I bet Lauda is right. He has more money than he needs so it's all about whether he wants to drive. Ferrari aren't going to get to field three cars per race like they hoped (with Schumacher driving the third car) so if he wants to race it's going to depend on whether he gets an offer to drive a car he believes will be competitive. I read a few weeks ago that Haug told Schumacher to "pick your job" meaning he could drive or do anything else he wanted in the team. If so, the current offer could just be how much they're willing to pay if he chooses to drive but he could still end up on the team in some other role.
Lotus finally signed as drivers Trulli and Kovalainen. They're also hinting at the Lotus F1 livery: (motorsport.com)
One more time on the touring car coverage on Speed since I'm enjoying it so much. FWIW, it's British (BTCC) and then German (DTM), Tuesdays at 3 and 4 AM ET respectively. I've only watched these a couple times now but have to say so far the BTCC version has been -- for me -- much more fun to watch. They have more makes racing (the DTM is Merc vs Audi, period) and VERY competitive with LOTS of passing and other close quarters action. These series' are new to me and I'm just getting used to them but as far as I can tell they're very different. They both look like they're running track-prepared street cars, but I think the BTCC actually do run modified lower displacement street cars, while the DTM cars are higher displacement and faster though what I've read says they're purpose-built racers and then made to look like the street cars they mimic (with lots of funky looking aero bits). Someone straighten me out if I've got this wrong. BTCC does a series of shorter races at each track while DTM run longer races with mandatory pit stops. The weekly coverage on Speed at this time of the year is tape from the '09 season. I hope there's was a way to watch these things (at least the BTCC) live or at least nearly live during the season. If so, I'll definitely be following along during the '10 season and I might start a thread. If anyone has any info, please post up.
Virgin Racing's Formula One plans were finally unveiled in London on Tuesday, months after it became clear that the company was abandoning Brawn GP to rebrand the start-up Manor GP team. Having announced Timo Glock as a driver, the team confirmed that former Manor F3 driver Lucas di Grassi will be in the second seat. The Brazilian has been a Renault test driver for the past few seasons and had a run in the car at the Jerez rookie test two weeks ago. The bullish Branson is convinced that starting fresh with Manor is the right way to go. He installed key employee Alex Tai as team principal, leaving founder John Booth as sporting director. The car is being designed and built by Wirth Research, the company responsible for the Acura ALMS contender. "We have had a fantastic first year in Formula One and it was incredible to be sponsoring a team that fought so hard to win both championships," Branson said in a team statement. "We are huge fans of the sport and we spent a lot of time exploring all the options for a longer-term involvement." Booth was a successful Formula Ford racer in the 1980s, competing against the likes of Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill and Eddie Irvine, although he never had aspirations to go any further. He instead became a team owner, initially in Formula Renault and then in F3, under the Manor name. His past drivers included Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton. "In 2010, my idea of success is to run reliably, safely and efficiently and earn the respect of our peers in the paddock," Booth said. "We need to perform well as a team. Then we can start carrying that through into car performance. Our clear objective is to end the season as the best of the new teams. "I think Nick [Wirth] is a design genius and I have absolute faith in his ability to design a fantastic car. In turn, he has the belief in our ability to run it. There is already a great chemistry within the team, and this is inspiring a lot of confidence. We've kept our heads down for the last few months and just got on with what we needed to do, but now people are starting to see what we are achieving."
Yes German DTM cars are purpose-built spaceframe racers with a lookalike body fitted over the top. British BTCC cars are loosely stock bodies, though they are completely rebuilt with things like all-welded seams. The engines have to be from the same manufacturer but not necessarily the same model and really only the original block is the same - otherwise they are purpose-built race engines with sequential gearboxes, etc. Several manufacturers are pulling out of BTCC to save their budgets so 2010 racing will be different - maybe better, maybe worse. Andrew
Renault have finally decided to stay in F1, though they've sold 75% of the team shares to a Luxembourg-based capital investment company. Renault keeps control of its engine manufacturing biz and say they'll supply Red Bull in 2010.
Not yet, I just got the e-mail today...same price as 2008 until Jan 15. Talk yourself into it yet? :ihih:
See Tickets - Canadian F1 Grand Prix - F1 tickets, Formula 1 Tickets, Formula One tickets - gpticketshop.com for pricing. Sorry, couch in Dallas really doesn't get you closer.
Gold grandstands (three days)...495.00 CAD = 464.017 USD Silver grandstands (three days)...395.00 CAD = 370.213 USD Bronze grandstands (three days)...225.00 CAD = 210.874 USD General Admission (three days)...100.00 CAD = 93.7281 USD 1 CAD = 0.937407 USD (12/17/09) https://www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca/grandprix-en/
I read this article over at formula1.com (Roll with it - Spotlight on Formula One wheels). It's pretty focused on McLaren and their wheel supplier Enkei but not a bad article. They say ten years ago their wheels weighed 4 kilograms but in 2009 they were 3.6 -- that's less than 8 pounds! I don't know the diameters but I think I remember those wheels are 13" wide...less than 8 pounds...bet they're not cheap, eh? Here's some expensive math: They design new wheels for every season so I wonder where all those leftovers go post-season...wouldn't mind having one as a souvenir.
OK, I am going to need a new spread sheet... no, wait, data base.. and a budget... and some sponsorship and... more garage space, tire mounting gear, tire balancing gear, better pressure gauge, tire warmers, pyrometers... :mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2: Honey, the M/A people are messing with my mind.
Rome GP? Organiser Maurizio Flammini did not divulge a date or details when revealing the news to the Italian media. "The agreement with Bernie Ecclestone to bring the Rome Grand Prix to life has already been done and signed," he said. Proposals to host a race through the streets of the EUR district of Rome are well advanced. Officials have said they hoped it would be on the calendar by 2012, although Ecclestone has indicated 2013 is more likely.
Petronas, the Malaysian state oil and gas company, will sponsor the Mercedes Formula One team next season. The team, formerly Brawn GP, will become Mercedes GP Petronas with the oil company's branding across the car and team liveries in what they said is a long-term agreement. "The new title partnership also paves the way for future collaborations between the two companies," the team said. Mercedes said their 2010 car would be presented in its new livery for the first test of the new season at the Valencia circuit in Spain on 1 February. Petronas, which previously sponsored the BMW-Sauber team, will continue to be the title backer of the Malaysian grand prix, the third round of the season at Sepang on 4 April. Mercedes have signed Germany's Nico Rosberg and are widely expected to bring back the seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher as their other driver.
Just what we need, another street circuit GP. Some of us complain every time Bernie adds another venue to the mix -- too many already, important circuits being cut from the calendar, etc -- but he obviously has his motives, and I don't think the main reason is increasing the number of races per year (too much push-back from the teams every time he tries). The more circuits there are, the easier it is for him to raise the commission. If an organizer complains all he has to do is say there are others already lobbying for a place on the calendar and threaten to take his show elsewhere. If you're knocked off the calendar one year and then want to return you have to be willing to admit you were miserly and agree to pay through the nose for the privilege. I have no problem with capitalism in principle, but this version smacks of excessive greed taking precedence over the racing.
I really am surprised they didn't go with Lotus. Regardless of their chances for success, I figured the "Malaysian state oil and gas company" would automatically sponsor Lotus since they're essentially the Malaysian national F1 team. Folks within the team were apparently pretty shocked by this announcement. Despite the livery comment, here's hoping the cars will still end up looking like they deserve the "silver arrows" label.