2012 Formula One Discussion

[tderias]

Ferrari looking to adopt the rear end of the Sauber when they launch the B-spec car in Mugello. Something tells me a tension-filled meeting went down between the two teams, including phrases such as 'gearbox' and 'engine'.

[cformula1]

The whole Lotus situation gives me a headache.

Caterham should remain as is, and Lotus-Renault should become Renault. Simple as that. Lotus as a Formula 1 team name should be permanently retired out of respect to the original team and to Colin Chapman (and his family).

[donald29]

What are the chances of Lotus being called Ice 1 Racing this time next season?

[reppo]

What are the chances of Lotus being called Ice 1 Racing this time next season?

About the same chance as snow ball has in hell Kimi won't put his money into a F1 team unless he wants to go in front of a mirror and say: "You are fired", if he gets bored to F1

[reppo]

http://www.f1zone.net/news/sauber-there ... -f1/13420/
If there were a life time award in F1, I think Peter Sauber would deserve one. He has brought Räikkönen, Kubica and now Perez into F1. Though Kubica came during BMW era but anyway. Too bad Robert had the accident Massa was three years in Sauber before Ferrari. In 2000 Peter Sauber hired Räikkönen against Red Bull's wish, which was Enrique Bernoldi. Peter kept his mind and Red Bull sold it's Sauber shares to Credit Suisse

Peter Sauber has really managed to do remarkable job with small budgets

[donald29]

Not forgetting the money Sauber put forward to help Schumacher get that Jordan drive... Michael didn't find out about it until 2006!

I wanted Perez to win in Malaysia so we could see Peter Sauber standing on the podium.

Yeah, Helmut Marko backing Bernoldi and Peter Sauber backing Raikkonen. Who was right? By refusing to sign Bernoldi, Sauber inadvertently sowed the seeds for Red Bull Racing. Marko didn't like not having final say on the driver, so Red Bull started looking for their own team.

[Mar]

What are the chances of Lotus being called Ice 1 Racing this time next season?

I prefer Ice Two Racing

Now that I think about it , there was an interview with Jackie Steward last week in the German press, and he was talking about Räikkönen as if he was the real boss of the team: whatever he says that has to be done, that will be done; he wants this engineer, he will get the engineer; he says they need a normal weekend, then the team needs a normal weekend, etc

[reppo]

So, it was Peter Sauber after all who got Red Bull team into F1

[sleenster]

What are the chances of Lotus being called Ice 1 Racing this time next season?

I prefer Ice Two Racing

Now that I think about it , there was an interview with Jackie Steward last week in the German press, and he was talking about Räikkönen as if he was the real boss of the team: whatever he says that has to be done, that will be done; he wants this engineer, he will get the engineer; he says they need a normal weekend, then the team needs a normal weekend, etc

So what good is Boullier for then?

[phil1993]

So, Lotus is £200m in debt and Bahar has been placed on leave. Who saw that coming... Oh wait, everyone.

[reppo]

Williams' new test driver Susie Wolf is Valtteri Bottas' manager's wife. I wonder is Toto Wolff also Susie's manager. If he isn't their conversation goes like: "Darling, take the garbage out ", otherwise it goes: "Darling, get me a better F1 deal ".

[Mar]

Wolff is also shareholder of Williams.

I find this all annoying, looking at which are the women they are "bringing" to F1, they always manage to make the choice in such a way that it ends up looking as if they are there because of anything but never because of their quality as drivers (which is true in Maria de Villota's case, for example, I'm still trying to find somebody who explains me, looking at her driving skills, why she deserves a test role in F1). Now if somebody asks "why is Sussie Stoddart test driver of Williams?" the automatic answer will be "because she's the wife of the owner".
I think all this ends up hurting, instead of helping, the chances of the girls that could make it to F1 in the future.

[donald29]

Yeah, no matter what anyone at Williams says this looks like she's got the role because of her husband.

I hope Susie can do ok with what chances she gets. She's a better bet than de Villota. What can be said in her favour is DTM is of a much higher than Super League Formula (where de Villota got c**p results) and F1 drivers have made the switch to DTM and struggled. Not having brilliant results in DTM does not necessarily mean you can't do ok in F1.

When she was starting out she did ok in Formula Renault UK, but when she switched to Formula 3 she got injured and missed a lot of the season. Then she switched to DTM. Perhaps back in single seaters (albeit a much higher level then before) she'll do better.

[reppo]

Oh. I didn't somehow connect Toto Wolf to Williams owner Wolf. Must have slipped through my mind without leaving any traces That anyway makes his life even more miserable:
"Get me a better F1 team" "Don't you dare. She belongs to us".

Getting into F1 is hard for any driver, but for women it is extra hard. I don't know why, but in minor classes boys and girls compete with equal results and then girls just disappear. Exactly that happened to a friend of mine. Both his son and daughter raced in karting with good success, but only his son continued to upper classes. Though he also retired before getting into European tracks.

[reppo]

So, Google thinks Mr. Sauber is Mr. Clean and F-duct is Q-bay. However an interesting interview of Mr. Clean, if I can understand it at all:
Interview: Peter Saubers Hoffnungsschimmer (in German)
Interview: Peter Sauber's ray of hope (Google translation)
Apparently Sauber made a great deal of money with Kim's contract. Peter doesn't say how much, but it must have been very much.

An other thing about Peter Sauber besides getting money for MS to have a race in Jordan as donald said. JJ Lehto went to Benetton from Sauber. Before Sauber JJ was in Onyx and in Scuderia Italia, but after Sauber he got a chance of a lifetime. Too bad he injured his neck in testing before the season started. When JJ finally got behind the wheel of Benetton in the race, it was in San Marino GP, where Senna and JJ's good friend Roland Razenberger died. His neck injury practically ended his F1 career, since he never fully recovered. Two of his last races and two last races of 1994 season he raced in Sauber.

Looks like if you are a talented young driver get into Sauber. You have a good chance of getting into bigger teams from there. Peter could also teach something to Lotus - for example how to balance your budget