Here’s Hoping To The Patriots Running Up The Score!

January 31, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Beaker

Count me in as one of those former average athletes now turned fan of sports who just loves a good old fashioned butt kicking.

Professional athletes shouldn’t complain about teams who run up the score on them. They should do something about it. This is professional sports; not some house league where everyone gets a ribbon for participating.

Remember those? They used to have Gold, Silver, Bronze patches and some indistinct colour for all the rest who came out to play. Apparently, the Gold, Silver, Bronze formula has been abandoned lest it hurts the self-esteem of all the losers. Welcome to the 21st century where everyone – no matter how mediocre – gets to pretend to be a big shot.

I digress. For the record, I usually got silver.

The latest babies to come forward are the Washington Capitals. The other day they were spanked by the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. They accused the Habs of running up the score when it was 3-0. 3-0! This in a league where a three goal deficit can be erased in a heartbeat. Especially on a team that has Alexander Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom.

Washington’s complaints should be directed to the mirror. This was a team that potentially could have been a surprise club. Instead, they’ve come up short.

Have we come sunk this far that a 3-0 scoreline is considered a blow out?

Which brings me to the NFL and the upcoming Super Bowl. All season long the New England Patriots were insanely chastised for running up the score on opponents. Largely thanks to the reality that they were playing at a level far ahead of the rest of the league.

Is it up to them to slow down? Perhaps. Maybe there are points in a game where the foot can be released from the pedal for a moment. However, it’s also up to the other team to not quit and do its best for 60 minutes. Or else why not throw a white flag and have a mercy rule?

What’s the equivalent of an anti-trust law in sports? Be successful but don’t be too successful because this will wake up inefficient management. Rather than splashing some water on their faces and getting their act together they will, well, scream and complain.

I’m not suggesting that sometimes some leaders don’t tend to act like bullies but it seems to me we’ve gone a little too far as the Capitals example shows.

This Sunday if the Pats are beating the New York Giants with ease they should keep hammering. Especially considering all the talking and chirping the Giants have been doing. Plaxico Burress’ prediction of a Giants 23-17 win and Michael Strahan’s confidence that the Giants will prevail has done one thing: given the Pats the green light to, well, run up the score.

It’s cool to claim confidence but if during the game your little tight asses are being kicked suck it up.

It may not happen (the Giants are looking good) but New England should do pummel the Giants for all the sports Darwinists out there if presented with the chance to pop that one last touchdown.


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F1 : Before we go testing for the second week

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Ashleigh Charlesworth

Let’s round up all that we have heard, or seen over the last week or so. That way we can see what’s new and interesting this week when the Valencia test starts. Let’s round up all the news from over the weekend.

Honda – The Honda F1 team have finally announced their testing plans. The team were absent from last weeks testing, and look to be coming to this weeks Valencia session to make up for it.

The team will initially run a modified RA107 car, and use that as a base for settings and testing the performance of the RA108 later in the week, this surprisingly before it’s official launch on the 29th. The cars will run in the interim white colour scheme, so we will have to wait for the launch to see the new earth saving design.
Williams – After running the FW29′B’ car in testing last week, Williams today showed off it’s 2008 car, the FW30.

The car was shown in the second of the teams commemorative colour schemes as Nico Hulkenberg (test driver) took the car out on the track at Valencia, on a suitably moody foggy day at the track.
Renault - The French team were also planning on soft launching their 2008 car today at Valencia, however they have postponed it due to the fog covering the track.

The R28, will therefore be seen for the first time tomorrow (Tuesday). However it seems that Fernando has done some decent work on the R27 to get it performing much better than the team managed last season. So with some luck the team should show itself better this year, at the end of the day they had better, or else they will see Fernando leave again.

McLaren – Ron Dennis has talked about the FIA approved (Microsoft) McLaren Electronics Systems package.

He says that the other teams have nothing to fear, and that it has not been quite as easy as some tams thought for them to integrate the system. The deal was tendered and announced in 2006, and other electronics systems providers tendered for the project, at the end of the day the M.E.S system was the most cost effective. The teams will have to use the McLaren electronics up to the 2010 season, when we will probably see the introduction of energy recovery systems into the sport.

FIA – Talking of the electronics, the FIA have done something else to annoy the teams, the SuperLicense.

All of the drivers that compete in F1 must have one, and they have to renew it every year.

The FIA have recently put the cost’s of the 2008 License up. Last year the license cost 1690 Euros plus 447 Euros per point earned in the previous season. From 2008 on the price takes a dramatic jump to 10000 Euros, plus 2000 Euros per point. In other words, Kimi or Ferrari more likely, is looking at the thick end of 230000 Euros for the License.


Toyota – As well as testing their TF107′B’ and TF108 at the circuit last week, the team also took their ominously absent second TF108 chassis to Menorca’s Real Aeroclub de Mahon air strip. The runway at the Air Strip is a very long flat piece of tarmac, that the McLaren and Ferrari cars also used last year for straight line speed testing. Toyota took the second TF108 to the runway for the same test’s it seems. Perhaps Toyota are learning that the wind tunnel results do not always tell the whole story.
Toro Rosso – Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull and Toro Rosso (and Roy Scheider look alike) has publicly stated that the Red Bull Junior team is not for sale.

The STR team is joint owned by Red Bull and Gehard Berger, and has been rumoured that it is for sale. However the Austrian told Kleine Zeitung “In Formula One you can never say never, but at the moment this is not news.“. So the Red Bull squads are to stay as they are.
Super Aguri – The Honda offshoot team has also been in the news recently. They too are rumoured to be involved in a buyout, but this time by Spanish millionaire Alejandro Agag.

That name may not mean anything to you, but he is the man behind the Adrian Campos GP2 team. The team has however denied these rumours, as it would likely mean an end to Anthony Davidson’s drive for the team. The team also look to not be representing themselves at this weeks test at Valencia. It looks like the overheating issues they had last week have still not been solved.

So we are looking forward to another interesting week of testing, with some of the new cars like the Williams, Honda and Renault on show, it could be worth watching.


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Ganguly’s Axing Defies Logic

January 21, 2008 By 1 Comment

When the selectors dropped Sourav Ganguly from the ODI squad, it came as a shocker for not only Ganguly, but also for the millions of cricket fans in the country. Ironically, the news came when the nation was celebrating its team’s exceptional performance at Perth, in which they humbled the mighty Australians. Even Ganguly’s detractors are upset over the way he was again handed over a shabby treatment.
Since his comeback in January 2007, Sourav has scored 1,240 runs in 32 matches on an average of 44.28. He scored 12 half centuries with the highest score being 98. In terms of average, he was India’s most successful batsman in the last 12 months. If we consider the number of runs scored, Ganguly was on fourth position among all players in the world for 2007. It’s really shocking and surprising that he was dropped despite delivering the best.

Why Ganguly was dropped? Reports suggest that Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar was in favor of Ganguly’s selection. But his decision was vetoed by two other selectors and the captain Dhoni. It’s really difficult to believe that Dhoni, who always received support from Sourav Ganguly, would do such a condemnable job. But, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Samar Pal sees Dhoni’s hand in Ganguly’s axing, as Dhoni did not want seniors in his team.

Another reason could be the phasing out of senior players by BCCI selectors. After India’s disastrous performance in the World Cup and spectacular performance in the Twenty20 World Cup, there have been demands for replacing the senior players with energetic juniors in the team. It seems that BCCI selectors are doing exactly the same thing. They not only dropped Dravid, Laxman and Murali Kathik, but also an in-form Sourav Ganguly from the team.

Whatever may be reason, Ganguly axing cannot be justified. The selectors preferred to do their experiment against top teams like Australia and Sri Lanka on Australian soil. It may prove costly for the morale of the team, which looked rejuvenated after the win at Perth.


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The Biggest Loser

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Sal Marinello

The nonsense that passes for nutrition and exercise advice on the NBC show “The Biggest Loser” causes more problems than it solves. Now in it’s fifth season “The Biggest Loser” has been one of the most popular reality shows on television since it hit the airwaves. The show is a testament to everything that is wrong with the way that too many people view diet and exercise, and what it can and should do for you, and yet the show has spawned a legion of loyal viewers and consumers willing to purchase an array of “Biggest Loser” merchandise.

From the over-emphasis on the scale to a frightening approach towards exercise “The Biggest Loser” sends the wrong messages, messages that provides textbook examples of how trainers actually promote unhealthy habits and disordered eating. Whether on the web site or the television show, “The Biggest Loser” constantly invokes the wrong-headed and now dis-proven notion that low fat, low-calorie, low-anything food is preferable to the real thing.

On “The Biggest Loser” web site the show’s chef tell us, “ I had food issues growing up (and) I started dieting when I was 7, and I proceeded to start every diet on the planet.” This isn’t somebody who has ever had a good relationship with food and now as an adult in the position of being an “expert.” People like this make what should be a joyful occasion – eating a hamburger – an exercise in drudgery where you obsess about calories, portion size and grams of fat.

Despite the pretense of how great all of this is, “The Biggest Loser” plan is a joyless one. Joyless eating, joyless exercise and a life in which your every thought and action revolves around your snacks, meals and workouts. Snacks of fat-free and sugar-free food substitutes and the concept of saving calories for the evening because that’s when you get hungry are just some of the examples of the disordered eating-based eating advice promoted by “The Biggest Loser” website.

Nonsense abounds when it comes to nutritional strategy. Who cares how many calories in a spear of asparagus, a cup of greens or snow peas? This info isn’t useful; it just screws with people’s minds and makes things more confusing.

When it comes to exercise, “The Biggest Loser” tells us that exercise is a matter of burning calories. While exercise does burn calories – all activity does, even sitting on the couch – burning calories should not be the goal of exercise. Getting exercise should be the goal of exercise. A philosophy where exercise is used to manage weight is a fatally flawed philosophy. I’ll repeat this point to make it clear; you should never use exercise as a means to manage your weight.

This thought process leads to people making unhealthy connections between eating and exercising. You’ve heard this kind of thing before, “Oh I ate that piece of cake and now I have to go on the treadmill.” Wrong.
Here’s another myth exploded, but eating desert doesn’t cause people to gain weight. Consistent non-hunger eating makes people gain weight, consistent dieting makes people gain weight, using exercise to manage your weight will contribute to weight gain, avoiding certain foods or food groups can help you to gain weight. These are all practices that are endorsed – in one way or another – through “The Biggest Loser” brand.

The fact that a handful of people lose weight and change their appearance doesn’t speak to “The Biggest Losers” efficacy as a show or as an overall approach to eating and exercising. All the show is is well-publicized anecdotal evidence. There’s no difference between the show and the advertisements for dietary supplements where you can read the disclaimer that tells you, “Results Not Typical.”

“The Biggest Loser” embraces almost every outdated and ineffectual concept with regard to diet and exercise. From the emphasis on a person’s appearance (and changing it), the scale, exercising to burn calories and an externally motivated eating system “The Biggest Loser” does more harm than good.


Filed Under: Health and Fitness Tagged With:

WADA is Swinging MLB’s Bat

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Beaker

Why is the World Anti-doping Agency WADA obsessed with chastising private enterprises like Major League Baseball and the National Football League to become their bitch? I’m not sure what the power politics is like behind the scenes but my spidey senses are going hay wire on this one.

It makes no sense to me how a public organization that gets its funding from the IOC (the ‘C’ pretty much stands for anything but committee. Personally, I like corruption) and various governments can come in and to try and strong arm two private enterprises.

The latest bru-ha-ha-ha-ha had WADA scolding MLB about its drug policy. Wada, Wada, wada.

Not that anyone would necessarily come to the defense of MLB or condone the apparent lack of interest to meaningfully dealing with the problem. Nonetheless, this is for baseball and baseball alone to deal with.

If I understand correctly, WADA wants MLB to sign on to their drug testing initiatives. But MLB has to dish out the cash to some third party to get these tests done?

Cui bono?

To me it sounds like, if you’re a business owner would you want to be told how to run your shop by some outside organization at your expense? If you got over your prom date ditching you for Bif and carry an ounce of pride the answer should be a clear no. If the answer is yes, then contact yougotnoballs.com. They’re always looking for nuts.

Don’t get me wrong. WADA is an important institution that deserves to be taken seriously regarding a public health hazard. Former omnipotent President Dick Pound (AKA Prick Kilogram in metric parlance) made sure of this by pounding the issue into our minds.

“Dammit, Jim! Think of the children! Test the cheating bums!”

Sports fans have much to put up with these days. Drug cheats, increasing ticket sales thanks to rising salaries, arrogant sports stars, lazy, cynical and unimaginative journalists and indifferent owners who could care less if they win or lose as long as profits remain intact and suspicions of illegal gambling in whatever form.

Nevertheless, I hope the NFL and MLB stick by their guns and send WADA back to Switzlandia.


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Random Stats that Nag the Soul

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Beaker

Ever look at a statistic of a particular athlete and wonder to yourself, “Gosh, what a nagging statistic!” Though I use a different four letter word than “Gosh”.

What are some stats that nag you as a sports fan? In compiling this lame list I did not ponder any strict criteria so get off my back about not being excessively thorough. However, do enjoy.

The one contemporary hockey stat that jumps out at me comes by way of Marek Svatos of the Colorado Avalanche. So far this season he has 20 goals and 2 assists. If he keeps up on this arithmetic progression he’ll end up matching Montreal Canadiens retro star Joe Malone who won the NHL scoring title with 44 goals and 4 assists – in 1918.

Today 44 goals may win you the Rocket Richard title but 4 assists makes you somewhat of an inept hog.

Some hockey players and coaches career totals also leave you pounding the table shouting, “god dang it, why?” Here are some of my favorites. For good measure I added a couple from the NBA and MLB.

Glenn Anderson: 498 goals; 1099 points. Man, I can barely type this without suggesting he should make a comeback for one lousy game to try and score 2 fricken goals. How does he sleep at night?

Ron Francis: 1798 points. You play 23 seasons to come up two points shy of joining an
elite group of players who hit 1800 points? Wayne Gretzky (duh), Mark Messier and Gordie Howe are the only players to achieve this feat. Definite nag.

Jari Kurri: 797 assists; 1398 points. Not quite as exclusive as the 1800 club but still only 17 players hit the mark. Not Kurri. Go back to Finlandia you bum.

Wayne Gretzky: 894 goals. Six plus 894 = nag. Do the math.

Mark Messier: In case you failed the above math teaser you get a second shot with Messier. 694 goals plus six still equals nag.

Paul Coffey: 396 goals. Four more and he’s only the second defenseman behind Raymond Bourque to score 400.

Not quite the “nag” category but I decided to pro rate Mario Lemieux’s stats. Nagged throughout his career by injuries, Lemieux managed 1701 points in 889 games in 17 seasons. That’s a 1.913 points per game ratio – good for second best in NHL history behind Gretzky’s (duh) 1.921. Let’s assume Lemieux’s ppg dropped to 1.50 for five more seasons. That equals 615 points or 2316 all time. If he kept a 1.913 clip he hits 2485 points.

People who suggest Lemieux could have broken Gretzky’s 2857 points if not for injuries and the garage league the NHL had become while he played are not insane.

Bill Reay: I was perusing the all time coaching wins list and came across this gem. Reay won 599 games while coaching for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1950s and Chicago Blackhawks in the 1960s and 70s. One Word: nag.

Why stop at hockey? Check these out:

In the NBA, Bill Fitch won 999 games with five teams. Not many coaches won 1000. At least he won a title with the Boston Celtics in 1981. That’s one more than Bill Reay.

Bobby Matthews: Okay, this is stretching back to the late 19th century but it still counts. Largely a mysterious figure, Matthews won 297 games in the National League, American and National Association.

Tony Gwynn hit .394 in 1994. What he couldn’t get on base roughly three more times?

There you have it. I’m sure there are many more but I do have a life. Off to fold some bath towels.


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Searching for Bobby Fischer no more

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Chess master Bobby Fischer has taken his rook and bishop to the big chess board in the sky. In what was an eventful life of 64 years, Fischer became the first American to win the World Chess Championships in 1972 when he beat Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.

It was all downhill from there.

While many spoke of the Cold War in absolute academic and political terms, Fischer was an actual player and pawn in the game – excuse the pun. Caught in the middle of Soviet Union and United States ego tripping, it turned out Fischer won it for the gipper.

Yay capitalism!

But Fischer felt feverishly different.

It was after 1972 that made Fischer a wild figure in American pop culture.

Disappearing and re-emerging to spew the occasional odd political (well, odd is putting it mildly. Let’s call it insane) and aggressive anti-Semitic declarations (what’s a good conspiracy nut without a little anti-Semitism?), Fischer had essentially banished and alienated himself to places like Hungary, Japan and Iceland – Eventually and ultimately also to the nether regions of his mind.

Just because you’re smart and you see endless political permutations doesn’t mean you found truth or make any sense. However, it can make you paranoid. Indeed, he was hospitalized in Reykjavík, Iceland for “serious physical problems and strong signs of paranoia.”

You think?

Perhaps, in his delusions, he ironically saw himself as a pawn in a larger game that he could not control or conquer. Maybe therein lies the tragedy in the life of Fischer.

Still, despite all the eccentricities, people can’t help but marvel at the problematic and enigmatic Bobby Fischer. “Yeah he’s nuts but she sure could move on that board!” A master “endgame” player (and the bishop endgame in particular),” his contributions to an intellectual game like chess is profound and legendary.

Fischer’s real life endgame arrived. Check mate.


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Capello’s reign of England officially put into practice

January 21, 2008 By 1 Comment

By John ST

Meritocracy – that is the mantra of Fabio Capello as he lines up the first England squad, since succeeding Steve McClaren, to face Switzerland on Feb 6 at Wembley. He has warned David Beckham that no privilege or sentiment will be extended even as the LA Galaxy midfielder yearns to win his 100th cap and become only the fifth England player, after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton to reach a century of appearances.

Capello had begun charting the path of England in the 2010 World Cup. In his first official duty, he traveled to Zagreb on Monday to arrange the fixture list for the qualifying campaign. After an intense eight-hour meeting, he was finally satisfied with the schedule as he gets his wish to have a September clash with their main Group 6 rivals Croatia.

The Italian believes England are in a strong position when they travel to Zagreb after a summer of rest following their no-show in Euro 2008, while Croatia will be stretched from their exertions in the competition.

“September is a good month for English footballers, so given the fact Croatia are our strongest opponents, to play them then is ideal,” said Capello.

With the fixtures confirmed, Capello will now turn his attention on arranging friendlies leading up to the qualifiers. It is believed that at least one of two planned May fixtures will take place at Wembley, with Scotland on the agenda.

Eastern European opponents can be expected at Wembley for the scheduled August friendly, while the close season tour has been put on the backburner as they prefer to stay closer to home.

When quizzed about the captain’s armband, Capello prefers to keep the cards close to his chest. He indicated that he will look at potential captains in the five friendlies before Andorra (their first competitive match), saying: “I am evaluating whether to decide on a definitive captain or to appoint a provisional captain.”

“But please don’t take this as indecision. I first want to know the candidates well because it is such an important decision.”

Capello also revealed the desired qualities he has in mind for a captain. He said: “The captaincy issue is very important for England. There are many things I have to evaluate and I must come up with the choice that is right. A captain must be a leader, someone who carries the team, somebody that in every moment is important for the team.”

Sweeping changes are on the way as he hinted that senior players should be role models for the young and must behave accordingly. There is no place for ill-disciplined players under Capello’s iron-fist reign and for several key players who appear in the news for the wrong reasons, they may be sidelined regardless of their impressive club form.

In normal circumstances, I would say that Terry is the first choice as he is a natural leader who can fulfill most criteria but his succession of injuries and indiscipline will be a great cause of concern. Whether he gets the armband against Andorra is uncertain.

In Terry’s absence, Beckham stands a high chance of leading England out against Switzerland but Capello offered no promises on Beckham. While at Real Madrid, Beckham had a stormy relationship with Capello and he was relegated largely to a secondary role with few cameo appearances.

However, in the second half of the Spanish La Liga, he eventually won the Italian over and played a vital role in securing the title. Now Capello has to ponder whether Beckham can be equally effective in the England set-up for him and if it is justified for the 32-year-old to hold off the challenge of younger, more dynamic players such as Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips and Blackburn Rovers star David Bentley.

“A manager has feelings but first and foremost he has to take decisions. Beckham is important for England and can still give a lot, but all the players are equally important to me. We still have time to decide on Beckham.”

I feel Capello is right to be cautious about picking his captain. He has to be someone who can fit into his plans and lead by example, not because of pressure from the press or the fans.

Beckham is playing his cards right with his recent move to Arsenal to maintain his fitness during the LA Galaxy lull period. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but if he managed to pick up some extra skills from Wenger’s guidance and the batch of Arsenal players: keep the ball on the ground and improve his range of passing, besides a renewed fitness, there is no reason why he cannot be given a new lease of life.

It has been shown that Beckham is a player you just can’t ignore. No, I am not referring to his ability to attract cash like a magnet. He still possesses a charisma on the pitch, especially when the team is in times of troubles. Steve McClaren made a “clean” break with Golden Balls but found that he has to depend on him at the end. Capello is also guilty of owing a debt of gratitude to Beckham for his inspirational performances when it counted.

However, for the long-term future of the team, developing youngsters should be the main priority. While a dedicated Beckham is an asset to the England set-up, there are other players like Lennon, Bentley and Wright Phillips who are waiting impatiently in the wings and their time to shine has come.

Capello has to decide if he wants to usher in a fresh start for England or to give this golden generation a last hurrah. But if his track record is anything to go by, only the players who adapt to his system survive and the final team will possess the necessary mental toughness to be a winner.


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Jones to Beat Trinidad in Clash of (Former) Titans

January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By JA Dawson

I recently bumped into a fellow fan, and he confidently proclaimed, “better late than never” in regards to the upcoming non-title bout between Roy Jones, Jr. and Felix Tito Trinidad. After hearing this statement, the only word that rung true to me was “late.” The fight ticket should be printed as a coupon with an expiration date of June 2001 – because that is about the time when the fight should have taken place. At these advanced stages of their respective careers, we can only hope for the best when Jones and Trinidad meet this Saturday.

The ever-confident Jones is predicting a wipe-out of Trinidad within four rounds. If this were the year 2000, I’d believe him, but it is not, so I don’t. This version of Roy Jones still has good speed, footwork, and stamina, as evidenced in his most recent wins over little-known Prince Badi Ajamu and Anthony Hanshaw. However, I have a hard time believing he will stray too far from his defensive, counter-punching roots, which usually lead to a decision win. Old habits die hard.

Trinidad is confidently predicting that he will shatter Jones’s proverbial glass chin at some point of the fight. I am always skeptical of a fighter who is hoping to catch their opponent with the perfect punch in order to win. It’s the equivalent of making a down payment on a house with a lottery ticket. It’s simply not a sound strategy. What if the punch never lands? What is plan B? This shortsighted battle plan is realistically Tito’s only way to win, but I think it’s also a recipe for disaster. Trinidad has always had trouble with defensive-minded fighters with good footwork (De La Hoya, Hopkins, Wright). This seemingly spent version of Jones will pose similar problems.

Look for the past-prime Jones to befuddle and pot-shot Trinidad over twelve, repetitive rounds. Could their be a knockout? Sure, there could be one when you have two, prideful warriors fighting well below their normal capacities. Will there be one? I seriously doubt it. My main goal is to stay awake and hope a fight breaks out this Saturday.


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F1: Has ‘Mad’ Max Finally Made a Sensible Decision?

January 21, 2008 By 1 Comment

By Ashleigh Charlesworth

Has Max Moseley and the FIA finally made a decision that is good for the sport?The FIA have circulated a letter to the F1 teams this week. It basically sums up the recent talks the teams had about budget caps, and engines.

The letter says that the FIA are going to go ahead and introduce the budget caps in 2009, and also details what will be exempt from the cap.

So far it looks liked drivers, engines, marketing and team principle salary’s will not have to be found out of the rumoured 150million dollar budget.

Instead it seems the budget is directly targeted at lowering the cost of Aero development, as CFD and wind tunnel usage is not cheap (BMW own a 12-teraflop supercomputer for their CFD usage called Albert2).

The letter also alluded to the rumoured change to the 10 year engine freeze, it seems that it will certainly be lowered to a 5 year freeze, so we are already half way through it – which is good news.

The budget capping is certainly a better idea than the mandated limiting of CFG and Tunnel usage that was first planned by the FIA.

The FIA will have a working group look into what the budget should be exactly set to, and what it should and should not cover, they publish their results in June.

Another thing to come out of the letter is a recent (still to be ratified) change to the engine replacement rule, the driver will not suffer a 10 place drop for the first engine changed in the season, this is obviously to negate fears that a switch of engine electronics could show more hiccups in the engine reliability department.


Filed Under: Motor Racing Tagged With:
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