Selection box - Return of the red carpet - Photos and fiction, rants and reviews
Published by Christine
This week's Selection Box is jam-packed with a supply of links and goodies you might have missed across the internet over the past few days. It's the return of the red carpet with Autosport International, some motorsport fiction, an engine complaint followed by a superlicence rant and more. Before all of those, there's time for a quick catch up with the Caterham team.
I do understand that he has a limited timeframe on which to secure the future of the Caterham team with the level of investment that they need to survive in the sport and it would be stupid for O’Connell as an administrator to allow a party to fully commit to the team without having the necessary capital needed to sustain them as they would be in the same situation once again in the near future.
The FIA's revelation of what it will take for young drivers to get themselves a superlicence from next year onwards has caused quite the stir, as most FIA announcements tend to do. A couple of writers have picked out just what it is that hasn't quite hit the spot with the governing body's choice of rankings.
Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, two of the finest drivers to ever grace the planet, would not have been granted a Super License under this system. Neither would Mika Hakkinen. Neither Gilles Villeneuve. Jim Clark’s tractor definitely wouldn’t have given him the points. Not entirely sure racing a Model A Ford taxi would have done Fangio much good either.
The FIA have used the next bullet in the chamber not used against Formula Renault 3.5 to shoot themselves directly in the foot. By neglecting Formula E from their calculations – an FIA commissioned series that’s had doubters against its credibility from the very moment it was announced – they’ve hammered a nail into it’s coffin already.
On the more positive side, Max Verstappen does have a drive next year regardless of what his previous exploits have been, but perhaps we should take a closer look at those anyway.
Verstappen hit a brilliant patch of form over the Spa-Francorchamps and Norisring rounds, which saw him score two perfect weekends, followed by victory at the Zandvoort Masters. That Verstappen showed such form in such a short space of time over a fast, flowing monster track (Spa), an astonishingly tight, wall-lined street circuit (Norisring) and quick, but twisty old favourite (Zandvoort) only served to signpost the teenager’s ability to adapt quickly and be quick.
It's not just drivers that the FIA have upset, they also managed to get Honda well and truly riled up with their decision to allow current engine suppliers an extended 2015 deadline but not the incoming Japanese brand.
What seems odd to me is that the FIA changed to the hybrid power unit and forced it down the mouths of an otherwise unsuspecting fan base replete with flatulent sound and overtly expensive and team-ending results, in order to what?…lure new engine manufacturers—who feel the V6 turbo hybrid is the future—into the sport. Honda commits and the first thing they get is a swift and costly kick in the crotch for their efforts.
Finally, two links of a different nature - the first, a collection of the most interesting photographs coming out of the Autosport International trade show in Birmingham, and the second a brilliant slice of motorsport fiction from Lukeh.
Featuring every level of Motor Racing - from Karting to Formula 1- the show truly brings together the world of motorsport under one roof. Catering for both professionals and Motorsport fans alike, Autosport International incorporates two Trade-only days followed by two Public days dedicated to Motorsport enthusiasts.
"Come on, we need a bit more out of you Stefan. Keep pushing." As the young German driver crossed the start line to begin his 56th lap, his engineers reminded him of the need to close the gap. There were seven laps remaining including this one and he'd been struggling since his previous pit stop. Stefan Kurtz was no stranger to this feeling; just last season he'd found himself in a similar position fighting for 4th position in the final race of the season needing 3rd to claim his first World Championship.
