Barcelona Winter testing: November 13th-15th. (Honda will be using their test drivers)

2007 Race Calendar

Australia (Round 1, 18th March 2007)
Well getting up at 2am in the morning was fun (actually woke at 12:30am after an hours sleep) and with knowing that Jenson Button had only qualified 14th, we Honda fans were a bit gutted....and the race was worse!
The race to me was quite boring, Lewis (McLaren) managed to get past team mate Alonso (McLaren) in the first corner round the outside of other cars, so he was second, Kimi (ferrari) of course first.
At one stage of the race Lewis lead the race for 5 laps
as I said it was boring, Albers (spyker) went of the track at a corner, due to losing his ear plug and missed breaking for the corner(!).... I was in hysterics over that!
Anthony Davidson (super Aguri) had a bad race, with not getting of the start line due to a problem and was last. Though Team mate Sato finished 12th, whats annoying is they are running last years HONDA car, and so they are better that their A team.
Davidson spoke of his peformance after the race, and was in pain with his upper back (after a hit on the track) but he did finish the race. Though apparently he's been to Hospital in Melbourne to have it checked out..

The most exciting bit of the race was David Coulthard... who crashed into Alex Wurz, and his car went flying over Alex Wurz (Williams) cockpit but it didn't bring out the safety car

and as for Honda, where do I begin? Well the car was all over the place, Barrichello was being held up behind Jenson for 15 laps, and finally over took him and Barrichello was away. It was a bad day for Jenson, everything that could go wrong was going wrong... he even got a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pit lane (which has been reduced to 50 mph)
and his car had massive front wing problem, and even though they tried there best to adjust the wing in pit stops it didn't work....

Anyway there is a 3 week gap now until Malaysia. So Testing will be vital to the teams especially Honda (even though they did the most milage of winter testing, they still have problems)

Malaysia (Round 2, 8th April 2007
Well it was a very boring race, an early one of 7:30am. I had my friend Marney, my F1/Jenson Button/Silverstone Gp 2007 buddy, down from Derby. We sat on the sofa stuffing our face with Terry's segsations and Easter eggs, along with cups of tea and coffee to keep us awake (it was that boring!).
The funnist part of it was Marney turning to me and saying "I see both the Spykers won't finish the race" a few secords later Albers was out, followed shortly after by Sutil!
Caulthard was another retirement of the race, as was Rosberg (Williams).
There was no safety car, or any accidents, a VERY boring well I don't really think it was much of a race!

Bahrain (Round 3, 15th April 2007)
At least the race is back to a more reasonable time of 11:30am, Well it was an eventful race from the start, from Turn 2, Jenson was ran wide by Sato (Super Aguri -Honda's B team!!), then on turn 3, Coulthard (Red Bull) clipped him, he ended up in a spin with Speed (Toro Rosso), and his anti-stall didn't cut in, so with debri on the track, the safety car was deployed for the first time this season.
The Race saw 7 drivers in total retire, Liuzzi (Toro Rosso) due to hydraulics problems, but then before that he had a radio problem and overtook Ralf under the Safety car period, which gave him a drive throught penalty, Sato (Super Aguri) was doing well until his engine failure, David Caulthard was doing very well, even ITV Martin Brundle was saying his was his driver of the day and how well his was doing (and the camera was on his car) when his engine let go, they were like "oh no". He also did a good overtaking of Fisichella (Renualt).
Then Webber (Red Bull) who had had an open fuel flap in the second stint (which was the same problem he had in Australia), something failed on his car.
Anthony Davidson (super Aguri) did very getting up to 6th place, he was happy with his car, his strategy was going well, and again ITV were saying how well he was doing, when his car was smoking towards the end of the race, so retired with engine failure (that's both Super Aguri's with engine failure).

Alonso had a pretty bad race!, Toyota were awful, Ralf just couldn't handle his car, as were Renualt, who are totally lost and James Allen (Itv 1 commentator) even said Renualt were worse than HONDA(!!!!!).
But BMW were quite a surprise, they did very well with Heidfeld, doing some surperb overtaking and finishing 4th, while team mate Kubica (who no-one can prounce his surname right) finished in 6th place, where he qualified yesterday.
And for Barrichello (Honda) the sole remaining honda left on the grid, finished 13th, there wasn't anything special happening with Honda, it was more lets just finish the race. I'm hoping with the big gap from now until Spain, Honda can get some good results from testing in Barcelona, with or without a new car.

The race just had you on the edge of your seat, wondering what would happen, but in the end Massa (Ferrari) won, Hamilton (McLaren) second, followed by Kimi (ferrari) third.

And for the record, Lewis Hamilton is now a record breaker, for being the first rookie, to get a top 3 finish in the first 3 races.... in Australia he was third, Malaysia he was second, and today again he was second. -Do I dare say it? Well done Lewis.
But as Martin Brundle has said: "(Hamilton)’s gonna be so disappointed one day, isn’t he: he’s not gonna score a point or the car’s gonna break down. I’m not sure how he’s gonna cope with that." (thanks to Callie for the quote!)

Spain (Round 4, 13th May 2007)
The race was ment to be 66 laps long, but Trulli stalled on the grid after formation lap, so all the cars did another formation lap

Well where do I begin, to me this race seemed to be full of pit crew errors, and a whole host of retirements. No safety car, no real overtaking....
Massa was wheel-to-wheel with Alonso at beginning of the race, but they touched forcing Alonso into the gravel and nearly into his team mate Hamilton
Alex Wurz smashed his Williams into the back of Schumacher’s Toyota, which damaged his suspension wing.
Kimi who was 2nd, suffered an electric problem and had to retire on lap 9. (he quickly left the circuit soon after and got into a car to the airport back home).
Webber retired with hydraulics problem, Scott speed retired with a slow puncture on the pit stright, send lots of debri on the track (but no safety car deployed)
When Massa took his first pitstop his car went alight for a breif secong because of fuel overfill (which massa claims he didn't know about in the post interview on ITV1)
On Nick Heildfields first pitstop he was waved out before pit crew finished his front right tyre, he had to come back in a stop later to get it repaired (how he got round without losing his tyre is a mystery) but the funny bit was a Toyato macanic picking up the wheel nut and handing it back to BMW as if to say "this is yours I believe"! But then Nick retired later on with gearbox problems.

David Caulthard had a good drive to 5th place, despite him having a gear box problem and couldn't get 3rd gear.

and as for Honda....
Well things ARE improving, but after Jenson's pit stop, he went into the side of.. Ruban's who gave him so room, but Jenson hit the apex and his front wing touched Rubans rear tyre taking of his nose cone, so he had to come into pits for a new nose cone so he lost a few place.

Super Aguri did well, with Sato finishing in 8th getting their first point, and Anthony Davidson getting 11th place, 1 ahead of Jenson

Well all I can say is: next stop Monaco! (theres a test session in France too I believe)

Monaco (Round 5, 27th May 2007)
Coming soon

Canada (Round 6, 10th June 2007)
Coming Soon

USA (Round 7, 17th June 2007)
Coming soon

FRANCE (Round 8, 1st July 2007)
Coming soon

BRITIAN (Round 9, 1st July 2007)
Although I was in attendance at the race, I was a Copes corner, and so I still haven't actually had time to sit down and watch the race or the highlights. (I watch the Quali).
I do however remember the whole crowd cheering and standing up on their feet when Lewis got Pole posion, and his slow down lap and him wavinf to the crowd, I was at Luffield, and I tried to record his slow down lap... but my camera batteries died :-(

GERMANY (Round 10, 22nd July 2007)
Well, what can I say, it was a very eventful race, as the race was about to start, it was pridicted to rain... it was far from the truth... as the car did the first lap, the heavens opened... drivers came in for wet tyres.. but before long, it had turned into a monsoon, turn one became a lake, Jenson was the first to go off into turn one, then4 others, one of whom was lewis, who managed to keep his engine still going...
Lewis was helped back on track, but the race was stopped, to be restarted a little while later.
Jenson had got up to P3, before he aquaplaned off at turn one, damaging his right suspention, so he could restart the race -but that was HIS best race this season so Jenson says.
Once the race restarted, it was quite boring, the rain had cleared... until 6 laps from the end, where it rained again, so it got really exciting again! -sadly i can't remember much of the race and where the other drivers came, just all the cars spinning off at turn one, all nearly missing the other f1 cars, although torro rosso did actually hit a tractor, but only lightly.

Hungary (Round 11, 5th August 2007)
Well this is the race that caused outrage, in quali 3 on saturday, a McLaren riverly was going on, Hamilton didn't obay instructions to come into the pits a lap earlier, and so when he did, it was the same lap as Alonso, but with the clock ticking, Alonso sat in the pit box, for 10 secs before he went.. meaning that Lewis who would have been pole, would not get round to get a good lap in... Of course Alonso was handed the pole as he managed to start a lap before the end of q3... but it ended up being investigated by the FIA... Alonso says he was waiting for his michanics to count him down to get some clear track (which they did in previos pit stops in sat quali)
Also under investigation was Fisichella who blocked Yamamoto (he has taken over from Albers who was dropped from Spyker)

Race day approched, and whilst I laid in bed sleeping the Alonso/Hamiltion virdict had been announced by the FIA. So I woke to the news from dad saying, Alonso has been dropeed 5 places (so moved from pole to 6th), and Hamiltion was given back the Pole position he had before Alonso held him up. Also If either McLaren won the race, the team would not be awarded the WDC up on the podium.
Also Fisichella had also been dropped from 8th to 13th on the grid, for blocking Yamamoto.

As well as Yamamoto taking a racing seat from the dropped Albers for Spyker, Sabastian Vettel, had taken a race seat for Torro Rosso's Scott speed, who left after a fued with the boss...
The race was exciting, Kimi was on the tail of Lewis, Anthony Davidson ended up in the side of Fisichella, which ended anthony's race half on half off the track (nose of the car sticking on the track!), Yamamoto spun and crashed into turn 11 on his first lap. and Jenson well his race ended with a sensor problem, then his car stalled, And Rubans finished last and on the team radio you heard him say "I feel the pain" meaning being last... roll on Turkey

Turkey (Round 12, 26th August 2007)
On the formation lap David Caulthard had a gear box problem, but seemed to sort itself out in time for the race..
The Opening lap saw Trulli being spun round by Fischella, so cars had to dive round the outside to avoid any accidents.
Then reliable issues affected Mark Webber yet again and he had to retire out with hydraulics problems. A honda team member radioed Rubens, and said "Jenson is 2 seconds ahead of you", Rubens reply was "Don't make me laugh".. Then Jenson overtakes Rubens!, Jenson soon after pitted, but Itv then show coverage of Jenson overtaking David Caulthard.. Jenson seems to be going well today... The race was starting to get boring...
Ralf then overtook Rubens, and Martin Brundle came up with a very funny quote "That was lunge with a capital 'L'"!
Then Lewis's front right tyre shreds when he was 2nd.. cars are overtaking him, but manages to get back to the pits, and rejoins back out in 5th place, but he did have a broken front wing
To me Jenson had a very good race, he overtook drivers, 10 in fact... looks like things are on the up for Jenson :D

Now theres a testing days at Monza next week, before the Italian Gp, on the 9th Sept.

Italy (Round 13, 9th September 2007)
Jenson Button (Honda) started the grid at 10th, but at the start had moved up to 8th, then lost a place to Rosberg.
Lewis Jumped the chaine to get in front, but didn't work out and remained 2nd.
David Coulthard (Red Bull) hit his nose cone on the back of Fichicella (Renualt) car, and it dropped down under his car, so he lost steering and went carrering into the barrier... which brought out the safety car...
Rosberg was investigated for cutting a chaine, to get infront of Jenson, and so Williams decided to give the place back to Jenson :D.
The Safety car came in after lap 48 -after DC's crash.
Massa (Ferrari) came into the pits for an unsheduled shop, in which he was given fresh tyres, but a lap later he retires.
On lap 38 Jenson (Honda) and Rosberg (Williams) are scrapping over p.7 and p.8, Rosberg wins and so Jenson settles for 8th, but it was a good scrap to watch.!

Kubica's (Williams) pit stop went horribly wrong, they had a problem with the front jack, which went right under the car, instead of just the nose cone, so two machinics trying to get it out under the car was silly, so from p6 he comes out p.11! So jenson gets moved up to P.6!
Nico pitted from p.7 to p.17, Jenson is now 5th. But as ITV goes go Adverts, Jenson does his pit stop and comes out 13th (but he's 1 stopping..)
Lewis pits and loses 2nd place to Kimi (Ferrari)... not a good thing for Lewis.... but a lap later, down into turn one, Lewis does a BRILLIENT move on Kimi, it looked like Kimi wasn't expecting it at all, So Kimi loses 2nd place! -it was a GREAT move by Lewis!

The race finished with Alonso (McLaren) 1st, Lewis (McLaren) 2nd, and Kimi (Ferrari) 3rd.
They didn't pay much attention to Alonso!, it was all about Lewis! and the Spygate stuff.. (which McLaren have been find for, and had there construction points taken away, but Alonso and Lewis can still race for their Drivers points)

Belgium (SPA) (Round 14, 16th September 2007)
After a years break from the track, it was back again this year on the calender after a bit of a make over...although the drivers are NOT happy with the pitlane entrance..

Robert Kubica started the grid at P.15 due to an engine change before quali. Then after quali Fisicella had a engine change, and so started on the back of the grid, but when Martin Brundle was doing his grid walk, he had to move in whilst talking to a driver, as the renualt was taken back into the pit lane, where he would start from. Which ment Jenson would now be starting 12.

Once the race on underway, on lap 2/44 fisichella retires from the race in the spare car!
Mark Webber (Red Bull) overtook Heikiovlien (Renualt) and Alex Wurz going for a spin!
David Coulthard (Red Bull) and Adrain Sutil (Spyker) are battling over 11th 12th place, and DC gets a team radio call saying "don't let the car behind bother you!"

On lap 35/44 Sabastian Vetel (Toro Rosso) retires from the race, and Kubica and DC are having a scrap for places!
On lap 20, Jenson pits from 11th and comes back out 14th, then on lap 15, Jenson (Honda) os fighting of Sato (super Aguri -last years Honda Car!) over 14/15th place, Sato win! (poor Jens being overtake by his car from last year!)
Lap 13/44 DC retires from the race (anotehr weekend of him retiring) this time with a Hydrolics problem, then with 8 laps remaining Alex Wurz retires from the race, then Jenson is over taken by Lizzi, as his car is slow, looks like Jenson has a problem with his car..
The Honda crew clear an area in the garage, at which he retires 7 laps from the end, with a hydrolics problem.
2 laps from the end Lewis Hamilton has an off moment, but recovers

The race finished with: 1st Kimi (Ferrari), 2nd Massa (ferrari), 3rd Alonso (McLaren)

It was quite a borning race, either because of all the McLaren/Ferrari spygate (at which McLaren have had all the points taken away, but can still get driver point) and the fact that Colin McRae had been killed when his Helicopter crashed on Saturday, he was a great Rally driver and alot of the Paddock was saddened by the news.... R.I.P Colin

Japan Fuji (Round 15, 30th September 2007)
I was coming back from my summer holiday in Italy when this race was on... but my lovely brother was home and incharge of recording it for me.
Getting in the car at the airport he told me that is was a really enjoyable race, and lots happened... so once home I was sat on my bed, watching the qualifying, and the race.. which my brother had already watched so, we skipped bits, and due to lack of time before the highlights, so my view on the race is from the highlights show

So F1 was back at Fuji after 30 years, Quali was very wet and nearly didn't happen on Saturday due to poor weather which prevented the medic helecopter from being able to take to the sky... but the mist did eventually clear enough... The race started under the safety car, due to all the rain, and all the cars had to start with wet tyres with request of the FIA via e-mail to the teams 15 mins before the race... but apparently Ferrari didn't get one.. so were in trouble for not having the right tyres, so the first 19 laps were done under the safety car.

Jenson Button also starts on the Grid in 6th place... his best qualifying of this year Heidfeld (BMW) had a problem on track and took out Jensons Front wing.
Wurz was the first to retire, in collecting Massa (Ferrari)... Massa was ok.
Jenson drove for 3 laps with no front wing... he didn't know he'd lost it, and Martin Brundle was saying, he's getting faster each lap! (Jenson was then called into the pits).
Massa then took his drive-thru penalty under the safety car (which isn't aloud) for his wrong type of tyres. Sato pit for for Fuel and leaves with his car on fire, but the rain put it out (I love Martin Brundle comment about it too-see my favourite quotes below)
Lewis Hamilton gets fueled to the end of the race, and gets out teh pit lane, 4 cars in front of Alonso..

Vettel (Toro Rosso) leads the race for the first time in his carrer, with Mark Webber in 2nd.
Hamilton takes a spin on track with Kubica, seconds later Alonso does it with a Toro Roso!
Robert Kubica got investigated for going into the side of Lewis's car and has to serve a drive thru penalty.

Alonso then takes a BIG smash into turn 6, critical to his WDC, so now Safety car is out whilst Alonso car and debis is cleared.
Minutes later Webber ends up off into the wall behind the safety car, and Vettel goes off, after a replay, it becomes clear that Vettel ran into the back of Webber, as he didn't see Webber brake... and was looking at Lewis looking a bit offline.
Massa has his 3rd pit stops this race!, Vettel crys his little eyes out at the Toro Rosso Pit box (well he was in the running of a podium). Kubica was looking good for his first points of the season in 8th. Ralf retires his car, as does Anthony Davidson.
Kimi overtakes David Coulthard for 4th, then Massa takes his 4th pit stop -even fuelling him.
Kimi and Massa are still fighting for 2nd place. Heidfeld then retires his car from the race.

Lewis wins the Japanese GP, Jenson stops on track in 11th place, Massa takes 6th place, battling with Kubica on the last lap.
So Lewis is 12 points ahead of Alonso....
China next week could be the decider...

China (Round 16, 7th October 2007)
This race I get to spend watching with my brother as he is still home, so we are both in the lounge, whilst dad watches the race in my room upstairs so we don't get dad questioning us every 5 mins over something) Ralf Schumacher(Toyato) spins on the first lap, Barrichello (Honda) and Anthony Davidson spins (Super Aguri).
Jenson started the race in 10th, but is now 13th.
Trulli (Toyato) and Heikki (Renualt) are fighting it out, and Jenson is closing down Heikki for 12th to. Rain is predicted yet again, and we hear that after this race Wurz is retiring as a main racing driver, and maybe back to a test driver or other racing.

Anthony Davidson ends up in the gravel during the ITV adverts, looks to be an electrical problem -we are listening to BBC's 5 live on the radio, and Jenson has a little nibble at Heikki also in the ads. but doesn't win
Jenson then losees a place to Rosberg. Now 14th. Alonso pits for fuel, Adrain Sutil backwards off the track, near missing the gravel.
Kimi sets his fastest lap, then pits just for fuel.
Hamilton is now back in 1st place.
Ralf is trying to overtake a williams. Rain is predicted in 12 mins. Fizzichella just overtakes Jenson.... this race isn't in Jenson's favour...
A lose tyre runs across the pitr lane from the Toyato machanic.
Robert Kubica goes onto dry tyres -Rubens (Honda) is also being told to go onto dry tyres.
Alonso overtakes Massa, who then comes into the pits for dry tyres, but rain is coming....

Spyker has spun off track and wacked a tv camera at the same time (we get a shot out the camera as he hits it), and then Ralf spins of at the same time ahead of the Spyker.
Kimi and Hamilton are battling out for 1st place. Rosberg is recovering from the gravel. And Hamilton is down to 2nd place as Kimi overtakes.
Jenson and Alex Wurz are battling out for 10th place.
Lewis tyres are BADLY worn and in coming into the pits loses his car in the gravel trap, paddock crew try pushing his car out but no luck, so he's out the race, with now only 4 points between Alonso in the WDC.

Kubica's costing back to the pit lane -technical problem.

JENSON has just set his fastest lap, he is now 5th -after overtaking Vettel.
Prediction: no rain for the next 30 mins!
Wurz pits, Jenson will have to stop again.
JENSON THEN SETS THE FASTEST LAP OF THE RACE...
Jenson then pits and comes out 6th -of course in the adverts (again listening to 5 live on radio) -why does he always pit during the ads?
Data comes up on the screen who is fastest through verios Apex, Jenson is fastest through "apex B"
Mark Webber is complaining waving his fist at the car in front of him is weaving.... its his team mate David Coulthard.... and to ad insult to injury a Renualt then over takes him! (I was doubled with laughter)

Kimi has now set the fastest lap, taking it away from Jenson :-(
And Lewis leaves the track to beat the traffic....

Kimi wins, Alonso is 2nd, Massa is 3rd....
So now the WDC is now now to the wire... the last race in Brazil.. between 3 drivers... Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen

Brazil (Round 17, 21st October 2007)
Well its the last race of the season :-( and its between 3 men:
-Alonso
-Hamilton
-Raikkonen

A joke going round the paddock is that Honda have plugged a cigerette lighter into Jenson's car, so he can set light to it later!!! (after Honda's bad season)..
Sutil is starting from the pit lane..
Hamilton goes off track and is now 8th..
Satomoto smashes his front wing from Fizzichella, then Hamilton looks like he has an engine problem and ends up 18th... the rest of the field overtaking him... including Jenson :P -this happens in the ad's and was listening to 5 live again on the radio.
FIA will be investigating cars 3 + 21,
After Hamilton switches his gears to a different setting, he's back and now overtaking Rubens and is now 17th. It looked like a gearbox problem... that they (McLaren) looked at in Parc Ferme yesterday, but did nothing about.

Mark Webber is now out of the race,from 5th, again like all this other retirements its due to relibility.
Lewis is picking off the gaggle of cars one-by-one and is now in 11th place.
In the adverts Massa comes into the pits from 1st place, and so Kimi is now leading, then Kimi pits...
Lewis is yet to overtake Jenson for 10th place, Alonso is now 1st and looks like Jenson has a problem and is now retiring from the race... Lewis then pits and given soft tyres.. and it was am engine failure for Jenson..
Sutil and Davidson spin, Davidson will creap back to the pits to has his left rear puncture seen to.
The FIA are now investigating cars 20 + 23 (davidson and Sutil)
Lewis overtakes Ruben's with a superb move, and will now try and overtake Vettel.
Nabasimi runs his own crew members (Williams) down entering the pitbox, one lands on his back while the other is hopping away -all down to inexperiance i guess as he is replacing Wurz for the last race.
Kubica overtakes Alonso, as the director shows that, Lewis overtakes Vettel.
Lewis is now in 9th place, and then comes into the pits.
Heikki has a big crash into the barriers, looks like a suspenction failure.

Ruben's then has a spectular big engine blow out in the pitlane (smoke everywhere) and retires from the race. Its his first EVER season he's not got any points.
Massa pits and comes out behind David Coulthard.
Kimi Leads the race as Massa comes into the pits -itv ads-listening to the radio!
Lewis comes into the pits and comes out 8th.
Kubica pits from 3rd, so Alonso moves back to 3rd place.
Rosberg and Kubica are fighting for 4th. Then the chequared flag is out... KIMI WINS THE RACE AND THE WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP.

But then Later that evening an investigation is brewing after BMW and Williams drivers are to have be found with some problem with fuel, so this is all under investigation, promted by McLaren, even though Lewis himself has said he does not want to win the WDC through the courts, but on the race track.
The hearing is on the 15th November...

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