Now that Michael Schumacher has retired, who do you think will be the next heir apparent?

I've listed only the teams. If you want to qualify your pick by picking the actual driver, then post.

Try NOT to pick with your heart (I bet $5 James Suckling picks Ferrari )

Question:
Next F1 Champion (2007)

Choices:
Ferrari
McLaren
Renault
Honda
BMW Sauber
Toyota
Red Bull
Williams
Toro Rosso
Spyker
Super Aguri

 

Massa

BMW Sauber have pulled together a very good team and apparently have been doing very well in testing.

But Mezzo, you didn't include "Anybody but Ferrari, because Ferrari have the most annoying fans of all sports and I just want them to shut up" as an option in your poll

Pauly...'the most annoying fans in all of sport' is a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe the most annoying in F1? I can think of 3 or 4 premier soccer teams who fans can be diagnosed as 'mentally disabled'.

But everyone likes to take a shot at the 'king of the mountain' and his fans, and Ferrari were kings for a very long time. Even the last few years, Schumacher was always there in the running (even though Alonso won back to back championships). But this is another discussion.

Now that the playing field has been leveled and the teams and drivers have been mixed up a bit, I see it as anyone's game. And as in all motor sports, reliability is the biggest factor. The driver is second.

Montoya! Oh wait, he's a redneck now.

Kimi Raikkonen. It will be interesting to see what the Ferrari team orders will be. Will Massa or Raikkonen be the number one driver.

It's depressing, but with a 3 year old daughter who isn't in to Formula 1 (yet) I missed at least half of the races last season and I'm betting the same thing will happen this season too. I haven't even caught up with who's driving for who, and didn't know there was a "Spyker" team until now.

Frankly I don't mind who wins so long as it's an entertaining season. Schumi was a great driver but he was such an arrogant b@stard that I was always cheering for everybody else.

i dont know how you can't think Alonso isn't a favorite again, despite his defection to McLaren

Clearly Alonso would three-peat if it weren't for his Mclaren! Other than a car that will go kablamo every other race he ought to have a reasonable shot at he top paddock. Ferrari looks good and should be a contender for the lead. Kimi - we'll see how fast he comes up to speed in a car that is significantly more advanced and complicated to anything he's used to. that's assuming that Kimi will stay sober ...

Good question; should be Massa, but most likly Kimi and hopefully Massa won't be snakebit with the mechanical problems that plagued Rubens when he was with Ferrari. Should be an interesting front row tonight, however.

quote:

Originally posted by VT2IT:
Kimi Raikkonen. It will be interesting to see what the Ferrari team orders will be. Will Massa or Raikkonen be the number one driver.

Based on what I've seen in testing over the last couple of months, I was pleasantly surprised to see Kimi get the pole for the Aussie GP. I'm sure he was sand bagging during testing leading up to this weekend 'cause he made his presence felt early and effortlessly. But Alonso still has to be favoured, even if just by a tiny bit. Massa is good, but he's no number 1. I'd also like to see Hamilton succeed this year.

As for Sunday's Australian GP, my top 3 predictions are: 1. Alonso 2. Kimi 3. Fisichella

Don't forget Kovalainen. I think both he and Hamilton will earn wins this year.

Too bad we didn't get to see Massa run for pole against Kimi. Most of the top drivers have been saying Ferrari is still the best car.

Is Lewis Hamilton for real?? He's finished on the podium every race. It's only a matter of time before he wins his first GP. Poor defending world champion, Fernando Alonso.

Why 'poor'? He ran himself off the track and lost a couple of places due to a desperate attempt to steal the first corner.

The more I see Hamilton the more he looks like a World Champion. Not necessarily this year but soon. Massa was superb all the way through in Spain.

This season is hotting up to be the best for a very long time. I would not make a call on any of the top four.

What is Formula 1? Do they use a ball?

quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
What is Formula 1? Do they use a ball?

Another NASCAR fan outs himself.

quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
What is Formula 1? Do they use a ball?

No ball. But they do make right turns from time to time.

KillerB, my comment about 'poor Alonso' was meant to be facetious. I'm a die hard Tifosi (Ferrari fan). I don't really care who's in the cockpit, even though it's been Michael for the last 10 years.

However, some of my favourite non-Ferrari drivers during the Schumi years where Jacques Villeneuve (I always cheer for the home team) and Kimi Raikkonen, and now Lewis Hamilton.

The pre-Schumi years were years of F1 charisma and great wheel-to-wheel (with some contact) racing. The Schumacher years were pure Schumi/Ferrari dominance. Now we're into the post-Schumi years...and I hope some charisma comes back to F1.

quote:

Originally posted by Mezzo Litro:

quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
What is Formula 1? Do they use a ball?

No ball. But they do make right turns from time to time.

The only turn to make is a left turn....

You know what they say, two wrongs don't make a right , but three lefts do.

Al Unser the 8th!

NASCAR is where they send all the "special" kids...like Montoya.

The only thing I like about NASCAR is that the good 'ole boys get liquored up, then get in a car and drive real fast. And smashing into others is a prerequisite skill. Thank god it's a closed circuit with no pedestrians.

So, Alonso won Monaco whilst Lewis Hamilton was told to stay back for a comfortable McLaren 1-2. This puts Alonso back on top by virtue of having won races despite the same points as Hamilton.

Twas a sad sad day for Ferrari. 3rd and 8th is not going to get it done boys.

KillerB...team orders were put in place on the last lap of qualifying. Both McLaren drivers were on a flying last lap when both simply