- Formula 1 - Season 2008 -

[genius83]

@beglar and UK
thanks for replying.
what i tried to say is that instead of having all the points taken away from the team they could do a 50-50 or may be a 75-25 ratio of points deduction from the team and drivers respectively. Why I am saying that is simple because after deducting all the points from the team are they not suggesting that in F1 it is all about machines not the humans who are driving these machines.

[UncleKracker]

@genius83
I think they should have stripped the drivers of their points too. I never understood the logic at that time. How can one say that the car was illegal, and thus we will take away all your constructor points, but somehow the points scored by the drivers in that illegal car were not deemed to be illegal.

[beglar_begi]

@UK

I made my picks yesterday and I was pondering exactly the same thing as you have typed earlier... what does one do? Use team force India for this weekend and get it over with (I sort of dared myself to use them atleast once dring the season) or does one pick BMW? The problem with the former is obvious... the only problem is each time the voice in my head has told me to pick BMW I have gone with either ferrari or mclaren and BMW ended up performing on the weekend... so as the law of averages goes when I pick BMW this weekend they won't perform... see my dilema?

How much does anyone want to bet that Heiki is gonna perform his weekend... and I'm not talking about finishing in the points but podium. BMW has not performed on back to back weekends... should one read into that at all?
The picks have been made either way...

[UncleKracker]

@ beglar_begi
Firstly lemme say that you dont have to use Force India. There are a teams much better than that unless you have a particular liking for Force India. A certain French team on home soil might actually do well this weekend. Sooner or later youll have to resort to that team.
Coming to your point about picking BMW or Mclaren...Well, the three races that Ferrari have failed to win this season is not because either the Mclaren or BMW was a better car that weekend or on that track. All three races they have lost have been a result of reliabilty, driver error, silly mistakes like the one at Monaco when Raikkonen had to serve a drive through penalty and Mclaren lucked into a win because of hamiltons mistake which neccesitated an early pitsop. Same goes for Canada....Even before the safety car came out it was becoming obvious that given reliabilty Raikkonen was on his way to winning the race even though he was in third place at that time.
So for Mclaren and BMW to perform really well, i.e win the race something has to go wrong with Ferrari. At least thats the evidence so far. As for Heikki, this might be his best chance to get a podium which raises another interesting question. He has to be used at least once this season i think if one goes by the conventional wisdom of using Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton and Kubica for four races each. That leaves one race and who do you pick? Heikki or Heidfeld.... ahh the problems of playing F1 fantasy league

[beglar_begi]

@UK

I know man... the F1 fantasy league has turned out to be more stressful than I thought it would... I know what you're saying about the driver dilema there and frankly i would o for heiki over heidfeld anyday... not because ofthe drivers skills but the cars they drive... this season at least i would back a mclaren before I would a BMW...
And yeah ferrari has made a good car this season and I feel crappy about the first couple of races where massa and raikonen did not capitalise... so now its between BMW and mclaren for me... and I have a feeling that Hamilton's form is going to go down a bit furter now... the guy did not face any pressure last year because alonso was taking all the heat... towards the end of the season I think it will be between massa and raikonen but it should be interesting to see how kubica plays into the scheme of things with a bit of luck...

[genius83]

@UK and beglar
why you guys don't take toyota or redbull renault they both are getting points and specially toyota in canadian has second most constructor points after BMW. Well I am going for this weekend with team toyota with their both drivers and the third is a surprize. You will know after the deadline.

[UncleKracker]

@genius83
Good luck with your strategy. The only surprise you can spring on us here is if you pick Fernando Alonso as you "A" driver. It could well turn out to be an inspired choice especially if showers that are forecast for today and tomorrow prove correct.

I might live to regret this but I`m changing my team from Ferrari because of the rain that might or might not come, even though I see a Ferrari 1-2 in this race.

[beglar_begi]

@UK

Alonso is quick here... interesting that you should point out how him being chosen for this GP would be an inspired choice... and yeah I know what you mean about the rain... after reading the reports for the first practice session I made a few changes to my line up too... good luck

@genius

I don't know man... I think the only time i will end up using toyota or red bull is when i run out of ferrari, mclaren, and BMW... it really makes no difference with the big three as to whether you choose them early in the season or later... they are much more reliable than red bull or toyota... I mean toyota has had some promising finishes but I would much rather choose them when i have no other choice... good luck for the weekend

[genius83]

@UK and beglar
well look at the starting grid I think one BMW is struggling and not only that Mclaren is also struggling the only team which is proving itself is Ferrari other two teams that I have suggested are also proving me right. Alonso is also have good grid position. Lets wait and see what are the outcomes.

[UncleKracker]

@ beglar_begi
Where is that supposed rain!! Alonso could actually spoil the party for Ferrari in general and Massa in particular if he slots into 2nd place at the start. He could do even more damage if the expected rain arrives.
Good luck, mate.

@genius83
No offence but Toyota is where it is on the grid because of the various penalties handed out to the two Mclaren drivers and to Nico Roseberg. It would be a safe bet to pick Renault once a person has run out of Ferrari, Mclaren and BMW because their ( Renault) one driver is capable of scoring more points in one race than both the Toyota drivers put together.
Interesting that you picked Kubica as your " A" driver. I thought you were going to surprise us by picking Alonso. Anyway good luck with the race. Kubica could do well if it rains.

[UncleKracker]

Kovalainen handed blocking penalty

Heikki Kovalainen has been given a five-place penalty for blocking during qualifying for the French Grand Prix.

The Finn will therefore move back to 10th on the grid, further damaging McLaren's chances after his team-mate Lewis Hamilton was hit with a 10-place penalty for his Montreal pit accident.

Hamilton had been third fastest in the session, with Kovalainen sixth, before their penalties were applied

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=43075

Revised French GP grid

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=General&id=43077

[beglar_begi]

@UK

Well Alonso has managed a pretty respectable showing in the qualifying... and yeah he is a threat at the start of the race so that is gonna be really interesting... can't even rely on the freaking french weather... what good are the french really?!

I am pretty happy with my last minute change... I just hope massa doesnt end up screwing it during the race. I am beginning to wonder as to how much a difference did the new aero package and other upgrades to the renault played a part in the qualifying for them... ?!

Also seriously they need to put heiki in the B drivers category... he is a waste in the A list

[genius83]

@beglar and UK
now thats what I called a result although I am feeling sorry for Kimi he certainly deserves the first position. I give ful marks to Massa because he has the full potential to become the next world champion as I said before if title goes down to the last race it wil be a hell of fight for the title. As for my pick I certainly going to pick Alonso but just by mistake I pick Kubica and when I realized then I am facing the loadshedding and after that the deadline has passed.

[UncleKracker]

@beglar_begi
Renault have made progress. Didnt show much of it today but the very fact that junior got into points in evidence that Renault have improved and so too have Toyota. The much awaited rain never came although it did in the GP2 race. Alonso was on a 3 stop strategy which would have been even more interesting had he made a decent get away from his 3rd place on the grid but was switched to a 2 stop strategy after his bad start.
Umm hamilton who ??

@genius83
Good you didnt pick Alonso or you`d have ended up with 3 points in the fantasy f1 league for his efforts today.

[beglar_begi]

FINAL RACE OF 2K9 WILL BE IN ABU DHABI!!!![highlight][/highlight]

For better or worse I am glad the arabs are getting into the race scene big time... A1 GP can only benefit from having a couple of F1 GPs in the emirates... they can see how the damn thing operates... although they have enough former world champions as advisers in the A1 setup... but I digress.
The final race of the 2k9 season will be in the desert kingdom... should be an awesome track... its supposed to be along some coastal area.
Read it up:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7473748.stm

[UncleKracker]

Asia is the emerging market with giants like China and India. The focus is likely to switch more and more to this part of the world.
Interestingly the French GP is still on the calender though no one knows where it will be held.

[beglar_begi]

I had heard that Bernie Ecclestone was trying to force the french govt. to allow the future grands prix to be held either in the streets of paris a-la Monte Carlo or atleast some where closer to paris... I would actually enjoy watching that... nothing like an F1 car tearing it up in a city...
and yeah India and China hve gotten big enough to have developed their own gravitational pull... nothing like capitalism with a slight hint of communism eh

[UncleKracker]

Seems it will be held at Magney-Cours after all. For years I`ve heard " this is the last time we will be visiting Magney-Cours" but nothing ever comes off it.
Bernie wants it held at Disenyland Paris.

[beglar_begi]

@UK

he wanted it at disneyland in paris? I guess mickey mouse would have gotten to drive the safety car eh?

[UncleKracker]

Stewart urges F1 to embrace driver coaches

Formula One teams must end the sport's resistance to the use of training coaches if they are to avoid the type of mistakes that resulted in Lewis Hamilton's crash in the pitlane at the Canadian Grand Prix.

That is the view of former world champion Jackie Stewart, who thinks both teams and drivers are wrong to believe they cannot gain from the kind of use of coaches so typical in other sports.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68770