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The battle for F1 journalistic control (11:01)
OMG – what next? (11:31)
Il Padrino gets really really serious (11:44)
Mark Webber’s 5 must haves (12:25)
Sochi misses FIA deadline: 2014 calendar part 4 of…... (13:01)
Ferrari: Deny, deny deny (13:31)
Sauber: ‘The plan’ is evolving (15:58)
Ferrari sponsor withdraws funding for Wroom (17:22)
Max not quite got a grip (17:35)
The earthquake appears to be in the ice (19:03)
Yesterdays news links below…
Be careful what you wish for (11:49) UPDATED (18:00) video added
Alonso/Ferrari rift grows (12:54)
Ferrari offer to Raikkonen (13:57)
Tost wants Ricciardo to stay (15:06)
Pedro gets race fit (15:13)
F1 calendar 2014: part 3 of…. (15:46)
Comment of the month (16:17)
Ferrari considers ending F1 exclusivity (16:30)
Where not to take a break from F1 (16:50)
Caption of the day (17:30)
Sauber would have survived anyway (17:38)
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The battle for F1 journalistic control
The Concorde agreement is more complex than writing a reasonable sized nations constitution. There are broadly, the teams , the FIA and Bernie’s mob (FOM – CVC – Delta Topca et al), yet each team will have varied terms – that gives us 13 parties to the agreement.
The there will be other institutions powers acknowledged and key suppliers like the tyre manufacturer. The Concorde agreement is like the ‘Holy Grail’, at times no one is even sure it exists and certainly nobody except Bernie (and his crew) ever see’s the document in its entirety, because there a hundreds of addendums and special provisions in an attempt to cover every eventuality.
Like between good and evil, there has been a struggle for time and memorium between the FIA and Ecclestone over who decides what – a battle for CONTROL. The only difference between the philosophical forces we see as good and evil is that these 2 are more like – ‘bad’ and ‘worse than bad’.
One of the plethora of disputes between the FIA and FOM – which is why we have no Concorde agreement 7 months after the last one expired – is over who governs the F1 media. Currently there is a Press council appointed by the FIA on which James Allen sits with I believe 2 other respected F1 media guru’s of and they decide who gets accreditation for what.
When speaking with James last year, he told me that the number of ‘annual accredited’ F1 independent journalists had collapsed over the past few years. These are the Joe Sawards of this world who earn a crust, writing their own blogs, maybe doing one for the New York Times, selling a few magazines etc – but in effect they are self-employed. It costs them about $50,000 pa to travel the world and be at each of the F1 circus events, and that is on a meagre budget. That price doesn’t get you flash hotels and $100 meals in fine eating establishments etc – cf. the room pictures I posted from John Noble during the Monaco GP weekend.
Many of the journalists you will see for example on the FIA press conference are local and only apply for accreditation for their own GP. TJ13 currently has made an application for one of our ‘On This Day’ writers to attend the Spa weekend in a few weeks. We’ll tell you more if we are successful.
As we all know the FIA are trying to extract a few dollars more out of Bernie’s billions and one of Mr. E’s negotiating points has been to request FOM control who has press accreditation and where they can go and who they can speak to. The written press is already herded like sheep from one F1 star personality to another, having to thrust their dictaphones onto a table surrounded by others all desperate to catch pearls of wisdom from Christian, Ross Jenson et. al.
Alternatively, you can get a 30 minute private exclusive with the likes of Van de Garde and Gutierrez – as easy as pie.
The facilities for the press at many of the circuits are from the 19th century. They get a large sweaty rooms, maybe no air conditioning when the temperatures inside are way over 40 degrees, the place often stinks of stale cigar and cigarette smoke and the internet connections are of ‘dial up’ band width – for which there may be a charge.
The problem for these guys and gals is that, so desperate are the F1 galactico’s (team bosses, drivers…) for their own media coverage, they give the TV media all the time in the world and tell them most of anything juicy that’s worth hearing.
German F1 writer Michael Schmidt recently wrote a piece which explained that Ecclestone wanted to put print journalists “on a short leash” after some teams and suppliers “complained about critical articles”.
We no know that despite signing up the Hungaroring until 2022 a number of other things were agreed and Schmidt writes today that the new Concorde agreement does now in fact enshrine the principle of a ‘free press’, with the FIA remaining in charge of who get’s paddock access and who does not.
In this case and at this time – for a change – we must ‘thank Todt for small mercies’.
OMG – what next?
(Very deep breath – in fact the deepest of breath’s) Maranello aerodynamicists – with large foreheads – who are bored because their wind tunnel is broken have per chance whilst messing around with some science stuff discovered a way of resurrecting people from the dead and rejuvenating their bodies back to youthfulness. The Italian media reports, Fangio has been exhumed and will be driving for Ferrari in 2014.
Okay here were go.
La Republicca is reporting Anthony Hamilton has been to Maranello this week. Of course he no longer manages his son’s career or that of Paul di Resta so we can exclude those as reasons for the visit…. or can we???? The Italian rag continues to report Hamiton Senior has “private meetings”, and then went to dinner with person’s unnamed to the famous Montana restaurant.
Why could this be? Maybe he believes he can be part of the new Mercedes style hierarchy in the Italian racing team, or maybe he’s negotiating a discount on a ‘La Ferrari’.
As if this isn’t enough, La Gazetta reveals that Jenson Button is in hot demand for the Ferrari head hunters and is a realistic prospect to become a driver for ‘the reds’ in 2014.
Having suffered the excitation humiliation of his local team being invaded by Russia (Russian readers please this is no xenophobia being expressed – just humour), Roger Benoit finds amusement in it all commenting in Blick, “Only Schumacher’s comeback is missing now!”
I’ve saved the best one until last. The usual banal, bland, plastic humourless Christian (I’ve got a German footprint on my forehead) Horner comments in the Dutch media over driver “Yes… No….” (which is how he begins every sentence) “Nigel Mansell is a very good driver”.
I am having visions of Rocky on the radio to Vettel in Malaysia 2014, (hiss…crackle…stacatto speak) “Seb…..Seb do you copy?” (hiss.. crackle, slightly wailing childlike voice – a bit wobbly) “Yes….I can ….hear you”.
Rocky: “Seb… you are 1.2 seconds clear… (hiss crackle)….. out of DRS……. but Red 5 is gaining fast…….”
Why not eh…..Nigel?
Il Padrino gets really really serious
More from the fabulous sniffP
Mark Webber’s 5 must haves
We don’t often do this sort of thing, but it’s light hearted and as everyone knows “TJ13 is a blinkered Mark Webber lover” 😉
Mountain bike
Mountain-biking has been part of my training regime for a long time and it’s a discipline that features heavily each year in my charity adventure race in Tasmania.
I’m fortunate that I live in the Chilterns in the UK so I have a lot of good mountain biking territory on my back door and even now after all these years, I’m still discovering new terrain.
It’s a bit frustrating that a lot of routes I’ve been using for years have been closed to mountain-biking; I’d like to think the majority of mountain-bikers are considerate and courteous to fellow users that they share the tracks and trails with such as dog walkers and hikers, and that they are sympathetic to the environment so I’m not really sure what the issue is.
That’s very important for me to be able to train, go out and enjoy the elements, feel that I am alive. It’s certainly something I need all the time.
Chocolate
It’s my guilty pleasure and in particular Green & Black’s organic chocolate. I’m pretty good with my diet 99.9% of the time but every now and again, I have a bit of a binge session!
It’s obviously not too big a secret, as I’ve got an Austrian fan who would send me huge packages of European chocolate regularly via the team!
I was forever sharing it out as it was impossible to get through. Dark chocolate is my weakness but since it’s not as sweet as milk chocolate, it’s not so bad!
When I first met my partner Ann, she was amazed that I could polish off a whole slab of chocolate in one session. I have to say the chocolate in Europe is probably the nicest anywhere in the world.
Dogs
I love spending time with my two dogs; Simba (Rhodesian Ridgeback) and Shadow (Weimaraner), they are absolutely brilliant.
My family had dogs when I was growing up in Australia but a lot of them were farm dogs on the property so although they were cared for very well, they were there to do a job so they weren’t pets and didn’t live indoors with us.
It was only when I came to the UK that I saw how passionate the British are about their pets and how they’re very much a major part of their lives. My family are amazed whenever they visit and see how spoilt my two dogs are.
Simba and Shadow are incredibly loyal, they’re best mates with each other and they can lift my mood when I’ve had a rough day; the bond is very strong. I get a sense of protection when I’m with the dogs who are always looking out for me.
One of the first things I do when I return home from a race weekend, win, lose or draw, is to take the dogs out for an evening stroll by myself. It’s a great way of unwinding.
Everyone in the house knows when I’m back because as soon as I see the dogs the sound they make is quite impressive. Simba is especially vocal as he tries to tell me everything he’s been up to while I’ve been away!
Edifice Watch
The lifestyle I lead sends me all over the world so timing is important to me. My Edifice watch makes my life easier with its Wave Ceptor Technology as it accurately and easily adjusts to the time zone I am in.
F1 is all about timing and we operate to a very tight schedule which means I can’t be late for anything. Our guys have worked closely with Casio on the design and functionalities to adapt the watch to our needs in the racing environment.
Noosa in Australia
Although I don’t get to spend a huge amount of time there, spending time at my house in Noosa is an important fix in my life and something I couldn’t live without these days.
The house is nestled in trees on the edge of a national park and it’s a fairly common occurrence to have koalas right outside the window next to views of some of the most beautiful coastline in Australia.
It’s the most stunning natural environment you could wish for. I used to visit Noosa a lot before I got the house there, but it makes a big difference having my own place. I love the fact I can go down for a surf in the morning; it’s a great way to start the day, being in the ocean. Or even running along the coastal paths.
Though I haven’t quite bought into the Noosa habit of rising at 4am to start the day and the early dinners, which is so different to Europe!
TJ13 comment: Hey thanks for all the F1 memories Mark. We’ll miss you and your honest straight talking in 2014.
Sochi misses FIA deadline: 2014 calendar part 4 of……
In the endless war between Le Presidente and Bernie another opportunity has fallen nicely into the Frenchman’s lap. The deadline for circuits to apply to the FIA for approval to be included on the following years calendar is 31st July.
Due to another battle raging between the Sochi promoter and the Russian Motorsports Association, the latter refused to lodge the appropriate paperwork on time. The dispute includes matters like, who should be responsible for the recruitment and training and pay of the marshals amongst other matters vital to the continued existence of the world as we know it.
So what does this mean? No Russian GP for Bernie? Will the coffers of the hard up CVC et al be hit once again?
Russian publication R Sport says,
“The calendar is approved at the end of September,” an FIA spokeswoman told R-Sport without giving her name. She refused to comment on the case of the Russian Grand Prix specifically, citing confidentiality, but confirmed that a failure to apply more than a year in advance would not necessarily damage an event’s chances of being admitted.”
You’ve got to laugh, how did this information come to light?
Russian F1 promoter: Hello. is that the FIA?
FIA telephonist: Oiu monsieur. Paris here.
Russian F1 promotor: Aha. Can I speak to the person who deals with track registration for next year please.
FIA telephonist: I’m sorry sir, they are all out a lunch. It’s Tuesday you know.
Russian F1 promoter: Okay, when will they be back? Do you know please?
FIA telephonist: (smiles knowingly) I did tell you it was Tuesday sir. That means they go for lunch and then finish for the day.
Russian F1 promoter: I see. I’ll call tomorrow but it is an urgent matter with tomorrow being the deadline we just cannot miss.
FIA telephonist: I’m sorry sir, tomorrow is Wednesday and they will not be able to help you
Russian F1 promoter: (getting a little desperate) So why is that please?
FIA telephonist: On Wednesday they go for breakfast and then finish early for the day….. Can I help.
Russian promoter explains his predicament.
FIA telephonist: Oh I understand clearly sir. I do know the calendar isn’t formalised until September. (voice drops) Please don’t say anything but I know rules here are just broken all the time if enough cash arrives in a brown envelope. (chirpy) Hope that helps, sir.
Russian F1 promoter: (relieved and understands fully the cash request) That’s fantastic news. Thank you so much for helping me on this. I feel very relieved. Can I ask your name please?
FIA telephonist: I’m sorry sir, I can’t give that information out. It’s confidential.
Call ends. The beautiful – but masculine dressed – Femme Fatale reclines backward in her chair, crosses her legs slowly and strokes the white Persian cat on her knee called ‘Bernie’
Ferrari: Deny, deny deny
It is about to become an interesting time for Ferrari’s new head of communications, Renato Bisignani. He is 7 months into the job after the teams old pitbull media warrior was banished to the sub-continent to write magazines about Ferrari’s for Indian farmers to read.
(extract from TJ13 Jan 14th 2013)
Luca Colajanni ex-Scuderia head of communications for Ferrari F1, just after Christmas was ‘offered’ and accepted a move to the car division and a ‘Europe/Middle East’ role, he will be replaced by Renato Bisignani. It is delightfully ironic that Ferrari have just bumped this out there, nothing on the website and no explanation. Communication indeed.
Luca was the guy who would appear on TV usually when there was some Ferrari crisis that meant Stefano could not be present. Byron Young of the Daily Mirror commented, “Sad to see Colajanni go. He’s a nice guy, quality PR man with real style. Ferrari man to his core who could (and did) argue black was white.”
The Times correspondent Kevin Eason tweeted, “So farewell Luca Collajani, Ferrari’s top PR man. Top guy and much liked even after he put me on the naughty step once”. Palermo-born Luca has been writing about Ferrari and motorsports since the early 1990s. He was the driving force behind the early Ferrari websites and has headed the Ferrari motorsports press office for several years.
For those who have read the secret Ferrari insider column, clearly written by someone senior in the F1 team, may believe Luca Colajanni was behind the ‘horses head’.
Having pondered matters for a while, I began thinking back to Japan when the whole wind tunnel affair became public knowledge. Stefano Dominicali’s oblique comments suggesting the F1 car development would be fine for the rest of the year and that ‘the wind tunnel will not become an excuse for Ferrari engineers’, I noted appeared strange at the time.
The following week we then had the wind tunnel thesis on the Ferrari.com website and the subsequent Fernando row with Pat Fry in Korea – when Alonso allegedly threatened to text the world and tell us his car had no new aero development since May.
I mentioned a few times back then that I would love to know who decided what went out on Ferrari.com because it seemed a bit of a free for all – vying sides of the political debates seemed to all appear to be having their say. Wonderful for us! Maybe this is why Luca has been ‘offered’ a move out of F1 and into the car division.
Anyway, who is Bisignani?….. (full article click here)
In his first firefighting exercise for the Scuderia, Bisignani tells Brazilian publication Estado that the rumours about Kimi being made an offer by Ferrari are “the typical fantasy at this time of year. They are completely unfounded and we are united in a present in finding the reasons for the the loss of competitiveness and confident we will return to better ways.”
AMuS however reports Steve Robertson, Ki8mi’s manager, was photographed entering the Ferrari hospitality suite in Hungary.
Bisignani turns on the German press saying, “German journalists called us about the (Raikkonen) news, and we have officially denyied it.”
DPA news agency suggests the heard from a contact at Ferrari, “For all those with short memories only a year ago everyone came up with a list of drivers who would replace Felipe.”
Well Indeed Renato, we do remember that. We also remember how Kimi took up his option on a contract extensions for 2010 and Ferrari denied consistently Alonso would join them in 2010. In fact Ferrari confirmed Kimi’s contract extension, but he still mysteriously retired at the end of 2009 and Alonso DID begin driving for Ferrari in 2010.
Sauber: ‘The plan’ is evolving
Yesterday, we reported that Sauber had come out from their bunker and begun to explain matters surrounding the Russian investment deal. We heard from Monisha Kaltenborn that she believed the company would have survived without it, inferring is was a positive choice the team was making to enter into the partnership.
Now we are hearing from Monisha a little more about ‘the plan’ which has been previously threadbare in detail.
The day of the announcement, we were led to believe from Sergey Sirotkin’s old fella, that his son would be getting a drive for Sauber on a number of Free Practice 1’s – on Friday – this year.
TJ13 raised the matter of the super license, which is still as yet unresolved. Kaltenborn informs us now that Sergey will in fact not drive in any FP1’s this year, “That is not going to be an option, because he doesn’t have the super license. We have to see what kind of possibilities we have.”
This will presumably be work in the simulator and maybe as TJ13 suggested the other day, a drive in an older car. Yet Sirotkin is still adamant he will be one of Sauber’s 2 drivers in 2014. He tells Motorsport Aktuell: “I will have to wait. The plan is that I will be sitting in the car in early 2014, for the first official tests.”
The debate has raged in the continental F1 press over the age of the young Russian and Hamilton who was 22 when he stepped into his first McLaren F1 race car commented, “I wasn’t ready at 18”, adding, “and I was pretty good at 18.”
Ferrari sponsor withdraws funding for Wroom
Ferrari’s pre-season Wrooom has been cancelled from 2014. The gathering of the rich and famous from the world of MotoGP and F1 which takes places on the Italian ski slopes in the resort of Madonna di Campiglio will be no more.
Philip Morris sponsor of Ducati and Ferrari who host the event claim that this decision has been taken for financial reasons.
Corriere dello Sport newspaper reports Philip Morris vice president Maurizio Arrivabene saying, “The costs of the event are no longer sustainable, therefore we are forced to remove it from our schedule of activities”.
Tiziano Mellarini, Minister of Tourism, Trentino adds, “It is a decision that saddens us but we understand in light of the current economic crisis. It was an event with important international impact.”
Wroom has been held every January for 23 years.
Max not quite got a grip
A reader sent me this from another site entitled ‘fan wars’. I presume there was a debate going on about how out of his depth Max Chilton is.
Marussia
Race: Bianchi
Season: Jules Bianchi 10 – Max Chilton 0
Max Chilton was only 0.2 behind Bianchi after qualifying but at times it’s still like Carry On F1 for Max.
In practice we got…
Max: The engine’s gone
Engineer: Find a safe place to park up…
Pause
Engineer: (Who can see from the telemetry that it’s still working) Is the engine okay, Max?
Max: I think I might have pressed the pitlane speed limiter by mistake…
The earthquake appears to be in the ice
TJ13 has a strong source informing us that Ferrari have indeed done a deal for a new driver. Bild made similar claims earlier this week and in response a Ferrari spokesman stated to DPA News Agency, “Ferrari have no interest in the driver market right now”
Ferrari don’t openly and blatantly lie, The team is steeped in F1 history and in many ways is the big brother amongst the rest of the competitor’s. Ferrari also know they are ‘the brand’, an a historic international racing marque of no euqal and wish to be perceived to act with honour and a sense of being true to their values.
This means at times it’s fascinating unpicking exactly how they express themselves when they’re in a bit of a tight spot and need to speak, but be careful what they say. Of when they used to just publish statements in Italian, expert translators are required to convey the most precise of the semantic meaning
If Kimi were to have already signed for Ferrari for 2014, then of course on Wednesday Ferrari could deny they have no present interest in the driver market – because the deal is concluded.
Kimi to Ferrari – for all the reasons we’ve discussed between us this week – would indeed be a 9.0 or more on the F1 Richter scale.
Now all that we have to work out is who will be along side Kimi… Mmm.
“One of the plethora of disputes between the FIA and FOM – which why we have no Concorde agreement 7 months after the last one expired – is over who sanctions the media”
Sorry for coming in complaining again, folks, but what language is that sentence supposed to be in? I’m a non-native English speaker and even I can see that this sentence has every English teacher in the country looking for the sharp objects.
I understand that there is a need to get the news out quickly, but can we at least try not to miss whole words in sentences? It’s utterly disruptive when you read something and suddenly you’re left guessing what the meaning is.
“One of the plethora of disputes between the FIA and FOM – which why we have no Concorde agreement 7 months after the last one expired – is over who sanctions the media”
changed sanctions to governs if that helps.
Sorry, can’t understand what is so difficult about,
“One of the plethora of disputes between the FIA and FOM – is over who sanctions the media”
I think he means the “-which *IS* why we have…”
…but I read over that without flinching no worries, though perhaps thats because its my native, I can’t imagine trying to read a site in German!
Methinks the pot doth call the kettle schwarz… 😉
BJF, my English is bound to be error prone – that’s because it is a *foreign* language to me and the reason why I ask John to have my articles proof-read by a native speaker. But as a foreigner, missing words make it especially difficult to read. True, if I read a German sentence that is missing a word, I just “read over it”, but in a foreign language, where you read and simultaneously translate in your head, a missing word is like driving through a pothole – won’t break the car, but it’s utterly disruptive.
muchísimo
désolé
pahoillani
jammer
Mae’n ddrwg iawn gennyf
נורא מצטער
非常抱歉
ひどく気の毒
fò anpil regrèt
очень жаль
τρομερά συγγνώμη
schrecklich leid
Seriously – sorry for rattling your bones as your analogy suggests DS
TJ ‘schrecklich leid’ isn’t anything in German – it’s (guess) missing at least two more words to make sense 😀 ‘очень жаль’ in Russian in this connection means a rather cynical ‘too bad/shit happens’ 😉
Yes, I know I’m annoying, folks, but TJ13 is now a brand that goes beyond Blighty. I’m guilty of enough plugging it in Germanyland and for foreigners mangled sentences really are hard to read. All I ask is to try and avoid the big mistakes. I ask for my articles to be proof-read for a reason. I tend to think I could get away with my English on most days, but I think the language quality should be up to standard with the content quality which beats just about everything 🙂 Sorry again for my OCD …
I typed in ‘terribly sorry’ to google translate and that is what it came up with. No offense intended
You make a fair point, but part of TJ13 is that it is not written in the stilted style of Autosport reports. Flavour is given by the hopefully (and mostly) creative use of the language. This is part of the mental image creation.
But I agree missing a word like ‘is’ was a simple and avoidable error. Terribly sorry old chap 😉
BTW that is not saying you are actually old, or even an attempt to portray as an old grumpy duffer – it’s just a terribly English phrase and somewhat endearing.
Your OCD just makes us stronger and better DS
That’s the wonders of google translate and bablefish for you *rofl* I only know English, German and Russian, but I’m sure there’re a few more blunders in the other languages as well 😉
Bugger… I might have ordered someone’s assisination
The Chinese version could just as well mean, ‘I voted Ross Perot’ 😀
And what aboot yur terrible speling Judge? ‘Denyied’?????? Not that I would complain.
Yur dooing my heid in wit a’ yer spellings!
You Scottish? Sounds a bit like a Glaswegian accent 😛
Great guess work there. Actually I’m not Scottish, I’m Greek, but I did move to Glasgow when I was 17 and leaved there for 10 years. I’ve been down in England for a number of years now.
Excuse me… You ‘leaved’ there…? 🙂
The number of black pots increases daily… 😉
BJF… it’s a Scottish thing 😛 You can “leave” in a place.. same as live…
You have to experience it to believe it 🙂
You can ‘leave’ in parts of northern England too, that’d be wor yer hyem is reet? (yes that right, its not all desolate and unloved fracking territory!), we’re not all Southern Mr Chumnley-Warners.
I forgot about the “alreet” of the North-Westerners 🙂
I write a lot on mobile devices on the move, sometimes the bones of some quotes are put together by AHJ and everyone else at TJ13 work or are in full time education.
We can delay everything 24 hours until we get it checked – but hey – we do our best to be first and quick, when UPS are paying us $30,000 a year in sponsorship, we’ll have some copy readers on call 24/7.
I do know it’s not the best and have tried hard to sort these issues out as best as poss(ible)
I was going to suggest perhaps writing it up on Word (or something similar) first, then copy and paste into this blog, but I suppose if you are doing it on a mobile device, it might be difficult to do such a thing.
Danilo, I hope you receive this in the spirit it’s been sent. This is classic British comedy.
Had a pretty rough day today. That was utterly legendary and made me cry with laughter. Barker was an absolute genius, peerless and there is no equal in our time.
Thank you Carlo
With pleasure your honour 🙂
Fantastic clip. Being only 20 years of age, although I know of the two Ronnies, who they are and what they did, the only clips I remember seeing are the ‘he is richer, I look up to him’ sketch, and of course, four candles (or is it fork handles).
wanted to throw this into the hat:
“One of the plethora of disputes between the FIA and FOM – which why we have no Concorde agreement 7 months after the last one expired – is over who sanctions the media”
how about this guys???
Sorry to add a bit of context, but thought it would better flow and explain the control / govern / sanction distinction. Ages since I edited, so be nice, comments most welcome though!
– – –
“Of the important issues which threaten to become serious disputes, the FIA and FOM must decide crucial terms which govern media and distribution. Seven months after the CA expired, media and media distribution – the central premise of BCE’s FOM presence in the sport, essential historically to FOM’s success, has become the very success which is most hotly contested. At a time when F1’s innermost workings are under intense scrutiny, increasingly from unaffiliated sources whilst traditional outlets are wary of sanction from the governing bodies, control over presentation of F1 is all important, and since BCE’s indictment, has taken on a acutely personal undertone. Heightening the debate, is that even small adjustments to distribution of media income, calculated from gross revenue, take on exaggerated significance when the term and horizon of any deal must necessarily be long. Not everyone believes in Queternity. Nature eventually must disagree with Bernernity.
Let’s translate Bisignani’s quotes (changes in caps):
“OUR typical IDEAL DREAM at this time of year. They are completely TRUE and we are NOT united at present in finding the reasons for the the loss of competitiveness and ARE NOT confident we will return to better ways.”
“German journalists called us about the (Raikkonen) news, and we have officially denied it, BUT UNOFFICIALLY, NOT.”
“For all those with short memories only a year ago everyone came up with a list of drivers who would replace Felipe. BUT IN THE END WE DID ALONSO A FAVOUR AND KEPT FELIPE. THIS YEAR WE’LL GO FOR BUTTON!”
Jeeez, it’s going to be a long 4 week break if we keep going on like this.
I vote for a German publication of this site to keep Danilio from tearing his hair out.
Da Richter 13 http://www.dr13.de
I can’t pull my hair out, because I don’t have much of it left to begin with 😉
Hi Danilo – that’s the spirit… Half the time you just need a droll sense of humour, in order to understand those ‘Blighty’ people.
I think you’ve come on a lot in the past few months…
———–
Nevertheless Judge, after spending 30-40 minutes to write your great screeds why not add a couple of minutes to spell-/grammar-check them…? It would barely hurt your topicality because nobody seems to be ahead of you… And it can be essential for non-English speakers, who wish to help you out with their dictionaries…
It might be a surprise to you that you have such a wide audience but this little problem could be an easy way to lose some of them, most of whom can be almost desperate to learn both the English language as well as to learn from the English-speaking world – about many things.
You could well become the world’s No.1 source for F1 information – at the risk of sounding pompous I think you owe it to yourself as well…
Be lucky… 😉
Will do – but writing on a phone I have no spell checker, waiting for a taxi – before a meeting, 5 mins in the car when I get to an appointment early…. stolen moments my friends.
I compared us to Autosport out of interest a little while ago. Check out their writing and editorial team.. Double digit numbers.
We regularly publish more content (no.words and no. stories) a day then they do…
and they want you to pay them for the privilege too.
We are looking to develop around the world a team of 24/7 helpers who can do a couple of hours here and there on stuff like drafting the news – maybe quick copy reading… but it all takes time…
We’re not even 1 year old and we can walk and talk and go to the toilet on our own – spelling is a bit harder 🙂
Fair ’nuff, Brov… 🙂
Actually, the spelling’s been getting better, but the apostrophes have been getting worse!
Here’s an idea. Have a few of us who are willing (and capable) to proof read and send us a copy before you publish. If we haven’t replied within 30 minutes publish anyway. Then when we do reply go back and edit. I’d be willing to help.
Excellent.We can group email whoever wants to take part in this and whoever is available can give input.
Like I said, we are not 15 writers and editors like Autosport, everyone has a job or is studying
On your last point TJ, about Autosports group of writers etc, I have a feeling this project is going to surpass everything that’s out there currently.
You have merely thrown a pebble into a pond but the ripples expand rapidly..
“You have merely thrown a pebble into a pond but the ripples expand rapidly..”
and you all will be an integral and essential part of it….
I can’t do that on my own. TJ13 is meant to be a collaboration of the most passionate and determined F1 fans.
One of my private goals is to have a recognised FIA fan voice who have influence along with the teams, the FIA and FOM.
But we need many more members and contributors than we have.
I know the community is cosy with commentators getting to know each other, but there is a higher purpose which means we need to post links together and promote the site in every corner of the F1 internet world that we can.
I saw the link you posted on James Allen in the past week and I thank you for promoting us in that way.
I’d be up for the group proof reading thing.
As mentioned, we won’t all be able all the time (for example I will be at a wedding today (Friday), so wont get to go on website till late, let alone check emails etc), but having a few of us should mean someone will be able to do so, plus you can always publish anyway should none of us be available, and edit later, as Craig suggested.
Plus no-one is perfect, the odd mistake will be made, but when there are mistakes in multiple articles (sadly the case occasionally on this website), it does start to show (rightly or wrongly) a lack of …. professionalism (is that the right word), especially with examples such as the wrong “their”, or “should of” instead of “should have”. I know that, as you have said, it is partly down to wanting to get it out ASAP, but when there are too many mistakes, it could turn people off.
Apart from that, top notch website Judge, looking forward for your ONE YEAR anniversary next month!
But TJ13 is not a professional site. We publish more content than Autosport and all this is from working people who are volunteers who spend every moment they are not working on TJ13.
Unlike Autosport, we make no charge and we deliver information weeks in advance of the mainstream media.
In fact, if you read the ‘about’ section; it is our purpose to show that true F1 fans can deliver the best F1 interactive media more than anyone else.
Hence our goal to be the first FIA accredited fan voice site.
I had a chat with John this evening about different things to help with the site.
I had been submitting entries to James Allen’s site for a few years, thats where i saw initial mentions of this web site. I will continue posting links there and with my next entry for on this day, will promote it on twitter also.
I am also a poster on the ten tenths forum, although I haven’t posted for a couple of years but will start to post articles linking this site into their questions board.
F1fanatics, BBC, sky comments boards, crash, planet etc are so far behind the news it would draw many posters into the project.
I’ll look to see what forums there are in Italy too and I remember there are specific Ferrari forums which discuss F1 at length, in fact many motor car groups discussion boards feature comments on F1, it’s all accessible. If anyone has any other ideas of places with F1 forums, maybe we can list them and start spreading the gospel
Awesome. I thank you.
The riples in the pond is more true than you could ever know. I want an F1 accredited fan voice – and we have had a great start, beyond wildest imaginations – but the journey is long…
We need people to spread the word more than anything else.
Yes it will mean more commentators and our familiar love ins will change as more people join the cause.
But TJ13 will not exist if it stagnates. 2 months ago we had 1000 reads a day – now it is 3000.
We are on a misson – and we either continue to make progress toward it – or we will give up all together.
Bigger is better – I’m amazed at what we’ve achieved together so far – but to stand still is to slide backwards.
May I add, I love and am re-energised by your enthusiasm and endeavour – and history teaches us the world can be changed by just 1 person.
We are already several…..
I blame the time! I’ll start promoting articles on twitter anyway. Bloody sleep!!!
lol. Insomnia is a burden I have lived with since being a child. There’s always something else that can be done.
Sleep will be forever when I pass this mortal coil..
I’ll happily proof read, spell check, and copy edit if you need volunteers. I spend half my days doing it when we are writing mongraphs and typesetting books in the office, so a little stolen here or there for TJ13 couldn”t hurt. Open offer.
Excellent – Our invaluable PM – JM – will get onto this and find those who we can receive a group email and we’ll see what comes back in say 30 minutes.
I’d be happy to contribute whenever I can to the group proofreading emailings – I imagine the more of us around the world can participate, the more chance someone will be able to reply within 30 minutes.
It’s for sale!!!
Maybe DS can translate and be the German Judge for us 🙂
See my comment immediately above…
This is not such a bad idea… Certainly something for you to consider…
And something else for you to be first with…
For next year maybe… For now you’d better have a lie down… 😉
Happy to look at time to sub edit maybe from next month, if of any help.
I *can* make myself clear. How I remember being told by my ex that my English was not Foreigner Friendly. Only my wish to write properly in my native tongue (plus some passionate imbibing!) brought on the tied tongue and horrid prose Pollock impressionism.
Just put me in the loop.
Guys, if you use OneNote for this, I can work whilst out and about, it’s a dream thought editor on a faster Lumia – the killer app, I do virtually everything through OneNote. Even voice, just annotate the recording, sometimes bung it via voicemail, so not pestering with distractions.
I repeat, absolutely, OneNote rocks. Never had call until tried a new WP8 Lumia. Hooked instantly. I can write as fast on my phone as at most keyboards.
Finally, OneNote does allow levels of access, so you could extend annotation to a wider group without switching for more sensitive story drafts.
Just look at the response to this issue here!
People want better F1 writing, and English is predominant, so we ought to up the game.
If we do it right, that would put us head and shoulders above who cannot collaborate as TJ, JM and the jury have proven is all so doable.
Many hands and all….
Well, neato thing is how you take a blank page and drop in workflow adhoc, so you just start writing, then pen back and do your bit. Reckon could have a field day with some mild custom work. I now flow my day on one page, even call our pitches from it, so notes and all that on same page. Can see my team on their tabs, one click away, all live. Flaming super. *But not* as super as sorting out a final polish edit for here.
Not kidding, but a later stage, if we did that, would be to syndicate. Once you have great prose in one language, you have the easier job to translate. I suggest only to pay the bills and take those who do the work to Carlo’s restaurant suggestions, naturally! But see it can work.
Reuters IIRC got wrist slapped for offering a 15s advantage on some feeds.
IN a pure but serious joke, what would GMM pay to have the early feed from TJ13??
Remind me to brush up on security.
But as part of the usual MSFTian guff, the content protection is very good. Nothing will get sent unless you basically take screenshots.
Not I, but a pal trialled using OneNote in M’sia connected to London server. Blazing.
Here’s why MSFT stock is cheap: no growth when ZIRP exaggerates _any kind of growth.
Until . . . they become a utility.
I am far happier with MSFT as a utility than their 90s incarnation.
It was their ambition, in many ways, I reckon.
So they seem far behind Apple and many others, but they are way way ahead of the game after we get bored of bling pocket supercomputers . . They are being boring, but the tools exist for you to do, ooh, like I was when a callow yoof, erm, program stuff to do cool things. .
– –
Many eyes,
many minds,
many ways to think,
one place for the true formula fans can drink. .
. . .
Peckham, on a wet Saturday afternoon
Next door’s budgie…
Auntie Beryl…
The Dog and Duck, down the high street… (or more accurately, “dahn the ‘igh street”)
Catching the last bus home…
If…
== you are . . //// end of blarney! sees ya TJ, ~ joj ///
Hello fellow WP8 Lumia user. Must admit I don’t use OneNote much, but agree it would be good for that.
Five things Mark Webber can’t do without, and one of them is an ….
Edifice Watch ?
I really like the guy, but I’m struggling to believe that one.
Does anyone who is not sponsored, or deeply into male jewelry, even wear a watch these days ?
Sure. My thin, titanium cased analog watch. You can read an analog watch in about 1/10th if a second. A digital readout takes concentration. I know lots of people use their cell phone as a watch, but for me the pleasure of not using a cell phone and NOT being contactable is great. I leave my phone, turned off, in the car; I get to chose who can bother me. The most amazing thing to me is seeing a couple out for a walk on a beautiful day, each talking to someone else on their phone. Weird. Or maybe I am.
Oh yeah; about 9 months and Yakima, Washington State, US of A. Expat Kiwi.
Up until Monday I did … then the strap broke :(. Suppose it’s my fault or buying a £20 digital watch 3 years ago.
Mine broke about a month ago – and I’ve not worn one since – spooky
Not called a edifice, but look for the classical waveceptor solar ones.
Not even daring to tell you which I wear. I delight in the precision, simple face, accuracy, detail, and bloody cheapness.
That combination is why I won’t tell you which model=, as they are rare as hens’ teeth.
I sell adverts to watch co’s and often get “contra” deals, for non limited runs. One or two have caught my eye. But I turn them down unless it would be dumb to discount without a trade. These are high end but not silly end models. I prefer my Casio. For up to two base ten orders less.
Those Edifice models are not attractive, in my book. But I guess if you are as sportif as MW, and have his sturdy build not my thin frame, they are downright excellent. (assuming you don’t just use your idevice)
TJ, if you have the Ti wrist clasp, usually it is sloppiness if you have had say a link taken out, IME. I think they do not realise they should be more tensioned, just happened to me, other week, freaky .. . gonna look into it.
Most famous wearer of cheap Casio I am aware of: Li Ka-Shing, HK’s richest man, by some accounts.
Equally, my late BP kept a 10 buck duty free Casio (still sold) for decades.
I see no point much in mechanical watches, unless sheer beauty is involved, and boy is that subjective, ever since the billionaire revolution.
—
Joke a Russian pal loved to tell:
two New Russians in a bar,
one to the other, “Like your watch, see, I got one to [ proud voice ] 100,000!”
other to the fist: “Ha! [with sincere pride and condescending smile] You were cheated! I paid 150,000!” ..
//joj
I know I landed a small blow at the time, but lordy me, it’s time to let it go. The cute emoticons don’t hide the annoyance that clearly still itches away. I give you permission to move on my friend. It’s been a long time already. So what if this is the unofficial fan club of Webber?! No big deal. 😉
Now excuse me, I do have to get back to the propaganda machine. It’s tends not to run as well without me. Good help is hard to find you see. See you around I suppose.
Ps: Well done on this community and site. It’s quite original actually. That Danilo is a bit of hard work but the rest seem quite low maintenance. Not like the frenzied and easily led crowds in other F1 establishments.
Oh is that the time. I’m off. Send Mark my regards.
It’s called irony… and I had no idea who made the comment. Was just told by our PM something had been said – thought it was funny actually 🙂 😉 😀 – does any one know any othr colon/semicolon emotions – these are all I have
These are the ones available on my phone (don’t know what most of them are until I actually read this comment, so will probs be as surprised as you).
😉 🙂 :/ 😐 🙁 :'( 😀 😛 :S 🙁 ): 😉 🙂 😮 :-S :-\ :-/ (: ;D ;P ;S ;O) :-() :] ;] :-] ;[ :[ ;( :0) :-* 😀 😛 :-X ;/ ;|
God that’s a lot, and they’re only the ones with colon/semicolons!
Ok they didn’t all work.
yeah but I need to know the ‘code’ behind them – they look very pretty
Someone is trying to open source the whole lot, but there are so many.
Sorry I do not mean to shill, but I love mucking with what people think is rubbish, until they see anything. So – better or worse – I am a WP8 phone fan. (truly, the 720 is the model to get, go down and just – maybe artificially – sticky slowish in comparison UI – go up and silly money and too big for my taste)
here’s a demo of the silliness, pretty silliness though:
http://www.wpcentral.com/new-emoticons-windows-phone-8
I’m going to have to disagree with you John …. 620 is the way to go. Jokes aside, agreed RE WP – if people actually tried it (any of them), they would be impressed. Also glad to see someone another follower of wpcentral. Good site for us WP fans.
PS apologies Judge and others for discussing phones on an F1 site, but our (WP8) community is a small one that is growing at a decent rate, but not fast enough, we still need to get the word out to people. (In many respects, similar to this site, apart from the fact that most of the media doesn’t seem to be against Judge, unlike they seem to be with Microsoft). Again, apologies.
If you’re really stuck for emoticon ideas, there’s always Wiki … (there is a page, as I’ve just found out).
aha: source accrediation
Men In Black II.
Sauber doesn’t have a simulator, Judge.
Playstation??? He’s young enough
LOL
I’ve just realised, if the Russian gets an F1 seat next year, there will then be an F1 driver who is younger than me, and I’m only 20! I thought I might have another few years before it would happen 🙁
I remember when one gave up when policemen seemed younger… 😉
The control in Men In Black II’s car??
Hungaroring until 2021 not until 2022. Still yet another long term contract, someone must be worried about the short term future if Bernie is no longer there…
So , Kimi goes to Ferrari in 2014 , and Alonso also stays there??
If so,it is not good for him..SO does that mean he is no.2 driver there??
(And what abt those HECTIC PR he shd do there??)
Or, is Alonso leaving , or is shown door next year(sponsorship of santander??)
Anyway , Ferrari may or not be competitive..
Many questions indeed…..
Why Ferrari than Red Bull??
I’ve written it before in another article, but in my opinion, you want to be in a factory team next year (Merc, RBR, Ferrari). Why go to RBR when the team is wrapped around Vettel? You go to Ferrari where Alonso will be out of favour whether he stays with the team or not.
The rumour of Kimi going to Ferrari is further reenforced by Franz Tost saying that Ricciardo’s chances going to RBR are “pretty high”.
But how many years will both stay??Alonso is 32 and Kimi is 33..Wont it be good for them to take a younger driver??
And what about their wind-tunnel probs??Will it be ready in 2014??
(Anyway,the positive of this move is Allison joins with Kimi again)..
In engine,Ferrari does not have straight line speed of mercedes or the fuel efficiency of Renault..WHere does they stand??
Well, the younger driver is Vettel set to join in 2016 at the latest, until then there are always the options of Hulk and Bianchi.
Wind-tunnels help a lot in terms of aero, which I don’t think will be as crucial with the new regs, but in terms of the engine you’re right, not sure how it will pan out.
Ferrari has been the most reliable engine for some time, with so many changes for next year if they produce a power unit with the same reliability as the current one they might be in a good position compared to Mercedes and Renault.
Haven’t Santander got massive problems/ debts currently?
Errr…. Yes… Monumental.
Sent from my iPhone
How ironic would it be if Alonso’s kicked out in favour of Kimi the same way Kimi was kicked out in favour of Alonso.
If Alonso stays then next year will definitely be his last. And of course Vettel won’t have a problem joining Kimi at Ferrari in a couple of years since they get along and Kimi will be close to the end of his career.
Macca, don’t you dare bring Alonso back, don’t you dare!!!
I remember another brilliant individual who left his team and returned 2 years later for further success. His name was Nigel, another difficult character. Yet Williams didn’t hesitate.
Mclaren need an Alonso, and it’s Whitmarsh in charge not Ron anymore. Alonso also expressed years ago that he wanted to emulate his hero Senna by winning his third title with Mclaren. Imagine, it’s going to be Mclaren Honda…
So we have Kimi, possibly, with a Button? In a car designed jointly by Byrne to date but his understudy from the early 2000’s, taking over from the 1st September.
And despite what everyone suggests, Marmorini, Ferraris engine designer, is as good as anyone, he designed Toyotas engines during their F1 competition. If memory serves me right, he never had an engine blow up in his time there. And those things had power too. A little better than Mercedes needing the revs turned down to gain reliability.
Everyone goes on about Mercedes straight line speed, but I saw Alonso overtake Mclatens in India last year without DRS, hardly the slowest car are they?
We are talking single digit km/h difference and that could be set up.
As I’ve written before, brawn and Mclaren vetoed Mercedes providing RBR with engines. Their use of under powered engines has hardly hurt them…
I’m liking the linking Kimi and Vettel for 2015 mind
Good point on the 2014 Ferrari engine. I spoke to a Ferrari insider on Thursday in Hungary and they feel pretty comfortable about next years engine, but much less so on the car design, Montecchi looks to be on his way out already…
Ferrari are very confident in the power of their 2014 engine. They are concerned over fuel consumption.
We are going to see engines which at their peak are phenomenally quick but they will only be able to run at max power for short periods. DRS will become redundant – according to some people I’ve spoken to.
Sent from my iPhone
I asked about the fuel consumption given the concerns raised by LdM but that seems to be less of an issue compared to the concern on how to load the KERS: the reason why they will only run at max power for short periods is because the cars will have to start braking well before the corners in order to fully load the KERS…
“We are going to see engines which at their peak are phenomenally quick but they will only be able to run at max power for short periods. DRS will become redundant – according to some people I’ve spoken to”, that’s very interesting information.
As BDP suggests, though, the new limiting factor on performance next year is more likely to be the effectiveness of the energy recovery systems, rather than the absolute power/torque delivery of the engines.
That effectiveness will depend not just on efficiency and capacity, but also on how much braking can be devolved to the system without unbalancing the car. My guess is that the latter might be the most difficult problem to solve.
At a circuit like Monza, with heavy straight line braking, recovering sufficient energy ought to be relatively simple (which would then make getting the power back down the limiting factor). At one such as the Hungaroring, where even this season it’s difficult to fully charge KERS every lap, harvesting enough braking energy might be quite a problem.
The control of the torque coming out of corners will also be vital.
Pirelli are already considering making tyres that are relatively bullet proof compared to their previous 3 years offerings, knowing the new engines and ERS will create extra degradation.
Despite being a Ferrari fan since the late eighties, I never much “got” Kimi during his Scuderia stint. Since his return from rallying I have grown to admire his no-nonsense approach – and you know what, my patience is waning with Fernando – I love his never give up approach, but it seems his 101% focus and desire can lead him to questionable actions in times of struggle – and he is prone to metaphorically “shit on his own doorstep”. Perhaps sticking Kimi in the other Ferrari will finally give Alonso a reason to do his fighting from behind the wheel?
Wouldn’t that be great? Kimi v Alonso..
Like Il Padrino said, win a title then we’ll listen to your choice of second driver.
This is Ferrari demonstrating the team is bigger than the driver.
Last time a public comment was made against a driver was Schumacher in 99, when his daughter said he was in the garden playing football whilst recovering from a leg break, be interesting to see if Alonso behaves the same
Hi Dave
Good to hear from you.
You are in touch with the feeling at Ferrari, I revealed in the news this week he has the nickname in certain quarters in Maranello – when he is not around – of “”merdaccia” – I don’t have the skill in Italian to express the exact English idom equivalent – but an Italian friend of mine suggests “sh%$ ass” is close.
Carlo may know better
I knew merde, is “shit” but merdaccia is a word I have never heard used before. I actually asked my mother TJ, I blamed you in the event she fainted but it passed safely.
It’s a reference to a ” massive shit” or “massive shit head”.
I guess we all know what the opinion of Alonso is within the walls of Maranello.
It’s one thing being driven like Senna or Mansell and giving the team grief. Senna by all accounts was one of the hardest drivers on his team, but they accepted his behaviour, because every time he got in the car, he delivered performance. Also it was always within the team environment.
I could believe Schumacher was exactly the same, but again, when you’re winning races you shouldn’t be, everything is easily forgotten.
Alonso, to my mind, is the greatest talent since Senna passed, but and it’s a big BUT, i don’t think he channels his attentions properly. we all get swept up in the soap opera that is Nicole and Lewis, but there’s an honesty about him. With Alonso, it seems to be massive manipulation and drama. Who can forget his “feeling alone” after the Chinese GP in 2006.
It angered me at the time, that a guy who had signed for Mclaren at the end of 2005, was so unprofessional when his team were busting a gut to make sure his car was reliable and fast enough to compete.
Is he the sort to have to live in a drama even when winning?
It’s interesting that he exhibits similar characteristics to Mansell and Piquet. In the esoteric world of astrology these guys are all Leos.
Who can forget some of the performances and dramas that Mansell exhibited when out of the car or the excuses?
It may be a very good move for Kimi to choose Ferrari instead of RBR. We all know that Newey’s cars suffer a lot when there is a change in regulations intended to reduce their superiority (Williams ’94 and to some extent RBR ’12 and ’13. Different story was in ’09 when he couldn’t get on top of previous regulations and Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes engines prevented his cars to win more championships).
If the Kimi to Ferrari move happens, it looks very sensible to me. I don’t think that RBR can make a remarkable superior car for next year.
Let’s wait until Monza and see…
Couple of points:
Really enjoy DS comments. Will try and write good English so that we can have many good humoured debates in the future.
Spelling is not the be all and end all. I have no problem with a few mistakes. I’m just delighted to have access to the ‘gold’ that’s on this site.
FA is right to ‘open a can of whoop ass’. The thoroughbred is more of a donkey these days. Putting energy into fixing the problems is the way forward. Not sending out infantile egomaniacal drivel from Monty
This is the first time I’ve seen Max Chiltern derided – and about time. Can we have a bit more piss-taking please Mi Lud? He’s a much better driver than I will ever be, but should not be in my beloved ‘pinnacle of motor-sport.’ His innate lack of ability is not his fault and I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice chap. But could you go off and do something else? Give your seat to the next up-coming Kimi-Nico-Seb baby driver.
Can I just say that the Anthony Hamilton story is actually true, he was in Maranello… but I am sure if the journalist who wrote the story had actually bothered to ask why Anthony was there he would have found out he was there with friends who are members of the Ferrari Corsa Cliente! You see that is exactly what we did when we bumped into him at the Montana Restaurant and at Fiorano the next day…
Hi Jason, the obvious is always a smart place to begin.
We’re you visiting Matanello or do you live nearby
I was visiting Maranello for a few days filming for the F1 Show for NBC…
Aha. A man in the business. If you don’t mind me asking how did you stumble across us here?
Sent from my iPhone
I started following you on twitter and check the site everyday. Good work!