No Monaco Disaster!
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 10:43AM
So far so good. Despite dire predictions of a disaster waiting to happen with 24 cars on the narrow and short Monaco track it seems that so far no one has hit anything other than the barrier. We did not see the morning practice, but the only blocking I saw in the second session was Massa's Ferrari on the Lotus! Practice went largely uneventful, with both Ferrari's doing well, but being the first day the times are not always a good indication. Last weeks winner, Mark Webber finishing well down the order while his team mate was third. Rosberg recovered his form, or his car was back the way he liked it, finishing second and three spots in front of Michael who did not seem happy. Interesting that di Grassi quicker than Glock.
How do we feel about the success of the virtual design of the Virgin? As most will know I am no fan of the over-reliance on simulation, so going down the route of only using it was a gamble for Nick Worth. Yes it seemed to work on the Acura LMP2 car, but it certainly has not shown to be any improvement over the other two new cars, one of which, the HRT, is reported to be not up to F1 standard.
It was interesting to hear during the telecast of practice that part of the Mercedes problem with the front end is their misreading of the performance predictions of this years Bridgestone tire. So, there is nothing like actually trying it. Or maybe I'm wrong because most of the other teams seemed to work it out OK.
Alexander Rossi continues to shine, with third place in the first practice session for the World Series 3.5. Let's hope that some sponsors are watching that can help him to get a ride in a competitive car wherever he goes next. We've seen too often that great talent does not guarantee success in this business, particularly for US and Australian drivers.
Rumors about the Korean GP track not being ready continue to circulate, with Magny Cours of all places being touted to replace it. I was told in New York at the Circuits Forum that the Koreans said thank you very much to Mr. Tilke after he had designed the track, we can build it ourselves. Well they have had a few goes at this before without success, so watch this space.
It appears we have another US would-be F1 team, Cypher. Anyone know who these guys are? It seems they have sent a letter to the FIA expressing interest, or is it intent? Hard to see the FIA going past some established teams such as Epsilon Euskadi, and it seems a bit late to start looking for funds as they are reported as saying. I see no reason why a US Team cannot succeed except that a US sponsor is probably hard to find given the lack of interest here, but perhaps an overseas sponsor might be interested in getting an entree to the US market.
How do we feel about the success of the virtual design of the Virgin? As most will know I am no fan of the over-reliance on simulation, so going down the route of only using it was a gamble for Nick Worth. Yes it seemed to work on the Acura LMP2 car, but it certainly has not shown to be any improvement over the other two new cars, one of which, the HRT, is reported to be not up to F1 standard.
It was interesting to hear during the telecast of practice that part of the Mercedes problem with the front end is their misreading of the performance predictions of this years Bridgestone tire. So, there is nothing like actually trying it. Or maybe I'm wrong because most of the other teams seemed to work it out OK.
Alexander Rossi continues to shine, with third place in the first practice session for the World Series 3.5. Let's hope that some sponsors are watching that can help him to get a ride in a competitive car wherever he goes next. We've seen too often that great talent does not guarantee success in this business, particularly for US and Australian drivers.
Rumors about the Korean GP track not being ready continue to circulate, with Magny Cours of all places being touted to replace it. I was told in New York at the Circuits Forum that the Koreans said thank you very much to Mr. Tilke after he had designed the track, we can build it ourselves. Well they have had a few goes at this before without success, so watch this space.
It appears we have another US would-be F1 team, Cypher. Anyone know who these guys are? It seems they have sent a letter to the FIA expressing interest, or is it intent? Hard to see the FIA going past some established teams such as Epsilon Euskadi, and it seems a bit late to start looking for funds as they are reported as saying. I see no reason why a US Team cannot succeed except that a US sponsor is probably hard to find given the lack of interest here, but perhaps an overseas sponsor might be interested in getting an entree to the US market.
$20 million of Bull!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 10:24AM
In a time when teams are complaining of tight sponsorship and money to run the team is it not absurd for Red Bull to spend a reported $20m on a new paddock home? Apparently it will not fit in the paddock in Monaco so will float in the harbor! Renault have the right idea, use Toyota's old one. What can you possibly need for a three day weekend that costs $20m? I do not agree with everything Flavio says, but he is right when he says the spending is still out of control. He said the other day that we now have three teams spending about $60m a year to go 2 seconds a lap quicker than a GP2 car at $5m a year!
The moaning continues about having 24 cars on track at Monaco for qualifying. It was not that long ago that we always had 24 cars, it was only when Arrows and Prost etc ran out of money that the grids went down to 18. Were the drivers spoiled by one lap qualifying? There have been more than 24 cars at times, and not all fast either. Cars are no wider and the drivers less able than before, so get over it. The strategy of when to go for a fast lap is as much a part of racing as driving fast. I have been known to comment many times that there is a world of difference between driving fast and racing. The best drivers are thinking of strategy more than the driving, and although I am not a fan, I have to say Michael is one of the best at that.
In a similar vein, there are tracks that I am sure are really great fun to drive on your own, but are terrible to race on. Think about it.
News from Monaco is that the FIA has mandated that the curbs at the "new chicane" and the corner after the swimming pool be the type seen at Monza with the high back section to try and stop curb jumping. That is going to result in some problems and a lot of complaints. Do not get me wrong, I think it is way to easy to just go over curbs like we saw at Barcelona last weekend, so something has to be done, just not sure that design is it.
Alexandre Rossi is impressing someone. He has been brought in to drive for the ISR Team in the World Series 3.5 race at Monaco this weekend. Traditionally the F3 race at Monaco was the opportunity for young drivers to impress the F1 Team Owners, so good luck Alexander!
Lastly a plug for two other sites you might find interesting, particularly if you are into sports car racing. www.lastturnclub.com has news and photos from ALMS and some Grand-Am, and if you need a laugh try www.murphythebear.com/blog. The last one is great gossip and scurrilous views. It takes some deciphering sometimes, but you get the point.
The moaning continues about having 24 cars on track at Monaco for qualifying. It was not that long ago that we always had 24 cars, it was only when Arrows and Prost etc ran out of money that the grids went down to 18. Were the drivers spoiled by one lap qualifying? There have been more than 24 cars at times, and not all fast either. Cars are no wider and the drivers less able than before, so get over it. The strategy of when to go for a fast lap is as much a part of racing as driving fast. I have been known to comment many times that there is a world of difference between driving fast and racing. The best drivers are thinking of strategy more than the driving, and although I am not a fan, I have to say Michael is one of the best at that.
In a similar vein, there are tracks that I am sure are really great fun to drive on your own, but are terrible to race on. Think about it.
News from Monaco is that the FIA has mandated that the curbs at the "new chicane" and the corner after the swimming pool be the type seen at Monza with the high back section to try and stop curb jumping. That is going to result in some problems and a lot of complaints. Do not get me wrong, I think it is way to easy to just go over curbs like we saw at Barcelona last weekend, so something has to be done, just not sure that design is it.
Alexandre Rossi is impressing someone. He has been brought in to drive for the ISR Team in the World Series 3.5 race at Monaco this weekend. Traditionally the F3 race at Monaco was the opportunity for young drivers to impress the F1 Team Owners, so good luck Alexander!
Lastly a plug for two other sites you might find interesting, particularly if you are into sports car racing. www.lastturnclub.com has news and photos from ALMS and some Grand-Am, and if you need a laugh try www.murphythebear.com/blog. The last one is great gossip and scurrilous views. It takes some deciphering sometimes, but you get the point.
Backmarkers and Virgins
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 09:33AM
There is a lot of talk about the problem of the three new teams being too slow and dangerous to pass. There was a request to split the Q1 session in this weekends Monaco GP, but we all know the potential problems that raises. It rains for the second group, or someone drops a bunch of oil, and the second group are all complaining.
The commentators speculate that these F1 drivers are not used to slow traffic, unlike their Endurance racing counterparts. These guys are the best there is, so how can that be? In endurance racing there are separate classes with large speed differential, but they all race their own race. The slower classes do have to be aware of who is coming up behind them, but basically they keep racing. The poor guys in Lotus, HRT and Virgin have all been brow beaten that they are somehow not worthy to be out there and they should just stay out of the way. That leads to situations where Hamilton is exiting the pits with Vettel at full bore in the main straight, and a "backmarker" desperately trying to hide, except he is right on the line at the apex of the corner basically parked. If he had just stayed on his race line the guys could have sorted it out, as it was it was nearly a disaster.
You drivers out there feel free to correct me, but I was always taught that if you are being overtaken stay on the race line at your speed and let the fast guy go around, at least he can predict where you are going. At the moment the fast guys have no idea where the slower guys are going to be when they get there, but it is usually in the wrong place. Let's stop complaining about them and let them race their own race.
Talking about Virgin, both cars finished this race, even though only one had supposedly the new larger fuel tank that would get him to the end. Did Di Grassi run around slowly enough to save that much fuel or is there something else behind the supposed fuel tank problem?
McLaren confirmed it was a rim failure and not the tire that sent Hamilton into the barrier, but it does not seem to be related to stones from the gravel. Loose wheel nut a possible cause, similar to Vettel at the Australian GP?
The commentators speculate that these F1 drivers are not used to slow traffic, unlike their Endurance racing counterparts. These guys are the best there is, so how can that be? In endurance racing there are separate classes with large speed differential, but they all race their own race. The slower classes do have to be aware of who is coming up behind them, but basically they keep racing. The poor guys in Lotus, HRT and Virgin have all been brow beaten that they are somehow not worthy to be out there and they should just stay out of the way. That leads to situations where Hamilton is exiting the pits with Vettel at full bore in the main straight, and a "backmarker" desperately trying to hide, except he is right on the line at the apex of the corner basically parked. If he had just stayed on his race line the guys could have sorted it out, as it was it was nearly a disaster.
You drivers out there feel free to correct me, but I was always taught that if you are being overtaken stay on the race line at your speed and let the fast guy go around, at least he can predict where you are going. At the moment the fast guys have no idea where the slower guys are going to be when they get there, but it is usually in the wrong place. Let's stop complaining about them and let them race their own race.
Talking about Virgin, both cars finished this race, even though only one had supposedly the new larger fuel tank that would get him to the end. Did Di Grassi run around slowly enough to save that much fuel or is there something else behind the supposed fuel tank problem?
McLaren confirmed it was a rim failure and not the tire that sent Hamilton into the barrier, but it does not seem to be related to stones from the gravel. Loose wheel nut a possible cause, similar to Vettel at the Australian GP?
Hello world!
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 10:09AM
Welcome to my Blog. As those of you that have read my work previously will know I am passionate about motor sport and not afraid to voice my opinions. So this is not a news blog, although I will use it to update on events in my world, but rather a commentary on current events.
This last weekend was a busy and interesting one, with the Spa 1000 km being particularly bizarre. The race was red flagged because the power went off! I had stand by generators at races in 1985, and needed them, so how in the 21st Century do we let that happen at a major event like this? The Peugeot won, but the Audi's were not that far off the pace to suggest that Le Mans will be a forgone conclusion.
The Formula One race from Barcelona produced a typical race for that track. It has too many long fast corners and no great overtaking place. The corner they have made tighter, the new chicane is a joke and has failed to produce the desired effect of making it easier to follow someone through the corner on to the straight and then set up an overtaking opportunity. Talking of that who else believes that Jenson was way too nice to Michael and some other drivers we know would have been past and gone. Who else thinks Mercedes have done wrong by Nico Rosberg? Here he is second in the championship and we change the car to suit his team mate! Nico is too professional to tell us what he really thinks, but I bet there are some harsh words being said internally. An example of manufacturers doing things for their own reason, and not the good of the sport?
The whole Vettel incident is questionable. Now I was not driving and not in the team, but it seems to me that if your team is telling you your brakes are critical and liable to fail at any application it would be the correct thing to do for the driver's safety and others on the track to stop? Vettel said this morning that the team asked him to, but that was a transmission we did not hear. All the ones we heard on the broadcast were slow down your brakes are going to fail. Opinions?
One suggestion this morning is that the brake problem was caused by a stone, just as Hamilton's wheel/tire failure has been blamed on one. Looking at the on-board it did seem as though it was a wheel/suspension failure rather than a tire, but it is so quick it is hard to tell. The tire did not de-laminate though so it is hard to see that it caused the damage to the suspension. Is there a problem with the stone used at Barcelona? Hamilton had a similar accident at the Nurburgring a couple of years ago, but I do not remember as many problems with stones being lodged as there have been here. It is not as if the drivers are dragging a lot of stone on to the track, especially now there are asphalt areas behind most curbs.
We hear this morning that the F-Duct is to be banned next year, but KERS is likely to come back. Why? The same argument applies, if all the teams have it there is no advantage and we are spending a bunch of money for nothing. Some argue the F-Duct is potentially dangerous, and KERS is not? All in the name of being "relevant." Horse racing stopped being relevant to transportation nearly 100 years ago, but people still do it and enjoy it. Baseball and football are not relevant to anyone but their fans. Stop messing with motor racing!
On the same bill at Barcelona young American Alexander Rossi did well from the back of the grid in the first race and won the second. Well done Alexander. Perhaps we finally have an American that will go all the way and we can have someone to cheer for!
And last, Max Biaggi won both rounds of the World Superbike at Monza. No offense to Max, but he was racing when I worked on Kenny Roberts team in 1992! Either the motorcycles are too easy to ride or there are no good young riders to beat him. I fear that the feeder series in motorcycles are in decline and not producing the future champions sorely needed. Let's hope Dakota Mamola can prove me wrong.
This last weekend was a busy and interesting one, with the Spa 1000 km being particularly bizarre. The race was red flagged because the power went off! I had stand by generators at races in 1985, and needed them, so how in the 21st Century do we let that happen at a major event like this? The Peugeot won, but the Audi's were not that far off the pace to suggest that Le Mans will be a forgone conclusion.
The Formula One race from Barcelona produced a typical race for that track. It has too many long fast corners and no great overtaking place. The corner they have made tighter, the new chicane is a joke and has failed to produce the desired effect of making it easier to follow someone through the corner on to the straight and then set up an overtaking opportunity. Talking of that who else believes that Jenson was way too nice to Michael and some other drivers we know would have been past and gone. Who else thinks Mercedes have done wrong by Nico Rosberg? Here he is second in the championship and we change the car to suit his team mate! Nico is too professional to tell us what he really thinks, but I bet there are some harsh words being said internally. An example of manufacturers doing things for their own reason, and not the good of the sport?
The whole Vettel incident is questionable. Now I was not driving and not in the team, but it seems to me that if your team is telling you your brakes are critical and liable to fail at any application it would be the correct thing to do for the driver's safety and others on the track to stop? Vettel said this morning that the team asked him to, but that was a transmission we did not hear. All the ones we heard on the broadcast were slow down your brakes are going to fail. Opinions?
One suggestion this morning is that the brake problem was caused by a stone, just as Hamilton's wheel/tire failure has been blamed on one. Looking at the on-board it did seem as though it was a wheel/suspension failure rather than a tire, but it is so quick it is hard to tell. The tire did not de-laminate though so it is hard to see that it caused the damage to the suspension. Is there a problem with the stone used at Barcelona? Hamilton had a similar accident at the Nurburgring a couple of years ago, but I do not remember as many problems with stones being lodged as there have been here. It is not as if the drivers are dragging a lot of stone on to the track, especially now there are asphalt areas behind most curbs.
We hear this morning that the F-Duct is to be banned next year, but KERS is likely to come back. Why? The same argument applies, if all the teams have it there is no advantage and we are spending a bunch of money for nothing. Some argue the F-Duct is potentially dangerous, and KERS is not? All in the name of being "relevant." Horse racing stopped being relevant to transportation nearly 100 years ago, but people still do it and enjoy it. Baseball and football are not relevant to anyone but their fans. Stop messing with motor racing!
On the same bill at Barcelona young American Alexander Rossi did well from the back of the grid in the first race and won the second. Well done Alexander. Perhaps we finally have an American that will go all the way and we can have someone to cheer for!
And last, Max Biaggi won both rounds of the World Superbike at Monza. No offense to Max, but he was racing when I worked on Kenny Roberts team in 1992! Either the motorcycles are too easy to ride or there are no good young riders to beat him. I fear that the feeder series in motorcycles are in decline and not producing the future champions sorely needed. Let's hope Dakota Mamola can prove me wrong.