2005 Turkish Grand Prix

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 09:24

No outsiders for Red Bull race drive

With Red Bull expected to make an announcement next weekend that Scott Speed will be its official test driver, the team has also confirmed that there will be no surprises regarding the identity of the second race driver to partner David Coulthard.

Red Bull's motor sport advisor Helmut Marko was quoted as saying by Autosport, "Coulthard is set as number one, the second seat will definitely be Klien or Liuzzi but nobody else, and the one will be chosen only after this season."

Klien will have his last race behind the wheel this season in next weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Liuzzi will then have the remaining four rounds to prove his worth.

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 09:28

Old Athens airport will not be site of F1 circuit

After a thrilling Olympic Games in 2004, Greece has been vying to host a round of the Formula One world championship, adding a round of the pinnacle of Motorsports to their already impressive sporting portfolio.

However, talk of building a track close to the Elliniko Olympic Complex near the old Athens Airport has been dashed by the country’s Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister, George Souflias, who confirmed that instead on an F1 track, the country’s largest Metropolitan park would be erected on the site instead.

That said however, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of building a circuit somewhere else….

"I am not against a Formula 1 race track being built in Greece, but not in a residential area and only with the appropriate infrastructure and facilities," he told the People Daily.

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 09:38

Now this sounds a good idea from Bernie...

F1 'seniors' tour proposed

Bernie Ecclestone has backed a proposed F1 support category that could see ex-grand prix drivers duke it out in Porsche Boxters.

'Senior' ex-F1 stars 45 years or older would be eligible for the possible Sunday morning category, ITV reported.

'Anything that improves the overall package of a grand prix weekend is a good idea,' said the Formula One supremo.

Former McLaren and Jordan driver, Martin Brundle - 46 - called the proposal to spice up the morning of grand prix Sunday a 'great idea. Count me in.'

wonder_lander · 25 Aug 2005 at 10:05

Flibster said:
Now this sounds a good idea from Bernie...

It sounds like a very good idea but would it be televised....I know I'd like to watch Nige and Damon going for it!

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 10:20

wonder_lander said:
It sounds like a very good idea but would it be televised....I know I'd like to watch Nige and Damon going for it!

Andretti, Nakajima, Berger, Fittipaldi, Hill, Mansell, Palmer, Peterson, Zanardi, Patrese, Prost, Stewart, Piquet, Rosberg, Brundle, Scheckter, Tarquini, Warwick, Alesi ....

Amongst others - all in the same cars...

Could be fun

Simon/~Flibster

wonder_lander · 25 Aug 2005 at 10:29

How many cars do you think it should be limited to?

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 10:37

As many as they can get.

I'd love to see a full grid of 26 cars again...

Simon/~Flibster

Richard T · 25 Aug 2005 at 10:50

Flibster said:
Andretti, Nakajima, Berger, Fittipaldi, Hill, Mansell, Palmer, Peterson, Zanardi, Patrese, Prost, Stewart, Piquet, Rosberg, Brundle, Scheckter, Tarquini, Warwick, Alesi ....

Amongst others - all in the same cars...

Could be fun

Simon/~Flibster

could be fun.... are you serious!? :eek:

would be chaffing brill as the **** on top gear says!

rpstewart · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:05

Sounds like the BMW Procar series all over again. I say bring it on!

rpstewart · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:07

Flibster said:
Peterson

Bernie's good I know but I think re-incarnation is beyond even his abilities

Richard T · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:10

rpstewart said:
Bernie's good I know but I think re-incarnation is beyond even his abilities

Monza wasn't it

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:31

Bugger...yes true..

Forgot about that - was just running names of older drivers off the top of my head...

D'Oh!!!

Simon/~Flibster

Richard T · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:44

Flibster said:
Bugger...yes true..

Forgot about that - was just running names of older drivers off the top of my head...

D'Oh!!!

Simon/~Flibster

I'll second that Doh!

clv101 · 25 Aug 2005 at 12:59

They'd never get lots of ex drivers back... too much risk to reputation not to mention many of these guys have better things to do than regularly race all over the world. As a one-off once a season thing it could work though.

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 13:11

Uh oh....

Just read this after talking to one of my contacts who pretty much said that it's happening as well...

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns15460.html said:
Raikkonen at Ferrari (without the question mark)

Usually reliable sources are now telling us that Kimi Raikkonen will definitely be moving to Ferrari in 2007, which clearly upsets the applecart of the Formula 1 driver market, unless we are to believe that Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher will agree to be in the same team together. This being the case there would be no room for Felipe Massa. However, if there is no future for Massa at Ferrari in the long term, Jean Todt would have been unlikely to have signed up the Brazilian because a Todt Family company manages Felipe and it would have made no sense at all to have made such a move. The Todt company could have put in any driver for 2006, without needing to burn its major asset. Thus, if the sources are correct, Michael Schumacher will not be at Ferrari in 2007. This is unlikely to have happened without Michael knowing about it, because he and Jean Todt have always been close and it is unlikely that Todt would have pulled such a stunt. So, one must presume that Schumacher knows he is retiring and all the talk of moving elsewhere is a smokescreen to cover what Ferrari is really up to.

The validity of all these arguments rests on the source of a Raikkonen deal but we have found this source to be highly reliable over the years and sufficiently connected to know who is going where.

So the next question that leaps to mind, is who is going to be going to McLaren to replace Kimi in 2007?

Emlyn_Dewar · 25 Aug 2005 at 13:15

That was the Bild that reported that, I don't believe it for a second.

Bild-y Goodness (A website this good, it has to be true)
Slap this in some sort of translationy type tool... There's a bit saying KR has signed for 2007.

Flibster · 25 Aug 2005 at 14:04

I've now heard it from 2 other locations though...

...both part of the F1 circus..

Which is worrying...as one of the people I've talked to has been on the money for the past 2 to 3 years....

I still don't 100% believe it...but with the future of F1 in doubt why sign for Ferrari for 2007.. *which could be the last year of F1...*

It's certainly more plausable than some of the crap I've heard over the last few days..

Simon/~Flibster

Richard T · 25 Aug 2005 at 14:23

he'd be mad to leave mclaren

Plus ...doesn't the whole design/ technical team's contract finish at the same time as shueys???

ShuFFz · 25 Aug 2005 at 16:32

The Turkish GP actually had me sitting up watching it and i didnt get drowsy once like i usually do ....i really enjoyed that race.

More action needed though let the developers do the cars the way they want to we want 250mph smash ups that was what F1 was all about back in the day making a uncontrollable car stick to the road.

Flibster · 29 Aug 2005 at 22:37

More news...

Williams: BAR can have Button but...

Jenson Button will stay with BAR-Honda in 2006 - providing the Brackley based squad pay Williams around £50 million in compensation.

Button signed a deal with Williams for 2006 last year, when ironically he wanted to leave BAR for the Grove based squad. However in the end after the Contract Recognition Board ruled BAR had the valid contract he was made to stay with them for this season. Button though has now decided he doesn't want to move anymore, following BMW's decision to leave Williams and go it alone.

According to British newspaper, The News of the World, BAR have already offered Williams around £20 million, an offer Frank Williams has rejected.

"Their first offer was way short of the mark," a Williams 'insider' supposedly told the 'paper. "Frank can play hard-ball on this because we have a water-tight contact with Jenson for next season.

"If BAR are so keen to keep Jenson they will have to offer a lot more money."

BAR boss, Nick Fry meanwhile has confirmed again that they are very keen to keep hold of Jenson, despite the fact he has yet to win a grand prix. Ideally BAR would like to partner him with Rubens Barrichello next season, after signing the Brazilian earlier this month.

"If Williams want to do a deal we are open to discussion," added Fry. "Jenson is worth a lot to both teams. We wouldn't be squabbling over him if he were not, but his value is impossible to quantify. Jenson has already started the process of trying to get out of his Williams contract. There has been a number of letters going backwards and forwards and also discussions."

BAR have apparently offered Button a five-year deal worth £50 million, should he managed to get out of his deal with Williams.

Ok...it's kind of from News of the World...Not really a newspaper...

It's emergency bog roll tbh...