New F1 season kicks off this weekend (Page 13 of 33)

Stewart was most impressed with the braking and aero. He said the hardest thing was to trust the car to stick in turns at ridiculous speeds for any other type of car. Your brain screams BRAKE but you have to keep it nailed for the car to work. The look at engine assisted aero is now the latest thing in the mill. I think that is the Red Bull edge.
Rick

My son the race car mechanic says winning is all about not getting caught cheating.
Rick

Fully agree, but don't forget about that god-awful Head&Shoulders ad. Whatever possessed him?...

Seb's German TV version gets quite a bit of airing (or should it be 'hairing'?). I suppose it could be something to do with that so far this year he has been 'head and shoulders' over the rest of them!

Enough of that, so finally a bit of sense has prevailed and the new engine regs are a) being deferred a bit longer, and b) engine manufacturers get to choose their variant up to a max of 6 cylinders.

b) is of course a sop to Ferrari who were refusing to consider then rules unless a variant that could, in some way, have some marketing relevance to their road product(s).

Renault were threatening to walk away unless the new 'greener' engine regs came in. Personally I would have let them walk. Renault come and go as often as they want and never stick around once certain goals and objectives have been achieved. They only exist F1 now as an engine supplier having sold the team albeit having lent the purchaser the money to buy it!

On the one hand I am happy we have the V8's a bit longer, but I remain bitterly disappointed we will lose them eventually to something..............a little less.

I am not a great Bernie fan but even he realises 'pretending' F1 is going green is a bit rich. But as much as he always tries, you really can't have your cake and eat it.

F1 had the chance to stick two fingers up to the FIA a few years ago but bottled it when Ferrari took side with the sports governing body. Ironic that it is Ferrari that are now bleating most and it is their ex employee who is forcing it through!

An independent F1 would have flourished for a decade before eventually coming back to the FIA, but as a stronger and self-determining body, protected from the foolish pontificating, Paris pencil pushers.

Green F1? who wants it? who needs it? Make it an economy formula and what do we have next? a world championship for the highest miles per gallon?

Some might say it is a worthy achievement but what about the cost and carbon footprint created to actually get there.

Joke really. Todt wants to cut emissions in F1 but actually wants LONGER rallies in the WRC, and what about Bahrain? Nah, lets not go there (literally). Life sentences for tortured confessions. Anyone fancy a race there in March 2012?

I feel a reckoning in the wind.

I am a messenger, this is my prophecy

I'm going back.................to have a cup of tea

I'm sure there will be some who will claim that the predictability of the outcome, ie; a Vettel victory, is proving somewhat boring this season.

I would have to disagree though. Vettel's dominance is an indication of how well he and the team are working together. It may be the rule changes will peg them back a little but the fact remains the current RB7 is a 3rd year evolution of Neweys original design and it is still a marginally better car than anything else out there, but not on ALL circuits.

However, it's minimal deficiencies are being brilliantly compensated by Vettels superb driving. He really has upped his standard this year, a mark of a champions confidence.

Where it all pays off is on Saturday. He's doing the hard work by constantly qualifying on pole and thus ensuring, barring a startline mishap, he is controlling the race from the front. When dry conditions prevail, there are less variables and he can comfortably measure himself against the rest.

To shake this up, Ferrari and McLaren have GOT to get into pole position. I don't think on race pace RB are so far in front, if at all, and even if they are this is diminishing before our eyes as the seaon goes on.

No, if there is to be a true battle then the others must solve the qualifying problem. Trouble is, this means finding at least half a second from somewhere.

It could be that the outlawing of 'off throttle' diffuser blowing will hand something back to the others, but will it be enough?

Not for this season. I'm confident that Vettel can defend his lead sufficiently for the remainder of 2011 and he will be crowned WC before the end of the season-. All to do in 2012 then.

As for Sunday's race? Well, never in doubt was it. Fernando did well I thought so that is a positive. Good to see Massa qualifying well and being in with a shout. Silverstone? RB track again. Chalk up another one - for Webber perhaps. Hope so? He's had no luck this year so far.

F1. Fascinating stuff. Shame it is over already as far as the world crown is concerned but there is still lots of action to come I'm sure.

Yeah, most teams have got the times down dramatically !

Me included.  In the UK we have superb coverage from the BBC and I'd hate to lose that.  Until the BBC took over coverage used to be fairly dire with commercial breaks at the most inopportune moments.  I would hope Bernie will do whatever is needed for the sport rather than for personal gain, but the lure of the mighty dollar will most certainly play a part. 

As to the race itself, it started with the promise of some exciting racing but I think 'steady' is the polite way of putting it!  Neither KERS nor DRS seemed to have any effect.   I do hope Lewis isn't giving up on the season.  It's doubtful that McLaren can make much of a dent on the championship outcome but with Silverstone coming up in two weeks I hope he can find that extra bit of motivation.  See, money isn't everything.

Could be an interesting race at Silverstone with the effective banning of Red Bull's diffuser system.  I look forward to Q1 with great anticipation!

There's nothing like conspiracy theories, and F1 is always full of them.

Joe Saward is a well known commentator on F1. He's written for most of the top motorsport journals at one time or another and he really does know the sport inside out.

This article is a blinder. I love it. What are we going to do when Bernie is gone? Transparency can be boring too, but maybe it would be better. I don't know. Judge for yourselves...and read on at the link below.......

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/06/ … -the-news/