The 2007 European GP thread (or is it the German GP? Err....)

[Knowlesy]

It's all starting to get a bit nasty now. We may have an intriguing title chase on our hands, but off track it has all turned sour. We head to the next race amidst a backdrop of intrigue, back-stabbing, scandal and a political minefield. The fallout could, potentially, be catastrophic.

But enough of Spyker's decision to drop Cristijan Albers, let's concentrate on round 10 of the championship, the GP with an identity crisis - the European GP.

Yes, despite having just one race in Germany, we don't have a German GP. It is actually the European GP. Why this is I don't know, but I suppose it could be worse. They could have called it the GP of, ooh I don't know, Luxembourg or something.

We haven't been here for what feels like ages, last years race being held in the first weekend of May. But it will all be familiar I'm sure - those quick chicanes, the downhill hairpin, the strong desire to see the race moved to the real track behind it, considering shooting yourself after lap ten etc...

Last year Ferrari really started getting it together here, Michael Schumacher (who?) taking his second win on the bounce. This year, I suppose, McLaren will be looking to reverse this situation. This should be a more comfortable circuit for them than the fast sweepers of Magny Cours and Silverstone, the circuit is a bit tighter and they tend to go well here. But Ferrari are really in the ascendancy now and it will be a tough task.

Beyond that Nick Heidfeld will be desperate not to lose out to Kubica again at his home race and there may be a new home hero in the vacated Spyker seat. Possibly.

Whatever, let's just hope we don't have to suffer the ignominy of a phantom red flag in the qualifying session this year!

Current drivers championship standings

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points	Wins
1.	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	70	2
2.	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	58	2
3.	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	52	3
4.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	51	2
5.	Nick Heidfeld	BMW-Sauber	33	0
6.	Robert Kubica	BMW-Sauber	22	0
7.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	17	0
8.	Heikki Kovaleinen	Renault	14	0
9.	Alexander Wurz	Williams-Toyota	8	0
10.	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	7	0
11.	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	5	0
12.	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	4	0
12=	Takuma Sato	Super Aguri-Honda	4	0
14.	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	2	0
14=	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	2	0
16.	Jenson Button	Honda	1	0
16=	Sebastien Vettel	BMW-Sauber	1	0

Current constructors championship standings

Pos.	Constructor	Points	Wins
1.	McLaren-Mercedes	128	4
2.	Ferrari	103	5
3.	BMW-Sauber	56	0
4.	Renault	31	0
5.	Williams-Toyota	13	0
6.	Toyota	9	0
7.	Red Bull-Renault	6	0
8.	Super Aguri-Honda	4	0
9.	Honda	1	0
10	Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari	0	0
10=	Spyker-Ferrari	0	0

European GP: recent history

2006 top eight finishers

Pos.	Driver	Team	Time/gap	Grid pos.
1.	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1h35m58.765	2nd
2.	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+3.751	Pole
3.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+4.447	3rd
4.	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren-Mercedes	+4.879	5th
5.	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+1m12.586	4th
6.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+1m14.116	11th
7.	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Cosworth	+1m14.565	22nd
8.	Jacques Villeneuve	BMW-Sauber	+1m29.364	9th

	Driver	Team	Laptime
2006 fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1m32.099
2006 pole position	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1m29.816
Lap record	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1m29.468 (set in 2004)

Other previous winners

Year	Driver	Team
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault
2004	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
2003	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW
2002	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
2000	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
1999	Johnny Herbert	Stewart-Ford
1998
1997	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren-Mercedes
1996	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams-Renault

Circuit and race weekend information
Circuit map and timetable
Live timing
Event artwork
Official site

Chat away in our chat room.

And have a punt in the predictions competition.

Here's to a good race!

[luke]

I really fear for Lewis. When Ferrari are the best car every weekend the best him or Fernando can hope for are 2nd or 3rd.

The championship is going to go down to which team has the best car. If Lewis or Fernando don't have a car as fast as Ferrari then all they can hope for is best of the rest. They have to be fastest at other race tracks. Ferrari again look very strong in Europe.

As for Fernando, he's done a fantastic job this year, he's done nothing wrong, it's just Lewis has been supreme.

[Marbot]

Nice intro Knowlesy.

I wonder if this will be 'the' wet race?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.sh...rld=0051&links

It's bloody hot there now!

[luke]

Yes it seems to be hot anywhere other than England at the moment.

[pottiella]

lol great intro as ever knowlesy...

I imagine it will be a fairly dull race, ironically given the storm - nay, category 5 hurricane - going on around the track "behind the scenes". So ferrari whitewash on track, hoping that lewis gets a taste for NOT being on the podium for a change, and hoping of course for rain rain rain...that will never happen it seems when I want it too!

[JeremySmith]

Never mind about the race, are the paddock facilitys up to snuff?

[luke]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Never mind about the race, are the paddock facilitys up to snuff?

Lol well its gone anyway for 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016

[luke]

Looking at the standings poor mr beard I mean Button. tying Vettel with 1 point who only did 1 stand in race.

[Sodemo]

It rained before the British GP, it rained after, but not during. There is no justice in the world.

[pottiella]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

It rained before the British GP, it rained after, but not during. There is no justice in the world.

that's sodding british weather for ya...always the opposite of what you want. It epitomises british persona - miserable irony.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by pottiella

It epitomises british persona - miserable irony.

It rained for all three races at todays BTCC meeting.It's not as if they need rain to keep falling off the track!

[Pro Racer]

well in Moto GP in Germany it was very hot and threw up a few surprises, so hopefully the same happens at the Nurburgring.

[FPV GTHO]

IIRC theyre bringing the soft and medium compounds to the race. If its the same heat as Pro Racer pointed out i guess we can expect some poor tyre performance again.

[flor]

forecast only expects something like 20°C instead of todays 35°C

[Pro Racer]

why is it everything falls into place for another boring F1 race, happens all the time.

[elspethhardie]

Originally Posted by luke

Yes it seems to be hot anywhere other than England at the moment.

It definatly is NOT hot here is Wales

[luke]

Originally Posted by elspethhardie

It definatly is NOT hot here is Wales

Wales?

Oh that place.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Other previous winners

I "fixed" the 96-98 results...

Your truly,
Bernard Charles E.

[luke]

1997 and maybe 1998 at the Nurburgring were the Luxenberg Grand Prix. It's the European Grand Prix so Knowlesyyyy is refering to the 'European' Grand Prix winners so he included the 1997 European GP at Jerez winner.

Now to put back on my anorak.

[Red]

97 and 98 were indeed called "Luxemburg".

[Knowlesy]

Yep, luke is correct. Jerez was the European GP in 97 and it was Luxembourg in 1998.

[Red]

Yup. I was talking about races at Nurburgring, not European/Luyxembourg GP's :P

[Knowlesy]

Yep. And you are wrong to do so.

[flying finn]

Looks like yet another Ferrari - McLaren podium with BMW, Renault, Toyota and Williams fighting for the minor points. Massa will do well, Alonso wants to beat Hamilton again and Raikkonen has the momentum of back-to-back wins. Both Mercedes and BMW regard this as a 'home race' with lots of local support and the mountains may bring rain. Tipping a Ferrari 1-2 with Alonso third.

[Marbot]

Nurburgring webcam (this should refresh manually)

http://www.nuerburgring.de/fileadmin/webcam/webcam.jpg

Not much happening at the moment.