2010 Formula One Thread

[CWallace]

Switzerland's periodical SonntagsZeitung is reporting that BMW and Peter Sauber were "scammed" by Russel King, who was convicted of fraud in the UK in the 1990s. Mr. King is said to be behind Quabak Investments, the group who agreed to buy the team from BMW. However, rather than being an investment firm representing Middle Eastern and European families, instead Quabak Investments appears to be just a collection of shell companies.

It also appears that Bahrain Capital International, the bank that was serving as guarantor for the sale, is not backed by the Bahrain royal family but instead shares an address and phone number with other businesses.

If they had been successful in securing the team, "Quabak Investments" evidently could have laid claim to some €40 million in revenue from Formula One and the FIA.

So right now it looks like the team is at risk of being dissolved unless new buyers can be found, which I expect would require the team being granted Toyota's slot by the FIA.

 

[MOFS]

Switzerland's periodical SonntagsZeitung is reporting that BMW and Peter Sauber were "scammed" by Russel King, who was convicted of fraud in the UK in the 1990s. Mr. King is said to be behind Quabak Investments, the group who agreed to buy the team from BMW. However, rather than being an investment firm representing Middle Eastern and European families, instead Quabak Investments appears to be just a collection of shell companies.

It also appears that Bahrain Capital International, the bank that was serving as guarantor for the sale, is not backed by the Bahrain royal family but instead shares an address and phone number with other businesses.

If they had been successful in securing the team, "Quabak Investments" evidently could have laid claim to some €40 million in revenue from Formula One and the FIA.

So right now it looks like the team is at risk of being dissolved unless new buyers can be found, which I expect would require the team being granted Toyota's slot by the FIA.

Hmmm ... the plot thickens, 'cause they passed the (english) Football League's "fit and proper" test of ownership when they took over Notts County, according to the Guardian.

If they can't take the grid, does that mean we'll have 24 cars? I can't see how one of the teams on the reserve list would get a car built in time for March.

 

[robbieduncan]

If they can't take the grid, does that mean we'll have 24 cars? I can't see how one of the teams on the reserve list would get a car built in time for March.

They might chose to relax the no customer car rule and let them on that way. Say running last-years cars from a team who are willing to sell/lease them...

 

[MOFS]

They might chose to relax the no customer car rule and let them on that way. Say running last-years cars from a team who are willing to sell/lease them...

I don't think that would be allowed - STR would cry foul after being told to design their own cars - but I've realised that Toyota were selling their IP rights for their 2010 car, so I guess somone could feasibly buy that and run it as their own.

 

[blinkie]

OK, so this Heidfled thing got me thinking about he he compared to his team mates,

So Youden, I'm impressed by your gathering of statistics. What I'd be interested in seeing is Heidfeld's grid positions compared with where he finished. Can you spare another 10 minutes?

 

[MOFS]

Interesting to see this critique of the engines from last yr – perhaps most interesting to see the Renault was second most powerful and also most economical. Bodes well for Spook and co, eh?!

 

[R.Youden]

So Youden, I'm impressed by your gathering of statistics. What I'd be interested in seeing is Heidfeld's grid positions compared with where he finished. Can you spare another 10 minutes?

Now you come to mention it, I will see what I can do for you

 

[R.Youden]

OK, that was fun, took a bit longer than 10 minutes though!

Below is a plot of Heidfeld's qualifying for his whole career:

Now I have a bit of fun with this one! I look at the qualifying position compared to the finishing position, but I have also taken another factor into play, the number of cars that qualified ahead of him but retired, i.e. a 'free position'.

For example:

Quali 10
Race 5
Retirements who qualified ahead 2
Net result +3

Quali 8
Race 6
Retirements who qualified ahead 4
Net result -2

Now obviously you get 'freak' results from wet races and the like along with bad qualifying by himself or faster cars qualifying behind him. Also when you are consistently qualifying up the grid there are less places to make up by going forward. On the whole I was a little disappointed with the results, I would have expected more + results and less - but I think it highlights the need for a good car. Also, for me, it highlights how well he has ground out results in the last two seasons.

 

[benlangdon]

Below is a plot of Heidfeld's qualifying for his whole career:

jebus christ. now do it for everyone .
dam i had a hard time doing this graph for my physics lab and you are doing this for fun. still haven't finished my lab graph, i think its because all my data is between ^-24 to ^-34. ugh, such bad results.

 

[robbieduncan]

Jacques Villeneuve to drive for Lotus?

Edit 1: Peter Sauber has bought his team back from BMW. I really hope he manages to get a car on the grid now. F1 needs the plucky privateer teams.

Edit 2 : Force India confirm Sutil and Liuzzi for 2010

 

[rezenclowd3]

Also, Canada returns to F1

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091127215535.shtml

 

[blinkie]

OK, that was fun, took a bit longer than 10 minutes though!

Below is a plot of Heidfeld's qualifying for his whole career:

Good job. I'd had a look at his starting and finishing positions myself and was surprised by the amount of spaces he'd made up over all. Surprised mainly because I rarely notice him overtaking anyone. So maybe if you're making the dry decision about who's going to get the points for your team then, Youden, you might have come up with good evidence for choosing Heidfeld. But I'm not a team boss and I don't care about end of season placings apart from who's won the drivers championship. What I care for most are exciting grand prix, bold manoeuvres, flamboyant overtakes, determined defence, and otherworldly displays of car control. Can you make a graph charting that please?

 

[pachyderm]

Jacques Villeneuve to drive for Lotus?

Trulli and JV?

 

[pachyderm]

i went and did my own points system... but it is not in graph form... anyone?

 

[MOFS]

2010 entry list released.

No Driver Entrant Constructor
1 Jenson BUTTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES

3 Nico ROSBERG (D) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
4 TBA BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES

5 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
6 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT

7 Felipe MASSA (BR) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
8 Fernando ALONSO (E) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI

9 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
10 Nico HULKENBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH

11 Robert KUBICA (PL) RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
12 TBA RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT

14 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
15 Vitantonio LIUZZI (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES

16 Sebastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
17 TBA SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI

18 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
19 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH

20 TBA CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
21 Bruno SENNA (BR) CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA

22 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
23 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

24 Timo GLOCK (D) VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
25 TBA VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH

Just some bits I found interesting; no Alguersuari, 6 Germans , and Manor rebranded Virgin.

 

[benlangdon]

umm bruno senna?
i think i remember you guys talking about him.
where was he racing previously?

 

[robbieduncan]

The BBC F1 Gossip page reports than Renault are trying to pull out of F1 before the start of the 2010 season...

 

[CWallace]

FIA confirms Sauber entry for 2010 Formula One season.

 

[alphaod]

The BBC F1 Gossip page reports than Renault are trying to pull out of F1 before the start of the 2010 season...

It sounds like everyone is trying to get out.

 

[robbieduncan]

The British GP will be at Silverstone in 2010 and for at least 16 more years after that. Fantastic news

 

[OllyW]

The British GP will be at Silverstone in 2010 and for at least 16 more years after that. Fantastic news

I wonder if the Moto GP will stay at Silverstone after 2010?

 

[robbieduncan]

I wonder if the Moto GP will stay at Silverstone after 2010?

Where else could they go? Donington has been messed up so it's not really usable and they have gone bankrupt. Brands Hatch?

 

[blinkie]

Where else could they go?

Knockhill

 

[blinkie]

Actually, and I know rumours like this happen all the time but, I'd heard a pretty confidant one a while ago that the Grand Prix Masters was going to race in Glasgow around the cities motorways. It never came to be

 

[robbieduncan]

Actually, and I know rumours like this happen all the time but, I'd heard a pretty confidant one a while ago that the Grand Prix Masters was going to race in Glasgow around the cities motorways. It never came to be

It's about as likely as the plan the poison dwarf put forward for a race around central London