The FIA has confirmed that there is an investigation under way regarding what the spokesperson called “alleged incidents at a previous FIA Formula 1 World Championship event”. The confirmation comes following reports on Brazilian TV that Renault driver Nelson Piquet was ordered to crash by the Renault team in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to [...]
Archive for August, 2009
FIA confirms investigation
Posted in F1 politics, F1 Teams on August 30, 2009 | 15 Comments »
Oh dear… Here comes trouble
Posted in F1 politics, F1 Teams on August 30, 2009 | 19 Comments »
The Brazilian TV station Globo has claimed that Nelson Piquet Jr was ordered to crash by the Renault team during the Singapore GP last season. The accident resulted in a Safety Car which played into the hands of Fernando Alonso, who had pitted just before the accident occurred. The result was that Renault was able [...]
A very bizarre day at Spa
Posted in Action at Grands Prix on August 29, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Well, well, well. Sunday morning may be a very interesting time for Vijay Mallya as his creditors could very easily be lining up to ask him for cash as one assume that the Indian squillionaire would probably like to see Giancarlo Fisichella start the Belgian GP from pole. The fact that he qualified in that [...]
A bizarre day at Spa
Posted in Action at Grands Prix on August 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The Q1 and Q2 sessions have turned Formula 1 on its head with Force India and Toyota at the front while the more established names such as Red Bull, Brawn and McLaren have been struggling. Fastest in Q1 was Giancarlo Fisichella, keen to point out his speed at a time when Ferrari is looking for [...]
Heidfeld?
Posted in Action at Grands Prix on August 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Nick Heidfeld set the fastest time of the Saturday morning session at Spa in cool conditions. It was decidedly odd session with Jarno Trulli second for Toyota and Adrian Sutil third for Force India, ahead of Romain Grosjean’s Renault, Timo Glock’s Toyota, Robert Kubica’s BMW, Nico Rosberg’s Williams and Giancarlo Fisichella in the second Force [...]
Frank Gardner – all round top bloke and racing star
Posted in F1 Drivers, Personal musings on August 29, 2009 | 7 Comments »
Frank Gardner was a good bloke. He did not suffer fools and could be a gruff old so-and-so if he wanted to be, but his heart was in racing and he loved it. His youth was spent doing Australian things, working as a lifeguard and boxing professionally in his native Sydney. There are stories that [...]
Williams-Renault? That has a ring to it…
Posted in F1 Teams, Sustainability on August 28, 2009 | 12 Comments »
The Formula 1 circus at the moment is busy trying to figure out which team will be using which engines in 2010 and the word is that Williams wants a change. The Toyota engines are not bad but the importance of fuel efficiency will increase next year as there will be no refuelling allowed and [...]
Hamilton on top
Posted in F1 Drivers on August 28, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of the second session at Spa on Friday afternoon, a fraction ahead of Timo Glock’s Toyota and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. Mark Webber and Romain Grosjean were a tenth behind. The times are probably not very significant as sixth overall was Giancarlo Fisichella in his Force India, ahead [...]
Meanwhile, en route to Spa
Posted in Circuits, Personal musings on August 28, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Rushing about between Valencia and Spa, writing articles that actually pay money (as opposed to doling it out for free on the Web), meant that the blog got a little lost in recent days. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day. The hotel here in the Ardennes is delightful but does not [...]
A damp morning in Belgium
Posted in Action at Grands Prix on August 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
In the finest traditions it rained at Spa, making the first practice session for the Belgian GP a relatively meaningless business. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was fastest, sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Jenson Button’s Brawn-Mercedes. Fernando Alonso was third quickest in his Renault, ahead of the two Toro Rossos of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari. [...]
