FIA F1 Championship 2015

[StanleyB]

Yes folks, it's almost that time of the year again, with exactly two weeks to the day before 1st practice for the 1st race begins in Australia.
What we know so far from the pre-season testing:
1. McLaren are just as bad in their reliability as they have been for several years now. Failure on both the Honda engine and the car hydraulics system shows that neither Honda nor McLaren are likely to be seeing the podium from standing on it.
2. That pay packet for Alonso looks like money down the drain. Magnussen would have done just as good or better than Alonso for far less money.
3. Williams appears to have come up with a better car for their Merc engine. So they could do better than three podium finishes this year.
4. Vettel looks odd in Ferrari red.
5. The young rookies have shown that they know where the steering wheel is on their car. We'll have to wait and see if they know where the other drivers are on the track when it comes to overtaking and keeping their line around bends in the track. I personally have my doubts at this stage.

[Desmo]

I confess, I'm quite worried about McLaren, they are really running out of time to get the car sorted before the start of the season. Jenson is managing to do a few more laps today, but there are not many testing days left now..

Williams are looking good though!

[RobbieGong]

Pole to Hamilton - good on him !! Rosberg admitted he just didn't get his sectors right, but luckily for him the car still had the pace to put him second on the grid. McLaren struggling and still not got things together. Massa 3rd. In terms of pace there really isnt much in it between Williams and Ferrari. The track is a bit tricky / tight so there's definitely the potential for an accident during racing. Lets hope nothing too serious and a that it's a great race. :)

[RobbieGong]

Well done Lewis, fly the flag young man. It's going to be fun posting by myself through out the season :rolleyes: Ah well, as long as he keeps winning I dont really care ;)

[Desmo]

You don't post alone - but we are not all fans of Hamilton. I'd rather see Jenson doing well, or even Will Stevens. Maybe later in the season....

[AlexM]

Hamilton had an ominously strong weekend for the rest of the grid. If he manages to put a race weekend like that together regularly he will be a shoe in for a third title. Alonso must be feeling a little sick having swapped a now 2nd row Ferrari for a back of the grip Mclaren Could he have won his last championship? I think so.. maybe even his last race. Jenson showed good fighting spirit, and he continues to impress me as a class act in and out of the car. He is driving very well, but the Mclaren simply isn't competitive. The engine has to be turned down so far to last that it must be more than 100 hp down on the Mercedes. I don't think that the current regs will allow Honda to rectify the situation over the course of the season, so the drivers are in for a very frustrating time of it.

Sainz looks very handy indeed, and the rest of the drivers have got up to speed faster than I can ever remember for rookies, notwithstanding minimal testing. I am quite suprised by that.

Williams seem to have pretty much picked up where they left off last year as 2nd fastest team on the grid, although Ferrari have pace in their car too, so they will be battling it out all season. I think a Mercedes engine is still the thing to have - Renault seem to have taken a step backwards in terms of power, drivability and reliability. I think it will be a long season for lotus and red bull unless something surprising happens to drastically improve their competitiveness.

[Tim]

I fell asleep half way through . . . if that's a taster for the season, it doesn't bode well!!

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w63/greatgig/Gifs/sleeping_zps41cb65ad.gif

(unless all the excitement happened when I was asleep!)

[Audio Al]

Lewis Hamilton :doh:

Yes he is a good driver but most of the F1 grid would have the same results given the " CAR "

The young man likes to be a poser with his massive diamond earrings , Did anyone see the after race interview :doh: with the obscene gold and diamond studded ships anchor chain hanging round his neck , I wonder how much UK tax avoidance money that cost :eek:
Lewis is looking more like a lad from "The Hood " :rolleyes:

[BTH K10A]

I used to go to all the European races every year, but no longer as IMHO FI has lost it's way.

[Gordon Steadman]

Lewis Hamilton :doh:

Yes he is a good driver but most of the F1 grid would have the same results given the " CAR "

The young man likes to be a poser with his massive diamond earrings , Did anyone see the after race interview :doh: with the obscene gold and diamond studded ships anchor chain hanging round his neck , I wonder how much UK tax avoidance money that cost :eek:
Lewis is looking more like a lad from "The Hood " :rolleyes:

Like his team mate you mean?? Its always been the case that the guy with the best car wins. (well - almost) lewis is an exceptionally good driver, right up there with the top three or four.

I quite agree with you about the bling though. Looks like a total prat to me but then to him and his mates he looks the business so thus it ever was.

[StanleyB]

Lewis Hamilton :doh:

Yes he is a good driver but most of the F1 grid would have the same results given the " CAR "

I often see that sort of comment made on the internet, but it falls down flat when subjected to further scrutiny. The faster a car can go, the more skilled the driver needs to be in order to drive it round a race track. In this game the difference in reaction time of a mere 0.1sec can be a couple of yards in distance. Then there is the driving technique of the individual driver to consider. You only have to look at the four years that Vettel won the championship. Nobody would question the driving skills and experience of his team make Webber. But Webber didn't get the same results as Vettel even though both of them had the best car on the grid. Toro Rosso also had the same car as Red Bull, but the Toro Rosso drivers were not 3rd and 4th behind Vettel and Webber.

[Tim]

I often see that sort of comment made on the internet, but it falls down flat when subjected to further scrutiny.
+1

[RobbieGong]

+1

+2 Some of the previous comments because he wears a bit of bling :rolleyes: I mean hello !! Big deal. He's home grown talent, unusually for F1 he comes from very humble beginnings but is a great example of what can happen if / when Mum and Dad give it all up to nurture their childs gifting and realise a dream - simples ! get over it. What do we actually want ? I wont answer that. Get your old photos out and laugh at your pony tail and the funny gear you used to wear, some may even still have dodgy tattoos they thought were a good idea long before tattoos were fashionable. It's known as expressing yourself - not a crime. Things change, times move on. I'm focused on the talent, bottom line is he's the best right now at what he does, ask Rosberg and the other drivers, regardless of car. Seems a fairly nice guy too. Looks like the 'haters' are going to be wasting energy 'hating' for a long time yet :exactly:

[Marco]

Looks like the 'haters' are going to be wasting energy 'hating' for a long time yet...

One of the things I dislike about Brits, compared with, say, Americans, is how they hate anyone who is wealthy and/or very successful at what they do for a living, particularly if said people are better than they are in some way!

Americans champion success and respect winners and achievers, whereas ‘we’ celebrate failure/applaud losers and underachievers, or worse, ridiculously attack the few famous success stories ‘we’ have nowadays (and also those who seek to better themselves in life), out of insular, petty jealousy and insecurity... :doh: :rolleyes:

Pathetic!!

[As you were, folks]

Marco.

[shane]

I quite agree with you about the bling though. Looks like a total prat to me but then to him and his mates he looks the business so thus it ever was.

Pretty much what Dad used to say about James Hunt.

Put them all in the same car and you'd have Hamilton battling Alonso for the championship, but losing odd races to Button and Raikkonen, with Vettel as best of the rest. Not sure yet where I'd put Ricciardo and Kvyatt.

[RobbieGong]

Pretty much what Dad used to say about James Hunt.

Put them all in the same car and you'd have Hamilton battling Alonso for the championship, but losing odd races to Button and Raikkonen, with Vettel as best of the rest. Not sure yet where I'd put Ricciardo and Kvyatt.

Now that would be fierce :)

[shane]

I'd also say that if the car really suited him, JB would be up there with Lewis and Fernando. That would be my dream season!

[BTH K10A]

A very dignified statement from a young driver who has been severely wronged.

https://www.facebook.com/giedovandergarde/posts/647945908643030

[RobbieGong]

Superb performance from Vettel and Ferrari, amazing how things have come together for them. Hamilton looked disappointed but welcomed any toe to toe racing going forward so good on him. Going to be a very interesting and more closely challenged season make no mistake ;)

[shane]

Got to feel sorry for Fernando today.

[Desmo]

Got to feel sorry for Fernando today.

and Jenson and Kimi.... and especially Will Stevens, at least the others started the race.

[Canetoad]

Got to feel sorry for Fernando today.

Why? :ner:

[RobbieGong]

Absolute quality again from Hamilton - P1 :thumbsup: