F1 World Championship 2009 Thread

[Antaris Veteran]

Make no mistake, Alonso was and still is a great racer, even though he's a bit of a douche. Don't forget he's a two-time world champion!

I was hoping Hammilton was gonna be awesome, and that initial burst off the line proves that he still has enough fire to push for it, even with the season going so bad. Shame about the first corner fiasco, I was also hoping he would get a podium, let's just see if he can turn it around for the next race.

Congrats to Webber, was a good drive, thought that drive-through penalty would ruin it for him. Shame about Barrichello, thought he could have had it too.

[Subject Delta]

Fixed it for you. Alonso has done nothing since they took away Renaults launch control, saving him from actually having to do any over taking.

Really? I recall him winning back to back races last year, also if you think he can't over take I feel you need to watch this:

Let me guess, you are either one of the people that got sucked into the stupid stories printed about Alonso in the sun, or one of the Schumacher fans that still can't come to terms with the fact that Alonso actually beat him in 2006? Either way, you clearly also need the facts

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

Good race, Interesting how now all the other cars are building to the specs that brawn did at the start of the season are now faster than brawn, Brawn were fast at the start because they looked at the rule book and built their car as fast to match, Others didn't which is why they were slow. If we had in-season testing im sure mclaren/ferrari would be back up there.

I feel sorry for S. Bourdais, His possible last race, Bad Qually, if i were him i wouldn't of turned up to race. :p Saying that, he could of won, more unlikely things have happened in the past. :p Replacing him with a test driver is a bad idea tho, 1 race in F1 car and he spooned it, No in-season testing, He will be very slow and make alot of mistakes, certainly under pressure in qual.

As for this Alonso arguement, I think he will jump to a new team, Who, im not sure, McLaren certainly won't have him back after the arguing he did with their golden boy. (stopping in pits in qual) To be honest, i dont think massa nor kimi are going anywhere, they are been pretty equal on performance this season.

So this leaves me to ask...

Alonso for Brawn GP? If Barichello decides to leave this season Alonso seems to fit perfectly, would do good for the team, Give button someone to fight with, Buttons relaxed style and Alonsos VERY agressive style would balance out the team i feel.

[Crazysah]

As for the other stories... Impressive performance by Massa combined with good strategy. Terrible luck, again, for FI and Sutil, he must be starting to feel like Raikkonen is his nemesis. Also very disappointed with Hamilton, if it wasn't for his tangle with webber I feel he would have been a great bet for a podium today. A mention also must go to Alonso with the incredible pace that he put on towards the end of the race, but once again overtaking was nigh on impossible, to me a sure sign that the new regulations have ultimately failed.

All in all a pretty interesting race, will be interesting to see where things go from here

Well yeah. Damn Raikkonen once again. This is the second time he crashed into Sutil and cost FI it's first points.

Maybe at Hungary? Points for FI?

[Subject Delta]

As for this Alonso arguement, I think he will jump to a new team, Who, im not sure, McLaren certainly won't have him back after the arguing he did with their golden boy. (stopping in pits in qual) To be honest, i dont think massa nor kimi are going anywhere, they are been pretty equal on performance this season.

So this leaves me to ask...

Alonso for Brawn GP? If Barichello decides to leave this season Alonso seems to fit perfectly, would do good for the team, Give button someone to fight with, Buttons relaxed style and Alonsos VERY agressive style would balance out the team i feel.

For me Ferrari is the only team he will be entering into, I doubt Ross would really want to pit Alonso and Button against each other after what happened at McLaren. For me, Raikkonen will be the one out of Ferrari, he has performed very poorly by his high standards since he captured the title in 2007, I just don't feel he has the same motivation now he has got what he wanted.

[MightyJordan]

Toro Rosso sack Bourdais

Toro Rosso have confirmed that Sebastien Bourdais has left the team and will be replaced by a new driver ahead of next weekend's Hungarian grand prix.

Since putting in another under-par performance at last week's German grand prix from the Nurburgring, when he qualified and finished last of all 20 runners, the Frenchman's position has been under scrutiny.

And after days of speculation surrounding his future, it has finally been confirmed that Bourdais is leaving the team.

In a brief statement, Toro Rosso principal Franz Tost said: ?In Sebastien?s second year with us, the partnership has not met our expectations.

"Therefore we have decided to replace him as from the next round of the world championship.?

Bourdais' likely successor is Jaime Alguersuari, 19, who is currently testing a revised version of the team's STR4 car at the Vairano circuit in Italy.

If he is confirmed in the seat, Alguersuari would become the youngest ever formula one driver.[/quSource: inthenews.co.ukl] (also just saw it on Sky Sports News)

J:blink:blink: I wasn't expecting that.

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

Toro Rosso sack Bourdais

Source: inthenews.co.uk (also just saw it on Sky Sports News)

Jesus. :blink: I wasn't expecting that.

take it you didn't watch BBC pre-show for both qually and race? ;) Apparently their test driver who raced nurburgring (last season?) is taking up the challenge, but because of the testing ban he hasn't been in a car for a while...

[brentaal]

I definitely expected that. Unlike Piquet, he didn't race side by side with world champions, but other newcomers. He failed to deliver both times, and it's only logical for the team to sack him.

His F1 story is definitely a candidate for the FMyLife web site. :/

[Shibby]

He hasn't been that great for them. He's always on the radio moaning about something. WHen you look at Vettel he did better when he had the same car as him, even this season Buemi seems better.

[Subject Delta]

Bourdais achieved very little in F1, he's looked out of his depth since he first came into it really, and this doesn't come as a big surprise to me

[Martyn]

Alonso is one of the most naturally talented drivers on the grid alongside Hamilton (who I don't actually like).

[Martyn]

Surtees dies after F2 race crash

Henry Surtees (left) and Nigel Mansell

Henry Surtees (l) had his first F2 podium finish on Saturday

The son of motorsport legend John Surtees has died after being hit on the head by a wheel during a Formula 2 (F2) race at Brands Hatch in Kent.

Henry Surtees, 18, was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital after he was struck by a wheel which flew off Jack Clarke's car.

Sunday's race was red flagged while Surtees was removed from the scene.

His father won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1964 having previously won seven motorcycle world titles.

The accident happened between the circuit's Westfield Bend and Sheene Curve.

John Surtees

John Surtees is the only man to win F1 and motorcycle world titles

Clarke's car hit a tyre wall and a wheel came off, hitting Henry Surtees on the head, knocking him unconscious.

The teenager's car then collided with the trackside barriers.

A spokeswoman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said Surtees was taken from the scene by helicopter.

On Saturday, Surtees claimed his first F2 podium finish, coming third in the opening race of the Brands Hatch weekend.

No-one from Brands Hatch was available for comment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8158445.stm

Really sad news :(

RIP

[Subject Delta]

R.I.P Henry

[Subject Delta]

FIA Foundation Criticises Vatanen

The FIA Foundation has dismissed Ari Vatanen’s claims that rival FIA presidential candidate Jean Todt is having his campaign funded by the governing body.

In a letter sent to Vatanen on Tuesday, FIA Foundation chairman Carlos Macaya responds to quotes attributed to Vatanen in the media this week in which the World Rally legend reportedly suggested the FIA was paying for a plane for Todt – who current FIA president Max Mosley’s has named as his preferred successor – to travel the globe with partner Michelle Yeoh.

Macaya says such suggestions are “totally false” and that Yeoh, as a voluntary global ambassador for the foundation’s Make Roads Safe campaign, regularly travelled on FIA-related business.

“I am writing in my capacity as Chairman of the FIA Foundation to express my concern at your reported remarks about Michelle Yeoh and the allegation that in some way we are funding Jean Todt’s candidacy to be President of the FIA,” Macaya wrote in the letter published on the Foundation's website.

“These assertions are totally false.

“For the last two years Jean Todt’s partner, the internationally acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh, has served in a voluntary capacity as the global Ambassador for the Make Roads Safe campaign which is co-ordinated by the FIA Foundation.

“In this role Michelle has travelled all over the world to support the campaign especially in advance of this year’s first ever global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Moscow on November 19-20.

“A centrepiece of her involvement has been the production of a documentary film, Turning Point, which was broadcast worldwide in May on BBC World TV and also featured at the launch of the Commission for Global Road Safety’s new report calling for a UN Decade of Action.”

While adding that Todt “sometimes accompanies Michelle Yeoh on her trips for the FIA Foundation”, Macaya explained that while they both travelled to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania earlier this month Yoeh attended a Make Roads Safe Africa conference while Todt attended a workshop organised by the Motor Sport Safety Fund, which he is on the management committee of.

Macaya added that Vatanen’s comments were “very disappointing”, while expressing surprise that the Finn, as a fellow FIA Foundation trustree, did not know the scope of Todt and Yoeh’s involvement in the charity.

“All these engagements are very helpful to the work of the Foundation and demonstrate the strong commitment of both Michelle and Jean to our work promoting road safety,” he added.

“These activities have nothing whatsoever to do with the FIA, or the recently announced election.

“It is very disappointing that you have chosen to misrepresent the work of a fellow Trustee in this way and belittle the magnificent contribution being made by Michelle Yeoh.

“I am also surprised that you do not seem to be aware of the truth of their involvement as their activities have been extensively reported to you at successive meetings of the Board of Trustees of the FIA Foundation of which you are a member.”

And while he acknowledged that the FIA presidential race needed to be conducted in an open and robust manner, Macaya called on Vatanen to avoid “misrepresenting” the FIA Foundation again.

“I appreciate that during the forthcoming election for the FIA Presidency there needs to be open and robust debate.”

“However, I would ask that you do not again misrepresent the role of the FIA Foundation in this way.”

I don't like what is going on in the FIA, I don't think todt is the right person for the FIA leadership, he would never be able to convince anyone that he was being fair and objective with his Ferrari ties, and I hope he doesn't win, however I have the feeling he already has one. Another major victory for Ferrari in the Ferrari International Assistance world championship. I just hope if he does get in that the rest of the FOTA teams carry through with their threat to pull out because the sport needs a leader with no ties to previous F1 teams

[JoeC]

Er. Isn't that a bit ... assbackwards? The new President needs to have experience of how things work for the teams, and that means he has to have worked for one of the teams at some point in the past.

If you're going to rule out people who have worked for current teams, you get someone like either a) Mosley or b) Eddie Jordan :p But then again, I'm pretty sure he's working with one of the teams in an advisory role.

[Subject Delta]

No, it doesn't mean that at all. The FIA don't just cover F1, they cover all forms of motorsport. The FIA are there to implement the rules, and structure the sport, I think you'll find the teams to be big and ugly enough to cover their own backs :laugh:

[Antaris Veteran]

Kova and Hammilton surging back! That new aero package seems to be working a treat!

[Subject Delta]

Hamilton is claiming they are still 0.4-0.5 s off the pace. Is he being realistic, or trying to sandbag McLaren's rivals? Will be interesting to find out tomorrow, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them in at the sharp end of the grid worrying Brawn and Red Bull

[Shibby]

He's probably right. People can run fast in practice but can do bad in the race. Rosberg has been pretty fast in practice, but its been brawn and red bull winning the races.

[Subject Delta]

Granted, but McLaren aren't one of the teams that sandbag in practise, in most cases it has been a reasonably good indicator of their actual pace.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the McLaren is suddenly the best car, but I do feel they are a bigger threat to Brawn and RBR than Lewis claims, and even if they don't get pole, they will be a massive threat if they get anywhere in the first 2 rows, with the KERS systems

[CrashG]

Well, Lewis was fast last race (with the new aero bits on his car) and looked promising for a high finish until he got the cut tire (after some contact that wasn't his fault) and had to pit, ruining his chances.

All that said, it is just practice, but they do look strong and Hekki has the new aero revision too, so they could very well bring the fight to RB and Brawn GP.

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

If Hamilton does qualify up top i don't think he will finish the race in good position, He really hasn't had the experience in a fast pace car up front with the big boys for a while

[CrashG]

If Hamilton does qualify up top i don't think he will finish the race in good position, He really hasn't had the experience in a fast pace car up front with the big boys for a while

Can I have some of what you're smoking/drinking? On second thought, I'll stick my normal stuff. :p

What? :blink: Yeah it's been awhile for him but that doesn't mean he's lost all his skills.

[Shibby]

I have to agree about the mclarens near the front with kers. From the last race it seems KERS is fantastic off the start line. You still need to take off right so you can use it, but its probably the nearest thing we'd get to the old launch mode thingy bobs.

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

Can I have some of what you're smoking/drinking? On second thought, I'll stick my normal stuff. :p

What? :blink: Yeah it's been awhile for him but that doesn't mean he's lost all his skills.

It's gooodddd Shi... No wait, Off topic... :p

I just think that he will make simple yet costly mistakes like he did in the last race. This is assuming Brawn and Red bull aren't sandbagging in practice...