Lots of changes over the last three months. Drivers have changed teams, teams have changed owners, team principles have come and gone, Ferrari and Bernie have pissed off all the other nine teams! Just the usual winter break madness in F1!

Can't wait for the opening race this weekend.

Will BAR manage to win a race this season? Will Farraris' 2004 car spec be better then Williams/Maclarens 2005 spec? Will Trulli and Ralf be able to build up Toyota? How about DC in the new Red Bull? What about the Midland group who bought out Jordan, can they turn the team around? What about the new engine/tyre rules? Will the new qualifying rules make for a better race?

Predicitons anyone?

Re: F1 season gets underway!

formula 1, the only reason to stay home on a sat night and watch the race live at 2am in NY.

love it.

hope kimmi can turn it up and begging for schumi to let ruenbino take the crown for once.

also loving the champ car series too.

Re: F1 season gets underway!

sweet, can't wait!

schumacher as usual this year?

I stopped watching a couple of years ago. It really lost its magic after Senna's death, became really boring for me.

Now I just watch the WRC and the Deustche Tourenwagen Masters. Much better :)

Re: F1 season gets underway!

DUDES,

if you like F1, you MUST check out the champ car series. F1 ideals about speed and actual tracks, but add in the NASCAR idea of equating the feild as ebst they can. makes for very very exciting racing and they have a Ton of street courses. paul tracy is a brilliant driver.

tell me about it mate. Im literally counting down the hours until Melbourne this weekend!

Montoya and Kimi in one team - now that wil be interesting!!!

f.

montoya is a cunt. so overrated. i mean if he was the only one on the track he could be good, but the man cannot preform under pressure at all. dont ask for evidence, just go watch last year. kimmi however is great and has an extremely bright future. also, takuma sato is an exceptional driver , just his team is nowhere near on par with the likes of the big 3

Frisky, I think Montoya and Kimi in the same team will lead to some interesting racing considering neither driver is prepared to play second fiddle to the other. I'm sure Maclaren were well aware of this when they took on Montoya. Its nice to think that at least some teams in the paddock will actually allow their drivers to race each other!

thesightless, not sure your assesment of Montoya is correct, his performance last year probably had more to do with the fact that Williams didn't quite get their act together for most of the season, and lets not forget that he did win in Brazil last year.

Although i agree with you about Sato, he certainly showed exceptional form last year when his engine didn't die on him, he's clearly overshadowed by the far superior Button. I also believe that his team, BAR who came in second in the championship last year, certainly proved that they can take on what you call the 'big 3' (although not quite sure who the big 3 might be nowadays especially as BAR and Renualt beat Williams and Maclaren last year).

I hope the Button gets his first win early in the season and that BAR shows that last year was not a one off but the culmination of a number of years of hard developent work.

for me, its all about barrichello. been a huge fan of his from F3 till now. he is such a quiet winner. if schumi wasnt arond he'd have the title twice now. he is so good, but loses a lot due to his teammate and the brad name itself.

F1 :RockOn: I've been watching for about 16 years now, I don't miss GPs.

This should be a good season, especially the first few races which will be a mad scramble for the teams to come to terms with the new rules and tires. Melborne's low grip track is going to be a skating rink with these long life tires. HOPEFULLY the aero changes will indeed allow the cars to follow more closely through the corners, which would lead to more passing oppertunities. Hopefully....

They say McLaren and Renault have been the best over winter testing, but watch out for Ferrari, as usual. Plus winter testing means ungatz anyway.

There will be some interesting driver battes this year, no doubt headed up by Kimi v JPM. I think they are both fast, but Kimi is more professional is his mind game, while JPM tends to be his own undoing too often.

Fissi and Alonso will be another one to watch. Fissi is one of the most highly rated drivers but has had an Alesi like career so far. Now he gets perhaps his best shot yet, but Alonso for his part looks to be a future Champion. I wonder if Flavio will even give GF a fair shot, since FA is his fair haired boy. Well see....

Can BAR keep it up? Button needs to win this year, no bullshit. He showed us something last year, including some toughness that I wasn't expecting, but now the real results must finally come.

The return of Jacques Villynoove. I suspect he has lost his touch, or at least his desire, but I'd like for him to prove me wrong. Those couple of races at the end of last year looked all too familiar, but that was apparently a tough car to drive, and it's no mean feat to just step into an unfamiliar car and go quick, so I'll try to forget that and hope he can get more out of the Sauber (doubt it!).

Toyota, talk about time to deliver, these guys have the biggest budget and have done nada. Now they have two top quality drivers and the rule changes should help them as it skakes up the pecking order a bit.

They say Red Bull will be a bit of a surprise. I'd like to see that just to demonstraight what a mismanaged operation Jaguar was.

Well, only thing left is to say FORZA FERRARI :mrgreen: :RockOn:

[img]http://www.maksportnet.com/avtosvet/images/devojki/F1-%20baby.jpg[/img] [b] I will be watching![/b]

just saw some of the f1's zipping through the city.. was such a weird feeling. 2 minardi's and a bmw

Re: F1 season gets underway!

[quote=thesightless]DUDES,

if you like F1, you MUST check out the champ car series. F1 ideals about speed and actual tracks, but add in the NASCAR idea of equating the feild as ebst they can. makes for very very exciting racing and they have a Ton of street courses. paul tracy is a brilliant driver.[/quote]

indeed. the CART series was very exciting last season. i'm not sure that i agree with all of the rules changes they've made over the past couple years, but i has made for some outstanding racing. i am SO excited for the silicon valley gp.

[b]asdf_admin[/b], the chick in the pic has a wierd looking face

There?s even a Portuguese guy in there this year, Tiago Monteiro for Jordan!

I will be following it with extra attention, even though I?m afraid he will suck sweaty balls.

seems the bosses at F1 have a nigh on impossibe task of trying to make this an intersting sport again, bring back the days of Mansell and Hill :wink:

maybe they'll have to drive blindfolded next year in go carts :roll:

I wait this time!!!! :twisted:

Re: F1 season gets underway!

I am a big fan of F1 also , really hate schummi , i know he is the best at the moment but think he is a big cunt and a moma's boy when it comes to him loosing , i wish Raikkonen will be able to win this year ( big fan of Mc Laren ), also what you guys mentioned about Montoya and Kimmie on the same team doesnt seem normal to me ( hate the colombian also ) , I guess the first few races will be fierce.

Got to laugh at Coulthard, now drivivng for Red Bull!!

Good luck to Button, i'll be watching :wink:

[quote=barkup]Got to laugh at Coulthard, now drivivng for Red Bull!!

Good luck to Button, i'll be watching :wink:[/quote]

I'm no DC fan (he had his chance), but in this case I think he has something to offer (experience) to a "new" team.

i lost intrest in cart when irl and cart spilt up..still watch f1, i just love how much money and technolgy goes into biulding one of the f1 cars

i hated that split up. it fucking made both sides lame. at least F1 keeps it real. :RockOn:

f1 is heading in that direction unless bernie can get all the teams to sign

[quote=fishingnut]f1 is heading in that direction unless bernie can get all the teams to sign[/quote]

Bernie is a money hungry cunt.

f.

Re: F1 season gets underway!

i bet on Schumi of course!!!

JV never had a touch. That year he won was a result of the McLaren and Ferrari teams having a lot of problems that year and he was always in a very steady car. That is the ONLY reason he was the champ that year. And that is also why he's only been on the podium two to three times since. People keep putting him higher than he deserves to be because he "Won" that championship that year. Hell I could drive better than that putz. I bet a bunch of you guys and gals could too!

Since Mikka isn't racing anymore I'll have to go with Kimi seeing how he kinda looks and drives like Mikka.

[quote=Kinetic]There?s even a Portuguese guy in there this year, Tiago Monteiro for Jordan!

I will be following it with extra attention, even though I?m afraid he will suck sweaty balls.[/quote]

There is also an indian guy.. surely dodging cows, goats and other traffic hazards in Bombay has trained him well enough to take the correct line into corners =) Also for jordan

Schumacher will leave them behind no matter if he uses the 2004 car or not. :RockOn: After getting the 2005 Ferrari he will just destroy them. :Naughty:

[quote=Trinity][quote=Kinetic]There?s even a Portuguese guy in there this year, Tiago Monteiro for Jordan!

I will be following it with extra attention, even though I?m afraid he will suck sweaty balls.[/quote]

There is also an indian guy.. surely dodging cows, goats and other traffic hazards in Bombay has trained him well enough to take the correct line into corners =) Also for jordan[/quote]

:lol:

Believe me, dodging traffic in Lisbon is not much different. But instead of cows and goats you get stupid assholes who all think they?re your everyday Schumacher and old people who make jaywalking a sport.

what is happening with minardi, those ferarri assholes wont allow them to drive in their old car. Those dudes have nothing to fear from a team like minardi. Even Jordan doesnt mind. A typical action by the ferarri team which doesnt make sense

Actually Ferraris actions make lots of sense for Ferrari. They're pissed with Paul Stoddart and his campaign to limit testing and his outspoken views on the role of Ferrari in F1.

The thing which they don't seem to understand is that all the accusations about Ferrari which have thrown by Stoddart are being reinforced by their current position.

This is likely to turn into a PR nightmare to Ferrari, one which to be quite honest they have brought on themselves. They need to finally realise that Formula 1 is more than just Ferrari, no matter how long they have been in it or even led it. Clearly they have a superior package, one they have spent years building up, but if in three years time they only have themselves to race against, it will mean diddlysquat!

I didn't know some of you lot watch F1. I love F1 as well as WRC :D Unfortunately, my apartment has a contract with a very exclusive (read: obscure) cable company and their cable rates are out of this world. So I don't get Speed channel here and consequently don't get to watch some of the races. Instead i'm forced to go to Hooters, drink beer and catch some WRC and F1 races there (awww shucks!).

I know some of you guys will find this funny but I've actually got a set of Fila FMS02 Schumacher race shoes that I wear when I drive my RX-7, mainly because I find the pedal feeling MUCH more comfortable than my K-swiss trainers. The K swisses make heel/toe downshifts difficult too whereas the Filas are a joy. BTW, I used to road race a MKIII Toyota Supra back in 96-97 at Watkins-Glen, Lime Rock, NE and Mid-ohio :D Cheers!

nice^^

Re: F1 season gets underway!

Guys you can bash Shumacher all you want the fact remains he is the best driver out there. And calling a guy a cunt who gives so fucking much for charity like the tsunami disaster isn't a cunt in my book.

Don't get me wrong though i REALLY want some good competition going on at the top and i am by no means a schumacher or ferrari fan.

Muggeh, I agree. If I didn't like Schumacher I would have a legit reason for it. For example if he were a dirty driver, made bad press remarks or was socially unattached then yes I think those are all good reasons not to like him. But I think if the man is succesful and humble at the same time well then good for Schummi.

I don't follow F1 nearly as closely as some of you, however I have heard other drivers complain and the media make remarks that Schummi is simply driving a better car than everyone. If THAT were true, then I guess other teams might have to start coming up with better cars? I've heard alot of other drivers are thinking "If I were in that car(Ferrari), I could have won...." Kind of makes me go hmmmmm :)

You can't separate one from the other. Schumacher is successful because Ferrari is so good, but Ferrari is so good thanks to Schumacher.

Ferrari was basically shit when he arrived there, they had won a single race in 4 years. Since then they have been dominant-- 6 WDC's, 7 WCC's countless race wins.

Schumacher is far more than the guy who drives the car, he is the central figure at Ferrari. He brought in Brawn (technical director) and Byrne (designer), he developed the car, he motivated everyone to work their best, and he delivered the results.

Jealous rivals cannot simply expect to step into MS's seat and reap all the benefits of his hard work, that must be earned and built from the ground up.

As for his media persona, MS is calculating and a master of spin. He thinks before he speaks (most of the time) and usually has a plan for what he wants to accomplish with his comments. I have always found him appropriately humble and complementary when necessary, and critical when the times called for it. Those that appreciate someone who speaks from the heart, like Montoya does, will not like MS's measured approach, and vice versa.

Schumi was a fantastic driver ever since he got into F-1 and you can see that in the old F-1 Decade shows they have on Speed Channel. He was kicking up Mr. Hill's ass back when he first started. And Damon was the man back then.

[quote=Kobe]You can't separate one from the other. Schumacher is successful because Ferrari is so good, but Ferrari is so good thanks to Schumacher.

Ferrari was basically shit when he arrived there, they had won a single race in 4 years. Since then they have been dominant-- 6 WDC's, 7 WCC's countless race wins.

Schumacher is far more than the guy who drives the car, he is the central figure at Ferrari. He brought in Brawn (technical director) and Byrne (designer), he developed the car, he motivated everyone to work their best, and he delivered the results.

Jealous rivals cannot simply expect to step into MS's seat and reap all the benefits of his hard work, that must be earned and built from the ground up.

As for his media persona, MS is calculating and a master of spin. He thinks before he speaks (most of the time) and usually has a plan for what he wants to accomplish with his comments. I have always found him appropriately humble and complementary when necessary, and critical when the times called for it. Those that appreciate someone who speaks from the heart, like Montoya does, will not like MS's measured approach, and vice versa.[/quote]

True.dat. Other drivers are drivers. He?s a driver and an engineer. He is involved in the process of making the car better like no other car driver on the Formula 1 circus. People telling that he?s only good because Ferrari is good are wrong. If he would change the team he would be nr. 1 in a year or 2 as well because he would push things forward.

Re: F1 season gets underway!

i?ll be following the championship

it could be a great year, with that changes lets look what can ferrari makes. and of course the other teams [size=6][b] GO MONTOYA :!: :!: :!: [/b][/size]

I'm hoping Mark Webber has a good year this season. I've had him marked ever since he got that Minardi home in 6th place in Melbourne 3 years ago.