[johnnyburst79]

I know it is a lil' bit early, but the early bird catches the worm.

Formula 1 testing is already going on for the 07 season with Ferrari's test driver Luca Badoer at the top of the time sheets. Heikki, from Renault, is just 0.3s behind him.

I think what Mclaren did to Pedro De La Rosa was wrong. He stepped in for JPM last year and performed magnificently. By skipping him over and putting in Lewis Hamilton, I think Mclaren will be in for a rough year. Hamilton just does not have the experience of Pedro and Mclaren stated they would be fine if Hamilton started towards the rear and got his footing. I am sorry, but that is leaving Alonso out to dry. He has no backup driver capable of sticking with him and blocking other drivers on the assault. Poor move on Mclaren's part.

I think Kimi will take the Championship this year. I do not think Renault has a strong enough driver lineup to pull it off this season. They may have the car and the reliability, just not the skill.

I am also glad that Anthony Davidson finally got a race seat. He has consistently been at the top of the time sheets in testing but never given an opportunity to complete a race. With Super Aguri, he may possibly be able to bring them some points this year with their new car.

RBR will be another one to watch as well, with Adrian Newey's first car for them. Renault powered, DC and Webber as experienced drivers, they will certainly, hopefully, be towards the front of the grid.

What do you think of the approaching season with most cars being released next month?


ING Renault F1 Engine: Renault Tyre: Bridegstone Country: France/UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up - (both drivers confirmed)

Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) - Confirmed
Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) - Confirmed

Formula 1 Test Drivers:
Ricardo Zonta (Brazil)
Nelson Piquet Jr. (Brazil)
2007 F1 Car Track Debut: TBA Launch Date: TBA
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Engine supplier unchanged
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone.
Fernando Alonso moves to McLaren

---------

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Engine: Ferrari Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Italy
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Felipe Massa (Brazil)

Formula 1 Test Drivers: Luca Badoer
2007 F1 Car Track Debut: TBA Launch Date: TBA
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Engine supplier and tyre supplier unchanged.
Michael Schumacher - Retires from racing at the end of 2006

---------

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Engine: Mercedes Tyre: Bridgestone Country: UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

Fernando Alonso (Spain) - Confirmed
Lewis Hamilton (Britain) - Confirmed

Formula 1 Test Drivers: Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) & Gary Paffet (Britain)
2007 F1 Car Track Debut & Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Engine supplier unchanged.
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone.
Juan Pablo Montoya moves to NASCAR

---------

Honda F1 Engine: Honda Tyre: Bridgestone Country: UK/Japan
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) - Confirmed for 2006 and beyond
Jenson Button (UK) - Confirmed for 2006 and beyond

Formula 1 Test Drivers: Christian Klien and James Rossiter
2007 F1 Car Track Debut & Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Driver lineup, Engine supplier remains unchanged
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone

---------

BMW Sauber F1 Engine: BMW Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Germany/Switzerland
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (Both drivers confirmed)

Nick Heidfeld (Germany) - Confirmed
Robert Kubica (Poland) - Confirmed

Formula 1 Test Driver: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) - Story
2007 F1 Car Track Debut & Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Engine supplier unchanged.
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone
Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) - Leaves team

---------

Panasonic Toyota Racing Engine: Toyota Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Japan
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both confirmed)

Jarno Trulli (Italy)
Ralf Schumacher (Germany)

Formula 1 Test Drivers: TBC
2007 F1 Car Track Debut: TBC - Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Driver line-up, Engine supplier and tyre supplier unchanged

---------

Red Bull Racing Engine: Renault Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Austria/UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

David Coulthard (UK)
Mark Webber (Australia)

Formula 1 Test Driver: TBC
2007 F1 Car Track Debut: TBC Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Team switches to Renault power.
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone
Christian Klien - Leaves team, joins Honda as test driver

---------

Williams F1 Engine: Toyota Tyre: Bridgestone Country: UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

Alex Wurz (Austria) - Story
Nico Rosberg (Germany) - Story

Formula 1 Test Drivers: TBC
2007 F1 Car Track Debut: TBC Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Team switch to Toyota power
Tyre supplier unchanged.
Mark Webber - Joins Red Bull Racing

---------

Scuderia Toro Rosso Engine: Ferrari Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Austria/Italy/UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers yet to be confirmed)

Possibilities
Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy)
Scott Speed (USA)
Neel Jani (Switzerland)

Formula 1 Test Driver: TBC
2007 F1 Car Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Switch to Ferrari power
Tyre supplier: Bridgestone

---------

Spyker MF1 Racing Engine: Ferrari Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Holland/UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (2nd driver yet to be confirmed)

Christijan Albers (Netherlands) - Confirmed

Possibilities
Tiago Monteiro (Portugal)
Christian Klien (Austria)

Formula 1 Test Driver: TBC
2007 F1 Car Launch Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Midland sells team to Spyker.
Team switch to Ferrari power
Tyre supplier unchanged

---------

Super Aguri Formula One Engine: Honda Tyre: Bridgestone Country: Japan/UK
Formula 1 Race Driver Line-up (both drivers confirmed)

Takuma Sato (Japan) - Confirmed
Anthony Davidson (UK) - Confirmed

Formula 1 Test Driver: TBC
2007 F1 Car Track Debut Date: TBC
Changes for 2007 F1 Season - Engine supplier and tyre supplier unchanged.

[valis]

Originally Posted by vbneteng

I know it is a lil' bit early, but the early bird catches the worm.

yes, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

I agree with you on the Ferrari deal; dunno if it will be Kimi, though, or Massa. Massa, whom I doubted most heavily, performed (after a rocky start) very imrpressively. With no team orders, I see him challenging Kimi; depends on what Ferrari want to have happen, I guess.

[johnnyburst79]

Massa no doubt is an excellent driver and I did say that he would step up to the plate, being a protege of Schumacher's. As compared to Kimi though, I think it is no contest. He may challenge Kimi, but Kimi also has the absolute intestinal fortitude to see things thru, much like Alonso. Looking at the Japan 05 race, Kimi and Alonso were just on fire.

Give Kimi a car that is both quick and reliable and he will win. Same for Alonso. Same for Massa. It will be a very interesting year.

[valis]

indeed. lots of new names, too. 3 big ones gone; villeneuve, schumi, and nascar-boy-wonder.

[johnnyburst79]

Looking at the times today, with Alonso being in the car for the first time ever and posting up the 3rd fastest time (between the two Renaults incidentally), it seems he will be hopefully more dominating next season if he can get a reliable car. The ONLY exception I see is Kimi in the Ferrari, but he has not put in any times as of yet. But that is for the driver's championship.

If Renault can keep their two drivers in a consistent 2nd and 3rd place, they have a shot at winning the Constructors. Personally, that is what I would like to see, Alonso as the Driver and Renault as the Constructor.

1. HAMILTON McLaren 1m19.493s
2. KOVALAINEN Renault 1m19.586s
3. ALONSO McLaren 1m19.747s
4. FISICHELLA Renault 1m19.798s
5. ROSSITER Honda 1m19.835s
6. KUBICA BMW 1m19.894s
7. BADOER Ferrari 1m19.899s
8. VETTEL BMW 1m20.069s
9. LIUZZI Red Bull 1m20.191s
10. KLIEN Honda 1m20.461s
11. SATO Super Aguri 1m20.854s
12. GENE Ferrari 1m21.015s
13. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m21.277s
14. WURZ Williams 1m21.368s
15. ANDRETTI Honda 1m21.888s
16. SPEED Toro Rosso 1m23.315s

[RSM123]

vbneteng,

Just come across this thread ... who is the Andretti in your timings list ?

I'm old enough to remember Mario, have seen Michael on Brit TV coverage of Indy / CART Racing ... not sure ehich as I believe you have more than one format ( we get heavily edited highlights here - one 1 hour prog. shown about 3 am.)

Is this a brother of Michael, or his son ?

Quite a motor racing dynasty either way.



-----------------

Anyone care to predict a winner for F1 '07 ?

Will Alonso get his 'hat trick ?

Or Kimi win his first Championship. ?

- I will stick my neck out and say that Raikonnen will win.

[valis]

hmmmm......it's marco, michael's son.....got to meet him when I was with Ferrero, and he was about 14 or 15.....one of our IT guys was his driving trainer....nice guy, but definitely not F1 quality. I remember Michael's first competitive lap in F1. First corner, on it's roof.

much steeper learning curve, especially going from IRL (predominantly ovals) to F1. I think that this is as close to racing as he will get; his dad will probably want him back in the IRL for the Indy 500, even though F1 is a much tougher standard. Remember, he damn near won the 500 last year, being passed about 50 feet from the checkers.

Yet.

[valis]

link

IndyCar driver Marco Andretti joined the Honda Racing F1 Team in Jerez today for his first drive in an F1 car. The team offered the opportunity to Marco to drive the RA106 race car in recognition of his achievements in the Honda-powered IndyCar series this year.

Marco began running shortly after 9am this morning with an installation lap, followed by several short runs to familiarise himself with the car and get used to the controls. He completed 33 laps before the morning session came to a close.

Marco was back on track at the start of the afternoon session and continued to steadily improve to his lap times as he completed a further 35 laps for a total of 68 laps today.


"First of all I couldn’t have had more fun today and it’s a shame that it was only a day! It took me a little while to get used to the traction control and the brakes but once I got to grips with them, the times were more and more consistent. I would like to say a big thank you to the Honda Racing F1 Team on how professional and welcoming they have been this week, and I’m sure that they will have a good season next year." - Marco Andretti

[RSM123]

Cheers for the feedback.

Whether or not he'll make an impact - certainly a great motor racing family. The closest we have had here is Graham and Damon Hill - Graham Hill was almost certainly the best driver Britain has produced at least in terms of all round ability, since he achieved success in Le Mans, F1, Indy ( I believe), and I recall reading he was also an accomplished Rally Driver.

Has anyone any idea why Rally Driving is not popular in the US .... or at least why there are no drivers from the US in the WRC ? I can understand that Soccer and Cricket will never have the mass appeal of Baseball, Basketball, and Football ... but there is still a substantial supporter base among American 'Petrolheads', so it seems strange that 'WRC' is in reality very much a European venture ( - that is to say ... among drivers at least.) With wider representation only found among the manufacturers.

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by RSM123

Cheers for the feedback.

Whether or not he'll make an impact - certainly a great motor racing family. The closest we have had here is Graham and Damon Hill - Graham Hill was almost certainly the best driver Britain has produced at least in terms of all round ability, since he achieved success in Le Mans, F1, Indy ( I believe), and I recall reading he was also an accomplished Rally Driver.

Has anyone any idea why Rally Driving is not popular in the US .... or at least why there are no drivers from the US in the WRC ? I can understand that Soccer and Cricket will never have the mass appeal of Baseball, Basketball, and Football ... but there is still a substantial supporter base among American 'Petrolheads', so it seems strange that 'WRC' is in reality very much a European venture ( - that is to say ... among drivers at least.) With wider representation only found among the manufacturers.

I beg to differ. Although Graham was very good, do you think he was better than Jimmy Clark? Graham had only 4 wins, 89 points in 61 GPs during his Lotus career in Gran Prix racing, while Jimmy had 25 wins, 274 points in 72 GPs during his Lotus career. Lotus drivers are still the champ at sideways driving championship wins - no one else has ever won, and Lotus is arguably the best engineered car for handling in the world - from a race car driver's perspective. Graham Hill did not quite measure up to the talent of Jimmy Clark despite his wins in different venues.

-- Tom

[Trooper_fan]

W~HOO!

Michael Schumacher - Retires from racing at the end of 2006

I can go back to watching F1 now, geez I hated that arrogant <CWLMST>

This year should be good then and the field will be completely opened up, let's hope there's some good racing this year!

Ahh that's the best news I've heard in a long while!

[RSM123]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

I beg to differ. Although Graham was very good, do you think he was better than Jimmy Clark? Graham had only 4 wins, 89 points in 61 GPs during his Lotus career in Gran Prix racing, while Jimmy had 25 wins, 274 points in 72 GPs during his Lotus career. Lotus drivers are still the champ at sideways driving championship wins - no one else has ever won, and Lotus is arguably the best engineered car for handling in the world - from a race car driver's perspective. Graham Hill did not quite measure up to the talent of Jimmy Clark despite his wins in different venues.

-- Tom

I did say in all round ability, since he triumphed in other motor racing formats.

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by RSM123

I did say in all round ability, since he triumphed in other motor racing formats.

All round ability cannot be measured by triumphs across other motor racing formats, as usually anyone on any given day can win due to circumstances other than their talent given crowded fields of drivers/cars. In equal format cars Hill's overall talent was not on par with Clark's!

Perhaps only the mechanics really know who is the best driver. After an F1 race, they break down and inspect the engines. Only the smoothest shifting and elegant drivers survive the opinions of the mechanics, and they are usually the winners, but not always - at least this is how it used to be in F1. With today's electronics (out of necessity), F1 racing just isn't what it used to be, although without a doubt it is still the most exciting venue to watch. Today's machines are engineered to assist the drivers due to the extreme stress placed on them, and are constantly being designed at the edge due to cost considerations (to last only until the end of the race), but as we often see, they break well before the end. Its a very good thing they are also designed with safety of the drivers in mind. It takes a different kind of talent to drive todays F1 machines than that seen in Clark. However, F1 still remains a drivers supreme test.

-- Tom

[valis]

either F1 or Rally are the supreme test. I've seen rally drivers go to f1 and other forms for racing, but nobody from any other from of racing has made it to the WRC on a competitive level.

As for why it hasn't caught on in the US, I have no clue. Back in the Group B cars, they all used to race Pikes Peak, which was cool in that I got to see them annually. I know that there are a few mini-circuits (Michigan and the NW spring to miind immediately) but those are not works cars, just local sponsors.

Were I to say the best driver is, I would probably go with ralley drivers, simply because they never see the same corner twice, and the surface is constantly changing. Having said THAT, IMO, the best driver in history is Senna, hands down.

[johnnyburst79]

I would say that Rally drivers are the most extreme drivers out there. But the pinnacle of motorsport is F1 because of all the aspects, from engineering to aerodynamics to drivers to tires. Rallying certainly does have its own engineering aspects, but it is no comparison to F1.

Motorsport is something that Europe has had, in general, far longer than America. The amateur racing circuits and even weekenders far outnumber those in America, and I think there is a simple statement as to why. Europeans work to live. American's live to work. We dont take time out of schedules to really enjoy ourselves (speaking from a national standpoint). And we, in general, would rather pay someone to do something rather than do it ourselves. So if, and when, the car gets damaged, it quickly becomes very expensive to fix.

Some states even have laws forbidding some of the amateur weekend rally's like those seen in Europe. Top Gear highlighted one, and never have I even HEARD of that happening where I live.