F1 News - February

And Heidfeld is quicker than Villeneuve in testing and the BMW-Sauber goes like gangbusters.

And the Renault still seems to be the car to beat with Alonso topping the timesheets.

I read Berger bought half the Rosso team. I know he has money from his transportation company, but this sounds like outlandish.

 

Go to www.grandprix.com, get the news at least a few steps closer to the source.

 

If that's the case everyone is in trouble as the Honda has consistently been the second fastest car behind the Renault by only a few hundredths to thousandths of a second.

 

Maybe the Honda was, but not its drivers, hehe.

 

Montoya won't go to Renault because there won't be Renault. And Michael will be retired by then.

But the question remains and I think the answer to it will be similar to the question who drives for Ferrari if Kimi goes to Toyota: Think outside the box! I bet it won't be about the guys we're familiar with today, but rather some new names. Drivers that might currently have a test and/or 3rd driver role.

If you want a name: Kovalainen

 

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=27070

Best Times to date:
Date.....Driver......Team......T.......Time...........Gap
11-Jan..Alonso........Renault....M......1:16.956
12-Jan..Button........Honda.....M......1.17.114-----.158

I thought Button was a Honda driver?

 

Yes and no. You can also argue, that if their car is not up to speed it doesn't matter as much to have a top driver. Also a 3rd/test driver is not somebody "without F1 experience". Look at Alonso after his test year: Nailed his first victory. I'm sure we'll see something similar once they let Kovalainen on the grid.

BTW: It doesn't matter what I think about Kovalainen, but it does matter what Flavio thinks, who sees the next superstar in him. And Flavio has made champions twice already.

 

You have a point and I hope Button can actually keep that going throughout the upcoming races. I WANT him to win and succeed, I'm just not convinced he's up to snuff.

I was one of the biggest Button fans in his first years at Williams. But I'm not holding my breath anymore. Maybe this will be his season finally and maybe not.

 

Ferrari have an aero problem together with the usual lack of grip of the Bridgestone. The underneath of the car tends to stall. New aero package will arrive soon. MS thinks the 248 will be much closer to the F2004 than to the F2005.

Sport auto moto says the 248 isn't at the level of the F2004V8 yet but in the next test a new package and new suspensions will be used. (the front wing should have a spoon shape).

Ferrari are testing at Vairano tomorrow where Gene will be at the wheel of a 248 to test important parts for the undertray of the car.

Next week at Bahrain, Ferrari will have a F2004 and a 248.

 

JV did the roll-out of the new chassis yesterday. (2nd chassis)

And JV was faster than Heidfeld today. JV has been good in testings....

JV likes the F1.06 and is really looking forward for this upcoming season.

Read this:

"The first laps of the F1.06 convinced JV that this year will be clearly better than last year. "After two days of lapping, last year, we knew that the season would be really long. Today, I know that the season will be a pleasure." JV said.

He also say that the amount of money BMW invested in the team is huge for this transition year. "There were 280 people in Hinwil last year, they are 300 now and they plan to be 400 by next year. In Munich, between 260 and 300 people work there on the engine-transmission-powertrain pack and the electronics. Their reaction time is extremeley fast and the working capacity is huge. The wind tunnel will go 24 hours a day soon. There is a third pilot for private testing with two cars. It's another world."

About the car, it seems that the V8 fits JV's style perfectly. "I can now place the car on the btakes where I want. Now, I can brake to the apex.It's day and night between last year's car and the new one. I rediscover the pleasure of driving. I enjoy alot drinving this car. It's really interesting drive it.I perceive the limit to the end."

Because of the V8 characteristics, there is small problems with the driving aids. Precisely what was an handicap for JV last year.....

"There is no more blocking wheels when braking. Driving aids have a less important role, less perturbing in my case. At the end of the first days of testing, telemetry showed that I use a very low percentage of driving aids. The real driving regains his rights..."

Jv can finally drive like he wants. "Driving aid give more throttle when braking to prevent blocking the powertrain, which load is going to the front. But I was having the habits of keeping the foot on the brake pedal to prevent that blocking, retarding the driving aids to work. Doing that, the system engaged too late and the car was then going wrong...."

With soft tyres, it was ok but with rigid ones, if the temperature wasn't elevating, he was done...

Today, JV found a new motivation. He only hopes BMW will give him the time to prove himself right. "2006 will be a good year for me. I feel it. It's me to make the maximum to prove I deserve that confidence. After, we will see if Mario Theissen and BMW like me or not." JV said."

source: auto-hebdo