THE OFFICIAL FRENCH GP THREAD WITH SPOILERS

[kevin ritson]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula...

So does the Ferrari fightback start here? And will Kimi find his form?

[FourWheelDrift]

Coulthard is over a second faster than Webber so it's clear they were on different setups/fuel loads. No reason to not think the Ferrari's were lighter to get some headlines and boost morale.

The McLarens were probably running a low downforce setup to either test it out for the race or even sandbag, by being slower around the full lap. Lewis was the fastest through the speedtrap at 271kph, Alonso 3rd at 263kph. Raikonnen fastest lap time overall but was only clocked at 258kph, 10th quickest. Alternatively the Ferrari's could have been running with more wing to be quicker through all the fast sweepers at Magny-Cours. Although for the race you need to be quick on the long straight up to the Adelaide hairpin as that's where all the overtaking is done. McLaren race setup, Ferrari qualifying setup.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Friday 29th June 12:08

[ewenm]

kevin ritson said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula...

So does the Ferrari fightback start here? And will Kimi find his form?

Perhaps, I reckon we'll find out over the next couple of days

Edited by ewenm on Friday 29th June 12:06

[loneranger]

FourWheelDrift said:

Coulthard is over a second faster than Webber so it's clear they were on different setups/fuel loads. No reason to not think the Ferrari's were lighter to get some headlines and boost morale.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Friday 29th June 12:08

Coulthard is as good as Hamilton.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/6252424...

I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard
David Coulthard believes he would be challenging Lewis Hamilton at the top of the Formula One championship if he had a better car at his disposal.
The 36-year-old Scot has picked up four points for Red Bull Racing this season but says he is driving as well as ever.

"It will end at some point, but in the meantime I'm driving every bit as well as Lewis Hamilton - I just don't have the car to show it," said Coulthard.

"I know I can do something remarkable, although it may not be obvious."

Coulthard has raced in 218 Grands Prix in a 14-year career and describes his victory in a McLaren in France in 2000 as a remarkable moment.

That was the last time McLaren won at Magny-Cours, although with Hamilton and Fernando Alonso flying high in the championship that record looks in danger of being eclipsed at the weekend.

"Winning then was remarkable because it was a challenge, it was difficult," reflected Coulthard.

"I still get those remarkable results, it's just that they are not in the public eye.

"But I am getting more out of the equipment than it should deliver on certain occasions, like finishing third last year in Monaco.

"And beating your team-mate is part of it. Mark Webber is hailed as one of the quickest guys in qualifying, but up against him I do a very good job.

"I do this job because I love it - it's not about money - and I do a good job. I give value for money.

"Obviously, I want to compete and race because Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport and I believe I can make a difference."

Coulthard's contract with Red Bull expires at the end of the season, although he has made it clear he is keen to stay on.

[john2443]

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

[loneranger]

STR go mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=3979...

Felipe Massa turned the tables on his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in the second free practice session for the French Grand Prix as the Brazilian ended Friday fastest of all at Magny-Cours.

Ferrari appears to have rediscovered its form in France, and after a dominant performance in the morning session, where Raikkonen was fastest, Massa and the Finn continued the second session in a similar vein.

Lewis Hamilton got a full afternoon's work in this time and managed to go fourth fastest, just 0.32s behind the red cars but nearly 0.3s faster than team-mate Fernando Alonso (eighth).

The stars of the session were undoubtedly those driving Adrian Newey-designed cars however.

The Scuderia Toro Rosso team, which has promised on occasion in recent races, obliterated the form book with Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi third and fifth.

David Coulthard in the Renault-powered Red Bull version of the machine was sixth fastest. Team-mate Mark Webber might have been in the mix as well, but the Aussie was forced to pull of the track halfway through the session.


A full report will follow shortly.


French GP free practice session 2 times

1. MASSA Ferrari 1m15.453s

2. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m15.488s

3. SPEED Toro Rosso 1m15.773s

4. HAMILTON McLaren 1m15.780s

5. LIUZZI Toro Rosso 1m15.952s

6. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m15.958s

7. ROSBERG Williams 1m16.003s

8. ALONSO McLaren 1m16.049s

9. DAVIDSON Super Aguri 1m16.162s

10. SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m16.184s

11. FISICHELLA Renault 1m16.205s

12. KUBICA BMW 1m16.236s

13. WURZ Williams 1m16.260s

14. TRULLI Toyota 1m16.285s

15. BUTTON Honda 1m16.395s

16. WEBBER Red Bull 1m16.562s

17. KOVALAINEN Renault 1m16.735s

18. BARRICHELLO Honda 1m16.950s

19. HEIDFELD BMW 1m16.968s

20. SATO Super Aguri 1m17.165s

21. SUTIL Spyker 1m18.213s

22. ALBERS Spyker 1m18.708s

[loneranger]

Renault and BMW can't be happy.
They have both gone a long way backwards since North America.

[kevin ritson]

BMW were higher up in the first session so depends on what they were testing at the time. Renault did spent both sessions at the lower end of the table, however.

[MrKipling43]

Nice to see the Williams looking solid again. I've got high hopes for them over the next year or two.

[stephen300o]

Yes Ferrari have caught Mclaren, and scott speed will get a podium
Ferrari hopefully closer but I don't see them catching Mclaren yet.

[loneranger]

It all goes to prove that the car is so much more important than the driver. Both RBR drivers were near the back for every race this season, then Newey weaves some magic and they are both near the front.

[FourWheelDrift]

I'd wait until Saturday qualifying before making any judgement of STR, Red Bull or anyone else putting in a surprising turn of speed during a free practice session.

[freedman]

loneranger said:

It all goes to prove that the car is so much more important than the driver. Both RBR drivers were near the back for every race this season, then Newey weaves some magic and they are both near the front.

Quick in free practice = the square route of f*ck all

[mchammer89]

Anybody heard anything further on the Schumacher/Zidane thing? I heard Schumacher was going to be driving Zidane around the curcuit in a Ferrari FXX for a charity, anybody know if it'll be shown on tv? I really wanna see an in-car cam showing Zidane's face in the car lol

[djmotorsport]

john2443 said:

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

• If* we could see all of the current F1 drivers in the same car (whichever McLaren, Ferrari, BMW etc )for enough time to learn the specific traits of that car, I'd be surprised to see more than 0.5s between the quickest and the slowest driver. The level of talent required to get to F1 is astonishing. And between DC and LH - who knows ?

[loneranger]

djmotorsport said:

john2443 said:

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

• If* we could see all of the current F1 drivers in the same car (whichever McLaren, Ferrari, BMW etc )for enough time to learn the specific traits of that car, I'd be surprised to see more than 0.5s between the quickest and the slowest driver. The level of talent required to get to F1 is astonishing. And between DC and LH - who knows ?

Yep. The car is nearly everything. Except perhaps for RS.

[JonRB]

john2443 said:

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

Hey, maybe this year is DC's year? After all, he's been telling us that this year is his year for the past decade or so, so why not?

[Matt H]

djmotorsport said:

john2443 said:

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

• If* we could see all of the current F1 drivers in the same car (whichever McLaren, Ferrari, BMW etc )for enough time to learn the specific traits of that car, I'd be surprised to see more than 0.5s between the quickest and the slowest driver. The level of talent required to get to F1 is astonishing. And between DC and LH - who knows ?

• but* whenever in a front running car Coulthard has been the slower

[loneranger]

JonRB said:

john2443 said:

"I'm as good as Lewis - Coulthard"

What!? That sounds like something we all say to our mates in the pub, but he's being a bit optimisitc saying it in public IMO.

Hey, maybe this year is DC's year? After all, he's been telling us that this year is his year for the past decade or so, so why not?

I like DC.
He is a good racer and he is quite smooth and fast.
His biggest problem is that he is too nice and normal.
If he was an arrogant self centred twunt then he would have had a big lot more points in his career.

It is like the great champion boxers coming fron deprived backgrounds.
DC comes from a very well off family.

Edited by loneranger on Saturday 30th June 06:32

[JonRB]

loneranger said:

I like DC.
He is a good racer and he is quite smooth and fast.

I didn't mean to imply that I didn't like DC - I quite agree with you. But we did go through a stage in the McLaren years where, every single year without fail, we'd have:

• pre-season - "this is my year. I will win the WDC"
• start of season - "the car isn't quite where I want, but this is my year"
• after first couple of mediocre races - "well, we got off to a bad start but have plenty of time to make it up"
• mid-season - "well, things haven't gone fairly badly, but we're only halfway so it's possible to turn things around"
• a few races later - "I think we have to be prepared for the fact that the WDC is slipping away, but it is still attainable"
• late season - "I think we have to accept that the WDC is essentially unobtainable this year so I will be concentrating on supporting my team mate"
• end of season - "next year is my year. I will win the WDC."

I mean, nice guy for sure, but change the record.

I must confess that I thought DC was probably the jammiest sod around for retaining a seat after McLaren but Red Bull have been somewhat of a renaissance for him and he's done well. His style of dependable mediocrity (all things being relative in the world of F1 - I'd be happy if I had 5% of his skill and ability) that brings home solid, uninspiring finishes time and again suit a lower team far better, where points finishes are what they are aiming for rather than podiums and also his wealth of experience is doubtless of great benefit to them.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 29th June 22:53