Quoting The Cat:
Yoohoo! Monaco! My all time favourite race track. If one track can give Schumi a headache, this is it!
Well, Schumi has only managed to qualify in fourth place so he has got a bit of work to do. Even though it's notoriously difficult to overtake at Monaco I still wouldn't bet against him winning the race.
I hope that Jenson Button wins. He is starting from second place so he has a real chance. Monaco is not a bad place to get your maiden Grand Prix victory.
Oh yeah! Formula One is a thread that will never earn a spoiler warning, because you know who will win. Personally I want Baumgartner to win. Oh, I know you may have no idea who he is, his car is a load of crap and he is not such a good driver, but he IS our driver.
Well said! Currently my favourite driver in Formula One.
With Michael back in fourth, we might have a different winner today, and despite Button, the Brit being next to Trulli, I think the Renault will leave the others for dead off of the starting line.
With any luck, Trulli will be able to pull away while Michael is held up!
Quoting The Cat:
Oh yeah! Formula One is a thread that will never earn a spoiler warning, because you know who will win. Personally I want Baumgartner to win. Oh, I know you may have no idea who he is, his car is a load of crap and he is not such a good driver, but he IS our driver.
You know, I would love to see a Minardi finish first!
I think the highest place a Minardi has ever finished was fifth, and that was back in 2002 while Mark Webber was driving for them.
It could be possible - remember that Panis won in a Ligier back in '96 - and that was totally unexpected!
I can't describe the overwhelming happiness I felt, when I saw Michael emerge from the tunnel with half a car!!
Well done Jarno, and out of all of the tracks, in Monte Carlo!
No offence intended here, but what is it with the darn Germans in Formula One? Surely they must be paid to hold up or annoy other drivers!
Firstly, we have Michael, who no-one seems to like anymore, simply because of his attitude towards driving. But I had to laugh, when the Ferarri mechanics shooed the cameras away, so that Michael could have a paddy off-camera! )
Next was Ralf. One of the most idiotic drivers currently racing. He has made some of the most stupid moves on the track that I have seen from any driver - and it is no wonder that Williams are shifting him to Toyota! Ralf should have slowed down before the entrance of the tunnel so that Alonso could have passed.
Finally there was Heidfeld, who for some reason, wouldn't move his slow-ass car out of the way to let the leaders pass. I don't usually shout at the screen, but I had to!!
--
Apart from that, I thought that this Grand Prix was the most exciting and tense in Monaco for the last few years at least.
Well Done to Trulli, Button, and to the slower cars who picked up some points (Massa, Da Matta, Panis).
Sadly though Baumgartner couldn't quite convert his chances into a point! Ah well..
Unless Michael has some problem or is hit off here in the European Grad Prix, I don't think I'll be able to expect the kind of tension that was present at the last Grand Prix.
I am an avid F1 fan,but really enjoyed it more in the late 80's and early nineties when you had classic rivalries like Prost-Senna, Senna-Mansell,
and great drivers like Nelson Piquet and the above mentioned. The days when the Mclaren teammates fought tooth and nail for the world title. I'm still a fan but those are the moments i remember most.
Quoting reidmarks:
Does the death of Fiat SpA director, Umberto Agnelli last week spell the end of Ferrari's F1 dominance?
No, but it might spell the beginning of the end. I don't think it will make any difference in the short term, especially while Michael Schumacher remains at Ferrari. The real test for Ferrari will come when Schumacher finally leaves because they won't just be losing a great driver. Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Nigel Stepney and a number of other technical people are also likely to leave at the same time.
Quoting reidmarks:
Fiat, which owns Ferrari, is in deep financial trouble and the loss of the last "old guard" family owner is certain to affect the Italian F1 team.
I was unaware that Fiat is in deep financial trouble. Mind you, with the budget that Ferrari spend every year on Grand Prix racing I shouldn't be too surprised at this news.
Maybe Schumacher should leave Ferrari now? That would save a few Euro's.
Well, not sure about anyone else, but I wasn't overly impressed with the European Grand Prix. It was another typical race in which the real battle was for second place, as he (you know who) scampered off into the distance.
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
1 - Ralf getting shunted off by Montoya at the first corner, making sure that Ralf didn't do anything stupid during the race. Shame about Da Matta though - at least Ralf apologised.
2 - Sato. A great race by Sato except for the stupid manoever he tried on Barrichello near the end.
3 - McLaren. They were explosive in this race! Literally explosive... both retiring with engine failures. Get your act together, McLaren!
4 - Slower cars battling with supposedly faster cars. Drivers like Fisichella, Panis and Webber put in good performances, and I found it amusing to think that Fisichella and sometimes even Panis were outpacing the Williams of Montoya. I just cant believe that Williams could get the set-up so wrong.
.... and that's about it - not much really, but then not much happened in the race either.. I was hoping a Minardi might have accidentally shunted Michael off on the last corner of the last lap, but ah well...
I'm hoping for great things from Mark Webber at Williams this year! He has real talent, and I think he'll shine!
On another note, while I am not a big fan of Michael Schumacher, I respect him greatly for donating $10 million of his own money to aid in the Tsunami relief efforts! $10 million! Way to go Michael!
Quoting NAOMI_FAN 1:
I'm hoping for great things from Mark Webber at Williams this year! He has real talent, and I think he'll shine!
On another note, while I am not a big fan of Michael Schumacher, I respect him greatly for donating $10 million of his own money to aid in the Tsunami relief efforts! $10 million! Way to go Michael!
I feel the same way I'm not a Schumacher fan , but He has my utmost respect for the donation he made.
Quoting NAOMI_FAN 1:
I'm hoping for great things from Mark Webber at Williams this year! He has real talent, and I think he'll shine!
Me too ... an Australian back in the number Williams seat ... I'm old enough to remember the last time that happened and if Webber can keep up his progress there's no reason to suggest he couldn't emulate Alan Jones. I just hope Williams ditch that ugly double finned nose of last year ...
And I agree with you about Schumacher's good will and generosity. An example to all superannuated sports stars ... (although I rather like him anyway, a cold-hearted, utterly ruthless, yet utterly charming and selfless individual - it's these contradictions that make him so interesting; well, that and his absolutely immense talent behind the steering wheel).
With their old car for the first few races, we could see some good fight on the track. Apparently, the old Ferrari is third fastest after the Renault and McLaren cars. But the new one may destroy all competition.
Renault:
Giancarlo Fisichella
Fernando Alonso
Reportedly the fastest car going into the 2005 season. If Schumacher doesn't take the title, I have a suspicion that Fisichella will. Both of these are fantastic drivers.
McLaren:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Kimi Raikkonen
With McLaren supposedly back on form, there are two excellent drivers in an excellent car. My personal opinion is that Raikkonen might out-class his team-mate.
Williams:
Mark Webber
Nick Heidfeld
Two fantastic drivers - particularly Webber. But there is much tlak about how slow Williams will be at the beginning of the season. Will have to watch out.
BAR:
Jenson Button
Takuma Sato
Can BAR keep up last year's stunning performance?
Toyota:
Jarno Trulli
Ralf Schumacher
Considering Toyota have the biggest budget in F1, expectations are high. Trulli is a great driver, and Ralf in on and off. Will have to wait.
Sauber:
Jacques Villeneuve
Felipe Massa
I personally don't believe Villeneuve still has what it takes to be a top class driver. Sauber has always been an average/below average team.
Red Bull:
David Coulthard
Chritian Klien
A new team, how quick will Red Bull be? They have a Cosworth engine - which isn't a good sign. Cosworth engines have always been weak and faulty. I don't rate Coulthard either.
Jordan:
Tiago Monteiro
Nahrain Karthikeyan
New drivers and a Toyota engine. Can Jordan really expect to get off the back row?
Minardi:
Patrick Friesacher
Christijan Albers
In financial trouble, Minardi once again look like they'll be right there at the back. Good luck to them.
I like Schumacher. Hard to argue with the success of Team Ferrari. Here he is crossing the finish line at the last F1 I attended [2002 Sepang, Malaysia]. I had very nice seats that looked right into the Ferrari and McLaren pits.
1. Fisichella (Renault)
- Got a fast lap just before the rain set in
2. Trulli (Toyota)
- Went out on the track while it was fairly dry
3. Webber (Williams)
- Made use of the drying track
4. Villeneuve (Sauber)
- Made mistakes but was lucky with the weather
5. Klien (Red Bull)
- Lucky with the weather
6. Coulthard (Red Bull)
- Lucky with the weather despite mistakes
7. Heidfeld (Williams)
- Made some errors but because of the weather, he was okay
8. Button (BAR)
- Poor lap, but the rain saved him
9. Karthikeyan (Jordan)
- Another man who benefitted from the misfortune of the other drivers
10. Raikkonen (McLaren)
- Victim of the rain
11. Montoya (McLaren)
- Victim of the rain
12. Barrichello (Ferrari)
- Victim of the rain
13. Monteiro (Jordan)
- Not too bad, made mistakes though
14. Alonso (Renault)
- Victim of the rain
15. Albers (Minardi)
- Did well for Minardi
16. Freisacher (Minardi)
- Not as good as Albers but benefitted from the rain
17. R Schumacher (Toyota)
- Put in a poor lap, even for the poor conditions
18. M Schumacher (Ferrari)
- Made the wrong choice in tyres! Ha ha!
19. Massa (Sauber)
- Probably the worst sufferer of the bad weather
20. Sato (BAR)
- Span off on his outlap. Tut tut.
Looking at Fisichella's two second gap, even with the second qualifying session still to come it would seem he cannot be knocked off of the top spot. If this grid remained relatively similar to how it is now, the race could only be exciting.
BestBondSeanA Bavarian in CornwallPosts: 108MI6 Agent
Quite an interesting training session it was albeit without any significance for the season due to the weather conditions.
The rule changes seem to make things a little bit more unpredictable, possibly giving us some cars with worn tires struggling at the end of races.
My major concern with the this 'tyre rule' is however that it's a very wishy washy rule, who decides and when if a car is 'unsafe' to drive due to it's tyre conditions and they can therefore be changed or not? I see an avalanche of protests and oputcomes of races decided at the board table instead of the racetrack.
I hope i'm wrong but this rule in particular is too much in a grey area to be acceptable.
If you have yet to see the race, and don't wish to know the results, do not read on.
I thought it was a good race, nothing particularly special but it was fun to see all of the new cars battling it out, and it gives you a good idea of how the season will be.
The tyre rule, which I personally don't agree with, didn't affect most of the cars much at all - well, not in performance anyway.
Fisichella deserved the win - he put in a solid performance throughout the race and never came under any serious threat. Disappointed with Trulli - I knew the Toyota was weak but when I realised that he was keeping up with Fisichella, and that they were getting away I hoped he could finish strongly - he ended up in ninth. Webber did well, though unfortunately fell back to fifth. Barrichello managed to pull his way up to second, so a good performance there - same for Alonso, who finished third. One of my favourites here was Coulthard though - he really was aggressive, made some excellent passes and was incredibly quick. A good debut race for Red Bull - Klien finished 7th.
I was expecting more from McLaren, and also from BAR. It would appear that BAR are back to their usual standards (which are crap) after such a good year in 2004. McLaren bragged about their car but they didn't have what it takes to keep up with those Renaults, Red Bulls or Williams. Montoya finished 6th, and Raikkonen 8th.
The most enjoyable part of the race however was watching Michael Schumacher struggle the whole time. Starting something like 17th, he ended up staying around tenth place for the whole race - a poor performance, and then he collides with Heidfeld. After getting pushed back on the track, Schumey drove into the garage and retired - the most entertaining shot of the race.
All in all not bad, but maybe we'll get to see the REAL pace of the cars next time in Malaysia.
Just to outline what happened to those who were unable to catch it on television;
One of the most ridiculous races in Forumla One history took place at Indianapolis today. There are ten teams and twenty cars competing, and 14 of them use Michelin tyres; the other six use Bridgestone tyres. Over the course of the weekend, Michelin suffered several tyre failures when their cars exited on to the home straight. It was decided that Michelin's tyres were unfit for the race, so Michelin arranged for some different tyres to be flown in for their cars. However, this was breaking five independant regulations, and despite this, the new tyres were also deemed unfit for racing. Therefore, as no decision could be found before the beginning of the race, ALL of the Michelin runners pulled out.
With the teams of McLaren, BAR, Toyota, Sauber, Williams, Renault and Red Bull pulling into the pits after the formation lap, this left SIX cars on the grid. These consisted of the two Ferraris, the Jordan team and the Minardi team. It doesn't take a fan of F1 to know that the outcome was to be obvious.
Off the start line Ferrari had a notable lead over their competitors. American spectators were outraged, all of the drivers were booed on the podium, and bottles and cans were thrown on to the track during the race. It was quite understandable really.
Race Result;
M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
R. Barrichello (Ferrari)
T. Monteiro (Jordan)
N. Karthikeyan (Jordan)
C. Albers (Minardi)
P. Friesacher (Minardi)
If anyone else saw this very unique race, what were their thoughts on the race itself and the lack of action taken by Formula One chiefs?
Unfortunately I missed this race on TV, but I've been reading the reports from it on the news today.
What I don't understand is, why are now the teams forbidden from changing tyres during the race?
I understand the changes to the rules (ie: the changing of equipment during the race) are meant to put the teams on a more even standing, but surely the inclusion of tyres into this ruling stands in direct contrast with safety guidelines?
Anyway, the embarrassing race at Indianapolis yesterday is just another cog in the checkered history of the sport, and will no doubt add more fuel to the debate for a new competition.
Drawn Out Dad.
Independent, one-shot comic books from the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia.
twitter.com/DrawnOutDad
There are a great many reasons why yesterday's race was the farce it turned out to be ... stubborn pig-ignorance being the main culprit however.
Michelin were incompetent ... to bring such a dangerous series of tyres to a racetrack that is known to be hard on tyres is downright stupid (it wasn't just 'one' tyre either - every compound for every Michelin team were flawed)
The Michelin teams were arrogant in assuming that the authorities would allow them to change the racetrack to remove the offending high-speed corner.
Ferrari were their usual stubborn selves ... they did nothing 'wrong' however.
The FIA looks utterly stupid - cutting off their nose to spite their face. The US GP is going to be in jeopardy unless they arrange a free-to-attend non-championship GP for some point in the rest of the season, but with such a packed schedule, this would be nearly impossible.
Bottom line is that safety must be paramount ... bring a non-safe tyre to a race and expecting everyone to change the layout of the track is purely ridiculous. Michelin have scored a magnificently damaging PR own goal ...
Man, just when I thought F-1 was rescued from predictability and downright boringness with last, but particularly this season, I see a bleak future. Wonder how they'll face each other by the next race.
Last season was horrible, Michael winning almost every race; I hate that, and I hate him and Ferrari.
Last race was a disaster because it's been such a great season so far, if you take a look at the race winners;
Fisichella
Alonso
Alonso
Alonso
Raikkonen
Alonso
Schumacher (Though I dont class this a win really)
(I think thats correct)
The season so far really has been unpredictable, with teams McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Toyota, BAR and Williams all able to challenge for the race win. I just hope they sort themselves out by the time we get to Magny-Cours.
Last race was a disaster because it's been such a great season so far, if you take a look at the race winners;
Fisichella
Alonso
Alonso
Alonso
Raikkonen
Alonso
Schumacher (Though I dont class this a win really)
(I think thats correct)
Fisichella (Australia)
Alonso (Malaysia)
Alonso (Emirates)
Alonso (San Marino)
Raikkonen (Spain)
Raikkonen (Monaco)
Alonso (European)
Raikkonen (Canada)
Schumacher (USA)
Yes, it had been a very good season up until the farce at Indianapolis last Sunday. I see the FIA have charged the seven Michelin teams for bringing F1 into dis-repute. What a joke that is. The FIA and Max Mosley are the one's who are ultimately responsible for the whole sorry mess.
Anyone else see today's race? I enjoyed it; I thought it was one of the more exciting races of the season; but Spa always delivers.
End result;
1. Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren)
2. Fernando Alonso (Renault)
3. Jenson Button (BAR)
4. Mark Webber (Williams)
5. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
6. Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber)
7. Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)
8. Tiago Monteiro (Jordan)
The top eight finishers were all made up of different cars, so an interesting end result, simply because of interesting accidents, and unpredictable weather.
Good Performances;
Kimi Raikkonen is consistantly strong. He put in some stunning laps throughout the race, and deserved his well-earned win.
Alonso, another solid performance.
Villeneuve and Massa - shame for them that their idiot team decided to put slicks on their car, or one of them would have had a podium.
Webber - bit of luck for once for the Aussie.
Monteiro - This guy, in a very poor car, managed to beat his teammate, both Minardis, a Red Bull and hold off stronger cars to get a point. Top job.
Trulli and Ralf - Really good performances, particularly from Ralf who could have won the race. Trulli's race was mucked up in the Safety Car fiasco and Ralf was compromised by a poor tyre choice.
I think Michael and Fisichella could have stirred things up had their races lasted longer. Sato is a complete idiot, and I've no idea why BAR have hung on to him. Shame about Montoya, who was doing rather well, but I'm sure it was pretty much his fault, his spin, and I suspect he got a real talking to about it, because it didn't help Kimi. I don't rate Button, and I don't see why anyone does; he's just there... he does nothing special, he's not the "smoothest driver in F1" - I think that's total rubbish. His third place today was through nothing but the misfortune of other drivers, and much of the race he just 'hung around' as usual. Coulthard is still the Number 1 Brit.
Shame about Montoya, who was doing rather well, but I'm sure it was pretty much his fault, his spin, and I suspect he got a real talking to about it, because it didn't help Kimi. I don't rate Button, and I don't see why anyone does; he's just there... he does nothing special, he's not the "smoothest driver in F1" - I think that's total rubbish. His third place today was through nothing but the misfortune of other drivers, and much of the race he just 'hung around' as usual. Coulthard is still the Number 1 Brit.
It turns out that Montoya is the innocent victim in his clash with Pizzonia. Apparently, Pizzonia had waved Montoya past to lap him. At that late stage of the race the dry tyres were much quicker than the intermediates and the braking distances between them were considerably different. Montoya was in cruise mode on his intermediates while Pizzonia was on dry tyres. Shortly after waving Montoya through Pizzonia came flying back and crashed into the back of him. Pizzonia has since been fined by the race stewards, but that's no consolation to Montoya or McLaren. The mystery remains why Pizzonia waved Montoya past him in the first place. It seems to me that he must have clearly misjudged the situation regarding the tyres.
General, I don't know why you are so harsh on Jenson Button. Maybe you just don't like him personally and that reflects on your views of his driving? He didn't just "luck in" to third place, there were at least two cars that he overtook along the way. I am not saying that Button is a great driver because he is not, at least not yet anyway. However, he has been consistently one of the top five drivers over the last year and a half and it hasn't been because he has just been 'hanging around' benefitting from the mis-fortune of others.
Comments
Well, Schumi has only managed to qualify in fourth place so he has got a bit of work to do. Even though it's notoriously difficult to overtake at Monaco I still wouldn't bet against him winning the race.
I hope that Jenson Button wins. He is starting from second place so he has a real chance. Monaco is not a bad place to get your maiden Grand Prix victory.
Well said! Currently my favourite driver in Formula One.
With Michael back in fourth, we might have a different winner today, and despite Button, the Brit being next to Trulli, I think the Renault will leave the others for dead off of the starting line.
With any luck, Trulli will be able to pull away while Michael is held up!
You can do it, Jarno!!!!!
You know, I would love to see a Minardi finish first!
I think the highest place a Minardi has ever finished was fifth, and that was back in 2002 while Mark Webber was driving for them.
It could be possible - remember that Panis won in a Ligier back in '96 - and that was totally unexpected!
I can't describe the overwhelming happiness I felt, when I saw Michael emerge from the tunnel with half a car!!
Well done Jarno, and out of all of the tracks, in Monte Carlo!
No offence intended here, but what is it with the darn Germans in Formula One? Surely they must be paid to hold up or annoy other drivers!
Firstly, we have Michael, who no-one seems to like anymore, simply because of his attitude towards driving. But I had to laugh, when the Ferarri mechanics shooed the cameras away, so that Michael could have a paddy off-camera!
Next was Ralf. One of the most idiotic drivers currently racing. He has made some of the most stupid moves on the track that I have seen from any driver - and it is no wonder that Williams are shifting him to Toyota! Ralf should have slowed down before the entrance of the tunnel so that Alonso could have passed.
Finally there was Heidfeld, who for some reason, wouldn't move his slow-ass car out of the way to let the leaders pass. I don't usually shout at the screen, but I had to!!
--
Apart from that, I thought that this Grand Prix was the most exciting and tense in Monaco for the last few years at least.
Well Done to Trulli, Button, and to the slower cars who picked up some points (Massa, Da Matta, Panis).
Sadly though Baumgartner couldn't quite convert his chances into a point! Ah well..
and great drivers like Nelson Piquet and the above mentioned. The days when the Mclaren teammates fought tooth and nail for the world title. I'm still a fan but those are the moments i remember most.
No, but it might spell the beginning of the end. I don't think it will make any difference in the short term, especially while Michael Schumacher remains at Ferrari. The real test for Ferrari will come when Schumacher finally leaves because they won't just be losing a great driver. Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Nigel Stepney and a number of other technical people are also likely to leave at the same time.
I was unaware that Fiat is in deep financial trouble. Mind you, with the budget that Ferrari spend every year on Grand Prix racing I shouldn't be too surprised at this news.
Maybe Schumacher should leave Ferrari now? That would save a few Euro's.
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
1 - Ralf getting shunted off by Montoya at the first corner, making sure that Ralf didn't do anything stupid during the race. Shame about Da Matta though - at least Ralf apologised.
2 - Sato. A great race by Sato except for the stupid manoever he tried on Barrichello near the end.
3 - McLaren. They were explosive in this race! Literally explosive... both retiring with engine failures. Get your act together, McLaren!
4 - Slower cars battling with supposedly faster cars. Drivers like Fisichella, Panis and Webber put in good performances, and I found it amusing to think that Fisichella and sometimes even Panis were outpacing the Williams of Montoya. I just cant believe that Williams could get the set-up so wrong.
.... and that's about it - not much really, but then not much happened in the race either.. I was hoping a Minardi might have accidentally shunted Michael off on the last corner of the last lap, but ah well...
On another note, while I am not a big fan of Michael Schumacher, I respect him greatly for donating $10 million of his own money to aid in the Tsunami relief efforts! $10 million! Way to go Michael!
I feel the same way I'm not a Schumacher fan , but He has my utmost respect for the donation he made.
Me too ... an Australian back in the number Williams seat ... I'm old enough to remember the last time that happened and if Webber can keep up his progress there's no reason to suggest he couldn't emulate Alan Jones. I just hope Williams ditch that ugly double finned nose of last year ...
And I agree with you about Schumacher's good will and generosity. An example to all superannuated sports stars ... (although I rather like him anyway, a cold-hearted, utterly ruthless, yet utterly charming and selfless individual - it's these contradictions that make him so interesting; well, that and his absolutely immense talent behind the steering wheel).
Ferrari:
Michael Schumacher
Rubens Barrichello
With their old car for the first few races, we could see some good fight on the track. Apparently, the old Ferrari is third fastest after the Renault and McLaren cars. But the new one may destroy all competition.
Renault:
Giancarlo Fisichella
Fernando Alonso
Reportedly the fastest car going into the 2005 season. If Schumacher doesn't take the title, I have a suspicion that Fisichella will. Both of these are fantastic drivers.
McLaren:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Kimi Raikkonen
With McLaren supposedly back on form, there are two excellent drivers in an excellent car. My personal opinion is that Raikkonen might out-class his team-mate.
Williams:
Mark Webber
Nick Heidfeld
Two fantastic drivers - particularly Webber. But there is much tlak about how slow Williams will be at the beginning of the season. Will have to watch out.
BAR:
Jenson Button
Takuma Sato
Can BAR keep up last year's stunning performance?
Toyota:
Jarno Trulli
Ralf Schumacher
Considering Toyota have the biggest budget in F1, expectations are high. Trulli is a great driver, and Ralf in on and off. Will have to wait.
Sauber:
Jacques Villeneuve
Felipe Massa
I personally don't believe Villeneuve still has what it takes to be a top class driver. Sauber has always been an average/below average team.
Red Bull:
David Coulthard
Chritian Klien
A new team, how quick will Red Bull be? They have a Cosworth engine - which isn't a good sign. Cosworth engines have always been weak and faulty. I don't rate Coulthard either.
Jordan:
Tiago Monteiro
Nahrain Karthikeyan
New drivers and a Toyota engine. Can Jordan really expect to get off the back row?
Minardi:
Patrick Friesacher
Christijan Albers
In financial trouble, Minardi once again look like they'll be right there at the back. Good luck to them.
1. Fisichella (Renault)
- Got a fast lap just before the rain set in
2. Trulli (Toyota)
- Went out on the track while it was fairly dry
3. Webber (Williams)
- Made use of the drying track
4. Villeneuve (Sauber)
- Made mistakes but was lucky with the weather
5. Klien (Red Bull)
- Lucky with the weather
6. Coulthard (Red Bull)
- Lucky with the weather despite mistakes
7. Heidfeld (Williams)
- Made some errors but because of the weather, he was okay
8. Button (BAR)
- Poor lap, but the rain saved him
9. Karthikeyan (Jordan)
- Another man who benefitted from the misfortune of the other drivers
10. Raikkonen (McLaren)
- Victim of the rain
11. Montoya (McLaren)
- Victim of the rain
12. Barrichello (Ferrari)
- Victim of the rain
13. Monteiro (Jordan)
- Not too bad, made mistakes though
14. Alonso (Renault)
- Victim of the rain
15. Albers (Minardi)
- Did well for Minardi
16. Freisacher (Minardi)
- Not as good as Albers but benefitted from the rain
17. R Schumacher (Toyota)
- Put in a poor lap, even for the poor conditions
18. M Schumacher (Ferrari)
- Made the wrong choice in tyres! Ha ha!
19. Massa (Sauber)
- Probably the worst sufferer of the bad weather
20. Sato (BAR)
- Span off on his outlap. Tut tut.
Looking at Fisichella's two second gap, even with the second qualifying session still to come it would seem he cannot be knocked off of the top spot. If this grid remained relatively similar to how it is now, the race could only be exciting.
The rule changes seem to make things a little bit more unpredictable, possibly giving us some cars with worn tires struggling at the end of races.
My major concern with the this 'tyre rule' is however that it's a very wishy washy rule, who decides and when if a car is 'unsafe' to drive due to it's tyre conditions and they can therefore be changed or not? I see an avalanche of protests and oputcomes of races decided at the board table instead of the racetrack.
I hope i'm wrong but this rule in particular is too much in a grey area to be acceptable.
**SPOILERS**
If you have yet to see the race, and don't wish to know the results, do not read on.
I thought it was a good race, nothing particularly special but it was fun to see all of the new cars battling it out, and it gives you a good idea of how the season will be.
The tyre rule, which I personally don't agree with, didn't affect most of the cars much at all - well, not in performance anyway.
Fisichella deserved the win - he put in a solid performance throughout the race and never came under any serious threat. Disappointed with Trulli - I knew the Toyota was weak but when I realised that he was keeping up with Fisichella, and that they were getting away I hoped he could finish strongly - he ended up in ninth. Webber did well, though unfortunately fell back to fifth. Barrichello managed to pull his way up to second, so a good performance there - same for Alonso, who finished third. One of my favourites here was Coulthard though - he really was aggressive, made some excellent passes and was incredibly quick. A good debut race for Red Bull - Klien finished 7th.
I was expecting more from McLaren, and also from BAR. It would appear that BAR are back to their usual standards (which are crap) after such a good year in 2004. McLaren bragged about their car but they didn't have what it takes to keep up with those Renaults, Red Bulls or Williams. Montoya finished 6th, and Raikkonen 8th.
The most enjoyable part of the race however was watching Michael Schumacher struggle the whole time. Starting something like 17th, he ended up staying around tenth place for the whole race - a poor performance, and then he collides with Heidfeld. After getting pushed back on the track, Schumey drove into the garage and retired - the most entertaining shot of the race.
All in all not bad, but maybe we'll get to see the REAL pace of the cars next time in Malaysia.
Just to outline what happened to those who were unable to catch it on television;
One of the most ridiculous races in Forumla One history took place at Indianapolis today. There are ten teams and twenty cars competing, and 14 of them use Michelin tyres; the other six use Bridgestone tyres. Over the course of the weekend, Michelin suffered several tyre failures when their cars exited on to the home straight. It was decided that Michelin's tyres were unfit for the race, so Michelin arranged for some different tyres to be flown in for their cars. However, this was breaking five independant regulations, and despite this, the new tyres were also deemed unfit for racing. Therefore, as no decision could be found before the beginning of the race, ALL of the Michelin runners pulled out.
With the teams of McLaren, BAR, Toyota, Sauber, Williams, Renault and Red Bull pulling into the pits after the formation lap, this left SIX cars on the grid. These consisted of the two Ferraris, the Jordan team and the Minardi team. It doesn't take a fan of F1 to know that the outcome was to be obvious.
Off the start line Ferrari had a notable lead over their competitors. American spectators were outraged, all of the drivers were booed on the podium, and bottles and cans were thrown on to the track during the race. It was quite understandable really.
Race Result;
M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
R. Barrichello (Ferrari)
T. Monteiro (Jordan)
N. Karthikeyan (Jordan)
C. Albers (Minardi)
P. Friesacher (Minardi)
If anyone else saw this very unique race, what were their thoughts on the race itself and the lack of action taken by Formula One chiefs?
What I don't understand is, why are now the teams forbidden from changing tyres during the race?
I understand the changes to the rules (ie: the changing of equipment during the race) are meant to put the teams on a more even standing, but surely the inclusion of tyres into this ruling stands in direct contrast with safety guidelines?
Anyway, the embarrassing race at Indianapolis yesterday is just another cog in the checkered history of the sport, and will no doubt add more fuel to the debate for a new competition.
Independent, one-shot comic books from the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia.
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Michelin were incompetent ... to bring such a dangerous series of tyres to a racetrack that is known to be hard on tyres is downright stupid (it wasn't just 'one' tyre either - every compound for every Michelin team were flawed)
The Michelin teams were arrogant in assuming that the authorities would allow them to change the racetrack to remove the offending high-speed corner.
Ferrari were their usual stubborn selves ... they did nothing 'wrong' however.
The FIA looks utterly stupid - cutting off their nose to spite their face. The US GP is going to be in jeopardy unless they arrange a free-to-attend non-championship GP for some point in the rest of the season, but with such a packed schedule, this would be nearly impossible.
Bottom line is that safety must be paramount ... bring a non-safe tyre to a race and expecting everyone to change the layout of the track is purely ridiculous. Michelin have scored a magnificently damaging PR own goal ...
Though I finally memorized who wears what tyre!
Last race was a disaster because it's been such a great season so far, if you take a look at the race winners;
Fisichella
Alonso
Alonso
Alonso
Raikkonen
Alonso
Schumacher (Though I dont class this a win really)
(I think thats correct)
The season so far really has been unpredictable, with teams McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Toyota, BAR and Williams all able to challenge for the race win. I just hope they sort themselves out by the time we get to Magny-Cours.
Fisichella (Australia)
Alonso (Malaysia)
Alonso (Emirates)
Alonso (San Marino)
Raikkonen (Spain)
Raikkonen (Monaco)
Alonso (European)
Raikkonen (Canada)
Schumacher (USA)
Yes, it had been a very good season up until the farce at Indianapolis last Sunday. I see the FIA have charged the seven Michelin teams for bringing F1 into dis-repute. What a joke that is. The FIA and Max Mosley are the one's who are ultimately responsible for the whole sorry mess.
Other news; BMW have bought Sauber and are turning it into their own team for 2006. So Sauber's last season then.
End result;
1. Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren)
2. Fernando Alonso (Renault)
3. Jenson Button (BAR)
4. Mark Webber (Williams)
5. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
6. Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber)
7. Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)
8. Tiago Monteiro (Jordan)
The top eight finishers were all made up of different cars, so an interesting end result, simply because of interesting accidents, and unpredictable weather.
Good Performances;
Kimi Raikkonen is consistantly strong. He put in some stunning laps throughout the race, and deserved his well-earned win.
Alonso, another solid performance.
Villeneuve and Massa - shame for them that their idiot team decided to put slicks on their car, or one of them would have had a podium.
Webber - bit of luck for once for the Aussie.
Monteiro - This guy, in a very poor car, managed to beat his teammate, both Minardis, a Red Bull and hold off stronger cars to get a point. Top job.
Trulli and Ralf - Really good performances, particularly from Ralf who could have won the race. Trulli's race was mucked up in the Safety Car fiasco and Ralf was compromised by a poor tyre choice.
I think Michael and Fisichella could have stirred things up had their races lasted longer. Sato is a complete idiot, and I've no idea why BAR have hung on to him. Shame about Montoya, who was doing rather well, but I'm sure it was pretty much his fault, his spin, and I suspect he got a real talking to about it, because it didn't help Kimi. I don't rate Button, and I don't see why anyone does; he's just there... he does nothing special, he's not the "smoothest driver in F1" - I think that's total rubbish. His third place today was through nothing but the misfortune of other drivers, and much of the race he just 'hung around' as usual. Coulthard is still the Number 1 Brit.
Hopefully an equally eventful race in Brazil!
It turns out that Montoya is the innocent victim in his clash with Pizzonia. Apparently, Pizzonia had waved Montoya past to lap him. At that late stage of the race the dry tyres were much quicker than the intermediates and the braking distances between them were considerably different. Montoya was in cruise mode on his intermediates while Pizzonia was on dry tyres. Shortly after waving Montoya through Pizzonia came flying back and crashed into the back of him. Pizzonia has since been fined by the race stewards, but that's no consolation to Montoya or McLaren. The mystery remains why Pizzonia waved Montoya past him in the first place. It seems to me that he must have clearly misjudged the situation regarding the tyres.
General, I don't know why you are so harsh on Jenson Button. Maybe you just don't like him personally and that reflects on your views of his driving? He didn't just "luck in" to third place, there were at least two cars that he overtook along the way. I am not saying that Button is a great driver because he is not, at least not yet anyway. However, he has been consistently one of the top five drivers over the last year and a half and it hasn't been because he has just been 'hanging around' benefitting from the mis-fortune of others.