Jaime Alguersuari waves goodbye to teenager-dom today as he celebrates his 20th birthday. Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
Epsilon aims for F1 (Joe Saward)
Could F1 get a second Spanish team?
Blanchimont tunnel collapses at Spa (Autosport)
“The Blanchimont Entry Tunnel, which is located just before Paul Frere Corner (formerly Stavelot), provides access from the outside of the circuit to a karting track on the infield. The incident has left a hole in the surface of the run-off on the outside of the corner, though the only damage to the track itself is some cracks in the asphalt.”
OK we’re not going to hit 10,000 followers before Melbourne but we have just passed the 7,000 mark. One lucky follower will win a very cool prize after the Australian Grand Prix, so if you’re not following F1 Fanatic on Twitter yet grab your free account and start following today.
Comment of the day
Going to the Australian Grand Prix? Make sure you catch up with the other F1 Fanatics heading to Albert Park:
Tom, Macca, The Pope – I’m at the race too, Sitting in Jones Stand on Sunday.
Want to meet up and have a beer/coffee/soft drink? There is a two hour break between Prac 3 and Qually and we could meet up 4pm under the Golf Course Giant Screen?
That way, everyone can get there if they are grandstand or general admission entry?
Let me know!
Terry Fabulous
Read more: 2010 Australian Grand Prix discussion
Site updates
I’m planning a new series of articles designed for people who want to contribute guest articles. My plan is to have five different styles of articles to run on set days of the week and invite F1 Fanatic readers to submit their own. I’ll also produce some of the articles as well, and offer help and advice to anyone who’d like to write one.
Here’s the plan for the articles. If you’re interested in joining in or have any thoughts on the plan please post in the comments.
Monday – Poll
Put an issue of the day to a vote. Yesterday’s post on blue flags is an example of the intended format with the headings For, Against, I Say, You Say.
Tuesday – Top Ten
We want interesting, quirky ideas for top tens. In the past we’ve had Ten Best Ways to Finish An F1 Race and Ten Best Team Mate Rivalries.
Wednesday – F1 in numbers
An F1 trend or curiosity highlighted in statistics – in the past we’ve had The Rise and Fall of F1 Driver Numbers and Michael Schumacher vs Adrian Newey.
Thursday – Featured Driver
A biography of an interesting F1 driver (not a current member of the grid).
Friday – F1 Alternative
Make your case for another form of motor racing: recommend a non-F1 race or races that’s on during the coming weekend and introduce the category for non-fans. This was a series of articles a few years ago which I’d like to bring back.
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.
Update: And a happy birthday to TommyC and KIBD as well
On this day in F1
Seven years ago today Kimi Raikkonen scored his first F1 victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
KlBD
23rd March 2010, 1:15
Like Jaime, I’m celebrating my 20th today too :O hard to believe we were born on the exact same day!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd March 2010, 1:25
Nice one – happy birthday!
KlBD
23rd March 2010, 1:28
Thanks Keith :D
TommyC
23rd March 2010, 1:47
well that makes 3 of us…i think i forgot to put my name in the list though.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd March 2010, 11:08
Sorry Tommy you had told me and somehow I overlooked it on the list. Happy birthday to you too.
TommyC
23rd March 2010, 20:21
No worries, Thanks Keith!
Ben
23rd March 2010, 1:34
10 best dummy spits.
It can be drivers, team members, officialdom. Just the 10 best tanty’s F1 has seen. F1 has had punch-ons, people yelling at each other across press conferences, there should be plenty of examples.
(Alfonso vs Hamilton wouldn’t even come close to being on the list, mainly because there was never really a crowning tantrum moment, that I can recall at least)
Ben
23rd March 2010, 1:45
10 best come from behind’s. Guys who have been so far behind and ended up trouncing everyone. Fangio at Nurburgring comes to mind, but theres others of guys with no hope pulling out the big one.
David A
23rd March 2010, 2:30
Barrichello at Hockenheim 2000 was a great comeback.
inc0mmunicado
23rd March 2010, 6:15
Kimi at Suzuka ’05. Started from pitlane and won. :)
SeattleChris
23rd March 2010, 23:49
Ben, great idea! Speaking of Kimi, I thought of his front tire coming apart on the first corner of the last lap and ripping his front wing off from the strips of rubber; maybe, we could have a top 10 self-imposed dnf’s. Not wrecks in particular, but like Kimi’s flat spot which ended up costing him the race! Ouch, is there anything that can compete with that?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd March 2010, 8:50
Here’s some of our earlier top tens:
SeattleChris
23rd March 2010, 23:46
Top 10 passes of all-time. Would be nice if someone could have them available to view as well. I know the FIA is pretty keen to keep us from watching past events, but in the US there is literally nothing. Our coverage is so disappointing compared to the British coverage. We do get 24hour a day Nascar coverage, but I’ve got paint and a wall so I’d sooner watch it dry than bother with hillbilly banter.
inc0mmunicado
23rd March 2010, 2:06
How about top ten F1 twitter accounts/weblogs/video blogs to follow? All I read is F1F, as most of the other stuff is regurgitated or awful. But I would like to hear about what others are finding online, who has the juiciest tidbits and insider details, and whose stuff is at the top!
mike-e
23rd March 2010, 2:08
how about 10 best drives in minow teams, Like when senna nearly won the monaco gp in the rain untill it was stopped, or hills (damon) nearly victory in an arrows at the hungaroring in 1997 untill his engine trouble right at the end.
Calum
23rd March 2010, 8:20
Or that time Layton House were holding of the world champion Ferrari for the win until the last lap!
Joey-Poey
23rd March 2010, 4:11
I made a comment with an idea for a top ten just yesterday
https://www.racefans.net/2010/03/22/2010-australian-grand-prix-preview/#comment-349711
BasCB
23rd March 2010, 7:10
Nice ideas for the site updates. I will have to thing about something for the next days.
What about this:
Wednesday – what about time difference between race leader and backmarkers. Or take up something from the vintage drivers from Bahrain and compare their statistics in points/wins to races competed
Thursday – Senna might be because of his 50th birthday last weekend, or maybe something on Moss, as a tribute to him surviving the elevator accident
George
23rd March 2010, 7:18
Itsa ma birthday, cant believe I’m a year older than Jaime :o
TommyC
23rd March 2010, 10:47
turns out there’s plenty of us.
keith, i think you’re going to have to update today’s birtday list.
cacarella
23rd March 2010, 13:14
It’s my Birthday Too!!!!
Ben
23rd March 2010, 8:23
*sigh*
I went to the Aus GP 2 years ago, my mate and me were sitting trackside eating breakfast (we’d flown in on the first flight of the morning) and flicking through the program. There were something like 7 or 8 drivers on the grid younger than us……………. and we were only 23 at the time :(
ajokay
23rd March 2010, 8:50
Top 10 Gravel Traps?
Hmm, maybe Top 10 Bridges/Tunnels/Advertising Hordings over F1 tracks. I think Monaco’s tunnel would win that one, just ahead of Suzuka’s flyover, and Abu Dhabi’s christmas tree hotel walkway.
Tom
23rd March 2010, 10:32
There’s a late bid by a little-known tunnel at Spa…
Alex Zanardi’s adventures in the marathons, and his Paralympic bid, would make an inspiring read on a Thursday.
PJA
23rd March 2010, 9:44
I like the idea of set articles for each day, sort of like the regular lay out of a magazine. I predict that the top ten features will probably be the most popular of the guest articles especially after reading the comments so far.
MPJ1994
23rd March 2010, 10:20
Jenson Button and Jamie Whincup have swapped cars today. Whincup, two time V8 Supercars champion drove the 2008 Mclaren around Albert Park while Button drove the 2010 Team Vodafone Commodore.
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/whincup-drives-f1/tabid/70/newsid/9791/default.aspx
And heres two videos of the pair driving down the pit straight. You’ve gotta laugh at how early Whincup brakes into the first corner.
Whincup F1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAZ4yT-NY6g
Button V8 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9bRQWNamQ8
BasCB
23rd March 2010, 11:53
Liked that, only a shame, they do not show more of the laps
HG
24th March 2010, 1:44
that wicked. Couple of interresting points –
Button talks about how after F1, he has thought about doing v8’s. I hope that is true and not just him being nice. He also goes onto talk about how he would have to strengthen his right leg, for breaking the car because F1 is setup like a go cart. A couple of drivers manage to left foot break… Murphy, Coulthard, so would be interresting to se if he would end up doing it or not. He also talks about the stress of V8’s on the body – not with the high G’s like F1 but the heat. It must be so uncomortable in some races where its like 50 or close to 60 in the cab, especially when the cool suits fail.
And whincup enjoyed his ride, usuall talk about how amazing it all is, the breaks, the grip, the acceleration. Must be fun.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd March 2010, 11:06
More FOTA survey results, though because of their arrangement with F1 Racing it looks like the Haymarket titles have first dibs.
Under the headline “Fans support new points system” we learn that less than half of fans support the new points system, and more than 60% want a bigger difference between first and second place points:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82306
BasCB
23rd March 2010, 11:52
Well that should tell us, what value they give the opinion of the fans.
So the next headline will be “Fans support 2 mandatory pitstops” stating that almost 15% of the fans are supportive of this (not sure it was a question in the survey)?
They actually contradict their own words, in elections 62 % is a whole lot more than 45% and means the difference between not quite there and a landslide victory.
geo132
23rd March 2010, 13:38
i’m not sure i’m supposed to post this here, but since the forum is not up yet:
i got some good news, for myself:
my dad works in a shipping company (importing/exporting), and he got a pleasant call today. it was some F1 car manufacturer, i still don’t know which, but they demanded to speak with somebody who knows Italian+English (could it be Ferrari?! :D ). and my dad is the only one in his company who speaks both languages fluently, and they wanted him to escort an F1 car to a country near us. The car is arriving to my country by sea, and is then delivered by a truck to the other country. as soon as my dad knew about this he phoned me immediately and asked what is my studying schedule on thursday (the day of arrival). at first i hesitated and said i got a full day at the university. but then i decided i will pass that day and join him escorting the car! anyone wants to see some pictures? maybe i can make a little story out of it and pass it to Keith so you see how F1 teams do actually transport their vehicles etc.? :)
Joey-Poey
23rd March 2010, 16:00
please do if they allow you to take pictures!
Søren Kaae
23rd March 2010, 21:26
I remember once reading, that DHL had an exclusive contract, with shipping equipment and cars, to and from races. Don’t know if a new deal is made or what. But my guess is that DHL, would be able to manage it.
Fer no.65
23rd March 2010, 17:20
I’d love to take part writing something… don’t know what, but it’d be awesome!
jose arellano
23rd March 2010, 17:38
keith. i can make an analysis of the overtaking in the circuits… secuences of corners that lead to overtaking etc….
i already done a little bit. i can show you.. contact me by email
Søren Kaae
23rd March 2010, 21:30
What about technical features about the technologies on the cars. I like the technical analyses on the site, but I would like to get a deeper understanding of all the different parts like suspension, engine, tires, wheels, electrical systems etc. Aerodynamics is the only thing I understand to some extent.
These articles could give all readers more base knowledge about the sport, and give a better debate.
SeattleChris
23rd March 2010, 23:59
Agreed… The only part of formula1.com that I enjoy at all is the technical articles. The one the other day about Vettel’s car was amazing. I didn’t even notice this happening. I wish we could get more in depth analysis with pictures on the different cars and what they’ve changed and how it will impact air flow, cooling, and so forth.
learn spanish fast
11th October 2010, 6:17
I really like checking out your website for the reason that you guys always publish well thought out articles about computers and technology. Informative article. Great work once again. I plan to add this website to my faves. I am going to subscribe to this feed as well. Discovering a 2nd language is a good idea…