OT: Racing 2008-2009 (Spoiler Alert)

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:49 am

You would figure Alonso would have something to do with it.

Once I read the story I had a feeling the stewards were going to penalize them when it was reported they were cruising in the racing line.

Still McLaren has been very impressive early into the season.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:23 pm

I thought the McLarens were no more in the way than Kubica. And Heidfeld and Alonso just happened to catch Massa at a much better spot on the track.

But as Kubica said, it was quite dangerous. They need to put a rule in place to prevent these guys from putting around the track until it is all clear, otherwise this will continue to happen and penalties could randomly be handed out depending on where a car is when they get passed by another driver on a flyer.

I'm hoping for rain as well, that always makes for an interesting race.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:37 am

This is a question for Adam. What's your take on the F1 broadcast deal move to the BBC next year? I personally smell a rat. Something tells me Max and Bernie did this to get back at Martin Brundle for last years criticism of the FIA. It got so bad that they threatened to sue the network Martin worked for.

I don't remember all the details but I do remember Martin making his case and the FIA threatening him with legal action. It's really a shame if this is the end result because Martin Brundle is one of my favorite ITV personalities during the race. He just seems like a happy go lucky kind of guy. I also like his insight during the race to give the fans a perspective of what's taking place from a former drivers point of view.

It's been rumored on the Autosport or F1-Live website that David Coulthard is rumored to be in the top spot for Martin's job at the BBC in the event David doesn't find a ride next year.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:00 pm

So, did anyone else notice that Ferrari seemed to have no lollipop man in their pits? I found it very odd, but it didn't seem to affect their quickness in getting out as soon as that fuel rig was removed. Or was I just not seeing it?

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:36 pm

Rod, if Bernie had that much of a problem with Martin, I suspect it'd be easier to stop giving him a press pass for the races. Besides, there's nothing at all to stop the BBC employing him for next year, and I'd be absolutely amazed if they didn't do that, given that the vast majority of British viewers consider Brundle to be the best sports analyst on television, bar none.

The main, and perhaps only, reason to consider a different analyst would be that MB last raced a Formula One car in 1996, so someone with more recent experience of a Grand Prix weekend might be desired (DC would fit that bill perfectly, and since Brundle manages his career perhaps there's a foot in the door already). Saying that, Martin still drives the current-spec cars and reads a race weekend perfectly well, so we'll see.

ITV are a commercial channel, which the BBC aren't, and it's a fact that viewing figures in the UK are lower now than at almost any point since ITV took over F1 broadcasting in 1997. Even so, I do tend to think there's much more to it than the network would have us believe - I don't think it's Brundle, though, nor would I have any real idea of what it could be.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:46 pm

Oh, yes, the race.

Webber's a very effective roadblock, isn't he? Strong drive from him, though he ended up not very far ahead of his teammate, who lost almost all his Friday running when the car fell to bits. Still waiting to see this leap in pace Red Bull were meant to be making - they've appeared so far to be at exactly the same level this year as last.

It says something for the aerodynamics of these modern cars that Hamilton can spend an entire stint sat behind Webber, then immediately pull out 10 or so seconds of gap when Mark pits. After the pit stop problem, did Lewis ever threaten to make a move on the Red Bull? It's reasonable to assume that without the pit issue Lewis would have wound up third and maybe edged Kubica for second, but Ferrari had McLaren's number today in any event.

I hope for Massa's sake that a car failure put him off the road. Even a car lacking TC should be pretty easy to keep a hold of through turns 7 and 8. His teammate was utterly dominant.

I wanted to mention the two veteran Italians, Trulli and Fisichella - both men put together strong races, and Toyota especially seem to have more pace than anyone expected.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:29 pm

Thanks for the insight into MB and ITV. I hope he lands a job with the BBC. I never really cared for the race announcer.

Regarding Massa the team said this:

"The team said Massa had clouted the kerb on the exit of Turn 6, stalling the car's aerodynamics and meaning he had too much downforce on the front when he started to turn in. That meant the Brazilian lost the rear end of his car.

Despite Massa's retirement, Domenicali was delighted with today's result."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66056

It sounds to me like Felipe shanked it a bit.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:06 pm

I'm assuming the race announcer you don't care for is James Allen, in which case it's you and 90% of those who listen to him. One of the main points raised by those commenting on the move to BBC is that replacing James Allen as main commentator ought be a priority (since the BBC is funded by the UK television licence fee, people seem to think they can have an influence on these things, or have more cause to complain when the BBC top brass don't listen). He was, though, an excellent pit reporter.

As far as Felipe, it does sound like a shank - the exit of turn 6 isn't particularly close to where he spun either, so either there's been a bit of Chinese whispers going on somewhere or it's a very, very polite way of calling their driver a prat.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:26 pm

It's a shame we can't reunite Murry and Martin.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:55 am

GB_Simo wrote: As far as Felipe, it does sound like a shank - the exit of turn 6 isn't particularly close to where he spun either, so either there's been a bit of Chinese whispers going on somewhere or it's a very, very polite way of calling their driver a prat.

The Alonso and Vettel rumors have already begun with the struggles Massa has been having two races in a row. It's been suggested he's having trouble coping with the loss of traction control. And ironically Massa expressed concerns in the off season regarding this.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 4300.shtml

"It is too early to talk about team transfers," he is quoted as saying by the newspaper Diario AS, "but Massa has had two bad races with errors and it is logical that people are talking about Vettel and me."

Although Ferrari analysts have not yet confirmed definitively the cause of Massa's terminal spin at Sepang, it is believed that the Brazilian simply made a mistake.

In Australia just over a week ago, the 26-year-old similarly spun, leading to suggestions that Massa is struggling to adapt to life without traction control - a driver aid he has enjoyed since debuting in F1 in 2002."

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:53 pm

Rod, I'm long since past the point where I'd believe a word the Spanish publications said, but the Alonso-Ferrari rumours have been rumbling on for months.

Even with traction control in his Sauber days, Massa sometimes had a tendency to look like a travelling accident so his struggles to adapt to a Formula car without TC (and, to give him credit, he's been perfectly open about the difficulty he's had) shouldn't be a major surprise. He's quick, so if he can get on top of things quickly there'll be no reason to replace him. If he can't, then he shouldn't be in Formula One in any case.

I'm not wholly certain why, given Alonso's tendency towards non-competitive teammates and Raikkonen's oft-apparent ambivalence towards this whole motor racing business, people aren't focussing more on the idea that Fernando might represent the Prancing Horse with Felipe, not instead of him.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:26 pm

GB_Simo wrote:I'm assuming the race announcer you don't care for is James Allen, in which case it's you and 90% of those who listen to him. One of the main points raised by those commenting on the move to BBC is that replacing James Allen as main commentator ought be a priority (since the BBC is funded by the UK television licence fee, people seem to think they can have an influence on these things, or have more cause to complain when the BBC top brass don't listen). He was, though, an excellent pit reporter.

On to Massa. He clearly lost it in that turn at Sepang, regardless of whatever "losing aero" excuse the team mustered.

Ballsy drives by Trulli and Webber, holding off Alonso and Hamilton, respectively. I've never thought much of either Jarno or Mark's racecraft, but they were tough yesterday against two of the most voracious, relentless overtakers in F1.

Looks like Melbourne was a false dawn for my team, Williams. Rosberg and Nakajima were out to lunch last weekend.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:27 pm

PK, I've still got a Stop The Cock t-shirt somewhere. You also reminded me of something else - some determined Googling (because I'm buggered if I can find the archive from the new Sniff Petrol site) turned up a Sniff Petrol favourite of mine, inspired by an incident at your place of work:

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:20 pm

That's great, Adam!

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:56 pm

Alonso, Ferrari links are heating up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 312280.stm

"I could quit Renault, says Alonso"

Fernando Alonso has said he can leave Renault at the end of this season.

The double champion, who returned to the team after a stormy year with McLaren, has had a disappointing start to the season in an uncompetitive car.

"I'm at Renault because I wanted to get back to winning, like in 2005 and 2006, if not this year then next year," Alonso told Spanish newspaper As.

"But I have an option to leave so I can be in the best possible car, and it is clear Ferrari is one of the best."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is known to regard Alonso highly.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:25 pm

Alonso is a f*ck. If he couldn't mentally handle Hamilton at McLaren, what makes him think he can handle Kimi at Ferrari, especially when Kimi is as good or better than Lewis?

There's no way Ferrari will grant No. 1 status to Alonso next season by right, especially since Kimi won a title for the Scuderia in 2007. Alonso will need to earn that status, something he had tons of trouble with last season at McLaren.

And for those who think Ferrari will ditch Kimi to make way for an Alonso-Massa pairing in 2009, come on. Kimi said on the record over the winter that he loved driving for Ferrari. Don't mistake his insouciance toward the vanilla world of F1 as a lack of passion for the pure joy of driving and racing a great F1 car.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:32 pm

I agree with your analysis PK. The only way Alonso would join Ferrari is if they sacked Massa. He really needs to pick up his game especially with no traction control. I like Felipe as a driver and he seems like a nice guy but he needs to stop with the spin outs. That's two races in a row he lost his car.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:36 pm

From what's being said by people who speak more Spanish than me, the Alonso thing is being blown out of proportion by the Spanish media, and in his original interview he said he had no plans to leave Renault but admitted when pressed that he could, if he so wished.

That he's a f*ck, though, stands regardless of how true the information in the above paragraph is.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:11 pm

Come one, come all for the most unlikely sex scandal to have ever graced a UK Sunday tabloid...tiny bit NSFW, this, and equally unsafe after a heavy meal:

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/3003_nazi_orgy.shtml

****MOTO GP SPOILERS****

Meanwhile, back at the racing, turns out that Australian fella is human after all. I imagine Suzuki and Kawasaki will be happy with the results of Capirossi and Hopkins, at least in terms of position; there's a pretty chunky gap to bridge before they can be content with their overall pace.

Is Pedrosa doing something special off the start or is his pace off the line simply one of the advantages of being small?

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:35 pm

GB_Simo wrote:Come one, come all for the most unlikely sex scandal to have ever graced a UK Sunday tabloid...tiny bit NSFW, this, and equally unsafe after a heavy meal:

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/3003_nazi_orgy.shtml

Good god is that funny, it's like a seen out of Animal House. "Thank you sir may I have another".

All of a sudden I don't care what happened at the Bike race today.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:21 pm

A more serious, upsetting story for fans of British motorsport. It's being reported that two of the occupants of a Cessna Citation that crashed into a housing estate in Farnborough, Kent earlier today were ex-BTCC and sportscar star David Leslie and veteran team owner Richard Lloyd.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... xml&page=1

Looking at the report, it's a miracle that nobody on the ground was killed; I suppose if a plane really has to hit your house, you want it to happen just before you come back from a holiday, while you're still somewhere else.

I know Lloyd's team were involved in Group C, ran the BTCC Audi works effort and went on to develop the Audi R8 and Bentley Speed 8, but I can't claim to know a lot about Lloyd himself. I grew up watching David Leslie, though - he was always a favourite of mine, never afraid to have a go on the track or speak his mind off it and damn the consequences. He was still racing at a lower level, though I can't claim to have seen him drive since he left BTCC, and had developed into a fine commentator for Eurosport and Motors TV in the UK. Their passing, along with their pilots and another passenger, is terrible news.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:44 pm

Sad news indeed...RIP.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:38 am

Yeah, that's really horrible. I came to know about Leslie through the original TOCA video game by Codemasters for the PSX and then through the early years of my Autosport subscription in the late 90s.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:13 am

Reaction to the Mosley scandal.

No comment from FIA over Mosley scandal
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66248

Mosley caught in alleged racist sex scandal
FIA President consulting with lawyers
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 1611.shtml

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:04 am

As if I needed another reason to dislike Max Mosley.

Pretty good Grand Am race this weekend also, my boys finished 3rd.