Formula 1
Tuesday August 2, 2005 at 10:20 pm | Filed under Sports
Couple of F1 notes from the past few weeks.
- It’s obvious to me, especially after Hungary, that Bridgestone doesn’t have the goods. Schumi drove the heck outta that Ferrari. I know it was a light fuel load for a quick qualifying lap, but still. Even in the race he was competitive until his tires started fading.
- Ferrari: Just from watching, it seems that Barrichello has a totally different car than Michael. I wonder how much of it is driving skill and how much of it is actual car setup.
- BAR/Honda: I’m happy to see Sato get his first points of the season. He’s a much better driver than what his record would indicate. Button has impressed me lately. He’s one to watch and has appeared a lot more comfortable in the Honda of late.
- The announcers on Speed Channel make are THE BEST. There were a couple of things in Hungary (Massa’s pit crew fueling a burning car, and the “beer can” reference in the renault pit) where we actually laughed out loud.
- Hungary was the most entertaining race in awhile. Klien flipping on the start, Coulthard getting the worst of Alonso’s wing, Michael’s finish, another Mercedes hydrolics issue. Good stuff.
- I’m still pulling for Ferrari and Honda, but I’d like to see some kinda competition at the top of the leaderboard still. I’m actually pulling for Alonso to finish out of the points each race. Raikkonen may be the only hope for that, although he’s got to get more reliability out of his car.
- “The Silly Season”: Apparently this is what they call the latter part of the season when rumors of who’s driving for who next year start to flourish. This is yet another layer of the F1 Soap Opera, and I’m eating it up.
One final note. I really like all kindsa racing, but shortly after I watched the Hungary race, I watched the Champ cars battle in San Jose. It was interesting because it was the first race there, and the cars had to cross train tracks at two points on the track, but it was no F1. I’ll be watching them when they come to Long Beach every year, but these guys are not the cream of the crop. Let’s put Bordais in a Jordan and see what he can do. 
One Response to “Formula 1”
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Danny Says:
August 3rd, 2005 at 8:08 pmI know I’ve said this before, but I’m glad I’m not the only F1 fan out here. Schumi’s finish was superb. If he had Michelin rubber under him I believe he could have won in Hungary. While still behind the pace, the Bridgestones did show improvment. As far as Schumi’s light fuel load being responsible for his pole position, consider that he stayed out longer than Raikkonen before the first stop.
The Speed Channel guys are the best. I hate watching the CBS broadcasts. There were 5 this year, more than in years past. I hope this is not a trend that will continue. Speed always re-airs the races a week later in those instances. I love to compare the commentary. CBS guys say stupid things like, “The guy that’s checking the tires is part of the pit crew.” The Speed guys say, “I can’t believe they’re putting fuel into a car that’s on fire!”
Alonso’s retirement was great for the championship battle. Kimi is within fireing distance, IF he can keep his car running. It’s the fastest thing on the track, but not the most reliable. Last weekend also gives hope to Ferrari. If no one can catch the Spaniard, I at least hope for a good battle between Kimi and Schumi for second. Something decided in the last race for P1, 2 and 3 would be fantastic!
Did you see that Barrichello is out next year? Ferrari just announced they’re replacing him with fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa. Poor Rubens. He’s been Ferrari’s “red-headed-step-child” for years, taking it with a smile on his face. (Note: I have nothing against red-headed-step-children. My mother-in-law, who I love very much, happens to have red hair and is adopted, so there.) No doubt he’ll find a new ride next year. He’s a good driver with a few years left in him.
Looking forward to Turkey later this month. A new circuit is always exciting. It brings the playing field a little closer to level – it’s everyone’s first time.