Schocki

Wait guys....
Kimi sits in a Ferrari now. He has shown his potential already numerous times. Biggest problem last season was the Mercedes engine....
If you're a good driver you have a personality. But I rather se a guy like Kimi than Eddie Irvine in the past.

Pfunde

I just have to show these...

3 years ago in Barcelona. Pulled some strings, ending up have snacks and drinks with "the guys".

PS. I'm there for the sound...............it's........wooow

david928

I've followed F1 for many years and have been to two Long Beach grand prix. The sound!!

I am a fan of Renault F1. They have won the constructor title the past two years and have the clearest understanding of the tradeoffs necessary to design a successful F1 car: speed versus reliability.

Flavio Briatore has managed the team for a long time and has shown good judgment in bringing along young drivers. Now that Alonso has moved on, Kovalainnen will take his place. In 2008, Piquet will probably take Fisichella's place, unless Fisi does extremely will this year.

I predict Alonso will do better at McLaren than Raikonnen will do at Ferrari.

Dennis K

Big F1 fan here. I follow that F1 and MotoGp most closely. I've been to Montreal and Indy. I used to be a big CART/Champcar fan and went to several races, but that series sucks now.

I'm interested to see what Lewis Hamilton can do. He's been tabbed for greatness for so long, and he's succeeded on every level of racing so far.

Oh and Kimi didn't seem all that stoic and uptight before the last race in Brazil: (language warning)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF5zBNsIFFI

killingmoon65

Damn! Niki Lauda! That's awesome!

scott863

\
The turbo days of the mid 80's were the best tracks (pre chicane), best competition, and best sounds. I watch it now too but it has become a parade and tire competition. Hopefully this year will be different with one tire and lots of talented young drivers.

I agree with you about the early 80's. You tube has a ton of in car camera footage that was filmed on real film by some French person during practice sessions. They sell a DVD of it. The 80's cars are violent, fast, and they brake so much earlier. It's amazing to watch Senna in these cars in the mid 80's. The laps may be slower, but these cars were far harder to drive, and better to listen to and watch, in my opinion.

scott863

That's pretty sweet. I had legit CART credentials for a few years through friends, then back in 2001 a buddy of mine borrowed a credential from a team member friend of his, scanned it, then made new ones for us with our pictures, they were excellent, front and back, almost indistiguishable. I bought a Honda team shirt and no one ever gave me a second look Was talking with Mike Andrettis wife in their pit, talked to Zanardi about a month before that accident, pissed of Franchiti's guys by taking a pic of Ashley Judd. It was good times, but after 9/11 my buddy didn't want to risk getting caught with fake credentials. You could never get away with that in F1, even Bernie and Schumacher had to scan their little passes at the turnstiles.

SeanR

I used to be an avid F1 fan until a few years ago and have just kinda stopped watching it due to it being so boring. Follow the leader, $$ buys you the wins, etc. I do have to say that I caught Shuy's last race and think that was one of the better broadcasts in the last several years.

I'm thinking this year will be a bit more enjoyable to watch with the shake ups in the teams/drivers.

RUSH64

Toyota being the exception! The last I read, correct me if I am wrong, is their F1 budget approaches the 700 million USD per year range. My source was F1 Racing, the magazine.

the flyin' scotsman

Toyota do have one of the largest budgets in F1 but continue to struggle. they have yet to win a race and still have Ralf Schumacher as their driver. As Honda found its very difficult to produce a winning team in spite of huge financial backing.

goodspeed928

I love racing!
If it moves, (going fast) I have seen it - Mods, F1, LeMans, Stocks, Drags,
Road Racing, Short Track.
I have ben to 36 different Tracks!

tv

Scott - the 80's cars were much more powerful 1100+ hp in the race, had higher top speeds and just incredible acceleration, wheel spin in 4th gear at 150 mph. But today the breaking is much better which is where you get the quicker lap times, but the only tracks that are the same from both era's are the slow ones like hungarring and monaco.

Other great tracks are gone like osterreichring, zandvort, the real german gp at the old hockenheim, and the french gp with the 1+ mile long mistral straight.

Hey Pfunde, great pics! When I look at them I am reminded of a tv show on the travel channel that had a famous and very well liked american tv star visit sporting events in europe and report about it. His name is Drew Carey.

SwayBar

Where in the heck is Hacker?? Maybe he doesn't like F1...

ew928

Zandvort.
Wasn't that the track in the movie 'Grand Prix' (James Garner) where they had people running across the track in the rain. And the de riguer hay bales for crash protection.
Gotta love the added excitement from the danger factor from pre-safety days.

Wish the roundey roundey Nascar boys would run in the rain. I'd watch that.
I do watch Nascar cause that's the only car racing I get to see in HDTV.

Ernest (NYC) Why are my right tars taller than my left tars.

Pfunde

I'm glad - atleast you didn't think of "Mimi" . It's my fathers old glasses I found some years ago, and had then made to my subscription. Many are reminded of Michael Douglas in the movie very he goes crazy after being stuck in a trafficjam - D-fens - was his licensplate. I think it was called falling down, not sure ....., but the glasses look alike ( and ofcourse not me )