Formula One (General)

[jaydeep]

Four new books about Schumacher published since their hero hung up his Ferrari crash helmet after a scintillating final drive in Brazil at the end of the 2006 season.

Withdrawal symptoms for Schumi fans

[jaydeep]

Works began of the Pit Building for the Singapore F1 GP from September 3 ... Singapore will stage first F1 race in 2008 September/October, also the race set to be the first F1 race to be held at night.

Spectacular F1 nights in Singapore

Check how this track going to look near Raffles Boulevard - Pic 1

Check how this track going to look near Raffles Boulevard - Pic 2

[PKBasu]

It looks as if Vijay Mallya is buying a team, and there is speculation that Karthikeyan will be one of that team's drivers...

[Sandeep]

We are already discussing that topic in "Indian F1 team" thread PKB

[piranha]

Schumi washing his hair with a certain shampoo, Irvine recommeding stylish Italian leather shoes, Hakkinen & his wife driving a Merc, etc etc. Apparently Formula 1 is a gold mine for the advertising industry finding inspiration and popular figures among the Grand Prix circus. I tried to gather all TV commercials featuring F1 drivers and teams :

A couple of dozen F1 related TV commercials

Any other links would be highly welcomed.

[jaydeep]

McLaren fired Mike Coughlan, the designer at the center of the Formula One spy scandal last season, this news came 2 months after McLaren's formal apology.

[piranha]

Disturbing revelations on FIA president Max Mosley by Britain's "News of the World" magazine :
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/3003_nazi_orgy.shtml

[jaydeep]

Force India on Friday formally snapped ties with Ferrari (which was scheduled to expire in 2010) and is all set to ink a new deal with McLaren-Mercedes as its engine supplier for the 2009 season.

Also team principal Colin Kolles and chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne will no longer play any formal role at the team, with owner Vijay Mallya taking full responsibility for running the outfit ... Mallya will be assisted in his new role of team principal by Robert Fernley, director of Force India ... On the technical side, design director Mark Smith and technical director James Key will share responsibility for the design of future cars.

Vijay Mallya statement -
"Force India is my most difficult project to date and it has become clear that it requires more direct input from my side and greater performance accountability.

"We have come a long way this season, but we need more and that requires some radical reorganisation of the management structure to ensure the maximum productivity.

"I would like to thank Colin Kolles for his tireless efforts in keeping such a small team alive and to Mike Gascoyne for bringing his wealth of technical expertise. Both have played an instrumental part in making the team what it is today.

"On Monday November 10th, I will announce the new technical direction of the team as well as the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer who will assume overall responsibility for our Silverstone and Brackley facilities, Race and Test operations."

[Dhruv]

FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM ANNOUNCES TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH McLAREN APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES, MERCEDES-BENZ HIGHPERFORMANCEENGINES AND EADS

Force India Formula One Team is pleased to announce a major new partnership that will propel the team forward for the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship and beyond; a ground-breaking technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies (which is a company wholly owned by the McLaren Group) and with Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines.

In a unique long term deal, the Force India Formula One Team VJM02 cars will be powered by engines designed and built by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, the first time that the legendary manufacturer has supplied another chassis constructor other than McLaren. Additionally, Force India will have access to the McLaren Group's network of bespoke suppliers that has supported this year's World Championship victory.

McLaren Applied Technologies will additionally supply the Force India Formula One Team cars with McLaren Racing gearboxes and hydraulic systems and will provide operational support to ensure Force India functions at its highest possible level.

The Force India Formula One Team also plans to fit its cars with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) that is currently being developed by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines and McLaren Racing (which is also a company wholly owned by the McLaren Group).

In conjunction with aerospace company EADS - which, like McLaren and Mercedes, is also a global leader in its field - Force India Formula One Team announced that it will soon be expanding the computational fluid dynamics capability of its Brackley Aero Centre facility.

Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director of Force India, commented: 'We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce a technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, and also our plan to expand the composite manufacturing capability and drawing office within our Silverstone facility.

'McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are two of the most famous names in motorsport history, having achieved great success in Grand Prix racing over many years, and most recently, a superb victory in probably the most dramatic World Championship Formula 1 has seen.

'These new resources and developments will provide an enormous boost to our technical armoury and, as a result, we have high hopes of making good progress in 2009 and beyond.

'Force India Formula One Team has been in existence for only one year, and inevitably our first season has constituted a learning period. But we said at the outset that we meant business and were not interested in merely making up the numbers. The announcement of our new technical partnership, combined with the new developments and resources outlined above, clearly underlines that we meant what we said. I would like personally to thank Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley, both of whom offered their assistance and support throughout the gestation of this deal.'

'Interest in Formula One in India, especially among the 300-million-plus professional-class demographic as well as in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi with a large Indian population, is growing at astonishing levels. Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has declared plans to stage an Indian Grand Prix in 2011, in Delhi, our capital city, by which time Force India Formula One Team will be exactly that: a Formula One force in, and for, India.'

[jaydeep]

Interesting move by Vijay Mallya to decide 5 yrs association with McLaren and Mercedes ... I also liked appointment of Simon Roberts, who is moving from McLaren Applied Technologies to become Force India's chief operating officer.

Jaydeep

[kujo]

Whew! That is as significant an announcement as they come. Let us see whether Mallya is able to pony up the money for all of this in a weak economic outlook...

We need an Indian F1 driver (even as a Test driver), to immediately increase the audience level up by a notch and increase the resultant sponsorship money inflows...

[david]

Good move!
All the best for Force India F1 team for 2009!!

[Sandeep]

Schumi is back!!!! He will be driving for Ferrari in the place if injured Massa. This has to be one of the most exciting returns in the sports history. I am not sure if he can win any race but with his inputs Ferrari is going to be one of the best cars again in the next season.

Kimi and Schumi in the same team is a dream. It will be superb to see two of the most aggressive drivers in the same team. They will form an excellent combination. Go Ferrari

[vidhyashankar]

Welcome Back Mr.Schumacher

[Prashant]

Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella is on POLE for the Belgian Grand Prix!! Fantastic qualifying run....