Effwun's F1 Blog

Firday practice 2 is starting to get a little familiar, if you know what I mean. Again, there were few surprises - the Friday drivers were quickest, and Davidson was the quickest of them, with a time of 1:26.822 (despite being baulked by Speed at one point - I'm warning you Speed. Olivier Grouillard award...). Wurz, however, was only a hundredth slower. Kubica was third fastest. Thefastest of the regular drivers was Jenson Button, who was 2 tenths faster than Alonso. M Schumacher was the next fastest driver, and the rest of the topten was filled by Raikkonen, Barrichello, Montoya, and Massa. Fisichella was 11th fastest.

Conditions were tricky, as evidenced by the fact that numerous people had minor offs and spins. Amongst the people who had little offs were Coulthard, Schumacher, Liuzzi, Webber and Kubica. Indeed, the most offtrack incidents seemed to occur at the fast turn 12 kink. It was here that Ide had a near perfect 360 - one of many offs the Japanese rookie had. It was also here that Liuzzi had a lurid slide and backed it into the wall, damaging the rear wing of his Toro Rosso.

Towards the end of the session, Albers spun out at turn 15 (the penultimate corner), bringing out waved yellows. The radio conversation with the team was quite funny, and went along the lines of "Christian, did you hit anything?"; "Yeah, I hit something - the wall". The large number of offs can be attributed to the fact that the track was "green" and dusty, but Steve Matchett also reckons that the cars were being run too stiffly sprung, and it was causing them to be unstable over the bumps.

One thing I though was interesting was that the final corner seems to be more flat out than in previous years (although this could be my imagination). One possibility is that, with the V8 engines, it is possible to drive harder around that particular corner, and therefore it is more flat.

There were also some interesting things from the commentary team, especially on the issue of engines. Steve Matchett explained that the problem that Ferrari have been having is apparently random inasmuchas they have been able to reproduce the problem, but it is never the same cylinder and never the same piston, and thus has been tough to track down. Also, he pointed out that Cosworth's problem with Rosberg's engine was a con rod cap, and they now have the problem solved.

Bob Varsha made a stupid comment - he claimed that "like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Albert Park circuit is a normal roadway for most of the year. Hmm, that's not really true of the Gille Villeneuve circuit actually. Back me up on this one Neil!

One funny comment from the team was to do with Ide and the onboard shots, of which there were a lot - if you go onboard with Ide you can be pretty sure it is not for anything good.

Anyway, Saturday practice is due to start, and qualifying will be on later today. Rain has been predicted for sometime today, so it will be really interesting to see what happens in qualifying.

Labels: Australia, Formula 1, Grand Prix

It seems like only yesterday that F1 was last in Melbourne. Last year, Australia was the first race of the season, and was also the first race with the new qualifying rules and, as if it were pre-destined, the weather threw a spanner in the works and led to a mixed up grid. Giancarlo Fisichella took a superb win, but the stars of the show were Barrichello and Alonso, who came from 11th and 13th on the grid repsectively to finish 2nd and 3rd.

This year, Fisichella has high hopes of repeating last year's victory at the Albert Park circuit, but he will face some stiff competition. Alonso clearly could have won last year were it not for his lowly grid position. Furthermore, Raikkonen has a lot to prove, and will be looking to stamp his mark on the 2006 season.

Button and Barrichello wil also be looking out to impress, although by Button's own admission, he will need the Renault's to suffer misfortune if he is to win.

Mark Webber, on home soil, will also be someone to look out for - the Williams' have been going quite well so far this season, but he will have to watch out for his hard charging team mate Nico Rosberg. If the Cosworth engine problems have been solved, then a good result could be on the cards. Also, don't forget the Ferraris - Ferrari have won in Melbourne 5 times (and Michael Schumacher is a 4 time winner).

So, what to expect - well, much of the same. The Renaults, Hondas, McLarens, Ferraris and Williams all quick. Qualifying I think will be tight, and I am going to predict something really crazy - Webber for the pole (hey, he is a good qualifier, and he will be on home soil.

In a previous post I predicted Alonso for the win. I have a feeling that Raikkonen is going to prove me wrong, but we'll see what the weekend brings...

Labels: Australia, Formula 1, Grand Prix

According to itv-f1.com, Damon Hill will be running some demonstration laps for the DTM at Brands Hatch in July. Now if we could only get hiim back behind the wheel of an F1 car...

Labels: Formula 1

According to several sources, Paul Stoddart claims he has posted his entry application for the 2008 F1 world championship. If successful, he claims that he would use the 2005 Minardi cars.

With the new rules for 2008, only 12 teams are allowed on the gird (which is a bit silly if you ask me, as it always used to be 26 cars on the grid, ie 13 teams). There are, of course, already 11 teams on the grid, meaning that there is only one spot left open. However, there are rumoured to be a number of teams vying for that spot, including Dave Richards' Prodrive concern, which frankly stands more of a chance than Minardi.

It will be interesting to see who wins the last spot on the grid.

Labels: Formula 1

So apparently, Ferrari have now altered their front wing design although, according to itv-f1.com, it is for enahnced performance for Melbourne, not because they were guilty of breaking any rules. Oh yeah. Sure. Uh huh. Whatever. I believe whatever Ferrari says... Ah, sweet sweet irony.

Labels: Formula 1

Apparently at the meeting between the FIA and Renault, Cosworth, and Ferrari, a five year freeze on engine development was suggested by the manufacturers. I think that it is no coincidence that these three reputedly have the most powerful (or otherwise "best") engines on the grid. So why wouldn't they want to lock in the current situation for five years - they would be gauranteed success for five years basically?

I think this just highlights how silly this rule is - the teams/engines that are most successful as of June this year will continue to be the best, and will be gauranteed their position for three (or five) years. How is this fostering competition? How will this make the racing exciting when the same three teams will be winning everything? If I haven't said it before, I think it is a ridiculous rule.

Labels: Formula 1

As reported on itv-f1.com, the 5 GPMA teams - Renault, McLaren, Toyota, Honda, and BMW - have committed themselves to Formula 1 in 2008, by sending in their applications on the opening day of the application period.

This move is not unexpected really. The teams really had no choice but to be part of the process, because if they were excluded, then they would not have had influence in the rules making procedure. Given the somewhat controversial nature of some of the rules recently proposed by the FIA, it is really crucial that the teams get their say in the way that F1 is going to be run.

Whilst this move does make the prospect of a breakaway series much less likely, it does not totally eliminate the threat. If the manufacturers still do not get their way, then they may yet form a rival series. However, there is supposedly a better package on the table from Bernie, and I am sure that CVC - the new commercial rights owners - will not allow their investment to break itself apart.

So overall, I would say this is good for the future of Formula 1 because a split could be disastrous. However, I still feel that the way F1 is administered needs an overhaul. I am hopeful that all the political manouevring on the part of the GPMA will result in a reshaped management structure, in which the teams are more in control of their own destiny, and are not at the mercy of the whims of Max Mosley and the FIA.

Labels: Formula 1

With talk of the re-introduction of slick tyres into Formula 1, we can finally wave goodbye to this:

Labels: Formula 1

Oops, I was a little late posting this, so we'll have two questions in the same week. Not a big deal I suppose. Anyway, with all the talk of IRL, I thought I would ask a Champcar/IRL/indycar related question this week:

Name all the drivers that, in the history of both Formula 1 and Indycar/Champcar/IRL (not including the USAC National Championship, the forerunner of Indycar) have been champions in BOTH series, regardless of what order they did it in.

Easy peasy. Lemons on standby...

Labels: Formula 1

I've invented a new game - it's called "good rule/bad rule". Here are the rules - the FIA comes up with a cockamamie list of new rules, and I say whether they are good rules or bad rules. Easy, huh? Well, here we go:

• Freeze on engine development - bad rule. Technological development has always been, and should remain, the foundation of Formula 1. Without the ability to develop engines, you might as well go to a single engine formula, and from there you might as well go to a single chassis formula. And it just won't be formula 1 anymore.
  
• Single tyre supplier - good rule. Competition between tyre suppliers has increased speeds and reduced safety. Oh, and there is that small matter of the 2005 USGP. Furthermore, I would rather someone won a race because they were the better driver, not becasue they had better rubber (and yes, I realise that argument extends to having the better machinery as well).
  
• Weight penalties for engine changes - bad rule. This sounds good in principle, but his could be negated by a team's strategy (eg they could switch to a 3-stop strategy to negate the extra weight they are carrying). In fact, the McLarens seem to run quicker when they have the extra weight on board! No, I think the grid penalties should remain (see my previous post about mixed up grids and a lottery systems for deciding grids) because mixed up grids generate exciting racing.
  
• Return to slick tyres - good rule. It's the first step back to proper racing - lots of mechanical grip and low aerodynamic grip.
  
• Gearboxes to last 4 races - bad rule. Not just a bad rule, but a terrible rule! How are the FIA going to police that - put serial numbers on each cog? What about when teams need to change ratios for different circuits? And are we going to get into a situation when drivers are going to "save" their gearboxes by changing gear less often. What garbage!
  
• Spare cars to be banned - bad rule. So if you trash your car on Friday, you can't race on Sunday. Even bigger garbage!
  
• Testing limited to 30,000 kms - good rule. This should help to keep costs down BUT, I would like to see an officially sanctioned test day at each championship event as well because, believe it or not, there are some sad petrol heads out there (like me) who actually like to see this kind of thing.
  
• Extended parc ferme - good rule. Well, sort of. The new parc ferme rules seem to have improved reliability, so this should further improve reliability, right? Yeah, but putting the cars in parc ferme at 6.30pm on the Friday seems a little early. Still, I suppose it would stop teams pulling all nighters and that would keep them happy...
  
• Restricted engine supply - bad rule. Engine manufacturers being limited to supplying two teams seems like a blatant attempt to keep the manufacturers in check. So what if they supplied all the teams on the grid - it would make the racing closer.
  
• Calendar extension to 20 races - good rule. More races = happier me.
  

Labels: Formula 1

Well, I have been rather busy this week (sorry, but I am working on my Ph.D.), so I haven't been posting as prolifically as I usually do, so I am going to give a brief and glossy roundup of this week in F1.

• Max Mosely praised Flavio Briatore on his management style, and his ability to win both championships with a relatively small budget - are we going to see the FIA adopt some sort of "standard management" to go along with standard ECUs?
  
• Renault were fastest in testing at Paul Ricard, but only a tenth faster than McLaren. BMW were also there, as were Toyota, who were working on their tyre issues. They are still struggling by the looks of it, as the fastest that Zonta could manage was over 1.7 seconds slower than Kovalainen in the Renault.
  
• Cosworth think they have solved the problem that blighted Rosberg in Malaysia. Well good.
  
• Renault joined in talks with the FIA over the rule changes.
  
• Oh yes, and the new rule changes the FIA are trying to mandate.
  

For a list of the 2008 rule changes, see this article on formula1.com.

Labels: Formula 1

Dan Wheldon took a sensational win in this afternoon's Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead, Miami, pulling out to pass Helio Castroneves on the last lap to win by just 14 thousandths of a second - the 9th closest in IRL history. Castroneves and Wheldon went literally wheel-to-wheel at over 210 mph for 5 straight laps, lightly touching on more than one occasion, before Wheldon hung back and built some momentum to swing by Castroneves in the last turn, averaging over 215 mph on his final lap.

As dramatic and as entertaining as the finish of the race was, the event was marred by a horrific accident in this morning's final practice. Ed Carpenter lost control, and slammed into the retaining wall in turn 2. As he slid to a halt on the track, the yellow flags came out. Although a couple of cars avoided him, Paul Dana - a rookie driving for the Rahal Letterman team - slammed into Carpenter's stationary car at almost 180 mph, sending his car airborne. Both drivers were airlifted to hospital. Carpenter is reported to be doing well, and is being kept under observation. Dana was not so lucky. It was announced at 12.45 pm that Dana had succumbed to his injuries.

With the excitement and drama of the closing laps, it would have been easy to forget this morning's events. Dan Wheldon showed his true class, however - as he crossed the line to take the win, he came on the radio to say "Great job. Under the circumstances, I don't think we should celebrate this one".

More can be found in these articles:

Tragedy Strikes IRL Opener (SpeedTV.com)
Wheldon edges Castroneves for victory (indyracingleague.com)

Ralf Schumacher, who evidently seems to have been sniffing gasoline, believes (according to itv-f1.com) that he can get on the podium in Melbourne. Apparently, this belief stems from the fact that his fastest lap of the race was almost as fast as Button's. Yeeeeesssss, but Button drove quicker for more laps, hence why he finished on the podium, dummy.

Ok, let's be pragmatic. Ralf could get on the podium in Melbourne - if Alonso, Fisichella, Raikkonen, Montoya, Michael, Massa, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Rosberg, and one of the BMWs retire. Even so, it would be touch-and-go with the Red Bulls.

Labels: Formula 1

Ok, this story is only tangentially linked to F1, but according to SpeedTV.com, Tony George - president of IRL - and Kevin Kalkhoven - one of the owners of Champcar - have been in talks regarding merging IRL and Champcar back into one entity.

I for one would welcome this move, as the CART/IRL split hurt open wheel racing in the US immensely (as about a billion other commentators have said elsewhere). It seems like sanity is finally prevailing, and it gives me hope that if the egos in F1 can't keep it all together, then at some point down the road there may yet be hope to take humpty dumpty and put him back together again.

Today, the World Motorsport Council met to discuss a number of issues regarding the future of F1. Amongst them, the CVC buyout, cost cuting measures (such as standard ECUs and simpler gearboxes), and a 3 year engine development freeze - all of which were ratified.

What struck me about all of this, though, was the political manouevring on the part of Max Mosley. Take for example the issue of engine development - Mosley had suggested a 3 years freeze on engine development to help reduce costs, and this has now been ratified. But this issue can only be discussed by the manufacturers, and consequently changed, if they sign up to the 2008 world championship before the March 31st deadline. Latecomers to the world championship will not be allowed to participate in the discussion of the rules.

Mosley insists that the dealine is to ensure that teams have enough time to comply with the new regulations, but if you ask me, this is a rather cynical attempt to ensure that the manufacturers sign up, rather than get shut out of the rules making procedure.

Moreover, I am getting tired of Mosley's attempts to reduce costs and otherwise fiddle with the rules. I understand the need to reduce costs, but being totalitarian about it is not helping. One of the reasons the manufacturers wanted their own series in the first place was their dissatisfaction with the governance of the sport. I reiterate my feeling that the governing body should quit trying to be the sport, and should merely regulate it. The teams are the sport - they should be the ones saying how their sport is run, and what the rules should be.

Labels: Formula 1

As a follow up to the story of flexible wings I posted previously, McLaren and BMW will modify their rear wings before the Australian GP.

There seems to be some conflicting information regarding the reason why. According to SpeedTV.com, the FIA insisted that Ferrari change its wings before Melbourne, and that two other teams were also told to do so, but their identities were not revealed. It then somehow emerged that the two other teams were McLaren and BMW.

However, according to itv-f1.com, McLaren says it was never approached by the FIA and that its wings were perfectly legal. In a further twist, Ferrari have supposedly refused to change anything with either their front or rear wings stating, according to itv-f1.com that their wings are fully compliant with the regulations.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Melbourne, because the FIA have threatened severe punishments for any offenders.

Labels: Formula 1

According to several source, the EU has approved the CVC financial group's buyout of the commercial rights to Formula 1. One of the conditions of this purchase is that the company must relinquish its hold of the commercial rights to MotoGP, held through a subsidiary company.

So what can we expect to change because of this buyout? Well, to begin with not much. However, there is the possibility that the new owners of F1's commercial rights will want to protect there investment, and may try to ensure that the "rebel" manufacturers get a good deal with regards television money. It makes sense right? I mean, if you just invested millions (or billions) in a product, you'd actually want that product to survive past the end of 2007 wouldn't you?

At least, that is what I hope this new deal means. Of course, as I understand it, Bernie will still be in charge of the day-to-day running of the show (ie doing the promotion), so only so much will change. On the other had, better the devil you know I suppose. At least with Bernie, you have a face you can talk to. With investors and banks, you talk to a corporation, and a bunch of morons in grey suits.

Labels: Formula 1

According to the Speed crew, Ferrari think they have worked out what their engine problems were - leaking piston rings allowing combusion gases past the piston and causing damage to the cylinder. Apparently. Ferrari now think they have the problem licked. Let's hope (or not) that their wing problems don't negate their hard work discovering the problem.

Labels: Formula 1

A contentious issue arose over the course of the Malaysian GP weekend - the subject of wings. Several teams have apparently noticed that the wings of two teams (no names mentioned, of course) were flexing quite a bit at high speeds.

The onboard cameras from Bahrain and Malaysia have shown both the McLaren and Ferrari rear wings apparently bending or flexing. However, the biggest controversy seems to have surrounded Ferrari. Not only does their rear wing lack a post to connect the lower element to the upper element (which supposedly alows the upper element to move and close the slot gap between the elements), but the upper layer of the front wing appears to separate from the nose cone and twist.

So why the controvery? Well, according to the rulebook moveable aerodynamic devices are banned, and have been since the late 60s. Add to that the fact that Ferrari is involved, andyou can see whay it is stirring up some irritations from the other teams. Indeed 8 teams signed a letter asking for action from the FIA. The FIA responded by saying they will address the situation by Melbourne.

This, I have to say, is not good enough. When BAR (as they were then) were accused of cheating by the FIA (which they weren't - they made a mistake based on an interpretation of the rules, which is not the same as cheating), the FIA morphed into a ton of bricks and promptly fell on BAR. The FIA seem rather laxadaisical about the current controversy, and I can't help but feel that the punishment, if there is any, will be extremely lenient.

This whole situation may urn out to be a storm in a teacup, but regardless the end result should be fair and even application of the rules...

Labels: Formula 1

So, some intereting things from the commentary crew during the Malaysian GP: Bob Varsha pointed out that this was Jenson Button's 12th straight points scoring finish, equalling Jim Clark's record amongst English drivers. Varsha also pointed out that this was Button's 13th career podium, breaking Jackie Ickx's record for the most career podiums without a victory.

Something else that was pointed out was the Ferrari front wing, and the fact that it was gaping at high speed,but moe about that in a future post.

Other than that, not too much interesting. There weren't that many funnies either:

Varsha - Good seats huh? (referring to a camera shot of a spectator sat on an incredibly high flag pole!)

Hobbs - Last year Massa retired the trophy for the most places made up on the opening lap

Matchett - Ka-blammo! (talking about Rosberg's engine failure)

Matchett - the car seemed to go faster at the apex of the corner through rocket propulsion (Rosberg's engine again)

Hobbs - Speed and Liuzzi with their de-tuned V10 engines might be the only two left running at the end of the race

Labels: Formula 1, Malaysia

Here are today's race day awards:

Driver of the day	Giancarlo Fisichella	Massa comes a close second though
Rookie of the day	Nico Rosberg	Not much to choose from, but Rosberg still wins it
Car of the day	Renault R25	Faultless performance
Team of the day	Renault	Superior tactics and pit work
Disappointing driver of the day	Jenson Button	Was just not quick enough
Disappointing car of the day	Williams FW28	Double engine failures = nil points
Disappointing team of the day	Honda	Victims of their own poor tactics
Phillipe Alliot award	Christian Klein	1st lap incident with Raikkonen
Jerk of the day	Scott Speed	Severely balked Button on his in lap

How would I rate myself - 4/10. Got the winner wrong, predicted Alonso would make a good start (but not THAT good), got Alonso in 2nd, switched Button and Montoya, Schumacher in the top 8. Rosberg and Webber retired. I screwed up pretty good - I should go work for Honda!

Oh, and one more thing - Scott Speed, you are officially on notice. I know you are a rookie, but you stuffed Button pretty badly. Don't make me instigate the "Olivier Grouillard mobile chicane award"!

Labels: Formula 1, Malaysia

Fisichella menang! Fisichella wins! In a reversal of fortunes from the start of the 2005 F1 season, Giancarlo Fisichella took a superb victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Leading from pole position as the lights went out, Fisichella went essentially unchallenged the whole race, to finish 4.5 seconds ahead of team mate Alonso. Jenson button came home third, a further five seconds down the road. The rest of the top eight finishers were Montoya, Massa, M Schumacher, Villeneuve, and R Schumacher.

As the lights went out, Fisichella seamlessly took off into the lead. Alongside him, Button again made a lacklustre start, despite the fact that he was on the cleaner side of the race track. Behind them, though, Alonso rocketed off the line in 7th place, arriving at the first corner in 3rd, passing the Williams of Rosberg and Webber around the outside of turn 1. Just behind them, the McLarens of Montoya and Raikkonen briefly tussled for position before, in turn 4, Raikkonen was hit from behind by Klein, damaging the Finn's suspension, and pitching him into a high speed spin, that inevitably ended in the gravel trap. Klein's front left suspension was totally deranged in the collision, and he limped back to the pits with the front left wheel hanging off at a 45 degree angle. He would rejoin later, 6 laps down, but ultimately retired. Meanwhile, Fisichella strolled off into the lead, crossing the line at the end of lap 1 almost a second ahead of Button.

The fist signs of engine attrition came on lap 7 when Rosberg's engine expired in spectacular fashion, showering tiny pieces of engine out the rear of the car before leaving a giant plume of smoke trailing out the back of the Williams - a shame because it would have been nice to see where Rosberg would have finished given his stunning drive in Bahrain.

The closest batle in the first part of the race was between Alonso and Webber. Webber was crawling all over the back of Alonso's gearbox, but he was just a little too fast for Webber to find a way past. Webber, it turns out, was on a three-stopper, and pitted on lap 14. Unfortunately for Webber, his race didn't last much longer - his car went the way of his team-mate Rosberg's, and expired on lap 17 (although not as spectacularly).

Fisichella's pace seemed to indicate that he was on a three-stop strategy - he pulled out a lead of over 7 seconds over Button before pitting on lap 17. However, a long stop for fuel - 11 seconds - taking on another 28 laps worth of fuel laid Renault's cards on the table: Fisichella would 2-stop, with a long second stint. After rejoining the race in 3rd place, the team came on the radio to tell him that this was a critical part of the race, and that if he wanted to stay in front of Fernando Alonso, that he had to go blindingly quick. Fisichella did not disappoint, setting several fastest sector times straight out of the pits with a large amount of fuel on board.

Button, on a lighter fuel load, had the opportunity to make inroads into Fisichella's lead. He failed. Not only was Button simply not quick enough on track, but the Honda team failed to respond to Renault's tactics, pitting Button on lap 19, and taking on "only" another 17 laps worth of fuel, when the tactic should have been to fill him further and run him longer on his second stint. Button rejoined the race in 4th, and was badly held up by Montoya for 4 laps.

It was in this stint that the race was won and lost - Fisichella had the fight in him, and Renault had the superior tactics. Alonso started to stretch his legs, setting personal best laps as his fuel load came down. However, Button failed to rise to the challenge. This, coupled with poor tactics by the Honda team that led to poor track position, consigned Button to a third place finish. If Honda want to be serious contenders, then they have to learn how to be creative with their tactics and they have to learn how to change tactics on the fly. Moreover, Button needs to up his game.

On lap 21 a few drops of rain began to fall, but didn't amount to anything. Soon after, on lap 23 both Montoya and M Schumacher pitted, Schumacher taking on a large amount of fuel, indicating that he was going to do a long second stint also. Montoya pitting left Button in 3rd place, 7.5 seconds behind Fisichella, who was in turn 5.9 seconds behind Alonso. On lap 26 Alonso had a quick pitstop - the first of 2. It had been expected that he would only 1-stop. He rejoined the race in 3rd, and began to fly. By lap 30, he was just 5 seconds behind Button.

Fisichella continued to push, and on lap 38, he and Button pitted. Alonso inherited the lead, and pushed to make sure he leapt in front of Button. Button, meanwhile, was badly balked on his in lap by Scott Speed, and rejoined the race behind Montoya, again getting held up. Alonso pitted on lap 43, rejoining in second place, comfortably ahead of Button.

Lap 48 saw another spectacular engine failure, this time from Heidfeld's BMW. This brought the total number of engine failures for the weekend to 8 (Rosberg, Webber, Heidfeld, R Schumacher, Barrichello, M Schumacher and Massa x 2).

Despite some scorching laps by Alonso, the top 3 held station until the end of the race, and Fisichella celebrated a superb victory - a victory that was won by his superb driving in the second stint.

Further down the field, Montoya put in a solid, if somewhat anonymous, race to come home in 4th - a standard 2 stop race seemed to be his tactics. Massa came home an impressive 5th - starting from the back of the field, he 1-stopped his way to the end, finishing ahead of M Schumacher, who started 14th and 2-stopped. Villeneuve held on to finish in 7th, less than a second ahead of R Schumacher, who made a 3-stopper to come home 8th and earn Toyota's first points of the season, after their disastrous season opener.

So, with the second race of 2006 in the books, the pattern seems familliar - the Renaults on top. Although some of the teams are quicker in practice and qualifying, the superior tactics and pit work of Renault is what wins them the races. Particularly, making sure that they had track position at the start of the race kept them out of midfield trouble - trouble that destroyed Raikkonen's race on lap 1. I feel pretty confident that McLaren will not resort to those tactics again.

Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia

Ok, nothing to do with F1, but I thought I would write about it anyway - Tom Kristensen crossed the line to win the 12 hours of Sebring in the debut race of the Audi R10, the V12 diesel powered car. Kristensen broke the record for the most 12 hours of Sebring victories (4) in the process. There were many questions about the reliability of the car, but it was almost faultless the whole race. What is impressive about the 5.5L V12 TDI turbo diesel power plant is not so much its estimated 650 hp power output, but its estimated 810 ft lbs of torque (source:Wikipedia). Coupled with good fuel economy, diesel power may be the technology of the future, as far as sports car racing goes.

For more, see this article on SpeedTV.com

Bersedia untuk berlumba. That means get ready for the race...

Giancarlo Fisichella looks likely to have a good shot at victory in the Malaysian GP, starting from pole position. The last time he started from pole, he also won the race (Australia 2005). However, he will need an aggressive strategy, because there are some VERY fast people behind him.

Button in second will be looking to score his first victory but must make a better start than he did in Bahrain. He will be starting on the dirty side of the track though, and he will have to watch out for Rosberg and Webber alongside and behind him respectively.

The McLarens are poised in position for a good race. If they resort to a one-stopper like they did in Bahrain (which seems likely given their raw speed and the fact that they weren't particularly fast in session 3 of qualifying) then they could easily take the victory here. Indeed, I am predicting Raikkonen for the victory.

Alonso will have his work cut out, starting in 7th. Apparently a mistake with the fuel rig in qualifying resulted in two loads of fuel being loaded onboard, compromising his qualifying pace. This has the potential to really upset his race, because he will be starting heavy. On the other hand, he may choose to extend his first stint, and one-stop. This is conditional on his choice of tyre compound, however.

Further down the grid, Michael Schumacher, and Felipe Massa will be looking to advance quickly through the field. Both the Ferrari drivers have engine change penalties, and will be starting low down on the grid. The Ferraris are fast, and they might be able to muster some points from their weekend. However, there is a big question mark over the reliability of the Ferrari engines.

So, what to watch out for in the race? Look out for Raikkonen for the win, Rosberg, Fisichella, Button, and Montoya to battle it out for second. Watch out for Alonso making a flying start from down in 7th, and to get to the first corner in 5th place. Watch out for Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa to move through the field, but watch out for Ferrari engine reliability - both from the Ferraris and the Red Bulls.

The one-stop pit window should be laps 26-30, two stops laps 16-19 and laps 35-38, and three stops laps 13-15, 27-29, and 41-43. I expect the McLarens to make 1 stop; Alonso may join them and try to modify his strategy on the fly; some of the drivers lower down the order who incurred engine change penalties may also follow suit. I expect most of the rest of the drivers and teams to aim for two stops. I would have anticipated the Toyotas going for 3 stops, using softer tyres to alleviate their tyre temperature problems. However, their performance in qualifying seems to scotch that idea.

My predicitions: Raikkonen, Alonso, Montoya, Button, Fisichella, Rosberg, M Schumacher, Webber

Bersedia untuk berlumba!

Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia

Tahniah Giancarlo! That means congratulations. Giancarlo Fisichella came through in qualifying to secure his first pole position of the year, and his first since Australia 2005, with a time 1:33.840. He just edged out Jenson Button by just over a tenth of a second. New boy Nico Rosberg put in a great performance to claim third on the grid with a time of 1:34.626, although he was clearly feeling the heat judging by the rate at which he was sweating in the interview room!

Rosberg's time was just 42 thousandths faster that Michael Schumacher who, even though he set the 4th fastest time, will take a 10 spot grid penalty for an engine change. Indeed, engine changes were the story of the day, with no fewer than 5 people - a new record for Formula 1 - having to take grid penalties becasue of engine changes. Not to sound immodest, but I did say that I was suspicious of the Ferrari engine's reliability!

The people affected by engine changes are Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa (who actually has taken two engine changes), Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard, and Ralf Schumacher, whose engine failed during the second period of qulaifying just moments after crossing the line to set a time.

The cars eliminated in the first session were no surprises - both the Toro Rossos of Speed and Liuzzi, Both the Midlands of Albers and Monteiro, and both the Aguris of Sato and Ide.

The drivers eliminated from session 2 were Coulthard, Barrichello, Trulli, Villeneuve (who has a fresh engine this weekend), Heidfeld, and Massa, who didn't set a time in session 2.

There were some somewhat surprising performances in the final session of qualifying - Montoya beat out Raikkonen, and the two McLaren drivers will start 5th and 6th respectively. The biggest surprise was perhaps Alonso, whose performance compared to his team mate was rather slow. His time of 1:35.747 was almost 2 seconds slower than Fisichella. A very heavy fuel load might be the culprit, but even so, it seems a little suspicious.

So, the order for tomorrow's race, after all the grid penalties, will be Fisichella, Button, Rosberg, Webber, Montoya, Raikkonen, Alonso, Klein, Trulli, Villeneuve, Heidfeld, Speed, Liuzzi, M Schumacher, Albers, Monteiro, Sato, Ide, R Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, and Massa.

So, it will be interesting to see how the race plays out - are the McLarens going to 1 stop with heavy fuel? How will Rosberg do? WIll Michael be able to do anything from 14th place? What will Alonso pull out of the bag? We shall have to wait and see.

Oh, andone last thing - I realise I forgot to give my prediction for pole. No matter, I would have been wrong anyway (I was going to say Button).

Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia

There were really no surprises in prac 2, with the performances mainly following the performances we saw in Bahrain. Anthony Davidson was again quickest, with a 1:35.041, and Alex Wurz was an impressive 2nd in the Williams Cosworth, with a time of 1:35.388. Wurz also did the most laps - 30 in total. The rest of the top-ten was filled by Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Fisichella, M Schumacher, Button, Villeneuve, and Barrichello.

Trulli was surprisingly high on the time sheets in 11th place, with a 1:37.317, his team mate Ralf was down in 17th with a time of 1:37.695. His low position was probably a consequence of the fact that 9th - 19th positions were separated by less than a second. Nico Rosberg was somewhat low in the order, coming in 21st with a time of 1:38.205. However, he only did 6 timed laps.

As expected the Midlands and the Super Aguris brought up the rear. Ide set the slowest time of the session by far (1:43.164).

So, no real surprises, but it remains to be seen what qualifying brings.

Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia

Selamat datang ke Kuala Lumpur. That means "Welcome to Kuala Lumpur". Thought I'd use some local languange this weekend (with thanks to my Malaysian friend David Lee for the translations).

With practice due to start soon, I thought it prudent to preview the weekend and offer some predictions.

Because Malaysia is another fly-away race, and because of its close proximity in time to Bahrain, the teams will basically be running identical cars to the ones they had in Bahrain. So what can we expect - well, pretty much the same thing that we saw in Bahrain. Malaysia is also another Herman Tilke merry-go-round, with a very similar style to Bahrain; temepratures should be about the same, if not hotter, thus I do not forsee any changes in fortune for this weekend.

Expect the Renaults, McLarens, Ferraris, and Hondas all to be quick and to be occupying the top of the times sheets. Also expect the Williams cars to be up there as well, and keep an eye out for Rosberg - I suspect he might go pretty well again. But really, keep an eye out for Raikkonen - he's clearly the fastest driver, and clearly has the fastest car, and will have something to prove this weekend. In a previous post, I tipped him for the win. Let's see if his car can hold together and if he can fulfill his potential.

Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia

In another bout of "Nigel Mansell Syndrome", David Coulthard has been complaining about... oh who cares.

Apparently he's miffed about the 2 race per engine rule and how it affects the lesser teams more than the top teams. Actually David, it affects everyone the same, and if you look at the history of the rule, the person it has affected most has been Kimi Raikkonen. And if you are a back of the grid team, what difference is a 10 position penalty going to make anyway? You can't go any further back than 22nd.

I suppose his argument is that the midefield teams will end up at the back of the graid, and their cars aren't good enough to do what Kimi Raikkonen did. No, but they should be good enough to get back up to the midfield.

The only thing I agree with Coulthard about is that it is unfair he should be penalised because his engine failed AFTER he finished the race. Had it failed 1 cm before the line, he would have been able to legitimately have an engine change without penalty. Sucks huh?

Labels: Formula 1

According to several sources, the route of Toyota's poor performance at Bahrain was the inability to get heat into their tyres, so much so that their tyres were something like 60 degrees below their optimal operating temperature. It is probably no coincidence that Bahrain was the first race in which Toyota were using Bridgestone rubber, although they have been testing with them over the winter.

In the past, as far as I understood it, Toyota have run with lower tyre pressures, which causes more mechanical work in the tyre side wall, which generates more heat in the tyre. However, it is suspected that this was the cause of the tyre failures at Indianapolis 2005, thus you can understand why Toyota (and more to the point Bridgestone) are reluctant to resort to this tactic this time around!

Labels: Formula 1

After Fisichella's problems in Bahrain, the Renault team have said that they will furnish him with a new engine for Malaysia. This comes after the Renault team publicly apologised to Fisichella for the engine electronics problem that blighted Fisichella's race.

Elsewhere, according to itv-f1, Ferrari will change the engine in Massa's car because they are not sure his engine will last another race. Speedtv.com also report that Coulthard will have an engine change before the Malaysian race, following Coulthard's failure on the cool-down lap in Bahrain. This in my mind raises suspicions about the Ferrari engines in general.

Fisichella, Massa, and Coulthard will therefore be subject to a ten-spot grid penalty in Malaysia.

I personally am not a fan of the current engine-change rules, although I understand that the rule is designed to keep down costs. However I feel that it unfairly penalises drivers, when it is really the team (or engine manufacturer) who is to blame. Surely a system that penalises the team but not the driver would be better, but herein lies the problem - what penalty system could possibly achieve that?

Aside from a different penalty system, I would be a fan of a system of having a fixed number of engines to use per year (as opposed to saying that an engine has to last two races). For example, there are 18 races this year, half of 18 is 9, so say that each car is allowed 8 engines per year. The team could use them in any order, and use them for any number of races, provided that they didn't use more than 8 engines per year (this would necesitate that at least one engine would have to last for three races). The tactical implications of this are quite interesting, I think.

Labels: Formula 1

At Bahrain, Michael Schumacher finally did what I secretly (actually it was no secret) hoped he would never do - he equalled Ayrton Senna's all-time pole position record.

But I am left thinking this - so what? Senna achieved his record in just 161 starts, Schumacher has taken 232. Schumacher also set his poles ostensibly when he had the best car. And sometimes even when he had the best car, poles were lacking. Senna never had a problem.

However, statistics are not a measure of a man's greatness - greatness is a function of one's soul. If Schumacher recorded another 65 pole positions, he would still not be even half as great as Senna.

Bernie Ecclestone has said that Senna was, and remains, the best driver he has ever seen (source:Wikipedia). I tend to think that this Ecclestone chap might just know what he is talking about.

Labels: Formula 1

As reported on itv-f1.com, the Japanese GP will move to Mount Fuji for 2007.

Upon reading the news, I uttered perhaps the loudest expletive I have ever uttered in shock and disgust. Suzuka is one of the finest circuits in the world, is extremely challenging, and has been the site of some of the most exciting F1 races of all time - the track is still warm from the 2005 Japanese GP for goodness sake! Not to mention it being the site of several championship victories, plus perhaps Damon Hill's finest victory, namely the 1994 Japanese GP.

I also meet the news with a great deal of suspicion - Honda owns Suzuka, Toyota owns the Mount Fuji circuit. Hands up anyone who thinks this is suspicious. Still, I suppose this gives Toyota an opportunity to be midfield numbers-makers in their own house.

All is not lost for Suzuka, though. There is still a possibility of another race on Japanese soil, rebranded as either the
Pacific GP (which was previously held at Aida) or the Asian GP. Which kind of begs the question why Suzuka couldn't retain the Japanese GP, and Fuji inherit the other name.

Labels: Formula 1

The 2006 F1 season saw three world champions lining up on the grid for the first race - Alonso, Schumacher, and Villeneuve. What is the highest number of world champions that have been on the grid at the start of an F1 season?

Labels: Formula 1

One of the more welcome news items during the week was that there appears to be an imminent resolution to dispute between the FIA and the GPMA teams (Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Renault, and Toyota).

The threat of a breakaway manufacturers championship has been looming like a cloud over F1 for several years now. The threatened breakaway invariably revolved around money, more specifically the allocation of the TV momey - the manufacturers understandably wanted a greater return on their investment, and wanted a bigger cut of the TV money profits, plus a fairer allocation of the money. Another one of the sticking points over the years has been the issue of payments that teams have to make to Ferrari.

It now seems, however, that a new deal between the FIA, the commercial rights holder under the leadership of Bernie Ecclestone, and the manufacturers is on the table. Supposedly there is an offer of 55% of the TV money (an increase from something like 30%), and a concerted effort to get costs down. Ron Dennis was quoted as saying that a deal was more than a day but less than a month away.

I hope that he issue gets resolve amicably, and sooner rather than later. This treatened split has caused a lot of tension between the teams and the FIA, and I am sure that it is one of the reasons behind the fiasco at the 2005 US GP. Moreover, even though I supported the principles of the GPMA, a split could only hurt the sport. You need look no further than the CART/IRL split to see what has happened to open-wheel racing in the US. Both Champcar, as it is now, and IRL are now struggling, with spiralling costs becoming a serious issue in IRL, and Champcar seemingly staving off bankruptcy on a regular basis.

However much I welcome a new deal to ensure the stability and future of F1, I think that the management structure needs to change. I believe that the FIA and Max Mosely have done a poor job of listening to the concerns of the teams, and that Bernie Ecclestone and his companies have too much power. A system such as the one they have in NASCAR I think would be advantageous, namely that you have a commissioner, who is appointed by the teams, and who sits below the governing body. The FIA would then be responsible only for regulating the sport, the commissioner would be responsible for the day-to-day running of the sport. Because the commissioner would work for the teams, the teams would ultimately have a greater say in how their sport is run.

I can think of one person who would make a good commissioner - Paul Stoddart. His forthright nature would be the ultimate antidote to the likes of Mosely and Ecclestone!

Labels: Formula 1

During the week, Ralf Schumacher made some comments that were critical of Kimi Raikkonen, stating that the Finn was arrogant and withdrawn - traits that most people assume are to do with the language barrier.

So what? I couldn't care less if Kimi is that arrogant or withdrawn because his driving does the talking. Ralf's driving, on the other hand, is mute.

Labels: Formula 1

Some observations and amusing quotes from the Speed team during today's race:

The pre-race show included a new feature: "Peter Windsor live from the grid". Frankly, this is a wholesale rip-off of Martin's Gridwalk, although it is a nice touch. Flavio Briatore's comment about the Ferraris on the front row being a marketing ploy were quite amusing (and if Bernie has anything to do with it, which he almost certainly does, then it is quite close to the truth as well).

Bob Varsha raised the point that Villeneuve and Rosberg lining up on row six was a blast from the past - Gilles Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg shared the 4th row at Long Beach in 1982 (Villeneuve was 7th on the grid and was disqualified, Rosberg was 8th on the grid and finished second behind Lauda).

Varsha also stated the interesting fact that the last person to start from the front row on their debut for Ferrari was Michele Alboreto (2nd on grid at the 1984 Brazilian GP).

Varsha at various points during the commentary brought up the posibility of Rosberg scoring points on his debut. One statement that he made was that Rosberg would be in illustrious company, listing Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button (I think referring only to current drivers). Yeah, great Varsha, except neither Button nor Montoya scored points in their first races. Oh, but Jacques Villeneuve did, and he is a current driver, although I would hardly have called him illustrious company. Some other people I can think of who scored points on their debuts include Prost, Giancarlo Baghetti (who also won on his debut), Johhny Herbert, Eddie Irvine, Timo Glock, plus more that I can't remember right now.

There were some good funnies as well:

Hobbs - Raikkonen is a serious overtaker, but even he has met his match with Jacques Villeneuve

Varsha - Michael must have the peripheral vision of a horse to have the mirrors that far away

Matchett - THAT's how you stop a car. Super best friends could learn something there. (I think he meant Super Aguri)

Varsha - Oh boy, where did Button's race go?

Hobbs - Rosberg's got serious attachments

Varsha - Nice angle, very flattering (camera shot of Rosberg's ass)

Matchett - The constructors' trophy being accepted by Flavius Brontosaurus

Hobbs - Raikkonen is the best overtaker in the business because he's had so much practice

There were two annoying things with the race coverage though - the live timing system broke down around about lap 20 (I love my live timing) and we had a massive thunderstorm roll through at about 7.30 am. As a consequence of this, at 7.52 am Speed went off the air with 8 laps to go, and it didn't come back until the last lap! Now I know how ITV viewers felt about the 2005 San Marino race!

Anyway, that about wraps up my comments for Bahrain. I will talk about some more of the political issues in F1 during the week, and then it will be the Malaysian GP at the weekend. Whew.

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1

After each race, I am going to give out, figuratively speaking, various awards to the drivers, the teams, and myself. Yes, myself - I will rate my performance in terms of how good my predictions were!

So, here are the award categories, and the winners:

Driver of the day	Kimi Raikkonen	No contest
Rookie of the day	Nico Rosberg	No contest
Car of the day	McLaren MP4-21	Both cars fast and with heavy fuel load
Team of the day	Renault	Excllent pit stops
Disappointing driver of the day	Felipe Massa	Silly mistake was costly
Disappointing car of the day	Toyota TF 106	Worst price:performance ratio
Disappointing team of the day	Ferrari	Farcical pit work
Phillipe Alliot award	Nick Heidfeld	1st lap incident/Coulthard incident
Jerk of the day	Fernando Alonso	Blue flags? You're world champion pal - deal with it!

How would I rate myself - 7/10. I predicted Alonso for the win and that he would be 3rd into the first corner, and that Raikkonen would be the man to watch. I forgot about the McLaren's awesome pace on full tanks though. I had Schumacher in 3rd, not 2nd; Montoya in 4th not 5th; Button in 2nd, not 4th, Raikkonen in 8th, not 3rd. But 5 of my top 8 were in the top 8. I was dead wrong about Rosberg though.

Lessons learned - I'll do better next time.

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1

The 2006 F1 season got off to a magnificent start, with Fernando Alonso claiming a superb victory over Michael Schumacher. Kimi Raikkonen put in another brilliant drive from the back of the field to finish 3rd, ahead of Button, Montoya, and Webber. Rookie Rosberg, in a drive equally as spectacular as Raikkonen's, came home seventh, after a first lap clash with Heidfeld that necessitated a nose-cone change. Christian Klein occupied the final points paying position.

Alonso was on form from the second the lights went out. As expected, he leapt off the line and into third place by the first corner. He quickly dispatched Massa to move up to second by the end of lap 1. From there, it was just a matter of keeping pace with Michael, who appeared to be on a lighter fuel load, and three stopping.

Alonso cycled into the lead after Michael pitted on lap 15, but dropped back to third after his first pit stop on lap 19. Michael then started to build a small margin over Alonso, and it appeared that Ferrari had switched Michael's strategy to a two-stopper, necessitating a long second stint - classic Ferrari and Schumacher.

Shumacher's second stop came on lap 35. Alonso stayed out until lap 39, and when he emerged from the pits, the two were side-by-side. Alonso held the inside line, and took the lead from Schumacher. From there, he went unchallenged to the end of the race.

Raikkonen's race was quite different. I would say that it was not exactly textbook, tactically speaking, but McLaren seem to have had an awful lot of practice at this, and therefore hold the copyright on the procedures for coming from the back of the field. Raikkonen had a spectacular start, getting up to 13th by the end of the first lap. From there, Raikkonen kept the hammer down, and methodically worked his way through the field. By "methodically" I mean fast. Damn fast. So fast, in fact, that it belied the fact that he started with a very heavy fuel load. His one and only stop came on lap 31, emerging in 6th place. By the end of the race, he had jumped Webber, Montoya, and Button to finish third.

The Hondas of Button and Barrichello started the race strong, even scrapping hard with each other for 5th place in the early laps. Buton eventually won that battle, and drove a solid race to finish 4th. Barrichello, on the other hand, went backwards. Shortly after his pit stop on lap 17, he lost 3rd gear, and finished 15th, 1 lap down.

If Alonso and Schumacher had spectacular races, the same cannot be said for their respective team mates. Fisichella started the race with an engine electronics problem that occured in qualifying. The Renault team thought they had fixed it, but Fisichella was clearly struggling in the first part of the race. When he pitted on lap 17, he angrily blasted over the radio "sorry, but this is f$#@ing stupid". His car did not last much longer. On lap 21, his car began kangarooing, and he eventually coasted back to the pits with hydraulic failure. Coincidentally, this failure occured in the turn 9/10 complex, the same place where Michael Schumacher suffered hydraulic failure on lap 12 of last year's race.

Massa faired little better. On lap 7, whilst following Alonso, he lost the back end of his Ferrari 248 under braking for turn one, spinning and missing Alonso by a hair's breadth. Indeed, quick thinking on Alonso's part avoided a collision. Massa chose to come to the pits, presumably because he had severely flat-spotted his tyres. However, the compressed air system for the right rear wheel gun failed. The Ferrari mechanics proceeded to run around in a panic, in a scene incredibly reminiscent of the fiasco at the 1999 European Grand Prix. The mechanics eventually sequestered the gun for the front right tyre, but further stumbled when they mistakenly put the nut back on without having changed the wheel. After a 47 second stop, Massa eventually rejoined the race dead last. However he impressively managed to claw his way back to 9th by the chequered flag.

In a drive to rival Kimi Raikkonen, rookie Rosberg brought his Williams Cosworth home in 7th place. After a first corner clash with Nick Heidfeld, Rosberg had to pit for a new nose cone, losing 45 seconds. Rosberg rejoined in last place. What followed was a supreme demonstration of raw speed, skill, overtaking, and bravery. The best example of this was he and Coulthard going side by side for half a lap on lap 49, Rosberg eventually taking away 9th position. His pass on Klein for 7th on lap 56 was superb, clean, and he didn't so much as smoke a tyre. On the way to a debut points finish, he set the fastest lap of the race - a 1:32.408 - making him the youngest person in F1 history to set a FLotR. This kid is a future world champion, absolutely for sure.

Elsewhere, most other people had rather anonymous races, although Heidlfeld seemed to be in the thick of it, getting involved in the first corner clash with Rosberg, then incurring a smack on the wrist from the stewards for forcing David Coulthard off track. Coulthard would later return the favour by keeping Heidfeld behind him despite the fact that Heidfeld was much quicker - he was due for a pit stop on lap 35, and thus was on low fuel, but Couthard had just made a stop on lap 31.

The biggest disappointment of the race was the peformance of the Toyotas. Having been slow in qualifying, they were equally slow in the race - Ralf finished 14th, 1 lap down, and Trulli finished a distant 16th, almost 2 laps down.

Attrition was relatively low - only four cars failed to make it to the finish. Albers never really started the race, Fisichella had his hydraulics failure, Villeneuve exited on lap 31 with a case of valves + pistons = smoke + fire, and Ide first retired, then came back out on track, 18 laps down, for some extra track time.

So, what can we learn from the Bahrain GP? Well, 2006 starts off much how 2005 ended - Alonso on top, Raikkonen clearly the class of the field by far but hampered by reliability woes, Honda almost there, but still playing catch up. The differences though are that Ferrari are back on form, and Williams, with Rosberg at the wheel, have a fighting chance of some good finishes this year.

it looks like 2006 will shape up quite nicely.

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1, Grand Prix

So, with only the race left to run, here is a brief round-up:

The suprise of the weekend so far are the Ferraris - I did not expect them to be this quick. Massa I think has surprised a lot of people, although I have always thought that he was quick. Tyres are undoubtedly the reason for Ferrari's resurgence.

Raikkonen looks to be in trouble, having to start from the back of the grid.

Button, Alonso, and Montoya are all quick, and poised right behind the Ferraris on the grid. In fact, there is quite a good mix on the grid (Ferrari, Ferrari, Honda, Renault, McLaren, Honda, Williams, Red Bull).

Fuel loads, I think, played a major part in qualifying. Looking at the practice times, Button and Davidson were fastest on assumedly light fuel. Button's qualifying pace I think reflects the fact that he is running a heavier load of fuel, and harder tyres - and I suspect most of the Michelin runners chose to do the same.

So, what can we expect for tomorrow? Well, I expect 3 stops from the Ferraris to maximise their tyre advantage, expect 2 stops from basically everyone else. Pit windows for 3 stoppers should be laps 13-16, 27-30, 41-44; two stop windows should be 17-21 and 36-40.

I expect there will be a close fight for third place in the beginning, with Alonso getting a better start off the line, and taking 3rd into the first corner.

The man to watch, though, will be Raikkonen. Starting from the back, with no restrictions on fuel load, expect a very aggressive strategy from the McLaren crew. Raikkonen is quick, but unfortunately, even with good reliability, I don't see him being quick enough to win. I think 5th is the highest he can hope for; a points finish is more realistic.

Predictions for the race (and yes, I know they differ from my Friday predictions): Alonso, Button, M Schumacher, Montoya, Massa, Fisichella, Barrichello, Raikkonen.

I have been wrong about everything else this weekend, let's see how wrong I am about the race!

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1, Grand Prix

In a case of "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose", Michael Schumacher scored the first pole position of the year, and his 65th, to tie Ayrton Senna's all-time pole position record. It is Schumacher's and Ferrari's first pole position since Hungary last year. In a double celebration for Ferrari, Felipe Massa qualified second on the grid, to give Ferrari it's first front row lockout since Hungary 2004.

Incredibly, Massa was just 47 thousandths slower than Schumacher's pole time of 1:31.431. It seems, initially, that Massa and Schumacher are more evenly matched than many anticipated, although fuel loads may be a contributing factor.

The other big story of qualifying was Kimi Raikkonen's failure to set a time due to a suspension failure on his first flying lap. The right rear of the Finn's McLaren disintegrated, breaking off the rear wing. As Raikkonen slid to a halt, the session was red-flagged. Raikkonen will now start from the back of the grid, in 22nd place.

It is early in the season, but this could be disastrous for Raikkonen, whose 2005 championship evaporated because of too many mechanical failures. McLaren will have to ensure perfect reliability this year if they and Raikkonen are to stand any chance of capturing the title.

The rest of the top ten slots for tomorrow's race are filled by Button, Alonso, Montoya, Barrichello, Webber, Klein, Fisichella, and Heidfeld. Really, there are no surprises here, except perhaps the absence of the Toyotas - Trulli wasn't fast enough to get into the last session of qualifying; Ralf wasn't even quick enough to progress from the first session.

The new qualifying format was certainly interesting, and not as confusing (to me at least) as I had predicted. However, there are some quirks of the new system, notably that fast times set on low fuel in sessions 1 and 2 might not be fast enough to get into the top ten (session 3) but are faster than times posted in session 3 by the runners using race fuel loads. To illustrate this point, Villeneuve set a session 2 time of 1:32.456 - 11th fastest, thus he was ineligible for session 3. However, that time would have been good enough for 6th on the grid.

There were some further anomalies within the session 3 drivers, where their session 2 times were MUCH better than the session 3 times (the prime example being Alonso, who's session 2 time of 1:31.215 was faster than Schumacher's pole time).

The difference, of course, is because of the fuel loads people were running (remember, the session 3 runners run with race fuel, with re-fuelling to the starting fuel level allowed after the session), and by comparing the session 2 and session 3 times, it should be easy to figure out who is running what fuel load.

However, the Ferraris look like they are trying to be cunning - they were 6 tenths slower in session 2 than in session 3, thus disguising their race fuel loads. Indeed they may be starting with significantly less fuel than their rivals, and may adopt a 3-stop strategy; McLaren, Renault, and Honda may have adopted a heavier starting fuel load and a 2-stop strategy. We shall find out tomorrow.

But for now, Ferrari are resurgent. It seems to be no coincidence that, with tyre changes now reinstated, that Bridgestone again have the advantage, and it seems that Ferrari have been elevated back to their 2004 form.

Like I said - plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose!

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1, Grand Prix

As expected, running by the top teams and drivers was quite limited in Prac 1 to conserve engines. Also few people seemed willing to go out on the dusty track. Jenson Button apparently didn't even bother putting his race suit on. Prac 2, on the other hand, saw basically all cars on track.

The session was relatively light on excitement, but there were some incidents. Many people were having trouble in the turn 9/10 complex. Among them Massa, who managed to flat-spot his left-front tyre down to the canvas. The Pole Kubica had a left-front tyre problem as well, forcing him through a gravel trap. Kubica was rather quick though, posting the tenth fastest time (1:33.2). Liuzzi had an impressive spin, performing a near perfect 360, and kept going. Winklehock also had a spin in the MF1 (a car that Steve Matchett called the flatpack racing car - a pun on MFI perhaps?), but was much less graceful! Rosberg was impressively smooth in the Williams, but he needs to find some more speed, although this is probably more to do with the Williams chassis than anything else.

There was also some attrition - the first car to stop out on track was Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren! It wasn't obvious what the problem was, as there was no blue-smoke-of-death, and the marshalls were able to push the car away freely. This could be disastrous for Raikkonen's race, and it may also be a sign of things to come. Trulli was another person whose car slowed to a halt with no real signs of trouble. Ide's Aguri ground to a halt in a gravel trap - not surprising given their almost total lack of testing and late entry into the 2006 championship.

In terms of performance, though, Davidson began the year where he left off - top of the time sheets with a time of 1:31.3, only 1.1 s slower than the lap record. Wurz set a fast time late in the session to go third (1:31.7). Ominously, the Ferraris were quick. Schumacher was second with a 1:31.7, Massa was 0.5 s behind Schumacher in 4th. Alonso set the fifth fastest time (1:32.5), but perhaps the result that will ruffle the most feathers was the fact that Liuzzi was sixth fastest in the V10 powered Toro Rosso (1:32.7). It will be interesting to see how this situation develops.

Steve Matchett made the excellent point that all the teams, except Toro Rosso have developed their V8 engines, with a total cost of around a billion dollars. Toro Rosso, Matchett estimates, have a $10 piece of carbon fibre in the air box to act as a restricter. Talk about reducing costs...

Further down the order, the Super Aguris were, as expected, at the bottom; the Toyotas of Ralf and Trulli were 22nd and 24th respectively; Barrichello was 18th with a time of 1:34.4, just over 1.1 s slower than Button, who was 9th fastest; Villeneuve was 25th, with a time of 1:36.2 - his team mate Heidfeld posted a 1:33.8, which was good enough for 14th.

Regardless of the times, it was good to hear those F1 engines again - the V8s did not sound as feeble as I feared, Plus it was good to hear the Speed Channel commentary team again. The most welcome feature of Speed Channel's coverage of practice was their new title sequence, specifically the audio clips from classic commentaries. It is nice to know that the first voice of the new F1 season that I heard was Murray Walker (commentating on the 1969 Italian GP)!

It will be interesting to see what the rest of the weekend brings, especially qualifying.

Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1, Grand Prix

A regular feature of this blog will be a long essay every month. I wanted to publish the first essay before the first race, so I just managed to squeak it in!

The topic for this month, which may turn out to be very apropos - qualifying:

The first GP that I ever saw was the 1989 Hungarian GP. I was ten years old. Wow, what a race! I couldn't have picked a better race to the first I saw.

What was it that made it such an incredible race? Well if you don't know that, then you are not a true fan of F1! Seriously though, the race was brought to life by the driving of Nigel Mansell, who started from a lowly 12th on the grid (Mansell and the Ferrari team decided to concentrate their efforts on a good race set-up, rather than focusing on qualifying). The result was a spectacular demonstration of overtaking at a circuit - the tortuous Hungaroring - that many considered, like Monaco, almost impossible to overtake at. The greatest overtaking manoeuvre of the day was when the first and second placed pair of Senna and Mansell came across Stefan Johansson's slow Onyx coming out of turn 4. Both Senna and Mansell jinked right, but Mansell kept his foot in, and was slightly quicker to react than Senna. They went three-abreast and Mansell squeezed by around the outside before reaching the uphill left-handed turn 5. It is perhaps one of the most famous overtaking manoeuvres in the history of F1.

Ok, so what is the point of this expatiation? The point is this - how often do you see not only stunning overtaking manoeuvres, but overtaking for the lead anymore. It is a pretty rare sight, right? Oh sure, there have been some examples in recent history (Japan 2005 immediately springs to mind), but they are the exception, rather than the rule.

So here's the multi-million dollar TV revenue question: why? The answer is easy - modern aerodynamics and cornering speeds make it impossible to follow another car closely through high speed corners. A corollary of that argument is that the design of modern F1 circuits is poor, and that they don't promote overtaking. This is the accepted wisdom - wisdom that the FIA has even echoed with their proposals for the Centreline Downwash Generating wing.

And for a large part, the above is true. Except when it isn't!

What do I mean by that statement? Well, consider the following races:

Hungary 1989
Mexico 1990
Belgium 1995
Australia 2005
San Marino 2005
Japan 2005

What do all of these races have in common - they were either won by people who qualified quite low down on the grid, or they were characterised by stunning drives through the field from low qualifying positions. Australia 2005 was a particularly notable example in the latter category because second placed Rubens Barrichello and third placed Fernando Alonso qualified 11th and 13th respectively.

There were three (yes THREE) such races in 2005. This was in spite of the new aero regs. In fact, it can be argued that it was more to do with the engine change penalties than anything else (the "race fuel in qualifying" rule almost always failed to spice things up).

So what's the solution to the current paucity of overtaking in F1? Surely the answer is obvious. Rather than dreaming up curiouser and curiouser qualifying formats, screw the whole thing and hold a lottery.

Let's face it - no-one has come up with a better solution. The qualifying format has been changed 5 times in 6 years (I think - I have lost track quite frankly), and the new shoot-out system has a certain aura of being too complicated to follow. So why not try something really simple?

In fact, there are a number of benefits of a lottery system - eliminating qualifying stresses on the cars would mean better reliability; costs could be reduced; the draw could be televised and generate advertising revenue; the time saved on Saturday can be devoted to more fan oriented activities, such as autograph signings and photo oppotunities. The only drawback I can think of is there is no glory to be had in winning pole position. Another simple solution presents itself - award points for the fastest lap of the race, so that drivers can have their glory AND championship points.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a lottery system, though, would be that the teams can concentrate on race set-up rather than qualifying set-up, just like Mansell and Ferrari did in 1989. Then, perhaps, we will see some more fantastic races, just like the very first one I saw.

Labels: Formula 1

Here are some predictions for Bahrain:

Practice - Raikkonen fastest; Hondas, Renaults, Montoya and Michael all up there.
Qualifying - Button on pole; McLarens faster than Renaults
Race - Alonso, Montoya, Button, Fisichella, Barrichello, Michael, Trulli, Webber.

Raikkonen will retire with engine trouble; Rosberg will run as high as fifth, but spin off; Speed and Liuzzi will take each other out; Coulthard will be solid, but miss out on points; Super Aguri will be mobile chicanes.

Labels: Formula 1

Ok, so with practice due to start tomorrow (at 6am EST - yikes!), it is time to make some predictions. First, my predictions for how the season will turn out. We'll see how well they stack up at the end of the year!

Drivers' Championship - Raikkonen, Alonso, Montoya; very close race between Michael, Button and Barrichello for 4th - 6th.

Constructors Championship - McLaren, Renault, Honda, Ferrari, Toyota, Williams, Red Bull, BMW, Toro Rosso, Midland, Super Aguri.

Winners - Raikkonen 6; Alonso 5; Montoya 2; Button 2; Michael 1; Fisichella 1

Bahrain - Alonso✓	US - Raikkonen
Malaysia - Raikkonen✖	France - Alonso
Australia - Alonso✓	Germany - Button
San Marino - Raikkonen	Hungary - Michael
Europe - Raikkonen	Turkey - Alonso
Spain - Alonso	Italy - Montoya
Monaco - Raikkonen	China - Fisichella
Britain - Barrichello	Japan - Raikkonen
Canada - Button	Brazil - Montoya

Where ✓ indicates I was correct, and ✗ indicates I was wrong.

Other - Super Aguri will go bust by mid-season; Rosberg will impress; Liuzzi and Speed will spend more time off track than on it; Raikkonen's bedroom antics will result in a black eye; after a Red Bull party featuring a screening of Brokeback Mountain, Klein and Speed will realise their feelings for each other, and start a secret love affair. OK those last two won't actually happen...

Labels: Formula 1

With the F1 season just over 3 days away now, there are still some unanswered questions. Some of these might get answered very quickly, some may take longer to flesh out:

• Have Ferrari exorcised the ghosts of the 2005 season? Schumacher says the car is quick, quicker than normal, but they have been hampered by bad weather in testing. Will Massa deliver?
  
  
• Have Mercedes cured the engine problems that blighted McLaren during winter testing, and Kimi during the 2005 campaign?
  
  
• Will Williams and the Cosworth engine package be competitive?
  
  
• Can Renault do it again, and will Alonso's move to McLaren in 2007 have any effect on his 2006 campaign?
  
  
• Can Button finally get the job done, with a quick new Honda and a more challenging teammate?
  
  
• Will Toyota's massive investments finally pay off?
  
  
• Will Adrian Newy come through for Red Bull, and can Coulthard impress once more?
  
  
• What will BMW be able to do with the remains of Sauber? Will Villeneuve finally come to his senses and retire? Will BMW get sick of him by second practice in Bahrain and fire him?
  
  
• What will Midland be able to do with the burnt-out shell of Jordan?
  
  
• How will new boys Liuzzi and Speed shape up?
  
  
• Will Super Aguri be anything more than sub-standard
  

And perhaps the most interesting question:

• What will be the relative performances of the Michelin and Bridgestone tyres now that tyre changes have been re-introduced?
  

Answers on a postcard please...

Labels: Formula 1

Eddie Jordan says that he hasn't ruled out a return to F1. However, he says that he would only come back if costs were dramatically reduced. This to me would seem to be one of the best arguments for keeping costs HIGH in F1!

Seriously though, I am ambivalent about EJ making a return. A lot of people in the business seem to like him, but let's face it, his cars were never A-list. Sure 1999 was a pretty successful year for them, but it was all downhill from there. Plus EJ spent a bit too much time being a socialite and not enough time managing the team for my liking. That said, he did have a good eye for talent - he "discovered" the likes of Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Eddie Irvine, Giancarlo Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, and Jarno Trulli - all race winners.

Anyway, here's a list of people that I would really like to see return to F1, in no particular order:

Dave Richards (looking quite likely actually)
Damon Hill
Murray Walker (commentating, not holding VIPs hands - see previous post)
Gordon Murray
Mika Hakkinen
Jackie Stewart (driver, team boss, commentator as opposed to president of the BRDC)
Niki Lauda

In a future post, I'll make a list of people who I think should either leave F1 and fast, or have left and I hope they never come back.

Labels: Formula 1

This is perhaps the most welcome piece of F1 news in the last 5 years - Murray Walker has announced that he will be returning to F1 as an ambassador for Honda. Apparently, he will be entertaining VIPs of Honda at half of this year's races. Let's hope that one of those races is Canada *grin*. Actually, that might not be as far fetched as it sounds - Honda do have a large presence in Rue Peel during the GP weekend. Hmm, maybe I'll write an email to the Honda team...

Murray's ambassadorial position will be his first official connection with F1 since his retirement from commentating in 2001. Now if we can only convince him to take the microphone away from James Allen like a parent taking a bottle of bleach away from a toddler who has just discovered the area under the kitchen sink. Or maybe we should just let him drink the bleach?

Labels: Formula 1

To paraphrase George Harrison, it's been a long cold lonely winter, it seems like years since it's been here. Here comes F1...

The start of the 2006 Formula 1 season is only six days away, and I am rather excited - as excited as I usually am before the start of what promises to be a great season of racing. This year, however, I have decided to take my passion for F1 a bit further, and thus I have decided to start this blog.

Herein, you will find thoughts and comments on a variety of issues in F1, plus race summaries and commentaries, predictions, and maybe even some trivia. This blog, however, is not a one-man show. You will also find thoughts, comments, predictions and so forth from another equally fanatical follower of F1 - my brother Neil.

Together we aim to entertain all who visit this blog - from F1 afficionados to motor racing tyros - with opinion, discussion, and a generally light-hearted attitude towards our mutual passion. We hope that you enjoy this blog, F1, and motor racing in general as much as we do.

Rich ♃♉

Labels: Formula 1