TBK-Light.com

Rome GP deal has been signed, fortunately it won't affect Monza which will still host the Italian Gp according to the report on Sky News.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20122009/ ... -deal.html

Looks like Petronas will be the main sponsor of Mercedes GP

http://twitter.com/MST_Hot

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 22103.html (german)

Just saw the event artwork for next years races on the F1 website.

Nice to see something coming out of there, but also in the news today is a quote by Bernie saying he doesn't expect Campos neither USF1 to make it to Bahrain...

Btw is it just me, or does that chassis look weird?

Colour chosen for lotus . Damm excited about the car. 80 days to bahrain. Can't wait. Excited to show the world

Fernandes:

choosing colours for lotus race cars. Green or black or yellow.

From a letter from Bob Varsha (SPEED TV commentator - USA):

I had dinner with Peter Windsor last weekend (Dec 12), and he said things are moving along on schedule. They are completing the jigs and molds, and finishing the first car, which gets written off in crash testing. Once the jigs are ready they can build cars at the rate of one every ten days or so, says Peter. The biggest problem they face right now is that things are apparently not going well at Cosworth in the UK. That is bad news for everyone, since Cosworth is building engines for at least four teams, including all three new ones plus Williams.

I'm certainly not the man to speak for the team, but let's remember that they're trying to compete in F1 on a very small budget. They don't have money or time to invest in fancy facilities and cosmetic attractions. In fact, the current building is an interim, until they get on their feet, when they plan to break ground on a purpose-built facility that will better suit the needs of both the team and the fans. According to Peter, they're all working 80-hour weeks, and will be for the forseeable future, even if all goes well. That doesn't leave much time for shmoozing fans and writing press releases. I'm not saying it's the right way to do this, but there are no instructions for starting an F1 team, and this is they way they chose to do it.

I know the team has been quiet, but that is deliberate. Like everything else they are doing, they have to prioritize. Instead of 100 engineers in the design office, they have 35. Rather than spend time on press releases, they are putting their heads down and getting on with the job, which is enormous when you consider that the first four races of next year are fly-away events, so they'll be working out of boxes rather than their transporters (which have been purchased). Here's what I can tell you: the drivers have basically been decided on, along with a group of young Americans who will be spread out across a development program starting in F2000 and working up to GP2. They also have additional sponsors, and all of this will be presented in a single announcement sometime after the first of the year.

We'll all have to be patient, and in the meantime, have a great holiday season.

BV

The long, drawn-out negotiations to secure the future of the British Grand Prix look set to come at a price for Formula One fans.

After more than 18 months of uncertainty, the British GP was finally saved at the start of December when Bernie Ecclestone and Silverstone officials agreed to a new 17-year contract.

The Northamptonshire track's owners will pay the Formula One Management company £12 million annually with the fee set to increase by five per cent annually.

The deal, though, means race goers will also have to fork out extra as ticket prices are expected to double over the duration of the contract.

The cheapest ticket at Silverstone cost £125 this year, but The Telegraph reports that research done by Formula Money shows that by 2014 it will cost £150 and by 2026 the price will have doubled to £249.

A ticket for the most expensive seat cost £389 this year, but five years into the contract the price will have risen to £426 and by the time the 17-year deal runs it out will be £531.