The F1 Thread -2007

regarding yesterday's race, anyone else found it boring? cause i did. after all the drama during qualifying i really hoped the race would turn out well.
 
Eto'odinho said:
Alonso might be a cnut BUT he is the best F1 driver on the circuit right now.
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Agreed...he is also the youngest driver to win a grand prix and youngest to be on pole position. Something that Hamilton is already too old to better. With all the hype surrounding Hamilton's rookie season, everyone forgets that he older than an average rookie. Even Jacques Villeneuve had a brilliant rookie season, won 5 races or so that season and was tipped to win the championship. He lost out to Hill in the final race of the season. But he did win the championship the next year.

Considering that Renault reentered F1 in 2000, Alonso turned around their fortunes remarkably in a couple of seasons. Broke Ferrari's 6 year stranglehold and beat arguably the best ever F1 driver in two successive championships.
 
nabyllon said:
regarding yesterday's race, anyone else found it boring? cause i did. after all the drama during qualifying i really hoped the race would turn out well.
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When was the last time the Hungarian grand prix was interesting?, they really need to sort out that circuit, make it a more competitive not just in qualifying but during the actual racing
 
Eto'odinho said:
Alonso might be a cnut BUT he is the best F1 driver on the circuit right now.
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Most often the one's who are a bit of a cnut do become the best at one point, the same was said about Schumacher. I agree about Alonso, as an all round F1 driver he is the current best and can often do it consistently whatever the situation. Raw speed wise though I think Raikkonen can claim the top spot but he lacks in other areas compared to Alonso. Hamilton certainly isn't doing himself much harm and you cannot deny he is coming on well, even though I hate all the hype about him.

nabyllon said:
regarding yesterday's race, anyone else found it boring? cause i did. after all the drama during qualifying i really hoped the race would turn out well.
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Eto'odinho said:
When was the last time the Hungarian grand prix was interesting?, they really need to sort out that circuit, make it a more competitive not just in qualifying but during the actual racing
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I was also thinking the same thing, wishing Alonso & Massa would come through and Hamilton & Raikkonen fighting for the win. It was boring though mainly because it is a tight twisty track where you have to stay on the racing line more so than other tracks. The aerodynamic packages don't help much either in the modern world of F1.

Instant Karma said:
Last season in the rain when Button won.
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I think most often than not any rain increases the excitement in F1 due to increased pit-stops for tyres, safety-cars bunching the pack up, and tapping into the drivers skills to drive in wet conditions...
 
Instant Karma said:
Considering that Renault reentered F1 in 2000, Alonso turned around their fortunes remarkably in a couple of seasons. Broke Ferrari's 6 year stranglehold and beat arguably the best ever F1 driver in two successive championships.
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I am still new to F1 and might get this wrong but wasn’t that the time when they changed the rules to F! cause Schumacher was winning all the time. I am not saying Alonso is a bad driver he is the best to me by far but he has been very lucky in the that last 2 years. In 2005 Kimi would have won the title if the McClaren engine didn’t blow up all the time Kimi did win more races that year. Last year Schumacher was winning the title when in the second to last race his engine blew up and Alonso won. This year is the first time things have not gone his way. Saying all that he still is the best driver out there in my opinion and is a great world champion.
 
Rooney1987 said:
I am still new to F1 and might get this wrong but wasn’t that the time when they changed the rules to F! cause Schumacher was winning all the time. I am not saying Alonso is a bad driver he is the best to me by far but he has been very lucky in the that last 2 years. In 2005 Kimi would have won the title if the McClaren engine didn’t blow up all the time Kimi did win more races that year. Last year Schumacher was winning the title when in the second to last race his engine blew up and Alonso won. This year is the first time things have not gone his way. Saying all that he still is the best driver out there in my opinion and is a great world champion.
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Lucky he has been BUT also at the same time he has made his own luck by consistently scoring points down the years irrespective of the conditions and car weaknesses.
 
Not a happy camp, are they?

Hamilton, the 22-year-old from Stevenage, had exchanged angry words with his team boss Ron Dennis as he returned to the pits, reportedly saying: “Don’t ever f****** do that to me again!” Dennis replied: “Don’t ever f****** speak to me like that again!” Hamilton delivered a final riposte: “Go f****** swivel!”
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and this is after Lewis disobeyed team orders on the out lap of Q3?

Not exactly a team player is our Lewis.
 
Keane16 said:
Not a happy camp, are they?


and this is after Lewis disobeyed team orders on the out lap of Q3?

Not exactly a team player is our Lewis.
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I missed the qualifying session and have only heard about what went on. Both driver's want to win the championship and will do anything but I think they took it too far this time around. Emotions were running high and nobody is perfect.

I detest how he is made out to be some kind of amazing superstar in the media getting a lot of attention and double the hype. Then he gives an interview and it is made out like he is a saint, with a rough up-bringing etc. Hopefully its not just an act either and he stays on a feet and knows his place...
 
ZIDANE said:
I missed the qualifying session and have only heard about what went on. Both driver's want to win the championship and will do anything but I think they took it too far this time around. Emotions were running high and nobody is perfect.

I detest how he is made out to be some kind of amazing superstar in the media getting a lot of attention and double the hype. Then he gives an interview and it is made out like he is a saint, with a rough up-bringing etc. Hopefully its not just an act either and he stays on a feet and knows his place...
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I wouldn't worry about the media profiling all that much...it's comical and plays to stereotypes...people buy it though, you can tell by some of the comments above. Lewis was acting up in qualifying, like at Monaco, nothing serious, just a nibble at him - the problem for Lewis is that Alonso isn't exactly good victim material for wannabe little bullies playing games. Having riled Alonso and after looking to escalate the situation, he now must be prepared to finish it. It blew up in his face in big way last weekend and he was a lucky boy on the face of it. He was very affected looking in the press conference afterwards and despite having won the race comfortably, he didn't look like a man who enjoyed the whole experience. He got the 10 points, but at what cost? Interesting - if not exciting times...can't wait for Turkey.
 
Mansell critical of McLaren row

Former world champion Nigel Mansell has criticised McLaren for allowing the row between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to be made public.

Hamilton said Alonso was not speaking to him after his victory in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix but Mansell feels the matter should have stayed private.

"It's something for the team to deal with. It's not something for the public to be part of," Mansell told BBC Sport.

"It's no different to what happened years ago but it's publicised more."

He added: "I drove with Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg. They were all world champions and they are not going to be your best mates.

"I just feel some of the things that are happening and the way certain things are being managed would have been managed far differently a few years ago and it is a great shame.

"Too much is said sometimes, but that seems to be the way of the world."

Mansell, who was twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, is also surprised that Formula One's governing body, the FIA, is getting involved in the row between the two drivers.

The FIA prevented McLaren from scoring any constructors' points in Hungary after the incident between Hamilton and Alonso in qualifying.

"The thing I find extraordinary is that the powers that be are intervening. It's between two drivers from the same team and it shouldn't affect anyone else," he said.

"If they want to cause problems between themselves, then it's surely up to them."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6934023.stm

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That is one thing that occurred to me at when I found out about the FIA punishment, why did they get involved? In a normal case a team would have to complain wouldn't they otherwise the stewards wouldn't look into it? From my point of view the team should have been left to deal with it. I guess maybe media exposure played apart and the FIA wanted to make the sport look like it is under control...
 
I wonder how long till Alonso leaves McLaren?

Can't see him wanting to stay there much longer if he's always going to be 2nd favourite.
 
I think Hamilton will win it and Alonso will leave.

Just to be different.
 
I think they will both eventually overcome their differences in a professional manner and stay with the team.

Why not? What other realistic options are there?

Hamilton has been on McLaren's books since he was a kid and has great potential, they wouldn't let him go.

Alonso is the best all round driver and a double world champion against Schumacher. He wouldn't move to Ferrari as they have Raikonnen, which would then mean the same problem as he will be fighting for the no.1 spot in the team. The only other options available is to go back to Renault (unlikely as they don't really have the package and financial resources) or move to BMW. The latter could be an interesting proposition as they have been competing extremely well in there first real season as a team and have surprised many with their package and pace.

To add my prediction to the eventual winner, I believe it will come from McLaren and if Hamilton can withstand the pressure of the 'run-in' he may just win it but don't underestimate Alonso who has the experience of this kind of thing.
 
Instant Karma said:
Alonso will win the championship this season and remain at Mclaren.
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No and no.

Hamilton is going to win the championship this year and Alonso is going to gone within the next 2 years.
 
If Alonso went, where would he go? He has nowhere.

If he left McLaren he'd have limited choice. Ferrari won't take him -- they have a history of having one top driver and throwing their weight behind him, and Alonso wouldn't want that. And even if they did vouch equality, Alonso would have left McLaren for dislike of the competition from Hamilton, he's not going to go to a team with an even better driver.

Renault? No chance. He burned his bridges there when he signed up for McLaren. Flavio is a nasty bastard, and I can't see him relenting and taking him back.

BMW? They like their Germans and Poles. And besides, Heidfeld is doing a brilliant job for them and Kubica is hyped as having the same potential levels as Hamilton. So they won't want the huge increase in wages for not much benefit.

That leaves Toyota. Wow. What a team. Look where they've gotten with their biggest budget in Formula One. Ralf Schumacher is the second highest paid man on the grid and manages to limp home in the top ten a couple of times per season. That's partly because he's shite, but also because the car is just not up to it.

So Alonso would have nowhere to go. And anyway, I don't think he will leave. So he's having an argument with Hamilton right now. Big deal. Ron Dennis wouldn't be where he is now if he didn't know how to calm down two teammates. He's seen it all before -- everyone forgotten that he had Prost and Senna driving for him at one point? Those two hated each other more than Alonso and Hamilton will ever be able to match.

And one final point -- I hate that Hamilton is being made out to be the innocent golden boy in all this. Of course, I'm only getting the British media's opinion, for all I know in Spain it's the other way around. Alonso being portrayed as the innocent victim and Hamilton the marauding bully, but over here it's simply Hamilton = good and Alonso = bad. They are both equally culpable for the problems that McLaren are suffering and they both need to sort it out. Perhaps Alonso brought it all to a head and took it too far on Saturday, but the entire incident was started by Hamilton refusing to follow orders because he didn't want to help Alonso. And he's done that before, in Monte Carlo, too.

So both drivers are equally in the wrong, no matter what the British media want to say. I suppose most people on here are smart enough to realise that, but the average layman out there in the streets of Blighty now has the impression that Alonso is a nasty, arrogant, cheating bastard whose sole purpose in life is purely to steal lunch money off cute little Lewis.

Both of them need to grow up and get on with it. You don't have to like each other to have a good working relationship, but you do need to stop acting like babies.
 
Turkey Race Results

1. Massa - led from pole, not much difference between him and Raikkonen..

2. Raikkonen - got ahead of Hamilton at the start and followed Massa from then on..

3. Alonso - fell behind both BMW's at the start, jumped them in the pits and got ahead of Hamilton because of his puncture..

4. Heidfeld - normal race really behind the top runners but better than the rest..

5. Hamilton - was set for 3rd but got a puncture just before his last pit stop and finished 5th (had some aero damage on his wing)..

6. Kovalainen - had a decent race, closed on Hamilton near the end but couldn't overtake in the final few laps..

Another boring race really, Hamilton leads Alonso by 5 points now!
 
New evidence in Ferrari spy row

The World Motor Sport Council of the FIA, Formula One's governing body, will meet on 13 September to look into new evidence in the sport's spying affair.

McLaren were found guilty of fraudulent conduct in the initial hearing on 26 July but were not penalised.

They were found guilty of possessing confidential Ferrari documents, but it was decided the information had not been used to improve their car.

A Court of Appeal hearing set for 13 September will not now take place.

A statement by the FIA read: "Following the receipt of new evidence the WMSC has been reconvened for a hearing in Paris on 13 September.

"In accordance with its decision of 26 July, representatives of McLaren have been invited to attend the hearing.

"The FIA president Max Mosley's referral of the matter to the International Court of Appeal has been withdrawn."

A McLaren statement in response to the FIA read: "McLaren Racing has been made aware that new evidence has been presented to the FIA as part of their ongoing investigation.

"McLaren will continue to co-operate fully with the FIA."

The row blew up when McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan was found to have nearly 800 pages of Ferrari documents in his house.

Coughlan has since been suspended by McLaren.

Ferrari believe Coughlan received the documents from their now-sacked performance director Nigel Stepney, who says he is innocent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6980551.stm
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The saga takes a new twist...

Monza up this weekend I think - should be crap...
 
How long till the race?
 
What's up with Massa?
 
Keane16 said:
Some good moves by Hamilton.

Yawn....
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I felt like Alonso backed up just a little which allowed Hamilton to get in front around the outside at the start. Then he had Raikkonen near the end, not bad, came from a long way back as well.

I agree another boring race but I knew it was going to be like that, at least the Raikkonen strategy excited it for a brief moment...
 
ZIDANE said:
I felt like Alonso backed up just a little which allowed Hamilton to get in front around the outside at the start. Then he had Raikkonen near the end, not bad, came from a long way back as well.

I agree another boring race but I knew it was going to be like that, at least the Raikkonen strategy excited it for a brief moment...
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yeah...Alonso slowed earlier than the rest, that caused Massa to slow as he was directly behind him....Hamilton profited nicely. They were going on about his defending moves being a bit strong...but I didn't see anything there to moan about....that I can remember, shocking camera work as usual. Raikkonen was done by Hamilton at the end. Hamilton had a much faster car, but Raikkonen was still done.
 
Race Results
1. F Alonso (McLaren)
2. L Hamilton (McLaren)
3. K Raikkonen (Ferrari)
4. N Heidfeld (BMW Sauber)
5. R Kubica (BMW Sauber)
6. N Rosberg (Williams)
7. H Kovalainen (Renault)
8. J Button (Honda)

Drivers Championship
1. Lewis Hamilton - 92
2. Fernando Alonso - 89
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 74
4. Felipe Massa - 69

Constructors Championship
1 McLaren-Mercedes - 181
2 Ferrari - 143
 
McLaren face new 'spygate' threat

Championship leaders McLaren have been told they are under investigation by Italian prosecutors as the Formula One spying row shows no sign of abating.

Team officials were visited by court officers in the paddock at Monza on the eve of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

A McLaren statement described the visit as "wholly unnecessary", adding they "strongly suspected the nature and timing" was aimed at disrupting them.

The incident happened shortly before Saturday's qualifying session.

The team said they were "completely confident that were any proceedings of this type ever to be brought we would be completely exonerated".

McLaren already face a second World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris on Thursday after new evidence recently surfaced in the "spygate" scandal.

The team were found guilty of fraudulent conduct at the first hearing after being caught in possession of technical information belonging to Ferrari, although no penalty was imposed due to insufficient evidence.

The latest allegation reportedly centres around an e-mail exchange between Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa.

In a worst-case scenario, McLaren could be kicked out of the competition both this year and next.

They are currently 11 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' standings while British rookie Hamilton leads double world champion Alonso by five points in the drivers' title battle.

The spying row blew up when McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, who has since been suspended by the team, was found to have nearly 800 pages of Ferrari documents in his house.

Ferrari believe Coughlan received the documents from their former performance director Nigel Stepney.

Criminal proceedings are active against Stepney, who was sacked by Ferrari from his role as head of performance development in July.

Stepney is also being investigated for allegedly sabotaging the team's cars ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

A mysterious white powder was apparently discovered around the petrol caps of the cars driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen days before the race in Monte Carlo.

Stepney has strongly protested his innocence in both cases.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6985442.stm
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Thursday is the big day.
 
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