Sidepodcast

F1 2009 – iPod Touch / iPhone Review

Less than a month ago, the first F1 game for a many a year arrived for the Wii console, and Lukeh provided us with a fantastic review. So good was it, that we went out and purchased the game solely on the man's advice. Lukeh returns today to offer similar insight into a mobile version of F1 2009 for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

This year we have indeed seen the return of F1 to videogames and it was a great return as I so much explained in my previous Wii review. It came just as much as a surprise to myself as it was to many others that an announcement last week confirmed that Formula 1 was indeed coming to iPods worldwide this week. The game weighs in at £3.99 / $6.99 so it’s got a bit of price on it for an iPod app, but is it worth it?

What must be remembered is this is an iPod, not a Playstation Portable or a Nintendo DS or any fully fledged gaming handheld. Whilst the iPod is more than capable of holding its weight with it’s gaming capabilities, it’s never going to include games as detailed as the aforementioned rivals. Nevertheless, I feel that the F1 2009 game for the iPod touch / iPhone is a nifty addition to the series that Codemasters seem willing to build.

First off, the graphics genuinely opened my eyes in surprise. For something so delicate, it really shows off the possibilities of gaming for this format. From the few tracks I’ve played since purchasing the game earlier this evening, everything noticeable from real life tracks is there – the urban classic streets of Monaco, the giant overhead stand of China, the overseeing forests of Spa. It is a visual delight and a true tribute to the power of the iPod/iPhone. When you’re flying down at 200mph it runs smoothly and nothing seems to be out of place, so needless to say this aspect of the app impressed me immensely.

The controls though are where things start to get dodgy. As with most iPod racing races, you use the system’s accelerometer to steer the car with various buttons on screen to accelerate, brake, change camera and use KERS. The initial impressions of the controls came to me with must frustration – the default steering sensitivity is, for lack of a better term, wild. You know how when Formula 1 cars warm up tyres they swing from left to right? That’ll be you initially upon first play. From my own point of view, I would suggest jumping into the options and turning the setting down a little, as it makes the driving a whole lot more tolerable. Furthermore, the default control system both acceleration and brake pedals on the right of the screen, and KERS button on the left. (Obviously it can be adjusted for left hand players.) Whilst others may find this alright, it felt very clumsy to me going to accelerate but finding myself braking instead – luckily an alternative setup of acceleration on the right and brakes on the left can be found in the options, an option I found immediately handier to use. Again, it’s just a personal thing so it may be different for you. In general though, it handles as you’d expect albeit it completely insanely at times, but it’s nothing deal breaking. Just very, very tough.

So what will you be getting in terms of content for your £4 or $7? Well I’d better give you a warning now – there is no racing as in 20 cars on a grid racing. The two game modes include Time Trials and Endurance, both seeing you racing in any car of your choice on any track of your choice. Time Trials does what it says on the tin, with your goal simply to set times and see which is fastest. Endurance sees you going out for laps and continually trying to beat them with consistency being the name of the game rather than the more general time trial mode. To be fair, with 17 tracks and 20 cars you’re not exactly lacking variety so there are no complaints there but I’m sure many will have wanted racing. It’s perfectly understandable though why it’s not there though. Your times can also be uploaded to Agon Online, a built in system that uploads your best times and shares them with the world as well as allowing you to browse yourself and view friends’ times.

So, should you buy it? Of course that is not my decision for me to make for you but in my advice I would only buy it if you really want an F1 game on your iPod / iPhone. Visually it is incredible, rivalling what we see on the Wii version of F1 2009 but it is very, very tough with the oversensitive handling and quite unique way of handling the game. Again, it’s what’s to be expected of the iPod and it is impressive considering what small weight the system has but, at £4 / $7, it’s probably recommended for the more advanced players of the system. It’s definitely a promising start though for future installments, just don't expect an easy ride with this app!

The game is available to download now from the App Store.

Daily: 11th December 2009

Hello to all! It was a busy day yesterday, wasn't it? All that Formula 1 news sneaking out as we were busy digesting the last lot! That is good for my daily post though, it means lots of lovely self promotion. Let's get on with that now:

• FOTA met in Monaco yesterday and brought up the idea of the single launch event again. We've talked about this before, and we ranted a bit about this yesterday, but then we launched a poll. Tell us what you think - is the single launch event a good idea? Do you even care?
• The FIA have proposed another potential change to the points system - no medals this time though, thankfully. This time the excuse is to account for the expanded grid, but it really seems like another attempt to make winning a more attractive option for drivers. Will they get away with it this time?
• Pat came up with the Thursday Thoughts question yesterday - a great one about how F1 can broaden itself and it's coverage. He has a list of the participants on there, and it's not to late to leave your comments, although it's not Thursday anymore. If you want to host a question, why not leave your name on the wiki.

That's all for now, thank goodness it's Friday. How has your week been, and what are you planning for the weekend? Let us know and I'll see you in the comments.

A Singularly Silly Solution?

It emerged today that members of the Teams Association sadly hadn't forgotten their common car launch idea. The subject was discussed at a FOTA meeting in Monaco today, and they concluded that a single launch in Valencia was the way forward.

Credit: Glenn Dunbar / GP2 Series Media Service

Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia is lit up during the 2006 GP2 launch party

We previously discussed these plans after a Thursday Thoughts question, and this afternoon shared some opinions in the breakout thread.

You would think there wasn't much else to add, but F1 journalist Will Buxton is a man who has experience of organising launches in the city of Valencia and he's written some very detailed insight into how he see's the event working. The argument does manage to put a new spin on things.

To my mind, it would make sense to limit team launches to a maximum of 30-40 minutes and get them all out of the way in the morning in one hour time allocations. By utilising the Opera House, the Hemesferic (which can be split into two launch venues) and the main Science building (which can be split into upwards of three separate launch venues), you have individual launch venues within walking distance of each other.

He goes on to say the afternoon could feature the media interviews, but it would have to be run for three consecutive days for everyone to be able to see everything.

To find a definitive answer, we're going to offer up one of our ever so scientific polls.

Teams will be spending the next couple of weeks working out the finer details, are they wasting their time?

F1 Commission Proposes New Points System for 2010 Season

The FIA has put out a press release detailing a number of decisions made by the F1 Commission when they met in Monaco today. Amongst those is the suggestion that Formula 1 reconsiders the distribution of points for the 2010 season, due to an expanded grid of 13 teams.

The release notes that:

The F1 Commission also proposed a number of amendments to the sporting and technical regulations, which will be put to the FIA World Motor Sport Council for final approval tomorrow morning.

The proposed system would see points awarded as follows:

Additionally it's noted that the Brawn team will be allowed to change its chassis name from Brawn to Mercedes while the FIA and FOM will collaborate to enhance the communication and promotion of the championship. Further proposals are being considered to improve the show too:

A strong mandate has been given to the Sporting Working Group, a sub-committee of the F1 Commission made up of the FIA and F1 teams, to develop detailed proposals to improve the show. These will take effect from the 2010 championship.

More information will no doubt be forthcoming after tomorrow morning's WMSC meeting.

Teams Finalising Details on Single Group Launch

Whilst at the Motorsport Business Forum in Monaco, Nick Fry has pretty much confirmed that the group launch will be going ahead. He said:

"I wouldn't wish to spill the beans on what we are going to do, but it is going to be hugely initiative. It is going to be a clear demonstration of how we are going to be working together. We are not all going off and doing our own individual launches, so we can do something that is a lot more customer friendly."

FOTA are apparently meeting up in Monaco later to finalise the details.

Update: Autosport are reporting this evening that teams unanimously approved plans for a single group launch in the Spanish City of Valencia.

January has been pencilled in and the next few weeks will be spent working out the format for the event.

F1 Advent Calendar 2009 - Day Eight

• Length: 3:25 
• Size: 4.0 MB 
• File: advent8.mp3 
• Transcript: advent8.pdf 
• Torrent: advent8.torrent 

Hello and welcome, this is our extended mini series - F1 Advent Calendar 2009. We’re opening up a new door every day to find bite size snippets of the 2009 season. So far we’ve covered all the goings on up until the Monaco Grand Prix, and now we’ll have a peek at Day Eight - Two Tribes.

The 2009 season had only been underway for a couple of months, and already attention had turned to the following year - and it was turning out to be a contentious issue. The FIA had opened up the grid to three new teams, and in trying to entice new entrants to the grid, had revised the regulations significantly. The idea was that teams signing up to a proposed budget cap had a lot more freedom when it came to engine and aerodynamic regulations. Those that didn’t sign up to the budget cap could spend what they wanted but were seriously locked down when it came to what could be on their car.

From the outside, this seemed completely ridiculous - potentially allowing the unrestricted teams several seconds advantage. From the inside, it was also an unpopular decision. The existing teams - in a new group known as the Formula One Teams Association - announced the so-called two-tier championship was completely unacceptable, but they were willing to work with the FIA on ways to reduce costs and still keep things fair.

They refused to enter the 2010 season until they could sort the matter out but it was to be a lot harder than that. They met up on Flavio Briatore’s boat during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, to discuss the matter, and subsequently offered a combined conditional entry. So if one pulled out, they all pulled out. And the conditions were that the rules were basically the same as the 2009 season with maybe a few tweaks.

Williams and Force India both signed up independently of FOTA and were subsequently suspended from the association. Williams in particular defended themselves saying they owed it to their sponsors and employees to continue in Formula 1 regardless of how the regulations evolved.

Fast forward to June the 18th, and with no agreement forthcoming on the rules for 2010, FOTA announced they would be setting up their own breakaway series. At the time, a statement was issued saying: “These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.”

Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Well, it was not to be.

The FIA considered launching legal action against FOTA, they re-entered talks with each other and the entire mess dominated and ruined the atmosphere during the British Grand Prix.

Just six days later, another statement from FOTA confirmed they wouldn’t be breaking away after all. The regulations would continue as they were, with added cost cutting measures such as reduced personnel and less wind tunnel usage. Technical help was offered to the new teams who were signed up under the budget cap regulations. More crucially, though, Max Mosley was prepared to stand down from the presidency of the FIA, with FOTA urging for a fresh start come the elections in October.

That’s all for today. I hope you’re enjoying the F1 Advent Calendar 2009, and the chance to remember both the good and bad of the season. I’ll be back tomorrow with Day Nine.

F1 Advent Calendar 2009 - Day Seven

• Length: 3:09 
• Size: 3.7 MB 
• File: advent7.mp3 
• Transcript: advent7.pdf 
• Torrent: advent7.torrent 

Welcome to the seventh day of our F1 Advent Calendar 2009. This is an extended mini-series breaking the season review down into 25 short shows - one behind each door of advent. We’re moving right along to Day Seven - Keep on Running.

It’s fair to say that, despite the fact Red Bull took a win in China, by the time the Monaco Grand Prix arrived, we were beginning to wonder if Brawn were completely unstoppable. They had won four of the five races so far, and were still looking very, very strong. Plus, Button was turning up to Monaco with a lot of determination as it is one of his home races.

His closest competition continued to be Vettel, and Red Bull had finally managed to bring a double diffuser to the car. However, it was Barrichello on top in Free Practice 1, and Button was just pipped to the top by Alonso in Free Practice 3. Normality resumed in qualifying, though, with Jenson Button leaving it to the last minute to take his fourth pole position.

Other notable qualifying incidents included defending champion Lewis Hamilton crashing out at the Mirabeau - meaning he couldn’t participate in qualifying any further and started 16th. The BMWs and Toyotas were remarkably slow, considering Trulli and Glock had been fighting for podiums up until this point in the season.

The race began, then, with Button retaining his lead and zipping away from hte rest of the pack. Vettel had super-soft tyres on and really began to struggle for grip after only a few laps. With Monaco being so very overtaking unfriendly, the slow Vettel allowed the leaders to make quite the gap, and then he crashed into the barriers and retired from the race. Not a great race for poor Vettel.

Kovalainen and Nakajima also crashed out during the race, but it was Button’s day as he crossed the line and took the chequered flag, ahead of teammate Barrichello and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Now, Monaco has a slightly different slowing down lap procedure than other races. Instead of coming in to the pitlane and stopping the car in parc ferme, the top three finishers pull to a halt on the main straight where the podium is hastily erected and the red carpet pulled out. Button hadn’t been on the podium in Monaco since 2004, and was pretty used to the normal procedure, having been on the podium so often in 2009. He made his way to the pit lane, and parked up... in the wrong place.

To get to the podium, he had to jog out of the pitlane, and down the main straight towards where the crowd and Prince Albert of Monaco were waiting for him. As he jogged, he waved at the crowd, making the most of the opportunity. It was quite the moment - one of the highlights of the year, always up there when you ask people to name their top memories of the 2009 season. We almost want to start a petition to make all drivers run a lap of honour when they win a race.

They may not be in favour though, as straight after the race Button said: “It’s been an unbelievable day, capped with my impromptu sprint down the pit straight to the podium. I can tell you it’s a very long way!”

That’s all for this episode of our F1 Advent Calendar 2009. I will be back tomorrow with another peek behind an advent window to find out what the story is for Day Eight.

Daily: 22nd October 2009

Here we are at Thursday, and it's time to start thinking about the weekend. It's the last free weekend before the end of the season, when there will be weeks without racing, and we'll finally be able to get stuff done. Here's some of the news from today:

• John Howett of Toyota has said that Kobayashi has certainly done enough to become a contender for a race seat in 2010, although he stops short of confirming anything. Presumably, with them saying Raikkonen is too expensive (with the size of their budget?), Kobayashi is a little bit more within their price range.
• The FIA have approved the Monaco date change, meaning it will be moved forward a week. That will appease the teams who were worried about it's proximity to Turkey. There will now be a two week break instead of the back to back that was initially proposed. I wonder how many other changes we'll see to this "official" calendar.
• Finally, Webber has been thinking about the future and believes the big improvements he's shown this year, including finally getting his hands on a race winning trophy, will propel him to fight for the championship properly next year. He is happy to admit that this year he lacked consistency and that's what he needs for 2010.

That'll do it for now. Let us know how you are coping with Terrible Thursday, and particularly let us know if you have any chocolate. I'll see you in the comments.

Daily: 21st October 2009

Apparently it is Apple Day today, and that is not to do with the iPod people, but more to do with apples and orchards. Once again, I don't know how you are supposed to celebrate these things, but I think a good apple crumble is on the cards. Meanwhile, F1 related stuff:

• Yesterday's F1 Minute from a year ago (did you follow that?) is really quite intriguing. On the right hand side of the F1 Minute homepage is a link to the show a year ago, and yesterday's featured the news that BMW should be proud of what they've achieved, and Bernie was arguing with Canada. Things change, huh? Oh maybe not.
• Williams are once again being particularly vocal about their desire not to see 14 teams on the grid. More than anything, they say they are worried about the space, particularly in the Monaco pitlane. On that point, I agree, but is that really what they are protesting about?
• Bruno Senna has been talking about his future again, and says he's in contact with all the new teams bar US F1. It's also rumoured that he will have a test drive with Renault as soon as testing is allowed again.

That's all for now, I reckon. We're halfway through the week - how's it going for you? As ever, I will see you in the comments.

Daily: 13th June 2009

Some important things happened yesterday in the world of Formula 1, but if you were anything like me, you were busy hiding out in the daily thread thinking happy thoughts. Sadly, they have run out now, and it is back to the politics in F1. Thankfully, it doesn't matter because it is Franck Day!! Here are some of the things we're talking about, not including Franck:

• The FIA have provided a bit of an overview of the three new teams who are hoping to make their name in F1. Naturally, although these are confirmed teams, it's still worth taking their entry with a pinch of salt because anything could happen at this point. Still, if you want to find out who Campos, Manor and USF1 really are, it's worth taking a look.
• Jake Humphrey has been out and about mingling with F1 drivers, and in his latest blog post he discusses what it's like being driven by, and driving, them around Silverstone. Mostly, everyone looked pretty scared!
• It's been a dangerous week so far, as we've had two sporting injuries - Franck only went and broke his leg before the biggest race of the year, and Ollie hurt himself in Monaco. You can find out more about these and other Sidepodinjuries on the wiki.

That'll do it for now. I suppose all politics talk will return to the daily thread for today, but that's okay because I'll be hiding in the Franck thread! I'll see you in the comments.