Thoughts on 2008 and 2009... (spoilers)

2008, some numbers (swiped from another forum):

2008 WDC - First 9 races
Hamilton 48 pts
Massa 48 pts
Raikk. 48 pts
Kubica 46 pts
Heidfeld 36 pts
Kova 24 pts
Trulli 20 pts
Webber 18 pts
Alonso 13 pts
Barrich. 11 pts

2008 WDC - Final 9 races
Hamilton 50 pts
Massa 49 pts
Alonso 48 pts
Vettel 30 pts
Kubica 29 pts
Kova. 29 pts
Raikk. 27 pts
Heidfeld 24 pts
Glock 20 pts
Piquet 17 pts

 

Alonso really stepped up his game in the last races.......

 

3) Didn't know that Ross Brawn design cars, IIRC, he is the technical director but he does not actually "design" the race cars. Was it not Rory Barns that did all the winning cars in the Schumacher-Brawn-Barns era at Bennetton and at Ferrari ?

 

You got that right, although somebody here predicted that Fernando would not win again this year or at all. Singapore was a wild card due to the safety car, but Japan was all him. If Fernando stays at Renault like Flavio hinted was the case, then 2009 is going to be an interesting year. I truly think he is going to win the WDC next year if he stays at Renault. I am afraid that Ferrari won't have a handle on the KERS system by the time the season starts, and, even with all the resources that McLaren has, they still may have been so focused on getting Hammy his WDC that they may have sacrificed some development of the new car.

Now, admittedly, I am focused on safety as part of this sport since I have done a few (cough) laps in a race car and can appreciate a few extra feet of pavement here and there, but the only way we are going to get past these chicane cutting moves and drastic overshoots into a corner is, perhaps, going back to gravel traps like the one that caught Mika Hakkinen at Monza in 2000. I understand the desire to keep as many cars running on the track as possible but most of the drivers really use too much area knowing that they can get away with it. Either that or they need to install some big-a$$ wheel-stop like rumble strips in the chicane areas so anyone who runs them gets one hell of a bouncy ride. That will certainly get their attention, and give the stewards one less area of jurisdiction over which to render questionable decisions.

I pray that Ferrari work on their pit stops during the off-season. They looked very unpolished this year, and I don't know if that is partly due to the drivers not working with their crews constantly to perfect the seven second ballet. They should sign Vettel and ask him to bring along some of that German efficiency back to the team.

I guess my biggest disappointment is that I don't think Hammy is a worthy WDC. I know he is fast and determined, but with all his lapses in judgment this season and last he cost himself a lot of points that the team helped him claw back, while I think Felipe made a lot of mistakes but was more a victim of his team's mistakes, yet he more than made up for it. I look at Hammy and think to myself that there's a kid who isn't nearly as good as he or the British Empire think he is, yet we all have to stomach it for the next year.

God, four and a half months until the first GP of 2009. Despite the madness courtesy of Max, Bernie and all the other players, F1 is my escape from work and all the other stuff I deal with. I'm already in withdrawl. My son is 16 months old and I set up the slot car track in his play room. I think he's WDC material already. The only McLarens that will touch the track are the M23 from Gilles' first F1 race and Fernando's car from last year. No chicanes, no pit stops, no manipulative midgets or Nazis with hookers.

 

lol, that was a good chuckle.

 

Jeff, you make a great point about the chicanes. IMO they need to stick big foam walls at the edges of the chicanes that won't destroy the cars but will at least make it impossible for them to completely cut the corners.

 

OK, year in review.

Best driver: Massa. Kept his chin down and delivered. And kept delivering. 6 wins and made his WDC team mate look like an underachiever. It's not so much that he lost the WDC by 1 point, but that he's finally proved that he can do it. He exits the 2008 season with far more fans than he entered it with. Count me as one of them
Worst driver: Kimi Räikkönen. Didn't bother showing up for the last 9 races of 2008. Complained that the car didn't really suit him yet he banged out fastest lap after fastest lap.
Honorable mention: Alonso winning a twofer out of nowhere. Vettel having a dream result. 6 different winners, this a record?

Best Team: McLaren. They got the job done without tremendous mistakes that lose drivers a shot at WDC: see 2008 and worn out tires for Hamilton, or poor Massa trying to exit pit lane while towing a fuel rig.
Worst Team: While I might be mightily inclined to pin the tail on Maranello's donkey for letting Massa drive off with various bits and pieces of a fueling rig still attached to his car, Ferrari with all their foibles completely pale in comparison to BMW. BMW/Kubica after 9 races had 46 points to Ferrari/Massa at 48 points and McLaren/Hamilton at 48 points. Yet BMW scrapped the known for the complete unknown. The known: the early 2008 car delivers. Delivers BIG. Mario thought, screw that. We can trade a winning package now for a complete unknown next year. Let's halt meaningful development on a winning car now, so we can maybe have something that does something next year. Just another case of Germany screwing Poland and fronting poor strategy and tactics.
Honorable mention: Ferrari. Fuel hose. I won't rub it in.

Most improved driver: Massa. Rubbish year over year to a genuine contender for WDC despite all the sayings of nay.
Most improved team: Hard to say...Renault for finally producing a car late into the 2008 season for Superman or the former Minardi team for getting their first win. In reality, the most improved team is BMW despite their decision to give up on a winning car and develop for 2009.

 

I think this would have made things much simpler for all sides this year....still not sure how I really feel about the year though. Hamilton, Massa....it really wasn't a champion's year for either. Hope next year the racing is the key, the passes are cleaner and the results stand at the end of the race....but then who am I kidding.

 

That's why no one should invest with Ted (and some other resident f1 experts). Vision/Investing is seeing what is not already apparent, sensing potential,
not clocking off the good old days, countless statistics, and hard facts.

Andreas, how many pounds did you lose during the last lap ey? You were sooooo close to a 1 year nightmare.

 

This point is the most worrying..IMO.

 

How are MaxPorn and Bernie vindicated? There still as guilty as f**k as far as the F1 fans go IMO. Did anyone else hear the comment that Bernie made to Martin Bundle yesterday ?About its getting harder every year to make the F1 championship go down to the wire? WTF! Vindicated? No bloody way.

 

What Mike mean's: In Max and Bernies sick twisted minds, the messing with the results is Justified!, in making it a nail biting finish, they would feel vindicated!! because If Massa had won it, Bernie would be have been turned into a concrete gnome, and ended up in some Brit garden, and PornoMAX strapped up in some sex dungeon clamped to the wall, door shut locked and forgot about.

 

The whining about Max, Bernie and the vast right wing conspiracies by the FIA need to stop. Its over, time to move on. Next year we have KERS and a widening of the rear bodywork which will increase downforce and therefore increase cornering speeds together with slicks-i think passing will be even harder.Engineers will be more important than ever and I think the driver will count for less-i want the drivers to.be a large part of the eq. Absent rain races it could be the usual procession in a very boring way. KERS in the wet could provide some entertainment but I think passing will be even harder which stinks..Are the engine manufacturers or teams responsible for KERS??? Will red bull get kers from renault, williams from toyota etc.???.

 

No way dude. Max, the FIA and Bernie must wish that all F1 fans say stuf like that. Would be there perfect dream. By doing the "time to move on" bit only gives them permission to do it again and again.
They need to know that there manipulation is not acceptable, and also not acceptable to simply wipe the slate clean of there corrupt antics at the end of every season IMO.

 

Yes we all know the FIA is constantly meddling but its been said/alleged ad naseum here on FChat including by yours truly...the horse is quite dead already...agree that KERS is a huge waste of money and I don't particularly care for the route that F1 is going especially away from N.A. but in the end no one is forcing us to watch, are they?

 

1;Yes the results this and last year strengthen their positions.
2 Pretty much. Vettle will now play holdout for a Ferrari drive.
3 I expect Honda and Toyota to turn into contenders but dont know who they will replace. A whole new ballgame.
4 Bernie and his ego will eventually be his downfall. Americas GDP is more than DOUBLE the next closest; Japan. IE this is by far the worlds biggest market to manufacturers directly involved in F1. They are not stupid and see his shenanigans.
5 Hope to see a good SPEED special on the season.
6 Agree on all especially the spare car. I think the rule is Max's revenge for a mechanic's prank 20 years ago.
7 and 8 relate the #1. These shadow stewards may as well be puppets. Bernie does the writing. Max pulls the strings.

I would like LESS aero. Sliding, passing, cars are cool. I like less grip (slicks) for the same reason or now that there is but one tire Mfg; harder compounds or thinner "tread" gives the same visual appearance as slick but still requires pit stops for that element of competition.

 

I dont know why Max's constant drumming the cost issue and yet comes up with "savings" programs like this. Are his decisions produced in a Opium den ?

KERS is good IMO. Many claim they want F1 to be the pinnacle of racing technology yet resist a completely new direction in energy production/conservation.

 

LOTS OF RAIN THIS YEAR, MAKES FOR LOTS OF PASSING ON THE TRACK.

Getting up at 7:00am EST for early morning race is no fun....but never fell back to sleep during a rain race