Charlie Whiting

#F1 Polls: Should the FIA be allowed to change regulations mid season?

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Today the FIA issued a technical directive today stating that after studying the FRIC (Front and Rear Inter-Connected) systems used by most teams they are “firmly of the view that the legality of all such systems could be called into question“. While the systems will only be outlawed at the end of this season the continued … Read more

Daily #F1 News and Comment: Webbsday 12th Webberary 2014

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This page will be updated throughout the day. Please if you are on Twitter press the tweet button below. If you re-write and tweet individual story headlines don’t forget to include #F1. You may not realise how hugely important this is and has helped grow our community significantly Have Lotus pulled a blinder? McLaren, try … Read more

Daily #F1 News & Comment: Sunday, 12th January 2014

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This page will be updated throughout the day. Please if you are on Twitter press the tweet button below. If you re-write and tweet individual story headlines don’t forget to include #F1. You may not realise how hugely important this is and has helped grow our community significantly Gerhard Berger adds his 2 cent Whiting: … Read more

“TestGate”: Have the FIA been played?

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“TestGate”: Games are afoot There are definitely games afoot in the intrigue over the ‘secret/private’ Pirelli test with Mercedes the week following the Spanish GP. This is unlikely to be a simple case of did or did not Mercedes break the rules. The backdrop to the story is as follows. Pirelli have been heavily criticised … Read more

Daily #F1 News and Comment: Friday 7th June 2013

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This page will be updated throughout the day – 13:14 Brawn and Whiting the scapegoats? On Wednesday evening the FIA confirmed Ferrari did not break the rules however Mercedes’ testing “may constitute a breach of the applicable FIA rules” and referred the latter to the International Tribunal. It appears there is more to this than originally … Read more

On This Day in F1: 29 March

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On this day in F1 – 29 March, brought to you by TheJudge13 chronicler Bart De Pauw – 1998: Braking systems controversy in Brazil Following an overwhelming McLaren dominance in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix where Häkkinen and Coulthard sealed a commanding one-two and lapped the entire field, Ferrari in the build up to the … Read more

‘Farcical FIA’ and ‘Steady Stewarding’

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No anti Melbourne sentiment here Unlike others in the media, I am not down on the trip that the Formula 1 fraternity  makes to begin the season in Australia. If Formula 1 wishes to claim it is the only truly global sport – as claimed by team principals in the FIA press conference – then … Read more

Stewards back slapping, Vettel suit sells for $18,000, Gascoyne enters the danger zone, 2013-14 rules and who this helps, Austin want a new date, Turkey 2013 agreed

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Win 2 hospitality passes to Silverstone 2013 and vote for thejudge13 at the Silverstone Media Awards: “Best F1 Blogger” category. Here’s where to vote, Facebook users www.facebook.com/SilverstoneCircuits. Non-Facebook users (Link). Voting closes 12:00 hrs on 11 December, 2012.

FIA Stewarding: It appears that Charlie and the Stewards are feeling rather pleased with themselves with regard to the rather narrow topic of penalties. I hope we hear a little more on race management as a whole. Anyway here is the FIA release.

At a meeting chaired by F1 Race Director Charlie Whiting, the stewards praised the recent introduction of readily available real-time telemetry and added that the presence of former and current racing drivers on the stewarding panels has been a benefit. 

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What now for Lauda? Ecclestone fraud charges still loom, Kart won’t listed to Vettel’s s*^t, Alguersuari suggests Vettel will be spooked, RB will use new spec alternator in Brazil

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The end of Lauda Watch? This could be it folks, maybe Lauda watch will be no more. Today Reuters report that Damiler-Benz has severed all ties with Aabar investments who sponsor Lauda’s cap at $500,000 a year. Not only have they acquired Aabar’s 40% of the F1 team but also the 9% holding the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund had invested in Damiler-Benz the global car manufacturer.

Aabar have lost over $2bn by trying to be clever and underpin the Daimler-Benz acquisition with a derivatives deal which went wrong. They have in effect lost their shirt and the banks that funded the deal have retained the stock, which by the way is worth double the price Aabar paid for it.

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Rules and Opportunism: Ferrari in Austin

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US Grand Prix attracts controversy

You have to smile. Why does the US Grand Prix attract regulatory controversy so. If you’ve been reading thejudge13 you’ll know during the build up to Austin we’ve reflected on the 2002 race where Schumacher fixed the finish and have regularly made reference to the 6 team race in 2005.

So Ferrari break a seal on Massa’s gear box giving him a 5 place grid penalty which moves Alonso forward 1 slot on the grid. The Spaniard of course qualified 9th and has already benefited from the Grosjean 5 place grid penalty. Much is being made about the penalty from starting off the racing line and at the time of writing this, the race has not begun.

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