OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SO CLOSE!!  I'm really happy for Michael, and WOW!  What
 a drive for Reubens!  (Not that he didn't benefit from a lot of
retirements.)

I'm not sure if I could ever feel that Michael doesn't have it anymore.
In fact, I don't think he'll ever lose his edge; I hope he goes into
sports car racing after he retires from F1.  But, in days of yore (last
year and 2003, anyway) Michael's trademark start usually made his race -
the shot across the bow of the other first row car, blocking and
slashing, and then after that it was often already over.

Today, he edged over a bit towards Button but while doing so the two
Renaults shot past him on both sides (I wasn't upset when they both went
out later, that's for sure).  And he didn't really bother Button,
either.  Even both McLarens nailed him too.  The Renaults for sure are
clearly faster off the start than just about everybody else.  Many times
Michael ends up running very fast laps near the end of the race,
sometimes the fastest lap of the race.  But at the beginning it's like
he's got nothing.  I hated watching him drop down 5 places almost
immediately from the start.

Is this really just tires?  Could the engine or chassis also have
problems that help drop them back (or keep them back)?

That Sucking Sound You Hear Is The CBS Coverage:  The all-time Ralph
Sheheen Dipshit Remark, today's version -

 ".... Webber, after this race, is going to Wisconsin to train with
six-time Tour De France champion Lance Armstrong".

WTF??????  Who gives a sh.t?????  Or, could it be because CBS will be
carrying TDF coverage later this summer?

I want to be that guy in the booth behind him, some gofer or whatever,
who's giving it the old "cough bullshit" whenever Ralph opens his mouth
and the sh.t pours out.    Will Bob Varsha please report to the CBS
booth and bring his pistol?

And then they censor Derek Daly for saying "screwed".  Certainly all the
5 year-olds who aren't familiar with the term are safer for it.  Yet
later he says "screwed" and "screwing" in rapid succession and there's
no bleep.  However, I'm getting a bit more comfortable with Daly's
commentary - especially because he cuts Sheheen off all the time.

Anybody else think Karthikeyan is done, maybe even before the season
ends?  They practically ordered him to get faster, and he wrecks instead.

M