FGP 2014

Welcome one and all. This thread will server as the primary throughout the season. For those returning players please go here: https://sites.google.com/site/2009fgp/ and start creating your teams.

For those of you that are new please read the following summary of how FGP is played:

Everyone has a budget of 48,000,000 with which you use to build a team. Your team will consist of:
- two official drivers
- a 3rd driver, which is used if one of your official drivers misses a race and your 3rd driver races.
- one chassis
- one team-engine.
Lastly, choose a Grand Prix that will be your Bonus GP. Your team will score double points at that race.
Once complete please choose a name for your team and then post your entry in this thread.

From this season forward I will be using team-engines. This change means that no longer will we pick an engine and score points based on which engine-powered car crosses the finish line first. Now each team will choose the F1 team's engine and each team will only score points based on the first car to cross the finish line. As an example, if a team choose red bull-renault as their engine that team will score engine points only for the red bull team.

ALSO. UAE/Abu Dhabi will NOT be allowed as a bonus GP.


The deadline for entering a team is the end of Thursday, March 13th.

Thank You for Reading. Good Luck!

Great stuff Thanks for all your efforts Nick. Its time to rock and roll.

And now it is finally time to introduce the all-new team

Happy Bubble Racing Team
https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net...25927932_n.jpg
based in Kazakhstan Desert.

Featuring:
Chassis: Mercedes 20M
Team-engine: McLaren-Mercedes 11M
Driver A: Daniel Ricciardo 9M
Driver B: Valtteri Bottas 6M
Driver reserve: Gianni Morbidelli 1M
Bonus GP: Canadian GP

The team introduces an all-new management line-up with a rotating team manager. Team principals for a few races have been confirmed, featuring Yu Yong Xue for the Chinese GP and sheikh al-Mansour Shalekh for the Bahraini GP, aiming to promote local talent. Also offers have been made to RjBetty, Steve and N.Jones to fill in the role of team principal for one Grand Prix - in order to share the common knowledge.

http://png-3.findicons.com/files/ico...wise3green.png
Also rotating team principal role means that there is more responsibility for that single race - you can't claim things will improve, you have to perform right now!

Chief designer of the new package is Russian Vyatcheslav Zaitsev.
Title sponsor and basically the owner of the squad is Happy Bubble Company, aiming to promote the multinational/-cultural team to new levels. New partners of the team include East Nigerian Investment Company Inc.

Reserve driver role features the much-anticipated return of Gianni Morbidelli, who is preparing to fill in other teams as well in co-ordinaton with main partners.

The team spent 47M € on the chassis, engine and driver combinations, leaving 1M to purchase an all-new computer for new CFD design program environment as well as an upgrade in driver simulator. At the right conditions team is fully prepared to share this technology with other teams.

--

Critics have immediately claimed this team is too much about bling, business and marketing without concentrating on the results.

Once again thanks for your great work Mr Jones :up: stuck on top page for you ;)

Thanks!

Now, somebody help me choose a team, I can't think of Anything!!

After much arm twisting, due to the fact the POSF1 has been terrible these last few years (finishing on the bottom in 2013), I think OxyClean POSF1 Sponsored by Lionel can close the door on negotiating and get close to announcing their team.

We are going to wait until a few more teams enter before we unveil our challengers.

N. Jones,

Just for a rules clarification, are teams required to pick one person in all areas or are they allowed to voluntarily give up certain positions. For example, can you forgo a reserve driver to open funding for primary drivers? Could you pick only 1 driver and then spend the rest of the budget on better chassis and team engine selections?

Let me do this.... of the below are any NOT required to enter a team?

Driver 1
Driver 2
Reserve Driver
Chassis
Team Engine

I'm thinking if we can just spend the 48m however we decide then the team variety will be greater through the choices.

Yes, each team must have two drivers, one reserve, one chassis, one team-engine, and a bonus GP.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

Yes, each team must have two drivers, one reserve, one chassis, one team-engine, and a bonus GP.

---

Well crap. I was going to pick Vettel for the driver (30m) and Ferrari for the chassis (18m) and call it done. :laugh:

:laugh:
Sorry, you should know the rules by now since you are a veteran! :D

Team: L A K K A
D1: Ricciardo 9M
D2: Kobayashi 4M
D3: Vitaly Petrov 1M
Chassis: Ferrari 18M
Engine Ferrari 16M
Bonus GP: Brazil

(18+16+9+4+1=48)

Slash LLC.

Nico Hulkenurg
Daniel Ricciardo

Julia Lipnitskaia
Just kidding :stareup:

Simona De Silvestro
Chasis
Mercedes
Lump
Wiliams Mercedes
Bonus
India

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

:laugh:
Sorry, you should know the rules by now since you are a veteran! :D

---

Exploiting the rules is the essence of F1!

Team Loco Americano F1

Sergio Perez - 10
Pastor Maldanado - 6
Pedro De La Rosa (reserve) - 1

Ferrari Chassis - 18

Lotus F1 Renault Team-Engine - 13

Bonus GP - US GP COTA

This is an official announcement from Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team.

"Due to problems securing our second driver, we will have to delay the announcement of our Official Line Up until a later date. This will also serve to see what other teams are going for. ;)

Thus we can announce ART's launch will take place on

Friday 22nd February at around 10am.

If the worlds media and team bosses wish to gather around the computer next Friday, the announcement will be posted in the FGP thread at said time. "

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by airshifter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

:laugh:
Sorry, you should know the rules by now since you are a veteran! :D

---

Exploiting the rules is the essence of F1!

---

:rotflmao:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveaki13

This is an official announcement from Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team.

"Due to problems securing our second driver, we will have to delay the announcement of our Official Line Up until a later date. This will also serve to see what other teams are going for. ;)

Thus we can announce ART's launch will take place on

Friday 22nd February at around 10am.

If the worlds media and team bosses wish to gather around the computer next Friday, the announcement will be posted in the FGP thread at said time. "

---

I understand Jules Bianchi was at your plant for a seat fitting. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazio

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveaki13

This is an official announcement from Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team.

"Due to problems securing our second driver, we will have to delay the announcement of our Official Line Up until a later date. This will also serve to see what other teams are going for. ;)

Thus we can announce ART's launch will take place on

Friday 22nd February at around 10am.

If the worlds media and team bosses wish to gather around the computer next Friday, the announcement will be posted in the FGP thread at said time. "

---

I understand Jules Bianchi was at your plant for a seat fitting. :rolleyes:

---

Or, maybe he was just there for the cake...

Not to be outdone by these early entries, FGPIA announces a new team:

My son!

He has chosen his team by using only one prerequisite - They Had To Be Red:

RedStar Team
Raikkonen - 23
Chilton - 3
de la Rosa - 1
Marussia - 5
Ferrari - 16
Bonus GP - Canada

Ford Focus F1 Team sponspored by Dominos Team Statement

We announce today our new team for FGP 2014. Based on a car that team boss rjbetty wants one day (he misses it's involvement in the World Rally Championship and it's a reason he doesn't watch it anymore), we hope this new name will reflect what we believe will be an increase in performance and reliability for us this season, having had enough of Vauxhalls. :mad:

We also unveil our new title sponsor: Dominos - The delivery experts. We believe they will share our passion and attention to detail, and that great results will be delivered in 2014, rather than our crusts being stuffed like last year.

Our first season was frankly an embarrassment as we completely ignored all signs of pre-season testing to put all our eggs in absolutely the wrong baskets. We intend to learn from these mistakes: That's why our choice of Engine for 2014 is... McLaren-Mercedes(!)

We can't believe after everything they put us through last year that we are being involved with McLaren again, but rjbetty's questionable wisdom leads us to feel in this case they deserve a second chance (and they had better not let us down this time :mad: ).

However, we feel that it will take a looooooooooooooong time to ever trust McLaren enough to put all our eggs in their basket ever again, and devote too much budget to them. Therefore, we now announce our Chassis package will be supplied by the works Mercedes team.

As for drivers, Perez has been sacked, while we took the tough decision to let go of our second driver Esteban Gutiérrez, who we liked, in favour of recruiting Valtteri Bottas. We watched his performances last year for Aki Racing Team with interest, and believe he shows great promise, and we welcome him onboard.

We have noticed that some of our rivals have been quick to snap up Daniel Ricciardo, as he seems to be the bargain of the year. We are in two minds as to whether to do the same, or do something a little more radical (bearing in mind that approach ruined our whole season in 2013)...

Oh lets do it! Our lead driver is Kevin Magnussen, as a replacement for Perez... (oh the irony!) (though I have a bad feeling I may regret trusting in McLaren again...)

Keeping in the spirit of being radical, our 3rd driver, after some agonising will not be Giedo van der Garde, but rather Robin Frijns.

Having chosen Monza as our bonus GP last year, we are going to try the opposite end of the spectrum and go for Monaco.



Mr Jones, is it possible to change our mind about lead drivers and bonus GP before 14th March?

Slash LLC is pleased to announce that that we have named Tamberello to head our public relations dept. We are also proud to reveal that Wade will fill the post vacated by Knock-on, and is our new director of corporate communication. We would also like to dispel the rumor that that position was turned down by Eki.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazio

Slash LLC is pleased to announce that that we have named Tamberello to head our public relations dept. We are also proud to reveal that Wade will fill the post vacated by Knock-on, and is our new director of corporate communication. We would also like to dispel the rumor that that position was turned down by Eki.

---

Being a team that immediately responds to in all areas of management, Team Loco Americano F1 has immediately realized the brilliance in the Slash LLC hiring announcement and quickly made some additions of their own to assist the team. Roamy (Fousto) has been retained for security and international relations. Spafranco will assist by protesting everything the other teams do. Daniel will present those protests to the FIA, but is contractually obligated to not bring up the use of canopies. Gadjo_dido will be team gypsy, and cast strange spells on opposing teams.


Having also learned from last year, the team management realized that the excess of beautiful grid girls, models, celebrities, etc in the team areas were not being used to the fullest potential. As such this year some of them will be recruited to distract management of other teams, and for photo recon of other teams. I understand that some may encounter "wardrobe malfunctions" as a distraction tactic, but due to limited clothing budget this appears to be out of our control. :laugh:

you can but I much rather you didnt :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by airshifter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazio

Slash LLC is pleased to announce that that we have named Tamberello to head our public relations dept. We are also proud to reveal that Wade will fill the post vacated by Knock-on, and is our new director of corporate communication. We would also like to dispel the rumor that that position was turned down by Eki.

---

Being a team that immediately responds to in all areas of management,
Spafranco will assist by protesting everything the other teams do.

---

:laugh:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by airshifter

Gadjo_dido will be team gypsy, and cast strange spells on opposing teams.

---

:sailor:
Just get her to tell you your teams fortune, unless you're afraid she'll bust your crystal balls! :devil:

Team: Force Finland

Driver 1: Ricciardo
Driver 2: Bottas
Reserve: Kovalainen

Chassis: MacLaren
Team-Engine: Mercedes

Bonus Gp: Monaco

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazio

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by airshifter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazio

Slash LLC is pleased to announce that that we have named Tamberello to head our public relations dept. We are also proud to reveal that Wade will fill the post vacated by Knock-on, and is our new director of corporate communication. We would also like to dispel the rumor that that position was turned down by Eki.

---

Being a team that immediately responds to in all areas of management,
Spafranco will assist by protesting everything the other teams do.

---

:laugh:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by airshifter

Gadjo_dido will be team gypsy, and cast strange spells on opposing teams.

---

:sailor:
Just get her to tell you your teams fortune, unless you're afraid she'll bust your crystal balls! :devil:

---

I'm not scared of that gypsy spell crap, I'm just hoping it gets in the heads of the competition. But I'm rather fond of my crystal balls, so I'd rather play it safe. :D

POSF1 has announced their winning lineup for 2014.

After considerable deliberation, and the fact that other teams are favoring a similar lineup is worrisome. Never the less POSF1 feels it is time to move into the top 10.

Driver#1 - Esteban Guitierrez
Driver#2 - Pastor Maldonado
Reserve - David Valsecchi
Chassis - Ferrari
Team-Engine - Ferrari
Bonus GP - Italy

With this lineup, POSF1 will surely please their sponsors - OxyClean and Lionel Electric Trains.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

ALSO. UAE/Abu Dhabi will NOT be allowed as a bonus GP.

---

What is the logic behind this exactly?

Does everyone score double points on at Abu Dhabi or not?
If you're not handing out 2x points for the final GP to everyone, then what is the problem with picking it as a bonus?
After all, we're not tied to the points system in any way, just to the finishing classifications. Right?

Also, I don't understand the idea about "team engines", what is the difference between picking it and the chassis?
Except that they cost a little less??

With all due respect, unless I have missed something, this is extremely flawed.

The logic is I did not want to score quadruple points for UAE and I felt that if all F1 teams score double points for UAE then so will we.

Team-engine was decided because using only three engines is not enough for me. I wanted to give everyone greater flexibility when choosing their team this year. Also if I kept three engines they would have to be cheap enough for someone to use them if they decided to choose Vettel, however unlikely that scenario is.

If we see five or more engines in 2015 then I will go back to that scoring system.

The 2013 Champions return....

Team: Force Yorkshire

Driver 1: Ricciardo 9
Driver 2: Bottas 6
Reserve: Guido van der Garde 1

Chassis: MacLaren 14
Team-Engine: Mercedes 18

Bonus Gp: Monaco

Good luck all

WT

Team : Red Passion Team

Driver 1: Ricciardo 9
Driver 2: Magnussen 8
Reserve: Valsecchi 1

Chassis: MacLaren 14
Team-Engine: Ferrari 16

Bonus GP: Monza

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wasted Talent

The 2013 Champions return....

Team: Force Yorkshire

Driver 1: Ricciardo 9
Driver 2: Bottas 6
Reserve: Guido van der Garde 1

Chassis: MacLaren 14
Team-Engine: Mercedes 18

Bonus Gp: Monaco

Good luck all

WT

---

This is exactly the line up my head told me to go for. :) I think I should have chosen Ricciardo but have risked it on Magnussen.

If Ricciardo (Red Bull) win only because of Renault being given outrageously unfair dispensation (i.e. cheating) I won't be happy!

The Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team's boss steveaki13 let slip that he had concerns over some things he had seen in other teams line ups in 2014.

"We have now decided our complete line up, but are waiting until our launch day of Friday 21st 10am. However it has come to our notice the team we have put together is remarkably similar to many other rivals teams that have been announced. In all faith we have chosen our line up, but we are worried we will look like copy cats come Friday."

He continued:

"As of now we are still determined to continue with our planned team, we will see how things go".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveaki13

The Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team's boss steveaki13 let slip that he had concerns over some things he had seen in other teams line ups in 2014.

"We have now decided our complete line up, but are waiting until our launch day of Friday 21st 10am. However it has come to our notice the team we have put together is remarkably similar to many other rivals teams that have been announced. In all faith we have chosen our line up, but we are worried we will look like copy cats come Friday."

He continued:

"As of now we are still determined to continue with our planned team, we will see how things go".

---

Some drivers will be very busy this year, driving for many teams.:D That's why multi-team co-operation is the way to go!

I personally think a certain approach to line-ups may not be the ultimate winner-solution. Sometimes slightly unconventional solutions may help. Let's recall last year - Pérez was the bargain, but in the end didn't help all those many, who had chosen him. Or in 2012 anything about Lotus was the way to go, but before the season it was hard to foresee it.

However, a certain route may be "the safe bet" in terms of maybe not winning, but at least being competitive. But I think we can get some out-of-the-box surprises this year too. Just hard to guess, which ones!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveaki13

The Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team's boss steveaki13 let slip that he had concerns over some things he had seen in other teams line ups in 2014.

"We have now decided our complete line up, but are waiting until our launch day of Friday 21st 10am. However it has come to our notice the team we have put together is remarkably similar to many other rivals teams that have been announced. In all faith we have chosen our line up, but we are worried we will look like copy cats come Friday."

---

Don't worry, I think most people are having Mercedes in their line-up in one form or another. There's not really that much choice in who we expect to be competitive. I mean I don't really see anyone choosing Sauber this year (and now just watch as it turns out they've come up with a rocketship).

As for the Ford Focus RS F1 Team, we are hopeful of moving up the field in our 2nd season, and improving on our 41st place (of 46) in last years' championship; and our best race finish of 13th at Monza (bonus round).

Also, we have 2 million spare cash to be used wisely (NO partying this year!) which we are open to use to co-operate with the Happy Bubble Team, Aki's Hedgehog Racing Team and POS F1, in a bid to try to stop us all being losers again this year (though at least Jens finished somewhere in the midfield, far above the rest of us three!)

Maybe we can club together to get a proper simulator, capable of practicing on modern games. Though we question the wisdom of being based out in the desert.

I was thinking of going all-McLaren. THAT would be a bold move!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

I was thinking of going all-McLaren. THAT would be a bold move!

---

Yes it would. But I'd bet it would just be typical that this turns out to be the year to go all-McLaren, now we haven't done so, yet we largely did last year.

McLaren have had a curious way of following a disastrous season with a mega or very good one in recent times.

2002-2003

2004-2005

2006-2007

2009-2010 to a large extent.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rjbetty

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N. Jones

I was thinking of going all-McLaren. THAT would be a bold move!

---

Yes it would. But I'd bet it would just be typical that this turns out to be the year to go all-McLaren, now we haven't done so, yet we largely did last year.

McLaren have had a curious way of following a disastrous season with a mega or very good one in recent times.

2002-2003

2004-2005

2006-2007

2009-2010 to a large extent.

---

Spot on.

Generally McLaren do not have two hideous seasons in a row these days. Since 1997 anyway.

I am seriously considering tweaking my planned line up after seeing the line ups of you lot. :p

Maybe next year, N.Jones could gather the line-ups by PM or e-mail and announce them on one date, to avoid this kind of situation?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by COD

Maybe next year, N.Jones could gather the line-ups by PM or e-mail and announce them on one date, to avoid this kind of situation?

---

Could be a good idea.

However a lot of us sad saps :p like to have some banter about the line ups, so you would miss that I suppose.

As Mr Jones said though, with only 3 engines this season, its limiting options anyway. See how this season goes I suppose.