F1 2008

[Keith Hardy]

Interesting info Dave and the circus continues......

I see today that LH has sold his "story" to the Sun.

Very dignified I'm sure. However it totally fits the new passion for "instant celebrity" status so yearned for by British youth. Pity they won't be able to read it but that's OK, there's bound to be loads of pictures.....

[David Morton]

I fail to see what 'story' he can write about. Anyway, they all look the same to me.
Sun readers that is..............

[David Morton]

Hamilton: excessive public attention is reason for move to Switzerland.

Speaking to the BBC News last night, he said: "Over there people don't come up to you, they leave you alone and give you space. I'm going to a country that I don't know, but it's very exciting. It was a tough decision, though my dream for years was to move to London. I stayed at a friend's house this weekend in London and I woke up in the morning and just knew it was where I wanted to be but I will meet new people, new faces and I do have a few friends there and my family and friends from home will be able to come visit me. When I was coming up I knew there were sacrifices you have to make, but you lose your ability to go places. You can't understand what that means until you get there and you really struggle to lead a normal life. I haven't been able to spend much time with my friends or my family, it's not like a normal job, you're travelling all the time, you live out of your suitcase and it's tough to manage that and still live a normal life. When you come home and everybody knows you, it makes it so much harder to do normal things. I can't go to the cinema. I go to the bathroom in a petrol station and people come in there for autographs."


Others have been speculating that it's all to do with greed.
Oh really..................

Who the Gods will destroy, they grant their every wish

[Keith Hardy]

Ah, bless.

Looks like we've lost him then.......(not just geographically)

[David Morton]

Mosley has been talking late last week about the effect Hamilton will have in 2008 and likened it to the negative effect during the later Shumacher years as crowds dwindled. This is in contrast to Bernie who likened LH as being 'mannah from heaven'
when compared with Alonso and Raikonnen, both of who never really bring anything to bernies weekend F1 parties for the rich.
Speaking to the BBC on the programme Hardtalk Max Mosley has said Lewis Hamilton could have a negative effect on F1 if he is as successful next year as he was in 2007. He went on "If he does the same thing next season as he's done this season, it will certainly have a big effect. It will start to be negative because we'll get the Schumacher effect where people start writing to me saying can't you do something to slow him down." LH has helped to raised the F1 profile in the UK, but Mosley says LH's part in it has been exaggerated. and went on to say "He's also got a lot of interest world-wide because he's not come from a rich background. He's just made it. There is always somebody new. If it wasn't him it would be either Rosberg or Kubica or one of the other new stars, a Vettel, would suddenly be the big one, so I think there is a tendency to exaggerate the importance of Lewis Hamilton."

All these Swiss F1 residents are the same. Selfish.

Is there a Schumacher Strasse in Erpen ? Probably not - in case there is some confusion with Ralf saying it's in his name.

[Neal]

LH should just relocate to the good old US of A. No one would recognize him and he could still fain ties to his countrymen...

[Keith Hardy]

Originally Posted by Neal

No one would recognize him ...

The "Circus" would ensure that LH's face would be right up there. Little Bernie just loves ink in the USA = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[David Morton]

I don't imagine the town of Stevenage will ever recover. It's somewhere near/close to London for our 'out of town' brethren.
Lewis Hamilton Boulevard. It just doesn't quite sit right with the ancient and venerable county of Hertfordshire. Have they actually renamed the road yet? They may yet change their minds while there is still time.

[Pete.]

Max Mosley's habit of criticising the sport's heroes has led to the inevitable backlash with The Daily Mirror today headlining an anti-Mosley article "Mad Max" and talking of his "poisonous attack" on Sir Jackie Stewart. The Daily Express has also gone on the attack with "Mosley in mad rant at 'hero' Hamilton". The paper adds that "it is unlikely Mosley's words, whatever the motivation, will slow Hamilton down at all next season". The usually conservative Daily Telegraph remarked that the comments were "ill-advised at best" and The Independent referred to Mosley's "unprecedented series of attacks on public figures within his sport".
It is unlikely that Mosley or his advisors will pay much attention to the criticism as the FIA membership does not seem to include anyone who will say anything against the president.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Lewis also signed with EA sports for a future videogame.
be really careful in being english and give the name to videogames.....

[David Morton]

Some discussion today about the Gp race in Melbourne being dropped on account of the amount of money it's losing.
Oh dear. You guys on the ground in Australia will have more information on it than is being revealed here - all I can glean here is some Labour guy will cancell it when he get's in power.
Maybe Bernie will buy the circuit.

[Pete.]

I think it is kite flying David. Here is the report, just another reason not to vote for the left wing arseholes.


Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says he believes the state government will end its involvement with the Australian Formula One Grand Prix when the current contract expires in 2010.
Mr Kennett, who was instrumental in snaring the race from South Australia in 1996, said he believed that the Victorian government would not pursue holding the event once the current contract expired.
"I do believe that the Labor government are (sic) preparing to end Melbourne's involvement with the grand prix after this current contract finishes," Mr Kennett told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"My bet will be that the Labor government will renege on this contract in 2010," Mr Kennett said.
A report tabled in state parliament on Wednesday showed that Melbourne's Formula One Grand Prix ran at a $34.6 million loss.
The grand prix report showed revenue decreased from $47.5 million in 2006 to $43.4 million this year.
"I understand the auditor-general's concerns about costs, but it is only one part of the ledger. And it's not to say that governments can't try and reduce that cost," Mr Kennett said.
Mr Kennett suggested that moving the event to Sandown raceway, in Melbourne's south-east, may be one way to reduce the expense of staging the event.
The cost of reassembling and removing race infrastructure every year would be eliminated at Sandown because it could stay in place year round, Mr Kennett said.
Mr Kennett said losing an event such as the grand prix would seriously damage Melbourne and Victoria's reputation for holding international sports event.
"My greatest worry is that this state has a reputation built up correctly of being the sporting capital of the world," Mr Kennett said.
"And, if we want to start damaging our brand, then start losing your international events," he said.
"I don't consider this to be an expenditure on a motor race alone.
"It is an expenditure on a positioning that helps develop and maintain the Melbourne brand."
But Premier John Brumby said that the state government would review its position on the race next year.
"I have set two tests," Mr Brumby told ABC Radio.
"It's got to be a good event for the state," he said.
"And it's like anything we do, it's got to represent good value for money.
"So that's the test and we will be examining these things in much more detail next year."

[Freewheel]

Move the GP to Sandown???? Pfffffffff!

If Kennett thinks Sandown is OK for the Grand Prix, he's got rocks in his head. I do recall a quote from Jochen Mass (I think) when the Group C Sauber Mercedes crushed the TWR Jags in 1989.

"So Mr Mass, what do you think of Sandown Raceway?"

"It is sh!t".



Too bumpy, too confined, too dangerous (for F1) too mickey mouse (the longer infield section anyway) and too troublesome.



I'd prefer to see them at Phillip Island, actually it would be wonderful to see them at PI, but the lap times would be under 1:10. Might be worthwhile though, a race would last just on 80 minutes.....

How long will it be before some turkey suggests Bathurst?

[Keith Hardy]

How about Bathurst?

Gobble gobble....

[David Morton]

Yes, John Brumby is the name who will try and muddy the waters. If the event posts a bigger loss in 2008 than previously posted over the last years, it would be difficult to stop him. At the end of the day, Bernie pays the piper and runs off to Zurich with all the money. If he waved his fee for a year it would all come right. One thing that puzzles me is Bernie owns the circuit in Istanbul and he pays to stage the F1 race there. Who does he pay? Clever little chap.

And - married to a 6 feet 2inches wife.
Probably gets a bit lonely when he's on the job.

[wanni]

HHaaa,
Senna, Prost, Mansell, Villeneuve, etc...etc...
Missing that Formula 1

[David Morton]

Alonso finished with Mclaren or is it McLaren finished with Alonso.
Anyway, where will he go ? Still nobody is saying.
I still think it will be gardening.

[David Morton]

FERNANDO ALONSO:
“Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out. I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home. I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win. Today’s decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrileña and all the other team Partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.”

RON DENNIS:
“Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, especially McLaren’s Spanish Partners Banco Santander and Mutua Madrileña and the team’s title partner Vodafone, want to wish Fernando all the best for the future. He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward. We all believe that our joint decision to part company is for the best, and we will now continue to focus on our 2008 World Championship challenge.”

Loads of dosh being swilled around this afternoon.

[Paul Brameld]

Alonso is free to join another team in 2008, and his agent said neither party would pay a financial penalty.

Red Bull and Renault are the favourites to sign him, and BBC Sport understands Red Bull are the more likely option.

According to the BBC