F1 Thread

[Leyton388]

Horrible vile scumbag I hope Schumacher's private security team beat the **** out of him.

[Daniel 7]

Poor Richardson seemed fine at the time too didn't she?!

Never worn a helmet either but next time I go I certainly will do.



You'll both absolutely love it.

Probably best to get a couple of lessons when you get there rather than before (are you taking lessons here on dry slopes?)

Fashion is the last thing she'll be thinking of when she's up in the mountains.

Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?

I've never been ski-ing, but where Schumi's accident happened isn't that far from where we go mountain biking in the summer. It sounds so obvious, but mountains are steep, dangerous places - I'd never dream of biking down one without wearing the full gear, even then it can be scary.

Its all the more horrifying that he was with his son when it happened - terrible thing for a child to witness, especially when your dad is a superhero type like Schumacher.

[Buzzo]

I'm taking the Missus on a skiing holiday at the end of the month, neither of us have ever skied.

I'm going to make sure we take a couple of private lessons before we go to get the basics, but obviously we'll still be very inexperienced.

My Missus, being the vain cow that she is, is insisting that she won't be wearing a helmet. She best had wear one now.

You will definitely need lessons, and benefit from it. The more accomplished you are at the basics, the better a skier you will become.

Obviously the way Schumacher was skiing off piste would make wearing a helmet a necessity, Natasha Richardsons accident was on a beginner slope, so it just goes to show you can never be to cautious. That said I have done all my skiing helmet free, and have had all manner of falls, particularly in the early days so who knows.

[Lee]

I've never been ski-ing, but where Schumi's accident happened isn't that far from where we go mountain biking in the summer. It sounds so obvious, but mountains are steep, dangerous places - I'd never dream of biking down one without wearing the full gear, even then it can be scary.

Its all the more horrifying that he was with his son when it happened - terrible thing for a child to witness, especially when your dad is a superhero type like Schumacher.

Just seen a picture of where he was skiing when the accident happened.

Dear me. Far too many rocks in the way. Attempting to ski through that at 50mph+ isn't something I'd have done.

[Chazza]

Eddie Irvine convicted over brawl in Italian nightclub

Eddie Irvine is from County Down in Northern Ireland and spent nine years as an F1 driver
The former Formula One racing driver Eddie Irvine has been sentenced to six months in prison by an Italian court.

It is not yet clear if the retired racing driver will actually have to serve time in jail.

He was convicted after a brawl with an Italian man in a Milan nightclub.

Irvine, who is from Northern Ireland, and Gabriele Moratti, the son of a former Milan mayor, were found guilty of "mutual injury".

The pair had blamed each other for the dispute that took place in the VIP section of the club in December 2008.

Both Irvine, 48, and Moratti had accused the other of using a glass during the brawl in Milan's Hollywood nightclub.

The Reuters news agency reported Moratti's lawyer, Vincenzo Saponara, as saying the sentence was likely to be suspended and that neither man would go to jail.

Mr Saponara denied Italian media reports the two had fought over a woman.

The lawyer said: "Obviously it's easy for newspapers to say they fought because of jealousy over a woman, that they were two men who were rivals for her.

"It's a nice story. But in reality that's not the case."

Irvine drove for Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar over a nine-year career in motor racing's most prestigious sport.

[RichC]

Jenson Buttons dad has passed away with a suspected heart attack.

RIP

[meffin]

That's a shock, RIP

[G]

Stunned by that, seemed like a great bloke, RIP John.

[Daniel 7]

Shame. He seemed like a proper fun living bloke who enjoyed life. He gave his son an amazing chance in life and backed him enough so he could make the most of his talent.

[RichC]

Ron Denis has taken back control of McLaren F1 team although it doesn't say who's going to be team principal for 2014.

Whitmarsh has tbh been a bit of a disaster

Dennis regains control of McLaren F1


Ron Dennis has staged an internal coup and wrestled back control of the McLaren Formula 1 team.

Dennis, who stood down as team principal in 2009 and had been at loggerheads with the board, has been appointed chief executive officer.

He replaces Martin Whitmarsh, whose role as team principal is under threat.

No-one at McLaren has been sacked or made redundant. The identity of their team principal from 2014 will be announced next month.

McLaren have not said whether Whitmarsh will lose his position as team principal, but it must be considered highly likely.

Dennis - who will be chief executive officer of the McLaren Group - has been in dispute with Whitmarsh over the last two years.

On several occasions, Dennis has tried to remove his former protégé from his position.

He had failed because of his fractured relationship with the other board members. It is not immediately clear how that has been repaired.

Dennis told the McLaren staff on Thursday that "there will be change" and "we will win again".

In December, Dennis told BBC Sport that he had spoken about the future with former Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn, who will be considered a front-runner to be McLaren's new team principal once he has finished a planned six-month sabbatical.

Dennis, who is also the non-executive chairman of the McLaren Group, has been dissatisfied with the performance of the F1 team for some time.

They had their worst season for three decades in 2013, failing to score a podium finish for the first time since 1980, before Dennis took full control of McLaren.

The team have not won a drivers' world championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, and have failed to win the constructors' title since 1999.

Dennis said in a McLaren statement that the company's shareholders had "mandated me to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance".

He added: "Over the coming weeks I intend to undertake a thorough and objective review of each of our businesses with the intention of optimising every aspect of our existing operations, while identifying new areas of growth that capitalise on our technologies, and where appropriate further investing in them.

"During February, I will articulate a new Group strategy and implement the organisational structure best suited to achieving it."

There has been no change in the company's shareholding. The Bahrain royal family's Mumtalakat investment fund still owns 50%, with Dennis owning 25% and his long-time partner Mansour Ojjeh the remaining 25%.

Ojjeh is recovering from a double lung transplant and has temporarily relinquished his role as a director to his bother Aziz.

Dennis remains in his role as chairman of McLaren Automotive.

Whitmarsh had been trying to persuade Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso to join the team in 2015.

Dennis's new role must now make that highly unlikely as the two fell out in dramatic style when the Spaniard drove for McLaren in 2007.

Last month, Dennis told BBC Sport that he would not have a problem with the two-time champion returning to the team but Alonso himself has made it clear he still blames Dennis for their past problems.

[G]

No surprise there,they've been poor by their standards under Whitmarsh.Brawn would be a great appointment

[Daniel 7]

Actually, forget it. Why not just have this thread renamed as F1?

[Daniel 7]

I reckon, pure conjecture here, that Ron taking over as CEO will lead to Martin Whitmarsh being forced out, Ross Brawn taking over and Lewis Hamilton eventually going back to McLaren.

The lure of working with Brawn and Ron Dennis as well as following in his hero Senna's footsteps as a McLaren Honda word champion will be too much to resist I reckon.

Vettel will go to Mercedes as well.

[RichC]

I think you're on the money there. I've always thought Hamilton will end up back with McLaren and I think the opportunity to work with Brawn will certainly be a big carrot for that to happen.

I think you're right in so far that Vettel will move at some point, I still fancy his main priority will be Ferrari followed closely by Mercedes.

[Daniel 7]

Yeah, all the best drivers like to have a go at Ferrari - its possible though. The Mercedes team are really moving and they are big on the all German lineup - its another national team. That might be a huge draw and would help them with their real business as well.