| Dr. WOT | 03-07-2005 02:55 PM |
[QUOTE=KoneKiller] If MS hadn't done what he did, we would have called it a brilliant and sportsmanlike pass. [/QUOTE]
IF... NH could have made the corner. It looked to me like an unlikely lunge, which MS played into by forcing NH off the track. It reminded me a lot of Jerez 97 where I didn't think JV could have made that pass stick, but both times MS takes the bait. <shakes head in disappointment>
I think the new qual format has potential, but I don't like Q2 taking place on Sunday. I thought it was anticlimatic to both qual and the race, and it was absurd having a driver's interview just before the race itself. Also with SPEED showing Q2 immediately before the race, that makes for a VERY long sitting. I think both qual sessions should be on Saturday.
I agree with Kevin, let's see what the Malaysian heat does for tire wear, Melbourne was cooler than usual and the track is not know for being abrasive so tire degradation may be a factor yet.
Great job by GF, flawless weekend for a great guy. I'd love to see him as a title contender.
Jacques, oh boy. Here we go again!
I'm impressed to see DC having an impact at Red Bull. I suspect this drive was one of those days when DC gets it all right, but even if his driving returns to a more DC-like form, I'm glad he is having such a positive impact on the team.
Final thought is that this loophole to the 2 weekend engine rule is total rubbish! We now have an incentive for drivers to pull into the garage, what a perversion of racing! :furious: The FIA must fix this immediately.
IF... NH could have made the corner. It looked to me like an unlikely lunge, which MS played into by forcing NH off the track. It reminded me a lot of Jerez 97 where I didn't think JV could have made that pass stick, but both times MS takes the bait. <shakes head in disappointment>
I think the new qual format has potential, but I don't like Q2 taking place on Sunday. I thought it was anticlimatic to both qual and the race, and it was absurd having a driver's interview just before the race itself. Also with SPEED showing Q2 immediately before the race, that makes for a VERY long sitting. I think both qual sessions should be on Saturday.
I agree with Kevin, let's see what the Malaysian heat does for tire wear, Melbourne was cooler than usual and the track is not know for being abrasive so tire degradation may be a factor yet.
Great job by GF, flawless weekend for a great guy. I'd love to see him as a title contender.
Jacques, oh boy. Here we go again!
I'm impressed to see DC having an impact at Red Bull. I suspect this drive was one of those days when DC gets it all right, but even if his driving returns to a more DC-like form, I'm glad he is having such a positive impact on the team.
Final thought is that this loophole to the 2 weekend engine rule is total rubbish! We now have an incentive for drivers to pull into the garage, what a perversion of racing! :furious: The FIA must fix this immediately.
| BriDrive | 03-07-2005 02:58 PM |
[QUOTE=pio!pio!]I also was left witha "what happened to Trulli?" feeling..he was P2..after the first round of pit stops he is P4 or P5 and they never explained why it happened...no coverage either..left me very confused[/QUOTE]
Trulli & his Toyota, frankly, just didn't have the pace...he was getting passed...
His very best lap was only the 14th fastest overall.........
Same with Villeneuve.........
Click on this link first: [url]http://www.formula1.com/race/result/732/8.html[/url]
Then select the "Live Timing Archive"....when that loads, go down to the 3rd tab called "Lap Chart".....
This is a very easy snapshot of the position of each driver through the full course of the race........very instructive on many fronts.......
BriDrive
Trulli & his Toyota, frankly, just didn't have the pace...he was getting passed...
His very best lap was only the 14th fastest overall.........
Same with Villeneuve.........
Click on this link first: [url]http://www.formula1.com/race/result/732/8.html[/url]
Then select the "Live Timing Archive"....when that loads, go down to the 3rd tab called "Lap Chart".....
This is a very easy snapshot of the position of each driver through the full course of the race........very instructive on many fronts.......
BriDrive
| KoneKiller | 03-07-2005 02:58 PM |
[QUOTE=ForceFed4]Well, I guess the live footage was a bit misleading as it was broadcast. It did look like a bonzai move from the portion that I saw, but if Heidfeld really did set Schumi up coming out of the previous corner than it is a shame to see it ending up like it did.
Everything surrounding MS is disproportionate; the praise, the hate, the coverage (even when he DNF from a middling position). It's really a sad state of affairs; he certainly has an amazing amount of talent, but sometimes I feel like F1 would be a better series without him attracting (distracting?) so much of the attention...[/QUOTE]
You know.... I don't disagree... but he has earned this attention. He is... amazing!
Everything surrounding MS is disproportionate; the praise, the hate, the coverage (even when he DNF from a middling position). It's really a sad state of affairs; he certainly has an amazing amount of talent, but sometimes I feel like F1 would be a better series without him attracting (distracting?) so much of the attention...[/QUOTE]
You know.... I don't disagree... but he has earned this attention. He is... amazing!
| Dussander | 03-07-2005 03:25 PM |
Yeah, you can tell the tires were doing well since most people did their best lap on lap 55. Some slowed down before that to save the engine for next race when they knew they were not going to pass or get passed. Fernando, probably had some good tire wear though from all those fights to pass.
| Ferg | 03-07-2005 11:25 PM |
Good Q & A with Ross Brawn...
[QUOTE]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Monday March 7th, 2005[/b] [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][i]By Luis Vasconcelos [/i] [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. What's your opinion on Michael [Schumacher]'s accident? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Ross Brawn:[/b] We've only seen in from one camera, but the idea I got is that Michael was in the right and Nick [Heidfeld] was in the wrong. He had managed to pass Nick at the pit stops and he came from a quite reasonable distance back. It's a racing accident, but I certainly don't think it was Michael's fault. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. What do you think of the pace of your cars? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn: [/b] It was OK. We are here [Melbourne] with the old car, which has probably been a bigger compromise because of the regulation changes, so we feel quite happy with the pace. It has been our first experience with the tyres, which was very good; we ran a good race, with a good strategy. We started with one car in 11th and one 18th and finished 2nd. So, I'm quite happy. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Did you expect Renault to be so strong? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] That's what we had seen in testing; they've always been the strongest team. They've won a race last year, so they've always been a strong team. I'm not surprised, but they are a good target to go for. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How good was Ruben [Barrichello]'s race? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] He had a great race. He had a problem with the brakes from lap ten, and we had to advise him to make some adjustments to the settings. Once he settled in he did a great race; he was patient, looked after his tyres, pushed when he needed to and he did a great job. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Do you think the results show the current status quo? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think it will vary; it will depend on the track and the situation. But we were competitive today; we didn't have the fastest car but we were competitive, and the new car is a good step forward from what we have now. They were all here with their new cars, we were with our old and compromised car and we finished 2nd, so we have good reason to be optimistic. But we've got a lot of work to do. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Will this result change your strategy for the debut of the F2005? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] There's the possibility of starting it in Bahrain; I've always said that. There's a lot of work to do but there's a small possibility of taking it to Bahrain; we'll make that decision after Malaysia. We'll see how the testing goes for the new car; we've got a lot more mileage to do, as we've done just one test with it, and we'll find out what problems it has. But Bahrain is a slim option, a slight possibility. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. MS was urging the marshals to push him. Do you think there was a delay there? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] There was a delay, but I don't think he would have scored any points anyway. He had just got into a points scoring position and he was already too delayed to get back into it. Our main concern now is that the engine may have got too hot as he sat on the gravel trap or quite a while. We'll have a careful look at all the data and see if the engine did overheat at all and do as many checks as we can. But we've got time to do that before Malaysia, but it's a legitimate thing for the marshals to push a car, it became legal a few years ago. Michael was keen to get back on track, but his car was too damaged. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. [David] Coulthard has been quite critical of the new qualifying format. What's your view on that? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think we need a couple of races to see how things are. I don't think this race was a good example, because of the weather, but I think that if in a couple of races we don't see a reasonable spectacle then things need to be considered again. We seem to be going from poor solution to another poor solution, and we should all really sit down and see what the best approach is, but let's give it a couple of races and see. Maybe it will be okay and we can have some excitement in qualifying and the race. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How close a rival do you think Renault will be this year? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] Renault got in front of us; they had the fastest car today, for sure. We are pleased with the job we did, with the car we had and the package we had. I don't think we could have got a lot more out of it and it would have been interesting to see, if we were at the front of the grid or close to the front of the grid, what kind of race we could have made out of it, but Renault were quite impressive today. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3]McLaren didn't show in the race for some reason, but I suspect they had some problems because their car looks quite fast. They didn't seem able to put the race together; I don't know why. But we've got reasons to be optimistic; the reports we've got about the new car from our test drivers are very good, and if we can make it reliable over the next couple of weeks maybe Bahrain will be a viable option. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. When will you make a decision about it? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] We won't make a decision until after Malaysia. Of course it will all depend on how things will go in Malaysia, as it could swing one way or another. I think here we were a bit more competitive than we thought we would be, but if we go to Malaysia and do quite well, then that will make the decision more difficult. But if we go to Malaysia and get a few backside's kick, that will make the decision easy. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How much did the new rules affect the race today? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think that when Michael won races from behind [in the past] was when there were some incidents that helped him get back into contention. Today the race didn't allow him to do much; I don't think that there was anything else he could have done today. There were no safety cars today, everybody had a fairly straightforward race, and I think it would have been a bit too much to ask Michael to win today. I don't think this had anything to do with the format of the event, and he was actually quite competitive. I think the format of the race will work quite well, and I think it will work even better in Malaysia, so I think we have to make a judgment of qualifying in a couple of races. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. The BAR drivers opted to retire on the last lap to have fresh engines in Malaysia. What do you think of it? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I didn't notice that. Did they? That's their option, and no new format is perfect. But if we believe the new format is the way forward we need to smooth all the small glitches that there may be. I think people will be willing to do that, and if there's a situation where people take advantage of the rules, that's their choice. We'll see how it will go, but that was their prerogative. If they chose to stop others can do the same on the next race.[/QUOTE][/size][/font]
[QUOTE]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Monday March 7th, 2005[/b] [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][i]By Luis Vasconcelos [/i] [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. What's your opinion on Michael [Schumacher]'s accident? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Ross Brawn:[/b] We've only seen in from one camera, but the idea I got is that Michael was in the right and Nick [Heidfeld] was in the wrong. He had managed to pass Nick at the pit stops and he came from a quite reasonable distance back. It's a racing accident, but I certainly don't think it was Michael's fault. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. What do you think of the pace of your cars? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn: [/b] It was OK. We are here [Melbourne] with the old car, which has probably been a bigger compromise because of the regulation changes, so we feel quite happy with the pace. It has been our first experience with the tyres, which was very good; we ran a good race, with a good strategy. We started with one car in 11th and one 18th and finished 2nd. So, I'm quite happy. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Did you expect Renault to be so strong? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] That's what we had seen in testing; they've always been the strongest team. They've won a race last year, so they've always been a strong team. I'm not surprised, but they are a good target to go for. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How good was Ruben [Barrichello]'s race? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] He had a great race. He had a problem with the brakes from lap ten, and we had to advise him to make some adjustments to the settings. Once he settled in he did a great race; he was patient, looked after his tyres, pushed when he needed to and he did a great job. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Do you think the results show the current status quo? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think it will vary; it will depend on the track and the situation. But we were competitive today; we didn't have the fastest car but we were competitive, and the new car is a good step forward from what we have now. They were all here with their new cars, we were with our old and compromised car and we finished 2nd, so we have good reason to be optimistic. But we've got a lot of work to do. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. Will this result change your strategy for the debut of the F2005? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] There's the possibility of starting it in Bahrain; I've always said that. There's a lot of work to do but there's a small possibility of taking it to Bahrain; we'll make that decision after Malaysia. We'll see how the testing goes for the new car; we've got a lot more mileage to do, as we've done just one test with it, and we'll find out what problems it has. But Bahrain is a slim option, a slight possibility. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. MS was urging the marshals to push him. Do you think there was a delay there? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] There was a delay, but I don't think he would have scored any points anyway. He had just got into a points scoring position and he was already too delayed to get back into it. Our main concern now is that the engine may have got too hot as he sat on the gravel trap or quite a while. We'll have a careful look at all the data and see if the engine did overheat at all and do as many checks as we can. But we've got time to do that before Malaysia, but it's a legitimate thing for the marshals to push a car, it became legal a few years ago. Michael was keen to get back on track, but his car was too damaged. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. [David] Coulthard has been quite critical of the new qualifying format. What's your view on that? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think we need a couple of races to see how things are. I don't think this race was a good example, because of the weather, but I think that if in a couple of races we don't see a reasonable spectacle then things need to be considered again. We seem to be going from poor solution to another poor solution, and we should all really sit down and see what the best approach is, but let's give it a couple of races and see. Maybe it will be okay and we can have some excitement in qualifying and the race. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How close a rival do you think Renault will be this year? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] Renault got in front of us; they had the fastest car today, for sure. We are pleased with the job we did, with the car we had and the package we had. I don't think we could have got a lot more out of it and it would have been interesting to see, if we were at the front of the grid or close to the front of the grid, what kind of race we could have made out of it, but Renault were quite impressive today. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3]McLaren didn't show in the race for some reason, but I suspect they had some problems because their car looks quite fast. They didn't seem able to put the race together; I don't know why. But we've got reasons to be optimistic; the reports we've got about the new car from our test drivers are very good, and if we can make it reliable over the next couple of weeks maybe Bahrain will be a viable option. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. When will you make a decision about it? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] We won't make a decision until after Malaysia. Of course it will all depend on how things will go in Malaysia, as it could swing one way or another. I think here we were a bit more competitive than we thought we would be, but if we go to Malaysia and do quite well, then that will make the decision more difficult. But if we go to Malaysia and get a few backside's kick, that will make the decision easy. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. How much did the new rules affect the race today? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I think that when Michael won races from behind [in the past] was when there were some incidents that helped him get back into contention. Today the race didn't allow him to do much; I don't think that there was anything else he could have done today. There were no safety cars today, everybody had a fairly straightforward race, and I think it would have been a bit too much to ask Michael to win today. I don't think this had anything to do with the format of the event, and he was actually quite competitive. I think the format of the race will work quite well, and I think it will work even better in Malaysia, so I think we have to make a judgment of qualifying in a couple of races. [/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Q. The BAR drivers opted to retire on the last lap to have fresh engines in Malaysia. What do you think of it? [/b][/size][/font]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3][b]Brawn:[/b] I didn't notice that. Did they? That's their option, and no new format is perfect. But if we believe the new format is the way forward we need to smooth all the small glitches that there may be. I think people will be willing to do that, and if there's a situation where people take advantage of the rules, that's their choice. We'll see how it will go, but that was their prerogative. If they chose to stop others can do the same on the next race.[/QUOTE][/size][/font]
| TimStevens | 03-08-2005 09:15 AM |
This is a supposed video of the incident:
[url]http://videofiles1.f1gp.ru/1123456/05/melbourne/melb05_r7.avi[/url]
I say supposed because I apparently don't have the necessary codec to view it. Anyone know what it is? I have DIVX installed...
[url]http://videofiles1.f1gp.ru/1123456/05/melbourne/melb05_r7.avi[/url]
I say supposed because I apparently don't have the necessary codec to view it. Anyone know what it is? I have DIVX installed...
| finnRex | 03-08-2005 09:19 AM |
Michael, make a mistake? No way!;) I understand that you need to stand behind your team, but when it's that obvious(that MS deliberately went to block NH) it's hard to say that it isn't his fault. Fact is, Nick had a line on Michael, Michael didn't like that so he shut the door(and ultimately, paid for it).
BTW, the Ferrari will be very competitive come. The new Ferrari will be a front runner.
Mika
BTW, the Ferrari will be very competitive come. The new Ferrari will be a front runner.
Mika
| gargleblaster | 03-08-2005 10:44 AM |
Here's what windows media player tells me about the clip:
Audio codec: MPEG Layer-3 Decoder
Video codec: Nero Video Decoder
Nice clip, btw. Has the real-time footage and a couple replays from different angles.
Audio codec: MPEG Layer-3 Decoder
Video codec: Nero Video Decoder
Nice clip, btw. Has the real-time footage and a couple replays from different angles.
| TimStevens | 03-08-2005 10:53 AM |
Nero decoder, eh? Have to see if I can find that.
| ITWRX4ME | 03-09-2005 07:53 AM |
Did anyone notice how incredibly long after each turn it took a driver to get back on the throttle? I haven't watched F1 in a while. They had a lot of in-car coverage and it seemed that the cars would coast through and well past the apex of a turn before getting on the throttle again.
Is it because the risk of lighting up the tires is too great by getting on the throttle earlier?
Is it because the risk of lighting up the tires is too great by getting on the throttle earlier?
| Dussander | 03-09-2005 10:09 AM |
I'm sure they just backed off on the traction control.
| ITWRX4ME | 03-09-2005 10:30 AM |
[QUOTE=Dussander]I'm sure they just backed off on the traction control.[/QUOTE]
Even so, in most forms of racing, you try to get on the throttle as early as you can so that you're under power through the apex, even if it's only a little. There's a steady, progressive application of throttle.
With these cars, it seemed like there was absolute apprehension to touch the throttle unless the car was almost completely straight at which point it was nearly floored. I just wonder if there's so much sensitivity in the throttle that it's difficult to control it's application in the face of bumps and g-forces through the turn.
Meh. Just curious to see if anyone had any insights.
Even so, in most forms of racing, you try to get on the throttle as early as you can so that you're under power through the apex, even if it's only a little. There's a steady, progressive application of throttle.
With these cars, it seemed like there was absolute apprehension to touch the throttle unless the car was almost completely straight at which point it was nearly floored. I just wonder if there's so much sensitivity in the throttle that it's difficult to control it's application in the face of bumps and g-forces through the turn.
Meh. Just curious to see if anyone had any insights.
| BriDrive | 03-09-2005 10:35 AM |
It probably had more to do with rear tire preservation than anything else.....
BriDrive
BriDrive
| ITWRX4ME | 03-09-2005 10:58 AM |
[QUOTE=BriDrive]It probably had more to do with rear tire preservation than anything else.....
BriDrive[/QUOTE]
Yeah. I forgot about that aspect.
BriDrive[/QUOTE]
Yeah. I forgot about that aspect.
| Dussander | 03-09-2005 12:08 PM |
Yeah, that is why they backed off the traction control.
| Bonzo | 03-09-2005 12:30 PM |
I did'nt notice any difference in corner exit throttle app. I am sure less grip would delay the use of the loud pedal a bit.
Would'nt Backing TC off allow more wheel spin. I did here them talk about diff TC settings for wet or dry conditions.
Would'nt Backing TC off allow more wheel spin. I did here them talk about diff TC settings for wet or dry conditions.
| Dussander | 03-09-2005 12:46 PM |
Sorry, backed off the aggressiveness of the traction control. ie, even less wheel spin.
| Ferg | 03-10-2005 09:47 AM |
Matt Bishop, a writer for Autosport and editor of F1 Racing magazine wrote a pretty funny "review" of the first race.
[QUOTE][b]Ferrari[/b]
Stop press: Michael Schumacher [i]didn't[/i] win the Australian Grand Prix. Neither, for that matter, did he at any moment look like doing so. But only a fool would be writing-off Schumi, or the red cars, so early in the season, right?
Yes, right; even so, if you were to conduct a vox pop in a Maranello caf� right now (or do something similar in Bar Italia, in London's Frith Street, as I did on the evening of March 8, albeit very informally and somewhat drunkenly), then you'd know that [i]tifosi,[/i] everywhere, are very worried indeed.
But perhaps they shouldn't be. After all, despite the long-preached Todt-ite credo which would have us all believe that there is only one god, the faithful understand that two Ferraris enter every grand prix, not only Michael's; and the other one, driven by a God- (but not god-) fearing man, Rubens Barrichello, finished the 2005 Australian Grand Prix in second place, despite having lined up only 11th on the starting grid. Furthermore, Ferrari's 2005 car has yet to race, and there's no reason to doubt Ross Brawn's claim that it's the best the Scuderia has ever produced.
And Schumi? He had the kind of race he usually has at the end of a season rather than at the beginning - a ragged run from the back to somewhere around the midfield, finally tangling with a blameless rival (Nick Heidfeld) whom he thought should have given way to him as if by divine right. Frankly, I'm surprised he wasn't black-flagged. (Yes, that [i]was[/i] a joke; that isn't how Formula 1 works, as you probably know.)
[b]B.A.R-Honda[/b]
Very disappointing indeed. Bluntly, they were off the pace, and Jenson Button's post-race mood said it all. Even so, there was surely no need for him to tell such a blatant porkie to ITV's Louise Goodman when she asked him why both he and his team-mate, Takuma Sato, had pulled off on the slowing-down lap - thereby, under the ludicrous regulations under which F1 is currently 'run' (David Coulthard, no longer constrained by McLaren's all-controlling PR machine, used the word "s**t" to describe them), guaranteeing themselves fresh engines for Malaysia. "We had a problem," said Button, then appeared to get the hump when Louise refused to believe him. What utter cant!
Five minutes later, ITV viewers saw team boss Nick Fry unequivocally admit that the thing had been a ruse. Come on, Jenson; the British public deserve better than that, and so does Louise.
[b]Renault[/b]
Now you're talking! As regular readers of this column (and of [i]F1 Racing[/i], which magazine I've edited since 1996) will not need reminding, I've long been a champion of the once-largely-unsung abilities of Giancarlo Fisichella; I was therefore neither surprised nor able to contain my delight when he crossed the line to win the 2005 Australian Grand Prix. As Eddie Jordan (bless 'im) used to say on as many occasions as he could find reason to, "F**k the begrudgers!" Or, lest I frighten the horses (or, rather, the colts and fillies) on a website which is read by so many teenaged F1 fans, "I told you so!"
Fisico will win again this year, as will team-mate Fernando Alonso. Their personal battle will be one of the highlights of the season.
[b]McLaren-Mercedes[/b]
Another fascinating battle will be that fought out between McLaren's two megastars, which is why I've decided to deal with the Woking boys before the Grove chaps, in contradiction of the rubrik to which this article has been set out (ie, in 2004 constructors' championship order).
'Honours' (such as they were) were about even in Melbourne, for neither man shone. Kimi Raikkonen's progress from a stall that caused the first start to be aborted to eighth at the flag, and Juan Pablo Montoya's unforced error that converted a likely second place to sixth by the end, were described by Ron Dennis as "not the way to go motor racing".
Well, quite. But don't be surprised to see both men bounce back - perhaps as early as Malaysia. The MP4-20 is not only beautiful; it's very quick, too. And the advantage conferred to McLaren by their being the sole 'big team' allowed to run a third car on grand prix Fridays - especially when that car is tweaked so as to accommodate the frame of the world's best (and quickest) test driver, Alex Wurz - will be considerable. Expect wins, and plenty of 'em, from both JPM and the Kimster, throughout the year.
[b]BMW-Williams[/b]
Good in parts - or, rather, much better than feared. No-one at Grove will be satisfied with having come away from Australia with just four constructors' championship points (courtesy of Mark Webber's gritty drive to fifth), but Patrick Head and Sam Michael both told me, when I spoke to them in the Albert Park pit lane on Thursday afternoon, that they're much happier with the FW27 than they were with the FW26 at this stage last season. Yes, it has problems; equally, they think they know how to fix them.
As I wrote in this place last week, Williams will get there - and both drivers will score points (yes, and podiums) regularly in 2005. The championship(s)? Not this year, sorry, no.
[b]Sauber-Petronas[/b]
As usual, Sauber have built a very pretty car - and, as usual, it will figure in the upper reaches of the midfield all year. The trouble, entirely predictably, will be the drivers. Felipe Massa is quick enough, but he's still a bit wild; by (partial) contrast, Jacques Villeneuve manages to be slow and wild (not a good combination for a racing driver, by anyone's lights). He reminds me of late-vintage Jean-Pierre Jarier.
So...listen up, ol' Pete. When you get back to Hinwil, get out your copy of JV's contract and start reading. If you can find a clause that says he should be other than slow, and/or other than wild, then bite the bullet and get rid now. In his place, hire Davidson or Wurz or any one of half a dozen other more deserving (and quicker, and less wild) cases. You (now) know it makes sense.
[b]Red Bull Racing[/b]
So far, RBR have been the surprise of the season. And, since in this place some weeks ago I urged Coulthard to retire rather than risk eroding the equity of his personal brand on what appeared likely to be a bit of a joke team, I'm happy to eat humble pie. (Well, after having crowed, "I told you so!" about Fisi, I have no choice when I'm shown to have been wrong, do I?!)
No; DC drove an excellent race in Australia, no doubt about it. And if he can keep up that kind of form all year, he'll actually improve the equity of his personal brand, not erode it.
Okay, he's unlikely to be able to repeat his Melbourne form too often this year - undoubtedly, the weather helped him in qualifying - but it looks like there's nothing much wrong with the Jaguar R6, does it? Which rather begs the question: why sack the men who created, designed and built it, simply because you've re-christened it the Red Bull Racing RB1? Tony Purnell (ex-team principal), Dave Pitchforth (ex-managing director), Ian Pocock (ex-director of engineering) and Chris Hammond (ex-head of vehicle science) must all have very mixed feelings right now: justifiably proud of their handiwork... but gutted and confused as to why they were so unceremoniously given the heave-ho.
Let's hope that 31-year-old 'boss' Christian Horner, ex-Ford Rally (and, briefly, ex-Jaguar Racing) technical administrator Guenther Steiner, ex-Jordan/ex-Renault designer Mark Smith and ex-Ferrari/ex-McLaren R&D executive Anton Stipinovich can keep up the highly encouraging performance levels demonstrated in Australia by the car created by their deposed predecessors... and that Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz's mysterious [i]eminence grise,[/i] Helmut Marko, allows them to.
[b]Toyota[/b]
Oh dear. Not good. Not even a freak front-row grid slot - the result of one-lap qualifying ("I think it's s**t," said DC, warming to his new theme) and a dry spell between torrential showers - was enough to enable Jarno Trulli to score points in the hugely disappointing 2005 Toyota... while Ralf tugged his way from 15th on the grid to 12th at the finish. Come on, is Ralfie-boy [i]really[/i] worth US$18 million a year, Mr Howett?
F1 insiders are fond of saying that Toyota's new(ish) technical director, Mike Gascoyne, is under enormous pressure. Well, I don't agree. Any engineer who's on a guaranteed four-year deal worth US$32 million, and who will collect the entire sum whether he lasts the course or not, is under no pressure at all! But then perhaps that's the problem.
No, the man under pressure is Toyota's motorsport president John Howett, the chap whose task it was to hire both Gascoyne and Schumi Jnr. And that's a shame, because he's an extremely nice, very intelligent and fantastically hard-working bloke; but if his mega-bucks signings don't turn things around very quickly indeed...
[b]Jordan[/b]
A bit of a shambles. Okay, Narain Karthiheyan may have split Barrichello and Alonso on the starting grid, but he finished only 15th, two laps down on Fisichella. Nonetheless, it was a workmanlike debut, for he achieved both his (unstated) aims: (1) to finish the race, and (2) to beat his team-mate, Tiago Monteiro (16th).
Since the team's 2005 car is merely a development of last year's Jordan-Ford, and since its new Toyota engine appears to be extremely reliable, Australia 2005 is probably a reasonably accurate barometer of what we can expect from this once-very-competitive
team over the next 18 grands prix.
[b]Minardi[/b]
They got one car to the finish, albeit four laps down on Fisichella. Not good. But, as far as Paul Stoddart was concerned, Melbourne 2005 was all about politics, not racing. His made his point, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Victorian Supreme Court that the FIA's implementation of F1's latest rule changes may not have been as rigorously superintended as Max Mosley and his cronies insist we should all believe... but I wouldn't be surprised if, in so doing, Stoddy has signed his own death warrant.
The 1983 Labour Party manifesto was once described by that moderate Labour veteran, Gerald Kaufman, as "the longest suicide note in history"; if you've read the lengthy correspondence between Stoddart and Mosley (astonishingly, the FIA president has decided to reveal its every sentence, and you can check it out even now on the FIA's official website), then I think you might be forced to agree that that lefty firebrand Michael Foot (the Labour leader 22 years ago) now has a rival in F1's unofficial shop steward.
Personally, though, I hope not, for Stoddy is good company, street-wise and courageous. Moreover, as long as he manages not to fall in love with the political limelight (a danger, as his flagrant courting of local Aussie media in Melbourne last weekend made plain), he can play a useful role in shaping the future of a sport that in many ways is in a bad way, by stoutly questioning Mosley's (and Ecclestone's) more autocratic and ill-considered initiatives. Just as important, Stoddy adds a splash of colour to the otherwise too-grey (make that too-anthracite) world of 2005-model-year grand prix racing.
But, the F1 'piranha club' being what it is, he'll probably be (M)axed sooner rather than later.
Good 'ere, innit?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][b]Ferrari[/b]
Stop press: Michael Schumacher [i]didn't[/i] win the Australian Grand Prix. Neither, for that matter, did he at any moment look like doing so. But only a fool would be writing-off Schumi, or the red cars, so early in the season, right?
Yes, right; even so, if you were to conduct a vox pop in a Maranello caf� right now (or do something similar in Bar Italia, in London's Frith Street, as I did on the evening of March 8, albeit very informally and somewhat drunkenly), then you'd know that [i]tifosi,[/i] everywhere, are very worried indeed.
But perhaps they shouldn't be. After all, despite the long-preached Todt-ite credo which would have us all believe that there is only one god, the faithful understand that two Ferraris enter every grand prix, not only Michael's; and the other one, driven by a God- (but not god-) fearing man, Rubens Barrichello, finished the 2005 Australian Grand Prix in second place, despite having lined up only 11th on the starting grid. Furthermore, Ferrari's 2005 car has yet to race, and there's no reason to doubt Ross Brawn's claim that it's the best the Scuderia has ever produced.
And Schumi? He had the kind of race he usually has at the end of a season rather than at the beginning - a ragged run from the back to somewhere around the midfield, finally tangling with a blameless rival (Nick Heidfeld) whom he thought should have given way to him as if by divine right. Frankly, I'm surprised he wasn't black-flagged. (Yes, that [i]was[/i] a joke; that isn't how Formula 1 works, as you probably know.)
[b]B.A.R-Honda[/b]
Very disappointing indeed. Bluntly, they were off the pace, and Jenson Button's post-race mood said it all. Even so, there was surely no need for him to tell such a blatant porkie to ITV's Louise Goodman when she asked him why both he and his team-mate, Takuma Sato, had pulled off on the slowing-down lap - thereby, under the ludicrous regulations under which F1 is currently 'run' (David Coulthard, no longer constrained by McLaren's all-controlling PR machine, used the word "s**t" to describe them), guaranteeing themselves fresh engines for Malaysia. "We had a problem," said Button, then appeared to get the hump when Louise refused to believe him. What utter cant!
Five minutes later, ITV viewers saw team boss Nick Fry unequivocally admit that the thing had been a ruse. Come on, Jenson; the British public deserve better than that, and so does Louise.
[b]Renault[/b]
Now you're talking! As regular readers of this column (and of [i]F1 Racing[/i], which magazine I've edited since 1996) will not need reminding, I've long been a champion of the once-largely-unsung abilities of Giancarlo Fisichella; I was therefore neither surprised nor able to contain my delight when he crossed the line to win the 2005 Australian Grand Prix. As Eddie Jordan (bless 'im) used to say on as many occasions as he could find reason to, "F**k the begrudgers!" Or, lest I frighten the horses (or, rather, the colts and fillies) on a website which is read by so many teenaged F1 fans, "I told you so!"
Fisico will win again this year, as will team-mate Fernando Alonso. Their personal battle will be one of the highlights of the season.
[b]McLaren-Mercedes[/b]
Another fascinating battle will be that fought out between McLaren's two megastars, which is why I've decided to deal with the Woking boys before the Grove chaps, in contradiction of the rubrik to which this article has been set out (ie, in 2004 constructors' championship order).
'Honours' (such as they were) were about even in Melbourne, for neither man shone. Kimi Raikkonen's progress from a stall that caused the first start to be aborted to eighth at the flag, and Juan Pablo Montoya's unforced error that converted a likely second place to sixth by the end, were described by Ron Dennis as "not the way to go motor racing".
Well, quite. But don't be surprised to see both men bounce back - perhaps as early as Malaysia. The MP4-20 is not only beautiful; it's very quick, too. And the advantage conferred to McLaren by their being the sole 'big team' allowed to run a third car on grand prix Fridays - especially when that car is tweaked so as to accommodate the frame of the world's best (and quickest) test driver, Alex Wurz - will be considerable. Expect wins, and plenty of 'em, from both JPM and the Kimster, throughout the year.
[b]BMW-Williams[/b]
Good in parts - or, rather, much better than feared. No-one at Grove will be satisfied with having come away from Australia with just four constructors' championship points (courtesy of Mark Webber's gritty drive to fifth), but Patrick Head and Sam Michael both told me, when I spoke to them in the Albert Park pit lane on Thursday afternoon, that they're much happier with the FW27 than they were with the FW26 at this stage last season. Yes, it has problems; equally, they think they know how to fix them.
As I wrote in this place last week, Williams will get there - and both drivers will score points (yes, and podiums) regularly in 2005. The championship(s)? Not this year, sorry, no.
[b]Sauber-Petronas[/b]
As usual, Sauber have built a very pretty car - and, as usual, it will figure in the upper reaches of the midfield all year. The trouble, entirely predictably, will be the drivers. Felipe Massa is quick enough, but he's still a bit wild; by (partial) contrast, Jacques Villeneuve manages to be slow and wild (not a good combination for a racing driver, by anyone's lights). He reminds me of late-vintage Jean-Pierre Jarier.
So...listen up, ol' Pete. When you get back to Hinwil, get out your copy of JV's contract and start reading. If you can find a clause that says he should be other than slow, and/or other than wild, then bite the bullet and get rid now. In his place, hire Davidson or Wurz or any one of half a dozen other more deserving (and quicker, and less wild) cases. You (now) know it makes sense.
[b]Red Bull Racing[/b]
So far, RBR have been the surprise of the season. And, since in this place some weeks ago I urged Coulthard to retire rather than risk eroding the equity of his personal brand on what appeared likely to be a bit of a joke team, I'm happy to eat humble pie. (Well, after having crowed, "I told you so!" about Fisi, I have no choice when I'm shown to have been wrong, do I?!)
No; DC drove an excellent race in Australia, no doubt about it. And if he can keep up that kind of form all year, he'll actually improve the equity of his personal brand, not erode it.
Okay, he's unlikely to be able to repeat his Melbourne form too often this year - undoubtedly, the weather helped him in qualifying - but it looks like there's nothing much wrong with the Jaguar R6, does it? Which rather begs the question: why sack the men who created, designed and built it, simply because you've re-christened it the Red Bull Racing RB1? Tony Purnell (ex-team principal), Dave Pitchforth (ex-managing director), Ian Pocock (ex-director of engineering) and Chris Hammond (ex-head of vehicle science) must all have very mixed feelings right now: justifiably proud of their handiwork... but gutted and confused as to why they were so unceremoniously given the heave-ho.
Let's hope that 31-year-old 'boss' Christian Horner, ex-Ford Rally (and, briefly, ex-Jaguar Racing) technical administrator Guenther Steiner, ex-Jordan/ex-Renault designer Mark Smith and ex-Ferrari/ex-McLaren R&D executive Anton Stipinovich can keep up the highly encouraging performance levels demonstrated in Australia by the car created by their deposed predecessors... and that Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz's mysterious [i]eminence grise,[/i] Helmut Marko, allows them to.
[b]Toyota[/b]
Oh dear. Not good. Not even a freak front-row grid slot - the result of one-lap qualifying ("I think it's s**t," said DC, warming to his new theme) and a dry spell between torrential showers - was enough to enable Jarno Trulli to score points in the hugely disappointing 2005 Toyota... while Ralf tugged his way from 15th on the grid to 12th at the finish. Come on, is Ralfie-boy [i]really[/i] worth US$18 million a year, Mr Howett?
F1 insiders are fond of saying that Toyota's new(ish) technical director, Mike Gascoyne, is under enormous pressure. Well, I don't agree. Any engineer who's on a guaranteed four-year deal worth US$32 million, and who will collect the entire sum whether he lasts the course or not, is under no pressure at all! But then perhaps that's the problem.
No, the man under pressure is Toyota's motorsport president John Howett, the chap whose task it was to hire both Gascoyne and Schumi Jnr. And that's a shame, because he's an extremely nice, very intelligent and fantastically hard-working bloke; but if his mega-bucks signings don't turn things around very quickly indeed...
[b]Jordan[/b]
A bit of a shambles. Okay, Narain Karthiheyan may have split Barrichello and Alonso on the starting grid, but he finished only 15th, two laps down on Fisichella. Nonetheless, it was a workmanlike debut, for he achieved both his (unstated) aims: (1) to finish the race, and (2) to beat his team-mate, Tiago Monteiro (16th).
Since the team's 2005 car is merely a development of last year's Jordan-Ford, and since its new Toyota engine appears to be extremely reliable, Australia 2005 is probably a reasonably accurate barometer of what we can expect from this once-very-competitive
team over the next 18 grands prix.
[b]Minardi[/b]
They got one car to the finish, albeit four laps down on Fisichella. Not good. But, as far as Paul Stoddart was concerned, Melbourne 2005 was all about politics, not racing. His made his point, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Victorian Supreme Court that the FIA's implementation of F1's latest rule changes may not have been as rigorously superintended as Max Mosley and his cronies insist we should all believe... but I wouldn't be surprised if, in so doing, Stoddy has signed his own death warrant.
The 1983 Labour Party manifesto was once described by that moderate Labour veteran, Gerald Kaufman, as "the longest suicide note in history"; if you've read the lengthy correspondence between Stoddart and Mosley (astonishingly, the FIA president has decided to reveal its every sentence, and you can check it out even now on the FIA's official website), then I think you might be forced to agree that that lefty firebrand Michael Foot (the Labour leader 22 years ago) now has a rival in F1's unofficial shop steward.
Personally, though, I hope not, for Stoddy is good company, street-wise and courageous. Moreover, as long as he manages not to fall in love with the political limelight (a danger, as his flagrant courting of local Aussie media in Melbourne last weekend made plain), he can play a useful role in shaping the future of a sport that in many ways is in a bad way, by stoutly questioning Mosley's (and Ecclestone's) more autocratic and ill-considered initiatives. Just as important, Stoddy adds a splash of colour to the otherwise too-grey (make that too-anthracite) world of 2005-model-year grand prix racing.
But, the F1 'piranha club' being what it is, he'll probably be (M)axed sooner rather than later.
Good 'ere, innit?[/QUOTE]
| TimStevens | 03-10-2005 09:56 AM |
Great read, thanks!
| wht052.5 | 03-10-2005 08:44 PM |
I missed It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought they would replay it on sunday at 9:00 pm mst LIKE USUAL, I guess "SPEED" has it's head up NASCAR'S butt again. the road race was kinda cool though in Mexico. Good to see Boris showin' em how its done.
Anyway, does anyone know if they will replay Australia? I'm pissed here. :mad:
I thought they would replay it on sunday at 9:00 pm mst LIKE USUAL, I guess "SPEED" has it's head up NASCAR'S butt again. the road race was kinda cool though in Mexico. Good to see Boris showin' em how its done.
Anyway, does anyone know if they will replay Australia? I'm pissed here. :mad:
| TimStevens | 03-11-2005 07:27 AM |
They replayed it that afternoon, which was good because my DVR b0rked during the live run.
Sorry, but I don't think they'll be replaying it again later.
Sorry, but I don't think they'll be replaying it again later.
| wht052.5 | 03-11-2005 07:06 PM |
That's ok, I'll just wait 10 years until it's on F1 decade :rolleyes:
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