2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Mosley sets deadline for manufacturers

FIA president Max Mosley has thrown down the gauntlet to the manufacturers planning a breakaway championship - warning them they must commit to Formula One by next April or risk losing their place in the sport for 2008.

Although BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Renault and Toyota have signed a document binding the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) together in not leaving the rebel plans until next September, Mosley seized the initiative on Monday and told them they will instead have to decide their future plans in the next few months.

That is because he intends for the entries to the 2008 World Championship to close sometime in April, effectively meaning that those who do not commit then could lose out to new teams planning to make the jump to F1.

Mosley said that he hoped the next meeting of the FIA World Council on March 22 would agree to open entries to the 2008 championship on March 23 and then close them just 'a few weeks later'.

With a maximum limit of 12 entries for the 2008 championship, and a high likelihood of an over-subscription because the hurdle of the $48 million deposit will be dropped, any manufacturer stalling will risk getting overlooked if they do not sign-up.

Although there will be provisions for teams to enter after the April deadline, Mosley made it clear that that would only be possible if there was a vacancy.

"I would hope that everyone would enter, but there is no guarantee that they will," he said.

Mosley has also further increased the pressure on the manufacturers by revealing controversial plans to reduce costs by introducing same-spec engines from 2008 to 2010.

Under the scheme, manufacturers would have to lodge their engine design with the FIA by next June and then that specification of power-unit would be frozen for 2008, 2009 and 2010 - meaning no development at all for three years.

Reliability problems, however, could be addressed as long as the work did not result in a performance advantage.

"It would save up to one billion Euros per year on engine development," explained Mosley.

"I have a real determination to see this through. If F1 is to prosper we have got to get the costs down in order to help the independents survive.

"The GPMA and the manufacturers have been complaining about not getting enough money back from the sport, but they are spending between them one billion Euros per year. It would be better to cut that than try and get more back from Bernie Ecclestone."

No engine changes? Bad...bad bad bad idea...

 

[Flibster]

Gascoyne explains the logic behind Bahrain absence

Toyota’s Mike Gascoyne has replied to Honda’s Jenson Button on the subject of this weeks Bahrain test. Jenson’s question, why aren’t more teams testing out in the Gulf region this week? Mike’s answer, because of financial and logistical reasons.

Toyota are known for their huge budget and their desire to win, but even a team steeped in cash and full of passion has failed to turn up in Bahrain for this weeks test. The reason? Basically Toyota sees it as a waste of time, effort and money.

"Naturally those teams will get some useful information by testing there," Mike Gascoyne said. "But the reality is that it is still just one test, and logistically it means compromising your tests before and after."

Honda, Ferrari and Toro Rosso are the only teams present for the Bahrain test.

 

[Flibster]

Toyota looking for an ‘A’ in their Pit Stop Homework

Toyota are looking for full marks in their pit stop homework. Even though tyre changing wasn’t apart of the package in 2005, the team continued to test their pit crews throughout the year. One year on, tyre changing is back, thus meaning the teams hard efforts during should rub off in the pit lane.

Even though the team wasn’t allowed to change tyres during the 2005 season, their pit crews had to be ready in case of a puncture or a change of conditions. This meant that a job as a tyre mechanic wasn’t as simple as staying in bed and changing a tyre every couple of months.

"With this year's reintroduction of tyre changes during the race, we find ourselves in a strong position because our in-house processes have never stopped." Explained Mike Gascoyne. "Tyre changes will add to the spectacle of F1 races once again and it will also make race strategy preparation and execution more interesting," he added. "We will certainly see who has done their homework - I know we have done ours to the best of our ability and I am sure we are capable of getting top marks."

 

[Flibster]

*runs around trying to find ashtray_head's brain medicine...*

My hatred is in this order...

James *Male chicken* Allen
Max *Retard* Mosley
Bernie *Stumpy* Ecclestone
The Toad...

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

the Toad?............. Is he french?

Possibly..

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Apologies for the lack of updates..

Stuck on a 64k line at work as the ADSL router decided to cook itself at 1am today and we're trying to get the replacement working...

Normal service will be resumed later...hopefully

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Pffftttt..... can't get the staff!!!!

Oh shush you...

router works on it's own
firewall works on it's own
put together - all fall down...

 

[Flibster]

Woo Kemble Why would they pick that instead of the regular F1 test tracks?

Probably becuase it's out of the way and iIn the UK *in case of Sato...sorry...accidents*

They know they're going to be dog slow - so why advertise it with other teams present?

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Alonso has driven a Mercedes

Although he won't switch from Renault until next year, world champion Fernando Alonso has already tested a silver Mercedes.

However, the car in question was a Mercedes-Benz road car, as he made his way to a recent test session for Renault, according to Germany's Sport1 website.

Alonso confessed that the choice of hire car could have been wiser.

'But it wasn't my fault,' the Spaniard reportedly said in a radio interview, 'it was just what the rental company gave me.'

It has also emerged that a Mercedes-Benz once driven by eventual seven time world champion Michael Schumacher will be auctioned later this month.

The starting bid will be $830,000, for the Sauber-Mercedes C11 that the German steered to fifth at Le Mans in 1991.

 

[Flibster]

Red Bull livery to stay blank

Red Bull's F1 car will not turn into a moving billboard any time soon.

That is the advice of the energy drink-owned team's principal Christian Horner, who told f1.com that a similar sponsor-less livery will be kept in 2006.

Only tyre supplier Michelin and Red Bull associate Rauch - a fruit juice brand on the wing mirror - were, apart from the drink's own logo, shown on the 'RB1'.

But Horner said: ''If a suitable sponsor who fitted our brand and philosophy was to show an interest then we'd certainly be open to discussions.''

Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has previously outlined that any team sponsors would also have to aim at the same 'target group' as Red Bull -- like 'Nokia, Swatch and PlayStation'.

 

[Flibster]

Bernie: 'Kimi to Ferrari unlikely'

According to F1 commercial rights boss, Bernie Ecclestone, Kimi Raikkonen’s team choice for the 2007 season rests largely on the decision of Ferrari’s number one, Michael Schumacher.

Fernando Alonso will leave Renault at the end of the year and join rivals McLaren for the 2007 season, with one of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya having to make way. Ecclestone believes the only way Raikkonen would leave McLaren for Ferrari is as Michael Schumacher’s replacement and he is not sure that the seven-time Champion is ready to leave just yet.

"It all depends on what Schumacher will do. If he quits F1, what I don't think he will, Raikkonen will join Ferrari. But if Schumacher stays Raikkonen should stay at McLaren and become a super-couple with Alonso.”

“Or perhaps Kimi can join Renault to fight for the title there."

Ecclestone also took a stab at predicting the outcome of the 2006 season, saying he believes Michael Schumacher could end up on top again.

"Ferrari will have a great year I think. Testing is going well for them. I wouldn't be surprised if Schumacher would clinch the title again. He might be getting old but he is still very fast. McLaren and Renault are also doing very well."

Is this the same person who a few weeks ago said that Kimi will go to Ferrari???

Errrr....nice one Bernie..

 

[Flibster]

Has Schumi Missed His Opportunity to Retire with Dignity?

Countryman and former rival Heinz-Harald Frentzen thinks Michael Schumacher is capable of claiming the 2006 title.

The 38-year-old German, who could be forced into retirement after failing to land a new DTM seat, told 'Auto Bild' that Schumacher could bounce back despite a nightmarish 2005 season with Ferrari.

Asked if Michael, 37, has now missed his best opportunity to retire with dignity, Frentzen told the German magazine: ''Yes and no.

''He did have some ideal opportunities (to retire), but his ability and immense experience is still up to the task of winning with the right car I think.''

Frentzen, however - the veteran of 160 grands prix and a three-time winner - agrees that a new wave of talent is now firmly settled on the grid.

And he said about 2005 world champion Alonso, 24: ''He withstood extreme pressure last year and got the title. (Kimi) Raikkonen and (Jenson) Button are also considered to be superstars.''

 

[Flibster]

Promotion and relegation to be introduced in F1

Promotion and relegation are likely to be introduced to Formula One motor racing in two years time, the sport's senior ruling figure Max Mosley said here on Tuesday.

Mosley, President of the sport's world ruling body, the FIA, said he was working on a plan to bring the new structure into existence by 2008. Briton Mosley, president of the FIA since 1991, said he first wanted to bring financial stability and reduced costs into the sport - and then add some new interest and a better structure.

"It is one of the new things we are looking at and it would be nice because it is necessary," said Mosley. "Promotion, and relegation, would add a huge amount of new interest for everyone."

Mosley said he foresaw Formula One relegating its bottom team, or two, to a 'second division' competition created out of the current GP2 series, which would, in turn, supply replacement promoted teams.

"It is natural and it would be very stimulating for everyone," said Mosley. "But first we do have to get the costs fully under control so that promoted teams, quite possibly smaller, independent teams, could afford to make the step up into Formula One."

Mosley is involved in long-term planning for the creation of a relatively low-cost version of Formula One due to begin in 2008. He has said he hopes to cut budgets from the level of 250 million pounds (364 million euros) to about 65 million - a figure that he believes an ambitious and successful promoted junior team could find.

"They will already have some success, an efficient management and sponsors and they will gain more money, from the commercial side of Formula One, when they go up - thanks to Bernie Ecclestone's increase in payments - and should also find extra sponsors."

Mosley's vision is of a strong top Formula One league in which the big-spenders are kept under control and where the threat of relegation could keep otherwise dormant seasons very much alive to the final race.

"It would have so much effect on everybody," he said. "The fans would love it, but it would also effect drivers, teams and sponsors so much. I would like to see it in 2008 and, if not, certainly in 2011."

Mosley also reiterated that the 'breakaway' teams that have threatened to join a rebel championship in 2008 run by the manufacturers' organisation, the GPMA (Grand Prix Manufacturers Association) will have only until June to commit to the official series before he considers the interests of other private independent teams.

Six teams have already agreed to race in FIA's official championship from 2008, leaving vacancies for only six more. Renault, BMW, McLaren-Mercedes, Honda and Toyota have refused to sign. If they have not done so by June, they could find that there are fewer than five vacancies remaining in Formula One if men like David Richards, formerly a team principal at BAR-Honda, BAR founder Craig Pollock or American race team owner Roger Penske sign first.

Mosley said also that he believed Formula One would currently be "in crisis" if he had not started his campaign for cutting costs two years ago. "I am sure that is what would have happened," he said. "It would have been inevitable."

No...nonononono...

No..

NO!

 

[Flibster]

Frank Williams still talking with Mario Theissen

Despite their business split, Sir Frank Williams says he still talks regularly with BMW's Dr Mario Theissen.

The Grove based co-owner and chief, who will turn sixty four in April, clearly does not bear the same sort of caustic relationship with Germany's Theissen as does partner Patrick Head.

After a six year engine pairing, BMW and Williams parted company at the end of last year, with both citing differences in 'culture' as a major hitch.

“Some people advise me to the contrary,” Williams told Auto Bild, “but I still talk regularly on the telephone to Mario.”

Williams, to operate Grove as a true independent team in 2006, rejects the notion that he prefers to stay away from car makers.

“It is wrong to say that our culture does not fit in with a manufacturer,” he insisted. “But probably Renault, and now the Cosworth people, are easier for us to work with than BMW were.”

It has also been pointed out that, with Alex Wurz on the books as a 2006 test driver, perhaps the Austrian would be a better choice to partner Mark Webber as race team-mate.

Williams denies that team rookie Nico Rosberg was signed because his title winning father's name might attract backers. “Absolutely, no,” Williams said. “What impressed and convinced me of his potential was his aggression during (GP2) races last year. Watching him overtake was like watching a dancer.”

 

[Flibster]

Honda on the hunt for new title sponsor

Brackley based F1 team Honda has not yet found a replacement for title sponsor Lucky Strike, whose parent company BAT will pull out of the sport at the end of 2006.

While Honda had been linked with Vodafone and Intel, rival outfits McLaren Mercedes and BMW Sauber - respectively - ultimately landed the deals.

Honda principal Nick Fry, though, is quoted by the Kyodo news agency as confirming that the team is on the lookout for a title sponsor.

“British American Tobacco will be with us until the end of 2006 as contracted,” the Briton said, “so obviously we are looking for people from 2007 onwards.”

Fry appeared confident that a sponsor would be signed to replace Lucky Strike, the cigarette brand that is honouring a previous agreement to stop advertising in sport.

He admitted: “It's nice to see that a number (of potential sponsors) are interested, though it's too early to say anything.”

 

[Flibster]

New livery makes track debut

The new Team McLaren Mercedes livery made its track debut at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia today. Juan Pablo Montoya and Pedro de la Rosa were present in Spain to conduct shakedowns with chassis's two and three of the MP4-21, which arrived from the McLaren Technology Centre over the weekend. Work for both drivers today focused on initial systems checks, prior to proper testing with the two cars starting tomorrow.

Pedro de la Rosa completed 102 laps of the 3.94km Valencian circuit, putting over 400km on his MP4-21, including two long runs of 26 laps. The Spaniard set a quickest time of 1m11.633, during a run of 10 laps mid-afternoon, which put him third on the timesheets for the day.

Juan Pablo Montoya covered 190km during today's session in the other MP4-21. He ended the day fourth on the timesheets, with a 1m11.701, having completed 48 laps over a series of multi-lap runs, including a 15 lap stint at the end of the day. He started running shortly before 14:00, as the test team had been completing the engine and gearbox installation.

Kimi Raikkonen will join Juan Pablo on track in Valencia tomorrow to continue the test session.

 

[Flibster]

Promotion, relegation and reality

FIA President Max Mosley continues his press lunch campaign and told specialist journalists today that he would like to introduce promotion and relegation into the sport in 2008. This is just what they want to hear because it is a good idea and would be good for the sport and would create more interest in F1 and in GP2. One can praise Mosley for having the idea but achieving it is going to be quite a different matter. One can praise Jules Verne for having written a clear description in 1865 of how to send man to the moon in his brilliant "From the Earth to The Moon" but it took mankind 104 years and many billions of dollars before that became a reality. The task of bridging the gap between the budgets of $4m for the biggest teams in GP2 and the budgetary requirements for F1 which currently begin at about $50m may not be quite that dramatic but it still a massive gap.

GP2 teams employ about a dozen people and buy their cars and engines off the shelf. Formula 1 teams design and build their own cars and require big staffs to run the design, manufacture and run the cars and to find money to pay for it all. In GP2, as a recent spare of announcements have proved, even the top teams like Super Nova Racing are now taking on pay-drivers to balance their books. Super Nova International, Fisichella Motor Sport and Durango have all announced drivers in recent days and it is worth noting that Supernova's Jose Maria Lopez and Fairuz Fauzy both come with cash: Lopez from Renault and Fauzy with a pile of cash from Malaysia. Fisichella Motor Sport is basically the Coloni team with a lick of new paint and this is employing Luca Filippi to race and Turkey's Jason Tahinci, the son of the country's chief FIA official, to pay. Durango has taken on Lucas DiGrassi, who comes with money from Renault. Elsewhere in the GP2 field McLaren is paying for Lewis Hamilton at ART, Toyota is paying for Franck Perera at DAMS and Red Bull is paying for a number of drivers as usual.

Mosley's problem is that even if he manages to bring down the costs of F1 to $100m per team - which is his stated goal and is in no way guaranteed - there is still an impossibly huge gap between GP2 and F1.

There is no harm in showing that one thinks this is good idea but it would be better if there was some clear illustration of how this pipe dream could one day become a reality. GP2 teams have a fraction of the budget of organisations such as non-F1 operations such as Prodrive and Penske and even they baulk at the idea of entering F1. Reducing F1 cost levels to $100m is no help at all, unless there is a mechanism by which GP2 winners receive so much money that they can then seriously think about F1. The only place this can come from is from monies generated by F1 and the teams are going to baulk at the idea that they must pay to create more opposition for themselves.

Formula One Management, which has the cash, is not likely to suddenly be bowled over by a fit of generosity on the kind of scale needed to turn $4m into $50m. Such an investment would more than likely be wasted anyway as it takes a long time to build the infrastructure necessary to be competitive in F1 and GP2 team bosses in such situations are far more likely to take the money and be relegated a year later as rich men.

The other problem with the idea is that relegation would do serious damage to the smaller F1 teams. The British Premier League soccer found that relegation cost clubs around $40m a year in income and had to create payments to act as cushions for these teams.

In short, it is going to take a pile of money create promotion and relegation and the only people with piles of money in F1 are not going to give it away - even if the FIA asks them very nicely.

 

[Flibster]

Mosley defends his approach to carmakers

FIA president Max Mosley has dismissed suggestions that he is being deliberately confrontational with manufacturers - and instead claims his radical plans to cut costs are actually aimed at keeping them in Formula One.

Mosley's recent suggestions that manufacturers should be given no commercial income from F1, that engine-specifications be frozen for three-years, and that the carmakers must commit by next April or risk losing their place in the sport in 2008, have done little to quell talk that he is trying to drive them out.

But speaking to reporters during a pre-season lunch in London on Tuesday, Mosley said that the main motivation behind his plans is to actually ensure the manufacturers do not pull out.

When asked by autosport.com for his reaction to suggestions that he may be acting in an antagonistic manner to the manufacturers, Mosley said: "It sounds like that a bit, but it really isn't meant like that.

"The no-money (commercial income) thing is really quite logical - but what is logical and what people like are two really quite different things.

"They have had a three-year war with Bernie to try and up the money from him, from let's say $20 million to $40 million, but we can come along and we can take away more than $100 million straight like that on (cost-cuts with) the engines.

"Is it not then logical that if we take the $100 million out, although they didn't get their $20m to $40 million, they are actually $80 million better off?"

He added: "It is not an attack. It is just a completely logical conclusion from reducing the budget, because they are then much better off. I do see that it could be represented as me having a go at them, which I really am not."

Speaking about the deadline for manufacturers to commit to F1 for 2008 by next April, Mosley said: "Yes, it does sound a bit harsh.

"But on the other hand we do need to be able to sit down with people who are going to do the championship and say, 'do you really want to change the second grommet on the ECU?' There are some really complicated things that we need to get right to make it all work."

Mosley claims his plans to freeze engine specifications in F1 from 2008 to 2010 will cut an engine manufacturer's budget from up to 200 million Euros down to less than 10 million Euros per year.

He is adamant that such a move is necessary if manufacturers are going to commit long-term to the sport.

"If the teams can run relatively inexpensively, then the chance of them stopping becomes very, very small.

"If you take the case of Renault, [CEO Carlos] Ghosn has made it clear that if it is cost-effective he will do it, and if it is not cost-effective then he won't. And I think the same, sooner or later, will happen to the other manufacturers.

"They are happily spending these hundreds of millions at the moment, but sooner of later the boards of these companies are going to say, 'Are we really giving value for money?'

"And there is no doubt if it is cheaper, then the chance of them shutting it down is much smaller."

 

[Flibster]

Mosley confident of Spa return

FIA president Max Mosley believes the Belgium Grand Prix should return to the Formula One calendar because of its status as a classic venue.

The Spa-Francorchamps race, scheduled for September 17, was dropped from the calendar after being in doubt for several weeks because of problems over who would promote it.

Organisers said they were confident the race would return in 2007.

That view is shared by Mosley, who believes Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone will promote the race himself to secure the return of one of Formula One's classic events.

"I think it is a good example of Bernie, because we have had nothing to do with it," said Mosley on Tuesday.

"But I think he is going to take on the whole financial risk of the place and probably run it, by his standards uneconomically, but I think everyone realises that we have got to have it on the calendar. It is a great, classic event."

When asked if he was confident Spa would return to the calendar, Mosley said: "Yes, I would be very surprised if it doesn't work out."

Following the cancellation of the Belgian race, rumours have emerged claiming the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim was also in danger due to a large debt, although Mosley said he had not heard anything from the organisers themselves.

German organisers are considering hosting a single Grand Prix in alternate years to secure their financial futures.

Mosley said if that happened, India would be the country most likely to take the remaining slot.

"I think if they did join forces so we freed up a slot, that is much more likely to be outside Europe because there are some very interesting places being looked at now," he said.

"It would be very logical to have a Grand Prix in India now because with Indian and China you are getting on for half the world's population and even now the number of equivalent middle-class people in India is enormous, like China, but there are an awful lot of poor people as well."

 

[Flibster]

Super Aguri commit to F1 beyond 2007

Bernie Ecclestone has succeeded in getting another team signed-up to Formula One beyond 2007, with the new Super Aguri outfit committing their long-term future to the sport rather than a breakaway championship.

As autosport.com predicted last December, the new Japanese-backed team have rejected any consideration to join the breakaway Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) and instead have agreed to stick with Ecclestone.

A high-level source close to the sport's governing body has confirmed the news to autosport.com. "We understand that they have signed up with Ecclestone," the source said.

With Japanese manufacturer Honda heavily involved in the Aguri operation, the news of their decision to commit to F1 has provided further evidence that the resolve between the five GPMA members may not be as strong as some suggest.

There has long been speculation that Honda and Toyota now want to sign up with Ecclestone for F1, although they are prevented from doing so by a document the manufacturers signed last September binding them to stick together for 12 months.

The news of Aguri's decision comes amid suggestions from some quarters, however, that their commitment to F1 may have come in exchange for Ecclestone pressuring all their rivals to support their late entry for this year's championship.

The team missed the original deadline because of administrative issues and needed the unanimous approval of their rivals to get an entry for 2006.

One source, close to the negotiations with the teams over approving Aguri's entry, said: "Maybe the other teams were waiting to give their approval until Suzuki had given his signed approval to commit to F1."

Aguri's decision means that there are now six teams signed up for F1 beyond 2007 - with Ferrari, Williams, Midland, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso already committed.

FIA president Max Mosley would not comment on the suggestions that Aguri had committed to F1 when asked by reporters on Tuesday, although he did state yesterday that there are already six teams signed up beyond 2007.

Mosley did, however, make it clear that he welcomed their arrival in F1.

Speaking about suggestions that the team may be well off the pace at the start of the season, he said: "It is not ideal, but on the other hand it is great to have another team.

"The thing is if they are completely uncompetitive then they might well not turn up, and from our point of view that would not be a problem.

"They are obviously serious, they have got a lot of people working there very hard, so they are fulfilling all the criteria and they have put up the deposit. They have got the right people. This is not a frivolous thing."