May 20, 2014
Racing Stuff On TV!: Memorial Day 2014
This is the weekend F1 fans live for. The glitz. The glamour. The stars. The circuit. This is where and when Formula 1 is everything people think of when they think "Formula 1". Let's take a look at the track map, shall we?
Oh, wait. That's the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the 2014 Indianapolis 500! 2.5 miles of nothing but speed, speed and more speed. Ed Carpenter went a shade over 231mph to win his second consecutive pole position at Indy, and this year former F1 drivers Jack Newhouse, The Pope, SeaBass, ~TAKU!~, and... um... Justin... are in the field as well*. The flag drops on the American Classic at roughly 1212pm Central time on Sunday. But that's not the track map we're looking for today, no no. Here's the place:
Whoops, nope! That's Charlotte Motor Speedway, home of NASCAR's 2014 Coca-Cola 600! 1.5 miles of 24°-banked turns will see a full field of 43 cars, The longest non-enduro race in America starts at 5pm Central time, and will finish under the lights in one hell of a spectacle! But even that isn't what we've come here for... this is:
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you Monaco, the most insane top-of-the-league circuit in the world. "But Wonderduck," I hear you ask, and I've really gotta learn how you pull that trick off, "F1 doesn't go 231 mph, or have 43 cars on a banked-oval track, how is THIS insane?" Because, my sneaky voice-throwing friend, this race involves cars that are worth tens of millions of dollars, using the highest of high-end technology, and they're racing here:
...harborfront of a small French fishing village. It's the crown jewel of F1 races, and perhaps the only one where high speed really doesn't matter all that much. I mean, there are places at Monaco where the cars are going substantially slower than the maximum pit-lane speed for either NASCAR or IndyCar. It's a ridiculously narrow, cramped, bumpy, dangerous, silly place to have a race these days. But it is the one race most racers in the world would kill to win.
And this weekend, it's going to be live on the big network! Let's take a look at where and when the Legendary Announce Team will be located during coverage:
THURSDAY
P2: 7a - 830a live on NBCSN
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live on NBCSN
SUNDAY
2014 Grand Prix of Monaco: 630a - 9a live on NBC
The Grand Slam of Motor Racing Fandom is this Sunday, folks... Monaco, Indy, the 600, all in one day. 1270 miles of racing... are you fan enough? I failed last year, missing about 75 miles of the NASCAR race (I was asleep). I'm not sure if I'm going to give it a shot... what about you?
*That's Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Sebastien Bourdais, Takuma Sato and... um.. Justin Wilson for all of you readers who don't remember my old nicknames for these guys. Except for Wilson; he drove in 2003, pre-Pond.
Oh, wait. That's the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the 2014 Indianapolis 500! 2.5 miles of nothing but speed, speed and more speed. Ed Carpenter went a shade over 231mph to win his second consecutive pole position at Indy, and this year former F1 drivers Jack Newhouse, The Pope, SeaBass, ~TAKU!~, and... um... Justin... are in the field as well*. The flag drops on the American Classic at roughly 1212pm Central time on Sunday. But that's not the track map we're looking for today, no no. Here's the place:
Whoops, nope! That's Charlotte Motor Speedway, home of NASCAR's 2014 Coca-Cola 600! 1.5 miles of 24°-banked turns will see a full field of 43 cars, The longest non-enduro race in America starts at 5pm Central time, and will finish under the lights in one hell of a spectacle! But even that isn't what we've come here for... this is:
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you Monaco, the most insane top-of-the-league circuit in the world. "But Wonderduck," I hear you ask, and I've really gotta learn how you pull that trick off, "F1 doesn't go 231 mph, or have 43 cars on a banked-oval track, how is THIS insane?" Because, my sneaky voice-throwing friend, this race involves cars that are worth tens of millions of dollars, using the highest of high-end technology, and they're racing here:
...harborfront of a small French fishing village. It's the crown jewel of F1 races, and perhaps the only one where high speed really doesn't matter all that much. I mean, there are places at Monaco where the cars are going substantially slower than the maximum pit-lane speed for either NASCAR or IndyCar. It's a ridiculously narrow, cramped, bumpy, dangerous, silly place to have a race these days. But it is the one race most racers in the world would kill to win.
And this weekend, it's going to be live on the big network! Let's take a look at where and when the Legendary Announce Team will be located during coverage:
THURSDAY
P2: 7a - 830a live on NBCSN
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live on NBCSN
SUNDAY
2014 Grand Prix of Monaco: 630a - 9a live on NBC
The Grand Slam of Motor Racing Fandom is this Sunday, folks... Monaco, Indy, the 600, all in one day. 1270 miles of racing... are you fan enough? I failed last year, missing about 75 miles of the NASCAR race (I was asleep). I'm not sure if I'm going to give it a shot... what about you?
*That's Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Sebastien Bourdais, Takuma Sato and... um.. Justin Wilson for all of you readers who don't remember my old nicknames for these guys. Except for Wilson; he drove in 2003, pre-Pond.
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May 10, 2014
F1 Quals: Spain 2014
It was a lovely day in Barcalounger as the cars jumped onto the circuit for Qualifying. Did anybody have the secret of hunting down the Silver Arrows? Let's take a look at the provisional grid for the 2014 Grand Prix of Spain:
Crashtor brought out a red flag in Q1 when he... you guessed it, crashed! Even better, since he didn't set a time, he races at the discretion of the Race Stewards. Oh please oh please don't let him on the track, he's a danger to himself and others.
In Q2, neither Jules Vergne's Toro Rosso nor Kevin Magnussen's McLaren turned a wheel... Vergne because he got distracted by a crater in Snæfell and wound up with a 10-spot grid penalty, and Magnussen because of the depression caused by not equaling his performance in Australia... or a problem with his ERS unit., one of the two.
But then an amazing thing happened: Mr Notappearinginyourpicture Vettel couldn't find second gear out of the pits, then couldn't find his gearbox shortly thereafter. He's going to take a 5-spot penalty while Red Bull scrapes the remains of his old one out of the chassis... which means he'll really be starting 15th. In the past, this would mean he'd have a long run up the field and end up in 2nd place, maybe. Not this year... probably.
Unamazing thing: the two Mercedes locked out the front row. Please note, however, just how much of a lead polesitter Lewis Hamilton had over third-place Daniel Ricciardo. Nope, your eyes don't deceive you, it really is over a second. Ladies and gentlemen, all the paprika in the world isn't going to make this paella taste any better come race day. Nevertheless, F1Update! will be all over it, even if we've never much cared for paella. See ya then.
Crashtor brought out a red flag in Q1 when he... you guessed it, crashed! Even better, since he didn't set a time, he races at the discretion of the Race Stewards. Oh please oh please don't let him on the track, he's a danger to himself and others.
In Q2, neither Jules Vergne's Toro Rosso nor Kevin Magnussen's McLaren turned a wheel... Vergne because he got distracted by a crater in Snæfell and wound up with a 10-spot grid penalty, and Magnussen because of the depression caused by not equaling his performance in Australia... or a problem with his ERS unit., one of the two.
But then an amazing thing happened: Mr Notappearinginyourpicture Vettel couldn't find second gear out of the pits, then couldn't find his gearbox shortly thereafter. He's going to take a 5-spot penalty while Red Bull scrapes the remains of his old one out of the chassis... which means he'll really be starting 15th. In the past, this would mean he'd have a long run up the field and end up in 2nd place, maybe. Not this year... probably.
Unamazing thing: the two Mercedes locked out the front row. Please note, however, just how much of a lead polesitter Lewis Hamilton had over third-place Daniel Ricciardo. Nope, your eyes don't deceive you, it really is over a second. Ladies and gentlemen, all the paprika in the world isn't going to make this paella taste any better come race day. Nevertheless, F1Update! will be all over it, even if we've never much cared for paella. See ya then.
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May 05, 2014
F1 on NBCSN: Spain 2014
The last of the first batch of flyaway races was China, two weeks ago. Now the season really starts in earnest, because now the F1 Circus gets to begin the European races. As is usually the case, the first of these all-important stops is the Grand Prix of Spain in Barcalounger! Here's the track map:
Its when the teams get home to Europe that the various upgraded implements of destruction downforce get bolted to the cars and sent off for their first real runs. For some teams, this means a return to dominance. For others, total failure. And nobody truly knows which is which until the cars begin running. It's all so exciting.
Okay, I exaggerate slightly. The thing about Barcalounger is that for many, many years, it was the home of F1 testing. Once upon a time, teams knew where every crack in the pavement was, how many layers of paint were on the curbs, where the asphalt changed composition, anything you could think of. As a result, the Grand Prix of Spain was almost always a processional: since everybody knew everything about the circuit, there would never be a surprise. And there would also never be passing.
DRS changed that, of course. And now the new tech regs promise to do it again. As I've said all season, I have no idea what the race will be like: it could be a parade, it could be another one-sided runaway, it could be a close-fought struggle. Fortunately, we'll have the Legendary Announce Team to describe it all for us on the following schedule:
FRIDAY
P2: 7a - 830a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of Spain: 630a - 9a live
F1Update! will be all over the race; it's the preliminaries that we're not sure of quite yet: we've got a big registration day on Saturday morning, and Finals begin in a week. Gonna be a long one for us here.
In any case... see ya here!
Its when the teams get home to Europe that the various upgraded implements of destruction downforce get bolted to the cars and sent off for their first real runs. For some teams, this means a return to dominance. For others, total failure. And nobody truly knows which is which until the cars begin running. It's all so exciting.
Okay, I exaggerate slightly. The thing about Barcalounger is that for many, many years, it was the home of F1 testing. Once upon a time, teams knew where every crack in the pavement was, how many layers of paint were on the curbs, where the asphalt changed composition, anything you could think of. As a result, the Grand Prix of Spain was almost always a processional: since everybody knew everything about the circuit, there would never be a surprise. And there would also never be passing.
DRS changed that, of course. And now the new tech regs promise to do it again. As I've said all season, I have no idea what the race will be like: it could be a parade, it could be another one-sided runaway, it could be a close-fought struggle. Fortunately, we'll have the Legendary Announce Team to describe it all for us on the following schedule:
FRIDAY
P2: 7a - 830a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of Spain: 630a - 9a live
F1Update! will be all over the race; it's the preliminaries that we're not sure of quite yet: we've got a big registration day on Saturday morning, and Finals begin in a week. Gonna be a long one for us here.
In any case... see ya here!
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May 04, 2014
mrmrmrbrlrmr mrrmrlrbrlmr mrrlrbrlrnrlrbrrlllrmrmrbr
So why is it that my F1 scribblings always describe Kimi Raikkonen as mumbling his way through interviews?
I don't know if you knew this or not, but English is not his first language. It's true!
I don't know if you knew this or not, but English is not his first language. It's true!
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April 19, 2014
F1 Quals: China 2014
If it's a Quals session, that must mean it's damp out there... only Bahrain this year hasn't had some form of rain during Quals. So, who'd the rain help, who'd it hurt, and which Venezuelan Lotus driver is literally hated by his team? Let's take a look at the provisional grid for the 2014 Grand Prix of China:
Rosberg was all set to be second, at least, on his final run when the wet pavement reached up and sent him into a spin at the last corner... so surprisingly, Mercedes was hurt by the rain. It certainly helped the Red Bulls, who are, apparently, 12mph slower than the Merc-powered cars on the long back straight. The thinking is that they need rain to fight for pole, and it worked this time. But look at those Williams lurking back there, and imagine them both finishing ahead of the energy drink team.
Meanwhile, who the heck knows what's going to happen with HWMNBN and Ferrari? Is that the legit pace of the F14T, or is that all down to the Spaniard behind the wheel. His Finnish counterpart was having problems with his steering and his downshifts, so his 11th might actually be GOOD.
Then there's the sad story of the Lotus mechanics and driver Crashtor Maldozer. In P1, he nearly drove into a wall as he fiddled with a knob on his steering wheel. As it was, he managed to only spin and humiliate himself. In P2, he drove into the pit entry... and directly into the protective barrier on the outside of the pit turn, snapping his suspension like a stale pretzel. "I crash," he called to the pit wall. "Oh. (pause) Okay," came the response like an audible facepalm. In P3, his engine broke... it was probably his fault. I don't know how, but it probably was. I have a feeling that Lotus would be happy to jettison his awful, awful driving arse, but he's got 33 million reasons for them to let him stay.
Since he DNQ'd, he races at the approval of the Stewards. Alas, they've decided to let him in.
Race in the very early morning... see you then!
Rosberg was all set to be second, at least, on his final run when the wet pavement reached up and sent him into a spin at the last corner... so surprisingly, Mercedes was hurt by the rain. It certainly helped the Red Bulls, who are, apparently, 12mph slower than the Merc-powered cars on the long back straight. The thinking is that they need rain to fight for pole, and it worked this time. But look at those Williams lurking back there, and imagine them both finishing ahead of the energy drink team.
Meanwhile, who the heck knows what's going to happen with HWMNBN and Ferrari? Is that the legit pace of the F14T, or is that all down to the Spaniard behind the wheel. His Finnish counterpart was having problems with his steering and his downshifts, so his 11th might actually be GOOD.
Then there's the sad story of the Lotus mechanics and driver Crashtor Maldozer. In P1, he nearly drove into a wall as he fiddled with a knob on his steering wheel. As it was, he managed to only spin and humiliate himself. In P2, he drove into the pit entry... and directly into the protective barrier on the outside of the pit turn, snapping his suspension like a stale pretzel. "I crash," he called to the pit wall. "Oh. (pause) Okay," came the response like an audible facepalm. In P3, his engine broke... it was probably his fault. I don't know how, but it probably was. I have a feeling that Lotus would be happy to jettison his awful, awful driving arse, but he's got 33 million reasons for them to let him stay.
Since he DNQ'd, he races at the approval of the Stewards. Alas, they've decided to let him in.
Race in the very early morning... see you then!
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April 15, 2014
F1 on NBCSN: China 2014
Sorry I'm a little late with this, but Pond Central has had internet problems since Saturday night/Sunday morning. It wasn't completely out, but something even worse: it was really, really slow. As in, "45 seconds to a minute to load a page." Just alive enough to make you hope, just dead enough to crush your dreams. Thankfully, I was able to send my taxes via the Duck U Bookstore's system.
But I digress... you're here to hear about this week's race! This time, the stop is the Shanghai International Circuit, located in the Jiading District of the world's largest city by population, Shanghai, China. Despite the incredible number of people living there, somehow the government managed to find enough empty space to build a circuit. Here's the track map:
Okay, yes, it's a Tilkedrome. Despite that, China has occasionally coughed up a decent race or two. Rain is useful for that, of course, and there's a chance on Sunday, but nothing I'd put money on. So it's down to the track... and the new-formula cars, too. THAT'S where it all hinges, and the way things are going this year, I'd not bet against this being a good race.
It'll still be a Mercedes HappyFest, though. Unless something has drastically changed in the past couple of weeks, there's nothing standing in the way of the Mercedes-powered teams to dominate this race. Except for reliability, of course; it's hard to go fast when your engine is spitting pistons into the stratosphere. That's not something we can really predict so I'll just ignore it altogether.
Fortunately for everybody, I'M not the person calling the race. That task falls to the Pros from Dover, the (not as) Legendary Announce Team! Here's when they'll be doing their usual great coverage:
FRIDAY
P2: 1a - 230a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 1a - 230a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of China: 130a - 4a live
Of course, F1Update! will be all over the race like a cheap suit on rice. See ya then!
But I digress... you're here to hear about this week's race! This time, the stop is the Shanghai International Circuit, located in the Jiading District of the world's largest city by population, Shanghai, China. Despite the incredible number of people living there, somehow the government managed to find enough empty space to build a circuit. Here's the track map:
Okay, yes, it's a Tilkedrome. Despite that, China has occasionally coughed up a decent race or two. Rain is useful for that, of course, and there's a chance on Sunday, but nothing I'd put money on. So it's down to the track... and the new-formula cars, too. THAT'S where it all hinges, and the way things are going this year, I'd not bet against this being a good race.
It'll still be a Mercedes HappyFest, though. Unless something has drastically changed in the past couple of weeks, there's nothing standing in the way of the Mercedes-powered teams to dominate this race. Except for reliability, of course; it's hard to go fast when your engine is spitting pistons into the stratosphere. That's not something we can really predict so I'll just ignore it altogether.
Fortunately for everybody, I'M not the person calling the race. That task falls to the Pros from Dover, the (not as) Legendary Announce Team! Here's when they'll be doing their usual great coverage:
FRIDAY
P2: 1a - 230a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 1a - 230a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of China: 130a - 4a live
Of course, F1Update! will be all over the race like a cheap suit on rice. See ya then!
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April 13, 2014
USF1 Redux?
A few years ago, there was an attempt to start an American Formula 1 team. To be called USF1, it was a project from Peter (Smarmy) Windsor, former Williams and Ferrari manager, and Ken Anderson, a former NASCAR technical director. It failed miserably, never completing a chassis, never turning a wheel, suffering from mismanagement and funding impossibilities.
But yet, why couldn't there be an American F1 team? It's not like there's any lack of technical ability here in the States, nor any shortage of cash or driving skill. What is needed is a competent management staff with active ties to the racing world.
Those of us longing for an American F1 team on the grid may have just had our wishes granted. NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Gene Haas, longtime motorsports guy, just had his application to join the F1 grid in 2015 approved by the FIA. The team, tentatively called Haas Racing Developments, may be based in North Carolina, home of Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR team.
Very few details exist as of yet outside of what I've just mentioned. As usual, the thought is that there'll be an all-American driver lineup, which while admirable, is also wrong for a new team. Currently, the number of active American drivers with Formula 1 experience beyond a few testing laps is limited to one: Scott Speed. What a team needs is someone who knows how a F1 car should feel so the pit wall can make it feel that way. Scott Speed, while American, was nobody's idea of a testing genius. No, there should be at least one driver with serious F1 history on the team, and that means foreign... and preferably someone with financial backing of their own, sad to say. The two things any team needs is skill and money, and a new team needs a lot of both.
I'm not going to get excited yet. It'll be too easy for this venture to fail the way USF1 did. I'm much more encouraged by the people involved, but they don't even have an engine lined up yet. My guess is that they'll have the new Honda powerunit, but who knows? I'd really like to see this succeed, though. I'd love to root for a team again.
But yet, why couldn't there be an American F1 team? It's not like there's any lack of technical ability here in the States, nor any shortage of cash or driving skill. What is needed is a competent management staff with active ties to the racing world.
Those of us longing for an American F1 team on the grid may have just had our wishes granted. NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Gene Haas, longtime motorsports guy, just had his application to join the F1 grid in 2015 approved by the FIA. The team, tentatively called Haas Racing Developments, may be based in North Carolina, home of Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR team.
Very few details exist as of yet outside of what I've just mentioned. As usual, the thought is that there'll be an all-American driver lineup, which while admirable, is also wrong for a new team. Currently, the number of active American drivers with Formula 1 experience beyond a few testing laps is limited to one: Scott Speed. What a team needs is someone who knows how a F1 car should feel so the pit wall can make it feel that way. Scott Speed, while American, was nobody's idea of a testing genius. No, there should be at least one driver with serious F1 history on the team, and that means foreign... and preferably someone with financial backing of their own, sad to say. The two things any team needs is skill and money, and a new team needs a lot of both.
I'm not going to get excited yet. It'll be too easy for this venture to fail the way USF1 did. I'm much more encouraged by the people involved, but they don't even have an engine lined up yet. My guess is that they'll have the new Honda powerunit, but who knows? I'd really like to see this succeed, though. I'd love to root for a team again.
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April 06, 2014
F1U Bahrain Delayed
The Grand Prix of Bahrain was great, just entertaining from beginning to end, and I can't bring myself to do the writeup.
The events of this past Thursday... well. Let's just say I was in the store both Saturday and Sunday, and trying to do something serious like the F1U!, even for arguably the best dry race we've had in a couple of years, just makes me sad.
I want to do it. I just can't see myself doing something serious right now. Sorry, people, I know you're looking for it.
The events of this past Thursday... well. Let's just say I was in the store both Saturday and Sunday, and trying to do something serious like the F1U!, even for arguably the best dry race we've had in a couple of years, just makes me sad.
I want to do it. I just can't see myself doing something serious right now. Sorry, people, I know you're looking for it.
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April 05, 2014
F1 Quals: Bahrain 2014
It didn't rain. I mean, duh, of course, it's Bahrain, but I needed to make sure the weather situation was known and understood before I showed you the grid for tomorrow's race. Because, y'know what? It's a doozy! Let's take a look at the starting lineup for the 2014 Grand Prix of Bahrain:
Okay, let's go over this. Red Bull's Unlucky Ricciardo is taking a 10-spot penalty after his travails at Malaysia, so he'll be 13th. This makes the second row of the grid Williams - Force India. This is the greatest season ever. Meanwhile, 4Time Vettel, Mr "I've been on pole every race for the past 17 years", couldn't even make it out of Q2. Greatest. Season. Ever.
The only way it could get better would be to have either Caterham or (ugh) Marussia score their first points. It'll happen. It'll happen, probably Marussia.
Then again, I'd really like to see Williams or FIndia win on Sunday. It won't happen, of course... the Mercedes boys have too big an advantage... but it'd be nice. Here's how bad it was: during Q1 4Time turned a 1:35.549 on the soft tires, which have about a 1.5 second advantage over the hards here this race. Shiv Hamilton in Q1 went 1:35.323.
Using the hard tires.
Make no mistake, my friends: tomorrow's race is going to one of the Mercedes drivers, barring malfunctions. The race is going to be for third, and I SO want to see Williams on that podium.
Anybody but Red Bull, actually.
Race is at 10am Pond Central... bring the bagels and lox and make a morning of it!
Okay, let's go over this. Red Bull's Unlucky Ricciardo is taking a 10-spot penalty after his travails at Malaysia, so he'll be 13th. This makes the second row of the grid Williams - Force India. This is the greatest season ever. Meanwhile, 4Time Vettel, Mr "I've been on pole every race for the past 17 years", couldn't even make it out of Q2. Greatest. Season. Ever.
The only way it could get better would be to have either Caterham or (ugh) Marussia score their first points. It'll happen. It'll happen, probably Marussia.
Then again, I'd really like to see Williams or FIndia win on Sunday. It won't happen, of course... the Mercedes boys have too big an advantage... but it'd be nice. Here's how bad it was: during Q1 4Time turned a 1:35.549 on the soft tires, which have about a 1.5 second advantage over the hards here this race. Shiv Hamilton in Q1 went 1:35.323.
Using the hard tires.
Make no mistake, my friends: tomorrow's race is going to one of the Mercedes drivers, barring malfunctions. The race is going to be for third, and I SO want to see Williams on that podium.
Anybody but Red Bull, actually.
Race is at 10am Pond Central... bring the bagels and lox and make a morning of it!
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April 04, 2014
F1 Practice: Bahrain 2014
"I don't understand any of it!" - Kid Kyviat (note: real quote)
Now THAT'S how you do a night race. Forget the city-style tracks in Singapore and Abu Dhabi (particularly the back half), there in Bahrain they drop a race track in the middle of the desert, prop up a bunch of LED flashlights on ladders, wrap everything in Christmas tree light strands and hey presto!
I jest, but I am serious about one thing: it looks awful purty.
It also races differently than it has in the past. Ambient air temps were about 30 degrees cooler during P2 than P1, which ran at roughly the same time as last year's race. More importantly, the track surface is also dramatically cooler, which means it takes longer for the tires to come up to grip temps. Which meant a lot of missed braking points, even more smoked rubber, and more than a few heading off towards the King Fahd Causeway, drivers madly attempting to bring their steeds under control.
Mercedes is still the class of the field, apparently because their turbocharger is cleft in twain, with the compressor at one end of the engine and the turbine at the other. The two bits are joined together by a shaft that runs through the "V" of the cylinders. Through whatever magic was used, this means less turbo lag. It also moves more weight forward in the car body, requires less cooling, is biodegradable, will walk your dog, likes to cuddle, and is an all-around good egg.
Or something like that. Of course, Williams and Force India get the same benefits, but since they haven't had the engines as long as the team that built them, their windfall has been less. So far. Surprisingly, Red Bull hasn't screamed about cheating yet.
There's still time. Quals in the morning, though the writeup may not be until late afternoon... putting some time in at the store. See you then.
Now THAT'S how you do a night race. Forget the city-style tracks in Singapore and Abu Dhabi (particularly the back half), there in Bahrain they drop a race track in the middle of the desert, prop up a bunch of LED flashlights on ladders, wrap everything in Christmas tree light strands and hey presto!
I jest, but I am serious about one thing: it looks awful purty.
It also races differently than it has in the past. Ambient air temps were about 30 degrees cooler during P2 than P1, which ran at roughly the same time as last year's race. More importantly, the track surface is also dramatically cooler, which means it takes longer for the tires to come up to grip temps. Which meant a lot of missed braking points, even more smoked rubber, and more than a few heading off towards the King Fahd Causeway, drivers madly attempting to bring their steeds under control.
Mercedes is still the class of the field, apparently because their turbocharger is cleft in twain, with the compressor at one end of the engine and the turbine at the other. The two bits are joined together by a shaft that runs through the "V" of the cylinders. Through whatever magic was used, this means less turbo lag. It also moves more weight forward in the car body, requires less cooling, is biodegradable, will walk your dog, likes to cuddle, and is an all-around good egg.
Or something like that. Of course, Williams and Force India get the same benefits, but since they haven't had the engines as long as the team that built them, their windfall has been less. So far. Surprisingly, Red Bull hasn't screamed about cheating yet.
There's still time. Quals in the morning, though the writeup may not be until late afternoon... putting some time in at the store. See you then.
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March 31, 2014
F1 on NBCSN: Bahrain 2014
From the always wet and humid Malaysia the F1 Circus hops on some planes and flies to desert country Bahrain... where they're predicting thunderstorms during Practice 2. What the $#&* is going on? Here's the track map for this most unwelcome of stops.
I notice that there's less discussion about the human rights violations and the continuing uprising this year. I suspect part of that is down to outspoken Mark Webber no longer being in the paddock. Also there might be some sort of unspoken rule that revolutions shouldn't take three years... either they work or they don't (note: Wonderduck, Wonderduck's Pond, F1U!, The Flock, and any other term regularly used at this website does not agree with this assessment). In today's media cycle, three weeks is a lifetime.
Normally I'd complain and moan about the circuit... it's a Tilkedrome, yadda yadda yadda... but we're learning that the new tech rules have thrown out everything we've known about the tracks. What might have been dull and boring last year has the potential of being vaguely interesting this season. I mean, when the cars are suffering wheelspin up through fifth gear, anything becomes possible. Now that I've said that, oh my god, how many cars are going to finish at Monaco? There's not enough room there to fishtail! Back to Bahrain, the circuit will be ridiculously dirty and/or sandy all weekend, so there'll be even less grip than normal.
And then there's the real wildcard: for the first time, Bahrain will be raced under the lights! Yep, it'll be a night race. I give up, there's officially no way of knowing just exactly what's going to happen this weekend. As long as everybody stays safe both on and off the track, I'll be happy with the result... and continue to hope that Formula 1 never, ever comes back.
Until that time, however, the Less-Than-Legendary Announce Team will be providing their usual good coverage to us live and in color! Let's take a look at when:
FRIDAY
P2: 10a - 1130a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 10a - 1130a live
SUNDAY
2014 GP of Bahrain: 930a - 12noon live
A race I don't have to stay up to ridiculous hours for? Okay, I'm game! We'll see you then, then!
I notice that there's less discussion about the human rights violations and the continuing uprising this year. I suspect part of that is down to outspoken Mark Webber no longer being in the paddock. Also there might be some sort of unspoken rule that revolutions shouldn't take three years... either they work or they don't (note: Wonderduck, Wonderduck's Pond, F1U!, The Flock, and any other term regularly used at this website does not agree with this assessment). In today's media cycle, three weeks is a lifetime.
Normally I'd complain and moan about the circuit... it's a Tilkedrome, yadda yadda yadda... but we're learning that the new tech rules have thrown out everything we've known about the tracks. What might have been dull and boring last year has the potential of being vaguely interesting this season. I mean, when the cars are suffering wheelspin up through fifth gear, anything becomes possible. Now that I've said that, oh my god, how many cars are going to finish at Monaco? There's not enough room there to fishtail! Back to Bahrain, the circuit will be ridiculously dirty and/or sandy all weekend, so there'll be even less grip than normal.
And then there's the real wildcard: for the first time, Bahrain will be raced under the lights! Yep, it'll be a night race. I give up, there's officially no way of knowing just exactly what's going to happen this weekend. As long as everybody stays safe both on and off the track, I'll be happy with the result... and continue to hope that Formula 1 never, ever comes back.
Until that time, however, the Less-Than-Legendary Announce Team will be providing their usual good coverage to us live and in color! Let's take a look at when:
FRIDAY
P2: 10a - 1130a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 10a - 1130a live
SUNDAY
2014 GP of Bahrain: 930a - 12noon live
A race I don't have to stay up to ridiculous hours for? Okay, I'm game! We'll see you then, then!
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March 29, 2014
F1 Quals: Malaysia 2014
So last night's sleep event found me awake at 345am. Oh, hey, I thought, I can catch the end of Quals. I dragged myself out to the living room, turned on the TV and discovered, much to my surprise, that Q1 had begun just moments before! Did I get the time wrong? Confused, I checked the schedule... nope! Q3 should have been ending. Wha hoppen?
Oh. Well, it is Malaysia, isn't it? A one-hour delay was the result of most of the Malacca Strait being dumped on the racetrack, and it never entirely stopped at any time during Quals. Which means a "who knows?" result? Let's find out, here's the provisional grid:
Strangely enough, the grid isn't messed up. It very much is about how you'd expect a dry Quals to end up. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Seb Vettel has been complaining this week about the sound of the engines, saying they sound "like sh*t." He'd probably like the sound more if his lasted more than a few laps. What I'm saying is that seeing him up in 2nd isn't anything to be concerned about... yet. Reliability is more important than pace right now.
Jenson Button has got to be peeved. At every turn McLaren screwed up his tire strategy. "Hey, Jenson, let's send you out on Inters!" I dunno, there are fish swimming on the front straight... "Nah, it'll be fine, trust us!" Ohhhh-kay... (one lap later) ... This isn't working very well. "Okay, come in for Full Wets. By the way, we expect the track to dry in a couple of minutes." Sunuva.... okay, Inters again. "We gave you an oxygen tank for when the deluge we're looking at on radar hits." SPLOOSH. (Button sobs uncontrollably)
Race in the morning... more rain is forecast, so who knows, maybe it'll be in the afternoon!
Oh. Well, it is Malaysia, isn't it? A one-hour delay was the result of most of the Malacca Strait being dumped on the racetrack, and it never entirely stopped at any time during Quals. Which means a "who knows?" result? Let's find out, here's the provisional grid:
Strangely enough, the grid isn't messed up. It very much is about how you'd expect a dry Quals to end up. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Seb Vettel has been complaining this week about the sound of the engines, saying they sound "like sh*t." He'd probably like the sound more if his lasted more than a few laps. What I'm saying is that seeing him up in 2nd isn't anything to be concerned about... yet. Reliability is more important than pace right now.
Jenson Button has got to be peeved. At every turn McLaren screwed up his tire strategy. "Hey, Jenson, let's send you out on Inters!" I dunno, there are fish swimming on the front straight... "Nah, it'll be fine, trust us!" Ohhhh-kay... (one lap later) ... This isn't working very well. "Okay, come in for Full Wets. By the way, we expect the track to dry in a couple of minutes." Sunuva.... okay, Inters again. "We gave you an oxygen tank for when the deluge we're looking at on radar hits." SPLOOSH. (Button sobs uncontrollably)
Race in the morning... more rain is forecast, so who knows, maybe it'll be in the afternoon!
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March 28, 2014
2014 Malaysia Practice Writeup Not Happening
On the one hand, it's Friday night, and wonderful things happen on Friday night! On the other hand, I didn't get home from work until 930pm. As you can guess, I'm a little bit tired, and the prospect of watching 90 minutes of Malaysian practice doesn't particularly appeal to me. So now that I've had dinner, and written this, I'm going to go lie down. If I get up tonight, great. If I don't wake up until tomorrow, I'm okay with that, too.
F1's version of tentacle porn.
Quals in the morning. THAT, I'll watch.
F1's version of tentacle porn.
Quals in the morning. THAT, I'll watch.
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March 24, 2014
F1 on NBCSN: Malaysia 2014
So I started writing a post about the upcoming Grand Prix of Malaysia, but after a little while, it disappeared.
Nope, not gonna apologize for that joke. There, I just provided you with more information about the missing airplane than the media did for two weeks. I won't even do more than mention in passing the ridiculous accusation that the F1 Circus is kicking grieving families out of hotels in Malaysia. Nope, I'll let Will Buxton, the fourth member of the Legendary Announce Team, deal with it.
As far as the track goes, I've written a lot about it in the past, and haven't been able to come up with much else to talk about regarding it, so we'll leave it be. Last year, we got the infamous "Multi 21" incident between Hannibal Vettel and Mark Webber. Two years ago was a one-hour long red flag due to rain... what will this year bring us? Well, it'll be hot and humid with a change of thunderstorms all weekend... in other words, exactly the same as always.
Whatever happens, the new-look Legendary Announce Team (minus The Varsha) will show us the usual good time... and here's when!
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 1a - 230a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 3a - 430a live
SUNDAY
Race: 230a - 5a live
Nope, not gonna apologize for that joke. There, I just provided you with more information about the missing airplane than the media did for two weeks. I won't even do more than mention in passing the ridiculous accusation that the F1 Circus is kicking grieving families out of hotels in Malaysia. Nope, I'll let Will Buxton, the fourth member of the Legendary Announce Team, deal with it.
As far as the track goes, I've written a lot about it in the past, and haven't been able to come up with much else to talk about regarding it, so we'll leave it be. Last year, we got the infamous "Multi 21" incident between Hannibal Vettel and Mark Webber. Two years ago was a one-hour long red flag due to rain... what will this year bring us? Well, it'll be hot and humid with a change of thunderstorms all weekend... in other words, exactly the same as always.
Whatever happens, the new-look Legendary Announce Team (minus The Varsha) will show us the usual good time... and here's when!
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 1a - 230a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 3a - 430a live
SUNDAY
Race: 230a - 5a live
Could be fun...will reliability still be the race-winning thing, or will speed and skill play their parts again? And will Red Bull continue their temper-tantrum all weekend? You cheated, you got caught, you got penalized... deal with it, Dieter.
That's all I gots... see ya on Friday!
That's all I gots... see ya on Friday!
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March 15, 2014
F1 Quals: Australia 2014
Before one can race at Australia, one must first qualify. Sound easy? NOT SO FAST! Let's take a look at the provisional grid for the 2014 Grand Prix of Australia:
Let's get the massive one out of the way: reigning four-time World Drivers Champion Hannibal Vettel didn't make it out of Q2, much to the delight of the rain-and-Fosters-soaked Australian fans. Meanwhile, his Red Bull teammate, Australian Daniel Ricciardo, managed to get his car on the front row. Eyewitnesses later said that there was blood trickling from the doors of the Red Bull mobile home, accompanied by loud screams of Germanic fury. These claims have yet to be verified.
Yes, it rained during Quals, starting towards the end of Q1, and not really stopping. I believe I called these new cars "twitchy". Boy, I didn't know what I was talking about... you haven't seen twitchy until you see them in the rain. Yeeeeeeeee-haw!
The drive of the day honors goes to rookie Kevin Magnussen, who needs a nickname badly. His first time in Quals, his first time driving the Australian circuit, and the first time running the McLaren in the rain, and he puts it on the second row? Spiffy job, that.
A big thumbs-up to the returning Gandalf Kobayashi, getting his Caterham into Q2... something that only happened ONCE last season. Meanwhile, neither Lotus made it out of Q1, and Williams Maldonado didn't manage to set a time at all. Dear lord, they're going to suck so hard this year...
So we've got a scrambled field, partially from rain, mostly from new rules. It's gonna make the race ridiculously fun, or just terrible, one of the two. Of course, the F1U! team will be all over it, beginning at 1230am Sunday. Writeup sometime after that... we're not as young as we used to be, after all. See ya then!
Let's get the massive one out of the way: reigning four-time World Drivers Champion Hannibal Vettel didn't make it out of Q2, much to the delight of the rain-and-Fosters-soaked Australian fans. Meanwhile, his Red Bull teammate, Australian Daniel Ricciardo, managed to get his car on the front row. Eyewitnesses later said that there was blood trickling from the doors of the Red Bull mobile home, accompanied by loud screams of Germanic fury. These claims have yet to be verified.
Yes, it rained during Quals, starting towards the end of Q1, and not really stopping. I believe I called these new cars "twitchy". Boy, I didn't know what I was talking about... you haven't seen twitchy until you see them in the rain. Yeeeeeeeee-haw!
The drive of the day honors goes to rookie Kevin Magnussen, who needs a nickname badly. His first time in Quals, his first time driving the Australian circuit, and the first time running the McLaren in the rain, and he puts it on the second row? Spiffy job, that.
A big thumbs-up to the returning Gandalf Kobayashi, getting his Caterham into Q2... something that only happened ONCE last season. Meanwhile, neither Lotus made it out of Q1, and Williams Maldonado didn't manage to set a time at all. Dear lord, they're going to suck so hard this year...
So we've got a scrambled field, partially from rain, mostly from new rules. It's gonna make the race ridiculously fun, or just terrible, one of the two. Of course, the F1U! team will be all over it, beginning at 1230am Sunday. Writeup sometime after that... we're not as young as we used to be, after all. See ya then!
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March 14, 2014
F1 Practice: Australia 2014 P2
What we had in P2 was quite a bit of P1 redux, with one major difference. This time around, we actually saw both Red Bulls on track for 30+ laps, perhaps for the first time this preseason, and they were both quick. Not as fast as last year, but they were putting in some good times. The same can't be said for the other Renault-powered teams, however.
Neither Caterham or Pastor Maldonado's Lotus set a timed lap at all. Lettuce Grosjean... well, you can see how he did. The Toro Rossos were... meh, but that's normal for them, isn't it? No, on the whole, Friday belonged to the Mercedes-powered cars, led by the Factory team. Other than Hamilton's sensor issue in P1, the two Silver Arrows have pretty much owned the entire lead-up to the race.
Will that domination continue? People were saying earlier that Mercedes could win this race by two laps... that's pretty clearly an exaggeration, but they do appear to be the odds-on favorites. But there are bigger concerns out there right now.
For example, Charlie Whiting, the race director for Formula 1, was saying that many of the teams haven't been able to practice race starts yet. He's also gone on record saying that the 107% Rule is essentially out the window for this race, and they're not even sure if ANYBODY will finish the race. Eep.
This should be a fascinating race, clearly... one way or the other. Either it's going to be high farce, or it'll be stunningly dramatic. It'll certainly be entertaining!
Quals early Saturday morning!
Neither Caterham or Pastor Maldonado's Lotus set a timed lap at all. Lettuce Grosjean... well, you can see how he did. The Toro Rossos were... meh, but that's normal for them, isn't it? No, on the whole, Friday belonged to the Mercedes-powered cars, led by the Factory team. Other than Hamilton's sensor issue in P1, the two Silver Arrows have pretty much owned the entire lead-up to the race.
Will that domination continue? People were saying earlier that Mercedes could win this race by two laps... that's pretty clearly an exaggeration, but they do appear to be the odds-on favorites. But there are bigger concerns out there right now.
For example, Charlie Whiting, the race director for Formula 1, was saying that many of the teams haven't been able to practice race starts yet. He's also gone on record saying that the 107% Rule is essentially out the window for this race, and they're not even sure if ANYBODY will finish the race. Eep.
This should be a fascinating race, clearly... one way or the other. Either it's going to be high farce, or it'll be stunningly dramatic. It'll certainly be entertaining!
Quals early Saturday morning!
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March 13, 2014
F1 Practice: Australia 2014 P1
There are two ways a Friday Practice 1 session can go. Either you get a lot of running, with every driver out on circuit pounding out laps while teams try to shake down the car, get everything shipshape as soon as possible, or you get 11 teams apparently sitting on their hands, cars up on jacks, drivers taking naps in the back of their garage. You would think that at the first race weekend of a new season with a whole raft of rules changes that you'd get the former type of P1 session over the latter.
Not so much. Four drivers didn't turn a timed lap, and Lettuce Grosjean never even left the pits with engine problems. Most of the rest turned around 25 laps, though there were quite a few who didn't reach double digits. Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes made it about 400 meters before it stopped on track with an apparent engine failure (it turned out to be a sensor issue, so he'll be back for P2). When cars were on track, they looked squirmy and touchy. And rightfully so: the cars actually have torque now. It looks like the cars are fishtailing out of every slow corner... just thinking about accelerating seems to send them sideways.
It was GLORIOUS.
P2 coming up in a bit... I'll watch most of it, maybe the whole thing, but the writeup will come Friday morning, like as not.
Not so much. Four drivers didn't turn a timed lap, and Lettuce Grosjean never even left the pits with engine problems. Most of the rest turned around 25 laps, though there were quite a few who didn't reach double digits. Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes made it about 400 meters before it stopped on track with an apparent engine failure (it turned out to be a sensor issue, so he'll be back for P2). When cars were on track, they looked squirmy and touchy. And rightfully so: the cars actually have torque now. It looks like the cars are fishtailing out of every slow corner... just thinking about accelerating seems to send them sideways.
It was GLORIOUS.
P2 coming up in a bit... I'll watch most of it, maybe the whole thing, but the writeup will come Friday morning, like as not.
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March 10, 2014
F1 on NBCSN: Australia 2014!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, libbets and bunnymen, welcome to the 2014 Formula 1 season! The past few years have been a little... shall we say "dull"?... but this season should prove to be a little bit different. We'll get to that. But first, we need to look at where we begin. It isn't officially a tradition, but Australia may as well be the home of the first race of the season. What definitely is a tradition is that I now show you the track map of this week's circuit... and here we are:
Melbourne. Australia's cultural capital. Home of the style of dance known as Melbourne Shuffle, the birthplace of Australian film and television, Aussie Rules Football, and the country's oldest and largest public art museum. It's also the location of Albert Park, a public park turned into a world-class racetrack for one weekend a year. As I've mentioned in years past, it's also the perfect place for a F1 season to begin. Consider: it's a fast, but not too fast, circuit, with a nice mix of both quick and slow corners. It's not particularly hard on tires, nor is it particularly difficult for the driver to cope with. Air temperatures are usually right at the point you want them for a modern F1 car, except when it rains. When it does rain, the storms are rarely the type that will completely derail a session (like you can get at Spa, for example). No, the circuit at Albert Park is pretty much the best track on the calendar to start a season with.
Which is important this season, even moreso than normal. That's because of the raft of rules changes that came down the pike for this season, the most obvious of which is the new engine. Gone are the dentist-drill 18000rpm V8s of the past decade. In their place we now have a 1.6 liter turbo-powered V6 hybrid engine at 15000rpm. The hybrid part is interesting... previously we had the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, or KERS, a battery pack that gave the cars about 80hp for six seconds per lap. KERS has now been replaced by ERS-K, a waste-heat recovery device that will provide up to 160hp for 33 seconds/lap. Because of the way this system works, the rear brakes are now "brake by wire", instead of a direct physical linkage. Reportedly, some teams are having problem with this technology, but we'll find out about that later this week. On the whole, the changes seem to have been to the benefit for Williams and have hurt Red Bull... people are already declaring that Seb Vettel won't win the championship this year. I won't go that far, but Australia could go a long way towards telling us what's going to happen this season!
Fortunately for us, the good folks at NBCSN will be doing their level best to get us up to speed and fast! Here's their broadcast schedule:
THURSDAY
Practice 1: 830p - 10p live
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 1230a - 2a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 1a - 230a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of Australia: 1230a - 3a live
Here's the good news... this week is Spring Break at Duck U. As a result, the Duck U Bookstore will be closing at 1pm on Thursday and staying closed until Monday morning. That's right, the F1U! team will have the entire weekend free to concentrate on the race! It's been a while since we're found a F1 season to be this intriguing, so we'll be hanging on every rev this race!
We'll see you then, right here!
Melbourne. Australia's cultural capital. Home of the style of dance known as Melbourne Shuffle, the birthplace of Australian film and television, Aussie Rules Football, and the country's oldest and largest public art museum. It's also the location of Albert Park, a public park turned into a world-class racetrack for one weekend a year. As I've mentioned in years past, it's also the perfect place for a F1 season to begin. Consider: it's a fast, but not too fast, circuit, with a nice mix of both quick and slow corners. It's not particularly hard on tires, nor is it particularly difficult for the driver to cope with. Air temperatures are usually right at the point you want them for a modern F1 car, except when it rains. When it does rain, the storms are rarely the type that will completely derail a session (like you can get at Spa, for example). No, the circuit at Albert Park is pretty much the best track on the calendar to start a season with.
Which is important this season, even moreso than normal. That's because of the raft of rules changes that came down the pike for this season, the most obvious of which is the new engine. Gone are the dentist-drill 18000rpm V8s of the past decade. In their place we now have a 1.6 liter turbo-powered V6 hybrid engine at 15000rpm. The hybrid part is interesting... previously we had the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, or KERS, a battery pack that gave the cars about 80hp for six seconds per lap. KERS has now been replaced by ERS-K, a waste-heat recovery device that will provide up to 160hp for 33 seconds/lap. Because of the way this system works, the rear brakes are now "brake by wire", instead of a direct physical linkage. Reportedly, some teams are having problem with this technology, but we'll find out about that later this week. On the whole, the changes seem to have been to the benefit for Williams and have hurt Red Bull... people are already declaring that Seb Vettel won't win the championship this year. I won't go that far, but Australia could go a long way towards telling us what's going to happen this season!
Fortunately for us, the good folks at NBCSN will be doing their level best to get us up to speed and fast! Here's their broadcast schedule:
THURSDAY
Practice 1: 830p - 10p live
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 1230a - 2a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 1a - 230a live
SUNDAY
Grand Prix of Australia: 1230a - 3a live
Here's the good news... this week is Spring Break at Duck U. As a result, the Duck U Bookstore will be closing at 1pm on Thursday and staying closed until Monday morning. That's right, the F1U! team will have the entire weekend free to concentrate on the race! It's been a while since we're found a F1 season to be this intriguing, so we'll be hanging on every rev this race!
We'll see you then, right here!
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February 02, 2014
F1 News: 2014 Pre-Season #1
As my laundry goes through the whump-whump-wadump cycle (as opposed to the wooga-wooga-wooga or wherrrrrrrrrrz cycles), it seems like a good time to get everybody caught up on the stuff that came out of the first 2014 pre-season test at Jerez.
The biggest news was far and away the debut of the new V6 Turbo engines. I had no doubt that they'd be quick... that's just what F1 is, after all. What I was afraid of was that they would sound horrible. The V8 era, in my mind, was nearly intolerable: that piercing scream, while undoubtedly impressive with its volume, was practically unlistenable to my ears. The howl of the V10s sounded so much better, with a nicer lower-end to it, and don't even get me started on the sheer bliss that was the V12 era. I figured that the new power plants would sound wimpy and tinny and yuck. I was wrong... very wrong. They sound great, and each manufacturer's sound is slightly different from each other.
Which brings us to the next bit of news. The Renault powerplant had serious problems during the test session, to the point where defending champions Red Bull turned the fewest number of laps (21) during the four days of testing. In fact, the problems were so bad that they gave up and went home on Day 3. Fellow Renault team Toro Rosso had 54 laps over four days and... well, here, just give this a listen. Caterham had problems getting their Renault engine to even start. And, of course, Lotus didn't even make it to Jerez. In any case, this lack of running time puts Red Bull on the back foot; Mercedes ran 309 laps, for example. That's 288 laps of data less to work with, and with brand new rules modifying just about everything on a chassis this year, data is king.
Red Bull is also having problems with overheating. This isn't new: Adrian Newey designs are always tightly packaged, particularly towards the back. Reports are that overheating was happening even during the short runs on cool days at Jerez, and THAT'S a bad sign indeed. On the other hand, it's merely the first test session, not the real races. Except Daniel Ricciardo, new Red Bull driver, isn't so sure that things will be fixed in a hurry: "Time is still on our side. Even if we go to Melbourne still a bit whatever, it's a long season." I'm not gonna bet against them, not this year, not yet.
In other news, Ross Brawn announced his retirement from F1. Last season's Mercedes team principal stepped down from his position after a career in the sport that began in the '70s. He has eight constructor's championships to his name, and his teams have also had eight driver's championships as well. There were rumors that he would be moving to McLaren, but he squashed those this week at a fishing event.
McLaren did announce that recent Lotus frontman Eric Boullier has become their Racing Director, a position that didn't really exist before this. He'll be in charge of the team at race weekends, but report to the still-to-be-named CEO of McLaren Racing otherwise. Clearly a reaction to the hideous 2013 the team suffered.
Finally, Michael Schumacher was reportedly being slowly brought out of his medically-induced coma. If you remember correctly, he suffered major brain injuries in a skiing accident at the end of December. He's been in the coma ever since, after undergoing two surgeries to relieve swelling. Supposedly he's been able to blink in response to questions, but there's been no confirmation of that from the doctors. Still, we can always hope.
The Australian GP is just over a month away!
The biggest news was far and away the debut of the new V6 Turbo engines. I had no doubt that they'd be quick... that's just what F1 is, after all. What I was afraid of was that they would sound horrible. The V8 era, in my mind, was nearly intolerable: that piercing scream, while undoubtedly impressive with its volume, was practically unlistenable to my ears. The howl of the V10s sounded so much better, with a nicer lower-end to it, and don't even get me started on the sheer bliss that was the V12 era. I figured that the new power plants would sound wimpy and tinny and yuck. I was wrong... very wrong. They sound great, and each manufacturer's sound is slightly different from each other.
Which brings us to the next bit of news. The Renault powerplant had serious problems during the test session, to the point where defending champions Red Bull turned the fewest number of laps (21) during the four days of testing. In fact, the problems were so bad that they gave up and went home on Day 3. Fellow Renault team Toro Rosso had 54 laps over four days and... well, here, just give this a listen. Caterham had problems getting their Renault engine to even start. And, of course, Lotus didn't even make it to Jerez. In any case, this lack of running time puts Red Bull on the back foot; Mercedes ran 309 laps, for example. That's 288 laps of data less to work with, and with brand new rules modifying just about everything on a chassis this year, data is king.
Red Bull is also having problems with overheating. This isn't new: Adrian Newey designs are always tightly packaged, particularly towards the back. Reports are that overheating was happening even during the short runs on cool days at Jerez, and THAT'S a bad sign indeed. On the other hand, it's merely the first test session, not the real races. Except Daniel Ricciardo, new Red Bull driver, isn't so sure that things will be fixed in a hurry: "Time is still on our side. Even if we go to Melbourne still a bit whatever, it's a long season." I'm not gonna bet against them, not this year, not yet.
In other news, Ross Brawn announced his retirement from F1. Last season's Mercedes team principal stepped down from his position after a career in the sport that began in the '70s. He has eight constructor's championships to his name, and his teams have also had eight driver's championships as well. There were rumors that he would be moving to McLaren, but he squashed those this week at a fishing event.
McLaren did announce that recent Lotus frontman Eric Boullier has become their Racing Director, a position that didn't really exist before this. He'll be in charge of the team at race weekends, but report to the still-to-be-named CEO of McLaren Racing otherwise. Clearly a reaction to the hideous 2013 the team suffered.
Finally, Michael Schumacher was reportedly being slowly brought out of his medically-induced coma. If you remember correctly, he suffered major brain injuries in a skiing accident at the end of December. He's been in the coma ever since, after undergoing two surgeries to relieve swelling. Supposedly he's been able to blink in response to questions, but there's been no confirmation of that from the doctors. Still, we can always hope.
The Australian GP is just over a month away!
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January 29, 2014
Rush: The Review
Keeping with the general F1 theme around these here parts this week, here's my official review of Rush, the recent movie by Ron Howard about the 1976 F1 season:
See it.
Oh, you want more?
more...
See it.
Oh, you want more?
more...
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10:00 PM
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