F1 2012

[Kenneth]

Sorry to hear that.

[destinydude]

Awful. Hope she recovers from it mentally.

[Chazza]

So looking at the forecast this is going to **** up the weekend for most people going and make the race a bit of a lottery??

[Chazza]

British GP: 20,000 fans asked to avoid Silverstone

Up to 20,000 ticket holders are being asked to stay away from Saturday's British Grand Prix qualifying sessions at Silverstone.

Heavy rain affected thousands of race fans on Friday and left half of the circuit's car parks unusable.

Officials want to get them back into use for Sunday's race.

Silverstone's managing director Richard Phillips said: "If you have a public car parking ticket we are strongly advising you not to come tomorrow."

He added: "The situation is that we want to try to recover things for Sunday and that's the most important thing for us at the moment."

The call only applies to people with tickets to park at the circuit - about 20,000 race fans. Ticket holders in car parks away from the circuit, those camping elsewhere and able to make it on foot, or planning to use the park and ride service, should still be able to access the site.

Phillips warned race fans with tickets for circuit car parks: "We could be in a situation where you will be in queues of traffic and don't actually get into the circuit. That's the harsh reality of where we are."

He said ticketholders who missed sessions on Friday and Saturday would be refunded.

"It's almost made me cry," he added.

"I always feel a responsibility because I am the person in charge but we have had an awful lot of rain in a short period of time. But of course I unreservedly apologise."

But he stressed: "We'll do our damnedest to make sure it [Sunday's Grand Prix] happens."

Earlier British Grand Prix officials described the problems that left thousands of fans stranded in traffic for hours as "a nightmare".

Queues stretching miles long formed as traffic, heading to Friday's practice sessions, backed up because of waterlogged car parks at Silverstone.

They were the worst problems since the 2000 event, which led to wholesale changes to the track's access roads.

The A43 was remodelled following the 2000 event, creating a dual carriageway bypass, and traffic management at the Grand Prix was completely overhauled.

The changes had appeared to have solved the traffic issues for which Silverstone had become notorious, and which almost at one stage led to it losing the British Grand Prix.

Yet, as in 2000, the problems on Friday were caused by waterlogged car parks and not enough hard-standing for vehicles coming to the track.

The official Silverstone campground was full and many unofficial camping grounds were forced to turn spectators away.

The recent wet weather - this June was the wettest in recorded history - has soaked the ground, meaning Friday's rain could not be absorbed.

A spokeswoman said: "We know we've got a problem, we know it's serious.

"We've the best people on the job, and we're doing all we can."

The spectators who did get into the circuit were faced with watching only limited action in the continuing rain.

In both 90-minute practice sessions only nine drivers completed 10 or more laps.

More than 100,000 race fans were expected on Saturday and 125,000 on Sunday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18747889

[chadrtc]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18747889

I've got weekend tickets and haven't been able to go after we were told not to show up as we wouldnt be let in. We then find out that they have been letting people with our tickets in today. Bit gutted really, my first ever GP after watching in since I was nipper.

I have no idea if we'll get the same treatment for the race.

Disgracefully stuff really.

[Kenneth]

Murray Walker

[G]

A privilege to hear the man speak.

Miss him at Grands prix

[Buzzo]

WTF is going on with Jenson Button?

Rain tomorrow could be the only thing giving him a chance.

[Kenneth]

He was very unlucky with the rain break, being out on track looking at a fast time and got his lap killed by yellows before they stopped it.

[RichC]

Maldonado is a liability, yet again makes another stupid error.

[CJ]

Or perez made an error

Pretty tough one to call from what i saw.

[Daniel 7]

Looked like it was Perez trying to muscle him to be fair - but that probably has a lot to do with Maldonado deliberately smashing into him at Monaco, there's clearly a niggle between them after that.

GP was ok. Bit flat in the end.

[Bender]

Red Bull's Mark Webber beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in a close battle to win the British Grand Prix.

Alonso led much of the race from pole position, but Webber benefited from a different tyre strategy to chase the Spaniard down after the final pit stops.

Webber passed Alonso into Brooklands with four laps to go and held him off to the flag.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took third ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton struggled to eighth and team-mate Jenson Button 10th.

[Daniel 7]

Haha

Maldonado said: 'The stupid driver won and he has not won any race. He is a great driver, he showed that in GP2 when he was second and I won. It's easy to say something like that but we must stay concentrated and focus on ourselves. I am not here to do any polemic. I am here to win and do well for the team.'"

[RichC]

Be interesting to see if this happens or not.

Red Bull under investigation for illegal engine mapping

Red Bull are under investigation for illegal engine mapping and could be forced to start the German Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

The world champions have been reported to the stewards for contravening rules forbidding teams from using exhaust gases for aerodynamic effect.

Red Bull and engine supplier Renault believe they are acting within the rules and that the car is legal.

The stewards are looking into the matter and have not given a verdict.

Governing body the FIA claims they have less torque for a given throttle position in the mid-range of the engine's rev band.

They say this is a breach of article 5.5.3 of the technical regulations.

The FIA adds that the "new torque map will artificially alter the aerodynamic characteristics of both cars", which is forbidden by a specific technical directive.

Basically, the accusation is that the engines throttles are more open than they should be for a given accelerator position.

This allows more air into the engine, and produces more blowing of the exhaust.

Red Bull, like many other teams, have directed their exhaust to blow at specific parts of the rear bodywork to enhance aerodynamic downforce.

This is allowed, but it is forbidden to alter the engine mapping to change the torque output of the engine in relation to the position of the accelerator so that more gases are blowing out of the exhausts than should be.
Another aspect of the accusation is that the engine mapping is acting as a form of traction control in reducing the power to the rear wheels for a given throttle position.

It is very unusual for such a matter to be dealt with in public in this manner, which suggests the FIA considers it has a strong case against Red Bull.

If the stewards find Red Bull guilty, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who are due to line up in second and eighth places for Sunday's race, will be disqualified from qualifying and have to start from the back of the grid.

However, Red Bull could appeal against any guilty verdict and race from their original starting positions.

Rival teams expect a verdict before the start of the race at 13:00 BST.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18943608