F1 Fanatic round-up: 7/1/2010
After Tuesday’s drama yesterday was a lot quieter for F1 news apart from BMW-Sauber announcing their 2010 car launch. Let’s find out what today has in store.
Links
2010 regulation changes – 2009/2010 side comparison (F1.com)
One of three articles taking an early look at how the 2010 F1 rules will change the design of the cars.
Max Mosley says Formula 1 door will be shut on Briatore (The Times)
Mosley on the Briatore verdict: “If we can’t sanction somebody for doing what Briatore and Symonds did, then the whole purpose and basis of the FIA would be in question, because it goes to the heart of safety, of fairness and to all the fundamental points of our activity. The idea that we might say, ‘Oh, it’s all right’ would be unthinkable. That would be the end of any credibility for Formula One because you cannot envisage a more serious example of cheating than what happened in Singapore. Not only was it dishonest from the cheating point of view, it put lives in danger.”
According to F1.com the Australian Grand Prix starts at 5pm local time on March 28th, which is 8am here in Britain. By my reckoning that should actually say 7am, because of daylight saving in Britain which means the clocks go forward one hour that day. Can someone double-check this for me? Wouldn’t want to set my clock an hour late by mistake…
Comment of the day
Make sure you have a look at Christian Biddon’s pictures from the Donington Grand Prix Collection posted on the story about repair work at the track. If you can make it over there, do go and see the collection first-hand you won’t regret. Unfortunately their website appears to be down at the moment or I’d link to it:
I agree that it is a shame about what has happened to Donington this year. We were arranging a work trip to the BTCC this morning and have almost discounted Donington as we don’t know if it will be hosting a race.
The Grand Prix Museum is absolutely stunning. My wife and I went last January and any F1 fan will be stunned by what is on show. A link to my pictures is below. I urge everyone to visit.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briddon/sets/72157612348267356/
Christian Briddon
From the forum
Reader Alison Hunter is looking for F1 ideas for her husbands’s 50th birthday present.
Site updates
Nothing to look at but a few technical changes to the site yesterday as we continue to tackle the problems with slow loading speed and crashes. If you’ve got experience with this sort of thing advice and ideas are always welcome so do get in touch.
Happy birthday!
No F1 Fanatic reader birthdays today. If you want a shout-out on your birthday let me know when it is. Get in touch by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
Two years ago today McLaren launched their 2008 F1 car. It bore the numbers 22 and 23 because of their exclusion from the previous year’s championship – and for the same reason it had been checked to ensure the team had not carried over any technology gleaned from its possession of Ferrari documents.
Despite that the MP4-23 took Lewis Hamilton to the 2008 drivers’ title.
This time last year we got our first glimpse of how the re-modelled Donington Park circuit would look – but we all know how that ended up.
I was looking forward to seeing what Donington would do with the museum. The cars are fantastic and it’s such a great collection but its a little… shed like, as supposed to a top museum.
That was mighty quick Keith, it’s not even 12.30am yet!
About the Donington Museum, me and Tom went last year as I’d never been before, there is such an amazing collection of cars, but the building is so tatty, it looks like they’ve put no effort into displaying the cars which really let it down. I loved visiting, but it wasn’t amazing like it should be. I guess they just don’t have the money
but a little bit of effort wouldn’t go a miss.
Our clocks go back the night before (‘our’ being Victoria and NSW…sadly I will be a New South Welshman again…so no GP for me…). So it all evens out.
timeanddate.com says that daylight savings time (EST) doesn’t stop here until april 4th, zerogee, so I agree with Keith. 7am start for the UK.
In the US the time changes on the 14th of March, so we might have the same problem with the Bahrain race. I think the time changes at 12 or 2 am early Sunday, so it should already be adjusted by SpeedTV, but its worth double checking.
Keith, I could be wrong, but I believe I started the most commented active forum discussion with “2010 F1 Driver Predictions”. At 300 posts, it appears to be by far the longest (I only went through 12 pages on the “all forum posts” section). I believe I should get my 15 minutes of fame with an honorable mention. Thanks
And I imagine it will keep going until all the seats are filled – or at least until one side of the Heidfeld debate which it seems to have become has come out on top!
Thanks Myles – I thought it was doing so well it didn’t need a plug on the blog
Bit early to be setting your alarm for Australia, isn’t it?
Re: Donington Grand Prix Collection – Had the pleasure of visiting it in June last year, it’s well worth a visit. Touching to see the all the Roger Williamson memorabilia.
Keith i did that last year for the Malaysian GP
Was Ragin!
Got Up At 8:30am, went and got a shower, put my Mclaren gear on and went down stairs with a smile on my face ready for the Grand Prix, put on the tv it read, 10:30AM, i was what!! put on BBC1 i see Rosberg pitting! I WAS RAGIN. all because the clocks went forward! :L
i believe that it is also Lewis Hamiltons birthday today.
So Happy Birthday to him!!!
Indeed it is! Hamilton turns 25 today.
Didn’t Hamilton want to race the 23 car in 2008.
It was James Hunt’s number when he won the title.
The Mclaren was the MP4/23.
and it was Lewis’ 23rd Birthday on it’s release date.
I think you are correct about the equivalent London time for the Australian GP being 7:00 a.m.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meetingtime.html?month=3&day=28&year=2010&p1=152&p2=136&p3=179&p4=-1
Comment of the day!!! I’m honoured.
I just realised that means Hamiltons championship winning car was launched on his birthday in 2008
The rule comparisons are very interesting to read. Great link.
Happy Birthday dear Lewis!
Some F1 news today, fingers crossed the double decker diffusers will be banned next year
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80766
You were in charge Mosley. The fact Briatore and Symonds have ultimately got away with no punishment because of your dodgy running of the sport is your fault.
‘Wouldn’t want to set my clock an hour late by mistake…’
every f1fanatic’s worst nightmare.
Bring on more regulation changes. It’s sure has put a spanner in the works for a bit until that is the engineers get on top of the changes…