2008 Formula 1 Pre-Season Thread

Adelaide was much more commited to its GP, especially in its season-ending slot. And it was the scene of some truly memorable events, like the season deciders of 1986 and 1994, one of two victories with a 2-lap lead in history, and those amazing downpours in 1989 and 1991. It would be better for the Australian GP to return there, on the same layout as in 1995, but with several improvements to the asphalt, the kerbs (a little lower; they were ridiculously high) and improvements in run-off and barriers.



EDIT: I wonder if Bernie can come to the FIA GT race in Bucharest, in late May... Not sure if he would be impressed, and I think he would recall Tilke to make it longer. And also, the backdrop is a Pharaoh-scale Communist construction, incidentally used now by money-sucking bureaucrats which annoy us all from the second-largest building in the world (after the Pentagon).
 
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I still think F1 should alternate between "near by" locations - keeps things interesting.
 
You all know the Australian GP should come back to its original home in Longford!!!!! Still regarded as one of the greatest race tracks of all time.

I would love to see Jordan back on the grid, I think he could do quite well also.
 
FIA began McLaren's 2008 car investigation
08 November 2007

Earlier this week the FIA visited McLaren's factory in Woking to investigate McLaren's 2008 plans. The FIA started its investigation in order to make sure McLaren is not using any Ferrari technology on its 2008 F1 contender. The World Motor Sport Council has announced that it will have a hearing on the seventh of December to reveal their findings.

The FIA took several CD's and hard disks from Woking in order to analyse McLaren's 2008 car. Both the FIA and McLaren did not wish to comment on the investigations and so it remains unknown whether or not McLaren needs to get worried about next years car.

FIA President Max Mosley doesn't expect McLaren to be excluded from the 2008 Formula One championship when Ferrari technology is found. "It is not very likely that McLaren will be excluded," Mosley told the BBC. "They will probably receive a point reduction at the start of the season if they are building a car with Ferrari technology."

On December 7 the World Motor Sport Council will reveal its findings.
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Button issues Honda with ultimatum

Jenson Button has warned Honda that he is not prepared to waste his Formula 1 career in uncompetitive machinery.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, the 27-year-old, admitted that a season spent toiling "with a complete dog" of a car left him deeply frustrated as the momentum of strong season in 2006 faded away.

"I'm just not interested in racing like this any more," said Button, who says his loyalty remains with Honda, so long as the team can make dramatic improvements in 2008.

"I remember after Hungary this year wanting to hit something.

"I'd won that same race 12 months previously and now I was there sitting in something which was undriveable."

"I have to start winning and if I don't then I have to be ruthless.

"There's an option in my contract which means we can all sit down and discuss the future at the end of the season.

"I'm not saying I expect to win the world title, but I do expect a dramatic improvement."

Button, who finished 15th in the world championship with just six points to his name, added that his season in hell should act as a sobering tonic to the heady cocktail of success Lewis Hamilton enjoyed in 2007.

The McLaren rookie eclipsed Button as Britain's F1 favourite with a remarkable run of nine straight podium finishes and four victories en route to runner-up spot in the world championship.

But Jenson knows through bitter experience that opportunities to drive competitive cars are rare and should be capitalised on.

"He is a great driver, but there are lots of great drivers in F1 who did not have his package," he said.

"What would worry me is the lost opportunity. He should be sick as a dog because another chance like that might not come round again."
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I guess we won't be seeing Jenson in a Honda in 2009 then, unless the Ross Brawn rumours are true and he manages to help turn the team around a fair bit.


News
Lewis: I will take lead role at McLaren

Sunday, 11, November, 2007, 14:25

Lewis Hamilton says he expects to lead the McLaren team next year and admitted that he can't wait to find out who his 2008 team-mate will be.

Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, Spyker driver Adrian Sutil and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa are all thought to be high on McLaren's list of replacements for Fernando Alonso.

Speaking in an interview on ITV's Michael Parkinson show, the Formula 1 super-rookie revealed wryly that "he wouldn't say he was pleased" to see Alonso depart the team, but added that he was looking forward to matching himself against somebody new.

"I have been brought up to say I wish him all the best," he said.

"I am quite keen to see who'll be my next rival of course.

"It is quite a challenge for me, I am taking the seat of Fernando, I am taking the lead role, as lead driver."

Hamilton also refused to accept the suggestion that mistakes in China and Brazil may have blown blown his chances of title glory in 2007.

"I went through the season, and obviously there were small mistakes during the season which was to be expected," said the 22-year-old sensation from Stevenage.

"We went in to the last couple of races and yes I went off in China, but I didn't actually blame myself too much with that.

"I couldn't see in my mirrors so I couldn't see that the tyres were completely finished. I was tip-toeing around the track and it was just one of those things.

"I went into the last race as well and I dropped down to seventh at the beginning of the race but I knew I could get back and still win it.

"We had the technical problem and that's racing. That's to be expected."

But Hamilton said he wasn't disappointed even though he lost the world championship to Kimi Raikkonen at the last hurdle.

"I will just make me more determined," he said.

"It was one of those races where I said to myself: 'Okay, whatever happens here look at the year it has been amazing'.

"I can't be disappointed either way."
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I think that could be a mistake on McLaren's part, depending on who will be his team mate. He is also still a bit too young to be a leader.
 
ITV-F1 said:
Honda signs Brawn as Team Principal

Honda Racing has announced that it has signed former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn as its team principal.

Brawn has been on sabbatical this year after a 10-year tenure at the Maranello squad, where he masterminded an unprecedented six consecutive constructors? world championships and five drivers? titles with Michael Schumacher.

He will join Honda as team principal, working alongside Nick Fry, who will stay on as chief executive.

Brawn will be given full responsibility for design, manufacture, engineering and race operations, allowing Fry to focus on the business and marketing side and managing the relationship with Honda?s board in Japan.

Throughout the summer Brawn was strongly linked with a return to Ferrari, but when negotiations broke down Honda quickly swooped for the Briton and the deal was reportedly signed off last week at a meeting with the company?s bosses in Japan.

The signing is a stunning coup for Honda, which has endured a disastrous 2007 season with the uncompetitive RA107 car.

It is also likely to boost the team?s chances of retaining Jenson Button?s services beyond 2008.

The Briton recently warned that he would seriously consider leaving Honda at the end of next year unless it gave him a ?dramatically improved? car.

Fry said Brawn?s appointment was proof of Honda?s determination to reverse its slide down the grid and build a title-challenging outfit.

?One of my main tasks over the past six months has been to attract new talent to the Honda Racing F1 Team and we have made a number of key appointments in the areas of aerodynamics, design, engineering, marketing and on the racing team,? he said.

?Today?s announcement that Ross Brawn is to join our team is a very satisfying conclusion to the process of refreshing and revitalising a strong and determined team.

?Ross obviously needs no introduction.

?His experience of winning world championships in Formula 1 will be crucial as we seek to put Honda back into championship contention and I am delighted that we will be working together to achieve that.?

Honda Motor Company?s Hiroshi Oshima added: ?I am pleased with the structure we have put in place for the future success of our Formula 1 team.

?A great deal of consideration has been given to the areas in which we need to develop and I am encouraged that we have a strong basis for the future.

?The appointment of Ross Brawn will bring world championship winning experience and technical vision to our team and I expect Ross and Nick Fry, who will now be able to concentrate fully on running the commercial and business aspects of our company, to work closely together to bring success to Honda in Formula 1.

?Shuhei Nakamoto will now take up the role of Deputy MD (Technical) in which he will work for Ross whilst ensuring that the F1 team gains maximum benefit from our Honda R&D operation in Tochigi.

?We look forward to a successful season ahead.?

Brawn will begin work with Honda on November 26.
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http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=41272
 
....waiting for HondaF1 to scream with joy...
 
AnGuRuSO said:
Man, I bet Button feels stupid about going to the press now.
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why? Button asked for Honda to pull their act together, and they are answering it by signing up Brawn.

Wish he returned to Ferrari, but I understand...

Remember we will see Brawn's work in 2009 or late 2008.
 
Ross wanted a new challenge....he certainly has one. I think he will work brilliantly with Jenson and I believe Rubens and Ross have worked before :p

http://planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2877621,00.html

HOLY SHIT!!!! The bad old days of Italian politics return. Congratulations Luca, you have signed Ferrari's death warrant. Your ego has ensured Ferrari will return to the doldrums. Brawn now takes his talents to another team. The greatest motorsport manager (even if he did look like napolean) has been given the arse and you have promoted an untried, inexperienced group of Italians to the helm. Kimi, get out as soon as you can.
 
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I don't get it, Brawn wanted to be Team Principal to replace Jean Todt. Why couldn't Ferrari just give the position to Brawn?
 
Not sure if you all saw the post about forcing Micheal Schumacher to retire.......but its all about Montezeolo to get rid of his competitors at Ferrari, so that he can have firmer control of the company.

It would seem that the Shumi, Todt, and Brawn team didn't get along with him, So I'm not surprised to see Brawn move on to other "challenges" and to see Todt forced out of the F1 team. It would seem that Montezemolo has suceeded in what he has allegedly set out to do.

If that PlanetF1 article is right, it will indeed be interesting to see where Todt ends up. For a while, it seemed like he was poised to take over as President of Ferrari, but it would now seem that might be slipping away.

Either way, I'm psyched to see Brawn at Honda. I've been a big Button fan and think that the Honda team has a lot of potential, and Brawn seems to be the kind of guy that can bring that out of a team. Plus he gets to be a full time Brit again, which must be nice for him and his family. Nothing like being home (was made obvious to me after moving away, albeit just to the other side of the US, but its been really nice being back home in Colorado again).

JH
 
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Yeah it was an interesting article. I think Domenicalli is up to the job. He's been with Ferrari for years and more recently has been Todt's understudy, but its clear that Montezemolo is looking to bring the team back under his control again.
 
Luca is also a very very good manager......however while these things are cyclical so I suppose Ferrari has had its time in the sun, I think too much change too quickly will jeopardise their position. Especially the way it has been done.
 
A very good signing by Honda, Ross Brawn should be able to make them more successfully, but not straight away.
 
I'm glad Honda signed Brawn he should make the team a lot more competitive, Will be great to see Jenson and Rubens at the front of the field.
 
ITV F1 said:
Loed to drive Renault F1 at Paul Ricard

Triple world rally champion Sebastian Loeb will drive a Formula 1 car for the first time in his career when he tests a Renault R27 in a promotional event next month.

The 33-year-old Frenchman will swap his factory Citroen C4 seat for that of an F1 car at Paul Ricard on December 5, in a media test organised by the fuel sponsor of both teams ? Elf Total.

Loeb, who along with team-mate Dani Sordo, will get to run the Renault in anger around the revamped former French Grand Prix venue, has never raced a single-seater but is no stranger to blue riband racing events having twice competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours race for Pescarolo Sport ? finishing second overall in 2006.

While Renault has yet to name its official line-up for '08, reports that Loeb may considering a switch are wide of the mark and Renault have confirmed that it is not an official team test.

Nevertheless scheduling issues and the fact that the team has yet to confirm who will be racing for Renault in 2008 mean that the identity of who Loeb will be swapping seats with for the day remains undisclosed - though it is expected to be Heikki Kovalainen.

Reigning WRC champion Loeb is the most successful rally driver of all time with 35 wins to his name and has dominated his sport in recent years.

He is a renowned asphalt specialist and is currently challenging for his fourth consecutive drivers' title.
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Ross Brawn at Honda will be interesting. I admired Ross Brawn much, but not really a "fan" of his per se. I hope he is able to turn Honda around, I really like the team and want them to do well, really badly!

He is a fantastic technical director, however, it will be interesting to see how he will do as team principal.
 
^ Well as a McLaren fan, I see where you're coming from. The man has caused us endless pain over the last ten years! Hard not to respect him for his brilliant strategies and technical prowess though.
 
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