I am not sure.....I really hate seeing racing turned into a fuel mileage contest. But it may add a bit more excitement. I would love to see a few more tire options available to add a bit more drama to it too.
So much for keeping costs down. Cars are going to have to be redesigned to take in account the size of a fuel tank that will go the distance for all tracks.
Poor Steve Machett will not need to be doing all the sums he now does on how many seconds of fuel needs to be delivered.
Yep, it's certain, no more refueling. I think they also changed the fuel rules for qualifying, i.e., no more race fuel loads in Q3, basically back to fastest car qualifying order. So, no pit stops for fuel but they decided to keep the requirement to use two tire compounds, plus the extra fuel at the start means tire wear will evolve through the race. Everyone figures they'll be really slow (heavy) at the start and really flying toward the end when they're light on fuel, but some will be saving fuel and some will be saving tires, etc. Bridgestone published the planned tire wear figures and they work out to being able to run about 2/3 of a typical race. That doesn't tell you how far they'll actually go but I figure they're not likely going to be able to run the less favorable compound for just a lap or two and switch to the other for the rest of the race.
I'm trying to watch the Brazil quali but it's rain delayed at the moment. Q1 ended with both McLarens bumped -- they're apparently crap in the wet this year -- and Vettel bumped -- running a dry setup for the race? -- then Q2 was red flagged after a couple minutes when Liuzi ripped his car apart and they left it red due to heavy rain.....and there it stands. The Speed commentators are dancing as fast as they can, trying to fill air time with anything they can think of, replaying clips, etc, while they wait for things to start up again.
Anyone else wonder if Rubens might have gotten the screw from his own team so Button would sew up the title? I mean he went out fastest, then they had him light on fuel, meaning more stops and after the first stop his car never was as fast again for no apparent reason...... He even radioed in and ask what happened to the car.
I suppose it's possible, though I hadn't really thought of it. I've been wondering about late season favoritism at Brawn but probably didn't think of it in Brazil because I expected Rubens would do poorly there anyway because he always does...I was just waiting for him to have problems and content to blame them on his Brazilian curse.
I started to get suspicious at Spa or Monza -- can't remember which it was -- when Button was forced to slow down about three laps from the end because of brake problems (I think it was brakes). Rubens was behind him and fast enough to easily catch Button and the team radioed and told him to back off to save his engine (something like that). Rubens asked whether he was running fast enough to catch Button and they told him he wasn't...which was a lie.
Here's a fun short story about this year's championship.
Brawn did come from Ferrari right, wouldn't it have been perfectly natural for them to put Rubens in the back seat again? Seemed to me like Rubens had the superior pace the last half of the season while Button was.....well being Button..... Rubens has been the good wing man for so long, just think it would be great to see him finish with a Championship to show for it.... Me thinks he got the shaft.
The Formula One driver market remains in a state of flux, and Kimi Räikkönen appears to hold the key after Ferrari's confirmation of Fernando Alonso's arrival for 2010 failed to trigger the expected rush of announcements.
With Red Bull Racing and Ferrari the only teams to officially confirm their drivers for next year--and several expected signings yet to be 100 percent formalized--the situation is unlikely to become fully transparent until well into the off-season.
Even top teams that appear to have healthy budgets are keen to keep a lid on driver salaries, which has further slowed the market as top drivers push for what they believe they are worth. Crucially, new world champion Jenson Button has not yet made a deal with his Brawn GP team.
The imminent arrival of four new teams has muddied the waters, as has uncertainty about the future of Qadbak/Sauber and lingering doubts about Toyota's commitment because the company's board will review its F1 program in mid-November.
Ferrari paid Räikkönen an estimated $25 million to not drive for it next year, and the Finn's most attractive option remains a return to McLaren to run alongside Lewis Hamilton. But Räikkönen is demanding what he believes to be his market value, and some sources suggest that his desire for a one-year deal is further complicating the matter.
Räikkönen also has a firm offer from Toyota, which is keen to secure a big name and has no drivers signed yet. Robert Kubica turned down the drive to go to Renault--the market's only immediate reaction to the Alonso news--and the Cologne-based team now has to convince Räikkönen that Toyota is worth a look. The red and white cars finished second in Singapore and Suzuka, and the timing probably has helped Toyota's chances.
Toyota also has an outside chance of landing Button, while team president John Howett told AutoWeek that as far as he knows, Rubens Barrichello and Nico Rosberg are still potentially available.
Should Räikkönen not go to McLaren, the team is still expected to dump Heikki Kovalainen, which could open up an opportunity for Force India's Adrian Sutil--Hamilton's former Formula Three teammate and close friend. The German also has been linked with the second Renault seat, as has Kovalainen (who was there in 2007) and Timo Glock.
Kamui Kobayashi--who impressed onlookers during his debut in Brazil while subbing for the injured Glock at Toyota--has made himself into a possible outsider for a Toyota seat. Another leading rookie is GP2 Series champ and Williams tester Nico Hulkenberg, who is certain to graduate to a race seat with the team.
Meanwhile, the new teams' arrival has opened up a string of opportunities, especially for those with sponsorship budgets. Bruno Senna--nephew of F1 legend Ayrton--has emerged as a strong contender, most likely for Campos Grand Prix, as has well-financed Russian GP2 driver Vitaly Petrov.
Williams is not the only team objecting to the expansion of the grid to 14 teams for the 2010 season.
With BMW-Sauber's new owners Qadbak not guaranteed a spot in pitlane next year, it was believed the reason was the objection not only of Williams but also the new Campos team.
However, Mario Theissen said recently that in fact Williams are the only objectors, adding that he does "not understand" his former colleagues' position.
But Patrick Head, who along with Sir Frank Williams
owns the Grove based team, said: "From what we understand there are at least half a dozen other team principals who have declared to us that they hold exactly the same (view).
"They're all saying 'well done Frank, you said exactly what we think and good on you for doing it'. It is not true that we are the only (opposing) team," he added.
Williams said recently that his objection was in part due to the unknown nature of Sauber's buyer, and there are also financial concerns, such as the distribution of F1's commercial income.
But Head said the logistics of a potentially 28-car field is a major problem.
"I understand some of the new teams coming in have been have been asked to operate their pit out in the open on the grass in Australia next year," the Briton revealed.
"It's nothing against Sauber, nothing against Peter Sauber, nothing against BMW," Head said.
"It wouldn't matter who the 14th team was, we don't feel it's appropriate," he added.
Howett said today that Raikkonen sent a counter-offer:
I assume the other offer he's talking about is from McMerc. The Speed guys said McMerc's offer included some stipulations about his needing to do some days with sponsors and he refused. I'd love to see what happens if they refuse to meet his demands as well.
Todt won the FIA Pres election comfortably at 135 votes to 49 for Vatanen. Some say he'll be another Mosley but without the positive focus on safety and represents either no change or a change for the worse. Silver lining -- at least Mosley is finally out.
U.S. F1 team principal Peter Windsor says he thinks that NASCAR star Kyle Busch would be a perfect fit for his new Formula One team.
"If he wanted to drive for us in 2011, we'd certainly be keen on that," Windsor told USA Today. "I think there'll be a lot of speculation about that as time goes on. If I was Kyle, I'd be saying to myself, 'Yeah, those guys all talk the talk, let's see what they do, let's see what the car's like. Let's see what the race shop is like.' Fair enough. We're going to do a good job. I know when Kyle gets to see it, I'm pretty sure it'll get his pulse rate going."
Windsor has stated previously that the new outfit, formed along with engineer Ken Anderson, is unlikely to have an American driver when it makes its planned debut next year. The team needs experienced F1 drivers to develop the car and the team, both of which U.S. F1 says are progressing inside the team's Charlotte, N.C., shop. But Windsor made it clear that Busch is at the top of his list for 2011.
"I've watched him a lot and have massive respect for him," Windsor said. "I know people who know him very well. I believe Kyle can win a world championship in Formula One. I think he's got exactly the right talent, the right approach. I'd love to see him in a Formula One car.
"If he wants to jump in our car next year for doing some demonstrations here in the States, he's very welcome to do that."
While Windsor said that he has yet to meet Busch in person, he has met with the stock-car driver's management team. Busch said previously that he could imagine himself switching from NASCAR to F1 for a few years, then returning to the Sprint Cup Series. If Windsor does push hard to land him, the timing won't be a problem: Busch's contract to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing expires at the end of 2010.
Whoever ultimately ends up behind the wheel of a U.S. F1 car, Windsor once again stressed that he is committed to developing American talent so that F1 is a viable option for young U.S. drivers.
"I don't want to be arrogant about it, but I feel confident I can find, with the help of others, a Nigel Mansell in the United States," Windsor said. "We can see the drivers who have the right touch, feel, suppleness and mental approach to be worthy of being a world champion."
Have you heard the one about Button possibly going to McLaren next year? It's the silly season so anything goes, but it's not entirely illogical, and since Whitmarsh won't confirm or deny...might be something in the works. He would certainly work for less than Raikkonen is asking.
Here's something I've never seen before. If they've published all the drivers' salaries any other year I've missed it. Interesting numbers. What really amazes me is Raikkonen is being paid something like 25M for next year by Ferrari to not race!
(here are just a few lines and the full lists from a story on uk.eurosport.yahoo.com)
