Formula 1 - 2009 Season

[_xxx_]

Put it as you will, it's simply unfair. Same goes for that other new guy, it was just as unfair.

 

[DJ12]

No it's not, it would only be unfair if they let Schumacher do it.

Rules are rules, they all agreed them.

 

[catisfit]

Come off it now, Schumacher would improve the car more in one day than they've managed all season.

Anyway, he has driven an F1 car plenty just lately, just not this years car.

That's alright then, it's not like this years' car changed much from last year. KERS, slicks, aero reductions, movable front wings... nah not much

However, the argument for Alguersuari getting some testing time I agreed with, for reasons of safety. But those reasons IMO don't apply to Michael Schumacher. The car may have changed a great deal since the last one he drove competitively (or indeed, the last one he drove at all), but it wouldn't make him inherently unsafe. Everybody knows he can cope with the demands of driving F1 machinery - which is the major unknown about rookies.

But "hilarious dummy spitting" it is not. Each and every team would argue for something that is beneficial to them, whether it's Ferrari wanting to give Schumacher more time in the car, or Williams not wanting to give them more opportunity to gain an advantage over their own team. It works both ways.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if Ferrari had "vetoed" track time for a new Williams driver...

 

[_xxx_]

No it's not, it would only be unfair if they let Schumacher do it.

Rules are rules, they all agreed them.

There are rules for exchanging a driver after a mid-season accident? Would be something entirely new to me.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Heh would have been funny to see what DJ12 would have said if Mclaren or Williams wanted to give a practise drive to their new driver and Ferrari vetoing it I have a pretty good quess.

As far as the complaints go, Frank opposing doesn't come as surprise to me, being the old grumpy bastard he is, but the Red Bull was a surprise, because they wanted a similar thing and Ferrari was ok with it = Red Bull are bunch of ass holes. I think it would be only fair that a new driver during the season get's a one practice day, it wouldn't be exploited, because the big teams wouldn't change their drivers on a whim. Banning testing and rev limiters are retarded anyways.

 

[DJ12]

I would say exactly the same if they made laughable comments like Ferrari have.

Unlike the rest of you I understand that rules are rules, fair enough if the other guy had been allowed to then Schumacher should be, but he wasn't so thats it.

At the end of the day Ferrari have 2 test drivers that have driven this years car extensively, they choose not to use them so tough shit.

 

[catisfit]

Unlike the rest of you I understand that rules are rules

The rules state that if all the teams agree then it can be done. Whether the teams are unanimous or not is outside of the rules.

 

[Phil]

Come off it now, Schumacher would improve the car more in one day than they've managed all season.

Seems to me, that the majority of FOTA (i.e. all besides the 3 teams that said no) don't agree with you. I don't either, by the way. Schumacher may have been a genious during his days in F1 in giving technical feedback and help better the car, but that feedback came with extensive driving over a large period of time, both which he has not had the luxury of in over 2 years.

How valuable can the feedback of a driver be, who is probably going to struggle foremost with himself in getting back up to speed, not to mention all other drivers on the grid who've been driving the cars extensively? Not much. I really don't see the benefit, not to mention that even if there was a benefit, the rest of the teams could easily make sure that didn't happen. In example, by letting Schumacher do that test-day in the new car just before the next GP.

 

[Davros]

get the spare car, remove the plank, shave 5mm off it, it then becomes illegal, therefore not an f1 car, therefore he can drive it as much as he wants

 

[nutball]

Surely any rule that stipulates that "the teams have to agree to an exception" is pretty silly and is obviously just going to cause friction?

In other sports you nominate substitutes before the game begins, they train with the rest of the team, are named at the outset of the match and if you run out of subs due to injury, tough. Why does F1 not have the concept of a nominated sub driver, who's allowed to do a defined amount of mid-season driving to keep his eye in? Yeah this is potentially testing time, but the total ban on mid-season testing is silly too, so who really cares?

 

[Davros]

dont the have that, werent some teams running a third driver during first practice ?

 

[chavvdarrr]

http://www.michaelschumacher.de/?page=news&story_id=82524&lang=uk

11/08/09

Michael cancels F1-Comeback

Consequences of bike-injuries make return impossible

"Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe. I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn't work out. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.
The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike-accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe. That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula 1 yet. This are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination yesterday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination already yesterday.
I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Gee, why didnt I see that one coming.

 

[Bludd]

Does that mean Felipe is fit enough to drive in Valencia? If not, who will drive?

Edit: James Allen says Di Montezemolo says Badoer will drive. What can Badoer do in the car? Is he fast? Can he race? It's been almost 10 years since his last race in F1 and he hasn't been testing this season. At least Jaime Alguersuari had raced in World Series by Renault up to his F1 debut (and he's apparently going to continue racing in that series where he is 3rd in the championship).

 

[DJ12]

I doubt Massa will drive again at least this season maybe longer.

I know he will be fast tracked, but any surgery on the skull/brain means an automatic 12 month ban on driving in the UK. I cannot see Massa coming back that quickly. It was months before I found out problems I had after my head injury, I thought I was doing OK then I found out my balance was completely f'ed up.

Anyway, it would be best to take it slow and I hope Massa and his doctors do.

 

[Bludd]

You are right, DJ12. Better safe than sorry, especially wrt. head injuries.

 

[Bludd]

The FIA Court of Appeal have overturned the ban Renault received in Hungary and instead issued a reprimand and a fine.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77736

The race ban was too harsh.

 

[Kaotik]

Badoers performance unsuprisingly slow, almost 2.5 secs slower than Kimi, but everyone including himself said that the first weekend will go in terms of just practising and getting the feeling of racing

Ferrari looking sadly weak otherwise, too, but luckily it's only practice so far.

Kovalainen did fine, beating Hamilton, who had quite close call with spinning once, not far from the wall, by just a bit.

Grosjean, Renaults new driver, did surprisingly well in his first F1 practice, only second behind Alonso, but I think he has been racing in some other series this season, so he has more "touch" to the racing itself?

 1. Rubens Barrichello   Brawn GP-Mercedes  1.42,460   19 laps
 2. Heikki Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     +0,176   16
 3. Lewis Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes     +0,194   18
 4. Jenson Button        Brawn GP-Mercedes    +0,614   19
 5. Sebastian Vettel     Red Bull-Renault     +0,628   17
 6. Adrian Sutil         Force India-Mercedes +0,749   13
 7. Kazuki Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      +0,765   25
 8. Mark Webber          Red Bull-Renault     +0,783   19
 9. Fernando Alonso      Renault              +0,885   18
10. Kimi Räikkönen       Ferrari              +0,924   23
11. Sebastien Buemi      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   +0,929   30
12. Robert Kubica        BMW Sauber           +0,959   20
13. Jaime Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari   +1,177   30
14. Nico Rosberg         Williams-Toyota      +1,286   22
15. Nick Heidfeld        BMW Sauber           +1,580   23
16. Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Mercedes +1,666   17
17. Romain Grosjean      Renault              +1,896   23
18. Jarno Trulli         Toyota               +2,178   26
19. Timo Glock           Toyota               +2,272   28
20. Luca Badoer          Ferrari              +3,380   25

 

[Bludd]

Alonso is fastest in P2, the track is improving rapidly because albeit Alonso being the only one under 1m40s, the times are 2-3 seconds faster than in P1. Hamilton only did 3 laps, though. Some kind of technical problem or did he crash?

Anyway, hopefully Alonso is not flattering to deceive.

 

[Kaotik]

Alonso is fastest in P2, the track is improving rapidly because albeit Alonso being the only one under 1m40s, the times are 2-3 seconds faster than in P1. Hamilton only did 3 laps, though. Some kind of technical problem or did he crash?

Anyway, hopefully Alonso is not flattering to deceive.

Based on another forum, his car has been pretty much torn apart piece by piece, and some suspect that AT LEAST engine will be changed