Formula1 Latest News !!

[Pericles]

Nasty.

http://www.espnstar.com/motorsport/f1/news...rm-over-threat/

Ferrari stand firm over threat

The FIA are facing anarchy following Ferrari's threat to withdraw from the sport starting from next year.

Ferrari have made it clear this is no posturing from their side, but a very real threat to end their 60-year involvement with F1.

Their position follows a meeting of Ferrari's board of directors in Maranello yesterday, and comes ahead of planned showdown talks with FIA president Max Mosley, potentially later this week in London.

Mosley sparked a furore a fortnight ago by announcing a £40million budget cap would be introduced from next year, with a dual purpose of attracting new teams and curbing costs of the 10 present.

However, that would lead to a two-tier F1, with initial murmurings of discontent having developed into vehement opposition.

With May 29 the deadline for entries for next season, Toyota were the first to state they would be unlikely to commit by then if no resolution was found.

That was followed by R*D B*LL/Toro Rosso owner Dietrich Mateschitz unequivocally announcing his position yesterday, confirming neither of his teams would enter for 2010 if the rules remained unchanged.

Now Ferrari, the most iconic and successful motor-racing brand and with millions of fans worldwide, have joined the growing chorus of disgust at Mosley's plans.

A strongly-worded statement issued by the team, pulled no punches as it read: "For the first time ever in Formula One, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.

"The board consider that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula One in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari's uninterrupted participation in the world championship over the last 60 years - the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 - would come to a close."

In taking umbrage with the FIA, the Ferrari board further condemned motor sport's world governing body for their undemocratic manner in bulldozing through the new rules, and for seemingly reneging on past agreements.

"The board also expressed their disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and the refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams," added the statement.

"The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula One over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA regarding the stability of the regulations.

"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, continuity of the FOTA's (Formula One Teams' Association) endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula One are the priorities for the future.

"If these indispensable principles are not respected, and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then we do not intend to enter our cars in the next Formula 1 world championship."

[Devinda_Z]

it would be rather shocking not have Ferrari in the running!

whats McLaren's take on the budget cap?? i know they don't agree on much , but the big fish are likely to stick together on this yes?

[miniace]

Dark clouds over F1.

MINIACE

[Devinda_Z]

Ferrari to quit F1

Ferrari announces it intends to pull out of F1 at the end of this season

By Harry Metcalfe

12th May 2009

Ferrari has just put out a press release saying it will not participate in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship, as it refuses to comply with the FIA proposal to cap team expenditure to £40M next season.

Maybe we should read more into the fact Luca Montezemolo will be attending the Le Mans 24hrs this year. Is this where Ferrari might be heading if it decides to leave F1 next year? Certainly food for thought.

In the meantime, here is Ferrari’s press release in full explaining why it's considering leaving F1 next year:

The Board of Directors also examined developments related to recent decisions taken by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile during an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on 29 April 2009. Although this meeting was originally called only to examine a disciplinary matter, the decisions taken mean that, for the first time ever in Formula 1, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.

The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari’s uninterrupted participation in the World Championship over the last 60 years – the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 – would come to a close.

The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams. The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations.

The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA’s endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future. If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 World Championship.

Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia’s approach to motor sport and to Formula 1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company’s interests.

Source : http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/235708/f...to_quit_f1.html

[miniace]

F1 without Ferrari like "Parippu nethi Hotalak"

MINIACE

[miniace]

Rosberg had a superb second practice session in Monaco topped the incredibly close lap times ahead of Hamilton,Barrichello,Button and Massa .

Guys remember qualifying is shown on ESPN,not Star at 1720 SL time.

MINIACE

[miniace]

A good feat by Team Ferrari. Guess Massa was bit unfortunate to be in traffic during the last sprint. Guess this was the most successful Q run for Ferrari this year.The first time a Ferrari sharing the first row if im not mistaken.

That was a great run by Button to grab the pole. Where on earth he found that power to finish on top only the last moment?unbelieveble.

Seems all going wrong for poor Hamilton this season. He confessed braking late at the end of Casino straight towards Mirab Eau.. Good to see both Force India making it to top 15.

Its going to be a very' hot ' race tomorrow.

MINIACE

[GTAm]

Good race. Ferrari did reasonably well at last. Kimi messed up his start or else might have been 2nd. Or could've challenged for lead if the pit stop went well.

[miniace]

That’s a great run by Button. No doubt he got capacity and most importantly the luck..

Im totally impressed with Ferrari .They have done their groundwork well and needs few adjustments to be a threat to Brawns.

Force India so-close,yet so-far.Im sure they came inches close to the best ever chance of claiming points .Good run by Fisichella.

MINIACE

[Elvis_Pil]

Was it just me or was that the wost Commentaries ever on espnstar?? they got all sorts of things wrong! Steve Slater's waay past he's shelf life if you ask me commentating on all the nonsense rather than focusing on the action!

Alex Yoong's is really not cut out to be behind the mike- he should stick to interviews and being behind the wheel

[Pericles]

Was it just me or was that the wost Commentaries ever on espnstar?? they got all sorts of things wrong! Steve Slater's waay past he's shelf life if you ask me commentating on all the nonsense rather than focusing on the action!

Alex Yoong's is really not cut out to be behind the mike- he should stick to interviews and being behind the wheel

Then you shoulda heard the commentaries for Baharain. It was Karun instead of Alex, and he wasn't quite so diplomatic on Steve's inane comments. Steve would go "And there he goes using KERS" and then Karun would go, "no, no, its just .....". Quite funny.

[Elvis_Pil]

Yeah in Baharain it was just as bad- I remember him saying something about using KERS on the breaks! at Karun was there to bring him down to earth- thats not saying that Karun is decent himself.

Its been discussed on other forums as well:

http://www.f1wolf.com/2008/11/espn-star-sp...me-finally.html

[Pericles]

Notice them all doing "Live on Star Sports" while it was actually airing on ESPN coz Roland Garros was on Start Sports? I was having a hard time deciding what to watch until Ivanovic finished her match off, thankfully just before the race started.

[KLM]

While I agree that Steve Slater is an incompetent, if passionate, old fool, I have to say that I enjoy hearing what Karun and Alex have to say. Sure, Alex might not have the voice and the personality to be a commentator, his insights are very valuable because of his F1 experience. Karun is even more of the finished product as a commentator and technical expert, in addition to being an accomplished driver who deserves a drive in F1.

At Monaco in this year's GP2 race he led the entire distance with an unproven, brand-new team and then a drive-shaft snapped with 12 laps to go. That, his fantastic win in GP2 at Spa (the definitive proving ground of champions) a couple of years ago and general speed surely should mean that he gets at least a couple of competitive F1 tests this year. If one win at Spa was enough to propel Fernando Alonso into the big league then surely Karun deserves a shot at F1 too.

[miniace]

My opinion is both Karun & Alex ok.F1 is more complicated for Slater now.Thats the reason Alex and Karun are there.

Slater made a classic mistake when Alonso came out of pits behind Force India.Anyways I enjoy Slaters commentary. Its simple & clear. Alex’ accent is bit tricky to track but very informative.well Paula hmmmmmmm

MINIACE

[miniace]

Williams have been temporarily suspended from the formula one teams' association (Fota) after breaking ranks over a disputed budget cap. The move comes two days after Williams lodged its entry for next season's formula one championship, ahead of Friday's deadline.

MINIACE

[Elvis_Pil]

Williams have been temporarily suspended from the formula one teams' association (Fota) after breaking ranks over a disputed budget cap. The move comes two days after Williams lodged its entry for next season's formula one championship, ahead of Friday's deadline.

MINIACE

"FOTA's decision, although regrettable, is understandable," says Sir Frank Williams. "However, as a racing team and a company whose only business is Formula One, with obligations to our partners and our employees, submitting our entry to next year's Championship was unquestionable.

In addition, we are legally obliged under our contract with FOM and the FIA to participate in the World Championship until the end of 2012."

Williams is just simple uncomplicated private racing team- they need to have an entry for next year in order to sign commercial partnerships. I'm totally with them. Just goes to show how independent they are- all the big car companies can pull out of F1 but they will still exist!!! Viva 'la Williams!!!

[miniace]

IMO Williams should ‘ve waited till the FIAs Friday deadline and harmonize with FOTA negotiations. This infact is more than a formal entry for 2010, thats the gun turned in the direction of FOTAs actions.Bernie managed to clutch one atleast.

Brawns to follow?

MINIACE

[Pericles]

Williams is just simple uncomplicated private racing team- they need to have an entry for next year in order to sign commercial partnerships. I'm totally with them. Just goes to show how independent they are- all the big car companies can pull out of F1 but they will still exist!!! Viva 'la Williams!!!

They still gotta get their engines from somewhere. They need to consider who they cheese off by, uh, breaking ranks, as the story puts it.

Which does bring another question. If Ferrari is definitely out, will they continue supplying engines? R*D B*LL and Torro Rosso run Ferrari engines, right? Or will they just stick with A1 GP, all those cars are Ferrari powered.

[Elvis_Pil]

They still gotta get their engines from somewhere. They need to consider who they cheese off by, uh, breaking ranks, as the story puts it.

Which does bring another question. If Ferrari is definitely out, will they continue supplying engines? R*D B*LL and Torro Rosso run Ferrari engines, right? Or will they just stick with A1 GP, all those cars are Ferrari powered.

Williams are actually on a good wicket. If Toyota pull out- they might just turn to funding the team to promote the brand. If not there are plenty of options- Cosworth for instance

RB is with Renault. STR with Ferrari.

[Pericles]

Williams are actually on a good wicket. If Toyota pull out- they might just turn to funding the team to promote the brand. If not there are plenty of options- Cosworth for instance

RB is with Renault. STR with Ferrari.

Toyota might decide to wash its hands of F1 altogether if it pulls out over this. Look, if Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, BMW and Toyota pulls out as a unified front, the engine supply issue looks dim. Unless Honda decided to start just engine supply again. With a larger customer base it might make economic sense it sink in the R&D and provide the engines without the cost of having a team. I mean, Cosworth would probably have to start from scratch and make something brand new, they haven't been in the game after the engines went smaller. Honda at least has last years engine as a starting point.

Or do you think the big players will just continue with the engines anyway? Is there some rules on the budget caps if an external company was providing the engine? Even as it stand, if some team decided to go with Cosworth, how does that effect them cap wise?

[Elvis_Pil]

Does not effect the budget cap in anyway if the team goes with an external supplier- thats the way several teams are anyway running at the moment. IMO Cosworth will have no issues putting together an F1 motor at short notice- its what they specialize in after all.. and they are small enough to move quick. Honda may not be as agile in jumping back into the sport.

The Big Guns are not all going to move out of the sport- they all have contracts with penalties for 2010. At the sametime if they do- the FIA may simply relook at the single engine configuration idea they played around with last year. So you'll a load of privateer teams running standard spec engines. The sport will take a few years to recover its glamor though..

[Pericles]

The Big Guns are not all going to move out of the sport- they all have contracts with penalties for 2010. At the sametime if they do- the FIA may simply relook at the single engine configuration idea they played around with last year. So you'll a load of privateer teams running standard spec engines. The sport will take a few years to recover its glamor though..

There is already a single engine series. Its called A1 GP

[KLM]

There is already a single engine series. Its called A1 GP

There are at least 4 top-line professional open-wheel series that run spec engines - IndyCar, Renault World Series 3.5, A1GP and GP2 so yeah, we need the diversity of F1. That glamour, technical sophistication, exclusivity etc is something that the FIA can't afford to trash. Granted, yes, in the '70s there was great racing and spectacle when it was all customer Cosworth DFVs and a pair of Ferrari V12s but still, F1 has come a long way from those days and it's not something that can be re-generated easily. EVEN if the cars are more evenly matched in the other series, you'll find that the best drivers in the world are in F1, the cars more spectacular and in general, the whole circus is far more interesting to follow. IndyCar etc are great with 5 lead changes a lap on some ovals etc but if you follow close enough there is plenty of overtaking and action in F1 and it's rare to find people complaining of a boring Grand Prix weekend.

It's F1. Everybody involved knows the value of it and the latest story is that McLaren of all people have brokered a compromise between the FIA and Ferrari & Toyota which were the teams most vehemently against the budget cap. It looks like the budget caps will be applied over a period of time and everybody seems to be on the same page at last which is great for the sport.

As for Williams F1, they've always been FOR the support of smaller teams and budget caps and that sort of thing so I'm sure that the suspension from FOTA won't bother them too much. They've always been the rough-and-tumble garagistas who put cars on the grid by hook or by crook in the early days. Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that.........

[miniace]

Prodrive Chairman David Richards confirmed that the UK company has lodged an entry for the 2010 FIA F1 .

Any news about the latest after Fridays deadline expired? Heard the 13 team line up is scheduled to be announced on 12th June.

MINIACE