Renault overturn their one race ban: http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5496832,00.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/motorsport/formula_one/8169649.stm WTF? A one race ban is now a £30K fine? I understand all the arguments Renault used - but this decision calls the role of the race stewards in to question again. If the stewards are so wrong in deciding that a team / driver is guilty of something, and the punishment they mete out is so off bar that it requires the FIA court of appeal to rectify it all, what's the point of having race stewards anyway? Also - what happened to the bit of the FIA regs saying that penalties given out after the race has concluded can not be appealed? Hmmmm - as one of the posters on PF1 said, I bet if it had been any other race than Valencia next, the ban would have stood.
Yeah... i also think the one race ban should've stood... hit muckups like that hard, fast and with a big hammer... make sure they never happen again. No mention of Luca Badoer getting an early 200km in the F60 in? I think that's a beautiful loophole right there... </sarcasm>..."promotional shoot" my ***
From what I've read, there seems to be some confusion over what Luca can do in his 'promo' run. Some articles state that he can only cover 100Km during the runs, where others say he can only do 100KPH...
How hard a compound? Solid rubber? Luca would need to have his fillings replaced and his spine rebuilt afterwards!
Now that Renault are racing this weekend, they've confirmed that Grosjean is taking the other drive. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/motorsport/formula_one/8206904.stm http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5497653,00.html Of course, the question is: Will he be able to get all that hair into crash helmet? So we now have Englishmen in Brawns and McLarens, a Frenchman in a Renault, A German in a BMW and an Italian in a Ferrari.
Did F1 just go back to 1967? I half expect the first interview with Grosjean to include the word "shagadelic"
Lewis could grow his hair... that should make for a weird balding-afro look... a bit Devin Townsend, perhaps.
So... The weekend is almost here... we have loads of changes: Grosjean driving for Renault instead of Nelson Piquet Jr. Grosjean has also only done straight line testing in this year's Renault. Badoer driving for Ferrari instead of Massa (who is paraphrased in multiple places as wanting to be back in the seat in time for Brazil). Badoer has had 200km in the F60 on super hard tyres, which he himself stated has helped him to get to know the car a bit. He has also Last driven an F1 race 10 years ago, and is now hoping for the first points of his Career, in spite of stating that he's just looking to finish. he is ALSO the oldest driver on the grid now. Jaime Alguesuari is racing his second race for STR, after having bested Buemi last race, due to a misjudgment on Buemi's side in a corner. New Nose and floor for McLaren, both of which will be driven in P1 today (Lewis driving one part, Heikki the other one). By P2 (AFAIK), they will have consolidated the upgrades into both cars, to form one package. Brawn has made some upgrades, and reversed some others in an attempt to get the car as quick as it was, and alleviate their tyre temperature difficulties. There have been quite a few changes to the track in the past week, making runoffs wider, Kerbs bigger, planting grass behind some of the kerbs, bringing the pit lane to the same level as the passing lane, etc. Practise 1 starts in 80 minutes or so... As a sortof street circuit, expect the track to be slippery off-line and getting grippier on-line as the weekend progresses.
The only problem is the Circuit. Monaco has the glamour of the Harbour, the Beautiful People and the expensive private Yachts... Valencia wants to be like Monaco, but has all the charm of Felixstowe container port. And I've seen more overtaking on a single lane Scalextrix track. Pole will be uber important this weekend.
That is my biggest gripe with F1. They insist on changing the regulations to make over taking easier then Bernie makes them race on tracks you cant over take on.
1st Prac finished - McLaren & Brawn up top, Badoer at the back. http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5504883,00.html Did Luca go out in one of the Ferrari Trucks instead of Felipe's car? Over 3 seconds off the pace! I assume that Kimmi is slow with the added weight of all the cash in his pocket from having his contract paid off...
Lowe Jaime going faster than "Practise king" rosberg there... well done.. he seemed to have found his pace right at the end there...
HAHAHAHAHAHA Martin Brundle in queue jumping shocker. That sky woman was really pissed off EDIT: And Eddie Jordan alluding it to something more than it is :S:S:S
Rofl, that was classy. She's so brassed off right now, I'll bet there's some fierce words coming down on him later - she was bitching all the time he was talking to Vettel too.
Wow, believe it or not, but I got so bored with the race I tidied up my computer desk. The only redeeming feature of Valencia is that it looks pretty...
