F1 2007 season

As Michael doesn't post here much I thought someone ought to start the thread here.

Anyway this comment by Hill, is it really going to help Button?

Any predictions? Will F1 and this thread thrive without Michael S and Michaelab respectively?

 

I think Damon is speaking the truth in many ways.

I personally believe that either Honda or Toyota could one day win a World Championship...I don't think Jensen has the time to wait for them to get their act together and actually deliver a top class car.

 

Yes but JB seems to have been in this situation ever since he came into F1. It just seems too defeatist and too early, and will only distract/demoralise him IMO.

 

I'd welcome the change to the point scoring system, which only came about because Shumi won so convincingly (hey, you believe what you want to).

 

Gee, Bernie's look a bit "rough" these days....

 

From the BBC site:-

Dark cloud over F1

Anything to make it more boring I guess.

 

Qualy just finished for AGP - teams looking pretty close today, 3 different teams in the top 3, so hopefully we'll be in for a good race tomorrow.

Interesting to see the Super Aguri's out performing the factory Honda's

Stuart.

 

The Ferrari's annoyingly on rails again isn't it ?. In saying that I didn't think Ron Dennis looked too bothered by Raikkonen being neary 0.5 up. Maybe he knows something that we don't ?.

Hamilton looked good though eh ?, very quick. Heidfeld drove the wheels off that BMW too. Fingers crossed Alonso can keep the red cheats honest.

 

Surprised by BMW Sauber's performance.

Of course Alonso's team has never ever cheated

 

They all cheat but none of them as blatantly as Ferrari. Plus they always get special treatment etc. Total tossers IMO. Shame because I like Kimi.

 

So, no comments at all about the race? (I didn't get a chance).

 

I was quite surprised KR won, I am not sure he fits the Ferrari mould.

Relativly happy with McLarens 2nd and 3rd.

Looks like Williams desperately need to get out of the hole.

 

jenson button must be crying into his helmet, the kids first race out and he gets a podium...

 

I hope Mclaren have some serious mods coming.

 

How true, I heard he snubbed a load of Italian Ferrari fans in Melbourne...not a good start. But if that's what it takes to win then fair enough.

After a comment made by Martin Brundle, I really started to watch the in-car video footage. KR was steering that Ferrari through corners like he was only driving 40mph. No correction at all through the corners and he was lapping 1 sec faster than everybody else. In contrast, Button really had his hands full with that bloody Honda.

Interesting to see Coulthard cocked up again. At least he owned up to it but using an excuse about "...still learning what the typres can do" as a bit lame. Apologies to any fans, but isn't it time he retired and let someone else have a go???

I think Button must really be soul searching. I don't think he will be making headlines anymore unless Hamilton just turns out to be a one trick pony (I really don't think so).

 

Jenson Button was badly advised to tie himself into a contract for 5 years with Honda. I do not see Honda producing the goods in this time with the constraints being put on development by the F1 bosses. By the time he is free from that contract, the new wave of talent will have emerged.

Unfortunately for Jenson, he did not really convince at Renault (he seemed to lose focus) and was dropped for Alonso, the rest is history.

Graham

 

I watched both races and some of the free sessions.

First race. Raikkonnen went away; Alonso did not manage to pass Hamilton in the first stop; did it (rather easily) in the second. No racing, mere strategy.

Second race. Alonso is off, Hamilton does not follow and soon has Massa breathing down his neck, as the saying goes. Massa was probably angered because he went impulsive. Seemed to me that was an unnecessary mistake, but then I was not there.

Raikkonnen seems to have had troubles with his engine - too many compromises he said - and could not effectively attack Hamilton.

In general. I am surprised everyone seems intent in stressing Hamilton to the marrow. It is true he might have kept shut about having tricked Massa into late braking, but why is everybody so intent in considering him the next champion?

British press did that with Button, and look at him now. I may perfectly well be wrong, but, fast as he is, it seems Hamilton's self esteem is perhaps a little volatile ('I want to win a race this year' - this was said just after crossing the finish line; whereas Alonso thanked the team). I may be wrong: perhaps he was just frank.

That said, I am impressed with Alonso: McLaren was an also ran last year; he comes there, motivates people, wins the second race. He keeps his head cool in spite of everybody saying that in the free sessions he was being beaten by Hamilton. Let's see if he can keep it up.

If he does, he will be one of the very few drivers that are never in a bad team, just because they are so good and so motivating. Schumacher, Senna, Prost, Fangio - all the teams with which they run were winning during their tenure (in spite of Prost calling Ferrari a truck) and ceased doing it just after or before. Who would predict that Alonso would be winning the second race?

One last point. Overtaking seems difficult, this year, even if the cars slide a lot.

 

IMO Alonso is by far the best all-round driver currently in F1. As you say RDS, he's got the speed of Kimi and the mind of Prost.

Hamilton has done a great job so far but I think he's dreaming if he thinks he can win the WC with Mclaren while Alonso is there. It would almost be like Hakkinen winning the WC while Senna was there. No disrespect to Mika, IMO he probably had the most raw talent since Ronnie Peterson, but some people are just too big if you know what I mean.

 

I just wish there would be two world class drivers in the same team allowed to race each other. The battles between Prost and Senna at Mclaren, and Piquet and Mansell at Williams were hugely entertaining. I don't see it happening somehow.

Graham

 

Massa and Räikkönen seem to be closely matched, as seem Alonso and Hamilton. And Heidfeld and Kubica were just 1/10 apart in Q3.