It's Free Practice Friday, and we'll be up in just a couple of hours to watch the first action in Japan. The drivers are all bigging up the weekend, so let's hope it lives up to expectations. Meanwhile, here are some of the things we're talking about:
F1 Punter has taken a look at the possibility of a safety car at Suzuka. It looks like the chances are not exactly high, but a lot of the current crop of drivers haven't been on this track before, so anything could happen!
James has written a post with his ideal F1 calendar on there, and is curious what you would put on your own calendar, if you could make the decisions. I'm more than happy to go with James' as he's only got 15 races on there.
Pitlane Fanatic have their Japanese GP preview up, and take a look at the main challengers for the weekend, plus what to look out for on the circuit itself. The weather forecasts are still suggesting rain, which sounds suspiciously like Fuji!
That'll do it for now. We'll be back with live threads throughout the day, and the usual F1 Minute and Digest roundup later. Yay for Fridays! I'll see you in the comments.
We're into Saturday now, which is quite a relief because it really has been one of those weeks. For whatever reason, four day weeks just seem to be harder than their five-day counterparts. Anyway, let's see what's happening in the world of Sidepodcast:
Ollie is back to blogging, with two posts today - one on Prodrive, and one on the teams conditional entry to 2010. Both are excellent reads, and detail what's going on in the crazy F1 circus at the moment. Like Journeyer said yesterday, regarding the Concorde Agreement - haven't we had enough deadlines already?
There is talk that Fuji won't want to host next year's Japanese Grand Prix due to financial troubles. Well, that's what they say, but I wonder whether it is because they saw how well Suzuka did in the first round of the Circuit Cup and realised they can't compete?
On the subject of the wiki (because we were?), I have revamped the Website Bugs page. Now, obviously I am not trying to encourage you to find bugs and expand our growing to-do list, but if you do spot something not quite right, then this is the place to log it. The new layout will allow us to track and respond to the problems much better.
I think that'll keep us going for now. Don't forget to let us know what you're up to over the weekend, it looks like the weather is going to hold up in the UK, so you might be... gasp... going outside? Let us know, and I'll see you in the comments.
This week we discuss Canada's removal from the calendar, and all the action from the Japanese Grand Prix, plus we have a record number of call about the subjects too.
Intro
Of course we're tired, but that still doesn't mean I'm important enough to be in good week / bad week.
Good Week / Bad Week
A good week for test drivers and sponsorship deals, but a bad week for Renault and the other manufacturers.
News and Views
It's all about the lack of Canada on the '09 calendar this week, and pretty much nobody is happy about it.
Qualifying
We talk about the tyres, what we were expecting from Fuji (which wasn't much), the few incidents that were worth talking about, and of course, our race predictions.
The Race
ITV let us down, but the race did not. The first corner held all the drama and influenced the rest of the race. Naturally, we discuss all the penalties and get some callers with varying views on them.
Feedback
A couple of emails regarding the last show, with some corrections, some history, and another about Canada.
What a turn up for the books, Fuji was all things bright and beautiful. I could even see the top of the mountain. It's a very pretty circuit once the clouds clear, although 5live did say that they may be returning so we'll have to see what happens ahead of FP2.
In terms of the action, it was off to a slow start, surprising given how little dry running the teams have done at the track. In fact, apparently there has never been a dry grand prix at Fuji, so no one knows what to expect, really.
It looks like the usual McLaren/Ferrari battle up front, with Hamilton getting first dibs at the top spot earlier this morning. Massa has the legs on Raikkonen, but so, it seems, does Kovalainen. Meanwhile, the Japanese contingent, Toyota and Honda both finished in 15th and below which isn't exactly impressive showing. Nakajima had us worried for a while, running around at the back, but he pulled it out of the bag and slipped into the lofty heights of 10th.
There were no major incidents during the first session, a few drivers explored the run off areas, but no one came to any harm. The main issue was the green tyres. Whilst we've made fun of them, and called them ugly, they're actually useless. It appears that no one ran soft tyres in FP1, but there's no way of knowing because firstly, from a distance the green isn't significantly different from white, and secondly, the stripes rub off after only a couple of laps. David Croft of 5live said we could quote him: "It's rubbish for the sport."
In which case, we will be relying on everyone to be eagle-eyed and looking out for who's on what tyres, and that means paying close attention. Hard, when most of us are sleep-deprived, but we'll all try out best.
Hands up who thought they were going to get a break after the great racing in Singapore? Me too, but we haven't had a chance to blink. Following Alonso's amazing win, we've had controversy with the calendar, Ferrari admitting their pit stop failures, and the confirmation of a couple of team lineups.
Now though, it's time to return to the track and today we're at Fuji. The poor old Speedway has two major problems. Firstly, almost everyone prefers Suzuka and secondly, there's the big mountain that threatens the weather at every turn. Last year wasn't the best race we've ever seen, so hopefully the weather will hold off this time around.
At the moment, it's looking like Saturday is the only day with a chance of precipitation, but forecasts can often be wrong (especially the way I read them), so it's best to wait and see. If it does rain, we at least will be spared the sight of Bridgestone's luminous green stripes, but I believe that would be the only benefit.
Elsewhere, we have already discovered that Glock will be taking his freebie engine this weekend, and I'm expecting to hear more announcements as we progress through the Free Practice sessions. There are only three races left, and they can't use it in Brazil, so now seems like the opportune moment.
Talking of just the three races remaining, this weekend is vital for Massa and Kubica to keep their championship challenge alive. It is, of course, mathematically possible for Raikkonen and Heidfeld, but I'm not sure there are odds long enough to describe the chances. It's a long shot for Kubica, really, and the two to watch are Massa and Hamilton.
If you're around (and I know it's early for some of you), then let us know how you're watching, and your thoughts on Fuji. We'll be following ITV's online stream, plus Bernie's live timing. 5live Sports Extra are covering this session as well, and you'll find us in the Live Commenting Live... Thing.
Formula 1 continues its relentless tour around the globe, this weekend taking in the sights and sounds of Japan. Fuji Speedway is the destination and while it's not a classic venue by any stretch, the scintillating battle for the title means there could be more to this weekend than meets the eye.
As ever Sidepodcast provides the full rundown of the current state of play, what to expect before Sunday and a detailed look at the track that sits directly beneath a mountain. We catch up with local hero Nakajima as well as hearing the thoughts of a man who knows things.
Special thanks go out to Allianz SE, Toyota Motorsports GmbH, AT&T Williams, Royal Bank of Scotland and RTV GmbH for the use of their video footage.
Ah, the beauty of Japan and China, where we get to indulge in some more night racing antics. Of course this isn't half as much fun as Singapore night racing, but simply us European viewers having to get up at crazy o'clock to get some on track action.
The schedule for Fuji, and therefore Live Commenting is as follows (all time in BST):
Day
Session
Thread Opens
Starts
Friday
Free Practice 1
01:30
02:00
Free Practice 2
05:30
06:00
Saturday
Free Practice 3
02:30
03:00
Qualifying
05:30
06:00
Sunday
The Race
04:15
05:30
We will be live commenting all the sessions, although I can't promise to actually be awake as a type. Hopefully the action will be worth staying up for, but if not, we can't complain because we're very lucky not to have to do this every race.
If you're joining us, we can't wait to chat our way through the sessions with you. If you can't make it, or are sensibly choosing to sleep instead, then F1 Digest will always be there to fill you in on all that goes on.
Welcome to the Sidepodcast mini-series Ancillary F1. This series is all about the companies the sport couldn’t live without, but who get none of the glory. Today, though, we’re looking at a company who do provide a car and sometimes take part in races.
Mercedes Benz have been providing the Official Safety Car to Formula 1 since 1996, along with the Official F1 Medical Car. The Safety Cars services are called upon when weather conditions, or an accident, mean that drivers shouldn’t be running at full speed. Since 2000, Bernd Mayländer has been the man behind the wheel of the safety car, with a co-pilot by his side. The pair are in constant contact with race director Charlie Whiting, to determine when the car is needed and when it should pull aside.
Since 1978, and Ronnie Petersen’s fatal accident, the medical car has been dispatched behind the grid on the first lap of the race. The first is notoriously the most incident prone lap, so it makes sense for medical attention to be as close as possible. At the end of the first lap, the medical team pull into the pit lane, ready for any further call to action. There are four personnel manning the medical car, Dr Jacques Tropenat, Dr Gary Hartstein, and two assistants.
The two cars make their first appearance of a race weekend on the Thursday, when they test out the track, the cars, the television cameras and live timing system. Mayländer admits that he and Tropenat will often turn it into a bit of a race between themselves, not just for fun, but to make sure they’ve got what it takes to keep the speeds up. The only exception to the rule is Monaco, where Free Practice is on Thursday, so the safety car test is on Wednesday. With mainstream traffic running through the streets that day, the two can only race as fast as rush hour will let them.
In 2008, the cars were revealed as versions of top of the range Mercedes stock – an SL 63 AMG for the Safety Car and C63 AMG Estate for the Medical Car. I say versions of, because there have to be adjustments made for the cars to be suitable for Formula 1 running.
The AMG development team have Formula 1 specialists who develop, produce and service the vehicles, and make adjustments to the original models. Four cars need to be modified, two as backup. Such changes may include larger cooling ducts, weight reduction, and of course, higher top speed. The Safety Car, in particular, needs to go fast enough to prevent the Formula 1 technology behind from overheating. Both cars have video monitors, radios, and safety lights. The cars can get to 60 in about 4.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of just under 250 kilometres per hour. This compares with an F1 car that can reach over 300 on the long straights. Mayländer says that he is driving at 99% the limit of the car at all times, with that extra 1% there just in case the F1 cars behind push him. Drivers know that he’s in a slower car, but they always want to go as fast as they can.
Of course, it’s not just a question of speed. At the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007, the safety car ran for 19 laps, and no one knew when or if it would run out of fuel. Of course, with two cars available, it’s assumed one could just take the others place, but how would the transition work and how long could they keep that up for?
Given the present F1 rules, the appearance of the safety car always brings about consternation. Current regulations regarding pitting under the safety car are making some strategic decisions redundant and some would go so far as to call it a farce. The regulations are being looked at, examined, and hopefully changed at some point in the future, but there’s no doubt that the safety car will be here for years to come.
That’s it for this episode of Ancillary F1. Join me tomorrow for another instalment of this mini series, and don’t forget to leave your feedback on sidepodcast.com, or on the voicemail 0121 28 87225.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
Like a lot of things this season, the Japanese race caused a little bit of controversy. The Grand Prix moved to the Fuji circuit, beneath Mount Fuji, for the first time in thirty years, and whilst the teams seemed prepared for the new track, they couldn’t have been prepared for the weather. Low cloud, fog and rain hung in the air for the majority of the weekend. Saturday Free Practice was abandoned after only four minutes of running time, Qualifying was under threat, although it did take place, and the race started behind the safety car.
In order to ensure the cars were under control in the wet conditions, 19 laps were undertaken behind the safety car. Controversy number 1 – Formula 1 struggles with the argument that it is simply a procession, and starting the race in this way adds fuel to the fire.
The safety car obviously caused a mix-up of strategies, and definitely rattled the drivers a little bit. They were on the radio to their teams complaining about the crazy conditions, some even said they didn’t think the race should have started.
Once the safety car retired to the pit lane, and racing started proper, it was Hamilton who led the way, capitalising on his pole. The two Ferrari’s were struggling, having had to pit after only one lap because they started on the wrong tyres. Controversy number 2 – race director Charlie Whiting told all the teams to start on wet tyres, but Ferrari claimed they weren’t told. The way teams are informed of any special instructions was then reviewed.
Alonso was lacking pace, and couldn’t seem to keep up with his teammate, until he lost control of the car, and hit the wall. His race was over. The safety car was called out again, and Hamilton began bunching up the pack. Behind him were two drivers who were doing surprisingly well in the wet - Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber, and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel. Unfortunately, an incident occurred between the two, and both retired. Controversy number 3 - Webber blamed the rookie, whilst Vettel questioned Hamilton’s actions at the front of the pack. Video footage of the incident does show that Hamilton appears to be out of place, but the conditions definitely make everyone’s actions questionable.
Hamilton won the race, and extended his lead over Alonso to 12 points. With only two races to go, it’s looking more and more likely that we’ve been watching a World Champion in the making. The next race is at China, and has unpredictable weather conditions, but whatever happens, let’s hope the safety car can stay away from the track.
