31-Mar-08: Max Mosley Hits the Headlines for All the Wrong Reasons
Welcome to F1 Minute for the 31st March 2008.
The main news of the weekend was the story about Max Mosley and some of the things he may or may not get up to in his personal life. Pictures surfaced on the News of the World website and a video was posted onto YouTube that appeared to show Max in some compromising positions. At the moment, there has been no comment from Max or the FIA regarding the scandal and it is assumed that he is consulting with some lawyers.
In actual F1 news, McLaren have been pushed to the back of the pit lane in Bahrain, to their proper garage if last year’s championship result is anything to go by. The reason for this decision compared to the fifth place they enjoyed in Australia and Malaysia is still unknown.
Other stories today include Singapore testing out their lighting system on a stretch of road as a demonstration for the upcoming night race, Silverstone building a new grandstand to house over 2,000 more spectators, and Massa deciding he may keep his Malaysia engine for the Bahrain race.
That’s all for today, join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
28-Mar-08: FIA Set to Tweak Qualifying Ahead of Bahrain
Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 28th March.
According to Autosport.com, the FIA are set to tweak qualifying just slightly before the Bahrain Grand Prix. The new rules will see a maximum lap time imposed, so that there will be less danger of ridiculously slow in laps. An FIA spokesman has said that the matter is still under discussion but the maximum could be 120% of a normal lap time.
Massimo Rivola is the team manager of Toro Rosso, and he has joined the rising voice of concern about the lack of night running teams will get to do ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Apparently, Rivola has already spoken to Charlie Whiting about the first Friday practice session being in the daylight. He wants the matter added to the next meeting of the Sporting Working Group.
Finally, the former President of the FIA Jean-Marie Balestre has passed away in France at the age of 86. Max Mosley paid tribute to him saying: “His contribution to motor sport in France and indeed throughout the world has been unique.”
That’s all for this week. Join me on Monday for another F1 Minute.
27-Mar-08: Toro Rosso Extend the Hand of Friendship
This is F1 Minute for the 27th March 2008.
According to reports from Germany, Toro Rosso have offered the hand of peace to Force India by suggesting they share any profits from this year. Whilst still defending the team as being within the rules, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost has apparently said that the only people winning at the moment are the lawyers, and if Force India don’t finish in the top ten constructors this year, they can have half of any commercial revenue received.
It seems that money is the subject of the day, with Lewis Hamilton revealing that he will receive a McLaren F1 supercar worth about £2 million, if he wins the championship this year. Hamilton fell in love with the machine when he saw it in the factory and Ron Dennis has promised his young star the car in exchange for the title.
Also, the eBay auction to sell off an RB3 for charity has closed with the car being sold for just over £165,000. The money will go to the Red Bull charity Wings for Life.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
26-Mar-08: Jordan Blocks Force India Factory Access
Today is the 26th March and this is F1 Minute.
In a complex story involving land ownership and bad management communication, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has blocked off the access road to the Force India factory with some strategically placed concrete blocks. Jordan owns the land and is in dispute talks over the team buying it. He says: “I’ve got no problem with Mallya. It’s the people who are managing the business who don’t want to talk.”
Bosses of the Qatar MotoGP circuit have confirmed that they will be making some revisions to the track in the hopes of securing some F1 interest. Despite Bahrain and Abu Dhabi already secured on the calendar, the hopes are that the circuit can at least be used for F1 testing to bring attention and revenue to the country.
Jean Todt has said he will do everything he can to help replacement Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali adapt and settle in to his new job. Todt says: “It would be presumptuous to say advice. To have somebody you trust and like, and share emotions and doubts and problems with is a help.”
That’s all for today, join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
25-Mar-08: Qualifying Tweaks Expected After Malaysia
This is F1 Minute for the 25th March.
Mario Theissen is heading up the paddock voices expecting a change to the qualifying format after the dangerous situation with Heidfeld and Alonso at the weekend. It’s expected there just needs to be a tweak to avoid cars on hot laps meeting with those on a slow in lap.
Fernando Alonso has clarified his situation at Renault, saying that he could leave the team at the end of this year if performance does not increase. His contract has a get out clause meaning that he can move to another team as he always wants to be in the best car possible.
Ron Dennis has been speaking about his new signing Kovalainen’s performance, saying that McLaren have rebuilt his confidence after a disastrous rookie season at Renault. Dennis said Heikki was systematically taken apart last year, and now they have put him back together again. He also said it would only take a couple more races, and Kovalainen would be giving Hamilton a run for his money.
Finally, after convincing Malaysian organisers that they should hold a night race, Bernie Ecclestone has turned his attention to South Korea and China.
That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
24-Mar-08: Malaysia 2009 Will Be a Night Race
This is F1 Minute for the 24th March, and these are your top headlines.
Bernie Ecclestone has told reporters that next year’s Malaysian race is more than likely going to be a night race. He said he had come to an agreement with organisers that it would start at 7pm local time in a bid to raise viewing figures. It may also boost the response to the race with the Malaysian public, as the grandstands are notorious for not being at full capacity.
Alonso has said he is not surprised by the outcome of his team in Malaysia, and that he never expected a massive boost in performance as soon as he arrived. He said everything happened as they expected and it is much too soon to talk about rumours of him moving on to another team.
It has been speculated that Alonso could join Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, but the red team have defended Massa’s performance this weekend. Team principal Stefano Domenicali said: “Felipe has all the qualities and the capabilities to do well. The championship is long and the team are united, so I see no worries from this aspect.”
That’s all for today, join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
23-Mar-08: Raikkonen Takes First 2008 Win in Malaysia
Today is the 23rd March, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
Ferrari dominated proceedings in Malaysia, despite Massa retiring halfway through the race. Early on, Raikkonen and Massa were trading fastest laps, Raikkonen managed to jump his team mate during the first round of pit stops and held the lead until the end. Massa was close in second until he spun off and got stuck in the gravel.
Robert Kubica continued to show the strong form of BMW by taking second place on the podium, and Kovalainen made the best of a bad weekend for McLaren in third. Notably, Trulli took fourth place, in a much improved Toyota performance.
Retirees included Bourdais, Glock, Sutil and Vettel – who’s Ferrari engine blew up after about 40 laps.
In other news, speculation is mounting that Jean Todt might be lining up to take Max Mosley’s place as President of the FIA. The former Ferrari CEO said he was “open” to other roles within motorsport and didn’t deny the possibility of running for the Presidency.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
22-Mar-08: Both McLaren’s Receive 5-Place Grid Drop
This is F1 Minute for the 22nd March 2008.
Massa led the way for Ferrari today in qualifying, taking pole position just ahead of Raikkonen. They were followed by both McLarens, until the stewards got involved. After the chequered flag had dropped for the end of qualifying, both Heidfeld and Alonso were still on a hot lap. They found themselves weaving through the traffic to try and get a decent time. The stewards investigated the situation and found both Hamilton and Kovalainen had held up the BMW and Renault. Both have now sustained a five place grid drop meaning they start from 8th and 9th on the grid.
The other penalty on the grid is for Kazuki Nakajima. He qualified his Williams in 18th place but after last week’s accident with Kubica has been demoted ten places. He may choose to start from the pitlane.
The Red Bull cars were deemed to be safe after the team submitted a technical report regarding Coulthard’s accident yesterday, so they are allowed to take part in qualifying and the race, although they are still being monitored.
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
21-Mar-08: Stewards to Investigate Red Bull Safety
It’s the 21st March, I’m Christine, and this is F1 Minute.
David Coulthard suffered another serious incident in Free Practice 1 today, as his Red Bull hit the kerb at Sepang and the chassis fell apart. The stewards are worried about the safety of the car, after the same thing happened in Australia last week, so they have asked for Red Bull to submit a technical report to ensure that they will be allowed to race. Team boss Christian Horner doesn’t appear too worried, saying that it was just a single component failure and everything is under control.
In other Free Practice news, both Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button appeared to outperform in their respective cars, although both have moved to downplay their positions. Vettel was 5th in Free Practice 2 but said that the lap times don’t really prove anything, whilst Button was just ahead in fourth, and saying it will not be reflected in the race.
And very quickly, Williams sponsor AirAsia have officially unveiled their new A320 plane in Williams livery, with a cockpit coloured to match Rosberg’s helmet. The plane is called “Sir Frank Williams.”
That’s all for today, join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
20-Mar-08: BBC Secure F1 Rights From 2009
Hi everyone, it’s the 20th March and this is F1 Minute.
News that has made a lot of fans in the UK happy today, the BBC have secured the rights to broadcast F1 from 2009. The deal cuts short ITV’s current contract, and extends for five years including TV, radio, mobile and online deals. However, the move has been questioned by a Labour MP saying the sport is wealthy enough and doesn’t need BBC licence payer’s money.
In other contract news, Brazil track Interlagos has secured a deal to keep F1 until 2015. Supposedly organisers had to promise Bernie they would build a new pit complex and revamp the paddock and grandstands.
Part owner of Toro Rosso, Gerhard Berger, says he understands the decision to sell the team, but that he still wants to be involved, if possible. He says: “For me, it is not a question of making some money. My passion is racing. I want to stay in Formula One with the team.” He also said that Red Bull were his dream partner but he is supportive of the decision.
That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.