We have reached Thursday, and for once, I am determined that it won't be a bad day. For a start I'm not at work today, so that helps. Also, testing in Barcelona gets underway today, so that is also going to make it awesome. Watch out for a dedicated thread appearing later on this morning. Elsewhere:
The second part in Jackie's Safety First blog series appeared yesterday, this time taking a closer look at Driver Aids, and more particularly accelerometers. It's a great read, as is the first in the series about safety at circuits, so make sure you check them both out if you haven't already.
Not really F1 related at all but I wrote a quick piece on I Heart Franck yesterday regarding Peugeot and their plans for the year. It looks like we'll be live commenting at least one Franck race in 2010, and the real challenge will be to see how much of the 24 hours I can stay awake for this time round.
It's that time again, time to promote the latest part of Life in the Fast Lane. We're drawing the story to a close now, just two more sections to come and one more vote after this one. Things are getting serious and the decisions are getting more important! If you haven't already, head on over and get your vote in to direct the path of Part 9. (Which, by the way, will be late as it is due on Friday, and we'll be concentrating on Joe that day.) Also a quick shout out to Lindsay Rumbold who in turn gave my story a quick shout out as well. She has a motorsport book due for release soon-ish, so keep an eye out for it.
That should do it for now. Hopefully I won't forget Baby Panda Thursday this week, so it might be a better day for everyone. See you in the comments!
This week's Friday Fun was suggested by Mr C who in turn stole it from a text sent to 5live during a practice session. If it's good enough for Maurice Hamilton to fill five minutes, it's good enough for us.
Combine three sectors from any current or previous F1 racing circuits to create the ultimate F1 track.
I have given this a small amount of thought already, and have picked Eau Rouge which is in the first sector. My reason is because it's Eau Rouge, obviously, and because I like big hills. Then I thought I wanted the final few corners of Brazil, because they have provided some great racing over the past few years, and because I like big hills.
Finally, I picked out Turn 8 at Turkey as I have always had a soft spot for that corner since it was introduced. Mr C has pointed out that I have a bit of a problem as my first sector goes up and never comes back down again, and the same can be said for my last sector. I have always thought, though, that F1 should have more cliffs in it, don't you think?
Anyway, that's my initial thoughts, I'll be adding some more later in the day and would love to hear yours.
Welcome to F1 Safety – the latest mini series from Sidepodcast, focusing on the elements that make Formula 1 as safe as it can be. We’ve already looked at clothing and the car, now it’s time to concentrate on circuits.
Although FOM, and therefore Bernie, is currently in charge of deciding which circuits should get on the calendar for each year, the FIA have plenty of say about what goes on where. Safety Delegate Charlie Whiting is sent to each circuit before a race to inspect the safety facilities and make sure it is up to scratch. So, what kind of things does a circuit need to provide in terms of safety?
Firstly, the track has a designated direction. Most of the races on the calendar travel clockwise, but a select few run anti-clockwise. This will affect which side the pit lane is in relation to the track, and how the entrance and exit is designed. Cars must only go around the track in the stated direction, even the safety and medical cars have to adhere to this, no matter how far around they have to go. There can be access roads linking sections of track to make life a little easier though.
If a driver can stick to the asphalt, all is well. Otherwise, there are various features to the area surrounding the track that are there to help. The kerbs were originally designed to make going off track safer, with the raised bumps intended to slow a car down. However, these days, drivers try and use the kerbs to make the track just that little bit wider. It might be uncomfortable, but hitting the right line could save a tenth or two each lap.
If there is no space around the tarmac, for example in Monaco or Valencia, then crash barriers are in place. There is often high fencing as well, to protect the crowd from any wayward car parts. The barriers vary from concrete to tyres, depending on if they’re just lining a straight, or in a potential crash zone. Where there is room, run off areas will be introduced to allow space for a car to slow down.
Now, run off area has become quite a contentious issue in the last few years. There are two options – gravel or tarmac. Gravel is ideal for slowing a driver down, hopefully bringing the car to a stop before it hits the barriers. However, if a car rolls on the gravel, then the roll hoop can dig in and get buried. This would put weight onto the drivers’ helmet which is obviously not a good situation. That’s where tarmac comes in. The downside to this is that a car won’t be slowed down in the same way as on gravel, and if it is a brake failure or similar cause for the accident, the car will smash into the barriers without losing speed.
At various points around the track, marshals are posted. They are there to wave flags to advise drivers of the track status and any potentially dangerous things to be aware of. They also secure accident sites, operate fire extinguishers, recover cars and clear away any debris. They are not allowed to get involved with medical procedures. This year, the marshals safety has been called into question with the introduction of KERS, with the solution seemingly to be an extra pair of rubber gloves! It looks as though this problem will go away next year, as KERS is likely to be ditched.
One of the most dangerous parts of an F1 track is the pitlane. This is the only place where cars and people, aside from drivers and marshals, interact, and speeds are reduced instantly. There’s a white line on the entrance and exit of the pitlane, and this means a driver must reduce his speed to 60km/h during Free Practice, and 100 km/h during qualifying and the race. In Monaco, this is even slower due to limited space in the pitlane.
Whilst we’re in the pitlane, there’s a couple of things to note from a stop during a race. The fuel rigs have specially designed valves that try and limit the exposure and release of fuel and vapours to the extreme temperatures in the air. It is oh so easy for those fumes to catch fire and a car can be engulfed in flames in an instant. There is always a fire extinguisher near by, though. The lollipop man helps guide a car to his pit box, but is also there to release the car when the coast is clear. Those rear view mirrors we discussed yesterday are not good enough for a driver to note when it’s safe to move off.
There are also lights at the end of the pitlane to indicate when it is safe for the cars to move out on to the track. This can signal when a session starts and ends, they will be red if the safety car train is passing, and they will be blue if a driver is exiting his pit stop and another car is approaching out on track.
Circuits also need to provide exceptional medical facilities but we’ll talk about those next time.
That’s all for this episode of F1 Safety. You can let me know what you think about the state of the current circuits via email: Christine@ sidepodcast.com, and join me tomorrow for the next episode.
Our first two matchups are complete, and now we move on to the second day of voting - a day with all the 'S's. This is the one that everyone has been waiting for, and it's only day two, which is slightly worrying!
Silverstone vs. Spa
Our first poll today pitches two heavyweights against each other - circuits with huge amounts of character each. But which one has the most? Silverstone was the site of the first ever Grand Prix back in the 50s, but has been losing favour with Bernie ever since. Spa features a couple of the corners that most drivers would put on their all time favourite list.
Silverstone vs. Spa
Silverstone 11% (16 votes)
Spa 89% (126 votes)
Total voters: 142
Singapore vs. Sepang
Singapore has the benefit of the novelty factor as it hosted the sport's first ever night race in 2008. However, it wasn't a complete success with a few improvements to be implemented this time round. Meanwhile, Sepang has been a staple of the early fly-away races, but can often be overshadowed by the season opener.
Monday is overwith, and there's the last in the series of Sidepodpanel for you to get your teeth into. However, if you are done with that, then there are also some good conversations going on in the comments. Topics include:
What the BBC are going to do with their intro? Will it be anything like ITVs and will they use the Chain?
With Hockenheim on the verge of pulling out of F1, who will be next? Will Bernie ever notice, and if he does, will he do anything about it?
Jackie kicked off an excellent numbers game, with each number needing an F1 fact to go alongside it. At the moment, we have reached 46, so put your thinking caps on for 47. The previous numbers are collected in the wiki.
Hamilton has selected his favourite corners to make the ultimate track. Do you agree with his choices, and if not, what would you put in there instead?
That should keep you going for a while, but don't forget that you don't have to abide by anything I've said. Feel free to bring your own topics to the table and we can all get stuck in. I'll see you in the comments.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
There have been suggestions recently that one way of teams saving money in future seasons is by altering how much in-season testing occurs. At the moment, testing is restricted by mileage, but a lot of testing occurs within the season, usually when there’s a significant gap between races.
One idea put forward was to scrap Friday practice and turn it into a standard test day. That would mean instead of two distinct sessions of an hour and a half, the whole day would be turned into a test session, in which teams could go out when they pleased.
The one problem with this is that test days and Grand Prix weekends are very different. For a start, test days are much more relaxed. Rules exist, obviously, but teams are allowed to be more flexible with the aerodynamic bits and pieces they run, and they really can test something out to see if it’s worth running it at a race weekend. On a Friday, the idea is for drivers to get a feel for the circuit, and for engineers to get some good data back from the laps, so they can work out the best strategy for the weekend. The two different type of sessions have two very different aims.
On the plus side, you are likely to get more action if the teams are allowed to run over a whole day. At the moment, Free Practice falls into an easily recognisable pattern. In the first session, drivers come out for an installation lap, then retire to the pit lane. The track isn’t to anyone’s liking, with no rubber down, so there’s usually a period of inactivity before someone breaks the deadlock. This isn’t usually one of the top runners, and Ferrari in particularly are normally one of the last to actually hit the track. All the action tends to take place in the last few minutes, as drivers try and go fastest to grab the headlines. The second session usually sees more action throughout, but again, things are more hectic in the last few minutes.
On a test day, with much more time available, and less competition going on, the teams come and go dependent on the traffic. They want clear air and the chance to get some reasonable data, rather than a perfectly rubbered in track that will allow them to get the fastest time of the day.
I’m not sure that the two sessions are compatible, or if one could replace the other. It seems that reducing testing would harm anyone who made a mistake at the beginning of the season, as they wouldn’t have the chance to fix the problem.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
The majority of work carried out on Formula 1 circuits, either building new ones or making adjustments to existing tracks, is carried out by Tilke Engineering. This company was started up by Hermann Tilke, who has a lot of experience in building the circuits and racing on them.
He started out as a touring car racer, particularly on the old Nuburgring, and after retiring and setting up his company, was given the job of redesigning small sections of it. This successful job meant he was given other circuit contracts, and since then he hasn’t looked back.
The new races on the calendar in Bahrain, China, Valencia, Turkey and Singapore were all designed by Tilke Engineering, and there are many more to come. The company has also secured contracts to redesign many existing circuits, including Barcelona, Nurburgring, and Donington.
There are some elements of Tilke’s designs that stand out, particularly a hairpin at the first corner, to try and make overtaking a possibility. Whilst some elements have been well received, the exciting Turn 8 at Turkey as an example, there’s a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the designs. They are all quite similar, with a seemingly standard selection of straights and corners. They’re also quite flat, which gets rid of the element of undulation in a circuit.
Valencia in particular has not been received well at all, with the location coming under fire, before even looking at the track detail. A long course, with about 25 corners, none of them particularly stand out as a key area. The only major part of the track was the bridge, which was already there and had to be incorporated in the design. It seems as though Tilke Engineering is running out of ideas.
Perhaps this is because the same company is designing all of them, and it’s time we got some fresh eyes to take a look at what Formula 1 needs. Tilke often asserts his desire to design a track with overtaking in mind, but somehow this never seems to come to fruition.
Of course, it could just be that there aren’t many options in designing an F1 corner. I’ve seen tracks for junior Formulas where a hairpin was so tight, the cars could barely get round. This wouldn’t look good in the top motorsport series. Either way, it seems as though we should at least let someone else have a go at the designs. A monopoly is never a good thing, especially when it comes to creativity and ultimately, fan enjoyment.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
As fans, I think the majority of us are really excited about the race this weekend, simply because it's a new track and we have no idea what to expect. For the drivers, and their engineers, this is probably a complete nightmare. They will be trying to setup their cars without the masses of data that is acquired over the years, and trying to plan for a complete unknown. Let's take a look at some of the things they face.
The Conditions Although weather conditions do change depending on where a circuit falls in the calendar, it can usually be quite predictable. Turkey this year was an example of some unpredictable weather, because it was much earlier than usual. However, it's fair to say that you can expect rain at Silverstone and Fuji, and very hot, dusty weather at Bahrain. At Valencia, it's a bit of an unknown. It's thought it might be quite windy, being so close to the water, and there are sailing competitions held there frequently. It looks like it's going to be sunny but not particularly hot, but until we get there, it's an unknown.
The Track No doubt the drivers have been practicing the track in the simulators, and Lewis Hamilton has said he will be walking the course as soon as he is in Valencia. It shouldn't be a problem for the top 22 drivers in the world to pick up this new track quickly. However, it does have over twenty corners and is a tight street circuit. It's been compared to Monaco, although it isn't quite as compact as that race. It's a permanent street layout, and there are plenty of run off areas and barriers in place. It's just a matter of learning the course, getting used to the bumps and intricacies of the tarmac, which means we might see more action in the practice sessions than we're used to.
The Strategy It's probably hard to guage which strategy to use until the above information is more clear. However, Ross Brawn of Honda has said he is getting data from some of the previous races that were held on the track to test it out, and he's learning as much as he can from it. Some of the teams are also planning for a safety car, as the barriers are so close and it's more likely a driver will make a mistake at the new circuit.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
ITV are very good at writing books that help you get to know the sport better. Every year, they produce a small guide to Formula 1, that I have reviewed before. It lists the drivers and the tracks for that year and tells you what you need to know. I buy it every year, and I love it.
This book is the next step up. It's hardcover and it's huge but that's because it is absolutely packed full of information.
Firstly, it has a history of F1, year by year from the very beginning. With information about the championship winners, and all the important events from that year, there is nothing missing for each decade.
Then it has a small biography of all the important drivers. Some of them get more page space than others, but if you can think of a driver, then he is probably within the pages somewhere.
After the drivers comes the teams, starting with the obvious ones like Ferrari and McLaren, to lesser known ones such as Wolf and Simtek. I found this section really interesting, having only been a fan for a few years, there were many teams that I had never even heard of.
The last section of the book is about the countries that Formula 1 visits, from the current calendar through tracks that haven't hosted the event for years.
The thing about all that information is that it's not digestible. It's not really a book you can put on your knee and have a good read of. It's definitely not a page turner, and to be honest, it's not really one you can dip in and out of either. It really is an encyclopedia, that you use to look up a certain question you have about the sport. And in that respect it suits it's purpose perfectly.
The book is updated quite often, because obviously there is more and more information to be included every single year. It's full of pictures and statistics and would make a good present for someone who is new to the sport (that's how I got my hands on it), or for someone who thinks they know all there is to it. They're bound to find something that they've not seen before.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
Most modern Formula 1 tracks are built, or updated, by Tilke Engineering, but more specifically Hermann Tilke. His trademarks are easy to spot on most circuits – long straights and tight corners, especially the initial turn in, designed to increase first lap overtaking.
The older tracks that are merely maintained by Tilke Engineering have their own individual unique moments, corners that fans grow to love. Some of the newer built tracks have an air of similarity, the only differences being the surroundings the tarmac is poured into.
Not so for Turkey. The Istanbul Park Circuit boasts one of the most impressive corners of the current calendar, and that is a pretty big deal for a track that’s only three years old.
Turn 8. If you had the chance to say Turkey to any Formula 1 driver, Turn 8 would be the first thing that springs to mind. It may not look much from the outside, but it is a seriously complex corner.
Firstly, it is long, it take about 7 seconds to get all the way round it. That’s a long time to be concentrating and turning the steering wheel and getting things perfect. Also it creates high G forces, about 5G which really takes it out of the drivers.
Secondly, it is fast. Speeds are rarely lower than 160mph, and there’s no braking. It’s a tough decision for a driver whether to lift off the accelerator, if only for a brief moment. You don’t want to hit the corner to fast, but at the same time, you don’t want to lose momentum altogether.
Thirdly, it has four apexes. The apex is the most crucial part of the corner, where the turn in stops and the acceleration out begins. Getting the first apex right is important to be able to hit the second and so on, round the full four of the corner.
The track is also pretty bumpy, specifically in the last half of the turn. When the track is bumpy, it causes additional problems for drivers, because the cars can hit the track and become unstable. If they manage to keep control, they’ll undoubtedly have lost a lot of time.
Thankfully, the turn has plenty of run off areas. Safety is a paramount concern when constructing new tracks, and Hermann Tilke knows what to do and where to put safety features. Over the past couple of years, plenty of drivers have got the corner wrong, including Michael Schumacher who lost some time there in 2006.
It may still be a new circuit, but Turkey has already made an impact on the calendar, separating the best drivers from the very best.
