OT: Racing 2009 (Spoiler Alert)

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:25 pm

Holy cow the only thing missing from that wreck was a fireball explosion. That's one helluva roll cage in that car. The camera held up quite nice for the most part.

Btw that's how I drive in RBR.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:06 am

Rodster wrote:Btw that's how I drive in RBR.

Hahahahahaha! Same here.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:42 pm

How far would he have rolled had it not been for the unsung hero of the piece, that tree the Focus hit? To get out of that in one completely undamaged piece is remarkable.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:20 am

A win for the underdogs. The FIA ruled in favor of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams. Now everyone else has to play catch up. Is it too early to say Button World Drivers Champion?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:37 am

Rodster wrote:A win for the underdogs. The FIA ruled in favor of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams. Now everyone else has to play catch up. Is it too early to say Button World Drivers Champion?

Too bad for Button and Brawn that Bernie's proposal to base the World Championship on victories was shot down this season, because Brawn and Button could sweep all four races before the series returns to Europe.

The biggest question regarding this affair isn't whether Ferrari, McLaren, BMW and Red Bull will adapt their cars to a trick new diffuser. They will, regardless of previous suspension design and regardless of cost.

Instead, the biggest question is whether Brawn can maintain enough development of its advantageous diffuser design to keep a gap over the cash-flushed teams once they unveil their trick rear ends.

So the pressure is on Brawn more than ever now that we have resolution of the affair.

Now on to the next soap opera. Will McLaren be penalized for lying to the stewards at Australia? I think so. I doubt Mosley -- who HATES McLaren Group boss Ron Dennis, and the feeling is mutual from The Ron -- will allow his whipping boy of F1 teams to escape without punishment.

I expect Whitmarsh to fall on his sword after McLaren is penalized, and The Ron will be back on the pitwall for McLaren by the Spanish Grand Prix on May 10.

Take care,
PK

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:06 pm

I'm on board the Brawn bandwagon. Their cars are so plain looking, though.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:58 pm

Fletch, the Brawn does look like a tail-end GP2 team whose sponsors have all walked out, but then they've spent the winter with other things on their mind.

Ferrari are doing their best mud-slinging act but it's all a smokescreen; they're the first team outside of Brawn, Toyota and Williams to have a double-decker diffuser ready to go, as seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25736183@N05/3444466637/

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:02 pm

Nice blog, Simo. I didn't realize you were 25. I would have guessed 35 or 40

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:08 pm

fletcher21 wrote:Nice blog, Simo. I didn't realize you were 25. I would have guessed 35 or 40

I can't quite decide whether or not to be happy about that

I'm 23, mate. July 1985 marked my entry into the world, though the rest of the world was too busy watching Live Aid that weekend to notice.

Thanks for the kind words, and the same goes to the others among you who have been kind enough to stop by every so often.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:03 pm

GB_Simo wrote: Ferrari are doing their best mud-slinging act but it's all a smokescreen; they're the first team outside of Brawn, Toyota and Williams to have a double-decker diffuser ready to go, as seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25736183@N05/3444466637/

Good one mate

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:33 am

GB_Simo wrote:July 1985 marked my entry into the world, though the rest of the world was too busy watching Live Aid that weekend to notice.

I was at JFK in Philly that day (the day before MY birthday as it turns out), having fun and sweating my butt off.

At least I was looking at satellite video from England on the jumbo-trons, does that count?

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:18 pm

Good god is the BBC coverage just horrible. Who would have thought I would say I miss James Allen and Martin Brundle in the booth. David Croft is not as exciting calling the event as Allen and Coulthard is a bore. Mike Gascoyne is even more of a bore than Coulthard.

If it weren't for live streaming i'd ask for my money back.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:04 am

Rod, I'm a bit confused. BBC's TV commentator is Jonathan Legard. Crofty is on Radio 5 Live. Is the person you're streaming from using the radio commentary that the TV service offers as an option? If it's Anthony Davidson and not Martin Brundle in the booth, you'll know.

As it goes, I quite like both of them. Crofty's GP2 work for ITV last year leads me to feel he's much better suited to radio but he's very good there, and Legard at least sounds genuine, not forced as Allen did, gets excited in the right places and talks about what's happening on the track, which I've always thought helpful. He does, though, talk too much, but his experience of F1 commentary is all on the radio so he'll adjust with time, I'm sure.

Gascoyne is making his first BBC appearance, in place of the God-awful me me me oh Michael Schumacher me me me Eddie Jordan for this weekend, and I've not seen him yet because I was working when quali was broadcast. DC might not be thrilling, but he's both more eloquent and more often right than dat Blundell geezer wot ITV used to 'ave doin' talkin' after der race.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:32 am

Adam I was watching Live stream from the Tele to Computer aka Justin TV. I was watching practice 3 and for some reason I heard the person calling the action as David Croft? I know I heard David Coulthard as well as Mike Gascoyne.

I know Mike is new to this TV thing but he needs to shut his pie hole when the team radio transmission comes on or the announcer wants to comment on something related towards the track.

Perfect example was when Hammy drove over the last kerb and went onto the grass before the start start/finish line. The announcer was itching to comment on that and Mike is going off on something technical.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:51 pm

Ah, right. Practice sessions are all broadcast live online and on BBC's digital TV service rather than on the main BBC channels. They use Radio 5 Live commentary for that, so that's why you heard David Croft. I slept through a lot of it so I missed Coulthard (he doesn't normally have any involvement in practice so I guess he was only on for a little while), but from catching Gascoyne on Friday I'm sure he was in the pitlane and so I don't know how much he'd know about when team radio is being transmitted, or how they go about telling him or what.

I'm finding the practice coverage entertaining and informative. You're right, mind, that Croft doesn't get that excited about it, but then again he has at all times an awareness that practice times don't really mean a thing, and his way of sounding fascinated rather than thrilled by the events of practice fits well. To me, anyway.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 1:50 pm

Button 3 for 3? My money says no

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:37 pm

Indy qualifying is on Versus in 20 minutes (6pm eastern)

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:38 pm

fletcher21 wrote:Indy qualifying is on Versus in 20 minutes (6pm eastern)

DVR is set!

Race is at 3:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday on VERSUS.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:00 pm

Adam what happened to the guy that use to do the pre-race and post race coverage for ITV last year? I thought he was hired by the BBC for this year. He was the best IMO.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:42 am

Any of you guys catch the live f1 race earlyyy this morning? I'm looking forward to catching the replay on Speed this afternoon. In between the Indycar race I'll have a nice little afternoon of racing

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:23 am

fletcher21 wrote:Any of you guys catch the live f1 race earlyyy this morning? I'm looking forward to catching the replay on Speed this afternoon. In between the Indycar race I'll have a nice little afternoon of racing

I saw the race this morning. It was fun stuff watching a wet race. Vettel was amazing and Buemi, is the next rising star in Formula 1. McLaren bounced back and were in good form. The top 6 spots went to Red Bull, Brawn and McLaren. Sutil had a solid race until the closing laps and shunted the car into the wall when pressured by Lewis. It would have been the first points for Force India.

No points again for Ferrari.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:05 pm

This Vettel character is a bit good, isn't he?

Rodster wrote:Adam what happened to the guy that use to do the pre-race and post race coverage for ITV last year? I thought he was hired by the BBC for this year. He was the best IMO.

It was thought that Steve Rider would be keen on returning to the BBC, for whom he fronted Formula One coverage up until 1996, but an insider on another forum I visit says that he, Louise Goodman and James Allen didn't apply for BBC roles and weren't offered them either. Steve currently presents ITV's British Touring Car Championship coverage, this being another role he used to fill when the BBC covered it, as well as being paid very handsomely to host ITV's FA Cup and Champions League football matches. BTCC is also where Louise ended up, in the same pit reporter role she had with F1.

I'm not sure how much Steve would add to the BBC F1 show, since their anchor Jake Humphrey isn't bad at all, but I do appreciate Louise a lot more now she's not there.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:11 pm

I always like Louise Goodman even though she is 2 notches above Susan Boyle. I liked her upbeat and cheerful reporting. It kind of lightened things up a bit. I miss her not being on the sideline.

Yeah Steve Rider is the guy I was referring to. Yeah he was awesome covering the pit lane. I'm sorry mate but S. Rider still gets the nod over the new bloke.

I guess i'll have to catch some BTCC on the world wide wibble. When does the season start for that and the WTCC?

Something tells me Ferrari has their eye on either Vettel or Buemi although I can't really fault either Massa or Kimi. The car is not that quick and is unreliable. Although the world catching a glimpse of Kimi in shorts, eating ice cream and sipping on Coke in the garage doesn't help his already I don't give a flip reputation. Ferrari already appears to be in panic mode as they are considering to move forward with their 2010 car if their fortunes don't turn around in Spain.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:18 pm

Rodster wrote:I guess i'll have to catch some BTCC on the world wide wibble. When does the season start for that and the WTCC?

BTCC started two weeks ago, WTCC six weeks ago.

Rodster wrote:Ferrari already appears to be in panic mode as they are considering to move forward with their 2010 car if their fortunes don't turn around in Spain.

However much their focus might shift, I'd imagine this year's car will continue to receive some kind of attention through the season, because the Tifosi aren't renowned for their patience and because it's about the only way they've got to track-test concepts for the 2010 car.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:44 pm

Grand Prix of Long Beach > F1

I don't have Tivo, so I had to make a choice. IndyCar is way more entertaining I have to say. Honda power!