Schumacher returns and reaches yet another milestone

NYSpeed Automotive
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Michael Schumacher equalled the late Ayrton Senna’s record for pole positions when he took his 65th here in Bahrain this afternoon during Formula One racing’s first knockout qualifying session. Fellow Ferrari racer Felipe Massa will start alongside him, with Honda’s Jenson Button and Renault world champion Fernando Alonso on row two.

Might Ferrari return to the level they held in 2004? I’m still questionable on the qualifing format of a knockout design, and I’m REALLY questionable of the season scoring mirroring that knockout design… but if things continue, it looks like this season might be really good. The V8s sound nice and are still putting down good times (a little over 1 second off the fastest lap running in '04). And with the return of tire changes…

First race of the season in Bahrain airs at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning :smiley: (thank God for DVR)

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After re-watching the qualifying session, I think I love the new qualifying rules. No more sitting around till the last minute, everybody gets out there and goes for it. Especially when something goes wrong and everyone panics, like in session one :lol:

The strategy factor also went up exponentially. With the tire change tactics during qualifying, deciding whether to save a set of new tires for the race or scrub them all in, the fuel games… definitely like the new rules, now that I understand them.

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Also Nico Rosberg had an AMAZING drive. If not for the time in the pits, he might have finished on the podium. Scott Speed also didn’t dissapoint, finishing mid pack and beating both Toyotas in an ex Minardi car. That definitely doesn’t suck :tup: