Official F1/Motorsport thread

[Alastair]

I know this isn't motor sport but we all appreciate nice road cars too right?



Lovely - I'll take a black one please, with the big engine option!!

[MonkeyWrench]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/world_rally/4257438.stm

Micheal Park, Marko Martins co-driver has died in a crash in the Rally of GB

[Kieran76]

Heard about it on the radio this morning, tragic stuff. Marko must be feeling terrible.

[Richard.John]

The rear of that Beemer is the spitting image of a Ferrari 575.

[Alastair]

Terrible news about Park, always a real shame when something like that happens, even worse this time that it wasn't his own actions that caused the accident which is usually the case in motorsport.
Everyone knows that rallying is very dangerous but the crashes we see all the time that people walk away from seem to make us a bit blaz? about it.

The rear of that Beemer is the spitting image of a Ferrari 575.

Isn't it, and lovely for it too.

[Alastair]

In fact:





BMW is a lot shorter at the rear but def inspired by the 575.

[VR46]

Real sad about Park, not seen the Rally highlights yet, glad Loeb did what he did also, strange old time in Rallying, two of the top teams pulling out, top drivers with drives for next year and now a big name death

[powerslide]

I've followed rallying for many years, and altough tragedies like this don't happen too often, it's so shocking when it does - I felt as if i had actaully lost someone i actually knew. I still can't believe something like this happened, though, considering some of the huge accidents that have occured in recent years - like when Makinen hit a cow and plunged down a cliff in Corsica, and McRae's massive crashes over the years.

[Alastair]

Hands up who didn't expect this result:

Button buys his way out of Williams
And here

Figures seem to vary from 20 to 25 million POUNDS (not dollars). He can't really be paying that himself though can he? On a rumoured ?10m a year it'd be like working for free for two years at least. I think Honda must have stumped up most of that tbh.

I would have been more surprised of the outcome had he gone to Williams next year, was never going to happen was it.

[VR46]

thats (?25m) a hell of a lot of money, pressure will be on Button to really perform now, Honda must be putting up a big portion of it surely, probably wouldn't have cost much more for Honda to buy the Williams team outright given their current lack of potential

[Darwock]

So it's Rubens and Button. Balls, I'd hoped Sato would keep his seat.

[Alastair]

This is where Rubens drives better than Button in every race isn't it

Load of fuss over nothing, there's too much pressure on Button to perform now and he'll probably never live up to it (although I would love to see him fighting for the championship).

Sure we'll find out soon enough what's happening to Sato but he's underachieved so much this season I think he'll be back in a test roll. Williams have the spare seats but seem to have 'young guns' lined up to fill them. JV reckons he's staying at Sauber (well BMW) next year but I wouldn't be so sure (unless his contract is watertight) so maybe Sato in a Beemer at a (very) long shot.

[Richard.John]

I just hope Williams spank BAR next year. You know what they say about burning your bridges. After this debacle who would trust him anyway so he 'd better prepare for the long term at Honda, oops sorry, BAR.

[VR46]

Can't see Sato going to BMW, not being racist but think he's only stayed in F1 so long due to being Japanese tbh, these F1 teams do like their "home grown" drivers don't they. He's just trying too hard, can see him testing again in 2006 and then back in a race seat for 2007, year on, year off, just needs to grow up and calm down, he's never been on the podium has he ?

[Richard.John]

He has been on the podium just once at last years US GP. He isn't consistent enough. Honda have to accept that if they want to win races so they need drivers of RB an JB's calibre, and of course they now have that so no excuses for 2006.