another small fortune to be spent...
Posted on 08/05/2009 7:57:45 PM PDT by Chode
This will be a general purpose thread for F1 news and pings that really don't require a thread of their own.
More than rude. Malicious. There is no excuse for pushing Reubens over that far - cutting across pit out. Michael is chargeable with knowing better. How many laps has he turned at the Hungaroring?
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Some do! ;)
maybe Michael was still a bit pissed over Rubens calling him gay! seriously tho....that was flat criminal. my fave, Jimmy Clark, NEVER resorted to crap like that, period.
Yeah, that could have been deadly. At the very least, Schumacher should be sent to the back of the grid, not 10th. Lame. I am in favor of a suspension at Spa, for sure.
OK, I’ve watched it closely a couple of times and I can understand Rubens was not happy/crapped his pants.
I have also listened to the comms from Rubens before he made that pass. He already complained earlier that Schumacher shut the door late in the corners. So he knew Schumacher would try to block any passing attempt. Schumacher moved to the right on the straight, generally an allowed move. He didn’t weave back and forth, which is not allowed.
Rubens is quoted after the race (formula1.com): “I had to work pretty hard for the point in a fight that wasn’t fair or clean, but I will let others be the judge of that. All I am clear about is that I am a racer and in such situations, I never back off.”
I could’ve highlighted the second sentence there, but guess some would rather emphasize the first sentence. Draw your own conclusions. Never back off = maybe crash. Don’t whine later. (Oh, Schumacher would’ve gone off right along with Rubens. He doesn’t strike me as suicidal.)
A more general observation:
Schumacher can be ruthless. 7 world championships.
Rubens really isn’t ruthless. 0 world championships. Won’t ever happen.
Demi-god Ayrton Senna was ruthless (1989, 1990 - forced, championship-deciding collisions with Prost. Etc, etc.) 3 world championships.
Alonso, 2 world championships, just slammed past his team mate Massa ON THE FREAKIN’ PIT ENTRANCE a few races ago. Pretty ruthless.
And so on...
Nice guys are mostly not the guys that keep winning.
But then, F1 has gone from Grace Kelly to Lindsay Lohan in as many years...;-) What’s with all those races in countries with no motorsport history whatsoever these days? Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, China, etc. Meh, who really cares anymore. The “sport” part is mostly gone, it’s only about money. /rant
Well, at least Spa is something to look forward to. Chances of rain are good, and if you’ve ever stood at the bottom of Eau Rouge you’ll know just how frickin’ steep that hill really is. Amazing to see the drivers blast through there.
OK, I’ve said my part.
I agree with all you comments, especially on the ruthlessness. But Michael was racing for ELEVENTH PLACE and he he has failed to qualify in the top 10 in four of the last five races. How would Hulkenberg have been treated if he pulled that move? Answer - his license would be in jeopardy.
Here is some recent good stuff:
Barrichello saw it differently, telling reporters afterwards that he had been millimetres from the wall in what he said was the most dangerous manoeuvre he had experienced in a career that reaches 300 race starts in Belgium.
“I like a fair fight but that wasn’t fair here,” said the Brazilian.
“If Michael wants to go to heaven — in the event that he is going to heaven — then I don’t really care. But I don’t want to go before him.”
Schumacher has apologized on his website.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-50575120100802
Yep, saw Schumacher’s apology on formula1.com just after I posted my last comment. Over the line. OK. Gotta give sacrifice to the PR gods. I’ll still say, though, no matter what position the fight was for, some of these situations come about in a few split seconds. I’m glad no one got hurt in this case, crashes happen in other cases. Did you see Webber try to fly to the moon in Valencia? That was just lapping a backmarker. Both could have been killed in a very *real* crash. Stuff happens.
The Schumacher/Barichello scene in Hungary was not the last of its kind we’ll ever see. Much of the huffing and puffing by the pundits is just for the cameras, IMO.
What a total brain spasm!
Mercedes principal Ross Brawn expected new tests to be introduced at the next race in Belgium.
“I understand that there may be some changes in the way the tests are done, but obviously the cars involved pass the current tests,” he told reporters at the Hungaroring.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/Motorsport/article581770.ece/F1-governing-body-plans-tougher-wing-tests
Stricter flexi wing tests for Spa
But it emerged earlier on Sunday that Charlie Whiting was open to the idea of devising new flexibility tests, given the visible extent of the flexing wings.
Reports now indicate that the teams were told late on Sunday that stricter tests will be in place for the next race in Belgium. Article 3.17.8 of the technical regulations gives the FIA "the right to introduce further ... tests on any part of the bodywork which appears to be (or is suspected of) moving whilst the car is in motion".
It is believed the current front wing tests involve placing 50kg weights on the endplates, with a maximum 10mm in allowable flexibility.
* * *
It is believed the revamped tests will double the exerted force, which may require Red Bull and Ferrari to amend their designs ahead of their visit to Spa Francorchamps later this month.
http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsport/story/25274.html
another small fortune to be spent...
Hardly possible, as the next three weeks are a forced vacation for all teams (i.e., the factories are shut down by regulation). Or did I miss something?
Huh? Do you object to my colorful description of Webber heading straight up into the sky during his crash? Let’s not squabble with semantics, OK?
I think your description is balls on accurate. Kovaleinen might agree with you.
Ah, thanks for clarifying. Brain spasm sounded like it had a negative connotation (don’t want one of those!).
Weber had the brain spasm - not you!
OK, OK. LOL. Now I get it (after a small brain spasm...).
Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes Mark Webber will win this year's world championship, following his victory in Hungary on Sunday.
Full story: autosport.com
Lewis Hamilton says F1's summer break has come at just the the right time for McLaren: "With the championship so closely balanced, this is the perfect time for a break. In effect, we'll resume the season as if it's the start of the year again: with everything to play for."
Full story: LewisHamilton.com
The superior all-round aerodynamics of the Red Bull cars means they will not be affected by the FIA's enhanced testing on flexible front wings.
Full story: JamesAllenonF1.com
Mark Webber has called for all engines to be made equal in Formula 1 and defended his team's flexible front wing. He said Red Bull had to push the aerodynamic boundaries to make up for the Renault V8's relative lack of power compared to McLaren and Ferrari.
Full story: espnF1.com
Mercedes competition director Norbert Haug has complained about F1's cost-reducing two-week summer break. He stated: "This is actually a forced vacation, particularly when you're in a catching-up phase, you do not want to be interrupted."
Full story: motorsport.com
Cosworth general manager Mark Gallagher has been delighted by the company's return to F1 after a three-year sabbatical. Cosworth have not had any engine failures, despite supplying eight out of the 24 cars on the grid. The company also had an all-car finish for the first time this year in Hungary.
Full story: GPUpdate.net
hard to believe this thread is a year old today...
my favorite race weekend here at the Glen... http://www.grandprixfestival.com/
The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Lives On
FingerLakes1.com
8/20/10
The streets of Watkins Glen will come alive with race cars from years past and provide visitors a peek into the town’s racing heritage during the 2010 Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen on Friday, September 10. There will be no better way for fans to celebrate American Road Racing and appreciate its rich history than by joining the festival in its birthplace – Watkins Glen. The festival is free to the general public and starts at 1:00 PM with the Tour de Marque and culminates with a fireworks show at the Watkins Glen State Park entrance at 8:00 PM.
The 2010 Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen continues the tradition of road racing in Watkins Glen, a village respected among racing enthusiasts as the American Mecca for the sport. Each year the festival serves as the kickoff event for the Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver-McGuire at Watkins Glen International, and celebrates the community’s rich road racing heritage. The events are held in conjunction with each other and solidifies Watkins Glen’s claim to fame as the site of the rebirth of American road racing following World War II. It offers a true taste of the excitement that the racing community has brought to this village since 1948.
The festival is once again proudly presented by Chemung Canal Trust Company and is staged on the length of Franklin Street, the main “drag” through the village. The street, closed to regular vehicular traffic, is filled all day long with vintage race cars and all the wonderful sounds, smells, and sensations that just naturally surround them.
This year’s event features Alfa Romeo, a fine Italian marque with involvement dating back to the beginnings of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. Frank Griswold won the very first Watkins Glen Grand Prix in 1948 in his 1938 Alfa Romeo Touring Coupe. Griswold’s #35 car is now owned by Jon and Mary Shirley of Seattle who will be bringing this gorgeous car to the festival. It will be on display at the court house lawn and will also lead the field for the highlight of the festival, the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Tribute. At 4:30pm, vintage race cars will arrive from Watkins Glen International to park on display on Franklin Street. At 6:00pm, the cars will roar into life and take parade laps around the original street circuit that was used from 1948 to 1952.
The Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen is a production of Watkins Glen Promotions, a non-profit organization supporting quality special events in Schuyler County. For more information, visit the official website wwww.GrandPrixFestival.com or contact Watkins Glen Promotions at 607-535-3003.
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