Looks like Porsche might not be heading back to F1 after all.
I’m interviewing Martin Whitmarsh later this morning so if there’s anything you want to know from the McLaren team principal please post your suggestions in the comments.
Also today’s your last chance to enter the competition to win one of five copies of the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010 DVD. Enter now!
Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
Pi?â?½ch lehnt Einstieg in die Formel 1 ab (Frankfurter Allgemeine, German)
The report claims Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piech has decided against a return to F1.
Dubai track struggles to compete with Yas circuit (The National)
“The days when the Dubai Autodrome was being touted as a possible venue for a Formula One race appear long forgotten as the race circuit, located on the edge of Emirates Road, struggles for recognition in a region where government backing is helping to create some of the finest tracks in the world.”
Depois de 37 anos, Emerson volta a pilotar uma Lotus, leva multa e chora (Globo Esporte, Portuguese)
Don’t worry about the language barrier, the footage of Emerson Fittipaldi driving his John Player-livered, championship-winning Lotus 72 is brilliant.
The art of strategy part II (Mercedes, registration required)
Another interesting article on strategy on Mercedes’ intensely irritating website, which requires registration and doesn’t appear to offer direct links to articles.
FIA official visits United States Grand Prix site (F1)
Nick Craw’s visit was reported a few days ago, but it’s the quote from race promoter Tavo Hellmund that’s interesting here: “While we would love to have the luxury of having a completed track 90 days in advance of the event date – the schedule, much like the construction schedule for the last five Grand Prix track developments and races added to the schedule, will potentially not afford us this opportunity. All of these events have been successful in their own right and it wouldn’t make sense to invoke a 90-day mandate now, that would affect only one track in the world – ours.”
“Hispania: Williams confirm the gearbox complete with case and hydraulics are part of the deal, whereas KERS isn’t included.”
LRTV Technical Tyre talk with Bridgestone Motorsport (Youtube)
Quite basic at the beginning but there’s some interesting stuff towards the end:
Comment of the day
Andy W disagrees with Bernie Ecclestone on F1’s new teams:
When it comes to the new teams I think any blame should be pointed at the FIA who have made it next to impossible for them to compete this season. These teams needed in season testing to allow them to improve their cars and they could also have done with a bit of financial help from the FIA to allow them to develop their cars and teams faster and better.
As it stands Lotus has done an excellent job and I hope to see them progress up the grid next season hopefully becoming mainstays of second qualifying and maybe even reaching third qualifying.
I suspect that Virgin will continue to struggle next season as they carry on trying to perfect their computer design software, but this is the future I think. HRT seem to me to be stuck in the Minardi role, struggling just to exist without being able to gain enough traction to make the improvements needed to increase their budgets.
It seems really short sighted of Bernie to be so vocal in attacking these teams, the sport needs new teams. At the end of last season we could have been down to seven team had Renault folded and Sauber not returned.
Andy W
From the forum
Lots of activity in the “F1 2010” career thread. Share your progress there.
Site updates
The Interlagos circuit information has been updated along with a video lap of the track.
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
F1 raced on the Adelaide street circuit for the first time 25 years ago today.
Keke Rosberg scored his final F1 win in the 1985 season finale, and three-times champion Niki Lauda started his last race.
Here’s an advert for Australia’s first world championship race which has lots of eighties retro charm but is short on footage of the actual track:
Here’s the dramatic start to the race with Nigel Mansell taking the lead off Ayrton Senna, before being elbowed off the track as Rosberg took the pair of them.
Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
3rd November 2010, 0:08
Hahaha I love the eighties commercial! It’s rather catchy.
Hope to see Porsche back in F1; I like engine diversity.
Ronman
3rd November 2010, 8:49
every true F1 fan would love engine diversity, but that is being culled by the FIA/FOTA/FOCA/FIESNAKLDSJS…. the engine designs will most probably be very similar come 2013, with perhaps the biggest difference is the V angle and some really tini wini details… but Porsche would not go flat for sure…or can they? that would be interesting…
metcalfe
3rd November 2010, 9:57
Has Mclaren ever made their own engines? Is it a case of it not being financially viable?
LewisC
3rd November 2010, 10:11
I don’t think McLaren have ever made their own engines yet.
However, the engine in their new road car (MP4/12C) is an in-house design I believe, and they have other cars in the pipeline: so it’s not impossible that they’ll make the whole thing from scratch once the Merc deal expires.
Timothy Katz
3rd November 2010, 13:47
The 80’s commercial made me sit up straight when I realised they included footage from the Brands Hatch race!
Daniel
3rd November 2010, 22:20
Yes, well it would have been hard to include footage from the Adelaide circuit for its first GP, especially considering it is a temporary street circuit that was only “opened” for the first time on October 31, 1985.
I’d like to see Porsche in F1 too, but I’d rather see Auto Union’s four rings back.
sato113 (@sato113)
3rd November 2010, 0:08
keith any news on this issue?
https://www.racefans.net/2010/11/01/welcome-to-the-new-look-f1-fanatic/#comment-465294
Carlos Santos
3rd November 2010, 0:22
Amazing footage from Fittipaldi!
@sato 113
If you look at the subtitle, you can identify the “F1 Fanatic round-up”
DeadManWoking
3rd November 2010, 0:27
And where do you see a subtitle in the list on the upper right og this page?
Keith, please go back to titling this F1 Fanatic Round-up: 2/11/10.
DeadManWoking
3rd November 2010, 0:29
Whoops, Make that 3/11/10 (it’s still 2/11/10 here LOL)
sato113 (@sato113)
3rd November 2010, 0:31
i know Carlos! but only on the main page does it say ’round up’.
macahan
3rd November 2010, 3:51
only issue is you don’t see the subtitle on the RSS feed. If I don’t have time to read all articles the round-up is THE one I make time for almost guaranteed daily. But I catch it normally on the RSS feed. Not having F1 Fanatic round-up as title well will make it bit harder to catch the right article for those days I unfortunately can’t read every article (worst is Mondays after a raceweekend, not only are mondays very busy at work but there are always a plethora of articles posted post race so then I often have to be more selective on what articles I read)
US_Peter (@us_peter)
3rd November 2010, 5:38
Yeah I catch the RSS as well on my F1news iPhone app. Bummed it doesn’t show up as roundup in the RSS anymore.
Jim N
3rd November 2010, 21:14
I agree 100% (zzzzzzzzzz cos it said comment to short why the restriction??)
Prateek727
3rd November 2010, 1:46
It’s definitely an issue on the RSS feed. I almost skipped the round-up since I wasn’t interested in reading about Porsche..
IDR
3rd November 2010, 7:27
And when one is using mobile version of this web (that cannot be changed to the complete one, btw) you only see the headline so it’s really difficult to find the daily round up.
Please Keith, I think you should change the headline of round up for Round-up / day. At the end, Round-ups have many headlines inside.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd November 2010, 7:25
I’m considering adding the sub-titles in the navigation pane on the right nd within the RSS feed if that’s possible. But the article titles for the round-up aren’t changing.
Maciek
3rd November 2010, 8:18
Mentioned this in the other thread, so at the risk of being annoying – perhaps add “Round-up” to the Categories menu? Seems like an easy solution, but maybe I’m missing something.
sato113 (@sato113)
3rd November 2010, 8:27
ok, thanks.
commentz ich too shortenOliver Queisser
3rd November 2010, 0:15
Its amazing how different people look to how you would expect them to look after hearing them (Andy stobart)
I have a question for martin whitmarsh: can i have a job at mclaren????
Skett
3rd November 2010, 0:20
Could you ask Martin Whitmarsh who he’s supporting from the championship outside mclaren? We all have favourites after all ;)
Toby Bushby
3rd November 2010, 0:29
Just watched the review of the ’85 GP in Adelaide. Narrated by Ayrton Senna, of all people! Definitely worth a watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYktDbg1sN4&p=18FC4D3DBD60642C&playnext=1&index=11
Cornflakes
3rd November 2010, 0:48
Ask Whitmarsh why he doesn’t employ Newey back. He’d win that way :D
LewisC
3rd November 2010, 10:12
Perhaps he likes reliable cars… ;)
hawkfist
3rd November 2010, 10:19
The McLaren’s haven’t exactly been built like tanks this year either, certainly no worse than the Red Bull (and I’m a McLaren fan)
John
3rd November 2010, 1:05
I just hope another constructor does not join F1. They make a lot of noise and don’t last very long ( much like their cars, lol ). Example: BMW, Toyota, Honda, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, etc. The good teams are always been the privateers ( if u can call them that now ), Lotus( RIP ), Williams, Mclaren, Ferrari. I dont really know what exactly is Red Bull. Maybe someone can suggest?
macahan
3rd November 2010, 2:10
uhm. Ferrari privater? Lotus privateer? In a way same thing goes for Mclaren. They all closely tied to car manufacturing one way or another (even McLaren makes car granted it’s a specialized model of a Mercedes car but carries their name and have the McLaren racing “flair” created by insider in the team).
I think Monster should tried to get into F1 just like they are in dirt bike and a lot of other bike and sports car racing series.
RedBull or Monster anyone? ;)
Jarred Walmsley
3rd November 2010, 3:55
I think what John meant (at least I hope what he meant) was that originally Ferrari and Lotus race teams were created by their respective owners Enzo Ferrari and Colin Chapman. and only after their racing became successful did they foray into the manufacture of road cars.
Also, macahan, isn’t Monster a sponsor of Mercedes, maybe in the future we may get the Monster Mercedes F1 team?
Daniel
3rd November 2010, 22:26
Mercedes, Auto Union, Renault, Alfa Romeo; these are all successful names in grand prix racing. What’s wrong with wanting to see people who actually make cars for a business trying to prove they can make them to win too?
Tango
3rd November 2010, 8:19
Renault has come and gone but hasn’t been short on wins.
Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
3rd November 2010, 1:08
That article about the Dubai circuit seemed ever so slightly biased towards their big rivals Abu Dhabi. So I looked it up- and you’ll never guess where The National is based…
US_Peter (@us_peter)
3rd November 2010, 5:43
Haha. Funnyyyyyyyyy.
Ronman
3rd November 2010, 9:24
Well Dubai’s Autodrome was built to host an F1 race, and I’ve been around it many times, and other Middle East f1 circuits and i find the autodrome not so fit for F1. it’s a great track, don’t get me wrong, it presents drivers with challenging and technical turns, and the infrastructure is great. but the racing scene in Dubai is a little on the negative side considering on track spectators, the races that are held there are done in front of deserted stands unfortunately. cant say it’s better on Yas, but the F1 surely does draw a crowd. however Dubai Autodrome is also suffering from event hemorrhage, where all the automotive press or customer events are being held at the glitzy Yas with its color changing hotel, more convenient and leaves a better brand impact than autodrome…
CarsVsChildren
3rd November 2010, 1:27
Adelaide F1 Grand Prix – 1986. I was there (well at free practice anyway)
I was five years old, and my dad took the day off to take his car mad son to see the biggest thing that had ever happened to Adelaide.
We went on either Thursday or Friday to see the practice session. We were seated on a straight section somewhere, and my dad stuffed my ears with cotton and plonked a motorcycle helmet on my head to protect my ears (Korean style!!!)
I was pretty bored until the F1 cars started. The first time I heard the shriek of the 1.5l Turbo, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, and I wondered what on earth I was about to see.
The answer was not much. The cars were too fast for me to get a handle on (plus being 5 I had the attention span of…well a 5 year old)
But I do remember seeing the worlds coolest blurs fly past. The one that stuck in my mind was the Williams with that blue and gold colour scheme. Possibly because they were the same colours of my football team (Go West Torrens Eagles!) but every time I see that Williams my heart skips a beat.
It was the start of a life long love affair with F1. We moved from Adelaide, the next year, but I went to the last couple of F1 races before the event was ‘stolen’ by Melbourne (and trust me, if you live in Adelaide, it was stolen…those wounds will never never heal)
I also had many a sleepy day at school after watching an F1 race late into the night, and now my wife is eternally frustrated by the fact that I watch the race live on Japanese tv, and then re-watch it online in English to hear all the tidbits I missed in Japanese.
Anyway thanks for posting those videos. It was a fantastic trip down memory lane. And that Williams still does it for me.
SouthAussie94 (@mpj1994)
3rd November 2010, 6:11
Great story CarsVsChildren.
I would have loved to have seen F1 in Adelaide before the Victorians stole it. The V8’s and Clipsal is good but it would be no match for F1.
On a side not, GO THE MAGPIES!!
macahan
3rd November 2010, 2:16
Globo Esporte article.. Google toolbar to your help with instant translate option =). Just wish it worked on Twitter and similar social services.
On a similar note. I was on Globo Esporte’s website last night they have a fun little “game” on their website.
How well do you know your Formula 1..
Can you identify which helmet belongs to which driver?
http://globoesporte.globo.com/motor/formula-1/noticia/2010/11/capacetepops-teste-os-seus-conhecimentos-sobre-formula-1.html
After about 30 minutes I had gotten all but 10 (out of 32) which at the point I “gave up”. But I did figured everyone out finally, with a little help.
If you guys already know about this then my apologies.
supernicebob
3rd November 2010, 12:05
Excellent game – cheers!
Bruno BaKano
4th November 2010, 0:16
I couldn’t sort out 4 helmets. The 1st and 3rd and the first 2 from the 4th row, although the last one makes me very curious because it is a HANS ready helmet but I can’r remember this design!
Mike
3rd November 2010, 2:24
Those cars are able to run so much closer to each other.
Poor Brundle. :(
Electrolite
3rd November 2010, 2:49
Keith – it’d be cool if you asked Martin about next year’s car. Obviously this years car was built slightly more around Lewis bearing in mind his previous years and familiarity in the team – and how Jenson wasn’t there in what would have been those early stages, and Button had to adapt himself to the MP4-25 moreso. What will their development path in the stages of designing/building the MP4-26 and how will they cope with the contrating driving styles of the two drivers?
Sorry went off on one a bit there, but something like that I’d love to know.
UneedAFinn2Win
3rd November 2010, 5:36
I have a question for Mr Whitmarsh:
McLaren has a successful history with Finnish drivers, and the team still has a lot of support in Finland. Are they keeping an eye on young Finnish talent, any possible prospects for the future he could share with us?
US_Peter (@us_peter)
3rd November 2010, 5:49
The interesting thing about that Porsche article is that VW want to enter a WRC car, and that Porsche plan to enter Le Mans in direct competition with Audi. That seems a bit redundant.
Journeyer
3rd November 2010, 7:58
Porsche won’t decide if they’ll enter F1 until the 2013 regs are clear, which they aren’t right now. Once that’s cleared up, they’ll probably look at it again.
No way will Porsche compete in LMP1 against Audi. More likely they’ll do what Bentley did less than a decade ago: replace Audi in LMP1.
d-d
3rd November 2010, 9:30
Agree this seems all about rules.
Of course they can’t afford waiting for succesess too long while investing heavy money as startup team. Once they get a strong position they will likely keep spending a lot like Ferrari and McLaren, for whom their spendings in F1 is great way to support their brands, and surely overall brings them profits.
Andy
3rd November 2010, 7:31
Keith, I’d like you to ask Martin what he thinks of the Adrian Newey ‘try something new and see if you get caught’ approach to design rather than McLaren’s more ‘run it past the officials to see if it’s legal’ approach (based on what I’ve heard this season). It seems to me the more cavalier approach has been paying off big time this season!
the edge
3rd November 2010, 9:23
question for Martin…
will he hold an open day at Woking technology centre for the fans when the season closes?
and wish him the best for the constructors title
barkun
3rd November 2010, 9:52
Keith, I would like to know from Whitmarsh what is Mclaren’s plan (engine-wise)once they depart completely from Mercedes (2015?)
I would love to hear they will go solo, but I doubt well get a real answer for now…
Andy W
3rd November 2010, 14:20
Would it be possible to ask/ press Martin about his views on team orders and how the FIA should sort out this mess for next season?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd November 2010, 14:24
The interview’s been done:
https://www.racefans.net/2010/11/03/whitmarsh-id-be-disappointed-if-jenson-wasnt-trying-to-win/
Nixon
3rd November 2010, 15:09
I really do wish that Posche can make it they have the potential to beat Ferrari
matt88
3rd November 2010, 15:16
i want the title of the theme of that commercial! i was jumping on my couch! :D
Marti
3rd November 2010, 19:11
metcalfe
In answer to UR question, Has Mclaren ever made their own engines?
The Mclaren F1 team has NOT. It has had the longest running relationship with Mercedes-Benz supplying their engine in the sport.
In the 90`s they produced the fastest road car at that time (around the time of the Jaguar XJ220) – The Mclaren F1.
Ron has a personal dream of creating the British Ferrari. Leading F1 team and superior road cars.
Lotus seem to be attempting to piggy back the idea. They have the road car – James Bond DB7, they now are attempting to create a championship F1 car.
Come on Mclaren, get another WDC !!!!
Big up
Bruno BaKano
4th November 2010, 0:19
The tranlastion from the portuguese article title is as follows:
“After 37 years, Emerson drives again a Lotus, gets a fine/ticket and cries”
The article then explains that he passed a speed camera at 250 km/h and said to send the ticket to Lotus HQ :-)
jose arellano
4th November 2010, 19:41
Im not sure if this is related.. but i was signed up for a driver selection procces to race in Vw racing championship called “jetta tdi cup”….. and today i received an email saying this
“..I’m sorry to inform you that Volkswagen Motorsport has decided to take the 2011 season off of racing in order to reorganize for 2012. I apologize for the late announcement. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the VW Motorsport office at 434.822.7909..”