SPEED Extends With Formula One

SPEED™ REACHES MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT ON FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™
DEAL EXTENDS RELATIONSHIP DATING BACK TO NETWORK’S ORIGIN
ADDITIONAL WEB RIGHTS GRANTED TO SPEEDtv.com

SPEED and Formula One Management have reached an agreement to extend a relationship that dates back to 1996, the network’s first full season on the air. SPEED will continue to offer its long-running live coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship, including live coverage of qualifying and practice sessions.

Continued at: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...h-formula-one/

As a Silver Knight (color soon to be revised when McLarens new livery will be revealed) I am ashamed to admit that the false prophet might actually challenge the Messiah.

Whoever has the faster car of them will take the most victories the next years. I believe the drivers are on par, age or no age. With equal cars I believe we will witness battles mortal eyes are not meant to see (one or the other crashing out, or both)

Alfy, get chopping :)

For the purposes of our discussion here, false prophet doesn't quite fit. I think King works better.

USF1 Website Goes Live
http://www.usgpe.com/index.html

USF1 website shows monocoque construction

Date 2009-12-25

By Motorsport.com/GMM

USF1 has launched an official website, including a video showing progress on its 2010 car.

The new American entry's sporting director Peter Windsor recently denied Bernie Ecclestone's claim that it might not contest next year's world championship.

"F1 has not only survived the global recession, it is expanding still further, with new races in new countries and a 26 car grid," said part of the welcome message.

A video posted to USF1's official Youtube channel, meanwhile, shows the progress at the Charlotte headquarters, including the construction of the car's monocoque.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=354124:F1

Lol

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....that's awesome!!!

Post #1 has been edited to reflect the current team drivers.

You misspelled Heikki in post #1. Sorry for being an ass :)

Rosberg: It was Schumi who made F1 dangerous

The on-track hostilities might still be more than two months away yet, but it seems that tension may already be in the air at Mercedes Grand Prix – with comments made by Nico Rosberg at the end of the 2009 campaign suggesting that his F1 2010 team-mate Michael Schumacher is responsible for legitimising many of the questionable driving tactics seen in the top flight today.

Rosberg has already expressed his belief that compatriot Schumacher could find things tough on his return to the grand prix grid following a three-year absence when the starting lights go out in Bahrain in mid-March [see separate story – click here], and now it has emerged that the 24-year-old previously pinned the blame for some of the lax driving standards in the modern era firmly at the door of the record-breaking seven-time F1 World Champion's infamous 'win-at-all-costs' approach.

“It is Michael Schumacher who started this, like at Spa, when Mika Hakkinen tried to overtake him and he ran him off the track,” the German is quoted as having said by F1 Fanatic shortly after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009 season finale, alluding to the race ten years ago when the Kerpen native squeezed his Finnish rival virtually onto the grass as they diced for the lead at 200mph, effectively offering him the choice of either backing off or else causing a huge accident. “When the guy behind has made a decision [to pass] and the guy in front then moves over, it is very dangerous. You cannot do that. That was the first time I remember it being a dangerous issue.”

Schumacher has ever been a controversial and divisive figure in the paddock, with few in any doubt as to his talent and none disputing his outstanding success – but a good many more dubious about the somewhat devil-may-care manner he has adopted in order to achieve it, as he has run right to the edge of the limits and rules, and occasionally beyond. Governing body the FIA has more often than not turned a blind eye.

Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve have both been on the receiving end of the 40-year-old's decidedly strong-arm tactics when he is determined to get what he wants, and comparisons have been drawn with the sheer, cold-blooded ruthlessness displayed by fellow multiple title-winner Ayrton Senna. Parking his Ferrari in the middle of the track in the dying moments of qualifying at Monaco in 2006 is another example. It is, Rosberg contends, a dangerous precedent – with others having since looked, learned...and emulated.

“[Rubens] Barrichello, [Mark] Webber and [Kamui] Kobayashi did exactly the same thing [at Interlagos],” he continued. “With Webber, [Kimi] Raikkonen lost his front wing, with Kobayashi, [Kazuki] Nakajima had a massive 'off', which could have been much worse – you can really hurt yourself, marshals and others in that sort of accident. With Barrichello, Lewis [Hamilton] ran into the back of his tyre. That was the third time – and it is not allowed to happen.”

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/155650/...dangerous.html

I did that on purpose. Just to see if there was any life out there and if anyone was paying attention. :p:

A couple of articles popped up that I thought were interesting, but I won't post them in full. If they sound interesting to you, read them at your leisure.

F1 designers call for track changes
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.a...47588&PO=47588

The real reason why car manufacturers are pulling out of F1
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=39728 also,
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorspo...0103-lner.html

USF1 Roundup
 

Lopez closing on USF1 deal, Rossiter for second seat?

Date 2010-01-04
By Motorsport.com/GMM

Jose Maria Lopez looks set to secure one race seat at USF1, and the other may go to the British driver James Rossiter, according to reports from Argentina.
The publication Corsa revealed that Argentine Lopez, who has not raced a single seater since GP2 in 2006, has recently done two days to re-acclimatise at the wheel of a F3 car.
It is said that sponsors on the car, including to promote Argentinean tourism, the Top Race V6 series and the company Kwan, will all accompany Lopez to USF1.
His manager Felipe McGough, also working closely with the Automovil Club Argentino, confirmed that the deal with F1's new American team is still on.
"In the last weeks we made much progress, but the holidays were a complication. All is well.
"They are sensitive contracts. We must have patience. The idea is that the team makes the announcement," he said.
In late November it emerged that Lopez, 26, had penned a deal conditional on the completion of his $8m sponsor package.
Other reports said the team's sporting director Peter Windsor is already working on obtaining a Super License for the Argentinian touring car driver, and is confident of the outcome due to his Renault test duties of some years ago.
Moreover, Lopez is scheduled to travel to Britain and Austria in the next few days for physical training, before travelling to Charlotte for seat fittings and official team events at the end of January.
It is believed the delay in the finalisation of the contract is to organise bank guarantees to cover Lopez's sponsor funds.
According to lavoz.com.ar, Lopez said: "I think that on about the 25th (of January) I am going to go to North Carolina for the official presentation of the team, and if need be some checks on the car before the official February tests in Valencia."

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=354326:F1

US F1 laments summer shutdown

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, January 4th 2010, 13:44 GMT

US F1 factoryUS F1's sporting director Peter Windsor says his team is frustrated by the mandatory summer shutdown imposed in Formula 1 since last year.
Since the rule was introduced, all teams have been forced to shut down their factories during the August break in order to reduce costs.
Windsor said his team, which will make its F1 debut this year, will follow the rules and shut down its factory too, but reluctantly.
"We're all complaining a little about everything closing down for the New Year but - believe me – America is currently much more industrious than the UK," Windsor wrote on the US F1 website's blog.
"Here, at our home base, we were quiet on Christmas Day (naturally) and then again today. The UK – and most of Europe – basically shut down on December 18 and will not stagger back to life until January 4. That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter.
"And that's not all: remember the August F1 shutdown that was introduced for the first time in 2009? Well, it's happening again in 2010. Understand that most of Europe closes for August and you kind of understand the decision. Unless you're American, that is.
"As in Australia, August for Americans is just another working month in which some people maybe take a week or two away. There's no nationwide shutdown, as such – not of the type that regularly afflicts massive F1 teams like Ferrari.
"For years all of their suppliers have been shutting their doors for the month of August – and for years the European teams have been complaining that the situation has been growing worse, not better."
He added: "There was an F1 team meeting vote in the early fall about whether the 2009 F1 August shutdown had been a 'success'. I was impressed to hear the McLaren guys say that it was a waste of time and that most of their staff had found it all very frustrating, but sadly these were lone voices: the majority of the teams, led by Red Bull, it seemed to me, are firmly committed to the summer shutdown. And so shut down we will."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80730
This one is the talk of the European press.

Ex-Renault boss Flavio Briatore has F1 ban lifted

Former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has had his lifetime ban from motorsport overturned.

The Italian was banned by the sport's governing body, the FIA, for his part in Nelson Piquet Jr's deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

That decision has now been overturned by the French high court.

Briatore's representatives argued that procedures adopted during the investigation were against the FIA's international sporting code.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/8440675.stm

A street race in Rome

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns22012.html

The plan seems to be to use sports grounds along the Via Tre Fontana at the northern end of EUR for the paddock area.

All things considered, it is a great idea — particularly if it does replace the Istanbul race, which is a waste of time and money for all concerned.

An interesting article that contains alot of pre-war Italian Formula One history.

I think is pretty lame that cedes is using the RB name for their car. sounds like a redbull name.

http://img.worldcarfans.com/2009/12/medium/8695710.jpg

The 2010 Mercedes GP car will be launched on January 25, according to a report in Germany's Sport Bild weekly.

It emerged shortly after Christmas that the unveiling event would take place late this month in Stuttgart, probably at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Unterturkheim.

In its latest edition on Wednesday, the magazine also revealed that the car will be called the 'Mercedes-Petronas RB1', with the 'RB' standing for team boss Ross Brawn.

Meanwhile, it is claimed that whether Michael Schumacher or Nico Rosberg will conduct the first test day with the car at Valencia on 1 February is yet to be decided.

I feel sorry for Nico in that whole thing, coming from a team where he was definitely the #1 driver, to a team where Schumacher has such a history with both the engine partner, as well as the team principal. I wonder if Schumacher has the #1 clause in his contract again.

yah me too, its must be hard to have a teammate that will pretty much take the show on his team.

^^I'm sure it will be. BUT, looking at it from another perspective, this is the best opportunity for old Nico to show the world what he's got. Really, if he can take the fight to Mike and straight up beat him from time to time, it's going to really increase is worth in the F1 paddock. On the other hand, if Nico gets his ass handed to him on a "silver" (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) platter, then hey...what did we expect, I can think of a whole lot worse people to get an ass kicking from. Better Nico get beat by MS than somebody like....uhhhh, I dunno... Alex Yoong for example.

OH, didn't really address the #1 status issue..., but I can't see Brawn holding Nico back if he out qualifies MS

F1 has been getting better and better over the last few years. I've long been a fan since the early days of ABC Wide World of Sports coverage and attended several US GP's including Watkins Glen, Long Beach, and Dallas. There were several years where the racing turned into a parade, but they've returned to a racing with a passion.

Last year I tried something new that took watching the F1 races to a whole new dimension. Imagine the difference between listening to a radio broadcast of an F1 race vrs an HD broadcast in 1180i on a 52" LCD screen......Thats the level of difference it made.

What I did was joined an rFactor F1 league and ran a simracing series on the same tracks as the F1 races. Simraces were scheduled a couple days after the actual race so about the time the televised race rolls around I already had 100 or so laps in at that track.

Not only were lap times very similar, with proper setup so were shift points, braking points, passing areas, even pit strategy and tire selections.

Watching the race after running laps gives you almost an on-board sensation when they flip to onboard cameras.

Of course if you're not that into F1 then it wouldn't be much interest to you.

My gosh, you are about as old as I am if you saw that show. The problem was the only thing they broadcast was the Monaco GP. (BTW, I was watching the day the guy tumbled off the ski jump.)

i reallly hope nico does really well. i remember last year, he kept on saying that he just needs a good car. so there shouldnt be a excuse for him not to do well with the cu rrent team. unless if he means a good car (the car that breaks down the most ) ferrari lol

thats cool. last year i done something different. I blinded folded my self and imagine the race , by hearing the sound of the cars. ALso imagined Kimi making lattes while driving, hamilton swinging his light saber around. Oh cant forget alonso, putting on makeup while he drives.

this year i am going to the extra mile, ill sim the whole race by using my hotwheels.

Notice that the Ferrari's didn't break down until Michael left the team.

I'll do you one better and do it with HO slot cars. I do have enough track that I can do a resonable sim of the tracks.

I know what you mean. I have been addicted to Silverstone GP circuit on Forza Motorsport. I have been driving around a thousand laps now since I have been at it for a long time. When it is the Silverstone GP I can recognize everything so much easier and the understanding for lines is so much greater. It is lovely.