Sidepodcast

No Refuelling Equals Zero Entertainment

Ever since the FIA unveiled plans to ban refuelling from Formula One back in December 2008, we at Sidepodcast have been dreading the day such plans came to fruition. Today was that day and the result was as bad as we'd been expecting.

Massa being refuelled in the pitlane at the Spanish GP in 2008, otherwise known as the only place to pass in Barcelona.

Make no bones about it, the decision to remove one of the key variables in F1 racing was about money. No doubt those who agreed to the change, will claim that the goal was to improve racing but the truth is, in an era of heavy cost cutting, teams could no longer accept the freight costs for transporting heavy fuel rigs around the world. Neither could Formula One Management be persuaded to shoulder logistics costs, and thus the rigs were deemed inappropriate for the sport.

The change in regulations leaves the sport with a big problem. We know that the speed of modern F1 cars on todays racing circuits makes overtaking difficult, and we know that the aerodynamics of modern chassis contribute to the problem making it almost impossible for cars to pass on track. Attempts to rectify both of this issues has failed spectacularly in recent times, leaving us with dull tracks and fugly cars.

Given the understanding that cars cannot pass on track, and that there is no easy or cheap solution to the problem, why in the world would anyone advocate the removal of the sole variable that might allow for some change of order in the field? You'd have to be completely out of your mind, and yet that is exactly what the teams, the sports rights holder and the governing body all agreed to do. Utter madness.

Formula One provided an awful show this afternoon. There really was nothing to recommend from an entire afternoon of "action". Yes, it was the first race of the year and after a four month hiatus, any racing beats no racing, but can anyone honestly say that the removal of refuelling made for a better race?

I will concede that changes to the Bahrain circuit didn't help matters, and again those in charge agreeing to such changes have an awful lot to answer for. However, I maintain that if the sport still had refuelling, there may have still been a slim chance that the finishing order on Sunday offered some marked differences from the qualifying order on Saturday. As it was, we had the single failure on the lead car to spice up a desperately dull afternoon. Welcome to the new spectacle folks, following people is what we do now.

To further the point, today's post race BBC forum was all about the desperate situation the sports finds itself in, with McLaren's CEO Martin Whitmarsh suggesting what might be needed now is two mandatory pit stops per race. As if that is somehow going to be the magic bullet to solve all of F1's overtaking problems.

Truth be told somebody made a huge mistake and the sooner they own up to the fact and fix what is broken the better. I'm all for banning refuelling once it has been proven cars can pass on every track on the calendar, but I would much rather passing happened during the pitstops than it not happening at all.

F1 racing in 2010 finds itself in a desperate situation after race number one.

Daily: 18th August 2009

We're into Tuesday already, and it's time to start turning our attention to the European Grand Prix. Many of the teams have released their GP previews already, and they are all starting to talk up their chances in Valencia. Here are some of the things we're talking about:

• Renault have much more of a chance in Valencia than they could have, as the Court of Appeal overturned the penalty from Hungary, and issued the team with a hefty fine instead. That means Alonso and his as yet unnamed teammate will be allowed to race around the dockyard.
• Massa has been looking a little further ahead than Valencia, and says he is hoping he might be able to return for the Brazilian Grand Prix, which is towards the end of October. He is highly aware that the final decision rests with the doctors though, so all he can do is rest up and get better.
• McLaren are hoping they can score another victory in Spain, making back-to-back victories for the team. Whitmarsh says they have even more improvements to bring to the car this weekend, and the team are all feeling supremely positive.

That's all for now. I hope you had an okay Monday, it's a brand new day. Let us know what you've got planned today, and I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 28th July 2009

We are at Tuesday already, which means it's time for another daily post, and that means more links and news to keep you going. The good news is that this weekend's Debrief is edited, so if you haven't already, you can hear the condensed version. Meanwhile, here's what's going on:

• Martin Whitmarsh has said that of all the team, he feels like he really needed this win more than most. Having taken over from Ron, Whitmarsh has seen the McLaren's lapped and slow, so he's probably right. It's about time he got his moment of glory on the podium.
• Valencia have asked the FIA to think of the fans with regards to the Renault penalty. They know that a vast majority of their visitors will only be there to see a certain Spanish driver, and if he's not racing, it's going to seriously affect the turnout. The FIA won't listen, but will Bernie?
• Finally, don't forget about Sidepodradio! I have written another update with more details, and if you're not involved yet, why not? There is plenty you can do from a simple phone call or donation, to turning up on the day and commenting, to hosting a show. You'll find a role that suits you.

That'll do it for now, I reckon. Keep us up to date with any news you spot over the next 24 hours, and as ever, I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 25th April 2009

Things really should be all about the racing right now, but there are certain elements of the politics of F1 still hanging over our shoulders. The Donington Park saga still rumbles on but there is plenty more to talk about:

• McLaren have apparently offered the FIA a written apology. Whitmarsh confirms this is true but won't say anymore about what was inside the letter, so the question is, what kind of an effect are they hoping this will have? Will their sentencing (that seems like the appropriate word?) be more leniant because they've said sorry again?
• It's been a while since I've plugged the F1 Big Picture, and it's a pretty good one of Piquet at the moment. This is topical because anyone who is anyone is making bets on how long the youngster will last. His performance hasn't been up to scratch, and surely there's a driver snapping at his heels for the opportunity.
• The SofaF1 Pole Poll continues, and if you're already taking part (or if you want to have a go), you've got until qualifying starts to make your selections. I don't know how I got roped into this, considering how much I dislike making predictions, but it's great fun - even if Mr C is beating me. I don't quite know exactly how the scoring works, but you get points based on whether you select the correct pole sitter and for your guesswork on the top eight points finishers as well. Good luck!

That'll do it for now. It's not long until qualifying gets underway, although thankfully for us in the UK, it's on at a more reasonable time of day. There will be many threads popping up throughout the day, so no doubt I'll see you in the comments.

Sidepodchat - Of People, Parks and Picnics

• Length: 16:20 
• Size: 15.7 MB 
• File: chat3.mp3 
• Transcript: Coming soon 
• Torrent: chat3.torrent 

A quick glimpse of the thoughts on our minds as those who attended the Science Museum meet up in London kindly agreed to stream a live Sidepodchat... of sorts. Expect diffusers, predictions, and of course, McLaren.

Joining us in this show:

Gavin, littlepurplegoth + children, Chris Evans, Kris, Bassano Clapper, Lukeh, Lou, Toastboy, Chris, Alex, Flibster, Jackie, SteveintheUK and Pat W.

As an irregular part of the schedule, we're not sure when the next Sidepodchat will appear, but if you fancy taking part whenever the next one rolls around, you can sign up on the Wiki.

Daily: 6th April 2009

Monday morning again, and time to recover from another weekend of racing action. Although, given that the GP was cut short, we had plenty of time to do that yesterday as well. Here's what's on topic today:

• On that subject, Bernie has defended his start time decision and said that he has no plans to move it. The argument is that you can control the time but not the weather, and Flavio Briatore agrees with this. Meanwhile bosses at the Malaysian circuit have said they'll review it, but presumably what Bernie wants, Bernie gets.
• The Paddock Life: Sepang Edition makes for a good read. I'm pretty sure I read about the snake thing on the BBC, so I guess it was someone over there. I also like the idea of Patrick Head just sitting in his car waiting for the rain to stop.
• Finally, Martin Whitmarsh has placed his future in the shareholder's hands, suggesting that whilst he can make the decision whether he wants to stay or not, it is ultimately not his call to make. He adds that they will be planning on ways to do things better. I guess telling the truth would be a start?

That's all for now. Don't worry about staying on topic, that's what the daily thread is here for. There will probably be more reaction to yesterdays goings on throughout the day, so please feel free to share and discuss. I will see you in the comments.

Daily: 14th March 2009

Today we are on the hunt for a solution to our mixer problems. We shall probably live comment a shopping trip, and that will be enormously fun for all involved. Meanwhile, here's what we've been talking about recently.

• McLaren have actually come out and admitted they're not as fast as they were hoping, although Whitmarsh says they are holding themselves up against their own championship winning performance. Is this an unusual step from the team? Are they just playing mind games with us?
• Jake Humphrey has given us all another update into life as the newest F1 anchor. Mr C is unbelievable vexed at the decision not to join Ms Williams for a run around a racetrack, whilst I am fascinated by the unfaltering popularity of The Chain.
• Comic Relief was on last night, and the big question is - when did it get so rubbish? It used to actually be funny, hence the name, but there were only a few moments worth watching, apparently. I haven't seen the whole thing and can only say this: thank god for the iPlayer.

That'll keep us going for a bit. No doubt there are things on your mind that you'd like to share, and this is the place to do it. I'll see you in the comments.

Sidepodcast Diaries 15 - Nice Work if you Can Get It

Christine ponders Ron Dennis's recent announcement that he'll be turning up to many of the races in 2009, despite changing jobs.

Transcript

Christine: Hello. This week, Ron Dennis said he would be turning up to most, if not all Grands Prix this season. Big surprise. When he announced he was "stepping aside", we all said well, it's the end of an era, but he's never going to be able to give it up completely. Turns out that was true. However, this has raised some thoughts that I just wanted to share with you.

1. If you leave your job, but then continue to hang around, isn't that a little bit weird?
2. I'm sure he said he didn't want to have to organise his schedule around Grand Prix weekends. Maybe he's not going to have as much work as he's leading us to believe.
3. He says he'll be in the paddock as an "influential member and proponent of FOTA." Any excuse for some Ronspeak, I suppose, but does this really mean he just doesn't want Ferrari getting their own way all the time?
4. I feel sorry for Martin Whitmarsh because it's not nice having your boss look over your shoulder all the time.
5. His two reasons for turning up at the races were the FOTA thing and quite simply because he loves the sport. Can't argue with that, if I was in his position I would do exactly the same thing.

Daily: 25th January 2009

We were out and about yesterday, and missed out on any news that might have been happening. Thankfully, though, it looks like all was quiet on the F1 front. A1 GP seems to have got it's fair share of comments yesterday, and here's what else was going on:

• Jolly from Pitlane Fanatic posted an F1 style Spot the Difference game. The answers are listed in yesterday's thread, so if you haven't had a go yet, let us know how you get on before you peek.
• The Guardian has news that Martin Whitmarsh thinks Lewis is "phenomenal." Hardly surprising, obviously, but he thinks he could rival Schumacher in terms of success and records. Can't really believe anyone would want that, really, super-domination by one person isn't great viewing.
• Don't forget we're debuting Sidepodchat tonight. It's simple, a few people on a Skype call, discussing F1 stuff. Head over to the Wiki if you haven't signed up yet. If you don't feel like talking today, you can stick around in the comments, as will be pitting your questions to participants as well.

Stick around as there's plenty to talk about - don't feel limited by the above. We're pretty well caught up on sleep now, so I'll see you in the comments.

Ron Dennis Steps Down from McLaren

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

The MP4-24 was launched today, with McLaren hosting the event at their Technology Centre in Woking. The new car is heralded as a success already, simply by looking a lot better than the two that have already been released to the world - the Ferrari and Toyota.

However, the event was overshadowed somewhat by the announcement from Team Principal Ron Dennis that he would be leaving the role before the season begins. He'll be handing over to Martin Whitmarsh, who has already proven that he can handle the pressure by taking a much more active role as the 2008 season progressed.

Dennis's decision comes after months, even years, of speculation over his future. After the espionage affair with Ferrari, the media thought he may be about to retire, but Ron wanted to prove that he could return the car to winning form - legally. In 2008, with the help of his young star Lewis Hamilton, McLaren achieved another driver's title, and Ron had reached his objective.

Dennis has been with the team since 1981, and has achieved 10 Driver's titles, and 7 Constructor's in his time. He could be considered one of the most successful team principals within the sport, having led the team through such successful times.

This isn't the last we'll see of Ron Dennis, though. He's stepping down from the team principal role, but it's more of a step up, as he's taking on the full Chief Executive position of the entire McLaren Group of companies. Ron himself says that he will actually be working harder than he has done in the last few years, but he is glad because he won't have to schedule his year around each Grand Prix weekend.

It's a shame that Ron is stepping down, as he is a prominent figure in the paddock. Things will be different without him, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be bad. Already this year, we've seen a couple of amusing advertising campaigns from McLaren that seem to have clearly come from Whitmarsh rather than Dennis. There are also a few drivers and ex-drivers who have suffered under the hand of Ron Dennis, but his methods obviously work for some. His success with Lewis Hamilton won't be forgotten quickly, and it will be interesting to see how the defending champion gets on this year.