Here it is at last, March is officially Grand Prix month. Okay, we still have a good few weeks left, but isn't it nice to say the racing starts this month rather than next? Here's what we're keeping ourselves occupied with at the moment:
- The Honda rumours at the moment seem to circulate around the new team name being Brawn Racing. It's not exactly snappy, but I suppose my suggestion of: "The Team Formerly Known as Honda" was never going to make it. Fingers still crossed for an official announcement soon.
- The new Force India livery appears to have been revealed yesterday, ahead of their launch today. I'm not sure what other information is to be released today, perhaps a couple of interviews with Sutil and Fisichella. Thoughts on the new livery are always appreciated.
- One last plug for today, when was your first time? The post covers some diary entries I made during my first year watching F1, and they're quite amusing to look back on.
That should be enough for now, I'm sure there will be some more news today - bless Force India for making Sunday a news day. Until then, I will see you in the comments.
I didn't think Force India was doing a formal launch, but it wouldn't surprise me if the drivers got some quotes, if not full-scale interviews as you suggest, Christine.
This related to nothing but I think there should be a team called Super Dooper Mystery Fun Team. Imagine the merchandise.
Honda should be renamed Phoenix F1. Appropriate and cooool!
What a day ahead, a winnable match, the Carling Cup final, World Club Challenge, The Debrief and bed.
Its all planned out today.
Brawn Racing? Really? Nothing else springs to mind as better?
Much more planned than we are! Sounds like a good one.
McLaren using a rather curvy ring-wing today: http://directo.thef1.es/tests/gallery/images/088.jpg
'ring-wing'?!!
What the...
I think it's about capturing the air and trying to get it to work on the bottom section of the new rear diffuser, bit like Williams have done with the wings on the side of the air box. Teams have less surface area to play with this year, so a little curve here n there may just do the trick. I also think it takes the eye off the fact that the wing is so much smaller than last year.
Honda should be renamed Phoenix F1. Appropriate and cooool! {Comment #3}
As long as they don't believe in bad omens - the last team to be named Phoenix F1 didn't even make it to the track in Sepang (having deliberately missed the first race of the season) because the cars were impounded for having the wrong carnet and the people were prevented from entering the paddock because the FIA didn't recognise their claim to the Prost F1 entry.
Brawn Racing? Really? Nothing else springs to mind as better? {Comment #5}
In that form, I'd agree. Thoug imagine what would happen if Ross found a co-owner nicknamed Brains and the team got named after the duo...
They could've got Brains beers advertising with them like the Welsh rugby team. :D
Those lovely people are out testing away - do you think they charge double for working on a Sunday?
I likes this picture:
Oh dear, this one is not a good look.
What's this - Ferrari have a "business casual" uniform? No wonder Rob Smedley looks depressed!
Hehe. I just can't believe it's not red. I didn't know they had heard of other colours!!
what is it with f1 people and brown leather cases?
Can anyone help me....(probably not you cry :P )
I have a driver in my head, GP2 driver from last year, he's gone to IRL this year, British driver, was part of the Honda Young Driver program, won British F3 a few years back...its annoying me and i cant work out who he is....
anyone help?
probably don't need to post this link again. but timing and spanish commentary from today's test here:
http://directo.thef1.es/tests/
current times:
What's this? Vettel ahead of Massa - in a Red Bull? Would you look at that... and by a significant margin too...
Mike Conway
It's 1998 all over again... ;)
One can only hope... If a Ferrari can't win the title, I hope Vettel does. :D
Aha!! Thats it, thankkks!
So, we are officially in the Whitmarsh era at McLaren now. I wonder whether he can have the same effect as Mr Dennis... or better... or worse?
If he does have a similar effect, then Martinspeak doesn't have the same ring to it :(
Looks a bit like Martianspeak. Sounds like a rumour we could start :)
Somehow... I think that Whitmarsh will always be in the shadow of Ron so long as he's still at McLaren, much in the same way that Domenicali will always be in the shadow of LDM so long as he's still at Ferrari. They will never fully inherit their thrones until Ron and LDM retire and leave the sport entirely.
not sure how that's happening :)
what's also odd is how few laps all the driver have managed thus far.
Race Pro update - I'm taking part in an online race organised by RaceDepartment around Curitiba in Radical SR4s. 15 laps in the dry, should be quite good :D I'm looking to get some practice in later on this afternoon.
The race is at 7pm tonight, so I'll have the Debrief going on in the background.
Sounds good :)
Still can';t get a race!
Guys,
Any details on the show tonight?
What do you need to know?
Time, type and what may be discussed please.
http://www.sidepodcast.com/about/upcoming-schedule/
You should be playing rFactor instead, and this is why
rfactor central just had a video competition where you can vote for the best one here. Check it out, the videos are cool and well worth a look :-)
So I've missed it then - it says Live stream of F1 debrief at 7am? :-)
I was interested on what will be discussed tonight too...
It is usually the happenings of the week before. Anything you're after in particular?
I have a comment in moderation with youtube links in it :-(
Hmm not really, just curious, was all :-)
woah... what did you comment using??
Probably a bit about liveries, some snippets from the KERS talk, usual GW/BW, feedback, etc.
If I told you anymore I'd have to kill you :)
The daily post (easier for hyperlinks)
OK then, that's fine for now ;-)
how come?
Umm, I can post links here but sometimes I like to encapsulate them in a word or phrase for style reasons. Saves posts with really long web addresses in them, I spose.
ahh, okay. no worries, i'll add a href button to doohickey too.
am testing some new code on doohickey which should play nicer with youtube and wikipedia links. panicked that it wasn't working for a minute there.
carry on :)
Doohickey test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fYGRgTEX0U&NR=1
ace :)
Cool, it worked then. That car (Lotus 88) baffles me on how it works. Very extreme engineering!
By the way, that is a clip from a documentary called "The secret life of Colin Chapman" - a very insightful and critical look at Lotus cars, Lotus F1 and Colin Chapman. I can reccomend it!
have added new button to doohickey for ya:
http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/new-doohickey-button-png
also swapped the bold / italic buttons around, because they're currently, the umm, wrong way around.
Sounds good :-D
You know me, I go out, play football, get beat, and come back.
Today, I went out, got to the wrong ground, came back to find we were 1-0 up without me, won, and now came back. Oh am I happy today.
Gone to the wrong ground... I've done that :-(
i thought you were the keeper? you guys must have 5pintsofawesome defenders :)
Maybe the defenders just formed a wall in front of goal until he arrived? :-)
We chucked the tallest one in, he apparantly had nowt to do
I wouldn't go that far...
RBR = VERY fast, but VERY fragile.
Vettel's engine exploded - red flag on cicruit.
Engine??? That's the fault of Renault isn't it?
Oh dear. This RB5 isn't going to be another MP4-20, is it? Hope not.
Possibly, but given the engine freeze, I'm suspecting this is more probably an engine cooling issue; i.e. the aero is too tight and isn't letting enough air into the engine.
Could be - but remember Renault have been allowed to develop the engine to achieve 'parity'...
But if that were the case, Alonso should've been blowing up engines as well - but that hasn't happened as of yet.
Good point. Are Red Bull running the same spec engines as Renault?
Carling Cup going good so far.
I see Ms Patrick hesistant on USF1
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73490
I love it how she thinks she's worthy of an F1 seat and that somehow it is not as important as IndyCars.
Jeebus, with that kind of arrogance no wonder I can't stand her! She's worse than Eddie Irvine!
final times from jerez:
looks like pedro caused a red flag near the end. google translate says it was because:
"a rupture of his car"
Because it became self-aware of it's fuglyness and exploded?
Only in testing would you see a Mclaren and a Renault finish below a Force India
Is this the third different nose Williams has tried?
http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/123222
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/mar/01/formula-one-jake-humphrey
Short interview from Jake Humphrey about his new role as presenter of the BBC F1 coverage...
It sounds like his heart's in the right place as he says that he wants to do the job because he loves F1 - and that he hopes the coverage isn't Lewis biased as "there are so many other interesting drivers out there..."
I think he seems perfect for it now I've heard that. He's so good as a presenter and he's got plenty of experience at it.
Let's hope the BBC producers agree with that assessment, no? Back in the ITV days, it was the producers dictating what the commentators should be talking about.
Ronaldo does nowt all game and he hits the post at the end. Thank god it was only the post.
Really? Harsh that.
Yup. While the commentators can do their own thing, the producers will, more often that not, speak/shout into their headphones and tell them what they should be talking about.
Mike Conway
So if they are like talking about a controversial subject?
How is the 'Reserves Cup' going anyway?
Now he'll be interesting to watch in gIRL this year...
We're into extra time. Nil-nil.
Not sure what you mean?
And not illegal according to the rules. But it wasn't painted red so out it went.
This FIA-rrari thing goes waaaay back, doesn't it?
I have done that more than once. I also went to a game in East Kilbride once and spent an hour and half driving round roundabouts (it's a new town) and never found any ground.
Since before the FIA in fact, all the way back to the start of the sport...
Really? Even back in the 1950s? The more things change...
It pre-dates the FIA.
Can anyone Drop.io the full version? Don't have that one
Pretty much. Colin is the most influential F1 designer of all time.
Nice shot of the new and legal Ferrari exhaust:
http://www.formula1.com/photos/597x478/manual/djm0901ma21.jpg
(Note the temperature stickers around the outlets)
It is on youtube in sections. The link for part one is at the side of the previous clip.
I can't open that pic. Says illegal url
Oh god, oh god, oh god. Penalties, I'm, quite nervous.
Same. Although frustrated mainly because of Patrice Evra seemingly being unable to notice Lennon throughout the game and Utd's lack of ability to shoot more than 4 shots on goal out of 18 but meh. Anyways, penalties!
Man U fan?
I can't remember the last time we won on pens...
http://batracer.com/-cj?&D&37543
Password is bourdais, those who have already joined are asked to take the same teams they did before.
We start a on Friday.
For those who don't know yet we have started a new 1986 BATracer game. Sign up at the link above.
Steven, are there any spare spaces left in the game? Or have you just restarted for those who signed up for the old 1986 one?
There are plenty of spaces. Scott is running the game I am just plugging it. My view is if you go there and find an empty seat sign up for it and it is yours.
Ok, thanks
Twas good while it lasted, RG. Good game.
Okay, now I'm crying.
Let's face it, Spurs was impressive just to keep United goalless through 120 minutes. But the experience shone through at the end.
*breathes sigh of relief*
Unlucky Spurs fans. Poor O'Hara :(
Experience means nowt in penalties. We just had David bloomin Bentley.
I'm crying with the kid, he had the bottle at least, where was Bent? Modric?
It does, to a certain extent. Look at how confident Giggs and Tevez were - nothing new to them. This kind of pressure-cooker situation was kinda new to the Spurs.
Fair point. Gomes did well, unlucky not to save the Giggs and Tevez one's to be fair.
It was tarmac with just a strip of grass between the track and the runoff
Live streaming thread is available for anyone wishing to settle in early.
http://www.sidepodcast.com/2009/03/01/live-trying-to-be-honda-free/