This page will be updated throughout the day. (TJ13 writers have a number of commitments today so it may well be after 18:00 GMT before the next news stories are added).
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Michelin out in the cold 00:52
Heikki calling the shots 01:09
Stefano flannels to FOM (link) 01:15
Wurz’s expanding role at Williams 08:35
Mark Kleinman and Caroline Reid Twitter Spat 09:40
Torro Rosso 2014 drivers 10:25
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Michelin out in the cold
Bernie must be feeling rather like a fish out of water. The world he has controlled for so long is changing and as suggested in my Aesop’s fables piece clearly the oxygen in Ecclestone’s world tastes rather different at present.
Successive Concorde agreements have been rammed through by the F1 supremo who has used a combination of divide and conquer tactics together with an “Emperor’s new clothes” philosophy – where everyone is persuaded to believe it is only they who are out of step with the common consensus.
Of course the court in Munich is looming large, and there is a genuine possibility that Bernard will do some porridge. Yet we are nearly one year beyond the deadline for the new Concorde agreement and a number of parties are consistently challenging the previously indomitable authority of F1’s previously undisputed ultimate authority.
Jean Todt is refusing to sign the new deal which would see F1 neatly packaged up until 2020 and is clearly irksome to CVC and Bernie’s aspirations. Pirelli are still not confirmed as the tyre supplier for 2014 and Michelin have gone public saying they have the backing of the FIA.
Yet according to Speed.com Bernie claims, “FOM and Pirelli have a contract” and when asked why the FIA have not ratified this deal he adds, “We don’t need one, I don’t think. They are nothing to do with commercial. The FIA’s position is that they are regulators. They regulate all the regulations that have been agreed”.
Ecclestone dismisses Todt’s relevance to the matter saying, “Jean is the president of the FIA. If it’s a matter of a vote in the World Council, he has one vote. As it’s not a matter for the World Council, it doesn’t make a lot of difference.”
Bernie states that, “All the teams who have spoken to me say they are very happy with Pirelli, and the problems they’ve had, they’re happy that they’ve dealt with them.” He further dismisses the idea of Michelin joining the sport explaining he believes tyre wars are a thing of the past. “They [Michelin] will want to pick the teams that they think will win, and they’ll pay them a lot more money to take them as opposed to somebody else. We have a deal with Pirelli, anyway.”
All this aside, Todt is growing in belief that the FIA are able to no longer play second fiddle to Ecclestone having made a unilateral decision on the Pirelli change in 2013 tyre compound which has gone unchallenged.
After all this time are we really coming to believe F1 can operate without a Concorde agreement despite all the threats of the past? Further, is it the case F1 can actually run its affairs quite reasonably without the need for an F1 ‘God’ to lay down ‘the way it must be’?
Heikki calling the shots
Heikki Kovalainen is in defiant mood for an unemployed F1 driver. He tells Autosport, “I think it’s important to get back racing, that’s clearly my goal, but I really don’t know whether the chances are good or not.”
The team have clearly missed the input from an experienced driver in terms of both car development and setup at race weekends. They have turned to the Finn and requested he contribute in a way neither Pic or Van de arde can, offering him Friday FP1 sessions for the rest of the season.
Yet Heikki is obstinate over the terms and conditions for any return to F1 full time. “The fact is that I will not bring money, everyone knows that, and if that’s going to be an obstacle again then it’s out of my hands.
“I had a good opportunity with McLaren, I didn’t make the most of it, but I’m not willing to give up quite yet. I’m working on turning that round, to prove myself again here to everyone.
I haven’t worried about other drivers bringing in money and taking the places. I’ll try to find other ways, and I’ll try to convince people based on another way, purely on performance and the things that I do and how I do things. Whether that will work or not I don’t know”.
In a coded comment, Heikki states, “We know the reasons I was forced out of Formula 1, and I still don’t want to go down that route – I don’t want to look for money and bring money to the teams – but anyway I’ve managed to keep myself here in the paddock and I think I’ve managed to contribute some stuff to this team.
Perhaps it was degrading a little bit towards the end of last season, for various reasons, but I think I’ve managed to get that relationship back with the team and that’s only going to be a positive thing for the future.”
Mmm. Someone in F1 who stands by his principles huh?
Wurz’s expanding role at Williams
Alex Wurz have been working with Williams F1 as a driver coach since February 2012. The move originally came as Williams had two relatively inexperienced drivers in Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna. (If you look on his website he mentions two major training philosophies; High-performance skill driver training and behaviour improvement training – The latter seems to be failing with Maldonado Mr Wurz…)
Not much have been heard of Wurz, however it appears he is still working with the team although in a completely different role. Speaking to Austrian magazine Sportwoche Wurz said he is now working to help Williams by looking at restructuring and recruiting staff. Symonds was just the first of many apparently…
“My task at Williams is to analyse the structure of the team and offer ideas that will help us to make progress. Pat Symonds has come to us, but he is just one of several new people that Williams plans to hire.”
Could he be lining up to take over from Frank Williams as team boss of Williams F1? Look behind you Claire…
Mark Kleinman and Caroline Reid Twitter Spat
Twitter can be used for sharing breaking news with the masses and then… it can also be used for a good old spat. Below is an argument between Kleinman, City editor of Sky News, and Reid, from Formula Money, over a piece on the LDC investment into Silverstone. And the argument is about…
Follow up of Indy exclusive on sale RT @MarkKleinmanSky LDC deal with #Silverstone Circuits will be announced alongside property group MEPC
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
@MarkKleinmanSky This is the news from the Independent: “A deal has been done on Silverstone…"
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
@MarkKleinmanSky You clearly like speculation. &you're the one reporting that a deal has been done without acknowledging we revealed it 1st
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
@MarkKleinmanSky What was that about your bosses buying F1…?
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
@MarkKleinmanSky That'll be the deal that never happened, like Temasek buying into F1 and David Campbell taking over from Ecclestone.
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
@MarkKleinmanSky You know what they say about people in glass houses…
— Formula Money (@FormulaMoney) August 27, 2013
Who knew retweeting someone could get you into such a mess…
Torro Rosso 2014 drivers
With Ricciardo moving to Red Bull next year António Félix da Costa was tipped to replace the Australian in the Torro Rosso. However, Da Costa has experienced a dip in form and according to AMuS rumours in the paddock suggests Felipe Nasr could now be in line for the seat.
Should Massa lose his seat at Ferrari and not get another competitive drive he will be out of the sport in 2014 and that would leave us with no Brazilian driver on the grid. In steps Nasr who has strong backing from Banco do Brasil and Sky Brazil.
Nasr, currently lying second in the GP2 championship, has the backing of Mr E who has offered him advice and support as he needs a Brazilian. “I’m here. Anytime you [Nasr] need advice, you can shout. I need a Brazilian driver”
But will Torro Rosso sign a driver that is not from the Red Bull Young Driver Programme? If not, where else could he go, too many drivers and to few seats available…
As to the too often invisible Mr Todt I find myself between a rock and a hard place, actually hoping he wins on this issue whilst hoping he doesn’t get a second term. If he could just ‘rattle his dags’ a little on this matter (and the tyres) thereby showing clear leadership I’d have to go for his re-election.
Heikki is to be commended for recognizing his performance shortcomings during the two seasons at McLaren. Equally impressive is the Finn’s resolve to be a salaried F1 driver whose talent earns him a seat. With Pic under contract for 2014 and Alexander Rossi eager to make his F1 debut it will be interesting to see how things play out in Leafield.
I know people have dismissed the idea of Massa to Torro Rosso, but I wonder if it might not be a sensible option in many ways. He can bring some money in and would help give the engineering side of the team some direction. That seems to be the one thing missing from TR, they have no reference as to how their cars compare with the competition and are dependent on feedback from drivers who usually have no experience of other F1 machinery. Personally, I think he’d be better served in Sauber, especially as they share the Ferrari power plant now and the lower pressure may well rejuvinate his career.
TR doesn’t need money and RBR technology can be transferred ‘under the table’. I agree that Massa would be more needed in a team like Sauber.
The only way I can see Massa to TR would be as a 1-year gap if they believe Nassr or Da Costa are not ready yet. It may also serve as a bargaining chip before Vettel joins Ferrari. I’ve no idea. Trying to make sense of this alleged move and it just doesn’t make sense.
Don’t need money? Hasn’t there been talk on and off of DM selling up? Even Red Bull could use extra funding and with the higher cost of the 2014 powerplants I’m sure no-one would turn sponsorship down.
Personally, I would think RB would be better having one young driver and one experienced driver in TR to help bring the car on and as a good yardstick, then pay another team to take a second young driver.
I thought the F1 operation ran itself now from the prize money of consecutive CWC wins. But there is also Toro Rosso. So $450 million per year is not an inconsequential sum of money, and neither is employing 905 people.
I thought Nasr would slip in to somewhere like Marussia, who need pots of gold, would Marko really take someone from outside his program? And not only that, someone who hasn’t had affiliation with the program (like Coletti, Wickens, Frijns who said no, Dillmann, Hartley, Juncadella, Buemi, Alguersuari, Chandhok, the list goes on..), although maybe that’s more of a hindrance to be re-signed.
Bernie does need a Brazilian driver, and now that Senna is out, Nasr is the best choice going forwards as well. He has that significant backing, and I’m not surprised to see Bernie trying to help him in. Would this fly with the Toro Rosso/RB Junior policy of “lose your sponsors”? Although if Frijns has no sponsors, why not go for it!
I think Nasr, Evans and Marciello are the clearest 3 junior formulae drivers who have a ‘future F1 talent’ aura about them. Others who are now almost ready to jump in to F1 level are Magnussen, Felix da Costa, Vandoorne, Frijns, Rossi, Calado.. Sirotkin is more akin to the future 3, but is determined to jump the queue and save himself the time/money hassle 😀
“Bernie does need a Brazilian driver,”
Why? If you believe that F1 only survives in a country because a local driver is competing then Bernie should be spending his time getting a Chinese, American, Japanese and an Indian driver into F1 before a Brazilian.
Admittedly, if Bernie needed a Japanese driver in F1, he would have rallied harder to keep Kobayashi in a seat. Razia has also been overlooked as the Brazilian driver 😛
But Nasr I think could do well and have more than a 5 year F1 career (more than average length), if he adapts well to the rigours of F1. I think he is quite similar to someone like Di Resta. Consistent, won’t make too many mistakes, medium time to adapt (not as quick as Bianchi, Bottas off the bat, little bit quicker than Gutierrez, Van der Garde, Chilton), won’t make too many wild overtaking moves but is starting to work on it to be more ruthless in traffic. So maybe a little bit of a mature Massa/Pic thrown in too? In time he could be another Alonso/Raikkonen. Not sure if Evans or Marciello is faster/more of a Vettel/Hamilton type.
You still haven’t explained why Bernie needs a Brazilian driver.
Bernie says he needs a Brazilian driver, don’t know why… Maybe it’s because it is one of the BRIC countries?
Oh – well I guess because Brazil has a big F1 fanbase, so to keep the interest strong (Japan is similar.. the GP was under threat without Kobayashi, a Japanese driver, but that was solved by Honda coming back to F1, and Suzuka is Honda’s circuit). Brazilian sponsors will then continue to invest in F1. This cycle keeps the Brazilian race going and he will need to keep this strong to get his badly wanted upgrades done at Interlagos.
It’s also been said that Santander has a strong interest in Brazil and Alonso/Massa is the perfect combination for them, hence Raikkonen got paid off with a full year’s drive to leave Ferrari to make this tie-up happen. This lends credence to Massa possibly staying for another year or more as well.
Guess we’d all better pray Max Chilton hangs on to his ride then; the British GP is starting to look like it needs all the help Bernie can give it.
That’s not what I was getting at… Most of the F1 teams are based here and hence all the employees. Along with a long motor racing culture going nigh on 100 years now.
In Brazil, they have just the GP and the driver to cheer for. If they disappeared then there would be a lot less brazilians willing or able to fly around the world and spend money to watch F1. Maybe they would turn to watching their touring car series which Rubens drove in, or Indycar which visits once a year. Admittedly, there would still be a strong F1 interest, as there has been for over 40 years now. Japan, without any manufacturer participation or a GP would be similarly hit, although I’m guessing more Japanese could afford to visit races. But Honda investing in the sport can only be good for it.
Remember, the tracks can only afford to pay Bernie’s high race fees if interest is sufficient to pay a huge ticket price. This can be dependent on how well a driver is doing or if there is one – British GP numbers go down when McLaren/Hamilton are doing badly (could also be the mudlock, but there you go).
Thank you TJ for your update on the behind the scenes activities of Alex Wurz. He has long been mentioned by insiders as someone possessing the right qualities for an F1 Team boss, and I am intrigued by the idea that Williams, certainly in need of new direction, might consider exploiting his multifaceted talents. Wurz has always sidestepped discussion that he might be a team manager one day, and as pleased as I am to see Williams making use of Pat Symonds, a management role at Williams might just be a fine opportunity for everyone. The fate of one of F1’s storied teams is in doubt these days, and a re-energized and re-directed Williams can only be good for the sport.
Michelin out in the cold:
Yet according to Speed.com Bernie claims, “FOM and Pirelli have a contract” and when asked why the FIA have not ratified this deal he adds, “We don’t need one, I don’t think. They are nothing to do with commercial. The FIA’s position is that they are regulators. They regulate all the regulations that have been agreed”.
– just who is in charge?
FIA FI Sporting regs quote:
25) SUPPLY OF TYRES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND TYRE LIMITATION DURING THE EVENT
25.1 Supply of tyres:
A single tyre manufacturer has been chosen by the FIA for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons following an invitation for tenders to supply tyres to all the cars entered in Championship Events for the duration of these seasons. A single tyre manufacturer will be chosen by the FIA for subsequent seasons following an invitation for tenders to supply tyres to all the cars entered in Championship Events for the duration of such subsequent seasons.
The appointed tyre supplier must undertake to provide : ………..
It would appear that until the FIA hold a tendering operation, no company is yet appointed for 2014? – maybe they contract out the tender and subsequent contract to Bernie’s commercial side?
The FIA are the only ones that issue the tyre supply tender and award the supply contract. FOM handles the commercial side of the deal such as track advertising and dispersal of team money. It’s not a chicken or egg situation. Only the FIA can issue the supply contract. Ecclestone is know to have a contract with Pirelli that extends beyond this year so if Michelin were to get the contract he would have to cancel the Pirelli deal. My opinion is Todt hasn’t issued the new contract so he can let Ecclestone twist in the wind and let CVC know he runs F1 and not Ecclestone.
That’s pretty clear and concise! Nicely put.
Can someone please provide a translation into English of that Twitter row?! Ive traced it back to the original stories and it still doesnt make any sense. Mark Kleinman accuses Caroline Reid of robbing news from him about Loyds buying Silverstone but I couldnt find it in her article in the Independent. She did say that Silverstone has been sold but Kleimman disputes that even tho he says Loyds is the buyer. If anyone can make heads or tails of that they are a better man than me!
Good luck with that!