I didn’t know about Andretti and Maffei having a spat , thanks for the info . I seem to remember the way he approached teams got a few backs up .
Another peek behind the curtains of life in the FIA. It should be an exciting, rewarding and prestigious place to work, but I imagine it feels pretty negative and depressing these days... https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/c4gzn7gvjzzo
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/e...-set-to-change-no-earlier-than-2025/10677772/ I suddenly remembered new driving standards were due at this race and thought it was odd nothing has been announced. Figured I’d find that there weren’t enough people left at the FIA to work on them, but the story is remarkably positive that suggests that they’re taking their time to get it right, rather than just slapping another band aid on, which is where I felt this went wrong last time.
I love the idea of gravel traps big enough to do their job , but small enough that they can removed for moto gp circuits .
Anyone else seen this ? The FIA wants to make changes to its rules following investigations into president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and his governance. A series of proposals have been submitted ahead of a vote of the FIA general assembly on 13 December. The plan is to replace the existing senate and ensure that any ethics complaints would be handled by the FIA president and the president of its senate, Carmelo Sanz de Barros. The BBC reports that the revisions would abolish the audit committee’s power for an independent investigation into financial issues. The proposal would effectively see Ben Sulayem ring-fenced. It comes in a turbulent year for Ben Sulayem, who is now gearing up for an election campaign for a second term in office at the FIA. He currently remains unopposed, and the measures being pushed through would only serve to strengthen his position at the top of the governing body. In March, Ben Sulayem faced accusations from an FIA whistleblower that he interfered in the outcome of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He was also accused of urging FIA officials not to certify the Las Vegas circuit for last year’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Both claims were dismissed. The BBC also claims that Ben Sulayem has faced “questions about the finances of his private office; the establishment of a $1.5m ‘president’s fund’ to pay member clubs, which vote for the FIA president”. None of these accusations were progressed. Ben Sulayem is facing a series of questions about his administration. Last week, he sacked long-standing F1 race steward Tim Mayer, who claimed he was told via a text message. Mayer claimed that he was axed after Ben Sulayem “took offence” following an appeal by the Circuit of the Americas chiefs following a track invasion by fans at the US GP. Former chief executive officer Natalie Robyn quit the FIA after she raised questions about the governance of the organisation, its practices and finances in the president's office. Head of the audit committee Bertrand Badre and audit committee member, Tom Purves, were both fired in the summer and compliance officer, Paolo Basarri, who had overseen the complaint about Ben Sulayem meddling in the outcome of the Saudi GP, was also fired last month. There have been a substantial number of key personnel who have left the organisation, leading to growing concerns about the calibre of staff left at the FIA. In recent months, the BBC reports that the FIA has also lost its sporting director, F1 technical director, digital director, head of commercial legal affairs, governance and regulatory director, race director, the head of the women in motorsport commission, secretary general of mobility and director of communications, as well as the three most senior HR staff.. If the changes are agreed by the FIA general assembly it would mean the ethics committee’s power would be diluted from the ability to "investigate and assess" complaints with a power only to "carry out an initial assessment to determine whether an in-depth investigation is necessary". This would then be handed to the president of the senate, who would decide if further action is needed. Another tweak would also ensure that any investigation into the FIA president would be reported to the president of the senate and the president himself. This would ensure that the FIA president and the president of the senate would have power over any ethics inquiry. Further changes would remove the power of the compliance officer to investigate any irregularities concerning the FIA president or any other person on his or her team. They also remove the role of the audit committee in "assuring the accuracy, relevance, and permanence" of the FIA’s accounting methods with a simple requirement to "review" them. Finally, they remove the audit committee from signing off the FIA's accounts, again with the power going to the president of the senate.
I can see it getting very ugly very quickly . Liberty Media and the teams have the money and agreements with the tracks . The FIA have the stewards race director and plenty more I’m sure .
Looks like the franchises are going to need to form FOFA and start planning a breakaway series. Happily we’ll eventually run out of letters - only 23 more iterations of this to go. More seriously, this doesn’t look good, but with FIA presidential elections next year and him seemingly having strong support among a number of the regional bodies it does look like this is the first skirmishes of a slow drawn out war.
Just saw that Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet are expecting a baby - that child is going to have some serious racing genes. Hopefully it’s a girl who becomes the first female WDC in 2045.
F1 showing it's relevancy this weekend. Michail Antonio had a big crash in his ferrari, people put up the picture and were saying he could be dead. I looked at the picture and thought 'safety cell'.
Thanks for this - some amazing footage and racing there. When the greats of the sport are listed I always feel Nigel flies under the radar somewhat, especially when you consider some of the drivers he was competing against.
F**K it . EJ’s got cancer . Former F1 team boss Jordan reveals cancer diagnosis please log in to view this image IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Eddie Jordan has worked as a broadcaster in F1 for the BBC and Channel 4 Published 2 hours ago Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says he was diagnosed with a "quite aggressive" form of cancer earlier this year. The 76-year-old revealed he suffered with bladder and prostate cancer which spread to his spine and pelvis. Jordan, whose team competed between 1991 and 2005, is the current manager of design legend Adrian Newey. Speaking on his Formula For Success podcast alongside co-host David Coulthard, Jordan urged listeners to "go and get tested, because in life, you've got chances". "We've kind of alluded to it over the shows, way back in March and April, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer, and then it spread into the spine and the pelvis, so it was quite aggressive," said Jordan. The Irishman highlighted that his situation is similar to that of six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, who announced in October that his cancer is terminal. "We've all heard about our wonderful friend, Sir Chris Hoy, who's an absolute megastar, and he is coming out and talking about illnesses like what I've got, but he's a far younger man," he said. "Go and do it. Don't be stupid. Don't be shy. It's not a shy thing. Look after your body, guys." Jordan's team, which was named after himself, entered 250 races in Formula 1, winning four times.
Just read that too. I wonder if that's why he has been absent on race weekends. Hope he can pull through but doesn't sound good. I doubt anyone will ever create a F1 team on their own like he did - well obviously he has other people working for him but financially he was in charge. He gave a good few drivers a run out in his cars including Schumacher, Brundle, Herbert, Hill, Mansell, Senna, Alesi, and loads more. I did used to like seeing his yellow cars racing and doing well for such a small team - Bitten and Hisses springs to mind with the snake artwork - great bit of marketing.
] [ Buzzin Hornets was another one . Katie Price was photographed for them . I also remember after the maiden win in 1998 an unnamed team owner said something like “ Christ . He was bad enough before he won a race , he’ll be unbearable now “!
Sounds like Honda and Nissan have announced a planned merger! I wonder if that will have any impact on F1?
Really don’t know . It’s Honda Nissan & Mitsubishi . I find the bit below interesting . Dependant on a Nissan turn around . political scrutiny Nissan pulling out of Renault ( The reason Alpine binned the engine programme ? ). There may have been Nissan money in that . 23 December 2024, 13:39 GMT Updated 5 hours ago Honda and Nissan plan to merge as the two Japanese firms seek to fight back against competition from the Chinese car industry. Joining forces would create one of the world's biggest car producers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford. The potentially multibillion dollar deal to combat "the rise of Chinese power" was a key driver behind the plan, said Honda's chief executive Toshihiro Mibe. Mr Mibe said a plan to "fight back" needs to be in place by 2030, or they risk being "beaten" by rivals. The merger, which would include Mitsubishi - of which Nissan is the biggest shareholder - would allow all three companies to share resources against other electric vehicle competitors such as Tesla. The growing electric car market has been increasingly dominated by Chinese-made electric vehicles, including BYD, which have posed a threat to some of the world's best known car firms. "There is a rise of Chinese power and emerging forces and the structure of the automobile industry is changing," Mr Mibe told reporters at a press conference announcing the merger talks. Growing competition in China has left many car makers struggling to compete, as lower labour and manufacturing costs make local firms more nimble and able to price their goods lower than foreign counterparts, making them far more attractive to buyers. It has led to China becoming the world's biggest producer of electric vehicles. In October, EU officials said the Chinese state was unfairly subsidising its EV makers and announced big taxes on imports of EVs from China to the EU, after the majority of member states backed the plans. The tariffs are set to rise from 10% to 45% for the next five years, but there are concerns it could raise EV prices higher for buyers. 'Capabilities to fight' The total sales of Nissan and Honda is more than $191bn (£152bn), said Nissan's chief executive, Makoto Uchida. In March, the two Japanese car makers agreed to explore a strategic partnership for electric vehicles (EVs). "The talks started because we believe that we must build up capabilities to fight them, including the current emerging forces, by 2030. Otherwise we will be beaten", said Mr Mibe. He added that the deal was not a bailout of Nissan, which has been struggling with falling sales. In November, Nissan said it will cut around 9,000 jobs as it slashes global production to tackle a drop in sales in China and the US. The cuts mean its global production will be reduced by a fifth. Nissan, once a symbol of Japan's car making strength, has spent the past few years trying to regain its footing after the arrest of longtime chief executive Carlos Ghosn. Mr Ghosn faced charges of financial misconduct when he fled Japan in 2019, and is currently the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, which is a request to law enforcement worldwide to find and arrest a person. Mr Ghosn, currently in Lebanon, told reporters in December that Nissan's merger plans were an act of panic and desperation. Mr Mibe said that any merger would be dependent on the turnaround of Nissan. Honda and Nissan agreed in March to cooperate in their EV businesses, and in August deepened their ties, agreeing to work together on batteries and other technology. However, any deal is likely to come under intense political scrutiny in Japan as it may result in job cuts, whilst Nissan is likely to unwind its alliance with French auto firm Renault.
Does anyone know where testing for the 2025 season will be carried out? I was looking at the callender for next year and here in OZ we`ve got the first race and Barhrain is not until the 4th race. Surely they would not test in the desert as usual , then pack everything up to come down under only to go back to Barhrain for round 4 !!
It is in Bahrain - the last 3 days of February. The race itself has moved because Ramadan falls in March this year.
