F1 is boring me to death!!!!

[Pete.]

Keith, Keith, Keith, The devil is now sitting on my shoulder fortified by a six pack and saying "tell em who won"


But I can resist temptation. It was a great race.. Enjoy!!

[Keith Hardy]

Aaaarrgghhhhh!!!!!! Nooooooooooo!!!!! Not again......

I'm outa here.....

[David Tickle]

Bear in mind I was sat in a grandstand with no audible commentary and I haven't read any race reports yet, but it looked to me as though Renault handed the win to Ferrari on a plate today.
Alonso's change of tyres at the first pit stop didn't work (it looked from the big screen that intermediates were fitted, but very difficult to see) and he was much slower, hence his lead disappeared. Then his second pit stop was quite long.
I'll get round to reading the reports soon, but it was a very interesting race, especially when rain threatened for the last 30 mins, but only fell a couple of laps from the end.
The Chinese fans were very happy, Ferrari did quite a lot of promotion in the early days and Schumacher is the name most of them know, so he finally gave them what they wanted!

Dave Tickle

[David Morton]

quite correct Dave. 1st. stop for new fronts (inters) and lost 2seconds or more per lap. , 2nd (longer stop) due to a wheel nut problem. Even if Alonso got close near the end Schumacher said he was running reduced rpm.

[Joe T]

I dont think Fizzy's efforts helped much either, did an appauling job on new tyres when he came out the pits, if he had got up to speed and held schumy up or made him work his tyres hard for a couple of laps it may have been a different outcome.

But it made for a good race, you cant take anything away from Ferrari, they just got everything right.

[Keith Hardy]

Originally Posted by Pete

Keith, Keith, Keith, The devil is now sitting on my shoulder fortified by a six pack and saying "tell em who won"


But I can resist temptation. It was a great race.. Enjoy!!

Cracking race when I eventually got to enjoy it (you got me so excited Pete, I screwed up the video record setting, so at 0030 GMT this morning I still hadn't seen the blasted race).

The last lap looked just like a Formula Ford race at the last corner.

What a hoot, and "poor" old Heidlfeld. Sour grapes or what??

[David Morton]

Suzuka final qualifying :

1. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1:29.599
2. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:29.711
3. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 1:29.989
4. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1:30.039
5. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:30.371
6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 1:30.599
7. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1:30.992
8. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1:31.478
9. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 1:31.513
10. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Cosworth 1:31.856
11. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:30.827
12. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 1:31.094
13. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) McLaren 1:31.254
14. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams - Cosworth 1:31.276
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 1:31.943
16. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) MF1 - Toyota 1:33.750
17. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Ferrari 1:32.252
18. Robert Doornbos (Netherlands) RedBull - Ferrari 1:32.402
19. Scott Speed (U.S.) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 1:32.867
20. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda 1:33.666
21. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) MF1 - Toyota 1:33.709
22. Sakon Yamamoto (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda

[Pat Buckley]

Thanks.

Is there any talk of Marco Andretti doing any tests in F1?

Pat

[David Morton]

Oh Yes. Such a sweet result.
Just got home but still over the moon.
I wasn't supposed to be in Japan but I'm glad I went.
Out to Sao Paolo next tuesday.
I can't wait........

[Joe T]

For a brief second I almost felt sorry for schumy, but it soon passed.

Maybe they will instruct Massa to take Alonso out? he moved out the way quick enough when ordered.

Still cant understand Alonso leaving Renault maybe hes treating it like a gap year/period or wants a rest, cant see him making the poduim for a while after leaving.

[David Morton]

Maybe he's going walk-about in the wilderness..........?
Hill has warned Alonso that Schumacher has stopped at nothing in the past
and inspite of his contrite kissing hugging crap in Japan, is capable of doing anything. Sao Paolo - it's being hyped to be the ultimate showdown - and I hope it will be - but it may just be a damp squid. So long as Renault achieve both titles I don't mind what happens.
For Pat Buckley, sorry I don't know the answer to your question about the Andretti lineage. However I spent quite a lot of time last weekend with Kovvaleinen sitting alongside watching - really pleasant young man with a wicked sense of humour. I hope he will rise to the occasion in 2007 and assume Alonso's role. Fisichella and him should be a good team pairing.

[Pete.]

Well Sh*t Howdy, I just watched the MotoGP, what a race! Definitely NOT BORING Pedrosa takes out Hayden, team mates next year? Elias rides his arse off to win and the Doctor is right on the money... Bring on the next Moto!

David you are right I would not put anything beyond Shumi. Di is totally enamoured with Fernando so our house is definitely cheering for Renault.

Funny critters women, how can she be in love with Alonso when she has me?
Go figure........

[Lynn]

JoeT, I know exactly how you feel/felt. The amazing bit that was told on Speed coverage was that this was the first full DNF from engine failure for Shumi since 2000 (April, I believe they said.) No matter how one feels about Ferrari, credit has to be given where credit is due.

Apparently, the move by Alonso was finalized well before Renault and Fernando started having success again. However, the information that has been released for public consumption, does not seem to indicate that there has been a great deal of effort to reverse the action. Personally, I feel that many of the team owners had come to the point where they were/are ready to do SOMETHING, even if it turns out to be wrong (in hindsight of course.) Michael's retirement announcement would have only served to harden their resolve to do something to shake things up in hopes that the resultant configuration would be advantageous to them. As is almost always the case, the advantage would only come to a few of those rolling the dice, but in these situations, it is very difficult to predict who the lucky ones will be. My guess is that most feel like they have nothing to loose and a lot to gain, which is probably quite true.

While this is, no doubt, very stressful for the principals in the game, as well as the super dogmatic fans of any given effort, overall it is my under informed opinion that it means great things for F1 fans in general. While some gross generalizations may be accurately made about the future, for the first time in a long time, things are really up for grabs. Those teams with: dogged determination; the will to push themselves technically and organizationally; and probably most importantly, with the most luck, have a real chance of ascending the food chain of F1!

What about the US F1 GP? I read some very interesting comments recently in one of the more prestigious automotive magazines (I am waxing superfluous while trying to remember which one, but alas I can't.) The question was posed, "Will F1 continue in the US?" The answer was not only yes, but HELL YES. One of the several reasons sited for the resounding yes was that the USGP pulled more spectators and cash than nearly all other F1 races, COMBINED! I was totally amazed and would have never guessed that this was the case.

Taken all together, I interpret this as being very good for F1. There is real hope that Formula 1 will not be the stale, predictable, exposition it has been for quite sometime prior to the 2006 season. (All they would have to have done was impose a no contact rule and it would have been vintage racing for current cars. No offense to vintage racing as I, for one, love it, but it is not to be confused with competition, nor should it be.)

Regards,
Lynn

[Ron Earp]

Fellows, I can't view the last page of this thread - might be dead or corrupted? Not sure.

R

[David Morton]

Seems OK to me Ron.
Sao Paolo this week - always interesting !
As bumpy as hell, left hand circuit, usually rains and the night life is fantastic.

[Lynn]

Ron, parts, at least, are half and half. - Lynn

[David Morton]

What a great weekend in Sao Paolo.
Grinning all the way home.......

[Ian Anderson]

David
With your input into the Renault team you'll have to sell your '40 as you head will never fit in it now!

No - good on Alonso and Renault but I still consider Shuey was the better driver.

Put them both in karts and send them out for 1/2 an hour. Refuel the karts and send them out in the opposite kart - see who wins (swapping the carts takes away the "his machinary is better" syndrome - my money would be on Shuey!

Just my 2c - time to put on my flameproofs

Ian