It’s the last race-free weekend of the 2010 season. What are you doing with yours? Have your say in the comments.
Here’ today’s round-up:
Links
Williams indicates Hulkenberg will stay next season (BBC)
Frank Williams: “It was a little disappointing, maybe, in the first few races, perhaps because he was being over-cautious. But lately he has become very competitive and we have just seen the beginning of something exceptional.”
Schu ‘very impressed’ with Merc spirit (ITV-F1)
“The season is coming to an end and I have to say that I am very impressed with how our guys have coped with it, especially in the last few flyaway races. Even though we have not had any big developments recently, we have still delivered promising performances.”
‘I crossed myself and faced Modena’ (ESPN)
Stirling Moss: “When you’re 20 years old and you’re asked to go to meet Ferrari you cross yourself and face Modena. It’s a big deal.”
Comment of the day
DB was in the stands at Korea:
Sunday was cold and rainy as you probably saw on TV. It wasn’t that it was raining hard, just that it never stopped sprinkling from the night before so the track could never dry out. We were sitting in the very top left corner of the grandstand facing the section between turns 9-10 as if you were facing the stands. You could probably see me standing there if you were able to slow down the footage enough. It really did get quite dark at the end of the race. On TV the cameras amplified all the ambient light but in reality the sun was set already. Lucky they finished when they did.
DB
From the forum
Here’s a great question: Do drivers sneeze?
Site updates
The new design work has been finished and it should be implemented over the weekend.
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
This Michael Schumacher retrospective I wrote following his first retirement four years ago makes interesting reading since he’s returned. Particularly:
Fernando Alonso is a relentlessly fast, exceptionally professional driver cast in the Schumacher mould, only without the controversial edge.
Since writing that I think the ship has sailed on that last part.
Ned Flanders
30th October 2010, 0:27
I read yesterday (think it was on Twitter) that thousands of people who were at the Korean GP last weekend were not paying spectators, but had been given tickets for free in attempt to save face. The more I hear of the South Korean GP, the more I become convinced it was actually held north of the border…
John H
30th October 2010, 8:48
It’s unlikely Kim Jong-il would have allowed the race to take place without standardised engines.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
30th October 2010, 12:50
If there was a North Korean GP, Kim Jong-Il would have won.
sato113 (@sato113)
30th October 2010, 0:31
Schumi’s first retirement was 4 years ago? i don’t think so!
Cacarella
30th October 2010, 1:14
Wasn’t his first retirement at the end of 2006? – 4 years ago. ;}
Dipak T
30th October 2010, 1:31
Didnt he retire in is first race in Belgium, in 1992?
sato113 (@sato113)
30th October 2010, 1:38
1991 you mean. yeah. not 2006!!!
Hamish
30th October 2010, 1:54
Retirement from the sport, not race.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
30th October 2010, 2:41
I think Keith was talking about his first retirement fron the sport in 2006 Italian GP.
Mike
30th October 2010, 5:24
Haha! I see what happened there! :D
sato113 (@sato113)
30th October 2010, 13:16
@ Hamish- now that makes more sense!
Ben
30th October 2010, 4:22
jeez, how pedantic can you be?
sato113 (@sato113)
30th October 2010, 13:19
not really. If you read it one way, then it was a very confusing sentence!
Ned Flanders
30th October 2010, 0:33
And as for my plans for the weekend… the Tyne- Wear derby looms on Sunday afternoon. Newcastle vs Sunderland…. Good vs Evil…. Me vs Steph…. COME ON NEWCASTLE!!!
Anyway, to give this post a smidgen of relevance to F1, here’s a fact for you: Frank Williams is a Newcastle fan.
Steph (@)
30th October 2010, 10:26
Mark Webber supports Sunderland or at least he used to not sure if he does now!
I’ve been told by a friend (I’m rubbish at following football) that Sunderland mostly seem to be doing alright against the bigger teams but not the ‘easier’ ones so we should really strugle with you guys :P I jest of course, good luck to Newcastle.
Ned Flanders
30th October 2010, 10:37
Yeah that’s right. Although Newcastle have been rubbish at home lately so I’m not getting my hopes up too much.
I’d say good luck to Sunderland but I’m afraid I wouldn’t mean it. So… good luck to Newcastle! :)
CarsVsChildren
30th October 2010, 1:08
@nedflanders
in north Korea the spectators would have been forced in at gun point, made to do spectacular dances, and kim Jong ill would have won the race by 3 hours 15 minutes driving Lewis Hamiltons parade car from the Japanese grand prix.
Ned Flanders
30th October 2010, 1:34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg4h2sl-zFU
A display of Arinsang, you mean? It’s stunning but at the same time I find it a bit scary…
CarsVsChildren
30th October 2010, 11:30
very scary.
The funny thing is I can’t get the children I teach to make a neat line before leaving the classroom.
The North Koreans get them to do that. Maybe they are on to something.
Skett
30th October 2010, 13:22
I suspect if you were genuinely threatening to lock them in a box for 6 months for being out of line then your kids would do it too!
CarsVsChildren
31st October 2010, 2:04
Hmmmm thats not a bad idea….
US_Peter (@us_peter)
30th October 2010, 20:27
Yeah. If anyone’s interested in North Korea, Vice TV has a very interesting series of online videos of a trip to the country as Westerners. It’s both parallel-universe bizarre, and at the same time terrifying.
Joey-Poey
30th October 2010, 1:11
How prophetic was this?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
30th October 2010, 1:23
http://www.gtplanet.net/red-bull-x1-sebastian-vettel-gameplay-video-screenshots/
More on the Polyphony X1.
Anagh
30th October 2010, 4:53
Didnt GT5 have like the worst crash models ever?
Scribe (@scribe)
30th October 2010, 13:24
Yeah yeah, thats the important thing, not how fast it goes, but what’ll it do when I driver it sideways at 230mph into a wall?
David-A (@david-a)
30th October 2010, 15:14
GT5 is looking like the best driving game ever. Certainly better than F(ake)1 2010.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
30th October 2010, 16:11
The GT series has traditionally ignored damage modelling because of issues with the licencing. Not all manufacturers agree to the includion of detailed damage in the game, and as soon as one does not want it, no cars can have damage. Polyphony Digital have said that it is “important where they do not get into a situation where ne car can appear damaged, but another cannot”. GT5 – the full version, not the Prologue – will be the first time that damage is included in the game, applied to a select number of cars that they have obviously negotiated directly with the manufacturers. There are 200 of these cars, referred to as “premium models” in-game, which will get full damage modelling and hyper-detailed interiors. The other 800 “standard models” will only experience cosmetic damage in the shape of scratches and scrapes and getting dirty, and their interiors will be less-detailed than their premium counterparts (though they will be more detailed than cars in GT5 Prologue). Kazunori Yamauchi said he wanted to apply the damage and interior models to every car in the game, but Polyphony Digital quickly found that they were running out of time and room to do it. They briefly considered dropping it and having every car at what is now the standard level of detail, but Yamauchi didn’t want the work to go to waste and really wanted to include it in some form, so they selected 200 cars to apply it to. I’m a member of GT Planet – the same site as I got that news article from – and let me tell you: this annoucement created a huge stink. A lot of people comaplined about it, threatened to boycott the game unless Polyphony fixed it, and there was even one guy who threatened to kill himself unless every car in the final game included premium modelling. And this was six months out from the game’s release. Considering that it took Polyphony two whole years to render a two and a half kilometre circuit in Madrid, applying premium modelling to every car was never going to happen, even if they had the space to do it. Really, you ought to be thankful for what you get. Polyphony could have easily decided to cut it all. After all, they seriously considered it.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
30th October 2010, 18:27
These, I take it, are pretty much the same people who complained the game has taken forever to come out?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
31st October 2010, 0:30
Yes. And they complain when the game is delayed (which most GT fans assume will happen), compeltely missing the point that the game has been delayed to finish it. The sensible ones among us ask them if they’d rather play a buggy, incomplete version of the game now or wait to get a perfect game … and most of them think the game is finished now, and Polyphony/Sony are just screwing with the fans because they can.
It just goes to prove my point: fans are morons.
DeadManWoking
31st October 2010, 0:46
For further proof go look at the ” Horner hits back over Webber criticism” comments.
Mike
31st October 2010, 4:42
As a fan of the GT series, I honestly believe that when I play GT5, I will be playing the best game that they possibly could have created. GT5 is made by perfectionists who are trying to create the ultimate driving game. Money for them, is a secondary concern. And that is what will make the game so good.
For that, I’m willing to wait until it’s ready.
Accidental Mick
30th October 2010, 17:26
Sorry if I.m behind the times but does anyone know what engine Newey put in the X1 – it sounds awesome.
Mads
30th October 2010, 19:55
http://www.gtplanet.net/gran-turismo-5s-red-bull-x1-prototype-revealed-wspecs/
Anagh
30th October 2010, 4:48
From the Forum doesnt work.
RobertG
30th October 2010, 7:47
I remember 4 years ago, i was in concert, there was great music, but all I can think about was- Schumi wont drive in F1 anymore. I was schoked for 2 days xD
Dianna
30th October 2010, 20:45
We as a family,were shocked and dismayed too,I was crying for an hour.Even now,when the happy Italian anthem is played I expect to see Schumi jumping about on the podium.
So very glad he is back though,as it all seems to be falling back into place again with his driving..He was awesome,and hope he will be again.I recall when his mother died just before a race from an accident,both the Schumacher brothers raced that day in black armbands.I thought what they did was heroic.
I hope Michael realises that there are genuine Schumacher fans in GB cheering him on.We will stick with him through fire and water for what he gave to us all “back then!”
June
1st November 2010, 15:08
When I first heard that Schumi was coming back to F1 I thought ‘why is he doing this to himself?` And I thought I was proven right when he wasn’t as succesful as he was in his last season before the ‘retirement’, but now I see things differently.
I know that it’s not only about winning.
For me, Schuhmacher still is the greatest F1 driver ever and just like you said, Dianna, he gave so much to the sport that we all should be thankful that he’s back.
UneedAFinn2Win
30th October 2010, 8:25
Aside from the cockpit and covered front tires, the X-1 could be built as an aerokit on the new Indy chassis under the 2012 rules. How cool is that.
BasCB
1st November 2010, 8:49
Nice one, maybe RB Technology is doing some promotion work here to get into that bussiness :-D
Mark Thompson
30th October 2010, 11:01
Keith
As someone who has been an active reader of your blog more or less since it started it is disappointing with your new found celebrity status that you are turning your nose up at the very people who made you what you are, the loyal readers. I guess you are too busy lapping it up with appearing on SkyTV and Talksport and being invited to parties to have time for the readers mate :( the fans made you what you are it will be sad if you turn your back on them like you seem to be doing.
I sent in a polite question last night via email about your designer of the previous incarnation of the blog but you chose to ignore that, remember who made you fella, US.
CarsVsChildren
30th October 2010, 11:49
Notice the words “Last night”.
I have no idea what Keith is up to, but I would assume that most people with a life would not be at their computer 24/7 (and especially not on a Friday night)
Who knows what he was up to, but in any business I have worked in, a TIMELY reply is 2-3 BUSINESS days. Why don’t you learn some manners, be patient, and wait a little while before hopping on to the poor dudes website and bleating on about how you haven’t received your reply straight away.
If after 5 days you haven’t received a reply, send a PRIVATE email reminding him of your request, giving him the chance to save face (and also giving the person who runs a website you claim to enjoy the benefit of the doubt).
If after 14 days you still haven’t received a reply, then it might be a good idea to post a message in the comments to the effect of “Hey Keith is your email working? Did you get my messages?”
If after that you get no reply then maybe its time to start getting rude on a message board.
Instead you jump head first into being a complete pillock, and slander someones good character because he had the temerity to not instantly reply to your non-urgent request.
If this was my website I would use your IP address to track you down and slap you in the face with a cold, dead fish. Learn some manners, and get used to the fact the whole damn world does not revolve around you.
Havergal
30th October 2010, 12:29
I’m with you, CarVsChildren, Mark Thompson is well out of line here. I imagine Keith has a ton of email to sift through. And it’s Saturday, for goodness sake! MT needs to learn some manners.
jon
31st October 2010, 1:07
well said……
David-A (@david-a)
30th October 2010, 15:20
And you really expected a response by 11am on Saturday morning?
Feynman
30th October 2010, 17:50
I hear they’ve got Kathy Bates lined up to play Mark Thomson in the film.
Child-proof locks people, proper child-proof locks on all your medicine cabinets
, do you see why?
HounslowBusGarage
31st October 2010, 20:38
I hope you were quite drunk when you typed your comment, Mark Thompson.
As, if you were not, I can’t think of an excuse for such an unpleasant and impatient message.
BasCB
1st November 2010, 8:52
Wow, seems you are getting a bit impatient here!
The last time I send Keith a mail he reacted within about a day (it was about some spam on the comments), but that was at weeksdays.
I think he has been out finding great stories for us most weekends, so try to keep your cool for a bit.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
30th October 2010, 11:03
This weekend I’ll be working and probably spending money on things I don’t need. Might trawl ebay for some more models…
Looking forward to a nice joint of roast pork this evening washed down with lashings of ginger beer.
Alex Bkk (@alex-bkk)
30th October 2010, 12:01
Add a dish of a garlic mash and more than a few belts of single malt after the fact and I’ll join you Dan.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
30th October 2010, 12:07
Single malt, that’s what’s missing!
Alex Bkk (@alex-bkk)
30th October 2010, 12:09
What are F1fanatics for;)
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
30th October 2010, 12:29
Just noticed a nice bottle of Merlot and I think I’ve got half a bottle of Jack Daniel’s stashed away somewhere, but that’s not quite the same!
jacob
30th October 2010, 11:30
also this, its very, very interesting. its tavo helmund talking about the austin GP. videos 3 and 4 are particularly interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33_iNa8ZVQ&p=EE923CEE6395AB5A&index=1&playnext=6
BasCB
1st November 2010, 9:09
Interesting link you posted here Jacob.
Seems Tavo has been informing the locals at their own burger joint!
Funkyf1
30th October 2010, 12:21
Here, in Melbourne, Australia I’ll be doing some more home renovations as it pours down with rain. It’s a long weekend for us, the Melbourne Cup is run on Tuesday making it a four day weekend (at least for me, I’m not working Monday), still Im more excited about the forth coming weekend and following the progress of the Brazilian Gp.
@Mark Thompson maybe you can buy Keith a pager so he can respond to your beck and call or maybe you can take the advice of CarsVsChildren and learn some manners.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
30th October 2010, 13:47
I’m going to a Halloween party and working on something I might submit as a guest article, if Keith wants it.
BasCB
1st November 2010, 9:10
Sounds interesting, let us know how you did there afterwards.
Burnout
30th October 2010, 13:54
That article about Sir Stirling Moss was very interesting. I’m still amazed by the kind of accidents that drivers can just shrug off and be back in the car for the next race. Stuff like Alonso at Interlagos ’03, Luciano Burti at Spa ’01 or McNish going through the barrier at 130R in ’02. I’m sure the force of Sir Stirling’s impact in Goodwood was far lower, but it still put him in a coma.
What amazing times we live in.