PerSmitt

I disagree with the vetoing. I wanted Jaime to get testing time done before his first drive too.

The testing ban is there to cut cost and the important part is that no actual technological testing is done which furthers the research. In cases with stand in drivers I find that they should be allowed to test one or two sessions in advance. Especially in Jaime's case, since he would not be able to provide any technical feedback considering it was the first time he pulls a F1 car around a corner. In Schumacher's case it is a bit more edgy considering he is one of the most experienced F1 drivers in the world and would be able to come with a lot of technical feedback.

Anyways, here is Ferrari's view on it:

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...04154321.shtml

"Just for the record, the Scuderia Ferrari had given its approval to let (Toro Rosso's Jaime) Alguersuari test, but it seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations."

alfy28

I agree with you, i wish they would allow a limited number of test. If that would of happen, both ferrari and mclaren would of had their car in top notch at least by race 4 -5.

but reason why i agree with redbull is, fota wouldnt allow newbie to test his car, before last race . also FOTA made these no test rules up (from what i remember) . so not sure why they would say no to one driver (with no driver exp) and say yes to a driver who is <sarcastic cough> one of the best drivers ever in F1.

but yah i do agree with you. i dont understand how FOTA thinks its cutting cost. if the car isnt up to par in a race, they have to go back to drawing board and spend more money fixing what ever is causing the car to be slow. but then again, they are in F1, and i am just some crack head who thinks he can draw.

alfy28

And this is why i dislike ferrari. its their arrogance in any motorsports (along with porsche) that always makes me wonder, how and the hell taht they have such a great following. but then i remember, the fans dotn know any better

Ferrari could of kept their opinion on Williams veto simple. but to say such comment as "A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play," the note charged "

just because MS is coming back to f1 for a few races, doesnt mean he is Lord Sidious , and that we should all bow down to the great Sith.













http://www.worldcarfans.com/10908042...cher-test-veto

Despite a spokesman earlier saying Williams' veto was "fair enough", Ferrari has now slammed its British team rival for blocking Michael Schumacher's test in the current F60 car.

Red Bull's two teams also did not support Ferrari's request for an exemption from the test ban for returnee Schumacher, but it was Williams who bore the brunt of the Italian squad's anger.

"Guess who opposed the test with the F60?" said Ferrari in a note titled 'Indiscretion' on its official website on Tuesday.

"A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play," the note charged.

Ferrari also played down the comparison with Jaime Alguersuari's recent debut without prior testing in Hungary, revealing that the Maranello team did give its approval for a pre-race run for the Spanish teenager.

"It seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations," Ferrari added.

alfy28

Q&A with Lewis Hamilton: I love my car right now
Prior to his triumph at the Hungaroring on Sunday, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton had not won a race since last October - a pretty long wait for a reigning world champion. No wonder then that the Englishman was ecstatic with his and the team’s performance, as he explained to his official website…

Q: Lewis, an amazing victory and an incredible change of fortunes for McLaren. What does this win mean to you?
Lewis Hamilton: It's been a huge turnaround. At the start of the season, I said that if anybody could do this it would be Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. And you've seen ourselves and Ferrari stepping up our game - and, for sure, if we'd had this car at the beginning of the season I reckon we'd have won more races. But we always said we were six months behind the top guys and, sure enough, six months later we're back at the front!

Q: When did you first start thinking you'd have a chance to win a race this season?
LH: To be honest, it was only as recently as the last race in Germany when I felt I had a good enough car beneath me. I remember I got a little bit excited over the radio, forgetting I'd not switched it off, and the whole team heard me - and then they played it to the guys back at the factory! But hopefully it was a sign of motivation to everyone. Our target was just to get a podium in Hungary but the car just felt incredible. When the team told me I was on the final lap, I felt like asking them to double-check because it felt like ages since I'd last been at the front! I just hope my fans, my family and my team feel the same excitement and satisfaction as I did.

Q: It's incredible to think that this is your first win since China last October!
LH: It's been almost a year - such a long time that it felt surreal to win again. I'd been waiting a long time for this day and I couldn't believe how well it all went. I was able to control the pace at the front. It's normally very hard to achieve that, but on Sunday I was able to use my tyres, fuel and engine perfectly. I felt like we balanced everything and I felt really comfortable in the car. But I was still being pushed by Kimi (Raikkonen) - and made sure I could never back off.

Q: How much of a benefit was the Mercedes-Benz KERS Hybrid in the race?
LH: I love my car right now - the overall package is fantastic. But, I have to say, Mercedes-Benz has continued to improve our engine and I think it's by far the best in Formula One. And our KERS is fantastic - it played a big part in allowing me to get closer to the front on the opening lap and to pass Mark (Webber) in the early laps of the race.

Q: Is it too early to talk about this being a turning point in your season?
LH: Things can only get better for us, I think. The updates we've introduced have made a huge difference and we've now got a massive downforce improvement and the car is a pleasure to drive. We've still got quite a few improvements to make to the car - there are still areas that we haven't yet explored and we've got some more changes coming for Valencia that will hopefully move us even closer to the front. We're going to continue to try and push - but let's not get ahead of ourselves - it would be fantastic to get to Q3 again in the next race. But this is a great reward for everybody back at Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart. I know they're all completely knackered and I hope they get a good break over the next couple of weeks so we can be ready to come back and get some more podiums!

Q: Finally, do you have a message for Felipe Massa after his terrible accident on Saturday?
LH: My thoughts go out to Felipe and his family - in particular to his wife and baby that's on the way. I was so shocked about what happened on Saturday and there wasn't one moment in the race when he wasn't in my mind. It was a very unexpected accident and none of us can imagine what pain he was feeling. Fortunately, the car and the safety barrier did their job - the improvements we've made to safety over the past few years mean he's still around to see another day. Felipe and I have been quite good friends for several years so I have huge respect for him, especially after last year when we had some fantastic battles. I sent him a message and tried to call him on Saturday but, clearly, he still needed to rest and recover from his operation. I was so sad that he couldn't race with us on Sunday but I'm happy that he's safe. I want to wish him a very speedy recovery and look forward to competing against him for many more years

http://www.formula1.com/news/intervi...09/7/9688.html

alfy28

and for the massa fans here





Felipe Massa: I hope I’ll be back on track soon
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa left Budapest on Monday morning to travel home to Brazil, less than ten days after his accident in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, accompanied by his wife Raffaela and his personal doctor Dino Altmann. Before leaving the AEK hospital, where he has been recovering from his injuries, Massa gave Ferrari his first interview since the Hungaroring crash…

Q: How do you feel? What do you remember from the accident?Felipe Massa: It is sort of a strange feeling. I know exactly what happened, that a spring came off Rubens' car and hit me on the helmet. I know that something happened to me, but I didn't feel anything when it happened. They told me that I lost consciousness at the moment of the spring's impact on my helmet and I ran into the barriers, then I woke up in hospital two days later. I don't remember anything and that's why what the doctors did had to be explained to me. When I saw Rob (Smedley, his race engineer), he asked me if I remembered Rubens, but the last thing I remembered was when I was behind him at the end of my fast lap in Q2, and than it's blank. It's difficult to explain. I'm feeling much better now and I want to recover as soon as possible to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari.

Q: Do you want to thank anyone?
FM: First of all I want to thank God. Then I want to thank the doctors at the race track and at Budapest's AEK hospital, who have done a lot for me, and Dino Altmann, who came with my family from Brazil and who was extraordinary over the last days. But I also want to thank everybody who prayed and who wrote to me via my own and Ferrari's website, hoping that everything went well. So many people wrote to me, also many who aren't interested in Formula One, but had heard about what happened to me: thank you so much and I want to tell them that I'm praying also for them. I would have done the same if an accident had happened to another driver: I would have prayed for him that everything went well.

Q: How much help was the fact that your family was here over the last days?
FM: My family is important to me. They have always been close to me during my career, victories and defeats, and the most difficult moments. There was only (brother) Edoardo at Budapest, but when the accident happened Raffaela, my father, my mother and then my sister came to Hungary. I know that they've suffered a lot and I want to thank them. And then there's another family I have to thank: the Ferrari family. They were great, they helped us in any possible way and it's a great thing to be part of this group.

Q: What's your first wish when you get back to Brazil?
FM: Coming back to my home, checking that everything is as it was before. Many things have happened over the last days and I want to get back to a normal life. I want to get back into the best possible condition, doing things you do every day.

Q: For a while your car will be driven by Michael Schumacher: do you have any advice for him?
FM: Michael doesn't need my advice! It was him who gave me many tips during my career when we were racing together. He knows how to win, he knows how to drive and he's great: it was the best choice handing over the car to such a fantastic person and I'm sure that everybody will be happy to see him back on the track again. Although I hope I'll be back on the track with Ferrari as soon as possible.

http://www.formula1.com/news/intervi...09/8/9717.html

alfy28

PerSmitt

Really like red!

Come on Mosley likes red cars. So do I! I have a red RX-8 ever since my sunlight silver died in a full rain track incident.

bse50

Hey Alfy, i'm back again :p
I thought you were German from the way you loved Hamilton and McLaren-Mercedes :p
Anyway you should all have listened to that interview in italian. His brazilian accent plus the hangover from the induced coma really made him talk funny
Glad he was smiling, again.


Now let's see how Michael keeps up with the youngsters. I hate how he is full of himself but in the end he is still a great driver and apparently he's chosing a way lower profile like now, a bit like alonso.
I'm starting to think that Hamilton did learn his lesson too, after a half season spent in mediocrity maybe he got the message!

alfy28

lol nah, but would love to visit it some day. yah i just like hamilton because of his attitude with the team and press. but most important is how he drives, either in a slow car or fast, he probably one of the most aggressive drivers (besides Alonso) when over taking. which brings excitement to the race.

as for MS, not sure why i never really cared for him. guess its because i really dont think he is all that. I prefered his greatest rival over him.



off the topic

and ferrari , their arrogance never seems to amaze me, especialy with their latest comment about williams. they are right though, wililams havent won in a long time, but williams is part of F1, so if they disagree with something they have a right to speak up, regardless if they won a race or not.

I think my hate for ferrari in motorsports started really early (in JGTC). they along with porsche always whined about other cars being to fast etc. Cried about Supras, GTR's and nsx owning them like very single race. so they add more weight to the cars, and still get owned. then they whine in Lemans. which is why i root for Aston, i never hear them complain , along with vette.

but i feel that names like ferrari and porsche shouldnt be whining. ppl think highly of them, ppl know them as one of the fastest cars in the world. so when you see a company known for their skills whine, its just makes wonder is Ferrari and porsche just an over rated company.

then when you see ferrari cry about brawn and toyota at the begining of the season, makes me laugh. I see renault complaining, but teames like Mclaren and Ferrari i dont. i see them staying quiet and improving on their cars.

there was only 2 teams that where outspoken about brawn, which was renault and ferrari. i think reason why mclaren stayed quiet , is because what engine brawn is using. but then again, they seem stay quiet 99% of time . they just ususally go along wth any ones request.

But i do feel ferrari has improved their car, but not to the extent taht mclaren has. i feel 2 races ago , masa was really lucky that webber popped hamiltons tire. because if that didnt happen, ferrari wouldnt had seen 3rd place.

but ill be real honest with the f1 fans here, i really do like massa and kimi. i feel they are awesome drivers. i think kimi is a better driver then massa, but kimi just doesnt seem to have the spirit any more. i think he is really bored with F1, and wants something more exciting like WRC.


also like to add, Ferrari STFU about williams. you seem to forget, taht your 5th on the constructors . It just shows that you dont have any confidence in MS, if you really think he needs to have a test run.






oh and bernie once again jumping into conclusions. Canda wont be hosting montrreal (one of my favorite tracks )

The mayor of Montreal on Tuesday clarified that no deal to reinstate the Canadian grand prix in 2010 has been done.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was earlier quoted by the Swiss magazine Motorsport Aktuell as saying "I promise we will be in Montreal in 2010".

But mayor Gerald Tremblay told French language radio RDS that negotiations are still ongoing, and that Ecclestone has not modified his previous unacceptable offer.

Ecclestone also said on Tuesday that while an F1 return to Indianapolis is not on the cards, his sport could host a United States grand prix somewhere else "the year after (2011)".


http://www.worldcarfans.com/10908042...nada-gp-return

bse50

I agree with you alfy, Ferrari has got an attitude that i don't like.. even towards the mechanics etc.
I can see them losing in the jgtc, i mean... they never got official cars there and real support but in the end it is a team's fault.. get a supra or something more suited\supported for that championship instead!

Have you noticed how every title-winning finnish driver stops being a leader after a while? Think about Hakkinen and Raikkonen! Kovalainen didn't win much but again.. he's behind after a couple of years with decent results!

alfy28

its very funny that you say that, because i agree. i dont know what it is about finn drivers. but i think they end up missing the dirt and mud. like Hakkinen he turned to rally, also you see kimi doing it also. as for kova, i am not sure what he likes lol. he just seems to be there.

i feel sorry for mclaren and hamilton, because it seems that hamilton is just carrying the team on his own. Especially last session, when you have 2 ferrari's to fight off. hamilton could really used kova to help fight them off. but oh well, hopefully next session hamilton gets a better team mate. i like kova, but right now i just dont think he is cut to be driving for mclaren.

i dont know, maybe once he gets taken off the team, he might go public and say mcclaren didnt do this or do that. but i wouldnt blame mclaren if they did . i cant see my self putting time into car, if the driver doesnt push it hard enough. i rather give mroe time to the person driving their **** off. not saying that kova didnt, but it sure looked like it.


btw, as for you mechanics comment. i agree, some times i feel that they are being ruled under a iron fist. must be hard to work for a company that must keeps its reputation high. i understand winning is very important, but if the team is giving 110%, what else can they do? ferrari shouldnt fault the team for every non podium finish. some time i wonder if Kimi is fed up with them, which is probably his reasons on not caring to race.

bse50

Kimi needs a team that doesn't stress his fragile equilibrium. Maybe he could do something with a renault or a williams!
Like Casey Stoner, Hamilton and Raikkonen suffer a lot others opinions and team pressures. At times is hard for a team to understand that though!

alfy28

^^ yah i think williams would be a perfect place for him, or any mercedes powered team .even though i think he doesnt like the engine, at least he would have better reliability over the ferrari engine

alfy28

All teams signed new Concorde - FOTA

http://www.worldcarfans.com/10908052...concorde--fota


Four days after the FIA's similar announcement, the formula one teams association FOTA on Wednesday confirmed the signing of a new Concorde Agreement.

FOTA, although not officially representing Williams and Force India, said in a statement that every team except BMW has signed the document that binds them with the FIA and the commercial rights holder.

The commercial and regulatory agreement also guarantees "the teams' participation until the end of the 2012 season", read the statement.

It was also confirmed that "all formula one teams" have signed up for the voluntary cost regulation agreement, which replaces Max Mosley's controversial desire for cost caps because it will reduce spending to "early 1990s" levels by other means.

"FOTA's attention will now turn to other issues we believe to be in the long term interest of F1: racing at the best tracks, in front of the biggest audiences and expanding F1's reach," the statement concluded.



Source: GMM

ATL-GP

so who's taking Piquet's spot

alfy28

from what i last heard, it was a spanish driver. but that was like last week, so probably has changed by now. i think jubba gets his driver from tatooine

alfy28

so mcarlen fans, go out and hug every ferrari fan that you cross. and tell them, hey mclaren made 1st podium finsihs before ferrari, and let them know that everything is going to be ok



Whitmarsh: revitalised McLaren well placed for 2010
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has hailed his team’s recent renaissance, admitting that they headed down something of a developmental dead-end earlier in the season. McLaren scored just 14 points in the first nine races, before returning to the top step of the podium in Hungary.

“To stand there as team principal was a very, very proud moment for me personally because I’m proud to be a member of this team, proud of what everyone has done in this team and that’s been a fantastic effort to recover,” said Whitmarsh. “In any season it’s difficult to recover. To recover in a season with no track testing is an amazing effort by everyone.”

By their own admission, McLaren were shocked to find themselves about 2.5s off the pace at the start of the year. Convinced the MP4-24’s design was fundamentally sound, the team put huge efforts into resolving its lack of downforce, but were initially unable to achieve the rate of development needed to catch their rivals.

“We were for a variety of reasons some way behind in terms of the aerodynamic performance,” said Whitmarsh. “And whilst we had made progress - and we made very good progress in a very short period of time - I sensed this was coming to a plateau of performance. And that required us to have a dramatic rethink.”

According to Whitmarsh, the turning point coincided with the team’s home race at Silverstone, which saw reigning champion Lewis Hamilton trail home a lowly 16th, a lap down on the leaders, after qualifying only 18th in front of his British fans.

“I think I said at the time, sometimes you’ve got to step backwards to go forward,” he continued. “We made some fundamental changes to weight distribution and we started to accept that we needed a completely different aerodynamic philosophy. Perhaps inadvertently, for a whole variety of reasons, we’d got ourselves into a cul de sac of development and we needed to reverse out of that.”

Looking back, Whitmarsh hinted that McLaren’s intense battle with Ferrari for the 2008 championship had almost certainly hindered their 2009 preparations, with the major regulation changes compounding the problem. He also admitted that their approach to the new rules may have been too conservative, after seeing Brawn and their double diffuser dominate the opening races.

“It’s clear now - I guess it should have been clearer last year - that other teams were putting a huge amount of resource (into 2009), having effectively given up under the other technical regulations. And perhaps also were being slightly more adventurous in their interpretation of the rules than perhaps we could have afforded to be.

“That gave them a head start. We went into this year nine months behind a lot of our competitors in terms of development and that was why it’s been a real battle to get back on terms.”

Despite their unexpectedly poor start to 2009, Whitmarsh insists he never doubted McLaren’s ability to recover. And with more developments on the way for the next round in Valencia, he believes the team are now well placed for the rest of this season - as well as for next year, when revisions to the regulations will be relatively minimal.

“The aerodynamic rule changes for next year are negligible. We obviously have the prohibition of refuelling, that's the biggest change, but that doesn’t affect the overall aerodynamic package. I think we’ve got every reason to be confident, but at the same time we’re not going to be complacent - we know how competitive Formula One is.

“A lot of the teams have already stopped the development this year, they’re committed to next year, and we’ve got to make sure we do a better job than them and that we are competitive. That’s certainly the goal of this team and everyone in it - to be out there, competitive, and winning races and the world championship next year.”

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/8/9724.html

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Best Buy and YouTube linked with US F1
07/08/09 16:29

Major brands being linked with the fledging team
Another major American brand is being linked with the new US F1 team. Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube, has been mentioned as a major investor of the Charlotte-based outfit headed by journalist Peter Windsor and technical expert Ken Anderson.

Now it is believed the American electronics store Best Buy is interested in also getting involved, after its chief marketing officer Barry Judge revealed on his Twitter page that he recently met with team officials.

"Thoughts on how a Best Buy partnership would help our entry into Europe?" he wrote.

Best Buy recently announced plans to open stores in the UK and other European countries for the first time in 2010 while also eyeing major British brands such as Comet and Currys, hence his European reference.

Judge also said YouTube's Hurley was at the meeting and is indeed the "big investor" of the US F1 team.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...07162952.shtml
-------------------------------
USF1 turns down pay-driver offers
07/08/09 10:30

New team giving little away on driver selection
US F1 has turned down the opportunity to sign lucrative deals with pay-drivers for its Formula One championship debut next year.

"We've been offered well over three quarters of our racing budget by two drivers already, neither of whom have raced in Formula One but both have won races in GP2," said the American team's co-principal Peter Windsor.

"Both of them have massive sponsorship they can bring us from their home country," Windsor, also revealing that neither of the pay-drivers are American, said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. He said the pay-drivers were turned down.

"Ken (Anderson) and I have got to be very strong, look one another in the eye and say, 'no, we're not gong to accept that money, we're not going to hire those guys because we're going to remain true to our convictions'," said Windsor.

Windsor said it is US F1's aim to give both cockpits to young American hopefuls. In 2010, however, one of the seats could go to an experienced non-American veteran, for instance Austrian Alex Wurz.

Mentioned by the specialist press as among the favourites for the second seat are Americans including Jonathan Summerton, Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Another oft-mentioned candidate is the female IndyCar star Danica Patrick, but she recently played down her interest and revealed that US F1 has not made an approach.

"A lot of people are saying to us 'are you interested in Danica?' and my reply is in some respects, Danica is too big for us now. She'll probably go to NASCAR and she'll probably do very well there and she'll probably make a fortune," said Windsor.

"For her to do Formula One, it's a huge commitment at this stage of her career and her expectation level would be very high. We're not going to be fighting for the world championship in year one," he said.

Windsor also revealed that US F1 has signed the new Concorde Agreement.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...07103051.shtml

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

AUGUST 7, 2009

One of the enduring rumours of recent months has been that Fernando Alonso will move to Ferrari next year with sponsorship coming from the Spanish financial services company Grupo Santander. It is expected that there will be an official announcement of the deal at the Italian Grand Prix in September. The intention was for Alonso to come in to Ferrari and partner Felipe Massa and this may still happen, depending on the fitness of the Brazilian. Kimi Raikkonen seems to be out of the picture. The fact that Ferrari is willing to allow one of its major assets to take part in a World Rally Championship event - from which he exited rolling twice into a forest - suggests that the team is not really bothered about him in the future. One cannot imagine any major F1 team allowing such a thing these days given the investmentthat has to be made in the drivers.

Alonso wants only to race a truly competitive car. After two World Championships at Renault he moved to McLaren hoping for great things. Santander joined him. The deal was for three years with an option to extend two more. This was a good move at the time as the Spanish bank could use Lewis Hamilton to promote the rebranding of its British subsidiaries while Alonso could be used for promotions in the Spanish-speaking world. The troubles at McLaren in 2007 led to the early departure of Fernando and caused Santander to have a rethink about the sponsorship. It was agreed that the bank would stay for the three years as agreed, but would not take up its option for 2010 and 2011.

Alonso wanted to go to Ferrari in 2008 but the team had no space for him so he settled for Renault, unconvinced by the other options available. It is believed that Alonso signed a pre-contract with Ferrari at the end of last year to join the team in 2010. Ferrari then turned around and used this to bid for the Santander money. Ferrari's problem was that Santander wanted primary sponsorship but could not have it because Ferrari had previously agreed a deal with tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI), the owners of the Marlboro brand, to continue until the end of 2011. Originally PMI had wanted to stop funding Ferrari at the end of this year, despite a deal that ran to 2011. PMI has long owned the entire sponsorship space on the Ferrari and sells it on to other sponsors, at a premium of around 30% on top of the price it paid. In order to keep the Marlboro money Ferrari promised to significantly increase the money that PMI made from the sponsorship. Santander was keen to join the party with Alonso and so a deal was agreed that will begin in 2010 and will provide Santander with significant badging on the car and an option to become title sponsor in 2011, PMI with a much better return on its investment, Alonso with the hope that he might be able to win another World Championship while Ferrari has the budget it needs - a win-win situation for all concerned.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21709.html

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

By Jonathan Noble Monday, August 10th 2009, 09:40 GMT

Pedro de la RosaPedro de la Rosa and Alexander Wurz have emerged as the leading contenders to race alongside an American rookie at the new Team US F1 next year, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Although the American-based outfit had considered running two American drivers for its debut campaign in 2010, the team believes it will be better placed slotting in an experienced racer to help its development phase.

It is understood that the team is already in talks with both de la Rosa and Wurz, whose vast experience of testing and racing would be of huge use to US F1.

De la Rosa's contract as a McLaren test driver runs out at the end of this year, and the Spaniard is also in talks with Campos Grand Prix about a race seat there.

Wurz will also be free of his test deal with Brawn GP at the end of this year and, on the back of efforts to get his Team Superfund on the grid in 2010, he thinks a tie up with US F1 could make sense off the track as well as on it. US F1 is expected to announce imminently that YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley is to become an investor in the team.

Speaking about a US F1 deal, Wurz said: "Peter Windsor [US F1 sporting director] talked to me about the possibility of driving for them as they have limited time for testing and would need an experienced driver.

"I know their first priority is US drivers but if they really want me I would be interested in this task to build a new franchise from scratch and help them with my input."

US F1 is considering its options in terms of an American driver, with Formula Atlantic driver Jonathan Summerton one of the leading contenders to be given an F1 chance.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77606
___________________
Summerton did quite well in A1GP considering the amount of effort the team put into it.
Either Werz or de la Rosa would be great to lead the team through development of the car. The question is will they be available to begin testing this fall.

alfy28

Ask the Expert - Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen
What record did Finnish ice hockey team the Espoo Blues set during the 2007/2008 season? How many Grands Prix did James Hunt win during his Formula One career? How many times has Kaj Lindstrom competed in Rally Finland? And when did snowboarding become an Olympic sport?

These are just some of the questions we thought Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen would take in his stride after he agreed to be the latest participant in our personal trivia test, ‘Ask the Expert’...

Q: Just after you started in Formula One racing, which of your fellow drivers was quoted as saying “I am not afraid of Kimi, but he is definitely one of the strongest rivals I have come up against”?
Kimi Raikkonen: Michael.
Correct - it was indeed Raikkonen’s predecessor at Ferrari, Michael Schumacher.

Q: You were born in 1979. Which driver and which team took the F1 title that year?
KR: Hunt?
Incorrect - it was Jody Scheckter and Ferrari.

Q: How many races did Marcus Ericsson win for your Raikkonen Robertson Formula Three team this year?
KR: He clinched two wins.
Correct

Q: You won the Formula Renault series in 2000. Can you remember by how many points?
KR: 56.
Correct - Raikkonen scored 316 to Ryan Daziel’s 260.

Q: You’re a fan of Finnish ice hockey team, the Espoo Blues. During the 07/08 season they set a new team record. What was it?
KR: 12 wins in a row.
Correct

Q: On your Formula One debut at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, you crossed the line seventh but were classified sixth. Why?
KR: Wasn’t it Panis who got a time penalty?
Correct - following the race, BAR’s Olivier Panis was handed a 25-second time penalty for a yellow flag infringement.

[B]Q: Why was the 2003 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring so special for you? KR: My first pole position
Correct

Q: How many world rally championship events has Marcus Gronholm won?
KR: 25? Incorrect - it’s actually 30.

Q: If the newspapers are to be believed, who is the only other sportsman to top your earnings? KR: Tiger Woods.
Correct

Q: You made your World Rally Championship debut recently at Rally Finland. Who won the rally last year?
KR: Loeb
Correct - it was Sebastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena.

Q: In 1998 another Raikkonen made headlines in Finland. What for? KR: I think his first name was Ville. But no idea what he did.
Call us generous but we think that deserves half a point - Ville Raikkonen won a bronze medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics for the sprint event in the Biathlon.

Q: You drove Rally Finland alongside Tommi Makinen's former co-driver Kaj Lindstrom. How many times had Lindstrom previously competed in Rally Finland?
KR: Ten times?
Correct

Q: In 2008 Finland’s postal service celebrated your world championship by issuing a special sheet of stamps. They were released as part of a series to commemorate the postal service’s birthday, but which birthday?
KR: I don’t know.
Incorrect - it was the service’s 370th birthday.

Q: One of your favourite charities is SOS Children’s Village Finland. In which district did the charity set up its first village back in 1965? KR: In Tapiola.
Correct

Q: You’re a firm fan of Walz Hardcore motorcycles. How long did it take to build your bespoke Iceman II bike? KR: I think nobody has the right answer for that. I guess that normally it takes one year, but I got mine in 10 months.
Correct

Q: You have been known to use the pseudonym ‘James Hunt’ when entering non-F1 events. How many Grands Prix did Hunt win during his F1 career? KR: Ten.
Correct

Q: You are one of eight Finns to have competed in Formula One racing. How many of the other seven can you name? KR: Heikki, both Mikas, Keke, JJ, Kinnunen. One is missing, right. I have no idea who that was.
Correct on six counts - it was indeed Mika Hakkinen, Leo Kinnunen, Heikki Kovalainen, JJ Lehto, Keke Rosberg and Mika Salo. The driver Raikkonen couldn’t remember was Mikko Kozarowitzky.

Q: You are a keen snowboarder. When did snowboarding become an Olympic sport? KR: 1998.
Correct

Q: Only one other Finn has raced for Ferrari - Mika Salo. What was his best result for the team?
KR: Second in Hockenheim in ’99.
Correct - at the German Grand Prix, deputising for Michael Schumacher.

Q: You have set the fastest race lap an amazing 35 times during your F1 career. Only two men have bettered that total. Can you name them? KR: Michael and Prost.
Correct - Michael Schumacher (76) and Alain Prost (41).

Final score: 22.5 points from a possible 28
Ask the Expert rating: 80%

Current leader board:
1. Heikki Kovalainen - 86%
2. Mark Webber - 84%
3= Lewis Hamilton - 80%
3= Kimi Raikkonen - 80%
5. Kazuki Nakajima - 73%
6. Sebastien Buemi - 72%
7. Robert Kubica - 70%
8. Jenson Button - 69%
9. Giancarlo Fisichella - 68%
10. Nico Rosberg - 66%
11= Sebastian Vettel - 64%
11= Rubens Barrichello - 64%
13= Jarno Trulli - 58%
13= Timo Glock - 58%
15. Nick Heidfeld - 57%
16. Adrian Sutil - 54%

http://www.formula1.com/news/intervi...09/8/9729.html

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Schumacher cancels F1 comeback
http://www.f1technical.net/news/13057

Badoer to replace Massa at European GP
http://www.f1technical.net/news/13058

Pololo_RX8

THIS TOTALLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn... The one thing I was looking forward to... The ONE thing that could have saved this season is now gone...

Of course, I can always count on having Alonso drive as a "guest" for Ferrari next race right???

Carlos

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I don't think so, but the rumors are still flying around that it will be announced at Monza that Alonso will join Ferrari for next year.

mike1324a

Yep. Not good for the sport. There was so much excitement around this for everyone, even if people didnt like Schumacher. Im very dissappointed. Ill bet there will be tons cheap tickets for sale for the rest of the season for all those people who got tickets just to see schumacher.