The F1 Thread 2010 Season

I have to admit I fear that too, atleast with variable fuel loads we had guys sometimes 2 seconds faster than each other allowing some overtaking. It might be interesting, it might end up some guys are better than others on high fuel loads but come the end of the race they are being hunted down by the guys who are generally faster on low fuel loads.

Spare a thought for anyone stuck behind the Trulli train though.
 
I don't agree with that with all the new teams, new tracks, Alonso to Ferrari, Button to Mclaren, Schumacher you know it all I think next season could be one of the best and most exciting ever.
 
You could put Schumacher, Senna, Prost, Hakkinen, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Lauda, Hill, Villeneuve, Stewart and anybody else you can think of on any new track you like but if there's no overtaking it'll be shit.
 
Agreed, overtaking provides the entertainment regardless of who is behind the wheel. I wanna see the balls out on the limit driving in qualifying but I want to see overtaking in a race more.
 
Looks like Hamilton's period of not saying anything stupid has come to an end:

Lewis Hamilton turns 25 today and he’s given a detailed interview on one of his sponsor’s websites about his F1 career so far.

The interview was conducted at Rye House kart circuit at Hoddesdon where he often raced during his karting years.

In it he has some interesting things to say about his father Anthony, whose drive and determination helped Hamilton reach F1:

Hamilton said:
The hardest corner of all is this corner right here. It’s where I learnt to be the latest braker of all and that’s where I learnt to overtake everyone like I do. I use it in Formula 1 now, that’s why I’m able to overtake like I do.

It wasn’t until my dad found out where the latest of brakers were braking. So if the British champion was braking here, my dad would make me brake down here – so late that I often would go off or spin. Spin, start again, spin, start again… he stood here and said I had to brake there and if I didn’t brake there I’d be in trouble.

When I have kids I want to be just like him because he was such an incredible dad. Very, very hard and very correct but he tried always to do what was best for me. He was probably harder on me than any of my friends’ parents were on them. But that’s what made me so strong.

When the family weren’t there and it was just me and my dad, there was never a moment when he was not standing at my side and watching out for me. He was my hero.
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He also talked about missing out on the drivers title: in his rookie season – and the satisfaction he took from finishing ahead of team mate Fernando Alonso in the championship:

Hamilton said:
I definitely didn’t blame myself for the year that I missed out [on the championship]. My first season in Formula 1, alongside a world champion – a double world champion – and I blew him away. I beat him. No-one’s ever come in their first year and been at the front, let alone beat a world champion, beat the mentality and the strength that he would have, and his experience in Formula 1 already up to that point.

So I’m very proud that I had the experience of leading the world championship for most of the year. And it’s sickening, for sure, to think we lost it in the last couple of races. [...]

I was leading and I needed a couple of points in the last two races. I barely got one. I think I got one*. The worst two races of the whole year. In one, I went off, in the second one the car stopped and it never stopped on me before.

It was a growing experience and it made me who I am today.
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*He scored two in the last race, and needed two more to be champion

The full interview is over 20 minutes long and you can listen to it on the Johnnie Walker website.
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Hamilton: “I blew Alonso away” | F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog

He blew Alonso away? So 109 points v 109 points is now classed as blowing somebody away? He had a fantastic debut season but bloody hell he talks some shite the lad!
 
R_Nick said:
Looks like Hamilton's period of not saying anything stupid has come to an end:

Hamilton: “I blew Alonso away” | F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog

He blew Alonso away? So 109 points v 109 points is now classed as blowing somebody away? He had a fantastic debut season but bloody hell he talks some shite the lad!
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Considering their respective start points at the beginning of the season, I don't think it's too far off the mark. He certainly rattled Alonso with his performances

And he did beat him, same points but finished ahead on countback. It's a shame results in those final two races weren't better really
 
I know he finished above him in the rankings, but come on, he's gone way OTT in saying he blew him away!

Like I said I'm taking nothing away from the job he did, great performance, but I'm not having that!
 
I like Hamilton but it is a douchey interview, I mean I haven't listened to it but he comes across as a dick in writing. I understand he is all about self belief etc but you gotta wind it in somedays because this sort of stuff comes back to haunt you.
 
Ecclestone in 'bloody stupid idea' shocker:

Friday, January 15, 2010
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy: Bernie Ecclestone wants to introduce “shortcuts” on race tracks to boost entertainment and allow the top drivers to do more overtaking, the Formula One supremo said on Wednesday.

The idea, which has yet to garner support from teams, would be another radical change to the sport with nothing similar ever having been adopted.

“I’ve tried to push the teams with a number of proposals. Imagine a shortcut which a driver can use five times every race. It would stop people getting stuck behind others. It would be good for TV,” the 79-year-old told reporters at Ferrari’s pre-season ski retreat.

Ecclestone also complained that brakes in Formula One cars were too efficient and reduced the amount of overtaking which fans like to watch.

In spite of believing the sport can be improved, the Briton reckoned this season would be among the best with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and the returning Michael Schumacher all on the grid.

Ecclestone, who laughed and joked with Alonso after a day’s skiing, repeated his belief that some of the new teams added to Formula One this season may struggle to race.

Elsewhere, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher said he was satisfied with the crucial track time he secured on his second day of testing in Jerez in spite of rain restricting his programme.

Schumacher, who has come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes in the Formula One world championship on a three-year, 30-million-dollar deal, again drove a GP2 car as F1 testing is banned until February.

Schumacher’s first day on the track, Tuesday, was restricted by heavy rain, but he is due to drive again at the Spanish venue on Thursday.
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Bernie really is a spastic, I mean for a guy with his experience in motorsport he does spout such utter bollocks its unreal. Shortcuts? Are you serious? If a driver is stuck behind a slower driver then he has to do what everybody else has done for the past 60 years, overtake them.

He should worry more about the lack of HD in Formula One broadcasts and make that his number one priority seeming as we won't be getting again this season.
 
Leg-End said:
He should worry more about the lack of HD in Formula One broadcasts and make that his number one priority seeming as we won't be getting again this season.
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This is exactly the kind of thing he should be doing, not getting involved with rule making/changing, that's not his job. Not that it stops him basically trying to tell the FIA what to do.
 
I find it hard to believe a sport that calls itself the pinnacle of technology still doesn't broadcast in Hi-Def, its actually staggering. I can sit and watch table-tennis in HD but I can't watch the fastest racing in Europe. Instead we are stuck with the same old shit for another season, I think Fuji is the only place that actually broadcasts in HD, obviously we wont see it but it shows it can be done.

Bernie/FOM would rather spunk their time talking about medals and shortcuts.:annoyed:
 
interesting bbc article here about next season and some of the changes...
BBC Sport - F1 - How Formula 1 race strategy will be different in 2010...
intersting that 1% too much fuel could see you 10 seconds down over a race...
i still remember the old days where drivers might have to get out and push their car over the line... wonder what the health and safety people would make of that as cars closed in at 200pmh
 
B Cantona said:
Considering their respective start points at the beginning of the season, I don't think it's too far off the mark. He certainly rattled Alonso with his performances

And he did beat him, same points but finished ahead on countback. It's a shame results in those final two races weren't better really
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Considering clear favoritism in the team, its about on par really. As for those two final races, there's only one person to blame for that.

Another classic quote from Hamilton

I spend a lot of time with my aerodynamicists, questioning them, and I’m sure they look at me and go, ‘He’s just a driver, what’s he talking about?’” smiles Lewis. “But I have a proven understanding of the engineering of my car. This year, I was responsible for one of the upgrades that brought us three points of downforce in Spa. We didn’t really perform that weekend, but it stayed on the carfor the rest of the year and it helped. It was something I forced and got put on the car, and it was better, and it was great. You know, I was going to put my signature on it...
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Thats right, Lewis was responsible for the cad drawings, manufacturing the parts and then testing them in the wind tunnel. What a bloody idiot.

Always the "teams" fault when the cars not good, but if something good does happen, its all ME!
 
What the problem he offered his opinion to upgrade a part and it work. If you acually listen to his interviews he always credits his team through good and bad times.
 
marchi-91 said:
Considering clear favoritism in the team, its about on par really
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:lol: Yeh, ok mate

He deserves far more credit for his performance that first season than you'll ever be willing to give him. To come into a team having never raced a Formula 1 car, and beat his team mate who happened to be a multiple and reigning World Champion

I think the Badoer episode of last year brings a little context to just how much of an achievement that was
 
Brad I think I've been fair in acknowledging his performances in spite of my feeling towards Hamilton?

However you have to admit there was a pretty clear favouritism towards him in the latter stages of 2007. I'm not saying for a minute that he didn't give Nando a shock, of course he did, but he was definitely favoured in the team. Don't forget "we were basically racing Fernando".
 
B Cantona said:
He deserves far more credit for his performance that first season than you'll ever be willing to give him. To come into a team having never raced a Formula 1 car, and beat his team mate who happened to be a multiple and reigning World Champion
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He's a Ferrari fan, he'll never ever give credit to a driver unless he's in a Ferrari car.

Fernando had a woeful season in McLaren, and that wasn't due to Hamilton or the team, his own performances in the car were questionable.
 
R_Nick said:
Brad I think I've been fair in acknowledging his performances in spite of my feeling towards Hamilton?

However you have to admit there was a pretty clear favouritism towards him in the latter stages of 2007. I'm not saying for a minute that he didn't give Nando a shock, of course he did, but he was definitely favoured in the team. Don't forget "we were basically racing Fernando".
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I think a fair amount happened towards the middle and end of that season which changed the dynamics

Irrespective, Hamilton was beating Alonso in the standings all season long. And the field was level at the start, it's a bit rich of Mr Ferrari fan over there having a go at McLaren for their lack of a level playing field when it comes to drivers!
 
B Cantona said:
:lol: Yeh, ok mate

He deserves far more credit for his performance that first season than you'll ever be willing to give him. To come into a team having never raced a Formula 1 car, and beat his team mate who happened to be a multiple and reigning World Champion

I think the Badoer episode of last year brings a little context to just how much of an achievement that was
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Not really. Hamilton walked in to the best car on the grid in 07. Last years Ferrari was an absolute pig of a car, why do you think Schumacher stopped his comeback? He knew that it would take half a year of driving the damn thing to get it to the pace of Raikkonen and even then it would be a mid pack runner at best. Any driver in the field would have been slow in that car and the only reason Kimi was remotely competitive, was because he knew how to drive the flipping thing. Instead Ferrari put Michael in the simulator busting his arse to get next years car fixed properly.

Brad your only kidding yourself if you don't think there was clear favoritism. Otherwise explain to me why it is that when the F.I.A. instigated their stewards to make sure the McLarens were the same, Alonso was given the same brand of brakes as Hamilton and not the other way around? And don't think for one second that specific brake types don't alter between drivers. They're all very picky.

Still stand by the greatest point in that season was watching Alonso on the podium at Brazil. Expression was pretty much a big "feck on your face" look towards Ron Dennis.
 
marchi-91 said:
Not really. Hamilton walked in to the best car on the grid in 07. Last years Ferrari was an absolute pig of a car, why do you think Schumacher stopped his comeback? He knew that it would take half a year of driving the damn thing to get it to the pace of Raikkonen and even then it would be a mid pack runner at best. Any driver in the field would have been slow in that car and the only reason Kimi was remotely competitive, was because he knew how to drive the flipping thing. Instead Ferrari put Michael in the simulator busting his arse to get next years car fixed properly.

Brad your only kidding yourself if you don't think there was clear favoritism. Otherwise explain to me why it is that when the F.I.A. instigated their stewards to make sure the McLarens were the same, Alonso was given the same brand of brakes as Hamilton and not the other way around? And don't think for one second that specific brake types don't alter between drivers. They're all very picky.

Still stand by the greatest point in that season was watching Alonso on the podium at Brazil. Expression was pretty much a big "feck on your face" look towards Ron Dennis.
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Without reading back what is this argument actually about? Hamilton was favored by mid-season in 2007, I totally agree but he put himself in that position as a rookie against a double world champion. But are you actually trying to ***-credit Hamiltnon's achievements?
 
Leg-End said:
Hamilton was favored by mid-season in 2007, I totally agree but he put himself in that position as a rookie against a double world champion.
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To be fair, Hamilton & Alonso started on an even footing at the start of the season. It showed more by mid-season that Hamilton's determination and ambition was higher than Alonso's. Alonso, who seemed to think that his reputation would carry him in the team.
 
Absolutely, Alonso simply underestimated how good Hamilton was and its pretty obvious when Alonso agreed his move he was told he was the Number 1, some 18 months before he even stepped into the team.
 
Leg-End said:
Without reading back what is this argument actually about? Hamilton was favored by mid-season in 2007, I totally agree but he put himself in that position as a rookie against a double world champion. But are you actually trying to ***-credit Hamiltnon's achievements?
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No, what i'm discrediting is the affiliation by Brad that the 2009 Ferrari was as easy to drive and as adaptable as the 2007 McLaren. The two scenarios are completely different. Its not hard to jump in to a top line F1 car and be competitive.
 
Some do it better than others, but Hamilton totally deserved his seat at McLaren for 2007, they lost Raikkonen and De La Rosa wasnt up to much so effectively he was the only choice but he was quick from the minute he sat in an F1 car. I was at Silverstone one cold morning watching Hamilton test in an F1 car for the second time I think, he did some whilst he was in F3 I think. Anyway, within 10 laps he was visably quicker than everyone else that day through Bridge and you could tell he was quality.

It is hard to jump in a competitive car and be quick, we wont ever agree on that I dont think but chances are if you end up in a Ferrari or McLaren you got there because you have talent. I do agree with you though that the 2009 Ferrari was nowhere near the same level as the 2007 McLaren, especially with the KERS but it wasnt exactly a dog either.
 
The problem with the 09 Ferrari is that it was insanely twitchy, especially in the wet.
 
Nick Heidfeld will be Mercedes's test and reserve driver in 2010 and the former BMW Sauber, Jordan and Prost man will be unveiled in the role as the team's livery launch in Stuttgart on Monday, his manager has said.
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Heidfeld as a reserve driver...
 
If I was Heidfeld I would fire my agent, clearly deserves a seat somewhere and he ends up a reserve driver?
 
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The Mercedes GP Livery for 2010 on the Brawn car for now, quite possibly one of the worst liveries I will have seen Schumacher ever race with.
 
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