GPM2, May the best manager win!

[Wizzie]

I'm feeling a bit brave so I'll run both cars on two-stoppers. Button will have a wet setup and Fisichella a dry setup. It's usually races like these where I really wish I could micro-manage them because I usually end up changing strategy on the fly whenever it rains.

[AdrianSutil]

Felipe Massa will two-stop with a dry set-up: Laps 20 and 42
Adrian Sutil will two-stop with a dry set-up: Laps 18 and 48

Also, ab-so-lut-ely delighted with qualifying

[Klon]

Well, Ralf Schumacher enters on a dry setup, stops on Lap 22 and Lap 44

Rubens Barrichello runs a wet setup, stops on Lap 20 and Lap 47.

[East Londoner]

Both cars will go on two-stoppers, but Webber will have a wet set-up, whilst Heidfeld will remain dry.

[the Masked Lapwing]

Both Jags on two stops and dry setups.

[FMecha]

Two pitstops, with wet setup on second one.

[tristan1117]

Two stops for both Sauners please.

[Stramala]

Hakkinen on a three stop wet setup, Franchitti two stop dry setup.

[DanielPT]

Two stoppers for both drivers at Jordan.

[Shadaza]

I would love to say this race was as thrilling as the last 2 but it really wasn't. The inter team battle between Alonso and Alesi was perhaps the highlight of the race, though Ralf Schumacher losing another victory and HWNSNBM a certain podium by Ferrari engine failure and Michael Schumacher and McLaren being so slow they wind up with no points is also bound to raise eyebrows, when a whopping 15 of the 24 starters finished!

Rubens Barrichello had lost a race long duel with Ralf Schumacher only to be boosted to 1st when his team mates engine expired. Alesi had a much faster pace then Alonso in the early part of the race and after the first wave of pitstops was clearly ahead, but Alonso rattled off some very rapid laps towards the end of the seconds stint to emerge ahead at the final round of pitstops. The race for those two was by no means over as Alonso on colder tires had to defend defend defend from Alesi, 2 laps later Alesi overtook Alonso at the hairpin and that looked the end of it, but Alonso was not one to give up and one lap later made a dive at the same hairpin he lost the place at before and a surprised Alesi was forced to concede the place, from there ALonso did not look back and took 2nd place. The two did not look eye to eye on the podium.

Button scores his first points of the season, Jaguar look good again with a 4th place and Massa must be thrilled to score a point with so many fast cars behind him.

[Wizzie]

Oh man, I can't wait to see McLaren's balance sheet after this race

[East Londoner]

Oh man, I can't wait to see McLaren's balance sheet after this race

And as I'm feeling mischevious (I've spent some time trolling Group Lotus's Facebook meltdown by bigging up Caterham this evening), I think BAR will have a poke around the McLaren factory

[Shadaza]

Oh man, I can't wait to see McLaren's balance sheet after this race

Actually, their loss this round was the lowest it has been as they have just signed Compaq as a sponsor. In fact they lost less then you did.

Williams -264K
McLaren -220k

also East Londoner, you manage to steal McLaren's Vanes. I wouldn't recommend stealing from McLaren again....

[Wizzie]

Oh man, I can't wait to see McLaren's balance sheet after this race

Actually, their loss this round was the lowest it has been as they have just signed Compaq as a sponsor. In fact they lost less then you did.

Williams -264K
McLaren -220k

also East Londoner, you manage to steal McLaren's Vanes. I wouldn't recommend stealing from McLaren again....

Excuse me while Mr Rennis trashes the Williams factory

And, just because I can, if McLaren's vanes are better than the Williams ones are, we'll nick them from BAR

[Shadaza]

Oh man, I can't wait to see McLaren's balance sheet after this race

Actually, their loss this round was the lowest it has been as they have just signed Compaq as a sponsor. In fact they lost less then you did.

Williams -264K
McLaren -220k

also East Londoner, you manage to steal McLaren's Vanes. I wouldn't recommend stealing from McLaren again....

Excuse me while Mr Rennis trashes the Williams factory

And, just because I can, if McLaren's vanes are better than the Williams ones are, we'll nick them from BAR

THIEF CAUGHT. you are "fined" 150k for bringing the sport in to disrepute.

[Stramala]

Why do the Minardis keep retiring all the bloody time?!

[AdrianSutil]

Another point

getting better at this. Got a small list of little sponsors, car should be finished by the end of the year, semi gearbox being done, suspension being done, decent amount of money and two half-decent drivers. Not bad considering I've never played the game before

[Klon]

Another point

And to celebrate that point and Rubens' win, I will sneak around Arrows' facilities, trying to find something useful.

[DanielPT]

Jordan to 'borrow' from Ferrari. You see, they have a massive advantage...

[AdrianSutil]

Another point

And to celebrate that point and Rubens' win, I will sneak around Arrows' facilities, trying to find something useful.

Really?! The mighty Scuderia are feeling threatened by the near-bankrupt minnows at Arrows? I WILL STRIKE REVENGE

[Shadaza]

Another point

And to celebrate that point and Rubens' win, I will sneak around Arrows' facilities, trying to find something useful.

Ferrari steal Arrows airbox (Trying to prevent more engine failures here)

Jordan to 'borrow' from Ferrari. You see, they have a massive advantage...

Jordan decide to 'borrow' Ferraris side pods, in an attempt to prevent overheating.

Another point

And to celebrate that point and Rubens' win, I will sneak around Arrows' facilities, trying to find something useful.

Really?! The mighty Scuderia are feeling threatened by the near-bankrupt minnows at Arrows? I WILL STRIKE REVENGE

Your revenge effort ends at the gate, you can't get in.

[Wizzie]

And to celebrate that point and Rubens' win, I will sneak around Arrows' facilities, trying to find something useful.

Really?! The mighty Scuderia are feeling threatened by the near-bankrupt minnows at Arrows? I WILL STRIKE REVENGE

Your revenge effort ends at the gate, you can't get in.

I'm guessing Guido told Mad Uncle Tom to very kindly piss off or something along those lines

[eurobrun]

Renault have decided to try and steal Ferrari's sidepods

[Wizzie]

Renault have decided to try and steal Ferrari's sidepods

Dude, try to do it via Jordan. They just nicked the same system and it's 20 grand cheaper anyway

[DanielPT]

Really?! The mighty Scuderia are feeling threatened by the near-bankrupt minnows at Arrows? I WILL STRIKE REVENGE

Your revenge effort ends at the gate, you can't get in.

I'm guessing Guido told Mad Uncle Tom to very kindly piss off or something along those lines

I can already imagine Mad Uncle Tom yelling at the gates to let him in because he only wants to take a picture of the car!

[eurobrun]

Renault have decided to try and steal Ferrari's sidepods

Dude, try to do it via Jordan. They just nicked the same system and it's 20 grand cheaper anyway

OK, ignore my previous post, Renault to attempt to steal Jordan's sidepods then.

[Shadaza]

Teams Update:

Williams: Advanced Steering level 4, work stopped. 12.451 Million
Ferrari: 13.172 Million
McLaren:7.404 Million
Renault:Vodafone want to sponsor you, 9.710 Million
BAR:11.330 Million
Sauber:10.487 Million
Jaguar:16.999 Million
Toyota:7.089 Million
Jordan: 10.391 Million
Minardi: Semi Automatic Gears level 4, work stopped. 13.911 Million
Arrows:10.234 Million
Ansimov:8.398 Million

Best Performer Financially of the round: Jaguar -200k
Worst Performer Financially: Toyota -1.186 Million

And Renault steal Jordan's sidepods.

[eurobrun]

Renault sign Vodafone to sponsor them.

I will decide more things later.

[Wizzie]

Has Williams' accommodation been turned down and Briscoe been told to go home to save costs yet?

[Shadaza]

Has Williams' accommodation been turned down and Briscoe been told to go home to save costs yet?

Yes, I have done that already.

[Wizzie]

Has Williams' accommodation been turned down and Briscoe been told to go home to save costs yet?

Yes, I have done that already.

Bathplug. Now, I'm contemplating leaving the third car at the base as well but I've never been able to figure out if having the third car there is actually useful if one of the drivers decides writing off their race car is a good idea.

[AdrianSutil]

Two questions:

1. What happens when teams (i'm looking at Toyota, McLaren and Ansimov here) go into the negative? Do they go bust? And what happens to the team? Does the game just run with less cars or do new teams appear?

2. How can Arrows make more money? Excluding sponsorship of course.

[Shadaza]

Two questions:

1. What happens when teams (i'm looking at Toyota, McLaren and Ansimov here) go into the negative? Do they go bust? And what happens to the team? Does the game just run with less cars or do new teams appear?

A team that goes negative goes bust, they lose the game. Initially the game runs with less cars but after a while teams can make a come back.

2. How can Arrows make more money? Excluding sponsorship of course.

There are 5 ways to make money:

1.Sponsorship
2.Prize Money
3.Pay drivers
4.Bank Loans (Not a good idea)
5.Selling parts to other teams.

You claim you want to keep your Ford Cosworth engines but they will cost a rather hefty 2.5 Million per engine, so I have not sealed the contract yet.

[Klon]

Just how far along is my TURBO?
And how long are my ***** deals going?

While we are changing things, please leave Justin Wilson at home from now on (i.e. travel with only two drivers).

[Wizzie]

But surely there should be more than one Cosworth engine available. Anyways, Williams will like to know how much progress we've made on whatever part it is we're working on (It's been so long since I last checked it that I've forgotten what it was ) as well as what level our traction control is at.

[Shadaza]

Just how far along is my TURBO?
And how long are my ***** deals going?

While we are changing things, please leave Justin Wilson at home from now on (i.e. travel with only two drivers).

Turbo looks set to be completed after the next race.
Marlboro has 5 races remaining, Shell 7. Marlboro and Shell still want to add one more sponsor logo to your car each as you only added 4 of each.

Justin Wilson to be left at home.

Your traction control is level 3. and your sidepods are about 80-90% done.

[Wizzie]

Come to think of it, BMW are interested in a potential engine supply deal with Arrows on the basis that Briscoe gets a race seat for next year at the team. I'll let Shaza sort out how such a deal would work in practice should it go ahead

[Stramala]

What level driver aids does Minardi's EMS support? We will max out Semi-Auto Gears as much as possible and then switch to Advanced Steering.

[Wizzie]

What level driver aids does Minardi's EMS support? We will max out Semi-Auto Gears as much as possible and then switch to Advanced Steering.

From memory, you're using the same EMS as Williams which means the limit is level 4.

[andrew]

sign Compaq as sponsor