Summarised F1 news from across the internet
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Christian Horner: ‘Wind tunnel problems hurt Red Bull’
“The race track didn’t show what our tools had promised,” Horner told Auto Motor und Sport.
“It put us back two months, but then you have to work twice as fast as the others because they’re not standing still.”
“It was mainly the wind tunnel that let us down. The larger model and tyres gave us different results between the track, the CFD and the wind tunnel.”
“By Renault’s own estimates they are behind their targets, but they are working very hard to catch up.”
Referring to the oil trick, Horner said: “It definitely benefited those who had it, but it wasn’t Renault. Now we’re all back on the same page.”
As for the suspension, he added: “We tested the system but it didn’t give us enough to justify the additional weight, so I don’t think that hurt us at all.”
A super yacht, owned by Indian businessman fighting extradition, has moored in the Dart
Last weekend, a 164-foot super yacht, Force India, moored in the Dart River. The owner is Vijay Mallya, the owner of Force India formula one team. He is the subject of extradition proceedings instigated by the Indian authorities following the collapse of his Kingfisher Airline and default on loans totalling over $1.4 billion. It is not known if Mr Mallya is on board.
Ecclestone not walking away quietly – Blash
Former F1 deputy FIA race director Herbie Blash is impressed with the sport’s new guard but insists Bernie Ecclestone is still lurking in the background. A close ally for decades of the former F1 supremo, with a relationship that goes back to the Brabham days, Blash retired at the end of last season…
“Bernie wasn’t working for the fans he was working for the company CVC. The current owners are coming in with a different mindset altogether and it’ll be interesting to watch.”
“Obviously they are new to Formula 1 but having Ross Brawn they’ve got someone who has seen and knows about the sport. I think it is going in the right direction.”
“Let’s just say an upset Bernie is a dangerous Bernie,”
Eddie offered Ayrton Senna 49% of Jordan Grand Prix in 1993 and the Brazilian ‘took it very seriously’
EJ – “After being wary of me during the F3 period, Ayrton had become quite friendly. And during 1993 I had this amazing idea. Ayrton was coming to the end of his time at McLaren, he wasn’t seeing eye to eye with Ron any more. So I went to Ayrton and offered to give him 49 per cent of the team. For nothing. I reasoned that my 51 per cent of a team which had Ayrton on board would be worth more than 100 per cent of a team without him. He’d be able to pull the team around him, concentrate on his ambitions, and with him we could raise the backing to put Jordan on a different level. Honda would have come with him for sure. I told him he didn’t even have to drive for us until we were ready to give him what he wanted. Some may think it mad to give away half my company, but to me it was a no-brainer. Ayrton took my proposal very seriously. I went to his island beach house at Angra, and we went through it. I don’t know what might have happened if he’d lived.”
Yeah, nah…. I think RBR’s issues were more to do with Newey messing about with boats instead of paying attention to F1.
I’ll happily concede that I know slightly north of fvck all about sailing but the GBR boat being soundly beaten (along with everyone else) by the Kiwis with half a dozen treadlies strapped to the deck must have been a hefty kick in the seeds. Rather embarrassment.
Actually, Newey’s star is fading a bit. RBR haven’t done anything remarkable (that was legal) any time recently.
Adrian must try harder. C-