F1 Fanatic

In the round-up: Lotus technical director James Allison says the team need to bounce back from their recent slump in the remaining races.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Ready for Redemption – Japanese GP Preview with James Allison (Lotus)

“If the race was in isolation then I think we could say ‘it was just a bad race, let’s put it behind us’, however it was the third in a sequence of uninspiring performances and therefore something that we need to arrest to ensure that we make the most of the six remaining races this season and give ourselves a little more of the bounce that we had earlier in the year.”

Perez-Sala open to customer cars (Autosport)

“‘From my point of view it’s a good idea if a small team manages to have at its disposal a better car than what it could build without spending more, or maybe by even saving something,’ [HRT team principal Luis Perez-Sala] told Autosprint.”

India GP targets long-term success (Reuters)

Jaypee Sports International managing director and chief executive Sameer Gaur: “The commercial proposition is such that you can’t hope to recover it in a couple of years. You have to look at it from a long-term view. Maybe five to seven years, that’s the time when one should be looking at breaking even.”

Marussia chief warns 2014 engines ‘threat to the sustainability of the F1 grid’ (James Allen on F1)

Marussia team president and sporting director Graeme Lowdon: “Uncertainty over engines for 2014 [...] is potentially one of the biggest threats to the sustainability of large numbers of the teams on the grid, and that really shouldn’t be the case.”

McLaren’s 50 Greatest Drivers (McLaren)

“Born 23 years apart almost on opposite sides of the world, Bruce McLaren and Ayrton Senna made gigantic contributions to a Formula 1 team which left a dynamic mark in the sand thanks to their inspirational qualities. It may be tempting to name Ferrari as the most famous and versatile of racing companies, but McLaren’s enterprising and up-to-the-moment activities surely make it as tantalisingly varied as any other company of its type anywhere on earth.”

PW drives Toyota F1 (Peter Windsor via YouTube)

The Inside Line – on Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi (F1)

“Q: What’s your favourite smell?
KK: The smell of women”

Ex-F1 driver takes part in Brackley Soap Derby 2012 (Bicester Advertisers & Review)

“Slim Bourgudd, who had short-lived F1 career in 1981, came from Sweden to take part in the event and won the ‘Best Prepared Soapbox’.”

Tweets

#Suzuka #F1 1DRS zone. Detection 50m before T16 and Activation at Control Line (both later than 2011)

— Xevi Pujolar (@xevipujolar) October 2, 2012

As I’ve mentioned the low nose comes for 2014, with the nose tip at 185mm and front bulkhead at 550mm, attractive? twitter.com/ScarbsF1/statu…

— Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsF1) October 1, 2012

My second home! @williamsf1team official YouTube channel. The Wind Tunnel is an area of the business rarely seen youtu.be/cCUQoi_RzxI

— Craig Dear (@craigdear86) October 2, 2012

Sorry to learn that Formula Renault UK won’t be back next year. Past champs include @lewishamilton, @pedrodelarosa1 and Kimi Raikkonen. #F1

— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) October 2, 2012

Comment of the day

As drivers are now sent target lap times to slow their speeds as soon as rthe safety car is deployed, @TheJudge13 asks if the safety car is still needed:

The safety car could be abandoned for a lot of circumstances and the cars just drive to a reduced delta speed

We waste at least a couple of laps forming up behind the safety car (after cars dart into pits), now more time as the lapped cars unlap themselves “when deemed safe”.
@TheJudge13

From the forum

• Great to see the video embedding on the forum being put to good use in this thread: Best seats at Circuit de Catalunya?
• Are you going to this weekend’s race? Join the discussion here: Going to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka
• More on the JJ Lehto boat crash trial

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On this day in F1

James Hunt won the 1976 Canadian Grand Prix and closed on championship leader Niki Lauda, who failed to score.

Patrick Depailler and Mario Andretti joined him on the podium as F1 raced at Mosport for the last time.

Image © Lotus F1 Team/LAT