The new rules package seems better. The silly one-tire rule is gone, and qualifying is actually interesting again!
Is Ferrari back? They're off to a good start so far.
Will Kimi's luck ever improve?
Man, there are some ugly cars out there!
THeres always ugly cars out there.
Kimi needs a new team that can build a fast car that stays in one piece. He would have been champion last year if his car didnt fail him and obviously looks like he will be playing runner up there year again. Speed is nothing if you car wont make it through the race.
Ferrari looked good but lets wait and see what fuel loads they are running.
I can't understand the FIA. First they reduce the engine size (I like this part) to slow the cars down ... has to happen every now and then, so the engineers can run off and amaze us again ... and then they re-allow tyre changes . Naturally this simply means the tyres end up being soft again and thus the cars ARE faster (or made up the difference lost by the smaller engines)!
F1 desperately needs a control tyre, OR someway of controlling tyre performance. Thus you can change if damaged, or if you want to BUT there is no advantage to running on new rubber.
Thus ban refuelling and racing (ie. passing) would RETURN to the track. With these stupid tyre changes and refuelling NOBODY passes on the track, they wait for the pitstop window. No pitstop means no window and thus they HAVE to drive like real racing drivers and try and pass if they want to win.
Pete
__________________
'97 Suzuki GS500E
'90 Suzuki GN250 - Sold 57000 km's later. Cost less than 12c per km to run ...
Grumpy Kiwi.
Why fly when ya can make a lot of noise
I can't understand the FIA. First they reduce the engine size (I like this part) to slow the cars down ... has to happen every now and then, so the engineers can run off and amaze us again ... and then they re-allow tyre changes . Naturally this simply means the tyres end up being soft again and thus the cars ARE faster (or made up the difference lost by the smaller engines)!
F1 desperately needs a control tyre, OR someway of controlling tyre performance. Thus you can change if damaged, or if you want to BUT there is no advantage to running on new rubber.
Thus ban refuelling and racing (ie. passing) would RETURN to the track. With these stupid tyre changes and refuelling NOBODY passes on the track, they wait for the pitstop window. No pitstop means no window and thus they HAVE to drive like real racing drivers and try and pass if they want to win.
Pete
I saw something a few month back about the FIA talking about going back to one tire supplier. The problem I see with a single tire supplier to F1 is the need for innovation will drop since they have all the teams. As it is now its kind of like a race within a race.
Wasnt it 10 or 15 years ago F1 didnt allow for refueling? I dont remember exactly but I do recall seeing some of those races. Im not so sure if it would really help. Passing is so difficult as it is I think that you would still see the status quo. Those that get the whole shot at the start will finish up front at the end barring unforseen things like Kimi's rear wing blowing off and the suspension turning to dust.
I think one of the main reasons you fail to see some risky passing at least at the start of the season is guys want at least some points under their belts and dont want to risk losing everything in a crash. Not the mention the huge cost it is to the team to wreck one of those cars and just think of the nice happy meeting after the race with the team principal yelling at you. Only time youre going to see ballsy passing will be hear the end of the year when someone already has the title won and all they want is to win like last year when Alonso was passing on the outside of corners.
As it stands im pretty satisfied with F1 as it is. At least each team makes it own car and can build and tune its own engine unlike IRL and Cart where you see 2 or 3 different chassies and 2 or 3 different engine that arrive in crates and all the team can do is bolt the two together. No tuning allowed in IRL of the motor if you didnt know
Michelin is out of F1 after this year, so there will just be one tire supplier next year. I supposed that gives the FIA a chance to slow the cars down, but surely Michelin will be fighting to go out on top this year.
IRL and CART, er Champ Car, have just one engine and one tire right now, and Champ Car will have a spec chassis next year. While that might produce closer racing, I think the truth is that they would love to have more manufacturer involvement, but there just isn't any interest right now. Hopefully they'll merge and the sport will grow again here in the States. I really think the new Champ Car owners are doing good things, and I think they would have the right product if they could get Indy back on the schedule along with a few other high profile oval tracks. Damn that Tony George!
I think F1 looks great this year! The qualifying is now worth watching, the first race was good with several teams looking competitive, and there was plenty of action on the track. I enjoy watching how the pit stop strategies play out, but there was good passing on the track, also.
How about young Nico Rosberg? He sure looks like the real deal!
That Cosworth V8 is a mean machine. I hope somebody picks it up for next year because it would be sad to see it go. Maybe it could land in the Red Bull Jr team?
I was watching Wind Tunnel last night, Varsha and Despain both picked Alonso as to repeat this year. They questioned Schumacher's motivation, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. While this is no earth-shattering prediction, it will come down to Alonso, Kimi, and MS. JPM may win a race or two as well, he is the forgotten driver.
If I had to pick one, Kimi would get my vote. He has no doubt learned from the mistakes of last year.
Alonso is good, make no mistake, but his biggest strength is the team around him. Despite the team's comments, the closer Alonso is to leaving, the more tension there will be between him and Renualt. At some point he will be kept from next year's equipment. UNLESS, Renault plans on calling it quits anyway (they have before). If Kimi does not leave and stays as his teammate in 2007, that will be by far the most interesting pairing in F1. I would expect Prost-Senna levels of rivalry (and domination).
It looks like the Bridgestones are much better as 20 lap tires than full race tires. Ferrari will no doubt be more competitive. If Bridgestone is the sole supplier in 2007, Ferrari's previous relationship with them can only help the Scuderia. But that would be in 2007. This year, they might have an advantage at some tracks, while the 'stones will hurt them at others (sort of like MotoGP).
Other predictions:
-Honda, Fisichella, & Toyota will go winless.
-Schumacher will outqualify and finsh ahead of Massa (barring DNF's) in 90% of the races.
-Rosberg will get a podium.
-Rossi tests the Ferrari many times and signs for 2007-08 for Red Bull, taking the place of Coulthard.
Kimi needs a new team that can build a fast car that stays in one piece. He would have been champion last year if his car didnt fail him and obviously looks like he will be playing runner up there year again. Speed is nothing if you car wont make it through the race.
No shit, metal fixture unbonded from a carbon fiber wishbone. Team is said to have told him "that's never happend before".
Other predictions:
-Schumacher will outqualify and finsh ahead of Massa (barring DNF's) in 90% of the races.
In ALL races, even if MS DNF's ... as Massa will have DNF'ed by then anyway.
The guy is useless! Only there because Barichello was sick of taking it up the @rse ... and even he is only fast every now and then, and now over the hill.
Pete
__________________
'97 Suzuki GS500E
'90 Suzuki GN250 - Sold 57000 km's later. Cost less than 12c per km to run ...
Grumpy Kiwi.
Why fly when ya can make a lot of noise
Other predictions:
-Honda, Fisichella, & Toyota will go winless.
-Schumacher will outqualify and finsh ahead of Massa (barring DNF's) in 90% of the races.
-Rosberg will get a podium.
-Rossi tests the Ferrari many times and signs for 2007-08 for Red Bull, taking the place of Coulthard.
Well, you still have an outside shot to go 3 for 4...
Quote:
Originally Posted by PSk
In ALL races, even if MS DNF's ... as Massa will have DNF'ed by then anyway.
The guy is useless! Only there because Barichello was sick of taking it up the @rse ... and even he is only fast every now and then, and now over the hill.
First points for Scott Speed
Schumacher and Rosberg DNF
Button blows up within feet of the finish
Alonso wins yet again`
Kimi had nothing for Alonso this week after the rolling restarts. Each time Alonso got about 3 sec ahead. I think maybe FIA will look into changing how they do rolling restarts like getting the back markers out of the way because it really did screw kimi over.
Also SPeed got his point stripped because they gave him a 25sec penalty for ignoring yellow flags which dropped him to 9th. If anyone should have got that it should have been Ralf Schumacher who made up like 4 places under a safety car.
At the end of the race, I was sure Fisi was going to get beat by Button at the line. I mean, that's just the kind of luck he has, isn't it? Can you imagine the team screaming at him, "He blew up, and you were STILL behind him!!"
In ALL races, even if MS DNF's ... as Massa will have DNF'ed by then anyway.
The guy is useless! Only there because Barichello was sick of taking it up the @rse ... and even he is only fast every now and then, and now over the hill.
Doh!
Post Aussie GP ... Told you so
Pete
__________________
'97 Suzuki GS500E
'90 Suzuki GN250 - Sold 57000 km's later. Cost less than 12c per km to run ...
Grumpy Kiwi.
Why fly when ya can make a lot of noise
At the end of the race, I was sure Fisi was going to get beat by Button at the line. I mean, that's just the kind of luck he has, isn't it? Can you imagine the team screaming at him, "He blew up, and you were STILL behind him!!"
Er, Fisi drove pathetically AGAIN ... nothing to do with luck.
Did you hear the team telling him to pull his finger out as he was 2 seconds a lap slower than his team mate on same strategy and fuel, etc?.
Hopeless.
Did you also watch the qualifying? ... did you see how slowly Fisi started lapping in the final 10?, did you see Alonso stuck behind him and waving at him to get out of the fncken way. Alonso is smart, as in the final 10 qualifying session you have to start with your race fuel, Alonso wanted to go hard to learn how his car would be like at race start. Fisi is so fncken lame that he was just burning fuel off, and wasting this learning opportunity.
How the heck this guy gets any drives in F1 is beyong me ... must give really good **** or something?.
Yeah he has won races ... but that was 100% the team and the car, if you have enough advantage eventually anybody can win!
Pete
__________________
'97 Suzuki GS500E
'90 Suzuki GN250 - Sold 57000 km's later. Cost less than 12c per km to run ...
Grumpy Kiwi.
Why fly when ya can make a lot of noise
F1 2006
... and then they re-allow tyre changes 
. Naturally this simply means the tyres end up being soft again and thus the cars ARE faster (or made up the difference lost by the smaller engines)!
which dropped him to 9th. If anyone should have got that it should have been Ralf Schumacher who made up like 4 places under a safety car.
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