and so it begins...
Posted on 10/15/2010 3:16:29 PM PDT by Chode
2010 SOUTH KOREAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Yeongam
Date: Sunday 24 October
Lap length: 3.39 miles
Race laps: 55
2009 winner: N/A
First grand prix: 2010
Sunny all weekend...
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg admits he expected more from the 2010 season but is happy to have out-performed his team-mate Michael Schumacher.
Full story: Autosprint (in Italian)
Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz insists there will be no team orders for the final three grands prix of the season. He also thinks Sebastian Vettel is his fastest driver but team-mate Mark Webber's points advantage could win him the title.
(German news agency DPA)
Mercedes boss Ross Brawn admits the effort required to win the 2009 world championship has contributed to the team under-performing in 2010.
Full story: Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian)
Despite long-running rumours of a return to Formula 1, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says he could be lured to Australia for a full-time drive in the V8 Supercar series.
Full story: Sydney Daily Telegraph
Former FIA president Max Mosley is planning a "comeback" by opposing rule changes at the next general assembly meeting of the sport's governing body the FIA on 5 November.
Full story: 422race.com (in Italian)
Speculation continues regarding Nico Hulkenberg's future at Williams. Reports in Brazil suggest GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado will replace Hulkenberg in 2011 and become Rubens Barrichello's team-mate.
Full story: esporte.ig.com (in Portuguese)
Andy Green will replace Mark Smith as Force India technical director when the latter departs to join Lotus.
Full story: planet-f1.com
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton is the fifth most powerful celebrity in the UK, according to a new survey by advertising agency Millward Brown.
Full story: Joe Saward's Grand Prix Blog
"Just spoken to (Korea circuit designer) Hermann Tilke. No fears the track will break up but surface will be slippery. Good overtaking chances."
BBC F1 commentator Jonathan Legard on Twitter
1980 world champion Alan Jones will servce on the race stewards panel this weekend at the inaugural Korean Grand Prix.
Full story: planetf1.com
Toro Rosso driver Jamie Alguersuari says the team have decided not the run the F-duct in Korea after it failed to provide sufficient improvements in testing.
Full story: Scuderia Toro Rosso website
This story will be updated throughout the day
Austin GP already predicted as a casualty???
Likely casualties:
1. USA - F1 has always been the third-rated motorsport event in America behind NASCAR and Indy and so the potential for cancelation seems high in a country where most would not view it as the pinnacle of motorsport. The mood music around Austin sounds a bit like the kind of stuff we heard around Donington Park and the USGP team. Everything’s going fine...
2. Valencia - Bernie once said that no European country should have two GPs and then gave two to Spain. The European GP at Valencia has a contract for 2014, but with 20% unemployment in the country and Spain tottering on the brink of financial catastrophe, how long can they run at a loss?
3. Australia - with global cutbacks in public funding and the Aussie GP losing a substantial amount of money per race, coupled with pressure from Albert Park’s environmental lobby, the Melbourne Race is being squeezed. Can a World Champion in Mark Webber turn round public opinion?
4. China - the Chinese are nothing if not hard-headed businessmen and the experiment to import F1 hasn’t come off.
5. Turkey - As with Valencia, the showcase event relies heavily on regional backing and the moment that is withdrawn the show is over.
http://www.planet-f1.com/editorial/6448115/23-Into-20-Just-Won-t-Go
and so it begins...
I guess I don’t have to move to Austin then...
Whatever you do F1 powers that be, DON’T ever move Spa off the schedule.
Amen...
Formula 1 drivers have criticised the new Korean Grand Prix track, claiming the pit-lane entry is dangerous.
The pit entry is on the exit of a blind corner, and drivers are worried about the speed differential between cars racing and those coming into the pits.
Lotus's Jarno Trulli said the drivers would raise the subject with race director Charlie Whiting, adding: "It's very dangerous. It is a big issue."
Renault's Robert Kubica said: "It might be quite tight if someone's pitting."
Trulli, who has been racing in F1 since 1997 and won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix, also said the layout of the pit exit and first corner could be improved, and criticised the fact that drivers had not been consulted on the design before the race meeting.
"They don't even ask us anything about circuit layout," he said. "Nothing."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9118137.stm
we're baaack... practice three in three hours
Lotus Racing boss Tony Fernandes appears to be under pressure to drop the Lotus name if he wants to secure his team a supply of Renault engines. Full story: grandprix.com
The FIA has confirmed that future new F1 circuits will have to be ready for inspection 90 days before their first race, unlike Korea's Yeongam venue, which was given a late approval after significant construction delays.
Full story: speedtv.com
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has admitted the team will be built around Sebastian Vettel in the future. Full story: ESPN.com
Former world champion Jaques Villeneuve says Sebastian Vettel has been "spoilt" by Red Bull. The 1997 champion says the team have protected Vettel from his mistakes and that the 23-year-old will not learn "if the team don't tell him it was his fault." Villeneuve thinks Webber will benefit from his "tough" experiences: "The guys who have had it tough do better when it's crunch time." (Full story: F1 Racing magazine)
Red Bull's Mark Webber will win the world title this year - that is according to a lecturer and doctor of physics at Reading University, Dr Mark Peace, who has analysed scoring patterns in F1 over the past 40 years to devise a formula which takes into account race wins, pole positions, podium finishes, average finishing positions and race retirements. (Full story: F1 Racing magazine)
as to the pit lane issue... dint ALL the teams have simulation software of the circuit layout for some time now???
Not on Speed TV, guess we’ll have to use the internet for practice.
| Position | Country | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland | R Kubica | Renault |
| 2 | Great Britain | L Hamilton | McLaren |
| 3 | Spain | F Alonso | Ferrari |
| 4 | Australia | M Webber | Red Bull |
| 5 | Germany | N Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 6 | Brazil | F Massa | Ferrari |
| 7 | Great Britain | J Button | McLaren |
| 8 | Germany | N Hulkenberg | Williams |
| 9 | Germany | M Schumacher | Mercedes |
| 10 | Germany | A Sutil | Force India |
| 11 | Russia | V Petrov | Renault |
| 12 | Brazil | R Barrichello | Williams |
| 13 | Switzerland | S Buemi | Toro Rosso |
| 14 | Japan | K Kobayashi | BMW Sauber |
| 15 | Spain | J Alguersuari | Toro Rosso |
| 16 | Germany | S Vettel | Red Bull |
| 17 | Germany | N Heidfeld | BMW Sauber |
| 18 | Italy | V Liuzzi | Force India |
| 19 | Italy | J Trulli | Lotus |
| 20 | Finland | H Kovalainen | Lotus |
| 21 | Germany | T Glock | Virgin |
| 22 | Japan | S Yamamoto | Hispania |
| 23 | Brazil | L di Grassi | Virgin |
| 24 | Brazil | B Senna | Hispania |
Third Practice in session
With the slippery track, I wonder if the Red Bull has a mechanical grip issue compared to others.
you know, I saw your post and did not think too much of it.
then I woke up the next morning and realized I FORGOT TO TAPE THE PRACTICE!!!
had to double check the schedule.
you bastard. 8-)
Thanks for the posts, even if a tad early.
Vettel Vettel Vettel and Alonso.
Forza Ferrari! Forza Alonso!
Another s**ty Tilke track.
Rain!
Regenmeister time!
| Pos | Country | Driver | Car | Team | Grid | Fastest lap | Race time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | spain | Fernando Alonso | 8 | Ferrari | 3 | 1:50.257 | 2:48:20.810 | 25 |
| 2 | great britain | Lewis Hamilton | 2 | McLaren-Mercedes | 4 | 1:50.430 | +00:14.999 | 18 |
| 3 | brazil | Felipe Massa | 7 | Ferrari | 6 | 1:50.502 | +00:30.868 | 15 |
| 4 | germany | Michael Schumacher | 3 | Mercedes GP | 9 | 1:51.835 | +00:39.688 | 12 |
| 5 | poland | Robert Kubica | 11 | Renault | 8 | 1:51.604 | +00:47.734 | 10 |
| 6 | italy | Vitantonio Liuzzi | 15 | Force India-Mercedes | 17 | 1:51.371 | +00:53.571 | 8 |
| 7 | brazil | Rubens Barrichello | 9 | Williams-Cosworth | 10 | 1:51.564 | +01:09.257 | 6 |
| 8 | japan | Kamui Kobayashi | 23 | BMW Sauber-Ferrari | 12 | 1:53.086 | +01:17.889 | 4 |
| 9 | germany | Nick Heidfeld | 22 | BMW Sauber-Ferrari | 13 | 1:53.263 | +01:20.107 | 2 |
| 10 | germany | Nico Hulkenberg | 10 | Williams-Cosworth | 11 | 1:51.982 | +01:20.851 | 1 |
| 11 | spain | Jaime Alguersuari | 17 | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 15 | 1:51.962 | +01:24.146 | |
| 12 | great britain | Jenson Button | 1 | McLaren-Mercedes | 7 | 1:52.193 | +01:29.939 | |
| 13 | finland | Heikki Kovalainen | 19 | Lotus-Cosworth | 21 | 1:55.018 | +01:29.939 | |
| 14 | brazil | Bruno Senna | 21 | Hispania-Cosworth | 24 | 1:59.290 | +01:29.939 | |
| 15 | japan | Sakon Yamamoto | 20 | Hispania-Cosworth | 23 | 1:58.313 | +01:29.939 | |
| 16 | germany | Adrian Sutil | 14 | Force India-Mercedes | 14 | 1:52.601 | +01:29.939 | |
| 17 | germany | Sebastian Vettel | 5 | Red Bull-Renault | 1 | 1:50.375 | +01:29.939 | |
| 18 | russia | Vitaly Petrov | 12 | Renault | 20 | 1:53.031 | +01:29.939 | |
| 19 | germany | Timo Glock | 24 | Virgin-Cosworth | 19 | 1:58.102 | +01:29.939 | |
| 20 | switzerland | Sebastien Buemi | 16 | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 16 | 1:56.768 | +01:29.939 | |
| 21 | brazil | Lucas di Grassi | 25 | Virgin-Cosworth | 22 | 2:02.635 | +01:29.939 | |
| 22 | italy | Jarno Trulli | 18 | Lotus-Cosworth | 18 | 2:05.161 | +01:29.939 | |
| 23 | germany | Nico Rosberg | 4 | Mercedes GP | 5 | 2:00.652 | +01:29.939 | |
| 24 | australia | Mark Webber | 6 | Red Bull-Renault | 2 | 2:00.025 | +01:29.939 |
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