2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Yeah, I still have nightmares after watching that Sly Stallone CART movie

You mean - Driver...

Watched it on Sky recently...possible one of the worst films in existance ever,

Thank god it wasn't about F1 though...was good to see Montoya in it though.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

the files needed for the 2006 F1 season are now uploading...

Going to take a while but should be worth is as I think I've gone a lot more in-depth *and complicated* than last year.

Hopefully it works.

Any suggestions before I finalise the layout for the coming season?

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

The thread is now officially delayed until Red Bull and Toro Rosso reveal their colourshemes - so Thursday evening then.

However - I'm in need of a bit of help..

If anyone can find decent sized versions of the following logo's/images I'd be very happy. My mate has let me down bigtime this year.

The red and white Scuderia Ferrari SpA logo *it's on all the trucks etc...* - Now sorted - dug out Paintshop Pro and made one...

A large McLaren logo
Large Red Bull Racing logo
Large Toro Rosso Logo

Think I've got all the others.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Aguri: I want results in the near future.

Super Aguri have formally unveiled the team that will make its Formula One debut at Bahrain, insisting that they have what it takes to become a force to be reckoned with.

Starting the year with ex-Arrows cars that were last raced in 2002, Super Aguri have proved to be off the pace in early testing but with a new chassis due by the fourth round of the championship at San Marino, team owner Aguri Suzuki has told news agency Reuters that he expects to be proving competitive soon.

"My team might be small but I want to quickly turn it into one that is competitive at the highest level," Suzuki said. "I want results in the near future."

His optimistic attitude was mirrored by Takuma Sato, although he admits that the early races will be difficult for himself and rookie team mate Yuji Ide.

 

[Flibster]

Irvine still aiming for F1

According to reports in the Irish media, Eddie Irvine has not given up on the idea of running his own F1 team, far from it.

The Irish Independent reports that Irvine, with the financial backing of Russian billionaire Roustam Tariko, Irvine hopes to have a team on the grid in 2008.

"We are looking at starting a team from scratch as there are no teams for sale at the minute," Irvine told the Irish newspaper. "It will be a great challenge, but Roustam wants to do it and we've got the money.

"Roustam needs the branding that F1 can bring him," added the Ulsterman. "He wants a Russian team and he wants to take his brand and turn them into world brands.

"It's not going to be easy," he admitted. "It is going to be very, very difficult. But if I go back into F1 I am going to be married to it for a long time. It is definitely a challenge I want to go with."

Though Tariko might well "want to do it", our sources tell us that there are certain obstacles in the way.

At the time that Minardi was up for grabs in late 2005, Irvine and Tariko looked set to buy the Italian team, and it is believed that the money available. However, so we hear, a certain F1 person - small in stature but big when it comes to clout - didn't particularly fancy the idea of Irvine back in the pitlane.

Consequently, even though Dietrich Mateschitz already owned an F1 team (Red Bull) and was offering less money than Irvine's 'consortium, it was the Austrian who got the nod.

In addition to having made a good living out of F1, Irvine has made a fortune out of property, however the Ulsterman is not known for his generosity, his sizeable wallet rumoured to be home to a colony of rare moths.

Tariko is a wealthy man, and still in his early-forties.

As a student, the Russian made a living by finding hotel rooms for visiting Italian businessmen, subsequently going into the import business, first with candy and then alcoholic drinks such as Martini.

He then founded his own vodka company, Russian Standard Vodka, which soon became one of the country's best selling brands, and then, in 2000, formed a bank which he named after the vodka, Russian Standard Bank. Within four years the bank was reporting profits in excess of £20m.

 

[Flibster]

Privateer F1 team builds 5409 cars

Ferrari SpA has revealed its financial figures for 2005 which prove conclusively that it is an automobile manufacturer and not a small private racing team. The company said that it sold 5409 cars in 2005 (up 8.7% from the previous year) and had a turnover of $1.5bn.

It made a pre-tax profit of $189m. The most interesting thing was the reduction in the company's R&D budget which dropped from $313m in 2004 to $263m in 2005. The F1 budget is separate from this.

The company said that the profits would have been stronger if the dollar had not been as weak against the Euro.

The company continues to expand its branding exercises with new stores opening in Las Vegas, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Milan. The company says that merchandise now represents "a significant source of income" for the company.

It seems incidentally that Ferrari has now agreed to a testing limitation of 36 days, bringing to an end the unbalanced arrangement last year.

 

[Flibster]

Schumacher dismisses Rossi Ferrari link

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher says it is very unlikely that Italy's motorcycling World Champion Valentino Rossi would be joining him in the Ferrari cockpit for the 2007 season.

"To be honest I would say that it is pretty unlikely," Schumacher said in an interview with Bild newspaper.

The 26-year-old Rossi, winner of the motorcycling world title for the past five seasons, has had private testing sessions with Ferrari for two years but spun out in wet conditions in his first public outing in the Italian car.

Rossi's contract with Yahama expires at the end of the 2006 season and that has led to speculation that he will switch over to Formula One with the Ferrari team in 2007.

At 37 Schumacher is nearing retirement but the German driver has not set an exact date and believes he is still capable of competing with his younger rivals.

"It has not reached the stage where I think 'hey I am not as good as these youngsters'," Schumacher said. "I want to be competing at the top and not just a run of the mill driver."

The Formula One season starts in Bahrain on March 12 with Spain's Fernando Alonso defending the title.

 

[Flibster]

Ralf still optimistic for 2006

Despite being the first team to run its 2006 car, the Toyota package has not been setting the kind of lap times that rivals McLaren, Renault, Honda and Ferrari have over the winter. However, the team recently introduced a major aerodynamic upgrade and driver Ralf Schumacher is optimistic.

"At the moment everything is running positively and as planned," said Ralf. "We can be happy with the achievement that we have made until now. The car is performing well and we will see in Bahrain if we really are heading in the right direction. After all this testing in winter, I feel that we are ready and I am rather optimistic, but as I have said before it is difficult to see where we stand in comparison to everyone else."

"The car is consistent and reliable, I feel good driving it, and now I will head to Bahrain on Wednesday, where the season will finally get underway," he added. "Just like everyone else in Formula 1, our aim is to win races and I think we will have quite an interesting year in 2006."

 

[Flibster]

A1 race at Laguna Seca cancelled for safety reasons

Next weekend's penultimate round of the A1 Grand Prix series, scheduled to take place at Laguna Seca in California, has been cancelled for safety reasons.

Although the announcement has not been officially confirmed by series organizers, A1 GP co-founder, Tony Teixera, on Sunday afternoon confirmed that due to constant rain in recent weeks the run-off areas have been washed away, with the result that track officials are concerned that the track is unsafe.

Hopes of making the track 'safe' in time for the race were dashed by officials, who declared that the circuit will take several weeks to repair.

Much of the A1 equipment is already in California, however, late on Saturday night team bosses were advised that the event was unlikely to happen.

The final round, scheduled to take place in Shanghai on March 19 will be going ahead, and race organizers report that ticket sales have been very, very good.

Sadly, the cancellation of next week's race means that the championship has already been decided, with France taking the inaugural title.

Damn....was looking forward to seeing the A1GP cars going through the Corkscrew
Also....France wins the 2005-2006 Championship then.

This could kill off A1GP after the 2007-2008 season.

 

[Flibster]

I was at silverstone for the test day on tuesday, with a uni society. due to links with Midland F1 we were lucky enough to be allowed in the pit garage whilst the car was being prepared, witnessed a fire up (a first for me ) sounded loud but apparantly only 2/3 as loud as the v10s. sounded nice out on track, but not as nice as the honda engine that was also running.

Had a tour of the midland factory aswell across the road from the marketing director. really interesting to see where and how it all gets made.

Rounded off the afternoon with a chat with Tiago Montiero, really nice guy, and appreciated him taking the time out to answer our questions.

Excellent day all in, looking forward to the race next weekend

Cool. Always nice to spend time with a team.

Yet to hear a V8 in the flesh - got an invite for later in the year though for a test session.

Monteiro seems really nice guy - thats his problem...He's too nice, doesn't seem to have the racers attitude and also doesn't seem to be as quick as he could be.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Bernie offers teams seats on FOA board

Despite his, and FIA President Max Mosley's claims, that the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association's threat of a breakaway series should not be taken too seriously, it would appear, that Bernie Ecclestone does indeed fear the threat posed by the manufacturers and rebel teams.

Why else therefore would the F1 supremo be offering the manufacturers a seat on the board?

According to a report in the Sunday Express, Ecclestone has told the manufacturers that he is willing to offer two non-executive directorships on the board of Formula One Administration (FOA).

This would mean, according to the article; that the manufacturers would be able to "bring independent views to FOA, mastermind race calendars and ensure free-to-air TV coverage is provided".

With six teams having signed up to Ecclestone's new Concorde Agreement, which comes into effect for the 2008 World Championship, it remains to be seen how they will react to the news that the 'rebels' have been made this offer, since they, including Ferrari have not been offered a similar deal.

Interestingly, Ecclestone's offer comes at a time when Mosley is applying the pressure, having warned that unless the manufacturers and rebel team(s) commit to the 2008 Championship by the end of March they will face exclusion.

The GPMA has been keeping a low profile recently, though it known that it has been awaiting the investigation by the EU into the purchase of F1 by CVC.

That said, other than money, one of the main concerns of the manufacturers is the governance of the sport, which takes them into direct conflict with Mosley and the FIA.

The power to dictate race calendars and free-to-air TV coverage is one thing, the rules of the sport quite another.

 

[Flibster]

A1 GP event at Laguna Seca back on

Organisers of the A1 Grand Prix series have confirmed the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, California, USA, scheduled to run at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on 10-12 March 2006 will now go ahead as planned.

An initial inspection of the track by A1 Grand Prix officials raised concerns over the volume of rain that has fallen over recent weeks, hindering the on-going preparation of the facility for the penultimate round of the World Cup of Motorsport.

Following substantial discussions with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, A1 Grand Prix have been assured that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials will do everything within their control to prepare the track for the A1 Grand Prix of Nations.

"Despite challenges brought on by the prevailing weather conditions, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is confident that the track will be presented to the necessary standard required to host an A1 Grand Prix event," stated A1 GP chief operating officer, David Clare. "We will now continue to work with the circuit to ensure the US race meets the impeccable standards dictated by A1GP."

WOOHOO!!!

 

[Flibster]

Bahrain Grand Prix Pro Celebrity Race

What do you get when you take one of the world’s most technologically advanced race tracks and you add the raw power of 16 Chevrolet V8 SS Luminas, the global appeal of 16 international and regional celebrities and the talents of 16 professional drivers from around the world? The answer - The Bahrain Gulf Air Grand Prix Pro Celebrity Race.

Famous faces from the worlds of sport, entertainment and media are set to make their racing debuts in front of a record crowd at the Bahrain International Circuit at the Grand Prix, March 10th-12th.

An anticipated televised audience of 400 million global viewers will tune in to watch the likes of five time Olympic Gold medallist, rowing icon Sir Steve Redgrave, three time Grammy award winning US musician John Legend and world famous rhythmic guitarist Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt fight it out on the track.

Commenting on his impending race debut, Sir Steve Redgrave said: “I’m really excited. The race represents a new sporting challenge for me and I’m keen to see I can perform as well on the track as I do off it. Of course it will be fun but I have a very competitive nature and I don’t enjoy losing so I will be giving it my all out in Bahrain!”

Sir Steve isn’t the only Olympic gold medallist competing in the race, as British hero Redgrave will be joined by legendary American sprinter Michael Johnson. Four time gold medallist Johnson, famed for his gold running shoes, is widely perceived as one of the greatest sprinters of all time having won nine world championship titles.

It won’t just be testosterone that will rule on the race track, the fairer sex will be well represented with a strong line up including British motoring journalist Emma Parker Bowles, stepdaughter of the future King of England, and Egyptian singing and acting sensation Anoushka. Persian-born Laleh Seddigh, motor sport’s answer to Angelina Jolie, will be adding to the line-up of pro drivers supporting the celebrities.

There will be two races: one on the Saturday and one on Sunday before the start of the opening round of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. Each ten-lap race will consist of 16 cars with the professional drivers starting and completing the first five laps of the track before a pit stop swap with their celebrity partners for the remainder of the race.

Joining the all-star line up at the Bahrain International Circuit is Pink Floyd drummer and founding member Nick Mason. Mason, an avid classic car fanatic, perhaps has the upper hand on some of his fellow celebrities being no stranger to racing having competed previously at Le Mans.

The International celebrities will be joined by regional celebrity drivers from Bahrain and the Middle East. Lebanese favourite Ragheb Alama, a man firmly established as one of the Middle East’s top singers and personalities will also take to the wheel in front of a legion of fans at the Grand Prix.

Alama will have regional competition from local sporting hero Rashid Ramzi. Ramzi became the first man to complete the 800m/1,500m double at the world athletics championships in Helsinki last year when he stormed down the finishing straight to hold off the late rush from the Olympic champion, Yuri Borzakovski, in a flying finish in the 800m final.

The race will be the first of its kind in Bahrain and compliments the curtain-raiser to the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. Commenting on the event Martin Whitaker, General Manager of the BIC, said: “I’m so delighted at the reaction and willingness of the stars to take part in the Pro-Celebrity race. It’s great to have so many high-calibre personalities taking time out of their schedules to participate in this event. I am in no doubt that the two races will prove to be very entertaining for the crowds and the viewers at home.”

The 16 identical Chevrolet V8 SS Luminas have 380bhp and a top speed of 280km/h, creating a sound and spectacle perfectly in keeping with the Grand Prix weekend. The cars aren’t the easiest to drive and as such the calibre of the professional racers is first class, with the line up including ex-Formula One stars Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and Christian Danner. TV presenter and former Le Mans racer Tiff Needell will also be lending his considerable expertise to the event. India’s first Formula One driver, Narain Karthikeyan will be taking time out from his Williams F1 testing commitments to compete in the event and guide his celebrity partner around the track.

Now that sounds like a laugh...

 

[Flibster]

McLaren tester helped pen new Spanish track

Pedro de la Rosa was engaged as a special 'advisor' on the layout of a new Spanish test circuit for Formula One.

The McLaren test driver, 35 and from Barcelona, advised renowned F1 track designer Hermann Tilke about the venue that is presently under construction in 'La Palma del Condado' - in the south of the country.

'Our draft has a two kilometre-long straight,' de la Rosa told the 'Marca' newspaper, 'but we also have slow curves like Monaco, fast curves like Shanghai, and high kerbs like Imola.'

The circuit should be ready for winter testing ahead of season '07.

Built on a 350-hectare site for about $120 million, the test circuit could - like Spain's Barcelona, Valencia and Jerez - become another popular destination for F1 teams.

 

[Flibster]

Red Bull owner points finger at Ferrari

Red Bull's junior team - Scuderia Toro Rosso - could upstage its mammoth-budget sister in Bahrain this weekend.

That is Dietrich Mateschitz's warning, as the duel team-owner contemplates Red Bull Racing's problems heading into its second year.

With RBR's overheating and unreliable Ferrari V8, the Austrian billionaire said Toro Rosso's tried and tested - and controversial - Cosworth V10 is sure to be an initial 'advantage'.

'Toro Rosso will not have engine reliability problems,' Mateschitz predicted in an interview with the 'Salzburger Nachrichten' newspaper.

He said: 'However, with some time, the V8 will become strong and more reliable, and we will reclaim the advantage.

'But at the very start, Toro Rosso perhaps have a better chance to score points than does Red Bull,' said Dietrich Mateschitz.

He described the new Red Bull as a 'tidy car' designed by Mark Smith.

But when musing the customer Ferrari V8, Mateschitz pointed to reliability concerns, and warned that the unit's full potential will perhaps not yet be seen.

And he added: 'I think a lot of teams may be having engine problems early on. Perhaps the new Cosworth will be best!'

Ferrari have had more failures that Mercedes - what does that say about the engine really?

 

[Flibster]

In theory they should be able to...

The V10 should always be near the back of the grid - but I suspect that if anything it'll reduce the power of the V10's rather than increase it.

I'm expecting that there's going to be a few surprises from the Toro Rosso cars this weekend.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

My F1 team of choice from the testing results:

Chassis: McLaren
Engine: Cosworth V8
Tyres: Michelin
Driver 1: Raikkonen
Driver 2: Alonso
3rd Driver: Davidson

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

My uncle has been quietly optimistic about their chances, at least of scoring some point. The v10 is bullet proof (or at least appears to be) and making it equivalent to the v8 from Cosworth is never going to hurt its performace...I keep meaning to asking him about development and the equivalance but hes been out testing for the last few weeks.

The Cosworth V10 which STR are running is a revision of last years V10 - which was completely reliable. IIRC they only had 1 failure all year - including testing.

They really should be able to get points this year..

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Schumi Wants to Drive a Few Races Before Making Quit Decision

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher says he will decide soon whether or not to quit formula one.

The German, after again testing at a rainy Mugello track last Friday, told 'Bild' newspaper that he still has not determined if 2006 is to be his last year with Ferrari and the pinnacle of motor sport.

''Let me drive a few races (in 2006),'' Schumacher, 37, told the newspaper, ''and then we'll see how it looks.''

He insisted that - to impact positively on his decision - Ferrari must be a 'frontrunner', unlike last season when his red car slumped in the field.

Schumacher added: ''I can be world champion again.''

Ferrari's technical director, Ross Brawn, added that the pace of the team's Japanese made Bridgestone tyres - defeated at 95 per cent of grands prix last year - will be crucial.

''The '248 F1' (car) is good,'' said the Englishman, ''but whether we can win or not depends on the tyres.''

 

[Flibster]

Michelin critical of tyre changes return

Michelin's Formula One director Nick Shorrock has lamented the return of tyre changes to the sport ahead of the first race of the 2006 season.

After a year of making tyres last for qualifying and the race, Formula One will again have drivers making regular pitstops for fresh rubber.

That could boost the fortunes of Bridgestone and Ferrari, eclipsed by Michelin last year but dominant in 2004 when races were sprints between tyre changes.

Shorrock said that, although the rules have been revised in the hope of reducing costs, tyre changes mean Michelin will need to carry 38 per cent more stock than in 2005, thus increasing the costs significantly.

"Although the rules were changed in a bid to reduce costs, it is disappointing to note that a tyre manufacturer such as Michelin will have to carry 38 per cent more stock to Grands Prix this season than it did in 2005," said Shorrock.

"Michelin is working with six F1 partners this year, rather than seven, yet finds itself having to supply more than 300 extra tyres per race weekend.

"This weekend marks the dawn of a new F1 era. It's a step into the unknown for everybody, but Michelin has prepared with its traditional attention to detail. We expect fierce competition but, as history shows, we thrive on such challenges."

Michelin, the world's biggest tyre group, will leave Formula One at the end of the season after Formula One's ruling body, the FIA, announced plans for a single supplier from 2008.