Filed under: F1 News Update | Tags: BMW, F1 2010, ferrari, FIA Budget cap, Mclaren, Red Bull F1, Torro Rosso, toyota
These 5 teams that, so far, have protested the proposed budget cap of 40 million euros and the subsequent two tier F1 outlook.
That is stunning. Teams that have become a successful part of Grand Prix racing have declared they will not race in 2010 under the current proposed budget cap.
Even with the potential introduction of Lola, USGPE, Aston Martin, and ProDrive, Formula One cannot allow these teams, ESPECIALLY Ferrari and Mclaren to disappear from F1. I personally feel that F1 is F1 because of the technology, the noise, and the lavishness that we all know, and love.
I have a gut feeling that Max [Mosley] will probably give some snide remark and again claim, “we can live without them.” But in reality, Formula One can’t live without them. The absence of any one of these teams will mean that F1, is no longer F1. F1 is F1 because of the teams in it. The turnover of 1 team every now and then (Minard, Stewart, Jaguar) is acceptable because it’s rare and they never really had a great impact on the sport. BMW, Ferrari and Mclaren in particular make up the framework for F1.
Filed under: F1 News Update, Just Because | Tags: Ayrton Senna, death, F1, Imola 1994, Roland Ratzenberger, Williams
May 1, 1994′s Imola Grand Prix is known to F1 fans as “Black Sunday” and that weekend in general as some of the darkest days in Grand Prix history. On friday during practice, Rubens Barrichello had a horrific shunt but lived to tell about it. Saturday was a different story. Roland Ratzenberger had a similar accident but tragically died at the scene. Sunday is the day we all know so well.
Three times World Champion Ayrton Senna lost control of his Williams car for a split second and careened into the barrier on the right hand side of the track. I was not at this time following F1, however I have seen the race and the accident many times since. It was Ayrton who’s death transformed the sport. The GPDA came from his death, safety devices like improved helmet testing and the mandatory use of the HANS device worn today owe their use to deaths of drivers like Senna. (more…)
Filed under: F1 News Update | Tags: FIA, Heikki Kovalainen, Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren, Race Ban
Lewis and Mclaren have been given a three race suspension
World Champion Lewis Hamilton and his team Mclaren have been suspended for three races following “lie gate” and the incident between Trulli and Hamilton in the closing laps of the Australian GP.
Hamilton fully deserves to be suspended. His actions are totally unbefitting a World Champion and his recent questioning his place in Formula One makes me personally, sick and angry and embarrassed for the sport. In my opinion, he will not be missed on the grid.
Who I feel has been really wronged here, is Heikki Kovalainen. While having a rather mediocre career so far, the finn certainly has moments of brilliance in the car and because Mclaren have been banned, the innocent go down with the guilty and Kovalainen will sit on the sidelines with his teammate, Hamilton. Too bad. If I was Heikki, I’d be talking to Renault who need to oust Nelson Piquet who has to date, finished somewhere around 38% of the Grand Prix starts he has made.
Don't feel bad for Lewis or Mclaren, Feel sorry for Heikki.
Jenson Button braved heat and burning flesh to take the win in Bahrain in round four of the 2009 Formula One World Championship. Vettel remains a strong contender for the title taking second place.
Ferrari scored their first points of the season but continue to have KERS reliability issues. Massa’s race was ruined early when he had KERS malfunction and his strategy ruined.
Photos from the race will be on motorsportf1media.org by the end of the day with a download link to go with it.
Filed under: Website Updates | Tags: 2009, Chinese GP, F1, Michael Schumacher, Photos, rain, Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel gave Red Bull's factory team its first win on sunday.
What a stunning drive. I have long been a fan of Sebastian Vettel. I have been privaledged enough to have seen him drive in his first grand prix at the USGP in 2007 and saw his 5th at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2008 and both times, he has wowed me with his maturity and racing elegance. He reminds me of another successful german driver, especially in the wet. Recall Schumacher’s first win was in torrential conditions, not unlike the ones on sunday in Spain in 1996.
Ferrari continue to struggle, which while I am proud of Vetttel’s accomplishment, weighs heavily on my hearts which bleeds Rosso Corsa.
Added Today:
165 High Res Chinese GP Photos from friday, saturday and sunday.
Filed under: Just Because, Movies, TV, Video Games | Tags: codemasters, F1, F1 2009, GT5 prologue, video game, wishlist, XBOX 360
No, I’m not talking about F1 2009 the real racing series…I’m talking about F1 2009, the video game. It has been since 2001 that a Formula One game has been launched on Microsoft’s console, the Xbox (now XBOX 360). At that time, the F1 game was developed by EA Sports (I will not go into how I feel about them in this blog. In short, I think their sports games are worthless, unoriginal and overpriced with very few redeeming qualities).
About a year ago it was announced that the FIA had licensed the Formula One media rights to Codemasters. Prior to the end of the Brazilian GP 2007, those gaming rights were held by Sony who obviously only released the game to their console, the PS2 and PS3. With Codemasters now owning the license to the game, it will be released across all platforms on Wii, PS3, XBOX 360, and PC. I’m writing this for a few reasons. One, I got my work done for the night and I’m bored but two, I think its important for Codemasters to hear a real F1 fan’s wants from their game. And it’s not just me wanting these things. Formula One’s global TV audience utterly dwarfs that of NASCAR and every other global sport EXCEPT futbol (soccer) and cricket. Weekly TV audience figures have been known to push a quarter billion people. And for sure, many of those fans are gamers with access to a console or PC and want to drive in a game, what they see on TV and to feel those emotions that make car racing, and particularly F1, unique. (more…)
Filed under: Website Updates | Tags: Brawn GP, F1 2009 photos, ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Malaysian GP
Lots of water and very little light stopped the race in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Grand Prix is finished…but it was one full of twists from start to finish. Ferrari again struggled and finished out of the points due to strategic errors on the part of the team. Mclaren and Hamilton found themselves at the wrong end of a bad situation. Hamilton faces further probing from the FIA and may be excluded from the championship.
Obviously, if you have been paying attention to any news coming from F1, the race was stopped because of absolutely torrential rains. Felipe Massa said in a post race interview that “it was a nightmare. We could not stay on the track. At one stage, I was going slower then the safety car!”
Due to the waning light and standing pools of water on the tarmac, the race was redflagged a little over an hour into the competition.
Despite the short running of the race, it is still clear who has the advantage in terms of pace. The ‘diffuser three’ remain unstoppable but with a short break between Malaysia and the Chinese GP, the other teams may throw diffusers on the cars. In the coming week, the FIA will convene in Paris to determine the fate of the points earned by the diffuser three to this point. Should be interesting to say the least.
Added under 2009 Season/Malaysian GP are 223 High Res Photos
Hamilton continues to struggle...and lie.
Filed under: Just Because, Random F1 | Tags: 24 hrs of LeMans, Audi R10, Download, Peugot, Truth in 24
Although I realize this has nothing to do with F1, it is a FANTASTIC movie. Recently prior to the American LeMans Series start in Sebring Florida, ESPN aired a movie that was narrated by Jason Stratham (The Transporter, Italian Job ect…). The movie follows the story of the build up of the Audi Le Mans team and the Audi R10 chassis in its persuit of another 24 hrs of Le Mans victory.
I really really really really recommend going and downloading this for free on iTunes. Not sure if its open to the world, but it certainly is for the US. Follow the link below and then download it and watch it as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMovie?id=307316228&s=143441
Filed under: Website Updates | Tags: 2009, Australian GP, Brawn GP, F1, Photos
Say what you want on Albert Park, it is definitely one of the prettiest tracks in F1.
So it begins. In more ways then one. As always, Formula One is engulfed in a political standoff between teams that feel the diffuser being used by Toyota, Brawn GP and Williams is illegal has been a gross misinterpretation of the rules set forth earlier in 2008 to produce competitive racing in 2009.
All that aside, the Australian GP was a phenomenal race. Though my team of choice didn’t even get their cars to the finish line, as an F1 fan I’ve never been more excited about the prospects of the championships. In a way, Im excited that the Brawn GP boys took it home in style. Almost rubbing it in the faces of the Honda board that dumped the F1 program and now, here their team sits on the top two steps of the podium in Melbourne and frankly, I don’t see a team that could knock them off it in Malaysia. I guess we’ll have to find out this weekend won’t we?
Updated Recently on www.motorsportf1media.org…
Australian GP Race Photos: 225 high res 1650 x 1119 and higher resolution.
"Catch us if you can"
Never in the history of F1 have so many teams, been in such a competitive position to fight for wins. Fernando Alonso believes that a difference of .2 seconds may separate the top 8 runners during qualifying. That is a stunningly close field. I am truly impressed with the initiatives the FIA and FOTA agreed to with the aero regs to keep the field this close. Rarely has the level of interest in testing been so high.
I cannot wait to see what 2009 will bring us!! Drama? Always. Excitement? You bet. Good Racing? It sure looks like it!
I have a few goodies for those that follow this website with any regularity… LOTS of photos from all the tests, the first photos to appear (on this site) of BrawnGP and many many more then previously seen of Lewis Hamilton.
Algarve Testing: 19 Mid/High res Photos
Jerez Testing: 12 Mid/High res Photos
Barcelona Testing: 23 Mid/High res photos
Finally, lets not forget why we all love this sport. It brings, me in particular, so much joy. I love to share my passion for it, and hope you feel the same excitement I do in the days before the Australian GP. I know I will be watching sitting like a kid on christmas as the cars start their engines up for the practice sessions this friday morning (EST).
