Ecclestone raises doubts over New Jersey race

F1 Fanatic round-up

New Jersey F1 2013 street track planIn the round-up: Bernie Ecclestone remains unconvinced about the planned 2013 New Jersey Grand Prix.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

European GP qualifying with Bernie Ecclestone (BBC)

Bernie Ecclestone: “I need to go and have another look because what I’ve seen up to now of what’s been going on I’m not quite as sure as they are. If they can get it completed and confirm to us it will be done, for sure it’ll be on the calendar.”

Formula 1 teams are considering a ban on tyre warmers for 2013 (Autosport)

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery: “What we have found in the past, when we have tried to discuss it, is that the drivers have tended to be worried about such a move, as they feel that it can create a safety issue. From our point of view, yes we can do it but we need time to do it – because it changes completely the compounds that you use.”

FIA confirms Glock can start if he’s fit (Adam Cooper)

“Despite not participating in that session he can still start, having been deemed to have met the 107% rule in practice by the stewards. However he has to be passed fit by the FIA’s Dr Gary Hartstein.”

Montezemolo: “Let’s reduce the costs” (La Gazzetta dello Sport)

“We need to get the Formula One back to the costs of the 1990s we cannot ignore what is happening in Europe and the rest of the world.”

Red Bull RB8 – updated rear suspension (F1)

“There are so many updates on Red Bull’s RB8 this weekend that it could almost be classed as a new car, with the first part of the package the rear suspension, introduced in Montreal.”

Button sorry for Valencia comments (Sporting Life)

“We’re in Valencia, and not a lot happens in a race here. It’s going to be difficult. It’s not a place famed for its fantastic overtaking manoeuvres.”

Jenson Button via Twitter

“Hey guys another tough day. Sorry for my negative comments about Valencia. Now I’ve calmed down I think there is still a lot to play for [on] Sunday!”

F1 Fanatic via Twitter

“Button’s comment were hardly controversial. He said not a lot happens in F1 races at Valencia, which happens to be true.”

Vijay Mallya via Twitter

“Formula 1 has become so very competitive, exciting and unpredictable. Not because of the genius engineers in teams but the Pirelli tyres!”

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Comment of the day

Guilherme is hoping Sauber don’t split their strategies in the race :

Dear Sauber,

Please make use of Kobayashi’s starting position and give him a strategy to move up the field, not backwards. I’m a Kamui fan but I’m not blind, I have to admit that Perez is beating him this year by quite a big margin, but sometimes I don’t get why Sauber split their strategies so much and why Kamui gets the short end of the deal.

I really hope Kobayashi has a strong race tomorrow, maybe a fifth or fourth!
Guilherme

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On this day in F1

The non-championship Aintree 100 was won by Horace Gould driving a Maserati 250F today in 1956.

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99 comments on Ecclestone raises doubts over New Jersey race

  1. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 24th June 2012, 7:58

    It’s a shame it’s too late to change anything about the New Jersey layout. It’s very goo, but it could be better. This is the final layout, but I can’t help thinking that this would have been better.

    • montreal95 (@montreal95) said on 24th June 2012, 8:32

      @prisoner-monkeys I agree that this layout is better on paper, however it leaves no suitable place logistically for the paddock to be located. That’s one of the problems with street circuits-you can’t just move things around as if there’s nothing there like , for example, in Interlagos where nothing else will be affected when they move the pits to Reta Oposta

      • Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 24th June 2012, 8:46

        The paddock could easily go in the same place that it is planned for under the current version of the circuit. The difference is that the circuit goes around it one way as opposed to the other.

        • montreal95 (@montreal95) said on 24th June 2012, 9:31

          No, it can’t. To the left of your proposed layout you see lots of green. That’s a very steep wooded slope. Without mentioning the potential dangers of going 320 km/h so near to such a slope the main logistical reason I was talking about is that, were you to put the paddock that way, there will be no place to put the main grandstand in

          • Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 24th June 2012, 9:52

            Right, because nobody ever thought of putting a grandstand on top of the pit building. Or having the pit lane run behind the grandstand. It’s not like Monaco does anything like this.

          • montreal95 (@montreal95) said on 24th June 2012, 12:23

            You chose to ignore the safety part I see. Plus, Monaco is a one-off on the calendar in so many ways. What’s allowed for Monaco isn’t gonna cut it in Jersey

          • Fisha695 (@fisha695) said on 24th June 2012, 19:43

            So running along the top of that cliff where you can easily crash off of it and fall a few hundred feet is ok but racing alongside the bottom of the cliff isn’t?

          • BasCB (@bascb) said on 25th June 2012, 16:08

            Ehm, don’t forget that between the road there and the slope @montreal95 points to, is a railway station and a railroad track (before that leads into the tunnel at the start of the bend in @prisoner-monkeys‘ layout version.

            The pits would have to be somewhere on the terrain on the inside of the bend, but it would not leave much space for any grandstands to speak of looking over the start finish line and the pit complex. And I guess the paddock club would not want to look out over a railway track and into a tunnel either :-)
            However, I think that in the last official layout we saw those corners before the start finish were not as 90 degree left/right as they are in the google map thing, or am I wrong there?

  2. montreal95 (@montreal95) said on 24th June 2012, 8:25

    Nonsense comment of the day I’m sorry to say. Kamui is 5-3 up on Perez in qualy. And Perez is only in front of him in points courtesy of 2 great results in Malaysia and Canada, both of which Kamui started in front but had problems-technical in Malaysia and strategy in Canada. So I don’t understand, how someone can logically say that Perez is “comprehensively beating” Kamui as it’s plainly an even fight between them this season, much as it was the last. So, illogical comment, and by someone who claims to be Kamui fan as well.

  3. the_sigman (@sigman1998) said on 24th June 2012, 9:02

    Does anyone know if the race doesn’t happen if a new race will be added?

  4. Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 24th June 2012, 9:32

    And the winner of the Most Unintentionally Funny Press Release is … Williams, who claim that Pastor Maldonado can “fight at the front” of the European Grand Prix.

    “Fighting with other drivers” is certainly one of the more-accurate ways of describing Maldonado’s driving style.

  5. Lothario said on 24th June 2012, 10:13

    Really? Why does Button have to apologise? Everyone knows how bad Valencia is.. I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say, Valencia is one of – if not THE – most boring circuit ever to find it’s way on to the F1 calendar! I however, think that it is a good circuit to drive around, and while Barcelona is just another race, Valencia is another Monaco in terms of it’s scenery. So I am glad that Barcelona and Valencia are alternating, you can have the better track one year, and the better GP the next.

    • Mads (@mads) said on 24th June 2012, 10:48

      Yeah its funny about Valencia. It produces horrible racing, but it has some really interesting corners. Especially the second to last and last corner section is fantastic.
      Also the high speed sector 2 is fun, and actually the run over the bridge is quite interresting as well because if you just take a teaspoon too much speed through the exit of the bridge you will find your self taking a very long and dirty detour.
      I like the track on F1 2011, but I hate it as a F1 fan.

  6. Red Andy (@red-andy) said on 24th June 2012, 11:32

    The last time a tyre warmer ban was mooted, some drivers tried it out in pre-season testing and reported that it was incredibly dangerous, so it was quickly abandoned.

    However the main problem (as ever) was with Bridgestone, who couldn’t be bothered to design tyres that were anything better than 8-9 seconds off the pace when they were cold. Hopefully Pirelli will work with the FIA to come up with something sensible.

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