So, who or can somebody theoretically get into Masaa's backup car? There are no third drivers, and no "testing" drivers...

Somebody back at the factory track?

Has to be somebody familiar with the steering wheel... :)

Technically speaking (or so I've been reading from random people) once qualifying starts a substitute driver cannot be put into the car. Each competing driver needs to take part of qualifying.

That would be weird...

People get sick all the time between qualifying and races... But not in F1??? The car and driver qualified... The driver cannot compete for "medical" reasons...

For F1, I would think it would make more sense that you can't switch to a backup car after qualifying begins since there is no practice after Q and I assume the car is toast.

Just an interesting rules question... Wonder if it is either or both... Even if they could find someone qualified/certified to drive there in time.

Scott Speed is all the way across the globe at Indy. :)

Actually, if the car breaks, in the past you could start with a new car, either from the back or from pit lane (I forget). Now that they've gotten rid of the backup cars in F1, they can completely reassemble the car from the ground up with new parts and do the same thing (start from the back or from pit lane). In that sense, F1 is more about the driver qualifying and less about the specific car. It may seem odd, but that's what I've been reading in random internet forums written by random internet experts.

Regardless, a rumor has it that Ferrari might pull Kimi out of the race too, in honor of Massa.

It looks like his helmet took some damage. He is lucky to be alive

Story

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-07/48280479.jpg

Honor? Latest news I saw he was out of surgery and "stable".

He's in a chemically induced coma on a respirator until tomorrow morning, which is usually a sign that its fairly serious. The hospital also said "life threatening but stable" not "stable." I'll be surprised if he's back in the cockpit before the next race.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/150342/..._of_massa.html

I was actually having problems with that statement, but I what I meant was that I can't imagine that the team will be in a racing mood if he's still in a coma.

Also, I did look it up and a driver can be nominated to replace Massa if the stewards allow.

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/ru.../8694/fia.html

EDIT: Nevermind about the official roster comment, I think that's wrong.

More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...qualifier.html

Buried in this article they are saying that Ferrari are contemplating pulling Kimi's car too.

The picture sequence in that article is scary. From the telemetry on screen, it looks like he's full on gas a brake from when the spring hits his helmet to when he hits the wall.

The video appears to show him out of it and still on the gas just after spring impact and then apparently coming to as he goes off track left and then locking up the brakes and skipping all the way back across the track and into the wall.

Thank SNELL and HANS he is alive.

I am still stunned there is not a tether retaining that spring. Bet there will be soon...

After the death of Henry Surtees from a similar accident last week, I'm sure they are going to do something but who knows what it'll be.

I consider them quite different.

No matter how good tethers are, stuff will come off of crashing cars, no way to avoid it at least and still be light and aerodynamic, but springs and such should not fly off cars that are not crashing!

Yes, open wheel/cockpit racing has these inherent dangers over closed, but the spring is just bizarre and should have had something retaining it.

Thank god:

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/...day-afternoon/

Sure, he may be blind in one eye, and may never race again... but it sounds like he'll recover enough to live to see his baby born in November.

I saw this on the regular news. I missed all the racing action.

Definitely a big loss to racing if can't race again. In his interviews he seems like a passionate guy always wanting to win for his fans and team first and foremost

:sadface:

I'm a big fan of Massa, and I've been pretty distraught over his accident. I hope his vision returns, but if he is indeed done racing, he should not be ashamed, he had a great career. The most important piece is that he will live and be able to carry on his life with his family.

If they're gonna get crazy... put Schumacher back in a Ferrari.

...but seriously, if I were one of Ferrari's backup drivers, and didn't get a seat in the exact situation that backup drivers are for... I'd be pissed. Like lawsuit pissed.

I loved Niki Lauda's comments today that Badoer and Gene (and even Bourdais) are useless and Schumacher is the only driver that makes any sense.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/150448/...s_useless.html

renault le banned for Valencia

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...26194313.shtml

Oi, and this season was looking a little dull...

Some guy named M. Schumacher will take Felipe's drive until he gets better.

http://www.michael-schumacher.de/?pa...=82078&lang=uk

Still hasn't been picked up in the media yet.

EDIT: here it is

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77418

This is, of course, on top of the news that BMW will be leaving the sport at the end of the year.

That really sucks. I bet if the new car was more competitive they'd stick it out. Maybe they can revive the Sauber name as an independent team again? I'm even more bummed that BMW won't even be an engine supplier.

Paging David. Time to get your fanboi engine revved up. :P

I think he's already pegged against the limiter. Poor Dayna, it's going to be like having a Chihuaha on Sundays, lol.

Piquet has been dropped by Renault
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.a...46542&PO=46542

Piquet Sr. is supposedly interested in buying the BMW Sauber team
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.a...46542&PO=46542

Massa interviewed leaving the hospital on the way home to Brazil. Vows to race again. With recent picture and a gnarly looking (but really not that bad) scar.
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/...-felipe-massa/

Yeah, Massa looks half retarded. I can't help but think of Peter's stroke face.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IA5nokOFh8...s+McStroke.jpg

Poor guy... but then again he looks pretty good for a broken skull and almost dying.

I already sacked Piquet on the FF1 site. He kinda sucked anyway, I don't really blame Renault for dropping him. Plus, with the long break and the ban at Valencia, Renault has all sorts of time to pick up a replacement for him.