Official 2011 Formula 1 Pre-Season Thread

vikiradTG2007

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Since the end of the season is upon us, and the first "winter" testing starts on the week after this weekend's Abu Dhabi GP, I figured we should start the pre-season chat properly for 2011 in a new thread.

So... winter testing starts with 4 days of running next week. First two days will be rookie tests, possibly with the last remaining Bridgestone tires available, while the next two days will be the first meaningful running on Pirelli tires for everyone. I'm not sure whether the rosters are complete for the second part of testing yet.


Anyway, without further ado, this is going to be the main thread for discussion of everything F1-related (excluding car launches) that is going to happen in the off-season.

120 days and counting down before the inaugural GP of 2011.
 
Young Driver Test: November 16-17, 2010 Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
Pirelli Tyre Test: November 19-20, 2010 Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi

February 1-3, 2011 Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain
February 10-13, 2011 Jerez, Spain
February 18-21, 2011 Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
March 3-6, 2011 Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
 
Rumour has it they lose inordinate amounts of grip when fitted to a red car...


...oh no wait that's just my dream last night that had that, not rumour...
 
I hope they either fall apart after 10 laps regardless what car they're fitted to or maintain the same level of grip throughout the race. Neither is realistic I think...
After this season, I really missed refueling. Simple because before 2010 drivers went flat out, not saving tires, fuel or carry car to the finish.
 
Young drivers which will test from Tuesday:

McLaren (the same drivers will test Pirellis for McL):
Gary Paffett
Oliver Turvey

Williams:
Pastor Maldonado

Renault:
Mikhail Aleshin
Jerome D'Ambrosio

Force India:
Antonio Felix da Costa
Yelmer Buurman

Lotus:
Vladimir Arabadzhiev
Rodolfo Gonzalez

HRT:
Pastor Maldonado
 
sauce?
 
It's just a rumour, got it off someone on RU... might be from a post-quali interview which we haven't seen or heard (possibly for German TV). At this moment, it's just a rumour, nothing confirmed officially.
 
They're stupid if they swap him out. He's been driving fairly well all year in that Williams.
 
If one of the Williams drivers goes I'd be really surprised for it to be Hulk instead of Grandpa Rubens...
 
It might be a case of "money talks", depends on who the replacement will be. It's almost 100% a question of funding if we find that Pastor Maldonado will be driving for the team next year... after all, he does have a reported $25 million of sponsorship from the Venezuelan government. He isn't *that* shabby as a driver, but that addition to a team's budget will make him hot property in the midfield (or for one of the backmarker teams) for next year.
 
Yeah, Williams is loosing their main sponsors Phillips and RBS. They're in urgent need to find some money and some time ago Hulk admitted that he can't provide them. That's why one of the drivers has to go.

Everyone thought it will be Hulk, but then sir Frank said how good he is (maybe he's just helping him to find new job) and later he had that pole. I think it's still open, but it more then sure that they need a driver with some wealthy sponsors. And probably it will be Maldonado.
 
As this is page 1 of the 2011 F1 season thread, maybe there should be a quick summary of teams & tracks, etc as currently known.

Venues: India added and NO existing venues dropped by Bernie. Russia signed up for five year contract starting in 2012? (Still no USA F1 venue. :sad:)

Teams: No new teams will be running in 2011 and no existing teams have dropped out.
Virgin Racing have been taken over by and will be re-branded as Virgin Marussia .
Lotus will be changing their name as well, but aren?t saying what it will be yet and 99% of people won?t notice nor care, anyway. :lol:

There also will be changes to rules, drivers, tyres and other things, discussed hereafter.
:)
 
I hope they either fall apart after 10 laps regardless what car they're fitted to or maintain the same level of grip throughout the race. Neither is realistic I think...
After this season, I really missed refueling. Simple because before 2010 drivers went flat out, not saving tires, fuel or carry car to the finish.

X2, and with less fuel, the start will look exciting again. now it's like they crawl up to speed...

here's one hoping d'ambrosio can assure his seat at virgin for next year, a belgian in F1 would be awesome! (and maybe some more will follow F1, right now i feel like an oddity)
 
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Venues: India added and NO existing venues dropped by Bernie. Russia signed up for five year contract starting in 2012? (Still no USA F1 venue. :sad:)

It's US GP from 2012 and Russian from 2014. It's 2011 thread, but anyone know what about the Rome GP? Nearly year ago they said Bernie signed a contract and it's all quiet since then. Will it be 2012 or 2013 or it was just some rumour?
 
^I think the opposition was too great and it won't happen...
 
Young Driver Test: November 16-17, 2010 Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
Pirelli Tyre Test: November 19-20, 2010 Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi

February 1-3, 2011 Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain
February 10-13, 2011 Jerez, Spain
February 18-21, 2011 Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
March 3-6, 2011 Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain

This is probably a stupid question but will any of these be televised?
 
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