F1

[SStadel]

F1 en espanol, woohoo!!

I'm in Acapulco and was getting a little anxious about watching the race, but there it is. Channel 9. Won't have a clue what they are saying, but it's on!

[Rick Kirchner]

George Carlin onece did a schtick on listening to baseball on mexican radio. He said all you needed to do was be able to count to three and the rest was all in the emotion of the play-by-play......

[Ted Idlof]

You couldn't write the script any crazier than the entire 2007 season.

He said all you needed to do was be able to count to three and the rest was all in the emotion of the play-by-play......

I have really come to enjoy the gutsy commentary of Bob, David, Steve and Peter. Things like "there's probably a reason that rookies don't win championships." And calling BS on some many of the ridiculous things that FOM pulled this year. I hope Speed knows they have a winning team there.

[SStadel]

I wrote the script for this race along with all the other tifosi. Makes me wonder if this was just NASCAR squared, and I wanted Kimi to win the championship!

[Roger Eade]

It was a good race, with the title unsure until the last 12 laps, and I swear I saw Kimi smile about 5 times in the post race rap up, I wonder what makes him really happy? I think LH did a good job with what landed on his plate, and has been let down by his team the last two races, and Fred drove well to, and did not make a ass of himself in the rap up, so all in all, it will make for a good season next year, think red bull may get their wings and come to the fore, but now the Red Team seem to have their chassis problems sorted, I think they may carry on their winning way, Honda and Toyota? make good people movers, but would appear to still have a difficult time in moveing one person arond a F1 track, will Toyata pull the pin? or buy some more pom designers? What next?

Roger

[Brad Ellingson]

Hold on folks...autoracing1.com is reporting that there is a stewards inquiry into Sauber and Williams fuel samples. If Rosberg, Kubica and Heidfeld are DQ'd...that means Hamilton wins the championship. THEN the conspiracy theories can fly....

[Stan Clayton]

There is a fly in the ointment. It seems that BMW and Williams are being investigated for fuel irregularities. If they are disqualified that would promote Hamilton to 4th...and World Champion.

Source: Official F1 website

[Stan Clayton]

My first simulpost...!

[RussMcB]

I just read somewhere that it had something to do with the fuel temperature. Bizarre.

Probably wont affect driver's championship (IMHO).

[-pru-]

I just read somewhere that it had something to do with the fuel temperature. Bizarre.

Probably wont affect driver's championship (IMHO).

I surely hope you are right. KR has been so close too many times. Taking away the 07 title would just be cruel!!!

[racer27]

It would be a shame if this ended up being decided by bunch of suits....

[-pru-]

Hot off the press: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63567

[Stan Clayton]

Okay...tin hats and black helicopters are now authorized for all LH fans!

In about 3 hours the British press will be up in arms...and I can see the headlines from here: "FIA favour Ferrari again!"

[-pru-]

Okay...tin hats and black helicopters are now authorized for all LH fans!

In about 3 hours the British press will be up in arms...and I can see the headlines from here: "FIA favour Ferrari again!"

Ron's not going away quitely: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63570

[RussMcB]

Trying to understand the infraction - Did those cars have something on board to alter the temperature of the fuel? It almost sounds like when they took the fuel samples after the race, the temperature was not within the acceptable range. Too hot or too cold? At the start of the race they said the track temp was higher than ever recorded...

[Thomas Copeland]

This photo says it all......no wonder Freddie couldn't catch a break at McLaren this year....this may yet end up on Oprah.....

[RussMcB]

Trying to understand the infraction - Did those cars have something on board to alter the temperature of the fuel? It almost sounds like when they took the fuel samples after the race, the temperature was not within the acceptable range. Too hot or too cold? At the start of the race they said the track temp was higher than ever recorded...

Found this:

Fuel samples taken from both cars of both teams during their pit stops in Sunday's race showed temperature degrees outside the permitted variation. Article 6.5.5 of the Formula 1 technical regulations states: "No fuel on board the car may be more than 10 degrees centigrade below ambient temperature."

FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer said all fuel samples from the four cars showed temperature of 12 to 14 degrees centigrate lower than the ambient temperature at the time. However, after deliberations at Interlagos, the race stewards decided not to penalize the teams.

__________

So, my math is probably way off, but I think the fuel on board must've been 30-ish degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the outside air?

[dereklola]

1 - I thoroughly agree that Speed's team is the best for covering F1 races. Here in Canada we can get both the ITV feed (via Canadian Sports Network) and SpeedTV - and the difference is night and day - the ITV team shout all the time and their voices are still drowned out by the engine screams - occasionally they say something useful but most of the time Bob, David, Steve and Peter are far more informative and above all entertaining.

2 - did anyone else hear the comment that Todt may be in line for an FIA post. Please - No.

[Matt M.]

This photo says it all......no wonder Freddie couldn't catch a break at McLaren this year....this may yet end up on Oprah.....

Is it me or does Lewis LOOK like he'd just been choking for the past hour and half.......wanker All he needed to do was finish 4th...or 5th..... Freddie played him like a piano
The best F1 season in years. Kimi put on a good show - well deserved

[Cole Morgan]

Is it me or does Lewis LOOK like he'd just been choking for the past hour and half.......wanker All he needed to do was finish 4th...or 5th..... Freddie played him like a piano
The best F1 season in years. Kimi put on a good show - well deserved

Yeah, I mean he might as well have crashed in Warm-Up. Sorry Matt, you set that one up way to easy.

[Daryl DeArman]

Maybe it is just me....

Alonso has lost at least one fan for a lifetime (IGNORANCE IS BLISS)

I feel for Kimi, talk about a roller coaster.

Unfortunately I think Stan nailed the headline. I can't see FOM taking away the Williams Toyota and BMW finishing postions, not because they don't deserve it, they do. But because it would take away the Championship from Kimi (Ferrari).

My prediction; on appeal RD wins, but the penalty isn't loss of position, it is loss of points. No change in top 3 final standings

In my eyes it is more about taking it away from Kimi than awarding it to Hamilton. IF there was a problem during the race with the fuel rig temps why weren't the teams penalized during the race....at least that way we'd know who won the championship.

[Ted Idlof]

Would I be too cynical to think that Bernie's behind the scenes trying (or at least actively winking at the stewards) to pull it out of the fire for his boy Hamo? Naw, couldn't happen, right? tell me I'm all wet. I mean, c'mon what else is a guy supposed to think after all the crap that's been pulled so far?

[Roger Eade]

I think Kimi drove a great race, I like LH, not so keen on Fred, but feel that their team has let them both down, and at the end of the day, with the mistakes that they have made and the fact that the Red Team blitzed the field, the right guy got the prize, LH can try again next year
Roger

Maybe it is just me....

Alonso has lost at least one fan for a lifetime (IGNORANCE IS BLISS)

I feel for Kimi, talk about a roller coaster.

Unfortunately I think Stan nailed the headline. I can't see FOM taking away the Williams Toyota and BMW finishing postions, not because they don't deserve it, they do. But because it would take away the Championship from Kimi (Ferrari).

My prediction; on appeal RD wins, but the penalty isn't loss of position, it is loss of points. No change in top 3 final standings

In my eyes it is more about taking it away from Kimi than awarding it to Hamilton. IF there was a problem during the race with the fuel rig temps why weren't the teams penalized during the race....at least that way we'd know who won the championship.

[Matt M.]

Yeah, I mean he might as well have crashed in Warm-Up. Sorry Matt, you set that one up way to easy.

Now I'm thinking I should have nerfed you in the last race.........

[Ron Tebo]

"The Formula One Circus"...... Now I understand why.

[Beartrax]

Yeah, I mean he might as well have crashed in Warm-Up. Sorry Matt, you set that one up way to easy.

OUCH!!! Direct shot to the nuts! C'mon Cole, I thought you had more class than that...

[stonebridge20]

Now I'm thinking I should have nerfed you in the last race.........

I think somewhere in the F/2000 GCR it says that you now have the option to "nerf" him sometime in the next 12 months without penalty!

[Matt M.]

I think somewhere in the F/2000 GCR it says that you now have the option to "nerf" him in sometime in the next 12 months without penalty!

LOL! We shall see............

Doesn't matter, between Kimi and the Red Sox - I'll be content for a while......





~ Doesn't matter - not like the world will end tomorrow or something....

[Brian]

Hamilton lost fair and square - it's a team sport and his team didn't get it done, both last race when they left him out too long on wets, and this race when the car failed. Two chances to close the deal and they folded. He's still the class of the 2007 field.

Kimi won the hard way - but Ferrari are a bunch of cheaters and didn't deserve this at all! They set up the whole "Ferrari-gate' thing and should have been penalized equally with Mclaren.

Alonzo - I hope he enjoys gardening. If I were Ron Dennis, the price to Alonzo to buy out of his contract would pretty high. I'd refuse to sell him, and make him a test driver doing nothing but coast-down runs at an airfield on a deserted island in the middle of the Atlantic somewhere.

Brian

[Ted Idlof]

Hamilton lost fair and square - it's a team sport and his team didn't get it done,

I found yesterday's comment from Schumi to be interesting.

"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance, but that it would turn out to be true was something almost no one dared to believe.

McLaren should be echoing that same thing in defending the appeal. But instead they're just "avoiding criticism". This makes no sense after Ron elected not to appeal the loss of constructor's points on the grounds of "it's not good for the sport". This is the crowning example of a team in disarray.

We waited a long time for the circus to come to town. Anyone else want it to leave for awhile? Wake me when it's over................wait, how will you know???

[PaulT]

I just read this...

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...22212558.shtml

Hamilton doesn't want the title if he has to win in court. "It would be cruel". Now that's the right way to go. 2007 is going to be remembered as the year that the courts decided everything.

Paul

[PaulT]

We only have a mere 143 days until we get can finally forget this season.

Paul

[Roger Eade]

Ron
team F**ked up, please set up practice for next, get over it, and real men don't cry!
Roger

[Mark H]

Youve gotta lose one to win one, don't forget that LH spun in China and ran wide in T3 yesterday too. It is all a team sport. Lewis will win his share of titels...he's good.

I don't see how you can say Kimi diden't deserve this one? He was faster than MS and Alonzo the last two seasons, he was just driving junk....hmm ...the same junk that let Lewis down yesterday?

McLaren are the cheeters!!! There is NO WAY that Ron Dennis diden't know about the Ferrari spec book!! Come on, if you come across something at your work that will make your firm more money or run smoother what is the first thing that you do??....Show your boss?? Right? Even though Coughlan was suspended Im sure he was paid well to take the fall and keep his mouth shut. I woulden't be supprised if ol Nige' won't be getting a few McLaren Euros in his Christmas stocking either? How
How could you say that Ferrari was at falt in this?
Stepney was disgruntaled and gave up his team...very disloyal. Coughlan almost acted as if he wanted to get cought, leaving it laying around and using a local copy shop? Maybe his consience got the best of him, something Ron Dennise dosen't have.


News flash Fisi to drive # 8 Budweiser Chevy in NAZCAR Sprint Cup for the 2008 season!!! Why not the way other drivers ran over him this season the fenders can'y hurt!!!

[Daryl DeArman]

Hamilton lost fair and square

Hamilton may have lost the RACE fair and square, but not the Championship.

He didn't do his part, made a couple of costly mistakes. So maybe that is why he doesn't feel good about the way it might end, but that doesn't mean he lost it fair and square.

If all you need to do to win a Championship is finish in 5th place and you make a couple of mistakes and drop to 7th...shame on you, but if 4th, 5th and 6th are found illegal (for arguments' sake) shouldn't you get credited with 4th place and therefore the Championship.

Most competitors want to win on the track, not in the tech shed or with someone else on the trailer. Maybe Hamiliton doesn't feel good about the situation (good for him) because of his inability to perform yesterday. However, if he drove is ass off and finished 7th, to be beaten by 3 cheating teams---doesn't he have a legit complaint?

[dereklola]

The FIA should learn from NASCAR - don't have rules that can't be enforced and punished during the race. If cool fuel is important then find a way to measure it during the race and if necessary impose a penalty such as a drive through.

Same thoughts on driver and car weighing. Weighing after the race will some day lead to a fiasco.

The race needs to be decided at the chequer.

[Daryl DeArman]

Noooooooo! Pleaaaase don't take a page from NASCAR when it comes to rule enforcement.

If the fuel was too cool after pit stop #1, why not make the team do a stop n' go, or drive through? At least then, Hamilton would have had to make another big mistake to not finish in top 5.


Allowing the drivers to get out of the cars prior to the weighing is nuts? They should be weighed as they exit the track before anyone touches the car or driver. Better throw some tungsten spindle nuts on the thing during the last fuel stop!

[Rick Kirchner]

At this level of the sport, if you verify the tank capacity and weigh before, there's no need to weigh after.

Word is that Ferarri used to have Schumi drive thru as much clag as he could on the cooldown lap - a couple of pounds of pickup on each tire is a big thing.......

[Mark H]

They do weigh the drivers right after the race down in park formet, I don't think that they are even allowed to drink any water before weighing. Picking up junk from the marbles is perfectly leagle, dirt track drivers have been doing it for years, only some nights (wet track) you could pick up 20-30 lbs not just 2-3.
If cars 4-6 were wrong they should be DQed and that should be inforced during the event if at all posible. The NAZCAR problem is that "the powers to be" are left way too much of a grey area to make judgment calls. Like with the red flags very inconstant when (or who is leading) they throw them.