the mighty motorsport 2008 thread
 

ok, its that time of year again. im actually heading off on hols next week so i am gonna miss the first 2 races so hence the early start!!! opinions on the forthcoming season from anyone who cares...


the f1 season is gonna be close... for the 3rd pace. i reckon it could be a ferrari and mclaren show again with kimi stealing the edge over everyone. as for the rest, im guessing alonso will be pushed hard by newboy nelson piquet. its great to see that name back in the sport as nelson piquet snr was a childhood hero of mine. bmw hopefully will be up there and honda and rubens and jenson could easily be at the back end of the field. my biggest expectations lies with williams. nico rosberg will win races and his new teammate nakajima is awesomely fast, if he stays out of the barriers! so many kids of old g.p. drivers on the grid this year, it makes me feel a bit old!!!!!!

im really looking forward to the 2 new street races in valencia and singapore, the latter being f1s first night race. that should be spectacular viewing!!!! as the track location looks amazing!


not much else to say at the moment only my beloved champ car series (formerly CART) is now dead and buried and immagalmated into the indy racing league. tony george (owner of irl and indianapolis circuit) has finally got his way and destroyed an amazing series and bolstered his own. its too late now for the new indy racing league world series as open wheel racing in the states is damaged well beyond repair and nascar rules the roost! well done mr george, i hope you get what you deserve.... losses in millions of dollars!!!!!!


haters of motorsport may not waste their time by posting shite here!

cmon guys, i know at least 5 who posted on last seasons thread!!!!

new rules, new cars, new drivers, new tracks...
looking forward for the next f1 season.

my deja vu is almost there. rosberg and piquet head to head going down to turn one at over 180 mph. just like f1 when i was growing up and fell in love with the sport....

australian grand prix prediction


pole- probably kimi or maybe heiki.

kimi to win, followed by a mclaren, heiki to do really well. williams in the form of rosberg to end up in 3rd with the hondas and bmws disappointing... outside bet for excellent result....mark webbers red bull , piquet to beat alonso and seb vettel to score high points!

im off on hols so ill check back in 2 weeks!

The really interesting thing is surely how well Hamilton can fulfill the expectations laid down last season. in 2007 noone really expected that much from him. This time I get the feeling that anything other than a Championship title will be seen as a failure. I'm agreeing and going with Kimi to edge it for the title, but I'm hoping it'll be as close as last season - albeit with a slightly different outcome.

lewis will be there or there abouts.. remember in every championship he has competed in, he won in the second year!!! he aint gonna do any worse than last year!

my boyfriend has been working this job this year and hes been so tired and a bit grumpy, due to the work and the weather, so I dislike the f1 for that reason.

though if you get off on middle park tram stop on the way around albert park, there is a really nice cafe to have breakfast, after all the f1 rubbish is over. :)

just got back from hols and watched the 2 races.. australia was a cracker! bmw are gonna be mclarens (lewiss) biggest worry this year along with kimi. massa is showing his true talent as a no hoper. nnakajima was stunningly fast and signs are this is gonna be a close season. kubica to feature very much in the championship battle...

and the f1 is returing to the bbc in 2009. bring back fleetwood macs the chain as a theme tune.... and best of all, no ad breaks and no james allen!

since this applies here as well

http://jalopnik.com/373884/f1-boss-m...-video-scandal

i have to ask since i don't much about Mosley, but is that even really that shocking? i mean i read about his father being a Hitler supporter but this is just a tabloid wet dream

mosely is a tool! this is his last year in charge and rumopours that jean todt of ferrari is gonna succeed him as the president of the governing body... the fia. god help any other team bar ferrari if that happens!

my choice would have been mr richard lloyd of the msa of great britain but unfortunatley he died yesterday along with touring car legend david lesie in that plane crash in farnborough in england.....

maybe its a lone furrow but plough it i must!

bahrain grand prix prediction time....

 

since massa has fucked up twice quite stupidly, his neck is on the line at ferrari already id reckon. i personally dont rate him but i reckon a massa whitewash for the race, pole, fastest lap and the win. as for the rest.. kubica continues to impress me but i fearbmw may struggle to keep up with the mclarens and kimi, normal service probably as this track is not the greastest in making a spectacular race....... nakajima for the points as there is acres of runoff before he hits anything so he will be ultra fast!

prediction

massa
kimi
lewis
kubica
alonso
rosberg
nakajima

kubica on pole....... excellent! now go and win it my famous myspace friend.

he was the only driver ever to reply to myspace comments and messages, and he replies to evry single one of them, i had a full scale conversation with the guy a couple of months ago... he has my full support!

ok, time for the f1 to hit europe and the spanish gp


my thoughts. a dull boring race as teams use this track to test on constantly... maybe bmw will show how quick they are, that could be a good or a bad thing...

kimi to win
a bmw second, hopefully kubica
with massa third. i dont expect any suprises apart from lewis getting his act together, he was only 11th in practice today.. we need a bit of rain for this one..........

well it wasnt that bad a race. ferrari redwash but at least lewis and robert kept them honest throughout and nakajima had another scrappy race but yet finished in the points again....

heikki was lucky, big crash but at least he went in straight and didnt hit the barrier at an angle, thats how legs and necks get broken... he is still in hospital for observation but its only concussion at worst...

 

 

 

where is all my f1 buddies from last season??? i feel like i am talking to myself here, this thread will continue for the next race tho.....turkey in 2 weeks...

also belated congrats to danica patrick, the first female driver to win a major international event in the indycar world series in motegi japan last week.......

Yeah, a decent enough race. Ferrari definitely seems to have the edge this season. The safety car managed to keep the pack together in a way that didn't really reflect the difference between Ferrari and the rest.

Can't say I was too sad to see Alonso having to retire midway through.

All things considered, a good result for Hamilton, but I can't see this season going to anyone but Kimi.

ok, now for one of the better new style f1 circuits... istanbul park in turkey.

2 things here, max "the ramrod" mosely is gonna be present for the first time since his antics with a bunch of women of ze night. my opinion, he should resign now, with dignity before he is forcibly ousted.... its not right.

secondly, we are now without super agiuri team. a sad day when so much money is shelled out that a promising little team like super aguri cant compete due to their corporate takeover falling thru. now we have an ex f1 podium winner (aguri suzuki) up to his neck in debt, 2 top drivers looking unlikely that they will get back into a regular f1 seat and only 20 cars on the grid.. my opinion... if you cant pay the bills, dont use the resource, sad but true, and a nother... where was david richards prodrive when this was going on? surely a way for him to get in the sport when his own attempts failed less than 6 months ago????

anyway on with the race



im gonna have to say its ferrari again, this pattern is gonna change but i am increasingly convinced of robert kubicas place in this season... he is gonna be the main challenger for ferrari and kimi this year...

predictions

1. massa
2. kubica
3. kimi or lewis
4. lewis or kimi
5. alonso
6. nakajima (this guy is fucking fast and there is a lot of run off here!)
7. heidfeld
8. coulthard (he has been flying in preactice today)
or vettel (if he finishes the first lap)

also point of note, rubens barrichello becomes the driver starting the most f1 races ever on sunday . it will be his 257th, beating the old record held by riccardo patrese which he has held since the final race of 1992.


also when is piquet gonna get his act together.. he has been my disappointment of the year, that and vettel not completing a lap due to other peoples accidents and mark webber, man this guy needs a break in luck so much........


anyway enjoy the race.....

qualifying- itv4 at 11.10
followed by gp2 action at 13.30

race sunday itv1 at 12 noon
preceeded by gp2 at 9.25 and quali repeat on itv4 at 10.30

Instanbul's a great track, with Turn 8 surely one of the most exciting corners in the tournament. I'd probably agree with your top five predictions. Although I'd absolutely love to see a win for Kubica (slowly turning into my favourite driver at the moment) I too can't see anything other than a Massa victory. Hamilton could get a podium if all goes well but no more than that (accidents aside, of course). At least its not a Ferrari 1-2 on the grid.

Frankly amazed that Mosley is even being allowed to attend, even if he doesn't resign (which, of course, he should).

What a great day for sport, tomorrows gonna be. Last day of the prem and what could be a great F1 race. Happy days.

Wow, what a fascinating chess-game of a race that was. Probably the season's best so far. Loved watching Hamilton's move on Massa and some great scraps in the middle of the field. Slightly surprised at how Kimi wasn't more of a contender (down more to a fairly bad start, I suppose). Such a great track, too. Definitely puts a few of the 'big name' circuits to shame.

Also, nice to see that '67 Lotus being put through its paces in the race build up.

Great stuff.

yeah great race. shame mclaren went very safe on the tyre thing tho, they would have kicked ferraris arse big time if they stopped twice but then again may not have finished either. this title race is very close... and next monaco..... im praying for a bit of rain! its been a while since monaco and rain and no traction control happened!

I was frustrated with the three stop thingy too, but think it probably helped Hamilton secure second rather than hindered him from winning. And I'm not a fan of teams having to use both types of tyre in a race.

yeah, agreed.... but then again with every one stopping for the same length of time in the pits constantly... im not a fan of the pitstop either... ban the tyre changes.... they did in 2005 and it worked a fucking treat.

anyway onwards and upwards...
MONACO GP.......

 

THE CLASSIC RACE...
if there is one race people see every year that dont even like the sport its this one

weather forecast is hella wet.... we havent had a wet monaco in many a year and this year could be a classic. no traction control and proper town street surfaces equate to real racing skill...

as for a prediction... i dont know at all. i reckon mclaren will shine, namely lewis buit anything can happen so maybe a bmw victory or even a red bull.. how aboput webber finally getting some luck and sticking the thing on theb podium..... actually, im gonna predict a coultard win.. he has experience and a half decent car and if/when its wet, there will be chaos.......

im so looking forward to this one...

itv4 saturday 10.25 gp2 immediatly followd at noon in itv1 for the qualifying and then at 4pm for the seconf gp2 race (cmon adam carroll..... irelands great hope!)

f1 race sunday noon on itv 1

dont miss this one!



and also sunday.. the indy 500....... danica patrick to become the first indy500 female winner?? possibly!!!

Yeah, Monaco. The Cannes film festival of F1. Coulthard lives there so he'll be really familiar with the circuit - but will have to resist pulling in at the corner shop for a pint of milk. Anyway, like you say. It's anyones. Lewis has been fastest so far in practice and I'd put him as favourite, but it's a race that's usually won in qualifying so saturday's gonna be the day.

Mucho glamour on the grid is always a pre-race treat. Anyroad, I'll be glued to it, with my Francoise Hardy CD on in the background while wearing my pierre cardin underpants.

Oh yeah, and come on Danica. Grrrl power NOW!

The Ferarri shut out on the grid doesn't look hopeful for Hamilton tomorrow. The Coulthard crash was immense. Seeing it on a normal road brings home just how fast he was going. 185mph, then he's having a chat afterwards. Legend.

yeah, he was lucky. that same accident hospitalised jenson a few years back and almost killed karl wendlinger in 1994. albeit they hit the end of the barrier that david missed...lucky but still in top 10!

ferrari front row, personally i cant believe it! im amazed a mclaren didnt get in there. but looking at the forecast. i wouldnt bet on an odd race. massa isnt gonna keep all four wheels on the car for 78 laps around monaco. he simply isnt!

Shit as Jensen Button is, at least he has fun with supermodels, all Lewis does is go to NBA games. I WANT PROPER MANIAC F1 DRIVERS!

we have a couple.... nakajima for one and vettel.. those kids havent hit the wall hard yet and they are driving like they are gonna do it soon!

yep, we have had a drought of real personalities like the villeneuves (snr), mansells, sennas in a while but thats tpart and parcel of modern day sport..

we dont have any cantonas, stuart pearces, terry butchers, john aldriges or gazzas in footy either.. just a bunch of lame-o footballers wives husbands with more money than looks..... rooney???????

Yeah, agree about the decline in drivers' personalities. I'm waiting for a decent punch up in the gravel trap. Hamilton and Alonso looked up for it last season, but since Fernando left for Renault, things have calmed down. And anyway, i could never honestly see Lewis rising to the bait, even then. Kimi's non-personality just bugs me now. At first I put it down to youth, but now I just yawn.

Definitely agree that Nakajima is on a bit of a death wish. Coulthard seems to not give a toss who he offends these days so could see him getting a bit lary with a few drivers. But yeah, Schumacher may be the last of F1's great real characters. F1, like football (free Joey Barton) definitely needs its supply of Rocket Ronnies, McEnroes, Floyd Mayweathers, etc.

schumacher a character... that statement just belies the absolute lack of characters in the sport. i presume you speak of michael not ralf (dtm midfield punchbag) schumacher....

in years gone we had the likes of nelson piquet, an unbelievably brilliant ruthless driver, intelligent and a total nutjob...


piquet vs salazar- hockenheim 1982

taking the piss out of alain prost

piquet vs de cesaris (another gem of a character) - monaco 1989

piquet vs de cesaris again- monza 1991

piquet and mansell vs murray walker 1985

legend!

plenty more. james hunt, clay reggazoni, jaques laffite, rene arnoux, saturo nakajima, gerhard berger, riccardo patrese, mario andretti, derek warwick, keke rosberg, alan jones, bruno giacomelli... i could go on but all make the schumachers and everyone else in the paddock look decidedly 2 dimensional.....

coultard will be up for it tho.. as too will kubica. the latest forecast is rain.. all day from morning til evening in monaco.... interesting indeed!

Agree that Schumacher doesn't compare with that list, and the fact that he's thought of as a loss to the sport in terms of personality definitely points to a real lack of characters in F1 at the moment. This clip says it all, really: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0cz2NPHXgvU

i love the look on his brothers face.. "erm, shit... what do i do now........michael.. stop it.. ok, there there!"

as for characters.. these bbc news reports are forever etched in my memory..

zolder 1982

imola 1994

also these live races i will never forget

california superspeedway 1999

lautizring speedway 2001

not pretty veiwing but all involved were (and in one case "are") characters of the utmost, doing what they loved.

Which clip are you refering to? I think I know the one you mean, where Schumacher breaks down in the press conference, but the clip I posted was of Senna telling Schumacher off after they crashed.

Anyway, Monaco, wow! Would take as long as the race itself to describe the twists and turns. Lewis got lucky with the early crash but was simply incredible in the middle sector. Kubica was faultless throughout and on any other day would've probably won. My heart goes out to Sutil though, such a cruel end to a brilliant drive.

Incredible race. End of!

yeah great race and yeah the press conference clip was what i was talking about!

grreat race. lewis stunning in dufficult conditons again, as too was kubica (he is gonna run em close for the championship). i was wrong about massa, he didnt hit anything but he still cant cope with pressure and as for kimi...... he had the very same braking problem as coulthard had in quali 2, braked on a bump and locked up, in fairness he couldnt avoid adrian but what a cruel blow to suitils race, it doesnt matter, his drive was perfection! force india are gonna appeal for kimi to take a 10 place grid drop in montreal for causing "an avoidable accident", i dont think that will work tho.....


great race... rosberg was a lucky chap he didnt hit the wall square on. nice to see the drivers closing up in the title race tho.. on to canada, one of my favourite circuits... i reckon kubica may have some ghosts to put to bed there, a win maybe??? not unlikely!

today. no f1 but
wtcc from pau along with euro f3 and formula masters

the mugello moto gp, if the 125 cc and 250 are anything to go by, this will be a classic

the btcc at croft

superbikes at salt lake city

i love sundays!!!! and i love sky+ cuz its hot outside, a rarity with ireland!!!

ok. one of my favourite races each year...
the canadian grand prix at the gilles villeneuve circuit on montreal...



last year saw the immense accident by robert kubica (above) always action a plenty here..

my prediction, a kubica debut victory.

1. kubica
2. hamilton
3. kimi

not predicting anything else as this race could well be crash strewn due to its fast straights corners and closeness of concrete walls....

enjoy it

qualifying today saturday itv1 5.15 pm
rerun tomorrow itv 4 1.25 pm

race itv 1 sunday 5.15 pm

Yeah, this one really is too close to call. So long as Hamilton gets more points than Kimi or Massa, I'd like to see Kubica win it. If any driver deserves a win right now it's him. Definitely a neutral's favourite.

well he almost stuck it on pole...... im still backing robert to win it.... and im still backing him to be a contender in the title race by the end quarter of the season...

who knows in canada.. the stae of the circuit after quali one was a joke.. its was like that in belgium in 1984 when they returned to spa for the first time in many years, the track broke up so much after qualifying that they had to cancel the race for 4 months and race it in september, im sure that wont happen again but im sure it will be an issue tomorrow....

im gonna revise my predictions, no ferrari will make the podium so now im saying..

1. kubica
2. lewis
3. rosberg

I can live with that. I missed the qualifiers. Any excitement worth mentioning?

apart from what i said and kubica star final lap. webber got into q3 but on his final lap spun on the breaking up circuit and broke his front suspension and retired from quali. he starts 10th. he is on fire at the moment...
its damn close between everyone except lewis!