i think v should blame low quality components used rather than the design.... malaysians always want cheap price... cheap cheap cheap... n u get cheap car lo...
back to the topic... i heard frm fren ferrari is improving its aero rather than its car... but all their promlems start since they introduced the longer wheel base car rite?!
Letter to Cousin Pedro: Indianapolis Saturday 23rd June 2007
QUOTE
To Cousin Pedro, Preston, Idaho
Hola hombre
Ay ay ay, no es bueno!
Too bad your cousins could not lend you a ride to the USGP, but maybe next year is better time to come.
I am sorry to say this but I have the difficult time in F1 right now. Not with Schumacher either. You remember him from last year. I called him the smiling assassin. He smiles at you while driving you off the road. His wife, she make him stop racing so he is not in F1 any more.
I have the difficult time with my new ingles team, Mac Laren. They say they give me the fastest car on the grid. They even know about you. They say, "Hey, we got a Pedro like your cousin Pedro, too - Pedro de la Rosa, he will be your team-mate next year."
But when I get there, they say "amigo, big change of plan". Is no longer the Pedro guy, is the Lewis guy. They hire the fast young black driver to upset me. As soon as they know they have No.1 on their car, they don' care about me.
Okay, so I know you hear this story before.
I remember the letter I send you after the Chinese Grand Prix last year. You know "Renault don't want me to win, Ferrari have paid Flavio $10 million to give goodbye present to Schumacher". Maybe I go poco loco that time.
But this year I know is true Mac Laren don't want me to win. Because they are making all the big sponsorship deals with Lewis. I am a double campion del mundo, he has sat in a car for seven races.
And they never see the real side of Lewis Hamil-ton
Dios mio! if the public knew the truth about the real Lewis Hamil-ton. He is not this sweet kid with the good manners. The minute the journalists go and the TV cameras are switched off, he turns back into his real self, the gangsta rapper.
His first words to me when I get into practice debriefing is, "Yo ya Spanish mo fo!"
I cannot explain what "mo fo" means but trust me Pedro, is bad bad phrase. At the last grand prix there is this US guy who wants to sign up Lewis. In the garage I hear him say to Lewis's father: "The kid aint got no bling Ant-ny." But actually Ron has banned Lewis's bling from fly-away races because of the weight restrictions. If they weighed Lewis's bling it would probably be the same weight as Takuma Sato.
When Ron Dennis tell us that we are free to decide our own fuel strategy for the USGP Lewis says "Fo sho, G dawg!" and when he and his mechanics have decided it in secret, he tells them "Bruthas, keep it on the D. lo."
That is why I am not comfortable at Mac Laren. They know what they have to do to make me comfortable.
1. Lewis must talk properly all the time..
2. I would like a full apology over what happened to the Spanish Armada.
3. They must hand back the Malvinas.
4. Manuel in Fawlty towers must be dubbed as 'Jerzec', the stupid Polish waiter.
5. Nobody to remind me that General Franco also came from Asturias and liked getting his own way, all the time.
We shall see how Mac Laren respond. I tell you soon
Alonso: `Stone`s throw away from title` Sunday 24th June 2007
QUOTE
Fernando Alonso hasn't given up on his chances of winning this year's title, despite trailing his team-mate in the standings.
After seven races Alonso has 48 points, ten less than Lewis Hamilton, who is currently on a roll having won the last two grands prix in Canada and the United States.
Alonso, though, firmly believes he can wrestle the lead away from the rookie and claim his third successive World title.
"The current situation is fine," he said during a media event organised by sponsors Mutua Madrilena in Madrid.
"In previous years I had the advantage and now I have to make up ground, but we've only completed seven races, there are 10 to go and I'm 10 points behind. I'm at a stone's throw of the Championship lead.
"If I'm 10 points behind it's because I've done worse than him, or because I haven't been as lucky, but I have to gain 11 points on him by being better."
The Spaniard also conceded that a bit of luck is needed and right now that luck is with his McLaren team-mate.
"To win you have to be consistent and lucky, like I was with the constant engines failures Kimi (Raikkonen) had in 2005, or like in 2006, when Michael (Schumacher) had an engine failure with two races to go. Now luck is on Hamilton's side," he said.
Alonso rubbishes silence pact Monday 25th June 2007
QUOTE
Fernando Alonso has rubbished claims that he has agreed not to talk about his team-mate Lewis Hamilton to the media.
According to McLaren team boss Ron Dennis his two drivers have taken steps to avoid a public feud by agreeing not to talk about one another unless they are both present.
"They have agreed independently of us that they will only talk about each other in each other's presence, because then there is no misconception and no misunderstanding," Dennis recently said.
However, Alonso has denied that such a pact exists.
"It would be absurd of us not to talk about each other," Alonso he told the Spanish media. "I've always spoken of him and I'll continue to do so."
Either way, we'll hear another Alonso's 'words of wisdom'
Legendary commentator returns
Murray Walker's expected return to the Formula One commentary booth is now set for the European Grand Prix, it has emerged. The legendary personality, famous for his on-air slips or 'Murrayisms' throughout his long career on British television and radio, will replace the BBC's David Croft for a one-off at the Nurburgring. Croft has pulled out of the event scheduled for late next month because his wife is due to have their first child. 83-year-old Walker's Radio Five Live call, however, will not be his first since retiring from full-time duty in 2001. He has also called one-off races for Australia's Channel 10, as well as for the Grand Prix Masters series, and appeared at several Grand Prix as an ambassador for the Honda team.
Just pointing out what he's been saying lately about Lewis. And...anti-Alonso
A warning from...
Aguri `hungry for more` points Tuesday 26th June 2007
QUOTE
Super Aguri have had to revise their goals for this season having already outdone their initial expectations.
The Japanese outfit entered their second season in Formula One hoping to score one point, a 100 percent improvement on last year's results.
However, the team has already achieved that goal and more, scoring four points in the opening seven races of the year.
Takuma Sato clinched the team's maiden point at the Spanish GP and followed that up with a three-point haul at the Canadian race.
"I believe that the team has performed above its station on all levels. The driver pairing that we have has enabled us to make steps forward in our preparations for each race," said sporting director Graham Taylor.
"The addition of Ant's technical ability paired with Taku's F1 experience has settled into a good relationship immediately, with the engineering team benefiting from both cars in all sessions over a race weekend.
"This has put pressure on everyone in the team and on many occasions we have been able to show our true potential. Our target was to join the F1 fraternity and score a point.
"Now that we have amassed four points it has left us hungry for more and increased our fighting spirit even further."
This post has been edited by Raikkonen: Jun 27 2007, 02:10 AM
Now or never for F1 career - Bourdais "You don't get into Formula One past 30" 26/06/07
QUOTE
Sebastien Bourdais says 2008 is probably his last chance to launch a career in Formula One.
The Champ Car title leader , who has won the last three championships in the American open-wheeler series , is closely linked with a move to Toro Rosso and is scheduled to test the car again at the upcoming Spa Francorchamps session in July.
But the 28-year-old Frenchman is also firmly established with a young family in Florida and admits that moving to NASCAR might also be an attractive option.
"Right now, there are three possibilities: stay in Champ Car, maybe Formula One and maybe NASCAR," he is quoted as saying by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "That's a whole lot of maybes."
F1 has long been an ambition for Bourdais but he said it is frustrating that, despite his achievements - which include the F3000 title in 2002 - he is still being asked to prove himself at tests.
"I know what I can do, you know," he explained. "I've been around long enough. I know in a good car and good conditions, I can get it done. It's all about getting the right opportunity."
"If it's going to happen, it has to get going pretty soon," Bourdais continued. "You don't get into Formula One past 30 years old, and I'm 28, so it's pretty clear it's either going to be next year, or probably never."
FIA releases 2011 proposals Thursday 28th June 2007
QUOTE
The FIA have released proposals for changes to technical regulations that could herald a revolution in Formula 1 racing.
Following a meeting in Paris on Wednesday, the World Motorsport council released a statement regarding their plans to change technical specifications from the 2011 racing season.
Some of the key changes proposed are a potential 50% reduction in downforce and the legalisation of movable aerodynamic devices, something that is prohibited under current regulations.
It is hoped that these measures will encourage overtaking, as the leading car will exert far less physical influence on the car wishing to overtake.
The reason behind the proposals are myriad, with cost-cutting, the possibilty of closer racing and improved environmental friendliness amongst the key considerations behind the FIA's thinking.
There is also a perceived wish to make F1 technology more relevant to road car development.
Significantly advanced aerodynamic devices such as plasma generation, MEMS turbulators and shape-morphing are all mooted in the document which, should the proposals be accepted, is set to signal a revolution in F1 technology.
Here are some of the main proposals as outlined by the FIA:
Engine efficiency To limit engine power by imposing a maximum energy flow rate. However, there will be few restrictions on the engine cycle, which can include turbo-charging and energy recovery. It is believed that this will lead to a gain of at least 20% in thermal efficiency.
Drag To allow moving aerodynamic devices, which will reduce drag by over 50% and allow a 40% reduction in the power required to maintain current speeds.
Energy recovery Energy will be recovered during braking and returned to both front and rear axles when accelerating. The amount of energy returned on each straight will be limited in order to prevent top speeds exceeding the safety criteria for the circuits.
Fuel The total amount of fuel energy to be consumed during a race will be regulated, encouraging further overall efficiency. The CO2 emitted will be further reduced by the introduction of gasoline which is partly derived from sustainable, non-food bio sources but complies fully with pump fuel legislation.
Overtaking Formula One cars currently find it very difficult to overtake because of the influence of the car in front. New aerodynamic rules will halve the downforce, and de-sensitise the car to the influence of the wake of the car ahead. It is also proposed to eliminate automatically the downforce deficit of the following car.
Regulations The best estimates of what these measures will mean in terms of regulations are currently as follows:
# 1.3-1.5 litre, 4-cylinder engine;
# no RPM or boost limit;
# energy flow rate to generate 300kW, including energy recovery from the exhaust;
# 200kW brake energy recovery, front and rear axle;
# 400-600kJ energy return per straight;
# pump-legal bio-fuel;
# FIA specified and supplied undertray and possibly other aerodynamic components;
# 50% 2007 downforce;
# adjustable, regulated wings and cooling;
# automatic downforce adjustment when following another car;
# lap times and top speeds maintained at 2009 levels;
# over 50% reduction in fuel consumed.
Costs
A number of measures to constrain costs are proposed, including:
# standardisation of components;
# homologation of components and assemblies;
# material restrictions;
# extended life of assemblies;
# restrictions on personnel and work at races;
# restrictions on the use of certain facilities (eg wind tunnels).
All these measures will be developed into detailed regulations in close collaboration with the teams and manufacturers.
No easing of tension in McLaren camp Alonso reiterates 'cooling' claims from Indy 28/06/07
QUOTE
Signs of continuing tension between defending champion Fernando Alonso and his young tyro team-mate Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team were clear to see again here on Thursday.
Alonso was evasive and looked sad during a pre-race news conference in advance of Sunday's French Grand Prix. He frequently referred to his team-mate as Hamilton, rather than Lewis, and he also said he was unable to explain why a McLaren team member said he was frustrated during the United States Grand Prix.
He said also that he had no idea why team chief Ron Dennis had said that he had moved to bar his drivers from talking about each other at certain news briefings and meetings.
I guess he wants that 3rd consecutive WDC very badly.
Prac One: Ferrari outpace McLaren Friday 29th June 2007
QUOTE
Ferrari's French GP weekend got off to a good start on Friday morning with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa setting the fastest lap times.
Raikkonen won the closely fought battle between the Scuderia's drivers, clocking a 1:15.382, which put him 0.065s ahead of Massa.
McLaren had to settle for second best for the first time in a while as Fernando Alonso's fastest lap time, a 1:16.154 was almost three quarters of a second off the pace.
Nico Rosberg and David Coulthard both improved in the final ten minutes of the session to get ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who did not have a great start to his weekend.
26 minutes in the session, and having yet to set a lap time, the McLaren rookie broke down on track. It took over 20 minutes for the team to get his car back to the pits, where they worked furiously to solve the problem.
Hamilton eventually made his way back out on track with 30 minutes left to play and worked his way up to fourth place.
The Championship leader, though, wasn't the only driver to suffer problems in Practice One.
Heikki Kovalainen had to have dry ice thrown over the back of his car as smoke poured out of the brake ducts of his Renault, while Jarno Trulli's Toyota came to a halt halfway down the pit-lane as the session was ending.
There were also off-track excursions for many of the drivers, including Alonso, Jenson Button and Takuma Sato.
Meanwhile Robert Kubica drove his BMW for the first time since his horrific accident at the Canadian GP. The Polish driver posted the ninth best time, 1.059s off Raikkonen's pace.
Times 01 K. Rikknen Ferrari 1:15.382 22 laps 02 F. Massa Ferrari 1:15.447 22 laps 03 F. Alonso McLaren 1:16.154 19 laps 04 N. Rosberg Williams 1:16.214 24 laps 05 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:16.268 24 laps 06 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:16.277 20 laps 07 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:16.338 25 laps 08 A. Wurz Williams 1:16.407 23 laps 09 R. Kubica BMW 1:16.441 19 laps 10 J. Trulli Toyota 1:16.603 26 laps 11 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:16.895 32 laps 12 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:16.967 22 laps 13 R. Barrichello Honda 1:16.990 25 laps 14 J. Button Honda 1:17.047 24 laps 15 S. Speed Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:17.103 33 laps 16 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:17.166 26 laps 17 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:17.168 26 laps 18 G. Fisichella Renault 1:17.226 20 laps 19 H. Kovalainen Renault 1:17.348 21 laps 20 M. Webber Red Bull 1:17.435 26 laps 21 C. Albers Spyker F1 1:18.178 28 laps 22 A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:18.419 15 laps
Jun 23 2007, 01:00 AM
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