F1 Racing Commercial Director Ian Burrows is tweeting about the possibility of a Lotus-Sauber link up for next year as though it is already a done deal:
Latest: Dany Bahar (ex-Ferrari) & Mike Gascoigne (ex Jordan,Toyota, Renault, Force India) to join Peter Sauber to form Lotus Sauber for 2010.
Financed by Malaysian mutlinationals - Proton (owners of Lotus) and Petronas (BMW & Sauber long term partners).
With Lotus-Sauber getting Ferrari engines in 2010 as art of the compensation package.
Grandprix.com also have thoughts and musings on the subject. Is this the return of Lotus to F1? Who will drive for them?
Update: Autosport are running a similar story but suggest the two companies may be rivals.
The past month and a bit has been a little hectic in the F1 world and we're really only just managing to catch a breath.
Along with a rather packed racing calendar and a London meetup, April kicked off with the delight of opening F1 Racing and finding a certain picture, taken by a certain person featured on Page 22.
In theory this shouldn't have been a particularly eventful moment in my life, partly because the same picture had already been featured in Racecar Engineering magazine, but also because I was expecting the image to be somewhere within F1 Racing when I opened it.
However, the published picture was much larger than expected, filling almost half a printed page, and even included a small Sidepodcast credit in the spine. I might have gotten a little excitable in the comments that morning.
F1 Racing is held in very high esteem in our household, so whilst the monthly purchase of RCE magazine often receives more than its fair share of cheeky backchat, Christine couldn't fail to be impressed by the contents of her favourite read.
Page 22's adventures have been well documented in the comments and on the podcast already, but just in case you've not taken a look, please have a read of Alex's site and peruse the associated drop at your leisure. The magazine has already played some XBox, conducted scientific experiments, hooked up with other page 22's and enjoyed a trip on a roller-coaster!
Time has marched ever onwards though, and this month's F1 Racing arrived on Friday, with some inconsequential information relating to KERS adorning the now legendary location. The adventures won't stop, mind you. Aitch posted earlier today that his copy has now arrived on the other side of the Atlantic and he's already planning a road trip for Page 22 in the future. If you're going somewhere interesting, why not take the glossy superstar along for the ride?
Many thanks to everyone who made April such a fantastic month for Sidepodcast, and for all the contributions. A massive thank you also to Alex for occupying our minds in between the on track action and especially to F1 Racing for printing such a flipping huge picture.
All talk at the moment has been on McLaren and the FIA, and that looks set to continue until their hearing is over later this month. As a refreshing change, then, here are some of the Sidepodcast goodies going on at the moment:
The old Batracer game (the 1986 version) came to its conclusion with Steven Roy as champion. Now it looks as though a new game is starting with the current set of cars - 2009. If you're interested in taking part, head on over to the wiki to peruse which team you fancy joining. Places are filling up fast, so get in while you can. Joining instructions are also on the wiki.
You may have seen Mr C getting all excited about the fact that he got his photo published in yet another magazine, this time the less geeky F1 Racing. To celebrate such goings on, Alex from SofaF1 set up a page called Me and Page 22. What we want is everyone who has access to a copy of the magazine, particularly page 22, to take a picture of themselves with said page. You can read more about it over there, but please do it, because every new picture makes Mr C's day.
Finally, we've got a guest post from Journeyer about his experiences at the Malaysian Grand Prix coming up shortly. Please keep your eyes peeled for it, because we love eyewitness accounts!
That'll do for now. Keep the comments coming, and don't forget to take a picture of yourself and page 22, if you can. I will see you in the comments.
We haven't had a lot to say in terms of posts the past few days, but that's because the most interesting things are happening in the comments. Here's a quick round up of everything you've missed out on if you've not been keeping up:
Gavin found the ultimate in entertaining Formula One challenges - name F1 driver's using their helmet design alone! Some of us are making a better fist of this than others, so why not download the spreadsheet and have a go yourselves? Let us know how you get on in the comments.
We're following Kimi's escapades as he tackles the Lapland Rally in a Fiat Punto. We can't pretend to know much about the sport but Kathi's on hand with live timing and pictures, while Lady Snowcat dug out some mental YouTube videos. Can't wait to see what today's action brings.
According to F1 Racing magazine, Ron Dennis has a sense of humour. So how is it that he's only decided to reveal the thing two months before he steps aside?
I can't believe you can beat the 'helmet game', but if you know of any similar challenges, don't be shy, share them via drop.io. We're easily amused.
Yesterday, our favourite ever micro-blogging service Identi.ca received a lick of paint, so now we have us a new group for purposes unknown. Currently it has but one joinee, so come along and help make us feel less lonely.
By contrast the Fantasy Racers league is going great guns, with over 100 confirmed teams signed-up already and it's still only January. If you've not created one yet, please follow the enrolment instructions and let us know who you are in the comments. We'll be awaiting your contributions.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
Autosport International 2009 took place in Birmingham this weekend, and there were plenty of famous faces there talking about the upcoming year in motorsport. Unfortunately, Formula 1 seemed to be highly unrepresented, with only David Coulthard, Anthony Davidson and Murray Walker the main names from the pinnacle of motorsport.
I'm not sure whether it's because Formula 1 is trying so hard to cut costs, or just the general economy, but there really weren't many F1 related stands either. In previous years, we've seen teams turn up with pit stop competitions, plus plenty of merchandise stands, new circuits and feeder series booths as well. This year there didn't seem to be as much going on.
Nevertheless, it was still a good day out. The Autosport Stage was the best part, with Henry Hope-Frost interviewing some of the attendees. We heard from Suzie Stoddart and Paul di Resta - both DTM drivers, with di Resta hoping to get a seat in F1 through McLaren. Murray Walker had a good chat, as did Martin Brundle and his son Alex, who has raced in Formula Palmer Audi.
Elsewhere, the F1 display, sponsored by F1 Racing, had a variety of cars. The majority of the grid was there, all except Honda. The McLaren car was hoisted onto a platform, as the car that won Lewis Hamilton the championship. Unfortunately, it had the green striped tyres that were part of the "Make Cars Geren" campaign at the Japanese Grand Prix. I say unfortunately, as they're not that good looking and make some of the photographs a bit disappointing.
There are plenty of motorsports in schools initiatives at the trade show, which is an admirable thing. The main event is a drag race for teams of children to design their own streamlined cars, which then rocket down a straight track. Times are noted and the fastest wins.
Elsewhere, the Live Action Arena is somewhere I still haven't been. Reports suggest that it is a popular event, with many cars showing off in front of the crowds. However, it is very loud, and taking pictures very difficult as it's so dark. I can honestly say that I'm not sure whether I'll go again next year. There'll need to be some real F1 involvement for me to want to attend, as this year there was little for the hard core F1 fan to get excited about.
A couple of days ago, Scott W gave us a quick summary of the ING/F1 Racing Global Fan Survey results. The stats were printed in this months issue of the magazine, and as things have been a bit hectic at Sidepodcast Towers recently, I hadn't had a chance to do any more than look at the pictures.
However, some of the things Scott pointed out are worthy of attention. It's hardly a surprise that Hamilton picks up the highest percentage in the favourite driver category, closely followed by Raikkonen and Alonso. I am surprised at the margin, though, as many polls I've seen recently have put Fernando at the top of most popular driver, and he has only 12% to Lewis' 27%.
Scott also pointed out that poor Trulli is the least favourite driver with only 0.1%, but I don't want to dwell on it too much, as the Trulliometer is a very fragile thing.
The top five are made up of drivers who won a race this year, hit the headlines a lot, and were in the public eye more than they've ever been before. The sixth most popular driver is Jenson Button, and if I were him, I would be really happy with that. He's had a rubbish year, been screwed over by his team, and suffered a lack of attention as a British driver. As 6th highest, he beats 17 other drivers, including the ever-popular Vettel, and I think that can only be good for Button's career.
The Future of F1 category has almost 50% of participants wanting more races on the calendar, whilst 90% want F1 to continue at classic venues (read: Canada). Sadly, both of these aren't happening with circuits falling off the calendar at a frightening pace. Reverse grids are an unpopular idea with only 17%, and banning refuelling is also pretty low down - 18%. On that last point, the majority of respondents then, will not be impressed with the 2010 season.
The BBC should take note of the "What you want to see more of on TV" category, as it has some serious hints for their coverage. Interviews with drivers and engineers are immensely popular, whilst random celebrities don't get the thumbs up. Please no cringeworthy gridwalks, BBC. Most of the options around the 50% mark are about getting more information, such as increased team radio, access to telemetry and more on board cameras.
Overtaking is the most important thing in F1 for most participants, with the best drivers and good commentary falling behind. Sponsorship, road-relevance and glamour are not really top priorities.
Finally, there seems to be mass confusion over next year's rule changes. Only 41% think slicks will make the racing more interesting, 64% won't judge KERS until they've seen the evidence out on track, although 16% believe it will increase excitement.
Unfortunately, that's all the statistics we have at the moment. Just five sets of results were printed in the magazine, and I can't seem to find anymore anywhere else. I know I answered more than five questions, but perhaps the other results will be forthcoming soon.
There has been some criticism of the survey on the web already, with some worries that it's a very narrow selection of people - F1 Racing readers mostly. However, I would say that I saw that survey advertised everywhere I went for at least a week, you could hardly miss it. You have to take all survey results with a pinch of salt, as you do with any analyses that come out from it.
Nevertheless, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the results of the survey, whether it was worth taking, and if you think anything will come of it.
F1 Racing magazine has come in for a lot of stick in recent months, exacerbated by the personal attack on Ralf Schumacher by The Bish. It was branded outdated and unnecessary, and generally written off by a lot of previously dedicated readers.
Personally, I’m a fan of the magazine. There are few periodicals I get these days that can hold my attention, and considering how much F1 already consumes my world, I’m impressed that F1 Racing can get me to read it from cover to cover. (Back to front, incidentally, always.)
It’s glossy and beautiful and focuses on the people rather than the action. Whilst we spend ages analysing results and reading up on the intricacies of the Dumbo-Flugel, F1 Racing does the opposite. For every two pages of race coverage, there is a six page interview with Frank Dernie. A couple of pages on tyre technology is evened out with a ten page special on the three championship contenders. There’s something insightful about it that I love.
Clearly I'm sold, but what can be done to turn it around so that everyone else loves them too?
Everyday People
Firstly, the Bish left. He now works for McLaren, doing a sterling job in the marketing and media department. There haven’t been many visible changes since he left, although the mood of the magazine does seem to be slightly more uplifting than it had been under his watchful rule. According to the back page, the July issue is going to be all-change, so new editor Hans Seeburg will finally be able to stamp his mark.
Elsewhere in the team, F1 Racing has some stunning names. They acquired Bradley Lord from the Renault press office, they have all the experience of Peter Windsor, and the technical expertise of Steve Matchett. Plus, the photographers they have out in the field are all incredible.
With these top bods on board, I don’t see how F1 Racing can do anything other than go from strength to strength.
So Retro
The one thing the mag is missing is an online presence. Of course they have a site, and it’s got the details about the latest issue and the obligatory F1 calendar and championship stats. But there’s not much scope for interacting with the fans, the people that are going to buy the magazine.
Recently, we have been able to get involved with the Reader Panel, where questions are submitted to be posed to people like Frank Williams and Ross Brawn. That’s good. And F1 Racing have awards and surveys where they print the ACTUAL results and take on board the publics opinions.
It’s still not enough though. We’ve already seen that Steve Matchett is capable of presenting great video content and F1 Racing once made a solitary video podcast back in 2006.
Bradley Lord did a stunning job at Renault, as the driving force behind their official blog. Comments and questions were, get this, answered by someone within the team. Of course he was constrained on some of the things he could and couldn’t say, but it was definitely something special. I can’t tell you the heartbreak in Sidepodcast Towers when he left for this mag. Where’s the Renault blog now, eh?
F1 Racing could capitalise on these skills and knowledge. They’ve got the talent on board and they’ve got the scope to expand on their existing material. It’s a difficult world for print media at the moment, but I see the way forward as embracing the online experience, rather than just clinging on to the edge of it.
Christine waits impatiently for the season to start.
Transcript
Christine: It's about this time of year that I get completely bored of testing and impatient for the season to start. I spend the whole winter defending testing, saying of course it's useful, we can get so much good information out of that, but of course, everyone knows that's not true.
[Sighs] The time difference from here to Australia, it doesn't happen to be 20 days does it?
I'm surrounding myself with as much F1 stuff as I can to try and fill the void. I've got my season guide, I've got my F1 Racing, I've even bought myself a new hat.
Yes people, I am an addict. This is withdrawal symptoms.
Look what I've done to my Formula 1 magazines, and my phone makes this noise. [plays: The Chain]
March had better get here quick or you'll find me painting these walls with a chequered flag and my landlady would not like that.
I've just been dipping into the latest issue of F1 Racing, the one with Lewis Hamilton looking mean and moody on the front cover. I started from the back, as I always do, consuming Nick Heidfeld's recollections of meeting Shaquille O'Neal, the anatomy of a pit stop, and Ross Brawn's to do list.
Tucked away in that last article are two sentences that are both incredibly enlightening, and at the same time, comedy gold.
"The former senior technical director, Shuhei Nakamoto (now deputy MD technical reporting to Ross Brawn)... had no prior F1 experience."
"Nakamoto admits he didn't grasp the nuances of downforce..."
Hang on a second, the technical director didn't understand downforce? Doesn't this seem slightly odd and/or scary?
I don't know the interview technique for positions of this level, perhaps they don't ask about your aerodynamic knowledge, assuming that if you're applying for the job, you might have a clue what was going on. I'm wondering what my chances are of blagging my way in to a top level job.
It's no wonder Honda struggled so badly last year, isn't it?
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
The first thing that strikes you about F1 Racing magazine is how glossy and well laid out it is. The presentation is just fabulous, and it’s a really classy piece of print. The official stance of the magazine means that it can get access to the heart and soul of Formula 1 and this means a great deal of insider photos and spreads.
When you delve deeper into the heart of the magazine, it becomes obvious how much technical detail there is inside. Again, with the official contacts the magazine has, they get interviews with all the top technical people inside the teams, plus all the drivers and really, anyone who has anything to do with F1.
If you are a complete beginner when it comes to F1, the magazine might be quite intimidating. The technical articles do attempt to try and explain things in a friendly way, but really they are aimed at fans who know a thing or two about aerodynamics. I do find some of the articles quite complicated and they go over my head, but I still find them interested, and some of the inserts within the articles contain nuggets of information you can really digest.
The coverage of the actual races is incredibly detailed. Being a monthly magazine, they cannot have up to the minute news as and when it happens, but they embrace that fact. There are usually a few races featured in each magazine, with some being a review and some being a preview. There are all the usual statistics – the grid, the results, lap by lap reports plus the article coverage. They also have a driver’s insight into the track which is a very interesting perspective that you wouldn’t find in many other magazines.
My favourite part of this magazine is the column that is written by Eddie Jordan. If you’ve been watching for a few years, you may remember Eddie as the brains behind the yellow team – Jordan. They had limited success, but were bought out as back markers. Eddie doesn’t seem to be that interested in rejoining the world of Formula 1 but it’s incredibly interesting to read his views on the sport from outside. He isn’t worried about upsetting anyone and so sometimes he comes out with some real, honest gems.
Whether you will like this magazine depends on what you want from your reading material. F1 Racing is not heavy on news, because it is a monthly publication. There are a few news segments at the start of the magazine but it is primarily made up of articles and features.
I really enjoy it, because it has such official contacts, it’s well-written and the pictures can sometimes be stunning.
