I think Vettel did exactly what he should, and I think Rosberg should have passed the Haminator too. Are they race car drivers or chauffeurs? Would Senna have sat back and waited for the end of the race? Would Schumi? Would Villeneuve? Would Alonso? Would Mansell? I think it has far less to to with nationality and more to do with a racer's mentality....a true racer charges, he doesn't lay back. And I think if Webbo could have held him back or out driven him, he would have. Likewise, if Webbo could have passed him back he would have. I don't think he could..... and since Webba did the same thing to Vettel at Silverstone (short memory syndrome?) I don't think he really has any room to complain, and showing the #1 to Vettel as Vettel passed him reeks of poor sportsmanship. That being said, if any of them ran out of gas before the end of the race, that's down to the engineers to figure out how to get enough gas into the car to finish (and win) the race under racing conditions, this is not the Mobil economy run.... However, bottom line, the drivers work for the team and the team principal is in charge - it's their job to follow what he says. The drivers do not know if the engineers are trying to save gas, or a motor or a gearbox.....or what. Will they penalize Vettel for winning the race? Hardly, that would set a bad precedent too. Horns of a dilemma, that's for sure. But I think a team should clearly identify their #1 driver, and if the #2 driver is not prepared to support the teams efforts, either change to a team where HE can be the #1, or outqualify and outdrive the #1 guy and become #1 himself. Vettel outqualifies Webba at every race unless he has a mechanical problem, he out-starts him almost every time, and he almost always outraces him. Webba is #2, plain and simple. That said, he's #2 on arguably the best team on the grid, year in and year out - should he really complain?
Well, you do want drivers to have a predatory nature. It's up to the team to manage that. These are both Alpha personalities, so of course there's going to be friction. Maybe they should talk to the old guys at NASA to get tips on how to manage test pilots. I don't care if Vettel passed or not, but I sure as hell bet the team cares if he wrecks both their cars doing it. It made for good viewing, and the gossip fills the gap between races. As for Nico - I'm betting he didn't pass because his team has penalties for violating team orders. Most of them do, as far as I know. And yeah, he should have been allowed to pass or have just done it. I bet Lewis will let him by later this season some time when it matters.
Frank Williams appoints his daughter as successor. Claire Williams becomes deputy team boss (GPUpdate.net)
McLaren has a new set of videos - McLaren Unseen, a look behind the scenes The first two are out [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEF0jbETMGI]McLaren Unseen - David Harvey - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgMILkToxls]McLaren Unseen - Transport Supervisor - YouTube[/ame]
F1 risks losing manufacturers over new engines, says Ecclestone Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says the series risks losing some of the auto manufacturers which build engines for its teams -- if radical new regulations coming into force next year are not popular with fans. In 2014, F1 will switch from using today’s 2.4 liter, normally aspirated V8 engines to more environmentally-friendly 1.6-liter turbocharged V6s. Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have invested a combined total of around $500 million in the new engines, but Ecclestone has campaigned against them. He believes that they will lose F1’s distinctive screeching sound and fewer spectators will visit races as a result. He adds that the manufacturers have placed such a big bet on the new engines that if they need to spend more on improving them it could force them out of F1. Read more: F1 risks losing manufacturers over new engines, says Ecclestone - Autoweek Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook
Ecclestone greenlights 2017 F1 race at Lime Rock According to Lime Rock Park, Bernie Ecclestone and Skip Barber met secretly at the race track in 2012. The proof is this very legitimate-looking photo. In a release received Monday from Lime Rock Park, the track has announced plans to host a Formula One event. The release is as follows: In a surprise announcement, F1 major domo Bernie Ecclestone told reporters that he's made a deal with Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber to bring the F1 circus to Connecticut's 1.5-mile, nine-turn road course, starting in 2017. A date has not been set, and the FIA World Council must still approve the expanded schedule, “But that's simply a formality,†Ecclestone said. “I met Skip in Monaco back in the mid-70s, when I was running Brabham and Max [Mosely] was trying to stick Skip into that crap-can March,†Ecclestone said. “When I heard from one of my many minions that America's New England region didn't have an F1 race, well, I was shocked. So I rang up Skip.†Ecclestone, who had gathered 241 racing reporters around his feet inside his quaint $650 million cabin in Askwith, Worchestershire-on-Gloucestershire-no-thanks-to-Shropshire, England, also revealed that Formula One Management will not charge Lime Rock Park the normal one-year rights fee of $21 billion. “Instead, Skip's going to buy me dinner at Mizza's Pizza -- and he has to change the oil in one of my Range Rovers,†Ecclestone said. On the other side of the Atlantic, Barber said, “As much as I would like an F1 race at Lime Rock, my handshake agreement with Bernie does not include an oil change. We're still negotiating. I think rotating the Hankooks on his Wolseley 16/60 is sufficient, really.†Because of this groundbreakingly different business case, Barber said he will set ticket prices accordingly. “I'm thinking $12.50, plus the 10 percent Connecticut Amusement-Admission Tax, for a three-day pass,†Barber said. Ecclestone was quoted further as saying, “I am also very excited to bring my 75-meter motorhome, Helga's Revenge, to the infamous Lime Rock infield camping area for the Formula One race. I personally love the painfully passé 'No Fear' bumper stickers you see on the campers. I mean, literally, they're stuck to their arses. As well, the plush pigs along the camping area's roadsides really do make me feel at home. Well, at least one or two of them.†Read more: Ecclestone greenlights 2017 F1 race at Lime Rock - Autoweek Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook
I did a search of local building plans and found that permit have been applied for to put in a new sprinkler system around Lime Rock. Digging a little deeper I was able to get a copy of the blue prints under the Freedom of Information Act. They show that the sprinkler heads will be squarely aimed at the track surface and not the foliage surrounding the track.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h15uCjSXr8w]Cutaway Insights - Episode 2: Lap Trigger and Transponders - Sauber F1 Team - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ydq8SdwJms]Cutaway Insights - Episode 3: Driver Seats - Sauber F1 Team - YouTube[/ame]
The 2.05 second pit stop. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXPG9t7GQeQ]F1 2013 Malaysian GP Race Mark Webber new Pit Stop Record!!!!!! Only 2,05 Seconds!!!!! [HD] - YouTube[/ame]
Tis amazing, seems like just enough time to lift the car off the ground and immediately drop it back down!!
This made me think, if you really wanted to put things into the drivers hands more, with the service being so quick, why not remove the electronic RPM limiters on pit road. The drivers would have to maintain the proper speed in and out of the pits...?