The annual F1 Predictions Thread

[BrooksHall]

Hey I'm back for another annoying F1 predictions thread. Long time posters will recognize me for my once a year groundhog like appearance. Okay so here it is:

Like the last 4 years I am picking Massa for greatness, he will be the 2007 WC. This year is different of course because I can't pick my boy friend Michael Schumacher to win the title. However if the Ferrari duo of Massa and Kimi can't get it done, then I predict MS will return mid season and win out to win his 8th WC.

Alonso will soon understand why Kimi drank so much as a McLaren driver. As is true to their early season form McLaren will be extremely fast but in turn be just as fragile. Poor Fred will be have led a majority of laps in the first 5 races only to end up watching his rivals cross the finish line as he sits on the back of some scooter while the driver asks him inane questions about what it was like racing against Michael Schumacher.

Webber will realize that no matter where he goes he's not going to win any races.

Fisi will get schooled by his new younger, faster and much hungrier teammate and will announce that he leaving for NASCAR to be JPM's teammate by mid season.

The rest are just filler and although they will have some epic battles we will never see them as the tv directors will endless follow the leader who is 25 sec ahead of second place.

I'm sure you will all agree with my predictions and I'm happy to have shared them with you. Race safe and have fun.

Michael

[Mark H]

HaHa very funny on the Fisi thing. But that would be . He will win the championship in the #1 car.
The Toro Rosa will out pace the Red Bull team now that they have engines.
Scott Speed will get a podium!! I hope.

Frankie A will blow up a bunch, but the paint job is cool, so he'll look good doing it.

A lot of buzz is around the BMW good and Williams bad, I'll bet Frank wishes he still had the Bimmer engine? The BMW should win this season, but it might be Robert K. not Hiedfield.

Big time power vacume without MS, it kinda sad almost. He really brought a lot of good things to F1. Kimi won't and can't fill his shoes and Massa is going to be the faster of the two.

Its cool that right after the 12 hrs ends on Sat. nite the F1 starts, I can't wait!

[Keith Carter]

You heard it here first folks... Super Aguri will surprise!!! They will consistently be up in the top 10 and show signs of real promise for future seasons.

Massa will be faster than most for the first few events, but once Kimi gets comfortable on the new shoes, he will be the team leader.

BMW will contend for the third place team

Toyota will do the same as last year no matter how much money they dump... Pfffttt

Red Bull and STR will also do the same as last season, but Speed will score a few points.

McLaren and Renault will exchange podiums

Montoya will run over his teammate again... Oops!

[Thomas Copeland]

Welcome back Mr Groundhog...

Predictions:

On the track: Anybody in a Ferrari.

But the paddock backstabbing will be where all the fun will be-(As always)--

Kubica will outshine Heifeld by miles and may even take a couple of wins. We will definitely see a Pole on pole this year. Rumor is Heilfeld is already half-way out the door. Vettel will be his replacement. Maybe even before the year is up.

Speed will get a few points but it won't be enough to keep his job. He'll be in either Champ Car or IRL next year. But never fear, there'll be an onslaught of American drivers coming into F1 over the next 5 years. Not all of them with famous last names either. I predict more than one American world champ by 2015.

You'll hear an annoucement soon regarding F1's very first night race. Probably on the streets of Singapore.

After a season where they'll barely make a couple of podium finishes Renault will bail. Sell out to some Dubai/Baharian conglomerate.

Best for last---Bernie will retire.

[BrooksHall]

See Keith has some real stones, he picked Super Aguri for the win! I agree about the Pole he's the real deal and although I've always liked Heidi he's just pack fodder. I have to disagree about Renault. They have a true race winner in Kalv and a good car. I do believe that Toyota is on a slippery slope to an exit door. Too much money and too few results. NASCAR is a better bang for their bucks. I don't think Speed will last the year.

Thomas hows things, you racing much?

[Thomas Copeland]

Micheal, how's Texas?

Can you believe it? I manage to talk myself into an ol' fashion grudge-death-match-race this weekend at T-Hill. I must be the Rodney Dangerfield of FC. I just can't get no respect!

I agree that Super Aguri will show up the Honda first string team this year.

[Stan Clayton]

Can you believe it? I manage to talk myself into an ol' fashion grudge-death-match-race this weekend at T-Hill. I must be the Rodney Dangerfield of FC. I just can't get no respect!

Talk yourself into it? Thomas, you led with your chin!

[andyllc]

There is no way the SA team will show up the regular Honda team but STR will show up Red Bull Senior on occasion

I love Renault (and have even when they were back of the packers) but they will be third in constructors points with a third about the best they finish (unless someone breaks)

I like Kimi more than Massa but I think Massa has the upper hand and therefore the championship. I dont care how different they are from years past, Ferraris close relationship over the past however many years will put them ahead of the rest. Second in constructors will be McLaren.

Top ten in points:
Massa
Alonso
Kimi
Fisi
Hamilton
Kubica
Heikki
Heidfeld
Rosberg
Webber

[BrooksHall]

Micheal, how's Texas?

Can you believe it? I manage to talk myself into an ol' fashion grudge-death-match-race this weekend at T-Hill. I must be the Rodney Dangerfield of FC. I just can't get no respect!

I agree that Super Aguri will show up the Honda first string team this year.

Hey good luck and have fun...I miss racing cars but racing bikes has helped fill the void!

I don't know about the rest of Texas but Austin rocks. My family and I are very very happy here. Kids go to great schools, we have a house that I could only have dreamed of having back in L.A. and the people are really great. I do miss the mountains, the food and the drivers. Texas drivers are flat out dangerous..it's scary man!

Bre you really think Fred is going to beat Kimi? Wow now that takes some stones!

[andyllc]

I would prefer the top three in points to be:
Fisi
Alonso
Kimi

but yeah I think it will end up Massa, Alonso, Kimi
I am not a huge fan of Massa and I do have respect for Kimi but from the testing I just dont see it happening. We will see! I really just hope for a competitive year. I said in another post my wish for the season is first to last within 2 seconds, that would be awesome.

[Mark H]

Hmm looks like Keith has been closest so far? But nobody saw Hamilton being so good, he may be better than Alanzo. The Renault is just a 4th place car and 5th today if Red Bull finished. I'm starting to like Nick Hiedfield, some good in car of him today, he hits all his marks and is quick to the gas.

Now I hope more that 5 cars finish the Champ Car race later today.

[andyllc]

As the season is 2/3 the way through I thought it would be interesting to see our thoughts from the beginning of the year. I certainly didn't get it right at the front of the field (although its not over yet!)
Who would have guessed all the drama between hamilton and alonso (didnt see it for his first year) and all of the drama of the spy scandal etc.
My predictions for the last half of the top ten are fairly close but not the better half which is more important. Keith was definitely right about Super Aguri, I just wonder what will happen next year because if I were them I would not be looking forward to inheriting Hondas 07 car however with customer cars allowed for next year that might not be a problem and they might both have 08's. It will be interesting to see where Rosberg ends up next year. All of Frank Williams' talk about how Rosberg isn't for sale makes me think that is some sort of reverse psychology to get a team to pay top dollar for him. Where will Fisi land next year? Ralf? Toyota, talk about a failure. They generally dominate in every form of motorsport they do once they have been in it for a few years but not F1. Sutil was a nice surprise this year. Hamilton pretty much whooped up on him in F3 as teammates but he has more than held his own in the Spyker. Spyker being sold YET AGAIN is just crazy. Speed out definitely sucks because if you look at his performance in average qual time and average fast lap of the race and the average positions gained in the first lap of the race he was doing better than Liuzzi, it just goes to show what a reputation is worth in this sport (everything). BMW have been great this year and I hope they can improve even more next year. It would be nice to see Renault also pick it up next year to have a 4 team fight at the front. It is very interesting at Red Bull. Mr Newey's last few years at McLaren is where he developed the basis for their current car but had major reliability issues for several years (even delaying one car long enough it didn't race). Very innovative cars but not reliable even though he is highly regarded and he goes to Red Bull and now they have a car similar in shape (look at the front end) to the McLaren but again the reliability issues are there and now McLaren has great reliability. Interesting to say the least....
Will the Spyker B car be any better? Will Gascoyne truly turn that team around next year? Will Williams win another race before 2010? Will Prodrive make the grid next year?

Looking forward to the remainder of this season and all of 2008.
Overall I would say it has been a great year for F1

[Rick Iverson]

Welcome back Mr Groundhog...

Predictions:

On the track: Anybody in a Ferrari.

But the paddock backstabbing will be where all the fun will be-(As always)--

Kubica will outshine Heifeld by miles and may even take a couple of wins. We will definitely see a Pole on pole this year. Rumor is Heilfeld is already half-way out the door. Vettel will be his replacement. Maybe even before the year is up.

Speed will get a few points but it won't be enough to keep his job. He'll be in either Champ Car or IRL next year. But never fear, there'll be an onslaught of American drivers coming into F1 over the next 5 years. Not all of them with famous last names either. I predict more than one American world champ by 2015.

You'll hear an annoucement soon regarding F1's very first night race. Probably on the streets of Singapore.

After a season where they'll barely make a couple of podium finishes Renault will bail. Sell out to some Dubai/Baharian conglomerate.

Best for last---Bernie will retire.

Thomas, you make my mouth water.

[Ted Idlof]

With pulp like this being pumped out? Ya know, it's a good thing open wheel racing isn't more popular because if it was, there'd be a whole TV channel devoted to the high drama and entertainment like this stuff and I'd be as worthless as the NASCRAP fans watching Speed 24-7.