2006 Malaysian Grand Prix - Race 2/18

Dutch Guy said:
How does that work :confused: if he stopped in the last lap he would get a penalty free engine change?
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If you retired or stopped for any other reason that the engine - you can replace the engine penalty free.

If it's the engine that went foom then you can't.

I think...
 
Fisichella is allowed a new engine without penalty, apparently.

I've never been a fan of punishing the driver for an engine problem, surely docking team points would be better?

Maybe im not seeing the whole/correct picture :confused: :D
 
Deathwish said:
Fisichella is allowed a new engine without penalty, apparently.

I've never been a fan of punishing the driver for an engine problem, surely docking team points would be better?

Maybe im not seeing the whole/correct picture :confused: :D
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Fisichella's engine didn't fail.
The hydraulics did - so no problems with having a new engine.

Simon/~Flibster
 
Mosley pressing ahead with entry window

Max Mosley has warned Formula One's manufacturers that there will be no backing down over his plans for a limited 'window of opportunity' for entries to the 2008 world championship later this month.

Although the sport appears to be heading towards a deal that will head off the threat of a manufacturers' breakaway following meetings at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the FIA president has written to Formula One's teams insisting there is no change in the FIA's entry window procedure.

There were suggestions in the Bahrain paddock that plans to open entries for 2008 on March 24 and close them on March 31 could be made more flexible in light of an imminent deal with the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association, but this speculation appears to be wide of the mark.

In a letter that Mosley sent to the teams on Wednesday, the FIA president confirmed that he was pressing ahead with the one-week entry window.

He insists that it is necessary if the FIA are to frame the sport's 2008 regulations in co-operation with the teams - and he makes it clear that no team or manufacturer will be given special dispensation if they miss the entry window.

Those teams who fail to submit an entry in time will be frozen out of talks on the future rules, even if their entry for 2008 is accepted at a later date.

"A Formula One team which does not enter before 31 March would nevertheless be able to submit an entry at a later date and such an entry might be accepted by the FIA subject to the relevant sporting regulations and provided the number of teams did not exceed twelve, including the late entry," wrote Mosley.

"However, unless the FIA and the Competing Teams are persuaded that extenuating circumstances apply, even where such a late entry is accepted by the FIA prior to 30 June, late entering teams will not be invited to join in any discussions regarding the finalisation of the Sporting Regulations and entry will only be possible on the basis that the team accepts the Sporting Regulations as finally adopted and published prior to 30 June."

Mosley is hoping that the FIA World Council will approve his window of opportunity plan at their next meeting on March 22.

If they do, then once the entries are closed the FIA plans to begin a series of meetings with the teams to finalise the future F1 regulations. The technical regulations need to be sorted before June 30 this year to give teams enough time to design their 2008 cars.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who has been central to the discussions between the GPMA, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone, said in Bahrain last weekend that he was hopeful the manufacturers situation would be resolved before the entry deadline closed but said there was no fixed position from them about entries.

When asked about the GPMA's position towards the deadline, he said: "This is an almost day-by-day process now and I don't think anyone can present a situation where there is no signed-off MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) by that point.

"I don't want to be at all predictive but I expect there will be several meetings before that day and one of those meetings will be to decide what the position will be if we find ourselves in that situation. But there is no dialogue on that yet."

Speaking about the FIA's position with regards to the entry window, an FIA spokesman said: "The FIA's position with regards to the entry of the 2008 championship has been very clearly communicated to the current teams."
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Joe T said:
Im not sure this rule really makes sense?
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As fas as I'm aware - if the engine is still running when the car retires - then they are free to change the engine without penalty.

So:

Gearbox fails. Engine can be changed.
Hydraulics fails. Engine can be changed
Tyre blows and takes the suspension with it. Engine can be changed
Run out of fuel. Engine can be changed.

Engine decides to dump some oil on the exhaust and flambe itself. Engine can be changed - with a 10 place penalty.
Engine may have issues. Engine can be changed - with a 10 place penalty.
 
Flibster said:
As fas as I'm aware - if the engine is still running when the car retires - then they are free to change the engine without penalty.

So:

Gearbox fails. Engine can be changed.
Hydraulics fails. Engine can be changed
Tyre blows and takes the suspension with it. Engine can be changed
Run out of fuel. Engine can be changed.

Engine decides to dump some oil on the exhaust and flambe itself. Engine can be changed - with a 10 place penalty.
Engine may have issues. Engine can be changed - with a 10 place penalty.
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But if car doesn't retire then the engine cannot be changed without penalty.

If two cars are running out of the points (and have no chance of getting any) surely this hands an advantage to the car that retires allowing it a new engine for the next race. Last year doing this would have disadvantaged the retiring car due to the qualifying order, but that doesn't have any effect this year.
 
Alibaba99 said:
But if car doesn't retire then the engine cannot be changed without penalty.

If two cars are running out of the points (and have no chance of getting any) surely this hands an advantage to the car that retires allowing it a new engine for the next race. Last year doing this would have disadvantaged the retiring car due to the qualifying order, but that doesn't have any effect this year.
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The FIA made an edict about this iirc...
Trying to find it.

Here we go...

the FIA said:
2005 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CLARIFICATION: TWO-RACE ENGINES
16.03.2005


“Each driver may use no more than one engine for two consecutive Events. Should it become necessary for a driver to use another engine he will drop ten places on the starting grid at that Event and may not use another engine until the end of the next Event. Any driver who failed to finish the race at the first of the two Events may start the second with a different engine without incurring a penalty.”

The purpose of including the final sentence in the first paragraph of Article 85 of the 2005 Formula One Sporting Regulations was to ensure that if a driver failed to finish the first of two races he would not be penalised in the second if the engine was changed, the principle being that failing to finish a race was sufficient penalty.

As a result of what happened on the last lap of the race in Melbourne a distinction will now be made between failing to finish and choosing not to finish, the former is normally accidental or beyond the control of the driver while the latter is not.

In order to ensure the purpose of the regulation is fully respected, and unless the reason is completely clear, in future we will require the team of any driver who fails to finish the first of two races to explain the circumstances surrounding the retirement to the Stewards of the meeting.
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New engines in Malaysia for Massa, Coulthard, Montoya

Felipe Massa and David Coulthard will both face a ten-place penalty in Malaysia, as their cars will start the first practice for the Malaysian GP tomorrow with fresh engines and not with those used in Bahrain. McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya is likely to use a new engine too, therefore the Colombian will also have to drop ten places down his qualifying position.

Yuji ide, Jacques Villeneuve, Giancarlo Fisichella and Christijan Albers will also benefit from new engines, however they will not face a ten-place penalty as they all retired in Bahrain.
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Fisichella apologizes for Bahrain radio outburst

Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend's Malaysia Grand Prix, Giancarlo Fisichella has apologized for the emotional outburst that turned the airwaves blue.

In qualifying, the Italian lost pace after fitting new tyres for his final run, resulting in him taking ninth place on the grid. The following day, the problem continued, with the team admitting that it was unable to explain a loss of "around fifty horsepower short of his potential maximum".

There was no such loss of words for the Roman, who told the team that the car was "fornicating poo", adding greatly to the French team's embarrassment as the broadcast had gone out live to the watching millions.

"I was very upset," Fisichella admitted today. "First, I'm really sorry for that to all the people that were listening, especially to the children. I didn't know the team radio was on television. But now it's too late."

Earlier this week, Renault apologized to the Italian for not having rectified the problem in the first place.

"It was very disappointing because the problem I had in the race was the same that I'd had in qualifying which is the reason why I was more upset than usual," admitted Fisichella. "But there are more important things in life."

And one has to wonder what us mere mortals would have done in a similar situation.
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Malaysia Preview: Bridgestone

After the encouraging start to this season's World Championship in Bahrain last weekend which saw Bridgestone's teams come away with pole position, points, a podium and the fastest race lap between them, Bridgestone Motorsport is eager to capitalise on the results of round one. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher arrives in Malaysia in second place in the championship and will undoubtedly be aiming for the top step of the podium at this weekend's 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. The WilliamsF1 team drivers Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg will again be making the most of having Friday test driver Alex Wurz to do their tyre ground work and after their strong points scoring performances in Bahrain, will be aiming for the podium this weekend too. Toyota's Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli had a less encouraging start to their season but will be working closely with Bridgestone's engineers to solve their grip problems and get their season properly underway. The MF1 Racing and Super Aguri teams will also be looking to build on their Bahrain performances.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "The Bridgestone Motorsport team has come away from the Bahrain Grand Prix greatly encouraged. I also think the new qualifying format has really spiced things up for the teams and fans. From our point of view we know there is still a lot of hard work to come yet but it was a fantastic way to start the season. I am very impressed with the potential amongst our five teams and anticipate seeing some great drives from them this year. Considerable efforts have been made this winter by our engineers both in the UK and Japan to give our teams competitive tyres and although some teams are still un-tapping the potential of the Bridgestone tyres, I am confident that we have several strong team-tyre manufacturer packages this year. Having seen Michael Schumacher on the podium in Bahrain, our aim this weekend is to put a Bridgestone driver on the top step and as many drivers in the points as possible."

The 2006 tyre regulations permit each driver seven sets of dry tyres, four sets of wet weather tyres and three sets of extreme wet weather tyres. Combined with the increased number of teams running with Bridgestone in 2006, approximately 1,200 Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres have been sent from the Technical Centre in Kodaira City, Tokyo, to Malaysia's Sepang Circuit.

Hisao Suganuma Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager: "For Malaysia we will need high performing tyres for a hot and humid climate on a circuit which is very demanding on the rears. Having seen our performance in Bahrain we are confident that the specifications of Bridgestone Potenza F1 tyres the teams have chosen will cope with these demands. Good consistency from the rear tyres is a key factor at the Sepang circuit. The track, which has a smooth surface and therefore requires compounds from the medium to soft range, is an exciting mix of high and low speed corners. The issue here, however, is how to keep the tyre temperatures down in the tyres.The drivers will need good balance, traction and grip through the slow speed corners and for that they will want lower tyre temperatures. This is not easy when a slow speed corner follows a heat generating high speed corner. To assist our teams we shall be providing them with the same series of new tyre constructions and compounds which performed so competitively in Bahrain."
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F1 qualifying format set for tweak, again?

F1's ever-changing qualifying format could be set for yet another tweak, according to team principal Frank Williams.

The knighted chief told Motorsport News that he thought the all-new 'knockout' system's final top-ten blast - during which most cars circulated slowly for nearly twenty minutes burning fuel in Bahrain - might need fine-tuning.

Williams recalled the session as 'ten cars going around eight seconds off the pace with no attempt to overtake'.

He also said the primary objective - burning fuel - is 'wasteful'.

“I think we might want to make some small adjustments, and maybe the television companies can think of ways to improve it,” 63-year-old Williams added.
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Villeneuve's BMW boost in disguise

Yet another Formula One racer will join David Coulthard and Jacques Villeneuve in moving ten places down Malaysia's grid.

It is reported in the Italian Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper that team newcomer Felipe Massa's debuting Ferrari V8 engine showed signs of damage after the chequered flag in Bahrain, and may need replacing ahead of schedule at Sepang.

With Red Bull's Coulthard suffering a failure after the Bahraini chequer, the Massa newsflash means that two of the four new 2.4 litre Ferrari units failed to make it through the first two Grand Prix of season '06.

Villeneuve's fiery blow-up in Bahrain may be a blessing in disguise, however, with suggestions that BMW has delivered a new-specification unit for him to use at searing Sepang.

"I am impressed with the reaction time," the French Canadian said at a PR event near the 'Petronas Twin Towers' in Kuala Lumpur.

"Hopefully we will have an engine to provide us with a better challenge this time."
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FIA to inspect Renault's rear wing

Intriguingly, after Renault questioned the legality of Ferrari's rear wing, it is now suggested that the Enstone based team faces an FIA inspection in Malaysia following doubts about the bodywork of the 'R26' car.

FIA delegate Charlie Whiting may already have arranged a meeting with Renault's Pat Symonds, amid claims that the R26 racer's unique rear wing end plates are designed to bend at high speed, thus reducing wind drag.

According to 'Auto Motor Und Sport' in Germany, the Renault's 2006 rear wing is designed so that - at high speed - the trailing edge moves out of the line of wind flow.

A central theme of the 'flex' case against Ferrari, meanwhile, is that - unlike every other team - the main element of the '248' car's rear wing is not reinforced by vertical 'supports', which in theory could allow the wing to bend at high speed. 'Auto Motor Und Sport' suggests that Ferrari could be asked by the FIA to install such supports.
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Every cloud has a silver lining

David Coulthard’s engine suffered a problem after it took the chequered flag at the end of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix and the team was not exactly delighted, as this means DC knows that wherever he qualifies on Saturday afternoon here in Sepang, he starts ten places further down the grid. The irritation stems from the fact that if he had pulled out of the race with a couple of laps to go, he could have changed the engine without any penalty.

“But in these extremely hot conditions, a new engine might be a blessing in disguise,” said Red Bull Racing Sporting Director, Christian Horner. “Exchanging ten places on the grid for a new engine may be no bad thing.”

Exchanging his cockpit for a piece of rope and a plank of wood on Tuesday was Robert Doornbos. He and sister team’s Tonio Liuzzi were in Singapore, where they tried their hand at wakeboarding. For those of you who don’t read “Pointless Sports Monthly,” wakeboarding is similar to water skiing, except that you end up with something the size of a snowboard (qv “Pointless Sports Monthly”) attached to your feet. And yes, both drivers were very good at it.

On the subject of Doornbos, one member of his family caused quite a stir in Bahrain and no it was not his sister. Apparently, Robert has what is known as a “Yummy Mummy” and she set a few hearts aflutter in the paddock, amongst an age group whose hearts should not be fluttering too much.
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Dammit - we demand Photo's of the alleged 'Yummy Mummy'
 
Toyota asks Bridgestone for softer rubber

Crisis-stricken Toyota has asked its new F1 tyre supplier, Bridgestone, to provide the team with special soft tyres, we can reveal.

The Cologne based team found itself in a dire state of speed at the 2006 season opener, even though Bridgestone's Hiroshi Yasukawa suggested that the problem is simply a matter of Toyota 'untapping the potential' of the product.

"We are having trouble heating the tyres up," German driver Ralf Schumacher confessed to 'Sport1.de'.

"We hoped that it would get better when we got away from the cold (test) circuits," he added, "but it hasn't."

Technical director Mike Gascoyne, a high salary member of the huge-budget outfit, appeared pale and baffled at the end of the Bahrain opener.

After long race stints, Ralf and Toyota teammate Jarno Trulli's Bridgestones looked brand new.

"It's not their (Bridgestone's) problem, it's our problem," Britain's Gascoyne clarified.

The 42-year-old added: "It's not a lack of downforce -- the car is okay. We just have no grip."
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Coulthard regrets lack of Friday action
David Coulthard has urged Formula One's bosses to have a rules rethink in a bid to increase the amount of running drivers do on Fridays.

Concerns about the ability of engines to last two Grand Prix weekends, and the seven set limit of tyres, has resulted in drivers only being allowed to run a handful of laps on the first day of action.

This course of action is not only disappointing for fans who buy tickets on the Fridays, but is frustrating for drivers - who are forced to watch some team's third cars lap all day.

Speaking in a pre-race press conference at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Coulthard said the time had come to consider ways of opening up action on Fridays.

"I think the thing that is confusing with the third car thing is that they run seven sets of tyres and they can run maximum rpm so they don't have the same restrictions," said Coulthard.

"Our restriction on engine mileage (in Bahrain) was that we had 11 laps available on Friday and 17 on Saturday before going into qualifying. It is a consequence of the regulations of having to use an engine for two race weekends and where Ferrari are with their reliability.

"Now, I accept that if they did a better job then we could run more miles, but what I am trying to highlight is that the regulations, as they stand, restrict track time and the whole point of somebody coming to a Grand Prix weekend is to obviously see the cars out there and to give us the time to set up the cars.

"I think within the regulation changes that are there, there are others that can be done to further enhance the show and make it better for everyone rather than giving away an advantage."

Team boss Frank Williams suggested in Bahrain last weekend that concerns about the lack of action on Friday could ultimately act as a catalyst to turn Grands Prix into two-day events.
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The boy, as usual, has a point. I can remember going to Silverstone in the mid 90s and getting action in every session, even the Sunday warmup saw drivers doing a dozen laps or so. Granted just about everyone did an engine change for qualifying and then back again for the race but you got to see something at least. These days you get 7 drivers bashing round for all of the Friday sessions and then disappearing for the rest of the weekend while the race drivers venture out only to make sure the car still works.
 
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