Official F1/Motorsport thread

[Morcerf]

The pits entry is before the turn, it'd of been the same as pulling in for a normal pit stop.

These are F1 drivers we're talking about - they're suppose to be the best of the best. It's not like they're out for a Sunday drive to the shops.

But they are also ultra-competitive and the likes of Raikkonen wouldn't probably obey the speed restrictions, or at least push it further than he was meant to.

Not all the cars are capable of adding in an extra pit-lane speed limiter type control for this, and if you start having FIA speed traps and punishing Michelin runners for exceeding whatever speed they had decided on then you're changing the rules, which the FIA refused to do on any ground.

[Darwock]

That's not a change in the rules, you can wave yellow flags at any point in the circuit and you instantly have a speed restricted area. The pit lane is not the only place where speed penalties can apply.

And if Raikkonen couldn't be counted on to slow down on track to save his tyres (jeez give him some credit) then send him through the pit lane.

[Richard.John]

Part of a driver's race craft involves the ability to preserve one's tyres so it could've been done. I personally think a slow lane at the bottom of T13 would've been the best solution combined with a permanent yellow flag zone.

[Morcerf]

That's not a change in the rules, you can wave yellow flags at any point in the circuit and you instantly have a speed restricted area. The pit lane is not the only place where speed penalties can apply.

And if Raikkonen couldn't be counted on to slow down on track to save his tyres (jeez give him some credit) then send him through the pit lane.

Yeah, but the yellow flags would also affect the Bridgestone runners - you can't have 'selective' flags. What if there was an incident on the corner with Bridgestones, then the yellow flags would need to be waved for them too so you cant just say only Michelin runners obey the flags.

I'm not saying Raikkonen couldn't be counted on to slow down on track, only that these guys are ultra competitive and he (and others) would probably push it more than it is safe to do so. Just look at the Euro GP with what happened to his tyres - he was willing to take the risk there.

[Darwock]

Yes, and where was the concern for safety above all else on that particular day? Hypocrites. My point about the flags was to say they can impose a speed penalty under any situation.

Kimi has to do what he's told, if he doesn't he should be fired. I laughed when I read Ron Dennis' comment about how they had to 'almost' physically restrain Kimi from racing. Ehh???? More BS and hype.

[charlesr]

Went to goodwood at the weekend.
F1 cars going mental. Donuts, burnouts. 10 foot in front of you. Awesome.
http://www.charlesr.com/goodwood2005/goodwood1.wmv (Sato going nuts)

I also wasnt aware of a new Bimota tesi....

[VR46]

Nice to see the Michelin's didn't fail

Sure that Bimota will be out in about six years and cost about ?20,000, do you remember the ill-fated Bimota 500cc twin road bike ??

Also can my two favourite men (Rossi & Loeb) do no wrong, 5 wins in a row each

[gtskater]

When will WRC fans start complaining about Sebastien's dominance? He's just incredible at the moment. It helps that Subaru can't get things together, which is a bit of a shame.

[Alastair]

Isn't that vid of a Toyota Charles??
Anyway, I love the FoS, couldn't make it this year but have been 3 times before. I have a very similar vid of Button doing donuts and nearly crashing into the hay bails from 2 years ago! What driveres of note where there this year Charles?

Stoddart stirring it up again? I really doubt the teams would strike but who knows what these idiots will do next to further ruin the sport

[jon bda]

Also can my two favourite men (Rossi & Loeb) do no wrong, 5 wins in a row each

Isn't it strange when you think about the past Yamaha champs, and the fact that Rossi is the first Yammy rider to win 5 in a row?. Compared to the likes of Doohan on the Honda, 5 is a low figure...surely Rainey/Lawson etc could of done five...

[charlesr]

What driveres of note where there this year Charles?

Coulthard was there, Sato, Stirling Moss etc.

I went there by motorbike and the bikes park in a different place from the cars (concrete, so they dont sink into the mud if it rains). I saw a biker going the wrong way so stopped and checked if she was going to the FoS and got her to follow me. My friends who were already inside Goodwood had my ticket, so I needed to contact them to meet me at the gate and I mentioned this to her, so she said "have one of mine". She had complimentary tickets. Turns out she was a freelance journalist. Later in the day she was riding Rossi's 2003 GP bike up the hillclimb - 1st woman to drive a GP bike. She'd come straight there from Estoril circuit on a Honda long termer VFR. Sounds like my dream job.

[mid]

I went there by motorbike

You very, very sensible man. Though I've never been, my in-laws live in Worthing, so I know how the junction you turn off for Goodwood backs up for miles, even when the FoS isn't on.

[charlesr]

Yeah, it wasn't looking good for cars on the way in at 8.30am, although it was fine for them on the way out around 5pm.

[VR46]

good to see Michelin have offered to refund all USA F1 ticket buyers their money back.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4629819.stm

Funny it was announched just before the FIA meeting started regarding team punishments ....

[VR46]

All Michelin runners in USA guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute, no word on the penalties until September though

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4631523.stm