Massa tells Barrichello: Don’t pay to race in F1

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In the round-up: Felipe Massa calls it “absurd” half of F1 teams are looking for pay drivers.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Felipe Massa calls on Rubens Barrichello to quit F1 with dignity (Daily Mirror)

“I haven’t advised him to quit because I feel he is old or something like that. But today in F1 there are 12 teams, and five or six are asking for money to give a seat. I think this is absurd. My opinion, which I told him, is that I can’t see Barrichello searching for sponsors to race after all he had achieved in F1.”

FOTA Future A Hot Topic In Brazil (Speed)

Nick Fry: “With the RRA, it really only affects four teams significantly, because they are the only ones big enough to reach the limit. If those four teams that do have enormous backing end up with a free situation, it’s only going to be to the detriment of the whole sport. We will end up even more than we have already with the same position as the English [football] Premier League, where there are four or five wealthy teams at the top. That’s not good for anyone.”

Focus on FOTA (Joe Saward)

“The answer that will probably emerge from the meetings in Brazil is that the RRA needs to be policed by someone other than a gentleman’s agreement. That needs to be an authority that has some clout and logically it would be the FIA if the sport is to remain neat and tidy. But the FIA is not going to take on such a task without having someone else pay for it.”

Q&A with Sa???l Ruiz de Marcos, HRT F1 Team CEO (HRT)

“It would save us time and effort, and also give the team an added value if we were based in Spain. Besides, we are one of the smaller teams in Formula 1 so we have to offer something different to our sponsors. We’ve had a logistical headquarters in Valencia since the 1st of November where we will work until the definitive base is ready.”

Police promise to protect F1 drivers from gunmen in Brazil (The Times, subscription required)

“Police escorts are expected to shield the multimillionaire drivers as they enter and leave the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo to avoid a repeat of the attempted raid on Jenson Button’s car last year.”

Williams via Twitter

“Mr Barrichello has very kindly invited the whole team karting today.”

Mark Simpson (Red Bull) via Twitter

“Day two done. Team being taken out to dinner tonight by [Sebastian Vettel], nice.”

Alan Baldwin via Twitter

“Jenson Button taking us out for dinner tonight. Great company, great food, great guy. And I say that with my impartiality hat on as ever.”

Autonomy in data deal to boost Mercedes F1 team (The Independent)

“The F1 team will use Autonomy’s Virage software to analyse video footage of its drivers and their rivals in real time.”

Toby Moody via Twitter

“Heard Charlie Moody died. The man who strapped Ayrton Senna into his first F1 car at Donington in ’83. Co-ordinator at KR & Suzuki Moto GP.”

Bruno Senna pre-Brazilian Grand Prix (YouTube)

SDR 4 Seb

Bid on one-of-a-kind F1 memorabilia to raise money for a three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy.

Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.

Comment of the day

Petebaldwin fears the DRS zone at Interlagos will mitigate against proper overtaking:

It’s a real shame that they feel the need to use DRS on all tracks. When passing is possible without DRS, don’t use it. When passing is difficult, have 1 zone and when it’s virtually impossible, have 2.

We usually see great passes into turn one but I think it will be greatly reduced this year. If you pass into turn one, you’ll lose the place in the DRS zone just afterwards. You’re better off getting as close as possible in turn one and driving around the car in front in the DRS zone.
Petebaldwin

From the forum

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On this day in F1

Five years ago today Lewis Hamilton signed to race for McLaren in 2007.

Despite coming off the back of consecutive championships in the F3 Euroseries and GP2 in 2004 and 2005, it was nonetheless a surprise to see McLaren put him straight in the top flight and in their own team, instead of seconded elsewhere.

But the gamble paid off – Hamilton came within a point of the title in his first season, and duly delivered it the following year. Not that there wasn’t the occasional controversy along the way.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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102 comments on “Massa tells Barrichello: Don’t pay to race in F1”

  1. Now that, Felipe, I agree with!

    1. Yep, a driver with some great highs in his career, dicing with the best at one point, now underperforming somewhat and because the top teams have stable, well performing drivers on the books, and no shortage of talented youngsters hanging around (Hulkenberg lurking around the paddock like, well, a guy that can outperform most of the grid), what sense is there hanging on? His stock dropped with his native Brazilians once he committed the cardinal anti-Senna sin of pulling over to let his teammate past, and there’s nothing bright for him in the future. Better to bow out now with dignity than try and scrape together another season with no prospect of good results, getting the public bullet from a team that no longer wants you, tarnishing a reputation that’s already suffered some knocks, and let the paddock say goodbye to a driver who is generally well liked.

      Yes Felipe, now that you’ve practiced that speech in the mirror, why not go and talk to Rubens about it? He’s probably got some good advice for you, he’s a mature bloke who knows how to survive in adversity.

      1. Very witty, but a little cruel :)

      2. @hairs COTD on this, sir. I’m a big Barrichello fan and yet I can see the good in finally hanging up his hat.

      3. Ha @hairs, I must say I had the same idea when I read it.

      4. A bit harsh @hairs, but I had much the same thoughts when reading it too; found it a bit ironic coming from Massa.

      5. Yeah… as cruel as it sounds, I have to agree as well. Rubens has had a great career in F1, but it is arguable that his time has passed. He did himself a great disservice (and alienated a lot of his fans) when he agreed to soldier on as Schumi’s backup. The one time he found himself in a position to turn the tables (while at Brawn) he under-performed, IMO. Jenson wasn’t unbeatable that year, because even after his perfect start to the first half of the season he still got threatened by Vettel more than he did by Rubens (who was in identical machinery). I see no shame in calling it quits now. Paying to race would be a little bit pathetic, if you ask me.

        And yeah, it is a bit ironic that it’s Massa who’s advising him to quit……

    2. I wouldn’t like to see Rubens retire before 2012. Certainly I wouldn’t like him to become a pay driver, after all he’s been 19 years in the sport because of his talent before, and his experience now.

      1. Why so much hate for Rubens? It’s not something new of course but why all these years? Why? And Rubens was never an ‘anti-Senna’. That’s a lie! Give yourselves a break guys :)

      2. @Fixy Agreed. Rubens has outperformed Hulkenberg and Maldonado now, and they’re both GP2 Champions. I think he’s still got a lot to give, as we saw all throughout last year, and to an extent, this year. It’s a shame, but the only example I can think of is his pass on Schumacher into Mirabeau in Monaco, but that’s only because the car he’s driving is completely useless.

  2. Felipe Massa calls it “absurd” half of F1 teams are looking for pay drivers.

    Where have you been, Felipe? Most drivers bring sponsors to their teams. Not because they necessarily have to but because the sponsors want to get into Formula 1. And also because they tend to attach themselves to promising drivers, who represent the best chance of getting into the sport.

    1. attach themselves to promising drivers, who represent the best chance of getting into the sport.

      Ha yeah! Like Senna or Pastor right?

      1. Pastor Maldonado was GP2 champion. That was a major endorsement of his abilities. And as the season has gone on, he has taken to out-performing Rubens Barrichello, of all people.

        1. How about senna?

        2. So was Pantano and where is he now? Maldonado won the GP2 in a year with a weak field of drivers. In my eyes he has certainly not out performed Rubans. Yes he has qualified better but in races he has made countless mistakes and bad judgements and hasn’t learned at all. His performace in the last race was just embarressing.

          1. He was dreadfull in abudhabi did he get a penalty after the race as well?….he should have lol

          2. You may not like him, but a single year is not enough to judge a driver. This is something we learnt from Lewis, who was amazing driving the best car in his first year, but since then has tended to be a bit wild and inconsistent Pastor.

          3. *edit*

            And Lewis also won his F1 WDC against a weak opponent (Massa.. lol).

          4. Maldonado won the GP2 in a year with a weak field of drivers.

            Nevertheless, he won the title, and was elegible for a Superlicence. The FIA don’t just hand those out to anyone who asks nicely.

          5. But equally, he’s had a lot of DNF’s due to the car/engine/gearbox giving up on him, especially earlier in the season (and in testing), which makes for a difficult start to a rookie season.

          6. The FIA don’t just hand those out to anyone who asks nicely.

            Errr, Remember Kimi? No? Ok…

            That, and the reason Nico was dropped for him was directly due to sponsorship.

            I doubt even you could argue that Pastor is more worthy of sponsorship than Nico.

        3. Let’s not forget he was thrashed by his GP2 teammate in 2009

        4. Pastor has certainly not outperformed Rubens, all numbers indicate this. But Pastor has been too close, considering he is a rookie, so it is perceived that he has done well relative to what was expected. But then again, Rubens had a rather weak season. I think both had a negative season, but Pastor surely deserves another season in the category.

          1. Everyone is comparing Pastor and Rubens as some definitive guide here. Yet in 2010 Rubens showed Nico H a clean pair of heals most of the time but because of one stellar lap in one topsy-turvy wet qualifying session everyone seems to think Nico H is some sort of driving god.

            Hairs describes him above as “a guy that can outperform most of the grid” – funny how not a single team wanted him in their car this year!? I think Williams had a good policy in both the case of Nico H and Pastor in taking a punt with a rookie who might prove to be a great find and pairing him with an experienced and solid if not particularly fast Rubens. In both cases the drivers have performed at an acceptable level but in neither case shown any real signs of greatness.

            For me they should keep up this policy, with either Rubens or Raikonnen in one car and another top rookie in the other (with or without financial backing). Given how few points they are scoring anyway the risk isn’t particularly large but there is some potential reward if they hit on a real talent or even just a solid driver like Nico Rosberg who served them well.

  3. In terms of the DRS debate, I’m still all for scrapping it and replacing it with a a more powerful KERS that can be used in a similar manner to the system used in IndyCar.

    Massa’s comments about Barrichello are good too. It would be sad to see Barrichello struggling around at the back, paying his way to desperately stay in F1 when he has had a very good career, driven for some very good teams and has been a great ambassador for the sport. I want to remember him for that, not for scrabbling around in desperation to stay in F1, and ending up stuck at the back, with no hope of going forwards. At least with Williams there was a chance of going forwards. If he ended up in a Virgin, or an HRT, it would be bleak indeed.

    That said, it’s great to see he still wants to be in Formula 1. I guess the last thing he wants is to give up, feel like he’s forced out, and then be desperate to come back… which is exactly what he saw with Michael Schumacher.

    One final note – if Barrichello were on the grid, alongside de la Rosa and Schumacher, that would make the F1 grid very old compared to recent history. Who says it’s all about the young guns all the time?!

  4. Felipe will be a pay driver soon. Let’s see if he takes his own advice.

    1. It does sound like he is talking to himself in the mirror…

  5. Um, might wish to change the title; I don’t think anyone – least of all Massa – feels he’s got the sort of authority to tell Barichello to do anything. He might suggest it politely.

    1. @Novotny I’m happy with the title (which has been edited to fit the line better), it’s an accurate reflection of the story.

      I’m bored of people whingeing about headlines now. The substance of the story is far more interesting than quibbling over titles.

      1. Massa’s own words “which I told him” there is nothing wrong with this headline.

      2. sorry to knitpick keith but Hamilton won his GP2 title in 2006, not 2005.

  6. Also, quoting the Daily Mirror? I can make up quotes if required – so can any of us.

    1. @Novotny If you’ve got any proof these quotes are invented please share it with us.

    2. Actually, sorry Keith, you’re a fine journo, but I’m sure this isn’t a fair quote – if Massa even said this, I’m sure the meaning was lost in translation. Even if he did say it, I’m sure he didn’t mean it in the way that ‘I told him to do this’ means in ordinary English.

      1. I think it’s a very fair quote. Massa says he isn’t telling Barrichello to quit because he’s too old, he saying that accepting a pay-driver role is beneath him. I think that shows considerable respect and affection. It’s the most commendable thing I can remember Massa saying in quite a while.

        1. Indeed. I read what he Massa said and it seems a great thing to say to anyone, and especially to Rubens.

          I fully agree with it as well, it would be sad to see a Barrichello who was competing for the WDC only 2 years ago end up having to be a pay driver.

      2. I apologise again: it just seemed such a tabloid thing to say: I find it hard to believe that Massa would claim to have given one of his mentors such a command. It reeks of translation difficulties and a desire to sensationalise. Neither of which I blame you for at all, you’re simply reporting what the tabloids say. Those bastions of accuracy.

        1. Oh we’re posting out of time. Thanks for the response; inevitably, I’ll have to accept that you know your stuff, whilst I’m just a keen fan.

          I take your points, and my estimation of your site and work rises ever upward.

      3. The translation is fine, believe me. At least the one in Autosport is very well translated from the original article. I haven’t read the Daily Mirror article, but the piece quoted by Keith is prefectly translated. He said very clearly that he adviced Rubens to retire, simple as that.

        And I actually agree with him.

        1. I accept the corrections and hope I didn’t offend. I’ll certainly be cheering on a certain Rubens whilst watching the Inter Lagos race.

      4. Brazilian media are the source of this, and there, the headlineas are more aggressive, like “Massa tells Barrichello to quit F1″…

        1. or I should say “advises” instead of “tells”…

  7. There always seems to be so much animosity to Felipe on here nowadays. Shame. I’ve always found him really likeable.

    1. @cduk_mugello Having read the comments I would say sympathy peaked for him when he had his crash at Hungary, then reached an all-time low when he pulled over to let Alonso win in Germany one year later. Not unreasonable reactions in either case, in my view.

      1. I actually still had quite a lot of respect for him after Germany last year – he was gutless but naive, and was abusively used by his team.

        I lost all respect for him this year following his numerous examples of bad driving, blaming others for his mistakes, lashing out at others due to his inability to stand up to his own team, childish petulance and his massively cynical turn in on Lewis in India.

      2. I think people are too quick to judge re: Germany. I mean, for all we know he’s got a clause in his contract stating he must obey all team orders.

        It’s easy for us to sit and say we’d never obey team orders, but you’ve got to look at this bigger picture. Look at Mika Salo, obeyed team orders and it cost him his only chance of a win. But you can’t say Ferrari haven’t looked after him.

        I guess Felipe thinks it’s better to drive a Ferrari than not. And you know what, given the alternatives, I’d agree with him.

        1. He probably does have a clause like that.

          However, I don’t believe that would mitigate any of the lost respect.

          Team orders are wrong.

          1. I agree with team orders. F1 is ruled by financial aspects, so if a team is dumb enough to use team orders in a way that harms their public image, that’s their (financial) loss. But they are teams, they should be able to do what they want and then deal with the consequences.

        2. Given that team orders were illegal at the time, inserting that sort of thing into a contract would surely be a bit of a dodgy thing to do?

          1. They probably wrote it along the lines of “acting on direct demands from the team in the best interest of securing the best possible result for the team and its drivers” or something like that.

          2. “acting on direct demands from the team in the best interest of securing the best possible result for the team and its drivers”

            Would such a clause have made what Nelson Piquet Jr did any more acceptable?

          3. @jerseyf1 not at all, it just means that its in his contract but not in any illegal paragraph.

            Doing so was as wrong and against the rules as it was a horrible idea for Massa and Ferrari. And far worse for Briatore, Symonds and Piquet at Renault.

      3. I think people were hard on Massa after Germany. He wasn´t happy about given the win away, and you could tell how mad he was.

        But in the end as David Couldhard said: “The team is the one that pays his salary”.

        He was a victim too, and he did it because the team wouldn´t be happy with him if he didn´t do it…

        I don´t dislike Massa, I think he is one of the nicest and simple guys on F1 right now, I would put him right there in my top three drivers, I really hope that he can get a win soon, and get better results…

        He had been having a couple bad years. And when that is happening to you, you are more sensible and act more impulsive… I really hope that he can do better next year, It will be a shame not to have him on the grip.

        1. @celeste I totally agree with you. Unfortunately last two years have damaged Massa’s image but despite what some people perceive he is not Alonso’s servant and he is still a very good driver. I just think that he needs a change and that joining some midfield team like Renault (Lotus) would be a turning-point in his career.

  8. Felipe trying to free up a seat at Williams for himself….

    1. Despite Massa’s lack of consistency and pace at Ferrari the last two years, he’s definitely still a very good driver. I think there would be a number of teams who would benefit from having him as a driver further up the field. Whether they have space is another matter, but he’s in a team that has a clear preferred driver who’s a double world champion and could easily have more. I think a team like Renault, given their current issues, and despite all their available drivers, would love to get their hands on someone like Massa if he was available.

    2. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      24th November 2011, 12:54

      COTD!

  9. Poor Rubens And We will still see a smile on his face this weekend Whata champ. Christian Horner’s a Sneaky Lad. I Dont Trust Christian Or Red Bull.

  10. @ RRA problems.

    Not only does this show why spending limits should be FIA enforced and not self enforced, but also it puts down any fantastical notion of the teams running the sport themselves.

    The RRA seems to be a bit of a laugh anyway. It’s the equivalent of stopping a herd of charging bulls by swatting ping pong balls at them. Not really effective enough.

    1. I don´t have a problem with teams decided the limits by themself, and at this moment I agree with what Horner and RBR are doing by working with Nissan/Renault/Infiniti, why wouldn´t they? Is the same as Ferrari, Mercedes and Mclaren… Just last week we were told that road cars from Mclaren work in the same building and share the same dinning room, so is not like there is something wrong with sharing information with a constructor brand, other teams are doing so. And so far Nissan and Infiniti have got more from the deal than RBR…

      If the teams want to put limits so be it, but no by creating a double standard.

      Even Martin W. from Mclaren said there is no problem with the way RBR is handling his money, beside there are not the only ones with big budgets, I will say Ferrari and Mercedes are even bigger….

      1. I have no issue with them working with other/parent groups etc.

        teams decided the limits by themself

        I’m just pointing out that due to the high stakes and competitive nature of the sport, it is very unlikely that they can decide the limits.

    2. I don’t think something like the RRA can ever be effective in keeping cost in exact check.

      But the fact all teams agree on it being there in the first place (and their owners mostly supportive of it) already brings in a dampening of overspending.

      I think its a good idea for FOTA to keep together on the basis that mutual discussion and agreement on key issues is the way to go. And then push for a bigger part of the pie, so the smaller teams get a bit more from the commerical side of the sport as well to make their budgets more feasable.

  11. A report on the crackdown in Bahrain has been published, ruling that security forces used excessive force against protesters and finding that there was no evidence that Iran had incited/egged on the violence (Iran is a shi’ite majority, but Bahrain is ruled by the sunnis) or that Saudi and Emirati forces deployed to Bahrain had. The report does suggest that different groups of protestors wanted different things of the government, making a peaceful resolution all the more difficult. King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa has promised reform, though human rights activists naturally do not think that his goes far enough despite the report being compiled by independent observers (they point to security forces using tear gas and rubber bullets to break up crowds – both of these are accepted tactics in riot control the world over). The king’s comments seem to suggest that he himself never authorised the use of excessive force; rather, members of the Interior Minsitry did.

    So, Bahrain is stabilised for the time being. There is no word on the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix, but the country appears to be in a condition whereby it could reasonably host the race.

    1. Bernie loved oil money. Race must go on..

    2. I read the general observations and recommendations in the report @prisoner-monkeys (didn’t feel either the need or the will to read all 400 pages of it).

      One can only hope, that the Bahrain government now acts quickly to move forward with the findings and thereby gains a good basis to get the country onto a positive path.

      That means, that they should start rebuilding some of the destroyed places of worship, immediately revoke/review centences based on torture and not respecting even Bahraini law and make a firm stance to both get rid of obvious abusers in the security forces as well as opening them up for shia population as well. And make sure the security forces are reformed to work more appropriately.

      In my opinian to move on after such damning findings, would mean the head of the government responsible, as well as the minister of interior and MoD should admit they misjudged the situation and allowed things to go bad and step down. Here it can also mean to save the King himself from embaressment and keep their dignity themselves.
      If all goes well, this might be the beginning of a process of healing. But failure to act and show the large part of the population that things are really changing will quickly see the situation detoriate.

      The simple fact everyone in Bahrain is finding it hard to trust others currently and the fact that protests were organised and hit down the very day this report was filed show, that Bahrain is far from ready to host a GP.
      If the presentation of a report watched only by die hard followers of the middle east (and the whole of Bahrain) means organising protests, then a big international event like the Grand Prix is almost certain to give uproar to draw attention to discontent.

      1. misjudged the situation and allowed things to go bad

        I think when people died and were being tortured it goes a bit past that.

        Bahrain is a dictatorship that represses it’s citizens and reacts to dissent with violence.

        It’s not like a minister in Britain made an error with his accounting. This is a lot bigger than that. And can’t be overlooked, or shouldn’t be anyway.

        1. Also, I agree… I am feeling unnecessarily argumentative.

          1. yeah, thanks for adding the afterthought there! :-)

        2. That line was translated into politicianspeak from “I wanded to force an end through ordering violence but it backfired on me@mike!

          In my opinion, even if a minister would say it along the lines of what i wrote, everyone would know its meaning and it would help the government and King regain some trust from its people.
          Without that, there is not even a small light at the end of the tunnel for Bahrain.

          Bahrain is a dictatorship that represses it’s citizens and reacts to dissent with violence.

          I wouldn’t classify Bahrain that harsh, although things are far from great in governance there.
          But the it really all depends on how the goverment will follow up on this pretty thorough analyses of the problems. Or if it will really do any real follow up indeed.

          1. I guess we will see…

  12. Hamilton came within a point of the title in his first season

    Gunna be picky but 1 more point would not have been enough, Raikkonen would have won on countback if either McLaren driver had finished level with him on points, so Ham was two points away from winning the title.

  13. I think J. Neale should get comment of the day

    “And yes, if you’re really aggressive and flashing all over somebody’s rear view mirrors as you swing around behind them, trying to overtake them, you are definitely going to damage the tyre. And I’m sure if Martin [Whitmarsh] was here the answer to that would be ‘make the car faster, get out in front’, and I’m sure he’d be right.

    Wow, just wow.

  14. I don´t have acces to the police article, but just to be clear the police should promise protection for all the team members and the public that is going to attend the race…not just the drivers…

    1. Except that the danger to the drivers is greater, @celeste – when Jenson Button was targeted last year, it was on the basis of money. Button (and all the drivers, for that matter) makes a lot more than most of the rst of the McLaren team combined.

      1. @prisioner-monkeys I´m not telling that they shouldn´t protect the drivers, but that they should ensure or at least improeve the safety in general, and mechanics and the public have less means to protect themself.

        1. The mechanics and the public are not being targeted the way the drivers were last year.

          1. Button said it himself, crew menmbers have been robed and attacked… the only reason this got more publicity is exactly because this time they attacked Button…

          2. except the sauber mechanics who did get robbed last year because they didn’t have police protection whilst jb was whisked away the moment a gangster holding something in his pocket looked at him funny.

          3. As @TheBrav3 notes, only last year there were some team members who had to part with their kit at gun point. Quite the opposite of what you say here

            The mechanics and the public are not being targeted the way the drivers were last year.

            @prisoner-monkeys

  15. I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with the COTD. The FIA really do need to have a proper think about where they put the DRS Zones because it seems they just look at the circuit map, pick the longest straight and say “job done”.

    I have said it before (and so have many others) that DRS shouldn’t be used to make existing overtaking opportunities easier, it should be used to create overtaking opportunities where there may not necessarily have been ones before. If you look at Interlagos, and if you think back to past races, I don’t think anyone would say that you can’t overtake there. Passes frequently take place into the Senna S and into Subida do Lago, so why do you need DRS there? If it isn’t necessary, don’t create a DRS Zone just for the sake of it!

    1. Yes. This DRS decision sums up those that are in charge. Very sad.

      By the way, did anyone notice todays round up features two ‘Baldwins’? This has to be a F1F first. If Alec Baldwin attends the race for some reason I just don’t know what to think.

  16. I think money has always had a big impact on motorsports and most probably it always will. Racing fast cars is expensive and somebody has to pay for it, be it energy drinks companies, car manufacturers or rich individuals. Even future champions often spend their youth trying to find sponsors who would pay their bills while racing in Formula Renault or Formula Ford. For sure, it would be good to see talent and skills playing a bigger role in F1, which is the pinnacle of motorsport but noone should feel ashamed for accepting sponsors’ money to be able to pay for an F1 race seat, that’s just how the motorsport world is.

  17. Hi, does anyone happen to know what the Autonomy software actually analyses? Is it the movement of the drivers within the car (???) or the movement of the cars? And for what purpose? Thanks

    1. Check this, it is the website of the product in question.
      http://www.virage.com/rich-media/technology/understanding-video/deep-video-indexing/index.htm

      My understanding is that they will use it to analyse onboard footage, see how their drivers fare against others. I don’t think it will be very useful to compare Jenson against Lewis, whatever they can extract from from video should be also be apparent from telemetry data. It could be useful to compare their drivers against say Vettel cos they don’t have access to Vettel’s telemetry data.

      1. They might also use it to optimize placing of buttons etc. on the steering wheel, improve how and where to put the mirrors and work on improving the inside of the cockpit for better ergonomy, visibility to help make it easier for the drivers.

        1. Wow, I see. Thanks to both of you!

  18. Re: Barrichello
    The way I see it, from achievement point of view Barrichello’s career was over years ago. He’s got over two dozens of GP victories, some poles, some fastest laps, respectable total of points, and he is not going to add to this list even if he drives for many more years (well, perhaps a freak point or two if everybody else has an accident). The bottom line is, the only place where he can still score massively is style. And my advice would be to do anything he can to get a drive for 2012, even a single GP, and then retire no matter what, because the phrase “20 years in F1” looks about a million times cooler than “19 years in F1” or “21 years in F1”. Given that his chances of “25 years in F1” are fairly slim, I say he should go for the “20”.

    And when I look at what he is doing, he might be thinking along similar lines.

    1. I do think that last year Williams seemed to have some promise, and with the innovative gearbox, and if the car had worked, he might have been fighting the Mercedes and Renault cars at the start of the year.

      IF, indeed. But still, that was the idea. That turned out a bit differently (as Williams recent history shows it was likely to, I suppose), and now Williams can’t afford to continue (or get back) on that path, as Barrichello is getting older, and they now have a bigger need to obtain sponsorship and less means of getting it due to dissapointing results.

      Still, it was a nice attempt, and it could have gotten him renewed success I think.

    2. The way I see it, from achievement point of view Barrichello’s career was over years ago. He’s got over two dozens of GP victories

      No he dosen’t. He hasn’t even got one dozen GP victories.

      1. You’re right, I looked at a wrong number. He’s one GP win shy of a dozen if I see it correctly now.

  19. i think Massa is the LAST person to be handing out advice on who should or should not retire

    1. You can’t seriously be suggesting Massa should retire. On what basis?

  20. I’m finding Rubens’ situation a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, it would seem wrong for us not to know if this is his last race – he’s been a big part of the sport and is a wonderful and very likeable character, and for him not to have a proper send off would be a big shame.

    On the other hand, he’s so passionate about the sport that him announcing his retirement because he’s not sure if he can find a drive for next season would be a limp exit. He’s always been a fighter and I think it would in some ways be more fitting for him to spend all winter fighting to find a seat for next season, and if he can’e get one then he’ll have retired not because he stopped loving it or felt he wasn’t good enough, but because there simply wasn’t enough space for him.

  21. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Rubens bring sponsorship with him to Jordan when he first started? I remember that the “Arisco” logo’s appeared on the cars of many Brazilian drivers over the years, including Rubens’ Jordan’s and every car Diniz ever went near.

  22. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    24th November 2011, 13:03

    Both Rubens and Massa have had similar careers, they both have been runner-ups, they both had “full support” at Ferrari, had taken race orders for nothing (Austria 2002, Germany 2010), They both have always been praised as the Brazil’s Next Top Driver but then their careers stuck. I think it would be much accurate if it’s Rubens who advices Massa and not the other way. Rubens had his “I’m totally fed up” and Massa took the place (so great when he won the Brazilian GP in green uniform remember?). That looks ages far behind now.

  23. A bit of good news for UK fans from Sky? Making F1 available on Freewiew.

    1. Has bernie already bankrupted sky? either that or they havn’t had the increased subscriptions they were hoping for and are now desperatly trying to make something out of it. You don’t go from advertising something at x price and drop it down to 1/6th within a couple months unless it has some serious issues.

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