Sidepodcast

Live: Bahrain 2010 - The Race

The first Grand Prix of 2010 is here and we are desperate to see what happens. Qualifying yesterday was great, so I can't wait to see what unfolds after such a great effort from Vettel and the two Ferrari boys.

Weather Update

So far, we've seen plenty of beautiful sunshine, really high temperatures, and quite a lot of dust as well. The track reached almost 50 degrees yesterday, and I'm expecting more of the same. Humidity looks lower than we've seen, but it's changeable.

One to Watch

Vettel is at the head of the grid and it's up to him to make the race his own. We have no idea what's going to happen in terms of strategy and tyre decisions, but with no refuelling, leading from the front is going to be a bonus.

Predictions Please

Who will get the first win of the year? Will there be any crashes? How will the first corner go down with 24 drivers heading for the same piece of track? Will there be any unexpected retirements? How will everyone handle the heat?

Circuit Guide

Bahrain Circuit Map

Don't forget that comments automatically update on this post, there is no need to refresh the page this year. You can also follow up-to-the-minute session updates via Sidepodcast's Factbyte Factbox

Live: Bahrain 2010 - Qualifying

Morning Practice was fascinating, as we watched a wheel fall of Glock's car, Chandhok have to wait and wait and wait, and Hamilton have to give up before the real qualifying setups began. If qualifying is up to its usual standard, we're in for a good one.

Weather Update

In continuing tradition, the weather will be hot and sunny. The temperatures go up and up, and with qualifying on at the same time as FP2, expect the track to hit the 40s pretty quickly. The humidity is lower today, though, although it seems just as dusty.

One to Watch

I don't know about anyone else, but I am keeping firmly glued to Nico's progress. So far he has outshone Michael in all sessions, and if he outqualifies Schumi, there's going to be a riot down in the Mercedes garage. It looks very likely this might happen, too!

Predictions Please

Who will get the glory of the first pole position of the year? Will Rosberg outqualify Schumi? Will drivers find themselves tripping over those new and slow cars? Will there be any surprises in the top ten?

Circuit Guide

Bahrain Circuit Map

Don't forget that comments automatically update on this post, there is no need to refresh the page this year. You can also follow up-to-the-minute session updates via Sidepodcast's Factbyte Factbox

Live: Bahrain 2010 - Free Practice 3

Friday was a relatively tame day in Free Practice terms, and the lack of tyres available to teams may see that trend continuing. However, we still found plenty to discuss, including the Rosberg vs Schumacher battle, and who would manage to get out of the garage at all.

Weather Update

The weather for Saturday looks to be an exact repeat of Friday, with the sun out and bright, visibility good and humidity high. The temperatures may be slightly cooler, but once the cars hit the track, it will likely heat right up again.

One to Watch

All eyes must be on Chandhok because the HRT driver didn't even manage to get in the car during either practice session yesterday, let alone make it to the track. He needs to participate in this first practice or he won't be allowed to continue in qualifying and the race.

Predictions Please

Will Chandhok make it out and how many laps will he complete? Will anyone fall foul of the dust and meet the barriers? What demands will Schumacher make today?

Circuit Guide

Bahrain Circuit Map

Don't forget that comments automatically update on this post, there is no need to refresh the page this year. You can also follow up-to-the-minute session updates via Sidepodcast's Factbyte Factbox

Live: Bahrain 2010 - Free Practice 2

Even if Free Practice 1 was a low-yielding round in terms of laps, there was still plenty of interesting things to chat about. You can relive the session via the brand new Factbyte Factbox highlights, and get ready for FP2.

Weather Update

Things took a turn for the scorching during FP1. The track temperature started around 30 degrees and shot up to 40 degrees by the end of the session. The air temperature remained around the 30 degree mark, so it's fair to say it's pretty hot out there.

One to Watch

Mr C was hilariously wrong about Webber, phew! I'd keep an eye on Michael Schumacher for this session as he appears to be slightly behind Rosberg at the moment. Pit lane suggests he was in a bad mood, and the car was bottoming out severely, so he's got some work to do.

Predictions Please

We didn't see anyone properly crash, the large run offs help that - will there be any accidents this afternoon? Will Sutil be able to retain his P1 position? Will Chandhok actually make it out of the garage? Let us know what you think!

Circuit Guide

Bahrain Circuit Map

Don't forget that comments automatically update on this post, there is no need to refresh the page this year. You can also follow up-to-the-minute session updates via Sidepodcast's Factbyte Factbox

Live: Bahrain 2010 - Free Practice 1

F1 is back and it's in Bahrain! The season returns with the desert replacing Albert Park as the opening round. Free Practice gets underway with 24 drivers ready to hit the track and show everyone what they can do.

Weather Update

Bahrain is all about the sunshine and FP1 should have good weather throughout. The temperature looks to be around the 30 degree mark, whilst humidity is high at roughly 85%.

One to Watch

When we were testing out the Factbyte Factbox, we ran through a dry run of today's Free Practice 1, and Mr C declared that Mark Webber was the fastest at the end. I am curious to find out if that comes true. If it is, Mr C is buying us a lottery ticket.

Predictions Please

It's the first proper track action of the year, we need to know what you think will happen. Who will be the first to fly off the track? Will all the cars make it to the end of the session safely? Who will be the fastest and get the first headlines of the year?

Circuit Guide

Bahrain Circuit Map

Don't forget that comments automatically update on this post, there is no need to refresh the page this year. You can also follow up-to-the-minute session updates via Sidepodcast's Factbyte Factbox

Daily: 17th February 2010

It's back to work for Formula 1 today, and for us as well, as testing resumes in Jerez. So far the forecasts have suggested more in the way of rain, but there will be a dedicated thread for all testing talk along later. I'm hoping the weather clears up a bit as it's much more exciting when things are actually happening out on track. Anyway, here are some things we're talking about:

• Mr C has been busy updating Ye Olde Comments, so if you visit any blog page, you'll find that there are a couple of improvements. The buttons have returned, allowing easy quoting and italicising of comments without having to remember the code itself. There's also the option to share comments now, along with whole articles. If you hover over the comment you're keen on, hit that share link, it'll send you on over to Twitter so you can spread the words of wisdom. Good work, Mr C.
• Our resident comic genius Stuart Taylor gave us a new situation to ponder with his latest guest post. The premise behind the pictures, aside from the obvious, is that things could always be worse. Joe Saward has also posted an article about a similar subject, albeit a little more frustrated about the subject.
• Meanwhile, back to testing, it seems as though James Allen is going to attempt to switch on the auto refresh on his super duper Twitter page. To be fair, we are a little bit skeptical about how long his site will stay up for, but having looked at it now, the main page is down but the Twitter bit is still up. There is hope! It will be interesting to see how it works and it will add yet another element to the testing proceedings.

That'll do for now, let us know how you're week is going, and what you're doing post-pancake day. I will see you in the comments.

Live: Jerez Testing - Day Two (February 2010)

Thursday sees the second day of testing in Jerez get underway. Teams, drivers and fans alike will almost certainly be hoping for better weather than day one produced. There's very little change on the driver front to look out for, with only Michael Schumacher and Robert Kubica the new faces in the crowd.

Yesterday saw the surprise introduction of the Williams live timing system. First day gremlins saw the site struggle to keep up with demand, but when it works it is rather fantastic. Williams weren't the only ones experiencing first days blues either, Virgin Racing managed just 5 laps on their F1 testing debut. Fingers crossed for a better run today.

Petrov had been scheduled to drive the Renault today, but good weather prompted the team to run the more experienced Kubica instead.

On track action begins at 9am CET (8am GMT).

Circuit Information

• Track length: 4.428km
• Corners: 13
• Lap record: 1:23.135 (Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Williams, 1997)

You'll find Circuito de Jerez located in South of Spain.

Drivers and Teams Attending

The following teams and drivers are confirmed for testing on Wednesday

Useful Links

• Official Circuit Homepage
• Williams Live Timing (official timing updates)
• Autosport Live
• F1 Today
• Motor 21
• The F1.com

Keep checking back for updates, news and pictures will be posted throughout the day.

Daily: 6th February 2010

Saturday has dawned, bright and sunny. Well, maybe. I haven't seen the weather yet, but let us know what it's doing in your neck of the woods! There's testing ahead of us next week in Jerez but it's not looking good weather wise, so we need to brush up on our forecasting skills. Meanwhile, here are some of the things we're talking about:

• Some comments yesterday picked up on pictures posted in the latest edition of Racecar Engineering, that have been featured on a US F1 fan blog. They give a fascinating insight into what goes on inside the car, despite the fact that it looks like the driver's leg is broken in a really uncomfortable way. It's nice to see technical drawings that don't scare people like me away.
• We did a bit of a catch up on F1 Big Picture yesterday, and posted this cute little picture of Nick Heidfeld. With his new job at Mercedes, it was about time we featured a Nick pic, and I have to say, seeing the poor guy in a big field all by himself makes me feel compassion for him. Bless Nick.
• Sadly, it seems that the Only One Timo Glock blog curated by RG has had to shut its doors. This is bad news, of course, but no one can say that RG doesn't have his priorities in the right place. He still has the Northern Waffler blog to, er, waffle on, and as ever, our doors are always open to any guest posts about Mr Glock or otherwise. Keep it up, RG.

That should do it for now. Let us know what you're up to with your weekend and as ever, I will see you in the comments.

Are Trade Shows Still Relevant?

For the first time in six years neither Christine nor I will be attending Autosport International at the NEC, Birmingham today. We began attending the event before Sidepodcast existed, but this year we're keeping our money in our wallets and staying put.

Credit: Sidepodcast

DTM drivers talk motor sport at Autosport International 2009

Twelve months ago we reported from the event how much of a disappointment the trip had been, and little has changed in the intervening period to convince us this year might be different.

Part of the problem is the venue. The NEC has always managed to provide the worst event lighting ever experienced, casting as it does an awful orange glow across photographs that might be taken. Additionally, due to its location the National Exhibition Centre may change punters what it chooses for car parking, on top of the entry ticket price (£31 per person, per day this year by the way).

Zero Emissions

Another venue related issue is the environmental cost of travelling to such an event. I couldn't find any mention of it, so I'm assuming that the organisers Haymarket haven't considered making the event carbon neutral, including accounting for those travelling to Birmingham from far and wide. The FIA are attempting the same thing for every Grand Prix on the calendar, so you can't argue it's not a relevant concept to motor sport. Maybe they think it's someone else's problem.

Cost and the environment aren't the only problems though, I'm beginning to question the relevance of attending trade shows in the age of instant media. Autosport International, like many shows of this nature, tries to appeal to two audiences. Those in the trade and also the general public - in this case, motor sport fans. I can see a certain appeal for fans queuing up for autographs of your racing hero (although predictably a large number are ebay bound), but for the life of me I can't fathom the appeal for traders.

Do companies still hold back product announcements until a conveniently scheduled show happens to pass through town, and if so, why? We live in a real-time world where information can be pinged around the globe in an instant, why would a company want to make a product release at a time that doesn't suit them? Especially if lots of people in the same field intend on doing exactly the same thing. How many small announcements will get lost during the next four days, because Jenson Button said something that stole the headlines?

Travel Trouble

The logic of it all doesn't make any sense to me any more. The UK is currently experiencing some pretty awful weather, travelling is hazardous unless absolutely necessary, yet because of Autosport for many it is very necessary.

Isn't there a more modern, more eco-friendly solution to promoting motor sport than this?

Trade shows seem to be something who's days must soon be numbered. Right now, I can browse the whole Demon Tweeks catalogue from the comfort of my couch. I know what's in stock and I don't have to fight to get attention from the person behind the counter. Why in the world do I need to drive to Birmingham to do the same thing?

Daily: 6th January 2010

We are halfway through the week and there is snow in the UK causing traffic chaos all around. That's why we recommending staying indoors! There is plenty going on in F1 for now to keep you occupied. Here are some of the things we're talking about:

• Flavio has managed to overturn his ban, although the FIA aren't at all happy about the ruling and are considering their options. We had a breakout thread with the news, and I also wrote a post about Renault's timely announcement of their new team principal. Share your thoughts in both threads!
• There's been a lot of discussion about Heidfeld and where he might fit in the 2010 grid. The man himself is acutely aware that the seats are being snapped up from under him, but says he is prepared for the unexpected. After the last few years in F1, so are we all!
• Dank has an interesting post encouraging you to invest some time in watching a series other than F1, and see how you get on with it. He makes some good arguments and it's worthwhile giving it a shot. I am not yet convinced though.

That's all for now, keep us updated on how your week is going, and as ever, I will be round and about to see you in the comments.