Sidepodcast

Thursday Thoughts - New Tracks, Deleting Tracks

Before I get going on this, I want to encourage volunteers for the lead blogger over the coming weeks. We have five more Thursday Thoughts to come before the season gets underway, so if you fancy having a go at posing the question, then please sign up to the wiki. If you don't have a blog of your own, we'd be more than happy to host the guest post here. If you've already had a go at asking the question, you can sign up again, there's no limit to the number of attempts you can have.

Now, on to this week's question, asked by Dylan from Triple League Racing:

What track or tracks not on the current F1 season calender do you want added? Also, what current tracks need to go? And finally, if this isn’t enough, how many Grands Prix should F1 have?

This is a fabulous question but I am going to have to skip the first bit. Mr C and myself have long since said there are too many races. For mostly selfish reasons, the more races are on a calendar, the more we moan. We relish the off season almost as much as, or even more than, when the action is underway. Therefore, I don't really want to add any tracks to the calendar, but when it comes to taking some off, now we're on to something.

I feel a bit harsh singling out Abu Dhabi to be chopped before it even gets a second chance to host a race, but that first Grand Prix was so dire, I can't bear to think of it on the calendar in the future. It's an obvious selection, along with Valencia - two brand new circuits that promised a lot but left little to remember. Valencia, in particular, is so dull and grey that the only thing I would miss if it was dropped is the lime green building that lines the circuit.

Whilst we're throwing tracks away, we might as well get rid of China. The Shanghai International Circuit is nowhere near as bad as some of the two already mentioned, but it does have two very long straights that are quite dull, and there seems to be no atmosphere at the circuit at all. There's also too much will they/won't they news floating around about the track, and we have enough of Bernie's decisions with circuits that are actually good.

I'm tempted to knock Singapore right off there, too, but I think if the organisation was a bit better, it does have potential. The first night racing circuit is still a good title to hold, even if the novelty has worn off a bit now. Plus, it wouldn't be fair for Renault to forget their Singapore mishaps too soon, would it?

Another circuit that used to come under fire is Hungary, and I can see why. Initially I wanted to give Hungary a reprise, because there are other tracks that are much worse. Giving it a little more thought, though, I'm not at all impressed with how the circuit treats Felipe Baby. In 2009, he suffered the terrifying accident that saw him out of the car for the rest of the year. The previous season, his engine gave up heartbreakingly close to the end of the race, after such a fight from him that deserved the win. Instead, Kovalainen became the 100th different winner, and got his name in the record books. So, no, Hungary has to go too.

That's three circuits I want to get rid of, which is starting to get the calendar down to a sensible size. It would be impossible to judge the new South Korea track without seeing it, but I'd be just as happy if it wasn't ready in time. I also think I would get rid of Malaysia because they only gave me half a race in 2009. It wasn't necessarily their fault, but I had to mess about with half points for the rest of the season, and I do hold a grudge. So, what does my new and improved calendar look like?

It's shorter, obviously. I've taken the liberty of removing any back-to-back nonsense, because fortnightly racing is a sensible way to go about things. I've also chopped out the summer break, because we want to keep Peter Windsor happy, and Mr C and I rarely holiday anyway. Finally, I have re-ordered the races by number of laps.

That's the Sidepodcast Calendar. Short, and in an orderly fashion.

Stepping Out From the Shadows

Last year, there was no question that Heikki Kovalainen was the number two driver in McLaren. He was new to the team, spent a long time finding his feet, and when he did, discovered they were two steps behind teammate Lewis Hamilton. Now, given his disappointing performance last year, part of me doesn't really blame McLaren for focusing their attention on their star driver. He won the championship for them, didn't he?

However, there are always questions about whether he could have done more if he'd been given the right fuel load, or the optimum strategy ahead of qualifying. Whilst Hamilton was often to be found on the top step of the podium, Heikki's one inherited victory trophy must look quite lonely on its shelf.

That is all in the past though, and it is to 2009 we now turn our attention.

Granted, the start of the season needs to be forgotten. Two races, zero laps completed. It was much too easy to write off Kovi, though, before the racing really gets going. To put it into perspective,  Massa had a supremely awful start to 2008 and came so close to winning the title. Vettel also couldn't complete a lap in the early stages of last year, but is now F1's rising talent.

Heikki's performance in China was a vast improvement on both the previous two races, and most of 2008 as well. Whilst he didn't pull out any spectacular overtaking moves, or make a case for being driver of the day, he did the job as required. In a clearly underperforming car, one that Hamilton (who admits he loves to drive in the rain) couldn't keep in a straight line, Heikki finished fifth. Hamilton may have been just one place behind him, but his scrappy race did his reputation no favours. Kovi had the edge and to me, this is impressive.

And so, I wonder if it is also impressive to McLaren. Perhaps 2009 will be the year when Heikki can step out from Hamilton's shadow and no longer be number two. When the car was on winning form, they needed to pick one driver over the other to secure the championship. Now they are racing in the midfield, that's not necessary.

I believe rumours of a rift between Hamilton and the team are highly overstated, but there can be no doubt that the closeness of the Ron Dennis days is gone, and Lewis has to tough it out and go it alone, keeping the garage onside by his own actions. Perhaps, things will be slightly tougher for him going forward.

The only question that still hangs over Heikki's head is what will happen when the car becomes more successful. They are clearly improving at a rate of knots, qualifying further and further up the field, and moving gradually into the points. Hamilton is a supremely talented driver, and won't release his favoured status easily. But perhaps going forward the team really will be equal. If more victories are in store for McLaren this year, perhaps another number one could emerge? Does Heikki stand a chance at taking that role on? Could he lead the team the way a top driver needs to? Share your thoughts on whether Kovi is moving up the F1 ladder, or if China was just a one-off race of good fortunes.

Daily: 21st April 2009

Another day closer to the Bahrain Grand Prix, but we're still getting to grips with what happened in China first. These back-to-back races are not popular in Sidepodcast Towers. Anyway, here are some of the things up for discussion today:

• The Shanghai edition of AUTOSPORT's Paddock Life sums up a lot of the questions we had over the weekend. The explanation for Vettel's car sticker, why Bernie really likes China, and how Ferrari paid their respects to the earthquake victims in Italy, all that is in there. My favourite bit is more madness from Flav, though.
• Webber's BBC column is an interesting read, if only to hear directly from him about finishing second. He reviews the race and then looks forward to Bahrain with: "It is a good little track for overtaking, Bahrain..." Condescending, much?
• Ollie has a summary of Adrian Sutil's bad luck over at BlogF1, which got me thinking. Will Force India ever score a championship point? Should Adrian be looking elsewhere to try his hand at finishing in the top 8? Or is it Sutil who is the bad luck charm at the moment?

That'll do it for now. Feel free to discuss whatever is on your mind, the above topic list is just a suggestion. I'll see you in the comments.

F1 2009, Round 3 - China

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

When Vettel took pole in qualifying on Saturday, it wasn't a complete surprise. The Red Bulls have been threatening the Brawn GP drivers in terms of speed and it was only a matter of time before they made it stick.

Webber held a provisional pole, before Vettel took it from him, and the real surprise in qualifying was Fernando Alonso in second. Lining up on the front row of the grid, very light on fuel, we were eager to see what he could do at the first corner.

Unfortunately, we were robbed of the chance, as on Sunday, it had been raining all morning and wasn't showing any signs of stopping. The race began behind the Safety Car, which stayed out for 8 laps. Alonso pitted just as the safety car came in which meant the battle never happened.

Nevertheless, Vettel streaked away into the lead, navigating through the puddles, whilst the best battles happened behind him. Trulli and Kubica came together, with the Pole riding up over the Toyota and breaking off it's rear wing. Webber and Button scrapped through several corners, with each driver running wide to allow the other through, and then the Australian putting in a fine overtaking move to eventually grab the position.

Sutil was running up in sixth, before crashing out in the last few laps, after being unable to turn the corner. Another crushing disappointment for the Force India boys who could use a good points haul as motivation, if nothing else.

Massa also retired, his Ferrari just coming to a halt out on track. Raikkonen didn't have a much better day, finishing out of the points. The pair of them not benefitting from the lack of KERS. Hamilton also struggled today, spinning five times in the wet conditions. Teammate Heikki kept it much cleaner, and both finished in decent points positions - an improvement for McLaren.

Finally, Vettel took the top spot, with Webber making it a Red Bull 1-2, and Button joining them on the podium. Vettel's second career victory was Red Bull's first, and no doubt they celebrated late into the night.

Daily: 20th April 2009

The Monday following the race before, but there's no time to relax as it's time to start thinking ahead to Bahrain. What will we see in terms of performance? Will there be any more diffusers present? Will KERS ever return to those who have dumped it? Meanwhile, there are still things to analyse from the race we have just witnessed:

• There's a discussion in the comments over who is the better wet weather driver - Hamilton or Vettel. Journeyer has done a great race by race analysis, and it's time to weigh in your thoughts. Was Hamilton helped by the car? Did this race prove that a bad car plus rain don't mix? Is Vettel supreme or just lucky?
• Ferrari are having to put their foot down and state that their championship isn't over yet. The party line is that it's only been three races and anything could change. However, they might need to tell Kimi that because he's already written the championship off. Who's closer to the truth? Could Ferrari make a resurgance despite such poor results?
• As we mentioned in the live show yesterday (edited version coming soon), the Laureus Awards nominations have been announced and both Vettel and Hamilton are up for a prize. Thankfully not pitted against each other this time, the nominees can be viewed here, and it looks like Lewis has some stiff competition. The Olympics is still dominating sports awards again. Who do you think will win?

If there's anything following the race that you feel needs discussion, then please feel free to talk about that, or anything. The Daily post is open for your thoughts. I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 19th April 2009

Another race under our belts, and it's almost time to look forward to Bahrain, as the back-to-back racing continues. However, there's still time to relive what we've just witnessed as we enjoy all the reaction:

• Massa says he definitely wants KERS back by the time they get to Bahrain. I don't think it would have helped him today, given how his car just died on the straight, but it's good to hear a driver that actually likes the new technology!
• Webber seems surprisingly upbeat despite the fact he missed out on winning Red Bull's first victory. However, considering the man was laid up with a broken leg until minutes before the season started, I guess his luck has turned! Unless I've just jinxed it...
• Buemi had a good GP, finishing in the points again, and reckons it was the hardest race he's ever participated in. Bourdais needs to be seriously worried about how well his teammate is doing, as you can't be outshone two years in a row by two very different drivers and still keep your job.

That'll do it for today. There'll be lots of podcasting goodness later on as the Debrief and Panel make their triumphant returns. Until then, I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 18th April 2009

What a brilliant qualifying we have just witnessed. I don't know about anyone else, but I wasn't expecting great things from China, and all things considered it looks like it's going to be a good race. Here are some of the things that will keep us chatting today:

• Red Bull pick up their first pole position, with Vettel edging out Alonso and Webber to take the top spot. The team were amazingly fast throughout the weekend, but with a surprise in Alonso, I can't wait to see the fuel weights. Forget that business about discussing strategy, I want the facts!
• The teams are ditching KERS so fast that I almost can't keep up. Overnight, Renault removed all trace of their device, which obviously helped Alonso today. Kubica also decided it wasn't for him. It's not looking good for the technology, is it?
• John Howett has admitted that the board at Toyota aren't happy with just being a bit faster, they want a win. It's not looking likely this weekend, with electrical problems on Friday, and a gearbox issue on Saturday. Glock barely made it into Q2, and gets a five place grid drop whilst Trulli ended up 6th. It could happen, but it's unlikely in China.

All things considered, I'm really happy that the racing is competitive and Brawn aren't running away with the wins. Fingers crossed we get some good racing tomorrow. Don't forget to leave your summaries for the Digest, and I'll see you in the comments.

An Aside With Joe - Nobody Comes Here Unless They Have To

• Length: 21:20 
• Size: 20.3 MB 
• File: aside3.mp3 
• Transcript: aside3.pdf 
• Torrent: aside3.torrent 

Joe has journeyed to Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, and we catch up with the gossip from the paddock, especially now the diffuser row is essentially over.

We also discuss the Science Museum trip, how the Shanghai weather is looking, plus what there is to do on a Saturday night.

Linkage

• Grand Prix+
• Joe Saward’s Grand Prix Blog
• Joe on Twitter

Daily: 17th April 2009

We're into the race weekend now, with Free Practice already done and dusted. There'll be plenty to talk about this weekend, as the teams start adapting their cars depending on how their performance has been of late. At the moment, we're discussing:

• Whether Hamilton's P1 in FP1 was due to a new attempt at the double decker diffuser he was running. Chances are it was. We also saw Kubica way down at the bottom of the timesheets with his new KERS device, whilst the Ferrari boys were struggling without theirs.
• It turns out that BMW are still deciding whether to withdraw their appeal from Malaysia regarding the rear diffusers. Although the Australia protests were thrown out by the ICA this week, BMW won't withdraw theirs until they receive it "in writing." Seems like a bizarre thing to do, considering everyone else is moving on from the ruling now.
• Finally, the audio of our impromptu podcast is available via the Sidepodcast Drop. It's the unedited version, fresh from Hyde Park, but if you'd prefer to wait for the edited version, it should appear, um, soon. We're still dreaming up names for it, although it will be an F1 Debrief. Sideparkcast is a good one, and Sidepodpark also makes me chuckle. If you've got any thoughts, let us know, there's no prizes!

That'll do it for now. I'm off to update my Fantasy Racers, don't forget to do yours. There'll be a reminder post along with my decisions shortly. Until then, I'll see you in the comments.

Abu Dhabi to Close 2009 Season

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

Despite the massively exciting end to the 2008 season taking place in Brazil, the circuit has lost the final round of this year's calendar to a new track at Abu Dhabi. There are many arguments about Formula 1's rapid expansion into the Middle East, and there's nothing to say that this new track will be a success. However, organisers are putting their all into making it work.

The Development
The new circuit is being built on Yas Island, a development currently under construction that will include a massive infrastructure of hotels, golf courses, a water park, even an F1 theme park. The design of the track is also pushing the boat out, with the pit lane coming out from under a tunnel as it rejoins the track. There will also be a section where the gravel trap and run off area actually go underneath the spectator grandstands, to provide unique viewing - if any driver manages to spin off there.

Organisers are taking the fan perspective very seriously, and making sure grandstands have good viewing above any safety fencing, and including high level plans for facilities. A lot of money is being spent on making a premium space for Formula 1 to attend, and there's no doubt it will be a sparkling and astonishing venue.

The Concerns
The big problem comes with the lack of fanbase in the Middle East. We've already seen Formula 1 struggle trying to break into new global markets. China have admitted they have struggled to attract fans to their stunning facility. Bahrain has seen empty grandstands, and that is the closest track to this new Abu Dhabi venue.

The season finale needs to be an energy filled event, whether or not the championship goes down to the wire. In Brazil, the fans are passionate and the entire race is a frenzy of emotions, that really build the event into something special. Abu Dhabi has the makings of a good looking venue, but may end up being a clinical corporate event, just as the other new venues seem to be. It's impossible to build a fan base without investing time and money into the sport, with history and heritage being super important to fans these days. Abu Dhabi will struggle to match this, but it has yet to be seen if they have the makings of a sustainable race.