Friday the 13th!...

Rennen · 8 Dec 2002, 14:35 (Ref:445647)

Hope Jenson Button's not too superstitious thats the day set for his first run in the BAR 004 at Jerez.

Ironic isn't it...Davidson and Button were deadly rivals on the British and European karting circuits for 11 years!...What has Dave Richards done!?

Valve Bounce · 8 Dec 2002, 20:53 (Ref:445790)

Good luck, Anthony. I hope you are able to show that you can drive faster than Bunsen.

Mr V · 9 Dec 2002, 00:50 (Ref:445978)

Whilst i'd love to see ANT in F1, i'm sure that David Richards knows what he's doing with regards to Jens.

**Stephen Green** · 9 Dec 2002, 12:17 (Ref:446244)

Of course he could be li ing up a Jenson/Anthony pairing for 2004!

**Stephen Green** · 9 Dec 2002, 12:18 (Ref:446245)

Should read lining...sorry

**Bononi** · 9 Dec 2002, 12:33 (Ref:446252)

All he has to do is not letting a black cat cross his path and not go under a stairs... he will be safe then.

Lining up the two in a BAR - funny results.

**Stephen Green** · 9 Dec 2002, 12:47 (Ref:446261)

I reckon it could be a very good move for Dave Richards to have the two of them together. What do you think Rennen?

neilap · 9 Dec 2002, 15:44 (Ref:446352)

I would bet on Sato and Button. If Honda feels that he deserves the seat, I am sure Sato will be there. Ant did not prove too much in the two races in a Minardi. He could have at least finished the races.

Yoong Montoya · 9 Dec 2002, 18:58 (Ref:446464)

Quote:

Originally posted by neilap
I would bet on Sato and Button. If Honda feels that he deserves the seat, I am sure Sato will be there. Ant did not prove too much in the two races in a Minardi. He could have at least finished the races.

Maybe, but at least he was trying to compete instead of being too conservative like Yoong was.

Rennen · 9 Dec 2002, 23:00 (Ref:446631)

Bit hard Neilap!...The Minardi team told Ant to push after his second pitstop...he did and the trucklike steering just got the better of him. Anthony's credit was qualifying the car he had never driven on a track he had never ever seen before!...No one in F1...expected as much from him...the gravel was no disgrace...nor was his best race lap time...14th fastest if I recall.

As regards Spa...yeah that was a pitty not to finish...but he was carrying on where he left of in Hungry..."pushing"...really loving driving the track...but wishing he could have been doing it in 'his BAR'

Driving an F1 near it's limit is MUCH harder than some of YOU armchair critics realize!..you have no real idea...not helped by the bull**** put out by some people within the sport...ie Lauda "A Monkey could drive one of these cars"...indeed!...It certainly made a Monkey of him alright.

As regards teammates at BAR...Anthony raced against JB for 9 seasons in British and International karting...both were dogged rivals and both were title contenders and shared equal honours...in terms of outright race wins and titles.

JB has a very smooth flowing style...Anthony however is the more agressive in a race situation...not at his best doing testing...where putting in the laps for the engineers to study. Ant's a true racer...pity you missed seeing him in 'Mounty land' The 2002 Minardi wasn't going to finish anywhere but last or second to last...the gravel was the best place for it...IMO.

Valve Bounce · 10 Dec 2002, 02:53 (Ref:446718)

Rennen, I think most of us know how difficult it is to drive an F1 car, let alone drive it fast. Only a fool would think it was anything else.
We are all looking forward to Friday 13th, and so on. If BAR is going for the Friday Testing option, then Ant will hopefully have the opportunity to drive at every GP circuit before the race, and this will be his best chance to show his ability vis a vis Bunsen.

Lee Janotta · 10 Dec 2002, 04:03 (Ref:446739)

I wouldn't say the cars are _easy_ to drive... But it seems to me that the skillset's become very narrow... The whole car's very twitchy and unstable now... Without having to shift or control wheelspin, the most important thing seems to be just keeping the thing pointed in a straight line, not abusing the tires, and hitting your marks every time 'round the circuit... Consistency is king, and setting up the car beforehand is essential. Not much you can do with an ill-handling car once the green drops.

Time was when you could have both a conservative, consistent, and miserably boring Niki Lauda, and a tailsliding, occaisonally reckless, always exciting Gilles Villeneuve both having a lot of success, even with maybe only the 4th best car on the grid. I guess that's what I miss more than anything.

I've got to say I was pretty impressed with Ant's performance, staying so close to Webber with so little experience in the Minardi.

neilap · 10 Dec 2002, 05:37 (Ref:446756)

I was not trying to disrespect him. It is just that if you want to impress you have to first bring the car home. That is what I meant. Quite honestly he had nothing really to prove. BAR gave him a chance to have some fun and he took the opportunity. However, if he had finished and maybe even pushed Webber harder then he would have to be considered a top contender. He may have the talent but I feel every chance that one gets to prove ones worth, it should be done. I am sure that if he started the season with Webber he would have given him hell and maybe beaten him.
Anyway, if racing was easy anyone could/would do it. I drag race, my car just for fun. That seems easy enough but there are so many factors to account for even though its just a straight line. I can only imagine how difficult it is to drive a car that you are not used to on a circuit that you have not raced on while taking into account the other drivers on the track. I don't think F1 cars are the most difficult to drive it just takes different technique. Enough defence...

I wonder how let down Button will feel when he drives the BAR. I bet that will be one of the first questions he will be asked by the media.

Valve Bounce · 13 Dec 2002, 21:49 (Ref:449365)

Well Rennen, today's the day THE BIG DAY when Ant goes head to head with Bunsen. Saturday 14th December, 2002. Fingers crossed and I hope our guy burns Bunsen off.

Valve Bounce · 14 Dec 2002, 22:30 (Ref:450057)

1. Kimi Raikkonen – McLaren - 1:19.774 - 51 laps
2. Mark Webber – Jaguar - 1:20.304 – 96 laps
3. Anthony Davidson – BAR - 1:20.657 – 54 laps
4. Alex Wurz – McLaren - 1:20.905 – 79 laps
5. Ralf Schumacher – Williams - 1:21.352 – 76 laps
6. Fernando Alonso – Renault - 1:22.076 – 70 laps
7. Marc Gene – Williams - 1:22.228 – 62 laps
8. Jenson Button – BAR - 1:22.652 – 72 laps
9. Sebastien Bourdais – Renault - 1:23.170 – 23 laps
10. Franck Montagny – Renault - 1:24.480 – 48 laps
11. Antonio Pizzonia – Jaguar - 1:25.174 – 8 laps

Great effort, Ant. Just keep it on the black stuff and keep burning the Bunsen off. Two seconds is a helluva lot.

Rennen · 15 Dec 2002, 02:02 (Ref:450133)

Lee...see if you can get a copy of the British monthly magazine F1 Racing Jan 2003 issue...its got a 6 page!...interview with Ant...hes quite articulate on his Minardi experience...its quite an insite.

Dispite never having driven the Hungaroring before he said he could feel straight away in the first practice session where he would have been quicker if he'd have been in his BAR. (Let my quote)..."So although I was doing my first grand prix, I actually felt a bit disapointed"...because he was going to be at the back of the grid. Neillap it really didn't matter at all that he didn't finish...he had done enough to impress most F1 people. Spa was a pity though...(Let me quote his words on that)..."Okay, dont tell me-I DNF'd again, it was a stupid mistake, and I feel I should have made it to the end...but, you know a slight lapse in concerntration, looking in the mirrors all the time, paranoid about holding someone up or getting in someone's way. And, again the team told me to really push on in the last stint to the end of the race. I turned in a bit too late at Pouhon and got a rear wheel over the kerb and into the marbles and round she went! Im not making excuses...I had an aching shoulder throughout the weekend the Minardi's power steering was nothing like as good as the BAR's let me tell you! - and it got to me in the race!

BUT the thing I was pleased about was that I was close to Mark again and put in a stunning lap in qualifying, and for ages he couldn't beat it! I was actually held up on my best lap by Olivier of all people!...I told him afterwards...he said Ah ham so sorry, did I fock you op?! And we had a laugh about it. What was good was when it came to qualifying Marks engineers copied my set-up...I'm convinced my engineer (Greg Wheeler) and I had sorted out a better car even though he was on new tyres and I was on old ones.
In the race I could sit behind him easily, pushing him, he was lossing ground to Olivier ahead...then Mark slowed with a gearbox problem and I could close the gap to 'Olive'"

Lee it's the sheer phyisical loading on the body that's the factor...it's a bit like trying to write a letter whilst on a roller coaster ride!...the braking is just like ramming a road car into the guy in front in traffic at 30mph!...As Ant says the onboard cameras just dont give you any sensations at all...it's "like watching a movie with the sound turned off!"

Jellybabe · 15 Dec 2002, 18:26 (Ref:450516)

Quote:

Whilst i'd love to see ANT in F1, i'm sure that David Richards knows what he's doing with regards to Jens.

Or possibly he just snapped up Jenson because (a) he was available and (b) Jenson's Dad is a friend of DR and DR's known him for ages...?

Quote:

Of course he could be lining up a Jenson/Anthony pairing for 2004!

Apparently DR doesn't want an all-British team.

PS... Hello Rennen

Valve Bounce · 16 Dec 2002, 03:10 (Ref:450794)

All I can say is what I have already posted on other threads - Ant should take every opportunity to post faster times than Bunsen and maybe even Jacques during pre race Friday testing occasions next year. It will be his best opportunity to get a ride in a team, especially if he can regularly out pace Bunsen. Long shot, but hell, he's got nothing to lose. Might even get him a drive when DC retires

Jellybabe · 16 Dec 2002, 07:37 (Ref:450879)

Quote:

Ant should take every opportunity to post faster times than Bunsen and maybe even Jacques during pre race Friday testing occasions next year

BAR haven't decided to go ahead with the Friday testing AFAIK. They were considering it but James Robinson was very much against the idea.

Valve Bounce · 19 Dec 2002, 05:23 (Ref:453191)

Yeah!! I just read that BAR might not go for Friday testing after all - bummer. I suppose Ant will just have to bite the bullet and do as he's told during regular testing. Whether he gets the chance to out pace anybody is doubtful, as he will just be testing whatever he is told to test. Damn.

DavidStHubbins · 19 Dec 2002, 07:18 (Ref:453209)

Rennen - keep up the descriptions of driving an F1 car! I have hit a stationary car at 30mph and its quite a jolt! I was in the back at the time on someones lap and almost broke my shins...

I think we do tend to forget how difficult F1 cars must be to drive. I mean, remember Lauda and his infamous "even monkeys could drive these cars.." then he tries to drive one and cant even keep it on the road!

monkeys...

NiceGuyEddie · 19 Dec 2002, 08:09 (Ref:453223)

Quote:

I was not trying to disrespect him. It is just that if you want to impress you have to first bring the car home. That is what I meant.

And who are you to describe the criteria for a real impression? I mean, if you have doubts over Ant's abilities to bring a car home just on the merit of his two GP-outings, I suggest you get in this matter a little further and look at his testingmiles. A GP is diffrent you say? Well, keeping a car on the road is keeping a car on the road, isn't it? Besides all that, Alex Yoong can bring a Minardi home. It is NOT a testament of talent. A testament of talent is qualifying 6 tenths behind Webber on the long track that Spa is, in a car which is clearly not the one to have and he did so little mileage in. Ant didn't have to prove consistency, he had to prove racespeed and so he did.

Jellybabe · 19 Dec 2002, 09:39 (Ref:453260)

Quote:

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
Yeah!! I just read that BAR might not go for Friday testing after all - bummer. I suppose Ant will just have to bite the bullet and do as he's told during regular testing. Whether he gets the chance to out pace anybody is doubtful, as he will just be testing whatever he is told to test. Damn.

He'd have to test whatever he was told to test if they went for Friday testing anyway!

Valve Bounce · 19 Dec 2002, 10:06 (Ref:453281)

I was just hoping that in the exhuberance of Friday testing, there would have been more lattitude of testing for fast times in setting up the car, rather than the all year round type of testing. God!! one has to have some hope for a chance at fast laps,

however remote it may seem.

Jellybabe · 19 Dec 2002, 13:04 (Ref:453395)

You never know - with Taku being reserve driver next year it may give Ant more time off to do some more bits of racing like he did at Macau this year. That was impressive

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