F1 2009 Flop of the Year?

[Cara Van Man]

With regard to financial status, comparison to 2008, expectations/teams statement etc, who do you reckon will be the flop of the year?
Expectations for Honda will be rock bottom, so not really worthy of my vote.
My vote is on Renault beacuse Nelson Piquet has made a statement expecting them to be fighting at the front of the field, despite being horrendously off the pace in testing with 3 weeks to go.

[stifler]

Trulli will not justify his substantial retainer and will be outperformed by Tim O'Glock.

I expect Raikkonen to be on his period every other race. He should be sponsered by tampax.

[Muzzer]

This is a bit of a lottery because testing means almost naff all, especially as they have so little of it this season.

But, in comparison to expectations I'm going for: Ferrari.

1. They're due a down-turn (No team can be on top forever)

2. The new car doesn't look to be setting the world on fire

3. Their KERS is crap.

4. I just have a feeling

Points 2 and 3 could apply to a number of teams but point 4 obviously makes my argument sound

[Bill Carr]

BMW. Don't know why, just have a feeling they'll not have progressed as much as some other teams.

IMO Renault are another good shout for under-performance.

[skinny]

i reckon toyota will continue to fail to deliver

[DrTre]

Fairly even spread of opinion then

Are we in for a year of success by virtue of being the "least bad" team?

ETA or are McLaren going to walk it

Edited by DrTre on Monday 2nd March 15:34

[Cara Van Man]

Who has voted 'Honda'?

Eh?

How can they be under-achievers when they don't even have a team name or car yet?

Blimey, it's expecting a bit much of them to say they'll UNDER achieve.

I'm expecting them to be well and truly fixed to the back of the grid, anything else will be a miracle.

[EDLT]

Cara Van Man said:

Who has voted 'Honda'?

Eh?

How can they be under-achievers when they don't even have a team name or car yet?

Blimey, it's expecting a bit much of them to say they'll UNDER achieve.

I'm expecting them to be well and truly fixed to the back of the grid, anything else will be a miracle.

They still might not make it to all the races, and with so little testing done over winter they probably won't finish many of them

Edited by EDLT on Monday 2nd March 15:55

[stephen300o]

EDLT said:

Cara Van Man said:

Who has voted 'Honda'?

Eh?

How can they be under-achievers when they don't even have a team name or car yet?

Blimey, it's expecting a bit much of them to say they'll UNDER achieve.

I'm expecting them to be well and truly fixed to the back of the grid, anything else will be a miracle.

They still might not make it to all the races, and with so little testing done over winter they probably won't finish many of them

Edited by EDLT on Monday 2nd March 15:55

More likely pedants pointing out Honda don't exist anymore.

[dpbird90]

I vote McLaren, or at least half of it. Although I want him to do very well, I sadly expect that Kovalainen will once again be useless for a majority of the season and be replaced by Rosberg in 2010, after which McLaren will dominate all.

[sirtyro]

Cara Van Man said:

Who has voted 'Honda'?

Eh?

How can they be under-achievers when they don't even have a team name or car yet?

Blimey, it's expecting a bit much of them to say they'll UNDER achieve.

I'm expecting them to be well and truly fixed to the back of the grid, anything else will be a miracle.

I voted for Honda because they have been saying they will be ready for 2009 since March 2008! This was meant to be the year they would make a come back and Jenson would be up with the top drivers.....but think they are set for a fall!

[Rude-boy]

It's a funny year this one as, for example, last year I didn't really give too many hoots so long as Lewis got his (first) WDC.

This year I can't find any team 'want' to flop.

I think that Renault will be fighting with Toyota for the 'flop of the year' title on balance though. Meantime I am crossing everything that Williams will finish in the top 4...

[sstw]

skinny said:

i reckon toyota will continue to fail to deliver

I'm not sure, i've got a feeling Toyota will finally nail it this year. Glock for WDC!

[stifler]

sstw said:

skinny said:

i reckon toyota will continue to fail to deliver

I'm not sure, i've got a feeling Toyota will finally nail it this year. Glock for WDC!

I would love to be able to have that feeling too. I just don't see what Toyota have done differently this year, that is different from any other year.

Much the same as I would love to see rosberg win in the Williams. I think it would do both parties the world of good. I just can't bring myself to believe it.

[german tony]

I voted for the Ferrari as it doesn't seem to be able to run in the wet. Then I recalled that i couldn't last year either so now I think, if I could vote again, I'd vote Honda. Big, big words about abandonong all developement on last year's car to concentrate on this year's & they've not been even close to any testing yet.

[Cara Van Man]

Glad to see Renault grabbing almost as many votes as Honda

[Rocky Balboa]

Cara Van Man said:

With regard to financial status, comparison to 2008, expectations/teams statement etc, who do you reckon will be the flop of the year?
Expectations for Honda will be rock bottom, so not really worthy of my vote.
My vote is on Renault beacuse Nelson Piquet has made a statement expecting them to be fighting at the front of the field, despite being horrendously off the pace in testing with 3 weeks to go.

Renault must be sandbagging in testing. On the right day Piquet is arguably one of the best drivers in F1.

[DSM2]

Rocky Balboa said:

Cara Van Man said:

With regard to financial status, comparison to 2008, expectations/teams statement etc, who do you reckon will be the flop of the year?
Expectations for Honda will be rock bottom, so not really worthy of my vote.
My vote is on Renault beacuse Nelson Piquet has made a statement expecting them to be fighting at the front of the field, despite being horrendously off the pace in testing with 3 weeks to go.

Renault must be sandbagging in testing. On the right day Piquet is arguably one of the best drivers in F1.

Yeah right. That'll be the 5th Friday in February then.

[Martin Keene]

Bill Carr said:

BMW. Don't know why, just have a feeling they'll not have progressed as much as some other teams.

Thats weird, I have exactly the same feeling. There is no real logic behind it, I just can't seem to shake it though. Maybe it has something to do with their car looking quite plain and rather lacking it aggresive ideas, don't know.

[stifler]

Rocky Balboa said:

Cara Van Man said:

With regard to financial status, comparison to 2008, expectations/teams statement etc, who do you reckon will be the flop of the year?
Expectations for Honda will be rock bottom, so not really worthy of my vote.
My vote is on Renault beacuse Nelson Piquet has made a statement expecting them to be fighting at the front of the field, despite being horrendously off the pace in testing with 3 weeks to go.

Renault must be sandbagging in testing. On the right day Piquet is arguably one of the best drivers in F1.

Nelson Piquet, not Nelson Piquet Jr. Is that what you meant?