RBR97
Jim Keyes
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Post by RBR97 on Oct 21, 2009 7:00:03 GMT
most interesting first lap of the season. wonder if kimi's eyebrows have started growing back?!?!
well done to button, hadn't made it easy after good start. Red Bull to win it next year!!!!
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Post by rangers on Oct 21, 2009 11:10:59 GMT
most interesting first lap of the season. wonder if kimi's eyebrows have started growing back?!?! well done to button, hadn't made it easy after good start. Red Bull to win it next year!!!! Cant see anyone but a merc powered car - whether its silver or white - winning next year. Don't forget that this years Brawn car was very much a 'bodge-job.' They only made 3 chassis all year - apparently Mclaren tend to make 6 or 7. There was no time or budget for Brawn to do that. With a chassis actually designed for the engine and transmission, next years should be even quicker. While I am happy for Jense, its Ross who i'm really pleased for. A genius, what he has achieved in this sport puts him in the same league as the true greats - and probably at the top of the pile as the greatest engineer ever.
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RBR97
Jim Keyes
Posts: 988
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Post by RBR97 on Oct 21, 2009 20:22:39 GMT
most interesting first lap of the season. wonder if kimi's eyebrows have started growing back?!?! well done to button, hadn't made it easy after good start. Red Bull to win it next year!!!! Cant see anyone but a merc powered car - whether its silver or white - winning next year. Don't forget that this years Brawn car was very much a 'bodge-job.' They only made 3 chassis all year - apparently Mclaren tend to make 6 or 7. There was no time or budget for Brawn to do that. With a chassis actually designed for the engine and transmission, next years should be even quicker. While I am happy for Jense, its Ross who i'm really pleased for. A genius, what he has achieved in this sport puts him in the same league as the true greats - and probably at the top of the pile as the greatest engineer ever. I don't think brawn will be in the mix next season. they just dont have the budget. The won all the races at the beginning with the massive investment Honda put in before they jumped ship. I believe Red Bull don't have an engine for next season yet. They want a merc power unit so that would deffinatly put them in the mix. If Mclaren have their way then looks like it'll be Cosworth in the back. good decision IMO considering they can still develop the engine!
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Post by rangers on Oct 21, 2009 21:23:08 GMT
Cant see anyone but a merc powered car - whether its silver or white - winning next year. Don't forget that this years Brawn car was very much a 'bodge-job.' They only made 3 chassis all year - apparently Mclaren tend to make 6 or 7. There was no time or budget for Brawn to do that. With a chassis actually designed for the engine and transmission, next years should be even quicker. While I am happy for Jense, its Ross who i'm really pleased for. A genius, what he has achieved in this sport puts him in the same league as the true greats - and probably at the top of the pile as the greatest engineer ever. I don't think brawn will be in the mix next season. they just dont have the budget. The won all the races at the beginning with the massive investment Honda put in before they jumped ship. I believe Red Bull don't have an engine for next season yet. They want a merc power unit so that would deffinatly put them in the mix. If Mclaren have their way then looks like it'll be Cosworth in the back. good decision IMO considering they can still develop the engine! I expect an increase in support from Merc for Ross next year. I would be surprised if the cossy is quick enough out the blocks for Red Bull to be there - although I believe that ford have permission to develop as the season goes, unlike other engines. If they have reno again they are screwed. If I were a betting man I'd back Lewis - but I will be supporting Nico (on the likely assumption he is in Brawn machinary) in the championship chase.
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Post by grumpyminer on Nov 5, 2009 12:43:24 GMT
Toyota pull out of F1 Link
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 5, 2009 13:57:21 GMT
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Post by rangers on Nov 5, 2009 14:34:45 GMT
Toyota pulling out is no major loss really. The blandest of all teams (until kobyashi), I personally will not miss them. Reno, a team with massive history in motor racing and F1 especially would be a bigger loss. Also puts RBR in a bad position as they were gunning for reno engines again - not expecting much from them next year.
With Bridgestone pulling out as well, F1 is at an important cross roads. The new teams have to measure up - and looking at reports that Lotus are 'copying' Force India's early season design, that aint gonna happen.
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Post by rangers on Nov 16, 2009 12:04:47 GMT
As expected (and all but announced) couple of months back, Merc buys 75% of Brawn. JB to McMerc and quick nick to brawn alongside Nico.
Bad move for JB - will be outclassed by Lewis. Not sure Nick is an upgrade on Rubi, especially with the work Rubi has done with Ross in the past.
Expect Nico to be a genuine star next year. The kid is just pure class.
Didnt expect McLaren to keep Merc engines for 6 more years mind. Helps them I guess
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 16, 2009 12:47:59 GMT
Bad move for Button? Not so sure about that. More money and a better car - quite possibly the best car. What driver wouldn't want that?
I wouldn't put money on him being outclassed by Hamilton either. I'd agree Hamilton has the advantage and may well do better, especially in the first year. I wouldn't go as far as to say JB will be outclassed though.
I can't see Brawn being a major force next year. Maybe the year after once the Merc money starts to have an effect, but not next year.
In any case Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams already have a full driver line-up and Merc seemingly want to put their own drivers into the Brawn team, Toyota and BMW have gone. If I was Button I'd jump at the chance of signing for McLaren. What would you do?
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Post by rangers on Nov 16, 2009 15:24:26 GMT
Bad move for Button? Not so sure about that. More money and a better car - quite possibly the best car. What driver wouldn't want that? I wouldn't put money on him being outclassed by Hamilton either. I'd agree Hamilton has the advantage and may well do better, especially in the first year. I wouldn't go as far as to say JB will be outclassed though. I can't see Brawn being a major force next year. Maybe the year after once the Merc money starts to have an effect, but not next year. In any case Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams already have a full driver line-up and Merc seemingly want to put their own drivers into the Brawn team, Toyota and BMW have gone. If I was Button I'd jump at the chance of signing for McLaren. What would you do? Lewis is the best driver out there. He has been at the team for 3 years. Jenson is a good driver, but not in the same class as Lewis. I think Brawn/Mercedes GP will be just as quick. Not sure why anyone would think not - yeah the mcmerc was good at the end of last season, but the B/MGP car will actually be designed for the regs/engine it will be using. Ross already said it will look more like a red bull this year, so development for the coming season is well underway. Difference is instead of having no budget like last year, they have the might of Mercedes behind them, so can carry out more development - so no mid-season drop. They have kept the cleverest man in F1. Given the choice of working for whitmarsh or Brawn, to me its a no brainer. If I was Jenson, and had the chance to stay as a number one at the double world champions, with a team built round him, or go to another team, who are losing a big investment - I think its an easy decision. Yeah, JB will get more money. But I think its a sideways step at best, racing wise.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 16, 2009 17:08:53 GMT
Bad move for Button? Not so sure about that. More money and a better car - quite possibly the best car. What driver wouldn't want that? I wouldn't put money on him being outclassed by Hamilton either. I'd agree Hamilton has the advantage and may well do better, especially in the first year. I wouldn't go as far as to say JB will be outclassed though. I can't see Brawn being a major force next year. Maybe the year after once the Merc money starts to have an effect, but not next year. In any case Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams already have a full driver line-up and Merc seemingly want to put their own drivers into the Brawn team, Toyota and BMW have gone. If I was Button I'd jump at the chance of signing for McLaren. What would you do? Lewis is the best driver out there. He has been at the team for 3 years. Jenson is a good driver, but not in the same class as Lewis. I think Brawn/Mercedes GP will be just as quick. Not sure why anyone would think not - yeah the mcmerc was good at the end of last season, but the B/MGP car will actually be designed for the regs/engine it will be using. Ross already said it will look more like a red bull this year, so development for the coming season is well underway. Difference is instead of having no budget like last year, they have the might of Mercedes behind them, so can carry out more development - so no mid-season drop. They have kept the cleverest man in F1. Given the choice of working for whitmarsh or Brawn, to me its a no brainer. If I was Jenson, and had the chance to stay as a number one at the double world champions, with a team built round him, or go to another team, who are losing a big investment - I think its an easy decision. Yeah, JB will get more money. But I think its a sideways step at best, racing wise. Until Merc bought Brawn, Brawn was more or less a team in decline. A big part of their success last year was due to the massive investment Honda put in. Honda even gave Brawn £150m as a parting gift to ensure they could compete last year (something they've incidentally received very little credit for). An even bigger part of their success last year was due to the massive advantage they started with due to exploiting a loop hole that most other teams didn't at the start of the season. They then managed to cling on as the others caught up. Has Brawn identified a new loop hole that might allow them to be at the front again next year? Maybe, but I doubt it. Now that Merc have bought the Brawn team, yes that makes the Brawn team an attractive option. However now that Merc have bought the Brawn team, does Button even have an offer from them? It appears not, with them wanting 2 German drivers. So Brawn may no longer even be an option for Button.
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Post by rangers on Nov 16, 2009 17:42:46 GMT
Lewis is the best driver out there. He has been at the team for 3 years. Jenson is a good driver, but not in the same class as Lewis. I think Brawn/Mercedes GP will be just as quick. Not sure why anyone would think not - yeah the mcmerc was good at the end of last season, but the B/MGP car will actually be designed for the regs/engine it will be using. Ross already said it will look more like a red bull this year, so development for the coming season is well underway. Difference is instead of having no budget like last year, they have the might of Mercedes behind them, so can carry out more development - so no mid-season drop. They have kept the cleverest man in F1. Given the choice of working for whitmarsh or Brawn, to me its a no brainer. If I was Jenson, and had the chance to stay as a number one at the double world champions, with a team built round him, or go to another team, who are losing a big investment - I think its an easy decision. Yeah, JB will get more money. But I think its a sideways step at best, racing wise. Until Merc bought Brawn, Brawn was more or less a team in decline. A big part of their success last year was due to the massive investment Honda put in. Honda even gave Brawn £150m as a parting gift to ensure they could compete last year (something they've incidentally received very little credit for). An even bigger part of their success last year was due to the massive advantage they started with due to exploiting a loop hole that most other teams didn't at the start of the season. They then managed to cling on as the others caught up. Has Brawn identified a new loop hole that might allow them to be at the front again next year? Maybe, but I doubt it. Now that Merc have bought the Brawn team, yes that makes the Brawn team an attractive option. However now that Merc have bought the Brawn team, does Button even have an offer from them? It appears not, with them wanting 2 German drivers. So Brawn may no longer even be an option for Button. Merc bosses say they want the best drivers - be they German, British or Martian. Jenson Button is good but not £8million good. Its clear Jenson has (will) move for money reasons rather than racing reasons. Poor choice. Red Bull also had their own trick suspension at the start of the season - and that was why they couldnt bring in the diffuser quickly. nowt to do with the loophole. Brawn were able to adapt their car to suit an engine and transmission the car was not designed for in a short amount of time. Red Bull were unable to adapt their car in a short amount of time, and lost the championship because of that. Williams also had the double diffuser. No success there... Brawn have the best engineer in the paddock. Worth more than any driver is. Brawn were a team in decline because of a lack of funds. They could only afford 3 chassis all season,(1 for Rubi, 1 for Jense and one spare) while McLaren were able to do a complete rebuild. Brawn now have those funds. Funds McLaren will have to find to buy engines. If McLaren did not have Lewis, then moving there might have been a good move for Jenson. But all he is doing is moving to be a number 2. at Brawn/Merc he would be at least equal number 1, probably the actual number 1.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 16, 2009 20:00:27 GMT
The McLaren engine deal is free for 6 years min.
As for the rest I guess it's just opinion and guess work atm. I don't claim to be able to predict the future but I reckon McLaren will have a stronger car than Brawn in 2010 and the bookies agree.
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 18, 2009 9:34:58 GMT
After a bit more thought on the Button to McLaren thing I reckon the biggest barrier to him beating Hamilton is probably going to be the fact that their driving styles are polar opposites and the car is likely to be designed to favour Hamilton's driving style. Having said that, next years cars are going to have a longer wheel base to enable them to carry more fuel, the longer wheel base and the need to preserve the tires while heavy with fuel will suit Button's style more than anyone else on the grid.
I'm not saying Button doesn't have a big job on his hands if he goes to McLaren. Hamilton will certainly be the favourite in the minds of everyone except Button and his most loyal fans. I just think it'll be a lot closer than a lot of people seem to think, and I still think that Button will be better off at McLaren than at any other team that still has space for a driver.
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Post by rangers on Nov 18, 2009 11:22:52 GMT
well its a done deal now. Which also means no Kimi next year.
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Post by Doughnut on Nov 18, 2009 11:49:42 GMT
well its a done deal now. Which also means no Kimi next year. There's always a silver lining Wouldn't be surprised to see him in another team though (despite what he's said in the past). There's still Renault, Brawn, STR & most the new lot yet to confirm their full driver lineup.
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Post by sparta on Nov 18, 2009 15:57:32 GMT
I'm a bit miffed that Kovalainen doesn't have a drive for McLaren now; I can't stand Hamilton.
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Star
Jade Galbraith
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Post by Star on Nov 18, 2009 16:46:26 GMT
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Dec 11, 2009 12:24:27 GMT
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Post by rangers on Dec 12, 2009 10:58:50 GMT
yeah, quite like the new points system. Would like points for pole and fastest lap too - especially now Quali is about being the fastest, not the lightest...
On another note, really hope Schuey comes back. Would make a very interesting title battle. Schuey v hamilton v massa v alonso v vettel (with Jense and Nico and Webber somewhere in the mix) That looks a potentially epic season.
And with the return of Lotus (no matter how unconnected from the Chapman/Clark and even Senna age) and Bruno Senna on the grid, I'm really looking forward to it.
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Post by gsheriston on Dec 23, 2009 16:35:35 GMT
On another note, really hope Schuey comes back. Would make a very interesting title battle. Schuey v hamilton v massa v alonso v vettel (with Jense and Nico and Webber somewhere in the mix) That looks a potentially epic season. Your wish is granted... Schumacher signs for Mercedes
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Post by Fraggle on Dec 24, 2009 13:13:26 GMT
Great news about Schumi - hope he can still cut it, 3 years is a long time to be out of the sport and Karting isn't exactly F1, but nobody can question Schumi's ambition or fitness - so hopefully it won't take too long for him to get back up to speed... Should make the races more exciting too - I still miss the Hakkinnen/Schumi battles Also happy about the new points system, new teams, new drivers...Roll on the start of the new season! Just hope there's a British GP on the calendar
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Post by rangers on Dec 24, 2009 13:53:08 GMT
Interestingly the new points would not have changed the winner of the title since Eddie Irvine v Mika.
Hakkinen was a talentless crash-prone prat, along with Hill and Villeneuve the worst world champions.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Apr 1, 2010 13:19:36 GMT
An interesting start to the season. Cracking race in Australia even if that was largely down to the weather. Button must be really regretting signing for McLaren like so many said he would, he must feel really silly
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Post by rangers on Apr 7, 2010 17:49:04 GMT
An interesting start to the season. Cracking race in Australia even if that was largely down to the weather. Button must be really regretting signing for McLaren like so many said he would, he must feel really silly We'll see at the end of the season. Its been an interesting first few races. Massa has done almost nothing and is at the top of the pile, Hamilton has made a few mistakes but seems to be the only driver to actually want to overtake. And Newey seems to have done it again.
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