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[Shinobi]

Another pole for Michael...ho hum. 100th time he's started a race from the front row.



German Grand Prix grid

1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m13.306s
2 MONTOYA Williams 1m13.667s
3 BUTTON BAR 1m13.673s*
4 RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m13.690s
5 COULTHARD McLaren 1m13.821s
6 ALONSO Renault 1m13.874s
7 TRULLI Renault 1m14.134s
8 BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m14.278s
9 SATO BAR 1m14.287s
10 PANIS Toyota 1m14.367s
11 PIZZONIA Williams 1m14.556s
12 WEBBER Jaguar 1m14.802s
13 KLIEN Jaguar 1m15.011s
14 FISICHELLA Sauber 1m15.395s
15 DA MATTA Toyota 1m15.454s
16 MASSA Sauber 1m15.616s
17 PANTANO Jordan 1m16.192s
18 HEIDFELD Jordan 1m16.310s
19 BRUNI Minardi 1m18.055s
20 BAUMGARTNER Minardi 1m18.400s

* Button to start 13th due to engine change



Gotta feel for Button...getting a quick time like that, only to be sent back ten spots thanks to that stupid rule. On the plus side, it'll be fun seeing him go by the pack to try and get on the podium.

Great lap for Montoya...front row, right next to Mikey. The first couple of corners are going to be even more interesting then usual, what with their blossoming friendship and all.

Obviously I'm happy with McLaren's lot...locking up the second row, if only on a technicality. When Coulthard (who absolutely HATES this qualifying format) can get on one of the top two rows, you know the car is doing well. Both DC and my boy Kimi are well positioned to take home a lot of points, and move McLaren closer to Williams in the constructors standings.

The interesting thing about today's qualifying is how several cars were faster in the first section then Michael (and some in the second), yet almost everyone lost it in the third section. Even the Renaults lost a lot of time in the stadium area. So I guess Michael's car is pretty well dialed in, much to my displeasure, heh.

Too bad they don't have the two long straights anymore, though to be honest I prefer driving this version the track in the video games more then the long version. But the long straights provided more opportunities for passing, which seems to be a no-no with the FIA these days. Stupid idiots. Ah well, we'll see how things go tomorrow.

 

[Deg]

No one likes F1 here?

 

[golem]

i like f1... just... nothing to say. i say schumie be banned from the front row just to make things interesting (and it still wont be that interesting..)

 

[Shinobi]

Heh, the Ferrari's are just a little too good...though it's a surprise to see Rubes down in 8th. Maybe he's using a two stop strategy.

Anyway, just bumping this thread up for the race...I just hope to see something close, ala Silverstone. And hopefully we'll see someone new win the race.

 

[Solid]

Anyway, just bumping this thread up for the race...I just hope to see something close, ala Silverstone. And hopefully we'll see someone new win the race.

Indeed! And I hope it's Trulli! I like him! Ferrari should trade Barrichello for him!

 

[Shinobi]

Sweet Jesus...Kimi's rear wing popped off like a cork off a champange bottle. Guess he's cursed at Hockenheim...he had a huge off last year in the same turn when he got bumped shortly after the start. Unless Michael's car blows up, this race is all but over now.

 

[tracky_dacks]

*sigh* So, what else is new?

 

[DrM]

F1 sucks this year. Thank God for GP500 & Rally.

 

[tracky_dacks]

Thank God for V8 Supercars, Moto GP and Rally.

PS: Go Webber! Go! Go! Go!

 

[Shinobi]

Don't forget ALMS! Next race is in Portland today at 4pm EST. Oh yeah, also got Moto GP at Donnington later today.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Kimi's failure was scary as hell. That could have been much worse. He had a right to be pissed. Anyway, since he was the only one able to run on Michael's pace, the race was done from that point. But some great action back in the pack. Trulli, Sato and Webber put on a hell of a show there. And Jenson won't get the credit he deserves, but he just clawed his way to a podium. The guy is quietly having the best season next to Michael, and no one is giving him his due except the British press who will fellate anything British. Good job Jenson and Fonso. But dammit, Kimi was the class of the field today. PEACE.

 

[Shinobi]

Yeah, been some great action in the rest of the field...Sato and Webber pulling off great passes on Trulli (his car had some of Kimi's wing stuck under his front wing, slowing it up), and Button and Alonso had a couple of great duels coming off that hairpin turn. But man, I wanted to see Michael and Kimi trading some paint...even if Kimi couldn't pass him, it'd be cool as hell to see Michael get challenged and respond. As quiet and as boring as Kimi is most of the time, I'm not sure there's a driver in F1 that gets as pissed as he does when his car fucks up, which I think is a pretty interesting personality trait.

 

[Shinobi]

Heh, Button finally gets past Alonso...all of this while he's got his left hand on his helmet for some reason. Just love watching duels like this, particularly when it's with two young, extremely talented drivers.

 

[Vennt]

Excellent race, and Button is really starting to show the promise his rookie season suggested he was capable of, that was an awesome drive of his today.

Freeburn.

 

[rs7k]

No one likes F1 here?

I used to watch F1 on a regular basis back when Villeneuve won the championship. I haven't watched since he made the switch to BAR. What happened to him anyway?

 

[Shinobi]

BAR moved up test driver Sato to replace Jacques, so he's been sitting out this year on semi-retirement. There's been a lot of talk of him returning with Williams next year, but there's nothing concrete. Sure hope it happens though...the more interesting drivers in the circuit, the better.

 

[Dekajelly]

Excellent drive from Button

.....


I will finish up later because Moto GP is on now Go Rossi, GO!

 

[Pimpwerx]

Button had the drive of the day. He was really aggressive and earned that 2nd place. Would have been nice to have seen Kimi push Michael, and if Button didn't have the engine problem, he would have been dicing too. Alonso drove well, although his car really didn't have the kind of speed needed to run with Michael. But he did well enough. How he held off Benson astonishes me, b/c his car shouldn't have been able to keep pace in some of those areas. He's gotta work on his qualifying, or they need to bring the old rules back again. He'd do better with dry qualies.

Michael got a nice, easy win today. That's 6 in a row. Both championships are over. I think it's pretty much just a formality finishing the season now. I'm gonna have to take back all the bad things I said about this new Hockenheim. It produced a good race a year or two ago too I believe. But it's not the same and not as cool as the old wooded Hockenheim. But at least it's not a dud. Anyway, boring ass Hungary in two weeks, and then Spa!!! WOOHOO!!! I'm gonna see an F1 race there eventually, I just have to. My favorite circuit. PEACE.

 

[megateto]

Heh, Button finally gets past Alonso...all of this while he's got his left hand on his helmet for some reason. Just love watching duels like this, particularly when it's with two young, extremely talented drivers.

You didn't hear about Alonso's problems with the car? His lap times suddenly went up and then again down as somehow he managed to fix it.

Vamos Alonso¡¡¡¡

 

[Shinobi]

Didn't hear...good for Alonso too. Like Duane I was amazed that he could get enough grunt out of his engine to beat the Honda-powered BAR out of the hairpin, since the Renault is reputed to be down on horsepower to the top four or five engines. But it's obviously a great accelerating car from a stop or slow turn.

 

[Vennt]

The Renaults stellar performance out of those hairpins despite it's lower horsepower was discussed by the ITV F1 team.

Apparently the explanation is the Renaults superior low-speed traction, as can be witnessed at all the recent race starts where both Alonso & Trulli have been showing blistering starts. Whilst the BAR does have greater horsepower, that extra power doesn't make much difference if loss of traction sees some of that power wasted. Kudos to Renault.


Freeburn.

 

[golem]

great race by button.. and ALMS was crazy today! i thought speed screwed up and put up nascar for a sec there. too bad Speed World Challenge is shown delayed, would have been a hat trick of racing events if they showed it.

 

[dskillzhtown]

No one likes F1 here?

I stopped watching when it became the Shumacher show.