World Of F1 #25 ~ No Speed Limit ~

[Mayamulisha]

Ferrari off to a strong start in Monaco
[29/05/03 - 17:22]

Michael Schumacher began his quest for a record- equalling sixth Monaco Grand Prix victory in style here Thursday when he led a dominant Ferrari one-two in the first qualifying session. Schumacher, who has won the last three races in San Marino, Spain and Austria, lapped the narrow barrier-lined streets in one min 16.305 secs to finish 0.331 secs ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello.

The German, who has won here every other year since 1995 and lost out to Scot David Coulthard last year, could equal Brazilian Ayrton Senna's record around the streets of the principality with victory here Sunday. He made the most of the sunny conditions as he finished half a second ahead of his closest non-Ferrari rival, third-placed British BAR-Honda driver Jenson Button.

Rubens Barrichello is happy to slot in behind his teammate especially as initial runs in the F2003-GA this morning were not that successful. However after several adjustments, the Brazilian found himself up there with Michael and in a strong position for tomorrows final session.

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - McLaren - Day one

McLaren Mercedes driver David Coulthard set a time of 1:17.059 during today's one-lap qualifying prior to Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix. David's time was the fifth fastest of the day and the Scot is not too concerned. He will take to the circuit tomorrow, for the final and very important qualifying session in the final group and last year’s winner here is confident of a strong run….

Meanwhile, teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who heads into this weekend’s event as the championship leader was the first man out on track but his benchmark time of one min 17.926 secs was immediately beaten by Schumacher and the Finn eventually ended up 11th fastest

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Renault - Day one

RenaultF1 team arrived in Monaco full of confidence however the start of the weekend hasn’t gone as planned starting with problems in the two free hours of testing here this morning. By the time qualifying came to an end, Jarno Trulli was in fourth place behind the BAR of Jenson Button and the best Michelin runner of the day.

Teammate Fernando Alonso wasn’t as fortunate however and the Spaniard ran into difficulties trying to pull off the ‘perfect’ lap. While everyone waited with baited breath for a stunning lap time, Alonso could only manage 14th fastest. But, he is not too concerned as he knows tomorrow is the day that really matters

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - BAR - Day one

Jenson Button’s Grand Prix weekend got off to a flying start in Monaco today. After ending this morning’s free practice in second position, the Lucky Strike B·A·R Honda driver went on to post the third fastest lap in this afternoon’s session, a very pleasing result for the young Brit…

Weather conditions remained hot and sunny throughout the qualifying session, for which Button and Villeneuve lined up 10th and 13th in line for their single-lap runs. However, despite his teammate’s solid run, Jacques was one of the drivers forced to contend with an oily circuit and eventually ended the d the day in 12th

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Sauber - Day one

This afternoon’s first qualifying session for the Monaco Grand prix weekend was red flagged half way when Heinz-Harald Frentzen was forced to park his smoking Sauber on the way up the hill on his flying lap due to a blown engine. The session was stopped for 25 minutes as marshals covered up the spilt oil trail and Frentzen, who failed to set a lap time as a result, will now out first in Saturday's grid-deciding qualifying session.

Meanwhile, teammate Nick Heidfeld finished 10th and will therefore start tomorrow's qualifying session in 11th place. Unfortunately, the oil laid down by his teammate hindered his overall lap time.

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Williams - Day one

BMW WilliamsF1 Team made a solid start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, with drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya qualifying in 6th and 8th places respectively. He opening practice session wasn’t that strong for Ralf, but thankfully both men recorded their times before the session was red flagged leaving them both in the later half for tomorrows final session.

Juan Pablo Montoya is happy with the improvements made to his FW25 after the earlier practice session, however he is far from impressed with his eighth place on the grid this afternoon. However, hopefully things will go his way tomorrow and the Colombian racer will end up in a strong position for Sunday’s race.

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Jordan - Day one

Jiancarlo Fisichella and Ralph Firman came 7th and 13th in first qualifying after a trouble free day for Jordan Ford. In earlier practice the Jordan driver was recording some very strong times, and when it came to the first qualifying Fisichella was comfortably in the top ten. Due to this, the Silverstone based squad is confident that there is more to come from the EJ13 during the weekend.

Meanwhile, teammate Ralph Firman was quickest of the four rookies taking part in today’s sessions and his 13th place is the best qualifying position in the season so far. Unfortunately for the young Brit, he was one of the ten drivers hamoered by the oil from Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Sauber.

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Toyota - Day one

It was a day to forget for the Panasonic Toyota Racing team at the Circuit de Monaco today after the opening qualifying session of this weekend's 61st Monaco Grand Prix. Drivers Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta qualified right down the field in 18th and 19th positions after troublesome single flying laps.

Panis, the quicker of the two set the 13th fastest time in earlier practice but by the time the qualifying session came to a close he found himself behind Minardi rookie Justin Wilson and over three and a half seconds from pole.

Teammate Cristiano da Matta spent most of his earlier practice acclimatizing himself to the tight twisty streets, being that it was the Brazilian driver’s first time around the Monte Carlo track. However, it was thought that his street circuit experience would help a lot this weekend and last on the grid, apart from Frentzen who failed to set a time, is not where he expected to be.

[Mayamulisha]

Monaco GP - Jaguar - Day one

Blue skies and high temperatures greeted both spectators and drivers this afternoon as Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia took to the track to complete their one-lap Thursday qualifying on the street circuit in the Principality of Monaco.

After a successful morning test session and free-practice that saw both drivers work through their planned program, Mark and Antonio finished the afternoon qualifying session 9th and 15th respectively, despite being affected by oil left on the track by the Sauber Petronas of Heinz Harold-Frentzen that resulted in the qualifying session being stopped for twenty-five minutes.

The team have dropped three and a half seconds from their 2002 official FIA time on this circuit, a clear improvement and a sign of the huge steps forward that have been taken in recent months by the Premier Performance Division.

[Mayamulisha]

McLaren to use new car next season

Adrian Newey, McLaren technical director, said on Thursday that the team will begin the 2004 season with this year's new car which has yet to make its debut. McLaren's MP4-18 car was tested for the first time at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France last week, but will not debut until the European Grand Prix in Germany at the end of June.

Newey, who first began designing the new model last June, said at the Monaco Grand Prix that McLaren expect to run the new car in the opening races of 2004 - as they have done this season with last year's MP4-17.

McLaren started the season well with their 2002 model as drivers David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen won the opening two races in Australia and Malaysia. Coulthard has failed to finish on the podium since, while Raikkonen has seen his championship lead reduced to just two points over world champion Michael Schumacher, who has won the last three races for Ferrari.

Problems experienced during the Paul Ricard test ended hopes of the new car debuting in Monaco or at the next race in Canada, but Newey is confident in the performance of the machine.

"The design started last June and it has obviously taken a long time," he added. "But we've looked at it in detail and I hope it will be a reasonable car."

[QMS]

well i'm looking forward this coming races....which closed rival Ferrari will still debut with their old car....good luck at Monaco..!!

[Mayamulisha]

Coulthard confident of Monaco glory

Despite finishing fifth in yesterday’s one lap qualifying session, McLaren driver David Coulthard is confident that he will be able to notch up back-to-back victories around the streets of Monte Carlo on Sunday, if the MP4-17D is up to the job at hand.

The Scot secured McLaren’s one and only win of the 2002 season here last year, his second victory in Monaco, and after already tasting success in the opening round in Melbourne a little under three months ago, David is looking to secure glory this weekend and boost his world championship status with an extra ten points in the process.

"I really believe that if I have a winning car then I can win this race," he said. "We don't know yet if this is a winning car. We were pretty conservative in first qualifying. I could have gone a bit faster and I am not too concerned about the gap to Ferrari."

[Rupert G]

Salam.

Perghhh takde speed limit...best aaa tajuk...terasa nak drive tanpa ada had laju kat kl ni...

[Rupert G]

Salam.

Perghhh takde speed limit...best aaa tajuk...terasa nak drive tanpa ada had laju kat kl ni...

[lonewarrior]

wz up semua
so sapa yg menang kat monte carlo tu
ferrrarri ke????
chow

[Mayamulisha]

2003 MONACO GRAND PRIX RACE RESULTS
--------------------------------------------------------------

1 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams BMW
2 Kimi Raikkonen Team McLaren Mercedes
3 Michael Schumacher Scuderia Ferrari
4 Ralf Schumacher Williams BMW
5 Fernando Alonso Renault
6 Jarno Trulli Renault
7 David Coulthard Team McLaren Mercedes
8 Rubens Barrichello Scuderia Ferrari
9 Cristiano da Matta Toyota
10 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan Ford
11 Nick Heidfeld Sauber

[Mayamulisha]

2003 MONACO GRAND PRIX REPORTS
Monte Carlo, Sunday 1st June 2003

DAVID COULTHARD MP4-17D 06
KIMI RAIKKONEN MP4-17D 09

Team McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen finished second in today’s Monaco Grand Prix. David Coulthard claimed seventh. The result sees Kimi extending his World Championship lead to four points and he now has a total of 48 points. David is sixth with 25 points. The Team McLaren Mercedes team reclaimed the top spot in the Constructors’ rankings and now has 73 points. Kimi had his first pitstop at the end of lap 24 (8.9 seconds) and the second stop took place at the end of lap 52 (8.9 seconds). David had his stops on laps 26 (7.6 seconds) and 56. Kimi also set the fastest lap of the race and a new lap record with a time of 1:14.545 on lap 49.

KIMI RAIKKONEN:
“I’m a bit disappointed as traffic meant that I was unable to take advantage of the fact that I was able to stay out longer than Montoya before stopping. However that is Monaco for you and at least I have increased my Championship lead. I got a bad start, which allowed Montoya to get past me and after that it was really just a matter of putting as much pressure as possible on him to try and force him into making a mistake but unfortunately he didn’t.”

DAVID COULTHARD:
“Obviously I could not run the pace I would have liked as I got stuck behind Jarno Trulli for the main part of the race and unfortunately he was on the same fuel stop strategy as I was. Otherwise considering the speed of my car and our strategy I would have had the chance to gain a much better position.”

[Mayamulisha]

Williams win opens up F1 title race

Juan Pablo Montoya's victory for Williams in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix has opened up the Formula One race but the Colombian is cautious about his own championship prospects. Montoya scored only his second Grand Prix win in Monte Carlo to add to his 2001 success at Monza, and with it ended Williams' 20-year search for success in the principality.

The win, Williams' first since the Malaysian Grand Prix in March last year, helped close the gap on McLaren and Ferrari in the constructors' standings. Williams are now third 23 points adrift of leaders McLaren and 21 behind second-placed Ferrari.

World champion Michael Schumacher, second in the title race, came third behind Raikkonen on the streets of Monte Carlo. His quest to equal Ayrton Senna's record of six wins in Monaco were dashed by his fifth place grid position as Ferrari for once failed to get things right. But Schumacher claims things could have been worse.

Kimi Raikkonen has warned of more to come from McLaren. The 23-year-old Finn is still using a development of last year's car with McLaren's new machine due to debut at the European Grand Prix at Nurburgring on June 29. Raikkonen, who will test the MP4-18 for the first time this week, believes he can win in Montreal with the current car but was confident McLaren could mount a bigger challenge once the new car is unrolled.

[Mayamulisha]

Montoya denies Ferrari talks

BMW WilliamsF1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has denied claims he is in discussions with Ferrari concerning a future drive with the Italian marque.

After winning his first race since September 2001, the Colombian driver was asked about stories in the Italian press that he was intended to be Michael Schumacher’s successor at the end of next season, the same time his contract expires with the Williams squad.

[Mayamulisha]

Ferrari admit they have been caught

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt admitted that his team have been caught up by their three world championship rivals and will not enjoy the dominance this season that they had last year. Michael Schumacher, the Italian team's highest-placed driver in the Monaco Grand Prix here Sunday, was beaten by winner Juan Pablo Montoya, of Williams, and second-placed Kimi Raikkonen.

And Todt believes that the performance of those two teams as well as Renault, whose drivers Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli finished fourth and fifth, proved Ferrari will have to fight hard to hold onto their crown this year.

Ferrari enjoyed a dominant season last year as Schumacher won the world drivers' title in record time and he and team-mate Rubens Barrichello claimed 15 victories from the 17 races. Their sublime performance, along with the requirement for cost cutting, sent the sport into a search for solutions and the governing body, the FIA, introduced significant regulation changes ahead of this season's first race.

A new one-lap qualifying system, and the requirement for teams to run race fuel levels in the grid-deciding session, has made strategy an even greater part of the sport. And after Schumacher and Barrichello managed only fifth and seventh places on the grid for the race Saturday both drivers were left with a difficult task around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo.

Schumacher, who had won the last three races in Imola, Barcelona and Austria to close to within two points of Raikkonen's championship lead, saw the distance between him and his Finnish rival double Sunday. Ferrari had claimed a hat-trick of victories to claw back 24 points from McLaren-Mercedes and take the lead in the world championship before but they have now dropped two points behind their rivals.

[Mayamulisha]

A good end to a difficult weekend for Alonso

RenaultF1 driver Fernando Alonso drove a superb race around the streets of Monte Carlo this afternoon to bring his R23 home in fifth place. The young Spaniard qualified in eighth place after a difficult weekend, but made up two places on the opening lap followed by some very strong driving. His fifth placed finish sees him up into third place in the drivers championship, behind Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher.

Teammate Jarno Trulli crossed the line close behind in sixth place, the Italian driver disappointed with the result, especially as he started from fourth. Traffic as major factor as to his downfall here however he was involved in a very interesting battle with the McLaren of David Coulthard for the majority of the event.

[Mayamulisha]

Bridgestone reject Schumacher's criticisms over tyres

Ferrari tyre suppliers Bridgestone have denied claims from world champion Michael Schumacher that they were to blame for his failure to win the Monaco Grand Prix Sunday. Schumacher started from fifth after making several small mistakes on his one-lap run in Saturday qualifying and finished third behind winner Juan Pablo Montoya and second-placed Kimi Raikkonen.

The German driver, who had won the previous three races for his Italian team, was unable to jump through the field on the tight barrier-lined circuit and only made up two places in the pit stops. But he complained that his tyres had not allowed him to keep pace with his rivals.

Schumacher's team chief Jean Todt also admitted that the "car-tyre package was not working at its best" after the disappointing result dropped Ferrari to second in the world championship behind McLaren. Bridgestone's rivals, French company Michelin, finished first and second with Montoya, in the Williams, and Raikkonen, in the McLaren, and also filled all but two of the points-scoring positions.

But Bridgestone's technical manager Hisao Suganuma insisted the tyres had performed well in the race and said the team had just suffered from a different strategy to their rivals. Schumacher, when faced with a clear track in the closing stages of the race, was able to reel in the leaders and closed a ten seconds gap to 1.1 seconds by the end.

Strategy played a stronger part than normal in the race Sunday and Ferrari's rivals have already tipped the Italian giants to return to the front at the next race, in Canada, in 13 days' time.

[Mayamulisha]

McLaren boss expects hard fight against Ferrari

Ron Dennis, is expecting a tough fight against Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place on June 15th.

Although the team out-performed Ferrari at Monaco to regain the lead in the Constructors’ Championship, Dennis remains cautious over their chances in Montreal.

“"We know it's going to be tough, Canada's going to be very tough for us,” he is quoted as saying in a report issued by news agency, Reuters.

However, Montreal looks set to mark the last outing for the McLaren interim MP4/17D; if all go wells, the MP4/18 will make its debut at the European Grand Prix on June 29th.

“It's got to be reliable and if it's not fully reliable by then, maybe we'll have to wait a little longer, but that's our target at the moment," he said.

[Mayamulisha]

Schumacher to decide on future by September

According to a report by news agency Reuters, Michael Schumacher will decide the future of his career within the next three months.

The Ferrari driver’s current contract expires at the end of the 2004 season – the same time as Ross Brawn and Jean Todt – but negotiations are not yet in place whilst the team concentrates on the races ahead.

Schumacher, 34, is currently chasing a record sixth Drivers’ Championship and currently sits second in the standings, four points adrift of McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Juan-Pablo Montoya, whose contract at Williams expires at the end of 2004, has been linked with the drive, although the Colombian denied these claims at the Monaco Grand Prix.

[Rupert G]

Button to miss testing


Jenson Button will miss the BAR test session at Monza on 5 June because of the injuries he sustained at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The British driver was involved in an 180mph accident during the free practice session last Saturday.

He was knocked unconscious in the crash on the fastest part of the track and later withdrawn from the race.

"Jenson was given a full examination by the FIA's medical delegate, Professor Sid Watkins," BAR said in a statement.

"It was considered more prudent for him to sit out his scheduled one-day-test in Monza on 5 June in order for him to concentrate on being fully fit to compete in Montreal."

Button still believes he will compete in the Canadian GP, which begins on 13 June.

"I am looking forward to getting back in the car but I don't want to be silly about it," he said.

"I will go through all the training regime first to make sure everything is good.

"I don't want to get back into a car and hurt myself. Everything has got to be right first."

Button escaped from the crash with bruises and nausea and the team had initially planned for him to compete.

But he was kept in overnight at the Princess Grace Hospital and withdrawn from the race following discussions with doctors.

"I haven't seen the accident yet but I will," said Button.

"The problem is I had concussion and that was a real problem for the doctors.


"I remember the car going a bit sideways to start with, then I remember being totally out of control and hitting the side barrier. It didn't feel like it was hard.

"Then I can remember seeing the wall coming towards me but after that I am a little bit lost."



sumber: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/2955700.stm

[Rupert G]

Ini komen Robbo...

Montoya Magic
I say magic, but actually I switched off the Monaco Grand Prix after the second pit stop.

Montoya was first, followed by Raikonnen, M. Schumacher, R. Schumacher, Alonso, Trulli, Coulthard and Barrichello.

There was plenty of laps to go but the wife bought some new bathroom fittings last year and it felt like a good time to put 'em up.

And what was the final race order? Never. You mean no-one overtook anyone else after I switched off? In Monaco?

Is that because it is BLOODY IMPOSSIBLE to overtake anyone on those streets?!

You may as well start the race, see who's in front first, and then have a time trial for the pit teams. It's a waste of time.

The only reason they still hold a grand prix there at all is so half the overpaid, tax-exiled drivers only have a short walk home.

sumber: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/robbo/default.stm

[Mayamulisha]

aiyyakkkkkkkkkkkkk sini pon ada gak mamat robbo ni!

[Rupert G]

Montoya's Monaco magic

Juan Pablo Montoya has made his name as one of motor racing's buccaneers - fast, daring, bold and willing to overtake whenever possible.

But his second Formula One victory on Sunday, through Monaco's unforgiving metal-plated alleyways, showed another side to a talent bursting to succeed.

Montoya won from third on the grid, battling an engine problem over the closing laps while at the same time fending off unrelenting pressure from the championship leader, Kimi Raikkonen, all the way to the line.

And he did it driving within himself.

"I really paced myself and stayed focused," he admitted afterwards.

Montoya pacing himself? Talking about focus? He may even go out for dinner with his team-mate next.

Perhaps, though, the penny has finally dropped.

As Jackie Stewart is so fond of saying: "To go faster, you need to go slower."

The three times champion has also accused the Colombian of being too aggressive, but Montoya's performance in Monaco suggested otherwise.

Even in his moment in triumph, Montoya could not help recalling how he threw away victory in the wide open spaces of Albert Park at the start of this season.

In Melbourne, he lost concentration and spun away the lead.

In Monaco, while walls and Armco hemmed him in at every turn, he did not make one false move.

He curbed the impetuous trait which led him into costly collisions with Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard last year, yet gave full rein to the natural ability that jump over Ralf Schumacher to lead after the first round of pit stops.

Mechanical failures like the one which wrecked his chances at the last race in Austria and at three key races last year where he started from pole are regrettably all part of the game.

Williams know the FW25 needs further refinement after a faltering start. BMW's engine is not always the faultless unit it is been made out to be.

"Formula One is a big orchestra and to get every section performing well individually and then collectively is very complex," said technical director Patrick Head.

But driver errors are unforced, unnecessary and wholly unacceptable in a championship challenge.

Michael Schumacher attracted so much criticism over the first three races because he was making uncharacteristic mistakes.

He has since returned to form and risen up the championship standings.

As Montoya keeps being reminded, much to his annoyance, Schumacher sets the standard by which the others are all judged.

The Colombian had barely sat in a kart for the first time when Williams last won in Monaco in 1983.

It must seem as long ago since his country's national flag was last raised above Formula One's podium.

In reality, it was just 21 months ago at the Italian Grand Prix - days after the 9/11 attacks in America.

Montoya did it from pole, he did it in style and it looked to be his foot in the door of F1's hall of fame.

But it was not quite the watershed both Montoya and his fans expected.

"I couldn't believe it was actually happening," he said, the winner's trophy in his grasp in Monaco.

"It's been a long time waiting. It's been a big jinx for me not to win another race."

Now, heading to Canada, where he deserved to win last summer after a typically dazzling charge to pole, Montoya has another opportunity to prove his championship credentials.



sumber: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/2954788.stm

[Mayamulisha]

Successful four-day test for the MP4-18

While their rivals were busy testing elsewhere in Europe, the Mercedes powered McLaren Mercedes were busy putting the new MP4-18 through its paces at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Regular drivers David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen took part in the scheduled four day test, as did regular tester Alex Wurz. However, this was the first time that both Kimi and David had the chance to try out the new car and the session has been hailed a success by all concerned.

Two MP4-18 cars had been taken to Barcelona for the test and Kimi made his debut in the car on Wednesday, following Wurz’s two days of additional testing. Kimi was immediately impressed and was pleased to finally experience the MP4-18.

“I really enjoyed my first test of the MP4-18 and the car felt good,” said Kimi. “We completed a number of laps and obviously I'm learning about the car all the time. Every time I went out it got better and better.”

The young Finn was joined by his teammate at the Spanish circuit on Thursday, the Scot anxious to get his first drive in the Woking squad’s new challenger. David was also pleased with the positive results….

"Obviously it was fantastic to be driving the MP4- 18 for the first time,” he said on Thursday afternoon. “The team completed a positive program and the car felt good.”

Both drivers completed a comprehensive number of laps in the cars during the test, however no times were issued by the team. Meanwhile, the squad’s second tester Pedro de la Rosa was in action at the Monza circuit where he completed a successful three-day test behind the wheel of the MP4-17D

[Mayamulisha]

Coulthard could help team-mate Raikkonen

Scot David Coulthard has admitted that his chances of becoming world champion this year are slipping away and said he is willing to help McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's challenge for the championship crown.

"It's getting further away, but a lot could change," he said of his title chances.

There are still a lot of points left in the championship and you can turn your season around with one good race result.
But you've always got to take a sensible pill on these things. If it's getting to the point where I'm not mathematically within a chance then that's the team's right.

I would never swim against the tide on that because it makes no sense. Yes I'm out there as an individual trying to do the best I can - but I'm supported by a team and I have to respect that."

[Mayamulisha]

Schumacher unhappy with new regulations

Michael Schumacher has publicly stated that he isn’t entirely happy with the new points system introduced this season, according to a report by Reuters.

Schumacher, who won his 68th grand prix on Sunday in Montreal – his 49th for Ferrari – finds it hard to believe that, despite winning four of the first eight races, he is just three points ahead of McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen, who has won once.

This season, Schumacher currently has 54 points under the new regulations, thanks to four victories and a third, fourth and sixth place. Kimi Raikkonen has 51 with a tally of one victory, four second positions and a third and sixth place finishing.

However, under last year’s regulations, Schumacher would be leading the championship on 48 points, with Raikkonen trailing on 39 in second – a deficit of nine points.

Nonetheless, the points system was brought into place to dampen the affect of Ferrari and Schumacher, and so far, it seems to be working.

[Mayamulisha]

Canadian GP Closest finish in Formula 1 since 1997

Canadian Grand Prix saw the closest finish in Formula 1 since the European Grand Prix in 1997, held at Jerez in Spain.

In Montreal, a mere 4.481 seconds separated the four front-runners: Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Juan-Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso. This is comparable to the 3.789 seconds that separated Mika Hakkinen from fifth-place, Eddie Irvine, in the 1997 European Grand Prix.

However, somewhat surprisingly, the 0.784 seconds between Michael and Ralf on Sunday ranks just 50th in the closest finishes of all-time. And, already this season, the duos time has been bettered by Juan- Pablo and Kimi Raikkonen who, at the Monaco Grand Prix, finished just 0.602 seconds apart.

Nonetheless, first-place will take some beating: at the Italian Grand Prix in 1970, just 0.61 seconds separated the winner – Peter Genthin – from fifth-placed man, Howden Ganley.

[Mayamulisha]

Minardi buy five Arrows A23's

The small Minardi team, that was close to bankruptcy just before the Canadian GP, found the necessary founds (thanks to Bernie Ecclestone ?) to buy five Arrows A23 chassis in the auction of Tom Walkinshaw's team.

At first, it is a surprising move from the small Italian team but on a second thought, it could be an interesting solution for Stoddart's scuderia knowing that the Arrows A23's were also powered by the same Cosworth engine.

Officially, there are no plans to replace Minardi's PS03 by the Arrows A23 but a Minardi spokesperson admitted that they will examine the A23 and find some good ideas used on this chassis to improve the PS03, adding this comment : "Two chassis are in good condition while the three others could be used as spare parts."

But why buy five chassis if it is only to take a few ideas from them ? Paul Stoddart wants to compare the PS03 to the A23 and use the one that is the best ? It is not impossible but for now Minardi is not confirming this option

[Mayamulisha]

HSBC contest very successful
Malaysian division of the Bank use F1 to bring new customers

HSBC Bank is one of Jaguar Racing's most loyal and important sponsor, the association between the two parties dating back to the time when the team was still named after and owned by former world champion Jackie Stewart.

The Malaysian division of HSBC organised a contest based on the bank's involvement with the Jaguar Formula One team. Named Race Around the World, the contest gave HSBC credit card users the chance to win different prizes based on race predictions and also other prizes for new credit card applications made through the contest.

The three-month long contest that ended in May 2003 generated 50,000 new credit cards and offered close to 500.000 Euros in prizes while their credit card spending grew by more than 20 million Euros during the contest.

The Bank management was so happy with the results that they are now hoping to organize other contests annually linked with Jaguar and Formula One.

[Mayamulisha]

2003 European Grand Prix fantastic facts

Formula 1 travels to Germany this weekend for the Mobil 1 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. Here are some fantastic facts you may or may not know about the country.

1. The Federal Republic of Germany is situated in the heart of Europe. It has nine neighbours and covers an area of about 357,000 square kilometers. The longest distance from North to South as the crow flies is 876 kilometers, and from West to East 640 kilometers.

2. Germany has a population of approximately 82.1 million (including 7.3 million foreigners) and is one of the most densely populated countries in all of Europe.

3. In Germany, there are about two million more women than men.

4. The most popular sport in Germany is soccer, called "Fussball" and is played at thousands of clubs which have more than 6.3 million members. The German national soccer team has won the World Cup three times and came close in 2002 before losing to Brazil in the final. Germany is now gearing up to host the 2006 World Cup.

5. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany include King Ludwig's castles in Bavaria, the Black Forest, the Cologne Cathedral, the Rhine River and the cities of Munich and Berlin.

[Mayamulisha]

Jordan: Ferrari tried to blackmail me

Team boss Eddie Jordan has accused the Ferrari team of blackmailing him to drop the High Court compensation claim against their sponsor, Vodafone.

Jordan and Vodafone are currently locked in a legal battle; Jordan claims the telecommunications failed to adhere to a verbal contract, although no formal paperwork was signed. Vodafone refutes these claims, stating that a deal was never finalised with the team.

However, according to The Sunday Times, Ferrari’s Jean Todt warned they would veto the ‘Fighting Fund’ – an agreement in place to pay Jordan and Minardi $8 million each due to higher engine costs – if Jordan continued with the court case.

In a letter to Jordan, Todt wrote: “Initially, we were ready to find a solution under which we would have waived in your favour some of our rights . . . We wrote [to Bernie Ecclestone] on February 26, 2003 that we agreed with the proposed new solution, provided you would withdraw your claim against Vodafone.”

In response to this, Eddie Jordan said Ferrari’s actions amounted to “bullyboy tactics” which “smacked of intimidation and blackmail”.

He continued, “Sauber, Minardi and ours are the only teams not controlled by the major manufacturers. These teams feed off us. But they don’t give a toss about whether we survive.”

Formula 1 Supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, has also suggested Ferrari did indeed make contact with Jordan, although Ferrari and Vodafone were unavailable for comment.

[Mayamulisha]

Formula 1’s extreme wealth

Formula 1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone is worth a staggering £2.6 billion – more than the next seven on the list combined – according to a report issued by The News of The World.

This makes Bernie Ecclestone the third richest person in Britain, behind The Duke of Westminster and Hans Rausing.

Ecclestone earned his fortune when he turned to management in 1949 following an accident which ended his racing career. A majority of the money comes from selling 75% of his company, Formula One Management, three years ago.

Second in the rich list is TAG McLaren entrepreneur, Mansour Ojjeh, who, alongside Ron Dennis, has set up the TAG Corporation including TAG Heuer watches. He is worth £788 million – nearly £2 billion less than Ecclestone.

Michael Schumacher is sixth with £250 million, behind Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz, Allsport’s Patrick McNally and Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo.

Somewhat surprisingly, Eddie Irvine is seventh on the list, with a fortune of £170 million. Although earning combined salaries in Formula 1 of approximately £32 million, he has most of his money through shrewd use of the stock market and building properties around the world to sell and let.

Piero Ferrari, Ron Dennis and Sir Frank Williams complete the top ten, with the latter worth £85 million.

[Mayamulisha]

Schumacher – is he a real racer?

Former Formula 1 driver, Stirling Moss, is not convinced Michael Schumacher is a real racer, according to a report issued by Reuters.

In the interview, Moss, 73, says there is a clear distinction between being a racer and a racing driver, and that it is difficult to say which category Michael Schumacher – the five-time World Champion – would fall into.

"Being a racer is not just about winning. It is to do with attitude, fighting spirit and the thrill of going wheel to wheel with an opponent,” he says.

"In my whole life of racing, and I did 500 and something races, I reckon there were only two or three people that I could call racers. It's a very rare commodity. Whether Michael is or not is difficult to say."

Moss went on to say that he believes Michael Schumacher makes too many mistakes despite the fact that he is inevitably ranked as one of the all-time greats.

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Wah bertalu² news dilempar kat sini, lepas gian bro......

[Mayamulisha]

kasi tutup diari lama...gp baru sudah mari..so mau buka dairi barulah...

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Apa² hal enjoy.....

P/s: Besok wa tak datang opis, wa ingat nak jumpa Mr. Bekem ngan Posh Spice kat Cheras besok. Muahahhaha

[Mayamulisha]

wookeh.....maklumat di terima.