2014 formula 1 rolex australian grand prix

[FaultyMario]

Surprised Kimi didn't take 69. Hunt was a #7, though, so that makes sense.

“There’s no particular story linked to it,” he said. “It’s the number I already had last year and I saw no reason to change it. I like it which is good enough isn’t it?”

[Kchrpm]

Bernie Ecclestone steps down...sort of?

http://jalopnik.com/king-of-f1-berni...l-b-1502641754

So Ecclestone is stepping down from his position on the board of Delta Topco, part of the web of corporate identities headed by Ecclestone that maintain control over F1. According to the BBC, though, he'll still be in charge of day-to-day operations. That means that nothing has really changed at the top of F1 for now, but if Ecclestone is found guilty, somebody new will take over.

[tigeraid]

Kobayashi!!!!!

Unfortunately, we'll be watching him drift around 4 seconds off the pace at the back of the grid...

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2014/0...ole-at-sauber/

Caterham F1 have today announced Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson as their 2014 race drivers, and in doing so have completed this year’s Formula One grid.

Ericsson will race with the number 9 and Kobayashi 10.

The line-up has been expected in recent weeks with Kobayashi always on the verge of a race seat following his untimely exit at the end on 2012, when it seemed he had a budget in place to retain his seat at Sauber. However, the funding behind Esteban Gutierrez and the signing of Nico Hulkenberg left the popular Japanese driver looking elsewhere.

After a year in the World Endurance Championship racing for Ferrari, the twenty-seven year old returns to F1 at the start of an exciting era.

“For me, it’s a great honour that the team hired me based on the value I bring in racing terms and the experience I have.” said Kobayashi.

“I first visited the factory in Leafield just before Christmas and it’s clear how hungry the whole team is to make progress. Last year was a tough season but the new rules this year mean that everyone in F1 is starting again and, that means everybody has a chance to improve. From what I’ve seen, Caterham now has everything in place to progress this year and for many seasons to come.”

[The359]

Kobayashi had an offer from Ferrari for an extended contract in FIA WEC plus taking over the F1 team's simulator work, but Kobayashi turned it down for a seat at Caterham, for free.

That's a big gamble to try and impress on such a backmarker team. How long will Caterham keep a free driver around when they can get one that brings money? Tony Fernandes has already said if Caterham doesn't improve in 2014, he's out of F1.

[tigeraid]

Wow. That seems like a spectacularly dumb idea.

Especially when you figure Kimi, even if everything goes PERFECTLY, will likely only be around Ferrari for another couple seasons.

[Freude am Fahren]

I read in autoweek that there are rumors of someone trying to put together an F1 race in Miami. I cannot see it ever happening without them building a new track. I just don't know of anywhere suitable.

[Random]

Since when has that mattered?

[FaultyMario]

Ron Dennis is back at the helm of McLaren group, I'm not sure if that means McLarenF1 too. Anyway, as a warm up for the 2014 season, here's an insightful article from Motorsport:

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1...ll-felt-in-f1/

Max, almost as an aside, explained how he’d just leased out F1’s commercial rights to Bernie Ecclestone for a further 100 years once the then-current deal expired in 2010. He then moved onto how the FIA had helped research into the design of a safer helmet – then swiftly left.

Not only did Max’s long-time close associate Bernie now have F1’s commercial rights until 2110, he’d acquired them for the sum of just $360 million (or less than one year’s F1 revenue and about one-and-a-half years’ of profit at the time). Or about as much as would cover NASCAR’s commercial rights for one year, not 100.

Max agreeing it was a good idea to grant those rights for such a valuably long time has caused the sport to be financially raped ever since.

One of those speaking out when the rights were originally transferred from the team collective FOCA (with Bernie at the helm) to Bernie’s own company FOM was Ron Dennis. Back in 1997 he was perceived as the ringleader of a dissent that played its part in the thwarting of a planned stock market floatation of the sport. From that moment on, Ron was watching his back.

[M4FFU]

I do worry about Koba. I could kinda see it if Caterham were moving forward, but they did the exact opposite last year and when the owner is dancing with the idea of pulling the plug, seems an odd place to put all your eggs.

[Rob]

No way. That Kimi response is fantastic.