BMW ANNOUNCES 2nd TEAM FOR 2008 TO BE NAMED MINI F1.

 

 

YAHOO! SCOTT SPEED GETS 8th PLACE!

Thanks to Jensen Button Blowing up in the last turn(s)!

 

Wow, what a great race, and that finish - kaboom!

 

Great race. Too bad for Jenson, we knew he had some trouble when he was struggling to hold off Kimi. I figured the Renault would dust Button on the start... Great race! Kablamo at the end...

 

How would you have liked to have been Fisichi with the grenade going off just in front of you? And then the Fireball And not talking Fireball Tim either!

 

First restart was overkill for Alonzo, wow...excellent race and result.

4 tix for Montreal arrived today...85 days!

 

I'd say that's big juevos to drive flat out with a fireball in front of you like that. Did you see the oil spitting out and Fisi sliding all over... Great end to a good race. Too bad for Button.

 

Has anyone an answer for the Renault? I was certain that this would be a closer fight. Yet to see the race and not to take anything from a probable spectacular drive from Alonso. . . but I sense that I will not be pleased by the content that's awaiting on the dvr . . .

 

Oh Cutnthrust, you should watch that race. It was a good one.

As for the Renaults... they're very strong and quick.They have a great jump off the line at the start. I think that the other big boys (Ferrari, Mclaren, Williams?) will be able to keep up with them provided they get something that will close the gap (tyres) by Imola. The European races will be interesting. Renault has evolved their car as Ferrari did from 2001-2004... they've come up with a package thats tough to beat. I think it's safe to say that McLaren have the second best package in the paddock. As a Ferrari fan, I think they need to get a new tyre manufacture. Ferrari is suppose to have a super soft compound for Imola... we'll see how it works for them.

 

What a mess of a race in Melbourne! Are we sure these are the best drivers in the world, though? I guess only when their tires are warm.

I have to hand it to the FIA for one thing: they make sure the safety car isn't out for very long. Just think, if this had been a CART race in Long Beach half the laps would have been parades behind the pace car. The FIA does a very good job of getting cars out of the way, and cleaning up the track quickly.

Congratulations to Scott Speed for earning his first point! Hopefully there will be many more to come.

Interesting to hear the Speed commentators talking about drivers who have "it" and those who don't. MSchu, Kimi and Alonso were listed as those with the drive, "attachments" and skill to make a car work. I think Montoya could be added to that list, but he seems a step behind Kimi at this point.

 

unfortunately he lost his 1 point...

F1 news

 

Brainless Bernie seems to be doing everything humanly possible to ailenate GP fans here in the states! Next thing you know Scott Speed will be banned for not having the proppa Stikka......

 

what a crazy race

Button went boom

Schumi screwed up

Alonso looks like a two time world champ

 

So...what...you think drivers should be able to pass under a yellow? In this case, blame the FIA for having rules & enforcing them. And as for the fine, well, looks like Scott did that to himself.

 

Bummer. I imagine Scott has learned his lesson now!

 

It would be nice to see someone put pressure on the Renaults.. I'm not a Renault or Alonso fan, but gotta give him credit for just being cool and steady.. Maybe if someone can consitantly push them, then maybe the Renault will have a failure...

I hate this 2-race rule for the engines, I think it takes away from the competition rather than building it.. but that's me..

Can anyone clarify the Button engine situation? This was the 1st race on that engine, so it should have lasted for San Marino... However, a DNF means an engine can be changed w/o penalty... yet, Button was classified 10th for the race, so .... it's not a DNF, and therefore it is a 10 grid penalty?

Like I said, let's go back to 1 race, 1 engine.. it's easier to understand.

 

Ok, let me see if I can get this correct... Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Since Button did not finish the race (crossing the start/finish line) he's able to change the engine since it went kablamo. The reason he was classified 10th was because he was the last car to DNF for the race (leaving 9 cars finishing)

As for Scott Speed, I don't blame Bernie or the FIA... it was a pretty clear violation. Looking back through the race reply, it looks like DC was at a complete stop to aviod Luizzi's accident so Scott Speed really had no other choice to pass, but he should have given the position back to DC once he was rolling again.

 

IMHO it seems that DC was a bit embarassed by having the Redbull junior team finish in front of him and his ferrari engine.

I do also blame FIA because Schumacher Jr. also went by under the yellow and they didn't bust him.

 

As reported today on Autosport.com...

Technical director Mike Gascoyne has left the Toyota Formula One team as part of a major management and technical reshuffle of the Japanese squad.

Sources have confirmed the news to autosport.com and further suggested that Pascal Vasselon is being lined up to replace Gascoyne as technical director, with other changes expected to take place in both Cologne and at Toyota Motorsport in Tokoyo.

Despite scoring a podium at the Australian Grand Prix, Gascoyne has had a strained relationship with senior team management, which intensified following their troubled start to the season.

Furthermore, a senior official at Toyota Motor Company suggested recently that the company is looking for a replacement for Gascoyne, and once a new technical director was found, the Briton would be released.

Gascoyne's contract was up for renewal in the next few months, and the Briton apparently was not eager to remain at the Cologne-based outfit. However, the option to renew the contract or termintate it was entirely on Toyota's side.

According to a report on grandprix.com today, Gascoyne would not comment on his departure.

Furthermore, Toyota did not issue any comments either, and the team's press and marketing department - usually one of the most attainable in the F1 paddock - has gone underground, with not a single person (of the many working for the department) reachable by phone or mobile.

Gascoyne joined Toyota in 2003 after a successful spell with Renault/Benetton. His salary at Toyota was reportedly the highest a technical director had ever earned, prior to Adrian Newey's move to Red Bull this year.

Vasselon has joined the Cologne-based team last year afer heading the Formula One project for Michelin.

 

Does BMW or Ferrari want Gascoyne

 

Ferrari...not a chance. Unless of course Ross Brawn wants to step down.

 

Round 4 this weekend...Imola.

How do you take the air out of enjoying an F1 race live on the telly?

Take four GPs and show them tape-delayed on CBS...San Marino, Spain, Monaco, and Great Britain.



Why again, was I not consulted on this?

 

I absolutely HATE the CBS coverage! It is so bad that I have developed this plan for CBS races:
- Watch practice and quali on Speed
- Don't watch the CBS coverage, read about the race online Sunday afternoon
- Watch Speed's coverage of the race the next weekend

For me, this works the best because the CBS coverage is too frustrating. I would much rather wait and get the awesome Speed coverage.

Aaron

 

Ditto.

Although any coverage in the USA has commercial interruptions melikes the European coverage 100% with no interruptions.