F1 Fanatic round-up: 1/5/2010

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The next of our “Why you should watch…” guest articles will be on the site later today – don’t miss it. Here’s today’s round-up:

Links

New hope for Donington (MotorSport)

“Kevin Wheatcroft has been hoping to attract a new leaseholder to take over the circuit, with the BARC and Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision organisation both touted as potential candidates. Between them the BARC and MSV already run eight British race circuits. But without a deal confirmed, it appears Wheatcroft is taking on the task himself, at least in the short term – a decision for which he should be commended.”

Revving up for the Spa roadshow (Renault)

“The legendary Spa circuit in Belgium is the latest stop for the Renault F1 Roadshow this weekend. We’re here for the second round of the World Series by Renault to help entertain the fans with some displays of our demo car. J?â?®r?â??me D’Amborisio will be the man on driving duty, realising his boyhood dream of blasting through Eau Rouge at the wheel of an F1 car. So it will be a pretty special weekend for him and we’re expecting lots of fans to come along and watch the show.”

Comment of the day

An interesting contribution to the Hamilton weaving debate from Matt90 – video embedded below.

Bit off topic but I just saw this example of swerving to break a tow. Not as extreme as Hamilton, but still ‘more than one move’ yet it gets no mention from the commentators or the stewards as far as I know.
matt90

Happy birthday!

No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

The first of May is always remembered as the day Ayrton Senna was killed in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

F1 also raced at Imola on this day in 1983 and it was a race that came to a dramatic end. Riccardo Patrese took the lead for Brabham but crashed at Acque Minerali, six laps from home. That left Patrick Tambay to win for Ferrari in car number 27 – the same car whose driver Gilles Villeneuve had been duped out of victory by team mate Didier Pironi at the track 12 months previously.

Patrese complained that the Italian crowd cheered his retirement, being more pleased to see a French driver win in a Ferrari than they would have been to see Patrese winning his home race.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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50 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 1/5/2010”

  1. i would like to see donnington back on the F1 calender, its central to the whole country and used to be a great venue.

    1. I still think Silverstone is better than Donnington, I don’t know about the location of both of the circuit & but Silverstone have lots of history.

      1. i still think ‘donners’ is too narrow for f1 racing anyway. i can imagine a processional race developing out of it.

      2. They’re in pretty much the same place

  2. I think the Bahrain clip demonstrates that passing is actually possible at Bahrain.

    I can also see matt90’s point about the weaving.

    1. And with cars with nicely-proportioned rear wings…

      1. And sweeter engine noises… Then cars had less downforce and more power which is the best recipe for overtaking.

    2. Old format Bahrain was very good for passing. In 2009 we saw Kers cars getting passed by non Kers runners. The Old format was specifically optimised for one thing, three long straights one after another for gods sake.

      The Damn silly extension ruins that by spacing the cars out in a super high downforce narrow bumpy rubbish section.

      1. This year we had the second highest number of overtakes at the Bahrain circuit. Actually almost twice as much as during that 2004 race …

        1. I actually think the coverage of Bahrain elt it down this year. Ok, the new section isn’t great but if they had focussed on some of the other cars rather thn just Vet and the Ferraris then we may have seen some more action.

  3. Aryton died on my tenth birthday. Given the race in 94 was on overnight New Zealand time I woke to be told the news by my Mother. I cried a lot, and didn’t go to school that day. No matter what the future holds in F1 Aryton will always be my number 1 driver.

    1. I remember it well too. I was 15 and asleep when the race was on too (living in Australia).
      My Dad told me when I got up in the morning. I was shocked and just assumed he was joking. It wasn’t until I got to school and saw a guy in the playground with a newspaper and the story in it that it sunk in.

    2. a true f1fanatic you are sir. good to see your passion.

    3. I too was 10 years old when Senna died. I had really enjoyed watching him race the few seasons before hand and although he didn’t win any titles in the years I was following F1 (1992-Present) I had posters of him on my bedroom wall (my favourite being an image of him in a McLaren).

      I had missed the Saturday of that weekend’s event so Senna’s accident was my first ever experience of someone dying in my life and it had a huge impact on me. I will never forget watching the race live on Eurosport (it was also on the BBC though?). I cried a lot that weekend.

      The end of season tribute to Senna was also very hard to watch at that age.

      I’m now 26 years old and so is Bruno Senna. I can’t help but feel some connection to him and it brought back memories of my childhood seeing Bruno race in Bahrain in that familiar yellow helmet. I hope he finds his feet in F1.

      As much as we all want excitement and risk in F1 it has been 16 years since the last death and the FIA, FOTA and GPDA have done a great job making sure Roland and Senna remain the last.

  4. Petrov didn´t do the same move in the same race with Lewis?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUn5wUbAfc

    1. MouseNightshirt
      1st May 2010, 4:03

      No, he made one move down the straight and then moved back to the racing line for the corner – Hamilton was too far back.

      1. Yes. Is the same move and the same distance and Petrov seems to move more than Montoya.

        You cant see that the guys in front of Petrov keep the line while he moves to the right when arrive at the straight.

        1. Oh right. I didn’t even see it at first but he weaves back and forth too yes.

  5. RIP Ayrton. I was only 3 when he died and had no knowledge of him, but in the past 5 to 7 years having learnt all about his incredible skill, records and supposed good nature (off the track) I have come to massively respect him.

    1. Same here. I was 3 weeks old when Senna died, but I also have come to respect Senna after seeing old videos and documentaries of him.

  6. I do agree with the fact that the coverage needs to improve but don’t you people think that the ticket price needs to come down a bit. If not mistaken maximum people in this blog are aged between 18-25 who are still students & usually don’t earn too much by themselves to go in a Grand Prix even once a year.So that is one part the FOM or FOTA needs to work.

    Another thing on which I hardly noticed ant comment. Don’t you think the number of GP need to increase from 19 to somewhere between 22-25 in the near future? ( in about three years)

    1. I made a mistake by printing the comment on the wrong page,
      Sorry

  7. MouseNightshirt
    1st May 2010, 4:00

    Didn’t engines sound so much better back in those days?

    1. Amen to that! Those V10s had quite a unique sound. The V8s have grown on me, but those V10s were great.

  8. I still find it hard for Senna’s death to strike a chord with me. I never saw him race and only knew him as a shadowy figure of excellence. I can’t pretend to be a fan of his, as much as his achievements prompt admiration, respect, and awe.

    I wonder if it had been Senna who started F1 in 2007 for McLaren, instead of a certain other driver, what the attitudes towards him would be?

    1. Nathan Bradley
      1st May 2010, 10:43

      Definately agree with the second part there Icthyes, that would have been extremely interesting to see!

      RIP Ayrton, I may only have been coming up to 2yrs old when you died, but having seen your frankly tremendous racing over the years, you deserve only the greatest respect and admiration.

      Nathan

    2. The age of many on this site is interesting with regards to how Senna is (was) perceived. No one ever doubted his talent and ability but he was not universally liked, respected for his on track ability but not off it. I was at Imola that weekend but left on the Sat night. I was also at Imola when Tambay won and Patrese lost and there lie a lot of the answers. Most F1 fans here in Italy follow a team and not a driver. Hamilton exploded onto the scene in 2007 and lost by a point he then won the title and from what I read in the UK you can’t make up your minds if he is good or not. He has courted controversy and pushed up to the line in terms of the rules but as an Italian 100% Ferrari fan I have to say he is one of the very best I’ve ever seen come into the sport in 40 years. I am not saying he is Senna or of the same talent but Senna started in 84 and won his 1st title 5 years later. Think about it.

      1. Nathan Bradley
        1st May 2010, 12:10

        Very, very well said, and we cannot forget that Hamilton has the distinguished record of being the youngest ever WDC. When we look at the talent that has graced F1 in the past 60 years, that has to count for something, right?

        Nathan

      2. Nathan Bradley
        1st May 2010, 12:13

        Very, very well said, and we cannot forget that Hamilton has the distinguished record of being the youngest ever WDC. When we look at the talent that has graced F1 over the past 60 years, that has to count for something, right?

        Nathan

        P.S. Sorry if this is a double post, my browser went funny!

        1. Nathan Bradley
          1st May 2010, 12:14

          Yes, double post, whoops, sorry!

          Nathan

      3. I started following F1 properly in ’94/5 but I don’t really remember Senna when he was in the sport. Videos of his driving and interviews with him have given me an insight into what a talent he was, those with his contemporaries and the greats were particularly insightful.

        I would not say that he is “my favourite” or “the greatest I have ever seen” as I do not remember him alive. I however respect his driving ability, in the same way in which I respect that of Villenueve and Bellof.

        When remembering him one should also be wary of “the cult of Senna”, he may have been a great driver and carried out many respectful deeds out with the sport but he clearly had a ruthless streak, akin to that of Schumacher yet doesn’t receive the same amount of vitriol directed towards him.

      4. Nobody is questioning HAM’s ability but it surely helped him that he went straight to a top team, while most of the best drivers had to struggle for years, driving Minardis and the like before getting their hands on a Mc or a Ferrari

        1. So? McLaren thought he was good enough for it based on his experience in the junior categories. He came into F1 on the back of F3 and GP2 championship victories in consecutive seasons, and was winning in F1 in no time. There’s no way anyone can argue he wasn’t ready for it.

  9. When we are on the subject of bringing up old “incidents” and questioning the response of the commentators.

    Here is a screengrab of Vettel racing centimeters away from the McLaren pitcrew:
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/4567701418_87685dec67_o.jpg

    Hamilton was with his right wheels on the blue area. Well away from the Williams pit crew (until he got shoved off by Vettel near the end of the pitlane).

    So how is Hamilton’s drive considered dangerous by some and Vettel driving practically over the mechanic’s feet not?

    I usually don’t agree with EJ much, but in this case he was the only one to actually call the incident spot on.

    Coulthard even thought that this clip was evidence that McLaren crew would get penaliszed for releasing Hamilton in the path of Vettel because Vettel was moving before Hamilton was released (by a whopping 4 to 5 tenths).

    Obviously Vettel is not even completely on the fastlane in this shot and Hamilton is peeping out from behind the mechanics already.

    1. So what…you don’t want drivers to be able to leave the pit box? or be required to do a 90 degree turn before leaving the pit box?

      1. Draw alongside, parallel park! :-D

        It would make it relevant….

      2. I’d like people to see things in perspective …

        Why is driving ON the blue lane a life hazzard and buzzing on the wrong side of it not?

    2. Excellent point. Schumacher broke one of his mechanics’ legs going slower than Vettel would have been at the point shown in the screenshot.

      The point is as you say, the fuss about Hamilton being on the blue line needs to be looked at in perspective.

      On a side note, the BBC really need to do something about DC’s blatant bias towards Red Bull. As an employee, he should be impartial, or the BBC should state categorically that he’s still part of Red Bull; put up a caption that says “Red Bull pundit” or something.

      1. Plus you’d think he’d be a touch more grateful to the team that provided him with all but one of his wins.

  10. Not related to F1 at all, but thought you’d all like to see this. Happened today at the V8 Supercars event:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbpyvgOjOjA

    1. oh that is terrifying. That could have been horrifically bad.

      1. 2 people in a serious, but stable condition.

    2. Ned Flanders
      1st May 2010, 20:51

      Damn that is awful. I still live in fear of the day something like that happens in an F1 race… literally hundreds of people could be killed or injured if it was bad enough

      1. I heard recently that the makers of the official F1 game are required by FOM to ensure cars cannot land in the crowd in the game even if it is physically possible for them to in real life.

  11. 16 years but never forgotten. RIP Ayrton.

  12. Interesting reactions to the new Silverstone layout from GT1 Romain Grosjean says this.

    “It’s nothing special, we have lost Bridge and the complex which was very nice and we didn’t gain much with the new part. I’m not a 100 per cent convinced. With the single-seater cars they are flat-out through Abbey and in Formula 1 it is going to be very fast as well. I don’t think it gives any overtaking opportunities. So that’s a bit a shame.”

    Disagree with this, though of course he’s actually driven it, besides I always hated Brooklands an Luffield, now at least it’s one slow corner instead of two.

    Campbell-Walter doesn’t like it at all, an while I think he’s being overly harsh, an the track looks improved he makes a very good point:

    “They have got no excuses. They had an open field and they could have done what they liked, but they chose a stop-start chicane.

    “I know they have compromised for the bikes, but what’s to stop us using the old Bridge section and keep the new bit for the bikes?

    “Basically the new home of the British Grand Prix is a track suited to bikes and I don’t think that should be the case.”

    Aston Martin’s Darren Turner really likes it:

    “It’s good, it will be even better when they get rid of all the mud, because at the moment it’s quite easy to drag that back on the track. But I like the corners and it’s got bumps – which is a good thing. There are a few on the entry of Abbey at the part of the track that you’d want to turn in, which makes the corner difficult.”

    Oliver Gavin whose won the GT1 Le Mans really liked it, almost sounds like he’s being paid he likes it so much.

    “I think the circuit flows very nicely I’m very happy with it,” he said. “It’s got a nice combination of corners and some nice challenging stuff for us. There are two are three corners that are nearly flat and one or two that you have got to have a lot of commitment. The style of Silverstone has been carried on. The first right of Abbey and then the following left is a good combination and then heavy braking into Village. Surprisingly the Tarmac has got good grip, great for getting the power down and it is really unusual running on the national straight! You have got so used to racing under that Bridge. They have done a cracking job with it, I’m really very happy with it. I think that it is going to be a fantastic track not only for us, but for Formula 1, for MotoGP, they have really ticked all the boxes.”

    Weall I this sounds okay, personally I think it looks better but I agree that forumla 1 doesn’t really need the loop. If we could have one sharp slow corner for overtaking, possibly a hairpin, the only kind of corner silverstone is really missing, an keep it flat through Aintree onto Welligton i’d love it. Seeing as the Loop really is there for bike saftey surley F1 could have a different corner?

  13. As i said on that day, when i was only 6, “you’ll always be the best, Ayrton”.

  14. 16 years…………

  15. Nice heads-up about weaving.

    I really hope Donnigton can land on its feet again, so to speak.

    More teams must use YouTube and the likes as this will force Bernie’s hand…

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