New story update 14:00
Silverstone Boss hits out at F1
Despite record breaking crowds this year, an astonishing attack made by the boss of Silverstone Patrick Allen, during an interview with the Independent newspaper.
“Fans don’t want to see a procession. As a promoter I can only promote what you give me and if that isn’t up to standard, people aren’t going to buy.”
He goes on to mention the “criminal” state of F1, describing the sport as a “shit product” and complaining it “is not saleable”.
Mr Allen also believes that pit stops must be done away with along with car to pit wall communications with the exception of a pit board.
“I’ve said that people don’t come to watch guys looking at data screens. Fans want to see gladiators racing and fighting it out in a fair fight. Nobody wants to hear drivers getting told to ‘lift’, ‘coast’ or ‘we’re not going to catch the guy in front, settle for second’.
The track, which is currently paying its British GP hosting fee in arrears, has the option to terminate its existing contract early.
Full story skysports.com
Pastor Maldonado sponsors PDVSA paid Lotus ‘in advance’ for 2016
Team boss Federico Gastaldi told the French F1 news outlet F1i.com
“We signed Pastor for three years, [In Singapore] we confirmed him just as a routine we had agreed with his sponsors. We did it last year in Monza. Monza was the previous race before Singapore and we just only announced it a week after that because that’s what’s been agreed on the documents.”
Despite uncertainty over the cash-strapped team’s future, it was announced at Singapore that the Venezuelan was to drive for the team in 2016.
“But when I hear people saying ‘Pastor is going here or there’ or something about his sponsors, it has been all normal, all in place, all perfect. When I hear about the payments, they have paid in advance. So I don’t know who or why people start inventing those situations. He was signed for three years, the last year is the end of 2016.”
Lotus receives substantial funding from Maldonado’s backers, Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, which has been estimated to be in the region of $27 million a year.
Justin Wilson ebay charity auction continues onward
It was a very sad day when former F1 driver Justin Wilson was fatally injured in an accident during the Indycar race at Pocono Raceway on the 23rd of August 2015.
Race leader Sage Karam crashed late in the race, sending debris airborne. The nose cone from Karam’s crashed car hit Wilson’s helmet as he drove through the accident scene, and Wilson’s car immediately veered left into the inside wall. Wilson was extricated from his car and airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. He was subsequently reported to be in a coma, and died the following day.
A much respected racer in the paddock, Justin was also an organ donor and it was reported that his donations went onto save six lives soon after his death.
He never raced for a big team or made a lot of money racing in the States. His subsequent demise left his wife and daughters in some financial difficulties, this resulted in fellow racers coming together to help raise funds via an eBay auction.
A champion of this cause is a friend of “#badass Wilson” is journalist Marshall Pruett
A somewhat unprecedented number of race-worn driving suits are on their way to the Justin Wilson eBay Memorial auction in the coming days, and some have already arrived. The donations, made directly by the world’s most famous drivers and teams, are to help raise money for the wife and daughters of the late IndyCar driver.
And if the benevolent angle wasn’t enough, the outpouring of exclusive racing memorabilia could comprise one of the biggest collections of exclusive driving gear we’ve ever seen.
From Formula 1, world champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, along with Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz Jr, and Max Verstappen have donated signed suits. F1 iron man Rubens Barrichello has sent one of his Ferrari suits. Most of those will go up for bid next week. Red Bull Racing’sDaniel Ricciardo sent a signed 2015 suit, and two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso sent his suit, gloves, and boots used this season at McLaren.
Here as some of the F1 contributions thus far
Alonso expects new penalties
Honda plan to use more tokens for the coming Russian GP. The combustion chamber and exhaust will be changed using the remaining four tokens available to them resulting in a likely grid position at the back due to PU change.
Lewis with YouTube vlogger Ali-A
Lewis is on trend with the times it seems. Often seen in public with celebs he also has a very intentional presence on social media, this time with game vlogger Ali-A.
Have you followed TJ13 on Instagram?
The Judge himself is also ‘down with the kids’ as illustrated by the below picture taken recently at the Goodwood Rival. Follow him for more insights within the mysterious world of TJ13.
LOL at the bids for Verstappen vs Hamilton.
Absurd.
Good cause. Okay??
Why absurd? Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
I find it interesting, a 18 yo rookie worth twice as much as the double (almost triple) world champion? Max is doing something for the sport (F1), that few people have done before. He’s generating an enormous anmount of attention, something F1 can use.
‘Max is doing something for the sport (F1), that few people have done before. He’s generating an enormous anmount of attention, something F1 can use.’
I guess you missed 2007. 😉
That price is indeed absurd at present, but If (and that’s a big IF) he goes on to win a championship, then that price would be peanuts compared to what it will cost in the future.
Hahaha, too right. Lewis did something similar, true.
But are there many more? Jacques Villeneuve did great in his rookie year, but I doubt he created many additional viewers outside Canada. Raikkonen was spectecular, but no deal breaker as well (as in attracted new crowds). Peterson did something similar in his first year, but TV/press coverage was bleak compared to recent years, so had less effect.
I’m around karters a lot, and what Max has done thrills their imagination, makes them think they too can jump from karting into F1 in a year. We all know better, of course, Max and Kimi are special cases…
That’s the dutch army again.
The Borg is assimilating everything in its path….
Yeah, I did that bid just for fun. Won’t be funny if nobody outbids me…
Well it’s fair enough, you know, given that, well, you know, given that, I mean you know, Max IS going to be the next Senna. Oh wait, no, that’s Lewis “Jazz Hands” Hamilton.
Um, then he’s going to be the next Schumacher. Oh wait, no, that’s Sebby “Ball Bag in the Water” Vetter.
Shit… hmmm. Lemme think. Stay with me. Um… then he’s going to be the next Fangio. Oh wait, no, that was Fernando “the Matador” Teflonso, wasn’t it? You know, the whole Latino, Spanish, Argentinian, strange-speaker-link, thing.
Ok, ok, ok. Hang on, the suit makes sense becaaaaaaauuuuse… he’s going to be the next Prost? Damn it, no. Just realised the super smooth style, both in and out of the car, has led JAY BEE (Button) to self proclaim himself a frog – he just needs to break his nose a few times. Je m’appelle Jay Bee… Yes? Maybe? No…
Well, um, then Max is going to be the next, erm,… Brabham? Has anyone taken Brabham yet? Damn, Webber intimated that he was the next Black Jack – you know the whole all Aussies in Motorsport are alike thing, ya know mate? Ay, mate? Whadda ya know, mate. Fuck off, Seb, mate.
WAIT, no, Webber took Jonesy! Max CAN be Brabham! OK, well… my official comment is; the suit price makes sense because he’s the next Brabham.
AND
As Peter said, it’s for a good cause. So, really, y’know, whatever.
The only problem with the impact of the Verstapo are the Hamfosi, and visa versa. Get a signed Schumacher suit in there, then you’ll see a few digits in a row.
#Schufosi4Lyfe
@wtf1…
Damn no love for Mansell or Piquet?..😂😂😂
Well, to be honest, a high price is not totally absurd, since less stuff is out there from Verstappen than from Hamilton. You’d expect gear from a rookie from a rich country that didn’t have a driver for a long time to fetch a relatively high price during an auction. And if you have two Dutch millionaires bidding against each other, you can get here.
But it still hurts the eyes…
“from a rich country that didn’t have a driver for a long time ” You must mean successful driver. You probably blinked a few times and missed vdGarde, Albers, Doornbos…
Who? 🙂
Talking of promoters, three weeks before the Mexican GP there isn’t a program yet, they talk about reaching a deal with the NACAM Formula 4 for providing a support race, the problem is they exist as an organization but haven’t produced a race yet; the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was re-opened this past weekend with the last layer of asphalt missing in some parts, and the medical facilities and grandstands incomplete, meanwhile the only way to get tickets is buying them from re-sellers or banks offering super-expensive packages including services nobody wants. Unfortunately, as long as Bernie keeps counting with this kind of promoters without standards those of the likes of Allen won’t matter.