OT: Racing 2010 (Spoiler Alert)

[Gurantsu]

King Arthur: Your bloody factory is up for sale!

Black Knight: It's just a flesh wound!

[GB_Simo]

News for all of you Villeneuve fans which is what, zero on DSP?

One.

He laboured horribly on the way to the 1997 title, was generally outperformed by both Panis and Button at BAR and wasn't all that hot in a Renault or a Sauber. In spite of that, I do like him. His face didn't fit at BMW, which was unfortunate as his pace was no worse than that of Heidfeld (though it's difficult to argue that puting Kubica in the car was anything other than sensible), but he should be at least competent and isn't likely to bore either.

It makes sense for Stefan GP to have an ex-champ on board too, if they're trying to press home the idea that they're a sensible outfit capable of running in Bahrain should they be called upon. It should add at least a little credibility, though it probably shouldn't - I suspect Jacques will drive for anyone that offers him a car. Start-up teams with an ex-champ at the wheel don't necessarily fare well, though. See Copersucar, Beatrice and...oh, what were they called now...ah! British American Racing.

[Rodster]

And according to this AutoWeek article USF1 has lost it's only driver.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100218/F1/100219890

"A close associate of Lopez told AutoWeek earlier on Thursday: “U.S. F1 hadn't finished the car, and we had promised everyone that we would be in the first race in Bahrain. That's why Felipe [McGough] decided to reorganize everything, because we can't miss Bahrain. The only thing we want is that ‘Pechito' drives in F1. Everything else is not important for us.”

There has been no response from U.S. F1 to Wednesday's revelations that both Lopez and Hurley have left the team."

[GB_Simo]

Yup, mentioned that in my post yesterday. Been doing the rounds for a couple of days, and if it's confirmed, it'd suggest that the meetings USF1's chiefs of staff are apparently having in London will involve finding a way out of their contractual obligations as laid out in the latest Concorde Agreement, rather than any sort of last-minute rescue.

Given that USF1 continue to insist that they're still in business, either they or the watching world are talking a barely imaginable amount of bullshit. It's time, some way past time in fact, to show us a car or give it up and let someone else have a go.

[toonarmy]

Windsor is obviously a dishonest clown. Bernie clearly was not meddling after all last month when he was pushing for Stefan and dissing USF1. He simply knew at the time that USF1 was not a legitimate operation and had no chance in hell of putting cars on the grid. I hope this is the last we see of Windsor. It's one thing to give an honest go at things and then admit defeat when it does not work out, it's a whole other to string F1 and its fans along up until the season is almost ready to begin with nothing but Grade-A lies and/or delusions. It would be awesome if Stefan can somehow gain entry to the 2010 season. They've basically been running a shadow program from what I've read, so perhaps they are far enough along to compete. I have not had time to closely monitor the situation this week, so perhaps someone can fill me in on any developments with Stefan.

[pk500]

Stefan fired up its car for the first time this morning. Maybe USF1 did the same thing -- on a copy of rFactor on a PC at its factory.

[Rodster]

USF1 is asking the FIA if they can miss the first not three but first four races. And no mention that they lost their only driver.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81616

I like this quote from an article on ESPNF1.com

"The team responded to rumours it was facing problems by insisting "we are not gone" on Thursday, but Anderson has now told the New York Times that US F1 is in financial trouble.

"We're working with the FIA to clarify how many races we can miss," he told the newspaper. "

Hey Ken I can answer that one for you and i'm not in F1. The answer is zero, nada, you better not miss a race or it'll cost you. My advice is to work out something with Stefan GP and give them the entry.

[Rodster]

http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/9205.html

And here's what they're hoping for in order to save face.

"However, Anderson admitted that the FIA might turn down US F1's request and put the team out of business."

[GB_Simo]

http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/9205.html

And here's what they're hoping for in order to save face.

"However, Anderson admitted that the FIA might turn down US F1's request and put the team out of business."

Might, and should.

In a week that saw two new teams run the cars they'll take to Bahrain and a third take what looks like a positive step towards doing the same, it has been demonstrated that there was no technical obstacle preventing USF1 from joining them. If they're coming up short it's through bad planning and bad management, instruments of a downfall that the FIA are under no obligation to avert.

Suppose, as it's reasonable to do, that they aren't ready for Barcelona either. What then? How many in-season testing rules have to be bent to allow them to run the car? What message does it send to Lotus, Virgin and Campos if it's allowed? If Stefan are ready to run, get them in and be done with the whole saga.

[Rodster]

Today Fernando Alonso let the cat out of the bag by saying the F10 is the best car he's ever driven and that Ferrari have yet to show what they are capable of.

Me, like what I hear, sorry Adam.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81623

[GB_Simo]

There's no doubt that they're strong, mate, none at all. What remains in doubt is how strong, same as goes for McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams, Sauber and Renault, who've all shown reasonably well every so often. Remember that this time last year, Massa was saying similar things about the F60 after a decent set of winter tests, and remember that there's still a lot of waiting and seeing to be done.

Button said yesterday that the Ferrari looked good on track, and that he thought the Merc was a bit twitchy at the rear. He added the qualifier that if Schumacher was carrying 150 kilos of fuel while Jenson was following him, then his car was entitled to look that way. He might also have added that Schumi is quite able to live with a lively rear end and has in the past tended to drive and develop cars with exactly that behavioural trait. What does it all mean?

Matters are being further complicated by the weather in Jerez, which hasn't been all that kind all that often. If it stays dry for the upcoming Barcelona test we'll start to see answers, especially from teams like Sauber that missed out on the best of the dry running this week.

[Rodster]

Sorry I can't hear you.

[fletcher21]

So far the Danica project is a big flop. Godaddy is getting a ton of publicity though, so I don't think they care if she finishes last every week as long as her mug is on tv and they get their advertising. I am sad to say that I think my days of being a fan of Neckcar are over. It's just so boring compared to WRC, F1 and British/German touring cars. I was watching a German touring car race the other day and noticed Ralf Schumacher is racing in an AMG Benz. Quite a demotion from F1 to touring cars.

[Rodster]

Fletch, Ralf is rumored to a seat in F1. I forget if it was Campos or Stefan GP but is was rumored an F1 team wanted him back. As far as Danica goes I still stand by what I said. She's decent as in average and that's not demeaning to Danica as she wants to be considered a race car driver not as a female race car driver.

The results are pretty much what I expected. IMO she should stick to Indycars. Again she's decent, she attracts the fans and sponsors and she's good for the series. Just don't expect her to win much.

[GB_Simo]

Ralf was linked to Stefan, Rod, but there isn't a seat there for him anymore if Zoran Stefanovic is to be believed. As far as he's concerned, he's signed Villeneuve. As far as Jacques is concerned, he hasn't yet.

I'm not absolutely sure I know what people were expecting from Danica's early stock car races. Her first oval races in the Nationwide cars are going no worse or better than Juan Pablo Montoya's, and he's hardly been a flop in the long term. The depth of talent in stock car racing is far greater than in US single seater racing, the cars are wholly different beasts and she will struggle initially. Judging her performances now is an utter waste of time.

Fletch, your post might be the first time I've seen NASCAR called boring in comparison to F1 and DTM. Those DTM touring cars almost seem to have been designed to discourage overtaking. British touring cars, though, are back on form after the lean years of the late 90s and early 00s.

[fletcher21]

The British touring car series is a bit more exciting for sure. Those are some fun races. Speed channel was showing German touring cars from 11am-noon followed by British touring cars from noon-1 for a while there. Not a bad way to spend 2 hours.

[pk500]

The British touring car series is a bit more exciting for sure. Those are some fun races. Speed channel was showing German touring cars from 11am-noon followed by British touring cars from noon-1 for a while there. Not a bad way to spend 2 hours.

Not at all. The BTCC is bad-ass. Great, full-contact road racing.

[GB_Simo]

Very interesting reading, and it's on Autosport, whose policy is generally to check and double check the story before they run it:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81664

[pk500]

Very interesting reading, and it's on Autosport, whose policy is generally to check and double check the story before they run it:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81664

Sorry, but the "senior staff member" quoted anonymously in the story just reeks of Windsor.

Windsor has been in the F1 press/marketing corps for 30-plus years. Everyone knows him. I think most like him. So if he calls in favors from Jonny Noble and Dieter Rencken, both F1 press corps vets, they're probably going to help Pete out.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit that Windsor has gone underground as a source in a last-ditch PR effort to save the team. He's already hung out his neck way too far with his on-the-record PR efforts, so he trims the risk by going on the record as an anonymous source if this story turns out to be bullshit like the rest of the PR surrounding the team.

Plus there are rumors of a rift between Windsor and Anderson, and the way this source trashes Anderson's management of the car build process points to Windsor. The quote from Windsor at the end of the piece -- funny, the end of the piece is the only spot in which he's quoted -- reads like something straight from a PR man's mind. I know: I write quotes like this for press releases for a living.

This story also can be seen as a coy tactic to shift the blame to Hurley if the entire shithouse goes up in flames. Windsor needs to keep some credibility in F1 and Anderson in formula car racing, in general: It's the only way they make their livelihoods.

If Chad Hurley is seen as a villain in motor racing, he still has a little firm called YouTube to fall back on. I think he'll be OK.

Hate to be skeptical, but the track record for USF1 makes it too easy to connect these dots.

[toonarmy]

Wow. More excuses from USF1. Imagine that! With USF1 knowing the tight schedule of getting cars onto the grid for 2010, I find what is being said in the article about delays to be a bit odd. As much as I want USF1 to succeed, I do not think they should be allowed to enter the season as late as they desire. At the rate they are going there is a good chance they will come up with even more excuses once the fourth or fifth race comes around. F1 is not the amateur hour.

[GB_Simo]

Very interesting reading, and it's on Autosport, whose policy is generally to check and double check the story before they run it:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81664

Sorry, but the "senior staff member" quoted anonymously in the story just reeks of Windsor.

Windsor has been in the F1 press/marketing corps for 30-plus years. Everyone knows him. I think most like him. So if he calls in favors from Jonny Noble and Dieter Rencken, both F1 press corps vets, they're probably going to help Pete out.

Do USF1 actually have any other senior staff members still on the payroll? I especially like the emphasis on how the lack of sponsorship wasn't because Peter hadn't tried, and how he hadn't twigged until a few weeks ago that the situation was dire. In other words, all Anderson's fault.

Have you ever looked at the profile of Ken Anderson on the USF1 official site? There are at least a couple of things in his resume that I'm fairly sure he didn't actually do...

How many scapegoats does one team need? This talk of asking the FIA to miss 4 races is surely, surely to allow USF1, in a week or so, to turn around and say that they did everything they could but the FIA wouldn't cut them any slack. Never mind that everyone else seems to be managing to get 2 cars ready, and never mind that there's no way the team can guarantee they'll be ready for Barcelona from their current position.

Edit:

This story also can be seen as a coy tactic to shift the blame to Hurley if the entire shithouse goes up in flames. Windsor needs to keep some credibility in F1 and Anderson in formula car racing, in general: It's the only way they make their livelihoods.

Which is, of course, the section relevant to my last paragraph, but leads to another question: shifting the blame to Hurley, especially since it seems to be widely considered that he hasn't been the problem, and the whole 'missing 4 races' business...are they not incredibly transparent as far as blame-shifting attempts go?

[Rodster]

Hopefully the FIA will grow a pair and give Team USF1 a swift kick in the ass on the way and out the door. Stefan GP couldn't test their car because they are not part of the Championship.

Campos and USF1 have NO business being in F1. It takes a lot of money and management skills to pull it off. I like the Ferrari article which spoke about this very same issue although it was a little to pompous but it's pretty much in line for Ferrari's hot head management.

[GB_Simo]

I like the Ferrari article which spoke about this very same issue although it was a little to pompous but it's pretty much in line for Ferrari's hot head management.

Ferrari are banging a different drum, though. It just happens that the new teams issue gives them a convenient platform from which to attack certain bodies, and certain presidents no longer in office at said bodies. There's quite a lot in that Ferrari release that I don't agree with - it's all about losing the manufacturers, ignoring the fact that if the bottom line doesn't support an F1 campaign, the manufacturers will leave whether they like Max Mos-um, certain presidents or not.

If you're dealing with independents, teams whose business is racing, then you have the opportunity to support those who are, by necessity, in it for the long haul, and it's my opinion that this is A Good Thing. You need to have the right independents, though, which seems to be where we're going wrong at the minute.

[pk500]

are they not incredibly transparent as far as blame-shifting attempts go?

Quite.

[Rodster]

Just for my bud PK. I don't know how long the pic will be up but Ferrari promised not to go Anvil.