F1 World Championship 2009 Thread

[Antaris Veteran]

^ Thats only if they breach the rules again, IMO its poorly worded, would have read better if they had said it as "3-Race Ban if Rules are Broken again".

[sundayx Veteran]

So what doe sthat mean?

[ahmz]

So what doe sthat mean?

The penalty will only be enforced upon Lewis Hamilton's team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.

[Subject Delta]

To be honest I was expecting worse, but evidently the way the team has reacted to the scandal has convinced the FIA they have the right intent. Pleased with the outcome, as a fine would be very hard to absorb, and nobody wants cars to be removed from races. Lets hope this is the last piece of controversy surrounding McLaren for a few years so we can get back to the ontrack action

[san.W10]

here we go again.

stupid FIA rules

Refuelling ban confirmed for 2010 season

The FIA has confirmed a ban on refuelling from the 2010 season, the governing body citing cost-saving reasons for its introductions

"It was confirmed that from 2010, refuelling during a race will be forbidden in order to save the costs of transporting refuelling equipment and increase the incentive for engine builders to improve fuel economy (to save weight)," said the FIA in a statement following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The governing body also confirmed that tyre blankets will be banned from 2010 and that the ban on other tyre-heating devices will be maintained.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74948

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FIA confirms ?40m budget cap for 2010>

The FIA has announced that Formula 1's cost cap will be increased to ?40 million when it is introduced next season.

The original figure mooted was ?30 million, but has been revised upwards following consultation with Formula 1 teams instigated by FIA president Max Mosley last week.

The FIA confirmed that the budget cap would run from January 1 to December 31, with the ?40 million figure covering all team expenditure, with certain exceptions.

Most notable among these is that engine costs will not be included in the budget capped expenditure for 2010.

Also excluded from the budget cap are marketing and hospitality, driver pay, fines and penalties imposed by the FIA, anything that teams can demonstrate has no influence on its on-track performance and dividends paid from profits relating to participation in the championship.

The FIA will allow those teams that sign up to the budget cap to have increased technical freedom to make it easier to compete with the uncapped teams. This includes adjustable front and rear wings as well as an engine that can run without a rev limit.

In addition, the budget cap teams will be allowed unlimited testing outside of the racing season, and will not be restricted by the wind tunnel scale and speed stipulations

The budget cap will be monitored by a new Costs Commission that will be set up to ensure that teams are adhering to the regulations. A chairman and two commissioners will be appointed to the body by the WMSC for a term of three years.

It was also stipulated that one of the commissioners should be an expert in finance and the other someone with high-level experience in motor sport.

The governing body also annouced that the maximum number of cars permitted to enter the championship has been increased to 26, from 24.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74947

McLaren & Williams are against the two tier rules.

check more news at http://www.autosport.com/

[Mike]

Increased car weight (Y) Means KERS is viable for everyone and 15kg extra weight isn't that much.

Refueling ban (N) Can see it going the way of the 1 tyre set. We'll lose all the great opening stints with lighter cars at the back coming through the field.

Budget cap (N) Either it's for everyone or no one, you can't have a cap for some.

[ahmz]

here we go again.

you said it

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Today marks a sad anniversary in the world of Formula One: On May 1st 1994 Ayrton Senna died following a high-speed accident at the San Marino GP.

F1 lost one of the greatest drivers ever there and then - if not the greatest.

As an example of his racecraft, watch the first lap of the 1993 European GP at Donington:

[Martyn]

I made my own personal tribute to Ayrton Senna some three years ago.

A true legend. Ayrton Senna RIP.

[Crazysah]

Yes. Ayrton Senna was a true legend. One of the greatest if not the greatest driver of Formula1. Ayrton Senna RIP!

[san.W10]

Ferrari warns budget cap may hurt F1

mosley's reply -

Mosley: F1 could survive without Ferrari

FIA president Max Mosley has insisted that Formula 1 could live without Ferrari in response to Luca di Montezemolo's criticism of the budget cap regulations.

The Ferrari chairman hit out at the introduction of the budget cap in a letter to the FIA revealed by AUTOSPORT yesterday.

In the letter di Montezemolo said the budget cap could undermine the credibility of the sport and be difficult to implement. He suggested that "all aspects of the new regulations should be carefully reviewed."

But Mosley insists that the ?40 million budget cap is vital for the health of F1, saying that if Ferrari was to be lost to F1 it would simply be "sad". He added that he expects it to be difficult for the team to justify its opposition to the budget cap to the Ferrari board given the amount of money it could save.

"The sport could survive without Ferrari," Mosley told James Allen in the Financial Times. "It would be very sad to lose Ferrari. It is the Italian national team.

"I hope and think that when a team goes to its board and says, 'I want to go to war with the FIA, because I want to be able to spend ?100m more than the FIA want me to spend,' the board will say, 'Why can't you spend ?40m if the other teams can do it?'"

Mosley emphasised that the FIA would not back away from the budget cap and that it is vital for the financial health of F1 in both the long and short term.

"The cost cap is here to stay," he said. "There is room for discussion, it might go up or down in 2011 and if the economy picks up, say in 2014, then it might go up. You might adjust the cap in the interests of the sport, but you'll have everyone on a level playing field.

"The credit crunch hasn't really hit F1 yet. Obviously we lost Honda, but the real crunch will come when current contracts come to be renewed.

"Those contracts were signed before their share prices took a dump. I believe FOM [Formula One Management, the commercial rights holder of F1] will not be able to give the teams as much money as they have."

Mosley admitted that policing the budget cap would be difficult, but that any suspected irregularities would be thoroughly investigated.

"The difficulty and danger of cheating would be enormous," Mosley told the FT. "If we had the slightest suspicion that anyone was cheating, we'd send a team in to check. That's part of the deal.

"The [inland] Revenue can't put even one tax inspector into each business on a permanent basis, we can put several in."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74995

[Subject Delta]

R.I.P Ayrton

And yes, we are in a recession. Thing is though, Formula 1 is called Formula 1 for a reason... It is (apparently) the world's premier motorsport category, a playground for the rich and famous. Cost savings in areas that fans don't notice is one thing, but capping the budgets totally goes against Formula 1's DNA, and IMO any teams that can't handle the cost shouldn't be in the sport in the first place.

Personally I wouldn't be upset at all for Ferrari to leave F1, but the fact is that in this instance I totally agree with them, budget capping goes against what the sport stands for. It also interests me that for some reason the relationship between the FIA and Ferrari appears to be souring somewhat.

[CrashG]

R.I.P Ayrton

And yes, we are in a recession. Thing is though, Formula 1 is called Formula 1 for a reason... It is (apparently) the world's premier motorsport category, a playground for the rich and famous. Cost savings in areas that fans don't notice is one thing, but capping the budgets totally goes against Formula 1's DNA, and IMO any teams that can't handle the cost shouldn't be in the sport in the first place.

Personally I wouldn't be upset at all for Ferrari to leave F1, but the fact is that in this instance I totally agree with them, budget capping goes against what the sport stands for. It also interests me that for some reason the relationship between the FIA and Ferrari appears to be souring somewhat.

That's been my understanding of what F1 is/was. It is the top shelf of motor racing, and it costs big bucks to play in the big league. A lot of things that F1 teams develop for their cars eventually trickle down to our street cars. There's plenty of spec series you can go racing in that don't cost anything close to what it does in F1. To me it sounds like that's what they (Max and Bernie) are trying to do, turn F1 into just another spec series and it's killing the essence of what F1 is all about, but I can understand (somewhat) what they are doing. It would be boring to see only 4-5 teams running because they are the only ones that have the cash to race.

[Crazysah]

That's been my understanding of what F1 is/was. It is the top shelf of motor racing, and it costs big bucks to play in the big league. A lot of things that F1 teams develop for their cars eventually trickle down to our street cars. There's plenty of spec series you can go racing in that don't cost anything close to what it does in F1. To me it sounds like that's what they (Max and Bernie) are trying to do, turn F1 into just another spec series and it's killing the essence of what F1 is all about, but I can understand (somewhat) what they are doing. It would be boring to see only 4-5 teams running because they are the only ones that have the cash to race.

Thing is though, by the time they decide on budget caps, we will be somewhat out of the recession and be prepearing for 2010. I don't think teams will worry that much then.

I like the 10M given to new teams idea though!

[Lewism]

Totally agree with you CrashGordon. That what F1 is all about. The problem is that Bernie always wants more money. At all cost. Since it will be cheaper to start/run an F1 team, there will be new teams. New teams = more money in the pockets of Bernie. He doesn't care if it ruins the sport.

[Subject Delta]

That's been my understanding of what F1 is/was. It is the top shelf of motor racing, and it costs big bucks to play in the big league. A lot of things that F1 teams develop for their cars eventually trickle down to our street cars. There's plenty of spec series you can go racing in that don't cost anything close to what it does in F1. To me it sounds like that's what they (Max and Bernie) are trying to do, turn F1 into just another spec series and it's killing the essence of what F1 is all about, but I can understand (somewhat) what they are doing. It would be boring to see only 4-5 teams running because they are the only ones that have the cash to race.

Agreed, but to be honest the FIA are partly to blame for that as well. IMO the introduction of KERS was really badly timed, and the fact that they keep messing about with the rules are forcing teams to spend large amounts of money re-designing their cars all of the time.

The simple fact is, that the teams that can't afford to race are applauding the cap, and those that can are against it. And for once I agree with them, like I stated F1 is a big boys competition.

And IMO, there will always be enough teams in F1, I don't ever see it getting down to a 4-5 team situation.

Seriously though, Max and Bernie between them are just destroying the sport, its ludicrous.

[Crazysah]

I totally agree with you... Max and Bernie need to get out of there!

Who likes the idea of giving 10M to new teams?

[CrashG]

Agreed, but to be honest the FIA are partly to blame for that as well. IMO the introduction of KERS was really badly timed, and the fact that they keep messing about with the rules are forcing teams to spend large amounts of money re-designing their cars all of the time.

The simple fact is, that the teams that can't afford to race are applauding the cap, and those that can are against it. And for once I agree with them, like I stated F1 is a big boys competition.

And IMO, there will always be enough teams in F1, I don't ever see it getting down to a 4-5 team situation.

Seriously though, Max and Bernie between them are just destroying the sport, its ludicrous.

I've never quite understood how they were reducing cost when making major rule changes either.

I totally agree with you... Max and Bernie need to get out of there!

Who likes the idea of giving 10M to new teams?

That's a fine idea, it at least helps a new team get going, but where's the 10mil coming from, Uncle Max or Uncle Bernie giving hand outs?

[Subject Delta]

I totally agree with you... Max and Bernie need to get out of there!

Who likes the idea of giving 10M to new teams?

That doesn't really bother me, it is giving new teams an incentive to get started, and it comes from Bernie... The rich feeding the poor so to speak.

I've never quite understood how they were reducing cost when making major rule changes either.

That's a fine idea, it at least helps a new team get going, but where's the 10mil coming from, Uncle Max or Uncle Bernie giving hand outs?

It is coming from FOM in the form of Bernie and I believe it is in the form of an advance of a percentage of any team's first year prize money. As for cost saving, this year it has been in the form of reduced testing milage and engine regulations. Next season it carries over to bans on refuelling and other stuff.

[san.W10]

Ecclestone says he will protect Ferrari

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he will protect Ferrari's position in the team's row with FIA president Max Mosley over the introduction of budget caps.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said last week the budget cap rules could cause serious damage to the sport.

That led Mosley to say over the weekend that Formula 1 could survive without Ferrari if the team does not adapt to the rules.

"The sport could survive without Ferrari," Mosley told the Financial Times. "It would be very sad to lose Ferrari. It is the Italian national team.

"I hope and think that when a team goes to its board and says, 'I want to go to war with the FIA, because I want to be able to spend ?100m more than the FIA want me to spend,' the board will say, 'Why can't you spend ?40m if the other teams can do it?'"

Speaking to The Times newspaper, Ecclestone said he won't let Mosley "destroy" Ferrari.

"I won't let it happen," Ecclestone told the newspaper.

"The trouble with Luca is that you shouldn't let Max ever be in a position where he can start a debate or an argument. He's reasonably clever and you won't win.

"Even if you do win, it's like you being in the audience and me being there with the microphone. You say something smart and I don't give you the microphone — it's as easy as that."

Ecclestone, however, insisted the budget cap idea could still work if the teams and the FIA manage to agree on some important points.

"It would appear that everyone is in favour of the cap, including Ferrari, if we can get them to agree, which we can," Ecclestone added.

"However, there is concern over the amount that is referred to in the cap for some of the teams and also the two-tier system. So these are probably not monumental things to sort out."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75055

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update

http://www.williamshybridpower.com/

Williams Hybrid Power Ltd has developed a novel, patented technology aimed at providing a cost effective, environmentally friendly, solution for mobile energy recovery and storage. Having developed the technology for the demanding and harsh environment of Formula One racing, the company is now making the technology available to meet the demands of the wider transport and mobile energy storage market.

The flywheel is electrically driven, and can be considered as an electro mechanical battery, which can replace a conventional battery or Ultra capacitor pack in a hybrid system. Our flywheel technology has unique features which enable us to provide class leading solutions for hybrid vehicles. The unique feature, protected by worldwide patent, is the Magnetically Loaded Composite. In essence this feature means that we can produce a wholly composite flywheel, which integrates the magnets of the electric motor into the composite. The key benefit this brings is that the flywheel system can be made significantly smaller and lighter than conventional flywheels, and also runs at very high efficiencies of between 97 - 99 %

The flywheel system is manufactured using conventional, scalable, manufacturing technologies and therefore provides the opportunity for cost effective volume production.

did you guys see that?

Williams F1 have built KERS system for city bus transports, metro railways... (still are approching them).

Williams F1 KERS is very different from other F1 teams' KERS.

it doesnt have battery like ferrai f1 have, everything is done with just the Flywheel

watch a small video - how Williams F1 KERS works

Edited May 4, 2009 by san.W10

[Subject Delta]

About time they started using it in their F1 cars if it is as good as it sounds. When applied correctly KERS is excellent technology, only problem is I don't feel the FIA gave the teams enough time to prepare for it.

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

I think KERS is very good because drivers have to ration the amount of power, So if a driver is going full out with kers and catches up to another car with full KERS charge then they will pull away again

[san.W10]

Mosley's son found dead

FIA president Max Mosley's son Alexander has been found dead at his London home.

Alexander Mosley, who was a 39-year-old economist, was discovered by a relative at his home in Notting Hill yesterday afternoon. He has not yet been formally identified.

"We were called at 16.20pm on Tuesday to reports of a male found dead at a property in W11," said a statement from Scotland Yard.

"He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is in his late thirties.

"We believe we know the identity of the deceased. The Coroner's office has been informed."

The FIA has expressed its sympathy for the Mosley family.

"The FIA extends sincere condolences to the Mosley family on the sad news of the death of Alexander Mosley," said a statement from motorsport's governing body.

"Our thoughts are with Alexander's family and friends, and we would request that the media respect the Mosley family's privacy at this difficult time."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75074

[Subject Delta]

Sad, wonder what killed him

[san.W10]

FP1 result

BMW have made quite an improvement, but ferrari are still in 9 & 11th.

anyways, its just practice session, most probably they are simulating something, or ...? :p

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75109

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Brawn GP partner with Terminator Salvation in Spain

:D

In advance of the worldwide release of the highly-anticipated motion picture Terminator Salvation, Brawn GP have joined forces with Sony Pictures Releasing International to feature imagery from the film on the team’s cars over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. Terminator Salvation will be released in the US on May 21 and globally from May 27.

The BGP001s of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will carry the distinctive Terminator Salvation imagery on the rear wing throughout the Barcelona meeting...

.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/5/9318.html