Ekstrom won the race.

ah, ekstrom. He was a rally driver before isn't he?
and raikkonen, you neglected to post the list of quick drivers that was listed after that article. The top 3 was Senna - Schumacher - Prost

like I said, it was Senna - Schumacher - Prost
Kimi was 13th. Fernando was 7th.
They asked 20 F1 experts on their opinions and added up the tally for the result

seventh IINM

y all of a sudden change ur avatar......difficult to get use to it

y all of a sudden change ur avatar......difficult to get use to it

Apr.20 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen ruled out returning to formula one but said his friend, former rival and fellow multiple world champion Michael Schumacher could be back on the grid in "two or three years".

The Finn, who left the sport at the end of 2001 but is today a Mercedes-Benz racer in Germany's DTM touring car series, recently tested for his former team McLaren, but to the newspaper 'Welt' played down speculation that he could be preparing to return to F1.

38-year-old Hakkinen, however, insisted that he thought the similarly-aged Schumacher would probably find it as hard as he did to lose the desire to simply race.

"It will take him two, three years before he starts to think about coming back," Mika, who recently appeared on a TV tribute for Schumacher's career alongside the German and gifted him a unicycle, predicted.

Hakkinen also raced a go-kart with Schumacher on the tribute show and had arranged a personalised plaque for his unicycle which read: 'To Michael -- my great rival and friend'.

Referring again to seven time world champion Schumacher, he said: "I believe formula one would not be the only option open to him -- perhaps he would also think about DTM, or something else.

"Racing is racing."

Hakkinen insisted that a few years of retirement would not make it impossible for a former driver to return to the pace, even in formula one.

"With talent, experience and above all ambition, it can be done," Mika added.



Source: http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/arti...eback/view.html

F1's governing body has not yet given a green-light to night racing, according to the FIA President Max Mosley.

Speaking at the launch of the UN's inaugural Global Road Safety Week in London, the 66-year-old on Monday said the dangers of the innovative idea still need to be fully assessed.

"We would not sanction night racing for Formula One without a very careful investigation," Reuters quoted him as saying.

The night racing concept for F1 is the brainchild of Bernie Ecclestone, who wants to create a better European TV timeslot for races by staging them after sunset in Asia.

Singapore, Australia and Malaysia could be among the first night races as early next season.

"So far there hasn't been an application but if there is a serious attempt to run a night race then we will have a very careful look at it," Mosley revealed.

"It would be a big step and we wouldn't want to make a mistake."

Ron Dennis feels there are "more pluses than minuses" to McLaren running a 'B' team for next season, despite his long-held belief Formula One should be "pure."
Dennis has always maintained the view a constructor builds, runs and maintains their own team, as McLaren have successfully done over the years.
However, a change in the FIA regulations for 2008 onwards is due to come into force allowing current constructors to run a 'B' team or supply chassis to other teams.
It is a possibility McLaren team principal Dennis may pursue as he said: "Along with our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz, of course we'll seriously consider it.
"It's not just about revenue. Doing it well would be challenging and would require extra resource, and the company would have to be properly compensated for it.
"The revenue stream would also allow for greater investment in car development and so on.
"So, overall, you'd have to say there are more pluses than minuses."
McLaren has been linked with Dave Richards' Prodrive organisation who are due to enter Formula One next year.
Speaking to F1-Racing magazine, Dennis insists that although talks have taken place, no deal has yet been done.
"The only conversation I've had with David has been about the possibility of McLaren Marketing supporting him in his efforts to fund Prodrive's F1 programme," added Dennis.
"I'd never rule out having a partnership with another F1 team, but it would be somewhat premature to say it will be Prodrive."

F1's governing body has not yet given a green-light to night racing, according to the FIA President Max Mosley.

Speaking at the launch of the UN's inaugural Global Road Safety Week in London, the 66-year-old on Monday said the dangers of the innovative idea still need to be fully assessed.

"We would not sanction night racing for Formula One without a very careful investigation," Reuters quoted him as saying.

The night racing concept for F1 is the brainchild of Bernie Ecclestone, who wants to create a better European TV timeslot for races by staging them after sunset in Asia.

Singapore, Australia and Malaysia could be among the first night races as early next season.

"So far there hasn't been an application but if there is a serious attempt to run a night race then we will have a very careful look at it," Mosley revealed.

"It would be a big step and we wouldn't want to make a mistake."

E.A.
Source GMM

Rubens Barrichello is concerned that Honda's windtunnel could be producing misleading results.

Writing on his personal website, Barrichello revealed that the gains Honda was finding in the tunnel were not translating into performance on the track.

"The car has improved a lot in the windtunnel, but this improvement still hasn't taken place on the track," he said.

"We have two hypotheses: either the tunnel is not producing the correct results or when the parts are produced they do not come out right."

Barrichello explained that the Honda currently lacks performance both on the straights and into the corners.

"The problem with the car is that it has an aerodynamic drag, which means that it does not go fast on the straight and there is no stability when I step on the brakes," he said.

"(Sakhir) is a track that is tough on the brakes and that has long straights, so can you see why we didn't do so well."

The Brazilian hopes that progress can be made at next week's tests in Spain.

"There is no doubt that we are going through a bad phase, but as I had already mentioned, it is a hard-working period and there is no point in wasting energy with unimportant things," said Barrichello.

"What we need right now is a solution.

"The tests in Barcelona at the end of the month will be extremely important for the season.

"We will test different suspension and aerodynamic configurations.

"I'll keep on trying and stepping on the gas!"

No green light for Night Racing yet!
Source

I wonder how long have they been discussing about the night race issue.. It would be difficult to set up a night race and there is a lot of things to consider.. so i guess there would be a night race, but maybe not so soon.

Organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix have not yet signed a five-year contract extension with Formula One officials, it has emerged.

We reported at the weekend that the event at Sepang will be a fixture of the annual calendar until at least 2015, due to the existence of a new agreement extending the current deal, which ends in 2010.

But the local newspaper Straits Times insists that the Malaysian government has not yet decided whether to sign the Formula One document, which has been received by circuit chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir.

"We have not signed it yet," he confirmed, explaining that the contract contains several new clauses, probably relating to necessary improvements to the circuit that was described recently as 'shabby' by Bernie Ecclestone.

Relations between Malaysia and Ecclestone may also be strained due to the possibility of a Grand Prix in nearby Singapore; Sepang officials think the region should have only one race.

But Mokhzani insisted that the improvements will be made to the slightly outdated venue near Kuala Lumpur as soon as a new contract is signed.

E.A.
Source GMM

since its a long way to go to the next gp, i have a little trivia (but no prize lar.. )....

In season 1995 there was a female driver in F1. Who was she and she drive for what team?

1) Singapore must not be given the chance of organizing F1......because Malaysia already got One  and I don't like the fact that europian GP's being canceled from the callendar.....

2) since we now got competition, Sepang Circuit needs improvement in terms of maintenance(notice below at the Tower got a lot of leaking there  )

/cleanest (someone told me there was news about Bernie complaining that Sepang Circuit is dirty or something, anyone care to share any links to this news)