2009 Season Discussions: Line-ups, News and Miscellaneous

[Jaguar]

^So what you're saying is you want GP1. No thank you.

no ... i only agreed on the part i highlighted ... for Red Bull an engine like BMW or Mercedes will bring them to the top performance and challenge Brawn , the renault engine isn't the best and according to "Horner" himself he said he want a Mercedes engine in the Bull Car cause Mercedes Engine is the best engine on Performance and Reliablility , early last season RBR were talking about a "German" Manufacturer to supply them with engines like Audi or VW ...

[AzShadow]

Ferrari blames rules for poor form

The early season uncertainty about the double-decker diffuser regulations in Formula 1 has been blamed once again for Ferrari's troubled start to the season.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo remains convinced that the "very grey" regulations relating to diffuser designs was the root cause of why former champions like his team, McLaren and Renault have all struggled this year.

"We now, after in the last 10 years winning eight titles in 10, now [Stefano] Domenicali and his group - together with some other teams - are at the moment not in the condition to win the championship," he said during a visit to Le Mans.

"But sometimes it is important to be hungry, because if you eat too much then you don't know what it means to be hungry. So sometimes in life it is good to be hungry and then when you eat again, you understand how the food is important. So after 10 years it's important sometimes and we will see.

"This happened because unfortunately we have been in front of very grey rules in which the interpretation of the rules was, how can I say, unpredictable.

"It's quite amazing that the teams that have won the last three world championship titles in Formula 1 - Ferrari, McLaren and Renault - has done the same interpretation of the rules.

"So it is one of two [reasons]: all of us became completely drunk, or the rules became not clear. I have the answer that this is not the case because we are not drunk, yet."

[swca92]

I think the grapes De Montezemelo are eating are very sour...

[isherbin]

as much as i like heikki kovalainen i can't see Mclaren hanging onto him for much longer. They need someone like Heidfeld who has a lot of unexplored potential or Kubica who doesn't have a team that lives up to his potential

[phil1993]

I tell you, its the brakes: get those amazing brakes off the F1 cars and fit 1990-spec brakes where you cannot brake later than 120m rather than 80m and we will get more overtaking

Michael: Overtaking needs more work

Spoiler:

Williams technical director Sam Michael believes Formula 1 teams will have to do more to try and help cars overtake, judging by the lack of overtaking at last weekend's British Grand Prix.

Although a technical revamp of the aerodynamic rules was introduced this year to help make the racing more exciting, the new wings regulations and the introduction of KERS has not had such a dramatic effect.

Michael says the lessons of Silverstone - where several drivers got trapped behind slower cars, may need to be taken on board.

"Nico [Rosberg] at stages was a good 0.5s quicker than the cars in front of him, but he couldn't get past," explained Michael. "And those were cars without KERS obviously, so there is still work to do.

"It's maybe working a little bit, but we have just got to keep trying to improve it because it is not an easy problem."

Michael does not support the theory put forward by Felipe Massa that the use of double-diffusers in Formula 1 has had a role in what has happened with overtaking.

"I don't think that has got anything to do with it," he explained. "Because a slot diffuser is just a downforce-adding device so it's not really relevant. Cars are always going to have downforce because they are moving so fast through the air. Unless you run the races in a vacuum!"

Michael insists that F1 always has to play a fine balancing act, however, between making the racing better but not detracting from the sport being the most technologically advanced in the world.

"It is an issue that we have to keep trying to improve, but the fans are also here to see the fastest cars, the technology and the drivers that go with that," explained Michael. "They are not here just to see overtaking.

"All the fan studies that have been done by FIA and also FOTA show that. They want to know that they are watching the quickest cars in the world. Because if they just wanted to see overtaking, they could go down to Shennington kart track.

"You'd see a lot more overtaking down there than you ever would at a grand prix, or any autorace if you like. But there is a reason why you don't get 100,000 people watching go-kart racing, and that is because there is no technology. There is overtaking, but everything else that F1 has they don't have.

"It's a little bit why people go to Farnborough Air Show. They go there to see Migs, Tornados and things like that, because they know those are the absolute best things in the world - if they weren't after technology they would go and watch a paper airplane competition."

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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76487

[Ali]

I was gonna paste the same "s***".

SM: It is an issue that we have to keep trying to improve, but even though you quote the fans who are paying 80 or 90 quid a race. They are also here to see the fastest cars, the technology and the drivers that go with that. They are not here just to see overtaking. All the fan studies that have been done by FIA and also FOTA show that. They want to know that they are watching the quickest cars in the world. Because if they just wanted to see overtaking, they could go down to Shennington kart track.

You'd see a lot more overtaking down there than you ever would at a grand prix, or any auto race if you like. But there is a reason why you don't get a 100,000 people watching go-kart racing, and that is because there is no technology. There is overtaking, but everything else that F1 has they don't have. It's a little but why people go to Farnborough Air Show.

Absolute rubbish. No one wants to see ultra technological car that are not able to pass. Who gives a s*** if technologically supreme car cannot pass. Absolute bulls**! He really pissed me off!

[phil1993]

I was gonna paste the same "s***".

SM: It is an issue that we have to keep trying to improve, but even though you quote the fans who are paying 80 or 90 quid a race. They are also here to see the fastest cars, the technology and the drivers that go with that. They are not here just to see overtaking. All the fan studies that have been done by FIA and also FOTA show that. They want to know that they are watching the quickest cars in the world. Because if they just wanted to see overtaking, they could go down to Shennington kart track.

You'd see a lot more overtaking down there than you ever would at a grand prix, or any auto race if you like. But there is a reason why you don't get a 100,000 people watching go-kart racing, and that is because there is no technology. There is overtaking, but everything else that F1 has they don't have. It's a little but why people go to Farnborough Air Show.

Absolute rubbish. No one wants to see ultra technological car that are not able to pass. Who gives a s*** if technologically supreme car cannot pass. Absolute bulls**! He really pissed me off!

do not use offensive language

but yeah, also, £80-£90. Try more like £150-250!!!

[Ali]

do not use offensive language

but yeah, also, £80-£90. Try more like £150-250!!!

Sorry for that, really, but I am really pissed off. How bizarre thing to say. Everyone wants to see cars overtaking each other. This ultra intelligent guy seems not to understand such a fundamental thing. He probably prefers their car lapping 2 sec quicker than the rest and he will show up and call it a technological win. Thank you, I won't buy that.

[phil1993]

do not use offensive language

but yeah, also, £80-£90. Try more like £150-250!!!

Sorry for that, really, but I am really pissed off. How bizarre thing to say. Everyone wants to see cars overtaking each other. This ultra intelligent guy seems not to understand such a fundamental thing. He probably prefers their car lapping 2 sec quicker than the rest and he will show up and call it a technological win. Thank you, I won't buy that.

Yeah, the fans want:

The most spectacular, best looking cars (the 08 cars I think, despite the winglets they were )
The best drivers: Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, Kubica
The best circuits: Spa, Silverstone, Monza, Montreal

fighting tooth and nail for every hundreth of a second and for every point

and then to watch a race and there be the results, not have someone penalised 25s or 3 grid places a few hours later

And also not to know car weights as that ruins the surprise of 'How long is he etc etc'

[Jaguar]

... the F1 Politics is Affecting on us all ...

i don't wana see current teams leaving F1 but still i don't wana see more uglier cars and idiotic rules ... i wana see action , speed , overtaking , crash , more crashes even more and more chaotic crashes ! uh enough

I 100% agree with Ali the part he was using "Offensive Language" and with u Phil plus i'll add to ur drivers list all other drivers but remove from them Fisico and Piquet Jr ... i think we will have the best Formula ...

[phil1993]

Hockenheim doubtful for 2010

Spoiler:

Hockenheim's chances of holding the German Grand Prix next season have been dealt a major blow, with the local government refusing to continue to underwrite the loss-making race.

Hockenheim City Council - a 94 per cent shareholder in the track - has voted unanimously to drop the race, according to the Deutsche Presse Agentur, although it is understood that should Bernie Ecclestone be willing to negotiate a cheaper deal, the race could continue in 2010 - the final year of its current F1 contract.

Last year's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim ran at a loss of approaching six million Euros, with the 2010 race forecast to run at a similar deficit.

Ecclestone has written to organisers indicating that he is open to talks over the future of the race. A German event is crucial to a championship that includes Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as well as five German drivers including Sebastian Vettel, whose profile has risen massively in recent months.

The Nurburgring, which alternates the staging of Germany's grand prix with Hockenheim, is already concerned about the financial implications of having to run a race every year, meaning that it is not necessarily able to take over the event on a full-time basis.

Gunther Oettinger, the prime minister of Baden-Wurttemberg - the region in which Hockenheim is located, is planning to meet with Ecclestone in the next month, and is also pushing for funding from the national government. This gives hope that, despite the City Council's decision, Hockenheim could still have an F1 future.

[JoostLamers]

Vettel get his Nürburgring grandstand

Spoiler:

The Nürburgring, host of the German Grand Prix on 12 July, has dedicated a section of the venue to its current leading driver by naming a grandstand after Red Bull Racing charger Sebastian Vettel. Fans making use of the viewpoint will also be able to benefit from a promotion when buying tickets for the stand for this year's race.

As the Nürburgring continues preparations for its first F1 race since 2007 and the return of the German Grand Prix title for the first time since 1985, Vettel will continue his championship assault on Brawn drivers Rubens Barrichello and current championship leader Jenson Button. As a tribute to the country's highest-placed driver since Michael Schumacher, the venue has now named the T6 grandstand after the 21-year-old who will be contesting his first F1 race at the track this year.

Located on the run between the Ford and Dunlop Curves, the Vettel grandstand also has a clear viewpoint of the Michael Schumacher S-bend, in which Lewis Hamilton's McLaren sustained a hard impact during a qualifying crash two years ago.

As part of a promotional package for 2009, any fans buying weekend tickets for the stand, at a price of €99, will also be able to enjoy a signed Sebastian Vettel card, an official team cap of the driver and a box of Red Bull energy drink.

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http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/06/25/nurburgring-names-grandstand-after-vettel/

That's the grandstand next to mine

[zycker]

well, not sure about that...

[fclen]

Chief designer leaves Brawn GP

Spoiler:

25 June 2009


Brawn GP has confirmed that chief designer Jörg Zander left the team last Friday with immediate effect. Having been with the ex-Honda team since the summer of 2007, Zander has played a major part in the development of this year's championship-leading BGP 001 car of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.



A graduate of Cologne university, German Zander first worked in Formula One as Toyota prepared to make the move to the sport in 2002, before moving to B.A.R (British American Racing) the following year. A move to Williams in September 2005 saw him work in the team's aerodynamics department before joining BMW as Chief Designer for the manufacturer's first season in 2006.




Thursday's statement from the team came from its Northamptonshire base

In July of the following year, he was suspended from BMW when it was announced that he had joined Honda, which he subsequently did. Zander stayed with the team through its transitional phase to Brawn GP for this season, but departed the Brackley-based outfit six days ago. A Brawn GP team spokesperson told GPUpdate.net:

'Jörg Zander recently decided to leave the team with effect from Friday last week. Jörg contributed significantly to our success so far this season for which we thank him and wish him all the best for the future.'

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/06/ ... -brawn-gp/

Any ideas on why this has happened?

[Zack]

Chief designer leaves Brawn GP

Spoiler:

25 June 2009


Brawn GP has confirmed that chief designer Jörg Zander left the team last Friday with immediate effect. Having been with the ex-Honda team since the summer of 2007, Zander has played a major part in the development of this year's championship-leading BGP 001 car of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.



A graduate of Cologne university, German Zander first worked in Formula One as Toyota prepared to make the move to the sport in 2002, before moving to B.A.R (British American Racing) the following year. A move to Williams in September 2005 saw him work in the team's aerodynamics department before joining BMW as Chief Designer for the manufacturer's first season in 2006.




Thursday's statement from the team came from its Northamptonshire base

In July of the following year, he was suspended from BMW when it was announced that he had joined Honda, which he subsequently did. Zander stayed with the team through its transitional phase to Brawn GP for this season, but departed the Brackley-based outfit six days ago. A Brawn GP team spokesperson told GPUpdate.net:

'Jörg Zander recently decided to leave the team with effect from Friday last week. Jörg contributed significantly to our success so far this season for which we thank him and wish him all the best for the future.'

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/06/ ... -brawn-gp/

Any ideas on why this has happened?

Probably heading towards STR.