In the round-up: The organisers of the planned race in New Jersey in 2013 deny Bernie Ecclestone’s claims the project has fallen behind schedule.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
N.J. organisers again reject charge that F1 schedule is off track (NJ Biz)
Managing partner of Roseland Property Co. Carl Goldberg: “It’s distracting for someone who appears to be outside the process to suggest that the schedule that we’re all working toward is not a real schedule. I think it’s really inappropriate for him to suggest anything other than June 2013, not being here and on the ground and part of the planning that’s going to execute this event here in New Jersey.”
Boullier: No tests contributing to show (Autosport)
“Part of the unpredictability is coming from the fact that we have no more testing. You have to come with new parts and new ideas in Friday testing. You cannot do it one week [earlier] somewhere in Spain; you have to do it on a race weekend.”
Ferrari Gains New F1 Succession Rights (Sky)
“F1’s longest-standing team will be handed a seat on the boardroom nominations committee of its parent company if a $10bn stock market listing in Singapore goes ahead. Ferrari will also be handed a single share in Formula 1 plc, a nominal investment that will symbolise its enduring importance to the sport.”
Bernie Ecclestone signals delay to F1 flotation as another Asian IPO fails (The Guardian)
“Formula One is expected to postpone its planned $10bn flotation in Singapore after jeweller Graff Diamonds became the fourth company to halt a planned listing in Asia in the past week.”
F1 revenues to grow near double digits till 2016 – UBS (Reuters)
“Revenue should grow 9.2 percent a year from 2011 to 2016, climbing to $2.37 billion (1.51 billion pounds) from $1.52 billion over that period, UBS analysts estimated in the report dated May 21.”
Webber moves on from 2011 ‘mystery’ problems (ESPN)
“Last year was a little bit of a mystery to be honest. The gap sometimes was really, really extreme and it was hard for me to understand why it was like that sometimes. I think there was also a factor of me getting on top of the tyres but it wasn’t all of it.”
Lewis Hamilton hoping for error-free Canadian GP (The Independent)
“For what reason, though, I really don’t know. We haven’t had a Grand Prix weekend where something hasn’t gone wrong. The start of the race in Monaco was the beginning of things, and then I don’t know what else happened after that.”
Paul Hembery Q&A: Tyres are just part of the challenge (F1)
“We’ve been the talking point, but the fact is we feel that we didn’t make huge changes compared to 2011. I think we’ve made some interesting changes to stimulate the engineering challenge. So far it’s been very interesting.”
Work, the key in 2012 (Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso: “We’ve brought some upgrades to Canada.This is a race both on and off the track. All the big teams are going to bring new parts so let’s see whose works best. We’ve tried to extract the most of what we had and our rivals have let their guards down. Hopefully in Canada we will confirm the improvement shown in Barcelona and Monaco.”
An appetite for success (Toro Rosso)
Jean-Eric Vergne: “I don’t think I was scared by the thought of the Monaco GP, but I was a bit anxious about it and didn’t know what to expect. Also, the simple fact is, I was up against a team-mate who had won the Monaco round in Formula Renault 3.5 in 2011 and 2010, and had driven in Monaco in FP1 last year. I didn’t go into the weekend with much confidence.”
F1 engine in Ferrari earthquake charity auction (Adam Cooper)
“Ferrari is to run on online auction in aid of the victims of the Italian earthquake disaster, which has affected the region around the Maranello factory.”
It’s Only The Moaning That’s Boring… (Sky)
Martin Brundle: “Overtaking in Monaco is difficult, and always will be. It’s a different challenge to Monza or Melbourne, or wherever, and thankfully so. Had the heavy post-race rain arrived ten minutes earlier there would have been chaos and everyone would have been raving about a great race. Not every cup final is a 5-4 last minute thriller, and nor is every F1 race a classic.”
‘One of the last great challenges’ (ESPN)
Karun Chandhok: “The big feel-good story from the weekend for me was Michael Schumacher’s fastest lap in qualifying. You could see how happy he was and that lap on Saturday clearly meant a lot to Michael.”
Monaco: A different kind of motor race (GrandPrix)
“Man overtakes Man is more easily understood than Man has to stretch his focus and mental resilience while not putting a wheel so much as a centimetre out of place while skimming barriers with a precision and speed that would make your eyes water.”
The master of the long game in 2012 (MoorSport)
“There was a time when it wasn’t the date around which the calendar pivots. From 1951-’54, there was no Monaco GP as we know it. The ersatz F2s of 1952-’53, which would have suited the track, did not suit the race’s high-rolling organisers and so never set a wheel in the place.”
Embrace the unpredictable (Sporting Life)
“In my opinion, yes, you can have too much of a good thing, but seasons like this come around so rarely they need to be embraced at the time.”
Formula One: It’s The Most Exciting Season Ever! (Unibet)
My new article for Unibet.
Comment of the day
Nick.UK tips Alonso to win the championship this year:
I would tip Alonso for this championship based on his current form and the improvements to the car. He has been close to faultless! Highly consistent, fast when it matters, conservative when it matters more and the end result is evidenced by the standings currently.
I also think that the current standings are also just as much a product of a more competitive grid as they are of Alonso’s talent. Drivers snatch points off each other so often that nobody can really break away. For example Button, Rosberg, Vettel & Alonso have all had a win, second and fifth place along with a non finish… except for Alonso. As I said, consistent and faultless, leading the standings, thus it will take a lot for anyone to stop him this year assuming car performance doesn’t jump ahead of Ferrari again.
I say all this and I don’t really even like Alonso! But you have to respect blatant talent when it’s on show in front of you so clearly.
Nick.UK
From the forum
- What is McLaren’s “electronic trickery”?
- Should teams allow Pirelli to publish tyre data after qualifying?
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Josh and Kevin Hodge!
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On this day in F1
The 14th Albi Grand Prix was held on this day in France in 1952. The non-championship race was won by Louis Rogier driver a Ferrari 375.
Juan Manuel Fangio, making his first appearance for BRM in their thundering V16-engined machine, retired after 15 of the 34 laps with a broken water pump. Team mate Jose Froilan Gonzalez set the race’s fastest lap, covering the 8.954km track in 3’06.0.
xeroxpt (@)
1st June 2012, 0:57
Martin Brundle is one of those few guys that always the right ratio between passion and truth, opinion and fact, he is always very professional he is english he works for Sky yet he is like the commentator that screams the opponents goals on euros and world cups its unexplainable guess that its just a personal characteristic of him or maybe the key behind him being such a good journailst is the fact that he isnt a jornalist by formation.
Valentino (@valentino)
1st June 2012, 1:19
I also think Sky did a smart move bringing him on board, because I honestly only watch Sky because of him, or his voice because I got used to it while watching races. But I also think he has a high opinion of himself, like he was a better driver than DC, Damon (not Johnny, he sucked). :)
SatchelCharge (@satchelcharge)
1st June 2012, 3:54
He does have a high opinion of himself, but I think he toned it down for Sky this year and I’ve enjoyed hearing/reading 90% of anything he’s said lately (insanely good for someone who is part of the Media.) Even when I disagree with him, he doesn’t state his opinions as fact so much anymore.
David-A (@david-a)
1st June 2012, 5:40
Same here, the BBC coverage is just as good when they have it, except for the lack of MB.
xeroxpt (@)
1st June 2012, 23:11
The same thing here I only watch Sky because of Brundle, That part about the rilvary between former drivers is quite funny, maybe he thinks he was better because he drove the turbos.
Ryne (@ryne)
1st June 2012, 1:36
I get the BBC version on tele here in Canada, I do miss Brundle.
JCost (@jcost)
1st June 2012, 11:01
me too.
@HoHum (@hohum)
1st June 2012, 2:20
What a pity, none of us will ever see a V16 racing in F1.
Scalextric (@scalextric)
1st June 2012, 4:24
See? Hear! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE
t3x (@t3x)
1st June 2012, 3:23
Last year Webber was off the pace because Red Bull didn’t give him the same equipment as Vettel. There is no way they were going to risk Webber winning the title or even fighting for it, that title was for Vettel only.
SatchelCharge (@satchelcharge)
1st June 2012, 3:58
Are you serious? Any facts to back that up? It’s hard for me to think that you /really/ believe RBR would risk the constructors championship (the championship which pays out $$$) to “give” Vettel the title.
David-A (@david-a)
1st June 2012, 5:28
@t3x Just like how obviously Massa has never had the same equipment as Alonso, Hamilton didn’t have the same equipment as Button last year, Button doesn’t have the same equipment as Hamilton this year and Petrov didn’t have the same equipment as Kubica. Are you for real?
Mads (@mads)
1st June 2012, 6:42
@t3x No matter how unlikely it is, it could have been the case. BUT why on earth would they knock Webber over in 2011 and then apparently not do it now? If they want Vettel to win so much, why wouldn’t they continue that?
Did they feel sorry for him? Did he have to kill the evil Webber hating doctor Marko and replace him with a cardboard figure?
Not to mention that the constructors championship is what pays the bills and, really, what most of the team is striving for. Would they really risk that?
t3x (@t3x)
1st June 2012, 7:44
:) i love stirring people
Julian (@julian)
1st June 2012, 8:13
I think they were more dumbfounded by your stupidity than “stirred” per se.
But hey each to their own.
t3x (@t3x)
2nd June 2012, 7:01
@julian If you don’t agree or don’t like my comment that is absolutely fine, calling me profanities is totally out of line, behave yourself.
monkey mgee (@jokerinthepack)
2nd June 2012, 4:34
@t3x Don’t cop out. Just take your ridicule. It happens to everyone at somepoint, and luckily for you, it isn’t happening in person, it’s the internet where embarasment doesn’t exist. And hey, I might get ridicueled right here too for trying to hand down life lessons and mispellings and such. But I certainly won’t cop out.
t3x (@t3x)
2nd June 2012, 7:05
@jokerinthepack I’m not coping out, i believe what i said, and it makes me smile to see the reaction of certain users.
bag0 (@bag0)
1st June 2012, 9:27
I agree that they would give WEB the same equipment, but I do remember the first few races where it was always Webber who had technical problems. /Dont read too mutch into this, he might be unlucky./
In RBs case it is not completely true, as the team is not a separated F1 team with RB being the title sponsor, actually RB, a PR machine owns a team with the ultimate advertising area an F1 car. My point is, maybe it is good for the team if they win the constructors, but it is better for the whole company if they win the drivers, as it brings more viewers. Of course the optimal is winning both, but winning the drivers has an indirect benefit.
BasCB (@bascb)
1st June 2012, 12:57
On Red Bull seeing most money coming from elsewhere (sales of the drink), you are right @bag0, but even then, I doubt it will bring them better PR to win the Championship with Vettel, but be seen to have let down Webber compared to a close fight where both are given the best equipment to fight and no team orders.
javlinsharp (@javlinsharp)
1st June 2012, 22:03
There is an old saying.
“How do you make a small fortune in Racing? Start with a big one.”
The point being, racing had never been a moneymaking venture, its something you do when you have lots of money and want to show it off. Teams like RBR and Ferrari are not in it for the $ that comes with the WCC, rather the particular brand of prestige, which cannot be gained any other way. The Purse is not really a game changer organizations of the magnitude it takes to win in F1, but it would be for the smaller teams which have zero chance of winning it.
Mad Eric (@mad-eric)
1st June 2012, 5:21
With respect to in season testing – just add a day, or two, after a few races with two or more weeks between events. The track will be conditioned by three days of FP, Qualy’ and Race and useful comparisons with new parts can be tested before shipping the equipment on to the next race. Or is that just too obvious? Critiques welcome…
Julian (@julian)
1st June 2012, 5:29
Too obvious.
I think motogp use to/still does that.
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
1st June 2012, 6:23
Keith, in your Unibet column, is Sato’s nickname really “Take Sato”, or was that a typo? Also, did Franchitti fall all the way to 33rd, or were the Lotuses already out by that stage? One more thing I was curious about and then I will stop nitpicking for today: most links in the round-up open in a new tab, though some open in the same window. Is there a reason for that?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st June 2012, 7:18
I don’t think Bernie actually believes that this is a possibility. As near as I can tell, he first made his comments about New Jersey to Christian Sylt and Pitpass, whom he has used sereval times in the past to play political games.
Rahim.RG (@rahim-rg)
1st June 2012, 10:04
tomo is my Bday!!!! :)
John H (@john-h)
1st June 2012, 10:08
I’ve read the Boulier article and no where does he say anything about the ‘show’… he just talks about the unpredictable nature of F1 these days doesn’t he?
Anyway, I agree with him. A lot is made of the tyres but the lack of testing has been a crucial factor and also makes Friday practice worth watching to spy any new parts stuck on the cars.
JCost (@jcost)
1st June 2012, 11:10
Bernie is disrespectful many times, seems that bullying people is his weapon to “get things done”, but sometimes he’s inappropriate.
DC (@dc)
1st June 2012, 12:33
Well, crap. I had a long thought-out, meticulously edited comment about Bernie and the media, but when I tried to post it the site said I had to log in. I did so and lost the comment. I don’t have the heart to do all that again, so pretend like this is a brilliant post deserving of COTD.
John H (@john-h)
1st June 2012, 12:50
I 100% agree with your views on the matter DC.
#COTD for me.
(PS: I’ve been there myself so I can understand your pain).
Paulocreed (@paulocreed)
1st June 2012, 17:24
I feel your pain. however I’ve learned from my mistake and now copy everything I type before posting incase of a situation as you described happens again and paste it if I lost everything I wrote.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
1st June 2012, 21:49
I expect this is just Ecclestone being Ecclestone, stress-testing the new outfit to see how they react and present themselves to the media. Has any major build ever been 100% on time throughout its construction? Never, not a chance.