FORMULA 1 2011

[MIKA27]

Q&A with Kamui Kobayashi

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi discusses the Pirelli tyres, KERS and his new team-mate Sergio Perez.

Q. Have you yet been able to use all types and compounds of the Pirelli tyres?

KK: "Yes, I have had everything that has been available so far. This includes Wet tyres, although I ran them when the conditions were not ideal because the track wasn't quite wet enough.

"Normally I would have put Intermediates on, but I wanted to learn about the Wet tyres as well."

Q. What is the most significant difference from the construction of the previous tyre?

KK: "First of all I think Pirelli has done a good job within a short period of time. The outcome are tyres which are different in almost every aspect compared to what we have been used to.

"The grip level is lower, the tyres don't last as long, and once you overdrive them the drop is dramatic and can be five seconds per lap. But these characteristics didn't occur by accident and they will produce a lot pit stops and exciting races."

Q. For the Bahrain test that was originally scheduled we expected much higher track temperatures than in Barcelona. What difference does this make from a driver's perspective?

KK: "Higher track temperatures definitely make a huge difference. So, yes, we will have that lack of experience when arriving in Melbourne. But this is the same for everybody, and we have to prepare ourselves as well as possible by considering how we can react and deal with what happens."

Q. There was much talk about excessive demand for the drivers due to the new systems - KERS and adjustable rear wing. What is your opinion on that?

KK: "The most important question is how you can improve lap times with the new systems and by how much. I am working to get used to the new systems. It is a driver task and people who are using it well will have an advantage compared to those who are using it less efficiently.

"It is a matter of concentration, that is true. I can definitely manage that. Regarding all the talk - well, we are race drivers and complaining sometimes can be part of the business."

Q. Do you believe we will really see a lot more overtaking now?

KK: "At the moment I guess so. Although I don't believe the KERS will help because almost everybody has it. So it is only the rear wing and I'm not sure if the idea for the races of the one second gap to the car in front will really work."

Q. You have a talent for overtaking. Will that be worth less now?

KK: "Maybe yes, especially in case it turns out overtaking really becomes much easier for everyone. But this is nothing to worry about because it is part of the rules."

Q. In the meantime you have got to know your new team-mate (Sergio Pérez) quite well. When you work together how do you feel in your new role as being the more experienced driver?

KK: "Personally I'm fine with this. I have to use my experience as best I can, and also have to work on the car, which is most important. Compared to a rookie, one season of experience is a lot.

"I know quite well how it is for Sergio, as it is not easy and he needs time. During testing there is time and this is good. The first race weekends will be tough. Practice is limited and very quickly you have to qualify and race. Every rookie has to deal with that."

Q. Will the team take new parts for the Sauber C30-Ferrari to Barcelona?

KK: "Yes, we will have several new parts. It will be our start of the season package and relates to almost all the aero components on the car. I'm very much looking forward to testing them.

"The final winter test is always something very special with every team's cars close to what they will be at the first race, and everyone trying to find out where everyone else stands. What we all estimate may still be wrong, but it is exciting!"

[MIKA27]

Alonso reveals admiration for Schumi

Fernando Alonso has spoken of his respect and admiration for seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher.

Many pundits have raised doubts over Schumacher and Mercedes' ability to challenge for the title this year following a disappointing 2010 campaign and some mixed performances in pre-season testing.

However, Alonso - the man who ended Schumacher and Ferrari's dominance with back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 - is refusing to write off the German before the start of the season.

"If there is one person I respect and admire, it is Michael for everything he has done," Alonso is quoted by German news agency dpa.

"We have to wait 'til Australia and the first three or four races and see how Mercedes is doing. If Mercedes is fighting for pole position, he will be one of our great rivals."

The decision to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix has come as a relief to some while others feel it will affect them negatively.

"I don't think it changes much. Nobody really knows how anyone else is doing. This year there were no leaks in the paddock. Let's see who can draw an advantage from the late start," Alonso said.

When asked if Bahrain should still the race, Alonso replied: "They deserve to have that show. Let's hope we can go there in total calm."

Alonso and Ferrari have done a lot of mileage during the three pre-season tests, but the Spaniard is refusing to predict how fast the car will be.

"There is no clear reference point for where we stand. Are we happy with the car? Yes. Is it reliable? Yes. Fast? We'll know in Australia," he said.

"We're not anxious, but we would like to know more. We do not need to change the way we work, there is a lot of work to do. Australia is the definitive moment."

[rckymtn22]

Not sure how a person would link a F1 car with a truck Plus, I don't think Ford sells trucks outside of North America.

Ford sues Ferrari for using F-150 name on race car

Wed Feb 9, 8:30 pm ET

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) sued luxury automaker Ferrari on Wednesday for trademark infringement after Ferrari named its 2011 Formula 1 racing car the "F150."

Ferrari's F150 logo bears striking resemblance to the one on Ford's F-150 pickup truck, the top-selling vehicle in the United States, Ford said in a complaint filed in federal court.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark in naming its new racing vehicle the 'F150' in order to capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150 trademark," Ford said in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Ford is asking the court to bar Ferrari from using the name. The automaker is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.

Fiat SpA (FIA.MI) has an 85 percent stake in Ferrari, and management control of Chrysler Group LLC, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

Ford and Ferrari could not be immediately reached for comment. According to the complaint, the two automakers have a "legendary history as rivals in auto racing."

Ferrari set up a website -- www.ferrarif150.com -- to promote the racing vehicle.

"The choice of name stems from Ferrari's desire to pay tribute to this year's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy," Ferrari said, according to a January 25 press release posted on www.ferrarif150.com.

[MIKA27]

Lewis closes in on management team

Lewis Hamilton is closing in on a new management team and hopes to make an announcement before the season-opening race in Australia.

The McLaren driver has been without a manager since he decided to end his professional relationship with his father Anthony in March 2010.

He confirmed on Tuesday that he will have a new team in place to take care of his business affairs when the season kicks off on March 27 in Melbourne.

"Nothing has been signed or fully firmed up," he told Reuters. "But I'm really hopeful in the next week or so we should hopefully have an announcement... definitely before Australia," he added.

"It's a big decision to sign with someone for a period of time, but I'm confident with what I'm going to do, so you'll find out very soon."

According to reports, IMG - the firm who manages the likes of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer - and Simon Fuller, he who is taking care of the business affairs of the Beckhams, are the frontrunners to manage Hamilton.

[MIKA27]

Korean GP ticket prices slashed

Organisers of the Korean Grand Prix have drastically reduced ticket prices for this year's race following disappointing sales figures during the inaugural race in 2010.

The run-up to last year's grand prix was marred by criticism as track officials struggled to complete the circuit in time for the race. They failed to fill the seats with only 80 000 people attending on race day at the 135 000 capacity circuit.

Tickets for the 2011 event from October 14-16 went on sale on Wednesday and those who splash the cash in March will get a 50 percent discount while fans who buy tickets from April 1 to August 31 will get a discount of up to 30 per cent.

The average ticket price will range from 460 000 won ($410) to 315 000 won ($280) while a three-day pass will set you back about 315 000 won ($279).

The head of the Korean grand prix organising committee Park Joon-young says they've learned from their mistakes.

"This year, we will try to improve our ticket sales, advertising and other areas of our operations," Park said.

"I know that there were controversies about our construction and also ticket prices. We will try our best so that motor sports can develop into a key part of our leisure industry."

[MIKA27]

'Impossible to predict if or when Kubica returns'

Robert Kubica's manager Daniel Morelli has warned against "the indulging of fanciful assumptions" when it comes to the Pole's return to F1.

The Renault driver is still in hospital after sustaining career-threatening injuries during an accident in Ronda di Andora Rally in Italy. Doctors had to battle for hours to save his right hand and he also broke a leg and an arm.

His "state of health is good" according to the doctors and the Pole has already started "passive physiotherapy".

He is optimistic that he will return to F1 this year, but his manager says it's still too early to make any predictions.

"Robert is recovering well," Morelli told Radio Sportiva, "but at the moment it is impossible to predict if and when he returns to racing. We must distinguish between our optimism and the indulging of fanciful assumptions. At the moment, it's impossible to talk about timeframes."

Meanwhile, Kubica's close friend Fernando Alonso says the 26-year-old is bored in hospital.

"It's 16 hours (a day) in bed with nothing to do," he is quoted by German press agency dpa. "He is not in very good spirits. He's making calculations so he can return as soon as possible."

[MIKA27]

Alonso evades 'sabotage' questions

Fernando Alonso has sidestepped questions about allegations that he tried to "sabotage" Lewis Hamilton during his season at McLaren.

A recently published biography about Bernie Ecclestone has brought Alonso's acrimonious year at the Woking-based team back into the spotlight.

According to The Star, Tom Bowers' book "No Angel: The Secret Life Of Bernie Ecclestone" reveals that the Spaniard asked former team boss Ron Dennis to short-fuel Hamilton's car for the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix so that the Brit would run out of fuel and fail to finish the race.

When Spain's AS newspaper asked him for his thoughts on the allegations, Alonso replied: "I do not know, each person tries to do their job. In principle the Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull drivers are the favourites."

[MIKA27]

McLaren duo admit car is not up to scratch

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have confirmed what most people have been suspecting: the MP4-26 is not up to scratch just yet.

The two McLaren drivers had a lot of reliability issues with their new car during the first three winter tests and as a result didn't get enough mileage under the belts. With only one more pre-season test to come in Barcelona, McLaren will have their work cut out for them.

Button admits he had concerns about the MP4-26 pretty much from the word go.

"When I first jumped in the car my first reaction was not 'wow, we're going to blow everyone away'," Button told Press Association Sport.

"But then I don't think anyone would have felt that because the car has a lot less downforce and the tyres (Pirelli) are working very differently to the previous tyre (Bridgestone).

"There's nothing that really scares me about the car in a negative way, so there's a lot we can improve through general set-up work.

"This year, at the moment, we've had some issues in testing in terms of getting parts to the circuit and a couple of reliability issues.

"So we've not done as much running as we would have liked, which has hurt our set-up work.

"But we do have four more days and hopefully things are going to run more sweetly at the next test, we get a lot of laps in, and then we can improve the base we have."

Team-mate Hamilton concedes that they probably left their car launch a little too light.

"The team are aware of it, and of course we'd love to have had more mileage, but there is a real balance," he said.

"We left it (unveiling the car) a bit later, not because the car was late, but because we wanted a week or two more to develop it, and perhaps it's not played right into our hands.

"We've good things in the pipeline, and we definitely improved in the last couple of days' testing, doing 107 laps on the final day at the last test.

"We've not done the mileage at the beginning, but hopefully we can pick up on reliability, and that the downforce is on its way."

The 2008 World Champion added that there were some similarities between the 2009 car and the 2011 model when it comes to downforce.

"The '09 car was terrible as it was hopping, three-wheeling through corners, locking up, and it had no downforce," he said.

"This car doesn't lock up, it doesn't three-wheel, and it handles really nice, better than last year's car, but it just doesn't have as much downforce.

"Because the regulations have changed, it's a similar downforce level to '09.

"We have a little more, but it's not far off, so it feels weak in that area. Hopefully we've more downforce coming onto the car."

.

[MIKA27]

Two-stop races will be impossible - Vettel

'Two-stop races will be impossible'. That is the view of 2010 Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel.

The German believes that almost all of the races will feature a minimum of three or four-stops as the drivers will require fresh rubber to remain competitive.

"Tyres are very different to last year, but then again it is the same for everybody," he said. "I think we'll see that racing will change.

"One-stop is impossible at this stage, also two-stops so it will be at least a three or four-stop race, so yeah I think it will make it very interesting.

"The question is, is it a good thing for us or a bad thing. It is hard to say now because obviously we need to getting going and see how the races unfold," he added.

In terms of overtaking, the Red Bull driver isn't so confident that KERS will make a difference between two equipped cars as they will end up cancelling out one another.

"KERS is the same for everybody, so you've got KERS in your car and so has the other guy. It doesn't make a big difference at the end of the day."

[MIKA27]

Kobayashi: Moveable wings may help

Kamui Kobayashi reckons F1's new moveable rear wing will improve overtaking but only if the cars are evenly matched.

This year's Championship sees the introduction of moveable rear wings as well as the return of KERS, both aimed at making overtaking easier for the drivers.

However, given that F1 has yet to contest a grand prix, the jury is still out as to whether both devices will in fact improve the spectacle.

"At the moment I guess so," Kobayashi told the official F1 website when asked his opinion. "Although I don't believe the KERS will help because almost everybody has it.

"So it is only the rear wing and I'm not sure if the idea for the races of the one second gap to the car in front will really work."

The Sauber driver, though, is known for his ability to overtaking, having secured a race-seat last season after impressing his team bosses when he contested two grands prix for Toyota in 2009, overtaking several big-name rivals.

And unfortunately for the Japanese driver, he reckons his talent may not be as awe-inspiring if everyone else is also doing it with ease.

"Maybe yes, especially in case it turns out overtaking really becomes much easier for everyone. But this is nothing to worry about because it is part of the rules."

MIKA: I hope KK does well this season.

[MIKA27]

Bernie wants fake rain to spice things up

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is considering creating artificial rain during races to spice up the sport.

With overtaking becoming increasingly difficult in dry conditions, more and more people are looking to the weather gods to intervene with a bit of rain. In 2010, most of the on-track excitement was caused by some heavy downpours.

Ecclestone has taken note of this and believes he has come up with a cunning plan.

"Overtaking is almost impossible because in the dry there is only one line good for maximum speed because of the rubber on the track," he told the official Formula One website. "You have a completely different picture when it is wet. We always had the most exciting races in the wet so let's think of making rain...

He added: "There are race tracks that you can make artificially wet and it would be easy to have such systems at a number of tracks. Why not let it 'rain' in the middle of a race? For 20 minutes or the last ten laps? Maybe with a two-minute warning ahead of it. Suspense would be guaranteed and it would be the same for all."

Another one of Ecclestone's famous (or is that infamous) proposals is the medal system. His plan, which would see Drivers' Championship decided on medals rather than the current points system, was suppose to be introduced in 2009 but teams rejected the idea.

Ecclestone, though, insists the idea is not dead in the water.

"I stick to it - let's have medals instead of points," he said. "Drivers want to win and they are not racing for second, third or fourth place. So let's have a system where wins count.

"Last season it would have worked pretty well. [sebastian] Vettel and [Fernando] Alonso would have been even after the last race with five gold medals each, and the same number of silver and bronze medals. Vettel would have won the World Championship because he had more fourth places... I call that a thriller!.

[CanuckSARTech]

Bernie wants fake rain to spice things up

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is considering creating artificial rain during races to spice up the sport.

With overtaking becoming increasingly difficult in dry conditions, more and more people are looking to the weather gods to intervene with a bit of rain. In 2010, most of the on-track excitement was caused by some heavy downpours.

Ecclestone has taken note of this and believes he has come up with a cunning plan.

"Overtaking is almost impossible because in the dry there is only one line good for maximum speed because of the rubber on the track," he told the official Formula One website. "You have a completely different picture when it is wet. We always had the most exciting races in the wet so let's think of making rain...

He added: "There are race tracks that you can make artificially wet and it would be easy to have such systems at a number of tracks. Why not let it 'rain' in the middle of a race? For 20 minutes or the last ten laps? Maybe with a two-minute warning ahead of it. Suspense would be guaranteed and it would be the same for all."

Another one of Ecclestone's famous (or is that infamous) proposals is the medal system. His plan, which would see Drivers' Championship decided on medals rather than the current points system, was suppose to be introduced in 2009 but teams rejected the idea.

Ecclestone, though, insists the idea is not dead in the water.

"I stick to it - let's have medals instead of points," he said. "Drivers want to win and they are not racing for second, third or fourth place. So let's have a system where wins count.

"Last season it would have worked pretty well. [sebastian] Vettel and [Fernando] Alonso would have been even after the last race with five gold medals each, and the same number of silver and bronze medals. Vettel would have won the World Championship because he had more fourth places... I call that a thriller!.

Whether these are crackpot ideas or not, these two thoughts are interesting - it would definitely alter the sport a lot.

[ryans]

Whether these are crackpot ideas or not, these two thoughts are interesting - it would definitely alter the sport a lot.

For years the question has always been:

Bernie Ecclestone: senile or pure genius?

[MIKA27]

Pirelli would support artificial wet races

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery says the Italian tyre manufacturer would support Bernie Ecclestone's idea for artificial wet races.

With many F1 fans bemoaning the lack of excitement in races that all too often turn into processions, Ecclestone recently put forward the idea of artificial wet races.

And everyone in F1 knows that even a few drops of rain during a grand prix can cause havoc and that often equals thrilling races.

"There are race tracks that you can make artificially wet and it would be easy to have such systems at a number of tracks," the F1 supremo told the official F1 website.

"Why not let it 'rain' in the middle of a race? For 20 minutes or the last ten laps? Maybe with a two-minute warning ahead of it. Suspense would be guaranteed and it would be the same for all."

His proposal has been backed by Pirelli, who actual ran on an artificially wet track when they tested their tyres at Abu Dahbi earlier this year, soaking the track.

"I thought Bernie Ecclestone's comments were quite interesting," Hembery told Autosport.

"Straight after our recent successful (wet-weather_ Abu Dhabi test I saw him and said, 'why don't we do an artificial wet race?' The technology is such that you can wet a circuit with a sprinkler system, so the idea is not as daft as it sounds.

"Having seen what it was like in Abu Dhabi, certainly with a wet element it would look spectacular - and visibility shouldn't be a problem because there would be no clouds.

"From a tyre makers' point of view, there is no difficulty in making suitable tyres. We have seen great races in the past when you have had an extra variable like the weather, so why not?"

Hembrey denied that artificial wet races would be too much of a gimmick, saying he believes they would in fact attract fans to the sport.

"At the end of the day you want people to watch what you are offering," he said. "F1 ultimately competes for entertainment space with other sports - so people need to see something that is interesting.

"From that point of view, an artificial wet race would add to the show - and you want something people will watch.

"A good example of a radical idea in the sport that have been accepted is the Singapore Grand Prix. You could argue that running at night under lights is a gimmick. But it has turned out to be one of the most spectacular races of the season. It is stunning.

"Couldn't you in fact argue that a street circuit itself is gimmicky? After all, you have created a circuit out of normal roads.

"I would agree that something fake like throwing in safety cars frequently to close the field up if they got too spread out would be going too far, but in terms of throwing something of a new challenge, like an artificial wet race, at drivers, tacticians and engineers, it would be great."

[MIKA27]

For years the question has always been:

Bernie Ecclestone: senile or pure genius?

A bit of both really.

One minute you hate him, the next you want to shake his hand!

[MIKA27]

Bernie: A woman to run F1, Schumi to win

Bernie Ecclestone says one of these days Formula One could be run by a woman, Michael Schumacher could win a grand prix and Sebastian Vettel another World title.

Although the F1 supremo has often said he will remain in charge of Formula One until the day he dies, the 80-year-old could in fact relinquish control in "three to five years." And when he does, it may be to a female.

"Women have always had a strong influence, and have probably been in the background for too long. Isn't there the saying that behind every successful man there is a woman?" Ecclestone told the official F1 website.

"I think that women don't get trapped so easily in their own ego. Women don't have to play golf to make deals, they simply have to work harder to get the same acceptance as men. As their egos don't stand in their way they decide things less emotionally and in the end that serves the cause."

Asked whether he could 'imagine women running Formula One racing', he said: "Absolutely. Probably in three to five years."

However, a woman in charge of F1 was not the F1 supremo's only prediction. He also believes seven-time World Champion Schumacher could win a race this season, although concedes that depends on whether Mercedes GP give him a car capable of doing so.

"I have not the slightest doubt about it. If he (Schumacher) has a competitive car, he's a title contender," he said.

"Michael is still very motivated and his physical fitness is as good as in his heyday. When you talk to him you feel with every word and every gesture that he wants to win again - more than anything else. If Mercedes gives him a competitive car, he will win again."

Schumacher, though, will face a tough challenge from Red Bull's drivers as Ecclestone says it "looks like Red Bull again has the best car and the others have to close a gap before the first race."

But should Red Bull's rivals fail to do so, he reckons the title will once again go the way of "very clearly Sebastian!"

As for the reigning World Champ's future in F1, he will one day drive for Ferrari - or so says Bernie.

"At the moment there is no reason why he should have wandering eyes, but one day I do see him with Ferrari. In the life of every successful Formula One driver comes the moment when he wants to sit in a Ferrari."

MIKA: Hmmmm.... This 'Female F1 boss/supremo' wouldn't happen to be B.E's wife Michelle Yeoh?

[MIKA27]

Singha beer and Red Bull renew sponsor deal

Red Bull Racing has renewed its partnership for 2011 with Singha Beer after a successful season together in 2010.

The new deal means Singha Beer will benefit from increased visibility within the team, most notably on the nose of the new RB7. As well as gaining greater visibility on track, Singha Beer will also continue to support the team's VIP guest hospitality programmes, as it has done since 2008.

The Thai brand is seeking to increase its presence as a globally recognised premium beer brand and expand the number of countries that it currently exports to.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner said of the extension: "Singha Beer has been a fantastic supporter of Red Bull Racing for a number of seasons and last year we were delighted that it stepped up its commitment by becoming an official Team Partner. We’re pleased that the company has reconfirmed and increased its support for the team for another year. There are strong Thai links between Red Bull and Singha, which help give us a shared sense of aspiration and ambition."

"Singha Corporation’s partnership with Red Bull Racing in 2010 was a great success, both on and off track," said Voravud Bhirombhakdi, Strategic Partnership and Event Department, 4th Generation Bhirombhakdi family of Singha Corporation Thailand. "We are very confident that the team, in partnership with Singha Beer, will once again give everyone a cause to celebrate!"

[MIKA27]

Brawn: 'We're about a second off the pace'

Ross Brawn has openly recognised that the 2011 MGP-W02 is off the pace of the front-runners Ferrari and Red Bull.

In an interview with the BBC's Radio 5 Live, the Mercedes team principal conceded that the outfit needed to find a second before the season opener in Australia on March 27th if it's to challenge at the front.

"We're about a second off where we want to be, which is at the front, so we've got to find a second in the upgrade which we think we can do," said Brawn.

"But you never know what others will do - we've set out our plan, we'll know at Melbourne if it's right."

Meanwhile, after enjoying massive success with Benetton, Ferrari and most recently Brawn GP, the 56-year-old admitted it was times like these that inspire him and the team to do better.

"It's often these periods when you get most motivation - when you've been there, you don't want to let it go, that's what drives you the hardest, when you've got challenges to face," he added.

"We're all intensely competitive and we get more motivated when we're not achieving what we want to achieve."

[OZCUBAN]

Bernie wants fake rain to spice things up

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is considering creating artificial rain during races to spice up the sport.

With overtaking becoming increasingly difficult in dry conditions, more and more people are looking to the weather gods to intervene with a bit of rain. In 2010, most of the on-track excitement was caused by some heavy downpours.

Ecclestone has taken note of this and believes he has come up with a cunning plan.

"Overtaking is almost impossible because in the dry there is only one line good for maximum speed because of the rubber on the track," he told the official Formula One website. "You have a completely different picture when it is wet. We always had the most exciting races in the wet so let's think of making rain...

He added: "There are race tracks that you can make artificially wet and it would be easy to have such systems at a number of tracks. Why not let it 'rain' in the middle of a race? For 20 minutes or the last ten laps? Maybe with a two-minute warning ahead of it. Suspense would be guaranteed and it would be the same for all."

Another one of Ecclestone's famous (or is that infamous) proposals is the medal system. His plan, which would see Drivers' Championship decided on medals rather than the current points system, was suppose to be introduced in 2009 but teams rejected the idea.

Ecclestone, though, insists the idea is not dead in the water.

"I stick to it - let's have medals instead of points," he said. "Drivers want to win and they are not racing for second, third or fourth place. So let's have a system where wins count.

"Last season it would have worked pretty well. [sebastian] Vettel and [Fernando] Alonso would have been even after the last race with five gold medals each, and the same number of silver and bronze medals. Vettel would have won the World Championship because he had more fourth places... I call that a thriller!.

I have been saying this for years now not as stupid as it sounds failing that they could hold all 19 races alternating between Melbourne and Brisbane ;)

OZ

[Baldy]

Ferrari tweaks car's name again

Friday, March 4th 2011, 18:44 GMT

Ferrari has made a further adjustment to the chassis name of its 2011 Formula 1 car after settling its disagreement with Ford.

The car had originally been designated the F150, a title chosen to mark the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. But this prompted a complaint from Ford, which feared the name would cause confusion with customers as it has a popular truck design known as the F-150.

Ferrari then said it would switch to a full version of the car's name and use F150th Italia instead, and today Ford announced that the matter was settled.

But Ferrari has subsequently revealed one final tweak, saying the chassis will now be known as the Ferrari 150° Italia.

The name was announced in a sardonic 'Horse Whisperer' column published on Ferrari's website.

"It might seem like a Kafkaesque scenario, but the affair relating to the name of the car with which Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will tackle this year's Formula 1 World Championship saw its final and decisive episode played out these past few days with the concomitant withdrawal by Ford of the summons. Therefore common sense has prevailed," said the column.

"In order to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck, for their part, the men from Maranello have decided that the car will lose the F that precedes the number 150 and which stands for Ferrari, as it has done on numerous occasions when it's come to giving a car a code name, be it for the race track or the road.

"It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English 'th' with the equivalent Italian symbol.

"Therefore the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country.

"Let's hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on more serious matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner."

As a McLaren fan, I'm not a huge fan of Ferrari. Having said that I absolutely LOVE Ferrari's comments. Priceless! Frikking Ford.

[Baldy]

Forget the fake rain, bad tires and video games (via more buttons for the drivers to push), modify and build tracks that are more conducive to passing. Purposely designing tires that degrade faster is technologically a step backwards and is not environmentally friendly. This is in contrast to engine developments. Designing a set of tire to last 3-4 races, now that would be a technological marvel, environmentally friendly and cost effective. Less restrictions and rules, let the engineers engineer and let the drivers drive.

[ryans]

Forget the fake rain, bad tires and video games (via more buttons for the drivers to push), modify and build tracks that are more conducive to passing. Purposely designing tires that degrade faster is technologically a step backwards and is not environmentally friendly. This is in contrast to engine developments. Designing a set of tire to last 3-4 races, now that would be a technological marvel, environmentally friendly and cost effective. Less restrictions and rules, let the engineers engineer and let the drivers drive.

I'm actually pro-tire changes - as there can be errors made during pitstops which can alter the result and can provide thrills in the race.

To some extent, it also allows for tire strategy. That's why I miss re-fueling because the difference of fuel levels in cars sometimes provided for exciting racing and race strategies.

I remember that season where the tires had to last for the whole race - I fell asleep during most races as everyone didn't take any risk to overtake because they had to preserve their tires.

[MIKA27]

I'm actually pro-tire changes - as there can be errors made during pitstops which can alter the result and can provide thrills in the race.

To some extent, it also allows for tire strategy. That's why I miss re-fueling because the difference of fuel levels in cars sometimes provided for exciting racing and race strategies.

I remember that season where the tires had to last for the whole race - I fell asleep during most races as everyone didn't take any risk to overtake because they had to preserve their tires.

I myself miss Formula 1 where they used to refuel. Ever since they ceased refuelling, I find F1 has changed for the worse (And I love this sport). Bring back refuelling I say!

[MIKA27]

Webber: I'll end my career with Red bull

Mark Webber wants to end his Formula One career with Red Bull Racing and he has no intention of that being at the end of this season.

Having signed a one-year extension to his contract in July last year, Webber, who finished third in the 2010 Drivers' Championship, will continue with Red Bull this season.

And although there has been speculation that it could be the Aussie's final campaign in Formula One, Webber says he's not yet ready to walk away from the sport.

"I would believe so," he told F1 Racing when asked if his career would end with Red bull.

"I want to continue - any driver wants this - racing towards the front and hanging out with these punks... week in week out.

"To race with them is very rewarding and enjoyable. Of course you have nerves at the time. There's not a guy in the pit lane who doesn't have nerves. They'd be lying if they told you they didn't.

"It's what gets you out of bed. That's what a competitor goes through and that's what you enjoy."

The Aussie also insisted that despite a few tense moments with Red Bull last season, during which he accused the team of favouring Sebastian Vettel, he is happy with the team.

"Obviously we've had a few headwinds here and there within the team, but to have two drivers do what we did last year is a unique situation and one of them might not - was not - supposed to have been in that situation," he said.

"I hope I can continue to work hard for Red Bull. They know my reputation is that when I do things, I do them to the best of my ability at all times. And they know that I will do that again."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari tweak 2011 car's name

Ferrari's 2011 challenger has once again undergone a name change so that even the "thickest of people" don't mistake it for a Ford.

Ferrari initially named their 2011 car the F150 but in the wake of legal action by Ford, who have a popular truck called the F-150, the Scuderia changed the car's name to the F150th Italia.

And although on Friday it was confirmed that Ford had dropped their legal action against Ferrari, the Italian outfit has still opted to tweak the name of the car in order to avoid confusion.

"It might seem like a Kafkaesque scenario, but the affair relating to the name of the car with which Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will tackle this year's Formula 1 World Championship saw its final and decisive episode played out these past few days with the concomitant withdrawal by Ford of the summons. Therefore common sense has prevailed," Ferrari wrote in the 'Horse Whisperer' column.

"In order to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck, for their part, the men from Maranello have decided that the car will lose the F that precedes the number 150 and which stands for Ferrari, as it has done on numerous occasions when it's come to giving a car a code name, be it for the race track or the road.

"It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English "th" with the equivalent Italian symbol.

"Therefore the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country. Let's hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on more serious matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner."

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