Looks like a prick of a track for it, but at least everyone else will be new there as well. I don't think anyone will miss Alguersuari either.

Nope, he has been a totally underwhelming pay driver who only made an impact when he was crashing at Suzuka.

But Alguersuari's very deep pockets will probably buy him another season.

Great. So after Red Bull have burned off Alguersuari's reputation by bringing him too early to F1, they'll do the same to Loeb who looking at the GP2 times clearly needs way more track time.

Anyway, I thought Dietrich Mateschitz had ruled out the Loeb?

You think the F1 jungle drum would be beating a little harder if he was going to be in the car in a fortnight.

Loeb will not make F1 debut in Abu Dhabi: http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/10/loeb...t-in-abu-dhabi/

RTL might want to bin their reliable source now

Sounds like it's a superlicence issue.

Allen being a bit of an arse when he compares KR's situation when he started to Loebs. One of the ways of obtaining a superlicense is through testing, and that's how KR qualified for his.

If they seriously do not allow this for the Super License reason mentioned..that will be riddiculous!! Give the man a damn license.... he has more talent in his little toe than JA or Romain... I really want to see what he can do amongst the regular F1 guys where they are all learning a new circuit..

Be a bloody shame if this does not happen...the F1 championships are decided...no is set to lose anything...would be superb to see...

and dammit....dont they know POT and I have a damn bet on this!?!

get on the phone and fix it... oh Meercatted one!

How shall we settle this?

One of these would be great...

http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/...e-for-christmas

I've just read about Loeb's super licence - or lack of it - I understand that safety has to be paramount, but why deny the sport, in a time not so far from crisis, such a huge PR boost?
It just shows, yet again, that the testing ban needs to be reviewed quite urgently in order to allow new drivers to test current F1 cars.
Also Red Bull could have done more, by either running Loeb in a 2007 spec Red Bull fitted with GP2 tyres (like Ferrari has been doing) or even just giving a wad of cash to F1 Cliente to get him in a Ferrari. After-all they are STRs engine supplier!

Shame on all of them for robbing the sport of some much needed exposure.

Running Loeb in an older car would not have been enough to earn him a super licence. There are strict rules about how they are handed out, and if he doesnt meet the rules then he shouldnt be given a license just so STR can run a PR exercise.

Loeb admits his F1 dream is finished...

Ere Loeb: Autosport yarn

Both Schumacher M AND Loeb almost contested in the f1 world championship 2009 , this has been a year of huge names just missing out at the end.

Doesn't make any sense. As mentioned previously, he clearly has more experience than most of the rookies in F1 at the moment. Both championships have been settled, WRC finishes this weekend and Abu Dhabi is likely to be a bit of damp squid. So why not put him in a Toro Rosso? At least it gives us something to talk about and watch with interest.

For sure, it would've been nice to see him in F1, but I'm very positively surprised by how his super licence issue was settled. Clearly, Loeb didn't meet the criteria for obtaining a super licence as written in International Sporting Code. It's great to see that even FIA can occasionally play by its own rules - even when there was chance for very good PR.

Are you objecting on safety grounds or because you don't want to see F1 become a publicity stunt?
I can see your point of view on both sides of the argument, but look at the likes of Alguesuari, Badoer, Grosjean, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Massa, even Fisichella- all would have benefited from some proper testing this season. Ferrari are basically fighting for 3rd in the constructors with one hand tied behind their backs, just because one of its drivers was involved in a freak accident.
How is that fair?
It's not.
But is avoidable.

Going back to Loeb, I think putting barriers up, which, the way you've described it, would make it impossible for Loeb to have raced in F1, is just robbing the sport of fresh talent - yet again.
Imagine if the WRC were to block Raikkonen from competing there. I know he's only driven Super 2000 so far, but if Citroen were to offer him a drive the organisers would be lapping it up, not stopping it from happening.

I know why he didn't get it.
He doesn't shave or cut his hair regularly. We all know that this is a very important aspect in the eyes of the FIA.

I can't see another reason. No experience? Jebus, he won the frickin' WRC 5x in a row.

And the WRC spends most of its time on loose surfaces and is not an open-wheel series. I'm pretty sure that WRC wins don't count for a superlicence.

Nope it doesn't the rules are clear even Loeb knows that:

"The regulations for getting it are very precise. I do not meet any of the conditions stipulated in the regulations. So it's logical that I failed to obtain such a license. It's like that, it is the rule, it is the decision of the FIA. There's no crying foul."

although there is a provision for exceptions:

By exception, if supported by the Safety Commission, the FIA World Motor Sport Council may approve the issue of the Super
Licence to persons judged by the Council to have met the intent of the qualification process.

Now if Loeb could have met these provisions, I think they might have made an exception:

In this case the F1 team concerned must show that the applicant has driven atleast 300 km in a current Formula One car consistently at racing speeds, over a maximum period of 2 days, completed not more than 90 days prior to the application

Damn testing ban, I would have really liked seeing him in a F1 car on a new track.

I'm not objecting, I'm simply stateing that there are rules regarding the eligibilty for, and the obtaining of a superlicense. They should not be handed out like sweets just because a team wants to run a driver as a PR stunt. If Loeb does not meet the criteria, then tough, he is not entitled to a license.

The lack of testing for any up and coming driver does not help, but if he and the team have serious asperations of him racing in F1 then this does not in anyway prevent it, it merely delays his entry. He can take part in the 3 days of young drivers tests that are allowed before the end of the year, and he can take part in the pre-season tests next year. This will allow him to gain the F1 milage and do the race sims that will qualify him.

I don't know what the requirement is to take part in the WRC, but if KR doesnt meet that requirement then he shouldn't be allowed to compete.

Good for Loeb.

Well I'll remember that when I'm looking out at half empty grand stands again in future.
Like it or not, but a big part of F1 now is PR. Half of Red Bull's (the company not the team) budget is PR, F1 is just a part of that strategy for them. I'm not saying that missing out on Loeb will hugely affect that, of course not, but it's certainly not going to help.

F1's culture needs to change with the times.

You should read Loebs comments on the matter. At least he understands and agrees with the rules.

I understand the rules thanks.
Just like I understood the rules when Hamilton was penalised for a perfectly fair maneuver at Spa 2008, it is one thing to understand rules, it is quite another to accept them when you don't agree with them.
Also, I have to say that I admire Loeb's acceptance of the matter, this only goes to prove that he is a better man than I am. A fact that I had no doubts about previously.

its the FIA, u cant call them fucktards or you spend the next 3 years with odd penalties...

Loeb is worthy of a F1 Superlicence. Period.

FIA seem to be very high-strung on safety issues.
They're looking like bureaucratic fools to me.

I think too many people would be disappointed if he actually made it to a race. Like with Rossi, best PR is just to talk about it.

Sadly I have to agree with both of the above statements.

He might well be worthy, but he still has to prove himself in the appropriate field. He has a great rallying CV but nothing that suggests he should be given an automatic license in F1.

"The competition in formula one is higher than ever before," Todt insisted, explaining that Loeb would need about 15,000 test kilometres under his belt in order to be competitive.

"At worst, Loeb would have been between three and four seconds behind," he added, referring to specialist open-wheeler drivers like Luca Badoer, who raced this year and was markedly off the pace.

"He (Loeb) knows how to drive a car: you don't become rally world champion six times if you don't. But (in F1) the last second is the most difficult, which is something Valentino Rossi realised as well," Tost said.




http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.p...c=8&catid=0

Five times champion suggests it to me. You need more balls to be a top WRC driver than a current F1 driver.
Playstation experience is almost enough, F1 is that easy today.

If Loeb would be 2.0 sec off the pace around a 5k circuit, I wonder how far Jenson Button would be around a 5k rally special stage?

5 sec? 10 sec? 15 sec? 20?

It would be a different matter if F1 cars would be harder to drive.
Look at the close grids today, almost NASCAR like.

A champion driver can only get tenths of a journeyman today.
Make them harder to drive and the more skilled driver will be rewarded.

Seems that all the key players agree that it was a sensible decision, but you obviously know better.

saftey wise I wouldnt be too worried tbh, hes probably delt with more racing in 5 laps at le mans (or less..) than some f1 drivers do in a season, excluding the first lap..., unless hes horrificaly slow, whats the big deal ?

It's quite simple, he does not meet the criteria for a superlicense and there is no reason why those rules should be changed to accomodate him.