The ‘Crashgate’ fall-out is going up a gear with the news that Flavio Briatore is preparing to sue the FIA for loss of income. The FIA has earlier announced it will protest the Tribune de Grande Instance’s ruling that the lifetime ban they gave Briatore was illegal. That story and more in today’s round-up:
Links
Flavio Briatore to sue F1’s governing body the FIA for ‘loss of income’ (Daily Telegrpah)
“We lost Alonso, we lost Kovalainen, we lost several drivers. We will sue the FIA for the money we lost.”
Button McLaren debut set for February 3 (Autosport)
Button says Pedro de la Rosa will drive the car first (which would refute rumours he’s heading to Sauber) followed by Lewis Hamilton and then Button.
Nigel Mansell’s jet damaged at Exeter Airport (BBC)
Imagine the whinge this provoked…
The evolution of pit strategy (An F1 Blog)
Guest post by Red Andy at An F1 Blog, well worth a read.
Comment of the day
In the article on the Williams FW14B Pat remembered another funny story from 1992:
I heard a story ages ago that as team mates at Williams at the 1992 British Grand Prix (Silverstone) Mansell set a hot lap, Patrese then went out for his final qualifying run and put in what he thought was a stonker of a lap pipping Mansell’s time – Mansell seeing this hopped back into his car & smashed Patrese’s time by two seconds. On Mansell’s return to the pits the story goes that Patrese approached Mansell when he got out of his car and "cupped" his (Mansell’s) balls – saying after that lap outrageous lap he just wanted to see how big they really were – (If true quite a nice endorsement from a fellow driver).
Pat
I’ve heard that before too although I can’t find a reference for it anywhere. Does anyone else know if it’s true?
From the forum
Narboza22 asks an interesting question about an F1 car’s aerodynamic wake – could teams purposefully create a car which produces severe turbluence to make it harder for others to overtake? Have a look at the discussion so far in the forum.
Happy birthday!
There are no F1 Fanatic birthdays today but I’ve just found out it was Gerdoner’s birthday yesterday, so belated best wishes to him.
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
Argentina held its first round of the world championship on this day in 1953. In fact, this was the first time the world championship featured a race outside of Europe, apart from the Indianapolis 500.
The locals turned out in massive numbers to support their hero Juan Manuel Fangio. But the race organisers were ill-equipped to handle a crowd numbering between 300-400,000. One car crashed into the crowd, provoking a general panic in which at least ten people were killed. The race was won by Alberto Ascari.
James_mc
18th January 2010, 0:15
You’ve got to hand it to Flabbio, if he sees an opportunity he’ll go for the jugular. A bit like a Fred Goodwin-Max Mosely love-child.
sato113
18th January 2010, 1:18
but how did he lose his drivers???
Macca
18th January 2010, 6:44
That’s what I want to know, Kovalainen was already gone before this happened.
Maciek
18th January 2010, 9:25
Well, since anyone managed by Flavio is banned from FIA-sanctioned events, he has effectively lost all his driver-clients.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 9:53
That was the case to begin with but the FIA has since said Briatore-managed drivers will be allowed to compete:
FIA starts Briatore appeal but softens stance
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 8:05
More on Briatore in this interview in the Mirror:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/motorsport/2010/01/18/me-trigger-happy-it-s-rubbish-i-ve-only-ever-sacked-one-manager-115875-21975899/
dsob
18th January 2010, 13:27
That quote from the article Keith linked to. I wonder what drugs Briatore is on? The French Court decision said only that FiA overstepped it’s own rules and that they could not legally issue a ban. It did NOT exonerate Briatore from guilt or involvement.
Once a conman, always a conman, I guess. But if he really believes this, I think this time he has conned himself.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 14:03
You’re dead right. Hope Mosley wasn’t eating when he read that…
PJA
18th January 2010, 17:25
The thing is when you read news reports on the issue in the general press some of them do seem to say that the guilty verdict was overturned, when it wasn’t just the punishment was overturned.
I suppose the way he is acting is a bit like politicians who continue to claim things which have been proved wrong in the hope that someone will not know the truth and so will believe them.
sato113
18th January 2010, 1:17
that mansell/ patrese story may not be true, but it certainly is a bit gay!
Lee
18th January 2010, 2:17
According to Mansell’s book, the Mansell/Patrese/Balls story is true!
Red Andy
18th January 2010, 8:16
The version I heard had Patrese wanting to know what balls of steel felt like.
Titch
18th January 2010, 12:35
Yep it’s in “Nigel Mansell, my Autobiography” subtitled “The People’s Champion”; page 55 near the foot.
Fred Schechter
18th January 2010, 3:23
Keep in mind, THIS is Riccardo Patrese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIhGJyLR6TI
I love that guy!!! (why wouldn’t it be true?!)
dsob
18th January 2010, 13:19
OMG, yes. Vintage Ricardo. For those of you who don’t speak Italian, this one > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpo8RDyOEWY&feature=related is subtitles. Makes it even funnier.
And may I say, my favorite color today is purple. Thanks Fred :)
Jack Sargeant
18th January 2010, 7:26
Wow, my blog on the F1 Fanatic links list, thanks Keith!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 8:37
Ferrari fans can chat with Fernando Alonso on the Ferrari website today at 2pm (GMT): http://www.ferrari.com/English/Pages/Home.aspx
Calum
18th January 2010, 8:57
What I don’t get is why mclaren can’t just make three cars and have the three drivers all testing at the same time. Surely mclaren have the resources to make three cars!
ajokay
18th January 2010, 9:23
I think the testing rules say you can only have one driver out in one car at a time. Which is why they sometimes run 2 or 3 drivers in the same day, but only in the one car.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 9:55
Yep that’s right.
dsob
18th January 2010, 13:30
oh, it really wasn’t Flybe that damaged Mansell’s jet….it was Patrese getting him back finally for that fast lap. :)
Gerdoner
18th January 2010, 15:33
You already mentioned me yesterday Keith ;)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th January 2010, 16:30
So I did – ah well better to mention you twice than not mention you at all :-)
Chaz
19th January 2010, 19:44
I’m struggling to figure out which is bigger… Flavio or his ego…