2005 Chinese Grand Prix

[Dutch Guy]

Could be interesting

Deffo, time to stay well clear of the track, it's a woman after all

Seriously though, it's a nice gesture from Minardi (propably one of the last ones )

 

[JBeck]

Renault the best car on the grid? Nah.
Alonso the best driver on the grid? Nah.

Oh god are you still going on about this? When will you ever get it into your head that pure SPEED does not make the best team or driver. I guess tactics, reliability, consistency, teamwork, pitwork, car setup, engineering and looking after the car on the track (yes hello Kimi) means nothing. Being best means nothing if you can't get your motor to the end of the race, because then you're not the best are you.

So yes another season over, thanks to Simon/Flibster for the great reports. But (no offence), the constant Ferarri/Schumacher bashing is rather unnecessary and tedious

 

[Flibster]

So yes another season over, thanks to Simon/Flibster for the great reports. But (no offence), the constant Ferarri/Schumacher bashing is rather unnecessary and tedious

May I suggest this link

I've worked with the guy and tbh he's up there amonst many of the people I worked with a Fujitsu as the worst people to work with.

Much prefered working with Irvine - and he's no picnic either - hence the reason I changed to work with anotehr team part way through the season

Ferrari I have no problems with - It's just people are overly defensive of them - the car was at fault this year - not just the tyres - in fact - I'd be surprised if it was the tyres that were more at fault than the car.

Minardi last year were at the least 4 seconds off the Ferrari - this year - 2 seconds...

So - either Minardi have got 2 seconds a lap faster *no offence Minardi but ...no way...* or Ferrari are 2 seconds a lap slower...or somewhere inbetween - I suspect around a second each.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Midland offer Sato 2006 contract

The new Midland Formula One team has offered Japan's Takuma Sato a contract for next year.

Team boss Colin Kolles told Autosport magazine that the Japanese driver, who lost his drive with BAR at the end of the season, had been offered a deal.

"It is up to him and if he wants to sign, he could be a Midland driver next year," said Kolles about the driver who scored just one point this season.

"We offered him the contract in Brazil and we are still waiting to hear."

Toyota-powered Midland take over from Jordan next year after Russian-born Canadian billionaire Alex Shnaider bought the team last January.

Sato was also linked with a new mystery 11th team planning to make their debut next year with Honda engines.

"Whether it's a new team or an existing team, I'm determined to race in 2006 anyway," he said at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

"I've got to believe in my heart 100% but you never know until you get a contract.

"If the new team doesn't happen we are still in contact with existing teams and there are still possibilities. I have to choose what is the best option for me in 2006."

 

[Flibster]

Williams Likely to Choose Nico Rosberg

Wanting to avoid last year’s long driving shootout between Nick Heidfeld and Antonio Pizzonia, the Williams F1 team has reportedly already finalized its race driver lineup for 2006, picking Nico Rosberg to run alongside Mark Webber in its Cosworth-powered machines next year.

According to Autosport magazine, Nico’s dominating performances in the second half of this year’s inaugural GP2 Series championship, in which he beat Heikki Kovalainen to the title, alongside with his feedback on the tests he’s done so far with the team wrapped up the Williams’ decision.

In addition, it is believed that the mistakes committed by rival Pizzonia, who spun in qualifying and the race at the Japanese Grand Prix, hurt the Brazilian’s chances decisively.

"It shouldn't be a problem to drive against Mark as long as I get a lot of winter testing," Rosberg previously told Autosport. "I need to get enough mileage to make sure I'm ready but apart from that I'm okay."

Pizzonia has hinted that he would not be interested in staying on as a third driver for the team, even though Williams will be allowed to run a third Friday car in ‘06, and could revive the search for a Champ Car seat attempted during the last off-season.

 

[Flibster]

Bernie gives F1 '95/100'

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has given the 2005 season a score of 95/100.

The diminutive Englishman said grand prix racing was docked at least five points when it gave Indianapolis a farcical embarrassment in June.

'I heard a lot of noise and many complaints about that,' the 74-year-old told Sport Bild.

'But America is like that - you get sued if you say 'good morning' to someone at 5 past noon.'

More broadly, Bernie is a keen supporter of trying to limit testing but also of kicking out a tyre manufacturer. 'If we had a control tyre,' he explained, 'we won't need to do all that testing.'

Ecclestone is also pushing for yet another revision of the points system, after a new format was introduced in 2003.

'There must be a larger incentive for victory,' he said, referring to the current 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system, as opposed to before when second won just six points.

'At the moment it is possible to become champion without having to win a race.'

 

[Flibster]

Handbags at dawn anyone?

Albers: 'If Doornbos is good, I'm Superman'

Christijan Albers has slammed his Minardi team-mate Robert Doornbos, claiming that he was of no use to the team in developing the PS05.

Doornbos joined Minardi after the British Grand Prix when he was signed as Patrick Friesacher's replacement. Friesacher was dropped when he could no longer afford to pay for his drive.

However, according to Albers, Minardi should rather have kept the Austrian.

"Doornbos is being hyped by the Dutch press as if he's a huge talent. But I keep beating him, so what does that make me? Superman?" Albers told Speed TV.

"The most important part of driving for a team is improving the car and he hasn't done that at all - actually he hasn't made one improvement at Minardi since he joined us."

"F1 is all about improving the car. Not about telling everyone how much you enjoyed the GP weekend over and over again."

"Robert isn't a bad driver, but he just didn't help the team to go forward. Patrick helped the team go forward- with him we kept improving the car and since Doornbos joined we didn't develop the car that quickly any more…"

 

[Flibster]

Bridgestone 'image' blasted

Bridgestone's bleak 2005 season in Formula One will hit the Japanese tyre supplier where it hurts - sales.

That's the belief of tyre rival Michelin's retiring F1 boss Pierre Dupasquier, who reckons the losses with Ferrari will ultimately damage 'credibility' and 'image'.

'Whether you're a success or you screw up at this level,' the Frenchman, 67, told the British 'Guardian' newspaper, 'it will mean something to the driver of any type of car.'

Predictably, Bridgestone UK's Taka Horio denied the charge, claiming that business in Europe is 'increasing' rather than starting to hit the dirt.

'At the moment our tyre performance is not as good as we expected,' the Japanese admitted, 'but because of the positive elements of Formula One, our brand awareness is still expanding.'

Head of Bridgestone tyre development Hirohide Hamashima, at least, does see a link between poor results and poor image. But he insisted to Gazzetta dello Sport that the marque 'is not inferior' to French champion Michelin.

'We take some blame for what happened,' he continued, 'but Ferrari's overall package wasn't so competitive.

'I don't want to blame the car (but) it's certainly been difficult to find the right balance.'

Hamashima also denied that Bridgestone lobbied the FIA to re-allow tyre changing in 2006. 'We didn't ask anything like this,' he insisted, although admitting that it would be a better regulation for 'spectacle' and 'safety'.

 

[Flibster]

Dubai to Build $360m F1 Theme Park

Sure not to hurt Dubai’s plans to add a second Middle Eastern date to Formula 1’s calendar (following last year’s inclusion of Bahrain) is the news that the tiny Emirate nation will build a $360m Formula 1 theme park - already dubbed “Bernieland” by paddock cynics…

The nickname is appropriate, however, as Bernie Ecclestone’s FOA is directly connected to the project, headed by a company called Union Properties. The “Formula 1 World” park will be “a visionary and permanent theme park offering unparalleled access to the world's most popular annual sporting series, and feature state-of-the-art fun and entertainment facilities for all ages, all 'under one roof',” a joint Union/FOA statement revealed.

Spreading over 5 million square feet, F1 World will also include a five-star hotel and conference centers to cater to amusement and business alike. Construction is set to begin next year, with completion expected for 2008.

"I'm pleased to be working with Union Properties and have every confidence that they will deliver an outstanding development, which Formula 1 fans the world over will enjoy," Ecclestone stated.

The force behind bringing F1 World to Dubai - not exactly “Racing Capital of the World” is crown prince “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum”, brother of the other notorious Maktoum Al Maktoum, the brain trust of A1 Grand Prix.

 

[Flibster]

Todt downplays budget plunge

Jean Todt has downplayed reports that a waning budget can be linked to Ferrari's '05 downfall.

Although speculation is adamant that - with Fiat's financial problems - the annual Ferrari F1 budget this year is $50-60m lower than in 2003, Todt is keen to quieten the link between money and speed.

'We will never state that we are not getting the results because we do not have the means,' the Frenchman told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Jean Todt continued: 'We have reached important agreements this year - Philip Morris, for example, will be with us ... until 2011.'

The Ferrari boss also rubbished suggestions that Michael Schumacher's driving contributed to the red decline. 'We have learned never to underestimate him,' Jean Todt said of the German champion.

'People who say he is finished know little about motor racing. Ferrari's problems are our problems alone.'

 

[Flibster]

A clever V10 engine - 19 October 2005

Just when you think you've heard it all, you click on the Renault F1 website and hear an exiting V10 engine 'singing' Queen's We Are The Champions.

Click: http://www.renaultf1.com/en/season/china//index.php?news=tcm:3-41651

The French marque might have produced the double title winning 3.0 litre unit in 2005, but independent rival Cosworth reckons that - with Red Bull - it had the most reliable.

A single failure at Spa aside, Cosworth 'made no unscheduled engine changes ... throughout the 2005 race season,' a boastful statement read.

Even including Renault, Ferrari, Toyota, BMW and Mercedes, some in pitlane reckon Honda's final V10 actually packed the most power.

But engineering director Shuhei Nakamoto expressed disappointment with BAR-Honda's lowly sixth in the constructors' chase. 'It is not enough for us just to be here (in F1),' the Japanese said.

'We have to work harder, be smarter. Our goal is to win.'

Finally, McLaren-Mercedes exited season '05 with arguably the quickest overall package of all, but Norbert Haug denied that the end of Shanghai triggered a mass holiday.

'There isn't much time to relax,' Mercedes' boss said. 'Our rival (Renault) used up all its potential this year, we still have room to improve.'

 

[Flibster]

A new 'drain pain' theory

Organisers of the Chinese grand prix were near-universally condemned after a loose drain cover ruined Juan Pablo Montoya's F1 run in Shanghai.

Circuit designer Hermann Tilke said at the grand prix that the metal cover had not properly been 'locked' into place.

'That's the problem,' the German architect told ITV. 'Every piece has to be locked ... and it was not done.'

Since then, though, Tilke seems to have revised his opinion, adding that pointing the blame in the direction of Chinese officials 'was not good' for the fledgling venue.

'We're looking into it,' he now tells crash.net, 'but it may have been that the material used (did not) work correctly.'

Shanghai's indiscretion was condemned with even more vigour because a similar incident - involving a wayward kerb drain cover - occurred during the Australian V8 Supercars' visit to Shanghai earlier in 2005.

 

[Flibster]

Race Results.

[b]Pos	No	Driver			Team			Laps	Time		Grid	Points[/b]
1	5	Fernando Alonso		Renault			56	1:39:53.618	1	10	
2	9	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes	56	+4.0 secs	3	8	
3	17	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			56	+25.3 secs	9	6	
4	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			56	+26.1 secs	2	5	
5	15	Christian Klien		Red Bull Racing		56	+31.8 secs	14	4	
6	12	Felipe Massa		Sauber-Petronas		56	+36.4 secs	11	3	
7	7	Mark Webber		Williams-BMW		56	+36.8 secs	10	2	
8	3	Jenson Button		BAR-Honda		56	+41.2 secs	4	1	
9	14	David Coulthard		Red Bull Racing		56	+44.2 secs	7	
10	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-Petronas		56	+59.9 secs	16	
11	18	Tiago Monteiro		Jordan-Toyota		56	+84.6 secs	19	
12	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari			56	+92.8 secs	8	
13	8	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams-BMW		55	Puncture	13	
14	20	Robert Doornbos		Minardi-Cosworth	55	+1 Lap	20		
15	16	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			55	+1 Lap	12		
16	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi-Cosworth	50	+5 Laps	18		
Ret	4	Takuma Sato		BAR-Honda		34	Gearbox	17		
Ret	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan-Toyota		28	Accident	15	
Ret	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	24	Engine	5		
Ret	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari			22	Spin	6

Fastest Laps.

[b]Pos	No	Driver			Team			Lap	Time		Speed	 	Laptime[/b]
1	9	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes	56	15:43:24	210.458		1:33.242	
2	5	Fernando Alonso		Renault			45	15:26:01	209.797		1:33.536	
3	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			54	15:40:38	209.736		1:33.563	
4	15	Christian Klien		Red Bull Racing		43	15:23:00	209.369		1:33.727	
5	17	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			44	15:24:31	208.684		1:34.035	
6	12	Felipe Massa		Sauber-Petronas		43	15:22:59	208.553		1:34.094	
7	7	Mark Webber		Williams-BMW		53	15:39:12	208.161		1:34.271	
8	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	15	14:27:25	207.654		1:34.501	
9	8	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams-BMW		52	15:37:59	207.525		1:34.560	
10	14	David Coulthard		Red Bull Racing		54	15:40:55	207.470		1:34.585	
11	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-Petronas		53	15:39:33	207.190		1:34.713	
12	3	Jenson Button		BAR-Honda		53	15:39:16	207.074		1:34.766	
13	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari			18	14:32:23	206.540		1:35.011	
14	16	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			16	14:29:18	205.812		1:35.347	
15	4	Takuma Sato		BAR-Honda		17	14:31:21	205.295		1:35.587	
16	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari			16	14:29:40	204.674		1:35.877	
17	18	Tiago Monteiro		Jordan-Toyota		13	14:24:49	203.220		1:36.563	
18	20	Robert Doornbos		Minardi-Cosworth	54	15:41:41	202.526		1:36.894	
19	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi-Cosworth	48	15:33:38	201.857		1:37.215	
20	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan-Toyota		17	14:31:35	201.478		1:37.398

Pit Stops

[b]Stop	No	Driver			Time			Lap	Time of day	Time	Total time[/b]
1	4	Takuma Sato		BAR-Honda		4	14:10:11	13.895	13.895	
1	18	Tiago Monteiro		Jordan-Toyota		15	14:28:05	25.276	25.276	
1	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi-Cosworth	16	14:30:07	27.533	27.533	
1	14	David Coulthard		Red Bull Racing		17	14:30:42	26.112	26.112	
1	16	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			17	14:30:56	26.811	26.811	
1	20	Robert Doornbos		Minardi-Cosworth	17	14:31:37	26.940	26.940	
1	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	18	14:32:15	27.204	27.204	
1	3	Jenson Button		BAR-Honda		18	14:32:17	26.925	26.925	
2	4	Takuma Sato		BAR-Honda		18	14:33:03	26.314	40.209	
1	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan-Toyota		18	14:33:16	27.060	27.060	
1	5	Fernando Alonso		Renault			19	14:33:27	24.510	24.510	
1	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			19	14:33:47	24.551	24.551	
1	9	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes	19	14:33:48	27.013	27.013	
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari			19	14:34:01	26.328	26.328	
1	17	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			19	14:34:03	26.358	26.358	
1	7	Mark Webber		Williams-BMW		19	14:34:03	27.324	27.324	
1	12	Felipe Massa		Sauber-Petronas		19	14:34:10	26.702	26.702	
1	15	Christian Klien		Red Bull Racing		19	14:34:12	26.028	26.028	
1	8	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams-BMW		19	14:34:14	31.285	31.285	
1	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-Petronas		19	14:34:19	31.353	31.353	
2	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	19	14:34:33	27.803	55.007	
2	18	Tiago Monteiro		Jordan-Toyota		23	14:45:06	29.330	54.606	
2	5	Fernando Alonso		Renault			30	14:57:10	24.945	49.455	
2	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			30	14:57:23	23.941	48.492	
2	9	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes	30	14:57:24	21.961	48.974	
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari			30	14:57:24	23.255	49.583	
2	7	Mark Webber		Williams-BMW		30	14:57:35	23.588	50.912	
2	3	Jenson Button		BAR-Honda		30	14:57:37	22.955	49.880	
2	14	David Coulthard		Red Bull Racing		30	14:57:37	25.241	51.353	
2	8	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams-BMW		30	14:57:42	27.615	58.900	
2	16	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			30	14:57:43	23.669	50.480	
2	20	Robert Doornbos		Minardi-Cosworth	30	14:57:44	26.771	53.711	
2	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-Petronas		30	14:57:46	23.261	54.614	
2	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi-Cosworth	30	15:00:41	29.494	57.027	
2	12	Felipe Massa		Sauber-Petronas		44	15:24:36	23.457	50.159	
2	15	Christian Klien		Red Bull Racing		45	15:26:10	22.397	48.425	
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari			46	15:28:20	20.992	1:10.575	
2	17	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			47	15:29:16	21.745	48.103	
3	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			52	15:37:20	13.833	1:02.325	
3	16	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			54	15:42:08	29.455	1:19.935

 

[Flibster]

2005 F1 World Championship Results

2005 Drivers Championship.

[b]Pos	Driver			Nationality	Team			Points[/b]
1	Fernando Alonso		Spanish		Renault			133
2	Kimi Räikkönen		Finnish		McLaren-Mercedes	112
3	Michael Schumacher	German		Ferrari			62
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	McLaren-Mercedes	60
5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian		Renault			58
6	Ralf Schumacher		German		Toyota			45
7	Jarno Trulli		Italian		Toyota			43
8	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari			38
9	Jenson Button		British		BAR-Honda		37
10	Mark Webber		Australian	Williams-BMW		36
11	Nick Heidfeld		German		Williams-BMW		28
12	David Coulthard		British		Red Bull Racing		24
13	Felipe Massa		Brazilian	Sauber-Petronas		11
14	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	Sauber-Petronas		9
15	Christian Klien		Austrian	Red Bull Racing		9
16	Tiago Monteiro		Portuguese	Jordan-Toyota		7
17	Alexander Wurz		Austrian	McLaren-Mercedes	6
18	Narain Karthikeyan	Indian		Jordan-Toyota		5
19	Christijan Albers	Dutch		Minardi-Cosworth	4
20	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish		McLaren-Mercedes	4
21	Patrick Friesacher 	Austrian	Minardi-Cosworth	3
22	Antonio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Williams-BMW		2
23	Takuma Sato		Japanese 	BAR-Honda		1
24	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Italian		Red Bull Racing		1

2005 Constructors Championship.

[b]Pos	Constructor 		Points[/b]
1	Renault 		191
2	McLaren-Mercedes 	182
3	Ferrari 		100
4	Toyota 			88
5	Williams-BMW 		66
6	BAR-Honda 		38
7	Red Bull Racing 	34
8	Sauber-Petronas 	20
9	Jordan-Toyota 		12
10	Minardi-Cosworth 	7

Fernando Alonso - Renault

Mild Seven Renault F1

 

[vanpeebles]

ah lotus and cooper, any other pics of the rest of it?

 

[Flibster]

Sadly not

Renault are only the second French team to win the constructors championship - other is Matra.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Byron5184]

Might i recommend a new thread being started for the winter period "F1 Winter Testing Thread" perhaps, rather than dragging out the chinese GP thread for 5-6 months LOL

those trophies are SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

 

[Flibster]

Might i recommend a new thread being started for the winter period "F1 Winter Testing Thread" perhaps, rather than dragging out the chinese GP thread for 5-6 months LOL

those trophies are SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

There will be one on those threads.

Hell - starting on collecting stuff for the 06 season already.

As for the trophies - nice - but I prefer the Aus GP winners trophy.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[rpstewart]

Hell - starting on collecting stuff for the 06 season already.

Yup, same here, Google Earth links for most of the circuits are sorted already, hopefully the mapping will have been updated for some of them by the time they come round.

 

[Flibster]

Cool.

A lot of the links I have are pretty terrible for google earth - although many of the tracks are in low res or missing at the moment.

Suzuka is the best imho though - can see the cars going round the track.

Simon/~Flibster