I'm not sure.. he already pushed through a tractor and that didn't end up well.

I'm sure it was a series of bad circumstances but shall we remind the FIA that low downforce cars with nervous engines and the impossibility to do setup changes between qualifying and the race are fucking dangerous?

This is what he apparently suffered: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuse_axonal_injury

thats horrible, all we can do is hope for a miracle.

on another note anyone see the rat destroying modern f1 cars?

Niki Lauda: modern F1 cars are bullshit! | Main gallery | Videos | Motorsport.com

Alonso to Red Bull?
 

My prediction, or best guess is Fernando is heading to Red Bull. He said it will be obvious when we see the decision he has made. I don't think he's welcome back at McLaren although he's one of the best people that could pilot for them (Talent and experience). Williams is not out of the question and Lotus is getting Mercedes power next year. Both of those make sense but I'm still guessing Red Bull for my first choice.

Paul.

redbull already said it's not interested in fernando, their lineup is complete: ricciardo and kvyat
i'd guess McLaren.

Oh yes. You are correct. I'm guessing Lotus, and I think Nando brings big sponsor money as well. They have their new engines this coming season. He may know some more things that we do not.

Paul.

Interesting...
F1 cars are 8 seconds slower than 10 years ago.

Not only that but all those "cost cutting" measures were so successful that 2 teams are currently into administration. The power units themselves cost twice as much as the older engines and their maintenance is insane. The aero overhaul had huge costs as well and the cars' redesign to accomodate for the new engines meant throwing away years of development.

Good job!

Mosley warns F1 could lose more teams - GPUpdate.net

'nuff said.

What they have sold as cost cutting is anything but. They differ from politicians in no way at all, with deception and greed always at the forefront of their ways and motives.

As regarding smaller teams dropping off; why have toddlers been invited to play with BIG BOYS? :dunno:

Paul.

start a petition to put me in charge..
Free aero and choice between v10 and v12 engines limited to 22k rpm and 3l. Refuelling and unlimited engines during the season.
I would reduce the curfews by reintroducing the 3rd car, thus reducing the number of hours the mechanics have to work to fix the main one.

You have my vote! I love the V10 sound most of all.

Paul.

Cost cutting backfires more often than not. We've seen it enough on short tracks. Crate engine rules make everyone junk what they have and buy the crate. Spec tire rules make everyone buy from the chosen supplier, and lose whatever tire deal they may have.

Bizarre that they talk of cost cutting, yet forced really complicated and arbitrary power train rules this year. Too many DNFs from the stuff randomly failing. Requiring engines and gearboxes to last a certain number of races has got to cost a fortune in development.

This has been a great season to watch, but it would have been even better without the mix of exotic and cost cutting requirements. And now we'll have only 18 cars in the USGP.

Ken

It's been proven time and again that cost cutting doesn't work in motorsports. All it means is that all the funding is spent elsewhere. Like mandate a specific engine, and they will spend millions to get the most out of it, vs millions to design a different engine.

Granted, the articles seem to indicate that cost cutting wasn't actually implemented this year. It was proposed, then shot down. Still, there is only one real way to control spiraling costs: Make it cheaper to go faster.

I mean, it's not really the costs, it's the cost per speed. The costs that the small teams are dealing with just can't be supported by the positions they are finishing. Making it cheaper to go faster would mix up the lower teams a lot more, pushing them up into cash paying results more regularly. And the way to make it cheaper is to open up the rules. Sure, the top guys would get even faster, but the gain for the fastests teams would be less than the gain for the slowest teams.

If you want a spec field, then you have to mandate a spec field. Otherwise, leave it open.

IndyCar mandated a spec field. Look what that accomplished for their popularity and status.

Ken

Yes, I don't think F1 should be a spec series at all. It should be open to all the craziness that the teams can come up with. It should be more of where it started, when the small teams took big risks and crazy ideas to the track.

I agree with BSE; bring back the v10's and those extra 4k rpm's.

More rpm, more cylinders ftw!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND This is what happens when you limit the number of engines:
Vettel set to sit out qualifying for USGP - GPUpdate.net

The funny thing is that they had to heavily modify qualifying in order to let all the cars run only to fuck up once again justa few years later.
Gotta love greedy people and dumb teams. If I were Merc, Fartrari and McLaughlin i'd be designing a new formula 0 to actually cut costs: Split the revenue among the teams, don't ask over 15million€ to run a GP at a venue and a 6 pages rulebook where the most important rule is how undressed the pit girls ought to be.

Kaltenborn 'disturbed' by plight of F1 - GPUpdate.net

They could all start racing in gp2, i hear the costs are much lower there.
...Or they could remove the costs associated with an outsourced commercial distribution and let the FIA handle the arrangements with the tracks, sponsors etc.

Dumbasses.

Again... vote for me, i'll fix it!

A little Lewis Magic TX FP1
 

Enjoy the vid, before they remove it:


Paul.

It sounds like crap. Let me fix that:

I love the Turn 1 hill.

2.7 seconds up on Nico at the end of sector 2? Was Nico on a warmup lap or something?

hold and behold, Bernie is right for once!
Ecclestone says grid could drop to 14 cars - GPUpdate.net

Same story different article
 

Bernie has understood what Formula 1 is about much more than people realize. He was never a fan of these engines but the FIA have pushed for this Green Religion Carbon is the Devil approach. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Bse, maybe you and Bernie are more similar than you knew.

14-car grid possible in 2015 - Bernie Ecclestone | Formula 1 | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

Paul.