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Nick_L

By Nick_L,
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JohnC

JohnC

Posted
Posted

Why do the FIA keep doing this and then threaten places like Silverstone with no racing? We've had Donington, Korea and now the US all pretty much failing to meet deadlines in the past year alone, and yet really good circuits like Silverstone (and Spa) get struck off the calender for pretty much next to nothing.

How about instead of sticking a non-existent circuit onto the calender then praying it'll be finished in time, try and make it so that once its finished it'll be included in future calendars, its not fucking rocket science.

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rafaqat

rafaqat

Posted
Posted

Why do the FIA keep doing this and then threaten places like Silverstone with no racing? We've had Donington, Korea and now the US all pretty much failing to meet deadlines in the past year alone, and yet really good circuits like Silverstone (and Spa) get struck off the calender for pretty much next to nothing.

How about instead of sticking a non-existent circuit onto the calender then praying it'll be finished in time, try and make it so that once its finished it'll be included in future calendars, its not fucking rocket science.

Nobody would invest if they thought the return was so far in the future probably.

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mexos

mexos

Posted
Posted

52,000?! Felt like a lot more people than that there.

Kind of hope Austin doesn't come to pass. They should have pushed harder for a proper New York street race. Another permanent Tilke track in the middle of bloody nowhere sounds like lots of fun. Who the hell's going to go there?! Locals?! :facepalm: And how the hell do you sell Austin to the international F1 race goer. It felt doomed from the moment I read about it.

Bernie should subsidise Spa. It's the most important track of all on a number of levels.

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wev

wev

Posted
Posted

52,000?! Felt like a lot more people than that there.

Kind of hope Austin doesn't come to pass. They should have pushed harder for a proper New York street race. Another permanent Tilke track in the middle of bloody nowhere sounds like lots of fun. Who the hell's going to go there?! Locals?! :facepalm: And how the hell do you sell Austin to the international F1 race goer. It felt doomed from the moment I read about it.

Bernie should subsidise Spa. It's the most important track of all on a number of levels.

Totally agreed, he should think of the spectacle rather than the gate receipts really.

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Sidewaysbob

Sidewaysbob

Posted
Posted

It’ll an early start or a late night depending on how old you are or how much Petrol there is in your veins. Yes it’s the first of the late nighters (if Korea goes ahead next, that is) in good old Suzuka, Japan.

I like Suzuka, it’s pretty much old school non-Tilke-dull-a-thon perfection for me, mostly because it’s just dangerous. There are not acres and acres of run off, or miles of waste land with a lone marshal and no spectators in sight. The Japanese really love their motor sport and turn up in their droves to this proper circuit.

The thing about Suzuka is that it’s been the scene of many a moment in Formula 1. It used to be the last race of the season, back in the day Hill Jnr won his championship here in 1996 beating Villeneuve by 19 points. Schumacher won numerous championships for Benetton and Ferrari at Suzuka.

But there is one event here that has really come to define what modern F1 racing is and what is acceptable from a racing driver.

It was 1990, Prost and Senna were fighting for the championship and both came to Japan with a chance to win. Now you need to understand that Prost in the Ferrari and Senna in the McLaren did not like each other, they loathed the very existence of the other in fact. It defined F1 racing during the 80’s and meant every championship for ever after had to have a hero and nemesis (Hamilton v Alonso for instance). You also need to know that Senna felt that the FIA, controlled by one Jean Marie Balestre in those days had it in for the Brazilian driver. This was good old fashioned paranoia of the best kind.

So it’s all very tense coming Suzuka and there’s is a lot of “I’m the big I AM, me” type stuff coming from Ferrari and McLaren and after qualifying Senna had got pole with another of his brilliant laps and Prost had got second with another of his boring controlled laps. But pole put Senna on the dirty side of the track which meant Prost would probably take the first corner and win the championship.

Senna went to the stewards and said “can we swap sides on the grid. I don’t want to be on the dirty side”. The race stewards said, “Yeah sure ... no worries”. And everyone one went to bed happy.

Except when Balestre heard what had happened he called the stewards up and said “the hell you change the Grid, I’m French, the FIA is French and we say what happens round here. Tell Senna to shut up and do as he’s told. You move the pole back pronto sunbeam…. Merde!!”.

At the drivers meeting the next morning Senna was told that his request was now rejected and he had to start on the dirty side. He greeted this news in a calm collected manner and stormed out of the meeting claiming it was all a huge conspiracy and they were all out to get him. He then went to the press and ... “vowed that if Prost (starting second) got the advantage into the first corner, which most were sure he would, he would never make it into the first corner”

When the race started that afternoon, everyone watched Senna to see what he’d do. Would a world champion drive another competitor off the road to win a championship ? we got out answer 30 seconds later as Prost shot off the line and into an mediate half a car length lead. As the right turn rushed up, Senna on the inside but behind the Frenchman made no attempt what so ever to brake and turn into the corner. He ploughed into the side of the Ferrari spinning them both off into the kitty litter. The result meant Senna had enough points to take the world Championship and a new chapter in F1 began.

The FIA did nothing, not a thing. There were a few harsh words and bit of handwringing, but ultimately Senna had said he was going to drive Prost off the track and he did. Because the FIA did nothing drivers started to accept that dangerous driving for a Championship was now acceptable, that it was okay to bang wheels and intimidate other drivers because it was all in the name of entertainment.

Four years later Schumacher drove Hill off the track to take his first World Championship in Australia, then tried to drive Villeneurve off the track to win another in 1997. Now Drivers like Webber, can “aggressively defend” a corner or a line. Because the FIA won’t throw the book at them. Because it’s entertaining.

Anyway, I have no idea who’s going to win this weekend.

Alonso is talking down his chances, claiming the track doesn’t favour the Ferrari, which is usually code for “We’re going to cream this one buddy” He’ll be the first driver to get 3 on the bounce this year if he does win. I fancy his chances, he’s got that glint in his eye again

Webber is keeping things low key but is still most peoples favourite to take the title, if the luck from Singapore hold out he should be a top 5. He doesn’t need to go for wins at every race now, but he still needs to keep the points rolling in. He’s not one for looking at the bigger picture though, and mistakes can happen when he takes his eye off the main prize.

Hamilton is vowing to do what he does best and go balls out for wins. If we’re not going to Korean in two weeks time them he HAS to win here to stay in with a shout. But two duff races must have dented his confidence, will he over compensate this time out ?

The same goes for Vettel and Button, points are fast running out and these two will need the other three to drop points to be in with a realistic shout.

Last year rain threw qualifying into chaos and left the grid all mixed up for the race, Vettel stormed off into the lead and never looked like being caught. It’s a track he seems to like where aggressive driving will reward the brave and the bold.

9
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mexos

mexos

Posted
Posted

I think were up for another shakeup at Suzuka. Alonso is due an engine drama (he's right on the edge engines wise tight now), Hammy for the win (or Massa - how lol worthy would that be!), Vettel right there with Webber bringing up the rear scoring reasonable points. I get the feeling this is the weekend when Button drop out of contention.

My gut feeling is that Webber is going to take this title without winning another race. Just taking enough points each time while everyone else has dramas. He's going to win it the Prost way.

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f. grimes

f. grimes

Posted
Posted

Great read, Bob! But I'm going to be a grammar Nazi and say ...

'80s, not 80's :P

C'mon! You weren't all that serious, but of all the things! It's hardly in the spirit of another fun post from our over-steering friend - and there are thousands of posts which you could otherwise pick on throughout the forums. Really, pick any thread!

Willy Swerve sidewaysbob has acknowledged this in the past and never made great claims of perfection. Doesn't the content stand so much more above typos and punctuation errors?

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fragglerock

fragglerock

Posted
Posted

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/calendar/default.stm

(All times UK)

Suzuka is one of the world's greatest circuits

Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka, 8-10 October 2010

Fri 8 Oct: Practice 1 0200-0330; Practice 2 0600-0730

Sat 9 Oct: Practice 3 0300-0400; Qualifying 0600

Sun 10 Oct: Race 0700

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/4805050.stm

Sepang

Saturday 9 October

Qualifying, 0550-0900, BBC Red Button/online

Sunday 10 October

125cc & Moto2, 0350-0605, BBC Red Button/online

MotoGP, 0845-1000, BBC Two/online

MotoGP repeat, 1045-1200, BBC Red Button/online

http://www.itv.com/Sport/btcc/?intcmp=NAV_SPORT7_BTCC6

or

http://www.itv.com/sport/btcc/simulcast/default.html

Saturday 9 October - 3pm - 6.15pm

Sunday 10 October - 10.30am - 6pm

6
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JPR

JPR

Posted
Posted
Saturday: Turning progressively cloudier and breezier, with showery outbreaks of rain later, potentially heavy. Likely to become very wet & windy overnight. Chance of PPN 40%. Max 21C. Wind freshening SE.

Sunday: Further outbreaks of rain & windy through the morning, easing later. Potentially dry and maybe a tad brighter by race start, but with a wet circuit then drying(?) Chance of PPN 50%. Max 22C. Wind moderating, predominantly SSW.

(PPN = Precipitation)

Weather summary from the BBC. Does look like qualifying could be interesting, potential for some teams to be caught out so maybe a mixed up grid for the race. Looks like potential for interesting conditions in the race, wet enough to start on inters to a dry track would be nice.

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wev

wev

Posted
Posted

Isn't Suzuka more suited to Button's particular style of driving?

I still don't think he'll retain the Championship, although obviously I want it to go as close between as many people as possible.

7am start though!? On a Sunday!

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