F1 links: (Mostly) non-Renault news

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OK, so there’s only one big F1 story right now.

But there are some other interesting developments going on and other articles reading. Here’s a quick round-up from me, as usual please post yours below:

Merc SLS debuts with help from Hamilton (Auto Trader)

But would he rather have an SLS or an MP4-12C?

And now… the Virgin F1 Team (Joe Saward)

"It is becoming increasingly clear that the Manor Grand Prix entry that was granted in the summer will transform in the weeks ahead into a team called Virgin F1."

More about the Malaysian F1 team

"It is worth noting that in recent weeks AirAsia has joined forces with Mofaz Fortec Motorsport to run a team in the World Series by Renault Championship. Mofaz was originally a tobacco distribution company but it has diversified into many different sectors. The team is owned by Mohamed Fauzy Abdul Hamid, the President of Mofaz, who also happens to be the father of Fairuz Fauzy, the 27-year-old racer who competed in British F3 between 2002 and 2004 and then moved to GP2 on and off between 2005 and 2008. It is safe to suggest that the team will be used to develop new talent and that Fauzy is a leading candidate for one of the F1 drives. He won a race in GP2 Asia in February 2008 at the Sentul track in Indonesia."

Merc: ‘No end to McLaren F1 deal’ (Autocar)

"Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche has denied that his company plans to split with the McLaren Formula One team, but has admitted that the current deal could change in the light of changing F1 rules."

Teams may revisit engine equalisation (ITV-F1)

Stefano Domenicali: “With all respect we understand that we have seen a great performance from the Mercedes engine, but as always before giving the final sentence on that, we need to see the numbers and the power curve and everything connected to that."

Jenson Button set for new Brawn deal but Barrichello faces axe (Daily Mirror)

"Jenson Button is set to sign an improved multi-million pound deal to stay at Brawn in the 2010 season. But team-mate Rubens Barrichello is to get the boot even if he emerges victorious from their two-way title scrap."

BMW expects team to race in 2010 (Autosport)

"After announcing that Swiss foundation Qadbak Investments Limited is to buy the team, BMW Sauber issued a statement confirming that it now expects the FIA to guarantee its place on the grid."

Movements on the driver market

"Kubica seems to be keen to move to Williams, which he sees as being a team that knows how to win. The problem is that Renault F1 wanted Kubica to replace Fernando Alonso as there are no other star names available and was blocking the Williams engine deal if the team signed Robert. The word at Monza was that if Kubica does not join Williams the job will go instead to Rubens Barrichello, who will swap drives with Nico Rosberg, who is the choice of Mercedes-Benz for Brawn."

Monza crowd down 20%

"The Monza event attracted a three-day crowd of 110,000, with 75,000 spectators turning out on race day. Last year that figure was 97,000, which translates to a fall of 20%."

ING Renault F1 Team Statement – 16 September 2009 (Renault)

"The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team."

Time for me to admit to national stereotyping (Lynn Duffy’s Blog)

"When I think back over all the dodgy stuff Renault (and Benetton before them, even more so) got up to, Symonds has been right there in the thick of it. He was Schumi’s engineer FFS! So fundamentally, I was inclined to judge FB as guilty because I think of him as crooked (a dirty old man, really) while I was giving PS the benefit of the doubt and thinking that FB probably pushed him into it, whereas there was no evidence at all for that."

Early evidence indicates crash was suspicious, says Max Mosley (The Guardian)

"The data from the car indicated that something very unusual had happened on the corner where he crashed – according to the experts who look at these things."

These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.

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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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21 comments on “F1 links: (Mostly) non-Renault news”

  1. The Mercedes SLS looks very good, but perhaps it lacks the final touch of high-tech elegance that only Ron could give.
    Ron should not only make radical sports cars like the new McLaren, but also slightly retro – looking elegant roadcars, continuing with the looks of the SLR and the Sterling Moss.

  2. I think it would be incredibly foolish of Brawn to drop Rubens. In my opinion, he is a better (and vastly more experienced) driver than button. And he may have a hot temper, but he is also incredibly good at setting up a car, a skill hich has notably benefitted his team mate several times this season. Nico Rosberg, on the other hand, is highly over-rated, and I cant see him being anything better than mid-pack, even in a good car.

    My two cents worth.

  3. If I was Brawn, I’d drop Button instead of Barrichello. Rubens is much better and has a lot of experience, while Button cracks under pressure and seems to under-perform often. The most sensible thing to do is to drop none of them, though.

  4. Sauber should reclaim the name Sauber, and get mercedes engines…

    1. Yeah there’s something just right about the name ‘Sauber-Mercedes’ isn’t there?

  5. CFD Renders from USF1 car [HERE]

  6. Lynnduffy’s article makes a valid point. And we really must question the way we associate guilt with individuals.

    1. It’s quite remarkable – every second blog post says how surprised people are at Pat Symonds doesn’t it? Mind you, Flav certainly did cultivate his playboy persona. :)

  7. Well, there could be a good scenario in the case of Barrichello being booted out: if Rosberg goes to Brawn Grand Prix, the number one candidate for replacing Heikki Kovalainen is not available. So, McLaren does a suprising announcement and declares Barrichello to be their next driver. And in 2010, the “old” order will most likely be restored…
    Muahahahahaha!

  8. I’ve always wondered why R Branson would witch sponsorship to another team after the fairy tale start to the year fro Braw. I’m guessing that it is because Braw got more expensive, or it has to do with the Mercedes deal(unlikely)

  9. HG because Branson’s tight :P
    I’d drop Button if I was Brawn without a moments hesitation, the only problem with Rubens is if and when he’ll want to retire. Rosberg deserves a better car and has had a very strong season but I still don’t see a superstar in him, maybe just because he ahsn’t had the context to be one.

  10. The new SLS is sadly not really doing it for me…

    1. Not my cup of tea, although I love the gullwing doors.

      I like the McLaren MP4-12C and Ferrari 458 more. Out of my price range, though…

      I am driving in Audi R8 V10 in a couple of weeks, though, looking forward to that!

      1. The SLS is a nice car, but the front reminds me of an RX-7 with a bodykit.

        1. The SLS sufferes from…….being a Mercedes….and all the historical baggage that entails. Not that I mean that to be entirely negative, but I can see why Mclaren would want to have more freedom to make their own design statements rather than always being hidden inside someone elses ideas. The split from mercedes in terms of road car design is a good thing for Mclaren.

          1. The SLS a lightly toned muscle car designed for the US (and ME)market(s). (!) I guess they have to make it a bit “fat” to stop it being a “lady’s car”. The MP4-12C is a pinacle of design purity. Biased me? ;-)

  11. So..if they call themselves “Virgin F1”,what will they call themselves the SECOND year? :)

    1. When they first announced their links with Manor, I was wondering how they were going to get around the problem of the name – Virgin Manor? Sounds like a variant on the Playboy Mansion!

    2. Well, they can still keep that name, unless, of course, some very lonely mechanic has some time alone with the exhaust system…

      1. Dude! Was that really necessary?

  12. Good information on cars
    Thanks for sharing this information,

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