2008 Spanish GP - Race 4/18

[JRS]

It wasn't an objection it was an observation that everyone previewing the NASCAR race didn't seem to be interested in the racing, championship etc, only that there was going to be crashes and carnage.

Yes. Because Vegas the previous year had produced an event that was starting to descend into farce at times thanks to the tyre that Goodyear brought along coupled with the "don't back off, ever" mentality of most of the field.

It was a talking point. It was a bit early in the season to start talking about the championship - there are rather more rounds in the championship than in F1, you can't really start talking about title chances for many more races yet. As it turned out, the racing itself was half-decent as well....for Vegas At least, it wasn't a snooze-fest on the level of Fontana.

The Times seems to think The Messiah™ is not an entirely happy bunny. Edited highlights from the pen/keyboard/quill of Ed Gorman:

The car is not fast enough. It is as simple as that for Lewis Hamilton, whose body language going into the Spanish Grand Prix tomorrow has been more revealing than the words coming out of his mouth - that he is not happy.

At some point between the Malaysian Grand Prix and the race in Bahrain that followed it three weeks ago, Hamilton's mood changed and he lost the spring in his step.

Hamilton has talked in recent days of this year's McLaren, the MP4-24, as being only 'quite good'. Carefully chosen words that are some way off the more familiar tributes to the 'fantastic' or 'awesome' machine that he drove last year to nine podium finishes in his first nine races.

Somehow, I don't think it's as bad as all that. He and McLaren will come good soon.

 

[NeilMick]

Webber out of the last practice session today with a suspected throttle problem! Didn't even manage to clock up a laptime and stopped dead in the pitlane.

Oh well, least it isn't the gearbox!

The man must be cursed or something!

 

[rpstewart]

Completely forgot this was on, times from P3

Pos  Driver       Team                      Time               Laps
 1.  Heidfeld     BMW Sauber           (B)  1:21.269           19
 2.  Coulthard    Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:21.465  + 0.196  16
 3.  Alonso       Renault              (B)  1:21.599  + 0.330  16
 4.  Kubica       BMW Sauber           (B)  1:21.717  + 0.448  23
 5.  Trulli       Toyota               (B)  1:21.771  + 0.502  21
 6.  Bourdais     Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:21.942  + 0.673  19
 7.  Piquet       Renault              (B)  1:21.992  + 0.723  18
 8.  Button       Honda                (B)  1:22.060  + 0.791  17
 9.  Massa        Ferrari              (B)  1:22.075  + 0.806  16
10.  Glock        Toyota               (B)  1:22.081  + 0.812  23
11.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:22.094  + 0.825  15
12.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:22.174  + 0.905  19
13.  Raikkonen    Ferrari              (B)  1:22.176  + 0.907  18
14.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:22.189  + 0.920  16
15.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:22.220  + 0.951  16
16.  Vettel       Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:22.292  + 1.023  20
17.  Barrichello  Honda                (B)  1:22.350  + 1.081  17
18.  Fisichella   Force India-Ferrari  (B)  1:22.466  + 1.197  22
19.  Sutil        Force India-Ferrari  (B)  1:22.689  + 1.420  21
20.  Sato         Super Aguri-Honda    (B)  1:23.726  + 2.457  16
21.  Davidson     Super Aguri-Honda    (B)  1:23.921  + 2.652  15
22.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault     (B)                     2

You do have to ask, what the heck is going on? RBR at either end (granted a problem for Webber), Raikkonen and Hamilton languishing in the middle and Button ahead of both Ferraris.

 

[schumi84]

All a bit topsy-turvy to me. Amazingly close between the whole field though, hoping for a surprise in the drivers lining up in the final shoot out of qualifying.

 

[NathanE]

Coulthard and the others are up there because they are honing their qually setup. Hamilton, Kimi et al are down the time sheet because they have already finished their qually setup and are now honing their race setup...

 

[Skeeter]

Coulthard and the others are up there because they are honing their qually setup. Hamilton, Kimi et al are down the time sheet because they have already finished their qually setup and are now honing their race setup...

Bingo!

Low fuel vs high fuel... etc etc

Practice times mean very little

 

[rpstewart]

Why couldn't the football kick off at 1300? That way Q3 would be at half time.

Looks like the remote will be getting some hard work for the next hour

 

[rpstewart]

Q1 finished and we lose

DC
Vettel
Fisi
Sutil
Davidson
Sato

 

[Skeeter]

Q1 finished and we lose

DC
Vettel
Fisi
Sutil
Davidson
Sato

Holy stupidly fast post batman!

 

[ScottehBotteh]

He probably had the bottom 5 already typed in because its predictable, and then just change Button for whoever messes up ( this time its DC )

 

[rpstewart]

Nope, just sitting in front of the TV with the lappy. Helps when you can type quickly though

 

[rpstewart]

He he, that was a cracking Murray moment from Allen. "Hopefully he'll (Heidfeld) go out into a clear piece of tarmac". As 6 folk pull out of their garages ahead of him

 

[rpstewart]

Q2 finished. Those not making it are

Barrichello
Nakajima
Button
Glock
Rosberg
Bourdais

 

[JRS]

He he, that was a cracking Murray moment from Allen. "Hopefully he'll (Heidfeld) go out into a clear piece of tarmac". As 6 folk pull out of their garages ahead of him

Yep. Pity he's missing all of Murray's charm.

 

[Housey]

I have it on in the background but I really have lost all interest in modern motorsports in the main, it is simply too clinical and mundane the vast majority of the time, and I expect the race tomorrow will be a normal Spanish procession. Love to be proved wrong of course.

Watching the Touring cars last weekend I had forgotten how boring a modern racing day was with support races based around manufacturer supported one make bore-a-thons. Mind you, got my tickets sorted for the Goodwood revival, full weekend and grandstands. Roll on September and some proper entertainment!

 

[gord]

Loving how close the pack are at the mo.. more contention!

 

[SDK^]

Is anyone else's TV coverage dropping out?

 

[Skeeter]

I have it on in the background but I really have lost all interest in modern motorsports in the main, it is simply too clinical and mundane the vast majority of the time, and I expect the race tomorrow will be a normal Spanish procession. Love to be proved wrong of course.

Watching the Touring cars last weekend I had forgotten how boring a modern racing day was with support races based around manufacturer supported one make bore-a-thons. Mind you, got my tickets sorted for the Goodwood revival, full weekend and grandstands. Roll on September and some proper entertainment!

OMG I watched F1 and Touring Cars and all motorsport is rubbish!!

Seriously dude, theres LOTS out there. Single make championships are much more interesting anyway, its all driver skill. I do agree, F1 is boring at the mo, will hopefully be sorted next year.

 

[Skeeter]

 

[.:MBK:.]

that renault must be running on fumes...