[StylinRed]

i was watching Qualifying it was so weird when Massa crashed its like the broadcasters had no idea what to do (sound kept cutting out etc)

heck everyone was just standing around

and when they finally continued with qualifying and finished the commentaters just said "cya tomorrow" and left but they were still broadcasting for about 10mins

and they were trying to figure out the final order, since the times just disappeared off the computers and screen

kind of an update on f1.com
Felipe Massa’s condition was described as ‘stable’ on Sunday morning, with Ferrari confirming that there were no complications overnight following the Brazilian’s successful surgery for a skull fracture at Budapest’s AEK Hospital.

Massa sustained the fracture and concussion during his high-speed crash at the Hungaroring in Saturday’s qualifying session, in which he was struck on the head by a spring from the Brawn car of Rubens Barrichello.

After surgery he was put into an induced coma, a standard procedure following such an operation, and remained under observation in intensive care overnight.

"After undergoing an operation yesterday afternoon, Felipe Massa's condition remains stable and there were no further complications through the night,” said a Ferrari statement.

"He will be given another CT scan today, which will provide more precise information."


anyone watching Nicole Sherzinger jumping up and down? how the hell did Hamilton bag her

edit: WOW Alonso just totally lost his wheel... sucks for him he was doing great ;/

[Meowjin]

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAMILTON.

[Eff-1]

Not a bad race. Step up in terms of entertainment value over the past couple.

Fingers crossed for Sutil that his car eventually starts performing up to its potential on a more reliable basis, and that he and Kimi stop hitting each other.

[Blinky]

Not a bad race. Step up in terms of entertainment value over the past couple.

Fingers crossed for Sutil that his car eventually starts performing up to its potential on a more reliable basis, and that Kimi stops hitting him.

fixed your post.

Good race, but I thought Germany was better. Looks like Mclaren's work has paid off a bit hasn't it? Pity about Alonso's wheel mishap - it was good to see him in the mix again and I would have liked to see what he could have done on the 3-stopper.

I really love what I'm seeing in the mid-field. Williams and Toyota are in the pionts and fighting hard. It seems like the really big disappointments in the grid are Toro Rosso and BMW.

[StylinRed]

So looks like Massa's racing career is over (they think his Left eye is done) and people are speculating that Schumacher will be his replacement driver


here's one of a million reports on it http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article6729499.ece

[impactX]

No, all european news speculations. Take it with a grain of salt.

His eye socket was damaged, but the optic nerves are fine. I believe it will take a while for him to recover; but his career will not be over.

Schumacher will not be the replacement driver because 1) he doesn't have a super license anymore; 2) he does not have anything to gain from driving; and 3) he will not do that to Massa. Marc Gene will most probably be the replacement driver as they probably won't want to repeat the same mistake in 1999.

[Senna4ever]

Holy shit, two similar accidents within days of each other with two vastly different outcomes. Massa is very fortunate to be alive, unlike John Surtees' son, Henry. For those of you who do not know, Henry Surtees was the son of John Surtees, the only man to have won world championships in F1 (1 time) and the Motorcycle World Championship (7 times). Henry was killed in a crash after being hit by a wheel of a car that crashed in front of him at a Formula 2 race. Goddammit, only 18 years old.

Also, ex-F1 driver Ricardo Londono Bridge was shot to death on Saturday in Columbia.

[StylinRed]

Also, ex-F1 driver Ricardo Londono Bridge was shot to death on Saturday in Columbia.

wtf oO

[HonestTea]

OMG FUCK!

http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5459257,00.html
BMW confirm withdrawal from F1
Wednesday 29th July 2009

Formula One has suffered another major blow with the news that BMW are pulling out of Formula One at the end of this season.

The announcement, made at the team's headquarters in Munich and on their website, means BMW are the second major manufacturer to pull out of the sport in the space of eight months following Honda's withdrawal in December.

The news comes ahead of the imminent signing this week of a new Concorde Agreement, the commercial document that governs F1 and binds the teams to the sport for the length of the contract.

BMW made their decision at a management board meeting on Tuesday.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us, but it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment,'' said Dr Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW.

"Premium will be increasingly defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead.

"We are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability.

"Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us.''

BMW had made rapid strides in F1 since taking over Sauber ahead of the 2006 season, scoring two podium finishes and claiming fifth in the Constructors' Championship that year.

In 2007, the team finished second in the Constructors' race, aided by McLaren's exclusion in the wake of the 'spy saga', amassing 101 points.

Then last season Robert Kubica scored BMW Sauber's first victory at the Canadian Grand Prix en route to the team taking 135 points and finishing behind Ferrari and McLaren.

At the start of the season, BMW Motorsport boss Mario Theissen insisted it was the team's intention to push for both titles.

But the team have been a major disappointment after failing to get to grips with the introduction of new regulations, taking just eight points from 10 grands prix to date.

BMW's issues have been compounded by the fact that despite Ferrari and McLaren making similarly slow starts, those two teams are back up to speed, leaving the German marque at the back of the grid.

"Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motorsport's program since 1999,'' added Reithofer.

"We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario and his team for this.''

BMW's withdrawal is a major surprise as they have been a pivotal player in the recent negotiations between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association to reduce costs in the sport.

The signing of the new Concorde had been viewed as the end of the saga, with the 13 teams that were due to compete likely to do so through to at least 2012.

But BMW are to now focus the resources to be saved on F1 into the development of new drive technologies and sustainability.

Dr Klaus Draeger, member of the Board of Management responsible for development, confirmed BMW Sauber's recent poor results had played a major part in the thinking behind the team's exit from F1.

"It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team in Formula One,'' said Draeger.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations. Nevertheless, our 10 years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers.

"We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations, as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars.''

It is certain redundancies will follow, both in Munich and at their other plant in Hinwil, Switzerland.

Draeger added: "We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula One project in Munich.

"We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement.''

Theissen was fully appreciative of the executive decision made to end the team's involvement in F1.

"We would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years,'' said Theissen.

"But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective.

"We will now focus sharply on the remaining races, demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula One racing.''

BMW will continue its participation in the World Touring Car Championship, Formula BMW, the American Le Mans Series and other endurance races, as well as World Superbikes.

As for drivers Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, they will now be on the lookout for another team for next season.

Official statement from BMW
The BMW Group has released the following statement after their announcement that they will quit F1 at the end of the season.

The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One campaign after the end of the 2009 season. Resources freed up as a result are to be dedicated to the development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability. BMW will continue to be actively involved in other motor sports series. The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport?s activities was made at the Board of Management's meeting yesterday.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," explained Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us. Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this," said, Reithofer.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, said: "It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars." Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil cannot be quantified at present. Says Draeger: "Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula One project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement."

Says BMW Motorsport director Dr. Mario Theissen: "Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula One racing."

BMW will continue its programs in a number of motor sports series: BMW will appear on the starting grid in the touring car series and young driver promotion program in Formula BMW. This will be supplemented by BMW's participation in ALMS, the American Le Mans Series, endurance races and close-to-production customer sports. Furthermore, BMW Motorrad Motorsport will continue its campaigns, with the super bike world championship leading the way.

BMW looks back on a long track record of success in the field of motor sports: BMW achieved eight Formula One victories from 1982 to 1985 with Brabham. In 1983, BMW won the drivers' championship with Nelson Piquet (Brabham BMW). The last win with the legendary turbo engine followed with Benetton in 1986. Ten victories were scored during the partnership with Williams (2000-2005). BMW had a total of 19 grand prix wins and 33 pole positions before the BMW Sauber F1 Team era.

In its debut season in 2006, the newly established BMW Sauber F1 Team wound up fifth in the constructors' championship. In 2007, the German-Swiss team came in second after McLaren-Mercedes' exclusion from the points standings. The 2008 season saw the team in the hunt for the world championship until the end of the season, winding up third. Polish-born Robert Kubica achieved the first and hitherto only GP victory in Canada on June 8, 2008. So far, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has taken one pole position (Kubica in Bahrain in 2008) and 16 podium finishes. The BMW Sauber F1 Team occupies the eighth spot in the manufacturers' standings in the season presently underway.

[StylinRed]

HOLY SHIT WTF?!!!!!! wth is wrong with bmw


omg is F1 even going to be here next year :/

better go watch them this year before its done

[impactX]

Good riddance BMW. They were the only team pushing for KERS last year when they had a motion to abandon KERS; now they have failed epically and haven't been using KERS since a while ago. They've dug their own grave.

[Rich Sandor]

Schumacher will not be the replacement driver because 1) he doesn't have a super license anymore; 2) he does not have anything to gain from driving; and 3) he will not do that to Massa. Marc Gene will most probably be the replacement driver as they probably won't want to repeat the same mistake in 1999.

Ferrari just announced Schumacher is BACK to replace Massa.

How does your foot taste? :)

[Great68]

Ferrari just announced Schumacher is BACK to replace Massa.



Fuck Yeah!

I can't wait!

Now we'll find out how well he does with a mediocre car. If he really is THAT good of a driver...

[Z3guy]

^ it will be interesting to see if Schumacher can even beat Kimi......Schumacher is an amazing driver, but being out of F1 racing for 1.5 seasons is going to be interesting to see if can compete right off the bat......

[jeff_alexander]

^ it will be interesting to see if Schumacher can even beat Kimi......Schumacher is an amazing driver, but being out of F1 racing for 1.5 seasons is going to be interesting to see if can compete right off the bat......

2.5 seasons actually, 2007, 2008 and mid way through 2009

[skyxx]

Schumacher is a "bad" driver. The first episode of Top gear this season proves his ability to "drive" ;)

[Senna4ever]

Ferrari just announced Schumacher is BACK to replace Massa.

How does your foot taste? :)
....pending a physical exam. It's not 100% certain he'll get his Superlicense re-instated. Remember he injured his neck and back earlier this year testing racing motorcycles, so he may not be able to withstand the forces encountered in an F1 car.

[G-spec]

being away from F1 even for a few months is a big gap for a driver to close.... a few years is huuuuuuuge....

I'm just happy my boy Hamilton finally won a race this season.

[Rich Sandor]

....pending a physical exam. It's not 100% certain he'll get his Superlicense re-instated. Remember he injured his neck and back earlier this year testing racing motorcycles, so he may not be able to withstand the forces encountered in an F1 car.

If he wants to race, he'll race. It's that simple. No one in F1 says no to MS. He wouldn't even have accepted the offer from SF if he thought for a moment that he wouldn't be physically able to do it. He has the experience to know that.

As for being competitive? I bet he will be every bit as fast as Kimi.

[xplodngKeys]

At least I now have a reason to wake up at 5am for the European GP that I was planning on sleeping though.

I was disappointed to hear about BMW leaving... this year was for all purposes a learning year. The last few seasons you could always count on them being reliably third lol.

[HonestTea]

SCHUMACHER! This season just got a whole lot better :D Kimi vs Schumacher!!

[yamashek]

This is indeed shocking, just exactly what the European GP needed...

This season proved itself to be so unpredictable...

Very interesting to see Schumi, Vettel, Hamilton, Kimi, Webber, Button, Barichello battling eachother... LH/MS battle might be interesting... and at the same time, Ferrari will be housing two champions in the same garage...that will be interesting too

[xplodngKeys]

my guess is everyone will cater to schumi leaving kimi to say wtf and throwing caution to the wind like he used to when he was driving for mclaren..... or at least thats what I'm wanting to happen!

[impactX]

Ferrari just announced Schumacher is BACK to replace Massa.

How does your foot taste? :)

Hey, I'd gladly eat my foot when the master is back to drive the car! :D

It's really great news... but it will be tough... at the same time, he trashed everyone (current F1 drivers) a few weeks ago in a go-cart race.

Even though there's no testing, teams are allowed to do straightline tests.

[Rich Sandor]

I think all the drivers are amazing - whenever Vettel/Webber/Button/Hamilton/whoever gets pole, they almost always manage to stay in 1st for the whole race.

It's interesting (to me) to see how a dominant team can fall back when their setup, tire, and pit strategy doesn't work out.. it's almost like chess combined with math and driving.

I think Schumy's real skill will show through not just in his driving but his ability to bring what's left of Scuderia Ferrari back up to the developmental level that existed under Ross Brawn and his crew.

[impactX]

And for once, we will see where F60 really stands in terms of pace now that it has a perfect driver in the cockpit. If other cars are still running away, that means F60 is really a pig.

I am sure Schumy will be competitive right away after Friday testing. I remember him testing out the car in 2007 or 2008. Someone asked him how long did it take for him to get used to driving a F1 car again, he said "couple of laps" or something and then he topped the timesheet.

Edit: Here it is: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2007-11/14/content_6253360.htm

BAHAHA check out what David Coulthard said about MS.

[Rich Sandor]

We all know that much of MS's success was due to both his driving ability, and his car development ability. His car was not an overnight sucess, it was due to his input and the teams hard work. I have no idea how good Kimi and Massa are at developing cars and communicating with their team to make the car better. I think MS will hop into the F60, and say, "holy fuck you guys, this and that and this need to be changed and it'll be way faster." And then Kimi will be faster too as a result.

[impactX]

That's probably the case... it's a shame that there's no more in-season testing this year or he could make up a lot of ground.

From what I understand, he's allowed to do straightline test in the F60... and drive around in the F2008 with no limitations. Will be interesting to see what Schumy will do.

I am currently still in Singapore, it's a shame that I will miss the Singapore GP. I can literally see the circuit outside the window. :(

[Senna4ever]

If he wants to race, he'll race. It's that simple. No one in F1 says no to MS. He wouldn't even have accepted the offer from SF if he thought for a moment that he wouldn't be physically able to do it. He has the experience to know that.

As for being competitive? I bet he will be every bit as fast as Kimi.
No, he still has to prove that he can race at that level. There is no way the FIA will risk his or other driver's lives. He's 40 now, remember. I personally think he's still competitive though...it will be interesting to see for sure. Fangio was 47 years old when he won his last race and walked away from F1, and he was still one of the fastest drivers, so Schumacher should be ok.

[dutch]

mansell was 41 when he won his last race

[StylinRed]

omg........ my cousin wanted me to go to the european race too..... god damnit i should have said yes could see schumi in action!


maybe i can get him to go to the Belgium one!

[thumper]

I am sure Schumy will be competitive right away after Friday testing. I remember him testing out the car in 2007 or 2008. Someone asked him how long did it take for him to get used to driving a F1 car again, he said "couple of laps" or something and then he topped the timesheet.


we all know he's been moonlighting as the stig on top gear (lol) and racing around in taxis during his retirement so he'll be just fine :haha:

[Eff-1]

MS pulled out today. Still has neck pain from his motorcycle accident earlier this year.

Bummer.

[elkayem]

MS pulled out today. Still has neck pain from his motorcycle accident earlier this year.

Bummer.
:(
That's.....gay.

[impactX]

It was actually a pretty bad accident. I was surprised he recovered that quickly as he was knocked unconscious in the incident...

Kinda sad... as it's probably the only chance we would see him race in F1 again...

[StylinRed]

sucks so much..... maybe massa will be out a lot longer and schumi can take over later on down the line :/

[Eff-1]

Last week in Valencia I feel asleep watching. Hopefully tomorrow at Spa brings excitement. If qualifying was any indication, it will be an entertaining race.

Very excited that Force India is finally seeing some success. Sutil has become my new favourite driver as of late.

Those BBC Announcers sure don't hold back their opinions on Badoer. I imagine if Badoer ever listened to one of the broadcasts, he'd want to clock Jonathan Legard in the face.

One last thing: If TSN keeps insisting to split screen for commericial breaks right during the pit windows, i'm going to write a letter.

[HonestTea]

^ Agreed. Fell asleep after the 1st round of pit stops...there were only like 2 or 3 overtakes in the whole race...most people changed positions by the pit-stops and not actual overtakings..

Qualifying for Spa was pretty amazing..so many wildcards! I wanted Kimi to be on pole but oh well! I hope he gets a race-win this year, his performance is pretty good considering how bad the F60 was/is. Hes definitely out-preforming the car.

Btw, you should start writing your letter now cause I'm pretty sure TSN will continue and will have split screens for tomorrow/tonights race @ 5am. I don't mind SPEED's broadcast at all, just that sometimes there's a bit of delay in the broadcasts but overall it's good AND they actually have interviews after the race, unlike TSN..

[Eff-1]

I don't necessarily mind the split screen. It's just that it always seems to happen right during pit stops, go figure. Imagine if you were watching hockey, and they cut to split screen during a power play. Frustrating.

[godwin]

My problem with TSN is they are not on at real time and always get prempted by something stupid especially if they are on later say at 5AM.

I guess they finally figured out that people flip between channels when the ad comes on.

[Meowjin]

hamilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllton.

:(

[StylinRed]

lol i just came on to post

hilarious!


i dont like hamilton though so im happy ^^

Button though :(


The Belgian track is beautiful!

[Meowjin]

fucking bmw. this makes me want an m3 less now.

[StylinRed]

rofl it was bound to happen, didnt the commentators also say it was nothing but crashes in the race earlier.. GP2 or something

[Meowjin]

first lap is always going to be crashes, but that one was just dumb.

[StylinRed]

man im really loving this track, we should have something like that here :/

[HonestTea]

KIMI RAIKKONEN!

FUCK YEAH! FUCK ALL YOU DOUBTERS! :D :D :D :D :D

[Meowjin]

KIMI RAIKKONEN!

FUCK YEAH! FUCK ALL YOU DOUBTERS! :D :D :D :D :D

he's won like 4 races there now. How is that being doubtful? Also he used his kers going down the hill.

[HonestTea]

he's won like 4 races there now. How is that being doubtful? Also he used his kers going down the hill.

Tons of doubters dude, read around. Just because he has a good track record @ Spa, doesn't mean his F60 wasn't a dog. He's definitely out-preforming his car and beat Fisi with out-raw pace even when the Force India's car is faster and better.

Pretty sure KERS helped him going up the hill and not down, I read somewhere that they like saving KERS for going uphill. Even with KERS, his S2 time was still a lot worse then Fisi's car.

[Meowjin]

fisi lost by .9 seconds.

[impactX]

Tons of doubters dude, read around. Just because he has a good track record @ Spa, doesn't mean his F60 wasn't a dog. He's definitely out-preforming his car and beat Fisi with out-raw pace even when the Force India's car is faster and better.

Pretty sure KERS helped him going up the hill and not down, I read somewhere that they like saving KERS for going uphill. Even with KERS, his S2 time was still a lot worse then Fisi's car.

Congrats to Kimi, knew that he would win when I saw the qualifying grid.

Still, it doesn't change the fact that Massa has outperformed Kimi for 1.5 years with a way smaller paycheque.

[Eff-1]

it's true kimi drove a good race. but 50% of this victory should be given to his KERS button.

[impactX]

At the same time, Ferrari sucked this year because they built their cars around KERS and didn't have the double decker diffuser early on in the season.

I'd suspect that if Ferrari built a car with a correct weight balance without KERS, it would be faster the F60.

[godwin]

Err no don't forget they committed a fundamental aerodynamic issue which caused the chief aerodynamist to be fired in the middle of the campaign.

It is nice to see KERS finally work fine.

At the same time, Ferrari sucked this year because they built their cars around KERS and didn't have the double decker diffuser early on in the season.

I'd suspect that if Ferrari built a car with a correct weight balance without KERS, it would be faster the F60.

[impactX]

^ which makes me wonder what that "fundamental aerodynamic issue" is.

I mean, that guy they fired used to design the Renault that went on to win the championships in 2005 and 2006.

[Blinky]

I <3 Spa. Too bad to see the safety car out. I knew at that point that Kimi would take Fisi on the restart on the way up Kemmel. The safety car was an obvious call, but Fisi had about a second on Kimi and was pulling away :(. Fisi drove out of his mind... Good to see Force India do well though - I applauded their Q and race result.

Apprentice, the F60 isn't a dog -- it's a solid midpack car. Ferrari had a string of strong recent results; in fact Ferrari is 3rd in constructors. The win is largely because of KERS -- and that's okay, because anyone could have KERS. The KERS cars are starting to become a factor (a good thing IMO, as I like KERS) -- I wonder what happens next year if Williams (and Force India, IIRC) brings it in and nobody else does?!

[SkinnyPupp]

That was the first good race all season

[Eff-1]

The KERS cars are starting to become a factor (a good thing IMO, as I like KERS) -- I wonder what happens next year if Williams (and Force India, IIRC) brings it in and nobody else does?!

KERS is banned next year.

[Blinky]

KERS is banned next year.

It's not.

some teams are continuing to press for Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems to be removed from the 2010 technical regulations. Next year's rules were published by the FIA earlier this week and the availability to use the energy-recovery technology remains.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090821211013.shtml

[impactX]

KERS is not banned next year.

FOTA teams agreed not to use it; however, as Williams is not part of the FOTA anymore, they are still developing their KERS and if they decide to use it, I am sure the FOTA teams will use it.

[Eff-1]

sorry I thought the ban was official.

[falcon]

anyone else interested to see if fisi ends up with ferrari at Monza?

if it happens, I wonder how he will adapt to the KERS system... personally I think he is in a better car with force india which was proven at spa. if ferrari didn't have a KERS system, hands down fisicella would have won.

[impactX]

The Force India car may not be a "better" car... If you've noticed, all the cars on the grid suit different types of circuits. That means they could very well be at the bottom of the grid at Monza if they can't get the cars to ride the curbs.

Am I interested to see him? May be; he's a better choice than Luca Badoer. Personally, I think there are better drivers out there than Fisi; but, as Massa will be ready to race again next year, I don't think Ferrari wants to put a driver who will go to a rival team next year into the seat...

Since Fisi wants to drive for Ferrari so much, would he give up his Force India seat next year in order to drive the F60 for five races? May be. There has been rumors about him being a test driver for Ferrari starting from next year; at the same time, Force India maintains that there has been no talk with Ferrari about the switch.

[Meowjin]

force india's is a better car because the tires where better for the track because it's a medium downforce car, where the tires do the work as opposed to raikkoowernaoewnneownnon's car that is ment for maximum downforce.

when he was intervieved by the bbc, before the race he said he was thinkinga bout it. although he said, something along the lines of how he likes hwere he is.

[SkinnyPupp]

Fisi will jump in less than a second if Ferrari ever contacts him.

[Meowjin]

^Fisi jumped to ferrari.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/sep/03/giancarlo-fisichella-ferrari-felipe-massa

Well that sucks for force india.

[Amaru]

^Fisi jumped to ferrari.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/sep/03/giancarlo-fisichella-ferrari-felipe-massa

Well that sucks for force india.


Terrible. I guess he pretty much cut all his Force India bridges now.

I hope FI goes out and picks up a driver that can actually do some damage immediately.

Piquet and Bourdais are both rubbish, but at least they won't emberass the team right out of the gates. Force India has a decent car for Monza and I really hope they're able to find a driver who can at least qualify in Q3.

[SkinnyPupp]

I'm pretty sure Force India totally understands

[Amaru]

I'm pretty sure Force India totally understands

lol. Probably. Does this mean Raikonnen is gone at the end of this season? Wasn't Alonso rumored to be headed to Ferrari at the end of the season?

Alonso + Fisi next year? What about Massa?

[SkinnyPupp]

Everyone is waiting to see where Alonso will go. I doubt it will be Ferrari.

[HonestTea]

Pretty sure Force India is going to sign Liuzzi for Monza at least(most likely for the rest of the season as well)

And yeah, everyone is waiting to see where Alonso is going to go before anyone confirms their 2010 driver-lineup or make any drastic changes. TECHNICALLY speaking, Red Bull and Ferrari are the only ones that have confirmed their 2010 line-up. Vettel/Webber and Massa/Raikkonen. But as you all know the rumors of Alonso getting into a red car grows bigger each day haha

[StylinRed]

you guys read about Renault being investigated about the crash at singapore last year by Nelson Piquet

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/04/fia-digging-for-dirt-in-renault-f1-investigation/ supposedly they've dug up a lot more dirt than just the crash

[skyxx]

Looks like it's officially confirmed that Team Lotus will return to F1. Along with Sauber being sold to "Swiss-based Qadbak Investments Ltd." Anyway here's the article.

Two major announcements came hot on the heels of one another on Tuesday that seem set to shake up the always turbulent Formula 1 series even further in 2010. First, Team Lotus will indeed be back on the starting grid next year to contest the constructors championship with a duo of drivers. Backing the effort is Malaysian automaker Proton, which owns Lotus, and the team will be headquartered at a purpose-built facility at Malaysia's Sepang International circuit.

While it's not surprising that Lotus has rejoined F1 after weeks of rumormill gossip, many assumed the team would take the reigns of the Sauber team from BMW, but that's not the case. Lotus has received the 13th and final spot on the grid, taking the place of BMW. Interestingly, just hours after the announcement from Proton, F1 organizers announced that BMW had agreed to sell its F1 team to Swiss-based Qadbak Investments Ltd.

At this time, there is no guarantee that Sauber will be on the starting grid in 2010, but the FIA has granted the ex-BMW team the 14th place for 2010, meaning that it will have the first opportunity to fill any unforseen vacancies. Barring that, the FIA is pressing for a change to the rulebooks that would allow a 14th team to race in the championship.

Source: Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/16/lotus-back-in-f1-bmw-sauber-gets-new-ownership/)

[impactX]

and Flavio and Pat have left Renault.

[StylinRed]

Looks like it's officially confirmed that Team Lotus will return to F1. Along with Sauber being sold to "Swiss-based Qadbak Investments Ltd." Anyway here's the article.



Source: Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/16/lotus-back-in-f1-bmw-sauber-gets-new-ownership/)


Sweet, Lotus!

[StylinRed]

Renault 2 year suspended ban!

Two-year suspended ban for Renault over Singapore conspiracy

Renault have been disqualified from the FIA Formula One World Championship, with the ban suspended for two years, after the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) found them guilty on Monday of conspiring to cause a deliberate crash in last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Investigations by the Council and by Renault found that team boss Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, both of whom have now left the team, planned the crash with driver Nelson Piquet in order to benefit the race strategy of Fernando Alonso, who went on to win. Neither Alonso nor any other Renault personnel were aware of the conspiracy

In addition to banning Renault, the WMSC handed out hefty individual penalties to Briatore and Symonds. Neither will be allowed any involvement in FIA-sanctioned motorsport, Briatore indefinitely and Symonds for the next five years. Piquet, who was dropped by Renault in July, was granted immunity from sanction for volunteering his evidence in the investigation...


http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/9/9953.html

O.O

Piquet's such a rat ;)

[impactX]

AKA Renault got off the hook because Max has finished with the headhunting.

[Senna4ever]

Unbelievable. It's unthinkable that they would risk a driver's life like that - or a driver would willingly risk his life on team orders. Yes, modern F1 cars are very safe, but the risk of injury/death is still there. Wow....that's the pinnacle of stupidity...F1 is probably the laughing stock of the motorsports world now. I support Piquet's decision to come out, so it never happens again.

This is the first time a driver has crashed on team orders that I know of. Drivers have crashed in to other drivers before, like Ayrton Senna did to Alain Prost in 1989 at Suzuka and the Schumacher/Hill/Villenueve incidents, but this just takes the cake.

[impactX]

Unbelievable. It's unthinkable that they would risk a driver's life like that - or a driver would willingly risk his life on team orders. Yes, modern F1 cars are very safe, but the risk of injury/death is still there. Wow....that's the pinnacle of stupidity...F1 is probably the laughing stock of the motorsports world now. I support Piquet's decision to come out, so it never happens again.

This is the first time a driver has crashed on team orders that I know of. Drivers have crashed in to other drivers before, like Ayrton Senna did to Alain Prost in 1989 at Suzuka and the Schumacher/Hill/Villenueve incidents, but this just takes the cake.

He came out with the truth because Renault has fired him and not because he wants to tell the truth. He was able to drive the 2009 season because he was willing to crash at Singapore.

Anyway, mission accomplished for Max:

http://www.pitpass.com/images/headlines/outsidefiahq400.jpg

[HonestTea]

There goes Briatore..

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7937/1995370jb.jpg

[Z3guy]

good f**king riddance to Briatore.....

[impactX]

Congrats to Alonso for driving the red car next year.

I feel bad for Kimi, but oh wells, life goes on.

[JulyZerg]

KIMI TO MACCA!

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!

[impactX]

He said he may quit F1 and go somewhere else, he has yet to decide.

[Meowjin]

fuck alonso. This is bullshit how he can avoid not taking any suspension... this is his 3rd fucking time he's been involved with something

[SkinnyPupp]

This season is a total writeoff for me. As I said before, I was hoping for a good racing season without bullshit off-track political drama.

So much for that.

Looking forward to next year though, with Alonso in a Ferrari.

[tamazoid]

He said he may quit F1 and go somewhere else, he has yet to decide.

It's not like he need to race anymore. I think he's already being overpaid...

[keitaro]

Jenson Button World Champ!

Such an unfortunate race for Rubens. Started pole position finished 8. I was hoping that he would light it up on home turf.

[Senna4ever]

Wow, a long time coming for Jenson. Good on him. Looks like McLaren made a good a choice afterall.

[Meowjin]

how about hamilton. start 16th, and end up 3rd?

I havn't watched it yet.... im downloading right now so dont ruin it for me.

[keitaro]

F1 Cinderella Story: New Team Brawn GP wins Constructors World Championship and their driver wins World Championship

its been an exciting season to watch F1 this year. Can't wait till next year!

[Eff-1]

Agreed. It's a feel good story how Brawn and Jenson takes the championship.

But let's face it: I wouldn't call this season exciting at all. Last season was exciting and dramatic right down to the wire. This season, there was an abundance of snooze fest races. Maybe 5 out of 17 exciting/entertaining races at the most. Not to mention they pull Montreal off the calendar, one of the more exciting tracks. The new regulations did absolultely nothing to make overtaking easier. If anything, overtaking was made even more difficult, if that's even possible. And all of the off-track controversy and nonsense made F1 the laughing stock of professional sports management.

There was one big highlight though: Adrian Sutil and Force India finally becoming competitive. If only people would stop crashing into him...

[HonestTea]

JENSON BUTTON WORLD CHAMPION! FUCK YEAH! CALLED IT FROM DAY 1(Before Australia Qualifying) FUCK ALL YOU DOUBTERS!! :( /rant

Now I only wished I got off my lazy ass and deposited some money for the 500/1 odds bet for Brawn GP and Button. $20 on each would netted me a GOOD fucking payday :( FML.

Season is basically over for me, even though theirs still one race left...It's probably because the past seasons have ended in Brazil. I'm looking forward to next year though, Kimi and Lewis @ Macca while Alonso and Massa are in Ferrari. +2009 Champion Jenson Button in a Brawn alongside Nico Rosberg(My Prediction) and Kubica in the Renault. Makes for one exciting season :)

I agree 100% with Eff-1, this season was NOT exciting at all. First race in Australia was pretty good but after that race...the others went downhill..FAST...especially when you include the DDD issue and the fact that only a few cars had KERS equipped, which made overtaking harder, even though they though it would help with overtaking. The only races this year that weren't a total snooze-fest was probably Australia, Spa-Francochamps and Brazil. The other races I thought were pretty boring, Suzuka and Silverstone was okay but it wasn't anything spectacular. They REALLY need to test some new rules before changing/putting them in place..Their were only a handful of overtakes this year, most of the "overtakes" has been via pit-stops which is pretty boring IMO.

[impactX]

The new regulations did absolultely nothing to make overtaking easier. If anything, overtaking was made even more difficult, if that's even possible.

That's because they let Brawn continue to use the DDD... The regulation was supposed to increase mechanical grip and reduce aerodynamic grip.

But congrats to Jenson and Brawn... once again, Ross has outsmart everyone in F1.

[Meowjin]

when do tickets go on sale?

I'm goign to australian grand prix singaporean grand prix and possibly montreal grand prix.

[impactX]

Montreal will probably not be on the calendar.

[skyxx]

Hmm either it's good news or bad news. Depends on your perspective but Mercedes just bought a huge stake in Brawn GP so it'll be called "Mercedes GP" next year. I guess it's good since they're getting funding. :)
Full article here
Brawn Grand Prix officially announced this morning that Daimler AG and Aabar Investments PJSC has bought a 75-percent stake in the team that won the world championship in its first year of existence. The team run by ex-Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn was born just under a year ago out of the ashes of the former Honda F1 team after that automaker pulled out of the sport. With Brawn taking over the reigns, the team secured a supply of engines from Mercedes and went on to win numerous races in 2009 along with both the constructors and drivers world championship for driver Jenson Button.

Rumors of Mercedes expanding its involvement with the Brawn team have been ongoing throughout most of the season. The Stuttgart automaker has been gradually pulling away from the McLaren team following the scandals of recent years and end of the SLR road car program. The McLaren Group will buy back the 40-percent stake in itself that Daimler currently holds by the end of 2011. The deal leaves the door open for Mercedes to continue supplying engines to McLaren through 2015. However, there has been speculation about McLaren attempting to buy the former BMW F1 engine shop to build its own powerplants.

The Brawn team will now be known as Mercedes Grand Prix and Ross Brawn will continue as the team principal. Thanks to Peter and Oliver for the tips!

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/16/officially-official-mercedes-benz-buys-75-stake-in-brawn-gp-r/

[spydermanx]

Toyota is out of F1 as well

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80003

[Meowjin]

toyota = fail

biggest auto manufacture in the world and cry when tehy dont win a world championship.

[Eff-1]

I was impressed by Kobayashi at the end of the season. Hope he ends up with a decent (established) team next year.

[StylinRed]

aw toyota wth, i enjoyed them even though they sucked

was looking forward to see them in person next season, put aside enough for some paddock seating :D

[Meowjin]

^where? I bought paddock seats for australia so far. waiting for confirmation on montreal before i buy. Got lucky too that my buddy signed for montreal so i have a place to stay instead of renting a hotel :D

[JulyZerg]

^ how much were your Australia paddock seats?

[Meowjin]

400 canadian.

[Meowjin]

also only australia tickets are available. I'm contemplating booking a hotel for the weekend just incase i meet some rich sugar momma in the grandstands and take her back to my hotel instead of stayin gin a hostel :P

[StylinRed]

im thinking about going to either spain, monaco, turkey but im trying to correlate it with my friends wedding in Greece that way i can sort of kill 2 birds ;) he doesnt have a date yet just says "Summer"



how were ur paddock seats $400??? oO it says £2,097.54 each for a 4day pass

[Vancouver240sx]

I can't wait to see Lewis make Button look like a 2nd rate driver next year!!!

rich

[HonestTea]

StylinRed: I would go with Spain or Turkey since Monaco is usually overpriced..

The excitement has just started in the off-season. Rosberg, I would say is 99% confirmed at Brawn(Mercedes GP) and the smart move for Mercedes GP would be to retain Button, so they can keep the #1/#2 on the car but GuardianUK reported that Button has already signed a 3year deal with McLaren. So that leaves Kimi Raikkonen out in the cold and which in return shattered our dreams of a Hamilton vs. Kimi vs. Alonso. vs. Massa feud. I think if Button did sign with McLaren then Kimi's only liable option is with Mercedes GP alongside Rosberg cause I think Norbert Haug would be at Mercedes GP instead of McLaren and that guy loves Kimi. They would then have the resources and the engines to produce Kimi a competitive car.

Interesting stuff, we will see what happens this week as Button's official announcement should come very very soon..

I think many people believe that Hamilton would wipe the floor with Button and I thought the same thing but I do think Button will surprise us if hes paired alongside Hamilton. Button would be more easy on the tires while Hamilton wears out his tires a lot, remember the GP where Hamilton had to change his tires 3x? That's not exactly a huge factor but I think it'll be a good fight though.

[Meowjin]

im thinking about going to either spain, monaco, turkey but im trying to correlate it with my friends wedding in Greece that way i can sort of kill 2 birds ;) he doesnt have a date yet just says "Summer"



how were ur paddock seats $400??? oO it says £2,097.54 each for a 4day pass

there are like 4 different paddocks.

I'm goign to talk to our red bull rep to see if i can get a pit pass or something.

[StylinRed]

^^^^ ah, are u buying ur tickets off the F1 site? sounds like u have some work deal? that's cool, id love to be able to go to a lot of them


StylinRed: I would go with Spain or Turkey since Monaco is usually overpriced..


yeah i thought about the price issue with Monaco but that should be the best experience too i imagine with Cannes going on at the same time. all depends on my buddy tho

[StylinRed]

YouTube- Ferrari F10