pinguhk

Double world champion Fernando Alonso in his Renault and the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld had the seventh and eighth best times in the Barcelona testing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/7263703.stm

just by looking at this news that Alonso is not the same Alonso 2 years ago.
I know that this is still very erly in the test.

even he say that Hamilton could win title this year
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/7267412.stm

Member545

I went to Indy last year. Here is a picture of Kimi I took going into the banked turn.

I am booked for Montreal, that is a great place for a race, it is a real party city.

BetterMakeWay

May be very well true but let's get on the way and see then what's what. He might be even more motivated to do well since he is back to his loving team and has 100% support. We'll see, let's not anticipate especially saying definitive statements.

PS: Cars are still under testing, and will still be till half of the season, so lap times at Barcelona don't really mean alot.

MiamiPhill

From SpeedTV.com,
The Super Aguri team has confirmed that its cars will be on the starting grid for the Australian GP season opener in two weeks? time, despite the squad having failed to appear in a single testing session this year, including this week?s Barcelona test, which the team was originally scheduled to attend.

?The cancellation was because some parts hadn?t arrived in time,? Super Aguri?s co-owner Fumio Akita told Reuters. ?We are usually scrambling to be ready for the start of the season.

?It was very tight last year and this year is following the same pattern. But we will be on the grid for Melbourne. We?re not worried at all about missing out.?

Akita revealed that talks with potential investors to rescue the team are ongoing.

?Talks are still going on and I?m told there are three potential investors,? he said. ?Obviously, we have to think of the future and what?s best for the team.?

madoon

its not official yet.. but if the announcement does come.. it will be a great loss to the sport

MiamiPhill

The defending World Constructors Champion, Scuderia Ferrari

Drivers: Kimi R?ikk?nen (2007 Drivers Champion)
Felipe Massa (94pts, 4th in 2007)
Base: Maranello, Italy
Chassis: F2008
Engine: Ferrari 056
2.4L V8
740+ hp
19,000 RPM (Limited)
Races Won in 2007: 6 by Kimi
3 by Felipe


Forget all the hoopla about the spy scandal, the most significant thing about Ferrari in 2007 was that they won the world championships for drivers and constructors.

Just think about that for a moment, then cast your mind back to how Kimi Raikkonen became the world?s third Finnish champion at the very last race.

There were signs all the way through that Ferrari weren?t quite themselves in the post-Michael Schumacher era. There were times when the cars lacked their usual bulletproof reliability, when the drivers made mistakes, when the radically long-wheelbased F2007 wasn?t quite up to the job on some types of circuit. They weren?t simply missing Schumacher, they were missing the calming influence of Ross Brawn, too. Yet they came through to win despite all that, and all the politics that raged around the Scuderia and McLaren like a never-ending tornado.

All of which means that, in the calmer seas that must surely characterise 2008, the red cars will be formidable opposition. All through winter testing they have been very quick, and Raikkonen and partner Felipe Massa both believe they have the tools to do the job with a lot less drama this year. Make no mistake, these are the favourites.
Formula1.com

ITNurse

Hey member545 - how'd you get that picture in post #12? Were you part of the safety team? WOW!
I will try to get to Montreal, I have a friend that goes every year.

Season's almost here.

MiamiPhill

McLaren Mercedes (Disqualified from Constructors Championship)
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (109pts, 2nd in 2007)
Heikki Kovalainen (30pts, 7th in 2007)
Testers: Pedro de la Rosa, Gary Paffett
Base: Surrey, UK
Chassis: McLaren MP4-23
Engine: Mercedes-Benz FO 108V
2.4L V8
740+ hp
19,000 RPM (Limited)
Races Won in 2007: 4 by Lewis, 0 by Heikki

2008 McLaren Launch
2008 McLaren test at Jerez

No team in history has ever gone through as bruising a season as McLaren experienced in 2007. First there was the exhilaration of Lewis Hamilton?s early performances, and the on-track fight with Ferrari. Then came the 'Stepneygate' spy scandal, followed by internal strife between Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. It concluded with a US$100m fine, disqualification from the world championship for constructors, and Kimi Raikkonen pipping Hamilton and Alonso to the drivers? title in the final race.

In theory, there should be the humiliation of a garage at the wrong end of the pit lane this year, but within McLaren right now there is no looking back. Everything is totally focused on one task, and one task only: winning. The team?s philosophy has always been to win every race; that?s the way to win championships.

In recent testing the MP4-23 set the pace, giving rise to optimism that Hamilton and his new team mate Heikki Kovalainen will be able to take the fight to Ferrari once more. Whether they have the necessary technical savvy, and the strength of character to get on with one another, remain but two of the fascinating aspects of this team?s battle for redemption.

MiamiPhill

BMW Sauber (2nd in 2007 Constructors Championship)

Drivers: Nick Heidfeld (61pts, 5th in 2007)
Robert Kubica (39pts, 6th in 2007)

Base: Hinwil, Switzerland and Munich, Germany
Chassis: F1.08
Engine: BMW P86/8
2.4L
19,000 RPM (Limited)
Races Won in 2007: 0
Website
2008 BMW Sauber Launch
First Test

A year ago much was expected of the revamped BMW Sauber team, and they delivered all season with a series of strong drives from Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica that saw the team place third in the constructors? championship on merit, and move to second when McLaren were disqualified.

Now comes the crunch year, when a very aggressive development policy must pay off. Team principal Dr Mario Theissen expects at least one victory this year, to keep his men on track for a world championship challenge in 2009 and 2010.

Winter testing showed initially that there were issues to be resolved in the F1.08?s handling, but towards the end of the various tests the pace of the white and blue cars certainly caught the attention of Renault?s Fernando Alonso, who believes they can be very quick in race trim.

Heidfeld got the most out of the F1.07 last year, leaving Kubica slightly in his shadow, but the roles have been reversed thus far in testing and one of the fascinating aspects of the new season will be monitoring their inter-team battle. Expect the team to be in the thick of the fight for third spot, behind Ferrari and McLaren.
Formula1.com

MiamiPhill

Australia preview quotes - BMW SauberNext weekend?s Australian Grand Prix will put an end to four long months of waiting for Formula One fans across the world. For the teams and drivers the joy of getting back to racing again will prove just as exciting, and with Melbourne a firm favourite with most, there couldn?t be a better place to kick start the 2008 season.

Here BMW Sauber team mates Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen and technical director Willy Rampf explain why?


Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 3rd, 2007 Race - 4th
?I'm really looking forward to the curtain-raiser in Australia - to a couple of free days to
acclimatise and then for everything to get going at last! This time round I found it particularly difficult to gauge how the teams measure up against each other. We made progress between the roll-out in Valencia and the final test in Barcelona, but none of us will know where we stand until Melbourne. Autumn in Australia brings the possibility of rain, which would make driving without traction control and engine braking control a real challenge. I did some testing on a wet track and it was great fun. The Albert Park circuit doesn't provide much grip even in dry conditions, especially at the start of the weekend.?


Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 5th, 2007 Race - DNF
?In Australia all the speculating will finally come to an end. I just can't wait for the season to start in Melbourne. The whole team has been working incredibly hard over the past weeks, the F1.08 has steadily improved and I think there's even more potential lurking inside it. I like the circuit in Melbourne. If it were up to me, I'd have all the races on street circuits. Overall, precise driving skills have become even more critical in 2008 because there's no more traction control to help if you stray onto the dirty side of the track. That's going to cost time because you then have to ease off the throttle to correct yourself. Then there's the great atmosphere in Melbourne with the fans and the beautiful city, all of which lends a special charm to the season-opener.?

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
?We are pleased that Australia is kicking off the season again in 2008. There's always a very special atmosphere in Melbourne. The city just throbs, the spectators are all smitten with the Formula One bug, and everyone looks forward to the first test of strength with excited anticipation. Last year it turned out that we achieved our best qualifying result of the season at the curtain raiser in Albert Park. Nick started from third place, Robert from fifth. The first race weekend always brings the moment of truth. That's when we find out where everyone stands.

"During the winter we consciously opted for a change in concept for the BMW Sauber F1.08. To be able to catch up with the teams ahead of us we had to go for an aggressive approach. The reliability of the new car has been very good from the outset. We have also learnt that a car with a lot of potential is harder to control at the start than a more amenable car that reaches its limits far more quickly. For us it's now a case of forging ahead with the fine-tuning. Since the roll-out, I believe we are on a good path. Our ambitious target for 2008 remains unchanged: this year we want to close the gap to the leaders and win our first race.?

Willy Rampf, technical director
?Melbourne is the perfect start to the Formula One season. It's a fantastic city with a great atmosphere. Naturally we're all keen to find out where we actually stand when all the teams put their cards on the table for the first time in Saturday's qualifying.

?The circuit in Albert Park is a stop-go track with a lot of slow corners. With traction control and engine braking control now banned, the drivers will be under pressure when braking into as well as accelerating out of corners. Heavy demands will be made above all on the rear tyres on account of the circuit layout, and that will require the drivers to apply a more sensitive touch to the accelerator.

?In terms of the car's set-up, the priorities are good traction and high braking stability.
Sufficient brake cooling is also important as Melbourne has the highest braking loads after Montreal. The first race of the season also marks the first stage in the gearbox lifecycle. According to the new regulations, gearboxes have to be used for four race weekends, on both Saturday and Sunday.?