Official Discussion Thread of the 2009 Formula 1 Season

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The ING sponsoring wasnt a rumour, its stated after the credit crunch and before the first race that this will be their final year at Renault.

Thought it was announced already ?
 
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The ING sponsoring wasnt a rumour, its stated after the credit crunch and before the first race that this will be their final year at Renault.

Thought it was announced already ?

I know it's not a rumour, it was announced about 6 months ago. But it's one of the pieces that adds weight to the "Renault out of F1" rumours.
 
Campos hindered by budget cap U-turn

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, August 27th 2009, 10:28 GMT

Daniele AudettoCampos Grand Prix says its plans to enter Formula 1 have been made harder by the scrapping of a budget cap rule, but the team is adamant it can still be successful in the sport.

The Valencia-based team was one of three outfits that was awarded an entry to next year's world championship, but it has had to rethink its plans after originally only getting involved because of the attraction of a ?40 million budget cap.

With the FIA and Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) agreeing to ditch the budget cap in favour of a cost reduction programme, however, Campos has had to rethink its approach to F1.

And managing director Daniel Audetto, who has returned to F1 following a spell at the helm of Super Aguri, has revealed that the team's investors came close to pulling the plug on the operation totally because of the revised regulations.

"Our investors, who already put the money up front because the FIA had to do a thorough due diligence, they are not happy at all, and we can even say upset, with how things have been handled with the entries," Audetto told AUTOSPORT.

"When we entered and we showed we had the resources and money, which was set at ?40 million for the budget cap, we had the guarantee of many performance advantages. First there was the engine being set at 20,000rpm. There was the unlimited number of engines per season, there was unlimited testing mileage. We had also some aerodynamic devices, and other little elements too.

"These all disappeared, and the only thing that did not disappear was the budget we already had. So we cannot now afford to go the level of others, so with ?40 million, and 120-130 people will be very tough."

He added: "I have to tell you, at one point, the investors considered pulling out totally, to stop. So for me, but especially for Adrian [Campos], it was not easy to convince them to stay, because we could no longer promise the moon.

"They had already spent in the region of 8 million Euros, and they even consulted their lawyers, about the situation - and it would have been the end forever because if you start legal action then it is difficult to come back from there."

Despite the setback caused by the rule changes, Audetto believes that the team can still establish itself in F1 - with its new car due to run for the first time in January next year, and work on sponsors and drivers to be ramped up over the next few weeks.

"From September, we will start to make our presentations to potential sponsors and we will start to close some deals with drivers, because drivers and sponsors are often connected," he explained.

"So from next month, we will become more operational and fully operations from October 1, with the first test in the middle of January. Then we will be built up from a small budget, and if we can show like we did with Super Aguri that we are professional, that we can do well compared with the money we have, I think we can attract more sponsors and investors.

"We are also relying on the FOTA cost reduction programme that eventually, when the costs are reduced to what they were in the early 1990s, then everyone will be close to our budget. But that will take three years."

GP2 race winner Russian Vitaly Petrov is favourite for one of the seats at Campos, with experienced Spaniards Marc Gene and Pedro de la Rosa also strongly linked to the team.

Audetto said serious talks were ongoing with seven drivers, but he did not expect a final decision to be made until later in the year.

"We are not in any hurry," he explained. "In our situation, where we are a new team, and because of what is going on in F1, with BMW and with the reduction of costs, I think we well wait until October or the end of the championship. We are not in a hurry.

"We are not going to test the car until the middle of January, so maybe we can get a better deal then. But if there is an opportunity to get a good driver with a good deal now then we will do it.

"Adrian will make the decision because of his experience and his knowledge. He brought up Fernando Alonso, so there is no one better than Adrian to choose. I can help him with my advice, but the final decision is his."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78021
 
I admire their spirit, but it feels a lot like a marketing gimmick anouncement to me.

I'm still hoping Lola will replace BMW or something, though.
 
It's not looking good for Campos. I think the teams that came in because they could thanks to the budget cap will have lots of trouble being anywhere close to even the Force Indias...
 
Sebastien Loeb's people in touch with USF1

New-for-2010 Formula One World Championship entrant USF1 has stated several times its commitment to finding American drivers. That was, at least, until representatives for five-time World Rally Championship-winning driver and Frenchman Sebastien Loeb called to make some inquiries. At the moment this is just questions, two sides exploring what might be possible. But USF1 sporting director Peter Windsor did say, "We are looking more on the American side but are going to take him seriously."

On the other side, Citroen, the team Loeb drives for, has several times tried to put down just such speculation. The last time there were rumors of a switch to F1 for Loeb, both Loeb and Citroen said it was nothing. Citroen hasn't said anything about this latest news, but Loeb said he's "on the verge of extending [his] contract with Citroen," and that this is just about filling in when the F1 and WRC schedules don't conflict.

Not long ago it would have been considered absurd to have a part-time driver that just shows up for race weekends, and it would be pretty unusual even now. But with the in-season testing ban, it won't make as much difference as it used to. And besides, he probably couldn't be worse than Luca Badoer is at the moment... Hat tip to James!

It's not looking good for Campos. I think the teams that came in because they could thanks to the budget cap will have lots of trouble being anywhere close to even the Force Indias...

The Force India cars have actually done a lot better lately. Maybe Toro Rosso would work better in your comparison?
 
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Even Toro Rosso is good lately. Buemi was great in Valencia qualy..

I think that currently there isn't a firm backmarker team..maybe drivers..Alguersuari and ( hopefully not again ) Badoer.
 
sniffpetrol said:
BREAKING NEWS: Brawn to leave tyre warmers on car during actual race.

He never dissapoints :lol:
 
:roflmao: It's the only way.. =)
 
Ferrari.com said:
Waiting list

It might not be the best season for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, but the possibility to drive one of the Reds must be very appetising, at least when one considers the number of drivers, who have been brought up by the media and the fans and even by some of the drivers themselves as candidates for Felipe Massa?s F60 number 3, without even considering some suggestions from the afterworld?
The list is so long that almost every letter in the alphabet has a corresponding driver?but let?s see the details:

A as in Fernando Alonso
B as in Jules Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti and Sebastien Bourdais
C as in David Coulthard
D as in Anthony Davidson
F as in Giancarlo Fisichella and Luca Filippi
G as in Marc Gen?
H as in Nico Hulkenberg
K as in Robert Kubica
L as in Andr? Lotterer and Vitantonio Liuzzi
P as in Nelson Piquet (Jr.) and Giorgio Pantano
R as in Valentino Rossi and Davide Rigon
S as in Takuma Sato and Bruno Senna
T as in Jarno Trulli
V as in Jos Verstappen

Before anyone feels offended we want to underline that we have the highest respect for all of these drivers and we apologise also in the name of those who brought up their names to those who haven?t been mentioned, like Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button, but there?s always time for some fresh ideas.

Sauce!


:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Jules Bianchi was being shown around and met all the ferrari garage people this morning, when the BBC camera men started filming it happen the ferrari press officer went a bit mad and told Jules to hide from the camera and seemed to tell off the ferrari garage men talking to him :p

could be a little tip off that he may be the replacement driver
 
I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, but I'm being a bit lazy with checking through posts, so tell me if it has:p.

Draft 2010 calendar from James Allen - Source: http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/08/sneak-preview-bahrain-kicks-off-2010-f1-calendar/

March 14 ? Bahrain (Sakhir)
March 28 ? Australia (Melbourne)
April 4 ? Malaysia (Sepang)
April 25 ? Turkey (Istanbul)
May 9 ? Spain (Barcelona)
May 23 ? Monaco (Monte Carlo)
June 6 ? Canada (Montreal)
June 27 ? Europe (Valencia)
July 11 ? Great Britain (Donington)
July 25 ? Germany (Hockenheim)
August 1 ? Hungary (Budapest)
August 22 ? Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 5 ? Italy (Monza)
September 19 ? China (Shanghai)
September 26 ? Singapore (Singapore)
October 10 ? Japan (Suzuka)
October 24 ? Brazil (Interlagos)
November 7 ? Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

I know this is the 2009 season discussion thread, but I wasn't sure if it warranted its own topic or not. Let me know if you think it does!
 
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Not Bahrain for the start of the season...Australia is much nicer..
 
That sucks, I love Australia as a season opener!
 
Same here, I love Australia as the season-opener.
 
Boo! Valencia! Boo Bahrain as no.1! YAY! Interlagos! YAY! Motreal!
 
According to James Allen, 'it starts with Bahrain because Australia needs to be scheduled for a date after the clocks go forward to shorten up the time difference and make the race time in Europe later.'
 
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