2006 Monte Carlo Grand Prix - Race 7/18

[Flibster]

Trulli believes in TF106B potential

Toyota driver Jarno Trulli believes in the potential of the TF106B car after the machine made its debut at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The car, a heavily revised version of the TF106 the Japanese squad began their season with, allowed Trulli to fight for a podium position at Monte Carlo. In the end, however, the Italian retired with a hydraulic problem while he was running in third place.

Trulli is now working on understanding the new car better, testing at the Barcelona circuit.

And despite a tough first session yesterday, the Toyota driver believes in the potential of the TF106B.

"We had a tough day yesterday because of some electronics problems but today it is better," Trulli told autosport.com. "I am still learning about the car, and I can feel there is more potential (than with the previous one).

"The car at the moment is not all to my liking so we have to work on that. I am having a little struggle to drive this car at the moment, but I am sure we will work it out."

The Cologne-based squad struggled with tyre problems early in the season, the TF106 unable to generate sufficient heat into its tyres.

Trulli admitted the new car has not solved the problem, but he claimed things are getting better.

"The tyres, they do look better," he said. "We have made am improvement, but in getting temperatures into the tyres we are not completely on top of the problems yet.

"As for Silverstone it is very difficult to judge, we will see."

 

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Shnaider facing 'most difficult' decision

Midland owner Alex Shnaider says considering the sale of his Formula One team is one of the most difficult decisions he has ever had to face.

As revealed yesterday, Shnaider has a an offer for the MF1 Racing team from a consortium led by Michiel Mol, founder of Dutch Internet firm Lost Boys.

The Dutch group have offered around 100 million Euro for the outfit.

"I honestly wish I hadn't received this offer," Shnaider told Toronto's Globe and Mail. "It is one of the most difficult business decisions I have ever had to make, because I have invested more than just money in the team.

"I have invested my dreams."

Shnaider entered Formula One last year after buying the struggling Jordan team, but the Toyota-powered squad have so far failed to shine under the Midland name and have been constantly surrounded by rumours about a possible sell-out.

Earlier this year, Shnaider denied he was considering selling the team and slammed the rumours.

"I wonder what their motivation is for spreading this bull****, and why they never seem to grow tired of publishing the same lies, over and over again," said Shnaider in April

"The fact is, despite the constant rumours, I have not sold the team and it continues to operate at a healthy level."

 

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GPDA want Schumacher to come clean

Formula One drivers will demand that Michael Schumacher comes clean about what really happened in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying at a meeting at Silverstone next week, as the controversy over the incident continues to rumble on.

Amid pressure from some of his rivals who want him to stand down from his role as president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) after he was judged to have deliberately stopped his car on the track in the closing minutes of Monaco qualifying, fellow drivers now want to give Schumacher the chance behind closed doors to fully explain what happened.

It is understood that the matter will be brought up at the GPDA's next meeting, which is scheduled to take place at the British Grand Prix.

Several drivers are still upset about the safety implications of Schumacher's actions, and are believed to feel uncomfortable that the GPDA's mandate in pushing for improved safety in the sport may be compromised by being represented by a driver who put other drivers' safety at risk by deliberately stopping his car on the track to impede his rivals.

Although initial speculation that there was a petition among drivers to force Schumacher to step down from his role in the GPDA appears to be wide of the mark, high level sources have revealed that a group of drivers are pushing for action to be taken.

And despite Schumacher's protestations of innocence in public about what happened, and his wish to put the matter behind him, rival drivers want to give him the chance of be honest about the events in qualifying so they can judge the situation for themselves.

Jarno Trulli, who is a GPDA director, quelled talk about an official push for Schumacher's removal from his role within the body at next week's meeting, but did admit that there would be a demand for answers about the Rascasse incident.

Speaking to autosport.com, he said: "Yes, there will be a meeting of drivers at Silverstone and the question will be raised about Michael.

"As a GPDA member, myself as well as other drivers want to ask him, with no polemics, no speculation and simply a discussion between drivers.

"I feel the same as I did in Monaco. It is obvious; he may say whatever he wants to you, but he cannot do that to other drivers."

Some drivers are less accommodating than Trulli, however, and believe Schumacher's actions alone have left his position as president of the GPDA untenable. Sources within the body have suggested that an informal motion will be put forward in the meeting asking Schumacher to consider stepping down.

One source said: "We will not force him to stand down, but we will ask him. We hope he has enough sense to understand why we feel like this."

Schumacher said on Friday, however, that he was not moved by suggestions that his rivals wanted to talk to him about the Monaco incident.

"I do not think the drivers will have to speak to me about this, because perhaps if they have to speak to anyone it would be the stewards," he said. "They spoke to me already and everything has been done. It is not the drivers' job to speak to me about this."

Whatever the proceedings in the meeting, it is likely to lead to further controversy within the GPDA.

McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa said at Monaco that if Schumacher did not step down from his role as president of the GPDA then he would leave the body.

"In my opinion I don't see how he can remain a GPDA director, but this is only my opinion, not the opinion of the organisation," he said. "We will have to discuss this matter at the next meeting [at Silverstone]. But if he remains as a director, then I cannot continue to do so."

 

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Villeneuve to drive in Hyde Park

Formula One machinery will return to the streets of London for the first time since the Regent's Street parade two years ago when Jacques Villeneuve demonstrates his BMW-Sauber in Hyde Park.

Team sponsor Intel is hosting a promotional event on the Tuesday after the British Grand Prix when Villeneuve's F1.06 will put in some runs on a special 380-metre stretch of road within Hyde Park.

The former world champion will be joined in June 13 event by World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, who will be demonstrating a BMW M6 alongside the F1 car.

The famous Regent's Park parade in 2004 proved a huge hit with the public, as thousands of spectators crammed into central London to witness cars drive through the streets of the capital.

 

[Flibster]

RTS award for Brundle

Former Grand Prix driver Martin Brundle has walked away with one of the biggest awards in television after claiming the 'Sports Pundit' trophy from the Royal Television Society (RTS).

At their annual Television Sports Awards ceremony in London on Wednesday night, Brundle was handed the trophy for his contributions to ITV's Formula One coverage.

The RTS said Brundle was "an outstanding operator at the very peak of his game - with an extraordinary ability to simplify and entertain in an often complex sport.

"He also exhibited a fearless authority on some of the most sensitive issues - not least his gimlet-eyed pursuit of Formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone on the grid at Indianapolis!"

Brundle beat off challenges from Channel 4's famous horse racing pundit John McCririck and cricket's Simon Hughes.

ITV's F1 coverage was also handed a Sports Innovation Award for its insight features last year, where the secrets of Formula One machinery were explained.

And no mention of James '****' Allen

 

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Rossi admits he may never enter F1

After months of speculation linking him to Ferrari, Valentino Rossi has now admitted that he may never enter Formula One.

The MotoGP World Champion announced on Thursday that, after much deliberation, he had in fact extended his current Yamaha contract for a further season.

And the main reason for it, is that he didn't foresee too many wins coming his way in Formula One.

"I had the chance to drive the best race car in the world, the best machine in Formula One and understand my potential," Rossi explained.

"After the test here in November I really thought about going (to Formula One).

"I had a great test in Fiorano, about a second off the lap record, and that made the decision difficult.

"Then I went to Valencia and drove alongside the other drivers, experiencing the atmosphere and the media pressure, and then I decided.

"I saw myself in the pit box with Schumacher and there and then I understood the difference between him and me.

"I have always been passionate about cars, and I can go fast with them, but it wouldn't have been easy to win."

He added: "In the future I am sure that I will do car racing, but maybe not Formula One."

 

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A Williams-Toyota deal for three years?

The word from Japan is that Williams will soon sign a three-year deal to use Toyota engines in Formula 1. The stories suggest that the team will be paying a nominal fee for the Cologne-built V8s.

The big question is what constitutes a nominal fee in F1 terms. Some stories suggest that it will be almost nothing but we have also heard that the team will have to come up with something in the region of $10m a year. This is not much, particularly given the increase in income that is coming from the new commercial agreements that have now been put in place in recent weeks and with the team's potential for sponsorship deals if it can produce better results.

The deal is a shrewd one as it secures the team's future in the mid-term and opens the way for a closer relationship in the longer-term if Toyota at some point decides to give up running its own team. At the same time, if Toyota is winning, Williams will not be far behind so the team will have a solid base one way or the other and that will help to encourage more sponsors to support the team, particularly given what has been achieved this year with Cosworth engines. The team may not have won anything but the level of performance for a small team has been impressive. A link with Toyota makes a lot of sense for an independent team such as Williams as the Japanese firm is the world's most successful and most ambitious automobile company and is aiming to be the top car company in the world within the next few years. It also has the deepest pockets.

For Toyota there is little to lose from the deal as winning with Williams or winning with its own team is much the same thing, if one looks at F1 from a big picture perspective. It will also help to motivate Panasonic Toyota Racing to do a better job. Our spies in Japan say that the deal will see the engines badged as Lexus V8s, a move that makes a great deal of sense from a marketing point of view.

 

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Super Aguri and Sakon Yamamoto

There are rumours that driver Sakon Yamamoto will be the third driver for Super Aguri F1 starting at Silverstone next week. There have even been suggestions that Yamamoto could replace Franck Montagny at the French GP in July, although this is unlikely to go down well with Montagny, who is currently France's only F1 driver.

Yamamoto is understood to have been to Leafield for a seating fitting.

The 23-year-old started racing at the age of 12 at the Suzuka kart school and won the Japanese Formula A title in 1998 and 1999. He switched to cars in 2001, jumping straight into Formula 3 and ended up fourth in the series in his first year and then headed to Europe where he raced for two seasons In 2004 he went back to Japan and has been racing in the Super GT series ever since although he made his first F1 appearance at the end of 2005 with the Jordan team, doing a solid job at Suzuka.

Yamamoto will need to work as a test driver to convince the FIA that he warrants being granted a F1 superlicence.

 

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Badoer Unhurt, But Destroys Ferrari

Luca Badoer did not return to test duty at Circuit de Catalunya after a huge accident on Thursday.

Ferrari's veteran test driver left the right-rear but also the front section of his '248' car totally destroyed after losing it in the ultra-quick turn three sweeper and smacking conveyor-belt covered tyres.

Italy's Badoer, 35, emerged from the red car as a few flames emerged from the bodywork, but was unhurt. The car, however, is beyond repair.

 

[Flibster]

Will be doing the next F1 thread tomorrow as I'm spending a couple days under the knife again next week...

Happy happy joy joy...

Have another new video as well.. You'll have to wait find out what though.

One day I'll be able to walk properly again....eventually....maybe....if I'm lucky....

Simon/~Flibster