Formula 1 - Archive Thread

[Spike]

The 2008 Formula 1 season starts this weekend in Australia

Will anyone be watching and who are you supporting?

[GiRTh]

I'm looking forward to it. Go Lewis Hamiltion.

[bridge7too7far]

I watch it when thres nothin else on while i'm eating my tea

[Dan_]

Hopefully Lewis will go one better this season.

[Captain.Remy]

Go Kimi ! He deserved his title and waited this moment so badly, it's his time to shine, Lewis can wait lol I think it's gonna be a great season between the triangle: Raikonnen, Hamilton and Alonso.

[Spike]

I will be supporting Alonso and Massa this season.

[Sarah.]

I don't understand the question. 'Who are you be supporting?'=S

[Spike]

Originally posted by mrs_rko
I don't understand the question. 'Who are you be supporting?'=S

Well it should say, Who are you supporting?

I will change it just for you.

[Spike]

After the Australian Grand Prix

Drivers Table
1 Lewis Hamilton 10
2 Nick Heidfeld 8
3 Nico Rosberg 6
4 Fernando Alonso 5
5 Heikki Kovalainen 4
6 Kazuki Nakajima 3
7 Sebastien Bourdais 2
8 Kimi Räikkönen 1
9 Robert Kubica 0
10 Timo Glock 0
11 Takuma Sato 0
12 Nelsinho Piquet 0
13 Felipe Massa 0
14 David Coulthard 0
15 Jarno Trulli 0
16 Adrian Sutil 0
17 Mark Webber 0
18 Jenson Button 0
19 Anthony Davidson 0
20 Sebastian Vettel 0
21 Giancarlo Fisichella 0
22 Rubens Barrichello 0


Constructers Championship
1 McLaren-Mercedes 14
2 Williams-Toyota 9
3 BMW 8
4 Renault 5
5 STR-Ferrari 2
6 Ferrari 1
7 Toyota 0
8 Super Aguri-Honda 0
9 Red Bull-Renault 0
10 Force India-Ferrari 0
11 Honda 0

[BigSister]

yay lewis won *dances*

[James]

Coulthard's interview with ITV after he was taken out the race by Massa. :shocked: :hugesmile:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V_PiFV7i7Kk

[Dan_]

:laugh: safe to say that Massa wont be on David's Christmas card list after that.

[James]

Formula 1 to return to the BBC in 2009. No ad breaks, hopefully Fleetwood Mac's The Chain back as the theme tune.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7306123.stm

[Spike]

The full provisional grid is as follows for the Malaysian Grand Prix (the final grid will be published as usual by the FIA on Sunday morning)


1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3. Jarno Trulli, Toyota
4. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
5. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
6. Mark Webber, Red Bull
7. Fernando Alonso, Renault
8. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
9. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
10. Timo Glock, Toyota
11. Jenson Button, Honda
12. David Coulthard, Red Bull
13. Nelson Piquet, Renault
14. Rubens Barrichello, Honda
15. Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso
16. Nico Rosberg, Williams
17. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India
18. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso
19. Takuma Sato, Super Aguri
20. Adrian Sutil, Force India
21. Anthony Davidson, Super Aguri
22. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams

[Spike]

After the Malaysian Grand Prix

Drivers Table
1 Lewis Hamilton 14
2 Kimi Räikkönen 11
3 Nick Heidfeld 11
4 Heikki Kovalainen 10
5 Robert Kubica 8
6 Nico Rosberg 6
7 Fernando Alonso 6
8 Jarno Trulli 5
9 Kazuki Nakajima 3
10 Mark Webber 2
11 Sebastien Bourdais 2
12 David Coulthard 0
13 Jenson Button 0
14 Timo Glock 0
15 Nelsinho Piquet 0
16 Takuma Sato 0
17 Giancarlo Fisichella 0
18 Felipe Massa 0
19 Rubens Barrichello 0
20 Anthony Davidson 0
21 Adrian Sutil 0
22 Sebastian Vettel 0

Constructers Championship
1 McLaren-Mercedes 24
2 BMW 19
3 Ferrari 11
4 Williams-Toyota 9
5 Renault 6
6 Toyota 5
7 Red Bull-Renault 2
8 STR-Ferrari 2
9 Honda 0
10 Super Aguri-Honda 0
11 Force India-Ferrari 0

[Spike]

After Bahrain Grand Prix

Drivers Table
1 Kimi Räikkönen 19
2 Nick Heidfeld 16
3 Lewis Hamilton 14
4 Robert Kubica 14
5 Heikki Kovalainen 14
6 Felipe Massa 10
7 Jarno Trulli 8
8 Nico Rosberg 7
9 Fernando Alonso 6
10 Mark Webber 4
11 Kazuki Nakajima 3
12 Sebastien Bourdais 2
13 David Coulthard 0
14 Timo Glock 0
15 Jenson Button 0
16 Rubens Barrichello 0
17 Nelsinho Piquet 0
18 Giancarlo Fisichella 0
19 Anthony Davidson 0
20 Takuma Sato 0
21 Adrian Sutil 0
22 Sebastian Vettel 0

Constructers Championship
1 BMW 30
2 Ferrari 29
3 McLaren-Mercedes 28
4 Williams-Toyota 10
5 Toyota 8
6 Renault 6
7 Red Bull-Renault 4
8 STR-Ferrari 2
9 Honda 0
10 Force India-Ferrari 0
11 Super Aguri-Honda 0

[Spike]

After the Turkish Grand Prix
Drivers Table
1 Kimi Räikkönen 35
2 Felipe Massa 28
3 Lewis Hamilton 28
4 Robert Kubica 24
5 Nick Heidfeld 20
6 Heikki Kovalainen 14
7 Mark Webber 10
8 Fernando Alonso 9
9 Jarno Trulli 9
10 Nico Rosberg 8
11 Kazuki Nakajima 5
12 Jenson Button 3
13 Sebastien Bourdais 2
14 David Coulthard 0
15 Timo Glock 0
16 Giancarlo Fisichella 0
17 Rubens Barrichello 0
18 Nelsinho Piquet 0
19 Takuma Sato 0
20 Anthony Davidson 0
21 Adrian Sutil 0
22 Sebastian Vettel 0


Constructors Championship
1 Ferrari 63
2 BMW Sauber 44
3 McLaren-Mercedes 42
4 Williams-Toyota 13
5 Red Bull-Renault 10
6 Toyota 9
7 Renault 9
8 Honda 3
9 STR-Ferrari 2
10 Force India-Ferrari 0
11 Super Aguri-Honda 0

[James]

Good win for Lewis today. Shame for Sutil in the Force India car, was going well in fourth, which is great for a smaller team, and, unfortunately got hit from behind by Raikkonen.

[Spike]

Yeah good win for Hamilton today, its funny that when he hit the barriers actually helped him win the race. Bad luck for both Sutil and Alonso today, they could of both done well if luck had of been on their side

[BigSister]

yay Lewis won. I didnt see the race as i was at work but glad he won ^_^

[pinkmichk]

i am supporting hamilton hoping he can repeat last yrs win in montreal today

[Spike]

I will be surprised if Hamilton doesn't win today

[pinkmichk]

what a stupid mistake on lewis and the teams part why didnt he see the red light and why wasnt team on radio saying mind the light
he threw away a good chance of podium there

[Spike]

Bad luck for Hamilton yesterday, it was a good race though

[James]

Kovalainen on pole, Webber second, then Raikkonen and Hamilton. I was watching the GP2 race on ITV4 earlier, excellent race and very entertaining.

[Spike]

The race tomorrow will be good with how qualifying has gone.

[pinkmichk]

i for one will be glad when its on bbc ad breaks are so annoying
any lewis fans think the FIA are a joke for giving him that penalty yesterday which stripped him of the win

[James]

FIA... or Ferrari International Assistance as some people call it!

:whistle:

[monkey1982]

FIA are Admin edited - language.

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by James
FIA... or Ferrari International Assistance as some people call it!

:whistle:

not heard that one before but yep that sums them up :mad:

[Spike]

I will also be glad when its on the BBC, the breaks do spoil it
I am glad Lewis got the penalty, do not want him winning this season

[James]

Good GP at Spa mind you, much better that the snore-fest of Valencia.

[Spike]

Great race today, one of the best this season
Very deserving win for Vettel, i'm sure he will be a huge name for F1 in the future

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by Spike
Great race today, one of the best this season
Very deserving win for Vettel, i'm sure he will be a huge name for F1 in the future
i totally agree

[pinkmichk]

anyone else looking forward to the first night race this weekend

[Dan_]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
anyone else looking forward to the first night race this weekend

Yep, I am.It's something a bit different and at least we get to watch it at a reasonable hour.

[Spike]

Can't wait for the first night race, I have been looking forward to this race all season

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by Dan_
Originally posted by pinkmichk
anyone else looking forward to the first night race this weekend
at least we get to watch it at a reasonable hour.

i am pleased about that as well

[Spike]

Brilliant race today, hopefully the first of many night races.
So glad Alonso won and such bad luck for Massa even though I did find that pit stop so funny
but I think the race would of been better if there were a few more over taking opportunities.

[pinkmichk]

it was a fab race i think that circuit could be up there for one of my favs and the night race part of it made it even better
ferrari seem to be having so many fails this season thats twice massa has had a pit lane incident like that and as for kimi i think he has lost his cool head he is so known for
i read somewhere that they might be investigating alonso for some first lap overtaking where he got advantage of button (the same thing that had lewis get that penalty)
but i am happy lewis pretty much has the championship in the bag as long as maclaren dont mess it up for him

[Spike]

2009 schedule has been announced with a few interesting changes:

29 March Australia
5 April Malaysia
19 April Bahrain
10 May Spain
24 May Monaco
7 June Turkey
21 June Great Britain
28 June France
12 July Germany
26 July Hungary
23 August Europe (Valencia)
30 August Belgium
13 September Italy
27 September Singapore
11 October Japan
18 October China
1 November Brazil
15 November Abu Dhabi

[pinkmichk]

ohh cool
i heard yesterday ferrai have brought back the lollypop system for pit release

[James]

No North American round next year.

They are meant to be changing the aerodynamic design of the cars next year, to make overtaking easier. We'll see if it actually does though.

[Ross]

Originally posted by James
No North American round next year.

They are meant to be changing the aerodynamic design of the cars next year, to make overtaking easier. We'll see if it actually does though.
Interesting :shocked:

[Spike]

Originally posted by James
They are meant to be changing the aerodynamic design of the cars next year, to make overtaking easier. We'll see if it actually does though.

Hopefully that will work, it would be nice to see more overtaking especially on tracks with limited opportunities too.

[pinkmichk]

i hope that works too would make for some more interesting races

[pinkmichk]

4.30am for the live start anyone else gonna be mad enough to watch it live i prefere it live cos the highlights miss so much out but am not sure if i will might just stay up all night

[James]

I am getting more confused by these stewards' decisions. Didn't think Hamilton should have been penalised for the first-corner incident and don't know why Bourdais was given a penalty for his clash with Massa.

[pinkmichk]

i agree with you james couldnt see nothing wrong with what hamilton did on the first corner and as for the bourdais/massa incident there was no way that bourdais was in the wrong it was massa in the wrong but i guess yet again if your not in a red car your gonna get penaltys
i am hoping hamilton can do good in the next 2 races and keep the championship

[James]

Result of Chinese Grand Prix...

Lewis Hamilton wins, 7 point lead over Massa who was second.

(spoiler tags if you haven't watched yet)

[pinkmichk]

i just watched it was a good race

[Spike]

Good race, so happy Massa got the better of Hamilton
I so want Massa to win this now because he is probably the only driver in the competition who does deserve to win

[NettoSuperstar!]

Originally posted by Spike
Good race, so happy Massa got the better of Hamilton
I so want Massa to win this now because he is probably the only driver in the competition who does deserve to win

Oh you dont like Hamilton either the Brit...Im starting to see a pattern here

[Spike]

Originally posted by NettoSuperstar!
Originally posted by Spike
Good race, so happy Massa got the better of Hamilton
I so want Massa to win this now because he is probably the only driver in the competition who does deserve to win

Oh you dont like Hamilton either the Brit...Im starting to see a pattern here


:rolleyes: What patten..?

[James]

:puzzled: What do you mean Massa got the better of Hamilton? Lewis Hamilton won.

[Spike]

Originally posted by James
:puzzled: What do you mean Massa got the better of Hamilton? Lewis Hamilton won.

ooops I worded that wrong
I don't mean like better in the race, like in keeping his hopes alive because thats what was needed today by him and with his home GP next it could be Massa's to win

[pinkmichk]

we saw a different hamilton today and i think if he keeps that level head and as long as no car or team failures he could easily take the title
kimi and massa did half look peed at lewis bringing up the pass in the press conference

[NettoSuperstar!]

go on hammy woo

[pinkmichk]

cant wait for todays race i didnt get chance to watch qualies yesterday but just heard massa has pole lewis 4th but he only needs to finish 5th or better for the championship

[pinkmichk]

:laugh: just seen this lewis' face is hilarious as much as the move to the bbc will be good cos no ad breaks but it is a end of era does anyone know if any of the team are going over to the bbc?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HO7j2EC_dI

[Spike]

I'm going to miss it on ITV, I don't think any of them are going over to BBC, I will really miss Steve Ryder presenting
I want a very close race today with lots of twists and turns but also I would love Massa to win the championship

[pinkmichk]

i have only ever known it on itv so have nowt to compare it to but no ad breaks will be fab

[Spike]

I am looking forward to no adverts too but I don't think the presenting team will be as good

[pinkmichk]

delayed start nooooooooooooo although lewis is far better in the wet than massa

[pinkmichk]

wow that was a amazing but nailbiting race but get in hamilton got the championship:elephant::elephant::elephant::elephan t:

[James]

What a finish, that was. :dance: Thought Hamilton had lost it.

[Spike]

Wow what a race, it looked like Massa had it until the final few seconds. A great conclusion to a great season.
I do feel Massa deserved it more but still well done to Hamilton
Alonso was brilliant today and if the last few races are anything to go by then he is a contender for next season

[Wildcat!]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OMG!!!!!!!

[Mark]

Such a fix, Glock blatently let him pass. How else can he defend his last lap being 18 seconds slower :shocked:

[Dan_]

Well done Lewis :thumbs2:

[pinkmichk]

massa only really got in the running cos of many questionable marshall decisions through the season personally ferrai have been pretty poor this year
i also feel for coulthard what a way to go out of his last ever race how many crashes have him and nakajima had this season?

[BigSister]

Well done Lewis ^_^ but I had given up hehe sorry Dan
That last lap was just woah

[Wildcat!]

Originally posted by Mark
Such a fix, Glock blatently let him pass. How else can he defend his last lap being 18 seconds slower :shocked:

What are you talking about? The whole gamble was to either change tires or not in the last 3 laps! Glock gambled, and it backfired! He had slick tires, on a pourng rain last lap! There was no fiX! Cant believe that statement!
Plus he got passed by 2 more cars I think!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Captain.Remy]

Congrats to him ! This year has been great, Lewis was the best.
My fave racer is still Kimmi Raikonnen anyways.

[James]

Yeah, both Toyotas were the only cars left on dry tyres so they lost a lot of time on the last lap when it got wetter.

[Wildcat!]

thats right, and they both clocked like 144 in the last lap :rolleyes:
It happens, Lewis lost a race tis way earlier, it was that noght race tat Alonso won! He got lucky sort of,but he was 4th before te change of tires, so h obviously desrved it!

[pinkmichk]

do we reckon there will be a victory parade for lewis i mean there has been one for the rugby team the cricket and the olympic team
gordon brown was on the news praising lewis
i hope there is one in stevenage as its just down the road from me so easy to get to plus they adore him (gave him parking space in asda and named a road after him on a new estate )

[pinkmichk]

just heard who the proposed bbc team is its Jonathan Legard, Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard and possibly blundel not heard of legard or humphrey before

[BigSister]

Jake Humphery did some of the euro 2008 coverage this year he also did some of the olympics ill get you his wiki page in a min

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Humphrey

[pinkmichk]

cheers i know who he is now was just the name didnt ring a bell
i hope by going to bbc its not gonna be done from a london studio and them only go to uk race

[Spike]

No not Jake Humphery, it will be awful with him
I really want Gabby Logan presenting it

[pinkmichk]

gabby logan would be good

[BigSister]

ive never seen it on bbc only itv so its going to be quite strange

[Dan_]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
do we reckon there will be a victory parade for lewis i mean there has been one for the rugby team the cricket and the olympic team
gordon brown was on the news praising lewis
i hope there is one in stevenage as its just down the road from me so easy to get to plus they adore him (gave him parking space in asda and named a road after him on a new estate )

He came to the Waterstone's in the town centre for his book signing and all.I think the local council will probably arrange something.

[pinkmichk]

omg i missed that are you in stevenage then?

[BigSister]

yeah he is ^_^

[Dan_]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
omg i missed that are you in stevenage then?

Yep.I also missed it, cannot remember why lol.

[pinkmichk]

i dont even remember seeing owt in the comet:conf2:

[Dan_]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
i dont even remember seeing owt in the comet:conf2:

I know they had a video of the event up on their website, we don't always get the comet so I'm not sure if they put in there or not.

[pinkmichk]

bbc have confirmed the team


The BBC have confirmed that Jonathan Legard will be their lead commentator when the corporation commences coverage of F1 next season.


Legard, who until now has been a regular figure on BBC Radio Five Live's but more recently as a football correspondent, effectively takes the role James Allen held for ITV and will be joined in the commentary booth by the peerless Martin Brundle.


Despite his lack of gravitas prompting ridicule whenever he appeared as part of the BBC's coverage of this summer's European Championship football tournament, 30-year-old Jake Humphrey will anchor the coverage with both David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan employed as pundits.


Ted Kravitz will retain the pit-lane reporter role he performed for ITV.




found on planet F1

[James]

Honda pulling out of F1 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7766092.stm

No drive for Button next year unless they find a buyer, which is unlikey.

[pinkmichk]

i read that earlier i also read something about i think its the concorde agreement where they have to run with 20 cars on the grid so would that mean other teams would have a 3rd car?

[Spike]

The BBC team is better than I expected but I don't like it especially with the involvement of Jake Humphrey

[pinkmichk]

no i dont like jake humphrey either
my friends partner works for honda so is a tad worried at the mo

[James]

This song back next year. :thumbs: Well the end of it anyway...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Csatmi34YEk

[Spike]

I don't like that song

Heres an interview with Bernie, about the possible scoring system for the future
Q: You have suggested gold medals should be introduced. How would that work?
Bernie Ecclestone: My idea is that instead of points we should award medals to the drivers finishing first to third in a race, gold for the winner, silver for the second placed driver and bronze for the driver who comes third.

Q: So how will the drivers’ championship be decided?
BE: The title will be awarded to the driver who wins the most gold medals in a season and if there were a tie, the number of silver medals won would be taken into account (and if still tied, it would be decided by bronze medals and so on).

Q: What is behind the idea?
BE: Well, quite simply, it will make Formula One a much more exciting spectacle because it will incentivise drivers to race to win. We should see much more overtaking, drivers will take more chances and they will race each other all the way to the chequered flag. At the moment, quite often we see drivers settling for second, third or fourth position, and the race can be dull in the final stint after the last round of pit stops. The drivers aren’t to blame, they’re racers, but the scoring system forces them to be too conservative. As things are, if they want to take the title, it is better to settle for a few, safe points rather than chase down the guy in front and risk going home with no points.

But this is Formula One, the pinnacle of world motorsport, and only the best driver should win the title. Being a Formula One world champion is not about being a consistent and reliable runner-up. It’s about racing hard, taking chances and not settling for second best. Last year, Hamilton was leading the drivers’ championship before he had even secured his maiden win. Likewise, after Canada this year, Kubica led the drivers’ championship on points even though Hamilton, Massa and Raikkonen had all won more races. Lewis and Robert are both extremely talented, but I don’t think the system should produce that kind of result. It shouldn’t be possible for someone to be crowned world champion without winning a single race, but that really could happen unless we change the scoring system.

Q: Are you suggesting that the constructors’ championship be decided in the same way?
BE: No, I think we should keep that as it is, awarding points for places 1 to 8 as we do now. For the teams, constructor points are purely a financial matter as they determine a team’s share of the annual prize fund. Fighting for a point or two really matters to the teams further down the grid and I don’t see any reason to change that. Back in 2003, we extended the points system down to eighth place which was great for the teams, especially the smaller ones, but it aggravated the problem with the drivers scoring system because by increasing the number of points for coming second from 6 to 8, we made the step from first to second place too shallow. That year, Michael (Schumacher) won the title from Kimi (Raikkonen) by only two points but Michael had won six races whereas Kimi had won just one race. Kimi is a great driver and a natural racer but I don’t think it would have been right had he won the title in that situation, however it nearly happened.

I don't like the idea, I think the points work well now and there is no need to change it

[pinkmichk]

bernie talks out of his backside (he is the one who said there was no racism towards hamilton in spain:bored: ) its a silly idea

[James]

Yeah it sounds a pretty daft idea. The powers that be have said they aren't going to change it without consulting the public on what they think.

[pinkmichk]

david richards working on a possible rescue plan for honda

Prodrive boss David Richards has revealed that he is working on a potential rescue deal for the Honda F1 team. Speculation has been rife that Richards may be one of the frontrunners for the F1 team since Honda put it up for sale, as he had hoped to enter F1 with his own team until the customer car row broke out and scuppered his plans.

Richards has flown to the Middle East to hold talks with interested backers for the Honda team.

"There are a group of people in the Middle East who want to support an F1 entry for me and have been very specific about it for a year now," Richards told the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "But we have to agree when the time is right."

"When you sit down in the cold light of day and realise the liability you would be taking on, and the huge restructuring of staff and resources that will be needed, investors will have to think long and hard before taking a punt," Richards added. "You will have to bridge a big gap in finance, probably for three years, before balancing the accounts."

Richards' interest in F1 is thought to have been revived after Subaru announced it would pull out of the World Rally Championship, affecting the team that his Prodrive company ran for the manufacturer.


source - http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/12/21/richards-reveals-honda-interest/

[pinkmichk]

just seen this on the above link for me just confirms what i knew that ferrari have extra help etc maybe there should be a review over this doesnt seem exactly fair (espically when you add the F.I.A blantant red car love)

As Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has said he wants to see a greater transparency from Ecclestone about the revenues in Formula 1 Bernie Ecclestone now hits back at the Italian by revealing Ferrari's special deal with Formula 1 where the Scuderia is receiving millions of dollars extra

An angry Ecclestone has told The Times that the Ferrari president should be the last person to be complaining about how much revenue the teams receive. "The only thing he has not mentioned is the extra money Ferrari get above all the other teams and all the extra things Ferrari have had for years - the 'general help' they are considered to have had in Formula One," Ecclestone told The Times.

"Ferrari get so much more money than everyone else," Ecclestone said. "They know exactly what they get, they are not that stupid, although they are not that bright, either. They get about $80 million (about £54 million) more. When they win the constructors' championship, which they did this year, they got $80 million more than if McLaren had won it."

Ecclestone reveals that the reason for paying Ferrari the extra $80 million goes back to 2003 when F1 teams tried to form a breakaway championship. Ecclestone explained: "They were the only team that broke ranks with the other manufacturers - why did they break ranks? That's where the $80 million comes in. We 'bought' Ferrari. We 'bought' Ferrari's loyalty. Our deal with Ferrari was that we 'bought' them so they would not go to the others."

[Iceman]

Originally posted by James
Yeah it sounds a pretty daft idea. The powers that be have said they aren't going to change it without consulting the public on what they think.

There's actually a way to provide feedback on the F1 website were that interview is taken from if that helps anybody.

[pinkmichk]

from everyone i have spoken to they all agree that its a pointless silly idea
how long til season starts? sundays are boring again now christmas is over

[Spike]

Yeah the general opinion is that its a crap idea
80 days until qualifying in Australia

[pinkmichk]

:bored: thats ages away

[Iceman]

ye its a good bit to go yet, Ferrari debut the new car next week though:cheer2:

[pinkmichk]

2009 car launches

12/01/2009 - Ferrari
15/01/2009 - Toyota
16/01/2009 - McLaren
19/01/2008 - Williams
19/01/2008 - Renault
20/01/2008 - BMW
09/02/2009 - RBR/ STR
TBC- FIF1
TBC Entering 2009 - Honda

[Spike]

So all the car launches will be within the next few weeks then

Some news on the British Broadcast of F1
The BBC's coverage of Formula 1 will not be available in high definition at launch, it has been revealed.

Director of BBC Sport Roger Mosey wrote on the BBC Sport Editors' blog that the corporation's F1 coverage "won't yet be available in HD" but added that "we'd very much like it to be".

Standard definition coverage of the 2009 season will kick off on BBC One with the Melbourne race on March 29. Mosey said that all qualifying and races will air live and uninterrupted on the channel with additional content, such as practices, made available online and via the red button

DS (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a140696/bbc-wont-air-f1-in-high-definition.html)

[pinkmichk]

not fussed over the hd part peronally at the mo still bit unsure about moving to bbc but the uninterupted part is gonna be fab
i cant wait to see new cars

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
not fussed over the hd part peronally at the mo still bit unsure about moving to bbc but the uninterupted part is going to be fab
i cant wait to see new cars

Agree about the uninterupted part, itv always lost out with their add breaks.

Looking forward to see the ferrari next week! Hopefully this season kimi decides he's actually going to put some effort in.

[pinkmichk]

i just read that ferrari are keeping the pit lane light release method for this season i wondered if they have sorted it now so no more major fails

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
i just read that ferrari are keeping the pit lane light release method for this season i wondered if they have sorted it now so no more major fails

I just don't see why their keeping it, don't get me wrong i'm a ferrari supporter and all, but it cost them the title last year, i really would have thought they were going to change it.

[pinkmichk]

not a ferrari fan so the mess ups did have me both laughing and cheering at the tv but i dont get it either cos it could have caused some major injuries with pit lane crew etc

[Iceman]

ye that incident could of been fatal for a mechanic, i really think they were lucky not to have a serious injury. Well i don't know what they are playin at using that system, you would think someone would have said i know lets use a lolly pop stick:conf2::conf2::conf2:

[pinkmichk]

i totally agree but guess time will tell if its been updated or owt or if they chancing it on the same as before

[Iceman]

I hope they do, who is your money on for the upcoming season, although i think i can guess your answer :laugh:

[pinkmichk]

hamilton for the championship maclaren for the constructors :spin:

[Iceman]

HEhe i was right, i think Kimi will be back strong this year and also Alonso, mainly i think it will be a repeat year of 07 just Alonso and Lewis on different teams.

[pinkmichk]

i really dont like alonso :yuk: have read some rumours he might be at ferrari in 2010

[Iceman]

I hated him when Michael was around but then i kinda warmed to him but now he's competitive i hate him again! I would like Kimi to win this year and then retire as champion. I also think Lewis will be very strong this year because the pressure of the first title is off him. If you look at what happened with Kimi a few years ago he was so close but then just dropped off for a few years.

[pinkmichk]

i'm hoping lewis keeps the grounded head he had in the later part of the season not the daft one he had in beginning part that almost blew it for him and agree now the pressure for that first win isnt on him he should be fine

[Spike]

Alonso will be the one to watch next season, my money is on him winning the championship and Ferrari winning the constucters.
I like Alonso, I want him to win the 09 season
It will be interesting to see whether Massa will carry on from the success of last season or will fall behind.

[Iceman]

I think if Kimi gets his form back Massa will drop off dramatically, i wouldn't actually mind Alonso winning again, but i have to stick with Ferrari and Kimi in particular.

[Iceman]

Just read there on the F1 website that Sebastian Bueimi will race for Torro Rosso next season.

They also gave Donnington the go ahead to develop the circuit to hold the 2010 British GP!

[pinkmichk]

from planet F1
Brundle: Plenty of red-button stuff on Beeb
Sunday 11th January 2009

Hardcore Formula One fans can expect a lot more television coverage and "red-button stuff" this season, according to Martin Brundle.


F1 TV rights changed hands in the UK at the end of the 2008 season with the BBC replacing ITV as the broadcaster, and Brundle will once again be anchoring the coverage.


Brundle is confident the BBC will be able to live up to their reputation as one of the finest broadcasters and says there will be plenty of "fresh ideas".


"I am moving on now to the BBC, I am going to be working with Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard, I know everybody I am going to be working with, I've got to build some rapport, some chemistry, we're not going to have to work our way around adverts through pre-show and race, there will be some fresh ideas," he told Autosport.


"You can't question the BBC's ability for outside broadcasting, it's the finest in the world.


"So we are working with the Formula One world feed, and a lot of people said 'Oh, ITV missed that', or they'll say, 'BBC missed this', but in the race that is not our feed. That is given to us, and we have to work around it. But I think they'll do a great job.


"It's a good group of people, and it's exciting and I'm looking forward to engaging with the BBC. There is other television that I would personally like to do in the future, and use the opportunity. It's a great brand name, isn't it? I will be very proud to wear BBC on my shirt on the grid in Melbourne."


Brundle says there will be a lot more interactive stuff this season.


"Working around the feed that we're given from FOM - which I have to say is very good, and we're getting more and more on-board cameras and that sort of thing," he added.


"But I think the BBC, once we have finished the main live show, qualifying and the race, it will be red-button stuff then; sort of banter between EJ and DC and any of the rest of us that get dragged onto the screen. So I think for the hardcore fans it will be more TV coverage, yes."


the move to the bbc is looking more and more appealing with each new story

[Iceman]

BBC + F1 = Heaven.

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by RiotVan
BBC + F1 = Heaven.

agree on most part jury still out here on the presenting team though

[Spike]

Ferrari have become the first team to officially launch their 2009 car after unveiling the F60 online. It is the machine that will be driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen as they defend the Italian squad's 2008 constructors' title.

In line with revisions to the Formula One regulations for 2009, the F60 features a lower, wider front wing and a taller, narrower rear wing. Its name commemorates what will be Ferrari’s 60th F1 campaign.

The F60 is the 55th single-seater produced by Ferrari to contest the world championship and it will make its track debut on Monday afternoon at the team's Mugello circuit, with Massa behind the wheel.

The new car has far fewer aerodynamic appendages on its bodywork compared to its predecessor, due to the rule changes designed to cut downforce and promote more overtaking, with the driver now able to make minor front wing adjustments from the cockpit. The F60’s suspension and layout has also been completely reconfigured as a result, in order to maintain optimum weight distribution.

The F60’s design also takes into account two other major rule changes - the return of slick tyres and the option to use a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Ferrari’s KERS has been designed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli and is centrally mounted on the engine under the rear part of the chassis.

The car’s seven-speed transmission has been redesigned to optimise its aerodynamic efficiency, while Ferrari’s Type 056 V8 has been modified in accordance with the new ruling that requires engines to last for three Grand Prix meetings from 2009, with rev limits cut from 19,000 to 18,000 rpm.

F1 Website (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/1/8824.html)

[pinkmichk]

cant wait to see maclarens

[James]

The cars look a bit strange with their narrow back wings and wide front wings but we'll see if overtaking is easier. Also it looks like they have done away with all the little aerodynamic add-ons the old cars had, which is good.

I hope the BBC show the Formula 1 support races on their red button, like GP2 cause I like watching those.

[Iceman]

Yes that was the first thing i thought. I mean i saw tha back wing and was like, what the hell???? It's growing on me though, should be interesting to see the other teams aswell, i really want to see the Mclaren i think it will be interesting.

[pinkmichk]

the 2009 entry list has been released
The FIA has released the official Formula 1 entry list for the upcoming season. The entry list doesn't have any surprises but it does confirm the Honda F1 team has an entry for the upcoming season so its buyers can enter the sport as of Melbourne at the end of March.

1. Lewis Hamilton - VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES
2. Heikki Kovalainen - VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES

3. Kimi Raikkonen - SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO
4. Felipe Massa - SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO

5. Robert Kubica - BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM
6. Nick Heidfeld - BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM

7. Fernando Alonso - ING RENAULT F1 TEAM
8. Nelson Piquet - ING RENAULT F1 TEAM

9. Jarno Trulli - PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING
10. Timo Glock - PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING

11. Sebastien Buemi - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
12. TBA - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO

14. Mark Webber - RED BULL RACING
15. Sebastian Vettel - RED BULL RACING

16. Nico Rosberg - AT&T WILLIAMS
17. Kazuki Nakajima - AT&T WILLIAMS

18. TBA - (TBA) HONDA RACING F1 TEAM
19. TBA - (TBA) HONDA RACING F1 TEAM

20. Adrian Sutil - FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM
21. Giancarlo Fisichella - FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

[Spike]

Toyota unveiled their 2009 car in innovative fashion on Thursday, as the new TF109 made its world debut in a specially-made, big-screen movie trailer, made available to fans online.

With revisions to the Formula One regulations set to shake up the order, the Japanese team are hoping the TF109 can take them to their first win since entering the sport in 2002...

Work began on the TF109 last October, with the car’s new shape heavily dictated by the FIA’s regulation changes, with wider front wings, narrower rear wings and fewer additional aerodynamic devices.

“Our target this year is to fight to win the first race for Toyota in Formula One,” declared team principal Tadashi Yamashina at Thursday’s launch, a proclamation that comes in light of their improved showing last season, which included two podiums and top-ten starts at 14 of the 18 races.

“After eight years in Formula One we have gained a huge amount of knowledge and improved considerably,” said Toyota Racing President John Howett. “There are many elements of our team which are at the very highest level so the challenge now is to fill any gaps and ensure the entire organisation is performing at the very top. Then we must put all the elements together and deliver the success we are all fighting so hard for.”

Toyota continue with an unchanged driver line-up for 2009. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were critically-acclaimed co-stars for the team last season and they will again be supported by Japanese reserve driver Kamui Kobayashi.

"I still have plenty I want to achieve in Formula One but my dream now is to win the first race for Toyota," said 34-year-old Italian Trulli.“I have now spent longer racing for Toyota in Formula One than any other driver and I have seen the huge progress that has been made since I joined in 2004. It has been a long journey and we have had ups and downs but we have never given up or lost faith.”

Glock, whose Toyota race career began only last season, added: “If you look back at the cars I have been racing for the last five years they have all been quite different, with the 2004 Jordan, then Champ Car, GP2 and the Toyota TF108, and I have been competitive in each of them. That shows how quickly I can adapt to a different car so I don’t have any concerns at all about adjusting to the 2009-style Formula One cars.”

The 2009 changes have presented Toyota and all the Formula One team with a significant design challenge. “This complete programme has been more demanding on our company than any previous new car project I have been involved in,” said Pascal Vasselon, senior general manager (chassis).

To view Toyota’s online movie trailer, go to www.tf109-premiere.com.

F1 website (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/1/8841.html)

[pinkmichk]

just seen maclarens 2009 car and i dont like it :yuk: also just read this on autosport
McLaren boss Ron Dennis will step down from his role of team principal before the start of the 2009 season, the Briton announced on Friday.

The 61-year-old, however, made it clear that he is not retiring, but will instead focus on other commitments related to the McLaren Group.

Dennis said he would still attend some races, but intends to pass on his team principal responsibilities to Martin Whitmarsh as of March 1 this year.

"First thing I am going to do is work harder, that is the first target," said Dennis during the launch of the new McLaren.

"I intend to raise my own game because I think everybody in our organisation at every level realises this is a tough period in which we are going to work and of course we are a very diverse organisation now.

"We have a clear intention for our production car programme which is really a challenge. Any product we bring to the market will certainly fall the other side of this financial period.

"I stress nothing to get too excited about but it is absolutely time for Martin to take over as team principal. As from March 1 he will adopt that responsibility. I will still go to races, not all of them, because I am passionate.

"I intend to work harder and will take on greater responsibility in the group. I will be full executive chairman. It is time and I have to say it is absolutely 100 percent my decision. It is what I want to do, but I do intend to work much harder.

"Don't see it as some sort of retirement, I want to work harder in other areas and having to plan those tasks around the GP calendar is disruptive to the process. It is a job that Martin will embrace and enjoy.

"It is a job over the years we have shared anyway, but it will be his decision to influence things at a grand prix circuit."

[pinkmichk]

toyota are fighting for their future

Toyota boss John Howett has admitted that his team need capture their first race win this season if they are to secure their future in the sport.


The team have shown much progress over the past year, but with the economic climate being so fragile, Howett feels that only a victory will be enough to keep the team going.


"We have a great team of people and I think we just feel we need to win and it is about time we won," said Howett.


"We need a strong season. If we have a weak season we have no future. Whether we really have to win to stay is difficult to stay, but we feel we have to win.


"It is our desire and our passion shared by our people in Cologne. We feel we must win, and then we can cement and secure a very bright future in F1," he added.


The 56-year-old is determined to increase the 'value' of the team to ensure that Toyota's parent company continues to see Formula One as a worthwhile venture.


"I think what I will say is that every team are facing increased scrutiny because of the financial situation, and we are no different from any other," he said.


"I don't uniquely believe that it is cost that has driven certain teams out of their relative sport - it is a holistic view about the value that is delivered for the investment.


"It is quite clear we need to reduce our costs and I am very confident we will do that. And we need to have an extremely strong season to demonstrate to Toyota that we are value to the corporation for the commitment they are and have made to the sport. It is our job as managers and leaders of the team to deliver.


"So yes, we are under scrutiny. It isn't wrong to say that, but I don't think you should uniquely pull Toyota out from the remainder of the teams. We all need to perform in one way or another," the Briton added.


Team principal Tadashi Yamashina delivered a forthright assessment of Toyota's position.


"Honestly speaking, we are also struggling to stay in F1," he said.


"We discussed lots with the Japanese management, but fortunately Mr. (Katsuaki) Watanabe, our CEO, convinced the bosses to stay in F1.


"As John mentioned, Toyota are doing some cost reduction to get some better performance, but we are still alive and, from that sense, this season is very important. Even if the headquarters had some operational loss, we spend their money to fight to win a race, so it is very, very important for us to win this year," he added.


Toyota finished 5th on the 2008 constructors table, with Jarno Trulli's third place in France the best result the team achieved.



anyone else find this slightly worrying that this is the second team who may not make it to me it doesnt really bode well for the future of F1

[Iceman]

Just saw about the Mclaren "mishap" in testing, hope Mclaren dont let their reliability slip.

[pinkmichk]

havent heard about the mishap will have to go look on f1 site

[Iceman]

It wasn't anything big, just a problem with the engine, but it usually doesn't happen with mclaren. At least it's in testing and not the real thing.

[pinkmichk]

at least they have time to sort it theres bound to be some problems with the amount of changes this year

[Iceman]

Yeah lots of changes! Also i read today that a lot of the testing's had to be cancelled due to heavy rain and heavy wind, so with the engine problem and the weather still no clear indication of who's coping better with the changes.

[Iceman]

ING leaving F1 after this season. Things don't look good for the future.

[pinkmichk]

it is a very worrying sign i hope F1 doesnt go:sad:

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
it is a very worrying sign i hope F1 doesnt go:sad:

I know, things are really really bad now, i hope it stays i'd be gutted if it went. What if this is the last season:conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2:

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by GoKart
Originally posted by pinkmichk
it is a very worrying sign i hope F1 doesnt go:sad:

I know, things are really really bad now, i hope it stays i'd be gutted if it went. What if this is the last season:conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2:

:bawling: i'd cry .... a lot
i read somewhere about a american team (from nascar i think) starting a new team to take part but surely would make more sense to buy one of the existing ones in trouble :puzzled:

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
Originally posted by GoKart
Originally posted by pinkmichk
it is a very worrying sign i hope F1 doesnt go:sad:

I know, things are really really bad now, i hope it stays i'd be gutted if it went. What if this is the last season:conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2::conf2:

:bawling: i'd cry .... a lot
i read somewhere about a american team (from nascar i think) starting a new team to take part but surely would make more sense to buy one of the existing ones in trouble :puzzled:

Yeah they want to come in for 2010, i think they got the go ahead. Also Bernie said in the Times on sunday that he may be in a position to help the Honda team financially, he's just unsure how to go about it.

[andyman]

When does the 2009 season start, where and at what time at the venue?

F1 will live on no matter what, changes will happen anyway.

[pinkmichk]

starts 29th march in australia i dont know time

[Spike]

Yeah the opening weekend to the season is 27th-29th March. Below are the UK times of when it will be live

Fri 27 March 2009
Friday Practice 1 01:30 - 03:00
Friday Practice 2 05:30 - 07:00
Sat 28 March 2009
Saturday Practice 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying 06:00
Sun 29 March 2009
Race 07:00

[pinkmichk]

7am i can deal with its the 4am starts i cant

[Spike]

I will just watch the re-runs later on in the day well hopefully the BBC will show re-runs

[pinkmichk]

i much prefere watching it live if i can cos often the radio and tv reveal results :rolleyes: without any if you dont want to know look away type warning

[Iceman]

Oh Richard Branson made a bid for Honda, i'll see if i can get a link!

[Iceman]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/honda/4691015/Honda-confirm-interest-from-Sir-Richard-Branson-and-Virgin.html

Link

This should be good, hopefully this goes through.

[Iceman]

Bump because we're less than 2 weeks away now:colour: should be intresting to see how Brawn do!

[James]

Yeah with Brawn GP being fastest in testing and McLaren being right off the pace.

[Iceman]

I know Brawn shocked me, hopefully they do good poor Jenson deserves it, and i think Mclaren will iron out the kinks by the second race. But to be honest i think this year will be the closest in a long time with no clear leaders.

[pinkmichk]

i cant wait i've already booked my babysitter so i can watch the first race in peace :hello:
i think its gonna be a good season

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
i cant wait i've already booked my babysitter so i can watch the first race in peace :hello:
i think its going to be a good season

It's not going to be a good season, It's going to be a GREAT season:hello::joker:

[pinkmichk]

just heard briefly on the news that the winner of this season is gonna be done on the most races won :bored:

[James]

Yeah, I just read it there ...don't like it much. There doesn't seem to be much incentive to race for the lower-down places. :s

The optional budget-cap for next season sounds okay, as does publishing the weights of cars after qualifying.


F1 wins will decide world title


Formula 1 has introduced a new points system which will result in the driver with most wins crowned world champion.

The current points system will still operate to decide a tie if two drivers have the same wins and to define all other championship positions.

Had the new rules been in place in 2008, Lewis Hamilton would have lost the title to runner-up Felipe Massa.

From 2010, there will be an optional budget cap of £30m that will reduce some teams' spending by 90%.

The new rules were approved by the World Motor Sport Council of governing body the FIA at a meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

It rejected a proposal by the F1 Teams' Association to tweak the points system to 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 from first to eighth places.

Instead, the current 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system will stay in place.

The budget cap is an attempt to make F1 more accessible to new teams.

Teams choosing to operate within the budget cap will be allowed more technical freedom.

Those teams will be allowed: a more aerodynamically efficient (but standard) underbody; movable wings; an engine which is not subject to a rev limit or a development freeze.

Teams can choose to spend what they like, but operate within more restrictive technical rules - and therefore have a theoretically slower car.


Ecclestone's idea was to award the top three drivers with gold, silver and bronze medals with the driver capturing the most golds crowned champion.

While the medals have been abandoned, the new system delivers on Ecclestone's wish of rewarding the driver with the most victories.

The F1 chief believes the new system will encourage overtaking.

"If you're in the lead and I'm second, I'm not going to take the risk of falling off the circuit or doing something stupid to get two points," Ecclestone said in November.

"If I need a gold medal to win the championship, I will overtake. It's just not on that someone can win the championship without winning a race."

However, the new system could see the season settled much earlier.

The points distribution was introduced in 2003, partly to try to ensure the world championship stayed open for longer at a time when Michael Schumacher and Ferrari were dominating the sport.

If the new system had been installed in 2008, Massa would have been crowned world champion as he won six races compared to Hamilton's five.

Former British F1 driver now commentator Martin Brundle says he will reserve judgement on the alterations.

"I don't really fully see the need to change it," he said. "What we may just have is some more exciting races where they're desperate to take the win rather than settling for second on a particular day, but whether it will generate a more worthy champion remains to be seen."

The FIA also announced plans to publish the weights of the cars after qualifying for each Grand Prix.

That could give a clue to which teams are using the optional kinetic energy recovery system (Kers).

Kers, which allows drivers a boost of an extra 80bhp for 6.7 seconds each lap, weighs around 35kg and could tip some cars - complete with their drivers - over the minimum weight of 605kg.

To improve clarity, wet tyres have also been renamed "intermediates" and extreme weather tyres are now called "wet".

With in-season testing now banned, the FIA will only allow teams to carry out eight one-day aerodynamic tests on a straight piece of track.

Teams will also be allowed to carry out three one-day young driver training tests between the season-ending Grand Prix and the end of the calendar year.

TITLES THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED
1958: Actual champion: Mike Hawthorne
Most wins champion: Stirling Moss
1964: Actual champion: John Surtees
Most wins champion: Jim Clark
1967: Actual champion: Denny Hulme
Most wins champion: Jim Clark
1977: Actual champion: Niki Lauda
Most wins champion: Mario Andretti
1979: Actual champion: Jody Scheckter
Most wins champion: Alan Jones
1981: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1982: Actual champion: Keke Rosberg
Most wins champion: Didier Pironi
1983: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1984: Actual champion: Niki Lauda
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
1986: Actual champion: Alain Prost
Most wins champion: Nigel Mansell
1987: Actual champion: Nelson Piquet
Most wins champion: Nigel Mansell
1989: Actual champion: Ayrton Senna
Most wins champion: Alain Prost
2008: Actual champion: Lewis Hamilton
Most wins champion: Felipe Massa



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7948455.stm

[pinkmichk]

i agree the budget cap sounds ok
but why change something if it aint broke why fix it :conf: i like how it is now where it goes often right to the wire of the last race i dont like that the season could be 'over' and done with when its not completed could have some bad effect on the end of season races will drivers just think oh i dont need to put in too much effort as nowt to gain from it
:rolleyes: ecclestone is a idiot he really is

[andyman]

Shocking!!! Do they fear that our lad will become world champion too many times? Would they do this if Lewis came 2nd in the points table??? Hmmmm.

It's same with the football with UEFA wanting clubs to field not so many overseas players! This has only came about due to the english clubs being so strong in the champions league...

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by andyman
Shocking!!! Do they fear that our lad will become world champion too many times? Would they do this if Lewis came 2nd in the points table??? Hmmmm.

It's same with the football with UEFA wanting clubs to field not so many overseas players! This has only came about due to the english clubs being so strong in the champions league...

:shocked: i hadnt thought of it that way before but you have a possible point on it there, blimey :shocked:

[andyman]

Plus so many things went wrong for Lewis... Hmmmm wonder why?

The english are hated.. We do well and the mad sports men change the rules!

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by andyman
Plus so many things went wrong for Lewis... Hmmmm wonder why?


cos unless you're driving a red car the f.i.a dont want to know/help/favour etc

[andyman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
Originally posted by andyman
Plus so many things went wrong for Lewis... Hmmmm wonder why?


cos unless you're driving a red car the f.i.a dont want to know/help/favour etc So true! Funny when the red car wins loads and loads the f.i.a are happy people.. Soon as a black english guy wins not in a red car the f.i.a want to change the rules to make it a "level playing field"..

[Spike]

Well I hate the new system on how to win the championship
The old system works very well and kept the season entertaining throughout, I don't know if this system will be able to do that but atleast it will cause more enternainment throughout a single race

Another thing I will hate is the weight of the cars being published, part of the enjoyment is not knowing who has got more fuel in and who has got the advantage

[Iceman]

Well we can all stop moaning, FIA deferred the new system until 2010.

[pinkmichk]

:dance2: thank god for that lets hope between now and then bernie decides to retire so no more wacky races schemes get put in plae

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
:dance2: thank god for that lets hope between now and then bernie decides to retire so no more wacky races schemes get put in plae

Yes, we should be so lucky though! I don't mind the idea of 12 points for a win etc etc.

[Spike]

Not long until qualifying now
Does anyone know if F1 will be on the iPlayer because I don't want to get up in the morning and wont be able to catch the repeat?

[andyman]

Woohoo!! The wait is nearly over, this season has greatness writen all over it (",)

Dunno about the iplayer, best to check the site for info, but bbc will repeat in the day.

[pinkmichk]

i cant wait:cheer: what time is start on sunday?

[andyman]

6am i think.. Hope Lewis has the same hunger to win.

[pinkmichk]

6am isnt too bad i guess i really do prefere the afternoon races though but no adverts is gonna be fab
i read earlier lewis struggled today in practise but says its not bad like people will think

[James]

Would anyone be interested in taking part in a TiBB Fantasy F1 game?

Bit late to start it I know...

[pinkmichk]

i've no idea how it works but sounds like fun

[James]

Yeah neither do I lol but I'm just trying to find a good site for it.

[James]

Okay, hope this works...

Go to http://www.f1manager.info/index.php

Click 'Register an account', you have to put in a valid e-mail address and check your e-mail to activate the account.

Then you select two drivers and two constructors (chassis and engine) within the budget.

Then click on 'Leagues and Ranking' and then 'Join a league'. Then enter TiBB as the league and hopefully it should find the league I created. (my username is james1000).

[pinkmichk]

i've joined it

[James]

Got up to watch qualifying, bit tired :) . Jenson Button on poll and Barrichello second. McLaren's well down as was expected. Hamilton only took part in one session.

[Mark]

Good start for the Busch team :shocked:

A lot of drivers didn't really looked like they've fully adapted to the new cars yet... a lot of oversteer, sliding etc.. should be interesting.

[pinkmichk]

i decided against watching qualifying its gonna be bad enough waking up early tomorrow

[Brad*]

Seeing as the 2009 Formula 1 Championship starts this weekend, should there be a new topic for the 2009 season?:spin2:

[pinkmichk]

this topic just carries on much like the football and music fan ones

[Brad*]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
this topic just carries on much like the football and music fan ones

Okay yeah, that's fine. I just thought that it might be easier to keep track of only the 2009 season in a different thread.

Another thing, is F1 coming to the BBC for this season and several season after this one? I read somewhere that it was but I am still unsure.

[pinkmichk]

its at the bbc now guessing for good yay for no adverts:hello:

[Brad*]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
its at the bbc now guessing for good yay for no adverts:hello:

Excellent news! I hated having to miss 3 or 4 minutes of the race every 20 minutes or so.

Another thing, is it the most wins or the most points that will win you the championship because there has been a lot of debate and confusion about it lately and I don't know what it is anymore!

[James]

They've gone back to points for this season after the teams complained about the change. They are saying now the wins system will start next year.

They're meant to be publishing the fuel loads used in qualifying and the start of the race but I can't find it yet. I suspect Button was lighter than Barrichelo.

[James]

Lewis gets a 5 grid place penalty for a change of gearbox and starts from back of the grid.

And F1 rules controversy and technical arguments are back... :conf2:


Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli have been stripped of their grid positions for the Australian Grand Prix for a flexible wing infringement.


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74008

Edit: Here's the weights of the cars - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74011

Button / Barrichello are going to disappear into the distance in the race based on that.

[pinkmichk]

oh god not a good start for lewis brawn are gonna be the ones to watch by looks of things
there has been so many changes and things since last season its a wonder the teams know what is happening

[Spike]

I love the BBC coverage, nice to see the show being about F1 and not The Lewis Hamilton Show
Brilliant start for Brawn GP, and a very mixed qualifying order. Looking forward to the race now

[pinkmichk]

really good race am happy lewis got to 4th place although i swear he was in 3rd before the safety car but brawn deserved the 1-2
how many crashes can one driver have has nakajima sp? actually finished any races since starting
the new rookie looks like one to watch in the future
love the bbc coverage right down to just audio of speaking to retired drivers instead of switching to them on camera but dont like that jake though
hate the super soft tires undecided on kers

[James]

Awake again... woke up at 7:00 and thought I missed about an hour because of the time change but hadn't,

Lewis H has been promoted to third because he overtook Trulli after Trulli went off under the safety car and then Trulli took the place back under safety car. 25 second pen for Trulli.

I thought the different tyres made the race better at the end with cars losing grip under the super-softs. Also kers looks like it might improve the racing too, didn't really know what it was going to do before.

I like to have the live video and live timing on the same screen. :thumbs:

[pinkmichk]

:cheer: for lewis getting 3rd place

[BigSister]

I got confused lol as my dad said oh he got 4th then i read he got 3rd. thats even better 2 brits in first and 3rd:cheer:

[pinkmichk]

when the race finished he was down as 4th but the commentators were confused as he was he 3rd place before safety car so trulli was on the podeum as 3rd place

[Spike]

The Australian race as scrappy and eventful as ever giving some surprising results.
Brilliant opening weekend for Brawn GP, hopefully a sign of things to come from them

[Iceman]

Great Race, Buemi was the big suprise for me, so happy for Button aswel as Brawn!

[Wildcat!]

I just watched the race replay! That was pretty crazy! How in the hell does that Brawn car become so good so fast? I dont really understand what changes they made to the tires.
ANd what's the deal with the complaint some of the constructors made about some teams?

[pinkmichk]

if i'm right brawn have a mercades engine now which they didnt before
the tires they now have to run both super softs and the mediums through a race in some order or the other
about the construtors its something to do with diffusers i think but tbh it went straight over my head so if someone can explain in simple terms:blush2:

[Wildcat!]

A mercedes engine. That makes sense then. SO they have to use 2 different kind of tires. Waw! Thats gonna be interesting when it an all out rain race!

[pinkmichk]

i guess when rain its gonna be 3 tyres cos of the ones they put on for the wet :shrug:

[James]

I think with Brawn it is do with the technical regulations being changed a great deal this year, especially to do with aerodynamics, to hopefully make overtaking easier, so that means the teams have had to alter their designs for the cars a lot. Teams like the McLaren maybe haven't interpretted the rules right in what they are allowed to do but Brawn has built a fast car under the new regs.

The diffuser is one of aerodynamic features of the cars where the regulations have changed (I think) and the teams that are complaining say the three teams in question are using a design against the rules. There's complicated rules in F1. :D

On another note, I notice that the stewards were getting involved again after the race and have given Vettel a 10-place grid penalty for the next race for his incident with Kubica. I reckon it was just a racing incident and commentators said at the time it was 50-50 blame.

[Wildcat!]

Thanks for the explaination James.
I dont agree with what the commentators said, that it was 50/5. Vettell was completely out of order. He had no chance to hold off Kubica, and he clipped him. I think its well deserved if he gets that penalty.

[Iceman]

Yeah they gave Vettel a 50.000 fine for racing with the tyre hanging off!!!! I honestly thought it was a racing accident, it didn't seem like Vettel did it on purpose!:conf2:

[ange7]

grrr ... Barrichello hits Webber on the first corner who then takes out the Fin. Webber limps around the track with no down force while Barrichello goes on to place. Lol what a cruel sport to watch ( if your a webber fan).

[Wildcat!]

Are you? LOL! I am too surprised that he got away with that 1st corner crash. It was all his fault. And he hit someone later on as well.

[andyman]

Button won?... Button?!?!

[ange7]

Originally posted by Aint_mad_atcha
Are you? LOL! I am too surprised that he got away with that 1st corner crash. It was all his fault. And he hit someone later on as well.
lol nah... Barrichello reckons "someone" tagged him and that's why he shunted Webber. When Vettel and Kubica took each other out I nearly threw my remote at the TV at the idea Barrichello make the podium. Anyway if Webber doesn't do anything this year then he's gone... he's in the last year of his Redbull contract.

[pinkmichk]

Originally posted by Iceman
Yeah they gave Vettel a 50.000 fine for racing with the tyre hanging off!!!! I honestly thought it was a racing accident, it didn't seem like Vettel did it on purpose!:conf2:

racing rules state if your taken out like that you have to pull over not continue driving i doubt he would have done it had the safety car not been deployed
but i cant see what a grid penalty is going to achieve it was a 50/50 battle

[Iceman]

Originally posted by pinkmichk
Originally posted by Iceman
Yeah they gave Vettel a 50.000 fine for racing with the tyre hanging off!!!! I honestly thought it was a racing accident, it didn't seem like Vettel did it on purpose!:conf2:

racing rules state if your taken out like that you have to pull over not continue driving i doubt he would have done it had the safety car not been deployed
but i cant see what a grid penalty is going to achieve it was a 50/50 battle

Ye he deserved the penalty wasn't disagreeing with that, i just thought that it was a 50/50 battle.

[ange7]

yeah but he actually got penalised for the crash not for failing to park the car after the crash. At the stewards enquiry he admitted it was his fault but Schumacher agrees with you and thought it was 50/50.
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090330100621.shtml

[Iceman]

Oh i thought he got the grid penalty for the crash and the fine for driving dangerously around the track?

[pinkmichk]

it was def 50/50 even the commentators said that as well

[Wildcat!]

The commentators were wrong in my opinion. Go watch it back, Vettel had no chance to hold him off, and he tried to squeeze Kubica, and thats how the crash happened. Even Vettel knew it, and thats why he was apologizing so much on the radio, after it happened.

[James]

Originally posted by James
Okay, hope this works...

Go to http://www.f1manager.info/index.php

Click 'Register an account', you have to put in a valid e-mail address and check your e-mail to activate the account.

Then you select two drivers and two constructors (chassis and engine) within the budget.

Then click on 'Leagues and Ranking' and then 'Join a league'. Then enter TiBB as the league and hopefully it should find the league I created. (my username is james1000).

Because I started it too late I've created a new league starting with the Malaysian GP this weekend to give people an equal chance.

Just follow the instructions above to register and search for TiBB - 2 as the league to join.

[Wildcat!]

Originally posted by James
Originally posted by James
Okay, hope this works...

Go to http://www.f1manager.info/index.php

Click 'Register an account', you have to put in a valid e-mail address and check your e-mail to activate the account.

Then you select two drivers and two constructors (chassis and engine) within the budget.

Then click on 'Leagues and Ranking' and then 'Join a league'. Then enter TiBB as the league and hopefully it should find the league I created. (my username is james1000).

Because I started it too late I've created a new league starting with the Malaysian GP this weekend to give people an equal chance.

Just follow the instructions above to register and search for TiBB - 2 as the league to join.

Great idea! Sounds like fun. I will join tomorrow.:spin2:

[Mark]

Joined :cat:

[Iceman]

I would join but im in a league on facebook with my friends and im winning, so i'll stick with that!

[GiRTh]

What a sh*t league. I picked two crap drivers and two crap cars - Thats all I could afford - and then it still wouldnt accept my choices. I think I'll give it a miss.

[Iceman]

worked out well for me i had button, barichello, kimi, buemi, brawn gp, ferrari, and i picked australia for my race!

[James]

Okay, I've rejoined the new league with a new account so that my points are reset.

[pinkmichk]

have just read this :bored:Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren team have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix for giving "deliberately misleading" evidence to investigating race stewards.

The sport's world governing body FIA reopened an investigation on Thursday into the circumstances which saw Toyota's Jarno Trulli pass Hamilton during a safety car period in Melbourne.

A post-race stewards' probe in Australia adjudged Trulli at fault and handed the Italian a 25-second penalty, dropping him from third to 12th.

But after hearing team radio transmissions from the Australian GP, the decision has been reversed with Hamilton and McLaren now punished for providing intentionally disingenuous information to the Melbourne hearing.

Hamilton, who was originally listed in fourth place in Melbourne, has therefore been excluded from any points for the race while Trulli has been reinstated to third.

In a statement, the stewards declared: "The Stewards having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, consider that driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

"Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code the driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the classification is amended accordingly."

[Iceman]

Saw that ^ on Sky News earlier:hello:

[andyman]

lol.... The powers of Formula 1 doing their best to stop our guy..


Or maybe i'm just para..

[Iceman]

In fairness Mclaren ********D up not lewis but thats the rules. For once the FIA got it right

[James]

The stewards are interfering too much in race results, in my opinion.

Here's a video of Trulli going off, btw...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-uDZJ2ls78

Originally posted by GiRTh
I picked two c**p drivers and two c**p cars - Thats all I could afford - and then it still wouldnt accept my choices.

Yeah, I was looking at the site and apparently you can't afford the best drivers and teams at the start because it would make it too easy.

When you earn points after the first few races you get extra money and can get the better drivers/teams later.

Still time for new people to join, I'll combine the results from the two leagues that were set up so it is fair.

[Wildcat!]

Geez, WTF Mclaren? Why couldnt they just acept 4th. Greedy bastards.

Anyways, as for the league, of course theyre not gonna let you have a juggernaut team in the beggining, thats why youre supposed to pick smartly and scores points with not so good cars at first, but eventually, you will get enough points to afford a good team, if you pick smartly. Watch the testing and some bad cars can do really well especially this year, so thats one way to score points quickly.

[Iceman]

Did anyone else think Lewis seemed really dejected today, i know he's having it rough at the moment but the Lewis of last year wouldn't of let it get to him.

Oh and well done to Button again today!

[Iceman]

Just a reminder that the F1 is on early again tomorrow, think the start time is 10!

[Wildcat!]

I keep missing everything this season so far! Its annoying.

[Iceman]

Originally posted by Aint_mad_atcha
I keep missing everything this season so far! Its annoying.

Your missing out big time man, Hamilton just seems like a broken man which is understandable, i mean his team basically tore his reputaion apart for 1 place. I really hope he bounces back, even though i dont like him, i think it's sad to watch him just lose it. Also Button is on pole again and doesnt look like he's going anywhere.

[Wildcat!]

OH I know, I ve been watching the replays, just keep missing it live.
Hamilton he will be alright. The Mclaren just doesnt have the pace right now1 They have a lot of work to do. BUt I cant see the Brawn car being reliable the whole way! Theyre gonna start having problems eventually.

[Iceman]

Yeah Brawn will definately run into problems i think around Spanish GP, but hey if Button can rack up the wins now, who knows whats possible, i mean i for one did not see that after 1 race both Mclaren and Ferrari would have no points at all.

[Wildcat!]

Yeah, this season's start is crazy! But I take that any day, rather than having 4 racers dominate the whole season! This could become one of the best seasons yet.

[andyman]

This season seems like a bad dream...

[Iceman]

I know it's gonna be one end to the season because there should be loads of people on a similar amount of points going into the last races! I hope it rains tomorrow, I want to see if Kimi has resolved his issues with the rain!

[Iceman]

Originally posted by andyman
This season seems like a bad dream...

Who do you support andyman??

Actually who do you all support?(I know the majority of people probably support Lewis)

[andyman]

Or maybe Lewis has another gearbox problem. I had a feeling before the season started that this won't be a good year for Lewis and the 2010 season will be a great season...


So far all is true.. :sad:

[andyman]

Lewis!!! Button is English so him aswell, but Lewis is the main guy.

[Iceman]

Next year he will be unbeatable i think he'll walk the championship! I'd like to see Kimi get one more before he goes though!

[Wildcat!]

My favorite driver is Kubica.

[Iceman]

Mine is Kimi although i have to say i lost faith in him last year and was suprised he didn't quit, i like 2 or 3 others aswell, Kubica, Vettel and Barichello!

[pinkmichk]

sure you know i'm a lewis fan but also a mclaren fan this week has really bugged me you'd think the stupid arse team would have learnt after the spy stuff lewis will bounce back but mclaren are really damaging their credibilty
i hope the race isnt red flagged cos i heard talk of thunder storms during the race
what the hell were toyota hiding the diffuser from the cameras for?? surely its common knowledge on what the cars have so why were the tem hiding it
lewis drives well in the wet so hopefully he can pull it out the bag and put last weeks mess up behind him

[Spike]

It will be interesting if it rains and how Button will cope, its going to be a very interesting race
I couldn't stop laughing when Toyota were trying to hide the back of the car, fave moment of the F1 weekend so far lol
Alonso or Button FTW

[pinkmichk]

spike any idea why they were doing it? it just confused me (doesnt take much admittidly)

[Spike]

^Toyota hiding the back of the car? Its just not to give the other teams any knowledge of their diffuser even though everyone knew about it

[pinkmichk]

ah right seems bit dumb to me :laugh:
:mad: heikki off the road

[pinkmichk]

love the nose cone camera view thats a new one isnt it
be interesting to see how brwan cope in the rain

[pinkmichk]

:shocked: the weather including the thunder and lightening i'm suprised no safety car yet