2007 U.S. Grand Prix

[Appie]

What do you expect from Heikki. He tested 2 years for this.

 

[Metar]

RTL is not responsible for that. They complain as much as you. For the US GP they get the video material from the American filming crew. Every country does. It doesn't matter where you live, you get everywhere the same video material. RTL is however responsible for the German GP. They have a team of 250 men for this job. There is also an international price for the best "F1 Race Direction". And RTL wins it every year.

As I said - that provider did the grand job.

Nice race, but I found it a little boring without Sato to cheer for.

 

[Fonce Diablo]

I've run out of superlatives for Hamilton, like the Speed crew.

Alonso's driving has been kinda wiggy lately...is he worrying about Hamilton, or is his percieved pro-Hamilton-ness at McLaren getting the better of him?

...or is he just not as good this year?

 

[darkfinal]

Alonso wants to leave McLaren.

... or that's what the spanish news say.

 

[Danny]

Alonso wants to leave McLaren.

... or that's what the spanish news say.

Oh dear Lord.

He's in the best car, any discrepencies in performance must be driver-related.

 

[<_Spike_>]

Alonso isn't happy and he's letting it get to his head, he's stronger than to not be able to handle a challenge from a rookie in his own team surely...or have we all been misjudging Fernando's character

 

[darkfinal]

Well, I suppose he wants to leave his team after China (or Brazil, wherever the last race of this season is). But I kinda understand him. Even if McLaren isn't blatantly supporting Hamilton, the crew -still- are most british, and that's making him feel like the 2nd driver. Kinda like "We love you Alonso, you're the world champion... now help us make another champion out of Hamilton. Give him the car we developed along with you during the pre-season, and your car setups too" (Like it or not, Hamilton doesn't have half the experience to setup an F1 car properly, and his car would be half a second behind Alonso if McLaren didn't allow sharing setups between drivers). That's probably pissing the hell out of him, seeing the results of the last two races, which are making Hamilton look like a semi-god while the merit isn't 100% his. And nobody thinks about that.

Give Hamilton the '03 Renault car, with Trulli as his teammate, and see if he can manage to win a race like Alonso did in Hungary, all by himself. And THEN develop a winning car to fight a real god like Schumacher. I'm not saying he wouldn't (in fact, I DO think he would, even winning earlier than Alonso did), but he's having it way TOO easy to win, with an (by now) unmotivated teammate, the fastest car by far and a double champion's setup.

PD: I'd love to see what Vettel would do in Hamilton's place, too.

 

[<_Spike_>]

The thing is though, if it's the same setup, Alonso has nothing to complain about when it comes to what happens on the track. Yes, Hamilton is getting help with the setup but what do you expect? A rookie to do absolutely everything by himself? No, he's going to get help but Alonso has the knowledge and the team to quite happily get on with it. If not...then he'll have to go to another team next season that may not give him that same pace and reliability

 

[darkfinal]

True, true... But watching your teammate get all the fame with your setups while you're starting to be seen like an 'old' glory at the age of 26 must be quite annoying.

Anyway, what Alonso has to do now is to get the best out of himself and prove he's better than Hamilton. He's always done bad in Canada and the States, so I'm expecting him to show off his goods and win again at Silverstone or France. I have faith on him &#172;_&#172;

 

[Omnis]

Anyone think Kimi and Alonso will trade places?

 

[peterjford]

Kimi is making way too much at Ferrari to switch teams... unless Ferrari wants him out.

 

[slackbladder]

Anyone think Kimi and Alonso will trade places?

I doubt Kimi will go back to McLaren. But Alonso switching? I guess we need to seee what happens this season. Too early yet. I guess by August we might have a better idea.

It could be that BMW is the team to look at. Maybe Kimi will go there? But then again I see no reason why he won't stay at Ferrari...unless Alonso wants in.

 

[darkfinal]

Yay, let's place our bets still at the middle of the season!

It's too early to guess anything yet, but if Alonso and Hamilton reach to the point where they can't stand each other, I can see Alonso going to Ferrari or, yeah... BMW. Man, I'd love to see him winning a championship in that car.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Let's also not forget that Alonso talked about possibly leaving F1 for good when in the middle of the season he was convinced there was some kind of a conspiracy among the FIA to prevent him from winning the Championship.

I think Alonso could really benefit from some hands over his mouth PR reps, because if this keeps up, F1 fans are going to remember him not for his great driving skills and championships, but for his somewhat childish antics and whining.

That said, I think Hamilton might actually benefit the most should Alonso decide to leave, and if Hamilton does win the championship, I would not be surprised to see Alonso switch to another team as he hasn't exactly ingratiated himself among his current team.

 

[Appie]

Would it be even possible that Kimi returns to McLaren?

 

[darkfinal]

Would it be even possible that Kimi returns to McLaren?

I honestly don't think so. He'd be the teammate of the guy who's beating the crap out of that another guy who pwned him two years ago. Sooo... Kimi and Hamilton in the same team? They'd be like Hakkinen and Coulthard, just with interchanged countries of origin

 

[Danoff]

Give him the car we developed along with you during the pre-season, and your car setups too" (Like it or not, Hamilton doesn't have half the experience to setup an F1 car properly, and his car would be half a second behind Alonso if McLaren didn't allow sharing setups between drivers).

Think so? It's not like this guy just got started racing, and it's not as though he's never had anything to do with a car setup before. I honsetly doubt that he and Alonso share the exact same setups, and I doubt that the mechanics don't have a huge impact on the car setup. But even if the two of them were on the same setup, Alonso has an even playing field - he should be kicking the snot out of kid hotshot.

 

[darkfinal]

Think so? It's not like this guy just got started racing, and it's not as though he's never had anything to do with a car setup before. I honsetly doubt that he and Alonso share the exact same setups, and I doubt that the mechanics don't have a huge impact on the car setup. But even if the two of them were on the same setup, Alonso has an even playing field - he should be kicking the snot out of kid hotshot.

It could be... Well, De La Rosa said in the spanish TV that Hamilton DOES copy Alonso's setups, never the other way around. He even has access to the champion's telemetry.

On the other hand, other champions' teammates like Barrichello have never pulled up such a tight fight with Schumacher, but look at how easily the brazilian won races before, and look at him now Considering that Ferrari's team rules are totally the opposite than McLaren's. In Ferrari there's #1 and #2. In McLaren, none of that (by the way, I'm gonna bitchslap the next brittish whining about McLaren slowing Hamilton down ).

PS: Again, I like Hamilton quite a lot, but I'm just defending Alonso. He's always been treated like the bad guy, people thinking poorer of him than Raikkonen even after winning the '05 championship, and even now. The guy deserves some more respect than the F1 world is showing him.

 

[peterjford]

PS: Again, I like Hamilton quite a lot, but I'm just defending Alonso. He's always been treated like the bad guy, people thinking poorer of him than Raikkonen even after winning the '05 championship, and even now. The guy deserves some more respect than the F1 world is showing him.

I have respect for his driving abilities. Its his attitude that I am having a problem with. It could be that things are taken out of context and others are making a big deal out of innocent statements. I am trying to stay neutral, but its getting hard to. I think he just needs to concentrate on his driving and keep his mouth shut for awhile.

 

[Andrew R]

Hamilton gets Alonso's Friday setups and data, not everything he needs and Alonso's now saying he's happy at McMerc, he just didn't like how Hamilton got so celebrated for winning when poor little Fernando only got a handshake for second place.

Life's tough when you earn millions to do what others would pay to do.

 

[Omnis]

Like Alonso wasn't getting so celebrated as he knocked off Michael S. and won his championships? I would be celebrating a champion rookie a lot more than a seasoned winner because I'd rather have the cheap driver surprise me and win for me than pay out the ass for the reigning champ.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Anyone think Kimi and Alonso will trade places?

Maybe Fernando will go to NASCAR.

Of course, that will be after he crashes out in a race, probably into his teammate.

 

[Blake]

I have respect for his driving abilities. Its his attitude that I am having a problem with. It could be that things are taken out of context and others are making a big deal out of innocent statements. I am trying to stay neutral, but its getting hard to. I think he just needs to concentrate on his driving and keep his mouth shut for awhile.

Indeed. I respect him as a driver, but in the last two season&#8217;s he&#8217;s said some pretty stupid things, and being a true champion isn&#8217;t just about going quickly.

 

[JohnBM01]

My words: "...Perhaps [Lewis] Hamilton could go back-to-back." Well, he did just that. He sweeps North America. Congratulations again to Lewis Hamilton. Now on to some discussion.


The fate of the United States Grand Prix is up in the air. Here is what I'm offering for discussion:

1.) Where do you think Formula One should race in America? What is your short list?

2.) Is Indianapolis the best possible track for F1 to race on for the United States Grand Prix?

3.) Do you think there will there be another U.S. Grand Prix? Out of 100%, what are the chances F1 returns to America within the next five years? next ten years?


Have at it.

 

[peterjford]

The fate of the United States Grand Prix is up in the air. Here is what I'm offering for discussion:

1.) Where do you think Formula One should race in America? What is your short list?

2.) Is Indianapolis the best possible track for F1 to race on for the United States Grand Prix?

3.) Do you think there will there be another U.S. Grand Prix? Out of 100%, what are the chances F1 returns to America within the next five years? next ten years?

This should probably go into its own tread, but here are my thoughts:

1.) I really don't care... would be nice if it was near me, and I would prefer a real track vs a street course.

2.) The have the most recent experience. They have the infrastructure to handle the event. Other than that, I don't know.

3.) If F1 wants to increase (or even maintain) popularity in the U.S. there has to be a U.S. Grand Prix. I think its a 90% chance of F1 returning to America for the next 5 years, barring some kind of major terroist attack/econmic depression/major natural disaster.

 

[Famine]

Indeed. I respect him as a driver, but in the last two season’s he’s said some pretty stupid things, and being a true champion isn’t just about going quickly.

Yes - it's also about trying to run your nearest competitor off the road.

 

[jammyozzy]

In reply to JohnBM01:

1) I personally would love to see a return to the Glen, but admittedly I have absolutely no clue how much work would be required to get it up to F1 standards, if F1 cars could run around there at all. It seems kinda like an American Brands Hatch - an awesome circuit, but lacking in safety standards and tricky to get an F1 car around.

(I may be completely wrong on this, I just remember loving the place in GPL/GTR2.)

2) No. While Indianapolis must be a fantastic place for oval racing, I'm not at all keen on the infield circuit. It seems too small and fiddly to me, and the whole place seems to clinical. Again I may be completely wrong on this, the only thing I've ever watched at Indianapolis is F1, but I don't feel the current circuit does a place with so much history justice.

3) Of course, if a permanent venue can be found that people will actually want to go to. If I lived in America I personally wouldn't pay to go and see the Grand Prix at Indianapolis, but that's just me.

 

[Danny]

Why not take Formula One to Laguna Seca?

 

[Appie]

Could the modern F1 go trough the Corkscrew and the facility aren't really up to date.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

If they can take Eau Rouge, they can probably take the corkscrew. Teams may be forced to develop specialist aero pakages to deal with it, but that's not really a problem.

However, there's only really two grand stands along the main straight and the pit building would need a serious upgrade (mostly because there aren't any) in order for the curcuit to host Formula One.