Formula One 2005 season thread

[John Daniels]

Did anyone see how much tension there is between Alonso & Schumacher? Their relationship got worse after what happened a few weeks ago

What happened? I may know but now I don't remember..

[Ignatius]

Did anyone see how much tension there is between Alonso & Schumacher? Their relationship got worse after what happened a few weeks ago

What happened? I may know but now I don't remember..

I was referring to the US grand prix incident when the michelin teams were trying to find a solution while Ferrari and Schumi didn't want to even hear an alternative to the problem that had surfaced.

[jarmo]

Mosley cancels drivers' meeting

FIA president Max Mosley has cancelled his meeting with the Formula 1 drivers at the British Grand Prix, fearing that David Coulthard would hijack the agenda.

In a letter to the Red Bull Racing driver, Mosley accused Coulthard of using the meeting to air his personal political views as opposed to discussing driver safety at tests, which the FIA man claims was the purpose of Friday's gathering.

"You asked me to meet the drivers at Silverstone to discuss the possibility of the FIA imposing safety measures at private test sessions equal to those in force at a Grand Prix," wrote Mosley.

"We are very sympathetic to the drivers' concerns on this issue and I was happy to meet on that basis.

"Regrettably, you have now used the prospect of this meeting as a reason to air your personal views on current regulations to the press."

Mosley was responding to comments DC made to the national press earlier this week, in which he indicated that F1 was effectively racing to a handicapped system.

"As you know we consider improving driver safety to be of paramount importance," said Mosley.

"I should therefore be happy to invite all the drivers to a formal meeting in Paris or Monaco on a mutually convenient date and discuss any issues which trouble them.

"However, your press comments have distorted the purpose of the Silverstone meeting and made a calm discussion of a major safety issue impossible. As a result the meeting will not now take place."

Coulthard has been highly critical of the 2005 regulations and claims that the FIA is leading F1 in the wrong direction.

"It is a handicapped F1 system we have," said DC.

You are handicapped if you have an engine failure, even if it is no fault of the driver, and then the crowd are deprived of what may be a fantastic race, as they were in France.

"All these rules - qualifying, single laps and ten-place penalties - are not designed to wreck races, but the consequence is that they do,"

Coulthard had indicated during the French Grand Prix that the drivers intended to discuss the recent Indianapolis fiasco after another weekend of behind the scenes politicking.

"We have a scheduled meeting at Silverstone on Friday with the FIA president unless he finds something else in his diary," he said.

"We very much look forward to discussing a range of safety issues and obviously one of the topics will be Indianapolis."




http://www.itv-f1.com/



/jarmo

[John Daniels]

yes, there was conversations between Ferrari and Michelin teams. I have to take Ferrari's side, it wasn't their fault that Michelin couldn't offer tyres that were good enough for racing in Indianapolis. Like it was quite of the same thing in the last year with Michelin..what did they learn in a one year..

FIA didn't give any penalties for F1 Michelin teams bacause the Michelin teams made a common agreement to leave F1 right away if there would have been a one accomplishmented. FIA didn't want that to happen. 

[GypsySoul]

I think the Finn is playin' us! ? ?Gypsy's Kimi Konspiracy Theory:? I think his team did something to this engine because he blamed it for coming in second in France and he really really wanted to use the new one!? He had little problem making up the ten-spot penalty last week so I think he thinks with that other newer model engine he's gonna blow the field away!!! (if it doesn't blow up again itself).?

Here's my England race picks:

1.? Raikkonen
2.? M. Schumacher
3.? Alonso
4.? Trulli
5.? Button
6.? Montoya
7.? R. Schumacher
8.? Fisichella

[jarmo]

This is starting to get ridiculous. Kimi sees the championship battle disappear by getting dropped ten places every weekend! 



1. Fernando Alonso      Renault   
2. Kimi R?ikk?nen      McLaren
3. Juan Pablo Montoya   McLaren   
4. Jenson Button        BAR           
5. Michael Schumacher   Ferrari   
6. Jarno Trulli         Toyota
7. Rubens Barrichello   Ferrari 
8. Giancarlo Fisichella Renault         



/jarmo

[Ignatius]

What happened this time? Did he blow the engine again on friday? I hadn't heard anything until today.

This could very well be a very similar race than last week's. Maclaren will most likely use a similar strategy again since it worked so well in France.

I don't think Alonso will win this one though, he's taken the pole, but this grand prix has never been "kind" with Renault. Therefore, my list is:

1.- Jenson Button
2.- Kimi R?ikk?nen
3.- Jarno Trulli
4.- Michael Schumacher
5.- Juan Pablo Montoya
6.- Giancarlo Fisichela
7.- Ralf Schumache
8.- Takuma Sato

[jarmo]

What happened this time? Did he blow the engine again on friday? I hadn't heard anything until today.

The oil pump stopped working during Saturday practise.



/jarmo

[Pinball Wizard]

1. Alonso
2. Michael
3. Kimi
4. Rubens
5. Button
6. Trulli
7. Montoya
8. Villeneuve

[Graciela]

1. Alonso
2. Raikkonen
3. Montoya
4. M Schumacher
5. Barrichello
6. Fisichella
7. Button
8. Trulli

[Ignatius]

Either people wait to the very last minute to post or they totally forget about it...

Daniels, Kiki, Drew...you are still on time.

[Pinball Wizard]

The Formula 1 HTGTH Fantasy league ( Silverstone Grand Prix):

GypsySoul - 1 point
Jarmo - 1 point
Ignatius - 0 point
Pinball Wizard - 2 points
Graciela - 0 point


The F-1 HTGTH Fantasy League Championship

Gypsy Soul --- 4 Points
Jarmo --- 4 points
Pinball --- 3 points
Ignatius --- 3 points
John Daniels --- 3 points
Graciela --- 2 points
Kiki --- 2 points
Drew --- 0 points



If I counted wrong the points, sorry, I just woke up...

[John Daniels]

Damn!!!! I totally forgot to put my list on!! The sunny days have given so much else to think about..

Didn't see the whole race but I think Kimi was the quickest driver of this weekend. Alonso did his job, very solid driver. Glad to see Montoya winning some races and that way taking some points out form Alonso.

Kimi needs to win next races if he want's to have atleast some kind of chances for championchip.

[GypsySoul]

Didn't see the whole race but I think Kimi was the quickest driver of this weekend.

I think that Kimi lost because got stuck behind M. Schumacher for most of the race and once he passed him after that last pit stop it was too late to catch the leaders.?


Question about the tires issue:? How can tires be a problem on one turn of one track?? Cause it seems to me that only one driver really had a problem because the rest of them all did okay qualifying in the USA race and nobody seemed to have a tire problem in France or England?? Or am I missing something?? ?

[Ignatius]

I think that Kimi lost because got stuck behind M. Schumacher for most of the race and once he passed him after that last pit stop it was too late to catch the leaders.?

I think they are way too many Kimi fans around here??

Kimi lost the race saturday. It's that simple. I don't see how some of you say Kimi was the quickest today. Just because he got the fastest lap (on the very last lap) it doesn't mean he was the fastest. Montoya was indeed the fastest, that's why he won today.

You got to give credit when credit is due, Kimi's been superb in the last two races coming back from the middle of the grid to 2nd and 3rd, but Alonso got the pole in both races. This time, they were both carrying similar fuel loads (only a few laps difference) and Alonso managed to get the pole anyway. He was close at the very end, had he overtaken a lapped Trulli seconds before, he would have a fair shot...but then again, there are way too many "if's" so it's kinda useless to discuss what would've happened.

Oh, just a reminder, Alonso also came back from being 13th on the grid to finish 3rd at the beginning of the season. This was in Australia, so it's not like only Kimi is the quickest out there cause he came overtook 10 drivers today.

Question about the tires issue:? How can tires be a problem on one turn of one track?? Cause it seems to me that only one driver really had a problem because the rest of them all did okay qualifying in the USA race and nobody seemed to have a tire problem in France or England?? Or am I missing something?? ?

In the USA race Michelin couldn't guarantee that their tyres were gonna last more than 6 laps because of the last turn. This is the only banked curve in the championship and apperantly, Michelin tyres were not going to be able handle the pressure after 6 laps. A few test were conducted after Ralph Shumacher's accident, and Michelin made a statement saying those tyres were not 100% safe in such track.

[GypsySoul]

I think that Kimi lost because got stuck behind M. Schumacher for most of the race and once he passed him after that last pit stop it was too late to catch the leaders.?

I think they are way too many Kimi fans around here??

Kimi lost the race saturday. It's that simple. I don't see how some of you say Kimi was the quickest today. Just because he got the fastest lap (on the very last lap) it doesn't mean he was the fastest. Montoya was indeed the fastest, that's why he won today.

I was more referring to what appears to me to be bad blood between Kimi and M. Schumi.
I think it's too big a coincidence that that old model engine that Kimi had to use (because of the two race rule) went bad.? I think Team Kimi made a calculated decision to fuck up that old model so they could use the new one ... figuring that he could easily make up the ten spot penalty.? What they didn't figure on was Michael blocking him and allowing Montoya and Alonso to widen the gap to an unsurmountable? distance.? ?

In the USA race Michelin couldn't guarantee that their tyres were gonna last more than 6 laps because of the last turn. This is the only banked curve in the championship and apperantly, Michelin tyres were not going to be able handle the pressure after 6 laps. A few test were conducted after Ralph Shumacher's accident, and Michelin made a statement saying those tyres were not 100% safe in such track.

Oh, okay.? Thanks.? I think I understand now.

[Ignatius]

I think that Kimi lost because got stuck behind M. Schumacher for most of the race and once he passed him after that last pit stop it was too late to catch the leaders.?

I think they are way too many Kimi fans around here??

Kimi lost the race saturday. It's that simple. I don't see how some of you say Kimi was the quickest today. Just because he got the fastest lap (on the very last lap) it doesn't mean he was the fastest. Montoya was indeed the fastest, that's why he won today.

I was more referring to what appears to me to be bad blood between Kimi and M. Schumi.
I think it's too big a coincidence that that old model engine that Kimi had to use (because of the two race rule) went bad.? I think Team Kimi made a calculated decision to fuck up that old model so they could use the new one ... figuring that he could easily make up the ten spot penalty.? What they didn't figure on was Michael blocking him and allowing Montoya and Alonso to widen the gap to an unsurmountable? distance.? ?

Schumi's bad blood with everybody...

I don't think Maclaren fucked the model on purpose. That would not have made any make sense. Regardless how amazing the new model / driver is, if you are 13th on the grid, you know you are gonna have some traffic ahead. This time was Shumacher the one blocking him, last week was Trulli...next week (if Kimi's drops another 10 spots) could be someone else.

What I'm trying to say is Kimi was no way near in contention (to win) in neither of the last two races. He fought back in both in stunning form, but Alonso and montoya this week were too far ahead. I don't think Kimi would've reached any of them with or without Schumacher blocking him.

[John Daniels]

This time, they were both carrying similar fuel loads (only a few laps difference) and Alonso managed to get the pole anyway.

and those few laps mean a few decimals and the equal fuel loads Kimi would have taken the pole.

and to Gypsy Soul. I really don't think that Mclaren would have broken the (old) engine in purpose..it's still 10 positions behind..atleast Kimi wasn't that delighted when his engine broke down again.

[Ignatius]

This time, they were both carrying similar fuel loads (only a few laps difference) and Alonso managed to get the pole anyway.

and those few laps mean a few decimals and the equal fuel loads Kimi would have taken the pole.

Would've, could've, should've...making assumptions is useles. You don't know what would've happened, you are just guessing.

Alonso's reference time was Button's and not Raikkonenn's on saturday. So he could've pushed his car a bit more had Kimi's time been better than Button's...

Had Alonso passed trulli instead of losing balance on his car and a few seconds, he would've passed Montoya in the pit (second time)---he would've won the race.

[GypsySoul]

I don't think Maclaren fucked the model on purpose. That would not have made any make sense. Regardless how amazing the new model / driver is, if you are 13th on the grid, you know you are gonna have some traffic ahead. This time was Shumacher the one blocking him, last week was Trulli...next week (if Kimi's drops another 10 spots) could be someone else.

and to Gypsy Soul. I really don't think that Mclaren would have broken the (old) engine in purpose..it's still 10 positions behind..atleast Kimi wasn't that delighted when his engine broke down again.

I don't think there are too many drivers with Schumacher's gall and the skills to back it up that would've been able to stop Kimi the way Michael did.? I think Schumi thinks that the rules changes this year have made it impossible for him to be champion so any chance he gets to fuck over somebody else, he's gonna take it.? And as far as Trulli blocking Kimi last week ... I think it was more Kimi psyching himself out when he had to use that old model engine.

I'm basing my opinion on the disappointment Kimi showed in his interview from two weeks ago when (IMO) he feels he lost that race because he had to use the old model engine.? I don't think he was disappointed (England race) that this old engine broke down (on purpose or otherwise) because of things he said about how the new engine is so great.? And I think that because he was able to go from 13th to 2nd (France race) with the old engine made him feel that he would be invincible with the new engine.


anyways ... Kimi seemed really pissed during the after-interviews over Schumi blocking him out just like he seemed after the France race because of the engine change. ?IMO Kimi was looking for someone/something else to blame for him not winning.