch their dust-up/semi-duel in the first practice session on Friday? They were messing with each other/passing... 20 or so minutes into the first practice. :lol:

Yeah, there is definitely some bad blood there. I like it... way too often these F1 drivers are stoic.

 

[Godfatha]

Cool to see Webber get a podium finish, too. He seems like a pretty cool guy from what I've heard and seen of him this year.

European GP Race Report, Results, and Driver & Constructor Standings:
autosport.com - F1 News: Alonso wins chaotic European GP

Hamilton finally had that bad luck/weekend that Alonso keeps talking about. Closed the standings right back up.

Poor ol Kimi can't catch a break in Germany...

Also, on that same note, I didn't give it much thought at the time I read it, but after today... There is a silly conspiracy theory going around on the F1 forum at autosport.com that Kimi performs badly whenever Michael Schumacher is in attendance this season. :lol:

Maybe it was Michael that was putting some substance in Kimi's car, and he framed Stefney.

 

[tidwell]

Maybe it was Michael that was putting some substance in Kimi's car, and he framed Stefney.

That was actually one of the silyy theories, that Michael had something to do with the 'white powder'. They would also claim that Clark Kent is never around when Superman is, and Michael is never around when Kimi wins... hmm.

Varsha had a pretty good crack about it as well when they were speculating that Kimi might have ran out of fuel when he said Michael probably came over the radio just prior to that with, "You're good for one more lap, Kimi..." :lol:

 

[tidwell]

Scott Speed has hit out at Toro Rosso bosses Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost, saying they are "pushing like hell" to get rid of him and teammate Tonio Liuzzi next season.

Berger has made no secret of the fact that the team are interested in Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, who has an option with Toro Rosso for 2008.

"Gerhard and Franz have their own ideas about what they want to do with their future, and they say things accordingly," Speed told the SpeedTV website.

"That's nothing to do with my performance on the track, that's for sure. It's clear that from my bosses me and Tonio both have very little support.

"It's been that way for the last two years, and it's a lot more now. At some point I said I don't care - if I'm not in F1 next year, if I'm with a different team, it's OK for me. It's actually made me lot more relaxed and a lot more calm, and I think I'm producing better results, actually.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read the press and know that Franz and Gerhard are pushing like hell to get rid of me and Tonio."

autosport.com - F1 News: Speed hits out at Toro Rosso bosses

Probably not the best thing to say even if you think that's the case... :wacko:

 

[tidwell]

The French GP will be back at Magny-Cours in 2008 afterall.

autosport.com - F1 News: Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP

 

[tidwell]

autosport.com - F1 News: Speed hits out at Toro Rosso bosses

Probably not the best thing to say even if you think that's the case... :wacko:

And now the rest of the story comes out:

Speed was among several drivers who ended their races in the Nurburgring gravel trap last Sunday, but for the American, the consequences were to be rather more far reaching than for the others.

After he returned to the pits, the American was involved in an altercation with Scuderia Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost. The American said nothing to the media at the time, but nevertheless the story subsequently emerged from other sources.

"Initially I didn't want to come out in the press and talk about this, because after the race Franz spent 15 minutes apologising for his behaviour, because it was clear to everyone that he was way out of line," Speed said this afternoon.

"But after coming out and denying this stuff, it's just another very dishonest thing that Franz or [team co-owner] Gerhard [Berger] have said in the media to damage me and [teammate] Tonio Liuzzi. And at this point, I've had enough.

"But Franz Tost in particular is out of control. The fact of the matter is when we left the pit wall, Franz was furious that I'd crashed in Turn 1, regardless of the fact that nearly every single driver behind [Jenson] Button did the exact same thing, including Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

"He (Tost) was furious that I crashed. When I asked him about the pitstop, he said 'it doesn't matter because you crashed', and he didn't want to hear any criticisms about what the team did. He was trying to blame me about the pitstop.

"After that I just turned away and walked towards the garage, and I guess he must have caught up behind me. When he reached me, he hit me in the middle of the back with a closed fist. Everyone in the team saw it.

"As I was leaving the garage he then followed me behind the partition, where none of the mechanics could see. He grabbed me from the front of my shirt, jerked me around, ripping a little bit my fire suit, and pushed me against the wall.

"After that my only response was to back up in the middle of the garage and ask him if he wanted to hit me in front of everyone else."

Q: Are you worried about your future with the team?

Speed: "To be honest, the only thing I'm worried about is my relationship with Red Bull, because obviously Franz Tost and Gerhard Berger have been pushing the same dishonesty to the media, and I'm worried that might have ruined my relationship with Red Bull.

"As far as my future in F1 is concerned, you couldn't pay me enough money to race for those two people again. If it was with a different team, that would be great, but I would also like to do something else with Red Bull, even if it was outside F1. Like I said, my relationship with Red Bull has been fantastic."

autosport.com - F1 News: Interview: Speed hits back

Looks like Bourdais will be in F1 sooner rather than later.

 

[tidwell]

Spyker set to announce their new driver for the remainder of the season:

Sakon Yamamoto will race for the Spyker F1 team in the remaining seven Grands Prix of the season, autosport.com understands.

Yamamoto is set to sign the contract with Spyker today and the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by Spyker in an announcement tomorrow.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61134

 

[tidwell]

Stepneygate update one day before McLaren goes before the FIA World Motor Sport Council...

Formula One's governing body could puncture McLaren's championship bid on Thursday and slam the brakes on Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton's own title aspirations.

If the Mercedes-powered team are found guilty of fraudulent conduct, in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code, then the penalty could be anything from a reprimand to disqualification.

autosport.com - F1 News: Analysis: Paris hearing key to title chase

Nothing really new in that. Just explains that the issue at hand tomorrow is whether or not McLaren used the Ferrari information that Coughlan somehow had.

 

[hohenfelsvol]

Easy to say. Hard to prove. Will be interesting.

 

[Godfatha]

Stepneygate update one day before McLaren goes before the FIA World Motor Sport Council...


autosport.com - F1 News: Analysis: Paris hearing key to title chase

Nothing really new in that. Just explains that the issue at hand tomorrow is whether or not McLaren used the Ferrari information that Coughlan somehow had.

I hope this championship isn't decided in a hearing. I might be through with F1 if that were the case. It needs to be decided on the track.

 

[Godfatha]

Spyker set to announce their new driver for the remainder of the season:


autosport.com - F1 News: Yamamoto to race for Spyker

So does that mean that Winkelhock is out? Guy didn't have much of a chance, driving in one race in such unusual conditions. Yamamoto didn't really impress me that much last year but my guess is that the almighty sponsor dollars are speaking here. The guy has a lot of Japanese money behind him apparently.

 

[hohenfelsvol]

I hope this championship isn't decided in a hearing. I might be through with F1 if that were the case. It needs to be decided on the track.

I doubt they will do that. If, big IF, they are guilty I think they would level penalties in the future. Argree 100 percent. If they do it this year the sport will be hurt.

 

[tidwell]

So does that mean that Winkelhock is out? Guy didn't have much of a chance, driving in one race in such unusual conditions. Yamamoto didn't really impress me that much last year but my guess is that the almighty sponsor dollars are speaking here. The guy has a lot of Japanese money behind him apparently.

I believe Winkelhock was a one off from the very beginning... part of the reason they chose him was because the next GP just happened to be in his home country. He (Winkelhock) seemed resigned to that fact when it was announced he'd race the European GP.

 

[tidwell]

I hope this championship isn't decided in a hearing. I might be through with F1 if that were the case. It needs to be decided on the track.

That would be a shame... from what I've read about him, Ron Dennis sounds like one of the more straight forward, honest guys out there that takes his business very seriously. He was brought to tears a few weeks ago talking about this issue... he's either a really good actor or 100% sincere and honest in his belief that his team didn't benefit from those Ferrari documents that Coughlan had.

With that said, I'd like to know how Coughlan got those anyway... Stepney denied it and you would think Coughlan would've revealed that in his affidavit to Ferrari.

 

[tidwell]

Despite the scuffle at the Nurburgring and everyything that has came out in the last few days, Scott Speed tested for Toro Rosso today...

The public criticism led to rumours that Speed has been sacked from Toro Rosso, to be replaced by BMW test driver Sebastian Vettel.

The young German is at Mugello today, where Toro Rosso are testing alongside Ferrari. However, Speed took to the wheel of the STR02 shortly before noon.

Furthermore, when asked by autosport.com if Speed will race in Budapest next week, Tost himself replied 'yes' unequivocally.

autosport.com - F1 News: Speed continues with Toro Rosso work

 

[tidwell]

Another Stepneygate article that thoroughly explains the legal processes of the situation, forwarded by a cute little 'what if?' scenario.

Tomorrow's FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris poses unprecedented legal questions for the governing body and defendants McLaren. Lawyer Thomas O'Keefe, who studied the FIA judicial system over the years, analyses the challenges and potential outcomes of this case

Are you looking for the guilty party in the spying scandal surrounding Ferrari and McLaren?

Easy. It is all Michael Schumacher's fault. If he had not announced his retirement from Ferrari last year, none of what has transpired in this sordid affair would have happened.

Instead of fly-fishing through middle age and traveling the world on sabbatical as he is now, Ross Brawn would have been under an umbrella at the Nurburgring last weekend munching on a banana, figuring out how to win the "wet" race, working on Schumacher's eighth world drivers championship.

Nigel Stepney would have been right there next to him earlier in the race weekend, as Brawn and Stepney drilled the mechanics in practice pitstops, in the pitlane, stopwatches in hand, Stepney uttering "Bene, Bene" when the boys did well.

We would never even have read about Mike Coughlan (or his wife Trudy, ex-Tyrrell): who knew McLaren had such an anonymous Chief Designer? And who knew that the copy service companies in Surrey were peopled by embedded Tifosi whistle-blowers?

Beyond Schumacher, all the others are claiming their innocence. Stepney has flatly denied ever sending to his friend Coughlan the 780 pages of purloined Ferrari drawings and other technical papers. Coughlan, in turn, could not deny the fact that he held those documents, but whether or not he shared them with others at McLaren is key to this whole affair.

By Thursday night, though, the speculation as to McLaren's fate under the auspices of the FIA will all be over. If history is our guide, McLaren are in for a shellacking, and the only question is the degree of punishment that will be imposed on the team.

autosport.com - F1 News: Analysis: Last Tangle in Paris