At the moment, sports car racing is better than F1, IMO. I prefer watching an ALMS or Speed World Challenge race to an F1 race.

 

I for one, would LOVE to see a return to the Championship of Makes. I grew up in the era of Ford Vs Ferrari, Ferrari vs Porsche, before the FIA killed it with the 3-litre limit (F1 engines of the time).

Lesson learned there. ANYTIME they try to limit engines, they screw it up somewhere.

 

I think "they" (Bernie & FIA) want to make F1 a financial success like NASCAR than be true to the sport and its original goals....its all about the money......next thing they'll have is the revolving hat on the drivers as Peter Windsor (If they keep him, probably put some guy in that yells all the time instead) interviews them

 

Then you would love www.racing-underground.com !

 

From Schekter

"F1 was always the ultimate technological challenge and the ultimate challenge against each other - but they are destroying it."



Looking forward to two history first !

 

Me too. I used to love the era when Ford took on Ferrari at Lemans. I grew up rooting for the Ford marque in every kind of racing during the 60's and 70's, yet have only ever bought one Ford (a POS Escort that I kept less than two years). There weren't too many successful Philly sports teams for me to cheer for when I was a kid so I was ecstatic when AJ, Mario, Lloyd Ruby and Parnelli went over to Europe in American cars and beat the French and Italians.

I still remember the underdog Ford Indy cars trying to beat the might Offenhausers and hating the STP turbine cars that I thought would ruin racing. Imagine that - a time when American drivers and American cars could compete with the rest of the World.

 

True, and every racing series does it sooner or later. I remember the Porsche 917 and plenty of others that went away not because they were replaced by something better, but because they kept winning so the rules were changed to push them out. The bigger problem comes in series' that add restrictions year after year until they might as well be a spec series.....hmmm, sounds eerily familiar.....

The STP turbine cars! Wow! It's rare I come across someone else who will admit to remembering those oddities.....most people look at me like I have 2 heads when I mention them.

 

Somewhere along the way, F1 stopped being about pure racing, and become technology unbound.

I was at a car show recently, and there was a Parnelli F1 car from 1973. Cosworth DFV engine, nose wing, rear wing, airbox. Manual shifter, a few gauges, and that was it.

I don't know if the tip-over point happened with ground effects, or active suspension.

 

Perhaps the technology was not as obvious during those early days since what you see in the "cars of those days" is primitive by todays standards.

The race to build the better chassis, suspension,engine,transmission,exhaust,etc. has always been there, the technology of the day is reflected then as it is now. Back "then" you had piston engine fighters requiring "he-man" strength to fly. Today we have fly by wire with hydraulic assist to pamper the pilot and for the drivers power steering and buttons to push for the gears. Not much different, the end goal is to provide the Pilot the best possible means to survive....errr...I mean win

If one car and driver dominates then it pushes the other guys to work harder and smarter

 

Thanks. I've had an account for some time already.

 

Well, this is the big weekend. As David Hobbs says at the beginning of coverage each race,

Right NOW, boys!

 

Here's hoping for some entertainment during the season ender.....a little rain might do the trick.

 

Ya gotta hope he's embarassed by this.

Huge Hamilton portrait goes on display in London

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin...8/10/8611.html

 

Isn't it Steve Matchett who says that?

 

Yep, that's Matchett, the other English chap

Hobbs is far more entertaining though, especially the Flav impersonations

 

But not so good with the engine impersonations.

 

I wonder what Autocourse will do if Massa wins the WDC. Last year, the advertising for the advance orders had cover art that showed LuHam, and they had to very hastily print and switch to show Kimi on the cover. They still had LuHam as #1 in their driver ratings, which pissed me off. #1 drivers don't throw away the WDC at the end.

Anyone want to bet they'll still have him rated #1 even if Massa wins the WDC?

 

[quote=Gromit801;2532152]

I was at a car show recently, and there was a Parnelli F1 car from 1973. Cosworth DFV engine, nose wing, rear wing, airbox. Manual shifter, a few gauges, and that was it.

quote]

Was that at the Danville d'Elegance?

Jim

 

Sure was! I was very disappointed with the lack of British cars on display. Only saw two of my favorite Ferraris (246 Dinos) among 50 or so Ferraris.

 

Brazil GP Practice times.

First free practice times for the Brazilian Grand Prix:

1. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 1 min 12.305 secs
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.495
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:12.507
4. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:12.874
5. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.925
6. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:13.061
7. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 1:13.298
8. Nelson Piquet (Brz) Renault 1:13.378
9. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:13.426
10. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:13.466
11. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:13.600
12. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams-Toyota 1:13.621
13. Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:13.649
14. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda 1:13.676
15. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1:13.766
16. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota 1:13.806
17. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:13.836
18. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault 1:13.861
19. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India- Ferrari 1:14.704
20. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari 1:14.821

Second practice times:

1. Alonso 1:12.296
2. Massa 1:12.353
3. Trulli 1:12.435
4. Raikkonen 1:12.600
5. Webber 1:12.650
6. Vettel 1:12.687
7. Piquet 1:12.703
8. Rosberg 1:12.761
9. Hamilton 1:12.827
10. Nakajima 1:12.886
11. Coulthard 1:12.896
12. Kubica 1:12.971
13. Heidfeld 1:13.038
14. Glock 1:13.041
15. Kovalainen 1:13.213
16. Barrichello 1:13.221
17. Bourdais 1:13.273
18. Button 1:13.341
19. Sutil 1:13.428
20. Fisichella 1:13.691

 

Cool!
I was a bit disappointed in the lack of British cars too, but seeing Sam Posey driving his old Trans Am car was nice.
Since you like the older F1 cars, click on the link to my Flickr pages below.

Jim

 

1) Yes they do.......history is littered with them and was it not a fact that LH's car had mechanical problems that caused him to fall off pace in Brasil ? The initial off-track incident being caused by Alonso ?

2) If you gave LH his deserved victory at Spa and gave the well deserved penalty to Massa instead of Bourdais and Hamilton is champion. Plenty of advantages have been given to the red car team but none to the silver team - only penalties.

3) Don't forget Massa has made plenty of mistakes (as have ALL the drivers) this year.

4) Its nice to see driver emotion......means they're still human

Gromit, support for whomever you want, my guy's fighting for the WDC and is 7 points ahead

If he blows it, then he blows it, he'll be back to have another go at next year and I for one will be supporting him.

 

Not the best result for Hamilton in Qualifying. It is going to be an exciting race.

 

It might be that:

1) Mclaren have more fuel
2) Mclaren want the red cars out front for the first few laps to avoid conflict
3) They don't need to win
4) Its predicted to rain (more downforce more fuel)

I think Lewis is using his head and will (less mech failure) win the championship. Massa will take the win and please the crowd....thus all will be happy !

 

Alonso says he'll do whatever he can to let Massa win. Ten to one he'll take him out at the start. If not there, some other lap. After all, he has nothing to lose...