Formula 1 2006 Season thread

[jarmo]

Renault confirms Kovalainen for 2007
Wednesday, 06, September, 2006, 12:56

Heikki Kovalainen will partner Giancarlo Fisichella in Renault?s race team in 2007, the Anglo-French squad confirmed on Wednesday morning.

The 24-year-old Finn will take over Fernando Alonso?s seat when the Spaniard moves to McLaren at the end of this season.

Kovalainen was runner-up in last year?s GP2 championship behind Nico Rosberg and has been Renault?s test driver for the past two years.

?I am thrilled to get the opportunity to race with a world champion team like Renault,? he said.

?I have been a member of the Renault Driver Development programme since 2002, when I had the distant ambition of one day becoming an F1 driver.

?It is a fantastic feeling to have finally achieved that.

?My two seasons testing for the team, as well as my time in GP2, have allowed me to build my technical knowledge and to understand what it takes to win in Formula 1.

?I have also had the opportunity to show the team what I can do, and it is a great motivation to know that they believe in me.

?It will be a fantastic feeling to line up on the grid in Melbourne, but that is still a long way off.

?At the moment, I am totally focused on helping Renault win the 2006 championship.?

Kovalainen has accumulated extensive mileage in his time as Renault?s test driver and has consistently matched the pace of the race drivers.

Nonetheless the decision to promote him to the world champion team without serving an apprenticeship with a smaller outfit will be regarded as something of a gamble as he has yet to make his F1 competition debut.

But team boss Flavio Briatore, who has renewed his commitment to Renault through to the end of 2008, said he was confident the team had made the right decision.

?Everybody at Renault is very optimistic about our driver line-up for 2007 and beyond,? he said.

?We have taken the conscious decision to build for the future, without compromising the stability of the team in the short term.

?Giancarlo is a proven force in Formula 1 and Heikki is already fully integrated into the team.

?After seeing performances in testing this season, we have very high hopes for him.?

The news brings an end to speculation that Renault might succeed in luring Kimi Raikkonen away from Ferrari.

F1?s other Finn now seems almost certain to be confirmed as one of the Maranello team?s drivers at Monza on Sunday.




/jarmo

[Skeletor]

The 2007 season is looking really good, can't wait!

[the dirt]

Michael Schumacher, who holds every major record in F1 racing, will call it a career at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza this weekend, according to the Bild newspaper in Hamburg, Germany.

"We won't have anything to say before Sunday," Schumacher's manager Willi Weber was quoted as saying.

Added Schumacher's spokeswoman Sabine Kehm: "We can't comment on everything. As we said, there will be more on Sunday."

Schumacher has said previously he would make a decision on his racing future at the Monza event.

The German media has speculated recently that the seven-time F1 champion would retire when his contract with Ferrari runs out at the end of this season. Four races remain, including this Sunday.

Schumacher is 12 points back of defending F1 champion Fernando Alonso in the season standings.

Schumacher is the most successful driver in F1 history. He's re-written the record books in much the same fashion that hockey great Wayne Gretzky did.

However, some F1 pundits suggested a year ago that Schumacher - who at 37 is the oldest driver in F1 - isn't as hungry as he once was.

A year ago, Schumacher shot down rumours of his impending retirement, assuring Ferrari's legions of passionate tifosi (fans) that he was fully committed to the Ferrari cause.

With files from the Associated Press

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

His time has come.  He's dominated racing for all these years.  And this way, he can go out on top.

[Grouse]

MF1Racing sold
07 September 2006


Midland F1 Racing has been bought by the M-consortium of Dutchman Michiel Mol, F1Racing.net can reveal. The deal will most likely be confirmed by the team at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. It will also be unveiled what the exact role of Spyker is in the new team.

Michiel Mol and Midland had been negotiating for months after several setbacks before reaching an agreement just recently. What the team will look like exactly, is still unknown.

  this will be the first time that an dutch team will take part in F1?

[Grouse]

Ferrari playing dirty tricks again?

Fernando Alonso has been summoned to the stewards? office after Ferrari rival Felipe Massa complained that the world champion held him up during qualifying at Monza.

Alonso, who had been delayed by a punctured tyre earlier in the top-10 shootout, was on a warm-up lap while Massa was in the midst of his final flier.

Although the Brazilian initially closed quite quickly on the Spaniard, Alonso kept up a good pace because he was almost out of time to start his own final hot lap.

Nonetheless, Massa felt the proximity of the Renault had significantly impeded him.

?It?s a shame I was unable to exploit the full potential available to me,? he said.

?I lost at least three tenths [of a second].?

Alonso was called to appear before the stewards following the GP2 race but insisted that Massa had no grounds for complaint because there was sufficient distance between the two cars.

This is so much fucking bullshit Massa wasn't even near Alonso, Ferrari are just trying to get Alonso as far back on the grid as possible....god how I hate that team....it's most likely that Alonso's three fastest laps will be taken away?
The FIA sure does know how to fuck up a championship, altough this isn't really a surprise since 2 out of the three stewards in Monza are italians...

here's massa's lap anyone wanna tell me how Alonso impeded Massa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY-lKEt1QLM

[jarmo]

Michael Schumacher retiring after this season. Kimi R?ikk?nen will drive for Ferrari 2007-09.



/jarmo

[Lucky]

oh my god
the sport will never be the same:(

I've grown up with Schumacher.
he's like Axl Rose of sports for me! It's like Axl Rose going to retirement
I'm so sad because of this.

he could have at least stayed till his 100 victory... only 10 are remaining

[KIKO2K6]

oh my god
the sport will never be the same:(

I've grown up with Schumacher.
he's like Axl Rose of sports for me! It's like Axl Rose going to retirement
I'm so sad because of this.

he could have at least stayed till his 100 victory... only 10 are remaining

He is  going  out on top,he has to give the oportunity to the younger drivers Like Massa Haikkonen etc.. F1 survived Senna dead F1 can survive Shumacher retiring.

[Pinball Wizard]

It's time to move on people...sure Michael is an amazing driver, he's one of the best sportists of all time, and I really liked the way he decided to inform to the world his retirement: while he's on the top, not like Villeneuve

It's a big lost for the sport, but let's look ahead, there's lots of great drivers that will give us the happiness and excitment that Michael gave to us...Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, Kimi Raikkonen, Heikki Kovalainen, Nelsinho Piquet...the new generation of drivers is really, really good!!!! I'm really looking foward to this new era in Formula 1!

[Lucky]

I feel like I'm growing old.
my hero is retiering

First Salo, now Schumacher.
I hope Pedro de la Rosa stays around

[Grouse]

thnx for moving my post Jarmo, Just noticed it was in the wrong thread?

[slashisvr]

Ferrari playing dirty tricks again?

Fernando Alonso has been summoned to the stewards? office after Ferrari rival Felipe Massa complained that the world champion held him up during qualifying at Monza.

Alonso, who had been delayed by a punctured tyre earlier in the top-10 shootout, was on a warm-up lap while Massa was in the midst of his final flier.

Although the Brazilian initially closed quite quickly on the Spaniard, Alonso kept up a good pace because he was almost out of time to start his own final hot lap.

Nonetheless, Massa felt the proximity of the Renault had significantly impeded him.

?It?s a shame I was unable to exploit the full potential available to me,? he said.

?I lost at least three tenths [of a second].?

Alonso was called to appear before the stewards following the GP2 race but insisted that Massa had no grounds for complaint because there was sufficient distance between the two cars.

This is so much fucking bullshit Massa wasn't even near Alonso, Ferrari are just trying to get Alonso as far back on the grid as possible....god how I hate that team....it's most likely that Alonso's three fastest laps will be taken away?
The FIA sure does know how to fuck up a championship, altough this isn't really a surprise since 2 out of the three stewards in Monza are italians...

here's massa's lap anyone wanna tell me how Alonso impeded Massa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY-lKEt1QLM

ok here goes, F1 is a very techinal sport, areodynamics etc make a very big part of the cars balance set-up etc, when you are following a car (like massa was) he is in the "dirty air" from the car in front of him, alonso had good grip etc, and he punches a hole in the air as his car steams through it, now the air like re formats and when massa came through it, it was not back to normal, he was in the "dirty air" therefore not having full grip he should have had if alonso wasnt there, there fore he impeaded massas lap hence the penalty

IF YOU BREAK THE RULES, YOPU WILL BE PUNISHED!!!

[slashisvr]

its sad to see such a great character in the sport leave, i have followed F1 since around 96, supported schumacher all the time he has always been in the sport it will be weird as 99 was when he broke his leg, it will not be the same

kind regards to a great worldchampion

i will have to follow valentino liuzzi now, or raikkonen unsure

[Ignatius]

We understand the basics and how it works. Thanx for the lesson anyway...

But Grouse is right. Alonso was back on track after losing his tyre. It was on his best interest to finish that lap before the time elapsed cause he had one extra lap to improve his time.

If Massa says he lost 3 tenths of a second that's tough shit, Alonso had no intentions to slow him down...the way you are putting this is that from now on ferrari must have a clean course so they quailify best than anybody? 

[slashisvr]

We understand the basics and how it works. Thanx for the lesson anyway...

But Grouse is right. Alonso was back on track after losing his tyre. It was on his best interest to finish that lap before the time elapsed cause he had one extra lap to improve his time.

If Massa says he lost 3 tenths of a second that's tough shit, Alonso had no intentions to slow him down...the way you are putting this is that from now on ferrari must have a clean course so they quailify best than anybody??

as max mosley said (president of the FIA) is a driver is on his out lap and there is a driver on his fast lap behind him then he must do whatever he can to get out of his way as to not impead him, alonso was on his outlap, massa was on his fast lap, rules are rules, i dont think it was as much as 3 tenths, but it cost him some time, yeah sure alonso had to get round, and i admire him for having the balls to go back out after his tyre failure, but if the rules state that he had to gte out of the way, then he should have to avoid penalty's

it may have looked like a fix, because it was on ferraris home ground, but there are three stewards who decide, one from italy the other two are from diffrent country's to decide so its not biased

and as for the statement from briatorie saying it was fixed, how is that when alonso blew up, wether he had bl;istering pace, (which he didnt) he still blew up.

[Ignatius]

Alonso was one second ahead of Massa...He didnt interfere one bit.

Rules are rules when they are applied EQUALLY to everybody.

Funny how everytime there's a complain, there all seem to favor Ferrari's interests.

Schumacher's changes direction 3 or 4 times on the grid when you are only allowed to do it once. Was he punished? Nah...

This is Schumacher's last year and wonder what would be best for FIA?...Alonso to repeat or Schumacher to retire with another title?

[Grouse]

ok here goes, F1 is a very techinal sport, areodynamics etc make a very big part of the cars balance set-up etc, when you are following a car (like massa was) he is in the "dirty air" from the car in front of him, alonso had good grip etc, and he punches a hole in the air as his car steams through it, now the air like re formats and when massa came through it, it was not back to normal, he was in the "dirty air" therefore not having full grip he should have had if alonso wasnt there, there fore he impeaded massas lap hence the penalty

IF YOU BREAK THE RULES, YOPU WILL BE PUNISHED!!!

First off, I've been following F1 for years and years so I know how an F1 car works ? what you said could only have happend if Alonso was close enough. The simple fact is that he wasn't, the telemetry shows that. You're saying that Massa was driving through "dirty air" if that was the case than he should have also had the advantage?of getting some sort of slipstream from alonso on the straights but that didn't happen wich the telemtry also shows, so it's way more likely that Massa just lifted a little or made a mistake in the third sector and ferrari decided afterwards that it would be a good idea to blame alonso for this....

[slashisvr]

ok here goes, F1 is a very techinal sport, areodynamics etc make a very big part of the cars balance set-up etc, when you are following a car (like massa was) he is in the "dirty air" from the car in front of him, alonso had good grip etc, and he punches a hole in the air as his car steams through it, now the air like re formats and when massa came through it, it was not back to normal, he was in the "dirty air" therefore not having full grip he should have had if alonso wasnt there, there fore he impeaded massas lap hence the penalty

IF YOU BREAK THE RULES, YOPU WILL BE PUNISHED!!!

First off, I've been following F1 for years and years so I know how an F1 car works ? what you said could only have happend if Alonso was close enough. The simple fact is that he wasn't, the telemetry shows that. You're saying that Massa was driving through "dirty air" if that was the case than he should have also had the advantage?of getting some sort of slipstream from alonso on the straights but that didn't happen wich the telemtry also shows, so it's way more likely that Massa just lifted a little or made a mistake in the third sector and ferrari decided afterwards that it would be a good idea to blame alonso for this....

well they say they have absolute evidence that massa was impeaded, myself am unsure as to what to think, i did think it was a little unfair, but if they have proof, or whatever they have it still stands

if you rember back to hungury, schumacher was also given a penalty, so how can people say FIA love ferarri

as for the weaving you're car 3 or 4 times, iv never seen schumi do it in years, but i also dont think that is a solid rules, more of undertsanding with the drivers

and the dirty air would lose him any time he gained slipstreaming maybe more, going through high speed corners.

i do think massa caught the end of the dirty air, i mean you watch the race and when driver get between 1 tenth and around 9tenths a second, they struggle for grip because of the dirty air!

always in ferarri intrest??? 97 world championship schumachers points removed for his antics with JV, malaysia 99, illegal barge boards, later there points were re instated, as not performance advantage was gained, hungry 06 schumacher added time on to his qualifying time.

its how teams work, if you cheat or break the rules intentional or not, they will punish you.

[Lucky]

Alonso was one second ahead of Massa...He didnt interfere one bit.

Rules are rules when they are applied EQUALLY to everybody.

Funny how everytime there's a complain, there all seem to favor Ferrari's interests.

Schumacher's changes direction 3 or 4 times on the grid when you are only allowed to do it once. Was he punished? Nah...

This is Schumacher's last year and wonder what would be best for FIA?...Alonso to repeat or Schumacher to retire with another title?

Ferrari got its share of the penalties for this season.