Where did you find HP figures for these engines? It's well known that Ferrari has one of the most powerful engines, but I'd say the difference between the strongest and the weakest is about 30 HP (which I guess is kind of a big difference). I don't really think it was a ballsy move. Usually when you start in the middle of the pack with a slower car, you take off some wing so you can pass cars or defend your position on the straights.

 

FIA scraps plans to ban tyre warmers

By Jonathan Noble Friday, June 27th 2008, 09:57 GMT

tyre warmerTyre warmers will remain in Formula One next year, autosport.com can reveal, after the FIA agreed to scrap plans to impose a ban in 2009.

The governing body had been scheduled to scrap the use of tyre blankets to coincide with the return of slicks at the start of next season in a bid to improve the racing and cut costs.

But that move led to concern from drivers about safety implications, after they tried out slick rubber without warmers in winter testing.

With a big difference in laptimes between cars on cold tyres and those with warmed up rubber, drivers feared about the increased chance of accidents.

Bridgestone was adamant though that the rubber it planned to use would not cause any safety problems - and it told the FIA that it saw no reason to scrap the tyre warmer ban for this reason.

However, one way of guaranteeing tyre safety was for Bridgestone to impose a minimum tyre pressure limit – and this was something the teams could not find a satisfactory way of imposing or policing.

Honda Racing team principal Ross Brawn told autosport.com recently: "You can run tyres for sure without blankets, lot of formulae do, but we are a particularly competitive formula and if you don't run blankets with tyres you need to have a minimum pressure control.

"We haven't worked out how to do that and that was the big concern – how to introduce it fairly and effectively for all the teams? And how do you avoid the massive overhead of policing it?

"The TWG (Technical Working Group) said it wanted to keep tyre blankets because it could not see a solution to controlling minimum tyre pressure, and that was a big worry. So the option of having blankets was the easiest.

"And interestingly tyre blankets are not prohibited in testing, so for efficiency of testing we will almost certainly be using tyre blankets in testing. So we will have had them in testing and not racing."

The FIA agreed that the tyre pressure problem was insurmountable in the short term and, allied to the fact that there would be little reduction in costs because tyre blankets would still be used in testing, the governing body's World Council this week agreed to scrap the ban.
..........................

I would like to see them run w/o blankets. We would get to see which drivers really control themselves and their car.

 

Mosley aims to reduce fuel consumption by half

This morning, FIA President Max Mosley sent a letter to all the Formula One teams. In the letter, the President of the governing body declares that Formula One is becoming unsustainable and he invites the teams to make proposals to reduce costs, to extract more energy from less fuel and to improve racing. Here you can find the full letter of Max Mosley:

To all Formula One Team Principals
3 July 2008


Gentlemen

Formula One is becoming unsustainable. The major manufacturers are currently employing up to 1000 people to put two cars on the grid. This is clearly unacceptable at a time when all these companies are facing difficult market conditions.

Also, with attention on energy problems world-wide, Formula One cannot afford to be profligate in its use of fuel. Indeed, without the KERS initiative, some major sponsors might already have left.

The FIA is therefore inviting the teams to make proposals

• to reduce current levels of expenditure. New rules must ensure that the costs of the manufacturer teams come down by at least 50% and that the independent teams become financially viable. Both must be done without affecting the spectacle in any way;

• to extract more useful energy from less fuel. The target should be a (very challenging) 50% reduction from today’s levels of fuel consumption by 2015, while maintaining current speeds. The rules should encourage manufacturer teams to research technologies which are road-relevant rather than Formula One-specific;

• to improve the racing, including rules to ensure that cars remain aerodynamically efficient when in close proximity to one another.

The matter is now urgent. We need proposals which we can turn into detailed rules. These must be ready within three months and have the support of at least a majority of the teams, failing which the FIA will itself prepare new rules for 2011. Please also see the attached note. Professor Goeschel has kindly agreed to hold meetings of FOMAC to discuss these issues directly with the manufacturers.


Yours sincerely
Max Mosley
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How is he expecting to reduce the spending in F1 when companies are willing to spend so much to sponsor a team?
A reduction in fuel use? It is a drop in the bucket in their budget and in the over all fuel use over the world. Their tech won't be able to be transfered to road cars either.
I also think KERS is stupid.

 

David Coulthard is retiring . this is his last session

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...es-retirement/

David Coulthard has announced today that he will retire from F1 at the end of the season.

Since leaving McLaren the Scot has extended his career by four years after signing with Red Bull, but it seems that he has realized that there is no opportunity available to him next year. He may well have been told that next year’s lineup will be Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

Coulthard has been consistently outqualified by Webber over the last year and a half. He has on occasion taken advantage of circumstances to score a good result, notably this year in Montreal, where he finished third.

DC's full statement was as follows:

"I would like to announce today my decision to retire from racing in Formula One at the end of this season. I will remain actively involved in the sport as a consultant to Red Bull Racing focusing on testing and development of the cars. I have an open mind as to whether or not I will compete again in the future, in some other form of motorsport, so I am definitely not hanging up my helmet!

My decision to retire was taken earlier in the year and is based on a desire to stop while I am still competitive and enjoying the immense challenge that Grand Prix driving represents. I also have the desire to look for new challenges within the sport.

The decision to make this announcement at the British GP should be an obvious one for all to understand, as I have achieved two of my thirteen F1 victories at Silverstone and I am a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which hosts this event.

I am proud of my work at Red Bull Racing and will continue to race with the same focus until the last lap in Brazil. Thereafter I will continue to help the team develop and move towards their ultimate goal of


winning races. />
There are many people who have played a part in my career and I would like to list a few of them below;

- My parents whose energy and encouragement through my entire career has been amazing;
- Dave Boyce who guided me through Karting;
- David Leslie Senior and Junior for teaching me how to set up and race a car;
- Sir Jackie and Paul Stewart for putting me through their "staircase of talent";
- Sir Frank Williams and Williams Renault for having the faith to promote me from test driver to race driver, which led to my first GP victory;
- Ron Dennis and the McLaren team where I spent nine seasons and achieved the majority of my success.
- Norbert Haug and Mercedes for being racers through and through;
- Dietrich Mateschitz and his Red Bull Racing team for providing me with the chance to contribute to the development of a new team, while continuing to compete and add to my tally of podiums;
- Christian Horner for his open and professional management style in association with Helmut Marko;
- Bernie Ecclestone for providing such a strong platform for us all to develop our skills and be able to call ourselves professionals. In years to come, my future family will still be thanking him for the financial success of F1;
- My management team of Martin Brundle and David Cawthorne in association with Annette Hutchinson and Iain Cunningham for providing their valued opinions;
- There have been three teams but only one designer, so Adrian Newey deserves special thanks for all the champagne that I have sprayed;
- And last but not least, all the media, officials, marshals, medical support, mechanics, engineers, sponsors, lawyers, accountants and back room staff that I have worked with during this period.

DC
Silverstone 2008"

 

Hamilton is owning the track atm. from a awesome start , shot from 4th place to 2nd. now he just taken 1st sorry kimmi fans

 

awesome job HOnda and Ruben.

oh btw maybe next year kimi fans because hamilton just owned silverstone

 

Yeah, Lewis was really lucky with his strategy. I was sure that Kimi would pass him after his first stop, but it started raining again and his tires dropped off in performance. He took a gamble and lost.

 

from: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...09105737.shtml
Major McLaren sponsor Santander, a Spanish bank, is to switch allegiances to Ferrari for 2009 and beyond, according to reports.
............
Anyone think this is going to start the Alonso to Ferrari rumors again? (Yes).

 

from: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=35367
Donington plan hits a snag.
The grand plan for Donington Park to host the 2010 British Grand Prix would appear to have hit a slight snag. With a massive redevelopment needed to bring the circuit and it facilities up to standard, it appears that planning permission has not yet been sought.
more ......

........................

When this comes up for public hearings, how many locals will object due to traffic and noise a GP will produce?

 

^^ should get pretty interesting next session. if alonso does go to ferrari, i guess masa would be the one let go. if that ends up happening, i wonder what team will take him.

as for a Alonso, and Kimmi i wonder how they will get along. i know kimi wont take alonso attitude.

 

wow we wont be seeing silverstone pass 2011+? that is one of my top 5 tracks
1. suzuka (before they started using fuji )
2. bahrain
3. silverstone
4. turkey
5. nurb ,
6. sepang
7. shanghai

 

I hope the rumors are true. The last race was classic Massa. Just when you start to warm up to him "again", he does something to remind you of the limitations he still has.

That makes two wet races this year with two big Massa mistakes, or in the case of the last race several.

 

yep, even though i like mass alot, he is not a good at driving on wet roads. last year was the same issue with him also. but any how, i hope the best for massa. i know he is under alot of pressure with alonso rumor flying around.

 

When Massa is on, he drives well. I can see a major team picking him up. Kimmi is steady. You know that he will finish (well, that thing in Monaco was an exception).
The question is Alonso. He wants to be #1 on the team. And if Ferrari picks him up, he wouldn't be one teamed with either of the current drivers. Will Ferrari fire both drivers (No). Can Alonso behave himself if teamed with Kimmi (No).

 

Yep, taht is going to be interesting to see how alonso an kimmi work out. i do hope massa stays with ferrai. even though massa does make mistakes, at least ferrari is winning the constructors atm. but oh well guess we just have to wait and see.

 

I think the real question is; Has Alonso learned how important it is to be with a frontrunning team regardless of how he feels. I will not presume to know the answer, but I bet he and Ferrari would be willing to give it a shot.

As for when Massa is on, that happens mostly when he is running alone.

 

Massa is a fine driver but he spun it FIVE times last Sunday, more than anyone else. I would tend to think that Takuma Sato would be faster in the Ferrari than Massa is....

:edit: On the tire warmers ban. The problem isnt warm tires. The problem is too much downforce. They need to take 80% of the downforce away and get rid of the ridiculous aero engineering and then we will see some real racing in F1. Just look at what happens every time in the rain when grip is reduced. REAL RACING >

 

Me thinks he has learned a bit this year....

 

Does anyone find it interesting that Michael Schumacher has been more visible of late. Comments like..."I would have had no problem going up against Kimi Raikkonen"(see link below) sound to me like a driver jockying for a ride, not a retired team advisor. He'll also be at Hockenheim this weekend. Wonder how he and Massa will get now that the press knows Massa's resurgent career was totally gifted by Schuey.

Personally I'd like to see Michael paired with either Kubica @ BMW or Hamilton @ Mclaren, IF he were to come back. Let di Montezemolo have Alonso!

http://msn.foxsports.com/motor/story/8345794/Schumi-quit-to-save-Massa's-career

 

Congratulations go to Lewis again for another sterling performance achieving pole in Germany. He was flawless.

Kubica is struggling for some reason and Kimi is off pace. We'll see what happens during the race, that's what counts.

Seal.

 

Kimi is way off the pace...ug...no good for my red cars

 

Go Go Go Go Hamilton

 

poor glock, watching his reaar right suspension snapping

 

i always root for hamilton, but i really hope Piquet wins this race. i think it would be cool to see some one who really doenst place in the top 10 to actually win a race. GO GOGO Piquet lol . btw hamilton just owned Massa

 

Ferrari fan boys always make me laugh, when they feel that hamilton Sucks, cant drive blah blah. guess this race should shut them up for a while . bettter luck next year

btw grats to Piquet