F1 2014 thread

[thestaggy]

Of course they do. They are in it for the profit. The fine must just be appropriate. Docking constructors points will hurt too. They (as a team) are after a title.

Of all major sport's teams F1 teams are the only ones that do not focus solely on profit. They'd gladly break even or even run at a loss short-term to win/succeed. Nobody enters F1 to run a profitable business.

 

[Polish]

Nobody enters F1 to run a profitable business.

I wouldn't quite agree with this.

Teams mainly generate income from two key sources: sponsorships and prize money. Both areas are on the rise, and the nine most valuable teams have seen their values increase an average 27% over the last two years (we did not value Caterham, Marussia or Hispania in our 2010 valuations). Formula One's 12 teams are worth a combined $4.05 billion, and the average F1 team is worth $337 million with an average annual revenue of $145 million.

All figures are FORBES estimates based on financial documents, reports and interviews with industry experts.

www.forbes.com

 

[Polish]

Another interesting read on the matter.

FIA Formula One World Championship is the highest level of competition for single-seating racing automobiles. Formula One (F1) is sanctioned by the Federation de l’ Automobile (FIA) and the organization sponsors a series of international races under the heading of Grand Prix. These races are held primarily in Europe but they are also backed at international locations as well. There are a total of thirteen F1 teams that compete for awards and financial prizes. Grand Prix races takes place on specially designed tracks and modified public roads. Constructors are responsible for developing tracks and circuits which in turn attracts teams and their drivers to compete in certain venues. Also, racing teams can determine when and where Grand Prix’s will be held.

F1 Grand Prix races are big business and they are capable of generating billions of dollars in television sponsorships, merchandising and from leasing out various constructed circuits. Audiences, industries and companies from all over the world support Grand Prix racing events. Many cities are willing to set aside a portion of their property for Grand Prix races because the organization is capable of bringing jobs into their communities and generating extra income for their treasuries, businesses and industries.

At the heart of the Grand Prix races are the teams and their drivers. Teams mainly generate income in one of two ways and that’s from sponsorships and prize money. All thirteen Formula One racing teams are worth a combined 4.5 billion dollars and the average franchise is valued at $337 million dollars and is able to generate revenue of $145 million dollars. Sponsor investment is crucial to F1 teams since they receive most of their income from television and other media sponsors. Teams take about 7% of the total money that is brought in from all economic activity conducted from Formula 1 racing. Here is a list of the top 10 F1 teams from the year 2012 and their respective value.

Caterham

Counting down the list and coming in at number 10 is F1 team Caterham that represents the country of Malaysia. This particular F1 franchise is worth $105 million dollars and generates $87 million dollars annually. Caterham is based in the United Kingdom and the Caterham name is derived from a trading name which One Malaysia Racing Team Sdn Bhd. The team is currently owned by Tony Fernandes and the race drivers are Charles Pic and Gierdo van der Garde. Major sponsors for this organization include General Electric, EADS and Sibur.

Torro Rosso

Scuderia Torro Rosso is an Italian F1 racing team that is based in Faenza, Italy. The team is owned by the sports energy drink company, Red Bull. Torro Rosso is the abbreviated form of the team’s name and the franchise is valued at $135 million dollars. Each year the organization brings in close to $80 million dollars in revenue. Race drivers include Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo. Some of the companies that offer the most sponsorship for this team include CESPA and Falcon Private Bank.

Sauber

Hinwill, Zurich, Switzerland is home to the F1 racing team known as Sauber. This racing franchise is owned by Peter Sauber and Monisha Kaltenborn and is valued at $155 million. Sauber is able to generate $92 million dollars from competing in different races. Sauber’s primary sponsors are Telmex, Claro and Chelsea FC. The race drivers for this team include Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.

Force India

F1 team Force India is worth $225 million dollars and is capable of generating $107 million dollars in revenue. They are based in the U.K. within the parish of Silverstone, Northamptonshire though it represents the nation of India. Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil are the team’s drivers and Vijay Mallya is the owner. Sahara and United Breweries Groups are among the primary sponsors of this franchise.

Lotus

The United Kingdom is home to the Lotus F1 Team which is owned by Genii Capital. Sponsors for this organization include Lotus, Unilever and Embratel. The main drivers for this racing franchise include Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Lotus F1 Team is valued at $270 million and generates $150 million dollars revenue.

Williams

Williams F1 is another U.K. based racing organization and it is owned by Sir Frank Williams in 1967. The franchise is worth $290 million and makes about $153 million dollars in profits. Sponsors include PDVSA, Randstad and Head and Shoulders. Drivers for Williams F1 Team are Pastor Maldonado and Vaitteri Bottas.

Mercedes

Mercedes Benz F1 team is owned by the Diamler Corporation and is based in the U.K. Mercedes Benz F1 represents Germany in sporting competitions and is valued at $390 million dollars. The team generates $176 million dollars in profits and is backed by companies such as MIG Bank, Petronas and Allianz. Drivers for F1 Team Mercedes include Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull

Red Bull F1 Team is another racing franchised owned by the Red Bull energy drink corporation. Red Bull F1 Team is valued at $400 million dollars and is sponsored by business organizations such as Pepe Jeans, Casio and Infiniti. The owner of the team is the Red Bull Corporation and the team is based in the U.K. though it represents the nation of Austria. Sebastian Vetter and Mark Webber are the team’s drivers. Red Bull F1 Team generates $160 million dollars in profits.

McLaren

McLaren is a racing team that is based out of Woking, Surrey, U.K. and is worth $800 million dollars. This racing franchise is capable of generating $272 million dollars making it one of the most profitable sports organizations in the world. Mumtalakat Holdings, Ron Dennis and TAG Group are the co-owners of this organization. Sergio Perez and Vincent Button are the team’s race drivers and the organization’s primary sponsors include Vodafone, Johnnie Walker and Hugo Boss United Kingdom.

Ferrari

Ferrari F1 Team is valued at 1.15 billion dollars making it a powerhouse in terms of value and revenue. The organization generates $384 million dollars from its races, sponsorships and merchandising. Major sponsors include Marlboro, Santander and Shell. The Fiat Group owns team Ferrari and the racing drivers are Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Ferrari F1 Team is based in Maranello, Italy and not the U.K. unlike most other F1 racing teams.

www.therichest.com

 

[thestaggy]

I dunno, Toyota, Honda and Ford (Jaguar) canned their F1 programs the minute there were financial problems on the non-F1 side of things. All 3 F1 programs were unsustainable without money diverted from the parent company's non-F1 operations so when vehicle sales dipped and/or there was a financial crunch they pulled the plug on F1. Also, the long, looooong list of private teams going bust and the current woes faced by nearly half the grid (Lotus, Caterham, Force India & Sauber all have very public financial concerns) indicates that this is not a money-making racket.

McLaren and Williams have smartly branched out into non-F1 related fields and have forged partnerships outside the sport. Williams has listed itself to generate capital.

Tom Walkinshaw lost an entire motorsport empire when Arrows collapsed, taking the parent company - Tom Walkinshaw Racing - and a major subsidiary - Brian Hart Limited - with it. Okay, Tom grossly mismanaged Arrows in the pursuit of success, relying on BS sponsors and partners (the infamous Nigerian ''prince'' and Eurobet's collapse) and overspending to the point that TWR was using its own income to fund Arrows' F1 program.

 

[Polish]

Eish, I remember those orange Arrows towards the end.

Withered away in the early 2000's. At one stage a 1500 plus staff count strong company and a few years later it went bust.

Bad management indeed.

 

[Polish]

McLaren F1 team fears downturn in form after Malaysian GP slump

The McLaren Formula 1 team fears its downturn in form in last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix might not be a one-off.

The Woking squad led the constructors' championship after a double podium in the season-opening Australian GP, but could only manage a best finish of sixth with Jenson Button in round two at Sepang.

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier expressed concern that McLaren will continue to be off the pace over the coming races, unless it can dramatically improve the MP4-29 relative to its rivals.

"I don't think it's going to be a one-off, that's the problem," Boullier told AUTOSPORT when asked whether he thought the team's form in Malaysia would continue.

"We said in Melbourne we were happy with the result because we had been opportunistic.

"But obviously we knew the others were going to massively catch up once they started to fine-tune their balance and ride and everything on their cars, especially the electronic parts. It's exactly what happened."

Boullier confirmed Malaysia's hot and humid conditions had contributed to McLaren's struggles, and he expressed surprise that so few cars broke down.

autosport.com

EIsh, bad news this for me

 

[Polish]

Fuel flow sensor to be scrapped?

The FIA is understood to be close to scrapping its controversial fuel flow sensor. It's understood the sport's governing body and team technical representatives met over the weekend to discuss concerns over the fuel flow sensor with a reinterpretation of fuel usage regulations (almost) unanimously decided.

Designed to ensure teams do not use more than the allowed 100kg of fuel per race, or 100kg per hour, the FIA homologated a sensor which it could monitor in real time. However since it was implemented at the start of winter testing it has been found that there is 'noise' in the signal the sensor provides, leaving it open to criticism and (mis)interpretation.

Nowhere was that more evident than on Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull during the Australian Grand Prix when the team trusted its own calculations over readings given by an 'erroneous' sensor. It was a decision which saw Ricciardo excluded, a point the Milton Keynes squad has appealed though not without leaving a rather unsavoury taste in the mouth just as new 'green' technologies look to revolutionise the sport.

However it has now come to light that, following the meeting at Sepang, the FIA has all but succumbed to concerns from within the paddock and even as early as this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix the fuel flow sensor could be scrapped with teams instead required to provide calculations and data upon request from the stewards.

pitpass.com

Good news this for RB, they may get their points back. If the device was so dicey WTF did the FIA mandate it in the first place.

 

[Quantum Theory]

Fuel flow sensor to be scrapped?



pitpass.com

Good news this for RB, they may get their points back. If the device was so dicey WTF did the FIA mandate it in the first place.

This must mean that they will definitely get their points back...

 

[Polish]

Yay for consecutive race weekends.

 

[thestaggy]

Eish, I remember those orange Arrows towards the end.

Withered away in the early 2000's. At one stage a 1500 plus staff count strong company and a few years later it went bust.

Bad management indeed.

One of their sponsors was quite fitting at the time. . .

 

[JerryMungo]

Of all major sport's teams F1 teams are the only ones that do not focus solely on profit. They'd gladly break even or even run at a loss short-term to win/succeed. Nobody enters F1 to run a profitable business.

It's part of a bigger picture. Marketing, blah blah. Very nice tax write off. Either way, they are in it for the profit and lost points mean lost $. You can spend more if you earn more... more exposure, better return for the 'investment'. No company is in it to break even. That's daft.

 

[Polish]

'Get this f****** Williams out of my way!'

After the second race of the new season we bring you the best radio soundbites from Sepang, as Felipe Massa suffers a touch of deja vu and Daniel Ricciardo has another weekend he will not be forgetting in a hurry.

"The rear of the car is a disaster"

Romain Grosjean's weekend would improve on raceday but in Friday practice he was not mincing his words about his erratic E22.

"Get this f****** Williams out of my way!"

It is safe to say Daniel Ricciardo was slightly irked by the sight of Valtteri Bottas tiptoeing down the back straight while on the wrong tyres in qualifying.

"You're completely confusing me! I was on my fast lap!

As the rain continues to fall on Saturday Daniil Kvyat feels all at sea by the advice given to him as he is told not to overtake during a qualifying run.

"Did you see what he did!? He touched me!"

Things start to get a little tasty at Williams. Felipe Massa takes offence at Valtteri Bottas giving him what we can only assume was polite encouragement to speed up a bit while trying to pass Kevin Magnussen on lap eight.

"Then tell him to go through. I have more pace."

But Bottas is in no mood for excuses after being told to back off Massa until he has safely navigated past the McLaren. Unfortunately for Williams it would be a sign of things to come.

"No, if something happens there I want to be a part of it."

Daniel Ricciardo finds a polite way of telling his race engineer he has no intention of turning down his engine with Sebastian Vettel seemingly reeling in Nico Rosberg ahead of him.

"Ok Daniel we have a stop/go penalty"….. "We might as well just call it a day."

Unfortunately for Ricciardo the something he was eventually part of was a calamitous Red Bull pit stop while in fourth. After stopping again for front wing damage, Ricciardo has no qualms throwing in the towel after learning he has received a punishment for the second race in a row. At least this one was during the race, Daniel.

"Okay Felipe, Valtteri is faster than you, do not hold him up"

Poor old Felipe Massa. For a second he must have thought he was actually driving in a Delorean destined for Hockenheim 2010. Worst of all, instead of it being a two-time world champion behind him, it was a team-mate in his second race of his second season. Perhaps unsurprisingly Massa did not budge.

"We are not yet where we want to be, but we will get there"

Sebastian Vettel delivers an ominous message to the rest of the paddock after crossing the line in third place.

"Awesome race Lewis. Faultless weekend. Done the job there pal."

Same story, different driver. Following Nico Rosberg's example from Melbourne, Hamilton's receives praise of the highest order from the pit wall after dominating the race from lights out.

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/152009.html#043djxBLuPS1325T.99

 

[Polish]

Vital Statistics - the Bahrain Grand Prix

This year sees Bahrain celebrate its tenth appearance on the F1 calendar with its very first night race, but which teams and drivers have performed best amid the desert sands of Sakhir? Ahead of the 2014 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, we highlight all the important statistics, facts and figures about this challenging race…

Circuit: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir

Circuit length: 5.412 km

Number of corners: 15 (6 left, 9 right)

DRS zones: 2

Race laps: 57

Race distance: 308.238 km

2014 tyre compounds: Medium, Soft

Circuit lap record: 1m 31.447s - Pedro de la Rosa (2005), McLaren-Mercedes

First world championship Grand Prix: 2004, Sakhir (won by Michael Schumacher, Ferrari)

Number of races: 9 (all in Sakhir)

Number of races with at least one safety car appearance: One

Longest race: 2010 (1h 39m 20.396s)

Shortest race: 2004 (1h 28m 34.875s)

Last year’s pole position: 1m 32.330s, Nico Rosberg, Mercedes

Last year’s podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), 3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

Most appearances (current field): 9 - Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa; 8 - Kimi Raikkonen; 7 - Nico Rosberg; 6 - Lewis Hamilton; 5 - Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel

Most wins (driver): 3 - Fernando Alonso; 2 - Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button

Most wins (team): 4 - Ferrari; 2 - Renault, Red Bull; 1 - Brawn

Most wins (engine manufacturer): 4 - Ferrari, Renault; 1 - Mercedes

Most pole positions (driver): 2 - Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, Jarno Trulli, Nico Rosberg

Most pole positions (team): 3 - Ferrari; 2 - Red Bull; 1 - Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Mercedes

Most pole positions (engine manufacturer): 3 - Ferrari, Renault; 1 - BMW, Toyota, Mercedes

Number of wins from pole: 4 wins from 9 races (44.4 percent)

Lowest winning grid position: 4th (Fernando Alonso, 2006; Jenson Button 2009)

Laps led (current field): 146 - Sebastian Vettel; 102 - Felipe Massa; 96 - Fernando Alonso; 38 - Jenson Button; 5 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Lewis Hamilton; 2 - Nico Rosberg; 1 - Romain Grosjean

Most podium places (current field): 6 - Kimi Raikkonen; 3 - Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean

Landmark achievement: The Bahrain race will be Jenson Button’s 250th Grand Prix start - the most of any driver on the grid

www.formula1.com

 

[Polish]

One of my least favourite tracks, so much sand.

At least in Yas Marina they have created an oasis type look with all the palms and stuff.

 

[thestaggy]

It is indeed a terrible track. The ''endurance'' layout used in 2010 with that fiddly little bit tacked on was dreary as hell.

 

[JerryMungo]

I feel like the Gulf races are there to fulfil $$ obligations to the sponsors so that they can race in the real world.

 

[Rosaudio]

Just bought my Abu Dhabi GP tickets, South stand.

 

[Polish]

Just bought my Abu Dhabi GP tickets, South stand.

Jealous...............lucky you.

 

[Polish]

I feel like the Gulf races are there to fulfil $$ obligations to the sponsors so that they can race in the real world.

Yeah something like that.......

 

[Polish]

Moments in Time - the Bahrain Grand Prix

Double delight in the desert, 2004
Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher and BAR’s Jenson Button had extra reasons to be happy on the podium at the inaugural race in Sakhir in 2004. The German maestro had just won his third race in a row to open the season, whilst the Briton had just followed up his debut F1 podium finish in Malaysia with another rostrum placing.

Renault let it all hang out, 2005
The Renault team celebrate ecstatically on (and almost off!) the pit wall as Fernando Alonso crosses the finish line to win the 2005 race. The Spanish driver completely dominated proceedings in the second race in the desert, easily seeing off the challenge of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Alonso survives narrow escape with Massa…, 2006
Renault’s Fernando Alonso was busily trying to catch Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher in the early stages of the 2006 race when he was very nearly wiped out of contention by the German’s team mate, Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver, who was running third, lost control of his car going into Turn 1 and actually overtook Alonso while going sideways. Fortunately the Spaniard saw him coming, jumped on the brakes and took avoiding action.

Majestic Massa savours victory, 2007
At the previous round in Malaysia, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa had slipped from pole at the start to fifth at the flag, but there was to be no such repeat in Bahrain. The Brazilian qualified in P1 again in Sakhir, only this time he led confidently from the front, holding off a stern challenge from impressive McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton to claim his first win of the season. As you can see in this image, Massa celebrated his victory in typically passionate fashion in parc ferme.

www.formula1.com