The Four Wheel Game

[Nick Armstrong]

I would agree with you had I been actually watching it. I gave up watching it years ago. This morning I was clearing out my garage accompanied by commentary on BBC Radio 5 live.

[DublinJimbo]

Malaysia: Okay, so weather and tyre choice played a very large part, but it was exciting stuff all the same, and what a joy it was to see Ferrari back on form and (even more dramatically) Sauber/Perez make it to second place.

[Mr Pee]

'Twas ever thus. Wet weather has always been a great leveller. If you really think that what the drivers were doing had absolutely no impact on the tension of the race, then you really are watching the wrong sport, I'd spend the time doing something else in future if I were you.

The knife-edge driving performances coupled with the 'joker in the pack' effect of the weather produced a pretty gripping event I thought.

Couldn't agree more, Caliban, a thriller from lights to flag- and I think we may be seeing a new talent emerging in Sergio Perez- I was on the edge of my seat as he gradually reeled in Alonso! How long before he replaces Massa at Ferrari, I wonder? I think he'll be in a by the time of the Spanish GP. And both Vettel and Hamilton made uncharacteristic errors today. Nice to see Seb not having it all his own way this year- but I wish he would admit when he makes a mistake. He blamed his puncture on the HRT, when it was quite clearly his own fault for pulling back in too soon after the overtake. What a contrast to Jenson Button, who took full responsibility for his accident.


(Finally, anotherbob, I think it's a bit rich to come on here bemoaning a boring race when you've actually been clearing out the garage. But then you found the Australian GP dull as well, didn't you? What were you doing while that was on? Mowing the lawn?? )

[anotherbob]

Malaysia: Okay, so weather and tyre choice played a very large part......

I would suggest they were the determining factors. I recall Ecclestone suggesting that random sprinklers might be a good way to enliven the product. There must be many more possibilities along those lines.

[Mr Pee]

I would suggest they were the determining factors. I recall Ecclestone suggesting that random sprinklers might be a good way to enliven the product. There must be many more possibilities along those lines.

The determining factors were the experience and ability of Fernando Alonso, and the remarkable drive by Sergio Perez. Regardless of the weather, tyres, and all the other variables that can influence a GP, you still need drivers who can maximise the opportunity. Compare the way Alonso drove today with Felipe Massa in the sister Ferrari. Chalk and cheese.

And as for the "sprinklers" idea, it was quite rightly laughed out of court when it was suggested. I think it may actually have been one of Mr. Ecclestone's little jokes.

[Nick Armstrong]

Given Mr Pee's mention of the impending F1 season, which is always a source of some anticipation for me too, I thought I'd resurrect this thread to avoid rugby and football threads being encumbered...

Main points of interest, of course, apart from whether any team has managed to design an out-of-the-box winner (or on the other hand, an undriveable dog), will be how Hamilton is served by his new Mercedes team, and how the youthful Perez gets on at McLaren...

[Mr Pee]

Hello Caliban, glad to hear that you are also excited by the the return of F1!

Looking at the cars lauched so far, and listening to the views of such as Brundle and Kravitz, and given that we can have no idea of what ingenious features might be hidden beneath the bodywork, the McLaren looks to be the most revolutionary so far, rather than simply a refinement of last year's design. The regs are pretty much unchanged this year, which means there is no need for the teams to make massive changes. I've just watched the Red Bull launch, and there are some fairly obvious design changes there as well. One would expect nothing less from Adrian Newey!

Ferrari really need to be quick from the off this season- another title free year will surely mean that Di Montezemelo will run out of patience with the current team management.

Perez? When McLaren signed him, I thought it may have been a slightly panicky move, because I don't think they seriously expected Hamilton to leave. We shall see- there's no hiding place now he's in a top team. And it must be Button's best chance to take another title. I expect him to out-perform Perez; whether he can consistently beat Vettel and Alonso, I'm not so sure.

Hamilton has continually been down-playing expectations for his first season with Mercedes, which I am sure is the sensible thing to do. I hope he wins a couple of races at least and manages to move the team a place or two up in the contructor's championship.

And the other British driver, Paul Di Resta, really needs a good season with Force India or I fear his Formula One career may be short-lived. He's been out-performed by both team mates over the last two seasons, and he can't afford to let it happen again. Also, he should blinkin' well learn to smile a bit more.

Testing starts tomorrow, that should give us some indication of the pecking order. But the intriguing thing is that nobody will really know until the lights go out in Melbourne! 40 days and 9 hours to go!

[teamsaint]

Well I hope you guys have a terrific season...and here's hoping for a British win. (which ones are ours?)
In its current form, F1 isn't for me.
I would like to see them race on roads like the A303 with its numerous intereresting obstacles and diversions...the two summer holiday months would be perfect....and they could have a glamorous finish at Nigel Mansell's place near Exeter.

[Mr Pee]

Well I hope you guys have a terrific season...and here's hoping for a British win. (which ones are ours?)
In its current form, F1 isn't for me.
I would like to see them race on roads like the A303 with its numerous intereresting obstacles and diversions...the two summer holiday months would be perfect....and they could have a glamorous finish at Nigel Mansell's place near Exeter.

[anotherbob]

+1
I can't fathom the many, seemingly pointless regulations which govern the sport. Why must cars use two different sorts of tyres? You don't make a marathon runner change into his wellies after 10 miles. Why can't a team change a gearbox (or engine) without penalty, and so on and so on?
The first GP I attended was Monaco 1963, won by Surtees in a Ferrari, I still have the programme somewhere. It was all very simple. I wouldn't attempt to watch F1 today without a crammer on the Regs on my knee. However, best of luck to protagonists and fans alike, chacun a son gout.

[AmpH]

Ferrari have strenuously denied persistent rumours that Valentino Rossi has been secretly testing for them .....

[Nick Armstrong]

+1
I can't fathom the many, seemingly pointless regulations which govern the sport. Why must cars use two different sorts of tyres? You don't make a marathon runner change into his wellies after 10 miles. Why can't a team change a gearbox (or engine) without penalty, and so on and so on?
The first GP I attended was Monaco 1963, won by Surtees in a Ferrari, I still have the programme somewhere. It was all very simple. I wouldn't attempt to watch F1 today without a crammer on the Regs on my knee. However, best of luck to protagonists and fans alike, chacun a son gout.

Envy you the 63 trip to Monaco!! A photo* I took of a later Ferrari on the streets there appears up-thread...

I don't think you need a crammer - I don't really know the regs, and still enjoy it... especially when they're going by 2 or 3 metres away. There's always been a set of rules (that's the 'formula' in Formula 1, after all). True they are more complicated now, I think often in an attempt to reduce the gap between the super-rich teams and the lesser ones, to try and cap costs etc., and also to address the effects of aerodynamics on safety, and on overtaking interest. It is all a little Kafka-esque. I still think it's possible to appreciate with just an overview of the rules.


*Not the one in message 56!!!

[anotherbob]

Envy you the 63 trip to Monaco!!

You might reconsider if you had shared the my '59 Minivan for a fortnight, using it for sleeping and eating too! Unbelivably we didn't take a camera but here's the programme cover.

Re-reading it reveals that the prize money for the "vainqueur" was 10,000 (old) francs!

[amateur51]

You might reconsider if you had shared the my '59 Minivan for a fortnight, using it for sleeping and eating too! Unbelivably we didn't take a camera but here's the programme cover.

Re-reading it reveals that the prize money for the "vainqueur" was 10,000 (old) francs!

This race was, I think, Graham Hill's first win at Monaco. I was 11 years old and he became one of my sporting heroes and he won at Monaco a record nuimber of times

Thanks for the memories, anotherbob

[Mr Pee]

You might reconsider if you had shared the my '59 Minivan for a fortnight, using it for sleeping and eating too! Unbelivably we didn't take a camera but here's the programme cover.

Re-reading it reveals that the prize money for the "vainqueur" was 10,000 (old) francs!

Wow, that's quite a collector's item. Thanks for sharing it with us.