Alt79 - Fourtunate Son - That's All Folks!

[Aislabie]

Not only have the FOCA teams skipped mandatory driver safety briefings, they have also continued to race despite outstanding fees to the giverning body.

Ferrari has always worked closely with the governing body :binotto:

If those fines remain unpaid, we will seek: The disqualification of all concerned teams from all races since the French Grand Prix, with points inherited by those further down the timesheets.

If those teams do pay the fines, we will seek: The disqualification of those teams from the French and British Grand Prix, with points inherited by those further down the timesheets.

As demonstrated by the tragic loss of Tom Pryce, safety is not to be trifled with. These teams continue to do so, and an example must be made forthwith.

[pasta_maldonado]

FISA withdraw support for Dutch GP; race goes ahead as Non-Championship
The breakdown of summit talks between FISA and FOCA at the 1979 Dutch Grand Prix saw FISA's Jean-Marie Balestre withdraw support for Zandvoort event. FOCA teams, allegedly furious after their calls for a reversal of the sliding skirt ban for 1980 went unanswered. Despite instructing his teams to refuse to pay the fines accrued from missed driver briefings to the sport's governing body, FOCA chairman Bernie Eccelstone insisted the problem was on Balestre's part.

The race was set to be cancelled at the last minute were it not for the intervention of Prince Bernhard, royal patron of the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) who organised the race.

[TomWazzleshaw]

Team: Interscope
User: Wazzleshaw

G Upgrade: N
H upgrade: Y
D upgrade: N
M upgrade: N

[Aislabie]

Local Leaders: Bob Sparshott


Local Formula One team owner Bob Sparshott

After a difficult season, B&S Fabrications team owner Bob Sparshott agreed to sit down with the Herald and Post, on the condition that Sue Jawhard not be involved.

So Bob, how do you explain your team failing to prequalify all season?
Quite simply, we never expected to. This season was all about survival as a team with an eye on prospering more in the new decade.

By what standards do you expect to prosper?
Spartec is definitely a project for us. The G71A is the very first baby step towards our ultimate goal of World Constructors Championship points. Of course it is not a fast enough car to achieve that, but our plan is for the next car to be much much closer.

That's a big step.
Yes it is.

How does a team move from the back to the front of the field?
Formula One is changing incredibly fast at present. If we can get out in front of just one of those big changes then it'll completely change our fortunes as a team.

Do you have anything in particular that you are focussed on?
We are hoping to build a better chassis for 1980, and we also intend to offer ourselves to any teams wishing to develop any prospective turbocharged engines. We have demonstrated in the Procar Championship this year that we are more than capable of working with manufacturers.

And what do you say to people who are unconvinced by Britain's slowest Formula One team?
We say that we are very serious competitors indeed. Our budget is a fraction of teams like Williams, Lotus or McLaren, but we will prove that we can sit at the same table as those teams. And specifically to certain drivers - they know who they are; we have been making approaches already - we say that we want to welcome you into an exciting and ambitious project.

Of course, we cannot talk about Formula One without talking about politics. What can you tell us at present?
Not a great deal to be honest. We are very much at the bottom of the food chain, but we pay our fees to the Formula One Constructors Association and that is our position on things at present. We will keep our options open at the end of the season, and should a choice present itself then we will try to take the option that best serves our continuing presence in the sport.

There are rumours of teams pulling out of Formula One. Is there a chance B&S will be one of them?
None whatsoever.

Mr Sparshott, thank you. And good luck at the Dutch Grand Prix

This interview was conducted before the teams set off to Zandvoort.

[pasta_maldonado]

1979 ANWB Dutch Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying



1. Hesketh-Ford 2:42.083
2. Lola-Ford 2:42.450
3. Ensign-Ford 2:44.526
4. Rebaque-Ford 2:44.447
5. Minardi-Ford 2:45.527
6. Merzario-Ford 2:47.434
7. Spartec-Ford 2:50.404
8. Dywa-Renzo 2:53.664
9. Martini-Ford 3:01.465 (Gilden Kolsch Sachs)

1979 ANWB Dutch Grand Prix - Qualifying



1979 ANWB Dutch Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Mario Andretti - 1:39.702
Drive of the race: Derek Daly - a third place on merit may change the mind of his doubters.
Reject of the race:James Hunt - phoned it in.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Ferrari, Renault, and Matra engine upgrades are now available

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series

[pasta_maldonado]

1. Jean-Marie Balestre bust location
2. Ban sliding skirts for 1980 (again)
3. Prohibit the sale of customer cars.
4. FISA to select all venues and package them into the FIA Formula One World Championship.
5. All entrants must sign up to enter all World Championship races at once.
6. Change coffee supplier.
7. AOB

Making deals with race promoters is how I we make our money as an organisation. I we can't allow FISA to seize this power. Oh, and banning sliding skirts means I have to design a new car and that costs stifles technical innovation. Hmmm, I fancy a snack whilst I think, I wonder what's in the vending machine...

Dilemma 3: Breakaway?.

FOCA teams are outraged at Balestre's plans for the future of the sport. In retaliation, Bernie is looking to form the World Federation of Motorsport in 1980 as a competitor to FISA hegemony on Grand Prix racing.

FOCA teams can:
Option A: Vote to join the breakaway. This will take effect at the conclusion of 1979.
Option B: Decline to join the breakaway and become a FISA aligned team.

FISA teams can:
Option C: Oppose the breakaway and pledge support to FISA's vision of Formula One.
Option D: Join the breakaway. [Interscope only]

As always, wrong choices will result in... consequences - so choose wisely.

Use the following form to make your choice. News articles are always welcome

Code: Select all

User:
Team:
Allegiance:
Option:

Link in case table does not work properly for you.


FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series

[Frogfoot9013]

User: Frogfoot9013
Team: Dywa
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

[Miguel98]

User: Miguel98
Team: Boro
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: B

[Dom_Wings]

User: Dom
Team: Tyrrell
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

User: Dom
Team: Merzario
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: B (because they want to qualify for a race before they sod off elsewhere in the motorsports spectrum)

[Nessafox]

User: Butterfox
Team:Ligier
Allegiance:FISA
Option:C


Team: VDS
Allegiance: Breaking contract with FISA, switching to FOCA
Option: D (as part of merger with Spartec)

[This Could Be You]

User: TCBY
Team: March Engineering
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

Team: Hesketh Racing
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

[Pinkd56]

User: Pinkd56
Team: Arrows North Star
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

User: Pinkd56
Team: MADOM
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: Abstain (the team doesn't agree with the customer car ban so neither option is viable)

[Aislabie]

Ferrari will vote for Option C; we support FISA and know they listen to our protests

B&S Fabrications will vote for Option A because we are scared of Bernie

[CaptainGetz12]

User: CaptainGetz12
Team: Scuderia Everest
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A (Join the Breakaway Series. Minardi is washing his hands of F1 at the end of the season anyway)

[Gertrand Bachot]

User: Rebaque
Team: GB
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: B

Most certainly not just trying to qualify for a race, oh no no no...

[Klon]

Team: Marlboro Team McLaren
User: The Artist Currently Known as Klon

G Upgrade: N
H upgrade: N
D upgrade: N
M upgrade: Y

Option: A

It is regrettable that it has come to this. McLaren's passion for Formula One was the reason this team came to be. However, if Bruce McLaren had to see what Jean-Marie Balestre has turned the sport into, he would agree with our choices. Clearly, the peak of open-wheel motorsport is no longer in Formula One and a new world championship is desperately needed. We hope our sponsors will back us in our full support of Bernie Ecclestone.

[Peteroli34]

Team: Brabham
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

[Nuppiz]

Günter Schmid flipped a coin and decided to vote A, in favor of the breakaway series.

[Aislabie]

Could Ferrari take a full gamut of upgrades, with the exception of the one which we've already maxed out

[pi314159]

User: pi314159
Team: Williams
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: A

I still hope a solution can be found, but if it comes to a split our allegiance lies with FOCA. Our trust in FISA is pretty much gone at this point, and we proved at Zandvoort that a FOCA standalone series is not only viable, but single-seater racing at the highest level.

[Pilot]

User: Pilot
Team: Ensign
Allegiance: FOCA
Option: B (in exchange for Renault engines or other concessions offered by Balestre)

(if not, Option A for Ensign)

Team Ensign is willing to work with FISA and Balestre in exchange for concessions that will help support the team. If not, Team Ensign is willing to go to FOCA and the breakaway.

[Aislabie]

British F1 Transfer Rumours
This weekend at the British Formula One Championship, an insider at one of the Championship's leading teams hinted at interest from a South American driver for the following season. He refused to give any more details, but did confirm that he would be the only person from his country ever to have raced an F1 car, which would seem to rule out Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay as his (or her) place of origin.

British Formula One Racing Team to redirect investment
One of the very smallest pieces of news from the Formula One paddock was that the investors that have kept the British Formula One Racing Team afloat over recent years will no longer try to run their own operation. Instead, they have agreed to lend their support to B&S Fabrications for the 1980 season "in light of the increasing push for professionalism in Formula One", strengthening a relationship that already existed between the two teams thanks to the loan of B&S Procar driver Divina Galica for the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.

1971 MG MGB GT could be yours!
This fine motor vehicle will be up for grabs this weekend at Thruxton's Radio Victory Formula 1 Trophy. Simply come to the track and buy a raffle ticket for your chance to win, courtesy of Radio Victory.

[Aislabie]

*first page is obscured by rich people paraphernalia*

and further to our discussions at the Dutch Grand Prix, I look forward to a strong future as a team.

As I understood it, the conditions of our agreement were that:

• VDS Racing Team will transfer its chassis and cash reserves to B&S Fabrications.
• B&S Fabrications will continue the commitment to giving opportunities to Belgian drivers, guaranteeing a seat t a Belgian driver at the Belgian Grand Prix.

We also wish to enquire whether Brouwerij Artois would be interested in a sponsorship arrangement with our team for the 1980 season.

We look forward to your confirmation forthwith.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Sparshott
B&S Fabrications

[Nessafox]

*first page is obscured by rich people paraphernalia*

and further to our discussions at the Dutch Grand Prix, I look forward to a strong future as a team.

As I understood it, the conditions of our agreement were that:

• VDS Racing Team will transfer its chassis and cash reserves to B&S Fabrications.
• B&S Fabrications will continue the commitment to giving opportunities to Belgian drivers, guaranteeing a seat t a Belgian driver at the Belgian Grand Prix.

We also wish to enquire whether Brouwerij Artois would be interested in a sponsorship arrangement with our team for the 1980 season.

We look forward to your confirmation forthwith.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Sparshott
B&S Fabrications

To which VDS responds affirmitive. I don't feel like writing out a detailed response but yeah we agreed in DM's and such ^^

[pasta_maldonado]

1979 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying



1. Alfa Romelol 3:18.934
2. Lola-Ford 3:19.638
3. Hesketh-Ford 3:20.768
4. Interscope-Ford 3:21.372
5. Rebaque-Ford 3:23.179
6. Ensign-Ford 3:23.553
7. Minardi-Ford 3:26.031
8. Merzario-Ford 3:26.692
9. Spartec-Ford 3:27.931
10. Dywa-Renzo 3:33.584

1979 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Qualifying



1979 Arexons Italian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Mario Andretti - 1:38.627
Drive of the race: Jody Scheckter - convincing win showed us a side to the South African we'd not seen since 1978.
Reject of the race:Riccardo Patrese - amateur hour spin ended another lonely run in the Hesketh

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Ferrari, Renault, and Matra engine upgrades are now available

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series

[Pinkd56]

Team: Warsteiner Arrows North Star Racing Team
User: Pinkd56

G Upgrade: Yes

[pasta_maldonado]

1979 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. Alfa Romeo 2:58.89
2. Hesketh-Ford 3:00.736
3. Interscope-Ford 3:04.327
4. Ensign-Ford 3:06.986

1979 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying



1979 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Alan Jones - 1:43.695
Drive of the race: Mario Andretti - Took the lead after Villeneuve's retirement and looked unlikely to lose it - until retirement struck
Honourable Mention: John Watson - Had the pace to contend for the win in the unfancied Tyrrell, before the customary retirement.
Reject of the race:Renault - head-scratching accidents for Ronnie Peterson and Didier Pironi saw them forced out of the race.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are OPEN. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Ferrari, Renault, and Matra engine upgrades are now available

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote]

[TomWazzleshaw]

Team: Reno
User: Wazzleshaw

G Upgrade: N
H upgrade: N
D upgrade: N
M upgrade: N

Engine upgrade: Y

[pasta_maldonado]

Osella Squadra Corse to enter Formula One
Vincenzo "Enzo" Osella, founder of the eponymous Formula Two and Sportscars team, has announced his outfit is to enter Formula One next year. The Italian outfit, based out of Verolengo, near Turin, Italy, are to enter the sport with a car designed in-house.

Jones takes maiden world championship
Williams' Alan Jones secured his first world championship with victory at the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, albeit after inheriting the lead from a last-lap Mario Andretti retirement.

"I feel for Mario, the race was his" said Jones after the race. "I'm over the moon with to win my first championship".

The win also saw Williams move out of reach in the Constructor's Championship, marking the team's first constructor's crown.

Jones' triumph comes after another retirement for Thomas Nurmester placed him out of the running.

Emerson Fittipaldi to retire from Formula One
Emerson Fittipaldi has announced his retirement from Formula One at the conclusion of the 1979 season. After several years in Formula One, the Brazilian expressed his interest in moving to other categories of motorsport. Fittipaldi's time in Formula One will be most remember for things that haven't happened in canon yet

Fittipaldi Automotive to end association with Alfa Romeo
Fittipaldi Automotive and end Alfa Romeo are to mutually end their relationship at the conclusion of the 1979 Formula One season. Alfa Romeo are expected to bring the entire operation in-house, but this is yet to be officially confirmed at time of printing. An Alfa Romeo spokesperson stated that the decision was not related to the poor on-track performance of the team this season.

[pasta_maldonado]

Mysterious bidder purchases Everest assets
Following financial trouble, Giancarlo Minardi has reportedly sold most of the assets from his Scuderia Everest operation to a mysterious buyer. Our source, who did not call from a payphone near Faenza, has reported that the assets in question allegedly include drafts and mock-ups of the Minardi M180, the team's would-be 1980 challenger.

[takagi_for_the_win]

I think it's for the best if I put Lotus up for adoption at this point, real life has come back into play big time for me and as such I don't really have much time to participate as closely as I'd have liked to unfortunately.

[Kinnikuniverse]

I think it's for the best if I put Lotus up for adoption at this point, real life has come back into play big time for me and as such I don't really have much time to participate as closely as I'd have liked to unfortunately.

I am interested in taking over Lotus, provided there is no successor already chosen beforehand

[Nessafox]

I think it's for the best if I put Lotus up for adoption at this point, real life has come back into play big time for me and as such I don't really have much time to participate as closely as I'd have liked to unfortunately.

I am interested in taking over Lotus, provided there is no successor already chosen beforehand

I presume Pasta's keeping a waiting list and you're probably somewhere on the waiting list, but i think those who might lose teams due to reducing the amount of teams have priority? Not sure, he'll announce it in the discord probably.

[pasta_maldonado]

I think it's for the best if I put Lotus up for adoption at this point, real life has come back into play big time for me and as such I don't really have much time to participate as closely as I'd have liked to unfortunately.

Thank you for your contribution to the game and your candor. Hope things are going well with the cruel mistress that is real life!

kinnikunivers will now take control of Lotus, effective immediately.

[Aislabie]

Ambitious Spartec Announce Lotus Partnership

Luton-based racing outfit B&S Fabrications today shockingly announced a close partnership with frontrunning Formula One outfit, John Player Team Lotus for the 1980 Formula One season.

The team released a prepared statement which detailed an £800,000 investment from Lotus to B&S, in return for control over one of the team's two racing seats, into which they would place driver(s) they wish to evaluate ahead of the 1981 season. Sparshott confirmed a seven-name shortlist, but refused to go into specifics.

Spartec, meanwhile, would use the money to develop a car in which said driver could gain valuable experience ahead of a likely move to the front of the Formula One grid.

Team Lotus has been approached for comment.

[Kinnikuniverse]

[size=150]

Lotus is proud to confirm our newest partnership with B&S Fabrications. We have scouted and signed promising
and talented young drivers from around the lower levels of Formula racing, and we think that our new partners at Spartec is the perfect place for said young talent to hone their craft and gain valuable experience in Formula 1 at a friendly, low pressure environnement. Our old friend Bobby Sparshott, who helped us massively during our great run of success in the 1960s, is a proven engineer at the Formula 1 level, and his expertise will no doubt help our youngsters develop into the future stars of Lotus.

[pasta_maldonado]

1979 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Pre-Qualifying


1. Alfa Romeo 3:18.778
2. Hesketh-Ford 3:19.835
3. Interscope-Ford 3:20.172
4. Ensign-Ford 3:22.965

1979 Toyota United States Grand Prix - Qualifying



1979 Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix - Race



Fastest Lap: Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi: 139.567 (Villeneuve set it first so gets the FLAP)
Drive of the race: Mario Andretti - Finally notches up a second victory after several close runs.
Reject of the race:Alan Jones - collided with his team-mate and genuinely looked lost.

Lap Charts



Protesting
After each race, you can protest up to one team or driver (for now). To submit a protest, use the Google Form linked below. To confirm your protest has been lodged, please drop a post in the thread along the lines of "team X has lodged a protest against Driver Y at Z Grand Prix".

Link to protest form

Spreadsheet
Budgets have been updated.

Upgrades

Upgrades are CLOSED. You may make a total of 1 upgrade in each area between races. Please check the 'Upgrade Prices' tab for an overview of the upgrade costs, and the 'Upgrades' tab to view how many upgrades your car has received this season, and how much the next one will cost.

Ferrari, Renault, and Matra engine upgrades are now available

Please request upgrades using the following form:

Code: Select all

Team:
User:

G Upgrade: (Grip Upgrade; Y/N)
H upgrade: (Handling Upgrade; Y/N)
D upgrade: (Drag Upgrade; Y/N)
M upgrade: (Chassis weight/mass Upgrade; Y/N)

Engine upgrade: Y/N

FISA-FOCA Tensions:
0 - Heaven is a place on Earth
1 - Mild resentment
2 - Severe disagreement
3 - Summit talks
4 - Outright Hostility
5 - Boycott threatened
6 - Breakaway series[/quote][/quote]

[pasta_maldonado]

Congratulations to pi314159, Alan Jones, and Williams, who are your 1979 World Champions.

See you in 1980!