Welcome to chambers all – coffee and a Danish? Hope those ex-colonials get that New York GP sorted then we can have eggs every which way.

Any way, a lot has been going on behind the scenes since we last had a chat, so I thought it time we caught up on:

By the way, we have just completed 26 weeks since TJ13 was launched and have had 189,000 visits from over 120 countries – today it is more than 5,500 so far.

Participation

Thank you too everyone who has been volunteering to get involved – and to those who have had a go at writing but felt it’s not for them – good on you.

Part of TJ13 is to demonstrate to the world what the fans can do without the gazillions that F1 fritters away and the feedback I’m getting is that people are enjoying what they do and it’s getting them closer to F1.

Even if you just join in the debates in the comments section, that’s great – it helps build our community and gives me great ideas for topics. Today we had James from Fox Silver – who create some of the most amazing trophies for F1 – commenting. What he had to say was very enlightening.

I’m hoping for a TJ13 Fox Silver designed badge – James 😉

Anyway if you check out the ‘about’ tab above and select ‘Judicial Board’ you’ll see who is doing what and what opportunities there are to get involved. If you would like to be involved just speak up to thejudge13@hotmail.com.

The future

Live chat:

As I announced we will be running a live chat on the TJ13  Facebook site during the race, but we are workng on bringing this facility to the main site but that will take some time.

This will mean we can run ‘events’ where we open up the live chat for you to speak with guests and with each other for planned debates etc – it ll just takes time.

I will also be on twitter if you use the twitter sphere during the race @thejudge13

Victims of circumstance

TJ13 reader Adam MacDonald is going to run this feature. We’ve all been in ‘if only he hadn’t had a…. gearbox penalty… Been taken out by…’ debates.

This is just like the person who minding their own business is a hostage to fortune as they are caught up in a crime not of their own making, just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Adam will be publishing a set of criteria which will allow us to say.. ‘If this hadn’t happened… This may have been the result’. There will be a drivers and team alternative championship table we will publish after each race.

The purpose for this is not to be absolutely correct but to help us think more deeply about and debate what affects the fortunes of teams and drivers throughout the season.

Event of the weekend

Lots of sites do driver of the day etc, so we thought we’d look at the weekend as an entire event and look for the best moments of the event. We’ll start the weekend on Thursday with the FIA drivers conference in case anything outrageous happens there worthy of consideration and I’ll put up the pole following the race.

This may include an excellent drive, but the problem with restricting this to driver of the weekend is often there is nothing outstanding to discuss.

To send in your suggestions for inclusion in the pole look on the right hand bar just below the race weekend count-down for the entry form.

‘On Track’ Reviews

I’m delighted to welcome James Parker to the writing team. He did a review last week of the Barcelona test which was well received by you all. He will be writing a post qualification review – reading the tea leaves of the weekend so far  – with a view as to what we can expect in the race.

Also, following the race James will write the post race ‘on track’ review whilst I can focus on giving my insight and information on all the other goings on of the F1 circus.

Grand Prix predictor

Last chance to join us in the season long Grand Prix predictor competition.

Don’t forget to join TJ13, Charlie W and others and play along. We have 32 contenders so far….

You have to simply predict the pole position, fastest lap, person who will make up the most number of places during the race together with the order of race positions from 1-10.

There were 20,000 global entrants last year and I managed to finish in the top 400. They had a prize of $35,000 of motorsport ‘vouchers’ for the global winner and other prizes for certain race weekend achievements.

Also there are 3 ‘experts’ to play against – Autosport and 2 others I don’t remember (I think Herbert was one) – and they were soundly beaten by TJ13 🙂

Anyway we have our own league within the global game called “TheJudge13 All Star F1 racers” so if you fancy a bit of fun and banter why not enter.

The Judge13 TV  

Enjoy some classic the moments of the Australian Grand Prix we have sourced for you. Click on this link to TJ13 TV YouTube channel and if you ‘subscribe’ you’ll get an email when a new video is posted.

You can also join the discussions below the videos. I can’t put all the videos in the blog so to keep in touch with this great F1 resource – sign up today.

The Formula One Fan Anthem

Well it appears to be the season for poetry, and who would have thought Lewis would be the one to kick us off. Anyway here is something you may appreciate.

Our mission statement, our oath our creed

It is high-octane petrol that we bleed

Formula One fans, get up on your feet

Right hand on you heart so you feel it beat

Repeat after me and say it real loud

WE ARE F1 FANS, WE’RE FIERCE AND WE’RE PROUD!

 

We solemnly swear to watch every race

And closely follow the title chase

From coast to coast and pub to pub

From living room or Motorsports club

We shall not waver, We shall not fault

Formula One We shall exalt

 

Our drivers Our teams Our Motorsport

We shall glorify, defend and support

On battlefields of tarmac and gravel

On every continent that you may travel

On Grand Prix weekend, We ‘ll stand and cheer

Mindful not to spill our beer

 

We shall awake at a ridiculous hour

To witness the battle between grip and power

The stewards rulings we shall accept

Regardless of timezone or whether we’ve slept

We shall honour the legends of present and past

And pay tributes to those whose time has passed

 

Brothers and sisters, friends and foes

United we stand through highs and lows

We are the strongest and loudest among the crowd

WE ARE F1 FANS, WE’RE FIERCE AND WE’RE PROUD!

Author: Ernie Black
Twitter: @TheF1Poet
Blog: http://TheF1Poet.wordpress.com