Red Bull and the FIA lock horns once again in fuel row - MotorSportsTalk

The on-going saga surrounding Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix looks set to be one of the main talking points in Malaysia this weekend after Red Bull suffered yet another fuel sensor failure on its RB10 car.

Ricciardo was disqualified from the opening race of the season in Australia after his car was deemed to have exceeded the maximum permitted fuel flow of 100kg/h, but Red Bull stringently denied this. The team insisted that although the FIA homologated sensor did suggest that the team had broken this regulation, its own sensor (a more sophisticated one, in the eyes of the team) showed that Ricciardo’s car was indeed legal.

The saga took another twist on the Thursday when the team suggested that its argument against the ruling – set to be heard at an appeal on April 14 – lies in the wording of the technical regulations. The team believes that the rules state that the FIA sensor is merely the suggested form of measurement from race director Charlie Whiting, and not the ‘definitive’ guide, meaning that the management was entitled to use their own sensor as the final reading.

On Friday, team principal Christian Horner confirmed to the media that Ricciardo had suffered yet another fuel sensor failure during the first practice session, and he reached out to the FIA to hold talks in order to avoid another saga like the one that unfurled in Australia.

“We had a signal failure on Daniel’s car this morning, so we obviously have replaced that for this afternoon’s session,” Horner explained. “I haven’t had the results of that.

“We find ourselves in an awkward situation, but it is one where we will try to work with the FIA, but again you are faced with the same dilemma as Australia a couple of weeks ago.”

A number of other teams did raise concerns about the FIA’s readings in Australia, but all bar Red Bull chose to remain within the guidelines set regardless.

In an unscheduled press conference held on the matter, Charlie Whiting made clear that the regulations are written to be stuck to, meaning that only the FIA’s reading is valid.

“Article 5.10 makes it quite clear in my view that the only way the fuel flow will be measured is with the homologated sensor,” he explained. “To me, it is perfectly clear.”

The dilemma Red Bull now faces is how it continues throughout the course of the weekend. Should the team elect to flout the FIA’s reading once again, it would risk having both cars disqualified again come the end of the race in Australia. However, adhering to the guidelines and the FIA measurements could severely undermine the team’s argument when it comes to the hearing in Paris next month.

Formula 1 is never short of controversy, but this is a particularly early start given that we are just one race into the new season.

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Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

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