Bahrain could push Indian Grand Prix to December

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: The Indian Grand Prix could be moved to December.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

F1 ponders Dec 4 slot for Indian GP (Autosport)

“the current plan being favoured, should Bahrain be given the green light to return to the schedule, is for the Middle Eastern race to take India’s current October 30 slot. […] Brazil would then keep its current November 27 date, with India then being moved to December 4.”

Will Buxton on Twitter

“Webber had an interesting quote for me today regarding FIA Vs GPDA on DRS use in Monaco… “They don’t listen to us.”

Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app

Simona de Silvestro Huge Crash 2011 Indy 500 practice (YouTube)

De Silvestro walked away but was treated for second-degree burns afterwards:

Kimi Raikkonen to Make NASCAR Debut in N.C. Education Lottery 200 (Kyle Busch Motorsports)

In the Perky Jerky Toyota Tundra, no less…

Formula 1 makes bumper profits as bid rumours continue (BBC)

“The analysis reveals that Mr Ecclestone and his family trusts have earned more than $148m in five years from their stakes in Delta Topco. The F1 ringmaster has also received $31m in salary.”

Red Bull: Front brake ducts and wheel design (ScarbsF1)

“It is expected that Red Bull will feature more complex wheel design this weekend. This could either be a revised spoke design to work in conjunction with the brake duct vanes, or an even shallower offset to move the spokes closer the wheel rim or a switch to wheel with radial vane, as used by Ferrari and McLaren.”

Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Pedro de la Rosa race Scalextric on Spaish TV (La Sexta)

Keep an eye out for the all-McLaren pile-up!

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

Comment of the day

Fernando Alonso has a Ferrari seat tied up for five years – but will he dare to share the team with a top-flight team mate, asks Dan Thorn:

Alonso certainly has the talent to probably beat any of the current drivers, the question is does he have the mindset? If someone like Vettel, Hamilton or Kubica (though I’d be amazed if he’s as good as he was before the accident) joined him would have learned from his experience at McLaren and do his talking on the track?

Would Ferrari want to take that risk and put another top driver against Alonso, knowing that it could potentially become volatile? To be fair I don’t think Ferrari were aware that Raikkonen and Massa would as closely matched as they were and they still like to have a number 1 and number 2 driver.

Massa is certainly improving this year and if he can get to a point where he regularly mixes it with the top guys, Ferrari may well opt to keep on past 2012 – that is, if Massa wants to stay, but that’s another matter…
Dan Thorn

From the forum

Explain the thinking behind your avatar here. If you’ve not got one yet, here’s how:

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Ned Flanders!

On this day in F1

Sixty years ago today reigning champion Giuseppe Farina won the non-championship Paris Grand Prix on the Bois de Boulogne circuit.

Juan Manuel Fangio led to begin with and set fastest lap but retired on the 50th tour. That left Farina to lead home Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Louis Rosier after 125 laps of the 2.5km (1.56 mile) circuit.

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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75 comments on “Bahrain could push Indian Grand Prix to December”

  1. Perky Jerky???

    I’m now quite happy with Santander monopolizing GPs if that’s the motorsport sponsorship alternative! How could you take the Perky Jerky Monaco GP seriously?!?

    1. Yeah, Perky Jerky for a sponsor sounds pretty sticky to me.
      Seems they are a major sponsor for the complete series as well, taking the role of “official snack” or something like that.

      1. I can assure you Perky Jerky is not a major sponsor of the Camping World Truck Series.

  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NED!

    Well, I don’t want Bahrain to go ahead but if it did, this would be the best plan to slot it back in. F1 three weeks before Christmas? Nice.

    1. Second that, Happy Birthday to you Ned. Three hours of free practice for your enjoyment..

    2. I think the benefits us viewers will get from an extended season will be extremely trivial compared to the potential benefits for the people of Bahrain if the race is cancelled. This shouldn’t be about us.

      (Obviously, I don’t mean to suggest that cancellation would lead to instant peace and happiness for Bahrain, but the GP is a big deal to the regime, and losing it would inflict further damage to whatever credibility they have left)

      1. Happy Birthday Flanders!

      2. happy bday gr… Ned!

      3. Happy birthday Ned! And I even agree with you.

      4. happy birthday ned! mumble stupid flanders mumble

      5. Hi Ned, have fun on the birthday. Hope you will be up and running for FP3 nontheless ;-)

      6. Happy Birthday!

      7. Happy Birthday, stupid sexy Flanders! :D

      8. Ned Flanders
        20th May 2011, 9:25

        Thanks everyone! You all put a :) on the old face

      9. Happy Birthday! Greg… =D

      10. Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
        20th May 2011, 9:53

        Although I know you secretly hate me, Happy Birthday babe! XXXX

        1. Secretly?? :P Thanks Angel Pie

          1. That’s a Simpsons reference for sure.

      11. Happy b’day Ned!

    3. jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
      20th May 2011, 0:23

      Happy Birthday Ned

      1. Happy Birthday Ned!

        1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NED

    4. Happy birthday Mr. Flander!

      1. Happy Birthday Ned!

        1. Ned! Happy birthday! Have a brilliant day. :)

    5. I’m more concerned about getting all the equipments moved across two oceans (Pacific + Indian or Atlantic + Ocean) in less than a week!

      Tough enough when you’ve been in both places before, but when visiting a brand-new circuit?

      1. Happy Birthday Ned. Or Egg to use your real name.

  3. MuzzleFlash
    20th May 2011, 0:11

    When was the last time a Formula 1 crash resulted in a fuel fire? I can’t even remember.

    Not that I’m talking down Indycar, they have zero run off, a wall and higher speed accidents.

    1. Williams F1!
      20th May 2011, 3:28

      At least there were visible flames and not one of those invisble fires.
      Have they changed fuel since the days of invisible flames?

      1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IndyCar_Series#Fuel

        For the 2006 season, the fuel was a 90%/10% mixture of methanol and ethanol. Starting in 2007, the league advertised “100% Fuel Grade Ethanol”, the first competitive series to utilize renewable fuel. The mixture is actually 98% ethanol and 2% gasoline for races held in the United States. It was provided by Lifeline Foods of Saint Joseph, Missouri. The additives satisfied the U.S. government’s requirements that the alcohol be unfit for human consumption, and added visible color in case of a fire. The 2010 São Paulo Indy 300, held in Brazil – outside of the U.S. regulations – utilized a full E100 mixture, the first instance in the sport.

        invisible fire is nothing to screw with!

  4. Well, McLaren have now proved that 3 car teams end in tears! Take note Luca di Montezemolo

  5. I Feel terrible for Simona, shes my favorite driver in Indy at the moment. Shes extremely talented, and I couldn’t wait to see her back at Indy, but now that looks like it may not happen :( Still, one driver can qualify and another can drive in the race (starting last) but still…. It just made me feel awful inside :(

    1. Hmm… I don’t think it was that bad. Accidents involving a car rolling often look worse than they actually are. The car must have travelled a good few hundred metres between the start and end of the accident so there was no huge impact. But, the fact that the car caught fire has to be a concern

      1. It didn’t look bad, but it made me feel bad that she probably won’t race in the Indy 500 :( My two favorite racers in motorsports this year both suffered big crashes that will make them miss at least some time in the car.

        1. Ned Flanders
          20th May 2011, 9:27

          I must admit, I hadn’t heard of her until yesterday, so I don’t have that emotional attachment! It’s a shame for her that she misses the biggest event of the season though

      2. I think the massive distance that car slid on it’s head is a bit of a problem, lots of damn things could have happened in that time.

      3. I dunno, I have to imagine it’d be uncomfortable to drive with second degree burns. But I guess if they can make it through a race with broken wrists and legs, then they can gut it through second degree burns.

        I agree with PB, though, she’s become one of my favorites in the series.

        1. Yeah, I like her driving as well. Competative times, no attetudes.
          Hope she will make it to the Indy 500 grid this year.

    2. yes, i’ve seen simona had some very impressive drives. i hope she’s well

  6. Webber was in rare form today, in addition to his comment for Buxton, he made a couple great comments in the press conference. When asked about the banning of exhaust overrun he said “what’s the rule this hour?” Then when asked about upgrades to the RB7 he first said there were no new upgrades, the said “We don’t have Christmas. Spark plugs, we have new spark plugs.”

    1. He is getting better and better. I hope he stays on the grid for another couple of years and win the championship as well.

    2. Mark Webber leaves the impression that if you kicked your ball into his garden you’d get it back…the ball having being knifed.

      1. Nah. He’s a good bloke. He’d invite you over for a tinny and a chuck a few more snags on the barbie as he kicked your ball around his back yard. Love his sense of humour and I’ve got a lot of time for him.

    3. LOL, “new spark plugs” :) COTD

  7. Dang, Simona is one of the few Indy drivers I actually pay attention to (much better than that over-hyped Danica in my opinion), such a shame to see this. I hope she can recover in time for the Indy 500.

    1. Whens qualifying, and how can I stream it, incidentslly?

    2. Agreed, on all counts.

  8. I don’t think that Ferrari will risk of having two star drivers in the same team that was never as far I remember their recipe so after Massa leave they will have someone who will help feed Alonso for his WC.

  9. Oh wow! Kimi is going to be 15 miles away from me this weekend. My aunt works at the speedway hopefully she could get me some tickets to go and see how he drives those truck. That should be cool.

    1. Good luck with that and report back what you make of his driving Joshy!

  10. I have no idea why they want race in December in India. There is heavy fog in this region in Dec-Jan, so not a good idea I would say. Plus temperature could go down as low as 2°C. Race in Decemeber is as good as no race at all.

    1. Adrian Morse
      20th May 2011, 5:02

      And what about my flight ticket and hotel reservation for the Indian GP? Ok, I didn’t buy any, but some people will have.

      I am still hoping the FIA et al. will show some spine and just not go to Bahrain this year.

      1. Also how about the Metallica concert during that same weekend. It is scheduled to be part of ‘F1 Rocks’ Event.

        1. Those are important points as well. How should the Indian GP gather fans when it gets moved about for thuggish Bahrain and big money?

        2. Metallica AND F1 in the same weekend? That’s my idea of heaven. Lucky Indians.

    2. I guess no one asked the Indians much, weather they like it. Thanks for that crucial information Nin13

      Would be a real kick in the ass to have the Indian GP postponed and then have to cancel it for Fog and Ice on track!
      How is that for losing fan interest.

      I would hope they just forget about pushing where it doesn’t fit to get that Bahrain GP on the calendar this year.
      Its inappropriate and just does not fit in.

    3. Here in Delhi India, the Fog is generally heavy during the early morning times. I presume the Race will happen in the Afternoon. So, Fog should not be a Problem even though it might be a bit chilly. The Sun surely will be out. Also, going by the fact that we are not very good in getting things done within the stipulated time taking into consideration the Commonwealth Games, it will give some more time for the Indian GP Organizers to get the Track and Facilities ready and sorted out.

      1. Apparently the track’s coming up quite quickly. Possibly because it’s not a government agency right at the top that’s running the show. Also, with all the corruption charges that the current government is facing I think they’ll be a bit more careful in dealing with this project.

        Regarding the weather, didn’t Pirelli say the reason tyres were wearing out so quickly during pre-season testing was because of the cold weather? The air temperature in Delhi rarely goes above 22°C in December. Not to mention it’ll be a green track with no rubber laid down. The drivers may have to go through the allotted 7 sets of tyres to finish the race!

    4. The weather is terrible in delhi in december, it would be anywhere between 5-12 degrees Celsius, it would be sunny. basically it would be terrible weather and on top of that i think people would want to see a new race in delhi rather then an old and boring race in bahrain.

  11. A brand new unknown circuit as the last race in the calendar? Interesting…

    1. It was a situation just like that two years ago. The race certainly wasn’t very interesting and the championship was already decided…

    2. The last time we had that, Abu Dhabi 2009, it didn’t really prove very interesting, apart from pretty pictures, didn’t it?

      1. And even then, the pretty pictures were of the hotel with its fancy light show, not the track itself!

        To be fair, the Indian GP layout looks somewhat more interesting and less constrained than Yas Marina.

  12. Great to see those wonderfull explanatory pictures by ScrabsF1. He also did a special on what will be banned with the off throttle boosted exhausts now.

  13. I actually read the history of Perky Jerky below the Kimi article. The way the product was conceived – spilling energy drink over a beef jerky – made me think about Ben Elton’s Blind Faith… Energy drinks, Beef Jerky, what’s not to like?

    I hope Kimi does well, I still had hopes for him in rallying, it would be so awesome if he became F1 and Rally champ!

    1. I think most of those stories are just fairy tails to make the capitalistic American dream more shiny.

  14. Regardless of where you stand with regards to the Bahrain situation I think we can all agree it’s gone far beyond stupid now. However, being the eternal optimist I am I can’t help but get excited at the prospect of Christmas and Formula 1 in the same month.

  15. Mark Hitchcock
    20th May 2011, 9:15

    I was in the hairdresser when I heard about the potential for the Indian GP being moved. Think that says something about how damaging to F1’s image it would be to go back to Bahrain.
    It’s not just F1 people who care about this and it would throw the sport into the news for all the wrong reasons if we went back.

  16. Re Bahrain GP: just stop it, please. Even if they reinstate it, the problems in Bahrain will not be fixed by then, and F1 risks running the event and having to pretend not to hear the army attacking protesters outside the circuit gates.

    Bernie goes on about F1 not being a political instrument, but it’s already being used as one by the Bahraini government, who want to use it to pretend to the world that everything’s fine and that there isn’t a problem.

    The fact that they’d consider moving another race to accommodate it is just ridiculous, and I’m getting sick of them pandering to the Bahrainis – why is it so important to run this race in particular? Bernie made enough money from 19 races last year and I’m sure he can cope again this year.

    Bahrain should only be returned to the calendar when the situation in the country returns to one of long-term stability, ideally with greater freedom for the country’s people.

    1. No, don’t you see, it’s okay for governments to use F1 as a political tool, but not the other way around. Money has of course nothing to do with this.

      /sarcasm

      I’m most disappointed in Jean Todt in this, but I guess he owed his election partly to the help from Bahrain so he can’t rock the boat too much.

      1. Yeah, I guess that the FIA could put their foot down over this by refusing to sanction the race, which would relegate any event that did take place to a non-championship race, and I imagine that any team non already boycotting the race wouldn’t bother going.

  17. I just wonder how would pirelli react to running their tyres in India in december with chilling air at 2 deg.
    to be on the optimist side, that might still result in a tyre poker game in the last race of the season even after teams have a considerable knowledge about the tyres.
    On the second note, instead of fooling around with the calendar every month and giving jitters to fans, why not just dump the bahrain GP to the end of season, if at all. I would rather prefer it being scraped for the season.

  18. HounslowBusGarage
    20th May 2011, 11:07

    I’m not sure I fully understand why they are contemplating moving the Indian GP. Would it not be better to leave the Indian race where it is and put Bahrain into the December slot (assuming it goes ahead at all)?
    I’m sure I’m missing the point somewhere; is Bahrain not possible in December?

  19. Hold on, didn’t Brazil pay exclusive rights to be the final grand prix? It’d take their permission aswell..

Comments are closed.