[F1] F1 nieuwtjes topic deel 50(!)

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'No Ferrari, no Australian Grand Prix'
^{10 July 2009}

Race organisers of the Australian Grand Prix have warned Formula One to pull together and find a solution to the current argument which rages between teams and the governing body of the sport. The man behind the season-opening race 'down under' has stated that, due to large potential financial losses, F1 must stick together.

With the ongoing row threatening a breakaway series once again this week, the race promoter of the Australian Grand Prix has explained that - with the possibility of a number of top teams not being present next season - less spectacle and subsequent smaller crowds would result in a financial downtown and ousting of the event.

"If the disunity continues, Melbourne will seriously consider its position on continuing with Formula One," Ron Walker told his The Age newspaper. "Without Ferrari racing in Melbourne it will lose much of its glamour and therefore the government investment will come into question."

With the Grand Prix having had its smallest crowd this year since the race's inauguration at Albert Park in 1996, a question mark had already hovered over Melbourne although Walker has also called for the offloading of FIA president Max Mosley. "In my view, Mr Mosley should walk away from the sport with dignity rather than slowly strangle to death the great brand of Formula One," he continued.

"The sport needs fresh and dynamic leadership more than ever before to lead F1 into a new era of motor racing; Bernie Ecclestone (owner of Formula One Management, commercial rights holder of the sport) is absolutely trying to be a peacemaker but if the most successful automotive companies in the world will not agree to the rules laid down by the FIA then that will be the end of it."

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Op vrijdag 10 juli 2009 12:35 schreef CloseToTheEdge het volgende:
Dat was Francois Cevert.

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But running near the back in the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, disaster struck when, approaching the braking zone for the seventh turna[›], a suspension failure on his Surtees-Ford sent it crashing head-on into the outer Armco barrier. The speed at which Koinigg crashed was relatively minor, and he ought to have escaped the scene uninjured. Unfortunately, as with a number of other circuits at that time, the Armco was insecurely installed and the bottom portion of it buckled as the vehicle struck it. The car passed underneath the top portion, which remained intact, decapitating the driver and killing him instantly.

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Due to the bump, Cevert's car swerved too much to the right-hand side of the track, where it touched the track's signature powder blue safety barriers causing the car to spin and crash into the barriers on the other side of the track at a near 90° angle, uprooting and lifting the barrier. Cevert died instantly of massive injuries inflicted by the barrier.

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F1 » German Grand Prix - Friday free practice (combined times)

1. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1m 32.149s
2. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1m 32.331s
3. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes 1m 32.369s
4. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1m 32.480s
5. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota 1m 32.511s
6. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes 1m 32.585s
7. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes 1m 32.664s
8. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1m 32.774s
9. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 1m 32.872s
10. Nelson Piquet Jr Brazil Renault-Renault 1m 32.992s
11. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 1m 33.012s
12. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 33.052s
13. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 1m 33.128s
14. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 1m 33.161s
15. Timo Glock Germany Toyota-Toyota 1m 33.172s
16. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 33.182s
17. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1m 33.724s
18. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 1m 33.839s*
19. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 33.903s
20. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 34.025s

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Op vrijdag 10 juli 2009 15:46 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
in de twee laatste video's op gpupdate wordt steeds van een V10 gesproken, eerst door Mark Webber en later gaat het over de V10 achterin de BrawnGP.

Bij mijn weten zijn het nog altijd V8's

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Hamilton wants better F1 race celebrations
^{BRON: Manipe F1}

F1's authorities should dump the rule prohibiting post-race doughnuts, burnouts and flag-waving, according to reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton. Three weeks ago at Silverstone, the stewards turned a blind eye to the Briton's series of 'doughnut' spins, probably because he had finished well out of the points.

That kind of celebration, however, is strictly forbidden in formula one, but Hamilton believes it is flamboyance of that nature that inspires so many to follow the sport's two-wheeled equivalent MotoGP. “They give even more back to the fans with what they do after a race,” the McLaren driver is quoted as saying by the Mirror from the Nurburgring.

The rules arrived in F1 amid the push for greater safety some years ago, but Hamilton denies they are defensible on those grounds. “It wasn't unsafe for anyone,” he said of his Silverstone display, “so why shouldn't we be allowed to do it? If you want to want to celebrate a win you should be able to.”

Hamilton said he was impressed by "the number of people who came up to me afterwards and said, 'That was incredible'. “When Nigel Mansell picked up Ayrton Senna on the side of his Williams [in 1991] that was fantastic. It makes it fun and exciting,” the Briton continued. “I'd love to do the flag-waving too. Whether they would allow me is a different matter, safety has taken over a lot of things.”

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Op vrijdag 10 juli 2009 17:14 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

[..]

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Juridisch geschil over motorhome van Force India

Force India kreeg vrijdagmiddag een bezoek van de politie wegens een betalingsachterstand. Het team loopt achter met het betalen van Futurecom van voormalig teambaas Colin Kolles, die nog altijd eigenaar is van het motorhome van het team. Het team is niet tevreden over de kwaliteit van het motorhome en weigerde om die reden nog langer te betalen.

In een verklaring van het team viel te lezen: "Force India kreeg vandaag een bezoek van afgevaardigden en personeel in uniform. Deze eisten dat het motorhome werd leeggehaald omdat ze het bezit van het team wilden claimen. De onenigheid met de andere partij is al sinds vorig jaar bezig en gaat over de kwaliteit en het functioneren van het motorhome. De andere partij heeft zonder waarschuwing vooraf de Duitse justitie benaderd."

"Force India zal de problemen gedurende het weekend oplossen, maar als dat niet op een vriendelijke manier kan gebeuren, dan zal Force India de strijd voor de Duitse rechter aangaan om de onjuiste verklaringen te weerleggen."

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F1 likely to ban wheel covers in 2010

_{Jul.11 (GMM)} Formula one is looking to ban wheel fairings for 2010, Williams' technical director Sam Michael revealed at the Nurburgring.

With efforts to alter the cars to improve the likelihood of overtaking drawing a mixed analysis so far, the Australian boffin said recent studies have shown wheel covers are proving problematic.

"One of the things that have been discussed for next year is to remove wheel fairings and not have static or rotating wheel fairings," Michael said.

He said Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies in recent months showed the wheel appendages have "quite an adverse effect on the following car".

However, Michael said banning the covers will not be a silver bullet.

"It is the sort of thing where you need to find three or four little things like that and that will add up to a difference," he said, "so I think it is going in the right direction but it just needs more."

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Op zaterdag 11 juli 2009 13:35 schreef Moonlighter het volgende:
Laatste Gp voor Bourdais las ik in de krant.
Wordt vervangen door een 19 jarige spanjaard

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Pressure builds on Bernie Ecclestone to go

Formula One’s commercial rights-holder is in danger of losing his grip on the sport as the teams begin to show a united front

WITH Max Mosley expected to confirm later this week that he will not stand for re-election as president of the FIA, motor sport’s governing body, questions are now being posed over the future of his long-time partner in Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone, commercial ringmaster of the sport for the past 30 years.

Like Mosley, Ecclestone is reluctant to go, but increasing pressure from a variety of sources is beginning to form serious cracks in their previous overwhelming power base. Ecclestone’s controversial Hitler comments in a recent interview last week have hastened the pressure on him to quit.

Ecclestone, inset, was controversially awarded the commercial rights to F1 by the FIA under Mosley’s stewardship in 2001 for 100 years. He in turn sold these rights to the private equity firm CVC in 2006 and remained on board as the sport’s de facto commercial boss. However, Ecclestone has been bypassed in recent negotiations between the teams and CVC, whose management has been increasingly hands-on since the dissident eight teams that comprise Fota announced three weeks ago that they intended to form a breakaway championship, a move that would potentially render CVC’s $3 billion investment to date worthless.

Without the eight teams — 80% of the current grid — the private equity company is in danger of owning the rights to something with not sufficient teams to be a credible championship. The teams have been using their unified position and their contractual situation to negotiate better terms, backing that up with the threat of the breakaway championship. The announcement of that championship — at Silverstone three weeks ago — triggered CVC into a more direct approach.

It was their pressure, exerted via Ecclestone, that led to Mosley agreeing to the teams’ terms in principle, one of which was that Mosley would not stand for re-election in October. Mosley’s subsequent apparent about-turn only a day later displeased CVC immensely, as they viewed it as a very serious threat to their investment.

Mosley’s subsequent power games with the teams has brought the realisation that he, and not the teams, is the source of CVC’s problem. The long-established hand-in-glove style of Mosley and Ecclestone, as well as Ecclestone’s Hitler comments, have led CVC to question whether they would be best served by relying on them to represent their interests.

The teams are now on the verge of a commercial agreement with CVC to remain in F1 for the remainder of CVC’s contract, conditional upon governance terms, including the non-standing of Mosley, being met.

Ecclestone, who will be 79 in October, is determined to retain his place in the commercial driving seat, but there are whispers that he will be asked by CVC to stand down at the end of this year. His rumoured replacement is his friend and partner in QPR football club Flavio Briatore, 59 and currently team principal of the Renault team. In his role as commercial director of Fota, Briatore has played a critical bridge-building role between the teams and CVC in recent weeks.

Briatore has much of Ecclestone’s business nous but is much more of a showman. He has long bemoaned how little F1 does for its fans and the sport under his influence would feature rather more razzmatazz. He has been a huge advocate of cost controls in F1 and in this respect his philosophy is very much of the moment.

Ecclestone and Mosley have guided F1 for the past two decades and the prospect of them stepping down would signal the end of an era. But their divide-and-conquer modus operandi seems finally to have met its match in the form of a united front from the teams.

Although the teams are as yet uncertain as to what twists and turns might still lie between where they are now and a final agreement, F1 stands on the verge of a less entrepreneurial, more managerial and transparent future.

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N.Technology takes FIA to court

The Italian MSC organisation, parent company of the N.Technology team, is taking the FIA to court in Paris over the new Formula 1 team selection process for 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The N.Technology outfit had hoped to make it onto the grid next season but it withdrew its application in June after what it felt were 'irregularities' and uncertainties about the 2010 championship.

Those frustrations have now resulted in MSC applying to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last week for a legal hearing into the selection process for new teams. The team told AUTOSPORT that the judge accepted it had a valid case for a hearing, and the matter will now be heard on September 15.

MSC board member Angelo Codignoni, who is a former CEO of Eurosport, told AUTOSPORT: "We are doing this in the name of sport. From our point of view, the procedure for dealing with new entrants was not respected and there was not transparency about the process and preparations for the 2010 championship."

The MSC action follows claims that some of the rejected teams were unhappy about being told they needed to run Cosworth engines if their entry was going to be accepted.

AUTOSPORT understands that FOTA has also asked the FIA to clarify the team selection process, although team figures were keen not to get drawn into the controversy over the Nurburgring weekend.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "FOTA clearly doesn't have a vote on the selection process, so consequently it is not right to have a voice on it.

"We were not involved in the selection process. I think FOTA's position is that we are very happy to see new teams. It is healthy to see new teams in F1, and if FOTA can assist any team to make a successful start in F1 then we should be doing so."

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Webber in de wolken met eerste Grand Prix-zege

Red Bull-coureur Mark Webber is bijzonder blij met zijn allereerste overwinning in de Formule 1. De 32-jarige Australiër vertrok voor het eerst van pole-position en kreeg een doorrijstraf voor een botsing met Rubens Barrichello bij de start, maar wist desondanks de race op de Nürburgring op zijn naam te schrijven.

"Wat een ongelooflijke dag", zei Webber na afloop in de persconferentie. "Ik wilde zo graag deze race winnen. En na het behalen van de pole-position verkeerde in een goede uitgangspositie om dat te doen. Het enige waar ik me zorgen over maakte, was de mogelijkheid dat het ging regenen, maar gelukkig bleef het droog."

Over het incident bij de start vertelde Webber: "Ik was Rubens uit het oog verloren. Ik dacht dat hij links van mij zat. Ik stuurde naar rechts en botste tegen hem op. Dat is niet echt mijn stijl. Het leverde me ook een drive through-penalty op. Ik moest me daarvan zien te herstellen en bleef zo hard mogelijk pushen. Dit is een geweldige dag voor me, na een erg moeilijke winter."

Afgelopen winter brak de coureur van Red Bull nog zijn been bij een mountainbike-ongeluk. Webber: "Sebastian liet in de winter zien wat onze auto allemaal kan en dat werkte enorm motiverend tijdens de revalidatie. Het team heeft erg veel geduld gehad en ik wil Dietrich Mateschitz en Red Bull enorm bedanken voor hun steun. Dit is een fantastische dag en ik ben iedereen die mij heeft geholpen, heel erg dankbaar

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Massa dolblij met eerste podium van 2009

Ferrari-coureur Felipe Massa had er niet meer op gerekend, maar stond na afloop van de Duitse Grand Prix toch nog op het podium. De 28-jarige Braziliaan vertrok als achtste, kende een goede start en kwam uiteindelijk als derde aan de finish.

"Dit was een fantastische race", zei Massa. "Ik had een goede start en kon veel auto's inhalen. Ondanks dat ik wat problemen had met de banden, wist ik voor Vettel te komen. Ik kon vervolgens een goed tempo neerzetten. Ik ben erg blij met dit resultaat. Het team heeft goed werk geleverd. Dit resultaat zal ons motiveren om hard te blijven werken en de auto voor het einde van het seizoen nog verder te verbeteren."

In het kampioenschap staat Massa nu vijfde, met 22 punten.

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Furieuze Barrichello haalt uit naar eigen team

Rubens Barrichello heeft na afloop van de Duitse Grand Prix zwaar uitgehaald naar zijn team. De Brawn-coureur dook als leider de eerste bocht in, maar door een slechte strategie finishte hij uiteindelijk als zesde, nog achter teamgenoot Jenson Button.

"Ik ben enorm boos over de strategie van het team. Ik deed zelf alles wat ik kon doen en ging als eerste de eerste bocht in", vertelde de Braziliaanse coureur. "Dankzij het team heb ik hier verloren en als het op deze manier door blijft gaan, zullen we beide kampioenschappen ook verliezen."

"Het enige wat ik nu wil is in het vliegtuig stappen en naar huis gaan. Ik wil niet met het team praten en niet naar de slappe excuses van ze luisteren", vervolgde hij. "Vandaag was een goede demonstratie van hoe je een race verliest."

In het kampioenschap is Barrichello van de tweede naar de vierde plaats gezakt.

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Ecclestone backs breakaway with 'GP1 Series'
_{Formula One CEO hedging his bets but predicts harmony}
^{12/07/09 12:18}

Bernie Ecclestone has filed trademark applications that indicate he is ready to back the breakaway plans. Britain's Sunday Express newspaper reveals he, through one of his companies Epsilon Ltd, applied for ownership of the words 'Formula Grand Prix' and 'Formula GP' on June 19th.

June 19 was the day on which the Formula One Teams' Association originally launched its intention to break away from the official FIA Formula One series.

On the same date, Ecclestone also lodged applications to protect 'GP1' and 'GP1 Series' logos, which can be previewed by doing a public search at the European trademark consultation service website.

Also trademarked by Epsilon recently were logos for a junior series called GP3, meaning that if FOTA was to turn to Ecclestone for help with its breakaway, it could operate with GP1, GP2 - the existing F1 support category - and GP3 under a uniform umbrella.


The potential involvement not only of the eight FOTA teams but also Ecclestone and F1's commercial owners CVC would pile enormous pressure on FIA President Max Mosley to back down.

The next crucial date in the political saga is Wednesday, when FOTA could be ready to sign off its Cost Regulation contract and all parties enact a new Concorde Agreement.

Only minor disagreements are presently holding back full agreement on the proposed technical regulations.

If the FIA further dithers, it is on Wednesday that FOTA is warning it will press ahead definitively with its breakaway.

Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport: "Next week we will have peace in Formula One. We will all agree and there will only be one series."

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Op zondag 12 juli 2009 22:16 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Alguersuari gets nod for Hungary debut

Jaime Alguersuari will become the youngest Formula 1 driver in history when he makes his debut for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team as replacement for Sebastien Bourdais at the Hungarian Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Following a weekend of speculation about Bourdais' future, on the back of a disappointing first half to the campaign, Toro Rosso is expected to confirm within the next 48 hours that it has decided to part company with the Frenchman.

And although the team has decided that reigning British F3 champion Alguersuari will be slotted into the seat alongside Sebastien Buemi, an announcement confirming the plan is not expected until after the Spaniard has finished competing in this weekend's World Series by Renault race at Le Mans.

Toro Rosso has decided to give the youngster the race opportunity in spite of his lack of experience as it is the only way for him to gain experience in preparation for a full season in 2010, due to the in-season testing ban. The team has so far declined to comment on the situation.

There are also suggestions that Alguersuari's step up is being eased by Spanish oil company Repsol, who are personal backers of the youngster and are poised to tie-up a deal with Toro Rosso.

Alguersuari's step-up means he will make his debut at the age of 19 years and 125 days. It beats the previous record of 19 years and 182 days held by Mike Thackwell, who drove for Tyrrell in Canada 1980 - although was officially a non-starter after a first-lap red flag.

The next youngest driver was Ricardo Rodriguez, who raced for Ferrari at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix aged 19 years and 208 days.

Despite Alguersuari's promotion to the race seat, Sebastien Loeb remains linked with a switch to F1 with Toro Rosso once his commitments in the world rally championship are finished this season.

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Op maandag 13 juli 2009 16:08 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
Als Ecclestone mee gaat met de serie van de fota, betekend dat dan ook dat de huidige circuits mee verhuizen, of ligt dat niet zo simpel?

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Op maandag 13 juli 2009 20:28 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:
Slowmotionbeelden van de Duitse GP

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Op maandag 13 juli 2009 16:54 schreef Ared het volgende:
Ja en nee denk ik. Ja, circuits zullen nog eerder geneigd zijn om de F1 te negeren en deals met de FOTA te sluiten als ook Ecclestone met zijn professionele organisatie met de FOTA mee gaat. Maarrr... zoals Googol al zegt: Ecclestone is een geldwolf en genadeloos zakenman en CVC zijn investeerders die zo snel mogelijk een lening van een paar miljard willen afbetalen, en onder andere de circuits mogen daarvoor opdraaien.

Voor de fans zou het denk ik mooier geweest zijn als FOTA de A1GP organisatie had opgekocht en alles in eigen beheer had geregeld. Maar, eerlijk is eerlijk, met Ecclestone er bij is de strijd FOTA/FIA een stuk makkelijker te winnen, wat voor de teams en CVC een stuk aantrekkelijker is. Helaas blijven races dan wel naar de hoogste bieder gaan, in plaats van naar de mooiste banen en/of de landen met de meeste fans.

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 12:50 schreef Kleffe_Dop het volgende:
Volgens het Autosport.com forum komt een Finse krant met hardnekkige geruchten dat we ook Nelsonho Piquet Jr. niet meer terug zullen zien dit seizoen.
Di Grassi zou opgeroepen zijn als 3e coureur voor Hongarije, Grosjean zou het stoeltje van Piquet innemen.

Aan de andere kant heeft Piquet weer heel recent getwitterd dat hij bevestiging heeft van het team dat hij in Hongarije over dezelfde onderdelen zal beschikken als Alonso. Dus ja...

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'Räikkönen to retire after 2009'
^{14 July 2009}

The Finnish media are reporting that Kimi Räikkönen will be retiring from Formula One at the end this season in order to make way for Fernando Alonso at the Italian team. Paddock rumours have linked the 2007 World Champion with Brawn, although new suggestions point towards a career in rallying.

With Räikkönen having already competed in three rally events this year, latest speculation from the Veikkaaja newspaper of Finland suggests that the Ferrari driver, who turns 30 in October, will be hanging up his F1 helmet for good as Spain's Alonso moves to the Scuderia ahead of 2010.

The reports also explained that Kimi's final year of contract - including payments of an estimated ¤28m - at Ferrari would be paid for but blocking the driver from joining any other Formula One team in the process. Riku Kuvaja, an 'assistant' of Räikkönen, has allegedly denied Tuesday's hearsay.

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 13:21 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

[..]

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 12:50 schreef Kleffe_Dop het volgende:
Volgens het Autosport.com forum komt een Finse krant met hardnekkige geruchten dat we ook Nelsonho Piquet Jr. niet meer terug zullen zien dit seizoen.
Di Grassi zou opgeroepen zijn als 3e coureur voor Hongarije, Grosjean zou het stoeltje van Piquet innemen.

Aan de andere kant heeft Piquet weer heel recent getwitterd dat hij bevestiging heeft van het team dat hij in Hongarije over dezelfde onderdelen zal beschikken als Alonso. Dus ja...

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'Raikkonen bezig aan laatste jaar in Formule 1'

Kimi Raikkonen is bezig aan zijn laatste seizoen in de Formule 1. Zo bericht de Finse krant Veikkaaja. De 29-jarige Fin had een contract om ook in 2010 voor Ferrari uit te komen, maar volgens Veikkaaja hebben beide partijen nu met elkaar afgesproken om na de Grand Prix van Abu Dhabi een punt te zetten achter de samenwerking.



Raikkonen zou nog wel gewoon zijn salaris krijgen voor het seizoen 2010, naar schatting zo'n 28 miljoen euro, op voorwaarde dat hij volgend jaar niet voor een ander team in de Formule 1 zal gaan rijden. Volgens Veikkaaja vormt dat voor Raikkonen echter geen enkel probleem. De wereldkampioen van 2007, die eerder al eens verklaarde dat Ferrari zijn laatste Formule 1-team zou zijn, lijkt tegenwoordig namelijk meer plezier te beleven aan het rallyrijden. Onlangs maakte hij nog zijn debuut in het wereldkampioenschap rally, met een Fiat Grande Punto S2000.

De gedoodverfde opvolger van Raikkonen bij Ferrari is Fernando Alonso, die volgens de Spaanse media al een vijfjarig contract met de Italiaanse renstal zou hebben getekend. De Spanjaard, momenteel nog rijdend voor het team van Renault, zou tijdens het weekend van de Italiaanse Grand Prix door Ferrari worden bevestigd.

Raikkonen staat momenteel slechts tiende in het kampioenschap.

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 15:13 schreef nils7 het volgende:

[..]

Bron

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 15:20 schreef Atreidez het volgende:
Als dat doorgaat zal Massa wel balen, aangezien Alonso een nummer 1 status verwacht verdient

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 13:44 schreef sasquatsch het volgende:

[..]

En Klien zou volgend jaar voor BMW gaan racen in de plaats van Heidfeld, die al in gesprek is met andere teams.

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 18:20 schreef bodylotion het volgende:

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[..]

Is Klien zo'n topper dan?

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 20:24 schreef Trystar het volgende:

[..]

Hij zal niet onder doen voor Heidfeld, maar topper nee.

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Op dinsdag 14 juli 2009 17:41 schreef ElmarO het volgende:

[..]

Verbaasd me niks. Las al langer het gerucht dat hij het wel gezien had in de F1 na dit seizoen.

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Nurburgring not available for 2010 German GP
^{Date 2009-07-15}

Nurburgring boss Walter Kafitz has once again ruled out stepping in to replace Hockenheim should the latter German venue drop off the 2010 Formula One calendar.

The two circuits currently alternate hosting a single annual German race, but the future of Hockenheim's loss-making event is unclear.

We reported earlier this year Kafitz's claim that the Nurburgring, host of last Sunday's German Grand Prix, will be unable to fill the void in 2010 because it cannot afford to host the sport every year.

Two British newspapers now quote him as insisting that the only solution would be if Bernie Ecclestone reduces his race fees, "but I cannot imagine he is willing to accept my wishes," he said, according to the Guardian.

"Definitely we are not available for next year, we are planning only for 2011," he added in the Daily Telegraph.

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Ecclestone criticised by CVC board
^{By Edd Straw and Steven English Wednesday, July 15th 2009, 09:51 GMT}

Bernie Ecclestone's controversial comments on Adolf Hitler have been criticised by CVC Capital Partners board member Sir Martin Sorrell.

Sorrell, a Jewish businessman who serves on the board that employs Ecclestone as chief executive of CVC, said he was disgusted by the comments. He added that Ecclestone was lucky to remain in his role.

"I am appalled by what he said about Hitler," Sorrell told today's Daily Mail. "His comments were disgusting. He issued a full apology after taking advice. Any other CEO in any other business would be gone."

Sorrell's criticism comes after Ecclestone quashed rumours on Monday that he was being forced out, and claimed to be working to have a new Concorde Agreement in place today.

"Any story suggesting I'm going anywhere is completely untrue," Ecclestone said. "I don't know where they came from."

It is reported that Sorrell and other senior figures within CVC, including Peter Brabeck, discussed relieving Ecclestone of his position as CVC chief executive and moving him into an honourary role.

But CVC managing partner Donald Mackenzie said two days ago that this was never a possibility.

"Bernie Ecclestone will remain in post," he said. "There's no question of moving him into an honorary position or upstairs. There has never been any doubt about that."

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Press Release
FIA Presidency
15/07/2009

In a letter to all FIA member clubs, FIA President Max Mosley has confirmed that he will not be a candidate on 23 October this year.



Click here to read the full letter sent by President Mosley to the FIA membership earlier today.

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Schumacher: "Team should not have let Webber win"

_{Jul.15 (GMM)} Red Bull made a mistake in not appointing Sebastian Vettel the team's number 1 driver prior to the German grand prix, according to Ralf Schumacher.

The former grand prix winner believes the outfit led by Christian Horner should have ensured Vettel was not beaten to the chequered flag at the Nurburgring by dominant pole sitter, winner and teammate Mark Webber.

"There are no team orders at Red Bull, where the sport is in the foreground," Schumacher, who lost his Toyota seat at the end of the 2007 season, told the German newspaper Bild.

"But at a team that is competing for the world championship, that is actually an error. Sebastian is the stronger driver and he should be collecting every point he can," the 34-year-old, who now races for Mercedes in the DTM series, added.

"On the other hand, it was Webber's first win after many years in formula one and they didn't want to take it away from him.

"In a sporting sense that is certainly right, but (it was) an error with regards to the title," Schumacher, a winner of six grands prix for Williams, said.