European GP

  • Thread starter Blake
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On RPM today Webber said that he was happy with his lap time, and knowing him it sounds like he's got more fuel than Hiedfeld, that's not to say he's got alot of fuel however. I suspect Michael to become highly competetive during the middle of the race and he might be fighting for a podium if he doesn't get trapped in traffic. I still think Kimi will win :D

Blake
 
my prediction :)

1: Alonso
2: Raikonnen
3: Button
4: Heidfeld
5: Trulli
6: Webber
7: Montoya
8: Barrichello
9: Schumacher
10: Fisichella
 
Why didn't BAR just change their engines and start from the back, instead of using an engine that's been sitting decaying for 5 weeks? They're starting 13th and 16th anyway so they wouldn't have lost much, and Honda have an updated engine ready to go. It just doesn't make sense to me....
 
daan
Why didn't BAR just change their engines and start from the back, instead of using an engine that's been sitting decaying for 5 weeks? They're starting 13th and 16th anyway so they wouldn't have lost much, and Honda have an updated engine ready to go. It just doesn't make sense to me....
Simple. They weren't allowed to.
 
Yes they can. They can change their engine any time they like. The drawback is that they have to start the race at the back of the grid.
 
daan
Yes they can. They can change their engine any time they like. The drawback is that they have to start the race at the back of the grid.
No, not this time. They were forced to use the same engine that they used at Imola. The announcers just said the same thing when talking about BAR.
 
Blake
I'm pretty sure daan has it right this time.

Blake
I wouldn't be too sure of that...

From GrandPrix.com

“The FIA issued a very strange press release on Wednesday which had no apparent reason. And that means that, undoubtedly, there was a reason behind it. The statement said: "Following the BAR Honda press release of May 11, the FIA regards the San Marino Grand Prix incident as closed. BAR Honda are no longer under investigation and the FIA wish them every success in the remaining 13 rounds of the FIA Formula One World Championship."

At the same time as this was going on, the BAR Honda team was being told that it will not be allowed to use new engines for the European Grand Prix this weekend, despite the fact that the other teams seem to have agreed (or had said that they would agree if the FIA let the team switch engines). The fact that BAR will have to use the same engines that were fitted in Imola is a disadvantage in that development moves on all the time in F1 and so being stuck with engines that are now several weeks behind will mean that the team will not be as competitive as might have been the case.”
 
Yes, but it says nothing of being able to change engines and incur the grid penalty ...

Anyway, I'm going now before I hear any race spoilers.

Blake
 
Michelin got some serious issues. If now it's their responsibility that the margins are too low on tyre wear.

Congrats to Fernando. And it's a shame RBR didn't get a podium finish.
 
oh man icouldnt beleive that, poor kimi, the really let go and dam how close was he too the back of that BAR. :scared:

good one for alonso, and coulthard, started 12, went to 4, got a drive thru, went off the road, and still finifhsed 4th.

great race.
 
Curses.
1 more lap for gods sake.
Räikkonen ruined his tyres with those two mistakes he made.I don't think Michelin were responsible.
Some of the teams just made wrong tire choices.

Somehow i have the feeling that we'll be seeing tire changing during pitstops return next year.Too many DNF because of tires this season so far.

Good race though,just a shame Kimi didn't make it,so close.Reminds me of Hakkinen.
 
Wow, Button was lucky this time, Kimi just missed him. :scared:

Webber, well....

A good race, Rubens managed to finish in front of MS and now they´re both with 15 points. Massa went out of luck again, his tires weren´t holding up at the end of the race and when he went out the track it was over for him. He would´ve finished 6th otherwise.

And congrats to Alonso, although this time he got help from Kimi´s tyre to win the race.
 
I know I haven't watched WRC for a while but it's definetley changed alot!!!
:sly:

Great race, unlucky with Raikonnen though. Good hunting Alonso. 👍
 
I was fustrated at the coulthard situation. I sooo bably wanted to see him on the podium.
As for Raikkonen i dont feel sorry for him because it wasnt a technical fault that denied him the victory, it was his stuborness. He knew what would of happened if he carried on.
I think he should of coasted on the straight, allowing Alonso to pass and settle for second because i dont think heidfeld could of passed him
 
Awesome race! I was just thinking, that Mc Laren 's got a very strong frontsuspention, the vibrations in that fronttire were just too violent but Kimi was under pressure from Fernando and he locked his frontwheels more than once. Alonso had an off also but it's great to see Renault has solved its tire-issues from Monaco and Barcelona. Ralf seriousely rearended Fernando in the first corner but luckely the Renault resisted. The man of the race for me was David Coulthard!
 
Alonso had an off also but it's great to see Renault has solved its tire-issues from Monaco and Barcelona.

Hmmmm. I hope your right about that but monaco is a totallly different track we cant say just yet but i hope so because its kinda out of order seeing all of renaults hard work being dismantled just because of a tire issue but that was last week, this week they should be very pleased.
Did you see flavio Briatore he looked like he was going to explode with excitement. :lol:
 
That has to be one of the best races this season :crazy:

Kimi was determined to keep it to the end......one more lap and it would have been victory......some say he should have changed the tire but he did what most drivers would have done and risked it......

Im amazed at the reliablity of the mclaren and the tires.....what a car!
 
Blake
kensei, your Webber bashing isn't really warrented when he is beating Nick in the championship ;)

I really don't see Williams placing anywhere significant, they will pit early and be doomed to follow cars for the rest of the race, or scrap with eachother :rolleyes:

Blake

Webber has been hyped for years. He was supposed to come into Williams this year and become the next MS. Nick was just some punter that Sir Frank put in the car until JB could leave BAR. While I am aware that there are some growing pains within a new team Webber has for the most part not lived up to the hype. Sure he has had a few good qualifying laps but he has never managed to do anything about it. Let's face it even Monaco he lucked into that as Alonso's tires were dead.

Not that Nick is perfect. He has done some bone headed thigns this seaosn (AU) but no one had ANY expectations on him and frankly the last two races he has out-driven and out performace Webber in everyway.

The other thing that bugged me about Webber this week was his Ralf Shumacher like moaning about the team being unfair, pit stops messed up "I shoulda been on the 2nd step of the podium...whaaaaa!" Come on Nick was quicker on his feet than Webber and out drove him. Webber is falling into the JV like excuses...

Thyen to see Webber not only push Trulli into the wall and then punt JPM off the track at turn one....give me a break. I know drivers are fighting for every spot on the start. Having a wide car is nothing new. Trulli had a better start (surprise surprise than Webber) and got a nose under him, Webber chops him off and almosts puts him in the wall. Then JPM, on the outside (I know this was wishful thinking) gets punted off by Webber who didn't even TRY to turn in he just speared JPM on purpose!

Come on, Webber may be the golden boy in AU but his performance on track this seaosn has been, well...pathetic.

The tiny shread of respect I have left for Williams will be completely gone when Sir Frank moves Nick to the 3rd car in favor of JB and Webber....ugggh! The two most over-rated drivers in the past few years! Way to go Sir Frank!

Now onto interesting things!

Kimi...porr Kimi...but you did it to yourself. I know it is hard staying awake when you are leading but you can do it. On the serious side it seemed to me that Kimi's car was having some brake issues. If you watch his off the car gets all over the place in the brake zone which sent him off. He took some curb too but it didn't look like enough to unsettle the car. Eitherway poor kimi...but live and learn I guess! There will be another day. He still drove a great race.

Alonso...you lucky #%^&@*!!! hahaha. Still he drove a great race as well. I'm shocked how much he matured in the past year alone. He is calm and drives like a champ. Great race craft. McLaren hs the faster car but honestly I think Alonso is driving more calm this season. Compared to Kimi that is saying something.

Nick....great race! You earned it.

Ferrari.....the season is this close ---><--- to being over for you. I think your only realistic hope is a cold summer or lots of wet races.

JPM....calm down, you can do it, just chill out.

BAR....did anyone miss them?

Other than that I can't say I enjoyed the race that much. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I don't expect much better in Canada (I loath the circuit) but look forward to Indy and the turn 1 seats my wife and I have!!!!
 
Beelzebub
alonso is a much smoother driver than kimi.

Not really. Kimi is a "smoother" driver in the way he handles the car. Alonso has really matured this season into a driver who can craft a good race. In seasons past he was too wild and made alot of mistakes. This season he really holds it together well, stays calm and makes his own race. Kimi on the other hand has always been smooth and solid...however when he looses concentration he makes dumb mistakes, like he did twice today.

When kimi is "on" he is untouchable but is prone time to time to make dumb mistakes. Alonso, this season, is just smooth and steady....
 
Not much to post really, kensei already said it all!!

Looking at drivers fighting to stay on the tracks looked a lot like GPL driving 👍

We definitely need slicks, tire changes and unloaded Qualy back! :grumpy:

And Fisichella, please stop it... you're ruining my FF1 team :(
 
Am I the only one who think the FIA went too far with these rules ? I've said it already, at the beginning of the season, and once again the race proved it, the FIA did exactly the opposite of what they were supposed to do : increase the security of the drivers.

Now, the facts clearly show it (Michael in spain, Alonso in monaco, kimi in Nurburgring) : the drivers are put in very unconfortable and unpredictable situations. Should we wait that one of them is beeing seriously hurt before changing something ?

I mean, the drivers are ready to take some risks, it's a part of their job, but there is a difference between having an accident because you did a mistake, and being the passenger of an uncontrolable rocket, like kimi was today. These guys in the FIA are just plain suckers. A 6 year old boy would have been able to understand that the Tires manufacters would have to take more risks in such a situation, resulting as more risks foor the drivers. A 6 year old boy would have understood that changing a V10 for a V8 will not save Manufacturer's money also.

I'm also quite fed up with seeing races that are decided by the only Tire parameter.
 
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