2014 Open Wheel Racing Chat

[dfwabel]

That's a Shane about Caterham might be dissolving within the next months. Here's hoping they can find a buyer to take on the team for the remainder of the 2014 season. Even Marussia was beating Caterham cars both in qualifying and in races. Consistently faster lap times. But it's always sad to see a team leave the best And most watched racing series in the world. But there will be others, from the ashes the Phoenix will rise.

Sold to a group of Swiss and Middle East/Arab investors

[rvrdgsfn]

End of an era?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/03/formula-one-owners-sell-stake-bernie-ecclestone

The owners of Formula One, CVC Capital Partners, are to sell a large part of their controlling 35.5% stake in the sport as they face up to life after Bernie Ecclestone. The new investors will “have a view on the value of the sport”, according to an insider.

Decision makers at the City-based private equity firm have decided that Ecclestone, the sport’s chief executive and commercial rights holder, must go even if he wins his court case in Munich, where he is fighting bribery charges.

They are convinced that Ecclestone, who will be 84 in October, will continue to be an embarrassment, with HM Revenue and Customs likely to ask further questions about his complex tax affairs, which formed the basis of a Panorama investigation.

The identity of Ecclestone’s successor is unknown but reports that it could be Red Bull’s Christian Horner, the team principal who is closest to Ecclestone, are wide of the mark.

[VictoriaGooner]

Well here's hoping that the new Swiss/Arab consortium will lead Caterham in a good direction challenging Marussia and Sauber.

As for Ecclestone, he needs to disappear from Formula One real soon. He is a real embarrassment on the sport with his dragged out bribery trial in Germany. Here's hoping he will be found guilty and spends the rest of his days behind bars. As for his replacement, I thought Horner had setup a consulting gig after his time with Red Bull comes to an end? That's what I heard from the BBC One commentators from the Austrian GP. Like when Jean Todt took over FIA a couple years back, he actually lead the FIA into a better period. I think the same could happen to Formula One and FOM.

The future of this great racing series depends on it.

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from the British Grand Prix:

1. Hamilton

2. Bottas

3. Ricciardo

4. Button

5. Vettel

6. Alonso

7. Magnussen

8. Hulkenberg

9. Kyvat

10. Vergne

Not a great day for Rosberg, Kimi nor Massa. On to Hockenheim!

[VictoriaGooner]

Still a great race for both McLaren and Toro Rosso cars finishing in the top 10. Kimi's accident was spectacular to say the least but it could have been avoidable by him. The Iceman's season is going from bad to worse. And I feel bad for Felipe, crappy qualifying and now that accident on lap 2. He'll bounce back in Germany!

Can't wait for Hockenheim!!!

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Pocono:

1. Montyoa

2. Castroneves

3. Munoz

4. Briscoe

5. Dixon

6. Pagenaud

7. Aleshin

8. Newgarden

9. Andretti

10. Power

JPM & TK just went through that race like it was nothing. You couldn't catch either of them. Up next is Iowa for a night race.

[Needschat]

Results from Pocono:

1. Montyoa

2. Castroneves

3. Munoz

4. Briscoe

5. Dixon

6. Pagenaud

7. Aleshin

8. Newgarden

9. Andretti

10. Power

JPM & TK just went through that race like it was nothing. You couldn't catch either of them. Up next is Iowa for a night race.

And Will Power blocked, IndyCar penalized him (Yea!), and like Greg Biffle after his accident, didn't take blame for it.

[VictoriaGooner]

Great to see JPM back to his winning ways in open wheel racing. I always thought it was a weird situation for him to go to NASCAR when he lost his seat at McLaren. I always thought he would automatically go to and IndyCar or even a LeMans Prototype Racing team

[rvrdgsfn]

The racing Gods are happy if this is true....

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/105403-le-mans-wec-is-ford-considering-a-return-to-le-mans

RACER has learned Ford, which currently competes in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with two factory-supported Daytona Prototypes, is considering a return to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ford claimed four consecutive wins at the famed French endurance race from 1966-1969 with the iconic GT40 (BOTTOM), which has stood as the Blue Oval's crowning achievement at La Sarthe, but that could change if a proposal to campaign a twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost-powered P2 program is accepted. A decision could be imminent.

While a Ford P2 entry at Le Mans would not contend for an overall win, it would offer the brand a chance to take on Honda and Nissan in the highly competitive second-tier prototype division.

[crashcarson15]

Results from Pocono:

1. Montyoa

2. Castroneves

3. Munoz

4. Briscoe

5. Dixon

6. Pagenaud

7. Aleshin

8. Newgarden

9. Andretti

10. Power

JPM & TK just went through that race like it was nothing. You couldn't catch either of them. Up next is Iowa for a night race.

And Will Power blocked, IndyCar penalized him (Yea!), and like Greg Biffle after his accident, didn't take blame for it.

Will Power. That is all.

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Iowa:

1. Hunter-Reay

2. Newgarden

3. Kanaan

4. Dixon

5. Carpenter

6. Hinchcliffe

7. Rahal

8. Castroneves

9. Briscoe

10. Kimball

RHR came out of nowhere. I felt bad for Tony, I really thought he had that race. Andretti Autosport won 5 in a row in Iowa. Of course, I wouldn't want to be Ed after dealing with JPM, we know that is going to get ugly. Next up, the last of the duels & what should be some good racing,Toronto.

[dfwabel]

Carpenter so f-ed Montoya.

[rvrdgsfn]

http://racer.com/indycar/item/105602-indycar-cosworth-engine-decision-expected-in-the-next-month

The Verizon IndyCar Series should know whether it will have a third engine manufacturer before it reaches the season finale on August 30.

Famed Formula 1 and Indy car engine manufacturer Cosworth has an IndyCar design ready to go, and according to its owner, the motor could be on the grid in 2015.

"Yes, we are in serious discussions with a number of companies – two in particular – and it doesn't take a huge imagination to think about who might be bringing a new car into the U.S. for the first time in a long time," Cosworth owner Kevin Kalkhoven told RACER, possibly alluding to Alfa Romeo. "Specifically, the project with one manufacturer is going to final recommendation sometime in the next month. That decision's going to be binary: Yes they will, or no they won't."

I'd love to see Alfa comeback to Open Wheel Racing.

There are also reports coming that the new body kits will be tested around October.

[dfwabel]

What do we call Saturday's IndyToronto? Arie Luyendyk tagged a wall in his pace lap. Still want a FWD car as the pace setter in the wet?

A 'comedy of errors' or 'a total $hitshow'?

I watched the first 30 minutes on the NBC Sports app, and then by surprise I heard the next 30 minutes on AM radio (yes, IndyCar still has a national radio deal).

Paul Page and Pippa Mann were still talking as I got home nearly one hour later and then actually watched NBCSN scrambling more than the IndyCar series was since they knew what they were going to do.

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from the German Grand Prix:

1.Rosberg

2. Bottas

3. Hamilton

4. Vettel

5. Alonso

6. Ricciardo

7. Hulkenberg

8. Button

9. Magnussen

10. Perez

All but one race, has been won by Mercedes. They have had such a dominant performance & Nico just couldn't be caught. A good performance by Hamilton coming up 3rd. Plus there was a battle between Alonso & Red Bull. On to Hungary before the summer break.

Indy Car Race #1 Results from Toronto which continued on from Saturday due to rain

1. Bourdais

2. Castroneves

3. Kanaan

4. Pagenuad

5. Dixon

6. Rahal

7. Kimball

8. Hinchcliffe

9. Wilson

10. Power

Race 2 is later today. I love when they race in Toronto, IMO, its an underrated course.

[VictoriaGooner]

Results from the German Grand Prix:

1.Rosberg

2. Bottas

3. Hamilton

4. Vettel

5. Alonso

6. Ricciardo

7. Hulkenberg

8. Button

9. Magnussen

10. Perez

All but one race, has been won by Mercedes. They have had such a dominant performance & Nico just couldn't be caught. A good performance by Hamilton coming up 3rd. Plus there was a battle between Alonso & Red Bull. On to Hungary before the summer break.

No real surprise that Mercedes is crushing the field. But I am liking the other battles that are forming back in the paddock: Ferrari and Red Bull plus Williams getting better and better with each race. I have been a fan of Rosberg for a very long time since I first seen him drive in GP2 and am happy he's getting closer to a possible world title. I think I might rewatch the German GP because it was that good

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Race 2 in Toronto:

1. Conway

2. Kanaan

3. Power

4. Kimball

5. Sato

6. Hawksworth

7. Dixon

8. Andretti

9. Bourdais

10. Wilson

A rainy day in Toronto is finally over & what a race. On a sidenote though, I finally got to watch the RedBull GRC race in New York today. I wish this series would get more coverage, the races are fantastic!

Indycar is on a summer break & then it's on to Mid-Ohio, Castroneves still has the points lead but Will isn't far behind either.

[rvrdgsfn]

Bump for some news & notes....

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/9391370/Bernie-Mexico-back-on-F1-calendar

Mexico will return to the Formula One calendar next year after the promoters signed a contract with the sport's commercial rights holders.

The North American country was last part of the F1 circus in 1992, but major role players have been trying to get it back on the calendar for quite a few years now.

It was included on the provisional 2014 schedule before being dropped, but it is now set to return in 2015 after promoter CIE, the company that runs the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, signed a five-year deal.

So long Fernando?

http://www.grandprix247.com/2014/07/23/contract-loophole-may-allow-alonso-to-leave-ferrari/

Fernando Alonso could be free to walk away from Ferrari, although technically, the Spaniard remains under contract to the struggling Maranello team until the end of 2016.

“I’m sure he is very frustrated,” Niki Lauda told the Spanish newspaper El Pais earlier this week.

But “he can’t just go to McLaren because he has a contract that he can’t get out of unless he’s sacked. Sometimes you choose a car and you’re wrong.”

Now, Italian media sources say that Alonso might not necessarily drive a red car in 2015, even though Ferrari reportedly want to extend the deal even further.

The sources, including Autosprint, say that Alonso could be free to go at the end of this season due to a contractual performance clause, requiring Ferrari to finish at least third in the constructors’ championship.

I knew that there is some troubled times in Maranello. Maybe they just need an entire rehaul?

[rvrdgsfn]

Bumping because I found something rather interesting about Das Wunderkid....

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-rivals-target-vettel-marko

The sport said Mercedes sees the reigning world champion as a potential new teammate for fellow German Nico Rosberg beyond 2015, after Lewis Hamilton's current contract expires.

And Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko, who has Vettel under contract until the end of next year, said McLaren has made the four-time title winner an "outrageously" high offer.

"Of course they target him," Marko added.

Lauda since said that Mercedes hasn't talked with Vettel...

Either way, I think Jenson's days in McLaren are done...

The Grand Prix of Europe returns in Baku???

http://www.grandprix247.com/2014/07/25/azerbaijan-to-host-2016-grand-prix-of-europe/

Azerbaijan’s Formula 1 debut, originally planned for next year, has been delayed to 2016 with a ‘Grand Prix of Europe’ scheduled for Baku, local organisers said on Friday.

“I am delighted to officially announce that we have signed a contract to bring Formula One racing to Baku in 2016,” Azad Rahimov, the country’s minister for youth and sport, said in a statement issued at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“The deal to bring Formula One racing to Baku is a very significant new chapter in our ongoing success to attract the world’s largest sporting events to our country.”

Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Reuters in May that an agreement had been signed for a street race in the Azeri capital, on the shores of the Caspian sea, next year.

So which track is being dropped next?

[raysox]

Oil money will do anything for uncle Bernie, huh?