Year: 2012

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone celebrated his 82nd birthday in late October. Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari president, recently suggested Ecclestone might be too old for F1. Certainly, Bernie can’t go on forever. Although, someone might need to tell him that.

Bernie hit back at di Montezemolo’s claims earlier in the week, “I don’t feel 82, and as a matter of fact I’m now going to Geneva, then to Istanbul to see if we can get back the Turkish GP and [will then] participate at the World Council.”

He continued in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, “And I’m not stopping here, I have a thousand more ideas.

“Do I look in such a bad shape, two weeks after the USA GP that I wanted and somehow created?

“I’m 82 and nobody can deny that. But time ago I used to discuss things with an 88-year-old gentleman when Luca was a 40-year-old. His name was Enzo Ferrari.

“Believe me, at that age he could make me shiver because he was terribly tough, incisive and clear-minded.”

Despite the audacity of di Montezemolo daring to suggest Bernie might not be up to speed, the octogenarian doesn’t hold a grudge against the Ferrari man, “More than once he has attacked me, but in the end we understand each other. I don’t have hard feelings towards him.

“Anyway, I respect his opinion. It’s no drama.”

[Source: Planet F1 | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has revised the 2013 F1 calendar in reaction to the Grand Prix of New Jersey postponement. That race was originally scheduled for 16 June, the week after the Canadian Grand Prix.

Instead, F1 teams will get an extra week to prepare for the British Grand Prix (30 June). The German Grand Prix has been brought forward a week, to 7 July, and will form a back-to-back pairing with Britain.

This has enabled the FIA to open up a space on 21 July which can be used for an extra European-based race, possibly Turkey. Assuming this goes ahead it will maintain F1’s current desire for a 20-race season.

The WMSC also made some changes to F1’s Sporting and Technical Regulations which will affect the 2013 and 2014 seasons. These can be read after the break, along with an update 2013 F1 calendar.

[Pic: Lotus F1 Team/LAT Photographic]

Luxury watch brand Rolex was today announced as the official timepiece for Formula 1. According to Rolex CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini, it’s a match made in heaven.

“This is an exciting step for us at Rolex as the fit between Formula One and our brand feels very natural and, like all great partnerships, needs little explanation,” Marini said.

“In our respective fields, Rolex and Formula One embody the spirit of adventure, superlative engineering and a strong desire to push the limits of technology. These aspirations are enormously appealing to younger generations,” he added.

Mr F1, Bernie Ecclestone, is happy he’ll be getting a new gold watch as well.

“The brand’s prestige, the excellence of its watches as well as Rolex’s passionate and long-standing commitment to motor sports gives it true credibility. This partnership is something that many people interested in Formula One will have been waiting for and should rightly be excited about. Rolex has incredible sporting heritage and therefore Formula One is the right place for Rolex to be,” he said.

[Source: Formula1.com | Thanks to Micky for the tip]