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New York speeds ahead with F1 pit buildingComments Off Construction of the facilities for the 2013 New York grand prix is speeding ahead. At the same time, there remain grave doubts about the Texas project, despite the permanent Circuit of the Americas venue being scheduled to host its inaugural US grand prix in November. The Austin American Statesman newspaper has this week quoted county commissioner Sarah Eckhardt as saying: “It appears they (the organisers) don’t have the cash flow to prepare the site for the event.” It is a very different story so far at Port Imperial, where the American grand prix will take place mid next year on the streets of West New York and Weehawken, amid the Manhattan skyline. Wheels.ca published a photo depicting the advanced construction of the pit and garage building, which will reportedly house the F1 teams in June next year. |
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Insiders expect F1 to axe BahrainComments Off Many F1 insiders are now expecting next weekend’s Bahrain grand prix to be called off. “We’re not going to Bahrain, the decision will be announced soon,” wrote Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. In the wake of the latest reports about the ongoing political situation inside the island Kingdom, Oricchio said he expects the news about the race to be known “today or tomorrow”. He referred to the direct threat made by the protest organising group February 14th Youth Coalition, who said it could not “ensure the safety” of the sport’s travelling members. A spokesman for the international group Human Rights Watch admitted it is worried. “On the ground we see an increasing number of deaths, and serious injuries from tear gas and beatings,” he is quoted as saying by the BBC. And the latest fears have been intensified by the explosion of a bomb that injured seven policemen on Monday, and news that a jailed activist on hunger strike is now close to death. An unnamed team boss admitted he is worried about his employees “and their families”, but an advisor to Bahrain’s interior ministry tried to play down those fears. “People can be assured that if problems arise, then there will be a plan to deal with that as there would be with any public event in the world,” former London police assistant commissioner John Yates told the Associated Press. But even Bernie Ecclestone, who will be in China this weekend, could now be stepping back from the controversy. “If the teams don’t want to go, then we cannot make them,” the F1 chief executive told the Times. All the FIA has said is that it is “monitoring” the situation, with it believed that contingency plans are in place so that F1 can cope with a cancellation decision made as late as this Saturday or Sunday. The Bahrainis, meanwhile, are confident. “We anticipate formula one will continue and hope it will be a success,” said government spokesman Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak al-Khalifa. The Bahrain circuit’s Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa added: “The race is going ahead — there is no doubt about that. “There are several reports doing the rounds that are saying a lot of things which are baseless,” he told the Gulf Daily News. “We are ready and there is a plan in place to ensure the safety of the teams, officials and fans.” |
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Domenicali: “We are very angry”Comments Off The press round of Stefano Domenicali after the race began in Valencia because of the late decision of the stewards was later than usual, but very rewarding. For Ferrari had just made the website a controversial review online, in which the Grand Prix of Europe as a “scandal” was called. Q: Can you explain why you are so angry today? ” “The frustration is so great because we made the right move, but still less points than in the most difficult race of the year. This is very frustrating. Do I have to say from the sporting angle that we had bad luck today. The only four cars on the home straight were when the safety car was on, were Vettel, Hamilton, Fernando and Felipe. Vettel stopped before the safety car, Hamilton had ignored the yellow flags and the yellow light, but we had a full lap behind the Safety- Car driving. In the meantime, took the field that was in the pits, back on us, so we fell behind when we came into the pits. The plan you can not. ” “Before some decisions are made, you should be sure they are right and wrong. If we now know, however, that the date of a decision affects the race, then they must be taken quickly, otherwise the consequences of unfair have. Today, the Ferrari has affected quite badly, so we must make sure that something like this happen again. More I would say not really. also ran against a lot of cars still an investigation. That I think is not good. ” Question is: “When the FIA driver got into the race management – today it was Heinz-Harald Frentzen – first of all were happy, but in the last race there were many contentious decisions. How do you comment that?” Q: If the safety car not normally catch the leaders and all others to pass through? ” Q: You just said something about the big speed difference and that is dangerous. If the by the adjustable rear wing does not get worse? ” Q: Just to clarify again: On your website is a scandal of the speech. If you say that this is not the Ferrari’s opinion? ” Q: No. But it is on the Ferrari website. ” Q: Fernando, says the race was manipulated. ” Q: Will you bring this matter to the FIA or discuss with the teams? ” Q: What does this mean? Could it even be a different race result? Q: one hand, you walk the day of shooting on a very fine line when it comes to the limits of the rules to explore the other hand, the rules today against you … ” Q: Let’s auspicious on a topic. Pat Fry moves from McLaren to you. Can you describe his area of responsibility? Q: Do you find it okay that the drivers who have violated the safety car rule were punished only with five seconds? ” |
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FIA could penalise drivers for road offenses – TodtComments Off Jun.9 (GMM) F1 drivers could be penalised by the FIA if they behave badly on the roads, Jean Todt has suggested. Lewis Hamilton was arrested after caught ‘hoon’ driving in Melbourne earlier this year and later charged and summoned to court. But when asked about the incident in Turkey two weeks ago, the McLaren driver said the local authorities were “loving the publicity”. Victorian traffic commissioner Ken Lay was unimpressed with Hamilton’s “flippant” reaction. “The bottom line is people die on our roads because of hoon behaviour and he has set a really bad example,” he said. Also apparently unimpressed is FIA president Todt, who was rumoured to be considering commissioning a protocols list informing drivers about respecting the unique rules and practices of each GP host nation they visit. It has additionally been rumoured that drivers could face FIA penalties if convicted of committing traffic offenses. “I have actually asked this question,” Todt admitted to the French newspaper Le Parisien. “There is an incompatibility between the status of a role model champion, and a possible infringement on the road. We are therefore trying to see whether to do something, and how.” |
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