If you’re particularly interested in F1 engine technology check out the current issue of Race Engine Technology magazine which has an in-depth look at the Toyota V8 raced in F1 last year. Unfortunately, it seems there is no way to view this article online.
As I write this I’m watching the coverage of the IndyCar season finale at Homestead in Miami – join me on Twitter if you’re watching too.
Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
Gravity 1-2 in Monza, Romain is AutoGP champion (Gravity Sports Management)
“Romain Grosjean is the first Auto GP champion. The french driver won the title thanks to a great success in today’s Race 1 in Monza, ahead of Adrien Tambay and Fabio Onidi.”
Damon Hill hits out Fernando Alonso’s ‘controversial’ title chance (Daily Mail)
“There will be people who feel that points should have been taken away from Ferrari and Alonso. What has to be remembered is there is need for a proper race, so that the sport is not in breach of its agreement with the public. Formula One does seem to get itself repeatedly into these situations.”
Comment of the day
Is Kimi Raikkonen the man for Renault? Magnificent Geoffrey needs some convincing:
With Kimi, what are you getting? A Formula 1 World Champion, yes. But is that enough? Yes he’s brilliantly fast and yes he’s a proven race winner, but I really had an issue with his attitude and his apparent lack of drive and ambition ever since 2007. He’d need to prove to me that he’s fully committed and ready mentally before I’d say signing him was a good idea. Also, who’s to say that he’ll hop back into an F1 car after an entire year out and be as quick as he always was? For me, he’s too much of a gamble, so why take the risk?
Ultimately, I think it’s up to Renault to decide what they think gives them the best chance at moving up the grid next year, whether that’s Kimi, Petrov or whoever. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Kimi joined Renault and found himself regularly beaten by Kubica, the man I think is driving the best out of anyone on the grid this season.
Magnificent Geoffrey
From the forum
Prisoner Monkeys has started a great thread here – check out his Formula 1 casting call.
Happy birthday!
Birthday wishes go out to Pankit!
On this day in F1
This time last year we were trying to work out what the grid for the Japanese Grand Prix would be after a string of penalties and Timo Glock pulling out of the race having been injured.
2009 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying
rfs
3rd October 2010, 0:17
“Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Kimi joined Renault and found himself regularly beaten by Kubica, the man I think is driving the best out of anyone on the grid this season.”
Kubica is driving very well and isn’t making many mistakes, but unlike the title contenders he’s not driving under any pressure from his teammate or from a championship battle. So IMO whoever wins the title will be driver of the year.
velvet_demon
3rd October 2010, 13:25
I’m sorry but any pressure in F1? Are we talking about F1 races or some garden tea party? There is always a big pressure. And in Reanult? After Carshgate team was in pieces. It wasn’t easy for the team, and it wasn’t easy for Kubica to make it working right.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
3rd October 2010, 0:28
The Indy Race is shaping up nicely. F1 could learn a lesson from this “Caution” (Safety Car) period: the cars couldn’t dive into the pits straight away, there was no queueing of cars from the same team. Also, the pit lane is so much wider – cars were being released in a way we’d never see in F1, not without the stewards having a migraine over unsafe release penalties.
David-A (@david-a)
3rd October 2010, 1:36
Dario’s got the title in the bag as long as his willpower doesn’t send him into the wall.
mikeycool
3rd October 2010, 1:45
I could have sworn Damon Hill did something very similar over the radio in Spa 98. Or is it just me? hmmm…
glue (@glue)
3rd October 2010, 8:42
indeed, he’s just as much of a hypocrite as Eddie Jordan
PJA
3rd October 2010, 9:03
Firstly team orders were allowed back in 1998, but for me Hill getting on the team radio to say if he and his teammate race each to the finish Jordan might loose out on achieving their first win and a 1-2, is different to a team ordered one of it’s drivers to let his teammate through when both are arguably still have a chance at the championship.
Soumya Banerjee
3rd October 2010, 10:20
Just because it was allowed,doesnt make it any less of an offence. Hill wasnt fighting for the championship in 1998,Alonso was in 2010. It is the team orders decision in 1998,not the one in 2010 that was absolutely unnecessary.
PJA
3rd October 2010, 15:02
Of course if something is allowed it is less of an offence than something which is against the rules.
Traction control used to be allowed but isn’t now, so does that mean teams were committing an offence when they used it back then just as they would be if they used it now?
The order in 1998 was for the drivers to maintain position to secure the teams first F1 victory whereas both Massa and Alonso were fighting for the Championship when Mass was ordered to let Alonso through in 2010.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
3rd October 2010, 11:01
Let’s not forget it was raining heavily and we’d already lost a leader (Schumacher) to him running into the back of someone (Coulthard).
Besides, Hill was ahead at the time, he wasn’t asking to be let through. Not to mention that the FIA have always been okay with “hold station” as a team order (see for example, the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix).
I fail to see the hypocrisy of a hold station order for a team’s first victory and 1-2 compared to asking a guy to let his team-mate pass because he couldn’t do it himself.
LewisC
3rd October 2010, 17:28
Couldn’t agree more: “hold station” is absolutely fine by me, because it doesn’t affect the outcome of the race.
“X is faster than you” or other allegedly-secret orders are just insulting the intelligence of the fans.
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
3rd October 2010, 22:43
PJA and yourself have this spot-on, in my opinion.
Mike
3rd October 2010, 9:46
You have a point, but I still feel that telling drivers to hold station (as many teams do and have done) is not nearly as problematic as telling one driver to pull over, when they are competing on level terms.
But both hurt the sport by removing competition.
Prisoner Monkeys
3rd October 2010, 7:30
I’m furious: I just found out I won’t get to watch the Japanese Grand Prix because the network with the rights to it is more interested in the Commonwealth Games than anything else. The real kick in the teeth here is that no-one cares about the Commonwealth Games. For all their wildly-overproduced and greatly-hyped advertising, I haven’t heard a single person who any enthisiasm for them, aside from some of the more morbidly-inclined among us who are keenly awaiting which building will collapse next.
BasCB
3rd October 2010, 17:53
What will they do when those get cancelled?
I understand your gutted. But just have a try over some stream, i did it several times this year (to get BBC instead of Czech or German TV) and it works pretty good most of the time.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
3rd October 2010, 19:34
I hadn’t even heard the Commonwealth Games were happening until I saw Chandhok twittering about it. Like BasCB said though, hop on the live blog here and you’ll probably find your way to the Japanese GP.
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
3rd October 2010, 22:44
How fast is your internet connection and how much download allowance do you get?
dragon
4th October 2010, 8:30
PM are you telling me OneHD are showing the Commonwealth Games instead of Suzuka?!
Excuse me while I go burn the channel ten building…
Dan Selby
3rd October 2010, 12:36
“I could have sworn Damon Hill did something very similar over the radio in Spa 98. Or is it just me? hmmm…”
That’s a slightly different scenario. As mentioned above, team orders were entirely legal back then. Also, it’s worth mentioning it was heavy rain, and Hill suggested the two hold position. If he were in 2nd position, and was asking to be let through to 1st, then i’d understand. But it’s slightly different.
Plus, it was Jordan’s first win, and they were in 1-2..
Selby
BasCB
3rd October 2010, 17:55
I am glad Hill, as an official representative of one of the interested bodies speaks up. I think a lot of fans feel alike (judging from the comments made and poll results).
P.S. happy birthday Pankit.
BasCB
3rd October 2010, 17:58
The last time i read about that AutoGP series, i was a bit uncertain about it, but now i know for sure.
Not taking anything away from Grosjean with winning it after jumping in only after the season was 1/3 gone, but it seems a bit like a Gravity championship with both DAMS drivers and 4 of the Charouz-Gravity drivers making up about half of the grid.
Patrickl
4th October 2010, 19:11
Kubica has much more motivational problems than Raikkonen. When he doesn’t get what he wants he starts whining. Look at how he dropped off in 2008. Just because he was upset that BMW tried to help Heidfeld with his qualifying problems. Then at last race he was actually too busy with his kart team to actually test and qualify properly.
Just because Raikkonen opted to eat some ice cream after his Ferrari had broken down (again) all of a sudden his motivation is being questioned.
Which of course is why he drove the wheels of the car from Spa 2008 onwards (after they reverted to the setup used for Canada).