2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Durango owner: promotion idea unworkable

Durango co-owner Ivone Pinton says Max Mosley's idea of a promotion-relegation system for Formula One is "completely unworkable".

Mosley has proposed a soccer-style scheme for Formula One, and believes the system could be introduced if proposals to cut costs in the sport lead to more entries than there are vacancies on the grid.

The FIA president himself, however, admitted the idea was far from becoming a reality.

Pinton, whose team compete in the GP2 series, believes it would be almost impossible for a team like his to move to Formula One due to the huge differences in requirements, both financial and logistical.

A GP2 team spend around $5 million a year while Formula One would require at least 20 times that for a season.

"Today you can spend up to four million euros for one season ," Pinton told Gazzetta dello Sport. "To move to 100 millions to race in F1, assuming you won the GP2 championship, would be like a jump into the void.

"Who can find, between the end of October and January, 100 million euros, and transform the structure into a company with at least 70 employees, with the addition of a wind tunnel?

"I would do it if I had the guarantee - which no one will give me - of a free supply of engines, plus a contribution from the FIA or Ecclestone of 20-25 million euros. Otherwise I wouldn't take that risk. Mosley's proposal is curious, but completely unworkable."

 

[Flibster]

Massa cautious on Ferrari form

Felipe Massa believes Ferrari need to raise their game for the start of the season, but the Brazilian driver is confident some new developments for their car will help them be more competitive.

"We have to improve a lot," Massa told Gazzetta dello Sport. "At the moment I'm not worried about the laptimes because we have many new components to install in the 2006 car.

"The important thing here is to find and maintain reliability, which during these days is the most important aspect.

"Laptimes count, but we still have many kilometres at our disposal. From now on we'll install new components on the car. We'll bring to the 248 the synthesis of the solutions which have brought the best results in testing from November until now. At that point, I'm sure, laptimes will improve."

Ferrari have been setting promising laptimes in winter testing with their new 248 F1 car, although their star driver Michael Schumacher admitted the Italian squad were behind World Champions Renault and closely matched with the Honda team.

Massa believes it's too early to make predictions about Ferrari's form for the season-opener in Bahrain in three weeks time.

"Let's wait, we are preparing suitable material. The basis of the car is good, but needs to be developed. Only at the end of this work I'll be able to be more precise. It's early now," he added.

Schumacher suffered problems with the clutch's electronic control in testing in Bahrain yesterday, meaning his day was cut short. The team flew replacement parts in order to be able to continue testing today.

"The work had to be stopped soon after the start. These things happen, we'll make up the lost time," Schumacher said.

 

[rpstewart]

Of course promotion (and relegation to a lesser extent) is unworkable. The F1 teams will be beginning to design the 2007 cars now, before the season has started. Now what happens if one of the midfield teams has a really off year and ends up not scoring a point yet have invested tens of millions in next year's car? They have a car that they can't race - they could sell it to Arden or whoever is winning GP2 but what if they've planned to move to F1 the following year and have a development program running? Someone is going to end up wasting money.

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

I cannot believe the promotion system has been considered, wait... It's Mad Max, of course I can believe it...
How could it work? Like, with Aguri this year they are most likely going to be last in the championship, but that's not their fault as the car isn't ready... Would they be relegated under a new system?

 

[EddScott]

Sorry to sound thick but whats the deal with fuel during the knock out qualifying?

I take it the cars are refuelled in between the knock out heats? And then once knocked out they go into parc feme' untouched by the team?

What about tyres? Can they use as many as they want during qualifying? So say they choose a new set per heat the fastest cars use 3 or 4 sets whereas the slow ones only use one set if knocked out in the first round?

Sounds as though qualifying could be open to manipulation.

 

[Flibster]

I have no real idea about the new qalifying format....

Will find out soon though.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

First large picture of the Super Aguri Racing car....

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

Shame they will have to get rid of that cars only strong point, it's looks...

 

[1ofaKind]

Max is certainly 'out there'

Relegation and promotion - I saw this on teletext this morning. MAAAD!

Perhaps with promotion we can have a 'champions league' and recreate the USA grand prix every year

With relegation you get sent to GP2 - you have no money no relevant car for the formula so you never come back to F1

Perhaps using this new method of doing things we can have free transfers of drivers (mclaren send montoya to aguri after throwing a hissy fit with Ron Dennis in the tunnel), subs during pitstops etc...

And regards Massa - hoho the cars not quick enough yet - perhaps when he bins some into the wall during testing it will be fast enough then .

I deffo think this year might be more open (not due to over taking etc) but due to breakdowns and some of the lesser teams maybe being economical with performance and just getting to the end of a race.

Roll on march!

 

[gam3r]

the super aguri doesnt look like its been modified from the arrows A23...maybe it was just a engine shake down because if you look at the front and back wing they are illegal and the car looks pretty much the same as the A23.

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

Stolen from farzadsf1gallery board...

 

[Flibster]

Mansell tips Button for maiden F1 win

Former World Champion Nigel Mansell has tipped Jenson Button to grab his maiden Grand Prix win this year - but fears that the Honda driver's millions in the bank may have hurt the Honda Racing driver's ultimate desire.

Mansell, who was speaking at a sponsorship launch with Unipart on Thursday, believes the fact that Button has already bagged big money deals in the sport could work against him.

When asked by autosport.com about Button's prospects for ending his 100-race losing streak, Mansell said: "It doesn't bother me, but if it bothers anyone it should bother Jenson.

"One hundred Grands Prix without winning is a heck of a target now, isn't it? I think he should use it as a strength, to use the negative into a positive. He should say, 'okay this year I am going to get the monkey off my back and at least get a win on the way.'

"As soon as he does that, he will springboard and be a proven front-winner and winner. If not then he has got problems to address later in the year because Rubens is not going to pull over for him. Rubens is going to do a fantastic job and Rubens is a proven race winner, but I think it will spur Jenson on for better things."

Mansell did express his concern, however, about the level of rewards that drivers like Button have earned in their early F1 career - and the impact that may have on their hunger to win.

"I got my rewards after I won and after I was successful and won the World Championship. I started to earn a lot of money then.

"But to sign contracts for tens and tens of millions of pounds before you have even won races is quite extraordinary – and the question is does it take the edge off you? Well it might do, mightn't it?

"For that person or individual, and I am not just talking about Jenson now, it (the winning) doesn't really matter to them unless they are really dogged because they are set for life.

"It is a strange phenomenon that has happened in F1 where a lot of people have got a lot of benefits before they have actually delivered."

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

Emlyn tips Barrichello to crush Button
Yep...

 

[Richard T]

Emlyn tips Barrichello to crush Button
Yep...

boooooooooo!

Come on Jense show 'our ' Em you can do it!!

 

[6thElement]

Was in my local BMW dealers earlier and it surprised me just how much BMW Williams "stuff" they still had in there, not even reduced in price to get rid of it either.

 

[Flibster]

Stolen from farzadsf1gallery board...

Thats a bloody good image...shows the vast number of differences they've made...

I mean - the paint alone would have taken them...minutes...

Then there's the tyres...
The camber angles...
Oh..and the loose screw... thats behind the wheel...

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

F1 to enjoy great season, says Mansell

Formula One is heading for one of its best seasons for years thanks to the raft of regulation changes introduced over the winter.

That is the view of former World Champion Nigel Mansell, who claims that the sport is finally back heading in the right direction with the return of tyre changes, the switch to 2.4-litre V8 engines and the ditching of single-lap qualifying.

"I think 2006 should be the best season in recent years by a long way," said Mansell at a sponsorship function with car parts company Unipart, which is backing his sons in Formula BMW this year.

"There are new regulations that are going down the right route now. Having 200bhp less is sensible and the new qualifying system, although I don't know why they don't throw it open to have a level playing field for everybody instead of 15 minutes, 15 minutes and 20 minutes, is a zillion times better than one lap.

"I also think a lot of cars and engine manufacturers will be closer this year and it should be an exciting year...and I hope it is.

"F1 will be put back as it always should be…the pinnacle of motorsport. It is about time. Getting away from the one-tyre rule, the one lap qualifying and everything else. It has got to be good news."

Mansell has tipped former adversary Michael Schumacher to bounce back from his disappointing 2005 campaign - but also believes that Renault and McLaren will maintain the form they showed last year.

"Michael is a class act," said Mansell. "He can bounce back in 2006 and I think Ferrari will. Don't write Michael off and, if he wants to win the championship, then I think he will. He will certainly win races this year."

Speaking about Alonso, Mansell admitted that he was impressed with the manner of the Spaniard's triumph last year – and expressed his sadness that he was not given more credit for the way he won the title.

"I was impressed with him at the beginning of the year, but I was doubly impressed with him at the end of the year," added Mansell. "From mid-season and two-thirds of the way through, he showed a maturity that wasn't there before.

"He decided to place himself to get the points required to win the championship. Flavio probably helped him enormously and I think Flavio has done a great job with Renault.

"They are a great team, a great engine manufacturer and to win both titles last year, I don't think they got the accolades that they deserved. They deserved more for doing what they did and I was disappointed that they were not acknowledged higher than they were."

Mansell has warned, however, that Alonso's chances of retaining his world crown this year could be compromised by the early announcement of his switch to McLaren in 2007

"I am disappointed with that. If you do the deal, then announce it halfway through the season. But before the season starts? Where is the rationale in that?

"I think Renault are very honourable and they will want to defend the championship in the manner they won it. Alonso is young and gung-ho and I believe that he will be driving very strong and hard.

"But there is no question halfway through the season, or two-thirds of the way through, if both drivers are on a par then it could be complicated."

And Mansell believes that Kimi Raikkonen may be feeling a level of frustration after the reliability problems that wrecked his title charge last year.

"There is a worry that sets in, a frustration, and certainly a concern whether or not the clock is ticking," he explained.

"There is a parallel thing going on with McLaren and Kimi because they should have won another championship by now and probably a couple. I think it is a very important year for them too; the pressure is on the team as well as on the drivers.

"That is great for motorsport and I think they should be one of the hot tips to come out and win, but if they don't then questions are going to be asked."

 

[rpstewart]

Sorry to sound thick but whats the deal with fuel during the knock out qualifying?

I take it the cars are refuelled in between the knock out heats? And then once knocked out they go into parc feme' untouched by the team?

What about tyres? Can they use as many as they want during qualifying? So say they choose a new set per heat the fastest cars use 3 or 4 sets whereas the slow ones only use one set if knocked out in the first round?

Sounds as though qualifying could be open to manipulation.

I think it's like this:

Session 1 & 2 - Banzai low fuel, unlimited laps but tyres taken from the pool available for the weekend. 12 cars eliminated by the end of session 2 and allowed to add fuel for the race with no need to publicise the amount added.

Session 3 - 10 cars all must start the session on the level of fuel they wish to use for the first stint on the race. At the end of the session the fuel is replenished and the cars go to park ferme. Now there's still a question of how that will be policed, the initial idea was to weigh the cars before the head out for session 3 and then again before the start but the time to do this in the hour is limited. There was talk that the FIA would stipulate a fuel burn figure for each track and then you'd get the appropriate number of laps worth of fuel back after the session.

Regardless of which is selected then there's room for abuse. I still fail to see the point in qualifying with race fuel....

And yes, cars which get knocked out in session 1 will have more tyres for the race I assume - could make for some interesting strategy when one of the front runners spins in session 1.

 

[Richard T]

I think it's like this:

Session 1 & 2 - Banzai low fuel, unlimited laps but tyres taken from the pool available for the weekend. 12 cars eliminated by the end of session 2 and allowed to add fuel for the race with no need to publicise the amount added.
.

didn't the looney (max) say in Simons Huuuuuge post that the fia would tell the teams how much to add??

 

[Flibster]

Spa loss 'a warning' to Silverstone.

The British Racing Drivers Club has warned its members that the loss of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa is an indication of why the Club needs to bring in a commercial partner to help redevelop and maintain Silverstone.

A deal proposing a partnership with St Modwen Properties and Northern Racing – which would see St Modwen take on the commercial responsibility for developing and operating the circuit and appoint Northern Racing as circuit operator for an initial 25-year period - will be discussed at an extraordinary general meeting of the BRDC next week, with chairman Stuart Rolt having urged members of the club to back the proposal to safeguard the future of the circuit.

One of the main reasons the BRDC elected to seek out a commercial partner was the fact that present day circuit operations, heavily dependent as they are on the British Grand Prix, involve substantial commercial risk for the club and the circuit – a risk the BRDC can no longer afford to take.

While Silverstone - and the British Grand Prix itself - are highly regarded with F1's traditionalists, the recent problems with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa have only served as a further indicator to the BRDC of the importance of developing Silverstone to ensure its long-term future – with tradition no longer enough to secure a place on the F1 calendar.