more on team radio ban..
http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/09/15/f1s-r...d-isnt-allowed/

quote

---

F1’s radio ban – full details of what is and isn’t allowed

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting has sent the teams a further technical directive clarifying what can and cannot feature in pit to car radio conversations from the Singapore GP onwards.

Seen by this writer, the document confirms that a lot of technical information will also be banned from appearing on pit boards.

In some instances, regarding tyre and brakes, the ban has been postponed until the Japanese GP.

In addition the FIA has specifically targeted “any message that appears to be coded.”

The FIA has confirmed that the restrictions “apply at all times the car is out of its garage during the Event,” which means all practice and qualifying sessions are included.

Messages not permitted (either by radio or pit board)

Sector time detail of a competitor and where a competitor is faster or slower.

Adjustment of power unit settings.

Adjustment of power unit setting to de-rate the systems.

Adjustment of gearbox settings.

Learning of gears of the gearbox (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onwards).

Balancing the SOC ['State of charge', ie ERS battery charge level - AC] or adjusting for performance.

Information on fuel flow settings (except if requested to do so by race control).

Information on level of fuel saving needed.

Information on tyre pressures or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onwards).

Information on differential settings.

Start maps related to clutch position, for race start and pit stops.

Information on clutch maps or settings, eg bite point.

Burn-outs prior to race starts.

Information on brake balance or BBW settings.

Warning on brake wear or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onwards).

Selection of driver default settings (other than in the case of a clearly identified problem with the
car).

Answering a direct question from a driver, eg “Am I using the right torque map?”

Any message that appears to be coded.

Messages permitted (for the avoidance of doubt)

Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard.

Lap or sector time detail.

Lap time detail of a competitor.

Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.

“Push hard,” “push now,” “you will be racing xx,” or similar.

Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.

Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.

Puncture warning.

Tyre choice at the next pit stop.

Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race.

Tyre specification of a competitor.

Indication of a potential problem with a competitor’s car during a race.

Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.

Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.

Safety Car window.

Driving breaches by team driver or competitor, eg missing chicanes, running off track, time penalty will be applied etc.

Notification that DRS is enabled or disabled.

Dealing with a DRS system failure.

Change of front wing position at the next pit stop.

Oil transfer.

Wet track, oil or debris in certain corners.

When to enter the pits.

Reminders to check for white lines, bollards, weighbridge lights when entering or leaving the pits.

Reminders about track limits.

Passing on messages from race control.

Information concerning damage to the car.

Number of laps remaining.

Driver instructions from the team to swap position with other drivers.

Test sequence information during practice sessions, eg aero-mapping.

Weather information.

Pit to retire the car.

---

http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/09/15/teams...arts-difficult/

quote

---

Teams worried that radio ban will make starts difficult

The F1 teams are still coming to terms with the full meaning of the FIA clampdown on radio transmissions, after Charlie Whiting issued more details today (see previous story).

The subject will be discussed further at a meeting of the semi-formal sporting regulations committee – the 11 team managers and the FIA – in Singapore on Thursday. That has been scheduled in addition to the regular Thursday team managers’ meeting, where topical issues are usually discussed.

One area which has given teams particular cause for concern is that the ban covers complex pre-race procedures. The FIA has specifically targeted discussion of such areas as “start maps related to clutch position, for race start and pit stops,” “information on clutch maps or settings, eg bite point,”, and “burn-outs prior to race starts.” Usually there is a lot of radio traffic as the drivers head to the grid.

“The really big headache is the parade lap,” one insider told this writer. “Engine, tyres, brakes and clutch management during this lap require a lot of engineering input if the car is going to arrive on the grid in optimal condition.

“The driver workload during this time is huge. Driver intelligence doesn’t even come into play, as the settings are all ‘calculated’ live during the lap. At best we will end up with some seriously botched starts, and at worst a stall on the grid. It potentially mixes it up a bit if it’s the former. But the latter has the potential for things to go really seriously wrong.

“I think we are all happy to stop ‘coaching’ the driver but this is a much bigger step.”

---

On paper the idea of a radio ban sounds interesting. But looking at it in practice, it seems like it could become very confusing. Or rather the implementation of these rules seems to be very sloppy. But that is nothing new.

Bernie Ecclestone: Formula 1 doesn't need young fans
By Jonathan Noble Friday, November 14th 2014, 09:45 GMT

quote

---

Formula 1 should not be chasing a younger generation of fans as they are the wrong target for the sport's sponsors, claims F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

After a year when F1 has been asking itself why television audiences are in decline, Ecclestone has suggested that a push to embrace a younger fanbase via social media would be wasted.

In a fascinating interview with AUTOSPORT's sister publication Campaign Asia-Pacific, Ecclestone says youngsters are of no value to F1.

"I'm not interested in tweeting, Facebook and whatever this nonsense is," said Ecclestone in the interview, where he talks about F1's financial problems and the future direction of the sport.

"I tried to find out but in any case I'm too old-fashioned. I couldn't see any value in it. And, I don't know what the so-called 'young generation' of today really wants. What is it?"

Asked if he believed there was no value in attracting a young audience, Ecclestone said: "If you have a brand that you want to put in front of a few hundred million people, I can do that easily for you on television.

"Now, you're telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula 1 because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit.

"Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can't afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS — these kids don't care about banking. They haven't got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway.



"That's what I think. I don't know why people want to get to the so-called 'young generation'. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven't got any money.

"I'd rather get to the 70-year-old guy who's got plenty of cash. So, there's no point trying to reach these kids because they won't buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney."

F1 'WON'T MISS' CATERHAM/MARUSSIA

Elsewhere in the interview, Ecclestone likens the controversy over Marussia and Caterham's demise to the way the Oscar Pistorius case in South Africa grabbed headlines.

"Nobody will miss the two teams because they're not frontrunning teams; they've only got a name that people would know because of the problem they're in," he said.

"If you want to get recognised you've got to do something.

"This poor guy in South Africa [Oscar Pistorius], for instance, has got more interest because of what happened with him than when he was winning gold medals. He won medals and afterwards nobody thought about him."

Click here for the full interview with Ecclestone

---

^^ can you believe this guy is still in charge of F1? Can F1 get rid of this guy soon enough?!

Yes, that's the point: you are too old fashioned Bernie!!!!

An interesting article from pit pass.com about the McLaren scenario..

http://www.pitpass.com/53108/What-is-going-on-at-McLaren

quote

---

Even before Matt Bishop was recruited by McLaren as Head of Communications and Public Relations in 2008 - having been lured from F1 Racing, the magazine he is rightly credited as having built into a world leader - the Woking team had a certain reputation for being no slouch when it came to acting on negative PR.
Under 'The Bish' however, no sooner has an 'errant' article appeared than the email or text arrives, or, in extreme cases, the phone will ring... loudly.
Consequently one has to wonder what on earth is happening at Woking at present. As the team finds itself in the midst of a media s**t-storm, accused of "dithering" and being "disrespectful" to a popular British driver (a world champion no less), the silence is deafening. If he had any hair, poor Matt would have torn it out by now… several times over.
With the team said to be welcoming (back) one of the best drivers to have graced the sport and on the verge of re-establishing one of the most successful constructor-engine manufacturer partnerships, it should be proudly beating its chest, its rivals should be quaking in their boots, yet instead it is pretty much becoming a laughing stock.
At Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel has not only been welcomed to the bosom of the team, he has spent a day in the simulator and another on track, all caught on camera, his tentative opening laps at Fiorano on video. Meanwhile, at Woking, where we are told Fernando Alonso is preparing for the second coming, not a peep.
All of which makes you wonder whether the "dithering" over Jenson and Kevin - or do we include Stoffel following Ron Dennis' cryptic remarks in Abu Dhabi - is part of a more complicated situation.
Never mind announcing who will partner the Spaniard, when, precisely, is the Woking team going to officially confirm (or deny) the return of Alonso?
The last time the Woking outfit dithered so publicly was in 1995, it was early January before Nigel Mansell - another popular Briton, another world champion - was confirmed, even though it was a marriage that didn't last. A year earlier, Martin Brundle wasn't confirmed as Mike Hakkinen's teammate until just over a week before the season opener in Brazil.
Under pressure from fans and the media McLaren announced in the build up to the season finale that any announcement regarding its 2015 line-up was to be deferred until "no earlier than Monday December 1st".
Of course, giving a date was an unwise move as most, especially in this age of instant reportage, were therefore expecting the line-up finalised by December 2nd, at the latest. Instead after two "board meetings" we are none the wiser, and the team, under increasing pressure, having to resort to tweeting a somewhat pathetic: "Guys, we hear your feedback and will bring you news of our driver line-up as soon as a decision has been made".
It's fair to say that the post-season test, despite the spin from Eric Boullier, was a disaster, sending rivals into the winter chuckling as opposed to quaking in their boots. Though Honda will be working flat-out to rectify its obvious problems one has to wonder how this went down with Mr Alonso, a man who has already endured more than his fair share of frustration at Ferrari. Could the two-time world champion have thrown a spanner in the works by announcing (quietly) that he prefers to take some time out whilst Honda gets its act together?
We are all focussing on the situation in terms of Jenson and Kevin, perhaps the "dithering" is because the original plan has been changed and the team is now seeking an alternative.
And if we are really going down the conspiracy theory route, why a “board meeting” to decide on drivers… unless such a decision is part of a much bigger picture that we’re not yet seeing.
In the meantime, the fan and media assault continues, all of which doesn't do the team any good, especially as it seeks to attract the big name sponsors.
Unless we hear from The Bish, something isn't right here.

---

Jenson Button at the autosport awards

the gazetta was writing today about alonso possibly being the poison to teams...

think twice McLaren!!!!!!!!!!