[Kallor]

yeah...actually i missed the bit with jacques (was dodging flying bits of furniture at the time) but jen described it quite eloquently on messenger. rosberg is the next great talent, methinks...and kimi showed he ain't no slouch...button i can't see as champion, i just can't...i hope barrichello's luck changes too...all in all worthy of the time...no matter, our second fix is but days away, and ferrari hasn't tested there...

[Folken]

Sorry about the abrupt departure btw. Was at School, prof walked in kicked us out and business. But indeed, that was a happy time of the race for me. JJ jumping out of his little BMW.

Yes, not long and I am skeptic about Ferrari. They tested like crazy people in Sakhir perhaps thats why they did so beautifully. Alas, Malasyia has always been kind to us, except perhaps 2003.

There have been rumours, and a lot of them, that it'll be Schumacher and Kimi at Ferrari next year. Anyone else besides me doesn't see that happening? It'd go completely against Schumachers character if he agreed to partner Kimi.

[kettle]

dodging flying bits of furniture while the Grand Prix is ON! tsk tsk

I get so sick of the commentators spouting on how wonderful Button is, if he was so wonderful he would have scored his first win by now, he's had the car to do it in the past, hell if Schumacher had been driving the Honda last year you can bet HE'D have won a race!!, there's always an excuse like last weeks slipping clutch wich gave him a bad start, well Kimi didn't have the best start being behind 21 other cars, but he still managed to finish infront of Button!! sheesh this is starting to sound like a rant ...

yeah Jen, I have to agree with you about Shumacher, I can't see him partnering Kimi at Ferrari, he likes the team to be centred around him, and Ferrari might not survive the clash of ego's when Bernie was trying to get Jaques into the second Ferrari seat it was Shumacher who vetoed the idea...

[Kallor]

well, though i find it hard to imagine both michael and kimi at ferrari next year, stranger things have happened...like for instance senna and prost driving for mclaren, i think (sorry, my memory isn't what it was)...i recall them as teammates both on the front row of a race (japan? about 1987 or 88) and senna ploughing into prost in order to prevent him from winning the world championship...but i can see that sort of thing happening here if kimi and michael were to drive together (at least in michael's case).

@kettle...i agree. jenson is all mouth. if he had the potential he would have won by now. now, having said that, a lot of people have said that he is one of the smoothest drivers ever (like prost)...the problem is i think he chokes under pressure.

@jen...jacques will be on the podium this weekend...maybe not first, but still...i have sacrificed appropriately, and am willing to add other ferrari fans to the pyre if necessary.

[Folken]

@Kallor: Ferrari Fans eh. well that counts me out so go ahead throw as many as you wish;)

BAD, why does it pain you to say Kimi will be WC? He should've already been a double world champion, but Mclaren has let him down. 2003 was his year and no one elses. Michael, yes I'm about to say this, won because Ferrari whined and the heavens decided that he should win at Indy. 2005, fine whatever people say Alonso deserved it as did Renault they built a sturdy car and Alonso drove a fabulous season. But I still feel that Kimi was robbed again.

Juan Pablo seems to have lost his drive for racing. Sure that makes me happy, and I don't want to see him regain it. He is one of two drivers I truly like to see suffer. Hes too cocky, (yes I know so is God) and I hate that. I was watching some F1 clips this evening and a bunch of clips of Mika and Michael batteling it out came, made me miss those days:( Esp when the pass Mika made on him at Spa 2000:clap: genious...I want those days back:(Anyone?

ITV said:

Schumacher has a fantastic record in Sepang, but then again Alonso took his first pole there in 2003 and then won the race in 2005.
And while we're on the subject McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen scored his maiden win in Malaysia back in 2003, then a year later Jenson Button took his first podium.

...really is that a huge accomplishment to deserve a mention alongside those 3?

[kettle]

my it's a bit cold out today.....*chucks a few Ferrari fans on the fire*

so Massa and Coulthard have had to have engine changes, which means they both have -10 place grid penalties, does anyone else hate this penalty system as much as me? I know they have to have some sort of deterrent so that the teams aren't changing the engines under some pretext every race, but the driver is also penalised through no fault of his own, if a car which is regularly on the second half of the grid gets the penalty, then they are only going to lose a few palces on the grid, the penalty means nothing to a Super Aguri or a Toro Rosso as they are normally at the back of the grid anyway, so why not bring in a penalty system that affects the team only and not the driver? if the car finished in a point scoring position let the driver keep his points but the constructor vetos any points, this would be just as fair a system to the back markers as the present system is, but at least the drivers would be able to go into the grand prix without a -10 places penalty over their heads, and just think, with a fairer system Kimi WOULD have been world champion by now

[Folken]

What matters is if he's boring on track. And I think you all agree he is by no means boring in that aspect. Who cares if the man doesn't talk much, he's an awesome driver and if not for McLaren a double world champion.

And Kettle thats an awesome idea. The constructor lost the points not the driver...indeed...

[Kallor]

and so now it seems that not only coultard and schumacher junior have penalties, but schumacher senior and massa both and barrichello (pity that as i really like rubens)...in fact the race should be really interesting as a result of these penalties...though with jacques' engine blowing up last week, i'd have thought that he would suffer a penalty...anyone care to explain?

[Folken]

The engine blew up during the race, hence a penaly is avoided. The only time a penalty is awarded is if an engine change is made after the race is completed, in which case you lose 10 spots on the grid. As is the case with, Michael and Coulthard (whose engine blew up just after the race was over). However in the case of Ralf, his engines blew up during Qualifying so his penalty is start from back of the field.

Folken is very angry at Ferrari...

[williamjm]

kettle said:

so Massa and Coulthard have had to have engine changes, which means they both have -10 place grid penalties, does anyone else hate this penalty system as much as me?

I really don't like this system, either. I have this strange old-fashioned idea that the person who drives fastest in qualifying should be first on the grid for the race.

It is a bit difficult to tell who will win the race, as the most of the usual suspects are quite a way down the field. Fisichella is in a good position for the early part of the race, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Raikonen and Alonso coming past him late in the race.

I suppose Button has a chance, but I would be a bit surprised to see him win. He is a reasonably good driver, but has yet to do anything special and he's had a few opportunities.

[Kallor]

i don't see why they don't revert to the original system. as i understand it, qualifying was changed because of complaints by the slower teams that their sponsors weren't getting sufficient television time. this is an easy fix; and any director could equalise coverage with little effort. on the other hand though, as a marketing director for a smaller team i might be tempted to tell my driver to 'hold up' a faster one in order to hijack screen time (and i'm sure i'm not the first to think of this)

anyway, a great race last night. well done fisi and way to go jacques! and the possibility that ferrari might be penalised for an illegal front wing (disqualifying both masssa and michael) would mean that jacques could score even more points.

i can't wait for melbourne.

[Folken]

They won't be penalized. The agreement signed was that the teams wouldn't contest any result and Ferrari would change their wing for Melbourne...what this change will do to their performance Ferrari only knows. But one thing I am happy about though, to some extent, Massa did voodoo magic on his Bridgestone tyres in the race. He lasted a LONG time on one set, which is good. Means we won't suffer too much of a tyre handicap this year like last...although if Ferrari doesn't sort out this engine...

Once again it was the Lord's luck for Kimi...when will the Lady look kindly upon him, they only know:( I was quite pissed off when Kimi went off, I was praying that it might be Juan when it happened. But seriously what does this man have to do to get a little bit of luck on his side

But good race? in my opinion...hardly. Twas 2002/2004 again only instead of red and God it is Blue and the new kid on the block

[kettle]

well I enjoyed the race, well done to Fisi, he kept Alonso behind him and drove a perfect race. shame about Raikkonen, I was hoping we were going to see him battling it out at the front, but alas it was not to be, and old chubby chops Montoya blamed concerns over engine reliability for his lowly 4th place say what you will about Kimi, at least HE would have raced!!

well the commentators were at it again with the "I love Jensen Button" commentry, I know we're supposed to be patriotic and all that, but I don't see Button as a first class driver, definately not to the extent that they go on about him....

and congratulations to Jaques...

[Folken]

screw ITV. I've switched over to the American broadcast provided by Speed. Sure I have to endure their Speed on Speed segment (Scott Speed...for the slow ones:p) Which is a bit better than the constant Button is our precious poddle on ITV. Concentrate more on the British driver actually doing something with his career now, since his departure from Mclaren.

Anyone else think Juan departure from Williams was the wrong choice for his career? Juan has lost all of his previous flare, yes even a Schumi fan can appreciate an idiot. Once haild as heir apparent, now nothing more than a has been. Atleast Kimi still has the label of future world champion stuck on his back, imo Juan has lost even that. Sad when good drivers get screwed over like this...

[kettle]

unfortunatly Jen, we only have the option of watching ITV, so we're stuck with the "we love Jensen" brigade....

Yeah a lot of the drivers come over from CART/champ car, but it doesn’t seem to work out for them, Montoya was the youngest ever CART champion in 1999, he won the Indy 500 that year too, moved over to Williams and has gone downhill ever since, his best racing was definitely at Williams, since he’s been driving for McLaren there has been none of the Montoya flare he used to have. Alex Zanardi was the same, he drove for Lotus in the early 90’s then moved to CART where he won the championship in 1997 and 1998, moved back to F1 with Williams, where he had a horrible time and was eventually replaced by Button! Christiano DaMatta won the CART championship in 2002, moved into F1 with Toyota, and left vowing never to drive in F1 again, even Michael Andretti who won the 1991 CART Championship couldn’t cut it in F1 and he was in a McLaren partnering Senna, he had a nightmare season and went back to CART where he continued to win races etc…..the only Driver recently who has come over from CART and win the F1 championship is Jaques, he won the 1995 CART championship and the Indy 500, moved to Williams in 1996, nearly won the championship that year, then went on to win in 1997….

But I suppose you can say Montoya has stuck at it

[Kallor]

absolutely, kettle my man...and the only reason, i repeat, that he didn't win the championship in his rookie year was because a british williams machanic failed to securely attach his rear wheel...the american series are far too focussed on power and straight line speed on race tracks which have very few challenging corners...i mean, come on, most american series only turn left...what kind of real racing only turns left?

anyway, pitpass.com is holding a contest where if you correctly predict the melbourne grid, you can win a 'ultimate fan' trip to monaco...i'll enter later this week...

[Folken]

Bah thats like me saying Michael lost 97, 98, 99 because of crashes by no means his fault. No not refering to Jerez 97...the race when Ralf ran into Michael at the start when good old JJ wasn't going to score a point...bah...that championship was in the bag...can u imgaine if for a little bit more good luck we might have had a 10 time WC on our hands:eek:

but predicting is so hard. We know nothing of where the cars stand...God could pull magic out of the bag and win Oz, or Kimi would actually start the race from where he belongs *runs around screaming*