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  • Pirelli confirm four teams for Bahrain tyre test

    Pirelli confirm four teams for Bahrain tyre test

    Pirelli have confirmed that four teams will take part in the Bahrain tyre test next week.

    Following confirmation that both McLaren and Force India have withdrawn from the test because of the short timeframe between the test and the FIA’s confirmation that it may go ahead.

    The FIA gave the tyre test the go ahead on Monday night, when they also announced major rule changes for 2014 and 2015.

    A McLaren spokesperson said simply, “We are not testing in Bahrain next week.”

    A Force India spokesperson added, “Given the short notice of this test taking place and the time frames involved, the team will not be attending the test.”

    The teams who will now take place in the Bahrain tyre test for Pirelli are Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari and Toro Rosso.

    The test will run from 17-19 December.

     

  • Vettel slams double points rule as “absurd”

    Vettel slams double points rule as “absurd”

    Four time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has criticised FIA plans to award double points for the final race of the season from 2014.

    Under the new double points rule, the winning driver of the final race in Abu Dhabi next season, will score 50 points instead of 25 under the proposed rule change.

    The FIA has set out a number of rule changes for next season and beyond, including a global cost cap in 2015, changes to penalties for minor infringements and permanent driver numbers. The new double points rule however, is the one that will raise the most eyebrows.

    The decision to award double points, towards the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, at the final race of the season was made “to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”, according to a statement released by the FIA.

    Vettel would still have won this year’s title in India but would have lost the 2012 title to Fernando Alonso if the double points rule had been in place at the time and the German driver is far from happy.

    “This is absurd and punishes those who have worked hard for a whole season,” said the Vettel, who won the final nine races of the 2013 season.

    “Drivers, fans and experts are horrified,” he told German newspaper, Sports Bild.

    “I value the old traditions in Formula 1 and do not understand this new rule,” he continued. “Imagine, in the last Bundesliga match of the season there was suddenly double points.”

    His new Red Bull team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, also appeared to be against the proposed double points rule change.

    “Seems to be pretty bizarre. Not sure who came up with that one..,” Ricciardo posted on Twitter.

    Interestingly, Red Bull is one of the teams who sit on F1′s strategy group, which contributed to the new regulations being passed. The FIA and Formula One Management also vote on the changes.

    But Red Bull’s Helmut Marko said that the team was opposed to the changes and revealed that the original plan was for the final four races of the year to carry double points.

    “We were against it,” he said. “But our team boss Christian Horner was overruled.”

    “At first it was planned to be awarded double points for the last four races,” he continued. “Then the world championship up to that point would have been almost useless.”

     

  • 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.