CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| [Auto] F1 Silly season kickoff...
Rubens and Hulkenburg to Williams:
»sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slu···ype=lgns
Bridgestone out as tire supplier in 2011:
»sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slu···ype=lgns
I do expect Heikki to leave McLaren although I think he was a fine driver - a good #2 to Hamilton. I don't think Kimi will return to the tea m - I think he is pricing himself out of the ride - a reported asking price of $30 million (on top of the $20 million Ferrari is paying him no to race) along with the apparent demand that he does no sponsorship gatherings. I fully expect him to go WRC racing.
Kobayashi looks to secure Toyota seat:
»uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02112009/···eat.html
And he will be cheap to...
Looks like Mercedes has committed itself to McLaren - which should be a relief to McLaren (and Hamilton):
»uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/01112009/···ren.html
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs: 
 ·Cincinnati Bell
| I've always like Rubens and hope he does well with Williams, though I think he'll struggle to even begin to approach the success he had with Brawn. I wonder who'll step up to the plate with Tires. I can't see Goodyear doing it. Maybe Michelin will come back? Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Michelin are so much larger than the other tire companies, I'm not sure if anyone else is a real possibility. Maybe Pirelli?
I'm not sure if Kimi will be back either. His demands are a little out of line. Heikki was a good #2 to Lewis. If he's not with McLaren, he'll have a seat somewhere.
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Golf is a relatively simple game, played by reasonably intelligent people, stupidly.|In a Roadster club? |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| I would almost like to see Heikki in USF1... Could you imagine Schui being a test driver for USF1? That would get the team up to speed really fast - he was an incredible test driver and that is some thing USF1 will need. I don't think Heikki is that technical...
I think Michellin is the only other company that could do F1. I don't think GoodYear has enough left over resources to do F1.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs:
·Cincinnati Bell
| I wouldn't mind seeing Heikki with USF1, but agree they need someone who's better at the technical aspect of car setup. I also wouldn't mind seeing Heidfeld at USF1, again though, I don't think he's the best at diagnosing car setup problems. I'm guessing they'll announce their drivers before the end of the year, maybe sometime this month.
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Golf is a relatively simple game, played by reasonably intelligent people, stupidly.|In a Roadster club? |
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bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs:
·Cincinnati Bell
| reply to CylonRed
Looks like Toyota is calling it quits:
»en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n···40.shtml
I hate to see them leave, but I guess this opens up a slot for Sauber.
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Golf is a relatively simple game, played by reasonably intelligent people, stupidly.|In a Roadster club? |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
1 edit | Yep - not a surprise there I don't think. Now it is a matter of Renault staying in. For Kubica's sake I hope they do...
Wonder if anyone would be interested in Kamui or if he will have to go back to his father sushi restaurant...
--
Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| reply to CylonRed
Pirelli says no to F1:
»uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04112009/···one.html
Michellin unlikely to return as well.
Other names mentioned in connection with assuming Bridgestone’s F1 responsibilities have been Goodyear, Dunlop, Kumho, Avon, Hankook and Continental.
Can't imagine GoodYear having the resources with all of the NASCAR tires they provide. Dunlop maybe big enough to handle it but I don't think Kumho, Avon or Hankook are large enough. I dislike Continental tires and I would just have to laugh if they stepped up to the plate.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
|
bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs:
·Cincinnati Bell
| I agree that I don't think Michelin or Goodyear will step up. That leaves Dunlop and Continental. I think the others are too small. This could get Bernie scrambling, since whoever does step up might be able to dictate terms to him, which he won't like. He might have no choice. He needs a tire supplier; they don't need him.
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Golf is a relatively simple game, played by reasonably intelligent people, stupidly.|In a Roadster club? |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | For once someone gets to bend Bernie over instead of the other way around. |
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zaldy
join:2007-12-07
 ·OneSuite
| reply to CylonRed
Wow Bridgestone leaving F1 is a major problem for Bernie. Now that Toyota quits too, I think FOTA really should start their new series when they still can last summer and never agreed to Mosley's terms.
Ferrari posted in their website that Toyota call it a day not because of financila situation but of the turmoil in F1 happened last summer.
With all these new teams like Campos, Lotus (not the carmaker), etc...and three major manufacturer call quits...I don't think we can still call it F1. |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| There have been times when F1 only had one manufacturer - they (manufacturers) have been in and out of the sport for a long time. Personally - I think Ferrari is talking out their ass as they are one of the reasons for the spending war (even after the FIA gives them their $150 million to race that no other team gets). Anything to deflect their cars sucked this year.
I don't see Toyota doing a new series - they would have bowed out as it would have been to expensive. Japanese companies will always be the first to bail on and expensive series when things get tight. The CEOs of Japanese companies generally worry about the company as a whole and want to stay out of extrodinary debt. I personally never saw any benefit to Toyota to get involved in F1. They are not known for performance cars like BMW\Ferrari.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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CylonRed
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join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| reply to CylonRed
USF1 has paid their entry fee for 2010:
»uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12112009/···aid.html
quote:
Nick Craw, the International Automobile Federation's newly-elected Senate president, dismissed lingering speculation about the team's future in an interview with the US-based Speed TV cable network.
"There are probably some people who would like to see the US team fall by the wayside so they could have their spot on the grid," said the American, part of the FIA's new leadership under president Jean Todt.
"In the old days... we used to never count an entry as being real until the cheque had arrived and had cleared. And of course entry fees were non-refundable," he added.
"If you want any proof as to whether US F1 is going to be there or not, they sent their entry fee in 10 days ago and the number is close to $440,000 so they are going to be there and they are going to make us proud."
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs:
1 edit | reply to CylonRed
I see Kimi's managment visited McLaren..
»www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=47410 |
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Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs: | reply to CylonRed
Ohh Button himself visited McLaren, it gets interesting
»www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=47418 |
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bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs: | He's definitely less expensive than Kimi.  |
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Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs: | Well less expensive to McLaren not to Brawn. |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| reply to CylonRed
Mercedes-Benz and Abu Dhabi buy controlling interest in Brawn:
»sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slu···ype=lgns
»sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slu···ype=lgns
McLaren also buys out the rest of McLaren from Mercedes-Benz but will use Mercedes engines till 2015.
--
Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
|
CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| reply to CylonRed
Glock to Manor GP:
»sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slu···ype=lgns
Unfortunately - probably not be close to competitive...
quote:
FRANKFURT(AP) —Timo Glock will drive for the new Manor GP team next season in Formula One.
The German driver agreed to a two-year contract Tuesday, with another season as an option, according to Glock’s manager, Hans-Bernd Wersauer.
Glock drove for Toyota the past two seasons but the Japanese automaker has announced it is quitting F1. Glock missed the last three races of the 2009 season following a crash in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix in which he cracked a vertebra.
“With a year left on the Toyota contract, we originally had other plans and were aiming to really compete for the world championship with the team. Now, for obvious reasons, that is not going to happen,” Glock said on his Web site. “Ahead of me now is a great challenge.”
Manor GP is one of three new teams on 2010’s racing grid after having been prominent in the junior series.
But - he will be driving and at least he is a good driver.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
|
Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs: | I think in this world economic climate, I'd be happy to be driving for anyone. Especially when you former team closes up shop. |
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bjf123
We Want... A Shrubbery
Premium
join:2000-02-11
Cincinnati, OH
clubs: | And now Jenson to McLaren?
»en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n···40.shtml |
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