Formula 1

[nevermind]

I wonder what he has to proof by rejoining the F1..



Believe he once said "Life is boring without racing".
Well in that case just keep racing till you're 80 years old.. !!!!


.

[NoChance]

Just a check for real fans. Which surname has appeard as World Champion with three different christian (first) names?

[haymarket]

HILL - Phil , Graham, and Damon.

[tony_grego]

Originally Posted by henryf

I do hope the races will be decided on the track, and not by a team's performance in the pit lane. Bring back the days of overtaking!

I agree. I think last years, the championship is deserved more by mechanical teams than drivers or cars. Anyone remember some great overtaking in the race, not in the pits?

[NoChance]

Originally Posted by tony_grego

I agree. I think last years, the championship is deserved more by mechanical teams than drivers or cars. Anyone remember some great overtaking in the race, not in the pits?

The Competition is "The Contructors' Championship" and you have to follow the rules (unless you are MS driving a F) so why bother about overtaking if you can gain the advantage by better pit stops and tactics?

One thing is sure. The rules will be changed to stop the likes of Brawn and Button from winning from scratch again.

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by redkos

Mercedes-GP all the way......McLaren-Mercedes has been ROBBED one way or another over the last few years and Merecedes Benz deserves to have the contructors championship (they had the drivers championship with Hamilton). Of course it might help to not have ex-Ferrari personal at the FIA front office for once.......

OK ... you've lost me!

It's the "not having ex-Ferrari personnel at the FIA front office for once" comment, as it implies that there used to be ex-Ferrari personnel, but there aren't now.

It's exactly the opposite!

Max Mosley worked for the March F1 Team (no connection to Ferrari), while the new FIA President, Jean Todt, is a former Team boss of Ferrari.

As for McLaren being "robbed" over the last few years ...
They last won it in 1998.
Ferrari won it fair and square from 1999 - 2004. Renault won it fair and square in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, McLaren were thrown out of the Constructors' Championship having been found guilty of spying, as a number of McLaren personnel were illegally obtaining confidential competitor's data. That was against the rules, and despite repeatedly pleading innocence, it became clear that the team were telling porkies! They were even mind-numbingly stupid enough to keep telling porkies after they had been warned, and the top brass were apparently incapable of finding out what was going on in their own team! When the FIA sent investigators in, they found the relevant information in next to no time! The word "Doh!" springs to mind!

The result of all this was that McLaren ended up publishing a grovelling apology to everyone ... which always makes me wonder why some people still think that McLaren were somehow innocent!

Part of the published apology ...


"As a result of the investigations carried out by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile it has become clear that Ferrari information was more widely disseminated within McLaren than was previously communicated. McLaren has also written to the World Motor Sport Council to apologise that it has taken an FIA investigation to find this information and have expressed our deep regret that our understanding of the facts was improved as a result of the FIA inspection rather than our own investigations. McLaren has recognised that this entire situation could have been avoided if we had informed Ferrari and the FIA about Nigel Stepney's first communication when it came to our attention. We are, of course, embarrassed by the successive disclosures and have apologised unreservedly to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. McLaren wish to make a public apology to the FIA, Ferrari, the Formula 1 community and to Formula 1 fans throughout the world and offer their assurance that changes are now being made which will ensure that nothing comparable to what has taken place will ever happen again."

Oh ... and Ferrari won it fair and square in 2008, and Brawn (with a Mercedes engine) won it fair and square in 2009 ... so the team you want to win it this year "sort of" won it last year.

[otokonomidori]

I don't care who wins and I don't care if they lie, cheat, steal, crash etc to do it - F1 has always been about getting the unfair advantage and all this "sporting" shit is ruining it.

[Desert Dream]

I myself have been something of a die hard fan of F1 since the late 80s and enjoyed many a great season since then. Since around 2003 or 2004 however, F1 became boring and unwatchable, why ?

A certain Mr Schumacher effectively killed the sport as the race was over before it started ! You didnt need to watch the race as you knew the result. He may have a certain amount of talent and the record books will show him to be one the greatest drivers of all time. What the records will not show however, is how he won most of those titles. First title was won by default and at least 4 other titles were won thanks to team orders given to the likes of Eddie Irvine and Rubens barrichello who where never allowed to race properly or win races. Add to that the fact that Ferrari gave special treatment, never shared technical data and always had the latest parts on his car. Is It any wonder Schumacher won as much as he did ?

So I cant believe Im in the minority here that Im not glad to see hes back. ?

Since he retired look how many drivers have won races ? For a while at least there was more than one team battling to win. Who could forget the last race of the season in Brazil when Lewis Hamilton won on the last corner !! I've never seen a race like that EVER !!

Anyhooo, I've had my rant

Incase you didnt know this season the rules have yet again been changed and could make for a more open season ?

NO REFUELLING

REFUELLING during races is banned for the first time since 1993. Fuel tanks have doubled to hold around 250 litres of petrol. Car handling will change dramatically as weight reduces from around 170kg at start with protecting tyres now a key factor. Expect pit stops of less than three seconds when drivers come in to change tyres.

QUALIFYING

TWELVE teams (24 cars) will take part in qualifying. The seven slowest drop out after first 20-minute period. Seven more go after next 15-minute session leaving the 10 fastest to compete in final 10-minute shootout.

TYRES

FRONT tyre width has been reduced from 270mm to 245mm, making cars more difficult to handle.

POINTS

THE first 10 drivers will now score points with a bigger incentive to win races rather than settle for second place. The winner gets 25 points, second place 18, third 15 and then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.

As for who I would like to win this season ? I wish someone like Barrichello would win as hes been close more than once but the reality is, he wont get that close again. Even though I'm not that much of a fan of Ferrari, Massa is another driver I hope does well. After that freak accident he has made a hell of a recovery, so good luck to him.

You can guess who I DONT wanna win The winner will be the driver and team that has adopted to the new rules the quickest, just look to last year with Brawn and Button.

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by Desert Dream

A certain Mr Schumacher effectively killed the sport as the race was over before it started ! You didnt need to watch the race as you knew the result. He may have a certain amount of talent and the record books will show him to be one the greatest drivers of all time. What the records will not show however, is how he won most of those titles. First title was won by default and at least 4 other titles were won thanks to team orders given to the likes of Eddie Irvine and Rubens barrichello who where never allowed to race properly or win races. Add to that the fact that Ferrari gave special treatment, never shared technical data and always had the latest parts on his car. Is It any wonder Schumacher won as much as he did ?

So I cant believe Im in the minority here that Im not glad to see hes back. ?

Exactly what I mean about getting an unfair advantage - that's part of the driver's job - to be in the best car and to make sure HE has the best of every thing in his own team. Senna was just the same as Schumacher , so were all the great drivers all the way back to Fangio.

As AJ Foyt once said , "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser!"

[NIN]

Originally Posted by Desert Dream

Who could forget the last race of the season in Brazil when Lewis Hamilton won on the last corner !! I've never seen a race like that EVER !!

That could have been an early symptom of Toyotas' current throttle problems though?
I can't help but love it, despite its shenanagins, didn't enjoy it when results were altered hours (sometimes days)after the flag ,but this season will be another good shuffle of the pack for all the reasons you mentioned DD. Schumie, Ross Braun(Now an O.B.E.) & Mercedes will be a force.
It would be nice to see Massa come back well,the guy deserves it.Webber sharpened up last year and Kobiyashi (is it?) was exciting to watch at the end of the season,a true racer! But it's Sebastian Vettel is who I might be favouring.
I didn't like the way Jenson Button leapt away from Braun after all Ross had done for him.And i'm not too optimistic about Hamilton & Button as team mates.
I thought Button missed a trick though when i saw him interviewed earlier this week,a perfect opportunity to have said "I hope that Lewis is 100% behind me this season"