F1 Discussion Thread

[LUD02C]

I personally think Renault deserve the Constructures title, they had a fast, reliable and well balanced car all year.

But what gets me is Kimi won 7 and so did Alonso, to me Kimi was a better racer as in always had to come from say 10th or worse to 1st, better overtaking moves and set the fastests laps and also qualified on pole but due to engine had to go to 10th or something (on a heavier fuel load)

[jeimuzu]

... mclaren have the fastest cars on trackm just not reliable ...

[Hondavirgin]

I personally think Renault deserve the Constructures title, they had a fast, reliable and well balanced car all year.

But what gets me is Kimi won 7 and so did Alonso, to me Kimi was a better racer as in always had to come from say 10th or worse to 1st, better overtaking moves and set the fastests laps and also qualified on pole but due to engine had to go to 10th or something (on a heavier fuel load)

I don't think he is a better overtaker...i know in the japan he passed a ton of cars, but there's been too many other times this season when he he's clearly settled to follow people round until pit stops rather than at least trying to get past them.

[^^v]

Rubens > Jenson ?

(GMM) Rubens Barrichello will probably have the edge on 'Honda' teammate Jenson Button in 2006.

That's the belief of triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, who ran Barrichello - the 33-year-old Brazilian who switches from Ferrari - at his own team in the nineties.

The Scot told the Mail on Sunday: ''I think Rubens is much more together right now.''

''Rubens has got the peripheral lifestyle right ... and he has won races, so he has broken that barrier. Rubens knows how to be world champion.''

In a sign of his commitment to both Honda and formula one, however, Button says he will not be following the examples of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso by immediately starting a long holiday.

''On Tuesday I start work again,'' said the 25-year-old, who is off to Brackley HQ to check out progress for next year.

''The championship has got to be our aim.''


Written: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 06:47:56

f1 central

[nEUROtic]

I don't think he is a better overtaker...i know in the japan he passed a ton of cars, but there's been too many other times this season when he he's clearly settled to follow people round until pit stops rather than at least trying to get past them.

Usually he saved fuel and then went nuts in the last part. With the amount of retirements he had he really wasn't in the position to be taking risks I dont reckon

[Vivski]

From Pitpass...

Indy type track surface causes chaos in NASCAR race

17/10/2005

Months after the Indianapolis debacle at Indianapolis, when seven teams withdrew from the United States Grand Prix, on the advice of tyre supplier Michelin, on safety grounds, NASCAR racers at Lowe's Motor Speedway at the weekend suffered an unbelievable number of failures, causing a number of yellow-flag periods, which, in turn, caused the event to over run.

"This is the biggest joke in racing I've ever seen,'' Kevin Harvick told reporters, after crashing out of the event. "It's terrible. Everybody is out there, knowing that at any moment their tyres are going to pop. It's pretty disgusting and pretty embarrassing for our sport.''

Things were so bad that at one stage, Tony Stewart radioed his pit crew and asked for a renewal of his life insurance policy.

It's now understood that the problem that caused the Goodyear tyres to suffer an inordinate number of failures is down to the track surface, which had recently been smoothed, using the same process used at Indianapolis.

[Vivski]

An interesting article/interview with Jean Todt about the season and Rubens.
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=26319

[^^v]

Car to get track time in January

(GMM) The 2006 works Honda car will make its track debut 'sometime' in January.

That's the revelation of 'BAR' chief designer Kevin Taylor, who reckons the team's new 100 per cent owner - Japanese carmaker Honda - has been 'instrumental' in much of the new racer's design.

''And I'm sure this process will keep expanding,'' said Kevin, who was promoted in June.

Excitingly for the Brackley based team, nine time race winner Rubens Barrichello will pilot one of the '008' machines in 2006. Taylor admitted that BAR would squeeze as much information as possible out of the Brazilian.

''We'd be fools not to quiz him on what's made Ferrari so successful,'' the designer confessed.

'''We'll listen to him ... to see if there are things we don't do that we should be doing.''

Taylor also said Rubens' proven ability to win grands prix gives BAR a 'baseline', even if he thinks Jenson Button could, too, be a winner.

He continued: ''But that question hasn't been answered yet.''

So does Taylor think team principal Nick Fry's target of 'plural' race wins next year is reasonable? ''I'd say we're pretty confident,'' he said.

''If we hit our targets, I'm sure we'll be right on the button.''


Written: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 00:33:06

Governing body in late rules switch

(GMM) BAR-Honda has bemoaned the governing body's 'late' call on new regulations for next year.

The Honda owned team's chief designer Kevin Taylor admitted that the design of the 2006 car 'hasn't been helped' by the belated overhaul of qualifying, and the resurrection of tyre changing.

He called the rules 'some late curve balls'.

BAR, concerned about tyre wear with the current '007' car, worked particularly to make the 2006 contender more suited to the 'one tyre' rule.

''And then the rules change,'' Taylor griped, ''and now ... (the rules are) back closer to where we were in 2004 when we were very competitive.''

He hinted that the 2006 car design might, therefore, be subject to some late revisions.


Written: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 13:02:28

f1 central

[^^v]

[13/11/05 - 10:03]

Webber tells his fans to be patient
‘I am a competitor, an absolute fighter and I hate losing’




Zoom
Webber was tenth in the standings in 2005
Mark Webber’s first season with Williams did not yield the results that he had hoped for as he was seen off by his more consistent team-mate Nick Heidfeld. Next year the Australian driver remains with the team which switches to Bridgestone tyres and Cosworth power.

"I know people in Australia get frustrated with my results but there is no other choice," The Sydney Morning Herald reports Webber as saying. “Obviously there is more doubters in Australia than there is in Europe. People in Europe understand it a bit more and it is hard to educate people here in Australia what we are doing but that is fine.”

As for the future, Webber is looking forward to teaming up with 2005 GP2 Champion Nico Rosberg and expects his team to have ironed out its weaknesses ahead of the new season. Webber also fully expects Ferrari to join McLaren Mercedes and Renault at the sharp end of the field.

"I have done a lot of learning this year,” Webber said. “I am a competitor, an absolute fighter and I hate losing…."

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International

[nEUROtic]

“Obviously there is more doubters in Australia than there is in Europe. People in Europe understand it a bit more and it is hard to educate people here in Australia what we are doing but that is fine.”

I understand it perfectly well. Your're $hit. Nico is gonna have your ass for a hat.

[^^v]

[15/11/05 - 19:12]

Midland shows its new colours
MF1 Racing set for the 2006 season






An all new look in 2006 for MF1 Racing
Midland Group announces today the official registration of its Formula One Team - MF1 Racing into the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship and reveals its new livery.

This livery, a combination of white, silver grey and red, has been designed to create a unique identity for the team. This classy, dynamic livery will adorn the MF1-Toyota M16 for the 2006 season and will also be used during the pre-season test programme, beginning in Jerez, Spain, in early December.

The flowing new logo, a stylised 'M', has been designed by the Istituto Europeo de Design (IED) in Milan, one of the most renowned European design academies.

"November 15th, 2005, is a very important day for Midland, as it marks our official entrance into the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship," stated Colin Kolles, Managing Director of MF1 Racing. "As a new team, the challenge was to find the best way to graphically define our identity in the public’s perception. It was a difficult exercise, but fascinating and rewarding at the same time. I think Rob Taylor, our in house Product Designer, has done an excellent job with the livery, which is powerful and distinct from any other on the grid."

"The logo is a striking concept created by two young Italian design students from the Istituto Europeo de Design and it was great to have been able to give them this opportunity to express themselves."

Press Release
MF1 Racing

it took two ppl to design that logo? -_-"... lookz lik a 10 min PS job...
wonder if they got paid for it...

[^^v]

[01/01/06 - 17:09]

Alonso not favourite to retain title
The bookmakers favour Raikkonen






The next World Champion?

Fernando Alonso is only third favourite to win the 2006 World Championship.

That is the declaration of sports bookmaker betandwin, which is listing both '05 title runner-up Kimi Raikkonen, and third-placed Michael Schumacher, ahead of the sport's Spanish idol.

McLaren's 26-year-old Raikkonen is fetching 2.6 to 1 to dethrone Alonso, with Schumacher at 3/1 to win back the trophy in his red Ferrari.

Next up, the youngest ever F1 title winner - Alonso - at 5/1 to defend his drivers' crown. Kimi's teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya, is listed at 5.5/1, followed by Jenson Button (20/1), Felipe Massa, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli (all 25/1).

A tasty outsider bet might be Williams rookie Nico Rosberg, 100/1.

Source GMM
CAPSIS International