Customers outperforming factories

[Inigo Montoya]

Today in Spain we had: A Red Bull ahead of a Renault, a Super Aguri ahead of a Honda, and a Williams ahead of a Toyota. Moreover, SA actually has a point advantage over Honda.

This must be very embarassing for the factory teams. What is happening?

[Jimmy Magnusson]

It is showing that manufacterors are only useful as engine suppliers?

[Born Racer]

Hopefully Honda will refuse to sell their cars in future and Super Aguri will design their own car. That said, why would they want to buy the 2007 Honda for next year? Perhaps they might refine their current 2006 car.

Fairly good drive from Sato. Why didn´t he drive like this when he was with Honda? I think Button is quicker than him but Sato has more potential than he showed when they were team-mates.

Williams and Toyota are fairly closely matched. Would like to have seen what Trulli could have done against Rosberg today.

The midfield is so close that it is not a huge surprise anymore to see Red Bull ahead of Renault.

Toro Rosso seem rather poor.

[Refutation]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Hopefully Honda will refuse to sell their cars in future and Super Aguri will design their own car. That said, why would they want to buy the 2007 Honda for next year? Perhaps they might refine their current 2006 car.

Fairly good drive from Sato. Why didn´t he drive like this when he was with Honda? I think Button is quicker than him but Sato has more potential than he showed when they were team-mates.

Williams and Toyota are fairly closely matched. Would like to have seen what Trulli could have done against Rosberg today.

The midfield is so close that it is not a huge surprise anymore to see Red Bull ahead of Renault.

Toro Rosso seem rather poor.

Sato did drive like this at Honda, he doesn't have as many accident as he has had mechanicle problems, he just had a horrible luck year in 2005.

[Born Racer]

But he was well of Button´s pace that year.

[Marbot]

Well it's all down to aero isn't it.

Toyota's car is always far too conservative,to their dismay.

Honda have gone completely opposite,to their dismay.

RedBull have 'the' best aero man in the business.

A Ferrari could still win if it were fitted with an Honda engine (maybe).

It's not about engines (and therefore manufacturers) anymore,it's about how effectively someone else can spend their money.

[Hugh Jarce]

It's wierd isn't it - maybe they don't have the burdensome 'coporate machine' slowing up their development. E.g. in recent years Toyota have proved that layers of management restrict innovation and performance.

[Yannick]

Well, back in the day, Jackie Stewart won a driver's title with a customer car, so this happening now is no surprise. Just imagine how competitive F1 could have been with customer cars in the early 90s, when there were so many teams that several drivers had to pre-qualify on Friday morning.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by Yannick

Well, back in the day, Jackie Stewart won a driver's title with a customer car, so this happening now is no surprise. Just imagine how competitive F1 could have been with customer cars in the early 90s, when there were so many teams that several drivers had to pre-qualify on Friday morning.

Ah, the glorious days of Life. Too bad that it isn't like that any more. If you ask me, let everyone build their car and turn up!

[F1Pete]

This reminds me when Gilles Villeneuve raced snowmobiles as an independent. He won the World Championship going up against all the factory teams. It was huge!

Yes, embarrassing for the factories.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

Ah, the glorious days of Life. Too bad that it isn't like that any more. If you ask me, let everyone build their car and turn up!

The Life car was a wreck and the team was in F1 just to sell the engine. But installing a troubled engine in an even worse car was just bad advertising.