Horner “can’t imagine” taking Ecclestone’s place

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Christian Horner downplays rumours he could take over from Bernie Ecclestone in charge of Formula One Management.

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Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Christian Horner cools talk of replacing F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone (The Guardian)

“I can’t imagine that. I certainly wouldn’t be equipped to deal with that role. I’m totally happy and focused with what I’m doing. I don’t think there could be any one individual who does what Bernie does.”

F1 must analyse De Villota accident, drivers say (Reuters)

Pedro de la Rosa: “When an accident happens, it means that something didn’t work properly. We need to make sure between the FIA, the teams and the GPDA that we make changes for the future because it’s not good enough.”

I Won’t Change My Style – Maldonado (Speed)

“One and a half laps to the end I saw the chance to take the position against Lewis, he tried to defend, I tried to attack. It was a normal contact [accident], I think. For sure it was disappointing, because it was good points for the team, for me as well. Looking forward, it doesn’t change anything. The season is still long, we have plenty of races, coming. So I’m looking forward.”

Title hopes not over – Button (BBC)

“If it was one person streaking away in the lead like Seb then it would be a big chunk to get back. But if I win this race and the Ferrari is not on pace here, it’s a lot of points in the bag.”

British GP – Conference 1 (FIA)

Fernando Alonso: “We are definitely quite happy with the situation now in terms of points, at least, because in terms of performance we know that there are still a few cars quicker than our car, so we are still not completely happy but the job that the team has done over the last three or four months has been amazing, recovering the maybe 1.5s or something like that that we were off the pace in Australia. So this is good news, not only for this championship or for this moment, but also for the near future of the team, because we faced some difficult times with the wind tunnel correlation etc which was not the best, also for the next projects.”

McLaren in big development push (Autosport)

“We have another package coming for Germany which visually is a bigger package of changes. It will be more noticeable.”

F1 Jack Technology (Scarbs F1)

“In Valencia the first jack was pushed under the front and the latch mechanism appeared to fail as the jack was lifted. As is normal procedure, the spare jack was pressed into service to complete the pit stop. McLaren say they have altered the detail design of the jack for Silverstone and have completed over 800 test pit stops with the new set up without any failures.”

Nico Rosberg via Twitter

“Just met Stirling Moss again. Really fun chat! Different times. He lost a wheel five times at full speed and once his steering wheel fell off…”

Lotus’s solar-powered simulator and a look into the future (James Allen on F1)

Lotus had already become the first F1 outfit to introduce solar panels onto its team trucks and European race paddock motorhome prior to the construction of the simulator.”

Porsche’s place in Formula 1 history (MotorSport)

“[Dan] Gurney’s greatest Porsche performance did not result in a win. After much testing at the N???rburgring, he secured pole for the German GP. Final practice – the ‘banzai’ session – had been compromised by rain, but Dan was three seconds faster than his nearest rival and was said to have another three in hand from testing. He and his car were in the ballpark basically. This they proved by leading the first two laps before having to give best to [Graham] Hill’s BRM.”

F1 buoyant despite economic climate (FT, registration required)

“It is the midpoint in the 2012 Formula One world championship, and the action off the track has been almost as fast paced as on it.”

‘Seb won’t join Ferrari’ (Sky)

Allan McNish: “It is also never negative if a comment comes out like it did from Ferrari with Domenicali saying he could see two drivers co-existing. But, I do think it was a case of Domenicali as much saying, ‘look, Ferrari’s quite an open book,’ as opposed to ‘we are having conversations and trying to get Vettel alongside Alonso’.”

Comment of the day

Lotus have got Batman logos on their car this weeekend…

The first thing I thought when I saw that was “Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Iceman!”
Prisoner Monkeys

From the forum

Happy birthday!

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On this day in F1

Alberto Ascari led a Ferrari one-two-three in the 1952 French Grand Prix at Rouen, backed up by team mates Giuseppe Farina and Piero Taruffi.

Image © Red Bull/Getty images

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Keith Collantine
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64 comments on “Horner “can’t imagine” taking Ecclestone’s place”

  1. The fact that Maldonado thinks he has nothing to learn from having thrown away a podium finish says it all. Hopefully, Williams recovery this season will mean they can attract sufficient additional sponsorship to give Maldonado the boot.

    1. I’m starting to like Maldonado more. He’s still petulant and a bit stupid sometimes, but his aggressive style is refreshing and really good to watch when he’s on form. He reminds me of Kobayashi at times, but more on-edge and accident prone.

      Anyway, you have to accept he’s done a better job than Bruno Senna. At least Maldonado had a podium to throw away!

      1. It’s all relative. I was in Melbourne for the first race of the season and as soon as i watched a few laps of the Williams it was obvious it was a stonking car. It was very stable under braking, cery nice change of direction and had excellent traction. I do wander what the car could achieve in the hands of some more competent drivers.

      2. @lin1876

        I’m starting to like Maldonado more.

        +1

        me too. Maldonado did the right thing, and giving him the boot would be a mistake. I like his attitude. If Lewis, or other drivers, are not going to change their driving style, then nor should Maldonado. So next time those two meet, they ought to give each other a bit more respect. Otherwise the driver with “more to LOSE” will the bigger loser.

        There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

        1. Just because he is entertaining for a fan who enjoys crashes and collisions does not mean he is any asset for Williams. Look at the points table, he has scored a win (on merit) and another 4 points, when the season is almost at the halfway point! If I were a Williams member I would not think that this is satisfactory.
          Yes, he is on more points than Bruno, but at any rate for a car capable of wins and podiums the results are dissatisfying. But that is what I would expect from a driver that treats his racecar as a revenge weapon, the racetrack as some shady bar, has no understanding of racing etiquette and what sport is for, and has grown up under such a regime (that is the only way I can explain his obvious and disgusting lies, having grown up myself alongside people who have lived their live under soviet rule), but I would not have expected him to be in F1, that is the power money gives you I guess in the current times.
          Frankly I find Maldonado revolting, his personality I mean. But that is just my opinion.

          1. Your absolutly spot on. His recklessness is hurting the team, while he doesn’t seem to care.

          2. 1+
            not quite revolting but I think there is a lack of respect towards other drivers.

    2. Interestingly we have heard similar statements from Lewis after he featured in similar incidents so it’s not surprising that Maldonado should say something similar. It’s unfortunate for Lewis that in a year in which he is driving carefully and tactically with all the speed he ever had that factors outside his control are conspiring to spoil his season. Just goes to show, all the talent in the world on it’s own wont win the WDC, a good car, a good team and a lot of good luck, or at least the absence of bad luck are required.

      1. Don’t agree. With Lewis they were genuine racing incidents. And he always came out and said he’d analysis them and factor into his approach -which he has. This one was just a shocking piece of driving by Maldonado. Completetely different.

        The fact that Maldonado sees no wrong in what he did speaks volumes. Word of advice – wait for the easy overtaking opportunity when you’re trying to beat the guy ahead with worn out tyres..it’s not rocket science.

    3. Nth wrong with his style. Its the problem of his driving manner and his ability of self control.

    4. Definitely agree with your first sentence. He says he’s only looking forward, but he seriously needs to reflect and learn from his mistakes.

    5. There is nothing wrong with Maldonado’s style. His only problem is split second decisions, and that is where his true aggression shows. Anger management would be the proper direction for him, not style.

      1. His other problem is that he never admits he’s in the wrong (take the Perez incident at Monaco for example). That’s the childish element that reminds me a little of Schumacher in the bad old days!

        1. Exactly.

          ” It was a normal contact [accident], I think.”

          No, it was not normal, you re-entered the circuit at the most rediculous place possible. and the accident wouldnt have happend had you used your brain and rejoined properly

    6. You said it all @tdog. The Chavez’s spoilt child Maldonado can do no wrong. I find it very hard at the moment to balance my urge for Williams to do well, with my urge for Maldonado to do badly. Really he’s my least liked drive since Monteiro(for different reasons entirely).The magnitude of his stupid on-track moves remind me of some brain fades by Gerhard Berger. Only Gerhard was hugely fast and his brain-fades were few and far between. Maldonado’s balance of speed and stupidity leans heavily towards stupidity.
      @lin1876 To compare him with Kobayashi is wrong IMO. KK is fast and aggressive but very very few(if any) of his moves are stupid.

    7. Williams need more experienced driver, which could push the team forward. I see Kovalainen perfectly suited to Williams and I’d like to see him replace Senna or Maldonado.

      1. A Kovalainen-Bottas line up would be excellent. It would have to work financially however and therefore I’m not sure it would be possible.

    8. Commentators are always going on about Grosjeans incident rate, but Maldonado has had much worse finishing results. On only finished one more race than Schumacher! If he hadn’t won in space his head would be on the chopping block for sure!

  2. Christian Horner downplays rumours he could take over from Bernie Ecclestone in charge of Formula One Management.

    Well that’s good, because I can’t imagine that he would be particularly good at it.

    1. Completely agree! However, who would be any good at it. It would have to be someone who knows the whole paddock very well as well as being almost as ruthless as Bernie. I’m trying to think of someone but can’t come up with any answers.

      1. @john-h – I have no idea. But I don’t think anyone currently in the paddock would be a particularly good choice. They’re too close to the sport, and certainly too close to the teams.

      2. davidnotcoulthard
        6th July 2012, 14:18

        Chharlie whiting!

    2. Anyone is able to adapt and red bull are what they are thanks to ruthlessness/lack of respect for the ‘big names’. Horner handled all of that with skills. He is always calm and gives the right answers despite what he is planning on background. It feels almost as if he never under pressure whether he is ahead or catching up. I think he can do this otherwise why would he be considered?

      1. It feels almost as if he never under pressure whether he is ahead or catching up.

        And yet, he’s always got an answer for everything. He’s too quick, too smooth, and something it feels a little rehearsed. I find him to be very untrustworthy.

        1. Ecclestone often plays in interviews making interviewers feel pathetic and scared to question him properly – untrustworthiness is already there, I think. Horner has the cold blood needed to run F1 and if this is true I hope he gets this job. It’s funny he says “I can’t imagine that.” meaning I can’t imagine having all this under my wing and with no need to drink red bull. Of course, he must woolgathering about the possibility.

  3. Fact is Bernie is looking like the walking dead, not long before he will have to be replaced.

    1. I wouldn’t be suprised if he is around another 10 years. He has some deal with the devil for sure.

    2. @kelly – Comments like this have always bothered me. It seems that Bernie is so unpopular that some people can’t wait to get rid of him – and they don’t really care how it comes about, be it through jail time over the Gribkowsky affair, being sacked by CVC, or his death. And I think that to be sitting in the edge of your seat with a kind of anticipation that everything will somehow be better without Bernie is rude and disrespectful. However unpopular he might be, however underhanded his tactics are, and however impure his motivations, Bernie has done a lot for Formula 1. Under his direction, the sport has expanded out exponentially – particularly in recent years – to the point where it truly has become a World Championship, and certainly more deserving of the title than any other series claiming to be a World Championship. When he leaves – for whatever reason – the sport is going to faced with a difficult and uncertain future as a successor is found. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to fully replace him.

      So for you to sit there and eagerly anticipate his downfall – or worse, his death – is in incredibly poor taste and is inexcuseable.

      1. You seem to read and speculate a lot from a single sentence. He has aged quite a lot in the past couple of years. He does not look healthy. I don’t think anyone can deny that. He is 81 after all.

        1. Bernie has aged =/= Bernie is looking like the walking dead

  4. The first thing I thought when I saw that was “Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Iceman!”

    Oh, Yes… thank you youtube

    1. The generation gap; The first thing I thought when I saw the headline from Jenson re WDC was;
      one-two, one two three ” Always look on the bright side of life, tah dum tah dum tah dum tah dum “

  5. Nuance is quite different from what he’d said right after the race. At the time he said Lewis was driving dangerously and thus all were his fault. Now saying ‘one defended and the other offended, ergo it was an accident’ goes much better along with the line of F1. It would be a scene if we put MAL in the same pit as JPM who I do hope come back to F1.

    1. It would be so much better if said it on that particular Sunday.

  6. xeroxpt (@)
    6th July 2012, 2:56

    COTD not funny.

    1. xeroxpt (@)
      6th July 2012, 2:56

      It was supposed to be his laughter right? bad taste.

      1. xeroxpt (@)
        6th July 2012, 3:00

        if not can only be batmans jingle.

        1. It’s the old Batman theme from the 1960s.

        2. @ukfanatic
          I’m quite sure it’s a joke regarding the batman jingle…

          Anyway, how would it be bad taste? I don’t get it.

      2. It was supposed to be his laughter right? bad taste.

        Do you go “Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na” when you laugh?

        1. theres a video on youtube where a dodgy bloke has him for an autograph and he asks him if he has stolen the picture he was signing.

    2. It refers to the batman jingle, see post from @celeste with a link to one of them!

      1. I think this comment thread just overtook the COTD in terms of providing laughs for readers.

        1. In retrospect, I probably should have linked to the video Celeste posted when I made that comment last night. It probably would have gone a long way towards avoiding some of these comments about not understanding the joke.

          1. Don’t worry @prisoner-monkeys, I never saw that intro but I had already read somewhere “Na-na-na-na Batman!” so I knew what you were referring to.

        2. CTOTD.

          Action man, Iceman, Ice-cream man, Massa calling Hamilton ‘Superman’. Anymore out there? Super Rat?

          1. Niki Lauda = Super Rat

  7. I expect to see the MP4-27 with a stepped nose soon.

    1. The stepped nose isn’t the defining factor in the success of other teams. In fact, a stepped nose would probably hurt McLaren a lot. Their entire car is based around the premise of having a low nose. They can’t just stick a stepped design on it and expect it to work.

    2. McLaren raised the nose at Mugello. They can’t step it without massively modifying their chassis, since the bulkhead is already low.

      That means crash tests and a whole testing plan.

  8. To win WDC in 2012 Button will need to drive much better before thinking about others losing points because he might find himself riding below P10 in case Vettel, Alonso, Webber or Hamilton crashes. His current pace does not deserve any place better than he is now, he’s worse than Massa actually.

    1. His current pace does not deserve any place better than he is now, he’s worse than Massa actually.

      I think you’re being a little too harsh there. Button’s downturn in form coincides with McLaren’s last set of updates, so something has clearly gone wrong there. It suits Hamilton, but not him.

    2. If Hamilton was the only one ahead of him, that would be a possibility. But imagine this, Webber, Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Grosjean, Raikkonen, if one fails to score, one or more of the others will score good points. You can’t hope that all of them will have misfortune simultaneously for several races. It is a very big ask.

    3. @jcost

      he’s worse than Massa actually

      I’m not sure about that, Massa is accident prone, whenever he could have a really good race, he just finds a way to mess it up (look at just the last two). On the other hand Buttons Valencia progress was very good news. He went faster than his teammate in all sessions bar Q3 and of course the race. In Q3 I think he could not get enough heat into his tyres on the out lap, so he was locking up a lot, in the race you could say he was slow, but he never run in free air.
      Everyone says he had a bad start because he cant even drive, but how come, that if Lewis has a bad start it is the clutch? :)
      The other thing is, in the first stint he was stuck behind the Hulk and ‘for sure’, on lap 10 the team pitted him to jump both of them, but as Ferrari reacted quickly, they both jumped Hulkemberg, but the order remained between them. Then on lap 26 the same thing happened, the main problem with that is the SC two laps later. And you could say he did a pretty good job with his tyres lasting 30 laps (compared to Canada). Of course, if McLaren strategist had more wit than a handful of dead butterflies, they would pitted Button around lap 40 so he could make a charge like Webber, Schu or even Rosberg.

      1. On the other hand Buttons Valencia progress was very good news. He went faster than his teammate in all sessions bar Q3 and of course the race. In Q3 I think he could not get enough heat into his tyres on the out lap, so he was locking up a lot, in the race you could say he was slow, but he never run in free air.

        I have to contest your defense of Jenson here, basically he was quicker than Lewis at all the times it didn’t matter. What use is that?

        I would love to know why he is experiencing his troubles, but if he can’t adapt to a car that is clearly fast then I have to doubt his general talent as a racing driver. Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel too, have been able to win in cars that weren’t necessarily the fastest cars on the track.

        The only race Jenson has won when he wasn’t in a car that was much better than the others AND when it was dry was Suzuka last year. At the time I thought he was making serious progress as a driver; and at the start of this season I was hopeful he and Lewis would have a classic McLaren intense rivalry. But his form has just totally vanished. His pace in Canada especially, was unacceptable. At the moment and for varying different reasons Mercedes, Ferrari & McLaren are all ‘one car’ teams, as the other driver just isnt scoring as high as he should be.*

        *Great news for Lotus and Red Bull though…

        1. @nick-uk
          My point was, that he had/has a slump, but he is showing progress, it has nothing to do with ALO/VET/HAM. The comparsion between Lewis’ times at Valencia was there because it is an indication of the progress he made since Canada. The argument was that if he is better or worse than Massa ATM.

          Also try to imagine yourself in your own car with 50-100Kg of ballast in the trunk (different rear suspension setup), driving on a course that you know very well, but you have not driven there for a year, you have an hour to prepare yourself to race against a driver who has the same car without ballast, but had three more hours practicing. If you are mutch slower than him, it is acceptable :)

          I was hopeful he and Lewis would have a classic McLaren intense rivalry.

          They had, till Spain, when the new nose debuted, and now when Lewis has a big leeway, and Jenson seems to get over his problems, we could see that again. I really hope he pulls himself together, and will win the Hungarian GP once again:)

        2. @bag0

          Also try to imagine yourself in your own car with 50-100Kg of ballast in the trunk (different rear suspension setup)

          A stiffer/looser suspension setup is suddenly like carrying an extra 100kg?

          1. @david-a
            It was not an exact transfer form say +15mm rearhight=10Kg, just trying to imagine the difference between the two cars handling and behaving, if I said 10 Kilos, noone could imagine what it feels like when your car is out of balance. And having a good suspension makes a huge difference, as it defines the ride height at all times, the cars response to turning, or even braking and accelerating. The suspension is in relation with everything as it has a direct relation to downforce.

  9. Happy birthday, @John-H !

    1. Thank you @girts ! I took the day off work and watched a surprisingly enjoyable FP1 and 2 to celebrate (on the TV). Should be a great weekend this one :)

  10. Only in F1 would you get technical analysis of a car jack ;) Not complaining though, I read it and found it quite insightful, particularly with the materials used.

    The McLaren updates sound plentiful. If RBR haven’t gained as much of an advantage as Valencia suggests then it should be them playing catch-up for a change. Fascinating really.

  11. Cheers for the shoutout keith! had a brill time at the F1! second time it has been on my birthday and i have been ;)

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