Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 can be one of the most dramatic times in motorsport. Failed to qualify in the top 24 on pole day? Try again today! To be bumped means to be knocked out of the Field of 33. Times are not deleted if you are bumped, but someone ahead of you may delete their time to run again - and get it wrong. The height of this session is in the last hour when the clock is winding down and teams are still trying to make the race, especially if big names are involved, the pressure is on, will they or won't they?!
This week, I've stolen a line from the children's TV show Blue Peter. They occasionally do live questions and take responses from the viewers, just to prove they are live, I think. A couple of week's ago, the question was this: If you could be number one in the world at anything, what would it be? It can be sports, but doesn't have to be. I think I would like to be number one in the world at baking bread. I'm not very good at it, but I'd like to be better. And maybe eating it too. How about you?
Round 4 of the MotoGP World Championship sees the bikes head off to the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans and after qualifying Dani Pedrosa is leading the way. It's been Casey Stoner however who has written all the headlines before the race after announcing he will be retiring at the end of the year. Stoner was consistently at the top of the time sheets in qualifying, but a late fall on the drying track means he will start behind Pedrosa in 2nd place. Jorge Lorenzo is a threat and, as always, is keeping the Hondas honest at the very front. Once again the Tech3 of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso are knocking on the door of the podium and they continue to put pressure on works rider Ben Spies.
A new, or perhaps old, feature from Sidepodcast looks into the archives in a two-hour event, featuring some of the best bits of five years (and counting!) of podcasting. Part live streaming test, part excuse for a chat, part look back at some of the ridiculous predictions we made, and the crazy things we've said. The playlist is set, the live stream is waiting, come on in and relive some Sidepodcast Gold.
Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 can be one of the most dramatic times in motorsport. While this year's smaller entry may dilute the drama at the bottom of the field, at the top the upside down form book brought with the new Dallara DW12 IndyCar and the competition among engine makers will hold our interest just as highly as ever. Qualifying this year is held over two days and as tradition dictates is a single-car run for 4 laps of the 2.5 mile circuit, with cars ranked by their average speed over the 4 laps. Pole day sets positions 1 to 24, then after a 30 minute break we go into the Firestone Fast Nine where the top 9 drivers advance to the final pole position shootout - the times are wiped and there's one more four-lap run to shoot for pole!
For the Spanish Grand Prix, we have not one but two unusual sights to behold. A Williams at the front of the grid - what can Pastor Maldonado bring to the race, and how long can he hold on to the potential podium position? And related to that, a McLaren at the very rear of the grid. Hamilton seems feisty after his penalty, how far can he make it through? Further down the order, both Jenson Button and Mark Webber have a lot of work to do, whilst Kimi Räikkönen sits just behind his teammate, with his eyes on race victory. Who will kick of the European leg of the season with a win?
Red Bull have done very well in qualifying over the past few years, and Sebastian Vettel will be coming off the back of the win in Bahrain. However, we've seen plenty of tweaks to all the cars, so that McLaren are looking hopeful that they can claw back some speed, and Ferrari are also keen to make significant progress. Don't count out Lotus either, with both drivers very confident after a good Friday in practice. Who are you predicting for pole position?
With Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button leading the way in the Free Practice sessions, and Red Bull and Lotus looking on closely from behind, qualifying today is going to be fascinating. Before that, we have a one hour session for the teams to make their last minute changes to the cars, and for drivers to make their final judgements about the tyres. We're expecting a hot and dry, sunny day so it'll be up to the tyres to create the excitement that rain could normally provide.
The second of the Friday practice sessions gets underway with ninety further minutes of track time, allowing teams to prepare for their Saturday qualifying and get used to the hard and soft tyres. The temperatures in Barcelona are set to be good for the whole weekend, with a slightly cooler day on Sunday, but so far the forecasts steer clear of any mention of rain. Who will be on top for the end of Friday? Place your bets now.
Formula One returns to Europe for the first race of the next leg of the season, but before that we have three practice sessions and a whole qualifying hour to enjoy. This first 90 minutes may see a slight extension of the recent testing in Mugello, with teams trying out some new parts and making the finishing touches to their new and improved cars. We'll also see the return of the motorhomes, as teams make themselves more comfortable in the European paddocks.
