F1 2008

[Pete McCluskey.]

FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2008 2nd practise session.

<TABLE class=raceResults cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TH>Pos</TH><TH>No</TH><TH>Driver</TH><TH>Team</TH><TH>Time/Retired</TH><TH>Gap</TH><TH>Laps</TH></TR><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>22</TD><TD noWrap>Lewis Hamilton</TD><TD noWrap>McLaren-Mercedes</TD><TD>1:15.140</TD><TD></TD><TD>40</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD><TD noWrap>Nico Rosberg</TD><TD noWrap>Williams-Toyota</TD><TD>1:15.533</TD><TD>0.393</TD><TD>39</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>1</TD><TD noWrap>Kimi Räikkönen</TD><TD noWrap>Ferrari</TD><TD>1:15.572</TD><TD>0.432</TD><TD>42</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>2</TD><TD noWrap>Felipe Massa</TD><TD noWrap>Ferrari</TD><TD>1:15.869</TD><TD>0.729</TD><TD>37</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>23</TD><TD noWrap>Heikki Kovalainen</TD><TD noWrap>McLaren-Mercedes</TD><TD>1:15.881</TD><TD>0.741</TD><TD>39</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>4</TD><TD noWrap>Robert Kubica</TD><TD noWrap>BMW Sauber</TD><TD>1:16.296</TD><TD>1.156</TD><TD>34</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>5</TD><TD noWrap>Fernando Alonso</TD><TD noWrap>Renault</TD><TD>1:16.310</TD><TD>1.170</TD><TD>27</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>16</TD><TD noWrap>Jenson Button</TD><TD noWrap>Honda</TD><TD>1:16.351</TD><TD>1.211</TD><TD>45</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>8</TD><TD noWrap>Kazuki Nakajima</TD><TD noWrap>Williams-Toyota</TD><TD>1:16.372</TD><TD>1.232</TD><TD>40</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>17</TD><TD noWrap>Rubens Barrichello</TD><TD noWrap>Honda</TD><TD>1:16.418</TD><TD>1.278</TD><TD>32</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>3</TD><TD noWrap>Nick Heidfeld</TD><TD noWrap>BMW Sauber</TD><TD>1:16.426</TD><TD>1.286</TD><TD>44</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>12</TD><TD noWrap>Timo Glock</TD><TD noWrap>Toyota</TD><TD>1:16.688</TD><TD>1.548</TD><TD>46</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>10</TD><TD noWrap>Mark Webber</TD><TD noWrap>Red Bull-Renault</TD><TD>1:17.094</TD><TD>1.954</TD><TD>39</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>9</TD><TD noWrap>David Coulthard</TD><TD noWrap>Red Bull-Renault</TD><TD>1:17.131</TD><TD>1.991</TD><TD>39</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>6</TD><TD noWrap>Nelsinho Piquet</TD><TD noWrap>Renault</TD><TD>1:17.246</TD><TD>2.106</TD><TD>35</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>21</TD><TD noWrap>Giancarlo Fisichella</TD><TD noWrap>Force India-Ferrari</TD><TD>1:17.251</TD><TD>2.111</TD><TD>33</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>11</TD><TD noWrap>Jarno Trulli</TD><TD noWrap>Toyota</TD><TD>1:17.379</TD><TD>2.239</TD><TD>28</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>14</TD><TD noWrap>Sebastien Bourdais</TD><TD noWrap>STR-Ferrari</TD><TD>1:17.581</TD><TD>2.441</TD><TD>38</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>20</TD><TD noWrap>Adrian Sutil</TD><TD noWrap>Force India-Ferrari</TD><TD>1:18.176</TD><TD>3.036</TD><TD>31</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>15</TD><TD noWrap>Sebastian Vettel</TD><TD noWrap>STR-Ferrari</TD><TD>1:18.225</TD><TD>3.085</TD><TD>38</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[David Morton]

"He had to come. In his place, I would have done exactly the same thing," Lauda added.


Niki Lauda speaking about Mosely attending the race in Monaco. What did you think he was talking about?

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

"He had to come. In his place, I would have done exactly the same thing," Lauda added.


Niki Lauda speaking about Mosely attending the race in Monaco. What did you think he was talking about?

Depends on the spelling, better phrasing would have been "he had to attend":laugh:

An incident packed race I'll bet the weatherman was busy.

 

[David Morton]

In my corner certainly busy until about 15:10 local and then it was all over for the weather. I even had time to go and get a drink when both cars went on to dry tyres. NP lost it shortly afterwards but FA set a couple of good laps though failed to get in the points. Too many incidents really. Interestingly Meteo France said the race would be dry all morning and even during the race they came up with a '6 minutes to rain' warning. It was total hogwash and I think they were chasing their own tails a little bit too much.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Max Mosley has won a vote of confidence from the FIA General Assembly and the federation is waiting nervously to see the reaction to the decision. Mosley won by 103 votes to 55, with seven abstentions and four invalid votes.
Cool! I'll go and get my whips and fishnet stockings back out of the closet.

 

[Price Walton]

Anthony Hamilton, father of McLaren star Lewis, has crashed a sports car into a children's playground according to the British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph'. Hamilton was driving in a borrowed silver Porsche Carrera GT worth around $600.000. Anthony apologised for the damage he has caused and declared that he was happy nobody got injured.

Source, F1technical.net

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Not a good week for the Hamilton's. Lewis ran a red light with disastrous consequences and has been nominated for the "Prat of the week" award

Good to see DC in the points.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

From granprix.com

Forty years of winning for McLaren

Monday was the 40th anniversary of McLaren's first Grand Prix victory, although Bruce McLaren did win the non-championship Race of Champions prior to his victory at Spa on June 9 1968. Forty years on the team had little to celebrate at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton not only crashing out of the race but also being landed with a 10-place grid penalty that will hurt his race in France in two weeks.


Canadian GP - Sunday - Race Results




<TABLE class=wsw-tstable2 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4><TBODY><TR><TD class=wsw-tstitle colSpan=6>Canadian Grand Prix Results - 8 June 2008 - 70 Laps</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>POS</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>DRIVER</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>NATIONALITY</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>ENTRANT</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>LAPS</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>TIME/RETIRE</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>1.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Robert Kubica</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Poland</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>BMW Sauber</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>1h36m24.447</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>2.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Nick Heidfeld</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Germany</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>BMW Sauber</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>16.495</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>3.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>David Coulthard</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Britain</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Red Bull-Renault</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>23.352</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>4.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Timo Glock</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Germany</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Toyota</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>42.627</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>5.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Felipe Massa</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Brazil</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>43.934</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>6.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Jarno Trulli</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Italy</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Toyota</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>47.775</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>7.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Rubens Barrichello</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Brazil</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Honda</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>53.597</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>8.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Sebastian Vettel</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Germany</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Toro Rosso-Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>54.120</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>9.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Heikki Kovalainen</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Finland</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>McLaren-Mercedes</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>54.433</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>10.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Nico Rosberg</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Germany</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Williams-Toyota</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>54.749</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>11.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Jenson Button</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Britain</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Honda</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>1m07.540</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>12.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Mark Webber</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Australia</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Red Bull-Renault</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>70</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>1m11.299</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>13.</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Sebastien Bourdais</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>France</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Toro Rosso-Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>69</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>1 Lap</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tstitle colSpan=6>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Giancarlo Fisichella</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Italy</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Force India-Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>51</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Spin</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Kazuki Nakajima</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Japan</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Williams-Toyota</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>46</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Accident</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Fernando Alonso</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Spain</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Renault</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>44</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Spin</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Nelson Piquet</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Brazil</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Renault</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>39</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Brakes</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Kimi Raikkonen</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Finland</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>19</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Accident</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Lewis Hamilton</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Britain</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>McLaren-Mercedes</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>19</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Accident</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos>R</TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Adrian Sutil</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Germany</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Force India-Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>13</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>Gearbox</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tstitle colSpan=7>FASTEST LAP:</TD></TR><TR><TD class=wsw-tspos></TD><TD class=wsw-tsdrv>Kimi Raikkonen</TD><TD class=wsw-tsnat>Finland</TD><TD class=wsw-tsent>Ferrari</TD><TD class=wsw-tslaps>14</TD><TD class=wsw-tstim>1:17.387</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Government source says Australian GP deal done

Australian newspapers are reporting that a new deal has been done to keep the Australian GP in Melbourne until 2015. The deal is reportedly a verbal agreement at the moment but it is anticipated that it will be signed off shortly.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

GP deal done. Pete's Bar safe!

Australian newspapers are reporting that a new deal has been done to keep the Australian GP in Melbourne until 2015. The deal is reportedly a verbal agreement at the moment but it is anticipated that it will be signed off shortly.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Apparently Magny Cours is to upgrade it's facilities and get a total face lift.
Also Rouen has indicated it will make a bid for the French GP.
Either way should make you Happy eh David?

 

[Price Walton]

Rouen?

As in the public road circuit or a permanent track?

 

[David Morton]

From Wickepedia:
Rouen-Les-Essarts was a 6.542 km (4.065 mile) race track in Grand-Couronne, near Rouen, France.
From its opening in 1950, Rouen-Les-Essarts was recognized as one of Europe's finest circuits, with modern pits, a wide track, and spectator grandstands. The circuit (which ran on public roads) had a few medium straights, a cobbled hairpin turn (Nouveau Monde) at the southernmost tip, and a few blind corners through a wooded hillside The appeal was greatly enhanced by the climb from Nouveau Monde at 56 metres to Gresil at 149 metres.
Rouen hosted five Formula One French Grand Prix races, the last one in 1968 resulting in the tragic burning death of Jo Schlesser. The circuit continued to host major Formula 2 events until 1978, after which it was used for various French Championships.
The circuit had a number of different configurations. From its construction in 1950 until 1954 it was 5.1 km (3.169 miles) in length. In 1955 major works increased the circuit's length to 6.542 km (4 miles), its most famous configuration. Construction of a new Autoroute across the circuit saw a new section of track built and the length of the circuit reduced to 5.543 km (3.444 miles). Finally, in 1974 a permanent chicane was built at Six Fréres and this part of the circuit was renamed Des Roches.
The circuit was closed down in 1994 due to economic and safety reasons, since it is very hard to organise a race on public roads if modern safety standards are to be met. In 1999, following the circuit's closure all evidence of area's racing past was demolished, including grandstands, pits, Armco and track signs. The cobbled Nouveau Monde hairpin was also asphalted but it is still possible to drive around on the original circuit configuration.
The name "Les Essarts" comes from a village, which was included into the commune of Grand-Couronne in 1874.

 

[David Morton]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Circuit_Rouen_Les_Essarts.png
Rouen Circuit

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen has been penalized by the French Grand Prix stewards after they decided he had blocked another driver during qualifying. The Finn will drop five places on the grid as a result.

Kovalainen originally qualified sixth, which meant he would have been fifth on the grid due to team mate Lewis Hamilton’s ten-place penalty from Canada. However, he will now start tenth after being deemed to have impeded Red Bull’s Mark Webber, who moves up to sixth as a result.

The revised provisional grid:
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2. Felipe Massa, Ferrari
3. Fernando Alonso, Renault
4. Jarno Trulli, Toyota
5. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
6. Mark Webber, Red Bull
7. David Coulthard, Red Bull
8. Timo Glock, Toyota
9. Nelson Piquet, Renault
10. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
11. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
12. Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso
13. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
14. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso
15. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
16. Jenson Button, Honda
17. Rubens Barrichello, Honda
18. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India
19. Adrian Sutil, Force India
20. Nico Rosberg, Williams

 

[Frank Catt]

Just going back to the Canada GP pit lane crash for a moment, I want to figure out what would have happened IF H had not crashed int R. We had at least two sets of two cars side by side, very close to each other, with more joining by the second, waitng at a red light about to go green onto a single car width access road to the track. Anyone like to make out the scenario of what happened next ?

 

[Price Walton]

I'll bite,

It would have looked rather similar to Fisichella going into Turn 1, lap 1 of any Turkish GP.


Still can't get over the idea of a modern GP at Rouen - it's one of the places I'll be visiting on the way to/from the Nordschleife.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

From grandprix.com


FIA wants $755,000 fees from each F1 team

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The FIA World Council will consider a proposal to make teams pay for various "services and equipment at every F1 race" and intends to add the cost to the entry fee.
The costs include the marshalling and positioning System (F1MS), which provides race control with accurate real time information about each car's position on the track and enables light signals to be sent to the cars from race control. The annual cost per team is reckoned to be $160,000. In addition there are fees for "light flags", light panels around the track which will supplement flag signals which give race control an accurate record of what signals are shown and when. This will cost each team $190,000. The accident data recorders on the cars are being charged at $20,000 per year, with the costs of a pitlane and garage communication network to replace paper messages and the need for runners is being charged at $110,000 per team and weather forecasting services at $75,000, in addition to $110,000 for the pitwall intercom systems.
All this will hike the entry fee from $466,000 to $1.1m, more than double the cost last year.
At the moment these costs are being met by the FIA but obviously under the current deal with the Formula One group, this is more than the federation can afford to pay. The FIA receives around $650,000 from the commercial rights holder for each Grand Prix, as part of the commercial agreements signed in 2000. Given that FOM is getting around $35m per event this is is not much and the FIA's solution is to get the teams to pay.
Given that the FIA is apparently campaigning for much more money for the teams this is not a great imposition - as long as there are new commercial arrangements put in place. However, there is a clear question as to whether or not the players should be asked to pay for the playing field or whether this should be the responsibility of the federation. Given that so much money is being generated by the sport it seems sensible that some of this should be used, but obviously with the ongoing fight between FOM and the FIA there is little chance of this happening.
It will be interesting to see what the teams think.
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[Pete McCluskey.]

The FIA has made the following announcement from the World Motor Sport Council meeting today in Paris, including a provisional calender for 2009 which does not include the expected return of the United States GP (or a slot for it to be added later unless significant changes in the calendar occur):
FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The FIA will enter into a wide-ranging consultation with the Formula One teams to examine plans for improved efficiency, including new technical regulations for the Championship. This will also involve a review of the governance of Formula One.
Applications from teams wishing to compete in the 2009 Championship must be submitted to the FIA during the period 1 to 31 July 2008 inclusive.
The team entry fee for the 2009 Championship will be 309,000 Euros (the 2008 fee plus a three per cent increase in line with inflation). The FIA will launch a consultation with the Formula One teams for the introduction of further fees to cover improved safety systems and equipment at every Grand Prix.
The FIA will invite tenders for a new feeder series for Formula One. This championship, called Formula Two, would be launched in 2009 and used as an inexpensive platform to develop emerging driver talent for Formula One. It is hoped this can be achieved within a budget of around 200,000 Euros a car per season.
CALENDAR
2009 FIA Formula One World Championship*
29 March, Australia
5 April, Malaysia
19 April, Bahrain
10 May, Spain
24 May, Monaco
7 June, Canada
21 June, Great Britain
28 June, France
12 July, Germany
26 July, Hungary
9 August, Turkey
23 August, Europe (Valencia)
6 September, Italy
13 September, Belgium
27 September, Singapore
11 October, Japan
18 October, China
1 November, Brazil
15 November, Abu Dhabi
*Provisional

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Apparently Lewis went sailing on the weekend. Here is the quote from the F1 website.

"His appearance at Brooklands marked the end of a busy weekend for Hamilton, who on Saturday participated in the annual Round the Isle sailing race around the Isle of Wight off the UK’s south coast. Unfortunately, his first sailing event did not end well. Hamilton’s crew and their Hugo Boss craft were disqualified from an eventual eighth place following a collision with another boat."

Maybe Kimi was the skipper of the other boat?