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let's kick start F1 2017 with this great news this old fart must go .... hopefully we will have an exciting season and not always Merc 1-2 finish

Source: https://www.motor1.com/features/667804/formula1-bernd-maylander-safety-car-aston-martin/ There’s an amazing stat that in Formula 1’s entire history only one man has led over 1,300 laps in 212 Grands Prix, and yet he’s not even scored a single championship point. His name is Bernd Maylander, and he drives the F1 Safety Car. Maylander, from Waiblingen in the southwest of Germany, has the ice-cold veins required when F1’s hot heads get out of line and crash. When the race needs to be neutralized, with the drivers’ lives literally on the line, he takes control in his specially prepared FIA Safety Car vehicle. “The two calls are ‘safety car standby’ and ‘safety car deployed’,” says Maylander, who alternates between a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and an Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition. “And the moment they say ‘deployed’ I’m on the track, find the leader – then I get extra information if there’s an accident, maybe I have to stay right or left at a corner, I get told if there is debris.” Maylander, a former racer himself in the DTM and FIA GTs, is in his 24th season of driving the F1 safety car and has only missed a couple of races since his debut in 2000. Mercedes was the sole supplier of the safety car until Aston Martin joined the program in 2021, when duties became shared between the two cars. “It was very professional how Aston Martin joined the FIA,” says Maylander. “The first event was at Mugello during the Covid era, and here it was, the Vantage F1 Edition, it’s definitely a great sportscar. It’s definitely a bit different, the suspension, so the setup is a little bit different [to the more powerful Mercedes]. “Sometimes I feel like James Bond a bit! With Mercedes I raced for them, and maybe one day I can race an Aston... Maybe a historical one, or something.” The Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8-powered coupe producing 528 horsepower, enough to get to 62 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 195. It features an extra-large rear wing with a Gurney flap to produce a “very nice balance” – according to Maylander. “I really like it,” he says. “I’d sat in one brand’s model for more than 20 years, then along came the Aston Martin and my first thought was ‘let’s see how good this car is’ – I’d never driven one before in my life.” Where this car really differs from the model you can buy for the street is in the trunk, which is packed with electronic system control units, a wifi router, the same GPS tracker found in the F1 race cars, radio systems, and a data logger. “All the equipment we have inside the car – communications and wifi systems, GPS mapping, TVs – is for us to follow the race,” he says. “We have all this assistance inside the safety car, and we run on the racetrack every day in the morning to check it’s all working.” Four cameras – two on the rear wing and two mounted on top of the roof, ensure Maylander has a great view of the all-important F1 race cars behind. His steering wheel and the console are standard, but with some extra switchgear for the safety car lights and radio (including a backup) and monitors that show the live TV feed, GPS driver tracker, and live timing. The Vantage has a regular-sized fuel tank, and two cars (four in total, along with the medical cars) are brought to every event – and they alternate their use between F1 and the FIA-sanctioned support races. Maylander admits they must have the engine running for the duration of the races, to keep its electrical systems and air conditioning powered up “so we’re not in a sauna for two hours.” Bernd usually gets through one set of tyres per car per weekend, but this can stretch to two sets if there’s a lot of action. He adds: “We have four mechanics with us, looking after tyres, brakes – I think between them they could fix everything.” Since its introduction in 2021, even the 113-degree Fahrenheit heat of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia hasn’t proved a problem for the Vantage: “We haven’t had any problems with this car at all since we started, no issues.” He always has a quick debrief with the mechanics after every race, but “it’s always quite short before we rush to the airport.” Maylander rarely gets a spotlight put upon him – but Max Verstappen’s “turtle” jibe about the Vantage in last year’s Australian Grand Prix, when he claimed it was lapping too slowly to allow him to keep sufficient tire temperatures, certainly stung a little. “The first 10 to 15 years, there was never any complaining from the drivers,” says Maylander on the topic. “But we were from a different time. Especially since 2022, with the new F1 cars with bigger tyres, then we heard some things, and I understand their side but they have to see our side too. “When we, the FIA, deploy the safety car, it’s all about safety first. If you ever think from your seat in the grandstand or on your sofa at home ‘why is he driving so slow?’ There is a reason for that. I’d say, 90 percent of the time, I could drive quicker. But there is a background for this. Sometimes the field needs bunching up, sometimes there is an accident we have to move around.” Although he didn’t make it behind the wheel of an F1 car, Maylander has found his dream job here. And his “safety-first” approach has kept lives safe that would otherwise be put in harm’s way. So is he going to quit any time soon? “These 24 years have run like hell, so I’m ready for the next 10 or 15,” he smiles. “I still get nervous on the grid. But I still have a lot of fun, and it helps with partners like Aston Martin, to enjoy the weekend and the atmosphere.”

F1 to cancel S'pore night race, online report claims, but no official confirmation yet source: https://mothership.sg/2020/06/covid-19-f1-singapore/ The 2020 Formula One night race in Singapore is reportedly going to be cancelled by organisers, racing publication GPFans reported on June 11, 2020. This news circulated online comes even before organisers of Singapore's race has made any definitive announcement. So, pending official confirmation, the last definitive word from the authorities here was that discussions were still being held and the F1 night race could still take place with some conditions attached, but it was difficult to tell what will happen. Following that, the last major update about the status of Singapore's night race was reported on May 31 by The Straits Times. In the lengthy report, the possibility of a cancellation was mooted. ST wrote: This realistically leaves three options - delay the race; proceed with the original timeline and hope the outbreak would be contained sufficiently to stage the event with spectators in attendance; or, the most plausible scenario, cancel the race. The other writing on the wall is the lack of Singapore race dates on the revised calendar that has been leaked. ST also wrote: While the revised calendar has not been released officially, leaked versions of a provisional calendar show no feasible gaps in the final 11 weeks starting from October to squeeze in a Singapore leg. Delaying the Singapore Grand Prix till the end of the year also runs the risk of racing in the monsoon season, making conditions difficult and dangerous, particularly on the 23-turn track widely regarded as among the sport's most challenging. Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing also said at a virtual press conference on May 30, that promoter Singapore GP is in talks with Formula One to see whether the race will go ahead. As discussions were ongoing then, Chan said the fate of the race will be announced in the coming week. Not only Singapore And it is not only Singapore that has been affected. The GPFans report said Formula 1 is set to officially cancel the Azerbaijan and Japanese Grands Prix as well, but there are a host of replacement options on the table. These options include rescheduling the races for a later date in the year -- if conditions permit. But the main reason for the cancellation is due to the obvious logistical and time frame challenges posed by the setting up of a street circuit. Not enough time Besides the urgent three-month time span left before the Singapore race, the short duration is further compounded by the ongoing effects being felt by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made international travel an iffy proposition for fans, teams and performers. Scheduled to take place over the weekend on Sept. 18 to 20, the Singapore F1 night race days fall right smack in the Phase 2 or 3 of the reopening of Singapore's economy, throwing the viability of the race into doubt. Race organisers had already stressed in mid-May they were unwilling to hold their event without fans. The closed-door option will see the lack of ticket sales and attendant events such as concerts. Without these off-track highlights and international paying visitors, where tourists make up 40 per cent of audiences, the multiplier benefits to the economy and global publicity will not materialise. Top photo via Singapore Grand Prix Facebook

10 F1 Drivers You Need To Watch In 2014 The 2014 Formula 1 season officially starts on last Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix. The year looks to be fraught with technical challenges that will reward teams who can adapt and punish those who can't. So who will step up to the plate? Take a look at our list of the drivers that you should watch closely this season. You can bet that this year's champion is among them. 10. Jenson Button Team: McLaren F1 Racing Debut: 2000 (Williams) Wins: 15 (2009 World Champion - Brawn) Podiums: 49 Races Entered: 249 9. Kevin Magnussen Team: McLaren F1 Racing Debut: 2014 Wins: 0 Podiums: 0 Races Entered: 0 8. Sebastian Vettel Team: Red Bull F1 Racing Debut: 2007 (Sauber then Toro Rosso) Wins: 39 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 World Champion - Red Bull) Podiums: 62 Races Entered: 120 7. Romain Grosjean Team: Lotus F1 Racing Debut: 2012 (Lotus) Wins: 0 Podiums: 9 Races Entered: 45 6. Nico Hulkenberg Team: Force India F1 Racing Debut: 2010 (Williams) Wins: 0 Podiums: 0 Races Entered: 58 5. Kimi Raikkonen Team: Ferrari F1 Racing Debut: 2001 (Sauber) Wins: 20 (2007 World Champion - Ferrari) Podiums: 77 Races Entered: 194 4. Felipe Massa Team: Williams F1 Racing Debut: 2002 (Sauber) Wins: 11 Podiums: 36 Races Entered: 192 3. Fernando Alonso Team: Ferrari F1 Racing Debut: 2001 (Minardi) Wins: 32 (2005, 2006 World Champion - Renault) Podiums: 95 Races Entered: 217 2. Lewis Hamilton Team: Mercedes F1 Racing Debut: 2007 (McLaren) Wins: 22 (2008 World Champion - McLaren) Podiums: 54 Races Entered: 129 1. Nico Rosberg Team: Mercedes F1 Racing Debut: 2006 (Williams) Wins: 3 Podiums: 11 Races Entered: 147

i think rubens drove really well, with precise driving. However i do not think he is as clean as hamilton or kimi

The FIA has announced the following changes for the 2003 season: - Placing cars in parc ferme between final qualifying and the race (teams will be unable to work on them, except under strict supervision) - Elimination of traction control, launch control and fully automatic gearboxes (possible derogation for all or part of 2003, to be followed by absolute enforcement in 2004, if necessary by standard ECUs) - Elimination of pit to car and car to pit telemetry - Elimination of all radio comminucation between car and driver - Allowing only two cars per team (ie: no spare cars) Besides making the sport more "affordable", do you think it would make races more exciting for us spectators?