F1 Catalunya GP!
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, very happy for Kubica 
D
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Borring race, i am sorry for nick, cause he had big chance to finish on the podium. Solid race for robert, i am happy for him. Great job from Massa.
4
450SEL6.9
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I think Ferrari should regret signing Kimi Raikkonen. IMO, he is overrated (including at this forum), overpaid and he has a real terrible attitude when things don't work out. At this rate, he will the most expensive No. 2 driver in this history of F1. He is on Schumacher money and he's putting up Ralf Schumacher results.
Hamilton better win a race soon. I hate it when the driver leading is the only one without a race win.
Hamilton better win a race soon. I hate it when the driver leading is the only one without a race win.
chonkoa
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I agree with your assessment.
I have always thought that Kimi will have it tough with Massa, and he out qualified in all the races except Melbourne.
Remember, Michael in some races was outpaced my Massa. The only I want from Massa is to be consistent, because he has taken 3 m poles from 4 GP and seems to be the strongest driver this year.
Imhotep Evil
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WOW, Raikkonen and Alonso better shape up.
Imhotep Evil
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He and Alonso I think still have to fully understand and adapt to the Bridgestones.
As for Hamilton, well nobody became WDC without at least a victory.
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450SEL6.9
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If Hamy wins Monaco, I won't be able to watch a British F1 telecast again. Should his first of surely 100 GP wins come at the most prestigious race, it would really get out of hand.
Hamy has never been beaten at Monaco, I don't think. Ferrari hasn't won there in a few years and Alonso might be reeling from a defeat by Hamy at his home race. Everything is falling into place for a Lewis Hamilton Monaco GP win!
Hamy has never been beaten at Monaco, I don't think. Ferrari hasn't won there in a few years and Alonso might be reeling from a defeat by Hamy at his home race. Everything is falling into place for a Lewis Hamilton Monaco GP win!
Imhotep Evil
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Well engine and aero don't count that much at Monaco. It's a freak race and anything can happen.
BTW, is it just me or before the problems (like usual for Newey cars) DC's RBR was quite close to BMW ?!
And boy, were they ahead of Renault ...
Zonda
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Was great to see Massa stand his ground in the first corner against Alonso. If Alonso had gotten past he would've won the race. But Massa did an outstanding job defending his 1st place.
And Siko, I wouldn't blame Kimi for this one. Even Massa has had his share of car problems this year.
I'm worried about Kimi... As someone said, back in 2005 he was like a soldier going out 100% for glory in every race. He doesn't seem to have that fire anymore. Or he just needs some more time to adjust to Ferrari and Bridgestone. Lewis is known to have a driving style that is very gentle on the tires which can be why he has an easier time adjusting. Massa is also pretty smooth. Kimi and Alonso have more aggressive driving styles which can be the reason they're being outperformed by their teammates. I'm still convinced Kimi and Alonso are the two best drivers out there right now, they just haven't shown their full potential yet.
And Siko, I wouldn't blame Kimi for this one. Even Massa has had his share of car problems this year.
I'm worried about Kimi... As someone said, back in 2005 he was like a soldier going out 100% for glory in every race. He doesn't seem to have that fire anymore. Or he just needs some more time to adjust to Ferrari and Bridgestone. Lewis is known to have a driving style that is very gentle on the tires which can be why he has an easier time adjusting. Massa is also pretty smooth. Kimi and Alonso have more aggressive driving styles which can be the reason they're being outperformed by their teammates. I'm still convinced Kimi and Alonso are the two best drivers out there right now, they just haven't shown their full potential yet.
Imhotep Evil
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Yes I also thinks so.
Also Ferrari since the 2006 China GP seemed to have had reliability/technical issues.
Also Ferrari since the 2006 China GP seemed to have had reliability/technical issues.
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450SEL6.9
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Knowing that he is an all-out driver and car-breaker, why did Ferrari even sign him? They could have had Alonso for a fair bit cheaper and invested the savings into developing the car. Heck, why didn't they just keep Schu? Some F1 observers think that Schu was forced out because the team insisted on Kimi being in for a race seat. Read BusinessF1 magazine's article about Schu's retirement.
I agree that Alonso is still one of the best drivers out there because he is a proven winner. He won last year's title even as Schu was competitive. On the other hand, Kimi has not proven much to me. What has he done? Sure, he's had bad luck and unreliability. But how much is that is down to him? He needs an attitude adjustment. If Ferrari loses out to Hamy or Alonso this year, I think some of it can be attributed to signing Kimi.
Hamilton's hype turned me off at first, but he has the potential to eclipse Prost and equal Fangio's WDC record. There is a certain element of destiny to him. Just as Tiger Woods won his first major in record fashion at the biggest tournament, the '97 Masters, Hamilton will win his first race at the most historic event. Hamy will announce his arrival to the world, not just F1 fans, in two-weeks.
If I lived in the UK, I'd walk down to the local William Hill and bet on him winning Monaco. You can probably get at least 4-to-1 or 5-to-1 odds on him.
Imhotep Evil
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Well Alonso was taken by McLaren if I'm not mistaken.
I doubt Kimi is a car breaker per se. He does however drive the cars as if they are tanks, and neither the Newey McLarens nor the Ferrari's since the 2006 China GP were/are so thus requiring the management Kimi seems incapable off.
So you could say he's a car breaker and that his cars were/are fragile and be both right and wrong on both accounts.
As for Alonso, he's done his worst mistake since Canada GP 2005, IMO.
I doubt Kimi is a car breaker per se. He does however drive the cars as if they are tanks, and neither the Newey McLarens nor the Ferrari's since the 2006 China GP were/are so thus requiring the management Kimi seems incapable off.
So you could say he's a car breaker and that his cars were/are fragile and be both right and wrong on both accounts.
As for Alonso, he's done his worst mistake since Canada GP 2005, IMO.
Zonda
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450SEL, I'm surprised you didn't call Massa a car breaker after the Aussie GP. Right now he is not more of a car breaker than Massa. If he suffers far more breakdowns than Massa when this season is over I'll agree with you. But it's far too early to say that now.
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Well, Massa did finish the Aussie GP. Also, he hasn't exploded nearly as many engines or torched as many gearbox and fried as many electrical units as Kimi. Of course, they were not in equally reliable cars in the past. But I go back to my previous point, some of Kimi's DNFs with the Mclaren might be down to the tank driver behind the wheel.
I don't call Kimi a car breaker because of his results this season. In much older posts, I call him a car breaker.
I don't call Kimi a car breaker because of his results this season. In much older posts, I call him a car breaker.
Imhotep Evil
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REACTION: FERRARI/McLAREN/BMW: Sporting Life - F1 | Spanish Grand Prix at Catalunya, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Formula One News, Formula One Live, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Renault, McLaren, Formula On
Ferrari
Felipe Massa: "Fantastic!! I cannot find the words to describe the emotions I feel after such a closely fought race. The duel at the start was very tight: I took some risks but I absolutely did not want to lose position and that meant we touched when he came up the inside of me. Luckily, the car was undamaged, and so I was immediately able to pull away from my pursuers. I wanted to get a good lead straight away so that I could manage the situation in the second stint of the race and that's how it went. The F2007 is a great car, but we need to improve further in order to get both cars across the finish line, as our closest rivals have done. Reliability is the key. Now we come to the Monaco race: it can be something of a lottery there and you need a bit of luck on your side. Once again, I would like to thank Michael for the help he has given me over all these years. His lessons have been useful to me!"
Kimi Raikkonen: "Honestly, there's little to say, except that I'm very disappointed. I lost a place to Hamilton at the start, but made the most of the fight between Felipe and Fernando to get back to third place. I was running at a good pace and could have had a good result, but suddenly the car had an electrical problem and all I could was come back to the garage. I have lost precious points but there are still thirteen races to recover."
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton: "Things just keep getting better and I continue living my dream. In the early stages I was struggling to get heat into the tyres and had a bit of oversteer, but things improved considerably a few laps into the race - however the gap to Felipe was already too big. In the second stint I was a bit unlucky with the traffic, but that happens sometimes. Overall I'm happy with the outcome of the race, and I want to keep on scoring points. The team has worked really hard since Bahrain and whilst we didn't win I still think we can take some satisfaction as we are leading both Championships."
Fernando Alonso: "My chance for victory disappeared after the incident at the first corner. I got off the line OK at the start and was able to get a tow from Felipe and challenge into the first corner as I was already half a car length in front however we touched, and I had to go on the gravel to avoid an accident. We were both lucky to finish the race. As a result by the second corner I was fourth. I also sustained a bit of damage to my car which upset the balance for the rest of the race. I lost additional time in the second stint as the tyres were not working as well, but I still think the result would have stayed the same even if we had used the softer tyres."
BMW
Robert Kubica: "I am very satisfied because this is my first race this season without any problems, and you can see the result. Today everything came together for me. I could fight for top places, and that is what I did today. I had quite a good, consistent race, although I had some problems with tyre degradation in the second stint when I was behind Alonso and Coulthard was closing the gap, but everything was under control. In the end, after the second pitstop, I tried to push and make the gap to Coulthard bigger. Now we have to continue working in this direction."
Nick Heidfeld: "In the end it was most likely a gearbox problem that stopped me, but unfortunately my race was over much earlier after the problem during my first pitstop. For some reason the front right wheel was loose, we have to look at it how this happened. For the first 24 laps until this stop it looked superb for me. I drove a long first stint and my second stint would also have been a long one. On top of this Alonso was not very quick on the harder tyres in his second stint. I believe I had the chance to finish on the podium today."
Ferrari
Felipe Massa: "Fantastic!! I cannot find the words to describe the emotions I feel after such a closely fought race. The duel at the start was very tight: I took some risks but I absolutely did not want to lose position and that meant we touched when he came up the inside of me. Luckily, the car was undamaged, and so I was immediately able to pull away from my pursuers. I wanted to get a good lead straight away so that I could manage the situation in the second stint of the race and that's how it went. The F2007 is a great car, but we need to improve further in order to get both cars across the finish line, as our closest rivals have done. Reliability is the key. Now we come to the Monaco race: it can be something of a lottery there and you need a bit of luck on your side. Once again, I would like to thank Michael for the help he has given me over all these years. His lessons have been useful to me!"
Kimi Raikkonen: "Honestly, there's little to say, except that I'm very disappointed. I lost a place to Hamilton at the start, but made the most of the fight between Felipe and Fernando to get back to third place. I was running at a good pace and could have had a good result, but suddenly the car had an electrical problem and all I could was come back to the garage. I have lost precious points but there are still thirteen races to recover."
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton: "Things just keep getting better and I continue living my dream. In the early stages I was struggling to get heat into the tyres and had a bit of oversteer, but things improved considerably a few laps into the race - however the gap to Felipe was already too big. In the second stint I was a bit unlucky with the traffic, but that happens sometimes. Overall I'm happy with the outcome of the race, and I want to keep on scoring points. The team has worked really hard since Bahrain and whilst we didn't win I still think we can take some satisfaction as we are leading both Championships."
Fernando Alonso: "My chance for victory disappeared after the incident at the first corner. I got off the line OK at the start and was able to get a tow from Felipe and challenge into the first corner as I was already half a car length in front however we touched, and I had to go on the gravel to avoid an accident. We were both lucky to finish the race. As a result by the second corner I was fourth. I also sustained a bit of damage to my car which upset the balance for the rest of the race. I lost additional time in the second stint as the tyres were not working as well, but I still think the result would have stayed the same even if we had used the softer tyres."
BMW
Robert Kubica: "I am very satisfied because this is my first race this season without any problems, and you can see the result. Today everything came together for me. I could fight for top places, and that is what I did today. I had quite a good, consistent race, although I had some problems with tyre degradation in the second stint when I was behind Alonso and Coulthard was closing the gap, but everything was under control. In the end, after the second pitstop, I tried to push and make the gap to Coulthard bigger. Now we have to continue working in this direction."
Nick Heidfeld: "In the end it was most likely a gearbox problem that stopped me, but unfortunately my race was over much earlier after the problem during my first pitstop. For some reason the front right wheel was loose, we have to look at it how this happened. For the first 24 laps until this stop it looked superb for me. I drove a long first stint and my second stint would also have been a long one. On top of this Alonso was not very quick on the harder tyres in his second stint. I believe I had the chance to finish on the podium today."
Imhotep Evil
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Red Bull
David Coulthard: "Towards the end of the race, I lost third gear and thought I was going to have to retire the car. I managed to drive using only fourth gear and above, which lost me time in the last sector, but I was still able to be quick in the first. We've made more progress than any other team since the beginning of the year and when you're aggressively attacking lap times, sometimes you have to put other areas of the car to one side. That's the growing pains we're going through at Red Bull Racing at present, but I think everyone agrees we'd rather have pace and show we're genuinely quick - and then work on reliability, than have a reliable car that only finishes tenth."
Mark Webber: "Unfortunately reliability problems cost me a race finish today. At the moment, I think it's a recurrence of yesterday's hydraulic problem. We had planned to go for a long first stint because of my low grid position, but it doesn't matter what strategy you have if you don't get to the finish. There's not much more to say except for the obvious fact that it's disappointing. But, at least David's great result and finish in the points proves that the car has the pace to do well. It's a great boost for the whole team."
Williams:
Nico Rosberg: "It was a good race and there's no doubt we got the balance right, especially in the middle stint, when I was really able to push on fresh tyres. Thanks to the team for the strategy and the perfectly timed pitstops. My only problem was that my drinks' bottle didn't work and I couldn't take in any fluids during the race at all so it was really tough, not just because I was thirsty, but in terms of concentration, especially towards the end. This is the best result I've had in F1 so far, and that's a great feeling. Trying to catch up with Coulthard at the end of the race was exciting, but I really needed a couple more laps to get him. Three points are great and I am happy that everything came together for us today."
Alex Wurz: "A short race, and really just not the best weekend for me. I had a good start and overtook a few guys, but then I was lined up behind Ralf going into turn 10 and he suddenly had to lift for someone in front. It's such close racing out there so I had zero chance to react and ended up on his wheel. It proved the end of my race. I'm disappointed that I could not show my race pace, but you can count on me in Monaco."
Renault
Heikki Kovalainen: "This is my best finish so far in F1, which is something positive for me on a personal level, but within the team, we know that I was quick enough to finish in fifth position today. I am still pleased though, firstly because I got everything out of the car today throughout the whole race, and secondly because the car handling felt much better all the way through the race. We had problems at the first and second stops, and it meant we had to convert our strategy to three stops, and run really aggressive short stints on the soft tyres. During that part of the race, the car was working really well, and that continued during the final stint on the hard tyres. So while we are frustrated about the problems, I am happy to get more points, and we have shown that we are moving in the right direction. The car is getting faster, and although there is still a long way to go, we are confident that we will get back to our true position."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It was a really tough afternoon for me, with my strategy compromised by traffic, and then the pit-stop problem at the end. I got a good start, but got squeezed out during the run down to the first corner. Then I ran wide when I had snap oversteer in turn 3 and lost three positions, which left me behind Barrichello. I was much faster than him in terms of lap-time, but didn't have the speed to overtake on the straight. I only got into clean air after the second stop, and the car felt really good - I was pushing to the limit to try and build a gap to Sato before the final short stop, but I lost out by a few metres. It is frustrating to finish so close to the points after a day like this, but we can find some positives from the fact that we know our car was quick enough to finish fifth today. That is an encouraging step after the first three races, and I believe we can continue making progress."
David Coulthard: "Towards the end of the race, I lost third gear and thought I was going to have to retire the car. I managed to drive using only fourth gear and above, which lost me time in the last sector, but I was still able to be quick in the first. We've made more progress than any other team since the beginning of the year and when you're aggressively attacking lap times, sometimes you have to put other areas of the car to one side. That's the growing pains we're going through at Red Bull Racing at present, but I think everyone agrees we'd rather have pace and show we're genuinely quick - and then work on reliability, than have a reliable car that only finishes tenth."
Mark Webber: "Unfortunately reliability problems cost me a race finish today. At the moment, I think it's a recurrence of yesterday's hydraulic problem. We had planned to go for a long first stint because of my low grid position, but it doesn't matter what strategy you have if you don't get to the finish. There's not much more to say except for the obvious fact that it's disappointing. But, at least David's great result and finish in the points proves that the car has the pace to do well. It's a great boost for the whole team."
Williams:
Nico Rosberg: "It was a good race and there's no doubt we got the balance right, especially in the middle stint, when I was really able to push on fresh tyres. Thanks to the team for the strategy and the perfectly timed pitstops. My only problem was that my drinks' bottle didn't work and I couldn't take in any fluids during the race at all so it was really tough, not just because I was thirsty, but in terms of concentration, especially towards the end. This is the best result I've had in F1 so far, and that's a great feeling. Trying to catch up with Coulthard at the end of the race was exciting, but I really needed a couple more laps to get him. Three points are great and I am happy that everything came together for us today."
Alex Wurz: "A short race, and really just not the best weekend for me. I had a good start and overtook a few guys, but then I was lined up behind Ralf going into turn 10 and he suddenly had to lift for someone in front. It's such close racing out there so I had zero chance to react and ended up on his wheel. It proved the end of my race. I'm disappointed that I could not show my race pace, but you can count on me in Monaco."
Renault
Heikki Kovalainen: "This is my best finish so far in F1, which is something positive for me on a personal level, but within the team, we know that I was quick enough to finish in fifth position today. I am still pleased though, firstly because I got everything out of the car today throughout the whole race, and secondly because the car handling felt much better all the way through the race. We had problems at the first and second stops, and it meant we had to convert our strategy to three stops, and run really aggressive short stints on the soft tyres. During that part of the race, the car was working really well, and that continued during the final stint on the hard tyres. So while we are frustrated about the problems, I am happy to get more points, and we have shown that we are moving in the right direction. The car is getting faster, and although there is still a long way to go, we are confident that we will get back to our true position."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It was a really tough afternoon for me, with my strategy compromised by traffic, and then the pit-stop problem at the end. I got a good start, but got squeezed out during the run down to the first corner. Then I ran wide when I had snap oversteer in turn 3 and lost three positions, which left me behind Barrichello. I was much faster than him in terms of lap-time, but didn't have the speed to overtake on the straight. I only got into clean air after the second stop, and the car felt really good - I was pushing to the limit to try and build a gap to Sato before the final short stop, but I lost out by a few metres. It is frustrating to finish so close to the points after a day like this, but we can find some positives from the fact that we know our car was quick enough to finish fifth today. That is an encouraging step after the first three races, and I believe we can continue making progress."
siko
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OK first and foremost a big boo to Massa for not crashing or blowing up his engine.
Second, big kudos to rookies Hamilton and Kubica and veteran DC who all drove brilliantly!
Third, SUPER AGURI in the points! Awesome bitch-slap to the Honda works team.
And lastly... a HUGE virtual slap in the face to Toyota... next time don't open your big mouth... what a lame pathetic attempt to "take it to BMW and become the best of the 2nd pack"... LOL, in my mind they have become the joke of F1. I mean Sato (of all drivers) in a Super Aguri managed points and they didn't!
I know... sorry Kimi.
Second, big kudos to rookies Hamilton and Kubica and veteran DC who all drove brilliantly!
Third, SUPER AGURI in the points! Awesome bitch-slap to the Honda works team.
And lastly... a HUGE virtual slap in the face to Toyota... next time don't open your big mouth... what a lame pathetic attempt to "take it to BMW and become the best of the 2nd pack"... LOL, in my mind they have become the joke of F1. I mean Sato (of all drivers) in a Super Aguri managed points and they didn't!
I know... sorry Kimi.
