FRenault Test Predictions: Rockingham 020403

[racingdick]

Originally posted by Paul Rayner
Remember last year at Silverstone when he stormed through the field after his engine blew in qualifying? He didn't get desperate then.

exactly... he had a new engine. If i believe what i heard a new one after every 1 or 2 or races after that.

[Mackmot]

They are best after their life but if they are at more risk of blowing up

[bella]

yeah. so why would you wan a brand new engine every odd race? doesn't stack up.

[LP11]

why does everybody seem to want to knock hamilton all the time, that kid ouzes talent and confidence he wont crack under pressure so dont worry yourselves about that.

he will walk away with the championship this year just as he has done at every test day up until now, there wont be any contest and
if they can afford to bolt new tyres on EVERY session i say good on them.

[Jonny Apex]

For every person who comes out with "I heard such and such put on an extra set of tyres" there is always another who says he didn't. Small talk and very boring.

The teams and drivers are all given the same tyre allocation for the season so it's up to them to decide what to do with them. Manor and Hamilton are just playing the game better than everyone else at present.

In addition, the cars are as near as equal as in performance as you're ever going to find - same chassis, bodywork, engine, fuel, tyres, spark plugs, oil, wheels, suspension and so on.

The reason Hamilton is in front is because he is bloody quick and Manor are bloody good. Fact. Just accept it!

[racingdick]

Those who cheat are the people who just get caught.
winners tend to be those who can cheat best.

Question:
Do the teams have to run to championship rules and regulations whilst pre season testing, otherwise it 'could' be a case of running underweight, deliberatly running a bent car to get the attention.
Though i do hope this insn't true.

[bella]

yes they do have to. although there's nothing stopping them. i think?

why would anyone ever do that though? it's only an ego thing as there aren't actually sponsors in this year's series except daddy ltd...

[Mackmot]

and Daimler-Chrysler AG and McLaren Racing Ltd

Sorry, im not mocking Hamilton he deserves everything he gets from them he is a great talent. However I dont agree with F1 teams taking kids from karting and planning their entire future.

[bella]

they'll drop him if he's no good. it's just an evolution of the daddy ltd thing, he wouln't have been able to afford what he's doing otherwise and i think we'd have lost a pretty good talent.

not necessarily the fastest driver in the world but he's right in the head.

[fantasytoca]

Just a reminder that the fantasy formula renault team selection section is now open at www.fantasytocatour.co.uk

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by Mackmot
I dont agree with F1 teams taking kids from karting and planning their entire future.

What's the problem with it? It happens in football, so why not motor sport? Why shouldn't F1 teams come in and fund drivers through the sport, or are you worried that if too many got involved it'd push prices through the roof?

As for the "is Hamilton cheating thing" (Ho hum, I bet this one will still be going on when the guy gets to F1 and starts winning there), as I've said before, I really don't see the point. McLaren want to take Hamilton to F1, and they want him to win when he gets there. Ron Dennis hasn't built one of F1's most successful teams by being daft. Is the best way to prepare the guy for F1 to make sure he's got a car that's better than the rest, or to make sure he learns how to work with a top team and beat the rest?

Manor Motorsport wiped the floor with the competition in FRenault in 99 with Antonio Pizzonia. They did the same a year later with Kimi Raikkonen, and in both cases they also won the British F3 championship at the same time. After a couple of leaner years, Lewis Hamilton comes along and looks like he'll do the same. So, as far as I see it, either Manor have got some magical mystery cheat that they've managed to apply to two generations of FRenault cars as well as F3 for 4 years without getting noticed, or they're just damn good at preparing cars and getting talented drivers. The latter sounds more feasible somehow.

[Jonny Apex]

Quite right. I've known the Manor team for many years and seen how they work. Bloody hard. Like an ant hill, everyone in there is working for one another. Everybody works. If they don't, they are told to leave.

And they still find the time to have a raucous time in between!

I do not believe this is a team who would ever consider cheating. Pushing the rules to the limit, maybe - that's half the game - but cheating, no. They would take no joy from winning with a bent car. They pride themselves on their levels of preparation too much for any of that nonsense ...