F1 2009: Pre - Season.

[DFext37 Fielding]

News and Driver lineups.

Mclaren: Hamilton & Kova

Ferrari: Massa & Raikko

BMW Sauber: Kubicca & Heidfeld

Renault: Alonso & Piquet JR

Toyota: Trulli & Glock

*Scuderio Torro Rosso TBC & TBC (Barrichello, Bourdais top of Bergers wishlist, Senna, Buemi, Sato looks definate)

Red Bull Racing: Vettel & Webber

Williams: Rosberg & Nakajima

*Honda: TBC & TBC (Button near enough confirmed - Barrichello, Senna wanted by Brazilian oil company sponsor Petrobras, Di Crassi, even Bourdais)

Force India MCLAREN: Fisichella & Sutil.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Force India split with Ferrai and opt with Mclaren and Mike Gascoyne leaves the team.

Similar calendar to last year, but Franch GP out, Abu Dhabi GP in.

Petrobas to partner Honda instead of Williams, Petrobas demmand that Senna race for them.

Danica Patrick also to be Unofficial Test Driver for Honda.

Back to slick tyres in 09, looking forward to that, aswell as some new pit lane closed while cars have little fuel rule.

[fiestycolumbian]

Look at the new 09 aero spec cars:
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/photos/2008 ... _106.shtml

HIDEOUS!!!! Almost as bad as IRL cars!!

fiesty

[dp35]

I just saw these photos and still haven't recovered.  That BMW is UGLY!  What are they thinking?  You know you're going the wrong direction when you're making people compare your new car to IRL cars in terms of their bad looks. 

I like the look of the car without all the little winglets and flip-ups, but its hard to notice the good parts with those wings on the car.  I don't get it.  Couldn't they have accomplished the same thing by reducing the overall size of the rear wing, or restricting them to single plane wings, etc?  At the rear I really don't understand why they made the wing higher.  I can see narrower because they wanted less downforce, but why higher?  Maybe because it looks worse that way - mission accomplished. 

Apparently Bernie & Max don't understand that people don't enjoy watching cars that are not beautiful works of art, even IF the racing is better (IRL).

[dingo]

The rear wing is higher so as to reduce turbulence for following cars. This in an effort to increase the possibility of passing \ overtaking taking place.
There's a thorough discussion of this design direction in RaceCar Engineering.

[Bruce Fielding]

Suspiciously grooved tyres... Like the clean look, though

[Alec]

[quote="dp35"]
That BMW is UGLY!  What are they thinking? 
[/quote]

I thought this was the worst as it looks like a child got carried away adding bits on and didn't know when to stop. 

[Alec]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Suspiciously grooved tyres... Like the clean look, though
[/quote]

From what I could see there was only a few cars using the old grooved tyres with most of them using slicks.

And I would describe the look as cluttered and fussy.

[dp35]

[quote="Alec"]
[/quote]

That's the KERS modified Ferrari.  No way it'll look like that on race day. 

Its interesting that some teams seem to be focusing on KERS development, using the old aero setup, while others are focusing on the new aero configuration. 

[PaulP]

I'd have thought Ferrari would use the old aero system next year.  Who's going object, not the FIA.

[Alec]

[quote="dp35"]
That's the KERS modified Ferrari.  No way it'll look like that on race day. 

Its interesting that some teams seem to be focusing on KERS development, using the old aero setup, while others are focusing on the new aero configuration. 
[/quote]

I'd just followed the link that said they were 'the new 09 aero spec cars' and commented on what was shown for Ferrari.

Anything they do different would be an improvement on that monstrosity.

[Bruce Fielding]

In case you hadn't heard:


Coulthard, Jordan & Brundle join BBC

Coulthard will work for the BBC while continuing as a Red Bull test driver

David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan have joined the BBC as part of next year's presentation team in Formula One.

Coulthard, who retired as a race driver at the end of the 2008 season, will join former team boss Jordan as a pundit alongside anchor Jake Humphrey.

Jonathan Legard moves from 5 Live to commentate with ex-F1 driver and award-winning broadcaster Martin Brundle.

And veteran commentator Murray Walker will return to the BBC as a regular presence on the Sport website.

The 84-year-old, who became a household name during five decades of F1 commentary for the BBC, will be offering his expert insight and perspective on the action and interacting with F1 fans through an online Q&A forum.

The pit-lane reporters will be Ted Kravitz and Lee McKenzie.

For Coulthard, who will continue as a test driver and consultant for Red Bull, it will be a first foray into broadcasting after a long and successful Grand Prix career behind the wheel that included 13 victories and runner-up spot in the world championship to Michael Schumacher in 2001.

The 37-year-old Scot said: "After 15 seasons competing in F1, my passion for the sport is still very much alive, and therefore I was delighted to be given the opportunity to share my views and experiences through the BBC coverage of F1.

"Many of the BBC team are known to me already and, for those members new to F1, I look forward to building on the established audience of F1 fans in the UK."

Legard is returning to F1 after four years as 5 Live's football correspondent - he was the radio station's F1 correspondent from 1997 until 2004.

Humphrey switches to F1 having previously worked on the Beijing Olympics and Euro 2008, among other things.

Kravitz, like Brundle, is a former member of ITV's F1 team. McKenzie, the daughter of Daily Express F1 correspondent Bob McKenzie, has been a broadcaster on motor racing and other sports for ITV and Sky Sports.

[Bruce Fielding]

Have the BBC made the 'Rosenthal mistake' with Jake Humphrey?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biogra ... hrey.shtml

JR proved that a guy who appears ostensibly to be a footy man trying to look intelligent about F1 just doesn't work. At least Steve Rider was one of us - i.e. a fan.

[Alec]

Have the BBC made the 'Rosenthal mistake' with Jake Humphrey?

At least he's listed cars as one of his interests, even if it is fourth on the list. (Doesn't list football as an interest mind as they only mention Norwich City.  )

Jake's interests include cycling, music, reading autobiographies, cars and travelling. He supports Norwich City.

[Bruce Fielding]

Shock horror...

[Alec]

One of the worst attempts at photoshopping I've seen for a long time.