In the far South, near the ocean, twenty-four warriors are preparing for war. The fighting men have been dedicatedly preparing for this day all winter, or at least since the aftermath of Christmas. They have beaten their bodies into submission to reach the peak of physical fitness. Having glimpsed their equipment’s capacity - both strengths and flaws - they will enter the fray come daybreak. Each warrior and his support crew share a common goal: to win. However, only one can be champion. The smallest error or mechanical failure could leave them broken on the battlefield; if they haven’t rectified all the faults in their equipment, Fate will reward their enemies.
So the 2012 pre-season test frenzy is over and we've all had a good look at the new cars. But if you think the cars we saw in Barcelona will be the same models we see at the first race in Melbourne, then you are naive indeed! In fact, the teams are all working endlessly back at the factories to manufacture the final development parts in order to have the best possible chassis for the season ahead.
Last year I compiled my list of ideas as to what the perfect paddock presents would be in Formula 1 and, well, it only seemed fair to give it a go again this time round as it turns out this Christmas lark seems to come around every year. We’ve been treated to a dominating performance from a certain young Vettel over 2011 and I’m sure he’s already got all the presents in the world but there’s got to be more, right? Christmas is a time to celebrate, to spend time with the ones you love, to watch Doctor Who and of course get awfully confused why you have a present that your uncle bought you last year too. It’s been a long season for many, so let’s all sit around the log fire and open the paddock presents...
The meaning of 'turkey' as 'a failure' has also broadened as slang to include other aspects of life. Thus, I ask you who was (or were) your Turkeys of the 2011 F1 season?
Unfortunately for the Woking Team, their development been so hectic that they have been somewhat careless with their documents. Now, the blueprints for a massive upgrade to Jenson Button's car have been leaked to sad people in internet chatrooms.
On learning that the UK rights to F1 coverage were soon to be up for grabs, broadcaster Channel 4 pitched a proposal to Bernie Ecclestone. Sadly, the BBC / Sky partnership won through, but details of C4's pitch came to light this week thanks to the design consultancy Graphic House.
Hey guys, did you hear that Sky have stolen our beloved F1? So now, if you don't have Sky Sports, you have to pay £20 (£30 HD) a month to keep up with the sport we know and love. I say, boo to that! I can't afford that kind of cash and neither can a bunch of you guys, I'd wager. But the Sidepodcast community is so awesome, we can't just let disband, so here are some other ideas.
Let us have a moment of silence... Maybe I should explain why we're having a moment of silence before we start. TBEC will no longer be gracing the F1 paddock with his presence.
Following the news that the BBC will be downsizing their Formula 1 line up for 2011, Chain Bear can exclusively reveal how the UK broadcaster plans to overcome difficulties caused by the doubling up of duties.
