Domenicali says Ferrari still support cost controls

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Ferrari say they want to keep costs down in F1 despite having quit FOTA.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Ferrari committed to F1 cost cuts (Autosport)

“We have a situation where we need to control the costs and to make sure that it [the Resource Restriction Agreement] is enforceable and police-able. So the first point is to understand what is happening with the RRA now. The second point is to discuss with the major teams what the best solution is. This is a priority. So far, we have had a year or maybe two years with a lot of discussion and not a lot of results.”

Q&A with Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg (F1)

“I have seen the car already. But over the winter months the teams are always a little in the dark, because you don’t know where your competitors stand.”

Formula 1 needs influx of American drivers to be successful in the U.S. (Sports Illustrated)

Eddie Cheever: “I don’t think Formula 1 can be successful in America without an American driver, but there are a lot of Ferrari fans who follow the sport everywhere and there are American Formula 1 fans. There would be a lot more success with American drivers.”

Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.

Comment of the day

Chris Goldsmith on McLaren’s season:

Half the problem for the McLaren drivers this year was the sheer dominance of Vettel. Vettel got virtually every ‘best finish’ in the Red Bull this year, while the McLaren drivers shared their wins between them. Had Vettel and Webber been sharing the wins between them, then a single dominant driver in the McLaren could potentially have won the championship.

Red Bull had as close as you can realistically get to a perfect season. It was the unflappable reliability of the car, the precision and skill of the mechanics, and the relentless speed of their star driver, which all came together to create a package which was almost unbeatable.
Chris Goldsmith

From the forum

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to BasCB and olliekart!

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On this day in F1

Michael Schumacher announced his F1 comeback two years ago today.

Since then he has started 38 races for Mercedes, managing a best finish of fourth on four separate occasions.

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64 comments on “Domenicali says Ferrari still support cost controls”

  1. It’s swings and roundabouts with the whole no. 1 driver scenario.

    Of course he could win more, but in that given situation where he may have been leading a race, he could have binned it, couldn’t he?

    It’s all a fun game of if’s and but’s. Gives us something to talk about.

    It’s kind of the same argument as ‘this next race is so important’ – not really. They’re all as important as eachother. The final races offer no bonus points to the previous races. It’s all about mentality and perhaps, marketing…

    1. @ecwdanselby Who are you talking about?

      1. McLaren v Red Bull probably.

  2. Ferrari also reckon Formula 1 needs more in-season testing because “there are not enough opportunities for young drivers”.

    Buy who are we kidding? We all know that if the FIA allow for more in-season testing, Ferrari will run Alonso and Massa at every test except the Abu Dhabi sessions that are designated for young drivers.

    1. Everyone knows they mean opportunities for other teams to test young drivers that Ferrari can then poach in a year to replace Felipe.

      1. If that’s the case, then good luck to them.

        Ferrari got caught with their pants down by the rise of the young driver program. There was a time when they would have their pick of young drivers entering the sport – they’d race for a year or two, and then Ferrari would poach them away. But then Red Bull started their Young Driver Program, and Ferrari never saw it coming. Here was a system where a rival team was finding unpolished talent, sponsoring their ascent through the feeder categories, and priming them for a Formula 1 seat. And they had it all set up before they started winning World Championships, so it kind of went under everyone’s radar. McLaren did it, too, with Lewis Hamilton. There was a time when Ferrari would have scooped up Hamilton and Vettel in a heartbeat, but because to the advent of driver development programs, other team got the first bite at the apple. And those programs guaranteed loyalty between driver and team, so Ferrari could not score a coup and pluck a driver like Vettel out from under Red Bull’s nose. Now they’re in a situation where all the promising young drivers are committed to development programs, while they’re stuck with an underperforming Felipe Massa. A few years ago Ferrari would have given Massa the flick in a heartbeat, but now they’re stuck with him, because despite his horror 2011 season, he’s the best driver available. The smart move would be to ditch Massa for 2012, promote Sergio Perez in his place, and work on getting Robert Kubica race-ready for 2013 in case Perez doesn’t pan out. But as we’ve seen time and time again from their car development programs, Ferrari are unwilling to take a chance, probably for fear that they will lose the position they already have: rather than try something new with their car design, they will play it conservative and use what they know will work, and then try to make up the difference in-season. It’s the same with their drivers: play it safe, and then only make their move when they’re confident of having a winning hand. It’s an acceptable strategy, and you can’t really fault them for trying it (Williams have steadily slipped backwards over the last few years by going all in), but if they want to catch Red Bull and McLaren, they’re going to have to re-think things. A rookie is a gamble, sure, but Fernando Alonso is a strong enough driver that he can carry both of the team’s title bids. To keep Massa means they don’t really trust Alonso to do what he does best, and they don’t trust their young driver to be as fast as Ferrari think they are. So if in-season testing does get expanded, Ferrari’s strategy will be the same as their driver selection and car development tactics: they’ll play it safe.

        1. You make some good points in there. Although Ferrari do have a young driver program of sorts, I don’t believe it’s nearly as comprehensive as many others, Red Bull in particular. Infact Red Bull having effectively a feeder F1 team is about the pinnacle of a young driver development program.

          I would think it’s the perfect time for them to be risky with their second seat. Felipe is certainly not the driver he was for whatever reason that may be.
          Someone like Bianchi maybe too much risk at this stage so how about Alguersuari? He’s not necessarily a wonder kid like Vettell but I think if you stuck him in the Red car alongside someone like Alonso he’d be at least as good as Felipe, and he may surprise. Or Sutil, who would be a great replacement for Felipe. Of course neither of those guys were free when Ferrari committed to Felipe and it’s unlikely they’d want to make a really last minute change.

          1. If they’re going to take a gamble on a driver – especially if it is only for a year – then it needs to be a Ferrari development driver. If they decide to drop Massa and bring in an outsider for the 2012 season, then their driver development program loses all credibility. Drivers won’t sign up because they’ll be stuck in limbo while Ferrari resist promoting them. They won’t be able to get a Ferrari drive, but because of their contract with the team, they won’t be able to go elsewhere. If Ferrari dropped Massa and replaced him with Sutil, but then Lewis Hamilton went ahead and injured himself and McLaren wanted to take Sergio Perez, they wouldn’t be able to do it. perez would be stuck at Sauber and McLaren would be forced to sit through the free agents and pick a driver who is not necessarily the best fit for them. So for the good of all involved, Ferrari need to promote a development driver if they decide to replace Massa.

          2. I’m sure McLaren could find a driver, they do have Paffet, though I don’t know how strong he would be outside testing. There’s a few other young drivers they might be able to squeeze into the seat.

            I don’t think not picking a development driver would be that problematic, before Massa who was the last driver they’re nurtured to a full race seat? I don’t see Ferrari as a team that feel they need to do that, they stuck Alonso in, with good reason, to replace Kimi who they bought because he was outstanding, who replaced Michael who was a prior world champion. I just don’t see Ferrari as a team who would produce a champion from the ground up. Felipe almost did it but if anything, keeping Felipe doesn’t scream we give a hoot about you to their young drivers considering his performances.

            Yes Sergio might make a certain amount of sense but he’s progressing well with Sauber whereas with Sutil or Alg they could hire and fire them without worry. If they really see something special in Sergio it makes sense to let him progress elsewhere than have him promoted and then shown up against Alonso who is obviously their favourite man at the moment. Putting him in too early could wreck the long term plan for him.

            My F1 knowledge is limited going back even a few years so my Ferrari comments may be off but that’s how I see it at the moment.

          3. @nefor Massa wasn’t nurtured to a full race seat by Ferrari; he raced for Sauber before moving to Ferrari.

          4. i think they should have gone with Sutil for 2012, he would have played nicely by the rules defined by the team. getting new drivers is risky. specially from other teams driver programs… they will not let their best to go to others… they can be safe with Sutil… and hire Force India third driver seat and watch progress of their young driver during practice sessions.

          5. i’am a huge Ferrari fan but i don’t understand why they have a young driver program i can’t imagine a rookie setting in a Ferrari cockpit
            the philosophy of Ferrari has been always clear
            A top driver + a second driver
            & even that second driver must have experience in F1

          6. @tifoso1989

            the philosophy of Ferrari has been always clear
            A top driver + a second driver
            & even that second driver must have experience in F1

            But Ferrari can’t afford to maintain this philosophy. Other teams establish young driver programs and pick up the most-talented drivers first. They then bring them through to Formula 1 and get the first claim to thsoe drivers. Look at Lewis Hamilton – there was a time when Ferrari would have leapt at him, but Hamilton has said in the past that he would be more than happy to spend his entire career with McLaren. If other drivers like Vettel feel this way, Ferrari will be powerless and will be forced to watch the most talented drivers join rival teams. They might look down upon young driver programs, but if they want talented racers, they’re going to have to run their own. Otherwise, they’re going to be left with poor drivers.

          7. I don’t think so, PM. 80% of drivers would accept an offer even if they come from a different development programme. Even Vettel said on live tv that he can see himself in a red overall. The only two drivers I couldn’t possibly imagine in the red car are Barrichello and Raikkonen and thats mainly because they already were there. Sure, things have changed in a way that Ferrari can’t buy any driver out of any contract anymore but that doesn’t mean they can’t have the drivers anymore if they really want them.

          8. Oh and by the way, Sutils manager Zimmermann confirmed what we all knew: Ferrari is not interested in hiring him.

  3. Wait a minute… How can it be @BasCB‘s birthday and not @Bosyber‘s too? Happy birthday guys! Anything special planned for the day?

    Happy birthday to Olliekart too. :)

    “I don’t think Formula 1 can be successful in America without an American driver”

    I think that’s a bit sad. F1 thrived with possibly its biggest ever crowds for many years before Mark Webber arrived on the scene and I think America could do the same if they handled the situation well.

    I hope the Austin race goes ahead, but hearing of a Grand Prix in New Jersey kind of took the hype out of it for me as I’d always believed that a street circuit race would work better in the US. I want both, really, but I wish Austin had never been announced now, as I think the New Jersey race will probably work better over many years.

    1. Yes, happy b-day to all!

      I agree Damon, a street circuit definitely seems like it has more potential in the US, but the Austin track looks pretty good too. I’m just not sold on the location. No offense to Austin, it’s a city I would live to visit, but I can’t help wondering if the race wouldn’t be more successful in California. Street circuit in NYC (or thereabouts), and a purpose built road circuit in California, that makes more sense to me from a coverage standpoint. Who knows though, from Bernie’s comments there could be a 3rd race in the US somewhere on the west coast in the pipeline. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and dream of somewhere close like Portland or Vancouver.

    2. @damonsmedley yes I agree but America is very patriotic. They are all about representing the nation and although it might seem a little shallow for the US to do this it seems to be the case. Obviously this isn’t the case for normal American F1 fans as they are watching for the enjoyment of the sport, but for F1 to be a huge success which it has to be really, then an American driver wouldn’t go a miss.

    3. @smifaye I agree that it would be a major boost to have an American on the grid (and I think in Alexander Rossi, we soon will do), but I think its more a question of marketing the events and presenting them in a way that appeals to the market. There’s an existing F1 fanbase over in the States that understands the sport as well as we do over here, but to the average motorsport fan I think F1 still appears elitist and closed off.

      To be fair, thats probably not far off the mark.

      But if F1 goes over there with the same open, fan-friendly mentality of the domestic series and gets decent coverage, I’m sure it can become a success even without a home driver. Then when a home driver does arrive, BOOM. Off the scale.

  4. I did’nt think Shumi’s comeback would go the way it has.

  5. @BasCB – of Fanatics, he’s King,
    Of F1 he knows just about everything.
    He’s been on this site for much longer than most,
    And must have made more than a million posts!

    From the Netherland’s Kingdom, does this user hail,
    Who checks F1F more than checks his own mail.
    His impressive IQ is much higher than mine,
    Which he proves in his comments, time after time.

    His intelligent thoughts on the forum and Twitter,
    Are enough to make those who may disagree bitter.
    ‘Cause while he’ll retort any nonsense you say,
    He’ll always do so in a respectful way.

    So here’s to the ‘Prof’, which to me he is known,
    As he reigns over all from his Fanatic throne.
    He’ll know that this poem is trying to say,
    That to BasCB, have a Happy Brithday!
    ————————————————————-

    Also, Happy Birthday to @Olliekart too!

    1. Gee, thanks. Got my own @magnificent-geoffrey (R) poem, that just made my day (not joking, I was not really upbeat a few moments ago before I read it).

      Happy birthday to @Olliekart as well as to @bosyber, who might have been reluctant to put his B-day up for a shout out, but gets one anyway.

      1. Happy Birthday @BasCB and @Olliekart, have a awesome one :)
        And @magnificent-geoffrey you are magnificent!!

      2. Happy birthday @BasCB and @Olliekart, and myself.
        Sweet to share a birthday with such brilliant fanatics!

        1. Well, then @dam00r, enjoy your birthday today. Its the right time for a party now!

    2. Happy birthday to @BasCB, @Oliekart and – if true – to @Bosyber as well!

    3. Congratulations again for the poem @magnificent-geoffrey!
      Have a happy birthday @bascb, @olliekart and @bosyber!

    4. Happy Birthday @bascb!! and to @olliekart and @bosyber as well!!

      Great poem @magnificent-geoffrey!

  6. “There’s been a stigma that has kept American IndyCar drivers from being considered since Andretti, who was a victim of adverse circumstances”

    *coughJacquesVillenuevecoughJuanMontoyacough*

    Not American, mind you but, come ON. It’s not like coming from Indycar to F1 is impossible to make succeed. I think they’re grasping for straws because there’s no reason the fact that an Indycar driver is an American should keep them from making the leap.

    1. It’s not like coming from Indycar to F1 is impossible to make succeed.

      But for every Villeneuve and Montoya, there’s a Bourdais and a Zanardi.

      One of the problems with getting an Indycar driver into Formula 1 is that people expect success in Indycar will equal success in Formula 1, which isn’t necessarily true. Although they are both open-wheel racing series, they do have their own nuances that make them different enough that a driver cannot simply move from one to the other at will.

      I actually think that Formula 1’s success in America will hinge on GP2. With the GP2 calendar expanding this year, I think they should try and get New Jersey onto the calendar in 2013 (and Montreal, to make it worthwhile). It would be cheaper than going to Singapore. The reason why I feel this way is because GP2 is the pre-eminent feeder series for Formula 1. If a team signed an American driver – and it is believed Caterham are looking to put Alexander Rossi into their car for 2012 – and if the series went to America, it would showcase their talent and give the American public someone to back from the start of their career. It would be a case of saying “We think this kid is the next big thing in Formula 1, and this is why”.

      Having a driver who is instantly successful in Formula 1 is nice … but very few drivers do it, even in Europe. Lewis Hamilton was the last driver who stepped into a competitive car from the outset, whereas most of the other drivers had to work their way up. Even Alonso did it when he raced for Minardi. It would be far easier to find someone who is reasonably promising and give them a chance like Paul di Resta, then to try and find America’s Lewis Hamilton. And I think the American public would like having someone who they can follow from the start of their career, because it would be a bit of an introduction to Formula 1 for audiences that are unfamiliar with the sport.

      1. Or heaven forbid, a Michael Andretti.

      2. Plus GP2 is nothing if not exciting and full of action and that would go down well. I would absolutely love it if they had GP2 at Albert Park!

        1. Yeah, I didn’t like the selection of circuits for 2012. Melbourne, Sepang, India and Austin would have been a much better choice than Sepang, a Bahrain double-header and Singapore.

          I think the best choice for 2013 would be Melbourne, Montreal, New Jersey and India. Maybe Suzuka, if they can manage it.

      3. yes, I understand that, but the article makes it seem like Indycar hasn’t seen any successful transplants since Andretti, which is completely untrue. And yeah, you’ll get a vareity of good and bad, but just like many drivers have to work their way up from feeder series and lesser teams even once they reach F1, I think a similar approach could and should be applied to transplants. We can’t expect another Lewis Hamilton, but why can’t we expect a Jenson Button?

        Honestly, I think the bigger reason than drivers being “spooked” is simply that either series takes focus and attention to ascend in. Back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, drivers more freely went from series to series, going where a paycheck is offered. Now, it’s like going to college: you need to have your major and you’ve gotta work and graduate with a degree in something specific. The intensity of the competition and the amount of money that’s needed means it’s not a car-hopping game anymore.

        1. Maybe they can also try and get a driver in there. Local sponsors backing teams is nothing new. If a driver like Rossi could find some of backing – especially from an American company looking to expand into Europe (though this isn’t strictly necessary) – then it would really help his cause. Best Buy Caterham, anybody? Claro Sauber (if Carlos Slim wanted to push into America)? Or the obvious (existing) one, AT&T Williams?

          1. Little Caesar’s Ferrari?

            *runs*

      4. It would be far easier to find someone who is reasonably promising and give them a chance like Paul di Resta

        Perhaps Marco Andretti, who’s still only 24? Although he has only won 2 races in 6 years.

        1. I don’t know … “name” drivers are always a risk. Very few of them live up to their famous names. Jacques Villeneuve and Nico Rosberg (even if he is yet to win a race) did it. Bruno Senna and Kazuki Nakajima didn’t.

          Looking at the 2011 Indycar grid, there aren’t many American drivers who might be up to racing in Formula 1. Charlie Kimball might be an okay choice, mostly because he has raced in Europe before. JR Hildebrand tested for Force India at the Young Driver Tests in 2010, so he might be another okay choice. And maybe Graham Rahal (yes, I know he’s a “name” driver), because he had a lot of success in CART, particularly on road courses. But none of them really leap out at me as being able to hold their own in Formula 1, and they’re probably the three drivers on the Indycar grid best-suited to make the transition.

          1. I wish we could’ve seen Dan Wheldon make the move considering his prior experiences racing JB etc.

          2. Yeah, Wheldon could have done it – but he was British, not American. The idea here is to get an American driver into Formula 1. They might have supported Wheldon if he moved over, but he wasn’t American, so I doubt he would have received as much attention compared to an American.

  7. Happy birthday to BasCB and olliekart.

    In other words by ‘Sports Illustrated’ have a female driver in F1.

  8. Its a pity that Argentina and France dont have a GP while USA will have 2. Im sure these two country have much more “big fans” of F1, and the circuits would always be as full as Brazil and England.

    1. @tiagocomodoro – Both France and Argentina have been working on a return to the calendar, though. It has been widely-reported that the French Grand Prix will return in 2013, alternating with Spa in much the same way as the German Grand Prix is shared between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring. Meanwhile, Populous (the firm that did the Silverstone reconfiguration and upgrade) have announced that work has started on the Velociudad Zarate, a Grade-1 standard circuit outside Buenos Aires; as a Grade-1 circuit, it could readily host Formula 1.

      1. Yes, that is why I mentioned both.
        I mean, its too sad that the only way to france come back is making this alternation with SPA, when Spa is one of the best tracks!
        And assuming that Spain will lose 1 GP to give space to USA, means that we will have to lose another good GP to give space to Argentina, so it will also be sad, as Bernie loves to keep his asian races we will propably lose another European circuit.

        1. I mean, its too sad that the only way to france come back is making this alternation with SPA, when Spa is one of the best tracks!

          Given the choice between having Spa and Paul Ricard alternate indefinitely, or having Spa annually until the organisers run out of money, I’d pick the former every time. Formula 1 is expensive, but Bernie can’t just go and giving people races for free – the race sanctioning fees are recycled back into the sport.

      2. What a pity… really no one should mess about with Spa, especially with Kimi back in F1 :D

    2. @tiagocomodoro It’s a fine balance between accommodating existing business while branching out and diversifying. I’m just as happy with 2 US GP’s as I am any of the European ones.

  9. Happy birth day, @BasCB!

  10. Sorry but I have to take everything that comes out of Ferrari with a pinch of salt. It is becoming increasingly deubious that Ferrari care about reducing costs. Why should they? They are Ferrari. You can’t want more in season testing and three car teams and also want the Resource Restriction Agreement.

    So far, we have had a year or maybe two years with a lot of discussion and not a lot of results

    So just over a year now of trying to cut costs with the RRA and they quit? Well they obviously don’t apply it to their F1 programme, not a lot of results until Schumacher came along. Ferrari rant over, sorry ;)

    1. If there is no way of enforcing or making sure that teams follow the RRA, than naturally big teams will start accusing each other. To avoid these arguments you need a formal way to monitoring the teams’ spending and have penalties for breaking the rules. The problem is that the teams are not able to come to an agreement on this point. They all want to reduce costs but they want it to be fair. This is difficult if some teams are part of a large corporation making cars. Where do you draw the line between the F1 team and the rest of the company? (think of the development of the engine for 2013) No wonder the big teams are struggling to agree on this. F1 teams are constantly lloking for loopholes in the technical regulation, exploiting every gap to come up with a speed advantage over their rivals. You think they dont do the same thing with the RRA? You bet they do. And thats what the whole issue is about. Puting in place regulations to police this (like it is with the technical regulations)

      So I think the fact that Ferrari left FOTA does not contradict being in favor of cost saving. Quitting FOTA is not the same thing as giving up on saving costs.

      1. So I think the fact that Ferrari left FOTA does not contradict being in favor of cost saving. Quitting FOTA is not the same thing as giving up on saving costs.

        I agree it might not mean they are going to give up, who knows? They might actually stick to some kind of agreement. The thing is the RRA is a legally binding document, which we don’t know when it runs up until. So when it’s renewed Ferrari will be free to do what they want with costs.

        1. I suspect Ferrari want to throw in testing days/km into some kind of mix with CFD and Wind tunnel work. Both are budgetted to a maximum and can be partly/wholly exchanged for the other.
          So in theory bringing in testing would not end cost saving, it would just allow a mix that fits Ferrari better, a bit less windtunnel use, less simulation (two fields where they lack compared to McLaren or RBR) but test things on their own track.

  11. Happy birthday @BasCB

  12. Happy birthday to BasCB and olliekart!

  13. Ferrari receives 200£ million from Marlboro and around 350£ million a year in total from sponsors..

    1. i don’t know why Marlboro still sponsor Ferrari
      advertising in tobacco is banned & even the new name of the team is not anymore “Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro” it become “Scuderia Ferrari”
      but i know that Marlboro & Kaspersky are pushing for an eastern driver to be the 3rd driver in Ferrari it’s rumored that maybe this driver will be Vitaly Petrov !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. The current Scuderia Ferrari logo looks more like a Marlboro pack than any bar code ever did. That’s why.

  14. It is true, the US needs participation in the sport to make it a huge success. However, US drivers don’t seem to do that well in recent years, Scott Speed and a few drivers from Indy Car have came and gone. It’s a shame that F1 didn’t kick off in the US because they had big support there. It’s similar to when the NFL comes to England for one night a year, it’s a sell out stadium but since there is little hype and no constant exposure to the experience it’s not as big as it could be.

  15. What do people mean by F1 succeeding in America? I think it has a reasonably big number of followers already. US GP was always packed with spectators until 2005 fiasco. Also remember that people in the States always have to watch the GPs during inconvenient hours.

    If people want F1 to be as popular as NASCAR, it wont be. There are numerous reasons for that; NASCAR being a native sport, cars looking like actual cars, closer racing, the fact that every spectator in the grandstand can see everything happening in the race etc. Why does F1 have to be as popular, I dont understand. F1 in Spain is less popular than MotoGP, yet we have two races there. How many people in Malaysia, China, Korea, Singapore etc care about F1? But there is no discussion whether these GPs are a success or not. Why does F1 seem to set itself an impossibly high target in order to be judged as success when it comes to US GP?

    Also, am I right that there is no dominant sport in US in the same way that football is in Europe? As long as a big crowd turns up to watch US GP, it should be considered job well done.

  16. Banburyhammer1
    23rd December 2011, 15:01

    One thing that’s just occurred to me is the units used on FOM world feed graphics. Now, seeming as metric is more widely used globally and within the sport, its appropriate that speed trap data is in km/h, but if Bernie wants to help make F1 a success in America, one place he could start is by subscripting the data with mph conversions – I mean I do it when watching all the time.

    Theres a huge difference between watching an onboard of Alonso going through Eau Rouge at some meaningless speed, and going though it at 180mph, giving it gravity. Its a small way of showing just how remarkable a sport this is, and taking small steps like this would be very successful in broadening the audience in the US I suspect. I doubt it would cost all that much or look that messy either.

    1. You should not make changes to accommodate one particular race. No way. It’s really not difficult to get your head around another measurement system.

  17. themagicofspeed (@)
    23rd December 2011, 22:57

    Why on earth are they doing this? They can afford to spend more than anyone else, and can spend as much as it takes to get the back to the top again for good. So, they cant test – ramp up CFD and simulator facilities, out develop, outspend and outrace every other competitor. Screw the lot of them, surely? If they want to get distracted coming up with some friendly cost control formula, let them. In the mean time, Ferrari should be doing whatever it takes to avenge the dissapointments of 2008 and 2010 and take Alonso to more WDCs.

    Frankly, i dont think it matters if Caterham, Marussia and HRT dissapeared. Who cares, really? They are mobile chicanes, just getting in the way.

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