One week to go..... Aussie!

[HF]

Well, it's only one week to go, isn't it? Let' collect our thoughts about the new season....

First quest: Is it correct that McLaren will get the fifth slot in paddock?
I think it's good for Mclaren but not the best case. McLaren, a big team, needs it's space but putting' them in one of the smalest box would have an extra penalty for them. The FIA gets inconsequent.....

Second thing: Will the F1 turn more dangerous without driving aid?
Well, i think the F1 will get more spectacular. The men have to show which habbits are with them. This is a good ban!

Thirs thing: How does the balance of power will be in the midfield of the starters?
Well, my order at the designer valuation (what is it in correct English: Konstrukteurswertung?):

Ferrari
McLaren
Williams or BMW
BMW or Williams
Red Bull
Renault
Toyota
Toro Rosso
Force India
Honda
Super Aguri

[AD]

I'm really looking forward to the season, and honestly, somehow the winter period didn't seem this long this time. I took the time to re-watch some 2007 races in the meantime though.

Apparently, McLaren will at least not be at the beginning/end of the pit lane, as they normally would have been as the last team in the constructor's championship. There are some photographs here (http://forums.autosport.com/showthread. ... ost3029232) in the autosport.com forum where a user reports the McLaren pits "are in between Williams and Red Bull"...

I don't think the abscence of traction control will make things much more dangeorus. It was a large comfort for the drivers, obviously, because a computer can calculate and handle traction a lot more efficient than a driver can with his foot. Also, you have to consider that a lot of racing series have always driven without it, so most of the drivers were used to not having a traction control in probably any car up to the power level of F1. And for those, there was a lot of winter testing.
I think we're going to see more spins and drifts, and of course it's possible that some drivers might have problems with tire use over a race distance, but I don't think it's going to cause massive accidents.

I don't want to speculate about the balance of power between the teams, as I don't think tests are very conclusive in regards to that. We'll have a little more to speculate on after Melbourne.

[Klon]

Well, my order at the designer valuation (what is it in correct English: Konstrukteurswertung?)

Constructors' Championship or Constructors' Ranking.

[HF]

Well, my order at the designer valuation (what is it in correct English: Konstrukteurswertung?)

Constructors' Championship or Constructors' Ranking.

Thank you.

I don't want to speculate about the balance of power between the teams, as I don't think tests are very conclusive in regards to that. We'll have a little more to speculate on after Melbourne.

Yes, I can agree with that in a way. The race will show us how strong or weak the teams are. The biggest X for me is STR and Renault. Well, I didn't watched the test but I did not hear so much about this teams.

The best thing is that Super Aguri seems to be able to start! We need to have 22 cars on the track.

Do you heared something about Ron Dennis? About the rumor that he will retire?

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I've read that it's being discussed in the media, but it's hard to say if it will happen. Generally, I would think that if what happened last year somehow influenced a decision like that, we would have had an announcement much closer to the end of last season. I think it's obvious that Dennis isn't going to be team princripal for all time, but everything else... let's wait and see.

[Klon]

Ron Dennis watnts to stop? [-o< =D>

Maybe Mercedes want him to want that...

[Greyhead]

There was a rumour circulating not long ago that Ron Dennis had been sacked! That one was a strange one... A lot of F1 people seem to think that he'll retire soon and hand the reins over to Martin Whitmarsh as a precursor to Mercedes buying a majority share of the team.

As for McLaren being fifth in the pits, apparently they needed space for their massive motorhome and fifth was the lowest place that it could fit into...

Nice to see Super Aguri getting the investment it needs, but I hope it doesn't mean yet another team getting a name change.

[AD]

Well, I think him actually being dismissed by the team was probably just overinterpretation by the media. I think it's possible that he'll retire at some point, but for the team to downright "sack" him, there would have to be really severe reasons for that, and in any case, doing that in the weeks before the start of the new season would seem like awkward timing to me.

[TdK]

One Word:

GO!

i can't wait!!!

[Thomperson]

I think Hamilton will win at Melbourne. Raikkonen 2nd and Alonso will be the showman on the track. Massa will take some frustrations and Barrichello begin his last season
Nico Rosberg will make a great season with Williams.

[Greyhead]

Well I'd love Hamilton to win the title but I can't really see it being anyone other than Raikkonen. Now he's got a title under his belt I think he'll just go for it in every race as though he's got nothing to lose, and if he can do that he'll be awesome. I'd like to see Honda do well, so Button and Barrichello don't waste their time for yet another season, but I can't really see it somehow.

[MaxX]

I can`t wait for the new season, I hope we`ll have some similar stunning races as last season (although the weather can be held responsible for some spectacles )

I think the real strength of the teams can be seen after 3 - 4 races, but I also expect Ferrari (both) and Mclaren (at least one) on the top of the grid. McLaren should have gotten the lase place in the pits, the FIA is once more inconsiquent...

Here are my thougths of the teams (:


Ferrari - The team everyone will be hunting for, great tactics, great drivers, they have the best chances to make it again
McLaren - Ferrari´s top rival, but I think the red squadra has the strogner driver pair and maybe also car


Reanult - A real wildcard, i think even Briatore can`t say if that car is competitive. Let`s see how much is the Alonso-factor really worth
BMW - Maybe they`ll manage to win their first race this season? I`d really wish them this
Williams - They had some nice races and shall be good for regular points. I fear that they also have only one real fast driver this season
Red Bull - That team has constantly improved the last seasons, maybe they`ll catch up to the first hunters of the 2 top teams. The 2 contracted drivers have great potential


Toro Rosso - Beam me up Scotty, I expect further improvements of that team. I think the 2 Sebs might be a real fast driver pair
Toyota - Lost some ground last season, maybe they`ll manage to come back.
Honda - Last season was a total disaster, it will take some time to get the team ack on it`s feets.


Force India - With Fisichella they have a real experinced driver, that should help improveing the car. Hopefully they`ll exist longer than that season


Super Aguri - Will be happy to stay in F1, enough potential to be the new backmarker

[HF]

Todays night at 0 o'clock GMT+1 the season starts! *happy*

The pity is that I don't know where to watch it because I'm a non-Premiere man..... Do you know a livestream in the internet?

[HF]

Well, I found this solution: http://itv-80.vo.llnwd.net/d1/broadband ... layer.html
Free practise was there...

[V12-Power]

Well, I found this solution: http://itv-80.vo.llnwd.net/d1/broadband ... layer.html
Free practise was there...

Cool!! Then I can watch F1 (because I have no TV). Yesterday I also watched the game Werder vs. Rangers in the ZDF-livestream. Thanks for sharing, Henning!