[rpearce1475]

Quote:

Looking forward to hopefully catching this week live - I wasn't able to last week, so I already knew who had won before I even saw it. Good race, though - at the very start I would never have guessed Vettel would finish anything but first, or that the Ferraris wouldn't be the ones to displace him if it happened. Next week I'm expecting to see Red Bull back on form, but you never know. It's looking to be a strong Ferrari season at the start, and I don't expect that to stop, either.
 
I usually root for McLaren, but it doesn't look like that's a very realistic prospect this year... One can always hope. Otherwise, go Kimi! Here's to hoping neither Red Bull or Ferrari win this year.

This times a billion

 

[customcoco]

Quote:

 

Seems like no one got the joke... anyway.
 
As it has been discussed earlier in the thread, I'm a fan of Senna. I know what good car control looks like

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

Seems like no one got the joke... anyway.
 
As it has been discussed earlier in the thread, I'm a fan of Senna. I know what good car control looks like

Exactly. I suspect we have a lot of new era fans here from the Schumimania days

 

[eddiek997]

Quote:

Exactly. I suspect we have a lot of new era fans here from the Schumimania days

Or old farts clinging onto a bygone era.... 
 
Joking.....
 
F1 of today is very different to F1 of yesteryear. Think how much pit stops for fuel affected strategy and races. But the cars are so much faster, the margins for error much smaller.
Thankfully the safety aspect is dramatically improved. I wonder if Mr Senna would still be with us if he was in a modern F1 car.

 

[OmarCCX]

Of course he would be. Mark Webber has been upside down twice in the last couple of years and he has gotten out without any injuries. lol

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

Or old farts clinging onto a bygone era.... 
 
Joking.....
 
F1 of today is very different to F1 of yesteryear. Think how much pit stops for fuel affected strategy and races. But the cars are so much faster, the margins for error much smaller.
Thankfully the safety aspect is dramatically improved. I wonder if Mr Senna would still be with us if he was in a modern F1 car.

Of course he would the raised cockpit sides were a direct result of Senna's demise. I actually don't have to think much about the pit stop strategy effects I was watching when Prosts accidental pitting made the whole pit lane prick up their ears. A little bit of history will show that in the Circus the overall picture never really changes, just the daily colours.
If you missed it the turbo era with qualifying engines and mods made almost daily was something to behold.Rules strectching by Chapman, Murray et al reaching levels Newey could not possibly imagine. Skirt marks on the Zandvoort track, the Lotus 88 Water cooled brakes, Rocket Fuel, Cars so aerodynamic they suffocated the driver. It was no holds barred move / countermove open warfare between the teams and the FIA . No development freezes any engine that fit the displacement criteria (Listen to George Harrisons Faster for an age old treat, that siren at the end is actually a Matra V12 at full chat and it was mindboggling). 1600BHP qualifying engines. Renaults awesome dominance and gross inability to secure a world championship. Theres a youtube out there of Prost in the RE40 and its spellbinding as he drives around every other car on the track like they were FF's. MClaren rolling out the first Carbon Fibre Chassis. Lauda's return to save his dying airline. Prost / Senna, Keke (car control??? if you ever saw Keke and Villeneuve in Formula Atlantic duking it out you couldnt wait for those two to get into F1) Reasonable ticket prices! Accessibility to us mere mortals. Qualifying tires? you think a ten lap tyre is alarming try 3, 1 warm up one hot lap and crawl back to the pits before it blows. Turbo engine explosions- Theres nothing and I mean nothing like a Turbo F1 Qaully motor detonating, nothing.
 
And thats just the Turbo era, Go Back To the Cosworth Era, Tyrell taking over (briefly the mantle from Lotus) There is a lot of history to be enjoyed and it really enhances the experience and appreciation of  the F1 of today.
 
OH yeah bernie was still a Richard.

 

[eddiek997]

Of course he would the raised cockpit sides were a direct result of Senna's demise. I actually don't have to think much about the pit stop strategy effects I was watching when Prosts accidental pitting made the whole pit lane prick up their ears. A little bit of history will show that in the Circus the overall picture never really changes, just the daily colours.
If you missed it the turbo era with qualifying engines and mods made almost daily was something to behold.Rules strectching by Chapman, Murray et al reaching levels Newey could not possibly imagine. Skirt marks on the Zandvoort track, the Lotus 88 Water cooled brakes, Rocket Fuel, Cars so aerodynamic they suffocated the driver. It was no holds barred move / countermove open warfare between the teams and the FIA . No development freezes any engine that fit the displacement criteria (Listen to George Harrisons Faster for an age old treat, that siren at the end is actually a Matra V12 at full chat and it was mindboggling). 1600BHP qualifying engines. Renaults awesome dominance and gross inability to secure a world championship. Theres a youtube out there of Prost in the RE40 and its spellbinding as he drives around every other car on the track like they were FF's. MClaren rolling out the first Carbon Fibre Chassis. Lauda's return to save his dying airline. Prost / Senna, Keke (car control??? if you ever saw Keke and Villeneuve in Formula Atlantic duking it out you couldnt wait for those two to get into F1) Reasonable ticket prices! Accessibility to us mere mortals. Qualifying tires? you think a ten lap tyre is alarming try 3, 1 warm up one hot lap and crawl back to the pits before it blows. Turbo engine explosions- Theres nothing and I mean nothing like a Turbo F1 Qaully motor detonating, nothing.

And thats just the Turbo era, Go Back To the Cosworth Era, Tyrell taking over (briefly the mantle from Lotus) There is a lot of history to be enjoyed and it really enhances the experience and appreciation of  the F1 of today.

OH yeah bernie was still a Richard.
[/

Agreed.

 

[OmarCCX]

Downloading FP1 as I type this.
Really wish we got some coverage in the US. D:

 

[MarkyB16]

What are everyone's predictions for pole tomorrow? 

 

[rpearce1475]

1.Vettel
2. Kimi
3. Webber
4. Hamilton
5. Massa
 
Okay admittedly, I'm really only confident about 1 and 2.  As has been said before, Lotus and RB are better on hot tracks, and I think Vettel's butthurtness about not winning last week will drive him to push his car to a quick qualifying.  I'll be happy if Grosjean gets under P10...

 

[tissot]

Quote:

1.Vettel
2. Kimi
3. Webber
4. Hamilton
5. Massa
 
Okay admittedly, I'm really only confident about 1 and 2.  As has been said before, Lotus and RB are better on hot tracks, and I think Vettel's butthurtness about not winning last week will drive him to push his car to a quick qualifying.  I'll be happy if Grosjean gets under P10...

Kimi last year struggled to get heat to the tires on couple of laps, partly because of his smooth driving style and Lotus car. I'm happy if he makes to top 4. Though they have been looking good in practice, even if it is just practice. Vettel is no doubt the favorite for quali, but the race will be another matter. 
 
My prediction for quali
 
1. Vettel
2. Webber
3. Kimi
4. Alonso
5. Hamilton

 

[Exediron]

I'm gonna go for a slightly less formula (heh-heh) prediction slate:
 

• Massa
• Vettel
• Webber
• Alonso
• Hamilton

 
I think Kimi's real talent is in the race playing off of other drivers, not at qualifying. I'm hoping to see at least one McLaren in the top ten, but we'll see. A week is pretty quick to get their act together.

 

[oqvist]

Some fun statistics. Of course hard to read to much into them but anyway
http://forum.swedishsimracers.com/download/file.php?id=12309&mode=view

 

[antberg]

well,well,well,Massa in front of Alonso,again ,hehe!

   and,honestly i am hoping Grosjean can start the season better and show he's a great pilot,maybe a little bit more mature this years,

 

[chunkfnk]

Quote:

Yeah but everybody knows that with a rear wheel drive car you cure understeer>snap oversteer with a boot full of throttle. Not impressed.
Had he approached the turn correctly he would have been smooth.
Save the drifting for the sad sacks in their Honda Civics.
 
Was it Lewis who said that Vettel will miss 4 apex's per lap?

I don't think you know what understeer or drifting is...
 
Quote:

No one's mentioned the tires yet? The super softs! Less than 10 laps, ridiculous! Should be interesting to see how all the eggheads scheme around all those in the races to come

I'm going to guess you are mainly talking about Button having to change after several laps? That was because his tires were completely knackered from qualifying. But yeah, it does seem like these tires are wearing a lot faster than last season. I'm guessing we'll see Sergio and Kimi start making their way past the field more and more as the other drivers struggle to maintain their tires.
 
Anyone check out the qualifying results for Malaysia yet?
 
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

Massa is on fire this year!