The official Formula One and General Motorsport Thread for the 2020 season!

[Victor Mildew]

I was only listening to his beyond the grid podcast yesterday. He seems like a really cool guy.

[floydfreak]

he is having delicate brain surgery in a update just posted

[Vermilion]

Didn't realise he'd suffered a head injury, that makes it even worse.

[Robbo-92]

Just seen on Twitter that the operation ended at 9:30, still in a very serious condition.

[floydfreak]

https://apnews.com/a548282b12809d585bb1 ... apDc4QQ6zM

ROME (AP) — Alex Zanardi, the Italian race car champion who transitioned into a gold medalist Paralympian after losing both of his legs, was seriously injured in a handbike race on Friday.

Zanardi was transported by helicopter to Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena following a crash near the Tuscan town of Pienza during a national race for Paralympic athletes, police told The Associated Press.

A medical bulletin from the hospital said Zanardi underwent “a delicate neurosurgery operation” due to “severe cranial trauma.”

The surgery lasted about three hours, after which Zanardi was moved to the intensive care unit.

“His condition remains very serious,” the hospital said.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte tweeted: “You’ve never given up and with your extraordinary strength within you’ve overcome a thousand troubles. Forza Alex Zanardi. Don’t give up. All of Italy is with you.”

A Carabinieri police official in Montepulciano said the incident involved a “heavy vehicle.”

Local TV at the scene of the crash showed what was apparently Zanardi’s handbike lying on its side and missing two of its three wheels. A large truck pulling a semitrailer appeared parked on the road ahead.

“It happened on a slightly downhill straightaway just before a slight curve in the road,” national team coach Mario Valentini, who was following the race, told La Repubblica Florence. “Alex veered slightly into the oncoming lane just when a truck came. (The truck) tried to swerve but couldn’t avoid the crash.”

Prosecutors in Siena opened a criminal investigation into the incident and into the race’s organization.

Repubblica said Zanardi remained conscious until medical personnel arrived, and he was breathing by himself.

“Twenty minutes passed from the time of the accident to when the medical personnel arrived. It took some time to load him (into the ambulance). His wife helped. After the accident he was talking,” Valentini added in another interview with local media.

Valentini said he was not an eyewitness to the accident but arrived at the scene immediately afterward.

“It was a sunny day and everyone was happy. We were 20 kilometers (12 miles) from (the finish line) in Montalcino,” Valentini said. “The truck didn’t make a mistake. Alex made the mistake.”

The coach added that Zanardi’s helmet came off during the crash.

Racing great Mario Andretti tweeted, “I am so anxious and frightened about Alex Zanardi that I’m holding my breath. I am his fan. I am his friend. Please do what I’m doing and pray pray (for) this wonderful man.”

yikes that his helmet came off in the accident severe cranial trauma is not good as that affected Senna, Jules Bianchi, & María de Villota

[Vermilion]

severe cranial trauma is not good as that affected Senna, Jules Bianchi, & María de Villota

Isn't that what happened to Michael Schumacher too?

[floydfreak]

severe cranial trauma is not good as that affected Senna, Jules Bianchi, & María de Villota

Isn't that what happened to Michael Schumacher too?

yep

[floydfreak]

https://www.autosport.com/other/news/15 ... er-surgery

The surgeon who operated on Alex Zanardi following his handbike accident has said that it's not yet clear what the prognosis is for the ex-Formula 1 driver.

Zanardi, 53, sustained severe head injuries in an accident during a handbike race in Italy on Friday after colliding with a vehicle on the road.

After being transferred to hospital, Zanardi underwent three hours of neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery - related to the face - before being placed in a medically-induced coma.

An official bulletin issued on Saturday morning by the Santa Maria alle Scotte said Zanardi had been "transferred to intensive care, has stable hemodynamic and metabolic parameters" following the surgery.

"He is intubated and supported by artificial ventilation while the neurological picture remains serious," the statement added.

Dr. Giuseppe Olivieri, the head of neurosurgery at Siena's Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital, spoke to media later on Saturday to give an update on Zanardi's condition.

"The condition of Alex Zanardi is serious but stable," Dr. Olivieri is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

"He arrived here with major facial cranial trauma, a smashed face, and a deeply fractured frontal bone [forehead]. The numbers are good, although it remains a very serious situation.

"We won't see what his neurological state is until he wakes up — if he wakes up. Serious condition means it's a situation when someone could die. Improvement takes time in these cases.

"Turns for the worse can be sudden. The operation went according to the plan. It's the initial situation that was very serious."

Regarding the next steps for Zanardi, Dr. Olivieri said: "The next step is to try and stabilise him over the next week or 10 days. Then if things go well, he could eventually be woken up and re-evaluated.

"As I told his wife, he's a patient who is worth being treated. As far as a prognosis of how he'll be tomorrow, in a week or in 15 days, I don't know.

"But I'm convinced that he should be treated."

Sabino Scolletta, the director of the hospital's intensive care unit, added: "The situation is clearly critical in terms of brain damage."

[floydfreak]

[Vermilion]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-f ... 3jyZFGy88Y

[Victor Mildew]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-facing-insolvency/?fbclid=IwAR1lYAqdbiBXOH4zHVYo4-1VUdiMqICT_LCMWqIXml2qKCaR63jyZFGy88Y

strawberry float nooo not McLaren strawberry floating hell

[BOR]

Gosh! It'll be a big shame if they go.

[Rawrgna]

https://www.racefans.net/2020/06/24/why ... r-problem/ if you have the time this is a great article highlighting the plight of both teams and how they really need to change the distribution of money so its not all going to Ferrari

[Victor Mildew]

New williams livery

twitter.com/F1/status/1276425326122405890

Looks great

[Vermilion]

Had the blue been yellow, it would look like a Brawn.

[Drumstick]

Bernie Ecclestone says black people are often 'more racist' than white people

Former CEO of F1 says the sport is ‘too busy’ to deal with racism

Ecclestone also questions Lewis Hamilton’s experiences

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ite-people

Thundercunt of the highest order.

[Vermilion]

I remember when Lewis was subjected to racist abuse during a test in Spain during the early part of his career, it was just appalling.

[Victor Mildew]

I remember when Lewis was subjected to racist abuse during a test in Spain during the early part of his career, it was just appalling.

It was horrendous. People dressed as monkeys holding a sign saying 'lewis Hamilton's family' or something like that. Absolute scum.

[Rawrgna]

New Williams liveey liiks nice although if murray walker was still commentating im sure hed mix it up with the Alpha Tauri

[Robbo-92]

I remember when Lewis was subjected to racist abuse during a test in Spain during the early part of his career, it was just appalling.

It was horrendous. People dressed as monkeys holding a sign saying 'lewis Hamilton's family' or something like that. Absolute scum.

Despicable behaviour, hopefully they were banned for life for that.

Bernie Ecclestone says black people are often 'more racist' than white people

Former CEO of F1 says the sport is ‘too busy’ to deal with racism

Ecclestone also questions Lewis Hamilton’s experiences

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ite-people

Thundercunt of the highest order.

Time for Bernie to go back in his box, just wheels himself out when he feels he needs his name in the headlines

New williams livery

twitter.com/F1/status/1276425326122405890

Looks great

Looks top