My Motorsport Blog

I just love it when a report starts with “a source within….”!I immediately think of politicians. You see, once a politicians lips start moving you know they are lying or covering up for something. When I read a report in a motorsport page and it stated that “a source in Brawn GP says they have more coming in future races”…. It just freaked me out. This is not really a surprise and certainly not news so why try to make something about it? Jenson Button already said there will be more to follow in Australia!!!!. Brawn GP are members of the Formula One fraternity and if they had nothing more to offer in the “forthcoming attractions” they should close the doors at Brackley. This is common knowledge and common sense.

We know all teams have more to offer in the future but understand the issue they have. The real problem lies in testing and development due to the lack of what I would call ”Track Time”.  I might be wrong but they have no testing days left and thus development will be on computer simulations (computational fluid dynamics) and testing new components during practice which, ideally, should be used to get the correct car setup for the race .

They are not allowed any wind tunnel testing and based on the following extract from the FIA 2009 Formula One Sporting Regulations in Article 22 (on page eight) this include full scale wind tunnel development on components and cars at full speed or capacity.

“h) No wind tunnel testing may be carried out using a scale model which is greater than 60% of full size.

i) No wind tunnel testing may be carried out at a speed exceeding 50 metres/second.”

I am in the dark about why wind tunnel restrictions should apply. If a team owns a wind tunnel why not be allowed to test in it? Ferrari has one (actually two, sorry) so does McLaren, Toyota, BMW and Renault. These are long term investments and I see no reason why it should not be used effectively. I do believe they could cost in the region of $ 30 to 50 million to build, and remains a cost which is well spent and the teams like Brawn GP who had one completed in 2006 (under Honda banner) actually save money in testing and development, but this new rule actually negates this investment and it really makes no sense why it is there.

I am sure teams have the technology to develop aero-packages within these restrictions and then apply them to the real/full scale car. The development costs in a smaller scale cannot be much less than on full scale. If a component is developed on the smaller scale (below 60% of scale), then enlarged and applied to the full scale car only to fail by not performing will actually increase costs to fix. ( to read about wind tunnels.Ferrari, BMW, Brawn GP, Renault, Williams, Interesting) It is clear that they have the facility to test a full scale car in wind tunnels and use of tunnels should not be restricted.

Since all the 2008 aerodynamics have been removed which makes the cars look smoother and cleaner (except for the large front wing). There must be a limit to what wind tunnel testing can provide. I suppose this is simplifying things but the money spent on the tunnels have already been spent so let them use it, just make sure the regulations do not allow teams add more external components to the current cars.

Now I really do not want to stir up anything but this clause h in article 22 does specify a “scale model” and it really does not exclude a full race track ready car specifically. Just a thought!!!!!

Grid Crashing

Now we are talking. How often have we heard drivers say to Martin Brundle they race to win? So why the big fuss about this? Championships are won by winners I say and those who get second and third place?……sorry no cigar. This could mean that the winning driver have less points than say the second place man, but if he won more races he should be the champion. Looking at the 2008 Championship it would have meant that Filipe Massa in his Ferrari actually won the championship with 6 wins against Lewis Hamilton’s 5 wins…OOOPS! just imagine that!!!!

As in all sports I am sure the teams are already working out strategy for their drivers and looking at the FIA regulations to see where loopholes exists. Now I wonder what Martin Brundle will say about that!!!!! Click here to see some classic comments made by the man over the past years.

The 3rd March 2009 is fast approaching and this would be the day when the doors at Brackley could finally close for the Honda F1 Team. In the meantime talks with Honda and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group over a possible buy-out continue and yet we have USF1 to make some sort of an announcement on its plans by the 23rd March 2009. I do not see them joining the F1 fraternity soon and believe it would be a non starter even if it would be in 2010.

Also in doubt would be the continued sponsorship from Petrobras, the Brazilian petrochemical company which has supported Honda in recent years and whom have indicated that they would not support a privately owned team. I do not think the current economical climate is a issue for Petrobras so could it be the proposed owners?

However, would the Honda F1 team be on track for the opening round of the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship in Australia if a sale is agreed? They certainly spent time developing this car to the end of 2008 and beyond, then another question would be, who would be their drivers?

Jenson Button has certainly played a major part in the development but would he be the right driver to take the team forward and will Bruno Senna cope in F1 if given the chance. If Virgin do succeed in the buy-out I would like to see young Senna in the drivers seat and maybe another from the GP2 series like Lucas di Grassi or even Romain Grosjean. Let’s get the youngsters to stir the pot in the F1 world. That is if they can afford the Formula One Super Licence fees which bring me to another subject.

Formula One licence

How many have paid their fees? ……..All of them would be the answer to the question because they would not be allowed to participate since fees had to be paid by the 1st November 2008 with some exceptions.

Now I have to be careful on how I say this but since Max happens to be on a European crusade to ensure the sanctity of his privacy and on the one in a million chance that he reads this blog only a man of complacency and great arrogance with a total indifference to others in a world outside of his own can make a statement to the effect

 ”A driver who does not want, or cannot afford to pay for, a F1 super licence, has many alternatives,” Mosley said. “Apart from Formula One, there are a large number of series and championships where a professional racing driver can earn a good, sometimes very good, living.

“Way to go Max!!!!!! I wonder if a “NEWS PAPER EDITOR” might not do a better job than you as “Ill Presidente” of the FIA