Full Throttle

And so it is, Super Aguri’s boss and owner Aguri Suzuki has unsheathed his Katana and committed Seppuku on F1’s first all-Japanese team in the Western-dominated sport.

“I have been very happy that I was able to achieve a miracle and become a team owner, but I have to make the difficult decision to withdraw,” Suzuki said.

“It had been my dream to become an F1 team owner,” Suzuki said, “but I have to put a close to the work.”

“However, the breach of contract by the promised partner SS United Oil & Gas Company resulted in the loss of financial backing and immediately put the team into financial difficulties.

“I would like to express my deepest thanks to Honda, Bridgestone, the sponsors, all the people who have given us advise during various situations over the past couple of years all the Team Staff who have kept their motivations high and always done their best, Anthony Davidson who has always pushed to the limit despite the very difficult conditions, Takuma Sato who has been with us from the very start and has always fought hard and led the team and lastly our fans from all over the world who have loyally supported the Super Aguri F1 Team.”

The Japanese outfit’s place on the F1 grid has been in doubt ever since rescue talks with Magma Group collapsed in the build-up to the Spanish GP.

The cash-strapped team only raced due to last-minute help from Honda (reportedly in the neighborhood of a quarter million dollars) who provided the team with engines and technical support.

Technorati Tags: Formula One, F1, Aguri Suzuki, Super Aguri, Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson, Honda F1

… Danica’s eyes are cast in a future direction:

Danica us hoping to test her skills in Formula One, admitting that she would relish a “proper” test with one of the teams.

“Every driver would love to drive a Formula One car at some point in their life, so yeah,” she told Autosport.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a real, proper test.

“I was asked to do a demonstration lap at Indy in 2005, and I said, ‘No way. You’re making me a show. That’s embarrassing.’ But I would say that a real test is absolutely something I would do.”

And one team who would welcome her testing with them is Honda. “We haven’t instigated anything, but if Danica wanted to be a test driver then we’d be more than happy to talk about it,” Honda CEO Nick Fry said.

Meanwhile in that other racing series, the one with beer swilling, double-wide living, necks of red having fans and cars with tin-tops one, Patty Moise has some very… very sage advice for those trying to break into NASCAR.

Technorati Tags: Formula One, Nick Fry, Danica Patrick, Danica-mania, F1, IRL, IndyCar, Indy 500, Honda

The rest of us meaning F1 fans.

Jean Todt is being lined up to replace Max The Littlest Perv Mosley when the current President of the FIA either steps, or is forced, down.

Allegedly that is the overwhelming view in the Formula 1 paddock as the Perv’s self-imposed execution (hopefully!) at the “Extraordinary Meeting” in Paris is now less than five weeks away.

When he does relinquish his grip on the most powerful position within the sport, former Ferrari team chief Todt – one of the few high-profile figures within F1 to publicly back Mosley (read Todt’s slobbering ass kiss here) – is widely believed to be the man being groomed to take over. Both the BBC and The Times have reported that the Frenchman is “a lock” to assume the role.

God save our gracious Queen (and us poor F1 fans too)
Long live our noble Queen, (but nip the Frog Prince Todt in the bud)
God save the Queen: (and us poor F1 fans too, PLEASE!)
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious, (but don’t be asshats and elect The Frog Prince)
Long to reign over us: (with more Ferrari conspiracies and Mosley-like inefficiency)
God save the Queen. (for the sake of all humanity us poor F1 fans too, PLEASE!)

Cross Posted @ F1 Rage

Technorati Tags: Max Mosley, Mosley Scandal, FIA, F1, Formula One, Full Throttle

The list is getting longer for the future former head of the FIA. The Littlest Perv has lost another round in the legal system of the EU.

A judge in Paris said Tuesday it was not within his jurisdiction to ban an Internet video of The Littlest Perv with prostitutes, but he ordered the French recall of newspapers containing photos of the scene.

Judge Joel Boyer said he couldn’t ban access to website of the British tabloid the News of the World, which had carried a video with images of the scene, because the site is owned and based in Britain. Mosley’s lawyer, Philippe Ouakrat, had requested the site be restricted in France because the FIA, the governing body for motorsports that Mosley heads, is based in Paris.

“The mere fact that this site is accessible from France — like all others on the Web — is not enough to justify French jurisdiction,” Boyer wrote.

Cross posted @ F1 Rage

Technorati Tags: Max Mosley, Mosley Scandal, FIA, F1, Formula One, Full Throttle

I’m sure this will come over the objections of the NASCAR media who have slobbered all over themselves at the thought of a Tin-Top version of Danica-mania but, it ain’t happening!

Danica told the Daily Star: “First I want to contend for the IndyCar championship and then we’ll see what opportunities arise.”

“During my three years in England, I followed F1 closely and became dead set on racing in it,” she recalled.

“F1 is regarded as the highest level of racing with the best drivers in the world and it’s very flattering to have that as an opportunity,” Patrick added.

Now, all you ink-stained wretches that follow the NASCAR circus put down your pens, your mice (mouses?) and that “thing” you call your manhood and get back to writing something that approximates reality.

As a sidenote, anyone except me think it’s more than a happy coincidence that the Indy event is scheduled to start approximately around the time NASCAR’s Talladega event should be complete?

MeThinks Tony G is wearing a suit of hen feathers.

Technorati Tags: IndyCar Series, Danica, Danica Patrick, F1, Formula One, IRL

In what has been described as a “contentious” meeting of F1 Team Principles Saturday in Barcelona Max “The Littlest Perv “ Mosley may have finally gotten the “cut [that] is the deepest.”

It may not have been the first cut, as the song made famous by Rod Stewart would suggest, but after many smaller cuts by various F1 and motor sports luminaries Bernie Ecclestone may have given him the deepest slash of them all.

He pulled his support of his long-time confident and apparent butt-buddy Mosley.

After initially issuing statements defending Mosley saying the issue was mainly a “private matter,” the weight of so many opposed to his remaining in the job finally took its toll on the 77-year old Gnome.

Reportedly Ecclestone visibly lost his composure when representatives for Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull refused to sign a statement asking for Mosley’s resignation that would have been distributed to the media.

The Times newspaper claims that, if the confidence vote on June 3 does not remove Mosley, some motoring organizations have threatened to break away from the FIA and set up an alternate umbrella organization.

America’s AAA is reportedly leading the push.

Technorati Tags: Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, FIA, F1

“First law on holes - when you’re in one, stop digging.”

Max Mosley isn’t using a shovel at the bottom of the hole he’s dug for himself, the fool has a 400 horsepower backhoe in the hole with him.

Not that I care, if I were able I’d lend a hand. In fact I should think dynamite might be his best bet as long as he’s soooo into this hole digging thing, but I digress.

The Littlest Perv has consented to his first interview since the lid came off the scandal. As expected he still maintains what has happened in his private life should be just that, private, but does admit his wife Jean was “not best pleased” and his sons were “embarrassed” at the revelations.

Yeah, I bet.

“Most people say if somebody likes doing that, if it’s not harming anybody, if it’s in private and it’s completely secret and personal, it’s nothing to do with me.”

Right, as long as it’s private, far from the reality at the moment, or anytime in the future.

He added: “My inclination is to stand and fight.”

Yeah, to our great consternation, we’ve noticed!

(Standby, it gets deep, REAL DEEP now) The Littlest Perv accepted that “a few ex-drivers” had criticized him, but said none of Formula One’s real “opinion formers” had said anything.

Jesus H.Christ on a merry-go-round Max! That statement tells me one of two things.

1. Max has been holed up with his ass-spanking honeys in London all his time and is completely unaware of the furor and long… loooog list of motorsport big wigs calling for his head on a platter, Silver, or otherwise.

2. Or Mad Max is, to use the British vernacular, “up the pole!” More commonly known as nuts, crazy, loony, mcgoofty, loco en la cabeza (in honor of the upcoming Spanish GP), and finally, a fried chicken short of a church picnic!

And that’s all I have to say! (for now, ’cause I’m sure this lunatic isn’t done spewing nonsense.)

UPDATE: The Sunday Telegraph, The Littlest Perv goes into a whine about how a prostitute, think of it, a prostitute, had betrayed him and believes “she’s beneath contempt” because “it’s not just what she did to me, she was friends with the other four and a close friend of one of them.”

Well, D’OH! Think of it getting betrayed by of all things a prostitute, one who is a “professional” in a trade known throughout history as one that will DO ANYTHING for money.

Well, D’OH, thanks for sharing that Homer Simpson moment with us Max.

Technorati Tags: F1, F1 Rage, FIA, Full Throttle, Max Mosley, Motorsports, Mosley Scandal

Geesh, this asshat just can’t stay out of the headlines.

Apparently Max Mosley The Littlest Perv has forgotten his history, except for certain segments of it as we’ve all seen.

Any recall of Force Francaises de l’Interieur, known as the French Resistance on the correct side of the Atlantic, has escaped the man. Having a frightful memory would help explain why his shysters have filed legal action in Paris to prevent the now infamous video from being shown in France.

In addition to the ban on broadcasting the video, the shysters-on-retainer also asked for paper copies of the newspaper publishing the images in France to be seized and is also seeking 25,000 euros (39,696 USD) in damages for each offense. Fat chance of that happening!

Frickin’ shysters, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to learn they’ve made this move without The Littlest Perv’s knowledge, what better way to run up billing hours than file in every damn country in the EU. For them there’s gold to be dug that can’t be discovered if they file their action within the EU’s legal system and have them issue a directive, presuming they approve which I doubt, to all 27 EU member states.

The sad part is the more the press and various motoring governing bodies express their displeasure (tightened nipple clamps?) at Mosley’s continued presence as FIA president the more intransigent and pugnacious he’s becoming.

It’s far past time, as the French Resistance were heard to yell on many occasions, “Off with his head,” and be done with this whole sordid episode.

UPDATE: OUCH! Assuming the source is trustworthy, just OUCH! One close friend of Ecclestone said last night: “President Mosley is in danger of becoming motor racing’s President Mugabe.”

UPDATE II: The Littlest Perv’s defense just took a mortal hit. A few, damn few, of his apologists have made the claim his sexcapades are a private matter and will have little to no effect on the sport, or it’s ability to market itself and attract new sponsors or other benefactors.

Porsche chairman Wolfgang Porsche didn’t get the memo I guess. You can toss any thoughts of the German marque joining the F1 Circus as long as Max is around in an official capacity; Porsche chairman Wolfgang Porsche is quoted as telling German news magazine Stern on Friday: “After the affair with Max Mosley and the women it would not be very savoury to get involved now.”

Cross posted @ F1 Rage.

Technorati Tags: Max Mosley, F1, FIA, France, Full Throttle

Keith Collantine explains: “In 1997 champion-elect Jacques Villeneuve had given an interview in which he described Max Mosley’s planned rules changes for 1998 (grooved tyres and narrower cars) using a choice four-letter expletive.” The Littlest Perv responded thusly at the time:

It is not that we have got self important at the FIA: what bothered me and the World Council, was that you get these major companies looking to come into Formula 1 and spend untold millions of pounds in sponsorships. And, inevitably, you will always have a few in the company who might be against the idea and the investment and are looking for the merest excuse to exercise a veto.

It’s clear to the dumbest person you do not want to allow any doubts to build up that could sabotage the level of investment some of these companies are prepared to go to, and careless talk from drivers of Villeneuve’s stature, or anybody else for that matter who is high profile and influential, is sending out the wrong messages and giving the sceptics ammunition. It is like sawing through the branch you are sitting on. You’d be crazy to do it.

Obviously dropping the F-Bomb doesn’t rate with what has occurred recently however, if it warranted that reaction and rebuke then it certainly rates someone…, anyone sawing off the limb Mosley’s sitting on now.

While on the subject, here’s the F1’s doomsday scenario

With the new “unified” series the question of how far open wheel racing in America has fallen should be moot. Questions now should be directed at how long if ever open wheel can regain what has been lost over the last 12 years.

Look across The Pond to the U.K. and it seems as if whether “unified” or not IndyCar is talking a back seat to NASCAR.

Keep in mind the U.K is motor racing mad, as much if not more so than the U.S. Also remember like all of the EU race courses to be proper ones must have those cantankerous twisty bits called right-handers and esses or chicanes.

Don’t tell that to one of the largest providers of racing on the telly in the U.K. Sky Sports. They have taken the “opportunity” of unification to drop live coverage of IndyCar in favor of… NASCAR.

When a conflict occurs IndyCar will be tape-delayed and shown after the live NASCAR event is completed.

So much for the “new, improved and unified” IndyCar.

Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mike Spence and Piers Courage are all doing a synchronous orbit around their most honored graves about now.

UPDATE: On the other hand - Fox Sports thinks the Red Sox (Sux?) Yankees game is more important than starting the Phoenix race at the scheduled time and had it delayed until the game’s completion. Haven’t they heard of split screen.

Somehow I don’t think Hall of Fame Racing and Arizona Diamondback owners had this in mind when they said they would “link” baseball and NASCAR.