CVC have frozen their stock flotation plans. they must have some real concern with Bernie. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2013/11/20/Finance/F1-CVC.aspx
What a difference a year makes: LDM (2012): "I don't want to have two roosters in the same henhouse" LDM (2013): "I donât like number 1, number 2" It shows a lack of confidence in Alonso's ability, possibly it's a way of telling Alonso he won't be missed if he leaves? At the moment, Ferrari need Alonso more than he needs them (and I'd argue that a lot of people in Ferrari still have a job because of Alonso). Next year Kimi joins so we'll have a top driver regardless of what Alonso decides to do. I suspect the threat of Alonso leaving was the real reason why Luca signed a driver he'd previously paid off.
Hulkenburg would be a cheaper and a better longer term investment now. Alonso is now getting towards the end of his career and you'd have to feel that his opportunities to get another WDC will be starting to fade as he's had 2 opportunities with Ferrari to win it at the last race and missed out both times. Not sure the vibes in Ferrari that come from Alonso & LDM are positive for the team either as it does show there is some friction.
He'd be better for the short term too, Kimi has been (imo) poor since his comeback, he's had 1 legitimate win and has been slower than Grosjean on average, he has to raise his game or he'll be even worse than Massa I think. And no doubt he'll think he's bigger than Ferrari like he thinks he's bigger than Lotus..
Bernie wants Horner as the next F1 boss! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mo...al-replacement-at-the-top-of-Formula-One.html if that happens then I am done with F1.
Or the options are Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King, former Marks and Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose and Sacha Woodward-Hill, Ecclestone’s lawyer. So, Justin King can offer smaller teams a buy one get one free on customer chassis, M&S can offer F1 at a higher price with little overall difference in quality, or it's Ecclestone's lawyer who would just be his puppet. Whilst he may be a sleazy little so-an-so, Horner has a lot of management experinece at all levels of motorsport, though as with Bernie, there would be misgivings about an ex-team chief taking over the running of the sport, though it is clear Bernie did Brabham no favours after he left.
No it isn't as the same was said about Ferrari's pit stop time claiming to have the fastest pitstop with a biased timing device they used, rather than using an unbiased timed process set by a TV channel which Mercedes did. There is still confusion when the pit stop ends, when the jack drops or when the driver starts moving out of the box. Ferrari claimed to have the fastest time, the TV channel helped prove they were in fact second best to Mercedes because Ferrari were timing the jack dropping, Mercedes were timing when the driver moved. So I want a time displayed by an *unbiased source*.
Saying Kimi has been poor is laughable. 3rd in the WDC on his year back and probably would have been 3rd/4th this year if not for the back injury. Not to mention the amount of podiums he has in these past 2 years. Plus driving for a team who work in debt and a car that has on average been 3rd/4th (with Red Bull being clear best car for the past 3/4 of the season) best on the grid over the past 2 seasons. Yeah, poor effort that.... I will say though he isn't as quick in qualifying as he once was but he has been one of the quickest drivers consistently when it comes to race pace.
I think the Lotus has been at least as good as the Ferrari over the two years, let's be honest, he'd have been 4th or even 5th/6th if the Mclaren's and Webber's car didn't die every week last year. This year since the Lotus's have had the same car (Kimi had all the upgrades first for the first half of the season) Grosjean has consistently been outpacing him in the race as well as qualifying. 2005-2007 Kimi was much better than 2012-2013 Kimi in my opinion.
Ferrari drivers against new weight limits for taller drivers: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/11/22/alonso-and-massa-against-2014-car-weight-limit-change/ So much for that lightweight engine...
I think you misunderstood the article (or I've misunderstood lol). What the article says is, the drivers discussed increasing the weight limit but Alonso and Massa were against it. I'm not surprised Massa (59kg) was against it, and it's nice to know that Ferrari really do have a light engine (why else would Alonso be against a weight limit increase?). The two interesting things in the article are 1) Vettel wants the weight increased 2) Mercedes blocked an increase in weight limit On the first point, we knew Renault were a bit heavy but I didn't think it was so bad that a 64kg driver would want the weight limit increased. Also Boullier said Hulk's weight was not a big problem. However there are signs that Renault are heavy: Rob White: "In all honesty, we've been quite urgent in requesting that the weight effect of the regulation change be fully taken into account. While we are pretty confident that the power units and race cars we are heading towards will be every bit as optimised for weight as the current engines and cars, equally our forecast has been for some time that the overall weight challenge is greater than with the current rules. We recommended a slightly bigger weight change than the one that was adopted in the process – but we were voted down by people who had different opinion." Axel Plasse: "The current V8 is 95kg, 100kg if you add the weight of the MGU. This increases to 120kg when you include the ancillary parts, such as the radiators and other cooling devices. With the 2014 power unit, the V6 turbocharged engine will be a minimum of 145kg, plus 35kg for the battery. At 180kg, this is a 80% increase over the current units, plus a further 20kg for the ancillaries such as the intercooler and other radiators." Van Der Garde: "I'm on the limit at 73kg. It wouldn't be good if Hülkenberg and di Resta can't drive in F1 anymore because they are considered to be too heavy. That would be outrageous. Hulkenburg: "I think there was a similar situation in 2009 when KERS was first introduced and drivers had to lose a lot of weight. Unfortunately I am what I am - I am tall and therefore on the heavier side, but not as heavy as some other drivers. It is not under my control but maybe in terms of regulations you have to raise the weight a bit more to make it fairer for different weight levels. You can really get an advantage with your weight distribution if you are 10-15kg lighter." What surprised me more is that Mercedes blocked an increase, because those working with a Mercedes engine next year aren't happy: Button: "I'm 74-75kg with my kit and I struggle to meet the weight limit. I have done for three years. I love fitness training but there are things I can't do because I have to be a set weight - not eat carbohydrates, not build muscle. And next year it will be worse. I don't think any team will have ballast next year." Hamilton: "I weigh about 71 kilos. I am not going to be 65 kilos unless I cut my nuts off! And I eat really healthily" Rosberg: "The height is not so much of an issue for me but I have to keep my weight in check. I guess I will have to cut down on the fatty stuff looking at 2014 and may be give up on sweets during Christmas" Di Resta: "It is a concern for a driver like me. I am at the upper end, to the point where I am three or four kilos under what I would like to be to be healthy. It’s a little bit of an unfair advantage to be a smaller guy because not only can they move the weight (in the car) in the right place but they can get themselves in a healthier state. I’d like to see the weight limit raised because it would make no difference to them (the smaller guys)." Whitmarsh: "There are grounds [to raise the weight limit], but F1 doesn't work like that. Self interest will prevail. Teams that think it's OK will block any change" Benson: "That means a smaller driver such as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who weighs 68kg, is at an advantage over a taller one such as Sauber's Hulkenberg, who weighs 74kg, to the tune of 0.2secs a lap if the team cannot reduce the car by the amount of their weight difference. And even if they can, the taller driver is at a disadvantage because his weight is high up in the car, which also affects performance. McLaren have ruled out Hulkenberg as a potential replacement for Mexican Sergio Perez next year as a result of this. A high-level source said the chances of a change to the weight limit were "quite slim as it would require everyone to agree, and some teams and engine manufacturers don't think they need an increase". If Mercedes are trying to convince people they will dominate 2014, it would make sense to block any rule changes - act like everything is going well, and keep the shareholders happy
Alonso and Massa are the lightest drivers around so it's there own agenda to have an advantage over other drivers because they will have the most to lose. If Ferrari's engine was as light as the imaginary media like to make out Alonso wouldn't have to protect his own backside by disallowing bigger drivers or a certain guy like Hulk replacing him for example at Ferrari or any other driver that is 10cm taller than him. The GPDA isnt controlled by the teams and the Pirelli ****storm was evident of that when the minority fell in line with regards to the Pirelli's blowing up. Even Massa was saying they were dangerous and needed to be sorted yet Alonso dug his feet in. Alonso has his career in mind not Ferrari's imaginary engine, hence the engine isn't as super light you and the fantasy cult like to make out because Alonso is trying to stop a certain driver replacing him in any top team. Massa wants to capitalise his weight advantage so again he is picked over better/heavier drivers. Yes we did read it differently, you think the vote is Ferrari based when I believe it's driver based, Ferrari's engine is just as heavy as Mercedes and Renaults. Yes the link is Ferrari between both drivers, but the most obvious fact is that both drivers are the lightest and shortest drivers around. The fact is Massa doesnt give a **** about Ferrari engines anymore since he is driving a Mercedes engine, maybe the Mercedes engine isn't as heavy as you think or he knows he wouldnt be driving in that team if it wasn't for his weight/height advantage And if the Ferrari engine is as light as you claime it to be, why didn't you pick Hulk over Kimi lol? BS! thats why. Ferrari seem more desperate to have (short + light) drivers more than anybody around!
The right thing to do is increase the weight limit, anyone blocking it is putting their own interests ahead of those of the sport. People asking for an increase could be acting out of self interest because they have/are a heavy driver, car or engine, or they could be asking for it because it's what the sport the needs.
Interesting that Vettel, one of the lightest drivers and the one with the biggest advantage over his team-mate, also wants the weight limit increased, of course it's all PR...........
At the end of the day no one can now how much their rivals engines weigh, and if they do then we are back to spygate. I'd be shocked if the engines are more than 5kg's in difference between the 3 of them, and they're probably going to be much the same output, we are talking about 3 massive technical powerhouses after all. One manufacturer going for power, one for efficiency and one for a bit of both could make the races a bit interesting next year (perhaps... maybe... please?).
Paul Weaver of The Guardian has published his 'Alternative Driver Rankings' Max Chilton is 10th! One place below Mark and two below Lewis... Ahem. And Bottas is fifth best
