[funkdoctorspock]

Massa won't win anything because he is simply a crap driver in quality equipment. How he got the Ferrari ride is beyond me. How he got an extension is a mystery onto itself.

This season is all about Kimi vs Lewis.

Everyone else will be competing for 3rd onward.

[Pakman]

Great thread Funky, as for the season the changes are welcomed, especially the Q3 fuel change, and as a Ferrari fan im looking at Raikonnen again but if Massa gets the reliability hes shown he can better Kimi. Will be glad to see Alonso struggle the moaning twok and as for Hamilton i hope he does just as well as last season to make it another exciting season, CANT WAIT!!

[Mark]

Kovalainen at McLaren - another Finn about to fly?

Originally Posted by f1.com

This time last year, Heikki Kovalainen was preparing to make his Formula One race debut after taking up Fernando Alonso’s vacant seat at Renault. Twelve months later it seems to be a case of history repeating itself as Kovalainen adjusts to another seat left empty by Alonso - this time at McLaren.


While McLaren’s engine partner Mercedes would undoubtedly have liked a German in the empty MP4-23 (Nico Rosberg was touted as a replacement), the British team’s long standing tradition of Finnish drivers seems to have played right into Kovalainen’s hands. He was signed up to a long-term contract in December, but will it prove the right move for the 26 year-old - and for McLaren?


At first glance the affable Finn may seem to lack the ice-cool composure of McLaren forebears Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen, but he has already proved he has just as much speed flowing through his veins. He has impressed in early tests with the team, even topping one recent Jerez session, and arrives having learnt some valuable lessons from his maiden season - one which featured a steeper than expected learning curve.


Over the opening five races of 2007, Renault’s bright young hope looked out of his depth. A similarly shaky start this year could spell disaster for McLaren’s title aspirations, but that looks decidedly unlikely, given that by the middle of ’07 Kovalainen was enjoying a much firmer footing. He went on to clinch the French team’s only podium, eclipsed veteran team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, and finished seventh in the driver standings, scoring 30 of Renault’s 51 points - a great end to his debut season.


With his speed and ambition not in doubt, much of how Kovalainen builds on that debut could depend on McLaren’s 2008 form. The team were championship runners-up in all but name last year, and before the Ferrari ‘spy scandal’ were in prime place to take a historic ninth constructors’ title. But in Formula One racing performance one season is no guarantee of a similar level the next - a maxim the Finn knows better than most, having experienced Renault’s fall from grace in 2007. And there is always a chance that McLaren’s promise to suspend development on certain parts, in the aftermath of the ‘Spygate’ scandal, could put the MP4-23 at a disadvantage.





But even if one assumes the ’08 McLaren will be quick and reliable, will it be enough to make Kovalainen a genuine title contender? He is still learning and unlike his world championship-winning predecessor, Alonso, he has yet to prove he is the complete package. Likewise, however, new team mate Lewis Hamilton, who also debuted at last season’s Australian Grand Prix. In combination, the duo is one of the least experienced on the grid and how they work together will be crucial for both men. After the disaster that was last year’s Hamilton-Alonso rivalry, McLaren will move heaven and earth to avoid a repeat and Kovalainen has to be both competitive and cooperative. Challenging Hamilton will not only be a real test of the Finn’s driving talent, but also his diplomacy.


Will he be quick enough to challenge his team mate? As de facto number one at McLaren, Hamilton will be under intense pressure this season. But so will Kovalainen, as he attempts to adjust to his surroundings and integrate himself into a team that counts Hamilton as its most prized possession. The British driver, with a year’s experience of racing a McLaren under his belt, will be faster - at least at first - and will certainly not be as easily overhauled as Fisichella was at Renault. Kovalainen knows, however, that Hamilton is far from unbeatable.


Having witnessed from afar Alonso’s McLaren experience last year, Kovalainen will be all too aware of the pros and cons of driving for the team. One suspects he has the talent. If he can harness the assets available to him - and avoid the potential pitfalls - then he has his best chance yet to prove just how good he really is.

F1.com | News | Features | Article Here!




Reading this just hit me, McLaren just have a tradition for bringing on Finnish pilots (Mika, Kimi, Kovi now).

All the respect for the finnish pilot schools, in time they have released some great pilots like Hakkinen, Kimi and now Kovi maybe others olso but i dont know them so well.


And on the news, good for McLaren i really like Kovi, he impressed me at Renault, i see him as a fast and aggresive pilot as well so looking forword to see him at work.

[Mark]

Bridgestone to mark extreme wet tyres in 2008

Originally Posted by f1.com

Official Formula One tyre supplier Bridgestone announced on Friday that they plan to make their extreme wet weather tyres visibly distinguishable from the standard wet rubber for the 2008 season. The move has been introduced at the request of the teams and in consultation with the FIA, the sport’s governing body.

The extreme wet weather specification will now be marked with a painted white line in the same way the Japanese company marks their softer dry compound at each race.

“Throughout the 2008 Formula One season Bridgestone will continue to mark the softer of the two dry weather tyres at each event with a white line along the bottom of the second from inside groove,” explained Hiroshi Yasukawa, Bridgestone Motorsport director. “However, we will now extend the use of the white tyre marking to our extreme wet weather tyres.

“We hope this change will enable spectators of the sport to have a clearer understanding of the strategies used by all 11 Formula One teams when racing in the wet. Bridgestone is pleased to be able to play a part in increasing Formula One fans' enjoyment of the sport.”

The modified extreme wet weather tyres will be available for use from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, which takes place in Melbourne next weekend.

F1.com | News | Headlines | Article Here!




That's a really god decision, as they say in the article the spectators will be much more into it and will understand better what's happening.

[funkdoctorspock]

Mclaren has been all about a equal partnership team. Meaning no 1 and 2 drivers.

This was in place by Ron Dennis . With rumours of him leaving I'm very interested to see what happens this season. Say by some small chance, Kovalainen is ahead of Hamilton. And Hamilton is leading a race, but Kovalainen needs the points. Do Mclaren put a strategy in place so Kovalainen finishes ahead?

The way I see it, Kovalainen will need a season or at the very least, half a season to get familiar with the Mclaren drive. Hopefully he learns quickly, otherwise Hamilton will have to fight for the Championship on his own.

---

As for the wet tyres marking distinction, this is a no brainer. Simply ensures another measure of driver safety. Good move.

[Mark]

The 2008 Season Preview - let battle commence

Originally Posted by f1.com

One of Formula One racing’s greatest assets is its ability to renew itself. It’s what gives this fantastic sport its appeal, that sense that nothing stands still.

Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari are the world champions, after a gripping, if controversial, 2007 season when the action on the track between the Scuderia and McLaren reached fever pitch. But what are their chances of retaining the titles? Having come so close in his rookie season, can Lewis Hamilton win redemption for McLaren by going one better in 2008?


Testing form is notoriously difficult to read - you never know for certain what fuel load or set-up a team is running at any one particular time - but there are always the indications to be had, and that’s another fascinating aspect.

Over the winter, Ferrari appeared to make a step forward even on their late 2007 form. McLaren, however, hit back with very quick times in Barcelona, where the track mercilessly highlights any shortcomings with its wide range of corners.


There is broad agreement that, barring lack of reliability, these two teams will have a lock on winning, but which of their drivers will come to the fore? Will Felipe Massa be able to raise his game and challenge Raikkonen? Will Heikki Kovalainen, who has been very quick in testing, be able to do to Hamilton what Hamilton did to Fernando Alonso last year? Both teams say they do not have number-one drivers, and that each has total equality, so hold on to your hats.


Then there is the fight to be third. Last year that was pretty much the preserve of BMW Sauber, but the signs are that they will have fearsome opposition. Williams have looked very strong in testing. Renault, despite gloomy predictions from Alonso, will be in there sooner or later, as may be Red Bull and perhaps even Toro Rosso and Toyota. It is going to be another of those seasons where the lesser lights will be praying for the stars to suffer unreliability, and where any star whose car breaks will be cursing his misfortune. Watch out for intense, no-holds-barred racing all down the field, even in the lower midfield where Honda will be doing all they can to stay ahead of Force India and Super Aguri.


The renewal is not confined to what happens on the track. In two cases, it is the tracks themselves that are new, with exciting new street venues in Valencia, for the European Grand Prix, and Singapore. Both will take the racing to the people in exotic locations. But the latter will also usher in a new era, as it will introduce the fascination of Formula One’s first-ever night race in September - a further indication that the sport never misses a trick in evolving itself for the fans’ benefit.


This is always the time of year when anything is possible, a great point at which to let one’s expectations for the campaign ahead to be coloured by the excitement of the previous season. As things stand, at least four drivers may be vying for the world championship in November. So don’t go away. This is where the fun really starts.



Over the coming days we will bring you a team-by-team analysis of all the contenders, but first a round-up of what's new for 2008...

F1.com | News | Features | Article Here!

[Mark]

The 2008 Season Preview - what's new?

Originally Posted by f1.com

There are several key changes to the rules and regulations for 2008, one of which concerns the final session of qualifying. The ‘fuel burn’ laps were always unpopular, and in tune with public demand that has been dropped. Instead of 15 minutes, the final 10 runners will have only 10, and now they can’t refuel afterwards, so this really is going to be an all-out dash for the pole that will add to the excitement on a Saturday afternoon.


At the same time, rookies get a break under revisions to the strict rules that limit testing. Those who have not raced a Formula One car in the preceding two years or tested a car for more than four days in that period, will get the chance to familiarise themselves in ‘young driver training days’ which fall outside the main testing limitations.


There are several critical changes on the technical front, too, the most significant of which is that all teams must use a standard electronic control unit (ECU). Thus the FIA have succeeded in banning electronic driver aids such as traction control or engine braking assistance, which means that drivers will have more influence over their cars in tricky conditions and will have to look after their rear tyres themselves rather than relying on technology. It should also enhance the racing as driving errors may be more common.


There are further restrictions on parts that teams are allowed to develop under the current engine freeze, which will help to switch development programmes towards the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) that will come into effect in 2009 under the FIA’s long-term plan to make the sport more eco-relevant. Hand-in-hand with this, teams must use fuels which have a minimum of 5.75 per cent content from biological sources. And now that the two-race engine rule has led to such remarkable reliability across the board, teams will be allowed to go unpenalised on their first engine change of the season. This is intended to ensure that a minor glitch doesn’t compromise a championship campaign. All subsequent engine failures will receive the usual 10 grid-place penalty. Gearboxes are also being ‘lifed’ by the FIA; units must now last four races (calculated as the Saturday and Sunday of a Grand Prix), and failures here will result in five grid places being lost.


There are fresh limitations too on materials that may be used in the cars’ construction, to eliminate high expenditure on exotic stuff, and as a further cost-cutting measure spare cars are also banned. Teams may now rely on only two cars at a race.


Finally, and of particular relevance to the Australian Grand Prix because of the nasty accident last year in which David Coulthard’s Red Bull slid across the cockpit of Alex Wurz’s Williams, all cars now have the sides of their cockpits raised 20 mm and lengthened in order to improve drivers’ head protection.

F1.com | News | Features | Article Here!

[Mark]

2008 Season - Team by team

Formula One being what it is - a high-stakes competition fuelled by vast amounts of money and feeding egos to match - it's hardly a surprise when controversy is found lurking right around the next corner.



That's usually the case most seasons, and was certainly the case last year when not only was one of the most intriguing driver battles in years played out in the harsh glare of the spotlight, but the sport also found its murky underbelly being prodded after its two main protagonists, Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, found themselves embroiled in an espionage scandal.


Although the FIA have drawn a line under the latter saga, it still rumbles on - principally in the shape of an investigation by Italian authorities which could, perhaps, have a bearing on McLaren's 2008 season. Although any link between the two seems little more than conjecture, it was the case that, having been thrown out of last year's constructors' championship, the team then made vital errors - particularly in China - which cost Lewis Hamilton the drivers' championship.


Propelled by a late season burst of form, Kimi Raikkonen therefore swept to the title. With Ferrari and McLaren again setting the pace pre-season - the former currently quicker over a race distance but the latter on top over a single lap - a Raikkonen v Hamilton battle is on the cards once again in 2008.


Many argue that the Finn's title was overdue, and he will doubtless be looking to back it up with a repeat success to put him on a par with contemporary Fernando Alonso. And, after a rookie season in which he surprised everyone by displaying the pace and consistency of a veteran - and offered a glimpse of the ruthlessness he's going to need to win titles - Hamilton, of course, is looking to go one better.


Meanwhile, heading back to Renault after a solitary season at McLaren during which he played a starring role in both of 2007's central plotlines, Alonso has already ruled out victories. Indeed, such is the current gap between Ferrari, McLaren and the rest - and such is the reliability of a modern F1 car - that most other teams have already done the same. However, one, BMW Sauber, could be in with a shout as the season progresses.


In short, the best bet for most other teams is the hope that the weather might intervene, levelling the playing field and bringing driver skill to the fore. The latter will be called upon more in 2008 as this season sees the introduction of a much-heralded ban of driver aids such as traction control. Whether or not they have an appreciable effect on 'the show' remains to be seen.


In the meantime, Skysports.com offers a guide as to how the teams shape up ahead of the Australian Grand Prix on March 16th...






Ferrari (#1 Kimi Raikkonen, #2 Felipe Massa)


Another year, another title double for F1's most established and charismatic team. One might argue that both were was handed to them on a plate: McLaren being thrown out of the 2007 constructors' championship following the 'spying' controversy and then making mistakes in the final two races of the season that allowed Raikkonen to pounce.


But the success also helped silence the doubters who thought that, with Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne no longer lynchpins of the Maranello operation, the team might struggle to make the transition. Arriving from McLaren, Raikkonen eventually came on strong and also had the beating of a much more established a team-mate in Massa.


Expect more of the same now traction control has gone and, with the team's new F2008 looking the car to beat, expect Raikkonen not to give up his world champion mantle without a real fight.






BMW Sauber (#3 Nick Heidfeld, #4 Robert Kubica)


'Best of the rest' behind Ferrari and McLaren last year, BMW Sauber hope to reach the top step of the podium in 2008 - new territory for the team and both its drivers. And, in the shape of the new F1.08 car, they could well have the machinery to make it happen.


With BMW Sauber adopting an aggressive approach to the car's design in an effort to realise their stated aim, initial handling problems have been worked on, with none other than Fernando Alonso recently stating his admiration for the car's pace over longer distances. Having made such progress since the start of the year, it does suggest that the potential might be there, reliability permitting, for BMW Sauber to continue to improve throughout the season.


Kubica has voiced the opinion that the car is still difficult to set up and drive - further evidence that F1.08 might be something of a temperamental beast. A lot will depend on the team's ability to unlock its potential.






Renault (#5 Fernando Alonso, #6 Nelson Piquet Jr.)


Both parties suffered downturns in fortunes and, in Alonso's case, a reputation in their year apart, so a successful reunion will doubtless add credence to the argument that each makes the other complete. Of course, this also begs the question: Will the reunion be successful?


It certainly seems the case that the two-times world champion will have the environment he needs to rebuild an ego which took more than one hit last year: team boss Flavio Briatore has, more or less, hinted Alonso's number one status over rookie team-mate Piquet.


A lot then depends on the performance of Renault's R28 chassis. Alonso pronounced it better than last year's effort - although that's not saying an awful lot - but has already ruled out even podium finishes. There could be an element of sandbagging here - after all, if anyone has the commitment to drive every lap of a race like he's trying to qualify, it's Alonso.


But what if he does, in his own words, "have to fight for seventh place" week in, week out? Will the vaunted reunion merely become a staging post?






Williams (#7 Nico Rosberg, #8 Kazuki Nakajima)


The team who appear to have made the biggest inroads pre-season: their Toyota-powered FW30 has looked strong everywhere it has appeared and now team co-founder Patrick Head has come out said he expects the team to be regularly challenging for podiums in 2008.


A lot will depend on the rather inexperienced-looking driver line-up of Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima, with the former opting to stay with the Grove team both this year and next after a strong 2007 season saw McLaren come knocking.


Nakajima, meanwhile, has also shown plenty of pace pre-season but, having made only one grand prix start - colliding with two mechanics during his first pit stop - the Japanese youngster already has a reputation for exuberance that will need to be tempered.






Red Bull (#9 David Coulthard, #10 Mark Webber)


For a team whose existence is based upon using Formula One as a marketing tool, Red Bull have been approaching the 2008 season somewhat 'under the radar'.


Nevertheless, that could be construed as quiet confidence as they have shown well in testing - Coulthard and Webber both showing a turn of pace and both men also hopeful that Adrian Newey's RB4 chassis is rather more reliable than last year's car.


Staying in the race proved the team's problem last season with a number of possible points-paying finishes going begging. Assuming the appointment of former Honda technical director Geoff Willis - responsible for improving the team's manufacturing processes and, hence, reliability - reaps its dividend then Red Bull could find themselves consistently scoring points this year.






Toyota (#11 Jarno Trulli, #12 Timo Glock)


So often bracketed with Honda under the 'Japanese manufacturer that doesn't really know how to do F1' category, Toyota have enjoyed just one season of genuine promise since they took the plunge six seasons ago.


That was back in 2005 when Mike Gascoyne (now of Force India) was at the technical helm. If the general consensus is to be believed, then Honda's decision to take the same 'big name' route and hire Ross Brawn will stand them in better stead in the long-run.


However, in the absence of such star names on the pitwall - though with veteran engineer Frank Dernie on board as a consultant - it's been Toyota who have shown much the better form pre-season, with both Trulli and GP2 champion Glock each topping the timesheets.


The Italian veteran has even been moved to suggest they can challenge for podiums this year. Whatever, Toyota's tenure in F1 has thus far been notable for its 'making up the numbers' mediocrity - not, presumably, the reason they got involved in the first place.






Toro Rosso (#14 Sebastien Bourdais, #15 Sebastian Vettel)


Everybody loved Minardi - the F1 team who, reputedly, only led their peers in terms of the quality of coffee they served. Doubtless a different stimulant is on ready offer now Red Bull own a 50 percent share of the team, with their backing also starting to reap its reward at the end of last season when Vettel and then driver Vitantonio Liuzzi finished fourth and sixth in the Chinese Grand Prix.


Vettel - a 20-year-old who deserves to be a star as much for his clear love of his job as his obvious talent - is retained, with four-time Champ Car title winner Sebastien Bourdais making an overdue F1 bow. For those who like their internecine driver battles, Sebastien v Sebastian promises to be as intriguing as Lewis v Heikki.


The team start the season with an updated version of last year's STR02, but Vettel - who topped the times in a recent test in Barcelona - has suggested that continuity might not be a bad thing.






Honda (#16 Jenson Button, #17 Rubens Barrichello)


Button, who managed to wring a grand total of six points out of last season's recalcitrant RA107 chassis, subsequently labelled the car "a dog". When told about that quote, team-mate Barrichello - a nine times grand prix winner who scored a grand total of zero points last season - said it couldn't be right. After all, the Brazilian "likes dogs".


Things got so bad last season that perhaps humour was the only answer - nothing else seemed to work. The bad news for Honda is that their latest RA108 car has been propping up the timesheets pre-season - although a step appears to have been made after a recent private test at Jerez.


The good news is that new team principal Ross Brawn had nothing to do with its inception and can only take them forward. The 2008 season has yet to get underway, but here is a team who must already be looking forward to 2009.






Super Aguri (TBC drivers #18 Takuma Sato, #19 Anthony Davidson)


Financial problems (the team's principal sponsor for last season not having paid up) leaves Super Aguri looking for new backing and possible ownership ahead of the new season.


Nothing has been finalised at the time of writing, although members of the Honda-supported team are confident they will make the grid in Melbourne with their new SA08 chassis.


Of course, last year's SA07 - itself a development of Honda F1's 2006 car - made quite an impact in Albert Park 12 months ago, with Sato reaching the top-10 qualifying shoot out. Given their lack of pre-season testing, it's highly unlikely such fireworks will be on display this time around; nevertheless, given their difficult winter, just being there will doubtless be seen as an achievement of sorts.






Force India (#20 Adrian Sutil, #21 Giancarlo Fisichella)


Three changes of ownership in as many seasons will never allow an independent team the sort of basis which allows improvement.


The former Jordan/Midland/Spyker team have been struggling to even tread water for the most part of the 21st century; however, following the team's latest buyout last autumn, new owner Vijay Mallya (also owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers franchise in cricket's all-new IPL extravaganza) is promising the sort of investment that can, perhaps, give them the chance to approach what was so fleetingly displayed back in 1999.


Then as now, Mike Gascoyne is the team's technical director, with drivers Sutil and Fisichella bringing the obligatory 'youth and experience' combination favoured by all sporting outfits looking to pick themselves up and dust themselves down.






McLaren Mercedes (#22 Lewis Hamilton, #23 Heikki Kovalainen)


One thing's for certain: after the battle of wills that developed between upstart Hamilton and double world champion Fernando Alonso last season, McLaren can expect a more harmonious driver pairing in 2008.


Kovalainen brings little ego from Renault, only an infectious personality and a willingness to make the most of such a guilt-edged opportunity. Of course, he also wants to beat his fellow 2007 rookie and become world champion, but recognises that certain milestones - such as a maiden grand prix win - have to be reached first.


The Finn has, by and large, matched his team-mate for pace in pre-season testing, and of all the 2008 driver pairings, this is the one likely to bear the most scrutiny during the course of the year.



It goes without saying that Hamilton proved a phenomenon last year and can only improve this. Given what he's likely to be up against, simply running his team-mate close over the course of the season will see Kovalainen's stock rise considerably. But perhaps he can do more?



SkySports.com | F1 | Article Here!

[Mark]

Australian GP set for change

Originally Pos