Friday has reached us at last, and I know I'm not the only one who is glad Thursday is over. From the very beginning when I thought it was still February, everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong. But never mind, we're on to another (hopefully better) day and here are some things we're talking about:
The very badly named HRT team dominated headlines yesterday as they launched a new car and confirmed another driver. With a full line up now of Senna and Chandhok, they're gearing up for the season to begin and team principal Colin Kolles is still suggesting they could be the most successful of the new teams. I'm not sure about that, they haven't had a minute out on track.
It looks as though we might be getting another of those pre-season controversies, with Red Bull "asking the question" about the McLaren's rear wing. This brings back so many bad memories of the diffuser issues before the 2009 season got underway, and through the first few races. Let's hope they can sort this out before it gets anywhere near overshadowing the action.
Renault will be running some Lada branding on their car this year, as the manufacturer get on board sponsoring both the team and Vitaly Petrov. Presumably they don't mind the horrible red mirrors, then. The name looks good on the car, although I can't decide if that's just because it's nice to see sponsorship rather than empty chassis'.
That's all for now, let us know what you've got planned for the weekend, and I will see you in the comments.
2009 has been and gone and it is to 2010 that we turn our attention. Happy New Year to everyone who reads, listens, participates, lurks and shares with Sidepodcast. I hope you are having a great day, and that it is the start of a wonderful year.
Mr C has already done the rounds and thanked everyone he can think of in a special end of year wrap up post. There is also a handy list of some of the highlights of the year, a sort of Best of Sidepodcast in articles rather than audio.
I mentioned our New Year's Resolution post yesterday but it is worth repeating again as there is still time to make those promises that you are bound to keep for the rest of the year. They can be F1 related or otherwise but we will revisit them at the end of 2010 and see how you got on. No pressure!
As Mr C took the time to thank me in his aforementioned post, I will abuse my position in the daily to thank him right back. I'm not good at the lovely huggy stuff, but needless to say Sidepodcast wouldn't be what it is without him and his clever code, late nights and amusing insights. I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to run this site with, so thanks to Mr C.
That's enough of that, we have welcomed in the New Year, and now it's time to focus on 2010. As ever, I will see you in the comments.
The Brawn boys have another celebration to get around to, after both Jenson Button and Ross Brawn were named in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. Button has been granted an MBE, whilst Brawn picks up an OBE for his services to sport.
Button is proud to be on a list of Britain's great motor-racing legends, and whilst looking forward to his new challenge in 2010, hasn't forgotten what this season was all about:
We literally started with nothing, but had the belief, determination and passion to take on the world and succeed. Many people played a role in my world championship - and in receiving this award, I want to acknowledge and thank them for all their efforts.
Last year, Hamilton picked up an MBE which he collected in March, so we'll look forward to some more pictures of Jenson and Ross in suits in the next few months.
It's been a packed year, full of racing and politics, podcasts and guest posts, and now we are drawing to the end of 2009, it's time to look back over the last 12 months, and reminisce about what we all got up to.
Included in this whistle stop tour through 2009 are the predictions we got wrong, the stuff we luckily got right, clips from contributors, the introduction of many new shows, plus plenty of stumbles, laughs, outtakes and songs.
It is Bank Holiday Monday in the UK, granted to us because Boxing Day fell at the weekend. There is still little to go on in the news stakes, which is a breath of fresh air and means we have been able to get other stuff done. Here are some of the things we're talking about:
The 2009 Season Review Megamix was released yesterday, featuring a summary of the year just gone from our excellent listeners. Everything from the downpour at Malaysia to the replacement of Bourdais is covered, and it's great to get views from a variety of eloquent F1 fans.
We have a new blog to join in the F1 fun - Tom G, who recently got a mention in the podcast, has set up A Little Bit... Piquet. There's only an intro post for now, but I'm sure the rest of the entries won't be a little bit Piquet at all.
Recently I posted a roundup of the Advent Calendar podcast - a breakdown of all the shows with descriptions for each - in place of an omnibus edition of the extended podcast. At three minutes each, that omnibus would be about 75 minutes long. I'm pretty certain Mr C would not approve of such things!
That's all for now, although just a quick reminder to everyone (but also to me) that it is Must Comment Monday today, so keep an eye on all those F1 blogs.
Mr C says he is determined to both remember and do MCM justice this week. I will do the same, and as ever, I will see you in the comments.
Gather round as our Sidepodcast listeners and commentors take to their microphones to bring you a round up of the 2009 season. All the major points are covered, with insight into the Brawn success, the Toyota failure, and everyone in between.
Christmas has been and gone, and that means our advent calendar season review has drawn to a close. We featured 25 short shows covering the entire year, as a wrap up to the 2009 season. The Advent concept was designed as an extended mini-series, and in normal circumstances, there would be an omnibus edition for those who would rather listen to the shows in one sitting. Given that there were 25 shows, that they are roughly three minutes each, and that Mr C faints at the sight of a podcast over an hour in length, that is impossible to do for this series.
However, there is still scope for rounding up everything we covered, in an easy-to-view list.
In the Dark - Timing chaos descends on Hungarian qualifying.
Back on Form - Hamilton turns McLaren's fortunes around.
Not Quite Banned - Renault narrowly escape a ban following a loose wheel.
Take My Place - The campaign for the FIA Presidency gets dirty.
Goodbye From Us - BMW leave and the team faced an uncertain future.
Spin Me Round - Piquet Sr and Jr cause problems for Renault.
Out of Practice - Luca Badoer steps in to deputise for the injured Massa.
It's About Time - Barrichello finally finds his way back to the top step of the podium.
Rise and Fall - Fisichella takes Force India's first points with a podium finish.
Crossing the Line - Rosberg messes up in Singapore, compounding a miserable year.
Injury Time - Glock takes a time out, whilst Kobayashi steps in.
While You Wait - The Brazilian qualifying turns into the longest session ever.
Fight or Flight - Trulli wages war against Sutil with evidence to back him up.
Doing the Double - The Championships are decided and the season draws to a close.
Thank you for sharing the season with me, it's been great fun whittling down the important points of the year for an end-of-season review. Let's hope 2010 provides just as much interest, although hopefully more of it on the track!
Welcome to the F1 Advent Calendar 2009 - an extended mini series brought to you by Sidepodcast. We are reviewing the season over the month of December, looking at a key moment each day of advent. Now it's time to open another door to find another story, we're on to Day Eighteen - Out of Practice.
Massa's recovery was going well, and the prognosis was good, but initially, there was no talk of him returning to racing. He missed the Hungarian GP, leaving an empty spot on the grid, but Ferrari had the summer break to find a replacement for the upcoming European GP.
Immediately, the name Michael Schumacher emerged as a potential candidate, and despite the fact his manager denied any such reports - claiming to be 200% sure it would not happen - it was soon confirmed that he would undergo the FIA medical, and start training for a return in Valencia.
Most people, within the paddock at least, were excited for this comeback. Hamilton said: "Michael is one of the sport's greatest competitors and a legend in his own right and it would be great to compete against him." Button added that Schumacher was brave to take up the challenge but was sure he'd be competitive.
Schumacher had a run in an F2007 chassis around the Ferrari track at Mugello, saying that although it was an old car, any experience was good for getting back in shape. Ferrari wrote to the other teams asking if they could waive the testing ban briefly, for Schumi to get some more practice in, but they quite vociferously said no. After a second go in the F2007, and just ten days before the European GP, Schumacher cancelled his comeback. The German had been in an accident whilst testing a superbike in February, and although he had hoped to be fit enough, some quite serious neck problems meant he wouldn't be ready.
Instead, Ferrari drafted in their long-term test driver, Luca Badoer. The Italian had been with the team since 1998, but had not been in the current car since December 2008. From the outset, Badoer said he relished the chance to compete in a race for the red team, but he also approached the weekend very conservatively. At each stage, he labelled the sessions as a test for him, as he learnt the car. Just a test, he kept saying.
During Free Practice at Valencia, he was consistently a couple of seconds off the pace. He qualified last, and finished the race one lap down, although ahead of Nakajima and two retirees. He never seemed to get to grips with the car, or generally being a racing driver. At one point he’d forgotten the pass needed to get into the correct paddock areas. Despite the struggles, Ferrari gave him the benefit of the doubt and allowed the Italian to race at Spa as well.
He was still slow. He qualified last, spinning on his final flying run. He kept out of trouble in the race itself, but finished 14th, which was also last. This time, Ferrari couldn't ignore the results, and replaced him with Force India driver, and fellow Italian Giancarlo Fisichella.
Badoer was quick to cast the finger of blame around - the car was difficult to drive, he was not given enough of a chance, there was not enough testing, the media portrayal of him was too negative. At least half of those were true. He turned up in the paddock at the next race - the Italian Grand Prix - but won't have gained any satisfaction from seeing his replacement qualify 14th and finish the race 9th, just missing out on the points.
The car was difficult to drive and Fisichella was better but not brilliant. He earnt himself a test driver role with the team for 2010, alongside Badoer and Gene. Ferrari have also signed up young driver Jules Bianchi following a test this month. If a similar incident were to occur next year, they want to keep their options wide open.
That's all for this episode of our F1 Advent Calendar. Please join me tomorrow, when we will hopefully look at some faster drivers, on Day Nineteen.
This is the F1 Advent Calendar 2009, brought to you by Sidepodcast. We are working our way through the 2009 season by means of peeking through a door for each day of advent, and recounting a key moment from the year. Yesterday we were looking at politics, and it's not quite time to get back to the racing yet. Here's Day Sixteen - Goodbye From Us.
At the end of July, BMW quit Formula 1. It was eerily similar to the way Honda had quit, in that rumours began a couple of days beforehand, and then it was confirmed by the team and the parent manufacturer. The BMW board held a press conference, with Mario Theissen present, and Dr. Norbert Reithofer used a lot of long words: "Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula 1 campaign is thus less a key promoter for us."
Or... we haven't really been getting the results we want. BMW, the team, always had a plan, and had been sticking to it pretty well. They wanted to get points, then the next year they wanted to get a win, then the next year they wanted to win a championship. Ah. When things didn't go to plan, they weren't amused. Kubica has frequently admitted how impatient he got with the team when following their one win, they were happy to check that to-do off their list, and focus on the next year. Never mind the job in hand.
Anyway, having confirmed their intention to leave at the end of the year, BMW continued to race the rest of the season. Heidfeld kept on racking up the points, and Kubica kept on complaining about the car. Mario Theissen said they were looking at offers from interested buyers for the team, and in September, they announced they had been bought by the mysterious Qadbak Investments. To look into detail at the strange and unreliable nature of these investors would be a whole other mini series in itself, but suffice it to say, no one, bar Theissen, was really convinced.
Mario was confident they would be on the grid in 2010, despite the fact the team had declined to sign the Concorde Agreement in the summer, and that all the grid slots were filled, including the three new ones. He signed up Ferrari to supply them with engines. Kubica, though, was ready to move on, confirming his move to Renault for next year before the season was over. Nevertheless, the team wound up the rest of the season in continued unspectacular fashion.
In the middle of November, it became clear that the Qadbak deal was not going to happen. There were a few days of concern, but on November 27th there was good news. Original owner Peter Sauber was prepared to buy back the team from BMW, on the condition that they had a grid slot for 2010. It was clear that the announcement was a big relief for Sauber, who had been concerned about the future of the team, and had tried to come to a deal with BMW beforehand. With the team back under his control, he said: "Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful."
With the post-season news that Toyota were leaving the sport, Sauber were granted that oh-so-important 13th grid slot, meaning they will still be around next year.
That's all for this episode. Thank you for listening to our F1 Advent Calendar 2009, and I hope you'll join me tomorrow to look through the door of Day Seventeen.
Hello and welcome along to the F1 Advent Calendar 2009 - an extended mini-series from Sidepodcast where we open up a new door each day of advent to find a key story from the 2009 season. Yesterday was all about politics, so let’s hope for some racing action this time, on Day Nine - The First Time.
With the future of Formula 1 back on an even keel for now, attention turned back to the racing. The British Grand Prix had been a sombre affair overshadowed by the politics, so it was down to the German race at the Nurburgring to pick things up again. Vettel had won the race at Silverstone, and the Brawn dominance was beginning to look a little shaky, although their championship leads were still very much in tact.
Qualifying was a wet affair, and played right into the hands of Red Bull. Webber and Vettel made it a very strong 1-2 until last minute laps from the Brawn boys split them up. Webber retained his pole position, followed by Barrichello and Button, with Vettel winding up fourth. Notably, Sutil managed to qualify up in 7th, which was the highest Force India grid position since it’s inception.
The race was dry, and got underway with a collision between Webber and Barrichello. The pair of them got off the line essentially together, and whilst Barrichello kept it in a straight line, Webber moved across and bumped into the Brawn. Still before the first corner, Hamilton came flying past both of them, but Webber’s front wing nicked the McLaren’s rear right tyre. Hamilton overshot the first corner, ran wide, and then limped back to the pits with a puncture. He returned to the track one lap down and finished in 18th, which was last with two retirees behind him.
Barrichello didn’t seem to have been too affected by the incident with Webber initially as he took the lead. Webber received a drive through penalty for that first corner incident, so had to make an extra stop, but despite that he kept the pace up and his strategy saw him continuing to fight at the top. Barrichello, though, was beginning to slow, and holding everyone up. Ross Brawn was on the radio telling him he was going too slowly and if he couldn’t overtake, he needed to let Button have a go.
Sutil, having started seventh, had made his way up to second place, but after coming out the pits for his first stop, found a fast moving Raikkonen coming up behind him. The Ferrari had to take avoiding action and went round the outside at the next corner, but it wasn’t quite wide enough, and the pair collided. Sutil was knocked down to finish in 15th, whilst Kimi later retired with engine troubles.
Finally, it was Webber who crossed the line first. Despite losing places at the start, bouncing off a couple of cars here and there, and receiving a drive through penalty, he had fought hard and worked his way back to the top to take his debut victory. He was joined on the podium by teammate Vettel and Felipe Massa. After the race, team boss Christian Horner paid tribute to the Australian: “I think lying in a hospital bed in Tasmania in November, he could never have dreamed about today... The comeback that he has had has been remarkable - and it is testimony to his determination and commitment that he has got himself back, he has got himself fit and he is driving better than ever.”
That is all for this episode of our F1 Advent Calendar. We have peeked behind nine doors so far and tomorrow we’ll start again with Day Ten.
