Motor racing-Toyota cast doubt on Trulli’s future
John Howett suggests Jarno Trulli won't drive for Toyota next year: "We are in negotiation and we haven't reached an agreement and there is a possibility that we won't close the gap,. At the moment the gap is reasonably large. We have to say there is a very strong probability not [to renew]."
Williams seeks early end to Toyota deal
“Although Williams has another year to run in its partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, moves are now being made for the deal to finish at the end of this year.”
James Allen’s star of qualifying
"Ross Brawn has said Rubens is free to win the race, there will be no switch, no team orders."
Stirling Moss: ‘I came back too early once – Massa should take his time’
"Because there were all of these articles and so on, I felt that I had to make a decision. There was the pressure on me to make one, really. In the nicest possible way. So I went down to Goodwood the following year and my lap times were comparable with what I could do normally. I was just a tenth or two off. But I could see mentally that I didn't have the concentration to do it with the same sort of latitude for safety that I had. I was going into corners and I had to force myself to concentrate."
"Badoer is doing the best that could be expected out of a driver who has been out of work for a while. Whether he can improve has yet to be seen, but the fact that he has not made any serious mistakes on the circuit bodes well for his continuing program to gain maximum experience and confidence out of the car."
McLaren use new front wing endplates
"The previous version, used since the German GP already looks too simple again, with the new item featuring a complication connection with the front wing's panels."
Ferrari test Red Bull nose bulges
"The different design is supposedly aimed to prevent air from flowing over the nosecone when the car is turning."
Hamilton to race short wheelbase car
"McLaren has opted to run Lewis Hamilton with its new short-wheelbase configuration for the duration of the European Grand Prix at Valencia."
Red Bull considering KERS for Spa
"With the Milton Keynes-based outfit locked in a close fight with Brawn GP for the title, the team is now undergoing a detailed investigation into whether fast-tracking KERS onto the car for next weekend's race at Spa-Francorchamps will give it an advantage."
"The team believes (or, I should say, we believe it believes) it has gone wrong with its mechanical development at the rear of the car and today they set-up Rubens's car as it was for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in mid-May. They used that as the "control" and then tried various alternatives using Jenson. Along the way they came up with some sparkling performance with Rubens quickest in the morning and Jenson second fastest behind Fernando in the afternoon."
"Todt has been seen as the favourite from the start of the campaign and he has been making all the right noises about what needs to be done. Declaring that he is being supported by people who have not instituted any of the changes up to now raises questions about whether there really will be change in the future, or whether the aim is purely to win power and then go on running the FIA in much the same way as it has been run throughout the Mosley era."
"Our drivers have visors fitted with an electrical demister, which really works a treat at keeping the inside of the visor clear. It works on the same principle as the one in your car windscreen and uses very little power."
Alonso ‘will switch to Ferrari’
Martin Whitmarsh: "I think we all know that the Fernando-Ferrari move has a knock-on effect that ripples through the other teams."
The Hack looks back … at comebacks
"I hastily switched the conversation to another proud Dad's story Keke had told me about taking a six year old Nico for his first day at the American School in Monaco and leaving him in the same classroom as Nelson Angelo Piquet. "We started on the same day and sat next to each other," Nico recalled, "but I didn't talk to him. He had long hair and I thought he was a girl.""
"Plans for Peter Sauber to buy out BMW are well advanced and that a deal has already been struck with Ferrari for a supply of engines. The funding is believed to be coming from Malaysia, presumably involving Petronas, which has been a sponsor of the team since 1995." Turning back the clock!
Fisichella eager to keep racing in 2010
"I still don't know what will happen next year, but I'd like to stay in F1 and need to look at the options."
iWitness in Valencia: Thursday
'Nico Rosberg received an unexpected wake-up call while on holiday in Ibiza last week. He was woken at 0700 by a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and was duly given a random drugs test. “My girlfriend took the call,” says Nico, “so it was lucky that the test took place at all because she doesn’t like being woken up early while on holiday!”'
"Red Bull Racing is pleased to announce that it has extended its contract with Sebastian Vettel until the end of 2011, with an option for 2012."
Nico Rosberg on joining McLaren: "I have been team-mate with Lewis before so that wouldn't be a problem. It would be fun and very tough also, a combination – sweet and sour."
Formula One news: Olympic athletes to benefit from F1 technology
"The latest systems, which helped carry Lewis Hamilton to the F1 world crown last year, are developed by the McLaren sub company in Woking and will provide competitors with instrumentation, telemetry, modelling and simulation for sports such as canoeing, cycling, rowing and sailing."
Sportsmail’s top 50 greatest ever Formula One drivers, Nos 50-41
The Daily Mail's ongoing top 50 F1 drivers
These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.
PJA
23rd August 2009, 10:45
Hopefully Peter Sauber will be able to buy back his old team so they are on the grid next year.
I wonder how much Williams decision to try to end their Toyota engine deal is influenced by how good the engine is compared to the others available and how much on Williams having to have Nakajima as a driver as a condition of using the engines.
Although I having had time to read it yet my copy of F1 Racing Magazine arrived yesterday and it mentioned that Williams reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg had taken a part time job at the Williams factory working in different departments. I don’t know if any other driver has done anything like this in modern F1, but Hulkenberg has defiantly gone up in my books after this.
Bartholomew
23rd August 2009, 12:11
“Ferrari are reported to be planning to partner Alonso with Massa and are said to be in negotiations with Raikkonen’s management to pay off a proportion of the Finn’s 2010 contract before moving him on to another team.
Maybe they will have him moved to Toro Rosso – they have a Ferrari engine. He can also race rallies at the same time with the FIAT team.”
Bartholomew
23rd August 2009, 12:14
All the best for Williams, they are the heart and soul of F1.
I wish they could license their flywheel technology to some large car manufacturers or train – subway companies and make a lot of money !
cheers
Bartholomew
23rd August 2009, 12:25
I cannot understand how anyone could start a Todt “Newman” Fan Club.
Well, there are already fans of vintage horror movies, fans of Marilyn Manson, fan clubs of old Dracula films.