I find the Ferrari bashing these days very funny – people have very short memories. :rolleyes:

Conversely, I have a very long memory although I suspect it’s fading with age. Ferrari had a terrible period of, I believe, around 20 years when they won nothing. I’m no Ferrari fan but they are a huge name in motor(sport) and successive failure, or lack of success if you prefer, for that long isn’t good for F1.

The FIA and Ecclestone bent over backwards to make sure they won a few years back. I had an idea for a cartoon (unfortunately I can’t do cartoons) showing the Ferrari rule book – cars will be red, and everybody else’s, several hundred pages.

The last few years have destroyed Formula 1 for everybody except diehard Ferrari fans. Everybody I know that used to watch it had given up until the start of this season. One in particular used to travel to several European races and had done for many years. He doesn’t even go to Silverstone now. He did the same as me, switch the telly on and watch the start, if Schumacher’s (or either Ferrari) in front at the end of the first lap, switch it off.

I’m still livid about that. They said the finish line was before the Ferrari pits so he crossed the line. Nobody else would have got away with taking a 10 second stop-go penalty after the end of the race.

Paul Stoddard, being an Australian and well known for speaking his mind, has put the blame squarely on Mosley and called for his resignation – again. He said every suggestion was rejected by Mosley, presumably in his capacity as Chairman of the Ferrari Supporters Association.

True.
If there’s an incident on the warm up lap and it has to be re-run, the race proper is reduced by one lap.

Normally I would agree with Don’s point of view but, Michelin categorically stated that their tyres were not safe to race on, possibly qualified with comments about track layout. Who could send drivers out under those circumstances?

In the pre-race interview Ecclestone said he had tried everything to persuade the teams to race but I don’t believe they had any option to but withdraw, especially in such a fearsomely litigious society as the USA.

The original Stig was Perry McCarthy. I’ve no idea who the current one is.

…Williams Aircraft Collection – nice gut too…

Did you mean guy or are you envious of his shape?

I’ve never heard of using a clutch as a brake either. If you’re planning on converting to hydraulic, couldn’t you do that to the existing brakes? It should get rid of all the cable problems and be far more positive.

You must remember that the Ferrari Supporters Club, or FIA to give them their official title, is run by Max Mosley who is showing signs of having no brain.

Following advice from Damien and Robbo at Legends last year, for the September(?) airshow I ignored the signs to turn right and carried on to LWH.
Far better than parking in a field halfway to Cambridge.

They had the telemetry readings for last year. That’s no use at all. The track was resurfaced and after complaints about grip levels the surface was cross-hatched with a diamond cutter. Apparently this caused a serious temperature rise on the fastest part of the circuit.

The teams had no choice but to withdraw. They had it, in writng from Michelin, that the tyres weren’t safe. If they’d raced and somebody had been hurt they’d have been taken to the cleaners.

There’s no doubt that Michein caused the problem but I can’t blame them for yesterday’s fiasco. They weren’t in charge of the race.
I understand Michelin have no racing presence in the States and no other current F1 circuit has banking. If they had access to usable recent data my opinion may change but apparently they didn’t.

Mosley in particular is blaming everybody except himself. Ecclestone said he tried everything to get the teams to race. Brilliant – come and race on dangerous tyres.

It’s time those two cronies disappeared completely.