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Previously on TJ13:
#F1 Features: The King is Dead, Long Live the King – Part 2
OTD Lite – 1970 French Grand Prix
Formula E gets off to a whizzzz
Thursday’s Press Conference Report
the picture that speaks a thousand words…
Raikkonen will be ‘great’ again – Mattiacci (GMM)
Button hurry-up printed on ‘chip paper’ – Neale (GMM)
OTD Lite – 1970 French Grand Prix
OTD Lite: 1970 – On this day, Jochen Rindt took victory at one of the greatest circuits ever built. The Charade circuit outside Clermont-Ferrand hosted just four races and was often described as an even twister and faster version of the Nurburgring. In 1969, the circuit forced some drivers to wear open-faced helmets due to the effects of motion sickness as they circulated the “Volcano Circuit”.
Due to drivers cutting corners, and the circuit being littered with rocks and stones, it was not unusual for punctures to occur and for drivers to even be hit by flying rocks. In 1970, Rindt got hit in the face by a rock and a similar incident occurred in 1972 to Helmut Marko, ending his Formula One career and ultimately the track’s.
In 1966, John Frankenheimer made the film in front of 3000 locals who posed as race fans – despite the circuit not hosting a Grand Prix that year – possibly amongst them would have been Patrick Depaillier, a native of the local city, as were the Michelin brothers.
The circuit remained in use until the 80’s but it’s original layout was the subject of criticism – and being built on the side of an extinct volcano run offs couldn’t be installed. Three marshals were killed in 1980 during a touring car race and by 1988 it was consigned to history.
Formula E gets off to a whizzzz
After the first two days of testing at the Donington Circuit, England – the initial reaction to the new generation of cars for the Formula E racing series has been surprisingly positive despite it being dubbed ‘Scalectrix racing’ by some. Soon to be going around central London, as the Battersea E Prix has been announced, the Formula is set to offer something different to racing fans. Below is a quick taster video of the first two days of testing, so what do you think TJ13 readers?
Thursday’s Press Conference Report
Valtteri Bottas, Jenson Button, Max Chilton, Lewis Hamilton, Daniil Kvyat and Felipe Massa attended this years’ drivers’ press conference at the Silverstone track.
The home of motorsport
Well… at least that is what they say in England about Silverstone. Maybe rightfully so, seeing that the track hosted the first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1950. Of course it is also the home race for many teams and drivers, including Jenson: “I think for every driver Silverstone is a special race. It’s a great layout; always a full house, whether it’s sunny, hot, raining, windy. But it’s especially special for a British driver racing at home.”
Hamilton of course was equally enthusiastic about coming home: “It’s very exciting for us and the feeling of being at home is really a great feeling. And the support, as I said, for me and Jenson and the guys here, it’s unlike any other place we experience.”
Hamilton was also talking about the show, maybe he was thinking about the discussions there were in the run up to the Austrian GP, but Chilton thought that at Silverstone the fans will have a good time, whether F1 brought the show or not: “I remember last year, free practice one was typical English, with lot of rain, but they were still there doing the Mexican waves and having amazing spirit, so I just hope we can put on a good show for them this year.” This is indeed typical for a European Grand Prix. The fans are amazing at these tracks and they make the event what it is. But more on that later.
One reporter asked Lewis and Jenson the exact same question as Murray Walker did 4 years ago, when the situation was exactly the same. After the world cup defeat of England and Murray being out of Wimbledon, the pressure is again on these guys to give the English fans something to cheer about. Jenson: “I personally feel all the pressure is on for Lewis. For us, for Max and I suppose a little bit for myself it’s going to be tricky to get on the top step of the podium and, yeah, it would be amazing to have a British victory. The crowd would go absolutely wild. So, I’d love to see that.” Well, as if Lewis didn’t have enough things on his mind already, Jenson just put the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders. Lewis will be thrilled by that I’m sure.
Ron Dennis
Jenson was also again confronted with the message from his team boss Ron Dennis, saying that Jenson should try harder. “I think Ron’s practicing to be a motivational speaker maybe. I think when we’re in the position that we have been in for 18 months, it’s not easy. For anyone within the team. It’s very, very difficult. So, no, I think we all need to work harder as a team. I don’t think we should be pointing a finger at any individual within the team.” So what he is actually saying is that Ron shouldn’t point fingers at him, but all of McLaren, because the car he has had for the last 16 months is rubbish. Okay than, happy home race for these guys.
Good form Williams one-off?
After an excellent performance in Austria with a front row lockout and their first podium of the year, the question is whether Williams will keep up the good form and can challenge Mercedes again at the Silverstone track. Massa said: “I hope we can have a very strong race, like we had in Austria, so I hope we carry on fighting [and we are] competitive. So I’m realty happy and I’m really happy with the team I’m celebrating 200 Grand Prix [with] as well, so I hope we have many races in front.”
About continuing their good form he replied: “We are working very hard to improve and be better and better race by race and I think that’s what we are managing to do and it’s really a great feeling and I hope we have a good one.” These are all very positive thought from our Brazilian friend, who is celebrating his 200th race which I’m sure will be a very special occasion for both of them.
Bottas was very happy with the result in Austria, his first ever podium in Formula 1 and also the first podium of the year for Williams. After a good pre-season test, it finally seems that Williams is living up to their promise. Bottas: “Well, we’re definitely happy with the result we got – third and fourth, a lot of points for the team, that’s the main thing.”
But what we all want to know of course is whether they can continue to attack Mercedes for pole-positions and race wins. Bottas was quite open and honest about that actually: “It’s been difficult to keep up with them (Mercedes) in most of the races – I think Austria was maybe a one-off, we will see. We know that we have been improving but you expect everyone else to do as well. It’s difficult to say. I think this season, we are going to see, the rest of the season, it’s going to vary quite a bit the performance between us and them, so we will see. We will do our best.”
So Austria was a one-off… What a shame. I’m not sure if the people at Williams, Redbull, Ferrari, Force India and McLaren will agree with Bottas though. I certainly hope not.
Monza
Finally someone asked the drivers what they thought of Bernie threatening to drop Monza, something he said earlier this week. Massa: “Yeah, I think we’re still carrying on racing in Monza. It’s a fantastic place, great fans, so for sure, if we are not racing in Monza any more it would not be good for Formula One.”. In similar fashion Button made his thoughts very clear about what they love about tracks like Monza: “It’s an iconic racetrack, one of the old school tracks. There’s so much history. The fans absolutely love this sport, they will do anything for this sport and they’re not going to be there to support us, they’re there to support a certain team, but that’s great to see. It’s nice to see their passion, they’re very patriotic and the circuit’s fun to drive.”
Hamilton was the last one to comment on this matter, stating that without fans the sport would be nowhere at all. He referred to races where there were barely any people in the grand stand, something that really affects the atmosphere during the weekend.
“Obviously there are certain business decisions people make but there’s tracks we’ve been to where there’s been no one in the grandstands and there’s a few, particularly, which are very very special like Monza where you have a full.. you know, the circuit’s just full of fans and it really does make the event. I think it’s important that we try and keep that in the sport”, Hamilton said, “That is what really matters in F1.”
Hopefully Bernie will read this, preferably here on TJ13 of course, but if he reads these comments from three very diverse and experienced drivers somewhere else, this is also fine. As long as he reads it!
Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza; these are the tracks that both drivers and fans love. The enthusiasm for motorsport overall is probably never greater than at Silverstone, while the passion from the Italians at Monza for Ferrari and anything that goes fast on tarmac in unrivaled. This is what matters. This is what makes a sport. Pay attention Bernie!!!
the picture that speaks a thousand words…
After a wait of 22 years for a female driver at a race weekend, it was a disappointing end to what had been a highly anticipated session for Susie Wolff. She tweeted this last night…
Yip, the picture that speaks a thousand words… pic.twitter.com/YRJUFHQULw
— Susie Wolff (@Susie_Wolff) July 4, 2014
Raikkonen will be ‘great’ again – Mattiacci (GMM)
New team boss Marco Mattiacci insists he is not afraid of making changes to put Ferrari back on the path to victory. His predecessor Stefano Domenicali has already gone, and the latest paddock rumour is that engine chief Luca Marmorini could be the next to pay the price for the fabled Italian marque’s poor start to the new V6 era. “I will not name names,” Mattiacci was quoted by Autosprint at Silverstone, as he refused to rule out personnel changes.
He insisted, however, that the struggling Kimi Raikkonen is safe. “Kimi is a great champion,” said Mattiacci, who already has the Finn under contract for 2015. “It makes no sense to talk about a problem of the individual, it is a problem of the team as a whole. He will return to being a great,” he added.
In other areas, however, Mattiacci said Ferrari needs to “change the mentality” and “take more risks“.
Leading that charge, he said, will be technical boss James Allison, who made his name by producing innovative Lotus cars on a much smaller budget. “He’s my right arm,” smiled Mattiacci. Siding so strongly with Allison appears to have marginalised Ferrari’s other technical chief, Pat Fry.
But he said Ferrari’s current problems date back to choices made in “past years” — including the once troubled wind tunnel, and not focusing strongly enough on computer simulation. The biggest issue is the turbo V6.”If Williams is so strong today,” said Mattiacci, “the predominant factor is the engine. And I do not think Red Bull is in a crisis. Give me time to work,” he insisted.
Button hurry-up printed on ‘chip paper’ – Neale (GMM)
Even the great Ayrton Senna got a ‘hurry-up’ from McLaren supremo Ron Dennis. That was the claim at Silverstone of Jonathan Neale, the Woking based team’s managing director, after Dennis this week told senior driver Jenson Button to “try harder”. Button is out of contract at the end of 2014, so many interpreted Dennis’ comments as the start of negotiations.
Champion trio Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have all been linked with Button’s seat, and the 34-year-old Briton – the most experienced driver on the grid today – reacted coolly to Dennis’ quip. “It isn’t the only team in formula one,” Button said.
It is believed members of McLaren’s senior management also did not appreciate Dennis’ message, but Neale insists the newspapers the words were printed on should be thrown away.
“It’s chip paper,” he said at Silverstone. “I think he (Dennis) did the same thing to Ayrton Senna. I’m pretty sure he did the same thing to Kevin (Magnussen). I think if you listen to my phone on a daily basis he’ll be doing the same thing to me,” said Neale.
In truth, both Button and rookie Dane Magnussen might have reason to worry. McLaren is on the hunt for a top driver to lead the new Honda era, and the team ousted newcomer Sergio Perez after a solid single season last year. Is Magnussen worried? “Everyone knows at McLaren that if you don’t deliver you don’t deserve the place,” the 21-year-old told F1’s official website. “I think that’s the way it should be.”
TJ13 comment:
1) Jonathan Neale – Mclaren company man shockingly confirms boss is a good guy – look he even had a go at Senna!! 2) Lazy reporting once again. The author suggests that Senna got the hurry up, yet the direct quote says “thinks he did”
Ron Dennis is on record that it took Mclaren some years to recover from the Senna era because he formed a team round him that catered to his wishes as far as the car was concerned. When Senna joined Williams, Mclaren were left with an infrastructure which needed the brilliance of the Brazilian to claim victories. Allied to this was the time that Dennis offered a paid Formula Three seat to the Brazilian and was turned down – hardly the actions of a man who would be spoken down to by RD
As to the senior management not appreciating Dennis’ message, maybe it is nothing to do with Button but a veiled threat to the team generally..
FP3 report
It rained. That’s it. British summertime never lets the fans down, after a balmy afternoon yesterday, and with the Grand Prix weekend and Wimbledon coming to a close, it somehow seemed inappropriate that the circuit hadn’t been pi…. rained on yet.
Sebastian Vettel headed a session for the first time this year, impressively out-pacing his Stan Laurel inspired smiling team-mate, although with merely six laps completed by each it would seem hardly representative. Of more surprise was the pace of the Lotus in 3rd an 4th positions, it would seem that the lack of power of the French engined cars is a God send in these slippery conditions. Although Grosjean’s novel approach to crossing the line may well find copycats during the actual qualifying session, lose traction out of Club and cross the line in rear end first.
Next in line was Adrian Sutil’s Sauber…. hang on….
OK the big hitters were languishing down in the bottom three positions, both Mercedes and the Ferrari of Alonso. So the TV viewers are forced to listen to the varied musings of the Sky team, talking about the UK’s chancellor appearing at Silverstone and how every person in the paddock has good reason to fear HMRC appearing at the venue.
Further talking between the presenters “set off alarm bells in my head” according to Ted Kravitz when David Croft asked how the tax evading Mclaren team got away with the $100,000,000 fine they were given back in 2007 after spygate.
Of perhaps more significance was the decisions by stewards to not penalise either Daniel Ricciardo or Nico Rosberg after red flag infringements yesterday. They had respectively overtaken Kyvat and Alonso but by all accounts had done so in a safe manner whilst complying with the regulations. As Anthony Davidson said, regulations are regulations, they cannot be applied selectively yet smiler and Britney have no further punishment which can only add to the misery that Hamilton is currently feeling with his newly discovered allergy to pollen..
I was amazed how quiet the Formula E cars were – until I realised I’d not got my speakers plugged in! 🙂
They sound a lot like my son’s electric RC with it’s “auto” two-stage gearbox. That’s not a criticism, I’m just sayin’…
I am waiting for someone to turn up with an electric milk float, in Ferrari or Red Bull colours, just to show what they think of it all. 😀
a milk float might be faster than the F14T
Marussia need to do a tweet about this…
Hi,
Me and my teenage son just watched the formula E clip, and we both thought the same, awesome, he just loved the sound, and so did I. And they look cool. So how have they managed to make them sound that cool even on my iPad, yet even I stick F1 through my surround sound system, it just doesn’t sound that cool, so it has to be a recording issue.
I know there will be lots of people who will criticise this, and refer to the good old days. My fav engines were the v10’s, I remember being at silverstone, and they all sounded different, especially the pegeout, which sounded knackered.
But if you look at these with an open mind, like my son with no preconceptions, and the truth is, their is a generation that will think these cars are the mutts nuts.
No easy answer Jamie, I was at Silverstone yesterday and listened to the cars at several places. The exit of Luffield was perfect, into the corner you could hear the turbo and the driver manipulating it on the way through before they accelerated out of the corner, being o close to the track the sound was great, a lot louder than I Imagined. In many ways similar to the F1 turbos of the 80’s. Down at Stowe, later in the afternoon, you couldn’t hear the cars come down the straight, but as they went through, they were quiet and it was only as they accelerated into Vale that the engines became louder. With all the harvesting going on the sound can changed through a corner, unlike racing engines of the past.
The TV doesn’t do them justice, but I can imagine its not an easy task.
As to Formula E, science fiction meets real life
as I’ve said before –
mount a microphone under the rear wing above the exhaust …
simples
Geometrically specified side-exit exhaust points. Better for all concerned…
@Jamie
It particularly excites me to see these cars going around an inner city circuit. It will make racing so much more accessible for city dwellers as well.
It’s all a bit of bullshit today isn’t it.
-FE, lol total bullshit. What were they doing? 80 clicks down the straight?
-Dennis/Button warfare. Useless boss of useless team arguing with useless abd luckiest WDC driver in history. Bullshit. They got problems in design do endemic that it’s hopeless.
-Monza being kicked, nope. No chance. It’s BE bullshit.
-Wolff and women and 21 years since etc. Who gives a shit. Bullshit.
–
It’s rare I agree with every aspect of someone else’s comments on TJ13 but you ticked every box!
You don’t think Wolff driving is a big step for Formula 1? Having women driving in the series could only be a good thing for attracting new female fans, and consequently more sponsors….which will help the long-term sustainability of the sport.
“You don’t think Wolff driving is a big step for Formula 1?”
No I don’t. She drove in one of the mid-season test sessions last year and was well off the pace, but of more interest was they reduced the number of laps she did so they could do tyre change practice, which was a good indication that she physically wasn’t up to it.
And, I don’t know about you but not having competed in any type of single – seater racing for seven years doesn’t show me much commitment to a goal of driving in F1.
Wolff is simply playing the victim card.
I agree Wolff is not the correct female driver to be representing the cause, but having her gender in a seat is a good thing. Simona or Danica would be far better in there.
Simona all the way. She took a podium in Indy last year and has done well in her testing for Sauber. Now if they could just build a car.
Danica was always best on ovals, of which there are absolutely none in F1 at the moment.
I genuinely think that Simona could challenge Esteban for pace as well. Only a few times a year does Gutierrez seem to hook it all together. Same for Simona in IndyCar – however she was never in great equipment.
To be realistic, Susie won’t be a race driver but could be a decent test driver. I’m thinking de la Rosa, Rossiter etc. car development and sim/set up work.
Cynical marketing ploys (or outight nepotism, depending on your attitude) by single tams are not a step forward for the sport. That the whole thing fell over like it did must be some kind of cosmic karma. Mucho lols right here…
It would be a step forward for F1 if the FIA / FOM had a properly-funded, correctly-targeted program to find / nurture some quality female driver talent and then that talent showing the consistent ability to lay down competitive times – that would be a step forward.
I feel some sympathy for the Wwoollff girl as an individual whose dream rolled to a stop. Beyond that? Pffftt…
She sings a great song to the media of “I didn’t listen to those who said I couldn’t do it, those who said I wasn’t quick enough.” She spins it well as if they were saying it because she is a woman. In fact, they were saying it because she simply wasn’t quick enough.
I’m less than impressed with my first sight of Formula E cars in action. This is going to make me sound like a dinosaur but jeez they just sound like scalextric cars and so slow down the straights! I want to like this new series, really I do, but that first impression was not what I was hoping for 🙁
I think it will make a huge difference when they are racing around a city centre compared to an open race track like Donnington.
“Hamilton: “I don’t really have an answer for you right now,” when asked what went wrong”
If you don’t know the answer you’re even more clueless than I thought you were.
Why bother going out to the media pen if you have nothing to say????
Contractual requirement?
Nope. Other drivers don’t show up at times. If anything, it was more force of habit than anything else.
It means, “Sorry, I don’t know what I’m officially allowed to say.”
Personally, I think LH sabotaged himself… comment below.
“Lazy reporting” indeed and not the first time. So why on earth run GMM stuff?
“Lazy commenting” indeed and not the first time. So why on earth say the same shit again?
P.S. The answer to your question hasn’t changed since the last time you asked 🙂
Apologies if I hurt your feelings. It’s just so… unusual to publish a story one considers “lazy reporting”. 😉
I think the story itself is interesting. And as a Senna fan made me smile when I read it..
Bernie “has been” great for F1 though he’s now a dinosaur and a greedy corrupt one at that, change long over due !
Boom!
Rosberg on Pole at a damp Silverstone.
Apparently Hamilton’s perfect conditions and territory for talent, like Montreal was supposed to be.
I’m not buying the whole, ‘Lewis is faster with natural talent, but Rosberg is smarter.’
Sorry, Rosberg is as fast as Lewis on any given saturday and faster on his day np. Rosberg is smarter too.
Lewis dropped the ball there. He could have either backed Nico up to make him miss the flag for the end of Q3 or he ciukd have just stayed out front, running interference. No killer instinct there.
Danny boy and the junior RB’s just plain screwed up.
Ferrari, Williams – pmsl
I was wondering, is there a rule against backing the pack up to the point where they miss a run? Perez did suffer due to Lewis dawdling. Wasn’t there a rule at one point that all laps had to be within 10% of their fastest? That would avoid excessive slowing.
I missed Q1 and 2, what happened? I had Massa for pole here, what a pillock I was….
basically Ferrari and Williams went out late in Q1 on slicks
and it started raining again
they got their timing wrong – simple as that
I’m just waiting for the Hammy fanboys bullshit …….
Can we talk about Webber instead??
I’m having serious withdrawal symptoms……
he was very evident on BBC …..
Interesting times. What say you, Fortis?
Not much for a while. I suppose he’s busy crying a river.
Seb qualifies 3rd and the hippo comes up from his watering hole….
Still team LH44 nothing will change that.
That has nothing to do with Seb. Trawl the archives. You’ll find not a single instance of me performing a pathetic whining dance as you did the past few weeks whenever Lewis didn’t win. And by god I would have had more than enough reason to do so.
Hippos just whine naturally.
That’s the most helpless ripose I ever got 😀 Heck, even cav can do better
@ Fortis
Seb qualified 2nd
Jenson was 3rd
–
P.S. – I’m please for Jenson as this weekend is a tribute to his dad
but he won’t be in that position by the end of the race …..
Race for 5th.. Alonso wants his place back!
Still team LH44. And like I told you earlier, I really don’t give a damn if he wins this race or not, I’m more concerned with who’s the WDC at seasons end.
The way he keeps buggering up every chance he’s given I don’t think it’s going to be Lewis…
I actually am starting to feel genuinely sorry for him – he was totally at a loss when the beeb interviewed him. He just keeps losing points for stupid reasons while Nico keeps racking them up.
No question Lewis is faster but with every race that passes you can see his head is just not in the right place at the moment.
Race hasn’t been run as yet, so no points have been lost as yet.
“No question Lewis is faster but…”
No one wants to be ‘that’ driver. The, ‘everyone knows I’m faster but …’ driver.
I am starting to think he was lucky he had Heikki as a team mate in 08 and Massa as his primary rival.
Drivers that win a lot of titles are fast and clinical. Lewis has the speed – more than most – but he just doesn’t seem able to finish the job.
Even with some of the dogs that McLaren gave him he should have one than one WDC to his name in 7 years in the sport.
I find it hard to support him as you know he should do better than he does but he just keeps talking him self out of wins.
“starting”…? Oh wow, I was thinking that in 2008.
Massa proved in Canada he does not have a ‘winner’ mindset. You just knew when he caught up to the leading pack that he wouldn’t make his way through – just as you know if that had been Alonso or Vettel they would have taken no prisoners. And Heikki, what a joke – only won a race when Massa retired three laps from end of Hungarian GP.
When Lewis has his head in the right place he can drive brilliant races. As many of them can. But I honestly don’t think Hamilton’s hype does him any favours.
I was at Silverstone yesterday and there some female fans in front of me. Everytime he passed by they cheered and waved. Fair enough, but as soon as his car stopped they got up and left.
He took on Alonso at Mclaren in 2007 and everyone remarks on that particular season, yet if you read any conventional reporting of that season, Alonso, Kubica and Raikkonen struggled for some time as they had switched from Michelin to Bridgestone with very different characteristics. Hamilton came form GP2 where he was used to the Japanese rubber.
With the full support of Dennis, and the team turning against Alonso, it is no surprise things went pear shaped for the Spaniard. In 08 and 09 he was teamed to Kovalainen who was effectively his number two and then Jenson. Whatever the statistics say about retirements, qualifying positions etc, as the old adage goes, they only pay points on Sunday.
Prost won the 1989 WDC, yet Senna had bad luck, crashes, retirements and 13 poles.
Last year at Mercedes, he Hamilton beat Rosberg by 18 points ultimately. One second position, and whilst Hamilton retired from the Japanese Grand Prix after a brush with Vettel, Rosberg had lost two finishes because of reliability issues.
Like 2007, when fans will say he destroyed Alonso, forgetting conveniently that they finished with the same points, no doubt he destroyed Rosberg last year. By a podium position… I can see why Rosberg has got into his head, he has believed his own hype..
The aftermath…
It seems HAM just didn’t want to finish the lap. Didn’t think he could improve. But FFS, why not just finish it. I think he knew he was toast in an out and out fight w’ Rosberg on that last lap dash, so kinda mentally sabotaged himself.
You know? Like, “He’s still not faster, erm, I/we made a mistake. Just one of those thing…”
Ya feel me?
from the replay of Nico’s pole lap
Lewis gave up before he’d even done half a lap
strange behaviour ?
It’s like he got his sector 1 time, then Nico’s and then mentally went, “oh no… no no no! Yeah we ain’t going quicker. whoops, my mistake.”
it was implied on Sky that Lewis was informed by the pits he should let Nico through if he did not feel he could improve. I am surprised the conspiracy theorist have not turned this into a revolutionary mantra 🙂
Well, to his credit, Hamilton admitted me fu*ked up and didn’t blame anyone else. Maybe this will focus him more tomorrow; he knows he needs to start winning again if he want’s the Driver’s Championship.
One of the better fanboy quotes from the Telegraph’s F1 site.
“Lewis Hamilton would ‘appear’ to have made the wrong judgemental call… I didn’t watch the qualifying, BUT from what I have briefly read, it was down to safety that he made that decision”
Yup, that must be it. Lets go with the elf and safety angle.
Saw another comment this morning where someone said they should just leave Lewis alone, too much interference from the pit wall…
Ok then, so that was that then :/
a few random thoughts:
*quali was nail-biting amazing, but only for us “old guard fans”
*Cleremont-Ferrand was and is an amazing true drivers course
*as the 4 “pillars of F1” (Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, and Monza), I really only like Spa, but they MUST ALL forever remain on the schedule!
*I really like the whole concept of the F-E series, but the sound is too whiny and clunky sounding at this point for my full support
*Mattiacci just may be able to get Ferrari back on track by 2016 or so
*hmmm, was it not James Allison who was responsible for the current disaster known as Lotus?? just sayin’…
and I cannot resist stirring the pot:
*Lewis screwed the pooch and just maybe Seb did not totally forget how to drive.
haha! have fun at my expense, guys 🙂
one small thing I’d like to disagree with you on
IMO – Brands Hatch is a much better circuit than Silverstone
shame it got screwed by Bernie 🙁
I hugely agree!, but it ain’t ever gonna happen,
I gotta add 2 more comments…
I am not just impressed by Daniil. I am going on record that he is a future and maybe multiple World Champion. maybe none of you will remember this statement a few years from now LOL.
old man JPM after wasting 7 years in clunky tin tops, just took the IndyCar pole at the 2.5 mile “tricky triangle” called Pocono.
223.871 MPH (360.290 KPH) for a 2 lap average
in a CHEAP spec series Dallara (of all things) with massively simple wings
Firestone tires and NO power steering
with mandated super crappy 85% ethanol fuel, Series limited hp limits, a “Chevy” motor, and ZERO energy recovery / deployment bull****. and it WILL be a helluva good race…
one could say men are men and boys need not apply, but that is even better left to those who ran the Pikes Peak Hillclimb last weekend 🙂
haha. just stirring up some controversy here. lottsa good stuff to watch if ya got the time…
dunno why the name did not reflect titanracer69 as was entered??? any ideas, guys???
Kvyat is good.. His Monza GP3 domination underlines it. I think he’s a possible Vettel replacement, if he comes on strong and Seb decides to ‘cash in’ at Ferrari.
Talking of domination, 16yo Max Verstappen is on pole at Zandvoort Masters of F3 by 7 tenths.. Could have a new youngest F1 driver and future WDC on our hands there.
This also fresh off the back of 6 wins in a row in FIA F3, and Ocon looks no slouch..
Wonder if Mr Lowe and Mr Mattiacci learned anything of importance for their Team Principal roles, today?
Both should have….