Bleacher Report - Articles by Geoffrey Hunton

The Slipstream: The Racer Of Oz Takes Glory In Germany

Geoffrey Hunton — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:49:48 -0400

Welcome back race fans to a post-GP edition of the Slipstream. I would like to commend and compliment everybody who engaged in a very lively and heated debate after my last article. The US GP effort will be one of the many things to watch in this post season. But we still have a long way to go until the final flag in November.

The stage was set for a pretty eventful race on the track I would like to call RINO ('Ring in Name Only). Out of all the races so far, this one might be an early contender for race of the year. The looming spectre of rain, the improvement of most of the old guard teams, and the growing potential of a real title fight. All of these things plus the chance to see another long time driver win his first race is always a special thing in Formula One.

The race build up was mainly focused on the potential of Webber winning, but some of the other minor story lines proved interesting to look into as well. For the first time since the season started, it seemed that even the Brawn drivers were starting to hold reservations about their world beating car. These concerns are very well placed. It does seem that development on the Brawn is not as fast or as effective as the work being done on the Red Bulls, McLarens or even Ferraris. The budget of the Brawn team might be a factor in this, along with game plan that team leader, Ross Brawn has in store for the second half of the year.

This day, still belongs to Mark Webber. A driver that this author predicted in his pre-season write up, would be fired. I must say that even though I stand by my views at the time, it is nice to be proven wrong once and a while. While he was always hyped up as this world champion in the waiting, just like soon to be champion, Jenson Button, Webber has always been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even when it looked like he was on course for a victory with the Williams team at Monaco, those dreams went up in flames and a steering wheel, thrown into the cockpit in utter frustration.

Banging wheels with fellow grey man, Barrichello, it looked like his race was over before it really started. I am surprised that a Newey designed car was able to hold up to such an impact. In F1, rubbing isin't really racing, but when it does happen, it is exciting. Through the determination of his team, and the dominance of his car, Webber managed to bring home a victory that was well earned. The sanction imposed on him was justified but with most things, it seems Webber took it in stride and for the first time in his career, came out on the top step of the podium. In a strange twist of fate, it seems that Sutil managed to take away a potential podium for Raikkonen. Although not in the same dramatic fashion of their Monaco shunt last year, it does seem ironic that those two crossed paths again.

All in all, it was an exciting race and sets the stage for a serious challenge to the Brawn steam roller that has rolled over a good portion of the calendar. Can the killer Bs hold off Red Bull? Is a McLaren come back just a race away? Stay with the Slipstream for all of that and more. Congrats again go out to the Racer of Oz and his first win.

See you soon

The Slipstream: The Great Red White And Blue Hope: USF1's Looming Fight

Geoffrey Hunton — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:14:39 -0400

Welcome back fellow race fans to a special Fourth of July edition of the Slipstream.

To those of you who inquired about my absence from the site I appreciate the concern and now that things have been squared away, the Slipstream is back and ready to carry all motor sports fans through the summer sizzle to the fall finales.

This week in the spirit of American independence I will profile the efforts and legitimacy of the USF1 project.

After two months of pure unfiltered Schadenfreude, the Forumla One world seems to have got it's groove back, or at least that is how things appear to be. The FOTA war has been averted just as the GPWC war was averted earlier this decade. The same players, plus Ferrari this time, fighting it out with mad Max and the FIA for some say in the future of F1.

That is for another article however.

Soon to be World Champion, Jenson Button seems to have his hands full with a Red Bull team that seems determined not to give up just yet. Although they have the fight to press on, the numbers are not in their favor. I commend the team formerly known as Jaguar/Stewart GP for their zeal, but this year will belong to Brawn and I doubt anyone of us in this community saw that coming. Yes, there was early season hype, but this is Schumacher-esque domination, not the wide open crap shoot this column predicted.

Announced in the middle of the worst economic crisis to hit since the end of World War II, the US F1 team was met with heavy criticism, and a few laughs from this writer. While admirable in approach, after the Honda with drawl and threatened pull out of several more teams, a new team under the red white and blue seemed like the last thing on anybody's mind.

The last size able effort to give the United States any kind of representation on the grid was the botched Red Bull Driver Search.

Heck, I remember those snazzy commercials claiming that Red Bull will find the next American world champion. That program gave Americans a driver in Scott Speed, and to be honest I was proud to see the Stars and Stripes back on the F1 grid. A season and a half later, along with physical altercations with team boss Gerhard Berger, Speed was out of Toro Rosso and into the hootin and hollering field of US oval track racing.

Fast forward a few seasons, and one recession later, and we have the snazzy looking logo of USF1, or USGPE pasted over the SPEED channel, and a press conference justifying rumors made about the team only days before.

This project is real, but is it legitimate?

In regards to logistics this team is far behind the curve ball. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina but with the main center of operations in the UK, this team has good intentions but will be hard pressed to gain any kind of synergy or momentum for quite some time. Will the team test in the United States? Information around these sort of details was sparse to come by, which unto itself is a little troubling. If this team is to become the de facto national team, it must have the infrastructure capable enough to take the fight to the teams it is trying to fight against.

While there is no doubt in the power the team will have behind their drivers and chasis, which we have seen more critical than ever. Commercial backing is another challenge this new team must face. Rumors indicate that YouTube will be on board with the team in some kind of capacity. With the lack of a US Grand Prix, and other major series screaming for sponsorship, the Charlotte based squad will have to have deep pockets and reserves if they wish to gain face globally, as well as with the domestic US fan base.

The largest and most difficult decisions will have to come in regards to the drivers.

I hope that the powers that be do not screw this up. Screwing up would be putting either Danica Patrick, and or Kyle Busch on the team in any capacity. Now I am not saying put Marco and Grahm on the team either, but either of those two would be much better picks than the walking hissy fit known as Patrick, or the smug crass spoiled child who thinks he is fighting the world every time Darrell Waltrip scream "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity."

If they want to put a female on the team, be my guest.

Sarah Fisher, Katherine Legge, Susie Stoddartt, or Vanina Icyxx would be far better choices than the woman who always finds herself whining to the cameras about what could have been rather than what actually happened. Heck, Anna Beatriz in the Indy Lights would be a perfect pick if they wanted a female racer.

Colin Braun, Scott Sharp, Patrick Long, the aforementioned Marco Andretti, and Grahm Rahal are much more sound investments than the driver known as "Shrubbie" to some and a name to others that cannot be written. I just couldn't get over the look on that kid's face when Jeff "Too Tan" Hammond mentioned that USF1 was looking into him. Call it personal bias, call it whatever you want, but leave that kind of garbage in NASCAR where they feed off of each other.

As Jacques Villeneuve said recently, "there are no warriors in F1 anymore, save for Alonso or Kimi". With Shrubbie or Danica on board there wouldn't only be an absence of warriors, but there would be an absence of credibility and legitimacy the USF1 effort needs in these early stages.

So there you have it race fans, the Slipstream has returned and returned with an impact. I welcome back my long time readers and any new fans I may pick up. Watch for my other articles in the NASCAR section and on racing in general. Next week I will pick up where I left off with a synopsis of the last few months, but with a Slipstream twist.

Happy Fourth to the US readers and I hope everybody enjoys their week no matter where they may be.

See you in Germany.

The Slipstream: Jenson Button Takes First "Victory" In Four Wins for Brawn GP

Geoffrey Hunton — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:52:32 -0400

Welcome back to another edition of the Slipstream. So after four races it seems we have a new world order in F1, for the time being at least. Brawn GP and the team formerly known as Jaguar and Stewart Grand Prix have managed to secure wins. As the F1 circus flies back to Europe to begin the prep work for their European assaults, the mighty teams of Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault are left behind a very large eight ball.

The world championship may already be lost to their drivers and hopes of a constructors title. As was predicted in the Slipstream and in may other articles in this forum, the tide has in fact changed and I am sure there are a few mechanics installing panic buttons in the Renaults, McLarens, and Ferraris. Oh wait, they already have that. It's just called KERS.

The headline of this article is to elaborate a point that has been made several times by the Speed commentary team, and what seems like a general view of F1 pundits. The point being, that up until today, Button's victories have never really been seen as legitimate wins.

Up until today's duel in the desert, Jenson's winning record has always been marred by people claiming that his win in Hungary was a complete fluke. Yes, Button has admitted in a tongue in cheek fashion that the race became easier to win by not having a resurgent Michael Schumacher and pressured Fernando Alonso on track. He still managed to bring his car home in varied conditions and still managed to fend off the rest of the cars still on track. But that "win" was seen as just a victory.

He has also joked that even in this season of suprises, he had only won behind the saftey car. To take this kind of an approach to a career that has had almost as many critics as Lewis Hamilton (myself included) I commend the Englishman. The fact still remains, Jenson brought his car home in Melbourne while taking on difficult lighting conditions and enough on track action to make even Steve McQueen shaky.

In his other win before today, he managed to combat the near impossible traction quality of the Sepang circuit. Driving in monsoon like conditions in a Formula One car must be like trying to follow an M.Knight Shamalyan film....darn near impossible.

Today, was the day even the cynical of cynics were proved wrong. Button wrestled the win from a hard charging Vettel, and took advantage of a Toyota meltdown more akin to a popsicle in humid July weather. In two weeks time the bulk of the season gets under way. In two weeks time, we will see if the teams of old can match the offensive mounted by this new order. A new dawn in Formula 1 has arrived and it is now up to the old guard to escape the eclipse, or be caught in the sunset.

So until then, give Jenson his due. Give him his four victories and enjoy the time off. Coming later this week, a more philosophical view of motor sports.

See you in Barcelona!

The Slipstream: Truth? and the Corporate Way: NASCAR in the Maelstrom

Geoffrey Hunton — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:44:44 -0400

Greetings, NASCAR community of Bleacher Report. Some of you may know the Slipstream as a F1 and open-wheel-only editorial, but to celebrate the first year of the Slipstream, I have decided to give the world of NASCAR a try.

I was actually inspired by the not so April Fools Day joke that was passed around about GM and Chrysler being ordered to abandon NASCAR by the end of this year. But this is not a political rant because you can get that from any talking head on TV.

What I try to bring to motor sports is a different, somewhat cynical or realist view of the current situation, be it on the track or off.

The Slipstream comments on all forms of motor sport and if you read any of my previous articles, I do not hold back in regards to my views either. I enjoy the series, and have attended several races. I will say this though, I do not hate NASCAR, I just hate what it is becoming.

So thank you in advance for trying me out and please feel free to give me feedback. I appreciate and enjoy all views, both good and bad.

With the 2009 season well under way it seems fitting that I take this lone view while NASCAR competes in the Lone Star State of Texas.

Over the past decade or so, this series has taken many shapes and assumed many forms. Even before the death of Dale Sr, the sport was seen as being in a state of constant flux.

The rapid expansion of the 90s with the birth of the West coast agenda to the Built-It-Yourself cookie cutter tracks that sprung up across the country gave NASCAR renewed vigor.

This rapid expansion brought a rise in prices and an attempt to raise the image of NASCAR's fan base from one of a perceived simple minded bunch of yokels, to the latte sipping crowd of Main Street 2.0.

This approach became set in stone after the 2001 Daytona 500 where a legend and some say a form of the sport died on the high banks in Florida.

The 2002 season brought a fresh slate and an end to the mourning over the standard bearer of the sport. Names like Johnson, Khane, and Edwards replaced those of Elliot, Labonte, and Jarrett.

Along with this passing of the torch came the corporate perversion that now holds the integrity of a sport that holds it's roots in rum running and fender to fender racing, hostage.

The influx of corporate money started to drive not just advertising, but it seemed that those in the announce booth could not help themselves from playing races up like they were the film serials of the 1940s.

Would Driver A (a member of the Young Guns) who is hated by the fans win another race..or will Driver B (who is also a member of the Old Guard) be able to beat him? Stay tuned next week race fans...

This kind of broadcasting soaked it's way into what used to be Speedvision, now known as the SPEED channel. If you could choke a network with one form of programing they managed to prove it can be done, because for every Targa Newfoundland or MotoGP race I see, there must be five shows devoted to NASCAR.

Driver personalities gave birth to broadcast personalities. Broadcast personalities gave birth to gimmicks such as the Hollywood Hotel, Crank it Up!, and of course, Digger.

This kind of commentary was encouraged by the NASCAR brass (Mike Helton) and what was long suspected for years was confirmed by Mike Joy in an off the cuff statement during a SPEED TV broadcast when he said, "Well I know Mike watches us in the back but now that he is telling us what to say we better keep this going".

So in recognizing that there is in fact a problem, I offer these two solutions as a good base in which NASCAR can reconcile with it's fans and begin to re-brand itself.

1) Stop the lies: Yes, we all know the economy is about as good as a Toyota Prius would be on the high banks of Talladega, so stop telling me that these races are sold out and actually acknowledge that NASCAR has been hit just like everybody else has by the crisis.

These lies trickle down into the excuses made for certain teams and drivers because they are seen as good for the sport. Again, we all know GM is doing pretty bad right now, but for pete's sake, lets not try and remind everybody each time a Chevy comes into camera view that the company has been de facto nationalized.

These excuses are also shoved down a fans throat when NASCAR has to make any kind of change or rendering on a rules issue. Every decision made in the last three years can be boiled down to "It was for safety", or "It was to benefit the fans."

So tell me Mr.Helton, how is allowing Joey Logano to race and pushing out other drivers such as Boris Said, good for the fans? Or was it for safety? Oh, I'll just let Mike Joy or Steve Byrnes shill out the corporate line to me and I'll take it as gospel since you say so.

2) Get over yourself: NASCAR is a series that has roots in rum running and boot legging. So instead of shunning the history of the past or reminding me via catchy 30 second commercials, embrace some of the finer points of the series.

Instead the series continues to re-heat the same few clips and try to pass them off as new material. (Did you know it took THREE days to determine the winner of the first Daytona 500?)

NASCAR isn't Formula One, heck, it isn't even DTM. So stop trying to pass these drivers off as the greatest drivers in the world. It sounds arrogant and it just pleases the ego of the front office to know that there are some people who actually buy into that trash.

I know it makes people sound big and it takes a lot of ego to claim that the likes of Jimmie Johnson are better than Fernando Alonso, Sebestian Loeb or even Scott Dixon, but for pete's sake, the series might have some of the best oval racers in the world, but the rest of the world likes to turn right an left.

The gimmicks and the silliness need to go. Larry Mac, Jeff Hammond, Steve Byrnes, Jimmie "Mr. Sell Out" Spencer, and a list of others need to flat out be barred from a speaking in front of a mic ever again.

Let DW stay though, he has earned the right to scream and holler as much as he wants.

At least ABC and ESPN have it right by cutting away the trash that FOX likes to put on screen and try to pass it off as race coverage, but that's what we have the SPEED channel for isin't it?

So there it is folks, the Slipstream has crossed into uncharted territory and it was an interesting experience to say the least. If you enjoyed the cyclone of cynicism offered up, feel free to check out some other editions of the Slipstream. Thank you for reading and have a nice weekend.

See you in Texas!!

The Slipstream: Snooty Squirrel, F1's Answer To NASCAR's Digger The Gopher

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:29:11 -0400

Welcome back to another edition of the Slipstream. Well that was a wild one on Oz wasn't it? I know some out there are ready to hand Brawn GP the WCC and let the two drivers settle the WDC over a game of Mario Cart Wii but we've got one heck of a long way to go and we've just started what should be an amazing season.

This week's edition of the Slipstream throws down the gauntlet between Formula One and NASCAR in a way that might get the whole family involved, gentlemen take your corners, pick your side because the epic clash of Snooty Squirrel, the jet setting rodent and Digger, the hootin and hollering gopher is about to begin.

This conflict begins at the start of the last NASCAR season with the debut of the "Gopher camera", which is a very elaborate ground level camera that is used to show a different angle of the cars while they are in the corners.

Some marketing genius at FOX decided to hold a contest to name the mascot, and thus Digger the Gopher was born. As the season continued, the talking heads at FOX gave the creature more than the normal amount of coverage, acting almost like Digger was a part of their broadcast crew.

Normally a cartoon gopher could match wits with the likes of Larry MacReynolds and Jeff Hammond, but FOX decided that once their coverage of NASCAR ended that Digger would be back in 2009 bigger and better than ever.

With FOX being FOX, they followed up on their promise in spades. Instead of cutting down on commercial breaks, improving their presentation, or dismissing Larry Mac or Hammond from their staff they spent money and time formulating "The Adventures of Digger and Friends", a 5-10 minute CGI show based on the mis-adventures of Digger and his whole crew (Uncle Marbles, and associates). This show comes complete with honky tonk intro and closing.

Normally this wouldn't warrant Slipstream space, but a few weeks ago Digger's "lady friend" met up with a French cousin of his that professed that F1 was better. Since FOX has yet to come out with anything totally original in years, they had to borrow off of the performance of Sasha Cohen's portrayal of a F1 driver in "Tallageda Nights".

So in the spirit of April Fool's, I proudly present Snooty Squirrel, the FIA's latest PR weapon in the war against bad press and relations to the "common fan". Now in the view of NASCAR's rodent, Snooty would best embody how NASCAR views F1 and their fans (an elitist sport with snobbish fans and the 2nd best racing series next to NASCAR).

So Snooty would have to live on Lake Constance in Switzerland for the summer, and then heading down to his flat in Monaco via private yacht to the Principality of Monaco for the winter season.

With the FIA trying to cut costs and maximize ever Euro US Dollars are so 20th century) Snooty would only appear where he could garner the most exposure per television minute. That means he would be super imposed beneath the podium during trophy ceremonies, and he would have a seat next to the winning drivers, with Peter Windsor asking Snooty what "he" thought of the race.

Catering to the F1 fan, Snooty would be fluent in several languages,making him able to relate to every citizen in the nation's that F1 visits. For instance, while in Japan, Snooty was seen conversing with ASIMO, Honda's robotic mascot. Rumors have it that he even hung out with that robot Toyota makes that can play the trumpet as well.

So there you have it, Berine's answer to the cartoon entity known as Digger. Please feel free to comment but make note that this article is satire. I do have to voice my outrage with SPEED Channel and Charter Cable Company.

During last week's GP and with the 12 Hours of Sebring, the lack of car audio has become somewhat of an annoyance. I am content with just seeing the race, but hearing Bob Varsha swallow water and breathe on the mic over the course of a GP is just too much.

With rain rumored in Sepang, we are sure to be in for a wild show. Stay tuned for future editions of the cyclone of cyncism, stay tuned to the Slipstream and thanks for reading.

See you in Sepang!!

The Slipstream: 10 Questions For Those Who Are About to Race...

Geoffrey Hunton — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:43:58 -0400

Welcome back to another edition of the Slipstream. So here we are race fans, in just a few short hours the 2009 F1 season will roll off and the carbon fiber encased chariots will embark on another world wide battle for the world championship.

An assignment was passed across my desk to ask and then answer the ten questions that will define the 2009 season. So here they are, the ten questions that are flying around the cyclone of cynicism this week.

10) Is a sport like Formula 1 still relevant after the fiscal crisis that has befallen the planet?

-If this was 10 years ago, I would have answered a very definite no, but with the new rules package, I can say with confidence yes it is.

These new cars do not just represent a paradigm shift in competition adjustment, but they represent a clear path towards relevancy in a world that is more interested in cost cutting while maximising large investments.

The KERS system represents true innovation with legitimate applications to the road cars of the 21st Century. Yes, I know paddle shifters and advanced synthetic motor oil have come out of F1 and been put into road cars, but the KERS is true technological and importantly marketing gold.

Slimmer, sleeker cars mated with the most radical piece of technology since the introduction of ground effects in the KERS system make the FIA Formula One Grand Prix Championship the new model for global compeition and corporate involvement.

9) Will the new rules help or hurt the sport?

-If the pre-season testing numbers were indications of something strange going on in the sport, the practice sessions in Melbourne prove those numbers to be just previews of a season where anything really is possible.

Without a doubt, these new rules will bring in more attention, along with better competition and variety on the podium since every race is a true test session with points on the line.

Gone are the days of Ferrari and McLaren taking the lions share of the races, leaving the rest of the factory teams to pick up on the Big Two's mistakes.

We are now looking at a legitimate new era in F1 and as I have said before, I had my doubts, but after seeing the cars in motion with each other, I don't have any issues with the new rules, even the winner take all title format for 2010.

8) What will be the major news stories of 2009?

-Fernando Alonso being announced as a Ferrari driver in 2011 will be one of the large mid to late season news stories. The clues have been in place for some time, with the major one being Banco Santander moving from McLaren to Ferrari.

Alonso will be replacing Raikkonen, with the Finn's future probably leaning towards full on retirement with the Scuderia. Rumors will swirl around Robert Kubica as his contract with BMW draws to a close. I am sure a certain Woking based team will take a good look at him or Nico Rosberg to partner Lewis Hamilton for 2010.

As mentioned in other articles but one I am in full agreement with, is that there is going to be a full on purge of drivers during this season.

Nelson Piquet, Nick Heidfeld, and Heikki Kovalanen will all gone by the end of the year from their respective teams. Looking for French talent, Sebastian Bourdais will be signed to the Renault team in some capacity, perhaps in the mid year after Piquet is given the boot.

Jarno Trulli, Gincarlo Fisichella, and Mark Webber will also be slowly retired in order to clear the way for new talent that have been waiting in the wings.

If Toyota cannot produce a win or two this year, I am sure the team will be shopped to investors backed by Japanese interests.

The only reason why Toyota has stayed in the game this long to begin with, is due to the large amount of influence Panasonic has with the team.

If the factory team pulls out, expect Panasonic to join up with Renault, who will be searching for a title sponsor following the departure of ING at the end of this year.

7) Who will be the suprise winners of 2009?

-With the aforementioned new rules package and the lack of pace from Ferrari and McLaren, the time is ripe for more than a few shocking winners. Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber, Timo Glock, and even Brawn GP driver Jenson Button are all candidates for suprise wins.

Expect the real surprises to come early as the issue with the new front diffuser will more than likely result in some kind of rules "clarification" where the teams running it, will be forced to remove it.

By the Grand Prix of Monaco, expect a more consistent playing field. Until then, it is anybody's ball game, save for maybe the Force India McLarens.

6) Is Vettel the real deal?

-This one will take a few races to play out, but I do think that early indications are that given the correct set of circumstances, he is. Unlike some drivers who have the ability to craft a race in their favor, Vettel has a great talent for adjusting to his surroundings and is a perfect fit for the Red Bull team.

Once Webber is told to leave, or walks away on his own accord, he will be paired with somebody of his talent level, but from the in house Red Bull driver program. While some may think that the future of F1 rests with the German, I believe that he is a key part of the future, not the embodiment of it.

5) Is the USF1 Team a legitimate effort or another flight of fancy?

-Any other point in the recent history of F1 I would have dismissed the USF1 team effort as just another attempt at putting Americans on the grid. The new rules allow for this kind of team to have a serious chance at making it to the grid. This effort however, has some serious traction. (pun not intended) With major backing in the waiting and a wealth of talent ready and hoping for a shot at F1.

There are a few things that were raised in the latest issue of RACER that gave me cause for concern. All that could be talked about is how to "sell" F1 and how it was going to be their main goal to package and sell F1 to the US viewing audience.

If that is your approach, then take the time, money, and resources, and put them into improving the SPEED channel coverage of races. It is that kind of attitude that will wind up getting Danica Patrick a race seat over somebody who might actually be able to compete against the best drivers in the world (sorry NASCAR).

If you want to "sell" F1, package the team in such a way that a true USGP is brought back to the North American continent. It is just going to be hard to find mass appeal with most race fans in the US hooked on a serious dose of BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY.

4) Can Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen regain championship form?

-With both men winning several races last year, but failing to challenge for the world title in the final rounds, it seems that these two former champions are facing rapidly approaching expiration dates.

Alonso is doing his best with a Renault team that is hindered by Nelson Piquet, who to be honest shouldn't be there anymore, and Kimi is driving against the man who was world champion for about 90 seconds in Brazil.

These new cars and new uncharted territory represent an opportunity for these two former champions to show the rest of the grid that they were able to challenge Michael Schumacher himself, and in Alonso's case, be the man who ended the Red Baron's reign and denied him a 8th world title.

3) When will it be time to panic?

-I would say that the best gauge for a team is after the Canadian Grand Prix, but since somebody decided to ax that race from this year's calendar, I would have to say after the GP of Germany.

Early season shockers and mid-season crying will lead to a few "adjustments" being made to the rules package to ensure teams like Ferrari, McLaren and Renault stay in the title fight for as long as possible.

If your team isin't in top form by Germany, you might as well pull the plug on the current car and push your resources towards the development of the 2010 challenger.

2) Who will win the Constructor's Championship?

-The safe bet is to pick BMW Sauber F1 since they have been working on their car the longest. In the debut of the Slipstream, I picked BMW to win the WCC and I stand by that choice.

This year is a whole new ball game and I will not be going with the boys from Hinwill They might have been working on their car the longest, but it will more than likely be the car that is the most conservative with these new rules.

I do believe that we are in for a shocker in this category and I am going to go out on a limb and say it will be AT&T Williams Toyota F1 that takes back it's former glory, with Ferrari, Renault and Toyota in a close fight for the second and third spots this year.

The rules are just too new and the driving talent in Nico and Kazuki is just too good of a risk not to take up. Williams is too crafty not to realize that this is the last opportunity for the team to regain at least some of it's old form.

1) Who will win the World Driver's Championship?

-Take the top eight drivers, put their name in a hat, shake the hat up and pull out a name and that is the man who will be world champion. It's that wide open this year.

Gone are the days of Ferrari and McLaren dominance, gone are the days of cookie cutter races and glorified parades.

We are now embarking into a new era where the true skills of drivers will be tested, and new technologies put to the ultimate test.

Sit back, relax, snap open a cold energy drink and get ready for one intense ride. To paraphrase a former McLaren world champion, it is going to be maximum attack, and the Slipstream will be here to cover each and every battle.

F1 09 IS GO!!!!!!!!

The Slipstream: Storm Watch For The 2009 Season

Geoffrey Hunton — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:07:54 -0400

Welcome back to the cyclone of cynicism, the twister of tirades, and the swirl of sounding off—welcome back to the Slipstream. I am sorry for the lack of writing, but time ran short and as much as I wanted to write for this forum, things got out of hand. But here we are, back at it again for another season.

After a long break, and a pretty dismal offseason, the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship is set to begin once more.

With several major changes taking place, the landscape of the F1 world shifted like the San Andreas fault. New rules, new cars, and (semi) new teams, have led to pretty much a new world in Formula 1.

I am sure these topics have been discussed at length on this forum, so I will avoid the general commentary and offer up my thoughts on what may or may not happen.

F1 stands on the cusp of making itself relevant in a world that has changed since the final race in Brazil. New cost cutting regulations strive to make the teams not only fiscally healthy and responsible, but they also attempt to show that even F1 can change for the better, and for the future.

Even though the cars look different, the level of competition looks to be even better this year. Veteran drivers like Raikkonen and Alonso feel like they can fight at their top form again, while drivers like Hamilton, Massa, Kubica, and even Glock feel that they are the true inheritors to Schumacher's throne, and not the so called "transition" champions of Alonso and Raikkonen.

As the scarlet steeds of Ferrari, and the silver arrows of McLaren are loaded on their respective transports for the flight to Melbourne, the teams of BMW, Renault, and Toyota stand ready to pounce on the disappointing pace of the McLarens, and the questionable performance of Ferrari's answer to Hamilton's title defending McLaren.

The impossible dream of Honda became more than just reality with the genesis of Brawn F1. A

re they just Super Aguri in a better looking and more expensive suit? Or is their pre-Oz test pace just what the marketing team at Honda had been pushing for years...just a dream?

Next week, I will offer my title predictions and also offer a response to NASCAR's portrayal of F1.

The winds of change are coursing swiftly across the F1 landscape, and the Slipstream will be there.

F1 09 is GO!

Slipstream: Golden Slingshot Award Presentation

Geoffrey Hunton — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:11:02 -0500

Who cares about the FIA gala in Monaco? We've got the best awards show on the planet with the Golden Slingshots. Covering topics such as Best Driver, Best Race, to more un-conventional areas such as television and off season news, the Slingshot is proud to bring you the first edition of the Golden Slingshot awards!

Begin Slideshow

The Slipstream:Golden Slingshot Nomination Special

Geoffrey Hunton — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:53:01 -0500

Happy belated holidays and welcome to the 2008 Golden Slingshot nomination special for the Formula One World Championship. Well, here we are knocking on the door of 2009 and another season will soon be upon us.

I know I am very over due with these awards, the holiday season soaked up what little free time I've got left so I am sorry for the tardiness of this article. I do promise that the Golden Slingshots will be passed out no later than December 30th. So without further ado, I give you the nominees.

Driver of the Year:

Lewis Hamilton: The new world champion and a much deserved one at that. Backed with a clear number two driver in Heikki, the Briton managed to carpe diem and with a little smile from lady luck, became world champion in the most dramatic of fashions.

Felipe Massa: Fighting back from a dismal season start, it was once figured that his time at Ferrari was short. With impressive wins in Valencia, Turkey, and Brazil the young Brazilian managed to close the gap to points leader Hamilton once he was the clear challenger to Hamilton. He was even the de facto World Champion for a little over a minute as Hamilton languished in the late rain at Interlagos.

Fernando Alonso: The double world champion had a roller coaster of a season. He down played the chances of his Renault even challenging for podiums, and at times looked like he almost regretted leaving McLaren. The low point of the Spainard's season came in Valencia where he was sent to the pits early in front of a packed home crowd. That would all change in the final races of the season where he made history by winning the first ever night race, due to a safety car period and mistakes made by the front runners. Dismissing the win in Singapore, the Spaniard followed the victory up by winning in Japan just 6 days later, holding off the heavily favoured BMW of Robert Kubica.

Race of the Year:

Brazil: This one needs no introduction or explanation. The best race of the decade, if not one of the best races of all time.

Japan: Following a dramatic start which shuffled the field and a first lap incident between the two title contenders, the entire paradigm of the championship shifted as the two contenders emerged and postured themselves for the title showdown of the decade. The win by Alonso disproved the doubts held about the legitimacy of his Singapore victory, and also his potential and future at Renault as he scored 48 points in the last few races of the season, more than any other driver on the grid.

England: A wet drivers paradise. With the lack of traction control and some doubts over the car control abilities of both Hamilton and Massa, this race was a showcase for the new era of non-traction controlled grand prix machinery. Lewis, having missed his chance for pole passed his team mate in a stunning move on Hangar straight. The Briton would then put on a rain driving clinic the likes of which haven't been seen since the day Ayrton Senna walked on water at Donnington Park in 1993.

Venue of the Year:

Singapore: An amazing visual display of neon lights, the colors of the cars, and the majesty of the city architecture blended into a visual orchestra that played the sounds of speed for a weekend. It was if the F1 circuit was placed in a cyberpunk setting with the visual hues of old Singapore as a backdrop to an eventful race, which would eventually hold world championship implications.

Canada: A sun splashed day in June gave the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve gave the drivers exactly what the circuit is known for, high speeds and world title changing events. As the sun bounced off the office buildings of downtown Montreal and the St.Lawrence just a stones throw from the track, Robert Kubica took his maiden victory on a track which favoured the BMW almost better than any other car on the grid. Adieu, Montreal.

Valencia, Spain: The second brand new course to be introduced this season gave way for a blase race but allowed for spectacular visuals. Massa won in dominating fashion on a street circut that allowed little to no overtaking, but the contrasts between the bright hues of the cars combined with the harbor front and the circut's bridge allowed for some wonderful images of Formula One in 2008.

Suprise Win of the Year:

Fernando Alonso, Singapore: Strictly a case of being in the right place at the right time. The double world champion followed up a disaster of a qualifying session with a historic night win in Singapore.

Sebastian Vettel, Monza: The former Minardi squad took pole the day before but not many expected that the rain would hold and the young German could hold off the rain masters for long. His race craft gave Gincarlo Minardi ample reason to smile as the Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari powered Vettel to the top of the rostrum on a rain soaked Sunday in Italy.

Felipe Massa,Spa: Post race sanctions applied to Lewis Hamilton handed Massa the win and gave the Brazilian the second chance he needed to keep the world championship within reach. Granted a win is a win, but it should be from the wave of the checkered flag, not the stroke of a pen.

F1 Intro of the Year:

ITV, UK: The visuals coupled with the rhythmic tunes of Moby's "Lift Me Up" gave UK F1 fans something to look forward to when the turned the channel over for race coverage. It is a shame ITV has lost the rights to F1 because their recap packages are almost second to none.

Fuji TV, Japan: Epic is the only way to describe these intros. Last year it was the animated drivers being introduced to Queens "Flash Gordon" theme. Coupled with extensive pre-race packages that re-caps the season up to the race, along with the fantastic editing, it is no exaggeration that Japan is passionate about F1.

Speed TV, United States: With almost the same intro every year, F1 fans in the US have come to expect and enjoy the visual history of F1, along with the fantastic pre-race introductions done by Sam Posey that give the race a much needed dramatic flair before sinking to your chair, snapping open a can of "Red Bull" and watching the generic FOM intro provided to us from world broadcast control in the host country.

Worst News of the Year

Super Aguri and Honda withdrawing from the grid: Aguri Sazuki's JV Honda effort proved that little teams could fight the good fight and occasionally achieve glory. Four drivers and several hundred support staff rendered jobless. It's a shame really, but lets hope Prodrive and David Richards saves the day.

David Coulthard ends his career on a sour note: As the bagpipes played in the Red Bull pits as the Flying Scot took to the grid one last time, the white Red Bull Renault rolled to the grid for a driver who was called up in the wake of Aytron Senna's death. Once considered one of the best drivers on the grid, DC's Red Bull career had been rocky at best. It was just a shame how he exited the grid.

The loss of the Canadian Grand Prix: To leave all of North America out of the "World" Championship is just a shame. For almost 30 years, the Canadian Grand Prix became a staple of the F1 calendar and for many North American fans, their only chance to experience the magic of grand prix racing. I had the opportunity to attend the 2004 and 2005 Canadian Grands Prix and it is just a damned shame that future generations of F1 fans in North America may have to board an international flight just to experience a Grand Prix.

Feedback will be appreciated, who deserves to win? Thank you for reading and you can expect the slingshots to be handed out before the 30th

Slipstream: The Nightmare Of Reality

Geoffrey Hunton — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:43:50 -0500

Hello and welcome back to another edition of "The Slipstream."

The Honda F1 dream is gone, and the F1 world now exists in a new reality. It seems that only the bad news of Formula One manages to seep into the "mainstream" media venues of CNN, and Headline News, because today as I was enjoying a morning can of "Sobe No Fear" energy drink, it was announced that Honda was leaving Formula One for the third time, and second time as a full-blown factory team.

With the exception of Hamilton's WDC victory last month, the last time F1 made the news here in the states was after Kubica's nightmare shunt in Montreal and the farce that was the 2005 USGP. No news like bad news, huh?

Teams have come and gone before, and Honda has pulled itself out of the sport twice already: once as a full-works team in the 60s, and once after it ended its relationship with McLaren in the early 90s. When Jaguar folded there was no panic, when Prost and Arrows shut its doors there was no fear, but today it is different.

Today, the F1 dream turned into a nightmare. Despite finishing second in 2004 to Ferrari, which was led by the brilliant David Richards, the Honda F1 outfit never found the direction needed to compete seriously with the big powers of the sport.

It was a marvel to hear the Hondas during the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, as you could almost feel the power of those machines with each gear shift.

The Honda name may be best known for being emblazoned upon the flanks of the McLaren Hondas of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost during their legendary duels.

However, even as the Honda name fades from the F1 grid once more, it does not fade out of the world of motor sport. They have a monopoly in the IndyCar Series and compete in the Super GT Championship in their native Japan, along with their motorcycle programs.

Perhaps this is a chance for the long talked about "Prodrive F1 team" to finally appear, possibly being led by David Richards, the man who brought Honda F1 back to the front of the grid. Their decline these past few years has been a sad sight, considering the potential the team had and the coverage it got from the press.

With hindsight being 20/20, maybe we should have seen this on the wall after Suzuki Aguri's effort folded barely a third into this year's season.

Will another team fold before the grid forms up in March? Or will Prodrive or another group emerge to save this team and it's 700-plus employees from being just another footnote in the F1 record books?

See you next week.

What a Race Fan Can Be Thankful For

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:47:11 -0500

Suffice to say, I have recovered from the hangover that was the 2008 F1 Season and am privileged to bring you a Thanksgiving Eve edition of the Slipstream for all US readers, and standard Thursday edition for all of the international readers out there.

First off, I would like to say thank you to all of my readers so far and I do apologize for not being more active in the community. I would love to find the time to write more and be as active as I used to, but life catches up with us all eventually.

As the title suggests, this is a reflection on what us as fans of domestic and international motorsport can be thankful or at least appreciative of.

As we all know, times across the globe are tough. All it takes is a click of a mouse or press of a button on a remote control to bring about the troubled times that have approached us all.

I am thankful and I am sure countless are also, of an outlet like motor sports that enables people to sit back, relax, and even shut out the world around them in order to support and cheer on a certain driver, team, or the sport in general.

Whether it be NASCAR, the IndyCar Series, F1, DTM, or Super GT, the essence of motorsport transcends language, culture, and creed to provide competition on a global scale only a few other forms of athletic expression can bring.

For all the arguments and bitter debates on this forum, one single thing unites us all as fans, and that is our pride in the worldwide spirit of motor sport. For that, I am very thankful for.

My thanks and appreciation also goes out to the drivers and teams of the F1 World Championship. There were some bumps along the way but for the world championship to be decided in the last corners of the last lap of the final race is something that doesn't happen often in this sport.

Lewis Hamilton may have grasped the world title that Sunday in Brazil, but fans across the world could point to F1 with pride, despite team allegiance, and say that the Schumacher era had ended and a new era had begun. Those of you who follow the Slipstream know my criticism of Hamilton, but he is a deserving champion.

The lucky win in Singapore and the not so lucky but skeptic-silencing win at Fuji for Fernando Alonso is something I didin't expect to see but am glad did happen in the Spaniard's return to Renault.

The rise of a new wunderkind in Sebastian Vettel, and the win he brought to the team formally known as Minardi gave F1 fans something to be proud about as well.

So much happened this year on and off the track that to try and cover it all would take many hours, but each of those hours would be well spent.

On the domestic front, I am very thankful for the return of a single open wheel racing series in the United States.

The demise of Champ Car and the rise of the IndyCar Series brings a lot of hope and wishful thinking to followers of US open wheel of a return to the 90s, in which open wheel racing challenged NASCAR in ratings, fan attendance, and interest.

The road ahead will be rocky, and the timing could not have been worse, but a unified open wheel series is just what the doctor ordered for those sick of hearing BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY!!!!!!!! at the start of each NASCAR race.

Once again, I would like to thank the readers of the Slipstream and again apoligize for my static activity on this nexus for F1 writing.

Coming soon to the 'stream is the Golden Slingshot Nomination special for F1 and a second run of nominations for other areas of motorsport. I promise you that the Golden Slingshot Award nominations will be out in the next two weeks.

For those who reside in the US, have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving tomorrow and for the international readers, have an enjoyable Thursday. Thank you once again for your interest in The Slipstream.

Final Corner Pass Makes Lewis Hamilton World Champion

Geoffrey Hunton — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:49:44 -0500

Welcome to a special breaking news edition of the Slipstream. Lewis Hamilton has become the youngest world champion with a final corner pass on Panasonic Toyota Driver Timo Glock.

Win lose or draw, this race was not just the best race of the year, but it has been the best race of this decade so far. With the stakes so high, every Formula One fan, despite the team colors we all wear, was on the edge of our seats as the finest drivers in the world sliced and diced through the last rain soaked laps.

Both Felipe Massa, and world champion Lewis Hamilton deserve massive amounts of praise for their race craft this weekend. 2007 was a season hard to top, and it was in a way fit for a Hollywood script.

Fernando Alonso of ING Renault F1, and Kimi Raikkonen of Scuderia Ferrari joined Massa on the podium. The Scideria took the Constructor's championship over McLaren, but the World Driver's crown has returned to Woking, and despite the flak that I have thrown his way, it is on a deserving champion.

This race will be talked about in the off season and for years if not decades to come. For those who thought that F1 would never be the same without Michael Schumacher, you were right. Names like Hamilton, Massa, Vettel, and Alonso have ushered in a new era of Formula 1.

Stay with the Slipstream for the First Edition of the Golden Slingshot awards, and with the 'stream through the off season as we step back after one of the best seasons on record and usher in 2009 with great fanfare and excitement.

See you in Melbourne!

F1 Title Bout...Beginning Of The End Or End to The Beginning?

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:51:48 -0400

Welcome back to another edition of the Slipstream. Before I get into this weeks's content I would like to address a comment that was made by a user who will remain nameless. Commenting on my last article about Lewis Hamilton, I was labelled as a racist. Never have I been so taken aback by the sheer idiocy and blatant flame throwing as this comment.

So, in order to clear up any misconceptions of my positions, either refer back to my critique of Hamilton in my previous articles or pay close attention to the next few lines. I respect the integrity of this forum and enjoy writing for it when I have the time, and I wish I had more to devote to the Slipstream. But accusations that I am a racist makes not just me look bad as a writer, but makes all of us as writers look bad. We are here because we like to share our views on Formula 1 and to enjoy the sport, not to rip each other down and to throw out foolish and disgusting accusations such as racism. So the next time anybody wishes to accuse myself or any of the other writers on this forum of such charges without proof, please, take that kind of flame BS and smear it over the SpeedTV boards, because this forum has too much credibility to tolerate such defamation as that.

So here we are yet again, Interlagos circuit with the Driver's and Constructor's title up for grabs.

Hamilton has nothing to lose by playing a conservative game this time around. Like last year, he controls his own fate in becoming world champion. I will not try and rip his season apart and claim that he, if he wins, does not deserve to be world champion. His drive in England and his domination of China two weeks ago proved that he has a more justified case now, more so than last year, of becoming the world champion. But will he do it? Will the stars align in such a way that McLaren, after coming so close last year with both Alonso and Hamilton in the fight finally take back what they feel is their rightful claim to the WDC? All signs point to yes, but there are two scarlet road blocks that will do all in their power and maybe then some to prevent that from happening.

It seems that despite the bad run of luck the team had in Singapore, and the spotty race pace of his team mate, Felipe Massa is poised to become the first Brazilian F1 world champion since Ayrton Senna. Just like a year ago a Ferrari driver needs Lady Luck to smile upon him. Even though I believed that Kimi would take the title hands down this year, I am surprised at the pace that Felipe has shown in some of his races. The combination of the longer wheelbase Ferrari has shown that it can dominate on some tracks, and stutter at others. I will stand by my title predictions that I made during the first edition of the Slipstream,but I will say that Felipe is going to be subject to the same amount of scrutiny if he becomes world champion, as will the scrutiny be on Lewis Hamilton if he in fact wins the title. Both of them have a good case to be world champion, but they share similar driving traits.

Both drivers are excellent when they are on the front row of the grid. There have been exceptions (Fuji), but they run into trouble when they have a poor starting spot on the grid. One of Massa's best passing moves of the entire season was the first lap collision with title rival Hamilton, that says alot when looking back on the season as a whole. Where as Hamilton has shown that he can play the McLaren game of methodical chess like racing, Felipe has made Ferrari adapt it's tactics, some of which might be a bit dusty since the end of the Schumacher era. Will this be a new heated rivalry? I doubt it. With the amount of change brewing in Formula 1 these next few years are going to be one giant roll of the dice. Which leads me to a few questions I would like to ask you, the reader. Will F1 be F1 if Ferrari does make good on it's threat to pull out?

We are seeing the potential for yet another stare down between Ferrari, the FIA and the other teams just like at the start of this decade with the much talked about break off GPWC. FOCA and the GPMA is now the FOTA, and yet again, the winter will be filled with minced words and rampant charges made on both sides. So my last question to the reader is this, is once the drivers take the chequered in Brazil, is this the Beginning of the End to the season? Or is it the end to a troubled beginning for seasons to come in the back rooms of Paris, Woking, Cologne, and London?

Have a great Halloween and enjoy this F1 title bout!

Just The Facts Ma'am: The Fans Case For and Against Lewis Hamilton

Geoffrey Hunton — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:17:39 -0400

Welcome back to another edition of the Slipstream. I am sure by now, you have heard the FIA's ruling on Spa. I managed to listen to the F1 race two weeks ago from Monza on Sirus Channel 125 on my way up to the NASCAR race in New Hampshire, and needless to say that I was impressed by the coverage.

The race seemed like one for the record books, and it is good to see a variety of winners this year from not just the front teams. The jury is still out in regards to Vettel however, but that's for another column and another day.

This article is not about that, but it is about the case that I am sure has been covered during my LOA from this forum. Regardless, I will try and break down why Lewis Hamilton is loved and hated taking into account his performance on the track, his depiction in the media (US and international),taking into consideration today's ruling as well.

The sudden rise of Lewis Hamiton's star was not sudden at all, it was actually expected considering his roots and development in the lesser formula series. Formula One, is only his second series in which he has spent more than one season with.

His results, discussed in a previous edition of the Slipstream, tell a tale of domination coupled with the grooming of the first manufactured Formula One driver of this decade. Arguments could be made that the Red Bull Driver Program features more in depth development, but none of Red Bull's in house development drivers have produced anything more than a mid-field finish.

Vettel, despite being the first Red Bull driver to score a victory, was not one of the in house drivers, since he was signed over from BMW/Sauber in the middle of last season. So the question still remains, why do people love/hate Lewis Hamilton?

On Track Performance

For:

When the partner to then World Champion Fernando Alonso was announced, not a lot of people were surprised that the young Briton was chosen over a plethora of other potential drivers. Some old school types believed that Pedro De La Rosa deserved that open seat next to Alonso more than anybody else on the grid, having taken the place of Juan Montoya and even scoring a podium to boot.

But when Hamilton was announced, it was seen as a relief to many fans that not only was the color barrier being broken in F1, but this young star had the potential to do great things, in due time. His skills in Melbourne impressed everybody, and stunned his rival into a sense of paranoia that lasted throughout the 2007 campaign.

Hamilton became the first F1 rookie in a decade that had a legitimate chance at winning the World Championship. So why wouldn't anybody want to see a rookie fight it out with his double world champion team mate against the on rush of Ferrari scarlet in the forms of Kimi and Massa?

Lewis managed to restore national pride to the F1 realm of the UK, having been disappointed at the efforts of Anthony Davidson, David Coulthard, and of course, Jenson Button. The hopes and dreams at national glory for the UK rest upon the Woking based McLaren team and on the shoulders of Lewis Hamilton.

Having longed for a return to the days of "Our Nige," it seems their waiting has paid off. Now all 2008's season is about how it is Lewis' title to lose, since he should have won it in '07. Damn the FIA and their damn agenda.

Against

Hamilton has been gifted one of the best seats in F1 and he didin't seem to appreciate who he was racing next to, nor who he was racing against.

First of all, De La Rosa deserved that seat and not the 22-year-old rookie that may have been suited for a test role in order to learn the ropes. Alonso was brought on board to help McLaren over the top and finally get back what they believed should have been theirs in 2005, a world drivers and constructors championship.

Yet again, Ron Dennis has shown how he cannot manage Latin drivers. It became pretty obvious after the qualifying incident who Dennis was pushing for to win the WDC. It was only through the infighting between the McLaren drivers that Ferrari was able to secure the Driver's championship.

And the complaining? C'mon, Lewis, you should have known what you were getting into when you pull up wheel to wheel against Alonso at Spa. Was that what Ron told you what was going to happen at the start? Or did he just adjust your rose tinted lenses for you right before the race? This season has been just one mistake after another, capped off with the blunder at Spa (who would have thought?)

The Media

This part of the article I have the most to say about. While I respect Hamilton's efforts on the track, my main view of him was formed with how the media treated him. Every week at my local bookstore since Hamiton's debut, Autosport, a weekly UK based racing magazine would feature Hamilton on its cover, or head line with Hamilton mentioned in it, almost on a regular basis.

Granted, the English have a tendency to favor their own, as was the case when Button was doing well (remember those days?), but this was bordering on the obscene. Same goes for F1 Racing, a monthly magazine that covers not just the actions on the track, but the world that is F1.

Yet again, it seems that Hamilton became the apple of another UK based mag's eye and was featured on the cover during the whole season of 2007 and a majority of 2008 has been devoted to him as well.

I know that the media has and will form their own agenda, but there is no better example than the SPEED TV coverage of a Grands Prix. David Hobbes needs to be muted and I say this with conviction. His dismissal of Fernando Alonso and the rest of the F1 grid it seems is just absurd.

He seems to go out of his way to throw a zinger or put Alonso down, and in 2007 this was even more apparent because of the tight title fight. This was most obvious during the closing laps of the final race in Brazil. Where, through no fault but his own, Lewis blew the title for the second race in a row, by making a mistake and hitting the neutral engage button on his control wheel.

But with two laps to go, Steve Matchett and Hobbes were trying to manifest these outrageous situations where "If all three of these cars wreck each other, Lewis becomes champion! So it's not over yet boys!" I know there is wishful thinking and all, but give me a break.

The excuses made for Hamilton during Canada of this year, where some how Hobbes pointed out that it was Raikkonen's fault for waiting at pit out instead of breaking the rules, thus giving Hamilton a great big target to plow into, is another one of the many examples of the blatant excuses and media bias that resounds the F1 coverage in the United States.

Oh by the way, did you know that Lewis' father Anthony was in attendance? I just thought I should point that out since it doesn't get mentioned or shown on TV at least five times a race minus the podium ceremonies.

Verdict

Personally, like several other fans of F1, I do not admire Hamilton and would not call myself one of his fans. My main pillar of arguement for this statement, is that he did not earn his "due" like many of the other drivers on the grid.

I am sure the question of what qualifies as dues paid in Grand Prix racing, but even Michael Schumacher started at Jordan before racing for Bennetton. Even Fernando Alonso raced for Minardi, even Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa raced for Sauber, and so on and so on.

The media that Is Hamilton good for the sport? Maybe, maybe not. We are only in year two of the post Schumacher era. Is the sport good for Hamilton? According to the FIA, I would think not.

See you under the lights in Singapore!

When The Show Went On: Formula One In The Wake of Terrorism

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:13:15 -0400

After a long absence, the Slipstream is back on line. This week, as the title of the article suggests, there will be a look at Formula One during moments where the world stepped back and watched the tragic events of the last few years on the same screens that we all view a Grand Prix on.

The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks left a world wondering what had gone wrong. The United States and a majority of the Western hemisphere was in a state of panic. Fear that the worst was yet to come from this terrible evil that anybody in listening distance to a radio or television bore witness too.

The drivers of the Champ Car series were over in Germany, preparing for a major race on Europe's largest oval course, and F1 was back in Monza, ready to continue the McLaren/Ferrari struggle yet again.

Michael and Ferrari, Mika and McLaren had been battling it out for most of the year and with the calendar winding down and with Mika announcing his retirement, the stakes were very high.

After the attacks, questions arose around FOM and FIA officials, and drivers, if there should be a race. Champ Car had taken the first step in the post 9/11 racing world, and named their race in Germany the American Freedom 500. That unto itself was an act of kindness and gratitude that I as a race fan greatly appreciated.

On the closing laps of that race, Alex Zanardi nearly lost his life during a horrific accident that resulted in his legs being severed due to scheer trauma of another car slicing his in half. Champ Car fans, and race fans already numb with shock over the attacks sat and waited, hoping for good news.

That Friday in Italy, the twin prancing horses of Ferrari rumbled out of the paddock without the tens of millions of dollars in livery, but with just a black nose. This black nose represented not just the respect of the Italian company to what had happened, but it came to represent the sullen situation the world had found itself in.

But yet, the cars still rolled onto the track. The F2001 still claimed second spot on the grid, and it the field raced on. For just a few hours, Formula One, along with NASCAR who was holding a race as well, gave race fans a brief escape from the new world that had come to pass that Tuesday morning.

The race in Monza showed to the world that it was OK to be upset, it was OK to mourn, but it is still OK to cheer and jeer our drivers who went out there not for themselves, but for the fans and the sponsors. It is known that Michael Schumacher wanted the race cancelled at one point, I am glad it wasn't and I am sure a few million other F1 fans share my view.

The United States GP was called into doubt a few weeks later. With security restrictions imposed to unprecedented levels, the cars had to be flown over and examined under levels of scrutiny seldom seen outside of the F1 paddock. Ways had to be developed that allowed the F1 cars and kit to be examined at the airport or else they would not be allowed into the country.

Thankfully, the cars made their way on to the grid a few days later. Eddie Jordan, in respect to the American audience, ran "God Bless America" on the side panels just behind the vortex generators on both of his cars. After years of not seeing Jordan's point of view I stopped my criticism of him and his operation that day.

It is also worth mentioning that Ferrari ran with its black nose in respect to the death of Pope John Paul II, and that the Jordan team ran a black nose in respect to the victims of the 2005 terrorist attacks in London.

A Race Across Time-A Unique Approach to a Hypothetical F1 All-Star Race

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:54:41 -0400

Greetings and welcome to the third edition of The Slipstream. As promised, this week will feature two editions of the Slipstream, in honor of the Moncao Grand Prix. I would like to thank everybody who has either read and or commented on my articles so far and appreciate the very constructive and thoughtful input so far.

This week I am going to present to you a hypothetical "All-Star" race from across the decades of F1, both pre-and post war drivers. I would like to point out that this article, just like my others, is intended to be fun and stimulating. I am prepared to take alot of flak for this attempt, but hope it does not become cynical and personal. As another disclaimer, all the cars involved will be assumed to have identical capabilities, DESPITE the era in which they were constructed. The pole sitter's car is the benchmark for all the others on the grid.

The track for this historic race has been selected by the FIA to be the modern Monza circuit. This circut promises excellent chances to over take, along with a chance to see and hear the exhaust notes at their loudest and most robust volume. The television and on track commentary will be done by the legend, Murray Walker, who will be joined for television by Bob Varsha and Steve Matchett from SPEED Channel's F1 coverage.

As the helicopter shot of the Monza facility pulls back and zooms in on the activity on the grid, the lens captures the flag's of the participating driver nationalities, snapping and waving in the perfect mid-day Italian sunshine. As expected, the grand stands are packed to the limits, with Ferrari, Lotus, Mercedes, Auto Union, Renault, flags displayed like the battle flags of old.

With the race support mechanics in place, the muted roars of 18 Formula One engines pull the ears and eyes of all who are present and watching on television to the start finish line as the pole sitter, seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher, brings his scarlet Ferrari F2004 to a halt just a eyelash from the feet of the grid girl standing with the German flag. A slight rumble from the Cosworth DFV engine in Jim Clark's dominating Lotus 49 mixes with the low pitch idle of Schumacher's V10 Ferrari as the Scotsman brings his car to a halt in the #2 position.

Trying hard to force heat into the tires of his Maserati 250F, Juan Manuel Fangio slides his gloved hands across the wheel, eventually easing the Italian made racer behind Schumacher's Ferrari. He removes his eye protection and allows the view of the modern car in front of him to soak in, still amazed at what F1 has become. As Fangio begins to pull his attention back to the race ahead of him, he is soon flanked by the McLaren Honda MP/4-5 of Ayrton Senna. Senna idles the McLaren and lets go of the wheel for a slight second, pulling his weathered gloves tight across his hands.

Senna looks into the mirror only to see the white and blue helmet of Alain Prost come into view and assume the 5th position on the starting grid. Prost looks forward and into the mirrors of his former protoge'. Intense focus creeps over the man known as "The Professor". A massive V16 engine gains the attention of all present as the Auto Union of Tazio Nuvolari stops on the grid. The almost sterling silver finish of the car captures the sun, twisting and bending it across it's impressive body work before reflecting it back into the eyes of those gazing upon it.

Rows 3 and 4 feature the Father/Son duos of the Villeneuves and the Hills. The Williams FW-19 of Jacques' World Championship season awaits the Ferrari 312 T4 of Enzo Ferrari's most thought of driver. The #27 Ferrari stops briefly alongside the Williams and Gilles flips up his clear visor. With a brief nod the message is sent and the challenge made to Jacques to finally live fully up to his famous surname. As the sun shifts itself in the sky the Ferrari gives off a unique silhouette. In an ironic twist of fate, Jacques is now literally parked in his father's shadow on the grid. Gilles was favored to win the pole for this race, had it not been for a slight spin exiting one of the chicanes.

The father son duel continues as Damon Hill stops his FW-18, an almost identical car to 1997 World Champion Jacques, behind the Ferrari 312 T4. The Lotus 49 of father Graham Hill rolls to a halt, it's driver giving a tight smirk in Damon's direction and at the sight of two generations of families line up together to prove who is the best on track.

Row 5 features the two youngest drivers to win the world championship. The bright blue and yellow machine of Fernando Alonso slides it's way across the grid as Fernando attempts to force as much heat into the front tires of the Michelin shod Renault R25. Only the second "modern" F1 car on the grid is now matched up against the black and silver John Player Special Lotus 72 of Emerson Fittipaldi. The black and red striped helmet of the Brazilian tilts over to look upon the driver who beat him for the title of "youngest driver to win a world champion".

At the head of Row 6 is the only American born driver to win the World Championship. The fanatical tfolsi rise in applause as Phil Hill brings his Ferrari 156 " shark nose" to it's starting positon. Starting next to Hill is Italian born but American raised Mario Andretti in his Lotus 79, another car bathed in the colors of the famous black and gold John Player Special livery. Andretti looks to his left as the American flag waves next to the tri-colors of Italy, a symbolic event and one not easy to forget.

The sounds of the 70s shatter the grid as the Ferrari 312T of Austrian, Niki Lauda stops next to the Cosworth DFV powered Tyrell 003 of Scotsman, Jackie Stewart. Lauda's signature helmet blends in with the Ferrari scarlet where as Stewart's white helmet, lined with the Stewart family tartan breaks up the blue and black livery of his Tyrell.

Row 8 features a stark contrast of equipment. The green Vanwall 57 of Sir Stirling Moss creeps to it's starting position where again, the sound of Cosworth power announces it's presence as Nelson Piquet, driving his Brabham BT49C. From the VIP section, Bernie Ecclestone smiles slightly as he tracks the progress of the Brabham onto the starting grid.

Row 9 features the Cooper T151 of Jack Brabham, the first rear engined Formula One car and a machine of landmark design. Alberto Ascari rounds off the field, having failed to post a time during qualifying in his Ferrari 500.

After several minutes of checks and re-checks, the mechanics clear the grid as the pace lap begins. As the tire smoke and engine noise clears the Mercedes Benz safety car, driven by touring car ace, Bernd Maylander trails this timeless grid as it comes around to the start finish line once more. Maylander halts the Mercedes at a safe distance. FIA Sporting Director Charlie Whiting gives the OK for the countdown to begin. The start lights glow with a bright amber as they vanish one by one, until the flood of noise, brought together across time revs to their allowed levels.

The lights drop and Schumacher leads into turn one...

The rest of the race is up to you, the reader.

Formula One: Who Is The Best Rookie Of The Modern Era?

Geoffrey Hunton — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:12:52 -0400

Greetings, and welcome back to the second edition of The Slipstream. Sorry for the lack in coverage of Turkey but I was away on business for a few days.

I would like to thank everybody who read up on my first article—and as the title suggests, this edition will track an in depth analysis of the 1996 rookie season of 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve (JV, and 2007 rookie sensation and world title runner-up, Lewis Hamilton (LH).

I would like to thank the hard workers of Formula One database that provided the statistics for this article. They can be reached at their URL of www.f1dbc.om. Also, some information was also taken from Villeneuve:My First Season in Formula One, written by JV with contributions from Gerald Donaldson.

Pre-Formula One Careers

When tracking the early careers of the two drivers being analysed, it is clear to see a common theme. Both of these men, like all F1 drivers, have been developed from an early age to drive at the highest level of motorsport.

Lewis' career up to F1,which started in 2002 reads like a military campaign, where the critical strikes were carried out with devastating accuracy and effect. It seems that whatever series LH enters in, he becomes a force to be dealt with even before the end of the first race.

From his rookie title win in 2002 with Formula Renault, he advanced to Formula Three Euroseries where he spent two years and winning the title during his sophomore season. F3 would be the only professional series where he would spend more than a single season in before getting to F1.

LH stepped into a prime drive in 2006 with the Direxiv GP2 team and captured the GP2 title. The Direxiv team, once rumored to be the foundation for a McLaren F1 "B" team is known for polishing up drivers for F1. Speculation clouded the young driver, until Turn 1, Lap 1 of the season's first race in Albert Park. The rest is history...

Villeneuve took a longer and more diverse path into F1. He would take his first major step towards F1 in 1992, where he competed in the Japanese Formula Three Championship. He gain the attention of many insiders and team bosses when he took second in the championship with three wins.

1994 would be another big year for the French Canadian, winning Rookie of the Year honors in the the CART open wheel series. His sophomore season in CART would see him crowned champion with four wins, including the Indy 500. From road course karting to open wheel oval racing, JV was able to adapt and then win in almost every series he entered before testing for Williams in late 1995.

1996 would see the return of the Villeneuve name to the F1 grid, this time on a Williams Renault. What is unique about JV's pre-F1 experience is the fact that he is the son of what many consider to be the best driver never to win the World Championship, Ferrari driver Gilles Villeveuve. Born into the glitz and glamour that is F1, Jacques saw the world of motorsport take his father's life and in the same token, grant Jacques some of his more treasured memories.

Advantage: Jacques Villeneuve

The 2007 Rookie Season of Lewis Hamilton

Car: McLaren MP/4-22

Teammate:Double World Champion, Fernando Alonso

Considered to be one of the best seasons in F1's storied history, there was as much action on the track as there was off. Following the impressive display of speed and pace in the season's first race, Lewis' first win became just a matter of time, an issue of "when" not "if".

The question of "when" was answered in the chaos that was the Grand Prix of Canada—ironically, a race that JV never was able to win. His teammate, Alonso had a horrid race, placing sveenth and many pundits started to see the silver on Hamilton's car shine just a bit brighter than on Alonso's.

Hamilton followed up his win in Canada with a memorable slipstream duel on the front straight at Indy, where him and Alonso nearly touched tires at 215 mph. Lewis, having led in the standings since very early in the season, was being talked about as the first driver since Jacques Villeneuve to have a chance to win the title in his freshmen year.

The second half of the season made the first half look like a mid card bout before the main event. Both Ferrari and McLaren exchanged wins, slugging it out until the Grand Prix of China, where Lewis stood to make history after his rain soaked victory at Fuji a week earlier.

Then he beached his McLaren in the gravel just outside the pits. History had been made and lost that day. Brazil gave the fans a three way showdown that ended in epic fashion. Hamilton, ended up runner up by only a single point.

The 1996 Rookie Season of Jacques Villeneuve

Car: Williams Renault FW-18

Teammate: Damon Hill

1996 was a season that saw a few changes on the grid in Melbourne. Michael Schumacher had just joined Ferrari and had taken his world title that he won with Benneton in 1995, to Maranello.

Damon Hill, runner up in 1994 to the title in a very controversial race to Michael Schumacher, was yearning to stand out from his own father's shadow, former multi-world champion, Grahm Hill.

So it would be two second generation F1 drivers, Jacques, son of Gilles and Damon, son of Grahm leading the Williams team in 1996.

Having set the pole and the races' fastest lap, JV almost completed the triple threat but it was not to be. With his engine clinging to life, Jacques was ordered to allow Damon to pass him in the final phases of his first race, finishing second, the same step on the podium that Lewis Hamilton would take 11 years later.

Jacques' first win would come just three races later at the new Nurburgring circut in Germany. He would finish in grand fashion, just .720 seconds in front of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari. He would go on to win three more races but would never lead the driver's championship.

LH and JV share the ignominious distinction of never being able to win their home race. JV came closest in his rookie season by placing second in Montreal, Hamilton finished off the podium at Silverstone and to the disapointment of David Hobbes and millions of other Britons.

Villeneuve's title hopes would end during the final race at Suzuka, where he crashed out. Jacques needed Hill to crash out and to also finish second or better in order to become world champion in 1996.

Conclusion

Considering that both LH and JV were seated in the best car on the grid at the start of the season, considering that they were driving with much more experienced teammate, and also considering the length of both driver's seasons, it can be determined that Lewis Hamilton had the better rookie season.

Despite the presence of Michael Schumacher during JV's first season, it was Damon Hill who provided the most competition to Villeneuve, not Schumacher. 1997 would be a different story however.

The main pillar for my conclusion rests upon two points. The first point being that Hamilton managed to lead the world championship for a majority of the season. Despite JV and LH having a relative equal amount of wins considering the differences in season length, LH was always being chased by the current world champion, Fernando Alonso.

My second point is the fact that Hamilton finished second to Raikkonen in the final WDC standings. Hamilton effectively lost the title in China, but still had to only finish in the low points to hoist the crown. A first lap tussle with Alonso and depending on who you ask, a rookie mistake or malfunction gave Raikkonen the perfect storm to win the race, and the championship.

Both drivers shocked the racing world in their debut season. JV has a heartier resume, listing the Indy 500 and F1 World Championship under his achievements, along with his diverse racing experiences, but Lewis Hamilton is the better rookie, having almost done the unthinkable in his rookie season.

Thats it for this week's Slipstream. Next week all of you are in for a double shot of the 'stream as the run up to Monaco kicks into high gear.

Who Will Be Racer X in the 2008 World Championship Battles?

Geoffrey Hunton — Sun, 04 May 2008 09:52:40 -0400

Hello, and welcome, to the first edition of the Slipstream. Inside the 'stream this week are my predictions for who will become the 2008 World Champion(s).

For starters, I would like to comment on what has been an interesting season and an interesting couple of years in the world of Formula-One racing.

Ever since Fernando Alonso took the checkered flag and ended the reign of seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, the eyes of more than a few fans were clouded with doubt about the Spaniard's true pace, and also his true skill in the cockpit.

Questions such as "Did Fernando Win? or Did Kimi Lose?" dogged his first world title win. Alonso's second world-title win came down to the wire in Brazil. A valiant effort by Michael Schumacher towards the end of the season brought a title fight that many thought would not be repeated for at least a few years; all of us were dead wrong about that.

The buzz word in American politics for 2008 is change, but for 2007, change was in the air across the F1 paddock. Double world-champion Fernando Alonso was paired up with rookie Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen joined Michael Schumacher's protoge', Felipe Massa, at Ferrari. Robert Kubica teamed-up alongside Nick Heidfeld at BMW Sauber, to spearhead the German/Swiss team's first full-effort after the transition year of 2006.

A lot of questions followed the teams across the world as they tested and plugged away at development. Needless to say, from Melbourne in March to Sao Paulo, and all stops in between, the fans of F1 were given a season to remember, and a fight to the absolute finish amongst three top drivers. A headline from Autosport's preview of the final race summed up F1 in three short but very sweet lines, "3 Heroes, 2 Titles, 1 Race".

2008 started off with much of the same kinetic energy that coursed through the veins of the paddock through much of 2007. New drivers, and even a new team (Force India F1), walked in the Albert Park sunshine as traction control, engine braking, and other driver aids were removed under the new FIA technical regulations.

Alonso's return to Renault, and the apparent lack of pace with the R28, along with the paring with Nelson Piquet Jr., son of three time world champion, Nelson Piquet, raised many doubts about the Spainard, and his legacy as a double world-champion was being brought into question. Kimi Raikkonen was set to defend his world title from the presumptive challenger, Lewis Hamilton, now the No. 1 driver at Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes.

Waiting in the wings to shed its "best of the rest" title, is BMW/Sauber, a team that has demonstrated impressive pace in short sprints, but still lacks the straight-line speed to compete with McLaren and Ferrari for the top step on the podium...for now.

Predictions for the 2008 season are as plentiful as there are flags and bullhorns at a Grand Prix, so I will raise my flag and sound my bullhorn with the following prediction.

2008 World Driver Champion: Kimi Raikkonen

The Iceman's pace has never been doubted, even from his early days at the Ferrari-engined Sauber Petronas team back in 2001. He has been able to demonstrate, a few times this year and many times last year, that he is able to work his way through the grid and set his goals very well.

Unlike his teammate and Lewis Hamilton, who have both demonstrated difficulty in winning when not from the front or second row of the grid, Kimi's second world-title will not be won in the dramatic fashion of his first, but in a academic and calculated matter, perhaps one or two races before the end of the season.

Now that he has a solid car under him, and the lack of driver aids has leveled the playing field somewhat, it is easy to predict the Iceman to hoist the world driver's championship over his head in Sao Paulo on November 2nd, 2008.

World Constructor's Champion: BMW Sauber

The Hwinli-based team has fielded two very impressive drivers this year, and their ability to collect maximum points each and every race augments the design, cunning, and tactical prowess of team boss, Dr.Mario Thiessen.

The pole at Bahrain sent a message right to the factories at Woking and Maranello that BMW has arrived, and in grand fashion. It will be through their ability to run the field and, with a little help from the DNFs of Felipe Massa and other top drivers, that BMW Sauber, once regulated to being an engine provider for Williams and Brabham, will secure itself in Formula One for many years to come.

With these predictions, you, the reader can hold me to them through the whole season. As a disclaimer, I amm, and have been, a fan of Fernando Alonso for many years, and I am sorry in advance for any bias I may hold for or against him. Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear feedback in the weeks to come as the Slipstream crosses many forms of motorsport.