Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog

A1GP to Morph into A10 World Series

2011-01-16T23:36:00.004Z

Well it seems I've finally gotten around to writing a new blog post after a (very) long hiatus due to work and family commitments....

I was spurred on by the news of a potential return of one of my favourite racing series, possibly as early as this Autumn.

It seems that after much financial turmoil and acrimony, the A1GP series may be making a welcome come back, of sorts at least, in the new guise of A10WS.

I attended all the A1GP meetings at Brands Hatch including the first ever race on 25th September 2005. Meetings were always well attended, the crowd atmosphere was good (see above!) and the racing entertaining.

Those behind A10WS are slowly (and painfully) drip feeding information about the new series on their web site in an effort to build up media interest.

All we know right now is that it will be a (one make ?) series with V10 600 BHP single seater cars. Twenty races in ten different countries around the world.

Apparently, more information is set to be released next Wednesday regarding the race format...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that after many false hopes that A1GP would be resurrected this series will get off the ground and be back at Brands Hatch soon.

Ferrari are Back! (to their old tricks again)

2010-07-26T00:33:00.007+01:00

Photo by PH-Stop

My next blog post was to have been about my recent visit to the WTCC/F2 at Brands Hatch but having seen the debacle at the Hockenheimring on Sunday I felt compelled to write this rant instead!

For the first time in many a long year, I found myself actually agreeing with Eddie Jordan! (and that takes some doing).

We, the motor racing fans, who support and pay for the tickets, merchandise etc were robbed of a potentially classic race finish.

Ferrari's actions were totally indefensible and completely unnecessary.

Whether it had ended up a one two finish with Massa first and Alonso second or vice verse would have made absolutely no difference to the outcome of the constructors championship.

IF Alonso is to become World Champion once again does he really want to do it with race victories handed to him on a plate by a team mate?

IF he is the superior driver (he imagines himself to be), surely it would have been no problem for him to pass Massa with a LEGITIMATE move on the track?

It would seem that every time something does not go Alonso's way he throws a hissy fit like an adolescent schoolgirl.

Ferrari, like Renault beforehand, it would appear are prepared to pander to these outbursts.

If Massa really wants to become World Champion and is not just in Formula 1 to make money (like Eddie Irvine was in my opinion), he must now be regretting his recent decision to sign a new two year contract with Ferrari.

It is clear that all the time Alonso is in the same team, Massa will be expected to play second fiddle starting with the remainder of this season.

It was cringe worthy watching the pathetic farcical pantomime act put on my various Ferrari personnel post race to demonstrate that no team orders had been given. Even a casual observer of Formula 1 would have had no doubts as to what had just gone on.

Ferrari have been fined US $ 100 k and the matter has been referred to the FIA for further investigation.

Big deal.

The fine is a mere drop in the ocean for Ferrari with an annual budget which runs to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The FIA is now headed by ex Ferrari boss Jean Todt. Hmm, that'll be a very thorough and impartial investigation then I don't think.

The only sanction which would have any meaningful effect, to deter similar actions in the future and go some way to restore the sport's tarnished image would be a points deduction for both Ferraris.

Will it happen?

I think I have a greater chance of signing a Ferrari contract in 2013!

Return of the US Grand Prix - Doomed to Failure

2010-06-05T23:30:00.007+01:00

In this life, one thing counts, in the bank large amounts......

Yes, I'm afraid he's at it again. It has been announced that the United States F1 Grand Prix is to be resurrected and held at that world renowned motor racing metropolis of err Austin, Texas from 2012 onwards.

Mr Eccclestone, apparently, has no doubt this will be the perfect venue for F1 in the United States. Do me a favour. The only reason I can see that the US Grand Prix would be held in a backwater like Austin, Texas is the fat cheque that he will receive from the event organisers.

Holding an event in Austin is doomed to failure. It has been reported that the State Government is backing the scheme. If I were a Texan taxpayer and they wanted to put my tax Dollars into Ecclestone's pocket, I'd have the State Governor tarred, feathered and run out of town!

Formula 1 has already had a torrid time in the United States and has never achieved the popularity that it has elsewhere around the globe. In 1991 only 18,000 or so bothered to attend the US GP at Phoenix, Arizona.

In my opinion, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) made a good fist of running the GP from 2000 to 2007 and is the only sensible place to hold an F1 race in the US. After all they know how to put on an event after running the Indy 500 for a century and safely accommodating crowds of up to 500,000.

In 2000, the US GP attracted an estimated crowd of 225,000 - levels of support which other F1 venues around the world can only dream of. The US GP at Indianapolis was fatally damaged, not through any fault of the IMS, but by the Michelin tyre fiasco in 2005 when only six cars competed in the race.

Ecclestone's negotiations with the IMS foundered when they, sensibly, refused to pay his asking price to hold the event. Whilst some GP's receive financial backing from their Governments, the IMS did not have this luxury.

In 2002 I was fortunate to attend the US GP in Indianapolis and ticket prices (from memory)were only around $ 60 or $ 70. Two years later I attended the Belgian GP at Spa. Ticket price (from memory) £ 200 plus....

You hear Ecclestone whinging about low crowd attendances in places like Turkey and China. He blames the organisers for poor promotion but in reality it is the price of tickets which are totally out of the reach of the ordinary "man in the street" race fans.

It's a long time between now and 2012 but if the US GP does take place in Austin, Texas and continues for the full contracted ten races, I'll eat my hat!

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree with me? Why not leave a comment? They are always welcome.

My Motor Sport May

2010-05-25T23:51:00.011+01:00

Once again I must apologise for not posting more regularly to this blog. Unfortunately the day job is becoming the evening and weekend job too it seems.

I have given myself a slap on the hand and written out "I must remember to post more regularly" one hundred times.

Well for me the season finally kicked off in earnest over the May Bank Holiday weekend when I attended my first event of the year, the BTCC at Brands Hatch. As you can tell from the picture of Andrew Jordan above, it was a bit of a damp day (understatement of 2010).

Being a die hard BTCC fan, even though I hadn't got around to pre-ordering my ticket online, I decided to go (despite the weather looking a bit iffy before I'd even set off from home).

Ever the eternal optimist, I kept telling myself "it's bound to clear up in a minute" and "the odd shower always livens up the racing".

Well I have to confess it was the wettest, most miserable day I've ever had in all the years I've been going to Brands Hatch. The weather just got worse and worse....

Whilst watching the first race half way up Hailwood Hill, the rain managed to penetrate not one, not two but four layers of clothing including a "waterproof" coat, a sweatshirt, a shirt and a tee shirt. My jeans became so waterlogged they stuck to my legs. My feet were squelching in water inside my boots. My hands went red and eventually numb.

When water started to get into my camera I finally had to admit defeat and decamped to the cosy (and by that time very full!), Hailwood Restaurant.

The first race was historically won by Tom Chilton in the LPG powered Ford Focus. A first LPG victory in the BTCC and Chilton/Ford's first BTCC win since Adam was a lad.

The rain got even worse so I decided to remain holed up in the Hailwood Restaurant and watch race two on the TV. This wasn't actually a complete disaster as there was a good atmosphere in the room with many of my fellow bedraggled racegoers all huddled around the one small TV screen.

It looked like Chilton would take a double victory in race two. Although he crossed the line in front of his team mate Tom Onslow-Cole, there was a subsequent technical issue with the car (something to do with the ride height) and Chilton's victory celebrations were cut short. Onslow-Cole was therefore accredited with the second Ford win of the day.

By the time race three came around later in the afternoon the weather had finally started to dry up a bit. Unfortunately, by this time, many people had already called it a day and were making their way home.

Race three victory was taken by Jackson in the Airwaves BMW who always seems to pull a result out of the bag at Brands Hatch. I was quite pleased with myself as he had been one of my predicted winners of the day. My other predicted winner (Plato) had a largely forgettable day.

After the excitement of the BTCC at Brands Hatch, I watched the mundane Spanish Grand Prix. I was absolutely gutted to see Lewis' car let go two laps from the end of the race and miss out on a podium finish. It was good to see Mark Webber take a well earned victory after all the years of poor luck he has endured.

The Monaco Grand Prix although predictable is still one of my favourites on the F1 calendar. Highlights for me were a back to back victory for Webber and seeing Schumacher up to his old tricks and getting penalised (for once).

The surprise for me has been how well Kubica is going in the Renault. I had a feeling pre-season that the Renault would be pretty mediocre but it seems to be a half decent car.

Most gutting moment was seeing Barichello crash out after being on course for some decent points. Apparently the accident was caused by a loose manhole cover being sucked up by the car's downforce. Something that will have to be looked into for future events.

Well hopefully you have enjoyed reading this post. If you have (or haven't for that matter!), please feel free to leave a comment. They are always welcome.

F1 2010 - How I see the season so far

2010-04-21T23:25:00.005+01:00

I must apologise for the dearth of posts recently.

Unfortunately my day job is taking up far too much of my precious time at the moment!

Anyway, I thought now that we are already four races into the season I would share my thoughts on how things are going so far and take a look at how my 2010 predictions are panning out.

We've had boring Bahrain, amazing Australia, marvellous Malaysia and a captivating China so far. The common magic ingredient in the last three races has been rain.

Unfortunately I think we may revert back to boring again at Barcelona as it is unlikely to rain there..... as, wait for it, the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain! (groan).

My 2010 predictions are holding up quite well.

The BBC's Jake Humphrey is still as irritating now as he was in 2009 although he does seem to have toned down the EJ, DC nonsense a bit thank God. Perhaps someone smacked him around the head a few times with a baseball bat until he saw the error of his ways?

There have already been the obligatory complaints about alleged technical infringements including McLaren's rear wing and Red Bull's supposed ride height control but nothing on the scale of last year's double diffusers saga last year.

Relations between Massa and Alonso are already said to be strained although this is of course flatly denied by Ferrari. They were not helped when Alonso craftily overtook Massa on the entry to the pit lane in China. I don't remember even Schumacher having the nerve to pull a stroke like that on a driver from another team let alone a team mate. This one will run and run over the season.

My prediction that Schumacher would win a race this year is looking shaky so far although there are still plenty of races left to run. The Mercedes car is OK as evidenced by Rosberg's results, so the problem clearly lies with Schumacher himself. I still have a hunch that he will pull off a win maybe at Monaco where outright pace is only part of the story or maybe in Korea, a new track where everyone is on a level playing field.

Button is doing better than I thought he would at McLaren and is currently well matched with Hamilton. Last season Button started well but faded in the second half of the season. I still think he will lose his title but it will be a close run thing.

It is still a bit early to say who will be the best rookie driver of the year. Alguersuari seems to have got his act together in the last couple of races after a lacklustre 2009. Hulkenburg has not been overly impressive to date but will get better as the season progresses.

Lastly, my prediction that Lotus will be top of the new teams seems to be on track.

By they way, if you are a Twitter user, you can follow Mike Gascoyne, he posts regular updates from the pit wall during GP weekends which give an interesting insider's view of the on track action. (You can of course also follow me on Twitter too by clicking the icon in the side bar)

If you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to leave a comment - they are always welcome.

Vettel on Pole for Bahrain GP

2010-03-13T23:58:00.004Z

The first qualifying session of the new F1 season was a pretty intense affair today with 24 cars vying for the pole position which was eventually taken by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel ahead of the two Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.

Alonso looked decidedly pissed off in the post qualifying press interview shown on the BBC which helped to brighten up my day!

If you are a follower of this blog you will know that one of my 2010 predictions is for Massa to win the Bahrain GP. So far so good.... but I'll probably end up with egg on my face come tomorrow afternoon.

HRT's last minute signing Karun Chandhok was allowed to take part in qualifying despite never having driven the car before - HRT did not take part in Winter testing and Chandhok's car was not made ready in time for Friday practice.

Makes a bit of a mockery of the FIA's safety regulations allowing an untested car and driver on track during a Grand Prix weekend in my view.

Fortunately Chandhok made a good fist of it despite being thrown in at the deep end. He starts from the back of the grid. HRT will use this Grand Prix more or less as a shakedown test to identify any issues and try to keep out of everyone else's way.

In the battle of the McLarens first blood (as expected) went to Hamilton (P 4 versus Button P 8) but it would appear the car is lagging behind the Ferraris and Red Bulls by an alarming one second per lap. Hopefully McLaren can pull something out of the bag tomorrow when the cars run in race trim.

All did not go according to the script at Mercedes. Rosberg (P5) out qualified Schumacher (P7) by around 0.3 seconds.

Did anyone else notice BBC F1 Jake Humphrey's latest howler? Once again he put his size ten hoof right in it....

The camera panned to the Ferrari garage where Massa's father is being congratulated on Massa's SECOND place grid spot.

Jake Humphrey "Oh look they're celebrating Massa's POLE position". A couple of minutes later a sheepish Jake Humphrey "Of course Massa is in second position, not pole".

When are the BBC going to get shot of this berk?

Ten Predictions for the 2010 Formula 1 Season

2010-03-08T22:47:00.004Z

As we approach the start of another season of F1 this weekend, I thought I'd share a few of my predictions with you.

I will warn you now, some of them are a bit tongue in cheek!

If you agree or disagree with me, please feel free to leave a comment or abuse (as appropriate).

1. 90 seconds

I'm sure many of you will agree with this one.... the amount of time it will take me to hurl abuse or possibly a heavy object, if one is to hand, at my telly when Jake Humphrey's soppy face appears and he starts to spout the usual fatuous drivel.

2. 95 seconds

The amount of time it will take me to get wound up by everyone on BBC F1 commentary being
referred to by their f*cking initials.

Are you listening EJ and DC?

3. The end of the first race (1)

Before one team will lodge a complaint of a technical rules against another team. There are already rumours that some are questioning the McLaren rear wing....

4. Massa to win Bahrain GP

I don't believe this to be beyond the realms of possibility.

The Ferrari car is good based on Winter testing. Massa goes well in Bahrain. All the hype is about Alonso so the pressure is off Massa.

This would get the season off to a great start and piss Alonso off at the same time - win win in my book.

5. End of the first race (2)

Before one of the established teams (probably Ferrari) registers a formal complaint about one of the new teams (probably Virgin or HRT) being too slow, holding up the front runners etc etc.

6. End of the third race

Before Massa and Alonso start to squabble.

7. Schumacher to win at least one race

I'll stick my neck out and say Schumacher to win at least one race this year. Probably somewhere like Monaco where outright pace isn't the only factor or Spa where the weather can play a role.

8. Button to lose his title

Jenson Button will not retain his title by the end of the season. It is hard to say who will walk away with the title but I'm pretty sure it won't be Jenson. I am leaning towards Hamilton or Vettel but time will tell.

9. Best rookie driver

I have a feeling that Hulkenberg will give Barrichello a run for his money in the Williams... Frank is a wily old dog and has a good eye for a talented young driver.

10. Best rookie team

I reckon out of the new teams joining the grid, Lotus will be the best of a fairly mediocre bunch.

They have an experienced technical team, two race winning drivers and have done more testing than the other new boys.

Virgin did some testing during the Winter but were hampered by a lack of spares (and I read into that lack of cash).

The much vaunted US F1 team came to the end of the road before their car even left the factory due to financial meltdown. Their entry on the grid has cancelled. A US F1 team looks set to remain a pipe dream.

Campos Meta also plagued by financial problems has now metamorphosed under new owners into Hispania Racing Team - to be known as HRT - no sniggering at the back please! The car is complete but has not turned a wheel on track - please refer to prediction no 5 above...

Well that's my predictions over for now. At the end of the season I'll check back and see whether I'm a Derren Brown or a complete Muppet!

BTCC - Free Entry to Season Launch at Brands Hatch

2010-02-22T23:30:00.005Z

A taste of the action from the BTCC at Brands last year!

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's season launch event will be held at Brands Hatch on Tuesday 23rd March.

This will double up as the official media launch and first official test of the year.

A three hour test session will start at 10 AM, followed by a one hour lunch break before further testing in the afternoon.

Now here's the really good news!

Entry to the season launch will be free of charge for spectators, who will also be able to watch the action from the "comfort" of the public grandstands.

I'll give you all three guesses who will be giving himself a day off on 23rd March!

If you have found this post of interest you will probably also enjoy....

Brands Hatch Track Guide

Race Report BTCC 2009 Opening Rounds - Brands Hatch

F1 Pre-Season Testing - Any Conclusions?

2010-02-17T00:01:00.016Z

Well to be honest, after two sessions, err, no!

During pre-season testing last year it was easy to detect early on who the front running teams would be. This time around it's proving much harder.

The latest test session at Jerez has been badly affected by rain so the cars were not always able to run to their full potential.

Secondly, it has been difficult to know whether teams have been running their cars light or with heavy fuel loads. Following a rule change, this season there will be no refuelling during races so cars will start with full tanks and (in theory) gradually get faster lap by lap.

Some of the teams are currently short on sponsors so there is a school of thought that some may be tempted to run light during testing so that they appear towards the top of time sheets putting themselves in the spotlight.

One conclusion I have drawn is that some of the cars look absolutely appalling. Yes, I'm talking about you, Sauber and Renault!

Here are some pictures of the new cars and liveries taken at Jerez by Slitzferrari...

The terrible looking Sauber devoid of sponsor logos..... Put in some fast lap times but could be a glory run rather than real pace.

The even worse looking Renault. An ugly car with an equally bad livery. Kubica at the wheel.

At last something decent to look at! Good looking car and livery. Webber and Vettel are both said to be very happy with this car and hopefully it will be able to take the fight to Ferrari and McLaren.

Williams always turn out a decent looking car. It has been going OK in testing so far. I would love to see Williams mixing it with the front runners once again.

Virgin Racing's first F1 car. Nice looking livery but shame about the performance. So far it's several seconds off the pace. VR are running on a shoe string budget. A wing failure put them out of action on the first day of the test and they had to wait for replacement parts to be flown in.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Branson's commitment to F1 will be short lived.

The Force India car has been promising in testing so far and the progress which started to be made last year could continue into this season.

The return of the Silver Arrows! The new Mercedes with Rosberg at the wheel. He is already being outpaced by Schumacher.....

Massa back at the wheel of the Ferrari.

Jenson Button in the stylish looking McLaren. Hamilton set the overall fastest time at Jerez....

What do you think of the new cars and liveries? Why not leave a comment? They are always welcome!

2010 Formula 1 Race Calendar

2010-01-31T00:10:00.008Z

Well after a long boring Winter break with no A1 Grand Prix to follow, the long awaited 2010 F1 season is due to kick off on 14th March in Bahrain.

Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the venues...

14th March - Bahrain

Bahrain has taken over the season opening slot from traditional holder Australia. I do usually enjoy this grand prix. The track has recently been "remodelled" with an extra section added to hopefully increase the chances of overtaking.... We will see, is all I can say on that subject!

28th March - Australia

Following an intervention by the money grabbing Ecclestone, the race start time has been changed to 1700 hrs local to make it more convenient for television viewers in Europe.... Again, I find the Aussie grand prix one of the more entertaining ones.

Wouldn't it be great if Mark Webber could have a good home result? Remember how the crowd reacted when he came fifth in the Minardi on his F1 debut at the 2002 Australian GP?

4th April - Malaysia

Ecclestone has decreed that this race will start at 1600 hrs local time. It really annoys me when he sticks his nose in....

I find the racing at Sepang quite enjoyable particularly if it is rain affected. By changing the start time until the afternoon this race is more likely to be influenced by the weather.

It will be interesting to see if the new Lotus team can put on a good show.

18th April - China

All the BBC commentators bang on about what a lovely facility the Chinese have built... blah blah blah. The cars race in front of practically empty stands because the normal Chinese man (or lady) on the street can't afford to buy a ticket!

Last year's race was pretty lacklustre too. Not one of my favourites.

9th May - Spain

Not usually a classic. This year may be more interesting with the return of Michael Schumacher with Mercedes up against Alonso at his old team Ferrari.

16th May - Monaco

At last a proper old style classic GP. I know the race is won and lost during qualifying but there is always lots of drama. Even the best drivers can get caught out round this track.

30th May - Turkey

I have to say this is one of my favourites of the new circuits which have come on to the F1 calendar over the last few years. Sadly, I have seen reports that this venue's days in F1 may be numbered.

Our "friend", you know who, has apparently increased the fees which have to be paid to host the event. As per my comment for China, this was another track with empty stands last year.

It would be a shame to lose this event from the calendar in my view.

13th June - Canada

Wey hey! One of my favourites races makes a very welcome return after more posturing from Ecclestone last year.

Who will end up in "Champions Wall" this year!

27th June - Europe (Valencia)

From the sublime to the ridiculous. Why, Why, Why? another race in Spain - to line Mr Ecclestone's pockets of course! This race has taken over from Hungary as the most boring on the calendar. As Mark Webber put it "like racing around a supermarket car park". The sooner this one is killed off the better.

11th July - Great Britain

Saved and back at Silverstone (thank God) after the Donington debacle.

I really hope and pray that in their efforts to retain the British GP, Silverstone have not put themselves into financial difficulties and end up in the same boat as Donington.

Fingers crossed for a Lewis home win!

25 July - Germany

The crowd atmosphere here will be immense with Schumacher back in action. Hopefully this may make up for the usual lack of excitement on the track.....

1st August - Hungary

I've watched this GP for years and only remember one interesting race.... when Button took his first victory. I'm not expecting much from it although a certain Mr Schumacher could have a good shot at victory here.

29th August - Belgium

Probably my favourite race of the year. A classic driver's track with unpredictable weather to spice things up. Making a welcome return. A track which will suit Schumacher especially if the weather plays a part in proceedings.

12th September - Italy

Back to back classic race tracks. Definitely one of my top five. How will the Tifosi react now that
Schumacher has left Ferrari? One of the few high speed tracks left.

26th September - Singapore

I don't see why this race has to be run at night... It brings nothing to the show in my opinion. Not one of my favourites. It will be interesting to see if anything kicks off between Massa and Alonso at the scene of the crime!

10th October - Japan

I quite like the races in Japan as the weather usually plays a big part and results can be unpredictable.

24 October - Korea

The latest venue to pay into the Ecclestone retirement fund, I mean join the F1 calendar!

I have no idea what to expect from this race but judging by recent additions such as Valencia and Abu Dhabi, I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and we'll get another Turkey....

7th November - Brazil

Another of my top five races of the year. I really hope that Massa will win his home GP following his return from injury. I expect Alonso will get a hard time from the partisan crowd.

14th November - Abu Dhabi

This is another venue which gets the BBC F1 commentary boys in a lather - Ooh what a lovely hotel they've built, ooh what a lot of money they've spent... why can't we do something like this back home...

Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.

I think I speak for other (real) F1 fans when I say, forget the window dressing, get back to basics and put on a decent race!

Well that's my thoughts on the 2010 venues for what their worth...

What do you think? Which races are you looking forward to and which ones would you ditch from the calendar? Why not share your views by leaving a comment?

Other posts you may enjoy.....

2010 F1 Teams & Drivers - Update

Schumacher Returns - It's Official!

Superleague Formula Replaces A1 GP at Brands Hatch

2010-01-16T22:39:00.008Z

I have just received my regular mailing from Motor Sport Vision, operators of Brands Hatch race circuit, stating that the A1 GP meeting that was pencilled in on the 2010 calendar has been replaced by the so called Superleague Formula.... (more about that later in this post)

The financial trials and tribulations of the A1 GP series are well documented and it does not surprise me one bit that they have been dropped from this year's race calendar.

Die hard fans of A1 GP cling to the hope that after a one year sabbatical, it will be resurrected phoenix like from the financial ashes.

I am not so sure myself given the size of their debts, their complex financial arrangements and the poor economic state of the world in general right now.

Personally I am sad to see it go having attended the very first ever A1 GP weekend at Brands Hatch back in 2005. It was one of the best supported meetings I have seen at Brands Hatch - the estimated attendence was I believe, 70000 plus and it brought back a sense of the glory days when the F1 British GP's were held at the track.

I have also attended all the subsequent A1 GP meetings at Brands Hatch including last year when Team Ireland won both the sprint and feature races tp lift the 2009 A1 GP Team Championship trophy for the first, and sadly almost certainly, last time.

Please read my post about the 2009 AI GP season finale here.

Now back to A1 GP's replacement on the Brands Hatch 2010 calendar. Superleague Formula will run three races over the weekend of 31st July/1st August using 750 BHP V12 engined cars.

It is not clear at this stage whether the cars will race on the Indy or GP circuit at Brands and no details have been published of the support programme so far.

Wheras A1 GP cars were in national colours, Superleague Formula cars are "affiliated" to world famous football teams such as Tottenham Hotspurs, Liverpool FC, AC Milan, Galatasaray, Corinthians, Atletico de Madrid etc.

I'm not sure how well this series will be supported. The organisers are gambling on the fact there will be enough football fans interested in motor sports and vice versa but in my experience footie fans and petrolheads are two completely different animals!

I had a trawl through the Superleague Formula web site this evening to see which drivers are involved. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a separate list of drivers on the site so it means you have to check each team page individually.

There are two former F1 drivers listed - Antonio "Pizza Man" Pizzonia (anyone remember him?) and Sebastian Bourdais, who in my opinion, should be given another shot at F1 instead of pottering about in this series...

There are a few A1 GP refugees too including Giorgio Pantano, Ho Pin Tung and John Martin.

As for the others, to be honest I'd never heard of any of them before!

The weekend adult on-line ticket price has been set at £ 29 (about £ 10 lower than for A1 GP) and I think curiousity will get the better of me.

If I can't have my annual fix of A1 GP, I suppose I'll have to make do with this new series instead.

If you have already been to a Superleague Formula meeting in previous years, please share your views by leaving a comment below....

2010 F1 Teams and Drivers - Update

2010-01-09T21:35:00.010Z

First of all, a Happy New Year for 2010 (albeit somewhat belated), to one and all!

Better late than never I suppose...

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about my views on the 2010 Formula 1 driver line ups that had been announced up to that point. Since I wrote that post there have been many developments, the most remarkable of them being the return of Michael Schumacher.

This post is an update to my earlier one....

McLaren

An all English line up of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks Button will get a hard time in the new season. Former Ferrari man (and general loudmouth) Eddie Irvine has said "Button will be murdered by Hamilton".

I may have put it more delicately but it seems we are singing from the same hymn sheet!

Ferrari

Drivers are confirmed as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

Some other F1 bloggers, have tipped Alonso to become 2010 F1 World Champion but I don't buy it.

I think Ferrari have made a huge mistake employing two drivers with a Latin temperament and previous history at the Singapore GP. There could be the mother of all rows if one or the other driver feels the team are treating the other more favourably. Another replay of the Alonso versus Hamilton debacle at McLaren.

Still it will be fun to watch the fights!

Mercedes

They have pulled off the major coup of enticing Michael Schumacher out of retirement to form and all German line up with Nico Rosberg.

Although I am not a fan of Schumacher, it will certainly help to spice things up in 2010. Schumacher and controversy usually go hand in hand.

It is a shame for Rosberg that he will be overshadowed, although not necessarily outperformed by his illustrious team mate.

In some respects it could do Rosberg a favour that all the hopes and expectations of the whole German nation will be pinned on Schumacher.

Sauber

The Sauber team have announced that their 2010 car will be launched at Valencia on 31st January and will confirm their driver line up beforehand.

Sauber have signed Toyota refugee Kobayashi. He had a couple of good races for Toyota at the end of last season and will be interesting to watch.

Will he be another Sato? Occasional flashes of brilliance spoiled by all too often, kamikaze style overtaking moves leading to numerous DNF's....

It would not surprise me if the second seat is filled by Nick Heidfeld who is still without a confirmed drive. The bloke has been around for years but has never set the world alight. Having said that, he does seem to have a knack of finding himself in the points somehow, although usually only in the lower paying positions.

Williams

A good blend of youth and experience in the form of Nico Hulkenberg and veteran Rubens Barrichello.

I just hope and pray that the Williams car will be competitive. The team definitely made progress last year. Bring back the glory days!

Red Bull

Business as usual at Red Bull with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

I'm looking forward to seeing Vettel again. If the car is on the money he will definitely be challenging with Hamilton and Co for the Championship.

US F1

Still no drivers announced so far but it is highly likely they will be two pay drive rookies.

The team have been given special dispensation from the FIA to test their car next month at the Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama.

With two rookies on board, expect a lot of DNF's.

Campos

The only confirmed driver so far is Bruno Senna. The second seat is still open but it could be academic as the fate of Campos hangs in the balance.

According to reliable reports the team is currently seeking investors to ensure they have sufficient funding to make it to the grid. One investor linked to the team is said to be A1 GP boss Tony Teixeira.

Not a particularly good omen considering the financial state of A1 GP right now!

Manor/Virgin

Timo Glock will team up with F1 rookie Lucas di Grassi.

I am just wondering how long Richard Branson will remain interested in F1. I have a horrible feeling it will be another short term fad. Apparently the team will be run on one of the lowest, if not the lowest, budgets of all. It looks to me like Virgin are making the minimum investment possible which does not smack of long term commitment.

Renault

Renault managed to off-load a large proportion of the team to investors Genii at the tail end of 2009. Robert Kubica is confirmed for 2010. The second seat remains vacant but is unlikely to go to Grosjean.

Lotus

I am optimistic that Lotus will be the best of the new boys on the 2010 grid.

They have a good technical team and have recently signed two experienced drivers, both previous F1 race winners - Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen.

Force India

Force India have retained Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi for 2010. I really hope they have a good season but I worry that they will struggle to keep up with some of the new boys.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso have confirmed Sebastian Buemi but a question mark hangs over Jaime Alguersuari.

Buemi had some good performances in 2009 but Alguersuari made a lot of rookie mistakes.

----

If you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to leave a comment. Your feedback is always very welcome.

Schumacher Returns - It's Official

2009-12-24T00:54:00.006Z

Mercedes Benz World - Brooklands

It has been a busy week for Mercedes F1...

Further to earlier speculation, on Wednesday 23rd December, the team officially announced that seven time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher will race for them alongside fellow German Nico Rosberg in 2010.

Schumacher, ever confident, has already set his sights on an unprecedented eighth World title which he believes to be achievable despite his age and three year absence from the sport.

He is basing this assumption on the fact the Brawn GP (now Mercedes) Team produced the Championship winning car and driver in 2009.

As I have stated in this blog on a number of occasions, I believe that Brawn were afforded an early season advantage in 2009 over their rivals due to their clever interpretation of the technical rules regarding the use of a double diffuser.

By the time the other teams had modified their cars, Brawn had the Championship effectively sewn up.

It is highly unlikely, in my opinion, that the Brawn/Mercedes team will be afforded the same head start in 2010 and therefore it follows, that Schumacher will not have an open road to the Championship.

I do believe 2010 will be a very tight season with several teams and drivers in the hunt for Constructors and Drivers Championships.

Massa and Alonso at Ferrari will be fun to watch taking points from each other - and, I expect, squabbling throughout the season.

I have a good feeling about Hamilton at McLaren - provided the team can produce a decent car. I believe Button will struggle with a top class team mate coupled with an unfamilar car and team organisation.

If Red Bull can continue to develop their car, Vettel will definitely be another Championship contender. I would like to include Mark Webber in the list of possible Champions but fear he will continue to be dogged with the bad luck that has plagued his career to date.

In addition to the news of Michael Schumacher's impending return to F1, Mercedes have also signed a title sponsorship agreement with Malaysian oil giant Petronas, much to the chagrin of Lotus F1 who had hoped to do the deal themselves.

My friend Himmat Singh in Malaysia has written an interesting post on his blog from a local perspective about the Petronas/Mercedes link up and it's implications for Lotus.

If you'd like to read it, please click here.

How do you think Michael Schumacher will fair in 2010? Will he still be competitive or just make up the numbers?

Why not leave a comment? They are always very welcome.

Michael Schumacher Back to F1 in 2010?

2009-12-19T22:43:00.003Z

Picture by Schumigirl1956

Rumours are rife that seven time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher will be lured back to Formula 1 next season behind the wheel of a Mercedes following a sabbatical as "advisor" to Ferrari (and mentor to Felipe Massa).

Dear old Bernie Ecclestone's little piggy eyes have lit up already at the thought of the extra cash that would be generated.

He has already been reported in the media extolling the virtues of a Schumacher return to F1 action.

Ferrari boss di Montezemelo has stated that they would not stand in the way of a Schumacher return with rivals Mercedes and that his return would be a good thing for Formula 1 in general.

Whether it will actually happen remains to be seen. After all we have been in this position before a few months ago...

When Felipe Massa was injured at the Hungarian GP, Schumacher was lined up to replace him for the remainder of the season.

However, due to a neck injury he had to abandon the plan and there then followed the sorry debacle of Luca Badoer and Fisi - surely one of Ferrari's most embarassing seasons ever.

So what do I think (assuming it actually happens)?

I have to say that I am not one of Michael Schumacher's biggest fans.

He is undisputedly highly skilled behind the wheel and can read a race tactically much better than many of his rivals.

However, in my opinion he has a crossed the line on too many occasions as to what I would deem to be appropriate behaviour on the track.....

OK, maybe I'm being too polite here - I mean he has a propensity to cheat when things aren't going his way!

Having said that, the prospect of the current World Champion Button competing with no less than three former World Champions (Hamilton, Alonso and of course Schumacher) could make for an entertaining season.

For Mercedes, pairing up Schumacher with a fellow German driver Rosberg, in a German car with a German engine, would be a marketing dream.

It would be interesting to see how Schumacher would fair in the Mercedes after a long absense from F1 and without the familiar Ferrari team around him.....

If you have found this post interesting, please feel free to leave a comment!

You may also like the following posts......

2010 Formula 1 Teams and Drivers

Fisichella's Ferrari Swansong

Ferrari - Face Facts - You Can't Polish a Turd!!

2010 Formula 1 Teams and Drivers

2009-12-05T22:17:00.005Z

Here are some thoughts on the 2010 F1 teams and drivers that have been announced so far...

McLaren

2009 Champion Jenson Button has signed for McLaren and will race alongside Lewis Hamilton the 2008 Champion.

I have a feeling he may well rue this decision come the end of the season.

At Brawn he was undisputed top dog but won't have this luxury at McLaren where Hamilton has (literally) grown up with the team.

In my opinion Button's weaknesses will become plain to see when up against Hamilton in the same car. If Brawn had not had the headstart over the other teams this year due to their clever interpretation of the technical rules, Button would not have become Champion.

Unfortunately for Button, if it does not work out at McLaren he has burnt his bridges with Ross Brawn and Nick Fry having left on less than amicable terms. Button seems to have a knack of doing this , another example being the situation with Frank Williams a few years back.

Ferrari

I am looking forward to seeing Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa spending the whol;e season squabbling!

Ferrari may regret taking on Alonso if they end up with a similar situation to the one McLaren found themselves in when he was paired up with Lewis Hamilton.

Brawn/Mercedes

The Brawn team will be rebranded Mercedes next year. So far they have announced only Nico Rosberg on their 2010 driver roster. He should do a solid job and could even possibly win his first GP if the car is up to scratch.

The second driver slot could go to Heidfeld making an all German line up. He is a consistant points scorer but will never set the world alight.

Sauber

Peter Sauber has managed to do a deal to salvage the remains of the BMW team and has been granted a 2010 grid slot. This is welcome news.

No drivers have been announced so far.

Williams

Williams have an interesting line up. Veteran Rubens Barrichello is paired up with German youngster Nico Hulkenberg. Whilst many were happy to write off Barrichello, Frank Williams obviously still sees potential. It is rumoured he is getting $ 6 million for the season!

I have seen Hulkenberg racing in A1Gp at Brands Hatch and he was the class of the field.

Obviously it is a big step from A1Gp to F1 but I think he will be exciting to watch if the Williams car is on the pace.

Red Bull

Red Bull retain the same driver line in 2010 - Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. If the car is on the pace in 2010, Vettel must be a serious contender for the Championship.

McLaren will have Hamilton and Button taking points from each other and Ferrari will have the egos of Alonso and Massa to control.

US F1

One of the newcomers to the grid in 2010. No drivers have been announced so far. I can't help feeling this team will be a flash in the pan. Maybe one season in F1 at the most before they gently fade away. I don't believe there is any real enthusiasm or appetite for F1 in the USA especially as there isn't even a US Grand Prix anymore.

Campos

Another of the new teams. They have signed the late Ayrton Senna's nephew Bruno. The famous surname will no doubt be a good selling point with their sponsors but may not necessarily bring track success!

Manor/Virgin

Newcomers Manor have paired up with Virgin and signed Toyota refugee Timo Glock as their lead driver. He should do a solid job.

Renault

Renault have signed Robert Kubica although I have severe doubts that they will make it to the grid at all in 2010. Renault are actively looking to exit F1 and are said to be in negotiations with potential buyers. A decision should be made by the end of this month.

Lotus

The last of the new teams. have not announced any drivers yet although there is a good chance that Jarno Trulli will find his way there.

Force India

Force India have retained Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi. I am hoping that they will continue to progress during 2010 although this could be difficult with the added competiton from the new teams.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso have confirmed Sebastian Buemi and are expected to retain Jaime Alguersuari. It will be interesting to see if both drivers are still with the team at the end of the 2010 season. There are a lot of young drivers in the Red Bull pool waiting in the wings to take their place...

Other posts you may like....

FIA Announce New Teams for 2010

Singapore Race Fix

BMW Pulls out of F1

F1 Must Get Back To Basics

2009-11-11T23:22:00.005Z

Regular readers may have noticed that I have not been posting much lately....

To be honest, I have to admit that I have not been greatly enthused by the goings on in F1 at the tail end of the season which ended with a whimper.

Barrichello had his usual luck at the Brazilian Grand Prix, a puncture putting paid to his title challenge and handing the Championship to Brawn team mate Jenson Button.

The F1 show moved on to the new venue at Abu Dhabi.

With nothing much left to race for, both the drivers and constructors Championships having been settled in Brazil, I did not have great expectations....

Ecclestone, the BBC F1 commentary team, the drivers, in fact it seemed like everyone and his aunt was trotted out to twitter on about the lovely job that had been done on the circuit facilities and how much had been spent, how wonderful it all was - blah blah blah.

What we ended up with was (yet) another boring, processional race.

Call me old fashioned but F1 can do without all the window dressing.

People who attend a Grand Prix want to see RACING - i.e. overtaking, action, entertainment, excitement - NOT lovely hotels they can't afford to stay in!

When I say people I am of course referring to the ones who actually pay for a ticket with their own hard earned cash and are genuine followers of the sport.

I don't mean the ones who are given a freebie ticket, are plied with free grub and booze and haven't got the slightest clue or interest as to what is going on trackside.

Unfortunately it seems that Ecclestone is intent on putting more Abu Dhabi/Valencia type yawnfest races on the calendar in the future at the expense of traditional racing circuits.

Take for example the way he is handling the British GP (or possibly lack of it) for 2010.

It's a disgrace.

Not content with practically bankrupting Donington with his contract terms he is now trying to push Silverstone into accepting one which would also be financially unviable.

If Donington can't make money in the current economic climate at those terms, how does he expect Silverstone to do so?

His answer (as usual) - take it or leave it - we don't need a British GP when there are umpteen other venues around the world begging to host a GP willing to pay what we demand.

Well I'm sorry mate, yes we do!

The British GP must not be sacrificed to satisfy the money lust of one greedy aged parasite!

Barrichello Takes the Championship Fight to Button

2009-10-18T00:07:00.006+01:00

Photo by S G Mendez

Rubens Barrichello has taken the 2009 F1 Championship fight to Jenson Button by landing pole position for tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Button meanwhile made a hash of qualifying by failing to change to the intermediate tyre at the right point and remaining on full wets. He qualified fourteenth.

The third Championship protaganist Sebastian Vettel fell at the first hurdle by failing to progress from Q1 in a heavily rain affected qualifying "hour" which, due to various red flags, dragged on for nearly three hours. He starts fifteenth on the gird - directly behind Button.

Unfortunately the delayed coverage meant that those of us watching on the BBC had to endure Jake (the Plank) Humphrey asking numerous mind numbingly inane questions to pad out the time waiting for the qualifying sessions to restart.

At least today he managed to refrain from incessantly referring to David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan as DC and EJ - one of my pet hates - aaaarggghhh

It's almost enough for me to want the BBC to start showing adverts!

Putting my latest BBC F1 commentary rant to one side, it now appears that the Championship is a straight two horse race between Button and Barrichello - barring any miracle from Vettel tomorrow.

I still believe that Button will take the Championship but not until Abu Dhabi and with a whimper rather than a bang.

Call me unpatriotic but I'm afraid I do not class Button as a driver in the same league as the likes of Lewis Hamilton or Kimi Raikkonen.

The Championship was virtually gifted to him by dint of the fact the Brawn car in the first half of the season, due to their clever interpretation of the rules, was streets ahead of the opposition.

At the same time any misfortunes to the Brawn Team seemed to fall in the lap of Rubens Barrichello.

In the second half of the season the other teams have improved their cars, in particular Red Bull and McLaren and since that point Button has not had the sniff of a victory and has played safe.

If he remains with Brawn next year, as is expected, and their car is on a parr with the McLarens, Ferraris etc it will be interesting to see how he fairs on a level playing field - if I would hazard a guess, not too well.

The race tomorrow holds a lot of promise and could be a classic (maybe too much to hope!).

It will be great to see Vettel going for it from the back - after all he has nothing to lose. Button will need to try and keep himself out of trouble and avoid a DNF.

At the front Barrichello and Webber (P2) will both be desparate to win. Barrichello to keep his Championship hopes alive and Webber to prove to his doubters that he can get the job done.

Others to look out for in my opinion are Sutil who took an impressive P3 for Force India and Kimi Raikkonen in P5.

If it rains again during the race Sutil is definitely in with a shout for a podium finish.

Other posts you may like....

Button Wins at Spanish GP Barrichello Spits the Dummy!

Jenson Button Makes it Five Wins Out of Six

Button Wins again in Turkey. Is the Season Over?

F1 Singapore Race Fix - FIA cop out let's Renault off the hook

2009-09-21T22:17:00.008+01:00

Bye bye Flav - don't come back too soon! (picture by Nicogenin)

The FIA World Motor Sports Council held it's must anticipated extraordinary meeting in Paris today to decide the fate of the Renault F1 team following their investigation into the Singapore race fix scandal.

The FIA have decided to slap Renault with a two year suspended ban from Formula 1 following their admission of race fixing at last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

The perma tanned lothario Briatore has been given an indefinite ban from all things F1 including driver management, which would appear to leave Alonso, Grosjean, Kovalainen and Webber on the lookout for a new representation.

Fellow conspirator Pat Symonds has received a lesser five year ban due to his co-operation with the FIA investigation.

Both Symonds and Briatore were sacked by Renault earlier this week in advance of the WMSC hearing.

According to the World Motor Sport Council, Renault’s plot to cause a deliberate crash was "an offence of unparalleled severity which warranted permanent disqualification from the sport"

Despite this, it decided to suspend the sentence for two years after taking into account Renault’s unreserved apology and swift action in parting with Briatore and Symonds.

The disqualification will only be activated if Renault is found guilty of a “comparable breach” between now and the end of the 2011 season.

What an absolute cop out!

Members of the Renault F1 team conspired to cause a deliberate accident which could easily have resulted in serious injury (or even worse) to Piquet, other drivers, the marshalls or spectators.

The punishment - if you can call it that - effectively amounts to no more than a slap on the wrist.

No points deduction. No race ban. Not even a reversal of last year's Singapore race result.

Contrast that with the way that McLaren was dealt with after the Ferrari "spygate" incident or Lewis Hamilton after the Australian Grand Prix.

There is simply no consistancy in the way FIA punishments are meted out. The plain truth is, the FIA were scared another manufacturer would leave F1.

Mosley will of course have the satisfaction of knowing that his arch rival and constant critic Briatore is permanently out of the picture before he hangs up his boots at the FIA.

On the other hand, Nelson Piquet Jr's fledgling F1 career now lies in tatters despite being granted immunity from the FIA for giving evidence against Renault.

He has apologised profusely for his part in events and stated that he wants a second chance to show his true potential in the future.

Somehow I don't see that there will be a queue of teams falling over themselves to take him on next year!

This is a shame because I believe away from Briatore's dictatatorial regime he may just have had a chance to blossom (look at the difference in Jenson Button since moving away from Renault).

I saw Piquet race at the innaugral A1 GP at Brands Hatch a few years back and he wiped the floor with everyone there including several former F1 drivers.

The only way I believe Piquet will be reappearing in a F1 car in the near future is if he, or more likely his father, is able to bankroll a drive with one of the new teams joining in 2010.

Renault claim that they conducted a thorough internal investigation into the race fix allegations and in line with the FIA's own investigation (what a surprise) found that “Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr had conspired to cause the crash” and that “no other team member was involved in the conspiracy”.

To be honest this sounds to me like yet another load of old tosh.

Fernando Alonso has therefore been absolved both by Renault and the FIA from taking any part in what happened in Singapore.

I find it very hard indeed to believe that a very experienced driver like Alonso (lynch pin of the Renault Team) when asked to make a stop on lap thirteen of the race would not question this strategy.....

It would not surprise me if more revelations come to light over the next few weeks and months.

Do you agree with me, or do you have your own views on this post?

If so, why not leave a comment now?

Briatore out! Symonds out! Renault out?

2009-09-16T23:11:00.005+01:00

Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have parted company with Renault today ahead of the FIA World Motorsports Council hearing next Monday regarding the alledged race fixing at last years Singapore Grand Prix.

Sacked Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr contacted the FIA to say that he had been instructed to deliberately crash his car during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix by Briatore and Symonds which allowed his then team mate Fernando Alonso to go on and win the race.

Alonso had taken a very early pit stop and Piquet's crash caused the safety car to be deployed ruining the race strategies of the other teams.

In a statement issued today, Renault said “The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix”. They went on to make it clear that Briatore and Symonds had left the team.

Last Friday, Renault and Briatore launched criminal proceedings against Piquet Jr and Snr for making false allegations and blackmail.

Oh dear, oh dear. It looks like the perma tanned one has shot himself well and truly in the foot this time!

It would appear that Renault are holding their hands up to the crime which will leave Briatore hung out to dry. No doubt he will be sued by the Piquets and Renault, maybe even by their title sponsor ING and others.

If found guilty by the FIA, which on the face of it looks pretty clear cut, Renault have to be (at least) in line for disqualification from the 2009 Championship and a ban for next year, or possibly even longer.

Ecclestone has been shrewd as usual and has covered his bases well.

This week, Malaysian owned Lotus has been announced as the official thirteenth team on the 2010 grid and BMW Sauber, who announced their departure from F1 earlier this season but have now been bought by Swiss backers, are the first reserve team in case one of the other teams drops out.....

One consequence of a Renault ban would be engine supply to customer teams although that may be mitigated by the return of Cosworth who will be supplying engines for all the new teams including Lotus.

I personally will be glad to see the back of Briatore in F1.

He was nothing more than a bully, and as has now been shown, a cheat willing to put the lives of drivers, marshalls and spectators at risk for the sake of ten World Championship points.

Nelson Piquet Jr should have a smile of satisfaction on his face right now knowing he has had the last laugh overhis tormentor Briatore. The problem is this sorry episode has probably snuffed out his F1 career before it has had a chance to blossom.

The fact he went along with the race fix plan for whatever reason shows a serious lack of judgment in my opinion.

Pat Symonds should have known better too. His long career may now be in tatters although it is rumoured the FIA have offered him immunity from punishment if he gives evidence against the team.

The FIA, and Max Mosley in particular, would take great satisfaction in destroying Briatore once and for all.

How about Alonso? Was he in on the plan too? He will no doubt deny any knowledge of it but I find that hard to believe. Seeing the underhand way in which he conducted himself at McLaren, conspiring against Ron Dennis with the FIA, makes me extremely suspicious.

It will be very interesting to see what comes out at the FIA hearing next week.

Fisichella's Ferrari Swansong

2009-09-11T23:51:00.006+01:00

Ferrari have finally bowed to the inevitable and showed Luca Badoer the door after two embarsassing outings as replacement for the injured Felipe Massa.

Following his recent heroics in the Force India car at Spa (first pole for the team and second place finish behind Kimi Raikkonen), Ferrari have snapped up the services of Giancarlo Fisichella for the remainder of the season.

Fisichella has been announced as Ferrari reserve driver for 2010 which would appear to mean it will be hi's F1 swansong, unless Massa suffers a setback in his recovery or Raikonnen/Alonso have an accident (God forbid).

On the subject of Alonso it would appear that his switch to Ferrari, one of the worst kept secrets, is close to being confirmed. As a precursor, McLaren main sponsor Santander has signed a new five year sponsorship agreement with Ferrari.

It doesn't take a genius to work out why a Spanish owned bank would suddenly take an interest in Ferrari!

Meanwhile back at Force India, Liuzzi has been promoted from reserve driver to replace the departed Fisichella.

Today in the second free practice session in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, Adrian Sutil was fastest for Force India while Fisichella in the Ferrari propped up the time sheet.

It looks like Force India will make another good showing at Monza. My prediction is that Sutil will make it through to the top ten shoot out and I'm sure that Fisichella will improve and probably qualify around 13th/14th.

Even Raikkonen was off the pace today and the gap back to Fisichella was around 0.7 seconds - already a marked improvement on Badoer.

BTCC Silverstone - Jackson on pole

2009-08-30T01:26:00.004+01:00

Mat Jackson is on pole for tomorow's opening BTCC race at Silverstone, his first of the season and to cap it, a new qualifying lap record round the National circuit.

Rob Collard lines up second on the grid in a Chevrolet sandwich with James Nash third and Jason Plato fourth.

Collard will no doubt be hoping to get a clean start and not have another coming together with Nash.... Must seem like deja vu.

Current championship leader Colin Turkington qualified in fifth with Team RAC team mates Jelley sixth and BTCC bete noire Anthony Reid a credible tenth after a long absence from the series.

Reid will have his old adversary and sparring partner Matt Neal one place behind him.

Youngster Jonny Adam is seventh whilst Giovanardi is the highest placed of the Vauxhalls.

Tom Chilton is ninth in the Ford.

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert in his BTCC debut had to prematurely end his first qualifying session due to a front end failure on his Honda Civic but will hopefully show some pace in the race.

Belgian Grand Prix - Fisichella takes first pole for Force India

2009-08-30T00:35:00.004+01:00

Picture by Eugene Flores

Veteran Italian F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella has claimed a shock pole position for tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa which promises to be a classic (at least compared to last weeks run round the "Tesco car park" as Mark Webber described it!).

Fisichella's pole, the first ever for the Force India team, was gained in dry conditions so could not be put down to inclement weather and was therefore on merit. After fuel correction he would have been fourth - still an excellent achievement.

The Force India cars were consistently fast in all three qualifying sessions today.

After a poor showing in Valencia, the Toyota and BMW teams each qualified both of their cars in the top ten. Trulli (Toyota) is second on the grid with his team mate Glock seventh. Heidfeld is a season's best third for BMW with his team mate Kubica fifth.

On the other end of the scale Luca Badoer put in another lacklustre performance in what could/should be his last qualifying session for Ferrari. He spun off the track and will start plum last - again.

Jenson Button's title push was dealt another blow. He qualified in fourteenth on the grid whilst his team mate Barrichello, still on a high following victory in Valencia last weekend, was fourth. Button was some 0.4 seconds slower than his team mate.

I can see Button being overhauled in the Championship before the end of the season. He has been mediocre in the last few races and does not seem to be holding up to the pressure.

At the beginning of the season, the Brawn car was without doubt the best in the field, especially in the hands of Button.

Since then, the likes of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari have gradually caught up and now there is little to chose between them at most circuits.

At the same time, Barrichello has raised his game perhaps realising that at this stage of his career this could be his last tilt at the driver's Championship. His issues with the Brawn team earlier in the season now seem to have been ironed out.

When everything is going swimmingly Button is fine. As soon as things start to get difficult he seems to lose the plot and his head goes down.

The Red Bull's were having a poor day by their standards. Vettel qualified eighth after making a mistake and Webber ninth. Rosberg for Williams struggled into tenth but is fueled heavier than the other top runners.

I have not mentioned Kimi Raikkonen so far. Although he qualified sixth he is definitely a possible contender for the victory tomorrow. He will have the benefit of KERS so should make up a few places off the start. He also has a string of Spa victories under his belt.

Others to watch will be Trulli and Barrichello. Having said that, if the weather changes, as it often does without warning at Spa, anything could happen!

BTCC - Anthony Reid back for Team RAC

2009-08-26T00:05:00.005+01:00

Anthony Reid at Brands Hatch 1998 - photo by Tonylanciabeta

As reported in the excellent Touring Car Times, the bete noire of the BTCC, Anthony Reid, is back racing this weekend at Silverstone for Team RAC.

Reid has not raced in the BTCC since 2004 but has been drafted in by Team RAC for the remainder of the season to support Colin Turkington's championship bid together with Stephen Jelley.

I have always been a fan of Reidy and welcome his return to the series.

He will no doubt ruffle a few feathers along the way and get the old women, Neal & Plato whinging! (just like the good old days).

Despite all the controversy that seems to follow him around, when all is said and done he is still a quality driver.

Reid has just returned from competing in a TC2000 endurance race in Buenos Aires where he finished second in a Honda Civic.

Ferrari - Face Facts - You Can't Polish a Turd!

2009-08-25T23:38:00.003+01:00

There is an old, if somewhat vulgar, saying here in the UK - "you can't polish a turd".

Ferrari seem to be trying to do just that with poor old Luca Badoer....

They are keeping him in the car for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa this weekend despite his woeful performance in qualifying and at the race in Valencia, apparently in the (vain) hope that he will improve.

Let's face it, if he couldn't get to grips with the bland Valencia circuit, how is he going to cope with the rigours of a track like Spa?

It seems to me that Ferrari have completely written off the 2009 season.

They are showing absolutley no ambition despite the fact their car in the right hands, is clearly competitive at some circuits as evidenced by Raikkonen's podium in Valencia.

I would not be surprised if Raikkonen gets another good result at Spa.

There must be dozens of drivers who would give their right arm to replace Badoer as Massa's stand in for the remaining Grand Prix of the season.

When Michael Schumacher broke his leg in 1999, Ferrari drafted in Mika Salo. He did a great job as stand in and would have even won a race, if he had not dutifully ceded the lead to his team mate and championship contender Eddie Irvine.

I would like to see Piquet given a chance and do well.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see him outperform Renault and rub Briatore's nose in it.

On the subject of the perma tanned lothario, I'm just wondering how long it will be before he prematurely ends the career of Romain Grosjean who's first F1 outing did not exactly set the earth alight.....

BTCC Snetterton - Nash v Collard in Pictures

2009-08-20T23:51:00.011+01:00

They say a picture says a thousand words.... Here is the story of when Nash met Collard!

Collard leads race three through the Esses from Nash with Turkington close behind in third place.

Nash makes a botched overtaking attempt punting Collard off at high speed who collects the inncoent Stephen Jelley.

Both cars come to rest on the grass verge and marshalls are quickly on the scene.

Stephen Jelley is quickly out of his Team RAC BMW but there is a worryingly long wait for Collard to be extricated from his car.

Despite being a bit dazed I am pleased to report that Rob was fit enough to express his opinions, as only he can, of Nash's driving!

Collard trudges away ruing another lost victory as Nash leads the race in his absense.

Collard and Jelley compare notes. I bet Nash's ears are burning inside his helmet.

Stephen Jelley surveys the remains of his BMW.

The villain of the piece. Nash goes on to take his first BTCC race victory only for it later to be overturned by the stewards in favour of championship leader Colin Turkington.

Meanwhile, the busy marshalls clean up the remains of Jelley's BMW.