Will Max Put An Xmas Present Under The Tree?

[Carlos]

FIA President Mr Max Mosley may put a present under the Xmas Tree after all:
"Mosley also said he was undecided on whether or not he would stand for another term as president.
I sometimes say jokingly that is it sensible that Formula One is run by two old-age pensioners? I don't think of myself like that, and Bernie certainly doesn't, but we are, and I think you have to recognize that at a certain point you've got to stop."

Then in a few comments; all Seasonal Cheer was dampened by a few Mosley lumps of coal.
"Dear old Jackie,"(referring to Sir Jackie Steward) Mosley said in an interview this weekend with the Guardian. "He knows nothing about sports governance. Because he never stops talking, he doesn't know much about anything, actually. He just talks.
So when people like that say it, you think, 'I just can't.' It's very childish, I suppose. The real moment to go is when you lose interest in your ideas. As far as I go, the only thing that keeps me doing it is new ideas and new technologies and steering the thing in a sensible direction. That's the motivator."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64468

May I wish You All Seasonal Greetings and Joy in The New Year

[mahesh248]

Mery X Mass and Happy New year to all the People of F1technical . Have a great time

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Alan Henry wrote an absolutely brilliant price (as per usual) in his F1 Racing Column this month, talking about Martin Brudle & Max Mosley. A few choice cuts:

"I've always had a lot of time for Martin Brundle. As a grand prix driver he was unusually intelligent and perceptive; as a broadcaster he's incisive and alert. In short, he's just the sort of guy who may consider running for the job of FIA president when the current incumbent finally stands down at the age of 97. Just my little joke, you understand"

LMAO!

Anyway he goes on to talk about Martin's column in the Sunday Times, and the subsequent legal action by the FIA against the newspaper. Saying that the FIA's reaction is very much "Like the headmaster [telling] media studies students to think twice before putting their work to print" and "Uncle-max-is-a-very-nice-bloke sort of thing, but don't push your luck or the spirit of christmas past, present & future will very quickly evaporate."

He then talks about how Max's PR guy released a statement saying something like "Its regretable that Martin continues to ridicule the FIA insted of congratulate other drivers who have just won awards at the FIA award gala." to which Alan henry retorts saying that its all well and good to say that but it is "A bit like saying, "Never mind that Selfridges has just burned down. Look at the pretty lights on oxford street!" LOL.

He then says that "Much as they try the FIA find it difficult to appear even handed, even when they are being even handed." (Talking about how they probably were being fair with the Renault scandal, but they didn't APPEAR to be very fair about it relative to the Mclaren punishment.)

Finally he talks about how, despite his quirks Max was recently described to him by a former F1 champ (unnamed) as "Intellectually, the cleverest FIA president we've ever had" and "The question is...[if] a credible candidate could run against Mosley with some hope of success in the next FIA presidential election. A long shot, I fancy. What say you, Martin?"

It would be interesting for Martin to run against Max, but I think Martin's skills would be better suited to being one of the best sports commentators on British TV atm (not just in Motorsport).

[Belatti]

Drivers concerned over safety during wet weather races, Mosley not

Its at least hilarious to read that title.
I mean, I´m with Max at this one, but its just that he doesn´t have to sit and drive at 300 Kph in the wet with no TC.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

I agree Belatti, but I think that Mosley's view on this one is simple - F1 drivers are meant to be some of the best in the world, if they can't keep a car on the track in the wet without TC they shouldn't be there. Schumi, Damon, Jacques, Mika et al all managed it in the mid-to-late 90's so why can't they do it know.

Next we'll be wrapping them in cotton wool. I mean don't get me wrong I'm all for driver safety, but there comes a point when you have to draw a line - if you don't like the though of a car crash, don't be a racing driver. I loved the comment about its more andergous to drive without TC now than it was in the past. Codswallop, I agree its possible that in the rain without TC the changes of loosing control maybe marginally higher - but the cars are far safer than anything built in the last non-TC era.

And frankly I'm fed up of DC (& Webber too if i'm honest) complaining about safety all the time - it always seems to be those two, (plus now Jenson who seeing as he can't focus on winning with a dog of a car now seems to focus on follwing his friend, DC's thoughts) year after year we come to a Monza track which - once again - has been updated (usually at a chicane) to improve the run off area, and yet again they mouth off about the safety issues. Monza is fine, frankly I wouldn't be suprised if they started complaining that "The barriers at Monaco are a little too close to the cars" or

I find it amazing that they see the need to campain about such things when the single most dangerous part about an open wheel race car is the thought of one wheel clipping another launching a car into the air - why don't they complain about that?

Finally how would TC have helped prevent aqua-planning? If the tyres can't displace enough water it doesn't matter what electronic gizmo's you're running, you're going to aqua-plane.

[Sawtooth-spike]

Spencer your right,

I am sick of them going on about safety, i don’t mind when they have a Valid point but the thing they seem to forget is they are paid loads of money to risk there life’s. After all they are ment to live hard and Die young! well thats was what the old school F1 drivers were about.

I personally don’t like all the Run off areas as it means you dont have to worry if you mess up, cus u can just drive back onto the track. I understand they are safer than gravel traps. But if you fell of the track onto a gravel trap you could be out of the race (unless your Lewis, they just lift you back onto the track )

I liked the bit where Max started talking about F1 in the snow would not be dangerous as the car would not go anywhere.

[dumrick]

A race driver should be able to race in the wet and he does get paid for that royally. However, when I watch in-car shots of a really wet race, just imagining their right foot pressing throttle wide open running through the spray with 5 meters of good visibility, I do find it too much suicidal. I'm OK with corners, just remember the Massa-Kubica duel at Japan, it's fun and the driver quality arises in the wet surfaces - mainly without TC -, but in very damp straights, it's not about quality or car control, but fearlessness...

I think that DC was really trying to warrant that Charlie Whiting will make conservative decisions in a wet race event, and I understand and respect his move, like I respect Lauda's decision in Fuji 1976 to give up and give the title over to Hunt... I appreciate to see courage in racing drivers, but I think dumbness should be left for street racers.

[Tom]

I think some of you should find 'Winning is not enough' in your local bookshop and give it a read. I found parts of it very dull but there are some really good sections and one focuses on a similar situation to this, where some of the greatest drivers F1 has seen are being mocked for raising issues about safety.

[Tom]

I was watching Petite Le Mans on MotorsTV reacently, the commentators were talking about a GT race they obserbed in Japan where the local competitors weren't too phased by the monsoon conditions they were about to compete in but the European and American drivers were pretty worried. It turned out that the Japanese teams had all come prepared with a 'super wet' tyre which the other teams didn't even know about. It turns out that many Japanese races where held in conditions that would be cancelled elsewhere in the world so they used special tyres or they would never race. The other teams never assumed that the conditions could be so bad that they'd need a 'super wet' and were not surprised when the Japanese stormed into the lead and were never seen again.

Why can't bridgestone develop a tyre esspecially for F1 cars without traction control battling in extreme conditions?

[Spencifer_Murphy]

That's a fair point, I mean F1 cars create huge amounts of downforce, so if bridgestone were to produce say a "Super-Extreme Wet" tyre then the car should - in theory - displace enough water on the straights to run without the risk level.

I understand DC raising safety concerns at Fuji, Niki Lauda did so in '76 and he's respected for it (although his descision is likely influenced by his horror accident at the Nurburgring earlier that year).

One off complaints are fine, the conditions at Fuji were pretty extreme. I just dislike the generalisation that racing in the wet is too dangerous without TC, Bull**** it is.

Being safe is one thing, being paranoid is another. I still stand by that if they don't want to race, don't do it. Nobody is forcing them too. They could quite easily not be F1 drivers if they don't like the risk. F1 will always be dangerous, and improving safety is paramount, but to outlaw racing in the wet because the cars don't have TC is nothing more than paranoia.

[modbaraban]

That's a fair point, I mean F1 cars create huge amounts of downforce, so if bridgestone were to produce say a "Super-Extreme Wet" tyre then the car should - in theory - displace enough water on the straights to run without the risk level.

Low ride hight is a problem too... no tyres can help when the car is floating around on it's belly. I think the new wet tires should have even larger radius to further increase ride hight.