2006 F1 season preview

[scarab]

2006 Tentative Grid

Team Driver Engine Supplier* Tyre Supplier
Renault Fernando Alonso works team (no change) Michelin (no change)
Giancarlo Fisichella

Mclaren Kimi Raikkonen works team (no change) Michelin (no change)
Juan Pablo Montoya

Ferrari Michael Schumacher works team (no change) Bridgestone (no change)
Felipe Massa (new)

Toyota Jarno Trulli works team (no change) Bridgestone (Michelin in '05)
Ralf Schumacher

Williams Mark Webber Cosworth (BMW in '05) Bridgestone (Michelin in '05)
TBA (Antonio Pizzonia or Nico Rosberg in the running)

BAR Rubens Barrichelo (new) Honda (no change) Michelin (no change)
Jenson Button

Red Bull David Coulthard Ferrari (Cosworth in '05) Michelin (no change)
TBA (Christian Klein in the running)

BMW Nick Heidfeld (new) new works team Michelin (no change)
(Sauber in '05) TBA (Jacques Villeneuve has contract from Sauber; Alex Wurz also in the running)

Midland TBA (Tiago Monteiro) Toyota (no change) Bridgestone (no change)
(Jordan in '05) TBA (Anthony Davidson, Franck Montagny and Takuma Sato in the running)

Red Bull 2 TBA (Vitantonio Liuzzi) Cosworth V10* Bridgestone (no change)
(Minardi in '05) TBA (Scott Speed)

*2006 engine spec has been downgraded to 2.4 liter displacement, naturally-aspirated, 8 cylinder 90 degree angle V-type block (from 3 liter V10 in 2005). Red Bull junior team (formerly Minardi) was allowed to keep 2005 spec V10 engine with several revisions to downgrade performance comparable to output of other teams' new V8 engines.

[bumags]

hmmm....smaller engines.....requiring better driving skills.....

magkakaalaman na sino talagang magaling......

[JohnM]

Honda buys out BAR

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=26075

Toyota-Panasonic vs Honda-TBA

[spiff]

redbull will have two teams???
where do they get all the money?

[mantoy]

hanep ang red bull!

[the_wildthing]

redbull will have two teams???
where do they get all the money?

My thoughts exactly. Ganon ba kadami ang pera ng redbull? Kala ko sa 'tin lang malakas yan. Hehe.

http://www.redbull.com/extras/company.jsp

Yan lang nakita ko. So if you sell 1,000,000,000 cans... you do the math.

[kimpOy]

chicken lang pala sa red bull ang isang F1 team...

[bougartt]

okay ah.. Redbull Michelin and Redbull Bridgestone!

[niky]

chicken? Akala ko drinks ang binebenta?

[spiff]

My thoughts exactly. Ganon ba kadami ang pera ng redbull? Kala ko sa 'tin lang malakas yan. Hehe.

http://www.redbull.com/extras/company.jsp

Yan lang nakita ko. So if you sell 1,000,000,000 cans... you do the math.

theyr apparently very strong in the states.. but i dont see why they need two teams??? what good would this do?

lot of white people drinking red bull vodkas!!!

[number001]

theyr apparently very strong in the states.. but i dont see why they need two teams??? what good would this do?

lot of white people drinking red bull vodkas!!!

According to Red Bull themselves, currently they have too many contracted drivers but have limited cockpits for them to pilot. Purchasing Minardi will help alleviate this pressing problem. Red Bull Cosworth (nee Minardi) will become the "junior" team where potential talents will be tested for a season or two and afterwards, they will either "graduate" to the company's senior teams (Red Bull Ferrari, etc.) or have their contracts terminated (if they obviously perform below expectations).

[squala]

It's kinda puzzling when it comes to Red Bull. First, why spend on buying a no-good team rather than the main team? Second, if they get Ferrari engines, what will the B-team have? Third, the current team has Michelins and Minardi has Bridgestones, so will it be different tyre suppliers for each team next year? It seems pointless as of the moment, but let's just wait and see.

A Michelin personnel also said that they will no longer supply Toyota, but this has yet to be officially confirmed. Back at Toyota's paddock, someone commented that it's foolish to switch to an inferior tyre, following speculation that a Japanese team be supplied with Japanese rubber.

[number001]

It's kinda puzzling when it comes to Red Bull. First, why spend on buying a no-good team rather than the main team? Second, if they get Ferrari engines, what will the B-team have? Third, the current team has Michelins and Minardi has Bridgestones, so will it be different tyre suppliers for each team next year? It seems pointless as of the moment, but let's just wait and see.

For the 2006 season, Red Bull Ferrari (nee Jaguar Racing) will run on Ferrari engines. While Red Bull Cosworth (nee Minardi) will run on Cosworth engines (probably the same type as what Williams will be using). Both teams will be running on Michelins.

A Michelin personnel also said that they will no longer supply Toyota, but this has yet to be officially confirmed. Back at Toyota's paddock, someone commented that it's foolish to switch to an inferior tyre, following speculation that a Japanese team be supplied with Japanese rubber.

Inferior tyre? The utterly counterproductive quip by that paddock source is to be expected from somenone belonging in the Michelin camp (as an employee or team partner). Funny, but just a few years or even last year, Michelin could also fit easily into that "inferior tyre" label like a surgeon's gloves.

Bridgestone tyres have been the champions since 1998 until last year, 2004. They beat Goodyear in 1998 and beat Michelin in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. For sure, Bridgestone tyres are very much responsible for this year's loss but that is because of a lack other top teams to confirm tyre tests by Ferrari. However, next year, things will only get better as some good teams will be joining them such as Williams and Toyota.

[so_obVIOS]

Inferior tyre? The utterly counterproductive quip by that paddock source is to be expected from somenone belonging in the Michelin camp (as an employee or team partner). Funny, but just a few years or even last year, Michelin could also fit easily into that "inferior tyre" label like a surgeon's gloves.

Bridgestone tyres have been the champions since 1998 until last year, 2004. They beat Goodyear in 1998 and beat Michelin in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. For sure, Bridgestone tyres are very much responsible for this year's loss but that is because of a lack other top teams to confirm tyre tests by Ferrari. However, next year, things will only get better as some good teams will be joining them such as Williams and Toyota.

It can't be denied that Toyota's switch to Bridgestones sounds "political". There has long been talk that Toyota's top brass prefers their F1 team to be associated with a Japanese tyre supplier.

Bridgestone did have trouble making a tire that runs good AND lasts a race distance. Michelin has the upper hand and a head start here. Bridgestone though will now be assisted by Toyota and Williams in their tyre development so let's see what they can make out of it. Their policy of making Ferrari a preferred customer certainly turned around and bit them bad this year (they really won't get much from Minardi and Jordan who are slow and barely even test).

OT 1: So the showroom is now too small a battlefield for Toyota and Honda. Sounds fun

[squala]

Yeah, Bridgestone have been designing their tyres around the Ferrari chassis for years. This means that other teams using their rubber have to make do with what they've come up with. This is probably why others switched to Michelin, even Sauber which are supposed to be collaborating somehow with the Prancing Horse from which they get their engines.

I'm not sure this time if Bridgestone will be collaborating with their new teams next year such as Williams, but I hope they will be fair enough not to take care of Ferrari alone.

On the other hand, another full works Japanese team in Honda is something to look forward to. If ever, it's Bridgestone Toyota versus Michelin Honda, two very different approaches - very interesting! :D

[BoyFerrari]

My thoughts exactly. Ganon ba kadami ang pera ng redbull? Kala ko sa 'tin lang malakas yan. Hehe.

http://www.redbull.com/extras/company.jsp

Yan lang nakita ko. So if you sell 1,000,000,000 cans... you do the math.

Red Bull is a CHEAP substitute for VIAGRA. You do the math.

[BoyFerrari]

Not to mention that McLaren's primary sponsor is JOHNNY WALKER !!!! Where on earth does Johnny Walker get all that money ????????

Formula One is the most expensive sport in this planet. It was reported that the cost of maintaining 2 Formula 1 cars alone is now worth more than $100 million dollars. This is the main reason why Minardi went bankrupt, because no advertisers would want to pay huge amounts of money for a car that seldom gets focused on the TV screens.

Toyota F1 is the most expensive franchise in F1 today. Their cars cost more than $120 million to date to operate. That's not counting the salary of Ralf Schumacher worth an obscene $35 million a year.

[scarab]

Interesting Trivia:

Item Cost (USD) Weight (lbs) Cost / pound

wonder bead 3.29 1.5 2.19
Subaru WRX STi 31,670 3263 9.71
BMW M3 coupe 48,795 3415 14.29
Mercedes Benz E500 58,045 3812 15.23
Audi A8L 69,220 4399 15.47
Lotus Elise 40,780 1975 20.65
Porsche Carrera 4S 84,165 3240 25.98
Ohio-class Trident sub 1,900,000,000 33,528,000 56.67
Ferrari Enzo 652,000 3009 216.68
F-15C Eagle fighter 34,300,000 44,630 768.54
Basic formula one car 2,000,000 1320 1515.15

oops, sorry just copy pasted from an email so medyo dikit dikit yung figures.

[number001]

Ralf is not worth being paid that much money. Imo, Ralf is overrated and is merely riding the coattails of his brother, Michael. However, if it were Trulli, it would be worth every penny since he brings home results.

[andre]

I agree with you, Trulli is a much better driver than overpaid Ralf.