FastMachines Forum: Recent Posts

FastMachines Forum: Recent Posts http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ FastMachines Forum: Recent Posts en Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:44:50 +0000 George Katinger on "The Ice Man returns" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1737#post-8587 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:49:23 +0000 George Katinger 8587@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Ha!! Me thinks it was one of my prior speculations was it not? (Kimi to Renault, NOT Williams) The reasons why he’s not at Williams are obvious: 1. About to sink to the bottom of the grid regardless of Renault motive power. 2. Frank was too cheap to meet his salary demand. 3. With a new tech team in place Lord knows what kind of performance they have next year. 4. Hugo’s honey pot subsidy of Pastor could evaporate at any moment. 5. Regardless of the salary he would take down why take stock in a failing enterprise? ANY chance the stock would increase in value? Maybe, but highly unlikely. The reason he signed with Renault are just as obvious: 1. Only team on the grid who could pay a salary of any worth. 2. Only available seat closest to the front. 3. More upside on the performance front (maybe?) I agree on the potential interest of 6 WDC’s on track, but if half are fighting for mid pack positions what does it matter? Someone else for Massa to run off track besides Hamilton, now that they've kissed and made up? Peter Gillespie on "The Ice Man returns" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1737#post-8586 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:10:20 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8586@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Wow Kimi returns! After the news that Williams would not be fielding Kimi next year I assumed it was all over for the Finn, & yet he will be on the 2012 grid with Lotus/Renault. If the article below is to be believed Kimi - or rather his management - were after 30M Euros!! That’s 30% of the teams budget! Is it any wonder Frank told him no way, I’m not sure Frank could even bring himself to pay that much for a driver no matter who he is. And now the Iceman has signed with Lotus Renault <a href="http://www.f1zone.net/news/raikkonen-now-negotiating-with-renault/10541/" rel="nofollow">http://www.f1zone.net/news/raikkonen-now-negotiating-with-renault/10541/</a> Wages notwithstanding, has he picked the right team? Next year Williams will have a Renault donk & a whole new design team, the team has dropped Sam Michaels, Patrick head has retired & disgraced ex-McLaren Mike Coughlan heads up a revitalised design department. Could Williams not insubstantial resources & infrastructure turn out a better performing car? By contrast, Lotus will field the exact same Renault lump & the team, whatever the name, is the old Benetton then Renault factory effort, in both guises the team won championships. What I find interesting about the article above is Kimi’s salary demands & how that relates to budgets & the Restricted Resources agreement that the teams work to. Kimi must have accepted an offer that was closer to his Williams demands & therefore must be putting a significant dent in Lotus’s budget, will there be enough left over for the car. I know that drivers salaries are excluded from the RRA but the money still has to come from somewhere, in these tough times sponsors are not pouring cash into the teams like the way they were before the GFC. Personally I can’t wait to see the Iceman back on the grid, there will be no fewer than 6 WC’s taking the start of the first race in 2012 & I hope Kimi has a fleet & trusty stead beneath him. The guy has always been quick & the new generation of KERS & DRS cars should be a potent tool in his hands. If there was ever a criticism of Kimi it was his motivation, although I don’t think he ever gave anything less than his all behind the wheel, the perception from Ferrari was that he was not totally committed to the cause. Whether this was because the post-Schumacher Ferrari bar of effort was set unreasonably high, or whether his stellar wage & WC in his first year with Maranello made him lazy the perception existed, hence Ferrari’s incredible manoeuvre of actually paying him to leave. If Kimi has never felt the need to prove anything to the public or his critics I think this time around he will be at least looking to prove something to himself, he simply has no real reason for returning to F1 other than a desire to compete.....& therefore win. How will it all turn out is anybody’s guess but my Xmas wish list now includes a front running car for Lotus Renault. Peter Gillespie on "Brazil picks & 2011 thoughts" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1736#post-8585 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:11:06 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8585@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Well George you picked the correct 3 drivers just not quite the right order; had Vettel not had that Gearbox drama your prediction would have been spot on. I was hoping for rain but all in all the race was quite interesting. That pass of Alonso's around the outside of Button was just sheer big balls behind the wheel.When two ex-drivers like Brundle & Coulthard are stating their admiration in terms of "the difference between great drivers & the rest of us" you just know you have witnessed something special. I imagine Alonso must have been a bit miffed when, later in the race, Button retook the position. Cant wait for the release of the FIA 2011 DVD this really was a captivating year despite the dominance of Vettel & the RB's. George Katinger on "Brazil picks & 2011 thoughts" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1736#post-8584 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:48:41 +0000 George Katinger 8584@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Houseful of weekend family for the Thanksgiving holiday, barely managed to watch qualifying this morning. But I'll still take a shot at the finishing order: Vettel has been absolutely electrifying with his ability to extract pole winning performance on his last lap Q3 efforts, almost incomprehensible. 1. Vettel 2. Webber 3. Button 4. Hamilton 5. Rosberg 6. Alonso 7. Schumy 8. Massa 9. Sutil 10.Barrichello DP45UK on "Brazil picks & 2011 thoughts" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1736#post-8583 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:48:56 +0000 DP45UK 8583@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Last chance to get my predictions wrong this season! At least if I get 'em wrong it might mean a different sort of race The crystal balls have come up with the very original idea that Vettel will want to bag pole ,again! Poduim 1st Vettel 2nd Button 3rd The great Fernando 4th Webber I am rooting for Lotus(Tony Fernandes outfit not rebranded Renault) to get a point ,just one point would be something to round off the season Peter Gillespie on "Brazil picks & 2011 thoughts" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1736#post-8582 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:06:07 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8582@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Well now that they are predicting a good chance of rain in both qualifying & the race I'm making a late prediction.....the old rain master himself will shine. Schui for a podium at Interlagos!! Peter Gillespie on "Brazil picks & 2011 thoughts" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1736#post-8581 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:24:23 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8581@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Looking back over this past season I’m struck by how exciting the on track action has been, in the context of Vettel basically winning every race this should not be the case. Back in 92 when Mansell performed a similar feat he & teammate Patrasse would lockout the front row & the podium , the only excitement was if Senna could produce a miracle & somehow upset the order, it was one of the least entertaining seasons I have ever watched. This year has seen plenty passing both in the mid field & the pointy end of the grid, KERS & DRS may be labelled artificial but they have certainly paid off in terms of racing, I had a few doubts about their introduction but am now a convert. Pole Vettel I’m predicting first lap heroics by all & sundry. 1 Button 2 Alonso 3 Webber BTW, this race is at the ungodly time of 3.00am in the morning local time, I'm keen but not THAT keen, will have to record this one. George Katinger on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8580 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:32:58 +0000 George Katinger 8580@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ No good 'effin flat tire! If not for that bad bit of luck on Vettel's part, it's likely I could have gotten pole AND all six picks!! But the way Vettel has dominated the season could Hamilton have over taken the current world champ on track? I'd like to think so, he had a lot of pace and seemed to drive within himself. And no Massa to have to contend with. Bleepin' flat tire, we'll never know!!! Good race, lot's of interest and passing up and down the field, including 2-6 places. Actually glad Lewis managed the win, just what he needed to reset his attitude for Brazil and next season. I can't believe the bone headed strategy Red Bull came with for Mark Webber. Seems like he never had a chance for the podium anyway. With his second place finish Alonso has reduced the gap on second place Button to 10 points; should make for a good talking point in Brazil. DP45UK on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8579 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:07:22 +0000 DP45UK 8579@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Its difficult to be original here as Vettel has just proved the (British) commentators who were talking up Hamilton for pole etc wrong by taking the sandbucket out of his car & surprise, surprise getting pole ("As usual" is the refrain!) So Poduim 1st Vettel (As usual!) I think he might just be good at what he does 2nd Button 3rd Alonso Main interest in a race that even Webber is predicting to be "not very interesting" might be who Hamilton tangles with ! I hope Lotus (alias Caterham) might just get a point at last George Katinger on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8578 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:46:07 +0000 George Katinger 8578@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ In addition to turning his talents to Italian politics Luca seems to have lost his killer instincts in F1, at least in regard to his drivers. All he can do now is stamp his feet and indirectly threaten to quit the sport if he doesn't get his way. Mercedes signing Nico was the smart move, Schumy allegedly wants to go at least until 2013. Not sure how smart that is. In regard to Mercedes gobbling up talent I predict 2012 will be MB's worst year ever. Too many cooks spoil the broth, ask Mr. Newey. Peter Gillespie on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8577 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:34:51 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8577@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ BTW George, it appears my insight was correct (for once) Nico Rosberg & the merry men at Merc seem to be going down the path I suggested. They are really stocking up on technical talent. <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96064" rel="nofollow">http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96064</a> <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96082" rel="nofollow">http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96082</a> Peter Gillespie on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8576 Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:30:36 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8576@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Well the McLarens are quickest in practice, but how many times have we seen that before this year? Pole Vettel 1 Hamilton 2 Webber 3 Button Vettel's run has got to stop somewhere so it might as well be here. He does have that silly habit of trying to post the fastest lap of the race, even though he has thr race well in hand,maybe he will drop the car. He pulled this stunt on the second last lap of the last race & it is a sure fire way to get burned. George Katinger on "Abu Dhabi Picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1735#post-8575 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:23:57 +0000 George Katinger 8575@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Practice 2 results show a half second differential between all of the McLarens, Ferrari's and Red Bulls, in that order. Will it remain that way during qualifying?? Pole: Vettel 1. Hamilton 2. Vettel 3. Alonso 4. Button 5. Webber 6. Massa If the top six finish in that order I will officially retire my prognostication efforts. DP45UK on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8574 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:40:02 +0000 DP45UK 8574@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Sorry to have been AWOL from all this thread but time to put my "twopennyworth" in. With 20/20 hindsight Kubica probably wishes he had never stepped into that rallycar but it was surely a freak accident .I suspect that, like the Moto GP riders motocrossing, it is the racing on loose surfaces that develops car control & made Kubica the F1 driver he was & hopefully will be again.F1 teams doubtless like to control every moment their drivers are off the track but don't forget that David Coulthard was nearly killed a few years ago in a plane crash ,probably flying to support some team sponser! Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8573 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:10:56 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8573@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ I too questioned his choice of doing that kind of rally driving & that his employers allowed it. I remember many people giving the “he is a racer” justification at the time & disagreed with them then. My use of the term “Poor Kubica” stemmed from the realisation that it appears he will not recover from his injuries & return to the F1 cockpit, injuries that his own recklessness brought about. I am still amazed that the team permitted him to participate in such an activity, I know that many other drivers are contract bound to stay away from such endeavours in their downtime. I can remember Frentzen complaining at not being allowed to go scuba diving when he was employed at Williams. That being said, there were more than a few growls from the McLaren organisation when tales of Kimi’s snowmobile stunts in the frozen backblocks of Finland trickled back to HQ. If memory serves, JPM shoulder injury (which was the start of all of his troubles at McLaren) was the result of trail bike high jinks, although I seem to remember he tried to bs his way out of it with some nonsense about playing tennis. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8572 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:17:22 +0000 George Katinger 8572@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Poor Kubica? Not in my book, no sympathy forthcoming from this keyboard! If he suffered his injuries in an F1 accident I would hope he could recover and get another shot. But he crashed a rally care days before a scheduled F1 race! No thought about the risks he ran and consequently tossed his F1 career in the shitter. Yes a racer is a racer and maybe some would applaud his willingness to compete in other kinds of cars/series. Personally I view him as foolish and short sighted and soon to be a former F1 driver. Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8571 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:14:42 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8571@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Well one thing is for sure this is the lamest silly season in a few years, nothing really major on the horizon. Poor Robert Kubica, reading between the lines, it appears the recovery to his arm has not been all that was hoped. I hope he gets a chance to return sometime in the future. BTW, since when was my "logic" considered sound. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8570 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:28:04 +0000 George Katinger 8570@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ 2 million peeps in Connecticut; 680,000 went down with no power; for once we were not one of them. Josh will be out for another week. This is worse then the hurricane. As always your logic is impeccable Peter, but that is a trait that at times is in short supply in F1. Nico's incentive to leave Mercedes? They suck! 'Nuff said. No doubt Ferrari have built a cult of personality around Fernando, but they also want to win titles including the constructor's; can't do that with a petty whinging Felipe at the helm. If Nico goes and can push Fred I think it would be welcome. And face it, Nico's reputation has declined from wallowing along at Mercedes. He's no longer the "Next Great Thing". Good driver, no doubt, but has been trundling along mid pack at Mercedes. I think he wants/needs to be at a top flight team like Ferrari, Red Bull or McLaren if he has ambitions of winning a WDC; and which driver's don't? And yes, Mercedes is in 4th place, but a massive 180 points behind third place Ferrari, 1st amongst the best of the rest. Not quit a top team are they? Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8569 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:55:44 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8569@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Good to see you have power George I had assumed you were in the dark from the snow storm. Here is my take on the situation, Rosberg is in a situation where Mercedes may be prepared to build the entire team around him with or without Schumacher at the team. Why go to Ferrari to be second amongst equals with Fernando who, whether Ferrari admit this openly or not, is clearly number one. Mercedes would be desperate to hold on to the experienced Nico as there is no real replacement & may be prepared to fork out even more Euros to hold on to him. You could argue that if Nico can handle being teammate to the winner of the greatest number of WC’s in the sports history, than surely he would have no problem being paired Alonso. However, I’m not sure it is a s simple as that, Schumacher is not performing at the peak of his powers, he is competitive to be sure but nowhere near the herculean performance of the MS of old. Unless Ferrari were prepared to significantly increase Rosberg’s wage AND tolerate the inevitable consequences of Alonso’s fury that will follow if Nico were to challenge him, then I can’t see Ferrari chasing Nico’s signature. Ferrari need a compliant number two & at the moment that is Massa, the only possible candidate that I can think of is Sutil whose stock has dropped a little this season. Fisi & Nick H’s boat has sailed, Ruben’s was already let go....they might have to stick with Massa. The only long shot I can think of is Kovi at Lotus, but has his previous experience at the hands of Hamilton at McLaren ruled him out. The only real candidate was Webber & he has been resigned at RB, I found it fascinating in the pre Indian race interview when he explained his negotiations with RB, & why it took so long, was his assertion that he had several offers from other teams. Who they were we don’t know, methinks Renault had to be one, was Ferrari another? We will never know. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8568 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:03:21 +0000 George Katinger 8568@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ More Massa replacement possibilities: <a href="http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-177556.html" rel="nofollow">http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-177556.html</a> George Katinger on "Another F1 race in the States?" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1733#post-8567 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:16:49 +0000 George Katinger 8567@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ You can't compare the Rome BS with the New Jersey announcement, if only on the fact that Bernie has lusted for a NY or near NY race for ages. Can't get closer to NY than this without being in Manhattan itself. It can always go down the shitter at a moments notice, but I feel pretty good about the eventual outcome. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8566 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:11:55 +0000 George Katinger 8566@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Ferrari will find a suitable No. 2 to back up Alonso on a title run next year. My money's on Sutil as he has pressed Force India to make an early decision on his contract, and I think they'll drop him. Where in the hell are Williams going with Coughlan as C.T.O.???? Wouldn't it be hilarious if he manages to out design Newey next year and resurrects the Williams marque? With kimi at the wheel no less??? I think it would be over for Rubens, unless.........he returns to Ferrari, again???????? Or if Kubica does make a comeback at Renault I wonder if Ferrari would be willing to give a drive to Senna? See what he could do in a top car chasing a two time champ in his own team. Peter Gillespie on "Another F1 race in the States?" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1733#post-8565 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:23:15 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8565@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Well George if this puppy really does take off it looks like you & Josh will have a trip down from Conn in 2013. I hope my skeptical thought are wrong, it is just that I have heard this song sooooo many times before. The race would have to be a sell out as far as attendance would it not? I know F1 is not big in the States but there must be enough punters in NY/NJ to fill the stands, & there is a huge Euro/Brit ex-pat crowd in NY as well. Remember Bernie saying there would be a street race in Rome(eyes roll, where are the emoticons these days?)that was pure bs from day one. Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8564 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:16:36 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8564@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ So much for my high hopes of an exciting race in India, that was a snorefest, including the first 30 laps so dont worry George.There was a bit of action in the opening laps when Button got past Webber, Alonso also provided a bit of action but that was about it. George, my response to your thoughts above. Massa has a contract for 2012 but as we both know that means nothing in F1, my guess is they will keep him on for no other reason than they have nobody to replace him with. Ferrari broke precedent 2 years ago & signed Bianchi after he cleaned up in F3 but he his first year in GP2 has only been average. That was a first as they have never shown an active interest in junior driver development, funnily enough Massa was on the books as a test driver & took a year off to test with Ferrari giving up his Sauber seat before returning with Sauber. The driver market is a bit confusing at the moment, it appears that poor Robert Kubica’s return has been postponed (or may never happen) Roman Grosjean looks to have the other Renault seat, he will be paired with whomever between Senna & Petrov comes up with the most cash. William’s have admitted that they are in talks with old Kimi, whether this will come off is anybody’s guess. A bored Kimi, a new Renault engine, a different KERS system, a new gearbox & a disgraced designer................stranger things have happened. If Kimi returns will it mean Ruben’s career in F1 comes to an end or will his experience find him a seat in one of the smaller teams against taking a pay driver? There is not a real hot shoe rookie on the scene either. Sutil is no rookie & he has been at least matched if not out performed by Paul di Resta at Force India, the word is that Hulkenberg (who should never have been without a ride) will replace his fellow German. George Katinger on "Another F1 race in the States?" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1733#post-8563 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:39:20 +0000 George Katinger 8563@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ There was none more skeptical then I when this was first hinted at months ago. what gives me some comfort that this can happen is the location. Most of the abandoned water front property is owned by one guy, and a principal investor is also a race fan and driver who has one GT2 class at Le Mans. I still think public funding will find it's way into the equation under the guise of "infrastructure" improvements. With all of the participants staying in Manhattan I don't understand how the economic impact trickles down to New Jersey. And for out of state visitor's like me there is no easy way to get there other then going into Manhattan first. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8562 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:57:52 +0000 George Katinger 8562@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Thanks Peter, I'm usually good for a laugh or two if nothing else. I picked up the race at lap 30, which was pretty uneventful from then on; missed the Hambone/Massa contact. In fact I came on board as they were announcing Massa's drive through. I just saw a Youtube replay (before Bernie's minions could ban it!) of the accident and Massa is totally delusional, he slammed the door on Hammy at the entry to the corner. He maintains he was hit from behind, what I saw was wheel to wheel. I'll give long odds on any takers over the wager if Massa will drive for Ferrari next year. They can't win constructors titles with his consistently not finishing or not finishing well. He's toast. Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8561 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:30:37 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8561@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Ha Ha Ha! Well done George you picked the Hamilton/Massa clash AND Massa's love of the kerbs!! However I'm in agreement with Brundle & Coulthard who are normally a bit forgiving of their fellow Brit, they placed the blame on Hamilton. Both thought that Massa was hard done by in getting the penalty. That being said he managed to repeat his kerb clouting stunt & break the suspension again. LOL I remember a few years ago posting on this very blog that I had seen Massa, in Melbourne in the Sauber, & that he never took the same line through a corner, very untidy. George Katinger on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8560 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:23:45 +0000 George Katinger 8560@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ 1. Alonso, he's gotta win another race before season's end, right? 2. Webber, he doesn't want Vettel's help but will take it none the less. 3. Button, benefits from another Hambone self destruct (Hopefully with Massa!) Dirty tracks: Bernie is always spouting off about learning new things from NASCAR: Why not buy a couple of jet dryers they use to clean the tracks for F1? Massa wants kerbs changed: Waaaaaaaah, learn how to stay off them like the other drivers. OH, I forgot, he drives for Ferrari and is entitled! Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8559 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:02:50 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8559@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Vettel nails another pole. A very exciting track, Tilke seems to have gotten it right for once, none of his standard constant radius corners.However, the amount of dirt & dust on the track is incredible! Drivers starting on the dirty side of the track are going to pay a huge price & as the race goes on there will be a ton of marbles off line, & a new accumilation of dirt as every wheel even slightly off line throws up more crap. By the second half of the race I think there will be one very distinct line. The Indian organisers are going to have to something about this for next year, astro turf or grass is going to have to be placed trackside, the great clouds dirt being thrown up is unacceptable. Massa managing to break his front suspension by clouting the kerbs will serve as a warning to others to stay on the black stuff! LOL. :-) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m24.178s 2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.474s + 0.296 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m24.508s + 0.330 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.519s + 0.341 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.950s + 0.772 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m25.122s + 0.944 7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m25.451s + 1.273 8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari Q2 cut-off time: 1m26.319s Gap ** 11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m26.319s + 1.662 12. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.337s + 1.680 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.503s + 1.846 14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m26.537s + 1.880 15. Bruno Senna Renault 1m26.651s + 1.994 16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m27.247s + 2.590 17. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.562s + 2.905 Q1 cut-off time: 1m27.479s Gap * 18. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.876s + 1.687 19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m28.565s + 2.376 20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m28.752s + 2.563 21. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m30.216s + 4.027 22. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m30.238s + 4.049 23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m30.866s + 4.677 24. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m34.046s + 7.857 Peter Gillespie on "Indian picks" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1734#post-8558 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:10:19 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8558@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ I'm going to have to stick with the Newhey designed RB's & predict a clean sweep. Pole Vettel 1. Vettel 2. Webber (finally gets his starts right) 3. Button. With the championship over watch for Alonso & Hamiton to go for broke. Peter Gillespie on "Another F1 race in the States?" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1733#post-8557 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:54:37 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8557@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ When I first heard the news that New Jersey is to host a F1 race my initial reaction was total scepticism. How many times have I heard this before, London, Russia (somewhere), Rome, New York, Sydney, Surfers Paradise, Cape Town....etc, etc, etc. <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95669" rel="nofollow">http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95669</a> Hell NASCAR couldn’t get that Staten Island project off the drawing board so why would New Jersey fare any better with a F1 race, even more so now that Austin is actually going ahead. To be fair I was convinced that after F1 left Indy there would not be F1 racing in the States for a long time & was equally sceptical about the Texas bid. The media is saying it is a go for 2013 but I’m still not convinced, it requires a ton of private sector money to be raised (& absolutely no tax payer involvement) just call me a stick in the mud but I will hang fire on belief for just a while. And now the Russian government is promising $200M to the Sochi F1 project! <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95683" rel="nofollow">http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95683</a> Wouldn’t you just love to ask NJ Gov, Chris Christie why he can’t have the state throw in some bucks for the New Jersey event, after all the Russians are backing their race...........Oh Man his head would explode! LOL Peter Gillespie on "Dan Wheldon (RIP)" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1732#post-8556 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 02:16:57 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8556@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ I know everybody is an expert after an accident & that hindsight is 20/20 but I am struck by the number of drivers who had voiced serious concerns about the race “prior” to the event. That high banked 1.5 mile track is not really suited for the Indy single seaters who can run it at very high speeds, further they have so much down force that they can run flat out. While I’m not sure that a 34 car grid is necessarily too full, there is no denying the huge difference in experience & ability that was on display at the LVMS. I’m thinking that if the series is to return there they will have to mandate a spec wing & try & shear down some of the down force that is allowing the guys to go at those speeds & in a tightly packed formation. carsbybigd on "Dan Wheldon (RIP)" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1732#post-8555 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:27:27 +0000 carsbybigd 8555@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Yeah it was a bad crash.My guess is he got hit in the head with some debris,perhaps the catch fence pole but more likely a tire with wishbone.Brought back memories of the Greg Moore crash at Fontana .The drivers were saying the track wasn't safe....Champ car said the same thing about LVMS a few years ago and they changed the track for NASCAR[mostly pit in entry]....then the drivers need to go en mass and say they aren't going to race because [insert reason here].They[drivers] did this at Texas a few years ago too[again Champ car]. Perhaps it's time to stop racing open wheel cars on ovals. There have been a lot of bad wheel to wheel crashes,Kenny Brack,Mike Conway,Ryan Briscoe etc.lets hope something can change. Peter Gillespie on "Dan Wheldon (RIP)" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1732#post-8554 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:58:49 +0000 Peter Gillespie 8554@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ From the little bit that you can see on the video it seems the poor guy just had nowhere to go with the spinners up ahead, he went low & just got caught out, just nothing but terrible bad luck. It really was a shocking multiple participant wreck, & there were other cars & drivers that appeared to take equally bad hits & yet they walked away unharmed.The sheer randomness of the whole thing, just a damn shame. 4WheelsAndFlies on "Dan Wheldon (RIP)" http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/topic.php?id=1732#post-8553 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:02:14 +0000 4WheelsAndFlies 8553@http://www.fastmachines.com/forums/ Say a prayer, Peter. What a tragedy. Prayers for Dan's family and friends.