TBK-Light.com

Hey, I put the asterisk! I didn't jinx it!

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

Green!

Rowland leads into turn 1 at Hungary!!

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

I ask myself this every time I log in to TBK Light.

That's not very pleasant. I always like Jacob's contributions to TBK.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

From that comment here's why

Sport Bild reporting that Red Bull and Toro Rosso might run Ferrari engines in the future. It will be B-spec with 20-30HP less than the A-spec but according to Helmut Marco that's still significantly better than the A-spec Renault.

I really doubt Red Bull would want this however. I can only see it as a short term solution if Renault quits at the end of the year and VAG (under whatever banner) isn't ready for 2016 yet.

Mexico has been fucked. This is the layout from F1 2015.

I won't be a hypocrit and say "that does it for me", because I will watch every race still if I can. But the feeling I once had, looking forward to the event days or even weeks ahead, heartbeat rising as the start lights came on, ... is a distant memory now.

Had they not butchered a classic track in process to make this, I'd say it's pretty neat track for a modern f1 circuit.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

i wouldn't mind the new layout if they didn't have so many huge parking lots right next to the track.

Yeah it needs grass. Hopefully it actually does but Cm didn't put it in.

Also, 10 years today.

Unusual place for Hass to show their car - Belgium? I would figure the USA would be better place... Perhaps they have a new sponsorship deal with a Belgian company...?

that's where their European headquarters are.

There's an article in this week's Autosport magazine which covers the events surrounding this weekend, featuring a timeline and interviews from Charlie Whiting, Tony George and John Howett. It makes interesting but frustrating reading. What is clear is that parties offered solutions but that rules were being read and observed far too literal. In addition, Michelin telling their teams NOT to race, was the correct thing to do by Indiana law. If I can grab the article, I'll post it.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

maybe they're trying to extend the AB Inbev sponsorship to the F1 operation as they're also based in Belgium

could be very interesting they showing brands of local beers like Brahma

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Motorsports trend for 2024: everything is a bad taste joke now

Can't beleive it's 10 years ago already since that race. I remember being gutted as it was shaping up to be a great race with Toyota's first pole and a close grid. Pretty sure the reaction on the old forum was memorable!

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Interesting it leaves out the fact this entire thing happened because the track was diamond ground before that year's 500, of which Bridgestone had tyre data from its Firestone subsidiary.

If Bridgestone hadn't had that knowledge the same thing would've happened to them and suddenly we'd have had a different ball game.

It's one of the best examples of how everyone in F1 is out for themselves and will not work together even in the direst of situations for the good of the sport.
Not exactly the most original point to be made about the sport, I know, but I do believe if they all sat down and thought of the fans and had a "show must go on" mentality instead of being out for themselves, we could've had a race that day instead of a detritus.

Personally, I think Mandatory pit windows for the michelin runners would've worked, make them pit every 20, 15, hell every 10 laps if its needed, The Bridgestoners can run to their normal pace and boom, problem solved.
(This was mainly a bigger deal because tyre changes were banned that year but...meh, this is an extraordinary situation)

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

I agree with you in part. The decision was made politically (Ferrari / Todt / Mosley) and through governance of the sport by lawyers. Think back to the scene in Senna where Balestre is arguing with Ayrton and a couple of other drivers about using escapes roads (at the Hockenheim chicanes). Balestre's argument was a legal one, which was that in the event a driver went up an escape route he should reverse back or turn around to rejoin the part of the circuit where he left off. The race was set at a specific race distance and should a driver not complete the race using the full race track (escape road is not part of the track) then said driver would not have finished the race by completing the legal race distance.

The point is that the FIA governs the events in it's name through a legal perspective, not sporting. Sporting governance should be controlled by FOM, but does sporting governance exist?

The part I disagree with you on is the mandatory pit window. It is referenced in the article that under Indiana law Michelin would have been immediately liable should a car have used it's product at racing speed (in any part of the race) when Michelin was fully aware it's product was defective.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Well as i say it was mainly an issue because the rules that year meant you had to run 1 set of tyres for the entire race and if it'd been under 2004 (where there were still a few punctures too) or 2006 rules it might not have been an issue.

In theory Michelin could've worked out a safety margin for when the teams should switch the tyres and we'd have a race.
A similar thing happened to a nascar thing there and they just ensued the race was divided up into 20 lap segments between cautions.
But that's what you get with 1 tyre supplier and a "show must go on" attitude instead of everyone out for their own interests.

It does remind me however one of the funniest interviews of all time took place at this race.
Never tell paul Stoddart it's ok to swear

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley