Renault set for engine boost for China

As reported on autosport.com

“For China, we will be preparing and transporting two slightly different engine specifications, one of which is a small gain over Monza, and the other a larger gain,” said Renault’s engine guru Rob White. “Between now and Thursday, the dynos in Viry will be working day and night on track simulations. The data gathered will be analysed, to orientate our choice of engine for the race.”

“We have found the exact cause [of engine failure at Monza],” White added. “For obvious reasons of technical confidentiality, we do not wish to go into details, but it was a sudden failure in the bottom end of the engine. Our analysis of that engine, and our efforts to reproduce the failure, have allowed us to fully understand the problem.”

White has denied suggestions that the engine failed because Alonso had to push harder than usual. “No. Had Fernando been lying first or last, the engine would have failed at about the same point of the race. Fernando’s use of the engine was completely within a normal duty cycle throughout the weekend.”

Everything said, the last statement should put to rest the engine-blew-due-to-pushing-hard theory. These are the kind of *transparencey* we wrote about earlier. Had these words been said earlier, a lot of conspiracy theories would not had come up.

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Reanult . Fernando Alonso . Rob White . Engines . Monza . Shanghai

More transparency in F1

We have been very keenly following the comments on two posts, Alonso’s keen to spoil Schu’s retirement party and Poll: In Monaco qualifying, did Schumi stopped deliberately ?. And there are allegations and cross-allegations flying every where.

The point that we saw in all the controversies was that there was no details available from FIA or any of the teams/drivers involved. Yes, we know that this has been the case for a long while now, but given the current storm the sport is facing, everything should be much more transparent.

If we take the Monaco incident, All Ferrari said was that they provided the telemetry data to FIA to go though & they tried to clear the doubts but stewards never listened. FIA on their part slapped the penalty. And all that remained after that were the unanswered question. What did the telemetry data showed that prompted FIA to slap the penalty ? What was Ferrari trying to tell the stewards ? Fast forward to Monza, and the same questions again crop up and again no answers were provided by FIA, except the stupid rule being changed.

But there was much more hue-and-cry this time because, first, Fernando Alonso is trying to retain his championship in a car that suddenly seems slower than Ferrari’s & McLaren’s and secondly because unlike Jean Todt & Michael Schumacher, Flavio Briatore & Fernando Alonso decided to be much more vocal about it [and in this process questioning the Formula-1 in itself, which even we believe was totally uncalled for].

The other problem has been that the people [FIA] who should be giving answers to the questions are the one who try to create more instability. Bernie Ecclestone & Max Mosely does not seems to be on the same page anymore, most of the time both are giving contradictory statements, if Max comes out in support of something, you can be sure Bernie will oppose it [most of the time].

The solution [again as we see it] is in fact very simple. First, make Formula-1 more transparent and provide complete data in support of the decisions that are taken. Second, all teams & drivers should be asked to issue a informal statement regarding the decision. Third [and most important], ask Bernie & Mad Max to think before they issue a statement, they are doing more harm than good to the sports, or take a step forward and ask both of them to retire and let young blood take Formula-1 to new heights.

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . FIA . Ferrari . Renault . Mercedes-McLaren . Fernando Alonso . Michael Schumacher . Bernie Ecclestone . Max Mosely . Jean Todt . Flavio Briatore . controversies . Stewards . Monaco . Monza

Honda 2007 Engines to Wait

As reported on FeedmeF1

Honda successfully honed the design during testing at Jerez last week, but due to the new two-race schedule commenced with older engines at Monza, both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello must now wait until the Japanese GP to change specification and avoid penalty. Japan ’06 is teams’ last chance to introduce new two-race engines before designs are homologated, or ‘frozen’, for 2007 and beyond.

Will They ? Won’t They ? Will They ? ……. and the wait continues !

Related Articles:

• Barrichello eyes Shanghai podium [Internal]
• Button happy with improved reliability [Internal]
• Honda to race 2007 engine in China [Internal]

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Honda . Jenson Button . Reubens Barrichello . Monza . Suzuka . Engines

FIA: no action over Briatore remarks

As reported on autosport.com

The FIA has decided that there is no need to take action against Flavio Briatore over the controversial comments he made after the Italian Grand Prix, autosport.com has learned that following a statement issued by Briatore claiming that his comments had been said as a joke, and then an interview he did the week after Monza to express his full faith in the governance of the sport, the matter has now had a line drawn underneath it.

“Both let their emotions get to them,” said FIA President Max Mosley. “In the heat of the moment they said some impulsive stuff. Considering the circumstances, sometimes you need to be tolerant.” He said: “I think on some occasions Flavio spoke in an over-excited manner. But, to be fair with him, he subsequently and promptly corrected his quotes.”

Very convenient. Say something really serious, then back-track from it saying it was “misinterpreted” and you are scott-free !

• Furious Briatore vows to fight against odds: UPDATE [Internal]

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . FIA . Renault . Fernando Alonso . Flavio Briatore . Max Mosely . Monza

Michelin ‘optimistic’ about remaining races

As reported on autosport.com

“Over recent weeks, we have been working very hard in a specific area: our tyres’ single-lap performance,” explained Michelin’s F1 director Nick Shorrock. “After Indianapolis, we noted that our cars were systematically 0.2 seconds slower in qualifying, which had particular consequences for Renault in terms of their ability to put their cars where they needed to, to make their strategies work.

“We were conscious of this problem, and worked through the summer to try and improve the situation. In Monza, we brought the widest range of tyres of the whole season, and they lived up to expectations.” Shorrock believes the qualifying gains are between 0.1 seconds and 0.3 seconds per lap – and that the improvement should be carried over to the final races of the season.

Related Article:

• Flav gives Michelin new wake up call [Internal]
• Michelin begin F1 decline [Internal]

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Renault . tyres . Michelin . Nick Shorrock . Monza . Indianapolis . Qualifiers

F1’s next big star?

As reported on Auto123.com

While we have the likes of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen to carry us through after Schumacher leaves, there is another name on everyone’s lips after Polish racer Robert Kubica finished the Italian Grand Prix third in his only third race.

Despite Kubica’s lack of experience, he did everything right in Italy while his more experienced rivals made mistakes including his teammate Nick Heidfeld, who out-accelerated Michael Schumacher at the start to take second place, but then, as they went into the first corner, he switched to the inside line where there was a lot less grip.

When compared to other rookie that start this year, Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica definately looks the future of Formula 1.

For Kubica’s hold the advantage of a complete package [car, team & personal performance], compared to Nico Rosberg [taking nothing away from his personal performance] who, we think, got hampered by lack of progress at Williams. Also the hype created during Rosberg’s initial races did a little harm to him, compared to a very quiet launch of Kubica and he proved his credentials directly on the circuit.

Related Articles

• Kubica a star of the future, says Alonso [Internal]

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Williams . BMW-Sauber . Robert Kubica . Fernando Alonso . Kimi Raikkonen . Nico Rosberg . Nick Heidfeld . Monza

Honda to race 2007 engine in China

As reported on homeofsport

Honda will attempt to use its 2007-specification engine at China’s Shanghai race next month … plan to introduce the updated 2.4 litre V8 at Monza backfired spectacularly when Anthony Davidson suffered two failures in free practice last Friday.
Team boss Nick Fry told Speed TV that the cause of the Monza failures were manufacturing errors.

At Monza, after reverting to the older V8 specification, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello logged the second and third slowest speeds of the entire grand prix field.

Who says persistence does not pay ! But let’s hope it pays Honda.

Related Article:

• Honda to debut 2007 engine in Italy

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Honda . Jenson Button . Reubens Barrichello . Anthony Davidson . Nick Fry . Monza . Shanghai . Engine

Alonso’s keen to spoil Schu’s retirement party

as reported on Planet-F1.com

Fernando Alonso said: “I think we should be very optimistic. We were very, very quick in the last two races, as quick as Ferrari or even more so. So in the last three races we should be the favourites. I think we have been quick. The car is improving a lot, it is getting really, really competitive. We are 110% that we will do it, that is what is going to happen.”

[Regarding engine failure]“We tried not to lose too many points but we had to push the engine a bit more. It is much more difficult. These things happen to everyone – we had the engine failure, we had the tyre failure in Hungary. They were not in the right moment but maybe this can happen to Ferrari in the last two races and we can be happy again. We have to concentrate and do our job.”

“Now I would like to concentrate on these last three races and finish in style, hopefully with the championship,” Michael Schumacher said. “I really look forward to it. I don’t think the pressure is going to be high,” he added. “What is most important is the championship. I will focus everything on that, which means not getting into this subject [retirement] again. I am not going to talk about this any more.”

Way to go guys !! We are sure we will get to see a very exciting end-of season on the racetracks [not in the media room], and we are genuinely looking forward to it.

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Michael Schumacher . Fernando Alonso . Ferrari . Renault . Monza . engine

Furious Briatore vows to fight against odds: UPDATE

As reported on f1racing.net

A fuming Flavio Briatore vowed to fight against the odds and beat a ‘lucky’ Michael Schumacher to the championship. The Renault team boss also took the opportunity to blast F1 authorities for what he branded ‘interference’ beyond the sporting nature of F1.

“Fernando’s still in front and when we talk about the sport, the engine failure is just part of the sport we accept it,” Briatore said. “The other stuff, the interference in the sport is something we don’t accept. We go to China and we’ll fight as the sport, but we can’t do anything about that other stuff, the interference” he added.

Well, he and Alonso does have all the right in the world to be furious. It was indeed one of the most dubious decisions by the race stewards, something that even we didn’t believe in !

UPDATE

As reported on feedmef1.com

in a statement provided by the Renault press office, the team intimated that the media’s ‘reporting’ of the comments was at fault. Briatore is quoted as saying: ”These comments … have been completely taken out of context. ”A jokey remark has been turned into something it was not intended to be.”

Fernando Alonso said at Monza on Sunday evening: ”Now that Michael has announced his retirement, it is clear what they are trying to make happen.”

Related Article

• Alonso loses 5 grid positions [Internal]
• The F1 Pit Box: Are Renault Bad Losers? [External]

Michael Schumacher to retire

It’s official now. In post race interview, Michael Schumacher said to the world that he won’t be participating with the team at same level of racing. In other words, he’s retiring from being a Formula 1 Driver for Ferrari.

And that came after winning the Italian Grand Prix, with Kimi Raikkonen coming second and some astonishing driving from rookie Robert Kubica brought him his first Podium Finish with ending the race in Third place.

Details to follow.

TAGS: Formula 1 . F1 . Michael Schumacher . Kimi Raikkonen . Robert Kubica . Ferrari . Monza