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.
It was just a wild guess but I’ve always had the hunch that when the Aston-Martin finally came together, it would be by fits and starts. ‘Member a few posts back when I wrote that Newey had some serious upgrades coming for Hungary? He’s saying the ‘B’ version of the car they’re debuting there will be “seconds” faster.
If he’s built a car worthy of his genius, and if it’s developed well enough now that it’s down to the fine-tuning, there’s enough season left for ‘Nando to make a serious nuisance of himself.
If it had a Corvette body Chode would have loved it!
I hope AM can put it together a bit this season.
At least the drivers can survive an entire race without being rattled do destruction...
3.8 seconds off last year’s pole, in perfect weather.
Regardless how good the updated car is, A-M’s streak of bad luck is still present and correct. Everybody else has been at the Hungaroring for a couple of days but A-M only got their cars pieced together and delivered today.
Regardless, the rest of the field is on tenterhooks over what it might be capable of. At this point I suspect A-M has written off the 2026 season and all development is aimed at 2027.
After two test sessions, Newey says the B-model Aston Martin shows promise but it’s a work in progress and there will be further updates at the three races following the summer break.
‘Nando says the car felt good but there’s still a long way to go. His best lap in FP2 was slightly more than 3 seconds off Hambone’s pace but the time was deleted for exceeding track limits. And of course no one who knows will say how hard he was pushing (it stands to reason the first obligation is to get Newey his data).
If they want to get serious about exceeding rack limits they should swap the rumble strips at the corners for spike strips and let the punctures be a self-enforcing penalty.
Gary Anderson details all the visible changes to the new Aston:
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/aston-martin-b-spec-f1-2026-car-gary-anderson-verdict/
‘Nando qualified 16th. It was the first time this season than an A-M got out of Q3.
Both Mercedes had their final flying laps scuppered because Verstappen spun exiting the final corner before the finish. His car was wiggling A LOT and he knew he had to take risks to stand a chance at pole.
Hambone is P2 but as I write this I’m awaiting a stewards’ decision for Hambone possibly impeding Piastri. Piastri is currently P5, 0.465 adrift of pole.
P4 Antonelli also is under investigation for violating the yellow flag precipitated by Verstappen’s spin.
Hambone is demoted to 5th on the start grid for impeding Piastri. Which, karmicly, promotes Piastri to the spot ahead of him.
George Russell’s Merc broke down on the track and the team says it was a water leak. They don’t specifically state it was ICE coolant but — other than the driver — I don’t know of anything else on the cars than can be water cooled. And you don’t stop on the circuit because the driver drinks system broke.
GP Blog is stating as fact that there will be a 2026 GP of Bahrain but it will be held at the Sepang circuit.
I’m sure the teams are rejoicing over having to fly a million miles to get to a race that they thought already was in the record books.
But, as always, Liberty Media is only interested in the Benjamins.
Yup. Malaysia it is. And they’re only having to pay $3.5 million as a hosting fee. Monaco pays the least, just $20M, so they’re making Malaysia a real sweetheart deal. But I’m sure Liberty Media will find a way to bilk them all the same.
This reminds me of the times they held a San Marnino GP at Imola because San Marino is barely big enough for a go-kart track (and it’s mountainous so boot). But Ecclestone had shot off his mouth and pretended there was a rule prohibiting one country to host two GPs, and that was his work-around to give Italy a 2nd race.
I’ve always thought they should have a Grand Prix of Kwajalein and hold it at Reims.
Now Domenicali is saying they’ll cancel Qatar & Abu Dhabi too if Trump45/47/48 and the Persians don’t kiss and make up soo. They’ll make that decision in September.
And he’s looking for a host for after the scheduled Las Vegas race, which would make 21 races. Imola seems to be the front runner.
And Sepang has announced that they don’t get any of the gate from the race they’re to host. It all goes back to Bahrain.
Thanks for all the news.
I just finished watching the Hungarian Grand Prix last evening so I did not want to look at this thread in case of spoilers!
Stay well!
You won't see this in the mainstream F1 media:
Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer has drawn a contrast between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, praising the Red Bull driver's work ethic while making a pointed comparison with the Ferrari star.
Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Szafnauer posed a rhetorical question about which Formula 1 driver is always the first to arrive at the circuit. When host Jake Humphrey suggested Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the former team principal interrupted to make it clear there was only one correct answer: Verstappen.
"Max Verstappen. He is always the first in,” Szafnauer said firmly. He then explained that Hamilton has a very different habit when he arrives at the circuit. According to the Romanian-American, the seven-time world champion actually chooses to get to the track later, so the photographers on site can capture his eye-catching outfits. "Lewis comes in only when all the photographers are there, so he can wear the ridiculous clothing and take pictures."
Malaysia will host the Bahrain GP in early October, with the unusual arrangement triggering strong local demand - but Petronas stressed that its name on the circuit does not make it responsible for the event.
"As Petronas is not the event organiser, it does not manage, control, or have access to ticket allocation, sales, or distribution," it said in a statement.
"Ticket sales is managed solely by the event organiser and its authorised channels."
Sepang chief executive Azhan Shafriman Hanif confirmed that Bahrain will control ticket prices and retain the revenue.
"All the ticket sales revenue will go back to Bahrain, so we don't have the absolute power to determine certain things," he said.
"I will try my best to negotiate for a special price ... for Malaysians, but the final decision is with Bahrain because they are paying the rights fee."
Azhan said Sepang and Bahrain will share operational costs.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, however, said Malaysia's own direct expenditure would be limited to circuit work and maintenance.
"This time, we are organising without paying registration fees to the company - it's free," he said.
Azhan said Formula 1's first inspection found no major obstacle and that the circuit will not require resurfacing, although runoff areas and infrastructure will be upgraded during the short preparation window.
"In the past, we had to work hard to sell tickets," he said.
"Today, Formula 1 has built a huge global fan base and created a fear of missing out. Since the announcement, we've received enquiries on sponsorships, festivals and commercial activities."
"It's a good problem to have."
Azhan said talks about a permanent return to the calendar will wait until after the one-off race.
"We'll focus on delivering this event first," Azhan said.
"If we gain the confidence of all stakeholders and produce something special, then perhaps we can look at the future."
F1 is determined to complete at least 22 races to avoid possible claims from broadcasters, sponsors and commercial partners, while Imola and even a second race in Brazil have reportedly been discussed as further emergency options.
Concerns about the remaining Gulf rounds have intensified after WEC cancelled its planned Qatar and Bahrain finales because of the Middle East conflict.
Those races have been replaced by events at Barcelona and Monza.
In social media posts, Hambone called former UFC heavy and light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones ‘a coward’ for going on a feral hog hunt from a helicopter. Said he should have at least given the animals a chance to fight back.
He also said animals’ lives should be valued as much as humans’.
Apart from the obvious nitwittery, I watched the gawd-awful movie, ‘The Odyssey” a couple of nights ago. Matt Damon has a line in it in which he says — to the effect — that he likes to give the animals he hunts a sporting chance.
When I read Hambone’s criticism, I realized right off that he was plagiarizing the movie, comparing himself to the ultra-macho Odysseus to bolster his quote-unquote perceived manliness relative to Jones’ (who, I would remind you, beats the snot out of people for a living).
I can’t remember the last sports figure who was that conceited and self-absorbed and tried to pass it off as high-mindedness.
I knew a guy with a giant Szafnauer once...
Oh, come to think of it I believe it was a giant schnauzer.
My bad.
“Baghdad Bob” Domenicali says he’s talking to Hockenheimring about the return of the German GP there.
Well, he’s not talking to Hockenheimring per se, obviously, just the people who run it.
Speaking of Baghdad Bob, F1 has deleted the battery data from the live telemetry feed that F1 subscription holders receive. He says they’re deleting it because the fans don’t care about the battery charge.
Savvy insiders say the truth is, the fans who DO care are the ones who blog/vlog, and they’re keeping the rest stirred up pointing out how influential the availability of battery charge (or lack of it) is to the outcome of events. By deleting it, nobody knows so nobody complains.
https://racingnews365.com/the-story-behind-niki-lauda-comeback-from-fiery-nurburgring-crash
The story behind Niki Lauda’s comeback from fiery Nurburgring crash
Exactly 50 years ago today, Formula 1 was in danger of losing one of its greatest champions, Niki Lauda, due to a horrific incident on the Nordschleife. This is the story of his crash — and comeback — half a century on.
There are moments in Formula 1 history that will be forever etched into the memories of many.
These can be moments that decide a world championship, such as Max Verstappen’s pass on Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the fiercely fought 2021 campaign, or that same Hamilton overtaking Timo Glock at the final corner of the 2008 season to snatch the title right from under Felipe Massa’s nose.
But unfortunately, there are also more than enough moments remembered for less positive reasons, especially in the first thirty years of the F1 World Championship, when it wasn’t a question of if a fatal accident would happen, but when. Some circuits at the time had built a reputation for all the wrong reasons. The Nürburgring Nordschleife was one of them.
By 1976, the Nordschleife was already unsuitable for modern Formula 1. The circuit was 22.8 kilometres long and featured many fast corners, significant elevation changes, blind slopes, and had almost no run-off areas.
This made it very difficult to ensure proper safety. Marshals and emergency services simply could not reach every spot quickly enough. Niki Lauda, as chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association in 1976, knew this all too well.
1 August 1976
It was 1 August 1976, the day of the German Grand Prix, on that same Nordschleife. The weather was just as treacherous as the Nordschleife itself. Shortly before the start, it had rained, but not everywhere on the circuit. Some sections were wet, while others were already dry again. Due to the track’s enormous length, the weather conditions could vary drastically from one section to the next.
Lauda recognised that the combination of the ever-present danger on the track, coupled with the weather conditions, was a recipe for tragedy.
On the morning of the race, Lauda therefore called the drivers together. He proposed that they not race. A discussion among the drivers ensued.
The fact that Lauda was the drivers’ championship leader and that cancelling the race would work in his favour, combined with the fact that not all of his colleagues were fond of him, led a majority of the drivers to vote for the race to go ahead.
Lauda accepted that decision and took his place in second on the grid, next to title rival James Hunt.
The accident
Almost all the drivers started the race on wet-weather tyres. Already after the first lap, it became clear that the track was drying out quickly. Virtually the entire field pitted to switch to slicks. Lauda did the same. With cold, dry tyres on a track that was still damp in some places, he headed back out onto the Nordschleife.
Things went wrong on the second lap. In a fast left-hand turn, just before Bergwerk, Lauda suddenly lost control of his Ferrari 312T2. The most commonly cited cause is a problem with the rear suspension, but this has never been confirmed with absolute certainty.
Cold tyres on a partially wet track likely played a role as well. The car veered to the right, struck a rock wall, bounced back onto the track, and burst into flames.
Life-Threatening Injuries
Lauda’s helmet was ripped off his head by the impact. The fuel tank was torn open, causing his Ferrari to burst into flames in the middle of the track.
Other drivers right behind him, including Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl, were unable to swerve out of the way and struck the burning wreckage. Guy Edwards managed to avoid the car and stopped to help.
Lauda was trapped in the burning car for nearly a minute. The heat was intense. The man who ultimately made the difference was Arturo Merzario. The Italian stopped immediately when he saw the accident, ran to the Ferrari, climbed onto the car, unbuckled Lauda’s seatbelts, and pulled him out of the fire. In doing so, Merzario suffered burns to his hands.
Lauda was seriously injured. He had severe burns on his face and head. A large part of his right ear was gone, as were his eyebrows and eyelashes. His eyelids were also severely damaged.
The greatest danger, however, lay in his lungs. Lauda had inhaled toxic and hot gases. At the hospital, his condition was so critical that doctors were not sure if he would survive.
Resurrection
Lauda missed two races: Austria and the Netherlands. Then something happened that almost no one thought possible.
On 12 September 1976, just 42 days after the accident, he was back on the starting grid, at Monza, Ferrari’s home race.
He was clearly still injured and had bandages wrapped around his head. Lauda later admitted that he was terrified upon his return. Still, he didn’t want his rivals to know it.
The fact that he raced anyway, despite that fear, perhaps says everything about his character. Lauda finished fourth at Monza, scored points, and was back in the fight for the title with Hunt. That battle would not be decided until the final race of the season.
Legacy
For many younger fans, the 2013 film Rush is the main reason they learned more about Lauda’s crash. The film focused on the rivalry between Lauda and Hunt in 1976.
The crash scene was filmed at the exact same spot on the Nordschleife where the accident actually occurred. Cars from that era were also used.
In some respects, the film took some liberties with reality. The atmosphere among the drivers was made more dramatic, Merzario’s role as a rescuer received less attention, and the rivalry between Hunt and Lauda was portrayed as more intense than it actually was. Hunt and Lauda were not only rivals but also friends.
Still, the core of the story held up. Lauda himself felt that the film accurately portrayed the events. The hospital scenes, in particular, made a deep impression on him, because it was only then that he truly realised what the doctors had needed to do to keep him alive.
The true story of 1976 lies not in the crash itself, but in the transformation that followed. That day at the Nürburgring, Lauda did not become the victim of a tragedy, but the architect of one of the greatest sporting comebacks ever.
With his characteristic, almost icy pragmatism, he didn’t focus on what he had lost, but on what was still possible.
Lauda showed the world that true strength lies not in denying your vulnerability, but in refusing to let it paralyse you.
He wore his scars not as a sign of what he had suffered, but as armour representing what he had overcome — on his own, inimitable terms.
And that is how Formula 1 and its fans will always remember him — even 50 years after his life-threatening crash and long after his death in 2019.
https://racingnews365.com/the-story-behind-niki-lauda-comeback-from-fiery-nurburgring-crash
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