Looking back, I don't believe there was ever a time when F1 had low profile tires. I'm speculating that with the high corning forces, a little more sidewall give might be a good thing.

Of course if you really want to see a race car with low profile tires....

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/6315451.stm

Alonso sets pace in major F1 test

Alonso appears to have carried on from where he left off last season
Formula One champion Fernando Alonso showed he remains the man to beat after setting the fastest time in the first of three days of testing in Valencia.

Alonso, chasing a third straight title after his move to McLaren, was a second faster than Kimi Raikkonen, getting his first taste of Ferrari's new car.

Alonso completed 47 laps, the quickest in one minute 12.563 seconds, with Raikkonen on 1:13.529 in his 47 laps.

The Finn ended the session with smoke pluming from the back of his car.

Alonso's former team Renault posted the third fastest time through their test driver Nelson Piquet Jr.

The test was the first before the new season to include all the major teams, with BMW Sauber and Toyota also involved.

It started in wet conditions before teams were able to switch to dry tyres as the day progressed.

 

Yeah, I noticed he punted Badoer off the road! LOL

Kimi's first day in the F2007. Waaayyyy to early to tell anything.

 

I agree - I am actually impressed with Kimi being within a second. How long has Alonso been in the McLaren seat through testing, does anyone know?

What I really want to see are Juan Pablo's times in the NASCAR - NOT!

Randy

 

How do you punch a NASCAR fan and get away with it?

Sock 'im in the eye, and run to the right :razz :

 

Horrific F1 Accident - Photo

http://www.datsun510.com/photopost/s...hp?photo=10391

 

BRILLIANT!!!

 

I think the reference to the plume of smoke coming from the back of his Ferrari is telling.

I have always maintained that Kimi is a lousy car manager. I think many of his DNF's with McLaren was him breaking the car with his bad car management techniques.

If McLaren suddenly finds themselves with a reliable car, and Ferrari doesn't, then take a look at who's driving. JPM didn't have as many issues with his McLaren as Kimi seemed to.

 

Ok, lock Mitch away from his computer to rehashing this old joke.

 

Here are some interesting numbers from days 1 & 2 of the test going on in at the Valencia track.

Valencia - Spain 30 January 2007

1 F. Alonso McLaren 01:12.563 laps=85
2 N. Piquet jr. Renault 01:13.549 laps=27
3 F. Montagny Toyota 01:13.672 laps=33
4 S. Vettel BMW 01:13.683 laps=75
5 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 01:13.691 laps=45
6 J. Trulli Toyota 01:13.735 laps=50
7 N. Heidfeld BMW 01:13.848 laps=49
8 G. Fisichella Renault 01:13.867 laps=34

Valencia - Spain 31 January 2007

1 F. Alonso McLaren 01:12.582 laps=86
2 G. Fisichella Renault 01:12.737 laps=37
3 H. Kovalainen Renault 01:12.770 laps=43
4 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 01:12.869 laps=51
5 N. Heidfeld BMW 01:13.012 laps=50
6 J. Trulli Toyota 01:13.297 laps=47
7 R. Kubica BMW 01:13.310 laps=42
8 F. Massa Ferrari 01:13.574 laps=80

Although Alonso was fastest both days, it doesn't appear to me that he improved his overall fastest time from the day prior. Of course we don't know what type of program they were running, but the other drivers did improve their times on the 2nd day. The 2 Renaults were so close, man. Just a few hundredths away from one another. Look @ Raikonnen. He found around 8 tenths in the F2007.

I know this is all hypothetic til the green drops in Melbourne, but I am frothing at the mouth here. Please humor me

 

What I also find of great interest is that with Michelin gone from F1, all teams now must compete on Bridgestone rubber. Ferrari has been Bridgestone's "tire development partner" since they switched from Goodyear a decade ago. Ferrari should hold an advantage over most other competitive teams (Williams, Toyota, Toro Rosso as well as bottom feeders Midland/Spyker and Super Aguri used 'stones last year). Nevertheless, the McLaren, Renault and BMW teams seem to have really stepped up on their new rubber. Ferrari beware!

 

To me the interesting thing is that Alonso / McLaren are putting serious mileage on the new car and topping the timesheets at the same time.

McLaren have been dogged with reliability issues for the past couple of years and it seems that they are beating hell out of the new car, running it fast and hard in an effort to rid its self of the demons.


Raikonnen in the Ferrari will be interesting, as has been said he is fairly hard on cars, but also the Ferrari of past years has proven to be pretty tough, hopefully this will be a decent match for Alonso in a fast bit potentially fragile McLaren.

 

You're right about JPM. His McLaren always seemed to last until he took it out of the race himself.

I'm sure Kimi is tough on a car in one single regard: he keeps his foot planted. I am also more than certain that the Ferrari engine will have a love affair with his foot.

Kimi is one of the smoothest, most effortless pilots we have seen in some time. Montoya's talent is rare, but he was totally outclassed by Raikkonen, and that is why he packed his bags for some Neckcar love.

Anyway, to be reading such definitive observations into these tests at this point is a stretch, to say the least.

 

what is a "management technique?"

 

Knowing the limits of the car, not breaking it by consistently going past those limits.

Fred (Alonso) is one of the finest car managers racing. Reminds me of Jackie Stewart. Doesn't melt his tires, knows just how far he can push, stay in control, and win.

 

Looks like Toyota is back!

Ralf impresses in testing session

Schumacher in action in Valencia on Thursday
Ralf Schumacher took his Toyota to the best time as Formula One testing continued in Valencia on Thursday ahead of the new season.
Schumacher took full advantage of the dry conditions to clock the fastest lap of one minute 11.297 seconds.

World champion Fernando Alonso timed 1min 11.710sec for the fourth best time, behind Renault duo Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was sixth fastest with 1min 12.360sec.

Reigning world champion Alonso had set the fastest time in the first of three days of testing.

Alonso, chasing a third straight title after his move to McLaren, was a second faster than Kimi Raikkonen, getting his first taste of Ferrari's new car.

Alonso completed 47 laps, the quickest in one minute 12.563 seconds, with Raikkonen on 1:13.529 in his 47 laps.

The Finn ended the session with smoke pluming from the back of his car.

Alonso's former team Renault posted the third fastest time through their test driver Nelson Piquet Jr.

 

Back? Back from where? Maybe I missed something. I've never known them to be competitive.

 

My question . . . and my post . . . were cynical.

I don't know that there's enough evidence to suggest Kimi's McLaren-Mercedes packed it up do to his aggressive driving. Even when he flat spotted his right front in Germany . . . who could've predicted the massive failure that followed? Certainly, he's not the only F1 driver to ever flat spot a tire during a race.

I might suggest that Haug & Co. were pushing the tech envelope to such a point that they simultaneously produced the fastest car on the grid (2005) that couldn't keep its shoes tied.

Fair enough. Alonso has earned his world championships, but has also made a few mistakes along the way. I wouldn't describe his performance at Montreal in 2005 as exemplary "car" management. However, overall he's been a very deserved champion.

My money's on Raikkonen, though.

 

Testing............smesting!! Remember last year when Honda was putting up some good numbers?? We'll see come March.........

 

We'll hold you to that comment come PickSix time. You might be right, then again you might be crazy.

 

I ain't skehred . . .

 

There's flat spotting, and then there continuing to run on a tire that was clearly coming apart. But tires and suspensions aside, he blew a lot of engines, where JPM didn't.

Fred made so few mistakes over the past two years, in fact I can maybe count 2 or 3. Far fewer than God Emperor Michael I.

Just got my new Autocourse. AWESOME coverage! Really tied down the first lap carnage at last year's USGP. If you want the best review of a season, Autocourse is the ONLY way to go.

 

Toyota finished fourth in the constructors championship in 2005. Behind Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. That's not bad at all. 2006 sucked for them, and now they might be back in the fight. Ralf and Jarno finished 6th and 7th in the standings. Also not bad.

Looks to be a really good season shaping up.

 

First . . . the problem with Raikkonen's tire did not reach catastrophic proportions until two or three laps were left in the race. The team . . . not Kimi . . . made the decision that they were there to win and win alone. Had he pitted, he may have resulted in a podium, but that was it. They took a chance and lost. The suspension exploded on the final lap.

So . . . your criticism . . . which reads directed at Raikkonen, does not take into account the full story, nor the team's call on the matter.

Secondly, and most importantly . . . blown engines? What are you talking about? Most of the failures that Raikkonen endured over the past two seasons at McLaren were not with blown engines.

I could catalog those failures, but I know for a fact that they were primarily resultant of driveshaft, gearbox, and other (engine related) failures.

The comparison to JPM . . . Again . . . if JPM had completed as many laps as Kimi you might have some basis . . . unfortunately his driving and alleged tennis skills thwarted that "control" group

 

Regardless of team decisions, the driver is ultimately responsible if he wants to go on with a damaged car. His tire was plainly visible from the cockpit, and he said he could feel the car shaking like mad.

He had engines blow in practice for France, Britain, Italy, & Japan. Sending him back on the grid.

Number of laps is kind of irrelevent if you don't finish, or finish down in the points. Like a football team that gains a lot of yards, but loses the game because they can't get into the endzone.