Ross Brawn has already denied the rumours as just a trip with a group of friends. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula-one/27297818
Will the Russian Grand Prix happen? Dieter Rencken created an article about that subject on Autosport in the section reserved for subscription users only. Start of quotes I will not reproduce the article in it's entirety but I will post the bullet points and you can make up your own minds. The Russian GP is the most lucrative track. $200m over 5 years. They have already paid $60m up front increasing pressure is being brought to bear upon the sport to abandon Russia's first grand prix due to sanctions being imposed on the country (and its heavy hitters) over the Crimean/Ukraine crisis. President Putin, faced with horrific costs for security detail, had a rethink about the grand prix, which would demand similar levels of security (to Winter Olympics), albeit for a shorter period, but with reduced payoff for the country. Said our source: "Our president is questioning whether it will be worth it for a race, and when he questions something it seldom happens..." poor overall spectator attendance at the Olympics is said to have played a role a Moscow-based source last week advised this writer that internal pressure had been brought to bear on the US GP organisers and Automobile Competition Committee for the United States Allegedly, high-level calls have been made for the Russian race to be boycotted fully. Pressure is also being brought to bear upon the sport from within Europe … further sanctions could put paid to the event". If a new round of tougher sanctions is introduced, Formula 1 may find it impossible to put on a race because of restrictions on the flow of cash." Mercedes could face pressure in Germany, as could Renault Sport in France, but for Pirelli the situation is reversed: Russian conglomerate Rosneft – the world's largest listed oil company – controls 13 per cent of the rubber company's stock, although Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin reportedly appears on the EU sanction list together with his Gazprom equivalent. End of quotes.
Interesting stuff GramP I reckon if Russia keep pushing into Ukraine the sanctions will increase and will pretty much force the teams not to go. Plus what do reckon of the rumours of it now being held in Azerbaijan this year instead of Russia? I think it's impossible if they're actually thinking of doing it. http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/...ace-Russia-on-2014-calendar-report,76127.html
Bahrain is a western ally though, Russia isn't. "Naughty naughty, don't torture your citizens but we wont put sanctions on you though because we like you. Just stop it though.... until the media leaves anyway so you don't get caught again."
What would be made of this though? What could Ross do at this point in time? Significant improvements need to be made, to the car and to Kimi.
Can't see Russia committing $60m and then baulking at the costs of a security detail, it's going to be nowhere near that amount, surely?
why? What's wrong with Azerbaijan? It's a modern country with none of the religious strife, corrupt, yes, but it's people are generally well educated, there's low unemployment, it's absolutely awash with money and crime is very low.
Advice "citizens should be aware that spontaneous demonstrations and riots have happened in the past and have been suppressed with force. In January 2012, the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry disrupted a terrorist plot, reportedly backed by Iran, to attack prominent foreigners in Baku.* You should avoid travel to the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied areas, as well as regions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian positions. Because of the existing state of hostilities, citizens of Armenian ancestry considering travel to Azerbaijan should remain particularly vigilant when visiting the country, as the government of Azerbaijan has claimed it is unable to guarantee your safety. " Just like being at home. My comment regarding Azerbaijan related not to the politcs but to F1 going anywhere for money and not for fans.
Alonso and Raikkonen unlikely to be adding silverware to the cabinet It is perhaps fortunate that Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen are paid their salary in dollars because it looks highly unlikely they will be receiving silverware anytime soon. With Formula One back in Europe this weekend – following a three week break – the majority of teams have a raft of upgrades planned for their cars. Historically once the fly-away races have been completed the factories come out with all guns blazing – except Ferrari it seems – who are coming to the party with a water pistol… TJ13 has been informed that the rumoured updates that were scheduled for this weekend have been put back for a more substantial reworking of the various parts as more problems are being recognised through the development process. WIth the championship becoming a private battle between the two Mercedes drivers, it has been decided that bigger steps will be required to close the gap and work continues apace on effectively an updated F14-T. The parts that should have been run at the Grand Prix will be evaluated in the test following the race and includes a shorter nose which will allow a better passage of air below the car and around the sidepods. The new design will also bring benefit to the rear wing. Whilst praise has been given to the excellent work performed by the Shell scientists who have delivered lubricants and fuels that have improved both combustion and lowered the heat from the engine by reducing internal friction – the main underlying problem is linked to the size of the sidepods. Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang 27-30 March 2014In pre-season testing, observers remarked on how small the air intakes were on all Ferrari powered cars but as efficient as the original engine figures may have been, the reduced size of air intake is causing a significant loss of downforce. Ironically it is also the restricted airflow that is curbing the release of horse power because of the heat being produced in the electrical transfer which is limiting the car on the straights. It is interesting that no-one considered that Sauber trialed slimmer sidepods in 203 in an attempt to improve aerodynamic efficiency, but were forced to make huge changes to the rear of their car during the season when it did not perform as expected. With exhaust blowing being effectively removed this solution is not available to the Ferrari squad. Mercedes themselves have sidepods that tighten in at the rear but the package they have designed is a complete factory design with parts of the power unit built into the chassis itself. Maranello have also been focusing on the optimisation of the electrical system in preparation for the summer months but other issues have been unearthed which has forced the engineers to rethink all possible solutions. The size of turbo-charger that Ferrari currently use is smaller than the unit Mercedes have employed and in turn this effects the potential of the MGU-H. The B-spec car that Ferrari is working on reportedly contains ground-breaking designs which have been used in the aerospace industry and their focus is on a stronger material which will increase the rigidity of the chassis itself. The interweaving of the various layers of carbon fibre should move the chassis technology into a new era and is one of the reasons the F14-Tb will be introduced – however the existing problems with the current car indicates that their problems are complex indeed. Fun times, fun times indeed!
I hear they've invented a steel that does not readily corrode, rust or stain with water. They're going to call it non-staining steel
When you say exotic materials, my brain thinks they are making the engine out of Pineapples and passion Fruit. Am I alone?
