Author Topic: Official Racing Thread (Read 189484 times)

RatBastich · « **Reply #700 on:** February 25, 2009, 02:21:10 AM »

Team short on details for 2010 debut

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The founders of a new U.S.-based Formula One team plan to hire a pair of American drivers, and Mario Andretti believes his grandson is the perfect choice to fill one of the seats.

Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, the principals behind the team they call USF1, officially announced their intent Tuesday to run the 2010 schedule. The motorsports veterans said they'll base the team in Charlotte, home for most NASCAR teams, and scour the market for young American drivers.

"Who they are ... your guess is as good as mine," said Windsor, a former team manager for Ferrari and Williams and current F1 pit reporter for Speed TV. "But two American drivers, that's what we intend to do."

JFC · « **Reply #701 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:37:52 AM »

Interesting, especially if Mario Andretti's going to be involved.

A few years back, Scott Speed was supposed to make the big splash that would herald the return of a significant American presence in F1, and as we all know, he never really lived up to expectations and left F1 shortly after. To be honest, I'd rather see an up and comer like Graham Rahal or even Marco Andretti give it a go.

RatBastich · « **Reply #702 on:** February 25, 2009, 07:01:30 PM »

Argentina, Chile get Dakar Rally again

Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile -- The Dakar Rally will return to Argentina and Chile in 2010.

A spokesman for the Chilean government said Tuesday that organizers confirmed the race will be held in South America for the second straight year. In 2009, the race was moved from Africa for the first time in 31 years due to terrorist threats in Mauritania.

Presidential spokesman Francisco Vidal said dates and routes of the 2010 race will be announced later. Vidal added that Chile will get more than the five stages it had this year. Nine stages were held in Argentina.

The January race through the Argentine pampas and the Chilean desert, including two crosses of the Andes mountains, was won by South African driver Giniel de Villiers.

RatBastich · « **Reply #703 on:** February 26, 2009, 03:17:54 AM »

RBS won't renew team sponsorship

Reuters

LONDON -- Royal Bank of Scotland will end its sponsorship of the Williams Formula One team when the current deal expires in 2010, the troubled bank said Wednesday.

RBS, now majority-owned by the British government, is due to report Britain's biggest-ever corporate loss on Thursday as well as a restructuring plan and job losses.

"We recognize that we are now operating in a very different economic environment and have been reviewing all of our activities since October," RBS head of communications Andrew McLaughlin said in a statement.

JFC · « **Reply #704 on:** February 26, 2009, 06:20:21 AM »

^
Ouch. They were one of Williams' bigger sponsors too.

RatBastich · « **Reply #705 on:** February 26, 2009, 06:47:29 PM »

American F1 effort gaining steam

By Dan Knutson
Special to ESPN.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It is all systems go for USF1, the first Formula One team that will be based in the United States.

An entry form has been filed with the FIA for the 2010 season, and USF1 team principal and technical director Ken Anderson told ESPN.com that 90 percent of required funding to set up the team and build the cars is already in place.

Anderson and USF1's sporting director Peter Windsor held a news conference at Speed TV in Charlotte on Tuesday to officially announce the new team.

RatBastich · « **Reply #706 on:** February 28, 2009, 12:27:43 AM »

F1 considers more cost cuts

Associated Press

PARIS -- Responding to the global economic crisis, Formula One's governing body is preparing a series of proposals that would slash racing costs and open the sport to smaller teams.

If adopted, the new rules would "enable a team to compete for a fraction of current budgets but nevertheless field cars which can match those of the established teams," FIA said Friday in a statement. It did not elaborate on the measures or provide any details.

The proposals would not affect the established teams, the statement said, but would "enable new teams to fill the existing vacancies on the grid for 2010." The proposals are also aimed at reducing the chances that teams would be forced to leave the championship.

The proposals are to be submitted to the FIA's World Council in March for approval.

The sport's automakers are reeling from the global financial crisis. Honda announced in December that it is pulling out of F1. In January, Formula One teams unanimously agreed to a series of cost-cutting measures, including limits on expensive testing and a cheaper engine for smaller teams starting in 2010.

The Formula One Teams Association agreed to the proposals.

FOTA also agreed to develop low-cost transmissions starting in 2010 that would be used for six races, and to supply low-cost engines to independent teams for less than $6.6 million per team per season.

FIA president Max Mosley had said that teams should be operating on an overall budget of no more than $63 million and mentioned a budget cap for 2010.

RatBastich · « **Reply #707 on:** February 28, 2009, 02:18:28 AM »

Busch: Winning Cup title comes first

By Terry Blount
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch said the timing isn't right for him to race in Formula One for the new F1 team based in Charlotte.

Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor are partnering to form the team, which hopes to begin racing to start the 2010 season. Busch's name has been mentioned as a candidate to drive one of the cars for the new operation.

"I have not been talked to yet, but I do toss the idea around," Busch said. "It's something I'd love to give a shot one day. It's not something I would shoot down, but I don't think it's the right time in my career to do something like that."

RatBastich · « **Reply #708 on:** March 01, 2009, 12:02:56 AM »

F1 considers more cost cuts

Associated Press

PARIS -- Responding to the global economic crisis, Formula One's governing body is preparing a series of proposals that would slash racing costs and open the sport to smaller teams.

If adopted, the new rules would "enable a team to compete for a fraction of current budgets but nevertheless field cars which can match those of the established teams," FIA said Friday in a statement. It did not elaborate on the measures or provide any details.

The proposals would not affect the established teams, the statement said, but would "enable new teams to fill the existing vacancies on the grid for 2010." The proposals are also aimed at reducing the chances that teams would be forced to leave the championship.

The proposals are to be submitted to the FIA's World Council in March for approval.

The sport's automakers are reeling from the global financial crisis. Honda announced in December that it is pulling out of F1. In January, Formula One teams unanimously agreed to a series of cost-cutting measures, including limits on expensive testing and a cheaper engine for smaller teams starting in 2010.

The Formula One Teams Association agreed to the proposals.

FOTA also agreed to develop low-cost transmissions starting in 2010 that would be used for six races, and to supply low-cost engines to independent teams for less than $6.6 million per team per season.

FIA president Max Mosley had said that teams should be operating on an overall budget of no more than $63 million and mentioned a budget cap for 2010.

RatBastich · « **Reply #709 on:** March 03, 2009, 07:31:58 PM »

Tax trial begins for Castroneves

Associated Press

MIAMI -- On top of the world a few months ago, Brazilian race car driver and "Dancing with the Stars" champ Helio Castroneves faces possible prison time if convicted at a tax evasion trial that began Monday with selection of a jury.

An ethnically diverse panel of five men and seven women was chosen to hear the case, with attorneys' opening statements set for Tuesday.

Castroneves, a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, smiled broadly as he entered Miami's downtown federal courthouse. Prosecutors say Castroneves, his business-manager sister Katiucia and Michigan attorney Alan R. Miller conspired to hide about $5.5 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service using offshore accounts.

RatBastich · « **Reply #710 on:** March 07, 2009, 12:53:31 AM »

Ex-Honda F1 team to race as Brawn GP

Associated Press

TOKYO -- Honda reached an agreement to pass the ownership of its Formula One team to Ross Brawn.

The former Honda team principal assumed control of Brawn GP immediately, and confirmed Jenson Button and Rubens Barichello as its drivers for 2009.

Honda will take part in preseason tests in Spain at Barcelona and Jerez before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29, where the grid will feature 20 cars.

The new F1 team also confirmed that it would be using McLaren Mercedes engines after securing a partnership.

Financial details of the buyout were not revealed. Honda had one of the highest budgets in F1 last year at $283 million.

"We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn, with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision," said Hiroshi Oshima, managing officer of the Japanese auto manufacturer. "We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross."

Barichello earned the nod to partner Button for the fourth straight year over GP2 racer Bruno Senna, nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.

Brawn also said that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and the Formula One Teams Association had played a big supporting role in helping secure the deal. F1 was introducing major regulation changes this season in a bid to cut costs amid the global economic downturn.

"The journey ahead will be challenging but exciting and we know we can count on their continued enthusiasm for our team and its ambitions," Brawn said.

JFC · « **Reply #711 on:** March 07, 2009, 03:53:27 AM »

^
Well, now THAT's going to be interesting.

SomethingWild · « **Reply #712 on:** March 09, 2009, 06:05:14 PM »

Anyone following WTCC? BMW got annihilated by Seat.. TWICE!

RatBastich · « **Reply #713 on:** March 10, 2009, 02:51:44 AM »

So many reasons to doubt U.S. in F1

By Ed Hinton
ESPN.com

When pigs fly, or Ferrari slashes its racing budget by 85 percent -- whichever comes first -- then a competitive Formula One team will be based in the epicenter of the NASCAR industry, Charlotte, N.C.

And even then, it wouldn't be something Americans necessarily would be proud of.

Still, even NASCAR fans and journalists are getting caught up in this notion of an American F1 team, floated last week by veteran British F1 executive and journalist Peter Windsor and American engineer Ken Anderson.

RatBastich · « **Reply #714 on:** March 14, 2009, 03:32:01 AM »

Raikkonen fastest in F1 testing

Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain -- Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in Formula One testing with all 10 teams in action Tuesday and new F1 outfit Brawn GP recording the third-quickest lap time.

Raikkonen's best lap time of 1 minute, 20.314 seconds around the Catalunya Circuit was more than half a second faster than his closest rival, Kazuki Nakajima of Williams.

Rubens Barichello was behind the wheel for Brawn GP for the first time since Ross Brawn bought the team from Honda on Friday. The 37-year-old Brazilian had a fastest time of 1:20.966 from 111 laps, with Brawn GP adapting well to its Mercedes engine.

"If the management group, because it is not just myself, had not taken this task on, there would be no team," Brawn told autosport.com of the Honda buyout. "It wasn't a difficult choice in that respect. Things can go wrong, but we are optimistic and if we can capitalize on the performance of the car, and the car looks good, then I think the team have got a future.

"If the car was poor then we only have ourselves to blame," Brawn said.

Brawn confirmed that chief executive Nick Fry would stay on with the team, while Barichello said he hadn't spoken to Bruno Senna since being picked over the nephew of the late three-time champion Ayrton Senna to partner Jenson Button this season.

Toro Rosso's second day in the 2009 car went badly after Sebastien Bourdais had a mechanical problem after 14 laps and managed only six laps.

The season begins at the Australian Grand Prix on March 29.

Tuffty · « **Reply #715 on:** March 17, 2009, 09:24:08 PM »

Points System changes for F1

Quote

Formula 1 has introduced a new points system which will result in the driver with most wins crowned world champion.

The current points system will still operate to decide a tie if two drivers have the same wins and to define all other championship positions.

Had the new rules been in place in 2008, Lewis Hamilton would have lost the title to runner-up Felipe Massa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7948455.stm

I didn't really see a problem with the current, sorry, old system. With that, it rewarded drivers/teams that were the most consistent and even with the old system, you had one of the most exciting finishes to a F1 season for a long time. Judging by this new season, we could have this hypothetical situation of a season of 17 races:

Driver A wins 9 and retires 8 times.
Driver B wins 8 times and comes 2nd 9 times.

Yet Driver A wins? How is that fair? Surely the points gap between positions should have been increased instead.

reina's eyes · « **Reply #716 on:** March 18, 2009, 12:02:12 AM »

The driver's championship decided on most wins may make for a hotter battle for a race victory but that could mean two top drivers taking each other out if it translates into riskier behavior. Is that an improvement?

Also, a driver having a three win lead with two races remaining might be more likely than a close points battle to the end, though I haven't analyzed that.

A lot of the talk of what amounts to fanservice seems like an unfortunate dumbing down. Loftiness and decorum are among the appeals of f1. Race coverage littered with (dropped out) driver interviews isn't very enticing to me at least.

But overall the slew of changes do seem better focused than a lot of the diddling they've done with the rules over the last few years.

JFC · « **Reply #717 on:** March 18, 2009, 05:05:51 PM »

I'm not digging this new points system either, though I can see why they'd implement it. Quite often in the past few seasons, racers who have had "comfortable" point leads in the driver's standings have held back during latter races of the season. Why risk crashing your car and losing points by going full-out, when you can wrap up the championship by finishing within just the top 5? If the latter was all that was needed, that's all that they (the teams) would go for. By making it based on wins rather than placement, the FIA is hoping that it'll push everyone to go all-out every single race, which (they're hoping), will lead to more exciting races.

RatBastich · « **Reply #718 on:** March 19, 2009, 08:22:27 PM »

Drivers slimming down to adapt

Associated Press

MADRID -- Formula One's new rules are forcing even the drivers to adopt a more aerodynamic profile for the 2009 season.

With the biggest changes coming to the world championship in more than 25 years, it may be a racer's weight that decides the title.

The brand-new Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a hybrid technology that gives drivers an extra boost for overtaking, will take up approximately 77 pounds, while car weight limits have not been increased. That leaves teams with only one variable -- the driver.

JFC · « **Reply #719 on:** March 19, 2009, 09:07:39 PM »

^
Dang. Well, the drivers won't be able to lose too much weight. Given how much they normally lose through sweating during the normal course of a race to begin with (something which can increase in hotter race locations like Dubai, Malaysia and Brazil), if they slim down any more they're going to risk exhaustion to the point of possibly passing out in the middle of a race.