F1 - GP (General Purpose)

Chode ^ | 8/5/2009 | Chode

[Chode]

This will be a general purpose thread for F1 news and pings that really don't require a thread of their own.

[God luvs America]

Sutil was really not a great deal better than vitantonio liuzzi this season...i just don’t see the allure to him...Rosberg to a lesser degree but again, a guy that’s too hot and cold...

[gura]

I hope Liuzzi is in F1 for a long time just because I love saying his name. :-)

[Lockbox]

Racing boss Bernie Ecclestone violently mugged for £200,000 of jewellery outside his business HQ

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was punched and kicked to the ground by robbers as they stole jewellery from him and his girlfriend.

The 80-year-old billionaire was attacked outside the headquarters of his business empire Formula One Holdings in Knightsbridge, central London, on Wednesday night as Fabiana Flosi looked on in horror.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333205/Bernie-Ecclestone-mugged-200-000-jewellery-doorstep.html

Gee, it was not that long ago that we had these Bernie's comments on Button's attack in Brazil

“They [robbers] look for victims, they look for anyone that looks like a soft touch and not too bright,” he contended.

“The people that look a bit soft and simple, they will always have a go at

"I’ve never, ever had a problem – it’s as safe here as anywhere in the world".

Ecclestone, 80, went on to state that his experience of Brazil was that it was as safe as anywhere else in the world.

[Chode]

ping...

[Chode]

thx for the post!!!

the ping list is on my home page and feel free to use it for things such as this...

[Doogle]

oodles of money will do that, especially, if someone else has more.....

[Chode]

i heard that...

Speed Cost Money, How Fast Do You Want To Go??? ~Graham Hill

[Chode]

OK Sportsfans... for your listening pleasure from an email i just got

TURN IT UP!!!

http://www.snotr.com/video/5945

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRXwWbo_mX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aArSn4IhHI

[Chode]

worth a ping...

[Chode]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mutb7KgA9NM&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[FourPeas]

"I’ve never, ever had a problem – it’s as safe here as anywhere in the world".

How sporting of Mr. Ecclestone to prove his point by looking soft, so he could be mugged in the UK. What a guy.

I *am* thankful that he wasn't badly hurt, though. Good on him going back to work right away. Bernie has his share of faults, but at least he understands the value of a stiff upper lip.

[Moltke]

I’m sure you’ve seen the Top Gear episode where they play the Allman Brothers TG theme music on an F1 engine...? I think it was May who tried to drive the F1 car...oops.

[Chode]

Formula 1 cars are set for more radical changes in time for 2013 as bosses look to make the sport more efficient and potentially more exciting.

The major changes will be:

* Much smaller front and rear wings;

* A far greater proportion of the total downforce of the cars will be created by the underfloor, compared to the wings;

* A major reduction in the amount of total downforce created by the car;

* To achieve this, the underfloor of the cars will be shaped along its length to generate downforce for the first time since the 1982 season - currently cars have bottoms that are flat between the wheels;

* The average proportion of a lap that a driver is able to spend on full throttle to be cut from 70% in 2010 to 50% in 2013;

* Tyres will remain large and chunky to ensure cornering speeds remain high.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9307861.stm

[Chode]

Michael Schumacher has been reflecting on the one-year anniversary of his comeback with Mercedes. The seven-time world champion says: “I have not regretted my decision to come back at all. I can live with criticism very well. I can’t wait to get the new season started.”
Full story: Michael Schumacher.de

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo reckons Red Bull’s new world champion Sebastian Vettel will drive “a red [Formula 1] car sooner or later.”
Full story: Cologne Express (in German)

Hispania team owner Jose Ramon Carabante insists the rock-bottom team will be on the grid next season, despite the collapse of a deal with Toyota to build next year’s cars. Carabante added the team are talking to “five or six” drivers about their 2011 line-up.
Full story: La Marca (video in Spanish)

Kamui Kobayashi and F1 new-boy Sergio Perez popped into Sauber HQ for their seat fittings this week. It was their last bit of work before the Christmas holidays. Kobayashi is now heading east to Japan while Perez will spend Christmas with his family at home in Mexico before moving closer to the Sauber factory in Switzerland in the new year.
Full story: Sauber Motorsport

F1 newcomer Jerome D’Ambrosio has told Belgium TV station RTL that there was “a commercial aspect” to him securing a drive with Virgin Racing in 2011. Reports say the seat was up for grabs for 5m euros.
Full story: espnf1.com

Ukraine has become the latest country to consider hosting a grand prix in the future. The head of the Kiev regional state department says plans are under way to begin building an international circuit in the region next year. Russia is due to stage its first grand prix in 2014.
Full story: The Kyvi Post

Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen proves he is a man who does not believe in resting over Christmas. The Finn writes on his Twitter site: “We just finished badminton, clear 4-0 sets for me today, recovery spin bike and core tonight, too cold outside for skiing.”
Full story: Team Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen on Twitter

[jeffc]

As to the changes for next year:

Every time the FIA tries to do something, anything, to the cars to slow them down, they just get faster. They should just figure out a way so that the aerodynamic forces created by the car don't create "dirty" air behind it, thus allowing much easier slipstreaming. This seems to be the main culprit behind the F1 races becoming boring follow-the-leader-to-the-end parades.

I remember the early 90's, with Prost, Senna, Mansell, battling it out, and there were great battles down the straights to see who would take the corner. Not much dirty air back then . . . .

[Chode]

did you ever watch the video in post #7???

[frithguild]

"I see that they've done something about dirty driving and that'll probably lessen Schumacher's chances," [Stirling] Moss told ESPNF1. "It was disgraceful what he did at the Hungarian Grand Prix; Formula One is now one of the safest sports there is, but if somebody had been coming out of the pits at that moment it could have been a disaster."

vindication.

[Chode]

OUCH... that'll leave a mark!!!

[jeffc]

did you ever watch the video in post #7???

Found it. LOL! I play a race game on my PC (RACE 07) racing F1 cars against real people online, and I can tell you, it's nothing like racing AI bots in a single-player/offline game. They just haven't been able to program the AI to act like real people . . . yet.

That's a great video, and I can tell you, I've been there (virtually). I've had quite a few good battles with guys and even though I'm sitting in a comfy chair in A/C, I come away from those races drained. Exhilarated, but just drained, LOL! Lotsa' fun!

[GreenAccord]

Ouch? Seems Moss has had a year long (pardon the expression) hard on for Schumacher since he re-entered F1. Seven versus zero championships later, I’d say the ‘greatest racer to never win a championship’ seems to be fixated on Schumi.