Can't wait to see who's made the most progress in the off-season.

My predictions:

1. Schumacher
2. Alonso
3. Button
4. Barichello
5. Raikonnen
6. Fisichella
7. JPM
8. DC
9. Massa

:redspot

1. Button
2. Alonso
3. Kimi
4. Fisi
5. Weber
6. Barichello
7. JPM
8. McSchumacher

You Guys are nuts!!!


KIMI ALL THE WAY!!!
Even though Mercedes sucks.

1. Kimi
2. JPM
3. MS

Thats all that really matter! BTW, I predict Alonso will crash out.

i want to see what Toro Rosso does. i have a feeling there going to place really well.

1. Alonso
2. Barrichello
3. Button

I hope I'm wrong though.

Can't wait to see who's made the most progress in the off-season.

My predictions:

1. Schumacher
2. Alonso
3. Button
4. Barichello
5. Raikonnen
6. Fisichella
7. JPM
8. DC
9. Massa

:redspot


Schumacher is gone IMHO. He should have retired whe he was still at the top so that he was remembered as the champ. and not as the used to be a champ who started sucking (i.e. rolling stones).

However, i reckon that Alonso, and Jensen Button are going to be interesting as well as barichello and raikonnen.


Nevertheless, when does F1 start?

when does F1 start?

R U for real!!! this weekend d000d!

ha! Season opener is this weekend. Make sure to check out qualifying as it is a new set up.

Kimi
Mikey
Ferdi

or

Mikey
Ferdi
Kimi

or

Kimi
Ferdi
Mikey

Something like that...:devillook

kimi
button
alonso
ill say schumi cuz i like him

M. Schumaker (I'm sure he'll be back this year)
Alonso (if the car is as good as last year)
Raikonnen (if the merc actually works)
Button (the Honda is strong)

schumacher will be champion again,anyone who followed f1 last year knows it was a tire war that michelin won,not the case this year.
kimi is the next real champion with all the charactaristics of champions like schumi,senna,mika.if only merc/mclaren would get there shit together.

Lauda has said that Bridgestone is still not up to par.

will it be on speed/espn?

alonso won't do as well this year mostly because i'm sure all the cars will be improved. Also, isn't it true that they'll be switching from v8s to v6s? anyone?

predictions wise, raikonnen is signing deal with ferarri to replace schumaher... right? i'm guessing there's a reason he's getting the spot - he'll be owning everyone soon

i would like to see scott speed do well and represent the US of A!!!

will it be on speed/espn?

alonso won't do as well this year mostly because i'm sure all the cars will be improved. Also, isn't it true that they'll be switching from v8s to v6s? anyone?

predictions wise, raikonnen is signing deal with ferarri to replace schumaher... right? i'm guessing there's a reason he's getting the spot - he'll be owning everyone soon


The qualifying and race will be on Speed TV.
They're not switching to v6s.
Raikonnen is entertaining offers from Ferrari, Renault, and Toyota (I heard Toyota is offering him many millions more than anyone else). Chances are he'll head to Ferrari unless Mclaren has a spectacular year, in which case he'll stay at Mclaren and they'll absolutely dominate next year since they'll have the two best driver's (once MS retires). Can you imagine having Kimi and Alonso on the same team!

have we all forgotten about good ol' juan pablo? he will be right there w/ kimi this year, all year. he knows the car now and should be fast from the start.

i think it will be jpm and alonso w/ mclaren next year and kimi will head somewhere else.

I cant wait for the entire grid to be formed with legendary veterans such as Schumacher, Kimi, Alonso....and then the likes of Ide, Speed, Rosberg.

Im loving everything F1 right now

I won't bet on kimi. He's been complaining A LOT about their new V8s, so my guess is they won't be more reliable this year than they were last year. My bets go for honda and renault.

I hope BMW gets their sh*t together for 2007. This will be a years for tests, and for improvments (so I hope). In 2007 they will be on a competitive spot (also, without JV).

Intresting enough, I have some faith in JV this year, I think with a good team backing him he might shine a little bit more than in recent past, well, ever since he exploded on the F1 scene as an awesome driver at least. I would like to see him do well and I am glad BMW gave him a chance, now he needs to capitalize.

i would like to see scott speed to pretty decent too however thats something that will not happen. ive been trying to just think of the last american in f1 and i cant think of anyone. the last one i can think of is Andretti for that half season haha. i think im having a brain fart though. on a side note i think Fisichella is the coolest name in the world. and his first name juancarlo or however u spell it thats fricken awesome, it just rolls right off your tounge. my prediction is kimi ftw schumacher 2nd

R U for real!!! this weekend d000d!

ha! Season opener is this weekend. Make sure to check out qualifying as it is a new set up.


haha yeah.. i'm really busy these days.
i'm lucky if i have enough time to be on bfc.

ive been trying to just think of the last american in f1 and i cant think of anyone. the last one i can think of is Andretti for that half season haha.

Mario was teh last driver of note. Micheal took his turn. Eddie Cheever was there for a couple seasons with little success. Maybe Danica could represent the U.S. :devillook

i would never want to see danica near an f1 car. sorry, i think shes overrated...

i would never want to see danica near an f1 car. sorry, i think shes overrated...

If she had the skillz...she would be given a chance.

Mario was teh last driver of note. Micheal took his turn. Eddie Cheever was there for a couple seasons with little success. Maybe Danica could represent the U.S. :devillook
Danica doesn't BEGIN to have the skills to compete in F1.

I'm glad America is not so involved in F1.

on a side note i think Fisichella is the coolest name in the world. and his first name juancarlo or however u spell it thats fricken awesome, it just rolls right off your tounge.

"Giancarlo" ;)

I predict either JPM or Kimi will win.

I predict either JPM or Kimi will win.
Meh, McLaren don't look to have the pace of Renault or Honda. Even if they do, their reliability isn't there yet.

I'm glad America is not so involved in F1.
WTF mate? You prefer NASCAR or something? Everytime I go to Europe I'm in heaevn with all of their coverage.

Needless to say I'm really excited. 390 minutes to go:alright

6am practice on speed? ill be on the couch watching it for sure.

I dont think the McLaren group have their reliability up to par with the likes of Toyota or more importantly Renault. Im predicting a strong Toyota outcome.

I'm glad America is not so involved in F1.

this is the second stupid satement i have seen you make.first was that schumacher was washed up and finished with f1,if you watched f1 you would know it was a tire war last year one that ferrari lost running with bridgestone.schumacher is one of the great champions ever, like senna, prost,fangio, you willl realize and see my words as the truth when in 10-20 years your kids or grandkids asked if you ever saw watched some german named michael.:D


america used to be heavily involved in F1, what is your reasoning behind not wanting to see the pinnacle or motorsports?i have been to 2 F1 races and there is nothing like those cars nothing stops faster, accelerates faster(well a dragster will)nothing turns and manuevers as well as an F1 car.go to a race and stand next to the fence while they do practice runs or qualifying and then you will see why more people watch F1 in the world than anyother form of motorsports.only bigger sport is european football(soccer).

im also glad america isnt so involved with f1 because i love it so much, i dont want rednecks all over my sport. i dont want all kinds of stupid advertising for bud light and big trucks. and when i find someone who likes f1 i enjoy talking to them because i know, that they know what racing is all about.

Mother****er. Mercedes FTL again:(

Danica doesn't BEGIN to have the skills to compete in F1.


:(

McLaren's reliability gets the team off to a nightmare start already....

Mother****er. Mercedes FTL again:(


Lol gearbox issues again for Kimi. On the bright side man those Ferrari's were flying today!:devillook

im also glad america isnt so involved with f1 because i love it so much, i dont want rednecks all over my sport. i dont want all kinds of stupid advertising for bud light and big trucks. and when i find someone who likes f1 i enjoy talking to them because i know, that they know what racing is all about.

i am into f1 and i do not claim to know what racing is all about.

on a side note, i home Jimmy bly can get his act together and feel pure victory when he beats beau brandenburg and joe tanto

Lol gearbox issues again for Kimi. On the bright side man those Ferrari's were flying today!:devillook

They've just started reporting that it was only electical. Still not great, but better than an engine change.

i am into f1 and i do not claim to know what racing is all about.

on a side note, i home Jimmy bly can get his act together and feel pure victory when he beats beau brandenburg and joe tanto

by this i just mean that real racing involves lefts and rights. but i dont argue with cart series when they have a couple ovals in there and the indy500 is alright but i dont watch irl. it takes 1/100 the talent to drive in an oval than it does to drive at a place like interlagos. ill bet that no woman will ever make it to f1, they are too few an far between and danica is way overrated, shes good for a girl but she cant compete with the guys. shes racing against guys in IRL. put her in a cart car id like to see what happens.

^^ true, i agree that it takes less talent to drive an oval, but that does NOT mean the nascar drivers do not have that talent, case and point --> Rolex 24 at daytona

I wouldn't go as far to say it takes less talent. It's talent placed in other aspects. they're all amazing drivers and have aspects of their sport that F1 will never have to worry about. There is still a ton of strategy and it's still a difficult motorsport. Don't forget about when Jeff Gordon i think it was drove JPM's F1 car and was only a second or two off pace with JPM

OT: that sig quote is awesome

They've just started reporting that it was only electical. Still not great, but better than an engine change.

Looks like Benz's electrical problems are not only limited to thier S and E Class:devillook

Go Ferrari:devillook

I cant wait for the entire grid to be formed with legendary veterans such as Schumacher, Kimi, Alonso....

Is Alonso old enough to be considered a veteran yet?!? I though this would be his third season of F1? (young pup he is)

OT: that sig quote is awesome
lol thanks i couldn't stop laughing after i read it the first time.

anyone wanna fill me in on how practice went. I don't have speed here in the house and can't get it :(. I saw what i could on the F1 sites but anymore info that isn't covered in this thread would be appreciated

Veteran compared to the others...and already a champion at that.

I guess Veteran is a bit too much of a word for him though you i apologize for that but i guess you know what im trying to say

Honda and Ferrari, dukin it out

It's Button's year... Barrichello gets to play second fiddle again.

1. schumi
2-20 who cares.

1. schumi
2-20 who cares.

How about 21-22?

I have to say I enjoyed the new format, it was kind of funny to see Ralf get caught out in the first session. Nick was very impressive especially when compared to Jacques. If you put his fastest sector times together he had the fifth fastest time period which shows that the BMW Sauber team is faster than people would expect.

Very impressive performance by Ferrari...I'm really curious to know what fuel loads are being run by everyone.

And once again, Raikkonen's luck FTL:(

Nick was very impressive especially when compared to Jacques.

+1

What in the hell happened to Kimi?!? McLaren strap a hand grenade onto the back of his car or what???

I have to say, I like the new format for qualifying... had the feel of BTCC three race format (2 sprints with a longer third race at the end).

Ralf is my favorite by far. but hes just not good enough like his cuz. i met him last summer at the road america vintage race. he had the benson and hedges car and he was flyin, definately not being carefull. best thing in the world

How about 21-22?
it's a given minardi.

schumi ties senna's pole record!!!

more people watch F1 in the world than anyother form of motorsports.only bigger sport is european football(soccer). [/QUOTE]
Agree, but football (soccer here) in general, not european, is more popular.
BTW, Go MS!! Go Fernando!! Sorry (not) for the "iceman":evil2

Agree, but football (soccer here) in general, not european, is more popular.
BTW, Go MS!! Go Fernando!! Sorry (not) for the "iceman":evil2

didn't you used to be a montoya fan? :shifty why the change to MS?

Ha Ha!.

7 world championships and he only equals Senna's record at pole positions now.

Sorry, not a big Schumi fan, I agree he's the best, but the best SINCE Senna.

just finished watching the qualifying (set the tape this morning before i went to bed :devillook ). Amazing performance by Ferrari, not only MS but also Massa. Looks like he's set to prove everyone wrong who doubted him.

Sucks for Kimi, but it's to be expected.

Thank god for tire changes again, I loathed the single tire/race weekend rule of last year.

The new qualifiying format is awesome. I wasn't in favor of it but after watching it I thought it was really exciting and entertaining as well. Thumbs up.

I agree he's the best, but the best SINCE Senna.


Only a fool would argue contrarily.

didn't you used to be a montoya fan? :shifty why the change to MS?
Still a JPM fan, but I don't think he'll be competitive this year.:(
Priorities:
1. Ferrari
2. Ferrari drivers
3. JPM & Fernando
And then some more

Only a fool would argue contrarily.
I guess I am a fool. Schumi had already started beating him in the 1993 season. But we will never know what would have happened, the '94 season would have been the best season ever.

I'd really like to see how Valentino Rossi will do if he moves to F1 from MotoGP next year.

i got up at 6am to watch Kimi do some damage....only to see the damage done to him. I was furious watching his rear suspension fail and the wing fall off in that spin. Absolute BS

Sorry, not a big Schumi fan, I agree he's the best, but the best SINCE Senna.

Maybe if Chuck Norris could give Michael Schumacher a good enough roundhouse kick... it could knock him into the past to compete more with Senna.

Seriously, WTF, different era's have different stars. Nobody will deny that Senna's loss was tragic. What can you do? Always live in the shadows of your predecessors?

Ha Ha!.

7 world championships and he only equals Senna's record at pole positions now.

Sorry, not a big Schumi fan, I agree he's the best, but the best SINCE Senna.


you dont evan know what the fcuk ur talking about, senna although a good driver always went to the best teams, not the case with schumacher he took his team and went to ferrari evan though he couldve at the time went to merceades/mclaren, which was the better team and won the champion ship with hakkinen, instead like a real champion he went to ferrari, with his team and helped after years of stuggling bring ferrari back from the abyss.when grown folks talk shut ur mouth.

I guess I am a fool. Schumi had already started beating him in the 1993 season. But we will never know what would have happened, the '94 season would have been the best season ever.

yes you are right, schumi was kicking senna's ass and schumacher had a shittier car in the process, because once again senna went to the best team that would enable him to win championships.schumacher is the real champion and one of the greats ever anyone who knows shit about f1 knows that. evan frank williams said schumacher is and he was senna's team owner.

If you are a grown man, your post hints it, you could have argued contrary to the arguments being made in a more "adult" way. -just my own opinion.

Senna and Schumi were champions in their own era's with different cars and technologies. Its useless to argue over it since Senna's tragic death. Its an argument over opinion's and those arguments will go on forever.


On the topic of the new qualifying, im loving it so far yet it seems like a massive strategy game instead of outright fastest lap. Though it does boil down to the fastest lap, those outside of the top x number of teams are allowed to refuel and receive new tires when those in the top x number of spots can't play with their fuel or tires. And like Bahrain's quali proved, it can become quite hectic and a race of its own since Kimi's car brought out the red flag prematurely and caused everyone to make a mad dash to put up a lap time before the 15 minutes were over. Either way it is very entertaining to watch which is the whole point.

it's a given minardi.

So you're putting the arrows ahead of minardi?... :confused

Watching live right now. Kimi is putting on an AMAZING drive from 22nd up to 3rd before commiting to his first pit stop!

Great start to the racing year, and it was actually a RACE for all 57 laps, not the first man to turn 1.

It must be a record of some sort, from grid 22 to position 3.. that's 19 positions :eyecrazy :redspot

Also the other Finn got a good race after initial bad luck, Rosberg lost the front wing in turn 1 and battled up to 7th place.

It's gonna be a very interesting year, 4 potential winners for wc and all from different teams :redspot

He won last year from last. Kimi is amazing and is rightly regarded as the best of the new drivers. I was also impressed with Nico Rosberg's drive from the rear... he'll be one to watch.

Parity across the field (Ferrari, Honda, Renault, McLaren and William all running strong) will hopefully lead to one of the best season in a long while.

Yeah, awesome race! Just watched it on DVR and looks like it will be a fighting season!!!

hopefully the bridgestones can fix the warming up issue.

Yeah, awesome race! Just watched it on DVR and looks like it will be a fighting season!!!


Just finished watching the reply on speed. Excellent race this season should really be exciting.

Kimi was amazing today. I want to see him shine this season. He moved from last to 3rd. I don't care who you are, if you try to take anything away from his performance today you are just simply hating on him. Noone can say what would have happened if he was up towards the front of the grid, but I expect to see Kimi dominate this season like he could have last season with a good car.

Michael was pretty consistant but he didnt do anything spectacular, he was driving really good but I think Alonso was the better driver between the two today.

My thoughts are that the season will be a battle between the top 3 we saw on the podium today. I think Kimi is really strong and he gets my vote for finsihing the season in 1st, then Alonso and Michael (not sure who will do better).

WOW! Amazing start to the season.

The MAIN focus on kimi's drive was the fact that he battled his way up to 3rd place WITH A FULL TANK compared to the others who were running much lighter! It is simply scary. Toyota was an absolute upset, after 106,000km of testing and then nothing to show for it even after their aero update. Anyone see the BMW V8 go up in flames in JV car? another upset....

My dear SuperAguri guys had a pretty disastrous turn-out. Ide almost ran over his crew during a pit stop. I cant stand how the commentators on Speed rag the hell out of them. Everyone knows they are dead slow but things should just get better from this starting point...so after this season lets start the shit talking.

my man did good today, will be an interesting race next week

my man did good today, will be an interesting race next week
Congrats to you guys. I have to say, after all of the disappointment in practice and qualy this was a great way to end the weekend.

Congrats to you guys. I have to say, after all of the disappointment in practice and qualy this was a great way to end the weekend.
But not the best way :)

I was also expecting to see Toyota performing much better than it now did. After all they are putting ALOT of money in the business.

Kimi was amazing today.
true true true
but MS will be in the hunt

I don't care who you are, if you try to take anything away from his performance today you are just simply hating on him. Noone can say what would have happened if he was up towards the front of the grid, but I expect to see Kimi dominate this season like he could have last season with a good car.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda, doesn't count.
I don't hate him, but I just don't like him. Performance or not.
Must be something in his personality. And I don't care if he finishes first from last, I still don't like him. As a driver he is probably the next champ, but he is not charismatic, and I'll never be his fan.
Great race for Fernando, too bad for MS and Massa just got himself out of the competition. I think JPM doesn't have the stemina he had when he first started, he doesn't look as hungry as before.
It was a great race, got two of my favorite drivers in the podium, and then went back to sleep.
Man, getting up at 3am was kind of hard.:eyecrazy

It must be a record of some sort, from grid 22 to position 3.. that's 19 positions :eyecrazy :redspot


I belive he already came 1st from last, last year.

Those Toro Rossos (minardi) can't be alowed to use those V10, they proved to be much more torquey than the V8s.

Rosberg was a nice surprise.

What happened with heidfeld at the begining??

Michael was pretty consistant but he didnt do anything spectacular, he was driving really good but I think Alonso was the better driver between the two today.



Kimi was faster for much of the race. He and MS were both setting fast laps. Though as BETO pointed out, shoulda, woulda, coulda, Kimi starting up front puts him on the top of the podium at the end of the day. Kimi's performance was amazing, especially considering the fuel load.

Whatever your preference on drivers, this looks to be an Alonso, Kimi, MS shootout. Do I dare make the comparison...AP, NM, AS. :devillook

Kimi was faster for much of the race. He and MS were both setting fast laps. Though as BETO pointed out, shoulda, woulda, coulda, Kimi starting up front puts him on the top of the podium at the end of the day. Kimi's performance was amazing, especially considering the fuel load.

Whatever your preference on drivers, this looks to be an Alonso, Kimi, MS shootout. Do I dare make the comparison...AP, NM, AS. :devillook

Good comparison, exactly what I thought of when I tried to describe the race to a friend who missed the race.

Rosberg amde a huge debut, in addition to battling his way from 21st -> 7th he also got the fastest lap. :eyecrazy

I agree that Rosberg was definately the most impressive besides Kimi. I think that by the end of the season we will see him on a podium, maybe on the top step.

S. Speed didn't get much coverage. He moved up three positions, though. Did he show potential or is he looking like a perenial back marker?

S. Speed didn't get much coverage. He moved up three positions, though. Did he show potential or is he looking like a perenial back marker?
I think he did fairly well. I was kind of disappointed with his qualifying results, but he set a faster race lap than Liuzzi.

I was please with the race. Kimi's performance was astonishing, Michael, as usual, had a laundry list of excuses and FA is full of himself already (calling for a blue flag a full lap before he's in a position to pass?). ...and, of course... we were all able to enjoy our favorite drunkard commentator making fun of Ide's car and ability all race long. :D

My predictions for the season, all things being equal:

Driver:

1.) KR
2.) MS
3.) FA

Constructor:

1.) McLaren
2.) Ferrari
3.) Renault

S. Speed didn't get much coverage. He moved up three positions, though. Did he show potential or is he looking like a perenial back marker?

Im not sure how much you can expect of him in that car. Regardless... seems to be a talented kid... they just need to polish his PR skills. I dont want an MTV generation type representing my country. He needs to focus more on driving and less on giving the peace sign to the camera.

Don't forget about when Jeff Gordon i think it was drove JPM's F1 car and was only a second or two off pace with JPM

While impressive for his first time out, no doubt, and obviously the drivers in the other circuts (NASCAR, etc, etc) are very, very talented... "1 or 2 seconds off pace" per lap in F1 put you in last place at the end of the day. The difference between the best and worst drivers on the circut is minimal.

this is the second stupid satement i have seen you make.

Dont mind him... he's making quite a name for himself in the other forums... your assessment is accurate.

you dont evan know what the fcuk ur talking about, senna although a good driver always went to the best teams.When grown folks talk shut ur mouth.

You obviously don't know much about Senna, so I suggest you STFU.
This thread was not meant to be a Senna-Schumacher debate and I won't take it any farther than it's already gone.

That said, just cause you're a NOOB, you don't have to post like one.
Learn to be a little more mature with your posts. So much for grown folk!.

I agree that Rosberg was definately the most impressive besides Kimi. I think that by the end of the season we will see him on a podium, maybe on the top step.

Rosberg was incredible, I liked how he toy'd with DC, and to think DC was championship contender at one time.

Kimi was just amazing, I don't care what people say about his PR skills, he's very good (and focussed) at what he's paid to do. Anyone forget Schumacher's arrogance in his first few years?.

Michael was pretty consistant but he didnt do anything spectacular.


He definately seemed constrained, or conservative if you will. I just can't imagine the Schumacher of maybe five years ago letting Alonso get by him in the pit lane exit maneuver without his classic "Close the door".


I think Alonso was the better driver between the two today.

He absolutely seemed like he had a better line. MS was pretty close when he had him reeled in at the 5th lap or so, but then he seeme'd to fall back later.

Pretty impressive to see MS alter the brake bias on each turn though, you've gotta admit he's almost got an innate feel for the car. Guess that's how he tamed the benetton's, and now the Ferrari.

Pretty impressive to see MS alter the brake bias on each turn though, you've gotta admit he's almost got an innate feel for the car. Guess that's how he tamed the benetton's, and now the Ferrari.

He would also blip the throttle while still on the brakes during corner entrance (and no, it wasn't from downshifting. This was after he was done downshifting). Seems he is well versed at balancing the car at all points around the track.

He would also blip the throttle while still on the brakes during corner entrance (and no, it wasn't from downshifting. This was after he was done downshifting). Seems he is well versed at balancing the car at all points around the track.

Yeah, I noticed that too. While Alonso was more text book like in his conering (all brake or all throttle), MS had those little blips going throught the corner.
Guess he's not 7 time champion for nothing.

Im not sure how much you can expect of him in that car. Regardless... seems to be a talented kid... they just need to polish his PR skills. I dont want an MTV generation type representing my country. He needs to focus more on driving and less on giving the peace sign to the camera.


It'll be interesting to see what happens when they put the Cosworth V8 in the car (it is going to be the Cosworth, right?).

Hopefully Minardi will build a car to suit Scott, rather than make Scott adapt to the car.

Guess he's not 7 time champion for nothing.

My thougths :)

He could also be experiencing some strange understeering tho, and using that to upset the rear wheels, making them turn the car. 'Cause he's known to be pretty steady on the throttle after the enters the corners... :confused

'Cause he's known to be pretty steady on the throttle after the enters the corners... :confused

I think you're right. I remember seeing the telemetry from Silverstone a few years back and he was very smooth and constant with his throttle application through the corners.

I think you're right. I remember seeing the telemetry from Silverstone a few years back and he was very smooth and constant with his throttle application through the corners.

If you're talking about the one where he almost slingshot's from the carousel (in a benetton), I've seen that too, but that carousel is a lot wider (IMO) than the corners from yesterday.

I think that video talks about his driving style in general tho, not on that track in particular. They just use it as an example, to compare him to Johnny Herbert.

Im not very keen on the telemetry on Speed.

Either way, if it was correct, Alonso was all throttle on the exit of the corner while Schumi was applying the throttle in a progressive manner. Maybe implicating difficulties with the car such as traction maybe (just a guess)...his driving style is amazing to watch and he is one of the most balanced of them all, if not ever. Their is telemetry from Monaco a couple years back where it was pretty evident...the video is out there somewhere

It'll be interesting to see what happens when they put the Cosworth V8 in the car (it is going to be the Cosworth, right?).

Hopefully Minardi will build a car to suit Scott, rather than make Scott adapt to the car.

To be totally honest, I have no idea if it will be a Cosworth... Ill have to head over and read some after I click the ol' reply button, here.

He would also blip the throttle while still on the brakes during corner entrance (and no, it wasn't from downshifting. This was after he was done downshifting). Seems he is well versed at balancing the car at all points around the track.

I took a great intertest in that graphic. I had one question and one observation:

1.) Why does MS blip the throttle like that? Its not for downshifting... hes still under 95%+ braking... whats the deal?

2.) The traction control icon was eye opening. WHen they were comparing FA and MS, the TC was lighting up like crazy with FA's car and almost never came on with MS's. It seems like FA just buried the throttle at corner out and let the car take care of the rest.

Watching MS alter the brake bias from one corner to the next was stunning as well... I dont like the man, but goddamn is he good.

Watching MS alter the brake bias from one corner to the next was stunning as well... I dont like the man, but goddamn is he good.
Guess he's not 7 time champion for nothing.

Thank you guys, that probed my point.
He still and always be the 7-times champion and you will never take that away, he earned it.
I'm happy to tell my older kid and I'll tell my younger boy when he understands that I saw the man, MS, drive during all his years of glory. And I even saw him live a few times. (tear coming down right cheek;) )
There is a lot of talent out there, but they need to win. Going from last to first doesn't give any extra points, same points if you start from pole and win. Where you finish and if you finish is what counts, the rest are just speculations.
Is Kimi the man?, "Show me the money"!!
For now, FA is the champ.:alright

It seemed like every hard braking zone which Bahrain has plenty of, MS was adjusting the brake bias every lap. I was simply amazed at him doing it lap after lap.

Look daddy, Alex Young is back!

Uh, no, it's Ide... :rolleyes

1.) Why does MS blip the throttle like that? Its not for downshifting... hes still under 95%+ braking... whats the deal?

If F1 was still running turbo's, I'd think it was to keep the turbo spooled. Maybe he is balancing the car with the throttle rather than altering the braking force? :dunno

Not to put the rest of the season already but I believe that Bridgestone's rubber will get progressivly more stable and reliable, HOWEVER I'm predicting that the Michellin's will progress EVEN more. (Is Michellin throwing a 'lot' of money in this season?)

Regardless, Ferrari 'should' take number one, unless they seriously mess something up. The first race was much more competitve and even more enjoyable to watch compared to the previous years. First off, tire changes are the BEST as now there's the ability to change tactics and adds some excitment to the 'mid-race boredom'(i used to change channel). Ferrari's changeover from last year to present has truely been astonishing. More teams carrying the Bridgestones have truely helped them in a monsterous way. They're progress is astonishing, and can only be dreamed of by the other teams.

My thoughts
I really appreciate MS for being a gentlemen and giving respect for Alonso. I however don't like the attitude of KR. As stated somewhere before, his presense just doesn't captivate you as MS/JV would. I've rarely seen him do p.r, he's focused, but man LIGHTEN THE F*** up. I seriously would PAY to see his reaction if a pornstar sat in his lap; maybe it's just the Fins? I remeber Hakkionen to be simular. It would be interesting to see the straight line speed of the v-10's next week at malaysia; whatever the case may be, this season is going to be VERY entertaining. I can't really fit all my thoughts here, so I'll end it at that.

Hats off to the change in F1!:redspot

Maybe he is balancing the car with the throttle rather than altering the braking force? :dunno

That's what I thought. Him changing brake bias setting that often shows that the car wasn't balanced enough.

BTW one more thought that passed me,

Would the Mclaren's chrome paint be reflected and cause somewhat of a distraction/unfair advantage(if you can even call it that) to Mclaren? I mean, my understanding is that chrome will reflect the sunlight A LOT.... Any thoughts? I hate suv's with xeons behind me, will this be a simular situation?:help

A vote on Formula1.com
Your driver of the day in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix
1. Alonso
2. Raikkonen
3. Roseberg
-- Foreshadow for the rest of the season? Let's hope not!

Also, (sorry for ranting)

Raikonnen never had the ulitmate pace of the Top 2 inthis race. His fastest lap was 0.3 seconds behind that of Schummi and Alonso, and was behind his teammate JP. Consistancy FTW? Not trying after third? I hope he was holding back after an already awsome drive, and reserving it a little for Malayasia.

Cheers!

Would the Mclaren's chrome paint be reflected and cause somewhat of a distraction/unfair advantage(if you can even call it that) to Mclaren? I mean, my understanding is that chrome will reflect the sunlight A LOT.... Any thoughts?
I seriously doubt it could cause a problem for anyone...the rear of the car is not chrome, so anyone following wouldn't have a problem. The front has a bit, but I think it's something of a challenge to see anything out of those side mirrors.

Also, (sorry for ranting)

Raikonnen never had the ulitmate pace of the Top 2 inthis race. His fastest lap was 0.3 seconds behind that of Schummi and Alonso, and was behind his teammate JP. Consistancy FTW? Not trying after third? I hope he was holding back after an already awsome drive, and reserving it a little for Monacco.

Cheers!

No one else had ~100L of fuel on board. By the end of his runs when he should have been quickest, his tires had already been on the car for 27-28 laps. And Malaysia is next, not Monaco.

If F1 was still running turbo's, I'd think it was to keep the turbo spooled. Maybe he is balancing the car with the throttle rather than altering the braking force? :dunno
I went back and watched that part after the race, it was definately the car blipping the throttle to downshift while Alonso's car did not show that part fo the telemetry, I suspect it is a result of where the telemetry point is. I bet the Ferrari's is the engine throttle while the Renault's is the physical pedal.

contrary to what everyone is saying...i remember seing the blips during shifts, the green telemetry bar would blip and blip and blip with each and every downshift, i didnt remember it happening aft or before downshifts. In any case, its what i remember and my memory is not perfect so i could be wrong.

The 'box in these F1 cars already blip the throttle with each consecutive downshift..so whats MS' case for it?

LinkF1: That is a very good point which brings me back to what i was saying about Speed's Telemetry bars....you never know just what it represents and if at all accurate

The telemetry bars if i remember correctly obtain there data only from the on-board TV coverage microphones within the car. So as a way to accurately analyse data i would reserve judgement.

Nico is my new hero:buttrock

I voted for him to be Driver of the Day.

Coming in late on this thread.
My take on MS throttle blips under braking is that the car was pushing like a pig and he was trying to get it to rotate, transfer weight to the nose.

Just popping off the trottle a tad to transfer a bit to get the front to bite and the rear end to rotate.
Well from my couch at 7:00 AM thats what it kept looking like to me.
Just throttle steering a bit, maybe trying to compensate for a push,,,, or,,, possibly the reverse, instead of popping "off" the throttle, maybe he was blipping into it to get the front end to loosen up?

I pondered that for a while,,, and thats what I came up with, especially with all the brak bias adjusting. He had some handling issues he was fighting for sure.

New season should be good.
Nico impressed the crap out of me, as did that Cosworth V8 engine.

SO very glad MS and the red cars seem to have found their way back.
Long live the king.

I so very much believe Ferarri tanked last year, took it as a loss and was already working on this year's car and package full force.
At least after sunday it seems a little more feasible, since they just plain sucked so bad last year after dominating for so long.
I cant imagine how they just could have gotten so much wrong last year unless they took the year off to prep for 2006 and V8s.

Well thats my $.05
Glad F1 is back,,, thank god.
Cheers
jimmy p.

So, could this be a case where Bernie, et al, finally got the formula (no pun intended) correct for tight, exciting racing? After years of getting it wrong.

I'd love to see Cosworth/Williams do well...and Nico.

Just to see more parody, and competetiveness.

seeing as jpm pulled a faster lap time than kimi i think his physical conditioning got the better of him during the race. after the first pit stop he was able to pass button but after a few laps jenson got back by, and after that jpm consistantly fell back. by the end of the race he was losing a second a lap to the leaders. i think if jpm was on kimi's one stop strategy he would have been either 3rd or 4th. either way he has never had a good start to the season. except australia in 04.

what do you people think?

seeing as jpm pulled a faster lap time than kimi i think his physical conditioning got the better of him during the race. after the first pit stop he was able to pass button but after a few laps jenson got back by, and after that jpm consistantly fell back. by the end of the race he was losing a second a lap to the leaders. i think if jpm was on kimi's one stop strategy he would have been either 3rd or 4th. either way he has never had a good start to the season. except australia in 04.

what do you people think?
I think JPM lost his "touch". He is not the same driver as years past. Maybe because he is becoming older or having a family or not seeing the results he wanted, I don't understand. The guy was great when he started F1, but he is fading gradually. If he's not getting good results, I'd expect him to retire soon, at least to another series.:(

JPM is the master choke artist.

It is way too early in the season to even begin to predict things.

JPM is the master choke artist.

It is way too early in the season to even begin to predict things.

choke as in throwing away a good position due to a mistake?

he might be getting older but he is still way younger than MS and look at him. i don't think he will retire from f1 any time soon. he just needs some more fire in the belly.

Nothing to do with last sundays race, just his overall performance in F1 recently. Last year was a fluke for him...wethe it may have been his terrible luck with incidents on track such as the drain cover or webber, he just never capitalizes on his opportunities.

I think JPM lost his "touch".

Or his "BMW Power" :stickoutt

Or his "BMW Power" :stickoutt
Yeah...:stickoutt
Who is he racing with now?:D