With a little over two weeks to the start of the season I am excited for what a schumi-less F1 year will be like. (No offense to Schumi)

I am looking forward to watching Raikkonen v. Alonso.

My prediction is that Raikkonen is going to take the title in '07.

 

I think Alonso is going to bring glory back to Mclaren who have been looking like Minardi recently.

Also Hamilton has been the most promising young driver to come out of F3series in awhile. Also he doesn't have the know it all attitude of Raikkonen.

My prediction for this year, WATCH HONDA!!!.

 

I like the new paint jobs
especially the one from Honda. i think it's a cool idea: http://www.myearthdream.com/

It should be a good season. the usual teams should be strong, but a lot of the teams should be competitive. we shall see.

and yeah i've liked the Honda team in the past and i'm interested to see what they can do this year.

 

Well, the fact that everyone is running Bridgestone this year is going to help Ferrari a lot. They've tested that rubber more than anyone.

Personally, Kimmi + reliable car = unstoppable.

 

I hadn't heard of the Honda paint scheme till I clicked your link. That is a very impressive initiative from Honda. I hope other multinationals follow their example.

 

Well at least I wont have problems falling asleep now, I can turn on a F1 race and after 2 laps zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The perfect sleeping pill!

 

Speaking of pills, those ramming rednecks from NECKCAR sure knew how to almost ruin the Daytona. Lucky the stewards (probably northerners) where smart enough to keep the last lap going while the YeeHaaws where smashing into each other...

 

the honda paint scheme is pretty.

F1 isn't all that bad, sometimes it's nice to just zone out while watching TV and F1 sure is great for that.

 

I pretty much thought zoning out was what TV was good for

 

Yes, watch Honda. Watch them qualify 12-13, watch them struggle to find speed and watch them blow up. They have had so many reliability issues with their cars that they have had to turn the wick on the engines down.

The only reason Honda painted their car that way was to camouflage it while it sits on the grass during most GP weekends. That and the fact they couldn't find any sponsors at all. Honda's modern day F1 operation has a knack of taking its eye off the ball. Their staff hirings and firings have been a joke, and they never stop diluting their resources. They spent millions of dollars and tied up resources for MONTHS simply to prove that a specially modified F1 car could go as fast in a straight line in the desert as a 15 year old CART car could AVERAGE on a closed oval. Wooooppppeeeeee.....

I'm with eViL on this one, what with Bridgestone being the single tyre supplier, and Raikkonen and Massa - Ferrari are the ones to beat.

 

obviously Ferrari are the ones to beat, and a team like Honda probably can't touch the top 3. i think he was just mentioning one of the "other" teams since everyone obviously already realizes who the top teams are. and of course the whole paint job thing is something interesting. you know, just to point out something in F1 that is not so predictable.

oh, and i'll be very surprised if Raikkonen can't win the driver's championship. Ferrari could probably use the same car as last year and he would win it.

 

Its gonna be different without Shumi this year for sure...

Ferrari have been the ones to beat in recent test sessions but I have a feeling that the loss of some really key staff members that made Ferrari so successful will surely show in the most important moments during this season, and that’s coming for a big Ferrari fan. I think Massa will be just as big of a competitor for the title as Kimi. He has proven he’s fast and he already has the advantage of being settled with the team. As for the Bridgestone tire issue, it has already been said by most of the Bridgestone runners that the compounds are totally different so all past data is almost useless.

I think Mclaren will do well this year too. Although I don’t have a lot of respect for Alonso as he has never really show anything special in either of his two championships that would make me say wow. Kimi and Shumi made a bigger impression on me losing then Alonso did winning. Perfect example was Kimi’s back of the grid charges, or Schumacher’s final race in Brazil. I really would have liked to see what would have happened with Alonso had the Ferrari not given up in Japan or even again in qualifying at Brazil. I think were gonna see more exciting things from Louis Hamilton then from Fernando.

Same goes for Renault and Kovilainen, as anyone who watches F1 knows Fisichella is worthless unless the moons are aligned and the wind is blowing from the south for his car only.

BMW has the Kubica who I think will be the surprise of the year.

Both the Jap Manufacturers have the same problems. They don’t know how to run a modern day F1 team. Plus they are too loyal to their drivers who are all worthless with the exception of maybe Button. If they got some real talent then they wouldn’t have to dump so much money into making the perfect car and could spend more time making the perfect team. A great example is BMW. As soon as the dumped JV and replaced him with Kubica the team came alive.

 

I guess you missed the 06 season then...

 

Nevermind Al, he's more interested in Cascar at Mosport than F1 anywhere

 

results from the last testing session before the season starts:

1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:29.989
2. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault, 1:30.384
3. Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, 1:30.498
4. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:30.534
5. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:30.564
6. Rubens Barrichello, Honda, 1:31.067
7. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:31.354
8. Scott Speed, Toro Rosso, 1:31.500
9. David Coulthard, Red Bull, 1:31.589
10. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:31.720
11. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:31.742
12. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 1:31.751
13. Ralf Schumacher, Toyota, 1:31.791
14. Jenson Button, Honda, 1:31.837
15. Franck Montagny, Toyota, 1:32.264
16. Takuma Sato, Super Aguri, 1:33.357

 

Racerjason.................YOUR RIGHT! The CASCAR series races at Mosport and the Molson Indy were 2 of the best road races I have ever seen in my life. Huge field of cars and at least 15 of them capable of winning!

 

I agree with you in part but the two below clips made me sit up and pay attention to Alonso.


Alonso holding off a much faster Schumi in San Marino:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqdQe...o%20schumacher

Alonso passing Schumi on the outside of the 130r at Suzuka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LuKW7DrtbM

 

Alonso I think is just a low flyer. That is his personality.

I remember I think it was in Suzuka when I saw him on the podium he looked to be holding something back and only at Interlagos did you see him let out the kind of joy that Schumi would let out after winning one race.

The reason I say look for Honda is that I think they will impress this year. Odds are they won't lets wait and see.

About Alonso, I will grant that he doesn't have those Senna or Schumi like moments which make you question the fabrics of time and space that they live in. But he is cool and consistent (compared to others). I hate Schumi but I admit that last race was something that made me wish he would have one, after racing like that he deserved it.

I think McLaren has been plagued with shitty drivers for awhile......

 

Your video clips are exactly what im talking about! 2 cars, race for a few laps wheel to wheel. With the sedans its lap after lap for the whole race. Not just 2 cars but about 10-15 depending on the track.

 

I get your point Al, but I for one am more excited about watching F1 racing than any other form of racing. F1 racing is all about the minutia of seconds. I loved to watch Schumi put in a fastest lap before making his pitstops and then trying to get back up to the same pace on a full tank of fuel. My point being that it is not all about passing for me. When hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent independently and the result is two cars finishing within a second, I find it exciting.

But this link is just for you Al, Villenueve v. Arnoux 1979

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAn_o...elated&search=

 

Don't get me wrong, I actually like the Honda paint scheme, but I think their car is so fundamentally flawed that they will be playing catch up all year. Infact, they have already announced that they will be releasing a totally revamped car for the second race! Now that is scrambling!

BMW and Renault will be fighting for third behing Ferrari and McLaren, while Toyota and Honda will be fighting to stay ahead of Williams and the rest. Renault will be lucky to get a race win this year. Mld>7's comment about Fisi is spot on.

McLaren's drivers haven't been the problem - their reliability has. How many times has Kimi or even Juan been way out front and been let down by the car? If McLaren beats Ferrari this year it wont be because of Alonso - it will be because they have finally built a car that will last all weekend.

It will be a very interestng year and I for one am looking forward to it! Already bought my tickets and anxiously awaiting the red lights to go out.

 

One is about driving a car on the razors edge and car to car is incidental, almost an accident. The other is using the razor to shave off a 5 day growth of beard and the wheel to wheel is the whole point and regulated by the rulesmakers to ensure vehicle equality.

I feel it is apples and oranges.

I will admit that I watch every F1 race and tend to prefer the pre-race show to the actual race, in most cases. In fact I tend to walk away from the races and only watch when I hear David Hobbs getting excited, LOL. I really like F1 in the rain, lots of excitement and stuff. I used to really love it back in the early '90's.

I really like NASCAR stuff on road courses as the cars are out of their element. Lots of excitement and stuff. I really used to like NASCAR when it had some connection to reality, not the manipulated private team IROC series it is now.

I really only watch WC, ALMS, Aus V8 Supercars, Grand Am and Grand Am Koni Challenge religiously now. As it is still really racing with different cars and tons of passing. It seems more real to me as well.

Oh yeah I also watch Pinks every so often. Sorta like racing's version of the National Enquirer.

Just my way to experienced opinion.

 

OKay Eric, all the other stuff I agree with. But Pinks????? Geeeeeeeez. Some bald short dude that needs to be bitch slapped!

 

I did say it was like the National Enquirer. Sorta like hearing an old song from your youth ("Turn Me Loose", anyone). You still really like it, but would be seen as very uncool if you admitted it. I have only watched about 10 shows and feel dirty after each one.

Pinks to me is the Jerry Springer of motor racing. I watch it shaking my head and just saying thanks that these people don't live near me. Now, granted I also watch Figure 8 Racing with Jesse James, LOL. Thats real racing.....


Eric

(who did go to a Boy George concert once, I was forced to though)

 

lol - since this has become the equivalent of "Racefan Connfessional" I have to say that I actually went to some figure 8 racing. While at the USGP the last couple years we have spent the friday night at "Anderson Speedway" in Indiana (http://www.andersonspeedway.com/) drinking cans of Bud and watching rednecks do what they do best - hustle clapped out american iron around a high banked 1/4 mile paved oval. But the best was the School Bus Figure 8. Yeeeee haaaaa!