F1 2009 megathread

[Dr.Honda]

finally caught up on the F1 news from last w/e while I was in the car myself.
Very happy for Rubens and somewhat disappointed the Schumi circus never happened.
Ted, you would have enjoyed the show that Wade, Franz and I put on at Road America last w/e. Franz races kinda dirty by the way, tell him pay-backs are a bitch next time you see him.:biggrin:

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: So, that's where Wade's been............

Ted, you would have enjoyed the show that Wade, Franz and I put on at Road America last w/e. Franz races kinda dirty by the way, tell him pay-backs are a bitch next time you see him.:biggrin:

Yeah, not surprised that Franz is a closet gamer. :wink: I race an old guy a lot like that; you'd never guess it looking at him or casually chatting with him. There any video posted? Would love to see it. :smile:

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Well, it's all hugs and kisses this week..........

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090826125014.shtml
but we'll see how united the Killer Bees are in a few weeks.

The stats point out that Rubens has won several races over the years and have consistently come close to Michael Schumacher's finishing position.

Regardless of those stats, I hold the personal view that Rubens is my favorite driver.

I don't remember what my comment was, but it was probably something about his emotional (and premature) outbursts after some bad luck? Don't get me wrong, I like Ruby too and would love to see him next year with some more strong drives. But a lot of emotions (mostly his) have ebbed and flowed over the past 9 months and a lot more emotions will come into play before 2010 starts. As an old guy, I'm behind him 100%, but as a smart guy, I wouldn't be betting lunch on him staying in the seat even if Slick Nick and Ross are hinting at it now.

As they say.........We shall see.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Hope there's no Baddy fans here..........

.............
He'll be as forgotten as month old news by the race after that. So, let me hear all the Baddy jokes you can think of. These kind of stories generate one-liners that find their way into my race reports. :biggrin::biggrin:

Here's some fun Phill Huff was having on Twitter during the race:

saw these from you guys on twitter during the race and qually
brilliant, but cruel

Luca Badoer Update: He's still not going very fast.

Luca Badoer Update: He's still trying to finish the first practice session.

Luca Badoer Update: Complaining of a sore neck "as it worked for Schumacher". Possibly.

Luca Badoer Update: He's never been to Valencia before, so is looking at the sights.

Luca Badoer Update: "I learned all I know from Kimi." Currently enjoying an ice cream and Coke by the beach. Maybe.

Luca Badoer Update: Misunderstood meaning of 'street circuit' and is driving a Ferrari road car.

Luca Badoer Update: He's now gone faster than Hamilton who retired after a couple of minutes. Really, we're telling the truth this time.

Luca Badoer Update: "I was just sticking to the speed limit. And those traffic lights are terrible."

Luca Badoer Update: Has never driven at Valencia before, and is relying on his TomTom.

Luca Badoer Update: Heidfeld suggests he's "just plain slow". Although we may have misheard him...

Luca Badoer Update: "I thought the practice session ended an hour ago?"

Luca Badoer Update: Mixes up pit lane speed limit button. Turned it off in the pitlane, and on while out on track.

Luca Badoer Update: Mixes up KERS button and pit lane speed limiter button.

Luca Badoer Update: Practice session stopped to give Badoer time to catch up.

Luca Badoer Update: Qualifying extended to four sessions to give him a chance.

Luca Badoer Update: After recalculating the times, he's actually qualified in 34th position.

Luca Badoer Update: Is skipping Valencia and going straight to Spa to get a week long head start.

Luca Badoer Update: Not concerned about his pace as he's "going faster than I did last time I raced an F1 car."

Luca Badoer Update: He's just turning up in the paddock, ready to race later this afternoon. Oh...

Luca Badoer Update: Has just started the formation lap.

Luca Badoer Update: Left his TomTom at the hotel, so is going back to get it.

Luca Badoer Update: Badoer just lapped faster than anyone, apart from the 19 other drivers.

Luca Badoer Update: Has just finished his first lap.

Luca Badoer Update: Feeling all Spanish, and is having a mid-race siesta.

Luca Badoer Update: Schumacher to take his place at the next stop, even with a broken neck. Will still be quicker.

Luca Badoer Update: Is being caught by continental drift.

Luca Badoer Update: Saw a beach side ice cream shop, stopped for refreshments.

Luca Badoer Update: Has nearly completed lap nine. Nearly.

Luca Badoer Update: Is expected to finish the race in time for the Italian GP.

Luca Badoer Update: New personal best lap of 4h38:12.894.

Luca Badoer Update: Managed to have a crash in Parc Ferme. Really. Ran in to the back of Adrian Sutil. Oops.

Thanks for following us this weekend - it's been great fun. We're off to apologise to Luca Badoer, if he's finished yet. See you in Spa.

Luca Badoer Update: He's finding the Monday rush hour traffic demanding, but hopes to finish the race soon.

Racin' is supposed to be hatin' but how can you hate someone when you can't stop laughing? :biggrin:

 

[ChopsJazz]

Being caught by continental drift. That's rich. :biggrin:

 

[ChopsJazz]

...

 

[Liquid]

Brawn GP VERY slow in practice at Spa (down at 17 and 18th on timesheets at the end of practice).

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: I'll have what he's having

17 and 18th on timesheets

I heard they had breakfast with Baddy !!! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

This is prolly just a Baddy joke, but someone said Baddy didn't have the right credentials to get in the gate yesterday and needed help. That guy is just too much fun. Too baddy it will be over soon. :frown:

 

[myhui]

Button's lack of pace in qually could be due to (now discuss among ourselves):

1. Doesn't realize that a heavy car never does well at Spa, hence 3 stops are mandatory (the pre-race weights just came out).
2. Improper racing line around Spa.
3. Too little downforce, thinking he is such a good driver he doesn't need it.

Sadly, the racing line can be the chief reason, and that might be the thing that separates a great driver like Schumacher or an experienced driver like Rubens Barrichello from a very good driver like Jenson Button.

I'm awaiting the return of Jacques Villeneuve and the Montreal Grand Prix. The only race in the GMT-5 to GMT-8 time zone is in Brazil, and we need one more on that time zone. The French Canadians can be even more crazy than the Brazilians when it comes to dare-devil antics and party atmosphere, and it's a bit far for them to travel from Canada to Brazil once every year to watch their hometown boy and former F1 champion race.

 

[myhui]

I suspect the teams are not given the same tire compounds.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78110

Toyota struggled throughout the European Grand Prix weekend, and Trulli admitted that he was a loss to explain the team's upturn in form at Spa.

"It is a mystery," he said. "We haven't done anything on car since the last race, yet we have been competitive all weekend.​

 

[Jetpilot3]

Force India on top with Fisi making one heck of a qualifying drive with a good fuel load. Congrats!

What is going on with Button? Barichello was .4 of a second faster? Let's see what happens but one has to wonder if B-train will take the championship?

I'd love to see Webber take it or Button or Barichello as all 3 have been in F1 for ages without the Championship.

 

[Miner]

Go Ferrari. Nice drive by Fisi, who won with Jordan.

Button is doing his best to throw away the championship.

 

[Liquid]

Button is doing his best to throw away the championship.

Not sure how you're coming to that conclusion... Grosjean just rammed into him from behind. Unless you mean the poor qualifying which put him in that position in the first place.

ANOTHER terrible start by RB, what is up with him? There are very few times when you can make up (or lose) so many grid positions and he has thown away his position on the grid I think three times this year with poor starting. He drove a very nice race after that, but he threw his race away in the first 30 seconds, very disappointing.

Good run by Kimi... Badoer must be gone now. Another disappointing drive by Kovalienen; I'm figuring he's gone as well. Fisichella's car looked amazingly hooked up all day. I'm disappointed that Sutil didn't get a chance to show what he could do with a great car but perhaps their setup will also work well at Monza. Terrible drive by Webber and another gem by Vettel. All in all a pretty good race to watch. That must be an amazing track to watch a race at in person and also to drive in person. Maybe someday....

 

[Miner]

Not sure how you're coming to that conclusion... Grosjean just rammed into him from behind. Unless you mean the poor qualifying which put him in that position in the first place.

Yes.

 

[Ponyboy]

Great great race. Fizzycola and Force India had a great race and Kimi finally got off the goose egg. RB, as long as you don't consider the start, drove exceptionally well. And I'm fairly sure someone (RB, Vettel, or Webber) is going to catch and pass Button in the standings. Poor JB is seriously folding under the pressure - unless there was really something wrong with the car as he is stating.

Monza should be a good one too.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Will he or won't he........

piss it away?

And I'm fairly sure someone (RB, Vettel, or Webber) is going to catch and pass Button in the standings. Poor JB is seriously folding under the pressure

Here's my prediction from another "prediction" thread, so I'm "putting it out there" for y'all to praise or piss on at the end. :tongue:

I wonder if we'll ever see Button again? The way things are going, he'll win the WDC by about a half point over Vettel as he (Button) finishes 12th at Interlagos. Hey, that's not a bad prediction. Maybe I should also predict that Nakajima will finish that race in 8th by overtaking Vettel on the last corner of the season to rob Vettel of that last vital point? Nah, that's probably not improbable enough.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if Jens would benefit from some Flaming Flavio style "motivation"? :biggrin: Old warm hearted Ross maybe ain't kickin enough arse?

 

[Miner]

Great great race. Fizzycola and Force India had a great race and Kimi finally got off the goose egg. RB, as long as you don't consider the start, drove exceptionally well. And I'm fairly sure someone (RB, Vettel, or Webber) is going to catch and pass Button in the standings. Poor JB is seriously folding under the pressure - unless there was really something wrong with the car as he is stating.

Monza should be a good one too.

There really is something wrong with the car, and it pushes the go pedal and turns the steering wheel. Prior to the start of the season, JB and RB were on the verge of not driving. Both driver's records indicate they are journeymen (at best) drivers. Ricardo Patrese and Johnny Herbert are pretty much RB and JBs equivalents. Taking out the first 7 races (with the loophole Brawn) this season, JB is a one hit wonder.

Miner

 

[Jetpilot3]

I'd be happy if any of the following drivers got the Championship:

1. Button
2. Barichello
3. Webber

All 3 have put in their time and with the exception of Barichello have been subject to some pretty poor cars.

Luckily for me all three have a great shot at it. Although Vettel has a chance I hope he doesn't get it as he's got a very bright future in F1 - I'd love to see one of these guys get it this year and Vettel afterwards.

Bring on Monza, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi! I'll be waving from the south grandstand in Abu Dhabi...:wink: hopefully the championship won't be decided until then.

 

[NSXF1]

The big thing to me in this race was Alonzo. The announcers were giving the front left pit guy a hard time about the extended wheel change, but the producers found a shot of Alonzo taking a massive hit to that wheel in the beginning of the race. I remember them telling him, "Fernando, I know we have a vibration, but you need to push". The vibration was from this hit. I can't imagine driving Spa in car where your not sure your front wheel is going to stay on........ but I guess he is used to this? Big attachments as Mr Hobbs would say.

Speaking of Fernando, it's being reported by Autoweek that the FIA is looking into F1's own little BlackSox scandal in that Pirouette PK crashed *on purpose* in the Singapore GP to give the win to Alonzo??? Supposedly it is just coming to light as PK is not the happiest camper after being dumped by Flav. Guess Alonzo didn't feel the need to sell *this *team out as he was already #1 driver and it worked in his favor?
This year gets more bizarre as it unfolds.

 

[Ponyboy]

Yeah, read about that yesterday and that Renault may quit if the investigation goes any further.

In the words of Shakespeare, Renault "doth protest too much, methinks." 2nd time I've posted that on Prime.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Staged crash

.....FIA is looking into F1's own little BlackSox scandal in that Pirouette PK crashed *on purpose* in the Singapore GP to give the win to Alonzo....

Yes, there were a lot of eyebrows raised about that when it happened and it was immediately apparent that Fred was the main, if not sole, benefactor. And of course, now with the P.O.'d Peaky factor, it gains some traction.

But what I can't figure out is, assuming that the stewards can or do in fact monitor all radio transmissions, how the Renault brain trust could transmit that order to Peaky in an unequivocal, unmistakeable way. Peaky's in the car, he can't see or know that much in the middle of a race without being told. The odds of this being pre-planned is out of the question. If he were MS, he might figure this out for himself, but he ain't MS, and even if he did figure it out, a rookie deciding to crash the car on purpose? Whew, that's a pretty big stretch, even for me.

So, what's the rest of this 'urban legend/black helicopter' story? It is fascinating that it's got this far........Or not, since this is F-1 2009.

 

[Liquid]

The big thing to me in this race was Alonzo. The announcers were giving the front left pit guy a hard time about the extended wheel change, but the producers found a shot of Alonzo taking a massive hit to that wheel in the beginning of the race. I remember them telling him, "Fernando, I know we have a vibration, but you need to push". The vibration was from this hit. I can't imagine driving Spa in car where your not sure your front wheel is going to stay on........ but I guess he is used to this? Big attachments as Mr Hobbs would say.

I noticed this oversight as well... although Machett did spot the lug flying off which was impressive. One other thing they did not comment on at all was how at the end of the race Raikkonen had to switch to the options and Fisichella was going to be on the better prime tire. It ended up being a non-factor, but I remember at the time thinking "Why aren't they talking about that at all?"

 

[lightguy]

I suspect the teams are not given the same tire compounds.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78110

Toyota struggled throughout the European Grand Prix weekend, and Trulli admitted that he was a loss to explain the team's upturn in form at Spa.

"It is a mystery," he said. "We haven't done anything on car since the last race, yet we have been competitive all weekend.​

And Button said he lost speed and has no clue where it went.
I smell a rat and it's name is Bernie.

 

[lightguy]

I noticed this oversight as well... although Machett did spot the lug flying off which was impressive. One other thing they did not comment on at all was how at the end of the race Raikkonen had to switch to the options and Fisichella was going to be on the better prime tire. It ended up being a non-factor, but I remember at the time thinking "Why aren't they talking about that at all?"

Great point about the tires.
Conspiracy theory sez Fisi was not going to bite Ferrari's (his imagined new drive) hand.
He didnt even attempt a blocking move on Kimster which would have taken his KERS induced momentum away on that first pass.

 

[lightguy]

Re: Staged crash

But what I can't figure out is, assuming that the stewards can or do in fact monitor all radio transmissions, how the Renault brain trust could transmit that order to Peaky in an unequivocal, unmistakeable way.

Flavio has a secret code that means "crash!".
He's sent it to Nelson throughout the season. :wink: