General F1 news

[Big Kev]

Now the season is over we'll put all the general news chat in here instead of tagging it on to race topics.

[w00dsy]

Nico Hulkenberg will not race for Williams in Formula 1 next season.

The 23-year-old German, who clinched his maiden pole position in Brazil a week ago - the team's first in five years, announced this morning that he will leave the team.

"I heavily regret that," Hulkenberg said in a statement. "I would have been happy to stay with Williams.

"I want to thank the team for a great time and I wish Williams all the best for the future."

Hulkenberg's manager, Willi Weber, says he is in discussions with other F1 teams and is sure that Hulkenberg will have a drive next season.

"I am negotiating with other teams," Weber said. "Nico will have his seat in F1 in 2011."

But Hulkenberg's options appear to be limited - with Vitaly Petrov set to renew his deal with Renault, Force India and Lotus could be his only possible destinations. The other option is to spend a year as a reserve driver with another team before stepping up to a race seat in 2012.

AUTOSPORT understands Williams was looking to sign Hulkenberg to a multi-year deal that would have placed him with the HRT team for the 2011 season, which the German declined.

[c.j]

Sorry Kev, was me and the questions...

Bad idea losing your seat to go to a 2nd tier team Nico...

[w00dsy]

here's a quick 2010 wrap up

[youtube] [/youtube]

[Big Kev]

Sorry Kev, was me and the questions...

Bad idea losing your seat to go to a 2nd tier team Nico...

No no, it was half a dozen races ago. Durb suggested doing it this way

[GT VIRUS]

Richard Branson has confirmed he will honor the pre-season bet he made with team lotus owner. Glad there is still SOME humour in F1

[nutty]

Few things goign around about HRT announcing a deal with Toyota

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, HRT will officially announce the Toyota deal on Monday [15 November], an agreement that would give it access to the TF110 chassis that would have the Cologne-based operation's challenger this year, as well as two windtunnels and over 100 staff. Leaked comments from within Cologne suggest that the TF110 could have been Toyota's most potent creation, but had the plug pulled on it at the end of 2009 when Toyota decided to follow Honda out of the sport.

Naturally the Toyota car will be behind the ball, but surely the expertise of Toyota F1 will help

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14112010/ ... ently.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[durbster]

Sorry Kev, was me and the questions...

Bad idea losing your seat to go to a 2nd tier team Nico...

No no, it was half a dozen races ago. Durb suggested doing it this way

I did? What a great idea

[Big Kev]

Well nearly
viewtopic.php?p=262669#p262669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Exar Kun]

Few things goign around about HRT announcing a deal with Toyota

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, HRT will officially announce the Toyota deal on Monday [15 November], an agreement that would give it access to the TF110 chassis that would have the Cologne-based operation's challenger this year, as well as two windtunnels and over 100 staff. Leaked comments from within Cologne suggest that the TF110 could have been Toyota's most potent creation, but had the plug pulled on it at the end of 2009 when Toyota decided to follow Honda out of the sport.

Naturally the Toyota car will be behind the ball, but surely the expertise of Toyota F1 will help

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14112010/ ... ently.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Didn't last long. When I first saw that news yesterday I was wondering where they had got the money from. Seems that they didn't. Toyota aborts HRT collaboration.

[dvestate]

Pretty cool vid

[Exar Kun]

The young driver test has gotten underway. Following is the line up:

RED BULL
Daniel RICCIARDO (Aus)

McLAREN
Gary PAFFETT (GB) (2 days?)
Oliver TURVEY (GB) (confirmed)
Alexander SIMS (GB) (1 day)

FERRARI
Jules BIANCHI (France)
Cesar RAMOS (Bra)
Stéphane RICHELMI (Mon)
Andrea CALDARELLI (Ita)

RENAULT
Jerôme D'AMBROSIO (Bel) (1 day)
Mikhail ALESHIN (Rus) (1 day)
Jan CHAROUZ (Cze) (1 day?, unconfirmed)


MERCEDES
Sam BIRD (GB)

WILLIAMS
Pastor MALDONADO (Ven) (1 day)
Valteri BOTTAS (Fin) (2 days?)
Dean STONEMAN (GB) (2 days?)

FORCE INDIA
Paul DI RESTA (GB)
Yelmer BUURMAN (NL)
Antonio FELIX DA COSTA (Por)

TORO ROSSO
Jean-Eric VERGNE (Fra)

SAUBER
Esteban GUTIERREZ (Mex)
Sergio PEREZ (Mex)
Felipe NASR (Bra) (unconfirmed but likely to get 1 day)

VIRGIN
Jerôme D'AMBROSIO (Bel) (2 days)
Luis RAZZIA (Bra)
Rio HARYANTO (Indo) (1 day)

LOTUS
Vladimir ARABADZHIEV (Bul)
Rodolfo GONZALEZ (Ven)
Fairuz FAUZY (MAL) (unconfirmed)

HISPANIA
Pastor MALDONADO (Ven)
Davide VALSECCHI (Ita)
Josef KRAL (Cze)

[Big Kev]

I'd really like to see Paffitt given a proper go in a race. Even in a crappy car.

[w00dsy]

day 1 of the Pirelli tyre test. Morning session.


1. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1m40.813s 46
2. Paul di Resta Force India 1m42.736s 28
3. Oliver Turvey McLaren 1m42.933s 47
4. Sam Bird Mercedes 1m43.201s 39
5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m43.392s 46
6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m43.410s 37
7. Mikhail Aleshin Renault 1m43.661s 39
8. Jules Bianchi Ferrari 1m43.894s 31
9. Dean Stoneman Williams 1m44.051s 32
10. Antonio Felix da Costa Force India 1m44.704s 20
11. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m46.278s 59
12. Rodolfo Gonzalez Lotus 1m46.910s 48
13. Rio Haryanto Virgin 1m49.439s 21

[KNAPPO]

Very good work by Daniel.

[nutty]

wow smashed them

[nutty]

Is it the same track config as the race? that means the Daniel + Pirelli's are only .8 seconds off Webbers Qualifying time

[wobblysauce]

go Ricciardo.

[r8response]

Is it the same track config as the race? that means the Daniel + Pirelli's are only .8 seconds off Webbers Qualifying time

Same track, but still on the bridgestones. They don't change too the Pirelli's till friday

[Enforcer-J]

Stolen from Autosport

I heard this mentioned in passing, but I wasn't sure whether it was true that not one single race during 2010 was won by the man leading the WDC... I decided to take a look at the results:

2: Australia. Alonso leads by 7 points. The first leader of the WDC looks like he's going to have a pretty smooth season. The bookies instantly install him as the favourite to win the Championship. He finishes 4th.

3: Malaysia. Alonso leads by 4 points. His Ferrari engine goes kaput. He'll get two podiums from the next seven races.

4: China. Massa leads by two points. Some people question the new points system when they see his name at the top. They don't have to worry, he finishes 9th and won't be on the podium again until Germany. By then, even his own team will have given up on him.

5: Spain. Button leads by 10 points from Rosberg. He's just had his second win of the season, things are looking pretty good from here, right? No. That'll be his last win of the season. He comes 5th.

6: Monaco. Button's lead has been reduced to 3 points. McLaren leave a bung in his engine, leading to a rather bizarre retirement. This is followed by three podiums in a row, but each one sees him finish behind his team mate.

7: Turkey. Webber and Vettel are each on 78 points. Webber leads the WDC on countback for the first time in his life, having scored as many wins in a week as he had managed in his 8 year career. Red Bull suffer their darkest moment of the year as their two cars crash into one another.

8: Canada. Webber leads by 5 points following his crash with Vettel. He comes 5th and will retire from the next race.

9: Europe. Hamilton leads by 3 points from Button following two wins in a row. Finally the pre-season favourite is back. Can he make it a hat trick? No. He comes 2nd.

10: Great Britain. Hamilton leads by 6 points. Another 2nd place, though his home fans are pretty happy with this as most of them like seeing Webber win.

11: Germany. Hamilton leads by 12 points. The biggest points margin of the season, so far! Hamilton finishes 4th.

12: Hungary. Hamilton leads by 14 points. That was almost turning into a good run by the WDC leader! This must be stopped. Hamilton suffers from one of the only mechanical DNFs of his career.

13: Belgium. Webber leads by 4 points. He gets pole, but the race victory goes to Hamilton, who has finally finished his run of four races at the top of the WDC standing.

14: Italy. Hamilton leads by 3 points. He retires. He'll retire from the next race, too.

15: Singapore. Webber leads by 5 points. He finishes third.

16: Japan. Webber leads by 11 points. He loses out to his teammate.

17: South Korea. Webber leads by 14 points. He rather stunningly crashes out once the safety car goes into the pits and takes Nico Rosberg out with him!

18: Brazil. Alonso leads by 11 points having won four races since we last saw him. He makes it a fifth podium in a row, but he can't capture that win!

19: Abu Dhabi. Alonso leads by 8 points. At the final hurdle, he can't do it. The WDC is won by Sebastian Vettel, who hasn't led the WDC at any point this season. In fact, he's never led the WDC in his life, until now.

Somehow, I'm guessing that Vettel won't win the first race of 2011...

Quite a statistic hey!? In fact the driver leading the championship hasn't won since Turkey 2009!

[Enforcer-J]

Another stat.......



Never before has

1. the Championship been clinched in the final race

2. by winning it

3. with the previous two WDCs occupying the rest of the podium.

[Bauer]

go Ricciardo.

So can we get this done and dusted now. Have your say if you like but if you know for sure then provide sauce - and it cant wobble.

is it Ricky ardo or is it Richie ardo?

I thought it was Ricky until I watched the last race from Spain and the commentator was saying Richie for the first 4 turns and Ricky for the next 8.

[Bauer]

Never before has

1. the Championship been clinched in the final race

Im missing something obvious arent I?

[Enforcer-J]

it's part 1 of a 3 part statement lol

[Bauer]

oh yeah