2014 Formula One Season ***possible spoilers***

That must be whom's car...notice the speedo wasn't working?

 

One of Ferrari's main problems is that its all-new 2014 engine is overweight.

That is the claim of the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, who said customers Sauber and Marussia are also struggling with a 'power unit' that weights 13 kilograms too much.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt said the overweight Ferrari caught even the Maranello based team by surprise, having successfully argued against a further increase in the minimum car-plus-driver weight of 691 kilos for 2014.

Fernando Alonso finished just fifth in Melbourne.

"I have 12 points more than Vettel and Hamilton, which is a positive," the Spaniard said, "but I was missing 35 seconds to Rosberg.

"That must give us pause," added Alonso.

Indeed, technical boss James Allison admits: "Our competitiveness was not acceptable in Melbourne."

Slimming-down the Ferrari engine might prove difficult, as in the wake of the end-February 'freeze' deadline, changes can only now be made for safety, cost or reliability reasons.

The FIA's Charlie Whiting revealed that all three F1 engine makers, including the troubled Renault but also dominant Mercedes, have already applied to the FIA to make changes.

"Ultimately, it's for us to decide," he said.

 

The FIA has given its backing for the manufacturers of the fuel-flow meter at the centre of Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix.

The main thrust of Red Bull's defence on Sunday was a claim the meter was not functioning properly. "We could see a significant discrepancy with what the sensor was reading and what our fuel flow was stated as," argued Christian Horner. "That's where there's a difference of opinion."


The FIA insisted that there were not problems and all other teams complied with the regulations.

Now the meter's manufacturers, Gill Sensors, have issued a statement saying the FIA has provided it with "positive feedback" after the race "confirming their confidence in the development and stating the meters meet the FIA's accuracy specification".

Red Bull has until midday on Thursday to lodge a formal appeal against Ricciardo's disqualification with the FIA.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read more at Red Bull disqualification - FIA backs meter manufacturers | Formula 1 | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

Really makes you wonder why........



McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has revealed it was clear to all the teams on the grid that the fuel-flow sensor issue might need managing as early as January this year.

Red Bull chose to use its own fuel-flow sensor on Daniel Ricciardo's car in Melbourne, falling foul of the FIA's regulations and warnings that their own sensor must be used, leading to Ricciardo being disqualified from second. Red Bull has been firm in its belief that the FIA's equipment is unreliable but Boullier does not believe there should have been any confusion surrounding the regulations.

"It's clear that it was raised early enough that there was a little bit of an accuracy issue between the different sensors, but we have been working closely with the FIA since early January to make sure that we understand the needs and understand if we could improve the system," Boullier said. "All the teams were obviously welcome and working all together. In the end the FIA took a position in Bahrain at the second test where it was clear that the fuel flow sensor would be the reference and had to be used. There was a little bit of deviation if you want and we had to be careful with the fuel flow."

While stopping short of criticising Red Bull overtly, Boullier did stress the fact that all the other teams had followed the rules, regardless of their concerns around the sensor.

"In the end we have been fully compliant during the race and the whole weekend actually like most of the teams. To be honest we have enough on our plate and we do our job to be compliant with the regulations. This is just a matter which is between the FIA and Red Bull and we don't want to comment at all."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read more at Red Bull Disqualification: Teams aware of sensor issue in January - Eric Boullier | Australian Grand Prix | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

Toto Wolff believes Red Bull's recovery for the Australian Grand Prix was "phenomenal", and vindication of his desire to play down Mercedes' advantage before the season opener.

Though Nico Rosberg waltzed to a comfortable victory in Australia, Red Bull demonstrated it certainly has a quick car, with Daniel Ricciardo crossing the line in second before his disqualification. Wolff insists nobody at Mercedes is dwelling on its early advantage, especially as Ricciardo's pace suggested Red Bull is closer than many gave it credit for.

"If you look at some of the teams and their development curve it was quite phenomenal what Red Bull managed to achieve," Wolff said. "I don't think you can every lean back and say that this is a comfortable buffer," Wolff said. "In a regular season you would have about two seconds of development curve from the beginning to the end of the season. So with these new cars the development curve is going to be even steeper. Considering that fact, an advantage can quickly turn in to not an advantage anymore within a couple of races."

The two pre-season favourites were Mercedes and Williams, but the latter failed to capitilise on its pace as Felipe Massa was knocked out on lap one by Kamui Kobayashi, while Valtteri Bottas' mistake on lap 10 ultimately cost him a chance at a podium, and Wolff believes the team is yet to show its true potential.

"If you look at Valtteri's pace before he hit the wall - and then his steering wheel was not completely straight - and then his pace afterwards, I would say if they have a normal race and qualify better than [Melbourne] then probably they would have ended up on the podium. I'm quite sure they would have ended up on the podium."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read more at Toto Wolff: Red Bull recovery 'phenomenal' | Mercedes | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

Red Bull has confirmed it has formally launched an appeal against the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo from the Australian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo crossed the line in second, which would have made him the first Australian to finish on the Albert Park podium, but was thrown out of the race in the evening as it emerged Red Bull had ignored an FIA warning about fuel-flow sensors. After immediately serving notice of their intention to appeal, the team were then given 96 hours to process their application, and did so just ahead of Thursday's deadline via the Austrian motor sport federation.

The FIA insists the team was made aware several times that it was breaking the rules during the race, but Red Bull believes the FIA's fuel-flow meters supplied had shown "inconsistencies". The hearing will now go before the FIA's Court of Appeal at a date yet to be determined.

The 2014 engines must have a fuel-flow rate of no more than 100kg/h at full throttle, as part of the new regulations around the new formula, which has introduced the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid with a limited fuel allowance. The team said they and engine supplier Renault are "confident the fuel supplied to the engine is in full compliance".

Pending the outcome of the appeal, the race result, with McLaren duo Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button promoted to second and third behind Nico Rosberg, remains provisional.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read more at Red Bull formally lodges appeal | Australian Grand Prix | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

I'm not sure that's right is it? Isn't the problem that they ignored the FIA one or something? So much bs in the F1 section at the moment that it's hard to keep up.

 

Thanks. .. That's what I gleaned.

 

How do you know that?

 

An expert has admitted he is alarmed by reports Michael Schumacher has lost a quarter of his bodyweight whilst laying comatose in France.

Although the great German's family, manager Sabine Kehm and close friend Jean Todt insist they have not given up on the hope of full recovery, almost 12 weeks have now passed since the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver's skiing fall.

We reported early last week that the 45-year-old, who weighed about 75kg when he crashed on the Meribel slopes, has apparently lost twenty kilograms in hospital.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport and the major German daily Bild-Zeitung are now also reporting that Schumacher now weighs just 55 kilos, which means he has lost more than a quarter of his former bodyweight.

"While a weight loss in coma patients is normal, 20 kilos is a lot for people with normal body weights," said Prof Dr Curt Diehm, of the Karlsbad teaching hospital in Germany.

"One must assume that his muscles have degraded greatly due to the immobility," he surmised.

 

This is the epitome of stupidity in journalism.

Ferrari F1 Team kicks grieving relatives of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 out of hotel rooms