formula 1 Formula 1 World Championship 2014 Season Discussion

[MightyJordan]

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[simonlang]

so montezemolo confirmed that alonso will leave ferrari at the end of this season.

[MightyJordan]

so montezemolo confirmed that alonso will leave ferrari at the end of this season.

"Alonso is leaving for two reasons: One, he wants another environment. Two, because he is an age when he cannot wait to win again." - http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/24184/9518596/luca-di-montezemolo-offers-reasons-for-fernando-alonsos-expected-ferrari-exit

[simonlang]

it really seems to be settled at ferrari now with vettel commiting on a long term project and mattiachi claiming they will start winning races in 2-3 years from now on.

alonsos other choice is mclaren honda, where both parties have nothing to lose but a lot to gain. i hope he signs and can't wait to see how the honda engine performs on track.

[MightyJordan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xJUYtRiwE

[Skiver Veteran]

Whilst I don't doubt Alonso is leaving Ferrari, let me just highlight two area's of that article.

 

 

 

Ex-Ferrari President tells Italian TV Alonso "cannot wait to win again"; Ferrari yet to officially confirm Alonso's exit

 

Luca technically has absolutely nothing to do with this anymore so until I hear it from Alonso OR Ferrari... nothing is certain.

[JoeC]

Whilst I don't doubt Alonso is leaving Ferrari, let me just highlight two area's of that article.

 

 

Luca technically has absolutely nothing to do with this anymore so until I hear it from Alonso OR Ferrari... nothing is certain.

 

I find it very hard to believe there's smoke but no fire here. Surely, surely if you were Ferrari and you're seeing all of these reports about your driver leaving at the end of the season, you'd just say "No, he's not been released from his contract" if he was staying. Otherwise it's just a massive distraction for them.

[simonlang]

i think he is gone. the fact that no one involved can confirm it is most likely due to contract details. same as vettel can't confirm he signed for ferrari yet, yet marko and horner basically said so...

[Skiver Veteran]

Agreed with you both, but an article claiming Alonso is definitely leaving thanks to the words of an ex-employee is worth nothing.

 

Alonso will be headed to Mclaren and it wouldn't surprise me if I saw Vettle there too.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Jenson Button: Formula 1 star may switch to endurance championship

 

Jenson Button is considering a switch to the world endurance championship should he fail to land a competitive Formula 1 seat for next season.

 

Sources say the McLaren driver has had talks with Porsche, for whom former F1 racer Mark Webber drives.

 

McLaren are waiting for an answer from their main target, Fernando Alonso, before finalising their driver line-up.

 

Button is only interested in remaining in F1 if he can secure a competitive car, his manager Richard Goddard said.

 

McLaren are the only big team still to finalise their line-up. They have not decided to retain Button, or his team-mate Kevin Magnussen, alongside Alonso if the Spaniard decides to join McLaren rather than take a year out of F1 in the hope of securing a Mercedes drive in 2016.

 

Goddard said: "McLaren aren't sure what they're doing and what their line-up will be. That's pretty obvious.

 

"Anyone who has a race seat available would like to have Jenson in it.

 

"Jenson is still focused on F1 but would only want to be in one of the top teams. So we're always open to talking to anyone.

 

"The world endurance championship is a formidable series that is gaining strength and Mark going there has added a lot to it.

 

"It is a very credible race series to compete in.

 

"Jenson is an incredibly competitive racing driver who wants to race. He's too good to sit at the back of the F1 grid. So he either gets a competitive car in F1 or he goes to get one elsewhere."

 

Button, 34, has scored nearly double Magnussen's points this year. The Dane's qualifying pace has impressed - he leads Button by nine to seven in his rookie season - but his weaker performance in races is a concern for the team.

 

It is conceivable that Button, the 2009 world champion, may end up taking the matter out of McLaren's hands.

 

Button could find himself in a position where he has a strong offer on the table from Porsche or another team and has to demand an answer from McLaren.

 

If McLaren are at that point unable to guarantee him a drive in F1, Button may decide that a switch to the world endurance championship is too good an opportunity to miss.

 

Alonso is leaving Ferrari two years before the end of his contract, having secured a release from the team at his request.

 

Ferrari have not yet officially confirmed Alonso's departure, or their signing of Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull to replace him.

 

But their former president, Luca Di Montezemolo confirmed on Italian television this week that Alonso was to leave the team.

 

Vettel will partner Kimi Raikkonen, who still has at least a year on his Ferrari contract to run, while Red Bull have promoted Daniil Kvyat from junior Toro Rosso to replace Vettel.

 

Alonso's preferred option is to join Mercedes, but Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are both under contract to the new world champions in 2015.

 

Hamilton's contract is up for renewal at the end of next season, but Mercedes have made clear their desire to secure a new deal with him.

 

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has said they will not sit down and talk about a new contract with Hamilton until after the end of the season, once the drivers' title battle between their two drivers is settled.

 

Alonso is hoping those talks hit trouble but sources say the likelihood of him joining McLaren appear to have increased in recent days.

 

Source: BBC Sport

[MightyJordan]

^^ I did have a feeling whether he'd do a Webber if he ends up leaving F1 after this season.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

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[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Caterham F1 team now run by administrator as management steps back

 

The Caterham Formula 1 team is now effectively being run by administrators, after its current management team decided to step back.

 

After a dramatic 24 hours of claims and counter claims between Caterham's buyers Engavest and former chief Tony Fernandes about who was to blame for its current crisis, a last-ditch effort to save the team was made on Friday.

 

A statement issued on behalf of Caterham said that the administrators, Smith & Williams, were now in control of the team.

 

It said: "Following a request of yesterday evening at 21.55hrs CET from Caterham Sports Limited's administrators and the legal advisors of Mr Tony Fernandes' related EXIM Bank, representatives of 1MRT/Caterham F1 Team have agreed, with all rights reserved, to hand-over management of the Caterham F1 Team to the administrator Mr Finbarr O'Connell in the higher interest of allowing the team to continue operating and preparing for the next events."

 

The move means that the administrators have just 24 hours to sort out the team's financial situation and make arrangements for the cars to be shipped to the United States for the next race in Austin.

 

Former chief Colin Kolles, who represented Engavest, said on Thursday that he had done all he could to try to save the team and sort out the issues with the administrator.

However, with administrators still refusing team members access to the Leafield factory on Friday, there seemed little sign of progress in sorting out the situation.

 

Source: Autosport

[MightyJordan]

 

Caterham have been given special dispensation by Bernie Ecclestone to miss the next two races in the USA and Brazil after the team fell under the control of administrators on Friday.

 

In effect, administrators Finbarr O'Connell and Henry Shinners of Smith & Williamson are now running the team after previous team boss Colin Kolles handed over control on Friday. They are now looking to sell the team, including its entry to the championship, the cars and intellectual property rights, to a new investor looking to enter Formula One.

 

"Purchasing the assets would give the buyer ready access to F1 racing," said Shinners.

 

Teams are contracted to race at each event in the world championship, but O'Connell was able to come to an agreement with Ecclestone to miss the next two races.

 

"In a telephone conversation today between Finbarr O'Connell and Bernie Ecclestone, Mr Ecclestone agreed to support the administrators in their wish to sell the Formula One team to a party with the financial strength to sustain it into the future," read a Smith & Williamson press release.

 

"Mr Ecclestone also agreed to give dispensation to Caterham F1 such that it could if necessary miss the U.S. and Brazilian Grands Prix but hoped that a new owner would be in a position to race the team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

 

"Mr Colin Kolles, the previous principal of the team offered today to hand over management control of 1MRT to the administrators. Lawyers for the administrators and Mr Kolles are currently working on the paperwork to effect this transfer.

 

"The administrators have already been contacted by a number of interested parties expressing a wish to buy the team and they hope that a transaction with an operator of substantial financial means can be concluded in the next few weeks.

 

"It is hoped that any purchaser of the F1 team will take over the employees and that they will be able to recommence their work including that at the Leafield site."

 

However, O'Connell made clear that his main objective is still to pay the team's creditors and the news did not mean Caterham employees would return to work.

 

"We believe this arrangement gives us a much better chance of being able to reach a better conclusion for the racing team and its creditors.

 

"While this is a great step forward in making the whole team and assets more attractive, there is no need for the staff of 1MRT to return to the Oxford site in Leafield until a sale of the Formula 1 team occurs.

 

"This is a difficult situation which is not of our making. We regret any personal impact on 1MRT's employees. As administrators for CSL, we are seeking to maximise the outcome for its creditors and other stakeholders."

http://www.espn.co.uk/caterham/motorsport/story/180863.html

[MightyJordan]

 

The struggling Caterham and Marussia Formula One teams will miss next weekend?s US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. ?Neither of those two teams are going to go to America,? said F1?s chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, on Saturday.

 

Caterham are in administration while the Russian-registered Marussia are struggling financially and are still reeling from Jules Bianchi?s serious accident in Japan three weeks ago. Neither team was contactable on Saturday.

 

The transport for all the teams? cars and freight is organised by Ecclestone?s Formula One Management and they were due to be flown out on Saturday. By missing the race in Austin, the teams will also be absent from the Brazil GP since the races are back to back with the cars going direct from the US to Brazil before returning to Europe.

 

The final race of the season is in Abu Dhabi on 23 November, when double points are to be awarded for the first time.

 

Neither the administrator of Caterham nor representatives of Marussia, who are ninth in the championship after Bianchi?s ninth place in Monaco in May, were available for comment. Ecclestone said on Friday that Caterham had been given a dispensation to miss the next two races while they seek a buyer.

 

Caterham?s administrator, Finbarr O?Connell, told Sky Sports the team?s racing cars were still at their base in Leafield, Oxfordshire. O?Connell said: ?The racing kit was heading towards Austin but it?s still in the UK. It will stay in the UK and hopefully if Caterham races in one of the last races we will ship the racing kit from here.?

 

Marussia?s absence, apart from giving 10th-placed Sauber more of chance to overtake them in the championship, will leave the grid in Austin with nine teams and 18 cars. It also wrecks the hopes of the American Alexander Rossi, Marussia?s reserve driver, making a home appearance at Austin.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/25/marussia-caterham-miss-f1-us-gp

[i11usive]

Rosberg: I Love The Double-Points Rule ---- he would!!!

 

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/9539487/Rosberg-I-Love-The-Double-Points-Rule

[MightyJordan]

Rosberg: I Love The Double-Points Rule ---- he would!!!

 

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/9539487/Rosberg-I-Love-The-Double-Points-Rule

Indeed; Hamilton would need another Rosberg non-points finish for the double points to even have a chance of not mattering. Say it's a Mercedes 1-2 in America with Hamilton winning, then Rosberg finishes outside of the points in Brazil: Rosberg's 49 points behind, so he can still theoretically win the title at Abu Dhabi with the opposite result from Brazil.

[i11usive]

Indeed; Hamilton would need another Rosberg non-points finish for the double points to even have a chance of not mattering. Say it's a Mercedes 1-2 in America with Hamilton winning, then Rosberg finishes outside of the points in Brazil: Rosberg's 49 points behind, so he can still theoretically win the title at Abu Dhabi with the opposite result from Brazil.

 

Bollocks innit! Reliability issues for Lewis in Abu Dhabi - which I'm going to btw - and it's game over! Seems very unfair...

[MightyJordan]

 

Race officials in Texas have reacted with dismay to the news that Sebastian Vettel is set to miss Saturday?s qualifying session at the US Grand Prix, which would mean him starting the race from the pit lane.

 

The Red Bull driver and world champion for the past four years faces sitting out qualifying because he has used up his full allocation of five power units and will need to fit a new one for Austin.

 

It means Vettel will incur a five- to 10-place grid penalty for Sunday?s race and, as that makes it likely he would start towards the back, he is expected to opt out of qualifying to save mileage on his new engine. He may also opt not to drive in the three practice runs on Friday and Saturday for the same reason.

 

Bobby Epstein, the co-founder of the Circuit of the Americas, said: ?I?m sorry to hear that he might not run in qualifying. It?s just too bad. I would like to see him start on the grid on Sunday. It won?t affect our ticket sales because most of the people come here for the overall experience but it?s nevertheless unfortunate.?

 

Vettel expects to pay the engine penalty this weekend. ?It looks like it will happen in Austin,? he said. ?The rule is completely stupid. So the people turn on the television and see a driver who just stands around and has nothing to do.?

 

At least Epstein is pleased with Vettel?s team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo. ?Daniel has said some phenomenally nice things about our track and said it was one of his favourites,? he said. ?He?s picked up a lot of fans here.?

 

The turbo V6 power unit legislation is one of the many arcane rules that are making Formula One less popular ? its TV audiences are hidden behind a pay wall, track attendances are also in decline and sponsors are turning their back on the crisis-hit sport in increasing numbers.

 

The power unit has six parts ? the engine, the motor generator unit-heat, the motor generator unit-kinetic, the energy store , turbocharger and control electronics. A driver who uses more than five of any one can face a five- to 10-place grid drop.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/28/formula-one-sebastian-vettel-us-grand-prix-grid-penalty

[i11usive]

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has just announced its plan to spin off Ferrari. The move will put 10 percent of Ferrari on the U.S. and European stock exchanges next year, with the remainder going to current Fiat Chrysler stockholders.

 

In a press release, Fiat Chrysler?s board of directors cite the move as part of ?a capital plan appropriate to support the Group?s long-term success.? In the same statement, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said, ?as we move forward to secure the 2014-2018 Business Plan and work toward maximizing the value of our businesses to our shareholders, it is proper that we pursue separate paths for FCA and Ferrari."

 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/breaking-fiat-chrysler-is-selling-ferrari?src=soc_fcbks

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

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[MightyJordan]

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[Skiver Veteran]

Jenson isn't the only one it seems....

 

Sebastian Vettel has confirmed he is likely to miss qualifying and start from the pit lane at this weekend's US Grand Prix as Red Bull expect to make a full power unit change ahead of Saturday.

The regulations state that only five of the various engine components can be used over the course of the season, with the sixth incurring a penalty. If the team uses its sixth of just one type of component - e.g. the turbo - the driver is subject to a 10-place penalty, but Red Bull are considering to take one hit by changing the whole power unit and will therefore be forced to start Vettel from the pits. With that in mind, Vettel is likely to skip qualifying to save mileage on his new power unit.

"I think it's to be confirmed, but, yes, we have to get an extra engine at some stage this year and very likely at this event here," he said. "Obviously we had quite a bad first half of the season in terms of reliability, with a lot of things happening, and that put us in that position. Practice we will definitely run to try to maximise the track time, but more focus towards the race because qualifying fast is not that important if it comes down to Sunday when we start from the pit lane due to the regulations.

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/181193.html#8ydH504LXVSBoLza.99

[MightyJordan]

Jenson isn't the only one it seems....

 

 

*snipped*

 

Yep, I posted Vettel's one yesterday.