2011 Formula 1 Season Thread

Just as I saw write that, found out that Bernie will cancel the race without the support of the teams:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/f1news/8563372/Bahrain-Grand-Prix-will-be-cancelled-without-support-of-drivers-and-teams-says-Bernie-Ecclestone.html
Bahrain Grand Prix will be cancelled without support of drivers and teams, says Bernie Ecclestone
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has admitted the Bahrain Grand Prix is unlikely to go ahead as the race cannot be rescheduled without the support of the teams.

Ecclestone had backed moving the race to October 30 after the season opener had originally been postponed because of unrest in the country.
But now Ecclestone has admitted the race will not go ahead after 11 F1 teams objected.
Ecclestone told BBC Sport: "Hopefully there'll be peace and quiet and we can return in the future, but of course it's not on. The schedule cannot be rescheduled without the agreement of the participants ? they're the facts."
Ecclestone's comments come after the move to put the Bahrain race on in October ? and move the race originally schedule for that date in India back until December ? attracted widespread criticism.
That move was condemned by teams and drivers and also by human rights organisations, who were unhappy with claims by the sport's governing body, the FIA, that the situation had returned to normal in Bahrain.

Global campaigning organisation Avaaz criticised the FIA's fact-finding report on Bahrain as like "stepping into the Twilight Zone".
The FIA and president Jean Todt have come in for considerable criticism, not least from former FIA president Max Mosley who highlighted a major flaw in the process, something which Ecclestone has now also admitted.
Despite the apparent unanimous vote at the World Motor Sport Council hearing in Barcelona on Friday, Mosley noted a decision cannot be made law unless there is unanimous approval from all the teams.
Eleven of the marques, under the umbrella of the Formula One Teams' Association, wrote a letter to the FIA, Ecclestone's Formula One Management and the Bahrain International Circuit claiming they do not want to race in Bahrain this year.
FOTA have urged the Indian Grand Prix be reinstalled on its initial October 30 date and that Bahrain, that had taken up the slot on the back of the WMSC hearing, be held over until the end of the season, should it go ahead at all.
Pressure has been growing on the FIA to reverse their decision, not least from human rights groups in the wake of viewing a report made by one of the vice-presidents, Carlos Gracia.
Ricken Patel, executive director at Avaaz whose organisation has so far gathered nearly half a million signatures calling for the race to be called off, said: "Reading the FIA's Bahrain report is like stepping into the Twilight Zone.
"While the FIA's sham report says no human rights have been violated, at least 31 Bahrain citizens have been killed and hundreds more tortured and imprisoned. Formula One based their decision to race in Bahrain on this dangerously irresponsible report, a decision now universally opposed by the F1 teams.
"Formula One must pull out of Bahrain immediately or have their reputation forever tarnished."
Gracia claimed in his report, based on a visit whilst martial law was still in effect, that all had returned to normal in Bahrain.
However, Maryam Al-Khawaja, representing the independent Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said: "The report is disastrously unbalanced.
"The FIA has chosen to turn a blind eye to the ongoing violations in Bahrain.
"The government should allow independent human rights groups to do their work in Bahrain."
Gracia, the president of the Spanish motorsport federation, has defended his corner in the wake of the criticism levelled against him.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, Gracia said: "I can only speak about what I saw and that was complete quietness.
"I had official visits and interviews, but I also walked down the street and I was in shopping centres, always with a feeling of complete normality. There were people shopping or working. Nothing that caught my attention.
"What I found was an open government that offers the opposition the chance to speak."
Despite Gracia's report it now seems growing pressure, particularly from the teams, has led to a change of heart which will see the Bahrain moved to the end of the season if it goes ahead at all this year.
 
So which team did not object? Might it be McLaren... :hmm:
I guess it is them, and I understand that they have to from a financial perspective, but seriously go and find yourself some new shareholders, because you just became worse than Ferrari in terms of sportsmanship.
 
So which team did not object? Might it be McLaren... :hmm:

While i see your point, McLaren being partly owned by a Bahreini company, AFAIK HRT is not a member of FOTA, which makes them unable to object through FOTA.
 
Good point there, so we might be able to pick up cheap McLaren shares, if they really objected to the Bahrain GP. HRT is not a FOTA member anymore, unless they paid their membership fees in the meantime. Ahh well McLaren isn't that bad then after all.
 
Good point there, so we might be able to pick up cheap McLaren shares, if they really objected to the Bahrain GP. HRT is not a FOTA member anymore, unless they paid their membership fees in the meantime. Ahh well McLaren isn't that bad then after all.

didn't they get out because they felt they had nothing to say, that decisions were maid without hearing their opninion?
 
didn't they get out because they felt they had nothing to say, that decisions were maid without hearing their opninion?

I think HRT left FOTA because the membership fee if 1000 bucks a months and they can't afford that.
 
So which team did not object? Might it be McLaren... :hmm:
I guess it is them, and I understand that they have to from a financial perspective, but seriously go and find yourself some new shareholders, because you just became worse than Ferrari in terms of sportsmanship.

Stefano Dominoespizzali of Ferrari and Vijay Mallya of Force India were both part of the FIA's unanimous vote to go ahead with the race (though Mallya did so representing India's motorsport clubs, not representing his Force India team).
 
didn't they get out because they felt they had nothing to say, that decisions were maid without hearing their opninion?

Are you asking about HRT getting out or McLaren getting out of the meeting?
 
I imagine that Vijay voted yes more to move the Indian GP to a later date and less because he supported the Bahrain GP. I'm sure they would want as much time to get ready as they can get.

I'm glad they all came to their senses and cancelled it. I'm happy on two counts, since I really didn't want the last race of the season to be at India. I'm sure it could be a great track, but we won't really know till it has a race under its belt. I have a feeling its gonna be like Valencia was the first year and have a lot of the surrounding stuff not finished and ready even if the track itself is passable.
 
Gonna be an awesome experience for him, but the lap times are gonna be shit.
 
Niki Lauda said:
What Hamilton did there goes beyond all boundaries;
He is completely mad. If the FIA does not punish him, I do not understand the world any more.
At some point there has to be an end to all the jokes. You cannot drive like this - as it will result in someone getting killed.
Link
 
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Yeah but it's Niki Lauda. I wouldn't worry about anything he has to say.

I'm wondering about Hamilton. He's made some ass moves lately and whether that's because he's simply trying too hard or his head just isn't in the right place at the moment. That McLaren is still one of the fastest cars in racing conditions. I think (and I'm no sort of psychologist) he needs to take a step back and maybe just let the race come to him. He can bugger off to Red Bull but they wont be up there forever, it's teams like McLaren and Ferrari who will always be there or thereabouts.
 
He can bugger off to Red Bull but they wont be up there forever, it's teams like McLaren and Ferrari who will always be there or thereabouts.

Exactly the same thing crossed my mind earlier today. Red Bull has won once. How many times has McLaren and Ferrari won? Countless.

I personally think it would be a wrong move from him to move to Red Bull.
 
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If hamilton leaves McLaren, I'd like to see Hulkenberg replace his seat.
 
Exactly the same thing crossed my mind earlier today. Red Bull has won once. How many times has McLaren and Ferrari won? Countless.

I personally think it would be a wrong move from him to move to Red Bull.

Redbull hasn't even been around for as long, hardly fair to compare.
 
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