It's the weekend! It's been a long old week (aren't they all?) and I don't know about you but I am looking forward to some downtime. Whilst there is no racing for a couple of weeks, I'm pretty sure there'll be enough F1 nonsense to keep us going. Meanwhile, the blogs have been particularly active.
Not content with setting up one new blog, Nick has only gone and added another to his lineup. With the politics side of things a particularly serious topic, Nick's turned his attention to all things satirical with: Not the F1 News.
When Shell invited us to join them for Friday Free Practice at Silverstone, we were glad to find we weren't the only bloggers/podcasters in attendance. We had a good chat with F1 Punter, who in turn made the most of his day and has now done a sterling job of writing up his fuel findings.
In last week's show we mentioned that we bumped into Fraggle in the SRC building, but according to her Flickr photos, we were the least interesting people she met. There's Jackie Stewart and Heikki Kovalainen (sorry Amy!) plus many more. Take a look.
As ever, let us know what you're up to this weekend, if it's anything exciting, and equally if it is not. I will see you in the comments.
As pointed out by Flibster in the comments, it's some kind of special day today. The rest of the world is busy declaring their feelings for one another, so we intend to join in the fun with some Sidepodlove.
Rather conveniently as it turns out, F1 is full of the stuff at the moment.
Button must have a bit of a crush on Senna today, as it looks like the Brazilian's sponsors have funded the Team Formerly Known as Honda for at least four races of the season. Whilst things are looking ever so slightly Super Aguri-esque on that front, four races are better than none.
Flavio must have a space in his heart for Alonso after the Spaniard finally managed to drag his R29 off the bottom of the testing timesheets. On the final day in Jerez, the team finished second out of the 2009 runners. Sadly, they've already announced they won't be in Barcelona next week - a sign of trouble or do they know something the others don't?
Unfortunately, not all relationships are rosy, as Adrian Newey seems to have fallen out of love with Formula 1. It looks like the man with the golden pencil wants to take a step back from the sport as he's finding the regulations a little too restrictive. Is this a cry for help to the FIA and Max?
There is one more slice of love to mention of course, and that is the love I hope the Sidepodcommunity shares for our illustrious leader Christine. Granted, I may have forgotten to buy the girl a present today (or bought a card, or booked a table, or contacted a florist) and yes this does constitute an abuse of powers. However, I've dug a nice big hole for myself, and right now would be a really convenient time to express your love for Christine and remind her just how very special she is.
If you were to do that for me I might love you too. See you in the comments.
Although it hasn't been widely reported, and while certain factions of the racing community are keen to keep it hush hush, Formula One may be about to happen upon its very first night race.
It's difficult to escape the fact that the upcoming Grand Prix is an evening affair, and Inside Track is no exception. In this edition we hear from current drivers, ex-drivers, and the men behind the men, about what might lie in store this coming weekend.
Don't forget the obligatory lap of the circuit too. This one's a proper street circuit, so there's plenty to take in and who better to guide you around the twists and turns than Sidepodcast's one and only commentator, Christine. You wouldn't have it any other way, right?
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.
Welcome to the Sidepodcast Guide to Formula 1. This is the omnibus edition, where the seven separate shows (originally released over seven days) are brought together in one place.
This was the first mini series Sidepodcast ever released, originally in 2007, and served as a good introduction to the sport for those who had never watched before.
The combination of sand and wind mixed up the finishing order of Free practice 3, but did this translate to qualifying as well? F1 Digest will guide you through all the happenings of Saturday in Bahrain.
Free Practice 3
A mix and match session, with the drivers you thought would do well struggling and others shining in the face of adversity. Main ones to worry about: Hamilton and Heidfeld.
Qualifying
Sato slid off track and into the wall which may or may not have ruined some people's laps. Kubica brought home BMWs first ever pole position, whilst Alonso struggled in Q3.
Conclusions
BMW are on cloud nine for their achievement today and are hoping to continue in to the race, Button and Rosberg are also happy with their positions on the grid. Nakajima appears to be letting the side down.
You’ve heard the introduction and you know what F1 is about, so now you want to sit down and watch a race. The first thing you need to do is find out when the next race is on. The calendar for each year is available a couple of months before the season starts, and is published on many different websites. The official sites have calendars and countdowns, many blogs will post about the dates to come. A quick Google search will point you in the right direction.
The coverage you get will depend on where you are in the world. Here in the UK, we get both qualifying and the race on the TV, but have to rely on the internet for all the practice and testing results as and when they happen. Of course, if all else fails, you can subscribe to Sidepodcast for race reports and all the news you need to know.
Anyway, shameless plug over, what can you expect from a race weekend?
Races usually take place every two weeks, but it seems to be getting more and more erratic, sometimes having races weekly, and then an entire month off. Once the teams have arrived at a circuit, the race weekend can really begin.
Friday practice is so called because it takes place on the Friday before the race. It consists of two sessions, both 90 minutes, and the teams can run what they want, when they want, to get a feel of the track and the conditions. It’s not always an accurate prediction of who’s going to fare well during the race, but it can give you a good idea of who’s fast and who is lagging behind. The teams like to get the fastest times because it’s good publicity for them and their sponsors.
Saturday morning consists of another practice session. This one is 1 hour long and is more indicative of what is going to happen in qualifying later that day. Track conditions will be improving all the time, as the cars get more rubber from their tyres onto the tarmac, and again, drivers will be striving to get the fastest time.
The qualifying format has changed several times over the years, but the idea behind it is still the same. Throughout the hour-long session, the teams will run their cars to find an ultimate fast lap – one that will dictate the position they will start in for the race the following day. If a car fails to secure a time due to driver or mechanical error, it is most likely they will start at the back of the grid. Where you position yourself in qualifying is more than just aiming to get first – you also have to think about where on the track you end up. The racing line favours the driver in pole position, and when in grid formation, two cars are staggered next to each other all the way back, so the second place car will suffer the worst track surface.
Sunday is race day. Teams will get their cars set up and their drivers ready, and then wave them off around the track to form their grid position. All the mechanics are welcomed onto the grid to make their very last minute preparations and escort their famous guests around for the pursuing cameras. The atmosphere before the race begins is feverish and the anticipation is almost better than the race itself. However, it’s when the track is cleared of people, and the drivers head off on their parade lap, that you know something good is about to happen. The five lights come on one by one and when they go out, its go, Go, GO! Sorry, almost turned into a commentator then. The first corner is usually the most exciting, with 20+ cars bundling and jostling for position. After that, the 50 or so laps of a race fly by, with retirements, overtaking and pit stops, until eventually the winner crosses the start finish line for his share of the glory. The top eight drivers receive points, as do the top eight constructors. The race winner, and those in second and third get to partake in a little champagne on the podium, whilst receiving their trophies. The winning constructor of the day also receives a magnificent trophy for their contribution to a great race day.
After that, there’s just time for a debrief in the following press conference, where the top three talk about how tough the conditions were and what they did to outsmart their fellow sportsmen, before everyone goes home for a rest.
Next time on the Sidepodcast Guide to Formula 1, I’ll be looking at pit stops in more detail.
