<![CDATA[Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum - Mercedes-Benz Motorsports & Racing]]> http://www.benzworld.org/forums Use this forum to discuss Mercedes-related racing events including Formula 1, DTM German Touring Car, and Truck series. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:04:00 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum - Mercedes-Benz Motorsports & Racing]]> http://www.benzworld.org/forums Renault eyes partial team sale? http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483589-renault-eyes-partial-team-sale.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:10:17 GMT Renault eyes partial team sale? 18/11/09 09:45 F1-Live.com F1 future unclear for Renault Renault has received an offer to sell 40% of its... Renault eyes partial team sale?

18/11/09 09:45

F1-Live.com

F1 future unclear for Renault
Renault has received an offer to sell 40% of its Formula One team to a Russian bidder, Finland's Turun Sanomat reports.

The newspaper said a deal could result in the Russian Vitaly Petrov signing to be Robert Kubica's team-mate, and might explain Timo Glock's move to Manor Grand Prix, despite his earlier strong links to the French squad.

Red Bull Racing is also having to wait before it can officially announce its plans to stay with Renault power in 2010, even though Adrian Newey has so far designed the RB6 around the engine.


The Finnish reports of a partial team sale were backed by the German newspaper Bild, which said Renault wants to urgently raise €30m in order to bolster its F1 programme.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483589-renault-eyes-partial-team-sale.html Raikkonen to sit out 2010 season http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483548-raikkonen-sit-out-2010-season.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:11:54 GMT Raikkonen to sit out 2010 season 18/11/09 09:14 F1-Live.com End of the F1 road or a Sabbatical in 2010? Kimi Raikkonen will be absent from the... Raikkonen to sit out 2010 season

18/11/09 09:14

F1-Live.com

End of the F1 road or a Sabbatical in 2010?
Kimi Raikkonen will be absent from the Formula One grid next season, his manager Steve Robertson announced to the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat late on Tuesday.

The Finn, having agreed to make way for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, had been in serious talks with McLaren, but the parties reportedly disagreed about his salary, sponsor duties and his freedom to race in rallies.

"The only option for F1 next season was McLaren or nothing," Robertson said. "Kimi and McLaren were unable to reach an agreement, so he will not drive at F1 level, at least not next year.
"

Raikkonen's severance deal with Ferrari means that he stands making more money by taking a year off than he would if he had stayed in F1.

Turun Sanomat said the most likely option for a Raikkonen return in 2011 is with Red Bull Racing. Next year, he is likely to be active in rally cars and possibly the Le Mans 24 Hours, the newspaper added.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483548-raikkonen-sit-out-2010-season.html Kubica to learn from rally crash http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483546-kubica-learn-rally-crash.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:06:29 GMT Kubica to learn from rally crash

Eurosport - Wed, 18 Nov 11:45:00 2009


Formula One driver Robert Kubica has said he "must learn to listen" after crashing out of the Sicilian Rally Taormina-Messina at the weekend.



However the Pole also proved his pace, running inside the top 10 and leading his R3C class on the opening day.

Behind the wheel of a DP Motorsports Renault Clio R3, Kubica was eighth overall after the short opening day and five-tenths of a second clear of local specialist Paul Wise in their category.

The new Renault signing's challenge abruptly ended the following morning when he collided with a wall on SS3, damaging the right-front corner of his car beyond repair.

Nonetheless, Kubica insisted that he had enjoyed the outing - and that the physical challenge had been no great cause for concern.

"I'm used to it," the 24-year-old told the official World Rally Championship website.

"It might be different in Formula One, but we are all athletes. I like the tests and the people have been very welcoming.

"(On the first day) I did not attack; I was trying to learn about driving the car. The only unknowns are the pace notes - I hope to get used to driving in this way. I must learn to listen."

Kubica's next "off-season" rally adventure will come on the French Championship Rallye de Var in Saint Maxime, again in the Clio in just under a fortnight.

He will find himself in illustrious company on the event, up against record-breaking six-times World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb and wife Severine in a C4.
Crash.Net / Eurosport ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483546-kubica-learn-rally-crash.html Villeneuve resumes intensive training http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483544-villeneuve-resumes-intensive-training.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:58:19 GMT Villeneuve resumes intensive training 18/11/09 16:11 F1-Live.com Villeneuve working out and continuing talks for a 2010 comeback Jacques... Villeneuve resumes intensive training

18/11/09 16:11

F1-Live.com

Villeneuve working out and continuing talks
for a 2010 comeback
Jacques Villeneuve is currently in Austria, where he is undergoing an intense physical training programme in preparation for a possible return to Formula One.

French-Canadian news site RueFrontenac.com reports that Villeneuve is being watched over by Dr Erwin Gollner, renown by many F1 drivers for pushing human endurance to its limits when it comes to building strength and resistance.

"After warming up, the programme lasts 100 minutes and the longest pause is five seconds," Villeneuve said. "It's really, really brutal.

"Fortunately, Erwin hasn't sent me training in the sauna yet," he added. "For the time being I'm preparing for winter testing, so it will be slightly chilly.
However when the Bahrain preparation begins, I know that I won't escape it!"

The 1997 champion left F1 during the 2006 season, but the implementation of greatly revised technical regulations this year have strongly revived his interest. Villeneuve visited the paddock on several occasions this season, where he was seen talking with teams.

His return to intense training is a sign that he is being considered for a seat on the 2010 grid.

"Nothing is settled, but I like the direction things are taking," the Canadian said. "Do you really think I would come here to suffer, in a retreat, leaving my two boys far away, if I didn't believe things are moving along well?"

Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483544-villeneuve-resumes-intensive-training.html Haug hints at Mercedes surprises http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483419-haug-hints-mercedes-surprises.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:46:26 GMT Haug hints at Mercedes surprises

Eurosport - Tue, 17 Nov 16:28:00 2009


Norbert Haug has dropped a broad hint that there could be 'some surprises' when the driver line-up is revealed for the Mercedes Grand Prix effort in F1 2010.


It was announced on Monday that Mercedes-Benz had relinquished its 40 per cent share of long-time partner McLaren and purchased a majority 75 per cent stake in F1 2009 World Champions Brawn GP, meaning that from next season onwards, the Brackley-based outfit will officially be known as Mercedes Grand Prix.

That has led to speculation that there is a plan being put in place to create an all-German super team', with Jenson Button being linked increasingly to McLaren alongside title-winning predecessor and compatriot Lewis Hamilton, to make way for highly-rated ex-Williams F1 ace Nico Rosberg and Nick Heidfeld.

However, out-of-work 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen is similarly in the frame after being released by Ferrari in favour of Fernando Alonso, whilst somewhat wilder speculation has linked record-breaking legend Michael Schumacher to a return to the cockpit for one last hurrah behind the wheel of a Silver Arrow.

As he set out Mercedes' vision for the future, the three-pointed star's motorsport vice-president Haug suggested that it would be wise to not make any rash presumptions driver-wise.

"I think we have to be very pleased and satisfied to have announced our new Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team," underlined the German. "And the next steps will follow. I have every understanding that all the people in Formula 1 worldwide want to know who the drivers will be now. It's not finally decided, but I think and hope we can announce something in the course of the next couple of weeks. We will do a very good job in that respect as well I can promise you and maybe we can create some surprises.

"To start a new season with Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix our own Formula 1 team is something really special for us. We have much, much better circumstances these days in Formula 1 teams get more money from the commercial rights-holder and there is a new commercial agreement in-place which limits the spending of the teams, so we will spend much less money than we used to do in the past.

"We always from a Mercedes-Benz side have been very, very efficient in that respect, and we will be even more efficient and bring the costs considerably down. That is the reason for us; I cannot judge what the other manufacturers are doing, but one thing is for sure Formula 1 is a very, very important platform for us, we are celebrating 75 years of the Silver Arrows this year, we have a great heritage and we want to continue in that direction."

The 56-year-old went on to discuss the end of the relationship with McLaren a scenario that had been anticipated for some time following the string of high-profile scandals that have plagued the Woking-based concern of late, from the 2007 Spygate' saga to Hamilton's Melbourne lies controversy earlier this year. Mercedes will continue as an engine-supplier until at least 2015, and Haug added that he is eagerly awaiting a new on-track rivalry rather than partnership.

"It was quite amicable," he assured. "The McLaren Group set itself some new targets, especially on the automotive side; we respect that, and we will co-operate in the future. We have had a very, very fruitful co-operation in the past; we have won three drivers' world championships two times with Mika Hakkinen, one time in 2008 with Lewis Hamilton obviously we were once constructors' world champions and we were ten times the silver medal' winner, being runner-up in both categories.

"This was certainly very successful, and in the last twelve years since our first victory in '97 we have won 60 races, which is quite a good achievement, I would say. We will co-operate in the future as well, but certainly with a different outlook from the beginning of next year. There will definitely be co-operation and friendship away from the racetrack, and we will be rivals on the track but we will do that in a very sporting manner and respect each other."
Crash.net / Eurosport ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483419-haug-hints-mercedes-surprises.html Glock joins Manor Grand Prix http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483414-glock-joins-manor-grand-prix.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:38:20 GMT Glock joins Manor Grand Prix 17/11/09 10:06 F1-Live.com Glock opts to join Manor Grand Prix Manor Grand Prix has signed former Toyota driver... Glock joins Manor Grand Prix

17/11/09 10:06

F1-Live.com

Glock opts to join Manor Grand Prix
Manor Grand Prix has signed former Toyota driver Timo Glock to lead its driver line-up next season. The announcement is a prelude to the official launch of the team later this year, when the team expects to reveal more of its plans and car development programme. In the meantime the team has been quietly progressing towards its inaugural year of Formula One competition in 2010.

“I'm absolutely delighted that Timo has chosen to drive for our team," said technical director Nick Wirth. "It has always been my recommendation that we have at least one driver with experience of the 2009 cars to help our development programme, but to get a driver that has not only achieved podium finishes in 2009 but has such proven talent and the potential to take us forward for many years is very exciting.

"The fact that he has come and seen all aspects of the project before making his decision speaks volumes about what we have achieved so far. Progress on our new car continues to be very encouraging. The first fully-finished monocoque was completed a week ago, and we've been crash testing all areas of the car since May. I think we'll have the bulk of the official FIA tests done by Christmas, bang on our schedule. Now we just can't wait to get Timo into the new car once track testing begins next year."

Glock made his Formula One debut with Jordan in 2004 before heading to the Champ Car World Series where he took rookie of the year honours. He returned to Europe, winning the GP2 series and made his full-time F1 debut with Toyota in 2008.
Glock had been expected to join Robert Kubica at Renault next season, but with ongoing uncertainties over the Anglo-French team's participation in the championship, opted to sign a deal with Manor.

“I had several options for 2010, some of them with more established teams," Glock explained. "Every driver has the same overall objective - to win the world championship one day - but the way I want to succeed is to be part of the process of building a team and to play a key role in developing the car. This is why the opportunity with Manor Grand Prix is so exciting for me.

"I have spent a lot of time with Nick Wirth, John Booth and other members of the team and what I liked most is that this a real racing team run by true racers. The team may be small and new but it has big ambitions and a very impressive car and development programme. I am confident that I can play a big role in terms of my technical input and that’s a fantastic opportunity for me. I can’t wait to start testing the new car early next year.”

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483414-glock-joins-manor-grand-prix.html Button nearing McLaren deal – report http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483413-button-nearing-mclaren-deal-report.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:36:11 GMT F1 | ITV Sport (http://www.itv-f1.com/home.aspx) Button nearing McLaren deal – report Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:05 World champion Jenson Button... F1 | ITV Sport

Button nearing McLaren deal – report

Tuesday, 17 November 2009 12:05

World champion Jenson Button could sign to partner Lewis Hamilton in an all-British 2010 line-up at McLaren in a matter of days, reports Tuesday’s Guardian newspaper.

Speculation that Button may turn his back on Brawn – which will now be renamed Mercedes GP following the German carmaker’s takeover of the team on Monday – has heightened since the 29-year-old visited McLaren’s Woking factory last Friday.

Contract talks with his current team are believed to have reached an impasse, with the pay rise Button and his management are looking for to reflect his new status as world champion not having been granted by Brawn’s management.

The deadlock in those talks may now result in Button ending his seven-year relationship with the Brackley squad, with the Guardian’s veteran Formula 1 journalist Alan Henry – who has close contacts with McLaren – reporting that the new champion has agreed terms on a three-year deal with the Woking team.

And although Button has not yet signed, the newspaper says that discussions have led to a £6m a year contract being put on the table which the Englishman could agree to within days.

Brawn’s management are understood to be keeping the door open on its discussions with Button, but team CEO Nick Fry admitted on Monday that the Mercedes takeover wouldn’t result in the German carmaker throwing additional money in the direction of the world champion.

Last winter Button voluntarily agreed to a reduction of the £8m-a-year salary he had previously earned with Honda to stay on at the new streamlined Brawn team following the sudden F1 withdrawal of its former Japanese owner.

Having also paid his own travel expenses during his ultimately title-winning year, Button’s management have been keen to increase his retainer back up towards its original level – although the Briton’s manager Richard Goddard claimed last weekend their his driver’s demands were still “way less than under Honda”.

But although German car giant Mercedes's announcement that it had taken a controlling interest in Brawn and will run the team as its own works squad raised the prospect that Button’s demands could now be more easily accommodated, Fry thinks the offer they have made Button is fair in the current climate.

“We've had discussions with Jenson over what we think is a sensible salary and this deal is not going to change anything in that respect," Fry told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I hope Jenson will be with us as we've been together for a good few years, but F1 is not divorced from the rest of the world.

"The reason we've survived as a team is that we have operated in our means."

As itv.com/f1 revealed last week, Ferrari refugee Kimi Raikkonen’s management had been guests of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh at the team’s Technology Centre several days before Button – with the Finn at one stage having looked a strong favourite to seal a return to the Woking squad.

However, the financial terms being offered to the 2007 world champion appear to have remained a stumbling block in talks, with any Button move to McLaren set to throw the Finn’s F1 future into serious doubt.

Brawn has long already been thought to have secured Nico Rosberg's services for 2010, with the German driver having had his departure from Williams confirmed where he is being replaced by former Brawn man Rubens Barrichello.

Fellow German Nick Heidfeld, a free agent following long-time employer BMW’s withdrawal from F1, is also believed to be in the frame at both the former Brawn team and McLaren.

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug was quoted in the German press over the weekend as saying it had been in talks with its former protégé about next season ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483413-button-nearing-mclaren-deal-report.html Mercedes take over Brawn GP http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483068-mercedes-take-over-brawn-gp.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:12:36 GMT Mercedes take over Brawn GP - Yahoo! Eurosport UK (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16112009/58/mercedes-brawn-gp.html) Mercedes take over Brawn... Mercedes take over Brawn GP - Yahoo! Eurosport UK


Mercedes take over Brawn GP

Eurosport - Mon, 16 Nov 11:30:00 2009
Buzz Up!

Mercedes have taken over Brawn GP, a move which is expected to see world champion Jenson Button join English compatriot Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.
Brawn GP and McLaren - 0


Mercedes now have a majority shareholding in the rebranded Mercedes Grand Prix team along with Abu Dhabi investment company Aabar, who bought a 9.1 per cent stake in Daimler last March.

The two combined will own 75.1 per cent of Brawn, with Daimler holding 45.1 per cent. No financial details were given.

Mercedes announced the decision at a press conference presided over by motorsport chief Norbert Haug and Dr Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

"In the changed environment of Formula One, we will face the competition on the most important motorsports stage from now on with our own Silver Arrows works team," Zetsche said.

He also confirmed that Ross Brawn will stay on as team principal.

McLaren are buying back the German automotive giant's 40 per cent stake in the Woking team in a phased transaction to be completed in 2011.

However they will continue to use Mercedes engines for the next six seasons.

Mercedes and McLaren have been partners since 1995 but the relationship has been strained by McLaren's determination to emulate rivals Ferrari as a road car manufacturer as well as a racing team.

The strains were further tested when McLaren were fined a record $100 million (£60m) for a 2007 spying controversy.

"Our relationship with McLaren was affected in recent years by the fact that the other shareholders were very much interested in building up the new automotive company, including sportscars and super-sportscars," said Zetsche.

"That was not the interests of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz."

German driver Nico Rosberg and compatriot Nick Heidfeld are favourites to make up Mercedes GP's 2010 line-up, although Haug claimed that is not a foregone conclusion as the team are to be regarded as an international operation with the best available drivers.

Brackley squad Brawn won both the constructors' and drivers' titles this season using Mercedes engines, while McLaren improved as the season developed - but too late to mount a challenge.

Button, who raced away at the start with six wins in the first seven grands prix helped by certain innovations on the BGP 001, has been looking for an increase in his annual salary.

Last winter he accepted a pay-cut to help Ross Brawn's fledgling concern, born out of the ashes of the withdrawn Honda factory team, survive the initial rigours of the campaign.

"Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months," Brawn stated.

"From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the constructors' and drivers' World Championships, and now accepting Aabar and Daimler's offer to buy our team which will secure its future."

Mercedes are not thought to be willing to pay the Briton - who visited McLaren's factory at the weekend - the salary he is demanding, preferring to run the talented Rosberg and Heidfeld in the hope of finding the next German world champion after Michael Schumacher.

Mercedes last ran their own Formula One team in 1955, when Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio drove for them and won the third of his five titles.

The carmaker pulled out of the sport that year after one of their cars crashed at the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race, killing at least 82 spectators in motor racing's biggest disaster.

The company returned to motor racing in 1988 and F1 in 1993 as engine partner to the Swiss Sauber team.
Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport ]]> jlomon http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1483068-mercedes-take-over-brawn-gp.html Alonso steps out with Ferrari http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1482975-alonso-steps-out-ferrari.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:08:03 GMT Alonso steps out with Ferrari Reuters - Sun, 15 Nov 20:29:00 2009 Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso made his first public... Alonso steps out with Ferrari

Reuters - Sun, 15 Nov 20:29:00 2009


Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso made his first public appearance with his new Ferrari team at an event in Valencia, Spain.
FORMULA 1 2009 Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Luca Cordero di Montezemolo / Foto:

The 28-year-old, who begins a three-year deal with the Italian team in January when his Renault contract expires, appeared with new team mate Felipe Massa and president Luca di Montezemolo.

"It is a very important day to me, a very happy one, the first day I could enjoy all the atmosphere and all of what the Ferrari world means," the Spaniard, who finished ninth in this season's drivers' standings, said in a public address.

Massa, who finished 11th in a season ended by his horrific crash in Hungary last July, welcomed Alonso's arrival as Ferrari look to compete with new champion Jenson Button and BrawnGP.

He said: "It is already a great feeling to have the whole team together...I hope we are going to have the best team in 2010. The first impression was really good."
Reuters

FORMULA 1 2009 Ferrari Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Luca Cordero di Montezemolo / Foto:
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]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1482975-alonso-steps-out-ferrari.html Button visits McLaren factory http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1482576-button-visits-mclaren-factory.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:33:17 GMT F1 | Formula 1 | F1 News | F1 Live - Yahoo! Eurosport UK (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/formula-1/) Button visits McLaren factory Sat, 14 Nov... F1 | Formula 1 | F1 News | F1 Live - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

Button visits McLaren factory

Sat, 14 Nov 00:40:00 2009

Formula One world champion Jenson Button visited McLaren on Friday, fuelling speculation he could be lining up a switch from Brawn to become Lewis Hamilton's team mate next season.

"Having just landed at Heathrow (airport), Jenson made a small detour to Woking to say a quick hello," a McLaren spokesman said.

He confirmed the 29-year-old Briton, who was given a guided tour of the factory, met McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

Button is out of contract with Mercedes-powered champions Brawn, who are keen to retain him but not at any price.

Team boss Ross Brawn said earlier this week the chances of a deal being done were 99 percent, hinting also the team might give the driver more scope to benefit from personal sponsorship.

"We can offer a higher proportion of driver freedom and that will probably be the route we will go," he said.

Button took a significant pay cut, around 5 million pounds according to some media reports, to stay with Brawn this year after their predecessors Honda pulled out last December.

Although driver salaries are coming down as teams cut costs, Button wants his pay restored to something more appropriate to a world champion -- likely to be in the region of 8 million pounds.

McLaren, with 2008 world champion Hamilton earning considerably more than that, would have no problem meeting Button's financial demands.

If Button were to join, McLaren would then have a line-up of champions for the first time since the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna and France's Alain Prost were at the team in 1989 as well as an all-English pairing.

The Guardian website (Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) said Button and his manager Richard Goddard were given an escorted tour of McLaren's facilities.

"As I've said many times before, Jenson wants to drive a car which is capable of winning the next world championship," Goddard told the newspaper.

"We've been talking about possible terms for 2010 with Brawn for months and we're not being difficult or unreasonably expensive in our demands for Jenson.

"In fact, we've given up quite a lot of negotiating ground in our discussions with them."

The paper said a contract could be signed next week.

McLaren's former driver Kimi Raikkonen, who has left Ferrari, would be the Woking team's fallback if the Button deal failed. Germany's Nick Heidfeld was third in line.

"I think it's also important that Jenson wants to feel valued in whatever situation he finds himself next season," said Goddard.

"He needs to explore all the feasible options. ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1482576-button-visits-mclaren-factory.html <![CDATA[Schumacher: I would change Jerez '97 if I could...]]> http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481994-schumacher-i-would-change-jerez-97-a.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:07:46 GMT F1 | Formula 1 | F1 News | F1 Live - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

Schumacher: I would change Jerez '97 if I could...

Tue, 10 Nov 18:40:18 2009

Ask Schumacher - Shell Motorsport
Michael Schumacher has confessed that if he could have his record-breaking F1 career over again, he would ‘do some things differently’ – most notably the highly controversial manner in which he tried and failed to snatch the 1997 drivers’ crown from Williams rival Jacques Villeneuve in the European Grand Prix finale.

Schumacher and Villeneuve went into the race at Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain separated by just a single point in the former’s favour – essentially setting up a winner-takes-all scenario. At the start, Schumacher got the jump on pole-sitter Villeneuve – with the duo having set identical lap times during qualifying, in company with the second Williams entry of Heinz-Harald Frentzen – and led all the way until lap 48, when the French-Canadian went for a move down the inside into the Dry Sac corner.

Schumacher turned in, causing the two cars to collide – but it was the Ferrari that ended up beached in the gravel trap and out of the race, enabling Villeneuve to continue on in a damaged car to take the chequered flag third...and with it championship glory, the first and only time the son of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve would lift the ultimate laurels. For what was widely regarded to have been a deliberate attempt to remove his adversary from the fray and secure the title for himself, Schumacher was largely vilified afterwards in the global media, and the incident was one of a number that left a permanent stain on an otherwise glittering career.

“What could I change in my career?” he mused in response to a question during a special Shell Q&A. “I have some moments that if I could have them again, yes I would do them differently – probably 1997 in Jerez. I would have had a couple of opportunities to avoid all this and still win the championship, but you take your lessons and you learn from them.”

Another lesson Schumacher has learned of late – and a painful one at that, both literally and metaphorically – is that as he gets older, his bones and injuries take longer to heal, following a motorcycling fall at Cartagena in Spain back in February that ended up precluding a famous F1 comeback in-place of Felipe Massa this summer as his neck was still not fully healed.

Admitting that the reaction from fans when it was announced that he would be returning to competition after more than two years away from the fray had taken him totally by surprise, the 91-time grand prix-winner again stressed that it would be wise never to say never – even if his words seemed to hint that, now incredibly into his fifth decade, the moment for rejoining the grid had now sadly been and gone.

“The response from all the fans came as a huge surprise,” he acknowledged. “I’m thankful for that, because it really gave me something very special. I really appreciate it, and I felt very proud because it came as a result of a long-term relationship and a lot of emotions that we have shared together.

“Why did I stop in 2006? The simple matter was I was tired – I didn’t have the energy to continue and I didn’t feel there was any point. I didn’t regret it; I thought it was absolutely the right decision. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing since and I hope I will continue to enjoy it in the future.

“There’s lots of talk about me returning to Formula 1. I was very close obviously this year to replacing Felipe, but whether I’m going to race in the future or not, we will see. Definitely it was a big disappointment not to be able to come back this year for Felipe; that was the main reason, because I was just giving a hand to the team who had found themselves in exceptional circumstances. Driving the 2007 car really felt like driving it – it didn’t take me very long to drive the car on the edge, which was something I enjoyed after being out for so long. It didn’t take me long to feel good and come back.

“I felt I was possibly ready, but obviously there was the neck issue and it emerged that I wasn’t [ready]. I regret obviously to have fallen in February, but sometimes life writes the story and you have to deal with your destiny. I still love motorbikes; I haven’t raced one since, but we’ll see what happens in the future. I guess my neck by the end of the year or beginning of next year will be fully fine, but I will be 41 – and that would make me the granddad of F1! I’m not sure I want that...”

Explaining that he is enjoying the private life and freedom that no longer racing has afforded him, Schumacher also all-but ruled out owning or running his own team – something that is ‘not on the agenda’, he assures, notwithstanding his ongoing ‘love and passion’ for the sport – and revealed that if it was up to him, Macau would be a fixture on the annual F1 calendar.

He also offered his views on the new 2010 regulations – “It’s difficult to predict what is going to be the outcome and how it’s going to change the sport,” he muses. “Yes, to drive a heavy car will be difficult at the beginning of the race and you will have less strategic windows where you can change position, but equally it’s the same for everybody” – and reminisced about his very first grand prix triumph, for Benetton and at only his 18th attempt in the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

“It was an exciting race following Martin Brundle, seeing his tyres falling to pieces, and deciding myself that it was the right time to come into the pits,” the seven-time F1 World Champion recalled. “My crew reacted fantastically to change my tyres and get me out again. To suddenly find myself in a winning position with my opponents not getting any closer, I was really thrilled – and finally crossing that line and securing the victory was one of the great moments of my career. ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481994-schumacher-i-would-change-jerez-97-a.html Brawn to be renamed Mercedes? http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481811-brawn-renamed-mercedes.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:17:23 GMT Virgin had a sweet deal last year. Honda was subsidizing the team, so Virgin got primary sponsor positioning for $400,000 per race. Those are... Virgin had a sweet deal last year. Honda was subsidizing the team, so Virgin got primary sponsor positioning for $400,000 per race. Those are Indycar size numbers, not Formula 1. (An Indycar team could race all season, maybe two, for what one race costs in F1.)

But that ship has sailed, and now with the Honda subsidy gone we're all back to reality.

And Virgin is off to Manor to form their own F1 team. So what is Brawn to do? Here's the story from GMM:

Brawn could be renamed Mercedes (GMM) It is possible that new world champions Brawn GP will be renamed to feature the word 'Mercedes' ahead of the 2010 season.

Germany's authoritative Auto Motor und Sport insists the Brackley based outfit's rumored buy-in by the German marque is definitely taking place, which will result in the cars bearing a silver livery.

But whether the name can be changed to officially include Mercedes depends on the agreement of McLaren, the Stuttgart-based luxury car maker's exclusive F1 partner.

McLaren has already vetoed Red Bull's desired use of Mercedes engines for 2010, but prior to the 2009 season Martin Whitmarsh approved a two-year supply deal for Brawn.

Auto Motor und Sport claims that "error" could cost Whitmarsh his job as team boss, with Ron Dennis linked with a return to the pitwall after appearing at the Abu Dhabi finale earlier this month.

Brawn and Mercedes are hoping to announce the details of their intensified collaboration within the coming days, the magazine said.

"We are looking at all opportunities for the future but it is too early to announce anything yet," Ross Brawn told PA Sport. ]]> gerkebi http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481811-brawn-renamed-mercedes.html F1: Howett Criticized For Toyota Failure http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481754-f1-howett-criticized-toyota-failure.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:33:20 GMT F1: Howett Criticized For Toyota Failure Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM 11/09/2009 GMM... F1: Howett Criticized For Toyota Failure
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
11/09/2009
GMM Newswire
http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...oyota-failure/

A former senior member of Toyota's team has slammed John Howett in the wake of the Japanese car maker's decision to withdraw from Formula One.


"The Japanese trusted the wrong people," said ex head of research Norbert Kreyer, who was fired in late 2004.

"Why did they give a job to a bureaucrat who understood nothing about racing?" he added, specifically naming Briton Howett, the team's president who before moving to Cologne worked for Toyota/Lexus in marketing.

Another former team member is Richard Cregan, who left to oversee Abu Dhabi's new F1 track. Irishman Cregan, formerly Toyota's team manager, also blames "certain individuals" for the demise.

"There's a well-proven formula on how to go about motor racing at that level," he told the Guardian. "Ignore that, and you do so at your peril.

"It was not recognized early enough that the direction the team was taking was simply not correct. But that was pretty obvious to those who knew what the business is all about," added Cregan.

Two insiders
are not concerned that the carmaker exodus, following the departures of Honda, BMW and Renault's current deliberations, signal a death knell for the sport.

"F1 at the moment is like a sauna, where the unnecessary ballast is sweated out and afterwards there is a new start," Niki Lauda wrote in a column for Sport Bild.

"I am convinced that Mercedes' (more efficient) philosophy will be adopted by other manufacturers and we could even see new ones coming in over the course of the next few years."

Adam Parr, chief executive of the fiercely independent Williams team, agrees that a new era in F1 is dawning.

"Perhaps this is the end of a decade of manufacturer dominance and what we will now see over the next decade is a sport that resembles much more closely the 1990s," he told Reuters. ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481754-f1-howett-criticized-toyota-failure.html Driving Schools HPDE http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481634-driving-schools-hpde.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:02:27 GMT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have been in talks with MBCA and want to have them put High... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been in talks with MBCA and want to have them put High Performance Driving Schools (HPDE) for Mercedes-Benz Drivers. Every other mark has these types of events such as Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Porsche and other marks. I'm looking for Mercdes-Benz drivers that want to do these events.

Why should you do HPDE?

It’s legal, safe, and controlled. No Cops giving you tickets, No Kids/ Animals running into your path, everyone is heading the same direction, with flagers to alert what’s a head, instructors in the car to teach you and classroom time to get a deeper understanding.

Its better way to use your money than moding your car. Trust me a guy in mini cooper that is trained will fly by you in your C63, SLK55, CLK 63 Black, SL 65 Black and even you’re SLR on track through the turns. Its all of fun if have a need for speed it’s the best way of doing this. Driving your Benz on Road Course is the best feeling ever.

Contact me if your intrested for doing these type of events or have any questions more people that show interest more likely that MBCA will provide these events to us. ]]> Aminipour http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481634-driving-schools-hpde.html Norris McDonald: The end of Formula 1? http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481124-norris-mcdonald-end-formula-1-a.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:10:57 GMT McDonald: The end of Formula 1? - thestar.com (http://www.thestar.com/wheels/article/722104--mcdonald-the-end-of-formula-1?bn=1) Opinion: The Star... McDonald: The end of Formula 1? - thestar.com

Opinion:

The Star Logo

Norris McDonald: The end of Formula 1?

November 06, 2009



The 2009 Formula One season ended in Abu Dhabi last Sunday and, for Grand Prix racing fans, it might have been the day the music died.

BMW, of course, had announced mid-year it would be gone as of season's end. So there were goodbyes all round on Sunday.

Then, the bottom dropped out:

On Tuesday, Bridgestone announced it would no longer supply tires to F1 as of 2011.

Wednesday, Toyota – as expected – pulled the plug on its involvement.

Thursday, the board of the Renault car company met in Paris to discuss its future in the sport and, somewhat ominously, said afterward that it would announce "by the end of the year" what it intended to do for 2010.

A constant all week: Adrien Campos, who was awarded one of four new places on the grid for next season (along with Lotus, USF1 and Manor Grand Prix), was flying all over Europe trying to sell his team.

So what's going on?

1. It's the economy, stupid. (Sorry, that's just an expression.)

2. Ongoing concern about the FIA leadership (Max Mosley and that crowd, including the new guy, Jean Todt).

3. Bernie Ecclestone's greed (or that of his partners, CVC Capital Partners and JP Morgan).

4. The whims of the manufacturers.

Let's take a quick look at each.

1. Except for Ferrari (Marlboro cigarettes and Spanish banking giant Santander) and McLaren (Vodafone, Johnnie Walker, plus the personal wealth of Mansour Ojjeh and Ron Dennis), there is not a lot of serious money in F1 going forward.

For instance, Brawn GP – which won both the constructor's championship and the driver's title this season – does not have a title sponsor for 2010 (Virgin has gone elsewhere) and its Honda subsidy ended when the checkered flag flew at Abu Dhabi.

Renault has lost ING and, if it stays to race in 2010, might have problems attracting a title sponsor because of its involvement in race-fixing.

Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India are all financed out of the hip pockets of their owners, Dietrich Mateschitz and Vijay Mallya. If their personal portfolios take a hit, guess what?

Given all of the above, how will any of the four new teams get enough money to race in F1?

2. Who really – really – wants to get into bed with that bunch at the FIA who are running F1 these days? Having Max Mosley continue at the helm after his porn hobby became public was nothing but an embarrassment for everybody. Jean Todt, his successor, is being welcomed in the paddock with open arms simply because everybody knows it's going to be business as usual.

3. We all know the fable The Goose That Laid The Golden Eggs, don't we? Well, Bernie Ecclestone is killing the goose.

He's been doing it for years, of course. "Mo' money, mo' money" is Bernie's motto and he's running out of the Bahrains and Abu Dhabis willing to pay the outrageous fees demanded for the privilege of putting on an F1 race.

Canada is a case in point. One of the most successful Grands Prix on the calendar – huge crowds, huge TV audiences (in 2005, the Canadian race was the most watched F1 race in the world and the third most-watched sporting event on the planet, behind only the Super Bowl and the Champions League final) – it was taken away last year because various levels of government were unwilling to spend enough public money to save it.

You will note that there has still not been an official announcement of a race in Montreal in 2010. Guess what's holding it up?

4. Ferrari has been saying this week that the manufacturers are not dropping out because of the economy but to get back at the FIA (see 2, above). Bernie said years ago that F1 was much better off when the teams were independent and not beholden to the manufacturers "because when they don't sell as many cars, or something, they'll just pack it in."

Well, either way, look what's happened.

I don't want to be too much of a pessimist, but 2010 is shaping up to be a disaster.
nmcdonald@thestar.ca ]]> Teutone http://www.benzworld.org/forums/mercedes-benz-motorsports-racing/1481124-norris-mcdonald-end-formula-1-a.html