Here’s a new phrases for your formula 1 phrasebook - “wheel frisbees“. That’s the term used by ITV to describe the wheel covers that were deployed in Turkey by Ferrari, Toyota & Toro Rosso. According to ITV, it’s likely that most teams will be using similar at the next race.
3 comments August 31st, 2006
As reported in various sources.
The National Sporting Authority of Turkey (TOSFED) and the Organisers of the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix (MSO) have been called to appear before a specially convened meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 19, 2006, to hear charges that they have acted in breach of the FIA Statutes, the International Sporting Code and the 2006 Formula One Sporting Regulations.
Add comment August 31st, 2006
The flurry of news over the Turkish grand prix is very interesting. I admit to missing the incident on the day, but having heard about what happened I do think that this is a big deal for the Turkish F1 authorities. Turkey losing the Grand Prix they fought so hard to secure is a strong possibility.
It all comes down to politics. Not the internal F1 politiking that keeps us amused all year, but real world politics where the stakes are so much higher.
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus was supposedly to protect the Turkish minority on the island, and led to the partition of Cyprus. The Turkish north of the island is not a recognised government (other than by Turkey), and some of the actions of the Turkish authorities in Northern Cyprus bordered on ethnic cleansing. Essentially you have two well armed members of NATO who have been almost continously on a war footing facing each other, and for whom Cyprus remains the principal flashpoint.
The Southern (Greek) part of Cyprus has recently joined the European Union. Small states within the EU have disproportionate powers, plus they are supported by the Greek government itself. Turkey has been in the midst of delicate negotiations to try and get EU membership for itself.
At the Turkish grand prix, Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of Turkish Cyprus was presented as the leader of a national government and was seen presenting prizes on the podium. This was not an accident, it wasn’t a mistake, it was a very deliberate provocation by whomever in Turkey authorised his position on the podium. What’s more, it appears that the Turks kept the FIA in the dark whilst being well aware that his presence would cause outrage. I imagine that when Ali Talat appeared on TV that Greek politicians were spitting blood.
The Turks have essentially used a major worldwide sporting event to promote a flashpoint political agenda. This would present a problem for any sporting body, but in the highly political world of FIA this is even more of a problem. Many of you will know that Max Mosley is the son of the British Facist leader of the 1930s, Oswald Mosley. I’d venture that there are few if any leaders of major sporting organisations who are more aware of real world politics than Max. If this happened at say Spa, it would have been the final F1 race ever held there.
The saving grace for Turkey is, as ever, money. A huge market of 400 million people which has been opened to Formula 1. Even this though may not be enough to save them. Within the EU, Greece and the Greek Cypriots have the capability to cause huge trouble for F1 (think of the tobacco regulations). I’m sure that the Greeks have made it clear to the FIA that they will not tolerate a repeat, or they may even be making stronger threats.
One thing is for clear. If the FIA can not get a cast iron guarantee that this will not be repeated, the Turkish Grand Prix will be finished.
4 comments August 30th, 2006
There’s been a lot of grumbling amongst the media and supporters about the perceived lack of excitement in Formula 1 in recent years. Enough I say, if you’re watching F1 solely for “excitement” you’re missing the point.
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. If you have ambitions to be a racing driver, there is nowhere to go after you become F1 world champion. At that point you have risen through the various lower series to become acknowledged as the best driver in the world. (perhaps the best driver in the world is actually driving a tractor through a field in China, but let’s not mention opportunities).
If you want excitement, you can find buckets of it throughout motorsport in the lower levels. Karting alone is tremendously exciting, close, wheel to wheel action. If you’re a football fan, you’ll see excitement at all levels. If your team has a chance to win the cup, sure you want them to play in an exciting game but ultimately you just want them to win.
Part of the problem is that “excitement” is a term that is interpreted differently from person to person. I know plenty of people who watch only the first lap or two of an F1 race because they hope to see a crash. The race itself bores them, they will go watch something else. F1 has been pretty boring for them recently. F1 could make itself more exciting for these fans, but is it any good for the sport?
We should stop moaning about the lack of “excitement”. F1 is the premier series, and no driver is going to turn down a chance to race in it because he can get more excitement somewhere else. No true motor racing fan will stop watching F1 it it isn’t “exciting”. If we shout and roar about excitement we are just going to force the motor racing authorities to manipulate the sport to create artificial scenarios which will lessen the ability of F1 to showcase the best drivers.
6 comments August 29th, 2006
Another race, another edge of the seat thriller. This is the most exciting season in recent years by far. Alonso’s driving in the last 15 laps was the best piece of defensive driving I’ve seen. After San Marino and Canada, this was yet another piece of ‘to the limit’ racing between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Unlike Canada and Imola, the Istanbul circuit is full of overtaking opportunities. This is what makes Alonso’s 2nd place even more special.
There were two turning points in this race. The first one was the safety car period which clearly worked in favour of Renault. The second one was Michael Schumacher running wide in one of the corners during his second stint. Had it not been for that, he would’ve gained track position over Alonso after the 2nd pit stop. A lot of observations could be made from this race. One of them is that Michael Schumacher made a mistake and Fernando Alonso did not. The same thing happened in Hungary too. To me, this is a sign that the Schumacher era is over and the Alonso era has begun. Alonso knew that his car was not as fast as the Ferraris. He had to drive a perfect race and hope for others (Michael) to make a mistake and for things to work out in his favour. And he did just that. A few people would’ve doubted Alonso’s temperament after Hungary, but Alonso proved today that he’s got a cool head on his shoulders and nerves of steel in his body. Nothing to take away from Michael. He drove a brilliant race in the last 15 laps, but Alonso was just too good. If Michael couldn’t, then nobody else could.
This result has proved one more thing. A faster car doesn’t necessarily guarantee victory. So it is 4 races and 12 points. Definitely a tight finish on the cards. The next race could also see some major announcements made by Ferrari regarding the future of its key personnel including Schumacher. But I really doubt that even if Schumi has decided to call it quits after ‘06, whether he will announce it at this stage of the season.
Brilliant driving by Fisichella and Massa too. But the real victor of the day was definitely Fernando Alonso.
Continue Reading 3 comments August 27th, 2006
Some more as requested!
Thierry Boutsen
I’ll never really forgive Thierry for his lackluster performanace at Jordan. Although he was never champion, he did have some great days in F1, including several wins - possibly the best being in beating Senna into second place in the rain in Hungary.
Today he runs Boutsen aviation which is a company specialising in buying and selling corporate aircraft. He lives in Monte Carlo.
Mika Salo
Salo was one of those guys who could have been great but had events conspire against him. When Schumacher broke his leg, Salo was given the seat. This would have been his breakthrough, and even though he appeared faster than his teammate Irvine, he was forced to allow the Irishman through owing to Championship position. Faded badly at Sauber following this.
Today Mika is back full-time having signed with Risi Competizione in the ALMS and with AF Corse in the FIA GT to drive the Ferrari 430.
He currently resides in Monaco with his Japanese wife Noriko (born Endo) and their son, Max and daughter Mai. (above from Wikipedia)
Johnny Herbert
Johnny was as fast as the very best, but a terrible accident early in his career badly stunted his racing career. In Herbert’s day, you needed to be physically tough to endure races, and at certain circuits he was unable to use his legs in the manner required (braking etc) purely because of his injuries.
Today he is Sporting Relations manager with Midland F1, whatever that means. He’s 42 now, but is still looking to race in some series that suits him.
Ricardo Patrese
I never understood how he lasted in F1 as long as he did (256 starts). I suppose 6 wins and 37 podiums were the reason. The David Coulthard of his day.
These days he races, not very well, in Grand Prix masters. Seems like a nice guy though overall.
2 comments August 26th, 2006
Who do you think are the bravest racers in any motorsport? I know who I consider them to be - those 2 wheel road racers who race in the annual Isle of Man TT. Too brave maybe - there have been 222 deaths. I asked Neil from the excellent bike racing orientated The Fastest Lap blog to write a piece about this event, which is well known to bike racers worldwide but isn’t well known to other motorsport fans outside of the UK & Ireland. If anyone wants to pen a piece about a motorsport they love, let me know!
Turn up the sound and enjoy the music.
In the world of motorsport, the idea of a “pilgrimage” is a common one. Those “in the know” who travel extensively will tell you about the magic of sportscars coming through Eau Rouge at Spa, the sound of forty stock cars at the drop of the green flag at Daytona or the elegance and drama that is the Monaco Grand Prix. But in the world of motorcycle racing, one event stands above all others when it comes to the ultimate two-wheel trip: The Isle of Man TT.
For two weeks every year, in late May, thousands upon thousands of motorbike fans hop onto ferries or small aircraft and make the short trip to the Isle of Man, a small island of 220 square miles, situated midway between Britain and Ireland. They come to watch some of the bravest (some would say most foolish) racers in the world take on the legendary 37-mile Mountain Course. Almost certainly some of those who come to the TT will not make it home alive, not just racers but the occasional spectator too - over the years the death toll has risen to 222. Far from the cosseted, glitzy world of MotoGP, with its huge gravel traps, carefully-herded spectators and comfy media centers, TT visitors get to witness bike racing at its most brutal and primitive, the way it used to be.
A lap starts in the capital of Douglas, and spends about 7 miles on gently sweeping roads before diving into a very tricky 3-mile valley section. From there the competitors run on flat, fast open roads through small towns before arriving at the base of Snaefell, the mountain that inspires the course’s name. After a high-speed descent off the mountain competitors return through the suburbs of Douglas to complete the 37 miles. The very best riders will complete the lap in under 18 minutes at an average speed of more than 125mph, mere inches from unprotected stone walls, kerbs, telephone poles and bus shelters.
A complete lap (?) - onboard camera - Jun Maeda I think (RIP)
Anyone used to the concept of “race weekend” will be all at sea here. Since the event runs on public roads, only a small amount of racing can occur each day. As such, five days of practice with one session per day are followed by a week of races. All the usual classes are represented: fully-modified 1000cc street bikes in the Superbike class, virtually stock 1000cc bikes in the Superstock class, and their smaller siblings, the 600cc Junior class. In addition, there are two races for the somewhat bizarre Sidecars, and a kind of “best of the best” event at the end of the week, where top riders from each class go head-to-head in the Senior TT.
Naturally, anytime you put that many racing fans in one place for two weeks, there’s going to be a party, and much of the attraction of the TT stems from this fact. Those who bring their own bikes have plenty of opportunity to use them, from “Mad Sunday”, which opens the course to non-racers for a short time, to amateur drag races to simple cruising and posing everyday. Visitors tend to stay for the whole event, and it’s this sheer magnitude which puts the government of the island in such a quandry. As much as they’d like to kill off the TT for safety reasons, it makes up a significant amount of the island’s annual revenue, and its loss would be crippling. During the foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001 the races were cancelled, and merchants got to see firsthand the impact that it had.
Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the event, although the current course was first used in 1911. Between 1949 and 1976 the TT was part of the Grand Prix World Championship, and continued as part of the FIM Formula 1 championship until its demise in 1990. Throughout the years the island has played host to some of the top names in bike racing, including Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Carl Fogarty, Ron Haslam and Joey Dunlop. Of all these big names however, it’s Dunlop who stands tallest in TT lore. The dimunutive Irishman racked up 26 wins at the TT before his tragic death in a road race in Estonia in 2000. Joey encapsulated all that the sport of “real road racing” stands for: bravery, modest budgets, sheer talent, cameraderie with your peers and a simple love of a sport that most people (particularly safety advocates from other areas of racing) dismiss as ridiculous. Joey’s shadow looms large at the TT, nonemoreso than on the mountain itself where a statue of the fallen racer overlooks Bungalow Bend.
Any pilgrimage should have one final destination, and those who make the trek can truly say they’ve arrived when they stand next to Joey’s statue, as his spiritual successors speed by below at 190mph.
Further reading:
http://www.iomtt.com
http://www.realroadracing.com
http://www.joeydunlopfoundation.com
A retrospective video showing some of the greats.
Above by Neil from The Fastest Lap blog . Also being discussed on the forums
19 comments August 23rd, 2006
First in what may be a random series 
Phil Hill
Phil is the only American born driver to have become World Champion (1961).
Currently he is a contributing editor for Road & Track magazine.
Nigel Mansell
What can you say about Mansell? Formula 1 and CART Champion in subsequent years, remembered as one of the most agressive drivers of that golden era alongside people like Prost, Senna, Piquet & others.
Today he has a financial stake in the Grand Prix masters series and is currently racing in that series. He also plays a lot of golf (a lot of golf). The European Golf Seniors tour had a “Nigel Mansell Sunseeker International Classic” event in 2003, 2004 & 2005. He is President of the Dream-a-way charity.
Alain Prost
The professor, Senna’s bitter rival, who was every bit his equal in skill.
After the demise of Prost Grand Prix, Prost took up cycling (really). These days he is to be found ice racing in the French Andros trophy.
Damon Hill
Underrated or overrated? I think Hill’s performances will long be a matter of debate.
After retiring from F1 in 1999 he played in a band called the “Conrads”. He became chairman of the British Racing Drivers’ Club in 2006. The BRDC organise the British GP at Silverstone.
8 comments August 22nd, 2006
Ever wonder how rumours start? Here’s an unfounded rumour that I’m going to start here. Midland F1 are being sold to a Dutch consortium, and as part of the takeover deal Jos Verstappen will make a return to Formula 1 as team lead. It’s funny how the two drivers who seem to arouse most passion from their fans both carry the initials JV.
The Midland to be sold bit sounds like it will become a reality, with both Pitpass and Grandprix.com reporting it. You have to wonder what Alex Shnaider, the buyer of Midland F1 (ex Jordan) was upto when he bought the team. Originally it sounded like he wanted to turn it into some Russian superteam. When the expected financial backing didn’t materialise (I’m speculating) he may have decided to get out while he could get a good return on his investment.
Now where do I see Jos potentially fitting in? The prime lead in the proposed Dutch consortium is Michiel Mol of “Lost Boys” who have been extensive supporters of Dutch drivers in the past, including Jos and currently Albers. Jos is currently languishing in the cartoon that is A1GP, and I’m sure wouldn’t turn down a chance for a return to F1. Let’s assume that Albers is a certainty to stay, the only question now is whether he will be the only Dutch driver in the team..
Let’s hope they don’t name the team “Lost boys” or it may become a self fulfilling prophecy.
Also being discussed on the forum.
12 comments August 21st, 2006
What was the best overtaking manoeuvre you’ve ever seen?
Some stick in my head.
Villineuve around around Schumacher
Hakkinen around Schumacher in Spa
Arnoux/Gilles battle at Dijon
Senna/Mansell wheel to wheel
Eddie Irvine Japan
This is my favourite
12 comments August 20th, 2006
From F1editorial
JV’s future is precariously balanced at the moment, but he indicated that - F1 aside - NASCAR would be a better option than returning to America’s open-wheeler categories such as Champ Car or the IRL.
He also mused: ”Le Mans, sports cars, DTM, IRL, Champ Car? Well, I’m sorry, but they’re all a step down from F1.
”NASCAR isn’t.”
10 comments August 19th, 2006
Which of the current crop of newbies, youngsters and up and comers do you think have what it takes to be future world champions?
Raikkonen will be one.
Webber may be one if he gets a competitive car.
Massa may be one.
Lewis Hamilton & Nelson Piquet Jr have what it takes.
Kubica has been impressive all season, and his first drive was very mature.
Our own John Edwards will be there at some stage 
From the Renault eurocup, Chris van der Drift looks a contender.
11 comments August 19th, 2006
Formula One – The Great Design Race will trace the history of the sport since it began in the 1950s, one of the great design stories of our time. Featuring an iconic car from each decade – including the Lotus 79, in which Andretti won the 1978 Drivers’ Championship and Lotus won the Constructors’ title, and the 1988 MP4/4-2 driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, which won 15 out of 16 races for McLaren – the exhibition will also include an ‘exploded’ car, the current World Championship-winning Renault F1 team car, which will deconstruct the design and development of the different parts. A series of design stories will explain the aerodynamics of the chassis and cockpit; the power generated by the engine, gearbox and fuel; and the advances in suspension, brakes and tyres which determine the drivers’ ability to control their cars at extraordinarily high speed and often perilous conditions.
As well as focusing on the history and technology of the sport, the Design Museum will present a year in the life of Formula One, with a behind the scenes look at the excitement, complexity and logistics that enable a team to compete throughout a season. Each race team will be represented, including Ferrari, Honda, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault, Toyota and Williams, as well as iconic cars from the Donington Grand Prix Collection, the world’s largest collection of Grand Prix racing cars. The exhibition will close with a look towards the future in which key industry figures give their predictions for the future of Formula One design and technology.
The Design Museum website is here.
2 comments August 17th, 2006
Imagine a situation where Jacques Villeneuve left the Williams Team after the 1998 season and drove for Ferrari in 1999 instead of joining B.A.R.
That would mean Schuey wasn’t in the team so let’s pretend Schuey had a major offer from a new team. For the sake of argument, let’s say the B.A.R. Team expected to have Villeneuve in the team but he left for Ferrari, so they needed another top driver and they went after Schuey.
Let’s further pretend Schuey accepted the offer and drove for B.A.R.
Would Villeneuve now have 6 Drivers Championships and Schuey have his 2 from 1994 and 1995, or would Schuey be able to drive the B.A.R. to 5 consecutive championships?
Just asking?
22 comments August 16th, 2006
Well, after taking a much needed break for 1 race we have come back with the latest installment of the Linksheaven power rankings. Take a look here and tell us whether you agree or not.
Add comment August 15th, 2006
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