Admin Lineker Posted November 26, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Well JEV has now officially announced hius departure from STR. We'll see what's next in due course. Formula 1 teams have agreed to drop double points and standing starts after safety car restarts for 2015, AUTOSPORT can reveal. Following discussions in this week's meeting of the Strategy Group and F1 Commission in Geneva, it was agreed that the two controversial rules should be abandoned next year. Double points came in for this season following a push by Bernie Ecclestone to try to ramp up interest at the end of the campaign by keeping the title fight alive longer. But the gimmick proved hugely unpopular with fans, and teams quickly realised that the sport would be better going back on the plan. In the end, it played no role in the championship battle this season and only influenced some minor placings in the drivers' standings. Standing starts after safety car restarts were voted in by the F1 Commission earlier this year, but a deeper look at its implications over recent weeks prompted widespread safety concerns. Following talks in recent sporting working groups, the matter was tabled for discussion in Geneva, and teams have agreed that F1 should ditch it. The agreement by teams to abandon double points and safety car restarts still needs to be approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, which is meeting next week, for next year's regulations to be changed. The Strategy Group and F1 Commission meetings also featured lengthy discussions about cost cuts and a cost cap, but it is understood no agreement was reached on making any changes for 2015. The only concession given was for leading teams to say they would be open to Caterham and Marussia running year-old engines next year if it would help them survive. It is also understood that no agreement was reached on relaxing F1's engine freeze further, with Mercedes unwilling to open up the regulations. The Strategy Group also agreed that F1's radio ban would remain in its current guise for 2015. It means that only direct help for drivers will be outlawed - rather than pursuing the hardline clampdown on all team-to-driver communication as was originally planned. The WMSC meets in Doha on December 3. What would have been Marussia's 2015 car design has been revealed. It also appears that their website has gone down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 And this time Mercedes proves that you should not let the teams make up the rules. No offense to Mercedes, who outworked and outsmarted the rest with the new engines. But it's not condusive for the sport to let teams decide about their own futures, because whatever happens, they will always choose for themselves and not for the good of the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted November 28, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Toro Rosso have confirmed Sainz for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 So, just McLaren left to complete the 2015 grid. That is, unless Caterham or Manor make it to Australia. Who do we think will drive the first McLaren Honda's since the early 90's? Alonso seems pretty much nailed on but who will be his teammate? I like Jenson and feel he's still got a lot to offer, especially as development is going to be a huge part of McLaren in 2015. However, I get the feeling it will be Magnussen in the second car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted November 28, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 I think it should be Button, with Magnussen taking the seat over from him for 2016. Taking a year out hardly did the likes of Massa or Hulkenburg harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted December 3, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 Formula 1 teams and the FIA have given the green light for the introduction of the virtual safety car (VSC) in 2015, following successful late-season tests. The push for a way of better controlling driver speed followed Jules Bianchi's horrific crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. Trials of a virtual safety car system - where a speed limit is imposed around the track for incidents that do not require a full safety car - began in United States GP practice. After initial driver concerns about being distracted by focusing on keeping to the speed limit were eased, the FIA was satisfied that the system could be pushed into use. The conviction that the VSC was the right way to go was reinforced when trials of a stricter system - that imposed a speed limit in a specific track sector rather than around the whole lap - met with disproval from drivers following a test in Abu Dhabi. An FIA spokesman said: "Most of the drivers preferred the VSC approach, because [with the single sector] they were concerned about braking from high speed down to the slow speed limit. "Some drivers were worried they might not see it, and some drivers were worried they might see it too late. And these large differences of speed could cause some difficulties. "Plus, the fact that there was not a specific line on the track to show drivers where it started could give rise to endless penalties. "Overall, everyone prefers the VSC approach." With the FIA happy with the VSC work, it met with teams at the Abu Dhabi GP to gauge opinion over its introduction. It was decided that the system should come into use for the start of 2015. Provisional regulations have already been drafted and, once these rules are approved by the teams, then they will be put into the 2015 F1 sporting regulations. AUTOSPORT understands that to ensure the VSC system does not throw up any unexpected surprises next year, further trial runs will take place at the pre-season tests that begin at Jerez on February 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted December 3, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 New provisional calendar has been released and we're back up to 21 races. South Korea has been added in a May slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDK Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 That could make or break someones Korea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 21 races with one less power unit?! I'd be very surprised if Korea actually went ahead. Mexico aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 Race 21 is quadruple points but all cars will be pulled by horses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 350 horses each! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieG Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 Starting in 2016, new drivers must be 18, own a driver's license, and have at least 2 years experience in lower Formula classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 Good, some actual sensible regulations being brought in. Shame they are mostly to undo daft regulations previously brought in. Apparently Caterham can run using this year's car next season also? I know it's good as it'll encourage buyers but won't it also mean that they'll be even further off the pace of the rest of the field? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB Posted December 3, 2014 Report Share Posted December 3, 2014 Next year, the rules say that the number of engines drivers can use in a season is to be cut from five to four. But that presupposes there are no more than 20 races. The rules say each driver will be allowed five engines "if the number of events in the championship, as originally scheduled, exceeds 20". The key phrase being "as originally scheduled". The calendar announced on Wednesday is the "confirmed" schedule. Yet one of the 21 races on it - Korea - is "to be confirmed". So, now the Korean Grand Prix is on the calendar, teams can use five engines again in 2015. And that does not change even if the race drops off at a later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieG Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 Max Verstappen won the FIA award for best overtake with this last minute overtake at Imola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted December 6, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 64 trophies have been stolen from Red Bull's lobby by burglars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieG Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 The police statement notes that one of the cars involved was a Mercedes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 And that most of them, if not all of them, were replicas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 It was Seb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted December 10, 2014 Author Admin Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Jenson Button is to partner Fernando Alonso at McLaren next season. The team are to announce their driver line-up at a news conference at their factory in Surrey on Thursday. But BBC Sport has learned they have decided to retain Button after weeks of leaning towards Kevin Magnussen. Button, the 2009 world champion, will continue into a 16th season and has his wish granted to test himself against the man widely regarded as the best in F1. More to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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