'Teh' Formula 1 thread.

[Shadow_Imperator]

I am a big fan of Formula one, I have been for some time, having been the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne 3 times (2000, 2002, 2004), I've been privilaged to see a Ferrari victory at each and I even, once, got a signature from Michael Schumacher himself!

Now obviously, I was dissapointed at Ferrari's effort last year, winning only one race, the race that NO michelin shod driver raced (Indianapolis 2005) . However this year has looked far more promising, Ferrari showing a good lick of speed at the early races, Sepang, Barain and Melbourne. From then on, it was Renault and Alonso the whole way. Now a hattrick of wins later, Schumi and Ferrari look back in the hunt for the title, can Alonso hold on? Will Schuey's momentum see him victorious once more? Will Ferrari pip Renault for the constructor's crown, or will the French team hold out?


It looks like to be a ripper season's end...

[Seleukos]

I cant afford TV so I have missed the entire season.

But I have been reading the news articles on the formula 1 websites and have been keeping up. There have certainly been many exciting races. Theres still a few races to go so Im not picking favorites yet. Alonso does have 100 points compaired to Shumachers 89. Alonso seems to have the faster car too. If Alonso continues to finish second to Shumachers recent wins like he did in France I dont think Shumacher has a chance (kind of like the 2003 season with Raikkonen).

Since there are 5 races to go, one of which the brand new track at Turkey, I am very interested in what happens. Although you cannot forget Alonso's 4 wins in a row before Shumacher made his recent hat trick. Alonso is fully capable of holding off Shumacher the rest of the season.

[Reidy]

All Schumie has to do is win all remaining 6 races and the Championship is his. I can't see him doing that, but I think the Championship will go right down to the wire this year. Alonso is currently in a bad run of form, and i'm hoping that continues to the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.

On another note, who else thinks the Super Aguri team should be scrapped? They hardly ever finish the race and are often the cause of accidents.

[spirit_of_rob]

I cant help but find it rather amusing to be honest... a car becomes better than schumachers ferrari.. suddenly the governing body ban a part that hasa major effect on the car which is better than the Schumachers..... Coincidence?

[Shadow_Imperator]

Both them and Midland F1.... Should go.

It is a shame to have seen other, somewhat more competatives teams hit the dust in the last few years of F1. Prost, Arrows and Jaguar to say the least. I'd prefer them to Super Aguri and Midland anyday, Midland gives Jorand a very bad name, and it's current incarnation is an insult to a true character of the F1 circus...


Ahhh Seleukos, Turkey has been in F1 since 2004 IIRC. However, 6 races, 11 point deficit for Schumacher, all he needs to do it see Alonso in his mirrors every race and the championship is his. However, the reintroduction of Renualt's much vaunted 'Mass Damper' system should make them a little more competative in Hungary. However, I don't know if this highly talked about suspension/nose cone set up is the essense of a 50 second deficit to Ferrari (Finishing difference between Schu and Alons), not to mention the Ferrari boys were pacing themselves for nearly half the race...

I cant help but find it rather amusing to be honest... a car becomes better than schumachers ferrari.. suddenly the governing body ban a part that hasa major effect on the car which is better than the Schumachers..... Coincidence?

Not entirely, Schumacher had still won two races prior to the FIA banning Renault's Mass Damper System. Hence Schumacher has demonstrated than when the Ferrari package is working right, he can get the better of BOTH the Renaults, Mass Damper or no Mass Damper system.... As was demonstrated at Indy, Mangy Cours and Hungaroring.

[Shadow_Imperator]

Cr@p, double post, sry...

[Reidy]

I cant help but find it rather amusing to be honest... a car becomes better than schumachers ferrari.. suddenly the governing body ban a part that hasa major effect on the car which is better than the Schumachers..... Coincidence?

7 teams, including Renault and Ferrari used the mass damper system, while only Renault (Alonso) suffered a dramatic drop in performance at Hockenheim, showing that either renaults' lack of performance was not down to the absent damper, or they are too dependent on a single component of the car.

[Ravenblade]

7 teams, including Renault and Ferrari used the mass damper system, while only Renault (Alonso) suffered a dramatic drop in performance at Hockenheim, showing that either renaults' lack of performance was not down to the absent damper, or they are too dependent on a single component of the car.

I think what the problem for Renault was that there way of setting the car up was more dependent of the mass damper than the other teams. So it maybe hasnt actually effected there car that much but the problem is there not sure how to set the car up without it where as the other teams didnt use the mass damper as such an important part of there setup.

Oh an i love Formula One *points to his sig* ive been following formula One since 1991 when Jordan came into it ( it was Jordans cool 7Up car an that it was an Irish team) but i only just turned 20 so F1 has been a big thing in my life. I love all forms of car racing really apart from oval racing which bores the hell out of me.

The first driver i supported was Senna man he was great one of the best if not the best ever...man i cried so much when he died (i wasnt very old then) but since then ive been a Damon Hill fan an since 1997 a Ralf Schumacher fan

[Shadow_Imperator]

I think what the problem for Renault was that there way of setting the car up was more dependent of the mass damper than the other teams. So it maybe hasnt actually effected there car that much but the problem is there not sure how to set the car up without it where as the other teams didnt use the mass damper as such an important part of there setup.

Oh an i love Formula One *points to his sig* ive been following formula One since 1991 when Jordan came into it ( it was Jordans cool 7Up car an that it was an Irish team) but i only just turned 20 so F1 has been a big thing in my life. I love all forms of car racing really apart from oval racing which bores the hell out of me.

The first driver i supported was Senna man he was great one of the best if not the best ever...man i cried so much when he died (i wasnt very old then) but since then ive been a Damon Hill fan an since 1997 a Ralf Schumacher fan

1: Yeah I agree that it probably more fundumental to Renault's set up then those for other teams using it.... That said, I'd say the Renault has looked to be the tidiest car all season, well balanced under brakes and formidable through corners, just, so set on the track surface, as if it was running on train tracks! However, I think this has been misinterpreted, from what I understand, only BMW and Renault were running 'Mass Damper' whilst other teams have had it in developement... I mean, Ferrari are debueting it in Hungary I think......

2: So guess you'd seen Schumacher's first race at Spa in 1991, before Flavio Briatore snapped him up at Benetton for the next race... Flav has been, without doubt, a major architect of Schumacher's success in F1. I concur that oval racing is dead boring, I'd rather watch paint dry.... Shame what happened to Senna, he was an amazing driver, that could dig so deep, and extract 100% from his car, and more, in my opinion, the driver with the most raw speed/talent ever to grace Formula one...

[Shadow_Imperator]

Well well, what an interesting race, usually, the Hungaroring is as boring as watching paint dry....... A bit of rain, and it all changes.

Btw, congrats Jenson, great first win, very much deserved!

http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/index.shtml

[Triarii]

Now this is why I always pray that it rains at a grand prix. This is the first time I can remember having an exciting race in Hungary. In the rain anybody can win, hopefully it will rain again this year and Coulthard can achieve a fluke victory.

Michael Schumacher really blew it big time. He had a great opportunity to take a lot of points from Alonso but threw it all away when he stupididly collided with Heidfeld. He knew his inters were wrecked and hadn't a hope in fending off Heidfeld with his dry tyres. So why did he not do the smart thing and let Heidfeld through instead of turning in on him and putting himself out of the race? What an idiot.

[Shadow_Imperator]

Now this is why I always pray that it rains at a grand prix. This is the first time I can remember having an exciting race in Hungary. In the rain anybody can win, hopefully it will rain again this year and Coulthard can achieve a fluke victory.

Michael Schumacher really blew it big time. He had a great opportunity to take a lot of points from Alonso but threw it all away when he stupididly collided with Heidfeld. He knew his inters were wrecked and hadn't a hope in fending off Heidfeld with his dry tyres. So why did he not do the smart thing and let Heidfeld through instead of turning in on him and putting himself out of the race? What an idiot.

1: True true, a wet race is always good, I love the rain. However I'm so used to Ferrari dominance in the rain.... Schumacher being the 'rainmiester' and all, plus Bridgestone have always been reputed to have the best 'marginal' weather tyres... Funny how Michelin dominated in the very wet stages, interesting indeed...

2: Schumi got too hungry for points, he is arrogant but soo thirsty for more success, that is have of the reason he has been soo successful, often he has made such gambits and one, I suppose it comes with the race, weather, tactics. Schumacher and Brawn made a choice and they made the wrong one, but I'd agree fought far too hard with too slow a car, damn folly in my opinion...


So how is this, Nico Rosberg and Alexander Wurz to drive for Williams net year and Webber is off to Red Bull Racing to drive along side Coulthard, Coulthard and Webebr would make a very formidable combination I'd say, lots of commitment and plenty of experiance to boot! Wonder who is going to fill the other Renault seat, and will Massa stay on for Ferrari? Silly season is just stating to get interesting!

[Rush Limbaugh]

Yes rain should be mandatory at all future F-1 Races. Its a crying shame Schumacher crapped out at the end as it really would have made the rest of the season interesting. Does anyone else here miss the numbers on the cars? Or are you all too young to remember? And who do you all think is the greatest F-1 driver of all time?

[Shadow_Imperator]

I wouldn't say thee greatest, but he is amoung them.... F1 having advanced so rapidly over so few years, it is difficult to compare drivers from yesteryear to contemporary ones... Schumacher is a champion without doubt, and he has a few characteristics makes him uniquely 'Schumacher' as opposed to your 'Professor' Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna or your Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi or Carlos Reuteman (sp?)..

[Rush Limbaugh]

I wouldn't say thee greatest, but he is amoung them.... F1 having advanced so rapidly over so few years, it is difficult to compare drivers from yesteryear to contemporary ones... Schumacher is a champion without doubt, and he has a few characteristics makes him uniquely 'Schumacher' as opposed to your 'Professor' Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna or your Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi or Carlos Reuteman (sp?)..

Another F-1 afficinado
Id say for just plain talent and speed id go with either Senna or Ronnie Peterson man that guy could fly. As far as the thinking mans driver its got to be either Prost the Shue or Jackie Stewart. But there are many other great drivers like Fangio and Moss who are harder to compare to modern drivers.

[Shadow_Imperator]

Thing with Schumacher, if I could sum him up in a setence.

Typically German, precise, disciplined, very commited, technical and drives with great presicion but is ballsy, too much so on occasion, and ends up being a risk taker at times. Which is why so many people like to see him race. He is also, in my opinion, the most complete driver out of the ones mentioned. Because at 37, he is probably the fittest and most physically apt driver on the grid, ony Webber, Fisichella, Alonso and Kimi would be in his league. Plus, Schumacher is still hungry, and hasn't shown an ounce of complacency, even though he has won close to 90 GP's, each one is like his first, he still loves it......

Jackie Ickx was another great wet weather driver... Another couple of blokes famed for outright pace were Alberto Ascari and Jimmy Clarke....

[Seleukos]

Ahhh Seleukos, Turkey has been in F1 since 2004 IIRC.

This track in Turkey has just been built. This is its first trial. Anyways, I have to turn to Alonso for this season. He has been giving Shue a run for his money.

[Shadow_Imperator]

I disagree, I reckon last year it was raced on... For some reason, I'm adament I remember something about that corner with the 'four' apexs... I'm very very sure it is Turkey...

[Rush Limbaugh]

I disagree, I reckon last year it was raced on... For some reason, I'm adament I remember something about that corner with the 'four' apexs... I'm very very sure it is Turkey...

2005 Turkish Grand Prix

Race
Pos No Driver Team Tyre Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 9 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes M 58 1'24:34.454 1 10
2 5 Fernando Alonso Renault M 58 +18.609 3 8
3 10 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes M 58 +19.635 4 6
4 6 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault M 58 +37.973 2 5
5 3 Jenson Button BAR-Honda M 58 +39.304 13 4
6 16 Jarno Trulli Toyota M 58 +55.420 5 3
7 14 David Coulthard RBR-Cosworth M 58 +1:09.292 12 2
8 15 Christian Klien RBR-Cosworth M 58 +1:11.622s 10 1
9 4 Takuma Sato BAR-Honda M 58 +1:19.987s 20
10 2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari B 57 +1 lap 11
11 11 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas M 57 +1 lap 16
12 17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota M 57 +1 laps 9
13 20 Robert Doornbos Minardi-Cosworth B 55 +3 laps 17
14 19 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota B 55 +3 laps 18
15 18 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota B 55 +3 laps 14
RET 21 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth B 48 +10 laps 15
RET 1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari B 32 +26 laps 19
RET 8 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW M 29 +29 laps 6
RET 12 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas M 28 +30 laps 8
RET 7 Mark Webber Williams-BMW M 20 +38 laps 7

[Seleukos]

Oh wait. I remember now. Thats the race where michelin tires kept going flat. I watched every race in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. That was a good race.

Sorry, I was drynk last night and dont remember things very well.