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TOIT on the front row - Fred, 5th, has to get past Toyotas at the start.
This has a feeling of inevitability now ... Suzuka was meant to favour Renault but its suffered ever since the mass damper was banned.
Comments
Whatever happens at Interlagos, I'd like to see MS end on a note that shows some humility and philosophy toward the sport and his place in it.
Congrats to Alonso today!
Go Fred!
and will you shut up please Neil?
Anyway, this is not over - someone crashing into Fred at the start at Interlagos ... Argh - just qualify P1, that's all he can do.
I don't think luck had anything to do with it. Alonso just had a monster performance. That kid gets better every race. I have no doubt Swervemaker was flogging his horses simply to keep a 4 second gap!
Hats off to Bibendum, they truly have superlative tyre technology.
As for Macca, things may not be all bad for them if as I understand Rod Taylor is designing the 07 chassis. Coughlan should take a sabbatical. Two bites at the cherry and still no competitive car. Doesn't anyone learn anything by working under Newey?
Next year should be very interesting because with the standardisation of both tyres and engines it becomes chassis formula. I cannot remember under these conditions where the best car did not win the championship and at present Renault have this. Yes talented drivers under certain conditions might win races, but its consistency that bags the Championship.
Nay, I say.
"yeah, but Ayrton" and finally accept that he's simply the best this sport has ever seen, love him or hate him.
Plain fact is that Alonso, barring a particularly cruel twist of fate in Brazil, will have won the title twice against top rank drivers who had, over the whole season, a marginally better technical package to play with. And he's done it by applying relentless pressure to his opponents the way it should be done, on the track. Better than Senna or Schumacher, dare I say, since he wouldn't stoop to driving a competitor off the road if it came down to it.
1: I am more than a little dissapointed in the result..... I must admit that Michael handled his engine blowing up much better than I did ! I do hope that he wins his last race at Interlagos........
2: As others have pointed out, Fred has done a wonderful job this year and is most deserving of his 2nd WDC..... when we were at Monza as guests of Toro Rosso, AND when we visited the Toro Rosso factory at Faenza and talked to Luca and when we spent a most enjoyable evening with Giancarlo at dinner. it was so very aparent on just how loved and respected Fred is by his old team....... I must admit though that I am more than a little tired of his whining.... the "team" doesn't want him to win.... his team mate is a hinderance.... Michelin is letting him down..... wha wha wha !!!!! Fred will have to change this flaw in his character when he goes to Woking as Uncle Ron will not put up with this act at all......
3: Speed TV told us before the race that Red Bull and Ferrari have made an agreement that will allow Red Bull to pass on their Ferrari engines to Toro Rosso and that will allow Adrian Newey to design the new Red Bull car with the Renault V8..... that is real good news for DC & Weber..... but also means that STR will run this years Red Bull..... I had been hoping that Ferrari would have dug in their heels and this would have forced Newey and Company to design new cars for BOTH teams...................... Both teams will be running the Renault engine in 2008.....
4: Next year has the possibility of being one spectacular year....... Bridgestone says their tires will be 2 seconds "slower"......all the teams have just signed a testing agreement for next year....... for us spectators, the Friday open testing means we get to see the big boys for 4 hours which means lots of photo-ops from different locations on a track........ Lots of changes...and lots of questions to be asked, and answered....... Red Kimi, Alonso, Weber all moving to new teams...... Hamilton and Kovalainen joining Kubika & Nico as a new generation comes on board......... What will the "new" Ferrari structure look like and will it work? Will Uncle Ron get McLaren up to snuff before he sells it all to Mercedes? How far will Renault fall with Fisi as #1? Can Sir Frank & Patrick push Williams past Toyota? BMW made massive strides this year., do they regress or do they continue moving up the grid? Does Adrian Newey + Renault V8's = podiums for Weber ?(and does Mark's performance with Red Bull vault him into the #1 Renault seat in 2008?) Do, Jarno, Ralf, DC, Rubinho, Nick halt their slide ? Any improvement to be shown by Tonio, Speed, Albers ? ....... Does Hamilton surpass "Our Jense" in the hearts of the John Bull crowd ??? and if so, just how many F1 Racing/Autosport covers will Hamilton grace? (and the rest of us non-John Bull types have to endure...though ANYTHING is better than the "Our Damon crap...)
5: I have a great reason to get up earlier now to watch the GP2 series.......... looking forward to Giancarlo's return.......Forza Minardi......FOR SURE....
time to go and see the Speed Suzuka replay.....and slash my wrists............'sigh
ciao
Next year holds the chance of being great ( as does every year). I agree with the John Bull attitude and hope Lewis can be given the chance to prove his ability which being at Monza we know he has. The bonus is our friends from Veggiano are in GP2. Hey I wont miss Shumi. I look forward to Kimi in a Red Car fighting Fred in a Silver and Webbo in a Bull 2007 offers a lot hey bring it on!
I look forward to next year..... and I am glad for Michael that he will be retired...that he is alive.... I started following F1 and going to the races in the 70's when death was not uncommon.... I was at the Glen when Cevert and Koiinng died and at Montreal when Riccardo Paletti died at the start..... Peter Revson ( who was Patty's favorite died testing at Kylami....that is when Patty started to lose interest in F1)..... and my favorite, Gilles Villeneuve at Zolder...and there have been so many others..... good for him and his family..... and I do suspect that $$$ will not be a concern for generations of Schumachers to come.......
As for the outpouring of grief that seems to upset your delicate tummy, I think it was the fact that his engine blew while he was winning the race that brought about this feeling sorry for Michael that came about in some quarters...... As pointed out, Michael took it all in stride..... gee golly, I do hope you will be feeling well soon........
It looks like I'll be rooting for Red Kimi and Massa.....against the Forces of Darkness at McLaren in 2007.........hahahahaha
gotta go and change the bandages on my wrists...
ciao
Now I like Fernando, don't get me wrong, he was a very nice chap in his Minardi days (met him back then--just to drop a name as well, ey) and beyond any doubt has heaps of talent. He DOES bitch a bit much though, just look at his little hand whenever a backmarker gets in his way. No need for that... no need for that at all!
But hey, he's under a lot of pressure and I don't really care too much about his comments, just his drving.
Let's admit that if swervin' Schuey had driven as consistently and well as Fred these last two years, and left out those bad moves ( e.g. Monza) he(MS) would have a lot more supporters.
Let us just see how he behaves at Brazil.
One thing's for sure that if there is a coming together, Alonso won't want to go off alone.
I cannot imagine how Fred will feel before the start of the next race. What will pass in front of his mind? Someone putting him off the track purposely, accidentally, engine or electronic problem, .....
Who is most under pressure for next race, Alonso or Schumy? Do not get me wrong, I must admit I was extremely impressed by how Alonso raced in the last two races, in Chine for eg, he could have won if there was no problems at his pit stop....
Anyway, we have to wait, but I have a feeling that, giving the spectacularity and unpredictability of this season, some interesting stuff may happen at the last race....
Hey, Murph - next year it'll be Our DC, Our Jense, Our Anthony and Our Lewis -- aahhhhhhh, marvellous.