New Grand Prix Season Is Almost Upon Us!!!

[warspite1]

Right its put your money where your mouth is time.

It will end on Sunday - whether that's a Rosberg win or a Lewis breakdown or whatever it doesn't matter. It ends on Sunday with Rosberg crowned World Champion.

[Gilmer]

I thought there were 2 more races.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

I thought there were 2 more races.

warspite1

There are two more races, but if Rosberg wins in Brazil or Lewis DNF's (and Rosberg finishes higher than 8th or something) then the last race is superfluous from a championship perspective because Rosberg cannot then be caught....

[warspite1]

So JP gets another season with Renault! Well he must have some money to bring to the party.

But in fairness, Magnussen is supposedly highly rated and JP has not done badly against him - beaten him on occasion too - and seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on.

JP clearly isn't the next Schumacher but I do think he is one of those solid, methodical drivers that can do a very good job just through the application he is prepared to give to the job. Someone Renault probably needs at this stage.

I'm really pleased for him.

[Gilmer]

Max Verstappen and that new 18 year old are probably the future of F1. Max has shown some flashes of brilliance and some flashes of immaturity. He looks to be on the verge of an excellent career.

[warspite1]

What we witnessed today was something truly special. That drive from Verstappen was quite simply extraordinary!!!

[british exil]

I think most drivers if not all are happy that today's race is over. Was along racing day, for most.

A lot of drivers complaining about the tires.

Mat

[Capt. Harlock]

A lot of drivers complaining about the tires.

I would have complained more about the wet stuff falling from the sky . . .[;)]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/37968831

But an extraordinary job there were no serious injuries.

[Hotschi]

It was obvious that Charlie Whiting (and who knows else) wanted this race to be finished with full points no matter what.

First a Safety Car Start, then - twice! - the Red Flag. I guess at any other time in the season they would have called it a day, but not THAT late in the season - and I think it was the right decision to do so. I was only surprised they didn't finally red-flag the race in lap 54 with 3/4ths of the race finished (and full points for the drivers).

Verstappen was outstanding, often driving a very different line as all the other racers, he was aggressive, but - as so often - Red Bull's strategy spoiled a better result.

Very nice to watch was Massa's emotional good-bye in the pit-lane, with mechanics applauding, his wife and son hugging him - even his former Ferrari Team applauded him. He will be missed - a "36 second - world champion", but after his crash never the same again. But a true gentleman and almost always tough but fair racer. (His "advice" to Hamilton after Monaco 2011 is still one of the best comments ever heard).

Rosberg, again, pussy-footing around, being too cautious. Just trying to administer his lead can back-fire, and this time he was lucky.

On to Abu Dhabi, then we'll have our Champion. And it's still not over yet...

[british exil]

I guaranty that the championship will definitely be decided in 9 days 13hrs 53min 30secs.

[:D]

Mat

[Jagdtiger14]

I actually like this concept. I'm sure the purists wont:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ecclestone ... 1--f1.html

[Hotschi]

"People have a much shorter attention span and a lot of sports are looking at introducing shorter forms of their games," Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, told the Sunday Times.

I guess he never watched the 24hrs of Le Mans then.

Ecclestone keeps pondering whacky ideas (and his political views) regularly, maybe just to stay in the news. If they want to make this sport more attractive, they should check their rulebooks, which are bloated to the extreme. I am just waiting for the time when, during the race, each team needs an attending lawyer to advice what the drivers are allowed to do and what not. This mutlitude of penalties - and inconsistency in the decisions! - is just silly, this is no longer racing as it was in the old days. Same goes for rule changes during the season, especially in cases when a new rule is implemented, and a couple later races dumped again (see this year's roaler Coaster regarding the team-radio).

One of Ecclestone's ideas for example, is to use camera views from long distance, so that the sponsor logos which are now painted all over the place, are bigger, longer - and better - in view on telly. That in consequence the race cars are only small dots doesn't bother him a second. He's just after money, greed, that's all.

Ecclestone is one of those people who simply have missed the best opportunity to quit. He's old, out-fashioned and has to go. I guess his days in the F1-business are numbered anyway.

[british exil]

"People have a much shorter attention span and a lot of sports are looking at introducing shorter forms of their games," Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, told the Sunday Times.

He meant the very rich. Those that like to have their photos taken and be seen whilst strolling through paddocks/ pits. Sip their champagne on the F1 VIP lounge balcony prior to the race and whilst the start. That then retire into the lounge with other members and return when the winner receives his trophy.And have no idea what the F1 is.

Yes these people do have a short attention span. Bernie is correct again.
The F1 circuits need to have a mile straight, no corners and just have the start and whoever reaches the end first wins. Wait, maybe I am mixing things up with drag racing. We already have that.

Mat

[Gilmer]

That's the dumbest idea since playing the NFL in London at 8 AM eastern in the U.S.

[Gilmer]

Wow, Nico and Lewis REALLY don't like each other.

They have not said one word to each other.

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Wow, Nico and Lewis REALLY don't like each other.

They have not said one word to each other. Ok, they finally did.

[CarnageINC]

CONGRATS TO THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION, NICO ROSBERG!!!!

[warspite1]

Congratulations to Nico Rosberg. A deserved Formula 1 World Champion [&o].

I’ve just seen the footage from 1982 when, as a little boy, Nico is being interviewed. In a high pitched excited voice he explains that now his dad is World Champion he can teach me how to do karting so I may one day be in F1 and maybe win the World Championship.

Bless. Cute ain’t the word .

As for Lewis, 2016 was just not to be. 10 wins – if the race at Monaco showed his class, the opening 4 corners at Silverstone were quite simply extraordinary. Lewis you may have not won the world championship this year, but you are a true champion [&o][&o][&o].

To Max Verstappen, you are scarily good [X(].

[Franciscus]

Da*n, I'm getting old...

It seems like yesterday when I was a 14-year old teenager thrilled with Keke Rosberg's driving style and championship win.

Now you're telling me his SON won the F1 championship ?? [X(] Are you kidding me ? [:D][:D]

Congratulations, Nico. [&o]

[Hotschi]

Nico Rosberg is it!

What a race! Hamilton did everything tactical to get Rosberg into trouble by the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but without success - Rosberg did what he had to do to become world champion. Rosberg overtaking Verstappen was a daring and very well executed maneuver even though I doubt it was necessary, since Verstappen still had to execute his first pit-stop to change tyres (delta-time 22 seconds), but at least it shows that Rosberg wasn't too cautious.

A well deserved championship, both Mercedes drivers would have equally deserved it - but it was Rosberg this time.

One huge annoyance to me was Toto Wolf's reaction after the race. Interviewed for the Austrian TV, he said he was angry with Hamilton for his slow speed, and said that in doing so he endangered the team's double victory. Ah come on man, before the race you say "today they are allowed to do everything" (interviewed in German) and after the race you change your mind? They even had Paddy Lowe, technical chief(?) of Mercedes, telling, no "ordering", Hamilton on the team radio to speed up. Bloody double-speakers these guys! Mercedes already won the contructor championship, they have won the drivers' championship, and who in let's say 2 or 3 years cares how many victories they scored in one season? Let Hamilton and Rosberg race goddamit!

What else should Hamilton have done? He could have done it Schumacher-style, i.e. luring Rosberg to try to pass him in the first corner, only to force him off track there. But no, he decided to play fair; slowing down the race in an attempt to trouble Rosberg was his only option, and he chose it. Clever tactic, no matter what the Mercedes bosses say. My hats off for this, even though I can't stand Hamilton as a person.

Another annoyace - I must be a grumpy old man - was the TV coverage, as during the race they repeatedly showed some more or less known folks which were visiting the race or the pits. There was excitement on the track, but no, they had to show us Jorge Lorenzo and Roger Federer, they repeatedly showed some odd girlie named Ora "whatever", and to top it all, they showed Paris Hilton (heeeeeelp!!!!!), coverd in half an inch of cement in her face - must have been her make-up - taking a seat in one of the pits. Who cares????? I want to watch a F1-race, not some tennis players, motorbike-drivers, and some odd drunken party girlies who's profession is "daughter of a millionaire". But, to be fair, it was absolutely nice to see Hamilton's mum, Button's family, Rosberg's wife and whoever else related to one of the drivers. But not these "others"!

Massa scored in his last race, but Jenson Button was not so luckily. Both are drivers which I will miss dearly.

Let's see how next season will gonna be, could very well be that the coming rule changes regarding the cars will shuffle the cards a bit differently, although I have my doubts.