The F1 season 2004

Thanks, Ian, I don't follow F1 very closely, so it's interesting to get the insider's view. However, Williams has always bounced back in the past, and the team will do so again. Neverthelesss, it's good when the smaller teams get up against the big 'uns, so congrats to BAR and Button for being "the best of the rest" this year and may your successes continue. As Schumacher says, one day Ferrari's extraordinary run will come to an end, and it'll be interesting to see who gets the crown.

I eagerly await Button's first win!

 

Interesting Ian.

I have felt for some time that the close tie between Bridgestone and Ferrari gives them the edge in being able to develop tyres specifically for one chassis.Being able to focus so clearly must surely be an advantage, as we saw last year when they had to play catch up mid season.

Having said that, I do fear that the operations team might take their eye off the ball now that they are supplying GP2.

 

I would say that in general, Bridgestone's relationship with Ferrari helps them, in the same way as Ferrari building their own engines helps them as they have everything under one roof and so good integration (if it's managed properly) is easier to achieve. Clearly Bridgestone tyres aren't made in the Ferrari factory but it's a closer relationship than any other team has AFAIK.

Ian is right though that if there are changes, Bridgestone are slower to react because they only have one team they can get valuable test data from instead of 3 or 4 like Michelin. I'm not so sure that next years rule changes, as far as I remember them, will affect tyre development that much so I expect the Bridgestone advantage to continue.

Michael.

 

Michael,

I believe Bridgestone engineers are involved in a great deal of the design process at Maranello.

 

What is it about Brasil that makes them turn out so many great drivers. If you look down the ranks, (F1, F3000 etc), of Motor racing over the years there seems always to be Brasilian drivers in the top ranks.

As of Pizzonia himself, if you're a fan here's his website.


http://www.antoniopizzonia.net/ingles/index.asp


GTM

 

Which makes it all the more mysterious why Button wanted to go there. The current kiss-and-make-up orgy between Button and Richards notwithstanding, I think there must have been a deep rift between Button and the team, or at least the top management at BAR. It'll be interesting to see where Button signs for 2006.

I also find it curious that Button's contract with Williams seems not to have included a provision for the case that Button would be obliged to stay with BAR in 2005. If I had been Frank Williams, I would have thought that a fight over Button was pretty much certain, and if I was gointg to lose, I'd have a hard time finding a good replacement. I would have asked Button's management to put their money where their mouth was and stipulate a hefty fine in case Button's BAR contract was found valid.

The German press is saying Nick Heidfeld has a chance for the second Williams cockpit now, and will test in November. Personally, I don't see it.

 

Hi Michael,

"so I expect the Bridgestone advantage to continue. "

I think the Ferrari and MSC are the big advantage, not the tyres.

If any other team swapped to BS tyres (Toyota perhaps) they would find out!

Ian

 

Hi Markus,

"Which makes it all the more mysterious why Button wanted to go there"

I think you would need to discuss that with his management. If you did then you would work out why!

Ian

 

You mean they thought they'd earn a fee for handling the new contract, and no fee for just letting the contract with BAR run?

Management influence or not, it was Button who signed on the dotted line. He must have had a reason to leave BAR.

 

"Management influence or not, it was Button who signed on the dotted line. He must have had a reason to leave BAR."

Certainly there must have been a reason(s). But I think his management team are likely to have persuaded him as to what to do. It is their job to manage his career. And they did that badly in this case!

Ian

 

merlin - harsh...but fair

Michael.

 

"merlin - harsh...but fair "

Very good.

But although the result of the last race is dissapointing it had no bearing on the championship:

1st Ferrari
2nd B.A.R
3rd Renault
4th Williams
5th McLaren

We got ot 2nd by being as reliable as the teams around us and having a car that was always likely to finish on the podium (4 2nd places and 7 3rd places) and never being off the pace. All the other teams (bar Ferrari) struggled at some races.

As to Williams. Well in the last 14 races they got more points than us in one of them!

Now to next year which will be very tough for us to repeat this level of performance.

Ian

 

Congrats Ian, excellent performance. Too bad about Button's blowout but it had to happen sometime.

If I had more time today, I'd compose a longer post about how much fun it was to watch the Interlagos race, but as I'm busy (but still can't stay away from the forum entirely) let me just say that it was a great end to the season.

The rule changes leave me wondering about the mental health of some of the pelple in FIA, though.