Sudden From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 2647 posts, RR: 5 Posted (3 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2727 times:
F1 fans,
It's time for one of the highlights of the season (at least if you ask me).
Spa has a great history attached to it, and it's basically a great track that has all the elements combined from many other tracks.
I guess it also separates the men from the boys with O'rouge (correct my spelling if needed)
Many claims that the WDC is now between Massa and Hamilton, but this is far from the truth as Kimi can still get back and show his form, and he have clearly stated that he has not lost his motivation to win. Although lately he have shown everything but championship driving. It sure has nothing to do with the car as Massa is able to win with it, so Kimi needs to step on it! Spa is the track he likes the most, so maybe this will be the turning point so he can make the rest of season interesting in regards to the WDC.
Alonso is in serious talks with Honda for (maybe) a seat next year already. Alonso have seen what R. Brawn have done so far for the team, and he looks to be interested to go for Honda for 1 year, and then move over to Ferrari. Will be interesting to see how this all works out.
As you could see, Schumi was again attending the race, and made the stupid comment by saying that he stopped racing to not stand in Massa's way. Strange that he never said this earlier, but now when Massa happens to be on a hype. Lets see how long this hype lasts, shall we!?
Track data;
Number of Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Distance: 308.052 km
Lap Record: 1:45.108 - K Raikkonen (2004)
There is a couple of members that don't participate in these threads anymore due to obvious reasons, and rightfully so (I didn't either in the Valencia thread), but please start posting again so we can get the quality back in these threads that ones was the case.
MadameConcorde From Monaco, joined Feb 2007, 2479 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (3 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2719 times:
I, like many others on this board, am really looking forward to this GP. First of all, I hope Lew Ham will be back in perfect physical condition. It should be a great race.
There was a better way to fly. It was called Concorde.
Flyboysp From Australia, joined Apr 2007, 643 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2717 times:
For some strange i feel that Kimi will come good again here at Spa. Yes he's been down on form, but what a better place for him to bounce back into form.
As much as it pains me to say it, i believe that if Kimi does not win the race, then Hamilton will from Massa. I just feel that Massa wont win here. Having said all that, if Kimi does not gain momentum here, Ferrari will have to IMO, make Massa the No1 driver.
I'm already thinking in my mind how they will be behaving at the La Source hairpin at the start.Imagine all the body work flying around
Quoting Sudden (Thread starter): As you could see, Schumi was again attending the race, and made the stupid comment by saying that he stopped racing to not stand in Massa's way
I thought that it was because he did not want Massa to be out of a job.
Flyboysp From Australia, joined Apr 2007, 643 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2715 times:
Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 1): I, like many others on this board, am really looking forward to this GP. First of all, I hope Lew Ham will be back in perfect physical condition. It should be a great race.
For someone who was not feeling well for the last race, he certainly did not race bad at all. Having all drivers fit will make for an intersting race.
Sudden From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 2647 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (3 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2700 times:
Quoting Flyboysp (Reply 3): Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 1):
I, like many others on this board, am really looking forward to this GP. First of all, I hope Lew Ham will be back in perfect physical condition. It should be a great race.
For someone who was not feeling well for the last race, he certainly did not race bad at all. Having all drivers fit will make for an intersting race.
No matter what, Hamilton/Mclaren was not able to challenge Massa/Ferrari, and if he was that ill as it sounds, he would not have been allowed to race at all. Still, a damn good performance!
Quoting Flyboysp (Reply 2): I thought that it was because he did not want Massa to be out of a job
So Schumi would have made way for Massa by giving his seat to Kimi!? Nah, not likely. Massa got his butt kicked anyway by Kimi, and I don't see Massa take the title this year either. And look ahead and lets say that Kimi leaves and Alonso joins. That would not make Massa's life one bit easier.
Photopilot From Canada, joined Jul 2002, 1502 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (3 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2691 times:
Finally, the circus is headed back to perhaps the greatest road course in the world. To my mind, it's truly what an F1 track should be. My only hope is that the race is decided by the drivers on the track, not the weather. Either a fully wet race or a dry race, but not a race with the tire guessing game due to changing conditions.
Personally, would like to see Massa win just to bring the championship even closer.
B747forever From Sweden, joined May 2007, 11285 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (3 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2690 times:
Quoting Photopilot (Reply 5): Finally, the circus is headed back to perhaps the greatest road course in the world. To my mind, it's truly what an F1 track should be
Agree with you. This track is one of my favorites.
We have for sure a really interesting GP ahead of us. And Monza is just a week after Spa so we will have a hectic but interesting time ahead of us.
Kimi needs to win this one if he dont want to be Ferraris 2nd driver. He can get it all on track if he wins this one and Monza one week later. That would just show that he is still a contender of the WDC.
And I pray to God that we wont see any more Ferrari engines blow up this time.
Next flights: 17th December BA282 LAX-LHR 18th December BA780 LHR-ARN
Sudden From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 2647 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (3 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2582 times:
The race is on in regards to take over Vettel's seat next year at STR.
Buemi and Sato are to test now, and I actually hope that Sato will be the one on the grid next year as he really drove well up until the very end for SA.
Would also like to see Sutil give this a shot as I think he deserves better. Klien also want's to get back in the action, so maybe he will try to test as well.
SIlly season has started! http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/9/8294.html
Waterpolodan From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1082 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (3 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2576 times:
Quoting Sudden (Thread starter): As you could see, Schumi was again attending the race, and made the stupid comment by saying that he stopped racing to not stand in Massa's way. Strange that he never said this earlier, but now when Massa happens to be on a hype. Lets see how long this hype lasts, shall we!?
Why would he have any reason to say anything about that at all if it wasn't true? He and Massa are very close, and it was long known that Ferrari had signed Kimi before Michael made his decision, which put him in a tough place. Go out on top and leave the seat to Massa, or remain, send his friend to a lesser team or a test role, and possibly get beaten by a younger Raikkonen. He made the right decision, IMO, as he went out on top with that exceptional comeback drive in Brazil, and Massa has matured into a better driver than Kimi even, and in my mind the 2nd best in the world, just a smidgen off of Hamilton. This isn't some stunt by Michael to gain publicity, he doens't seek it, he was just honest in an interview and it has been long enough that he can speak candidly about what happened at the end of 2006.
Quoting Flyboysp (Reply 2): I'm already thinking in my mind how they will be behaving at the La Source hairpin at the start.Imagine all the body work flying around Wow!
They massively reprofiled the La Source section last year, so those huge pileups like the amazing start in '98 are hopefully a thing of the past with the wider entry and exit and a less tight hairpin.
Sudden From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 2647 posts, RR: 5 Reply 12, posted (3 months 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2563 times:
Quoting Waterpolodan (Reply 11): Why would he have any reason to say anything about that at all if it wasn't true?
But why until now when Massa is doing good (for a change)? He would never had made that comment if Massa still was driving in the shadow of Kimi. If Kimi to find his form back, Massa will again have to face the facts, which are that he is not that good. If he drives in clean air he sure is fast, but in traffic he's not.
Still, I will not take anything from Massa cause he have for sure shaped up.
Quoting Waterpolodan (Reply 11): They massively reprofiled the La Source section last year, so those huge pileups like the amazing start in '98 are hopefully a thing of the past with the wider entry and exit and a less tight hairpin.
That section of the track was made wider for the drivers to have more room to play with. Alonso used it to the max last year when pushing Hamilton way out after the start.
Aerobalance From United States, joined Sep 2000, 4294 posts, RR: 44 Reply 13, posted (3 months 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2560 times:
Massa will be on the second race of his engine, it will blowup in this race as it did in Budapest and as did Kimi's engine in Valencia (also it's second race). Ferrari's pace of development has sacrificed reliability for performance to stay ahead of McLaren, yet one can not stay ahead if they do not finish...
Kimi should win at Spa with the fresh engine but Hamilton will win the championship by racking up second place positions from here on out.
"I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel, I can roll, I can feel"
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 4439 posts, RR: 20 Reply 15, posted (3 months 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2550 times:
The track is a real bummer. Watching cars going through Eau Rouge is among the top highlights of the year.
While I have some favourites among the drivers & teams, I hope for a very interesting race.
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ...
LTU932 From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 11056 posts, RR: 45 Reply 16, posted (3 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 2535 times:
Quoting Larshjort (Reply 14): Looking forward to an interesting race hopefully without rain
What? I say bring on the rain, because when it rains, F1 becomes much more exiting and unpredictable. I mean, under "optimal" conditions, nothing exiting ever happens, but when it rains, that's where the true skills of the drivers come to life. Just remember how well Sebastian Vettel did last time around when they raced in the rain.
It's sad but in F1, because of how predictable it is, lots of talent gets wasted.
Zu fettigem Käse und kalorienreicher Kunstmarmelade, nehme ich einen Doppelkorn.
Sudden From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 2647 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (3 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2529 times:
Quoting LTU932 (Reply 16): It's sad but in F1, because of how predictable it is, lots of talent gets wasted.
See your point there, but I would also add that in the rain speed is not really a major factor, but more how the cars are handling in those conditions. Teams that are usually not seen up front have a big chance to show off as well, and lets not forget the strategy applied. Just look at Honda back at Silverstone.
So rain at Spa would be a nice addition as the track is fast with high speed corners, which could let us see some nice surprises.
Bill142 From Australia, joined Aug 2004, 6862 posts, RR: 8 Reply 18, posted (3 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 2520 times:
Kovalinen is going to storm though for his second win of the season!
Rain is always a possibility at this track and it usually comes it fast, without warning. The teams will need to make sure their meteorologists their high tech equipment are on the ball. Some teams might like to employ the lower tech 'Eddie Jordan Doppler Radar' which involves sending a man with a radio up the hill and to call in when the rain is coming.
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