Welcome to the last Thursday Thoughts for the time being. We've been answering and posing questions for the off-season, and it's been an amazing ride, covering vast subjects from best team principals, to the economics of local governments. The best thing about Thursday Thoughts, though, has been the excellent participation amongst bloggers - from the volunteers to host the question each week - to everyone putting fingers to keyboard to come up with some answers.
This final question comes from Maverick of Viva F1, who thought it would be fitting for the last one. Rather than something specific to F1, we want to look at blogging. Maverick's question:
Which blog article or articles have you written that you were most pleased with writing and why?
The topic came out of a conversation about the reasons for blogging, why you do it and what you get out of it. These are also up for discussion, if you want to focus on the whys and wherefores, rather than specific posts.
We'll post our answer here later today, and if you take up the question, please link to your posts here as well.
That just leaves me time to thank everyone who's hosted a question:
We could never have come up with such a diverse range of conversations by ourselves, and I can't wait for the winter to come round so we can do it all again.
The weekend is here, but there is no respite from the F1 action, as testing continues for a fourth day at Jerez. Well, I say it continues, but so far we have seen most of the running hampered by the weather. I can't imagine today will be much different, but we will keep our eyes peeled. Elsewhere, here are some of the things we're talking about:
Lotus launched their new car yesterday in London, and it has caused quite a vast array of opinions regarding the livery, the look of the car, and the general feel of bringing back an old name into the sport. Have your say in the breakout thread, catch up with the details on F1 Minute, and get a closer look over at F1 Big Picture.
If you're at a loose end over the weekend, why not have a read of the latest part of my story? Life in the Fast Lane is a ten part piece of fiction, in which you get to control the direction of the story at the end of each part. We're onto the third section now, and you get to make a strategy call for the driver in question.
Just as a heads up, I am currently in the middle of reorganising the wiki, which basically entails moving the pages about a lot, merging information so we don't have half empty pages, and deleting a couple of unnecessary pages as well. It was getting in a bit of a mess, and I've made it a lot worse, but I have a plan. You can keep on using it normally, but just be aware you might find things aren't where you left them.
That should do it for now. Giggles has confirmed there won't be a radio show this week, so no live streaming over the weekend, but I will see you in the comments.
Friday is here at last and we can start talking about the upcoming weekend. It's been a hectic week, and testing gets underway again next week, so we need a chance to rest! But, there's still Friday to get through, and to help us along, here are some of the things we're talking about:
We've been talking about our calendar a lot recently, and although we've made it as easy as possible to subscribe to it, we're still uncovering all the options. Kathi spent some time working out how to get the calendar working with Mozilla Thunderbird/Sunbird, and wrote an excellent wiki page of instructions. If you have any other tips to add, please get them in there, or else follow Kathi's great words.
Journeyer's Thursday Thoughts question created a great response in the comments, and we had a guest post from Nathan running quite objectively through the options. My team was a bit less conventional, but that probably goes without saying.
We have finally found out what Nick Heidfeld has planned for the upcoming season, and although being a test driver for the Schumacher team can't be what he was hoping for, it's good that he's still on the grid in some capacity. Have your say over on the breakout thread.
That'll do for now. Let us know what you're up to today and over the next couple of days as well, and I will see you in the comments.
Tuesday has been and gone and we are moving on to the middle of the week. We are rapidly heading straight towards another launch tomorrow, but before then, there's some kind of technology announcement due today. Relax, all those who hate the word Apple, we will have our first ever non-F1 breakout thread to separate those that care from those that don't. Hopefully that might make things a bit easier. Meanwhile, here are some actual F1 things to discuss:
Mr C is very impressed with the goings on in Enstone, and it's fair to say that Renault are his favourite team once more. For now, at least. Joe has written a great post about the team and what they've been up to, and there's some yellow and black livery in the post for those who prefer that sort of look.
Dan has started up a new page on the wiki entitled Sidepodcast Radio Theatre. The idea is to take a theatre style look at some Formula 1 events, and at the moment, there's a take on Star Wars known as Car Wars. Have a look at the page, and get your creative thinking caps on!
I wrote a post yesterday that although it was based on a pretty tenuous rumour, has the potential for some great stories. Have you ever had to miss a Grand Prix because someone scheduled an event at the same time? We're talking weddings, but you can share any important moments. Which race did you miss? Did you catch up later? Have your say.
That should do it for now. Let us know what you're up to today, particularly if you're not watching Steve Jobs do his thing, and I'll see you in the comments.
It's the second day of Autosport International - another trade day - and if the headlines are anything like yesterday, we'll be tearing our hair out by the end of proceedings! Nevertheless, despite our reservations about the concept of trade shows at all, it continues, and we will keep our eye on what's happening. Meanwhile, here's what we're talking about:
Yesterday was Thursday, and that means Thursday Thoughts. Although it is now Friday, I wanted to give the blogging project a quick shout out as we have run out of lead bloggers to set the questions now. It's a great thing to take part in, you just have to set a nice, easy question and see what answers come flowing in. Let us know if you'd like to take part!
Schumacher has finally had the weather behind him and the GP2 bosses say he is right on pace for the final day of testing at Jerez. Schumacher himself says he's feeling really ready to bring on the F1 challenge, after being completely comfortable testing this week.
Finally, I suppose it has to be mentioned, the Castrol Rankings nonsense. I wrote about it briefly on Franck's behalf, whilst Gavin took a much closer look. Coming from someone who analyses numbers so well, the post is well worth a read. Yesterday I said let's never mention it again. I think I'll go back to that now the plugging is done!
That's all for now, it's Friday, so it must be time to start gearing up for the weekend. Let us know what you're up to, particularly if you're heading up to Autosport International, and as ever, I will see you in the comments.
We've had a couple of new people pop up and say hi in the comments recently (hi!), and I noticed some attempts to persuade them to join the wiki. We talk about the wiki a lot, I know, but it is a great way to make Sidepodcast even more collaborative and even more of a community. I wanted to take a minute to talk about the wiki and encourage you to join.
What is the wiki for?
...it's invaluable for guests to sign up, and the scores to be recorded
Originally, the wiki was a place to host some of the fun games we shared in the comments, plus plan some of the upcoming shows. When we're in the midst of a run of Sidepodpanels, it's invaluable for guests to sign up, and the scores to be recorded.
Since than it has ballooned into the best place for the community to share and plan together. We've got a dictionary of words born out of the comments, we have guides on everything from how to sleep better to making a microwave chocolate cake. There is information about past Batracer leagues, plus a roundup of both the Fantasy Racer competitions we've participated in, and top five league positions for each race.
There's documentation on how this website is taking shape, plus space for requests and bugs to be tracked. Live Commenting instructions live on the wiki, in case anyone is struggling with the doohickey or LCLT, and there are lots and lots of links. From teams, to drivers, to bloggers, to journalists, we're compiling the best of the web.
What can I do?
If you're not sure where to start, the best place is the SPC Regulars page. Registration for the wiki is free, and then you can create a sub-page of the Regulars page for yourself. Your own little home on the Sidepodwiki. You can put as many or as few facts about yourself as you'd like, but make sure to update the birthdays section, so I can add you to our calendar. Also, don't forget the Listener Map to pinpoint your country with a pretty red pin.
If you're not sure where to start, the best place is the SPC Regulars page
Why not help us fill in some of our F1 information pages? We've got plenty of missing info on the links pages - both drivers and teams. We're trying to keep track of who is going to be in which team for 2010, and who is being left on the sidelines, so if you hear something we don't, then please fill it in.
We also have some of the games that start in the comments, such as the Numbers Game page - where we list F1 facts by ever increasing numbers. We're up to 80, but there must be more, I'm sure we can get to 100. Or perhaps you would prefer the ideal three sectors game, where you select your perfect circuit with the best bits from the entire calendar.
Ultimately, the wiki is huge, and there's a lot to take in, but the best way is to sign up, start browsing, and then just hit that edit button. It's super easy to do, you don't need to learn any new codes or languages, it's a pretty simple editor. If you're looking for a particular page, don't use the search on the wiki, it's not very good. Either use the super Sidepodsearch on the top right of this site, or visit the Sidepodsitemap to find what you're looking for.
Where do I start?
Here are a couple of the pages mentioned above to help you get started:
With an extra couple of races on the calendar this year, Mr C and I are rethinking the way we watch and discuss Formula 1. Free Practice has to take a back seat as there are only so many hours in the day, and we don't intend to free up all 19 Fridays through the year.
Less Conversation, More Action
A lack of Friday information means F1 Digest has to change, but hopefully it will be for the better. The first noticeable difference will be the reduction in show numbers. For the past two years, there have been four "digest" shows during a race weekend, but in 2010 we'll release only three. Free practice information will be bundled into a better qualifying show on Saturday.
The running order for F1 Digest will now look as follows:
Thursday - Race preview in audio
Saturday - Free practice and qualifying round-up
Sunday - Race round-up
If you need more detail, all of this information can be found in our brand new 2010 F1 Calendar. Please subscribe to keep up-to-date.
Living for the Weekend
The weekend preview show will remain, but there is one addition to the show that I want to introduce, and that's your cue to get involved. As an introduction to the race, I want to get your thoughts on the circuits. Whether you love or hate them, favourite sections, thoughts on the atmosphere, and any other notes you'd like to make. If you've ever been to a race, first hand information is also a bonus.
I'm looking for opinions via text here, no need to pick up the phone for this one. The emphasis should be on concise thoughts, short sentences and catchy snippets, but I want to hear what you think about every circuit on the calendar (although Korea might pose a challenge).
I will read them out, mix them up and make the preview podcasts a great start to the weekend. I've set up a wiki page for the purposes - multiple entries per circuit are actively encouraged! There are a few examples on there already, so it just takes a moment of thought to add your own. You can also leave them in the comments here, or fill in the contact form below.
After submitting your ideas, all you need do is stay tuned and listen out in the first show of the year - the Bahrain Preview!
If you have any other opinions about F1 Digest, things you would like to see included, or anything that would make the coverage better for you, please let us know in the comments.
We have reached Thursday and most of the news is still about Flavio and how that is affecting everyone in the sport at the moment. There isn't much more to go on though, so perhaps it's worth looking at other things going on right now. Before I start, make sure you check out the new F1 Minute video. Onwards:
The good news is that Donington Park hasn't completely gone to the ground yet, as the Wheatcroft family now have the keys back in their possession, and they're committed to re-opening the circuit as soon as they possibly can. Tom Wheatcroft's son Kevin is now in charge, and his main priority is saving jobs and keeping things going for the fans.
Sauber have become the first team to announce their launch - now that the single group thing has been thrown out the window. At the end of January, just ahead of the first test of the year, we'll get to see a brand new car, apparently to be called the C29.
In what should be a new segment for F1 Digest previews this year, I want to gather together your thoughts about the circuits on the 2010 calendar. I've set up a wiki page to collect them, and it explains it better than I could do here, so dive right in and leave your opinion on the tracks we will visit this year. (Multiple thoughts per track are actively encouraged!)
That should do for now. Snow is still causing havoc around the UK, so we'll see what today brings! I'll catch up with you in the comments.
Whilst trawling through last year's posts for the end of year roundup, we came across a blog entry promoting the Sidepodcast Listener Map. Although we haven't mentioned it in a very long time, it hasn't stopped people from adding themselves via the wiki during the year.
The number of pins now totals 276 and seeing the pattern that makes across the world is quite a sight to behold, and is the reason we're plugging the map again today.
I love that F1 has such global appeal, and while predictably the UK is the most densely populous area, the US, Australia and Asia are very well represented too. The listener map contains a wealth of information beyond just the location of such a diverse community, and there are plenty of names to be found that are completely new to us.
If you haven't yet added yourself, and have a couple of minutes to spare, please do so today. Apparently in the last post I promised we'd do a roll call for everyone who stuck a pin in the map, but I don't think we ever got around to doing it. I can't imagine we'll be able to list all of the places, but we'll see what we can squeeze in to the next show.
Much appreciation of course goes to those who added themselves in the past year, we'll try and send Bassano around for beers in due course!
With the introduction of the daily post, and the permission granted to go off topic at will, there have been a wealth of comments about a variety of topics. Sometimes there are moments of genius, and a comment gets picked out as a contender for the Best Comment of the Year. RG even started a wiki page to compile what turned out to be an enormous list of potentials.
The initial plan was to have a poll and select the Best Comment of 2009. However, there are so many good ones that I think it would be too hard to choose. Instead, we'll pick out some of our favourites, and point you in the direction of the wiki to enjoy the full list.
Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled when you are in the comments this year, as we have started a new page for 2010, and there are already several candidates on there already. We're only three days in! For now, though, it's back to 2009 for a few of the great comments.
It's the Way You Tell 'Em
Before the long and drawn out process of picking a new FIA President was fully underway, we were discussing Max's decision not to stand for the position for another term. Max has said this a few times, and you can never be sure if he means it. When the question arose: "Are we taking [Max's decision] with a pinch of salt or is it the real deal?" Nick replied:
Max's promises come ready salted.
When Stuart went away from home to cover the WTCC at Porto, he still found time to share a couple of comments from the paddock. We were questioning the setup for media types at the touring car events, and wondered whether there was wifi available. Stuart replied:
Sort of - it comes and goes more than the Karma Chameleon...
Now, there is plenty of proof littered through the comments that Steven Roy's keyboard hates him. Some of the typos that occur are quite amusing, and even create some of the words that make it to the Sidepoddictionary. When a conversation occured about the film Deep Impact, Steven wrote: "Just decided this film is utterly unrealistic. They spotted the comment a year before impact. The last thing that came close to the Earth was spotted a week in advance."
Rachel read the movie review and replied:
Must have been one explosive comment.
Next up, at some point during the summer Mr C and I were very much in the mood for heading out of doors. It doesn't happen that often but at one point, Mr C revealed that for the third day in a row, he was going outside. Amy wasn't all that impressed:
This is becoming far too frequent. This is not outsidepodcast.
Nick was in Abu Dhabi during the Grand Prix weekend and claimed that it had hosted the best race of the year. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't shake his belief. Jackie turned up in the comments asking after him: "Is Nick back from his travels yet?" And Steven, no doubt exasperated by the positive GP reviews, replied:
No, he is still on a different planet.
Finally, Jon was struggling to get his links to work in the live comments. It became an established fact that Jon's links weren't functional and he said: "I have an ability." To which Boston Red Scott replied:
You see dead links?
Those are just a couple of our favourites but make sure you head over to the entire list and have a read through. It's a year in crazy comments, and seeing some of them taken out of context just makes them even more amusing. I can't wait to see what we come up with in 2010.
