Formula One - Update

It's been a while since I posted about Formula One; and what a season it's been up to now.

Sebastian Vettel is running away with the drivers championship; he just appears to be unbeatable; even to the extent that Lewis Hamilton threw in the towel (and then retracted that comment, and said he would always be fighting the championship!)

There has been little controversy; except where Hamilton has been concerned; with ex-driver Niki Lauder complaining about his driving; and that if something wasn't done; he (Hamilton) would end up killing someone.

Jenson Button (McLaren) drove the race of his life in Canada; coming from the back, to win (after Vettel, uncharacteristically, made a mistake).  It was a drive of sheer genius.

Ferrari have been working hard; and Alonso and Massa have both been driving well; with the Spaniard being the marginal better, overall, driver.  It's just a shame they can't convert to big points.

The last race, in Valencia, now holds the record as the race with most finishes - all 24 cars that started the race, managed to finish under the chequered flag. That, in itself, is an achievement.

The F1 circus comes home this weekend; as all attention is turned to Silverstone.  It's a circuit I've been to a few times; and the atmosphere is just incredible.  I hope the rain stays away, and all the teams have a great weekend.

The current championship points and statistics are available from www.f1fanatic.co.uk here

The Drivers and Teams

Tomorrow is qualifying.  The waiting is almost over.  So, who are the teams and the drivers.  This is a quick glance at each.

Click on the link of each driver (where available) for a full biography.  The links go to one of the best F1 websites I've ever seen - F1 Fanatic. There is so much information about everything Formula 1; it's definitely the place to find out more.


Red Bull Racing
1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Mark Webber

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Jenson Button

Scuderia Ferrari
5. Fernando Alonso
6. Felipe Massa

Mercedes Grand Prix
7. Michael Schumacher
8. Nico Rosberg

Renault F1 Team
9. Nick Heidfeld
10. Vitaly Petrov

Williams-Cosworth
11. Rubens Barrichello
12. Pastor Maldonado

Force India
14. Adrian Sutil
15. Paul di Resta

Sauber-Ferrari
16. Kamui Kobayashi
17. Sergio Perez

Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferraro
18. Sebastien Buemi
19. Jaime Alguersuari

Lotus-Renualt
20. Jarno Trulli
21. Heikki Kovalainen

HRT-Cosworth
22. Narain Karthikeyan
23. Vitantonio Liuzzi

Virgin Racing-Cosworth
24. Timo Glock
25. Jerome d'Ambrosio


So there you go.  24 drivers; the biggest number ever on a Formula 1 grid.  Some 'old' names, with Rubens Barrichello the stalwart of the pack!! There are some new names too; Pastor Maldonado, Paul di Resta (another Brit) and Jerome d'Ambrosio all joining for their first season.

One name missing is Robert Kubica, who suffered a terrible rally accident and is still recuperating.  The Renault team will miss him, and everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.

It really promises to be an exciting season; and I'll be providing my own, brief, updates as the season progresses.

The Countdown Continues

Is this cheating?

Mmm.. I think it might be; but it's the easiest way to portray the excitement that is Formula 1.

What do you mean, you're not excited?  How dare you!!

It's just 4 days until qualifying, in Melbourne, and the first time we really see which cars have been showing all during the recent practice sessions.

Here, then, is the preview from the BBC



Bring. It. On!

Five Days

Oh my goodness! It's almost time.
The excitement has been building for months.
They've been practising, revising and practising some more.

On Friday, there will be two more practise sessions; and on Saturday, qualifying for the first grid of the 2011 Formula One season will take place.

Even before the racing gets under way, there has been so much happening.

The political events in Bahrain eventually led to the first race being postponed; and now it's likely to be cancelled from the calendar altogether, this year.

The teams have new rules to digest, learn and incorporate into their strategies.  Pirelli, the tyre maker, have taken over from Bridgestone; and not everyone is happy with the durability.  Some drivers believe they will lead to more pit-stops.  Others, who have a softer driving style, may benefit from this, and make their tyres last longer.

The rear wing, on the car, is now adjustable by the driver, mid race.  Under certain conditions, they can alter the angle and increase downforce (the energy that 'sticks' the car to the road) which will make them go faster and be able to over-take.  There are some pretty stringent rules for this; and I look forward to seeing how they will be enforced!!

KERS; the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, has been re-introduced after being banned last year.  For the uninitiated; this means that the energy produced through breaking is stored and can be used to provide a power boost.  It's a small boost; but will be enough to either pull away a lead; or from the start-line; make a faster getaway!!!

The recent practise sessions have shown some remarkable differences in performance; and Ferrari and Red Bull certainly seem to have the better all-round package.  However, this time Mercedes did well too.  McLaren didn't run the car as long as other teams; leading to speculation that they have lots of work to do.  Personally; I think they'll be quite happy; and as always, there will be modifications across the board, by all teams as the season progresses.

So; during this week; I'll introduce the teams and their drivers; as they make their way to Melbourne, next Sunday.

It promises to be an exciting season.  Do you support a Formula 1 team?  Who do you hope will take the chequered flag this year?

That Was The (Wet) Month That Was

July is drawing to a close, and with it, one of the wettest months on record. I've already written about the floods that have caused devastation around the country. It's been a busy month at work, as momentum continues to build for the implementation of our new Oracle system.

• The final installment of Harry Potter was published;
• Lewis Hamilton admitted to 'messing it up' at Silverstone
• Ferrari & McLaren are at loggerheads over stolen documents
• Facebook continues apace, with more 'friends' - now they're in a legal wrangle with ConnectU
• The biggest film of the summer (so far), Transformers, was released;
• The Simpsons debuted on the big screen;
• The BBC have just launched their iPlayer - more here
• The rain continues to fall;
• We should start a Sun Dance, to bring the sun back again. Do they do such a thing?
• I started wearing contact lenses (although the left eye is causing me problems!)
• The Boys broke up for the holidays - and The Wife is doing an excellent job of keeping them entertained and busy.

I am off each Friday, for the next 3 Fridays, making it a nice 4-day week, and a chance to spend some time with the children during the summer break.

We're planning a trip to Bournemouth at the end of August, and I've just paid for our holiday to Menorca (at the end of September).

So much to look forward to. But, first the weekend. Hope you have a good one. I certainly intend to.

Harry Potter and the Blue Screen of Death

Wow - it's Tuesday. Doesn't time fly.
I'm typing this on a replacement laptop - mine died "The Blue Screen of Death"! I'm still waiting for someone to repair it, so in the meantime, I have this heap of junk, with a dodgy keyboard, and virtually no processing power.
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We went to the Trafford Centre on Saturday, which was quite pleasant. Number One came off best, as much was purchased ready for his starting in Junior school.
In the evening we went to Pizza Express with a couple of friends, and we had a lovely time.
I took the boys swimming on Sunday, and in the afternoon, we played on the Wii.
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I've just realised that the new Harry Potter book is out on Saturday. I hope the postman doesn't let me down and deliver it in a timely fashion. I've also paid for a copy of the new Mario game, bought on eBay. So looking forward to that dropping through the letter box, hopefully in time for the weekend.
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I've also put some stuff up for sale on eBay. Some Playstation 2 games that I don't play, and one for the Wii (well, I hope it sells for more that I can get in part-x at the shop).
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On Friday I booked the hotel for next years British Grand Prix. However, I found out last night that there is a school do on the same day, so it looks like I won't be able to go. Never mind, we'll save it for another year. Now, to cancel the booking.
On the subject of the Grand Prix, it seems McLaren are in a spot of bother over the Ferrari documentation affair. We'll have to wait about 10 days for the FIA hearing, but I hope that they are not found guilty. Apparently, the punishment could reverberate around the team, and Lewis may find himself short of a few points. We'll have to watch this space.
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Facebook is providing much muse at the moment. Everyone seems to be 'biting' each other, and I've slowly started to add some more friends. It's a strange concept that just seems to have taken off.
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Right - back to work. There'll be more later in the week. That is, if I don't suffer too much after my workout at the gym tonight!! Ouch.

A Grand (Prix) Day Out

What a day!

• Alarm - 05:00


• Left hotel - 05:30


• Arrived Cherwell Valley Services (to leave my car) - 06:00


• Arrived Silverstone (car park) - 06:50


• Found a spot - 07:00

It was quite cool, but at least the sun was shining. The first race of the day was at 09:00 - a GP2 race. This started to get everyone in the mood.

This was followed by a Porsche race, which was actually quite exciting. The F1 drivers were then paraded around the circuit on the back of a low-loader.

Whilst they got prepared, The Red Arrows did their stuff (to lots of ooohs and aaaahs!)

Finally, at 13:00 the race got underway, and whilst Lewis made an excellent start, he was no match for the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. It was lucky that Felipe Massa had trouble at the start, otherwise he may not have been on the podium.

So, he is 12 points clear in the championship, and with 2 in the top 3, McLaren extend their lead in the Constructors Championship.

And the day itself? Apart from having to queue 30 minutes for the toilet, it was a fantastic day out, and thanks to My Dad for providing the company. We had a lot of fun. Thanks also to My Mum for providing a stellar food supply (which was much nicer than the c**p being served up).

The drive home was a little laborious, but I had the tennis on Radio 5 Live to keep me company, as well as a few showers and heavy downpours.

Whatever - I hope we can do it again sometime.

Grand Prix Fever

The free practice sessions today saw Ferrari dominate the McLarens, however as we don't know the setup of the cars, it doesn't really matter until tomorrows qualifying.

Yet another team has been embroiled in the saga surrounding team secrets etc. It seems a shame that Lewis' results are being undermined by those who are jealous of his achievements. Just let the talented 22 year old get on with his job. He has proved he has the pace, whilst at one point today being the fastest on the track.
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I have just checked the weather report and it is looking really good for the rest of the weekend. I might even need to take some sun cream with!

Click here to see the latest forecast for Towcester, from the BBC.
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On Monday, it is The Wifes birthday, and as I won't be around on Sunday, I have decided to forgo my lie-in tomorrow morning. It will give me the chance to get the boys to write the birthday cards, and at some point tomorrow we will have to go and buy a present - but what?

Answers on a postcard - or by clicking the link below.
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So, an early night, in preparation for a long(ish) day tomorrow. There probably won't be any more blogs until after Sunday (can't think why, I must be busy...).
If you're going to watch the race on TV, then let's hope it's a good one.

Sleep well and enjoy the weekend.

Five Days To Go

I'm so excited. It's just five days until the British Grand Prix. So checklist time:

• Hotel - booked.
• Wellies - ready, just in case
• Radio - a couple of Walkman radios to listen to the 5 Live commentary.
• McLaren shirt - ready
• McLaren drivers cap - ready
• Tickets - ready

More revelations today about Ferrari and McLaren team members apparently behaving badly. Who'd have thought it eh? Watch this space for further developments.

That's it for today. Short and sweet.
Back soon.