F1 Fanatic round-up: 24/2/2010
The final F1 test session of the year gets started tomorrow. I should be heading out for at part of the test – I’ll have full details of my plans up later. For now, here’s the Wednesday round-up:
Links
A new website for returning engine supplier Cosworth is coming soon at this address.
US F1 insider: Hurley can save team (Autosport)
“In a meeting between the employees, Windsor and Anderson, Windsor put the question up to the employees: ‘Who here doesn’t think we’ll make Bahrain?’ I think Windsor might have meant it somewhat rhetorically, but he was answered nonetheless, and 100 per cent of the staff raised their hands. He was visibly shocked.”
Caption Contest: #102 (BlogF1)
Ollie’s caption contests are always a laugh but he’s really outdone himself with this one.
Comment of the day
Here’s Prisoner Monkeys’ interpretation of that notorious Ferrari tirade:
Ferrari are hurting, and it shows. They’ve just come off the back of their worst season in fifteen years, and they’ve seen the balance of power shift from two teams to four. And some believe there could be as many as six who are fighting at the front. Ferrari are in their most vulnerable position since the pre-Schumacher years, and it’s not really their fault – the F60 might not have been the best, but even if it was, the other teams would have still caught up.
Ferrari’s comments have nothing to do with the state of play in sport and everything to do with Ferrari and their pride. They blame the FIA for accepting teams Ferrari considers undeserving, and given their precarious position, they feel threatened by those teams.
Prisoner Monkeys
Happy birthday!
No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
It’s Pedro de la Rosa’s birthday topday. The Spanish driver turns 39 today as he prepares to make his F1 comeback with BMW Sauber.
Like his more illustrious fellow F1 returnee Michael Schumacher, de la Rosa’s last Grand Prix start was at Interlagos in 2006. He finished eighth, Schumacher fourth.
John H said on 24th February 2010, 13:28
Seems like Windsor/Anderson lied to their employees about funding to get them to move.
Shame on them.
VXR said on 24th February 2010, 17:29
Inspector Todt investigates USF1.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81677
FLuidd said on 24th February 2010, 18:01
He should have done that 6 months ago.
Scribe said on 24th February 2010, 18:04
Likley hood is it’ll get shut down. This looks very much like the FIA and Bernie conspring to shut them out somehow.
Whiting will decalare them unfit to race. Their entry could be recinded an they can do what they like with Campos. Stefan will be entered.
HounslowBusGarage said on 24th February 2010, 19:29
@ K
That loss forecast might be old news being November 2009, but it was in November 2009 that Toyota made the decision to withdraw from Formula 1. At the time, they knew they could not present a loss to their shareholders and defend the spending of 2 or £300 million on an unsuccessful race team.
K said on 24th February 2010, 20:45
Maybe. Daimler seem to be managing it. I’d be surprised if Toyota actually made the decision as late as November though.
VXR said on 25th February 2010, 0:14
“Daimler seem to be managing it.”
They’ve got themselves into an awful lot of debt to be able to remain in F1. The factory workers unions were dead against it, but I guess the management know what they are doing.
An interesting quote:
“Mercedes in particular is a company for which sportiness is not a selling-point but rather security and quality,” automobile industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of the University of Duisburg-Essen in western Germany told the Bayerische Rundfunk radio station. “Why should a driver decide to buy a Mercedes because of Formula 1? Every car will have to be sold for €200 to €300 more for Mercedes to finance Formula 1.”
K said on 25th February 2010, 0:40
From what I can see it’s not that much debt for a company that’s used to the kind of profits they usually achieve. Last years debt can easily be covered by this years projected profits or next years and I imagine the big banks quite like the look of that.
If you can afford a €40,000 car what’s €300 more?
Surely Ferdinand Dudenhöffer would recognise that F1 has a strong link with luxury car brands.
I can’t read the name Duisberg without thinking of Herr Lipp from The League of Gentlemen:
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, sleep tight. And remember, dont let the bugger bite you”.
Stephen_P83 said on 24th February 2010, 21:41
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/cars/443868/team-lotus-to-enter-indy-500.html
Lotus is planning to run in the US Indycar Series. I really am confused on the whole Lotus operation. Lotus F1 Team is not really Lotus, but the 1Malaysia company. What is this Lotus? There is a group called Lotus Team USA mentioned in the article. I just don’t understand where all this Lotus stuff comes from. Can someone from the UK fill me in on how much of a company rather than a name Lotus is today?
HounslowBusGarage said on 24th February 2010, 22:26
I’m struggling to remember the name of the bloke . . .
Who was the fat, bearded, Quebecois ‘rubbish-picker’ for Ferrari? You know, the one who always turned up centre stage in TV shots.
Didn’t he leave Ferrari to join Lotus to head up their Indycar and Le Mans efforts? No one knew they even had such efforts at the time, but maybe now they do.
HounslowBusGarage said on 24th February 2010, 22:34
Gino Rosato!
Got it. http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/oh-joy/
K said on 24th February 2010, 23:09
lol Slightly bitter little rant from Mr Saward that. Literally translating another outsiders opinion is a bit misleading though no? I thought starting at the bottom and working your way up was supposed to be an amiable thing. He did seem to “piggy-back” quite a bit but then maybe he was more noticeable than others. Anyway….
K said on 24th February 2010, 23:32
OK Stephan from what I understand the Indycar team, the Le Mans team and the F1 team are all part of the same crazy scheme and are owned/run by 1Malaysia which is a Malaysian government campaign to “emphasize ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance” in Malaysia. If that sounds absolutely insane it’s probably because it is.
Now 1Malaysia own the Malaysian car company Proton who in turn own Lotus Cars. Apparently Proton also helped in part to fund the F1 venture.
So at the 2010 Indy 500 Lotus Racing, a company owned by a Malaysian government campaign and partly funded by a car company who own the Lotus car brand, will race a car made by Dallara and powered by Honda with the aim to “emphasize ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance” in Malaysia!!!
K said on 24th February 2010, 23:34
lol Stephen, sorry for mis-spelling but I’m still grappling with the logic of this Lotus business.
Stephen_P83 said on 25th February 2010, 0:33
“So at the 2010 Indy 500 Lotus Racing, a company owned by a Malaysian government campaign and partly funded by a car company who own the Lotus car brand, will race a car made by Dallara and powered by Honda with the aim to “emphasize ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance” in Malaysia!!!”
I’m desperately trying to find the logic, but I’m failing to understand why Lotus is doing this. I guess the Proton company is using the name Lotus (which they own the intellectual property rights to I assume?) in order to create interest. Otherwise, who would give a hoot about a Malaysian car company named Proton? R
K said on 25th February 2010, 0:49
Proton own Lotus Cars (makers of the Elise etc).
1Malaysia own Proton.
1Malaysia own Lotus Racing (F1 etc) but do not fund it.
Proton in partially fund Lotus Racing.
1Malaysia partially fund Proton.
This will bring “ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance” to Malaysia!
Chaz said on 3rd March 2010, 16:13
I agree with Prisoner Monkeys quoted comments…
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