Sidepodcast

10 Reasons F1 in Australia Won't Suck

Credit: BMW AG

Our long time mission at Sidepodcast is to be all about the positives, but just recently that has been hard to do. We had to bring back the F1 Happy Place to keep our heads above water after Bahrain, but thankfully it did the trick, and our faith is restored. It's time to look forward to the Australian Grand Prix, and we are sure it's going to be a good one. Here are a few reasons why.

Claire vs Liam

Claire Williams, part of the Williams F1 communications team, will be heading to Melbourne on Sunday. Claire couldn't make it to Bahrain, her boss Liam was dispatched instead. He did a good job, definitely on par with the other teams, and we spotted some 20+ mobile snaps from his direction over the course of the weekend.

We know from experience though, that Claire would have managed to post that many images per hour, so we're looking forward to seeing what comes out of Australia instead. She's heading out on Sunday, so follow Claire now if you're not doing so already.

A Redesign Required

On Friday, the FIA announced it had tightened up on the diffuser regulations (second year in a row the diffuser has been the talking point of the start of the season). McLaren and Mercedes will have to adjust the rear of their car, and Autosport speculates Renault and Force India will also take a closer look at their design.

It's likely not going to make a major difference at the head of the field, but Melbourne is far enough away that this will cause a few late nights amongst top teams. Especially if spare parts are in short supply.

Our Field Reporters

We have plenty of people on the ground this year. Amy, Paul and Alex (and hopefully Jeremy) are all set to visit Albert Park next weekend. Amy has gone so far as to buy a new phone so she can Twitpic her way through the event, and is offering to meet other Sidepodcast racegoers for breakfast each day.

It'll be just like last year, when the only Twitter access we had at the track came from Amy. Ah, good times.

An Evening with Joe

Joe is set to host his second "Evening with..." meetup. If it's anything like the first one, which we covered in great detail then everyone attending will have the best day ever.

The venue looks amazing as well - Amy went and had a good look round. Who wouldn't want to spend the evening after the race, discussing F1 with Joe, by the beach?

When Ted Talks

Mr C pointed out earlier this week that Ted Kravitz's latest blog post for the BBC actually shed a lot of light on the story of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Armed with this new knowledge, we'll be watching the Ferrari cars closely, as they got lucky with Vettel's reliability problems last race.

It seems that the Ferrari engines thirst for fuel means each driver is only able to attack right at the end of the race, when fuel loads are more equal. Qualifying well is vital for the Italian team, and anything other than a front row lockout means we should be in for a fantastic last lap showdown.

Credit: Toyota Motorsports GmbH

The New Teams

Lotus won the battle of the new teams in the first round, no question about it. I can't wait to see what happens in round two, as for me, the goings on at the back of the grid are much more interesting than what's happening at the front. Richard Branson has issued a challenge to his team - in the belief they can be fighting for the championship in a couple of years. Should he not be starting with finishing a race before he starts dreaming of titles?

Sauber too think they have a lot make up for in Australia, after their pre-season pace failed to materialise once in a competitive racing environment.

Safety in Numbers

The possibility of a safety car is much higher when you get to somewhere like Albert Park. There's usually quite a lot of chaos in Melbourne, and a safety car is a normal occurrence. We have seen at least two safety cars in the last two Australian Grand Prix, and that's what we're hoping for next weekend. One safety car, particularly if it's early on, will allow teams to pit for their mandatory stop and get it over with. If a safety car appears later on in the race, it should bunch up the field, offering drivers a sniff at a place or two.

Multiple safety cars could be even better. I just know Albert Park can deliver.

Champaaaagne Challenge

Bob Constanduros didn't get to call his usual champagne chant in Bahrain, due to the mandated rose water replacement. It's been too long since we've heard Bob's battle cry, and it's about time we heard it again. A shout of "It's the rosewater and pomegranate" simply does not a good podium ceremony make.

Only Bob can do it justice, although we did our very best to try and match him. Listen out during Sunday's podium ceremony and see how long the expert can last.

Return of the Ant

Last week we celebrated the unexpectedly great commentary from Jacques Villeneuve, but that doesn't stop us eagerly anticipating the return of Anthony Davidson to the 5live comms box. His team qualified on pole position for the 12 Hours of Sebring today, and we're following his progress right now. Here's hoping he does really well and turns up to Australia in a great mood.

If you thought Bahrain television commentary was a sedate affair, try out the duo of Croftie and Ant next weekend, and see if it transforms the way you follow F1.

That Most Important Question of All

Will Chandhok make it past the first lap?

Those are some of the reasons that we're looking forward to F1 racing next weekend, what are yours?

Live: Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring 2010

The 12 hours of Sebring is ready to get underway and I'm sulking just a little as Team Peugeot Total haven't put Franck Montagny forward for this round. They're fielding two cars this year, which between them have locked out the front row.

Anthony Davidson is making his debut for Team Peugeot in the pole sitting 908 HDI, alongside Marc Gene and Alexander Wurz. There's also a lack of Audi action, which may take away some of the competitiveness of the race, but we'll still be watching to see how well our favourite F1 commentator will get on. Other ex-F1 names worth keeping an eye on include Sebastien Bourdais in the second placed Peugeot and Jan Magnussen who's son this week signed up to McLaren's young driver programme.

We'll be listening to all 12 hours of action via Radio Le Mans, whilst live timing can be found on the official ALMS site.

Additionally keep an eye on the official Sebring Raceway site for news. They're also on Twitter, as all good events should be! Our own motorsport Twitter list contains plenty of updates from those at the racetrack too.

Finally, there's a handy PDF circuit map and the always brilliant spotters guide courtesy of Andy Blackmore.

Do let us know if you're watching, as well as who you are cheering for.

BBC Announce Plans for 2010 Formula 1 Coverage

Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Lee Mckenzie interviews Sebastian Vettel following qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2009.

The BBC had an F1 launch of a different kind on Thursday. The British broadcaster hosted a press launch to announce plans for its 2010 Formula 1 coverage and vowed to offer comprehensive coverage across TV, radio, online, red button and mobile.

The UK's F1 rights holder didn't make any significant changes to its 2009 lineup, nor offer any additional programming . However, they didn't reduce their commitment to covering Formula 1 either.

On television, anchorman Jake Humphrey will again be joined by Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard for pre and post race coverage. Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard remain in the commentary box, while Lee McKenzie and Ted Kravitz continue to bring interviews and action from the pits.

Radio commentary will once more provided by David Croft standing alongside Anthony Davidson. Holly Samos will be found patrolling the paddock and the pitlane as usual. As in previous years, production will be handled by USP Content.

The BBC's Head of Formula 1 Ben Gallop said he was delighted with their efforts in 2009.

"The BBC Sport team will once again be bringing great coverage across all our platforms, meaning F1 fans can follow the action and interact wherever they are, whenever they want.

"We're proud to offer our audiences the opportunity to follow the great stories and share all the excitement of this fantastic sport."

Predictably there was no mention of High Definition F1 content appearing any time soon.

Follow the BBC Team on Twitter

• Jake Humphrey on Twitter
• Lee McKenzie on Twitter
• Jonathan Legard on Twitter
• Ted Kravitz on Twitter
• 5Live F1 on Twitter

Daily: 9th November 2009

Today is apparently Inventor's Day in Europe, which is a day set aside to celebrate all things independent and inventing. This is good, as we have a wiki page setting out all the things the commentors want invented. If anyone is good with a hammer and stuff, then dive right in! Meanwhile, here are some of the things we're talking about:

• Mr C and myself met up with some Sidepodders at the Mercedes-Benz day yesterday. We had a fantastic day, so thanks go to Jackie for sorting out the tickets. There are tales to be told and pictures to be shared, so stay tuned for that. Although, if you want a sneak peak, there are some shots on drop.io that we uploaded throughout the day.
• Meanwhile, it has been a quiet day in F1, but seeing Anthony Davidson behind the wheel yesterday started us pondering whether he will be racing next year. His final commentating duties for 5live did seem to contain a lot of goodbyes, and there are some new slots opening up on the grid. Where would he fit in?
• James Allen had a piece on his website yesterday about Williams CEO Adam Parr and his thoughts that the era of manufacturer's is over. He would be one of the first to say that though, and I know the man has ruffled some feathers in the past. Do we think this is the case or is he just trying to promote his own team and their independent status for a change?

That should cover it for now. I can't quite believe it's Monday again, but there we go. Let us know how your weekend went, and as ever, I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 17th October 2009

Friday turns into Saturday and there is one more Free Practice session to enjoy before the best part of the weekend is upon us. Qualifying for this crucial championship race will be something to behold, I'm sure. Meanwhile, here are some things we're talking about:

• The results posts for FP1 and FP2 have a bit of a new look to them, and whilst this is more of a pre-cursor to what will happen to them on Sidepodcast 3.0, it's safe to say that already they look a million times better.
• A great question arose from the second session which sparked a blog post and a poll - which circuit hosts the best championship showdown?  The votes have been piling in and it looks as though Brazil is winning, but please have your say and we'll tally the totals later.
• Finally, it was a busy day yesterday, as we also wrote about the new Codemasters game, albeit as an excuse to post a video with Croftie and Ant. They always look and sound like they're having great fun whatever they're doing, it's a great pairing.

That'll do it for now. We're running a bit behind on F1 Digest but it should be up at some point today. There's me saying the Brazil timings were so great, but it throws the whole schedule out! Anyway, I will see you in the comments.

The Best Way to Play

It's been a long time since F1 fans had a decent console game to play, and I know it has been a topic of conversation in the comments for the last few months. Codemasters have taken up the daunting task of providing a realistic racing title that will satisfy gamers and fans alike. Still, from what we've seen so far, they look like they're doing a good job.

The game will be out on all kinds of platforms, including the Wii, and although it doesn't seem like a natural fit for what is considered an active console, it does work. The addition of a wheel helps somewhat, as my two willing volunteers display in the attached video.

Okay, okay, you got me. I was trying to be knowledgeable about gaming when I have no idea. Really, I just wanted to plug the ad because it's Croftie and Ant doing what they do best - being competitive with each other. We've mentioned previously how they make a good pairing in the commentary box, even when they are bickering like a married couple, and watching them mess about playing games is oddly compelling too. I dread to think what the ad would look like with Legard and Brundle on the sofa.

Anyway, the game looks decent enough. Wii graphics leave a lot to be desired, but the other platforms will no doubt be better. I just hope they have plenty of driver aids in case I ever get a chance to play it.

Don't Be Rubbish

The last time we caught up with 5Live's F1 producer Jason Swales, he was passing his Association of Racing Drivers Schools (ARDS) test at Silverstone.

Following on from his success, Jason took part in a Ginetta Club Series event on May 16th at the same circuit. He took part in two races and a video capturing the action has been posted by the Beeb.

I'm not sure I learnt as much from that footage as I did from the first video. I'm curious if all racers in lower series have to run with an F1 specification HANS device and NOMEX underwear? Either way I do quite fancy a run in a Ginetta G20 now, they look brilliant to drive.

Jason handled himself remarkably well all things considered, despite the pre-race heckling from Croftie. I loved the "rockery in the car park", and Davidson is just made for a role on TV. Here's hoping for more races in the future.

Daily: 12th May 2009

The teams are threatening to pull out of the sport and we're hearing complaints about the budget caps all over the place. However, it's time to look to the positives, and see what else is happening following the Spanish GP:

• Jake Humphrey discusses all things motorhome, and ignoring the fact that he walked into a door (it happens to everyone), he describes the Beeb's offering: "Ours has a little kitchen... some metal steps that have stripped the skin from everyone's shins and carpet on the walls... but it's a cosy home for our team and I think I'll grow to love it by the time we've lived here for a few races." Sounds... lovely.
• Autosport have their Paddock Life edition out and it describes karting with Anthony Davidson, the motorhomes (of course), and an anonymous anecdote about a driver being lent a car over the break.
• Ollie has a great caption contest up on BlogF1, which features a certain driver and is pretty topical considering the ongoing speculation about his commitment. If you're feeling particularly witty, head on over and leave a caption. Let us know if you do.

That'll do it for now. Apparently Ferrari are having a super-hasty and important meeting today, but who knows if we'll  hear anything from them. Hope to hear from you though, as I'll see you in the comments.

So You Want to Be a Racing Driver?

During the weekend of last year's Silverstone Grand Prix, Christine and I were lucky enough to be able to sit in on a recording of the Radio 5 Live podcast, The Chequered Flag. That particular show, which for no apparent reason was hosted by cricket commentator Arlo White, featured a segment on the team enjoying a track day experience at Silverstone.

The ten minute piece was part of the BBC's ongoing initiative to help promote motor racing in the UK, and in association with the launch of the site Go Motorsport. At the tail end of the show David Croft pointed out that producer Jason Swales excelled himself behind the wheel, and asked if he'd be up for doing some training before participating in an actual motor race.

Something akin to the TV show "Faking It", only for radio.

That was the last we heard about the idea until this week, when the following video appeared on the BBC.

The camera follows Jason on day one of his challenge, where he takes his Association of Racing Drivers Schools (ARDS) test, with the aid of Silverstone Driving Experiences and Anthony Davidson. Predictably the day involves much spinning, head scratching and generally pointing in the wrong direction, before Ant takes to the passenger seat to help find some pace.

Without wanting to give away anything, it looks as though this is the first in a series of videos, and we very much look forward to seeing how far the idea goes.

Neither Christine or I have ever tried one of these driving experiences, but it looks like a bunch of fun and we too may well have to give it a go before the end of year. The Silverstone website has more information if you're interested, whether it's for fun or if you're seriously thinking of doing this competitively.

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) website contains heaps of information too, as does Go Motorsport mentioned earlier.

Two Reserve Drivers Announced

This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.

Red Bull recently announced that they would be signing up New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley for the third driver role with the team, and with their sister team Toro Rosso. Hartley has been associated with Red Bull for a long time, and last year finished the F3 championship in third, having picked up five wins.

With cost-cutting in full force, the double stint would see Hartley have to step in if any of the four drivers were ill, and he can also take the car out during Friday practice. That is unlikely though, with testing so limited, the two main drivers will want all the mileage they can get.

Unfortunately for Hartley, his FIA Superlicence hasn't come through yet, which means he probably won't be able to be the official reserve until the European season gets underway. For the first few races, Red Bull are bringing David Coulthard back in case of emergency. David has been enjoying his retirement over the winter, celebrating the birth of his first child, and getting ready to be a pundit on the BBC's F1 broadcasting. However, it looks like he will have to get his fitness back up to scratch to be on hand if anything goes wrong. Reserve drivers do not have to get in the car very often, but it's always a good idea to be ready.

On the same subject, Brawn GP have announced their reserve driver will be Anthony Davidson. Anthony is also working for the BBC this year, as commentator on their radio coverage. He has been trying to find his way back into a seat though, since his drive with Super Aguri was lost as the team folded just four races into the 2008 season. With the ex-Honda team now led by Ross Brawn, everyone is just happy to be back on the grid, and Ross is picking consistency and experience over new, younger drivers. Davidson has a lot of experience in testing, and can give great feedback to the team if he needs to. I imagine he is very grateful for the chance to be associated with the team (after many years at Honda), even if it is not the full race drive that he craves.