F1 2007

[Ron R.]

Anyone heard who will be getting the seat Alex Wurtz is vacating...speaking of vacating....know who'll be fitted for Rolf's seat over at Toyota?

I haven't spent any time over at the F1 sites, so I'm not privey to any of the gossip.

[Pete.]

The word from Grove is that Kazuki Nakajima will be racing for Williams in Brazil.
It is believed that the team is giving the youngster a chance and if he does well he could land himself a fulltime drive in 2008.

[Pete.]

Mclaren Press release:


Woking, UK, Wednesday 10th October 2007: With only one Grand Prix left this season, the 2007 Formula 1 Driver’s World Championship battle is more intense than it has been for a long time with both the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers having been at the top of the point standings since the fourth race of the 2007 season. Consequently there was, and is, competitive tension between Fernando and Lewis who are fighting as team mates for the Championship title. Following suggestions that there might not be equal treatment for both Fernando and Lewis, the team wants to make it absolutely clear that its policy of treating both Fernando and Lewis with complete equality and fairness will continue for the final race in Brazil on Sunday 21st October 2007. This policy has been conducted throughout the year and McLaren and Mercedes-Benz will continue to take every step that is within their control to ensure that both Fernando and Lewis will enjoy the same opportunity to win in terms of equality of car, engine, tactics and use of resources.
Commenting on the matter, Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes said:
“This has been a tremendous season to which the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team and our drivers have, I believe, contributed a great deal. This contribution has been enhanced by allowing Fernando and Lewis to race each other with complete equality. This will, of course, continue in Brazil where the entire team will be doing its absolute best to win the Drivers’ World Championship.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport said:
“There have been a lot of suggestions and rumours about equality in the team this year. The current point standings illustrate better than anything else the fact that equal treatment is in place. During the 12 years Mercedes-Benz and McLaren have been working together all drivers in the team had the same possibilities to perform. We will not change this principle for the next race which is the last of the thrilling 2007 season and we will see both Fernando and Lewis compete for the Driver’s World Championship title.”

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Really curious to see what will happen in Brasil.
Hamilton started as the new kid on the block, everybody (including me) loved him cause so young, so good, for his too great indiscutible skill, and cause he is winning (and probably will win) this year WC at his first trial.

After what happened to Mclaren (including the shame and money penalty and the too ugly declarations done by Max Mosley against SIR STEWART....incredible that can be declarations done by the highest man in FIA..)I think today everybody hates Hamilton and his dad.

It is posible now we have Alonso sure not to have the same car of Louis?he was the world champion,mclaren made all they can to damage him...and if I am not wrong also FIA will place an "ispector" inside alonso garage to check if his car is really as it have to be (I've worked in a race team...really curious to see what this ispector can check over a formula one car...boh..)

Probably we will have a destruction derby in Brazil,incredible to say this by myside...FORZA FERNANDO!!! and just hope the next year he can drive one of our reds and restart talk italian,drink our wine, be loved by 70 milions people and win again...

Sorry to all my british friends, u wellknow I love u all,..just hate Ron Dennis behave and mclaren way (as many of u hate reds...always kidding here..u know)

[Malcolm]

It is beyond silly for the FIA to put an extra scrutineer in the McLaren garage to ensure that the team give the same equipement/attention out to each driver. It has to be the teams choice on that. Did Schuey and all his co drivers get equal equipement? Not that it matters, but I doubt it. What about any other team who has a number one and two driver set up? Is that now illegal? Stupid and devalues F1 again.

[Frank Catt]

Again I agree with Malc, if the bickering continues and LH and FA take each other out in Brasil, Raikenen can win and give Ferrari both titles, how stupid would Macs feel then. It now makes sense for Macs to get all togetrher behind one driver and ensure the championship, after all did not that happen in Ferrari for all those Schumi years ?

[Keith Hardy]

Bums on seats .......

Guaranteed max TV audience.....

More cash for the midget.

[Pat Buckley]

As I recall, the FIA made the threat just after the $100M decision was handed down that McClaren had better not act against Astronzo in any way, or else.....I think it was kind of a "whistleblower" statement.

I personally don't think that a scrutineer can effectively keep track of what a team may do to a car - and I really hope that McClaren do indeed give the prick a car that will either fail late or not be up to speed. Astronzo deserves nothing more.

Paolo - I can understand your love of Ferrari - I was once about the biggest fan of il Commendatore and his cars around, but I think you have to admit that Ferrari have not been the most honorable competitor through the years (certainly no more or less honest than any other competitor, probably) and for them to point fingers at another team is pure hypocracy.

As for LH's fans - I think this whole matter has galvanized them into being even morre supportive rather than the opposite.

Finally - what is with those hubcaps the reds are using on the front wheels - surely this is a moveable aerodynamic device? I think they should be stripped of all points they have accumulated since they started using them......lol.

[David Morton]

Keith,
Cynic.....
Pat,
Hubcaps - How do they move?

A bit bling - who will be the first to put them on a 40?

I'm in Hockenheim right now, where it's friggin cold, but on the way back to the hotel, a van pulled up along side at the lights and it had these 'stationary' hubcaps with adverts (for ladies that only come out to play at night[aka night fighters ?]). Quite enterprising. Nice looking frauleins......

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Originally Posted by 2124

As I recall, the FIA made the threat just after the $100M decision was handed down that McClaren had better not act against Astronzo in any way, or else.....I think it was kind of a "whistleblower" statement.

I personally don't think that a scrutineer can effectively keep track of what a team may do to a car - and I really hope that McClaren do indeed give the prick a car that will either fail late or not be up to speed. Astronzo deserves nothing more.

Paolo - I can understand your love of Ferrari - I was once about the biggest fan of il Commendatore and his cars around, but I think you have to admit that Ferrari have not been the most honorable competitor through the years (certainly no more or less honest than any other competitor, probably) and for them to point fingers at another team is pure hypocracy.

As for LH's fans - I think this whole matter has galvanized them into being even morre supportive rather than the opposite.

Finally - what is with those hubcaps the reds are using on the front wheels - surely this is a moveable aerodynamic device? I think they should be stripped of all points they have accumulated since they started using them......lol.

Sure Pat, u right, they all are the same,probably all this mess was done only to increase a bit audience so dramatically down in modern formula one.
As I always tell around, in EVERY competition official ferrari staff is absolutely the uglyiest and worst behave ever seen around (In all historical and modern competitions,when possible, I prefer place myself inside german or british teams garages, where I can take all the pictures I want and they also do not threat me as garbage....much really MUCH more friendly than ferrari...tested over my skin..)

Btw "Astronzo" definition is simply WONDERFUL in italian...but cant traslate ..ihihihi..

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Formula 1 : News Mosley - F1-Live.com

say what u want but this is deeply unacceptable

how can u say something SO bad against him?:
YouTube - Robbie Williams - Love Supreme (Music Video)

[David Morton]

From F1sa:
Grove based Williams recorded a company loss of (US) $57 million last year, according to a report in the British newspaper Daily Telegraph.
The former championship winning team has had a better season on and off the circuit in 2007, but the loss of free BMW engines and title sponsor HP at the end of 2005 hit Sir Frank Williams' outfit hard, the newspaper said.
In 2006, when Williams finished eighth with a customer Cosworth engine supply that cost about $20m, the now Toyota-powered team reportedly also used all but $61,000 of its previous bank savings of more than $42 million.
In comparison to the $57m loss, Williams made a profit of $60m just a year earlier (2005) -- a difference of $117 million.
The Telegraph pointed out that Williams, the winner of 113 grands prix between 1979 and 2004, is now the only current formula one team not backed by a car manufacturer or a billionaire.

[domtoni]

Dave,

One of my Belgian mates suggested that Williams may be bought by Toyota, just for their Chassis knowledge.

Let's see.

Dom

[David Morton]

Feasable, but what would it gain them.
I think Frank Williams team is almost in terminal decay and have they made a
decent chassis /tub in 2007? If current losses continue there will be a large building in Grove (near Wantage, Oxfordshire) complete with workshops looking for new occupants. Isn't it often the way when companies build big new shiny offices and edifices to their own ego, they go tits up.
(In the Royal Air Force, every time the MOD built one of their new super hangars, we knew within a year that station would close. It never failed. How long for the Mac's at Woking though?

[ChrisL]

That would be very sad if true. Williams were the final example that clever design could beat mega bucks. Seems there would no exception to the rule after that.

[David Morton]

This should come as no surprise:
From F1sa
Massa's contact extended until 2010.
Some facts:
34 Grands Prix for Ferrari,winning five times, sixteen podium places and finished 25 times in the points. Secured eight pole positions and the same number of race fastest laps, with a total of 166 points scored.
Quite impressive really for a number 2....

[David Morton]

Drivers Sato, Button and Hamilton under investigation for using more than the allotted amount of tyres. Who writes these scripts?
Meanwhile the Macs were quickest in session 2. Weather in the session was Drizzle aith South Easterly winds. A cool day for Brazil as well - max at 20c.

[Pat Buckley]

I fully expect that any penalties decided on will be handed out after the race so the Championship outcome can truly be decided by the FIA.

Being an F1 fan is getting harder and harder to do.