WRF F1 2007 League 2 - Team Talk

[JoStream]

Welcome to the second round of the WRF F1 2007 League!

1st Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Certificate

This thread is for us to talk about the latest developments, complaints, press releases, interviews, problems during the race, expectations and other things :thumbsup:

Remember that there is 1 day between sessions. If you are using a different name in BATracer, you may want to place it in your posts to avoid confusion.

Final Lineup:

Performance Category 1
Ryan (Ferrari)
Cal Vera (Ferrari)
Saltysurprise (McLaren)
Fahad_H (McLaren)
Fernando Waldren (BMW)
Daniel Youngblood (BMW)

Performance Category 2
Johnny Moilanen (Renault)
Giacomo Vinci (Renault)
Luke McLachlan (Super Aguri)
Harakimi (Super Aguri)
JoStream (Williams)
DriverDB (Williams)
MJ Curtis (Toyota)
Tim Finnigan (Toyota)

Performance Category 3
Daz Lil (Red Bull)
Renato Almeida (Red Bull)
Helene Segara (Honda)
Adrian Salahub (Honda)
Paul Marett (Toro Rosso)
Jens Ekstrom I (Toro Rosso)
Darcy Hegarty (Spyker)
Mac Mckye (Spyker)

[Ryan]

Ferrari Pre-season Press Release


The eye's of the motor racing world turned once again to the Prancing Horse as Ferrari unveiled it's latest entry for the World Championship. A cheer went up and the flash bulbs blazed in the Milan auditorium as the F2007 was unvieled to the theme of "Dream On" by Aerosmith.

The Ferrari team are hopeful that this new car will elevate them to the constructors championship which was dominated by McLaren last season.

In order to further their goal of regaining world dominance Ferrari has seen a major re-organization. Ferrari Manager Luca Di Montezemolo comented on the changes:

"We were very proud of what we were able to accomplish last season, but we knew we could go so much further than that. A new car, new designers, new engineers, and new drivers are all part of our un-ending goal of being the greatest team in F1 and the greatest manufacturer in the world."

Ferrari has brought in two new drivers in an attempt to regain thier world championship glory. First is rookie Englishman Cal Vera. As a new comer it s not known exactly what to expect from him, but he shown good speed in the junior catagories and has topped many of the pre-season test sessions.

Alongside Vera will be last seasons championship underdog, Ryan Esch. Victory in 2 races last season, including his home race at the Canadian Grand Prix, in none other than a Super Aguri certainly caught the attention of top teams in Formula and Ferrari was delighted to offer him a generous contract which Esch accepted.

"It feels amazing to join the Ferrari family. It took a bit of serious thought, and it was hard to leave the amazing atmosphere inside the small Super Aguri garage, and it was also hard to leave my good friend Salty who improved so much during his rookie season, and stands as the title favourite heading into this season. But I knew that to realize my own championship dreams there could be no one better to join than Ferrari. There's really something special about sitting inside the scarlet red cars, and seeing the prancing horse on the steering wheel. It's an honor just to be hear and I will represent the Ferrari with pride."

This seasons F2007 feature's:

2.4 litre, 90* V8 engine
7-Speed "quick shift" carbon-fibre gearbox
Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque
Zero keel, double wishbone front suspension
Double wishbone, independent rear suspension
Fuel by Shell
Tires by Bridgestone

[Driverdb]

And:

Performance Category Super Fast
Jo Stream (Williams)
Driverdb (Williams)

[saltysurprise]

Is anybody not expecting Williams to win this season? If you don't, then go reply there...

I hereby reply, here, that I don't expect Williams to win this season.. *hand in the air*

*Reporters caught up with Salty Surprise, McLaren's latest aquisition. In only his second year with F1, this crazy person from the 'Great White North' comes into the season feeling confident

Press How does it feel to be in the McLaren now after driving the Aguri last season.

Salty It's great, so far. I've had limited time for testing, but from what I can tell already, it's alot more nimble and much much tighter. I'm very excited to have Fahad as a team mate this year, he's very knowledgeable. I will miss my buddy Ryan though. We can always catch up in the drivers lounge afterwards. It will be tough to race against him, he's very tough. And if it wasn't for the untimely death of Samuli, I might not have a seat at all. Ron has been very generous too and actually bought me a new GPS/Sonar fish finder for the Booger II.

Press Speaking of the Booger II. You had a party on your boat a few days back and there were reports of you having injured yourself, and that you might have to miss the first race.

Salty Oh! You must be refering to the incident with the midget and the ukelele:lol:. Team orders not to talk about it:stop:. There was this seal that jumped up on the transom and I tripped over it. I musta pulled it then.

Press What can you tell us about your groin.

Salty It feels pretty good.

Press So you're good to go?

Salty I'm always good to go!:thumbsup:

[Harakimi]

First Japanese driver for a long time in F1, a billionaire toyrobot factory owner Hara Kimi is one of the rookie drivers in the grid in this season. Who is he and where he comes from? F1-Magazine got a short interview from him after the 1st practice session at Albert Park.

F1-Mag: Your entree to the F1 sircus was kind of sudden and big shock for most of the people who follow the sport. Tell us how did you get here?

Hara: With money of course. I've been racing for only 10 years, mostly for fun. When Salty Surprise was suddenly bought out of his contract the team couldn't resist my 3,490,500,000.00 yen offer for the seat. To your western idots who don't understand the currency markets, it's about 30 million US dollars.

F1-Mag: Uh...What are your goals at this season, we know that you have been quite fast in the previous series you've driven?

Hara: Yeah, but back then I just bought the best equipment and staff available. (smiles sweetly) In F1 it's not that easy. You would have to invest maybe little too much just to get the best seat for yourself. So my goal is to be at top 3 in the championship table at the end of the season, nothing more, nothing less.

[Calvera]

To many, Cal Vera seems to have appeared out of nowhere but, with chart-topping early pace, now everyone knows about the "Man from the Mansion". Autosport caught up with him at his home in the heart of the silicon valley of motorsport...Oxfordshire.

Autosport: Before the first pre-season test many people were surprised that Ferrari would take such a risk on an unproven driver...

Cal: Well, I was surprised too! Clearly they could see the underlying talent and were prepared to take a risk. I'm just glad that, so far at least, I have rewarded their faith and shown my speed.

Autosport: You certainly have. But why have you been unable to show this talent earlier?

Cal: A combination of inexperience and luck really. I'm still learning the details of racing. The raw speed is there, but I still have a nasty habit of making mistakes in the last few laps of races and obviously that doesn't help with the points table! However, a recent run of podiums in my 2002 Jordan in the current Thoroughbred GP series has raised my confidence that I'm moving in the right direction with my technique.

Autosport: Ferrari have also signed another new driver as your teammate, the experienced Ryan Esch. How does this affect your role in the team?

Cal: He's the number one driver plain and simple, but I don't think Mr Di Montezemolo has any team orders in place, so hopefully i can give Ryan a few scares! However, if i'm not in a position to win the driver's championship then hopefully i can do all I can to help Ryan, and I'm sure he would do the same for me.

[Ryan]

Martin Brundle in a pre-season interview with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Ryan Esch.

Exclusively on ITV.Brundle: Welcome Ryan, thanks for consenting to this interview. What is the biggest change you've noticed between minnow Super Aguri, whom you drove for last season, and Ferrari?

Esch: Thank you for having me Martin. The biggest difference between Super Aguri and Ferrari is just the sheer size of the operation. Super Aguri I believe employed about 120 personnel, while Ferrari employ well over 1000. At Super Aguri I was able to get to know and work directly with all the mechanics, and communicate to them what was to be changed. While at Ferrari there are just to many people to know them all. Almost all of my communication with the team is through my personal mechanic and the team bosses who pass my judgment of the car and what changes are necessary to the mechanics.

Brundle: This season Ferrari has taken a different approach than most other teams, they have gone with a longer wheel-base while most are using a shorter wheel-base. How do you think this will affect the performance of the car.

Esch: The car is incredibly stable at high speeds. It's just a sheer pleasure to drive. Given that most tracks these days are fairly quick, especially the Tilke designed circuits near the end of the season, such as Istanbul, Shanghai, and Fuji, as well as Monza, Spa, and Interlagos, we should be very quick down the stretch as long as we continue to develop the car. I am somewhat concerned about the long wheel base at tight tracks like Montreal, the Hungaroring, and of course Monaco. I guess you'll know we've over done it on the wheel base if you see us doing three-point turns to get around Lowes hairpin.

Brundle: What is your opinion of your new team-mate Cal Vera?

Esch: Based on what I've seen so far in testing he looks very much like he's heading for success this year. He's cool and calm. Very friendly, all the mechanics enjoy working with him. But above all he is very very fast.

Brundle: In an interview with Autosport Vera stated that you were the unofficial number one driver at Ferrari. What is your reaction to that?

Esch: Obviously it's great to hear that you're going to have the full support of the worlds greatest Formula 1 team behind you 100%. But I don't want Cal to put himself into the position where he has to hold himself back in order for me to achieve success. He was brought here, just as I was, to do what racing drivers do. Win races. I want him to know that he has my support as much as I have his. If he has the better shot at taking the title as the season draws to a close I would move aside for him.

Brundle: What is your opinion of the teams that look to be your main rivals this season, BMW-Sauber and McLaren.

Esch: Either of them could make a serious run at the title. I wouldn't be surprised to go into Brazil with 3,4 or even 5 drivers still in with a shot of winning the title. Fernando Waldren is certainly my biggest concern from BMW. I recently teamed with him in the World Sports Car Trophy in a BMW M3 and he was consistently faster than I as we took the BMW to the teams championship despite a lack of pace late in the season that saw him loose the title. McLaren look to have a great car and two drivers who could easily take the title, Hizam and Salty.

Brundle: Speaking of Salty much has been made about you and Salty Surprise over the off season. You two are compatriots, you were team mates last season, you became very good friends, and now you stand to become the biggest rivals in Formula 1. How do you feel about this and what do you need to do to defeat him the coming season.

Esch: Salty is a blindingly fast driver, great at setting up the car, and a great friend. The only thing that I can think of that comes close to being teamed with a great friend is to have that friend as a rival. That said I am confident that I can beat him. Don't forget I taught him everything he knows.

[JoStream]

James Allen interviews the reigning world champion Jo Stream for F1 Magazine. Allen: We're finally back for another season of Formula 1, and I have to say I'm very excited. How does it feel to return to the grid as a World Champion.

Stream: It's a great feeling of course, but as I said already last year, it's a very difficult one to describe. It was a tough season, but very rewarding. To have the number one on your car is very special and might help the setup. We'll have to wait and see :lol:

Allen: Obviously the talk is always of Ferrari, BMW and the team you won your first title with last year, McLaren. Why did you, and Samuli for that matter, part with Woking? Was it the money? In the press release it just read that you agreed to go different ways...

Stream: That's true. I can't speak for Samuli, but there were a number of points we could not agree on when we started talking about extending the contract. That's all I can say on the record ;)

Allen: Do you think you can defend your title this season? The Williams has not been strong in pre-season testing...

Stream: I hope I can defend my title this season. You're a veteran in the business James and you're right, testing didn't go as well as we had hoped, but look at where I was last season. Didn't have a great start either :)

Allen: How are you and DriverDB getting along?

Stream: DriverDB is very quick, reliable and a great guy. He's a great addition to the team and I think we'll get along well this season.

Allen: Last year's title was a McLaren matter towards the end and Cerci is not taking part this season. Who are you watching out for this year?

Stream: I might have an answer to that by mid-season ;). Obviously the Ferrari, McLaren and BMW drivers have shown strong performances.

[Daz Lil]

Hello just joined your game, looking forward to getting the wheels turning.;)

[saltysurprise]

Hello just joined your game, looking forward to getting the wheels turning.;)

So are we!:D Not much longer now.. Nice to have you in the game:thumbsup:.

I was looking over some of the competitors last night..:eek: Now I'm scared:lol:...

[Ryan]

The Teams have all arrived in Australia.

The Season is Underway!!

[saltysurprise]

The Teams have all arrived in Australia.

The Season is Underway!!

WOOOO HOOOOO!!!! :drunk::drunk:

Boom! Shaka laka!!

[saltysurprise]

LIVE! From Melbourne Austrailia.

It's a little more than half an hour until the offial WRF F1 League II kicks off here in Melbourne. The drivers have been anxiously waiting for this. And now for the pre-qualifying Fireworks (pretend I sounded like David Attenborough:lol:)..

[EIR Loe.307]

The Teams have all arrived in Australia.

The Season is Underway!!


And now I officially sucK!! Mechanical failure on day 1 quali. Great start to the season. Woooo hoooo

[Harakimi]

Reporters surround Hara Kimi when he leaves the official FIA pressroom after qualifying to P2 in his first F1 grand prix.

R1: Hara, what a spectacular entree for you. Nobody really didn't except you to be this high!
Hara: I'm not high! :D It was a KO wasn't it? There was a little traffic in my last lap. I was driving behind Andreas and he was struggling abit so I might lost some time there.

R2: Both Aguris in top 6, looks like the team has invested the money you brought in wisely?
Hara: Heh, might be. They were able to win a few last year also but sure the money helps. There was some failure in Luke's car on his last stint and I think he could be much higher without that problem, maybe even on pole so I'm looking forward for tomorrow, car feels just perfect.

R3: Hara, Hara! Do you think you have a change even win the race?
Hara: Ofcourse I do, There is 2 Ferraris on the front with me but BMW's and McLarens didn't perform too well today so they have hard time to reach the podium tomorrow. If I win, it's going to be a hell of a party!

[DanicaRules]

If you dont mind me asking, what exactly is this ??

[Harakimi]

If you dont mind me asking, what exactly is this ??

We are playing this super fun F1 simulator called BATracer and just started a season. This is just a discussion thread for the game, looks geekish doesn't it? :D

[DanicaRules]

Be kind of fun. I just wish they had one for the IRL..

[Harakimi]

Well they have champ car and lots of other carsets too, but beware it's really really addicting game ;)

[JoStream]

After a catastrophic qualifying session, Jo meets with reporters and curious onlookers :)

Q: Jo, a very tight qualifying session, with the first 15 drivers within a second. Williams are 1.6 seconds off the pace, what's the problem?
A: It is interesting to see that all teams are so close together, except for us :rolleyes:. But that doesn't reflect our pace. We had problems getting the setup right, which keeps me optimistic for tomorrow.

Q: What is your objective for tomorrow's race?
A: If we can get the car right and make it into the points, then that would be great ;)

[Calvera]

Cal Vera proves his pace to get pole

After a dramatic end to qualifying, Cal Vera managed to hold on to pole, under pressure from his teammate Ryan Esch and Hara Kimi, in a shock result for the fledgling Super Aguri team. Vera managed to continue his stunning testing pace straight into qualifying and with amazing consistency managed three of the top 5 times in the session. Esch put himself in a position to attack, but struggled to capitalise with his last run, and despite a valiant effort, Kimi had to admit defeat to the faster Ferrari.

"I am absolutely delighted with this fine result for the team, and very much hope that we can turn this fantastic qualifying into a 1-2 finish in the race." said Vera, to the press after the session had finished. "It is a wonderful start to my Ferrari career."

However, the talk of the paddock was the competitiveness throughout the field. Only one second covered the top 15 on the grid. "I am certainly not feeling complacent" replied Vera, when asked about the grid. "It is extremely close and there are some VERY good drivers behind me. The first thing I MUST do is finish the race, a real problem throughout my career so far. If I can do that, though, I believe a podium is a real possibility."

So speaks the confidence of youth. A future World Champion without doubt. But this year...?

[DanicaRules]

Can you only play this game during the actual racing season or can you run a series or season anytime??

[Harakimi]

Can you only play this game during the actual racing season or can you run a series or season anytime??

You can run a season anytime. You join to public game, which starts when every seat is taken, or you can create a private game for specific group of players like we are doing now. The game runs forward in 24 hour cycles, you do your setups, decide the tactics, driving styles etc. and the main server does the computing. There are thousands of BATracers so games fill up in few days. The game itself is very easy to learn, but hard to master. Go check it by yourself :)

[DanicaRules]

I signed up and got to my homepage but it wont let me run in champ car....:confused:

If I get this confused at registration, I have no chance in playing the game...:confused::lol:

[EIR Loe.307]

I signed up and got to my homepage but it wont let me run in champ car....:confused:

If I get this confused at registration, I have no chance in playing the game...:confused::lol:

I don't think you're confused. I just went on to look at it. I can't find any open CHAMP either. I would suggest starting an academy level F1 game to get a feel for it. I'm about 4-5 races in to that for my fist ever BATRacer game. You get the advantage of a teammate to help you get your setup locked in. CHAMP and many others are solo. I'm hating my CHAMP and A1GP results right now. I just started playing these games as well about 2-3 weeks ago. Salty kept bugging me and I caved. It is addicting.

Another thing is Kool Tools that helps with setup and also provides slots for more than 1 game. It does run about $20USD though.

[EIR Loe.307]

I need some helmet help. Trying to upload a helmet and I guess I'm dumb. Anyone got any suggestions?? (About the helmet Salty :rolleyes:)

[saltysurprise]

I need some helmet help. Trying to upload a helmet and I guess I'm dumb. Anyone got any suggestions?? (About the helmet Salty :rolleyes:)

Yes you're dumb! We've already established that:lol:.

Now, get take this nonsense out of the League Talk. If it doesn't have anything to do with the actual Championship, I don't want to hear about it. Not here anyway... ARGH!!:mad::rolleyes:

[EIR Loe.307]

Now, get take this nonsense out of the League Talk. If it doesn't have anything to do with the actual Championship, I don't want to hear about it. Not here anyway... ARGH!!:mad::rolleyes:

How am I supposed to dominate with the wrong helmet!!??:mad:

[EIR Loe.307]

Well not bad. I made up a bunch of positions starting from P21 to finish P8. Great job over at Super Aguri!!. I figured a Ferrari would do well also. Fairly good results from us here at BMW. Maybe I won't blow my practice runs next race and we'll have better data.

[Harakimi]

Extatic Hara Kimi kisses his ride after the race. Team Super Aguri jumps up and down in tears after the team finished 2-3 at Albert Park.

"I got a reasonably good start and was able to keep my position there. Cal was on different tactic with me, starting with softs and I just couldn't match his pace. Esch gave me lots of pressure during his 1st stint but I was on little heavier fuel load and after he pitted he didn't threat my position anymore. He got pretty close at the end but I had already lowed my revs since Luke was bit faster than I and it was his home grand prix so I let him pass. This was a great team result today, we just have to keep the pace up all the season and things will be fine!"

Later that night the whole team was seen partying like animals, Hara Kimi sung a duetto with Luke Mclahlan at the local karaoke-bar, noticeably drunk.

[Ryan]

" It was a steady opening race from Ferrari's Ryan Esch"

I couldn't get past Kimi's Super Aguri away from the line. I knew that I was quite a bit faster and I did want to get past as my team mate was already disappearing into the distance. But Kimi was driving very erratically and I didn't want to risk a collision. My only hope was to either pressure him into a mistake or overtake in the pits. Neither worked and I'll have to settle for 4th. It's a long championship and I don't want to go crazy trying to win every race and end up in the barriers. Congrats to my team mate. He more or less dominated the entire weekend, in his F1 debut no less.

[saltysurprise]

After refusing to speak with the Press yesterday, Salty Surprise finally makes a public comment about the devistating start of the season for McLaren.

We had some very high hopes for our team in Melbourne. Undertandably there was some 'rust' to be expected, but this was devistating. Ryan, Hara, Cal and Luke were very, very fast. Fahad was able to put in a some very fast laps himself, but there just wasn't enough time.

You were taken out on lap 6 by Ekstrom in the Torro Rosso. Some of the drivers had warned him to stay out of your way when you returned to the pits. There were also rumours he had made a taunting remark over their team radio.

It's a very tight circuit and not much room for passing, still the move was highy suspect. The team is looking into it. I haven't had anything to say to him so far, and for now, I probably won't. If it happens again though, there'll be hell to pay. And remember, what comes around goes around.. We're looking forward to a fresh start in Sepang. Thank you...

Salty Surprise has a team of anger managment specialists at the ready. His interview was cut short on account of a counselling appointment..

[Calvera]

Cal Vera dominates in Melbourne

Guardian Correspondent Christopher Gale in Melbourne

Astonishment was the reaction of the assembled fans at the dominance of the win in Friday morning's Australian Grand Prix. Straight from the lights the Ferrari left the rest of the field trailing, posting a series of fastest laps, making the most of an audacious three-stop strategy. Pitting on lap 15, Vera almost threw it all away, stalling as he left the pits and rejoining in 6th place. However, by lap 23 he was back in the lead as other driver's made their stops.

On lap 30 Vera's second stop brought him out in 2nd, just in front of a fierce battle for 3rd between Vera's teammate, Ryan Esch, and the Super Aguri of Luke McLachlan. "It was essential I stayed ahead of this battle before my last stop" explained Vera, after the race. "I was on cold tyres, fighting a heavier car. i had to keep them behind to give myself a chance to use my advantage of a shorter final pit stop. i tried slowing Luke a few times to help Ryan overtake, but we just couldn't pull it off."

All this had left Hara Kimi, in the other Super Aguri, out in front and building a lead with a light fuel load. The pressure was starting to be applied. McLachlan pitted first, followed by Esch and Kimi on the next lap. Would Vera have enough time to gain enough time to stay in front? The answer was yes, following five blistering laps, and despite yet another error in the pits. "I have to thank the pit crew today" said Vera in the post race press conference, "they won me the race, despite my best efforts, with a collection of sensational pit stops. To come out in 1st place after the final stop made my job a great deal easier." From here Vera cruised to victory, even posting fastest lap on the last lap of the race with an astounding, sub-83 second time.

is this a sign of things to come? There have been many impressive debut performances in Formula 1, but surely none as wholly comprehensive as this; Fastest in practice, pole, most laps led, fastest lap and a first win. A truly exceptional effort. Now the pressure is on, but on Vera's opposition. He has proven what he is capable of. Now it is up to the others to step up to the plate. He was the unknown hunter...now he is the hunted. Let the chase begin!

[EIR Loe.307]

SPEED News has been trying to catch up with Loe since the poor showing in quali. We finally caught his over in Salty's garage offering his support.

SPEED: Loe, what happened out there in the race? You seemed to be making up ground after starting from the back.

Loe: You guys are going to have to give me a few minutes here. This is like WW3 going on over here and I might have to save a crew members life here.

SPEED: We'll try to be quick. Can you tell us why you made that extra stop for tires?

Loe: Not really. I didn't want to come in, but I didn't want to get a penalty from the stewards for not listening to my team. It's bad enough with all the eyes on me within the team, now you have to watch out for the race stewards too!!

SPEED: Does being a relative rookie make it harder to compete with all the more seasoned drivers on the grid.

Loe: (Doges flying helmet) WHooo! That was close. Being new is always a challenge. I have been testing the BMW for a short time now with great results. I hope to carry that over to race day as well. Listen I gotta go, Salty has the head mechanic in a head lock!!

[JoStream]

Q: Jo, after a bad start in Melbourne, you must be very happy about qualifying 9th this time round.
A: Absolutely! As I said already before, we had bad luck with the setup in Melbourne. Now as we learn more and more about the car, we are able to explore the car's full potential. We are still a bit off, but our progress is clear.

Q: You and DriverDB have been very close in qualifying. In Melbourne only 0.004 seconds were between the two of you, now it's 0.051 seconds.
A: Hehe :lol:, it has been very close. I guess that is a good sign that we are both at the limit of the car ;)

Q: What is your target position for tomorrow?
A: I always look for the win, but given our pace at the moment, making it onto the podium would be great :)

Q: Vera has made an explosive start into the new season. Do you think he has what it takes to make it to the title?
A: I know Cal fairly well, and he's very quick. But it's too early to talk about the title.

[Calvera]

Another Place, Another Pole

Autosport had a word with Cal Vera after qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix

Autosport: So, a new track and you're back on pole Cal...

Vera: I am, but only just. A fantastic performance by the Ferrari team to lock out the front row.

A: Were you feeling nervous before this qualifying, following your success in Australia?

CV: I was! Very much! This was a track that should have suited our car on raw pace, and it was important that I didn't waste that advantage. Fortunately, it all went fairly smooth.

A: Are you confident for the race tomorrow, that you can build on your championship lead?

CV: Well, even if I get a good start, I think Ryan and the others will be chasing me hard! My first goal as always is to finish, and what points come with that I will take. After all, to finish first, first you have to finish!!

(Minutes of raucous laughter follow Cal's hilarious joke...)

A: Jo Stream was asked recently about your start to the season and if you were able to make it to the title...

CV: Hold on there! It's far too early to be talking about titles! I saw that article and I thought his comments were very fair. I've raced with him before and he was a great competitor and teammate. I'm just going to take each race one-by-one and see what happens. This is a VERY competitive field this year, and I'm certainly not foolish enough to think I'm going to win, or even get points in, every race!!

[EIR Loe.307]

Well the results are in from Sepang and BMW takes 2 spots on the podium.

SPEED: Loe, you and your teammate, Fernando, look to have prevailed this weekend taking 3rd and 1st each. Is this a sign of things to come?

Loe: I sure hope so!! We both started further back then we would have liked, but we were able to battle well up through the field. Fernando had a slightly better setup and quali'd a bit higher. I made a quick stop under the safety car and was back out on track till the end. Together we were able to pick up a bunch of positions and most importantly 2 podium spots. We are looking good to do battle for the title.

SPEED: Your CAN-AM partner Salty had a terrible DNF on lap 2. How is he taking it?

Loe: I can't speak for Salty. I imagine not well. This could be his way of throwing us all off for a later season charge. You really have to watch that guy.

SPEED: Well congrats to you and Fernando and team BMW. We hope to see more podiums from you both.

[saltysurprise]

Quote: No F%#&ing comment!!:mad:

[Harakimi]

"After qualifying to P5 I had another podium finish in my mind, unfortunetaly the stewards hesitated when Mckye pulled his Spyker out of the track. My opinion was that the car wasn't at dangerous place and that pacecar was nonsense. I think that costed me alot. Then at lap 41 I collided with Daz....Well it was me who hitted him but for f*cks sake I was so much faster that defending the position like that was bit unprofessional. Luckily we both could countinue driving and after few laps I was able to finally overtake him but Almeida in the other Red Bull was also defending his position hard and I crossed the line at 6th."

[Harakimi]

As we were approaching Hara Kimi's private motorhome, we could hear loud japanese screaming and cursing inside his bus. Two gigantic bodyguards block our way and we just had to wait him to come out and make a statement, after a while he came out in his suit, ready to leave the track.

Q: What happend there?
HK: No comments, no comments #@%$"!#@!!

Q: Please Mr. Kimi, just one comment!
HK: What is there to comment? You all saw what happend at the start, my launch control just got a malfunction...I've told the team that the old c-64 technology just has to go, have they invested the money on sake and sushi?? #&%¤$"!#@! I just don't know but I'm going to have a meeting with Mr. Suzuki thats for sure....

Hara begings to walk away fastly, still screaming and shouting. We decided to follow him.

Q: What was the thing with Helene???
HK: (walking and shouting) I'll tell you! I'll tell you! This is why women should stay at home and take care of the kids!! !##"!¤&! Didn't she see me coming? Is her hands too short? Honda better place her makeup table mirrors into her car for ***** sake. Just stupid move, I'm happy that she closed the door so brutally that it caused severe damage to her ride too, ruined the race HA HA! I'M SO ANGLY!!!

The interview seems to be over, the bodyguards block our way
We still could hear Hara screaming "Get me out of this shithole!!" to his driver.

Sebastian Schmeichel, Autosport

[saltysurprise]

Moments before qualifying in Barcelona we were able to finally catch up with Salty Surprise.

A great race last weekend for McLaren, you and Fahad seemed to have gotten into a groove.

It was fantastic! We're feeling much more confident after that horrific start to the season. It's still very early, but it looks as though we're getting things dialed right in. The mechanics have really picked up the pace for the most part.

There have been concern from some drivers that it's getting a little aggressive out there.

I hadn't heard that. Well what are they doing racing? Go get on a merry-go-round if you don't want anyone to pass you. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard... What's next posted speed limits?

You were sequestered right after the race in Bahrain for substance testing. Can you tell us how that went?

Substance testing?? :lol: That's funny! Back at my motorhome, me and my buds were partying it up a bit:drunk:, and some guy in a suit wanted me to pee in a cup!:eek: And all I could think of was, man, that's a weird souvenier!! Well that explains it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to autograph a cup full of pee??:lol:

[Harakimi]

Hara Kimi, P15.

"Not ideal day for me, just had 3 terrible runs. I wasn't too happy about the balance and as you see, the grid is again very very even. We have to find something for tomorrow to get some more speed and maybe points"

[Harakimi]

"After disappointing result from the race, the team decided to sack it's race engineer who was in responsibility of race tactics. Sadly we also inform that he performed seppuku after that and is no longer among us. Super Aguri will now excamine the race data carefully about what went wrong and we are looking forward to bounce back at Monaco"

[saltysurprise]

Hmmmm... Interesting.

Eight of you have chosen Monaco as your home race... :wonder:

There's a doin's afoot!:mad: (That's Texan for Shenanigans):lol:

[EIR Loe.307]

Hmmmm... Interesting.

Eight of you have chosen Monaco as your home race... :wonder:

There's a doin's afoot!:mad: (That's Texan for Shenanigans):lol:

Maybe they all have that book I was talking about.:greedy::lol:

[Daz Lil]

How many warm up and practise laps do you think you get there compared to anywhere else ????:eek:

[Ryan]

Monaco Qualifying Press Conference

Ryan, Congratulations on taking the pole position for tomorrow's Monaco Grand Prix. What was that final lap like?

It was a great lap. The car was working perfectly, and I hit all my marks and breaking spots. I held back in the pits for as long as I could and when I decided to go out I was lucky to be well away from any traffic and get in a completely clear lap.

You've described the race this weekend as being your home Grand Prix, why is that?

Well, when was with Super Aguri I kept my home in Southern Ontario, and just lived in various hotels all through the year. But when I signed for Ferrari I knew that I would continuously be in Europe, either racing or testing, so I sold my home in Canada and bought a flat here in Monaco. And since my home is here in Monaco I consider it my home GP.

What are your expectations for tomorrows Monaco GP? Who do you expect to be your biggest competition?

I'm really hoping to just get a good start and hold the lead. Hopefully any safety cars will play into our race strategy. I'd expect the BMW of Fernando Waldren to be a factor tomorrow. The Toyota's look very good here, and I can never count out my team mate.

[Harakimi]

"To be at the front is always very important here. My final lap wasn't perfect but it was fast enough for second row, which is nice. I'm looking forward to have a strong start and not to lose any positions, after that it's more like driving and looking for mistakes by your rivals. After disasterous race at Spain we hope to get better result here. I think I have good change for podium finish."

[Ryan]

Post race press conference:


Peter Windsor: That was a wonderful victory for you Ryan. Was it as easy as you made it look?

Ryan Esch: Definitely not. Kimi's Aguri was there for the better part of the race waiting to pounce if I made even one little mistake. And the weather certainly made things even more difficult, but the Ferrari mechanics made every right call today. Starting with Mario Almondo's last minute decision to start on slightly worn soft tires as opposed to the fresh hard tires we had initially planned on using in the first stint. When the track started getting wetter the softs performed much better than the hards would have and I could continue until my scheduled stop and put on inters. And luckily it remained wet until approximately the time of my final stop when we came in and put on the hard tires, as scheduled. It began to sprinkle again in the closing laps but it was not enough to significantly affect my car and I just kept it away from the barriers until the finish.

PW: You didn't appear to put a wheel wrong today from our vantage point, were there any worrying moments for you inside the car?

Aside from the changing weather not really. The car was so perfectly setup that it was very easy to drive it as hard as I could. The only worrying moments came as the weather changed, mostly as it got wetter early on and at the end. I was very concerned about all the paint on these streets, but luckily I kept away from them. And the slower traffic was also very polite today, I never really got held up while lapping today.

PW: You have now pulled to within 2 points of your team mate in the title, Ferrari have a significant lead in the Constructors title, and the series now moves to Canada. What are your thoughts?

It should be a very exciting championship from here on out. Hopefully Cal and I can continue bringing in the points and ensure Ferrari the Constructors title. One thing is for sure though heading into Montreal with 2 Canadians on top teams should create an atmosphere like non other. I can't wait, and hopefully can defend my win there from last season.

[JoStream]

Q: Jo, a weekend you probably want to forget. You started from the back of the grid but made little progress throughout the race. Was there a specific problem?
A: We had the same problem in Melbourne. We simply struggled with the setup all weekend. Starting from the back didn't help either, but the car was simply not quick enough. When the light rain set in the handling got worse :mad:

Q: What are your expectations as we head to Canada?
A: A Canadian on his home territory is very quick :lol:. We've got quite a few of them in the paddock, so I expect it to be a tough race at the front. Whether or not we can compete with them will depend on how well we set up the car. At the moment, our performance window is very small and that is what we need to improve. But a new race is like a new day, so we'll see how it turns out :)

[EIR Loe.307]

Look at ole Saltbag on Pole!! I'll be coming up from 9th to put the heat on you buddy.:lol:

[saltysurprise]

Look at ole Saltbag on Pole!! I'll be coming up from 9th to put the heat on you buddy.:lol:

Hey thanks for the update numbnutz!:rolleyes:

I hadn't even checked it yet! It's only been up for 3 minutes! Sheesh!

But thanks!!!:D:D:finishfirst:

[EIR Loe.307]

Shouldn't look until you've checked it. :lol: I hate race day on F1 cuz I can't look at the f1 thread or my google page till after the race (whenever I watch it on DVR)

[Ryan]

Ferrari Post Qualifying Press Release:

It was a difficult session for Ferrari drivers Ryan Esch and Cal Vera, 1 and 2 in the championship seems to be creating added pressure. Vera made a mistake on his first run, clipped the champions wall at the end of the lap, and the car was too damaged to continue in the session so Cal will be forced to start tomorrow's race from pitlane.

Esch put in a good run on his first lap run and looked like a threat for pole. His 2nd run was negated by a lock up which flat-spotted the right front tire. Looking good in his 3rd run Esch came up on the Super Aguri of Hara Kimi, who had just set the 2nd fastest lap of qualifying, the rookie seemed a little confused as the flying Ferrari closed in with the blue flags waving down the back straight. Kimi tried to go to the inside to get out of the way but Esch had committed to the inside and struck the back of Kimi's Aguri damaging the front wing and ending Esch's qualifying attempt. Esch's 1st lap held up for 7th on the grid and is not indicative of the true pace of the Ferrari. Watch for him, and Vera, to move forward quickly.

Esch locking his brakes during his 2nd flying lap:

[Harakimi]

After finishing second in the legendary Monaco GP Hara continues doing good, catching the P2 at the qually of Montreal.

Q: You were able to finish second at Monaco. Many drivers struggled with their tyres but you stayed with slicks, what was behind that decicion?
A: I've used to weather like that, in Japan almost every race is somewhat like Monaco at last weekend, changing all the time. I was on softer compound and the rain wasn't too bad, there was even a change for win but Esch played it smart also. P2 is satisfying result.

Q: Is P2 from qually also satisfying result here at Montreal?
A: Well to be honest it is, but when pole position is this close (+0.016 sec) you just wish that you've done it little bit better. But it's very nice position to start strategywise.

Q: You had your moments with Ryan Esch at the 3rd qualify session, what happend there in your point of view?
A: Well I just finished my lap and was cooling off, I wen't to inside but he was overtaking me from there, pure misunderstanding. Luckily we both seemed to suffer only some minor damage to our wings and there is no need for spare cars.

Q: What are you changes tomorrow?
A: For what? For win? We might lack the pace in the race compared to McLaren, and Salty is driving infront of his home crowd so it will be difficult to beat him tomorrow. I try to keep Fernando behind me at the start...Also 2 top cars starting from the back of the grid tomorrow so definitely there is a nice change for podium.

Q: How satisfyed are you with the season so far?
A: It's ok. The championship table is still pretty even so the title is open, one mistake here or there will make the difference in the long run. I've been knocked out of the race once and I wish I could avoid those for the rest of the season. We are now 1 point behind Toyota at the constructors championship, so we have to improve there to achieve the 4th place what is our target at this season.

[saltysurprise]

Post race press conference.

And here we have our pole sitter and winner of the Grand Prix of Montreal, Salty Surprise. Terrific preformance today, congradulations.

Thank you! It's a great feeling to win here in Montreal, the fans are great and the city is really something else. Today was all about getting a really good start and maintaining pace. My pit strategy was what really saved my hide today I think.

I'd like to thank Mr. Dennis for the opportunity to show that I've got what it takes. And my team mate Fahad for all his encouragement and for really pushing the envelope when it comes to new ideas and strategies. He's really helped me focus.

The two men on either side of you, Waldren and Kimi, looked as though they might have other plans for the outcome of the race late in.

You know, you can never count these two out.. Both are highly skilled and talented drivers. You really need to be on your 'A' game when they're anywhere near you on track.

Thanks Salty, and congradulations again.

No, thank you:finishfirst:

[Harakimi]

Q: Congratulations on your P2 today. You got heavy pressure from Waldren at the early stage of the race. His BMW seemed alot faster than your Aguri. Tell us about that battle?
A: Huh it really was something. He was on the softer slicks and much lighter fuel load. Keeping him behind me there was the key point for my finish position today because he was on 3 stop strategy and very fast. I'm pleased.

Q: After your second stop you lost 6 positions within 2 laps, something was wrong with your car?
A: I don't really know, the tyres took few laps to be perfect. Luckily I was able to gain my position back when they went for their pitstops.

Q: All eyes on Indianapolis now, are you familiar with the track?
A: Yeah, it's boring.

[JoStream]

Jo is finally back in the points again. Reporters gather around the reigning world champion...

Q: You're finally back in the points again. How did the race go overall?
A: It went alright. We had a good setup this time and were able to get the tyres to work. I had an exhaust problem early on in the race, but I was still able to put up a good fight :)

Q: The car does not look fast enough for you to have a shot at the title? What do you think?
A: You're right! :wonder: At the moment, and let me emphasize that, the car is not as fast as it needs to be. But that can change and everybody in the team is working very, very hard to make it happen.

Q: Is there anyone in particular who you think can bag the title this year?
A: Yea, there is. The guy with Car No. 1 :lol:

Q: But that's you?!
A: Wow, how did you get past security :mad:

[saltysurprise]

BREAKING NEWS!

Neither McLaren car was able to post a qualifying time today, and both drivers will start from the very back! This is quite something, as I'm sure there are plenty of teams absolutely drooling over this catastrophy for McLaren. When asked about todays poor Quali, Salty Surprise had this to say.

"Friggin unbelievable! It's sabotage I tells ya! Fahad couldn't get it in gear, and someone had placed a mackerel under my brake pedal!! Not to mention the vegemite on my controls and some asshat put shepards pie in my helmet!:mad: Last I checked it wasn't April:rolleyes:. Grow up! Just you wait, we want this race worse than ever!"

[Harakimi]

Super Aguri has made a new sponsor deal with Agnus McGyver's Mackerel company. The value of the deal has not been announced in public but team owner Aguri Suzuki says it's a remarkable addition to this years budget. Team driver Hara Kimi said after the qualify that his 3rd front row starting position of the season was gain with aid by the delicious mackerels.

[Harakimi]

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

Drivers: 1st Fahad Hizam (McLaren), 1m18.323s; 2nd Hara Kimi (Super Aguri), 1m18.371s; 3rd Salty Surprise (McLaren), 1m18.437s.

Q: Hara, very close qualify again but yet not a pole for you. Is this frustrating?
HK: Sure I'd like to have my 1st pole but it doesn't bother me too much, it will come someday. Actually I was bit surprised to be on the front row since the car was lacking pace at the practice on friday.

Q: Both McLarens and BMW's are around you, do you feel that you can match their speed tomorrow?
HK: Time will tell. I really like racing here at Silverstone so I want to get the best possible result, and that is to be 1st to cross the finish line. It's going to be tight but I'm feeling confident about the race.

Q: You have been outqualifying your team mate in all the races so far and also lead the points in your team. Is there any tension between you two?
HK: Absolutely not. The spirit inside the team is very good. Actually Mika Salo asked me the same question yesterday when we bumped to eachother at the paddock. We share the data and work well together, we even have similiar strategies for the race so maybe the good ol' lady fortuna has been on my side. But Luke is young kid and has great future ahead of him.

[EIR Loe.307]

SPEED finally caught up with Loe from team BMW after a dominant 1-2 for the team.

SPEED: How does it feel to have had such great results for the team and for yourself?

Loe: Well it feels great!! I've been lacking results in testing and have not performed as expected in both the quali's and the races. Fernando has been working with me in the test sessions and it shows. This last race is the kind of pace we've been expecting to have.

SPEED: So are you saying we can look forward to more results like this?

Loe: Absolutely. Fernando and I are looking to get our setups and quali. positions up at the top. We've got a few new trick for those McLaren boys, so they better be watching out.

SPEED: With you teammate in P1 and team BMW 10pts. up in the constructors title is there more pressure now then ever?

Loe: There's always pressure in a sport like this. You've got the Ferraris and McLarens hunting you down and you have a team that is depending on you for those points so it's critical to get it right out there. There is still plenty of season left and I plan to claw my way up outta 10th. You'll have to excuse me now, I have a party to attend with those pit girls over there.

"Oh ladies....hey, where are you running off too??? Damn you Fernando!!"

SPEED: Looks like we know who's #1 at BMW :lol:

[Harakimi]

A natural bowl is the home for Hungary's race. Described as Monaco without the barriers for many years - recent changes have made it easier to overtake and a more interesting venue. It still requires high stamina.

Hara Kimi, Super Aguri

"I really don't like this mickey mouse track. I just hope for good qualifying position and to score points again. Our development work at the factory is now somewhat jammed so there is nothing new in our car. I'm still feeling that I could score more points at the Nurburgring, but when Almeida pushed me out at Coca Cola Kurve on lap 9 I had to pit for front wing change and that ruined my tactic. So I'm aiming higher than 7th position this weekend."

[JoStream]

Q: Jo, you have finally made it into the Top 10 qualifiers again. What do you think is possible tomorrow?
A: The car feels good this weekend. Some of the changes we made on the car have improved the mechanical grip, and it shows in the result thus far. It's important to be up front on the grid at a track like Budapest, so I'm satisfied with my starting position :). As for tomorrow, it will be a difficult race. But I'm more optimistic this time round because of the strategy we chose for the race.

Q: Does that mean a podium could be in reach?
A: I sure hope so :lol:

Q: You are 53 points behind Fernando Waldren. Although you are mathematically still in contention for the title, realistically it's a long shot.
A: That's true :)

Q: Does that mean you are no longer fighting for it?
A: I always fight for the title. I fight for every inch on the track. You guys should know this by now :rolleyes:

[Calvera]

After a long wait, Autosport finally managed to gain access to Cal Vera's inner sanctum...!

Autosport: Cal, after a fantastic start your season seems to be going from bad to worse...why is that?

Vera: If I knew the answer to that question I'd be MUCH happier! It really has been up and down recently, following a missed testing and a series of domestic issues which I'd rather not go into here.

Autosport: That's quite understandable. Do you think there's a chance you'll be able to turn it around?

Vera: Honestly? Not really. They is the old saying that F1 is If spelt backwards, which has to be one of the stupidest sayings ever, but even that isn't really giving me much hope. Fernando would have to go on a monumentally bad run to let me in, and there are already too many great drivers ahead of me, who'll take the chance if he does make a mistake!

Autosport: So where does that leave you now?!

Vera: I've just got to try and sort out my form, starting with qualifying. One week I'm right up there, the next i'm in 14th. I just can't find ANY consistency. When that comes back, I'll be fully behind my teammate's title bid. Ryan's still got an outside shot, so that and the Team Championship are my top priorities now, unless something absolutely sensational happens!

Autosport: Thanks for speaking to us.

Vera: It's my pleasure...now, would you like a nice cup of tea?

[JoStream]

Q: Jo, do you have a minute?
A: Ask someone else! :mad:

[JoStream]

Q: Jo, a fantastic win from P21 on the grid. You did not win here last year. Maybe you can describe how you feel about today's achievement and whether you had expected such a brilliant result.

JS: It's a very special feeling. Monza is a track that always fascinated me and it's just amazing to win here today. The team has been working hard all season, but there were a lot of problems. Today the car was fantastic. I was able to push all the time, really be myself :).

Q: The safety car came out on lap 25 after your team mate went off at the Lesmo. You came in for your first and only pitstop a lap later with most of the other drivers. Were you planning to stop on lap 26 and how helpful was the safety car?

JS: Yea, I don't know what happened exactly with DriverDB. Would have loved to see him with me on the podium today :). To get back to your question, my pitstop was planned for lap 27, so there was no big change in the strategy. The safety car did help me and pulled the field together. And my second storm started from there :lol:

Q: It looked like it was going to be a Red Bull 1-2, but within the last two laps, Almeida went off after a mistake and Lil lost his rear wing...

JS: It was a suprise to see that happen at the end. With the lead Almeida had he could have taken out some speed. But as much as its tough to see it happen, its part of racing. More risk means less reliability, be it technological innovations or simply driver speed.

Q: Fernando Waldren looks in good shape for this year's title, with 21 points ahead of Salty Surprise.

JS: Still four races to go, Salty won last years monsoon race in a Super Aguri and sat right here. And Almeida is also very strong.

Q: You now head to Spa, one of your favorite tracks. Do you think you can repeat last year's win?

JS: I sure hope so! The car is not on the same level like the top runners, but we'll push hard ;)

[Driverdb]

Rumours have it that Driverdb was forced by Frank Williams to cause an accident that would pull out the safety car and increase Jo Stream's chances of winning the race.

Driverdb, was too injured to respond to the allegations but will be fit to race again at next round if there's enough bandages available.

Frank Williams made a run (roll?) for it when asked if team orders were involved.

[JoStream]

Journalists catch Jo on his way to his Mercedes...

Q: Jo, there are rumors that DriverDB crashes on team orders to help you win the race?
A: I feel sorry for you after running all the way from the track to ask me this ridiculous question.

Q: How is DriverDB doing? Have you found sufficient bandages?
A: Yea, I think so. But I'll give you a ring if we need any more and I'll take your number after that :lol:

[EIR Loe.307]

SPEED Channel tried to catch up with EIR Loe and Salty but were unable to locate which pub they had stormed off to.

In unrelated news, many unsupervised porta cans were found tipped over across town.

:drunk::drunk: :stop::stop:

[saltysurprise]

After a few shots of Saki and some Asahi chasers, Salty and Big Loe were seen at 'Satoru's Super Happy Fun Time Sushi and Ale house'.

Salty: "You know, if I see one more Hello Kitty, I'm gonna puke... Ever seen a talking toilet before? That's just crazy:confused: (*Mouth full of Karageen chicken) This chicken is great.. Have you tried the sunomono salad? Awsome."

*Salty cleans out another glass of Asahi..
"BUUUURP!... Pardon.. Whooo! Hey pretty lady!":drunk::lol:

"Stupid mumble, mumble.."

[Harakimi]

After finishing 5th, Hara Kimi was signing autographs for his fans at the paddock. It was close to impossible to ask any questions from him because of the large crowd but we were able to get few.

Q: How did you like the Fuji track and those changing conditions which are kind of famous in here?
A: Well the track is interesting, part of it is still old and part is new. I'm bit sad because of the result. This is my home Grand Prix and I was hoping for a podium finish, but my dreams were destroyed after that awful start.

Q: You stayed on the track for a while when it started raining, do you feel you should come and pit earlier?
A: After we lacked the pace in qualify I had to start with a strategy that didn't suit the conditions. We knew it's going to rain during the race but we didn't except that before the last 1/3rd. So maybe with different strategy we could be litlle higher but this is just speculating.

Hara continues signing autographs to countless japanese fans and we decided to leave.

[EIR Loe.307]

With only 2 races left in the season we caught up to BMW's Eir Loe. (A sober Loe at that)

SPEED: Loe, with 2 races left how do you feel about the championship? It looks like Fernando has clenched the driver title and BMW only need 2pts to clench the Constructor title.

Loe: I feel great about that. Fernando worked hard to get to p1. I had some bad luck in a few of the races that cost me points in the drivers title. I was able to bring in some points though. Should everyone in p2-p9 dnf for the last 2 races AND I win I can still pull 3rd. I doubt that will happen though.

SPEED: I know you and Salty spent a good bit of time in the pub, are you two planning on being teamates next season?

Loe: It's still too soon to start talking about next year. Salty should get 2nd choice in teams next year and I'm a bit down the list. We'll have to see how that shakes out. Fernando is a great team leader and wherever I end up should be great for me. Being in the #2 car next year would be nice and I think Fahad wants to keep his seat.

SPEED: Last question, I hear you are moving to V8 Supercars in the off season? What made you decide to try that out, and will it interfere with your F1 schedule?

Loe: No, it won't get in the way. It's another challenge. There is a lot of competition in the series and a lot of opportunity across the field to score points. It should be a fun series.

That's all from SPEED, stay tuned for more.
For more info about V8 SuperCars go to batracer.com
WRF V8 League 1 (V8 Supercars 2006 #18426) Pass: WRFV8

[saltysurprise]

OH NO!! And the BATRacer server is DOWN!!!:eek::mad:

Actually, I've noticed it's been a bit of a snail as of late, but this is the first time I haven't even gotten to the homepage:confused:

[Harakimi]

Yeah, it has been slow lately. Wonder if they are testing some new features or even carsets, or is it just the game server which causes problems. There is now 20k more players than in around march when I first got in to the game. :eek:

[Flibble]

OH NO!! And the BATRacer server is DOWN!!!:eek::mad:

Actually, I've noticed it's been a bit of a snail as of late, but this is the first time I haven't even gotten to the homepage:confused:

I hope this won't affect the trophy ceremonies!! :eek::p

I believe its just a problem with the server, as it went down in the middle of the night UK time, so I can't imagine it was something done by Jules to add a new feature/carset. Hopefully, none of the games will advance seeing as its down. ;)

[Harakimi]

All the seasons have been deleted in the progress, sorry. -Jules :rolleyes:

[JoStream]

All the seasons have been deleted in the progress, sorry. -Jules :rolleyes:

That's a joke right? :eek:

[Harakimi]

Just to scare you yeah ;)

[EIR Loe.307]

I freaking DNF'd on the last race of the season. DOH!! Still co champ in the constructor title! Go team BMW!!! :finishfirst:

[Harakimi]

After finishing the Brazilian GP at 7th position, Hara Kimi gets out from his car, taps it to the sidepod and walks to team Super Aguris carage. Team drivers get huge applauses and the party is ready to start. Few moments later Hara comes to talk for the press.

"I excepted to be 3rd at the drivers championship and our team to finish 4th in the constructors championship so there is a little disappontment in the air. Not huge but some. Flibble was just too fast for the rest of us this season. When I look at the championship table its just amazing how even the field was. Apart from Fernando 10 drivers were over 30 points so the battle was tight all throughout the season."

"I'm happy that I managed to score points in almost every race, only 2 times out of the points when finishing is great. Also our realibility was good with only 1 DNF caused by technical problem. I didn't win and didn't get a pole position but thats ok. I'd like to thank my team mate Luke for being so reliable on the setup work and being such a fun company all the season."

Q: What are your plans for the next season?

"No plans yet, heh. Right now we are going to have party with the rest of the drivers and maybe in few days I'll fly back to Tokyo to take a look at my factory, I've heard that they are now planning a HaraKimi action figure because of my huge popularity in Japan. But yeah I'm more than happy if my performances have been good enough to score a drivers seat for next year."

[Harakimi]

Is the Hall Of Fame updated completely? :)

[saltysurprise]

Is the Hall Of Fame updated completely? :)

Why's that? Something missing? Didn't you see your name enough?:lol:

[JoStream]

Is the Hall Of Fame updated completely? :)

Unfortunately it's not. The season details were lost after the game went into archive a few days after it ended :mad: