Formula 1
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BAR RECEIVES TWO-RACE BAN
Last Updated: Thursday, 05, May, 2005, 16:51
The BAR-Honda Formula 1 team has been given a two-race ban following a hearing at the FIA Court of Appeal in Paris on Wednesday.
This means that Jenson Button and Takuma Sato must now sit out this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix and the Monaco GP at the end of the month.
The FIA has concluded that the team broke regulations by using fuel as ballast, which could have a given it a performance advantage.
Button's car was found to be underweight when drained of fuel after the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola after finishing third, and although the FIA-appointed stewards upheld the result after lengthy debate, the governing body later appealed against their decision.
BAR-Honda has had the 10 points that it scored in the San Marino Grand Prix taken away.
It has also been given a six month suspended ban, which will remain in place for a year. -
TRULLI STEALS ALONSO'S THUNDER
Last Updated: Saturday, 07, May, 2005, 13:03
Jarno Trulli spoiled home hero Fernando AlonsoÂ’s party by pipping him for provisional pole at Barcelona on Saturday.
Formula 1Â’s ace qualifier edged out the Spaniard by just 0.016s after Alonso, in common with most of the rest of the field, lost time in the final sector.
Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest for McLaren despite running onto the gravel out of the second corner and looks in with a real chance of snatching pole tomorrow.
Ralf Schumacher underlined ToyotaÂ’s pace with the fourth fastest time, while brother Michael languished in seventh.
First qualifying times from Barcelona
1. TRULLI Toyota 1m14.795s
2. ALONSO Renault 1m14.811s
3. RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m14.819s
4. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota 1m14.870s
5. HEIDFELD Williams 1m15.038s
6. WEBBER Williams 1m15.042s
7. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m15.398s
8. FISICHELLA Renault 1m15.601s
9. BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m15.746s
10. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m15.795s
11. MASSA Sauber 1m15.863s
12. MONTOYA McLaren 1m15.902s
13. LIUZZI Sauber 1m16.288s
14. VILLENEUVE Sauber 1m16.794s
15. KARTHIKEYAN Jordan 1m18.557s
16. MONTEIRO Jordan 1m19.040s
17. ALBERS Minardi 1m19.563s
18. FRIESACHER Minardi 1m20.306s -
BUTTON SPLITS UP WITH FIANCEE
Last Updated: Saturday, 07, May, 2005, 11:31
As if his professional life weren’t causing him enough heartache at the moment, Jenson Button is also having to cope with a split with his fiancée Louise Griffiths.
The couple met in 2000 and were planning to get married this August.
“They have come to a decision and will be taking a break from their relationship,” Button’s agent James Williamson told the Daily Mirror.
Former Fame Academy contestant Griffiths recently admitted that she and Button didnÂ’t see eye to eye on the subject of children.
She said: “I want loads of kids. I want to have three children naturally but I’d also like to adopt two.
“We’ve spoken about it a lot and we have slightly different views.” -
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i don't mindOriginally posted by SBS9828X:Ehhh support my F1 forum larrr other races talk here f1 go there lahh and how bout u becoming one of my mod Heng@ -
Alrite thennOriginally posted by HENG@:i don't mind -
BMW in talks to supply Sauber in 2006
Unhappy with 'midfield position' with Williams
BMW confirm link to supplying Sauber with its
V8 powerplant in 2006
BMW, engine-suppliers to the Williams Formula One team, are in talks to equip Sauber too from next season, the German manufacturer's managing director revealed here at Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday.
"We are in constructive negotiations with the Sauber team concerning the supply of engines," said Helmut Panke. "Frank Williams is aware of that. The overall strategy is that all engine manufacturers will be asked to supply at least two teams... for the 2006 season."
Ferrari, who announced last month that they would be supplying Red Bull Racing with engines, currently equip Sauber under the Petronas badge. BMW are envious and frustrated at the success rival manufacturers like Ferrari and Renault enjoy in the lucrative world of Grand Prix racing.
"The performance of the BMW-Williams team up to now has not been such a high performance that we will expect easily to become champions this season. Formula One is the premium league in motor sports. This is why BMW will continue to be in there. This is why it will have to find a way to be successful and achieve a way to become champion in Formula One. I clearly say that with the current 'midfield position' of BMW, we are not happy."
As to BMW going it alone Panke said: "The question of having our own team has come up over and over, because whenever, for example, Renault does very well, people say, 'look, Ferrari and Renault, they are the ones who show us what should be done.'"
Williams are equal fourth with Ferrari on 18 points in the race for the constructor's title ahead of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. -
Gianmaria Bruni wins from Scott Speed
Barcelona - GP2 - Race 1
Gianmaria Bruni showed it to Speed in GP2
Former Minardi F1 racer Gianmaria Bruni won todayÂ’s GP2 series race after a dominant drive in an exciting race. The Coloni Motorsport driver led from the start and held off a late charge from iSport InternationalÂ’s Scott Speed in the final laps to take a great win. Heikki Kovalainen took the final podium position in third, following another great drive, this time from eleventh.
As the five red lights were extinguished at the start, it was Bruni who got the jump on pole sitter Scott Speed. They diced side by side down the main straight, but it was Bruni who made it through turn one first. From there, he pulled out a two second lead from Jose Maria Lopez, who had also managed to get past Speed at the first turn.
By lap 18 however, Speed had caught up to the back of Lopez, and as the DAMS driver fought with the American, Bruni pulled out a commanding lead. On lap 24 Lopez pitted, leaving Speed in free air to try and pull back BruniÂ’s advantage. When Bruni stopped three laps later, Speed put the hammer down.
He led for five laps, before pitting himself at the end of lap 31. His pit crew got him back on the road quickly and he emerged less than five seconds behind the Italian. The next time past the pits the gap was down to 3.3 seconds, then 1.9, and with just four laps to go, Speed was less than a second behind Bruni. Gimmi, however, had something in reserve, and put in his two personal quickest laps of the race to pull the smallest of margins back out again, crossing the finish line 1.203 ahead of the American.
Kovalainen’s third podium in a row came after a similarly determined fight. Having made an early compulsory pitstop, the Finn was left in clean air to set some fast lap times. When the pitstops played out, he was in fourth, but a mistake by Lopez saw Heikki snatch third place. Neel Jani and Nelson Piquet Jr also swept past the DAMS to take fourth and fifth, with Lopez taking sixth, Carroll seventh and Negrão eighth. Nico Rosberg set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:25.875 on the penultimate lap.
Kovalainen therefore maintains his lead in the championship standings on 20 points, followed by Bruni with 18 and Speed on 16. -
Schumacher talks down Alonso title hopes
McLaren Mercedes the ones to watch out for
Tough times for Schumacher
and the Italian Champions
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher talked down the title hopes of Fernando Alonso here Saturday as the Spanish driver continued his chase for victory on home soil in the Spanish Grand Prix. Alonso has been tipped as heir apparent to Schumacher after winning the last three races but the German, whose Ferrari team are struggling this year, insists Alonso is just one in a queue of drivers lining up to take his crown.
"I know this comparison (between Schumacher and Alonso) is fashionable at the moment but I have to say I have a bit of a problem with it," said Schumacher. "There are a lot of other guys who are very fast. Clearly it would be an advantage for us if we scored more points than him but again there are also other drivers that I see fighting for the championship. I still believe McLaren Mercedes will have a big chance."
Alonso set himself up for another strong challenge in Sunday's race at the Circuit de Catalunya when he finished second to provisional pole position winner Jarno Trulli in first qualifying here Saturday. Schumacher, who pushed Alonso hard for victory at the last race in San Marino, was a disappointing seventh fastest of the 18 drivers but he insisted his pace in the race will allow him to close on his rivals.
"For one lap we are not strong enough, but I am certainly much happier on race pace, we are much more competitive then," said Schumacher, before admitting his hopes of victory are still slim. "We are strong in long runs but not that much compared to the others and it will be extremely difficult to win, but in racing nothing is certain."
Schumacher, who started 13th at the last race after a mistake in second qualifying, faces the first task of securing seventh place on the grid or improving his position in final qualifying Sunday morning. But he admitted: "We have already proven that we have struggled on the one-lap qualifying and you have to say whatever happens in final qualifying, this is not the ideal position on the grid."
Team boss Jean Todt remained philosophical after the opening qualifying run, insisting that making race predictions was futile and suggesting that he is hoping to capitalize on reliability problems of their rivals. "We are not really surprised by qualifying," said Todt. "We know what are our strong and our weak points and it is clear that in tomorrow's qualifying we will not be able to do much to move up the order. But if Michael can stay pretty much where he is at the moment, then we have a fighting chance, given that reliability and consistency of performance of the various car-engine-tyre packages will play a key role."
"So far this season, our performance levels in the races have come from both ends of the spectrum, so it is hard to make predictions about what might happen in the race." -
KIMI SIGNALS INTENTIONS WITH POLE
Last Updated: Sunday, 08, May, 2005, 10:18
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen moved into pole position after driving the perfect lap in second qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona.
The Finn, who made a mistake during the first session on Saturday that left him third overnight, made up for his error with a supreme 1m16.602s lap, 0.02s faster than Mark Webber's light-fuelled BMW-Williams.
Fernando Alonso will start third on the grid, while provisional poleman Jarno Trulli dropped to fifth.
Full report to follow.
Final qualifying times from Barcelona
1. RAIKKONEN McLaren 2m31.421s
2. WEBBER Williams 2m31.668s
3. ALONSO Renault 2m31.691s
4. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota 2m31.917s
5. TRULLI Toyota 2m31.995s
6. FISICHELLA Renault 2m32.830s
7. MONTOYA McLaren 2m33.472s
8. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 2m33.551s
9. COULTHARD Red Bull 2m34.168s
10. MASSA Sauber 2m34.224s
11. LIUZZI Red Bull 2m35.302s
12. VILLENEUVE Sauber 2m36.480s
13. KARTHIKEYAN Jordan 2m39.268s
14. MONTEIRO Jordan 2m39.943s
15. ALBERS Minardi 2m41.141s
16. FRIESACHER Minardi 2m42.759s
17. BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m15.746s
18. HEIDFELD Williams 1m15.038s -
ICEMAN MELTS ALONSO'S DREAMS
Last Updated: Sunday, 08, May, 2005, 14:56
Kimi Raikkonen made good on his promise to break Renault's stranglehold on 2005, by winning the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona.
It was the 25-year-old's third career win and the first for McLaren since he won at Spa last September.
Fernando Alonso could not match the Finn's blistering pace and finished second, 27s behind, in front of his home crowd.
Jarno Trulli held off the close attentions of his Toyota team-mate Ralf Schumacher to take his third podium finish of the season.
Michael Schumacher's nightmare season continues with two separate punctures that forced him eventually to retire.
A full report will follow shortly.
Spanish Grand Prix result
1. RAIKKONEN McLaren 1h27m16.830s
2. ALONSO Renault +27.652s
3. TRULLI Toyota +45.947s
4. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota +46.719s
5. FISICHELLA Renault +57.936s
6. WEBBER Williams +68.542s
7. MONTOYA McLaren +1 lap
8. COULTHARD Red Bull +1 lap
9. BARRICHELLO Ferrari +1 lap
10. HEIDFELD Williams +1 lap
11. MASSA Sauber +3 laps
12. MONTEIRO Jordan +3 laps
13. KARTHIKEYAN Jordan +3 laps
14. VILLENEUVE Sauber +15 laps
15. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari +20 laps
16. ALBERS Minardi +47 laps
17. FRIESACHER Minardi +55 laps
18. LIUZZI Red Bull +57 laps
Fastest lap: FISICHELLA (1m15.641s) -
muahahahaha.. i think we may have seen the dethroning of Schuey
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Originally posted by the Bear:muahahahaha.. i think we may have seen the dethroning of Schuey
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muahahahaha!Originally posted by the Bear:muahahahaha.. i think we may have seen the dethroning of Schuey -
why?
schumacher is a lousy human being and a dangerous racer...
notice what he did to Damon Hill and tried the same stunt with Villeneuve...
and frankly, he's fast and skillful enough.. he does not have to endanger other people to win...Originally posted by deathscythe99: -
wahahahhaOriginally posted by deathscythe99:
ferrari refuse to agree with the testing cap, test so much, also no use. -
hear hear!Originally posted by the Bear:why?
schumacher is a lousy human being and a dangerous racer...
notice what he did to Damon Hill and tried the same stunt with Villeneuve...
and frankly, he's fast and skillful enough.. he does not have to endanger other people to win... -
Even better, although the Bridgestone tyres were built around the Ferrari, MS's tyres went to sh*t while the other BS teams did fine. I love the irony!
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JPM and Fisi have had some rotten luck in the early part of the season...
the latter could have finished 2nd and the Maccas were in a class of their own. 
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The Monaco GP is over...Macca are on the comeback! Kudos to Trulli, Webber, Heidfeld, Villeneuve and MS for providing entertainment.
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unbelievable.
raikkonen's mercedes failed at the start of the 59th lap, the last lap. -
*Tears out whatever hair he can grab hold of*
If only it held on for one more lap...the score now is Alonso 59, Räikkönen/Trulli 27. There's a long way to go but McLaren's problems here and at Imola won't help. -
one more minute... 3 more miles!!
ONE MORE MINUTE!!!
argh!!!
but then, that's F1
i'm thinking.. the new tyre regulations have made driving heck of a lot more dangerous...
still think FIA head honchos should be shot.. but should tortured before they get shot... -
Big Ben stopped on Friday evening, demonstrating that old things eventually go cranky. Bernie is not an exception.Originally posted by the Bear:still think FIA head honchos should be shot.. but should tortured before they get shot... -
The grid for the Canadian Grand Prix (which starts in about 2 hours)
Jenson Button (1:15.217) - very possibly running a light car
Michael Schumacher - could do well here, the track is similar to Imola
Fernando Alonso
Giancarlo Fisichella
Juan-Pablo Montoya
Takuma Sato
Kimi Räikkönen - says he's running a different strategy
Jacques Villeneuve - a sterling performance
Iarno Trulli
Ralf Schumacher
Felipe Massa
David Coulthard
Nick Heifeld - made mistakes under braking
Mark Webber - early qualifier
Christjian Albers - Stunning drive and amazing speed through the traps
Christian Klien - Back in the 2nd RBR car
Narain Karthikeyan
Tiago Monteiro
Patrick Friesacher
Rubens Barrichello - The car was smoking at the end of his out-lap