[Iceman]

Oh Richard Branson made a bid for Honda, i'll see if i can get a link!

[Iceman]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mot...nd-Virgin.html

Link

This should be good, hopefully this goes through.

[Iceman]

Bump because we're less than 2 weeks away now should be intresting to see how Brawn do!

[James]

Yeah with Brawn GP being fastest in testing and McLaren being right off the pace.

[Iceman]

I know Brawn shocked me, hopefully they do good poor Jenson deserves it, and i think Mclaren will iron out the kinks by the second race. But to be honest i think this year will be the closest in a long time with no clear leaders.

[pinkmichk]

i cant wait i've already booked my babysitter so i can watch the first race in peace
i think its gonna be a good season

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
i cant wait i've already booked my babysitter so i can watch the first race in peace
i think its going to be a good season

It's not going to be a good season, It's going to be a GREAT season

[pinkmichk]

just heard briefly on the news that the winner of this season is gonna be done on the most races won

[James]

Yeah, I just read it there ...don't like it much. There doesn't seem to be much incentive to race for the lower-down places. :s

The optional budget-cap for next season sounds okay, as does publishing the weights of cars after qualifying.

F1 wins will decide world title


Formula 1 has introduced a new points system which will result in the driver with most wins crowned world champion.

The current points system will still operate to decide a tie if two drivers have the same wins and to define all other championship positions.

Had the new rules been in place in 2008, Lewis Hamilton would have lost the title to runner-up Felipe Massa.

From 2010, there will be an optional budget cap of Ł30m that will reduce some teams' spending by 90%.

The new rules were approved by the World Motor Sport Council of governing body the FIA at a meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

It rejected a proposal by the F1 Teams' Association to tweak the points system to 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 from first to eighth places.

Instead, the current 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system will stay in place.

The budget cap is an attempt to make F1 more accessible to new teams.

Teams choosing to operate within the budget cap will be allowed more technical freedom.

Those teams will be allowed: a more aerodynamically efficient (but standard) underbody; movable wings; an engine which is not subject to a rev limit or a development freeze.

Teams can choose to spend what they like, but operate within more restrictive technical rules - and therefore have a theoretically slower car.


Ecclestone's idea was to award the top three drivers with gold, silver and bronze medals with the driver capturing the most golds crowned champion.

While the medals have been abandoned, the new system delivers on Ecclestone's wish of rewarding the driver with the most victories.

The F1 chief believes the new system will encourage overtaking.

"If you're in the lead and I'm second, I'm not going to take the risk of falling off the circuit or doing something stupid to get two points," Ecclestone said in November.

"If I need a gold medal to win the championship, I will overtake. It's just not on that someone can win the championship without winning a race."

However, the new system could see the season settled much earlier.

The points distribution was introduced in 2003, partly to try to ensure the world championship stayed open for longer at a time when Michael Schumacher and Ferrari were dominating the sport.

If the new system had been installed in 2008, Massa would have been crowned world champion as he won six races compared to Hamilton's five.

Former British F1 driver now commentator Martin Brundle says he will reserve judgement on the alterations.

"I don't really fully see the need to change it," he said. "What we may just have is some more exciting races where they're desperate to take the win rather than settling for second on a particular day, but whether it will generate a more worthy champion remains to be seen."

The FIA also announced plans to publish the weights of the cars after qualifying for each Grand Prix.

That could give a clue to which teams are using the optional kinetic energy recovery system (Kers).

Kers, which allows drivers a boost of an extra 80bhp for 6.7 seconds each lap, weighs around 35kg and could tip some cars - complete with their drivers - over the minimum weight of 605kg.

To improve clarity, wet tyres have also been renamed "intermediates" and extreme weather tyres are now called "wet".

With in-season testing now banned, the FIA will only allow teams to carry out eight one-day aerodynamic tests on a straight piece of track.

Teams will also be allowed to carry out three one-day young driver training tests between the season-ending Grand Prix and the end of the calendar year.

TITLES THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED
1958: Actual champion: Mike Hawthorne
Most wins champion: Stirling Moss
1964: Actual champion: John Surtees
Most wins champion: Jim Clark
1967: Actual champion: Denny Hulme
Most wins champion: Jim Clark
1977: Actual champion: Niki Lauda
Most wins champion: Mario Andretti
1979: Actual champion: Jody Scheckter
Most wins champion: Alan Jones
1981: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1982: Actual champion: Keke Rosberg
Most wins champion: Didier Pironi
1983: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1984: Actual champion: Niki Lauda
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1986: Actual champion: Alain Prost
Most wins champion: Nigel Mansell
1987: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Nigel Mansell
1989: Actual champion: Ayrton Senna
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
2008: Actual champion: Lewis Hamilton
Most wins champion: Felipe Massa

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/7948455.stm

[pinkmichk]

i agree the budget cap sounds ok
but why change something if it aint broke why fix it i like how it is now where it goes often right to the wire of the last race i dont like that the season could be 'over' and done with when its not completed could have some bad effect on the end of season races will drivers just think oh i dont need to put in too much effort as nowt to gain from it
ecclestone is a idiot he really is

[andyman]

Shocking!!! Do they fear that our lad will become world champion too many times? Would they do this if Lewis came 2nd in the points table??? Hmmmm.

It's same with the football with UEFA wanting clubs to field not so many overseas players! This has only came about due to the english clubs being so strong in the champions league...

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by andyman
Shocking!!! Do they fear that our lad will become world champion too many times? Would they do this if Lewis came 2nd in the points table??? Hmmmm.

It's same with the football with UEFA wanting clubs to field not so many overseas players! This has only came about due to the english clubs being so strong in the champions league...

i hadnt thought of it that way before but you have a possible point on it there, blimey

[andyman]

Plus so many things went wrong for Lewis... Hmmmm wonder why?

The english are hated.. We do well and the mad sports men change the rules!

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by andyman
Plus so many things went wrong for Lewis... Hmmmm wonder why?

cos unless you're driving a red car the f.i.a dont want to know/help/favour etc

[andyman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk

cos unless you're driving a red car the f.i.a dont want to know/help/favour etc

So true! Funny when the red car wins loads and loads the f.i.a are happy people.. Soon as a black english guy wins not in a red car the f.i.a want to change the rules to make it a "level playing field"..

[Spike]

Well I hate the new system on how to win the championship
The old system works very well and kept the season entertaining throughout, I don't know if this system will be able to do that but atleast it will cause more enternainment throughout a single race

Another thing I will hate is the weight of the cars being published, part of the enjoyment is not knowing who has got more fuel in and who has got the advantage

[Iceman]

Well we can all stop moaning, FIA deferred the new system until 2010.

[pinkmichk]

thank god for that lets hope between now and then bernie decides to retire so no more wacky races schemes get put in plae

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
thank god for that lets hope between now and then bernie decides to retire so no more wacky races schemes get put in plae

Yes, we should be so lucky though! I don't mind the idea of 12 points for a win etc etc.

[Spike]

Not long until qualifying now
Does anyone know if F1 will be on the iPlayer because I don't want to get up in the morning and wont be able to catch the repeat?

[andyman]

Woohoo!! The wait is nearly over, this season has greatness writen all over it (",)

Dunno about the iplayer, best to check the site for info, but bbc will repeat in the day.

[pinkmichk]

i cant wait what time is start on sunday?

[andyman]

6am i think.. Hope Lewis has the same hunger to win.

[pinkmichk]

6am isnt too bad i guess i really do prefere the afternoon races though but no adverts is gonna be fab
i read earlier lewis struggled today in practise but says its not bad like people will think

[James]

Would anyone be interested in taking part in a TiBB Fantasy F1 game?

Bit late to start it I know...