There's quite a Royal occasion taking place in London this week dominating the headlines but what lets have some fun and turn the Royal Wedding into the F1 Wedding...
Now on BBC1 it's time for the event of the year, the F1 wedding, presented by Jake Humphrey (Cue a minute of the chain and a big dramatic VT)
Jake Humphrey: Good morning and welcome along to the F1 wedding. I'm live outside Westminister Abbey and alongside me as usual is David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan. Didn't really bother with the dress code did you Eddie?
Eddie Jordan: I don't know what you mean
David Coulthard: I think what he is getting at is the fact that a purple shirt with green trousers isn't really the best idea for a weddi... well for anything.
JH: It's a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky but we are told rain is imminent. It always is were F1 is concerned. Of course we are set up for a belter today. But only 1 driver can tie the knot today. We have the home guys, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button fighting it out. Sebastian Vettel as well and team principal Christian Horner has conveniently found the time for a quick chat
Christian Horner: Good morning
JH: So your thoughts on (passing traffic drowns out the remainder of the question)
CH: Well the weekend so far has (more traffic noise)
JH: Fascinating stuff. Just in case you're wondering about these people gathering around us they are actually members of the Horner fan club. Must be great to have a load of young women stalking your every move eh Christian
CH: Well... (Shouts of 'We love you Christian')
JH: As you're going redder than a Ferrari we'll leave it there
CH: See you again sometime
JH: Yeah give it about 20 minutes
DC: You can clearly see there Jake the confidence in the Red Bull team, i would definitely be backing Seb for success today
JH: Well there's a surprise
DC: Indeed
EJ: This German kid, he's just great. He's young, funny, fast, relaxed, so cool and collected, it's a breath of fresh air. When i was a team boss i brought many young talents into the sport and it was great to have the likes...
JH: Moving on and Ted is down in the Abbey with some news for us
Ted Kravitz: Hello everyone. Tension starting to build down here. I'm just outside the vestry and there are the perspective wives lingering about, Nicole, Jessica, Vivian, Isabell. Of course the drivers are racing into London and soon we'll see who can make it here first.
JH: Thanks Ted. Of course after the main event we'll be at the reception with red button coverage and Lee McKenzie is down there for us, over to you Lee.
Lee McKenzie: Morning guys, i'm down here at Buckingham Palace with Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi. Both of you must be bitterly disappointed to have missed out on the main event.
Jaime Alguersuari: NO NO! FOR SURE IT'S A SHAME BUT IT MEANS I GET TO DJ HERE SO WILL BE LOTS OF FUN AND DANCE JAJA!
Sebastien Buemi: I'm giving out free Red Bull in case some people are flagging later tonight haha
LMcK: We can see Daniel Ricciardo lurking about, any worries?
JA: He is?
SB: I thought you hid his passport man!
LMcK: I think we'll go back to you Jake
JH: Well it's just me and Eddie now as David has went into the Abbey to join Martin in the gallery. Let's quickly go back to Ted though because we hear there has been some drama outside London Ted
TK: Yes and i'm afraid it's bad news for Lewis Hamilton because he has received a drive over penalty for too many lane changes on the M25.
JH: A drive over penalty? That's a new one
TK: Yes indeed, specific for this event. It means Lewis must drive over Tower Bridge and back again so that really compromises his chances of marrying Nicole today.
JH: Let's join the guys in the Abbey and Martin, drama already
Martin Brundle: Yes indeed, Lewis really should know by now the rules of the UK roads but hey that'll teach the tax evader for moving to Switzerland. Lee's found another driver
LMcK: I'm with Jarno Trulli, Jarno it must be bitterly disappointing to be missing the wedding?
Jarno Trulli: Ah yes but a i am ere and have a brought a big collection of wine and a tonight everyone will a be enjoying themselves with a my fine tastes.
JH: Guests starting to arrive down here and Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley have joined us. Your wife not make it today Felipe.
Felipe Massa: Well for sure she would have liked to come but really me and Rob have a closer relationship and the invite was for me + 1 so it made sense.
Rob Smedley: Mr Sunshine looks beautiful eh? A great day and we'll be banging on that dancefloor later, hahaha
MB: More action here guys, Petrov has stopped in what appears to be a housing estate.
DC: Clearly he had made good progress to reach the city area but something has gone wrong, here's a replay...
MB: Well he's made a wrong turn there but he could have still rerouted but WOAH! LOOK AT THAT!
DC: He didn't see the speed bump sign at all!
MB: He must have hit it at about 120mph and the thing just took off, a huge incident there for the Russian.
JH: Down here outside the Abbey there is a fantastic buzz. Air Asia 1 Malaysia Team Lotus Norfolk just arrived in Caterham's and we might just catch a quick word with Mike Gasgoyne. Mike, lots of questions on peoples lips but the big one, can Norwich get promoted to the Premier League?
Mike Gasgoyne: Well of course Jake, we are simply the best team about. Lotus progressing as well, we beat Perez in China and if 10 other drivers get penalties like him in a race we'll score points easily
JH: Didn't go so well earlier though for Heikki on the road.
MG: It didn't but let's look at the positives, he managed to put the fire out himself and save the Fire brigade a trip out so great teamwork there
MB: Sebastian Vettel has dropped behind a bit and here's his team radio, lets see what is wrong.
Sebastian Vettel: Rocky, do i use the sat nav or not?
Rocky: Negative, negative, do not use the sat nav
SV: So what do i do?
Rocky: Plan B, we are changing to Plan B.
SV: But i didn't bring the map! Adrian said it would affect the packaging of the car so took it off!
MB: All gone wrong there for Red Bull, challenge looks over
DC: Well it may have but you can't blame Red Bull for that, the sat nav is developed by a outside company so no fault of the team at Milton Keynes.
MB: Ted has some news for us
TK: Yes drama for the Sauber team who had arrived here as part of the guestlist for today but they've all been kicked out of the Abbey. Their jackets were found to be outside of the minimum measurements which are required by the regulations by 3mm so no service for them today.
MB: They'll be very frustrated with that!
TK: Indeed though we believe it was a simple manufacturing error and no-one will be held to account for the incident. Won't stop some speculating though...
LMcK: I'm still at the palace and joined by Virgin drivers Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio. Early retirements then guys?
Timo Glock: Well we are a bit confused because we thought we had to come here and we did so but there's been a misunderstanding...
Jerome D'Ambrosio: You see on the menu tonight for desert is Rhubarb and Custard so the team took that as being us
TG: *sighs*
LMcK: Unlucky guys
JH: i've just found a lot of well suited men here. With me are Romain Grosjean, Bruno Senna, Fairuz Fauzy and Ho Pin Tung. Not going to the wedding guys?
Romain Grosjean: Well we are actually on reserve in case a guest has to pull out
Bruno Senna: You never know when you may be needed
JH: But do you need this many
Fairuz Fauzy: Oh yes we are all key to the operation
Will Buxton: You keep telling yourself that Fairuz. Sorry for butting in Jake
JH: You were just saying what we were all thinking mate. Crikey a lot of police sirens coming down the street. And look who it is, can you believe it, it's Robert Kubica!
Jonathan Legard: Up, over the hill, look at him in his wheelchair, he's on a charge!!
JH: Jonathan!? You were warned not to show up
JL: Come on Jakey boy, just let me do 1 more event, for old times sake
EJ: Looks like that Kubica fella hasn't lost any of his speed, clocked doing 45mph in the speed trap.
TK: More news from the vestry and it's of a couple of non appearances on the guest list. First up Rubens Barrichello who isn't attending as he knows the ceremony will just be a load of 'blah blah blah' and he doesn't want to hear that. Also Hispania have put out a press release saying they won't make it after being held up at Barcelona airport. Reports that Colin Kolles got stuck going through the security gate have been denied.
MB: Right, things beginning to hot up now. We know that Rosberg leads Button and Hamilton but the Mercedes driver has already seen his fuel light flashing and is having to short shift around these tight streets
DC: Jenson driving around these mini roundabouts beautifully, 1 sweep of the wheel in and 1 sweep out, so smooth.
MB: Hamilton has stopped at Kwik-fit!
DC: Tyres look destroyed and that really has hurt his chances, fresh rubber now though.
MB: Rosberg is spluttering, he's running out of fuel and there goes Button, Jenson Button leads in the final stages and the crowd are going wild!
DC: What you are seeing here is a drive of experience, of composure, a man who has been serene and never looked like making a mistake all da...
MB: He's stopping! What's going on, well hang on he's running up the steps to the church but the doors closed?
DC: He's stopped at St Pauls Catherdal! He's at the wrong church, what a terrible mistake!
MB: That's incredible, i mean the look of the 2 buildings are different! He's jumped back in but the engine is off and i think it's all over for him.
DC: Well he's starting to run Martin and it isn't that far to go and could he repeat what he did in Monaco and sprint to the finish and to the glory of success!
MB: Hamilton flying though, he's ripping it up on those new tyres, smoke everywhere. Good job we're not in Melbourne!
DC: Jenson still has a bit to go. Surely Lewis will overtake him soon. Here it comes and he is through
MB: Hamilton comes through the final corners and he does is! He takes the chequered flag, parks it and is sprinting up that aisle.
JH: What a race that was, tweet me your thoughts and now lets hand over to Jean Todt for the ceremony
Jean Todt: Before we finalise everything, is there anyone here who has a reason why these 2 people should not be marry?
Charlie Whiting: Yes!
Lewis Hamilton: Not Charlie...
CW: Car number 3 has just been checked and has been found to have Michelin tyres fitted, completely against the regulations.
LH: Dude, it was all Kwik-fit had man, bless the poor guy who had to do it himself, ite
CW: Sorry no other tyre is allowed, especially a crappy French one which can't even handle a banked corner.
Jenson Button: *gasping* Where did i finish?
JT: You are our new winner Jenson. *20 minutes of blah blah blah and vows* Congratulations Jenson and Jessica! You are the F1 wedding couple of 2011!
LMcK: Down here at the reception, things are really rocking. Sutil is on the piano, Vettel has Ke$ha on full blast and Jaime is DJing with Sakon Yamamoto.
JH: Sakon Yamamoto? He's not with a team at the minute, how'd he get in?
LMcK: Let's just say Bernies wallet is now bulging even more than normal
JH: David has rejoined us. You spotted Nick Heidfeld anywhere today?
DC: Can't say i have
EJ: Me either
JH: Ted?
TK: I haven't actually but apparently he's been down in peckham selling off TW steel watches. Says that this time next year he'll have become a millionaire and have won a race.
JH: What a dreamer. That's all from us, thank you very much for watching. Congrats to Jenson and Jessica. See you next time.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
The F1 Wedding
There's quite a Royal occasion taking place in London this week dominating the headlines but what lets have some fun and turn the Royal Wedding into the F1 Wedding...
Now on BBC1 it's time for the event of the year, the F1 wedding, presented by Jake Humphrey (Cue a minute of the chain and a big dramatic VT)
Jake Humphrey: Good morning and welcome along to the F1 wedding. I'm live outside Westminister Abbey and alongside me as usual is David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan. Didn't really bother with the dress code did you Eddie?
Eddie Jordan: I don't know what you mean
David Coulthard: I think what he is getting at is the fact that a purple shirt with green trousers isn't really the best idea for a weddi... well for anything.
JH: It's a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky but we are told rain is imminent. It always is were F1 is concerned. Of course we are set up for a belter today. But only 1 driver can tie the knot today. We have the home guys, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button fighting it out. Sebastian Vettel as well and team principal Christian Horner has conveniently found the time for a quick chat
Christian Horner: Good morning
JH: So your thoughts on (passing traffic drowns out the remainder of the question)
CH: Well the weekend so far has (more traffic noise)
JH: Fascinating stuff. Just in case you're wondering about these people gathering around us they are actually members of the Horner fan club. Must be great to have a load of young women stalking your every move eh Christian
CH: Well... (Shouts of 'We love you Christian')
JH: As you're going redder than a Ferrari we'll leave it there
CH: See you again sometime
JH: Yeah give it about 20 minutes
DC: You can clearly see there Jake the confidence in the Red Bull team, i would definitely be backing Seb for success today
JH: Well there's a surprise
DC: Indeed
EJ: This German kid, he's just great. He's young, funny, fast, relaxed, so cool and collected, it's a breath of fresh air. When i was a team boss i brought many young talents into the sport and it was great to have the likes...
JH: Moving on and Ted is down in the Abbey with some news for us
Ted Kravitz: Hello everyone. Tension starting to build down here. I'm just outside the vestry and there are the perspective wives lingering about, Nicole, Jessica, Vivian, Isabell. Of course the drivers are racing into London and soon we'll see who can make it here first.
JH: Thanks Ted. Of course after the main event we'll be at the reception with red button coverage and Lee McKenzie is down there for us, over to you Lee.
Lee McKenzie: Morning guys, i'm down here at Buckingham Palace with Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi. Both of you must be bitterly disappointed to have missed out on the main event.
Jaime Alguersuari: NO NO! FOR SURE IT'S A SHAME BUT IT MEANS I GET TO DJ HERE SO WILL BE LOTS OF FUN AND DANCE JAJA!
Sebastien Buemi: I'm giving out free Red Bull in case some people are flagging later tonight haha
LMcK: We can see Daniel Ricciardo lurking about, any worries?
JA: He is?
SB: I thought you hid his passport man!
LMcK: I think we'll go back to you Jake
JH: Well it's just me and Eddie now as David has went into the Abbey to join Martin in the gallery. Let's quickly go back to Ted though because we hear there has been some drama outside London Ted
TK: Yes and i'm afraid it's bad news for Lewis Hamilton because he has received a drive over penalty for too many lane changes on the M25.
JH: A drive over penalty? That's a new one
TK: Yes indeed, specific for this event. It means Lewis must drive over Tower Bridge and back again so that really compromises his chances of marrying Nicole today.
JH: Let's join the guys in the Abbey and Martin, drama already
Martin Brundle: Yes indeed, Lewis really should know by now the rules of the UK roads but hey that'll teach the tax evader for moving to Switzerland. Lee's found another driver
LMcK: I'm with Jarno Trulli, Jarno it must be bitterly disappointing to be missing the wedding?
Jarno Trulli: Ah yes but a i am ere and have a brought a big collection of wine and a tonight everyone will a be enjoying themselves with a my fine tastes.
JH: Guests starting to arrive down here and Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley have joined us. Your wife not make it today Felipe.
Felipe Massa: Well for sure she would have liked to come but really me and Rob have a closer relationship and the invite was for me + 1 so it made sense.
Rob Smedley: Mr Sunshine looks beautiful eh? A great day and we'll be banging on that dancefloor later, hahaha
MB: More action here guys, Petrov has stopped in what appears to be a housing estate.
DC: Clearly he had made good progress to reach the city area but something has gone wrong, here's a replay...
MB: Well he's made a wrong turn there but he could have still rerouted but WOAH! LOOK AT THAT!
DC: He didn't see the speed bump sign at all!
MB: He must have hit it at about 120mph and the thing just took off, a huge incident there for the Russian.
JH: Down here outside the Abbey there is a fantastic buzz. Air Asia 1 Malaysia Team Lotus Norfolk just arrived in Caterham's and we might just catch a quick word with Mike Gasgoyne. Mike, lots of questions on peoples lips but the big one, can Norwich get promoted to the Premier League?
Mike Gasgoyne: Well of course Jake, we are simply the best team about. Lotus progressing as well, we beat Perez in China and if 10 other drivers get penalties like him in a race we'll score points easily
JH: Didn't go so well earlier though for Heikki on the road.
MG: It didn't but let's look at the positives, he managed to put the fire out himself and save the Fire brigade a trip out so great teamwork there
MB: Sebastian Vettel has dropped behind a bit and here's his team radio, lets see what is wrong.
Sebastian Vettel: Rocky, do i use the sat nav or not?
Rocky: Negative, negative, do not use the sat nav
SV: So what do i do?
Rocky: Plan B, we are changing to Plan B.
SV: But i didn't bring the map! Adrian said it would affect the packaging of the car so took it off!
MB: All gone wrong there for Red Bull, challenge looks over
DC: Well it may have but you can't blame Red Bull for that, the sat nav is developed by a outside company so no fault of the team at Milton Keynes.
MB: Ted has some news for us
TK: Yes drama for the Sauber team who had arrived here as part of the guestlist for today but they've all been kicked out of the Abbey. Their jackets were found to be outside of the minimum measurements which are required by the regulations by 3mm so no service for them today.
MB: They'll be very frustrated with that!
TK: Indeed though we believe it was a simple manufacturing error and no-one will be held to account for the incident. Won't stop some speculating though...
LMcK: I'm still at the palace and joined by Virgin drivers Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio. Early retirements then guys?
Timo Glock: Well we are a bit confused because we thought we had to come here and we did so but there's been a misunderstanding...
Jerome D'Ambrosio: You see on the menu tonight for desert is Rhubarb and Custard so the team took that as being us
TG: *sighs*
LMcK: Unlucky guys
JH: i've just found a lot of well suited men here. With me are Romain Grosjean, Bruno Senna, Fairuz Fauzy and Ho Pin Tung. Not going to the wedding guys?
Romain Grosjean: Well we are actually on reserve in case a guest has to pull out
Bruno Senna: You never know when you may be needed
JH: But do you need this many
Fairuz Fauzy: Oh yes we are all key to the operation
Will Buxton: You keep telling yourself that Fairuz. Sorry for butting in Jake
JH: You were just saying what we were all thinking mate. Crikey a lot of police sirens coming down the street. And look who it is, can you believe it, it's Robert Kubica!
Jonathan Legard: Up, over the hill, look at him in his wheelchair, he's on a charge!!
JH: Jonathan!? You were warned not to show up
JL: Come on Jakey boy, just let me do 1 more event, for old times sake
EJ: Looks like that Kubica fella hasn't lost any of his speed, clocked doing 45mph in the speed trap.
TK: More news from the vestry and it's of a couple of non appearances on the guest list. First up Rubens Barrichello who isn't attending as he knows the ceremony will just be a load of 'blah blah blah' and he doesn't want to hear that. Also Hispania have put out a press release saying they won't make it after being held up at Barcelona airport. Reports that Colin Kolles got stuck going through the security gate have been denied.
MB: Right, things beginning to hot up now. We know that Rosberg leads Button and Hamilton but the Mercedes driver has already seen his fuel light flashing and is having to short shift around these tight streets
DC: Jenson driving around these mini roundabouts beautifully, 1 sweep of the wheel in and 1 sweep out, so smooth.
MB: Hamilton has stopped at Kwik-fit!
DC: Tyres look destroyed and that really has hurt his chances, fresh rubber now though.
MB: Rosberg is spluttering, he's running out of fuel and there goes Button, Jenson Button leads in the final stages and the crowd are going wild!
DC: What you are seeing here is a drive of experience, of composure, a man who has been serene and never looked like making a mistake all da...
MB: He's stopping! What's going on, well hang on he's running up the steps to the church but the doors closed?
DC: He's stopped at St Pauls Catherdal! He's at the wrong church, what a terrible mistake!
MB: That's incredible, i mean the look of the 2 buildings are different! He's jumped back in but the engine is off and i think it's all over for him.
DC: Well he's starting to run Martin and it isn't that far to go and could he repeat what he did in Monaco and sprint to the finish and to the glory of success!
MB: Hamilton flying though, he's ripping it up on those new tyres, smoke everywhere. Good job we're not in Melbourne!
DC: Jenson still has a bit to go. Surely Lewis will overtake him soon. Here it comes and he is through
MB: Hamilton comes through the final corners and he does is! He takes the chequered flag, parks it and is sprinting up that aisle.
JH: What a race that was, tweet me your thoughts and now lets hand over to Jean Todt for the ceremony
Jean Todt: Before we finalise everything, is there anyone here who has a reason why these 2 people should not be marry?
Charlie Whiting: Yes!
Lewis Hamilton: Not Charlie...
CW: Car number 3 has just been checked and has been found to have Michelin tyres fitted, completely against the regulations.
LH: Dude, it was all Kwik-fit had man, bless the poor guy who had to do it himself, ite
CW: Sorry no other tyre is allowed, especially a crappy French one which can't even handle a banked corner.
Jenson Button: *gasping* Where did i finish?
JT: You are our new winner Jenson. *20 minutes of blah blah blah and vows* Congratulations Jenson and Jessica! You are the F1 wedding couple of 2011!
LMcK: Down here at the reception, things are really rocking. Sutil is on the piano, Vettel has Ke$ha on full blast and Jaime is DJing with Sakon Yamamoto.
JH: Sakon Yamamoto? He's not with a team at the minute, how'd he get in?
LMcK: Let's just say Bernies wallet is now bulging even more than normal
JH: David has rejoined us. You spotted Nick Heidfeld anywhere today?
DC: Can't say i have
EJ: Me either
JH: Ted?
TK: I haven't actually but apparently he's been down in peckham selling off TW steel watches. Says that this time next year he'll have become a millionaire and have won a race.
JH: What a dreamer. That's all from us, thank you very much for watching. Congrats to Jenson and Jessica. See you next time.
Now on BBC1 it's time for the event of the year, the F1 wedding, presented by Jake Humphrey (Cue a minute of the chain and a big dramatic VT)
Jake Humphrey: Good morning and welcome along to the F1 wedding. I'm live outside Westminister Abbey and alongside me as usual is David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan. Didn't really bother with the dress code did you Eddie?
Eddie Jordan: I don't know what you mean
David Coulthard: I think what he is getting at is the fact that a purple shirt with green trousers isn't really the best idea for a weddi... well for anything.
JH: It's a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky but we are told rain is imminent. It always is were F1 is concerned. Of course we are set up for a belter today. But only 1 driver can tie the knot today. We have the home guys, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button fighting it out. Sebastian Vettel as well and team principal Christian Horner has conveniently found the time for a quick chat
Christian Horner: Good morning
JH: So your thoughts on (passing traffic drowns out the remainder of the question)
CH: Well the weekend so far has (more traffic noise)
JH: Fascinating stuff. Just in case you're wondering about these people gathering around us they are actually members of the Horner fan club. Must be great to have a load of young women stalking your every move eh Christian
CH: Well... (Shouts of 'We love you Christian')
JH: As you're going redder than a Ferrari we'll leave it there
CH: See you again sometime
JH: Yeah give it about 20 minutes
DC: You can clearly see there Jake the confidence in the Red Bull team, i would definitely be backing Seb for success today
JH: Well there's a surprise
DC: Indeed
EJ: This German kid, he's just great. He's young, funny, fast, relaxed, so cool and collected, it's a breath of fresh air. When i was a team boss i brought many young talents into the sport and it was great to have the likes...
JH: Moving on and Ted is down in the Abbey with some news for us
Ted Kravitz: Hello everyone. Tension starting to build down here. I'm just outside the vestry and there are the perspective wives lingering about, Nicole, Jessica, Vivian, Isabell. Of course the drivers are racing into London and soon we'll see who can make it here first.
JH: Thanks Ted. Of course after the main event we'll be at the reception with red button coverage and Lee McKenzie is down there for us, over to you Lee.
Lee McKenzie: Morning guys, i'm down here at Buckingham Palace with Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi. Both of you must be bitterly disappointed to have missed out on the main event.
Jaime Alguersuari: NO NO! FOR SURE IT'S A SHAME BUT IT MEANS I GET TO DJ HERE SO WILL BE LOTS OF FUN AND DANCE JAJA!
Sebastien Buemi: I'm giving out free Red Bull in case some people are flagging later tonight haha
LMcK: We can see Daniel Ricciardo lurking about, any worries?
JA: He is?
SB: I thought you hid his passport man!
LMcK: I think we'll go back to you Jake
JH: Well it's just me and Eddie now as David has went into the Abbey to join Martin in the gallery. Let's quickly go back to Ted though because we hear there has been some drama outside London Ted
TK: Yes and i'm afraid it's bad news for Lewis Hamilton because he has received a drive over penalty for too many lane changes on the M25.
JH: A drive over penalty? That's a new one
TK: Yes indeed, specific for this event. It means Lewis must drive over Tower Bridge and back again so that really compromises his chances of marrying Nicole today.
JH: Let's join the guys in the Abbey and Martin, drama already
Martin Brundle: Yes indeed, Lewis really should know by now the rules of the UK roads but hey that'll teach the tax evader for moving to Switzerland. Lee's found another driver
LMcK: I'm with Jarno Trulli, Jarno it must be bitterly disappointing to be missing the wedding?
Jarno Trulli: Ah yes but a i am ere and have a brought a big collection of wine and a tonight everyone will a be enjoying themselves with a my fine tastes.
JH: Guests starting to arrive down here and Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley have joined us. Your wife not make it today Felipe.
Felipe Massa: Well for sure she would have liked to come but really me and Rob have a closer relationship and the invite was for me + 1 so it made sense.
Rob Smedley: Mr Sunshine looks beautiful eh? A great day and we'll be banging on that dancefloor later, hahaha
MB: More action here guys, Petrov has stopped in what appears to be a housing estate.
DC: Clearly he had made good progress to reach the city area but something has gone wrong, here's a replay...
MB: Well he's made a wrong turn there but he could have still rerouted but WOAH! LOOK AT THAT!
DC: He didn't see the speed bump sign at all!
MB: He must have hit it at about 120mph and the thing just took off, a huge incident there for the Russian.
JH: Down here outside the Abbey there is a fantastic buzz. Air Asia 1 Malaysia Team Lotus Norfolk just arrived in Caterham's and we might just catch a quick word with Mike Gasgoyne. Mike, lots of questions on peoples lips but the big one, can Norwich get promoted to the Premier League?
Mike Gasgoyne: Well of course Jake, we are simply the best team about. Lotus progressing as well, we beat Perez in China and if 10 other drivers get penalties like him in a race we'll score points easily
JH: Didn't go so well earlier though for Heikki on the road.
MG: It didn't but let's look at the positives, he managed to put the fire out himself and save the Fire brigade a trip out so great teamwork there
MB: Sebastian Vettel has dropped behind a bit and here's his team radio, lets see what is wrong.
Sebastian Vettel: Rocky, do i use the sat nav or not?
Rocky: Negative, negative, do not use the sat nav
SV: So what do i do?
Rocky: Plan B, we are changing to Plan B.
SV: But i didn't bring the map! Adrian said it would affect the packaging of the car so took it off!
MB: All gone wrong there for Red Bull, challenge looks over
DC: Well it may have but you can't blame Red Bull for that, the sat nav is developed by a outside company so no fault of the team at Milton Keynes.
MB: Ted has some news for us
TK: Yes drama for the Sauber team who had arrived here as part of the guestlist for today but they've all been kicked out of the Abbey. Their jackets were found to be outside of the minimum measurements which are required by the regulations by 3mm so no service for them today.
MB: They'll be very frustrated with that!
TK: Indeed though we believe it was a simple manufacturing error and no-one will be held to account for the incident. Won't stop some speculating though...
LMcK: I'm still at the palace and joined by Virgin drivers Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio. Early retirements then guys?
Timo Glock: Well we are a bit confused because we thought we had to come here and we did so but there's been a misunderstanding...
Jerome D'Ambrosio: You see on the menu tonight for desert is Rhubarb and Custard so the team took that as being us
TG: *sighs*
LMcK: Unlucky guys
JH: i've just found a lot of well suited men here. With me are Romain Grosjean, Bruno Senna, Fairuz Fauzy and Ho Pin Tung. Not going to the wedding guys?
Romain Grosjean: Well we are actually on reserve in case a guest has to pull out
Bruno Senna: You never know when you may be needed
JH: But do you need this many
Fairuz Fauzy: Oh yes we are all key to the operation
Will Buxton: You keep telling yourself that Fairuz. Sorry for butting in Jake
JH: You were just saying what we were all thinking mate. Crikey a lot of police sirens coming down the street. And look who it is, can you believe it, it's Robert Kubica!
Jonathan Legard: Up, over the hill, look at him in his wheelchair, he's on a charge!!
JH: Jonathan!? You were warned not to show up
JL: Come on Jakey boy, just let me do 1 more event, for old times sake
EJ: Looks like that Kubica fella hasn't lost any of his speed, clocked doing 45mph in the speed trap.
TK: More news from the vestry and it's of a couple of non appearances on the guest list. First up Rubens Barrichello who isn't attending as he knows the ceremony will just be a load of 'blah blah blah' and he doesn't want to hear that. Also Hispania have put out a press release saying they won't make it after being held up at Barcelona airport. Reports that Colin Kolles got stuck going through the security gate have been denied.
MB: Right, things beginning to hot up now. We know that Rosberg leads Button and Hamilton but the Mercedes driver has already seen his fuel light flashing and is having to short shift around these tight streets
DC: Jenson driving around these mini roundabouts beautifully, 1 sweep of the wheel in and 1 sweep out, so smooth.
MB: Hamilton has stopped at Kwik-fit!
DC: Tyres look destroyed and that really has hurt his chances, fresh rubber now though.
MB: Rosberg is spluttering, he's running out of fuel and there goes Button, Jenson Button leads in the final stages and the crowd are going wild!
DC: What you are seeing here is a drive of experience, of composure, a man who has been serene and never looked like making a mistake all da...
MB: He's stopping! What's going on, well hang on he's running up the steps to the church but the doors closed?
DC: He's stopped at St Pauls Catherdal! He's at the wrong church, what a terrible mistake!
MB: That's incredible, i mean the look of the 2 buildings are different! He's jumped back in but the engine is off and i think it's all over for him.
DC: Well he's starting to run Martin and it isn't that far to go and could he repeat what he did in Monaco and sprint to the finish and to the glory of success!
MB: Hamilton flying though, he's ripping it up on those new tyres, smoke everywhere. Good job we're not in Melbourne!
DC: Jenson still has a bit to go. Surely Lewis will overtake him soon. Here it comes and he is through
MB: Hamilton comes through the final corners and he does is! He takes the chequered flag, parks it and is sprinting up that aisle.
JH: What a race that was, tweet me your thoughts and now lets hand over to Jean Todt for the ceremony
Jean Todt: Before we finalise everything, is there anyone here who has a reason why these 2 people should not be marry?
Charlie Whiting: Yes!
Lewis Hamilton: Not Charlie...
CW: Car number 3 has just been checked and has been found to have Michelin tyres fitted, completely against the regulations.
LH: Dude, it was all Kwik-fit had man, bless the poor guy who had to do it himself, ite
CW: Sorry no other tyre is allowed, especially a crappy French one which can't even handle a banked corner.
Jenson Button: *gasping* Where did i finish?
JT: You are our new winner Jenson. *20 minutes of blah blah blah and vows* Congratulations Jenson and Jessica! You are the F1 wedding couple of 2011!
LMcK: Down here at the reception, things are really rocking. Sutil is on the piano, Vettel has Ke$ha on full blast and Jaime is DJing with Sakon Yamamoto.
JH: Sakon Yamamoto? He's not with a team at the minute, how'd he get in?
LMcK: Let's just say Bernies wallet is now bulging even more than normal
JH: David has rejoined us. You spotted Nick Heidfeld anywhere today?
DC: Can't say i have
EJ: Me either
JH: Ted?
TK: I haven't actually but apparently he's been down in peckham selling off TW steel watches. Says that this time next year he'll have become a millionaire and have won a race.
JH: What a dreamer. That's all from us, thank you very much for watching. Congrats to Jenson and Jessica. See you next time.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Hamilton supreme in Chinese classic
Another thrilling race in Shanghai as Lewis Hamilton ended Sebastian Vettel's winning run with a late race charge...
Hamilton soars as Button loses out: Jenson Button had a good start and was holding the lead ok in the first stint. Of course with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel close behind the timing of the first pitstop was key. McLaren ended up running a 3 stop strategy on both cars but the initial plan was to 2 stop. The team came out for Button on lap 14 but he didn't come in until the next lap. He then made a terrible error by pulling into the Red Bull box. That cost both him and Vettel time. One possible theory (and this is simply guesswork!) is that Button was trying to stay out for as long as possible to make a 2 stop work better but that the team, having seen others behind pit, were reacting to the pace of the likes of Rosberg and changing to a 3 stopper because of the speed of other cars. So perhaps there was quite a bit of radio conversation and who knows amidst the busy nature of racing in 2011 maybe Jenson got distracted at the key moment in the pitlane. His pace was subdued after that and he would eventually get outdone by Hamilton.
Indeed Hamilton had been compromised because he had to wait an extra lap to pit and fell back on worn tyres, being overtaken by Vettel and Felipe Massa in consecutive laps. However his second stint was better, aided by a fresh set of options he had saved. It was interesting that a week on from Malaysia he had made such an effort to do so and it was clear after qualifying that tyres were on his mind and that he had deliberately plotted a strategy designed to maximise his race performance. Going for the extra stop really played better into his more attacking style and into the final stint he was back in the hunt and did a clean job of taking the cars ahead for a great victory.
Vettel's streak broken as Webber fights back: Red Bull ended up with 2 cars on the podium yet the fact that disappointment was felt by the team shows how far they've come. Vettel got a poor start but recovered positions at the first stop to find himself behind Nico Rosberg. Red Bull went for a 2 stop strategy and although it turned out to be the wrong decision there wasn't much in it. Having done 15 laps in the race in his qualifying tyres, he only managed a 17 lap stint in the middle of the race. That left him 24 laps on the primes and it proved to be slightly too much to hold off Hamilton. One mistake i did feel Red Bull made was sending the German out for a second run in Q3 when it was pretty clear that pole position was in the bag. Easy to say with hindsight but Vettel's first run was a good one and he would have not eeked out much more time even if it had been needed. In previous seasons this would not have been a big deal but it seems that putting a heat cycle into these Pirelli tyres really does take some life out of them if they are then reused. Expect quieter qualifying sessions with the current circumstances.
On Saturday evening i was pondering the future of Mark Webber. Out in Q1, the 2 junior Red Bull drivers doing brilliantly in making the top 10 and a bit of pressure was building even at this early stage of 2011. Would he let his head drop or fight back? Sunday showed it was the latter as he come from 18th to take a superb podium. Qualifying was a poor show, he only used the prime tyres and the car seem fine. If it had not been surely they would have given him some options. Why they didn't give him more laps at least was bizarre from the team. Anyway his pace on Sunday was mighty and showed that the RB7 is still the quickest out there. There were some conflicting reports about whether he had his KERS working or not. The actual details were that it worked until lap 24. He actually could have remarkably beaten Vettel because he had an off early in the race which cost him around 4 seconds so without that he probably would have caught his team mate late on. We also seen from his race that using the prime tyre early could be a good tactic this year. If we get an early safety car at some races i can envisage drivers pitting to get rid of it or even pitting for it and pitting again a lap later just so they can get it out of the way.
Felipe finds some form: Felipe Massa was unhappy after the race. This is good though because rather than the mentality of "i beat Fernando, that'll do" it was a case of him wanting more from the afternoon. His pace was good for a 2 stopper and i felt that was the right approach from Ferrari because they didn't have the pace to the teams in front so it was worthwhile trying something different. Unfortunately for the Brazilian track position is not as important this year and he was caught by a few drivers late on. Still it was nice to see him in the mix and battling with the drivers at the front Not much to say on Alonso's race, the Spaniard didn't seem quick throughout and limped home a frustrated 7th.
F1 changes a roaring success: It really was a tremendous race and credit to Pirelli who seem have got it right with the tyres. The DRS system is making for much more close action. Some say it has made passing too easy. My response to that is that some of the overtakes are indeed 'simple' but for those few easy passes you get lots of good one's and good battles. It also created moves in other places. For example Hamilton was able to get close to Button with DRS which allowed him a chance of passing into turn 1. In my opinion we are much better with racing like this than than what we have witnessed in some other seasons. Remember we were at a circuit which has seen little overtaking in dry races. It also helps more variable strategies become viable. On Sunday we got over 80 overtakes and the whole race was absorbing and thrilling. A peak audience of 5 million in the UK says a lot as well.
There is some talk that in Turkey we could have 2 DRS zones, perhaps with just 1 activation zone. So say we had zone's on the back and pit straights. There would be an activation point before the first one and if you are within a second of another car you can then use your DRS in the 2 zones for that particular lap. Now i think that would be too much and is unneeded unless it is a case of having the zones made shorter. So rather than one big (800 metre) gain in the lap you could make two smaller (400 metre) gains. This could eliminate the 'easy' overtakes but still allow cars to get close. The FIA may trial this in Istanbul. Another way could be giving the drivers a finite amount to use it during the race but this doesn't seem to be in the pipeline for now anyway. i think it is feasible and certainly feel it would be a great way to make the KERS more tactical at least.
Hamilton soars as Button loses out: Jenson Button had a good start and was holding the lead ok in the first stint. Of course with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel close behind the timing of the first pitstop was key. McLaren ended up running a 3 stop strategy on both cars but the initial plan was to 2 stop. The team came out for Button on lap 14 but he didn't come in until the next lap. He then made a terrible error by pulling into the Red Bull box. That cost both him and Vettel time. One possible theory (and this is simply guesswork!) is that Button was trying to stay out for as long as possible to make a 2 stop work better but that the team, having seen others behind pit, were reacting to the pace of the likes of Rosberg and changing to a 3 stopper because of the speed of other cars. So perhaps there was quite a bit of radio conversation and who knows amidst the busy nature of racing in 2011 maybe Jenson got distracted at the key moment in the pitlane. His pace was subdued after that and he would eventually get outdone by Hamilton.
Indeed Hamilton had been compromised because he had to wait an extra lap to pit and fell back on worn tyres, being overtaken by Vettel and Felipe Massa in consecutive laps. However his second stint was better, aided by a fresh set of options he had saved. It was interesting that a week on from Malaysia he had made such an effort to do so and it was clear after qualifying that tyres were on his mind and that he had deliberately plotted a strategy designed to maximise his race performance. Going for the extra stop really played better into his more attacking style and into the final stint he was back in the hunt and did a clean job of taking the cars ahead for a great victory.
Vettel's streak broken as Webber fights back: Red Bull ended up with 2 cars on the podium yet the fact that disappointment was felt by the team shows how far they've come. Vettel got a poor start but recovered positions at the first stop to find himself behind Nico Rosberg. Red Bull went for a 2 stop strategy and although it turned out to be the wrong decision there wasn't much in it. Having done 15 laps in the race in his qualifying tyres, he only managed a 17 lap stint in the middle of the race. That left him 24 laps on the primes and it proved to be slightly too much to hold off Hamilton. One mistake i did feel Red Bull made was sending the German out for a second run in Q3 when it was pretty clear that pole position was in the bag. Easy to say with hindsight but Vettel's first run was a good one and he would have not eeked out much more time even if it had been needed. In previous seasons this would not have been a big deal but it seems that putting a heat cycle into these Pirelli tyres really does take some life out of them if they are then reused. Expect quieter qualifying sessions with the current circumstances.
On Saturday evening i was pondering the future of Mark Webber. Out in Q1, the 2 junior Red Bull drivers doing brilliantly in making the top 10 and a bit of pressure was building even at this early stage of 2011. Would he let his head drop or fight back? Sunday showed it was the latter as he come from 18th to take a superb podium. Qualifying was a poor show, he only used the prime tyres and the car seem fine. If it had not been surely they would have given him some options. Why they didn't give him more laps at least was bizarre from the team. Anyway his pace on Sunday was mighty and showed that the RB7 is still the quickest out there. There were some conflicting reports about whether he had his KERS working or not. The actual details were that it worked until lap 24. He actually could have remarkably beaten Vettel because he had an off early in the race which cost him around 4 seconds so without that he probably would have caught his team mate late on. We also seen from his race that using the prime tyre early could be a good tactic this year. If we get an early safety car at some races i can envisage drivers pitting to get rid of it or even pitting for it and pitting again a lap later just so they can get it out of the way.
Felipe finds some form: Felipe Massa was unhappy after the race. This is good though because rather than the mentality of "i beat Fernando, that'll do" it was a case of him wanting more from the afternoon. His pace was good for a 2 stopper and i felt that was the right approach from Ferrari because they didn't have the pace to the teams in front so it was worthwhile trying something different. Unfortunately for the Brazilian track position is not as important this year and he was caught by a few drivers late on. Still it was nice to see him in the mix and battling with the drivers at the front Not much to say on Alonso's race, the Spaniard didn't seem quick throughout and limped home a frustrated 7th.
F1 changes a roaring success: It really was a tremendous race and credit to Pirelli who seem have got it right with the tyres. The DRS system is making for much more close action. Some say it has made passing too easy. My response to that is that some of the overtakes are indeed 'simple' but for those few easy passes you get lots of good one's and good battles. It also created moves in other places. For example Hamilton was able to get close to Button with DRS which allowed him a chance of passing into turn 1. In my opinion we are much better with racing like this than than what we have witnessed in some other seasons. Remember we were at a circuit which has seen little overtaking in dry races. It also helps more variable strategies become viable. On Sunday we got over 80 overtakes and the whole race was absorbing and thrilling. A peak audience of 5 million in the UK says a lot as well.
There is some talk that in Turkey we could have 2 DRS zones, perhaps with just 1 activation zone. So say we had zone's on the back and pit straights. There would be an activation point before the first one and if you are within a second of another car you can then use your DRS in the 2 zones for that particular lap. Now i think that would be too much and is unneeded unless it is a case of having the zones made shorter. So rather than one big (800 metre) gain in the lap you could make two smaller (400 metre) gains. This could eliminate the 'easy' overtakes but still allow cars to get close. The FIA may trial this in Istanbul. Another way could be giving the drivers a finite amount to use it during the race but this doesn't seem to be in the pipeline for now anyway. i think it is feasible and certainly feel it would be a great way to make the KERS more tactical at least.
Hamilton supreme in Chinese classic
Another thrilling race in Shanghai as Lewis Hamilton ended Sebastian Vettel's winning run with a late race charge...
Hamilton soars as Button loses out: Jenson Button had a good start and was holding the lead ok in the first stint. Of course with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel close behind the timing of the first pitstop was key. McLaren ended up running a 3 stop strategy on both cars but the initial plan was to 2 stop. The team came out for Button on lap 14 but he didn't come in until the next lap. He then made a terrible error by pulling into the Red Bull box. That cost both him and Vettel time. One possible theory (and this is simply guesswork!) is that Button was trying to stay out for as long as possible to make a 2 stop work better but that the team, having seen others behind pit, were reacting to the pace of the likes of Rosberg and changing to a 3 stopper because of the speed of other cars. So perhaps there was quite a bit of radio conversation and who knows amidst the busy nature of racing in 2011 maybe Jenson got distracted at the key moment in the pitlane. His pace was subdued after that and he would eventually get outdone by Hamilton.
Indeed Hamilton had been compromised because he had to wait an extra lap to pit and fell back on worn tyres, being overtaken by Vettel and Felipe Massa in consecutive laps. However his second stint was better, aided by a fresh set of options he had saved. It was interesting that a week on from Malaysia he had made such an effort to do so and it was clear after qualifying that tyres were on his mind and that he had deliberately plotted a strategy designed to maximise his race performance. Going for the extra stop really played better into his more attacking style and into the final stint he was back in the hunt and did a clean job of taking the cars ahead for a great victory.
Vettel's streak broken as Webber fights back: Red Bull ended up with 2 cars on the podium yet the fact that disappointment was felt by the team shows how far they've come. Vettel got a poor start but recovered positions at the first stop to find himself behind Nico Rosberg. Red Bull went for a 2 stop strategy and although it turned out to be the wrong decision there wasn't much in it. Having done 15 laps in the race in his qualifying tyres, he only managed a 17 lap stint in the middle of the race. That left him 24 laps on the primes and it proved to be slightly too much to hold off Hamilton. One mistake i did feel Red Bull made was sending the German out for a second run in Q3 when it was pretty clear that pole position was in the bag. Easy to say with hindsight but Vettel's first run was a good one and he would have not eeked out much more time even if it had been needed. In previous seasons this would not have been a big deal but it seems that putting a heat cycle into these Pirelli tyres really does take some life out of them if they are then reused. Expect quieter qualifying sessions with the current circumstances.
On Saturday evening i was pondering the future of Mark Webber. Out in Q1, the 2 junior Red Bull drivers doing brilliantly in making the top 10 and a bit of pressure was building even at this early stage of 2011. Would he let his head drop or fight back? Sunday showed it was the latter as he come from 18th to take a superb podium. Qualifying was a poor show, he only used the prime tyres and the car seem fine. If it had not been surely they would have given him some options. Why they didn't give him more laps at least was bizarre from the team. Anyway his pace on Sunday was mighty and showed that the RB7 is still the quickest out there. There were some conflicting reports about whether he had his KERS working or not. The actual details were that it worked until lap 24. He actually could have remarkably beaten Vettel because he had an off early in the race which cost him around 4 seconds so without that he probably would have caught his team mate late on. We also seen from his race that using the prime tyre early could be a good tactic this year. If we get an early safety car at some races i can envisage drivers pitting to get rid of it or even pitting for it and pitting again a lap later just so they can get it out of the way.
Felipe finds some form: Felipe Massa was unhappy after the race. This is good though because rather than the mentality of "i beat Fernando, that'll do" it was a case of him wanting more from the afternoon. His pace was good for a 2 stopper and i felt that was the right approach from Ferrari because they didn't have the pace to the teams in front so it was worthwhile trying something different. Unfortunately for the Brazilian track position is not as important this year and he was caught by a few drivers late on. Still it was nice to see him in the mix and battling with the drivers at the front Not much to say on Alonso's race, the Spaniard didn't seem quick throughout and limped home a frustrated 7th.
F1 changes a roaring success: It really was a tremendous race and credit to Pirelli who seem have got it right with the tyres. The DRS system is making for much more close action. Some say it has made passing too easy. My response to that is that some of the overtakes are indeed 'simple' but for those few easy passes you get lots of good one's and good battles. It also created moves in other places. For example Hamilton was able to get close to Button with DRS which allowed him a chance of passing into turn 1. In my opinion we are much better with racing like this than than what we have witnessed in some other seasons. Remember we were at a circuit which has seen little overtaking in dry races. It also helps more variable strategies become viable. On Sunday we got over 80 overtakes and the whole race was absorbing and thrilling. A peak audience of 5 million in the UK says a lot as well.
There is some talk that in Turkey we could have 2 DRS zones, perhaps with just 1 activation zone. So say we had zone's on the back and pit straights. There would be an activation point before the first one and if you are within a second of another car you can then use your DRS in the 2 zones for that particular lap. Now i think that would be too much and is unneeded unless it is a case of having the zones made shorter. So rather than one big (800 metre) gain in the lap you could make two smaller (400 metre) gains. This could eliminate the 'easy' overtakes but still allow cars to get close. The FIA may trial this in Istanbul. Another way could be giving the drivers a finite amount to use it during the race but this doesn't seem to be in the pipeline for now anyway. i think it is feasible and certainly feel it would be a great way to make the KERS more tactical at least.
Hamilton soars as Button loses out: Jenson Button had a good start and was holding the lead ok in the first stint. Of course with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel close behind the timing of the first pitstop was key. McLaren ended up running a 3 stop strategy on both cars but the initial plan was to 2 stop. The team came out for Button on lap 14 but he didn't come in until the next lap. He then made a terrible error by pulling into the Red Bull box. That cost both him and Vettel time. One possible theory (and this is simply guesswork!) is that Button was trying to stay out for as long as possible to make a 2 stop work better but that the team, having seen others behind pit, were reacting to the pace of the likes of Rosberg and changing to a 3 stopper because of the speed of other cars. So perhaps there was quite a bit of radio conversation and who knows amidst the busy nature of racing in 2011 maybe Jenson got distracted at the key moment in the pitlane. His pace was subdued after that and he would eventually get outdone by Hamilton.
Indeed Hamilton had been compromised because he had to wait an extra lap to pit and fell back on worn tyres, being overtaken by Vettel and Felipe Massa in consecutive laps. However his second stint was better, aided by a fresh set of options he had saved. It was interesting that a week on from Malaysia he had made such an effort to do so and it was clear after qualifying that tyres were on his mind and that he had deliberately plotted a strategy designed to maximise his race performance. Going for the extra stop really played better into his more attacking style and into the final stint he was back in the hunt and did a clean job of taking the cars ahead for a great victory.
Vettel's streak broken as Webber fights back: Red Bull ended up with 2 cars on the podium yet the fact that disappointment was felt by the team shows how far they've come. Vettel got a poor start but recovered positions at the first stop to find himself behind Nico Rosberg. Red Bull went for a 2 stop strategy and although it turned out to be the wrong decision there wasn't much in it. Having done 15 laps in the race in his qualifying tyres, he only managed a 17 lap stint in the middle of the race. That left him 24 laps on the primes and it proved to be slightly too much to hold off Hamilton. One mistake i did feel Red Bull made was sending the German out for a second run in Q3 when it was pretty clear that pole position was in the bag. Easy to say with hindsight but Vettel's first run was a good one and he would have not eeked out much more time even if it had been needed. In previous seasons this would not have been a big deal but it seems that putting a heat cycle into these Pirelli tyres really does take some life out of them if they are then reused. Expect quieter qualifying sessions with the current circumstances.
On Saturday evening i was pondering the future of Mark Webber. Out in Q1, the 2 junior Red Bull drivers doing brilliantly in making the top 10 and a bit of pressure was building even at this early stage of 2011. Would he let his head drop or fight back? Sunday showed it was the latter as he come from 18th to take a superb podium. Qualifying was a poor show, he only used the prime tyres and the car seem fine. If it had not been surely they would have given him some options. Why they didn't give him more laps at least was bizarre from the team. Anyway his pace on Sunday was mighty and showed that the RB7 is still the quickest out there. There were some conflicting reports about whether he had his KERS working or not. The actual details were that it worked until lap 24. He actually could have remarkably beaten Vettel because he had an off early in the race which cost him around 4 seconds so without that he probably would have caught his team mate late on. We also seen from his race that using the prime tyre early could be a good tactic this year. If we get an early safety car at some races i can envisage drivers pitting to get rid of it or even pitting for it and pitting again a lap later just so they can get it out of the way.
Felipe finds some form: Felipe Massa was unhappy after the race. This is good though because rather than the mentality of "i beat Fernando, that'll do" it was a case of him wanting more from the afternoon. His pace was good for a 2 stopper and i felt that was the right approach from Ferrari because they didn't have the pace to the teams in front so it was worthwhile trying something different. Unfortunately for the Brazilian track position is not as important this year and he was caught by a few drivers late on. Still it was nice to see him in the mix and battling with the drivers at the front Not much to say on Alonso's race, the Spaniard didn't seem quick throughout and limped home a frustrated 7th.
F1 changes a roaring success: It really was a tremendous race and credit to Pirelli who seem have got it right with the tyres. The DRS system is making for much more close action. Some say it has made passing too easy. My response to that is that some of the overtakes are indeed 'simple' but for those few easy passes you get lots of good one's and good battles. It also created moves in other places. For example Hamilton was able to get close to Button with DRS which allowed him a chance of passing into turn 1. In my opinion we are much better with racing like this than than what we have witnessed in some other seasons. Remember we were at a circuit which has seen little overtaking in dry races. It also helps more variable strategies become viable. On Sunday we got over 80 overtakes and the whole race was absorbing and thrilling. A peak audience of 5 million in the UK says a lot as well.
There is some talk that in Turkey we could have 2 DRS zones, perhaps with just 1 activation zone. So say we had zone's on the back and pit straights. There would be an activation point before the first one and if you are within a second of another car you can then use your DRS in the 2 zones for that particular lap. Now i think that would be too much and is unneeded unless it is a case of having the zones made shorter. So rather than one big (800 metre) gain in the lap you could make two smaller (400 metre) gains. This could eliminate the 'easy' overtakes but still allow cars to get close. The FIA may trial this in Istanbul. Another way could be giving the drivers a finite amount to use it during the race but this doesn't seem to be in the pipeline for now anyway. i think it is feasible and certainly feel it would be a great way to make the KERS more tactical at least.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Sepang serves up exciting weekend
A 4 way showdown for Pole Position on Saturday was followed by an action packed race with 55 overtakes and 63 pitstops. Up front, Sebastian Vettel continued his brilliant form with a fourth consecutive grand prix win. There were loads of stories throughout the field...
Vettel wins and Webber recovers: Sebastian Vettel had to work harder for his win this weekend than in Melbourne. Qualifying saw him edge out Lewis Hamilton and despite a loss of his KERS during the race he won without too many problems. Mark Webber had a manic race. After a KERS issue in qualifying the team replaced parts of the system in Parc Ferme. However it failed before the race and coupled with a poor start left the Australian swamped. He fought back with a 4 stop strategy, 1 more than most drivers. The advantage of that was he could really attack on his shorter stints and made up the time loss of an extra stop - and more. A good fightback to 4th will left his spirits but in still has a team mate to deal with whose confidence is sky high.
Hamilton v Alonso: Lap 45 and 46 seen controversy - heightened by post race penalties - between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was penalised for moving more than once on the pit straight. We've seen drivers in past seasons push this 'code' but this year it is a written rule. In a Ferrari pre-season video their sporting director seem well up on the new regulations and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who told the team to protest the move. That was key because it forced the stewards to analyse it and make a decision and by the rule book Hamilton did break a rule. I think his thinking in the move was confused. Alonso was close and he probably thought that he'd be under more pressure but because the Ferrari's DRS wasn't working he wasn't as quick on the straight. So Hamilton made unnecessary moves and then backtracked and it cost him. Alonso got a harsh penalty for what was a minor mistake. If you penalise him for that then you have to penalise a lot of other incidents e.g Webber hitting Hamilton Australia 2010, Vettel hitting Sutil Great Britain 2010 etc. Costly mistake because a podium was there for the taking.
Fortunes reversed for Renault pair: Lewis Hamilton said after a stunning start move in Malaysia in 2007 around the outside that he had studied the past starts at the track and decided to go that way. On Sunday he looked for the inside instead and on that outside route came Nick Heidfeld in the Renault. Some stunning racing between the pair continued to turn 4 but it was the German who would make it stick and finish the lap 2nd after starting 6th. He lost some ground during his first stop but kept his cool - apart from 1 brief off track moment - to come home 3rd. Vitaly Petrov wasn't far off the pace of his team mate but a few minor mistakes seen him slip back. When Hamilton pitted late on Petrov had him in his mirrors and he ran off the circuit after getting offline onto the numerous marbles. Probably in a panic to maintain 7th he kept his foot down but on the mounted grass he got a massive amount of air and snapped the steering wheel mounting as well as wrecking the suspension. A nasty and bizarre incident for the Russian.
Mixed day for the rookies: Another race, another point for Paul di Resta. He delivered a good, clean weekend. The Force India hasn't got the raw pace but the evolution of the car has at least ensured some reliability. He has benefited from a good grounding with those practice runs last year but he has come in and coped well in what have been busy races. Replacing Liuzzi with the Scot is proving to be a good decision. Sergio Perez had his race ended in very strange circumstances. A piece fell off Sebastien Buemi's car and struck the floor of the Sauber. This set off a fire extinguisher which in turn knocked off the electrics in the car. Pastor Maldonado had more mechanical issues, Williams had a poor weekend and the South Americian hasn't been able to show his worth yet. Another tough weekend for Jerome D'Ambrosio who will be awaiting Virgin's updates with eagerness.
Confused? I'm confused: In an ideal world we would want every race to be a great race with clear and good entertainment. The addition of DRS and the deliberate making of high wearing tyres have been done to improve the show. Of course you would rather not revert to these gadgets but in this day and age it is needed. Sunday was a fantastic race and to see some journalists who report on the sport spinning a negative story on it because of all the activity is quite strange and disappointing. I'm looking at this more on a UK perspective but the race on Sunday recorded the best figures for a race in Malaysia ever. My Dad stayed and watched the whole thing. A guy who works for him even watched some of the race and enjoyed it. It was a fantastic race and i will take one like that every day over one like Bahrain 2010. KERS, DRS, the removal of the double diffusers and the tyres all played their part. Don't forget track design. It is clear that this is a factor. Sepang's long straights followed by tight corners in Sector's 1 and 3 really contribute to the action. Other circuits take note.
A few other things to note from the past weekend as well as the one to come in Shanghai.
- Another difficult weekend for Ferrari but the Prancing Horse was closer to the pace during the race. Senior staff have flown back to Italy between these back to back races which tells you a lot about the concern that there is about the car. It's believed by Italian media that the team will see how the Chinese Grand Prix goes before deciding on what course of action they will take with the development with the car. Ferrari implemented big updates during 2010 so don't write them off yet.
- Sebastien Buemi received a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. He was clocked doing 120.6 km/h in the 100 km/h limited pitlane. He pressed the limiter coming in but felt it had not gone on. However it had and in pressing it again thinking he was putting it on he turned it off and subsequently broke the limit. Usually this gets a drive through penalty so maybe he got a harsher penalty for the excess of speed he had. You could argue a situation like Lewis Hamilton passing the safety car in Valencia last year could have been dealt with in a similar manner. Jaime Alguersuari reported understeer in his car and it was discovered afterwards that there was damage to the front nose.
- There was some surprise when Hamilton went onto prime tyres at his second stop and used that compound until the end of the race. This can probably be explained by Q2 where he flatspotted his right front tyre into turn 1. So that set of tyres may well have been deemed unusable for the race. This meant he only had the set he started on plus one other set, forcing him into doing half the race on primes. That qualifying lock up may well have proved quite costly. Another imprtant thing is the tyre drop off. Sauber ran longer in the first stint in expectation of rain but once the tyres went off they were 3-4 seconds slower a lap. Kamui Kobayashi did manage a 2 stop strategy so another example of Sauber keeping the tyres well on their car.
- The DRS zone in China will be just over 900 metres long and positioned on the 1.175 km back straight between turn 13 and 14. The detection zone for the 1 second gap will be at turn 12. Should see plenty of action down into the hairpin. There has been resurfacing carried out on parts of the track. Also a 4.5 metre debris fence at turn 14. This is probably a response to the incident with Sebastien Buemi in practice last year where a wheel from the Toro Rosso went into a spectator area. We've seen a lot of standing water gather at times in the final corner during wet races in the past at Shanghai and the organisers have changed the drainage on that part of the track.
- Some quotes have come out from the organisers at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain which say they are still trying to get the race on at some point this year. There is even some talk that the King of Bahrain will be in the Shanghai paddock this weekend. Abu Dhabi is prepared to let Bahrain have their November 13th slot and then move the race at Yas Marina to December 4th. They'll be happy to do this as it means they get the season finale. A few weeks ago it seem unlikely in the extreme that a race would occur in Bahrain this year but the possibility remains open. At present the UK foreign office still advise against all but essential travel to the region
- The timetable for the Indian Grand Prix has been revealed:
Times are Local/UK
Fri 28 October
Practice 1 1000 - 1130/0530 - 0700
Practice 2 1400 - 1530/0930 - 1100
Sat 29 October
Practice 3 1100 - 1200/0630 - 0730
Qualifying 1400/0930
Sun 30 October
Race 1500/0930
Vettel wins and Webber recovers: Sebastian Vettel had to work harder for his win this weekend than in Melbourne. Qualifying saw him edge out Lewis Hamilton and despite a loss of his KERS during the race he won without too many problems. Mark Webber had a manic race. After a KERS issue in qualifying the team replaced parts of the system in Parc Ferme. However it failed before the race and coupled with a poor start left the Australian swamped. He fought back with a 4 stop strategy, 1 more than most drivers. The advantage of that was he could really attack on his shorter stints and made up the time loss of an extra stop - and more. A good fightback to 4th will left his spirits but in still has a team mate to deal with whose confidence is sky high.
Hamilton v Alonso: Lap 45 and 46 seen controversy - heightened by post race penalties - between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was penalised for moving more than once on the pit straight. We've seen drivers in past seasons push this 'code' but this year it is a written rule. In a Ferrari pre-season video their sporting director seem well up on the new regulations and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who told the team to protest the move. That was key because it forced the stewards to analyse it and make a decision and by the rule book Hamilton did break a rule. I think his thinking in the move was confused. Alonso was close and he probably thought that he'd be under more pressure but because the Ferrari's DRS wasn't working he wasn't as quick on the straight. So Hamilton made unnecessary moves and then backtracked and it cost him. Alonso got a harsh penalty for what was a minor mistake. If you penalise him for that then you have to penalise a lot of other incidents e.g Webber hitting Hamilton Australia 2010, Vettel hitting Sutil Great Britain 2010 etc. Costly mistake because a podium was there for the taking.
Fortunes reversed for Renault pair: Lewis Hamilton said after a stunning start move in Malaysia in 2007 around the outside that he had studied the past starts at the track and decided to go that way. On Sunday he looked for the inside instead and on that outside route came Nick Heidfeld in the Renault. Some stunning racing between the pair continued to turn 4 but it was the German who would make it stick and finish the lap 2nd after starting 6th. He lost some ground during his first stop but kept his cool - apart from 1 brief off track moment - to come home 3rd. Vitaly Petrov wasn't far off the pace of his team mate but a few minor mistakes seen him slip back. When Hamilton pitted late on Petrov had him in his mirrors and he ran off the circuit after getting offline onto the numerous marbles. Probably in a panic to maintain 7th he kept his foot down but on the mounted grass he got a massive amount of air and snapped the steering wheel mounting as well as wrecking the suspension. A nasty and bizarre incident for the Russian.
Mixed day for the rookies: Another race, another point for Paul di Resta. He delivered a good, clean weekend. The Force India hasn't got the raw pace but the evolution of the car has at least ensured some reliability. He has benefited from a good grounding with those practice runs last year but he has come in and coped well in what have been busy races. Replacing Liuzzi with the Scot is proving to be a good decision. Sergio Perez had his race ended in very strange circumstances. A piece fell off Sebastien Buemi's car and struck the floor of the Sauber. This set off a fire extinguisher which in turn knocked off the electrics in the car. Pastor Maldonado had more mechanical issues, Williams had a poor weekend and the South Americian hasn't been able to show his worth yet. Another tough weekend for Jerome D'Ambrosio who will be awaiting Virgin's updates with eagerness.
Confused? I'm confused: In an ideal world we would want every race to be a great race with clear and good entertainment. The addition of DRS and the deliberate making of high wearing tyres have been done to improve the show. Of course you would rather not revert to these gadgets but in this day and age it is needed. Sunday was a fantastic race and to see some journalists who report on the sport spinning a negative story on it because of all the activity is quite strange and disappointing. I'm looking at this more on a UK perspective but the race on Sunday recorded the best figures for a race in Malaysia ever. My Dad stayed and watched the whole thing. A guy who works for him even watched some of the race and enjoyed it. It was a fantastic race and i will take one like that every day over one like Bahrain 2010. KERS, DRS, the removal of the double diffusers and the tyres all played their part. Don't forget track design. It is clear that this is a factor. Sepang's long straights followed by tight corners in Sector's 1 and 3 really contribute to the action. Other circuits take note.
A few other things to note from the past weekend as well as the one to come in Shanghai.
- Another difficult weekend for Ferrari but the Prancing Horse was closer to the pace during the race. Senior staff have flown back to Italy between these back to back races which tells you a lot about the concern that there is about the car. It's believed by Italian media that the team will see how the Chinese Grand Prix goes before deciding on what course of action they will take with the development with the car. Ferrari implemented big updates during 2010 so don't write them off yet.
- Sebastien Buemi received a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. He was clocked doing 120.6 km/h in the 100 km/h limited pitlane. He pressed the limiter coming in but felt it had not gone on. However it had and in pressing it again thinking he was putting it on he turned it off and subsequently broke the limit. Usually this gets a drive through penalty so maybe he got a harsher penalty for the excess of speed he had. You could argue a situation like Lewis Hamilton passing the safety car in Valencia last year could have been dealt with in a similar manner. Jaime Alguersuari reported understeer in his car and it was discovered afterwards that there was damage to the front nose.
- There was some surprise when Hamilton went onto prime tyres at his second stop and used that compound until the end of the race. This can probably be explained by Q2 where he flatspotted his right front tyre into turn 1. So that set of tyres may well have been deemed unusable for the race. This meant he only had the set he started on plus one other set, forcing him into doing half the race on primes. That qualifying lock up may well have proved quite costly. Another imprtant thing is the tyre drop off. Sauber ran longer in the first stint in expectation of rain but once the tyres went off they were 3-4 seconds slower a lap. Kamui Kobayashi did manage a 2 stop strategy so another example of Sauber keeping the tyres well on their car.
- The DRS zone in China will be just over 900 metres long and positioned on the 1.175 km back straight between turn 13 and 14. The detection zone for the 1 second gap will be at turn 12. Should see plenty of action down into the hairpin. There has been resurfacing carried out on parts of the track. Also a 4.5 metre debris fence at turn 14. This is probably a response to the incident with Sebastien Buemi in practice last year where a wheel from the Toro Rosso went into a spectator area. We've seen a lot of standing water gather at times in the final corner during wet races in the past at Shanghai and the organisers have changed the drainage on that part of the track.
- Some quotes have come out from the organisers at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain which say they are still trying to get the race on at some point this year. There is even some talk that the King of Bahrain will be in the Shanghai paddock this weekend. Abu Dhabi is prepared to let Bahrain have their November 13th slot and then move the race at Yas Marina to December 4th. They'll be happy to do this as it means they get the season finale. A few weeks ago it seem unlikely in the extreme that a race would occur in Bahrain this year but the possibility remains open. At present the UK foreign office still advise against all but essential travel to the region
- The timetable for the Indian Grand Prix has been revealed:
Times are Local/UK
Fri 28 October
Practice 1 1000 - 1130/0530 - 0700
Practice 2 1400 - 1530/0930 - 1100
Sat 29 October
Practice 3 1100 - 1200/0630 - 0730
Qualifying 1400/0930
Sun 30 October
Race 1500/0930
Sepang serves up exciting weekend
A 4 way showdown for Pole Position on Saturday was followed by an action packed race with 55 overtakes and 63 pitstops. Up front, Sebastian Vettel continued his brilliant form with a fourth consecutive grand prix win. There were loads of stories throughout the field...
Vettel wins and Webber recovers: Sebastian Vettel had to work harder for his win this weekend than in Melbourne. Qualifying saw him edge out Lewis Hamilton and despite a loss of his KERS during the race he won without too many problems. Mark Webber had a manic race. After a KERS issue in qualifying the team replaced parts of the system in Parc Ferme. However it failed before the race and coupled with a poor start left the Australian swamped. He fought back with a 4 stop strategy, 1 more than most drivers. The advantage of that was he could really attack on his shorter stints and made up the time loss of an extra stop - and more. A good fightback to 4th will left his spirits but in still has a team mate to deal with whose confidence is sky high.
Hamilton v Alonso: Lap 45 and 46 seen controversy - heightened by post race penalties - between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was penalised for moving more than once on the pit straight. We've seen drivers in past seasons push this 'code' but this year it is a written rule. In a Ferrari pre-season video their sporting director seem well up on the new regulations and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who told the team to protest the move. That was key because it forced the stewards to analyse it and make a decision and by the rule book Hamilton did break a rule. I think his thinking in the move was confused. Alonso was close and he probably thought that he'd be under more pressure but because the Ferrari's DRS wasn't working he wasn't as quick on the straight. So Hamilton made unnecessary moves and then backtracked and it cost him. Alonso got a harsh penalty for what was a minor mistake. If you penalise him for that then you have to penalise a lot of other incidents e.g Webber hitting Hamilton Australia 2010, Vettel hitting Sutil Great Britain 2010 etc. Costly mistake because a podium was there for the taking.
Fortunes reversed for Renault pair: Lewis Hamilton said after a stunning start move in Malaysia in 2007 around the outside that he had studied the past starts at the track and decided to go that way. On Sunday he looked for the inside instead and on that outside route came Nick Heidfeld in the Renault. Some stunning racing between the pair continued to turn 4 but it was the German who would make it stick and finish the lap 2nd after starting 6th. He lost some ground during his first stop but kept his cool - apart from 1 brief off track moment - to come home 3rd. Vitaly Petrov wasn't far off the pace of his team mate but a few minor mistakes seen him slip back. When Hamilton pitted late on Petrov had him in his mirrors and he ran off the circuit after getting offline onto the numerous marbles. Probably in a panic to maintain 7th he kept his foot down but on the mounted grass he got a massive amount of air and snapped the steering wheel mounting as well as wrecking the suspension. A nasty and bizarre incident for the Russian.
Mixed day for the rookies: Another race, another point for Paul di Resta. He delivered a good, clean weekend. The Force India hasn't got the raw pace but the evolution of the car has at least ensured some reliability. He has benefited from a good grounding with those practice runs last year but he has come in and coped well in what have been busy races. Replacing Liuzzi with the Scot is proving to be a good decision. Sergio Perez had his race ended in very strange circumstances. A piece fell off Sebastien Buemi's car and struck the floor of the Sauber. This set off a fire extinguisher which in turn knocked off the electrics in the car. Pastor Maldonado had more mechanical issues, Williams had a poor weekend and the South Americian hasn't been able to show his worth yet. Another tough weekend for Jerome D'Ambrosio who will be awaiting Virgin's updates with eagerness.
Confused? I'm confused: In an ideal world we would want every race to be a great race with clear and good entertainment. The addition of DRS and the deliberate making of high wearing tyres have been done to improve the show. Of course you would rather not revert to these gadgets but in this day and age it is needed. Sunday was a fantastic race and to see some journalists who report on the sport spinning a negative story on it because of all the activity is quite strange and disappointing. I'm looking at this more on a UK perspective but the race on Sunday recorded the best figures for a race in Malaysia ever. My Dad stayed and watched the whole thing. A guy who works for him even watched some of the race and enjoyed it. It was a fantastic race and i will take one like that every day over one like Bahrain 2010. KERS, DRS, the removal of the double diffusers and the tyres all played their part. Don't forget track design. It is clear that this is a factor. Sepang's long straights followed by tight corners in Sector's 1 and 3 really contribute to the action. Other circuits take note.
A few other things to note from the past weekend as well as the one to come in Shanghai.
- Another difficult weekend for Ferrari but the Prancing Horse was closer to the pace during the race. Senior staff have flown back to Italy between these back to back races which tells you a lot about the concern that there is about the car. It's believed by Italian media that the team will see how the Chinese Grand Prix goes before deciding on what course of action they will take with the development with the car. Ferrari implemented big updates during 2010 so don't write them off yet.
- Sebastien Buemi received a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. He was clocked doing 120.6 km/h in the 100 km/h limited pitlane. He pressed the limiter coming in but felt it had not gone on. However it had and in pressing it again thinking he was putting it on he turned it off and subsequently broke the limit. Usually this gets a drive through penalty so maybe he got a harsher penalty for the excess of speed he had. You could argue a situation like Lewis Hamilton passing the safety car in Valencia last year could have been dealt with in a similar manner. Jaime Alguersuari reported understeer in his car and it was discovered afterwards that there was damage to the front nose.
- There was some surprise when Hamilton went onto prime tyres at his second stop and used that compound until the end of the race. This can probably be explained by Q2 where he flatspotted his right front tyre into turn 1. So that set of tyres may well have been deemed unusable for the race. This meant he only had the set he started on plus one other set, forcing him into doing half the race on primes. That qualifying lock up may well have proved quite costly. Another imprtant thing is the tyre drop off. Sauber ran longer in the first stint in expectation of rain but once the tyres went off they were 3-4 seconds slower a lap. Kamui Kobayashi did manage a 2 stop strategy so another example of Sauber keeping the tyres well on their car.
- The DRS zone in China will be just over 900 metres long and positioned on the 1.175 km back straight between turn 13 and 14. The detection zone for the 1 second gap will be at turn 12. Should see plenty of action down into the hairpin. There has been resurfacing carried out on parts of the track. Also a 4.5 metre debris fence at turn 14. This is probably a response to the incident with Sebastien Buemi in practice last year where a wheel from the Toro Rosso went into a spectator area. We've seen a lot of standing water gather at times in the final corner during wet races in the past at Shanghai and the organisers have changed the drainage on that part of the track.
- Some quotes have come out from the organisers at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain which say they are still trying to get the race on at some point this year. There is even some talk that the King of Bahrain will be in the Shanghai paddock this weekend. Abu Dhabi is prepared to let Bahrain have their November 13th slot and then move the race at Yas Marina to December 4th. They'll be happy to do this as it means they get the season finale. A few weeks ago it seem unlikely in the extreme that a race would occur in Bahrain this year but the possibility remains open. At present the UK foreign office still advise against all but essential travel to the region
- The timetable for the Indian Grand Prix has been revealed:
Times are Local/UK
Fri 28 October
Practice 1 1000 - 1130/0530 - 0700
Practice 2 1400 - 1530/0930 - 1100
Sat 29 October
Practice 3 1100 - 1200/0630 - 0730
Qualifying 1400/0930
Sun 30 October
Race 1500/0930
Vettel wins and Webber recovers: Sebastian Vettel had to work harder for his win this weekend than in Melbourne. Qualifying saw him edge out Lewis Hamilton and despite a loss of his KERS during the race he won without too many problems. Mark Webber had a manic race. After a KERS issue in qualifying the team replaced parts of the system in Parc Ferme. However it failed before the race and coupled with a poor start left the Australian swamped. He fought back with a 4 stop strategy, 1 more than most drivers. The advantage of that was he could really attack on his shorter stints and made up the time loss of an extra stop - and more. A good fightback to 4th will left his spirits but in still has a team mate to deal with whose confidence is sky high.
Hamilton v Alonso: Lap 45 and 46 seen controversy - heightened by post race penalties - between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was penalised for moving more than once on the pit straight. We've seen drivers in past seasons push this 'code' but this year it is a written rule. In a Ferrari pre-season video their sporting director seem well up on the new regulations and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who told the team to protest the move. That was key because it forced the stewards to analyse it and make a decision and by the rule book Hamilton did break a rule. I think his thinking in the move was confused. Alonso was close and he probably thought that he'd be under more pressure but because the Ferrari's DRS wasn't working he wasn't as quick on the straight. So Hamilton made unnecessary moves and then backtracked and it cost him. Alonso got a harsh penalty for what was a minor mistake. If you penalise him for that then you have to penalise a lot of other incidents e.g Webber hitting Hamilton Australia 2010, Vettel hitting Sutil Great Britain 2010 etc. Costly mistake because a podium was there for the taking.
Fortunes reversed for Renault pair: Lewis Hamilton said after a stunning start move in Malaysia in 2007 around the outside that he had studied the past starts at the track and decided to go that way. On Sunday he looked for the inside instead and on that outside route came Nick Heidfeld in the Renault. Some stunning racing between the pair continued to turn 4 but it was the German who would make it stick and finish the lap 2nd after starting 6th. He lost some ground during his first stop but kept his cool - apart from 1 brief off track moment - to come home 3rd. Vitaly Petrov wasn't far off the pace of his team mate but a few minor mistakes seen him slip back. When Hamilton pitted late on Petrov had him in his mirrors and he ran off the circuit after getting offline onto the numerous marbles. Probably in a panic to maintain 7th he kept his foot down but on the mounted grass he got a massive amount of air and snapped the steering wheel mounting as well as wrecking the suspension. A nasty and bizarre incident for the Russian.
Mixed day for the rookies: Another race, another point for Paul di Resta. He delivered a good, clean weekend. The Force India hasn't got the raw pace but the evolution of the car has at least ensured some reliability. He has benefited from a good grounding with those practice runs last year but he has come in and coped well in what have been busy races. Replacing Liuzzi with the Scot is proving to be a good decision. Sergio Perez had his race ended in very strange circumstances. A piece fell off Sebastien Buemi's car and struck the floor of the Sauber. This set off a fire extinguisher which in turn knocked off the electrics in the car. Pastor Maldonado had more mechanical issues, Williams had a poor weekend and the South Americian hasn't been able to show his worth yet. Another tough weekend for Jerome D'Ambrosio who will be awaiting Virgin's updates with eagerness.
Confused? I'm confused: In an ideal world we would want every race to be a great race with clear and good entertainment. The addition of DRS and the deliberate making of high wearing tyres have been done to improve the show. Of course you would rather not revert to these gadgets but in this day and age it is needed. Sunday was a fantastic race and to see some journalists who report on the sport spinning a negative story on it because of all the activity is quite strange and disappointing. I'm looking at this more on a UK perspective but the race on Sunday recorded the best figures for a race in Malaysia ever. My Dad stayed and watched the whole thing. A guy who works for him even watched some of the race and enjoyed it. It was a fantastic race and i will take one like that every day over one like Bahrain 2010. KERS, DRS, the removal of the double diffusers and the tyres all played their part. Don't forget track design. It is clear that this is a factor. Sepang's long straights followed by tight corners in Sector's 1 and 3 really contribute to the action. Other circuits take note.
A few other things to note from the past weekend as well as the one to come in Shanghai.
- Another difficult weekend for Ferrari but the Prancing Horse was closer to the pace during the race. Senior staff have flown back to Italy between these back to back races which tells you a lot about the concern that there is about the car. It's believed by Italian media that the team will see how the Chinese Grand Prix goes before deciding on what course of action they will take with the development with the car. Ferrari implemented big updates during 2010 so don't write them off yet.
- Sebastien Buemi received a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. He was clocked doing 120.6 km/h in the 100 km/h limited pitlane. He pressed the limiter coming in but felt it had not gone on. However it had and in pressing it again thinking he was putting it on he turned it off and subsequently broke the limit. Usually this gets a drive through penalty so maybe he got a harsher penalty for the excess of speed he had. You could argue a situation like Lewis Hamilton passing the safety car in Valencia last year could have been dealt with in a similar manner. Jaime Alguersuari reported understeer in his car and it was discovered afterwards that there was damage to the front nose.
- There was some surprise when Hamilton went onto prime tyres at his second stop and used that compound until the end of the race. This can probably be explained by Q2 where he flatspotted his right front tyre into turn 1. So that set of tyres may well have been deemed unusable for the race. This meant he only had the set he started on plus one other set, forcing him into doing half the race on primes. That qualifying lock up may well have proved quite costly. Another imprtant thing is the tyre drop off. Sauber ran longer in the first stint in expectation of rain but once the tyres went off they were 3-4 seconds slower a lap. Kamui Kobayashi did manage a 2 stop strategy so another example of Sauber keeping the tyres well on their car.
- The DRS zone in China will be just over 900 metres long and positioned on the 1.175 km back straight between turn 13 and 14. The detection zone for the 1 second gap will be at turn 12. Should see plenty of action down into the hairpin. There has been resurfacing carried out on parts of the track. Also a 4.5 metre debris fence at turn 14. This is probably a response to the incident with Sebastien Buemi in practice last year where a wheel from the Toro Rosso went into a spectator area. We've seen a lot of standing water gather at times in the final corner during wet races in the past at Shanghai and the organisers have changed the drainage on that part of the track.
- Some quotes have come out from the organisers at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain which say they are still trying to get the race on at some point this year. There is even some talk that the King of Bahrain will be in the Shanghai paddock this weekend. Abu Dhabi is prepared to let Bahrain have their November 13th slot and then move the race at Yas Marina to December 4th. They'll be happy to do this as it means they get the season finale. A few weeks ago it seem unlikely in the extreme that a race would occur in Bahrain this year but the possibility remains open. At present the UK foreign office still advise against all but essential travel to the region
- The timetable for the Indian Grand Prix has been revealed:
Times are Local/UK
Fri 28 October
Practice 1 1000 - 1130/0530 - 0700
Practice 2 1400 - 1530/0930 - 1100
Sat 29 October
Practice 3 1100 - 1200/0630 - 0730
Qualifying 1400/0930
Sun 30 October
Race 1500/0930
Overview - April 2011
As is customary around here now I'll wrap up my latest flurry of posts with the latest track overviews. Spring is here and track work will subside quite a bit for the summer, but the racing will go on! Have a great summer Northern Hemisphere, I'll post up some more when its Spring time in the Southern Hemi!
Lets see a back to back champ with Vettel driving his Kinky Kylie in F1 2011.
And finally a small quote that I saw at my friend Dons house and it resonates quite a lot with me.
"Whatever you do... be the best"
-Abraham Lincoln
If thats not what racing and life is all about I don't know what is.
-James
Discovery Channel Visits WLF1R
I imagine most of my friends and aquaintances have seen this but I thought I should post up the clip on my blog. Discovery Channel Canada was out for a day to film me and some friends racing on the circuit. It was a fantastic day with lots of HD cameras and audio. It finally culminated in a really cool piece Ben Schaub and his crew from Discovery put together that aired on their show Daily Planet. Thanks again to Don, Brad, Jimmy and Bryan for particiapting on that exciting day! Enjoy! http://watch.ctv.ca/clip417745#clip417745
Weather Station and Subterranean Garage
The cars keep piling in so it was time for another garage expansion. This time 4 additional floors. That should keep plenty of space for the next couple years, or maybe months (I wish)!
On my daily commute I pass the White Lake / Oakland County Weather Station and it has this cool spherical Doppler Radar dome. That got me to thinking that a weather station would be cool to have and so I've built one on top of the garage. I searched toy shops and sporting goods stores for a small soccer ball that I thought would be a perfect geodesic pattern for the dome. I finally found a nice foam one with a good coating that would accept oil / laquer paint (without eating the foam). From there it was the domes support structure and two story building made from gator board, popsicle type sticks and sintra sheet. It's dressed in corresponding blue / gray to go with the garage look. So how's the weather? Partly cloudy or sunny depending on your preference and it never changes...
Race Control Comm Tower
This new tower has been installed recently to help disguise a cord cover that goes up to the tracks new perimeter lights. Same style construction as the other towers primarily dowell rods and styrene. Back to the lights though, my friend/neighbor spent many hours with me helping me put up the light fixtures around the circuit installing dimmers and the like. The lights actually are pretty cool for night racing in that they have a set of blue leds in the center that remain on even when dimmed which gives a cool night look to the track. Thanks Smitty!
Monday, 11 April 2011
Medical Evac Euro Copter
Well a pretty straightforward one here. I actually got this model in Virginia visting my fiance's parents almost two years ago. My soon to be father in law, also a hobby guy suggested we go to a small hobby shop while on a road trip. Of course I couldn't turn that down and boy was I pleasantly surprised to find several 1/32 scale euro copter kits from revell. Many nationalities and styles so I opted for the medical evac type and finally got around to building it over the winter.
Another few additions are the add-on to the Tux Tower with track side patios on every level and of course the clouds made from chicken wire and poly fill on the ceiling. Certainly a great place to string up the heli!
Revised Pit Elements 1
The WLF1 pitlane has undergone significant upgrades. Some damage had occurred through the several race nights I've hosted while other upgrades were merely to enhance the authenticity of the main straight. Firstly I've built a more robust pit wall with new fencing and updated logos. Also fluorescent entry/gap markers and F signs indicating where fire extinguishers can be found. I've updated the Team control boxes with a few additional architectural elements. Also the overhead walkway towers get a stairway landing pad like brick pavers along with railings and new graphics. One of the more subtle elements are the Elf fuel canisters I made. I created the graphics from scratch off of some rather low resolution photos I found on the web. So although not entirely accurate to the real deal they are pretty close for 1/32 scale. The fuel graphics were wrapped around large sized glue sticks cut to size. Unusual but a perfect size for them!
First Boat Sets Sail at White Lake
Greetings from the Ring followers. Its been another fun year of racing and building at White Lake F1 Ring. Spring is upon us so it's time for the latest updates on my track before my focus turns to the fine weather outside.
I did a rather haphazzard search for 1/32 scale boats to populate the lake in the middle of my circuit, and turned up with next to nothing. With some background in transportation design I figured I would create my own scratch built wave runner.
A relatively small craft with two occupants crusing through the viaduct at the East end of the track. I am including some build photos for those interested. I used sintra sheet to make the sides of the hull, then a balsa wood main deck. Seating was made from carved blue foam and the gantry, windshield and other small parts were made from various Sintra strips. It flies two flags proudly, the good ole starts and stripes and a vintage pirate. Its cool seeing it in its modeled environment with reflections coming off the water. I'll think I'll christen her the SS Eleven... go figure. Bon Voyage!
Friday, 8 April 2011
Williams pitlane nightmares
Pastor Maldonado had a good day of practice in Sepang but coming into the pits during the afternoon session he suffered a spin and hit the wall. He's not the first Williams driver to struggle with a pit entry/exit or pitlane though...
Nigel Mansell was on course for victory until this disaster of a pitstop. Portugal, 1991.
David Coulthard was going well but got caught out by a slippery and tight pit entry. Australia, 1995.
Ralf Schumacher was in hot pursuit of his brother at the Nurburgring but carelessly running over the pit exit line meant he got a penalty and cost him a chance of challenging for the win (3:12). Europe, 2001.
Kazuki Najakima made his F1 debut at Interlagos after the retirement of Alex Wurz. He at least made an impact in the pitlane. Brazil, 2007.
This incident is better remembered for the coming together of a McLaren and a Ferrari but Nico Rosberg also made an error here. Canada, 2008.
In the same race, Kazuki Nakajima damaged his front wing and as he pitted it went underneath the car and into the wall he went (6:22). Canada, 2008.
Rosberg was driving a blinder at Marina Bay in 2009 and on course for a podium but coming out of the pits after his first stop he ran wide, cut the white line and was given a drive through penalty (3:32). Singapore, 2009.
Pastor Maldonado loses it coming into the pits earlier today. Malaysia, 2011.
Nigel Mansell was on course for victory until this disaster of a pitstop. Portugal, 1991.
David Coulthard was going well but got caught out by a slippery and tight pit entry. Australia, 1995.
Ralf Schumacher was in hot pursuit of his brother at the Nurburgring but carelessly running over the pit exit line meant he got a penalty and cost him a chance of challenging for the win (3:12). Europe, 2001.
Kazuki Najakima made his F1 debut at Interlagos after the retirement of Alex Wurz. He at least made an impact in the pitlane. Brazil, 2007.
This incident is better remembered for the coming together of a McLaren and a Ferrari but Nico Rosberg also made an error here. Canada, 2008.
In the same race, Kazuki Nakajima damaged his front wing and as he pitted it went underneath the car and into the wall he went (6:22). Canada, 2008.
Rosberg was driving a blinder at Marina Bay in 2009 and on course for a podium but coming out of the pits after his first stop he ran wide, cut the white line and was given a drive through penalty (3:32). Singapore, 2009.
Pastor Maldonado loses it coming into the pits earlier today. Malaysia, 2011.
Williams pitlane nightmares
Pastor Maldonado had a good day of practice in Sepang but coming into the pits during the afternoon session he suffered a spin and hit the wall. He's not the first Williams driver to struggle with a pit entry/exit or pitlane though...
Nigel Mansell was on course for victory until this disaster of a pitstop. Portugal, 1991.
David Coulthard was going well but got caught out by a slippery and tight pit entry. Australia, 1995.
Ralf Schumacher was in hot pursuit of his brother at the Nurburgring but carelessly running over the pit exit line meant he got a penalty and cost him a chance of challenging for the win (3:12). Europe, 2001.
Kazuki Najakima made his F1 debut at Interlagos after the retirement of Alex Wurz. He at least made an impact in the pitlane. Brazil, 2007.
This incident is better remembered for the coming together of a McLaren and a Ferrari but Nico Rosberg also made an error here. Canada, 2008.
In the same race, Kazuki Nakajima damaged his front wing and as he pitted it went underneath the car and into the wall he went (6:22). Canada, 2008.
Rosberg was driving a blinder at Marina Bay in 2009 and on course for a podium but coming out of the pits after his first stop he ran wide, cut the white line and was given a drive through penalty (3:32). Singapore, 2009.
Pastor Maldonado loses it coming into the pits earlier today. Malaysia, 2011.
Nigel Mansell was on course for victory until this disaster of a pitstop. Portugal, 1991.
David Coulthard was going well but got caught out by a slippery and tight pit entry. Australia, 1995.
Ralf Schumacher was in hot pursuit of his brother at the Nurburgring but carelessly running over the pit exit line meant he got a penalty and cost him a chance of challenging for the win (3:12). Europe, 2001.
Kazuki Najakima made his F1 debut at Interlagos after the retirement of Alex Wurz. He at least made an impact in the pitlane. Brazil, 2007.
This incident is better remembered for the coming together of a McLaren and a Ferrari but Nico Rosberg also made an error here. Canada, 2008.
In the same race, Kazuki Nakajima damaged his front wing and as he pitted it went underneath the car and into the wall he went (6:22). Canada, 2008.
Rosberg was driving a blinder at Marina Bay in 2009 and on course for a podium but coming out of the pits after his first stop he ran wide, cut the white line and was given a drive through penalty (3:32). Singapore, 2009.
Pastor Maldonado loses it coming into the pits earlier today. Malaysia, 2011.
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