Turn One

FIA holding meeting over Mosely scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:04:00 +0000

The FIA are said to be in discussions regarding the fate of Max Mosey, according to the BBC. On a day when almost all the F1 manufacturers publicly denounced the actions of Max Mosely, it is looking increasingly likely that the British head will lose his job. Toyota were the first manufacturer to release a statement, quickly followed by the German manufacturers BMW and Mercedes.

F1 personality Paul Stoddart claims that there is no option now but for Mosely to resign from his unpaid position. "Mosley is actually dragging the FIA down into the gutter and until he goes it will have no credibility" said the Australian.

Already we're seeing some pretty heavy off-track drama; is this precedent here to stay in Formula One?

Mosely scandal jeopardises F1 chief's trip to Bahrain

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:35:00 +0000

Max Mosely has been advised not to travel to this weekend's Grand Prix in Bahrain amid the scandal that has seen a video of him with five prostitutes released onto the internet. It would seem that Bernie Ecclestone advised his friend Mosely to stay away from the Grand Prix so as not to upset the Bahraini Royal Family or divert publicity away from events on the track.
Meanwhile there have predictably been calls for his resignation, most notably from former F1 driver Jody Scheckter. Who else thinks that It was Ron Dennis who took the video?

One of the best F1 starts

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:52:00 +0000

On a recent youtube binge I discovered this gem of a video. IT shows possibly one of the most incredible starts in the modern era, with Mika Hakkinen blitzing Schumacher in Suzuka. No doubt we will see one or two amazing starts like this in 2008 now that traction control has been banned...

Max Mosely drawn into racist sex scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:45:00 +0000

You just couldn't make this up. Max Mosely, president of Formula One's governing body the FIA, has allegedly been filmed by UK tabloid the News of the World engaged in "a Nazi death-camp role play orgy with five prostitutes". Now, I know it's the time of year for pranks and jokes, but April Fool's day is a good 13 hours away. The authenticity of the story has yet to be verified, but if true, the implications could be extremely damaging for F1, especially considering the recent race row in Spain.
For more on the story follow this link.

Lewis Hamilton fastest by a tenth

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:03:00 +0000

Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in this morning's free practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix, beating a rather hot-headed Massa by just over a tenth of a second. Massa had earlier refused to apologise to David Coulthard over the incident that put the scot out of last week's Australian Grand Prix. Coulthard himself had more on his mind as he suffered a spectacular incident when his suspension shattered over a kurb. This weekend promises to be no less exhilerating.

F1 coverage returns to BBC

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:03:00 +0000

Well, it's happened. After years of praying to every God I could think of, ITV will no longer be showing Formula One coverage from the start of the 2009 season. No more Steve Ryder (I hope), no more ad breaks interrupting left right and center... non...stop... coverage. This is great news, especially coupled with the fact that the BBC are apparently going to continue ITV's innovation of 'simulcasting' the race live on the internet. F1 fans the world over will be rejoicing.
However, when something as established as this changes in F1, it is hard not to feel a slight pang of nostalgia and fear of change. Will Martin Brundle still entertain us with his grid walk? Will the BBC take a while to get back into their stride, and what will happen if the Grand Prix clashes with one of the BBC's other big sporting franchises such as international football? Murry Walker said today that he "almost fell out of bed" when he heard the news. Let's hope the whole of the ITV crew are equally woken up by this news.

Singapore night race concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0000

During the build up to the 2008 season there were muffled discussions regarding one of the new venues to debut this season, Singapore. With Bernie Ecclestone pushing for a night race in Austrailia, and the possibility of this becoming a regular Formula One feature, several members of the F1 paddock have begun to speak out regarding their fears of running sch a dangerous sport in low-light conditions. The most notable in the last few days has been Torro Rosso team manager Massimo Rivola, who yesterday expressed his concerns regarding the lack of practice available to drivers in the run up to the Grand Prix later this year.
Nico Rosberg shares his view that 90 minutes of practice in the dark is nowhere near enough to acclimatise drivers to the impending challenge. "Either we change the programme so that a greater amount of practice takes place at night, or we have to think seriously about re-introducing the Thursday tests" Rivola is quoted as saying.
Having been thoroughly entertained by all the sliding and crashes in the Australian Grand Prix, it pains me to say that these guys may be right. The level of focus required to maintain control of an F1 car is staggering, and I fear that without time to acclimatise to the night racing, we could have a big accident on our hands. I've heard that the track layout will be quite fast and flowing too, which only adds to the worry - imagine coming round a corner at 150mph and seeing a shadowy shape which may or may not be a stricken car in your path - the concequences of not reacting could be disastrous.
Let's pray that al the drivers are as professional and sharp as we know they can be and that they get on with it with the minimum of fuss.

Australian Grand Prix: Hamilton wins after dramatic race

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:34:00 +0000

Well, the 2008 season is well underway, and I almost feel like I have just witnessed a year's worth of F1 action. Cars sliding about the place, major upsets, and some promising drives made the Australian Grand Prix nailbiting right up until the chequered flag. Hamilton drove a superb race, and the lack of coverage of his drive was reminiscent of Schumacher's dominant years when you would see him only 3 or 4 times during a race he was so far in front. Big trouble at Ferarri, with technical issues bugging Raikonnen, and both drivers looking skittish, particularly when under pressure. BMW showed well, though Kubica's eventual pace and subsequent retirement was disappointing. I still have high hopes for Heidfeld and the young Pole, as the looked confident at the front.
What tarnished the race for me however, the first of which was Vettel's exit after such a promising position on the grid. I felt even more for his team mate Bourdais, having to deal with a blown engine 3 laps from the end, and after having fought off Kovalainen and Alonso on his debut.
Still, the foundations are there for an absolutley classic Formula 1 season, and I cannot wait.

Hamilton triumphs in Qualifying

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:20:00 +0000

After a facinating qualifying session in Melbourne, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in Q3 to take a fine Pole position, however the surprise of the afternoon was surely the speed of Kubica in the BMW. The polish driver made a costly mistake on his final flying lap which lost him several tenths of a second, to put him only just behind the McLaren of Hamilton. The prospect of two of the future megastars of F1 starting the Grand Prix tomorrow is tantalising, almost as much as the thought of Kimi Raikkonnen scything his way through the field from 16th place on the grid. Raikkonnen was not allowed to take part in Q3 as he was deemed to have stopped out on the track by the Stewards, albeit only several yards from the entrance to the pitlane.
Other interesting developments included the steady rise from the bottom of the grid of Honda, who just narrowly missed out on the top 10, as did Alonso in the Renault.
The stage is set for a fantastic race, and indeed a classic season. The cars are looking right on the edge, and the tightest of margins can make or break a race weekend. Let battle commence....

BMW allegedly sandbagging in winter testing

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:18:00 +0000

Ahead of the season opener in Melbourne, the most interesting piece of gossip that has come out of all the usual hyperbole has been the reports coming out of several leading sources that the BMW may have the goods to take the challenge to Ferrari and McLaren. This article on f1-live.com alleges that BMW Sauber have been sandbagging in testing, rarely putting in low-fuel runs when up against the top teams, and have supposedly beaten times set by McLaren in their private test. As I previously said, the BMW certainly looked quick, but this revelation certainly ups the excitement for the coming season...

Possible Grand Prix in Paris?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:34:00 +0000

It was reported today that Bernie Ecclestone is looking to begin plans to move the French Grand Prix to Paris, according to F1-Live.com. The 77 year old last year heavily criticised the lack of facilities at the current location of the Grand Prix, Magny-Cours, citing a lack of accommodation as a big turn-off for the venue. Ecclestone also mentioned one other possible venue, stating "A Grand Prix in London...would be better for spectators and for television," an exciting prospect for British fans, and yours truly who happens to live in the capital!

Hamilton beats Schumacher in latest Spanish test

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen all went head to head today in a highly anticipated testing session in Barcelona. Whilst the conditions were not ideal, with overnight rain leaving the track damp and slippery for most of the session, the prospect of comparing Lewis Hamilton's form with the current and former Ferrari champions was exciting nevertheless. And he didn't disappoint. Hamilton was 400ths of a second faster than the Finn, with Schumacher only a further 10th down, which surely must have boosted the young Brit's confidence in tricky conditions. With Ferrari openly being touted as the almost inevitable champions of '08, given their pre-season testing form, the times have provided an intriguing insight into the progress McLaren has made over the past few weeks.
Williams have also kept up their newly found form, Kazuke Nakajima clocking the 4th fastest time, with Nico Rosberg showing strongly in 6th. Meanwhile Honda have yet to show any hint that 2008 can be an improvement over their horrid season last year, with Barrichello and Wurz propping up the rear of the field. What a surprise.

Williams impress in testing

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:09:00 +0000

Williams have shown once again in pre-season testing that their latest car has the potential to be up there with the front runners. The FW30 has been challenging the times set by tradtitional 'third best team' BMW, but the latest Spanish test revealed an even greater possibility that Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima have a chance of picking up a podium or two in 2008. Indeed, Nakajima topped the timesheets on Thursday, beating both McLarens, with Rosberg showing strong in 3rd place.
This is a genuinely exciting development, with BMW seemingly off the pace, and Renault widely regarded as sandbagging in the run up to Melbourne, having another team with experience of race wins returning to form can only lead to a potentially epic battle in the midfield.

Racist fan not, uh, racist

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:40:00 +0000

"We wanted to give a touch of humour to Montmelo and have a laugh at the father of Hamilton" was the reaction of one of the fans who covered themselves in black paint and wrote crude remarks on flags last week during testing in Spain. He insists that his intention was not to be racist, but to provoke amusement. What an ar****le, surely something must have twigged in his brain that perhaps what he was doing was not strictly "PC"?

Raikkonen blows competition away in Bahrain

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:28:00 +0000

After the latest round of testing in Spain and Bahrain, it has become clear just how quick the new Ferrari is looking. While most teams continued their pre-season programmes at the Circuit de Catalunya, Ferrari and Toyota travelled out to the middle east to perfect the setup of their cars. It was here on Tuesday that Raikkonen smashed last year's pole position time of 1:31.359 by almost a second, without driver aids. Massa, predictably, was not quite as quick, but still beat his fastest lap from last year by a tenth of a second. The Toyotas proved to be unreliable and off the pace, unfortunately leaving us in the dark as to how the other teams compare to the speed of the Raikkonen and Massa, however the fact that even without traction control they are going quicker than last season is highly impressive. This must be a serious wake up call to Honda, BMW and Toyota who have all touted themselves as potential race winning teams for 2008/2009 - must try harder guys.

Hamilton and racism

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:05:00 +0000

Who would have thought it, Lewis Hamilton is at the center of yet another Formula One controversy. Several Spanish 'fans' spectating at the latest F1 test in Spain were seen to be wearing black face paint and jeering at Hamilton every time he left his garage. Needless to say the FIA have been up in arms over this issue, and quite rightly too. This behaviour must not be tolerated in F1, there is to much at stake. The wider general public already has a tarnished view of the sport thanks to the spygate scandal, and I fear we won't be hearing the last of this.

Pre-season testing - who's hot, who's not

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:29:00 +0000

Well, pre-season testing is well underway, with several teams having launched their 2008 cars. The Ferrari F2008 was the first to break cover, and I must say that when I first saw it, I felt all funny inside. Perhaps it was because I have been starved of F1 action for so long (only 52 days until the Australian GP!!), but this car was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The performance margins in F1 are so narrow now that most cars now have various appendages, growths and bumps to improve aerodynamics, and this Ferrari looked so....advanced. It evoked the same feeling I got when I visited the Great Wall of China, went up the CN tower in Toronto, and every other time where I have witnessed man commanding physics to such a mind-boggling extent. This was nothing compared to the new BMW. This car is something else, with it's sprouty bits all over the place and absolutely massive front wing - this car is a statement to Ferrari and McLaren, "We're coming for you".
Special mention to Honda as well. They have unveiled a car that looks like it was designed in 1996, and with its temporary all white paint job, it had more than a passing resemblance to something I made from Lego when I was younger. Maybe Jenson Button got so frustrated he tried to design the car himself...

Alonso talking a load of Bull?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:08:00 +0000

Fernando Alonso, evicted McLaren driver and disgruntled former world champion has yet to make his mind up over where he wants to drive next year. Apparently there is deadlock between him and Renault, who allegedly want to lock him into a long-term contract, whist his negotiations with Red Bull have been kept very much under wraps. Both Coulthard and Webber insist they will be driving for Red Bull next season, so there is a genuine question mark over where the Spaniard will end up. Red Bull showed glimmers of potential in the 2007 season, with several strong performances, and with a reliable Ferrari engine and Adrian Newey designing all the spikey bits of the car, you wouldn't bet against them winning the odd Grand Prix over the coming seasons. However, I cannot imagine Alonso sticking around there long without a serious paycheck and guarantee of results which begs the question, what the hell is he doing? Please let's not see him suffer the fate of Damon Hill, who followed up his Championship win in '96 with a career busting stint at Arrows and Jordan. As much as I think Alonso was immature in his approach to 2007, he is a great driver, and we will all miss out if he is not up there avenging his 'poor' season at McLaren with Hamilton, Raikkonen ad Massa.

Fisi & Ralf testing for Force India

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:59:00 +0000

No sooner had I posted about Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher's poor performances over the last few seasons, this nugget of news crops up. It turns out they will both be testing at Jerez next week for the re-branded Force India team (formerly Spyker). In my opinion the Spyker car showed potential last year, particularly under the command of Adrian Sutil, and clearly the older generation of drivers that are under pressure from all these young upstarts agree with me. Or maybe they are so desperate to 'find a new challenge' that they must look several places down the grid for a seat that in all probability they won't get. There are five potential drivers vying for the second seat at that team and no matter what anyone says, neither of the old boys have it left in them to match the passion of youth. Let's hope they give the drive to someone with more, err, drive.

Schumacher to return to F1?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Smith) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:03:00 +0000

Well it seems that the Schumacher brothers have been making headlines recently. Brother Michael has been kicking up a storm in Brazil, having won an annual Karting hosted by his former Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa. Schumacher Senior beat the likes of Rubens Barrichello, Luca Badoer and Nelson Piquet Jnr to claim victory in ront of 10,000 Brazilian fans. This comes after the news that Schumacher will be conducting further tests for Ferrari over the winter, as the teams look to adapt their cars to the new 2008 regulations. It's all interesting stuff, however I cannot understand the buzz around this bit of news.

More intriguing is Ralf's cheeky attempt at catching the eye of Mclaren's management for the seat recently vacated by 'Fernan-go' Alonso. Can anyone remember when Ralf was a really great driver? Me neither. With the competitive driver's market of today, I think there is more chance of England qualifying for Euro 2008 than Ralf harnessing up in one of the Silver Arrows. In fact, whilst I'm at it, let's here a big boo for Giancarlo Fissichella, Rubens Barrichello and, dare I say it, David Coulthard, who in my opinion should all have the good grace to move over and let some fresh young blood into the sport. Imagine a grid of 22 Lewis Hamiltons, all fresh-faced and chomping at the bit, sliding some of the most expensive and powerful cars around with glee, rather than the melodrama of yet another processional performance from the likes of Ralf. Bring on Piquet Jnr, Glock and Vettel.