12/21/24
February 06, 2002
Ferarri F2002: launched today, the 48th Formula 1 car from Ferrari. The one car everyone has been eagerly waiting to see this year.
And the question is, will the Williams be reliable enough to challenge? I reckon Montoya is potentially the fastest man on the grid and the BMW engine the most powerful. How much speed will MacLaren have this year? Will Raikonen match Coulthard for speed? This time of year is always exciting for F1 fans. For all the testing, you really can't tell how the cars are going to perform in practice until the first GP. If I were a betting man, which I am not, I would probably still bet on Michael to win this year, but I expect Juan Pablo and Ralf to push him close. I notice that my mobile phone company, Orange, sponsor one of the backmarkers (Arrows), while Vodaphone sponsor Ferrari and Manchester United. Hmm.
posted by salmacis at 11:30 AM on February 06, 2002
I reckon Montoya is potentially the fastest man on the grid Would love to see him in the same ride as Schumacher, otherwise we'll just never know. If this car has improved aerodynamics then Williams may not catch it even if their reliability improves. They certainly had more poke last year, but for my money the Ferrari's aerodynamics have never been "right". Should be interesting.
posted by walrus at 11:55 AM on February 06, 2002
The launch video at Ferarriworld.com is in Italian, but if you wanna get a good look at the new car, be sure to watch it. The camera lovingly explores the entire car. It's beautiful! Regarding Williams, I think they are sandbagging, they want people to think that it's only going to be a Ferrari and McLaren year, and then surprise people. I find it very strange that Williams allowed R. Schumacher, Montoya, & Berger to openly criticise the new chasis.
posted by riffola at 12:29 PM on February 06, 2002
F1 is so much cooler than CART/IRL, but I don't really follow any of it (or NASCAR for that matter). I wish F1 got better coverage in the U.S.
posted by msacheson at 12:57 PM on February 06, 2002
msacheson: I always get the feeling that F1 is "major league", whereas CART and the IRL are "minor league". I can't put my finger on exactly why I feel this way. For all that., in the last couple of years, I've come to enjoy watching CART more. F1 desperately needs a way for more cars to have a shot of winning. and for more overtaking on the track. Even with Penske, the IRL is still a joke.
posted by salmacis at 03:06 PM on February 06, 2002
F1 desperately needs a way for more cars to have a shot of winning. That's all about the money. It's insanely expensive to run an F1 team, and the advertisers flock to the winners.
posted by walrus at 07:20 AM on February 07, 2002
Oops sorry about the typo. Well Ferrari is the only top team to have made radical changes to their 2002 car. They've got a very different back-end this year, and their new nose looks very interesting.