14 replies to this topic

[karlth]

Saw this on another website:

Hamburger Zeitung: McLaren training lightweight monkeys to drive?

I didn't believe it at first but Hamburger Zeitung reported yesterday in their Science and Tech section that McLaren were spotted training monkeys to drive at the Jerez test circuit last week. The reason was that nothing in the FIA Formula 1 rule book says it must be humans who drive the F1 cars, only that whatever that is driving has to have a superlicense.

Hamburger Zeitung quoted an unnamed member of McLaren's technical staff who said that thanks to electrical gizmos in the F1 cars these days it turned out to be pretty easy to teach those small mammals to turn a steering wheel and stand on the throttle pedal. Braking is supposed to have been a bit problematic but the source said that: "We've got a lot of monkeys."

According to the report as soon as McLaren's legal department in Woking, UK confirmed the legality of non-human mammals driving, Ron Dennis gave the greenlight to start training a number of lightweight animal species to drive and therefore save upto 50-60kg of the car's weight. For example David Coulthard is around 70kg while the dancing Sifaka tree monkey(Propithecus verreauxi) weighs only 10kg, looks great in silver and is paid in bananas.

Pretty amazing stuff from the very reliable German business newspaper Hamburger Zeitung. Comments?

[Viss1]

Great idea. The monkeys will also undoubtedly be able to make use of their tail to accomplish extra tasks while driving.

[brett_sequeira]

[Gemini]

Ron Dennis:

I am thrilled to announce that London Zoo has become an official partner of McLaren International in driver development program. After very optimistic outcome of the first tests with the "Zoo Drivers Supply Program" we decided that London Zoo will also become our Strategioc Partner in providing " Paragon Reception Desk Solution Program" for our new headquaters...".

[Jojodyne]

The 'We've got a lot of monkeys" quote definitively makes this into a joke. Haven't read the article myself, but a statement like that should really get some animal rights activists going!

[BRG]

Now this explains why no-one can ever get a quote out of Kimi - maybe he is really a monkey in a human-suit....;)

[da Silva]

Karl, you´re starting to become the new Mr Bolshevik here at Atlas...
Atleast Niki Lauda thought it was an good idea..

As for the newspaper, there seems to be one reporter who thinks F1 have become an farse

[Dudley]

Dennis gave the greenlight to start training a number of lightweight animal species to drive and therefore save upto 50-60kg of the car's weight. For example David Coulthard is around 70kg while the dancing Sifaka tree monkey(Propithecus verreauxi) weighs only 10kg, looks great in silver and is paid in bananas.

There's the hole in the theory.

595kg inc driver, not without,

[karlth]

Originally posted by da Silva
Karl, you´re starting to become the new Mr Bolshevik here at Atlas...

I didn't write this, it is from the Hamburger Zeitung.

[da Silva]

Originally posted by karlth



I didn't write this, it is from the Hamburger Zeitung.

Yes, I know but you have started some funny threads, that´s what I meant

[mikabest]

Originally posted by Dudley


There's the hole in the theory.

595kg inc driver, not without,

The advantage is 50 kg more fuel on board ;) ! And of course the bananas instead of $ or € would save some of the team budged....

yours,

ever so biased MIKABEST

[Nikolas Garth]

Originally posted by BRG
Now this explains why no-one can ever get a quote out of Kimi - maybe he is really a monkey in a human-suit....;)

Has anyone ever heard Kimi saying, "Guunni Goo Goo"?

[HSJ]

Originally posted by karlth
Braking is supposed to have been a bit problematic but the source said that: "We've got a lot of monkeys."

For example David Coulthard is around 70kg while the dancing Sifaka tree monkey(Propithecus verreauxi) weighs only 10kg, looks great in silver and is paid in bananas.

[HSJ]

Originally posted by BRG
Now this explains why no-one can ever get a quote out of Kimi - maybe he is really a monkey in a human-suit....;)

Maybe so, but at least the best at being a monkey!

[JForce]

Originally posted by Nikolas Garth
Has anyone ever heard Kimi saying, "Guunni Goo Goo"?

Kimi's a bigfoot, isn't he Gus.