So Renault faced the FIA today in Paris to answer questions of what is probably the mosts serious eveidence of cheating in the history of Formula One. It seems reason was on their side and came away with nothing more than a slapped wrist as the 2 main people responsable had been removed form their positions and they did not try to defend thr horendous deciscion to crash Nelson Piquets car on lap 17 in a place where there were no cranes and where teh safety car would need to be deployed.
However Briatore has been banned from running any motorsport team for life, a huge disgrace of a man who seems to have been around for decades.
There have been many scandells over the last few years, in F1 from spygates to lying about passing when the saftey flags were flying. But the sensation that Renault F1 team told its second driver Nelson Piquet to crash at last years Singapore Grand Prix in order to gain a win for Alonso seemed a bit far fetched for many of us. But this week saw the resignation of its 2 head staff and a declaration that Renault F1 were not going to contest the claims about last years Grand Prix in Paris on 21st September.
Then came many interviews with ex racing drivers and the like who some pretty much said they were worried about Forumal One’s image but was not surprised about the scandell. To ask someone to put their life and those around them, did seem abit over the top, but now that Renault F1 are not going to contest, suggest this really did happen.
Flavio Briatore has now resigned over the issue taking his second in charge with him, in 35 years of following F1 I have never seem something so severe a this instruction that is set to rock the F1 world for months to come. Ironically this Sunday’s race is at Singapore and you just know the amount of coverage it will get from the BBC and then the Moday after Renault are in Paris to answer the charges. Only the resignations we think will stop Renault being booted out of this years championship and there is no certainty that they would have been here next year anyway.
We couldn’t believe it when a Force India car got pole yesterday and today it proved it was not a fluke. It had consistent speed and even though it did not win, came; a deserved second behind another first, for this season; yes a Ferrari winning. Yes, it was a race of firsts, the first points for Force India and the first win for Ferrari in a dismal season, the first “did not finish” for Brawn (unfortunately Jenson Button) as he was taken out on the first lap with Lewis Hamilton who was also taken out.
Spa is a favourite for drivers often described as a roller coaster ride and there is no doubt often brings surprise results with high speeds and less down force needed. The first corner often brings trouble and you can say that the accidents that happened further down the track probably were caused by drivers off their normal line with dirty tyres trying to keep out of trouble.
What wasn’t a first was Barrichello’s inability to get off the start line. He eventually got away at the back of the field, he then finished 7th with oil pouring from his car, which promptly caught fire in the pit lane.
After Jenson was taken out by a Renault, he must have thought that was his championship in trouble, but in reality even though points were gained to get closer, his leads was only reduced by 2 points with Barrichello finishing 7th.
It was different; it was good racing and good for Formula one.
Of course I wanted Jenson to win and even Lewis would have been great to get hi second win this year which is something of a turn around for Mclaren, but there was something special about Rubens winning in Valencia on his own merit.
To understand the reasons why, you need to see the mechanics from Ferrari and other teams clapping Rubens down the pit lane. He has been around for ages and now is 37 years old, but he is well liked in the F1 world and if anyone deserved another win he did.
You need to go back to his previous wins to understand why this win will be so important. For many seasons Rubens had followed Michael Schumacher and was his number 2, only allowed to win when Michael couldn’t and in one case was asked to move over. This season he has been allowed to race Jenson his team mate, although there were a few moments when Rubens felt the Brawn team had made bade decision. Even on one occasion when he publicly criticised the Brawn team straight after the race, he came back to apologize when he got to know the real facts such the man he is.
A recent trip back home to Brazil to see friend Massa still recovering from his accident, encouraged him to put a get well soon message on the back of his helmet, I am sure Brazil and possibly Massa will be celebrating after the win. It has been another great season and Valencia was better this year, at least on TV anyway. Jenson Button came 7th but gained 2 points on Webber, but now his main rival is his team mate Barrichello.
I write this sitting in Spain watching the European Grand Prix Qualifying which just happens to be up the road in Valencia, wondering why I am not there. Actually the truth is I was not too impressed with last years race that ended up being a possession from start to finish and with many other issues reported such as parking and more I decided to stay away even though I am only 2 hours away.
But as there has been 4 week break in the schedule, so much has happened. First Michael Scumacher was coming back to replace the injured Massa, then he was not, so instead Ferrari has brought back Lucca Badduer. He used to drive in F1 back in 1999 and for the lats 10 years has been a test driver for Ferrari.
The result is a barrage of criticism from TV presenters around the world, who at first wondered about the decision, after all there are plenty of race fit drivers out there and who would love the chance to drive for Ferrari even if it is only for a few races. But the real criticism came with such a bad performance of over 3 seconds slower that the leading man and 1 and a half second slower than the car in front. As this is a Ferrari and although not showing the pace of previous seasons, it was pretty obvious there were younger drivers out there that could have made a bigger difference in the scarlet red car.
He says he is here as long as Massa is unfit to drive, even before the race it is already predicted to replace him. He qualified last in 20th by merit. This issue is not his fault, he was probably asked to come on board to help Ferrari through this difficult time and no doubt he is doing his best. But in this very competitive form of racing, there is just no room for 3 seconds, 3 tenths maybe, but his pace is too far off.
It just shows you how 3 seconds can hurt your name even when you have stepped in to do a favour. If I was Lucca, I would withdraw and suggest a replacement and keep my pride and reputation in place.
There could be a new formula championship next year as 8 teams threaten to leave the current F1 championship the reduction in costs row. Although F1 teams agree in principle that there needs to be a reduction in costs, many believe that the suggested amounts are too extreme and conflict with what Formula One racing is all about.
Many teams now employ hundreds of staff for the development of their racing cars the forced reductions could mean redundancies for them. Car manufacturer’s team owners, tend to use the development of their racing cars to help with their productions cars, like Ferrari and so could lose any technical developments that keep them ahead as a car maker.
The bottom line is, 8 teams do not agree even after weeks of talking and have now sent a very strong message to the FIA, either increase our budgets or we move on and create their own championship with cheaper tickets and more transparency. With teams like Ferrari and Mclaren moving on, you can’t help feeling that the fans will also.
The fans are yet to see if these are just threats or real goals, as a new championship could take considerable time to put together, especially as many if not all race tracks have agreed races for 2010, these clearly may not be able to stage a second event, or may lose considerable takings from fans not sure which championship to follow.
The timing will hit UK hardest as it as day before the last ever Silverstone Grand Prix practise of which plans to be a stunner with Jenson Button ready to do it for the Brits
You wouldn’t dare write in within a Hollywood script because no one would believe it. 5 months ago a driver about to be made redundant, today a winner of 6 races out of 7, just amazing. It makes you wonder just how anyone can catch him, even if he stopped winning races, the competition would have to win all theirs and for Jenson Button (who we are speaking about by the way) not to finish.
Lewis at the back, who finished 13th is going through a huge learning curve. He has been so used being on winning teams, even before he came into F1. It is a testament that motoring racing is not just about the skill of the driver it is about the machinery below him and the team around. If there is a break in any one part of the chain, you go from hero to zero. Lewis’s success will not be based around the ability to help the team improve and get through this difficult time. Of course he could consider moving teams.
Ross Brawn however must now be thinking that that pay cut assigned to Jenson Button may have been a bit premature and a new contract should be looked at, although Jenson have proved loyal to Honda and you can’t see him not wanting to win anymore by moving teams.
Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettell was not happy with his strategy, based on tha fact Red Bull pretty much knew half way through the Grand Prix that Mark Webbers (team mate) strategy was better than his. As Sebastian had started on pole, he did feel a bit let down especially when Mark Webber finished in front of him.
Even though Jenson is running away with the title challenge, it is still turning out to be a great F1 motoring season, the next race is Silverstone and I can’t wait.
Having 2 separate UK world F1 champions back to back seems an unrealistic dream but with Jenson Button delivering 5 wins out of the first 6 this now seems like it may come true. Last year was an amazing finish with Hamilton just squeezing his world championship with a drive that nearly proved top be too careful at the last race in Brazil. The scene was set for 2009 with Hamilton and Massa ready to take on the challenge. But with rules changes and aerodynamic confusions the most unlikely team have come through to be winners.
Brawn GP (spelt it right this time) are dominating the F1 calendar with reliability and driving that can only be described as awesome.
Even Ross Brawn has admitted that Jenson Buttons driving is well above expected and worthy compliment. This means any doubters over recent seasons are seeing a motor racing champion in the making after nearly 10 years at the wheel. It is only a few weeks to Silverstone and you just know the Union jacks will be flying again for a British driver, only this time a driver that is a bit older and in the right car.
Lewis will come back as Mclaren always do, but it is unlikely to be challenging for any tropies this season. An improvement in Ferraris form in last weeks Monaco GP, suggest they will make points up. But with Brawn GP delivering what they are and with the lead in the championship , it is hard to see how they can catch and overtake.
Let’s get this right! Last season Honda F1 was probably the worst performing term on the grid bearing in mind the budget they had to work to, the quality of drivers behind the wheel and of course Ross Braun, the genius from Ferrari. Then Honda announces it is pulling out of F1 as it can’t justify the huge cost, when they are struggling ot sell cars worldwide and factory workers are losing their livelihood, which nearly means Jenson Button and the whole team were effectively going to be redundant.
But with the failure to sell the team, Ross Braun steps in with the help of Honda and a sponsorship deal from Virgin and guess what they will be racing this season. Never in anyone’s mind did we think that this new team would turn up to testing and blow away everyone’s lap times.
If that was not good enough, Ross Braun’s F1 team have not won the first 2 races of the season. What a fairy tale, only once before back when they drove around straw bails, has a new team come straight in to win the first race of their career.
A lot has to do with the new aerodynamic rule changes and to be honest a car that Honda had been working on for 16 months, prior to knowing, they would pull out. Then there is this disagreement about the diffuser being used on the car, (more about that on another post). Even with all this, Jensen has won another 2 grand prixs. Which is astonishing considering he did not even think he would be driving this season. He has proved he is a race winning driver, even if many never doubted the fact.
If the season continues in the way it started, this will be another fantastic racing year for F1.
Filed under: General — Tags: snow — flanok @ 11:40 am
Unless you have been on holiday you can’t have helped noticing the sheet of icing that has covered the UK roads know as snow. It seems we are a bit of a laughing stock throughout the world, which sees the whole of the UK come to a standstill every time we have a heavy dose of snow.
The news channels have been following this with advice of what to do in the snow. An interesting article appeared on Sky news on how to drive in these conditions, from a very slippery Silverstone. The most important piece of advice came from the instructor saying that car owners tend to drive exactly the same in the snow that in normal conditions, but of course the driving experience is totally different.
We need to think differently in these slippery situations. One other piece of advice is when entering a skid or slide is to one turn into the slide and power out and second to always look to where you want to go, not where the car is going.
Other simple advice is to allow more time for your journey, but we know that most of us will leave for work at the same time, expecting for traffic to move at the same speed.
