links for 2009-07-11
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The Red Bulls are heavy, Brawns are light. McLarens are also quite heavy, but the heaviest of the top 10? 7th-placed Sutil! Amazing!
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Steve Matchett compares a Formula 1 engine to a water mill – "exactly the same". Great!
Via F1 Fanatic
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Glock given a three place grid penalty, which moves him to the back row from… er, the back row.
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"When the intermediates were overheating I needed fresh tyres for the final run in Q2 and I was personally uncertain what to choose – another set of inters or the softer slick compound. I left the decision to the team and they went for drys.
"I don't blame anybody, as it is always easy to know afterwards what would have been best. However, 11th isn't too bad and we are free to choose our fuel strategy. I wouldn't mind having a wet race tomorrow."
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Giorgio Ascanelli: "This afternoon, we did not manage the traffic well. We cannot blame the rain, as it was the same for everybody and we knew what was going to happen.”
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Sam Michael: "I think the regulations are very close and I understand the Concorde Agreement is very close as is the cost regulation document, so from Williams' point of view we want it to be solved and we are hopeful that barring any further hiccups it will just be a matter of days before things are tied up."
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"Personally, I have no worries about a breakaway series; it can be done. If the necessity is there, I don't think anyone in FOTA is scared of the prospect."
Paddy Lowe agrees.
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"Who knows, as long as the Formula 1 and rallying calendars don't overlap anything is possible. If there is a place at Toro Rosso I am available.
"Although I must say a grand prix is not the same as a rally. It is 70 laps and physically I'm not ready. In rallying you do not have the same conditions as an F1 driver."
Sounds like he is being playful rather than totally serious. He does fit the "Sebasti[e/a]n" rule though!
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"Fota have given Bernie Ecclestone and CVC Capital Partners, the holders of the sport's commercial rights, until this weekend to indicate their willingness to go along with their proposed breakaway grand prix championship, unless things can be sorted out for all three parties to agree a lasting peace with the FIA. Fota do not want to wait any longer to start up their series, if talks with the FIA remain at their current impasse. "
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Some examples of the excellent footage FOM are bringing us this weekend.
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Mark Webber takes pole in another thrilling qualifying session
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Lewis Hamilton again sets the fastest time.
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"I have no doubt in my mind, as long as I’ve known Max, he’s always done what he said he would do."
Eh? Surely nothing could be further from the truth. He has pulled the old "I'm going to stand down soon — ONLY JOKING!!" trick at least three times in the past five years.
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Keith fulfils a much-needed service! A profile of Ari Vatanen. A good history of his history in rallying, politics and road safety.
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"This dispute with the contractor has been ongoing since last season and pertains to the quality of construction of the motorhome and its functionality.
"The contractor decided to take matters into their own hands without due notice and process and approached a local German court who were presented with highly disputable facts."
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"Scuderia Toro Rosso have refused to deny mounting speculation that Sebastien Bourdais is facing the axe from the team after this weekend's German Grand Prix."
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"Nico Rosberg had been a regular at the top of the timesheets on the opening day of practice earlier in the year, with Williams choosing to run low fuel levels to get a better understanding of its car for the early stages of qualifying.
"However, with the team having made good progress with its FW31 and now optimistic that it should be able to get into Q3 on a regular basis, the team has decided to devote more time to heavy fuel running."
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Pat Symonds: “Strategy has been very exciting, and I’ve certainly enjoyed working in that area, but I think it has had its day. As we have developed our techniques, as always they have become quite similar, and I think the excitement of strategy is gone. I think it’s a difficult thing to get across to the casual public, rather than the true enthusiast.
“We were talking about overtaking earlier and I think there is too much reliance on strategy to be used for overtaking. And this is one of the things that I think I saw at Silverstone; people had similar performance and they were thinking, well, I have a couple of laps in this car so I will just push for two laps and I will get in front of him in the pit stops. But without refueling maybe we will see a bit more racing. I think we have to keep an open mind. Let’s try it for a few years.”
