F1 Madness

Category: News

  • FIA finalises 2014 calendar

    FIA finalises 2014 calendar

    The FIA World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that the 2014 Formula 1 season will be held over 19 races.

    The Korea, Mexico and New Jersey grand prix have dropped off the provisional 22 race calendar. The Korean GP has disappeared from the calendar after four years with financial problems while the future of the New Jersey race has become increasingly uncertain after being dropped from the calendar for a second time.

    Along with the streamlined calendar the running order of the races has undergone some changes. The Abu Dhabi grand prix will be held at the end of the season on November 23. While Brazil, the original season finale, will move to November 9.

  • F1 Personnel Wars: Williams Add Aero Staff

    F1 Personnel Wars: Williams Add Aero Staff

    The Williams Formula 1 team has announced the signing of two new employees from Red Bull Racing and the Lotus F1 team.

    Shaun Whitehead joins Williams from Red Bull as head of aerodynamic process while Dave Wheater joins the team from Lotus to become the head of aerodynamic performance.

    “These two appointments show our commitment to both improving the process of aerodynamic development while focusing on the application of that development to true on-track performance,” added the team’s chief technical officer Pat Symonds.

    “Dave and Shaun bring a wealth of experience to our team and I welcome them both to Grove and fully expect them to make significant contributions to the renewed competitiveness that we are all working so hard to achieve.

    “With Dave and Shaun on board, and under Jason’s stewardship, we will be well positioned to make gains in this important area and support the continuing task of developing the FW36 in what promises to be an exciting year for the sport in 2014.”

  • Formula 1 Budget Cap for 2015

    Formula 1 Budget Cap for 2015

    A budget cap is set to be introduced to Formula 1 in 2015.

    It has been announced that a working group will be established to finalise the regulations of the budget cap. This group will comprise of members from the FIA, the commercial rights holder in addition to members from the various F1 teams. This team has been set the task of finalising the regulations for the cap by then end of June 2014.

    It is not clear what the budget cap will apply to; however previous proposals have included exemptions for driver salaries and marketing campaigns. Previous attempts to institute budget caps in the sport have been opposed several teams in the past.

  • F1 2014 Rule Changes: Double Points For Season Finale

    F1 2014 Rule Changes: Double Points For Season Finale

    The points tally for the season ending Abu Dhabi grand prix in 2014 will be doubled.

    The decision to double the points tally at the 2014 season finale was taken by the F1 Strategy Group and Formula One Commission at a meeting in Paris.  An FIA statement said that the change had been agreed “in order to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”.

    The specialised points system will apply to both the driver’s and constructor’s world championships. This means that the winner of the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP will be awarded 50 points, second place will receive 36 and so throughout the top ten points paying positions.

    The move has been met with great scepticism and comment that Formula 1 is becoming to ‘gimmicky.’

  • F1 2014 Rule Changes: Drivers To Get Permanent Numbers

    F1 2014 Rule Changes: Drivers To Get Permanent Numbers

    A plan to give Formula 1 drivers’ permanent numbers throughout their racing careers has been announced following the latest Strategy Group meeting. The reasoning behind the push for permanent numbers is that it is better for marketing purposes to attach a driver to a certain number rather than it changing on a yearly basis.

    The three points of discussion at the Strategy Group meeting will involve how the numbers are allocated, whether the numbers will appear on a driver’s Superlicense and if the drivers will be allowed to choose their own numbers. In addition to being asked to consider permanent numbers for drivers the Strategy Group will also be asked to deliberate the possibility of displaying large numbers and drivers’ names on cars. However, teams have opposed this proposal in the past as it could intrude on valuable sponsorship space.

    The introduction of permanent numbers will be similar to the system used in MotoGP and Superbikes, where riders retain numbers for an entire career, such as Valentino Rossi’s iconic number 46. Preference will be given to the world champion, in this case Sebastian Vettel, to use #1. The remaining drivers will have the option, in championship order, to select numbers ranging between #2 and #99.

     

  • FIA announces major changes to 2014 regulations

    FIA announces major changes to 2014 regulations

    The FIA has announced some major changes to the regulations of the sport including Double points at the final race of the season; Permanent driver numbers; A 5 second penalty for minor infringements and a cost cap in 2015.

    Double Points to be awarded at Final Race

    In a rather controversial move, the FIA announced that double drivers’ and constructor’s points will be awarded at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. The change means that 50 points will be allocated to the winner of the final round of 2014, rather than the usual 25.

    The FIA have stated that the change was immediately applicable and would “maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”.

    There is little doubt that this could most certainly carry the championship through to the final round – if this change had been implemented in previous years, Kimi Raikkonen would have been champion in 2003 instead of Michael Schumacher, and Felipe Massa would have beaten Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Fernando Alonso would have been the 2012 champion instead of Sebastian Vettel.

    Permanent Driver Numbers

    In a less controversial move, a unanimous agreement was given during a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission in Paris on Monday, to introduce permanent driver numbers.

    “Drivers will be asked to choose their race number, between 2 and 99, for the duration of their career in the FIA Formula One World Championship,” said the FIA statement. “Number 1 will be reserved for the current World Champion, should he choose to use it.”

    Should more than one driver chose the same number, priority will be given to the driver who finished highest in the previous year’s championship.

    Five Second Penalty

    The principle of a five-second penalty for minor infringements was also accepted for the 2014 season. Teams will still meet to discuss how it should be applied before the penalty system is implemented at the start of the season.

    Global Cost Cap for 2015

    The principle of a global cost cap has been adopted and the limit will be applied from January 2015.

    A working group will be established within the coming days comprising of the FIA, representatives of the Commercial Rights Holder and Team representatives. The objective of this working group will be to have regulations approved by the end of June 2014.

    Pirelli December tyre test

    The FIA has also approved the Pirelli tyre test which will be staged next week in Bahrain. Six teams have agreed to take part – Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso.

    Immediate Effect

    The FIA stated that these “changes are immediately applicable, given the mandate assigned to the FIA President at the last World Motor Sport Council meeting, held on 4 December in Paris”.

     

     

     

     

  • Hamba Kahle Madiba

    madiba2

    “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.” – Nelson Mandela.

    Rest in Peace Madiba, and thank you.

  • Ecclestone says Raikkonen was the star driver of 2013

    Ecclestone says Raikkonen was the star driver of 2013

    F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has come out singing the praises of Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen in a foreword to his Official 2013 F1 Season Review.

    Raikkonen took victory in the opening race this year in Australia, took eight podium finishes and battled his way to finish fifth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 183 points on the board, despite missing the final two races of the season in order to have back surgery.

    “This year I suppose I have to call Kimi the star driver, with the equipment he had,” he said of Raikkonen. “I think he was motivated on hope that he was going to get paid.”

    Raikkonen with his no-nonsense, “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing” attitude is a favourite amongst F1 fans but as Ecclestone says, he’s a good racer too and a great character to have in the sport, “He’s a good guy to have in a team, good for us, good for the team. He’s super, he’s a racer.”

    After a tumultuous time at Lotus, including not being paid a salary for racing for the team, Raikkonen is heading for Ferrari next season where he will race alongside Fernando Alonso.
  • Martin Brundle expecting “total calamity” for F1 in 2014

    Martin Brundle expecting “total calamity” for F1 in 2014

    Formula One driver turned commentator Martin Brundle has warned that F1 will experience “total calamity” in the early part of the 2014 season.

    F1 will adopt new 1.6-litre turbo-charged engines next year, while teams will also need to make greater use of energy recovery systems.

    “I’m expecting total calamity in the early stages of 2014 and it remains to be seen if that’s entertaining or confusing, but I have no doubt that these brilliant engineers and designers will master the issues sooner than later” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.
    He did however agree with Jenson Button that certain revisions in the new 2014 regulations and technical changes like those to aerodynamics could dent Red Bull’s supremacy and make for a more level playing field.
    Button recently said that he’s expecting the 2014 cars to be more difficult to drive due to increased torque and less downforce, something he doesn’t seem to excited about but he expressed his views that we should be looking at a more level playing field next season.
    “I agree with Jenson Button, big changes can only hurt Red Bull given they have such an advantage, but no doubt the usual suspects with the biggest resource will get there first. I’m hoping that we won’t have a three-tier Ferrari – Renault – Mercedes championship in whichever order for both power and efficiency, but it’s possible,” Brundle wrote.
    Brundle added that teams have a lot of work ahead of them saying, “I’ve asked my trusted sources in the paddock and they just roll their eyes and throw their arms up in the air. There’s a huge amount of work to do in a very short space of time.”
    The Briton seemed most concerned about a crisis in the sport around the current financial state some teams are finding themselves in. He added that, “The midfield driver market should settle down in the next week or so,” just prior to the confirmations that Pastor Maldonado will move to Lotus in 2014 and Nico Hulkenberg will head to Force India.

    Brundle added, “I’ve never seen anything like it frankly, and it doesn’t bode well when the only team – Lotus – to consistently take the fight to Red Bull can’t afford to chose its own driver line-up and take the best available.”“My alarm bells are going off for the general health of F1 and it needs urgent action, if not then a crisis, before it’s back on track,” Brundle said in closing.

    Photo Credit: By greenmashup (Martin Brundle) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
  • FIA confirms 2014 F1 Calendar

    FIA confirms 2014 F1 Calendar

    The FIA has confirmed the 2014 F1 Calendar.

    There will be 19 races in the 2014 F1 season with the proposed races in New Jersey and Mexico being dropped and the Korean Grand Prix also not featuring on the 2014 F1 Calendar. The Indian Grand Prix has also been dropped from the calendar.

    The Austrian Grand Prix will make a come back in 2014 at the Red Bull Ring after not featuring on the F1 calendar since 2003

    Abu Dhabi will play host to the final grand prix on the calendar, an honor that was previously held by the Brazilian Grand Prix.

    Below is the complete schedule for the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship

    2014_F1Calendar