Formula One

[The Insider]

Mr E

Many loath him but I don't, the little bloke is just awesome.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/t ... 1-forever/

You just cannot knock "The Bolt'" (as we call him) when it comes to business prowess and vision over the last forty years.

I ALWAYS have a laugh with the "Wee Man" when we meet and he loves to talk footy.

TI

[The Insider]

Lotus

Maybe TI should be working for Sky this year, I had a hunch this would be the problem and I mentioned it on Wednesday as I had seen it before at Arrows.

From F1SA website today.

F1 : Report - 2012 Lotus E20 Formula 1 challenger has front suspension problem

Saturday, 25 February 2012 12:25

The problem with Lotus' 2012 Formula One chassis is the front suspension mountings, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport has revealed.

The former Renault team pulled out of this week's Barcelona test when the flaw with its E20 design was discovered, but officials have kept quiet about the details.

Kimi Raikkonen, who was never able to drive the car at the demanding Circuit de Catalunya this week, reportedly suspected there was an issue recently at Jerez, when he reported to engineers an odd feeling relating to the steering.

"It transpires that the problem area is where the front suspension is attached," said the German report.

Auto Motor und Sport said Lotus last year recruited a carbon fibre specialist from Red Bull, who perhaps set a too ambitious target with the aim of reducing the new car's weight.

Lotus did not confirm the report.

TI

[The Insider]

Marussia - Virgin - F1

I said last Wednesday that things were not great at Banbury, they have pulled the plug on this Barcelona Test, it WAS coming I'm affraid.

So, without any milage on the new car it will be ever so hard at the first four races, it's going to be tough for them to qualify the car in Oz to be honest.

Watch out for them slipping in a few miles on the new car somewhere in the UK next week

TI

[The Insider]

Barcelona Test

Down in here this week with Williams F1 Team.

Not a great deal to report as the teams are STILL keeping their powder dry with fuel loads etc.

Lotus have sorted the front suspension chassis insert issue and were banging the laps in today, Williams seemed a bit disjointed, nothing major though, just little minor issues stopping the driver pushing to 100%.

Looks like RBR and McLaren are going to be front runners from the lights, not sure about the Spags or Mercedes, it's all rumour and gossip at the moment.

Force India were going well and with that driver line up and such a tidy car I think they will have their best season in years and it looks like Mercedes have made a step in the right direction too.

My mate at HRT has done a great job of pulling the team together with regards to equipment, they will be in good shape when they get to Oz as far the garage and pit equipment goes, it will be tough on the car front as they might have only one day testing before they get on the flight, it is what it is.

Saw lots of old friends over the last two days, really great to catch up with so many of them, there are quite a lot of these lads are 15 year plus veterans, incredible, I'm surprised they are still doing it, there is now no let up from January to November so that makes it REALLY difficult to maintain a home life, rather them than me.

Strangely today there were lots of Japanese guys roaming round the paddock, three of them just wouldn't leave me alone, apparently if you worked at Super Aguri in the past the whole of Japan seems to know your face, all these guys had handfuls of photo's of all the team and seemed to be on some kind of a mission to track us down and befriend us, it was a tad weird, had to give them the slip.

Luckily for me I have an early bath tonight unlike the team, when I left it had 0100 or 0200 written all over it, thats testing.

I'm sitting in the hotel bar now just about to have dinner and the table beside me has just been taken over by Keke Rosburg and several others, haven't seem him for some time either, he's on good form, talk about legends, he was some boy in his day.

I'm out of here tomorrow night and back in UK Monday.

TI.

[The Insider]

Sir Frank Williams

The "Old Man" is stepping down.

I was with the team in Barcelona when it was announced, they all seemed as surprised as me.

Patrick Head did the same last year.

Hmmmm.....Smells of a takeover in the near future to me.

On a different note, 'Spag Racing'

I wonder how long Alonso's patience will hold out, I had a wee look at the car on track on Friday, it looks a dog of a thing, lets hope so.

I will of course LOVE IT if their decline continues, when my mate (who worked there for three years) told us about their president 'Mr Monte Z' standing up at meetings in the factory telling them that they 'DON'T NEED' British Engineers to win races and titles we just smiled, oh really??

Time will tell of course but it doesn't look that great for them as it stands, the acid test will be qually in Melbourne, there are way too many scenario's to consider from these tests now that the cars carry race distance fuel, I think we all know that the 'BRITISH' designed cars of McLaren and RBR are quick and should lead the field.

As for the Spags, lets not forget that Alonso is worth quite a few tenths being as good as he is, however if they continue to turn out a dog of a car for him he must surly say 'enough' at some point.

TI

[Frosty]

Thanks T.I. I watched the breaking news on Frank Williams with total surprise too! However Friday turned out to be a good final day ,at Barcelona, for Bruno Senna and your Team mates at Williams , finishing 3rd fastest behind Alonso and only 0.260 secs. behind the returning Flying Finn! Grosjean also posted fastest laps, in his Lotus, during his two days at the circuit, could this be proof that Lotus have produced a good car for this season, did you manage to catch a look, T.I., while it was on track?

Mebourne's podium is going to be interesting?
I know James Allen has predicted his, but it would be interesting to see the Kintyre Forum, F1 Thread Members, predictions?
My prediction.
1st ---------------- Jenson Button
2nd --------------- Mark Webber
3rd --------------- Kimi Raikkonen

A great season ahead! With reports that Alonso isn't too impressed with his Ferrari plus the return of one of the fastest drivers ever to pilot a F1 car, I'm positive that we are all in for an exciting season, it is a huge pity that all the races are not ''live'' on ''normal'' TV channels.

fROSTY

[The Insider]

frosty,

I'm rubbish with Race and Qualy predictions but I can hold my own with some inside and technical stuff.

1. Lotus cancel first Barca Test due to car feeling funny. Gary Anderson BBC Tech Correspondent predicts Engine Mounting Studs problem, TI predicts front suspension chassis mounts.

2. Marussia pull out of second Barca Test, TI predicts they will run somewhere in the UK today.

3. Frank Williams steps down as Team Principal, TI predicts and big money take over.......Time will tell

As for Melbourne Qualy......Seb, LH, MW, JB.

TI

[The Insider]

Melbourne Qualy;

Just seen the results, shows how much I know

A British front row lock out, from team to chassis to drivers to engine.

LOVE IT.

Before anyone says it's a Mercedes Engine, which it is, it's designed, built and run out of Northamptonshire folks, it's 100% British and badged Mercedes, they (importantly) fund it.

Lets hope we see a British 1-2 tomorrow.

I WOULD love that, especially in Oz.

TI

[The Insider]

Melbourne:

Saw the highlights, looked a descent race.

JB was awesome, Vettel was lucky with his track position when the Pace Car cme out, that said it was a good call from the pitwall to box for rubber, LH rounding it off.

All in all a great day for the Brits with our cars in the first four places.

TI

[The Insider]

Melbourne:

Saw the highlights, looked a descent race.

JB was awesome, Vettel was lucky with his track position when the Pace Car came out, that said it was a good call from the pitwall to box for rubber at that exact moment, LH rounding it off in 3rd.

All in all a great day for the Brits with our cars in the first four places.

TI

[Frosty]

T.I.
I would have thought that Mr. Maldonado would have had his headset full of '' just bring the car home'' instructions on the final lap? What a drive though, a brilliant qualifying performance, pushing the Williams to 7th fastest ,and then continuing that pace in the Sunday's race was just fantastic. He would have definitely had '' The Driver of the Day'' award if he hadn't ran across the kerb and put it into the wall on the final lap! It was wonderfull to see a Williams race a Ferrari, it has been too long since these two constructors were racing for positions on the track.
Kimi suffered a huge commumication breakdown that prevented him getting into Q2! What a return to F1, though! Starting 18th he showed that he has lost none of his racing ability and pushed the Lotus up 10 places to 8th by lap 14, I think? A great final lap, helped by the crashing Williams, ensured that he grabbed some points. His Teammate was, on the starting grid , where I had predicted Kimi would finish? Proof that the Lotus is great in Qualifying too!
I couldn't see anyone beating Jenson, has to be '' The Driver of the Day'', to the flag! He is always, with a goood car under him, mighty in Melbourne. I was surprised that Mark Webber didn't get up and close with Lewis, but not surprised that Massa was in the wars again, was the Ferrari damaged before it collected Bruno T.I.?
A few rumours of ''pushing the boundaries'' of the new rules. It will be interesting to see which Teams are complaining?

I, for one, can't wait for the next race! Thankfully it isn't too long before the lights go out in Malaysia.

fROSTY

[The Insider]

frosty,

Maldanado REALLY surprised me with his performance, I wasn't over impressed with him at the test in Spain but he showed a degree of consistancy that was worthy of these hard fought points, AND your right, you would have thought the pitwall would be saying "Settle for the points" BUT they WERE quicker than "The Spags" in the last stint and I think they fancied finishing the race by having a go.

However; Maldanado v Alonso...............Only one winner there I'm afraid, he would never have got passed him.

I once said on here JB was making a MASSIVE mistake going to Mac's, WELL, he's REALLY made me eat my words, he has SO improved as a driver since winning the title and it NOW looks like the team are building themselves round him slightly more than LH.

That said, you know how quickly things change in this game and the pendulum could swing the other way before you know it but I do feel JB is now at the VERY TOP of his game both personally AND professionaly.

Malaysia this weekend........EEEEEEEEEEK.

It's a DREADFUL event to work at, it was my biggest nightmare EVERY year.

In 1999 (first ever Malaysian event) when I was at Stewart GP there was a double restart, I left the garage (as normal) at 1315 hrs with the grid trolley, we went to and from the grid three times in forty minutes only to FINALLY be on my way back to the garage desperately needing more fluid, I was pushing the the trolley and spied (what I thought) was a bottle of water with rehydrate in it, yes it was yellow but don't get ahead of yourself here, it WASN'T a "Pee Bottle", you don't do much of that there, you sweat way too much

I grabbed it and had a MASSIVE swigg only to spit it out all over the McLaren tyres on the grid trolley next to me, it was Gear Oil that some idiot put in a "Highland Spring" water bottle that we had been filling with rehydrate fluid all week

NOT recommended

TI

[The Insider]

Malaysia:

Lucky win for the Spags thanks to the BRILLIANCE of Alonso and the mixed conditions with a descent call from the pitwall.

Apart from that not much to report apart from I'm glad I'm in Germany for Aston Martin and not packing up 40 tons of kit in a jungle sweatpit.

Now, the Sportsmans Evening we have all been talking about:

Looks like I have a sourced a car, it's an ex-race chassis from 2006 or 2007, not 100% sure what year, I also have trailer, all I need is a van from my mate and we are sorted.

If it's NOT possible to do it this year then we can do it next year, whatever, the car isn't going anywhere.

There have been a couple of suggestions for locations to do this, thanks for these, however we need to consider the following.

It has to be in the town for ease of everyone getting there, we need the car inside the location for maximum impact on the night, it's ok standing up and talking with pictures on an overhead screen but when you have a real race car in front of you the difference is imeasurable.

I'm not 100% sure where exactly we would get a full sized race car into, the doorway has to be around 1.9m wide to be sure it WILL go in.

Food for thought and all ideas and suggestions greatfully accepted.

It would be a very proud day in my life if I CAN do this, it will give people at home a chance to see a full size and real F1 car.

Hope this is something we can make happen folks.

TI

[Govangirl]

I didn't want to come in here until I had watched the race this afternoon on BBC and glad I didn't as I would have had a spoiler!!! Just finished though - exciting stuff! I really thought Perez was going to do it until that mistake but was a bit confused over the radio message If I paid good money to watch then I'd want a RACE! 'Cautious' is it Sauber? Would it have been just a tad embarrassing for a Ferrarri powered Sauber to overtake a prancing horse and win the Grand Prix? I really would have loved to have seen Perez at number one on that podium.

As for Button, I was hopeful for him when the rain came on but don't know where his brain went!!!! Shame.

Elsewhere, the McClaren pit stops were diabolical - even I could do better (Look out TI! ) especially for Hamilton.

And in reply to TI's plans, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a suitable venue.

[The Insider]

RBR/HRT & Martin Brundle

Martin Brundle has described Red Bull’s lack of pace as the biggest surprise of the 2012 season so far.

After consecutive world championships with Sebastian Vettel, the energy drink-owned team was universally tipped as the pre-season favourite for yet another F1 title.

Him and I both, I'm quite taken aback how far off the pace they actually are at the moment, long way to go mind you but it's NOT a good start for them.

Nice to see it mixed up a bit though and even better with the Brits doing well.

HRT

Now Brundle is a smart bloke but in this case he's acting thick, here is what he said on Top Gear's Website.

"Somebody's got to be at the front, somebody's got to be at the back"

"HRT is particularly poor at the moment, and it confuses me why in year three it's worse than it was in year one."

Here is my advice to Mr B.

Martin, go down the HRT garage and find Barney, he's the Chief Truckie, ask him the same question, take a pad and paper with you.

If that is too difficult phone me and I'll tell you.

These lads started with NOTHING on December 1st 2011, when I visited them in Spain late last year the unit they were working from looked as if it had been broken into and robbed, they had two pathetic looking 2011 chassis and some old bits and pieces of bodywork.

The boys worked NIGHT & DAY for three months just to be on the grid, they had to built ALL NEW EVERYTHING because for the previous two years the team rented all the kit and equipment from Colin Kolles.

Bloody drivers that become lovies, some of them don't live in the real world, they prance around at the top end of the paddock with all the other scavenging media types waiting to be fed scraps from the RBR's, Spags and McLaren tables.

Man up Brundle, walk down the Paddock and ask to see the lads time sheets from December to March and while you are in that alien place with the poor teams, have a look at all the new kit............You Tool.

A VERY unimpressed TI





TI