2003 F1 Review.

[Bleach1]

Its the end of another F1 season and yet again Michael Schumacher is the world champ. I have really only been watching F1 reguarly since the mid 90's but this season has by far been the best. I think even the dull races (and there was only a few) were interesting compared to previous years. I think it was really good to see renault make a step up from the mid field and williams get back to some regular front of the field pace. The mid field was really interesting as well with Toyota, BAR and Jaguar (sauber were just plain lucky to be in the points with those three teams) all having the occasional pace to run with the front teams and having some really close battles all year.

Two things about this year i thought id mention is the apparent end of Jacques Villeneuves F1 career. I know alot of people dislike JV but i think he has always been an awesome driver, at times a good laugh and always honest which god alot of people off side. Remember at monza in 2001 when the whole field voted to have no passing at the first chicane except JV, his first race in F1 in 96 where he would have won except for a loss of oil pressure or his rear wing collapsing at spa in 99 at 290kmh at Eau Rouge. I have been told by people in F1 media that he will be back but i unfortunatly i cannot see it happening.

Also, this year i think we saw the gap to Ferrari made a fair bit smaller. The only reasons i can see for this is the gains michelin have made and the fact that maybe Ferrari are reachin the limits of design under the current rules. Everyone expected the F2003 GA to blitz the field even more so than the F2002 did but it just didnt happen. Could it be that Ferrari are finding it ever so much harder to extract minute gains in speed compared to a few years ago and the other front runners now improving at a faster rate? This could be good news for next season.

My thoughts

#1 driver: M Schumacher, 6 wins and makes the fewest mistakes year after year.

#1 team: Ferrari/Renault, there isnt much else to say about Ferrari, Renault have some a hell of along way compared to a few years ago as Benneton when it was an achievement to just score regular points.

#1 Race: British GP, as dangerous as it is, thank god for wacko track invaders.

A note for Montoya and Webber. Montoya is still my favourite driver, he has the biggest balls and makes the best passes of any current F1 driver but unfortunatly also seems to still have a regular head explosion (melbourne this year). With Webber i think its only a matter of time till Australia has a race winner, i cant wait until he moves into one of the big teams.

I already have my tickets for the Melbourne GP and i have no idea what im going to do every second sunday night now for the next 5 months, going to have to go and fiddle with the skyline late on a sunday night or something.

*Another open wheeler happening during this week was the huge crash in the IRL with Kenny Brack. Seeing it on the news i knew he was ok but if i had seen it live i think i would have been sick. I remember watching Greg Moores crash a few years ago and i think this was equally as bad except Brack was lucky he hit the barrier with the impact absorbing parts of the car. I actually haver a photo of myself with Kenny Brack i got on a pit walk at the gold coast a few years ago, hope he races again.