Other legal codes, apart from the US bill of rights, have protections against self incrimination as well. Its only the 5th in the US though.

 

Pat Symond's testimony could not be any more evasive!

Symonds: I don't really remember it... I don't want to answer that question... I won't answer, rather not answer that... I don't, I don't want to answer that question... I have no intention of lying to you. I have not lied to you but I have reserved my position just a little.

Hmm... Methinks the gentleman doth have something to conceal.

 

Indeed!

Piquet Sr now claims he wanted to get an opinion from someone in the know about the potential impact on Piquet Jr's career if knowledge of the "event" came to light, so he spoke to Charlie Whiting about it last year when the circus was in Brazil.

If true, this would mean that technically the FIA knew about it nearly a year ago.

 

Plenty of big news today!

Renault get a suspended disqualification -- on probation until (or through?) 2011. Briatore banned for life -- also not allowed to manage any drivers (Alonso, Webber, Kovalainen and Grosjean may be scrambling for new management today). Symonds banned for five years.

South Korea is on the new 2010 calendar, as is Canada (though the latter is just "penciled in" until negotiations are finalized), pushing the season to 19 venues like it was in 2005.

 

I wonder how much of that will change. Wasn't Stepney banned for life and then there was a story earlier this year how he would be welcomed back to F1, if he so chose?

 

If you read the story you will find that he was not banned for life.

 

I'm afraid that we have not seen the last of ole Flavio... Like a bad penny, he will surely turn up again in some way shape or form.

Ahh, the games that people play first Nigel Stepney (and in the shadows Ron Dennis) now Pat Symonds & Flavio... Is there no end, no shame...

 

You got me wondering so I had to go look for the words from the FIA. You're right.....I think.....they said "for an unlimited period".....whatever that means, though it does sound rather indefinite.....unfortunately.

 

Hope you're wrong but afraid you may be right. I've been wanting to see the back of him (for good) for years. Oh well, wonder who will take his place?

 

I don't know, but this article considers him out for good:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/210920...ended-ban.html

Also, it DOES include the 2011 season, although I don't know what good a "suspended" ban does.

Looks like veteran Moss doesn't much care for Briatore:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/210920...piquet-jr.html

This is really weird--Briatore is manager for several drivers, including some from competing teams, no less:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/200920...pear-wmsc.html

 

Just saw this:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/220920...s-options.html

I didn't realize he's exactly the same age I am--looks like he's in his late 60's, early 70's. This isn't going to help!

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/220920...t-f1-plot.html

I'll bet it was the Stig.

How 'bout that bit that Symonds says Piquet Jr proposed it, and Piquet Jr said it was Symonds' plan?

Here's something on KERS

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/220920...inue-kers.html

 

I've been wondering when someone was gong to finally start tracking/reporting this sort of thing:

Pre-Singapore engine update

Also on engines, Sauber will use Ferrari power next year if they get a place on the grid.....might be called Sauber Ferrari.

 

Oh Jeez, here we go again:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/240920...ban-harsh.html

And the death knell for Renault:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/240920...d-renault.html

As for Alonso:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/240920...eculation.html

 

Well the Renault debacle just seems to serve as a good excuse to promptly get out of a sponsorship that ING had no intention of continuing...

"ING announced today (Thursday) that in light of the verdict of the World Motor Sport Council of 21 September 2009 concerning the events that occurred at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, ING will terminate the contract with Renault Formula 1 with immediate effect," said an ING statement... "As announced on 16 February of this year, ING decided not to renew the three year sponsorship (2007-2009) contract with Renault F1 and to end its presence in Formula 1 after the 2009 season."

What with the meltdown of financial institutions worldwide it was probably good PR for ING to get out of such high profile type of sponsorship ASAP.

My question would be now that Renault has been disgraced so by the actions of Flavio & company... wither Renault? Will potential sponsors wish to associate themselves with damaged goods? Will Renault management wish to continue running an F1 operation after being sullied so, also taking into account the depressed sales of autos worldwide being cause for concern (fiscal justification)? Could Renault follow Honda & BMW's lead?

 

Wow, good PR. That's an interesting twist on the situation.....and you could be right. They're dropping out anyway so why not make a splash of doing so in the form of taking the moral high ground?

Speculation re Renault's continuation started as soon as the F1 world realized the new head of the company is not a fan of racing, period, let alone the most expensive series on the planet. I figured they would start the process of shaking off all this bad publicity by replacing Briatore with someone with a high F1 profile and a reputation for integrity; perhaps Prost. Bob Bell looks to me like a compromise chosen to allow them time to make up their minds about the long term.

By the way, did anyone notice where Grosjean crashed his Renault today? That's right, the now infamous turn 17. Maybe they should rename it "Renault Corner." (One headline I read called it the "Piquet Wall.")

 

Well the saga that is Renault just keeps on rolling doesn't it kurvhugr ...

"As Renault assesses the damage to its image and counts the fleeing sponsors, David Richards has entered the frame as the crash-gate scandal rolls on.

Media reports, including by the German news agency SID as well as the British broadcaster BBC, claim the Prodrive and Aston Martin chief, Richards may be waiting in the wings to take over the French squad.

BBC claimed that the Briton, who was team principal for a time in the Benetton days at the end of the 90s, may be willing to buy the team for $50 million USD.

Germany's SID, meanwhile, said the 57-year-old met recently with Renault SA CEO Carlos Ghosn at the Frankfurt motor show, and also visited the team's British headquarters.

Taking over from the ousted and banned former team boss Flavio Briatore as of this weekend as managing director is Jean-Francois Caubet, previously Renault's communications and marketing chief.

He admitted in Singapore that Renault had erred during the Briatore reign in steadily losing "the Renault culture".

"We don't want to make the same mistakes that have come about by letting the team have 100 per cent autonomy," said Caubet.

He would not comment on speculation that the current new management structure, with Bob Bell the acting team boss, is merely a stepping-stone to Alain Prost taking up the job full time."

Stay tuned my friends to find out what happens...

Will Bell be replaced by Prost?

Will Renault management pull the plug on the team and go the way of BMW/Sauber & Honda?

And what of Flavio... Will he still be lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on an unsuspecting and accomodating FIA?

All this and more... Same Bat-time, Same Bat-Channel...




Priceless... IRONY in the truest sense of the word...

I feel bad for Grosjean having to bear the burden of this shunt.

 

Interesting comments from Hamilton:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/260920...e-circuit.html

 

Sadly enough the powers that be never listen to those who have to bear the burden of their decisions...

Lewis tells us,

"It's such a bumpy track and the ride on our car was quite poor," Hamilton told reporters in the paddock at the Singapore Grand Prix.
"It's shaking so much. The car is bumping and bouncing and sliding. It's still very bad. I don't really think it's changed at all to be honest.

It's a lot worse than last year," Hamilton said. "Last year, it was a weird little corner anyway but it was quite good -- a quick left, right, left. Now it's big, fat curbs and there's no runoff, so it's very dangerous.
"I'm sure in the race someone will crash there. If someone blew a tyre and had an over-steer moment and slid and hit one of those curbs, they would fly. It's not very safe."

He should know and his words should be heeded but its not about the drivers, its about what Bernie wants! Whatever Bernie wants, Bernie gets! The bottom line is dollars & cents (or Euros, Yen, Pounds, etc.) not safety as the PR for F1 would like us all to believe.

If you don't think so then take into account Renault getting away with intentionally crashing Piquet Jr. at Singapore last year. Their heinous action risked the live(s) of drivers, workers, and fans! That to me should exclude them from the sport for a time with a serious fine. Yet all they got was a slap on the wrist and a "Dont do this again or else..."

Yup, whatever Bernie wants Bernie gets... $$$$$ and cents my friends....

 

Alonso finally confirmed to Ferrari.
Kubica probably to Renault.

Is Fisi going back to Force India?
Is Kimi going to Rallye cars?
Any other guesses?

 

Part of Fisi's deal is to be a test driver for Ferrari next year so he's staying put next year. I'd love to see Kimi go back to McLaren.

 

From the BBC;

"Raikkonen is hotly tipped to move back to McLaren, for whom he drove from 2002-6, as team-mate to Hamilton.

The Finn said on Thursday: "I'm not going to go to a small team, my only aim is to have a chance with a team that can fight for the world championship. Otherwise there is no point in staying in F1.""

 

I could go to see Kimi go back to McMerc. From the outside, it seems like he fit in better there. They're a much more black-n-white team (no pun intended). He's like a machine, if a part goes on the car and it doesn't go faster with him behind the wheel, pitch that part in the bin. It could be very exciting.

I do hate to see Kubica go to Renault, but I guess where else is he going to go? I guess he could try to go to Brawn, they seem to have their hearts set on a German driver (Nico) for their Mercedes contract. I just don't see Renault being terribly competitive next year. To quantify that, I think they'll be less competitive than this year.

Shoot, I don't even think Brawn will be able to pull the rabit out of the hat like they did this year. I think they'll be the 3rd quickest, maybe picking up the odd win, like BMW at Canada last year.

 

Anyone want to speculate on Ferrari team orders?













Oh. I forgot--no team orders.

 

Toyota confirms its interest in Kubica, Raikkonen
By CHRIS LINES, AP Auto Racing Writer
SUZUKA, Japan (AP) Toyota has confirmed it is targeting Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen as drivers for the 2010 Formula One season.

The sought-after pair were widely considered to be destined for Renault and McLaren, respectively, but Toyota was attempting to upset expectations and provide some urgently needed star power to the underperforming team.

Asked about possible interest in Kubica, currently of BMW Sauber, Toyota team principal John Howett said his team had an "even chance" of snatching Poland's star driver away from Renault.

"I definitely would be interested," Howett said. "We are probably fighting with (Renault)."

Renault will announce a new driver next week to replace Fernando Alonso, who will join Ferrari in 2010. That had prompted speculation the Kubica deal had already been signed, but the driver subsequently said he was not certain of his destination next season.

Raikkonen will make way for Alonso, and has said he would only be interested in joining a title-contending team in 2010. That may count against Toyota, which has not had a single race win in eight years in F1. But Howett confirmed he had sounded out the Finn.

Since the onset of the global economic downturn and the withdrawal of manufacturers Honda and BMW from F1, there had been ongoing speculation that Toyota might also pull out, notwithstanding that the team had signed the new Concorde Agreement between teams and F1 organizers which ties them to the competition through 2012.

Howett confirmed Friday that next year's budget was likely to be reduced, but that did not preclude the team from competing for high-salary drivers.
"Its going to be less than this year, but still a very significant and substantial budget," Howett said. "If we buy a cheaper driver, we can employ that in other areas - its a simple equation."

The bid for Kubica and Raikkonen meant at least Jarno Trulli, and perhaps also Timo Glock, will leave Toyota at season's end.

Both had been told they were free to negotiate with other teams, with options over their 2010 contracts not exercised.

"We have tried to be fair to the drivers and say we may not have seats for them," Howett said. "We remain in contact with both of them, particularly Timo."

Glock equaled his career best with a second-place finish at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, but Howett was critical of the German's regular performances in qualifying.

"We would like to have seen that sort of result more consistently," Howett said. "His race pace is outstanding and always has been but sometimes in qualifying he has problems and has made life hard for himself.
"He may well be in the car next year but its too early to confirm."

Glock's future was the source of fresh speculation Friday after he was replaced for the official practice session ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, his place taken by reserve driver Kamui Kobayashi.

The team said he was ill but should be fit to take part in Saturday's qualifying session. Howett slammed suggestions that the illness was a ruse and that the team had taken a commercial decision to use a Japanese driver in front of the local crowd.

"It's a stupid question and doesn't deserve an answer," Howett said.

 

That was a wierd quali round! Only 19 cars started because Webber crashed so badly in Sat practice they're still putting his car back together for the race (he'll start P20). If I remember right there were three red flags. The results are also being disputed because a few drivers (Barrichello, Button and ?) finished hot laps in Q2 driving through a yellow flag area and the debris from Beumi's second crash, and made it into Q3 as a result of those very laps.

Should be an interesting race. Can't wait to see the published weights.