F1 Official Thread - Grand Prix of Britain

[eddiehouse5]

By the way, I won't be around for maybe half of the next season, so if any of you want to start a thread for next season when it comes around, have at it.

 

[eddiehouse5]

[h1]Ferrari and Red Bull resign from FOTA[/h1]

Ferrari and Red Bull have confirmed they have resigned from the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) in the midst of a row over the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA).

The news follows a series of meetings among the teams over how to control spending in the sport fairly and transparently under the RRA. There had been a certain amount of mistrust between the teams over the RRA, leading Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to question the purpose of the organisation earlier this year.

[h1]Sutil has 'more than one option' for 2012[/h1]
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/driver/1246.html

Adrian Sutil says he has more than one option for a race seat on 2012 and is looking to get a deal signed before the end of the year.

Sutil drove for Force India in 2011 and finished ninth in the drivers' standings, but it now looks likely that he will leave the team. Force India has not confirmed its drivers yet, but Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg are expected to drive for the team, leaving Sutil to look elsewhere.


Good to see the Hulk back, but Sutil should find a drive.

 

[eddiehouse5]

[h3]US GP remains on 2012 calendar[/h3][h3]Sauber withdraws from FOTA[/h3][h3]FIA lists 2012 regulation tweaks[/h3]

 

[zk1mpls]

aww yeah...

Looking forward to that elevation change.

EDIT: too bad Turkey got axed... I'd rather have that circuit on the calendar than Bahrain...

 

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by eddiehouse5

By the way, I won't be around for maybe half of the next season, so if any of you want to start a thread for next season when it comes around, have at it.

How come?
Good to see that Austin is back on (for now).  Apparently, Bernie has received his check, so I guess they can start the construction again!  Lol... 

@ FOTA falling apart.  The RRA didn't really work before, so for sure, it's not gonna work now.  Ferrari and their deep-pockets will be going flat-out.

And some new rules for next season...
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/272527/fia-reveals-latest-regulation-tweaks/

The latest wave of F1 rule changes were confirmed by the FIA on Wednesday, with the list being passed at the World Motor Sport Council gathering in India. The tweaks include a four hour race time limit, the ability for backmarkers to unlap themselves behind the Safety Car and the anticipated introduction of a three-day mid-season test.

The latest rule changes are as follows:

- Cars may no longer take part in pre-season testing without having passed all crash tests.

- There will now be a maximum race time of four hours to ensure that a lengthy suspension of a race does not result in a race that could run up to eight hours if left unregulated.

- Before the safety car returns to the pits all lapped cars will be allowed to unlap themselves and then join the back of the pack, ensuring a clean re-start without slower cars impeding those racing for the leading positions.

- Cars which were in the pit lane when a race is suspended will now be allowed to re-join the cars on the grid in the position they were in when the race was suspended.

- Drivers may no longer leave the track without a justifiable reason, i.e. cutting a chicane on reconnaissance laps or ‘in’ laps to save time and fuel.

- Drivers may no longer move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position.

- One three-day test will be carried out during the season, formerly there were none.

- All stewards’ decisions which are not subject to appeal are now in one place instead of being in various places within the regulations.

- All tyres allocated to a driver may now be used on the first day of practice; formerly only three sets were permitted.

 

[zk1mpls]

"- Drivers may no longer move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position."

What the @&$#%!?

Just let them race! Smh

 

[eddiehouse5]

Originally Posted by zk1MPLS

"- Drivers may no longer move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position."

What the @&$#%!?

Just let them race! Smh

Isn't that the way it's always been? I thought you only get one move to defend your position. Good rule change on the lapped cars.

Sinner, I'll be at Navy boot camp starting in February.

 

[zk1mpls]

^Yeah, I think so. I just prefer wheel-to-wheel racing. (Think Schumacher vs. Hamilton at Monza type of racing). The rules these days are practically forcing overtaking to be made.

Yup, good thing they returned the 'Lapped cars may overtake' rule.

 

[eddiehouse5]

[h1]Grosjean gets second Renault seat[/h1]

Lotus Renault has announced that Romain Grosjean will drive alongside Kimi Raikkonen next season.

Grosjean - who initially raced for the team alongside Fernando Alonso in 2009 - will replace Vitaly Petrov, with Eric Boullier confirming his contract had been "terminated". Petrov did have a contract in place for 2012 but the team did not confirm Raikkonen's team-mate for next season when the FIA published its entry list, with Petrov admitting the team was considering his future.

"I am thrilled to be one of the team's race drivers in 2012," Grosjean said. "There's a big grin on my face at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of next year's car, and I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity. To be racing alongside a former world champion and someone who is hungry and returning to Formula 1 will be a great experience, and I'm sure will help raise my level of performance too.


Hopefully the car matches the drivers.

 

[Sinner]

Yeah, it's been a bit of a grey-area, but the rule before was that you were allowed 1 blocking maneuver, but when you reached the corner many drivers would go back onto the racing-line to take that corner. Some say that it was ok, while some considered it to be 2 moves. Like I said... grey-area.

Take what MSC did to HAM at Monza. He was really border-line breaking that 1-move rule, but he did't really break it cuz the rule was vague. Even the racing stewards said afterwards they would have punished MSC had to reviewed it more closely. Anyway, now it's more 'black/white' in that you can't go back onto the racing-line after making your move. So basically, you can't block way on the inside part of the track and then go back on the outside to take the corner.

At the time when I was watching Monza live, I felt that MSC was a bit "naughty" as he kept blocking and making another move. Some may consider it to be getting back on the racing-line, but it essentially blocked HAM a 2nd time... so it was 2 blocks, which isn't legal. I'm all for good wheel-to-wheel racing, but that was a bit 'rude'.



Good luck sailor!

 

[eddiehouse5]

Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Mark Webber receive their trophies for finishing first, second and third in the 2011 drivers' championship [emoji]169[/emoji] Getty Images

Originally Posted by SinnerP

Good luck sailor!

Thanks man.

 

[zk1mpls]

^ Yeah, eddiehouse5, all the best to you and your future endeavours, sir.

Man, the trophy size difference alone might motivate you enough to win.

 

[Sinner]

The thing is, I think Webber was commenting on how he didn't want to fly all the way to India to collect his 3rd-place trophy! I don't Jens was particularly keen on attending as well...

 

[eddiehouse5]

[h1]New driver line-up at Toro Rosso[/h1]

Toro Rosso has announced that Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will drive for the team in 2012, replacing Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi.

Both drivers are part of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme, and Ricciardo drove for HRT in the latter half of 2011 as Red Bull wanted him to gain more race experience following a number of Friday practice appearances for its junior team. Ricciardo said that he had learnt a lot during his time with HRT but that his goal had always been a race seat with Toro Rosso.


I think the question to be asked, is why did Red Bull stop looking for drivers named Sebastian? Seems to be working out ok, I think.

Originally Posted by zk1MPLS

^ Yeah, eddiehouse5, all the best to you and your future endeavours, sir.

Thank a lot man.

 

[eddiehouse5]

[h1]Hulkenberg and di Resta confirmed at Force India[/h1]

Force India has finally confirmed that Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg will drive for the team in 2012.

Hulkenberg, who was Force India's reserve driver last year, will replace Adrian Sutil while di Resta will stay on for his second season as a race driver. Team principal Vijay Mallya made the news public the day after the expected deadline and thanked Sutil for his hard work over the past four years. "Our new line-up means we say 'goodbye' to Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team since we entered the sport. He has been an integral part of our success over the past four seasons and we wish him well for the future."


Man, it is blood in, blood out right now in the F1. Nobody's safe.

 

[Sinner]

I know... it's crazy. Didn't expect the STR makeover. I think ALG did enough to deserve a seat for next season, but at the same time, ALG and BUE both got their raceseats a couple years ago the same way RIC and VER are getting theirs now.

BAR looking more like he won't be getting a seat next season. =(

Hulk and DIR looking like a good pairing. SUT will prob get the Williams seat.

 

[eddiehouse5]

Man, if Sutil takes the Williams seat, is that it for Rubens? Damn. It's a cruel world.

 

[zk1mpls]

Pretty surprised that both STR drivers got the boot. Alguersuari had a pretty good year. Wish Rubens could still race.

 

[tr1plese7en]

I'm surprised this thread is still going. Looks like I got a lot to catch up on. I stopped really paying attention after the last race.

 

[zk1mpls]

Almost bit at the half-off Malaysian Grand Prix ticket sale... but now's not really a good time. Need to save up a bit. Hopefully I will be going to a Grand Prix this coming season.

 

[zk1mpls]

Happy Birthday to one of the best ever to do it, Michael Schumacher.

Can't believe dude is already 43. Need to watch him in action soon... not a lot of time left.

Tried to watch "Senna" last night. Fell asleep 1/4th into the movie.

 

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by zk1MPLS

 Tried to watch "Senna" last night. Fell asleep 1/4th into the movie.

What!?  Booooo~!!!

 

 

[zk1mpls]

Well, it was a tiring day, to say the least.

 

[zk1mpls]

No info on the new cars yet? McLaren and Lotus already presented theirs.

Btw, what's new with this year's regulations?

 

[Sinner]

McLaren launch...

Caterham F1