After a day of being nice to each other, Mr C and myself are looking to get stuck in with Formula 1 news and gossip. Has there been anything of late to keep us entertained? Let's see.
- The Honda rumours are gathering steam, and it appears that the only thing that still remains a question is whether they will be able to do the deal with Mercedes or not. The engine supplier wants funding for a full year, and from what we know, the sponsorship only stretches to four races. Supposedly they have ten days to sort it out, will they make it in time?
- Bob Bell, Technical Director of Renault is convinced that the car will be on the pace when it comes to racing in Australia. He has to say optimistic things like that, of course, but he adds that the poor testing times were not surprising due to running interim bodywork. They were more interested on the components on the inside than nabbing a good headline. Do we believe him?
- Finally, another Batracer game is waiting to kick off, and just needs a few more people to sign up. If you had fun in the last one, or if you wanted to join in but missed the boat, now is your chance to have a go and see if you can beat the opposition. This game takes the 1986 car set, so if you're interested, you can sign up here. The password is Bourdais, and if you have any questions, there's information on the wiki, or you can ask us in the comments.
The last thing I wanted to mention is a reminder to vote in the final of the Character Cup. It's your last opportunity to make your vote count and crown the Sidepodcast 2009 Character Cup winner. Things are looking very close between Alonso and Vettel, and it could be your vote that swings it. Once you've been and voted, I'll see you in the comments.
So Honda supposedly having the funds for the first four races? Talk about Super Agrui Redux.
Maybe it's a risky game to show would-be sponsors what they're made of in the first couple of races before they invest? Though, given lack of testing I'd imagine Brackley F1 are hardly going to set the motorsport world alight. Poor ol' Senna eh?
I think I need to go on a course to learn to write succinctly. I started a new piece and on the first draft I have 750 words by the time of the driver's first car race and there is stuff I have to add in to that bit.
This will not turn into another four and a half thousand word epic.
It's not about Gilles Villenueve, is it? ;)
Yes and no. My previous 4500 word record was supposed to be 500 words on Villeneuve which by slashing chunks out of it I managed to get it down to 9 times the original planned length. That epic should be appearing here this week some time. The latest tome is about a driver who had many similarities to Gilles but I would doubt if more than three people who frequent this site have ever heard of. I have another previously written piece which will come after the Villeneuve item and probably the current one will be after that.
Just out of curiosity how did you arrive at that conclusion?
Alianora the Mystic :)
Just out of curiosity how did you arrive at that conclusion? {Comment #5
Because the last time I heard of anyone having a four-figure word count on an F1-related topic and then stating they didn't intend for that to happen was someone writing on Gilles Villenueve (and I don't think it was Steven, but I've forgotten who it was).
Maybe Clive?
Possibly...
It may have been this same piece as it was first posted on the anniversary of his death on a site Clive edits. I don't want to name the site as I want to control the release of these items here.
Fair enough, Steven :)
Am in the supermarket and have spotted an F1 belt. If Mr C deserved a present... oh well.
Is there a live show planned today?
Sadly not. The mini series should tide you over whilst Mr C works hard in the background on the site...
Although he's sleeping now, so not working that hard ;)
Did ya buy it? ;)
In fairness to Mr. C, he DID sleep at... 530? Yeah, he and Steven Roy stayed up VERY late.
I've joined the Batracer game, I'm still new to Batracer but I'm getting there =)
Cool! What team did you join?
Hey James. :)
Ferrari.
In truth I didn't know anything of the 1986 season it happend before I was born.
Nice! Same here then. ;)
Ferrari were an OK team that year, but they really didn't contend for the title. I think they won once that year.
Hey!
Time to change history then :)
Same here, I thought half the teams didn't even exist at that point...
Welcome to the team.
Me too.
awake again.
today's task is to improve the default wordpress smilies. might be requesting feedback on various possibilities later in the day.
sorry there's no show today. you may blame me.
Welcome onboard James!
Ditto ;)
I saw official F1 aftershave in my local Tescos, called "Accelerate". I never knew accerleration had a particular scent :P
Even if they were fastest, they would still play it down and merely be "optimistic" about the progress made.
Im sure the parties involved will make it work, I think its in everyones best interest anyway. I mean, surely theres less risk of Brackley F1 being ending up in debt to Mercedes if they have a short term contract for a smaller amount?
I'd love to, but we got a miniseries!
Btw, what's wrong with the smilies? I know you've said before, but I can't remember...
I wonder if any team bosses are Anchorman fans.
"Scientists have tested this france, y'know. They say that 60% of the time, it works all of the time."
*fragrance
France? :|
A friend once wrote in his history book 'The main person responsible for the defeat was Custer, who decided that Science was next and I'll be doing an experiment'
Great guy
they're a bit yellow, and some of them are animated.
Whats wrong with animated :evil:
Yellow? :mrgreen:
it's gonna be one of them days :)
Thanks, heres to changing the course of history :D
Meteo France - 60% of the time, it works all the time.
Of course acceleration has a scent. It is the smell of that is a combination of unburnt gasoline and burnt tire rubber. Not really sure how that is supposed to attract the attention of the gals but if my gal smelt of unburnt gasoline I would stay away from her just from the fire risk alone...
And I do not smoke.
so you would rather them be blue and not animated? :P
Probably not as that would add another job to his list.
The human mind is endlessly facinating. It is capable of constructing the most complex theories but at times miss he blindingly obvious.
This thought occurred to me earlier while channel flicking when I cam across an old version of Cinderella on 5. We all know the story and that she has to bail by midnight or the dress changes back to rags, the coach to a pumpkin, the horses to white mice etc but in the end the prince finds the glass slipper and they all live happily ever after. We have all accepted that since we were children and none of us have spotted the fundamental flaw.
Why didn't the glass slipper change back into whatever it was to start with?
I've told you before, panda smilies. :)
Next you'll be telling me Santa doesn't exist.
I thought of that when I was in high school. There was no sufficient answer for it, but then our teacher taught us the phrase 'suspension of disbelief'.
As it was advancing the story, it was better to leave it be. ;)
Erm... Well... ;)
You are safe on that one I have seen him in shops and he brings me presents every year.
I am however less and less convinced that Max exists. I think Bernie does the whole thing with holograms.
Even the unmentionable things? That's one impressive hologram set-up that Bernie has!
ahhh, i'd forgotten!
plus norad wouldn't lie to us.
I was just the same until I decided to read up about it in a couple of books and on websites. If I'm honest my knowledge of F1 only properly kicks in at around this period of racing.
I'm putting the finishing touches to what I'll rate as my best signature pic ever. It's for someone at RLB who's going to be driving for Toro Rosso, and I've used a pic of an STR in the wet and filled in the spray behind it with the Toro Rosso bull graphic. So it looks like it's coming out the back and chasing it. Personally I think it looks awesome. :D
I think we'll just have to see that then Scotty ;)
You will do when it's finished ;)
If anyone is looking for a stream for Daytona try http://www.justin.tv/urtvcast The build up show is on now and is by far the most stable stream I have found.
nice one :)
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6821/ferreirastrsigpc1.jpg The STR sig I just made :D
Cheers, what time does it start cos I want to watch AC Milan v Inter first
Now I love the effect you've done in the spray, the only negative is probably the font you've wrote the name in. But its great, well done.
I have no idea. The countdown on the NASCAR site zeroed 12 minutes ago when the build up show started.
Thats great!
Why is this on BBC3 anyways? Seems a bit random when BBC gets no italian football ever.
Not that I'm complaining, cant wait for kick off. Even as a Man Utd fan, I miss Jose Mourinho.
I'm guessing BBC have managed to get the rights to Italian football recently, and have no time to put it on 1 or 2.
If they have then that's awesome :D I just haven't heard anything about it.
FOX is showing a cartoon about a gopher called Digger that loves NASCAR. Ooooook then...
As far as I know this is a one-off but they're thinking about buying the Italian rights.
Mr. Jake Humphrey hosting. :)
I was thinking this, F1-wise. I still don't think he does that bad of a job with sports presenting at all.
Watching a bit of the pre-race show from Daytona and there's spots of rain on the camera.
Scott Speed is taking part in the 500 driving the #82 Red Bull Toyota :P
National anthem at Daytona so I guess the kick off is 20:30
Poor one at that.
The drivers just got their order to "Start Your Engines!"
You're not seriously going to watch the whole thing are you? Wait for the one hour highlights package!
Why not! I for one have a vast palette of motorsport tastes. Nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of NASCAR. In some ways I enjoy the close racing.
Wow, Montoya starts on row 4!
Yeah but these kind of races just drag on until the last ten laps. Trust me buddy, you're wasting your time here!
Oh awesome, the pace car's one of the new Camaro's :D
I've got nowt better to do, well I have, so I'll have it as just commentry or something.
in fairness, the opening laps are impressive.
Yep, then the next 150 are rubbish, then everyone wakes up for the last 10 or so.
Only because of the inevitable caution periods that drag it out.
In restrictor plate racing, all the race leads up to a big crash at the end. It's a bit of a lottery!
Scott Speed crashed in the warmup, I think, so he will have to start at the back with 6 other cars that did so. He would have been 38th on the grid.
Isn't it always in NASCAR?
On average only 7 and on average first caution on lap 32.
He switched to a Backup Car.
Expect to see a few major players get wiped out randomly.
Boogity boogity boogity, let's go racin', boys! :D
Can you imagine James Allen saying that?
whatcha all watching?
http://www.justin.tv/urtvcast
Daytone 500
Daytona 500. Quick! Get out of here before it's too late!
daytona 500, for no apparant reason
http://www.justin.tv/urtvcast
Daytona.
& Richard Hammond's new prog on BBC2
They're throwing a caution on lap 25 because of the rain warnings.
Montoya running 3rd.
Must be pretty confident of their weather system then
They've done 25 laps already?
oooh... that's nascar isn't it?.... they just go round in circles...
Only 6 laps of pure boredom
haha i'm watching that :)
No, that's what they're going to do.
Only 6 laps so far
Oh.
I'm giving this 9 laps and if it doesn't improve, I'm watching some classic F1 races
I've just about lost interest now...
So let me get this right, the spectators pay money for this?
Spinner already, #8 or Almirola
It's one of the problems with restrictor plate racing. They cruise round as fast as they can but it's very difficult for anyone to make a move.
of*
Caution for that?
i don't get it. i've just tuned in.... i was right. they just go round in circles....:/
Indeed.
Welcome to NASCAR
They've given a caution for someone spinning, what a useless sport.
The rush on pitlane on cautions is quite enjoyable sometimes.
Montoya leading a train of cars hitting pit road.
NASCAR tactics is to stay on the leading lap until the last 10-15 laps then race.
This is why it's entertainment and not racing. A 'competition caution' because the track isn't rubbered in, and a caution because a car spun out of the way of everybody else!
The races are too long!
i don't get it... plus am i right in seeing they have only done 10 of 200 laps?
It must happen. :P
And they are cautioning it for a bit of rain? This is motorsport not bloomin cricket.
They have cautions for 'debris' on the track too!
Aye, the only good thing is I do like the graphics.
Yup. Not exactly thrilling is it...
If it rains they will stop. The caution will be so they are going slow when the rain starts
but.... but... hang on... so a caution means what?
Wha? Have they not heard of wet weather tyres?
Yellow flag, pace car and everyone makes a pit stop
No, the caution is because they are unsure that the tyres will last 25 laps. Basically Goodyear can't make tyres that work properly!
In America on an oval no-one races in the rain
Hehe, that Bud commercial with the satnav was great :D
You have to be joking. How long have they been racing at Daytona? Since the 30s??
That seems to be because a duck is pumping the tyres.
right. okay.
Maybe only since the 50s
If I'm being fair, although I'm not sure why I am, cricket players don't usually travel at 200mph.
They had a division 2 race in Montreal last year. It was pouring down with rain. They decided to use some rain tyres they had in stock. The problem was that the tyres were 8 years old and it turns out the tyres were so old that the ones they use for tyre barriers have to be changed every 5 years!
Also, the cars had no wipers. The drivers were using squeegees to wipe the windows !!!
Yeah, but F1 travel at similar speeds and they don't stop for a drop of rain at a place like Monaco.
But an oval is different
But they slow down sometimes.
That may be a fair point. Obvious solution for that though.
I wish I was. I refer to the Brickyard 400 last year @ Indy. The tyres were only good for 8 laps and were randomly exploding. What a farce.
That would seem to be a minor flaw in the rain
I think the 'Competition Caution' is really because Goodyear can't make a tire that will last more than 20 on the heavy cars.
Haven't they just went to an ad break? This is worse than ITV.
That is crazy it's not like that cars are advancing so quickly the tyres can't keep up like when F1 had turbos
:D
They are letting Hammond fly an A380
Oooh, a goal in the Milan derby
For which team
I like NASCAR, but since the COT got introduced the sport seems to be going downhill faster and faster.
Pato for AC Milan
i don't like the look of those evacuation slides, they look a bit steep.
Here comes one hell of a traffic jam
Busch leads em out with Dale Jr 2nd.
I thought he was going to try one to show us how steep they really are.
I suppose in some ways it is better if they are steep because at the bottom people are more vertical and can get on their feet and out of the way quicker.
Yup.
lol i wonder how many times he did that. it kinda looked fun seeing him do it.. not my cup of tea though. lol
yeah, that does make sense.
American adverts are weird. But then I have been used to Danish ones for too long...
There is waaaaaaaaay to many of them.
Stewart's crew chief "Ole, ole ole ole!"
Stewart: "Meh, guess we got nothin' else to do. Hehehe!"
:D
would you actually want to watch more of the race though :P
I Loooooove those wooshing sounds when they all rush by. Sounds like a machine gun :D
No, be sensible and wait for the highlights!
You give a good point ;)
Which leads me onto I've know given in on watching this load of rubbish
Oops, shoulda said I've now given in
Me too. Highlights are on tuesday and maybe sooner on RU
You can see why NASCAR fans get so obsessed with their favourite drivers and have so much animosity to their rivals. The racing is so boring you have to spend your time arguing that Dale is better than Jimmie.
Them Aflac ads are funny :D
Another thing I like in NASCAR is when they're all nose to tail going down the backstraight, bobbing along as they run over the bumps :D
Caution is out, #28 of Travis Kvapl hits the wall, keeps going but right front is messed up bad.
Looks like NASCAR's weather forecasting is as good as F1's.
Ollie has just put up a great post. Well worth a read.
http://blogf1.co.uk/2009/02/15/youll-race-still-quicker-on-the-highways-of-heaven/comment-page-1/#comment-70129
My Daytona stream just switched to football. Watching http://www.justin.tv/nomadxx224 now
Oh goody.
They have a NASCAR Day in America?!
To be honest I have it on in a corner of my screen while I am doing other things. I have listened to the commentary rather than watching the race.
I think it would be better if James Allen was commentating and constantly telling us the next corner is a left hander.
:D
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nascar_coach_reveals_winning
WOOOO BIG ONE! :D
:D
:D
So James Allen would be saying "he is turning left, now going straight, now turning lef and now...)
:D hehehe
- "the official tools of nascar"?
- "the official search engine of nascar"?
it is annoying, but man, look at the opportunities f1 is missing out on.
Well they copied the best bits of the coverage...
f1 isn't as big in England as Nascar is in the states though. applying that here may not be as profitable.
:D "Is this straight enough?"
It's an oldie, but a goodie ;-)
I have just noticed that on the justin.tv feed the legend DRIVE FAST TURN LEFT is at the top of the browser. The guy mustbe some kind of expert.
Why didn’t the glass slipper change back into whatever it was to start with? {Comment #40}
Maybe it was outside the range of the enchantment when the fateful hour struck for the enchanted items to change back, so it missed the cue and was? Granted, that leaves the question of why the fairy godmother didn't tell Cinderella to go back in her own time (she couldn't have stayed all night because the stepmother and stepsisters would have expected to see Cinderella in her usual attire upon their own return).
Alternatively, the prince could have seen the slipper on the hour and regarded it as a nameless woman rather than Cinderella's, making it no longer "hers"? It's fairly illogical, but so is magic that turns a pumpkin into a carriage when you think about it.
:D
Thank you for the link, and comments.
And to whoever said "Daddy or chips?" That's my line. I demand royalties! :) Cheques are written out to Mr Oliver White. :D (I have no idea who the comment was in relation to, but felt like adding that line after saying that phrase a few times on Twitter and confusing American's with it.) Ah, those were the days...
You are safe on that one I have seen him in shops and he brings me presents every year. {Comment #45}
One day I will tell you the complex theories I had to invent in order to prevent myself from denying Santa's existence at age four...
Yes but that is normal in the world of the story. It would be like the laws of physics applying to the whole universe apart from one shoe which floats up to the ceiling when you take it off.
they've sold advertising on a specific camera? wt?
Oh my friend, EVERYTHING is sponsored!
but, but... a camera angle?
In the US of A everything is sponsored. Scoreboards are sponsored. Some sports have 1 minute summaries that have sponsors. If it can be packaged separately it can be sold.
they have sponsored a camera angle? how does that work?
Glass Slippers were just mentioned in the commentary!
i'm going to have to tune in again aren't i? lol
everytime they show the wall camera, a caption flashes up saying something like "super-fast camera sponsored by someone". the commentators call it by the same name.
Every time they go to it someone will mention that this is what you can see from the McWilliams Dangleplungers camera and there will be a little McWilliams Dangleplungers sticker on the bottom of the shot.
the blimp is also sponsored by someone else!
How can a driver put his foot hard down if he is wearing a glass slipper?
maybe they're on his hands?
I love American adverts for medecines
:D
:o i am very pleased we don't have that in f1. that would annoy me so much.
It's sick how they're allowed to do that.
Someone is going to luck in to a win here.
Ofcom wouldn't allow it. There is a law that says there must be a clear separation of programs and ads which is why we can't get scrolling ads etc.
Ahh, the Restrictor Plate Lottery. It's usually because of a last lap incident.
I am thinking that someone will get one more lap out of a tank of petrol just as the rain starts or someone will pit just at the wrong time because of a vibration when had he put up with it for one more lap...
the branding suffocating.
:) ah didn't know that. i like that law ;)
I am sure that people who watch this all the time don't even notice the branding. A bit like google ads.
They need it. Word is that the Manufacturers may have to pull out of the sport because of political pressure...
That is why we have had ad breaks in F1 for the last decade. They tried to get an exception but couldn't.
just watching an interesting conversation thread on justin. the guy streaming the nascar is likely to get banned from the network, if he keeps streaming NBA games.
wonder bernie has the power to do the same for f1 streams?
Lipitor Post race show? That is blood pressure medication I think.
it the option is between sponsored camera angles with captions etc and ad breaks i'll take ad breaks any day.
Haha I like the humour in that one!
So you guys complain about ad breaks but prefer them to scrollings ads? Huh?
someone sponsors the "big crash of the race"?
i am stunned.
It wouldn't have gon that far but what they wanted was a split screen or picture in picture set up so that you could still see the race in a corner of the screen while the ads ran or to run the ads on a scroll bar.
Not me.
I am stunned it's not sponsored by Medivac's or health insurance!
NASCAR is not known for its sophisticated fanbase.
That would rock!
:D
Some countries have it. Can't remember who though.
Not NZ or Denmark.
Actually, in Denmark it's in Widescreen with NO ads!
that's not a truck, it's a tank :)
hd?
i certainly do. :)
Probably not. It's just race footage - no presenters or anything (just commentators).
I may be wrong, but I think Premiere in Germany show it in HD.
Wow... 21mpg. That's why the big three are in trouble!
And at the end of the 'race' they will go to Gatorade Victory Lane. There aren't several victory lanes and they need to differentiate them. Nope, Gatorade is just subliminally drooped in there.
The best is when they have the [Sponsor Name] 500 Presented by [Secondary Sponsor Name] at [Another Sponsor Name] Speedway.
Waking up at 3:00AM for F1 is worth it!
May I ask why?
hmmm... i prefer it the BBC way. no ads at all :)
amen harry :)
True but that really was not an option for ITV.
What about when they interview the winner and all he does is make a sentence out of his sponsors?
Apart from the fake news stories which are actually adverts for other programmes,
Evening all, BTW
hullo :)
Hi Andy
Agreed.
If you're wondering where I've been, I've just got my computer back after it had to visit the Genius Bar. It has a shiny new bottom case and a new optical drive. All is well with the world again.
I just love that drivers are sponsored by the National Guard and the Army.
that's it? that's the race?
Race declared over.
i want my evening back :(
it's just a little silly. i mean, if i want to watch F1, i want to watch F1 not with the added distraction of adverts on the same screen, or flashing captions. I just think, by all means put the sponsorship on the cars and track etc, but keep whats actually on the screen for the sport (eg race positions etc). i can cope with ad breaks cause at least you can listen to the radio or watch an online feed, or watch live timings. That contains the information that i am after, i don't wish to know anything else. Sorry if that isn't explained well or doesnt make any sense, i am currently fighting the urge to chuck my laptop out of the window ;)
heya :)
Matt Kenseth wins the Daytona 500 despite starting 43 and last. Only in NASCAR...
I don't want to have an unrelated distraction running along the bottom of a screen while I'm trying to concentrate on watching a race. I'd much rather be able to ignore that information, instead of having forced at me.
Same applies for all programmes.
yeah, Dom said what i meant a lot better than i did :)
agreed.
You want to sit through that again?
:D
i'm really pleased i didn't watch most of it now :)
If Franck switches to NASCAR I am not going to watch all his races.
Oops, I didn't see yours.
I didn't see any of it, I was simply bored by proxy :)
Actually, that makes sense. What's wrong with the laptop?
hehe no worries, like i said you explained it much better than i did :)
Yes but that is normal in the world of the story. It would be like the laws of physics applying to the whole universe apart from one shoe which floats up to the ceiling when you take it off. {Comment #199}
:D Good analogy. Not entirely sure how it prevents my ideas, but somehow I get the sense that it does. Maybe I need to go to bed...
It's not a Mac :)
it's usual problems ;) plus it's being a bit slow, i've just rebooted and it now seems fine, but it had got to the stage where i was typing and it was taking a while to actually show it on the screen.
you guys have rubbed off on me... i now want a mac. there i said it. i really really want a mac. the more dad says i can't have one, the more i am convinced it's worth the money. bad times.
Why can't you have one?
just watching an interesting conversation thread on justin. the guy streaming the nascar is likely to get banned from the network, if he keeps streaming NBA games. {Comment #225}
wonder bernie has the power to do the same for f1 streams?
Yes, he does. All copyright owners have the power to prevent their intellectual property from being streamed without permission, and I doubt anyone from Justin.tv has filled in the necessary forms with FOM (read pay Bernie enough money) to legally broadcast. In fact, I think this may have had something to do with everyone's out-of-UK feed of F1 practise going down simultaneously one round last year (I think it was one of the Far Eastern races).
It's true, you need a Mac. Perhaps bad times financially, but it'll pay off in the end. They last ages...
they are expensive.
I want the MacBook Wheel!
I got my info wrong. Lipitor is for reducing cholesterol not blood pressure.
i know., but with the very very high school fees dad pays, a mac is just not an option atm.
No they're not. They seem expensive, but independent comparisons have put the cost at roughly £50 more than an equivalent machine. Add in Applecare and you've got a machine that will last you 3 years minimum with no further outlay.
That's fine if you can find the money in the first place.
in that case, they're over-spec'ed :)
:D
in truth though, apple doesn't have products to cover every price range - no answer to a netbook for example.
plus, i don't care what survey you've read, the mac mini is over-priced and underpowered. not to mention being desperately in need of a refresh.
if they updated the damn thing i'd buy a new one... still patiently waiting.
I agree on the market segment stuff and the Mac Mini is long overdue for a refresh. I'm waiting for a new model too.
i don't need convincing. Tell that to my dad ;) although, i see where he is coming from. atm it's much cheaper to just get my laptop fixed and hope it lasts until i go off to uni next year, than it is to try and save up the money to buy one now. I mean when i say expensive school fees, i mean expensive school fees.
i'm first!
:)
actually, you're the last person i should have that race with, damn.
Well, you'll probably hear about it before I do.
i've been hearing about it for 12 months :)
Don't believe anything until it appears on apple.com