Posts Tagged ‘FOTA’

FOTA finds way to INSTANTLY cut emissions

In order to keep placard waving beardies happy, the Formula One Teams Association has vowed to cut unwanted emissions by 15% over the next three years.

For a group of people who frequently cross the planet to thrash 24 cars around… at about two miles per gallon each, this seemed a tricky task until somebody suggested disconnecting Fernando Alonso’s radio.

Researchers found that during the European Grand Prix, Alonso’s incessant bleating and whinging on the pit to car radio accounted for an astonishing 9% of all unwanted emissions over the weekend, which equalled the output of a small power station.

By stopping the Spaniard from using the radio during races, FOTA now expect to be able to meet their target, in fact if they cut Lewis Hamilton off too it should be a doddle.

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Tags: European Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso, FOTA
Posted in 27 June – Europe, Ferrari-2010 | FOTA finds way to INSTANTLY cut emissions

Nico Rosberg 2010 F1 World Champion…

As things stand today, Nico Rosberg is pencilled in to be the 2010 F1 World Champion. With next seasons grid looking to consist of Williams, Force India, Campos Racing, Manor Grand Prix and those chaps from America plus all… the other entrants the FIA didn’t want the first time around , it is fair to say Nico is in with a good shot at the title.

That is assuming of course, that he wants to drive in a glorified version of GP2 rather than take the drives on offer from McLaren or BMW instead…

Friday, June 19th, 2009
Tags: Campos, Force India, FOTA, Manor Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg, Williams
Posted in TEAMS AND DRIVERS | Nico Rosberg 2010 F1 World Champion…

The FOTA breakaway - your questions answered.

The news that the FOTA teams have decided to go and play with themselves next year certainly raises more than a few questions and with most F1 journalists in a state of speechlessness this morning, we thought we would pose… questions sent in by our readers to Malcolm Price, Head of Media and Sporting studies at Luton Polytechnic:

Q: So, Malcolm, what will the new series be called?
A: Well, it can’t be ‘Formula One’ and as yet Bernie has not managed to trademark the words ‘Grand Prix’, so I’d stick a tenner on ‘The Grand Prix World Championship’. In fact I think I’ll nip off and trademark it now…

Q: What about those circuits contracted to Formula One Management and co?
A: Those contracts are a closely guarded secret but the folk building at Donington and Abu Dhabi must be wondering if they’ll have anybody racing next year. Monaco will go wherever Ferrari go and Silverstone will no doubt be on the ‘phone to FOTA this morning.

Q: What about the TV rights?
A: I wouldn’t like to be the BBC executive who signed up for years of F1 for a gazillion dollars last year, that’s for sure. Would you want to watch Williams and Force India versus 11 teams nobody has ever heard of or will you switch over to Sky and watch the real thing?

Q: Will it really happen or is this the ultimate bluff?
A: Who knows, but with the FIA insisting Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have no choice but to stick with them, there are going to be some seriously rich lawyers out there…

If you have any questions for Malcolm please email them in…

Friday, June 19th, 2009
Tags: FOTA
Posted in TEAMS AND DRIVERS | The FOTA breakaway - your questions answered.

Silverstone in mystery night time attack…

Mystery graffiti vandals, who have been busy in Silverstone village, have prompted the Parish Council to offer a huge reward of £50 to catch the culprits before Sundays British Grand Prix.

In the early hours of this morning the village was… defaced by the paint-spray-can wielding miscreants, who daubed road signs and the local post office with slogans including ‘FOTA rules OK’, ‘Max is a smelly pants’ and ‘The FIA are rubbish’.

Dairy farmer, Arthur Doggle, claims to have seen a group of ‘well to do men’, including ‘a grey haired Italian gent’ and ‘a German who looked like Ned Flanders’ loitering outside the White Horse pub shortly before the attacks.

Local police confirm they are looking for eight men who are believed to have some sort of grudge against the FIA.

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Tags: British Grand Prix, FIA, FOTA, Silverstone
Posted in Great Britain F1, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | Silverstone in mystery night time attack…

Letter from America

15 June, Lakeside, San Diego. Open the sports pages over here and it’s fair to assume that you won’t find much reporting of the FIA/FOTA war, that looks like it is set to tear Formula One apart on Friday afternoon… If it does happen I guess its kind of ironic that F1 should die at Silverstone of all places.

Most of my English buddies just can’t see it happening, F1 has been around forever and will continue to remain so, they argue that it would be madness on both sides to let the unimaginable happen but we have a precedent here in the US – our sporting body and the teams managed to wreck what was (after F1 of course) the best single seat championship in the world – namely CART.

CART was a brilliant, exciting championship, with top notch drivers which over a period of time included F1 World Champions past and present, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve – even Ayrton Senna had a test for Penske. For many reasons, mostly those of self interest CART split apart in 1994 with the formation of the Indy Racing League and there in one fell swoop was the death of decent open wheel racing in America.

CART ambled on for a while, becoming Champ Cars, while for years the IRL was a series with a sparse schedule and drivers not known outside of their own family. Now, 15 years later, the two series are united as one again as the Indycar series which is a mere shadow of what CART was – and what was achieved? Nothing.

So F1, listen up, the FIA needs FOTA and FOTA needs the FIA, it’s really not that difficult to understand.

Over to you guys..

Ed Davis. Lakeside, San Diego.

Monday, June 15th, 2009
Tags: Ayrton Senna, CART, Emerson Fittipaldi, FIA, FOTA, IRL, Jacques Villeneuve, LETTER FROM AMERICA, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Silverstone
Posted in LETTER FROM AMERICA | Letter from America

Why Fifi did not fancy Le Mans…

When Force India jumped off the FOTA ship and signed up for an unconditional entry to next year’s F1 World Championship, the reason given by the team was that if they did not, they would get it in the ear… from their bankers, sponsors and lawyers.

This may not have been the only reason, as our source reveals that Vijay Mallya, while initially interested in Luca di Montezemolo’s suggestion that the teams could all leave F1 and go to race at Le Mans, soon went off the idea when he realised doing this would not give him any chance next year to show off on his mega-yacht, the Indian Empress.

With Le Mans being 140 miles from the sea, the only place near the track to park the boat is a small lake at nearby Sille le Guillaume. The lake is not connected to any major river which makes getting the Empress to it tricky.

Mallya had considered constructing a canal from the sea to the lake before he realised that the construction of major waterways are not included in the budget proposals put forward by the FIA – so F1 it had to be..

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Tags: FIA, Force India, FOTA, Indian Empress, Le Mans, Luca di Montezemolo, Vijay Mallya
Posted in Force India, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | Why Fifi did not fancy Le Mans…

EXCLUSIVE – ‘two tier’ F1 solution reached?

With the news that Ferrari have failed to secure an injunction against the proposed new rules for 2010, we can exclusively reveal that sources close to the team are near to thrashing out a solution that will see them on… the grid next season. After the Scuderia went through the list of potential entrants for 2010, with the air of a man who has just trodden, barefoot, in something the dog left behind, they suggested that the new teams should be part of a ‘Formula GP3 Championship’. However, there is still hope for peace, as a leaked document reveals a proposal that may keep the rich teams happy and the riff-raff in their place:

Qualifying: The rich teams do not need to qualify, simply being allocated grid positions according to the size of their bank balance.
The race: The rich teams will start first with the poor ones only being allowed to start as the rich boys exit the final turn, giving them a head of speed into turn one. At this point blue flags are to be waved furiously at the poorer drivers.
Pit-stops: Poorer drivers must get out and change their own tyres.
Paddock etiquette: Any poor driver caught looking at a rich driver’s girlfriend and/or wife, will be slapped around the face with a Sparco glove and challenged to a duel at dawn. The rich guy gets two shots.
The Podium: Rich drivers will be given chilled Mumm Champagne, the poor ones, who would not notice the difference anyway, get warm Asti Spumante.
Points: If a team was not in F1 prior to 1960, it will not be allowed to score points.
Breaking the Rules: If up before the stewards, rich drivers can settle the matter over a gin and tonic in the clubhouse. Poor drivers will be put in the stocks and will have canapés thrown at them.

The proposals are set to be voted on at a FOTA meeting during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend to which the poorer teams are not invited..

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Tags: Ferrari, FOTA
Posted in Ferrari, Monaco F1, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | EXCLUSIVE – ‘two tier’ F1 solution reached?