Spanish Grand Prix - April 27, 2008

rustystag7 said:The FIA finally decided to step in and pull the plug on those studded boots—or whatever they call them now—probably because they just can't stand watching this forum spiral into total chaos anymore. It feels like they finally had to wake up and actually do something since everything here has been going downhill for ages.🤷

It honestly feels like we’re stuck in this endless loop, doesn't it? It's like watching the same reruns on a loop because nobody can bother to bring anything fresh to the table. We just keep circling the same drain, waiting for some kind of new blood or a fresh perspective to shake things up, but instead, it's just more of the same old story.

rustystag7, you're dodging the question here

Raymond Ortiz89 said:but if you actually look at his whole career, you weren't talking like this about him back between 2000 and 2004

Look, I didn't like him because—and I still stand by this—I think Michael Schumacher was the better driver compared to Fernando Alonso. It’s just... man, Alonso caught a massive break. He showed up right when Schumacher, despite all his effort, just wasn't feeling it like he used to. Motivation is everything, you know?🤷

But saying Alonso is bad? Never. And comparing him to Robert Kubica? That just doesn't sit right with me. People these days watch Formula 1 through this tiny little lens of "current status." Like, someone nails three or four races in a row and suddenly they're a god. Meanwhile, Renault is basically struggling in the dirt, and their one big hope for the future is just Alonso standing there.🤷 🤷

Raymond Ortiz89 said:rustystag7, you're totally dodging the question

I'm not dodging anything, man. I'm just a little slow on the draw, so by the time I actually get my thoughts typed out, I've already missed a couple of posts here and there. It’s nothing intentional, just how I roll.👍

rustystag7 said:The FIA finally decided to drop the hammer on those studded boots—or whatever you want to call them—and honestly, it’s about time. It feels like they probably couldn't stand watching this forum slowly spiral into total chaos and decay any longer, so they finally felt the need to step in and actually do something productive for once.🤷

Honestly, I think it’s about time someone finally handed them the divine retribution they so richly deserve. 🙂

And he’s still just standing there, aimlessly wandering around like he hasn't got a single clue what's actually going on.

I suppose I should probably take a moment to give Pillu some credit, even if it feels a bit out of character for me to be doing so right now.

So, he was essentially arguing that the issues Renault is facing with their engine likely stem from the fact that they haven't fully calibrated themselves to the newer ECU software yet. It’s one of those things where you can see the struggle, and honestly, it feels like they're just playing catch-up because they haven't quite mastered the integration required for the current setup.

So, I happened to stumble upon this particular piece of information.


I was just browsing through that Renault F1 blog, and there’s this particular thread floating around regarding their latest developments. It looks like they’re claiming to have rolled out some significant new engine improvements. Naturally, I find myself sitting here wondering how much weight we should actually give to these announcements, given the track record of such claims in the past. It’s always a bit of a gamble when a team starts touting technical breakthroughs mid-season, isn't it? One moment you're hearing about massive power gains, and the next, you're watching them struggle just to maintain pace on a straightaway. Still, if they've actually managed to squeeze more efficiency out of the power unit, it could shift the dynamic quite a bit, though I remain characteristically skeptical until we see the telemetry.

Courtesy : Philzippy of autosport forum

It appears that for the opening three races of the season, both Renault and Red Bull—specifically those Renault powered cars—have been stuck running the older software version of the ECU, whereas every other team on the grid has been utilizing the most recent update since before the Melbourne tests even kicked off. I can only assume that this supposed "improvement" we’re seeing now is simply the result of them finally catching up and actually running the latest version like everyone else.

Courtesy : Philzippy of autosport forum

Pilla always possessed that innate, uncanny sense for the nuances of driver feel. 🙂

I’ve got a quick question for the group here!!!

In your professional opinion, do slick tires tend to wear out faster than grooved ones, or is it actually the other way around?

Thanks in advance!

rustystag7 said:Look, I never liked him, and honestly, I still stand by it—Michael Schumacher was the superior driver compared to Fernando Alonso. It’s just one of those things where Alonso caught a massive wave of luck, stepping onto the scene right when Schumacher, despite all his grit, had lost that old fire and wasn't quite as driven as he used to be.🤷

Now, don't get me wrong, I'd never call Alonso a bad driver, and comparing him to Robert Kubica? That just feels completely disconnected from reality to me. But that's how people view Formula 1 these days—they judge everything based on the immediate present. Someone manages to pull off three or four decent races and suddenly they're treated like a god, ignoring the fact that Renault is basically struggling in the gutter and their only real hope for the future is Alonso.🤷 🤷

Man, you didn't even really notice him until 2005, and besides, just because someone like Pontius Pilate decides a driver can handle three or four races or maybe one decent season doesn't mean anything. It isn't enough. Kubica is a solid driver—I don't know what your problem with him is—and yeah, Alonso is incredibly talented, but he's nowhere near being the absolute best. Just look at those old legends who drove flawlessly every single lap but simply never had the luck on their side.

rustystag7 said:Honestly, hollowhawk412, hats off to you. I know we used to go at it constantly back in the day, but looking back now, I really think you're one of the good ones. I actually grabbed a drink with Manuel Ruiz Kost recently, and while we were chatting about all the names being tossed around for the moderator position, he was just cracking up...

So, we actually started thinking it might not be such a bad idea if you threw your hat in the ring for the role, especially since you're always around here and you've really found your groove within the community.👍

I’ve actually felt this way for quite some time—hollowhawk412 would make an excellent moderator.🙏🙏🙏

hollowhawk412 said:maybe he needs a little wake-up call from above 🙂

and just get a grip

but honestly, I’ve gotta give Pillu a bit of credit here....

he was mentioning that Renault's engine issues were probably because they hadn't fully synced up with the ECU yet...

and then I stumbled onto this piece of info


Over at renault F1 blog....there is some post about renault also having new engine improvements.

Courtesy : BiH of autosport forum.

For the first three races, Renault and Red Bull (i.e the Renault powered cars) have been running The older software version of The ECU. (All the other cars have been running the latest version since pre-melbourne test). I imagine the "improvement" is that they are now running with the latest version.

Courtesy : Philzippy of autosport forum.

turns out Pilla actually had a decent gut feeling 🙂

come on, hollowhawk412, it's not rocket science: you just head over to the McLaren site, click through to the ECU section, hit latest updates, then download and install, and suddenly you'll see Renault sitting right back at the top of the standings👍

hollowhawk412 said:I actually have a quick question here!

Do slick tires or grooved tires tend to wear out faster?

Thanks in advance!

I was reading somewhere that they sometimes struggle with getting enough heat during those first two or three laps, and then everything feels perfect, but then they seem to fall off a cliff after about four or five laps. It sounds like they might be amazing for qualifying, but maybe a bit of a disaster once the actual race starts.🤷

rustystag7 said:Which driver are we even talking about here? What has he actually achieved in his career to justify being called one of the best?🤷

He’s shown he can be lightning fast in short bursts and squeeze every bit of performance out of the car, but he’s also proven he makes way more mistakes than Alonso and lacks that ability to settle down and manage the car properly...
Thank God I don't base my views on someone's current hot streak, I look at the big picture...

Just because he's performing well right now doesn't mean I've forgotten how things looked a couple of years ago, just like I haven't forgotten when Alonso managed to outclass Schumacher, who I used to be obsessed with...

He hasn't been in Formula 1 long enough for a full assessment, so generally 🤷 I agree, though since this is only his second season, the kid clearly has the ceiling to be a top-tier driver regardless of the unforced errors; I suspect he's feeling more pressure right now than anyone else on the grid, and honestly, comparing him to a two-time world champion feels like a compliment to Hamilton.🤣👍

hollowhawk412 said:I've got a question for you all.

Do slicks wear out faster than grooved tires?

Thanks in advance!

Are you actually serious right now?🤣

Arthur Doyle70 said:He hasn't been in Formula 1 for very long, so looking at things broadly, 🤷 I also maintain that since this is only his second season in Formula 1, the kid actually possesses the potential to become an elite driver regardless of these current blunders; I suspect he’s under significantly more pressure right now than his peers, and honestly, being compared to a two-time world champion is probably a compliment to Hamilton🤣👍

The kid is brilliant...but he's essentially manufactured this immense amount of pressure for himself that he didn't strictly need to carry...he was given some rather poor advice early on...

He's just a bit impatient...he lacks the necessary experience
which is nothing that can't be rectified in time

Arthur Doyle70 said:Kid's had such a tiny window in Formula 1, so honestly, 🤷 I’m on the same page—since he’s only hitting his stride in his second season, there's huge potential there. Mistakes aside, I bet he's feeling way more heat right now than the other guys. And hey, comparing him to a two-time world champ? I’d say that’s actually a massive compliment to Hamilton.🤣👍

I'm with you on pretty much everything you said, except maybe the part about Hamilton...
I mean, sure, he'll be great, but let's be real, the guy can be pretty stubborn and prickly when he wants to be. 🙏

hollowhawk412 said:The kid's got talent, no doubt about it, but he's basically just walking straight into a pressure cooker he built for himself because his advisors didn't know when to shut up...

He's just a bit impatient, lacking that seasoned grit you only get after years on the grind.
It’s nothing that can't be smoothed out with time.

Pure inexperience.🤷

Jason Campbell70 said:Are you actually being serious right now?🤣

Look, you really had a chance here to prove 🙂

but I see you didn't miss your opportunity to swoop in with that typical, clumsy attitude of yours.

I don't follow Formula 1 quite as closely as I used to... at least, not with the same level of intensity as in recent years...

and you should realize that people on other, much more established American forums wouldn't have even known what you were talking about...

hollowhawk412 said:The kid’s got talent, no doubt about it... but he basically walked right into a pressure cooker that he didn't even need to be in. He was given some pretty lousy advice from the top, and now he's feeling the heat...

He's just a bit impatient, honestly; he hasn't quite lived through enough seasons to know how this game works yet.
But hey, it's nothing that can't be smoothed out with time.

And frankly, I think you're missing that exact same sense of perspective.😂😂😂

What you just said is honestly laughable.

rustystag7 said:I'm right there with you on everything except the Hamilton take...
I think he'll turn out fine, but let's be real, he’s definitely got a temper and a sharp tongue, which is pretty much 🙏

A lot of legendary drivers were hot-headed and difficult to deal with,😉 but honestly, it's rare for any rookie😁

Arthur Doyle70 said:A total lack of experience 🤷

though he certainly didn't act with much maturity as the season started winding down...

hollowhawk412 said:The kid is brilliant, truly... but he’s basically gone and piled all this unnecessary pressure onto his own shoulders when he didn't have to... he was given some pretty questionable advice by the people around him...

He’s just a bit impatient... lacks that seasoned veteran experience
But honestly, it's nothing that can't be ironed out in time

Well, you're missing that exact same thing yourself 😂😂😂

What you just said is actually laughable