F1 Fanatic round-up: 20/9/2010

Posted on

| Written by

Here’s today’s round-up:

Links

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone makes team orders hint (BBC Sport)

"Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has hinted that the rule banning team orders may be abolished when it is reviewed at the end of the 2010 season.

"Echoing comments made by McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh at the Hungary Grand Prix, Ecclestone said: ‘We should let teams run their own strategy.’

"’Teams will respect the rule as much as they can as long as it remains.’"

Blog: Showtime at Silverstone (Renault F1)

"What a weekend we’re having at Silverstone, the venue for the latest Renault F1 Team Roadshow. Along with all the World Series action, we’ve been wowing the British fans with the R29 – performing both quick laps and donuts in front of the huge crowds. As usual, it’s our reserve driver, J?â?®r?â??me D’Ambrosio, on driving duty and he’s thoroughly enjoying his first taste of Silverstone F1-style."

Williams predicts double points finish in Singapore (ESPN F1)

"Williams technical director Sam Michael believes the team should perform well at the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend, and expects both drivers to finish in the top 10."

Jenson Button keeps his cool as fight for F1 title intensifies (The Guardian)

"In Formula One they call them ‘the flyaways’. It is when the clamorous circus goes long haul after the European season and prepares for its climax, this year in Singapore next Sunday, followed by Japan, Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi."

Comment of the day

Are you looking for tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix? Listensea is offering a pair of tickets for sale:

I am in Singapore and have a pair of Bay Grandstand tix which I need to sell as I can’t attend it.

Anyone who is keen, please e-mail me ur best price to listensea@yahoo.com.
Willing to consider daily passes.
listensea

From the forum

Glue is wondering why the smaller teams at the back of the grid don’t employ publicity stunt tactics to get ahead.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday Deadman, American Tifosi, GeeMac and Calum – hope you all have a lovely day!

On this day in F1

And happy birthday to Juan Pablo Montoya, who celebrates his 35th birthday today.

36 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 20/9/2010”

  1. ‘happy birthday to Juan Pablo Montoya, who celebrates his 35th birthday today’.

    I’m so tired I read it as 350th birthday

  2. Am I the only person that thinks doughnuts are overrated!? Maybe.

    1. No, you are not.

    2. I only see them as being reasonably entertaining in F1 as they’ve been banned on race weekends.

      Still, I didn’t load the video.

    3. When they’re done in perfect circles, I find it pretty impressive because of the amount of control it shows. But yeah, otherwise it’s like, “meh.”

    4. They are overrated. But I think drivers should still aloud to do them after the race.

      1. as spectator ain’t that uber cool. I don’t mind a good burn out donut that is nicely executed. Kinda put a emphasis how powerful these cars are and when they are done from standstill think of the “perfect” starts these drivers does at every race. The control they have to avoid all this wheel spin and flip the car around.

        But to do them well that is a thrill ;) Wish they allowed the drivers to really celebrate and not be so stiff in F1. Just look at MotoGP and Indycar for example. There a win is REALLY celebrated. F1 they are not allowed to.. Always though that is soooo stupid and silly.

    5. JPM doesn’t think so.

    6. They’re a lot of fun, but big boys do powerslides ;)

      1. I’d like to see an F1 car on two wheels myself $:)

  3. This whole team orders business was ridiculous…. now, I don’t have the vocabulary to describe it.

    I am quite confused for a number of reasons.

    First- they have now set precedent, that a defence of breaking a rule is that was not punished previously.
    This has two effects, first, the Stewards can no longer be lenient in the interests of racing, as otherwise their hands will be tied when they wish to give a penalty. secondly, it becomes dangerous for the stewards to give penalties, should their be precedent of no penalty, as favouritism can easily evolve from that.

    Secondly- Once again they reinforce the notion that a rule, if disputed in it’s legitimacy, can be overturned.
    This is dangerous as well, it threatens that F1 rules will be dictated by who wishes to spend how much on lawyers, hardly a cost cutting condition. Here I’ll return to my analogy of my dad getting out of a speeding fine, because he convinces the officer(s) that the speeding laws are in fact invalid.

    Thirdly- It shows how weak the FIA and the Stewards are, if Ferrari can use these particularity weak, and silly defences at the WMSC and win. It is not good for the sport. Noting that in most sports, the rule makes make the rules, not the players.

    And last- Ferrari may not have used team orders. But if you ask “did they bring the sport into disrepute?” the answer without doubt is a clear yes! Just look at the mayhem in the comments on this very site afterwards. Ferrari being innocent of team orders doesn’t negate 151c. I think that as an issue has been avoided.

    Just note I’m not criticising removing the rule, in fact, I think it’s a more realistic viewpoint that team orders can not be controlled sufficiently.

    What I am criticising is how the breaking of an !existing! rule was handled, how the rules are in fact, more like a set of guidelines. And how all involved seemed to have forgotten Austria completely (At which time no rule existed I might add).

    Lastly, Teams fight so hard for every advantage, that they would be reach new heights of stupid if they did not now pick no.1 and no.2 drivers.

    … Remember earlier in the year when Red Bull were in trouble for favouritism? … Yeah… and we all thought that was big stuff.

    1. Although my first point relies completely on them wanting to be consistent….. So maybe it’s not a valid point.

    2. I also think that ruling has set a bad example. It is confusing, going for guilty, but not giving further penalty and ignoring the 151c altogether.

      I think Team Orders should be banished. I do not really care weather they have been in the sport for long. Surely they have made for bad situations in the past, possibly part of some on track rivalries and partly at the basis for at least one death in a race weekend.

      Sure it might be hard to police, but now that the radio is available and a lot of data is free to study it should not be that hard to make a pretty convincing case. Maybe not enough for a death sentence, but this is a sport regulation, not a legal case.

  4. Cheers Keith, quite a few fellow 20th Septembers, happy birthday Geemac, Deadman and American Tifosi.

    1. Happy birthday to you Calum!

      And the others (Geemac, Deadman and American Tifosi), as well as JP Montoya, wow you share your birthday with him.

    2. Here’s an idea for anyone wanting to give you an unforgettable present. JA now runs a competition to join him in Abu Dhabi as a “Fan ambassador”, so if they nominate you it might be the trip of your life.

      This sounds like a great idea to get F1 to interact with its fans. Another idea is the race engineer course (first session at Mercedes GP in Brakley) Joe Saward mentions in his blog. Sounds like the way to go if you want into F1 as an engineer.

  5. Its my birthday on Saturday Keith ;)

    1. Haven’t you already given me your birthdate?

        1. I’ve got a James B down for the same date.

  6. I didn’t know Montoya was close to 35.

    1. He’s not far off 35 stone these days. :D

  7. A 94 San Marino GP programme signed by Senna was snapped up by some rich ***** in Melbourne yesterday for $8,000AUD.

    1. Stuff like that is priceless.
      I’m not sure if it would feel the same just to buy it, when it wasn’t you who he signed it for.

      1. Yea its kind of a double whammy. As you know the person who sold it has made a killing off it, all because of someones passing.

        If anyone is ever in Melbourne I do recommend the place however. I whole lot of memorabilia from the 1960’s onwards.

        1. I don’t live too far, could you tell me the name or address of the place? I’m quite interested.

  8. So I share my birthday with Montoya, I never knew that, also in my mid 30’s (well late 30s, but keep telling myself mid 30s)

    I’m happy today despite being at work. :-)

    1. Hope you get to celabrate a bit after work, or maybe a nice suprise during the coffee brake? Congratulations.

  9. Oh,

    PS Happy Birthday to GeeMac and Calum

  10. It seems those Schumacher rumours are pretty still on and continue to buble up. Now Joe Saward has a thought about it again (http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/the-future-of-michael-schumacher/).

    After hearing Sauber replace Pedro with Nick and getting some rumours of Sutils contract with FI being up at the end of the year it does make me think.
    Maybe Mercedes helped Nick get the Pirelli job as a nice getaway so he could switch back to Sauber in the end. And Mallija knows/expects that Mercedes wants Sutil rather than putting Heidfeld in their car (in case Schumi quits) since the start of the year and has trained Di Resta to fill the spot.

    That would make for a perfect explanation, of why they did not yet confirm Sutil but Liuzzi feels confident of driving the car while Di Resta is available to them.
    And it would explain why FI cannot take Chandhok now, as they have all seats filled.

  11. Thunderstorms in Singapore? F1.com

  12. On a totally unrelated topic, did anyone else watch the MotoGP race at Aragon? Fantastic race at an awesome track, wonder if there is any chance of this replacing the current Spanish snoozefests?

    1. I saw a bit of it while I was flipping between BTCC and WTCC. Track looks promising, but with Valencia’s contract running to 2014 and Catalunya’s to 2016, don’t get your hopes up :-(

      Here’s more on the track:

      Exclusive interview: Pedro de la Rosa on F1 2009 and Motorland Aragon

      Tilke’s latest track has F1′s answer to the Laguna Seca corkscrew (Pictures)

    2. I saw the race. Was an exciting race and the track is quite decent. Wasn’t too sure on the section before the back straight though, but a better track than Barcelona and Valencia

  13. I like your photos, i am a Michael Schumacher fan since 1991 and i am been so upset this season has he has had a bad terrible season, i hope his luck will be better in 2010, i know there are folks that do not like him or his style of driving but i like him a great deal and i wouldnt choose any other driver.

Comments are closed.