2006 San Marino Grand Prix - Race 4/18

Honda change tune on Australia retirement

Honda have backtracked on claims that they deliberately told Jenson Button to stop before the finish line at the Australian Grand Prix to avoid an engine penalty for this weekend's race at Imola.

Although the team said immediately after the Melbourne event that they ordered Button not to cross the finish line after his engine blew-up coming out of the last corner, Honda are now claiming that he was required to stop for safety reasons.

Had Button taken the chequered flag in Australia he would have scored three points but would also have been forced to take a 10-place grid penalty for needing an engine change prior to the San Marino Grand Prix.

Speaking after Melbourne - both on live TV and to journalists after the race - team boss Nick Fry said there was a clear decision to avoid crossing the finish line.

"It was a quick call by the race engineer and we need to see if it was right later," Fry said back then, later adding: "Clearly what we will do, as we will do with everything, is have an evaluation of the situation. But at the moment we feel it was the right decision.

"We lost points here, but we can go to Imola with a clean sheet of paper, a new engine and improvements to the car. Hopefully we can turn it into a good race position next time around."

However, when asked at Imola if the decision in Australia was fully justified - with Button taking a front-row slot for the San Marino Grand Prix - Fry provided a different version of what happened in Australia.

"It wasn't a matter of stopping him before the line," he stated. "Although on television it looked like he was quite close to the line, the actual measured distance was actually the best part of half a kilometre. So it really wasn't a question of stopping him before the line.

"And with the amount of oil that was flying around, the best thing to do for the safety of him, (Giancarlo) Fisichella and others was to get him off the track. It really wasn't a debate of should we or shouldn't we."
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*sniff sniff*

I love the smell of bull**** in the morning...
 
Todt has decided about future

Jean Todt says he has now made a decision about whether to stick around in Formula One beyond 2006.

But the 60-year-old team principal, who joined Ferrari in 1993 but is again out of contract at the end of the year, is not yet willing to give the game away.

'I have made my decision,' Todt - who is thought likely to hang around if Michael Schumacher also does - told Germany's 'Bild am Sonntag' newspaper on Sunday.

He said: 'I am keeping it to myself.

'Up to now I have had an incredible time with Ferrari. Now, we would like to return to the top.'
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Ferrari praise for racy Rosberg

Luca di Montezemolo spent Saturday showering Kimi Räikkönen with glory, but - a day later - Ferrari's Jean Todt has also put on his praise hat.

The red team's French principal, however, did not enthuse about the cool Finn who may slide into a red cockpit in 2007.

Todt, 60, went wild for Williams' rookie Nico Rosberg.

'He is a great young driver,' Todt told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper, 'with a huge amount of talent.'

Rosberg, the 20-year-old countryman of Ferrari incumbent Michael Schumacher, also has another advantage, according to Todt - his champion dad.

'Since Nico was born,' the Ferrari boss mused, 'he breathed the air of this world of racing. Technically he is very good, he is professional - add it all together and he should have a big career.'

McLaren's name has already been mentioned as a possible future home for Rosberg Jr - so is Ferrari a player too?

Todt said: 'Williams is a super team for him. He has a fast car to drive, and even if it stays the same next year, Germany will have plenty to cheer about.'
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Raikkonen as No1 and Rosberg as No2 line up at Ferrari in 07?
 
Families expanding in F1 paddock

Juan Pablo Montoya and wife Connie are preparing to welcome a second child into the Formula One paddock.

1-year-old Sebastian is now a regular face behind the pits, but his dad - McLaren's Colombian driver - and Mum are already expecting baby number two.

Sebastian's brother or sister is due in September.

'Sebastian travels with us,' 30-year-old Montoya told Britain's Times newspaper, 'and the next one will as well.'

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher and his wife Corinna may also be planning to extend their family, while brother Ralf's wife Cora told Welt am Sonntag: 'I would happily have a daughter.'
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I am too old for all this says emotional Ferrari President

Another pole and another record were the high points of qualifying day at the "Enzo e Dino Ferrari" circuit, as Michael Schumacher set the quickest time in the final section of the session, with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team-mate Felipe Massa, lining up on the second row in fourth place.

Michael drove a fantastic lap to take pole, even though the time he set on light fuel in the second part of the session was naturally quicker. Schumacher has literally re-written the Grand Prix record book, leading the table for points, wins, fastest laps and so forth. But one record had still to fall; that set by the late Ayrton Senna for the most number of pole positions.

At Bahrain's Sakhir circuit at the opening round of the season, Schumacher equalled the Brazilian's record and today he beat it. Later, Michael admitted that the significance of what he had done had not really sunk in yet. Making a rare visit to a race track was Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and as the pole lap was completed, the team in the garage dedicated it to their leader, who was genuinely moved and overcome with emotion.

"I am too old for all this," he joked afterwards.

Schumacher shares the front row with the Honda of Jenson Button, who has been consistently quick this year. The Englishman's team-mate, Rubens Barrichello on the other hand, had suffered so far this season in his new home, but today, Rubinho, still popular with the Imola crowd after his long career at Ferrari, found his form again, setting third quickest time.

This means two Brazilians share the second row as Felipe is alongside. "Our" Brazilian never really got a clean lap in the final runs and was a bit disappointed with not breaking into the top three.
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Williams Still Waiting on Future Engine Decision

Frank Williams admits that he is not fully in control of the timing of a decision on an engine supply for 2007 and beyond.

Williams now has a one year contract with Cosworth, but has been linked with Toyota for many months. However, it remains to be seen whether the Japanese company, which currently has a deal with Midland, will ultimately be willing to come to an arrangement with a much stronger rival. The team may well have other irons in the fire as well.

Williams refused to be drawn on the specifics of which suppliers he’s talking to, but says that he hopes that a decision will come before the end of June.

"From our point of view we’re already under pressure from the engineers to get the decision – in which they are totally involved – sooner rather than later, because you need to build your car earlier and earlier these days, or start developing it earlier. It’s a rolling situation, it won’t be beyond half-year, no question. Correction – we are not totally in control of our own destiny, so it could go beyond that.

"The engine choice is both technical and commercial. We’ll make the best choice for Williams."

He stressed that in the end the priority was to have the fastest package, rather take than a subsidized but less competitive engine, in order to ensure that the team remained attractive to sponsors.

"You can have a great budget and a crap car. I promise you something, unless you’re a true miracle worker you won’t have a great budget the following year."
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Montoya unsure about 2007 employer

Juan Pablo Montoya says he is still unsure about where in F1's pitlane he will be found next year.

The Colombian, already linked with a switch to Red Bull or Renault for 2007, received a dampening response when he asked McLaren what it had planned for the future.

'Ron (Dennis) said he's not going to make a decision on drivers yet,' 30-year-old Montoya revealed to The Times.

The Latin driver also confirmed that he had been told by the silver-clad principal that his personal performance for the balance of his contract would be the 'deciding factor'.

Ultimately, though, the decision probably belongs to Kimi Räikkönen. If the Finn does not set off to Ferrari, Montoya will surely be the one to go.

'JPM' has also been linked with BMW-Sauber. ''That was the first rumour,' Juan Pablo told the British newspaper, 'then it went quiet.'
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FIA too focused from on cost saving, says Williams

Frank Williams says that Max Mosley's focus on cutting the costs of F1 could be harmful to the sport, because of the potential damage to its reputation as the ultimate form of competition.

Williams says that, if F1 appears to be cheapened in any way, it could take a long time to rebuild its image.

"Like any business, it takes years, decades, to make that reputation," he said, "And, if you destroy it overnight, it takes years and years again.

"So what I am saying? F1 is a bit too expensive, no question, by a fair amount. But its reputation out there is as the best and most advanced form of racing, the best drivers, the most fantastic cars. We don't want to talk about saving money.

"It's not that that we're awash with money, but we don't want to talk too much about chucking everything off the car. The whole world revolves around technology. You can't go backwards. I hope Max will come to a fairly sensible 'fair-to-everybody' solution, that saves very useful money, but still maintains the fabric of F1 and what it stands for in the eyes of the public."

Williams added that, by reducing the level of technology, the FIA could, in fact, harm the chances of the less well-funded teams, because there will be fewer areas which can be exploited by clever designers. He says that it could come down to a spending contest on retainers for the best drivers.

"If you think about 2008, in the worst case - and I think Max understands this - if we all have the same engines, same sort of horsepower, same tyres, same spec cars, standard everything, the only things the teams can have to differentiate themselves in the main are aero and drivers. If you're a very rich manufacturer, $50m dollars for Kimi, $50m for Alonso, are we going to compete with that?

"But, if we think our blokes are more clever, they're more inventive than the guys at Ferrari or McLaren, that's the name of the game - to prove your lot are better than their lot. And, hopefully, that's why it's fantastic racing.

"It's about proving I'm the best chief designer, I'm the best team principal, I'm the best sponsorship man, I'm the best aero guy. It's about sticking their chests out so' when your car goes out' you say to yourself 'watch this mate, I'm going to screw you'."
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Fisi: Maybe we made a mistake....

Giancarlo Fisichella admitted that he was depressed at being bounced out of the top ten in second qualifying at Imola, despite the perceived advantage of starting from eleventh place with a free fuel strategy.

The Italian admitted that the near miss was made worse by the fact that he been given a boost by an uprated engine spec for the weekend, which team-mate Fernando Alonso won't have until the next round of the championship at the Nurburgring.

Speaking to Crash.net, Fisi said: "To not be in the top ten is not great, we didn't expect that. Maybe we made a mistake, we went a little bit too early. I think, in the last five minutes, the track was much better, and that's the reason why we're not there. Losing the top ten for just one hundredth is very frustrating.

"But that's life, that's F1. I'm looking forward. I've got the possibility to do a great strategy, and I hope to get on the podium anyway. I'm in my home grand prix, and I'll do my best."

Team boss Flavio Briatore, meanwhile, played down the significance of Michael Schumacher's qualifying performance, insisting that those at the sharp end of the grid will be going for three stops rather than the two favoured by Renault.

"In our minds, we know what we have, we believe what everybody else has," he said, "I tell you, a few people in front of us will have three pit-stops.

"Ferrari was strong last year here, because the Bridgestone was fantastic here, and still we won the race because we were lucky. This circuit is like Monte Carlo or Budapest, very difficult to overtake. You overtake only in the strategy, in the pit-stops. Let's see tomorrow what it means. If Ferrari win the race, this is good for the team and for F1" it's just important they don't win so many!"
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Again, Flav bamboozles Schu rumour

Renault's Flavio Briatore has again muddied the waters amid speculation that he could sign Michael Schumacher for 2007.

After first indicating that the seven time title winner was too old to fill Fernando Alonso's seat, the Italian said at Imola that Schumacher was one of only 'three or four' candidates good enough to win grands prix for Renault.

In another about-face, however, 'AP' now quotes colourful Briatore as saying that - at 37 - the German driver is indeed too old.

'Schumi is an excellent driver,' said Flavio, who took Schumacher to his first two world titles at Benetton more than a decade ago.

'But (signing him) would be like divorcing your wife and then a few years later you get back together and discover she's older and not as attractive.'
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Errrr.....

Riiiiiiigggghhhhtttt
 
To all F1 fans - Enjoy the race at Imola, sorry but Go Team Mclaren :)
Regards to Senna who and always is truly missed. (Still a legend) and shall always be ahead of Schumacher.
 
FIA Announces fuel allocation

Following qualifying, the FIA released the number of laps each driver completed in the final qualifying session, and consequently the amount of fuel each driver is allowed to add to his car's fuel tanks before the start of the race:

Code: 
[b]Driver			Laps *		Fuel (kg)[/b]
Michael Schumacher	13 (14)		35.5
Jenson Button		13 (14)		35.5
Rubens Barrichello	13 (14)		35.5
Felipe Massa		13 (14)		35.5
Fernando Alonso		13 (15)		35.5
Ralf Schumacher		13 (14)		35.5
Juan Pablo Montoya	14 (15)		38.0
Kimi Raikkonen		15		40.5
Jarno Trulli		13 (14)		35.5
Mark Webber		14		38.0

* The FIA allows refueling only for laps made within 110% of the driver's fastest lap in the third segment of qualifying. The actual number of laps a driver ran in that segment appears in brackets.
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//Mike said:
Morning everyone!

Got up a little late so I'm going to have to miss the pre-race build up. What a shame.
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Let me guess - just dragged your arse out of bed? ;)

Far too much of the fermented liquid last night? ;)

Simon/~Flibster
 
Flibster said:
Just started...
Still think the intro is crap
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The small clip of Senna driving at Imola in 1989 took me back.
It was also the last year Steve Rider covered F1 for the BBC
 
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