Spanish GP: Preview

Great news!

 

Fernando is now really starting to get annoying, http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=84983 , saying that Ferrari is cheating by testing more. If he has a problem with it his team can pull out of the agreement and do it to. I used to not like Kimi all that much, and respect Fernando a lot more, but now he is just starting to act like he is the best driver ever to set foot in a car, and always has been, now I really hope that JPM will clear Fernando out of the race, and if not that at least Kimi will finish in front of him. This is going to be one interesting race, I have a feeling its all going to boil down to pit stops, and who can remain at 100% concentration.

 

Okay maybe I miss herd .

Question how did you find that information out ... I couldn't, and it really needs to be published so we can understand where everybody stands.

Pete

 

Does the rule specify that you can not change you engine for the next race unless the DNF was caused by an engine failure?

What I understand by the rules is that if you do not finish a race you are allowed to change engines, no matter what the cause was. And if so, the most probable situation is that Ferrari did use a new engine at Imola.

- Julio.

 

If anyone hadn't heard (I didn't see it mentioned above), BAR has been suspended for Spain and Monaco and put effectively on probation for the rest of the year. In addition they were excluded from the results at Imola, so effectively this is a three-race suspension retroactive to San Marino.

This should effectively allow Jensen Button to activate his "escape clause" and move to Williams next year.

 

Yes. After BAR dropped out of the Australian race in order to get new engines for the next race (which they didn't wind up doing) the FIA made it clear that the engine must have had failure in order for it to be swapped out.

Ferrari had to run the same engine from the weekend before because the DNF were not engine related.

 

It maybe premature to call F2005 competitive (even though it was spectacular at Imola), it's only one race...Plus RB didn't finish, may not have anything to do with the engine but that new gearbox is causing some issues. I'd like to see the magic back and to see the new compound Bridgestone last through out the race. I certainly hope Ferrari will be as competitive if not more at Jerez. I just hope they give us as good of a race as they did at Imola.

 

OK, didn't know. So that means that this time we will see al the 3 contenders MS, Alonso and Kimi in their best posible situation, all 3 of them with new engines, no excuses, NICE We are only some hours away from the start of the show

- Julio.

 

Comments: BAR was either pretty stupid to use fuel as ballast, or pretty stupid to not have the weight of the car above 600kg with a dry tank. Either way, they are pretty stupid. It makes you wonder how they became so competitive last year after JV left...wonder what else they were doing that they didn't get caught.

Predicitions: MS will win, but not from pole. Pole will be KR or GF. Top 3: MS, GF, KR. Coulthard will run well this weekend in the points. Alonso will have trouble with pressure and distractions in his home race, and have a bad weekend.

Thoughts: Schuey should be glad this is the longest season ever in F1. Ferrari have dug themselves a huge hole in both the driver's and constructors championships. They know what it takes to win, but MS has to beat FA in practically every race this summer to win the championship again. Sadly, the constructors title is possibly out of reach already. It will take bad luck for Renault and RB driving like a madman to make up the points deficit.

Comment 2 Is it just me or does Alonso get on your nerves? There is something about him that I simply don't like. He looks like a vampire too, like something out of an Anne Rice novel...

 

I agree, he seems very sleezy and not like a normal old nice F1 drive (see schumey). I just don't like his my s**t don't stink attitude that he has lately after winning. He is asking for trouble by thinking he can play mind games with Michael.

 

Now come on guys, have you forgotten MS's attitude at the beginning of his career. It’s only recently he’s been laid back and easy going. Because he knows he’s got nothing more to prove. But back in his day, he was cocky, arrogant, self centered, etc…

Don’t forget Alonso is a young guy still trying to prove himself. Plus you don’t know all the crap Falvio is feeding Alonso. I wouldn’t take everything at face value. If anything I can’t stand Falvio.

Anyway, I love Ferrari but I hope Alonso wins again this race.

 

I tend to agree that racing is a highly competitive and masterminding sport. All the greats have attitudes around the race circuit that are less than desirable...but that comes with that territory. It is a mind game before the race and wheel-to-wheel intimidation at the race, that's why it is so interesting. But to add I really miss the old playboy racers around the circuit with their gorgeous girlfriends all over them smoking and mentally and preparing for the stint, what happened to that era.

 

Well said.

I take a Hunt or a Rega over any of the politically correct, media savvy and public relations cleaned guys of today. Even the computer Lauda or the late Senna were more fun than these guys.

 

[size=+2]Okay I repeat ... where do I find what engines they used for each race that was run, none of the sites I have gone to indicate this. This is absolutely critical information for us couch racers.[/size]

Love to know, because the last thing I believe is simply the fact that MS did not have an engine failure at the last race ... I want to read a post race site that states if a new engine or old engine was raced. Remember Imola was critical for Ferrari ... they could have exercised their right to change engines BEFORE the weekend started.

Thanks.
Pete

 

Back then it really was live today because you might be gone tomorrow...

If I remember correctly from "The Quick and the Dead" aka "One by One" the fatality rate at some point during the early to mid 70s was something like 10%. They were literally averaging 2 deaths per race... or close to it at some point.

 

Sorry PSK, my computer was fried by a lightning strike yesterday. Anyway, somebody posted the FIA data in the F1 Live forum and that's how I got the information on the drivers scheduled to start Imola with a new engine. It did not include Massa, who lost his during one of the practice sessions.