As for Hammy's would be pass on Vettal.........the pass is completed when he actually gets by the car, not when he's inch's or a foot ahead going into a corner. He blew the corner because he wasn't on the right line.....because Vettal was still next to him. Just like when Heikki tried getting by Jarno and blew that corner. Why would anyone cede a position to someone who's just bit in front, especially for a podium spot?

 

If he doesn't pull the rabbit outta the hat at Silverstone he might just "be all for the can"

I love supporting the underdog, I've been a "Gentleman Jenson" fan since he started. Oh how I wish Honder would get their act together !

 

Here's the latest on the Bernie-Max show...

 

Where ?

 

ARE THEY FREAKING KIDDING ME????

"Abu Dhabi to stage 2009 F1 finale


The Formula One season will stretch to 19 races in 2009 after a race in Abu Dhabi was added to the calendar.

The season will start later than normal in Australia on 29 March and will end in Abu Dhabi on 15 November.

The race, which will take place on a new harbourside street circuit, will become the second Grand Prix in the Middle East after Bahrain.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been moved from its July slot and will take place on 21 June.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, published the draft calendar on Wednesday after a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Paris.
The French Grand Prix, which has been the subject of much speculation about its future, will take place on 28 June but there is still no place for the US Grand Prix.

Brazil, which was previously the season finale, will instead become the penultimate round after races in the Far East in Singapore, Japan and China.

The Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul reverts to August after being held in May this year, with Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya hosting the opening European race, the Spanish Grand Prix.

There will be four back-to-back races, starting with Australia and Malaysia.
Formula One has only once before had a 19-round championship, in 2005, but earlier this year, team bosses backed plans to expand the calendar to 20 races a year.

India and South Korea are hoping to make their debuts in 2010 while Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone would like to include Russia and the United States."

 

How about the finale in the US ?

 

Here's the provisional calendar:

March 29 Australia
April 5 Malaysia
April 19 Bahrain
May 10 Spain
May 24 Monaco
June 7 Canada
June 21 Great Britain
June 28 France
July 12 Germany
July 26 Hungary
August 9 Turkey
August 23 Europe [Valencia]
September 6 Italy
September 13 Belgium
September 27 Singapore
October 11 Japan
October 18 China
November 1 Brazil
November 15 Abu Dhabi

 

What, you couldn't read my mind? Well, okaaayyy:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/250620...sley-plot.html

 

My wife insist I can read her's


Its nice to see former champions questioning the penalties being bestowed upon Mclaren drivers. The lack of action on Kimi's car is questionable, there was one quote saying the part was "light" and posed no danger. Whoever said or thought that really is an idiot. The fact is a part of the car was damaged and did pose safety concerns. Gee, can they go back and impose a 10 grid penalty for that ?

I'm not a conspiracy type for the most part but I wonder if Mosley's scandel was set in motion by a Mclaren tip off ? or maybe he suspects that ? So much goes on behind the scenes we'll never know.

Its been rumored that Jean Todt may replace Max, is that a good thing to have a former Ferrari Chief heading up the FIA ? unless you're in a red car ?

again, if Mclaren wins this year, they certainly will have earned it.

 

I dunno. I always liked Todt--pretty cute as he smiled when his boys climbed the steps race after race. Wonder if he would tape his fingernails as an official?

 

I'd really love to see Paul Stoddart replace Max!

 

+1

 

New from the "Bernie and Max" soap opera:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/270620...discredit.html

 

Wow, very mixed up qualifying field. Rain races aren't ideal, but the uncertainty created by the forecast should make at least the first half of this race exciting. One almost wishes for a weather control machine...

 

Very interesting quali results today with Heiki and Webber on the front row! The Speed announcers always talk about how wide Webber's car is so (if true) that may play a big role, but only if he has a good start. I haven't been paying attention to Webber's starts though.....anyone know how well he's been starting this year?

 

Truly bizarre! Never would have predicted that lineup--wonder what will happen in the race.

And what's with the command to Lewis to cool it?

Why did Massa have such a pit problem? What's wrong with Kubica's car?

Stay tuned!

 

All I know is is that if quali is any indication of the race, this is going to be Hell of a great one. I'd love to see Heikki take a victory at least once this year. He blew everyone away when he came out P1. I kept waiting for someone to bump him considering how his luck seems to go. And I'm a little worried for Bob. Nothing in Q3? Not a good sign. That, and he has to start next to Massa which means he'll probably get rammed off the track. Damn cheating Ferrari. I thought about emailing the host trio on SpeedTV's round table forum and asking them what they think of the penalties handed out to McLaren and yet how Kim's allowed to drive a race with a borked exhaust.

 

Here's the Jody Scheckter crash that was mentioned in quali:

 

What a great finish for Reubens! And what a terrible way to end his career for DC. That one hurt.

 

Aside from the "old man" (Reubens) getting to have a good time for a change, my favorite aspect of the weekend is the new championship points tally.

Hamilton 48
Massa 48
Raikkonen 48
Kubika 46

How's that for half way through the season?

 

Gotta love the rain !

 

+1
I guess cheating in the rain is the thing Ferrari can't nail down. Massa looked like a Mustang on ice sliding off everywhere and Kimi was floundering aorund for the latter half of the race. F1 needs more rainy races. Or at least damp ones.

 

Nice to see that Ross Brawn is still the smartest man in the pit lane. If full-wet tires could get Rubens to 3rd place (with an extra pit stop!), what would they have done for any of the frontrunners?

On another note, the F1 guys ran an entire race in the wet, with cars spinning and sliding off constantly, yet never had a safety car period. Then I turn on the IRL (because they were racing on an actual racetrack for once) and five minutes into the race they have a caution period after a car spun on the track...and made it all the way back to pit lane. I don't know what happened after that, I didn't bother watching.

 

It does amaze me that F-1 runs, rain or shine. The other organizations are wimps! How many Indy 500's have been stopped or delayed while the jet trucks blow water off the tracks?!

 

^ +1

Ahh, yes ScottinBend... Rain the great equalizer!

What a masterful drive by young Lewis Hamilton. Quite impressive!

On a side note, I was amazed at the tire strategy that was being employed by the different teams. I was surprised that all, with the exception of Honda, chose intermediates under such tempestuous skies.

I think that Honda's choice of full rains for Ruebens was spot on. Congrats to Barrichello and Honda.

I have to admit that it was stirring watching the driver's administer car control in such adverse conditions. Watching their hands moving on the steering wheel in response to the cars tracking over the slippery Silverstone tarmac was sheer poetry. Awesome!

You're right kurvhugr, the championship points race couldn't be closer! This is going to be a great season!