- 20 Jun 08, 19:25#50482
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
From autosport.com:
By Simon Strang Friday, June 20th 2008, 17:53 GMT
Proposed changes to Formula One's safety car regulations are still some way from being implemented, thinks Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Pedro de la Rosa, after a test of a new system at the end of free practice at Magny-Cours was met with mixed reaction by the drivers.
The test, which uses the standard ECU to inform drivers about how slow they must go through an incident, was carried out at the end of the second free practice session. Drivers were asked to select 'safety car' mode within five seconds of a message being displayed on their dashboard.
But some found the procedure distracting, and expressed concern over its implementation in race conditions, rather than the simulated ones at the end of a session.
"It is just in the early stages," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "To be implemented it has to work well and for everybody to be happy with it. At the moment not everybody is. Some people are in favour of it, some of them are not, so I don't think there is consensus between us.
"We just have to be sensible about it and normally [FIA technical delegate] Charlie [Whiting] is very sensible. If he considers the system improves what we have then it will be implemented, otherwise we will wait.
"The reality is that no one is sure about it. It is just a new solution that requires a difficult implementation because it requires software change. And we just need to try it on track and see if it works.
"If it does and everybody is happy with it then it will be introduced. But the FIA is trying different solutions to improve what we have."
Drivers are believed to have spent considerable time in their regular meeting on Friday discussing alternative solutions to the problem of the current regulations, which call for the pitlane to be closed at the start of a safety car period.
This can cause drivers who need to stop during this spell to be handed a drive-through penalty for stopping when the pitlane is closed.
De la Rosa added that the drivers hope that a solution can be agreed upon before the season reaches its climax.
Asked if he expected a solution this year, de la Rosa replied: "Well we hope so, you know. We hope we can have something better than what we have, especially before the end of the year.
"But nothing is going to happen tomorrow. I mean we are a few races away."
Williams driver Nico Rosberg was one of a number of drivers who considered that the system still needed some refinement.
"It's a bit strange because at first you look at your dashboard quite a lot, and at the same time you are probably going to be passing the incident and everything.
"We will see. They need to find something to improve the current thing, because there is too much chance involved in terms of the result, afterwards. It could be a step forward, we will see."
Honda's Jenson Button was happier with the system, having tested it recently at Barcelona: "We've practiced with it before.
"I've tested it quite a lot so it's not a problem, but the guy in front of me was going really slow and wasn't sticking to the lap time. If it works it's great because it's a bit of a pain the way the regulation is at the moment."
Any regulation change would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. Some smaller teams may, however, be reluctant to agree to changes because they stand to gain more by the random element thrown up by the current regulations.
By Simon Strang Friday, June 20th 2008, 17:53 GMT
Proposed changes to Formula One's safety car regulations are still some way from being implemented, thinks Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Pedro de la Rosa, after a test of a new system at the end of free practice at Magny-Cours was met with mixed reaction by the drivers.
The test, which uses the standard ECU to inform drivers about how slow they must go through an incident, was carried out at the end of the second free practice session. Drivers were asked to select 'safety car' mode within five seconds of a message being displayed on their dashboard.
But some found the procedure distracting, and expressed concern over its implementation in race conditions, rather than the simulated ones at the end of a session.
"It is just in the early stages," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "To be implemented it has to work well and for everybody to be happy with it. At the moment not everybody is. Some people are in favour of it, some of them are not, so I don't think there is consensus between us.
"We just have to be sensible about it and normally [FIA technical delegate] Charlie [Whiting] is very sensible. If he considers the system improves what we have then it will be implemented, otherwise we will wait.
"The reality is that no one is sure about it. It is just a new solution that requires a difficult implementation because it requires software change. And we just need to try it on track and see if it works.
"If it does and everybody is happy with it then it will be introduced. But the FIA is trying different solutions to improve what we have."
Drivers are believed to have spent considerable time in their regular meeting on Friday discussing alternative solutions to the problem of the current regulations, which call for the pitlane to be closed at the start of a safety car period.
This can cause drivers who need to stop during this spell to be handed a drive-through penalty for stopping when the pitlane is closed.
De la Rosa added that the drivers hope that a solution can be agreed upon before the season reaches its climax.
Asked if he expected a solution this year, de la Rosa replied: "Well we hope so, you know. We hope we can have something better than what we have, especially before the end of the year.
"But nothing is going to happen tomorrow. I mean we are a few races away."
Williams driver Nico Rosberg was one of a number of drivers who considered that the system still needed some refinement.
"It's a bit strange because at first you look at your dashboard quite a lot, and at the same time you are probably going to be passing the incident and everything.
"We will see. They need to find something to improve the current thing, because there is too much chance involved in terms of the result, afterwards. It could be a step forward, we will see."
Honda's Jenson Button was happier with the system, having tested it recently at Barcelona: "We've practiced with it before.
"I've tested it quite a lot so it's not a problem, but the guy in front of me was going really slow and wasn't sticking to the lap time. If it works it's great because it's a bit of a pain the way the regulation is at the moment."
Any regulation change would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. Some smaller teams may, however, be reluctant to agree to changes because they stand to gain more by the random element thrown up by the current regulations.
By Simon Strang Friday, June 20th 2008, 17:53 GMT
Proposed changes to Formula One's safety car regulations are still some way from being implemented, thinks Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Pedro de la Rosa, after a test of a new system at the end of free practice at Magny-Cours was met with mixed reaction by the drivers.
The test, which uses the standard ECU to inform drivers about how slow they must go through an incident, was carried out at the end of the second free practice session. Drivers were asked to select 'safety car' mode within five seconds of a message being displayed on their dashboard.
But some found the procedure distracting, and expressed concern over its implementation in race conditions, rather than the simulated ones at the end of a session.
"It is just in the early stages," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "To be implemented it has to work well and for everybody to be happy with it. At the moment not everybody is. Some people are in favour of it, some of them are not, so I don't think there is consensus between us.
"We just have to be sensible about it and normally [FIA technical delegate] Charlie [Whiting] is very sensible. If he considers the system improves what we have then it will be implemented, otherwise we will wait.
"The reality is that no one is sure about it. It is just a new solution that requires a difficult implementation because it requires software change. And we just need to try it on track and see if it works.
"If it does and everybody is happy with it then it will be introduced. But the FIA is trying different solutions to improve what we have."
Drivers are believed to have spent considerable time in their regular meeting on Friday discussing alternative solutions to the problem of the current regulations, which call for the pitlane to be closed at the start of a safety car period.
This can cause drivers who need to stop during this spell to be handed a drive-through penalty for stopping when the pitlane is closed.
De la Rosa added that the drivers hope that a solution can be agreed upon before the season reaches its climax.
Asked if he expected a solution this year, de la Rosa replied: "Well we hope so, you know. We hope we can have something better than what we have, especially before the end of the year.
"But nothing is going to happen tomorrow. I mean we are a few races away."
Williams driver Nico Rosberg was one of a number of drivers who considered that the system still needed some refinement.
"It's a bit strange because at first you look at your dashboard quite a lot, and at the same time you are probably going to be passing the incident and everything.
"We will see. They need to find something to improve the current thing, because there is too much chance involved in terms of the result, afterwards. It could be a step forward, we will see."
Honda's Jenson Button was happier with the system, having tested it recently at Barcelona: "We've practiced with it before.
"I've tested it quite a lot so it's not a problem, but the guy in front of me was going really slow and wasn't sticking to the lap time. If it works it's great because it's a bit of a pain the way the regulation is at the moment."
Any regulation change would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. Some smaller teams may, however, be reluctant to agree to changes because they stand to gain more by the random element thrown up by the current regulations.
By Simon Strang Friday, June 20th 2008, 17:53 GMT
Proposed changes to Formula One's safety car regulations are still some way from being implemented, thinks Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Pedro de la Rosa, after a test of a new system at the end of free practice at Magny-Cours was met with mixed reaction by the drivers.
The test, which uses the standard ECU to inform drivers about how slow they must go through an incident, was carried out at the end of the second free practice session. Drivers were asked to select 'safety car' mode within five seconds of a message being displayed on their dashboard.
But some found the procedure distracting, and expressed concern over its implementation in race conditions, rather than the simulated ones at the end of a session.
"It is just in the early stages," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "To be implemented it has to work well and for everybody to be happy with it. At the moment not everybody is. Some people are in favour of it, some of them are not, so I don't think there is consensus between us.
"We just have to be sensible about it and normally [FIA technical delegate] Charlie [Whiting] is very sensible. If he considers the system improves what we have then it will be implemented, otherwise we will wait.
"The reality is that no one is sure about it. It is just a new solution that requires a difficult implementation because it requires software change. And we just need to try it on track and see if it works.
"If it does and everybody is happy with it then it will be introduced. But the FIA is trying different solutions to improve what we have."
Drivers are believed to have spent considerable time in their regular meeting on Friday discussing alternative solutions to the problem of the current regulations, which call for the pitlane to be closed at the start of a safety car period.
This can cause drivers who need to stop during this spell to be handed a drive-through penalty for stopping when the pitlane is closed.
De la Rosa added that the drivers hope that a solution can be agreed upon before the season reaches its climax.
Asked if he expected a solution this year, de la Rosa replied: "Well we hope so, you know. We hope we can have something better than what we have, especially before the end of the year.
"But nothing is going to happen tomorrow. I mean we are a few races away."
Williams driver Nico Rosberg was one of a number of drivers who considered that the system still needed some refinement.
"It's a bit strange because at first you look at your dashboard quite a lot, and at the same time you are probably going to be passing the incident and everything.
"We will see. They need to find something to improve the current thing, because there is too much chance involved in terms of the result, afterwards. It could be a step forward, we will see."
Honda's Jenson Button was happier with the system, having tested it recently at Barcelona: "We've practiced with it before.
"I've tested it quite a lot so it's not a problem, but the guy in front of me was going really slow and wasn't sticking to the lap time. If it works it's great because it's a bit of a pain the way the regulation is at the moment."
Any regulation change would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. Some smaller teams may, however, be reluctant to agree to changes because they stand to gain more by the random element thrown up by the current regulations.
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
?
After only one glass of wine 
cant face all that reading 
