Trulli awaits Toyota’s budget decision (Autosport)
"Although Toyota president John Howett has made it clear several times that he thinks it unlikely the Italian will be retained by the outfit, Trulli has revealed that he has agreed with Toyota's team principal Tadashi Yamashina not to commit to anything else for now."
Head: Hulkenberg will be ‘outstanding’ (ITV-F1)
Webber critical of qualifying safety calls (ITV-F1)
"We’ve learned today when to drive and when not to. They’re not street cars, they’re Formula 1 cars: they’re quick, they’re low to the ground and they go off quick when the conditions go wrong. We’ll make the right decisions tomorrow I’m sure. I’m sure they’ve learned a bit today upstairs."
Motor racing-Shanghai seeks stability amid GP extension talks (Reuters)
"'We are in discussion with F1 to extend beyond 2010,' Leon Sun told Reuters at this week's Shanghai Masters tennis, which the municipality-owned Juss Events also runs. 'Although it's not been so financially successful, it's a great event for the city. We are looking for a different strategy to see how we can cover the costs and one day maybe break even.'"
Campos boosted by major Murcia tie-up (Autosport)
"Campos Grand Prix has received a boost ahead of its step up to Formula 1 next year after announcing a major tie-up with the Spanish Murcia regional government."
Briatore says he will sue FIA (Grandprix.com)
"The principal grounds for this action are: The FIA’s deliberate breach of the rights of the defence FIA including the delay in the issue of the summons; the failure to state the charges in advance;and the lack of access provided to prosecution documents and to the key witness."
"Williams engineering director Patrick Head thinks Nico Hulkenberg has what it takes to be a major star in Formula 1 – but stopped short of confirming that the German would be promoted from test duties to a race seat in 2010."
Ross Brawn points to conservative swing of his champion in waiting (The Guardian)
"There were a couple of races last year when I thought, 'We're very lucky to have Jenson in the team'. Then there were other races where he just didn't feature very strongly. But immediately we gave him this car he stepped up to the plate. He's very happy to be here late on a Friday night doing the work for as long as it takes. He understands the necessity for it. So this year's been very enlightening for me. A lot of the guys here had seen that side of Jenson, but I think two years of struggling with poor equipment had dulled his approach."
Fernando visits the favelas of Pedrera in Sao Paulo for UNICEF (Renault F1)
"In his role as an ambassador for UNICEF, Fernando paid a visit to the favela of Pedrera in Sao Paulo earlier this week. The community there is part of a UNICEF programme designed to help youngsters in deprived urban areas to give them a chance of a better future. While he was there Fernando also played football with some of the kids from the community." Alonso doing good work in Brazil.
For richer, for poorer: clash of cultures on Formula One dividing line (The Times)
"The people of Satellite Garden know and love Felipe Massa, they know Button as “the one with the beard” and they deride Barrichello, or “Rubinho”, as a confirmed loser who should have retired long ago. But, like everywhere else in Brazil, their true hero, their towering inspiration, remains the late, great Ayrton Senna, who is buried just a few miles across the city from their ramshackle homes."
The numbers all add up for Jenson Button, the accountant (Daily Mail)
"In a sport of whiz kids, he is an accountant, without a grand prix victory since June, but on course to cross the line first due to the accumulation of numbers. If he was called Nigel it would all make sense; but Britain had a world champion called Nigel and he was, by comparison, an absolute nutter."
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sato113
19th October 2009, 0:17
doubt trulli will stay at toyota after Kobyashi’s brilliant performance.
schumi the greatest
19th October 2009, 9:45
that interview with brawn is very intresting. I think many times commenting on this site ive tried to explain the same thing as brawn has done so brilliantly there.
Button is at his best when the car is 100% to his liking and if its not his performance fades quite alot.
Compare that to schumacher who would just find a way to drive round the problem, often by throwing the car into corners and using incredible car control to keep it out of the gravel. Hamilton and alonso have this quality (witness alonso’s 08 season and hamilton this season)
But when button has the car 100% ti his liking he is very hard to contend with.
Achilles
19th October 2009, 10:29
Every time i hear Shcumi praised for his abilities, it allways reminds me of the many ways his team[s] contrived to make that possible, vetoes, illicit traction control etc Button has not been a great driver in my opinion, but apart from contractgate, and leadshotgate, he appears to have deserved this one…
schumi the greatest
19th October 2009, 13:38
Achilles,
even as a huge schumi fan i manage to take an objective opinion of his career. Yes he ran the rules very close to the line…and occasionly he did step over the line. But you cant tell me he wasnt immensley talented, thats why he was ushered into benetton after 1 race with jordan (hardly a race not even a lap of his first gp but that was the impact). Senna had already recognised him as the new challenger to his supremacy.
To me though if you want to see the best of michael schumacher look at his 1st 3 seasons with ferrari. A car not on the pace of the williams/mclaren in 98, and the proof of that is irvine’s performance at the same time. But he was till winning races and regaulrly out performing the car, when ferrair eventually had the best car, it was inevitbale he would walk it, but you cant blame him for being the best driver out there.
Hungary 98 is a classic example of his ability, ross brawns now infamous radio transmission (you need 25 seconds in 17 laps) he did just that, you tell me who else in the modern era could have done that? In a car that was off the pace in qualifying by 1/2 a second?
There was a rather sinister side to his character but you look at all the greats in anay sport and you’ll often see similarities, often pushing the rules too far. Schumacher got all of ferrari round him, but thats what they brought him there for, to win the championship and he did all in his power to make sure that happened.
I understand why some people dont like him, but you cant deny the immense talent he had as a driver, and any expert working in f1 will say the same
schumi the greatest
19th October 2009, 13:40
Achilles,
even as a huge schumi fan i manage to take an objective opinion of his career. Yes he ran the rules very close to the line…and occasionly he did step over the line. But you cant tell me he wasnt immensley talented, thats why he was ushered into benetton after 1 race with jordan (hardly a race not even a lap of his first gp but that was the impact). Senna had already recognised him as the new challenger to his supremacy.
To me though if you want to see the best of michael schumacher look at his 1st 3 seasons with ferrari. A car not on the pace of the williams/mclaren in 98, and the proof of that is irvine’s performance at the same time. But he was till winning races and regaulrly out performing the car, when ferrair eventually had the best car, it was inevitbale he would walk it, but you cant blame him for being the best driver out there.
Hungary 98 is a classic example of his ability, ross brawns now infamous radio transmission (you need 25 seconds in 17 laps) he did just that, you tell me who else in the modern era could have done that? In a car that was off the pace in qualifying by 1/2 a second?
There was a rather sinister side to his character but you look at all the greats in anay sport and you’ll often see similarities, often pushing the rules too far. Schumacher got all of ferrari round him, but thats what they brought him there for, to win the championship and he did all in his power to make sure that happened.
I understand why some people dont like him, but you cant deny the immense talent he had as a driver, and any expert working/reporting in f1 will say the same
Steph90
19th October 2009, 18:26
Nice to hear about Fernando and UNICEF.
I liked Kobs race at Brazil, but I won’t get carried away as it was just one race. I think Trulli to Lotus will happen, Toyota won’t keep him.
The Limit
20th October 2009, 3:33
Its been a while since we’ve seen two F1 drivers almost coming to blows by the side of the race track following a crash, but my sympathy was more towards Alonso and Sutil than Jarno Trulli.
In many ways, Fernando should have been the most aggrieved of all three men, as he was just an innocent victim of that mess. The fact remains, that Trulli is one of F1’s most experienced drivers, yet made a rookie error in trying to pass Sutil.
As soon as the Toyota driver put his wheels on the rain soaked turf, there was only going to be one outcome. He defended this by suggesting that Sutil should have given him more room, but the German had the racing line and was always going to position his car that way.
I seriously doubt that Trulli’s bosses at Toyota would have missed that on the replays afterwards either, and with Kobayashi’s performance, the crash came at the worst possible moment for Jarno.
What we must take into consideration is that new drivers in F1, lacking test mileage and experience, are now being asked to do almost minor miracles. If a driver does not deliver almost instant success in their first season, their time in an F1 car becomes in almost immediate doubt.
You only have to look at the likes of Bourdais and Piquet Jnr as recent examples. I agree that this has always, to an extent, been the case, but I do believe the problem has become more acute during recent times.
Teams now expect every new, GP2 blooded racer, to become the next Lewis Hamilton, and that is simply not possible.
The outcome, which is good for us fans, is that new drivers such as Sutil, Beumi, and Kobayashi know that they have no safety net to catch them if they fail.
They have to deliver, not in five years or ten, but right now! With every team counting the pennies, these drivers cannot hide mediocre performances anymore, and walk away with huge salaries like they used to. Times are changing!
Adam
20th October 2009, 3:50
Trulli can hope all he wants, but after causing that crash yesterday, and after the way Kobayashi drove (considering he had virtually no time behind the wheel before that race), he’s done. The only way Trulli is driving a Toyota next year is if he goes down to a dealership and buys a new Avensis.