Description:
Contents:
Ferrari find engine performance gain under reliability guise
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:58 am
Yes mate i agree.
F1 under the control of Jean Todt would just turn into the Ferrari show.
I want people who are not tied to a particular team to run F1.
As i have said in the past, a representative from all the racing series under the FIA banner should be running F1 and not just a single man.
Sato to race for Renault?
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:55 am
Having lost his F1 race seat after the collapse of Super Aguri, the rumour mill over Takuma Satos future in the sport is in full swing.
With Rubens Barrichellos contract with Honda set to expire at Honda in 2009, there are strong rumours that the team may be looking to replace the Formula One veteran with Takuma Sato.
French magazine AutoHebdo also has the young Japanese driver linked with Renault Nelson Piquet has failed to live up to expectations thus far and AutoHebdo believe that Renault are considering replacing Piquet with Sato. The magazine believes that Renault are considering a shootout early in the summer to decide on who should get their second race-seat with test driver Romain Grosjean also in the running for the position.
Lancia to buy into Scuderia Toro Rosso?
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 6:48 am
The Fiat-owned Lancia brand is considering buying into Scuderia Toro Rosso, as part of its plan to revive the marque by expanding sales of Lancia models in Europe and beyond. The company's sporting heritage is impressive, dating back to 1906 when former Fiat Grand Prix driver Vincenzo Lancia set up the business, convinced that he could bring new ideas to the growing automobile business. He insisted that the company stay out of competition and concentrate on building luxurious and sporting road cars. He died in 1937 and his son Gianni took over the company and in the 1950s he hired Alfa Romeo racing designer Vittorio Jano and recruited Ferrari drivers Alberto Ascari and Gigi Villoresi and entered F1 with the D50, powered by a 2.5-liter V8 engine. The team began winning non-championship races in 1955 but the death of Ascari in a Ferrari sports car and serious financial problems resulted in Gianni Lancia selling the D50s to Enzo Ferrari. In 1956 the D50s won five of the seven World Championship events and continued to do well in 1957.
The Lancia company remained independent and in the 1960s Cesare Fiorio's HF Squadra Corse began to achieve good results in rallying with Lancia products. The team won the European Rally Championship in 1969, the same year as Lancia became part of the Fiat empire. HF Squadra Corse moved to the Lancia factory and became the motorsport department. In the 1970s Lancia won a string of WRC titles with the Stratos and also enjoyed some success in sports car racing, winning the World Championship in 1981. There was talk in 1980 of building a turbo engine for the new Toleman F1 team but in the end rallying remained the focus with the Lancia Delta. Six consecutive Manufacturers' titles and three Drivers' titles followed until 1992 when the factory pulled out of the WRC, leaving a few privateers to battle on for a period. Poor sales pushed it back into the Italian market and it came close to be closed down in 2004.
The firm is now being run by Frenchman Olivier Francois, who has been in the job for the last couple of years, and is committed to tripling Lancia sales to 300,000 cars in 2010. His aim is to add new models, get better dealerships and expand into new markets. At the moment the company is 80% dependent on the Italian market.
Among the strategies that Francois has introduced is to use Carla Bruni, the Italian singer-supermodel and new wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the advertising campaigns. It is worth noting that before joining Lancia, Francois worked at Peugeot Citroen in France and there may be links with recent rumours suggesting that Nicolas Todt, son of Jean Todt (formerly at Peugeot Citroen before joining Ferrari), might buy into the Italian-based team, to create a secondary Fiat-owned operation. This makes sense as the team would be allowed to use Ferrari engine and drivetrain technology but would need to build its own chassis. That would be a similar story to the Lancia Stratos, which was powered by a Ferrari engine.
Team bosses give Danica green light to join F1
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 3:36 pm
Formula 1's team principals have said they would support the arrival of Danica Patrick in grand prix circles should IndyCar's newest race winner elect to follow her teenage dreams and switch across to the top flight in the years to come.
After triumphing in the Indy Japan 300 at Motegi last month, the 26 year old from Wisconsin admitted that she had long hankered after competing in F1 right back to the days when she raced in England, during which time she finished runner up to a certain Anthony Davidson in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival in 2000.
Though she has insisted she still has too much unfinished business in the IndyCar Series to make the move across the Pond just yet clinching the crown being the principal objective Patrick is clearly keen to be the first woman to participate in the uppermost echelon since Giovanna Amati attempted to qualify for Brabham back in 1992, before being replaced by then rookie Damon Hill. Amati's countrywoman Lella Lombardi became the only female racer ever to make the scoreboard in F1, notching up half a point for finishing sixth for March in the tragically shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuich Park.
We can all see the commercial attraction, how exciting it would be to have a female driver in Formula 1, commented Honda team principal Ross Brawn, with the Brackley-based outfit's CEO Nick Fry having already professed himself open to the possibility of granting Patrick who races using Honda power with Andretti Green Racing an F1 test.
I think the key thing is whether they can be competitive, because it would be a shame if, purely because they were female, they got put in the car and couldn't compete properly. If they can do that then absolutely, it would be great.
Patrick initially made her name in the States by becoming first woman ever to lead the legendary Indianapolis 500 in 2005, and her subsequent Motegi success three weeks ago made her the first member of the fairer sex to win a major open wheel race. Toyota motorsport president John Howett echoed Brawn's feelings that female drivers would be a positive addition to the F1 grid provided they are genuinely competitive and not merely a token gesture.
Jenson Button had previously joked in an interview with men's lifestyle magazine FHM that: A girl with big boobs would never be comfortable in the car, and the mechanics wouldn't concentrate. Can you imagine strapping her in? You wouldn't want to be on the circuit with them, would you? The British star later apologised for his remarks.
Why not? Howett countered. It would probably be very good. We just need to see a driver with the capability and who could deliver performance, because we are basically all focused on winning and track performance.
I don't think there's any discrimination in terms of anything within our organisation or team, so if we could find a suitable driver, we would be delighted. We have young driver programmes, but unfortunately most of the guys coming into karting at the moment and delivering performance are male.
I think it would probably be good to have a female driver, but you would need someone who could be competitive. With Danica it shows it's possible for an extremely talented lady to be competitive in what is historically seen as a male environment. It probably opens people's eyes to the possibility of that happening.
Lewis Hamilton bucked the trend last year by becoming the first black driver ever to graduate to the top flight undeniably boosting the sport's interest and popularity as it looks to make its presence felt in new markets worldwide, particularly in Asia and the addition of a female driver would only serve to broaden that appeal further. Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes squad handed fellow IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher a chance to test at Indy in 2002, and Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice President Norbert Haug said there would be no gender barrier should a sufficiently talented female star wish to join the grid.
I think the key is to be competitive, the German stressed. In various sports it's not possible, but it should be basically possible in motorsport as the Indy Racing League has proven or as, for example, the DTM shows.
We had a winner in touring cars years ago many years ago, 16 years ago, I think with Ellen Lohr beating her team mate Keke Rosberg. That was not very pleasing for my friend Keke, but anyway, it is possible and hopefully Formula 1 will experience that in the future.
Massa wins third straight Turkish GP
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:55 pm
Fantastic race today.
Brilliant drives from the top 3 and the pass on Massa by Lewis was fantastic.
Why can't all races be like this.
Senna retires after hitting dog during GP2 race
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:03 am
Bruno Senna, nephew of the late triple Formula One world champion Ayrton, retired from a GP2 support race at the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday after hitting a stray dog that ran onto the track.
The safety car was deployed after two dogs appeared on the circuit during the race, some three hours before the grand prix was due to start.
Senna, 24 years old and joint championship leader before the weekend, hit one of them. The impact broke the car's front right suspension.
The other dog escaped through an exit gate.
The Brazilian, who had worked his way up to sixth place from 15th on the starting grid before the impact, made his anger evident when he returned to the pits.
Animals have proved a hazard to motor racing drivers over the years.
Anthony Davidson hit a groundhog during last year's Canadian Formula One Grand Prix while running in third place behind the safety car for Super Aguri and on course for his first points. His team folded last week.
Martin Townsend hits the nail firmly on the head.
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:43 pm
If someone in another country is in poverty then it isn't my problem.
I am only concerned with helping people in our green and pleasant land.
Spare a Thought (This is from another forum)
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:41 pm
The benefits i am refering too are those on Incapacity benefit who have nothing wrong with them and those on income support who have no intention to work.
I don't believe that just because you may earn a few more quid than the bloke next door you should be taxed more then again i am not a socialist.
Is it time for Brown to go
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:38 pm
Well they should get what they were promised.
Super Aguri withdraw from F1 effective immediately
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:37 pm
It is sad to see these guys go.
What i believe Honda should have done is used Aguri to promote its Acura brand (it is doing well in ALMS).
Super Aguri wait while cars go back to Honda
Author: Iceman
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:45 pm
What i do think should happen is that the teams with not much money should be allowed to run lighter cars or the teams with a huge budget has to increase their weight.
That would make all the teams more competitive.
The man most likely to replace Mosley revealed
Author: Schuey#1
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:35 pm
So someone who doesn't understand motorsport?? a buisness man?? isn't F1 a big enough buisness already...... i mean surely then bernie could do it??
I'd like to see someone who could bring the passion and the sport side back.. although i fear it may be too late 
Kimi beats Alonso to pole
Author: Iceman
Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 5:01 pm
I thought that before the race it was going to be very boring but actually it was a pretty good race,lots of action and a deserved win by Kimi.
Home
|
