I'm a diehard Schumi supporter, but when he shorted the chicane he should have yielded the position to DLR, no doubt about it. Instead his continued fighting for P2 resulted in contact and damage to his car. Great show, but all for nought. Still, one point for a DNF, it could have been worse.

 

All things considerd he did a great job today - that is, if you ignore that chicane biz - don't forget when Fisi clipped his front wing and he had to limp around to get the nose replaced.

I'm usually in the "control tires are a good idea" camp, but watching the performance pendulum swing back and forth with the conditions was FUN.

 

For the first time in a long time I was on the edge of my seat for most of this race. From watching Alonso's charge to the front in the first few laps, to Kimi's boneheaded "let's watch the mirrors" rear-ender, to the exhillarating finish. What a season this is turning out to be !

 

You're right. If MS would have finished in the race in the points, well, more points, then we would have a fight to the end. I guess that we still do. We're going to have to see at the next race.

 

I assume Ferrari did the math and figured sticking with the intermediate tires would result in less lost time than bringing him in for dry-weather tires. I don't know how spread out the cars were at that point, but Steve Matchett said a stop would have put him out back in 6th on his new tires. Considering the pace of DLR and Heidfeld, Ferrari must have figured he wouldn't have finished any worse than that on the wet tires so why risk a pit stop. Or, they did screw up and didn't count on the dry-weather guys getting so fast in the closing laps.

 

What a fabulous race. Congratulations to Jenson Button on a brilliant drive. There is no doubt that Hungary has been the most excitimg race in a long time thanks in large part to the rain. It's too bad that this has been the only real rain we've seen on race day since Interlagos in '04 (I think). Darn...and now we have to wait three weeks for Turkey...

Great call on that one. Schumi was fighting desparately for points in a car shod with the wrong tyres for the last quarter of the race. By the way, did you guys see those bad boys when he came into the garage with 2 laps to go? Those tyres looked as though he'd been driving on 50 grit sandpaper!

Anyway, perhaps he could have pit and switched out his intermediates for dry weathers but they (Ferrari) somehow felt it best to stay out on what they had and nurse it home.

Oh, and just for the record. The contact that took Michael out of the race was his fight to keep P3 with Quick Nick.

 

Anyone else notice now much Nico Rosberg looks like Leo DiCaprio?

That's one way to get the boppers into F1.

 

I remember Matchett saying that, but didn't he say that just about the same time Nick came in? Of course, easy for me to sit here and play monday morning Ross Brawn . . .

 

Guys...can you believe this!?!

Engine Freeze to begin in 2006

http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/head...07175817.shtml

I mean, wow. Talk about hasty. I mean, I know this ruling was immenent but taking effect in three races! I just don't quite know what to think...the changes in the political shape of F1 is happening so fast these days I can't even make a comment on this decision.

 

Regarding ii below: What if one team have a glaring mechanical deficiency? Are they immediately relegated to last place? Development, in part, identify fundamental engineering flaws, as well as, taking advantage of new technology. Tire parity next season, in my opinion, will simply magnify engine disparity.

Regarding iii below: Why not begin now.

Regarding iv below: F1 engines define cutting edge materials and applications. Why stifle further development?

And what constitutes development? New technology, or improving old - reads like a stupid question, but a loop hole or two surely exist.

Well then! Drivetrain development it is! Infinitely geared belt drive...

Perhaps Bernie has taken a liking to Nascar...


i) Engines will be stabilised from the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. These will be the only engines used from and including the 2007 season.

ii) This means that no further developments of the engines will be allowed other than retuning for the 19,000 rpm limit, to be agreed in each case with the FIA under the terms of the 2008 Formula One Sporting Regulations.

iii) From 2009 the Formula One Technical Regulations will include means to promote fuel efficiency including energy recovery and re-use. All relevant regulations for 2009 will be published no later than December 31, 2006.

iv) GPMA has setup a working group to examine possible future rules for Formula One which will allow a performance advantage to be obtained by means of more efficient use of available energy. These future regulations may include changes to current power units. The FIA and other engine suppliers will join this group.

 

Read today that Webber is going to Red Bull racing. Red Bull picked up Adrian Newy from McLaren as well a while back ago. With DC, Webber and Newy, they may actually start to become competitive. I like the RBR team though. I hope they do well...

 

Good for Red Bull, I wish them luck.

As for the engine regulations, I think they are absurd. People seem to do a lot of complaining about the costs of F1, but there is no shortage of teams or manufacturers involved.

We have one new team this year, and one or two more who want to get in next year. We have Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Ferrari and Renault all fielding teams or supplying engines. If F1 is so expensive, why are so many corporations willing to spend their money on it?

My guess is they like the "halo effect" that comes from being involved in the most sophisticated and technologically advanced form of motoring racing in the world. Halting engine development is the antithesis of the goal of F1 involvement.

If the FIA really wants to promote efficiency, they would legalize oval pistons and 2-stroke "Miller-cycle" engines.

 

Max & the FIA are on a big push to get the engine regs updated. I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment. I think I'd rather have downforce changed so we could see more passing. It's kinda lame that you can't get too close to the car in front without losing front end grip.

 

Jacques Villeneuve is out at BMW. Will we see Kubica running the rest of the season?

 

Because for better or for worse, Mad max and Bumbling Bernie don't want to see F1 become a manufacturer's series. They want more privateer's running.

Heck, being back the ground effects rules, and we need Lord Hesketh back!

 

I can't argue with that idea. After all, look how well it's worked for Champ Car and the IRL!

 

Monza just doesn't seem to be coming fast enough. We all have our speculations as to where Kimi will go IF he leaves McLaren. It looks as though Kimi's possible seat at Renault looks more and more bleak as the rumors continue to fly about Heikki getting a race seat with Renault and now Webber running with RedBull. So let's take a look:

Renault: Giancarlo Fisichella and (Kovalainen?/Raikkonen?)

McLaren: Fernando Alonso and (Raikkonen?/De La Rosa?)

Ferrari: (Schumi?/Raikkonen?/Massa?/Rossi?)

Honda: Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello

Toyota: Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli

BMW: (Heidfeld?/Kubica?)

RedBull Racing: David Coulthard and Mark Webber

Williams: Nico Rosberg and Alexander Wurz

Toro Rosso: (Liuzzi?/Speed?/Klien?/Massa?)

Midland: (Montiero?/Albers?)

Super Aguri: (Sato?/Yamamoto?)

The names without parantheses are confirmed...the rest are mere speculation. I may have missed a few spots too.

 

I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself with the team-driver guessing game! I hope Scott Speed can put together some good races as the season comes to a close. It would be a shame for him to go one season and out. I wonder what his team thought of him after he called for slicks in Hungary and then found out the hard way that he put them on too soon. Did they applaud his "attachments" or frown upon his over enthusiasm?

(I think Rossi a definite "no" at Ferrari by now)

 

second that

 

I think it will be Schey and Kimi at Ferrari Schuey won't leave when his team is so competitive.

Heidfeld should go but his is German on a German team and they need an experienced teammate for Kubica

I think Speed will stay with STR...I mean it's only his first season after all and Red Bull wants the American market, don't they? Luizzi has been solid this year. Although if Schuey stays, then Massa is available So confusing.

Don't forget about Lewis Hamilton at McLaren

I love the silly season

 

I personally consider Heidfeld one of the top five or six . . . he's not sensational but he is quick and makes almost zero mistakes. I'm sure he will have a race seat at BMW as long as he wants it.

 

It's evil of them to run two grands prix on back to back weekends and then start a three week break.....it's like making an addict go cold turkey after temporarily upping his dosage! I need an F1 fix, so, let's see, what can we talk about?

JV says Schu won't even be remembered as a world champ because he has no character or personality. I say he's wrong and it's the sour grapes talking. Even if you're a Schu hater, you have to figure he'll be remembered (perhaps notoriously) for many of the things that make you hate him.....right?

 

I couldn't agree more. Regardless of Schumacher's flaws . . . JV has only damaged himself. I can not imagine how Ferrari . . . who regard his father as one of their greatest sons . . . feel about his ridiculous vitriolic commentary.

 

Schuey has done a lot of stupid bone head stuff. If anything he played dirty a quite a few times but even screwed that up.

The great Senna did some crazy dirty stuff but the genius did it right

If you are going to take out the competition in a race to win the championship, you take him out. Not like Schuey and Villeneuve or Schuey and Hill. Schuey made a mess of those

In my mind Schuey deserved to beat Hill that year with the stupid penalties and the fact that he had relatively speaking a weaker car made it an amazing season.

Schuey also had a car that had no business even challenging Villeneuve that year, but it did with Schuey at the helm.

Unless Villeneuve can build a team like Schuey can and win in a weaker car, Jacques should just shut up, retire or race around in circles for a few hours every weekend

I will always remember Schumacher as a guy who simply loves Formula One racing and winning. The joy he has after each victory is genuine and heartfelt. His thanks to his fans and team is also genuine and heartfelt. The fact he has this enthusiasm after all of these years and millions of dollars is amazing. Mika burned out quickly.

His ability to run qualifying times lap after lap throughout a race was unparalleled during his era. Ross Brawn just said Michael you need to go this fast right now and he does it lap after lap. Amazing. Too bad we didn't have live internet lap timing and scoring in the 90's. That's like the best part of the show these days.

I love the guy simply because he turned me into a crazy F1 fan. I would read about him in newspapers and magazines early on because I did not have access to F1 coverage on TV and I did not have cable. A couple of years later I got some late Sunday Canadian CBC replays of BBC or ITV coverage of his first championship season. I guess you appreciate things more when you have to work a little to enjoy it.

 

Schui's one of those guys you either like or you love to hate - what will the haters do when he retires? I figure they won't be happy until they come to consensus on someone new to play automotive antichrist. Anyway, back to the subject.....how can you forget someone who either stole seven titles (or so) and single-handedly ruined F1 or was a remarkable (though obsessed) driver who took every record imaginable, depending on your point of view?