Team order rule needs a re-think


Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing © Getty Images
Formula One should look at abolishing the controversial ban on team orders after Ferrari escaped further punishment for their manipulation of the German Grand Prix result. That is the view of the Daily Telegraph’s Tom Cary, who is of the opinion that the team orders rule now needs to be seriously looked at because of its obvious shortcomings.
“Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari’s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."
Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari’s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
“The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.”
The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them £65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php

Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks Alan Brown

Massa: The truth will emerge in Melbourne

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has been speaking about his team’s preparations for the 2012 Formula 1 season. Check out our Ferrari review for 2011! The Brazilian – who will take part in testing this week – believes that he will try many new ideas as they look to find a winning formula for the season ahead. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/7bLVUyV2Wic/massa-the-truth-will-emerge-in-melbourne

Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack BrabhamÜ

GP+ subscriptions are open for 2012

Sign up today for GrandPrix+, Formula 1′s fastest e-magazine. GrandPrix+ features all the things one would expect from a classical F1 magazine: news, reports, features and perspectives of each F1 weekend, plus exceptional pictures. Completely organic, it grows during a weekend, is not pre-planned, so it is very flexible. GP+ is a full-colour e-magazine, produced [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/9305/

Derek Daly Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies

My 71 Duster... WIP :)

And yes... it is PANTHER PINK!!!  lol  Had to go with one of the crazy Mopar colors and the pink spoke to me lol.  Now Its not gonna be as awesome as all y'alls.  I started out with no airbrush because I accidentally left my airbrush hooked to the propellant and had no air when I got this kit... oops.  So everything up to the body was done with a brush.

Really crappy picture of the undercarriage. lol

Getting the stance I wanted.  I stole the risers from my old Nova kit and flipped the front wheel yokes.

I cleaned it up after this picture I swear... lol

Don't ask why that front wheel looks funky...  I just threw it on there to take the pic, so it was wonky lol.  But I was sooo excited to see how it looked!

 

I'm debating on blacking out the rims...

Also, I've got some Krylon Clear spray... is that safe to use to finish it with?  I've had it for like ages, can't remember the original reason I purchased it.  But I know some spray paints can melt the material used for the model.

 

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1006390.aspx

Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly Carlo Abate

Kubica comeback far from certain

Much will be made this season of the incredible strength in depth of the Formula 1 field in 2012, with six world champions all taking part, each one of them with a justifiable claim to being an all-time great.

But when the season kicks off in Melbourne on 18 March, there will be a man sitting at home in Europe who could make that line-up even stronger.

Robert Kubica might well have been starting this year's Australian Grand Prix grid in a Ferrari had he not suffered the horrendous rallying accident that prevented him racing for Renault in 2011.

As it is, he is in a no-man's land, not knowing whether he will ever be able to drive an F1 car in anger again.

This week, reports in Italy have emerged that he is planning to get back behind the wheel of an F1 car - almost certainly a Ferrari - in June. The problem is, that is more a hope than a plan, as no one knows whether the Pole will be fit to drive by then.

Kubica is doing four or five hours' worth of physical training a day, despite still recovering from a broken leg sustained earlier this month in an incident that re-opened one of the fractures he sustained in his rally crash.

But the leg is not a major problem - the 27-year-old is not in plaster, there is only a light support around the limb, and he can drive a road car despite it. Before the re-break, he had already started doing some jogging, and the expectation is that the injury will no longer trouble him within a week or so.


Kubica has been linked with a return to F1 with Ferrari. Photo: Getty

The issue remains the movement in his right hand, which was partially severed in the rally crash on 6 February last year.

His injuries that day were truly horrific - he suffered partial amputation of his right forearm and numerous fractures to his right elbow, shoulder and leg, as well as losing a lot of blood. Had doctors not worked so quickly, he could have died.

Once his condition was stabilised, it became clear that the biggest problem was going to be the hand.

Both main nerves to the hand were severed, and had to be repaired by surgeons, and movement remains restricted. Specifically, he is lacking strength in the hand, and his ability to rotate his wrist is limited - in other words, he does not yet have the two physical attributes he needs to steer an F1 car.

According to his doctors, it is a matter of when, not if, the nerves rebuild themselves and he recovers full use of the hand, but no one knows when that will be.

Kubica is out of contract and all his links with his former team have evaporated. So when/if he is fit to drive an F1 car, it is likely to be a Ferrari.

The Italian team had an option on him for the 2011 season, which they did not take up, but sources say they remain interested and have discussed the issue internally.

It is a complicated matter, though. If Kubica tells them he feels ready to drive an F1 car, Ferrari have to consider how a test for him would look to Felipe Massa, whose contract runs out at the end of the year and who already knows he is under pressure to raise his game compared to team-mate Fernando Alonso in 2012 if he is stay on.

Equally, it is not as if they do not have other options.

Red Bull's Mark Webber, in whom they were interested for 2012 before deciding to stick with Massa, remains on Ferrari's radar.

And Lewis Hamilton is out of contract with McLaren at the end of this season, even if the prospects must be considered distant of the Englishman renewing what was a combustible combination with Alonso at McLaren in 2007.

As far as Kubica is concerned, all this remains moot until he can prove a) that he is physically recovered; and b) that he has not lost any driving ability.

He has told those close to him that unless he can recover 100% of his skill, he will quit motorsport. He will not know that until he drives an F1 simulator and then a car for the first time.

He hopes that will be in June - but a hope is all it is. It could just as easily be August, or any other month you pluck out of the sky. He is not in a hurry, although the longer it goes on, the less the likelihood will be of that Ferrari seat in 2013 remaining open.

Right now, then, there is no reason to say he will be back, but at the same time there is no reason to say he won't.

In many ways, it would feel like a miracle if Kubica did make it back to F1. But what a story it would be if he does.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/01/kubica_comeback_far_from_certa.html

Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo

Whispers

I am still travelling at the moment but I have heard whispers that the European Grand Prix in Valencia is in serious doubt and could be cancelled this year because of lack of payment by the local government. This has been going on for some time and has finally worn out the patience of Bernie [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/whispers/

George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage