[Archived] Formula 1

[gillibrand]

Why's that Gill? Because he's a winner? He is not the most charismatic, but he has a good style.

Just do not like the guy or his entourage.

[AlanK]

Entourage? Are you referring to his father Anthony who has attended and funded Lewis`s career since karting, his brother who is his best friend and suffers from MS or the fact he has the cheek to have a girlfriend? His mother and step mother ( yes Lewis came from a broken family ) attend rarely. What bloody entourage?

I do not know a single fan, tv pundit, journalist who have not been bowled over by what a decent grounded lad he is.

Cocky is what he is, and you know what to become world champion you need to be. I`ve met a lot of folk in F1 over the years and the general consensus was that most of them are genuine decent folk. Ralf Schumacher however is a different story and given his poor career had no reason to be the way he was especially compared to his brother.

[AlanK]

New regs explained in simple terms

Click

[Billy Castell]

Just do not like the guy or his entourage.

In some ways, I like the fact that his dad seems so supportive, although there is a small voice in my head that says "pushy parent". However, you can't blame him for ITV's obsession with him and everything he does over the last few seasons. They did annoy me quite a bit if I'm honest. At least he is not an over rated loser like Button.

I think Kubica will be up there as BMW have spent a fair bit of time last season doing research into the new aerodynamic rules. I am also happy the scoring system has not changed as the current system has produced two seasons that came down to the last race, or even the last corner. Why change it now for a point system that might mean the season is over by race 12 or so?

[Grabbi Graeme]

Absolute joke for the FIA. they bring out the scoring changes and then have to back down

[Presty On Tour]

Publicity stunt perhaps?

The points rules have been the same since time began in all sports and who ever thought of changing the rules is an idiot. It would be like awarding the team in the premiership with the most wins the title instead of the team with the most points.

[Billy Castell]

I agree Presty, the new system is crap for the reason you stated. The FIA did tinker with the scoring system so the top 8 teams score points, and the winner of a race does not get 4 more points than the 2nd placed driver a few years ago, and it seems to have made the race for the title much closer. The FIA have thrown the baby out with the bath water with the changes in the point scoring system as they have tried to make the races more exciting. I think the new changes to the car would have been enough on their own, and needed time to bed in before the gold medals and that nonsense should be considered.

Mind you, the FIA are a bit crap and are only second to the ICC for being a useless international governing body.

[gillibrand]

I tend to watch the start were they all bump into one another and usually the finish, the in between bit is usually boring though the BBC will at least do away with the ad breaks!

[dave birch]

Gilli, you'd like the V8 supercars in Aussie. V8 muscle, and no quarter given. They look a bit like street cars, but that is where the similarity ends. They are capable of 250+kph

[gillibrand]

I must say I preferred Formula 1 when Mansell Senna and Prost used to battle it out, maybe getting shut of the pit stops would make it more competitive as that is were most of the overtaking is done!

[Billy Castell]

That's what the changes are intending to do. Hopefully, there will be less or no 'dirty air' behind the car, so there is no cushion preventing overtaking. We saw glimpses of the kind of excitement Gillibrand wants with Hamilton last season, and hopefully there will be a bit more.

[pg]

Publicity stunt perhaps?

Nope..more 'smoke'n'mirrors' from Max Mosely, who also proposed the 30 million pound budget cap at the same time. He also promised to bend the rules so that the 'capped teams' would be able to beat the 'uncapped teams'.

Please shoot Max and Bernie now.

[dave birch]

What do you reckon to the V8's pg?

[pg]

What do you reckon to the V8's pg?

Are you referring to the local taxi-racing series?

I give it all the attention it deserves... none whatsoever

[dave birch]

Come on pg, it's better as a race than the procession that is F1.

[pg]

Come on pg, it's better as a race than the procession that is F1.

No...its completely artificial.

Its essentially a 'spec series'. The technical regs are continually developing to ensure performance parity between the two makes. If one develops a performance advantage which is completely within the rules, they change the rules and either ban the change, or allow the other make to copy it.

F1 had some cracking races last year. Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Monza and Brazil were all-time classics.

[AlanK]

F1 does seem to be strugglling to shake off this boring image. I think it stems from the Schumacher era.

Its changed vastly since then and has the most talented pool of drivers seen in a long time.

You know whats boring right now? Football. Bet you can`t tell me who the top 4 drivers will be this year. Bet you could have told me who the top 4 teams in the prem would have been.

[jim mk2]

Good to see the return of the annual world paint-drying championships.

As usual the political schenanagans will be far more interesting than events on the track.

[SAS]

How can you say that after a championship was won with about 5 seconds left.

You wont see that in many other sports

[AlanK]

Must admit I am biased. getting fed up with the annual paint drying premier league. Utd, utd, utd.

If there is one sport that tv kills its F1. I defy anyone to go to Silverstone, stand at becketts corner and not be gobsmacked at what these cars do. Lets put it this way. We`ve all been overtaken by a motor bike right? Fast aren`t they? Then you have the Moto GP bikes. The fastest bikes around a track on this planet. Then imagine this. An F1 car will lap a Moto GP bike in just 4 laps. Thats how astonishing these machines are. To see F1, you have to go to the track and I am not talking corporate hospitality where you may see a flash of a car on a straight. Get out and about to the corners where the fans are.

Silverstone this year is only £49 all access on the Friday. 2 x 1 and a half hour practise sessions gives you more than enough time to wander around on the quietest of the days and see what really goes on. And don`t listen to Jim, does anyone these days?

[jim mk2]

Must admit I am biased. getting fed up with the annual paint drying premier league. Utd, utd, utd.

If there is one sport that tv kills its F1. I defy anyone to go to Silverstone, stand at becketts corner and not be gobsmacked at what these cars do. Lets put it this way. .................

Sorry but ludicrous cars going round track at high speed watched by petrolheads in anoraks is not my idea of excitement.

Max Mosley dressed up in Nazi uniform however ..........

[AlanK]

:D

[gillibrand]

A point was made by Rossi, when asked if he would switch to formula 1 he replied I prefer to do my overtaking on the circuit not in the pits .

[AlanK]

Sometimes waiting for a decent overtaking manovuere is like waiting for a goal in a game. Sometimes someone will overtake around the outside and sometimes the ball will hit the top corner. Other times its a stalemate and a 0-0 draw.

[gillibrand]

Or when they do overtake some one complains and then points are deducted!