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Post by grumpyminer on Jul 29, 2009 15:32:47 GMT
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Post by gsheriston on Jul 29, 2009 21:40:56 GMT
And just when you thught F1 couldn't get any stranger... Schumacher is back!Thankfully the news on Massa sounds encouraging, and hopefully we'll see him back in action sometime, but I doubt it will be this season.
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Post by Peacock on Jul 29, 2009 22:51:54 GMT
Luca Badoer and Marc Gene must be thrilled at the Schumacher news.
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Post by grumpyminer on Jul 30, 2009 14:43:16 GMT
Luca Badoer and Marc Gene must be thrilled at the Schumacher news. My thoughts exactly! Ferrari could have just made one very big mistake. Then again Badoer and Gene will still be paid handsomely to watch the 40-year-old German.
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Yotes
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Post by Yotes on Jul 30, 2009 18:46:02 GMT
Then again Badoer and Gene will still be paid handsomely to watch the 40-year-old German. Those two ain't exactly spring chickens themselves
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Post by rangers on Aug 8, 2009 12:26:35 GMT
To be fair, as soon as Massa was confirmed as being out, the only viable replacement was Schuey. Badoer and Gene just are not quick enough, and I dont think have raced since Schuey did anyway.
I also think that this could be the beginning of the end for Kimi. He wont like being the 'number 2' which, with Schuey in the other car he will be - no matter what is said by the team. And then with Alonso coming into Ferrari next year he will be a number 2 again.
Shame as Kimi is blindingly quick when he wants to be. But since becoming world champion, his heart just has not been in it. Ferrari should have gassed him a long time ago.
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Post by rangers on Aug 11, 2009 8:48:09 GMT
so no schuey and luca badoer comes in instead. Shame as the Valencia GP could have been a cracker with MS involved
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Aug 11, 2009 9:13:54 GMT
so no schuey and luca badoer comes in instead. Shame as the Valencia GP could have been a cracker with MS involved Shame indeed. Also, the lack of other suitable options makes me think 2 things. Firstly, Ferrari should have a young driver programme. Secondly, something needs to be done about these silly testing restrictions. I know they need to save money, but these test restrictions are harming the development of both cars and drivers. We now have a situation where both cars and drivers are having to be tested and developed in competitive track sessions like qualifying and races. Which is craziness. Aside from the obvious safety concerns regarding racing with unproven parts and drivers; I want to watch good cars and drivers racing not learner drivers (or test drivers that haven't raced for 10 years!) and cars that either fall apart or under-perform due to using many untested parts.
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Post by rangers on Sept 21, 2009 16:05:47 GMT
So Reno get off lightly and Flav and Symonds take the heat... Interesting call but inevitable, with the need for manufacturers to stay in F1. Losing Flav - whatever you think of him - is a major loss for the sport - he was a real character - and in sport in general they are dying breeds.
Anyway, onto more important matters - its a 2 horse race for the title now - Rubi v Jense. I can see Rubi edging it. He is the form driver, and is owed a bit of luck - not just from this year, but from the last 15. If he goes on and wins it, there will never be a more popular world champion. Whether he really is world champion material or not is another matter...(although in recent years Hill, Villeneuve and Hakkinen have proved that you dont have to be world champion material to win the title)
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Sept 21, 2009 19:27:40 GMT
So Reno get off lightly and Flav and Symonds take the heat... Interesting call but inevitable, with the need for manufacturers to stay in F1. Losing Flav - whatever you think of him - is a major loss for the sport - he was a real character - and in sport in general they are dying breeds. Flav, and Symonds are both quite a loss to F1 but had to go for obvious reasons. I reckon there's a better than 50-50 chance they'll both end up working in US motorsport (they like crashes over there - joke!). I think Renault got off very lightly, especially considering how heavily McLaren were penalised for their foul play. I can see why ("give me a red card and I'll take my ball home") but I'm not sure it's right.
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oldman
Simon Hunt
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Post by oldman on Sept 21, 2009 20:41:38 GMT
Why is nothing being done to Nelson Piquet junior, if Renault had not sacked him this would have stayed hidden so he must be culpable as well I realise that now probably no other team will touch him, but he is still as much at fault as at least Symonds!
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Sept 21, 2009 21:00:58 GMT
Why is nothing being done to Nelson Piquet junior, if Renault had not sacked him this would have stayed hidden so he must be culpable as well I realise that now probably no other team will touch him, but he is still as much at fault as at least Symonds! Same reason nothing was done to Alonso and Hamilton when McLaren pinched info from Ferrari. He (and they) were granted immunity by the FIA in return for a full account of what happened. Not that I agree with that. I think this situation where it's become OK for drivers to cheat as long as they're honest about it afterwards sucks big time. I don't think he's as much at fault as Symonds but if I was a team boss I certainly wouldn't want him driving for me and I imagine he'll be getting a pretty frosty reception from any drivers he's around for a while too. I'm finding it hard to get my head around what he did and why his dad let him. Not only the cheating and putting everyone's lives at risk, but to then decide to come clean about it after the team dropped him a year later just seems incredibly stupid - no team manager with any sense will touch him with a barge pole after that.
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Post by Peacock on Sept 21, 2009 21:55:15 GMT
Why is nothing being done to Nelson Piquet junior, if Renault had not sacked him this would have stayed hidden so he must be culpable as well Because he was offered 'immunity' if he gave evidence. Also, Piquet Sr. has made it clear that he spoke to Charlie Whiting about the incident at last years Brazilian GP. It was on the back of this that the FIA instructed Quest to start an investigation that lead to the hearing. If it had been kept quiet, the FIA would have been just as much to blame as anyone else. As for the penalty, in light of what McLaren got, I think it stinks.
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Post by rangers on Sept 22, 2009 9:51:14 GMT
I think it is clear that the FIA were soft on Reno because they need to keep manufacturers in the sport. Whether that means they got the correct penalty or not, is irrelivant, I think. The FIA looked at the bigger picture - they punished 2 of the 3 involved, and those penalties were about right, and will probably keep Reno in the sport.
This problem that peopel have about the fIA and McLaren - if McLaren keep breaking the rules, which they have done in recent times, of course they will get big penalties. No other team breaks the rules more than McLaren. I cant see why people think the FIA have it in for them when it it bleeding obvious what the problem is.
Piquet snr seems a nasty piece of work - yet to hear anyone with a good word to say about him.
Piquet jrs performances made him unemployable - nothing to do with the crashgate thing
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Sept 22, 2009 11:43:50 GMT
The thing is if they went soft on Renault because they want to keep manufacturers in the sport, they may be keeping their eye on the big picture but I think they're missing the bigger big picture. The FIA are responsible for ensuring fair play and fair punishment, I think going soft on a team because they want them to stay in damages the FIA's authority and credibility. It's the FIA that have boxed themselves into this corner, if they think they need the manufacturers then they shouldn't have spent most of this year trying to drive them away.
I'm no fan of McLaren, far from it, I just think that either they shouldn't have been punished so heavily or Renault should be punished more heavily. It's not exactly Renault's first offence either.
Piquet Jrs performances may have made him unemployable in a racing role for a big F1 team, he could still have had a role as a test/reserve driver or in a lower team (especially given the size of the grid from next season). Even if he couldn't stay in F1 his performances were still good enough to suggest he could have done well in another formula. IMO his role in the crashgate saga makes him unemployable in any serious motor-racing formula. I certainly wouldn't employ him if I was a team boss in any formula that pays for drivers or needs to keep secrets.
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Post by Peacock on Sept 22, 2009 13:04:36 GMT
I think it is clear that the FIA were soft on Reno because they need to keep manufacturers in the sport. Whether that means they got the correct penalty or not, is irrelivant, I think. The FIA looked at the bigger picture - they punished 2 of the 3 involved, and those penalties were about right, and will probably keep Reno in the sport. So because a team threatened to sulk and take thier ball home, they were less heavily punished than the team that accepted they had broken the rules and took thier punishment? (Ignoring the fact that one was a technical transgression and one put people's lives at risk) That is a very weak argument for the penalty Renault got.
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Post by rangers on Sept 23, 2009 18:37:17 GMT
There was a great piece in Autosport comparing it to football - basically not as bad as a keeper letting in goals deliberatley, but a bit worse than a player diving. It basically said the whole thing had been blown out of all proportion by the 'casual fan that is polluting our sport.' Maybe a little over the top, but to be honest, i see the point its no worse than the fixed results that have been going on in the sport since it was started. It only looks really bad in the wake of the Surtees and Massa incidents, to be fair. Its team orders. and in that sense, its not a lot worse than schuey and rubi, Schuey and Eddie, Mika and DC, Senna and Berger etc etc etc.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Sept 23, 2009 19:50:07 GMT
There was a great piece in Autosport comparing it to football - basically not as bad as a keeper letting in goals deliberatley, but a bit worse than a player diving. It basically said the whole thing had been blown out of all proportion by the 'casual fan that is polluting our sport.' Maybe a little over the top, but to be honest, i see the point its no worse than the fixed results that have been going on in the sport since it was started. It only looks really bad in the wake of the Surtees and Massa incidents, to be fair. Its team orders. and in that sense, its not a lot worse than schuey and rubi, Schuey and Eddie, Mika and DC, Senna and Berger etc etc etc. I think there's a big difference. First there's the danger aspect, secondly the examples you give above are of team orders being used when team orders were within the rules - they no longer are.
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Post by rangers on Sept 23, 2009 20:56:11 GMT
Whilst its not really relavant, team orders should be allowed. Its a team sport, for crying out loud!
I agree the danger side of it makes it worse. But I think the seriousness has been over exaggerated.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Sept 28, 2009 9:17:45 GMT
If Bernie had got his way with his wins over points plan, Button would now be World Champion and his championship winning race win would have been way back at the start of June when he last won a race.
I know that with a 15 point lead Button is clear favorite for the title, but with 3 races left he still can't exactly coast to the end of the season with a grin on his face. If Suzuka happens to result in a win for Rubens and a DNF for Button (or Button finishes outside the points due to playing safe or just being off the pace) there'd only be 5 points left in it with 20 to play for. Stranger things have happened.
I'm glad Bernie didn't get his way.
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RBR97
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Post by RBR97 on Oct 16, 2009 18:40:44 GMT
fingers cross for another button no finish and Vettel winning the race!!! just a shame it look like Red Bull can't win the constructors!
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Post by spik on Oct 17, 2009 20:24:20 GMT
And the rain fell....whoosh.Vettal 16th after Q1.Opps
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Post by spik on Oct 17, 2009 20:28:11 GMT
Button 14th and team mate Pole........Still interesting.
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Post by rangers on Oct 17, 2009 21:04:14 GMT
set up for a great championship finish. Would love to see Rubi win it!
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Post by gsheriston on Oct 18, 2009 18:25:01 GMT
Didn't go to the game tonight specifically to watch the Brazillian GP. Brilliant race I thought, some great overtaking - but will not spoil the results for those who have recorded it.
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