2009 Formula One Season Official Thread

[Kitdy]

Bernie's Christmas card to his close F1 friends seems to be pretty funny.

Max is shown whipping the team principles. It's been reported by a few F1 news websites so it is possibly not fake. Bernie is quoted as saying when asked if he thought Max would be offended, "I don't know. We'll see."

Props to Bernie if this is true.

[f6fhellcat13]

Lol. I hope to see Max's counter-card showing Bernie's wife attacking Bernie or something.

[gondayi]

Originally Posted by Lets Gekiga In

All these changes F1 is going to undergo in the near future definitely scare me a little bit.

Well, I'm scared a lot. F1 (and life in general, I'd imagine) is becoming less and less affordable, and if indeed the de-tuned, common engined nonsense being proposed is the only way the sport can survive, then these are very sad times indeed.

On a happier note, my (severely biased) predictions are Raikkonen for the drivers' and Ferrari for the constructors'. McLaren to chase them all the way, and I think Toyota will finally get in there too. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but they seem pretty eager to race on and I'm guessing (hoping) they've got a good reason to be so optimistic. However, there may be another Credit Crunch Casualty before the end of the season (so much for the happier note).

[Homem de Gelo]

I'm not excited about F1 2009. Ugly cars, stupid KERS, thin grid. They seem to always get it all wrong.

:/

[Wouter Melissen]

Just received this press release from Toyota:

The FOTA Executive Committee met today in Heathrow to further progress the cost reducing initiatives already developed. All the Members unanimously agreed a number of important principles and supported the process now established within FOTA.

The teams detailed and signed a comprehensive Aerodynamic Test Restrictions Agreement, effective in 2009.

Furthermore, the Teams agreed that they would develop and freeze low cost transmissions for the 2010/12 seasons which would have a six race life, priced at Euro 1.5 million per season per team.

FOTA also reaffirmed its commitment to a Euro 5 million engine supply from 2010 for independent teams, who have expressed their agreement with and support for this arrangement.

The FOTA Technical Regulations Working Group will now conclude the elimination of expensive materials and identify further opportunities to reduce the cost of components and systems which do not deliver performance differentiation. All of the Teams present wished to express their support for the entrant currently known as Honda and they will agree to any name change registered.

All of the Teams are committed to working together in a rational and systematic manner, within the framework of FOTA to effectively reduce the costs inherent to Formula One. The same approach will now be used to improve the spectacle of the sport, following the outcome of the FOTA commissioned market research.

[henk4]

"elimination of expensive materials"
Is that how they talk about drivers these days?

[Wouter Melissen]

Ferrari just launched the F60:

2009 Ferrari F60 - Images, Specifications and Information

[forager]

I find Myself wondering how much of an Aero effect the mirror mounts will have, also notice the 3 louvers on the rear wing end plates. wiggle room Me thinks

[faksta]

http://www.tf109-premiere.com/

That should has been a place for TF109 public launch via Internet. Don't know if anyone had the same problem, but after the countdown has ended and 'Out now!' has appeared, the page has just broke down and doesn't show up now. If it was a presentation, it was a very strange one... I was expecting of some video streaming, and not 'Out now!'

Another thing - could anyone make this thread sticky instead of 2008 season one? I think it's about time.

[Wouter Melissen]

The front wing on it looks a lot better than the Ferrari's.

[faksta]

Yes, that's what I thought too. It looks narrower than it actually is, thanks to its shape.

[Wouter Melissen]

Here it is:

2009 Toyota TF109 - Images, Specifications and Information

[fpv_gtho]

The car looks incredibly short, unlike the Ferrari which despite looking to have less room between the sidepods and front wheels than the F1008, still had a huge front overhang assumably to get as much weight forward as possible.

[LTSmash]

The Ferrari looks like a dart from the side compared with the Toyota.

[RacingManiac]

I thought the Toyota looks nicer than the Ferrari....though that's like comparing one brand of snow plow to another....

All will be forgiven I guess if the racing gets exciting every race, and if it is indeed cheaper. But I doubt the latter, and the former had been steadily improving in the last few years....