2011 F1 Grand Prix season

[TBWG]

Hi F1 fans

Well we have just put the 2010 season to bed with a new first time constructor and driver taking the spoils ~~~ So time to start a new thread for next year!

With a record 20 races it's going to be busy! Although still not sure why Spain gets 2 races in 5 weeks?

2011 FIA Formula One World Championship Race Calendar


01    2011 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir)    11 - 13 Mar
02    2011 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne)    25 - 27 Mar
03    2011 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur)    08 - 10 Apr
04    2011 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) *    15 - 17 Apr
05    2011 FORMULA 1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul)    06 - 08 May
06    FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2011 (Catalunya)    20 - 22 May
07    FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2011 (Monte Carlo)    27 - 29 May
08    FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2011 (Montreal)    10 - 12 Jun
09    2011 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia)    24 - 26 Jun
10    2011 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone)    08 - 10 Jul
11    FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2011 (Nürburgring)    22 - 24 Jul
12    FORMULA 1 ENI MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2011 (Budapest)    29 - 31 Jul
13    2011 FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps)    26 - 28 Aug
14    FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2011 (Monza)    09 - 11 Sep
15    2011 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore)    23 - 25 Sep
16    2011 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka)    07 - 09 Oct
17    2011 FORMULA 1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX (Yeongam)    14 - 16 Oct
18    2011 FORMULA 1 INDIAN GRAND PRIX (New Delhi) *    28 - 30 Oct
19    2011 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit)    11 - 13 Nov
20    FORMULA 1 GRANDE PRÊMIO DO BRASIL 2011 (Sao Paulo)    25 - 27 Nov
* Subject to circuit approval by TBWG


TBWG

[John the Traveller]

Santander have cornered the classics it would seem TBWG :-)
It's going to be a hard year for the teams.
Thank God the Spanish Jackass didn't win this year.
Shame about MW but he screwed up quali and junior Schumi (and Horner) made the most of it!
Oh well we can have a rest now until next season.
Cheers,
John

[TBWG]

Hi F1 fans

Another good article by Joe Saward .....................


In the last 48 hours…

November 17, 2010


In the last 48 hours there have been some interesting moves in Formula 1, in addition to the Young Drivers test at the Yas Island circuit. I will probably have a wrap-up of the testing at the end of the week. In basic terms it looks pretty much as it should do with a Red Bull fastest.

The Williams team announced that Rubens Barrichello will stay on for 2011, which was not a surprise. The team has a contract with Pastor Maldonado for the second seat and an option on Nico Hulkenberg and while keeping the German is the logical thing to do, the team must be certain that it has the money to do the job properly. Signing Maldonado guaranteed that. If the contract was 100% solid then it would have been announced by now so it is logical to suggest that there are clauses in the deal that would allow Hulkenberg to stay if the team finds the funding from somewhere else. Maldonado would not perhaps have signed the deal if there were no guarantees and one can imagine a situation in which he would be farmed out to HRT (or whatever it is called by the start of next season) with his funding if Williams finds the money to keep Hulkenberg. HRT could use the cash and would benefit from Williams technology, which would make the team much more competitive so Maldonado would have a better place to learn about F1 than in the frontline, under the spotlight.

Two questions come to mind, therefore: can Williams find the money? And can HRT keep itself alive?

Williams has been working hard at raising money in a couple of places for some time and it has played a very clever hand. The team has made an investment in Qatar with the opening of the Williams Technology Centre in the Qatar Science & Technology Park. This has led to a number of deals with Qatar-linked companies, the most recent of which is a deal with the J Sainsbury’s supermarket chain. If Qatar is going to get involved in Formula 1 – and the signs are that this will probably happen – then the Williams team is an obvious route in. The team has heritage and while not able to compete with the big teams because of its lack of manufacturer support (or a billionaire backer, such as Red Bull Racing) it is still in the hunt. There are also rumours from Germany that the team is also close to doing a deal with the Volkswagen-Porsche company. This merger is coming together slowly and the signs are that the company will be wanting to get involved in F1 with one brand or another. Ultimately it is hard to see the firm being anything more than an engine supplier, as running teams has proved to be rather expensive and not a very good return on investment for the likes of BMW, Honda and Toyota. Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari have fared rather better. It helps that the government of Qatar is an important shareholder in VW-Porsche and obviously having a German like Hulkenberg would be a good idea. The question is really whether or not the German firm will commit to F1 and build an engine for the 2013 rules; and whether if that decision is taken whether it will decide to get up to speed by doing an engine-badging deal with Cosworth for the next couple of years, so that its engineers can get up to speed.

The question of the survival of HRT is another issue. Yesterday Toyota announced that all dealings with HRT had been terminated and would not be restarted. This was a most bizarre press release. Normally these things are designed to tell the world something positive, but an announcement that something is NOT happening is therefore rather suspicious. My feeling is that Toyota has had enough with the Spaniards who currently own the team and are trying to force the situation. The Carabantes have been singularly unsuccessful at raising money and their decision to take on Juan Villalonga to help came too late to make a difference. If the team is to survive next year, it needs to be building a car NOW. The culture of mañana may work in Spain, but it does not work in Formula 1 and the feeling is that the Carabantes have now blown their chance and must be convinced to sell and recoup some money, or watch as the team goes to the wall. In fact, they own very little beyond the entry as the team seems to be rented (complete with all people and equipment) from Colin Kolles. He may not have the money to buy the entry from the Spanish, but he will be happy to work with others if they show up with more idea of what F1 is all about.

In fact, it could be that a smart investor will pump money into Kolles’s operation now so that he has the ability to build a 2011 car and then negotiate with the Carabantes over the question of ownership. It would be a risk, but the outcome would likely be a capitulation by the Spanish because they would get something from a sale, but nothing if the team shuts down.

One way or the other, the Carabantes now face the choice of failure or complete failure. The only hope was Villalonga, but they did not give him enough to find money.

The other fascinating point in recent days has been the announcement that Mubadala Development Company, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed investment fund, has sold its five percent stake in Ferrari back to Fiat, five years after taking a share in the luxury carmaker. The deal was valued at $167 million. This was decided not by the Emiratis but because Fiat had an option to buy back the shares, that were acquired in 2005. Mubadala has lost a lot of money in recent months because many of its investments that suffered in the economic downturn – although share prices will in most cases come up again as confidence returns. It reported a loss (announced in September) of about $1 billion, but some of this is simply accounting for the loss of share value rather than actual cash. The Government of Abu Dhabi is not in any trouble. According to The Economist the sovereign wealth fund ADIA is currently estimated to have US$ 875 billion in terms of total asset value. And the economy has not been much affected by the global financial crisis. Oil keeps coming out of the ground and there is no reason to suggest that is going to stop. Mubadala still has over $20 billion in assets under management. This move is interesting in the light of rumours that Bernie Ecclestone is working on a deal to have Abu Dhabi take over the Formula One group from CVC Capital Partners…


TBWG

[TBWG]

Hi F1 Bums

New black round things



Abu Dhabi will play host to Pirelli's debut as Formula One racing's official tyre supplier this week, as the Italian company returns to the sport following a 19-year absence. The 12 teams will test Pirelli’s tyres for the first time from Friday over a two-day session at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Pirelli have already carried out eight private tests at Mugello, Monza, Barcelona, Valencia, Jerez and Paul Ricard as they refined the different tyres that will be supplied to the teams next year. The company used a Toyota TF109 to rack up 7000 kilometres with Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean and Pedro de la Rosa at the wheel.

"We come to these tests with plenty of confidence and satisfaction with our work carried out so far," said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery. "The tests in Europe have given us all the data we needed at this current phase of development. From tomorrow, the drivers and engineers from every team will give us their opinions and feedback, which are of vital importance for the second phase of testing: a challenge that we are already well-prepared for."

The Abu Dhabi tests will be led by the teams, who have determined the programme they would like to cover. Both the medium and soft compound slick tyres will be used, distinguishable by a coloured stripe on the sidewall. Every team will have eight sets of tyres available, four for day one and four for day two, which adds up to a total supply of 384 Pirelli tyres.

During the test, the teams will be fully supported by Pirelli's engineers and technicians. In particular, each team will have an assigned engineer as well as being able to rely on the back-up of the entire Pirelli contingent, which numbers 30 people in Abu Dhabi.

Ahead of the tests the Pirelli personnel will meet all the teams for a general briefing, during which details of the forthcoming test programme will be discussed, whilst after each day of testing there will also be a debrief between all the teams and Pirelli in order to compare information.

After the Abu Dhabi test, the Italian company will move on to Bahrain in early December for more private testing, in preparation for the first official 2011 tests with the teams next year. Throughout 2011, Pirelli is expected to supply 50,000 tyres to the Formula One paddock.


TBWG

[dimple joe]

 


 "The Ferrari F1 team fired their entire pit crew yesterday."


This announcement followed Ferrari's decision to take advantage of the British government's 'Work for your Dole' scheme and employ some Liverpudlian youngsters.

The decision to hire them was brought about by a recent documentary on how unemployed youths from Toxteth were able to remove a set of wheels in less  than 6 seconds without proper equipment, whereas Ferrari's existing crew could only do it in 8 seconds with millions of pounds worth of high tech  equipment.

It was thought to be an excellent, bold move by the Ferrari management team as most races are won and lost in the pits, giving Ferrari an advantage over every other team.

However, Ferrari got more than they bargained for! At the crew's first  practice session, not only was the scouse pit crew able to change all four wheels in under 6 seconds but, within 12 seconds, they had re-sprayed,  re-badged and sold the car to the Mclaren team for 8 cases of Stella, a bag of weed and some photos of Lewis Hamilton's bird in the shower.
 
 
 
 
 
 

[TBWG]

 


 "The Ferrari F1 team fired their entire pit crew yesterday."


This announcement followed Ferrari's decision to take advantage of the British government's 'Work for your Dole' scheme and employ some Liverpudlian youngsters.

The decision to hire them was brought about by a recent documentary on how unemployed youths from Toxteth were able to remove a set of wheels in less  than 6 seconds without proper equipment, whereas Ferrari's existing crew could only do it in 8 seconds with millions of pounds worth of high tech  equipment.

It was thought to be an excellent, bold move by the Ferrari management team as most races are won and lost in the pits, giving Ferrari an advantage over every other team.

However, Ferrari got more than they bargained for! At the crew's first  practice session, not only was the scouse pit crew able to change all four wheels in under 6 seconds but, within 12 seconds, they had re-sprayed,  re-badged and sold the car to the Mclaren team for 8 cases of Stella, a bag of weed and some photos of Lewis Hamilton's bird in the shower.
 
 
 

Hi DJ

I think you will find that this article is not entirely accurate!

I have it on good authority that it was in fact photos of Jenson Buttons bird!


TBWG

[TBWG]

Hi F1 bums

Vettel leads first morning of Pirelli test

Friday, November 19th 2010, 08:48 GMT

Sebastian VettelFormula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel returned to his familiar place at the top of the timesheet on the first morning of Pirelli tyre testing in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old leaped to the top with half an hour to go, knocking Ferrari driver Felipe Massa off top spot.

Vettel's best time, a 1m40.816s, was 1.5 seconds off his pole time for Sunday's race, although as this is the first time teams have been able to run the Pirelli development rubber, their focus is on understanding the tyre rather than chasing laptimes.

Renault's Robert Kubia was third fastest, less than two-tenths off the pace and just under half a second ahead of Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi. The Japanese will resume this afternoon, before handing over to new team-mate Sergio Perez tomorrow afternoon.

Gary Paffett, performing test duties for McLaren on both days in place of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, was fifth fastest. He also ran on the second day of the tyre test, ensuring the team has the most up-to-date benchmark data to compare the new Pirellis to the Bridgestones used during the season. He completed the most laps - 49 - during the session.

Jaime Alguersuari set the seventh fastest time, 0.664secs slower than Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg. The Spaniard was the first driver to take to the track this morning, making him the first regular driver to experience the new rubber.

Williams spent much of the session completing tests designed to understand the difference the Pirelli rubber makes to the aerodynamic performance of the car, running to a strict top speed limit. This data will then be compared with the baseline data accumulated during the recent young driver test to better understand how the Pirellis change the car.

Barrichello did set some quicker laps towards the end of the morning session and the team plans to concentrate more on the performance of the tyres this afternoon.

Force India driver Adrian Sutil completed only 20 laps before an exhaust failure forced him to stop. The team is currently working to replace the exhaust system and will return to the track this afternoon, this time with test driver Paul di Resta at the wheel.

Virgin's Timo Glock was the fastest new team driver ahead of Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen and Pastor Maldonado, who is running on both days for HRT.

Given teams have yet to fine-tune their set-ups for the new rubber, and most will have focused on running mid-levels of fuel, the laptimes posted so far indicate that Pirelli's single-lap pace will be comparable to that of the Bridgestones.

There will be another three and a half hours of testing this afternoon.


Pos Driver                 Team           Time       Laps
 1. Sebastian Vettel       Red Bull       1m40.861s    34
 2. Felipe Massa           Ferrari        1m40.913s    29
 3. Robert Kubica          Renault        1m41.032s    25
 4. Kamui Kobayashi        Sauber         1m41.466s    33
 5. Gary Paffett           McLaren        1m41.588s    49
 6. Nico Rosberg           Mercedes       1m41.978s    40
 7. Jaime Alguersuari      Toro Rosso     1m42.642s    33
 8. Rubens Barrichello     Williams       1m42.655s    44
 9. Adrian Sutil           Force India    1m42.859s    20
10. Timo Glock             Virgin         1m45.057s    41
11. Heikki Kovalainen      Lotus          1m46.201s    42
12. Pastor Maldonado       Hispania       1m46.534s    46

TBWG

[garytaffy]

Whats the likelihood of Thailand hosting F1 in the future?

[TBWG]

Whats the likelihood of Thailand hosting F1 in the future?

Hi Gary

How's things in Taffystan?

Do I think there will ever be a GP in Thailand ~~~ Nah!

But see this previous post, so there is a big Thai involvement with the current World Champs!


Thailand and F1

October 6, 2010 by joesaward

Dietrich Mateschitz has long been a man with ambitions in motor racing. He has been involved in the sport since the very beginning of the Red Bull story, when the then new drinks company had a personal sponsorship deal with Gerhard Berger. He then became the sponsor of Sauber and ultimately bought the Jaguar Racing and Minardi teams to become Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. He also acquired the Osterreichring, which is now known as the Red Bull Ring. On top of all of this he has invested in a NASCAR team and in any number of personal sponsorships in the junior formulae, in rallying, touring car racing and so on. His ambition is to win the World Championship, while at the same time increasing sales of his celebrated energy drink.

What is not well known is that Mateschitz owns only 49% of the business. His partner Chaleo Yoovidhya, a Thai national, owns another 49%, while Yoovidhya’s son Chalerm owns the remaining two percent, having been the man who introduced the two major partners. That was back in the early 1980s. The deal was that Mateschitz would run the business, but that the Thais would have nominal control. Chaleo (78) is now the richest person in Thailand, with a fortune estimated at $4 billion, thanks to Red Bull, and to other products that are produced by his TC Pharmaceuticals company, which continues to market the original energy drink Krating Daeng (on which Red Bull is based) in the Asian markets. The success of the Red Bull business has enabled Chalerm to become Thailand’s most celebrated winemaker, while also being the co-owner of Cavallino Motors, a joint venture with the Bhirombhakdi Family, which owns the Singha Beer company. Singha was recently seen as a sponsor on the Red Bull-Renaults in F1 and said that this was designed to promote Formula 1 in Thailand, which would automatically create interest in Ferrari.

Now Chalerm is saying that he wants to build a F1 circuit in Thailand, so that there can be a Thai Grand Prix. He says that this will help to boost the tourism industry in the country. The country does have a 1.5-mile circuit near the seaside resort of Pattaya. This was built in 1985 and named after Prince Birabongse Bhanutej Bhanubandh (known in Europe as “Prince Bira”) who raced Grand Prix cars with some success in the 1940s and 1950s. This is not suitable for Formula 1.

The shift of F1 towards Asia means that Thailand should be considered a sensible contender if Red Bull is willing to put up the money. Why not a Red Bull Ring in Asia, as well as in Austria?


TBWG

[garytaffy]

Hi TBWG, Life in Taffystan is as depressing as ever when Cardiff City lose  . Interesting article. I've never been to see F1 live and if there was one in Thailand that would be good. Which Grand Prix would you recomend to go  and see live and what would be your reasons for that choice? 10 more days and i'll be available for hire to tour round Thailand looking for suitable potential sites

[TBWG]

Hi GT

As far as best circuit is concerned, Spa ~~ Belgium is the best one I have visited for pure racing and spectacle.

Being a miserable antisocial git I tend to like Malaysia and China, minimum fuss not crowded, good infastructure and facilities, however the downside with China is that you are constantly pestered by attractive young girls who want to practice their english and act as your guide .... lifes a bummer! 

As yet I have not made it to Singapore but that is now high on my list!


TBWG

[garytaffy]

Thanks, Spa is just across the pond....and obviously Malaysia is on the doorstep when in LOS so both strong possibilites.

[TBWG]

Check this out folks!



TBWG

[Admin]

Enjoyed the video very much. Thanks.

[TBWG]

Hi F1 fans


FIA reveals official 2011 entry list

Tuesday, November 30th 2010

Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, has published the 2011 entry list, with six teams yet to complete their line-ups for next season.

Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber and Lotus had their line-ups confirmed, with Sauber's new signing Sergio Perez the only new driver on the list.

Robert Kubica's team-mate at Renault and Rubens Barrichello's team-mate at Williams are yet to be revealed, the list confirmed.

Force India has not confirmed any of its drivers, while the list did not include any drivers at Toro Rosso either, despite the team having Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari under contract for next year.

Newcomers Virgin and Hispania did not have any drivers entered either.

The list also had the Lotus team entered as "Team Lotus" despite the row over the use of the name.

Red Bull Racing

1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Mark Webber

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

3. Jenson Button
4. Lewis Hamilton

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

5. Fernando Alonso
6. Felipe Massa

Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team

7. Michael Schumacher
8. Nico Rosberg

Renault F1 Team

9. Robert Kubica
10. TBA

AT&T Williams

11. Rubens Barrichello
12. TBA

Force India F1 Team

14. TBA
15. TBA

Sauber F1 Team

16. Kamui Kobayashi
17. Sergio Perez

Scuderia Toro Rosso

18. TBA
19. TBA

Team Lotus

20. Jarno Trulli
21. Heikki Kovalainen

HRT F1 Team

22. TBA
23. TBA

Marussia Virgin Racing

24. TBA
25. TBA



Nothing new, but a lot more TBA's than I thought, so lots of opportunities still available.


TBWG