Formula One 2015

[Rich]

It was all about the reservations that they wouldn't be able to meet the design requirementsand they would be "unsafe"

[Lineker]

Manor now saying that they are pressing ahead anyway as they have a signed letter from Bernie and the top six teams saying that they can compete with a modified car.

[Chris2K]

For those who enjoy this sort of thing on Top Gear...

Danny Ric was the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car on Top Gear this week and set the quickest lap time ever, 0.7 seconds quicker than Lewis' time.

Not only that but he set the same time (1.42.2) on three occasions.

[EddieG]

Didn't expect TG spoilers in here.

[Chris2K]

Sorry, tags added .

[Lineker]

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Post by Marussia F1 Team.

[Lineker]

Force India has confirmed that its 2015 Formula 1 car will now not make its debut until the final Barcelona test.

The Silverstone-based outfit had hoped a final push at its factory this week would allow it to have the VJM08 running next week at Barcelona, but it has not hit its targets.

With cars needing to leave for Barcelona, a team spokesman said on Friday that it is sending its 2014 VJM07 to the next test, which starts on February 19.

A decision on its driver line-up for the week will be made in the days before the test.

Although there are only a few days between the end of the next Barcelona test and the final test that starts on February 26, Force India is hopeful there is enough time to get its VJM08 finished.

Force India's absence from the first tests with its 2015 car has prompted speculation that the team is at risk of missing the start of the season.

Deputy team principal Bob Fernley has made it clear that while it has not been an ideal start to the year, the outfit will definitely be ready for the beginning of the campaign.

"We will be in Melbourne for the start of the season, there's no doubt about that," he told AUTOSPORT recently.

"Yes, testing time with the new car will have been limited, but we are doing everything possible to make sure we arrive in Australia in reasonable shape and with as many miles on the car as possible."

[Rich]

Force India sound like they will struggle well before we even start the season :/

[Lineker]

Formula 1's plans for a rules revolution have been delayed until at least 2017 after teams voted against a swift introduction for next year.

AUTOSPORT has learned that a meeting of the F1 commission in Geneva on Tuesday did not back plans for a rapid overhaul of car regulations that would have resulted in wider cars, bigger tyres and bodywork revisions for 2016.

It is unclear how the vote was split, but there was known to be divided opinion among teams before the meeting about the timetable for making changes.

While some outfits wanted the new rules in place for next year, others preferred that F1 wait until 2017 - when the changes could come on tap at the same time as a potential power hike to 1000bhp and all-new tyre tender contract.

According to sources, it was agreed that it would be better to spend more time working through fully concrete proposals for 2017 that would definitely make an improvement rather than rush things.

The failure of the F1 commission to agree on rule changes at the Geneva meeting means there is now almost no hope of them happening before 2017.

That is because Tuesday's meeting was viewed as the last chance for any rule tweaks to be introduced with majority support.

Under new F1 regulations introduced this year, after March 1 any alterations to next year's regulations requires unanimous support from the teams - something that is highly unlikely to be found.

The most likely path now is for teams to try to come up with regulations this year that can be approved in time to be added to the 2017 rulebook.

Ahead of the Geneva meeting, Ferrari had issued images of a concept car design that it hoped would fuel debate about the need for a dramatic overhaul of the look of grand prix challengers.

It claimed that the radical new look could be achieved with only a minimal change to the current regulations.

Meanwhile, Ferrari have released an image of their F1 concept car. Looks fucking swish.

[Chris2K]

Drivers will also be forced to keep the same helmet design for the whole season rather than having different designs for specific races or just for the hell of it.

I guess I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I appear to be the only person to agree with this decision, I miss the days of being able to recognise a driver purely by the helmet design rather than the constantly changing ones of recent times.

[EddieG]

Drivers will also be forced to keep the same helmet design for the whole season rather than having different designs for specific races or just for the hell of it.

I guess I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I appear to be the only person to agree with this decision, I miss the days of being able to recognise a driver purely by the helmet design rather than the constantly changing ones of recent times.

Naw, I'm with you, I'm happy about it, as well.

[Rich]

I wouldn't be too annoyed with having like a core design they have to keep to like the sides of the helment have to be the same but they can customise the top of it and bits around the visor.

[Katsuya]

Don't they usually give the custom ones to charities etc.? I figure that raises more money...

[EddieG]

They could still use multiple helmets to auction off, just the same design.

[Lineker]

Manor have exited administration having agreed a deal with their main creditors, McLaren and Ferrari.

And Lewis had to withdraw from testing after just eleven laps yesterday due to a fever.

[EddieG]

I know it's just testing, and only temporary, but seeing Verstappen run the most laps and set the fastest time (on no doubt softer tyres) is still pretty cool.

[Lineker]

Fernando Alonso has escaped injury following his accident during pre-season Formula 1 testing at Barcelona this morning.

The double F1 world champion was airlifted to hospital following an incident during his 21st lap of running at the Circuit de Catalunya, where Alonso's McLaren struck the inside wall exiting the long, fast Turn 3 right-hander.

Alonso was taken to the circuit medical centre where he was reported as conscious and talking to doctors.

McLaren said the results of a CT scan at a nearby hospital revealed no injuries.

Alonso's team-mate Jenson Button had been due to take over driving duties this afternoon, but McLaren confirmed the MP4-30 would not run again following Alonso's incident.

McLaren-Honda has suffered a troubled four days in Barcelona, with a recurring fault with a seal on the MGU-K part of the Energy Recovery System severely restricting its running.

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Fernando Alonso will stay in hospital overnight after suffering a concussion when he crashed in Formula 1 testing at Barcelona on Sunday.

The McLaren driver hit the inside wall on the exit of Turn 3 just before lunch, and he was airlifted to hospital where CT and MRI scans revealed that he had not suffered any injuries.

However, due to the fact that Alonso suffered a concussion in the impact, he will be kept in hospital overnight as a precaution.

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said: "Fernando's accident was just one of those things that happens in testing.

"Fortunately, he's fine, but was concussed during the accident, which therefore required an overnight stay in hospital. That's normal practice.

"Inevitably, some media reports have sought to exaggerate the severity of the incident - it was just a normal testing accident."

Jenson Button was supposed to take over from Alonso for the afternoon running, but the team decided not to attempt to repair the car in time to run again before the end of the test.

"While the car wasn't particularly badly damaged, it was enough of an impact to warrant quite a lengthy check of the gearbox and power unit systems," added Boullier.

"Given the time needed to carry out such an analysis, we decided to bring the curtain down on our test a few hours earlier than anticipated.

"It's been a tough week for the whole team, but we'll be back, and pushing harder than ever, in Barcelona next week."

McLaren suffered a troubled second test, logging only 124 laps over the four days as problems with an MGU-K seal plagued its programme.

[Lineker]

Manor have named Will Stevens as their first driver for 2015.

[Katsuya]

Bizarrely they reckon they'll be in Melbourne too. If I were them I'd just purposefully wait until Bahrain...

[Lineker]

They don't want to be technicalitied out of money by Force India!