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Post by Kiro on Apr 25, 2004 19:31:12 GMT -5
Kimi started from the last place of the grid, and finished the race in 8th place and got 1 point Thank God his engine didn't fail him 4 races in a row. :red:
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 19:49:59 GMT -5
LOL, I forgot the race was today :red: Poor Kimi, he's had so much trouble this season. I was quite happy to see both he AND David finished a race for the first time At least he's on the drivers' championship board. So I take it Jensen Button got the pole over Schumi? The headlines at crashnet make me believe so. I wish Schumi would leave and let the youngsters battle it out. The longer he stays, the more years he's usurping that the younger drivers could be competing for the title.
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Post by Kiro on Apr 25, 2004 20:34:24 GMT -5
LOL, I forgot the race was today Poor Kimi, he's had so much trouble this season. I was quite happy to see both he AND David finished a race for the first time At least he's on the drivers' championship board. So I take it Jensen Button got the pole over Schumi? The headlines at crashnet make me believe so. I wish Schumi would leave and let the youngsters battle it out. The longer he stays, the more years he's usurping that the younger drivers could be competing for the title. Yes, Button got the pole . Honda has got very good engine this year. And Schumi made a little mistake in the qualifying, that helped Jensen too. But in the race Schumi's Ferrari was much quicker than all other cars. Anyway, 2nd place was a great result for Jensen, hope he can do better in the future. I would like to kick Montoya out first :red:
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Post by TennisHack on Apr 25, 2004 20:37:29 GMT -5
LOL, I wouldn't mind kicking them both out Congrats to Jensen
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Post by Lee on Apr 25, 2004 23:38:48 GMT -5
Sounds like the formula circuit listen to JMac about the tennis racket technology
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Post by TennisHack on May 5, 2004 23:43:29 GMT -5
www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=90945F1 revolution - the agreements in briefWEDNESDAY 5TH MAY 2004 Britain's Daily Telegraph called the revolution 'Maxism', but the theory appears to have worked, as FIA president Max Mosley emerged from a meeting with Formula One team bosses in Monaco having seen the majority of his vision for the future of the sport agreed upon. A full transcript of his announcement to the media can be found elsewhere on Crash.net, but for those looking for a brief rundown on the proposed changes, look no further.... New engine formula in 2006 - engine manufacturers to make proposals in addition to those discussed towards reducing engine costs by 50 per cent. The only discussion on the future engine formula was whether it was more economic to extend the engine life of the current three-litre V10 - ultimately to as many as six races - rather than to implement a new 2.4-litre V8 formula with a two-race life. The multi-race principle was completely accepted, as was the need to reduce power Standard ECU - standard ECUs, designed to formalise all electronics on cars, may come in before 2008 as part of package of cost-cutting measures. This is still to be discussed in detail. With electronics under FIA control, there would be no traction control, etc - expulsion of 'driver aids' received unanimous approval.. Gearbox - discussion on whether it would be better staying with modern gearboxes rather than purely manual gearboxes, where it was pointed out that F1 would never go back to the old 'H-gate' and missed gears. Transmission, braking and steering - the only discussion opposing Mosley's proposals concerned whether it would be more economic to stay with an electronically controlled differential, but with the electronics completely under the control of the FIA. Otherwise, transmission, braking and steering proposals provided complete agreement in favour of the least expensive solution. Brakes - complete agreement on standard brake discs, pads and calipers. Weight limits - complete agreement on reducing the minimum weight of cars, which may come more than originally thought through elimination of electronic systems and other technology. Overall weight reduction to be significant in reducing energy in accidents. Aerodynamics - agreement on substantial reduction in aerodynamic downforce and increase in drag, to be discussed hand-in-hand with weight changes. Spare cars - agreement to abolish spare car as currently known. Teams would be allowed a spare monocoque as in F3000, but no third car in the pits. Cars would be kept in parc ferme overnight, with allowance for adjustment to set-up rather than rebuild. Tyres - complete agreement on the need for a single tyre supplier, pending resolution of current contractual commitments. Teams recognised single supplier would be less expensive - with less testing required - and fairer - because everybody would be on the same rubber. There was also agreement that single tyre would allow controls on grip and cornering speeds. It was proposed that slicks could return in this situation, with wider back wheels and narrower fronts. Qualifying - teams to propose new qualifying procedure, with consideration of needs for television. This could be implemented as soon as 2004 season. Points system - discussion on constructors' championship with more than two cars scoring, with suggestion of alternative engine manufacturers' championship to encourage greater engine supply to smaller teams. New teams - discussion on allowing the sale of existing chassis to encourage smaller teams to enter F1, but with reservations that series could end up like others, with one or two or three makes dominating and many teams running the same cars. General feeling was that a solution could be found, however. Strong desire to encourage new teams to enter, but not at the expense of existing team's share of money or privileges. Voting on change - agreement on majority vote for rule changes, but only involving those teams that were 'contracted' to take part in the season in which the rule change applied. Suggestion that engine manufacturers vote on engine rules, teams vote on chassis rules, etc still under discussion. Technical rule changes made before 1 July to come in in two years, and sporting changes before the same date to be applied the year after decision taken.
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Post by TennisHack on May 5, 2004 23:48:46 GMT -5
www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=90941Mosley: I couldn't have asked for moreWEDNESDAY 5TH MAY 2004 FIA president Max Mosley was a happy man when he emerged from a meeting with Formula One team bosses on Tuesday evening, having seen the majority of his 'revolutionary' plans for the future of the sport agreed upon by a notoriously self-interested group. Mosley had put forward his vision of Formula One at the San Marino Grand Prix ten days before the meeting took place and, despite initial objections to some of the more extreme proposals, he was pleased to find that the teams - increasingly aware of the need to cut the cost of competing in F1 - keen to press ahead with his overhaul of a system that is also failing to provide the excitement desired by the fans - and to do so by 2006 rather than the scheduled incept date of 2008. Although the meeting had had a second day pencilled in for further negotiation, Mosley had been confident enough in his ability to get the group together to arrange a press call for Tuesday night. Having succeeded in his aims, this is what the president had to say.... “Thank you very much for being here. It was a very good meeting. Where I had expected very significant dispute and debate, there wasn't any. It was very constructive. In a nutshell, we simply announced the proposals for 2008, went through them all with the teams and discussed them all in some detail. “As far as doing things sooner than 2008, there was a wide measure of agreement that we need to bring in changes much sooner. I think we are going to see a new engine formula in 2006. The engine manufacturers are going to make proposals in addition to those that we have made to reduce the engine costs by 50 per cent. It was pointed out by one of the major manufacturers that we are currently spending one thousand million Euros a year to provide engines to 14 of the 20 cars, and it therefore should not be too difficult to reduce that by 50 per cent. That will make a big difference. "Conversely, a thousand million Euros is simply not sustainable - by any calculation. The only discussion on the engine was whether it was more economic to extend the engine life of a V10 rather than to have a 2.4 [litre V8]. That's to say a V10 three-litre doing three races, four, five and eventually six races, rather than a 2-4 V8 doing at least two races and possibly more races later on. But the multi-race engine principle is completely accepted; the need to reduce the power is completely accepted. Even the standard ECU may come in before 2008. That is part of the package of cost measures they will be discussing - and, of course, a standard ECU means standardising all of the electronics on the cars. The other engine proposals I think will go through as a matter of course and come in before 2006. “On the transmission, braking and steering, the only discussion there was whether it would be more economic, given the current state of knowledge, to stay with an electronically controlled differential, but with the electronics completely under the control of the FIA, so that there were no traction control or anything of that kind. And [discussing] whether we would be better staying with modern gearboxes rather than purely manual gearboxes, it was pointed out that we would never go back to the old 'H' and missed gears and all of that. That is in the past. "But, on the transmission, braking and steering, [there was] complete agreement that we would simply go for the least expensive solution and, perhaps most importantly, complete agreement that there will be no traction control, no electronic driver aids - they are going to go. “We also had agreement on standard brake discs, pads and calipers, and agreement on reducing the weight limit. The weight limit may come down even more than we had thought because eliminating a lot of the electronics and the technology from the cars will in turn make the cars much lighter, so the final reduction in weight may be very significant, and therefore the energy going into a crash. But, with that, comes the need for very substantial reductions in aerodynamic downforce and changes to the tyres, and also an increase in the drag of the car. con'd
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Post by TennisHack on May 5, 2004 23:49:33 GMT -5
“On the sporting aspects, again [there was] agreement that we would not have a spare car as it is currently known. [The teams] would have a spare chassis - a spare monocoque, rather - ready in a box, like the F3000 teams, but there would be no third car in the pits. The cars would certainly be in parc ferme overnight, you would be able to adjust the car, but not rebuild it.
"There was complete agreement for the need of a single tyre supplier. There was just one question about current contractual commitments, which we think could be resolved. But there was no question that all of the teams recognised that, if we had a single tyre supplier, it would be far less expensive, because of [the need for less] testing, it would be fairer, because everybody would be on the same basis, and there would also be a very important safety aspect in that with a single tyre we would be able to control the degree of grip and therefore preventing excessive cornering speeds. We might even be able to give up the grooves and go back to ordinary slick tyres. The wheels will be wider at the back and narrower at the front - that results from the abolition of the ballast.
“There is agreement that we need a new qualifying system. I reminded them all that the current qualifying system was proposed by the teams, [and] the suggestion now is that they should come forward with new proposals for qualifying, but these must take into account the needs for television for people like me, who watch most of the races on television.
“There was a lot of discussion about the scoring of points, whether we should have a constructors championship with more than two cars scoring, or another suggestion that has come forward is whether there should be an engine manufacturers' championship - this is something that we are going to consider carefully. But everyone is agreed on the need to strongly encourage the major manufacturers to supply engines to the independent teams and I think we will have no difficultly in coming up with a good solution there.
“There was a lot of discussion also on allowing the sale of chassis to encourage smaller teams to enter the championship, but reservations in that there are fears that, if we allow the free selling of chassis, Formula One might become like other racing series, with one or two or three makes and lots of people in the same cars. There was a feeling [that] we would come up with solutions to these problems, and I think that will certainly prove to be the case. There is a strong desire to encourage new teams to come in, but understandably the existing teams do not want to give up any money or privileges as a result of that. But we will now see a much easier entry route for new teams, it is recognised that we do need twelve teams to take part.
“The idea of guaranteed entries, for teams that contract for a long time, [was] agreed by everybody. The idea that we should have majority voting on rule changes, but only those teams voting that were contracted to take part in the season in which the rule change applies, was agreed. We may have to introduce some sort of reserve there, because it is reasonable that the people who make the engines should have a vote on the engines, and the people who don't make the engines should perhaps not dictate what they should be, but [this is] to be discussed. The basic principle will be that the person who has an interest in something has a vote but, if you have no interest in it - either because you are not in the championship or because it is something you don't do - [you] would have no vote. What that comes down to is a much more open and flexible system for changing the rules than we have at present. It would be much more, actually, under the control of the FIA - as perhaps it should be.
“The idea of technical rule changes being made before 1 July to come in, not the following year, but the year after, and the sporting changes before 1 July to come in the following year was generally accepted. What it all comes down to, I think, is that, except for minor details, virtually complete acceptance of these very revolutionary proposals, agreement on the objectives and agreement that the engine manufacturers - the seven companies concerned with engines - are going to sit down together to reduce the costs of the engines by 50 per cent.
"I think really I couldn't have asked for more from the meeting.”
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Post by Kiro on May 9, 2004 9:28:50 GMT -5
Still....Ferrari. Still......Schumi. Mclarens can go for their poor cars. Kimi and David tried their best and they both finished the race, but was out of top ten and no points :red:
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Post by Lee on May 9, 2004 9:58:14 GMT -5
I give up on F1 this year.
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Post by TennisHack on May 10, 2004 16:18:38 GMT -5
Damn! The tennis season is falling apart, F1 is falling apart . . . . did we anger the gods or something?!
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Post by Lee on May 12, 2004 13:02:31 GMT -5
Report: Jacques makes Williams cut
TSN.ca Staff
5/12/2004
Jacques Villeneuve is on a short-list of four drivers for two spots with BMW-Williams in 2005, according to Autosport magazine.
Sources tell the motorsport publication that Williams have identified Villeneuve alongwith Jaguar's Mark Webber, McLaren's David Coulthard and Giancarlo Fisichella of Sauber as its 'A' list of candidates.
If Williams is unable to come to terms with any of those drivers, the 'B' list reportedly consists of IRL champion Scott Dixon, Jordan driver Nick Heidfeld and test drivers Marc Gene and Antonio Pizzonia.
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya has already signed to drive for McLaren next year. Autosport reports that Ralf Schumacher is just a signature away from joining Toyota, meaning there will be two openings instead of one with the Grove-based team.
Jenson Button was believed to be high on the list but his contract with BAR-Honda will prevent him from making any switch next season.
Webber's deal with Jaguar includes a clause that allows him to go elsewhere if the team does not achieve certain benchmarks this season. With just one point after five races, it appears highly unlikely they will fulfill those clauses. However, Renault boss Flavio Briatore holds an option on Webber's services and its believed his long-term future is with Renault.
While no official announcement has been made, Coulthard is likely the odd-man out at McLaren, and he has made no secret of his desire to return with the team which gave him his Formula One start a decade ago. Coulthard tells Motorsport News he's "happy with the direction things are going" in talks with other teams about next year.
Villeneuve also broke into Formula One with Williams and won his only world championship with the team in 1997. The Canadian, who is on sabbatical this year after he wasn't re-signed by BAR-Honda, is also good friends with Coulthard.
Fisichella joined Sauber this past year in order to get closer to his ultimate goal of driving for Ferrari. However, both Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello have agreed to contract extensions with Ferrari through 2006. Fisichella's deal with the Swiss-based team is believed to have an out clause that allows him to move to a more competitive team.
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Post by TennisHack on May 12, 2004 19:49:48 GMT -5
However, both Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello have agreed to contract extensions with Ferrari through 2006. UGH!
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 0:19:16 GMT -5
I'm watching a tape of the Monaco GP qualifying and it was sooooo sweet to see the look on Ferrari's face when Trulli knocked Schumi of the pole Here are the final qualifying times; they haven't shown Button or Kimi's run yet. But congrats to Renault!! 1. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault 1min 13.985secs 2. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 1min 14.396secs +0.411secs 3. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1min 14.408secs +0.423secs 4. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 14.516secs +0.531secs 5. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1min 14.592secs +0.607secs 6. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 14.716secs +0.731secs 3. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 1min 14.827secs +0.842secs 8. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1min 14.951secs +0.966secs 9. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW 1min 15.039secs +1.054secs 10. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas 1min 15.352secs +1.367secs 11. Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 15.725secs +1.740secs 12. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW 1min 14.345secs +0.360secs* 13. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota 1min 15.859secs +1.874secs 14. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 15.919secs +1.934secs 15. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota 1min 16.169secs +2.184secs 16. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas 1min.16.248secs +2.263secs 17. Nick Heidfeld Germany Jordan-Ford 1min 16.488secs +2.503secs 18 Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford 1min 17.443secs +3.458secs 19. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth 1min 20.060secs +6.075secs 20. Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth 1min 20.115secs +6.130secs [/li][li]
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 0:30:47 GMT -5
Ralf got docked for changing engines on Thursday.
The new McLaren chassis is supposedly going to be tested in a few weeks, but they seemed to have fixed their problems from the last few races. Kimi was a madman during his qualifying lap.
Apparently Ralf is way out of favor with his team, he isn't even being called for testing.
Trulli was adorable when he found out he was on pole, LOL. I had no idea the media assaulted the drivers so much.
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 0:35:30 GMT -5
from crashnet:
Qualifying Quotes - Monaco Grand Prix SATURDAY 22ND MAY 2004
Jarno Trulli:
"It's wonderful to get my first pole here at Monaco - it's the right place to do it from a strategy point of view, and a fantastic reward for the whole team.”
“My lap was fantastic. I wasn't particularly quick in the first sector, but the next two were nearly perfect. The car is very competitive in race set-up, very consistent, and we know that we are on the right strategy. I am feeling very optimistic for tomorrow."
Jenson Button:
"It feels great to be starting the Monaco Grand Prix from the front row. This is a race everyone wants to do well in, and to be in with the best chance of winning, or even on the podium, you have to be on the front row - preferably with the competition behind you!”
“That might be the case with Michael, but I am sandwiched between the Renaults and, as we've seen here today, they are looking solid at the moment.”
“We expected to be strong here, but I was struggling a little with set-up this morning. Thankfully, we were able to address this for the start of qualifying and the car felt so much better, although I was still unable to get the best out of sector two. I'm pretty happy with everything though. I love it here and I think we can do a good job tomorrow.”
Fernando Alonso:
"Even though I am fourth today, I know that I will start from third tomorrow, and that good grid position is crucial here.”
“I think I can run a very strong race - the car is easy to drive here, and very constant on the long runs. I am very happy with the work we have done today and tomorrow, hopefully we can have a competitive grand prix and score another podium finish."
Michael Schumacher:
“This qualifying session was a little bit of a disappointment. That was the result of a difficult pre-qualifying when I found the track to be very slippery. It was much worse than expected, as you can see from the fact I was much quicker in the morning. The result was that I was a long way off where we wanted to be - and meant I had to make my second run very early. That certainly did not help.”
“Because of my brother's problem, I will be starting from fourth and we will have to try and get the best out of this situation tomorrow."
Kimi Raikkonen:
"For sure, this has been our best grand prix weekend so far this year, and it's nice to be closer to the front again. A perfect lap might have gained us one more place on the grid, but the car and Michelin tyres were working well.”
“I think we have a good strategy for the race, but what will happen depends on what the other teams are doing strategy-wise.”
“I'm close to Michael on the starting grid and, so far this year, I have made some good getaways to gain quite a few places. In addition, I'm on the right side of the track, which I hope will prove an advantage."
Rubens Barrichello:
“I expected to be a bit further up the grid, but I don't feel that all is lost as far as tomorrow is concerned. I am reasonably happy with the handling of the car and I think we will be very competitive in the race. It won't be easy, but we could get a good result.”
Takuma Sato:
"It's a great shame because I was on a really good lap until I had a moment in sector two, coming off the kerb. I wasn't able to pick up grip straight away so I locked up into the chicane after the tunnel. Everything locked up - the front and the rears - and I lost a lot of time. This also unsettled me in sector three also.”
“I'm not very happy because I could have been closer to the front row today, but I have to be positive and rely on what I think will be a strong strategy for tomorrow's race."
David Coulthard:
"My approach to my qualifying lap was much too conservative and, at the last part of the Swimming Pool section, things were not perfect, which lost me some momentum and, consequently, time.”
“As I love this circuit, I'm a little disappointed not to have qualified higher up, as it's so difficult to make up positions in the race."
Juan Montoya:
"My car felt much better in qualifying than in pre-qualifying, after we made some changes to it. But I had a big moment in the last corner, and lost some time there. The set-up is pretty good, and I think we have got a very good race car, but again we are not quick enough. It would be good to get some points tomorrow. It is going to be a tough race, though."
Giancarlo Fisichella:
“I'm pretty happy with the way things went this afternoon. It was a very good lap, apart from the first corner, Ste Devote, where I braked a little bit too late and locked the front wheels. Considering the level of fuel we have, I am very satisfied.”
“It is a great feeling to be right on our target here, especially as I love the Monaco circuit. Our tyre degradation was better today than on Thursday and it will be better still in the race, so I am optimistic I will be able to score some more points.”
Mark Webber:
"It's been quite a busy weekend for us here in Monaco, and the team has been doing a fantastic job on the cars. Although we have been up against a few tough deadlines, we have learnt so much this weekend.”
“There was a small hydraulic leak on my car today, but we easily changed the engine over to the T-car and the guys did a good job on the balance and set-up. I really used my first qualifying session to check that all was good with the balance and I went into second qualifying hopeful of a good run.”
“I am pleased with my twelfth place considering the changes we have been making over the weekend to the car and, if Ralf is penalised and moved ten places, then I will be eleventh. Tomorrow is going to be a good challenge and I am going to enjoy it and make the most of the R5."
Ralf Schumacher:
"It's a bitter-sweet result, of course, but, all in all, I am more pleased with my qualifying performance rather than depressed about the penalty. We got the best out of the car and I am sure we have a competitive set up for the race, but it's going to be difficult from where we'll be starting on the grid.”
“I'm not worried too much about the penalty, though. The important thing is that we keep our morale at a high level. Our car looks better here than it did in Barcelona, as we were expecting, since we thought we had a good package for this track. Let's hope we collect some points tomorrow."
Olivier Panis:
“Through this morning's sessions, I had some problems and did not feel too confident in the car, but this afternoon was much better. All the engineers and mechanics reacted very well after the practice to prepare a good car for me in qualifying. We did not expect to be fantastic at this circuit, but we did the job we needed to do and I am quite happy with my qualifying lap."
Christian Klien:
"I am really pleased with how today has gone. This was my first time here at Monaco and the car feels good around here. I was certainly a bit nervous going out there to start as there really is no room for error.”
“The team has done an amazing job this weekend on the car and they provided me with a really good set-up for my qualifying lap. I am looking forward to tomorrow and my first race round here, I have no doubt that there is going to be lots of activity on track."
Cristiano da Matta:
"I felt that my lap was actually quite good considering our general lack of grip, and I think we extracted all we could from the car today. Of course, there is always a little bit to gain here or there, but I don't believe we would have been able to achieve much more. In terms of performance, I hope that we can be a little bit better in the race, we just have to see what tomorrow brings."
Felipe Massa:
"To be honest, I wasn't very happy with my lap. The car did not feel as good as it did this morning. The balance was not stable and the handling was more nervous on turn-in. For sure, I lost a lot of time up to the chicane. It wasn't any one major thing, I just lacked grip all the way round. We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow."
Nick Heidfeld:
"I'm reasonably happy with qualifying, especially after we successfully addressed the brake problems I had on Thursday and some balance problems this morning. We made a couple of changes on the car, which were of benefit. I'm also very happy with the qualifying lap I did, so I suppose that this position just reflects where we are at the moment. It's a grand prix where anything can happen, so I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow.”
Giorgio Pantano:
“The car felt very different in qualifying compared to the weekend so far and we need to understand what's happened. Since this morning and Thursday, something changed and it was too slippery, but only during qualifying – not before. All the weekend, until now, it was very good and we had no problems. It may have been the conditions, so I hope that the good balance we found will come back to give me my best chance in the race.”
Zsolt Baumgartner:
"It has not been a great day. I made a mistake this morning and lost quite a bit of running time. As a result, we were still struggling with car set-up this afternoon, and I lost time on my qualifying run when I locked the brakes up after the swimming pool. I could definitely have driven a better lap because I have set quicker times this weekend.”
“The most important thing now, though, is to concentrate on getting the best we can out of the car in the race and to keep it on the track. There is the possibility of rain tomorrow, which could also affect things a lot."
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 12:01:19 GMT -5
Monaco GP results: 1. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault 77 laps 1hr 45min 46.601secs 2. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +0.497secs 3. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +75.766secs 4. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW +1 lap 5. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +1 lap 6. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota +1 lap 7. Nick Heidfeld Italy Jordan-Ford +2 laps 8. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota +2 laps 9. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth +3 laps Rtd Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW 69 laps completed Rtd Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 45 laps completed Rtd Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 41 laps completed Rtd Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 27 laps completed Rtd Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth 15 laps completed Rtd Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford 12 laps completed Rtd Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth 11 laps completed Rtd Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 2 laps completed Rtd Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas 2 laps completed Rtd David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes 2 laps completed Rtd Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth 0 laps completed
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 12:03:05 GMT -5
Crash interrupts Monaco GP SUNDAY 23RD MAY 2004
The Monaco Grand Prix got off to a dramatic start, with a big crash on lap three causing a major clear-up operation and the appearance of the safety car.
The incident began at Tabac when the fast-starting Takuma Sato had his Honda engine let go in a big way. The ensuing cloud of smoke obscured the road for those following the Japanese driver and, while those immediately behind him found a way through, Giancarlo Fisichella did not, clouting the back of David Coulthard's McLaren and tipping himself, upside down into the barriers.
The Italian emerged unharmed from the wreck of the Sauber, while various others returned to the pits for repairs, Coulthard's among them having lost its rear wing.
The two Renaults made a good getaway to head the field, with Jenson Button and Sato - from seventh on the grid - slotting in behind. Kimi Raikkonen also got away well to head Michael Schumacher.
More to follow...
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 12:06:49 GMT -5
Alonso, Schumacher exit Monaco GP SUNDAY 23RD MAY 2004
In a race already punctuated by a big accident, both Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher have since crashed out of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Alonso was the first to go, running off line while attempting to pass a lapped Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel. Whether the Williams backed off to allow the Renault through or not has yet to be proven, but Alonso's run onto the marbles forced him into the barrier and a ride almost to the chicane. The Spaniard was not happy with his German rival, finding time to berate the Williams driver before he had come to a halt.
The safety car was deployed to clear the debris, but just three laps had passed when Schumacher's Ferrari made its exit. Again, tunnel was the scene, and a Williams the other party, this time Juan Montoya.
The safety car appeared to be bunching the field up before releasing it at the end of the lap, and Schumacher seemed to be caught out by the change of pace. Montoya, who was running a lap down on the leader, was then caught out by Schumacher locking his brakes and, in attempting to avoid the Ferrari, clipped its rear wheel and tipped it into the same barrier that Alonso had earlier collected. Schumacher was one angry man after crabbing his way back to the pits...
Jarno Trulli has now resumed in the lead of the race, with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello rounding out the - provisional - podium positions.
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Alonso: Ralf ran me wide SUNDAY 23RD MAY 2004
An angry Fernando Alonso could hardly contain his emotions when asked for his take on the incident that forced him out of second place in the Monaco Grand Prix, claiming that Ralf Schumacher should take a good luck at his driving.
The Spaniard ran wide while passing the Williams driver through the tunnel, collecting the barrier and enduring a bumpy ride down the hill towards the chicane as various parts of the Renault were shed en route. Finding time to physically berate Schumacher even before his car had come to a tattered halt, Alonso was still fuming when he made it back to the paddock.
"The reason for the crash is pretty simple," he pointed out, "I was lapping Ralf, and he ignored the blue flags for the first seven corners. He slowed down to let me by at the entrance to the tunnel, then got back on the throttle and pushed me wide. There's no grip on the outside there, and I lost control."
Several television interviews saw the Spaniard effectively calling for his German rival's driving to be monitored, particularly as the pair clashed two races ago at Imola. Schumacher is already on probation following an incident with Takuma Sato in Bahrain, and was expected to be hauled up in front of the stewards again this weekend.
"Everything was going well and I was quite comfortable behind Jarno," Alonso said, reflecting on the early stages of his race, "The car had a good balance, and was easy to drive. I was just following Jarno and was intending to push at the second stops. We really worked hard in the winter, and this would have been the first reward. It's extremely frustrating, and cost us a one-two finish."
Schumacher would not be drawn on whether he was to blame for Alonso's exit, preferring instead to focus on the mechanical problems that had put him in position to be lapped by the Renault driver.
"It's obviously a disappointing race, but these things seem to happen," he sighed, "After a few laps, I lost fifth gear, then the sixth and the seventh. By the last few laps, I had only fourth gear. I did the best I could, but it was obviously very hard to drive in those conditions."
Alonso's team-mate Jarno Trulli went on to take his first Formula One win, despite concerted late race pressure from Jenson Button.
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 12:12:15 GMT -5
All of these articles are from crashnet. Here's their race review for Monaco:
Monaco 2004: Trulli beats Button in street-fight SUNDAY 23RD MAY 2004
Jarno Trulli put his heart and nerves on the line as he finally broke a victory duck that had last for 116 grands prix, overcoming Jenson Button in a fraught and thrilling Monaco Grand Prix by the scant margin of 0.4 seconds.
The Italian, criticised by many for being a better qualifier than racer, held on as his British rival closed in over the final few laps, both men taking full advantage of an incident-packed event that saw three accidents and the end of Michael Schumacher's dream of another F1 record.
Trulli and Button had annexed the front row of the most crucial grid during Saturday's qualifying session, but it was the Italian's team-mate, Fernando Alonso, who slotted into second spot at the start of the race. Button admitted to making a slow getaway, but managed to hold on to third place despite a couple of flying starts from rows three and four.
The initial start had been aborted when 1996 race winner Olivier Panis stalled his Toyota, but the delay did little to faze either Trulli or Alonso, who both hooked up the Renault's celebrated starting power to grab a 1-2 advantage heading into Ste Devote. Further back, Kimi Raikkonen made the best of an odd-numbered starting slot to move ahead of Schumacher, but it was Takuma Sato who created the biggest stir off the line, barrelling between McLaren and Ferrari to claim fourth at the first corner.
Surprisingly, given the jostling that had gone on on approach, the entire field managed to navigate Ste Devote without serious incident, only Zsolt Baumgartner being delayed. Mirabeau was another matter, however, as rookie Christian Klien undid all his hard work by knocking his front wing off on one of the Jordans and being taken for a toboggan ride into the barriers at Loews.
That incident, however, was minor compared to what occurred just two tours later.
Sato's BAR-Honda had been smoking lightly throughout the first couple of laps, but let go massively as the field headed into Tabac for the third time. Those immediately behind, principally Raikkonen and the two Ferraris somehow managed to get through the smokescreen unscathed, but others were not so fortunate. David Coulthard approached the obstacle with caution, catching out the following Giancarlo Fisichella, whose Sauber tipped up and over as it made contact with the rear of the McLaren, leaving the Italian wedged head-first against the barriers.
Remarkably, no-one else became embroiled in the mess, and Fisichella was able to extricate himself without injury but, as Coulthard admitted later, it was lucky that there wasn't a more serious outcome.
The safety car was deployed to expedite the clean-up process, and a couple of drivers, Nick Heidfeld and Ralf Schumacher, took advantage of its appearance to pit for a change of strategy. When it withdrew, the leading trio held position and quickly began to re-establish the gap they had previously enjoyed over their pursuers. Juan Montoya, meanwhile, dived to the inside of Rubens Barrichello at Ste Devote moving up to sixth in the process.
With the three quickest men from qualifying pulling away at the front, attention switched to unbeaten championship leader Schumacher, who was powerless to do much as he was still stuck behind Raikkonen's McLaren. The German was actually dropping away from the silver car as his Bridgestones worked their way back to optimum temperature but, once they came in, was able to extend the gap back to Montoya's Williams.
As Trulli used the clear road ahead of him to set a string of fastest laps, Montoya surprised many by becoming the first man to pit for a scheduled top-up and tyre change at the end of lap 13. Button and Raikkonen followed suit a handful of laps later, giving Schumacher a clear road of the sort he exploited at Imola and Barcelona, and the German did not waste the opportunity to make inroads on the leaders.
As Trulli and Alonso began to encounter the backmarkers, so the Ferrari ate into their advantage. Schumacher rattled off the fastest laps of the race as he sensed a chance of putting his six-win start to the season back on track, and had closed the gap sufficiently to assume the lead when the blue-and-yellow pair made their pit-stops.
With just another tour to complete before his own stop, however, Schumacher had little chance of opening out a margin of his own, but slotted back into third place as the phase unwound, taking full advantage of Button being held up by Cristiano da Matta as he attempted to make the most of his new tyres. Raikkonen, meanwhile, had been despatched simply by the pace of the world champion before he made his stop.
Trulli and Alonso had returned to 1-2 formation, with the Italian enjoying a seven-second gap back to the Ferrari, as the rest of the already depleted field strung itself out. The only battle of note was between Nick Heidfeld and Montoya, who was finding it difficult to recover from his early stop, while Felipe Massa kept a watching bring from the final point-scoring position.
Joining Fisichella, Coulthard and Klien on the sidelines, Mark Webber completed a bad day for Jaguar - and its Hollywood supporters - by grinding to a halt on the road to Rascasse, while Giorgio Pantano parked the second Jordan in pit-lane with its rear-end smoking. Gianmaria Bruni followed his fellow countryman inside a couple of laps, leaving just 13 cars running at one-third distance, and a dozen when Raikkonen was told to park up by a concerned McLaren team.
Heidfeld was eventually muscled aside on the run to Loews, but would prove unusually obstructive throughout the event, beginning when the two Renaults homed in to put the Jordan a lap down. Both Trulli and Alonso were held up for more than a moment, allowing Schumacher to hack into the gap, while Button also benefited when the Jordan ducked into the pits for fuel and tyres, saving the Briton, who was back on the same pace as the leaders having cleared da Matta, from having to find a way past.
Ralf Schumacher was already a lap down at this stage, the German clearly nursing his car at every opportunity, but would play a significant part in an incident that would shape the rest of the race.
Passed by Trulli to go two laps down, the Williams driver appeared unwilling to let Alonso through as easily. The Spaniard caught Schumacher as the pair entered the tunnel, but had to go off-line to make the pass. Schumacher showed no sign of lifting to make the move more simple and Alonso, found himself running wider and wider, eventually making contact with the barriers before rattling down the hill towards the chicane.
With debris littering the road both under cover and in the bright sunshine that graced the event, the safety car made its second appearance of the afternoon, adding to the intrigue as while Trulli, Alonso and the chasing Button all used the paced period to make their second and final stops. Strangely, Michael Schumacher opted not to follow suit, assuming the lead as his rivals pitted.
That left the German in prime position behind the safety car and, getting word of its impending departure, began the ritual of warming brakes and tyres. His choice of location proved a puzzle, however, and, locking up his front left wheel in the tunnel, the world champion was collected by the following Montoya. The impact turned the Ferrari right and then left, wiping off its front end against the barriers and leaving Schumacher to limp back to the pits, a far from happy man.
The safety car period had allowed the remaining Ferrari of Barrichello to close in on the leaders, but the Brazilian - 32 on race day - seemed curiously off his game, and never really posed a threat as he still had to make his second stop of the afternoon. At the restart, Trulli enjoyed a six-second gap over Button, promoted to second by the various incidents, with only Barrichello remaining on the lead lap as Williams struggled with its FW26.
The departures of Schumacher and Alonso had also allowed the likes of Felipe Massa, da Matta and Heidfeld to slot into the points between the two white-and-blue cars, with Olivier Panis - who had started from pit-lane - and Zsolt Baumgartner rounding out the remaining runners. The Frenchman was then promoted to the top eight when the second Schumacher exited the race - in more sedate fashion to his brother as he parked his smoking BMW-powered car in the garage - leaving Baumgartner staring at a possible points finish despite being three laps adrift of the lead.
While there was no more contact between cars in the closing stages, the race was anything but dull as it drew towards its slightly-shortened 77-lap distance. Trulli's lead was coming down inexorably, as Button pressed on, the BAR clearly quicker than its Renault rival at all points.
While Montoya acted cordially for both leaders, Heidfeld was less helpful, holding Trulli up through the Mirabeau-Loews-Portier complex and allowing Button to close further still. From close to seven seconds, the Briton was now within a three-second spitting distance and lapping half a second quicker than the leader.
With three laps to go the margin was under a second as Button attempted to pressure the sometimes fragile Trulli into an error. The Italian, however, was holding firm in both heart and mind and, even when Button appeared under his rear wing, refused to cede. He made short work of Baumgartner on the final tour, leaving Button to deal with the Minardi though the tunnel, but the Briton was unable to make his move at the ideal time and dropped away again.
Still, he refused to give up and, through the Swimming Pool and Rascasse sections, closed back in. Trulli, however, held the crucial Monaco advantage, crossing the line a whisper ahead of his rival to claim his first F1 win and the first for an Italian in Monaco for more than 20 years.
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 12:16:27 GMT -5
2004 FORMULA ONE DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 6 OF 18)
POSITION DRIVER TEAM POINTS 1. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FERRARI 50 2. RUBENS BARRICHELLO FERRARI 38 3. JENSON BUTTON BAR 32 4. JARNO TRULLI RENAULT 31 5. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WILLIAMS 23 6. FERNANDO ALONSO RENAULT 21 7. RALF SCHUMACHER WILLIAMS 12 8. TAKUMA SATO BAR 8 9. FELIPE MASSA SAUBER 5 10. DAVID COULTHARD MCLAREN 4 11. CRISTIANO DA MATTA TOYOTA 3 12. NICK HEIDFELD JORDAN 2 = GIANCARLO FISICHELLA SAUBER 2 14. OLIVIER PANIS TOYOTA 1 = MARK WEBBER JAGUAR 1 = KIMI RAIKKONEN MCLAREN 1
2004 FORMULA ONE CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 6 OF 18)
POSITION CONSTRUCTOR POINTS 1. FERRARI 88 2. RENAULT 52 3. BAR 40 4. WILLIAMS 35 5. SAUBER 7 6. MCLAREN 5 7. TOYOTA 4 8. JORDAN 2 9. JAGUAR 1 10. MINARDI 0
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Post by TennisHack on May 23, 2004 21:33:17 GMT -5
Man oh man, what a crazy race! A stalled start, Sato's fantastic crash that took out Fisecella and Squarehead, then Alonso giving Ralf the finger after he was forced wide in the tunnel. Schumi (the old one) locked up behind the pace car during the third SC period and his left front wheel tore off. Of course the SPEED commentators were going on and on about how Alonso was not justified in ing Ralf, but when Schumi melted his suspension in the tunnel they spent a huge amount of time trying to figure out how the great winner did it I think he (Ralf) also got a warning for ignoring the blue flags during the SC period. Trulli ran the race of his life, though. He led for the whole time he was in, minus the short time after pits (one of which was during that third SC period). Can't wait to see his reaction to winning, it's only 12 laps away
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Post by TennisHack on May 29, 2004 21:03:49 GMT -5
European GP qualifying results:
1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 28.351secs 2. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 1min 28.986secs +0.635secs 3. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault 1min 29.135secs +0.784secs 4. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1min 29.137secs +0.786secs 5. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 1min 29.245secs +0.894secs 6. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1min 29.313secs +0.962secs 7. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 29.353secs +1.002secs 8. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW 1min 29.354secs +1.003secs 9. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW 1min 29.459secs +1.108secs 10. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota 1min 29.697secs +1.346secs 11. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota 1min 29.706secs +1.355secs 12. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 31.431secs +3.080secs 13. Nick Heidfeld Germany Jordan-Ford 1min 31.608secs +3.253secs 14. Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 30.797secs +2.446secs* 15 Giorgio Pantano Italy Jordan-Ford 1min 31.979secs +3.628secs 16. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas 1min.31.982secs +3.631secs 17. Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth 1min 34.022secs +5.671secs 18. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth 1min 34.398secs +6.047secs 19. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes no time*** 20. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas no time**
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Post by TennisHack on May 29, 2004 21:11:01 GMT -5
Qualifying Quotes - European Grand Prix SATURDAY 29TH MAY 2004 www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=92856Michael Schumacher: “I had the perfect lap, but I am surprised at the gap to the others. I am not surprised to be on pole, as I expected to be very competitive here.” “It was nice not to be first on the road in pre-qualifying, as that helped in being able to run towards the end of the session.” “As for the race, I am looking forward to it, as there is always some extra motivation from the fans at a home race. It is also good to be racing so soon after Monaco to put that disappointment behind me.” “Although it is difficult to get the car perfectly balanced at this track, I seem able to do consistent lap times and I am confident we have made the right decision on tyres. Hopefully, we can win the race tomorrow." Takuma Sato: "Qualifying on the front row of the grid is a fantastic result. I'm so excited! Qualifying third in Spain was a great moment, but I just wanted to keep improving from there and this is the next step.” “I'm thrilled with my lap because it felt very clean. The track has been changing a lot but, for me, the conditions were similar to my pre-qualifying run, so I knew that I had a good lap in my grasp. Michael's lap was stunning, but I didn't let it affect me - I just got on with the job and everything went well.” “Today's result is special in many ways and this is the first time I have qualified on the front row of the grid, which is fantastic for me. I really hope I can turn this into a strong podium finish in the race - but I will focus on enjoying today for now." Jarno Trulli: "It's hard to believe that I am here, in third position. I particularly want to thank my mechanics, who did a fantastic job preparing the car after an electrical problem in free practice. Honestly, I believe we have the best mechanics in the paddock here at Renault.” “It was a decent lap, and the car was handling well. I think we can be very strong in the race." Kimi Raikkonen: "Our best qualifying performance this season, so I'm satisfied. We were even hoping to get in the first three with a perfect lap but, whilst we were close, it wasn't to be. Now one half of the job has been done, and we need to see what happens in the race, but so far it's looking good.” “The circuit seems to suit our car, as we have showed improvement throughout the weekend, but there is still a race to complete." Jenson Button: "I'm very disappointed with my lap because we could have done much better today. I came into the weekend expecting to make the front row, but lack of grip has been a big problem and that was the case in qualifying.” “The track conditions have been quite changeable, so we'll have to wait and see what tomorrow holds, but we have a good car and I'll be doing what I can to make the most of the overtaking opportunities.” Fernando Alonso: "I did a good lap, without any problems: the car balance was fine, and we are consistent on the long race runs. I think I am in a good position to finish in the top five tomorrow. Overall, I'm happy with my performance." Rubens Barrichello: “Apart from Michael, who did a great time, we are all within a few tenths of one another, so it only took very little to be higher or lower on the grid. I think we have a car and tyre combination that will be very competitive in the race and, so, I am reasonably confident about tomorrow. It will be a tough race but we have everything in place to get a good result.” Juan Montoya: "I was one of the first cars out in the pre-qualifying session and that held us up a bit, but it looks like we are just not quick enough at the moment. I have been struggling a bit with the balance so far this weekend, and it looked like, in qualifying, I had got it right finally, but we still lack speed.” “Several teams seem to have improved their car quite a lot and we haven't improved enough. We'll see how the race goes, let's hope to get some good points out of here." Ralf Schumacher: "Ninth place is not where I expected to be, really. It was quite difficult to get the balance right for qualifying and I decided to go for something different, but it didn't work out particularly well. We tried our best, but it's clear that we are struggling at the moment, since our car hasn't developed enough. At present, we lack performance, but I am sure we will definitely come back soon. With a good strategy, I am confident I'll be able to collect some points in tomorrow's race." Olivier Panis: “It has been an encouraging weekend so far, and I think what we have achieved today is a true reflection of the strength of our car. Me and Cristiano both did very good laps, and the result is very positive for the team, who have again been concentrated all weekend and shown a good Performance.” “We are using everything we have and pushing each other all the way to get the best out of the car. From tenth on the grid, I will obviously be trying to score some points tomorrow." con'd
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Post by TennisHack on May 29, 2004 21:11:48 GMT -5
Cristiano da Matta: "I am reasonably happy with today's results, although I feel that I could have found a few tenths more from the car. I missed a little bit through some corners, especially turns four and five, but generally I think my lap was not too bad.”
“I was a bit worried about the tyre degradation in yesterday's sessions, but that appeared to be much better today as more rubber went down on the track. Michelin has done a good job for this race - the tyres are quick over one lap and also seem to be consistent during the longer runs. This is a positive aspect for tomorrow, although it could be a hard race for us."
Christian Klien: "I spent this morning working on my balance on the R5 and preparation for qualifying. The car feels well balanced for me now and I am enjoying driving it. I completed over 30 laps this morning, which was really good for us, and we managed to work through our programme successfully. My times were getting quicker as I settled into the car and track.”
“Qualifying this afternoon was in two parts - I went well in the first session but the track changes a lot in a short time and I could feel the difference when I went out for the second time. My time was not quite as fast, but I am still happy with where I am on the grid for tomorrow's race. The race should be interesting and I will be doing what I can to move up the grid in search of my first points."
Nick Heidfeld: "I was quite happy with my qualifying lap - it was certainly better than first qualifying.”
“We improved the car massively this morning compared to yesterday - thanks to the team, and especially the engineers. I was not very happy with my first qualifying lap, but we made some small adjustments that seemed to work.”
“It's nice to be in front of the Saubers – that is a good thing for us. Bridgestone have got a good tyre here, but it's difficult to get it optimised for one lap, so the race should be interesting. My hopes for points are always there, especially racing at home. Nevertheless, we will give it our best shot and see what happens.”
Mark Webber: "After having a good day yesterday, I heard from the FIA stewards last night that I had been given a one second penalty on my qualifying time as a result of not braking under a yellow flag. We have to respect these rules as they exist for safety reasons but, of course, it is frustrating for all of us.
“Today, though, we have had a productive day on track, as I spent this morning in the two practice sessions working on tyre preparation and also on qualifying and race set-up. The R5 is feeling pretty good around here, and I completed 23 laps this morning, so I have had a good amount of running time.”
“The car was well prepared going into the qualifying session this afternoon, and I was pleased to have done a time of 1min 30.797secs. I made a minor error on the last corner, but it didn't cost me much time. Even with my one second penalty, I will not be starting from the back of the grid. I finished with points here last year and I excited about getting back out on track tomorrow and fighting for some more."
Giorgio Pantano: “I'm disappointed that I didn't deliver my best on that lap. I was not completely on the limit and although, for the first two sectors, I was just a few hundredths of a second off Nick's time, I messed up the last sector when I made a mistake on the last corner at the chicane.”
“When you know you could have been better, it's very frustrating, and I think I would have been at least three-tenths quicker if I had got a perfect lap. On the positive side, we improved quite a lot from this morning and yesterday, when it was not going so well. I believe we have a good consistent race car, so let's see what happens tomorrow.”
Felipe Massa: "I made a mistake in turn seven which cost me at least a couple of positions. This morning it was difficult to find a good set-up but we improved the car for qualifying, so I know that I will have a good car for the race."
Gianmaria Bruni: "It has been a bit of a confusing day in that we started with the spare car, which felt quite different from my normal chassis, and then switched back to the race car. I especially want to thank the guys, who worked like crazy to get my race car ready in the final 15 minutes before the qualifying run.”
“It's going to be a tough race tomorrow, but I'm going to push as hard as I can, and hope to finish with a good result."
Zsolt Baumgartner: "Overall, I think it has been a good weekend so far. I was not particularly happy with the first sector on my qualifying run, but the remainder of the lap was not bad and, in general, I think we have made some useful progress over the last two days. I believe we have a good race strategy, so we will see what we can do tomorrow."
David Coulthard: "On my way back to the garage after my first qualifying run, I suffered an engine failure. We took the decision to stick with my race car rather than using the T-car because we felt more comfortable using the race car, and the difference in actual qualifying position would be minimal. As a result, we will move the engine from the T-car to the race car, which means I will start from the back of the grid.“
“There is no doubt that our performance is improving. Obviously, it's disappointing as my first run was encouraging, and I think we could have qualified well for the race."
Giancarlo Fisichella: “It was a tactical decision to conserve the tyres and not take part in the qualifying session, given that I have to move back ten places on the grid because of my problem on Friday morning. The car is still improving from race to race, and, though it won't be an easy race, at least you can overtake here and I know we can be competitive.”
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Post by Kiro on May 30, 2004 10:05:13 GMT -5
Mclarens Engine = Crash Boom Bang Both Kimi and Coulthard's engines blew out early in the race Montoya kicked his team mate out of race again :whatever:
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 10, 2004 17:23:26 GMT -5
CRASHNET PREVIEW www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=93890The Canadian Grand Prix With the first of the season's back-to-back races now consigned to history, the Formula One circus heads across the Atlantic for another, combining the Canadian and re-scheduled US Grands Prix. The Canadian round first joined the calendar in 1967, and alternated between Mont Tremblant and Mosport before finally settling at its current home on the site of Montreal's Expo '67. Taking over from Mosport in 1978, the venue only acquired its current name - the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - following the local hero's performances in the first couple of races there, but has since become a regular fixture - other than when political issues intervene.... Originally due to miss out on this year's action due to the imposition of a tobacco advertising ban, the race was reinstated after a deal was struck between organisers and Bernie Ecclestone, guaranteeing the teams compensation for not running with cigarette logos. This is good news for the drivers who, almost to a man, enjoy the challenge of the circuits fast straights and tight turns, if not for the teams, who must return to working out of flight cases in accommodation confined by the St Lawrence Seaway and the former Olympic rowing basin. Ferrari Bridgestone 106 points As promised and predicted, Michael Schumacher was back to his old self last time out in Germany taking victory number six for the season. The German had the grace to admit that Kimi Raikkonen's presence in second enabled him to build up his winning margin early on, but the truth is that few would have threatened the man who has managed ten points finishes - and nine podiums - in twelve Canadian GP appearances. The rest have been warned.... Rubens Barrichello again employed two stops to good effect at the Nurburgring, but could not better his team leader after being bottled up by Raikkonen in the opening laps. The Brazilian might have dropped to third before the end, but resisted Takuma Sato's slightly agricultural passing move in the closing stages, underlining just how strong Ferrari is this year. Michael Schumacher 60 points Qualifying position in last race: 1 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -1.002secs Finishing position in last race: 1 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -0.633secs Drivers championship position: 1 He says: It will be a tight race. [Not for you it won't…] Rubens Barrichello 46 points Qualifying position in last race: 7 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +1.002secs Finishing position in last race: 2 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +0.633secs Drivers championship position: 2 He says: I need to find something more in terms of some elements such as strategy and that work will be ongoing this weekend in Canada. Renault Michelin 61 points Another two points finishes consolidated Renault's position as 'best of the rest' after the Nurburgring, and only Fernando Alonso's dramatic exit in Monaco ruins a 100 per cent record for the regie. Jarno Trulli again had the upper hand on his young team-mate, despite having no voice to communicate with his team, but a tangle with Sato on first lap relegated him to a carriage in the Raikkonen train and prevented him from chasing Schumacher. Alonso had a quiet race as Renault slipped back from its front-running position in Monaco, but brought the second R24 home behind its sister car, in fifth place overall. Renault is expecting to introduce a new engine spec and aero package in Canada, but technical director Bob Bell insists that podiums, rather than victories, are the most likely scenario for his two drivers. Jarno Trulli 36 points Qualifying position in last race: 3 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: - 0.178secs Finishing position in last race: 4 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: + 0.066secs Drivers championship position: 4 He says: It will be a difficult race, but I am looking ahead with confidence... Fernando Alonso 25 points Qualifying position in last race: 6 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.178secs Finishing position in last race: 5 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: - 0.066secs Drivers championship position: 5 He says I think we should be looking for podium finishes to maintain our championship position. BAR - Honda Michelin 46 points What had started off as a promising race for Formula One's most fashionable team ended in disappointment as Takuma Sato's front row position led only to a late-race retirement and Jenson Button was never in position to take the fight to Ferrari as he has in previous races. Sato lost ground fighting Jarno Trulli on lap one and then threw away a maiden podium finish after an optimistic attempt to pass Rubens Barrichello ended in the loss of his front wing. The fourth pit-stop needed to repair the damage is thought to have led to the engine failure that sidelined the Japanese driver. Out-gunned by Sato all weekend, Button lucked in to another podium finish when his Japanese team-mate's hopes went up in smoke. A relatively anonymous run was highlighted only by a daring outside pass on countryman David Coulthard. The team has a few small developments planned for this race, in particular a new specification of engine. Its target may be the podium but, more importantly, it aims to finish with both cars in the points. To this end, a counter-measure for the problem with Taku's engine has been introduced. Jenson Button 38 points Qualifying position in last race: 5 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.259secs Finishing position in last race: 3 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +0.453secs Drivers championship position: 3 He says: My aim is to get on the podium and this is a race I would love to win, given the chance. con'd
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 10, 2004 17:25:52 GMT -5
Takuma Sato 8 points
Qualifying position in last race: 2 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.259secs Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -0.453secs Drivers championship position: 8 He says: I am really looking forward to Montreal and Indianapolis - and to achieving what I hope will be my first podium.
WilliamsF1 Michelin 36 points
The Nurburgring produced another race to forget for Williams and BMW, as Juan Montoya misjudged the opening corner and eliminated team-mate Ralf Schumacher in the process. The Colombian insisted the problem was not his fault, but was punished all the same by having to battle back from an unscheduled wing change. Eighth place was his reward on a weekend when JPM repeatedly lamented the FW26's lack of pace.
Schumacher Jr last all of a couple hundred yards before beginning the long walk back to the pits. Ninth place on the grid was just one lower than team-mate Montoya, and the German couldn't even celebrate the expected news of a move to Toyota as consolation. That may also be further delayed after he managed to take Cristiano da Matta out of the race at turn one.
Despite the characteristically demanding nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Williams has claimed six victories there over the years, including the first of its partnership with BMW in 2001.
Juan Pablo Montoya 24 points
Qualifying position in last race: 8 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.105secs Finishing position in last race: 8 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: No time set by Ralf. Had something to do with Montoya… Drivers championship position: 6 He says: The BMW WilliamsF1 Team has always performed well at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit as it seems to suit our package, also the track offers some good overtaking opportunities so I am really looking forward to that.
Ralf Schumacher 12 points
Qualifying position in last race: 9 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.105secs Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: Didn't make it past first corner. Drivers championship position: 7 He says: Even though things haven't gone right for me recently, I am looking forward to the trip to Canada and the United States.
Sauber Bridgestone 10 points
The Swiss team extended its hard-won constructors' table advantage over the mighty McLaren with Giancarlo Fisichella's second points finish of the season in Germany, but only after enduring a nightmare opening day at the Nurburgring. Having opted not to post a qualifying time after losing an engine on Friday, Fisi started from the back row of the grid, but used a canny two-stop strategy to come home sixth overall with perhaps his strongest race of the year. The Italian will look to carry that form to Canada, where he had performed consistently well in the past, taking no fewer than four podium finishes over the years.
Team-mate Felipe Massa never really recovered from his own Friday problems, qualified badly and struggled to make it into the points thereafter. The Brazilian eventually came home ninth after battling traffic for much of the afternoon.
Felipe Massa 5 points
Qualifying position in last race: 16 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: No time from Fisi Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +1.316secs Drivers championship position: 9 He says: Montreal is similar to Imola: you accelerate, you brake, you go through a chicane.
Giancarlo Fisichella 5 points
Qualifying position in last race: 19 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: No time set Finishing position in last race: 6 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: - 1.316secs Drivers championship position: 10 He says: It's a great place to do some shopping.
McLaren Michelin 5 points
The sight of McLaren's revised MP4-19b testing at Silverstone between the Nurburgring and Montreal only served to underline the Woking team's current malaise - which had been highlighted just days earlier when both Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard were forced to retire from the European Grand Prix with engine problems.
Raikkonen, who was entrusted with the 'new' car's first laps, ran as high as second at the Nurburgring, as he enjoyed his best qualifying position of the year to date. Sadly, the McLaren's lack of pace merely helped Michael Schumacher make his getaway and last only a lap beyond its first pit-stop. Coulthard, meanwhile, suffered an engine problem between qualifying sessions on Saturday, started from his worst ever grid slot, ran a two-stopped to get into the points - and then expired ignominiously.
David Coulthard 4 points
Qualifying position in last race: 20 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: No time from DC Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +0.667secs Drivers championship position: 11 He says: The race at Montreal has a fantastic atmosphere and is definitely one of my favourite events.
Kimi Raikkonen 1 point
Qualifying position in last race: 4 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.359secs Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -4.357secs Drivers championship position: 16 He says: I am hoping that we can do well in qualifying again, following Nürburgring, and set us up for the race.
Toyota Michelin 4 points
Toyota twins Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta appeared inseparable throughout the first two days of the Nurburgring weekend, carding near identical times and sitting in very close proximity in the running order. Racing just miles from 'base' in Cologne, the team put on one of its stronger showings of the season, but was later undone by the fact that it opted to run the softer of the Michelin tyre options in an attempt to make up for its lack of downforce.
From tenth and eleventh on the grid, the pair were finally split as Panis started well - running in the points early on - but da Matta became an innocent victim of the internecine collision at Williams. Panis continued to be a potential top eight finisher but eventually faded to eleventh as his tyre choice, Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld all caught up with him.
Cristiano da Matta 3 points
Qualifying position in last race: 11 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.009secs Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: Didn't complete first lap Drivers championship position: 12 He says: Everybody in Montreal really gets behind us and the enthusiasm of the fans is exactly what Formula 1 needs. The circuit is also fun to drive and technically demanding, offering drivers and engineers a nice challenge.
Oliver Panis 1 point
Qualifying position in last race: 10 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: - 0.009secs Finishing position in last race: 11 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: No time set by da Matta Drivers championship position: 15 He says: At last week's Monza test, we worked expressly on Canada and US preparations and we looked reasonably good running Canada downforce levels so we'll be trying to get on the scoreboard this weekend.
con'd
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 10, 2004 17:27:55 GMT -5
Jaguar Michelin 3 points Jaguar started poorly at the Nurburgring, and then suffered the setback of seeing Mark Webber's qualifying performance hampered by a penalty for ignoring yellow flags, but eventually came through to collect its second points haul of the year. Webber was the man with the plan once more, scoring seventh place after a solid run, while rookie team-mate Christian Klien was unable to make the most of a circuit he knew well, although he did enjoy dicing with Juan Montoya before the Colombian found a way through. Mark Webber 3 points Qualifying position in last race: 12 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.366secs Finishing position in last race: DNF Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -0.911 Drivers championship position: 16 He says: There are some high-speed sections and then some slow 'street-like' corners - this is good fun for us, but it is another story for the car. Christian Klien 0 points Qualifying position in last race: 12 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.366secs Finishing position in last race: 12 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +0.911 Drivers championship position: 18 He says: Another new track for me to race on and I can't wait. I have spoken to many people about the track and Montreal the city, and they have got me really excited about it Jordan Bridgestone 2 points After the joy of scoring its first points of the year in Monaco, Jordan returned to the ranks of also-rans in Germany, although local 'hero' Nick Heidfeld again surpassed expectations with his performance in the best of the two EJ14s. The German secured his best qualifying position of the year, but fell victim to the midfield battling and only claimed tenth place by virtue of a two-stop strategy that allowed him to make up ground when others pitted. Team-mate Giorgio Pantano enjoyed a stronger run than of late, but was hampered by mechanical gremlins and could only manage 13th place at the chequered flag. Jordan has enjoyed a good relationship with Canada, right from taking fourth and fifth places - and its first championship points - there in its debut season. It also recorded the first of its two podium doubles in Montreal in 1995, when Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine finished second and third. Since then, the team has had a further six top-ten finishes in Canada, including another podium with Giancarlo Fisichella's third place in 1997. Nick Heidfeld 2 points Qualifying position in last race: 13 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.375secs Finishing position in last race: 10 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -0.651secs Drivers championship position: 14 He says: I'm looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix, not only because of the race track but especially because I like the city of Montreal very much Giorgio Pantano 0 points Qualifying position in last race: 15 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.375secs Finishing position in last race: 13 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: +0.651secs Drivers championship position: 19 He says: This will be my first trip to Canada and I'm really excited about it as I hear from everybody that Montreal is a very nice place with a good race circuit. Minardi Bridgestone 0 points Formula One's underdog managed to get both cars to the finish last time out, but too many rivals also saw the chequered flag and 14th and 15th places were the best on offer to Gianmaria Bruni and Zsolt Baumgartner. The team enjoyed the fruits of its development programme, with several new aero parts used on both cars for the first time, but tyres proved to be its downfall as wear rate failed to match the number of laps between stops. The Montreal circuit will be new to both Bruni and Baumgartner but, if the 'B team' can keep their brakes while all around are losing theirs, this could be a rare chance to get close to the points. Giamaria Bruni 0 points Qualifying position in last race: 17 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: -0.376secs Finishing position in last race: 14 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: + 0.889secs Drivers championship position: 20 Zsolt Baumgartner 0 points Qualifying position in last race: 18 Qualifying difference from team-mate in last race: +0.376secs Finishing position in last race: 15 Best race lap difference from team-mate in last race: -0.889secs Drivers championship position: 17 Tyres Despite the Bridgestone dominance so far this season, Michelin, with one victory to Bridgestone's six in 2004, are confident heading to Canada. "It is one of the season's most challenging tracks for a tyre manufacturer,” explains Michelin's motorsport supreme, Pierre Dupasquier. “Last season we gave our partner teams a clear technical advantage although a combination of factors conspired to deny us victory. I am confident we can redress the balance this time." Bridgestone meanwhile thinks it has all the options covered for its teams to be successful this weekend. "Bridgestone has enjoyed considerable success in Canada over the years, equipping the winners of the Canadian Grand Prix for the past two consecutive years,” explains Bridgestone motorsport man, Hiroshi Yasukawa. The Track Heavy on cars, a bit of a challenge and there's usually good action to be seen. There's the ‘champions' wall' that a few years ago memorably claimed world champions Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all at the same spot in the same race. There's also the danger for drivers of disappearing off into the lake after hopping over the Armco after leaving a stricken car behind. There's also the challenge of more than the average amount of wildlife on circuit as small critters take to the track as their peace is disturbed by the wail of multiple V10s. Usually small stuff though, no moose. Weather Sun, sun and a bit of cloud with the sun on Sunday. Predictions Those BARs seem pretty strong everywhere but everyone knows the strongest car and driver combination in the field this year… Elsewhere another fair bet is smoke emanating from at least one of the McLarens… Who do you thing will come be the winners and the losers at this weekend's Monte Carlo Grand Prix? Have your say on the Crash Forum. For further details on the teams and drivers and for all your F1 news all over the race weekend and every day of the year, visit www.crash.net/f1.
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 12, 2004 19:50:47 GMT -5
Canadian GP Qualifying:
9. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW 1min 12.275secs 5. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 1min 12.341secs +0.066secs 3. Jarno Trulli Italy Renault-Renault 1min 13.023secs +0.748secs 8. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW 1min 13.072secs +0.797secs 6. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 1min 13.308secs +1.033secs 1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 13.355secs +1.080secs 7. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 1min 13.562secs +1.287secs 4. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1min 13.595secs +1.320secs 19. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1min 13.681secs +1.406secs 12. Christian Klien Austria Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 14.532secs +2.257secs 20. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Sauber-Petronas 1min 14.674secs +2.399secs 11. Cristiano da Matta Brazil Toyota-Toyota 1min 14.851secs +2.576secs 10. Olivier Panis France Toyota-Toyota 1min 14.891secs +2.616secs 14. Mark Webber Australia Jaguar-Cosworth 1min 15.148secs +2.873secs 13. Nick Heidfeld Germany Jordan-Ford 1min 15.321secs +3.046secs 15 Timo Glock Germany Jordan-Ford 1min 16.323secs +4.048secs 2. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 1min 17.004secs +4.729secs 18. Zsolt Baumgartner Hungary Minardi-Cosworth 1min 17.064secs +4.789secs 16. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas no time** 17. Gianmaria Bruni Italy Minardi-Cosworth no time**
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