Microsoft to supply F1's ECU's

[noclue119]

Bridgestone, Microsoft Get Exclusive F1 Contracts

Written by: RACER (http://www.racer.com/)staff Paris, France – 7/5/2006
http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/library/img/medium/111716_bri.jpg (http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/library/img/large/111716_bri.jpg)

Bridgestone's monopoly should effectively happen already in '07, as Michelin is set to pull out of F1 by this season's end. (LAT Photo)



Bridgestone (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/#) and Microsoft have been granted exclusive contracts to be the sole suppliers, of tires and ECUs respectively, of Formula 1 beginning in 2008.

The announcement was made following this Wednesday's meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/#) Council in Paris.

The move to a single tire supplier and standardized ECUs (Electronic Control Units, responsible for a car's (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/#) engine management) is part of the FIA's radical cost-saving package announced earlier this year for introduction in '08. Both Bridgestone and Microsoft will supply F1 through 2010.

In the specific case of the Japanese tire (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/#) company, its monopoly will go in effect already next year, as rivals Michelin are set to pull out of the sport by this season's end.

In addition, the WMSC also announced that due to a significant increase in cornering speeds in F1 this season, the sport's Technical Working Group will be consulted regarding possible measures to slow the cars (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/#) down.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27956/</EMBED>

[noclue119]

Hello blue screens

[dbzeag]

"In addition, the WMSC also announced that due to a significant increase in cornering speeds in F1 this season, the sport's Technical Working Group will be consulted regarding possible measures to slow the cars down."

Dude, wtf. Why have any more R&D then? Just keep the cars as they are, because that will be exciting to watch.

I really feel motorsports should be at the level of the 20's and 30's where the drivers and car builders did anything they could to achieve faster times and goals like 100mph first. Or even the F1 years in the 80's with G forces like that of jet fighters for hours and hours using weird exotic fuels and tire compounds to get as fast as physics would allow. Putting restrictions on development for the sake of keeping viewers and/or keeping companies consistent is completely the opposite approach they should have. Nothing gets developed with more regulations and less R&d.

[seanmcsean]

Hello blue screens

lol.. gives new meaning to "system crash."

your steering wheel locks up and you get a physical memory dump error right before your car hits the wall.

[noclue119]

lol.. gives new meaning to "system crash."

your steering wheel locks up and you get a physical memory dump error right before your car hits the wall.

ya at 200 mph.. glad i'm not driving.

[chuyler1]

...and we used to call it the blue screen of death... ...little did we know...

I can see the headlines now. Deadly ECU virus found to be the cause of 10 car F1 pileup in last Sunday's race. Microsoft failed to comment on the source of said virus but reminded all Windows users to logon to Windows Update make sure their systems are up-to-date. Unfortunately for the 10 drivers who were involved in the pileup, Windows Update is not available in the pit.