Sidepodcast

Daily: 15th March 2010

Monday, and the day after the day before. F1 is back in business and we've ticked one event off of the 19 race calendar already. It will be a further 11 days before cars take to the track again. It looks like we have some time to kill.

Christine has entrusted me with daily duties, which I interpret to mean "discussing in-depth technical aspects of the site at great length". Something I shall gladly do.

This weekend, marked for Sidepodcast, the culmination of 4-6 months worth of work. During the off-season many hours were spent shoring up weaknesses of the old live commenting system, to enable the smooth experience of the past four days. I'm quite relieved it all worked as expected.

The debut of the Factbyte Factbox marks the new technical direction Sidepodcast.com is heading in. We bought a brand new server from Rackspace to host the system, and after a solid weekend's work, we'll be migrating the rest of the site there shortly. I don't remember the last time we had so few technical issues during a race weekend, and in fact the only downtime experienced was a 60 second server outage caused by the two of us attempting to publish F1 Big Picture and F1 Minute articles simultaneously. In over three years, we've never crossed the blogging streams before, and we should probably avoid it in future.

Back to the subject of F1, what's new for Monday?

• I've just been reading the latest edition of GrandPrix+, which might explain the delay in posting the daily. Joe and David are far more optimistic about what they saw in Bahrain than we have been. I understand races in days of yore used to be slow burners, building to a climax, but does the Playstation generation really have such patience nowadays?
• Lukeh debuted a new report card rating system on his blog, and he's given race number one a resounding 'D', although he is looking positively towards Australia.
• F1Photos offers a unique look at yesterday's first lap incident between Kubica and Sutil. I approve of the frame-by-frame sequence, and hope to see more as the season progresses.
• Finally, Gavin published his comprehensive analysis of the opening Fantasy Racers round. I faired better than I was expecting, so haven't started sulking about my position just yet.

That'll do for me. Don't forget to listen to Christine's F1 Digest roundup today, I don't remember the GP episode appearing as early as Sunday for a very long time. The girl worked incredibly hard throughout the whole of the race weekend, and I stand in awe of her work.

F1 Digest 2010 - Bahrain GP

• Length: 10:50 
• Size: 10.0 MB 
• File: digest151.mp3 
• Transcript: digest151.pdf 
• Torrent: digest151.torrent 

The final show of our F1 Digest Bahrain coverage looks at the race in detail, examines how the drivers feel after the event and recaps the results and championship standings.

The Race

Vettel got off to a good start but reliability issues handed the lead to Ferrari. Further back, only one of the new teams saw their drivers get to the end, and the number of retirements was high.

Team by Team

Alonso is very pleased to have picked up his first win for Ferrari, and dedicates it to Luca di Montezemolo. Meanwhile, a lot of drivers struggled with their tyres, whilst hydraulic issues seemed to be the in thing.

F1 Digest 2010 - Bahrain Qualifying

• Length: 13:24 
• Size: 12.3 MB 
• File: digest150.mp3 
• Transcript: digest150.pdf 
• Torrent: digest150.torrent 

Our second Digest episode for the Bahrain GP weekend takes a look at all three free practice sessions, plus a fabulous qualifying session. We compare the top ten to their teammates, and find out what the drivers think of their performance so far.

Free Practice

We saw the new teams struggle a little, particular poor Chandhok, whilst it really became clear that Rosberg was outshining Schumacher, and Ferrari and Red Bull were going to battle it out at the top.

Qualifying

Vettel was very strong as he posted his qualifying lap, whilst it was down to the Ferrari boys to try and challenge him. Webber could only manage 6th, and the McLaren drivers didn't fare as well as they'd hoped.

Team By Team

Most of the new teams are happy with their debut qualifying efforts, particularly Virgin who managed to get Glock the highest up the order. Chandhok's shakedown went successfully and he didn't get in anyone's way. Schumacher is satisfied with his comeback so far and Sutil celebrates being in the top ten.

Daily: 11th March 2010

Hello and welcome to horrible Thursday. However, I believe this one won't be as bad as others we have experienced recently, as we are all focused on the goings on in Bahrain. We were super busy yesterday and we're going headfirst into the weekend in a similar fashion. Meanwhile, here are some things we're talking about:

• I was catching up on some blog feeds yesterday and discovered this excellent post from RG, discussing people in Formula One, and motorsport generally, in the north of England. I liked the post, even if it does appear that RG forgot all about Rob Smedley. Humph!
• Mr C's favourite blogger ScarbsF1 has a Bahrain Preview post up which goes into a bit more detail about the McLaren rear wing issue. We're expecting the FIA to inspect the part and make a decision in Bahrain, which is leaving it a bit late if you ask me.
• We posted plenty of fab things here on Sidepodcast yesterday, including your Bahrain Race Information. This tells you important facts and figures about the race, and highlights the TV and podcast schedule. The F1 Digest Preview was posted, and Mr C had a quick look at some of the new websites from teams.
• Also, for everyone who has been curious about the Joe Saward competition - it is now closed, but we have not yet picked a winner. We will do so as soon as we can, and let you know via the blog. If there's no post, it's because we haven't got our winner yet!

That should do it for now. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Thursday goes okay, and I will see you in the comments.

F1 Digest 2010 - Bahrain Preview

• Length: 11:05 
• Size: 10.2 MB 
• File: digest149.mp3 
• Transcript: digest149.pdf 
• Torrent: digest149.torrent 

The Formula One season finally gets underway with Bahrain replacing Australia at the start. We've got all the information you need to know from weather to driver quotes and my own predictions.

Vital Statistics

• Date: 14th March
• Circuit: Bahrain International
• Length: 6.3km
• Laps: 49

Preview

In the first digest preview of 2010, we solicit opinions on the Bahrain circuit, recap what happened in 2009, and run through what each of the teams is hoping for from the weekend. Notably, Lotus aren't feeling that positive, whilst McLaren and Ferrari are both confident they can do well.

F1 Digest 2010 Season Preview - The Rules

• Length: 8:03 
• Size: 7.4 MB 
• File: digest148.mp3 
• Transcript: digest148.pdf 
• Torrent: digest148.torrent 

Our final Digest Season Preview show takes a closer look at the rules for 2010 - from the enormous changes, like a ban on refuelling, to the smaller things, like allowances for new driver testing. It's all in here, and combined with the other three shows, your perfect guide to the season about to start.

The Rules

Starting with the technical regulation changes, we discuss things such as the ban on refuelling, KERS and the engine and wing technical specs. Then we move on to more sporting aspects of the race, including the engine freeze, qualifying format and much, much more.

Daily: 3rd March 2010

We are halfway through the week now, as Wednesday has arrived. I thought yesterday might have been a Thursday, it wasn't going very well - particularly for US F1 - but apparently we still have one of those to come this week. Meanwhile, here's what's happening at the moment:

• As mentioned, yesterday was not a good day for US F1. The team have ceased operations and the entire handling of the situation doesn't reflect well on Anderson and Windsor. Apparently they are still keen on entering the sport in 2010 - but who would be keen to work with them now? Have your say over on the dedicated thread.
• You have to feel sorry for all the employees, but Jose Maria Lopez looks like he's got somewhere to go. The Argentinian driver appears to be ready to join Campos as reserve driver - but is that just jumping from the frying pan into the fire? At least he gets the chance to remain in F1 which is the first step.
• I released the third episode of the four-part F1 Digest 2010 Season Preview special. This time round we're looking at the calendar, so expect a trip round the globe as I give you a brief overview of what to expect at each circuit. Except for Korea because they haven't actually built that one yet.

That's all for now, it's the middle of the week, so it's all downhill to the weekend from here. I will see you in the comments.

Daily: 1st March 2010

It's March already? How did that happen? Not only that but it's Monday as well, meaning we've got to face a whole, brand new week. Pre-season testing is over and done with now, so we are really gearing up towards the season beginning in just a couple of weeks. Here are some of the things we're talking about:

• The second edition of the F1 Digest 2010 Season Preview is up and available and this time we're talking about the teams. Every single team gets a mention, even US F1 and Campos, although there isn't that much to say about them at the moment. We review testing, talk about the launches and the driver pairings, and there are plenty of thoughts about the new cars and their designs. Let me know your thoughts on the new teams over on the thread.
• Mr C has written about his updates to the site which really have turned the site into something completely new. Instead of live updates being based in two distinct areas, now every single page has the ability to load comments without refreshing. Mr C will tell you more in the post, but I can tell you right now, it's awesome and it will change the way you use the site.
• Finally, I would like to plug the latest part of Life in the Fast Lane - my motorsport story. We're onto part 9 and that means it is the final vote of the ten part story. It's the big, important vote, the one that can change the way the story ends and whether there will be a sequel or not. No pressure! I've been surprised by a lot of the voting so far, so make sure you take a look and surprise me once more!

That's all for now, I reckon. Let us know what you're up to this week, and as ever, I will see you in the comments.

F1 Digest 2010 Season Preview - The Teams

• Length: 21:28 
• Size: 19.7 MB 
• File: digest146.mp3 
• Transcript: digest146.pdf 
• Torrent: digest146.torrent 

In this second preview edition of F1 Digest we take a look through the entry list, focusing on the teams and their new cars. How have they performed in testing? What features are on the new machines? Who has a strong lineup? All that and more will get you ready for the season to come.

The Teams

From the non-existant teams such as US F1 and Campos to those who are determined to challenge for another championship - Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. In some teams, the drivers overshadow the cars, but we spend plenty of time discussing front wings, sidepods and shark fin engine covers.

There are new liveries to discuss, and how the teams managed their launches, plus the relationship between teammates - those who have new faces to get to know, and those who are continuing with their fellow driver from 2009.

We also take a quick look at the battle between Virgin Racing and Lotus, from testing, reliability issues, air stewardess outfits and launches. Everything is going to be different this year, and it's going to be great.

Daily: 27th February 2010

I am writing this from a table at the side of the Evening with Joe event, and have been covering it all evening. It's been a fabulous evening and you can catch up with all the comments and photos over on the dedicated thread. We'll be working on some highlights over the weekend, as well, hopefully. Meanwhile, here are some of the other things we're talking about:

• The first part of my F1 Digest Season Preview went up yesterday, too late to meet the daily. It features a run through the entire grid - 24 drivers that we know of - with some stats and a paragraph or two for each. There will be three more preview podcasts over the next few days, so you can now start saying the season really is here.
• Hulkenberg was fastest in testing yesterday, which is very interesting if you consider their Cosworth engine. It appeared as though the engine was going to be behind everyone else over the winter, but perhaps that isn't the case. Naturally, testing isn't reliable evidence, but it's certainly better than I was expecting. Now, Virgin on the other hand... still struggling.
• I didn't get to say Happy Birthday to Janna yesterday because I was saving it for the guest post she wrote for us. Now that is published, belated birthday wishes for Janna, and thank you very much for the push for donations. We appreciate it.

That should do it for now. I can't speak for Mr C but I am going to be completely shattered today, so I will see you in the comments... but not until later.