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I think someone jsut did something sensible to F1, but its so weird for that to happen that I could be wrong: http://www.crash.net/f1/news/242990/1/verstappen-braking-rule-scrapped-as-fia-relaxes-penalties.html
I blame Ross Brawn
I think someone jsut did something sensible to F1
Whaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?!?!?! 😉
Don't worry, I'm sure they'll revert to the old version by the end of FP2
It starts with a small thing like a sensible rule change, then they let the teams use video clips on social media during the race, then they let promoters actually promote the event they're paying for, then they come up with a long term strategy for development, then before you know it f1 has got new teams, new viewers and people are talking about the racing rather than the politics. Shame it'll all be on pay TV though.
Hamilton by more than half a second in the quali run in practise 2.
Vertstappen doing a good impression of a high speed lawnmower 🙂
So far in the 2 practice sessions Mercedes are still the quickest, over 0.5 seconds on low fuel and more than a second on high fuel, Alonso in 12th but 2.4 seconds off the pace. Seems testing as always was a lot of smoke and mirrors 😀
As a Lewis fan that's good to hear but hopefully come the race the Ferrari's will give Merc a run for their money.
Let's hope the TV director focuses on the midfield battles because that actually looks quite close. It's hard to judge Bottas' relative pace based on 2 practice sessions but if those times are representative...
It is looking very ominous for a Merc walkover this weekend isn't it, at least from HAM 😕 The cars don't look overly fast either, but then it is a low grip track so that should change at the next race.
As an aside the STW F1 Fantasy League Avatar is the only thing it could have been, nice work retro83 😀
Just read LH was on the faster tyre. Any chance the times are closer on the same tyre?
The cars don't look overly fast either, but then it is a low grip track so that should change at the next race.
Lap record* 1’24.125 (226.934 kph) by Michael Schumacher, 2004
Fastest lap 1’23.529 (228.553 kph) by Sebastian Vettel, 2011
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
lewis today 1:23.620 on a relatively green track I'd say thats pretty fast.
I'm in, thanks for setting it up, go Merkelbeek Straat!
I'm in too, first timer at fantasy league, here's hoping for beginners luck!! Excited about the new season...
I didn't say it wasn't fast, it just didn't look it on the TV! Seem to remember that Melbourne always looked slower than expected anyway, they definitely looked quick from the Barcelona footage online. Maybe a balls-out lap in qualy will look properly spectacular 😀
Wait till 20 wide cars are barrelling into the first corner - that bit of grass on the left will see some wheeltracks and carbon fibre!
Still to early to call things.
And who will be up at silly-o-clock to watch qualifying?
Nah, will do my usual of recording and watching 'live' at a sensible time 🙂
Ref the leage pic, it should really be pumping up an F1 tyre... 😉
Ericsson faster than Wehrlein in both sessions (and by a decent margin). If Pascal is slower over the season it could be a career ending year.
That's F1 though isn't it?
As pointed out on Sky if Bottas turns out to be slower than LH then it shines an interesting light on Rosberg.
Mind you it's only FP2, too early to be writing off careers 🙂
What's it on? Just sky/now?
Highlights from all races and 10 live races on Channel 4 too.
Mind you it's only FP2, too early to be writing off careers
Yeah but the comparison is Ericsson*, not Hamilton! 😀
He should slaughter him if he's got hopes of bagging a top drive.
(*who's only in F1 because his backer bought the team).
Well yes, but it's FP2...
If Pascal is slower over the season it could be a career ending year.
Isn't this one of the first times he's driven the car after his spectacular RoC crash? Only cleared to drive this week from what I heard.
No he drove in the second week of testing in Spain.
[quote=nemesis ]As pointed out on Sky if Bottas turns out to be slower than LH then it shines an interesting light on Rosberg.
Yeah - it suggests NR had just as much time to get familiar with the car as LH. I note that NR was also consistently slower than LH.
I don't completely disagree but it does show that Nico Rosberg wasn't as slow as some people make out. Nobody disputes Bottas' speed but they do dispute that of Rosberg. If, by midseason, the gap remains the same as now then it does indeed shine some interesting light on 2016.
Not really been into the f1 for the last couple of years but I have to admit the new cars look mint. Back to the early 90s before the stupid narrow track and grooved tyres
0600 start for live qualifying and the race, the latter being after the BST time gain.
Hmmmm. Well, after my original comment on this thread regarding the spectacle of F1 vs the yachting equivalent and taking note of the responses, I decided to keep an open mind and dare to hope.
Pre-season testing did dampen my kindling, however the flame of hope still burned.
In view of the results from free practice today and I'm really really hoping either Ferrari or Red Bull are majorly sandbagging. Great for the LH fans, bit tedious for neutrals and everyone else who will be looking to the relatively closer [s]procession[/s] racing in the midfield, with cars that are now going at the speed of last years' CC.
The AC finals in May/June this year will knock this current season of F1 into a cocked hat! 😉
Morning!
Interesting FP3 order. And Pascal pulls out of the race.
And a good job Stroll's dad has deep pockets, could be an expensive season for Williams.
Surprised by the Pascal decision, must be more to it, the ROC crash looked quite innocuous. Anyway, bring it on, winter has been too long.
very suprised Wherlein pulls out. Unless sponsors demand he drives at a gp I reckon he may have realised that he may be found wanting. Good news for the test driver.
It looks like we have a new 'Maldonado' to spice things up
Here we go
Ace comment from Alonso, "all we need now is rain"..
So lets make some wild speculation based off very little information!... 😀
• Palmer is going to get really shown up by the Hulk.
• Pascal has either been hiding his true condition, or Merc/Sauber were foolhardy putting him in a car before he's fully recovered.
• Stroll is a lot slower than all the other young-guns that Villeneuve has criticised over the last few years (but he said Stroll was the real deal). Fast and crashing is good, slow and crashing is bad!
I like those new graphics where the sectors are broken down into sections.
Graphics are good, I still want to get a jigsaw and cut the daft fin and coathanger off the engine cover.
More questions?
Who is going to stuff up the start?
How will the cars behave in dirty air?
Will we see the the finger or maybe two?
Will Stroll crash?
Will Hamilton really get a good nights sleep without Rosberg by his side?
Which engine will blow up ( Mchonda, FI, Renault or Haas) ?
Who will do the fastest pit stop and does that mean the pit crew have also been working out over the winter?
How long can Ericcson stay at Sauber?
Can we have a new graphic where they hide Bernie in the stands and we have a game of Where's Bernie during the race if it gets too tedious!
Cars are longer and wider, tracks have not changed size, I predict lots of broken carbon fibre and the safety car doing plenty of laps!
Should be interesting start tomorrow! I think I heard something about the clutches being changed to make starting harder?
And it'll be raining carbon fibre in the first few corners!
Should be interesting start tomorrow! I think I heard something about the clutches being changed to make starting harder?
That's right. All about it here:
[url= http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/128541 ]New clutch regs explained[/url]
Stroll looks spectactularly out of his depth.
Werhlein is already being shown up by his stand in (I'm not going to try to spell that!)
Vandoorn has not impressed so far...
But at the front; business as usual.
How long can Ericcson stay at Sauber?
A good while - his backers bailed out the team last year and now own a good chunk of it.
Brundle was keen to point out how bad (and bang out of order) Palmer's rant was considering the team had spent the best part of Friday night rebuilding his car after he shunted it.
Should be interesting start tomorrow! I think I heard something about the clutches being changed to make starting harder?
Yep - I can see a Vettel win. Hamilton's starts seem to be a weak point for him throughout last season. New clutch may help, we'll see tomorrow.
And top of the leaderboard after qually! 😀
http://fantasy.udt.co.za/f1/restricted/LeagueDetails.j?leagueId=757&pageNo=1&batchSize=50
[quote=atlaz ]I don't completely disagree but it does show that Nico Rosberg wasn't as slow as some people make out. Nobody disputes Bottas' speed but they do dispute that of Rosberg. If, by midseason, the gap remains the same as now then it does indeed shine some interesting light on 2016.
Bottas closer to LH in quali than NR was last year...
I'm going to be cheering on Bottas all year in the hope he shows NR for what he really was 😉