2014 - F1

Zapski · Jan 15, 2014

This is a pretty interesting read regarding the new fuel rules. It's got a lot of graphs, so not so great for quoting here, but definitely worth the read.

Why the new fuel limit is one of 2014's toughest rules - F1 Fanatic

Angib · Jan 15, 2014

Crashton said: ↑

But at one time it seemed if it looked good it raced good.
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I think this was more like "it won, so we learned to think it looked good". Basically, people don't like 'the new' - until it has become 'the old', when they say they always liked it......

Classic F1 cars without wings, and without much genuine attention to aerodynamics, are a different beast.

Steve · Jan 15, 2014

Horner: Half the field could retire in F1 opener (racer.com)

January 15, 2014

Formula 1 could experience a retirement rate of 50 percent in the 2014 season-opening Australian Grand Prix, reckons Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

With teams under no illusions that reliability is going to be a key factor in 2014, Horner believes that the dropout rate could be pretty extreme early on.

F1 designers are facing the biggest change in regulations in recent history, and none are expecting it to be easy to get the new 1.6-litre turbo V6 power units up and running trouble-free straight away.

To further add to the technology complications, drivers are also limited to just 100kg of fuel for a grand prix, which could prove tough to manage in Melbourne, one of the highest fuel-consumption tracks of the season.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, Horner has suggested that the situation could be pretty dramatic in Australia on March 16.

"I think you could see a very high retirement rate, maybe even 50 percent in the first race," he said. "Fuel is a challenge this year because we are limited to 100 kg of fuel to start the grand prix with, but more reliability issues in the early races will be a key factor. And of course, we only have five engines for the whole year."
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Full story here.

Steve · Jan 15, 2014

Touching words from Jenson Button on the death of his father, John Button:

Thank you all for your lovely messages about my Dad, it's so nice to see he touched so many people.

He was such a big part of my life I'm going to miss him so so much.

Papa you cannot believe how very proud I feel to be able to call you my Dad. I love you Papa Smurf, you'll forever be in my heart,

Rest in Peace with the Angels

Your son XXXX
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Story.

Z06_Pilot · Jan 16, 2014

wow, that' too bad. I always liked seeing the shots of Jenson's dad, as he always had a smile on his face, and you could see the unbridled joy whenever Jenson would podium.

Crashton · Jan 16, 2014

Sad news.

RIP John

Steve · Jan 16, 2014

Ecclestone steps down from F1 board (racer.com)

Jonathan Noble | January 16, 2014

Bernie Ecclestone will step down as a director of Formula 1's management board, but he will continue running the sport.

German prosecutors announced on Thursday that Ecclestone will face a court hearing in Munich at the end of April to answer claims that he bribed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky over the sale of F1 in 2006. Although Formula 1's owners CVC are allowing Ecclestone to continue his day-to-day running of grand prix racing, a statement issued by Delta Topco Ltd. stated that it has agreed in a board meeting on Thursday that he will step off the board.

"After discussions with the board, Mr. Ecclestone has proposed and the board agreed that until the case has been concluded, he will step down as a director with immediate effect, thereby relinquishing his board duties and responsibilities until the case has been resolved," said the statement.

"The board believes that it is in the best interests of both the F1 business and the sport that Mr. Ecclestone should continue to run the business on a day-to-day basis, but subject to increased monitoring and control by the board. Mr Ecclestone has agreed to these arrangements."

Ecclestone has routinely denied any wrongdoing over a payment he made to Gribkowsky, and reiterated his claims of innocence to the board in Thursday's meeting.

The statement added: "Mr. Ecclestone has reassured the board that he is innocent of the charges and intends to vigorously defend the case which will commence in late April 2014."

Ecclestone's stepping down from the board means other senior management figures will now take a more direct role in the future direction of F1.

The statement added: "The approval and signing of significant contracts and other material business arrangements shall now be the responsibility of the Chairman, Mr. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, and Deputy Chairman, Mr. Donald Mackenzie."

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com
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ANALYSIS: What Bernie Ecclestone's resignation means for F1 (racer.com)

David Tremayne | January 16, 2014

Soâ€¦things are finally beginning to happen after months of speculation, and on the day that a German court at last revealed that they are to put Bernie Ecclestone on trial for bribery in April, the real question is what effect it will have on Formula 1 that its long-standing ringmaster has simultaneously tendered his resignation as a director of the Formula 1 group.

First, let's look at the whys. The moment that the German court found banker Gerhard Gribkowsky guilty of corruption and taking bribes, it was clear that Ecclestone, said to be the source of the bribe, was in potential trouble. Last year the court served him with a bill of indictment which required him to respond to the accusations of bribery and corruption. Since then, his lawyers have been working overtime, but their efforts have clearly not persuaded the court and now he must stand trial.

The immediate effect was his resignation, for while CVC Capital partners â€“ the private equity company which owns the rights to Formula 1 â€“ might appreciate only too well that he is the one who knows the most about their cash-cow sport, it would clearly be untenable for a man facing criminal charges to remain on their Board. Interestingly, however, he remains chief executive officer as chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and his deputy Donald Mackenzie now take overall charge of affairs.

â€œAfter discussion with the Board, Mr. Ecclestone has proposed and the Board has agreed that until the case has been concluded, he will step down as a director with immediate effect, thereby relinquishing his board duties and responsibilities until the case has been resolved,â€ a company statement said. â€œIt is in the best interests of both the F1 business and the sport that Mr. Ecclestone should continue to run the business on a day-to-day basis, but subject to increased monitoring and control by the Board. Mr. Ecclestone has agreed to these arrangements.â€

The first effect is that Ecclestone's normal modus operandi of doing things his way, as he pleased, will to an extent be curtailed by this increased scrutiny. The second comment suggests, perhaps, that CVC's inherent desperation to retain him as the chief executive could be an admission of the paucity of their understanding of a sport from which they have taken much without ever, it seems, giving anything back.

And yet it is also a smart move; it gives the appearance of propriety, while enabling things to carry on pretty much as they areâ€¦at least until the court reaches a verdict. Since that could be as early as May, it should not be too debilitating for the sport's image as the legal wheels start to grind. Ecclestone will, of course, have to devote much time to his legal defense but, he said, alluding to recent appearances on another matter in the London High Court: â€œWith the Constantin testimony I was out of the office for four days, but I could still work in the late afternoon and evening."

It's clear that he has been expecting to be charged for some time, and while some speculators have fancifully wondered if he would flee to perhaps Brazil, Bernie has always maintained that he will duly appear in court. â€œI am only interested in proving my innocence,â€ he has said.

There are two schools of thought about his current situation, and his possible future. Some believe that F1 cannot possibly operate properly without him, and that were he to step down altogether, either voluntarily or because of the possibility of a prison sentence, the lack of a defined succession would mean four or five people would have to fulfill his myriad roles. In common parlance, he knows where the bodies are buried, and is the master of negotiating the new-style races that have expanded the sport globally in the past decade. What CVC has done is buy itself the time to identify a new chief executive and Board member to lead the sport, should Ecclestone duly be found guilty. If that were to happen, his rule in Formula 1 will finally be over, a little more than four decades after it began.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been touted by Ecclestone as his choice as successor. In Brazil last year he said: â€œChristian would be ideal for my job. We could have a transitional period. It needs someone who knows the sport. If someone comes in from outside, a corporate type, I don't think I could work with them. It wouldn't last five minutes. People deal with me because they know me. I've known them for a long time and they trust me. They know I'm straight with them. That's how it is with Christian. I hope we can do it.â€

â€œFirst of all it's flattering,â€ Horner told this writer at the time. â€œBut I think Bernie is going to be here hopefully for a long time to come and it's for the benefit of the sport that he stays in the rude health that he is in. It's unimaginable that any one single person could replace him. He's still in great shape, and still doing some massive deals for F1. You only have to look where he's taken us recently.

â€œSo, although it's very flattering that he has mentioned me as he has, my focus is very much on Red Bull Racing and the job that I'm performing.â€

Nevertheless, that does not explain why Horner and Ecclestone dine together at every race, and were said to have spent a week or two together on a private yacht last summer. Has the master been grooming his pupil?

Detractors say that Ecclestone's old-school benign dictatorship and some of his tough guy, get-it-done-regardless methods belong in a different era and that they have long militated against the sport's 21st century image with the new breed of seen-to-be-squeaky-clean corporations that have the global reach and funding that race teams are desperate to tap into as so many of them struggle to sustain their increasingly unrealistic spending patterns.

Removing Ecclestone altogether could finally speed up the move toward a stock market listing, something he has long resisted but which would confer a degree of respectability upon a sport still seen to be a little leery in some quarters. And it would alleviate problems associated with increasingly complex corporate law that precludes major companies being seen to do business with individuals who have been indicted, let alone charged.
Only the most naive would ever rule out the possibility of the 83-year-old ringmaster being able to prove his innocence and bounce back to pick up the F1 reins, but his critics and enemies believe that we are watching the end game, the final chapter of the Ecclestone era which brought riches to both the sport and to many of the team owners who, back in the 1970s, were content to hand him responsibility for running things while they focused on winning races.

If that were to come about it, remains to be seen whether CVC has the wit and understanding to put the right person in charge of the sport, and whether Formula 1 could thrive under a regime with a completely different view on business. Or whether the end of Ecclestone's reign might coincide with a downturn in popularity as other sports and hobbies move to center stage.
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Steve · Jan 16, 2014

Will there be a NASCAR, F1 crossover?

NASCAR team boss Gene Haas plans new Formula 1 squad for 2015 (autosport.com)

By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, January 16th 2014, 16:57 GMT

NASCAR team co-owner Gene Haas is working on plans to launch a new American Formula 1 team, AUTOSPORT has learned.

High level sources have confirmed that Haas, who part owns the Stewart-Haas team, is working with former Red Bull and Jaguar technical director Gunther Steiner on the F1 project.

The new team, which is provisionally called Haas Racing Developments, has lodged an application with the FIA to join the grid now that a slot has been opened up.

The FIA announced in December that it was seeking new entrants for F1 that could bolster the grid from 2015 onwards.

Although there is no indication yet from the FIA about whether or not the Haas plans will be successful, Steiner has confirmed that the project is being evaluated.

He told AUTOSPORT: "Haas Racing Developments has asked for a licence and expressed an interest, but at the moment we have no further comment to make.

"The FIA is still in the decision-making process and there is still one more step to go before they award the licence."

Stewart-Haas recently expanded its facilities in Charlotte, which could be part of the preparations for a potential F1 involvement.

Haas owns factory facilities in Brussels that could become a European base for the team.

He is also the owner of the full-scale Windshear windtunnel that has been used regularly by F1 teams.

AUTOSPORT understands that if the project is given the go-ahead then the team would likely enlist Dallara to help build its initial F1 car.

The other potential contenders for the new team slot are believed to be former F1 team boss Colin Kolles, and Stefan GP, which has previously applied for a place on the grid.
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Zapski · Jan 16, 2014

Steve said: ↑

Will there be a NASCAR, F1 crossover?

NASCAR team boss Gene Haas plans new Formula 1 squad for 2015 (autosport.com)
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I hope so. I'd like to see an American team, maybe an American driver. At the very least, I'd like to see a full grid.

Dave.0 · Jan 16, 2014

^^^ Please lets hope so.
They can have Dale Earnhardt Jr since he cant win in NASCAR.

minimark · Jan 16, 2014

Steve said: ↑

Will there be a NASCAR, F1 crossover?

NASCAR team boss Gene Haas plans new Formula 1 squad for 2015 (autosport.com)
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Love to see this happen and Haas has the racing stones to really get it off the drawing board and on the grid!!

Minidave · Jan 16, 2014

Danica......American team, American female driver - win/win.

Crashton · Jan 16, 2014

I'd love to see Danica show her talents in open wheel racing rather than NASCARP. Trouble is Danica was much more successful on ovals & not road courses.

B.A.D. · Jan 16, 2014

What about luring Alexander Rossi away from Caterham?

Steve · Jan 16, 2014

Crashton said: ↑

... Danica was much more successful on ovals & not road courses.
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Unless my little gray cells are failing me, yes, that's the way I remember her time in IndyCar.

Haas is co-owner of Stewart-Haas, right? I wonder whether Tony Stewart got the bug when he and Lewis Hamilton did that seat swap stunt a couple years ago. And they say Hulkenberg is having trouble because he's too big...

(jump to 41:40 if you just want to see Stewart's reaction)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EV5Nxy8zXs]Tony Stewart Drives Lewis Hamiltons F1 car (FULL) - YouTube[/ame]

mrntd · Jan 17, 2014

Ron Dennis takes back over at McLaren

Ron Dennis has been re-appointed as CEO of the McLaren Group with immediate effect. The 66-year-old takes over from current Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh, whose future at the team is uncertain.

Dennis previously acted as CEO of the Group from 1982 to 2012 and was Team Principal of the marque's Formula 1 arm between the 1982 and 2009 campaigns before becoming Group Chairman in 2013.

Whitmarsh inherited the role of CEO after Dennis stepped back from the front-line of the organisation, but last season the Woking-based outfit failed to record a single podium finish for the first time since 1980.

It has not yet been confirmed how the change in management structure will affect Whitmarsh.

"My fellow shareholders have mandated me to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance," said Dennis after his expanded role was announced.

"Over the coming weeks I intend to undertake a thorough and objective review of each of our businesses with the intention of optimising every aspect of our existing operations, whilst identifying new areas of growth that capitalise on our technologies, and where appropriate further investing in them.

"During February, I will articulate a new Group strategy and implement the organisational structure best suited to achieving it. I am excited by the prospect of returning to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer and working with my many colleagues and fellow shareholders to fulfil our objective â€“ which is to win at whatever we do."

Dennis will remain Chairman of McLaren Automotive, the road car subsidiary of the brand.
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Crashton · Jan 17, 2014

Sure hope Ron returning brings them some success.

Steve · Jan 17, 2014

Well, he took over as the Group CEO, no word yet about who will take over the F1 Team. Speculation is Ross Brawn's name is in the mix...

Crashton · Jan 17, 2014

They'd do well to have Ross on their team.

Steve · Jan 17, 2014

(from Sniff Petrol)

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