Daily #F1 news and Comment: Monday 2nd December 2013

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 PDVSA, TOTAL and Lotus F1 not such … Read more

Good honest deceit. What happened to Honeywell?

Follow thejudge13: Why not follow thejudge13 by email. Click on the button at the top right of the page to receive an email when (and only when) a new article hits the interweb.

I have now put 2 RSS feeds at the bottom of the right hand bar for those of you who know how to use them for updates.

TJ13 is now also on FacebookLike us in the toolbar on the right if you’re a FB’er.

Well we truly are living in historic times. 600 years or so since the resignation of the last Holy Father and it may be 600 more before Bernie decides to relinquish his throne too. I was amused by the fact that His Holiness chose to announce his resignation in Latin and there was only 1 reporter there who knew what he was saying and had the hugest exclusive scoop. So kids – lessons learned. Get your head down with Latin homework.

I have noticed further similarities between the Pope and his F1 peer – Mr. E; maybe the reason we seem to hear gobbledygook when our F1’s supremo makes his pronouncements is because he too is speaking in a nigh on extinct ancient language.

Pressing on to more important matters. First up, a big thanks to those of you recently contributing to thejudge13. Take a couple of minutes to read ‘the project’ page, I’ve updated it today.

Read more

Barcelona shafts Valencia, Ecclestone Ferrari vengeance, Bahrain loses GP2 race, Glock Safe? Alesi retires or dies, Rosberg and the ‘bulls’, Webber saves Vettel, Total Petroleum calm down, Why FIA changed 2014 rules, Pirelli aim to shake it up again, Haug gives reasons

Follow thejudge13: Why not follow thejudge13 by email. Click on the button at the top right of the page to receive an email when (and only when) a new article hits the interweb. WE REACHED 500 email followers yesterday only in thejudge13’s 14th week and just under 400 by twitter.

thejudge13 archive: There have been a number of questions about Nikki Lauda, his time at Jaguar, why Mercedes recruited him…I did a couple of articles around the time of the announcement so if you’ve joined the site since then, here they are. “Lauda: Ross Brawn’s new boss” I wrote this about 2am on October 2nd after reading an online article on a German newspaper site – that was going out the following day. The story hadn’t been picked up even on titter to my recollection.

This was a part 2 follow up – written when I was more alert (the next day) and had time to reflect on the  implications. “How Lauda got the top job in Mercedes F1” – my conclusions are now quite interesting post Haug’s departure.

Barcelona shafts Valencia: The circuit de Catalunya has over the past 2 years been making consistent noises about how much money it is losing which resulted in an initial agreement with Valencia, also under big financial pressure, to alternate the Spanish GP between them – al la Hockenheim and Nurburgring.

This deal has been agreed with Ecclestone clearly as Valencia’s extended contract signed in 2009 meant they would remain on the calendar until 2014. So either they are paying out $30m a year in hosting fee’s and not having a race – or the Spanish GP sharing with Barcelona has been agreed with FOM.

Read more