Would the pressure be on or what??!!!

[Mattracer]

Seeing as this is Craig Lowndes' 4th season with Ford and with one round win to date, you'd think that the penny has to drop this year and they get some big results on the board, even a Championship or the win at Bathurst.

The expectations would be there and probably from Lowndes himself/

I don't follow him really but he is supremely good, ofthen untouchable if things are sweet and has been out of the victory circle longer than is rightfully acceptable, regardless of which brand you support.

Is the tide turning for him? And let's not forget Glenn in all of this either.

[twig]

It all depends on the speed in the first round, when you say he may win the Championship or Bathurst (taken out of context - i know) i think is very unlikely.

Hopefully, if anything, the most realistic thing that will happen, is the car or cars find speed, not race winning speed of course, as that is out of the question, but are more competitive than they were in 2003. The main aim i would say, is that Prodrive stay with FPR for 2005 and onwards, as without that support, FPR may have some more issues, and that may mean, back to the drawing board.

[GTRMagic]

To paraphrase one of the motorsport mags this week, if Lowndes doesnt do something special this year, he will be just another Falcon driver....

And I think the star is in descent, because the ontrack results are so marginal.... and thats from peers and colleagues... even his own team dont rate him as a tester...

[Hazza]

Did he have problems with the Falcon or what? I mean after the HRT "honeymoon" he hasn't realy registered more than a blip!

[twig]

Putting the brand rivalry aside fellas, how can he be just another Ford driver when he was an exeptional Holden driver?

After watching the 1998 video over again....man that kid was good.

[jetsetter]

I think that Lowndes has got in to a comfort zone that he must get out of quickly if he's ever going to be at the top again, there's no doubt that on his day he's one of the best drivers in the field but i believe that he's gotten use to just running around mid field & is enjoying it a bit to much.

[Joe5619]

I think the whole FPR team in unpressure to perform this year... BOTH drivers need to perform this year & the team needs to perform as well!!!

[bathurst]

The Team is still trying to gel together. Dont think they'll get anywhere AGAIN..

[SRabbit]

he has driven every Falcon 0.5 sec a lap quicker than it should have ever gone - I know 27 other guys who would like to have finished 5th in the Championship last year

[Also a Believer]

good point rabbit

[vatuloa]

Glen Seaton is saying FPR are going to have to wait until the middle of the year to start winning. Last year the new engines only arrived for the last race and they should have stayed at home. Craig Lowdnes has been the front runner by far for FPR and as long as the car has the speed he will be up the front.

[SRabbit]

still using Behag shells is gonna hurt....

[GTRMagic]

I also find that funny SRabbit, a team that can build 30 WRC Subarus plus a mountain of customer Group N Imprezas sticking with chassis nailed together externally to their business, and the same car 2 seasons in a row.

Insane to me... wonder where the $6.5m per season is going?

[GTRMagic]

With that budget you could certainly build a large gin palace to show off to the sponsors that you have all the trappings of a successful team, if not the results

[Quested]

It's not just about Craig, it is about how the team he is in works. I think Craig works best in a competitive environment - one in which his toughest rival is his team mate. The process of two drivers sharing data and 'pushing' each other is vital. The team that does that best will be in a strong position, and the drivers in that team will be best able to achieve their best.

Basically, it is a team sport, and the 'chemistry' in the team is just as important as the technology. I think Craig had that in what has been called his honeymoon period, and while I can't say how things have been in other teams, it may be a factor in his lack of success since leaving HRT.

[vortexo]

I have been wondering how C Lowndes relatonship with Ford will be now G Polities is going. Will all/any of the promises be kept - just my thoughts - anyone have any thoughts.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Quested
It's not just about Craig, it is about how the team he is in works. I think Craig works best in a competitive environment - one in which his toughest rival is his team mate. The process of two drivers sharing data and 'pushing' each other is vital. The team that does that best will be in a strong position, and the drivers in that team will be best able to achieve their best.

Basically, it is a team sport, and the 'chemistry' in the team is just as important as the technology. I think Craig had that in what has been called his honeymoon period, and while I can't say how things have been in other teams, it may be a factor in his lack of success since leaving HRT.

May we assume from that that Seton is not a quick enough team mate?

Going on past history, Lowndes struggled overseas when faced with the formidably adept Montoya and varous problems with the language and engineer/staffing issues.

Prodrive is still new here but has a solid if smaller base to buiold from and Lowndes and Seton are part of the furniture here now. If Lowndes and/or Seton are out of the results this year or a bit players at best, who gets the balme- Prodrive, the drivers, the budget, the beancounters who decide where the money goes, someone else...?

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by vortexo
I have been wondering how C Lowndes relatonship with Ford will be now G Polities is going. Will all/any of the promises be kept - just my thoughts - anyone have any thoughts.

Again tghis may well depend on just how the new boss has been shown around the scene and the effrt made to get Lowndes to "cross the floor" in the first place. Holden Motrosport apparentlt wasted no time in acquainting their new boss on touring car racing here, it's heritage and Holden's place in it.

[GTRMagic]

Oi, the beancounters decided nothing. Mr Kruk in his infinite wisdom is driving the Ford Motorsport budget into the ground, not a professional jelly bean sorter!

[Mattracer]

Soory, no slur intended, present company excepted and all that.

[Chappelli]

I'm thinking the opportunity to go overseas and try other classes of racing is a pretty could reason to stay... I won't list the classes that Ford and Prodrive could hook Mr Lowndes up with should he start to get a little bored.

Although, if he did go back to Holden, he would have the opportunity of racing in that new drifting class in America!!!! COOOOOOL!!!!!

[GTRMagic]

Sorrite..

I doubt C.Lowndes has the instant credibility at the moment to contemplate a run anywhere overseas, until he gets back into winning favour in the prodrive operation.

Sure Craig could go Europe and run a prodrive Ferrari, or even sub for Petter Solberg on Rally Australia... but somehow I dont think thats either in Craig's agenda (or shoudl I say Nat's? ) nor is the opportunity real.

[Joe5619]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
I also find that funny SRabbit, a team that can build 30 WRC Subarus plus a mountain of customer Group N Imprezas sticking with chassis nailed together externally to their business, and the same car 2 seasons in a row.

Insane to me... wonder where the $6.5m per season is going?

Just becuase you build new cars for a new session does not mean s*&^!!!! Does not mean they are going to be any quicker than the ones you already got!!! HRT have the same cars as last year, SBR have the same cars as last year!!! Infact the majority of teams have the same cars as last year!!!! And I know you say FPR cars where built like ****, but towards the end of last year they cars where looking OK-ish on the track & they only needed the engines to be better & they would have been up the front!!!

[SRabbit]

fact is, SBR built their own shells and they are a far better toy overall because of it. the behags don't cut the mustard and it sets a poor platform for the rollcage design and suspension design - it is here that Prodrive should have started first - not the motor. the engineers in the UK have reportedly struggled to find any extra horses in the engine - so be it - but start looking to improve what you can. If you design an F1 car where if your suspension or chassis design is out by an ants doodle you're nowhere, a tin top with regulated aero kits shouldn't be that hard. going by their results in other touring car categories where the year after they join they win the championship, i want race wins NOW - not to expect results mid season as Seton has said recently. They need to start from the ground up and do it themselves - they have the money and the toys to do it, so why aren't they??

[Joe5619]

Yes but at the end of last year there was not too much wrong with they chassis... They could get through the corners OK, they just needed the engines delivering a better power ban.... This is FPR's biggest weakness.. THE ENGINES, not the chassis... If you start trying to invite the wheel, you could every easily go backwards & not forwards...

The #6 FPR car was one of the quickest cars across the top of the mountain at Bathurst.. So they just need better engines & they are at the front.
..