The end of Formula One as we know it.

[Wills7MGTE]

I was fortunate enough to see the entire Brazil GP and last race of the 2006 season and the end of my all time Favorite driver, Michael Schumacer. I know he wins quite a bit but thats not really why I love him. He is tenacious, talented, and he doesnt seem arrogant like many drivers (Alonso and Raikkonen). Sadly he only took 5th place but he tried his damndest and came from the back of the field, set several sector records on the course as well as fastest lap of the race by 1.2 seconds. I wish he had been allowed a final season announced before hand so fans could see him last time in person, etc. Anyways anyone have similar thoughts or ideas?

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

Another season. too abrupt!

 

[outofstep]

F1 ended the day they banned forced induction.

 

[FoolishOne]

F1 ended the day they banned forced induction.

That only makes what they do weekend in and weekend out even more amazing.

»fo

 

[Mr.PFloyd]

F1 ended the day they banned forced induction.

i somewhat agree with bob, it really did suck they banned it but they had to put a cap on the speeds somehow, it was getting far too dangerous.
then again i live in a magical ninja land so i guess dangerous things dont exist.

 

[thedave925]

I saw part of that race today.
I don't watch tv normally, but today i had a minute.
It was around lap 27 that I saw Schumacer in 4th or so, and he had just gotten done passing someone by diving on the brakes entering a chicane(sp?) in front of them. Just after the first apex he tapped his brakes a bit, enough for the closely pursuing car behind to run the nose into Schumacer's driver rear tire just as he was making the weight transfer for the next apex. Next instant, Schumacer was catching the rear end from 90* outside (making the car nose into the corner) and straightened out fast enough to hit the next apex decently. But within seconds you could tell that something was wrong.
But I'm still impressing with the daring of his talent and the speed at which he was able to recover from a pressurized situation. Just wow!
I don't watch tv much, so I didn't vote.
-Dave

 

[Adjuster]

What is too bad is all the regulations on F1 racing.

Let them use active suspensions.
Let them use traction control, ABS etc.
Let the computer drive.
Let's get back to serious power, AWD and monster downforce at insane speeds.

All this technology filters down to "regular" cars, thus the reason for racing! (Besides the great action, and heart stopping crashes.)

I'd also like to see NASCAR make the cars actually based on real vehicles you can go down and buy at the various dealers.
A malibu would be a front wheel drive race car. Same goes for the Fords. Overnight you would see Detroit develop sedans that people actually want to buy. What a concept.

Oh, and let everyone compete. (I'd love to see an RS8 diesel version in NASCAR beating up on the domestics so they have to actually build good quality cars, again that people actually want to buy.)

Rednecks would hate it, but the rest of America would cheer. (And it would make domestic car makers produce better cars.)

Just my .02.

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Too abrupt? Where have you guys been, under a rock?

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

I knew he was gonna end it. But he enver said when.

 

[Wills7MGTE]

I don't see F1 suffering from the forced induction ban, they still make tons of power and go very fast. Why let them use abs and active stability, those are driving aids, F1 is F1 because those drivers actually drive the car, AWD is for rally not for F1, if you wanna see that, all it iwll do is slow the cars more with the front differential and all the other BS needed for AWD, then I guess you'd get your forced induction to counter the weight of AWD but then again turbos, intercoolers and plumbing add weight too.

F1 is good the way it is, just sucks thta one of the best and more consistant of the drivers left.

I agree with your NASCAR comments, I'm sorry but a ford fusion is a piece of shit and has no business being passed off to rednecks as a sports car. And I wonder why people in Impala's, Fusions, and Intrepids used to and still do talk shit and wanna race at lights.

 

[americanjebus]

I'd also like to see NASCAR make the cars actually based on real vehicles you can go down and buy at the various dealers.
A malibu would be a front wheel drive race car. Same goes for the Fords. Overnight you would see Detroit develop sedans that people actually want to buy. What a concept.

Oh, and let everyone compete. (I'd love to see an RS8 diesel version in NASCAR beating up on the domestics so they have to actually build good quality cars, again that people actually want to buy.)


Just my .02.

those are two very good cents though, racing is becoming, well, boring. A race is supposed to put you on the edge of your seat and get your adrenaline pumping from the risks being taken. Now its just a bunch of guys following a pacecar and conforming to an encyclopedia of rules that takes the wit and wisdom out of racing and opens it up for commercialism.

my dream job is to develop or be on a F1 team so if the series does kick the can i will be less than happy.

 

[jmanbball]

I wish formula 1 would go back to the way it was way back in the day. Very basic rules that allowed innovation. It should be a technology showcase, rather that the spec series it has rapidly been becoming.

 

[tte]

I think when F1 stopped forced induction, they made it better. That made the manufacturers and all the race engineers become more creative and come up with more solutions for more power. I mean I am sure alot of race teams can come up with a high powered car with forced induction. But a naturally aspirated car with lots of power and engine size limited to 3 liters is
amazing. I am sure with technology, the engines can be made to put out more power.

Cheers,
Roy

 

[Jeff Lange]

I knew he was gonna end it. But he enver said when.

Umm... I've known for a while this would be his last season, he said so in numerous interviews, etc.

He announced this would be his last season on September 10, 2006.