Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

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27.08.2012, 00:00

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Mark Webber 27th August 1976
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Happy Birthday to your 36th anniversary Smile

Gerhard Berger 27th August 1959
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Happy Birthday to your 53rd anniversary Smile

26.08.2012, 20:53

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

The kings of Spa – the Fantastic Four: Schumacher(6 wins), Senna(5 wins), Clark and Raikkonen(4 wins)
- Raikkonen. (7 starts, 4 wins). Average: wins/starts 57,14%
In 2008 Raikkonen led most of the race, but three laps before the end of the race, it started to rain and began a great duel. Lewis Hamilton vs Kimi Raikkonen, until the Finn crashed into the barriers. His four victories: 2004-05-07-09. He is the driver with the best average.
- Ayrton Senna. (9 starts, 5 wins) Average: wins/starts 55,55% But also one time: second, fourth and fifth
only in 1987 was forced to retire. At the start, Ayton Senna, from the second row, overtook Mansell, but during first lap the Briton tried to overtake the Brazilian. At Les Fagnes chicane, there was inevitably the accident. His five victories: 1985-88-89-90-91.
- Jim Clark (8 starts 4 wins) Average: wins/starts 50,00%.
The Scottish won from 1962 to 1965. Jim Clark drove his entire F1 career for Colin Chapman's Team Lotus winning two Formula One World Championship(1963 and 1965) and the Indianapolis 500. Clark was one of the fastest pilots of all time. He died in April 1968 at Hockenheim and I was too young to remember him. I began to watch the races a few years later in the early 70.
- Schumacher. (15 starts 6 wins) Average: wins/starts 40% but also 3 times at the second place and once was disqualified after his victory in 1994. Here began his career in 1991, and here won his first Grand Prix the following year. Always here in 1995 a masterpiece. he was able to hold off Damon Hill for over a lap, driving his Benetton with dry tyres on a wet track. A legendary performance, from 16° place in grid to 1st place under the checkered flag. Always here in 1998 the big anger. Coming down towards Pouhon, Schumacher, clearly leading the race, crashed into the back of Coulthard's Mc Laren, losing the race and perhaps the championship. He continued the lap on 3 wheels until the Ferrari’s box. And now his 300th race, always, here.

26.08.2012, 12:49

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Everyone knows allready that next weekend will be the Blgian GP Formula 1 Blush Thumb up
I found on a website some other fans given comments who have bin to the Belgian GP ....so instead of mine info ...here are some comments from other people Cool

F1 fans’ guide to Spa for the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix
Judging by the numbers of F1 Fanatics heading to Spa-Francorchamps for next week’s race, it’s hard to believe the reports of poor ticket sales at the track in recent years.Dozens of readers will descend on the Ardennes track next weekend for the 12 round of the 2012 championship.
Here’s what those who’ve been to Spa before have to say about the track, and a few words from those heading to this year’s race.

At the track
Some tips from fans who’ve been to the track before:
" I had a good wander around the track last year and boy is it a hard track to walk round. The TV does not do justice to the elevation changes, Eau Rouge is a hill not a [gentle] slope! "

" Food at the track was basic and expensive, so I took food with me, drinks were just ridiculous prices so again took it with me. Had no problems taking food and drink into the track "

" The burgers and sausages are revolting, but the chips are great and the waffle places are like a European convention for wasps. "

" We had General Admission tickets which gave you a lot of options around the track. There is lots of walking involved through the woods – bit it was worth every second. "

" It rained all weekend so be prepared. But again it was worth it and we can’t wait to go this year. "

Lots of fans have been asking about the pit lane visit on Thursday. Toni has some advice:
Ideally you get down there for Thursday afternoon there is a pit lane walkabout and you get to meet loads of drivers. It’s advertised as starting at 4pm but we queued from 2pm and got in a bit early in 2011.

Camping :
Spa is a great circuit for camping and several readers will be pitching up outside the track. Craig has done it before and provided some information:
"The campsite was basic, there were showers in the football club and a Portacabin, they weren’t the cleanest I’ve been in but they did the job. Toilets were the usual ‘thunderboxes’ but they were emptied every morning until Sunday. By Monday morning they were nasty! I read reviews of people being charged extra for taking too much space and people coming round with tape measures, but I saw none of this. They did cram us in pretty tight but no worse than any other campsite at a big event.
Noise levels at night were never a problem, I slept every night. It was a short walk through Francorchamps to the track, with the added bonus that you could look out for drivers making their way in. "

Camping can make this one of the bet-value ways of seeing a race:
" I always try and do it on the cheap. Get a General Admission ticket (sit on the hill at Pouhon – bit of a walk but worth it), Eurostar to Brussells (£69ish return from London, 1hr 15 from track), crappy hire car, arm with cheap beer and supplies in Verviers, campsite at Francorchamps where there’s bars, parties, fireworks etc till about 4am (about £140 for a group of four). Looking forward to it already. "

But camping’s not for everyone and some prefer an alternative approach to getting to the track:
" I’m going with my dad, and we seem to be going a different approach to most people – staying in a hotel in Brussels and getting a coach over each day. Early starts, but my dad doesn’t fancy camping! "

Long distance :
Some of the readers are travelling from other continents to see the race. Here’s two of them:
"Hi from Durban, South Africa. I’m taking my son to Spa and then Monza. It’s the first time I’ve been to a F1 race since 1974 (Kyalami – won by Carlos Reutemann) ".

" This Is my first Grand Prix, I am flying out from Mexico to support Sergio Perez.
We are only two, my fiancee and myself. We will be renting a car in Brussels so we can go Spa. Our plan is to arrive at Spa early on Friday to redeem our tickets to Grandstand Gold 8. "

As you can see these where not my comments but they where written by other people on a another F1 website /forum ..so now you can judge by yourself if it's worth to take a trip) to the Belgian GP this year or in the commen years ( the race is there every year until 2015 !!! ) ,who knows ...maybe we will meet each other in real ... i will be the one with the Ferrari outfit and Schumi outfit Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

25.08.2012, 22:25

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

1 hour ago there was allready 3 trucks seen on the highway at the E313 ( coming from the direction of Antwerp )towards the Spa-Francorchamps circuit Tongue ...it where the Sauber F1 Team trucks Tongue Tongue Tongue

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

23.08.2012, 22:20

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Confirmed today Smile Thumb up Thumb up Thumb up

Spa secured on calendar until 2015 !!!!

Organisers of the Belgian Grand Prix have confirmed a new three-year race contract with Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management (FOM). The deal means that the popular Spa-Francorchamps circuit will remain on the calendar up to and including the 2015 season.
The deal was officially announced on Thursday by chief race promoter Etienne Davignon. Although the contract was orally agreed beforehand, pen has now been put to paper.
Jean-Claude Marcourt, economy minister for the Walloon part of Belgium, has reiterated that the government is now providing less funds but was not willing to state by how much. He also stressed that the Grand Prix will continue to promote the zone as a touristic destination.
Spa will host the latest F1 race, which brings an end to the month-long summer break next weekend. Over recent months, motorsport fans feared that the track may soon disappear off the calendar, or alternate with the French Grand Prix which was set to return before the country’s government changed after June's general election.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

22.08.2012, 20:50

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

The legend of Spa Francorchamps
the history of this track starts in 1925. almost 90 years ago. The first race was won by Antonio Ascari at the wheel of a new Alfa Romeo P2, eight cylinder, designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the most famous designers of racing cars. During a pit stop, the two pilots of the Italian team, Antonio Ascari and Campari were the able to sit at table, where they even ate and drunk. In later years, also Tazio Nuvolari(1933, starting from the last row) and Rudolf Caracciola(1935) won at Spa. The German pilot, one of the most talented champions in the history of racing, was surnamed “der Regenmaister”. Caracciola won three times at the wheel of the Mercedes the European Championship(the equivalent of the modern Formula One World Championship). Instead about the Italian pilot, Ferdinand Porsche said that Nuvolari was “the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future”. At that time there were wonderful cars and drivers overtime. In the fifties and sixties others famous drivers as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari(Antonio's son) and Jim Clark (four times) won at Spa Francorchamps. The latest edition of Formula 1 races on the old track took place in 1970 with an average lap speeds over 240 km/h. After 1978, due to safety problems, the circuit being shortened from 14 km to 7 km. The new section left the old track at Les Combes and rejoined before Blanchimont. The old circuit was a sort of triangle Francorchamps, Malmedy Stavelot and ran in the countryside between farm houses, arriving at the little town of Malmedy and then through the Masta straight up to Stavelot. At that point there was a high speed and long curve; very demanding for drivers. Now this section is lost to racing; but the traditional version of the track was captured in a famous action film “Grand Prix”(1966) directed by John Frankenheimer. In this way you can see the old track. Filming in the rain at Spa are exceptional. The new track was used for the first time in 1983 and since 1985 has once again become the permanent home of the Grand Prix of Belgium. The modern layout is very interesting and Spa Franchorchamp is surely the best circuit of Formula One.

22.08.2012, 00:00

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

today's drivers birthday
22/08/1947 ian scheckter former south africa f1 driver
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19.08.2012, 00:00

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Nico Hülkenberg 19th August 1987
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Happy Birthday to your 25th anniversary Smile

18.08.2012, 17:32

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

@Mr.White thank you Blush !

For those who are interested or want to read it again Confused Blush here are the pages with my diary of 5 days of the Spa-Francorchamps GP from last year( 2011 ) ......

Day 1 : [hidden link - please register]
Day 2 + 3 + 4 : [hidden link - please register]
Day 5 + some vids : [hidden link - please register]

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

18.08.2012, 16:55

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

@shaky-schumi
Wonderful report.

18.08.2012, 13:15

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Still12 days to go Sad ...but than it's time for Tongue Tongue Tongue

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Last year i wrote a dairy of my visit of the Belgian Grand Prix (for reading that diary look back some pages ) ......i'm not going to do that this yearBlush..but here are some photos of what you can see on thursday Cool . On thursday you have a pitwalk ( if you have tickets for the complete weekend ) ...and if you are lucky there will be a team ( or teams ) practicing pitstops ...last year it was Team Lotus ( and the before ..2010 it was Red Bull ) ..here are some photo's of thursday pitstop practice taken by me from last year GP at Spa-Francorchamps . Enjoy ....like i did making them and witness it all !!!

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And that's not the only thing that you can see ...because if your lucky you will see ......: in my case ..... Schuuuumiiiii Tongue

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And if your patient enough you will also see some other drivers like Alonso stepping in there car for a little check up Blush

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Or getting in close contact with my fellow Belgian country man Jerome D'Ambrosio Smile Thumb up

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....and seeing people making themselfs ready for making a interview ... it was David Coulthard for the BBC prepairing himslef for making a interview with Adrian Sutil

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SauberF1 car ready for scruteneering
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What a job some people have Tongue Cool

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Fans ???????? .....mmmmm by the 1st look i think so Big Grin Thumb up

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Shiiiiit...now i'm on photo Confused Blush Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin

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So you can see that there are a lot of things to see on thursday allready Cool Thumb up . So my advice ....if you ever have the change to visit a Grand prix F1 ...than do it ...you will not regret it Smile Thumb up

So a couple of days ( 11 days ) to go ..and than i will be at the GP F1 of Belgium at the famous Spa-Francorchamps Tongue

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

17.08.2012, 00:00

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Nelson Piquet 17th August 1952
(3-Time F1 Champion - 1981,1983,1987)
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Happy Birthday to your 60th anniversary Smile

16.08.2012, 21:08

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Confused.... Maldonado.... seriously Envy...even when he gives/does a demonstration with his F1 car he Confused Sad.......aaaah just look at it Cool



And than to think that this demo was for 2 days ......now it only lasted 2 rounds Confused Thumb down
What a ...Envy Thumb down


Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

15.08.2012, 12:49

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

For All the American People !!!



Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

11.08.2012, 02:32

Re: Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Lucas Di Grassi 11th August 1984
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Happy Birthday to your 28th anniversary Smile
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