Formula 1

[Ace1965]

I'm glad to see this thread.

First off my favorite team is Ferrari. My favorite driver is Michael Schumacher. Mainly when he was with Ferrari so I'm pretty torn this year. I would really like to see Massa win the championship after losing it on the final corner in 2008 and going through what he did last year with the injury.

If Massa doesn't win it I would like to see Vettel get it. I think Vettel will become champion one day. If it were not for a lot of engine troubles last year and a stupid mistake in Australia he very well could have done it last year.

One thing I would really like to see this year is for the Sauber to have good pace and maybe put Kobayashi on the podium. He was so much fun to watch in his brief season last year. I really hope he is the real thing.

This should be one of the most interesting seasons in quite some time. I can't wait for it to start.

[FlyStrat]

Alonso is my bet!

[Desert Dream]

Originally Posted by fleetwood77

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!"

I beg to differ slightly

Senna was alot more ruthless than Schumacher ever was because he thought he was bullet proof and winning was the only thing he lived for no matter the cost. Senna drove the nuts off a car to win and never relied on teamates or team orders. Just ask Alain Prost lol.

What about the drivers who won on skill alone ? Jim Clarke, Graham Hill, Alain Prost ? To name but a few.

Since the 90s its been who ever has the best car and not the driver with the most skill. Would it not be more entertaining to watch teams with an almost even playing field ( I say almost, as there will always be a couple of teams ahead of everyone else due to money ) where both drivers were given equal status.

Would you not think that would make for a better spectacle ? As drivers would have to fight more and make the the winning 3 on the rostrum that more unpredictable ? Which surely be a good thing right ?

I agree with most what ya said NIN, the likes of Webber, Vettal and Kobayashi, man did he do some driving or what ?! Like to see more of that please

Whats your thoughts Fleetwood77 What would you think would make F1 better. Do you agree with the new rule changes ? Would you prefer one driver and one team to dominate and make F1 predicatable ?

[nevermind]

Originally Posted by NoChance

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

Beats me...
maybe Christian Fittipaldi ..?

[Desert Dream]

Originally Posted by nevermind

Beats me...
maybe Christian Fittipaldi ..?

Haymarket said It earlier Nev The answer was Hill

[crazybikerme]

Through business I've visited the McLaren HQ a few times.

Trust me, The best job in the World is Personnel manager at McLaren!!

They just don't employ ugly women!!

[nevermind]

Originally Posted by nevermind

Beats me...
maybe Christian Fittipaldi ..?

Originally Posted by Desert Dream

Haymarket said It earlier Nev The answer was Hill

It seems i did not get the question.
I didn't know christian name means first name..
Haymarket's answer makes sense to me now.
I'll remember that...

Thank's nev,

[Desert Dream]

Originally Posted by nevermind

It seems i did not get the question.
I didn't know christian name means first name..
Haymarket's answer makes sense to me now.
I'll remember that...

Thank's nev,

If its any help Nev mate I was confused myself for a while too and it took a while for the penny to drop

[henryf]

It's probably not relevant to these discussions, but my memories of Formula 1 go back to the late 1950s. I can remember watching the likes of Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham etc racing (on TV I hasten to mention.) The cars were obviously much less safe - imagine driving a high performance racing car on tyres narrower than your average family saloon of today. The racing was, however, just that - racing. In 1961 Stirling Moss, driving for a private entrant, Rob Walker, won the Monaco grand prix. This would be unthinkable nowadays. It is big business. The drivers were "gentlemen drivers". They used to race everything that was going and for the sheer pleasure - spectacular saloon car racing, sports cars and anything else. Jim Clark died during a Formula 2 race. Unthinkable these days.

Even allowing for the tricks that memories can play, I still think the racing in those days was much more exciting and the results less predictable.

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by Desert Dream

A certain Mr Schumacher effectively killed the sport as the race was over before it started !

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. ?[/B]

I would beg to disagree.

If the sport was "effectively killed off" because Schumacher kept winning, that was not Schumacher's fault! All the drivers are trying to win! Surely, therefore, it was the "fault" of the other teams and drivers for not being able to match Schumacher and Ferrari! Did Ali "effectively kill off boxing" because he he kept winning? Did Sampras or Federer "effectively kill off tennis" because they kept winning? I think not! It was up to everyone else to raise their game.

As for Schumacher winning 1994 "by default" ... I'm not quite sure what you mean, unless you're talking about the fact that Senna was killed that year. However, going into the fateful San Marino GP, Schumacher was already 20 points ahead of Senna, after TWO races. At the Brazilian GP, Senna was on pole with MS behind him. MS had a slow start but caught Senna, and by lap 21 was ahead. Senna later lost control, spun off and retired. At the Pacific GP, Senna was on pole with MS behind him, but MS was ahead by the first corner! If you're suggesting that MS wouldn't have won in 1994 if Senna had been alive, I do think that's pushing it somewhat! Oh ... and for the record, I was a huge fan of Senna!

As for the "he only won because of Team orders". First of all, Irvine couldn't get close to him! Even with MS helping Irvine in 1999 (after Schumacher's Silverstone crash) Eddie was struggling!

Rubens is a good, steady driver, and comes across as a likeable guy, but I do not know a single person who would even suggest that he was ever in the same class as MS. On his day, he could give MS a run for his money, but those days were few and far between.

The simple fact is that Ferrari favoured MS because he was the better driver. If you listen to some people (and I don't mean you, DD), you'd think Rubens and Irvine were better but were somehow held back!

In addition, most teams have number 1 drivers. In 1985 Senna was demanding No. 1 status at Lotus, and in 1986, Senna refused to have Warwick at Lotus. He said the team couldn't run 2 competitive cars (!) so they should concentrate on just one! Anyone care to guess which one? Yup ... Senna's!

It wasn't even unusual in days gone by for the No.1 driver to retire, and then have the team call in one of the other drivers so that he could hand his car over to the No.1 driver! It's about winning!

Then there's the "Schumacher always had the latest bits on his car" argument. So what? If there are only new bits available for one car, every team gives them to the driver best able to exploit the advantage. It's not a Schumacher/Ferrari thing! Last year, every time McLaren had a new part for their car, Hamilton got it. At the German GP, he even got new a new front wing, new side pods, a new engine cover, a new floor and a new rear diffuser (all worth 8 tenths of a second a lap!) and Heikki was left to run the old stuff! Of course, Heikki then beat Hamilton by a fair margin!

Schumacher kept winning because he was an incredibly quick driver and was part of an awesome team which knew how to win. I admire that!