F1 2008

[soubriquet 0]

Car safety is predicated around deformable structures. That is, in an impact, the vehicle folds up and dissipates the energy. Steel has many advantages over carbon fibre (or aluminium) in that it is malleable and not brittle. The behaviour of a deformable steel box is relatively predictable compared with a brittle structure.

 

4WDs with separate chassis` are much "stronger" than steel monocoques. They are also much less safe to have an accident in because the impact is transferred directly to the occupants without being dissipated by the structure.

[2pints-mate 0]

Quote:

Jenson Button must be the easiest guy to overtake, even my nana could get past him.

I wonder how much he is sulking and hating Hamilton, or if they are "best buddies".

Great race to watch - at last!

[fukdane 2]

Hamilton doing ok the last few. On pole again

 

"Lewis Hamilton delivered a devastating last lap to claim a second successive pole for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

 

The McLaren driver clocked one minute 17.886 seconds to better Robert Kubica's mark for BMW Sauber by more than half a second.

 

Kimi Raikkonen lines up third for Ferrari alongside Renault's Fernando Alonso, who did well to qualify fourth."

 

[big-will 7]

Didn't go so well on the day though

 

Quote:

Robert Kubica took his and the BMW Sauber team's first Formula One victory in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton crashed out in the pits.

 

Kubica survived an intervention by the safety car and a crumbling track that provoked errors from several drivers.

 

Hamilton's chances were dashed when he crashed into the back of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen as the Finn waited on a red light at the end of the pit lane.

[scouser 4]

Nasty, I bet Raikkonen wasn't too chuffed! Didn't see it myself. Fun race?

 

 

[nzlegend 1]

Raikkonen was actually really cool about it (he is the iceman afterall), he patted Lewis in the back and pointed to the pit lane lights. Kimi's Karma caught up with him after he knocked out Sutil last week.

Gone are the days of Piquet senior and James Hunt punching people who take them out in races.

 

see, told you all Kubica was going to get win sometime soon!

[2pints-mate 0]

I wonder if Raikkonens expression changes when he swears/cries/goes on the toilet/etc?

 

I don't like him. He should learn to smile.

[frannyo 2]

England race tonight.

 

To Donnington from 2010

 

Quote:

The British Grand Prix will move from Silverstone to Donington Park from 2010 as part of a new 10-year deal.

 

Silverstone, which had been home to the race since 1987, is owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club, who had been in talks to secure a new deal.

 

"We wanted a world class venue for F1, something teams and fans could be proud of," said F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

 

"Donington's development plans will give us exactly that, a venue to put British motorsport back on the map."

 

Ecclestone said he was disappointed that the government had not intervened to help the Northamptonshire venue retain the race.

 

"I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run F1," he said.

[big-will 7]

Hamilton did well. All over the place this year so far this championship.

[soubriquet 0]

Donnington? Never, no chance. It's money and politics. 2009 will see the last British GP, then the slot will be off to Russia or whichever country bids highest for the slot.

 

Hamilton, Heidfeld and Barrichello all drove blinders.

[scouser 4]

Surely you're not doubting The Sun, soubs?

[soubriquet 0]

I'd never cast nasturtiums on that eminent rag, no no.

 

It works like this. 1 Bernie grants the rights to Donnington. 2. Donnington (which is totally unsuitable for F1) fails to re-build the track, build new pits and grandstands, and access roads from the M1 within 2 years. 3. Bernie says "told you so", and sells the rights on to Russia/India whatever. 4. Voila, no more British GP, and the Poison Dwarf's hands are clean.

 

Bear in mind that the BRDC can't make the business model work despite the infrastructure they already have at Silverstone. (That is, make a profit after they've coughed up 11 million quid for the rights).

 

Donnington has no money. No-one is going to invest 100 million into a losing scheme. They don't even have a plan, let alone planning permission. No chance.

[thursday 1]

I'd like to see the Hungarian GP die, and the European GP.

 

WTF is Turkey and Singapore doing there?

[soubriquet 0]

They have governments willing to subsidise/underwrite the event for political reasons.

 

I'm totally opposed to the UK government subsidising the British GP. That would be giving taxpayers' money to a private club. If there needs to be a subsidy, it should come from the beneficiaries; the billion pound British motorsport industry.

[thursday 1]

and while you're at it, get rid of the Belgium GP too. And the USA one 'cos they have too much motorsports as it is.

[soubriquet 0]

Bernie:

 

"I believe that the Government should have supported them, which would have cost probably less than.002 per cent of the Government's commitment for the Olympic Games."

 

Bryan Moore (Torygraph)

 

"Why help a multi-million pound global sport, in which huge multi-national companies compete, drawing vast sums of money from equally large and wealthy sponsors?

 

I would add that the amount of money required by Silverstone would also be a fraction of Ecclestone's accumulated wealth from the sport. If you care that much, Bernie, why not fund it yourself?"

[thursday 1]

S$30 to enter Suntec to hear the F1 but not see it, nice. S$300 to enter the stands. Guess they must pay for the lekky to light up the place. Hope they don't blackout the rest of the city.

[soubriquet 0]

Kevin Garside, the Torygraph:

 

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/kevin_garside/blog/2008/07/09/max_mosley_and_the_euston_40

 

"...He is trading on the notion that he is fundamentally a decent fellow engaging in behaviour that is universal in nature, if not detail. To catagorise him therefore as a grubby raincoat type unfit for office is not only damaging it is plain wrong.

 

I wonder then what the motor racing community will make of the testimony of Woman A, one of the five collaborators in the sado-masochistic orgy in the London apartment rented on his behalf at an annual cost of £35,000?

 

It transpires that Max does not limit his horizons to episodic role playing in the privacy of his own rented apartment. He also has an ‘interest' in "events shows" organized by Woman A near Euston, where, as my Telegraph colleague described it "up to 30 men pay around £200 to have sex with ten women in a stage-like setting."

 

Woman A said: "We describe it as like going to the theatre." Then letting loose a detail that I believe could be fatal for Max she added that Mr Mosley had a financial stake in the events and would telephone her three days beforehand to ask "how are the finances looking?"

 

Participating in a lewd caper with a five willing helpers is one thing, having a financial interest in a tawdry sex den in Euston involving up to 40 people a thrash is of a different order of perversion. It is not like going to any theatre most people would recognise. This paints Max in a deeply unflattering light, and more readily associates him with the kind of behaviour unsuited to one running an international body like the FIA."

[scouser 4]

"We describe it as like going to the theatre."

 

[soubriquet 0]

Here`s Walter Rohrl showing how to drive. The Group B cars made 550bhp, about the same as the F1 cars at the time.

 

[soubriquet 0]

After the GpB cars were banned, Peugeot took Ari Vatanen and a car to show the Mercans how to win a race. Pike`s Peak. Check how close he gets to the drop

 

[fukdane 2]

Hamilton back on form, 4 points clear now.

[soubriquet 0]

Given the tools, he certainly gets the job done. Very impressive.

 

Ferrari going backwards without Ross Brawn.

[grungy-gonads 54]

& The Chin?

[soubriquet 0]

No doubt he was an ace. Along with Hakkinen the best of his generation, but IMHO no better than Mika. I think his stats are flattered by having a team at the top of their game build their strategies around No1 and No2 drivers. Schumacher M was from the top drawer without doubt, but I'd put him half a step behind the true greats.

 

Mixed metaphors: up with which I will not put