2007 F1 Season

[djr81]

The harder rubber is always going to be a gamble - particularly for McLaren as they seem to be easy on their tyres. Whilst you are right in saying they hadn't much to lose (But look how close the BMW of Kubica got to Alonso in the end!) nor did they have much prospect of a big gain. It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that the track rubbered in over the weekend - there again McLaren, like the other teams, will have done approximately a billion laps around the place. So they should have known exactly what to expect.

I struggle to believe that the harder compound is ever going to be a better - quicker - option. The prospect of bolting them onto Lewis' car for an early second stop defies logic somewhat as not only would the tyre need to be quicker (it wasn't) it would also need to make up for the extra fuel ie 20+ laps worth as against a basically empty tank.

I guess the inherent problem was that McLaren lacked lap speed. When you have to start being "clever" with tyre strategy you are really acknowledging you are in trouble. Far better to hose the opposition with outright pace.

Anyway, go the Super Aguris!

[ctjet]

With Ferraris current bridgestone knowledge advantage, any idea is a good idea. You really cant blame a guy for trying. If they had kept to their stratagy the outcome was an inevitable certainty. They mixed it up but got the same result. If they didnt do anything you can gurantee they would have been chastised for that too. Sort of like a fork in the road that leads to the same place in the end.

I think you'll find that most teams have written off their chances of winning the chamipionship this year, Mclaren keeping Ferrari honest is just a pleasant surprise. Im sure '08 cant come soon enough for Mclaren, Renault, Honda and Toyota.

[djr81]

Gees McLaren are leading both the constructors & the drivers championships (1 & 2) four races in & you reckon they are writing the season off? Maybe for Renault & Honda, but I think Toyota are still going to have to work hard to maintain their place.

[ctjet]

No no, i meant pre season. They didnt expect much in the way of wins or championships. They've surprised themseleves and the rest of us, with how quick they have acctually been so far in the championship. By '08 they SHOULD be in an even better position.

Renault and Honda had no idea how bad they were going to be, they're both introducing radically new cars mid way through the season in the vien hope of not lagging too far behind so that it wont affect next years chances aswell. Toyota are going nowhere, but all the pre season hype they spun lead us to believe this year was going to be much different.

[djr81]

Well the Honda outfit has been a horror story all year, hasn't it. I guess finishing laps down means your Earth Dream is that bit more attainable. You have to wonder how they produced a car that is slower than the year previous - even then it looks waaay ugly under brakes & in general. Jenson Button paid how much to stick with them?

Toyota has been the usual story of tipping vast amounts of money down the shitter. Not sure how many people outside the factory are surprised at that. They are only just hanging on to Williams & Williams drivers line up is still less than stellar - if you apply the relative speeds of Webber & Rosberg from last year...

Arguably you could do the same at Renault. What price a contract for Webber now?

[ctjet]

Honda are laying ALL the blame on their wind tunnel, but... the rumours are that sacking willis and promoting some nobody in charge of the team was the real downfall. there is a really good read at pitpass.com that explains a lot of whats wrong with Honda

Toyota NEED to get rid of Ralf asap. He's doing nothing for the team anymore. He might have been useful in the begining when they needed an older driver to help establish the team but they're way past that now. He needs to go, i cant stress that enough. Like you said, the real surprise for me is Wiliams this year. From almost last in the standing at the end of 06, to fighting for points every race, what a turn around

Renault need a No.1 driver to lead the team like Ferrari to succeed. Mclaren seem to have a differnt philosophy much like Williams, the currant driver line up isnt working for them at all. I get the impression if Alonso was still there, they'd be in final quali and the points at least every race.

[Necx0]

Renault at least look like they are making progress, Heikki was pretty damn quick. Yes I know he was light on fuel but he was about 1.5secs a lap faster. Rosberg is rather good, I can see him becoming a force soon.

Agreed on Ralf, he was never anything amazing and is certainly nothing amazing now, at the start of the year he said he thought he was in the top three drivers in F1.........AAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

I lament this "young driver" madness as well. There was a good article in F1 Racing about the difference a driver makes. Let alone the next Sennas or Schumachers. What about the next Prost, the next Piquet, the next Mansell????

Hamilton and Rosberg are pretty damn good, but I reckon there are a lot of awesome young drivers out there that should get a shot.....or even older drivers!!!! To be honest I don't think F1 drivers lose speed until their early 40's. Hopefully Prodrive sees the light and gets two experienced fast drivers that aren't necessarily still in diapers.

[ctjet]

Apparently Prodrive are looking at Paffett to fill a seat... we'll see what happens

[djr81]

Honda are laying ALL the blame on their wind tunnel, but... the rumours are that sacking willis and promoting some nobody in charge of the team was the real downfall. there is a really good read at pitpass.com that explains a lot of whats wrong with Honda

Toyota NEED to get rid of Ralf asap. He's doing nothing for the team anymore. He might have been useful in the begining when they needed an older driver to help establish the team but they're way past that now. He needs to go, i cant stress that enough. Like you said, the real surprise for me is Wiliams this year. From almost last in the standing at the end of 06, to fighting for points every race, what a turn around

Renault need a No.1 driver to lead the team like Ferrari to succeed. Mclaren seem to have a differnt philosophy much like Williams, the currant driver line up isnt working for them at all. I get the impression if Alonso was still there, they'd be in final quali and the points at least every race.

The "windtunnel is out of calibration" excuse has been fashionable since the Lotus team used it in 1988 to explain why their car was so hopeless compared to the McLaren. At the time they didn't have forty bazillion tonnes of CFD wizardry to confirm things, however.

I agree with you about Schumacher. I never rated him & I cannot for the life of me explain why Toyota waste so much money on him - maybe they would be better spending it on an interesting road car? Nah. Trulli is atleast occassionally fast.

Also I am not sure Williams has the same degree of outright pace as last year. Reliability crippled them then as did rear tyre wear, but can you honestly see them in the running for a podium place at the Monaco GP in a couple weeks time? Put that down to the Toyota motor not having the same grunt as the Cosworth.

Even Alonso couldn't turn this years Renault into a winner - but he wouldn't be scrapping for 9th place atleast. Nor firing off the track every other lap.

[ctjet]

Formula 1 could run V6 engines in 2011

18 May 2007

Max Mosley has proposed a new engine rule for 2011 where Formula 1 would see their 2.4-litre V8 engines being exchanged for eco-friendly 2.2-litre turbocharged V6 engines running on biofuel. The engines could develop around 770 horsepower, which is about 100 horsepower less than F1's current engines.

If all goes as Mosley plans there will also be a restriction to the number of revs. The limit would be set at 10,000rpm, down from 19,000rpm, which would make Formula 1 must quieter than the current cars. The engines would have to last for five Grand Prix weekends, instead of the current two.

Speaking with F1 Racing magazine Mosley said: "We are in active discussions with the major manufacturers to ensure that, in future, research and development relevant only to formula one will be discouraged, whereas that which has relevance to road-car development will be encouraged. We understand that such an approach has broad support from the competing manufacturers and we will work closely with them to ensure that, in particular, the new environmentally relevant technologies that many of them are developing are made our priority."

Mosley furthermore said: "Whilst aiming to achieve these goals we will ensure that the sporting spectacle of F1 remains the same or is even improved by the new developments."

Mosley and Burkhard Göschel, chairman of the formula one manufacturers' advisory commission, submitted the proposals to the manufacturers in Formula 1.

I tell you what... if this goes ahead, then im out

[Marco-R34GTT]

That makes two of us...

F1 is just so far removing itself from it's traditional ground.... Engines should have NEVER had been expected to last more than an entire weekend... It is so damn frustrating...

[zed32]

Ditto. If we want 6 Cylinders revving to 10,000RPM we'll drive GTR's.

6 Cylinder F1 cars, what a joke.

[Marco-R34GTT]

Someone plz shoot Max Mosley before he single-handedly destroys Formula 1...

[ctjet]

Updates from Paul Ricard

Honda have gone a spree... of knocking off ideas, maily Mclarens unfortunately. As you can see they appear to have copied McLaren shoulder wing integration with the sidepod heat outlet. Also no winglets immediatly following the sidepod outlet. Also it seems like their sidepods have been modified aswell.

I hear their next revolutionary piece of aero is some kind of secondary element attached to the front wing, never seen before tho. We're just goig to have to wait and see

[Marco-R34GTT]

HONDA! CHANGE THAT PAINT FFS!!!

[Kinks]

I like the mention of bio-fuel, I hope they do go in that direction.

quieter than current F1 cars? pfft. there's no reason to turn up to a race if they do that. the memory of waking up in melbourne on the first practice day and hearing the cars from the other side of the city was legendary

[ctjet]

Look like its a night race or nothing for melbourne beyond 2010. And i can tell you now, the assholes that live in that area of melbourne will NOT support that idea at all... so its goodbye to F1 it seems

quite sad really

[Gts-t]

Night race would be awesome

[ctjet]

Bernie Threatens Melbourne

20/5/07

What an utter utter dickhead, he and max need to go before they take away all the good tracks and all that is good within F1. Do you really care who wins a quite nightrace in dubai with their V6 eco car?

... niether do i

Edited May 21, 2007 by ctjet

[Frink]

what a prick.... he's getting worse with age.