Bleacher Report - Articles by Anthony

Call For a Ban On Local Yellow Flags In Formula 1

Anthony — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:53:12 -0400

NASCAR has long been criticized for it's use of yellow flags. They do seem a bit hasty with them like in the first lap at Indy last weekend. However they haven't had too many drivers killed from debris either. The marshal's need to take notice of debris on the track so horrid accidents like Felipe Massa's do not happen again.

Over the years I have watched the drivers race thru' debris and like many all I was worried about was the driver cutting a tyre. Massa's accident brought the danger of the situation into a razor sharp clarity that it poses for these guys.

I think I can stand a lap or two at reduced speed if it keeps these guys alive and healthy. Sign this petition to ban local yellows and to enforce new rules for full course yellows to clear debris.

New Premier League For Upper Echelon F1 Teams?

Anthony — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:37:41 -0400

With so many of the F1 teams threatening to quit over the budget cap it begs the mind to wonder if we couldn't have a F1 Premier League that dosn't have budget caps and then one league that allows the newer teams to compete with a budget cap and current rules already in place for 2010 and beyond?

Something perhaps like a LeMans format. This definitely not how I saw things playing out at the end of last season for F1 but, anything to save it? Should we let F1 flutter away like the bad business model that it is?

Perhaps the technological advances that are being made just are not worth the vast sums of money that are currently being spent. At what point does a purist notion of competition come before technological test beds of mechanical genius? I don't think anything can test a technology the way that F1 currently does.

These cars ,and I use that term in the broadest of terms, beautiful forms of artistic expression are always on the edge of structural or mechanical failure and function like time machines for engineers to use in such a dichotomous fashion.

Think of all of the various fields of engineering that gain insight into theorem as a result of a F1 cars screaming in a mechanical symphony around a track.

If F1 does die some form of it will emerge from the ashes I am sure. Perhaps without the tyranny of Ecclestone and Mosley and perhaps without Ferrari.

Whatever the outcome is, we can be sure that the creative juices that flow out of Surrey Engalnd and Maranello will bubble to the surface in the not to distant future.

They Don't Call It a Circus For Nothing...

Anthony — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:06:00 -0400

Already the forces that may be have weighed in on the many of what is sure to be a circus of farces. F1 just doesn't have enough rings to go around. The debate over a rule interpretation on the diffuser has already damaged the season and there is still an hour to go before the first practise.

Then we have the Bernie and Max comedy act on how many rule changes can we make before the season starts? One week before the season starts proposals are made to change the points system for what reason?

The issue with the diffuser is really of utmost concern however. Surely the FIA had to have known ,yes it is in the rule book, that the teams put forward their design proposal for the forthcoming season.

Also it gives allowances for other teams to voice concern over technicalities. Was any of this done? No; lets wait until the season starts and irreparable harm is done to the sports reputation.

If one of the teams just happens to win a point, we all know how important a point can be, will the FIA come in and take the points and money away? Who already can see a red mist ?

Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams are fighting for their life and those points can be the sustaining life blood ,money, into their respective teams have now got a cloud hanging over them.

It doesn't just hang over them it hangs above the sport like an odor of piss. The longer it's there the more it smells. If this isn't a reason for FOTA to kick Bernie and Max to the kerb I don't know what is.

My Pick's For The Upcoming F-1 Season

Anthony — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:04:34 -0500

Well it's been a while since I pounded on my keyboard so I thought I would lay out my pick's for the upcoming F1 season.

Most race wins: Fernando Alonso

Most reliable team: Ferrari

Most unreliable team: Force India

World Champion: Robert Kubica

Most consistent team: BMW

Most likely to wonder what the hell happened?: STR Ferrari

Formula One Offers a Lesson in Perseverance

Anthony — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:55:17 -0500

This season has been like no other, sometimes because of outside influences that affected the world as much as the sport and sometimes where the sport affected the world.

The 2007 season ended in a last-race showdown, but it was mired in industrial espionage, however, it was still another showdown between a McLaren driver and Scuderia Ferrari's hired gun, Kimi Raikkonen.

Ferrari walked away with both championships, thanks to an FIA ruling that stripped McLaren of all of their constructor's points. This was really the beginning of the 2008 season.

How can you narrow down the season for just a quick read? So much has happened since the green light in Melbourne that if you just try and condense a season you just end up with a lumpy puddle of words and names. Hardly the way to treat such a fantastic sport; if only the politics of it were not such a large part of this season.

Several key figures off the track made more noise than the engines this year. Max Mosely's private sexual exploits came to public light. Unknown stewards at Canada, Spa, and Japan changed the overall outcome and fanned the flames of preferential treatment. Inconsistency was the rule this year for the FIA and interpretations of the rulebook.

On the track, several drivers made names for themselves. Robert Kubica gave BMW their first win. Sebastian Vettel and Toro Rosso won at a rain-soaked Monza. Fernando Alonso came alive mid-season and gave the underdog some teeth. Kimi Raikkonen never came to grips with the F2008 chassis and was never competitive.

Then we come to the two main protagonists of this season: Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.

Two drivers are a mile apart in personality and driving style. Two drivers riding in the two most sought after seats in F1; Ferrari and McLaren. Two teams that were no stranger to battle.

Throughout the season, each driver showed their personal weaknesses and the weaknesses of their team. The two teams both slowly honed their sharp daggers for the final battle; a battle that both teams knew only one would live through.

This year, it was the dagger of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton that found the heart of Felipe Massa and Ferrari. It dug deep and hard at the last possible second. It showed no mercy.

Some say it was vindication and some say it was a lucky shot. I say it was fate or destiny; fate if you are of Tifosi, and destiny if you are the victorious. Regardless, both teams were perfectly honed for battle; neither made a mistake. That's something every F1 fan can be proud of this year.

The Thrill Of Victory Shadows The Politics Of The 2008 F1 Season ...Thank God!

Anthony — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:59:40 -0500

It has been, quite frankly, a dismal season. It started at the end of last year with the meltdown of Mclaren at the Brazilian GP.

This year could have been a superlative almost perfect season of F1 racing because McLaren had, between Lewis Hamilton and their performance, closed the gap to Ferrari's performance to non-existent and I thought they would give them a real run for their money. Fernando returned to Renault and again I was optimistic that they could revive the magic and perhaps make it a three-way race for the championship.

This unfortunately never materialized if anything it vapourized. A team even vaporized, Super Aguri went bust, certainly not the first F1 team to go belly up, but it's always sad to see a team go in such embarrassing circumstances.

Ferrari fail in the first race at Melbourne an apparent issue with traction control or lack there of; then the Ferrari driver's took turns winning over the next four races.

Lewis Hamilton comes back in Monaco, in the rain, to take a win that has been perhaps Mclaren's best strategically called race in quite a while. It was the high point of the season to that point quite frankly; but after Monaco the season became an absolute farce.

Bad, little things, started to happen; Canada; Lewis runs into that back of Kimi putting them both out of the race from the pit lane but on the bright side Robert Kubica finally won his first Grand Prix for BMW. Then back to France and another Ferrari one-two. Nothing particular was exciting about either race.

It was of course the beginning of what would be the "penalty phase" of the season, which McLaren ended up on the short end of the stick and costing Lewis dearly in points. With Ferrari running one-two, Kimi lost his exhaust pipe and was really lucky to finish the race and being forced to let Massa pass for the win.

Silverstone ,to me, was ridiculous and why the stewards did not call the race after Lewis established himself as the clear leader is beyond me. Nothing is really fun about watching F1 cars in pouring rain. Basically we watched Felipe Massa being ridiculed for his lack of performance and Lewis Hamilton at home was hailed God of Rain.

Germany was fairly boring. Lewis gave an inspiring drive through the field after McLaren failed to make the right pit stop call for him but he did come back and win his second GP in a row. Hungary was boring to watch until Massa's Ferrari let go; being the most exciting part of that race. Wow!

Valencia was processional and Ferrari started to show signs that it was lacking the strong leadership and decision making it had enjoyed during the Schumacher era. Massa did win the race but I fell asleep from the boredom and missed the end of it.

Spa reached a new level of frustration for everyone, especially the fans, because of the stewards once again changing the outcome of a race with a controversy that will go down in infamy. The short lived duel between Kimi who is considered the master of Spa against Lewis was definitely the highlight but after it was over Felipe was handed the victory by the stewards.

This had to be the most emotionally charged event in the season and if the situation had been allowed to play out on the track it would have been a positive but the season continued to trudge down a sleazy lane of politics and implied favoritism. At this point it was not about the drivers it was all politics.

Going into Monza right after the horrid events at Spa left drivers and fans on edge and then it rained again. Sebastian Vettel got his first victory as did Toro Rosso and he was immediately named Schumacher the second?

Singapore! A night race a first for F1. Ferrari absolutely fell apart and once again stewards compromised the outcome of the race. Ferrari fell under some intense criticism for their pit release system and then Kimi fell apart, seemingly lacking the concentration, hit the kerbing and off he went.

The winner of the event, Fernando Alonso, finally made it back to the podium with a bit of luck and the fiasco with the stewards failing to bring in Rosbeg and Kubica in a timely manner cost Lewis any chance of taking the fight to Fernando.

Fuji was dry for once all weekend and once again stewards influenced the outcome of the race or was it the drivers?

China was the Lewis Hamilton show and Ferrari was just lost all weekend. Still it allowed for a showdown much like last year. Unfortunately for Kubica it was the end of his championship bid for 2008. Once again it was down to a last race showdown.

Well it is finally over. The 2008 season has been a dismal season for F1 primarily because of the politics and press reports generated out of every part of the world about the perils of F1. Canada got shafted then France shafted Bernie and now Australia is saying they lost $40 million last year. Then Max and Spanky Gate. I will not even go into the FIA rulings that were so pivotal to the season results. That is an article or maybe two in itself.

I did get "my moment" however, Massa won in the rain and did everything he could to win the driver's championship and just came up short. Lewis Hamilton won the driver's championship on the last corner at the last second and quite frankly I don't really think he knew where he was on the track until they radioed him after he got down into turn three and four. A fantastic end to a horrid season; may it rest in peace.

Bringing Back The Cosworth DFV ? Engine Spec Ideas for F1

Anthony — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:39:22 -0400

What would it take to bring back the DFV ? Since we are currently under an engine development freeze for F1 and all parties concerned have agreed in principle that there must be a down trend in cost to save the sport why not bring back the DFV Cosworth?

At the engine's pinnacle of development it reached around 500HP at 9000 RPM with the 90° V8 configuration with a 3000CC displacement. The current Corvette is putting out more granted with a super charger but that is off the point.

Everyone in F1 thinks that the engine needs to last two races currently and the idea I believe is for that to increase to four races by 2010. What is the point of having a V8 running at 19000 RPM's? Currently F1 engines are putting out 720HP at 19000 RPMs and have been sustainable for two races. What common good does this technology transfer to road cars?

So what would happen if the Cosworth was brought back? Lower overall operating cost for starters. Modern materials and electronic engine management could bring up the overall cost, but if you put am RPM cap on the DFV—which was prone to shake itself to death—it could easily be made to last four races.

Coupled to most of the transmissions currently available that already last four races you are looking at a huge cost savings that would vastly offset the current cost for existing teams and it would make a more tempting carrot for prospective teams to enter F1.

So what about Ferrari or Mercedes and Renault? OK you don't want to run the DFV ? Design your engine with these set parameters and lets race. All of these manufactures have a considerable wealth of technology on the V8.

I think they would stand to save some money as well if we could get all of the manufactures and teams to agree that the modern F1 engine has no applicable common good in the foreseeable future for any company to continue to develop and maintain them.

If manufacturers want to play with a silly design of a road going car engine that needs 19000 RPM's to operate efficiently then let them waste their money to develop it. It will not happen and will most certainly fade into the history books.

I looked up what a DFV Cosworth is going for these days and for engine with three hours on it the cost was a whopping $80,000. Max wants to cut the current cost of engines/trans down to $800,000 per unit! This is going against the current trend of $1.6 million per unit today.

How many more teams even in the shadows of the financial tsunami of Wall St. would be enticed to come back in to F1 ? The effects would be staggeringly positive. The upside of all of this would be a chance for engineers to work on a engine that had potential benefits for current road cars as well as leaving a ton of money that could be put into safety development, fuel management, tyre technology and weight saving materials.

It might make F1 a little more accessible to the fan as well because the cost of racing would drop so dramatically that a ticket might actually cost less; unless a greedy individual was to conspire to keep the savings to line a trust fund account I bet that person would quickly be gone. I am sure the sponsors and fans would truly see the advantages to bringing back this infamous brand name to the F1 scene.

Current cost for a Sprint Cup motor are in the $75,000 range and that is for a carb fed two valve per cylinder motor. A vastly inefficient motor compared to even the first generation Cosworth DFV. So even the cost of a Hendrick Motor Sport's top of the line V8 at possibly $90,000 you could still save a huge sum of money even if you doubled this figure.

Your also bringing into play is a major brand name, Ford, back into an international sport. I think almost anyone knows of the name Ford. The name is synonymous with bringing the common man in touch with a affordable automobile. It would again pit the common man; the egalitarian versus the elite name of Ferrari and everything this infamous rivalry brought with it.

This move might also appease the corporate sponsors that are uneasy at spending the huge sums of money currently being asked for. I read this morning that the Canadian GP's fate rest with finding a corporate sponsor or the less than favourable option is to let the taxpayers foot the bill.

This was met with quite a bit of hostility in a Quebec newspapers readers comment section because they realize that ,unnecessarily, they are left to foot the bill for the latest Prada accessory for Bernie's daughter or wife.

So I leave this on the foot wells of the Bleachers, pick it up and make something of it or if you like scrape it off the bottom of your shoe as make your way out of the facility.

Ferrari Will Field Second Team In Brazil For Final GP Of 2008

Anthony — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:38:23 -0400

In order to assure victory at Brazil and to win the WDC for Felipe Massa and the Constructors Championship Ferrari announced today they will field a second team for the Brazilian GP.

The FIA immediately sought clarification from Ferrari because they wanted to make sure Ferrari were not "misinformed" on the two car maximum per team rule.

One is not sure if Ferrari are referring to Scuderia Toro Rosso, which is considered as a Ferrari team almost as they supply engines to them or if they are referring to Force India, which is changing its engine supplier to McLaren, come next year. As a last ditch effort to keep the relationship with Force India going, is Ferrari going to supply them two Ferraris and paint them in Force India colors?

Watch this space for further developments.

FIA Embrass Ferrari and Claim They Are Confused

Anthony — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:37:03 -0400

In this day and age I really have a great deal of suspicion that the board of directors had been misinformed as to the proposed spec engine discussions. For Ferrari and the FIA to have such a close working relationship it seems like the stars are aligning for F1 to implode.

The FIA has noted the press statement issued by the Ferrari Board of Directors:

It seems the Ferrari Board were misinformed. The FIA has offered the teams three options, one of which is the so-called standard engine, and another that the manufacturers should jointly guarantee to supply power trains to the independent teams for less than €5 million per season.

The FIA is delighted by Ferrari's financial success and hopes this will be maintained. However a number of teams find themselves facing costs which greatly exceed income. This is not sustainable.

It is now for the manufacturers to agree one of the three FIA options or themselves produce concrete proposals to reduce costs to a sustainable level.

If neither happens, the FIA will take whatever measures prove necessary to preserve a credible world championship for both drivers and constructors.

I think that it may prove to be the other way around if you ask me. Toyota has announced the same stance regarding spec engines and that Ross Brawn is probably the most respected individual walking the paddock, issuing the statement as part of the newly formed FOTA, then to have Ferrari issue a like statement and have FIA publicly embarrass Ferrari by singling them out implying they were confused?

Oh dear. I do believe that the FOCA FIA and F1 relationship is about to shatter.

The refusal of Max to step down from FIA has put enormous pressure on Bernie to distance himself from his former colleague and legal representative. The members of FOTA have also been under pressure from their major sponsors to distance themselves from Spanky Gate.

My guess is that Bernie set Max up to take a fall and Max knows this. This is probably why he hasn't stepped down as FIA president. He wants to take Bernie down with him and perhaps see Bernie formally charged with extortion. I really think it is that deep.

Perhaps FOTA can buy the rights to F1 and clean house of Bernie and Max but as it stands right now Bernie is in the drivers seat because he owns the most valuable part of F1; the television and media rights to F1. He also made a move in 1991 that will perhaps play out quite well at the end of next year:

Formula One Promotions and Administration has applied for the pan-European trademark rights to the name GP1 covering 16 categories including organizing and staging sports events, broadcasting, sportswear and timing equipment. This is a predictable move and no doubt part of the plan for Ecclestone to keep control of the business that he has built up around Formula 1.

This would be a less than perfect path for FOTA to travel down but the easiest. It would also put FOTA and Bernie in a much more advantageous position to control the deal with FIA and to get rid of Max.

If Max does prove that Bernie was behind the move to discredit him, this could at a minimum, allow him to sue Bernie for libel and perhaps for the law to formally charge Bernie with extortion. That would allow FOTA to gain control of GP1 and build the name or void the contract and go back to FIA under the F1 name minus Bernie. Hopefully by that point in time Max will have stepped down as FIA's president.

BBC Coverage Update For F1: RICHARD Hammond From TopGear!

Anthony — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:23:19 -0400

Like a dream come true RICHARD Hammond will go to cover F1! Now F1 will have two Hamsters in the paddock! According to an article on autoblog in part.

Hammond's presence might help broaden the appeal beyond just racing fans, as would guest appearances by Jeremy Clarkson and James May, Hammond's cohorts on Top Gear.

Letting Clarkson and May prowl the paddock could offer priceless moments of color commentary that would set YouTube alight.

The BBC also plans to update the look, feel, and pace of its coverage, and fans will be able to get at the presentation more easily with races going out across broadband digital outlets in addition to the standard radio and television.

What piques my interest is the use of the words broadband digital. Now if we could just get SPEED to get out of the way so we can get someone who is really interested in covering F1 in the USA.

FOX says they cannot afford it but I say they just don't want to spend the money, perhaps in part, due to the Max Mosley issue?

What is your take on F1 and the US cable market? What is your take on the BBC coverage vs. ITV coverage?

F1 and The Off Season: A Good Time To Explain The Sport and Its Politics

Anthony — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:49:16 -0400

Are you familiar with all of the acronym's associated with F1? Do you wonder what their relationships are all about and who is behind them?

In a series of articles that will begin as soon as the smoke clears in Brazil, I will with the help of our new community leader, Saraswathi Sirigina, provide these and some other facts that will help anyone keep it straight.

F1 is a complex sport not only on the track but as a financial product as well. Here are a few of the acronyms and names floating around the F1 world. Which ones don't you know?

FIA, FISA, FOCA, FOSA, FOPA, FOG, FOA, FOM, oh yes, that many acronym's really start with a capital F!

So in general, I will try and explain all of these and explain how they are connected or seperate in order to give anyone a fighting chance at understanding the complexity's of the sport of F1's money, marketing, and future directon.

If you know all of these then the following articles won't be a necessary read but if you are perhaps wondering what all of the fuss is about it may be just your cup of tea.

So stay and enjoy the ride to the other side of the F1 race track...

Inviting you all in for a drive through,

Your friendly writer,

Anthony

Who Has The Joker Card In Their Deck For Interlagos?

Anthony — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:53:47 -0400

So this article is about the "Joker Card"

Who is going to play it at Interlagos? The unsettling thing is that there is more than one joker card at the final GP of what has been a joker of a season.

Ferrari have a joker in their deck called inconsistency. It plays out when Ferrari least expects it—such as Hungary.

McLaren has a joker in their deck called youth. It plays when situations dictate a slow and steady approach.

Renault has a joker in it's deck called opportunity. It plays when the two previous jokers are on the table.

BMW has a joker in it's deck. It plays when there is nothing left to lose.

Toyota has a joker in it's deck. It plays as lady luck.

Toro Rosso has a joker in it's deck. It plays when the rain comes out.

The other players at the table sadly, don't have any jokers to play but one of those players, Force India, are all in and they are playing a bluff.

Which jokers are going to play and which one won't; with such a sizable pot on the table? Unfortunately only the Joker knows.To some the joker will cause great pain and to others it will pay a great reward.

One of the players is going to leave Brazil and the 2008 season feeling like that joker; that we know. And one player will leave feeling like they had a proverbial Ace in the hole.

So roll your sleeves up and hands on the table the house is playing five decks and the odds...the odds are in their favour.

Lewis Dominates China, Ferrari Looked Lost

Anthony — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:17:54 -0400

All Lewis needs now is a third place or above to win the WDC. His car was in a class of its own at China. But what happened to Heikki? His brakes were bad from the start? It's hard to believe such a top-notch team would have such a simple problem.

Anyway, back to Lewis: If he scores fourth, and Massa wins, it becomes a tie. Massa wins by victories and it is clear Ferrari has got a team order in place. Kimi did his best to stay behind Massa, but had a really hard time doing so because of the pressure from Alonso.

Massa will have fresh horses at his home GP and also will have no competitor within his team. Heikki will have a fresh motor as well.

Alonso and the Renault are on par with the McLaren from last year. He finished third in Brazil last year. Lewis came in a lap down from second on the grid. Kimi of course won. Massa moved over for him last year, clearly faster than Kimster, and we know Massa can be faster in F2008 on any given Sunday—it just boils down to tyres on the Ferrari.

McLaren has enjoyed more consistency with the Bridgestones in this area. I am sure Bridgestone will not be bringing their two hardest compounds that they had at China, and Ferrari probably started making calls to Japan Saturday night to make sure of this.

It remains to be seen, due to the lack of inconsistency, if McLaren will be allowed to play their joker engine for Lewis. I think the FIA needs to make a ruling on its own accord for last race joker engine play; that Mfg should be awarded for the last race if they haven't played their joker; and that Lewis should be allowed to have a fresh motor.

Remember the brake check that Alonso gave Hamilton on the very first lap? Then Hamilton's gearbox issue and a crudely thought out pit-stop strategy destroyed his bid for the championship. Robert Kubica is now out of the WDC but could be a big factor in the race—as is Alonso. Both McLaren and Ferrari have got to be praying.

McLaren have really got all their eggs in one basket. With Lewis considering they couldn't give Kimi a reliable ride, they lost him and then they lost Alonso last year with inter-team politics, giving up that much talent for a rookie F1 driver.

They go into Brazil with the same pressure for their driver but much more for the Constructors Championship. Two DNFs have got to have McLaren worried, or they just aren't giving Heikki a good ride. But, why would they shoot themselves in the foot for a chance at the Constructor's Title? It just doesn't make sense.

It just leads you to think how frenetic McLaren is and how their past behaviours have hurt them. What is the one key consistency in their self-destructive tendencies? Ron Dennis perhaps?

Scuderia Ferrari were flawless in China, but they have had a horrid year, especially with Massa's engine woes. Then, they Shanghaied themselves at Shanghai, and have some really bad inconsistencies with the chassis.

So, what a showdown in Brazil.

Why Didn't Kerry Earnhardt Ever Make It?

Anthony — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:26:44 -0400

Did you ever wonder why Kerry Earnhardt retired? I really don't know where to go with this gut feeling I get every time I think back to Sr.'s death at Daytona.

It won't go away; I think because Kerry looks so much like his father. He just never got any media like Jr., and I cannot help but think Teresa thought blood was thicker than water.

Yes, I know that Kerry is employed by DEI, but why didn't Sr. put his foot down with Teresa and give him equal support financially and in the media? Is there that much in a name?

If Jr. was going to be a NASCAR great, it would have happened by now. It just hasn't panned out.

Like Waltrip, he just never became a great competitor. Like Petty, he just never became a great competitor.

They are all great guys, but as drivers, they all fell way short of the shadows their fathers cast in front of their sons.

I long to be back with the good ol' boys, but like Kid Rock sings:

"Oh, Roll On, roll on, roller coaster
We're one day older
and one step closer.

I'll go get my Earnhardt bear now. He understands me. He knows I dream of Black and Silver and white No. 3's.

Results Compared To 2007 China GP Identical For Ferrari and McLaren!

Anthony — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:05:55 -0400

Quite amazing Q3 results for China today. If you look at the Q3 from last year the top four are identical in name and slower in overall times.

Q3 2007 Q3 2008

Hamilton 1:35.908 1:36.303

Raikkonen 1:36.044 1:36:405

Massa 1:36.221 1:36.809

Alonso 1:36.576 1:36.907

Kimi won last year with a qualifying time barely different in Q3 times in comparison to the 2007 timing and from the looks of it, the 2008 timing results look like Ferrari have closed the gap even though post race, Kimi seemed somewhat hesitant to claim the Ferrari was equal to McLaren.

Massa really looked frustrated in the inconsistency of the Ferrari claiming a big difference in handling between Q2 and Q3. Lewis looked about as confident as I have seen him this weekend having claimed pole for the second year running, but he looked absolutely exhausted at the post race interview.

Given that Bridgestone has brought harder compounds to China this year you have to look at the Q3 times relative to last year and conclude that the slower times are due to the compound of the intermediate and hard tyres. I think this favours Massa because he tends to be easier on the tyres in comparison to Lewis.

We all know what happened to Lewis last year and he had to use the escape road to avoid the gravel in qualifying again today.

I will have to say in looking at Lewis and Felipe; Lewis looked more relaxed than Massa. So the big question is the weather. Also, given that Kubica didn't make it out of Q2, will Robert go for a one=stopper and gain an advantage over the front runners if rain does come?

There is a massive weather complex in the Bay of Bengal that is feeding moisture into a upper-level low-pressure complex, stretching across China just to the north of Shanghai. The weather really plays into Kubica's favour, but that will be decided today, I mean tomorrow uh...it will be decided during the race. What time is it?

Formula One Media Coverage Changing Opinion and Results

Anthony — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:11:55 -0400

I think something we need to look at is the amount of cameras now being used to cover the races. It used to be about seven cameras for the total race on BBC, maybe a few more on a big track in the 70's. Now we have that many cameras just on one car.

Today I saw a camera on the upper-A Arm looking at the inside of the front wheel. Why?

We have the nose camera. Then we have the upper airbox camera and the cockpit camera, then the driver camera, then the rear-mounted camera...how many is that? Then, on the track, we have at least 13 stationary cameras and five to seven crane cameras and a couple of those roller coaster cameras, and then we have some in the kerbing, as well.

All of these cameras are state-of-the-art CCTV cameras, as well. This evolution has been just in the past five years.

Now with the HDTVs coming into a price range that the masses can afford, we want to see every blood-dripping in detail in 1080i. Oh! I forgot the cameras mounted to the fuel rig and above the paddock areas.

We,in society today, are worried about Big Brother watching us at stop lights and we quietly fear the intrusion of our privacy. Yet we demand it when we are watching an F1 race to make it more interesting, more exciting...but I think perhaps all of the coverage is hurting our sport because of every little error is being caught on camera and then scrutinized over and over.Ont thing you can count on when that happens is a decision and with that decision and very bad bedfellow comes along with it, controversy.

Look at the Sebastien Bourdais-Felipe Massa incident. There were at least three different views from the outside, from above and behind. If we put that same situation into the visual context of the '70s, we would have seen the one view from the outside corner.

We would not have had two in-car cameras, either. Given that scenario, I don't think a penalty would have been given. The race would have gone on, and perhaps we might have had some crossed words or the drivers flipping each other off on the cool-down lap. That would have been the end of it! No YouTube replays to infinity.

So thermodynamics apply to F1 camera coverage, don't they? For every action, there will be an opposite and equal reaction. We gain, yet we lose if cameras don't leave something to the imagination.

Oh, and I forgot the pedals footwork camera.

So What Are The Lads Up To? P1 and P2 Peformance Of Ferrari and McLaren

Anthony — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:18:06 -0400

I am looking at the performance levels of the McLaren and Ferrari teams after P1 and P2. I know riveting stuff! It is quite interesting thought to look at how similar the sector speeds and speed trap times are for both teams because you really get a glimpse at how closely matched the Ferrari's of Massa and Raikkonen and the McLaren's of Hamilton and Kovalainen really are.

	S1	S2	S3	trap
Hamilton	287	281	266	Rai	316
Kov	287	280	264	Massa	315
Massa	286	279	264	Kov	312
Rai	285	278	264	Hamilton	312

	S1	S2	S3	trap
Hamilton	285	280	265	Rai	314
Kov	284	278	264	Massa	313
Massa	285	277	262	Kov	313
Rai	283	276	na	Hamilton	312

The air temp,pressure and wind direction were all really consistent as well with the humidity % being 7 % higher in P2.

So now lets look at the thrilling sector times!

	S1	S2	S3
Hamilton	25.1	28.3	42.1
Kov	25.1	28.4	42.4
Massa	25.2	28.4	42.2
Rai	25.3	28.4	42.2

	S1	S2	S3
Hamilton	25.1	28.2	42.2
Kov	25.3	28.6	42.8
Massa	25.2	28.5	42.4
Rai	25.3	28.5	42.5

Hamilton was the only driver to pick up time; in sector two he picked up a whopping 1/10th, but he lost time on sector three by a one-tenth.

Massa found some balance and was able to take two-tenths off of his sector 3 time while losing a 1/10 in sector two.

It is also interestingto note that the Ferrari's lost 2KPH at the trap in P2 while Hamilton stayed the same and Heikki picked up a little.

As you can see in this thrilling comparison the times are really tight ;showing Ron Dennis may actually know what he is talking about when he said the Ferrari's and McLarens are both equal in performance and it's anybody's race.

I cannot wait for P3 and qualifying to take place. My guess is Lewis is going for pole and hoping to get some help from Heikki so he can distance himself from the field and pit early.

Ferrari seem to be working on race pace and I have a feeling they have some confidence in that all they have to do is lighten their fuel load for qualifying to match Hamiltons pace.

The Ferrari of Massa seemed to like the option tyre better than Kimi's and if Massa can take care of his tyres on a heavier race fuel load; he might be able to force the McLaren to pit for tyres first and at that point put on a screamer of lap while Hamilton is in the pits for fresh rubber.

This is where Alonso might come into the picture and the Kimster factor could also play out especially if Kimi is on the harder tyre compound and heavy on the fuel. I think the race is going to be decided by who has to come in first for tyres and fuel.

Lewis Hamilton: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Anthony — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:03:31 -0400

Lewis Hamilton did show up for the Thursday FIA international news conference. Despite Bleacher's patrons opinion's no ambulance was needed afterward. Fernando explained how he would help Massa if given the chance in a politically correct well rehearsed answer.

Robert Kubica swore he didn't single Hamilton out for making dangerous moves and as a whole Kimi was quite chatty. Lewis Hamilton though apparently could see no evil, hear no evil and spoke no evil. He stated he felt as strong as ever. But I ask you ; does this look like a confident man?

When questions went to the floor the questions that most F1 fans wanted answered started getting asked.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Do Fernando or Kimi feel anything about Lewis’s driving this season, that perhaps it’s been a bit over the edge?
KR: No comment.
FA: No comment.

Both Kimi and Fernando answering the question with silence gives you the succinct feeling that Lewis is a marked man this weekend. Not only will the stewards be looking out for Lewis but so will his fellow drivers as well.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Lewis, could I just ask you about your mood coming into this race because following what happened in Fuji you’ve received quite a lot of criticism from both drivers old and new, past and present…

LH: Have I? Well, I haven’t seen that. I was in Tokyo for a couple of days and then I came here and I’ve not really paid any attention to it. When you have not such a good race there’s always going to be criticism which doesn’t matter whether it’s positive or negative, you move forward, you put it in the past but coming here, I feel just as strong as I always do.

If Lewis says anything more important it was this statement; "Have I?" Well, I haven't seen that. I was in Tokyo for a couple of days and then I came here and I've not really paid attention to it." Clearly he contradicts himself here with such a Freudian slip it almost makes for good comedy.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) Lewis, last year in Interlagos you made a mistake in the last race. When Alonso overtook you, you tried to overtake him and then you made a mistake. In this last race, the nature of the mistake was very similar: Kimi overtook you, you tried to recover the place and you made a mistake. How are you emotionally at this race which could result in the world championship?

LH: Firstly, in Brazil I didn’t try to overtake him and make a mistake. Fernando was on the outside and he braked a little bit earlier than I anticipated and so I had to try to avoid him, so I went wide and that forced me to go off, so that wasn’t a manoeuvre trying to overtake. In the last race, it was a racing manoeuvre and it didn’t come off but that’s motor racing, what can you do? I don’t plan on changing my approach, it’s not necessary.

I think the manuveure that didn't come off was they he and Heikki failed to take a Ferrari out of the race.

I'll end this with a Chinese proverb;A picture is worth a thousand words.

Felipe Massa Fan Club Gets New, High-Profile Member!

Anthony — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:51:15 -0400

Kimi, yes Kimi, in a rare-as-steak-tartar statement to the Ferrari Press corps, stated this:

"I was ahead of the rest, just like we had planned. And when you turn into the first corner in front of everybody else, you should be there also when you come out of it.

"I have no idea what the drivers behind me were thinking. They braked so late that it was impossible to avoid the following chaos."

"It was an inexplicable mistake by the two from McLaren, who actually expelled me from the fight for victory at the Japanese GP." Yes, they said the M-word! They never say the M-word! "Our goal is a one-two win. I'll give it all to help Felipe and the team to gain the results we want."Yes, he really said "help Felipe!" My God, get some empty bottles, because the Iceman is melting!So don't let the opportunity slip by; stop at the Felipe Massa Fan Club Website and join in the fun. Four of the world's top drivers are members! Who? Felipe, Fernando, Robert and now Kimi.

Also don't miss the Thursday FIA press conference !

Thursday October 16, 1500 hours local time (0700 GMT):
Fernando Alonso (Renault), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari).

A Look at History: Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, and Kubica at China 2007

Anthony — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:45:58 -0400

They say history repeats itself. I am not sure who "they" are, but I hope they are correct.

Last year, at China, the emotional hemorrhage that played out is almost a mirror image of this coming weekend. Everyone's nerves are frayed, and again two players in this high-speed political ballet are the same.

Robert Kubica stands out as the anomaly in this rendition of historical replays. If we look at the data kindly supplied by Formula One, we see this. These are the Q1 through Q3 lap times of the big boys last year.

1	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:35.798	1:35.898	1:35.908
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:35.692	1:35.381	1:36.044
3	5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:35.792	1:35.796	1:36.221
4	1	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	1:35.809	1:35.845	1:36.576

Last year, rain played a big factor in tyre choice, and again there is currently a 40 percent chance of rain for Sunday. With that in mind, let's look at the fastest laps given when we had a mixed-weather-condition race:

Felipe Massa		Ferrari		201.362	1:37.454
Fernando Alonso		McLaren-Mercedes		200.259	1:37.991
Kimi Räikkönen		Ferrari		199.660	1:38.285
Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes		190.278		1:43.131

As we can see, Lewis had a really bad time of it, and Felipe, even though he didn't win, had the quickest lap. All of these lap times were set late in the race, except for Hamilton, who retired on lap 30 while trying to pit on completely worn tyres.

Now, as I said, the odd-man out is Robert Kubica, but he suffered from a mechanical failure in China last year. So it is unfortunate we do not have his data to work with.

So Kimi apparently likes this track, as does Felipe and Fernando. Given the strength that Fernando has found in his Renault, and the newfound qualifying speed of Kimi that became evident at Fuji, it does leave Massa in a tough spot.

Felipe must score victories in both China, on a heavily used engine, and in Brazil, where first-lap mayhem is the norm. Hamilton just has to come in second in both races to win by one point. But given the strength of the other competitors, Hamilton cannot just sit back and take a ride.

I think this year's championship will not be dictated by Massa or Hamilton. Primarily, Kimi and Fernando have the biggest potential impact, but also the wild card in the championship, Kubica. If history does repeat itself, it lends a hand to Massa for this year's championship.

I Missed the Race; Did Anything Happen? FIA Sides with Ferrari Again!

Anthony — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:22:02 -0400

According to the GrandPrix.com, I did!

The FIA Stewards issued a weird ruling at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix, penalising Sebastien Bourdais 25 seconds for a collision with Felipe Massa.

The additional time meant that Bourdais loses his sixth place, falling to 10th behind Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Mark Webber, and Nick Heidfeld.

The decision was odd in that most observers thought that the investigation into the incident would consider whether Massa should be punished, as Bourdais appeared to be ahead when the collision occurred.

Print time 3:23 a.m. CST USA

Alonso and Ferrari: The Silly Season Gets Interesting

Anthony — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:21:21 -0400

There have been several interesting developments over the past few days concerning Alonso, Ferrari, Santander, and Flavio.

Flavio announced that he will be step back at Renault so that he can direct his attention to focus on technical needs at Renault.

GP Update quoted Flavio Briatore:

"I will take one step back next year," Briatore told Italian news paper Gazzetta dello Sport. "We will hire a new director who will be in charge of the day to day management. Instead I will start busying myself with only the highly important matters within our team."

Flavio is also Alonso's agent and could be giving himself some room to manuever.

Santander wants Alonso in a Ferrari, according to unnamed source in the Daily Star.

But according to sources in Spain, Spanish bankers Santander, who jumped on the McLaren bandwagon with Alonso in 2007, are set to sponsor Ferrari.

And they are anxious to resume their links with Alonso (right)—provided he joins the team. But they have little or no interest in Raikkonen. And their promise of massive cash backing could force the Finnish driver out.

Typically Spanish also had a similar story:

Reports in the Spanish sports paper Marca indicate that the bank is prepared to pay the costs of a contract clause so that Kimi Raikkonen can leave Ferrari before the end of his contract. The paper says that under the plan Alonso will drive for Ferrari in 2011, or even a year earlier if a deal can be done with Raikkonen.

If Alonso does end up at Scuderia Ferrari, I could honestly see Massa having to moving on. Especially if Ferrari fail to give him this year's WDC. What would be more perfect for Ferrari than a clear No. 1 driver and fresh sponsorship funds from Santander.

I am sure Santander could care less whether or not Massa is there or not, and Ferrari only seems to be interested in winning the championship for Massa to save face, given their glaring lack of leadership.

The question is: Where would Massa and Kimi end up?

I can see neither at Renault. Kimi, if bought out, could easily retire and pick up a lucrative rally drive in the WRC. So that leaves Massa and his tenuous position at Scuderia Ferrari.

Ferrari, at this point, are not able to carry a two-horse stable. Mistakes at every level have cost them dearly. If Massa does stay and Alonso comes in, it would be McLaren part deux. No one wants that, especially Alonso. If Massa does get pushed out the door, the only possibility for him would be Renault.

Bruno Senna, I have a feeling, has got the Toro Rosso ride, but Massa might be a fantastic fit there. He would definitely have the sympathy of Berger. I think that possibility comes down to sponsorship funds and who would bring the most in the door.

Senna has his uncle's name, which is a franchise in itself. Also keep in mind the Gerhard has a close personal relationship with the Senna family.

Everyone is pretty much on board that Alonso is the man to have at the wheel, so perhaps his indecisiveness is because the real decision rest with Raikkonen. Regardless, I cannot see Ferrari going through another year of turmoil.

If all of this played out, it would be an absolute win-win scenario for Ferrari. The only person I can see hurt is Felipe, and we all know how cruel F1 can be.

Felipe Massa: The Heart of Scuderia Ferrari

Anthony — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:32:26 -0400

Massa this weekend.

How many words can you describe his performance? His performance on track and as a team leader. Yes, a team leader.

He praised his team for giving him the perfect car so that he could give "the perfect lap." He performed from the green light, taking the lead and smoothly pulling out a slow and steady lead under enormous pressure.

He pitted, hitting his spot perfectly, so his beloved team that had given him the perfect car could do their job, once again, and send him on his way to do his job: win.

This, of course, is where disaster struck. Adversity met head on under immense pressure. Scuderia Ferrari had possibly injured mechanics. Was the fuel rig going to cause fire?

Kimi at idle waiting for the ensuing confusion to clear. Felipe's car and its status.

The mechanics' embarrassing sprint down pit road, representing one of the most prestigious names in motor sport. The ensuing effort to disengage the remnants of the fuel rig from Massa's Ferrari.

My knee jerk reaction yesterday was to write that heads needed to roll. I was angry. I was upset that Scuderia Ferrari had lost a significant chance to take away a victory and its spoils.

But Massa's reaction perhaps taught me a lesson on grace under pressure by consoling the man responsible and simply stated that we all make mistakes. His exact quote taken from the Official F-1 website was:

"It's hard to deal with losing in this fashion a race that was within our grasp, with a car that was just the way I wanted it. We had a good strategy and all the signs were there that we could get a one-two finish.

"But things can change in a moment and that's what happened today. At the pit stop, one of the guys made a mistake. But we are only human. Each one of us always tries to do our best, and these things can happen.

"With the Safety Car still on track, I didn't lose a lap, but then I got a drive-through and later I also picked up a puncture in the left rear. On this track, it is almost impossible to overtake, and ending up at the back meant I had no chance of getting into the points.

"Seven points to make up in three races? That can be a lot or it can be a little. We have the potential to do well, as we saw today and we will give it our best shot. We mustn't give up, and I'm sure we won't."

Felipe Massa deserves his team's total dedication. This is what makes a "team" leader. My personal opinion of Felipe is of the utmost regard after his reaction yesterday.

Ferrari Explodes with Punch of a Button—Massa and Kimi Destroyed at Singapore

Anthony — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:14:27 -0400

Whomever hit that button for Massa to go just lost Ferrari and Massa at any chance for either championship. Absolutely pathetic performance by Scuderia and some heads have got to roll. Just horrible. Words just cannot describe this horrible performance.

Cheers to Alonso and I think Hamilton can just set a slight sail for his first championship bid. Perhaps the Ferrari team can present him the trophy.

Felipe Massa takes Lewis Hamilton to School at Singapore

Anthony — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:25:26 -0400

Massa is 6/10th quicker than the rest of the field in Formula 1's first ever night race!

He was definitely the quickest, but with speed trap and sector speed data, his Ferrari must be a stealth jet fighter, because he only showed up in sector 3.

Just an interesting tidbit of info after looking at the sector speeds and speed trap data from Singapore.

The two McLarens were consistently the fastest cars on the track in P1, 2, and 3, and even in qualifying. Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr. were also consistently fast.

However, the only time that Massa showed up was in sector 3 within a range of 250 KPH to 253 KPH in Q3, matching Kovalainen and beating Hamilton by just 1 KPH.

So, Massa's Ferrari is beating the McLarens out of the the corners, and I daresay that Kimi is as well, because he also flew under the radar all weekend.

The weather conditions seem to be in check and consistent with the weather that the drivers have experienced all weekend, with the humidity and ambient air pressure steadily rising; and it seems the wind speed is decreasing back to practice levels as I type.

I think Massa has got this one in the bag if Ferrari's strategy plays into Massa's favour and not McLaren's.

Hopefully, we will have a nice clean race today/tonight? I'll see you all at the TV set in a couple of hours!

Kimi Raikkonen to Play Follow the Leader?

Anthony — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:43:41 -0400

Scuderia Ferrari have announced prior to this weekend's inaugural Singapore GP that Kimi will do whatever it takes to help the team win both championships.

I quite frankly feel that Ferrari are playing a chess game with McLaren, If Lewis Hamilton and McLaren discount Ferrari's will to back Kimi, Ferrari will absolutely kick Hamilton's teeth in. Kimi, while still in the championship hunt, has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If Massa actually, but doubtfully, has come up with a solution concerning the mechanical grip, Ferrari will rule Singapore wet or dry, day or night.

All of the F1 circus are going into Singapore with high downforce packages similar to Hungary or Monaco. Massa ruled both events until failures mechanically or tactically stopped inevitable victories.

I don't think Ferrari have cured their engine issues, hence the change at Monza for Massa. If Massa was having traction issues at Monza, chances are his engine overrevved and took a hammering.

If he has to swap out his engine between Singapore to Brazil, his cards have already been dealt, foolishly, by Ferrari at Monza.

This is going to be a fantastic four-race finish to the championship.

Did Massa Have to Make that Engine Swap?

Anthony — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:27:42 -0400

I am really questioning Ferrari's engine swap at Monza. Did Felipe over rev the motor in the wet conditions or are they still having the con rod issue?

OK, four races left. Singapore at night with high humidity. Japan a high revving, usually rainy race. China high revving long straights with lots of torque out of the slow corners. And finally Brazil hot and humid with fairly high revs.

So if he makes it through Singapore, which he should, given that he was taking it easy at Monza he will get a fresh engine for Japan. Hamilton holds the current fast lap record at Fuji and it always seems to rain there. So if Ferrari has traction issues, it will turn into another Monza for Ferrari. If it remains dry, it will really stress the power plant.

Then on to China, which usually is hot, dry, and very tough on the drive line. I think this is where they should have played the wild-card for Massa. Then into Brazil, Massa's home track with a fresh engine unless he over stresses the engine in China, which is a huge possibility.

Ferrari has really shown it's arse as far as tactics this year, I really think they have blown it again. Given such a scenario, at any rate— it puts Hamilton in a very good position to apply pressure, given that the Mercedes power plant hasn't had any issues this year.

Check me on that if I am wrong, but I don't remember a DNF for McClaren except for driver error.

Hamilton Caught Cutting Corner at Monza ...Already!

Anthony — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:15:36 -0400

Notice how he immediately gets advice from his team.

Sorry just had to write this. All in good fun.

Fernando Alonso: Heart of a Lion

Anthony — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:23:10 -0400

Alonso makes the most of his equipment. While the media has been following politics, perceived or real, with McLaren, Ferrari, and the FIA, Fernando Alonso has been quietly driving his heart out for Renault.

Ross Braun, whom I personally respect for his forward and concise thinking, apparently agrees.

For a driver of his caliber to go out in a car that has been poorly developed and under-powered, and consistently squeeze the performance he is getting out of the Renault chassis deserves applause.

I personally think that McLaren really blew it by not enforcing the dreaded team rules and then keeping Lewis Hamilton for the 2008 season. Lewis Hamilton is going to be a great driver and he is a force to be reckoned with, but to ignore Alonso's status as a former World Champion and his developmental experience was a tragedy.

McLaren clearly lacked the ability to see what an asset Alonso was to them.

I think Alonso needs to stay with Renault at least one more year and develop the R-28 chassis. I honestly think Alonso and Renault could make next year a three-team championship race and not the McLaren-Ferrari circus that we are currently enduring in F1 today.