Is it me or am I the only one who thinks the dual rear wing concept is STUPID!

 

If I ever get to see an F1 race I'm betting I will pony up the bucks and go to Silverstone. Indy can't seem to get their act together. Of course if F1 splits, who know what will happen.

 

Having completed one of life's goals Attending a F1 race. USGP 2000, 2002-2003. I would love to attend the Brittish GP, Monaco, SPA, and Monza

 

I think it looks odd, but modern F1 cars already look plenty odd. If the split wing helps improve the racing, then certainly it is not stupid. If it were made mandatory without thorough testing, forcing manufacturers to spend lots of money on something that didn't work, that would be stupid.

(And not entirely outside the realm of possibility)

 

Adrian Newey Joins Red Bull F1

It was rumoured earlier this morning but now also confirmed by Red Bull Racing; Adrian Newey will join Red Bull's F1 team at the end of February 2006. The news was announced this morning by Red Bull in a short press release.

Wow...wow...wow.

So should we guess at who replaces him? My first guess is Ross Brawn. My second guess is Bob Bell (I'll be so bummed if that is the case).

 

I don't think Brawn would ever go to McLaren. I believe that 2006 will be the resurgence of Ferrari (Michael, along with the whole team will be motivated after the disappointing 2005 season, and that Bridgestone will be able to run their 2004 spec tires since tire changes will be allowed). I have a feeling McLaren is going to tank ala 2004 as well .


The new formula should make things interesting, and I'm willing to bet there will be more engine failures next year (most teams had the 3.0L V10's down to a science) and hopefully the 2006 aero tweaks allows the cars to run near each other. Needless to say I can't wait!

 

2005 was the season that broke Schumi. Besides his "token win" at Indy. He Blew Chunks the whole year! It is kind of like Michael Jordan in the NBA. The legend in Chicago twice, In Washington he was WASHED up!

The king is DEAD! God bless the king. ALL hail the new king. Long live the new king! God bless the king.

Besides the Ferrari boys never played a Queen song on their instruments!

 

EXACTLY!

 

Um...3rd place in the championship in a 2nd-rate chassis, with 2nd-rate tires and you think he's washed up? I'm sure glad you're not my boss!

Even if the USGP would have been a typical 2005 race, the worst he would have finished in the championship would have been 5th - behind only the Renault and McLaren drivers who had vastly superior equipment.

No, I think we have yet to see the last of Michael Schumacher. Will he win another championship? I don't think so, but with so many changes for 2006 there will be surprises. Will he remain competitive? Absolutely.

Anyway, I don't think a new king has been crowned. Alonso rode early-season dominance and season-long reliability to the title, but Kimi was the fastest thing on four wheels for the majority of the season, but his equipment let him down time and again.

Leave it to F1 to scrap the scenario that led to their great season when it would have been awesome to see them fight it out again in 2006. Now with new engines and more new rules, everything is up in the air again.

 

I think Schuey will be back at the front next season...at least I hope

There are so many variables for next season

How can Red Bull have 2 teams? How come Ferrari haven't created a second team since they have such a huge budget...a Maserati perhaps

I think McLaren will still be strong in 2006 as their 2004 tyres were pretty good, but they still have to fix the reliability issues. This is your chance to put up or shut up Montoya

I don't know why, but I think Red Bull are going to continue to do very well. Perhaps a few victories

 

Aren't Team RedBull and Scudarea Testa Torro members of the Kiss Bernie's Butox club? Along with Founding member Scudera Ferrari, and the former Jordan Grand Prix? Loosers who signed the new Concorde agreement?

If so heck I wouldn't be surprized to see Bernie's F1 series become a spec series not unlike CART. Ferrari Chassis and engines. But only "Scudarea Ferrari" gets the latest spec in chassis and engines. All other teams get used equiptment.

Rumors were that the 2004 Sauber chassis was only a re-painted 2003 Ferrari chassis

 

The rule is that each team must own the intellectual property rights pertaining to the chassis.

That is where Aguri Suzuki's new team ran into trouble. He thought he could run re-badged BAR chassis next year, but the FIA said he that wasn't allowed.

Sauber could run year-old Ferrari chassis because Ferrari, I assume, technically sold the rights to Sauber at the end of the preceding season. Not exactly adhering to the spirit of the rule. Considering Sauber's wind tunnel, I also assume they modified the chassis to some extent as well, but I don't really know.

I'm also not sure of the Italian Red Bull situation for next year. I understand it is going to be run out of Italy as a separate team, but I don't know what they are doing for chassis.

 

Sadily this is not how I wanted to see an american in F1 as an occasional driver in a grid filler team.

 

Just think of how many drivers got their starts in Minardi equipment, which is essentially where Scott Speed is starting, too. It seems like being on a bad F1 team is a prerequisite for eventually driving for a good F1 team. The good teams put more faith in a driver simply showing up for a season's worth of F1 races than they put in a driver performing well in a lesser series. Based on that, Scott Speed has a better shot of moving up from a Toro Rosso at the back of the grid than, say, Sebastian Bordais has after winning the CART title.

 

Here's a young tiger cub in his Minardi uni. Wonder if he'll ever amount to anything?

 

Point well taken. I didn't recognise him with out the curly hair and goatee

Somebody has to tell these guys to smile. It ain't like they are driving NASCAR! Now there is a reson to Frown!

 

Minardi was great in that they brought so many great drivers into F1, weren't they?

It really helps young drivers to get acquainted with the tracks, the technical aspects, the formula one circus, the media, the politics,

Minardi is really a great hands on education :smile:

 

Autosport is reporting that racing at Monza is threatened thanks to a court in Milan ruling that noise levels must be kept down. I'm trying to understand how it is that people living near a racing circuit that's been in operation since 1922 can be surprised that they can hear racing cars several days a year and think that the solution is to attempt to shut the track down.

Mark

 

That sounds remarkable similar to Americans that buy their house right next to an International airport and then complain about the noise, ala Denver. As a pilot and lover of racing, I wouldn't mind living next to a track or airport!

 

I'm surprised to be the first to post this news:

Nov. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Bernie Ecclestone, who runs Formula One, sold part of his stake in the car-racing series to buyout firm CVC Capital Partners Ltd. amid a threat by auto companies to set up their own competition.
CVC also acquired the 48 percent stake held by Bayerische Landesbank, Ecclestone, 75, said in an interview today. The U.K. billionaire, who used to control 25 percent, will remain chief executive of Formula One, the world's most watched motor sport with 150 million viewers per race. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
``It means stability,'' said Ecclestone, who still owns what he calls a ``significant'' stake in the business. ``The German bank could have sold to anybody.''
By teaming up with a firm already involved in motor sport, Ecclestone may avert a breakaway from five carmakers including Renault SA who want to increase their share of Formula One's $1 billion income to 75 percent from 25 percent. Ecclestone has managed the sport's commercial rights since 1981. CVC already controls Madrid-based Dorna Sports SA, which runs world motorcycling championship MotoGP.
``It's extremely positive for Formula One,'' Ron Dennis, part-owner of the McLaren team, said in a phone interview. BayernLB's ``intention was to turn their share certificates into money. This new shareholder has an interest in developing Formula One.''

 

I wouldn't be suprized at all to find out that Bernie owns or has the dominant share of stock in the CVC Captital Partners Ltd.

 

Here is a description of CVC: http://tinyurl.com/967hu

Summary:

 

Looks like Toyota is getting a jump on things.



Is there a schedule as to when teams can launch a new vehicle? Or do they do it when they think they're ready? Are there rules/courtesies to follow?

 

They can introduce their cars anytime they want, although you can bet that the actual car that they race in Bahrain is going to look a little different. By introducing the car early, they can essentially come up with a second spec car in time for the season.

102 days and counting...

 

Here's an itv-f1.com exclusive of Williams' new livery sans HP sponsorship, incorporating the chevron from Frank Williams' early days. Pretty classy, but sadly that's the result of not having a top tier sponsor on board at this point. Sure would be nice if all F1 cars had big numbers on them!

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=34608