F1 2009: 10 questions for the off-season

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Honda: front runners in 2009 thanks to KERS?

As the 2008 F1 season ends on a high we now look forward to what should be one of the most fascinating off-seasons for many years.

With radical changes to the technical rules, fraught political tension between the rule-makers and the teams, and two holes suddenly appearing in the calendar, these are the questions that will be answered in the run-up to 2009.

Will the teams who started early on KERS have an advantage?

Honda, Williams and BMW are among the teams that claim to have switched their focus to 2009 early in order to perfect the new Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems in the hope of gaining a major competitive advantage.

Honda have staked the most on their 2009 performance and their 2008 campaign has suffered hugely as a result. Ross Brawn will have been in charge of the team for over a year when the 2009 season starts. A huge step forward in performance is demanded.

How many teams will start 2009 with a working KERS?

The other talking point about KERS is whether it will bring enough of a performance advantage and be reliable enough for all the teams to consider it worth using.

Toyota, who earlier described the hybrid systems planned for 2009 as “primitive”, have already said they will not be using their KERS at the start of 2009. John Howett said:

We will run a car in January with KERS in a monocoque not designed for it, which we could not race, but it will be a test platform – and our gut feeling is that the earliest (it will race) will be mid season.

Ferrari, who have twice said they are having problems with their KERS, may also choose not to.

Will the cars look ridiculous?

We have already seen how narrows the rear wings of next years cars will become under the 2009 F1 rules. The front wings will become much wider, and the winglets and flip-ups along the flanks of the cars will disappear.

The early renderings we’ve seen of the 2009 F1 cars look decidedly odd. Will the new look grow on us or will 2009 be the dawn of the ugly car era?

Will the cars be able to follow each other more closely?

The reason F1 cars are potentially being uglified is to create something most of us would like to see: F1 cars being able to follow each other more closely in dry conditions and maybe – whisper it – being able to pass each other once in a while.

Once the teams start testing their 2009 cars we’ll keep a close eye on what driver have to say about how close they can follow each other. Another talking point here is whether these much-vaunted movable front wings are going to make a difference – and how easily we’ll be able to tell if drivers are using them.

Will we see any new liveries?

Toyota: F1's dullest paint scheme?

With just about everything else set to change the liveries on the cars might be one of few things that stay the same. Personally I hope a couple of teams take the opportunity to give their looks a refresh.

Toyota’s F1 car design has never been particularly exciting, and Renault’s is downright horrible. Honda will surely be sticking with their ‘Earthdreams’ concept for another year (it would be rather strange of them to ditch it having made such a hue push on developing KERS) but will the change the excecution?

With KERS arriving, will any of the teams go for an ‘electric’ design similar to Peugeot’s 908 HY sportscar prototype? Or might that be too much of a risk after BMW’s unfortunate incident in testing?

Will the recession cause any major sponsors to pull out?

The effects of the huge financial trauma experienced in September and October have yet to really make themselves felt in F1. But that doesn’t mean they won’t come – as Ron Dennis said earlier this year, there is usually a delay between the beginning of economic problems and their effects being felt in F1.

Perhaps the most vulnerable team is Williams. It doesn’t have the support of a major car manufacturer – it is believed to get its Toyota engines in exchange for running Kazuki Nakajima. Major sponsor RBS has received support from the UK government and its sponsorship of F1 and other sports such as rugby may now come into question. And Baugur Group, which backs Williams sponsors All Saints, mydiamonds.com and Hamley’s, may suffer from the problems in the Icelandic economy.

Will the Canadian Grand Prix be reinstated?

Will F1 race at Canada in 2009?

The shock loss of the Canadian Grand Prix from the 2009 F1 calendar was followed by the equally surprising disappearance of the French round. That leaves us with 17 rounds in 2009 instead of 19, and several gaping holes in the calendar.

Bernie Ecclestone has held discussions over bringing Montreal back onto the calendar and an announcement was expected on Friday. Nothing has been heard yet. However there has been no sign the French Grand Prix might return.

Which drivers will fill the remaining open spots?

Renault, Toro Rosso and Honda are yet to confirm their 2009 F1 driver line-ups. Fernando Alonso is expected to announce today that he will stay at Renault (but he’s surprised us before), and Jenson Button is expected to remain at Honda.

Honda has confirmed it will test Bruno Senna, but it may decide to hold onto Rubens Barrichello who’s had a decent season. Senna along with Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastien Buemi and Takuma Sato are believed to be under consideration for the Toro Rosso drive. If Nelson Piquet Jnr doesn’t hold onto his Renault seat Lucas di Grassi or Romain Grosjean may take it off him.

Will we see any major shifts in the balance of power between team mates?

McLaren, Ferrari, BMW, Toyota, Williams, Force India – all teams sticking with the same driver line-up for 2009. This year we saw Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica turn the tables on team mates who had beaten them the previous year.

Could we see something similar again as the drivers get to grips with the radically differnet 2009 cars?

What’s Max Mosley’s next move – and is he really preparing to step down?

Will Max Mosley still be FIA president in 12 months' time?

The political situation in F1 has become increasingly tense in recent months as the teams’ association (FOTA) and FIA president Max Mosley have tried to agree on future rules aimed at cutting costs in face of the worsening economic climate.

Despite the two agreeing terms last month, Mosley has continued to push for the adoption of standardised engines. The constructors have made it clear that they wish to retain the ability to build their own engines – and Ferrari and Toyota have threatened to quit F1 if standard engines are introduced.

In addition to that Mosley had stated repeatedly that he will step down from his post of president in 2009. But since surviving the sadomasochist sex scandal earlier this year an emboldened Mosley seems less keen on stepping down. Will he be forced to? And who could emerge as his successor?

F1 Fanatic will be keeping a close eye on these – and more – during the 2008-2009 off-season. What else is on your mind about 2009 – and how do you think these questions will be answered?

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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38 comments on “F1 2009: 10 questions for the off-season”

  1. don’t know how you can criticize renault and toyota’s paint scheme – at least there’s a design there.

    ferrari – it’s just red with logos
    williams – it’s a two tone car
    bmw – it’s white with a blue wing and pinstripes.

    i know from a documentary that renault put great effort and detail into designing their car’s.

  2. Hey some of us like the Renault livery :(

  3. 1 – We’re told KERS won’t have much effect in 2009 – otherwise surely Ferrari and Toyota would definitely be running it. And as its power ramps up over the coming years, those teams that didn’t spend most of 2008 on KERS R&D will surely catch up.

    2 – I have no idea, but the answer to this will tell you a lot about the answer to (1)

    3 – No, cars won’t look ridiculous. I just checked out some of the season review videos you posted, and the late 80s cars had small rear wings, which looked cool 20 years ago, so no reason they can’t today. We’ll get used to it really quickly.

    4 – I really hope cars will be able to pass more easily, but isn’t this a radical rule change that should have been tested before being imposed?

    5 – Liveries are sponsor dependent, so the answer to this depends on the answer about sponsors pulling out.

    6 – It would be a real shame for Williams to lose sponsors, and the banks have been trying to give the impression of business as usual, so maybe RBS will stay for a year or so.

    7 – I’m not hopeful for Canada. As I understand it, they owe Bernie money they don’t have so without any (very unlikely) government intervention, no Canada.

    8 – Not a clue about drivers. Dunno. It’s nice to see fresh meat brought into the line up, if only to see spectacular rookie errors.

    9 – Kimi will be more competitive with Massa, but they might end up pretty even on points. If the Honda is any quicker, Jenson might try a bit harder and out point Rubens (supposing Rubens is still around). Heikki will be better but still be some way off Lewis. Heidfeld will only match Kubica if he shaves off that ridiculous beard.

    10 – Max wants to stay on at the top of the FIA simply as a two finger salute to those enemies he perceives as having tried and failed to oust him. His proposed changes in rules are more about showing that he can impose his will on the sport rather than do any good for it.

  4. I saw The Factory on Eurosport HD last night at 10pm and Williams F1 seemed very confident of their KERS system, rear and front wings for 2009 season. Was a very good insight into CFC (carbon fibre composite production). Very highly recommended tv program….

  5. Point 11: Will the sport get a deserving stewardship system next year?

  6. @Alex Cooper – Point 11: The stewards are simply misunderstood. What I didn’t realise was that along with different stewards at every race, there are completely different rules as well. As we know, all the interesting rules are unwritten, so obviously we can’t know how they vary from race to race. We might stare in blank incomprehension when incidents that warrant a stop-go at one venue (Spa, Fuji) seem to be positively encouraged at another (Interlagos). But this is just the stewards following Alan Donnelly’s cheerful advice to make it up as they go along.

  7. Keith do you know yet when the first test is scheduled for and where ?

  8. Jean – Not yet but when I do I’ll post updates here:

    F1 Fanatic Google Calendar

    You can subscribe to that calendar in a variety of services.

    Alex, John – There have been rumours about changes to the stewarding for next year. I think it’s definitely needed and hopefully they’ll get something sorted. The current system has brought the sport into disrepute.

  9. Given that Toyota aren’t running it to start next year, and that all other teams with the exception of BMW want to postpone it for a year, I’d not be surprsed to see other teams ether follow Toyota, or for all the teams to agree on a delay. Having said that, there is a performance benefit to having it on the car, so if a team like BMW think it’s reliable enough, then they won’t want to give up that advantage.

    The cars will look terrible to start with, but by the second or third race we’ll all be used to them.

    I don’t want to be overly pessimistic, but I know at least two teams have already got back 85% plus on the aero level from this year with next years car in the wind tunnels, so the effective standardisation of most of the aero looks like it won’t be enough to change the face of F1, although it will be a step in the right direction.

    @Jean: I think most teams will be testing in a fortnight, although this is still likely to be mostly 08 cars with simultated 09 downforce and slicks.

  10. – it is believed to get its Toyota engines in exchange for running Kazuki Nakajima

    I doubt he’s worth a engine, only kidding, anyway you forgot to mention that Toyota never managed to tame the witchcraft in seamless shift gearbox. The one they use is designed by Williams.

    I would have thought that would be a good bargaining chip.

  11. seamless gearchange shouldve been sorted by now surely? Daf cars perfected it 30 years ago!

    Do we know how the teams have got 85% of the aero back? Undertrays? That stoopid shark fin? – though thats surely for lateral stability rather than downforce.

    At a guess id say those who run with kers will have the same pro’s and cons as those who ran turbo’s early on in that era – fast but unreliable. Surely though, common sense dictates that anything that can boost the power output will be an advantage, however small it initally is?

  12. 1. Will the teams who started early on KERS have an advantage?
    They’d better. Otherwise it’s not really adding to the cost cutting idea.

    2. How many teams will start 2009 with a working KERS?
    I’d say 5: Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Honda and Williams.

    3. Will the cars look ridiculous?
    At first, yes, but they’ll probably grow on us quickly, as they’ve always done.

    4. Will the cars be able to follow each other more closely?
    Well, if they don’t, we’re scr*wed, aren’t we?

    5. Will we see any new liveries?
    I’d like to see Toyota come up with something different. They’ve had the same livery since 2002, bar some minor changes here and there. However, from Toyota’s perspective, this is probably a good thing, since any Toyota F1 car is unmistakeably, a Toyota.

    Honda could add some sponsor names to their Earth think, I reckon. At least Petrobras.

    And Toro Rosso could attract some sponsors, too, to liven up their rather agressive colours.

    6. Will the recession cause any major sponsors to pull out?
    First thought is that it will. On the other hand, losses due to the alleged recession — prospects for the EU nations isn’t all that bad, actually — are so vast, that the couple of millions of dollars/euros aren’t that important.

    7. Will the Canadian Grand Prix be reinstated?
    I think it will. Maybe the car manufacturers, who say they need a North-American race, will even pay up.

    8. Which drivers will fill the remaining open spots?
    Renault will keep Alonso and either Piquet or Di Grassi will take the 2nd car. Toro Rosso might keep Bourdais, but my guess is that they will take Sato along with Buemi. Honda could have Piquet to replace Barrichello, or have Senna take the step.

    9. Will we see any major shifts in the balance of power between team mates?
    No, probably not.

    10. What’s Max Mosley’s next move – and is he really preparing to step down?
    I’m having quite nasty images in my mind’s eye regarding ‘Mosley’s next move’… yuk!

  13. Surely for KERS to be effective, you would still need to have a great base car otherwise it’s a moot point? Not entirely convinced a great KERS system will make up other performance deficits, however it still remains to be seen.

    I think the cars will look ridiculous. The Williams wing would look good on perhaps a micromachine. Then again, I was never bothered about the winglets and aero devices from an aesthetic point of view. I kinda like them to be honest, they look more like war machines. Not elegant, but definately spicy. However, a car is only beautiful if it wins.

    New liveries…as said before, sponsors really dictate how the cars look…except Ferrari of course (for most of the car anyway). And I will still stick up for Renault’s ING livery. Would like to see a modern all black car, like Senna’s JP Special :)

    edit: I just looked at that 2008 poll for best looking car, only 2 people (not %) voted for Toyota….ouch! They really have to do something about that….anything. But you only need to watch Panasonic ads to realise how creative they are when it comes to self-promotion. Not very.

  14. #12 he usually shaves before he moves … sorry , just could not resist.
    & Thanks Keith for info. on tests.

  15. Keith – you seem to think that the cars will look ugly next year. They will just look different. To me, they’ll be far easier on the eye without all the extraneous (and often hideous) aerodynamics add ons – no more ridiculous protrusions cropping up all over the car.

    As for paint jobs, I think Renault and Toyota are better looking than Williams, Honda or BMW.

  16. I’d love to see Renault run a livery akin to the one-off they had on display at Silverstone last year (all white and yellow)…

    I think another point that’s only been touched on is how quickly will the driver’s adapt to the new slick tyres…think back to early 2007 and several drivers struggled with the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone so I would expect a similar situation early 09…

  17. In defence of Toyota’s livery, it’s apparently a good set of colours for TV (though I was always led to understand that white on TV was bad).

    I suppose if they had a brilliant paint-job people would claim they were wasting their money (now that Ralf’s gone anyway) on it instead of investing in the car.

    Keith – how did your Sky gig go last night?

  18. Mussolini's pet cat
    5th November 2008, 13:47

    You think 2009 cars will look uglier than their 2008 counterparts??? I can’t see how. All those blessed appendeges dangling off this seasons cars made them look a right royal mess. It amazed me how the drivers got in & out of the cars without breaking them off.

  19. Mussolini's pet cat
    5th November 2008, 13:51

    Here’s a question, barbers for this old driver or not??
    http://www.itv-f1.com/popups/imageviewer.aspx?i=51254_2.jpg

  20. Is Irvine still to be arrested if he puts a foot onto UK soil?

  21. Adrian – Me too! here it is: More pictures of the stunning retro Renault

    Alex – I got good reviews – here it is: Me on Sky News tonight

  22. Some questions will be answered sooner than others: 2009 F1 calendar shortened

  23. The one thing I don’t like is the transition between the red and white on toyota, looks so lame.

  24. 1. Possibly but then again the advantage is supposed to only run be in the area of a tenth or two per lap (adjusted for additional weight) but what that’s not taking into account the disadvantages of running it, such as compromising on balance and the problems with reliability. With the teams suggesting standard KERS as an alternative to Mosley’s standard engines it would seem no team feels confident they have a system that will put them over the edge.

    2. See above, but if I had to guess I would say Toyota, Honda, BMW and Williams.

    3. Yes they look horrible. I simply don’t understand why the rear wings need to look like that. A1, Champcar and GP2 are all supposed to be less sensitive to turbulence and none of them have an aero package that looks like my 4yo nephew penned it.

    4. Maybe, but I think the advantages will be negligible. For starters, Formula One doesn’t need more overtaking, we have enough now and it’s brilliant. Look back at the races deemed processional and boring this season and you will be hard pressed to point out how one or two text book overtaking maneuvers in the first laps of the grand prix would have helped the overall race. The cars who are faster are still going to qualify ahead of cars who are slower, but now when we do get a mixed grid instead of the tension we get from a multi lap battles we will instead get some reshuffling at the start and then 60 laps of processional driving. What I’m getting at is, I don’t think the boring races are going to be any less boring, but the exciting ones will now be less so.

    5. I like Renault’s ING livery. I think the cars could look a little barer next year. Certainly some sponsors will be frustrated with the reduced rear wing real estate.

    6. Moving on.

    7. I hope so. Bernie will get his wish, that is to drop F1’s mid-summer break. Turkey will be slotted in after or before Hungary and Canada will get back it’s original position.

    8. Barrichello, Bourdais, Buemi and Di Riesta?

    9. I imagine Raikkonen will regain the ascendancy. Wouldn’t be surprised if Heidfeld becomes top dog at BMW again.

    10. When it comes to Max who knows. I wouldn’t be surprised if he stands for re-election.

  25. Answers:
    Q1) No as the top teams have the advantage of more money, more man power and getting it done faster.

    Q2) I expect all teams that finished 5th or lower to sport KERS next year, BMW probably will be and perhaps Renault so at least 8 teams. I only expect Mclaren and Ferrari to use KERS if they have mastered it.

    Q3) I don’t think the cars can look any more ridiculous than this year’s honda! That was one ugly car, even the commentators didn’t like it!

    Q4) On paper the cars should br able to follow each other closer but I guess we will have to wait till March to see if they do. I hope they can but how much difference it will make remains to be seen.

    Q5) I hope some teams change their livery’s for sure. The one’s I want to see changed are Toyota, Force India, Williams, Mclaren and Honda. I love Ferrari’s, I like Renaults too and the Red Bull and Toro Rosso is good.

    Q6) I don’t expect any major sponsors to pull out because by being a ‘major’ sponsor they must have some ‘major’ amount of money, recession or not.

    Q7) I don’t think Canada will be reinstated this year, but next year for sure.

    Q8) I think Bruno Senna and Lucas Di Grassi will make a Formula 1 appearence in 2009 and I think Barrichello is staying at Honda, probably button as well.

    Q9) I think Mclaren will go backwards and Renault and BMW forwards in terms of grid positions, other than that I think it will be pretty much the same, perhaps Red Bull progressing as well.

    Q10) Mad Max better go for sure!!!

  26. @antonyob:

    That stoopid shark fin? – though thats surely for lateral stability rather than downforce.

    Both issues are linked, in my understanding: the shark fin works by making the airflow hit the rear wing more perpendicularly; surely this results in increased downforce as well?

  27. antonyob,

    Daf did not have a seamless shift they had constantly variable transmission which is an entirely different thing. When DC was the Williams test driver he spent days blasting round Silverstone testing a CVT system. When it was just about ready to race it was banned by the FIA.

    I think all the Honda 2009 stuff is fantasy. I don’t think they will be any better than they have been this season.

    McLaren had a KERs system running ten years ago. Like the Williams CVT system it was banned just as it was about race ready. The reasons for the ban given by Max at the time are unsurpringly 180 degrees from the views he has espoused since he decided KERS was a good idea.

    All that was needed for next year was to introduce slicks and reduce the size of the wings. That would have guaranteed better racing. Instead we have the KERS nonsense and the insane driver variable aero. There is no need or justification for either of those things being introduced.

    I think there could be a change in which drivers are dominant in some teams next season. For reasons I cannot figure out this years cars/tyres favour a more aggressive driving style. Hence Lewis made Heikki look second rate. Alonso made Piquet look hopeless for most of the season. Kubica owned Heideld and DC in his final season looked much worse than he really was against Webber. At Ferrari Raikkonen had two problems. First Massa is more agressive than Kimi and suffered because of that and this year’s Ferrari understeered like a pig until its tyres were up to temperature so Kimi looked bad in qualifying. The third problem with the Ferrari is that compared to the McLaren it took a while to get heat into its tyres so it took many laps before Kimi got a car to his liking and the fastest laps he produced showed that he can still deliver once he gets a car to his taste.

    I am sure Lewis and Fernando will still have the upper hand over their team mates next season but maybe not by as much. If Ferrari can make a more neutral car or one that can get heat into the tyres faster I would not be surprised to see Massa struggle against Raikkonen. It will be interesting to see which drivers have the upper hand at Toyota, Red Bull and BMW.

  28. I feel the cars will looks ugly first, and it’ll take a while for us to get used to the looks. The cars may follow each other more closely, but still I guess only the top 4 will fight for the wins; also in my opinion this is really the bad strategy to make the race interesting, Max is restricting the teams’ technical potential.

    I’m afraid to say, If Max stays for some more time then there will be a day when we say F1 is no more technical. Teams may build cars as instructed by FIA (Max), Constant power output (standardized engines), no aerodynamics, predefined body works and who knows, the order in the grid too!!! God, save the sport from Max!!!

  29. The one change for next year that has had least coverage is the inclusion of full width front wings. It is beyond belief that these have been introduced to improve racing and the logic used demonstrates the limited intellect of the FIA. I am sure wind tunnel figures prove that a full width front wing is affected less by turbulence than a narrower wing and in the clinical environment of a wind tunnel or in the digital world of CFD this will make perfect sense. However in the real world of F1 with 20 cars heading into the first corner of a race these wings are going to be exposed and fragile.

    We have had these wings before and the get broken with minimal contact. Every time a car touches the car in front it will have to disappear into the pits for a nose job. Of course in the warped world of the FIA this counts as a place change and will no doubt be included in any stats they produce to prove their changes worked. In the world of the race fan though we are going to have races ruined and races and maybe even championships decided by brolen noses.

    I want to see drivers able to attack the track and the car in front what chance is there of that happening when the driver has to cope with a change of aero set up mid corner coupled with the use of a push to pass button which will increase his engine power by 10% and at the same time he has to protect his exposed and delicate nose.

    Some times you have to wonder if the stewards are the only people in the FIA who know nothing about motor racing. I could understand someone suggesting that front wings extend in front of the front wheels if it had never been done before. However it has been done before and a lont of noses got broken.

  30. I have a question,

    for the teams that will not run KERS early on in the season, wil they incure a weight penalty to compensate? because obviously the cars using KERS will definetly have a handicap, where weight would be priority, not to mention if it is unreliable it could put cars out of the running altogether, is it worth the risk while competing teams will have an advantage in that sense also?

  31. Ron – no, which is exactly why some people are considering not using it. It’s not just a weight penalty – enlarging the ‘packaging’ of the car could negatively affect aerodynamics.

  32. I rather like the look of all the bits and bobs that are hanging off the cars these days for aero’s. I only started watching F1 last year, but the looks of the cars are beautiful and one of the reasons I really took to this open wheel racing over Indy or Champ car. They dont all look the same. If all the teams end up having the same car with the same engine, its going to be jsut like the other open wheel series’ with nothing really to set them apart. I say keep the cars the way they are now and drop the hideous rear wing that is set up for 2009. Its hideous.

  33. First off, very good article Keith- I think you hit pretty much every key issue that’s on the burner at the moment. My thoughts…..

    – I have always thought that KERS was an innovation that would allow the big car manufacturing teams to improve greatly in performance, and I think whichever one masters the technology the fastest will indeed be pushing for podiums next season. I’m not saying that Honda is exactly the favorites for the WCC, but it greatly increases their chances of being competitive.

    – In terms of appearences for the cars, the renderings I have seen of the 2009-spec cars don’t look very good. However, if they offer a trade-off in performance and increase overtaking, the I’m sure none of us will mind, and after so long we will be so used to them it won’t even be an issue anymore.

    – Out of the teams that have announced their line-ups, I think the only major shift in power may be Heidfeld running at the same pace as Kubica. Heikki and Piquet won’t get close to Lewis and Fernando, but perhaps the most interesting battle will be between the Ferrari drivers- who will ge tthe upper hand in the team? In terms of the teams yet to announce their drivers, I think if Senna shows even a glimmer of promise in his test, the ride is his. At STR, my guess is as good as yours……

    – In terms of calendar announcements, I would expect to hear a defenate word on Canada very soon. With the days ticking by and teams needing to make travel plans, I don’t know if it will be back for 2009, but I would say 2010 without a doubt- if Bernie asks the government for big money, then they will give him big money. Also, while we’re on this subject, there are many of us down here south of the Canadian border who are waiting for not only an F1 return to North America, but to the United States of America. If nothing comes out before December, keep an eye on the Motorsports Business Forum in Monaco early next month, where I believe Tony George is one of the featured speakers.

    – And lastly, on the subject of Mad Max, I believe he has been given a second wind after winning his court case, and the attempt to introduce spec engines is just a sign that he dosen’t intend to go away anytime soon. I see his attitude towards the FIA presidency in the same light as another rouge political figure, Charlton Heston, once said when speaking of his right to own a firearm here in America…….”I’ll give it up when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.”

  34. One major difference will be the performance spread. We saw in Brazil what several years of intense development with relatively stable rules means: A high degree of techinical excellence and narrow performance differences front to back. That has been lovely.

    The cars were knocking on the times laid down by unlimited rev V-10 cars with more downforce (and MSC)and the Force India was only a couple seconds off the front of the mid-pack. And how may times was .3s the difference between pole and row 3?

    We may be back to 4-6 seconds front to back—the 3-stage qualifying will be largely academic. The slicks and reduced turbulence will be moot if cars are not actually competitive. I love the techinical development but I don’t want to see a 90s style season where one or two teams lash the field by 3-4 seconds in qualifying and one car romps to 15 victories.

  35. Chris Reynolds
    22nd November 2008, 22:18

    Will the teams who started early on KERS have an advantage?

    Lets face it, the teams who accelerate their development,and testing are the teams that accelerate to the finish line in the top three..
    Whatever decreases lap time or a pit stop is key here, how much money you spend should only be limited by development deadlines.
    You just can’t put a price on first place..(because then everyone would try to buy it no matter the cost!)
    Champions are made by finding new technology, then getting the maximum performance out of it and applying
    their contribution to the team. Processes like this develop those key people to build a team of champions.

    How many teams will start 2009 with a working KERS?
    I am happy to hear this has become a non issue, run it if you want to, or simply watch others develop the technology and come on board when it’s necessary. We’ll see….”Race Proven” is just that.

    Will the cars look ridiculous?

    Define ‘ridiculous’?– New developments change the appearance but love runs deeper than shells.
    When you have the ultimate machinery and skills at your disposal, then by all means use them!!
    You can make fun of my looks all the way to the finish line, and if I win I’ll thank you for the attention. Greatness doesn’t have a look, it is a state of mind. A
    motion in fact, coupled with desire, determination and the will to win. There is one place to aspire to be thats #1 period. Doesn’t number 1 look pretty? Call it ridiculous if you like…

    Will the cars be able to follow each other more closely?

    Oh man, now I’m gonna blow!
    Perfection is a demand champions make, both on there selves and their governing body ,they endure it and see it to the end. When will the FIA come to their senses?
    From the Stewards to the Ambassadors, strict rules and regulations need to be mandated, there is no excuse to leave races up to vague interpretation of an event. Rules such as:
    1. No if and or butt’s about it, if your nose is in the lead, then you OWN the corner at the designated corner beginning. But all four tyres need to be in the raceway designated boarders- this would include but not be limited to the ‘Double line’, curb and wall or infield. In the event you are in the lead at the corner you are not allowed to take your race line off track, if your forced then you have the all clear, if not forced you must relinquish the position and must follow until the next lap . If you are not in the lead at the corner designated beginning (marked with solid red line) and you cause and incident you are given a ten second penalty and lose 5 grid positions in the next race. Like or not if you don’t own the corner, or hold your line you must give way and relinquish the position.- Replay tape and car sensors will show final proof that is undeniably accurate.
    2. We get that it’s your country, but it’s OUR F1. Delegates and Ambassadors are great for the sport, get them and let them be involved. This should not include any live racing decision period. Let them make their case and be heard, but Stewards MUST maintain the dignity and accuracy of all penalties with no exception!

    Will we see any new liveries?

    Very easy to answer, YES. Put teams together on a racetrack and you get instant liveries, if it wasn’t last week then it’s a new one! Who are you racing against? EVERYONE!

    Will the recession cause any major sponsors to pull out?

    It is always hard to say what will happen in the financial markets when they can be corrupt and ever changing. Some will come and some will go. Never forget this is F1, the best, the cream of the crop, the top of the line, simply put: “There is no better”

    Will the Canadian Grand Prix be reinstated?

    Cultural demands are great, one can never tell the odd steps of a country and just what may be in store in it’s future. Fans should be the ‘end all’ deciding factor. Do the teams wish to race? YES So now your just deciding where they race at. Origins and history live long, when you have one you must embrace it. Sacrifices must be made on occasion. Safety never being one, of course.

    Which drivers will fill the remaining open spots?

    All decision have been made- each team has chosen the best drivers. Teams depend on and chose the correct winning combination for each event, whether it is for practice, race or testing. Let the teams salute their nominees with class. Wait for their announcements.

    Will we see any major shifts in the balance of power between team mates?

    A shift occurs when one driver out performs the other, the question is can the shift be maintained. It is always off balance. Due to the scale being tipped by first place, nothing else is on that side of the pendulum. You win or you lose there is no other.

    What’s Max Mosley’s next move – and is he really preparing to step down?

    I can’t tell you that. But what I can tell you is that he is an embarrassment to both his country and F1, not to mention his family. End of discussion, no really, Max, hit the road and don’t come back.

    I am looking forward to the upcoming races!!

  36. The f1 grid looks much to boring. Theres to much white cars. I would love to see some more yellow or even green out there.I dont have a problem
    with toyota,mclaren,ferrari,or red bull. The rest are just plain and ugly. Toro rosso needs to go get a sponsor, force india looks to much like the mclaren, renault’s colors just dont work together,the honda’s look gay,bmw need some graphics, william needs to realize the are not connected to bmw anymore and don’t have to run blue and white.

  37. i disagree, the renault livery is one of the best. but yeh the toyota dus need a little changee

  38. So yeah , I finally readed some thing ionteresting currently , post far more about this please .. bookamrked!

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