Suzuka

[LYM]

I think it's Jean Todt is totally right to call for fair play for Japan GP. The circuit has plenty of turns for overtakings but the chicanes are so tight that one false move and we will have see a monza replay again.

Really hope than RB and DC can drive with cools heads and let the champion-to-bes to fight it out fair and square.

[Dino IV]

Wish that cool head on TGF as well, LYM for not stalling the car on the grid again - Welcome to 10-Tenths btw.

Plenty of turns for overtaking and tight chicanes which are dangerous at the start?
Are we talking Suzuka here? Only overtaking we usually see there is at the one and only chicane and even that's quite difficult to achieve without sufficient performance difference.
Whenever the field has almost completed lap 1 and approaches the chicane it has already settled in evenly spaced positions. There's usually a fiddle at the first corner with some too eager midfielder damaging a front wing or D-touring through the gravel trap, but nothing scary though.

One of my favourite tracks though, with super-flow, challenging corners and great to watch a car being pushed to it's limits there.

[neutral]

Team tactics ok but if RB or DC takes either of their opponent contenders out then I would be bitterly dissapointed. My prediction is that DC and Schumi will have another run in. RB will be told to obey team orders in Suzaka but he wont be in the thick of it to do anything. What I pray for however is a Mika and Michael showdown, with RB and DC out of the picture.

[Dino IV]

Well, DC has to do something I guess.
He can't wait for a Ferrari-misfire but has to take initiative ... or at least Ron will ask him to.
If Mika wins both last GP's and TGF comes in second, points are equal in the standings but victories are deciding then which means TGF takes the title with 7 victories against 6 for Mika. DC needs to play a decisive role therefore. Except for the bluntly punting off option there's no use for him to sacrifice his own race in Mika's favour, but he'll has to race himself as well to take that 1-2 the Macs need. At Suzuka DC kinda has to 'race' the same way TGF did last year at Sepang, holding off the competition from the team leader, put in some fast laps to get the gap he needs for his pitstop and cruise in front of his opponent again to second place.

But as Suzuka last year showed and Indy this year, DC isn't exactly as skilled as i.e. TGF is in slowing down the guy behind. DC starts to drives in all kinds of strange hickups in corners just too long and sacrifices just too much speed out of the corner therefore. TGF slows down at the entrance of a corner, just enough to upset the chaser's entrance speed, and exits normally towards the next corner. DC spends too much time being slow at the apex. He enters as late as normal, coz he's afraid of being outbraked, then holds abruptly at the apex and can't get another little gap at the next straight, which causes him to fear being outbraked and brake late again, the holds again ... etc etc.

Not that I think it's an admirable virtue for a driver but some guys can do stuff the right way and some simply don't.

[Marshal]

Team tactics are fine, and as old as racing, so long as it doesn't become physical, go race guy's.

[Liz]

McLaren will win in Suzuka "to keep it interesting" but it won't necessarily be Mika. TGF will be second if he finishes.

If a Ferrari wins in Suzuka it will be Rubens, and McLarens will be second and third (because TGF has failed to finish, obviously).

But the last race is the one I am waiting to see. Because TGF went like a bat on that track last year. I look forward, however, to seeing lots and lots of shots of Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo in that race.

[kuchi]

Suzuka it´s going to be really really exciting. If neither tgf or mika get the pole, we are going to see a nice race, but if shum starts at #1, well, i think mika´s chances are over. It will be interesting to see what role will Dc take, and it all depends on which position he gets on the grid, if he´s ahead of michael, blocking we will see.

[Dino IV]

Suzuka hasn't exactly been doing favours to DC the past years, Liz, especially not when the going got tough for the WC's and WC's tend to get going tough at Suzuka.

On top of that DC exited the race last year in one of the most stupidest of ways ever seen and dangerous as well. He was fiddling around with his CD-player or dialing Heidi on his cellphone, anyhow wasn't concentrated at all accelerating out of the hairpin and moving down the right-sweeping straight towards Spoon as he simply drove with his wheels off the track and flew off (we all know that, don't keep full throttle in that situation as it will give you a contra-momentum you won't recover from; ease off and steer back calmly - events like that cause around 30\40% off all deadly crashes outside urban territories) and just slightly missed the edge of the concrete wall which stops just at the point DC flew by out of control to open up the field for the immense gravel trap at Spoon. He was really lucky not to hit the wall there - which is hardly protected coz nobody ever went off there.

Anyway Mika has shone the past two years there and I guess he will again. He likes the track, likes Japan and feels good over there, and DC's only job is too back him - so there's no reason for him to have any worries about DC except for DC's performance.

Hardly making assumptions with those predictions btw, Liz, merely stated as facts. Mika and TGF will share the front row that's all I know. If Mika drops out, DC will have a hard time beating TGF as he will be behind him for at least the first stint. If TGF drops out, I don't see any reason to believe Rubens will be in that great shape out of the blue to take victory over any of he two McLarens.

He'll have a hard time keeping up with Trulli in front of him, who'll be hunting down succesfully .... DC.

[downforce]

haha! Dino, cool!
...anyways if anybodys lookin for a Schumi "special"...its live in Suzuka'00....tune in.

[freud]

Michael has said to RAI sport that Suzuka is a "dangerous" track and that he isnt planning to let this season boil down to a showdown at Sepang. Hmm..sounds interesting. Imho Rubens is going to play a big role in this GP and he may block Mika or take him out.

[Liz]

Last year I was in California to attend the ill-fated CART race at Fontana when Suzuka came round. When the end became obvious I went to bed. The next day it didn't matter to me who had won in Japan.

But I stand by my prediction. I read ahead.

[EERO]

I have this feeling about Ralfie for Suzuka. Its a hunch, but the Wiliams are coming on strong, he's good in the rain and he spent a year in Japan in F3000.

Perhaps I am optimistic, but my big toe is throbbin' somthin' fierce.

I think MH and MS will eb allowed to run their races. If their temmates get into the fray, so be it. Team Tactics are a part and have always been a part of this sport. MS certainly showed us last year in Malaysia how its done, and DC in the opening laps at Indy was pretty ham-handed.

Bring it on! No matter what happens, we are certain to have a three-time WDC.

[Dino IV]

Lol, EERO.

"If that's a fact, now tell me .... am I lying?"
Dennis Hopper to Christopher Walken in 'True Romance'.

[EERO]

Hey, Dino, what's the funny part,
Ralf, the three time WDC or my big toe?

[RussianFriend]

I'd like to see TFG's face if MH become the 3-times WDC. He got used to regard himself as most-titled driver of present-day F1. Would he be able to survive after a fall. I really have nothing against TFG. But with a view of pedagogic it would usefull for him to be more a driver than a super star.

[Dino IV]

No, not Ralf ofcourse
The 3 WDC it was ... but now you mention the big toe again I am not sure anymore

[EvilPumpkin]

and this is what we were talking about this day, 6 years ago!

[Knowlesy]

Ah, E-chaeology.

Six years ago today we were on the verge of the Schuey era then!