Morning all. I’m feeling a bit grumpy today. My local bakery was bereft of an absolute essential part of the start to my day – Danish Pastry. So double espresso and smattering of salt-cured fish-eggs of the Acipenserides family – on a cracker – it has to be.
Anyway, to the F1 summer shut down… now there’s a story in itself.
Those of you who believe that the factories which build and design the most sophisticated prototype racing cars on the planet actually fall silent for 2 weeks – have been greatly misled. This does not happen, certainly in a number of teams facilities where TJ13 friends reside.
So we all suffer a summer of no F1 and why? It is based upon a delusional notion that the hard working families of the F1 employees are taking a well earned break and that no car development work for 2 weeks takes place. Balderdash.
Anyway, what they do is their business I guess – oh… unless it’s in breach of the law governing the sport… but hey that’s never bothered anyone before.
On to TJ13 plans. For the next few weeks I will be partaking in a challenge which takes me to a remote part of the planet where there is no 3G or internet. Life will be simple and much like the days prior to the industrial revolution.
On the one hand I am filled with horror at the thought of the isolation from the common consciousness of humanity as shared via the internet. On the other, it feels like a worthy activity which should give me a different – even if not permanent – perspective on life and what is really important.
The strange part of this is the pilgrimage is open ended (not forever) but the date of return is somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks I believe.
I need to be around for SPA, though it could be that it is only after the race I can get to put quill to parchment.
This self imposed exile from the 21st century feels a little selfish to you all, because we are a community and you meet to chat not just with me. The metaphorical slamming of the courtroom doors is clearly not just.
This made me think a little about internet communities and in fact they will probably appear to some a little strange. Here at TJ13 we all meet daily in the courtroom and discuss the affairs of the day from places across the planet in when it is night for some and day for others.
So Mr. Huntley Jacobs, Mr. Myburgh and I have come up with a plan to hopefully facilitate the continuing social parlance amongst those who are not disappearing from the routine of their daily lives.
We have about 9 or 10 articles being prepared by our much respected writers who have evolved as an integral and vital part of the team – since they first happened through our doors.
Now as excellent and engaging as I’m sure these posts will be, there won’t be one for every day. So we have decided that someone amongst the writers will still post the daily news page. However, this will be a 2 sentence or so summary of stories in the English speaking media with the link to take you to the original and full article.
Then it’s over to everyone to pick up the gavel, make their judgement on the matters which arise and hand it over to the next commentator. A little like musical chairs, without the music…. or the chairs…. And nobody get’s knocked out either
That was not the best example I guess – better thought of as ‘pass the gavel’.
So it is with a heavy heart I bid you farewell – au revoir – but not goodbye
(And please don’t have wild parties and wreck the joint. This is not a state funded establishment)
😉
Do those teams really work in this break??If so, can FIA not find out about this??
I guess they’re on holiday – so they don’t know
Yes and no is the short answer. All car related work ceases.Or at least it does within the confines of the premises. Of course the designers will be thinking thngs but they can’t action anything so it just backs up until they open shop again.
However most of the teams FM department will be flat out over the two weeks getting all those jobs done which they were not able to do or any facility upgrades as this two weeks is usually the best time to do them. .
No rest for those poor buggers I can tell you!
I’ve never been able to place any faith in the shut down notion simply because it is just that – a notion. If a team is hell bent on development and winning they won’t be wasting time playing happy families like the FIA and FOM would like us to believe.
Exactly
Sent from my iPhone
Happy to play that game. I was in Force India today and the place was deserted. The Design office was empty, every laptop sat on the desk closed. Every PC off. Downstairs the cars were in bits on jacks sitting on their own. Stores shut, Inspection area void of anyone .IT lights off and locked. Every department was closed. etc etc.
Therefore what actual development is being done and where? Sure at home or in the pub a few are probably gathering and crunching numbers, exchanging ideas and trying to add something but they do not have access to the wind tunnel -shut- or the CFD -on standby- so where is this actual development being carried out? In a secret underground bunker with an exact replica of the facilitiy held waiting for 2 weeks in August? Hmm not likely.
Perhaps some of them are -shock horror- actually having a holiday? Well they do get their 5 weeks whatever so maybe just maybe they go away as the kids are off it kinda makes sense…
All development has to have traceability. That makes sense as everything needs to be seen as part of a whole and of course if something goes wrong – Senna’s steering column for example- investigations would need to be done. If a team turned up at Spa with some fancy new breakthrough then it would be easy for the FIA to ask them for the development process. If on July 31st it was at x stage and miraculously on August 15th it was x+y then it would be hard to argue that development hadn’t continued surreptitiously. Don’t forget all the teams watch each other like hawks and can’t wait to snitch if they have a hint of a tint something dodgy is going on.
I agree there maybe development but probably and around 1% of normal which is acceptable in terms of what they are trying to achieve
Good heavens! They just let anyone wander in off the street then?
I’m not surprised then that the real work is continuing elsewhere where the sticky beaks can’t 🙂
As a serial lurker and minimal poster may I take this opportunity to wish you a reviving sabbatical and thank you for your tireless uncovering of F1 gems thus far.
In the words of a certain well know politician – “I’l be back”
You say politician, more of a actor really 🙂
I quite purposefully chose my original noun with careful precision.
To be an actor, you would need to not play yourself in each different story. 🙂
Sent from my iPhone
Enjoy the retreat TJ – come back with some good stories!
Please tell me where in the world this place is without 3G and internet so I can take my wife on a real holiday where she is not checking her Blackberry several times a day! ??
Don’t think I’ll survive without my phone… Hi, my name is Don and I am addicted to my phone 😛
Several times a day is not that often nowadays!
Can you do some Chiltern bashing please?