F1 Fanatic round-up: 2/6/2010

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After Red Bull’s statement yesterday I suspect the frenzy around the story will die down today. Look out for articles on some other post-Turkey developments today.

Yesterday I also wrote a new article for ITV F1 which I’m expecting to go live on their site soon, I’ll post a link here when it goes up.

Here’s today’s round-up:

Links

F1 boss Ecclestone says talks underway on 10-year Turkish GP deal (Canadian Press)

“We’ll be here again next year.” Good to hear.

Red-faced bulls and sunburnt fans (Brits on Pole)

“About 20 minutes before the start, a group of Spanish fans in full matador dress were accompanied by a loudspeaker blasting out traditional Spanish music. It was good-natured but unfortunately timed as – unknown to them – they were drowning out the Turkish national anthem. Upon discovering this they turned off their music and sheepishly took their seats.”

F1 diary: Turkish Grand Prix (Daily Telegraph)

“From the loftiest perch in the Red Bull food chain, former grand prix driver Helmut Marko blames Webber. But then he would: Vettel is the chosen one, a Red Bull ‘product’, if you like. ‘Sebastian was clearly faster at that stage of the race,’ Marko says, ‘so Webber should have moved out of his way.’ The bottom line, though, is that the Australian never deviated from his chosen line and was simply mounting a firm but fair defence. The view of almost every other former racer in the paddock, and there are many, is that the collision was 100 per cent Vettel’s responsibility. For what it’s worth, that’s my verdict, too.”

Comment of the day

Matt90 considers opting Brawn tactics to improve his chances in the Predictions Championship:

I’m doing so badly, I think I’m going to abandon development to give me the best possible advantage for next year’s championship.
Matt90

Happy birthday!

No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. 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

McLaren founder Bruce McLaren died on this day 40 years ago.

He was testing a McLaren Can-Am racer at Goodwood when part of the bodywork broke off and he flipped into a marshalling post.

McLaren scored his first Grand Prix win at his ninth attempt and was the sport’s youngest race winner for many years.

His final win, at Spa in 1968, was also the first for his eponymous team.

Author information

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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33 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 2/6/2010”

  1. Rest in peace Bruce, I so wish you’d lived to match Brabham. But it was your racing team that I’ve followed since I started watching F1. Your where one of a kind that wouldn’t be possible anymore. Thanks Bruce.

    Good news about the Turkish Grand Prix. Hope it starts attracting an audience in future, an somemore races.

    1. Jarred Walmsley
      2nd June 2010, 1:17

      I so agree, the loss of Bruce was a great loss to F1 and New Zealand

      1. http://mclaren.com/home

        They’ve decked it out for Bruce. Definatley worth a look.

  2. Turkey to get 10 year deal that is huge. This year’s race was awesome may be that have booted that, it would have been a great shame if we would have lost this great track. Now all they need to do is to increase the popularity of F1 in Turkey.

    1. Magnificent Geoffrey
      2nd June 2010, 7:48

      Have we worked out why the Turkish GP was such a close one at the front this year, yet? Was it simply because the McLarens had the raw pace to stay with the Red Bulls and that both sets of team mates are pretty evenly matched, or was there something about the conditions or some other factor that either worked for McLaren or against Red Bull? Seeing the four of them right behind each other after the pitstops knowing that there would be no more strategy involved and that we had a pure four-way fight to the finish for 40-odd laps was a very exciting thing to realise. I hope we get a similar situation in Montreal.

      1. From my technically ignorant viewpoint, it seems that the McLaren and Red Bull cars’ handling characteristics – one faster in slow corners and in a straight line, the other faster in high-speed corners – combined with a track which has a good variety of fast and slower sections, and the grid positions of the top four drivers all combined to keep them racing together.

        Martin Brundle said during the race that he believed if the McLarens got ahead of the Red Bulls on the track they would pull away with their straight line speed advantage, but stuck in the dirty air they couldn’t use it fully, along with dropping back at turn eight every lap.

        I doubt we will get that ‘perfect storm’ with all the factors combining together at any other circuit this season, which is a shame. Maybe if the aero regulations get sorted in future…

      2. I have one theory: no re-fuelling. The cars had even pace in the race, and the lack of different fuel weights meant they stayed together. It’s one of the things the ban promised to bring into F1, and it’s finally delivered.

  3. Insert foot in mouth! I can’t belive how good the season is turning out to be. Last year I voted to dump turkey in the poll. I can’t belive I am going to say this, “looks like bernie has got the formula right” I swear the hair on the back of my neck is standing up.

  4. As for Red Bull, i am curious to see where they are heading with this. Not convinced about the team giving equal treatment to both drivers.
    Marko must have been upset, because he was convinced Mark would have been told to let Vettel pass, as was Vettel. Sounds like team orders to me, with no other reason than for Vettel to take the championship lead.

    Half a year ago i would not say this, but i am glad Tukey stays on the calender. After this race, the track deserves to be here.
    Maybe Bernie saw the Russians coming as well and is betting on them getting a reasonable crowd together for years to come.

    A great racer passed away 40 years ago, but his name lives on and won on Sunday to remember him.

  5. Adam Cooper reports, that Pirelli is very close to getting the tyre deal bagged.

    see link: http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/06/02/pirelli-set-for-f1-tyre-deal-after-late-michelin-bid-fails/

    1. This is potentially awesome. Especially if Pirelli produce crap tyres, if the tyres are collapsy rubbish, then we might get two pitstop races.

  6. Nathan Bradley
    2nd June 2010, 8:49

    RIP Bruce, you will always be remembered.

    Nathan

  7. I think I’ll agree with Matt90. I’ve been doing so badly I’ve officially given up this year. I’m useless at predicting.

    1. Same, I’ve sort of missed a few races, an my results are always poor. I’ll still play when I remember though, might win something.

      “It’s not the dissapointment, I can cope with the dissapointment, It’s the Hope.

  8. Ned Flanders
    2nd June 2010, 11:05

    Err… minor nitpicking, but surely Matt90’s strategy is more akin to what Ferrari did rather than Brawn? Brawn were hardly doing badly, they won both championships!

    1. I think it’s Brawn as in “Ross” (i.e. 2008 Honda), not the team!

  9. I understood Bernie owned Istanbul Park, so its hardly a surprise its going to get a 10 year extension

    1. Then it’s even stranger that nothing is done to help pull the punters in or get more racing there during the rest of the year, isn’t it?
      You would think Bernie of all people would be doing all he could to get a payback on his outlay, or is he really so rich that it doesn’t matter?

  10. Not mentioned in this Update, but I see Rubens is having clutch problems at Williams extremely similar to the clutch problems he had at Brawn last year.

    Could the clutch problem possibly be Rubens? Don’t take me wrong, I know Rubens and like him very much, but a problem *that* similar spanning two teams and two seasons? Does tend to make one wonder.

    1. I remember last year when Barrichello had problems at the start of a race, on the BBC they mentioned that he often had similar problems throughout his career.

  11. Keith, congratulations once again, on the upcoming ITV article.

    Dam nice to see you getting real recognition in the mainstream media. Seems ITV have a brain after all ! :)

      1. Good summary! :-)

  12. I was fortunate enough to be at the Grand Prix here last weekend. Not sure if it’s been mentioned elsewhere on the site but the race appeared to be quite well attended. Many Russian and Bulgarian fans made the trip to Istanbul and there was a noticeable contingent of Turks too. I understand there were 32,000 fans at the race last year, definitely a better turn out this time round.

    Overall the enjoyed the race weekend, excellent value for money considering how cheap the tickets were. I paid 60 Turkish Lira (around 30 euro) for a 3 day general admission pass. Shuttle buses to and from several areas of the city were frequent and cheap.

    Only criticism I would put on the organisers is that Kangaroo TVs weren’t available (I was told they were in 2009) and there were fewer large screen TVs at the track than had appeared on the circuit map when I was buying my ticket.

    Food was expensive too and there was no way of avoiding it as the track is in the middle of nowhere. Packed a picnic for race day to avoid being ripped off.

    Overall a great weekend at an amazing circuit which will hopefully remain on the F1 calendar for years to come.

    1. Thanks Ronan – where did you buy your tickets from?

      1. The formula1.com website. Worked fine, just printed out a voucher for tickets to take to the track.

  13. Jean Todt tells Auto Motor und Sport he wants KERS back in 2011:

    http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-1/jean-todt-will-kers-rueckkehr-2011-1873749.html

    1. Agree with Todt. But he need to make sure that the KERS is not restricted to the power deliver instead each driver will be able to use as much KERS energy as much the brakes of his car produced.

      1. *groan* I thought they were trying to increase overtaking, not decrease it by giving the defenders an advantage…

  14. Paper Tiger
    2nd June 2010, 18:01

    It’s my birthday today! For my present I want Sebastian Vettel to make a public appearance in a purple robe, blue and silver crown and Red Bull sceptre, using his good grace to pardon the raggedly dressed urchin Mark Webber for the treasonous crime of daring to shove the anointed one off the track.

  15. It’s time for the regular “when’s the Forum coming back?” post!

    I was really keep to start a thread on “Why Germans really really really really love… turning right.”
    Schumacher on Hill, Schumacher on Villneuve…. Vettel on Hamilton (3 times), Vettel on Webber… all mad right turns! Is it something to do with the magnetic fields in the german soil or something? There seems to be a desperate need in the german driver to make sudden left turns. I’m sure Sutil’s done it at some point. Any others?

    1. Obviously typos in that post are “keen” not “keep” and “right” not “left”.

      Maybe I’m as confused as Horner was.

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