F1 2014 season kicks off.

[pablo]

Changes will always favour the big teams and hurt the smaller teams. The bigger teams have vastely more money and personnel to spend on development then to recuperate some of that money they sell their engines to the smaller teams. So in reality they sell more engines than they actually use......

When time attack was sponsored by toyo tyres it was one aspect that was controlled, then they changed to p zero no grips and if you ran a 17" wheel you had to make do with their wet tyre Nero but if you had money to waste you copuld go out and buy bigger wheels.

The fact about the 4 slowest cars in F1 being slower than cars in GP2 is true and also a joke. They talk about advancing automotive development........cars are greener and more eco....but are harder to drive, stop and start. More twitchy and unstable....hell lates save the planet but kill the drivers.......

[jap.slapper]

....but are harder to drive, stop and start.....

Remember F1 is an excellent testing ground for developing technology for road going cars, in fact I dare say it won't be long until they acknowledge F1 technology is so sophisticated that a chimp could drive an F1 car......granted maybe Lotus have jumped the gun a bit and with Maldonado!!

[jap.slapper]

So what are peoples thoughts on the Mirabeau 'driver error' in the last few moments of Q3 Monaco 2014, legitimate or deliberate attempt to maintain pole?

[maff]

If it was intentional he should go into acting, the onboard shows 3 stabs at trying to get into the corner before he bails out. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt over that one. ALthough my first thought was "Schumacher would be proud"!

[jap.slapper]

I think that's ^^^^ about right, I was initially disappointed at being deprived of the usual excitement of a dying seconds tussle between Hamilton and Rosberg and instinctively thought "You dirty fooker'" but then looking at it retrospectively that's all it was, disappointment on my part and I genuinely don't think that he did pull a 'Rascasse-Schumacher'

I do like Rosberg as a driver and maybe he is feeling the pressure and frustration of constantly being pipped at the post by Lewis, but then again if he starts to crumble under pressure then he shouldn't be World Champion anyway (and of course the same goes for Lewis). I think if anything it just adds an extra element to Sundays race

[maff]

Absolutely, and I fully expected to see Lewis nail it off the line tomorrow and Rosberg fall to second, his starts have not been great so far.

What we need is some rain.

[jap.slapper]

I suppose Lewis could also take a psychological advantage away from today with Rosberg having largely put the mistake down to the pressure being applied by Lewis himself and rain would certainly make it more interesting tomorrow, in fact I could even envisage seeing JB in the top 6 on the off chance that it did start to pour early on (though I could also see a lot of cars finishing up in the barrier if that were the case)

[jap.slapper]

That one wasn't too bad, though I don't think you could call it a classic. Ricciardo made it more interesting towards the end, in fact I can see him from now on being the one that will be nipping at their heels throughout the season and threatening to split the Mercs' during qualifying and when the chequered flag comes down....you can't help but like him though as he seems like such a nice guy

and JB finished 6th

[pablo]

I can see RedBull dropping Renault as their engine supplier.

[jap.slapper]

I can see RedBull dropping Renault as their engine supplier.

I can see Hamilton and Rosberg dropping each other...