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[duckroll]

I doubt Renault would want Senna alongside Petrov if Kubica can't drive in 2011. It's not like Senna proved to be clearly faster than his teammates last year, so clearly they can find someone better.

My guess is that Renault will contact Kimi but he was clearly unhappy by how Renault handled the negotiations last year, so Heidfeld and Hulkenberg are the most likely choices.

Senna + Petrov would be a horrible choice for Renault. No offense to the newbies, but neither can really carry the team, and having two drivers who lack real F1 experience on the same team would be a disaster especially for an established team like Renault.

 

[S. L.]

I doubt Renault would want Senna alongside Petrov if Kubica can't drive in 2011. It's not like Senna proved to be clearly faster than his teammates last year, so clearly they can find someone better.

My guess is that Renault will contact Kimi but he was clearly unhappy by how Renault handled the negotiations last year, so Heidfeld and Hulkenberg are the most likely choices.

Senna and Petrov, yeah no way. Hulkenberg is also too much of a rookie imo, aside from his sensational quali last year he also managed quite a few fuckups, and Renault already has a fuckup expert with Petrov.

Kimi would be awesome if it could happen.

 

[jamaniek]

Kubica has been woken up from a coma. He's aware of what happened and where he is. He's hand hurts, which is a really good sign.

 

[NHale]

Senna and Petrov, yeah no way. Hulkenberg is also too much of a rookie imo, aside from his sensational quali last year he also managed quite a few fuckups, and Renault already has a fuckup expert with Petrov.

Kimi would be awesome if it could happen.

It wouldn't be so far-fetched. It was Kimi management that initiated contacts with Renault last year, so at least he was interested in driving for them. The problem would probably be money and the fact that Kimi was angry when Renault leaked the negotiations between them.

Most likely it will end up being Heidfeld, Liuzzi or Hulkenberg.

 

[navanman]

It'll be Heidfeld for sure. Hulk won't be released from Force India as he has seen their new car. No team would give another team that advantage.

 

[operon]

Kubica has been woken up from a coma. He's aware of what happened and where he is. He's hand hurts, which is a really good sign.

Great news, hopefully he will fully recover

 

[navanman]

Technical details of Virgin exhuast, looks to be blowing through the starter hole.
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/cars/virgin-mvr02/

 

[Dilly]

The Virgin looks like expected really, quite basic. I hope they get closer to the pack with this car.

Good to hear the 'good' news about Robert.

 

[Dead Man]

Virgin

That is one simple looking car, hope it works for them.

 

[Psychotext]

3:30-3:34:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbxMiwf4nw&feature=player_embedded#

HOLY SHIT!!!

You can certainly see how the crash might have happened there.

 

[Dilly]

Yeah, that's one shitty place to place a rail though.

 

[Dead Man]

3:30-3:34:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbxMiwf4nw&feature=player_embedded#

HOLY SHIT!!!

Good they stopped to help.

 

[DieH@rd]

3:30-3:34:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbxMiwf4nw&feature=player_embedded#

HOLY SHIT!!!

 

[S. L.]

That is one simple looking car, hope it works for them.

looks fine to me. their main problem last year was reliability... so i hope they have that under control this season

 

[Orgun]

Some clips from the Valencia practice sessions - UK only im afraid

That Renault livery has grown on me, I think it looks excellent when out on the track.

 

[h3ro]

That Virgin look like a Minardi.

 

[jamaniek]

One of the doctors said that there's no risk for Robert's career to be over.

First words from Kubica after waking up-> "Is my pilot alive?"

EDIT:

"After op Robert #Kubica has moved his fingers, recognised parents and girlfriend and responded to doctors, say hospital sources."

 

[navanman]

Virgin Racing designer Nick Wirth has promised that the new MVR-02 is 'better in every way' than its predecessor.

The team took the wraps off its 2011 car in a launch event at BBC Television Centre in London this morning, and Wirth said a substantial step forward was guaranteed with the new design.

"Since the middle of year we worked on process, we calibrated how fast we had to improve and what did we have to work on," he said.

"We have done a huge amount of development of physics and what we are doing to catch up with everyone."

He is confident that his team has come up with a very good solution to the revised rear end technical rules, which include the banning of double diffusers.

"The back of car is heavily regulated from last year, and we managed to take this car and not only catch up where we were, but go above it in terms of aero efficiency - in every single way this car is faster and better than last year."

Virgin remains the only team to totally eschew windtunnel work in favour of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). But while the team finished last in the constructors' championship in 2010, Wirth is confident that its shortcomings were not due to its CFD approach - and that it has eliminated its weak points for 2011.

"Last year that [CFD] side of the whole equation worked very well," said Wirth. "We hit the numbers we thought we were going to do, which were a logical progression from our championship-winning sportscar programme.

"What caught us out, and other new teams to some extent, was reliability with hydraulics and gearbox, so that has been a focus for 2011.

"We have a dual track approach, apply what we are good at in aero to the gearbox - so more analysis and development on the oil system in the gearbox than we did in sportscars.

"We ran the new hydraulics of new car in Abu Dhabi and in testing. We are just much better prepared for this season."

The MVR-02 will not feature KERS this year, with Wirth saying the gains available from the energy recovery device were not large enough to justify spending time on it at this stage in the team's development.

"KERS is an interesting subject, great and relevant technology, linking to hybrid road cars like the Prius," said Wirth.

"It is extremely expensive and extremely heavy – it is worth about three tenths of a second. We are after three seconds.

"We don't want to promise Timo [Glock] we have found three seconds, but we have found a lot. It's more important to focus on aero."

Autosport

 

[jamaniek]

Virgin looks promising. Hopefully they'll score some good points this season.


Lotus Renault GP about RK:

Robert’s general condition is much better today.

After spending the night under constant observation, he was briefly woken up by the doctors of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) this morning. The Lotus Renault GP driver was then able to talk to his relatives. He was also able to move his fingers, which is encouraging for the rest of his recovery process.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, did not notice any swelling or infection on his right forearm, and this is another good sign, although it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100% successful.

In order to avoid any physical stress, Robert will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. Meanwhile, the doctors will decide how they will treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Robert may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.

Lotus Renault GP wishes to thank the Hospital of San Paolo (Savona) and the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) for their professional approach and their dedication.

Lotus Renault GP will issue another update on Robert’s condition later this evening.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I like that the Virgin car isn't plastered with sponsors.

Of course that's not great for them but hey!

 

[Cereal KiIIer]

Really funny sidepods on that one.

 

[navanman]

Robert Kubica faces more surgery for treatment to his injuries after responding 'well' to a seven-hour operation to save his right hand, following his crash during the Ronde di Andora rally on Sunday.

The 26-year-old suffered a sub-amputation of his right forearm and lost a significant amount of blood while he was trapped in his Skoda Fabia rally car for more than one hour, while emergency crews tried to extricate him.

Kubica is reported to have lost control between two timed runs and made contact with an Armco barrier, which pierced the footwell of his car. He also sustained compound fractures to his right elbow and shoulder, as well as more to his right leg.

The director of the trauma centre at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure, Dr Giorgio Barabino told Italian media that Kubica will remain in intensive therapy for at least another day, but that initial signs are positive.

"The patient will stay in intensive care for 24 to 48 hours," he was quoted as saying by Il Vostro Giornale. "We are optimistic, anyway, since he is responding very well to treatment.

"Obviously he feels a lot of pain, but it couldn't have been any different."

"After the crash, Robert was taken to the trauma centre with the maximum hemorrhagic shock," added Barabino. "The first phase of stabilisation was long and difficult, and it carried on in the operating theatre. Wounds-wise, there was large bleeding which was difficult to control.

"He is coming out of sedation and is responding well. He shows good breathing autonomy, but lung complications may arise. We'll see in the next hours. In any case, the hemorrhage is out of danger.

Upon coming out of sedation this morning, Kubica's first words were to ask about the condition of his co-driver, Jakub Gerber, who was uninjured in the crash.

Hand specialist Dr Igor Rossello, who assisted in Kubica's surgery, said the Renault F1 driver has responded well to the initial treatment.

"The patient arrived here presenting an extremely complex trauma, with lesions at several levels," he said. "Our first priority was to keep the limb alive, and this is a goal we have reached. The hand is warm, vascularised and is not swollen.

"The second part of the operation was reconstructing the anatomy of the limb, since the tendons were completely severed. Then we moved on to padding the nerve lesions and we managed to recuperate the two main nerves of the hand, which were severed too.

"Today I've medicated Robert and the hand is, at the moment, in fine conditions to the extent that the patient was able to do some simple movement of the fingers, which gives good hope. We'll see how it evolves. At the moment it's difficult to make predictions."

The hospital's director of orthopaedics Dr Francesco Lanza confirmed that Kubica will require further surgery however, as the initial operation was focused purely on preserving the functionality of the hand and stabilising blood loss.

"The patient will have to undergo more surgery: not only on the parts already treated, but also for other problems and traumas he suffered, for which we couldn't work on because of the emergency," he said. "The important thing was to stabilise the patient and to pad the biggest wounds.

"For the fractures suffered on his leg, he will need at least three or four months to allow the bone to set back together."

Kubica's Renault F1 team principal Eric Boullier told the BBC that he is encouraged by his driver's progress and remains confident he will recover faster than the year predicted by doctors yesterday.

"Robert is doing better this morning and he is actually in the process of being woken up," he said. "There has already been some good communication with the doctors.

"Obviously when you have a big crash like he had yesterday, doctors always predict the worst case scenario. It took seven hours in the surgery room to repair his hand and his arm, but this morning it is really fine - they needed 24 hours to make sure it recovered completely and it looks like this morning they are all happy."

Boullier also confirmed that the team is considering its options for the start of the season, with Kubica certain to miss at least the first five races, and possibly the majority of the campaign.

"We have already started to think about contingency plan, he is definitely out for a couple of months," said Boullier. "The recovery will be quicker than one year but today it is a bit too early to know exactly how long he will need."

Autosport

 

[Deadman]

The surgery they performed sounds horrendously difficult. I'm going to go ahead and assume these doctors are wizards.

 

[mclaren777]

Does anyone have any pictures of Robert's injuries?

And I thought teams weren't allowed to have aerodynamic addenda in this region...

 

[S. L.]

Does anyone have any pictures of Robert's injuries?

And I thought teams weren't allowed to have aerodynamic addenda in this region...

http://i.imgur.com/UQnkR.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]
with their blown rear diffuser and the camera placement here that is some interesting stuff.

 

[WorriedCitizen]

And I thought teams weren't allowed to have aerodynamic addenda in this region...

Looks like camera mounts. Maybe there is a loophole in the rules that allows to place them there.

 

[Leunam]

Man, really happy to hear Kubica is doing better. That's the most important thing for him right now, regardless of whether he competes this season or not. Says a lot about his character if the first thing he was concerned about after waking up was his co-driver.

Virgin got rid of their tribal livery this season. Shame. Even though they were as slow as a tub of grease they at least had one of the better liveries last season. I don't know how much sense this makes but those sidepods look like something you would expect to come from a car designed completely around CFD design mechanics.

 

[navanman]

Does anyone have any pictures of Robert's injuries?

I did a quick search for sub-amputation and I instantly regretted it. Horrific injury.
It was "lucky" that where the accident happened was close to the base hospital of the best hand surgeon in Italy.

 

[DrM]

3:30-3:34:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbxMiwf4nw&feature=player_embedded#

Beam penetrated the vehicle in full lenght. Holy crap, Kubica coulde be racing with Ayrton in heaven today, if that beam landed several centimeters on the other side.

 

[mclaren777]

Beam penetrated the vehicle in full lenght. Holy crap, Kubica coulde be racing with Ayrton in heaven today, if that beam landed several centimeters on the other side.

Thankfully I think it deflected off the engine or some other hard point.

 

[Leunam]

Kubicas Co-Driver explains crash

"We knew the surface was slippery because of the humidity and we were ready," Gerber told Gazzetta dello Sport. "After skidding, the car leaned against the guard rail and pushed it outwards. Then it crashed against the following guard rail.

"The guard rail pierced through the car and went all the way through it. I immediately saw it was serious, he also had a bad bruise under his eye after hitting the steering wheel. Robert passed out and I exited through the window because the door was stuck.

"The ambulance arrived immediately and then came the firemen. They took over half an hour to pull him out. The first crew didn't have the shears so they had to wait for another crew. Then the helicopter couldn't land in that spot, so Robert had to be moved and more time was lost."

"That opening [between the two sections of barrier] makes no sense," he said. "But, most of all, we shouldn't have cars with so little protection at the front. It's not the first time a crash like this happens - the Federation should think of something to protect the cockpit."

When asked whether he thought the accident was caused by a car failure or a mistake by Kubica, Gerber replied: "In a competition you try to go as quickly as possible. Robert is the type of person that thinks hard, always looks a step ahead, he's precise, fast and clean. A complete driver."

Mauro Moreno, who was the driver on the scene running one minute behind Kubica, gave his account.

"It was a horrifying view. I called him by name a couple of times, but he didn't reply," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The steel blade was coming out of the hatchback. His co-driver signalled to me he had no problems so I asked Robert if he was ok too. But that was useless because he was in a state of semi-unconsciousness and he wouldn't talk."

 

[WorriedCitizen]

I wonder what could be done to prevent such accidents in the future. A pointed metal thing coming at high speed will penetrate almost anything. And a very robust front will probably not be the best solution to absorb energy in normal frontal crashes. Not to mention it could deflect the part through the windshield.

 

[Leunam]

In that case it's really an issue of how the barrier was built. From what it sounds like, it seems like the extruded segments that make up the barrier were attached end to end instead of with a suitable overlap at the ends, probably to save money. If one piece gets detached then the next piece in line would stay where it is and not warp or travel. However, if the ends are overlapped and bolted, when one piece moves, the second section will be pulled in the same direction and not come free.

Honestly just sounds like shitty construction that could have killed someone.

 

[AndyD]

I thought based on the description and the in car footage that it was like this:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id=1oZUQyO_RIYNbKj_W9kPaKa6X1d6AdzNSdk6uwcWN4dQ&w=960&h=720

A "curve" rail against which they side grinded then a space until the next on which the car was impaled. The simple solution is to make one long rail I think.

 

[Leunam]

No you're right, there was a gap in the rail. I just kind of ran off into a tangent about how it should have been constructed. Your solution is spot on, except realistically it would have been multiple pieces with an overlap on every end where the preceding piece overlaps the following one.

 

[AndyD]

No you're right, there was a gap in the rail. I just kind of ran off into a tangent about how it should have been constructed. Your solution is spot on, except realistically it would have been multiple pieces with an overlap on every end where the preceding piece overlaps the following one.

Right. But it does not seem that the incident was at a joint/seam but with a completely separate second rail. Which begs the question why it did not have one of those "caps" to prevent impaling? I agree the seams need to be properly downriver joined/overlapped, but it seems that was not a failure in this case.

On a weird side note, this is a very typical "accident" in video games where people grind the guard rails only to smash into an irregularity of the rail.

 

[Psychotext]

Interesting writeup on exactly why fully functioning hands / fingers are important to an F1 driver: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9389739.stm

 

[Dibbz]

Good to hear Kubica is doing well. It's such a shame to see this happen right now. He had a great season last year and I'm sure he would have continued it on this year.

Rally in general is incredibly dangerous though. From watching that clip of the driver behind Kubica you could see big drops where there were no rails or anything. They really need to get the safety up to F1 levels. There is no excuse for risking drivers lives by not having the proper protection in place for them.

 

[jamaniek]

 

[NHale]

So lucky...

EDIT - Why haven't I seen this video until today? Kimi and Montoya what a duo!

 

[Shaneus]

Fuck going back to F1, just thank heavens that he's actually alive. Obviously hoping for a return to F1 ASAP but how he didn't die is beyond me. Just luck.

 

[navanman]

HOLY SHIT. He is lucky to be alive. That is fucking scary.

 

[Graphics Horse]

That's what I thought I saw in the video from the following car but I didn't believe it

 

[Dash Kappei]

New Virgin ow looks bland, definitely prefer last-year's as far as looks go.

 

[Dead Man]

Good to hear Kubica is doing well. It's such a shame to see this happen right now. He had a great season last year and I'm sure he would have continued it on this year.

Rally in general is incredibly dangerous though. From watching that clip of the driver behind Kubica you could see big drops where there were no rails or anything. They really need to get the safety up to F1 levels. There is no excuse for risking drivers lives by not having the proper protection in place for them.

The nature and point of rally is to do it on public roads though.

 

[mclaren777]

I'm still on the lookout for pictures of his injuries. I haven't found any yet but this picture is quite telling.

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

First image of the new HRT:

As described by Autosport:

The striking new look, which is mainly white with a chequered flag design at the rear and red flashes on the airbox and sidepods, is a total rethink on last year's grey colours.

Kolles said: "The F111 represents a significant step forward for Hispania Racing. We have made a big improvement for starting our second season in Formula 1 and what you see in our new car confirms Hispania Racing's commitment to F1."

HRT president Jose Ramon Carabante added: "We feel really proud of the car our drivers will run this forthcoming season. We are very pleased to introduce the first spec of the F111, which means a huge design-effort from our side. This is only a first step as we are planning several updates during the season."

The car features sponsor logos of Narain Karthikeyan's backers Tata, as well as spaces where other sponsors can feature their logos.

I thought that was an odd way to word the description of a mainly sponsor-less car. Then I looked closer. "Oh."

 

[Adamm]

It looks like a real F1 car! :lol

 

[DrM]

nice looking moving chicane

 

[Cereal KiIIer]

nice looking moving chicane

Ha come one... At least the car looks like some sort of aerodynamic tests were done.