June 07, 2009
F1 Update!: Turkey 2009!
"You have built me a monster of a car, guys!" - Jenson Button
THIS is your F1 Update! for the Grand Prix of Turkey!
*A CHINK IN THE ARMOR?: Not so much, no. In fact, the Grand Prix of Turkey turned out to be the least interesting race on the calendar so far. At the start, it looked like it was going to be a true potboiler, with Rubens Barrichello completely blowing the start and dropping nine places in the blink of an eye and his teammate Jenson Button slotting in behind Sebastian Vettel and holding close despite being heavier on fuel. Halfway through the second lap, Vettel went off-track for just an instant, which was all that Button needed. He blew by the RB5, rocketed away, and never looked back. It just became a question of which Red Bull driver would end up in second.
*BARRICHELLO BALLAST: In what should be a legendary season full of unicorns and rainbows for the Brawn team, Rubens Barrichello is doing everything in his power to drag their glory through the mud. First he complained about not getting to win a race earlier this season. Then there was the pit-strategy change at Spain.
Now, after cocking up his start, spinning out after bumping into Heikki Kovaleinninninnie, then tearing up his front wing when he collided with Adrian Sutil, he brought BrawnGP their first retirement with a broken gearbox on lap 48. Of course, Barrichello is whining about all of this: "It's just frustrating because it has been happening too much on my side." Meanwhile, his teammate is running away with the driver's championship with nary a fault or bobble. What does Rubens think is happening here?
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Button would be the easy choice with another of his flawless drives to victory, but we're going to give the award to Mark Webber. Starting from fourth, promoted automatically to third when Barrichello tried to leave half his gearbox on the grid, then had the unenviable challenge of hanging on to the tail of his teammate and Button as they tried to break the sound barrier. As usual, Webber was up to the challenge and was rewarded with 2nd place when Red Bull's gambit of changing Vettel to a 3-stop strategy didn't pay off. Couldn't've happened to a better guy on the grid.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Red Bull. 2nd and 3rd on the podium is nothing to sneeze at when you're in a Constructor's Championship race, and when one of your rivals winds up in the garage, all the better. While their overall race strategies appear to need work if they're going to have a chance to catch Brawn, days like this are important. Well done, lads.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: Last year, hearing that a Renault passing a McLaren for the MotR, you'd probably think it was for 3rd or 4th place, right? Just goes to show that we're truly in Bizarro Season, for the pass was Nelson Piquet Jr passing Lewis Hamilton for 16th place. On lap 34, Hamilton was flush with fuel, Piquet not so much, but the KERS advantage had shown that it could be insurmountable when used defensively. Going into Turn 12, Piquet put himself on the outside of Hamilton and held off on his braking as long as he could. Through the turn they were side-by-side, wheels with maybe two inches between them. Being on the outside of 12 meant that the Renault was on the inside for 13, a clear advantage. Hamilton wisely backed off slightly, while Piquet kept his foot down and overshot the turn, fishtailing slightly while Hamilton took a slower, yet shorter, line through 13. Piquet's overshoot turned out to be strategy, however, as Hamilton, though in the lead at this point, was on the outside for 14. As they came through the final turn the Renault re-re-claimed the lead and even pulled away slightly. Great racing between two poor cars, and a well-earned MotR for the embattled Piquet.
*MOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Ruben Barrichello's ill-advised attempt at a pass on Heikki Kovlaleinninninnie was bad, and he paid for it with a drop to 17th place. His stupid move on Adrian Sutil, however, was worse. He stuck his nose in from too far back and got most of his right endplane taken off for his trouble. A hasty pitstop and a new nose dropped him down to 19th... last place, in other words, since Giancarlo Fisichella had already retired. Bravo, Rubens, your weekend wasn't completely wasted... you won the Moooooo-ooove!
*DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
THIS is your F1 Update! for the Grand Prix of Turkey!
*A CHINK IN THE ARMOR?: Not so much, no. In fact, the Grand Prix of Turkey turned out to be the least interesting race on the calendar so far. At the start, it looked like it was going to be a true potboiler, with Rubens Barrichello completely blowing the start and dropping nine places in the blink of an eye and his teammate Jenson Button slotting in behind Sebastian Vettel and holding close despite being heavier on fuel. Halfway through the second lap, Vettel went off-track for just an instant, which was all that Button needed. He blew by the RB5, rocketed away, and never looked back. It just became a question of which Red Bull driver would end up in second.
*BARRICHELLO BALLAST: In what should be a legendary season full of unicorns and rainbows for the Brawn team, Rubens Barrichello is doing everything in his power to drag their glory through the mud. First he complained about not getting to win a race earlier this season. Then there was the pit-strategy change at Spain.
Now, after cocking up his start, spinning out after bumping into Heikki Kovaleinninninnie, then tearing up his front wing when he collided with Adrian Sutil, he brought BrawnGP their first retirement with a broken gearbox on lap 48. Of course, Barrichello is whining about all of this: "It's just frustrating because it has been happening too much on my side." Meanwhile, his teammate is running away with the driver's championship with nary a fault or bobble. What does Rubens think is happening here?
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Button would be the easy choice with another of his flawless drives to victory, but we're going to give the award to Mark Webber. Starting from fourth, promoted automatically to third when Barrichello tried to leave half his gearbox on the grid, then had the unenviable challenge of hanging on to the tail of his teammate and Button as they tried to break the sound barrier. As usual, Webber was up to the challenge and was rewarded with 2nd place when Red Bull's gambit of changing Vettel to a 3-stop strategy didn't pay off. Couldn't've happened to a better guy on the grid.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Red Bull. 2nd and 3rd on the podium is nothing to sneeze at when you're in a Constructor's Championship race, and when one of your rivals winds up in the garage, all the better. While their overall race strategies appear to need work if they're going to have a chance to catch Brawn, days like this are important. Well done, lads.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: Last year, hearing that a Renault passing a McLaren for the MotR, you'd probably think it was for 3rd or 4th place, right? Just goes to show that we're truly in Bizarro Season, for the pass was Nelson Piquet Jr passing Lewis Hamilton for 16th place. On lap 34, Hamilton was flush with fuel, Piquet not so much, but the KERS advantage had shown that it could be insurmountable when used defensively. Going into Turn 12, Piquet put himself on the outside of Hamilton and held off on his braking as long as he could. Through the turn they were side-by-side, wheels with maybe two inches between them. Being on the outside of 12 meant that the Renault was on the inside for 13, a clear advantage. Hamilton wisely backed off slightly, while Piquet kept his foot down and overshot the turn, fishtailing slightly while Hamilton took a slower, yet shorter, line through 13. Piquet's overshoot turned out to be strategy, however, as Hamilton, though in the lead at this point, was on the outside for 14. As they came through the final turn the Renault re-re-claimed the lead and even pulled away slightly. Great racing between two poor cars, and a well-earned MotR for the embattled Piquet.
*MOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Ruben Barrichello's ill-advised attempt at a pass on Heikki Kovlaleinninninnie was bad, and he paid for it with a drop to 17th place. His stupid move on Adrian Sutil, however, was worse. He stuck his nose in from too far back and got most of his right endplane taken off for his trouble. A hasty pitstop and a new nose dropped him down to 19th... last place, in other words, since Giancarlo Fisichella had already retired. Bravo, Rubens, your weekend wasn't completely wasted... you won the Moooooo-ooove!
*DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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Rubber Duckie Saves Woman's Life
Shirley Madsen, 90, returned home from a night at the casinos and decided to take a bath before bed. She didn't expect to be too weak to get out when she was done.
Her hands too small to cup enough water to sustain her, she turned to her rubber duckie collection for survival. "I have this collection of rubber duckies. There is a fireman, a policeman and others," Madsen said. "I jokingly tell my friends that I am going home to take a bath with the boys." One of her new duckies, a gift from a friend, had a hole in the bottom and couldn't float. It did make a perfect cup, however, and kept her from dehydration.
Rescued after three days in her bathtub, she had to spend a short time in the hospital recovering from her ordeal. "I will never get in another bathtub, ever," Madsen said.
Her hands too small to cup enough water to sustain her, she turned to her rubber duckie collection for survival. "I have this collection of rubber duckies. There is a fireman, a policeman and others," Madsen said. "I jokingly tell my friends that I am going home to take a bath with the boys." One of her new duckies, a gift from a friend, had a hole in the bottom and couldn't float. It did make a perfect cup, however, and kept her from dehydration.
Rescued after three days in her bathtub, she had to spend a short time in the hospital recovering from her ordeal. "I will never get in another bathtub, ever," Madsen said.
With a laugh, she further advises: "Get a bunch of rubber duckies and make sure one of them can't swim."
(Thanks to insidebayarea.com for original story)
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June 06, 2009
F1 Quals: Turkey 2009!
Have we just seen a tiny chink appear in the Brawn's armor? The provisional grid for the Grand Prix of Turkey will be as follows:
Sebastian gets the clean sweep of qualifying, having the fastest speed in all three sessions. Of course, the Red Bull RB5 got its new double diffuser at Monaco but that's hardly a good place to shake down new equipment. Now that it's out on the open road, so to speak, it may just be that the Brawn has been supplanted as the best car.
Not to say that's for sure, however, because as usual the Brawns have more fuel on board than Vettel. The polesitter weighs in at 649.5kg, Button is at 655.5kg, and Barrichello 652.5kg. That extra weight might equal another lap or two on the first stint, and that may very well be the entire difference between the two marques.
All hail Adrian Sutil and Force India! For the second race in a row, they managed to get out of Q1... while Lewis Hamilton's McLaren failed to get out of Q1 for the second race in a row. In Monaco, of course, Hamilton stuck it into the wall, but no such excuse here: the MP4/24 is just a dog. Everywhere it went, the rear end was twitching like an burlesque dancer's. To be blunt, Hamilton and Kovaleininninnie are too busy keeping the car from killing them to be competitively fast.
The Ferraris, which looked so promising yesterday, will have quite a task ahead of them if they want to keep the title of "Turkish Grand Prix Victors" entirely in-house. Not bloody likely, though, considering that Massa has less fuel that Button, and Kimi about 3kg more. Not an impressive result.
Finally, BMW must be feeling a little bit better. They didn't look too bad in quals, and at least one of their drivers made it to Q3. It's the right direction, at least.
I'm not sure which version of the race I'll be watching tomorrow: Fox'll have SPEED's coverage at 2pm central, but I should also have the BBC's broadcast in my possession by noon. So, which I watch will determine when the F1 Update! will be posted. See you then, whenever it is!
Sebastian gets the clean sweep of qualifying, having the fastest speed in all three sessions. Of course, the Red Bull RB5 got its new double diffuser at Monaco but that's hardly a good place to shake down new equipment. Now that it's out on the open road, so to speak, it may just be that the Brawn has been supplanted as the best car.
Not to say that's for sure, however, because as usual the Brawns have more fuel on board than Vettel. The polesitter weighs in at 649.5kg, Button is at 655.5kg, and Barrichello 652.5kg. That extra weight might equal another lap or two on the first stint, and that may very well be the entire difference between the two marques.
All hail Adrian Sutil and Force India! For the second race in a row, they managed to get out of Q1... while Lewis Hamilton's McLaren failed to get out of Q1 for the second race in a row. In Monaco, of course, Hamilton stuck it into the wall, but no such excuse here: the MP4/24 is just a dog. Everywhere it went, the rear end was twitching like an burlesque dancer's. To be blunt, Hamilton and Kovaleininninnie are too busy keeping the car from killing them to be competitively fast.
The Ferraris, which looked so promising yesterday, will have quite a task ahead of them if they want to keep the title of "Turkish Grand Prix Victors" entirely in-house. Not bloody likely, though, considering that Massa has less fuel that Button, and Kimi about 3kg more. Not an impressive result.
Finally, BMW must be feeling a little bit better. They didn't look too bad in quals, and at least one of their drivers made it to Q3. It's the right direction, at least.
I'm not sure which version of the race I'll be watching tomorrow: Fox'll have SPEED's coverage at 2pm central, but I should also have the BBC's broadcast in my possession by noon. So, which I watch will determine when the F1 Update! will be posted. See you then, whenever it is!
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June 05, 2009
Random Anime Picture #44: Why I Like Hatsukoi Limited
-Hatsukoi Limited, ep05
Rowr.
-Hatsukoi Limited, ep05
Rowr.
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F1 Practice: Turkey 2009!
Take a sheet of 2-grit sandpaper. Apply this vigorously to the side of a very large, very old, and very very pissed off bull.
That was the sound Sebastian Vettel's engine made when the Red Bull's gearbox tried to select two gears at the same time... or the driveshaft came adrift... or whatever it was that happened to it. No matter what it was, it was not a pleasant sound at all, and one I've never heard from a F1 car before. The smoke wasn't bad, but something got really codswallopped in there.
In other news, nobody has any idea how McLaren is going to do. Heikki Kovaleininninninnie was fastest on the day, but Lewis Hamilton was well down the timesheets. He also had multiple spins, and his car looked very twitchy all day. On the other hand, Heikki's didn't look anywhere near as bad... I wonder if they're running different equipment?
The news of the day, however, was that only HWMNBN could get anything out of the softer of the two tire compounds, hauling his Renault up to second only .006 seconds behind. Everybody else, however, looked like they were driving on pudding when they put on the softs. Look for long stints on the hard compounds to begin with, so teams can minimize the time spent on the softs. Funny, usually softer tires work better around this particular track.
Quals on Saturday.
That was the sound Sebastian Vettel's engine made when the Red Bull's gearbox tried to select two gears at the same time... or the driveshaft came adrift... or whatever it was that happened to it. No matter what it was, it was not a pleasant sound at all, and one I've never heard from a F1 car before. The smoke wasn't bad, but something got really codswallopped in there.
In other news, nobody has any idea how McLaren is going to do. Heikki Kovaleininninninnie was fastest on the day, but Lewis Hamilton was well down the timesheets. He also had multiple spins, and his car looked very twitchy all day. On the other hand, Heikki's didn't look anywhere near as bad... I wonder if they're running different equipment?
The news of the day, however, was that only HWMNBN could get anything out of the softer of the two tire compounds, hauling his Renault up to second only .006 seconds behind. Everybody else, however, looked like they were driving on pudding when they put on the softs. Look for long stints on the hard compounds to begin with, so teams can minimize the time spent on the softs. Funny, usually softer tires work better around this particular track.
Quals on Saturday.
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June 04, 2009
What If #3: Midway... Timing Is Everything
In the previous post, reader Toad asks:
If the American torpedo and dive bombers had managed to make a coordinated attack per doctrine how much difference would it have made if any on the number of Japanese carriers sunk and damaged?
It would, indeed, make a difference, but perhaps not the way you may be expecting.
As in life, love, baseball and comedy, the Battle of Midway is all about timing. Disrupt the timing of the American attacks, and you disrupt the outcome. Throughout the morning of June 4th, 1942, American planes ran in on Kido Butai. At no time during the day, until the famous plunge of the Dauntlesses, were these attacks coordinated or in greater than squadron strength. Also at no time during the day, until the big attack, were American fighters effectively on the scene (there were Wildcats on the scene when VT-6 made its run, but they were high above the fight waiting for a radio call on a different frequency from a different squadron).
The easiest way to describe the effect of all these seperate attacks had on the Japanese fleet is to borrow a phrase from land combat: suppressive fire. The carriers were too busy "keeping their heads down" and tossing the occasional grenade (or Zeros, in the case) at their attackers from behind cover to launch their own attack on the US carriers.
The sequence of events went like this:
Shortly before 6am, the Japanese carriers were spotted by Midway-based PBYs.
*Around 620am, the Japanese strike on Midway Island began.
*At 7am, TF16 (Enterprise, Hornet) began launching their strike against the Japanese.
*Between 705am and 730am, the VT-8 detachment flying from Midway and a handful of B-26s carrying topedoes attack the Japanese carriers. During this time, Admiral Nagumo, commander of Kido Butai, orders that his reserve force of carrier planes be rearmed for land attack.
*Around 745am, Tone #4, the infamous late scout plane, discovers and reports the presence of American carriers. Nagumo reverses his rearming order.
*At 755am, two unrelated attacks on the Japanese carriers come in. First, a flight of B-17s arrive overhead. At the same time, a green squadron of Dauntless dive bombers from Midway, led by Major Lofton Henderson, begin a glide bombing attack. This attack is dealt with sternly, and is over by 815am or so.
*At 8am, TF17 (Yorktown), which had been in charge of scouting for the morning, launches its planes.
*At 805am, the Midway strike planes return to Kido Butai and wait for the American attacks to be driven off.
*Around 820am, a second group of dive bombers from Midway, this time SB2U Vindicators, attacks and is beaten off.
*Around 835am, the SB2U and B-17 attacks come to an end.
*Immediately thereafter, recovery of the Midway strike force begins.
*Around 910am, the last planes from the strike force touch down.
*At 915am, VT-8 attacks. By 935am, all of the torpedo bombers are shot down.
*At 940am, VT-6 attacks. This attack is over by 1010am.
*At 1010am, VT-3 is spotted.
*At 1020am, VB-3 and VB-6 attack Kido Butai.
*By 1030am, the Soryu, Kaga and Akagi are mortally wounded.
*Around 1040am, VT-3's survivors make their torpedo attacks and leave the field.
From this timeline, it can be seen that the Japanese carriers had no time to even prepare to launch an attack on the American CVs. The only open stretch available to them was between 835am and 910am, the time when the Midway strike force was being recovered. They could have spotted and launched an attack during this stretch of time (even though the re-rearming of the reserve planes wasn't yet complete), but only at the risk of losing many of the Midway strike planes to fuel depravation or pilot injuries. Japanese doctrine at the time did not allow for, say, Hiryu and Kaga to launch an attack while Soryu and Akagi recovered planes. Doctrine called for massed airpower using large numbers of planes in a balanced, coordinated attack. This would swamp the target's defenses and allow for maximum damage to be inflicted while minimizing casualties. There was never any thought to leaving the Midway strike dangling, because that's not how the Japanese carriers worked.
So, what would have happened if a coordinated American strike had been launched and all the attackers arrived on target at the same time?
The answer, as mentioned before, comes down to timing.
more...
If the American torpedo and dive bombers had managed to make a coordinated attack per doctrine how much difference would it have made if any on the number of Japanese carriers sunk and damaged?
It would, indeed, make a difference, but perhaps not the way you may be expecting.
As in life, love, baseball and comedy, the Battle of Midway is all about timing. Disrupt the timing of the American attacks, and you disrupt the outcome. Throughout the morning of June 4th, 1942, American planes ran in on Kido Butai. At no time during the day, until the famous plunge of the Dauntlesses, were these attacks coordinated or in greater than squadron strength. Also at no time during the day, until the big attack, were American fighters effectively on the scene (there were Wildcats on the scene when VT-6 made its run, but they were high above the fight waiting for a radio call on a different frequency from a different squadron).
The easiest way to describe the effect of all these seperate attacks had on the Japanese fleet is to borrow a phrase from land combat: suppressive fire. The carriers were too busy "keeping their heads down" and tossing the occasional grenade (or Zeros, in the case) at their attackers from behind cover to launch their own attack on the US carriers.
The sequence of events went like this:
Shortly before 6am, the Japanese carriers were spotted by Midway-based PBYs.
*Around 620am, the Japanese strike on Midway Island began.
*At 7am, TF16 (Enterprise, Hornet) began launching their strike against the Japanese.
*Between 705am and 730am, the VT-8 detachment flying from Midway and a handful of B-26s carrying topedoes attack the Japanese carriers. During this time, Admiral Nagumo, commander of Kido Butai, orders that his reserve force of carrier planes be rearmed for land attack.
*Around 745am, Tone #4, the infamous late scout plane, discovers and reports the presence of American carriers. Nagumo reverses his rearming order.
*At 755am, two unrelated attacks on the Japanese carriers come in. First, a flight of B-17s arrive overhead. At the same time, a green squadron of Dauntless dive bombers from Midway, led by Major Lofton Henderson, begin a glide bombing attack. This attack is dealt with sternly, and is over by 815am or so.
*At 8am, TF17 (Yorktown), which had been in charge of scouting for the morning, launches its planes.
*At 805am, the Midway strike planes return to Kido Butai and wait for the American attacks to be driven off.
*Around 820am, a second group of dive bombers from Midway, this time SB2U Vindicators, attacks and is beaten off.
*Around 835am, the SB2U and B-17 attacks come to an end.
*Immediately thereafter, recovery of the Midway strike force begins.
*Around 910am, the last planes from the strike force touch down.
*At 915am, VT-8 attacks. By 935am, all of the torpedo bombers are shot down.
*At 940am, VT-6 attacks. This attack is over by 1010am.
*At 1010am, VT-3 is spotted.
*At 1020am, VB-3 and VB-6 attack Kido Butai.
*By 1030am, the Soryu, Kaga and Akagi are mortally wounded.
*Around 1040am, VT-3's survivors make their torpedo attacks and leave the field.
From this timeline, it can be seen that the Japanese carriers had no time to even prepare to launch an attack on the American CVs. The only open stretch available to them was between 835am and 910am, the time when the Midway strike force was being recovered. They could have spotted and launched an attack during this stretch of time (even though the re-rearming of the reserve planes wasn't yet complete), but only at the risk of losing many of the Midway strike planes to fuel depravation or pilot injuries. Japanese doctrine at the time did not allow for, say, Hiryu and Kaga to launch an attack while Soryu and Akagi recovered planes. Doctrine called for massed airpower using large numbers of planes in a balanced, coordinated attack. This would swamp the target's defenses and allow for maximum damage to be inflicted while minimizing casualties. There was never any thought to leaving the Midway strike dangling, because that's not how the Japanese carriers worked.
So, what would have happened if a coordinated American strike had been launched and all the attackers arrived on target at the same time?
The answer, as mentioned before, comes down to timing.
more...
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A Miraculous Day, A Tragic Day
June 4th, 1942.
Midway Island.
John Waldron, Commander of Torpedo 8, takes off from USS Hornet around 7am.
Waldron's Torpedo 8 attacked the Japanese fleet at 920am. By 940am, all of the men in this picture save for Ensign George Gay (circled) were dead.
Their loss, along with the savaging of Torpedo 6 off the Enterprise and Torpedo 3 from the Yorktown, a total of 36 out of 41 TBD Devastators launched, prevented the four carriers of the Japanese force from launching their own airstrike. Then the Dauntless dive bombers of the fleet arrived... and the rest is history.
Japanese carrier Hiryu, pummled by multiple bomb hits, burns later in the day. She would sink shortly after this picture was taken.
The USN did not escape unscathed, however. The Yorktown, hastily repaired after the Coral Sea, took multiple hits and went dead in the water.
On June 7th, after being torpedoed by a submarine, she went down.
The Battle of Midway, that "miraculous victory", was over.
The Japanese would not win another strategic victory for the rest of the war.
Midway Island.
John Waldron, Commander of Torpedo 8, takes off from USS Hornet around 7am.
Waldron's Torpedo 8 attacked the Japanese fleet at 920am. By 940am, all of the men in this picture save for Ensign George Gay (circled) were dead.
Their loss, along with the savaging of Torpedo 6 off the Enterprise and Torpedo 3 from the Yorktown, a total of 36 out of 41 TBD Devastators launched, prevented the four carriers of the Japanese force from launching their own airstrike. Then the Dauntless dive bombers of the fleet arrived... and the rest is history.
Japanese carrier Hiryu, pummled by multiple bomb hits, burns later in the day. She would sink shortly after this picture was taken.
The USN did not escape unscathed, however. The Yorktown, hastily repaired after the Coral Sea, took multiple hits and went dead in the water.
On June 7th, after being torpedoed by a submarine, she went down.
The Battle of Midway, that "miraculous victory", was over.
The Japanese would not win another strategic victory for the rest of the war.
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June 03, 2009
Bad Anime! Bad, BAD, B A D !!!!!
"Hey, look! I just caught a baby octopus-thing! I bet my twin sisters (who aren't related by blood to me at all!) will think it's cute!"
"Awww, onii-chan (who isn't related to us by blood at all!), I bet the baby octopus-thing's parent will be sad."
"Oh no! A giant octopus-thing, and it's not sad, it's angry! Whatever will us identical twins starring in an anime do?"
Wonderduck: "You have got to be kidding me. Don't do it, anime, I'm warning you!"
more...
"Hey, look! I just caught a baby octopus-thing! I bet my twin sisters (who aren't related by blood to me at all!) will think it's cute!"
"Awww, onii-chan (who isn't related to us by blood at all!), I bet the baby octopus-thing's parent will be sad."
"Oh no! A giant octopus-thing, and it's not sad, it's angry! Whatever will us identical twins starring in an anime do?"
Wonderduck: "You have got to be kidding me. Don't do it, anime, I'm warning you!"
more...
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June 02, 2009
The World Needed This
They say that, on the Internet, you can find anything. One thing that you couldn't find, however, was a webcomic starring rubber duckies. I always hoped that there would come a day, however, when that lack would be addressed.
On Monday, June 1st, 2009, that day arrived.
May I have the pleasure of introducing Quacked Panes, the soon-to-be breakout hit of the summer. Produced by occasional Pond commenter GreyDuck, I think it deserves to be read. But don't mind Rusty... he's not known for his sense of humor.
On Monday, June 1st, 2009, that day arrived.
May I have the pleasure of introducing Quacked Panes, the soon-to-be breakout hit of the summer. Produced by occasional Pond commenter GreyDuck, I think it deserves to be read. But don't mind Rusty... he's not known for his sense of humor.
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June 01, 2009
F1 on TV: Turkey 2009!
This week the mighty F1 Circus stops in Istanbul. Nope, no They Might Be Giants jokes here. I'll leave that to the highlights package guy at Speed Channel... he ALWAYS uses one of their songs when they're at the Istanbul Otodrom.
I won't mention which one.
Track map time!
Surprisingly enough, it's another Hermann Tilke circuit... but wait! No "Adventure" layout here! In fact, it's far and away his best F1 track design, and the only one of his to have a legendary corner. Yes, this is the home of Quad-8, the infamous quadruple-apex turn that is the key to a good lap. Done right, it's a beautifully balanced high-speed turn... but be wrong by a couple of inches and you're into the runoff area and praying that nobody noticed. Many people have noticed some similarities between famous turns in motorsports and turns on this circuit. For example, Turn 1 and 2 here has a passing resemblence to Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew (though without the incredible downhill plunge), and Turn 11 has been nicknamed "Faux Rouge" due to the similarity with the famous complex at Spa (though without the incredible uphill climb).
Jenson Button has a history with Quad-8. A couple of years ago, when Honda actually was sporty and looking like they were going to be challenging the big boys (kinda like BMW last year), Button had shown that he loved the Istanbul circuit by ripping off fast practice lap after fast practice lap... and he was the only driver who made Quad-8 look easy.
And then came Quals. Through the first seven turns, he was amazing. Then came Quad-8, a slight bobble, and voomph! No pole for you, Jenson. Ever since, he's been gunshy around that bend.
Turkey is also one of only two counter-clockwise tracks on the F1 calendar (Brazil being the other). This lends an extra amount of fatigue to the drivers... they're used to going clockwise around racetracks, and their neck muscles are developed to do so. Now, however, they have to go the other way... to the weak side, you could say.
Running counter-clockwise also adds another difficulty to the teams, in that the refuelling receptacle on the cars needs to be moved to the left-hand side. While this requires a minor change to the bodywork, and practically no change to the fuel tank itself (the tank doesn't move, the connecting hose between the tank and the receptacle does), it does cause some minor consternation amongst the pitcrews. Usually, the right side tire changers have their backs to the garages... but now they'll have their backs to the pit lane, with cars zipping by behind them. I don't care how professional they are, and they are arguably the best in the business, a change like that has to throw you off a little bit.
This track has been owned by the Ferrari drivers, with Kimi Raikkonen winning in 2005 (though he was with McLaren at the time), and Felipe Massa the winner of the other three races. The question is, will that institutional memory be enough to boot BrawnGP from the top step of the podium?
We'll begin to find out on Friday, from 6a to 740a, as SPEED brings us live coverage of 2nd Practice. More questions will be answered on Saturday, from 6a to 730a, when we get plausibly live coverage of the Quals session, also on SPEED.
Then comes the race, which will NOT be live. The Grand Prix of Turkey is the first of this year's four races on Fox, so check your local listings for times (though it's expected to be from 2p to 4p). The only replay will be on SPEED on Tuesday, June 9th, from 12n to 2p.
All times are Central Pond Time, so subtract two hours if you are Vaucaunson's Duck, who lives in San Francisco.
Of course, F1 Update!'ll be all over this race, so see you then!
I won't mention which one.
Track map time!
Surprisingly enough, it's another Hermann Tilke circuit... but wait! No "Adventure" layout here! In fact, it's far and away his best F1 track design, and the only one of his to have a legendary corner. Yes, this is the home of Quad-8, the infamous quadruple-apex turn that is the key to a good lap. Done right, it's a beautifully balanced high-speed turn... but be wrong by a couple of inches and you're into the runoff area and praying that nobody noticed. Many people have noticed some similarities between famous turns in motorsports and turns on this circuit. For example, Turn 1 and 2 here has a passing resemblence to Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew (though without the incredible downhill plunge), and Turn 11 has been nicknamed "Faux Rouge" due to the similarity with the famous complex at Spa (though without the incredible uphill climb).Jenson Button has a history with Quad-8. A couple of years ago, when Honda actually was sporty and looking like they were going to be challenging the big boys (kinda like BMW last year), Button had shown that he loved the Istanbul circuit by ripping off fast practice lap after fast practice lap... and he was the only driver who made Quad-8 look easy.
And then came Quals. Through the first seven turns, he was amazing. Then came Quad-8, a slight bobble, and voomph! No pole for you, Jenson. Ever since, he's been gunshy around that bend.
Turkey is also one of only two counter-clockwise tracks on the F1 calendar (Brazil being the other). This lends an extra amount of fatigue to the drivers... they're used to going clockwise around racetracks, and their neck muscles are developed to do so. Now, however, they have to go the other way... to the weak side, you could say.
Running counter-clockwise also adds another difficulty to the teams, in that the refuelling receptacle on the cars needs to be moved to the left-hand side. While this requires a minor change to the bodywork, and practically no change to the fuel tank itself (the tank doesn't move, the connecting hose between the tank and the receptacle does), it does cause some minor consternation amongst the pitcrews. Usually, the right side tire changers have their backs to the garages... but now they'll have their backs to the pit lane, with cars zipping by behind them. I don't care how professional they are, and they are arguably the best in the business, a change like that has to throw you off a little bit.
This track has been owned by the Ferrari drivers, with Kimi Raikkonen winning in 2005 (though he was with McLaren at the time), and Felipe Massa the winner of the other three races. The question is, will that institutional memory be enough to boot BrawnGP from the top step of the podium?
We'll begin to find out on Friday, from 6a to 740a, as SPEED brings us live coverage of 2nd Practice. More questions will be answered on Saturday, from 6a to 730a, when we get plausibly live coverage of the Quals session, also on SPEED.
Then comes the race, which will NOT be live. The Grand Prix of Turkey is the first of this year's four races on Fox, so check your local listings for times (though it's expected to be from 2p to 4p). The only replay will be on SPEED on Tuesday, June 9th, from 12n to 2p.
All times are Central Pond Time, so subtract two hours if you are Vaucaunson's Duck, who lives in San Francisco.
Of course, F1 Update!'ll be all over this race, so see you then!
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May 31, 2009
Random Anime Picture #43: Sloths In Anime, Kyoto Animation Style
-Air, ep02
The mere fact that I've now found four sloths in anime just blows my mind. I mean, rubber ducks you can understand. Everybody's got a bathtub in their abode, and rubber ducks and bathtubs just naturally go together.
But sloths? I mean, come on, really? Heaven knows I'm not opposed to randomness in my life, considering the rubber aardvark and cuttlefish I have sitting on my computer desk, but a sloth just seems a little too... out there. Even for me.
Moesloth. Who would have thought? Still, there's been twice THREE TIMES as many rubber duckies in KyoAni shows (K-On! here, Kanon '06 here, Clannad here), so I won't complain.
Yet.
-Air, ep02
The mere fact that I've now found four sloths in anime just blows my mind. I mean, rubber ducks you can understand. Everybody's got a bathtub in their abode, and rubber ducks and bathtubs just naturally go together.
But sloths? I mean, come on, really? Heaven knows I'm not opposed to randomness in my life, considering the rubber aardvark and cuttlefish I have sitting on my computer desk, but a sloth just seems a little too... out there. Even for me.
Moesloth. Who would have thought? Still, there's been twice THREE TIMES as many rubber duckies in KyoAni shows (K-On! here, Kanon '06 here, Clannad here), so I won't complain.
Yet.
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May 30, 2009
Anytime, Nozomi
So earlier today I exchanged e-mails with Bob from the Anime Corner Store. Y'know, that's one of the great things about being a customer of theirs... you can send the owner an e-mail, he'll actually respond, and it won't be a canned reply but an actual letter. Pretty cool, that.
But I digress. I asked him if he'd heard anything about a release date for ARIA the Origination, which I expected around this time if Nozomi stayed with their pattern for the first three boxes of the series. He hadn't heard a peep, but expected it eventually. I just looked at their release schedule, and it's not even listed in the "In The Not Too Distant Future" column.
So consider this a formal plea, Nozomi: please let us know? We're all waiting... and if you can throw in the OVA, "Arietta", too, that'd be great. ARIA in widescreen (not to mention being produced with an actual budget) is worth pretty much anything you want us to pay.
Pretty please? Don't make Akari cry.
So earlier today I exchanged e-mails with Bob from the Anime Corner Store. Y'know, that's one of the great things about being a customer of theirs... you can send the owner an e-mail, he'll actually respond, and it won't be a canned reply but an actual letter. Pretty cool, that.
But I digress. I asked him if he'd heard anything about a release date for ARIA the Origination, which I expected around this time if Nozomi stayed with their pattern for the first three boxes of the series. He hadn't heard a peep, but expected it eventually. I just looked at their release schedule, and it's not even listed in the "In The Not Too Distant Future" column.
So consider this a formal plea, Nozomi: please let us know? We're all waiting... and if you can throw in the OVA, "Arietta", too, that'd be great. ARIA in widescreen (not to mention being produced with an actual budget) is worth pretty much anything you want us to pay.
Pretty please? Don't make Akari cry.
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May 29, 2009
Budget Cap Resolved? (UPDATED)
Reports are beginning to trickle out that there may have been a minor breakthrough in the whole F1 Budget Cap argument. Ferrari and most of the other teams are expected to sign up for 2010, with a 100million Euro cap replacing the 40million proposed by Max Mosley.
I say "most of the other teams," as Williams has already signed up for the season (and gotten suspended from the Formula One Teams Association for doing so). Toyota, however, is expected to announce that they are withdrawing from F1 at the end of this season.
The full participant list for the 2010 season is scheduled to be released June 12th.
More later as details come out.
UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, the media appears to have gotten it wrong. All 10 current F1 teams, including Toyota, have been confirmed as being conditionally registered for next season. The current agreement between FOTA and FIA (called "The Concorde Agreement") expires on June 12th, and it has to be resigned or the teams will withdraw en masse.
The other condition is a bit more encouraging:
I say "most of the other teams," as Williams has already signed up for the season (and gotten suspended from the Formula One Teams Association for doing so). Toyota, however, is expected to announce that they are withdrawing from F1 at the end of this season.
The full participant list for the 2010 season is scheduled to be released June 12th.
More later as details come out.
UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, the media appears to have gotten it wrong. All 10 current F1 teams, including Toyota, have been confirmed as being conditionally registered for next season. The current agreement between FOTA and FIA (called "The Concorde Agreement") expires on June 12th, and it has to be resigned or the teams will withdraw en masse.
The other condition is a bit more encouraging:
"The basis of the 2010 regulations will be the current 2009 regulations, amended in accordance with proposals that FOTA has submitted to the FIA. All FOTA teams' entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One world championship have been submitted today on the understanding that (a) all FOTA teams will be permitted to compete during the 2010 Formula One season on an identical regulatory basis and (b) that they may only be accepted as a whole."
Meaning, of course, the rules won't change very much and there's a level playing field. I sure can live with that, and obviously the teams can, too.
Now for the REALLY interesting stuff. Along with the current 10 teams, there were four new teams applying to be on the grid: the American team USF1, Prodrive (who was approved for the grid a couple of years ago, and may be running under the Aston Martin marque), Campos Racing (a Spanish Formula 3 team), and one of the legendary names from F1's past, Lola.
Now comes the June 12th deadline, when the FIA will announce which teams have been accepted for the grid. Y'see, there's only 26 cars allowed... which means one of the new teams won't make the cut. Unless they allow them all and the two slowest cars in quals aren't permitted to start! Bring back the DNQ!
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May 27, 2009
Ducks In Anime Limited
-Hatsukoi Limited ep04
That's a nice duckie. Have you ever noticed that bath water in anime is often green? I'd be scared to get near a tub filled with green water, let alone put a duckie into it...
-Hatsukoi Limited ep04
That's a nice duckie. Have you ever noticed that bath water in anime is often green? I'd be scared to get near a tub filled with green water, let alone put a duckie into it...
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May 26, 2009
Katawa Shoujo Act I: The Review
Hisao gets a note asking him to be in a field behind the school at 4pm. Upon arriving there, he is joined by the girl of his dreams. As she begins to confess her feelings, his heart begins to beat faster. Finally, the words he's always hoped to hear! Faster still his heart beats, as she prepares to confess her love.
And then he has a heart attack.
Oh. Hm.
When he awakens, he's in the hospital, where he stays for an unstated, but long, period of time. He's diagnosed with arrythmia, a potentially fatal cardiac problem, and a lifetime of medication just to stay alive.
...and just like that, I was hooked. 4 Leaf Studios, the amateur producers of Katawa Shoujo, may as well have been looking into my medical history. Superventricular Tachycardia, the problem I have, is one of many types of cardiac arrythmias. Completely by accident, 4 Leaf made Hisao become real, and he immediately became the perfect "player insert" for me.
Over time, Hisao's friends and schoolmates stop coming to visit. To her credit, his dream girl is the last to stop dropping by (turns out they really didn't have that much to talk about anyway... ces't la vie). Eventually, however, the time comes when he is able to be released from the hospital... but there's a snag. The doctors and his parents agree that he can't go back to his old school, and he is to be transferred to a special school: Yamaku High School for Disabled Children.
And with that, Katawa Shoujo truly begins.
more...
Hisao gets a note asking him to be in a field behind the school at 4pm. Upon arriving there, he is joined by the girl of his dreams. As she begins to confess her feelings, his heart begins to beat faster. Finally, the words he's always hoped to hear! Faster still his heart beats, as she prepares to confess her love.
And then he has a heart attack.
Oh. Hm.
When he awakens, he's in the hospital, where he stays for an unstated, but long, period of time. He's diagnosed with arrythmia, a potentially fatal cardiac problem, and a lifetime of medication just to stay alive.
...and just like that, I was hooked. 4 Leaf Studios, the amateur producers of Katawa Shoujo, may as well have been looking into my medical history. Superventricular Tachycardia, the problem I have, is one of many types of cardiac arrythmias. Completely by accident, 4 Leaf made Hisao become real, and he immediately became the perfect "player insert" for me.
Over time, Hisao's friends and schoolmates stop coming to visit. To her credit, his dream girl is the last to stop dropping by (turns out they really didn't have that much to talk about anyway... ces't la vie). Eventually, however, the time comes when he is able to be released from the hospital... but there's a snag. The doctors and his parents agree that he can't go back to his old school, and he is to be transferred to a special school: Yamaku High School for Disabled Children.
And with that, Katawa Shoujo truly begins.
more...
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May 25, 2009
Memorial Day 2009
We are organized, Comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers sailors and Marines, who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead? We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security, is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.
-from General Orders No.11, establishing the first Memorial Day, 1868
We are organized, Comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers sailors and Marines, who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead? We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security, is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.
-from General Orders No.11, establishing the first Memorial Day, 1868
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May 24, 2009
F1 Update!: Monaco 2009!
A glorious day in Monte Carlo, a sunny sky greeting the F1 Circus as they lined up on the grid. Would Jenson Button continue Brawn's dominance? Would Ferrari mark their territory? Or would Sebastian Vettel return to the top of the podium? THIS is your F1 Update! for the Grand Prix of Monaco!
*RUNAWAY: For all intents and purposes, the race was over when the tire covers came off for the formation lap. Every car in the field opted to begin on the "hard" compound for their first stint... every car except for Button and Barrichello, the Brawn Boys. The softer tires were faster, true, but they were known to go bad after only a few laps, and the speed gained from them wasn't all that much. The "hard" tires were considered the way to go, all in all.
But nobody told the Brawn Boys. Button cleanly stayed in the lead when the lights went out, and Barrichello blew the doors off of Raikkonen's Ferrari to take 2nd into Sainte Devote. Then, poof, the race was over as the two disappeared into the sunset. By the end of the first lap, Button has a one-second lead over his teammate, and a three-second lead over Raikkonen. By the end of the third lap, it was a nine second lead over the Ferrari. The Ferrari thinking had to be let them run, when their tires go off around lap 9 we'll catch 'em.
But they didn't go off until lap 13 or so. When Button's lap times started to climb precipitously around lap 15, he pitted and got on the hards... and only a couple of laps later, the Ferraris came in, out of fuel. Race REALLY over.
*REBIRTH: For all that the Brawns made it look simple, Ferrari got everything right today and found themselves on the podium for the first time all season, and both cars earned points for the first time all season as well. We won't know if they're really back until Turkey in two weeks (Monaco isn't a fair judge of car pace), but they're at least pointed in the right direction.
*REGRET: The BMW and McLaren freefall continued. Kubica DNF'd with brake failure, Kovaleininninninnie crunched the barriers near the Swimming Pool, Hamilton finished 12th, and Nick Heidfeld was probably thrilled to finish 11th. No points, and may St Fangio the Quick have mercy on your soul.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Jenson Button. What can be said about his drive? On a track that punishes even the slightest mistake with a ride on the crane, Button was perfect, and was never threatened as a result. Except for the end of the race, when he turned his car off in Parc Ferme instead of the traditional Monaco location of in front of the Royal Box. He then had to jog the entire length of the pit lane to get to his podium. Oops.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 12, Felipe Massa was sitting in sixth, stuck behind Seb Vettel who was having some handling problems. Coming out of the tunnel, the Ferrari was parked right under the rear wing of the Red Bull, and through the Nouvelle Chicane he stayed there. Into the Swimming Pool complex, Massa ignored conventional wisdom that says that you can't pass into Tabac. He got on the inside of Vettel, crossed his fingers and forced his way in. Truthfully, it was a move that wasn't required; the Red Bull was having a bad day and would crash out a few laps later. Still, it was a very gutsy manuever and a well-earned MotR.
*MOOOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Other than Button's finishing faux-pas, the clear winner of the Mooooooo-ooove has to be Toro Rosso's Sebastian Buemi. On lap 11, he was following closely behind Nelson Piquet Jr. In preparation for a pass, Buemi tucked into the Renault's slipstream heading into Sainte Devote. Then Buemi got distracted by something shiny, perhaps some of the jewelery on display in the grandstands, and neglected to slow for the turn at all. The result was... interesting:
He wound up getting into the rear of Piquet and simply bulldozed him into the runoff area. While Piquet got free in time to avoid the tire barrier, Buemi just kept right on going into the wall, burying himself wheel-deep. Both cars were out of the race... lovely job, Buemi! Well done!
*DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
*RUNAWAY: For all intents and purposes, the race was over when the tire covers came off for the formation lap. Every car in the field opted to begin on the "hard" compound for their first stint... every car except for Button and Barrichello, the Brawn Boys. The softer tires were faster, true, but they were known to go bad after only a few laps, and the speed gained from them wasn't all that much. The "hard" tires were considered the way to go, all in all.
But nobody told the Brawn Boys. Button cleanly stayed in the lead when the lights went out, and Barrichello blew the doors off of Raikkonen's Ferrari to take 2nd into Sainte Devote. Then, poof, the race was over as the two disappeared into the sunset. By the end of the first lap, Button has a one-second lead over his teammate, and a three-second lead over Raikkonen. By the end of the third lap, it was a nine second lead over the Ferrari. The Ferrari thinking had to be let them run, when their tires go off around lap 9 we'll catch 'em.
But they didn't go off until lap 13 or so. When Button's lap times started to climb precipitously around lap 15, he pitted and got on the hards... and only a couple of laps later, the Ferraris came in, out of fuel. Race REALLY over.
*REBIRTH: For all that the Brawns made it look simple, Ferrari got everything right today and found themselves on the podium for the first time all season, and both cars earned points for the first time all season as well. We won't know if they're really back until Turkey in two weeks (Monaco isn't a fair judge of car pace), but they're at least pointed in the right direction.
*REGRET: The BMW and McLaren freefall continued. Kubica DNF'd with brake failure, Kovaleininninninnie crunched the barriers near the Swimming Pool, Hamilton finished 12th, and Nick Heidfeld was probably thrilled to finish 11th. No points, and may St Fangio the Quick have mercy on your soul.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Jenson Button. What can be said about his drive? On a track that punishes even the slightest mistake with a ride on the crane, Button was perfect, and was never threatened as a result. Except for the end of the race, when he turned his car off in Parc Ferme instead of the traditional Monaco location of in front of the Royal Box. He then had to jog the entire length of the pit lane to get to his podium. Oops.
Button sets a higher top speed than the BMWs
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Ferrari. Raikkonen in third with the team's first podium of 2009, and Massa in 4th? Considering the way their season has gone, Maranello has to be going nuts. *MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 12, Felipe Massa was sitting in sixth, stuck behind Seb Vettel who was having some handling problems. Coming out of the tunnel, the Ferrari was parked right under the rear wing of the Red Bull, and through the Nouvelle Chicane he stayed there. Into the Swimming Pool complex, Massa ignored conventional wisdom that says that you can't pass into Tabac. He got on the inside of Vettel, crossed his fingers and forced his way in. Truthfully, it was a move that wasn't required; the Red Bull was having a bad day and would crash out a few laps later. Still, it was a very gutsy manuever and a well-earned MotR.
*MOOOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Other than Button's finishing faux-pas, the clear winner of the Mooooooo-ooove has to be Toro Rosso's Sebastian Buemi. On lap 11, he was following closely behind Nelson Piquet Jr. In preparation for a pass, Buemi tucked into the Renault's slipstream heading into Sainte Devote. Then Buemi got distracted by something shiny, perhaps some of the jewelery on display in the grandstands, and neglected to slow for the turn at all. The result was... interesting:
He wound up getting into the rear of Piquet and simply bulldozed him into the runoff area. While Piquet got free in time to avoid the tire barrier, Buemi just kept right on going into the wall, burying himself wheel-deep. Both cars were out of the race... lovely job, Buemi! Well done!
*DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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May 23, 2009
Ducks (on a spring) In Anime
-K-On! ep07
It's a duck-in-a-box!
-K-On! ep07
It's a duck-in-a-box!
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F1 Quals: Monaco 2009!
Bizarro Season continues with two teams setting significant firsts, a fascinating back of the grid, and slow cars suddenly becoming fast. It's Monaco, it's Quals, and here's the provisional lineup:
The rebirth of Ferrari appears to be in full-force. Kimi Raikkonen turned the fast lap of the day in Q2, averaging over 100mph on the slowest circuit on the calendar. That's pretty darn fast around Monaco. That Q3 times only went up about half-a-second suggests that everybody up front ran light on fuel in their bid for the all-important pole.
Which, for the fourth time in six races, is won by BrawnGP's Jenson Button. Right behind him on the grid is the aforementioned Raikkonen, and Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello. Sebastian Vettel's RedBull, after sitting on provisional pole for most of Q3, ended up fourth, followed by Kimi's teammate Felipe Massa.
So supposedly slow cars up the grid, allegedly fast ones down the grid, and the current Monaco master (Hamilton is acclaimed as the best Monaco driver active) sitting low. Should make for a fascinating race on Sunday, and of course F1 Update!'ll be right here.
See ya then.
UPDATE: Fuel weights have been released, and it's not looking good for anybody not driving a Brawn. Button's weighing in at 647.5kg, Barrichello's at 648kg, everybody else in the top eight is at least 4kg lighter. Monaco's a different type of track, but one thing doesn't ever change: having more fuel than anybody and still being the polesitter is a good combination.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jenson Button | Brawn-Mercedes | 1:15.210 | 1:15.016 | 1:14.902 |
| 2 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:15.746 | 1:14.514 | 1:14.927 |
| 3 | Rubens Barrichello | Brawn-Mercedes | 1:15.425 | 1:14.829 | 1:15.077 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | RBR-Renault | 1:15.915 | 1:14.879 | 1:15.271 |
| 5 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:15.340 | 1:15.001 | 1:15.437 |
| 6 | Nico Rosberg | Williams-Toyota | 1:15.094 | 1:14.846 | 1:15.455 |
| 7 | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:15.495 | 1:14.809 | 1:15.516 |
| 8 | Mark Webber | RBR-Renault | 1:15.260 | 1:14.825 | 1:15.653 |
| 9 | HWMNBN | Renault | 1:15.898 | 1:15.200 | 1:16.009 |
| 10 | Kazoo Nakajima | Williams-Toyota | 1:15.930 | 1:15.579 | 1:17.344 |
| 11 | Sebastien Buemi | STR-Ferrari | 1:15.834 | 1:15.833 | |
| 12 | Nelson Piquet Jr |
Renault | 1:16.013 | 1:15.837 | |
| 13 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Force India-Mercedes | 1:16.063 | 1:16.146 | |
| 14 | SeaBass | STR-Ferrari | 1:16.120 | 1:16.281 | |
| 15 | Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes | 1:16.248 | 1:16.545 | |
| 16 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:16.264 | ||
| 17 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 1:16.264 | ||
| 18 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 1:16.405 | ||
| 19 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 1:16.548 | ||
| 20 | Timo Glock | Toyota | 1:16.788 |
Not a common view.
Defending winner Lewis Hamilton lost it in Mirabeau, smacked the wall and broke his rear suspension in Q1, but look at the other four who didn't make it out of Q1: both BMWs and both Toyotas! In fact, this is the first time ever that neither BMW made it out of Q1. Toyota's performance might be the most surprising thing, though. Or lack of performance... a team that started out so hot, that looked so good in Australia has slowly become backmarkers. It's nuts, but it's also Bizarro Season in F1. For heaven's sake, both Force India drivers made it out of Q1, also for the first time ever. The rebirth of Ferrari appears to be in full-force. Kimi Raikkonen turned the fast lap of the day in Q2, averaging over 100mph on the slowest circuit on the calendar. That's pretty darn fast around Monaco. That Q3 times only went up about half-a-second suggests that everybody up front ran light on fuel in their bid for the all-important pole.
Which, for the fourth time in six races, is won by BrawnGP's Jenson Button. Right behind him on the grid is the aforementioned Raikkonen, and Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello. Sebastian Vettel's RedBull, after sitting on provisional pole for most of Q3, ended up fourth, followed by Kimi's teammate Felipe Massa.
So supposedly slow cars up the grid, allegedly fast ones down the grid, and the current Monaco master (Hamilton is acclaimed as the best Monaco driver active) sitting low. Should make for a fascinating race on Sunday, and of course F1 Update!'ll be right here.
See ya then.
UPDATE: Fuel weights have been released, and it's not looking good for anybody not driving a Brawn. Button's weighing in at 647.5kg, Barrichello's at 648kg, everybody else in the top eight is at least 4kg lighter. Monaco's a different type of track, but one thing doesn't ever change: having more fuel than anybody and still being the polesitter is a good combination.
Posted by: Wonderduck at
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May 22, 2009
Seen At Monaco
Compensating for something?
Compensating for something?
Posted by: Wonderduck at
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