Ovidiu Panzariu
6,718 ARTICLES
Favorite quote: “Winning is everything. The only ones who remember you when you come second are your wife and your dog”, Damon Hill, 1996 F1 champion
Mosley Sends Official Letter to GPDA on Superlicense Fees
12 Feb 2009, 11:59 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Following the Grand Prix Drivers Association official statement earlier this month urging the FIA to reconsider the Superlicense fees for 2009, president Max Mosley sent a private letter to the F1 drivers' body on the matter. Revealed by autos...
Report on Colin McRae's Helicopter Crash Unveiled
12 Feb 2009, 11:04 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / The Air Accidents Investigation Branch issued a report earlier this week, admitting they were not able to determine the exact cause of the helicopter crash that killed World Rally Champion Colin McRae and 3 others in September 2007. The only not...
Bourdais Happy to Focus on F1 Exclusively
12 Feb 2009, 11:02 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Sebastien Bourdais admitted that receiving confirmation for a second consecutive season inside Formula 1 has taken a big load off his chest ahead of the Jerez testing this week. In a short interview for autosport.com site, the Frenchman revealed he...
Drivers Break GPDA Agreement, Pay Superlicense Fees
12 Feb 2009, 10:12 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Although the Grand Prix Drivers Association issued a statement earlier this month confirming that the F1 drivers are not at all pleased with the new rise in Superlicense fees imposed by the FIA, it seems some of its representatives have already sub...
Gillett Denies Wheatcroft Conflict
12 Feb 2009, 09:27 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Donington Park's boss Simon Gillett denied allegations that Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd president Tom Wheatcroft is planning to sue him for unpaid rent. More, the British official in charge with securing the financial package for the 2010 B...
McLaren Tops 2009 Pack at Jerez
12 Feb 2009, 09:22 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi again clocked the best time of the second testing session at Jerez, while being the only driver to test a 2008-spec car at the Spanish track. The most notable change happened behind the Swiss driver, as McLaren...
Toro Rosso: Bourdais Was the Only Logical Choice
11 Feb 2009, 16:51 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso owner Dietrich Mateschitz insisted that the decision to confirm Sebastien Bourdais as race driver for STR in 2009 was based solely on racing skills. Also, he argued that Bourdais has already gotten used to the F1 envi...
Donington Park Boss Sued Over Unpaid Rent?
11 Feb 2009, 16:16 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Each day seems to bring even more bad news of the future host (if eventually accepted by the International Automobile Federation) of the British Grand Prix. The Donington Park owners seem even more unlikely to follow through on the Formula 1 projec...
Ron Dennis & Lewis Hamilton Receive Palm D'Or Awards
11 Feb 2009, 15:26 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / He may be retiring from his position as team principal of McLaren-Mercedes later this year, but Ron Dennis will never be too old to accept a Palm D'Or (Golden Palm) award for his long-time activity in the Great Circle. The McLaren boss (sti...
Sandstorm Ruins 2nd Day of Testing in Bahrain
11 Feb 2009, 15:04 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / If it's not a fog interrupting the testing action at Bahrain, it's a sandstorm. After yesterday''s session on the Sakhir circuit was cut due to intense fog, this morning's meeting had to be red-flagged by the circuit offici...
Ralf Schumacher Gets New Mercedes C-Klasse for 2009
11 Feb 2009, 14:15 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Ralf Schumacher is expected to boost his performances inside the DTM this year, as Mercedes-Benz have confirmed that the series' sophomore will be driving a 2009-spec C-Klasse in 2009. After spending the 2008 season getting used to the champio...
Red Bull RB5 Dominates Day 1 at Jerez
11 Feb 2009, 13:51 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Sebastien Buemi topped the first day of testing at the Jerez circuit on Tuesday, but the timing sheets were not very relevant as Toro Rosso approached the official testing session this week with the 2008-spec machinery. Second overall – more ...
Chandhok: No Finance, No F1 Seat
10 Feb 2009, 15:34 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Karun Chandhok revealed the real reasons why he's not part of the F1 roster in 2009. Following the economic downturn that started in late 2008 and Honda's pulling out of the sport in December, the Indian driver believes finances are all t...
Coulthard: Button May End F1 Career
10 Feb 2009, 13:52 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / By keeping his promise and sticking with Honda's F1 racing team no matter what, Jenson Button might eventually be forced to leave Formula One out the back door. At least that's how friend & compatriot David Coulthard looks at it, as h...
Bahrain Testing Affected by Fog
10 Feb 2009, 13:22 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Although Ferrari was hoping to finally conduct some proper testing of their Ferrari F60 this year – following the rainy testing session at Mugello in January – fog prevented the Scuderia from running the necessary mileage at Sakhir, dur...
Vettel Gained 4 Kg During the Winter Break
10 Feb 2009, 11:31 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Red Bull Racing not only decided to take on a different approach when building their car for the 2009 season but will also have maybe the only two drivers in the F1 roster not to have committed to drastic diets through the winter break. After A...
Trident Racing Sign Davide Rigon for Asia Series
10 Feb 2009, 10:51 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Trident Racing have announced the replacement of Adrian Valles with former Euroseries 3000 champion Davide Rigon ahead of the next GP2 Asia Series race in Qatar. The Italian will therefore make his first appearance in the GP2 Series and expressed h...
Vettel Rules Out Drivers' Strike
10 Feb 2009, 10:09 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / The F1 drivers are indeed unhappy with the fees they are required to pay in order to get their superlicense for 2009, but the possibility of them going to strike about it doesn't seem probable. At least that's what one of the youngest mem...
Hockenheim to Leave F1?
10 Feb 2009, 09:33 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Hockenheim is likely to join the number of historic circuit to be axed from the Formula 1 calendar in the years to come. According to media reports in Germany – Sport Bild – F1 supreme Bernie Ecclestone argued that he has been an active...
Peugeot Confirm Bourdais for Le Mans
10 Feb 2009, 08:49 UTC · By: Ovidiu Panzariu / Sebastien Bourdais' racing commitments for 2009 have received yet another boost, after French manufacturer Peugeot confirmed the 4-time Champ Car winner for the 2009 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours Race. The Toro Rosso driver will join America...