Bleacher Report - Articles by I3odacious

Kimi Raikkonen To Race for Mercedes in 2010

I3odacious — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:29:09 -0500

A reputable source on Brazilian SporTV has stated that Kimi Raikkonen has finalized a deal to race for the new Mercedes Grand Prix outfit for 2010.

He is reported to have finalized the deal on the same day that Button finalized his deal with McLaren.

This news, if accurate puts to rest the rumors of Kimi taking a sabbatical in 2010. His main requirement was to be in a car which he thinks is capable of fighting for the title and with the success of Ross Brawn's outfit in 2009, there is much reason to believe that the newly named team will be capable of defending the titles they achieved in 2010.

The credibility of the source behind this news has been proved various times this year so look out for the news to hit the English medium shortly!

Upon Confirming Williams Deal, Barrichello Admits McLaren Talks

I3odacious — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:33:45 -0500

Upon confirming his new deal as the number one driver for Williams starting in 2010, Rubens Barrichello said in his blog that McLaren approached him for a deal during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. He stated that he would always consider such an offer but ultimately would prefer the opportunity he was given to drive for Williams. Additionally, he had already finalized his Williams contract at the point in which he was approached by McLaren.

This piece of info also sheds some light on Kimi Raikkonen's current contractual situation. It could very well be that McLaren is making offers to other drivers in the event that their negotiations with Kimi fall through. But speculation that McLaren may be in talks with Jenson Button as well as the confirmation that Rubens was approached by the team hint towards the shaky situation the Raikkonen faces at this point in time. He is set to announce his 2010 plans within the next few days.

Back on the subject of Barrichello; the Brazilian went on to add that it has been a life-long dream of his to drive for the Williams team and he is excited to lead their 2010 attempt towards regaining the prestige they once had. He has already visited the Williams facility for an orientation session as well as visited the Williams museum on site. He will have his work cut out for him next season as he tries to restore the team's winning potential while trying his best to keep Hulkenberg in driver seat number two.

Bruno Senna Signs With Campos

I3odacious — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:15:42 -0400

Reputable sources have told the Brazilian sports news agency Globo Esporte that Bruno Senna has signed a contract with Campos, one of the new F1 teams granted entry for the 2010 F1 season.

Sources say the contract was finalized on Sunday.

In addition to the contract, it has also been confirmed that Bruno will not be required to bring his personal sponsors to the team, which has been previously speculated for quite some time.

An official announcement by the Campos team is anticipated after the final F1 grand prix at Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Barrichello Confirms Brawn 2010 Offer, Talks About 2009 Contract

I3odacious — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:47:16 -0400

In a joint interview between Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello for SporTV, Rubens Barrichello has stated that the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend has featured a few surprises one of which includes a 2010 Brawn GP offer.

"I have opportunities within Brawn, and outside as well"

He goes on to mention that there are still negotiations that must be conducted and that his offer for 2010 is already a good deal different from his 2009 deal. In elaborating about his 2009 deal he stated that he was actually only contracted for four races and that his salary was directly correlated to the amount of points he scored this season with a cap on 25 points.

Rubens later tackles the subject of retirement and states that he still does not feel the desire to do so but divulged that he has thought about retiring and joining the Brazilian Stock Car series which he has been a long time fan of.

Formula 1 Brazilian GP Going Green, Trophies to Be Made From Trash

I3odacious — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:41:40 -0400

Continuing with last year's trend, the trophies awarded to the podium finishers at the Brazilian GP will be made of recycled materials. Last year's trophy, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, was constructed of 100 percent recycled plastic.

This year, the idea has been pushed forward another step and like last year, will be made of recycled materials, however this time around the recycled materials will come from the 60 tons of trash accumulated within the grand prix weekend at Interlagos, the venue which will host the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The fabrication process will reach its final stage on Sunday and the trophies should be completed around three hours prior to the race. The trophy is expected to be blue in color this year.

Nelson Piquet Jr. to NASCAR Truck Series? Test Scheduled for Oct. 12

I3odacious — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:35:23 -0400

Brazilian television agency Globo is reporting that Nelson Piquet Jr. has scheduled a test for Oct. 12 with the Red Horse team in the NASCAR Truck Series League.

He will reportedly be in North Carolina on Oct. 5 to undergo an orientation session as well as a seat fitting ahead of his test a couple weeks later.

Lately, he has been in contact with Tony Kanaan, in Formula Indy and Juan Pablo Montoya, in NASCAR via Twitter which ignited rumors of him attempting to make a move to Indy or NASCAR should he be unsuccessful in remaining in Formula 1. His test with the Red Horse team only strengthens the validity of the rumors.

Globo reports that Nelsinho plans to start out in the third division truck series and move up one division per year with hopes of getting a seat in the top division of NASCAR by 2012.

He has also commented on his Twitter page that he has been having positive talks with some of the new Formula 1 teams in hopes of securing his place in the league and cleaning up the bad reputation he has made for himself in his first two years of Formula 1.

Three Red Flags, Six Crashes, and Five Penalized Before Japanese Grand Prix

I3odacious — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:49:53 -0400

This weekend has with no doubt been one of the strangest grand prix weekends of the 2009 season.

With heavy rain impeding the drivers from collecting valuable data during the first two practice sessions it became clear during qualifying that the third practice session on Saturday, although dry, was not enough for many drivers to come to grips with their ideal car setups as well as the track itself in dry conditions.

Thus far, Mark Webber, Sebastien Buemi (twice), Timo Glock, Jaime Alguesuari, and Heikki Kovalainen have all had off track excursions. Three of which brought on red flags during qualifying, forcing drivers to abort their laps or postpone their exit from the pits while the track was cleaned up and cars craned out.

The most controversial crash of them all was Buemi's second of the session which brought out a yellow flag at the end of Q2 when Barrichello, Button, Alonso, and Sutil were all dashing to the finish line in an attempt to squeeze through into Q3.

The aforementioned drivers failed to slow down in a timely fashion and were each handed five grid spot penalties as a result. Buemi was also given a five spot penalty due to entering the pits after his crash thus blocking other drivers.

This event will most likely radically change the result of Sunday's race as cars that are much heavier on fuel will now be moved up the grid considerably changing strategies up and down the grid.

Below are the race weights and grid positions prior to the penalty.

 1.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault       658.5
 2.  Trulli       Toyota                 655.5
 3.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes       656.0
 4.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes   650.0
 5.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes         660.5
 6.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber             660.0
 7.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes         658.5
 8.  Raikkonen    Ferrari                661.0
 9.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes       675.0
10.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari     665.4*
11.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota        684.5*
12.  Alonso       Renault                689.5*
13.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber             686.0*
14.  Glock        Toyota                 -
15.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari     682.5*
16.  Fisichella   Ferrari                661.5*
17.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota        695.7*
18.  Grosjean     Renault                691.8*
19.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes   682.5*
20.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault       -

Felipe Massa Races Go Kart and Expresses Interest In Racing at Abu Dhabi

I3odacious — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:18:15 -0400

Brazilian news agency Globo has reported that Ferrari's only confirmed driver for 2010, Felipe Massa, has returned to the track and completed six laps in a go kart before his session was cut short due to bad weather.

He appeared at the Kartódromo da Granja Viana in Sao Paulo, Brazil wearing his Ferrari monkey suit and his signature helmet. The other locals who shared the track at the time were asked not to film or take pictures of Massa as he went about his training. He is expected to return before the end of the week to continue his go kart training, weather permitting.

Massa reported that upon finishing his brief outing on the track he felt fine and didn't feel as if his recent injuries inhibited him in any way.

In addition to his kart training, he has also confirmed that he intends to participate in two competitive kart races before the end of the year: the 500 mile kart race hosted at the same track he is training on, as well as his annual charity kart race O Desafio das Estrelas de Kart, which will be hosted on a brand new track designed by Felipe Massa and Lucas Di Grassi and will feature various prestigious race drivers to be named within the next few months. Two confirmed drivers at the event include regulars Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

Aside from karting, Massa has now expressed interest in returning to Formula 1 as early as the final race of this season, which will be hosted at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. His team is open to the idea and will wait until further medical examinations take place before taking further steps toward achieving the goal.

Ferrari Admits Possibility of Fernadno Alonso in 2010

I3odacious — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:13:54 -0400

One of the biggest points of discussion amongst Formula 1 fans over the past few years has been on the subject of Fernando Alonso driving for Ferrari.

In the past, it was a rumor barely able to hold its own given the contractual situations regarding Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, but it remained an idea that made sense to many given Alonso's driving ability and was, therefore, considered an inevitability for the future.

As Kimi Raikkonen's performance at Ferrari began to dwindle in 2008, the rumors gained a second wind and have only intensified since, with Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo having stated he would like to see Alonso at Ferrari, but stating their drivers still had contracts through 2010 and that there was plenty of time left in Alonso's career.

That time may be drawing near, as Ferrari's president has suddenly changed his tone towards the matter at hand. When previously questioned about Alonso driving for Ferrari in 2010, Luca di Montezemolo has always sternly stated Raikkonen had a contract through 2010 and basically dismissed the idea. But he has now been quoted with the following statement:

“A Spanish or a Finnish driver? We’ll take some decisions within a few weeks,”

He went on to confirm that Felipe Massa will remain at Ferrari next season and once again revisited the idea that Raikkonen may not be returning.

“What’s certain is that we’ll have a Brazilian driver who deserves another chance, because thank God he is fine now. As for the rest, we are pondering over the best choice.”

Many believe the decision to pay off Raikkonen's salary in order to get Alonso in before 2011 does not make sense financially, however, F1 is known for its outrageous spending and Ferrari is among the top spenders within it. If they can afford to pay the price for a more consistent driver with a lot of time left, it may be worth it to them, seeing as how Raikkonen has shown variation in his performance ability as well as in leaving F1 before long.

Let's not forget Ferrari is leading the fight in suggesting three-car teams next season and openly admitting they would like to have Michael Schumacher as a third driver. Three contracts, three expensive drivers, the money is there, and they are willing to spend it.

One thing is for sure, Felipe Massa will have to get back in form quickly to give the fans what may be a very entertaining 2010 season if Alonso hops on board, as both drivers are outspoken, emotional and committed to their teams.

Formula 1: Felipe Massa Back at the Wheel By December?

I3odacious — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:56:35 -0400

Felipe Massa has told Brazilian press that he will be attending a 500 mile Kart race in Cotia Sao Paulo called the 500 Milhas da Granja Viana, on December 5 should he be liberated by medical staff.

This should serve as a good indicator of whether or not his hand eye coordination has been negatively affected as a result of his accident in Hungary and would serve as a good warm up prior to hopping back into a Formula 1 car.

Ferrari have stated that they will be requesting the permission of the FIA and FOTA for Massa to do some additional testing in an F1 car as well prior to the start of next season, a request which proved controversial when Michael Schumacher was denied additional testing rights during his attempted comeback to substitute for the injured Massa earlier in the season.

Lotus Awarded FIA Entry for 2010

I3odacious — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:54:58 -0400

With the uncertainty surrounding BMW's buyout after the 2009 season, the FIA have granted Lotus an entry spot for 2010 leaving BMW as the 14th team should any vacancies open up. Additionally, the FIA has expressed leniency towards a 14 team grid should the FOTA agree on the matter.

I for one am thrilled to see Lotus back in the sport and am looking forward to seeing what they will be capable of in 2010. This of course adds another dimension to the Driver lineup which F1 fans are eagerly awaiting as the 2009 season progresses further and further passed the traditional point in which new driver lineups are published.

Is F1 Shifting From a Sport To a Soap Opera?

I3odacious — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:53:22 -0400

I am from Brazil; a country where any local television channel's most lucrative form of entertainment is unquestionably its soap operas. These short stories, lasting on average for six months are each rough replicas of their predecessors. A very small group of actors are picked by each channel and all share the parts for each 6 month soap, alternating the major and minor roles amongst themselves.

Every time, predictably similar events unfold, always as dramatic as possible, until the end of each soap when things tend to settle down a bit.

Over the years of watching Formula One I have always joked to some girlfriends who couldn't understand why I watched the sport, that it is the male's version of a soap opera.

At this time I would like to state that I am aware that some women also enjoy Formula One, in a similar way that some men also enjoy television soap operas, and that this article's title is targeted towards the core audience for the sake of comparison.

With that said, more recently it has struck me that Formula One has resembled the structure of a soap opera more and more to the point where it has actually affected the outcome of the championship.

The 2007 McLaren espionage case being the first event to fortify this view. Not only was the scandal dramatic, but the stripping of McLaren's constructors points along with arguably the biggest most dramatic fine in sports history had many men reaching for tissue boxes in a similar fashion as their female counterparts would have when Claudia found out Fernando had been cheating on her with her best friend...no...make that...her sister.

Speaking of Fernando, Alonso's dramatic relationship with Hamilton and the McLaren team was also very soapy.

Now, fast forward to 2008. As if the season wasn't dramatic enough, Renault have just been charged with fixing the grand prix at Singapore. For a hard core Massa fan like me, this is like watching a rerun of a soap opera only to find that it is even more emotional than it appeared.

Break out the tissues again because if it wasn't for Nelsinho's alleged Brazilian on Brazilian crime, Massa may very well have scored 10 points at Singapore as his fuel hose incident was a direct result of Nelsinho's crash.

The Pit madness that prompted Ferrari to use the manual pit light system which turned green prematurely via a human error would not have occurred if Nelsinho hadn't put drama before sport that night.

After learning about the Renault accusations, and watching it evolve into a more and more legitimate claim, I am conditioned to think dramatically which leads me to question other events during that season.

If an event like Nelsinho's crash can be deliberate, then why not question Timo Glock's final lap or two at the Brazilian GP in 2008? When it first happened every single person in the room I was in, (not all Ferrari fans) immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was intentional based on how it looked.

I have since painfully dismissed the ideas that it was intentional but as it becomes clear that crashing a car deliberately as a part of a plan involving a team and two drivers can go unnoticed; slowing down the Toyotas for the last couple laps of a championship deciding race is suddenly not very far fetched in soap opera terms. In fact it is considerably easier to orchestrate.

Should a probe be launched to investigate that GP as well? Perhaps not as it would cause too much controversy to a sport which is exponentially becoming riddled with scandals.

The 2009 season has seen no change in this familiar pattern.

The war between the FIA and FOTA seemed likely to break up F1 into two leagues, but just as the friction reached its peak, things settled down.

In a similar fashion, it seemed that Lewis Hamilton would receive a multiple race ban for misleading officials at the first grand prix of the season, that too took care of itself with time.

What will the rest of this season bring? What about next season?

With so much drama, the last thread that seems to be preventing Formula One from transitioning into a full on soap opera is Kimi Raikkonen, the kryptonite of drama itself!

Formula One World Feed Broadcast Needs a Face Lift

I3odacious — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:44:48 -0400

Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport, gets its reputation by being one of the most technologically advanced and expensive sports in the world.

It is a playground for innovation and often sets the pace for developments in the automobile industry worldwide.

There is no doubt that it isn't just the drivers who are racing, but everyone else involved in the sport too. Everyone else, except the powers at be behind the broadcasting.

Rarely is the F1 fan graced with more information beyond the typical lap time comparisons and the occasional team radio transmission; and even that information fails to capture what is happening in all areas of the race.

We have been teased with graphic displays like the g-force meter, or the speed/gear/KERS indicator, but they do not show up nearly enough.

I have counted two times this season, the use of the replay depicting two drivers' ghosts for line comparison. These are all features that should appear during every practice, qualifying session, and race regularly!

We should have access to more team radio transmissions as the ones that we get are obviously pre-screened and delayed in many cases. There should be longer onboard shots, more stats, as we all know there is no shortage of in F1.

If there is one thing that the powers at be for F1 broadcasting have gotten right, it is the minimalistic design for their stats displays, but the lack of their use forces local channels to make stats displays of their own.

These often go far beyond simplistic and cover up the screen, leaving any viewer absolutely livid.

The SPEED channel is great at blocking up the tele with oversized and overly busy displays for extended periods of time. I don't want to see an animated F1 car over a massive red banner covering up 30 percent of the track.

On various occasions, such displays mask the team radio graphic causing the announcers to unknowingly speak over the already scarce radio transmissions!

Formula 1 officials have the money, they have the tools, they are looking to spice up the entertainment value in F1...Why not touch up the broadcasting aspect of it while they are at it?

F1: Nelsinho Piquet To Ferrari?

I3odacious — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:32 -0400

It is widely speculated that Nelsinho Piquet is not Formula 1 material. His ascension through the lower ranks of racing was facilitated by multiple teams set up by his three time Formula 1 champion father; although he did accumulate some good looking stats along the way.

He claims that he was not given enough testing at Renault this season, and that his team was heavily biased towards two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso throughout his two season career in the series. He believes that consistently starting with very heavy fuel loads and inferior strategy has cast a deceiving shadow over his true potential as a Formula 1 driver.

There have been suggestions recently that he may be given the chance to prove his critics wrong by driving for Ferrari until Felipe Massa is fit to return to the sport.

There has been no official word from Ferrari regarding the matter but his ex-publicist from GP2 and close friend Waltinho Ferrari Jr. has hinted towards this being a possibility. A few days later Nelsinho himself replied to a post on his Twitter page which asked the question "Nelsinho at Ferrari?" in his reply he stated "God willing, it will happen!"

Nelsinho is certainly better fit for the job than Luca Badoer who has shocked the world with his lack of speed and numerous mistakes last weekend. Ferrari have already stated that Schumacher will not race in 2009 and I doubt they will trust another test driver with the F60 after Badoer's lackluster comeback.

Should Nelsinho get the temporary drive with Ferrari he will be challenged to perform with a car that is not one of the best on the grid and a car that will no longer receive any updates, which means no excuses can be made regarding that factor. It will be a good test outside the environment which he claims does nothing to accurately represent his true skill level. If he does a good job, getting fired from Renault may well have benefitted his career rather than ended it.

KERS to Be Used in Formula One in 2010?

I3odacious — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:03:53 -0400

Cutting costs has been one of the biggest topics in F1 recently and it has lead to radical changes in the regulations of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. One of the biggest contradictions to the overall theme of cost cutting has been the implementation of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System.

Teams have spent large sums attempting to fine tune the new technology which harnesses the normally wasted kinetic energy during braking and converts it into an 80 horsepower boost at the push of a button on the driver's steering wheel.

For 2009 this feature is optional, but claims that it would become mandatory for the 2010 season were at large earlier this year.

After a series of reliability and safety issues emerged this season due to the devices, Ferrari and McLaren became the only two teams still left with the desire and budget to run it.

It had been suggested that KERS would be abandoned at the end of the season but an article on the official F1 website outlining the new qualifying session layout suggests the contrary. At the end of the article the newly raised minimum weight rule is mentioned.

"Minimum car weight has been raised by 15kg to 620kg, to give teams running KERS more flexibility in terms of weight distribution and set-up, and tyre warmers will still be legal, despite previous talk of the heated blankets being banned."

The text seems to suggest that KERS will again be an optional feature for the teams. The implementation of an optional KERS system not only goes against the spirit of cutting costs but it also makes for an unbalanced grid with some cars being able to leap to the front at the start of races like Ferrari and McLaren have displayed numerous times this season.

This will also decrease the overtaking opportunities by the cars not running the system as KERS has been used effectively as a defensive tool this season as well.

Why not eliminate KERS and with some of the money saved, allow a little more in season testing? Why not level the grid so that all cars have equal opportunities during the starts and during the races?

F1: Felipe Massa Update

I3odacious — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:02:51 -0400

Felipe Massa's condition continues to improve at an impressive rate since Saturday when he suffered a blow to the head from a suspension spring that broke loose from the rear of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car.

Massa was knocked unconscious upon being struck by the spring and in turn crashed head on into a tire wall. He was air lifted to a military hospital in Budapest, Hungary shortly after where tests revealed two skull fractures, brain swelling, and an 8cm cut above his left eye.

Reporters from Brazil's TV station Globo have remained outside the hospital since the event, and have actively been seeking clarity regarding Massa's condition due to the variety of reporting worldwide suggesting different severity's regarding his current health and the consequences to his injuries.

Globo has been interviewing Massa's family members as well as his personal Doctor Dino Altmann who have been relaying the most accurate information regarding Felipe's health.

As reported earlier today, Felipe has now left the intensive care unit and has been transferred to a personal room where he is no longer using the aid of medical equipment such as respirators etc. He has already gotten up and walked around by his bed and damage to his vision has been ruled out.

On Tuesday, Dr. Dino Altmann informed Felipe that he was in Budapest after which he asked about the results of the race. When being told that Raikkonen placed second and Hamilton won he replied "I don't believe it! That race was mine!" He then asked what day it was and when he was told it was Tuesday he replied "Wow!, Already?"

Globo reports that Massa has already been able to recall events from last weekend's qualifying session. He does not, and most likely will never remember events directly preceding and proceeding the accident itself, but he has stated that he remembers doing two timed laps in Q2 and being in eighth place.

He has now expressed hunger and the desire to eat solid foods which is a very good sign. His motivation levels are high and he has already asked doctors if he will be able to race at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

A full recovery is definitely in the cards for Massa and his doctor has already made statements that suggest his eventual return to F1 although quite possibly not this season. He has expressed the gratitude for the vast number of messages from his fans including the Brazilian president.

Source: www.globo.com

Formula One Has Changed, but Is It Really More Interesting?

I3odacious — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:12:57 -0400

As preseason testing for the 2009 Formula One season came to a close it became clear that the most historic alteration to the regulations of the sport had seriously shaken up the usually predictable pecking order.

The first grand prix weekend confirmed that the Formula One we were all used to had been radically reconfigured. Many fans were filled with excitement and became content that the new season was appearing to be more dynamic than many of the seasons prior.

Five Grand Prixs in and this season is quickly proving the contrary. The excitement of seeing unfamiliar teams at the top of the order brought along a false sense of equality throughout the grid.

This bubble was burst quickly as the field became heavily separated into three categories. Those with the double-decker diffusers; those with KERS and no double decker diffuser; and those without KERS or the diffuser.

The hope that this season would see teams large and small fight for victories adding diversity to the podiums and unpredictability to the races has thusly been overshadowed by the seemingly scripted nature of the first five race weekends this season.

At the top we have Brawn GP, who have arguably secured both championships at a much earlier point in the season than Bernie Ecclestone's medal system threatened to do so. Four out of five wins have gone to Button who drives a car that is unrivaled by a greater margin than Ferrari and McLaren were in recent seasons.

At least then we had two teams in the fight for the championship which made the race results a little less predictable than this season thus far.

Then we have Ferrari. If I were to place my money on either a Brawn car winning a race or a Ferrari driver suffering from a ridiculous strategic shortcoming or a mechanical failure over a race weekend It would take me a long time to come up with a decision.

Not only are they predictable in the sense that they will get something horribly wrong, but their horrible mistakes themselves are becoming predictable! Reoccurring KERS problems; the same exact qualifying strategy mistake, throttle failures...Am I watching reruns here?

Another thing we can usually count on is seeing Nico Rosberg doing really well in practice then accomplishing nothing in the races. Or Nakajima performing poorly.

How about Kovalainnen not finishing the race? I wonder if his total lap tally by the end of the season will amount to one full grand prix?

In conclusion, I will always be entertained while watching a Formula One race. But the shape that this season is taking is far from a breath of fresh air as many fans were beginning to think it may have been. It is still early, maybe things will change still.

At this point, I am just hoping Vettel can challenge Button for wins after he gets the new diffuser. If not, the regulation changes will not have accomplished much; quite the contrary in fact. I doubt the season finale this year will have anyone on the edge of their seats like last year.

Opportunities Rise as Drivers Decline While Senna Eyes a Seat for '09

I3odacious — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:15:53 -0400

As the 2009 Formula One championship progresses into the fourth grand prix it is still uncertain which driver, if any, will establish dominance this season. For the first two grand prix it seemed as though Brawn GP would sail away with enough points to make catching up a nearly impossible task for their rivals.

Red Bull proved the contrary during qualifying and race day of the Chinese Grand Prix, showing that the battle for the drivers championship is still wide open.

With 17 teams now having been given the go ahead on the controversial diffuser designs employed by Brawn GP, Toyota, and Williams, the championship will begin taking on a new shape very soon.

On the other side of the spectrum, the three stooges of Formula One have been clearly defined over the last two years and despite the changes about to shake up the pecking order in F1 yet again, you can count on these guys to consistently under perform.

Kazuki Nakajima

I want to mention Kaz first because he has absolutely no excuse to be performing as poorly as he has been especially for the 2009 season where his car boasts the all so coveted diffuser and has proved its speed and consistency through the hands of Nico Rosberg.

Having qualified 11th for the first two grand prix and 14th for the third he has failed by far to match his teammate's efforts this season and has clearly endangered his career in doing so.

His two retirements and one 12th place finish has left him out of the points for every grand prix while having some of the shiniest tools in the Formula One Shed right now.

Nelson Piquet Jr

Another consistent under performer for the last two years has been Nelsinho. His car may not be as competitive as the Williams yet this year but it may be soon enough and when that time comes Renault would be smart to ensure that their team's full potential is reached by hiring on a new driver.

Piquet Jr's father wont be able to influence his career much longer as his son has been consistently at the back qualifying 14th, 17th, and 16th while on race day retiring in the first grand prix, and finishing 13th and 16th in the following two.

This is a driver who knows that his career has been under threat for quite some time now and still has not managed to improve. He is clearly in danger of losing his job at some point in the near future.

Sebastien Bourdais

There are clearly too many Sebastien's in Formula One. While Sebastien Buemi's problem of being the only rookie on the grid can be easily repaired, Sebastien Bourdais' problem of having been out performed by the only rookie in the league is not so easy to rectify.

Although Bourdais shows more promise than Kaz and Nelsinho, he has yet to establish himself as the number one driver on his team with consistently poor results edging him closer and closer to the Indy Racing League.

Bruno Senna

Here is a driver who's roots in racing have been planted by one of the greatest legends the sport in question has ever seen.

While most drivers on the grid today have decades of experience under their belts, Bruno has a mere four years under his and had almost certainly managed to reach the pinnacle of motorsport via a competitive test session along side the current World Driver Championship leader.

If hired, he will bring in sponsorship money, as well as an army of fans.

With drivers like the three stooges who are only capable of drawing attention via their comedic performances and otherwise have very little presence during the televised events it would be a no brainer to hire Senna instead as he is a well rounded package of skill, sponsorship money, and character.

He has clearly showed that he has the intense drive to be in the sport and to succeed as he has repeatedly turned down offers prior to the start of the season and has now turned down his Mercedes DTM offer in hopes to catch a mid season seat opportunity.

Let us not also forget that he is strongly backed by Bernie Ecclestone and has been advised by him to turn down any opportunities that may prevent him from joining Sebastien Buemi in the rookie club this season.

At the time being, he seems to be the perfect solution for Renault, STR, Williams, Force India, and maybe even Ferrari depending on how exponentially Kimi's motivation declines this season.

Lewis Hamilton: The King of Rain? Think Again

I3odacious — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:48:28 -0400

Sebastian Vettel stormed to victory in the rain yet again, delivering a flawless performance as other drivers struggled to stay on track; most notably Lewis Hamilton, who prior to the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix had been enjoying a considerable amount of praise for his wet weather driving abilities and was considered by a large number of fans to be the current "rain king" on the grid.

As a Massa fan, I had to withstand a great deal of excessively negative criticism toward his British Grand Prix performance in 2008, defending against claims that he lacked the skill to be an F1 driver, or that he was unable to drive without traction control.

This burden will now be handed over to Hamilton fans as they present their defences against Hamilton's lackluster performance today in the rain. Hamilton, who spun an embarrassing four times, had the repercussions of his faulty driving diminished by various factors.

Firstly, the presence of the safety car enabled him to close in on the gap he created between the drivers ahead of him. Secondly, his car was one of the few cars equipped with KERS, helping him cover some of the ground he repeatedly put forth.

Lastly, he was lucky enough to have a massive amount of fuel on board which enabled him to make up some distance while his other competitors were pitting.

In conclusion, luck was on his side, but talent was in the hands of the newly reinforced king of the rain Sebastian Vettel.

Smaller Teams Capitalize as Ferrari and McLaren Dwindle

I3odacious — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:56:49 -0400

It will be all too easy to forget that Ferrari and McLaren once fought each other to monopolize the Formula One Championship if they do not quickly mend the plethora of shortcomings that cast progressively darker shadows on their success.

In the past few seasons, we have seen both teams suffer greatly, and there is no one to blame but the teams themselves.

McLaren in 2007 brought upon a considerable amount of shame to their name with the espionage scandal, and just as we all thought they had turned things around in 2008, they had major aerodynamic problems for the 2009 season leaving them, not only out of the fight for the championship but struggling to make it past Q1 in qualifying.

With a combination of good luck and great driving by Lewis Hamilton, they managed to secure some incredibly valuable points considering their predicament, only to shamefully muck it all up due to their latest thoughtless and irresponsible actions.

They now find themselves back to square one with the added difficulty of juggling the tasks of defending their credibility as a team and fixing their severe aero problems.

If Lewis Hamilton is handed a multi-race suspension that will make matters even more difficult for the team.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ferrari prevented Felipe Massa from winning the 2008 driver championship due to reliability issues and faulty pitwork.

Their unprecedented ability to screw up strategy-wise is almost more impressive than the number of constructor's titles they possess. In 2007 we saw Massa run out of fuel mid-race!

In the opening weekends of the 2009 Formula One season we have seen Ferrari butcher Massa's race strategy in Melbourne and more embarrassingly sit on their behinds while watching Massa get bumped out of Q1!

I definitely do not have the qualifications to be calling the shots of a major Formula One team, but I could see over five minutes prior to the end of Q1 in Malaysia that Massa was constantly being bumped down spots, getting ever so close to P15.

I also knew immediately that Massa's race was ruined by the change of his pit strategy in Melbourne. If a fan can see these things coming a mile away, why on earth can't the Ferrari staff?

With the regulations having been shaken up so drastically this season, each mistake these two teams make will cost them exponentially more damage than their previous years of dominance.

While the two traditional giants dwindle, other teams are ready, willing and able to reap the benefits.

Formula One: Can Ferrari and McLaren Get Back On Top? Massa Doesn't Think So

I3odacious — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:49:59 -0400

Many questions were raised during the Formula One off season of Ferrari and McLaren. While fans worldwide were either rejoicing in, or recovering from the results of the 2008 season; none of them were expecting to be nervously awaiting answers to the types of questions plaguing them in 2009.

McLaren's lackluster pace in testing had their supporters questioning whether or not the team was sandbagging. This question was put to rest during the practice and qualifying sessions at Albert Park. It became clear that McLaren has a lot to work on throughout the course of the season.

Ferrari was looking strong in early testing but their pace was eventually overshadowed by various teams. In addition to that, the worrying questions regarding their reliability that many believe cost Felipe Massa the 2008 title only intensified after Kimi Raikkonen's car lost hydraulic pressure in Saturday practice and Massa was forced to retire early on Sunday with what looked to be power steering issues.

The various questions in the minds of both Ferrari and McLaren fans eventually funnel down to one. Can they get back on top this season?

As I stated in one of my previous articles, most often teams and drivers will shed little light regarding their opinion on the severity of their situation when they face difficult times but that does not seem to be the case with Felipe Massa as he has forgotten to sugarcoat his comments thus far in the season.

Massa was quoted saying the following regarding his team's current position.

"It was not so easy on the race." "If you take the whole race, we had the Brawn which was in another planet, then we had the Red Bull. Vettel was quite strong, quite a good pace, maybe a bit better than us. Then we had Kubica who was also competitive. I think we are in the middle of these teams."

When asked if he thought his team could catch the pace of the front runners he replied

"I don't know if it is possible. When you are three or four tenths behind it is always possible, but if it is a second then it is quite difficult."

"We need to improve very quickly the car. But in my experience when we see a car that is one second in front, to improve one second from one day to another is very difficult."

If Massa is so sceptical about his teams return to the front then McLaren, being even further behind certainly has very little chance through his eyes.

To add contrast to the situation, Brawn GP's budget, although expanding with the addition of their new title sponsor, is limited in comparison to that of the other teams so catching up to their pace remains a possibility, although a distant one according to last year's WDC runner up.

Formula One: Diffuser Teams Reign Supreme During Friday's Practice Sessions

I3odacious — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:41:06 -0400

Friday's practice has come to an end; and while the teams were utilizing this time to run additional testing making it a bit harder to draw concrete conclusions from the results, three teams none the less established themselves as the early pace setters.

The consistency of the Williams team was noteworthy as we saw Nico Rosberg set fastest lap after fastest lap. The Brawn GP team once again displayed remarkable pace with Rubens Barrichello finishing second fastest for the day. Flocking with them were the Toyotas generating some good lap times as well.

While the rest of the pack, unable to take advantage of the loophole exploited by the "diffuser teams" struggled left and right to post consistent times.

While we didn't see any of the cars decapitated this practice session, we did see quite a bit of fish tailing as the non diffuser teams struggled with rear end grip.

The cooling track temperatures rendered the lap time improvements minimal towards the end of the session, contributing to the decrease in grip levels which resulted in numerous acrobatic maneuvers by the drivers in a successful attempt at not slamming into the concrete walls. One of the most memorable saves was that of Felipe Massa as he looked certain to pay the wall a visit but somehow swung his car back around.

It is safe to say that the championship will be heavily influenced by the decisions made after the court hearing in about two weeks time that will decide whether or not the diffusers of the Williams, Brawn GP, and Toyota teams are legal.

It is interesting that the three "Diffuser Teams" are not a part of the Formula One Overtaking Working Group (OWG) and were not present in the meetings that were carried out by the teams in the OWG in an attempt to clearly interpret the rules regarding the rear diffuser. They instead seemed to take different paths unlike the rest of the teams who collectively interpreted the rules.

I sincerely hope that the rear diffusers are deemed legal and that Williams, Brawn GP, and Toyota are allowed to keep their current designs.

Formula One: Adjustable Front Wings

I3odacious — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:07:34 -0400

Not a great deal other than "uh...what?!" and "eww, gross" has been said about the new front wings for the 2009 Formula One season.

They feature an adjustable flap, which the drivers can control from the cockpit twice per lap, enabling them to follow closer behind their competitors promoting more passing for the 2009 season.

The six degree difference between the two available positions may not seem like much, but reports from the drivers have proven their efficacy.

The questions that I still have about these wings are the following, and maybe some of you educated fans can help me out on this one.

1. Due to them being electronically connected to the driver's steering wheel, does their replacement increase the time it usually takes to change a front wing during a pit stop?

Does anyone have any info on what connections are used?

2. The drivers can tell the difference after adjusting the wings when following another car closely, but should functionality of the adjustable flap be lost, will they be able to sense that something is wrong when they are not following another car closely? Or will they need to compare lap times to come to this conclusion?

I say this because the McLaren drivers both agree that their car feels fine when driving, but it obviously has some major issues when comparing their lap times with the other teams. An unnoticed flaw in the functionality could cost a lot during a crucial qualifying lap.

3. The functionality seems quite simple, but have any teams experienced reliability issues with the front wing flap?

With the front wings being so large compared to last year, and the fact that drivers cannot see the full wing from the cockpit because they hide in front of the tires, there will undoubtedly be some damaged wings this season, at which point some of these questions may be answered.

Formula One: Felipe Massa Spills the Beans

I3odacious — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:22:38 -0400

With preseason testing coming to an end, the die hard F1 fans will soon be faced with the relatively short, but seemingly endless void which tests all of our patience, and is where we will all make our most educated predictions regarding this seasons pecking order before it kicks off.

The lap times alone posted during winter testing can only provide the vaguest outline of what may possibly be the running order for the first few races. More useful information, although far from concrete, comes from insight by the drivers and staff themselves.

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has recently "spilled the beans."

Massa was quoted saying the following about the Brawn GP team, "No one can do the same times. Everyone was using less fuel, not only them. But their times were much faster than those that anyone else could do."

He also said the following in regards to his own team, "Before Barcelona we were one of the quickest on the circuit, we were very competitive, in the leading pack. Now we're competitive, but behind Brawn."

With most drivers avoiding making such bold statements, their quotes have been fairly inconclusive. Massa however, seems confident in his team's competitive positioning.

With Mclaren having so much aerodynamic trouble, and Ferrari having KERS problems, we may very well see completely new front runners at the start of the season.

Your thoughts?

Why Ayrton Senna Beats Michael Schumacher for "Best of All Time" Award

I3odacious — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:31:42 -0400

When Formula One fans around the world are asked the question “Who is the greatest of all time?” more often than not, a passionate and heated debate involving the two legendary names Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna is summoned from the purgatorial prison where it has dwelled for many years.

Many Schumacher fans will argue that his number of world championships undoubtedly earns him the title whereas Senna fans feel that Senna could have gone on to win more championships and possibly prevented Schumacher from winning his two first titles in 1994 and 1995, had the 1994 tragedy at the Imola circuit not occurred.

In this article, I would like to point out why I believe Senna is worthy of the title of Formula One’s greatest pilot of all time and welcome anyone who reads this to offer their opinions as well.

One of the main reasons why I believe that Senna is a superior driver to Schumacher is that he built his legendary reputation during a time in Formula One where there were other drivers equally as legendary as he was.

To cite a few examples, I would like to bring up some all time records in Formula One all of which still stand today.

The record for most pole positions in one season (14) was set by Nigel Mansell in 1992 during Senna’s career. Mansell has won the most races out of any British Formula One driver and held the Formula One and CART world titles simultaneously, being the only driver in history to do so. There is no doubt that he was a force to be reckoned with during Senna’s time.

Another record I would like to bring up is the most consecutive pole positions in the history of Formula One. Just behind Ayrton Senna's eight consecutive poles is Alain Prost having been on pole position seven times consecutively in 1993, also during Senna’s career.

Alain Prost has won four world championships and was undoubtedly a huge obstacle for Senna during his career. I would also like to raise the point that Prost and Senna drove on the same team for a few years; two legends in equal machinery giving it their all trying to prevent the other from winning the title, a rivalry so fierce, encompassing so much talent that yet another all time Formula One record emerged as a result.

That record being the most victories by one team in a season as together the two rivals won 15 out of 16 grand prix in the 1988 season!

Schumacher, on the other hand, during his five-title stint at Ferrari, always had a wingman for a teammate whose job duties included facilitating his conquering of the world championship which meant Schumacher got the better car and on one very controversial occasion, even had his teammate Rubens Barrichello ordered to pull over on the side of the road to let him by for the win. That situation prompted rule changes in Formula One.

These are hardly the difficult conditions faced by Senna during his career. I do want to stress however, that I am not trying to bring down Schumacher’s skill level when raising these points and that I do recognize his phenomenal talent.

Both drivers were exceptional in the rain. However, in my opinion, Senna’s rain performances had more impact on his legend than Schumacher’s.

In 1984 Senna took his unimpressive Toleman from 13th place to secondplace in the heavy rain at the Monaco Grand Prix, closing in on Prost for firstplace, but the race came to an end due to safety issues regarding the heavy downpour.

Perhaps the most striking performance by Senna in the rain came in 1993 at Donington, when Senna climbed from fifth to firstplace in the opening lap of the race, finding grip that no other driver on the field, including Schumacher, could. He went on to lap the entire field that race!

I would like to conclude this article with a statistic that may not prove that Senna was a better overall driver than Schumacher, but that definitely proves that Senna was a better qualifier than he was.

Out of 250 career races for Michael Schumacher, he managed 68 pole positions, where as Ayrton Senna managed 65 poles in only 162 races. Senna ended his career only a mere 3 poles behind Schumacher’s career pole count, but a massive 88 races behind Schumacher’s career race starts.

Schumacher was on pole for 27.2 percent of his career, whereas Senna was on pole for 40.1 percent of his career.

These are but a few of the reasons that I think are enough to convince myself and many Senna fans. I would like to encourage Schumacher fans to state their claim for why he is the best.