I'm not sold on Rosberg yet. I'd like him to do well as I was a big fan of his father when I first got into motor racing, but we're yet to see anything special.

Yes he set a fastest lap once, but where is he now? Webber out classes him and he only bothers to drive when the car is competetive. Time will tell with Rosberg, but one freak performance in your maiden race doesnt show promise to me, nothing in the 1st race of the year can be taken as a bench mark as everyone is all over the place anyway - he needs to do more.

He's in a very good car (for a rookie), and you have to remember that when he's charging through the field and doing a "Nico", it's because he's somehow messed up in the first place because the car should be at the front of midfield to begin with.

Quote :

I think once/if Kimi gets a sorted, quick car under his bum he'll turn out to be a sublime driver, easily matching Alonso for pace and consistency.

At the start of the season, or indeed before Silverstone, I would have (and indeed did) said:
The right car for Kimi is a Ferrari, anything else is going to break. When he's charging (which is what he's built his reputation as a great driver on - it occurs when there's a shout of winning but he's not infront) he is far too hard on the car, he smashes over kerbs and takes far too much, he throws the car around too much and too violenty and consequently the car brakes too much.

But then I watched him settle for third at Silverstone, and did not see him overdrive despite him being around the front of the field and not leading. Maybe he has matured a little? Maybe Raikonnen is becoming a more complete driver this year.

His "lack of speed" at Silverstone was actually a blessing, it showed that he can drive with his head too and achieve all that the car can achieve. I was impressed because he's not shown he is capable of that before. Watching him last weekend felt like a serious and mature driver, whereas before he looked to my eyes like a wonnabe who wouldn't accept he didn't have what it took.

Personally I feel Kimi is having to drive a lot harder because he is trying to make up for the lack of pace in the car. He is just such a committed guy and it's a pleasure to watch his great drives in 05 where things didn't go his way but he made the best of it. Bahrain this year was a class example of him fighting back from the back of the grid after a failure and finished 3rd wasn't it ? only 15odd seconds behind the winner if I remember rightly!

I'm amazed how he can keep his head sometimes with all the bad luck he has, yes he might contribute to it but some how I don't think so. A lot of the things that went wrong went wrong too early in a GP or even practice session to have been his fault in my opinion.

Keiran

I really like him, hes a dangerous driver and is very gutsy on track, and someone ive always followed. In the same way ive got a soft spot for Williams, ive got a soft spot for him. I still think hes capable of winning a championship, but hes going to have to do it quickly, before he ends up back down the ranks again. Hes never really settled into that McLaren, and id like to see him in a better car.

If Kimi goes to Ferrari with Alonso in Mclaren, my money will be on Kimi for world champion.

btw Montoya is confirmed to be leaving, doesn't look like there will be any slot for him though?

Quote from Becky Rose :

Montoya struck me as a very impressive driver when he started out in F1, although I dont think at any time he's been complete enough to take a championship title I have been a little dissapointed with his results.

2003 Montoya had an impressive title bid, until the Indy stewards stopped him by imposing a questionable stop go (or was it driving through) penalty for an accident with Barrichello.

BTW Becky, you seem to have raced against Jenson Button, wonder whether it's true. It would be nice if you could share some of your experiences.

Well I could believe in your theory of braking the car in track like Imola, where the kerbs are, or atleast were, high and big and edgy and were driven over very hard. Like Variante Alta which was slowed down for this year, and which McLaren had problems every year. But the car should be made to handle those, I can remember Schumacher driving like a maniac over kerbs, getting airborne and bouncing around and the ferrari was fine. Claiming that Kimi drives like a noob kid is just crap, the car isnt just build to last. He has done allmost legendary stars from backrows, people dont seem to remember this, was he braking the car then because if you are faster you just must exploit the curbs and track and drive over all the bumbs to gain those tenths. No, because the car did fine. I'd rather watch Kimi going around the track with a rollerblades than watch Montoya or Bottom going around it with F1. Even Montoya would do his funny stuff or Bottom would brake his engine and put it on flames because he drove so bad.

Quote :

BTW Becky, you seem to have raced against Jenson Button, wonder whether it's true. It would be nice if you could share some of your experiences.

Jenson and I raced Formula TKM at the same time, we crossed swords at Hoddesdon Kart Club a couple of times. I spoke to him twice in the pits on one day after he came over to look at my little TKM, as is a natural reaction when somebody is beating you to try and figure out why...

He looked at the wheels and asked why they where all pointing all over the place, a rear wheel with a strange camber angle, odd caster on another wheel, toe in on a rear wheel toe out on a front etc, you get the idea, "Why do you have the car setup with the wheels all over the place."

Dead pan I replied, "It's the perfect Rye House setup, each wheel finely balanced for particular corners."

"Rubbish" said Jenson, he then gave me an arrogant tirade of why his kart setup was better.

The real truth, which I wasn't willing to reveal at the time (he was a rival), is because ... well Jenson if you are reading this, that chassis was as bent as Liberache. The wheels pointed all over the place because I *couldn't* straighten them. And I still beat yer 6 times out of 6...

^^ nice stuff above..

I forgot to metion that i kicked Michael Schumacher in the balls

anyways..

Quote :

I just don't think he's anything special. He makes so many silly errors, isn't especially quick 99.9% of the time, and has an IQ of 4, which is even less than most other F1 drivers.
Didn't like him on day 1. Hasn't impressed me, bar two overtaking moves, since then. But has provided plenty of laughs (like spinning in Melbourne in the easiest F1 cars ever, whilst going slowly, with a big Traction Control button in front of him)...

I would like to see you do better :P. TC isnt always on .

Quote :

The thing is: that's enough to win an occasional race. To win championships you need to beat all of them any day not just "that day". He ain't got that. When JPM gets to the track on Friday and takes the first couple of laps is when his weekend is decided: If the car is good, he's prone to be up there. If he doesn't feel like it's good he stops working, he just cruises around.

Them 2 sentences you said are completely correct . Aswell as the rest, but i think most drivers have it in them to win an F1 Champ.

----

Ok, ill tell you WHY i think that its not montoya and its the car. 2004 Brazil, Kimi was in his Mclaren (set up for his style) and montoya in his williams (set up for him). They were perfect both cars for each other, no problems nothing. Montoya Kept off a 5sec lead from him in the last i donno 10-20 laps? They were both pushing to the max and montoya won. Now your prob gonna say well hang on, look at 2005/6 how many times kimi has ripped monty, but whos new to mclaren (or was in 05) and whos driving with a car not for him?

.

Quote from Becky Rose :

The real truth, which I wasn't willing to reveal at the time (he was a rival), is because ... well Jenson if you are reading this, that chassis was as bent as Liberache. The wheels pointed all over the place because I *couldn't* straighten them. And I still beat yer 6 times out of 6...

:chairfall

Here's my thoughts:

Kimi is possibly the fastest driver out there. Montoya is prone to mistakes and always has been (since in F1 at least)

Alonso doesn't have quite as much outright pace as Kimi but is a very clever driver. He's clearly knows how to work with a team to develop a car.

Michael is past his best now, makes a few more mistakes than he used to and has a habit of making himself look bad with his "win at all costs" attitude.

Fisi has disappointed me this season and I don't think he is used to playing second fiddle in a team.

Massa is fast but to say he makes a few mistakes is an understatement. I've never rated him.

Webber is another of my favourite drivers. Awesome at Monaco this year, has great pace, is a thinker and has all the qualities necasary to be a world champion. Just don't think he's ever gonna get a seat that can give him that.

Rosberg has done very well in his first season and is clearly fast. Time will tell.

Button would make a good GT driver.

Rubens has seen better days. Like when he drove for Stewart.

Quote from Becky Rose :

Jenson and I raced Formula TKM at the same time, we crossed swords at Hoddesdon Kart Club a couple of times. I spoke to him twice in the pits on one day after he came over to look at my little TKM, as is a natural reaction when somebody is beating you to try and figure out why...

He looked at the wheels and asked why they where all pointing all over the place, a rear wheel with a strange camber angle, odd caster on another wheel, toe in on a rear wheel toe out on a front etc, you get the idea, "Why do you have the car setup with the wheels all over the place."

Dead pan I replied, "It's the perfect Rye House setup, each wheel finely balanced for particular corners."

"Rubbish" said Jenson, he then gave me an arrogant tirade of why his kart setup was better.

The real truth, which I wasn't willing to reveal at the time (he was a rival), is because ... well Jenson if you are reading this, that chassis was as bent as Liberache. The wheels pointed all over the place because I *couldn't* straighten them. And I still beat yer 6 times out of 6...

Nice story. But had it been the real case that Jenson is at most a second class driver, how could he get an F1 drive and show so much promise in his early years? And if you could beat Jenson on a regular basis, how's that your talent left unnoticed (please correct me if I'm wrong)?

Quote from wE1l :

Nice story. But had it been the real case that Jenson is at most a second class driver, how could he get an F1 drive and show so much promise in his early years? And if you could beat Jenson on a regular basis, how's that your talent left unnoticed (please correct me if I'm wrong)?

A lot of the time in motorsport talent isn't enough to progress up the ladder. Although the thing is you never know if your better than a certain person in a different series all together so in the end you can only speculate.

Someone I used to race against his parents paid for him to be under a teams roof and that alone wasn't cheap. They also bought him a new set of slicks for practice and a new set for the race days. Sometimes they would buy him a new set for the final as well and this is just club racing. Even on my half a year old slicks I was fighting hard with him and often beating him. I actually picked the tyres he throw in the bin out to use myself because I couldn't afford the £100+ a set. Although they noticed me doing that and you know what they did? put a knife through them before they put them in the bin! A set of tyres I'd be happy to give them £20 for but they didn't want me having them full stop. They were also up at the track every other day testing, I only did two test days a year and they were in evenings where we could only run for a couple of hours

Now he is racing some open wheeler thing at knockhill and I'm racing 1/10th R/C cars. Even though I beat him with equipment he would throw in the bin he is still going further.

Sponsors are hard to find these days where companies need a good reason and unfortunately you need to be making your progress through the ladder at an age where you can't work So it leaves it down to how rich your parents are ...

Keiran

You dont have to believe me if you dont want /shrug. I've done far more impressive things than beaten a second rate F1 driver...

I've beaten somebody else Somebody much faster ...

EDIT: Oh yes, and i've been beaten by total unknowns...

My dropping from the chair laugh was for the story and Button, it didnt mean I wont believe you Becky, it wasnt for you

Quote :

Who else have you beaten then? And will you be at the UK LFS Kart Meet? I'd like to pitch myself against you and some others.

Not this time, i've just moved house (only got broadband again last night), paid two months rent (£500+), got the car through the MOT (over £500) and had to get car tax (£175) and i'm two weeks late so far getting paid and they havn't even started to give me the promises of when they'll pay my wages yet...

Hopefully next year I will be in a more stable position and be able to come .

Quote :

if you could beat Jenson on a regular basis, how's that your talent left unnoticed

I've had a mixed career in karting, it takes me a long time to learn a new track (which I blame on the cromosones!). I've taken a few titles, and i've placed in the top 3 at a lot of races, and taken a few lap records which I probably dont still hold, but i've also had a lot of not-quite-there results too.

I have spent many a season stuck on the sidelines from lack of cash, and in the last few years some injuries too first from an on track crash - then from a road accident (which wasn't a "racing accident" I was stationary!). Now I am working again but at minimum wage and that's usually paid late and I have to buy a new chasis... So i'll be missing another season whilst I save up.

This is just karting of course, to get noticed you need to find a few hundred thousand to get into a top single seater formula. In the lower single seat formula's you have to fund everything yourself.

Then try being "commercially unviable" by not having a dick, then see how many sponsors flock to back you.

Anyway I never said I deserved a place in F1, I dont think i'm good enough by a long shot. I'm just not convinced Jenson is either... But as I said, i'm open to be proven wrong, and the patriotic part of me wants me to be proven wrong too.

Quote :

it wasnt for you

I got that .

wow becky u must have raced jenson in what 1992, 1991 something like that? TKM hasnt changed VERY much as im sure u know!

Im back to it from 100 National, TKM seem slow compared but its skillful and cheap racing, cant u make a comeback to TKM??

wow becky u must have raced jenson in what 1992, 1991 something like that? TKM hasnt changed VERY much as im sure u know!

Im back to it from 100 National, they seem slow but its skillful and cheap racing, cant u make a comeback to TKM??

I bet in a few years i will be able to say, that F1 driver was my mate back in the day, or i raced that guy, what an idiot

Quote :

wow becky u must have raced jenson in what 1992, 1991 something like that?

I dont think it was as far back as that tbh, I think several years later. I'm not really sure what year now as the gift of age blurs such things but I think maybe 96 season?

Quote from Becky Rose :

Not this time, i've just moved house (only got broadband again last night), paid two months rent (£500+), got the car through the MOT (over £500) and had to get car tax (£175) and i'm two weeks late so far getting paid and they havn't even started to give me the promises of when they'll pay my wages yet...

Hopefully next year I will be in a more stable position and be able to come .


I've had a mixed career in karting, it takes me a long time to learn a new track (which I blame on the cromosones!). I've taken a few titles, and i've placed in the top 3 at a lot of races, and taken a few lap records which I probably dont still hold, but i've also had a lot of not-quite-there results too.

I have spent many a season stuck on the sidelines from lack of cash, and in the last few years some injuries too first from an on track crash - then from a road accident (which wasn't a "racing accident" I was stationary!). Now I am working again but at minimum wage and that's usually paid late and I have to buy a new chasis... So i'll be missing another season whilst I save up.

This is just karting of course, to get noticed you need to find a few hundred thousand to get into a top single seater formula. In the lower single seat formula's you have to fund everything yourself.

Then try being "commercially unviable" by not having a dick, then see how many sponsors flock to back you.

Anyway I never said I deserved a place in F1, I dont think i'm good enough by a long shot. I'm just not convinced Jenson is either... But as I said, i'm open to be proven wrong, and the patriotic part of me wants me to be proven wrong too.


I got that .

Your passion is spot on Becky, hope everything goes well with ya.

In my opinion its not Buttons fault that he has not done so well this year. Button is a race winner when he has the car under him, and you can't say he doesn't put in the effort and time with the team...he racked up crazy testing miles way more than any other driver out there by a few thousand. His performances in qualifying at the start of the season are a good example of how good he is, that car had no right being that high on the grid but he got it there.

Honda need to sort out their team structure (and they are) because they retained most of the BAR staff and also brought in all their own Honda staff. They were the fastest guys out there in pre-season testing, but because of the stucture of the team the much neeeded developements have taken too much time. The British GP was the best example of how disorganised they are.

my pennyworths on the button/honda problem:
i believe the worst thing honda did was to kick david richards out.

i kind of got this backed up when i saw a lady wearing a bar jacket leaving her place of work ( a large local firm i collected the mail from at the time) i explained that i liked F1, and asked if she was a bar fan?

her replay was, my husband works for the team, but as of late the team isnt pushing together in the right direction, and since DR left it hasnt been the same.

this is why i was overjoyed when i heard DR and prodrive will be on the grid in '08. thats the team i will be supporting, oh, and ive met him too, and he is a really nice, genuine guy.

as for button, i love to see brits do well, but i feel JB has shown his true colours with the contracts issue, and if he doest do well at honda, no other team will touch him with a bargepole. will he win? maybe, world champ? id like to see that but i dont think it will happen.

Ok, Ill come out right and say it. Becky Rose, you are a dead set liar! Mabye if you had your facts right i would believe you, cause its highly possible for anyone. But you are saying how you cant remember and making up excuses!..

Pffftt!!

And this is a thread about Montoya.. not you!

aoun, I didnt make this thread about me, I was outright asked - I was even spoken about before I posted in the first instance. I could just have ignored it, but I wasnt being insulted.

As for calling me a liar what do you think I am lying about? It's not as if i'm making any desperate claims! lol.

Here check this out, "I once lost a race to the former Stig Perry McCarthy". Holy cow call in the troops with the lie detectors Becky is at it again!

sheesh!

Whilst some of Beckys claims have seem rather far fetched I think that's more likely because normal people like me have relatively mundane lives. But at no point do I think she lied (though it's probably that some artistic exaggeration goes on, but that's just good story telling )

Edit: Just to clarify Becky, I believe you, and I'm on your side here.