F1 Fanatic round-up: 22/5/2010

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Later today on F1 Fanatic look out for a detailed analysis of which drivers are performing best in qualifying. For now, here’s the daily round-up:

Links

Drain cover did cause Barrichello crash (Adam Cooper)

This is a worrying story and Adam Cooper has done excellent work pursuing it. Most alarming of all is Vitantonio Liuzzi’s report that Rubens Barrichello’s car lifted the drain cover on more than one occasion prior to his accident.

One has to wonder if Liuzzi reported this to race control during the race, why no action was taken and why, after a safety car intervention to inspect the loose drain cover, the drivers were given the all-clear to continue racing.

Schuey’s £520k Bugatti for sale

“Formula One legend Michael Schumacher’s former Bugatti EB 110 SS is for sale for 600,000 euros (£520,000).”

Flavio in difficulties again (Joe Saward)

“The yacht is available for charter at $360,000 a week and as a result is registered in the Cayman Islands, outside the European Union.. This means that Briatore gets a tax break. Cotugno believes that Briatore and his wife actually live on the boat. Force Blue was in Monaco last weekend for the Grand Prix.”

Q&A with Colin Kolles (Autosport)

Kolles confirms HRT have dropped Dallara.

The secret life of Lewis Hamilton (Formula1.com)

“A short time ago, I did an interview with someone and that person assumed that say Monaco – the glitz and glamour, the hotels, cars and all that stuff – was something my family had. The fact is I come from a very small place, and after being very poor, I know the value of money. So when people are dishonest and try to rip you off, it really, really frustrates me, as I would never try to do it to them.”

Comment of the day

It was inevitable the Schumacher Monaco controversy would have a bearing on the latest Jean Todt Approval Rating poll yesterday. Here’s Rob’s take on it:

I think it is unfair to hold this against him – the option is not currently in the rules to tailor a punishment ‘to fit the crime’ and I would much rather have someone who follows the rules as they are written instead of trying to show how powerful he is by changing rules every time something happens that he doesn’t like.

I can’t believe Jean was satisfied with the punishment given to Schumacher, but intervening would have done more harm than good, and called his impartiality in to question to boot.
Rob

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Travis!

On this day in F1

McLaren started their first race in the Monaco Grand Prix on this day in 1966.

The team have won more races than any other constructor at F1’s most famous venue. But it didn’t score the first of its 15 Monaco victories until 1984.

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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37 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 22/5/2010”

  1. Thanks – I’ve been waiting a while to see the history on my birthday!

    But more importantly my wife gave birth to my first child two days ago (20th) – a gorgeous little girl.

    Unfotunately I couldn’t think of any F1 related names ;)

    I’ll start her young and begin with her on my lap when I’m up late watching the races!

    1. On this day in F1 [20/05]

      The Dijon-Prenois circuit held its final F1 race today in 1984.

      Dijon is, of course, best remembered for the epic battle between Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux in 1979

      Could have called her “Jill” or “René”!

      Anyway, congratulations and happy birthday!

    2. Ned Flanders
      22nd May 2010, 0:55

      Double congratulations for you then Travis! Maybe you could settle for an Indy Car name, Danica?!

      1. Oh god no, Danica isn’t that great.

        1. Milka, or just Sarah?

    3. Congratulations Travis, one of the best weeks of your life!!!!

      For the name of your new daughter, what about:

      F rancesca and…
      I rene and…
      F lorence and…
      A lex and…
      N atalie and…
      A nne and…
      T erri and…
      I vie and…
      C lare.

      Too many names for a baby!!!

    4. Congratulations to your and your family Travis!

    5. Congratulations on both occacions Travis.

      1. Congratulation to you Travis.

    6. Sush Meerkat
      22nd May 2010, 10:24

      Wow, what a birthday present aye!
      Well done and congrats Travis.

      If I have kids I’m convincing the girlfriend to call them after F1 Chassis’.

    7. congratulations Travis!

    8. Nathan Bradley
      22nd May 2010, 12:57

      Congrats Travis, on both counts!

      How about Lella? In honour of Lella Lombardi, the only woman to score a point (or actually half a point) in F1.

      This name suggestion may or may not have been made in complete seriousness.

      Anyway, congratulations!

      Nathan

    9. Congrats Travis!

    10. Congratulations! just try not to panic!

  2. Ned Flanders
    22nd May 2010, 0:52

    I didn’t add my name to the F1 Fanatic twitter list the other day, so here it is. If for some crazy reason you’re interested in my ramblings then add me at:

    http://twitter.com/_NedFlanders_

    Twitter’s pretty good fun. It’s a good place to chat about F1, and I also like posting funny videos I’ve found and music I like. But I do get sick of some of the more inane comments, and I don’t like the charcter limit either. I prefer facebook, so it’s a shame the F1 Fanatic page seems to have died. Hopefully one day it will be revived

    1. I’m a big fan of Facebook myself. Twitter is ok but there’s not much scope for explaining stuff in 140 characters.

      I like the updates from F1 drivers and others from F1. Makes them seem more human if you know what I mean.

      1. I’m the opposite – Twitter works well for me, and I wouldn’t bother with Facebook if all my friends weren’t on it. It’s buggy and irritating, and the privacy shortcomings are worrying. Have you seen the recent South Park episode parodying Facebook? It’s brilliant.

  3. Prisoner Monkeys
    22nd May 2010, 1:28

    I find it odd that the Monaco incident should affect Todt’s approval rating, considering he had nothing to do with it.

    1. agree especially also since the regulations I do believe where already cemented BEFORE ht took the rains. All he can do is not to overreact and wove to fix it and of course fix it. I had dropped his rating last month to no opinion but I actually this month gave him a approval again. Just for his handling of Monaco and other things he done in last month. Can’t recall now why I dropped him last month lol but something I was sceptical about ;)

  4. I read Adam Coopers report. Really scary to hear the cover got flipped up infront of Liuzzi, that could have been really bad. Really really bad.

  5. Senna’s HRT to get a new sponsor in Turkey:
    http://bit.ly/ceLCTf

    1. Nice! (comment too short)

  6. Kudos for quality investigative journalism! When reading the original story by Adam Cooper i had the feeling he was right on the point.
    Now Williams and the Fia confirm he was right, let us hope Monaco will take better care next time as at least 2 drain covers were not secured.

    To think about what could have happened to all cars! Just imagine, Ferrari now has a second look at Alonsos car and finds signs, something likewise might have been involved with his crash as well.

  7. i think Schumi will also sell him Ferrari Enzo FXX & other cars from Fiat company. Now he will only talk about Mercedes.

    1. Ned Flanders
      22nd May 2010, 11:15

      I wish Top Gear would just die. It past its sell by date a long time ago, now it’s a bit embarrassing. The presenters need to start taking acting lessons

      1. Obviously you didn’t see the Australian one or you think they need lessons instead,

        Anyway, and I haven’t watched in ages so let me know if it’s going down hill, but I don’t recall any other show about cars that is as good, “the car show” is not bad, but I guess that’s only on in Aus.

  8. I’m very surprised that manhole cover wasn’t checked properly. That could have been very very bad.

    Didn’t they have the safety car out for that aswell??

    And that cameraman would have got some fright seeing the back end of a Williams coming staright for him. Scary stuff. Glad no one was hurt.

    Sure it might be a glamourous venue but maybe it’s time for Monaco to go quietly.

  9. Congrats to Travis!

    Actually, the punishment to fit the crime is in the rules.
    “16.3 The stewards may impose any one of three penalties on any driver involved in an Incident:
    a) A drive-through penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane and re-join the race without stopping;
    b) A ten second time penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane, stop at his pit for at least ten seconds and then re-join the race.
    c) a drop of any number of grid positions at the driver’s next Event.”

    I’m sure most people who think that schumis punishment was too harsh will agree that a one place penalty for next race is fair? It does say that ANY of the following penaltys are able to be given for drivers who break the rules. Or is there some other rule that forbids this?
    Personally i think that schumacher is being punished for an incorrect interpretation of the rules combined with awesome driving. While that may be worth a penalty it is definitely worth that much of a penalty, whereas a one-place penalty for next race is fine.

  10. Hamilton keeps re explaining what he meant, and but that I mean he repeats the same thing in different words.

    Rather than it being a jovial mannerism, and by that I mean him being friendly,

    I think it could be related to uncertainty, or rather not having a lot of confidence in what he says.

    Could this be a result of being so PR minded? by which I mean could it have been trained into him?

  11. Michael Griffin
    22nd May 2010, 18:01

    Adam Cooper proving how good a journo he is, he just would not give up the drain story when many would have just said oh well, Williams say it’s the suspension, I’ll just go home.

    Double congrats Travis!!

  12. I think the Toyota bosses told the team they wanted to quit the sport because they had no sucsess despite spending a lot of money, and the team replied in a desperet atempt to save the team that the car was good enough to win but that they lacked winning drivers. Toyota would probably give the team another chance, if they got proven winners like Kubica or Räikkönen, so the team openly said they wanted them. As none of them were interested, Toyota didn’t want to spend any more money “in vain” and the team was shut down.

    Of course, I’m only guessing here.

  13. I just don;t think these racing drivers like Bugati, what with Jense trying to sell the Veyron and now Micheal wanting to sell his too!

    1. Hooray, my new gravitar appeared(finally)!

  14. Wow thanks for all the wishes guys – much appreciated.

    For those who want to know, we named her Gwendolyn (after my grandmother).

    And to Ned – she shares the same birthday as you!

  15. That Bugatti? I remember watching one of Brundle’s supercar videos and he mentioned an anecdote about it.

    In 1992 when they were teammates at Benetton, apparently Schumacher was all excited about his new car, that Bugatti in question. When he showed it to Brundle, apparently after a short trip the only comment he had basically amounted to “Meh…”

    Schumacher never showed Brundle any other new car he got since… :D

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