Formula 1 anyone? :D

[AyaneEiketsu]

There's still a whole 3 months until the Grand Prix starts

Anyone here watch the sport? Have favorite drivers/teams??

Refueling during the race will be banned in the 2010 race, the weight limit of the cars is raised, there are now 26 cars racing (13 teams), the point system is changed etc...should be a VERY interesting season!

And Michael Schumacher is returning!!!! Racing for Mercedes GP with Nico Rosberg.

[Kuplamies]

Hi!

I´ll watch all GPs
I´m glad, that Michael decided to return. He is a great driver!

I´ve been watching Formula 1 races about 16 years now.
Of course, I liked Finnish drivers like Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen much, but my all time favorite would be Ayrton Senna.

I think, he was really a genius behind the wheel! The racing was in his blood and he really dedicated him for racing. Almost nothing else mattered...
I still remember his last race in Imola 1994...

http://www.atlasf1.com/99/bra/senna1.jpg

Well, maybe we should use this thread to discuss about next year´s events...

[noR]

I'm a GP follower. Good stuff. Too many rule changes over the past couple years. Amazing.

But still fun to see how they cope w/it.

[vibelife]

I am excited because of Schumy returning with Mercedes :-) I think the sport needs a bit of a shot in the arm and he is the one to do it like Lance did for cycling.

The rule changes are kind of confusing since the builders themselves are on the committee with the F1 peeps, so they have a hand in putting a Veto to the new rules if they see fit.

Massa's return will be interesting to see if he still has it in him after that tragedy he suffered last season.

[The Cheat]

yeah, it'll be nice to see the chin back in the saddle, but i really want to see damon hill come back. i think he had a couple seasons left in the tank.

[AyaneEiketsu]

Wow 16 years?? I'm pretty much a newbie to the sport. I started watching a little before half way through the 2008 season ^_^;

My top drivers are Massa, Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg. So I'm psyched to see Schumacher on with Mercedes GP I'm pulling for Massa to win the championship though for sure! I hate all the rule changes too, but at least it'll mix it a bit and it makes over taking other cars easier so there should be more action there.

[cep]

Far too many rule changes the past few seasons.

If they want the cars to go slower, they need to eliminate the word 'racing' from any descriptions and just post a speed limit sign.

In my opinion, Formula 1 should be no-holds-barred. If I want to see a race in which the human has more effect than technology on the outcome, I'll watch IROC. Or better yet, the 100 meter dash at the Olympics.

Ecclestone and Moseley need to go.

[marvins_dad]

No refueling...are they shortening the races or building larger tanks?

My faves are Kimi and Schummacher. I didn't get to follow as closely this year as I have in the past...but what I did see was the major shake up that allowed the smaller teams dominate this year and that was pretty interesting.

I really got into the sport 6 or so years ago when I was working on a track here in the Dallas area that was designed for F1 and MotoGP. Was able to go to the Canadian Grand Prix and take a lap around the course in a pace car and discuss the track with the Safety coordinator of F1. Basically he said "build it and F1 will come"..but post 9/11 and a 250 million dollar price tag ended up burying the project.

My wife got me a F1 Tag for Christmas this year Merchandising! LOL I'll definitely be following closer this next season since my tests are out of the way finally.

[Kuplamies]

Originally Posted by AyaneEiketsu

Wow 16 years?? I'm pretty much a newbie to the sport. I started watching a little before half way through the 2008 season ^_^;

Yeah. And I can remember some earlier races too. Finnish TV showed only a few races in the mid 1980´s. Our Keke Rosberg (Nico´s father) was a big name then. He drove his last race in 1986 and I watched it. If I remember right, I started to watch almost every race in 1993. Mika Häkkinen was then Ayrton Senna´s team mate (Michael Andretti got fired and Mika drove the last 3 races of the season with Michael´s McLaren).

[Kuplamies]

Originally Posted by cep

Far too many rule changes the past few seasons.

If they want the cars to go slower, they need to eliminate the word 'racing' from any descriptions and just post a speed limit sign.

I think, this is basically a question of drivers safety.
If everything is allowed to do, this would be much more dangerous business for drivers.

We have a warning example in Rallysport. In the mid 1980´s the group B rally cars were the fastest cars available.
Cars like Lancia Delta S4, Peugeot 205 T16 and Audi Sport Quattro S1. They have appr. 500 HP turbo engine, four wheel drive and kevlar bodypanels (doors,hoods and fenders) and large spoilers.

Those rally cars were extremely fast: 0 to 100 km/h acceleration was less than 3 seconds! Sad, but true: those cars were too fast and dangerous. Some fatal accidents happened and FIA decided to cancel this group B in 1987.

I miss group B rallycars, but I can understand, why that group had to be cancelled. FIA changed the regulations racidally then; they wanted: metal doors, no spoilers and less power.
I think, FIA made a quite a right decision then.

[Kuplamies]

The next season is looking very interesting.
Many good drivers & good cars:

* Hamilton & Button (McLaren): both are F1-champions
* Alonso & Massa (Ferrari): a Champ and a "almost a champ"
* Schumacher & Rosberg (Mercedes): a Champ and a tough kid :-)
* Vettel & Webber (Red Bull): both are very good
* Kubica (Renault): Robert is good, Renault is a ?

I´m looking forward to see Bruno Senna´s driving.
Well, he´s team is a small and new one (Campos Meta), so I don´t expect miracles, though.

I´m quite unhappy, that Kimi Räikkönen won´t drive there next year. Of course, we have still Heikki Kovalainen there, but his team is a new one (Lotus). Well, Nico is half a Finn, actually :-)

[cep]

Originally Posted by Kuplamies

I think, this is basically a question of drivers safety.
If everything is allowed to do, this would be much more dangerous business for drivers.

We have a warning example in Rallysport. In the mid 1980´s the group B rally cars were the fastest cars available.
Cars like Lancia Delta S4, Peugeot 205 T16 and Audi Sport Quattro S1. They have appr. 500 HP turbo engine, four wheel drive and kevlar bodypanels (doors,hoods and fenders) and large spoilers.

Those rally cars were extremely fast: 0 to 100 km/h acceleration was less than 3 seconds! Sad, but true: those cars were too fast and dangerous. Some fatal accidents happened and FIA decided to cancel this group B in 1987.

I miss group B rallycars, but I can understand, why that group had to be cancelled. FIA changed the regulations racidally then; they wanted: metal doors, no spoilers and less power.
I think, FIA made a quite a right decision then.

I have a street-legal motorcycle that will do 0-100kmh in 2.9 seconds. There are faster ones available. People get killed on them all the time. A street-legal Bugatti Veyron will do it in about 2.5 seconds. A top fuel dragster will do it in about .7 seconds...and people willingly get in them. Very few die.

As far as driver safety goes--if the drivers are not willing to take that risk, then they should step aside. I'm sure there are people more than willing to take their place, especially since top F1 drivers have the potential of making more than $25M USD per season.

[cep]

Originally Posted by marvins_dad

No refueling...are they shortening the races or building larger tanks?

Bigger tanks. So the fireball will be spectacular.

This makes no sense, as they will be stopping for tires anyway. That is, unless they've decided to run on rock-hard tires as well.

[iScott]

This past season was the first time I paid fairly close attention to F1. I was raised on NASCAR. Looking forward to watching a full season and maybe finding a team and driver to root for.

[Kuplamies]

Originally Posted by cep

As far as driver safety goes--if the drivers are not willing to take that risk, then they should step aside. I'm sure there are people more than willing to take their place, especially since top F1 drivers have the potential of making more than $25M USD per season.

No. Safety issues are always very important. This is not a question about that drivers are cowards, if they want or support some changes. Of course if you are a race driver, you should accept the fact, that there is always a risk of getting hurt, but too much is too much. No need to take unnecessary risks. That is one thing, why there are regulations.

For example those group B rally cars: it is a little different thing to RACE seriously with those beasts than drive a street legal Veyron somewhere (even they are both very fast). People should try to drive that 550 HP Lancia in Monte Carlo´s icy asphalt roads in the darkness flat out... And there are quite a steep ditches there... That was not a game for "chickens". If the worlds best rally drivers were worried about their health with these cars back then, I don´t think, they were wrong or just cowards...

It is important to try to learn something and analyze, what went wrong if bad things happen. That is called "progress".

[cep]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[AyaneEiketsu]

Originally Posted by Kuplamies

The next season is looking very interesting.
Many good drivers & good cars:

* Hamilton & Button (McLaren): both are F1-champions
* Alonso & Massa (Ferrari): a Champ and a "almost a champ"
* Schumacher & Rosberg (Mercedes): a Champ and a tough kid :-)
* Vettel & Webber (Red Bull): both are very good
* Kubica (Renault): Robert is good, Renault is a ?

I´m looking forward to see Bruno Senna´s driving.
Well, he´s team is a small and new one (Campos Meta), so I don´t expect miracles, though.

I´m quite unhappy, that Kimi Räikkönen won´t drive there next year. Of course, we have still Heikki Kovalainen there, but his team is a new one (Lotus). Well, Nico is half a Finn, actually :-)

I'm loving the team/driver line up so far! I wanna know who's gonna be driving for the USF1 team now. I hate to see Kimi go to the WRC I'll just have to check him out in that race though. I'm also glad to see the F1 return to Canada. Hopefully I'll be able to see that race live next year!

There's no telling how good Campos could do, even if they are a new team.....just look at Brawn last season <.<

[marvins_dad]

I find it kind of funny that Alonzo is going to Ferrari after the scandal and taking away of points a few years back for spying on Ferrari while he was driving for another team.
How awkward was that meeting?