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Post by Ilhame on Mar 31, 2004 9:04:41 GMT -5
I missed the GP in Malaysia and can't wait for Bahrain. I read on teletext that the sand is glued in the desert so it can't get on the track ;D It's going to be interesting cause sand is bad for the engines and the tyres will lose grip quicker then normal.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 1, 2004 15:22:35 GMT -5
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 1, 2004 15:25:38 GMT -5
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Post by Ilhame on Apr 1, 2004 16:13:39 GMT -5
I noticed that like 2 or 3 years ago
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 1, 2004 20:43:20 GMT -5
Well, as someone who's only been following F1 for two years, it takes me awhile I never noticed he was so gosh darn cute before, though. Really nice pics of him from Bahrain
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Post by Lee on Apr 2, 2004 14:40:12 GMT -5
uk.sports.yahoo.com/040402/2/2z5p.htmlNightmare start for McLaren Fri 02 Apr, 5:12 PM MANAMA (Reuters) - McLaren's miserable start to the Formula One season has continued after an engine failure cost Kimi Raikkonen 10 places on the starting grid for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix. Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello lapped fastest in practice on Friday for Formula One's debut in the Middle East with Michael Schumacher comfortable in fourth, but McLaren had a nightmare. "We are on the backfoot, I don't think anyone can hide from that," said McLaren's British driver David Coulthard, who careered off in the afternoon session when a rear tyre delaminated. "We are at the base of the hill in terms of our competitors and we're trying to find a way up it." Finland's Raikkonen, closest rival to world champion Schumacher last season, has yet to finish a race this year after two rounds.
Flickering flames put paid to any hopes he might have had of pole position in Bahrain, the Finn pulling over on his first lap in the second session as fuel leaked on to the engine.
"The damage was severe enough that we need to change it," said Norbert Haug, motorsport head of McLaren's engine partners Mercedes.
Under new regulations, drivers are limited to one engine per weekend and are penalised 10 places on the grid if they have to use another. RENAULT PROBLEMS McLaren were not the only ones to have problems with engines and tyres, Renault also suffering from both. Spain's Fernando Alonso nursed his car home on a bare rim while Italian team mate Jarno Trulli mirrored Raikkonen's misfortune and pulled over with flames around the engine. The team said his problem was due to the fuel system and the unit did not need to be changed. Both McLaren and Renault run on Michelin tyres and the French manufacturer blamed drainage covers that became detached from their concrete bases on the circuit, creating sharp ridges. The afternoon practice raised hopes of a real challenge to Schumacher after the morning had left them looking little more than a mirage with the German leading the way. Williams and BAR, Ferrari's closest rivals in the previous race in Malaysia, again looked the most likely to put up a fight with BAR test driver Anthony Davidson third fastest in both Friday's sessions. "I definitely like this track because it's quite challenging and this is how a good circuit must be," said Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya, second to Barrichello in the afternoon. OFF THE ROAD "It seemed like quite a chaotic session, with several cars going off the track," declared Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. "Our drivers sometimes came to a corner and found there was a lack of grip because of dust thrown onto the circuit." Six times champion Schumacher, winner of the season's first two races, claimed the early bragging rights with a fastest lap of 1:32.158, yielding later though to Barrichello's 1:31.450. Briton Davidson, who will not race on Sunday, was only 0.8 seconds slower than Schumacher in the first session. Timo Glock claimed his own small piece of history. The Jordan reserve driver is allowed to practise on Friday under a new ruling this season allowing all but the top four teams to run three cars on the first day. The German was first out of the pits at the start of the session, becoming the first driver to run on the circuit at a grand prix weekend.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 2, 2004 15:54:18 GMT -5
ARGH!! How many damn races does Kimi have to forfeit before they realize ITS THE ENGINE, STUPID! All of his race retirements this year have been engine-related problems. Jesus, should we give up all hope now and just not bother with it?
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Post by Lee on Apr 2, 2004 15:58:53 GMT -5
Not just engine, the tires suck too!
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 3, 2004 15:40:54 GMT -5
Bahrain GP qualifying times:
1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 30.139secs 2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 30.530secs +0.391secs 3. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW 1min 30.581secs +0.442secs 4. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW 1min 30.633secs +0.494secs 5. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 1min 30.827secs +0.688secs 6 Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 1min 30.856secs +0.717secs 7. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault 1min 30.971secs +0.832secs 8. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota 1min 31.686secs +1.547secs 9. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota 1min 31.717secs +1.578secs 10. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1min 31.719secs +1.580secs 11. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas 1min 31.731secs +1.592secs 12. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 32.332secs +2.193secs 13. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas 1min.32.536secs +2.397secs 14 Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 32.625secs +2.486secs 15. Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford 1min 34.105secs +3.966secs 16. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1min 34.130secs +3.991secs 17. Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth 1min 34.584secs +4.445secs 18. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth 1min 35.787secs +5.648secs 19. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes no time** 20. Nick Heidfeld Germany Jordan-Ford 1min 33.506secs +3.367secs*
[/li][li] [** denotes position dictated by 10-place penalty and failure to complete lap]
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 3, 2004 16:14:49 GMT -5
from crashnet:
Heidfeld sent to the back.
Nick Heidfeld will join former Sauber team-mate Kimi Raikkonen on an unlikely back row of the grid for tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix, after suffering a similar engine-related fate to the Finn.
Both drivers endured engine problems on the opening day of the historic meeting, although Heidfeld's fate remained unclear until the teams reconvened at the Sakhir circuit this morning. The Jordan team had identified that the safety shut-down system had killed the engine during Friday's practice session, but subsequently found damage to the unit that prevented it from being used reliably for the rest of the weekend, as required by the rules.
As a result, the German went into qualifying knowing that his resulting position would be demoted ten places on the final grid and, when he clocked the 15th fastest lap - not helped by a cone flicked onto the racing line by team-mate Giorgio Pantano - he was demoted to the rear of the pack, joining Raikkonen, whose McLaren team opted not to send the Finn out for a timed effort.
“I qualified the same as I did in the previous two races but, unfortunately, this time, as we had to change the engine after free practice yesterday, I have to start ten places further back," a resigned Heidfeld confirmed, "Still, I think we did a reasonable job learning the new circuit, despite losing some crucial time yesterday when I missed most of the second practice session due to the engine problem.”
Team-mate Pantano was frustrated by his run, which proved to be one of his most ragged of the weekend and ultimately yielded 15th place as Heidfeld's penalty took effect.
“I'm not happy really because, today, we tried different set-up configurations with the car and it hurt me a lot," he revealed, "Now we need to understand why it's changed so much between one day and the next. I find it very strange because we did good timed laps and found a good car yesterday and, today, we have not been able to find a balance.”
“Both drivers found a change in balance given the rise in track temperature this afternoon," reported head of engineering James Robinson, "We worked on correcting this for the second run but did not get on top of it quickly enough.”
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Post by Kiro on Apr 4, 2004 11:45:25 GMT -5
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 4, 2004 14:13:48 GMT -5
OMG, it's like the Pete Sampras years Kimi only completed 7 laps Bahrain GP Results: 1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 57 laps 1hr 28min 34.875secs 2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +1.300secs 3. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +26.600secs 4. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault +32.200secs 5. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda +52.400sec 6. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault +53.100secs 7. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW +58.100secs 8. Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth +1 lap 9. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota +1 lap 10. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota +1 lap 11. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas +1 lap 12. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +1 lap 13. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW +1 lap 14. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth +1 lap 15. Nick Heidfeld Italy Jordan-Ford +1 lap 16. Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford +2 laps 17. Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth +5 lap Rtd David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes 50 laps completed Rtd Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth 44 laps completed Rtd Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 7 laps completed
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 4, 2004 14:15:31 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Jensen Button is certainly worming his way into my heart this year Second podium in a row! www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=88852Podium for Button, best for Sato Jenson Button made it two-in-a-row after scoring his second podium finish in consecutive races at the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix, while BAR-Honda team-mate Takuma Sato gave the British squad something else to cheer by recording his best ever F1 finish. Button finished third at the new Sakhir circuit just two weeks after achieving his long-awaited first-ever podium in Malaysia. The Briton, who started from the dirtier side of the grid after qualifying sixth, dropped to seventh at the start, but, after biding his time through the opening sector of the race, used a well-judged wing adjustment to up his pace and close in on those ahead of him. Finally getting ahead of Renault's Jarno Trulli at the third and final pit-stop, Button was then best placed to take advantage of a mechanical problem on Juan Montoya's Williams and inherit third place behind the two Ferraris. "I didn't get a very good start and I was stuck behind Ralf [Schumacher] in turn one, so I dropped back a bit," he confirmed, "In the first stint, I was suffering quite badly from understeer, so I was losing a lot of time in the high-speed corners. However, at the first stop, we made a front wing adjustment and, after that, the car ran really well. "It's fantastic to be on the podium again so soon after Malaysia - it was a great first race here and a brilliant result for the team. They have done another fantastic job here this weekend, and it's great to be lying third in the drivers' championship at this stage in the season. We're still only three races into our relationship with Michelin, so we're still learning a lot about the package, but it's really starting to come together now." Team-mate Sato also delivered a strong performance, after starting from a career best fifth on the grid. Unlike Button, the Japanese driver gained a place at the start, but was involved in an incident with Ralf Schumacher shortly afterwards that left the German spinning through the air. An incident of his own allowed Button through and into fifth place, and forced the second BAR into the pits for a new front wing, but Sato battled his way back through the field to be holding a point-scoring position in the closing stages. Despite being under increasing pressure from Renault's Fernando Alonso, who had also had to stop for a new nose at the start of the race, Sato benefited from Montoya's problem to claim a best-ever finish of fifth. The third-fifth result also represented BAR's best combined finish, improving on last year's Japanese Grand Prix. "From a personal point of view, I was quite disappointed with my race, because I was on the pace and could have achieved a stronger position than fifth today," Sato reckoned, annoyed by his off, "I ran wide, damaging the front wing on the kerb and I was forced to do an earlier pit-stop than I had planned. "Then, in my middle stint, the gurney came loose and we had to adjust it in my next pit-stop, so I lost a bit of time there too. Generally though, the car was working superbly and I was able to race alongside Coulthard and Alonso towards the end, which was great. I'm happy to deliver a points finish for the team, because every point counts in the end - and I can't wait for Imola."
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 4, 2004 14:18:21 GMT -5
ITS THE ENGINE, STUPID! McLaren plumbs the depthsNeither McLaren-Mercedes saw the chequered flag in the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix, as both Kimi Räikkönen and David Coulthard retired with engine-related problems. For Raikkonen, it was his fourth such problem in three grands prix meetings, having already been docked ten grid places after an engine change on Friday and dropping out of the Australian and Malaysian GPs with failures. In Bahrain, the Finn retired after eight of the race's 57 laps due to a fiery engine failure, having earlier made a good start and enjoyed a spirited scrap with Jaguar rookie Christian Klien.. "I started the race from last, but made a good start and gained quite a few places during the first couple of laps,” Raikkonen said, reviewing his short race, "I was battling with one of the Jaguars for eleventh but, all of a sudden, I lost power and my engine went. "There is not really anything else I can say or do. I just want to forget this weekend and look forward to the rest of the year." Team-mate Coulthard came into the pits on lap 50 after suffering a loss of pneumatic pressure in his Mercedes V10, and then stopped at the end of the pit-lane after an unsuccessful effort to repair the problem. The Scot had qualified tenth and improved one place by the end of the opening lap. However, after dropping back behind Mark Webber, the pair enjoyed a close battle, settled at one time by a race out of the pits. It was while running eighth, that he came into the pits for the final time, missing out on a championship point. "The entire team is disappointed with the weekend's performance," admitted Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug, "We still have to investigate the reason for Kimi's engine failure, but know that David's retirement was caused by the loss of air in the pneumatic system of the engine. “We now have to work even harder together as a team to put every effort into improving our reliability and competitiveness."
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 4, 2004 14:23:28 GMT -5
Race incidents to be probed by FIA
The inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix may have passed off without a hitch for almost all those involved, there were two incidents during the 57-lap race that caused the FIA to invoke its new policy of reviewing possible penalties after the event.
The first came early in the proceedings, when Ralf Schumacher and Takuma Sato tangled while disputing fourth place. The Japanese driver had got a good start to vault past his German adversary into turn one, but the two remained in close contact until, on lap six, the contact became real.
Schumacher appeared to have got the better of Sato through turn one, but the feisty Japanese driver was not going to lie down quietly and was back alongside the Williams into the second corner. Unfortunately, Schumacher appeared to close off the one piece of road that the BAR needed to ensure that both cars got through the turn unscathed, and was launched into the air after clipping the front of Sato's machine.
Naturally, both drivers had differing views of the incident, which left Sato unscathed, but Schumacher well down the order and limping back to the pits for a precautionary check on his read suspension.
"The tangle with Ralf Schumacher was disappointing, because we should have got through turn two side-by-side," Sato insisted, "Instead, he just closed the door on me and turned in.”
"The collision was an unfortunate race incident, from my point of view," Schumacher responded, "However, he was a bit optimistic in thinking to get back the position he had simply just lost!"
The second incident under review occurred in the pits during the second round of stops, when Rubens Barrichello and Jarno Trulli came within inches of making contact.
While the Italian did not appear unduly worried by the near miss, Barrichello - the man under threat from the FIA committee - was at pains to point out that nothing was done deliberately.
"It was the same thing that happened to me in Malaysia," he explained after the race, "[Then] I was coming down the pit-lane and he cut across me and I had to brake. I don't think it was as severe as he was with me, because the problem here is that the pit-lane surface, compared to the asphalt, has so much less grip, so the speed that I had compared to Jarno was much greater on his side.
"I was trying to slowly get off this surface because I had no grip, and I was actually having problems and, when I saw him, I actually braked to avoid him, because he was going past me. But, nevertheless, the team told me to keep on pushing because I might get a penalty because of that. It was a bit worrying and a bit sad if that does happen, because it was not my intention to block Jarno at that point."
The outcome of the review should be known in the next 24 hours.
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Post by Ilhame on Apr 5, 2004 4:50:53 GMT -5
I missed the GP I just wanted to see the circuit, but looking at the outcome of the race, I don't mind missing it. Jenson is a talented driver and since the arrival of Kimi he didn't get much media attention till now. It's great
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Post by Lee on Apr 5, 2004 11:59:27 GMT -5
I missed the GP I just wanted to see the circuit, but looking at the outcome of the race, I don't mind missing it. Jenson is a talented driver and since the arrival of Kimi he didn't get much media attention till now. It's great It's such a disaster that I turned off my TV when I saw the race came up on Speed channel
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 5, 2004 23:56:14 GMT -5
from crashnet:
Ferrari fined, Ralf warned over Bahrain incidents.
The first of Formula One's new-look post-race incident reviews resulted in world champions Ferrari receiving a financial penalty and Ralf Schumacher a slap on the wrist following the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ferrari was fined $10,000 - a paltry sum in relation to the budget that is currently powering the Italian team away from its rivals each fortnight - after releasing Rubens Barrichello's car into the path of Jarno Trulli's Renault during a pit-stop. Despite the Brazilian's explanation that he had been struggling for grip on the concrete pit apron and had not intended to hinder his Italian rival, the stewards ruled that the team had released him before it was safe to do so.
Barrichello went on to finish second to team-mate Michael Schumacher, while Trulli came home fourth.
The world champion's younger brother received an official warning over his driving standards, after the same stewards found him guilty for causing a clash with BAR's Takuma Sato early in the race.
The Williams driver appeared to have passed his Japanese adversary, but then failed to leave enough room for the BAR, which was all but alongside him heading into the next corner. The resulting contact, which occurred when Sato had nowhere to go, launched Schumacher into the air and forced to him to pit for a technical inspection.
Sato finished fifth on the road - a career best - two places ahead of his assailant.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 11, 2004 23:04:37 GMT -5
LOL!! from crashnet (as always ) Herbert: 'Sulky' Ralf not worth £14m - no way! SUNDAY 11TH APRIL 2004 Three time grand prix winner, Johnny Herbert has hit out at Ralf Schumacher, saying there is no way he is worth £14 million a year, in fact added the Englishman, it's more like £5.50! Speaking to British newspaper, The Sunday Mirror, Herbert implied that one of the only reasons Ralf is in F1 is because of the 'Schumacher' name. "Ralf had an erratic race in Bahrain but then he's always been like that," said Herbert, referring to the fact that Ralf came home a lacklustre seventh last weekend, after a number of errors, most noticeably his collision with Takuma Sato. "He's making bad decisions and mistakes in races and off the circuit he seems to be sulking all the time. "He had a good spell in the middle of last season but when things didn't go his way he went all moody again. This season he's been all over the place." "There's no way he's worth £14m a year or anywhere near that," added Johnny, who raced in F1 from 1989-2000, "The way he's driving and behaving I'd say he's worth about £5.50. "He's managed to go a long way on the Schumacher name but he's nowhere near as good as Michael. You have to work at it all the time and that's what Michael does. "Williams have seen it all before and are understandably not falling for it. They probably see no reason to keep Ralf. There are other drivers out there who could do just as good a job for a fraction of the cost."
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Post by Ilhame on Apr 12, 2004 3:28:30 GMT -5
I agree with Herbert ;D
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 22, 2004 22:21:49 GMT -5
www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=90048San Marino GP Preview -- McLaren MercedesTeam McLaren-Mercedes will be keen to 'stop the rot' this weekend, as F1 heads to Italy for the San Marino Grand Prix, and managing director, Martin Whitmarsh, has pledged they are 'fully focused on... improving' their competitiveness. Following the first three fly-away races, Ron Dennis' team have performed woefully, and a double retirement three weeks ago in Bahrain, just added to their troubles. Despite this though, McLaren are never one to give up, and since the race at Sakhir, they, like most of the other teams, have been testing relentlessly, in a bid to move forward and close the gap to their rivals. "There has been significant discussion in the media regarding our start to the season, however the most important point to make is that we are fully focused on our development programme and improving our competitiveness," vowed Whitmarsh. "In the three-week gap since Bahrain we have completed two intensive test sessions. David [Coulthard], Alex [Wurz] and Pedro [de la Rosa] were at Barcelona in the week following the Grand Prix, with Kimi [Raikkonen] joining them last week at Paul Ricard in the South of France. "We completed over 4500 kms in total over the two sessions, with work taking place on improving various aspects of the cars performance. We now move to San Marino for the start of the European season. Due to the long, fast straights that are broken by the chicanes and corners, Imola is characteristically tough on brakes." So what is Imola all about? Norbert Haug, vice-president at Mercedes-Benz, talks us through the challenges... "The Imola circuit features a combination of fast sections, tight chicanes and slow corners which are hard on the brakes," he commented. "More than 60 per cent of a lap is run under full throttle. In Imola our first target has to be to finish the race and everybody in the team is focused on improving reliability and speed of our package. "The reasons for the engine failures in Bahrain have been thoroughly investigated. On Friday a failure of an inlet valve damaged Kimi's engine. The reason for his engine failure in the race was a piston cooling jet not functioning properly. David had to retire from the race with seven laps to go due to a loss of pneumatic pressure." Raikkonen has yet to finish a race this season, let alone score a point, and having been tipped as a potential champion, following his challenge last year, when he finished second, just two points shy of Michael Schumacher, the Finn is under no illusions that things have to change – and change quickly. "Obviously it has not been an ideal start for me or the team so far this year," stated the 'Iceman', "but I am looking forward to the start of the European season in San Marino. Imola is a good track to drive, and the tifosi certainly make for an enthusiastic and interesting atmosphere! "There is limited overtaking though, the best chance is probably through the Tosa hairpin, however the two chicanes along the Tamburello on the approach have made it more tricky. Now we are back in Europe, the races are likely to be cooler and Imola itself often sees wet/dry races, which can lead to exciting on-track action." Team-mate Coulthard has also had a pretty difficult start to 2004, he has at least finished though, notching up a sixth and an eighth to date, in Malaysia and Australia. The Scot like Raikkonen, enjoys the Imola circuit, and he can't wait to get back on the 'saddle' following the three-week 'holiday'. "Since Bahrain we have been testing at both Barcelona and Paul Ricard," said DC. "We've had some encouraging sessions and I'm looking forward to getting back to racing after the three-week break. "The San Marino Grand Prix often sees memorable races with good battles so hopefully it will be an exciting weekend. I enjoy driving at Imola, it has some excellent corners, including Piratella and Acque Minerali, and, despite the revisions that have been made over the years, the circuit is still an interesting technical challenge. "It has a good combination of low and high speed corners, which in addition to the long straights means we use a medium downforce set-up. Another factor of the race is that we run in an anti-clockwise direction, whereas we normally go clockwise. This means our bodies are under different stresses, particularly the neck, as most of the corners are left-handers, rather than right." Can McLaren move forward this weekend? Stay tuned to Crash.net for all the latest information.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 22, 2004 22:24:21 GMT -5
www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=90070Ecclestone: No 'special deal' for British GP.22/4/04 F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone has hit out at the British Grand Prix - again, threatening that unless the circuit undergoes a radical overhaul, including a new pit-and-paddock complex, this year's race will be the last in the UK. Speaking to The Telegraph, following his acquisition of the promotional rights to the race from US company, Interpublic this week, Mr E. added that Silverstone has to come up to 'scratch' and that there will be no special treatment. "I would welcome a new promoter coming forward and would be delighted if the British Grand Prix were to go ahead at Silverstone," he commented. "It is the only feasible circuit in this country, but it has to come up to scratch. "We saw at the last race in Bahrain what facilities should be like. The standard has been raised by these new venues and Silverstone has to fall in line. "The BRDC [British Racing Drivers' Club] have got a lot of land there and are still receiving rent from Interpublic. On the back of that, they can raise the necessary cash to invest in the circuit. I have put a chunk of my own money in it and all I have seen for it is new car parks. "They are very nice but we need a new pit-and-paddock complex, too. Unless the BRDC do this, there will not be a grand prix in the UK in 2005." "I never say never, but I don't envisage being the promoter of the British Grand Prix," Ecclestone added, in The Times. "Anybody can come to me now and negotiate a new contract to have the promoter's rights. "I think a promoter who is willing to get up and out there with plenty of ideas can make money. Other people do. I won't do a special deal for Britain just because it is Britain." "Interpublic wanted out because they no longer wanted to be in this business," he continued. "They paid too much for the rights in the first place and were paying more than we are charging in Europe. "I've got no plans to do anything with the British Grand Prix. It's not up to me. It's not up to the Government, either, to give money to a gentlemen's club, which is what the BRDC is. "I am prepared to sign a contract with anyone once they have spoken to the BRDC, who are the landlords. Maybe the BRDC should consider being the promoters — why not?" Sir Jackie Stewart, president of the BRDC, reckons though that there is little chance they could again take on the burden of staging the event. "We are already facing problems with the withdrawal of Interpublic from the lease, so we are not looking at a realistic situation," commented Stewart, "Bernie knows that circuits around the world get help from outside, such as governments and so on, and Silverstone cannot be any different."
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 24, 2004 1:24:39 GMT -5
LMAO, what a difference a few hours can make . . .
Changes could take F1 back to the future Fri 23 April, 2004 12:27 By Alan Baldwin
IMOLA, Italy, April 23 (Reuters) - More overtaking, more teams, lower costs and, crucially, more excitement.
Formula One was offered all of this by the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Friday with the most far-reaching proposals for change in the sport's history.
There is bound to be furious debate before 2008, the target date for the introduction of a new world where a driver's innate talent should matter more than the electronic gizmos in his car.
Some FIA proposals, including one limiting Formula One to a sole tyre supplier, will face fierce opposition.
Turning the clock back to the days of manual gearshifts and minimal tweaking of cars is also controversial to say the least.
Some might see a hint of desperation in the timing of the announcement. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is more dominant than ever, chasing his fourth victory in four races in his quest for an unprecedented seventh title.
Ferrari processions and Schumacher victories delight many fans, particularly in Germany and Italy, but there is a real fear that television viewers will switch off in their millions.
However, for once, Schumacher does not come into the equation. The German will be 39 and likely to be enjoying his retirement by the time change affects the grid.
"I think with the best will in the world we wouldn't see any of these things in before 2006, by which time Schumacher and Ferrari domination this year or next year start to be a bit academic," said FIA president Max Mosley.
BLANK SHEET
Mosley pushed through a raft of changes at the start of 2003 following a season in which Ferrari won all but two of the races. He said the new proposals were more significant.
This time the FIA had a blank sheet of paper because the existing Concorde Agreement between teams, the FIA and Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone runs out at the end of 2007.
"What I'm hoping is that some of the teams will come with further radical ideas, particularly in trying to think of ways to eliminate this enormous expenditure on wind tunnels and endless aerodynamic research for very small gains," said Mosley.
"In 2008 we can do whatever we want, provided the world council vote in favour. We can bring that in on January 1, 2008, without asking anybody.
"It's possible that some or all of the ideas could come in sooner but that would depend on the agreement of the existing teams."
Some, such as Ferrari and Toyota, have estimated budgets in excess of $300 million and even the biggest car firms are starting to have cold feet about the costs.
"Several of the major manufacturers are starting to look at what they are spending on engines and wondering whether they are getting value for money. Teams are finding it difficult to get enough sponsorship to meet their costs," said Mosley.
"There is a risk that we will start to see big problems if we don't do something."
MAJOR SAVINGS
Mosley said the major costs savings would come from getting rid of most of the testing, no longer as necessary if all teams are on similar tyres, and from allowing teams to share components and chassis.
The chief benefit for fans would be closer racing, with the reduction in engine capacity undetectable.
"Cars would be inherently more capable of overtaking and secondly the use of manual gearboxes and elimination of electronic aids would make a driver error more probable," he said.
"And of course a driver error is one of the key elements in overtaking."
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Carmakers abandon talks on F1 future Fri 23 April, 2004 18:43 By Alan Baldwin
IMOLA, Italy, April 23 (Reuters) - Formula One faced the renewed threat of a damaging split on Friday after carmakers terminated an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone and the commercial rights holders.
"Basically, we're back to square one," said a source close to the negotiations. GPWC Holdings, the company set up by five major carmakers to plan a rival series to start in 2008, said in a statement that they had terminated a Memorandum of Understanding with Ecclestone's SLEC holding company and Formula One Administration.
"Despite all reasonable efforts to implement the Memorandum Of Understanding between GPWC Holdings BV and the shareholders of SLEC Holdings, GPWC has decided to end negotiations on the future structure of Formula One," it said.
The statement added that this was due to SLEC shareholders' "failure to comply with key points agreed in the memorandum".
"When we realised that our commitment to implement the MOU was not met by the other parties, we had to make a decision in the best interest of the sport and end negotiations," said GPWC chairman Juergen Hubbert in the statement.
The GPWC groups Mercedes parent DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Renault, Ford and FIAT. Ford own the Jaguar team while champions Ferrari are part of the FIAT group.
SLEC is the holding company set up by Formula One supremo Ecclestone which is owned 75 percent by banks Bayerische Landesbank, JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers and controls the sport's commercial rights.
SWEEPING CHANGES
The GPWC statement came on the same day that Formula One's governing body issued proposals for the most far-reaching changes in the sport's history.
The moves, designed to cut costs and put the drivers back in the limelight from 2008, included reducing engine capacity and turning the clock back by outlawing electronic driver aids such as traction control.
The carmakers, banks and Ecclestone announced last December that they had reached a breakthrough to secure the sport's future and end years of damaging talk of a split when the 'Concorde Agreement' that governs Formula One's commercial side expires in 2007.
The memorandum offered teams a far greater slice of Formula One's revenues while Ecclestone, who has built Formula One into a show generating an estimated annual income of around $400 million, would have continued to run the company.
The 73-year-old Briton controls 25 percent of SLEC, named after his wife Slavica, through family trust Bambino Holdings.
All the signatories were also committed to listing the company in the short to medium term.
"The GPWC have said they are going to start a series in 2008, what we are doing is running the FIA Formula One world championship in 2008 for which Bernie has a contract for the commercial rights," said International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley on Friday.
"We have a contract to run that championship for 100 years and Bernie has the right to exploit it commercially. So we are going ahead on doing that.
"Of course if the GPWC did want to start a series it would be entirely up to them to do so, and if they ask us to sanction it we'd be happy to go ahead.
"But in the meantime we have to concentrate on the Formula One world championship which will go ahead in 2008, no matter what."
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 24, 2004 1:26:32 GMT -5
Ilmor engine boss leaves after McLaren reshuffle Fri 23 April, 2004 16:33 IMOLA, Italy, April 23 (Reuters) - Mercedes have parted company with Hans-Ulrich Maik, the man who ran the Ilmor company that builds troubled McLaren's Formula One engines.
"There was an agreement between both parties and we split," said Mercedes motorsport head Norbert Haug at the San Marino Grand Prix on Friday.
McLaren have suffered their worst start to a season in 23 years, with last year's overall runner-up Kimi Raikkonen sidelined by engine problems and mechanical failure in all three races to date.
The team, winners of more races and drivers' championships than any team other than Ferrari, are now fifth in the championship with just four points.
At the last Bahrain Grand Prix, the Finn made sure everyone knew his engine had blown by continuing to run with a sheet of flame bursting out the back of his car.
Haug said McLaren had carried out a management reshuffle with managing director Martin Whitmarsh taking on the role of company chief executive officer in charge of the McLaren-Mercedes programme.
"We didn't achieve what we wanted to achieve in the first three races but we are working very hard to come back to where we used to be," said Haug.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:48:10 GMT -5
San Marino GP Race Result
1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 62 laps 1hr 26min 19.670secs 2. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +9.700secs 3. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW +21.600secs 4. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault +23.600secs 5. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault +36.200secs 6. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +36.600secs 7. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW +58.100secs 8. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap
9. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas +1 lap 10. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +1 lap 11. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota +1 lap 12. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap 13. Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth +1 lap 14. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth +2 laps 15. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth +4 laps
Rtd Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 56 laps completed Rtd Nick Heidfeld Italy Jordan-Ford 48 laps completed Rtd. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota 32 laps completed Rtd Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth 22 laps completed Rtd Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford 6 laps completed
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:50:26 GMT -5
Race reactions:
Jenson Button:
"It was another fantastic race for me and second place is another step closer to our ultimate ambition - a first win for me and the team.”
“The first lap felt very good, and I was able to gather pace, pull away and lead the first stint. This is a difficult track to overtake on, so I wasn't too worried, but then, after Michael overtook me in the first pit-stop, he pulled out a very strong lead. I was very surprised actually. There was nothing I could do to catch him, but we are very pleased to have taken a step up the podium.”
“Our revised package has worked incredibly well here, and this result just goes to prove what we can achieve together with our partners Honda and Michelin. I'm very happy today and it looks like we have a very exciting season ahead of us.”
Kimi Raikkonen:
"I'm pleased to finish my first race of the season and get one point, but obviously we want to be fighting for the lead and not eighth place.”
“I started the race from last, so I had to fight hard to make up some positions. The track is very narrow, so it's quite difficult to overtake and, when you are so far back, you inevitably get stuck.”
“I know that the team will continue to work hard on improving our package and making further progress both with pace and reliability."
Ron Dennis [Team principal - McLaren]:
"The problems we experienced in practice with Kimi, and the first corner incident with David, effectively meant that we raced from the back of the grid - which is an unusual and a not to be repeated experience for the team. However, we can take some comfort from our pace mid-race and the reliability of the cars.”
“We aim to introduce further improvements at the Spanish Grand Prix, which should provide us with better grid positions and results."
Norbert Haug [Motorsport director - Mercedes-Benz]:
"Kimi started from last and David was last after his unscheduled first-lap pit-stop to change the nose following his accident at the first corner. So positions eight and twelve were the best we could achieve today. Both drivers were on a two-stop strategy.”
“The entire team will now continue to work in a concentrated way to significantly improve our package with regards to both reliability and performance."
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:52:28 GMT -5
from crashnet:
San Marino GP 2004: Schumi puts Button in place.
Jenson Button's dreams of a first Formula One victory in the San Marino Grand Prix were crushed beneath the wheels of the relentless Ferrari steamroller, as Michael Schumacher drove imperiously to his 74th career win.
The German was initially content to play second fiddle to the man who has become his biggest challenger this season but, as soon as Button pitted for the first time, he turned up the wick and effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Button made a good getaway from his maiden career pole, while the world champion suffered from being on the 'wrong' side of a grid that, like the rest of the circuit, had been reduced in grip by an overnight thunderstorm. While Schumacher then had to fend off the attentions of those behind him, the BAR was able to sprint into a clear lead.
Schumacher could have dropped to third in the opening few corners, but benefited from the fact that Juan Montoya made a poor start from the inside of row two and was not quite close enough to use his momentum to pass the Ferrari into Tamburello. The pair were still dicing by Tosa, where Montoya attempted to go around the outside, only to find himself eased onto the grass as Schumacher took his rightful line.
While the incident finally freed the world champion from the melee, Montoya's attempts to recover caused Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher to take the grass on the left-hand side of the rise to Piratella. The snaking FW26 eventually regained the racing surface, but had dropped into the clutches of a group that would keep him company for much of the ensuing 61 laps.
The list of potential rivals was already reduced by one after David Coulthard continued McLaren's miserable start to the season by losing his front wing at Tamburello. The Scot had made a good start from eleventh on the grid, but was caught out by the rate at which the leading group braked and clipped the back of Jarno Trulli's Renault as he tried to take avoiding action. The necessary pit-stop dropped the McLaren to the back of the field, where it was only slightly behind the similar car of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn had also made a good start from the very back of the grid, but quickly found himself bottled up by the Saubers, Jaguars and Toyotas.
With Montoya shaken from his tail, Schumacher was able to begin his pursuit of Button, who had opened out nigh on three seconds over the pack by the end of the first lap. Relentlessly, the gap begin to shrink as Schumacher used his Bridgestones to full effect in the opening laps, eventually settling to just within a second of the BAR as the first round of pit-stops approached.
Not around to make a change of tyres, Giorgio Pantano had already departed his home event after running into the gravel trap on lap six with a hydraulic problem, but the Italian would be the only retirement until the second half of the event.
When the pit-stops started in earnest, Button ducked in two laps before his main pursuer, and Schumacher then took control of the event. With a clear road ahead of him, the German began banging in laps that would have been too god for most of his rivals in qualifying, eventually securing enough of a gap to ensure that he emerged from his own stop at the head of the field.
From that point on, the advantage was extended except for when the Ferrari found itself in traffic and, coupled with what appeared to be a long stop for Button, suggested that the Briton had switched onto a two-stop strategy. Where Button had led by a round a second prior to lap nine, he inherited a growing deficit that rose to around 16secs by the time the second round of stops was in full swing.
Those hoping that the BAR driver may still have a trump card to play with one fewer stop to complete were disappointed when Button arrived back at his box for another helping of fuel and rubber - and did so before the race leader.
con'd
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:52:58 GMT -5
With the battle for top spot having become strung out as Button appeared to struggle with a poor second stint, attention switched to those in its wake, where Montoya ran solo in third place, ahead of an increasingly frenetic battle for fourth between the two Renaults, Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso had risen from the bottom half of the top ten through a combination of good starts and interesting tactics, stopping later than their rivals and making up ground.
With the pale blue cars staying out on track, the battle for position switched to the pits where Barrichello and Schumacher Jr stopped in tandem for the second time on lap 28. Both Ferrari and Williams crews did well, with Schumacher just getting out ahead of his rival, maintaining their positions. When Trulli stopped a couple of laps later, however, the Renault crew got him back into the fray between Schumacher and Barrichello, with Alonso dropping to eighth after his second stop.
The numbers were reduced by two in short order as Minardi's Gianmaria Bruni calling it a day when he encountered a sticking brake and Cristiano da Matta slithered off the road shortly after emerging from a drive-thru penalty.
Entering the closing stages, and Schumacher held as commanding a lead as he had enjoyed all afternoon, and could begin to ease back on his pace. Button was equally comfortable in second place, with Montoya gradually slipping back towards the squabbling group behind him, and again stopped ahead of the race leader. An eight-second stop was good enough to get him on his way without a loss of position, but it could not compete with the six-second effort dished up by Ferrari, confirming Schumacher's advantage.
Barrichello and Montoya pitted on the same lap this time around, but there was never any danger of the former catching the latter without a degree of finger trouble creeping into the Williams team's work. One lap later, Schumacher Jr was in, but, again, the German resumed ahead of his Brazilian rival without too much trouble, leaving the attention focused on Renault.
Trulli's stop was quick enough to retake the track ahead of Barrichello, but the real gainer was Alonso, who did not stop until lap 48 and then came out in fifth spot. This allowed the young Spaniard to quickly catch up with Schumacher Jr, and the two came together at Tosa two laps later. This time Schumacher came off worse, spinning down behind Barrichello while Alonso was able to carry on, delayed on slightly, in fourth place. The incident, however, was referred to the stewards for further consideration.
Alonso's pace was unabated and, over the final ten laps, closed remorselessly on Montoya, sensing a podium position. The two crossed the line almost nose-to-tail, but it was the Colombian who prevailed. Behind them, Trulli fended off Barrichello, with an even smaller gap covering Renault and Ferrari at the chequered flag. Ralf was no longer a factor, and only just managed to remain the final unlapped runner, coming home 58secs adrift of his brother.
The final point-scoring spot was filled by..... Kimi Raikkonen, as the luckless Finn saw the end of a grand prix for the first time this season. It had not been an easy ride for the man who was expected to provide Schumacher's closest title challenge this year, and he had to resist a determined pursuit from Giancarlo Fisichella in the closing stages, but he finally opened his account after starting dead last.
The retirement list was swelled late on by Nick Heidfeld, who suffered transmission problems on his Jordan, and Takuma Sato, whose uprated Honda V10 expired in the biggest possible way, giving the BAR team some concern over the health of team-mate Button's unit.
While the Briton backed off dramatically to ensure he made the end of the race, there was no way he would have been able to catch the leader, who seemed to have everything under control. The margin of victory was officially a shade over nine seconds, but it might as well as have been a lap for all that the pack saw of Schumacher after the first round of stops.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:54:45 GMT -5
www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=90307Montoya lashes out at Schumacher tactics.25.04.04 Juan Montoya has launched another verbal broadside at old rival Michael Schumacher after what he saw as overly aggressive tactics on the opening lap of the San Marino Grand Prix. Attempting to make the most of the German starting on the 'dirty' side of the grid, Montoya was a little tardy himself, but still had sufficient momentum to be looking for a way around the Ferrari at Tamburello. Rebuffed there, he tried again at Villeneuve and Tosa, eventually being moved off the road as Schumacher stuck rigidly to his line. Naturally, Montoya, who could see early leader Jenson Button disappearing up the road, was not happy with his rival's means of defence. "The first lap was very tough," he fumed, "Schumacher had a poor start and was slow out of the first chicane and the first few corners. I tried to pass him, but he closed the door twice. I had to back off but, when I tried again, he hit me and pushed me out on to the grass. I am very disappointed as this was not fair racing." The pair apparently exchanged words during the podium presentation, before Schumacher attempted to explain that he was merely holding his line. "I wanted to keep him behind me so that I would not lose touch with the leader," he insisted, "At first, I saw him attack me, but then I did not see him, nor did I expect him to come round the outside. I think it was just a racing incident." "He says he didn't see me, or thought I wasn't there - I don't know, maybe he forgot to look," Montoya retorted, before going on to claim that perhaps there were different rules for different drivers. "You look at Indy, for example, when I just touched with Rubens," he said, "I was on the inside and I went onto the grass to try and avoid the accident and we still touched - I got a drive through and that killed my championship. If it wasn't for that, I could have been world champion last year. "[If Michael] does that and he gets away with it, I think it would be a bit unfair really. I think the rules have got to be for everybody. It doesn't matter if he drives for Ferrari, if he is called Michael Schumacher, or anybody." The incident was not reported to the stewards, and will not be the subject of any further deliberation - unlike a later incident between Montoya's Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher and Renault's Fernando Alonso, who collided in the final ten laps, with the German dropping down the order. "From where I was sat, he just closed the door on me," the Spaniard reported, "Fortunately, it didn't damage the car and I was happy to finish fourth." Schumacher Jr is already 'on probation' following a clash with BAR's Takuma Sato in Bahrain.
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 17:56:50 GMT -5
2004 FORMULA ONE DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 4 OF 18) POSITION DRIVER TEAM POINTS 1. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FERRARI 40 2. RUBENS BARRICHELLO FERRARI 24 3. JENSON BUTTON BAR 23 4. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WILLIAMS 18 5. FERNANDO ALONSO RENAULT 16 6. JARNO TRULLI RENAULT 15 7. RALF SCHUMACHER WILLIAMS 9 8. TAKUMA SATO BAR 4 = DAVID COULTHARD MCLAREN 4 10. FELIPE MASSA SAUBER 1 = KIMI RAIKKONEN MCLAREN 1 = MARK WEBBER JAGUAR 1
2004 FORMULA ONE CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 4 OF 18) POSITION CONSTRUCTOR POINTS 1. FERRARI 64 2. RENAULT 31 3. BAR 27 = WILLIAMS 27 5. MCLAREN 5 6. SAUBER 1 = JAGUAR 1 8. TOYOTA 0 = JORDAN 0 = MINARDI 0
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