That's kinda what I thought. The only thing I was thinking is that if MS doesn't retire. If he gets another championship... he may not retire. If that's the case, then where does Kimi go. Of course, this is all speculation and we have a lot races to go. It'd be interesting to see Kimi and MS running in the red cars...

As for Nico, that was a fantastic run from him today. I was impressed with his drive. A few good moments w/ DC. Too bad that Fisi had that hydrallic failure...

 

Massa only has a 1 year deal. There's a potential seat open at Scuderia no matter what. I'd like to see Kimi and MS in '08 w/Rossi testing. Then Kimi and Rossi in '09.

 

I'd like to see MS and Kimi together as well... I think that would make for a very powerful team, provided Ferrari can keep it together. I know they're been evolving their car and the first race looked great for them, but they need to keep it up... Maybe I should say, the Bridgestones need to keep it up! Seems that's Ferrari's weakness... I wonder how long until they switch to Michelin...

I honestly don't see that happening... Then Bridgestone would be out of F1.

 

Championship or not, I'm doubtful that we'll see Schumacher driving in '07.

I'd rather be proved incorrect, but my guess is that he's looking to go out on top. If he comes close this season and Ferrari's '07 fortunes look promising, he may give it another year . . . I just feel his primary objective is to not retire as an also ran.

At any rate, I feel that he's grown as a sportsman over the past two or three years . . . helped of course by his humbling experience last year. It will be sad to see him retire.

I don't personally care whether Rossi switches to four wheels . . . but I would LOVE to see Kimi in a Ferrari.

 

You make a good point about MS. I though the same thing with Michael Jordan... He came back too many times! I would love to see Kimi in a Ferrari as well!! We'll just have to wait and see!

 

Not any time soon. Michelin is leaving F1 after this year.

 

If I'm good at anything at all it's putting my foot in my mouth. I awake this morning to see a report that he may have signed to stay on at Ferrari 'til 2008

Need any stock quotes?

 

Sure, what's the health care sector and international markets looking like?

I just don't see MS giving up that easy or going out on top... Plus he's in great mental and physical health so as long as the large pay checks are coming and he's getting his way at Ferrari, why would he leave? Maybe he'll take a year off like Mika

 

M. Schumacher has a goal...100 wins.

Unlike the years prior to 2005, he realizes that the wins will be difficult and with a contract through 2008, he will have at least 53 more tries to attain his goal...he needs 16 more.

For the record Schumacher has never stated that his goal is 100 wins, nor has anyone else to my knowledge...it's my personal opinion.

 

I thought it was 10 championships!!!!

 

Maybe Vodafone will try to get into the US market - and sponsor MSchu in a NASCAR ride to promote it!

 

I hope that MS doesn't do anything w/ that NASCAR crap!!! That's a whole other debate!

 

It might be interesting to see him try nascar and run circles around everyone there. But that would sort of be like Jerry Rice retiring with the broncos

mb

 

...or the Broncos taking on the girl's junior squad. Anyway Michael would never lower himself to such a thing. NASCAR is a laughing stock outside of the US.

 

and to some inside the US.

 

I figured that went without saying

 

Looks good for the race tonight. Great results for Renault. Very happy for Fisi, he deserves a few wins. Good result for Button. I think that BAR is going to be very strong this year. Button said he was pushing every lap, but he couldn't catch the Renaults. I guess Rubens is left foot breaking so that explains the lack of pace there. Did anyone else here Varsha say tickets to Maylasia is only $13 USD?

 

The race last night was just okay. Typically F1. Fabulous cars , steel-nerved drivers , exotic venue , but no suspense whatsoever as to the outcome of the race . The start, a pass here and there, heavy attrition, and the spectacle of an engine or two disintegrating at 19k rpm. Euro accents announcing the whole thing complete the picture.

After the Indianapolis debacle last season, FIA might need to charge as low as $13/ticket in the US to get anyone to come and see the circus .

It seems that big money racing offers only two extremes these days, neither of which I can seem to appreciate any more . On the one hand, we have twangy hicks riding IROC-close machines on ovals -- in which case, any of the 43 starters might win on any given day . On the other hand, we have Euros piloting pinacles of technology to a foregone conclusion barring a rule dispute, mechnical failure, or mutiny on the part of some faction or other.

Either way, I find it all too boring . Isn't there some happy medium, in which the racing is close through at least much of the event, but which is populated by neither rubes, nor snobs ?

The closest thing I've seen lately is the Euro stock-car racing (I forget what it is actually called, but that's how I've come to think of it). The Brits and Germans both have these series, and I think the Aussies, too. It's good fun , I think. Sedans on road courses. And, as far as I know, none of the drivers are celebrities . The cars look to me to be much closer to "stock" than any modern-day NASCAR . They don't waste time interviewing this week's media darling . Show me the races, not the freaking backstage dramas.

Am I becoming an auto racing curmudgeon?:impatient

 

The German DTM series are near F1 performance with full bodies. Only 500 hp, but damn fast and the racing is about as good as it gets. They are very much purpose built cars, but look like the saloon cars from the manufacturer. Lately it's been a battle between Audi and Mercedes. They have some household names as well....Jean Alesi, Heinz Frentzen, and Mika Hakkinen (past F1 pilots) to name a few. Not sure why BMW doesn't play?

Today's F1 race would have been different without the engine penalties and qualifying on race fuel. Both those rules need to go.

 

The FIA just governs the sport. They're not involved in the business end. That's Bernie's department. Clearly most Americans don't truly understand the sport. But nice try...

 

Stevie B - What do you mean by "the sport" -- racing in general, or F1?

 

What's to "understand"? A group of folks refused to play if they didn't get their way. No one -- not Bernie, not the teams, not the tire makers -- would budge, and the fans were the ones who took it in the shorts. It was as poor an example of an organization putting on an entertainment as I have ever seen; and I think a lot of American fans who DO, by the way, understand the auto racing will not soon forget.

 

Much ado about Renault. Their first one-two since the age of Rene Arnoux (1982?). 'Course we'll not recall those years of Renault engined dominance with Williams and Benneton. Honda is getting it together rather well. We'll see a JB or RB victory 'fore long. Ditto McLaren and Ferrari. I was also impressed by the renacent Cosworth ('til the engines grenaded). BMW and Toyota were at least in the points today, so there is hope for some podium finishes this year.

As per the low cost of tix in Malaysia, well I've paid upwards of $250 for decent seats at Spa, $150 - $200 for good seats at Magny-Cours and Cataluna, $85 - $105 for the best seats in the house at Indy. Remember one of the true tenants of this sport: Bernie follows the almighty dollar. With Europe and North America severly restricting the ability of big tobacco to advertise, our little dictator has to search out those areas of the world where little advertising regulations abound. Hence the recent influx of third world venues. It's kind of easy really, find a dupe with access to the national coffers, have him pay for a multi-million dollar facility that will only be used once or twice a year with the state treasury's funds (taking monies from national healthcare, education, necessary infrastructure), charge him an obscene annual fee for this privilege. Allow the dupe to have international exposure whether in the form of legitimizing his dictatorship, promoting tourism and foreign investment, or whatever catches his fancy (I'd vote for a Victoria's Secret super-model retirement center in my little fiefdom. ). After a period determined by contract, but not to exceed seven years, Bernie and the circus leave town, never to return, causing civil unrest and a change of regime. After the coup, start process all over again. (See history of: Argentina, South Africa, France, etc.)

 

Why, MGCMAN, you make the whole circus sound positively imperialistic. And, you are spot on.

 

F1 . . . does not exist strictly as entertainment. I completely agree with Max Mosley on this point. It is first and foremost a sport where in theory all participants must compete under the same rules, and despite the efforts of Bernie over the years to transform Grand Prix racing into NASCAR, I don't agree that the participating teams and drivers who show up at these venues do so primarily to, as you say, put on "entertainment"

To date, the only satifactory resolution that I've heard for last year's debacle at Indy was rain. Had it only rained! With that said, I do think that something should've happened . . . but again, how can you say to Ferrari, who'd struggled on bad tires all season . . . that the rules had to all of a sudden be changed to accomodate the poorly shod Michelin teams?

I personally feel that the chicane probably should've been installed . . . followed by a "non-championship" race . . . there was obligation to the fans that clearly was not met.

I can understand your anger and frustration . . . but I'd like to think that we haven't lost sight of the fact that at the end of the day the teams were forced to respect the safety of their drivers.

Specific to Sepang . . . I tend to think that it was just "one of those" races . . . certainly not one for the record books in terms of close racing. I'm a little more optimistic on the path the FIA has chosen and although I'm sure it's an ongoing process, I expect this season to be very close.