The 2007 United States Grand Prix

[Snowy]

Great race and great result! Lewis manage the pressure and didn't make any mistakes which he could have been forgiven for, the amount of pressure that was applied throughout the entire race. I am very very happy and I get a fairly respectable haul of points for 8 & Pole this week! Vettel did well didn't he? I'm sorry for Nick but it was actually worth it just to see him relaxing in the marshals chair!

No surprizes my driver of the day Lewis Hamilton who is actually exceeding even my expectations

[Jim Watt]

Driver of the Day is Easy: Lewis was brilliant. My seat was just above turn one and Lewis was as smooth as silk all day. Fernando kept riding the kerbs and sawing mightily this way and that, but to no avail. Ed said he thought Fernando got a good run on Lewis on the straight --and he may well have, but Lewis had the line into the turn and didn't make the slightest error; it was as though he were not at all bothered. Cool as someone out on a sunday drive.

Kimi, starting on hards had some trouble in the early going. (The tyre business just keeps getting stranger and stranger. I'm wondering how much Bridgestone paid Bernie.) But eventually Kimi got it pulled back together and even made a good run at Felipe.

Even though the first turn accident happened right in front of me, I have no idea how Ralphie managed it! I just remember bits of Rubens' wing (?) or sidepod (?) flying in all directions. Ralph was out of the car almost before the bits finished scattering and headed, it looked, immediately for the airport. Hope he has put some of those millions away for his retirement. If I were Toyota, I'd pay him off before Magny Cours!! And hire Sebastian V.

Got home to discover that I had my VCR on the wrong channel. But it's O.K. Except for Kimi's taking 3rd, it was pretty much as I had called it. How much, in fact, was the gap between the McLaren's and Ferarris? On the track it seemed like for ever!

I wonder what kind of magic they can find at Maranello? Maybe they should ask what kind of breakfast Lewis is eating?

Only one slightly sour note. I've been to all the F1 GPs at Indy and many many 500's --and this was the most pathetic crowd ever!! I don't care what numbers they post, all I can say is that I was able to park the car across the street (30th) on the North end of the track for free. And when I came in at about 11:30, the North lot was barely half full. Last month, on a rainy day for the 500 the closest I could park was 37th street!!

Indeed, I had to laugh when I bought my ticket from a scalper: there were THREE of them and only me. No one else even in sight. Needless to say I got a $105.00 ticket for almost 1/2 price. Should you decide to come for the race next year, and should it be in Indy, I'd advise you NOT to purchase a ticket until race day.

Ciao friends. It looks like just when we thought we were finished with Schumi's domination, we're about to get some one else's. And this kid is only 22!!

Jim Watt

[Julian Mayo]

Has Flavio smiled yet? Nice job Kovi. Drive of the day for mine. Hambone handles pressure well, on and off the track. Alonso did a good job of giving him some. Still can't figure out what is going on with Kimi, he seems to be fighting the car. Trulli and Webbo had fun.
A good race.
What was the name of that fella who used to drive for Toyota ? Had an older brother who did well, before retiring last year.........nearly choked on my weetbix at his comment
............." I braked quite calmly but my tyres locked up" poor old DC if he had been any further to the outside he would have been off the track, yet Ralf said....."we crashed in to each other, I think it was a racing accident"
The word "think" looks out of place in that statement.
in F1, luck is a cruel mistress, ask Nick and Nico.

[RE30B#16]

Gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Lewis Hamilton makes a clean sweep of North America!!!! (Just like I predicted!)

Well done RE30B#16

Hope you've done the same in your picks

I did!!



This was the first GP I have seen live all year. Here are a few comments:

Great team performance by both McLaren and Ferrari. I believe the championship will come down to the 2 McLaren drivers and Felipe Massa (basically the podium) with Raikonnen and Heidfeld knocking on the door. I predict Heidfeld will win at the Nurburgring and perhaps Magny Coors shocking the establishment. Robert Kubica could win Hungary if they keep improving the car.

I was very impressed with the drive of both Renault drivers particularly Giancarlo Fisichella after his off. Alex Wurz did a very good first and second stint as well. These two passed the most cars on track.

Jarno Trulli drove a very uncharacteristic "patience" race to finish in the points. However, my drive of the day goes to 19 year old Sebastien Vettel for coming in the points while subbing for Robert Kubica and ultimately representing the whole team after Heidfeld's hydraulics failed.

Graining tires proved to be everyone's achilles heal.

I felt really bad for Rubens Barrichelo and Jenson Button for having to drive such a dog. Jenson drove his heart out almost angrily only to still be a tail-end-charlie. Jenson has such a wonderful driving style. I wish he was as motivated or focused as Hambone or Alonso or Massa of late (and driving a car matching his talent).

My last kudo goes to Mark Webber. He is still competitive.

I don't know what Renault would gain by replacing either Fisichella or Kovalainnen with either old Ricardo Zonta, who never showed much promise in a race seat, or Nelson Piquet Jr who failed to outshine Kovalainnen enough to win the race seat outright before the season began. I believe his disruptive attitude has already become a cancer in the team. No one forced him to sign a testing contract. I would release him if I were Flavio Briatore.

F1 needs to make a better TV deal in the USA if they hope to improve its image. The cars looked fantastic on TV, and more American kids would get into it if they only saw it. I have predicted a race seat for Graham Rahal in Formula 1 next year. I think a similar opportunity may materialize for Marco Andretti if he starts winning IRL races regularly. They have the names and the speed. The American racing king NASCAR has already reduced itself to a soap opera/reality show to keep everyone's attention.

[Bundy]

My Drive of the Day is for Lewis. He has FA rattled, BIG TIME!!!!!

Still trying to work out why after failing to pass Lewis he decided to swerve at the McLaren pit crew on the start/finish straight.

Ferrari are starting to fall behind.

[gkaytaz]

My DotD is Hamilton too.

I'd have expected Ferrari to be better at Indy. It seems that the McLarens are in a whole different league than the rest.

Oh and btw, I am expecting Alonso and Hamilton to take out each other in a first corner mayhem soon.

[Snowy]

I thought Ferrari showed signs of closing the gap! The lap times of Felipe were just a tenth or two off Fernando's at the beginning of the first stint. Kimi set the fastest lap of the race and judging from the Live Timing Lewis and Fernando were driving flat out when they set their fastests laps, Lewis trying to pullout a gap before pitting and Fernando trying to keep in touch. I may be mistaken but I think Ferrari have closed the gap to McLaren and are inching away from BMW.

[gkaytaz]

I thought Ferrari showed signs of closing the gap! The lap times of Felipe were just a tenth or two off Fernando's at the beginning of the first stint. Kimi set the fastest lap of the race and judging from the Live Timing Lewis and Fernando were driving flat out when they set their fastests laps, Lewis trying to pullout a gap before pitting and Fernando trying to keep in touch. I may be mistaken but I think Ferrari have closed the gap to McLaren and are inching away from BMW.

And that was at the track Ferrari were supposedly the best of. Thing is, Ferraris tend to lag behind until it's too late. Hamilton and Alonso did not even really push it for the final 20 laps or so. If the Ferraris closed in on them they would have kept the gap as is. As for BMW, I think they are doing quite okay. They are not as fast as Ferrari or McL yet but given the right circumstances they can scrape up some major points. Look at what they have achieved in less than 2 years (since Sauber's buyout).

[Jim Watt]

Snowy wrote:

I thought Ferrari showed signs of closing the gap! The lap times of Felipe were just a tenth or two off Fernando's at the beginning of the first stint. Kimi set the fastest lap of the race and judging from the Live Timing Lewis and Fernando were driving flat out when they set their fastests laps, Lewis trying to pullout a gap before pitting and Fernando trying to keep in touch. I may be mistaken but I think Ferrari have closed the gap to McLaren and are inching away from BMW.

I hope you're right, Snowy!! But it looked to me like the Ferarri's were just unstable in their set ups. I suspect that Kimi's fast lap was made possible by his carrying just the right fuel load and having his tires just dialed in. I paid close attention (being a sort of American Tifosi) to the red cars all race long and I have to say that their braking at the end of the long straight and recovering through turns 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 (all of which I could clearly follow) were uneven. Felipe sometimes even sounded funny (raising hopes in me breast that Kimi would be able to get him). More importantly, for a very long time in the early going Kimi simply could NOT make any headway on Kovaleinin and the Renault. He couldn't, that is, even get close enough to threaten his fellow Finn. Meanwhile, the McLarens were motoring away from Felipe. Game over.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at Maranello. I wonder whether there is anything Michael can DO for this car and its drivers? I think not. Until they can feel confident that they HAVE the pace to challenge McLaren, both will just have to resign themselves to another season where the WDC fades inexorably into the distance. Hopefully, Ferarri is working VERY HARD on next year's car.

But leaving all that aside, Lewis Hamilton is obviously the most important change in F1 this year --and for years to come.

It looks like Ron Dennis has COMPLETELY out-foxed his red car rivals. Now all he has to worry about is keeping the peace in his garage between a two consecutive year WDC, and a WDC for the ages.

Someone, on that subject, should have a word with Fernando. I heard at the track that he was complaining that the English mechanics were favoring his teammate over himself.

Ha! My answer to that would be to offer him some SPANISH mechanics.

ciao, Jim Watt

[Southernman]

I don't usually enjoy watching racing on this track but I did this time. Hamilton gets my driver of the day pick. It's good to see competitive racing between teammates, something that has been lacking for a while now. Even the battles down the field were good to watch. It's a pity that Ferrari aren't that competitive this year.

[gkaytaz]

Even the battles down the field were good to watch. It's a pity that Ferrari aren't that competitive this year.

True. After the first pit-stops they have been showing the mid-field battles mostly. There was practically nothing going on up front anyway

[JayVee]

That was a great race! I enjoyed it very much.

Well done to Hamilton and Alonso they had a good fight. I enjoyed it and while I would have been happier had Alonso won, it was still a good result.

(And I guess Hamilton had a lesser fuel load and got the advantage of starting from Pole ? eh Snowy ?)

Alonso never finished on the podium in the US, now he has so that will give him a boost. France and Britain will be crucial but watch out for him.

If Ferrari are more than 10 seconds behind at Indy, forget them!

Raikkonen seemed to wake up in the last stint!!

Well done Kovalainen, I had high hopes for him and even though his start of the season was a disaster I was very very suprised to find out that he was only 1 point behind Fisichella. (Who will be in trouble now ?)

Felt sorry for Rosberg but his performance will again put pressure on Wurz who was something like 10 places behind and struggling to pass.

Hard luck to Heidfeld as well.

Well done both Trulli and Webber. They had a good fight too and both finished in the points. First points for Webber I think!

I said Ralf would be replaced by Indy, they didn't listen did they ? He didn't even last more than a few metres

France is next!! Can't wait

[RE30B#16]

Someone, on that subject, should have a word with Fernando. I heard at the track that he was complaining that the English mechanics were favoring his teammate over himself.

Ha! My answer to that would be to offer him some SPANISH mechanics.

ciao, Jim Watt

Don't go there Jim. Fernando had English mechanics at Renault!! It may be controlled by a French car manufacturer, but it is still Toleman in expensive clothing.

People say believe half of what you see
And none of what you hear!

Heard It Through The Grapevine ~Marvin Gaye [Whitfield/Strong]