Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
The idea would be this:
* Make a list with the 11 teams ordered
* Only 1 post per member allowed till March 13th
* In Australia we will see who was closer!
My list is:
Ferrari
McLaren
Renault
BMW
Williams
Honda
RBR
Toyota
STR
Force India
Super Aguri
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio
"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna
We are talking about the pace come MELBOURNE right? not the pace in general for the whole year ahead? Right here goes then:
I'm gonna call it as... (stllaing for time making final decision lol):
1. Ferrari
2. Mclaren
3. BMW
4. Renault
5. Willams
6. Toyota
7. Red Bull Racing
8. STR
9. Force India F1
10. Super Aguri
11. Honda
My theory being that Super Aguri will have a dog of a car, and the new RA108 is not just a dog, but according to JB a "New" dog, and thus they don't understand it fully yet.
I think the closest battle will be between Renault, BMW & Williams, and I wouldn't be suprised if we saw Williams in 3rd and BMW in 5th.
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.
1. Ferrari
2. McLaren
3. BMW
4. Renault
5. Williams
6. Toyota
7. Red Bull Racing
8. Scuderia Toro Rosso
9. Honda
10.Super Aguri
11.Force India F1
Almost tempted to move toyota up belive it or not because they're car looks new for once.. and in my opinion it looks quick. Although it does seem like a long time ago now since they put in some good qualifying sessions.
1. Ferrari
2. Renault
3. McLaren
4. BMW-Sauber
5. Williams
6. Toyota
7. Red Bull Racing
8. Scuderia Toro Rosso
9. Honda
10.Force India
11.Super Aguri (if they happen to make onto the grid by this date)
I put Renault in the second slot partially because Alonso is now in one of their cockpits, and Piquet seems promising enough. The R28 appears to be a serious improvement over the R27, so that helps out the french team as well.
Which then obviously puts McLaren in third, because possibly to maybe, Kovalainen will make some more rookie mistakes like he did last season.
And since this is overall team pace, it is required to use the potential of both drivers (IMO).
As for STR over Honda; STR have Vettel and Bourdais, and Honda have Button and Barrichello. I'm also somewhat basing Honda's pace on their testing times as to date, STR included now that I think about it.
1. Ferrari
2. BMW-Sauber
3. McLaren
4. Renault
5. Toyota
6. Williams
7. RBR
8. STR
9. Honda
10. Force India
11. Super Aguri
Based on the TF108's pace in practice sessions, I don't see why so many of you are putting them below the Williams cars. Timo has consistently had good pace and even though Jarno's pace is always questionable... if anything, they will be very closely matched.
I have a feeling that Fernando is going to take a while to re-adjust to the Renault, hence the 4th place... I also have a feeling that the McLaren and BMW-Sauber drivers are going to be so closely matched that a comparison can't be made.
Honda has, it seems, created another dog..., Super Aguri is going to be useless without the practice.
As much as I dislike it, I see Ferrari doing very well in the first race at least. They reduced their wheelbase slightly, and despite the fact that Maclaren increased it to similar levels, Ferrari has more experience on where exactly to dial in the wheelbase and Albert Park is a good track for the longer wheelbased cars.
TOP:
Ferrari
Maclaren
In the middle, I see Williams and Renault gaining ground on the Sauber team. Sauber I think will pull out ahead with their budget and development capacity, but they seem to be having teething problems. Williams I think could qualify very well, as long as they keep their cars understeering (for Rosberg). Toyota is odd, they'll either be a the bottom of this group, or the very top if they learnt their lesson on what worked for the last year. Red Bull. no significant developments, hopefully refinement, though I don't see them going that far this year (unless they find race pace). Rosso have great driving talent, but what'll happen with their old chassi we'll see, though after testing is over they'll be less confident.
MID:
Williams
BMW
Renault
QUESTIONABLE MID:
Toyota
Red Bull/Toro Rosso
The bottom rung, anything could happen. Honda has a terrible car (I'm waiting till 2009 before the Ross investment becomes noticable) and aren't going anywhere. Super Aguri will only be able to run a 2006 car, with little or no development because of their financial situation. Force India has Mike Gascoyne, who doesn't care about the handling of a car at all (ask Christiano da Matta), and they'll be bought out sooner or later anyways.
Call me crazy, but heres how I think it will shake out.
1. Ferrari----No explaination needed here.
2. Renault---FA and team will jump right back to Championship form.
3. BMW------They may say the car is not right, but by race day it will be.
4. McLaren--A $100,000,000.00 hole in the budget is hard to hide, especially under a microscope.
5. Williams--Should have an excellent year.
6. Honda----Ross Brawn's impact is already visible, look at the red paint on the nose and airbox.
7. Red Bull--Enigmatic.
8. Toyota---Should sell the team and back Sir Frank Williams, they'll be winning for half the money.
9. STR-------Better drivers than equipment, should see some break-out drives foiled by broken-down cars.
10. SA-------Tora!Tora!Tora!RIP! They'll die fighting, and honorably, as Sato always does.
11. FI--------Let's start a pool; How long 'til this one folds (From Jordan to Midland to Spyker to Force India in how many years?)
Well hoestly I don't know, but just to be different I'm gonna go...
Mclaren - Eveyone else has lost faith in them, I won't write them off yet.
Ferrari - A very close second.
Red Bull - A very hard choice but a Newey-Willis car is never gonna be far back.
BMW - Very close to Red Bull but right on their heels will be
Renault - With Alonso back they should drag themselves back up the leaderboard.
Williams - Won't be far behind Renault
Toyota - Without Ralf they can only improve.
Super Aguri - Will get better through the season and accumulate some points.
Forti - with just one driver (Taki Inoue) the Prodrive replacement scores a point.
BAR - see above, driver: Jason Plato
Honda - Cough and look away.
Force India - Could be worse
Spyker - Couldn't be worse.
Murphy's 9th Law of Technology:
Tell a man there are 300 million stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.
NumberTwo wrote:6. Honda----Ross Brawn's impact is already visible, look at the red paint on the nose and airbox.
If you guys remember correctly, someone mentioned a while ago that the more RED paint you have on the car, the faster it is!
I would also like to believe that the RED paint contributed by Vodaphone has helped McLaren increase their pace over the past few season(s) as well. (I hear it also increases reliability, but don't take my word for it)
1. Ferrari - Always fast around Melbourne, and have the team stability
2. Mclaren - Are going to be fast, but feel that FIA meddling and being stuck in a small garage will impact on their performance
3. BMW - Going to push Mclaren for No.2
4. Renault - Alonso factor and the time spend working on the 2008 car last year at the expense of the 2007 car
5. Red Bull - Could see Mark Webber getting the better of FA and hopeful will now be more reliable with the input from Geoff Willis
6. Williams - really want to see them get back to top and worry that they are missing testing time. Can see moving up but not before Melbourne
7. Toyota - It is going to be nip an tuck between Renault, RB, Williams and Toyota and just feel that Toyota will miss out
8. STR -
9. Honda - have now got a car better than the 2007, but still not good enough
10. Force India F1- just as SA are going to be so poor
11. Super Aguri - aren't they using the Honda 2007 dog ???
