The 2007 FIA Formula 1 World Championship thread

[BoMac]

I still remember watching the USGP two years ago when there was that protest. When the cars went into the pits I was so confused—I was like: "WTF is going on?!"

 

[INDY500]

I still remember watching the USGP two years ago when there was that protest. When the cars went into the pits I was so confused—I was like: "WTF is going on?!"

It was more confusing in the stands. But, receiving a complete refund from Michelin was très sucré.

And it was history, albeit bizzaro history.

 

[Canadiens1131]

What.....a......race
Kubica, luckily, appears only to have sprained an ankle and may actually race at Indy.

Haven't they neutered the last corner at Indianapolis due to the speeds being too great? I thought they were sticking a chicane in before the front straight because of the numerous dangerous crashes there.

 

[cobl04]

I thought the chicane was put in like two years ago?


That was a very good race, and hence why I always enjoy the Montreal race. Never boring.

However, I set my alarm for 2:50am, and as I was waiting for it to start I dozed off for forty minutes!!!!!!! So I missed Kubica's crash by about five minutes, which was very frustrating.

Kudos to Hamilton, he is the real deal, and scarily far, far, far better than Hiekki Kovalanien. Renault's demise has been sad because I am a huge fan of Fisi.

Seeing Massa go down was awesome .

Now Webber was going incredibly well in 2nd/3rd and would have got a podium, finally, and I was stoked. But oh no, they stuff up the pit stop, bad timing and WHAM! he's down to ninth. Very unlucky.

No one has mentioned Wurz, either! He came from 19th on the grid to finish 3rd! And Heidfeld!

 

[Slipstream]

Regarding Indianapolis, I think the circuit layout is still the same as it's always been with the last chicane being at turns 8, 9, and 10.

 

[Adam'sbaby]

Very spectacular race in Canada it was indeed

Happy for Kubica. He was so lucky. Not so lucky were lots of other guys including Massa, Fisi.

Alonso must feel awful now with all the mistakes he made in the race. Spent lots of time in the grass too like he was turning his car in an extreme version of a lawnmower. Hamilton is totally outshining poor little Alonso...

 

[cobl04]

You know what'd be interesting? If Schumacher hadn't retired this year. Schuey vs Hammy...

 

[cobl04]

I still remember watching the USGP two years ago when there was that protest. When the cars went into the pits I was so confused—I was like: "WTF is going on?!"

Yeah! I woke up to "and Tiago Monteiro finishes in third place!" and I was like, wow that's awesome! Must have been an action-packed race if he finished third! And then I see another Jordan and two Minardi's crossing the line...

Whatever happened to Monteiro? He finished all but one GP I think. He had some talent.

 

[cobl04]

Awww... Alonso is getting shitty because he is jealous... everyone say awwwwww....

 

[zoney!]

You know what'd be interesting? If Schumacher hadn't retired this year. Schuey vs Hammy...

I've been thinking the same thing all week!

I will be just left of the number six there tomorrow.

 

[Slipstream]

^^Lucky devil!

It should be interesting to see how Ferrari will handle the McLarens. I predict Hammy coming through victorious again with a very good battle with his teammate. I think perhaps the pressure has got to Alonso and tomorrow will be quite the test for him.

 

[cobl04]

Hamdog is on pole.

You know what I was doing the other day? Playing F1 '97 on my Nintendo 64. I chose Trulli - in a Minardi at the time -, qualified 8th and won the race at Catalunya.

 

[Adam'sbaby]

Hamdog is on pole.

You know what I was doing the other day? Playing F1 '97 on my Nintendo 64. I chose Trulli - in a Minardi at the time -, qualified 8th and won the race at Catalunya.

damn you're good!




An yet another win for Hamilton. He just keeps winning that guy.

Michael Schumacher versus Lewis Hamilton.. Now there's something I wanna see

 

[INDY500]

Bob Kravitz --
Arrogant F-1 should hit road out of Indy

In a way, this has become an unhealthy, abusive relationship between Formula One and Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- and, to an extent, the money-hungry city of Indianapolis.

The worse F-1 treats everybody, the more disrespectful they become, and the more IMS and the city beg for their love and attention.

It's sad.

It's pathetic.

And it's got to end the moment today's glorified, high-tech parade lap through and around the Speedway is finished.
This is the last year of the F-1/IMS contract, and it's said Tony George and Bernie "The British Warhol'' Ecclestone are preparing to sit down to talk about the future.
I've got advice for George.
Learn how to say "Bite me'' in all the languages of today's F-1 drivers.

Did you catch Ecclestone's most recent comments? He said F-1 in the U.S. is "not vital'' to the series. "There are bigger markets for us (in) other parts of the world,'' he told the Daily Express of England. "We could be in India soon instead of the United States. We don't have a lot of sponsors from the U.S., no American teams and only one driver.''
OK, so all of that is true.
But is that any way to treat your host?
That's like somebody spending the weekend in your home, then telling the world, "We were hoping for reservations in a better neighborhood. The food is average and the house smells like mothballs.''
Nice, Bernie.
Nice, and all-too-typical of Formula One, which has treated the most storied track in the world and the people of Indianapolis like a giant doormat.
It's a wonder they haven't covered the yard of bricks yet with some advertising signage from Vodafone.
They are the Guests From Hell. And it's time for them to leave.
In 2002, they came in here and contrived that bogus finish, where Michael Schumacher, the clear leader, slowed down and let his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, pass him for the victory. It was as scripted as pro wrestling.
In 2005, F-1 pulled off a stunt that should have earned them eternal banishment from IMS. That was the year of the Great Michelin Exodus, and while F-1 tried to make good with the people who got stood up there, they still ripped off thousands of visitors who had spent their hard-earned dollars to come in from other states and countries.
It's a pattern of abuse and arrogance, and Indianapolis should no longer let itself be bought off by these clowns.

Let me mention something to F-1: Nobody outside of Indy cares about this race. And the truth is, very few inside of Indy care about this race. If you want to sell F-1 to America, you need all the publicity you can get. They want to make us beg? Hey, Ecclestone should be in my driveway right now, waxing down the Subaru Dentmobile.

They are rude, inconsiderate guests who don't care about you or me or anybody but themselves, and when this is done, they should feel free to take a left turn, and a right, and another left turn right out of our lives.

Our local sports writer is clearly not a fan. He does have a few points however. Twice, in one decade, the sport has just took a massive dump on the most historic speedway in the world. In addition, Bernie is a tool with no equal. Just once, I would clearly love to see someone, anyone, tell him where to stick it.

Hope they come back however.

 

[cobl04]

Well personally I think he has a point about Indy. There isn't a great deal about the F1s, it's all about the 500.


Plus the races they have put on recently haven't been all too blood-pumping have they?

 

[hardyharhar]

Bernie has been saying stuff like this since I was into F1 in the mid 70's. His act was always tired, yet the guy is like a cockroach. An atomic bomb couldn't get rid of him. It would just turn him into Godzilla Ecclestone (this was for INDY ) But he's right about F1 in the USA. It really doesn't need it. But if they could get a track where the cars could stretch their legs and allow some places for passing, I think it would do much better here. Little chance of that happening though.

I enjoyed watching them in Long Beach when we had the chance.

 

[cobl04]

I agree. I have a Yearbook from '86 (? ) where Long Beach was in it and it looks a lot better. Atmosphere seems better.

India is getting a race and I think it's pretty inevitable we'll lose ours. The whole reason the numbers were down were because there were no V8's. It happens at the Gold Coast. Officially it's the Indy series, but no cares about that, the V8s are the main attraction.

 

[Slipstream]

I think F1 needs to be where it will be successful. Though the USGP has the numbers in attendance, is it popular on a mass scale across the country? It seems Americans, in general, are only interested in sport that involves Americans. More American drivers and more US corporate sponsorship would seem to be the answer, but to the rest of the world that would seem unfair, orchestrated, and could possibly alienate F1's long time fans.

F1 is popular in countries like Malaysia, Bahrain, and Canada - and that's without a driver now - because F1 is a sense of belonging to the global village. We don't need to have drivers in F1 to be interested in the sport.

If Lewis Hamilton was American then F1 would surely kick some ass in the US, but I just wish it wasn't for that reason.

 

[cobl04]

I think F1 needs to be where it will be successful. Though the USGP has the numbers in attendance, is it popular on a mass scale across the country? It seems Americans, in general, are only interested in sport that involves Americans. More American drivers and more US corporate sponsorship would seem to be the answer, but to the rest of the world that would seem unfair, orchestrated, and could possibly alienate F1's long time fans.

F1 is popular in countries like Malaysia, Bahrain, and Canada - and that's without a driver now - because F1 is a sense of belonging to the global village. We don't need to have drivers in F1 to be interested in the sport.

If Lewis Hamilton was American then F1 would surely kick some ass in the US, but I just wish it wasn't for that reason.

I agree again. Scott Speed is the only US driver in F1. And he sucks. I think more support would be beneficial.

I think that if Lewis was from the US the situation would be very different. The support would tenfold not only because he's successful and American, but also black and without trying to be racist I think there would be a muich larger supporter base there.

 

[hardyharhar]

Long Beach never had trouble drawing crowds to F1, but I think in the end, F1 was just too much trouble to deal with when the Indy cars could be used instead. It didn't hurt having Mario Andretti contending for the drivers championship those years either with Lotus.

I think if they could just settle on a track and give it a go for a few years it would eventually become something for people to plan on going to. But if Ecclestone is still calling the shots, I'm not counting on it. And it's much easier for F1 to just go to a country that will bend over backwards for a race. Can't really blame them either.

 

[cobl04]

I miss Paul Stoddart.

I miss him taking it up to the big guys ie Ferrari, Bernie and Max Walker.

 

[INDY500]

Bernie has been saying stuff like this since I was into F1 in the mid 70's. His act was always tired, yet the guy is like a cockroach. An atomic bomb couldn't get rid of him. It would just turn him into Godzilla Ecclestone (this was for INDY ) But he's right about F1 in the USA. It really doesn't need it. But if they could get a track where the cars could stretch their legs and allow some places for passing, I think it would do much better here. Little chance of that happening though.

I enjoyed watching them in Long Beach when we had the chance.

Whether or not F1 comes back to Indianapolis is solely in the hands of two people.

Tony George and Bernie Ecclestone? Gracious no, this is much too important...only these two can help us now.

 

[hardyharhar]

With the Canadian GP and Mexico, it seems the USA would be an easy and logical stop. But nothing is easy for F1. Ecclestone is a butthole.

Big for Hamilton.

 

[cobl04]

there's a round on people...

 

[BoMac]

With the Canadian GP and Mexico, it seems the USA would be an easy and logical stop. But nothing is easy for F1. Ecclestone is a butthole.

There is no Mexico GP. The closest they come to Mexico, other than Canada, is Brazil, which is the last race of the year.

 

[hardyharhar]

I haven't been following F1 very closely since, well, the 90's were a bit of a blur for me.

But I seem to recall them racing there when I was following more closely in the 70's & 80's. I could be wrong.

Maybe I should take over F1 scheduling

 

[Canadiens1131]

French GP, last time at Magny Cours for a while, but the drivers don't seem to be too miffed. I never liked driving it in Nigel Mansel's World Championship, anyway.

 

[cobl04]

Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:15.303 1:14.822 1:15.034
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:14.805 1:14.795 1:15.104
3 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:14.872 1:14.828 1:15.257
4 10 Robert Kubica BMW 1:15.778 1:15.066 1:15.493
5 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:16.047 1:15.227 1:15.674
6 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:15.524 1:15.272 1:15.826
7 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 1:15.783 1:15.149 1:15.900
8 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:16.118 1:15.379 1:15.935
9 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:16.092 1:15.331 1:16.328
10 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:15.322 1:15.084
11 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:15.760 1:15.534
12 7 Jenson Button Honda 1:16.113 1:15.584
13 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:16.140 1:15.761
14 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:15.746 1:15.806
15 19 Scott Speed STR-Ferrari 1:15.980 1:16.049
16 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:15.915
17 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 1:16.142
18 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:16.241
19 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:16.244
20 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:16.366
21 21 Christijan Albers Spyker-Ferrari 1:17.826
22 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 1:17.915

 

[Slipstream]

3 more hours to go. Just got in(2am Hongcouver time) and will probably have to go to sleep and tape it. The concert for Diana will have to take a back seat for the race though. The Ferrari's are looking back to norm for this weekend so it should be an exciting race up front but I'm going to put my money on Hammy winning again.

 

[cobl04]

Lucky its school holidays otherwise I'd be a very tired boy tomorrow

Better be a dran good race