In the round-up: Bahrain urges Ecclestone to return the race to the calendar.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Dear Bernie, are you listening? (Gulf Weekly)
“The support for Gulf Weekly’s F1 initiative has been overwhelming with VIPS, dignitaries, business executives and celebrities joining ordinary race fans of all ages to make their feelings known.”
The real story behind the FIA’s exhaust clampdown (James Allen)
“While Red Bull and Renault are to be applauded for their innovation, it’s a road that Jean Todt’s FIA doesn’t want the sport to go down. Whiting said in his original letter that they feared an escalation and where that might lead. Better to outlaw the practice now and then make sure its written into the 2012 rules.”
“Got some cool features on ‘Senna’ coming up ahead of its UK launch on June 3rd.”
Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app
Overtaking – making the impossible, possible at Barcelona (F1)
“The number of overtaking moves has not only increased significantly compared to 2010, but it has also risen steadily with each race so far in 2011, from 30 total moves in Melbourne (including all types of pass) to 112 in Turkey.”
“All this drama about what happened between Adrian Sutil and Eric Lux and I understand a British journalist was at M1NT nightclub that night.”
Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app
Brawn: Schumacher will bounce back (Autosport)
“I have spoken to him since then. We had a lot of technical discussions and he was hassling about what we were doing about the car, what is coming along, what improvements we have got – so nothing has changed. We are optimistic.”
Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.
Comment of the day
Nick Mallard spotted himself in a picture from the Silverstone Wing launch:
Two dashing chaps in the background there!
Oh hang on – no, one of them is me!
Nick Mallard
From the forum
Here’s a question that gets harder to answer the longer you’ve been watching F1 for: who’s your favourite driver to win a race?
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
Olivier Panis scored his only F1 win – and the last for Ligier – in the Monaco Grand Prix 15 years ago today.
An eventful race saw Michael Schumacher crash out on the first lap and Damon Hill and Jean Alesi both retire from the lead.
A late collision between Mika Hakkinen, Eddie Irvine and Mika Salo meant just three cars were still circulating as the race finished: Panis, David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert,
Here’s the opening lap which set the tone for a dramatic Grand Prix:
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
Timi
19th May 2011, 0:06
I too would be hassling brawn about what’s coming to the car… Doesn’t mean I’m going to be able to challenge my team-mate over a GP weekend..
That clip of the Monaco 96 race reminds me of one of the main reasons I fell in love with F1. Crashes at the first corner or somewhere on the first lap. Drivers doing everything they can to gain a position. Ahh the good old days
mcmercslr
19th May 2011, 0:09
Agreed. Thes days with DRS and tyre strategy and the fact that DRS is t allowed until 2 laps in means the drivers just sit back and wait and don’t take any gambles
Icthyes (@icthyes)
19th May 2011, 0:26
It’s easy to look back with nostalgia but these “good old days” didn’t, by the definition you use, “end” until this year (and maybe the races when Ferrari were dominating, I never saw much of those). Think positive!
Mike
19th May 2011, 4:40
If I’m honest, 96-99 is my favorite period in F1, if it went back to that, I’d be a very happy fanatic.
Timi
19th May 2011, 9:50
True they only ended this year but I don’t see them coming back for the forseeable future. I still love my F1, just miss certain aspects of it. Oh
Well :)
graham228221
19th May 2011, 6:02
Love the commentary as well: “BOSH – into the barrier!”
Fixy (@)
19th May 2011, 13:38
And the man standing in the centre of the grid on the formation lap?!
Richard S
19th May 2011, 21:58
Boooooring.
I sat through the first 3 youtube clips and frankly watching 20 laps of an Irvine train with 8-9 cars nose to tail and no hope of a single overtake is not my idea of excitement.
No! Wait!Something is about to happen….
No wait! Something might happen in a minute…
O! The race has finished.
DRS rules. Bring it on.
BasCB (@bascb)
20th May 2011, 7:18
Its interesting, isn’t it. I remember this race as a really great and thrilling race right until the end.
Rewatching it yesterday, the start was great but after lap 4 it just settled down and Panis was the only one overtaking anything while Frentzen trying on Irvine was a good show for a dozen laps.
But then it sort of got boring until close to the end.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
19th May 2011, 0:15
That Monaco GP was my first hated race in F1. It was my first season so I was new to everything. I wasn’t annoyed that Damon simply didn’t win, but the way it happened. Even then I knew the significance of the race to the Hill family so it was even more disappointing. It took me a few years to fully appreciate the result’s silver lining (Panis winning)! I might have to watch it again now as there’s a lot I don’t remember.
Oliver
19th May 2011, 1:41
I remeber watching that race and thought Panis’ win was a joke. Mclaren had a special short wheel base version of their poorly performing car for that race.
I also remember one driver stalling his car at the hair pin, I think Irvine, and using his quick belt release but he got the car started again but was forced to pit to have his seatbelt fixed. Would have won the race but for that.
montreal95
19th May 2011, 9:54
Joke? How so? before inheriting P1 because of Hill and Alesi retirements, Panis has set fast lap after fast lap, and brought himself into the position to benefit from those retirements, despite starting from P11 by overtaking on track at least four cars including Irvine in the Ferrari, Villeneuve in the Williams and Coulthard in the Mclaren. In Monaco! I remember watching it as a teenager and seeing Panis slide his car on the exit of the swimming pool, I thought it was great stuff.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
19th May 2011, 6:21
WHAT! Monaco 96 is my favourite race ever. Ok so attrition played a big part in Panis winning but he was monsterously quick all race – there are parts when he’s 3 or 4 seconds a lap quicker than anyone else and he passed 3 or 4 cars on track.
It would have been nice for Damon or Alesi to win, but you can’t have everything!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
19th May 2011, 9:56
I was 10 years old and a massive Damon Hill fa, how do you think I’d react! :P
Cacarella
19th May 2011, 0:28
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
Just uploaded to youtube, the closed caption camera footage from the Shanghai nightclub shows clear as day what actually happened between Sutil and Lux.
It looks like a Knife to me!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSHCNTELFI8
Xusen
19th May 2011, 1:13
Wow, what amazing footage, Thank you ;)
US_Peter (@us_peter)
19th May 2011, 5:17
Wow! I can’t see how Sutil is gonna get with anything short of a year in Chinese prison! This is huge!
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 6:56
You call that a knife?
David-A (@david-a)
19th May 2011, 16:16
That’s a spoon :P
Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
19th May 2011, 9:28
Haha, I clicked that link expecting to see actual footage!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
19th May 2011, 13:33
Ditto. Worth it though!
Fixy (@)
19th May 2011, 13:40
:(
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
19th May 2011, 9:34
Well, at least it wasn’t Rick Astley again.
Cacarella
19th May 2011, 16:55
I would never Rick-Roll the good people of F1Fanatic!
US_Peter (@us_peter)
19th May 2011, 20:16
It was actually better than a Rick Roll I’d have to say.
Mike
20th May 2011, 14:58
We F1 types have class :D
TommyC
19th May 2011, 1:44
That’s pretty damning evidence, I don’t know how adrian’s going to get out of this one. He can say goodbye to his F1 career.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
19th May 2011, 2:53
Nice to see so many supports for F1 in Bahrain.
Mike
19th May 2011, 4:57
First thing I want to know is who owns the Gulf Weekly, secondly I’d like to know who the author was and lastly I like evidence to suggest it is anything other than the common place propaganda that exists in Bahrain.
You know, I’m kinda hardline against the Bahrain GP going ahead this year, but don’t get me wrong, I do sympathize with the people who genuinely like F1 and want to watch it. It’s just I don’t think this newspapers target group to please is them. Take a look at the other stories on the site and you’ll get what I mean…
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 7:01
Well, guess who. The only independant newspaper in Bahrain was closed down for their reporting a few weeks ago (Its owner jailed) and then put under scrutiny to report more sensibly
As an answer to the last line in that article I would say: Fine, keep waiting then. Or actually do something positive to help bring it on.
To say they
They would have to change their recent ways and be friendly to all citizens of their own country.
Solo (@solo)
19th May 2011, 12:42
“We promise to give teams and motorsport fans a traditional warm Bahraini welcome.”
When i saw this i thought: Oh ****! they are gonna shoot us!
Oliver
19th May 2011, 6:51
Is Hamilton providing targeting information to Sutil? Or is any other person playing a role in the incident?
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 7:04
To me Brawn sounds like he really hopes and convinces himself it is great to have Michael in the car. I cannot help but feel Schumacher would do the team a favour if he announced mid season that he would help develop the car but quit as an active driver from next year on.
He could even take up DTM with them as well, and do road car work as a day job.
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 8:01
A nice interview with Chandhok here. Nothing world moving but a good read for all us F1Fanatics.
Nin13 (@)
19th May 2011, 8:13
I think this race in Catalunya, Schumacher might actually get a podium.
Last year this was the only race where Schumacher was faster than Rosberg, convincingly. And he has traditionally done good around this track. If he can sort out his qualifying issues and get into top 10 then he might have a good race. I cannot say anything about Australia, but in Malaysia and Turkey he had better or sort of equal race pace compared to Rosberg. He managed his tires better than Rosberg in Turkey. Ok I agree in China he was slower than Rosberg but than he has never done good around that track.
So don’t be surprised if Schumacher finally gets a podeim. Plus Mercedes seems to have taken a step ahead as far as car is concerned.
HounslowBusGarage
19th May 2011, 8:44
Interesting article on F1 money on the BBC web site. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13438913
Between 2006 and 2010
Revenues from media rights, race hosting fees, licensing $4,995.4m
Revenues from Paddock Club hospitality, GP2 races, trackside advertising, misc $1,956.3m
Revenue total $6,951.7m
Total outgoings $5,732.3m
Net profit to shareholders $1,219.4m
This is the para that really made me cough over my breakfast-
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 9:06
Certainly interesting to see there is a lot of money in the sport. And a lot of that does not go back into the port as investment into broadcasting, the teams, circit improvements nor does much end up to support starting talents or indeed grass route motorsports at all.
Mike
19th May 2011, 15:28
That’s a stupid amount of money. What are they actually going to do with it?
I’ve never seen a product on a shelf priced at a $100,000,000. I really haven’t. :/
Eastman (@eastman)
19th May 2011, 9:21
Regarding the Senna film, there are rumours that the upcoming release has been shaved to 100ish minutes from its original 160-something due to whatnot (different places seem to cite everything from rights fees to the need to make a more commercially accessibly film). It sounds like many of the racing scenes have been neutered.
Have you seen or heard anything about this Keith?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
19th May 2011, 9:30
I did an interview with the film’s writer Manish Pandey in January for a multi-part feature on “Senna” starting next week.
There’s loads of information on how the film was cut, what was left out and what was left in, and why. Stay tuned!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
19th May 2011, 13:34
Sounds brilliant Keith! Looking forward to it.
BasCB (@bascb)
19th May 2011, 20:30
Looking forward to that!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
19th May 2011, 9:58
Well if that’s true I’ll just wait for an extended DVD. It’ll only be slightly more than a cinema ticket the way prices are these days!
SirCoolbeans (@sircoolbeans)
19th May 2011, 10:51
I had heard the film was 80 minutes long anyway… as Bernie allowed them 40 minutes of footage at first, but then doubled it later…
I’m off to see the film on Wednesday in London. Can’t wait. :D
Andy C
19th May 2011, 12:54
I went to the London premier on 3rd of may (James Allen hosted) and I’ve seen the film, so i can speak from experience. Its a great film, and the main focus is obviously on the dynamics of the Senna Prost rivalry, the role of JM Balestre and then the Imola events.
You wont see much of the Mansell Senna scrap at Monaco (when he kept Nige back for the last laps of the race) and I dont recall Donnington.
The original cut was something like 6 hours according to Asif, and the obvious reason they’ve had to cut it down is the royalty fees.
Zazeems
19th May 2011, 10:59
Bernie might just as well line up the Syrian and Zimbabwe GPs while he’s at it.
Utter madness, does nobody realise how damaging it is for a sport to associate with a country that has been involved in recent controversy?
Andy C
19th May 2011, 13:24
I’ve actually just read the article for Bahrain. It ends by saying
The message from myself and a lot of others who have been concerned about the events over there is clear.
Bahrain might want F1, but maybe the fans of F1 don’t want Bahrain.
Whatever the truths and mistruths (according to some people) about the events of the last months, it will be wildly innapropriate for F1 to return to Bahrain in the near future, until they can prove a long period of stability.
beneboy (@beneboy)
19th May 2011, 11:59
From James Allen on over-run exhaust:
Which has been my argument for banning wings for the last twenty years, strange how the FIA can apply logic to certain situations and not others :-)
Hallard
19th May 2011, 16:44
That Gulf Weekly article is really concerning. From the almost desparate tone of it, it comes across that the Bahraini powers-that-be view the Formula 1 race as a crucial endoresement to show the rest of the world that it is now a safe place for tourism, travel and business in general. Seems even more politically loaded now.
Nullius
19th May 2011, 17:26
Nothing much has changed in Bahrain since the race was blown out a few months ago. All that is different is that the government has called in Saudi tanks and has the protesters out-gunned. They even restrict access to the hospitals if you please. As things stand, it would be shameful if the F1 race in Bahrain goes ahead. Even if it does, some teams may not attend, and some drivers may not race. I suspect some big sponsors might withdraw too.
redlight
20th May 2011, 3:10
Sure, but how’s China any different?