General F1 news

[DexterPunk]

Almost as bad as John Bowe.


Sent from Han Solo using TK-421's phone.

[matticooper]

Going back to move forward?

Martin Whitmarsh says he would be against a two-tier formula when Formula 1 introduces new turbo engines in 2014.

Concerns have been raised over the number of engine manufacturers there will be, with some reports suggesting only Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault will produce the new 1.6-litre V6.

There is concern among the teams and engine builders over the cost of the new power units. PURE have already stopped work on their programme, whilst Cosworth look likely to drop off the grid having lost Williams and Caterham as customers in recent seasons.

Tentative talks took place over allowing the current 2.4-litre V8s to compete alongside the new engines, but, Whitmarsh says that is something he would be against.

"It's feasible," he told Autosport. "I don't think it's an attractive thing to do, personally.

"Equivalence formulas, we have had it before, we had it in '88, we had turbos and normally aspirateds when we were coming the other way.

"It wasn't such a bad memory for McLaren, but it wasn't an attractive formula."

The Team Principal added that if the proposal went ahead, the rules would have to ensure that the turbo engines had an advantage.

"I think you'd have to arrange, if you did it, such that the new turbo engines have advantage over normally aspirated, so you're creating a two-tier championship, which is I think not an attractive thing to have," he said.

[Jiminee]

Don't we have that now anyway, it may be unoffical but surely it has always been there with factory teams racing against the Garagistas? What difference would there be in 2014 then compared to now?
There is usually a customer engine (Coventry Climax, DFV and it derivatives, Cosworth most recently) that is a step below the factory engines but that fills out the grid for those teams with smaller budgets. Why not just pick one of the current gen V8s and supply that to the smaller teams to keep grid numbers up?

[Dr. Pain]

Having two different types of engines cause issues as they try to balance then or give favour to one type. I remember 1988 when the cut the bar in half for the turbo cars to favour the normally aspirated engines but it still didn't stop them from winning, in fact it was bloody great as a Mclaren fan but boring for anyone else.

[nutty]

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/new ... -to-Brands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Zanardi is in the Paralympics, cool stuff

[richo]

The word inspirational gets thrown about a fair bit but it really sticks well to Alex Zanardi .

[durbster]

The word inspirational gets thrown about a fair bit but it really sticks well to Alex Zanardi .

Damn right. His spirit is unstoppable.

[Bauer]

I was listening to JA's podcast today and found it interesting to hear the CEO of Sauber referred to the team as the 4th oldest organisation currently in F1.

I had to think about it but she made a fair call despite a few arguments that could be had if you just wanted to be bitchy.

[Big Kev]

I would have guessed at 5th.
Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Renault have all been there longer. But I guess it depends how pedantic you want to be about the Renault name.

[Bauer]

I didnt even think of Renault but than I guess there is no such team if they call themselves Lotus. and it was Lotus I wondered in the being picky stakes.

[durbster]

Sauber could be in F1 for 100 years and nobody would notice. Even with good results and Kobayashi in the team they are still anonymous. It's quite a skill. I think Peter Sauber could raise an army of mutants and invade sixteen countries without anybody noticing.

Big Kev: you work in genetics so you can supply him the mutants.

[bengatta]

Big Kev: you work in genetics so you can supply him the mutants.

we could just ask for volunteers from here.......

[durbster]

I'm in.

[Big Kev]

A cloned army of ARSEs. The sheer terror of that doesn't bear thinking about.

[w00dsy]

The enemy would hear the tit and Bowe jokes from miles away.

[Dr. Pain]

It would be smarter to invest time and money into a robotic army. When it all goes tits up and they start random killings, you can always sell the movie rights to Will Smith.

[Johnny X]

Hmmm... The rumour mill is grinding into action after Ecclestone apparently let it slip that Schumi will be retiring at the end of the season in an interview with EJ at Spa.

Seems that Hamilton is on his way to Mercedes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19489930" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Big Kev]

I'm not so sure myself. If he's frustrated at not winning races with McLaren, he sure as hell won't be happy at Mercedes!

[NeilPearson]

I'm not so sure myself. If he's frustrated at not winning races with McLaren, he sure as hell won't be happy at Mercedes!

not to mention the whole way he gets treated at mclaren. button once said hamilton would be lost at another team.

I hope to god its true haha.

[Big Kev]

This morning his management are denying it all.

That probably means it's true!

[bengatta]

This morning his management are denying it all.

That probably means it's true!

be funny if they did a swap and Schumacher started winning...

[Big Kev]

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton says he does not know which team he will be driving for next season.

BBC F1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan reported on Wednesday that Hamilton, whose McLaren contract runs out this year, had agreed terms with Mercedes.

But when asked if he knew which team he would be with for 2013, Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, said: "No."

The 27-year-old Briton added: "I want to win. Just need to think of the right place to do so."

[Big Kev]

Some video of Kubica at a rally event in Italy this weekend.

Sorry to say it but his arm and hand don't look very good at all.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102374" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youtube] [/youtube]

[DexterPunk]

Such a damn shame.


Sent from Han Solo using TK-421's phone.

[wobblysauce]

That still looks bad.