F1 Fanatic round-up: 12/10/2010

Posted on

| Written by

The updated Predictions Championship standings will be on the site later today. In the meantime, here’s the round-up:

Links

Japan has something to look forward to (Top Car)

“Will [Kamui Kobayashi] become Japan’s first Grand Prix winner? Already the books are open. Now all he needs is a Japanese motor manufacturer willing to return/enter the sport. Rumours in Suzuka suggested Honda were looking at doing just that come 2013…”

Japanese Grand Prix from the pit lane (BBC)

According to Ted Kravitz, Lotus’s deal to use Red Bull’s gearbox next year will see them use the 2009 version, though that is still a seamless-shift version and will allow them to use pull-rod rear suspension.

Virgin Racing F1 Simulator (Youtube)

Comment of the day

Kyle spots an interesting stat from the 16 races so far:

Still, incredibly, no driver has won a race while leading the drivers’ championship. Webber will continue to hold the championship lead going into Korea, and unless disaster strikes him, probably also at Interlagos (where he won last year). Can this amazing series possibly continue?
Kyle

From the forum

A look at how the new teams are getting on in F1 Group B.

Happy birthday!

No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

Controversy hit the Japanese Grand Prix two years ago today with championship contenders Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa picking up penalties.

Massa was then involved in a collision with Sebastien Bourdais who – to the surprise of many – also received a penalty.

Fernando Alonso won the last F1 race at the Fuji Speedway.

Read more: 2008 Japanese Grand Prix: Alonso wins as Hamilton and Massa stumble

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...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

43 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 12/10/2010”

  1. Loved that simulator video, but it’s kind of a bummer you can’t see a bit more of the screen.

    1. I like it as well, not too sure why they did not show more of the visuals, but maybe that is a trade secret?

  2. Kamui Kobayashi] is the only reason why many non F1 follower in Japan must go to the track to watch the race.

  3. Honda again? Sorry, but I can’t possibly believe how Honda (or Toyota, or BMW) can ever be taken seriously again in F1 after making a big mess that was the 2006 – 2008 seasons…

    1. Perhaps a truckload of championships counts for something? And realpolitic.

      1. Those championships were won as engine suppliers to front running teams (McLaren, Williams), only three races were won by a Honda powered car built by the Honda works team.

        Unless they have something the rest of the manufacturers don’t have, it’s unlikely that any new engine they build for the new turbo formula will be as competitive as their glory years…

        1. Honda *do* have something (most of) the other manufacturers don’t have – a working hybrid drive system already in production cars…

        2. Seeing as they are allegedly returning as an engine supplier, then why does that make their past achievements irrelevant?

          I could understand your point if they were returning as a manufacturer.

  4. James Allen mentioned Honda might return in 2013 if the engine rules suite their agenda. Despite their incostistency I like to see big maufacturers in F1. Thinking aboutg it, it seems incfedible to think that Merecedes have been so far behind this season. Desspite it all, I think Rosberg has been one of the drivers of the season. Tell him that from me please :)

    1. Honda’s mistake was that they tried to run a Formula 1 team from a boardroom in Tokyo made up of men with no real understanding of the sport. They fired Geoff Wills appointed Shuhei Nakamoto to the role of designer on the basis of nationality rate than ability – they wanted a Japanese national to develop race-winning cars for a Japanese team.

    2. This is just crazy. It’s not even two years since they last pulled out, hundreds of jobs were lost… now they’re talking about coming back again?

      1. As an engine supplier. Honda and/or Mugen could probably build and engine to 2013 specifications without strecting their productivity too much. Especially if they designed a road car for it to go into.

    3. What the hell?! What started off as a sensible post declined into madness. I have no idea what I meant by ‘Tell him that from me please’! Needless to say, alcohol was involved…

      Now I’m sober I can say that more coherently- Rosberg has been one of the stars of the season in my opinion, along with Kubica and Hamilton

      1. I am not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am!

  5. Korea has passed its FIA inspection. The biggest challenge facing the circuit is wet weather causing oil to seem up through the tarmac, giving the circuit a very slipper surface and potentially compromising the integrity of the tarmac.

    1. … thus giving us a wonderfully unpredictable race?

  6. I’ve just realised. Lewis just needs to grow back his luck beard and the championship is his

  7. “Massa was then involved in a collision with Sebastien Bourdais who – to the surprise of many – also received a penalty.”

    That was one of the worst decisions the FIA have ever made, that season people had already suggested a bias towards Ferrari on many occasions and that was just ridiculously plain to see.

    Saying that, this season it’s been pretty fair despite the fact i dont agree with not punishing ferrari for team orders.

    1. Agreed. Thank God that regime has been toppled

    2. That is one of the positives of the new management by Todt.

      The actual stewarding has greatly improved this year. Now they need to do something to create a viable system for judging appeals and bigger things instead of the still disfunct WMSC procedures.

      1. One of the things they really need to do is to decide whether penalties are about punishment or deterring future events. Crash into a guy and it’s your fault – how is a penalty a deterrent, surely not ruining your race is? Personally I would limit all incident penalties to dangerous ones and ones where the perpetrator doesn’t retire.

        I think the reprimand system has been great at deterring things though. Vettel won’t be squeezing people in the pitlane any time soon! The problem is after the reprimand there’s no clarification if that one driver or no driver can do it again and if they can, when? In this case, reprimands should be an acknowledgement of hard racing but a warning that the line was very close to being crossed – having a “one free squeeze/weave” rule would be ridiculous.

        1. The only issue there is if its for their benefit in the championship. Schumacher in 1994 anyone?

          Even if you don’t believe it was intentional, with your rules regarding whether it took the driver out of the race the possibility is still there

    3. Followed closely behind by the “braking too late into a corner and hitting no-one” penalty in the same race. Ironically without it Hamilton still wouldn’t have had any points that day.

  8. Mark Hughes reckons Kubica is the best driver on the grid:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9080455.stm

    I usually agree with Hughes but seriously? The quotes all come from – surprise, surprise, Renault. Yes, he has put a Tier 2 car into some Tier 1 positions, but then so did Fisichella. Australia was a messy race, in Malaysia three top cars were at the back, China was mixed-up, in Valencia there was the Safety Car and Spa would have been a deserved but unspectacular 5th if Vettel knew how to overtake a rival without someone going off.

    I’m not denying Kubica’s talent (Monaco after all was his doing) and he did get himself higher in some of those mixed races (e.g. tyre choice in China) but I wouldn’t even put him in Tier 1 yet.

    1. Agreed, he still has lots and lots to prove. Then again when you need to look for many, many reasons why his good results should be taken with a grain of salt, perhaps you’re looking too hard. And c’mon, really? Fisi? He never had the kind of consistency that Kubica’s showing this year.

      1. I’m not saying he’s as good as Fisi, just that it’s not an automatic reason.

        I didn’t “need” to look – I just went through his results and remembered what happened in those races and I did say they don’t wipe out all of the achievement.

        1. Sorry, that Fisi was as good as him…duh

        2. I get that – I just meant that if he’s consistently delivering results then it’s difficult to argue that he owes them to circumstances.

          1. 5 from 16, 3 of them in one block, isn’t exactly consistent…

          2. “5 from 16, 3 of them in one block, isn’t exactly consistent…”

            I don’t understand what you mean… outside his three DNFs, he’s been out of the points only once. This may be a question of perception, but if there is one word that springs to my mind in association with Kubica this year, it is ‘consistent’.

    2. Agree Icthyes. Kubica clearly has talent but he barely has any competition this year from his team mate, he’s quite fussy and has rarely moaned and Renault have often been good at capitalising when others fail. Kubica’s doing a marvellous job but to say he’s the best on the grid is a big stretch in my opinion.

      1. He said it’s arguable that he’s the best driver. And it is arguable – after all hasn’t a discussion arisen from it just now?

        1. I’d say so – I ranked him second-best halfway through the year:

          2010 half-term driver rankings (Part 3)

  9. Japanese manufacturers – hmm, perhaps there is one very near F1, and this company is Nissan. Yes, I mean Renault is actually Renault-Nissan.
    In my fantastical dreams they could potentially benefit of this partnership to bring in much needed japanese sponsors and with them Kamui, in case they decide to replace Petrov by someone else.
    Kamui would be quite good in promoting Nissan cars worldwide, wouldn’t he?

    1. Its now become Renault-Nissan-Lada, which is why they are getting so many Russian sponsors instead.
      For some reason they haven’t switched the team name to Nissan, which I agree would have a much bigger international appeal (in Asia and America especially) than the very French Renault…….

  10. Does anyone else think car manufacturers should just stick to making engines?

    Renault were immense in the Williams of the 1990’s. Honda were amazing in the Mclarens of the 1980’s. Mercedes have been brilliant in Mclaren and the Brawn.

    Yet when these teams go and form their own outfits the results seem to be invariably disappointing.

    If I was a car manufacturer I would do a deal like the one Mclaren had with Mercedes. Supply engines, and ensure a lot of cross-promotion so that that there was plenty of brand awareness of my activities.

    Even consider having a bunch of special edition go-fast cars badged to the F1 team.

    Lord knows I would give anything for a Mclaren Mercedes SLR.

    1. Renault were immense in the Williams of the 1990′s.

      And they were immense when Alonso guided the works team to two WDCs and WCCs. And they’re recovering quite nicely this year too.

      1. Honda, Toyota, Jaguar (Ford)…

      2. Renault only owns 25% of the Renault F1 team. The rest is owned by a investment group.

        Constructing an F1 car is a hugely expensive exercise with ‘iffy’ returns. Hence why manufactures bail when things get tough.

        Whereas being an engine supplier is relatively risk free so long as you get your engines into a competitive car. For instance Renault engines are far from the best this year, yet they are leading the World Championship.

        All Renault needs to do is put out a special ‘Red Bull’ Edition Clio and they will get as much, if not more benefit from F1 as they do from owning a team…

    2. Does anyone else think car manufacturers should just stick to making engines?

      I wish Ferrari would. Only joking!

  11. Kyle’s stat made me realise something…last time a driver won a race while leading the world championship was Jenson Button at the 2009 Turkish Grand Prix. That was also the last time in 2009 that he led a lap…

  12. For all of you anticipating the Senna film as much as me he’s a good hint at what it’s like

    http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/buxton-senna-the-movie

    I would have loved some more spoilers or *cough* a pirate copy of it *cough* but it was a good read that got me even for more excited :)

    1. Accidental Mick
      13th October 2010, 17:09

      Thanks for the link Steph. It really seems that the film is going to be a “must see”.

Comments are closed.