[F1] F1 nieuwtjes topic deel 58 - Seizoensfinale 2009!

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Fernando Alonso stapt in februari pas in Ferrari
02 november 2009

Fernando Alonso zal in februari pas voor het eerst met de nieuwe Ferrari gaan testen. Zo heeft de tweevoudig wereldkampioen laten weten. De Spanjaard zal dus weinig betrokken zijn bij de ontwikkeling van de opvolger van de F60.

"In februari zal ik voor het eerst met de nieuwe auto van Ferrari gaan rijden", vertelde Alonso tegen de officiële Formule 1-website. "Dat geeft mij dus niet zo heel erg veel tijd om met input te komen. Tot mijn eerste test zal ik mij concentreren op het leren kennen van het team en mij zo goed mogelijk proberen voor te bereiden."

Alonso finishte zijn laatste race voor Renault zondag op de veertiende plaats.

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Op maandag 2 november 2009 12:14 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
Williams confirms Barrichello and Hulkenberg for 2010

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Op maandag 2 november 2009 23:13 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:
Todt points out ''importance'' of French GP

Ben benieuwd hoe hij het gedonder rond o.a. Silverstone / Donington goed gaat praten.

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Toyota has scheduled 8 November to announce its plans about the 2010 Formula One season, it has emerged.

It was expected that the Japanese carmaker's decision about whether to continue funding its Cologne based team would not be known until the much-vaunted Tokyo board meeting a week later.

Toyota's racing budgets are always approved in advance by the end-year board meeting, leaving some experts concerned that a separate announcement has been deemed necessary ahead of 2010.

The November 8 announcement was revealed by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, and the Independent newspaper in Britain also expects that "bad news" could be emanating from Toyota "later in the week".

"(Japanese) auto and auto-part makers are questioning what they can gain now by spending hundreds of millions of yen in taking part in Formula One," said Tatsuya Mizuno, an auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory.

On the bright side, Toyota's withdrawal would make room for Sauber, whose official application to race in 2010 will be automatically activated in the event of a vacancy.

But it would be very bad news for Kamui Kobayashi, the Japanese F1 rookie who has impressed Toyota with his two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old told reporters before leaving the Yas Marina Circuit that he has "no budget" to fall back on GP2 in 2010, after finishing sixteenth in the F1 feeder category this season.

"I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant. It was like that two months ago," said Kobayashi.

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 10:04 schreef Atreidez het volgende:
Wat is de reden dat Alonso pas in februari voor het eerst met de Ferrari gaat rijden? Ze mogen voor die tijd toch al wel testen

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 10:04 schreef Atreidez het volgende:
Wat is de reden dat Alonso pas in februari voor het eerst met de Ferrari gaat rijden? Ze mogen voor die tijd toch al wel testen

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 10:09 schreef Tarado het volgende:

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There is next to no winter testing this year. Between the last race and the end of the year only young driver testing can take place, and then there are only 4 x 4 day tests (so 8 days per driver) with one car/team before the start of the new season. First test will be held in february.

(nu moet ik zeggen dat ik dit nergens anders bevestigd zie, dus onder voorbehoud)

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 09:31 schreef Tarado het volgende:
Toyota to announce F1 future on Sunday
Racing series F1
Date 2009-11-03
By Motorsport.com/GMM
[..]

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 10:48 schreef bodylotion het volgende:

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in het kader van kostenbesparing lijkt me het verschrikkelijk inefficiënt om naar een circuit af te reizen en maar met één wagen te rijden.

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 09:31 schreef Tarado het volgende:
Toyota to announce F1 future on Sunday
Racing series F1
Date 2009-11-03
By Motorsport.com/GMM
[..]

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 12:45 schreef beantherio het volgende:
Ik lees bijv. in dit artikel dat Mercedes een aandeel van 75% gaat nemen in Brawn. Als McLaren (zoals andere berichten suggereren) zich aan het loskoppelen is van Mercedes, zou Brawn dan vanaf volgend seizoen onder de naam Mercedes verder gaan?

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 12:57 schreef sanger het volgende:

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Dat kan niet omdat er nog een exclusiviteitscontract is tussen Mercedes en McLaren. Het is overigens Mercedes die zich los wil maken van McLaren....

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 14:31 schreef beantherio het volgende:

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Ik zie nu net een artikel verschijnen waarin een eventuele split van McLaren en Mercedes door Norbert Haug ontkent wordt: Haug: "Wij blijven partners van McLaren".

Nou ja, de tijd zal leren wat de waarheid is.

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 14:31 schreef beantherio het volgende:

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Ik zie nu net een artikel verschijnen waarin een eventuele split van McLaren en Mercedes door Norbert Haug ontkent wordt: Haug: "Wij blijven partners van McLaren".

Nou ja, de tijd zal leren wat de waarheid is.

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 14:41 schreef Sally het volgende:

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Bij mijn weten zijn de eerste tests pas gepland in februari.

Dat zeiden ze op de BBC. En wrs alleen in Portugal, en de teams hebben gezamenlijke catering geregeld.

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 17:52 schreef vosss het volgende:
Mercedes wilde toch van McLaren af omdat die met hun sportwagens die van Mercedes in de weg zouden zitten, markttechnisch dan?

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 18:08 schreef Stiggie het volgende:
http://925.nl/archief/200(...)aat-overname-brawn-l

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Op dinsdag 3 november 2009 23:01 schreef Sally het volgende:

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Linkje?

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According to the Mainichi Daily Newspaper from Japan, Toyota has decided that it will withdraw from Formula One. A meeting on 8 November was scheduled, but it appears that the board of directors have already decided against participation in 2010.
The newspaper reported: "Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest car company with the biggest presence in motorsport has decided to withdraw from Formula One and not participate in 2010."

President Akio Toyoda will formally open a four-day meeting of the board tomorrow. It is believed from several sources of the newspaper that a decision is already set about the Formula One team operations.

Toyota is already racing in Formula One since 2002 and entered after a full year of preparation and testing, only to find itself in a struggle for points. The initial was back then to at least run until the end of 2012 but the recent economic downturn makes this expense difficult. Toyota is expected to have 2 consecutive years of financial losses.

Along with Honda's pull out last year, Toyota would leave a Japanese void in Formula One.

The newspaper also reports that several alternatives are being investigated to protect the employment of the member of the team. It is thought that a transfer or a continued cooperation with Formula One of some sort is being looked into.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 09:52 schreef Garisson72 het volgende:
Nu officieel: http://f1.gpupdate.net/nl(...)ormule-1-de-rug-toe/

Ik zal ze niet missen. Ik vind Toyota echt de schlemiel van het startveld sinds ze erbij gekomen zijn.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 09:56 schreef Tarado het volgende:
Toyota was in F1 wat ze in de gewone wereld ook zijn; middelmatig en saai

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 10:00 schreef Garisson72 het volgende:

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Behalve dan die exorbitante budgetten die ze er ieder jaar (en zonder enig noemenswaardig succes) in pompten. Die waren dan weer niet middelmatig en saai.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 09:42 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
Sauber-Mercedes zou echt retro zijn
[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 10:38 schreef XyritZz het volgende:
Offtopic vraagje: Heeft iemand misschien een invite voor racing-underground voor me? Ik gebruikte die site altijd om de RTL GP jaarclip te downloaden maar m'n account is verwijderd omdat ik te inactief was. Ik zou ook al heel tevreden zijn als iemand me een URL naar de jaarclip download zou kunnen PM'en, dan zal ik die link verder met niemand delen en netjes tot 2.5 ratio seeden .

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 11:17 schreef Tarabass het volgende:
alle drie een invite gestuurd, nu mijn naam daar hoog houden

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A new Formula One espionage scandal is threatening to erupt.

Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell reports that Force India is concerned that the wind tunnel model of Lotus' 2010 car strongly resembles the Silverstone based team's current VJM-02.

The common denominator is Mike Gascoyne, Lotus' technical boss but formerly with Force India.

It is believed that Force India has outstanding debts with the Italian company Aerolab, which is used by Gascoyne for its wind tunnel facilities.

When Force India stopped working at the Fondtech facility, a scale wind tunnel model was left behind. Gascoyne is now working with Aerolab/Fondtech on the Lotus F1 project.

"If at all, that is a legal problem between Fondtech and Force India," Gascoyne is quoted as saying.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 09:42 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
Sauber-Mercedes zou echt retro zijn
[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 14:09 schreef kepler het volgende:
Ten eerste kan je de huidige wagen gewoon namaken lijkt me? En ten tweede moet Force India zijn spullen gewoon opruimen

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 15:30 schreef beantherio het volgende:
Pirelli geeft aan geen interesse te hebben in F1

Goodyear en Michelin hebben er ook geen trek in

De zoektocht naar een nieuwe bandenleverancier wordt op deze manier nog heel interessant.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 15:39 schreef ArcticBlizzard het volgende:

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Vredestein!!! FTW

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 16:05 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Goodyear
Pirelli
Michelin
Dunlop
Kumho
Avon
Hankook
Continental

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 16:05 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Goodyear
Pirelli
Michelin
Dunlop
Kumho
Avon
Hankook
Continental

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 16:05 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Goodyear
Pirelli
Michelin
Dunlop
Kumho
Avon
Hankook
Continental
Yokohama

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 09:51 schreef ArcticBlizzard het volgende:
[Upd] Toyota vertrekt uit de F1

Toyota weg uit de F1

Diverse andere sites melden het ook.

Ik vind het toch wel jammer, leuk voor sauber maar ik had toch liever toyota gehad.

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Renault could become the fourth manufacturer to quit F1 in a year
Renault is to discuss pulling out of Formula 1 at an emergency board meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
The French car company will decide whether to remain in the sport with its own team, switch to simply being an engine supplier or quit altogether.
The news comes on the day that Toyota announced its decision to quit F1, becoming the third car company to leave the sport in the last 11 months.
Renault is not expected to make public its decision on Wednesday.
The company does not want to distract attention from a publicity event on Thursday at which president Carlos Ghosn will promote the company's efforts at introducing zero-emission vehicles.
The emergency board meeting will be attended by Renault F1 bosses Bob Bell and Jean-Francois Caubet, but they will not be allowed to take part in the debate about the team's future.
A Renault spokeswoman was unable to comment.


Renault have had their least competitive F1 season since 2001 and finished eighth out of 10 teams in the constructors' championship after Sunday's final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
The company came under scrutiny for the team's involvement in the Singapore 2008 race-fixing scandal, in which they decided not to contest charges that they had asked Nelson Piquet Jr to crash to aid team-mate Fernando Alonso's bid for victory.
Motorsport's governing body the FIA gave Renault a ban from F1, suspended for two years, as punishment, while team bosses Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds were forbidden from attending FIA-sanctioned events.
Last month, Renault signed the highly-rated Polish driver Robert Kubica to lead their team in 2010 as a replacement for double world champion Alonso, who has moved to Ferrari.

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 19:20 schreef Tarado het volgende:
Renault considers Formula 1 exit

By Andrew Benson
[..]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo(...)mula_one/8343221.stm

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We want a different closing chapter

Maranello, 4 November 2009 - It seems like a parody of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians", published in England for the first time in the year 1939, but reality is much more serious. Formula 1 continues loosing important parts: over the last 12 months Honda, BMW, Bridgestone and this morning Toyota announced their retirements. In exchange, if one could call it that, Manor, Lotus (because of the team of Colin Chapman, Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna, to name a few, there is hardly more than the name), USF1 and Campos Meta arrived. You might say "same-same", because it is enough if there are participants. But that's not entirely true and then we've got to see if next year we'll be really as many in Bahrain for the first starting grid of the 2010 season and how many will make it to the end of the season.

In reality the steady trickle of desertion is more the result of a war against the big car manufacturers by those who managed the sport, than the effects of the economical that affected Formula 1 over the last years. In Christie's detective novel the guilty person is only discovered when everybody else is dead, one after the other. Do we want to wait until this happens or should we write Formula 1's book with a different closing chapter?

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The FIA says it seeking “urgent clarification” from Toyota about its legal obligations under the Concorde Agreement, following the Japanese manufacturer’s sudden withdrawal from Formula 1.

Toyota’s F1 outfit joined all the other current teams bar BMW Sauber in signing the new Concorde deal in the summer, which committed them to participate in the sport until 2012.

But the team’s parent company the Toyota Motor Corporation announced on Wednesday that it was quitting F1 with immediate effect because the sport no longer suited its medium-term business strategy in the depressed economic climate.

While its departure leaves a spare entry on the 2010 grid that could be filled by BMW Sauber – which currently only has a reserve slot following BMW’s handover of the team to investment group Qadback – the FIA says it needs to establish the nature of Toyota’s commitment before it can admit a new 13th team.

“Urgent clarification is now being sought from the Toyota F1 team as to its legal position in relation to the championship,” it said in a statement.

“This will have a direct bearing on the admission of any future 13th entry.”

The governing body admitted it was also concerned by Bridgestone’s announcement on Monday that it would pull out of the sport when its current contract expires in 2010, but said the tyre company had at least given it enough notice to find a new supplier for F1.

“The announcements this week by Toyota and Bridgestone of their withdrawal from Formula 1 are of concern to the FIA,” said the statement.

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FIA wants 'urgent clarification' on Toyota

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Overzicht van F1 prestaties Toyota
_{Door Tim Ceuppens, 2 uur en 58 minuten geleden}

2002: Toyota rijdt eerste F1 race




2009: Toyota rijdt laatste F1 race

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 21:23 schreef vosss het volgende:
Deze vind ik overigens best geniaal van F1pits.net:
[..]

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 22:05 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:
Leuke inkopper voor Todt, dit...

Bridgestone weg, Toyota weg, Renault dus ook misschien

Ik zie niet in hoe Mercedes kan blijven in F1 (lange termijn) ... met zo'n slechte markt zijn de kosten van F1 moeilijk te verantwoorden richting de aandeelhouders.

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Shooting down speculation to the contrary, Renault's F1 managing director Jean-Francois Caubet insists a working budget for 2010 has been approved and the team will race in Formula One next year.

Following the announcement of Toyota's departure on Wednesday, the Renault board met in Paris, triggering reports that the French carmaker could be the next to quit F1.

But Caubet told the sports daily L'Equipe: "We have already contracted our drivers, had our budget approved and are enrolled in the world championship. Season 2010 has begun already."

He said Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has also laid out his expectations for Renault's 2010 season; that the team "returns to a good level".

"We will not be world champions in 2010, but we do have hopes to be much improved," Caubet continued.

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Nov.5 (GMM) The Malaysian sponsor Petronas is likely to stay with its long term F1 partner Sauber now that Toyota has withdrawn from formula one.
With Sauber's plans uncertain following BMW's decision to quit, it had been rumoured that Petronas intended to stay in F1 next year by switching to another team.

Lotus, with Malaysian ownership, was touted as a favourite to receive Petronas, and team boss Tony Fernandes confirmed to the New Straits Times newspaper that an approach was made.

"As it is, it looks like an announcement will be made by Petronas in the coming days once it becomes clearer whether that vacancy left by Toyota becomes Sauber's," said a source.

"If Sauber are back in F1 for sure, and it looks a virtual certainty, then Petronas aren't going anywhere."

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Op woensdag 4 november 2009 11:17 schreef Tarabass het volgende:
alle drie een invite gestuurd, nu mijn naam daar hoog houden

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 10:06 schreef XyritZz het volgende:

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Ik ben er wel blij mee dat Renault gewoon lijkt te blijven, ookal zijn ze het meest controversiële team van 2009... ze voegen toch wel wat toe aan F1

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 10:47 schreef bodylotion het volgende:

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ook wel dapper - als je ziet hoe zo'n trapkar ze afgelopen seizoen hebben afgeleverd. Maar ook geweldig om te zien hoe Alonso dat ding tot de limiet pushte

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05 November 2009

Renault has said that it will have decided whether or not to remain in Formula One before the end of the year. Following confirmation of Toyota's exit from the sport on Wednesday, the French marque held emergency meetings in Paris with the future of its Formula One team being the sole priority.



With Honda having pulled out in December last year, BMW making its announcement in July and Toyota following suit this week, three major car manufacturers have now left the sport within the space of twelve months; Renault could become a fourth, depending on the outcome of their executives' meeting in the French capital.


"You'll just have to be patient," Carlos Ghosn, Renault's Chief Executive, told reporters. "We'll be making an announcement on our participation in Formula One before the end of the year."

Having returned to F1 as a full-time works team after buying the Benetton team for 2002, Renault clinched the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship titles back-to-back in 2005 and 2006. Another option also being considered by diamond brand is to stay in the sport as an engine supplier only.

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 17:00 schreef Meike26 het volgende:
Waarom hoop ik nog steeds dat Audi / VW op deze ontwikkelingen reageerd om juist een avontuur in de F1 te beginnen?

Ideaal moment ook om met een diesel te komen, nu er niet meer getankt word. Zuinigere motoren, evolutie.... ik juich het van harte toe !!

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 17:00 schreef Meike26 het volgende:
Waarom hoop ik nog steeds dat Audi / VW op deze ontwikkelingen reageerd om juist een avontuur in de F1 te beginnen?

Ideaal moment ook om met een diesel te komen, nu er niet meer getankt word. Zuinigere motoren, evolutie.... ik juich het van harte toe !!

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The Chinese and Malaysian rounds of A1GP have been cancelled because the series' rescue package has not materialised in time.

The scrapping of the races at Zhuhai and Sepang follows the cancellation of the opening round at Sufers Paradise in Australia last month.

This week's AUTOSPORT magazine reports that A1GP's administrator is hoping to sell the entire fleet of cars to someone wanting to continue the series, although the cars will need to be modified to meet the FIA's latest head-restraint and side-impact regulations.

Several key A1GP personnel have now left the company and the series' equipment has been put into storage after the lease on its hangar at Silverstone expired last week.

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 16:32 schreef Tarado het volgende:
Ze zijn weer lekker duidelijk bij Renault

Renault decision to come in December
[..]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en(...)to-come-in-december/

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 18:06 schreef bodylotion het volgende:

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easy money voor Kubica mochten ze de stekker eruit trekken

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Op donderdag 5 november 2009 18:14 schreef Tarado het volgende:

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Ja en die mag dan met Kimi 1 auto delen bij McLaren , ik vind dit wel vreemd van Renault, ze moeten toch ook Red Bull duidelijkheid geven en hun eigen auto op een goede manier prepareren?

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So what happens next in this dramatic final act of the 2009 season? As Toyota F1’s tearful president Tadashi Yamashina made his sorry way off the podium after announcing the company’s withdrawal from F1, it seemed that Formula 1 was in trouble again. Renault’s board meeting to discuss it’s F1 involvement added to the tension, Bridgestone’s decision to end its involvement was still ringing in the ears. So is F1 in a crisis, or are these the inevitable aftershocks of a credit crunch? F1 is always the last into a recession and the last out of it.

The noises I hear on Renault are that the meeting was broadly supportive of the F1 programme, for now at least. There will be no sudden pull out, it seems.
And this is important because the balance of power is shifting in F1 back towards the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone. The lesson of 2009 was that if the teams stay together, as FOTA did, with the backing of the world’s leading car makers they can get things done. FOTA won the battle in June when it threatened the breakaway series and forced Max Mosley and the FIA to back down on its budget cap proposals, but it looks like the other side is winning the war.
With BMW and now Toyota out FOTA’s power is being diluted, thanks to a host of fragile new teams, all behoven to Ecclestone for the $10 million cheque and liable to side with whoever can help them to survive, rather than feel a spirit of brotherhood with their rivals. Especially when rivals like Ferrari publicly belittle them as non-entities, barely worthy of being in F1, as they did in May and again yesterday.
Ferrari were dismissive of the new teams on their website yesterday,
“In reality, the steady trickle of desertion is more the result of a war against the big car manufacturers, ” it said. “Formula 1 continues losing important parts. In exchange, if one could call it that, Manor, Lotus, USF1 and Campos Meta arrived. You might say, “same-same” because it is enough if there are participants. But that’s not entirely true and the we’ve got to see if next year we’ll be really as many in Bahrain for the first starting grid of the 2010 season.”
Ferrari feel that Sauber should be in F1 ahead of all the new teams. They are a long time Ferrari customer and will be again next year. FOTA needs another strong partner, as Sauber would be. It also needs Renault to maintain the balance. Without that their influence will diminish on issues like forcing Ecclestone to retain the British Grand Prix or to put a US Grand Prix back on the calendar. And where will their diminished power leave them in the negotiations which are set to start soon into the new Concorde Agreement post 2011? The teams are looking to greatly increase their share of the commercial revenues from the sport. Having the big manufacturers behind them increased their bargaining power. It will be much easier now for them to be divided and ruled.
As Ecclestone observed yesterday, “When you look at the history, since Formula 1 started, I think there have been 73 teams coming and going.” Only Ferrari has stayed the course.
Defeated FIA presidential candidate Ari Vatanen couldn’t resist having his say on the latest developments and had a pop at the FIA, “We must realise the economic reality is nothing to do with the crisis, ” he said. “Big companies always look to market and promote, even when times are tough, but only if it is in a sensible way. I do hope [Renault do not leave], but if they do it is the final alarm call that we cannot continue with business as usual. I’m sad to say the old guard are still in power in the FIA, but teams are starting to vote with their feet.”
The withdrawal of manufacturers was foreshadowed by Mosley last year. The issue here is did he see that they were likely to jump and acted accordingly, or did he give them a push?

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Op vrijdag 6 november 2009 16:07 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
Wat gebeurt er eigenlijk met de inboedelvan Toyota?

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Defeated FIA presidential candidate Ari Vatanen has hit out at the powers-that-be, saying Renault would be "right to quit" Formula One given the sport's recently controversial history.

On Wednesday, just hours after Toyota had announced their withdrawal from the sport, Renault's board held an extraordinary general meeting to debate their future in Formula One.

The meeting did not result in an absolute commitment to F1 with the team's chief executive Carlos Ghosn saying they will "make an announcement on our participation in Formula 1 before the end of the year."

Should Renault walk away from the sport, they would join big-name manufacturers Honda, BMW, Toyota and Bridgestone, all of whom have quit in the past 12 months.

Both Honda and Toyota cited "economic realities" as the reason for their withdrawal, however, former World Rally Champion Vatanen believes the actual cause is those who have governed the sport in recent years, adding that under new president Jean Todt's reign the "old guard are still in power."

"If you analyse it Renault is right, they are a serious international corporation and not loonies like Max Mosley has called them, they are just very disillusioned with the governance of Formula One," the 57-year-old Finn told CNN.

"(Renault) would stay in the FIA Championship if the sport was known for positive news and if it was a good avenue for marketing and promotion - but Formula One is only known for conflict, crisis and court cases recently, and big companies cannot afford that.

"We must realize the economic realities is nothing to do with the crisis. Big companies always look to market and promote, even when times are tough, but only if it is in a sensible way.

"I do hope ([Renault do not leave), but if they do it is the final alarm call that we cannot continue with business as usual. I'm sad to say the old guard are still in power in the FIA but teams are starting to vote with their feet."

Vatanen, however, is not the only one who believes Max Mosley's reign did more damage than good as Ferrari released their own statement earlier this week blaming the former president.

"The reality is that this gradual defection from the F1 fold has more to do with a war waged against the major car manufacturers by those who managed Formula 1 over the past few years, than the result of any economic crisis," the Scuderia said.

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Ecclestone's Daughter Slams F1 World Champion Jenson Button

Friday was a busy day for F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone's two daughters.

First, his eldest Tamara (25) made headlines for stating that Jenson Button does not deserve to be world champion, because "Lewis Hamilton is a better driver and a nicer person".

Her outburst follows a recent interview at a grand prix, when Ms Ecclestone - a presenter for Sky Italia's F1 coverage - became annoyed that 29-year-old Button answered his phone mid-way through.

Later on Friday, it emerged that Ecclestone's other daughter, 21-year-old Petra, lost a libel case in London's High Court.

She had sued the Daily Telegraph for quoting her as saying she doesn't have "much time" for high-profile vegetarians, when asked about her use of real leather for her fashion label.

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Brawn surprised USF1 not yet crash-testing
^2009-11-06

Ross Brawn has expressed surprise at the news that USF1, one of three start-up new teams for the 2010 season, has not yet commenced internal crash-testing of car components.

The publications Blick and Auto Motor und Sport revealed the news this week, to which Brawn replied: "We have been crash testing for the new car for the past two months, to be ready for the official tests.

"A new team should be doing the same if it wants to be ready for the beginning of the season," the Briton added.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport estimated the chance that the Charlotte based team will be ready to race in 2010 at "zero".

It has been rumoured that one possible outcome for USF1 is the sale of its 2010 entry to another team.

The reports said that at a recent FOTA meeting, all team bosses with the exception of USF1 sporting director Peter Windsor wanted to forbid teams from selling their official entries.

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because "Lewis Hamilton is a better driver and a nicer person".

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First, his eldest Tamara (25) made headlines for stating that Jenson Button does not deserve to be world champion, because "Lewis Hamilton is a better driver and a nicer person".