B-A-R 005

[DJC-Grafix 0]

I must say, i can't agree more with JV. It looks a lot better, slimmer, more efficeint etc.

and i do like what they have done to the color scheme , altho no sponsor on the airscoop, concerns me

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

I like that new car, a lot. It looks, as you say, like a proper F1 car and aerodynamically it at least seems to have a lot of potential! Maybe Jenson now has a chance!

[nichosnz 0]

The BAR team do now have the former Williams aero guy (Geoff Willis) and the Williams was not the worst car on the grid last year.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Cant wait to see what Jacques and Jenson get done with the car on track, unfortunately they didnt test today so we'll have to wait.

[rodders47 2]

Yep looks good but hey

WATCH OUT FOR MINARDI.......... LOL

[nichosnz 0]

Go Jos, Go Minardi............

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Minardi all the way, especially with the new rules!!!!

[GaySchumi 0]

On an equally important vein, have Honda got their act together yet ? With the Toyota powerplant rumored to be better than last years, Honda can't afford another drubbing at the hands of the competitor from the land of the rising sun... forgive my flowery phrases

[nichosnz 0]

Flowery phrases maybe, but the piont is you make a good point. There is no point in the BAR being a brilliant car with a dodgy engine. Minardi have time and time again shown us the result of such a match. No more 60bhp engines that weigh 400kg please Honda.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

The BAR has been pretty good in testing so far though, so maybe Honda have (almost) pulled it off...?

[Thor 0]

The car looks good but I think this is BAR last year this season.

I believe Honda will buy the team,they can't stand to see Toyota the only Japanese team in Formula 1

[nichosnz 0]

Interesting thought Thor, I don't think they will, but if they do it will not suprise me (or many people).

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Actually Thor, that is something that has been going around a bit lately. Honda wants to get a full team going, but they want the oppurtunity to be right. The FIA has recently gotten rid of the $48 million bond required to enter F1, so Honda could well be on its way in... Remember Jos Verstappen was involved as the test driver a few years ago for Honda, who was then looking to start their own new team such as Toyota. The whole thing crumbled with the death of the big man behind the project, a guy who's name is on the tip of my tongue right now and I can't remember!

[jbbar 0]

I would like to see more about the car and not so much about the spat's about the drivers, let them sort that out on the track, The car certainly looks good, pity about the engine (or will honda come good?

[DJC-Grafix 0]

welcome to the forums jbbar.

i couldnt agree more, wasting money on JV's contract, and with the spat between the drivers, they might lose focus on developing the car, or even, if the drivers do disagree a lot, that could hamper the performance of the car.

Honda i think, will come right,.......some day

The whole thing crumbled with the death of the big man behind the project, a guy who's name is on the tip of my tongue right now and I can't remember!

Postiewaithe (sp) ???

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Welcome jbbar!!

Honda will have to produce something eventually, I mean, they were plain fantastic only a decade ago! I think though that they won't do it with BAR, soong enough they'll sign with another team or start their own...

@ DJC, Harvey Postlewaithe, that's him!

[nichosnz 0]

BAR's history does not help Honda's situation, but they have Dave Richards now and he can do wonders. It is conceivable that without him Subaru may still be mere tractor manufacturers. But if he goes forget it Honda should persue other options then.

[jbbar 0]

To continue the +'s BAR did not have the services of Geoff Willis in the past, and the promise of new power. You could be right if FIA does reduce or even scrap the $48 million entry fee, but I would think a little later to give them more development time on different tracks, Toyota found it hard coming in cold.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

The entry fee has been scrapped in its entirety and already Mosley says there are two potentials for new teams. He wouldn't slip on who they were no matter how hard I tried, but maybe his plan will work?

New teams would always be a good thing, especially if it's a manufacturer like VW (bound to happen someday).

Geoff Willis certainly has made a good car for BAR, no doubt, but I still think it's Honda that is the root of all their problems.

[nichosnz 0]

VW, I agree is likely to come at some stage. On the other hand the world biggest company, GM, will never enter F1. One of the biggest reasons is that even now they still do not have a global brand. So while we have Ferrari or McLaren-Mercedes the GM would be the Buick-Cadillac-Chevrolet-Daewoo-Holden-Isuzu-Opel-Pontiac-Saab-Vauxhall. Pity Murray is retired, I'd love to hear him try to his mouth around that.

[daz 0]

Ha ha ha. That would be something to hear .

I also don't think that GM would enter F1, simply because its biggest market is the US and thats where F1 doesn't have the biggest following. It makes more economical sense for them to concentrate their motorsport interests in Nascar / Cart etc.

Volkswagen on the other hand, I think will definitely be entering F1 at some stage (either under the VW, Audi or Lamborghini badge). Porsche is also another possiblity.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Porsche has actually been going around a bit lately, and it's been linked with ie. Williams after the BMW contract expires at the end of 2004. Would be fun to see them involved, but I still think VW should be in F1. It just makes sense, doesn't it?

[nichosnz 0]

Once they got reliable, in the turbo days Porsche were dominant in the back of McLaren. OK so they were helped along by having Lauda and Prost in the front, but Porsche still gave most of the performance.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Well, a good engine makes all the difference (ie. Minardi). Even Sauber are able to be competitive on a regular basis with an engine that is a year old, simply becase Paolo Martinelli over at Ferrari seems to be unstoppable at gaining more and more horsepower!

[nichosnz 0]

And he doesn't seem to be slowing either.