2007 Formula 1 Season

How Albers went from a brilliant DTM career to a disaster of an F1 carrer is a bit of a mystery to me. Still, I enjoyed his slapstick antics.

Albers did have his ass handed to him by Mattias Ekstr?m so he wasn't even the best DTM driver...
 
Great McLaren Mercedes video:
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:thumbsup:
 
`BMW won`t win races this season`
Tuesday 10th July 2007

BMW team boss Mario Theissen has ruled out the possibility of his team claiming a race win this season.

Only two teams have taken to the top step of the podium so far this season, with McLaren winning four grands prix and Ferrari, five.

And Theissen doesn't expect that to change any time this year, as he believes BMW will struggle to close the gap to the leading duo before the season ends in late October.

"Currently, I don't see that," he told Autosport when asked if he believed BMW could win a race this season.

"They (McLaren and Ferrari) are at least as far ahead now as they used to be at the start of the season. The gap is almost unchanged.

"On fast tracks we are probably closer, and on slow tracks the gap is bigger.

"It's important for me to keep the gap constant throughout the season because they are the two strongest teams, and if we develop as fast as they do that's the best result we can achieve. Then we can make the next step over the winter."

BMW are currently third in the Constructors' Champioship on 58 points, 70 behind Championship leaders McLaren.

Source

Does anyone else think thats rather odd? I mean we always hear ex-drivers make their own individual comments about teams and drivers but a team boss saying his team won't win??? That's like that one episode of TG where the head of the bus driver union said to JC that he'd like to see him work under their conditions. He is the team boss and it is one of his duties to improve the team.

I mean why the hell would you want to drive a bit faster or brake a bit later for a team boss who doesn't think you or your engineers are capable of winning. He is basically saying we have a challenge and an obstacle but instead of overcoming it we are going to lay down and give up.

I'm hoping this was just a spin and a excerpt of what he really said just misconstrued by the media.
 
If it's true and not a spin, I admire him being honest. He knows like everyone that there is a very slim chance of achieving a win. The only way BMW can win this season is if all 4 cars of Mclaren and Ferrari have some kind of problem. They had their best chance in Canada.

But still I think BMW have the potential of winning, with some luck and improvement on the car and a good drive by either driver.
 
I think I might know who it is. Anyone remember Nick Wirth? He ran Simtek before transferring to Benneton when Simtek collapsed. Anyway, he has an Aerodynamics background and in early 2000's he joined Honda's American LeMans series.

I think it could be him. I hope its him!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Wirth

This might clear things up.


BMW's Zander moves to Honda

BMW's former chief designer Jorg Zander is to join Honda as deputy technical director.

Zander will work alongside Shuhei Nakamoto at Honda, which has gone on a proactive recruitment drive as it attempts to recover from its disappointing start to 2007.

Honda recently confirmed that it had signed aerodynamicist Loic Bigois from Williams, who joins several other new additions in Honda's design team.

Zander previously worked for Honda as chief engineer for mechanical and transmission during the team's BAR days, in 2002 to 2005.

He then worked alongside Bigois at Williams before moving to BMW - initially as chief designer, then focusing specifically on the car's powertrain.

"I am delighted to be returning to Honda and to England, where I know I will feel very much at home again," Zander said.

"Honda is a fantastic group of people.

"It is also a team with enormous potential and the determination to fight hard to achieve its ambitions.

"I am very excited that I will be a part of that."

Team boss Nick Fry was thrilled by what he described as Zander's 'homecoming'.

"In my opinion Jorg is one of the most creative and energetic engineers in Formula 1 and I am delighted that he has decided to return home," Fry said.

Zander's colleague Nakamoto said the number of new technical signings at Honda should not reflect badly on its current staff.

"This is the latest in a series of key appointments that we have made in order to bolster our team," Nakamoto said.

"We have some very talented people at Honda but Formula 1 is a rapidly changing sport and we need to evolve in order to keep pace.

"With the steady performance improvements we have made over the past few races and a strengthened technical team, I am sure that the difficulties we have seen in the first half of 2007 are now behind us."

Honda struggled to break out of the midfield in the opening rounds of the season after a multitude of problems with its RA107 chassis.

But the team has shown better form in recent weeks, with Jenson Button scoring Honda's first point of 2007 in France.

Source
 
Does anyone else think thats rather odd? I mean we always hear ex-drivers make their own individual comments about teams and drivers but a team boss saying his team won't win???

Not at all - he's just being realistic about where the team stands. There's no point in putting unrealistic ambitions and goals out there - I admire his honesty actually.
 
Man Honda is taking everybody in, who next? the Queen?
 
Espionage case goes to High Court
Tuesday, 10, July, 2007, 17:26

The legal case involving Ferrari and McLaren?s suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan has been adjourned at London?s High Court this morning.

Ferrari is taking action against Coughlan ? who was officially named in the controversy for the first time when court documents were published ? and his wife Trudy.

They are alleged to have had 780 pages of confidential Ferrari documents in their possession.

?Their conduct by taking these documents, knowing they were not entitled to them, copying them, keeping them ? on any view they have behaved disgracefully,? Ferrari lawyer Nigel Tozzi QC was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow morning to allow Coughlan to submit an affidavit.

The situation is complicated by the presence of a parallel legal case in Italy, where Ferrari is taking action against its former engineer Nigel Stepney ? who it accuses of supplying the documents to Coughlan.

The saga took another twist at Silverstone last Friday when Honda confirmed that Coughlan and Stepney had recently jointed approached the Brackley-based team with a view to joining its technical staff.

An FIA inquiry into the matter is also ongoing.

Source

Update

Coughlan fined legal bill of ?50,000 in High Court
11 July 2007

McLaren;s suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan has been handed an estimated ?50,000 legal bill in the High Court in London over the stolen Ferrari documents that were found in his house.

The Ferrari Formula 1 team was tipped by a copy shop who saw Coughlan's wife Trudy copy Ferrari documents. Ferrari took it to High Court on the 2nd of July and soon Coughlan's house was searched by local police.

Ferrari's lawyer Nigel Tozzifor said in High Court there were almost 800 pages recovered after the search in Coughlan's house. Coughlan was fined for these costs to search his house.

Source
 
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Apparently this is Jenson Button's girlfriend. Don't know her name or if she is famous or not. Another reason why I would love to work at Honda one day, to hang out with the hot chicks (my girlfriends gonna hit me :D)

f12007malxp0906.jpg
 
McLaren summoned to FIA hearing

The FIA has called McLaren to appear before the World Motor Sport Council to answer a charge of breaking the sporting regulations by possessing confidential Ferrari data.

McLaren suspended its chief designer Mike Coughlan last week after information belonging to Ferrari was discovered during a search of his home.

The governing body then announced that it would hold its own investigation into the matter to determine whether the scandal breached the sporting code.

"Representatives of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have been requested to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Thursday, July 26, 2007," said an FIA statement.

"The team representatives have been called to answer a charge that between March and July 2007, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, including information that could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and/or run a 2007 Ferrari Formula One car."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has strongly defended his team's integrity throughout the saga.

"There is no intellectual property of another grand prix team on our cars, nor will there be, nor has there ever been," Dennis said at Silverstone.

"We have very high standards in our organisation.

"My own integrity is woven into the fabric of our company and I am now, having supervised a very detailed investigation within our own organisation, able to say that with absolute certainty that as this unfolds over the next few days, people will clearly understand all the facts behind what has been a difficult experience for McLaren."

It was later revealed that Coughlan and ex-Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney - who is the subject of a Ferrari-instigated criminal investigation in Italy - had jointly approached Honda in June with a few to joining its technical staff.

Source
 
^ How can McLaren be charged with possessing confidential Ferrari data when they had no knowledge that one of their employees had that information? That's just absurd.
 
For those interested to know about the Ferrari's front wheel rims, which will be seen on almost every car soon. Formula1.com has a brilliant description on their website.

Wheel Rim Explaination
 
^ Good post.

The future of the United States Grand Prix is in doubt after the Indianapolis circuit confirmed that it would not host next year's race.

Indy boss Tony George and Bernie Ecclestone had been attempting to negotiate a new deal after the current contract expired following the 2007 GP, but could not come to an agreement.

?After several discussions, Bernie Ecclestone and I were unable to agree how to keep Formula One in Indianapolis for the near term,? said George.

But he suggested that the Formula 1 could return to Indianapolis after 2008.

"We have agreed to leave the door open for a potential future date," he said.

?It has been a pleasure having the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, and I hope that as we approach our Centennial Era at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an opportunity might present itself that would allow its return.?

The breakdown in talks potentially leaves next season's world championship without a USA date.

Although rumours had circulated that Ecclestone was investigating alternative American options, it is not thought that any would be ready for next season.

The relationship between Indy and F1 became strained after tyre safety concerns forced all bar the six Bridgestone cars to pull out of the 2005 US Grand Prix.

After the demise of a series of unsuccessful street course events in the 1980s and early 1990s, F1 did not have a US round between 1991 and 2000, when it made its debut on the newly-constructed Indianapolis infield track.

Source

I'm not too disappointed.

Also on the ITV-F1 site, McLaren are disappointed at having been summoned by the FIA to the court hearing. Its clear that due to the teams ambiguous relationship with Ferrari and the FIA, they're going to be hauled over the coals before probably being found guilty and stripped of any chance of winning the 2007 championships. Or the FIA could do the sensible thing and McLaren be aquitted of all charges. Its about Coughlan and Stepney, not McLaren.
 
Stepney departs Ferrari

Nigel Stepney has left Ferrari. The team confirmed on Tuesday that there has been a disciplinary procedure and that Stepney is no longer employed. Stepney says he is innocent of allegations that he tried to sabotage the Ferrari F1 cars in the days before the Monaco Grand Prix. He says that there is a smear campaign going on against him, but has not explained why this would be the case and who would benefit from such a thing.

Ferrari has made a complaint to the Italian police but no charges have been made. Ferrari refuses to give details about the allegations it is making but someone somewhere is feeding the Italian media with stories about white powders being found in the fuel tanks of the Ferrari racing cars in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Stepney is due back from his holiday on Thursday and was due to go to the British Grand Prix. That trip will probably now be cancelled as he is no longer with the team but that is unlikely tos top him talking to the press.

Stepney's lawyer in Italy says that he will see the Italian police on his return and try to clear his name and will then take legal action against Ferrari if it is deemed to be necessary.

Clearly there is a great deal more to this story than meets the eye.

Source

Personal thoughts, he is the scapegoat. I wouldnt be suprised to see him sue Ferrari for defamation. He's a free agent, PICK HIM UP HONDA!!

I think he will sue also.
But, No, No, No McLaren must pick him up.
 
I'm not too disappointed.

Me neither. I've been to Indy and Montreal, and Montreal is so much better in every regard. I swear, walking around downtown Indy on race weekend looked like any other weekend. No one knew or cared that there was an F1 race in town. Montreal, by contrast, converted the entire city to a gearhead's playground. And they wonder why the Indy race wasn't a success.

I'm all for history and motorsport legacy, but Indianapolis has nothing going for it. The city isn't behind it, and there's nothing to do there except go to the race. In order for F1 to succeed in America, you need to sell the whole experience, and who wants to vacation in Indianapolis? F1 has a much better chance in NY, LA, Las Vegas, Miami, or other more popular tourist destinations. So long as Indy had F1 tied up in a contract, they wouldn't consider going to another city. F1 leaving Indy is the best thing that could happen.
 
For those interested to know about the Ferrari's front wheel rims, which will be seen on almost every car soon. Formula1.com has a brilliant description on their website.

Wheel Rim Explaination

hmm that explains why its not disqualified --its not a moving aero part, which I originally assumed it was. Just brake venting.. I wonder if it is what made the sig. difference to Ferraris race pace..
 
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