2006 Australian Grand Prix - Race 3/18

FIA cancels London meeting

Formula One's ruling body, the FIA, has cancelled a meeting with all the applicants who submitted their entries to the 2008 Formula One championship.

The FIA had invited the 22 applicants to a meeting in London on April 10.

But with a three-week break before the next Grand Prix, the meeting has been cancelled as many teams had already planned holidays for that period.

An FIA spokesman told autosport.com: "The meeting has been cancelled because some of the teams that were invited couldn't make it, due to holidays planned for the April season break."

Asked if the meeting has been rescheduled for a new date, the spokesman said: "It has not been rescheduled at the moment, but that doesn't mean it won't be."

Last Friday was the deadline set by the FIA for all teams to enter if they wanted to have a say in writing the regulations for 2008.
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I reckon Gascoyne will be employed again very soon, he is top of the pile as far as I'm concerned. Ferrari have been long term suitors but his recent comments about spending too much time from home while working in Cologne may suggest he won't take another overseas position.
 
I could see him going to Ferrari but only if Ross Brawn leaves / moves up, both of which have been rumoured over the last 6 months or so.

However if McLaren were to come a knocking then I doubt there's anyone out there who would turn them down.
 
Montezemelo boosts MS position in team

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has given Michael Schumacher a vote of confidence, despite the seven-time Formula One world champion's poor performance at the Australian Grand Prix.

Schumacher failed to get any points last weekend after steering into a wall with 24 laps to go, and is fourth in the race for the drivers' title on 11 points, 17 behind leader Fernando Alonso of the Renault team.

"Every time Schumacher drops out of a race, his position comes under scrutiny," said Montezemelo.

"I am happy to have him in my team because he's the greatest champion there is."

Ferrari, which dominated F1 for five consecutive seasons until Renault dethroned the Italy giant last year, is stranded in third place in the constructors' title.
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Montoya's Future

The rumors on the possible movements of pilots for the 2007 speak of Montoya locating in Red Bull, Renault or BMW, but it could be true?

Even after the Aussie GP. Analyzing the situation point by point, Red Bull has a quarry of pilots, like 20 in his payroll, so the logical thing should be to find the replacement there.

Renault has the talented Kovalainen, pilot in who has invested several millions, in addition to be one of the Briatore's Pilots, so he should be Alonso’s replacement.

We have left BMW, team with a similar situation as Renault.

In conclusion the rumors could came from Montoya’s Manager, Julian Jakoby, who must desperate to generate interest in his pilot.

The Future isn’t write yet, so we have to wait was going on with our Colombia Driver.
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The meaning of the word equivalency

There has been some chuntering in the last few days about the performance of the Toro Rossos in Australia with some of the teams at the back making noises about life not being fair because the team is using V10 engines, albeit in rev-limited form. The potential for good results from Toro Rosso was seen in Bahrain but since then has been well hidden by the team's inability to use the machinery in a sensible fashion. In Australia the cars were running on a hard compound Michelin which meant that even if they looked rather good in the race they were probably not as impressive as they might be when the tyre choice is better. They would also have done much better in Australia if the team's pit stop skills were honed a little more. Thus one can expect the cars to go even quicker on occasion this year as the team gets its act together.

Complaining about the situation is not much good because the option to use normally-aspirated V10s was open to teams at the back of the grid. There does not seem to be anything outrageously wrong with the equivalency formula as there are no real signs that the V10s are quicker than the V8s. And let us face it, equivalency implies equality. If the engines are the same and the chassis is the thing making the difference then complaints about the engines are not really valid. Equivalency does not mean that Scuderia Toro Rosso has to be as slow as Minardi used to be.

Super Aguri F1 and Midland may not like being beaten by STR but that situation is unlikely to change unless they improve. It is possible (although unlikely) that the FIA might lower the rev limit if there are any outrageous results but then one gets into the question of what constitutes an outrageous result because teams should not be penalised for making progress.
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Flibster said:
Montoya's Future

The rumors on the possible movements of pilots for the 2007 speak of Montoya locating in Red Bull, Renault or BMW, but it could be true?

Even after the Aussie GP. Analyzing the situation point by point, Red Bull has a quarry of pilots, like 20 in his payroll, so the logical thing should be to find the replacement there.

Renault has the talented Kovalainen, pilot in who has invested several millions, in addition to be one of the Briatore's Pilots, so he should be Alonso’s replacement.

We have left BMW, team with a similar situation as Renault.

In conclusion the rumors could came from Montoya’s Manager, Julian Jakoby, who must desperate to generate interest in his pilot.

The Future isn’t write yet, so we have to wait was going on with our Colombia Driver.
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That is probably the worst written article I have ever had the pleasure of reading... translation?
 
EC Warns countries over tobacco exemption
The European Commission has warned countries not complying with a ban on tobacco advertising to fall in line with the rules or else face the consequences.

The EC has written a letter of formal notice to three countries holding Formula One events - Italy, Spain and Hungary - warning them to put an end to the exemptions that allow tobacco advertising in motor racing or under special circumstances.

The EC also wrote to the Czech Republic, which host a MotoGP event.

Spain has a provision whereby the ban on advertising and sponsorship in motor racing events does not apply until three years after the entry into force of the Spanish law.

Italy does not apply the sponsorship ban to events that take place exclusively on Italian territory, while Hungary allows an exemption from the ban under special circumstances which relate to economically important events.

"The European Commission today demonstrated that it is maintaining its strong line on tobacco advertising, by sending 'letters of formal notice' to Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and Spain for non-compliance with the Tobacco Advertising Directive 2003/33/EC," said the European Commission in a statement.

"The infringements relate mainly to exemptions from the sponsorship ban which these four Member States have allowed when transposing the Tobacco Advertising Directive into national law.

"The Member States have two months to reply to the letters of formal notice and must bring their legislation into conformity with the Directive. Otherwise, the Commission will continue with the next steps in the infringement procedure."

The Commission said the countries have two months to reply to the letter and to fall in line with the regulations.

Failing to do so, the Commission said it "will embark on the second stage of the infringement procedure ('reasoned opinion'), and if the non-compliance continues, it can refer the Member States to the European Court of Justice."

"The Tobacco Advertising Directive is one of the cornerstones in our fight against tobacco and I urge Member States to apply it properly," said Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection.

"Stopping the glamorisation of tobacco through advertising and sponsorship is a key aspect in reducing the number of people who smoke or start to smoke.

"Previous action taken by the Commission against other Member States in relation to this Directive demonstrates that I will not hesitate in taking steps to ensure that it is fully and properly applied."
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Consequences eh? These the same consequences that France has still yet to face for refusing to lift an illegal ban on British beef or the ones Germany never faced for running a budget deficit far in excess of their Eurozone commitments????
 
//Mike said:
That is probably the worst written article I have ever had the pleasure of reading... translation?
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It's a bit dodgy isn't it. I think the crux of the article is that JPM may not have as many post McLaren options as his manager is telling him.

Mind you I wouldn't be surprised if Fisi leaves Renault so JPM & Heike K is a possibility.

EDIT: Why no seats at BMW? Assuming JV gets the boot is Kubica a shoe in?
 
Toyota warn of possible withdrawl
Toyota team principal John Howett has dropped a major hint that the Japanese carmaker may pull out of Formula One if the FIA does not make it clear that it wants manufacturers in the sport.

FIA president Max Mosley has made no secret in recent weeks that he wants to do everything he can to help independent teams flourish in the sport, because he believes they - not the manufacturers - are its lifeblood.

And with none of the sport's current teams currently having a guarantee that they will be granted an entry to F1 in 2008, Howett has told this week's Autosport that the long-term future of Toyota is uncertain.

"It's all very unclear at the moment," he said. "Are we welcome or not? If we really are not welcome, it should be said publicly. The FIA has got to understand that we are being asked to commit to Formula One until the end of 2012 without giving any indication of whether we are wanted.

"We are prepared to commit to F1, but we need certain core values to remain. That means for example, that it has to remain the pinnacle of motorsport. Using technology doesn't always mean more cost, it can mean the opposite.

"If F1 can't remain the pinnacle, then the board will have to decide on the company's participation."

Despite the comments about Toyota's future, it appears unlikely that any withdrawal from F1 could take place before the end of 2008.

According to sources, those teams that have put forward their entry to the 2008 championship with the FIA are deemed to have signed a binding contract to commit to the series, providing they get an entry.

The 2008 entry form in the Sporting Regulations, which has been signed by those teams who have lodged an entry, states: "We confirm that we have read and understand the provisions of the International Sporting Code, the 1998 Concorde Agreement (including its Schedules), the 2008 Formula One Technical Regulations and the 2008 Formula One Sporting Regulations.

"We agree to be bound by them (as supplemented or amended) and further we agree on our own behalf and on behalf of everyone associated with our participation in the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship to observe them.

"We declare that we have examined this Entry Form and that the information given is true, correct and complete and we undertake to pay the entry fee of €300,000 (three hundred thousand Euros) to the FIA no later than 1 November 2007. "

Article 68 of the International Sporting Code makes it clear that an entry is binding between the teams and FIA - which means that any team who break the contract could be subject to punishment.

"An entry is a contract between a competitor and the organising committee (see Article 25). It can be signed by both parties or result from an exchange of correspondence.

"It compels the competitor to take part in the competition in which they have accepted to run, except in case of duly established force majeure."
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OK, there's a whole pallet of cans of worms opened there.

1) No 2008 entry guaranteed for existing teams! So you build a business and attract a fan base who watch the races and hence drive revenue for the FIA then you get told to go away because your face doesn't fit?

2) The lack of support for manufacturers at the moment is worrying. Where are the engines going to come from? Are we heading back to the 70s when everyone ran a Cossie or were Ferrari?

3) Commitment to run if accepted - I'm not sure where I stand on this one at the moment. I'm all for the don't apply if you don't intend to run argument but this has to be handled sensitively by the FIA to ensure that everyone who they accept is ABLE to run. That means that the FIA has to ensure that there are sufficient competitive engines & tyres available for everyone.
 
Super aguri to further delay new car
Super Aguri have admitted that their new car is now unlikely to make its debut until the British Grand Prix in June, after being forced to abandon plans to use an updated version of last year's BAR007 chassis.

The Japanese team have impressed many with the job they have done so far this year with the developed 2002 Arrows A23, but the outfit have always insisted that it was only a stop-gap solution before their definitive challenger hit the track.

The original idea was for the team to switch to an updated version of last year's BAR007 hybrid car for the San Marino Grand Prix later this month, but that date slipped back while discussions took place with Honda about getting hold of the car.

Following a series of recent meetings, however, Super Aguri have been told that they will now not be able to use the BAR007 car at all.

This is because of fears about it breaching the terms of the Concorde Agreement, which dictate teams must design and build their own cars, and also because Honda's F1 team do not want to divert any of their attention away from their own efforts on track this year.

Super Aguri's managing director Daniel Audetto admitted the news on the BAR car was a setback, but made it clear the team already had a back-up plan in place to aggressively develop their current SA05 car until their own new SA06 was now ready.

"The car is delayed now," he told autosport.com. "We have to make a completely new SA06 without much help from Honda, because they have to focus on their own situation.

"We think it will not be before Silverstone probably, so we have decided to go in parallel in developing the SA05 with developments that carry over to the SA06."

Speaking about the improvements expected to be fitted to the SA05, Audetto said: "We will have a new gearbox, we will get the centre of gravity lower and we will also work on the weight distribution.

"We hope to reduce the weight and also have some ballast to improve the situation. Also there will be some aerodynamics which will come from the SA06 development."

Although Scuderia Toro Rosso have been able to run last year's RB1 chassis because technically it does not breach the terms of the Concorde Agreement, it is believed that Honda are reluctant to release their old car so easily on two grounds.

The first is that their F1 team are still under a suspended ban after their disqualification from the San Marino Grand Prix last year, and any actions that leave them open to dispute could leave them exposed to further punishment from the FIA.

Also, unlike Red Bull Racing, Honda have not yet committed to F1 beyond 2008. Ahead of discussions with the FIA about future rules, the company is believed to be reluctant to press ahead with any activity that would compromise its bargaining position with the FIA.

When asked whether he thought the situation could change in the next few weeks, and that Aguri could persuade Honda to release the BAR007, Audetto said: "I cannot force Honda to change their mind, so we have to go our own way."

Although Aguri have done an impressive job this year considering how quickly the team were put together, Audetto has made it clear that they are not going to rest on their laurels - and that they were determined to end the year in the top 10 of the constructors' championship.

"We have done quite well, but it is not well enough to be in the top 10," he said. "Our target this year is to finish in the top 10. Still we are about two seconds slower than the Midland and, even with the improvements to the aerodynamics, the centre of gravity and the gearbox I don't think we can catch up with them.

"So we need the new car as soon as possible to get in the points."
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It's interesting to see that Honda's excuse for not helping out is that they're still under a suspended ban. Now to me that says one of two things 1) we're running out of excuses or 2) we had no intention of helping but we'll give you the old car.
 
Toyota, Gascoyne part company
The Toyota team and Mike Gascoyne have reached a mutual agreement to end their working relationship with immediate effect, the Japanase squad have said.

Gascoyne, who had been "suspended" earlier this week, will remain contracted to Toyota Motorsport until the end of October, but he will not carry out any work for the team.

"Obviously, it is the end of an era but nobody can dispute that Toyota has made a big step forward over the last two seasons," said Gascoyne.

"We have now reached a crossroads in our working relationship and I believe that it is the right time for us to part ways amicably and for me to move back to the UK where I can also enjoy spending more time with my family.

"I extend my thanks to all members of the team and wish them a successful future in Formula One."

Toyota said the team and Gascoyne had developed "different opinions about the future direction of the technical operations in the team's chassis and engineering areas, which have resulted in the need for a change on both sides."

"Although we have reached a joint decision to go our separate ways, I wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to Mike for the indisputable contribution he has made to our team over the last few years," said team principal Tsutomu Tomita.

"This separation should in no way undermine the work he has done, nor reflect his technical expertise. We all wish him well for the future."

Toyota are yet to announced Gascoyne's replacement.
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So in the garden until the weather turns then, must be great.....
 
Memphis said:
Just so long as they don't becoming a nice mid to rear end team like Toyota because of it.
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Come on, credit where credit's due. In the years prior to Gascoyne's arrival Toyota came in 9th followed by 8th in the constructors championship. Granted in 2004, Mike's first year in charge they scored another 8th but last year when he could influence the car more they were 4th. The 88 points gained being more than double the total in the previous seasons combined.
 
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