The F1 Thread

[Nando]

Yes please!

Personally, I can't see past Vettel again. I reckon they'll have comfortably the fastest car and if he can cut out some of his mistakes he'll be very hard to beat. I'm not convinced by his ability to come through the field, but I don't see him in that position very often.

I'd love to see Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton all going at it at the front.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Ferrari will go all out for it this season I think, they're paying Alonso enormous sums and it is their 150th anniversary, massive year for them.

I would love it to be either Jenson or Lewis again but I can't see it. Anyway mate, please stick around and keep commenting during the season! We don't have that many F1 fans here.

 

[Psychowolf]

Vettel does leave alot of questions in regards to his overtaking. Although gota hand it to him for his Silverstone performance last year, last to 7th. As for cutting out his mistakes, well i still occasionaly say that about Hamilton . If he can convert his poles into race wins then he could be long gone. It was his mistakes last year though that made the title race so interesting i feel so i wouldn't mind more of the same.

Good point bout being 150th year though. They will be throwing everything they can at that car to make it a winner.

I shall stick around though for the season commenting. even if i end up talking to myself. I do like my F1

 

[Law's Bus]

it is their 150th anniversary, massive year for them.

Mmm, no it's not. It's the 150th anniversary of the Italian state. Scuderia Ferrari dates from the 1930s, IIRC.

It'll be the usual suspects at the front, I think - Red Bull and Ferrari. I expect McLaren to start badly and improve, whilst Mercedes will start well and fall backwards. Nick Heidfeld's Renault may well surprise a number of people, and I expect Lotus to be firmly in the midfield, whilst the other two new teams will still be at the back. HRT will even fail to qualify some weekends.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Mmm, no it's not. It's the 150th anniversary of the Italian state. Scuderia Ferrari dates from the 1930s, IIRC.

See, this is what happens when you only half listen to things when you're "working".

They have called the car Ferrari 150. Presumably to reflect that. Still a big thing anyway.

 

[Psychowolf]

It's history goes back to around 30's but think they were fully founded in late 40's.

Still a big thing for Ferrari though to celebrate 150 years of the state, so would make winning this year even bigger. Italy would probably go a little bit crazy in celebration. So can imagine them going that extra mile just to try make it happen.

 

[Nando]

Nothing new for Ferrari, he's on less than Kimi or Schumi were and with Santander's backing I doubt they're paying him much out of their own pockets.

The tyre situation will be interesting, Vettel won't be able to rag the living daylights out of his car every lap or his tyres will be destroyed pretty quickly. Button and Alonso are generally good at looking after their rubber.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Good blog here by Martin Brundle on McLaren.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9423107.stm

 

[OldGoldnBlack]

Villeneuve was veyr irratic and prone to collisions if ppl didnt get out of his way

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Which one?

Gilles Villeneuve was an absolute nutter but also one of the most talented drivers I ever saw.

Jacques was much more of the Alain Prost school of driving. Very calculating.

 

[Nando]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3719904/jacques_villeneuve_estoril_96/

Sensational.

 

[Law's Bus]

Gilles Villeneuve was an absolute nutter but also one of the most talented drivers I ever saw.

Not one of. The.

Gilles could do things that ordinary mortals just couldn't. How many other people would be 11 seconds quicker than the rest of the field on a soaking wet track? Would refuse to give in whilst stuck in utterly useless cars? No-one else could have won either of the two races he did in 1981 - a terrible chassis and on-off power delivery with turbo lag in Monaco, and a train of faster cars stuck behind him in Spain - where one single mistake would have seen him back to sixth.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'm too young for Villeneuve senior, but for me it will always be Senna, followed by Schumi.

 

[Law's Bus]

I'm too young for Villeneuve senior, but for me it will always be Senna, followed by Schumi.

Can't stand either of them. People as talented as the two of them shouldn't need to resort to the cheating that they did. It's amazing that neither of them killed anyone. They were both brilliant enough to win anyway, so why?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You could make the same argument about Maradona and his multiple cheating. Still one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen.

 

[Law's Bus]

You could make the same argument about Maradona and his multiple cheating. Still one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen.

Yes, I agree. And no, I can't stand Maradona either, for exactly that reason. It doesn't stop me appreciating any of their talents, but they're just a better quality Kevin Muscat.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Senna and Villeneuve are level for me. Senna was at least as quick compared to the field in a monsoon at Donington.

There is you-tube footage of a duel between villeneuve and a renault (I think it was patrick depallier but I could be wrong) from near the end of his career that is absolutely breathtaking.

 

[Law's Bus]

Senna was at least as quick compared to the field in a monsoon at Donington.

That lap of Senna's did involve far more overtaking, though wasn't 11 seconds quicker. That McLaren was something special that day though - remember that Michael Andretti was following him through until he was turfed off by Karl Wendlinger.

There is you-tube footage of a duel between villeneuve and a renault (I think it was patrick depallier but I could be wrong) from near the end of his career that is absolutely breathtaking.

French GP, Dijon, 1979 v Rene Arnoux. Stunning stuff. Just call me the DW of F1.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Ta - I had never known the circuit before and I didn't recognise it as one used today (which makes sense as Dijon has long gone in favour of Magny-Bores)

 

[Nando]

Dijon's a great track. Magny-Cours wasn't too bad, home to in my opinion one of Alonso's finest moments overtaking Heidfeld's Sauber in 2007, no footage anywhere though.

My Dad was a massive Gilles fan, it was quite something watching Jacques drive his father's car in a replica helmet at Goodwood.