Italian GP Practice ***spoiler***

Good morning guys,

Well only 3 minutes in to P1 and the track is red. Shows Davidson stopped on track due to smoke coming out of his Honda. Track green now . . . no more calling Friday practice the Wurz-Davidson show, must rename the Wurz-Vettel show. That young kid is very good. Oop's just upstaged by Jani.

BIG HEADLINES ON FORMULA1.COM . . .

"Drivers . . MS PLEASE DON'T GO

(I haven't read the full article yet).

Carol

 

Vettel topping the charts in only his second official session in F1, only shows that today´s F1cars are just way to easy to drive.

 

The only "heavy hitters" to make an appearance thus far are Kimi and Massa, both without a time lap. For those of you who say lap times are insignificant in practice, well, yes they may be but . . . there's the definite mind game aura for the big players and anytime you have anything competitive and add the element of the stopwatch it has a natural tendency to become competitive.

I would think at this stage with only being 3 minutes into Friday practice, Honda would be taking a serious look at their engines and what else might be in store for the weekend. Definitely not the way to start the weekend.

Carol

 

You called it: neither Button nor Barichello turned a wheel, nor did the Renaults or Schumi. Don't these guys know I need data to base my F1tipping picks on?

 

heck, just be like me and pick a name and hope for the best!

Re: Honda engine . . .

The Japanese car manufacturer have spent this week weighing up whether to introduce the power unit at Monza because of the early failure the unit suffered in testing at the track last week.

However, after modifications made to the engine in light of the problem encountered by Rubens Barrichello, Honda have decided to press it into introduction this weekend rather than revert to the older specification version.

The new engine is a major development over the power unit used by the team up until the Turkish Grand Prix - and is primarily a step forward in terms of torque and power-delivery rather than out-and-out power.

The improvements are a result of some of the concepts that had been planned for their 2007 engine, but they have been brought in early because of the likely switch to engine homologation.

- - - - -
perhaps back to the drawing board??

 

The stands were more than half full on the main straight where a large red banner was draped across the railings. It read "Schumy + Ferrari = Amore Eterno". The message was clear and the story of the weekend easy to understand.

Carol

I knew I needed to be in Monza - darn this thing called work!

 

So P2 ends -- Will Alonso have another go at Doornbos?

 

Thanks, Carol. I only get to see the timing screens, so a feel for the atmosphere makes all the difference. Surely Schumacher can't quit after all this? MS + KR would be the best thing that could happen to F1.

 

We all should have gone this year! Thanks for the qual updates Carol.

 

How old is Vettel? 19? I think he should continue racing in lower series for 2 more years. He's not even leading the F3 Euro Series at the moment. Win the F3 Euro Series and then go in GP2 and then come in F1. He seems like another Christian Klien in the making. Klien finished 2nd when he was in F3 euro series and then was rushed into F1 at only 20 years old.

 

So very true - you're welcome - I enjoy doing this! Now . . . I need to convert more of you guys to endurance racing!!!

I missed live timing as the server here was down :-( so got to play catch-up.

Ron, you or someone else is going to have to assume duty of the qualifying thread, we have a charity bicycle ride tomorrow morning south of Fort Worth (at least it won't be 100 degrees on this one).

Carol

catching up on practice events on Autosport - yet a second engine failure for Honda - most definitely back to the drawing board on this one!!

 

Ah, now you see the real reason Schumi is getting pushed into retirement: The marketing departments need the boy-band drivers to sell F1 posters to the teeny-boppers.

 

Friday Practice 2 times: (Courtesy www.formula1.com)

1 38 Sebastian Vettel Sauber-BMW 1:22.631
2 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:23.138
3 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:23.182
4 35 Alexander Wurz Williams-Cosworth 1:23.414
5 4 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes 1:23.970
6 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:24.034
7 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:24.330
8 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:24.577
9 17 Robert Kubica Sauber-BMW 1:24.813
10 41 Franck Montagny Super Aguri-Honda 1:24.943
11 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:24.985
12 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:25.027
13 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:25.040
14 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:25.108
15 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:25.160
16 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:25.277
17 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:25.316
18 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:25.318
19 36 Anthony Davidson Honda 1:25.356
20 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:25.500
21 39 Giorgio Mondini MF1-Toyota 1:25.586
22 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:25.707
23 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:25.755
24 40 Neel Jani STR-Cosworth 1:25.878
25 37 Robert Doornbos RBR-Ferrari 1:26.058
26 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:26.118
27 23 Sakon Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda 1:26.705
28 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda
29 12 Jenson Button Honda

The Ferraris look superfast. Michael (and Kimi for that matter) have an engine that has already done one race. Alonso and Massa have fresh engines. Looks like the Red Bull cars copied the wheel drum thingie introduced by Ferrari in Turkey.

Excellent job by Vettel to top the timecharts.

Renaults look to be off the pace. but it is still testing and they may not have turned the wick up yet.

I am waiting in dread for Sunday's announcement. I hope Michael stays back another year. It will be really sad to see him go. An era of excellence will be coming to an end!

 

I would like to see MS head the start of a new Ferrari ALMS/ELMS/LEMANS prototype team, and drop the GT1 program.

 

Now that would be sweet!!! I would love to see Ferrari back into prototype racing and keep the GT2 program ongoing. Although, I don't believe it will happen anytime soon.

 

He is 19 and probably the new MS. Remember how F1 is cyclical? One champ departs, another one appears. The guy is absolute dynamite.

As for the comment of Carol and Ron about having missed out MS at Monza: Well, isn't that true for all these guys? That's why I want to see at least one F1 race per year. You never know when somebody calls it quits, get fired or in an accident. Watch them while they drive.

On a sidenote: I'm preparing a "Bon viaggio!" article for MS with the best shots I got of him over the years. I might not support him today, but I used to be a huge fan in the past and when somebody leaves it's "nihil nisi bene" anyway.

If it gets printed (good likelihood) I'll put some copies away for die-hards.

 

Right on the mark about Vettel - bet we see him in a race seat in '08. Again right on target about seeing the guys in person driving - really different than on tv. I am just so very glad we went to the Owner's F1 Test Day in April 2005 at Fiorano and Michael was the driver and we had the opportunity to share a small portion of his day and I will NEVER forget him saying bonjourno (sp) to me as he walked past me and smiled just past Enzo's home on the circuit.

Now about that printed article. . . . .I think I meet your qualification as a die-hard!!! I'll even send you a sase!!

Carol

 

Kubica used to be at the top of the timesheets every Friday. During races, he is a tire eater, so we don't know what Vettel is like in race conditions with fuel and less revs, plus having to use a limited amount of tires.

 

Exactly.

Yes Andreas I'v heard people saying he's the next MS. We will soon find out.
But I would like to see in GP2 next year with Bruno Senna.

 

Guess I'm the only here this Saturday morning? There's 37 minutes left and Michael was in first place when I brought up live timing - now up-staged by Kimi and Button - now it's Button, Massa, Kimi, MS. Guess Honda must have gone back to prior engines after the loss of two "new" engines in 10 laps yesterday.

Carol

Massa on top with a 1:22.878 - .417 ahead of Button in second and .837 ahead of MS in 5th and .939 ahead of Alonso in 6th. Way to go Massa!!!

now just under 20 minutes remain in this the final practice session and Nico is in 6th and Webber has finally come out. Massa still sitting on top. MS back out and sets fastest S2 time. From out of the blue comes Pedro into second - what's up with the McLaren's??? Kimi moves into first at .027 ahead of Massa then Pedro then MS.

Massa rebounds back into first with the fastest lap thus far (1:21.891) - puts Kimi in his place back in second at .960 behind him - GO MASSA ! ! ! !

Times seem to be status quo at <8 minutes - I am thinking there may be some last minute mind games with Alonso and MS. Well sort of - Trulli pops up into 6th sending Alonso into 8th.

<5 mintues and Klien moves into 5th ahead of all the Red Bull guys - go show them all up in your last Monza Red Bull race. <3 and Alonso is sitting in 11th - Luizzi jumps ahead of his teammate too.

<2 and Heidfeld moves into second but MS sets fastest S2. I knew there'd be last minute pushes.

 

MASSA ON TOP WITH A 1:21.665 ! ! ! ! ! and the (small) crowd goes wild . . . .

Heidfeld - .387 back
MS - .592
Kubica - .615
Alonso - .706
Fisi - .747
Kimi - 1.017
Rubens - 1.170
de la Rosa - 1.250
Klein - 1.416

Massa over a second faster than Kimi. Should MS choose to retire I am so happy to see Massa well ahead of Kimi. Hope he keeps it up for the race.
- - - - - - - - - -
The conditions were slightly cooler on Saturday morning, after heavy overnight rainstorms, thunder and lightning having lit up the old park on Friday evening. The air temperature was 27&#176;C and the track temperature was 34.

The session began in clear conditions under blue skies on a dry circuit and featured all the drivers in the early running for installation laps.

The first major incident came when McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen went off circuit at the Ascari chicane, but he recovered to rejoin the normal route on the asphalt.

In the early stages, Honda's Jenson Button, who had suffered a dismal Friday, was among the pace setters, and he led the times after 25 minutes ahead of Massa and Raikkonen.

Just before the half-hour mark, Massa clocked the fastest lap to go top of the times and arouse a cheer among the thin band of scarlet scuderia supporters around the track. There appeared to be fewer spectators than on Friday.

Massa remained top for the next half an hour ahead of Button, but Raikkonen soon recorded a lap time that put him second to the delight of the tifosi many of whom clearly believe he is heading to their team for 2007.

Several drivers were pushing harder in the second part of the session, and among those to take off-circuit excursions or miss the chicanes were Nico Rosberg (Williams), Rubens Barrichello (Honda) and Heidfeld, who had difficulties at the Variante della Roggia.
- - - - - - -

Carol

1. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:21.665 12
2. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:22.052 + 0.387 13
3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:22.257 + 0.592 14
4. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) 1:22.280 + 0.615 12
5. Alonso Renault (M) 1:22.371 + 0.706 15
6. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:22.412 + 0.747 15
7. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:22.682 + 1.017 11
8. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:22.835 + 1.170 18
9. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:22.915 + 1.250 11
10. Klien Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:23.081 + 1.416 11
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:23.244 + 1.579 17
12. Button Honda (M) 1:23.295 + 1.630 15
13. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:23.334 + 1.669 8
14. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:23.467 + 1.802 15
15. Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:23.536 + 1.871 9
16. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:23.599 + 1.934 8
17. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:23.659 + 1.994 20
18. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:23.777 + 2.112 20
19. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:24.186 + 2.521 17
20. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:24.541 + 2.876 14
21. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:24.549 + 2.884 25
22. Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:24.717 + 3.052 19

The Hondas didn't blow up - that's a good thing.

Andreas - does this equation work --> Carol = die-hard??

 

The thing about Vittel is, that yes he got all the toys to play with, but: You still have to drive that car. And drive it fast. He is no test driver, has barely any experience on the car (or any other F1 car), doesn't know the tracks and puts it on "pole". Another case of fast straight out of the box.

If you want to know how good he really is: Just compare him to other 3rd drivers. There are many who had ideal and better conditions (read much more test experience) and have never put their cars on 1st. Sadly my compatriot Neel Jani comes to mind, IMHO a hopeless never-has-been.

Carol, you're not just the personification of die-hard, but you and your husband actually put your money where your mouth is. You guys rock! Forget the SASE, you'll get it when it is in print.

 

Great assessment of Vittel - I would wager on great things in the coming years for him. I am most anxious to see how Hamilton does with an F1 car. My Autosport magazines are always delayed getting here because I can't see paying the enormous cost for not having a short delay. The magazine which arrived yesterday has a comparison of Rosberg, Hekki K., Hamilton and Kubica. What's interesting is the only one not directly involved right how in F1 is Hamilton.

Your comments and kindness are most graciously appreciated by both of us. Thank you.

Carol & John

 

And that worries me. Is F1 still that antediluvian?