French GP *spoilers*

PLAYLIFE

PLAYLIFE

Active member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
334
Location
Melbourne
5 day forecast:

Free Practice 1 12.6°C, humidity 94%, 7.3mph

Free Practice 2 13.9°C, humidity 95%, 8.2mph

Free Practice 3 13.7°C, humidity 95%, 4.1mph

Free Practice 4 21.2°C, humidity 63%, 3.2mph

Qualifying 23.8°C, humidity 54%, 3.7mph

Race 28.3°C, humidity 53%, 0.9mph
 
If you have a crystal ball and can determine what's going to happen at the World Motorsport Council tonight (our time) this race could be more interesting or a complete farce....
 
Given it is indoors I predict fine and fluorescent-sunny weather :D :blackeye:
 
Free Practice 3 has just started, and the circuit is wet.

Raikkonen lost an engine yesterday at the beginning of Free 2 and has had his engine replaced. He will be penalisd 10 grid spots today.

McLaren and Renault looked on the pace from Free 1 and 2.
 
Starting grid for French Grand Prix

1. ALONSO Renault 1m14.412s

2. TRULLI Toyota 1m14.521s

3. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m14.572s

4. SATO BAR 1m14.655s

5. BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m14.832s

6. FISICHELLA Renault 1m14.887s

7. BUTTON BAR 1m15.051s

8. MONTOYA McLaren 1m15.406s

9. MASSA Sauber 1m15.566s

10. VILLENEUVE Sauber 1m15.699s

11. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m15.771s

12. WEBBER Williams 1m15.885s

13. RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m14.559s*

14. HEIDFELD Williams 1m16.207s

15. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m16.434s

16. KLIEN Red Bull 1m16.547s

17. KARTHIKEYAN Jordan 1m17.857s

18. FRIESACHER Minardi 1m17.960s

19. MONTEIRO Jordan 1m18.047s

20. ALBERS Minardi 1m18.335s



* demoted 10 places due to engine change
 
dont have a tv guide handy... what time's the gp on tv tonight?:wink2:


:cheers:
 
Michelin won and Alonso really showed it with emphasizing it with his front finger pointing into Michelin text in his cap.
 
poor performance by Williams. Dunno how they will go with a non-works engine next year if they are struggling this much this year.


Webbers seat burnt him again, just like it did last year in the Jag' ? :confused:
 
O I must be living in a cave, cause I didnt know beemer having announced just 10 days ago that it will terminate its existing contract with the team at the end of this year.

I think the relationship between the two is beyond repair anyway. From the teams point of view, there is really no point going with an engine suppliers that doesnt even faith in the partnership.

This is from Mario Theissen: "The race was as weak as the qualifying. Neither of our drivers had a chance to improve. Towards the end of the race, both cars suffered mechanical problems which need to be analyzed. The engines ran without problem."

Look our engine is perfectly right, its your car that sucks.... We can say whatever we want... U guys are shit.

From the latest F1 mag, it's been claim by insiders that the BMW is no longer the most powerful. The dong in the back of the Red Bull is repute to be even more powerful. :D

And on another note, Webber had fire up his ass again :joker:
"It became so intense that I had to ask for some water to be poured in around my seat at the pit-stops. It was very uncomfortable to race in that condition and as a result, I now have a large raw burn on my right hip which the doctor has treated."
 
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Although Fisi had a problem with the Fuel rig that cost him about 10 seconds I reckon Renault's patience with him might be growing thin...

I can only assume that the car just doesn't suit Fisi's driving style or something because I really think he is faster than his race pace has been this year...

He better pray that he comes home with a wet sail in the championship or he may be looking for another drive next year.

Button is bailing out of BAR at years end and although he wanted to drive for Williams, unless it pulls the finger out and gets a decent engine, he could be behind the wheel of a regie where he began.

Alonso and Button...that would be good...

I hope Fisi turns it around because he is better than this. Either that or Alonso really is the new Schu...
 
Button in a Renault

Button is bailing out of BAR at years end....he could be behind the wheel of a regie where he began.

Alonso and Button...that would be good...

NO,NO,NO,NO!
NON, NON, NON!

"Our Jense" (ITV speak) just doesnt have the talent or the spirit to be a world beater. (I suppose that you're saying he could be a compliant #2)

I say, give Frank Montagny a drive for next year, as a reward for his loyalty to the team and bring on Hekki into that role.
 
The driver of the day for me has to be Raikkonen,he qualified on a heavy fuel load and made his way through the field from 13th to finish 2nd.
Apart from that in my view not alot else happened,very little overtaking.
Id be happy to see that track dropped from the calendar.

Cheers chips.
 
David M said:
NO,NO,NO,NO!
NON, NON, NON!

"Our Jense" (ITV speak) just doesnt have the talent or the spirit to be a world beater. (I suppose that you're saying he could be a compliant #2)

I say, give Frank Montagny a drive for next year, as a reward for his loyalty to the team and bring on Hekki into that role.
Click to expand...

I actually rate Button as highly or higher than any other driver of his age in F1 (except Alonso)...

A question mark hangs over his communication/interaction with the Engineers as I thought last year showed he knew how to develop, refine and setup the car, but this year has raised some doubts...mind you, alot of BAR's issues this year are not driver related at all...

It would be goodto see Montagny score a drive but I don't know if Renault will chance it if they win the championship this year.

They will want 2 experienced drivers to defend the title...

Mind you the boy can race...
 
chips said:
The driver of the day for me has to be Raikkonen,he qualified on a heavy fuel load and made his way through the field from 13th to finish 2nd.
Apart from that in my view not alot else happened,very little overtaking.
Id be happy to see that track dropped from the calendar.

Cheers chips.
Click to expand...
I too thought Kimmi put in a stelar effort; Mclaren's 2 stoping strategy was the main reason though. I agree with Brundels comments on the Mc's tyre wear, lovely sheen reminds me of what i look for when my karts hooked up correctly.
Micheal was fast, and whilst Magni cour does have passing spots no car made up too many spots.
I was happy to see Jaques finally score descent points for which he worked hard the whole weekend.
The froggy rens were very fast, even Fisi... go Renault. - Chris

ps Does anyone know about the increase to 20 races next year?? Or is that another cat with a spanner?
 
mistareno said:
I actually rate Button as highly or higher than any other driver of his age in F1 (except Alonso)...

A question mark hangs over his communication/interaction with the Engineers as I thought last year showed he knew how to develop, refine and setup the car, but this year has raised some doubts...mind you, alot of BAR's issues this year are not driver related at all...
Click to expand...
Me too, i have a video of him when he was in f3000, and he had a wise head back then.. (he goes on to praise his speed and skills on karting...lol).
Did you know Sato strated his racing carreer at 19!... so there's hope for us yet aye?!!
Next year BAR will be Sato and Heidfeld... maybe.
- Chris
 
Sato were on two wheels before if I'm right (pedal powered :D )
Did anyone see that move he tried on the toyota! He's brave and probably 20miles too fast into the turn!
 
RedBull Rant.

This was apparently on the RedBull site (before it got pulled) ... funny stuff :roflmao:


GP OF FRANCE - THE PREVIEW

According to American writer Mark Twain, “France has usually been governed by prostitutes,” which is a bit unfair, when everyone knows France has been governed by Asterix the Gaul, his son Charles De Gaulle, Sacha Distel, Brigitte Bardot, that actor with a big nose and singer Johnny Halliday.

Ah! La Belle France. The return to Europe for what will be the bulk of the season sees us in the country that can claim to have invented grand prix racing around a century ago.

Unfortunately, the area around the Magny Cours circuit does not seem to have changed much over those hundred years and the social scene at this event is about the dullest of the year. It is a great place if you like to look at cows and of course, being French cows, they are very chic, with lovely long eyelashes and a tan skin colour.

Apart from the drivers, who get to hang out in a modern hotel outside the circuit gates, everyone else is scattered around the local countryside, staying in accommodation that the travel agents describe as picturesque. “Picturesque” is evidently French for “broken plumbing and dangerous electricity.” However, the run down old chateaux do showcase what France does best, namely food and drink and sipping a cold drink in a landscaped garden is a pleasant way to end the day, after the usual round of bars and restaurants in North America.

The nearest town to the circuit is Nevers and if you pronounce it the English way, it perfectly describes how many times people want to come back here. For years, the F1 community was spoilt, as the French Grand Prix used to be held down on the Riviera at the Paul Ricard circuit, which provided plenty of beach time, once the working day was over. The French therefore have never been forgiven for moving the race to an industrial estate in the middle of the countryside, in an attempt to make it a technology hot spot. A referendum in the paddock about the circuit would produce the same result as the recent French vote on accepting the European constitution.

There is nothing much wrong with the circuit itself, which boasts the smoothest track surface of the season, offers excellent safety for the drivers and has a spacious and immaculate paddock. The French round of the world championship often has trouble getting a good crowd as most of the population has escaped to the coast for “les vacances,” and the race date clashes with the Wimbledon tennis finals weekend and the first week of the Tour de France cycle race. This year the grand prix will also lack a local hero, as for the first time in many years there is not a single French driver on the F1 grid, although Olivier Panis is being given a run in the third Toyota during Friday practice.

Finally, for those of you planning to travel to Magny Cours for this race, here are some useful tourism tips:
Nearest Airport – Paris
Nearest decent nightclub – Paris
Sightseeing – Arc de Triomphe in Paris (Do not bother with the Eiffel Tower until they have removed the scaffolding.)
 
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