And with a very deserved Kimi win on top of everything!

F1 has always and will always remain the great spectacle in motorsport!

Speaking of Minis at Spa . . . did you see where Peter Windsor put his into the guardrail a couple years back? Fitting! LOL

 

No, I did not. In fact, the only MINIs I've ever seen racing were the RSR and Nuzzo (and a few others racing in the same series as Nuzzo). MINI racing just doesn't have the fan base as NASCRAP, etc, and gets very little air time. When competing with other marques, unless they're near the front (at least the front of their class) they get no air time at all. That's why I wish someone would broadcast some of the MINI Challenge races.

 

I agree . . . by the way I've been totally baffled as to why Mini of North America doesn't sponsor such a broadcast . . . ? Incredulous, I think.

Maybe SPEED, (the "Rub for Cup" Network), won't give offer up a time slot? God forbid it cut into that 80% programming bias.

I might be able to find the clip of Windor's shunt . . . . they only broadcast that brief moment. It was a bit painful to watch.

 

Don't know if this is the race, but here is a link to some highlights of a Spa race. The MINI challenge highlight starts at about 2:15 into the clip.

 

F1 is just about dead for me, and Spa was too boring to help that.

According to what Mosley said to Peter Windsor before the race, if a team is found to simply be in possesion of "intellectual property" of another team, they can be penalized like McLaren was. So I guess all one has to do is box up some confidential paperwork, ship it off to your rival, and voila! You can have them booted out of the constructors championship. Isn't that exactly what Ferrari did.

If Ferrari can't keep their secrets inside their own shop, too bad for them. This is like someone's pants falling down in public, and the people who saw it, getting busted.

 

It's amazing the size of the fields in most of the races over there....

 

I agree with the Spa race being about as boring as they come . The only real excitment was fernando's cheap shot at a TEAMMATE at the start . I think Hamilton could and should kick his whiney *** the first time they are alone .

Randy

 

No. This is where the Speed TV guys were getting wrong all weekend, too. There was evidence that McLaren at least was referring to the Ferrari technical data, if not outright testing it on their cars. The WMSC decision, therefore, was based on McLaren gaining some incalculable advantage as a result.

If Team A were to send Team B information, as you suggest, Team B simply has to report it and turn it over to the FIA. Whoever sent the information from Team A could be prosecuted, as Nigel Stepney is being prosecuted in Italy.

 

I'm having a hard time not seeing a day where I log on to read another one of your conspiracy laden gripes.

But then again, if you're gone . . .

Ciao

 

Check the mirror before making comments like that.

Funny how people are grousing about Alonso's tactics, which are so similar to Senna's.

 

No, no, and no

Hmm. So if you and I are in school taking a test, and I peer over your shoulder to "consult" the answers on your sheet . . . and I take your opinion into consideration before writing my own answer down . . . which by the way I've now decided to be not quite the same as yours . . . I'm not cheating?

This isn't about rogue employees. Instead, it is about an organization consulting information that they knew they were not supposed to have.

All McLaren had to do was turn Stepney and Coughlan in. Case closed. Instead, they passed it around so that everyone could read the data and discuss it.


Huh? I thought you were finished with F1?

Kimi drove away from the field . . . as I hoped he'd been doing all year.
I can take pleasure in the fact that at least when he has won this year, he did so dominantly.

Did no one notice Kubica's inspired drive? What about Sutil?

I could never consider Spa boring. Not even close.

Although I want to believe Kimi still has an outside shot at the title my gut tells me that McLaren will be stronger at Fuji and Interlagos. Ferrari could hold a slight advantage at Shanghai but I don't think that's going to be enough.

If there is any justice in this world, Hamilton will be able to defeat Alonso on the track, however he has not looked quite as strong in the past three races.

If it can't be Kimi then I'm behind Hami all the way, but my gut tells me it could very well be Alonso in the end.

 

I thought this was a discussion of F1 rather than a thread to thinly veil personal attacks. Let's keep it on track and out of the ditches...

Mark

 

^^^ +1.

Also - CutnThrust - please make use of the Multiquoting feature instead of creating multiple back-to-back posts, which are much harder to read through. See the link for a quick tutorial on how to do it (if you don't know already).

I have merged the 4-in-a-row you did up there into one post.

 

Just read that Kimi might be going to Toyota next season.

 

Ok guys, I'm being taken a wee bit too seriously.

My comment was tongue in cheek. It was not my intent to offend anyone, and I apologize if that was not apparent based upon the body of my contributions to this discussion.

Might I request that for those who are interested in discussing the Stepneygate affair ad infinitum that a separate thread is started?

With that said, my apology is sincere. I'm guilty of having a rather cynical sense of humor.

 

Hmm. I was discussing the season in response to Maxmini's comment and it never occurred to me that in doing so I was continuing my comments in regard to Gromit and the Stepneygate affair.

I also did not think to post on Maxmini's in the same moment or train of thought, although I realize that I did log them very close together. I simply saw Maxmini's comment as a jumping board to move the discussion forward in pondering the remainder of the season

However, your suggestion is appreciated

 

Back on topic. I was disappointed by Spa. F1 technology has tamed the beast. Even on all-out qualifying laps the drivers didn't seem to be on the ragged edge like they used to be. Eau Rouge is still a beauty, but it isn't the thrill to watch that it once was. Likewise, coming down the hill used to be a heart-in-your-throat event where the curves kept coming at the drivers as fast as they dared to take them on. Not so much this year. Finally, the bus stop chicane was a wild, unruly mess at the end of the lap. It wasn't pretty, but it somehow was as dramatic as the rest of the circuit. Now there's just another Mickey Mouse pre-pit-straight chicane that has become an F1 hallmark.

Oh well, at least they're heading to Suzuka soon. Oh, right. That deal bit the dust. So long Spoon, 180R and Esses. It was nice knowing you.

 

Just read the entire transcript of the Paris hearing....

http://press.fiacommunications.com/w...13-09-2007.pdf

Very interesting, but very tough to read too

 

Valid point, although I don't think it is quite as easy as it looks. Perhaps the ragged edge is there, but just not in a fashion the spectator can see?

The good ones always make it look easy, but I'd love to see F1 take a tech step backwards in the direction of GP2. I was lucky to see Piquet on the ragged edge at Monza last year . . . what an awe inspiring performance!

 

They spoke with some drivers who said taking Eau Rouge flat out was not such a big deal anymore. Big deal to THEM of course...I'm sure it would kill me!

 

Was the course widened at the entrance to the uphill portion?

I couldn't tell just watching the broadcast. Thanks.

 

Do you mean the Turn 1 hairpin (La Source)? Yes, it was widened/re-contoured. I assume they did it to prevent the kind of opening corner melee Speed seemed to love showing in their promo pieces for the race.

That was revised and the chicane-formerly-known-as-the-Bus-Stop-because-it-used-to-be-an-actual-bus-stop was completely changed.

 

No I was referring to Squirlz' comment on Eau Rouge . . . that portion of the circuit had been famous for tempting the brave to take it flat, yet my understanding had been that no one could. You had to lift.

I was struck by this remark during the broadcast because to the best of my knowledge no revision had been made to the turn.

 

:impatient :impatient :impatient

 

Since when did we start paying for the "proper posting" police........