Formula One 2005 season thread

[jarmo]

He did nothing wrong yesterday.


If you have followed Formula 1 for more than a week, you know he rarely does driving errors. 




/jarmo

[R4tfink]

I do follow it, however i tend to follow my home country drivers, not washed up Fins who blame mechanical problems in their car for their mishaps.


Not really, i havent really been interested since their hasnt really been any English drivers over the past 7 or 8 years, however the rise to prominence of Jenson is very encouraging and gives me reason to watch.
I also started to watch as well with the change of rules over the last 3 or 4 years which make for much better viewing and racing alike.

You evil Finnish Dictator!
 

[Drew]

Fernando Alonso = "Mr. Domination" this year so far.

Good to see Jacques Villeneuve with a good run and a 6th place finish.

Also, it was strange to see F1 racing on a national netwrok(CBS) yesterday. Usually Speed Channel broadcast the races. But nice all the same.

[Ignatius]

It was a great day for sports yesterday. I did nothing but watch sports on TV. Formula 1, tennis, football and NBA. I hadn't had one of these days in a while. (good to be single again? )

What a great race!! I'm a bit biased obviouly, but damn that boy is fucking good. Alonso's won 3 in a row now, when will he stop?

Now, as far as my particular analysis goes, I should say Kimmi could've pulled this one off easily. This maybe pretty obvious since he was dominating the race in the first laps, but there's something you haven't mentioned yet. Alonso's car was not 100% for this race. Notice how his car only took 10 warm up laps earlier in the weekend, and just 5 before the first qualifier. This was the second race with the same engine, and there was an obvious concern in Renault. Fisichella's qualified 13th on sunday, a sign that both cars engines weren't 100%. Kimmi had a 2.5 sec advantage in lap 2 already, and altthough Alonso managed to keep it below 3.5 seconds while kimmi was on the course, I thought kimmi had a big chance. Also notice how Schumi's laps were on 1'22-1'23 while Alonso's and Jenson's were on low 1'24's...30 second difference between Alonso and Schumi vanished in 30 laps! I give all the credit to Michael of course, but something must've not run all that well in Alonso's car. 1 second per lap is a tremendous amount of time in F-1.

Anyway, a great race indeed.

On a side note. I hate Jenson with a passion. He is a cocky, arrogant bastard. Sorry Arron...

[jarmo]

Yeah, Alonso's engine wasn't running at maximum capacity and that caused more wear on his tyres.

But he still managed to be smart and do exactly what was needed to keep the faster Ferrari behind.

Alonso's won 3 in a row now, when will he stop?

At the race when McLaren doesn't break down and Kimi doesn't press any buttons at that start that stalls his engine.... 



/jarmo

[R4tfink]

On a side note. I hate Jenson with a passion. He is a cocky, arrogant bastard. Sorry Arron...

Yes, a bit like Schumie then, a little bit of arrogance makes a great champion...he wont do it with BAR though, they seem to have no ambition! Publicly stating that they just want to win a few races is not great.
Hopefully next year he will get a seat at a more ambitious constructor!

[Skeletor]

No, I mean with all the Asturian fans?

Look out for my flag...

Heh, I was just around those parts a few weeks ago.. Oviedo, Gijon, Santander, Grado, Tineo, etc.

They sure liked their Alonso

[jarmo]

BUTTON'S THIRD PLACE STILL IN DOUBT
Last Updated: Tuesday, 26, April, 2005, 12:07
 
 
Jenson Button's third place in the San Marino Grand Prix remains under threat after the FIA announced it will take the matter to the International Court of Appeal.

Button's car was found to be underweight (see separate story here) when drained of fuel and weighed in post-race scrutineering.

But it was subsequently cleared when the team produced data proving the car had run with enough fuel to make it legal throughout the race.

After six hours of deliberation, the stewards decided that Button's podium finish would stand and no further action would be taken.

The FIA has decided to appeal against this decision however, in a hearing to take place in Paris on May 5.

In a statement, BAR has expressed its surprise at the FIA's decision, claiming that its cars complied with the regulations at all times.

"BAR-Honda is surprised that the FIA has decided to appeal against decision number 49, which was taken by the FIA-appointed stewards," read the statement.

BAR's team principal Nick Fry is adamant that the team has no reason to be concerned.

"BAR-Honda will provide the same rigorous data presented to the stewards last night and is confident that it can prove once again that the car was fully compliant with the FIA technical regulations throughout the San Marino Grand Prix."




KIMI BOOKED FOR ROAD OFFENCE
Last Updated: Tuesday, 26, April, 2005, 13:41
 
 
Kimi Raikkonen has been slapped with a 30,000 euro fine for illegal trailer transport in his native Finland.

The McLaren star was stopped by a policeman in February 2004 for towing an abnormal load of three snowmobiles on a motorway in Mantsala.

Finnish law requires drivers to have special licences if they plan to carry such loads across long distances but Raikkonen had only a normal passenger car licence.

Raikkonen, who initially contested the fine, did not show up at the court hearing in Orimattila.

He faces such a hefty bill because in Finland road traffic offences are fined in proportion to the driver?s income ? which, according to a police report, was 150,000 euros per month at the time of the incident.
 



/jarmo

[Graciela]

No, I mean with all the Asturian fans?

Look out for my flag...

Heh, I was just around those parts a few weeks ago.. Oviedo, Gijon, Santander, Grado, Tineo, etc.

They sure liked their Alonso

Nice! Did you like it? I come from a small village in the west of Asturias, but i lived many years in Oviedo, went to University there. It's really nice in summer.

Yeah, they definitely love Alonso, but it's getting too much. The poor guy can't go to his parents' place to relax a few days without having hundreds of fans and reporters at his doorstep at all times. I suppose that's one of the reasons why he lives here in Oxford, well, apart from the fact that Renault has the factory here...

[Skeletor]

Nice! Did you like it? I come from a small village in the west of Asturias, but i lived many years in Oviedo, went to University there. It's really nice in summer.

L'asturianu llingua oficial!! Yeah we had good time, my gf's also studied at the University of Oviedo for a year in 2003-2004 (she's a Spanish student) so she knows the places n' people.


...whaddaya mean off-topic, this is about Alonso the Asturian Astronaut

[jarmo]

...whaddaya mean off-topic, this is about Alonso the Asturian Astronaut

I didn't say anything.




Arron, explain what BAR is doing! 




/jarmo

[Drew]

KIMI BOOKED FOR ROAD OFFENCE
Last Updated: Tuesday, 26, April, 2005, 13:41
 
 
Kimi Raikkonen has been slapped with a 30,000 euro fine for illegal trailer transport in his native Finland.

The McLaren star was stopped by a policeman in February 2004 for towing an abnormal load of three snowmobiles on a motorway in Mantsala.

Finnish law requires drivers to have special licences if they plan to carry such loads across long distances but Raikkonen had only a normal passenger car licence.

Raikkonen, who initially contested the fine, did not show up at the court hearing in Orimattila.

He faces such a hefty bill because in Finland road traffic offences are fined in proportion to the driver?s income ? which, according to a police report, was 150,000 euros per month at the time of the incident.
 



/jarmo

Whooaa.... . That's a pretty strict law and some heavy fines.

[jarmo]

FIA: 'We want BAR kicked out'
Wed 04 May, 12:19 PM

At the start of the hearing into alleged malpractice by BAR at the San Marino GP, a FIA statement announced:

'The FIA asks the court to exclude the BAR team from the world championship and to fine the team at least one million euros.'

Jenson Button's car was found to be underweight during post-race scrutineering, with claims that stewards had found a second, hidden petrol tank.


http://uk.sports.yahoo.com


/jarmo

[Drew]

FIA: 'We want BAR kicked out'
Wed 04 May, 12:19 PM

At the start of the hearing into alleged malpractice by BAR at the San Marino GP, a FIA statement announced:

'The FIA asks the court to exclude the BAR team from the world championship and to fine the team at least one million euros.'

Jenson Button's car was found to be underweight during post-race scrutineering, with claims that stewards had found a second, hidden petrol tank.


http://uk.sports.yahoo.com


/jarmo

Do you think the Court will find that Bar deliberately cheated and severely punished them or will the team pretty much slide on this one? I know a fine and some points deduction may be forthcoming but do you think the punishment will be worse than that?

[jarmo]

I wouldn't be surprised if they get kicked out.

After all, it's not Ferrari who cheated..... Ferrari would've gotten just a fine.




/jarmo

[R4tfink]

I wouldn't be surprised if they get kicked out.

After all, it's not Ferrari who cheated..... Ferrari would've gotten just a fine!
/jarmo

Sad, but sadly true, corporate bastards, just think of the amount of fans and revenue they would lose if they excluded Ferrari for instance.
Ha, but poor old BAR get fucked up the ass for one very stupid and very costly mistake.

Bastards!

[jarmo]

BAR lose Imola points and get two-race ban
Thu 05 May, 1:35 PM

BAR Honda have been stripped of its third place scored at Imola by Jenson Button as well as Takuma Sato?s fifth position. In addition the team have been handed a two race ban and will miss this weekend?s Spanish Grand Prix and the following Monaco Grand Prix.




Alonso: Bar-Honda and Ferrari are cheats
 
Thursday, 05 May , 2005, 14:35
 
Barcelona, Spain: Bar-Honda and Ferrari both cheat by respectively fielding an under-weight car and conducting more testing than is allowed, Renault's Fernando Alonso claimed on Wednesday.

The Spaniard, speaking here ahead of his local Grand Prix on Sunday, said "There are two teams that cheat: the first is Bar-Honda, that was proved in San Marino, and the second is Ferrari - all the teams tested for six days whereas Ferrari tested for 20."

The Formula One championship leader was speaking out on the day that motor racing's governing body the FIA called on Jenson Button's Bar-Honda team to be thrown out of this year's championship.

The British team are in the dock after the car in which Button finished third in San Marino weighed in 5kg under the 600kg weight minimum.

Alonso goes into this weekend' Spanish Grand Prix seeking his fourth straight win of the 2005 season.



I still believe this wouldn't have happened if it was Ferrari who had been caught.

And Alonso has a point even though Ferrari claims otherwise. Maybe cheating isn't the right word, but they're not playing by the rules that the majority has set for F1.



/jarmo

[R4tfink]

The FIA can suck my dick!

[Graciela]

And Alonso has a point even though Ferrari claims otherwise. Maybe cheating isn't the right word, but they're not playing by the rules that the majority has set for F1.


/jarmo

Well, you know how i love Alonso and how much I dislike Ferrari, but I have to say I don't think he was right this time. Ferrari didn't sign that "Gentlemen’s agreement" as they call it, so I definitely don't think "cheating" is the word.

[jarmo]

But Ferrari is the only team not agreeing......

Everybody else wants to limit testing to cut down costs.

9/10 votes and still that's not enough. What a system.


Anyway, a little controversy doesn't hurt. Let the guy speak! 

The FIA can suck my dick!

The maFIA? Or FIAt (who own Ferrari)?




/jarmo