Outstanding! I'll get to a race in person one of these years... Have you gone to the Montreal race before?
It's a mere 9 hour drive from MD and well worth it...spectacular city, crowded venue, limited access but hey it's F1...go! My bride and I and friends have seen 18 GPs in Montreal and one lone Group C race back in '90... [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAb1e9Ft6zE&feature=video_response[/ame]
The FIA published (again) the official 2010 F1 entry list. Thanks to their legal issues with Toyota they decided to list only 12 teams; no Toyota and no Sauber. They said "an announcement will be made regarding [the 13th entry] in due course." Idiots. They need to separate the two issues. Toyota have already said they're not coming back so they should take them off the list and enter someone else (that is, since there's someone else already waiting for the slot). Can't see how that would prevent the FIA from taking Toyota to court for breach of contract or whatever they choose to call it. One of the new teams, Manor, is listed as Virgin Racing. I guess that makes Virgin Group a title sponsor...don't know whether that means they actually bought the majority share of the team.
Check out this list from FIA today. I had no idea they traditionally skip #13 and jump from 12 to 14.
FIA gave Sauber the 13th grid slot.....finally! Sauber on the Grid for 2010 Formula One world championship (timesonline.co.uk)
There's a FANTASTIC article today over at pitpass.com about the Abu Dhabi GP (ETC). Suggests all is very far from well. Accuses the PR folks of outright lies. Thrashes officials for use of slave labor from the Indian subcontinent. Yes, there's also a not so thinly veiled agenda to show the folly of taking racing to such places when Silverstone is struggling to get on the calendar, but it's still an entertaining read. The Folly of Building for Chavs Don't know exactly what a Chav is but I still love the line "Dubai is building Chav Heaven, and Abu Dhabi is following. It is gold medallion man's idea of paradise." Gold medallion man's idea of paradise pretty much sums up my thoughts about everything other than the track and facilities themselves at Abu Dhabi.
Chav (pronounced /ˈtʃæv/ (CHAV)) is a term applied to certain young people in the United Kingdom. The stereotypical "chav"—known also as a charver in North East England[1]—is an aggressive teenager, typically unemployed or of working class background,[2] who repeatedly engages in anti-social behaviour,[2] such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency. "Chavs" stereotypically wear tracksuits and hoodies made by brands such as Nike, Reebok, Burberry and Adidas.
As expected Raikkonen switches to the WRC with the Citroen junior team for 2010. Somehow I see a Red Bull connection should he decide to return to F1. Kimi exiting the 2009 Rally Finland...
Well, geez... thanks for spoiling it for me. I had it recorded and was going to watch it this weekend.
As expected indeed. If nothing else, this finally confirms that Haug's claims re Merc's "surprising" driver lineup don't involve Kimi. I see what you mean about the Red Bull connection but wonder about the odds he'll go back to F1. I figure if he does well in WRC he'll want to stay there...it's all about winning. If he can't win, he may attempt a return to F1.
I was watching the '04 US GP last night. I haven't recorded many but I'm glad I have that one. Completely forgot about how things worked when they still allowed T-cars. Montoya had car trouble seconds before the formation lap and he jumped out and sprinted for the Williams pit to get in the T-car. Someone thought there was something wrong with that plan and they sent him sprinting back toward his car on the grid, then they turned him around again and he went running back toward the pits waving his hand in the air in frustration! Funny stuff!
The British Grand Prix will return to the Silverstone circuit in 2010 and will remain there for 17 years, under a new contract between Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone and the British Racing Drivers' Club, the track's owner. The contract contains an opt-out clause after 10 years. The race was set to move to Donington Park, but financing for Donington's redevelopment project fell through. Silverstone also will host a MotoGP event next season, and the British Racing Drivers' Club plans to complete a new pit and paddock area in time for the 2011 event. It wants to use its new "arena" circuit configuration, which awaits FIA approval.
I'm really glad Silverstone will be on the calendar but I think the deal is so lousy they should have turned it down anyway. Ecclestone backed down a bit but the 5% annual compounded increase in fees will still cost them more big bucks. This, of course, will mean keeping ticket prices way too high and wasting resources they could otherwise spend on the track and facilities. Everyone complains that Bernie needs to pay attention to the crowds, etc, and make compromises to keep places like Silverstone on the calendar but he couldn't care less about any of that. All he cares about is the money and he adjusts the venues list based on who's willing to pay the most.
FWIW, here's the plan for the "arena" circuit, here called the "bike friendly" layout. Apparently the plan is to use the "bike friendly" for F1 as well.
Sorry to go bring this post up again, but I just watched some British touring car races (German touring car races are on next) and the action is great! I forgot how much I like them. Since you mentioned touring cars as well I figured I'd mention they show them on Speed, though I'm not sure Speed ever air them live.
Yet another scoring system has been proposed and will be voted on by the WMSC. It's based on an expansion of points positions since there will be 26 cars starting each race next year instead of 20, but I think the huge bump in points for the podium finishers is going too far. I'd be interested in seeing a calculation of how prior seasons would have played out if re-scored this way. New scoring system proposed for 2010 F1 season (uk.eurosport.yahoo.com)
Mercedes is reportedly proposing to pay Michael Schumacher 7 million euros if he agrees to return to F1 as Nico Rosberg’s teammate in 2010. Bild newspaper said the offer, which is the same one offered to Jenson Button prior to the new world champion’s switch to McLaren, will be made by the German marque’s competition boss Norbert Haug. Schumacher, 40, made much more money at Ferrari until 2006, and still makes 5m a year as an advisor to the Italian team, but Bild said Mercedes cannot afford to offer the German any more. Niki Lauda told the newspaper he is certain “money will not play a role” in Schumacher’s decision about whether to re-launch his 16-year F1 career. Mercedes team chief executive Nick Fry said at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco on Thursday that an announcement about Rosberg’s teammate is not likely before Christmas. “We might say something before Christmas, but it’s more likely to be the beginning of January,” he is quoted as saying by the Times.