F1BB Forum Outage

2008-08-02: Update:
There is now a replacement forum for f1bb.com available at http://www.f1bb.se
2008-06-29: Switch of forum:
Until F1BB is back, we will resort to using the SRL forum at http://srlforum.simdrive.net.

European GP: Berglind grabs victory in exciting race

The European Grand Prix was yet another event where few cars took part, which is an unfortunate trend. However, the race still turned out to be as action packed as you could wish for.

Berglind did a great start and was able to overtake pole sitter Bohlin as early as in T1, and Bohlin also sustained great pressure from Locksey but was able to fend off the Brit. Behind them, Benjamin Bonneville did one of the greatest starts of the year and squeezed himself all the way from P11 up to P6, a fantastic effort. Nilsson kept P4 in front of Lundstedt, and behind Bonneville it was Ekroth followed by the the two Williams cars with Mörtsjö and Waltgård. Tynkkynen made a poor start when his traction control system failed to engage with wheelspin as a result, and he dropped to P10.

Tynkkynen quickly disposed first Waltgård and then Mörtsjö, working his way up through the field, and Andersson fought his way up too, passing Lindeberg and Waltgård. After a few laps, a line formed behind Bonneville, with Ekroth, Tynkkynen and eventually Andersson, who was able to overtake both of the Williams cars. Bonneville drove really well and was able to fight off his opponents. At the end of the field, Noritis was able to overtake Lindeberg in the Dunlop corner and started to pull away from the Swiss driver.

On lap 6, Locksey outbraked himself in T1 and spun, which allowed Nilsson to pass up to P3, and it took all the way up to lap 11 until the Brit was able to pass Nilsson again. Behind them, Lundstedt drove a stable first stint and pulled away from Bonneville, who eventually lost his position on lap 17 when he got a poor exit out of the Dunlop corner. Ekroth passed, and on the way up towards T11, Andersson somehow drove into the back of Bonneville and lost his front wing. This took the better out of Andersson's race, who rejoined in P12 after repairs.

Tynkkynen was the first car to pit as early as on lap 16, clearly suffering from tyre wear. Noritis was able to stay out the longest, until lap 24 when he pitted from P7. Once the first pit stops were over, Berglind was in the lead followed by Bohlin, Locksey, Nilsson, Lundstedt, Ekroth, Tynkkynen, Mörtsjö, Waltgård, Bonneville, Andersson and finally Noritis.

The second stint was not too eventful, but on lap 32, Tynkkynen spun in the Bit corner and lost two places to Mörtsjö and Waltgård. On lap 35, Locksey managed to get really close to Bohlin in the last turn and pass him on the start/finish straight. The Brit now had Berglind in sight and started to chase him. On the same lap, Nilsson spun in the chicane after hitting the curb too hard, allowing Lundstedt to pass up to P4.

Once the final stops were over and done with, Berglind was still in the lead, followed by Locksey, Bohlin, Lundstedt, Nilsson, Ekroth, Mörtsjö, Tynkkynen, Waltgård, Andersson, Bonneville and finally Noritis. On his out lap, Nilsson misjudged the curb in the Shell corner, went off and hit the barrier which knocked off the front wing and damaged the suspension. On the way to the pits Nilsson also knocked off the rear wing, and after that he decided to withdraw from the race. Unfortunate, since the German driver had run a great race up to that point.

On lap 48, Mörtsjö's engine suddenly failed in a huge cloud of smoke, and he had to retire. The swede had driven a great race up to that point, so the failure was most unfortunate. A lap later Tynkkynen was passed by Waltgård in a questionable manouvre when Tynkkynen had to let off due to blue flags.

Up at the front, Bohlin started a chase on the leading McLaren's, and on lap 54 the McLaren's even collided slightly in T1 as Locksey tried to pass Berglind on the outside. Locksey furiously kept chasing Berglind, and Bohlin started to drop behind, but on lap 57, Locksey missed the exit in T12 and put the rear wheel on the grass, sending him into a spin. Bohlin was able to pass but was just inches from a severe impact with the spinning McLaren car. Locksey then got really close to Bohlin on lap 59 but failed to pass after some fantastic wheel to wheel racing. Locksey got another shot to pass Bohlin at the chicane but missed the exit slightly and lost traction, which sealed the podium places.

Berglind snatched his second victory of the season after a fantastic race, being in the lead on all laps except one. Runner up Bohlin had pole but the Ferrari was not quite fast enough to catch the McLaren cars if it hadn't been for Locksey's mistake. Lundstedt took P4 after a stable and fast drive. Ekroth finished P5 after a good race without driver mistakes. Waltgård finished P6, followed by Tynkkynen in P7. Rounding off the points in P8 was Andersson, a clear disappointment for the Brazilian driver. P9 was Bonneville who drove a strong race, followed by Noritis in P10 who showed a surprisingly good race and qualifying pace this week. P11 and first of the retired drivers was Mörtsjö, followed by Nilsson, and finally Lindeberg, who struggled with a difficult car. On lap 10 he knocked off his front wing after a spin, and on lap 22 he knocked off a rear wheel after another spin.

This wrapped up the European Grand Prix action at Nürburgring, see you all at Hungaroring in two weeks where we all hope for a much improved level of commitment. After all it's much more fun to compete with a full starting field than a half empty one.

European GP: Race Press conference

We welcome the podium for this years European Grand Prix at this fine circuit of Nürburgring. Coming third for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Kris Locksey. Second for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Peter Bohlin. And winning for the second time this year, for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Fredrik Berglind.

Fredrik a brilliant race from your side. Not a mistake to be seen anywhere. It must feel great to get proof that this new car works as good as it does?

When I got past Peter in the first corner after the start I knew I had a great chance to win today. It was going to be tuff but as you said I did´nt do a single misstake today and that´s why I won. I tried to find a setup wich was easy to drive this weekend and that unfortunately made me abit slower since I had alot of undesteer in a couple of corners and a lot of tire wear in the first and second stint. But I could push without misstakes luckily. I was´nt the fastest but the most consistent and it paid off. I lead the race 59 laps out of 60 also wich is a new record for me I believe. This was a good win for me and the team. We have alot of fans here in Germany since we´re co-partners with Mercedes and hopefully they are satisfied with the thrill and excitment out there.

Tell us about your race, you had some periods you were under heavy pressure?

For sure. Both from Peppe and Kris. I actually got some breathingroom in the front when they battled for second place in two parts of the race. It was good for me so I could gather some strenght infront of the final battle.

Where you at all surprised that your teammate had a go at you with just 7 laps to go?

No.. Not at all. He was the quickest out there today and I would definetly have done the same. In the end he lost 2 points because of that but he was going for the win and 10 points so no one can blame him for it. I tried to stay cool and defended my spot well I think.

Peter, what a race! Tell us about it from your point of view?

It was very tight all the time, Fredrik got a better start and was imidately on the inside so i couldn't stop him from sneaking by then i had to fight off Locksey who seemed to be really fast. When i drove a slightly bad line through the chicane on lap 5 Kris could get close to me and made an overtaking maneuver on the outside but i don't know if he spun because he just disappeared after that. So it was me and Fredrik who in front but he drove great but seemed to have some handling problems at the end of the first stint but made it hard for me to pass as he could stay out one more lap than me. During the second stint Kris catch up with us again and also overtook me into turn one half into the stint, i tried to follow as close as possible but was 2-3 seconds behind before the stops where the McLarens pitted a little bit eralier than me but i was too far behind to rejoin the track in front of any of them. Therfore i found myself just behind Kris and it was really close between the three of us with Fredrik in the lead. In the end i got a second place as Kris spun when pushing for the win, i almost crashed into him but made it around and was able to secure the second place. By the way, do you have anything to drink here, my mouth is starting to wither.

Second stop was so close, it was a brilliant finish to that second stint but yet you were just behind by such a small margin?

Yeah, as i said i was too far behind before their stops, if i could have get a little bit closer before the pitstops i could have been able to jump at least one of them.

Your car seemed really fast in the final stint as well but then you fell behind somewhat? Was there a problem with the car at this moment?

Actually we had a problem through the whole race and even during the warmup. Like yesterday it was due to the incident at the end of FP2, this time it was the transmission that during the warmup refused to shift down in certain moments, we made some adjustments and thought everything was alright but during the race i had a lot of problems with double upshifts. I don't think it made that much difference on lap time but certainly in close action we lost some momentum and it was frustrating as it was difficult to get in some kind of rhythm. About the fact that i fall a bit behind after half the last stint i think it was due to the train of backmarkers we passed and i wasn't as efficient as the McLarens in front me, but i don't want to blame the drivers in the other cars because it must be hard to focus on so many cars at the same time and to know which one of them to let by and which one your are fighting for position with. No drinks yet? You better hire Mr Hirohito who is able to bring stuff in time!

Kris, you seemed really fast today but small mistakes again hampered your ambitions?

Yeah. I don´t really know what to say to that. First of all I´m really pleased we won today and Fredrik drove a perfect race. Unfortunately I made two vital errors which destroyed my chances of victory here. First one was really silly. I was too focused on the red car and totally missed my braking point. I spun the car after some serious braking and allowed Anders to go past as well. So from there it was difficult. Luckily I managed to get pass him after not to many laps and from there I just needed to catch the guys in front and I managed it by the end of their first stops.

Tell us about that second stint because that really made for some exciting racing?

I think that the audience was happy after this day. I think the racing was extraordinary not just from our points of view but lower in the field as well. Personally I managed to squeeze past Peter after he made I think a small mistake in the chicane and going into the final corner. And from there I was focused to catch Fredrik and give him a hard time until the finish line hehe.

Quite a controversial fight you had perhaps? Touching a bit after one overtake manouver and also when you spun away your one-two win?

The fact that we raced eachother is not as controversial as you may think. We have always had the motto to fight for a win even if it is against your teammate so Ron had nothing to say about that in the end. But one thing he wasn´t happy about is my spin. I wasted a great opportunity for McLaren dominance and feel abit ashamed of it. But I still feel happy in a way. The racing was great and the speed was obviously there so we leave Germany with big smiles on our faces I would say.

Fredrik back to you. This was McLarens 4th win of the year and indeed the car looks fast. How will you progress from this and what do you think of your chances in the championship?

I definetly believe in the teams chanses in the constructors championship. With a little bit of luck we can make. As far as the drivers championship conserns I will need alot of luck to win it but I´ll do my best and see how far it will take me. I´m atleast going fo a better season this year compared to last.

Great job. Now if we could have some words from Fredrik and Peter in Spanish and Italian?

F. Berglind

Cuando conseguí a último Peter en la primera esquina después de que el comienzo que sabía yo tenía una gran ocasión de ganar hoy. Iba a ser toba volcánica pero como usted dijo el did´nt de I hace un solo error hoy y that´s porqué gané. Intenté encontrar que una disposición que era fácil conducir este fin de semana y ésa desafortunadamente hicieron me el abit más lento puesto que tenía mucho undesteer en unas par de esquinas y mucho desgaste del neumático en la primera y segunda restricción. Pero podría empujar sin errores afortunadamente. No era el más rápido pero el más constante y él pagaron apagado. Gano la carrera 59 regazos fuera de 60 también que es un nuevo récord para mí que creo. Esto era un buen triunfo para mí y el equipo. Tenemos muchos ventiladores aquí en Alemania puesto que somos socios con Mercedes y esperanzadamente se satisfacen con de la emoción y del entusiasmo el there" hacia fuera.

P. Bohlin

Un fine settimana difficile in cui il problema nel corso libera pratica costo noi alcuni concentrarsi in entrambi di qualificazione e di razza. Quindi non posso essere a downhearted con un secondo posto mi è stato dotato Kris dopo giro. E 'stato un buon ottavo punti e dobbiamo imparare da questa rimonta e ancora più forte per l'Ungheria in cui abbiamo vissuto un ottimo week-end scorso anno, si spera Kristoffer sarà di nuovo di corsa anche.

Qualifying Press Conference

We have with us three fastest qualifyers for tomorrows European Grand Prix. Third for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Kris Locksey. Second, also for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Fredrik Berglind. And claiming pole with a great time, for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Peter Bohlin.

Peter, a truly magnificent time. You were cruising out there today?

I wouldn't say that i was crusing, i think everyone out there was pushing as much as possible. But in the end i'm really happy about this result as we had a couple of problems during Q1 due to the electronical failure we suffered at the end of FP2 yesterday which meant we didn't feel too confident going into Q2 and Q3.

You have won two in a row and with your teammate injured it looks like it might be three in a row after tomorrow?

I'm sorry that Kristoffer isn't able to race with us tomorrow as i think he would have brought a good bunch of points to the team. Talking about tomorrow, we shouldn't get too carried away after just a qualifying. The opposition hasn't been so strong for the last races due to different reasons and i expect a much tougher race tomorrow as the McLarens have shown great pace during testing and in race pace in the free practises this weekend. I will have a hard time trying to defend my position.

It seems once again the car works wonders in qualifying. How much did you have to push on that lap and where do you think you gained the most time?

I was pushing hard of course, i expect everyone to do that in qualifying. Speaking of the pole lap it was a good one but not perfect as i missed some corners and had a missed gear change on the main straight. Looking at the sector times it doesn't look like it's any special part of the track where i gain the time, just some one two tenths at every split.

Fredrik. You were fastest overall in Q2 but somehow it didn´t really work out for you in Q3?

No. As many times before I could´nt get a good lap together. I was lucky to manage second after all. Peppe did a fabulous time also and I don´t think I could have threatend him anyway.

But you have been looking strong all weekend. The car is clearly better in racepace?

For sure. I´m happy with the car and the setup. I´m confident in my chanses in the race. Hopefully I can squeeze by Peppe in some part of the race. But I have to watch out for my teammate to who also seem to have a found a good setup this weekend and he´s hungry for 10 points. I´m sure of that.

Kris, a strong performance by you as you have missed two practice sessions and also having a bit of a fever we have learned?

It might sound ok to start third but to be honest, I`m mortified with the result today. I don`t think I have driven this bad in a qualifying session ever. First of all the traffic was terrible but thats no excuse, when I did my fast laps I think I missed the apex in every single turn almost. I was really horrible today and I should be lucky that I´m not further down the field.

You have the new McLaren B spec thats everyone is talking about. How does it feel to actually drive it on the track?

The car is really well balanced in the longer runs and I think we should be challenging for the win.

What will be the most important issue for the race?

Strategy for sure. And the start. I think that Peter is great to control the race when in the lead. If we let him control the tempo it will be difficult to win but if we put him under some pressure I think a one-two is a real possibility here.

Great job. Now if we could have some words from Peter and Fredrik in italian and spanish?

P. Bohlin

Sono felice di essere il polo per la quinta volta l'anno il che significa che la Ferrari ha nove degli undici poli di questa stagione. Speriamo possa essere in grado di trasformare questo venerdì in qualcosa di buono domani, sappiamo ciò che è e sarà un duro razza con il McLarens che hanno dimostrato grande gara ritmo. Faremo tutto il possibile per garantire la vittoria per un altro Scuderia Ferrari.

F. Berglind

Tantas veces antes de que no podría reunir un buen regazo. Era afortunado manejar en segundo lugar después de todos. Peppe hizo un rato fabuloso también y no pienso que habría podido amenazarle cualquier way.

Bohlin takes pole in storming fashion

It started out in an exciting fashion with several cars lined and seemingly racing each other as the third and final qualifying session took place. We had Martin Lindeberg in the Aguri in first but he went on to spin a couple of laps into the stint and was in the end 10th fastest overall. A furious battle also took place when Mortsjo and Nilsson was racing for position. Nilsson being the braver man and overtook Mortsjo in the end of the finish line thus leading the field. Mortsjo was unhappy after the session when he could only muster a 9th place, just beaten by his Williams teammate Christian Waltgard.

Nilsson on the other hand was one of the more impressive drivers today as he placed his Toyota in 4th position on the field after a very exciting finish where he only just made his way pass Per Lundstedt in the Renault who finished 5th. His teammate Ekroth also showed some good pace and finished 6th, Toyota seemingly on their way to grab some important points in tomorrows race.

Another dissappointed man was Markus Tynkkynen who has been showing perhaps Hondas best pace of the year. After a small mistake made by the team he could not start his final lap and was later on forced to settle for 7th. The McLarens of Berglind and Locksey was evenly matched but was clearly overdriving in the final parts of qualifying perhaps giving witness to small problems with their new B spec chassi. In the end it was perhaps them who really could challenge the Ferrari as they had the fastest times of the day.

But the clear winner of the day was Peter Bohlin who took pole in a very impressive manner. He was faster by almost 6 tenths to claim his 5th career pole. The italian who has been in great form lately will try to win his third consecutive european race and close the gap to his teammate in the championship.

Finally we had Bonneville and Noritis who didn´t manage to grab a place in the third session. They will start from 11th and 12th respectively.

Rule Change for the European Grand Prix

In time for the upcoming European Grand Prix, FIA hereby announces that a rule change will be in effect. The rule change involves the aerodynamics of the car and aims to improve close racing, as the loss of downforce behind another car will not be as severe as it has been.

To comply with the rule, each participant must alter the vehicle physics according to the new standard. If a participant does not alter the physics accordingly, there will be a mismatch and it will not be possible to join the game. To alter the physics, locate the file named BMW_F1.07.hdv in the folder rFactor\GameData\Vehicles\Formula1WC2008v2 and modify it in a text editor. The line that needs changing is as follows:

Old value:

FWDraftLiftMult=4.95

New value:

FWDraftLiftMult=4.00

For those who do not wish to tamper with the file themselves, a patch is now available here:
Formula1WC2008v2.1patch2.zip