Phil: I feel I ought to alert to my co-blogger to a few feature the BBC are adding to this year's F1 coverage. They may not have all the races live, they may not have Martin Brundle, but they do have a rundown of the top 20 greatest F1 drivers ever, according to their team of pundits.
They'll be announcing one each race (assuming there are 20 races this year), in reverse order. No 20 is Jochen Rindt. They've revealed that, intriguingly, four of the current crop are on the list, which begs the question - which four? Schumacher, Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton would be my guess. Others may of course disagree.....
It's this weekend. Can you believe it?
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
The 1973 German Grand Prix
Fourteen laps of the old Nurburgring, each of them fourteen miles long. Each lap led, from pole, by Jackie Stewart, who also won the race.
The last time a grand prix started without a single Italian driver on the grid - until this season, with both Trulli and Liuzzi having lost their race seats.
In the late 80s it seemed like half the grid was Italian - Alboreto, Capelli, de Cesaris, Larini, Martini, Modena.
The back half, of course.
The last time a grand prix started without a single Italian driver on the grid - until this season, with both Trulli and Liuzzi having lost their race seats.
In the late 80s it seemed like half the grid was Italian - Alboreto, Capelli, de Cesaris, Larini, Martini, Modena.
The back half, of course.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
So close you can almost smell it...
"In two weeks we know. There is no point to guess here. I don't know who's going to be fastest. Nobody knows."
The wise words of Kimi Raikkonen, taking time out from having a shit, to give the world's media an insight, and also to manage expectations of his own performance after two years out.
What we do know, at last, is who's driving for who.
Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Sauber have the same blokes as last time.
Lotus, who were Renault last year, have a new line up in Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Raikkonen returns after two years under-achieving in the WRC for more of the same in F1. Grosjean is another F1 returnee but differs from his teammate in actually having won something while he was away, the 2011 GP2 championship.
Force India retain di Resta and promote test driver Nico Hulkenberg, who let's remember started his last race, Abu Dhabi 2010, on pole, to a race seat. Former no 1 driver Adrian Sutil is, as we've said, the new Bertrand Gachot, and finds himself without a race seat.
Toro Rosso have an entirely new line up, with Sebastien Buemi testing for Red Bull and Jaime Alguersuari commentating for Radio 5 Live (!). They've been replaced by Daniel Ricciardo who impressed last year with half a season at Hispania (to the extent that it's possible to impress in a Hispania, ie by not finishing last) and Jean-Eric Vergne. Toro Rosso seems to have been set up to find the new Sebastian Vettel, and they must have decided that neither Buemi nor Alguersuari was going to be it.
Williams, lurking down near the bottom like something Kimi might have left in the gents, have retained Maldonado. Rubens Barrichello, however, starts a new career in Indy after 18 years and more races than any other driver in history - a clear candidate for our new slot on great drivers of the past, I think. His replacement is almost more noteworthy - for the first time since that fateful day at Imola, we have a Senna in a blue and white Williams.
Amongst the new teams, who really must stop being 'new' and start scoring some points, Vitaly Petrov has been a last minute replacement for Jarno Trulli, alongside Heikki Kovalainen at Caterham (formerly Lotus). Marussia, who aren't Virgin any more, keep Timo Glock alongside new guy Charles Pic.
Hispania have got Narain Karthikeyan back after Ricciardo got a better offer from Toro Rosso, and the long list of returning F1 drivers is completed by Pedro de la Rosa, making what must be his fourth or fifth comeback after having replaced Sergio Perez at Sauber for the race after his shunt at Monaco.
As has been said elsewhere, all six world champions of the 21st century will be on the grid. Kimi and Schumi will be sharing a grid for the first time since that legendary incident at Brazil 2006.
Excited is not the word.
The wise words of Kimi Raikkonen, taking time out from having a shit, to give the world's media an insight, and also to manage expectations of his own performance after two years out.
What we do know, at last, is who's driving for who.
Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Sauber have the same blokes as last time.
Lotus, who were Renault last year, have a new line up in Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Raikkonen returns after two years under-achieving in the WRC for more of the same in F1. Grosjean is another F1 returnee but differs from his teammate in actually having won something while he was away, the 2011 GP2 championship.
Force India retain di Resta and promote test driver Nico Hulkenberg, who let's remember started his last race, Abu Dhabi 2010, on pole, to a race seat. Former no 1 driver Adrian Sutil is, as we've said, the new Bertrand Gachot, and finds himself without a race seat.
Toro Rosso have an entirely new line up, with Sebastien Buemi testing for Red Bull and Jaime Alguersuari commentating for Radio 5 Live (!). They've been replaced by Daniel Ricciardo who impressed last year with half a season at Hispania (to the extent that it's possible to impress in a Hispania, ie by not finishing last) and Jean-Eric Vergne. Toro Rosso seems to have been set up to find the new Sebastian Vettel, and they must have decided that neither Buemi nor Alguersuari was going to be it.
Williams, lurking down near the bottom like something Kimi might have left in the gents, have retained Maldonado. Rubens Barrichello, however, starts a new career in Indy after 18 years and more races than any other driver in history - a clear candidate for our new slot on great drivers of the past, I think. His replacement is almost more noteworthy - for the first time since that fateful day at Imola, we have a Senna in a blue and white Williams.
Amongst the new teams, who really must stop being 'new' and start scoring some points, Vitaly Petrov has been a last minute replacement for Jarno Trulli, alongside Heikki Kovalainen at Caterham (formerly Lotus). Marussia, who aren't Virgin any more, keep Timo Glock alongside new guy Charles Pic.
Hispania have got Narain Karthikeyan back after Ricciardo got a better offer from Toro Rosso, and the long list of returning F1 drivers is completed by Pedro de la Rosa, making what must be his fourth or fifth comeback after having replaced Sergio Perez at Sauber for the race after his shunt at Monaco.
As has been said elsewhere, all six world champions of the 21st century will be on the grid. Kimi and Schumi will be sharing a grid for the first time since that legendary incident at Brazil 2006.
Excited is not the word.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Testing report
Justin: I expect my co-blogger (and indeed our readers, if we have any) to cast his eye over my previous detailed, fun blogs.
Anyway...testing.....Lotus have topped 3 of the 4 testing timesheets from Barcelona..I think. Kimi looks fast and committed. Andrew Benson..or was it Gary Anderson sat watching the cars through a particular turn at Circuit de Catalunya (a circuit which requires pure aero as a must) and said the Red Bull and Mclaren behaved well and looked fast, but the Ferarri looked good for a few laps then started behaving erratically with understeer, oversteer etc etc...
As far as I can see from testing it's as you were last year...Red Bull and Mclaren, Mercedes pushing to be nearer them....Lotus looking good....nobody knows about Ferarri at all...it looks fast but very unpredictable. The rest of the field has bunched up somewhat...Williams, Force India etc...the field is closing together by the looks of it.
As Webber said, lets go racing!
Anyway...testing.....Lotus have topped 3 of the 4 testing timesheets from Barcelona..I think. Kimi looks fast and committed. Andrew Benson..or was it Gary Anderson sat watching the cars through a particular turn at Circuit de Catalunya (a circuit which requires pure aero as a must) and said the Red Bull and Mclaren behaved well and looked fast, but the Ferarri looked good for a few laps then started behaving erratically with understeer, oversteer etc etc...
As far as I can see from testing it's as you were last year...Red Bull and Mclaren, Mercedes pushing to be nearer them....Lotus looking good....nobody knows about Ferarri at all...it looks fast but very unpredictable. The rest of the field has bunched up somewhat...Williams, Force India etc...the field is closing together by the looks of it.
As Webber said, lets go racing!
Monday, 27 February 2012
F1 funnies on youtube!
Justin: Fantastic! Fernando pisses himself all the way through the handbags!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfRVctse_KQ&feature=related
Heehehehehehehehehehehe - ok he probably isnt flirting, but it's fucking amusing with the subtitles or without! Go Schumi!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je4O1fXMiFw
Montoya cracking a joke....oh dear!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiNlGAHaJn4
I don't like him as a driver, but Seb has a fun sense of humour at least:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_bs1CMh_uI
DC baby.....DC!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSGOoCXjIw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfRVctse_KQ&feature=related
Heehehehehehehehehehehe - ok he probably isnt flirting, but it's fucking amusing with the subtitles or without! Go Schumi!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je4O1fXMiFw
Montoya cracking a joke....oh dear!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiNlGAHaJn4
I don't like him as a driver, but Seb has a fun sense of humour at least:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_bs1CMh_uI
DC baby.....DC!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSGOoCXjIw&feature=related
Saturday, 18 February 2012
F1 Hero Series: Mika Hakkinen
Justin: Thought I'd fill in some time until the first race of the season by starting an F1 Hero/ legend list, in no particular order. These are the drivers I have supported, watched, admired etc over the years.
First up - Double world champion Mika Hakkinen - The Flying Finn!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h9JPH7hbFc
If you are going to be remembered for one bit of driving, it may as well be the best overtake in history! This move on Schumi came at the height of their 3 year battle(s) for the title in 2000.
My co-blogger and I were talking about Spa the other day, so I thought it was a good place to start with the F1 Hero Series.
Back in the mid-nineties I supported anyone who rose up against Schumi frankly. Mika was faster than the most successful F1 driver in history for two years in 98 and 99 and nearly beat him to a third title in 2000, narrowly missing out in a classic showdown in Japan.
A lot of people say that Mika, along with Alonso, deserves the most credit for their double world championships as they were both well in the Schumi dominated era.
Let us not forget that Mika is the guy who out qualified Senna on his Mclaren debut, and Senna didnt like it or forget it.
Of course there was the near life ending crash in Australia in 1995, that brought him and Ron Dennis a lot closer, which in turn contributed to Coulthard feeling second best during his stint alongside Mika. Takes balls to come back from a fractured skull.
20 GP wins, 2 world titles and a reputation as a very fast driver, especially over a single lap - Mika is truly one of the greats. Later in his career he sort of developed his on screen persona a bit, from the mildly dull early Mika - I think he just started relaxing, starting to call Michael "The Michael" hehe.
Mika also gave us a classic, emotional F1 moment when he crashed out whilst leading in Monza and had a few moments crying on his knees in the trees. To come back and win the title after that takes guts.
Its safe to say that in 2001 he started losing motivation. His car stalled on the grid and for the first time he found himself afraid - after that he was never really consistently the same driver, showing only flashes of the utter speed and brilliance by winning 2 GP's that year.
He went on a break in 2002, never to return. He wanted to come back in 2007, but when he tested the desire may have been there but he was 3 seconds off the pace of others, so it was definately a no go.
I'm quite glad he didnt return really, as he left the sport on top and with grace and class.
So, Mika Hakkinen - I salute you as a true F1 hero!
Some classic Mika moments!
Water fight with Irvine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtlNxwu43g8
Ah Mika, we love you mate! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK3Eaoda9v8&feature=related
Classic! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Ylp-wDpWE&feature=related
Erm...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSMQM4ASGRg
Sunday, 5 February 2012
That makes this the second blog of 2012 then..
Justin: Just 39 days until Free Practice 1 in Australia! I can barely wait...for the race highlights... on BBC 1 on the Sunday afternoon.
Some of the new cars have been launched - The McLaren looks rather nice, tidy, tight - it certainly looks like it should be fast. The Ferarri looks like a damn beast, almost like some sort of designers monster frankly....looks, more chunky....we will of course know nothing until the first tests next week. Ferarri are said to have taken a very aggressive approach, even re-introducing a front pull rod suspension, which was last used in f1 ten years ago!
Not too much other news to report really. Bruno Senna got the Williams drive, which I personally think is excellent. Lets see what he can do given a whole season in a car that isn't (as) shit (as an HRT).
Looking at the latest reports, I don't think poor Kubica will be back at all. Though, it's amusing to see Kimi say he'd perhaps like to juggle a rallying career alongside F1 in future - does he realise who his employers are?!
Naughty Adrian Sutil was found guilty of...assault...was it (?) and handed an 18 month suspended sentence. Oooppsss!
I bought another F1 book to get me through the wait til the first race - one which my co-blogger will be interested in. It's called "The Limit" and is the story of Von Trips and Phil Hill and their infamous race at Monza in 1961.
Some of the new cars have been launched - The McLaren looks rather nice, tidy, tight - it certainly looks like it should be fast. The Ferarri looks like a damn beast, almost like some sort of designers monster frankly....looks, more chunky....we will of course know nothing until the first tests next week. Ferarri are said to have taken a very aggressive approach, even re-introducing a front pull rod suspension, which was last used in f1 ten years ago!
Not too much other news to report really. Bruno Senna got the Williams drive, which I personally think is excellent. Lets see what he can do given a whole season in a car that isn't (as) shit (as an HRT).
Looking at the latest reports, I don't think poor Kubica will be back at all. Though, it's amusing to see Kimi say he'd perhaps like to juggle a rallying career alongside F1 in future - does he realise who his employers are?!
Naughty Adrian Sutil was found guilty of...assault...was it (?) and handed an 18 month suspended sentence. Oooppsss!
I bought another F1 book to get me through the wait til the first race - one which my co-blogger will be interested in. It's called "The Limit" and is the story of Von Trips and Phil Hill and their infamous race at Monza in 1961.
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