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JayVee wrote:

Kapel wrote:I think Montoya could be the suprise of the race.
He just need to be in the top 8 in Q & he could change things in the race.

I've him in 3rd,wondering should i change it

You should change the winner

OK lemme think,still a couple of hrs for the deadline na..

1st Friday Practice Top 8: Pedro de la Rosa, Ricardo Zonta, Jenson Button. Kimi Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, Michael Schumacher and Takuma Sato make the top 8.

Full results - Commentary

Thursday FIA Press Conference available
here with Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Giancarlo Fisichella and Mark Webber.

Interesting read!

2nd Friday Practice Top 8: Pedro de la Rosa, Ricardo Zonta, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso and Vitantonio Liuzzi.
Full Results - Commentary

Isn't it interesting, at least, that Jenson Button, whom one would assume knows SOMETHING about F1 says that if Ferrari were running on Michelin tyres they'd be "more competitive."

I only mention this because, after Indy, so many experts were weighing in on the forums about how IMPOSSIBLE it would be for everyone to run on Bridgestones at Indy because the cars are so "engineered" to the tyres.

I remember, too, that BAR experienced a huge leap forward last year and F1 Magazine (whom, again, one would expect to know something about F1) said it was mostly attributable to the shift from Bridgestones to Michelins.

So it doesn't really look as though it would have been PHYSICALLY or even COMPETITIVELY impossible for everyone to have run on "safe" tyres at Indy. Just COMMERCIALLY impossible.

Everyone on this thread seems convinced that McLaren will clean up this weekend -- which gives me hope, because last week everyone thought the same thing.

As to BAR and Williams; I'm hoping for personal reasons that BAR doesn't even get in the points and that Williams starts looking really good. Because I can't abide those Big Manufacturer Corporate Exec types meddling in something they can't even conceive, let alone grasp: Fair and Open Racing.

Indeed, I hope Williams, after BMW defects, comes out looking really good next year ... after the example of Red Bull after Ford defected.

Cheers and good racing, even if Danica isn't in it.

Jim Watt

Seeing Williams surge in the 2nd practice, I'm wondering if all their problems where actually morale related. Maybe all the aero changes made so much difference to the handling of the car that they simply need to get the setup suited to the car? If they are anywhere near the top after tomorrow then I guess that explains it - they have said that they are intensively chasing setup here atm.

As a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in London yesterday, a minute?s silence will be held before the start of the 2005 British Grand Prix on Sunday, July 10.

At this tragic and difficult time, the FIA, Formula One Management, Silverstone Circuits, the teams, drivers and everyone involved in Formula One send their condolences and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives.

Team and Driver quotes following Friday Practice now available here

Friday FIA Press Conference now available here with Ross Brawn, Mike Gascoyne, Sam Michael, Adrian Newey, Pat Symonds.
Questions about the Qualifying format, the 2008 Regulations, Ferrari's lack of pace and Fernando Alonso!

Jim Watt wrote:Isn't it interesting, at least, that Jenson Button, whom one would assume knows SOMETHING about F1 says that if Ferrari were running on Michelin tyres they'd be "more competitive."

I only mention this because, after Indy, so many experts were weighing in on the forums about how IMPOSSIBLE it would be for everyone to run on Bridgestones at Indy because the cars are so "engineered" to the tyres.

I remember, too, that BAR experienced a huge leap forward last year and F1 Magazine (whom, again, one would expect to know something about F1) said it was mostly attributable to the shift from Bridgestones to Michelins.

So it doesn't really look as though it would have been PHYSICALLY or even COMPETITIVELY impossible for everyone to have run on "safe" tyres at Indy. Just COMMERCIALLY impossible.

Jim,

I don't think what Button said is a surprise. Ferrari have pointed at Bridgestone a number of times for their lack of pace.

I doubt anyone would have thought it was impossible to PHYSICALLY use Bridgestones at Indy, that of course is possible however the cars would not have been competitive without sufficient testing and car modification. There would also be a question of safety as well as the teams would use a tyre they never tested before.
But most importantly it wouldn't be in Bridgestone's interest to give their tyres to Michelin teams (as you say COMMERCIALLY!).

Byron Forbes wrote:Seeing Williams surge in the 2nd practice, I'm wondering if all their problems where actually morale related. Maybe all the aero changes made so much difference to the handling of the car that they simply need to get the setup suited to the car? If they are anywhere near the top after tomorrow then I guess that explains it - they have said that they are intensively chasing setup here atm.

Sam Michael has admitted they are taking big risks in an attempt to get more competitive (from the Friday Press Conference)

What we basically did is for Magny-Cours we had quite a big upgrade to the car, which basically is the whole package, and obviously with the limited testing there is now it is a very risky strategy. We did two days testing at Jerez, before Magny-Cours, and saw a couple of problems but I think we underestimated how big those problems were before we took it to France. And in the meantime we have had quite an extensive programme in the wind tunnel this week. We have done a couple of things this afternoon which have started to give us some pretty good direction on where the problem is, whether we get to the bottom of it before the end of this weekend we don?t know yet, but we definitely started to make some improvements this afternoon. A lot of our strategy this year, because we started off behind, was to throw a lot of bits at the car and a lot of it is untested, and I would say out of the majority of the time, 90 percent of the time, it works. This time it has bitten us. But we will pick it all up and make sure we sort it as soon as we can

The good news for Williams fans is that Sam Michael is confident they will have a 'race winning' engine

What we can say is that we are quite confident that in the future Williams F1 will have a competitive engine supply and one that we can challenge for wins, which is the target of our company

1st Saturday Practice Top 8 - Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Fisichella, Montoya, Sato, Massa and M Schumacher

Full Results - Commentary

2nd Saturday Practice Top 8 - Alonso, Montoya, Trulli, R Schumacher, Button, Fisichella, M Schumacher and Webber.

Raikkonen stopped early in the session with a suspected hydraulic problem

Full results - Commentary

Qualifying: Alonso, Raikkonen, Button, Montoya, Trulli, Barrichello, Fisichella and Sato

Raikkonen will drop 10 places on the grid due to an engine change!

Full results - Commentary

Another long and painful race for Williams coming up. A great lap from Alonso! I wish Kimi was closer in points! Villeneuve has really outclassed Massa in qual - bad lap for Massa, different strategy or is Jacques getting back to form and inspired by BMW announcement? Ferrari nowhere.

Looking forward to a great race between the McLarens and Alonso, with Button and Trulli being interesting also.

Pole Setter Fernando Alonso quote following qualifying

It was a good lap today, and there was a really nice balance on the car. It is quite unexpected for me to be on the pole, to be honest, but the team did a great job overnight to improve the car, and it felt quick straight away this morning. That meant I went into qualifying with a good level of confidence, and I could really attack on the timed lap. Looking to tomorrow, I think we will see more similar strategies than in Magny-Cours, which will make it hard for people behind to make up positions, but it is still a long race here and anything can happen. It is hard for Kimi to suffer another penalty, but from our side, it doesn't change anything in the approach: we have done our maximum so far this weekend and got pole; we will do exactly the same tomorrow.

Full Renault team and driver quotes