2005 Belgian Grand Prix

Flibster

Flibster

Flibster

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2005 Belgian Grand Prix
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Current Standings

2005 Drivers Championship.
Code: 
[b]Pos	Driver			Nationality	Team			Points [/b]
1	Fernando Alonso		Spanish		Renault			103 
2	Kimi Räikkönen		Finnish		McLaren-Mercedes	76 
3	Michael Schumacher	German		Ferrari			55 
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	McLaren-Mercedes	50
5	Jarno Trulli		Italian		Toyota			43 
6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian		Renault			41 
7	Ralf Schumacher		German		Toyota			35 
8	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari			31 
9	Nick Heidfeld		German		Williams-BMW		28 
=11	Mark Webber		Australian	Williams-BMW		24 
=11	Jenson Button		British		BAR-Honda		24 
12	David Coulthard		British		Red Bull Racing		21 
13	Felipe Massa		Brazilian	Sauber-Petronas		8 
=16	Tiago Monteiro		Portuguese	Jordan-Toyota		6 
=16	Alexander Wurz		Austrian	McLaren-Mercedes	6 
=16	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	Sauber-Petronas		6 
=18	Narain Karthikeyan	Indian		Jordan-Toyota		5 
=18	Christian Klien		Austrian	Red Bull Racing		5 
=20	Christijan Albers	Dutch		Minardi-Cosworth	4 
=20	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish		McLaren-Mercedes	4 
21	Patrick Friesacher	Austrian	Minardi-Cosworth	3 
22	Antonio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Williams-BMW		2
=24	Takuma Sato		Japanese	BAR-Honda		1 
=24	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Italian		Red Bull Racing		1

2005 Constructors Championship.
Code: 
[b]Pos	Constructor 		Points[/b]
1	 Renault		144
2	 McLaren-Mercedes	136
3	 Ferrari		86
4	 Toyota			78
5	 Williams-BMW		54
6	 Red Bull Racing	27
7	 BAR-Honda		25
8	 Sauber-Petronas	14
9	 Jordan-Toyota		11
10	 Minardi-Cosworth	7
 
Latest news....

Heidfeld to BMW in 2007
Nick Heidfeld will race for the new BMW team in Formula One after agreeing a two-year deal, Autosport-Atlas can reveal, but the contract is currently scheduled to begin only at the start of 2007.

The German had been in talks with BAR for several weeks, but in the end his management team have decided that their long-term future in the sport would be best served with the German manufacturer's team behind him.

Heidfeld's current contractual ties to Williams, however, have meant that he could only commit himself to BMW from the start of 2007 - although there is a chance he could join them before then.

That is because Heidfeld is caught up in the centre of the Jenson Button contract row - and his destination in 2006 almost certainly depends on whether BAR or Williams win the fight for Button's services.

Autosport-Atlas understands Williams have an option on Heidfeld's services which runs out on September 15 - the week after the Belgian Grand Prix - although there are rumours that the team have already taken it up.

Williams have not confirmed that fact, but what is certain is that the Button situation will not be resolved by that date.

<Snip...>

Williams may well have decided that they cannot risk losing both Button and Heidfeld, and that it would be better to take up the option on Heidfeld now as a safety net - with the possibility that the German could then be sold on to BMW for 2006 if they do actually get hold of Button.

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said at the weekend, however, that he did not believe Williams would sign Heidfeld solely in a bid to then sell him on.

"I do not have the impression that Frank Williams is interested in money," said Theissen. "He repeatedly has said that he does not consider drivers to be merchandise."

BMW have not yet made any announcement about who their drivers for 2006 will be. Jacques Villeneuve has another year to run on his contract with Sauber, while Antonio Pizzonia, Anthony Davidson and Heidfeld have all been linked with the outfit.
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I think the rumour is that Minardi will become Red Bull USA and operate as a feeder team to RBR. The plan is to use the current RB1 chassis - which fits the Cosworth V10 which Minardi have a contract to run next year with Scott Speed and whichever of Luizzi or Klien isn't in the RB2.
 
I'll be going off to Belgium at some horrific hour on Thursday, and yep, it looks like it will rain HARD :( Guess i'm going to get very wet :(
 
Klien wins Spa ride

Christian Klien is set to race for a twelfth time this year after Red Bull said he, and not rookie cohort Vitantonio Liuzzi, would take the wheel at Spa Francorchamps.

In a statement, the Milton Keynes based team confirmed that, although Liuzzi's grand prix tally numbers just four in 2005, the Italian would remain mere 'Friday' driver in Belgium.

'It's great to have another chance to race,' 22-year-old Klien, of Austria, said. 'I'm learning more about the car all the time and gaining in confidence with every race.'

Dieter Mateschitz-owned Red Bull, meanwhile, revealed that David Coulthard's 2006 teammate - either Klien or Liuzzi - will likely be revealed 'at the end of the year.'

On the 'Sport am Sonntag' TV programme, Red Bull's Austrian 'advisor' Helmut Marko insisted that 'continuity is an important factor.

'On the other hand, we know that Vitantonio will need another chance to race so that we can judge his potential,' said the Austrian.
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Ferrari 'foolish' - Lauda

Niki Lauda says putting Valentino Rossi in a Ferrari race seat in 2007 would be too big a risk. The Austrian and triple world champion told 'News Formel' that deciding on a driver based on his talent on a motorcycle is 'completely foolish.

"I cannot imagine Ferrari teaching their race driver how to drive a car and how to race," the 56-year-old - who won two of his drivers' crowns for Maranello - exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the thirtieth anniversary of Niki Lauda's first world title in 1975 has been commemorated by Austria by putting his famous image on a set of collectable stamps.
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Davidson to test for Jordan this month

Anthony Davidson, BAR Honda's third driver, will test a Jordan Toyota car next week at Silverstone. The test will be done in order for the British driver to see how the car works and also to meet the team.

Davidson is on charge with BAR Honda's testing duties since 2001 and so far he started three races, in 2002 in Hungary and Belgium, when he replaced Alex Yoong and also this year in Malaysia when he replaced Takuma Sato.

As it will quite difficult for Davidson to be chosen as Rubens Barrichello's partner next year at BAR Honda, a drive with Jordan (to be renamed Midland) is a chance for him to race regularly.

"I'm really looking forward to testing with the Jordan team at Silverstone next week and the EJ15 will certainly be an exciting new challenge," Anthony Davidson commented. "I haven't driven at Silverstone for almost a year so it will be good to be back driving on my home track again. This test shows how serious I am about finding a race drive for next year and I would like to thank B.A.R Honda for allowing me to stand down from the team's Barcelona test and take up this opportunity. I'm hoping it will be a very positive experience for myself and the Jordan team."

There will be no set backs from B.A.R Honda, Davidson being free to do the test. "Anthony has done a fantastic job for us during the five years that he has been part of our driver line-up and his contribution to the development of our team has been immeasurable," said Gil de Ferran, the team's sporting director. "B.A.R Honda's 2006 driver line-up is not yet concluded so we are unable to confirm whether or not we will be in a position to help Anthony to achieve his ultimate ambition of a race seat. With that in mind, we decided to allow him to participate in this test and we wish him well for next week."
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No rain this year on the Belgian GP weekend

Weather at Spa Francorchamps is always an issue and you can basically expect anything from clear to dark skies, from a hot day to a very cold one.

The predicted temperatures are 26 degrees Celsius over all the weekend period, no chances of rain and with blue skies. But, it may change...
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Michelin to drop teams

Having already warned that should the FIA pursue the idea of switching to a control tyre (which it clearly will) it will leave F1, Michelin has now intimated, once again, that it intends to 'shed' a couple of teams ahead of the 2006 season.

"It will be all part of what we have already announced," Nick Shorrock, director of the French company's Formula One activities, told Reuters, "which is our desire to reconfigure the way we deal with partners and the number of partners that we have.

"So certainly, yes, we will be ending up with a reduction of partners for the 2006 season," he added, revealing that an announcement could be made this weekend at Spa. "In the next week we will certainly be clarifying the situation," he said.

Michelin returned to Formula One in 2001, after an absence of seventeen years. It took the French company just four races to make it to the top step of the podium (San Marino), however, it took until this season to win the title. Along the way there have been a number of high-profile tyre failures, not to mention the Indianapolis debacle, which will see the French outfit having to reimburse race fans who attended the June event.

In its first season back in F1, Michelin supplied 5 teams - Benetton, Prost, Minardi, WilliamsF1 and Jaguar - out of 11, however, in the wake of the failure of Prost and Arrows, and the entry of Toyota, the French company now supplies 7 teams out of 10.
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ashtray_head said:
wouldn't that cost more to run 2 different spec cars?
what about engines or would this years chassis be modded for the V8
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No, by having Minardi race the current RB1 chassis they save the cost of building a new car. Minardi have already signed a contract to use rev limited V10s next year - the engine which the RB1 chassis is designed to take so no further modification required.

They can't run the same chassis anyway under the current F1 rules but I assume the rules have been changed to allow the sale of previous designs and / or physical parts.
 
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=33959 said:
RED BULL SET TO TAKE OVER MINARDI

Red Bull is on the brink of taking over Minardi – and a deal could be agreed as early as next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Autosport reports that Paul Stoddart has agreed in principle for Red Bull to buy a controlling share in his Formula 1 team.

The drinks manufacturer is carrying out due diligence, and will make a decision before Spa.

Stoddart has long admitted that his team is up for sale, but he has always insisted that he would select a buyer very carefully and would not sell up if the deal was not in Minardi’s best interests.

But Red Bull could fit the bill for Stoddart.

“I have heard the Red Bull rumours and they are the kind of serious people that I would talk to,” he said.

“But at the moment the story doesn’t have any legs, although that is not to say it won’t have in the future.

“If the price was right and it was good for the future of the team, I would sell.”

Red Bull is understood to want a second team because it does not have room for all its drivers in its current squad.

The company is very keen to bring highly rated young American Scott Speed into F1, and has already signed him as a test driver for 2006.

He could now end up as a race driver if the deal goes ahead and Minardi becomes a second Red Bull squad.

Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi are currently fighting for a drive alongside David Coulthard in the current Red Bull Racing team, and whichever one loses out could end up partnering Speed at the new outfit.


The team could use this season's Cosworth-powered Red Bull chassis in 2006.

Reports suggest that Bernie Ecclestone is keen for the Red Bull-Minardi deal to proceed, partly because Red Bull boss Dieter Mateschitz is a strong ally of Ecclestone and Max Mosley in F1’s political battles, whereas Stoddart has often been a vocal critic of the sport’s rulers.
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Really don't want to see Stoddy leave...
Especially as that would put the number of teams on the concorde agreement up to 4...

But it would be nice to see them more competitive - interestingly - apparently Albers already has a contract for next year - would they have to honour it?
 
And another corker from Red Bull...

www.redbullracing.com said:
Belgian GP - Preview

There are three essentials you need to survive a weekend in the Ardennes, Belgium’s own Redneck Region: a sense of humour, an umbrella and excellent bladder control; the latter because of the seemingly endless queues for the toilets at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. For a spa town famous as a place to “take the waters” it is terribly ill equipped for getting rid of them.

The weather is always the main talking point here and this is how to tell what the forecast will be:
If you stand in the Spa paddock and cannot see the trees, it is raining.
If you stand in the Spa paddock and can see the trees, it will start raining soon.
If the cows in the field near the circuit are standing up, then it might stay dry for half an hour.
If the cows are lying down it is raining.
If the cows are lying down with their legs in the air, they are dead cows.

Other interesting facts about Belgium ……… ……… ………… … ……………… ………… ……………… ……………… ……… ……………… ………………………… ……………… ………… ……… ……… ………… ……………… ……………… ……… ……………… ………………………… ……………… ………… ………… …………… ………… ……… ……… …………… ………………
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