Who's is going to win the title this year?

[Bollocks#999]

With the 2004 season almost upon us its time to look into the crystal ball to try and find a winner

Although I would like Michael to win another world title, I think that this year it may head somewhere else

With the Williams and McLaren cars on the (big) improve, I believe the title will head that way

My pick? Split between Kimi and JPM with Michael fighting all the way

Anyone else?

 

[Mike Rotch]

My pick - Michael. Cant see Ferrari dropping the ball like last year, and in terms of maturity he surpasses Kimi (by a little) and Montoya (by a lot).

 

[Bollocks#999]

yeah true, but its just a gut feeling I have, I just hope im proved wrong

Thats why I havent voted yet, call me indecisive

 

[BigJamesGTI]

cant see it being anyone else - although I'd like it if someone different won for a change !!!

 

[-Fred-]

Raikkonen or Montoya. The Ferrari era has passed, IMO, although i wonder how many times Rubens will save Schuey's ass once again this year...

 

[Jugend]

Gut Feeling - Kimi. He's the silent warrior that lurks in the shadows ready to strike when noone excpects it..

 

[wee_man]

Where's the 'other' option?
I think an outsider might win it this year like.............oooo say.......minardi.
Anywayz my money is on Kimi or Montya 👍 .
BTW Giles you know you went on the inside of the track at Silverstone this year? I hope you haven't got plans to go there again. Apparantly they're gonna close it off to the public for 2004 , because of that bloke last year.

 

[Darin]

Juan Pablo Montoya has a chance at winning. He proved it last year. He might come out on top.

 

[Roo]

I hope JPM wins. So long as he keeps his motivation up throughout the year and doesn't do anything stupid he should be in the hunt at Brazil, if it goes that far.

I doubt Rubens will unless he has something like a 30 point lead over Michael by Canada, and Ferrari concentrates on him. Unlikely.

I reckon the top three will be the same as last year, maybe in a different order.

 

[Matrixhasu77]

JPM or Kimi. Michael has too many titles already. It's time someone else got the title.

I may be a Ferrari fan, but I think that it isn't exactly a team effort when one driver is considered the number one driver and gets all the special treatment and better setup over the other driver.

BTW, when does the new season start? Sometime in February or March?

 

[Race Idiot]

Originally posted by Matrixhasu77
BTW, when does the new season start? Sometime in February or March?

Not bloody soon enough!

I read somewhere (I think it was the paper that the train stations give away) that Ferrari are putting their hopes on Rubens this year.
To tell you the truth i'd love to see Rubens win the championship this year, I think he's put up with enough crap from Ferrari recently.

Raikkonen will have a good chance, if his car is reliable and so will JPM if he manages to keep things together during the race.

I'd like to say Ralph, but he had such a mediocre season last year.

 

[millencolin]

in the perfect world, mark webber would win the title. yet also in the perfect world, war and famine would not exist and the IRL would be dead and buried.

so in the realistic world its gonna be hard to tell, but i think we can rule out ralf, good driver just doesnt have the mental strength to win it. i would like to see DC or rubens finally break through but this year is gonna be schumis year again.

 

[wee_man]

I dunno, I think Jag might do okay this year. They've just realeased their new war horse and god there pesimistic about this season comming up. I've noticed that teams like Toyota are saying 'yeah we're going to try and bridge the gap between us and the top four teams' and I'm thinking that they're wishful thinking. Though I've read an interview with Tony Purnell (Jag Racing boss I think) and he's saying stuff like 'Well we're aiming to be faster than last year...'.
Anywayz so who do you lot think is gonna be best of the rest this year?

 

[-Fred-]

Best of the rest? Renault, or BAR.

I don't hold too much credibility in Sauber or Toyota, and the less we talk about Jordan, Jaguar and Minardi, the best it is.

 

[millencolin]

toyota....with all their money, it has to come right sooner or later. and they have 2 awesome drivers as well

 

[NielsG]

Just a hunch. Michael takes another year.

 

[millencolin]

ha, no one has mentioned ralf to win the title.

 

[miniMADness]

I thinkj Jaun could do it. I dont want to see MS win it again!

 

[Kelly]

My money is on Michael. 👍

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by wee_man
BTW Giles you know you went on the inside of the track at Silverstone this year? I hope you haven't got plans to go there again. Apparantly they're gonna close it off to the public for 2004 , because of that bloke last year.

I don't think it's because of the dear Reverand that they're closing it off. I think it's because it will save them a heap of money in terms of security and access control. But it wouldn't bother me, because I go to the British Racing Driver's Club pavilion, which is inside the circuit. They would not be allowed to close that off, since the BRDC own Silverstone.

Anyway, I'm not going to the race this year.

 

[scuderia229]

It is hard to say right now but I don't think it will be much different than last season. it will come down to the wire between Kimi, Micheal and JPM...with Rubens as the spoiler given he seems to have a fire under his ass now. I'd like to see Kimi win the title but I am not a McLaren fan. JPM, while my favorite driver, cracks under pressure and while I also dig Rubens alot I still don't see how Maranelo will let him beat Micheal. So the odds on favorite is Micheal....

The more interesting race will be for 4th and 5th place in the constructors and the 4th-8th places in the driver's championship.

I see it something like this?!?!?!

Constructors
1) Williams
2) Ferrari
3) McLaren
4) Sauber (with their "Sauberarri")
5) Renault
6) Toyota
7) Honda
8) Jag
9) Jordon
10) Minardi

Driver's

1 or 2) Kimi
1 or 2) Micheal
3 or 4) JPM
3 or 4)Rubens
5) Truili or Alonso
6) DC
7) Ralphie S.


Again early seaosn testing is no place to make solid predictions....lets discuss again come late Feb....

 

[Party for GT4]

Nice to see where you've put BAR in the Constructors' championship!

 

[scuderia229]

Originally posted by Party for GT4
Nice to see where you've put BAR in the Constructors' championship!

I think #7 is as good as they can do. Like I have said before I think Honda could make a winning car but until the extract BAR from the equation the car will be trash. Honda does have two kick ass drivers in sato and jenson though....

They gotta finish before Jag though, hell if EJ can pull his finger our of his ass it sounds as if Even Jordon can beat Jag this season......

Thinking about it last night though i think the constructors is going to be VERY close for the top 5 teams, just a few points seperating them.

 

[daan]

Originally posted by millencolin
yet also in the perfect world, war and famine would not exist

Why? What's wrong with him?

JPM could just have screwed himself. I'd like to see him winning it but will BMW want him to take the World Championship and the No.1 on his car to McLaren?

I think the title will be between Kimi, Michael, JPM & Ralf. Out of those 4, I wouldn't mind if either Kimi or JPM take it.

If Button keeps his pre-season pace, then he could surprise in a few races.

 

[wee_man]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie

Anyway, I'm not going to the race this year.

How come?

Scuderia: i think jag could do something this year. Webber did a ghood job last year and I think he can do it again 👍, although I'm not sure about their early testing pace so far .

 

[scuderia229]

Originally posted by wee_man
How come?

Scuderia: i think jag could do something this year. Webber did a ghood job last year and I think he can do it again 👍, although I'm not sure about their early testing pace so far .

I agree webber is a good driver and kelein seems to have talent enough from his testing pace, though he needs help.

My issue with Jag is their new car. It already seems a step back form last season's car and that isn't much to step back from. If they get their issues sorted they will be fine but what I have been reading in the press lately they seem to be dancing aroun the issues and not having the budget to address the known faults in the car.

I hope they do well, F1 needs Jag...however Jag needs to get ford to care more about F1...

 

[wee_man]

Originally posted by scuderia229
I agree webber is a good driver and kelein seems to have talent enough from his testing pace, though he needs help.

My issue with Jag is their new car. It already seems a step back form last season's car and that isn't much to step back from. If they get their issues sorted they will be fine but what I have been reading in the press lately they seem to be dancing aroun the issues and not having the budget to address the known faults in the car.

I hope they do well, F1 needs Jag...however Jag needs to get ford to care more about F1...

So true....

Although I read recently that, apparantly that the first two complete test runs (so the first load of tests when the car was released at Barcelona and the recent on at Valencia) have been just to get all the systems sorted and do simple set-up work and tyre testing, rather than performance work.

 

[scuderia229]

Originally posted by wee_man
So true....

Although I read recently that, apparantly that the first two complete test runs (so the first load of tests when the car was released at Barcelona and the recent on at Valencia) have been just to get all the systems sorted and do simple set-up work and tyre testing, rather than performance work.

The issue with the new Jag car I read about (I think in Autosport)..this is from their engineering group too...is that the car has major Aero and suspension issues that they know about but won't (can't) do anything about until may 04. I don't remember the specific quote butit was too that effect.

It's a catch 22 for Jaguar. f1 needs them, and they should be in f1. However Jaguar's biggest stumbling block is Ford. But without Ford they couldn't afford to be in F1, even with Ford they can barely afford to be in F1.

it's a shame for such a legendary racing name, though their racing history is more sportscar/lemans than grand prix.

I know Webber says he is commited to Jaguar for the long term but if i were him I would be doing anything I could to make sure my butt was sign sealed and delivered to be sitting in a Williams in 05.

 

[millencolin]

i have a feeling one jag will do well this year...........................................marks of course

 

[wee_man]

Apparantly they're going to run a new aeriopackage at the next test, which will properly show what the car is capable of doing .