Monday morning swings around once more, but it is the last Monday before we have some racing to discuss. We're still recovering from last night's double podcast stint, and it's a busy week in Sidepodcast Towers as we prepare for the Australian GP. Meanwhile, here are some of the things we've been discussing:
- In the UK, the clocks go forward next weekend, just in time for the racing to begin. We're trying to figure out a way of reminding ourselves that it's going to happen, plus figure out whether Sidepodtime needs to go forward for the summer as well. Also, why must the clocks keep messing us around like this?
- Hamilton has declared his confidence in his team, suggesting that even if the car is off the pace now, they will recover as soon as is humanly possible. He also reckons it will be easier to lose a championship now he's won it, than it was to lose it having not won. That's not really fighting talk, is it?
- The FIA/FOTA thing is still rumbling on, with Briatore glad that their appeal to the governing body was heard. He said that FOTA did discuss medals with Bernie but nothing like the win system that the FIA tried to instate. He also said the reason they didn't want it is because they "don't feel it's interesting, that's all." Never one to mince his words, eh?
That'll do it for now. As ever, don't feel constrained by the topics I've listed above. There's plenty to talk about, with the racing just inches away, and there's bound to be more coming out during the day. I'll see you in the comments.
Has anyone successfully downloaded the Renault podcast from iTunes?
Not yet!
there is a new renault podcast?
Nope but that reminds me to do so. :)
i'll drop.io it.
Aye, but to get it you'll have to go tho the renault F1 site I think
iTunes fails to download
Just tried and failed again
oh.... that's annoying...
5live tweeted on friday that they're working on it.
http://www.ing-renaultf1.com/en/_2009/team/index.php#/team/mediadesk/podcasts/4178/
oh good....i need to open the twitter side of my twhirl more....
one podcast:
http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/00-podcastpresaison09en-tcm3-81630-mp3
and can be synced using:
http://drop.io/eysz7xjpalwptncxpshy/421abaec465c401eccfc0e201a9c962541b2e32e/sidepodcast.rss
renault need us :)
Danke
Thank you .. must go to bed now, still bouncing though! goodnight
apparently that wasn't english...
copy the following url into itunes "subscribe to podcast" popup, and the renault podcast will download / sync to your ipod:
http://drop.io/eysz7xjpalwptncxpshy/421abaec465c401eccfc0e201a9c962541b2e32e/sidepodcast.rss
G'night Jackie
yay! thank you!!
so after i've listened to it i'm going to have to delete it otherwise i'm going to end up with the contents of sidepodcast's drop.io synced to my ipod.?
Night Jackie.
Or can just unsubscribe
night Jackie.
yup. unless you want the contents of the drop on your ipod, in which case it's quite handy :)
oh yeah... i'll do that. :D
Alternatively, download the Renault only, to your desktop then add to iTunes
:D
i can see what they've done wrong now, there's a space in the file name.
rookie error.
i swear i'm not usually this intellectually challenged late at night. I must learn to start using the strange thing called common sense i seem to have forgotten about recently.
I hope their CFD work is better :D
This is where Max and Bernie go wrong - they don't even know it exists.
Night all.
G'night Andy
night andy, and cheers :)
night andy
i've just been thinking about the sidepod science museum meet up and realised it would be the first time of me going on the underground on my own... i'm both nervous and kinda proud i'm even considering it. Still if i get lost there is usually plenty of wifi around the stations in london so at least i can do my first bit of on location live commenting :)
I'm changing my phone wallpaper to a Brawn GP pic, dunno which one yet but I'm putting a few on my phone so I can decide. I've had the same Honda pic for most of the winter, just as a symbol of how much I love the Honda team and still do really. I've had this one as my desktop:
http://images.itv-f1.com/ImageLibrary/51523_2.jpg
Honda forever. :(
oh no! i just went to the honda f1 website looking for pics so i should show which one i've had as my desktop and it's just a message from honda now... i'd totally forgotten for a moment there... all those pictures.... argh.
Wonder if Dom and Luke have Honda pics as their phone desktop?: P
Shows how dedicated us big Honda fans are.
okay am gonna sign off now i think. night all x
On a completely unrelated yet related subject. Early forecasts for the weekend in Melbourne are as follows.
Friday: Sunny. Min 13 Max 21
Saturday: Sunny. Min 11 Max 23
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Min 12 Max 22
Sounds a whole lot more pleasant than last year where it was 40degC plus. Rain on Sunday will of course liven things up. Is it obvious I can't wait?
I thought most of the predictions said there was 0-5% chance of rain during the race?
Alien conspiracy. or FIA conspiracy. i'm not sure which. nothing would surprise me lately.
Is there no end to where sidepodcasters will comment from?
Perhaps we should have a competition this year (proof required) on where the most ridiculous place is to comment from where anything logical rates very low...
I am so glad the medal system never got up this year, and the points thing lasted 4 days. Crazy way of doing business. was it supposed to cut costs by any chance?
not sure if i'll be online for the race due to the early morning start. I think i'd have trouble following the new developments in any language, but my inadequate italian would be really hard so might see you all online. hopefully someone will post a feed link ;)
local weather links (i saw Rocket's post above) but if anyone wants to get the government weather go here.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDV10450.shtml
and the radar (for rain)
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR023.loop.shtml
My other half reckons that sidepod cast has made this closed season longer, coz I keep going on about it and how I need to download the latest sidepod-thingy, and how good sidepod is, and she wishes I just go back to what I used to do during the closed season, reading F1 Racing mag and keeping quite until a week before the new season starts. Divorce is not immenant, and I do need to accumulate a few brownie points soon,but thanks to you all at Sidepod Towers for making this my best closed season ever, as well as the longest.
Everywhere I've looked (AccuWeather, Weather.com, MSNweather) say no rain all weekend. Low temperatures of 19-21 and partially cloudy.
haha that rings a few bells with me too!
My wife thinks I've gone mad. She does accept my obsession, but can't understand it all!
I may not have a wife, but my girl shares somewhat similar sentiments. Thank goodness she's a casual F1 fan, or else she'd think I'm loco or something. Then again, we hit it off talking about F1... :)
Fantastic! Sidepodcourtship?
How long until we're doing love song dedications on the podcasts? oh wait...i think we came close to that once before on parade lap right?
Kinda - it just so happened that F1 provided the initial spark, but it's not one of her main interests. She did watch it regularly in 2003, though. She turned off in 2004 when Mr. Schumacher fought back with a vengeance.
But hey, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to go to Singapore. Best experience ever. :)
I'm surprised it hasn't happened ALREADY. :P Would love to hear someone do it. :D
I'm just too excited for the season to begin. I can't wait.
In fact - come on, you mechanics, let's just have a pushing race round the car parks with the cars still in their flightcases....
^^^^^ Fantastic!
When's the next podcast? Christine and Me love voicemails, maybe we should just ring them up requesting songs like they're a radio station. nah. better not.
i better go and set up my fantasy racers team...
Maybe we could put that on the shortcuts for the website - as a subtle hint to people (like me) that might forget. I still haven't decided if I'll keep the same drivers all year like 2008...
There is a nice little button on the right hand side of the home page to remind you about Fantasy Racers.
oops. i think i forgot how to use the website. i was just looking at the shortcuts. my bad!
Don't worry about it. Homepage redesign in the works :)
Guys, have you seen this?
Join the Formula One Fanzone - Times Online
Quote:
Within the blog we will have a Formula One Fanzone in which your opinions take centre stage. We want to recruit a team of Formula One's finest fans, so if you want to get involved e-mail [email protected] with an example of your work and we'll let you know whether you make the grade. Your submission could be a comment or selection of comments that you have submitted to the blog over the past couple of years.
Sounds very interesting. Anyone here planning to submit? It looks like you have to had posted on their site though - so I'm not sure if you can post with examples from your own blog...
nothing like the changing nature of the f1 world :)
and for the record, thanks to the creators and the users for the website :)
Very interesting... But an example of my work? Hmmm... Also, I wonder if people outside the UK can join?
Looks like they prefer people who are currently already active over there... Steven Roy should give this a try. ;)
thanks for reminding me! done - i like my current line-up. i'll probably change it after the FPs on Friday.
how hard can it be - i accidently made my team name, the name of the private league...i.e. sidepodcast. I've emailed them to change it. I don't want anyone getting my entry confused with other people :)
I seem to recall that happened a few times when we first got started. There may actually be a few Sidepodcast leagues floating around :)
What are you naming your team?
Danny (fromfantasyracers.com) took about a minute to make the change..
2008 - Red Bull gear box mechanic
2009 - unemployed KERS mechanic
not that i like forecasting doom ;)
new force india podcast:
http://cast.forceindiaf1.com/php/showfiles.php
sounds exactly like the renault podcast!
hosted by holly, and the sweepers are identical. sounds like it's recorded at the factory too.
So - rain for the last lap then. can't wait.
it is melbourne. i wont live there because of the rain.
Don't say that, I'm considering moving there ;)
Scott in Italy in Melbourne.
phillips saying copying the brawn diffuser may be impossible for their team due to a lack of supercomputing power. his engineers think it contains a lot of detailing that may be hard to repeat even by barcelona.
is there anywhere already that's collected a list of all the teams and their websites, podcasts, and that of the drivers as well? maybe we could wiki it?
i think it has a ring to it :)
thus far only renault and force india have podcasts, but feel free to start a list. no word on whether williams will be doing one this year.
Thought I was on a safe bet - because Bernie has organised for every GP to end with a surprise shower 2 laps from the end.
(Sometimes the 'shower' is of the wet kind; sometimes it is of the FIA incompetence 'couldn't find their own back sides with both hands' kind)
Hmm, that sounds like a very good idea.
I've found a new mixer for you guys:
http://twitpic.com/2dggt
Williams have a pretty good podcast, plenty on it, lasts about 30mins. Interviews,quizzes,tech stuff. I subscribed all last years but as yet cant seem to find it on either their web-site or i-tunes. I'll keep you informed though.
But they would say that wouldn't they? Perhaps trying to draw attention away from another area of the car?
That might cost more than a Silverstone ticket.
yeah, wouldn't mind a flying-fader desk, but the last time i used one it cost me my sanity, and that's just too pricey for me :)
Are USP Content Productions (the 5Live Chequered Flag people) involved with these podcasts?
Also can someone let this IT dinosaurknow what I need to 1. get involved with the sidepodpanel and 2. cut down/get rid of the buffering, last night I got about the 1st 5 mins, when you guys eventually started,(ha ha) and then could make sense of much after that. Gonna have to download and listen to it this afternoon, mind you it gives me something to do before the school run.
renault = yes
force india = yes
williams = not any more
autosport = not sure?
Yeah sorry about that guys - I still have no idea why my mic wasn't working at first - it was faultless for a year until last night!
Right, cheers, am going to listen to them then ;-)
good choice :)
we're thinking about doing the panel non-live next week, because the buffering issue is just a pain in the backside.
more on that later, but with some many people on the call, the comments almost dry up any way and it would give us much more bandwidth for skype.
christine should have the edit up tues/wed, but not sure the replay can go up, it's causing a huge amount of headaches this morning, and that's part of my reason for thinking it shouldn't be live.
any phone line or a free download from skype.com :)
I get my weather info from the Bureau of Meteorology government website. It is a week out so "possible scattered showers" is a bit hedgy. For those interested here's the website: http://www.bom.gov.au/
Click on the radar, then Melbourne and go in for a closer look on the 64km view, Albert Park is just north of St Kilda, and get up to the minute (well ten minute lag actually)rainfall activity. Just noticed Scott in Italy's thread...apologies.
Gotcha, I'll keep a look out for the new improved pod panel. cheers
I don't live in Melbourne but it is easily Australia's finest city, even if it does rain a bit.
them fighting words Rocket ;)
Never been to Sydney then? :p
Ahhh Scott in Italy. I look forward to more in the season to come. I lived in Sydney for three years and it well near killed me.
I lived in Sydney and loved it. Everyone has their own experience, and I've never lived in Melbourne. I did go down in 2000 to watch the f1 (most boring race ever....) and have been a few times since.
Melbourne can't be too good - no one on the listener map from there! :-d
Hello to all the Aussies out there!
But of course. Not saying I didn't enjoy myself!
@me and @Christine
I've sent an email re mixer.
animation for the track in melbourne
http://tv.repubblica.it/sport/melbourne-giro-virtuale/30861?video
(no spoken language, just the car going round the track)
Does it have car noises or do we have to make those ourselves?
there are noises, but I do remember a sidepodpanel where we had to make car noises. aah...memories of a long distant 2008...
Just wondering, are we getting a 'launch' from Brawn this week before the GP? For some reason I thought I remembered Ross saying they'd unveil the car a few days before Australia but I can't find anywhere to back me up.
I live in Melbourne, I'm from New Zealand but I moved here solely because they have a Grand Prix. People tell me thats crazy. People are wrong, being here for the whole build up is AWESOME.
have received email re: mixer :)
will look into it in a bit. cheers.
will you upload the unedited version to drop.io?
possibly, but it'll be in several parts, but i can't easily spice audio and video into a single track, without putting a bunch of work in to it. more later though.
animation for the track in melbourne (with commentary):
http://www.sidepodcast.com/2008/03/10/inside-track-melbourne-preview/
:)
Lots of F1 related stuff on TV tonight. Tomorrow, two F1 cars will be driving down the main street of a town recently ravaged by bush fires. King Lakes I think?
Nico Rosberg gets play of the day for spending time with disadvantaged kids today.
very cool. any idea who will be driving?
go nico :)
I didn't hear them mention the team :-(
I'll have to keep an eye on the news/sports shows over the next few days.
no worries, we can speculate better than anyone. am gonna say, webber and buemi in the rbr and str respectively.
what you think?
that is very cool!
Federation Square visitors will be thrilled and the party officially started when the BMW Sauber F1 car is started in the middle of the square to give Melbourne a taste of the Grand Prix action that will begin next Thursday, 26 March.
link
The cars will be a BMW and a Minardi according to this
Seeing the buildup is so exciting to me that I'm trying to put as much as I can record onto youtube - This is my latest
Going to film as much as I can at the F1 "Launch Party" in Fed Square tomorrow too :)
minardi? very retro
i have no sound, but what the heck is timo doing sideways?
ahh nice. thank you.
minardi, or minardi dna?
it's part of his preperations, apparently. Maybe he really enjoyed his flying last year and wanted to take it further?
Im so excited and I cant even be in Melbourne this week. Must sleep now though. Goodnight All.
exactly what I thought but it didn't get me any pinger action earlier!
Boo to DNA.
I agree. So sick of the word. Was just hoping for a laugh rather than a groan.
It's all about the context!
Imagine if Bruno Senna gets a drive. Will the commentators choose xxxx-esque or xxxx-DNA as their favourite cliche?
Hehe. You never can tell which way I'll ping it :)
night sir.
Goodnight for real this time!
night :)
Morning all,
Quote of the day:
"Two steps forward, two steps back – is this F1 governance, or a Paula Abdul song?"
pure class :)
though, doesn't the song end with:
when things go wrong we make corrections,
to keep things moving in the right direction.
there is hope yet. maybe.
Oh, quite. It ain't fiction – it's a natural fact...
newsbeat tour f1fi factory:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7955000/7955778.
i have no sound, but it looks interesting.
Gidday Christine & Co. Just a qucik note from Melbourne to let you know that the cars have begun arriving at Albert Park - woo hoo! I am taking my 5 yo son on Saturday - he must be the youngest Jordan Fan around - loves the color yellow! I trust Eddie will be impressed with his little yellow cap and huge Jordan Flag.
cheers
Mark
:D
i just know that'll be in christine's head for the rest of the day.
howdy mark, brilliant news. are you taking pics, and will you tell us all about it upon your return?
I have no idea what I'll do with myself when this weekend is over. No more insane "this is what's happening in Melbourne" tweeting! Last year I had a Singapore trip to look foward to, this year, nothing until Australia 2010 :(
For sure! He is so excited at the prospect - he's not heard an F1 car before so earmuffs will be on hand! When my son Zac was little he named yellow objects "Jordan", green objects "Jaguar", red objects "Michael" and Black objects "Kimi". Now that's what I call an early induction into F1!
I'll also try to get Zac to Fed Square on Thursday to meet Eddie - what a hoot! We missed the Ferrari in Lygon St Carlton which Luca drove so this will be Zac's first encounter with a live F1 car.
webcam link -might be worth a look on thursday (depending on the time difference to where you are)
http://www.federationsquare.com.au/index.cfm?pageID=20
I love the link to the video afterwards - an interview with F1 driver Mark Sutil! Well done BBC!
You should try to find those cute little ear protectors for kids. Nothing like a kid wearing something that is twice the size of their head :)
Its 12.28 am here so I'm off for zzzzzzz.
I just can't wait for Thursday - when the wind is blowing from the south, the whole of the city of Melbourne comes alive to the unmistakable sound of "those" cars for four days. I'll keep you posted on the build up. Nite all!
cheers mark, goodnight :)
awww, man :(
LOL great question!
Do make sure you get good ear protection for the little nipper - the F1 engines made an ear spliiting sound. Also try to stand next to a breaking area, and not on the exit of a corner.
Maybe he is Adrians twin?
http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/bbc-jpg
When I went to A1GP I didn't wear ear protection and was deaf for two days :-(
All i'm saying is that i'm glad James Allen isn't around no more.....
"LOOOK!! ITS THE SENNA DNA WORKING!!!"
NO JAMES! NO! STOP!
its in my blood pressures interest to keep him away from a microphone...
And even then, the noise is crazy! When I was in Singapore, I was sitting in a braking zone, and the noise was unbelievable. :O
Speaking of which, you were at Singapore, Amy? Where did you sit?
I was in the Padang Stand - the noise in Singapore was incredible! I didn't need earplugs in Melbourne but I did in Singapore. I assume because the circuit is in such a built up area the noise echoes more.
Ahh... I was in the Marina stand, very near the bigger Bay stand.
Perhaps you needed earplugs before of how fast the cars were going? Were they going at the same speed relative to where you sat in Melbourne? It could be that the noise echoes more where you are - it would've bounced off City Hall or the Supreme Court.
I think that might be it, in Melbourne I sat in different grandstands each day, Fangio on pit straight, Clark on turn 9 and Piquet on turn 14. All of them had a noise that was bearable!
Might be time to finally put my videos on youtube and see if they sound different.
a little crazy but i moved to europe to watch F1 at a normal hour ;)
a techie look at mclaren's floor:
http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/2009/0/630.html
"Its aim appears to be to increase the effectiveness of the rear diffuser by effectively turning the whole rear bodywork area into one large diffuser"
looks quite cool
Fangio should have had a noisy sound, from the looks of it. It depends on how what row you were seated and the cars' relative speed.
As for Clark and Piquet, they're located in braking zones, so the noise isn't as loud as it would be on a proper straight.
Does anyone know who the next person is to be interviewed in F1 Racing Magazine is?
I've almost got everything on youtube. Probably should be sleeping, but as long as I'm awake by 4pm tomorrow, I'll make it to the F1 "party"
loving the track test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gKKqFnyKT4
last email i got from them was piquet. haven't read this months yet, has he been interviewed yet?
This place looks awfully familiar - did you take this at the Marina stand? It looks like that's the Bay grandstand in the background. Were you at the front of the stand when you took this vid? You seem very close - you don't even see the fencing in the vid.
Anyhoo, I'm guessing the reason it was noisier in SG is the distance to the cars. You're a lot closer to the cars here compared to Melbourne - I think.
Interesting, too, the artists they're pulling to do the post-GP concerts. Australia has The Who, Malaysia has Jamiroquai. I wonder who'll be doing them in the other rounds?
I dont know if he has been interviewed yet but if it is him that could be useful.....
Thank You :D
You're right there, track test was filmed by the Marina Stand. It was on the Thursday night when they hadn't even finished putting up all the fences, and security weren't stopping people from wandering the circuit or getting to close to the track. I spent most of the day there and spotted most of the drivers doing their track walk/cycle/forklift (in the case of Heidfeld)
Cool! That's where we sat for the weekend. I remember seeing another YouTube vid where some of the fans who were also walking the track on Thursday ran into Jenson Button at the Esplanade corner. Jenson was also seeing the track for the first time. Jenson was nice to them - they talked for a minute or two, which by F1 standards, is quite a long time. :)
Hopefully I'll manage to go again next year, as I can't get the time off work this year sadly. I'd like to try a different grandstand next time, Padang was pretty boring. I booked quite late so all the places I wanted to sit were sold out last year.
I saw Jenson at Changi airport on the Monday night when I flew home, he was being really nice to everyone there as well, chatting to anyone who approached him. I saw Alonso arriving in Melbourne today, he was a case of blink and you'll miss him.
Another F1 Racing Magazine question.... It comes out on the 2nd of each month right???
Thanks
It'll be the 3rd for April's edition, but pretty much the 2nd ish.
They should put a stand at the fast Turn 6 kink - the sparks there and the overtaking makes it all worth it.
Sitting after Memorial (the new Turn 7 name) was the first seats I plumped for, but the problematic online ticketing that time meant I couldn't nab it. Which wasn't such a bad thing - the seats were really expensive.
I was lucky to get Marina very early - not only did we get a front row seat, but we also got it for a cheaper price (not as cheap as upper tier finish-line seats in Sepang, but relative to Singapore prices, it was cheap). Not to mention that Marina was sold out within 6 hours of me getting my front-row tickets there.
A shame I'd never have seen Jenson - since I'm from SE Asia, we were at a different terminal from you guys. But I do remember seeing some Toro Rosso personnel (including Giorgio Ascanelli, Schumi's 1st Ferrari race engineer) when I left on the Monday morning. I actually found it a bit odd, why they were in our part of the terminal.
Anyway, did you get to talk to Jenson? Did he fly on his own private jet, or did he do commercial? I really think his years as a backmarker with Honda (2007-2008) changed him - a lot. Made him a lot more humble, for sure.
Thank you :D
I was 99% sure I was going to go to Singapore, but I only moved to Melbourne in June and had no job or place to live lined up. I didn't want to spend any of my savings on a trip in case I needed them to live off.
The same day I found a job I booked my flights, accommodation and my tickets. I did well to get accommodation, the hostel I stayed in had been booked for months. However they explained to me it had been fully booked by males, but there were plenty of vacancies in the female only dorm. Sometimes it pays to be a girl fan of a male-dominated sport!
I wasn't expecting to see any F1 people since I was flying budget with Jetstar and didn't think for a second they would share a terminal with any "important" airline. But it turns out the gate next to mine was a British Airways flight to London. As well as Jenson, Damon Hill was also on it, as well as lots of Bridgestone crew. I didn't talk to Jenson because by the time I clicked it was him he was past me on the travelator, but I could see him chatting to people down at his gate.
I think he has taken a 50% pay cut to make sure that Brawn GP got on the grid. Not many drivers would do that considering many didnt like the idea of a paycut to cut down on team spending due to the economic downturn.
Let's face it, he committed to Honda/Brawn after trying to commit to Williams for 2005, which failed, then backing out of it for 2006. After everything he's been through with that team, it's nice to see he's stayed loyal to them. And if Brawn got their car right this year, it looks like Jenson may just make a comeback.
I booked my plane in December 2007 (10 months before the race) and got my tickets on February 14 (which was a total nightmare - the ticketers got a lot of flak for it). When I got my tickets, I duly booked my hotel that same day.
Afternoon all
Just in the library catching up after doing a session at the gym. Hope everyone is well and doing OK. :)
I'm so excited about the start of the new season. Every time I see the BBC F1 advert it makes me smile because F1 is back for another year :D
There is an advert!! I must see this!!!!
I think it is this one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7911126.stm
I was in the middle of an average French lesson when my thoughts turned to sidepodcast, then the panel and then of course Brawnmowers.
I managed to smile to myself and my friend thought I was mad for smiling during French.
What's Brawnmower in French?
le Brawnmower?
I guess it must be.
tondeuse à brawn
You speak french?
i speak google.
i'd guess that means mower of brawn? which is brawn's mower, not brawnmower. semantic difference. :D
:D
J'ai su cela
yeah but a direct translation gave me:
muscles tondeuse
le brawnmower rolls off the tongue better i find...
The world's cheapest car is launched:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7957671.stm
Hopefully the Top Gear boys'll get their hands on it. Should be a riot :)
I am not a fan of the word brawn.
anyone feel this model is lacking a highlighter pen?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidepodcast/523766459/
you know you want to buy one
http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/brawnmower-jpg
:D
I love it, just love it.
That's excellent.
we (heart) lukeh :)
Tell you what, that Bibendum, he gets everywhere!
sidepodspace update
The third and final spacewalk of the current mission started an hour ago. Should last about another 5 hours.
The job list includes sorting out a problem they had deploying an unpressurised module on the port side of the station during the last spacewalk, deploying a similar module on the starboard side, lubricating the station's robotic arm and they are going to reconfigure some cables that power the station's gyroscopes. Hope they don' disconnect the gyroscopes for too long or they could be in for a rough ride up there.
Aussie's eh they tell it like it is. I've just caught some photo's of them getting the course ready for the weekend and the signage is brilliant. You've got the F1 logo and the race is sponsored by ING and there so close together it looks like the F***ing Australian GP Melbourne. Brilliant.
Is the problem related to the one I read where they put the pin the wrong way in?
I didn't know they had put the pin in wrong but NASA said the other day that the pin was sticking and causing problems but yes that is the same job.
Hmmm... I see. I really think astronauts nowadays aren't as good as they used to be.
:D
I heard one of the news conferences the day after the shuttle arrived on station. Someone from the Japanese media asked why the Japanese astronaut who is now a member of the station crew took longer to complete his job list than planned. The answer was that he didn't know where to find certain tools and equipment. No-one asked why they don't have a system of tool storage. No-one asked why he could not have learned where they stored them in the ISS they have in the neutral buoyancy lab(NBL). The NBL is the biggest swimming pool in the world and has an ISS in it for astronauts to practise on.
Do you think if I sent them the comments I have made in the last three months that would be enough?
It's a bit disappointing they miss these little details that are so important. That might lead to a bigger mistake sooner or later.
I think these guys can learn a lot from F1 and how they handle these types of procedures. It's pretty similar to the time when some doctors - in the US, I think - managed to improve their ER processes and procedures with the help of Nigel Stepney and Prof. Sid Watkins.
More than enough. Go send, Steven! :)
axis have dug up some awesome helmet-cam footage from massa testing:
http://axisofoversteer.blogspot.com/2009/03/lets-ride-with-felipe-massa-in-bahrein.html
Can you do it just as audio? The only video element really is the scoring and Christine reads them anyway.
getting there. am uploading the first half to drop.io as a video and the second half as audio.
there are some bits in the middle that will be missing, but i just don't have the time this week to faff around sorting it out. i'll link once posted.
problem is everytime we start/stop the feed, it creates a new file, and when half are video and half audio only it creates more problems.
I wasn't talking about this week's. Just for the coming weeks, if/when it won't be live. Didn't mean to cause you even more work :(
ooooh, i see. did not get that :)
yup, we can post and unedited audio file very easily. no probs.
That is interesting. When they first introduced the cut outs in the floor I could not figure out what it was doing but this makes a lot of sense. It also means that a whole new area of massive expenditure as teams try to optimise the size, shape and number of cut outs.
The FIA seem to be giving up on a lot of their principals:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73858
What are they playing at?
how am i supposed to read that with the chubby guy grinning back at me?
:D
Do FOTA know something the FIA don't want getting out? I smell blackmail....
Presumably they have raised them by a few hundred per cent and have now agreed a 30% reduction giving them overall a huge overall increase.
Thanks and sorry :)
Politicians do this....they give people something they want before they pass a bill thats going to screw them majorly....i wonder what that could be :P
don't worry. normally i have time to stitch it and fix it, but we're somewhat busy this week :)
James Allen says Kimi will have to be back on form this year to keep his drive: http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/ferrari-boss-its-a-make-or-break-year-for-kimi/
Evening all,
Haven't caught up with the comments yet (about to watch MOTD2) but I thought I'd share a link. It's a mockup of the Abu Dhabi F1 track. It looks really COOL!!!
On the subject of podcasts, it looks like Autosport have released an F1 preview as well...
very nice :D
I bought Rfactor the other day, still need to configure it properly on my laptop. That looks soooo good though.
It does look like being one of Herman's better tracks.
blimey, it's all kicking off. is it me, or are they missing a panasonic logo/sponsorship?
HHF always started with "Welcome to the Autosport Podcast presented by Panasonic", so yeah.
It's 2009 baby, and Panasonic can only afford to throw money at the Toyotas...
hehe :)
Evening :)
Leading on from Gavin's link, have you seen this Abu Dhabi simulation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc7KNN02QM8
Surely the amount they were giving Autosport would be irrelevant compared to the amount that they have wasted on Toyota.
MWM is going to do an F1 preview podcast this week. Thing is, I'll be surprised to see what Hindy says - he had a few anti-F1 rants at the weekend but one supposes that he changes his tune to suit the master - they did commentate the Brazilian GP last year, after all :-)
Again, logic, Japanese company, oil, water, no mixee :-D
i listened to 6mins, i got bored. x3 official f1 podcasts in three days and that's the only one i couldn't get to the end of :(
A shame. They're normally quite good and it's the Autosport journos that do them...
have you listened to it all? and did you learn anything as a result?
how coooool is that??
Just spotted that the FIA have published the final driver numbers. Kimi's #4 and Massa's #3 now...
Still no #13 car though. In this day and age you'd think they'd do away with such superstitious nonsense...
No coz I'm watching MOTD2! ;-) I will try and listen to it.
Hey, does anyone know if the F1 inside line with Maurice Hamilton and Ian Phillips is coming back? I kinda liked that one...
Also Brawn have gone down to 20-21 now the FIA class them as a new team rather than Honda, as in testing the garages said 18-19. Just another thing I noticed.
I read through the Guardian F1 guide today and I think they started printing it a while ago so they had to make a few assumptions. They talk about how strong the McLaren is in testing and how the Brawn will probably be propping up the time sheets after its disappointing times so far.....
not a clue, but with phillips appearing on the fif1 show, one would think not?
I thought that Kimi was to be number 3 as the number was within the teams gift
Cooler than strategically applied ice cubes after a day in the desert heat!
How is Brawn a new team again when they are almost the same thing?
Because Honda officially withdrew so they had to re-enter as a brand new team.
It has to do with money
Dont go there, it confuses the hell out of me
He was originally and there was quite a bit of discussion about how numbers were assigned outwith the team that has the champion.
Oh ok... That is confusing!
Story says that Ferrari requested the change in driver numbers to reflect last years position. So looks like Massa isn't out to play 2nd fiddle to Kimi
FIF1 is Spyker is Midland is Jordan. All one team but Brawn is not Honda but Brawn don't need to pay for an antry because Honda already did. What a shambles.
Sigh... Yet another Farkup from the idiots at Gonda... Had they not withdrawn the next owners could have had some extra TV money - an asset worth holding on to.
I am SO HAPPY Gonda aren't in the sport anymore!
i thought entry fee was waived as a favour, not because honda paid already? (presumably honda got a refund?)
The FIA would say that Honda withdrew from the sport, so technically Brawn GP are a new team. However its stupid
"The Formula One group might perhaps argue that Honda has not fulfilled the commercial contract that existed between the commercial rights holder and the car company until the end of 2012 and might be seeking damages for an alleged breach. That being the case, FOM could not really pay out the money to Brawn without breaking the contract itself, thus weakening any legal action."
(emphasis mine)
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/brawn-cocktail/
or woulda been if i'd added any before hitting send :)
Even wierder. It sows yet another feature of the tailspin logic Max favours. F1 was attracting too many teams so we will have 12 franchise and a massive deposit before we let you play. Now free entry because we are short of teams and getting desperate..
Must spend more time reading his blog before I start posting comments. Interesting that the vast majority of his comments come from sidepodcast.
according to the recent comments, you're the most contributor prolific over there too.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/comments/feed/
how many records you going for? :)
He doesn't get many comments. The highest number of comments I have seen on any one post is 11 so being the most prolific commentator there doesn't take up a vast amount of my time.
sidepodspace
They have finally managed to sort the cargo storage thing with the dodgy pin. Their next job should have been to install an identical system on the port side but that has been postponed until a later spacewalk. They are now going to do some get ahead tasks.
Astronauts are connecting up ammonia lines. Can someone make sure Gavin is at a safe distance.
:D
:D
I'd give you a smart reply to that, but my IQ got lowered by the exposure so I'm too stupid to ;-)
http://mission-madness.nasa.gov/mm/bracket.html
You can now vote in the NASA favourite mission cup. Looks like a lot of stupid people are voting.
SOHO is beating Apollo 8. That is like saying Heidfeld is better than Jim Clark.
That's some Fighting Talk there!
I like him but I even think thats a bit cukoo
So I listened to Fighting Talk this morning, thinking Crofty would fly the flag for F1. Not so. Almost every answer was about Football and he even got into an argument about darts!
If he can't get a word in for F1, then nobody can on that programme ;-)
Well there was a question about Formula 1.
Woo there was, that'll be the allocated F1 Question for this quarter!
I meant that Crofty could have used some more F1 answers but kept referring to bloody footballers!
just got round to reading that post. good info, but this caught my eye:
"...the raising of the pit lane speed limit to 100km/h, which will make pit stops faster and the freeing up of safety car rules (you can come in when you want)."
did kathy mention this the other day? i wasn't concentrating, but why would the fia allow this and how is it increasing safety?
eh? When did they sneak that in?
Because F1 drivers are super safe in the pits and can be trusted at any speed.
gonna have to find kathi's comment, i saw it fly by t'other day.
Why does Nakajima suddenly spring to mind? ;)
I didn't know that they had raised the pitlane speed limit.
How is Massa going to avoid Sutil now if Sutil is going faster.
I was thinking exactly that. How long has that new rule been around?
Don't worry, the traffic lights will never fail!
kathi spotted it first:
http://www.sidepodcast.com/2009/03/18/daily-18th-march-2009/#comment-217738
:)
What if Hamilton is driving?
Very odd. How come James Allen and Kathi are the only one that have picked up on this?
There's a nice reply by James Allen on his Ferrari post today in response to Keith's moans about pitstops being rubbish and ruining races -
Keith, stop moaning about strategy. It’s a great added twist. Anyway you’ll have it all your way next season when refuelling is banned…then you won’t have to think any more, just watch !!
:)
they're smarter than everyone else?
what's surprising is james just tacked it onto the end of his post. i guess he figured we all knew?
I am with Keith. I want drivers to sort things out on the track and not watch them park. Bernie wanted medals awarded to encourage racing. Surely banning pit stops would have more effect because instead of using teams of statisticians to work out a strategy to pass the car in front the guy with the steering wheel in his hand will have to go and pass him if he wants that position.
And I replied to it. Apparently I just have a terrible memory.
ha! ouch. very ouch.
:D
then you are wrong :)
We stopped thinking while watching when James Allen started commentating and Mark Blundell became and expert!
Agreed. The way I see it, F1 is a team sport, and pit strategy is one way the guys on the pit wall play their part.
Strange how it doesn't seem to have been reported at all...
Your not going to see much more excitement banning refeulling. None of the drivers are gonna risk a front wing at Monaco are they?
considering how much james allen loves his strategy (and especially his reams and reams excel sheets), that was a pretty dumb comment to leave on his blog.
110% agreement from me. 110%.
Agreed.
To expand, with the added width of the front wings and the most likely increase of pitstops anyway after collisions between cars and it comes off, it would make logical sense just to keep refuelling.
Great minds think alike :D
nope. you'll see less.
life would be much less interesting, if i never saw the ferrari mechanics chasing massa and his snake down the pitlane in singapore :D
And let's not forget - Sebring was a fantastic race because one of the unknowns was the strategy element - single vs. double stinting, McNish trying to get a big enough gap before his 'splash and dash'... yeah, it really added to the race! :-)
Not to mention the McLaren mechanics cheering them on.
very true. i'm not convinced we'll lose refuelling yet. there's plenty of time for the fia to change their minds :)
:D
that too :)
We will lose it if Ferrari continue with 'Carry-On Pitstops' :-D
The season (or was it two) without tyre changes made pitstops dull enough.
Wait until my comment on JA's blog clears the moderation queue then tell me I am wrong. I never remember to read his blog.
ok, i keep my eye on it. have subbed to his comments too!
Were gonna have to see this
anyone heard of this before:
http://www.f1.panasonic.com/en/
just got a tweet from: http://twitter.com/f1scoop/statuses/1377633309
You are all wrong.
Dear Timo...
You make up the rest
awwwwww...
My Firefox keeps crashing with a Microsoft Visual C error. Almost every hour. Yet it runs for hours on end without a problem on my old clockwork XP machine.
we're not!
i'll await your comment with interest, but for me racing isn't about filling a car fat with fuel and watching the drivers do economy runs until the end of the race.
neither is it fun seeing a guy leading the race (because he was fastest), come to a halt on the last lap.
Hey everyone. have i missed much today?
I decided to send them the trullu train and apologise for Jarno not getting an oscar on behalf of the academy.
yay!
nope not much, Brawn are now 20-21 rather than 18-19 though
we missed you :)
Big debate on refuelling. Apparantly the pitlane limit has been increased much to the shock of the Williams mechanics (that joke woulda worked a year ago)
You're just in time for an argument. ;)
hahaha.
ah i was expecting that. Doesn't make much difference to me tbh :)
Steven Roy v everyone else.
I am slightly favouring Steven Roy.
aw :D
it's caused me major distress as I now have to change the nubers on my wallpaper. 5 seconds of retyping trauma I tells ya
damn...
wow.... what happened there.... i posted a comment.... :s
As long as they're 1 and 2 next year... :P
it's not really a debate. steven is wrong, he just doesn't know it yet ;)
nice :)
Are they getting Kubica in?
I'll try again...
Banning refuelling is a stupid idea and will ruin the racing.
Nope, Bourdais.
i like your thinking :D
Not required. :P
Welcome to the 'Everyone else' side
Welcome to the winning team.
Steven next!
Agreed (sorry Steven!). Without refueling, there would be less overtaking.
You're not on the panel now ! :)
Ping!
I want to be on the winning team too.
agreed. everyone on the same strategy. fastest guys starts first.
that's called a procession.
I don't just love him for points you know ;)
do you agree with allen or roy?
You like refuelling?
In NASCAR the best part is the pitstops too.
It's your choice. You have the pinger!
:D I can't see how it would do anything else... plus the races will prob be shorter... such a stupid idea ;)
Refuel FTW.
Yay!
NASCAR pitstops look more like a couple of criminals nicking the wheels.
:D
I mean, we had that rae last year (I cant remember which one) where Piquet got to second because of the safety car and Hamilton had to overtake Massa and him for the win. If refueling were banned, Piquet would have been in the back and Hamilton would have stayed first.
Christine has spoken. Argument over.
(It's meant to say race, not rae. I'm bad at proof reading)
Yeah maybe - but the point is that it's a nice break in the action, it's fun to watch and the strategy element adds to the racing, irrespective of the series...
@Steven maybe you should create a blog and write all about how you think we are all wrong? :P
He still would've had to get past Felipe, I think. Just very lucky timing for Piquet to get that second.
He's posting a comment on JA's blog. In moderation atm I think?
You would rather have refuelling than let Christine go to a day of testing during the season. Very selfish. :D
huh?
Indeed indeed.
I give you Jaram 1981. One of the greatest races in history that would have been a non-event if there had been pit stops.
Wait, I have thought of a problem, if we get Steven Roy as F1 president, then that will mean no refuelling.
I would rather have refueling than go to a day of testing.
GAVIN FOR PRESIDENT!
Rubbish. Have you seen the video of Dijon 79. The greatest piece of racing in history. Both were on the same strategy but one had not looked after his tyres as well.
refuelling > testing. Testing is great for the fans, but refuelling makes the sport more exciting making it better for the fans.
Who needs a pinger when you've got a Gavin?
Not related, I just wanted to repeat it :)
:D hahah
I'm sorry, how was a race defined as the ultimate Trulli train one of the greatest ever?
that was one race. how many processions to get one sodding decent race?
Come on. James Allen's mother wouldn't pick him given that choice.
I agree with this. Just to get involed in the fight.
:D
:D
wow that really didn't seem to have much of a point... i blame the fact i can't see the keybourd for the number of papers i have on my desk...
yippeee.
They used to do 300 mile races without fuelling.
Bigger fuel tank means less aerodynmically efficient car means more overtaking.
:D
:D
grrrrrrrr
It also means more chance of messing up and running aground stranded, fastest driver winning and all
And the chance of the European GP in 2005. That was very dangerous!
the cars are just gonna have to get bigger and bigger aren't they, i mean Kers, and a bigger fuel tank, they'll be no space for the driver soon :P
It doesn't. Refuelling kills racing.
:P
you're assuming it'll be published :)
Why not just post it here?
maybe he should make a blog and create a post just in case? :P
Can someone tell James Allen to speed up with his moderation skills, I know he has big contacts in the world but surely it doesn't take two ticks to do that.
refuelling = better tactics and more excitement for the fans. no refuelling = heavy cars going round and round... it will turn into who has the biggest fuel tank...
Because a man driving a piece of garbage managed to keep a string of faster cars behind him all day without blocking. Without doing anything remotely underhand. It was a supreme demonstration of the racer's art. Of course you guys would no doubt have prefered to have seen them all pit on different laps and never get near each other again all day. That would have been much more fun.
Does a warrior fight better when he takes all his kit and doesn't resupply or apply any strategy to a fight, I wonder?
im sure someone will accuse someone else of having an illegal fuel tank in there somewhere. Thatll be fun.
How did he keep them behind him then? That sounds pretty dull to me.
woah!
We still get processions. Aerodynamics cause processions. We need to slash the aero component of the cars and not tinker round the edges.
There's been a fair few races since then that probably would've been a non-event if there were no pit stops.
yay more politics :/
And that can't happen with pit stops?? I would still allow one mechanic at a time to work on the car to replace wheels or sort problems.
I've seen the video, and all he did was block, block and block. If it was anyone else it would have been a non-event, but because it was St. Gilles, it was awesome?
Come on, celebrate Dijon, but don't put him on a pedestal for that one!
Of course it will. Then he can argue against it and then I can explain why he is wrong.
You want me to become derivative of myself?
Don't need a blog. Got nuthin to say.
you know he's on a plane for the next 24hrs, right?
I'm surprised that someone who had no problem with the winner takes all system would be pro-refuelling whilst someone who hated the winner takes all system would want to get rid of refuelling.
It's the same problem: Don't bother trying to overtake anybody just a) settle for second or b) get in front at the next round of stops*
*Delete as appropriate
then you will agree that we are right? :P
I have been here six months and NEVER has there been a single day where Mr. Roy has had nothing to say :-D
Depends who and where he is fighting. I am not suggesting they tow the factory. Only another 100 litres of fuel.
This is more important! ;)
Really? I think the sight of 20(?) men working in unison on a car is one of the greatest sights in sport.
Honda already did that when we had pit stops.
i enjoy the strategy element of racing, the unknowns and the guesswork. i don't want it taken away.
i'm not bothered if the WDC is decided on points or wins.
how are the above in any way related?
We must ground the flight, maybe over Silverstone. That could be fun in two ways.
amen. and how freaking slow did lemans pit crews look by comparison?
Go to youtube and search for Jarama 1981. There are plenty of clips. Keith has one on F1Fanatic too. That race came second in a poll he had for the best performance ever in bad car. The winner was something very recent.
Franck's especially.
Just out of curiosity, who won it?
haha
surely vettel?
They are forced to be that slow. Basically so the ACO (French) can give an advantage to Peugeot (also French) as it takes longer for a driver change in a coupe (french word).
And they still lost?
:)
Gilles Villeneuve never blocked anyone in his life. Listen to what Alan Jones and Keke Rosberg etc say about him. Read the article I wrote about him where Rosberg says that Villeneuve would never block. He drove a perfect racing line all day. One mistake and he would have been fifth. The race was enthralling from start to finish because five guys were fighting for the lead. Of course had they all run with five second gaps and one of them pitted 2 laps later and disappeared into the distance it would have been so much better.
Peugeot always seem to lose on strategy. It's like they feel the pressure they are under too much.
I'll have a look, never seen it before and I'll be unbiased (I don't think BMW/Sauber/Timo was driving then)
It's not at all the same thing. I want drivers to race on the track. it's called motor racing not pit stop challenge but the winner should get more points than second. Being second means something it should not just be win or nothing as far as the championship is concerned.
22 cars 2 pit stops each 17 times a year makes about 800 pit stops. We have had that since 1982 which at a rough count is 20,000 pit stops. There is only so many times you can see the same thing and be impressed by it.
Wow - just caught up the comments - these threads are awesome! Is there any chance someone could please colate a list of podcasts they are listening to/anticipating for the season? Formula 1 related, I mean.
Much like the F1 sites we trust, but for podcasts. For example, I didn't even know that Renault were going to be releasing podcasts...
I'll start:
Sidepodcast - www.sidepodcast.com
Renault - http://www.ing-renaultf1.com/en/Ipod.php
Force India - http://cast.forceindiaf1.com/php/showfiles.php
Radio 5Live - http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/formulaone.shtml
Does anyone listen to the lads at f1weekly.com? - http://www.grandprixweekly.com/category/podcast/ - what are they like?
Etc., etc. Please feel free to add or subtract your opinions. Links to pages you expect to see direct download links on would be the best for me - I don't have Itunes, you see. Thanks.
Dave in NZL.
Oops, for some reason your comment is in the moderation queue. Legitimate comments will be published as soon as possible.
- that's cause I had a half dozen links to rival websites...
You don't see them all though? You see the good ones and the bad ones. You could say the same thing about F1 as a whole. 22 cars, 50 laps a race, 17 races a year.
I beg to differ.
You still have that. You don't know who has looked after their tyres or fuel or who is fast at the start or the end. The difference is how the strategy is revealed. Now the guy will come out of a pit stop to discover that the guy who has been behind him all day has a 5 second lead and their is nothing he can do about it. Proper racing would mean the guy in the lead could only lose his lead if the guy in second took it off him on the track.
Right, just watched it again. Utterly boring! If you can sit through that then you have guts of steel.
Never mind that the readers of F1F voted that 'the second best win in a rubbish car' - I would tend to agree with that but it doesn't change the fact that the race was just plain dull :-(
Could be.
They lost Le Mans because Christian Klien binned Franck's car. All they have to do if they want to win is sign McNish.
Steven's on a roll, he's aiming for several hundred comments in a night :)
And when they go wrong they are even better!
But it is soooo exciting to know whether his in laps have been good enough, and the moment when he is exiting the pitlane and we're eager to see where the other guy is. To me, this is just as much fun as an overtake.
Even if you see 10% it means I have seen 2000 pit stops and you see a lot more than that.
yes i do. i can see the tyres, into every slow corner.
I'll be honest with watching that, I've seen more exciting stuff, Villeneurve was canny good actually, I don't think he defended that much in what Gavin said.
I enjoy the strategy of pit stops
You are watching a short clip knowing the outcome. I watched the full race not knowing what would happen at the next corner. A totally different experience.
They are all picking on me.
Steven, if all the cars had lined up on the grid at Australia last year, with the same amount of fuel in their cars, why would that have made the racing better?
awwww...
...you started it!
Remember you're in the FIA and can push through reforms :D
Lets be honest, like stratagy would have made Australia much different.
We like Gavin now ;)
But racing should be about two drivers fighting over the same piece of tarmac not two teams of statisticians working out where there is most likely to be a piece of empty tarmac.
it did. look at le seb. no refuelling, he'd have finished last.
Because the only way anyone can gain a position is to take it from the guy in front.
why can't it be BOTH?
Really? Out of 8 finishers he did only finish seventh (albeit he was 4th and had an engine failure)
No I didn't. You invaded Poland. I mean you linked to JA and said Keith was wrong.
i didn't... craig did!!
I am only letting them argue now so I can fine them later when I stamp my foot.
:D hehe
And if they can't?
You watched the WHOLE race of that?
There is no way Joe punter would be entertained by that and this is what is wrong with F1.
When I was a kid, if I'd have seen that I never would have watched that again. Luckily I was still a 'twinkle in the eye' that day - or I could have been put off forever and never hosted yesterday's Sidepodpanel :-D
Like I said though, it's a team sport.
FOTA like Luca now but Max can still crack the whip and ruin their fun.
So we'd have to faster cars pulling away at the front, and the slower cars going around in circles and being lapped?
Actually Dom initially mentioned way back at 18:37
Has the comment been published on JA's blog yet?
he was on for forth because the team called the safety car right. wouldn't have happened if the man (and all the others) didn't need fuel.
How many times have you heard a driver say they waited for the pit stops to pass the guy in front. It's either or.
Ahem, Trulli train?
The only remedy is a pitstop...
But I still see overtaking?
I blame the Treaty of Versailles
If they can't they can't. If their strategy is worse now they lose. If they can't pass they can't.
Shhh.
we had racing for position last year. and we had strategy to mix it up.
No pitstops means the fastest cars will qualify at the front and the slowest cars at the back and that is where they will stay, how can that encourage overtaking? At least pitstops mix the field up a bit.
there was much more overtaking last year... in fact it was a damn good season last year. why change it?
People still talk about it to this day. It was a magnificent display of driving at least as good as the Dijon race. Your generation has been indoctrinated to believe F1 is about strategy and technology. It should be about racing.
nope.
Yes. The teams design and build cars andth drivers race them.
both.
:D
So we wont see any passing?
The fast cars are ahead in the distance, unable to pass each other, while the slower cars (the ones the faster cars could have passed) are at the back because they can't take advantage of refuelling?
Lets be honest, Monaco, Valencia, Singapore, they are going to be dull fests without pitstops. Cars driving around and around around without overtaking, lets be fair, they aren't going to risk a nose cone, knock one off and your last basically.
That can happen as it can now. Any negative that can happen now can happen if you ban pit stops. The difference is if someone builds a lead they can't just trash their tyres and fuel and pit a couple of laps early to make up for it. If they screw up they get punished.
I take offence to that - you should remember that I am against technology in race cars and have talked to you about that issue. I want racing, not processions. Pitstops and safety cars add to the mix.
I don't have time to check while I am fighting a defensive action here.
So the rest of the team don't matter as soon as the car leaves the factory?
true. lewis in monaco last year. won the race by crashing and pitting early. the team out-strategised everybody else, to claw back victory.
no pitstops and the guy would've come home at the back
Not enough. The fundamental fact of racing is no-one should ever gain a position unless they physically take it from the guy in front or he goes out.
As far as I'm concerned it's about all three.
It didn't happen in 2008.
Is that in the regulations then?
but how are they going to be able to overtake when they are really heavy with fuel?... besides i like pitstops...
Who decides how much overtaking there should be?
Do we want NASCAR levels of overtaking?
See Jarama 1981 and Dijon 1979 as mentioned before. Jackie Stewart in Motor Sport last year said he and Jochen Rindt one year at Silverstone swapped the lead about 20 times. One would overtake and try to build a gap then the other would catch and pass. If that was now no-one would make a move until the pit stops.
can't great strategy and technology make great racing though?
That takes me back to the argument I gave at the start, drivers in this day and age, they aint as mad as they were in the past (in the good sense) they are probably not wanting to break a nose cone, since they are wider and more likely to come off in close racing. Look at Jarama, no doubt Lafette (I made a mess of that spelling) would have lost a nose cone and probably spun Villenuerve in todays cars.
didn't hurt in brazil.
Last year's regs have already gone. Last year was better than the previous few years but it could be so much better.
Valencia was a blast with pit stops was it?
We got a little help from Mother Nature that time, we can't reply on her all the time.
Turkey 2008. Would we have had a race-long battle between Felipe and Lewis without re-fuelling? Nope.
Wait till the ammonia clears. :D
That just implies that you think we are not proper F1 fans and you are.
I did forget to add that Valencia was rubbish without it, and lets be honest, Monaco aint that great if it isn't wet and Singapore was canny good.
The difference between racing then and racing now has to do with a lot more than just refuelling.
No they look after it at races. They sort the set up and if there is a problem during the race they deal with it.
If we got rid of pitstops the only way to facilitate overtaking would be to spray random ammonia at the drivers!
Sadly not.
In the 30s they raced cars that had a minimum weight of 750kg. They still had overtaking.
Look at the size and weight of the LMP1 cars at Sebring(900kg). Didn't stop McNish and Franck overtaking.
That can't happen. It never would happen.
Me
In sportscars
They also refuelled.
ha!
Okay. 'Me', how much overtaking should there be?
If the drivers had to race they would and they would enjoy it more than they do now. You would also get a better standard of drivers.
:D
hahah :D
what? how?
Sebring basically wins the pitstop argument in a nutshell... 12 hours of close racing, overtaking, and .... PITSTOPS!!!
Not at all it states clearly that F1 has been allowed to develop in complete the wrong direction and a lot of effort has been put in to sell aspects of F1 other than racing.
They would but then soon realise that the inevibility that going to close will ruin your race. So stop that surely.
Singapore had novelty value. It is a poor track and everyone is going to be disappointed by it this year.
Not sure Jenson and Rubens could get much happier within the sport atm ;)
agreed :D
I am only arguing about pit stops here. I don't have time to read the comments coming in as it is without tackling everything else.
Yes, I agree with you on that point. But we still had some great battles going on.
Yay!
Like the jungle juice fuel they had in the 80s. Some drivers were almost passing out from the fumes of some of the more innovative ingredients.
But my point is that you seem to be blaming all F1's woes on refuelling, when there is a lot more to take into account.
Imagine if we could get McNish and Franck in equal cars and let them settle it man to man on the track for an hour without Peugeot screwing up Franck's strategy. Would that not be better?
:D
I liked what I saw.
Sebring was not better than Dijon 79. There will not be anyone in 30 years watching Sebring on youtube.
If the aero rules were sorted there is no reason why cars can't run close together. We could have proper races like the Monza slipstreamers.
Not at all. I am only arguing the JA is wrong and Keith is right about pitstops. Most of F1's problems are due to politics and the technical regs.
Dijon 79 was not the race it was because of a lack of pitstops though. We don't watch that thinking "Man, this rocks - they're not even pitting!"
You wouldn't have prefered Franck to have beaten him knowing that only the driver made the difference?
Is there not an element of rose-tinted nostalgia when it comes to anything pre-schumacher though?
It was. Had there been pit stops Villeneuve would have gone in ten laps earlier for new tyres.
I like that for about twenty minutes the commentators were discussing what was happening, which team had made the right choice, what they could have done, what they should have done. Then they turned round and said: Sorry, I know we're hardly commentating, we're more arguing.
There was nothing to say about what was happening on track, it was one car following another. It was all about what was GOING to happen once the pit stops unfolded.
And I loved it.
And he still would have caught up and passed Arnoux.
You miss my point though - we don't watch that clip thinking about a lack of pit stops.
And to paraphrase you earlier, that is the last 3 laps of an 80-lap race. So no pitstops doesn't necessarily make the racing better.
Yes but the racing was better before aero took over. There is a famous quote by Gilles Villeneuve which goes along the lines of ' The problem with modern racing cars is that if you get close to the car in front you lose downforce from your front wing so you have to slow. If you can't get close to the car in front through a corner you can't overtake on the next straight.' He died in 1982 and the problem is ten time worse now. For the best part of 30 years F1 has been going in completely the wrong direction with the tech regs.
i cannot believe steven, that under the weight of all of this opposition we cannot convince you that you are even slightly misguided on this one. facing a barrage of comprehensive and well put arguments, from a multitude of fanatical formula one fans, you are in fact refusing to budge an inch from your initial position.
you are made for the role of fia president, sir :)
amen to that too.
Ground Effects were way too dangerous for F1. You can't keep having a go at the technical regs because we keep getting great races!
I agree it was facinating but imagine the two of them had been fighting for that position on the track for 20 minutes. Imagine if the only way McNish could have won was to overtake Franck rather than drive fast on a different bit of track then come out of the pits with a lead Franck couldn't do anything about.
Sebring was a PROPER Sportscar race :-)
genius :D
Pit stops stop people racing because they sit and wait until the guy in front pits and then they do three fast laps, pit and come out with a five second lead.
in that case aren't you arguing that A1GP and series where the drivers race with the same machinery are better than f1?
Watching Kristensen and McNish at Le Mans last year and Sebring this year drive like maniacs to pull out a lead was just 5 pints mate... and that's what made the races so enthralling - to see these guys go hell for leather like that to crush the opposition!
I have being arguing this position for decades. A few people in one hour are not going to make much difference to my view.
Goodnight all, I'm tired just trying to keep up with all the comments :)
Of course. No one would say no to more overtaking. But I don't want that at the expense of refuelling.
Ground efeects were definitely dangerous and wrong. I am glad they were banned when they were. We need to get rid of a lot more aero components.
night jackie.
night jackie, see ya tomorrow
Night Jackie.
night jackie
night jackie.
that's a shame.
We can still try ;)
night :)
Night Jackie
what i meant is, that's exactly the sort of thing max would say :(
In which case, I gave up trying a while ago.
:D
No. They have pit stops in A1GP. The top F1 teams will always have the best drivers on the planet more or less. Some like McNish, Byrne and Thackwell will for whatever rason not get a drive regardless of their abilities. My point though is just now a lot of the drivers in F1 are very fast on a clear track but are not much cop when they get close to another car. If they had to race for postions the teams could not just hire drivers who are quick they would need to hire drivers who are better. There are a lot of drivers who are quick enough to do F1 but not as many who are good enough. So long as we have strategy and cars running on empty tarmac the best drivers are not a priority for a team in midfield.
Shhh. Don't mention him. We've been max-free so far today!
Absolutely agree. In sportscars that hass to be the case because they simply can't carry the fuel they need for the race distance.
Your tired?
You can have one or other but you can't have both. According to JA's blog refuelling is banned next year anyway.
Good night Jackie.
Can we do this as an audio show? Then I could deal with you lot one at a time.
What have I been watching the last couple of years then?
But the expense of banning refuelling is the shortening of races, surely you don't want to watch less f1?
I just made it to the end of the comments. Does that mean I have won?
If it's a choice of one or the other, I will take refuelling. Because I think the added intrigue, discussion, speculation, fascination of pit stops gives me more than overtaking does.
hahaha :D
This Sunday, instead of a panel, The Big Debate - Refuelling.
Bigger fuel tanks. F1 used to run without stops. Bigger fuel tanks means less efficient aero which is a good thing.
never! :P
Not a chance yet mate ;) We're just nipping off for biscuits and drinks for the long haul.
Cupcake break.
Yeah, but thats not what is planning on happening. They are shortening races with no fuel or keeping the races with fuel
I should say pitstops instead of fuel.
They won't do that though, there is already talk of shortening races. F1 should be a marathon, not a sprint.
That is because Bernie is an idiot.
So what would you prefer then?
F1 has always been classed as a sprint. Sportscars are closer to a marathon.
Can't argue with that. ;)
Yes we can.
Bernie is a god ;)
2 hour races. No refuelling. No tyre changes. Minimum wings. Big slick tyres and a big engine.
No, between the two options.
That's not an option.
I hope someone nails him to a tree like they did with the last one then.
Why not. We had it before.
What does that make A1 and Touring Cars then? I'd much rather watch 90 minutes plus of tactics and strategy than 10 or 20 of blitzing round a track.
and the driver sits where in the car? :P
Oh dear... this isn't good!
I just got shivers
A 2 hour GP is considered to be a sprint race. Always has been.
-Shorter races without refuelling
-The same races as we got last year and will get this year.
Very easy choice for me.
Behind the steering wheel.
Why not full length races without refueling. Perfectly possible. It happened for years.
lol but will there be room? :P
What will it be if they make it shorter then? There is no way we are going to get a ban on refuelling without a reduction in race distance.
You said why yourself:
There will be room for all.
Because that is not an option that is being proposed.
a formula 1 bus? :P
Why?
How many people do you want in them cars! :P
Once again...
Since when did one of the options that is proposed ever win.
We just had a meeting where the three options were medals, the current points system or the FOTA points system. Noon of the proposed options was chosen.
Right, off to bed.
Good night all - my planned anecdote will have to wait until later when things calm down a bit :-)
I await the day bernie suggests F1 cars require 22 seating and 24 standing, a door that must open for ptistops and a special ding so all passengers can hear when they want to get off during the race at an allocated f1 stop
One. By all I mean engine, fuel etc including the nut behind the steering wheel.
See ya next month then ;)
Night Gavin
No, your personal choice between the two, no alternatives, just your choice, one or the other. And no copping out either.
Night Gavin.
Seems like the spacewalk has finished or the astronauts have floated away while I was distracted
hahaha :D
In search of the missing tools?
I don't like the options and it depends on the details but given the choice I would have a slightly shorter race without stops
they floated away? i take it you mean back into the ISS and not into space....
They are prbably a bit out of reach by now.
so here's a headline:
"Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis issue threat to boycott race"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article5962563.ece
tut tut.
litterbugs.
I have no idea where they went. The last time I looked they were there. Then I had a short discussion about pit stops and they were not there any more.
Question, Are they in Melbourne Yet?
If yes, then I think it is nonsense.
hehe.
What I wanted in the first place ;)
During the last space shuttle mission one of the astronauts opened a bag and a 30 kg toolkit that was supposed to be attached was not and it floated away.
Oooh, I still have that Panasonic thing open.
What can I say to Timo without it looking rather strange?
the article is a non-story. but like i said, that is a headline :)
Anyone else notice that it's dated 24th March. Which is tomorrow.
so it is!
:D
Considering it was published on March 24th says it all really.
Damn you Evans.
that's strange..
I'm sure there is some sort of conspiracy to be invented there. I love a good conspiracy.
Williams have not lost all their money, but the stupidly wasted it all on a time machine which failed to work in an attempt to keep Jenson Button for 2006.
It's gone very quiet round here. What happened?
Oh well, everyone has stopped nattering. I'll close off with
'Timo, your great, influential, brilliant, supurb, magnifigant, oh god 80 letters'
Bye.
if you won't even consider that you might be wrong. debate is a senseless waste of time.
night rg.
Good night RG
night RG
night rg
but it's a fun senseless waste of time ;)
There was a lull and everyone went for a refreshment break?
It's good that people have different views and despite the odds against me I enjoyed that. I have been discussing the pit stop situation for longer than I care to mention and I have a very clear view about what F1 should be. No-one is going to persuade me to change my view which was formed over a number of years.
It is however good to air these arguments and let others think about them. I can't wait till someone has to read that lot while they are catching up in the comments. The reaction should be fun.
What she said.
I had a rant about reducing aero last week but didn't get time to go back and keep track of the conversation. I'll just have to assume that at least Steven Roy agreed with me :-)
don't give up so easily! :-) so many points to argue... so little time...
i agree, but we could put a thousand sensible well thought arguments to you and it won't make the blindest bit of difference.
i don't really care how long someone's held an opinion, they should still be open to a degree of change. in this instance that doesn't appear possible, which is fair enough, but it does mean i have nothing to add.
I am always in favour of reducing aero.
if i thought it would help...!
we could have persuaded someone who is lurking in the comments... you just never know :P
Evening all
Mixer alternative? - http://www.maudio.co.uk/products/en_gb/NRV10.htm
RRP a bit high, but street price seems around the £400 mark.
If someone makes an ovewhelming case I will change my mind but no-one has said anything I haven't argued 100 times. To me pit stops break up races.
fair enough, allow me rephrase my statement:
further debate is a senseless waste of time.
:D
yup considered it, but it only has a solo headphone output. and there's two of us :)
That has happened before. You get someon who holds a strong view or thinks they can swing an argument and they will join in. If you are lurking and haven't commented before will you please comment now and tell them that they are all wrong and I am right?
As a watcher on of this discussion, I can safely say that if I was involved, I would be standing in the background watching like a game of tennis.
In fact, this comment provided no light into whether it persuaded me or not, so I'm not entirely sure what the point of saying this is.
Was fun watching though ;)
That would be me. Forest for the trees etc etc. I am recalling a recent Codders article right now :-)
I make comments lamenting certain things about F1 but the reality is, I will always watch it for the anticipation. Even if one team or driver dominates for years on end, I still watch because there is so much happening and a chance that something different will happen this time.
i love that you are live commenting catching up on the comments :D
If only I could be doing it from somewhere interesting! giggles seems to have that one wrapped up. Maybe I could go back to the beach today?
:) i'm wishing i could live comment from anywhere but i can't. technology doesn't like me much.
See! I told you not to give up. We all know SR is an intelligent, reasonable man. Just because he is old and set in his ways doesn't mean we can't break him! :D
@me - you just work so hard you don't have any energy left. I am just being lazy.
Splitter?
nah, it's all good. steven asked why it was quite. i've thrown in the towel with the man and if anything the debate has cemented my opinion. allen is right :)
Specifically: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=11431
not good enough sadly. with the io26 christine and i get seperate mixes, so i have more me and she has more of her.
with a splitter, it'll just be a compromise.
You were doing really well till you said James Allen was right.
:D
Don't you have an iPod Touch though? I'm not around as much as I'd like to be, but help/advice on technology is always on hand here. I'll try to actually be useful and not just tell you to get a mac every 5 seconds :-)
Get a Mac is now my stock answer to PC related questions. :D
yep i have an ipod touch, but that's only wifi so it depends on where i am. i am yet to find a public location with an unsecured wifi connection ;) i've no idea why my phone wont send pictures, or go on the internet though.
Here's something weird, I was watching "Inside Grand Prix" tonight on motors tv and apparently Mark Webber does'nt hold an aussie driving license. strange.
i would get mac tomorrow if they weren't so damn expensive :P
Another stock answer is that they're not actually as expensive as they look. Factor in the software and cost of ownership over 3 years and you have a bargain :)
Hence the Tasmania challenge - if he has to cycle everywhere, so does everyone else! :-d
yeah i'm sold on that. however it's getting hold of all the money to buy it :P
You get what you pay for in this world. In Aust now , we are seeing a lot of discounting (which I think is a bad thing for the future). Same over there?
nope. increases due to problems with the pound.
Prices have increased here as well, but a lot of retailers are doing bundle deals like buy AppleCare, get Office 2008 Home edition for free. Problem is, they all start doing the same deal and nobody makes any money. Petrol stations all over again.
Sometimes you have to make compromises...
Is there a blog post or comment out there somewhere on the internets that details what you need in a mixer?
That's something that Apple has no control over though.
hehe.
We have similar things here, - HMV were doing buy an iPod, get £15 iTunes voucher, PC World and John Lewis almost giving away Office for Mac (why anyone would want that I don't know, especially as there's no Macro support in Excel).
not really. but it appears what we want is not possible, because what we want is an io26 that doesn't crash during a live show.
amazingly that really does appear to be asking the impossible.
have replied to your email btw :)
IO 26 seems to be missing from the Alesis website (by the way I nearly wrote Alesi)
You know Steven, for a man that is in absolute favour of a ban on refueling, you'd think he'd do better in the 1986 batracer season :-P
hehe.
http://www.alesis.com/io26
If you didn't ram me I would be doing better. I am second in the championship or leading if you use the wins system.
Interesting point about Brawn on the second page of this Times article:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article5962633.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1
The one that gets blamed for everything puts the blame on me, that's not good, is it?
As for doing better, I meant running away with it, of course ;)
hehehehehe.
Wow.
Only just skim read the comments above about "to refuel or not to refuel", but boy, are we all heated up tonight :)
I have to side with the pro-refuelling/pit stops guys on this one.
Bottom Line: Race strategy makes an processional race worth watching, and even in an exciting race, adds more drama to the mix. End of story.
I do feel for the mechanics because, generally I think they'd prefer not to do it for two reasons: 1) the pressure of making a mistake, and 2) the sheer danger of pitstops, but in the end it adds to the spectacle, and because F1 these days is only about the spectacle, I have a feeling that re-fuelling and tyre changes will stay for a while.
the fia didn't issue a press release or nuthin'.
Nice find Jeremy.
I like this bit from Bernie:
“He can rest on his laurels a little bit because he’s world champion. Will he do that? I doubt it. He will make just as big an effort even if the car’s s***,” Ecclestone says succinctly.
I know, which makes the argument all the more amusing
Bernie reckons Barrichello could beat Button. Last week he was predicting Button could be champ.
So can we infer from the article that Bernie is interfering more because his wife left him? Slavica please for the love of F1, call off the divorce. It's a small sacrifice for the happiness of millions.
i don't think Bernie knows what he is saying half the time.
Yeah, the great thing about Bernie is, you're not sure he says things like this on purpose to confuse you, or he genuinely forgets what he says.
The man's a mystery and I have a lot of respect for that.
who dropiod this pic btw:
http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/searchingapple-png
i must've missed a comment, how cool is that?
Wow, is that tonight's topic? I remember Mr C and I having a debate on this at the start of the off-season.
I have to side with Steven on this one - no refuelling is better. If you want race strategy, tyre stops will provide you that. But refuelling is something we can do without.
you're wrong.
I'm thinking if we should debate on this again... But alright, why am I wrong? :)
That was me! I was super impressed. I meant to comment it as well. The link for the first search result doesn't work though. Help me be lazy folks?
i agree with mr c
i thought you were wrong at the end of last season, i thought steven was wrong earlier this evening, and the debate tonight has convinced me that both of you are misguided.
i have nothing to add that hasn't been said before and wasn't repeated earlier.
I can't read what it says
I'll have to go through them comments again, but for now, I have nothing else to add as well.
While I go through your debate, did anyone see this?
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/03/23/fia-to-cut-licence-fees-but-by-how-much/
License fees are going down for 2010, apparently.
WOAH! What have I missed?
452 new comments?!
to lull us all into a false sense of security before BAM! 2010 is going to be a 1 make series :P haha
it's all Steven's fault :P
Ignore me, now it's downloaded. Hmm, F1 calendar for iPod Touch....
when you go through the debate, you'll find out :)
Dirty rotten spammer... ;)
:D
is it any good? oh wait a second why am i even asking... i can't download anything on itunes anyway.
my girlfriend raised a point thisavo that i hadn't thought about...
whats the past tense of a tweet (as in twitter)??
tweeted?
Tweeted
Well the other option is a bit rude ;)
wait, thats really...sensible...
there were many words floating in my head....none broadcastable :P
one comment, published:
http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/ferrari-boss-its-a-make-or-break-year-for-kimi/#comment-3015
Just had a very confusing BAT racer game. Started P6 and was P2 at the end of the first lap. Had a problem a few laps in and went to P14 (last) then the rain started and I won. it's going to take me hours to figure out what happened.
Totally convinced about the wins system now though.
We're in the 20th century now, not the 1980s: with their past experience of fuel stops, the teams will know EXACTLY how much fuel they'll need.
But even then, Monaco 1982 was a cracker of a race: no one knew which cars would last the distance; 3 race leaders ran out of fuel in the closing laps!
there was a whole lot of great racing before pitstops. another one of my favorites was silverstone 1987. mansell didn't need a lighter tank of fuel to catch piquet and pass him for the win. it was out and out speed.
Here's the thing: it really depends what F1 you grew up in. If you started watching F1 in 1994 or later, you'll have only seen refuelling all your life. There are some (like me) who do go back and watch the older races, but that's the exception, not the rule.
On the other hand, we have folks like Steven who watched F1 in the days before refuelling, and he's seen both the pros and cons of it.
It'll be very hard to sway the pro-refuelling guys because that's what they grew up in and got used to, not to mention they haven't seen non-refuelling races yet.
Not to mention this was one of Murray Walker's all-time favorite races.
Does that mean we have to start it all again?
But isn't that what the business of qualifying is really all about - the real fastest guys should come out of it? And even then, being fast on one lap is amazing, being fast for the whole race quite another.
Agreed.
Oooh... I disagree with Steven on this one. It's not the best track out there - not by any means. But it's a pretty good track. It has 2 good overtaking spots, as well as some difficult corners like Singapore Sling (aka Turn 10) and the entry to the Tunnel.
Well, I wouldn't say that, but F1 and Sebring/Le Mans are two completely different disciplines. You can't compare apples to oranges.
Amen. He makes a better argument than Max, that's for sure.
You can, you'll just find lots of differences :P
We're slowly getting here, actually.
This is ideal - but I've already said before I prefer tyre changes. But refuelling needs to go.
that wasn't meant as a compliment :)
I agree with that. The point I was making is that although it was gripping at the time and a genuinely captivating race it was not a spectacular race to watch. The McNish / Montagny clip that appeared in the comments was really good racing but it will not have the life the Dijon race had. As an example McNish's drive at Petit LeMans last year was a stonkingly good drive and his seek and destroy of Klien was great to watch but I haven't gone and searched youtube for it.
:D
btw: james allen speaks italian?
http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/ferrari-boss-its-a-make-or-break-year-for-kimi/#comment-3018
By the time I put out a press release saying I have your full backing it will be a ringining endorsement.
But i think that says more about the person you tubeing it than the race itself.
If you were as much an ALMS fan as you are an F1 fan then you'd be you tubing everything
:D
D:
It seems odd that he is going to be on RAI. I was going to mention it earlier but I was sidetracked.
WOAH!
Heh. I'll take it as one. Steven's better than Max any day of the year. :D
that was my reaction.
Alright. I'm done! :)
Twas fun reading the debate. Would've loved to be there as it happened and help Steven out. I'd love to be his wingman, or something like that. :D
I think it is different. Anyone today can watch the Dijon clip without knowing anything about the cars, drivers , anything and enjoy it. The ALMS race was not spectacular on track but watching it live was great because we had no idea what was going to happen for a long time.
are we talking about the same james allen?
yes
wow :D
Italian?! Darn. So lemme get this straight - for all our criticism of his work, James Allen has been part of the F1 teams for ESPN, ITV, and RAI. That is quite a CV right there.
The viewing numbers of the vids will probably tell the story.
okay time for me to go to bed, night all x
night lou.
night lou. night all
Good night Lou
Never going to have a chance to catch up on this one. :D
*BOOOOIIIIIING*
"Time for bed!" said Zebedee
bless ya :)
And I haven't been drinking. :D
I don't get that reference but I do like how Christine's voice reminds me of Bridget Jones saying 'time for Bedfordshire'
Actually, I think she says 'I'm off to Bedfordshire'. Please don't be insulted by my comment Mrs C :-)
The Magic Roundabout?
Ermintrude the Cow, Dillon the Rabbit, Doogle the Dog, Florence the human, Zebedee the... ummm... thing?
There are much worse things to be compared to than Bridget Jones :)
The host is quite annoying with his man crush for Alonso
I agree with Steven, yea to no refueling
Yay! Three of us now. :D
go on?
you may recognise this sidepodcast picture too:
http://www.grandprixweekly.com/2008/12/24/episode-321/
note the lack of credit (no request for permission either). it's safe to say we're not fans! i notice they're selling a calendar... wonder if they have rights to those pics?
sidepodspace update
The shuttle Atlantis was transfered to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy today to be prepared for STS125 to the Hubble space telescope. Launch is currently scheduled for May 12th so there is no point on betting on a date before the third week in June.
Now they all turn up. I spend two hours taking a pounding and then after everyone has gone to bed people start crawling out of the woodwork and telling me that I was right.
:D
I was asleep... Different timezone. :P At least you're still awake to see us. :D
Boo! to F1 weekly. If it wasnt for Nassir, I would have put them on the bottom of my podcast list with the other Americans.
Ouch. :P
We could run a competition to guess the problem that causes the biggest delay to this launch. Odds are it is something that hasn't happened in the last 120 odd.
Sorry. I got home from work about an hour or so ago and I'm just catching up now. Damn this work thing is seriously cutting into my SPC time:) , my lottery numbers better come in this week.
Jinx!
Imagine if Bruno Senna gets a drive. Will the commentators choose xxxx-esque or xxxx-DNA as their favourite cliche? {http://www.sidepodcast.com/2009/03/23/daily-23rd-march-2009/#comment-223541>Comment #128}
Maybe someone will say DNAesque, then we can really laugh about the whole clichéd thing.
last email i got from them was piquet. haven’t read this months yet, has he been interviewed yet? {Comment #164}
No. Presumably he'll be in next issue.
just got round to reading that post. good info, but this caught my eye:
“…the raising of the pit lane speed limit to 100km/h, which will make pit stops faster and the freeing up of safety car rules (you can come in when you want).”
did kathy mention this the other day? i wasn’t concentrating, but why would the fia allow this and how is it increasing safety? {Comment #275}
I thought they introduced that last year...
:D
I thought you couldn't use copyrighted material without the owners permission and seeing as they are using it can you not tell them to take it down or face the consequences?
probably, more fun to name and shame though isn't it?
i had a quick scan through some other images on the site and couldn't find a single image with credits. maybe they have some kind of worldwide copyright exception clause applicable only to them ;)
Didn't USGPE say something about putting webcams in every factory? Did they specify their own or just everyone's factories? :-)
Here's my view on this refueling debate. I want to see races won on the track as well as passing and not in the pits, It doesn't excite me a whole heck of lot to see guys being passed in the pits and another thing about this refueling thing that fills me with rage is when a driver pits 4 times during a race and still goes on to win that race (I need a punching bag in here) as far as I'm concerned if you make that many stops you shouldn't win, I was never that bitter towards refueling until that race. I didn't like refueling but I tolerated it because what else can you do. I don't have a problem with tire changes. So I guess what we have here is a good old Mexican standoff:)
I agree Nassir is the only reason I still listen.
We have the same identical stand, Aitch - no refuelling, only tyre changes. :)
But you do have to admit, Michael did well to win France 2004. ;)
Never was a MS fan and never will be.
Always was an MS fan and always will be.
But still, refuelling is the issue at hand, and there we share the same sentiments. :)
I wonder if we can persuade some of those on the wrong side of this discussion to come over to the right side:D
Steven tried - and he's the best one of us lot! Still, perhaps with three of us on hand, it'd be a better effort. :)
Well then we need for the lurkers out there who support no refueling to step forward and let their voices be heard. C'mon lurkers you know who you are.
Yes! Let your voice be heard! :)
And even those who do support refuelling, have your say in the discussion! The more, the merrier. :D
When Martin asked Bernie who he wanted to win the championship on the grid in 2007, he answered Lewis, then Fernando, then Kimi in the space of about 40 seconds. His predictions are there only for amusement value.
He should have called in for the montage.
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/24/brawn-should-have-sacked-button-surtees/ - Why is John Surtees picking on Jenson? I don't understand what he expected him to do in last year's Honda?
Sutil and Fisichella didn't score any points in 2008. Should they be sacked too?
Fisichella should.
It seems odd that he is going to be on RAI. I was going to mention it earlier but I was sidetracked. {Comment #756}
Will he be able to convince the Italian public about the wonders of Lewis Hamilton in between complimenting the Ferrari drivers? I can see that being a tough gig.
Good luck to him anyway and hope he keeps blogging as well :) .
His son is named Enzo. :P Also, he was a Schumi fan before a Lewis fan, so he'll be alright. :)
I can't imagine JA speaking Italian!
probably, more fun to name and shame though isn’t it? {Comment #797}
Legally, there's nothing to stop you from doing both if you want to ;)
Apparently it is in a park that is about a block from Albert Park itself - They may not be doing the beach thing this year as the weather is crap. I've been told to look for Vodafone signs, if I don't see any I guess I can just leave. I'll be sure to report back what happens either way!
Didn’t USGPE say something about putting webcams in every factory? Did they specify their own or just everyone’s factories? {Comment #798}
If they mean everyone's, they could end up in legal trouble under privacy laws. Given Max is kind of sensitive about that topic, I can't see it happenening.
USGPE wiring up its own factory, on the other hand, is not only fine but marvellous for us.
Hmmm... methinks it's legit. Just be aware of your surroundings. :)
No way USGPE will put webcams in the other factories - that's a bit... erm... silly. :D
I wonder if we can persuade some of those on the wrong side of this discussion to come over to the right side :D {Comment #804}
Which side is wrong and which one right?
The right side says 'no' to refuelling! :)
Wrong!
Yup, that's your side, alright. :D
give him a "honk", christine.
Well then we need for the lurkers out there who support no refueling to step forward and let their voices be heard. C’mon lurkers you know who you are.
Yes, I do know who I am.
No refuelling will help place the accent back on what happens on track. The thing to note is that until the mechanical grip:aero grip is sorted (I know they're trying, but is it enough?) and there is more than one way for a car to be fast (which is still the opposite of what the regulations are attempting to achieve), refocusing on the track will be a disappointment.
The disappointment would be better fixed by sorting out the grip balance and divergence issues than retaining refuelling and pretending the problems don't exist, however.
I'd also be in favour of having at least two compounds which could be mixed or not as the drivers preferred. One would get you to the end of the race if you looked after them well and the other would be a bit faster but require at least one tyre stop. Yes you would still get strategy involved in races, but it would be largely determined by the capabilities of the driver rather than a number-crunching machine and some master strategists on the pitwall.
Hey, hey! That's a very similar position to mine. That makes 4 of us now.
Hmmm... If we did a proper debate on this, we'd be a quality team! If lacking in numbers... :)
doh. she picked the wrong side.
With Alia and Steven, how can you go wrong? ;)
I don't carry the pinger around with me everywhere, you know.
when they ban refuelling next year, and the racing turns out to be processional...
Why is John Surtees picking on Jenson? I don’t understand what he expected him to do in last year’s Honda?
Sutil and Fisichella didn’t score any points in 2008. Should they be sacked too? {Comment #810}
It was only misfortune that denied them (on at least two separate occasions and, arguably, three). Were it not for the Raikkonen incident, that would have been five points right there from Sutil. Fisichella lost at least one point when the clutch failed in his second and third pitstops in Brazil and lost another potential points finish when his brand-new gearbox started chucking gears out from the beginning of the Monaco race.
But then it's very easy for me to say they shouldn't have been sacked, since I think the only driver on the 2008 grid who did earn a sacking was Nelson Piquet Jr.
Granted, Button only scored once. But was his car capable of doing anything else, barring a chaotic race like Silverstone?
oh. dock him some points for sunday then ;)
Haha! :D
As Alia said,
But I'm the host! :D
and?
when they ban refuelling next year, and the racing turns out to be processional…
That's because the accent will be on a part of F1 that has been sadly neglected over the past ages. Only now has thought been put into emphasising mechanical grip over aerodynamic grip. The FIA still hasn't got the message that cars need to perform differently to one another to get overtaking, otherwise the defenders always have the advantage.
Refuelling may result in processions, but losing refuelling may well lead to the sorts of measures that break up processions.
My points don't really matter in the great scheme of things... do they? ;)
You won't be the first host to start on minus points.
good, i'll start watching again when they figure that out then :)
i look forward to many, many years of darts.
I don’t carry the pinger around with me everywhere, you know. {Comment #829}
You could type:
PING!!!
and probably get the same effect. A visual pinger.
that would give journeyer a point though?
i just heard a car horn in the distance, that's more like it :)
good, i’ll start watching again when they figure that out then
i look forward to many, many years of darts. {Comment #840}
In that case someone may need to overthrow the FIA. Then we can fix the mechanical:aero balance and divergence issues. Then we can have F1 races focussed on the racing that doesn't prove to be an embarrassment to us as supporters.
the races last year didn't cause embarrassment to me as a supporter?
that would give journeyer a point though? {Comment #842}
How about this variation then?
PONG!!!
What sound is that? :-/
the races last year didn’t cause embarrassment to me as a supporter? {Comment #844}
Some of them didn't. I bet Valencia did though. I get your point though - I may have overstated my case somewhat and what we had in 2008 constitutes a reasonable starting point. However much the combined mishaps from the championship contenders helped increase the excitement, something more fundamentally right than that appears to have happened.
Still, F1 is about improvement and if we are to improve, the rules of racing would be as good a starting point as any.
removing refuelling isn't an improvement. not to me anyway.
What sound is that? :-/ {Comment #846}
Difficult for me to answer that without making a recording of said sound...
but how would we know unless we see it implemented? it worked before, why wouldn't it work now?
because i flippin' well like it!
i enjoy the strategy element. i like the teamwork element. i don't see any reason to fix it, when it isn't broken?
Ahhh, that may be where we differ. I do think it is broken, and I do think it needs fixing.
i know.
and sadly the fia seem to agree with you, but there's still time :)
A shame we did our debate in the comments - a proper show for it would've been incredible. :)
it'll come up again soon enough, you know it will :)
It's very broken. I want to see racing on the track rather than in the Pitlane *cough.. Massa* I also want to see overtaking on the track, rather than having a driver shortfuelled to get him out in front of someone.
Banning refuelling is a good step towards fixing it, but de-restricting the pit lane during the race would be help as a pit stop only takes 10 seconds again rather than the 30 it does now.
Better still - go back to hard tyres so no pitstops are necessary.
True, true, but then we'd just be repeating what we've already said, so it wouldn't be as good.
haha :D
Well, I know for a fact we've had the refuelling conversation twice already, and everyone still seemed to enjoy it this time round.
Ah, more of Steven's position than mine and Alia's. But still, no refuelling. That makes 5. :D
Although more seem to be involved this time than last.
And chances are there will be more next time.
Fingers crossed, there will be. This should be a very good topic on the panel - for next season, perhaps?
There are still four left to go of this season, so you never know.
Dah-da-da-da-dahhh-da-da-da-dahhh-dah-dah-dah-dahhhh HEY HEY HEY!
By the way, reason #375 to move to Denmark: The Weather. It's colder than Bernie outside and snowing! :-( Better put my spring jacket back in the cupboard...
I love watching darts! When they're shown here, anyway. ;)
I may just sneak one question in for the panel - but maybe not. Ideally, I'd like the pros to be one side and the antis on another. If that doesn't happen, I'll probably skip the subject and save it for a better time.
Gavin, I'm having issues with the Panel replay. Would you mind if you sent me over the questions you used and those you didn't use?
Are you that stuck? I kinda used my best ones - and I want to be on this week's panel (if there is a space) so would it not be unfair if I gave you mine?
Hmmm... Good point. I've just lost touch a bit with the recent panels, haven't had time to catch up on them! :) Just list here the questions you used for this week's panel. I'll use it as a guide.
OK I'll send you them later when I get home...
Great! Thanks, Gavin. Really appreciate it. :)
Still no headset. :(
I am thinking of starting a website with an original twist. I wonder if F1argument.com is available. We could get people to phone in to argue and just stream the audio.
I'll check!
It's only a joke. I do not need a website and you don't need another domain.
Oh. :(
It is available.
NO
Awww. Poor Christine. I know you've wanted Steven to start a blog for the longest time. :)
I think others have campaigned longer than I have. I just like buying domains.
:D
I don't have time for my own site. I can spend my time commenting or designing and policing a website.
topsidepodcastcommentor.com?
What exactly I am going to say on that site that I can't say here?
Um... how about... idontwantablog.com?
I see we have more people on the right side of the fuel argument now. Even on JA's blog a few more have popped up to say they agree.
One thing those who have yet to see the light should consider. No refuelling means no race fuel qualifying. Imagine getting back to proper empty tank qualifying.
That is exactly the kind of site that could take over my life. Good domain name though. I am surprised someone hasn't bought that and built a site about how they didn't think they wanted a blog but then it took over their life.
I know just the man!
Oh, do tell. :D
I am amazed that domain is still available. It is the kind of thing you would have expected Dave Gorman to have turned into a TV series and a book by now.
Maybe I should buy it.
But you have a blog?
I have a feeling I know who will get the blame if you do
:D