Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2011

Steve · Feb 9, 2011

Renault to run Heidfeld at Jerez (itv-f1.com)

Nick Heidfeld will get a chance to stake his claim to be Lotus Renaultâ€™s stand-in for the injured Robert Kubica at the Jerez test later this week, the team has confirmed.

The highly experienced German, who partnered Kubica at BMW Sauber in 2006-2009 and is currently without a drive, had been named as one of three drivers on the teamâ€™s initial shortlist to replace its Polish lead driver, along with Tonio Liuzzi and Bruno Senna.

With the serious injuries Kubica sustained in a rallying accident in Italy on Sunday looking set to sideline him for a considerable number of races, if not the full 2011 season, Renault team chief Eric Boullier has admitted that he will likely turn to an experienced driver to lead the squad in the Poleâ€™s absence.

The Lotus-backed outfit has therefore decided to evaluate Heidfeld â€“ a veteran of 172 grands prix â€“ at the first available opportunity in Jerez, the 33-year-old to appear behind the wheel of the new R31 at some point over the weekend where he will share running with the teamâ€™s recently-hired third driver Senna.

Vitaly Petrov was always scheduled to kick off the second pre-season test for the team and will be in the car on Thursday and Friday, with Senna and Heidfeld to drive in an as yet unspecified order over the following two days.

Hispania exile Senna â€“ who jointly holds the third driver role at Renault for this season alongside the returning Romain Grosjean â€“ is also in the running to be Kubicaâ€™s stand-in but his relative lack of Formula 1 experience may count against him.

Boullier said Liuzzi, a free agent after leaving Force India, was also under consideration for the position, while speculation has also suggested the team could try to prise the highly-rated Nico Hulkenberg away from his new role as Force Indiaâ€™s reserve driver.
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farkus · Feb 10, 2011

Who didn't see this coming...

Ford is suing Ferrari over the use of the F150 name on its latest Formula One car.

On its launch Ferrari said the single seater's name is a tribute of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. But F150 is a model of Ford's famous series of full-size pickup trucks.

Ford Motor Co. owns the trademark to F150 and is suing Ferrari in Detroit Federal Court. The Ford lawsuit filed on Wednesday, claiming damage to the brand and unspecified damages, also refers to Ferrari's creation of the ferrari150.com website.

Reports said Ferrari's F150 logo, which can be seen at the aforementioned website, is similar to the Ford F-150 logo. $100,000 in damages are therefore being claimed pursuant to the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, relating to internet domains that confuse the public.

Ford said it is seeking to prevent Ferrari from using the trademark in the US.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark ... in order to capitalise on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed," Ford said in its lawsuit.

Maranello based Ferrari is yet to comment.

"This is an important trademark for us and we've spent many years and lots of advertising resources on establishing this name and getting the trademark," Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari is quoted by the Detroit News. "It's one we take very, very seriously. It's one of our flagship vehicles."
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minimark · Feb 10, 2011

OOOPS! It probably never crossed Ferrari's mind but given their history of enthusiastically going after even the slightest infringement of their trademarks; they should not be surprised.

Ford owns the name and has every right to defend it; even if a comparison between the the two vehicles would be ludicrous ....

Steve · Feb 10, 2011

Ferrari modifies car label after Ford complaint (gpupdate.net)

The Ferrari Formula 1 car will no longer be labelled â€˜F150â€™ on the teamâ€™s website, the Scuderia has confirmed, following an official statement from the Ford Motor Company claiming that legal action was being taken due to the name being identical to that of a road model Ford pickup truck.

Earlier today, it emerged that Ford had elected to take action over Ferrari due to the â€˜F150â€™ name matching that of the pickup truck, part of the F-Series which dates back over the last six decades. â€˜Ford asked Ferrari to change the name. Ferrari did not respond in a timely manner,â€™ a statement read.

However, the Italian company has now responded to the American corporation via the following communication, which confirms that the tag â€˜Ferrari F150th Italiaâ€™ will be used from now on:

â€˜On the subject of the name of the new Ferrari Formula 1 car, the Maranello company wishes to point out that it has sent a letter of reply to Ford, underlining the fact that the F150 designation (used as the abbreviated version of the complete name, which is Ferrari F150th Italia) never has, nor ever will be used as the name of a commercially available product â€“ indeed there will definitely not be a production run of single-seaters.

In fact, it has always been the case in the history of Scuderia names, that they represent the nomenclature of a racing car project and are linked to a chronological order with a technical basis, or in exceptional cases, to special occasions. This year, the decision was taken to dedicate the car name to a particularly significant event, the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, an event of such great importance that the Italian government has declared, for this year only, a national holiday.

For these reasons, Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle. Therefore it is very difficult to understand Fordâ€™s viewpoint on the matter.

Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith and that it operates in a completely correct manner, Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150 th Italia.â€™
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Minidave · Feb 10, 2011

I like how Ford is being "damaged" by the Ferrari association.....

I could see it the other way around, if Ford named the new F150 pickups "Enzo's"

Steve · Feb 10, 2011

Interesting rig on the McLaren at Jerez.

ScottinBend · Feb 10, 2011

Who the heck cares what a RACE CAR IS CALLED....

It's not like they will be selling them across the street from the Ford dealer. And good for Ferrari for simply adding an additional word to get around it......:rolleyes5:

Nice pic of the difuser and all of the sensors. WOW

Nathan · Feb 10, 2011

Really good F1 News App - F1 Rumours

My Quick Lap review on GearHead Apps

Crashton · Feb 10, 2011

Could have been worse. The Prancing Pinto.... :ihih:

Steve · Feb 10, 2011

Some new injury surprises in this one.

Kubica Feared He Was Paralyzed In Crash (formula-one.speedtv.com)

Robert Kubica feared his horrific rally crash had left him paralyzed, the Polish driver's manager has revealed.

After arriving at the Italian hospital in a critical condition last Sunday and having seven hours of surgery, the 26-year-old Renault driver was put in a coma.

He woke up this week and has been seeing visitors, and according to O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper he feared his badly-damaged hand and other fractures and trauma were not his worst injuries.

"Robert asked me if his accident had left him paralyzed, and he asked me to be honest," manager Daniele Morelli revealed. "I told him no, that he had nothing that could not be healed with time."

Autosprint claims that Kubica does not yet know all the details of his injuries, including that his right hand had been almost severed.

The Italian report also said he remembers nothing about the crash.

Morelli also revealed that Kubica asked for a photograph of the late Pope John Paul II, a fellow Pole, to be at his bedside.

"Robert is under the effect of sedatives to take away the pain, but I have seen him smiling, â€” he's OK. The war is over," said Morelli. "He is strong and tenacious and he will recover and be stronger than before."

Meanwhile, in addition to his other injuries that are publicly known, it has emerged that Kubica has a damaged heel.

And elbow surgery is currently not possible because it would require the driver to be rolled onto his stomach, and he is also nursing a punctured lung.

It is understood that Kubica will not require further surgery to his hand.

His next visitor will reportedly be Giancarlo Fisichella, after Jean Alesi visited him on Wednesday.

"He is particularly pleased to know that he will be able to regain his physical abilities," the Frenchman is quoted by autohebdo.fr.

Lotus Renault team owner Gerard Lopez also visited Kubica on Wednesday.

"The important news is that Robert is alright. We hope he can return soon, because we built this team around him," he told La Stampa.
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Steve · Feb 11, 2011

A few pics from testing today at Jerez:

Quick Nick thinking about his ride tomorrow in Kubica's car.

Oops!

McLaren are really interested in testing how things are working back behind those odd new sidepods. Looks like some of that aero paint...

... and their rear sensor rig is back as well.

Red aero paint on the Force India.

And aren't they taking the roll blade thing to the extreme?

Check out the wheel hub rigs on the Lotus Renault.

Redbeard · Feb 11, 2011

Wow, this is really cool to see the various testing devices. It's interesting to see what things they are looking for as far as aero and grip.

Hey, I just notoced on the back of the Lotus/Renault car. Is that a message to Robert Kubica to get better?

Nathan · Feb 11, 2011

Formula 1 teams came together at the Jerez test this morning to publicly wish Robert Kubica a speedy recovery - as the Renault driver continues to make good progress in hospital.

As F1 teams got back into action for the second pre-season test, every car present displayed a Polish 'Szybkiego powrotu do zdrowia Robert' message on its car.

The phrase means: "Get well soon Robert."

The Formula One Teams' Association - FOTA- has also displayed the message on its official website.

The show of support for Kubica, who could be out for the entire season as a result of the serious injuries he picked up in his rally crash at the weekend, comes amid more positive news from the Santa Corona hospital where he is currently staying.

Kubica has left the intensive care unit and has been moved to the normal ward following another good night He is now scheduled to undergo surgery to his foot and humerus tomorrow morning, before having an elbow operation on Monday. The operations are expected to last around four hours each.

After that, Kubica will return to the intensive care unit for post-surgery course.

Italian media reports that, if all goes well, the Renault driver could be discharged from hospital as early as the end of next week.

Steve · Feb 12, 2011

Heidfeld fastest for Renault at Jerez (gpupdate.net)

Nick Heidfeld ended day three of the Jerez test at the top of the timesheets, with the German driver making his bid to claim the vacant seat at Renault. The Enstone-based outfit has decided to evaluate Heidfeld at the Spanish circuit, in order to determine whether to give the ex-Sauber man a race seat for the upcoming 2011 campaign.

Due to Poland's Robert Kubica being sidelined for what is expected to be the majority if not the whole of the upcoming season, Heidfeldâ€™s strong performance on Saturday could prove decisive when the team makes its final driver choice ahead of the season-opener in Bahrain. The 33-year-old driver set a time of 1:20.361, just fractions slower than Michael Schumacher's best time on Friday.

Testing commenced under a slight layer of fog today, with no rain threat in the Andalusian surroundings of Jerez. Saturday also saw the arrival of Fernando Alonso, with Spanish fans turning up to the circuit en masse. Due to the large number of spectators, venue organisers decided to open more grandstands around the track.

Schumacher, who was fastest in his MGP-W02 on Friday, finished the day in third place, almost seven tenths of a second behind Heidfeld. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, after a lack of spare parts meant that his MP4-26 spent much of the afternoon in the garage. Fifth place went to Kamui Kobayashi, with the 24-year-old enduring two technical issues during the day, causing a red-flag situation on both occasions.

Williams also went through problems today, with Rubens Barrichello spending a large amount of time in the garage because of problems with the FW33â€™s KERS unit. SÃ©bastien Buemi and Paul di Resta also caused red-flags in their respective 2011 cars, with both drivers enduring technical issues on Saturday.

Buemi ended the day in seventh place at the wheel of his Toro Rosso, just behind world champion Sebastian Vettel. Lotus finished the day in eighth, with Heikki Kovalainen performing well, finishing ahead of Barrichello and Di Resta. JÃ©rÃ´me d'Ambrosio ended the day at the bottom of the timing screens, and was a full 2.5 seconds slower than di Restaâ€™s Force India.
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Steve · Feb 12, 2011

Send your messages of support to Kubica!

The F1 community in the form of drivers and teams has been showing its support for the injured Robert Kubica during testing at Jerez in southern Spain this week â€“ and now the Poleâ€™s employer Lotus Renault GP has come up with a way to allow fans to send their well wishes, too.

Kubica suffered serious injuries with breaks to his arm and leg and most worryingly a partially-severed hand, following an accident on last weekendâ€™s Ronde di Andora Rally in Italy in which a piece of Armco barrier penetrated all the way through the Skoda Fabia RS he was sharing with co-driver Jakub Gerber. Subsequent photographs of the crash showed how lucky the 26-year-old was to escape with his life.

Since then, Kubica has undergone multiple surgeries at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure close to Genoa, the most recent on Friday being to his foot, shoulder, humerus and anterior elbow. Dr. Francesco Lanza from the Orthopaedic Department confirmed that the four operations had gone well.

â€œRobertâ€™s hand is in optimal condition and has not suffered any further trauma after such complex surgery,â€ added Dr. Mario Igor Rosello, Kubicaâ€™s surgeon, confirming that his condition continues to improve. â€œHis hand remains well-vascularised and warm.â€

The former Canadian Grand Prix-winner will stay in intensive care over this weekend, before the final surgery to treat the posterior part of his elbow, planned for next week. Should you wish to contact Robert to send messages of support, Lotus Renault GP has set up the following e-mail address:

[email protected]
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Steve · Feb 13, 2011

Nathan said: ↑

Really good F1 News App - F1 Rumours

My Quick Lap review on GearHead Apps
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This thing looks right up my alley, plus it's cheap at 99 cents. Unfortunately it won't work on my iPod Touch. It will apparently work with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch but requires iOS 4.0 or later.

For any iPod Touch users who might consider this app, the 1st Gen Touch (like I have) isn't compatible with iOS 4.0. You must have at least a 2nd Gen to load that version of the OS.

Steve · Feb 15, 2011

I'm not used to Bernie acknowledging concern over potential venue dangers.

Ecclestone worried by Bahrain protest 'danger' (gpupdate.net)

Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has admitted his fears over the ongoing riots in Bahrain, with it having emerged on Tuesday that anti-government protesters are now targeting next monthâ€™s season-opening race.

With the Arab world having witnessed protests of late in Tunisia and Egypt, Bahraini capital city Manama is currently the scene of numerous protests and violence which are also affecting proceedings ahead of this weekendâ€™s GP2 Asia Series races.

Conflict has increased today, with police clashing with mourners at the funeral of a Shi'ite protestor who was shot dead during yesterdayâ€™s â€˜Day of Rageâ€™ demonstration; it is believed that todayâ€™s incident has resulted in the death of at least one person.

Ecclestone is now attempting to contact Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. "He is a bit busy, as you can imagine, so I donâ€™t know yet exactly what is going on,â€ the 80-year-old explained to The Daily Telegraph.

â€œThe danger is obvious, isnâ€™t it? If these people wanted to make a fuss and get worldwide recognition it would be bloody easy, wouldnâ€™t it? You start making a problem on the start grid in Bahrain and it would get worldwide coverage.â€

When asked whether the race could be cancelled due to the protest threat, Ecclestone replied: â€œI have no idea. Itâ€™s hard to establish exactly what is going on. â€œAs I say, Iâ€™m speaking with the Crown Prince later on. Weâ€™re watching events closely. Weâ€™ll rely on what they think the right thing to do is.

â€œHe is a very realistic person. I have never had any problems in Bahrain in the past and Iâ€™m happy to walk around town there. Bt we donâ€™t know now. The world is changing.â€
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goaljnky · Feb 15, 2011

I wonder if the FOTA and the drivers will have more to say about it then Bernie and the king.

Steve · Feb 15, 2011

You know the teams are thinking about it. Bernie's language could be as much a result of calls from team bosses etc as genuine concern on his part. On the other hand, even Bernie can't ignore actual threats given the all real world evidence available these days.

Steve · Feb 15, 2011

Does anyone else buy this?

Kubica reveals identity of his preferred replacement (crash.net)

A source close to Crash.net has revealed that injured Lotus Renault GP star Robert Kubica has named the driver he would like to see stand in for him at the Enstone-based outfit in F1 2011

Robert Kubica has revealed who he would like to see substituting for him at Lotus Renault GP this year, Crash.net has learned – and the answer may surprise.

Kubica is currently recovering in hospital in Italy following his high-speed rallying accident on the Ronde di Andora nine days ago that left him with a broken arm, broken leg and – most worryingly of all – a partially-severed hand.

Whilst there have been varying reports as to the Pole's condition as he continues to undergo surgery, a source close to Crash.net has informed us that Kubica has been visited in hospital by a key member of Lotus Renault GP and asked who he would rather drive his car this season.

Although former BMW-Sauber team-mate Nick Heidfeld is seen as the hot favourite to occupy the cockpit – particularly in the light of the experienced German's outstanding testing debut for the team at Jerez on Saturday – our source claims that Kubica has said he would prefer to be replaced by Force India F1 refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi, whom he considers to be a better racer out of the pair. The 26-year-old is friends with both.

An announcement confirming Heidfeld had been expected from Lotus Renault GP yesterday (Monday), but no news was forthcoming – raising speculation that the Enstone-based concern may yet be set to try out Liuzzi and possibly also Pedro de la Rosa during testing in Barcelona later this week before coming to a final decision about who will partner Vitaly Petrov in F1 2011.
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The cynic in me says maybe Bob is just worried about his seat. Here's part of a speculative post from an armchair pundit on another site:

I`m afraid to say but, I think Robert is worried about the speed Nick has shown in the Renault. If the car is as quick during the season as it has been in testing then Nick may get a shot at the title, that would mean Robert couldn't get back in the car this season and would Renault then want to keep him for 2012. No way is Liuzzi a better racer than Nick and there's no way he would collect as many points.
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