F1 Formula 1 Gossip

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Friday, 5 December
Local organisers have effectively ruled out South Korea returning to the F1 calendar, despite its surprise inclusion in the provisional list of grands prix for 2015.

Former Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne says he is struggling to understand why Red Bull have not given him a seat for next season.

Force India will switch all their aerodynamic testing from Brackley in the UK to Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne "in 2015 and beyond"

Jenson Button insists he is looking forward to "new challenges" in the future even if he is dropped as a driver by McLaren.

Button has told McLaren to "get it done" as they decide whether he or Kevin Magnussen will drive with new signing Fernando Alonso next year.
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Meanwhile, the British driver and 2009 world champion says he will leave Formula 1 if McLaren do not keep him on.

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McLaren's Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen attended a sponsors' event with double world champion Mika Hakkinen (centre) in Edinburgh on Thursday

Magnussen tweeted his support for Button as they wait to see who will be kept on by McLaren​

 

[BMBabe]

All this waiting around is doing my head in!!! God knows how poor JB is feeling

 

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Korea returns to the F1 calendar in 2015, slotting in between Bahrain and Spain.

"Yay, let's race in Korea!" said absolutely no one. Ever.

Anyone else think that Bernie throws darts at a picture of the 1985 Toleman to get the season in order?

 

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F1 2014 - Button still waiting on future.....
Published on Dec 4, 2014
Jenson Button still doesn't know when he'll find out if he's part of McLaren's plans for next season.

View: http://youtu.be/3eLJAdAbU0A

 

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Lewis Hamilton

Great to see my friend Valentino Rossi VR46 Official over the weekend at the Monster Energy Monza Rally Show!

 

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Ram raiders smash into Red Bull motor racing factory in Milton Keynes and steal all the team's Formula One trophies.....

Six men used a 4x4 and a Mercedes... both with foreign number plates, to smash into the Red Bull F1 team's factory in Milton Keynes, stealing more than 60 trophies. The Austrian team won the Constructors' Championships from 2010 to 2013, while Sebastian Vettel (left) won the Drivers' Championship for each of the four years. Neither the Constructors' Championship or the Drivers' Championship trophies were stolen as they were passed on to Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton for winning the 2014 titles. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said staff were 'absolutely devastated' by the break-in and the theft of the trophies, which had taken 'years of hard work to accumulate'.

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[t-tony]

Mostly irreplaceable I would think.

Tony.

 

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Saturday, 6 December
McLaren's racing director, Eric Boullier, says the team are taking time to announce their 2015 line-up to ensure they appoint the right drivers.
A team spokesman confirmed that an announcement about the line-up at McLaren will not be made until next week at the earliest.

Formula 1 teams are unlikely to get a fifth engine in the 2015 season, unless the Korean Grand Prix remains on the race calendar at the start of the season.

Japan's Caterham driver Kamui Kobayashi is set to test a Super Formula car back in his homeland next week for Toyota Motor Sports. Kobayashi, 28, has not yet confirmed his plans for 2015.

Lewis Hamilton was presented with his drivers' championship trophy at the FIA prize giving ceremony in Qatar.
Williams test driver Susie Wolff tweeted this photo from the awards dinner.

Susie Wolff was promoted to Williams' test driver at the end of the 2014 season​

 

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Lewis Hamilton

They must have bought these off e.bay.....looks like someone has scratched something off starting with R.....
Finally taking these beauties home. I can sleep now!
‪#‎WorldChampions‬‪#‎TeamLH‬‪#‎MercedesBenz‬‪#‎MegaJet‬#BeyondBlessedhttp://instagram.com/p/wRjAODL0_Q/

 

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"I think it's the best car there has ever been in Formula One" - Jenson Button.

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Mercedes was "surprised" when it realised the level of its dominance at the start of the radical new V6 era in 2014.
With the season now over, the German team's rivals are left only to marvel at the superiority of the silver W05.

 

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Thursday, 11 December
McLaren confirm Jenson Button & Fernando Alonso for 2015.

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Jenson Button's Formula 1 career will continue into a 16th season following McLaren's decision to retain him alongside new signing Fernando Alonso.
McLaren finally announced their line-up on Thursday after taking weeks to decide whether to keep Button, 34, or 2014 team-mate Kevin Magnussen, 22.


"I am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit," said Button. "In fact, I am absolutely raring to go."
Dane Magnussen remains with McLaren as test and reserve driver.

McLaren's 2015 partnership
Jenson Button:
Age: 34
Nationality: British
World titles: 1
Races/Wins: 268/15
Podium finishes: 50

Fernando Alonso:
Age: 33
Nationality: Spanish
World titles: 2
Races/Wins: 236/32
Podium finishes: 97​

 

[GazHyde]

About bloody time they made that announcement...

 

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Thursday, 11 December
Earlier this week, Romain Grosjean, 28, was quoted as saying Britain's Jenson Button, 34, has had his turn in F1 and should make way for fresh talent. However, the Frenchman has since tweeted: "I've never said time for @JensonButton to leave F1, he deserves his place! Just hard for young drivers to get a seat, only 20 available."

Button, who was still waiting for McLaren to decide on their driver line-up for next season, tweeted in reply: "You could always give up your seat mate for the youngsters!"

McLaren had intended to retain Magnussen, 22, on the basis that the team's data had suggested he was fractionally quicker and had youth and promise on his side.
But Button's strong finish to the season, his experience and perhaps unrest at boardroom level influenced the team to go the other way.

The two drivers were evenly matched for pure pace in 2014, with Button out-qualifying his Danish team-mate 10-9 over the course of the season.
The Englishman also scored more than twice as many points.

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Magnussen and Button have remained on good terms despite being pitted together for one seat at McLaren

Spain's double world champion Fernando Alonso could break his McLaren-Honda contract if the team are not competitive.
Fernando Alonso believes his five years at Ferrari were his best in Formula 1, despite failing to add to his two world titles.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo believes he can challenge for the world title next season.
But, Red Bull fear they will not be able to close the gap on Mercedes in 2015 and are worried their rivals could be even further ahead.

Williams think their success in 2014 is the perfect answer to those saying the cost of F1 prevents smaller teams from competing at a higher level.
Brazil's Felipe Massa is dreaming of race wins and a title challenge in 2015 and he is confident Williams can deliver the car for him to do so.

F1 teams made combined net losses of £127.5m last year.

Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton says the next target in his Formula 1 career is to emulate the achievements of his hero Ayrton Senna by matching the Brazilian's tally of three world titles.
After watching girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger in Cats, Lewis Hamilton opted for a commercial flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles rather than using his private plane.

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda says his no-nonsense attitude has annoyed the team's board, but that ultimately he is the best link between the team's drivers and its management.

Renault say adopting a split-turbo power unit concept similar to Mercedes' will not be a major factor in catching up with their rival over the winter.

Leading motor racing lawyers say contracts at the heart of F1 do not contain an "absolute obligation" for the series to field a minimum number of cars.

 

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Jenson Button

Just woken up, what's going on?!

 

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Jenson Button

Well it's been a pretty good day so far guys!! The start of great things with the legendary partnership of McLaren Honda...Oh and some bloke called Fernando Alonso (2x World Champ) joined the team, I hear he's pretty good!

 

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Awesome quote from a forum I frequent.....
"I think they've made a terrible mistake. They've signed a driver who is past his best IMO, and doesn't really have the passion for the sport any
more. He won't be able to reproduce his best years.

Sure he gets a lot of points but he doesn't really have that fire in him
any more. I guess it will be interesting to find out what he can do,
but I really don't think it's the right decision.

He's also got to race alongside Button.. !!!!!! !

hehe

 

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Michael Schumacher 'dumped by £4million a year sponsors after ski accident left him paralysed and unable to speak'

• Wealthy sponsors have begun to cut their ties with Michael Schumacher
• Fashion firms Navyboot and Jet Set dropped his £4million-a-year deal
• Formula One star left 'paralysed and unable to speak' after ski accident
• Water company Rosbacher also reportedly annulled its contract with him

 

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Monday, 15 December
Jenson Button has accepted a salary cut from £12m a year to less than £8m under the terms of his new contract at McLaren. His new team-mate Fernando Alonso will earn £25m a year.

Jenson Button says he hopes to stay at McLaren beyond 2015.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis is trying to take back control of the McLaren Group.
The 67-year-old has agreed with his fellow shareholders a price at which he could take a majority shareholding if he can raise the necessary money.
Dennis owns 25% and long-time partner Mansour Ojjeh 25% and the Bahraini royal family the remaining 50%.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis says he told Button to "try harder" before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July.

Alonso says his acrimonious exit from McLaren seven years ago is one of the biggest regrets of his career.

F1 Marussia: Folded team's assets auctioned.
Among the items being sold off in an online auction are race and show cars, trailers, testing gear and office equipment.

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Bernie Ecclestone wants Sacha Woodward-Hill, his chief legal officer and adviser for more than a decade, to succeed him as boss of Formula 1.

Ecclestone says Qatar is unlikely to host a grand prix, as Bahrain and Abu Dhabi have the right to veto new races in the Middle East.

Lotus driver Romain Grosjean tweeted: "Everything looks ready for our first evening here @RaceOfChampions #fun"​

 

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Saturday, 20 December
Red Bull director Christian Horner says his team must make strides over the winter if they are to take on Mercedes in 2015.

Meanwhile, Horner says Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey will still attend some races in 2015 despite reports the 55-year-old would take a step back from the sport.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has called on the sport to look after its small teams, but has warned against making "knee-jerk" changes to the regulations to do so.

New McLaren driver Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari has what it takes to turn things around next year and return to winning ways.

Force India technical director Andrew Green reckons his team should be able to fight with Williams in 2015, thanks to planned improvements to its engine and aerodynamic testing.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has poked fun at his German bribery trial with a mischievous Christmas card depicting himself as handing over $100m to a masked highwayman pointing a pistol at him.

Bernie Ecclestone has a track record for producing tongue-in-cheek Christmas cards

Getting into the festive spirit, the team at Red Bull tweeted: Because Bulls Are Faster...

Toro Rosso tweets: STR9 numbers: 9,747 kilometres, 1,895 laps... farewell to 2014
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[t-tony]

Yeah, I read this on the BBC F1 Gossip column last night too, but I wondered, if Alonso is sure Ferrari can return to winning ways next year, Why the F..k is he leaving?

Tony.