International Young Naturists Organisation
General Talk (primarily non-naturist) => The Sports Bar! => Topic started by: Alex on March 01, 2011, 06:08:05 pm
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New thread for this coming season, just to keep things nice and neat.
So what do you think about this season, predictions for the world champ, fastest car, biggest surprise?
Personally I'm looking forward to Schumacher getting a semi-decent car, as I've been a fan of his since I was a boy. As a proud Scot I'm also looking forward to Paul di Resta's rookie season, even if he won't be in a team famed for its reliability or competitiveness...
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Too bad Kubica won't participate. He was one of my favorite pilots.
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No prizes for guessing who I'll barrack for. I haven't heard much about the new season yet, don't know who's in/ out or in what car...Hoping for a great championship though.
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It's difficult to ascertain the form based on pre-season testing, but the word is that RBR and Ferarri are looking the strongest. There's some unusual designs detailed on f1.com: STR double floor; williams' compact rear end and high angle driveshaft; and renaults forward exiting exhausts - so hopefully some of those teams can fight a bit closer to the front this year. KERS is back and with the new chassis and tyres teams are able to package them better minimizing the previous ballast issues. Adjustable rear wings are the fia's contribution to overtaking but I'm sure the top teams will figure out ways to spoil it somehow.
pirelli tyres will be the biggest change. Apparently they are very soft and should put a big emphasis on how drivers can manage the wear.
I'd say the order will be about the same (as usual), with Ferarri; mclaren; rbr up front - the usual mid-grid teams fighting it out - and the duds at the back. Lotus may be able to move into the pack with renault power but hrt and virgin seem to be lacking improvement. I've not heard much news of mercedes other than some reliability issues in testing. I'd say they will be fighting renault for the "best of the rest" again - with nico in front of schumacher again.
Looking forward to the new engine and chassis regs in 2013. Engine freeze for so long has been a bit stagnant hopefully it will free up design and allow some other teams to move up.
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So Germany's Vettel has won round 1 in Australia. Webber only coming in 5th, but not having seen the race I can't comment on whether it was a good race or not. Anyone here see it?
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So Germany's Vettel has won round 1 in Australia. Webber only coming in 5th, but not having seen the race I can't comment on whether it was a good race or not. Anyone here see it?
I haven't watched it either...because of the time zone, it began very late here (3 AM) :44444444
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I watched it and I'm devastated....vettel looks absolutely untouchable!! according to brundles, in turn 11 he was 17kph faster than ANY OTHER CAR! His qualy lap was 8/10ths quicker than 2nd
regarding the form - the Red Bull is clearly superior again. McLaren (who were shit in testing) have redesigned their rear end and are now looking quite speedy. Ferrari were not looking good at all, but they are a team who will always improve quickly. Massa has not found his old form but expect to see alonso mixing it up front in a few months. Petrov put the renault in 3rd which is mega for him, and for renault. It's a real shame kubica is out, and is unlikely to return (to his previous form at least).
In the mid-grid: Mercedes where shithouse and it looks like their chassis is a dud; sauber were looking extremely speedy, but I heard today that they were disqualified for a non-compliant rear wing (we will see how that pans out for them after a re-design). Williams not looking good (no emoticon can express my disappointment with this); torro rosso seem to have improved while force india (who seemed to be making progress last year) seem to have stalled (though they placed ok). The three noob teams from last year did poorly, with lotus the best of them (again) but with the 107% rule BOTH HRT's failed to qualify.
looking forward to malaysia
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I watched it and I'm devastated....vettel looks absolutely untouchable!! according to brundles, in turn 11 he was 17kph faster than ANY OTHER CAR! His qualy lap was 8/10ths quicker than 2nd
...and thats without the use of KERS. It looks like they could dominate the early stages of the season although McLaren are quickly improving. And as you already mentioned Ferrari always seem to improve quickly too. And with Petrov finishing 3rd and Kubica hopefully returning sooner rather than later, Renault could be the suprise package this season and play a small part in the title race.
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I watched it and I'm devastated....vettel looks absolutely untouchable!! according to brundles, in turn 11 he was 17kph faster than ANY OTHER CAR! His qualy lap was 8/10ths quicker than 2nd
...and thats without the use of KERS. It looks like they could dominate the early stages of the season although McLaren are quickly improving. And as you already mentioned Ferrari always seem to improve quickly too. And with Petrov finishing 3rd and Kubica hopefully returning sooner rather than later, Renault could be the suprise package this season and play a small part in the title race.
Can Kubica still return this year? I don't think so, his injuries were pretty bad, weren't they?
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Last I heard on kubica was no chance of return to competition this year. It's sad to say, but I'd be surprised if he is still as competitive even when he does return.
We all know massa lost his edge after his accident. Ferrari have kept him on out of loyalty but it seems unlikely he will retain his seat beyond his 2011 contract. In an ironic twist, kubica was the most likely candidate to replace massa.
combined with webbers mountain biking injuries, it begs the question: should drivers be contractually obliged to avoid risking injury outside of f1? In the old days, a driver signing with ferrari mclaren etc.was expected to drive for the company, and would contest lemans, mille miglia, can-am, sports cars, f2 and many others. These days the risk would be considered too high and it does seem risky to let an asset like kubica contest low-level rallying (a rather dangerous sport itself) as a hobby.
I'd forgotten that the rbr's were not using their kers (a problem perhaps?). Has it been confirmed that they were not using the system or was it an issue with the tv graphic not showing it's use?
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I'd forgotten that the rbr's were not using their kers (a problem perhaps?). Has it been confirmed that they were not using the system or was it an issue with the tv graphic not showing it's use?
They said that in practice KERS just simply wouldnt kick in. So they ran the race without it.
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Who saw the grand prix this weekend? It was another won for Vettel but the McLarens are getting ever closer with Jenson just 3 seconds behind. It was great to see Heidfeld back on the podium, i think he is very much underated and its a shame hes just filling in for Kubica as I feel he deserves a permanent place and could also make a great 2nd driver for one of the top teams such as Ferrari. As a Brit it was great to see Di Resta in the points again, it looks like he could have a great rookie season.
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GREAT race!!! who says there's no overtaking in f1??? :324
kers is looking like a chink in the rbr armour though? Webbers failed on the grid with disastrous results, and vettel told to stop using it halfway through the race. with less than a week till china, it's unlikely they will resolve the issue in the short term and china has a mega long back straight - watch out for hamilton this weekend!
I read something about newey saying the kers problems are numerous and they are still finding new ones.
one funny thing I noticed though - the renaults appeared to have a visible gap in the rear wing (with the flap closed). As far as I know the wing must be "single plane" when the drs is not functioning. I'm sure if it was not legit it would have been noticed but they were the only cars with that gap.
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One more time I hadn't seen the race :(
But everyone is telling me it was great!
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good race. webber made a great fightback from 18th to finish 3rd.
Jensen made a critical mistake and stopped in vettels box for the pit stop
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What a race in China, the best of the year so far. 10 laps from the end I had no idea who was going to win or who would even finish on the podium. Its great to see Hamilton win his and McLarens first race of the season, Button was unlucky to finish 4th and to have such an embarassing moment that I'm sure his colleages will give him stick for. I was sad not to see Di Resta in the points again too but all in all it was a fabulous race and I hope the rest will follow suit.
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yeah should be a good season pirelli rubber is really making it unpredictable.
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yeah should be a good season pirelli rubber is really making it unpredictable.
:3145 could be the best season yet
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Vettel won again!
Good race of Alonso, I hope he gets better results through the whole season.
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yeah nice racing from Vettel, Webber and Alonso. Bring on the next race.
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Shame to see DRS play such a huge part though. Can't help feeling it's taking the racing out of racing.
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Shame to see DRS play such a huge part though. Can't help feeling it's taking the racing out of racing.
Yeah it wasn't quite right. It's been ok at previous races but they must have buggered up the length or location of the drs zone because a pass just shouldn't be that easy.
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Shame to see DRS play such a huge part though. Can't help feeling it's taking the racing out of racing.
Yeah it wasn't quite right. It's been ok at previous races but they must have buggered up the length or location of the drs zone because a pass just shouldn't be that easy.
Agreed. I just don't like the principal in general though. Drivers didn't need it before, and I reckon a pass should be down to the skill of the driver, not a go faster button.
That, and we shouldn't change the rules of the sport because TV audiences are declining -.-
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There's been a lot of suggestions flying around in the last few years about how to "improve the spectacle"...and the drs probably wasnt the best of them. I say scrap it as a passing aid and let all cars use it at will - it adds the challenge of who can open their wing the earliest without reversing it into the wall at 200mph
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I think the DRS is a good idea but combined with KERS its just over the top and as has already been mentioned, it takes the racing out of racing. I think if it was just DRS, to provide more overtaking, then i think it could be great. But KERS is the killer for me, its not needed (look at Red Bull) and it just ruins the excitement of 2 or 3 cars abreast all looking for the same apex. Instead cars are flying past each other on the straights and the move is over before they even get to the breaking zone for the next corner.
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So qualifying in Monaco is just about to start, who do you think will win the race this weekend?
I cant see anyone beating Vettel this week as he is so dominant in qualifying and we all know how difficult it is to overtake at Monaco. I am hoping for a good weekend from Massa this weekend as he has had so much bad luck this year and hasnt been the same since that awful crash, and his second home is just 5 minutes away from the track so he knows it well. Im also hoping for a McLaren to finally beat Red Bull in qualiying and maybe then we will see someone else win a race.
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What an amazing race!!!! Really awesome!
But I strongly disagree about the ending part. Vettel's tires were crappy before red flag. He probably would not have won. And so, red flag comes, and he changes his tires! And so does Alonso! And Hamilton fixes his wings! This type of thing shoiuld not be allowed!
And WTF Hamilton? Waht a lame race. Involved in so many accidents. And he deserves to be punished by destroying Maldonado's best race so far.
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What an amazing race!!!! Really awesome!
But I strongly disagree about the ending part. Vettel's tires were crappy before red flag. He probably would not have won. And so, red flag comes, and he changes his tires! And so does Alonso! And Hamilton fixes his wings! This type of thing shoiuld not be allowed!
And WTF Hamilton? Waht a lame race. Involved in so many accidents. And he deserves to be punished by destroying Maldonado's best race so far.
I agree it was a great race but Button deserved to win. In my opinion the top 3 should of been 1st Button 2nd Alonso 3rd Vettel. I think having caused so many accidents Hamilton deserves to of been black flagged after taking out Maldonado. I hope Perez and Petrov will be ok though, both have been injured this weekend.
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yeah I was sad for williams as maldonardo was having a great race. at least they finally bagged two points.
As for the red flag...that's racing!! :) they've always been allowed to work on the cars under red flag. Don't think alonso & button would have walked it though it's a shame the three-way battle didn't materialise.
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I missed the Monaco GP. Who was on the podium? How did Webber go?
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I missed the Monaco GP. Who was on the podium? How did Webber go?
1. Vettel
2. Alonso
3. Button
4. Webber
5. Kobayashi
6. Hamilton
7. Sutil
8. Heidfeld
9. Barrichello
10. Buemi
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I missed the Monaco GP. Who was on the podium? How did Webber go?
1. Vettel
2. Alonso
3. Button
4. Webber
5. Kobayashi
6. Hamilton
7. Sutil
8. Heidfeld
9. Barrichello
10. Buemi
Cheers Daft! :) Will see if I can find a replay of the race.
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As for the red flag...that's racing!! :) they've always been allowed to work on the cars under red flag.
I know it's legal...I just thought it was kind of unfair, specially for the battle between Vettel, Alonso and Button. It served as an extra pit stop, in a moment of the race in which none of them could ever think of making a pit stop without losing positions.
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Another shitty race by Hamilton. Involved in 2 incidents in less than 10 laps, and now he's out.
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Red flag!
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WHAT AN AMAZING RACE MY FRIENDS!!
JENSON BUTTON SPECTACULAR! ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES I'VE SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!
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WHAT AN AMAZING RACE MY FRIENDS!!
JENSON BUTTON SPECTACULAR! ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES I'VE SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!
:323232 :3456 :3456 :3456 :2345 :2345 :2345
Vettel caved to Button! :63424
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yeah it was a relief to see him make a mistake finally! Shame he didn't touch a wall to help reduce the points gap to first :D Great work from Button in the end too I have to admit, right up to the final laps I wasnt expecting him to score more than a couple of points.
Also I feel he's worth mention: Michael Schumacher drove a great race to finish 4th and only just missed the podium. I know he's not to everybodys taste, but it's good to see him get a result finally
Great race at a great circuit - was worth the 2 hour wait for the red flag to lift. Race coverage started at 3am here, so I was exhausted by the end but worth the wait nevertheless
Salut Gilles
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WHAT AN AMAZING RACE MY FRIENDS!!
JENSON BUTTON SPECTACULAR! ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES I'VE SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!
Possibly even better than Hamiltons drive in GP2 before he joined McClaren Hamilton Fightback (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjotF2Bwbmg#)
The race was awesome, by far the most exciting, unpredictable and nail biting race I have seen for a while. There was even a point where I thought Schumacher was going to steal his 1st victory since he retired. Jenson was amazing, Hamilton was poor and Di Resta was unlucky so mixed results for the brits but Button was just incredible. Im glad to see Schumacher up there again and I was disappointed that he didnt get a podium. Vettels mistake makes the whole season so much more exciting, now we know that he is infact human and not a machine and he does make mistakes, it shows that this season isnt just going to be a repeat of Schumachers dominance in the early 00's.
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I'm pretty mad. I recorded the race as it started at 2am here....but due to the rain, most of the broadcast was taken up with the cars sitting at the start/ finish line waiting for a break in the ran. I didn't even get to the restart.....so who won??? How did Webber do?
I was annoyed and confused at Hamilton....why is he trying to run everyone off the road? Monaco was bad last race, but this time he had a go at Webber and then his own team mate...What's with that?
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I'm pretty mad. I recorded the race as it started at 2am here....but due to the rain, most of the broadcast was taken up with the cars sitting at the start/ finish line waiting for a break in the ran. I didn't even get to the restart.....so who won??? How did Webber do?
Button won. Webber finished in 3rd place.
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I'm pretty mad. I recorded the race as it started at 2am here....but due to the rain, most of the broadcast was taken up with the cars sitting at the start/ finish line waiting for a break in the ran. I didn't even get to the restart.....so who won??? How did Webber do?
Button won. Webber finished in 3rd place.
Thanks for that Daft!
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For a while at the end it was Vettel out far in front and then Webber and Schumacher in 2nd and 3rd. And then Button came shooting up from the back of the pack and for a while Webber, Schumacher and Button were battling for 2nd place, but then Button shot ahead of them all to win
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Did everybody catch the race? ...another close onein valencia!
I love the braking zone into the last corner. braking on a bend looks scary and people always seem to get a little loose there.
Ferrari look to have found some form, with alonso charging home to second. Another win for vettel
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I watched it too...but I found the race boring.
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Valencia is usually bad, but this year was horrific. Bernie never will, but drop the European GP and shorten the season by a race - with all these new ones coming in, it's not like they'll be short of money...
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I watched it too...but I found the race boring.
:3145 The best part of the race was watching the four cars battling for 13th, and we only saw that battle for about 90 seconds.
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With the exception of Valencia, this season has been fantastic, but realistically, setting a record for most finishers isn't exactly a good thing in F1.
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canada was one of the greatest races i have ever seen
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With the exception of Valencia, this season has been fantastic, but realistically, setting a record for most finishers isn't exactly a good thing in F1.
:3145 Even the British Grand Prix was more exciting this year. I was hoping Lewis Hamilton would make it all the way through to 1st or at least a podium but unfortunately McLaren messed up again and under fueled him. It was great to see Alonso finally get his first win though, I think he deserves it more than anyone at the moment.
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yeah he worked hard for it.
Shame for webber, though I thought he was a little closer to sebs pace than previous races this year (hard to know with tyre strategy though). typical media anti-climax re: off-throttle blown diffusers
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yeah he worked hard for it.
Shame for webber, though I thought he was a little closer to sebs pace than previous races this year (hard to know with tyre strategy though). typical media anti-climax re: off-throttle blown diffusers
If it wasn't for team orders I am pretty sure Webber would of taken Vettel.
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Did anybody see Vettel on Top Gear? He was awesome, and good fun in the interview too. He seems like a really cool guy.
Sebastian Vettel On Top Gear (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqHYy2yZ4qI#ws)
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yeah he worked hard for it.
Shame for webber, though I thought he was a little closer to sebs pace than previous races this year (hard to know with tyre strategy though). typical media anti-climax re: off-throttle blown diffusers
If it wasn't for team orders I am pretty sure Webber would of taken Vettel.
I'm going to have to disagree there, Seb was defending like a champ. Webber said he ignored the orders anywhere, so he didn't manage it in the end.
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yeah at the time I didn't think he would get past. couple more laps then yeah
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Great race today, huh? Battles for the first 5 positions till the very end of the race.
But once again, Ferrari mechanics did a poor job in Massa's pit stop and he lost the 4th place at the end :(
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what are peoples thoughts on the bbc/sky deal?
As far as I can tell, Australia will continue to get every race live on free to air. Seems a shame for brittish fans thought!!
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what are peoples thoughts on the bbc/sky deal?
As far as I can tell, Australia will continue to get every race live on free to air. Seems a shame for brittish fans thought!!
Especially as the BBC just won an Emmy for outstanding sports coverage. Money triumphing over sport again. Wonderful.
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I like Brundle :D
We get pretty good coverage here, which is the bbc feed but with our own post/pre-race stuff. Unfortunately there's a short ad break every 7 laps but with live timing on the pc screen we can keep abreast of who's moving during the ads.
Cheaper option for the Brits than paying for sky is to stream live races online
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That's true, although I find often that online streaming is really poor quality and pretty temperamental. The problem people have over here is that F1 has been on free-to-view TV (excluding paying your license fee) for as long as most people can remember, and putting it on to a subscription satellite service makes it unattainable for a lot of viewers. F1 went through a huge decline in the UK, and viewing figures have been pretty rapidly rising since BBC took over. Shame that the sport will probably lose lots of these new viewers come next season.
Only positive I've thought of so far is that the BBC might just lose some of the slightly less interesting races (e.g. Valencia) and kepp the good ones, but that's really scraping the bottom of the barrel for a silver lining...
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so who saw the race and especially webbers fantastic pass on alonso at eau rouge? huge balls!
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yeah great race! SHame Hamilton was taken out early. Could have been more interesting with him in the mix. Was a shame also that Alonso could do nothing to defend his second and then third position from a fast finishing Webber and Button. Driver of the day was Schumacher starting in last place (24th) and finishing 5th...what a drive.
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And Vettel won another one...depending on the positions, he can already be champion in the next race. Wow!
Also, nice to see Bruno Senna win his first points. :)
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Yeah bruno went hard and he's much more noticeable in a renault :D I thought di resta did well too.
Shame for all those taken out in first corner shenanigans and I noticed a few by mechanical failures too...
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So conrats to Vettel who tied up the drivers world title at Suzuka on Sunday.
It's a shame to have it decided with four races still to go but shows his and RBR's dominant form this year.
Jensen was in great form too, winning the race by getting the most from the soft tyre - and earning me a few bucks in the process (woot!)
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Yeah Congrats to Vettel on a great season. That guy is unstoppable! Will be interesting to see who finishes second.
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Hopefully webber can get back into second, though Jensen and his mclaren are finding some late form.
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Yeah congrats to Vettel although I do agree with hemingway, it would be better if it had gone down to a final race decider with Vettel and Button left fighting it out for the championship. Now I can only hope Jenson can keep 2nd. But its still going to be exciting seeing who finishes in the top 3. Could be any of; Button, Alonso, Webber and Hamilton though he is just an outside chance now. It will also be interesting to see which Mercedes driver gets the better finish, I think there is only 3 points between them now. Id love to see Di Resta finish in the top 10 though that is looking unlikely now.
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I was pretty impressed with the new track in india. Looks like Tilke finally thought up a different circuit design!!!
A nice fast, wide, undulating racetrack.
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I was pretty impressed with the new track in india. Looks like Tilke finally thought up a different circuit design!!!
A nice fast, wide, undulating racetrack.
I agree, great track. Will be better when the newly built track dust is sorted out.
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A great drive from Button again in the Indian GP. I would have loved it if he could have given Vettel a run for it but that Red Bull car just seems to be in a class of its own. Shame about Hamilton as it has to be said that was Massa's fault, Hamilton was just driving hard as usual, although I have to say that I think his driving style has lacked maturity this season.
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I guess you could say that about both of them though :76
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About Massa yeah. He doesn't seem to be the same sine the near fatal accident
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I was pretty impressed with the new track in india. Looks like Tilke finally thought up a different circuit design!!!
A nice fast, wide, undulating racetrack.
I agree, great track. Will be better when the newly built track dust is sorted out.
:3145 Theres so many great tracks coming onto the F1 circuit lately. I just hope they dont get rid of too many classic tracks.
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Chris I heard recently that Spa will alternate with French GP from 2013. Would be a shame as I always look forward to Spa. Hopefully they will go back to Paul Ricard or Dijon instead of spending squillions on a new boring track.
Monza and Monaco will always be safe, Silverstone has a long deal in place, and presume Hockenheim will continue to alternate. Interlagos will need significant upgrades to retain it's spot, though it helps that Brazil is a huge and important market for f1. And they're the only old tracks that Bernie hasn't priced out of the game
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Do you think Button's overall better performance over Hamilton in the 2011 season should see him as driver 1 and not driver 2? After all, they have both been world champion!
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I think so and Button is also a more stable driver. Doesn't get as angry behind the wheel and Hamilton and that should be rewarded too.
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I think so and Button is also a more stable driver. Doesn't get as angry behind the wheel and Hamilton and that should be rewarded too.
:3145 He also has much more experiance than Hamilton.
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It's been a pretty good F1 season, but I'm looking forward to the off season and seeing where all the driver movements. Hopefully this is not Rubens last season in F1...he still has the speed and the hunger to succeed.
I hope someone can come up with a car capable of challenging the Red Bull next season too. Adrian Newey is an absolute genius.
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Did I hear news that Kimi Raikkonen will return to F1 next season??? interesting...
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It's heavily rumoured, but nothing concrete yet. I always thought he was wrong to leave anyway, would be nice to have him back among the (relatively) new crop.
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Did I hear news that Kimi Raikkonen will return to F1 next season??? interesting...
I certainly hope so. I miss him. He is soooo cool and was by far the best driver on the grid. I just hope if he does come back he gets a decent car.
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Who's going to be watching the last race of this season at the weekend then?
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I'll definately be watching. Interlagos is a great circuit
Did I hear news that Kimi Raikkonen will return to F1 next season??? interesting...
Yeah Williams are likely to announce Kimi's signing shortly
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As it starts at 3am here, I'll record it and watch it later.
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People are kind of disappointed here that, this year, championship is already decided, so the race won't be so decisive. Anyway, I still expect a good one.
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Second position is still up for grabs although I think Alonso will have to win the race to take it from Button
Another great race from Button, although a shame he couldn't quite make second in the race, although I'm sure Alonso won't be happy with being bumped down the championship standings to 5th!
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yeah unlucky for fernando and it's a shame after he made that fantastic pass on button early in the race. He actually finished the season in 4th though, as hamilton was DNF.
I was sad for Rubens too...the guy seems to have terrible luck at his home g.p. even after such a good qualy performance
I'm pleased that webber managed to grab a win before the seasons end though. Quite a good race
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I'll definately be watching. Interlagos is a great circuit
Did I hear news that Kimi Raikkonen will return to F1 next season??? interesting...
Yeah Williams are likely to announce Kimi's signing shortly
Well I couldn't have been more wrong about this...Kimi has joined Lotus Renault
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I heard that too. It'll be interesting what he is able to do with the car next year
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I was really hoping williams would get him. They could use some exposure and kimi could increse their value to sponsors in a big way.
I'm not really a renault fan since the arrival of lotus. I'll be cheering for caterham over lotus renault next year I think Fernandes has done a fantastic job and appears to be in it for the long term
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I'll definately be watching. Interlagos is a great circuit
Did I hear news that Kimi Raikkonen will return to F1 next season??? interesting...
Yeah Williams are likely to announce Kimi's signing shortly
Well I couldn't have been more wrong about this...Kimi has joined Lotus Renault
Oh no!! He's got no chance of being competitive in the Lotus....damn.
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Toddo this is lotus renault (not the former team lotus - now caterham f1). It's the best drive he could have hoped for anyway as the top teams had contracts in place - RBR have more drivers on the roster than they know what to do with; McLaren wouldn't give up their brittish dream team for kimi; and ferrari would still have a sour taste after their last contract with him.
Lotus are comfortable enough at the top of the mid-field but not quite able to challenge mercedes. I'd say they always have a chance at the start of the year as they have a reasonable budget and good facilities. A former world champion is good for a team like them too, they can demand more money for sponsorship and he's also experienced with top-flight teams so he can point help out development-wise. I reckon mercedes might have to work hard to stay ahead of them next year.
Can't wait for 2012!!!!
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Fair enough, I hope he has a great 2012 for them then. :)
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yeah me too I always liked his quiet honesty :) Also him leaving after winning the title like: "I've conqured f1 so now I need a new challenge" He probably couldn't have found anything harder than rally either!
6 former world champions on the grid for 2012 can only be good for us fans too :63424
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yeah me too I always liked his quiet honesty :) Also him leaving after winning the title like: "I've conqured f1 so now I need a new challenge" He probably couldn't have found anything harder than rally either!
6 former world champions on the grid for 2012 can only be good for us fans too :63424
:e2w :3145 should be a great season :)
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And hopefully not one dominated by Red Bull again. Can you imagine a season with different teams on the podium every race?
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And hopefully not one dominated by Red Bull again. Can you imagine a season with different teams on the podium every race?
Unlikely :( Sir Frank Williams once said: "If they wish to make F1 a level playing field, they would need to ban Adrian Newey"
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I was pleased to read that Dan Ricciardo landed a seat at torro rosso :63424
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A few teams are starting to reveal their new cars. I guess testing this month will reveal who has got it right though I can't wait 'till they line up at albert park
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/ferrari-take-new-direction-in-bid-to-recapture-the-magic/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/ferrari-take-new-direction-in-bid-to-recapture-the-magic/)
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/force-india-targetting-fifth-which-means-drivers-must-deliver/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/force-india-targetting-fifth-which-means-drivers-must-deliver/)
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/mclaren-launch-evolutionary-new-challenger/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/02/mclaren-launch-evolutionary-new-challenger/)
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/01/caterham-f1-team-unveil-teaser-shot-of-first-f1-car/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/01/caterham-f1-team-unveil-teaser-shot-of-first-f1-car/)
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Hi guys! :62213
As an old Formula One fan (since 1991) or motorsports fan in general, I can't wait for the new season to start. Although the following video was for the preview of 2011, may be some of you didn't know it before, so have fun. :66664333
http://www.youtube.com/embed/zGh1YpZAfhU (http://www.youtube.com/embed/zGh1YpZAfhU)
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It'll be interesting to see if there are any new drivers making their debut this season.
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It'll be interesting to see if there are any new drivers making their debut this season.
Actually there's is a few new guys this year, as well as some returning rookies who sat out 2011.
Romain Grosjean steps up from gp2 (he was champion) and replaces Petrov for Lotus. Petrov is now without a seat for 2012; Jean-Eric Vergne lines up for Toro Rosso; and Charles Pic for Marussia F1 (formerly Virgin). Interesting that they are all French as there's been a lot of talk about F1 finally returning to France, so I imagine they have significant commercial investment behind them. New guys Esteban Gutiérrez, Giedo van der Garde, and Valteri Bottas have all secured test driver deals with various teams.
Nico Hulkenberg returns to the grid, having replaced Adrian Sutil (who's having some legal issues); Narain Karthikeyan will drive a HRT; and, somewhat sadly - Ruebens Barrichello has lost his seat to Bruno Senna. With 19 consecutive seasons to his name (longer than I've been watching F1) his absence might feel strange to me.
Toro Rosso actually replaced both their drivers rather unceremoniously late in the game, so Daniel Ricciardo (GO AUSSIE!!!) joins Vergne. This leaves both Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi without a race seat for 2012, though Buemi did get the test driver role for Red Bull.
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Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in the first practice session. This made me so happy. Although the big teams (McLaren, Ferarri and Red Bull) weren't really pushing and some of the other teams were still using 2011 cars, but it still made me really happy. I have missed the Ice Man, since Mika Hakkinen left Kimi has been my favorite driver and he was by far the best driver on the grid at his time, but he was always so unfortunate with engine failures and his wheels falling off etc. I cant wait to see him race again and I just prayer Lotus have a competetive car if not this season then the next. I believe Kimi is the perfect driver to move them forward.
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F1 and WRC are pretty much the only two sports I have any interest in...Unfortunately, it's hard to see much of them in the USA :(
I don't know much about any particular teams but does anyone know where I might be able to stream the races online? We don't have TV.
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Advent I think our f1 broadcaster in australia streamed every race live on their website last year. I assume they would do the same this year
Keep an eye on this website when the season starts: http://tensport.com.au/motorsport.htm (http://tensport.com.au/motorsport.htm)
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always like to watch the f1 in melbourne great event
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always like to watch the f1 in melbourne great event
I'd love to go to Melbourne for the Grand Prix, it's number 4 on my list after Monza (was there in 2010, absolutely brilliant), Spa and Montréal.
Regarding the upcoming season, testing is throwing up a few surprises. Granted, pre-season testing often doesn't account for very much, but Lotus look pretty strong, Mercedes seem to have a solid if unspectacular car, Ferrari seem a little on the back foot, Red Bull seems to be strong but iffy on reliability, and McLaren have produced a brilliant looking car, for sure. I'm gonna guess I'm not alone with my opinion on the stepped noses this year.
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Yes the mclaren is by far the best looker!
The midfield looks pretty tight so hopefully there will be some good fights there, and yeah it would be great to see Lotus challenge Mercedes for best of the rest. I think the top three will stay the same, though hopefully closer.
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i hope Vettel does great again, i haven't got the time anymore to follow every grand prix like i did 5-6 years ago. But ever since Vettel started racing i loved him
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I wouldn't go as far as to say that Vettel is a young Schumacher, both have completely different styles, but I do hope that we don't see another repeat this year of the last two where it was essentially a one horse race. I'd like to see a more mixed podium this year!
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He's like Schumi in that they both had the dominant car. Not to take anything away from his talent of course, since there's no doubt he's one of the best drivers out there.
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2 years ago he just grabbed the title in the last race, it wasn't a one horse race..
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I'd say he's referring more to the 2011 season, though rbr still won the constructors title by a decent margin in 2010 - almost 50 points (2 race wins)
In 2011 the margin was more than 150 points (6 race wins). But at least we all knew who to bet on :D
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i'm getting excited already, 6 more days to go, thank god I gotta work till 5 in the morning sunday so i can watch the GP when i get home :3456
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i think the biggist surprise will be mercedes and schuhmacher but the world champion will be vettel
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Good to see the pace of the Maclarens but also Red Bull are not that far off either. It does look though that there will be more of a scrum this year than in last years, although I don't think that Ferrari look to be that competitive at the moment. Massa certainly seemed to be missing some form at the weekend.
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Loved the race it was the best Aussie GP in years.
Very tight at the front and lots of mid-field teams able to mix it in the points. Poor showing for Ferrari as even alonso was being pressed by a Williams in the final laps, though with their development pace ($$$$) I suspect they will at least be challenging for podiums within a month or two.
I was a bit concerned for red bull after quali, but they proved their car in the race.
...and Jensen proved that he is far superior to his teammate :322
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...and Jensen proved that he is far superior to his teammate :322
I think he proved that last season!
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Loved the race it was the best Aussie GP in years.
:3145 was a great gp .
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Got to say that last weekends China GP was a brilliant race. Close fighting to the finish with many more battles than usual and only Schumacher retiring due to a bad pit stop. Nico Rosberg winning his first GP was a great result as well.
Can't wait for the next one this weekend.
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Yeah it was a great race and a great season so far. 3 races and 3 different winners - Hamilton, who has finished third three times, leads the championship :D
And a definate congrats for nico and mercedes!! I thought button drove a great race (as usual), and without the fumbled wheel nut in his final stop, I suspect he would have been challenging nico for P1 in the final laps.
I read this morning that vettel was driving a 2011 spec rbr while webber stuck with the current chassis. Good to see webs getting one over his teammate again.
Hopefully all goes well (politically) in Bahrain. Anyone have any thoughts on whether it's appropriate for F1 to be going there at the moment? Although the teams are officially optimistic, there is a lot of unrest in the paddock about it - especially since some of these teams (McLaren at least) are funded by bahrain government money.
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I read this morning that vettel was driving a 2011 spec rbr while webber stuck with the current chassis.
That's not correct. Vettel drove a chassis and aero config which was used during the testing season in February at Barcelona. He thought it would be more predictable than the newest stage of development which was driven by Webber in comparison. A 2011 config wouldn't pass technical checks cause of the exhaust blown diffusors, for example.
That's one of those GPs I'd like to have in my archive. :63424 Big hand for Nico. Triple vitcory for Mercedes engines and a Norbert Haug wet through. :43224
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Good point! I must have mis-interpreted.
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Great raceat catalunya on sunday with the lead up for grabs right down to the last few laps.
Best of all...Williams FINALLY won a gp!! I've suffered the ridicule of my ferarri and mclaren supporting friends for many years
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Yeah it was a good race. Dunno what happened to the RedBulls, but great to see Pastor Maldonado with his first F1 victory in Spain. That's now 5 different winners from 5 different teams winning the first 5 races. First time since about 1983. I don't understand why it's such a close championship this year but I like it.
It also appears Lotus/ Renault team did extremely well signing Kimi Raikkonen as he's now finished on the podium in the last 2 races and would have done so 3 races ago if his tyres hadn't gone so spectacularly bad at the end of the race seeing him go from 2nd to finish 14th in the last few laps in China.
Can't wait for Monaco next week.
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It's not just kimi, it seems that the lotus (renault) outfit have actually built a decent car as grosjean is going well also. Their fisrt good car for quite a while.
I suspect that the banning of exhaust blown diffusers has equalised the field significantly. It's an area that requries intensive research and development which only the big teams can afford. By banning it, those big teams have lost a lot of downforce while the smaller teams - which couldn't afford the R&D - are not any worse off than they were last year. Sadly, that gap will likely reappear next year, as the big budget teams find other areas to develop that that the midfield teams simply can't afford.
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Who's next?
Five GPs, 5 different winners. I'm a big fan of this season. :2345 So, Monaco always offers thrilling and unexpected races. Who's to be the next? I'd like to see Schumacher winning, it would be his 6th victory in Monaco and he'll equalize Ayrton Senna.
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redbull next I suspect. Hopefully webber :| Sauber might have missed their chance; and I don't think F.India can manage a win just yet.
Otherwise a repeat winner might emerge finally. Monaco is a unique event so just about anything can happen...as long as you qualify well
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A large part of me wants Kimi Raikkonen (or, hell, even Grosjean, he's been great) to win at Monaco purely so we get 6 different winners in 6 different teams in the first 6 races. It is a truly tremendous season, and I echo sentiments that I'd also love to see Schumacher win at Monaco, the guy really does need a final win.
The Williams fire was a terrible shame but I don't think even that could fully dampen Maldonado's performance. He was great throughout the weekend.
I'm thoroughly excited for Monaco. I'll be especially excited if McLaren, Ferrari or Red Bull aren't in contention for victory.
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Schumacher got poll in Monaco!!! Shame he has a 5 grid penalty, but the positive side for me is that Webber is now promoted to poll for the race. Great to see Rosberg on the front row too. Can't wait for the race.
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redbull next I suspect. Hopefully webber :| Sauber might have missed their chance; and I don't think F.India can manage a win just yet.
Otherwise a repeat winner might emerge finally. Monaco is a unique event so just about anything can happen...as long as you qualify well
...should've put a bet on him :(
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redbull next I suspect. Hopefully webber :| Sauber might have missed their chance; and I don't think F.India can manage a win just yet.
Otherwise a repeat winner might emerge finally. Monaco is a unique event so just about anything can happen...as long as you qualify well
...should've put a bet on him :(
yes good idea :e4444
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My money is on schumi for montreal this weekend. The "double DRS" system in the mercedes should serve them well with long straights and two drs zones at montreal, and with his pole (sort of) last weekend I'm hoping schumi has found some form.
Also, RedBull now have to change their floor design slightly as the FIA has ruled it illegal following protests from other teams. RBR have won two races since the design appeared in bahrain so it could hurt them a bit for montreal.
should be a great race!
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Well my schumi pick was a disaster since he retired mid-race with damage after contact. Rosberg finished 6th but never looked in contention so clearly mercedes couldn't find the pace.
Good win for Hamilton, giving us yet another different winner.
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I bet most of the teams are scratching their heads as to how Perez made his way from 15th onto the podium. That was an awesome drive.
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I was looking forward to a good season with Button after the Australian GP and his mature end to the season last year. But McLaren seem to be mired with technical difficulties and god awful pit stops. Perhaps Lewis still has the edge over Button?
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It is strange how Jenson has just seem to have got worse this season ... fighting for 15th with the Caterhams, whilst your team mate is on the podium must be pretty frustrating.
Hope he can sort it out for Valencia!
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I'm pretty sure its the tyres, but yeah he's not having a great run after a strong start to the season with a win and a podium.
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Yeah it was a good race. Was fun watching Webber following Schumacher through the field going from 11th to 4th in the last couple of laps. Those 1 stoppers were frustrated I bet being passed at the end. Great to see Schumacher on the podium for a change.
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Looking forward to silverstone.
Any english members going along?
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As much as I love formula 1, I could never go to an actual gp. I'd much rather watch on tv.
What are everyone's thoughts on the possibilty of a London GP. It would be held at night, it would cover all the major landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben and there will be 59 laps.
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London, New Jersey, Las Vegas... there are plenty ideas where to drive during the next years. The new Concorde agreement concludes a passage with "up to 23 GPs" per year, hardly to manage, though. Times of luxury having 2 GPs in 1 country in the same year are over, I guess (Silverstone/Donington, Monza/Imola, Barcelona/Valencia, Hockenheim/Nürburgring).
For GB it's a question of either / or: London or Silverstone. Mr. E explained so often that he wants new markets to be part of the game, like Russia or another GP somewhere in the Middle East. In times of the biggest world-wide financial crisis since the 1920s, it's only a matter of time when we'll see more and more GPs outside of Europe and outside "classical" race countries. No circuit has an absolute guarantee, even those traditional tracks like Monza or Silverstone which were the only ones in every F1 calender since 1950. Hopefully we don't lose another traditional one for markets that flood F1 only with money.
What I'd like to see? Less commerce, more driver tracks and world peace. :azn: Ok, to be realistic: good tracks that give us thrilling races. Anyone seen the DTM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Tourenwagen_Masters) race in Austria, Red Bull Ring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Ring) (formerly known as Österreichring). Like formerly in F1, the DTM races there are exactly that: thrilling, unpredictable and you can overtake without DRS or KERS. No comparison to Barcelona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_de_catalunya) or Hungary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungaroring) which tend to be very narcotic. But it's Austria, there's (sorry, neighbours!) nothing than cows and mountains. And Red Bull.
If it's London where we get thrilling races, then let's go there. May be they manage the pit lane and stands layout better, so that everyone on the expensive stands can see what happens "down" there. (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/images/smilies/facepalm.gif) Another GP at night? Welcome! But who wants to pay the bill?
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A London GP is good PR, but it won't happen.
There's no way they'll shut the centre of the Capital for 2 weeks and it'll only have capacity for 35,000, which is nowhere near enough to fund it compared to the hundreds of thousands you can fit into proper circuits!
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... Mr. E explained so often that he wants new markets to be part of the game, like Russia or another GP somewhere in the Middle East...
Anyone seen the DTM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Tourenwagen_Masters) race in Austria, Red Bull Ring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Ring) (formerly known as Österreichring). Like formerly in F1, the DTM races there are exactly that: thrilling, unpredictable and you can overtake without DRS or KERS. No comparison to Barcelona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_de_catalunya) or Hungary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungaroring) which tend to be very narcotic. But it's Austria, there's (sorry, neighbours!) nothing than cows and mountains. And Red Bull.
new market??? what about turkey??? a few years in f1, great track. no easy money for big bernie. no more on the calendar...
right, overtaking depends on the course layout.
in fact the rb-ring is a great track. but 1km to short, looks like a mickeymouse-track.
the problem that there is no more f1 is the people living there. the do not like the circuit and the noise and... seems they are to stupid to make money from big events.
and more than dtm will not be held there...
barcelona this year was ok. there was some overtaking, thx to kers, drs and pirelli.
in series like dtm overtaking is easier because the cars can get closer behind.
f1 has a much too fragile aerodynamic. cars can't go close behind in corners. so they need help to pass.
would be better to build f1 cars with a very bad aerodynamic - like the tanks in the past, especially in the late 70s and 80s.
and that would make racing more safe, as the apex-speed will slow down due to less downforce!!!
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I am so jealous of my friend right now. About 3 weeks ago she got a job as a steward and the first place she got sent too was Ascot. Her next job is Silverstone. To make things worse she is already complaining about being there :O
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london gp was just a pr stunt and a good opportunity for bernie to divert attention from his shady deals in germany. Its too difficult and not financially viable. Also silverstone has a contract for the brittish gp until 2016 or something, and is far better than any street circuit
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new market??? what about turkey??? a few years in f1, great track. no easy money for big bernie. no more on the calendar...
It's Bernies track :wink: so he doesn't have an interest in further GPs there cause it's no extra money. Even the domain (http://www.istanbulparkcircuit.com/en-gb) is offline...
the problem that there is no more f1 is the people living there. the do not like the circuit and the noise and... seems they are to stupid to make money from big events.
It's the same with every huge event or building projects, like Munichs third runway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_airport#Third_runway) or problems with transport of electric current due to renewable energies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy). Benefits are welcome, we need it, but please not here - why not elsewhere?
f1 has a much too fragile aerodynamic. cars can't go close behind in corners. so they need help to pass.
Dirty air gets less and less, but that's not in the focus anymore. Using new technologies like KERS is a better way to put measures in place, because it's more usable for car manufacturers. Aerodynamics are too expensive. And...
would be better to build f1 cars with a very bad aerodynamic - like the tanks in the past, especially in the late 70s and 80s.
...we need small front wings, very big rear wings and the same with tyres. We don't need those air ground cars with skirting panels. Whohoo! Formula 1 drifting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RvLyYqgGqU#) :234567
london gp was just a pr stunt and a good opportunity for bernie to divert attention from his shady deals in germany.
Bernie is a cunning old bird, but the noose is slowly tightening... Also Stirling Moss said: they got the Olympic Games, that's a lot more chaos than a F1 race. If necessary, he'd pay the bill, as Bernie said once. It would be another prestige GP before the door of the biggest financial center of Europe, I can tell which way the wind is blowing... :wink:
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Well It wasn't the best British GP Ilve seen but it was still pretty entertaining. Webber's pass on Alonso was great to watch. It was a shame McLaren were so off the pace I would of liked to see them battling for a podium at least, but Hamilton put on a bit of a show for the home crowd which was fantastic. I felt sorry for Di Resta too, going out of his home GP so early on, without even knowing fully what had happened. Whats everyones views on what Perez was saying about Maldonado? At first I kind of felt sorry for Maldonado but then thinking about it, he does get involved in a lot of crashes.
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I enjoyed the race, especially since webber won!! It was a great pass on alonso but what impressed me was alonso's onboard replay of the pass - countersteering with webs on his outside wheel was pretty impressive.
I felt sorry for perez being taken out but I think the journalist was a bit predatory playing on his anger in the interview. Maldonado made a simple error though he does seem to make a lot of them so the question of whether he belongs in f1 still stands. What annoys me is inconsistency in penalties - schumi recently received a much harsher penalty (grid penalty) for a similar incident on senna, yet maldonado only gets a fine of 10,000 euro!
As a long time williams fan, I'm sad that they've finnaly built a decent car yet neither of their drivers are good enough to get results.
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I was looking forward to a good race from Button but perhaps qualifying was an indication of what was to come. He really has been stuck in reverse since Melbourne and shows no sign of getting out. McLaren as a whole have lacked pace or have stayed still while Ferrari, Red Bull and even Lotus have made notable progress. The only thing that McLaren did get right and finally was the pit stop. As a McLaren fan, I just hope they can sort out their troubles before it's too late for them to do anything.
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..., especially since webber won!! It was a great pass on alonso but what impressed me was alonso's onboard replay of the pass - countersteering with webs on his outside wheel was pretty impressive.
well if webber's pass had been on maldonado he probably would not have won as he would have been pushed out the race - like it happened to perez.
webber and alonso really show respect for each other on the track. i don'T remember a situation where they crashed althogh there were some tough fights and "hard" passes.
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Maldonado need a ban I reckon. He's a bit of a liability and proper punishment.
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If Williams' working atmosphere is still the same as in the 90s / 00s, times will soon get tough for both Maldonado and Senna. Some Friday practises will be done by test driver Valtteri Bottas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valtteri_Bottas), this is seen as a subtly pressure especially on Senna.
By the way, everybody heard of that almost fatal crash of Marussias test driver Maria de Villota (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_de_Villota)? As far as I remember, this ist the worst injury in F1 since Massa (2009 Hungary, head injury after his helmet was hit by a suspension spring), M.Schumacher (1999 Silverstone, broken leg, crash asfter having a sticking gas pedal) or Panis' crash in Canada 1996 (two broken legs). How could that happen?
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By the way, everybody heard of that almost fatal crash of Marussias test driver Maria de Villota (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_de_Villota)?
Yeah. apparently she suddenly accelerated and went under a support truck. Nasty!
It was her first time driving the car, so might have had a foot slip on the accelerator or something.
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Yeah she lost her eye unfortunately so probably no more racing for her.
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the reason for that horrible crash is easy to find.
a few years ago test drives in f1 got banned due to financial reasons.
there are just a few km straight-line allowed. for those rides the teams get on airfield or small airports. as there are no pitlanes the trucks for the cars and logistic stuff are right beside the track.
that's just why this could happen...
it would be much better to have a test day after every 2nd or 3rd race on the race track on monday. that cannot be that expensive because all the teams' stuff is right there...
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There's an article in the print version of SPEEDWEEK (http://www.speedweek.de/). The loading ramp was opened at half level (approx. 70cm high, a F1 is max. 95cm), it's an easy rule every truck driver learns in their education: never do that! A team member of another team said: "During our aero tests our service trucks are parked in a way that a collision is impossible."
De Villota had to make a 120° turn from the track towards the truck, then should have stopped and pushed backwards into the team tent. According to the article, most people think of a handling error: the anti-stall-system that prevents the engine from stalling by a temporary raise of engine speed may have surprised de Villota. So the car accelerated up to 50kph and crashed in an angle of about 40° into the truck ramp. Others believe that she might have pulled the clutch too late.
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as seen it not impossible. unfortunately.
racing cars have to ride on the race track and not on airfields...
pitlanes are essential for the safety of drivers and mechanics. not to imagine she would have crashed into the team's tent.
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anti-stall doesnt turn the gearbox it pulls the clutch at the same time. These cars are very difficult to drive so it could be driver error as easilly as it could be a malfunction.
Doesnt matter either way - it's a shame that she's hurt but fortunate that she survived.
edit: Driver error - http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/marussia-report-car-not-at-fault-in-di-villota-testing-accident/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/marussia-report-car-not-at-fault-in-di-villota-testing-accident/)
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edit: Driver error - http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/marussia-report-car-not-at-fault-in-di-villota-testing-accident/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/marussia-report-car-not-at-fault-in-di-villota-testing-accident/)
Oh dear.
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Another close race in Germany last weekend, although alonso drove well and took the win from pole. Looks like Ferarri are hitting their stride mid-season. Vettel and Button had a good scrap in the closing stages, but Vettel passed Button off the race track and was later penalised 20secs which dropped him to fifth or so. Good news for Kimi Raikkonen who got promoted to 3rd.
Kobayashi drove a great race in the sauber to finish fourth which is great for him. Perez also got the other sauber into the points finishing 6th which is a good boost for the team. 20 points in the constructors championship puts them well ahead of their nearest rivals williams and force india.
Looking forward to the Hungarian GP this weekend. Not a great track really but I'm sure it will be tight at the front as usual for 2012.
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It was good to see Jensen up there and scraping again.
I think Vettels penalty was pretty harsh!
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It's just a drive-through, but because it happened within the last 5 laps he gets 20secs added instead. His pace was superior to buttons at that stage of the race anyway, so if he had been a little more patient (I know, not a common trait in racing drivers right?) he certainly would have passed before the finish.
Bottom line is you must have two tyres inside the white line to execute a pass. Even if he went off to avoid a collision, he would have had to conceed the position... and Jensen certainly wasn't leaving any room on the outside
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jenson actually left him space as he did not accellerate hard. just after seb left the track jb opened the throttle. but it was too late. seb passed.
seb could have stayed on track and ride on the curbs and take the pass on the brake in the next corner.
but +20 sec are too hard. 10 would have been enough - just to get back behind jenson on 3rd.
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Finally we're back on! Qualy for Spa was pretty exciting tonight. Jensen took pole by 3/10ths, but was dominant in Q2 as well. Probably the biggest surprise was 2nd & 3rd, taken by Kobyashi & Maldonado who were the only other two able to get into the 1:47s.
Should be a good race. Kimi was looking good and Alonso always puts in a good show here too.
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So glad the break is finally over and F1 could be back with the best race of the season. I think it will be between Jenson and Kimi but you can never count out Alonso and then Kobayashi and Maldonado could suprise us. Its wide open but Im going for Button.
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Well the race wasn't quite as open as I thought it would be as Jenson won a lot more comfortably than I think anyone could of expected. It was a shame that so many of the top contenders were taken out at the start. Especially Alonso as Im sure the race would have been much more exciting with him in it, whether he was battling with Jenson for the win or with Kimi or Vettel. I was shocked to hear what Bernie was saying in an interview with Eddie Jordan, all but spelling out Michael's retirement at the end of the season. Its a shame he has had such a bad season. Although I have never been a big fan of his, I would of preffered to see him have at least one win from his return as he deserves it. Like Eddie Jordan said, he is the greatest ambassador of the sport.
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I'm not convinced about shumi's retirement yet. I think he brings huge marketing value to the mercedes team (and mercedes as a whole), and lets face it: they're not yet competitive enough in the field to require a superfast 2nd driver. Also, who would replace him next year? I can see him stepping down in 2014 if the new engines come in then.
The start was definitely interesting. Alonso being taken out and Button winning helps tighten up the championship at lot so I'm not complaining but yeah, I think Alonso could have had a big impact on the race. Having said that, Jensen seemed untouchable out front anyway - very impressive performance from him and also Vettel climbing up from 10th (even if 4 cars were scrapped in the first 20secs, and 3 more pitted). Good consistent result for Kimi too who is now up with Webber and Vettel in chasing down Alonsos lead.
Incidentally, Grosjean got a one race ban for causing the accident at turn one. I haven't seen that penalty applied for quite a while, but he clearly realised way too late that Hamilton was up him and tried to close the lane. Silly move for a promising young driver.
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Well done Jenson, chuffed for him. He needed a win.
I felt bad for the Sauber team.
Having both cars qualify so well, and then see them both get smashed into on the first corner must've been gutting!
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Jenson drove excellently. I wonder what would have happened if renault used the DDRS, Kimi might have challenged Jenson...
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So Hamilton got pole with Button not far behind. Good news for Massa grabbing 3rd, but clearly his teammate had a problem.
Curiously, I noticed on the onboard from Hamiltons pole lap that he wasn't bouncing off the limiter on the long straights (with DRS open for qually). This might suggest the McLaren setup isn't ideal for race pace, as obviously they won't have the DRS open much during the race which will mean they're not using the full gear ratio in 7th. Should be an interesting race.
And what a fantastic circuit :) I love the last corner "Parabolica", where they run wide to the left on the long exit, inches from the grass at +200kph
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And what a fantastic circuit :) I love the last corner "Parabolica", where they run wide to the left on the long exit, inches from the grass at +200kph
The classic European F1 tracks like Spa, Monza and Hockenheim are brilliant to watch (and drive, I'd imagine!), which is why they're a staple in the F1 calendar.
It's a shame some of the newer tracks like Abu Dhabi, Malaysia and the like are so dull.
I believe the new track that is being built in the USA is supposed to be a collection off all the world's best corners, so we'll see if that pans out into a good circuit or not ... If it goes ahead that is (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2191520/USA-Grand-Prix-president-Tom-Cotter-quits.html)!
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Is there questions again over the completion of Circuit of the Americas?? I heard a few weeks ago they were laying tarmac so I assumed it was all good.
It does look like a decent circuit. Plenty of elevation change and a good mix of corners. Better than Tilkes more recent efforts at least. He must have gotten sick of us all bitching about his tracks :)
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http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/09/hamilton-set-to-move-to-mercedes/ (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/09/hamilton-set-to-move-to-mercedes/)
James Allen is talking about the hamilton-mercedes rumor as though its a done deal. Although its not announced, JA knows his shit so good prediction Chris!
Also in F1 news - Sid Watkins passed away frm cancer yesterday which is sad. He's probably the main reason F1 drivers don't die anymore.
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So sad to hear that Sid Watkins passed away. :sad: You can't rate him and his influence on modern F1 and motorsport too high. Despite all the improvements before '94, it was his friend Ayrton's death which lead to extreme updates on active and passive safety features in all motorsport classes and tracks, and that's not only saving F1 drivers lives. Sid Watkins was involved in many of these features, as other drivers like Michael Schumacher or Jackie Stewart, or as companies like Mercedes who developed a F1-capable HANS in the late 90s. His achievements will last, the ideas have to move on and improve safety wherever it's advisable, as seen after the Belgian GP.
Another sad news would be if Lewis really leaves McLaren. McLaren benefits him since his 9th year of age, I'd like to see that grow further and deeper, may be till he retires in many years as a multiple F1 champion. It's also a sad idea cause it implies that Schumacher is retiring again. Without a victory, without a real proof of his competitiveness after 3 years off the track, and at worst with only one podium (3rd in Valencia). I'd like to see him winning in a silver arrow! His career started in a Merc and was always sponsored by Mercedes, I really like to see that career ending succesfully with Mercedes. Although he likes his "holy #7" on his car, I think he's not averse to have that 8th star on his cap. :cool:
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So sad to hear that Sid Watkins passed away. :sad: You can't rate him and his influence on modern F1 and motorsport too high. Despite all the improvements before '94, it was his friend Ayrton's death which lead to extreme updates on active and passive safety features in all motorsport classes and tracks, and that's not only saving F1 drivers lives. Sid Watkins was involved in many of these features, as other drivers like Michael Schumacher or Jackie Stewart, or as companies like Mercedes who developed a F1-capable HANS in the late 90s. His achievements will last, the ideas have to move on and improve safety wherever it's advisable, as seen after the Belgian GP.
Another sad news would be if Lewis really leaves McLaren. McLaren benefits him since his 9th year of age, I'd like to see that grow further and deeper, may be till he retires in many years as a multiple F1 champion. It's also a sad idea cause it implies that Schumacher is retiring again. Without a victory, without a real proof of his competitiveness after 3 years off the track, and at worst with only one podium (3rd in Valencia). I'd like to see him winning in a silver arrow! His career started in a Merc and was always sponsored by Mercedes, I really like to see that career ending succesfully with Mercedes. Although he likes his "holy #7" on his car, I think he's not averse to have that 8th star on his cap. :cool:
:e4444
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So sad to hear that Sid Watkins passed away.
...
Another sad news would be if Lewis really leaves McLaren...
that's true. DOC was important to reach that safety level f1 has got today.
the problem for mclaren is that the might have some financial troubles. and next year they do not get the mercedes engines for free anymore. so they will not be able to afford an expensive driver like lewis...
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So the Hamilton-Mercedes deal is announced. What do people think? Good move to a successful team of the future, or will Mercedes F1 fall into the inevitable hole of unsuccessful manufacturer teams? And will Schumi (re)retire, or take on a driver with a lesser team?
It's a risky move leaving McLaren, but it does open the door for Perez to prove himself with a top team.
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So Schumacher announced his retirement, which I agree is a bit of a bummer. Interesting that during qualifying today, Brundle quietly rated Hulkenberg over Perez even though Hulkenbergs (quite high) achievements this year have been largely overshadowed by Perez. Still though, Perez could be a big talent so we'll see how he goes when he's running with the big boys next year. Next big question is whether Massa can hang onto his prancing horse next year - It would be sad to see him go but obviously ferrari need a #2 that scores points
Looking forward to race tomorrow. Another of the worlds greatest racetracks.
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So, finally the rumours came true. :undecided:
I'm a bit dissatisfied of how Schumacher was treated by his own team and especially by Mercedes. That's not how to deal with such a great racing driver and a person you've been sponsoring and educating and supporting for so many years. Hopefully, he won't quit like he did in 2006 and leave the tracks just for a job somewhere off the cameras.
It was also a big surprise to read of Niki Lauda getting a team chairman, that's sort of a big statement towards Norbert Haug (who is Mercedes' motorsport chief for 22 years now) and Ross Brawn. I can't really imagine how so many alpha leaders will cooperate properly and bring forward the team...
I'm also not satisfied with that Hamilton deal. This jet set boy and his annoying on-off girl friend and the role his father plays in the big wheel of F1... I don't think that works. I would liked to have seen another good racing driver beneath Rosberg and a team concentrating on getting that bullshit cars faster. They had two excellent drivers and developers, plus many good engineers. I don't think they'll perfom better next year, unfortunately.
I was surprised by Perez - didn't really think of an alternative for McLaren, but he's a good catch with money in his back. :angel:
What about Massa? Suzuka was his first appearance in the top 3 this year, I guess. Is that enough for Ferrari? The constructors championship can't be won by a 1-driver-team, and Massa isn't driving constantly ...
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Agreed on Massa - he drove a great race but I suspect his job is still at risk. Hard one to predict.
I'm eager to see how Rosberg stacks up against Hamilton next year.
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It was a bit embarrasing for Perez to crash out trying to overtake Hamilton ... hope that's not an omen for his coming season!
Hamilton and Ross Brawn ... it would be brave to bet against that for the championship next year though. I reckon DiResta will have Massa's seat. He hasn't done anything this year, really.
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Probably not next year, but they could be a force from 2014 if the new engines happen - merc has invested a lot in them. I suspect that was part of the motive for Hamiltons move there but he's crazy leaving a proven winner for a maybe winner.
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What about Massa? Suzuka was his first appearance in the top 3 this year, I guess. Is that enough for Ferrari? The constructors championship can't be won by a 1-driver-team, and Massa isn't driving constantly ...
but the scuderia is the only team where you know from the first day which driver is going for the championship. no conflicts inside the team can be a big advantage.
i still remember "rubens, let michael pass for the championship!!!"
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However Rubens was a consistant points scorer capable of wins and podiums. The perfect #2, and by all accounts a genuinely good bloke - I miss him already.
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...and that's the difference! Massa never got along with Alonso and his cars after his crash in Hungary, he isn't on the spot when his teammate fails, he doesn't take points away. Last year it was Hamilton, Hamilton and Hamilton stopping his attempts to score, this year it's the point table - you won't get anywhere with p12. :azn: Also, the Ferrari team wasn't quite nice or gentle to him, after almost every GP this year you read sth. against Massa, more or less obvious. That's not confidence-building...
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Great news! Massa extended 1yr with Ferrari.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/massa-one-more-year/ (http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/massa-one-more-year/)
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I'm baffled as to how he's got that.
In a works car, he's underperformed consistently.
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I'm baffled as to how he's got that.
In a works car, he's underperformed consistently.
The most likely answer is that whoever they want is not available until 2014. Probably Webber, but a few contracts will end in 2013 so who knows. It seems they are not looking for a youngster, or they would surely have taken Hulkenberg.
They do seem to have a strange fondness for Massa though. You'd think they would have dropped him last year even.
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Seems Ferrari are convinced they'll have Vettel for 2014. Redbull seem unconvinced!
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Vettell DQ'd for a fuel infringement in qualifying ... starts Abu Dhabi from the pit-lane!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20193545 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20193545)
That sure makes the championship interesting. I hope Alonso can bag a decent haul of points and take it down to the wire!
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lucky seb!!!
finished 3rd after start from pitlane.
the safety car was on his side and helped him a lot. so alonso just won 3 points...
maybe that is not enough for the championship :angry:
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Yeah, with luck like that, you've got to feel for Alonso.
I can't see Vettel being caught now TBH
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with so much luck it will get hard for fernando to get him.
seb was not crashed out the race twice by other drivers... without that alonso would lead the table
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I was so happy Kimi finally won his first race since coming back. He deserved it more than anyone, I just wish it had come earlier and maybe he would of still had an outside chance of winning the championship.
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yeah I was cheering for him. I knew he'd win one this year but was running out of time!
Looking forward to us gp. It's starting at 5am here so will be an early morning for me
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It's starting at 5am here so will be an early morning for me
8 pm here. :grin:
I'm sharing your pain. Some years ago the Australian or Japanese GPs were started at 4.30 / 5am CET, that really sucked! Lucky Europeans, most GPs are starting at 2pm, some like US / Canadian / Brazilian in the evening, the earliest ones are now at 8am.
I'm really excited about this GP. And no matter who of the two guys is your favorite - you'll always cross fingers for the next 3-times world champion. I'll go with Vettel. :234567
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it will happen that seb wins the championship... :(
i don't like that such a commercial team like rbr with its endless money buys the victory...
still hoping alonso can make the miracle come true
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Ferrari is a big budget team too. But I agree, vettel will win it tonight
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but ferrari is a traditional team. as well as mclaren or mercedes.
rbr came up just with the redbull money. and the money flows until they win... endless resources^^
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I'm glad that, once again, the championship will be decided here in Brazil :D
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Another amazing race! Interlagos is awayls unpredictable until the last lap!
Congrats, Sebastian Vettel!
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Another amazing race! Interlagos is awayls unpredictable until the last lap!
Congrats, Sebastian Vettel!
:3145 great race and great end to a great season
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Forget all those crazy races I've seen since '92 - this one was much more than crazy!! :43224
Whooohooo!!! :234567 Youngest 3-times world champion ever, and I guess he might be in the best position to snatch some more all-time-records... Most wins? Most poles? Let's go...
Schumachers last race p7, his first qualy in 1991 p7 - this was the final curtain for a legend! Thank you for catching my heart long time ago. :smiley:
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Congrats Sepp :3456
And Goodbye to a legend, goodbye Michael Schumacher :624
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Great, great race. I still feel that Alonso was the better of the two over the season but you can't fault Vettel in the last few races, he's been tremendous. A very worthy triple world champion.
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good bye msc! you'll be missing.
congrats vet! will he be the new schumacher???
heads up alo, next year you bring the championship home to ferrari ;)
what a race. another exiting showdown in sao paolo. probably the best location for such a showdown.
maybe fernando was the better driver this year, but seb the luckier. think of the startcrahses in spa and suzuka (alo out twice) and turn 4 incident yesterday. if seb had been pushed out the race, alo would have won the title...
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Both were great pilots during the whole season
But Ferrari's car was very disappoint in the first races. RBR was better. I think that made the difference.
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It's not over yet!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20531638 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20531638)
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FIA decided; Vettel overtaking legal! But Ferrari can appeal till friday (tomorrow) but that is unlikely
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it was obvious that the fia decides this way.
would set the race commisioners in a bad light, if they had not seen an illegal overtaking...
and no more investigation!
and if it had been an illegal paasing on lap 4 ferrari would have seen it during the race and made a protest either during or just after the race.
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(http://www.leavemealone.fi/productresources/pic1_big/Leavmealone_tshirt.jpg)
Kimis new shop! (http://www.leavemealone.fi/en/) :786
"Classic" Kimi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV35WC7s_zw#)
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(http://www.leavemealone.fi/productresources/pic1_big/Leavmealone_tshirt.jpg)
Kimis new shop! (http://www.leavemealone.fi/en/) :786
"Classic" Kimi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV35WC7s_zw#)
:879 OMG! Someone please get me that t-shirt for christmas!
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(http://www.leavemealone.fi/productresources/pic1_big/Leavmealone_tshirt.jpg)
Kimis new shop! (http://www.leavemealone.fi/en/) :786
"Classic" Kimi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV35WC7s_zw#)
:879 OMG! Someone please get me that t-shirt for christmas!
cool shirt!!!!!