h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well... looks like Scheckter won't be making any appearence for Jag anymore... hope that prostitute was worth a good shot at an F1 career... he might still find a home someday... but you know... the whole pimp like image kinda kills the sponsors wishes for a "poster boy" right? Anybody think Schui will get his first austrian win this year??? Also... wish Minardi luck with launch conrtol this race... they didn't have it in spain.

Eric L. Fleming,
Keeper of the torch of hope for Minardi

I so badly want to say 'Villeneuve' this time...
But Austria is such a 'simple' track (rain notwithstanding) that - mechanical failures aside - I expect Schumi/Coulthard/Hakkinen fighting for first, and Rubens/Ralph/Juan/Jacques/Trulli/Panis filling in what's left when the dust settles.
Oh, and Heidfeld sixth as usual..
Isn't it wonderful to have such a competitive field for a change!

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4 of em stuck on the grid!?!?!?!

Thats exactly what the traction control was supposed to stop.

I know I reckon they were better off without the electronics, the fact that half the drivers keep opting out of using them seems to suggest that they're not happy either!

And it must be said that even I thought that Barrichello should have stayed in second place and from the look on both Ferrari drivers faces I'd say that they did too!

DC? DC? DC? Yeah okay, DC!
I feel sorry for Schumi.. He was so embarassed sitting there at the post race interview. Not because he was holding Ruben's 2nd place trophy, not because he didn't win, not because Montoya fouled him ..but because DC is really starting to look like the blonde haired, blue-eyed, steel jawed, pumped-up Schuperman poster-boy for the Werhmacht! Even his driving suit was glowing like an Ace Rimmer custom fit!
Coulthard knows to be champ he has to look like a champ. And what would a champ who can beat Schumi at his own game look like?

I can't believe that Montoya hit Schumacher again...
And what about Irvine, he was doing so well and then he started going backwards down the field and then Villeneuve got spun around and was literally going backards for while

Buttons end-swapping moment was a little scary, but at least the BBQ didn't get too out of hand.

We actually got the first six cars quite close together for a while. Of course, this is because Montoya was holding them up, but we did get to see some exciting overtaking for once (Montoya's slight overconfidence in how quickly he could get round the bend notwithstanding, pace Tink).

And some rather unexciting overtaking on the line.

Montoya has to be patient and wait for a car that can keep him at the front of the race, rather than trying to force the issue with the kit he has at present.

I hope BAR fail in their bid to demote Kimi out of the points on appeal, if only for their own reputation's sake. There's a difference between turning opportunities into success and resorting to using the courtroom instead of the track.

And finally - is it just me, or is this Russian GP really a bad idea? Your thoughts please.

NQAH (critical)

What appeal? What Russian GP?

Yep, thats right. Starting in the 2003 season there with be a Russian GP. Apparently one of the european ones will have to go. Hope its not the Belgian GP.
Yours sincerly Gutted Jordan Fan

Perhaps the European Grand Prix will; it always seemed rather pointless, effectively a second German one.

Yea, but the germans seem to have a lot of power in F1 and there was talk a wile ago of the organisers of the Belgian GP having trouble with the FIA about rules and regs at spa. Still, the british gp may have some trouble, it was a shambles last year. People couldnt get to the track because the was so much mud in the fields they used as car parks for the race weekend.

Hi Bagpuss and my other fellow Towel-Wielders.

I'll clarify the 'appeal' issue - BAR claim Kimi overtook someone (possibly one of their cars) on a yellow flag. The FIA, and in particular the race marshal supposedly involved, both deny this, and video evidence is inconclusive (apparently the cameras just missed the incident). But BAR have exercised their right to a full formal appeal which will be heard in the middle of this week.

The whole thing smells of sour grapes, simple revenge for Panis' demotion earlier in the season (which, coincidentally, allowed Sauber into the points).

On the Russian GP: the track where this will be held does not exist yet, and will cost in the region of £750 million to construct - not the best use of money in such a bruised and battered economy. There are other already existing tracks that could be upgraded to current standards and added to the programme instead - Kyalami springs to mind. As for GP's which might be dropped, you could add San Marino to the list - admittedly it's an outsider as the tifosi wouldn't stand for it being dropped.

NQAH (journalising)

With the number of new tracks being touted maybe there will be more than one European G.P. getting dropped from the calendar. I wonder if tobacco sponsorship might have something to do with it.

Being old enough to have suffered decades of anti-Russian propoganda and some personal experience aboard Russian ships that visited Halifax in my youth, I have to say I hope a Russian GP doesn't happen. They may have put the first man in space (recent revelations suggest Yuri Gagarin was actually the second!) but the thought of hightech F-1 in Moscow brings to mind Peter Ustinov's fabulously funny 'Grand Prix of Gibraltar' skit which may be still available on disc somewhere. If you don't know it, I promise it's worth the look, albiet the names and puns are dated to the early sixties and requires some knowledge of Formula One in the days when men were men and cars were man-handled.

Let's hope they temporarily ban launch control for Monaco, where there is no room for anyone, let alone four, to stall on the grid.

Good point, J.

The situation that happened on the grid at the A1 Ring was an example of driver aids failing when most needed. Now take that example and substitute traction control for launch control, and the static grid for the tight confines of Monaco, and you'll see why I hope it doesn't rain...

NQAH (deeply concerned at the state of progress)

*tries to work out if Bagpuss has become a fan of Montoya*

Well they tried to drop Silverstone this year but all the British teams protested and as the BRDC consists of many of the drivers and team owners it's unlikely that it can be dropped. Also they had the ultimatum to improve it and the bypasses and stuff are underway already to improve the traffic...for those going to the paddock anyway The Belgian Grand Prix row was over tobacco advertising so it does look like if any races are dropped it will be those who have a ban implace already. However, I think it would be a real shame if Spa was dropped as it's one of the truely great tracks left and the drivers always seem to love it as it gives a really great race...