F1 World Championship 2010 Thread

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Lol. Hopefully this race will be interesting, me doubts it though. I find the practice and qualifying sessions to be much more entertaining then the race itself.

Who knows. There's a chance of rain tomorrow, which would make for a very interesting race.

[Crazysah]

What is this 107% rule?

Also, as I see it only the Virgin cars can't make it to the finish?

Also, great drive by Sutil but I wonder what happened in Q3. Hopefully he won't get tangled on the first lap again and will finish in the points!

I hope Chandhok finishes the race or at least doesn't come last!

[simonlang]

cheatalonso might be soon under investigation for blocking schumachers final run in qualifying. they both had a serious argument after the quali; according to german bild newspaper schumacher went to fia after qualifying to complain about alonsos behavior.

to the qualifying its almost shocking just how good redbull is. they have so much over mclaren, ferrari and mercedes its ridiculous.

if nothing happens, i expect them to walk away with the race and take a 1-2.

[ahmz]

payback for monaco 06? lol

@Crazysah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/107%25_rule

[san.W10]

cheatalonso might be soon under investigation for blocking schumachers final run in qualifying. they both had a serious argument after the quali; according to german bild newspaper schumacher went to fia after qualifying to complain about alonsos behavior.

to the qualifying its almost shocking just how good redbull is. they have so much over mclaren, ferrari and mercedes its ridiculous.

if nothing happens, i expect them to walk away with the race and take a 1-2.

Schumacher seeks blocking clarification

Michael Schumacher sought clarification from FIA race director Charlie Whiting about driving standards after qualifying in Melbourne - having been left angry that he had been blocked by other drivers.

The Mercedes GP driver was unhappy that his efforts were hit by both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton getting in his way during various stages of the qualifying.

And he was so upset with the way that Alonso had driven while on a slow down lap at the end of Q3, that he confronted the Spaniard in parc ferme after the session - before seeking out Whiting to discuss the matter further.

"Basically on my last try, I was slowed down by him," explained Schumacher about Alonso. "I asked him whether the team had told him and he said no.

"In a way it is difficult because he was on his in-lap, and he was worrying about other things than maybe watching the mirror. But saying that, we had this chat yesterday in the drivers' briefing that this should be taken care of, and actually he was one of the main guys asking about it.

"I wanted to know if the team had told him or not, and then I had a conversation with Charlie about it because I wanted to know what are the guidelines here ? and whether the rules have changed a little bit to what they used to be. I [told Whiting I] need to know what would you be okay with, and what not."

When asked about Hamilton in Q2, Schumacher added: "I had a similar issue with Lewis, that he was adapting his lap and preparing his lap and blocking me in a way ? which is not very nice.

"If you sit behind, you are trying your best, which I am doing at the moment, and then somebody slows you down, it is not very comfortable."

The incident between Alonso and Schumacher comes after several problems over the Australian Grand Prix weekend ? where slow cars have got in the way of faster approaching rivals. BMW Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa was reprimanded after the final free practice session for impeding another driver.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82459

Brawn calls for suspension ruling

Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn has called on the FIA to clarify the regulations about suspension systems in Formula 1, amid suspicions in the paddock that some outfits may be using a form of 'active ride'.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has openly talked about his inkling that Red Bull Racing in particular may be using a clever mechanical system - perhaps based around a ratchet - that will allow the team to run a low ride height in qualifying yet can adjust itself to be well suited for the heavier fuel loads needed in the race.

If a team was able to get some form of adjustable suspension between low fuel qualifying and the race to keep its ride height constant it could potentially hand it a significant advantage on Saturday afternoons ? something that could explain why Red Bull Racing has been so quick in qualifying form.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said about his feelings on Red Bull in Australia: "I don't know anything specific. There is some debate around the paddock as there normally is on these things, and there is an opportunity for us to have a look at it.

"It is an area where frankly a few months ago if the engineers had come to us and said we need to design this system then I would have said I don't think it is permissible.

"But if there appears to be some evidence that perhaps such systems are considered legal, then we need to get one as soon as we can."

Red Bull Racing has strongly denied that it is running such a suspension system ? and Brawn reckoned it would be better if the FIA and its technical delegate Charlie Whiting made a ruling on the regulations to avoid any suspicions between teams.

"I think we do need to tidy it up, in fairness to Red Bull because there are accusations being thrown around. It is very unfair," said Brawn. "They have a very good car, and there is no evidence they are unnecessarily doing anything untoward.

"You can do things with tyre pressures between qualifying and the race, which is a simple way of helping the situation. But it is necessary for the FIA to just clarify where we stand.

"Our understanding ? I can't remember the article exactly, but you are not allowed to make any suspension changes between qualifying and the race. Anything that influences the suspension, be it gas pressure, be it the intentional manipulation of temperature, would have that effect. I think we need Charlie to clarify that to get rid of the controversy."

When asked if he believed Red Bull Racing was doing anything suspicious, Brawn said: "No, not particularly. It depends on the track ? some tracks for sure you need to run a much higher ride height with high fuel, other tracks because the ride height is controlled by features on the track it is not so significant.

"I don't necessarily think there is something going on but there will be some tracks where you have to set the car up for the race and accept the compromise that comes from qualifying."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82461

[ahmz]

It's raining where I am.... won't be surprised if it hits the race.

[MightyJordan]

Vettel's gone into the gravel! Button's in the lead now! :)

[brentaal]

Ferrari: "Hamilton's catching up on you. 3,5 seconds now"

Alonso: "I don't want to know"

[ahmz]

Great race! Even without the rain.. great drives by Button and Kubica. Webber taking out Hamilton lol... Good defending by Alonso.

[.mcman]

Webber, !@#$%^!!! Nevertheless, awesome race! Great performance by Button.

[Chemaz]

Great race, was tempted not to watch it after the first race, but glad i did. Think it showed what an amazing driver hamilton can be, if he hadnt have pitted it wouldve be a 1 2, and even after he pitted, he got bk up there, just a shame webber was a bit of a ***k. Button was pretty awesome as well, but i do think if hamilton had stayed out he wouldve been 2nd

[Pc_Madness]

Awesome race, pity about Webber. :(

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Great race. Shame about Vettel - the points he lost in the past two races are going to hurt him later this season.

Congratulations to Button; his driving style was much better suited for today's race than Hamilton's.

Schumacher would have been on the podium if it hadn't been for the first corner collision and extra pit stop. You can tell from the post-race interview though how he still enjoyed himself.

I can't wait for Malaysia. Remember: There's always a good chance for a really wet race at Sepang...

[simonlang]

what a superb race! they have to bring rain for every race it just adds much chaos and action to it. :)

massas start (he trashed alonso there!) and hamiltons drive the last 20 or so laps were the highlights for me in that race.

webber is an idiot, as is alguersuari who thinks its perfectly fine to brake test schumacher on the straight. i call for a penalty! :yes:

[Kerm]

Great race. Really enjjoyed it from start to finish. Congrats to Button, especially after being taken out on the first corner.

I think Hamilton was the best drive for me. He put his neck on the line with some brave overtakes and without the strategy mess up could of won it.

Unfortunate that Webber took him out just as he was finally in a position to take Alonso.

Alonso's radio chatter was brilliant, ha, 'I don't want to know!'.

Also glad Kubica got second place with a flawless drive.

[Pc_Madness]

Hamilton is having a cry,

"Lewis Hamilton runs down Mark Webber - and his own team "

http://www.news.com.au/national/lewis-hamilton-runs-down-mark-webber-and-his-own-team/story-e6frfkvr-1225846628081

FORMULA One driver Lewis Hamilton hit out at his McLaren team and Aussie Mark Webber after losing the Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The 25-year-old Briton had two run-ins with Red Bull's Webber and a contentious additional pit stop, which left him in sixth place at the end of the race.

McLaren teammate Jenson Button came first.

Hamilton, who was embarrassed over the weekend when police pulled him over for "over-exuberant" driving, said he was sure he could make it a McLaren one-two finish.

"I think that was one of the drives of my life, but unfortunately due to the strategy I was put further back than I deserved and then I was taken out by Mark Webber," the former world champion said.

"Everyone in front of me did one stop and for some reason I did two. Why? I don't know, but we will find out.

...

[Crazysah]

Force India finished in the points again! I feel bad for Adrian Sutil though. Hopefully he can get into the top 10 in the next race!

Karun Chandhok finished the race! What a load of mileage! They will be more competitive come Barcelona. That's what I have heard!

[san.W10]

Alonso went too soft on Massa.

the way he came from P22 to P4 was fantastic.

Massa count even overtake a Lada. lol :p

douche webber spoiled hamilton's race.

[Kerm]

Hamilton is right. He drove great, strategy worked against him then Webber went and took him out.

I don't think that counts as 'crying'.

[simonlang]

Alonso went too soft on Massa.

the way he came from P22 to P4 was fantastic.

Massa count even overtake a Lada. lol :p

douche webber spoiled hamilton's race.

nonsense id say. massa had already past alonso and some other cars right after the start!

alonso was very lucky in that race, when he spun out in corner 1 no one touched his car and then a safetycar helped him to close the gap to the field. he basically lost no time at all. the fact that he couldnt pass his own teammate later on who had big setup problems, shows that alonso isnt that great.

[san.W10]

yeah, but Alonso' tyres were in bad shape by the time he closed on Massa, & thereafter he would risk massive points if he just kept attacking Massa .

Lewis was called to pit because just like Alonso when he closed on Kubica, his tyres were in bad shape, if he kept following Kubica's Lada, he would have lost even more poistions..

[san.W10]

----------------------------------------------------

old pics, but still funny :D

BOURDAIS SACKING TEXT IN FULL

Sébastien Bourdais claimed that Torro Rosso sacked him by text message. Here, for the first time, Sniff Petrol can exclusively reveal the contents of that message.

FERRARI ROAD CARS FEEL ALONSO EFFECT

With the new F1 season just weeks away, sources in Italy say Ferrari is set to capitalise on the arrival of Fernando Alonso at the team with a brand new driving mode for its next generation of road cars. Sniff Petrol’s spies say the new setting will have an immediate effect on all aspects of the car, most notably making it instantly faster whilst at the same time more treacherous. And grumpy.

Ferrari insiders say that putting the car into Alonso mode will have other effects, such as increasingly hairy sunvisors and a sat-nav voice that suddenly develops an irritating lisp. However, it’s in the complex electronics of the suspension, engine and gearbox that Alonso mode really shows its stuff. Normally, these three entities work as one to the benefit of dynamics. However, in Alonso mode each area of the car ceases to be a team player and selfishly looks after itself.

Maranello engineers are said to be particularly excited about the Alonso mode’s stability control system which is understood to wait until you are in trouble and then just bugger off to another car. The same system is also said to feature a unique ability to wait until it detects that you are breaking the speed limit and then automatically call the authorities to grass you up. Ferrari insiders say that in early testing Alonso mode is already worth another five tenths of a lap around their Fiorano test track, although at the end of the lap the car then came into the pits in a massive sulk for no apparent reason.

The Alonso setting is likely to first appear on the forthcoming 599 GTO, due later this year. It is thought that the new mode will be engaged by turning Ferrari’s distinctive manettino control to the marking which depicts a duplicitous **** stabbing everyone in the back.

http://www.sniffpetrol.com/2010/02/05/ferrari-road-cars-feel-alonso-effect/'>http://www.sniffpetrol.com/2010/02/05/ferrari-road-cars-feel-alonso-effect/

------------------------------------------------------

more- http://www.sniffpetrol.com/

[san.W10]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0WFd1K9qq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUk1qYK6YxA

[san.W10]

Michelin close to Formula 1 return

Michelin is closing in on a deal to return to Formula 1 next year, AUTOSPORT has learned, but it may not be as a standard tyre supplier.

Although no final decision has been made, sources have revealed that the French tyre manufacturer is in advanced negotiations with the FIA about the terms of a return for the first time since it quit at the end of 2006.

It is believed that an announcement confirming Michelin's comeback could be made as soon as this month.

Current standard tyre supplier Bridgestone is leaving F1 at the end of this season, with the Japanese company's board deciding that it does not benefit enough to justify its investment in the sport.

Although a replacement standard tyre supplier would require the FIA to go through an official tender process, it is believed there is a chance the governing body will simply open up the entry criteria to allow any qualified manufacturer in - reigniting an F1 tyre war.

Should Michelin give the green light to return, then it could be against other tyre manufacturers such as Hankook and Kumho who have also been linked with a move into F1.

Michelin's last spell in F1 was from 2001 until 2006 – when it enjoyed world title success with Renault but also endured its fair share of controversy, including being forced to withdraw from the 2005 United States Grand Prix on safety grounds.

Michelin was not interested in becoming the sole tyre supplier when the tender process was opened for 2008 – believing it vital that the company faced competition if it was to invest in F1.

Earlier this month Michelin's managing partner Jean-Dominique Senard told the Bloomberg news agency that the French company was open to a move back to F1 if the sport could prove its environmental credentials.

"We might consider returning but there are some very clear conditions," he said.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82586

[san.W10]

Teams to discuss return of KERS

The potential return of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) to Formula 1 for 2011 is set to dominate the agenda of a meeting of team principals in Malaysia later today, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) is holding a get-together this evening to discuss the lessons of the first few races, and begin evaluation of improvements that could be made to the sport to improve the show.

Although some of the talks are expected to revolve around technical changes to the cars, sources suggest that one of the main areas of focus to help improving overtaking will be in getting KERS back on the cars.

The green technology was abandoned at the end of last year when teams agreed amongst themselves not to run the devices for 2010, because of the vast expense in successfully developing it. The use of the system remains in F1's technical regulations, however.

AUTOSPORT understands that teams will look at all options for a KERS return in 2011 - ranging from a standard supplier to freeing up the technology totally. Teams will also look at exactly how much, or how little, power the KERS should have.

The momentum behind getting KERS back has been increased because of the difficulties that drivers have faced in overtaking this season - and providing a push-to-pass system once again would help with the racing.

There is also a high chance that revisions to the cars already in the pipeline will help the situation further. Double diffusers have already been banned for 2011, which should cut downforce levels, while it is understood that the FIA is looking at increasing the width of F1's rear tyres to 18 inches for next year - up from the 13 inches of the current generation.

This will produce much more mechanical grip, which should be another factor in helping boost the racing spectacle.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82593