Formula 1 2007 Season

[Gunnerman]

Another big win for Ferrari and Kimi Raikonen at Silverstone. Kimi started the race from P2 behind Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton won the poll in qualifying and the home crowd were really favoring his chances but the day belonged to Raikkonen. Another piece of brilliant pit strategy saw Raikkonen stay on the track before his second pit and build a lead over Fernando Alonso that the Spaniard just couldn't maintain when Kimi went in for the second pit.

A special note of excellence belongs to Felipe Massa. He qualified for P4. But just as the lights were ready to go out and the race to begin his Ferrari cut out on him. The cars were waved around the track again and a lap was deducted from the race and Massa had to start from the pit lane. When the race started properly Massa was driving a rocket and his skills were really on display and he eventually finished 5th just not capable of overtaking 4th place finisher Robert Kubica of BMW.

A great day of racing! Next up the Grand Prix of Europe from the Nürburgring in Germany.

[Gunnerman]

What a fantastic race at the Nürburgring on Sunday.

The track which sits in the Eifel Mountains in Germany is known for quick changing conditions and holy crap did the conditions come into play in a huge way. Just a few laps into the race a massive downpour flooded the race track. In one corner I think I counted 5 cars slid off the track, amazingly enough Lewis Hamilton, who was one of them, managed to keep his engine going and was lifted back onto the track and was able to continue the race albeit a lap down.

The downpour forced the cars to limp around the track until they could dive into the pits. The mechanics worked feverishly to get the slicks off and the rain tires on. Eventually the rain was so bad that the red flag came out and the race was suspended.

One of the best displays of strategy was put on by one the slowest teams during this period. The Spyker team decided to call Markus Winkelhock, who was starting from the last position, into the pits just before the start and put the wet tires on his car. When the downpour ensued, it was Winkelhock leading the race! Unbelieveable. Eventually when the race restarted, Winkelhock was quickly passed and he soon retired.

When conditions dried, it was Ferrari's Felipe Massa who was quickest and led for most of the race. I was sure that Massa was going to win but, the conditions had a little bit more to say about the race outcome.

With a few laps left back came the rain, not as hard though as at the beginning of the race. Drivers frantically dove once more to the pits to change tires. It was the McLaren-Mercedes of Fernando Alonso that performed best in the wet conditions. He quickly caught Massa and then bravely passed him as the cars made contact. It was one of those moments in sports that had me standing up and screaming. Later when the drivers were making their way to the podium Alonso and Massa were shown arguing in Spanish I think, great stuff, HA!

Special doff of the cap to Mark Webber of Red Bull Renault who finished third and gained a podium spot. A great drive by him and great result for Red Bull although their mechanics dropped the champagne bottle when Webber dropped it down to them from the top of the podium. Then again Red Bull aren't really that used to catching champagne bottles.

[klicks]

First and second practice times for Monza are below. Practice times don't always mean that much, but this is shaping up to be a close race - might come down to pit strategies.

SECOND PRACTICE

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.386 30
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:23.209 + 0.823 33
3. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:23.584 + 1.198 38
4. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.599 + 1.213 44
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:23.679 + 1.293 33
6. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:23.722 + 1.336 27
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.821 + 1.435 38
8. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:23.833 + 1.447 12
9. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:23.848 + 1.462 32
10. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:23.881 + 1.495 32
11. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:23.919 + 1.533 39
12. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:23.922 + 1.536 29
13. Button Honda (B) 1:24.137 + 1.751 36
14. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:24.328 + 1.942 31
15. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:24.462 + 2.076 40
16. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:24.605 + 2.219 31
17. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:25.328 + 2.942 27
18. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:25.459 + 3.073 36
19. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:25.531 + 3.145 24
20. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:25.567 + 3.181 26
21. Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:25.863 + 3.477 40
22. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:26.021 + 3.635 6

FIRST PRACTICE

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:22.446 20
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:22.590 + 0.144 17
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.618 + 0.172 18
4. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.840 + 0.394 12
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:23.472 + 1.026 21
6. Button Honda (B) 1:23.668 + 1.222 21
7. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:23.671 + 1.225 22
8. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.703 + 1.257 22
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.886 + 1.440 17
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:23.965 + 1.519 29
11. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:24.076 + 1.630 21
12. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:24.564 + 2.118 19
13. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:24.587 + 2.141 15
14. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:24.595 + 2.149 22
15. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:24.660 + 2.214 20
16. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:24.689 + 2.243 29
17. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:24.694 + 2.248 17
18. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:24.810 + 2.364 19
19. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:25.130 + 2.684 24
20. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:25.439 + 2.993 25
21. Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:25.448 + 3.002 25
22. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:25.762 + 3.316 25

[klicks]

The FIA showed they are dead serious about stopping teams from spying on each other. They handed down a $100 Million fine to McLaren for the team's cheif designer obtaining Ferrari's technical set up data and using the information to his team's advantage. Beyond the $100 Million, McLaren also loses their constructor championship points and must submit to pre-season inspections next season to ensure they are not using anything they learned from Ferrari. So, Ferrari will win the constructors this season (out of reach for BMW and Renault). I really applaud this move by FIA - the penalties MUST be huge like this to make cheating stop. The NFL could learn from how FIA handled this. The FIA did not take away the driver's points so the race is still on for the driver's championship - and it's close. For more info:
http://tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=218210&hubname=

[CadaverFE]

I still await the 'papers' and proof their holding while Dennis waits to file their appeal. Sure a team and its' principal are going to deny any wrongdoing, but Dennis and the drivers have always said that they saw nor knew of nothing. Not they probably would, in which case it's real easy for them to state that. I just think like many others that there must be something more behind this. And i fail to see what caused this kind of punishment in lieu of this proof/papers/what-have-you. As McLaren is widely regarded as one of the top teams anyway, i know that they'd instinctively want an edge. But i also know that has a top team they'd be ridiculously stupid to go about getting it in this way. I don't see that as the case. For any team really. Teams in FIA have always been sporty and honorable (at least in the public eye). Sure, there's been slight controversies here and there. But throughout its' existence i like to think it has been a pretty clean place.

[klicks]

Just thought I'd try to get this thread active again. With one race left, there are still 3 drivers with a chance to be the season's champion. So - what do you think - will Hamilton finish 3rd or lower, and if he does, will Alonso or Raikkonen get the win and the championship? I think the Brazil track favours the Ferrari, so maybe we'll be treated to a tight race with lot's of drama to finish the season. I also predict a Raikkonen-Hamilton-Alonso finish which would give the rookie phenom the drivers champinship. But maybe, just maybe, we'll see a McLaren classic f-up with Alonso and Hamilton knocking each other out.