The first practice session of the second race of 2010 is coming up very soon. Keep an eye out for the practice one live blog.
Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
So who wants to set up their own racing series?
Rosberg careful of Schumacher remarks (Autosport)
“I need to be so careful of what I say. Unfortunately I am not able to say any more of what I think in general, which is unfortunate but is the way it is. I can’t afford bad headlines against one of the best of all times, who has a huge following and supporters. It is not in my person to say anything, but some people, if I say what I think, they will twist it and make it look bad. So I just need to be very careful. Unfortunately that is the way it is.”
If you think Formula One is boring watch something else, say champions (The Guardian)
Fernando Alonso: “We need to be calm and wait some races to see if some new rules have some impact on the show. I don’t think it has changed the show. This is about technique, about how precise everything is in terms of the mechanics, the engineering, everything. People who want extra show perhaps need to reconsider if they want to watch Formula One.
Comment of the day
Macahan puts forward some sensible reasons why there aren’t more American F1 fans:
I think a race on a oval track in US could invoke interest from the US people that are not following F1 and a small fan base could be picked up due to it and doing that for a few years could bring a large US fan base that previously ignored F1.
Also it doesn’t help that North America lost all their races last year and have only one race this year.
Plus we are getting entirely screwed on time of day for races with the tempering of race start times. All race starts are adjusted to better fit the Europe audience. Even Canada and Brazil race are adjusted to better suit Europe by running the races early afternoon.
I’m central US, the races starts 10 and 11am for Canada and Brazil. All European races starts at 7am and Asian races between 1am to 4am since they are all "delayed".
Before Australia was pushed up two hours last year I would go to bed at 1am after the race and I could sleep in on Sunday. Now race starts at 1am (can still sleep in).
To be a F1 fan in the US take dedication or a good DVR.
Macahan
Happy birthday!
Birthday shout-outs today go to Alianora la Canta and Henrique Pinheiro.
On this day in F1
This time last year we were mired in ‘diffuser-gate’.
James_mc
26th March 2010, 3:03
Hmmm
A1GP, a good idea in principle but given the increasingly-homologated nature of F1 and the current trend for nationalistic teams, really a non-starter at the moment. Although surely a more viable prospect than Superleague Formula!
It will probably be best remembered for Nico Hulkenberg winning it in his debut season and it will be forever mentioned by Adam Carroll supporters.
Peter
26th March 2010, 3:17
I agree with Macahan about time being a problem for US F1 fans. I’m on the West Coast, and the European schedule is all on too early in the morning for me. I watch all races prerecorded on my DVR, which means I have to avoid the internet entirely until I’ve watched it to avoid spoilers. At least I can stay up and watch Melbourne at 11 o’clock on Saturday night. I’m not sold on the oval track idea however. The lack of oval tracks is one of the reasons I watch F1. I can’t stand NASCAR and other oval track series… Even when they crash it’s boring.
macahan
26th March 2010, 4:13
COTD I am honored.
I feel for you Peter. 5am on 10+ races I have hard enough time doing 7am. Only good thing for you is the fly away asian races that then starts 11pm to latest one at 2am. But those are few and on the races on our side of the world you need to be up at 8 and 9am.
Fred Schechter
26th March 2010, 4:42
Indeed Peter! (wish I could join you at GKR this weekend)
Prisoner Monkeys
26th March 2010, 3:36
Jeebus. Everyone whinges about how there’s no United States Grand Prix and about how it’s so important to the sport, and when you finally do get news of a return to the calendar, you then start complaining about how it’s in the wrong sport.
This just proves my hypothesis: Formula 1 fans are only happy when there’s something to complain about. Is there any sport out there with a larger percentage of whingers in its fanbase?
Patrickl
26th March 2010, 4:03
Well, we have had 2 weeks to complain. Not much else to do :)
Icthyes
26th March 2010, 13:03
It doesn’t prove anything, PM, and it’s a bit rich given your record on the issue of the USGP; you’d be the first to “whinge” about it going back to Indy, should it do so.
We want a USGP, but we want it somewhere that’s going to be better than yet another Singapore, Valencia, etc. There are many of us who would be happy to have one regardless, but we think this fake “NYC” project of Bernie’s would be a disaster and counter-productive to the reasons we want a USGP in the first place.
Spud
26th March 2010, 16:43
Bernie seems to go for places that splash the cash on fancy underground pit lanes or tracks that go under grandstands and other gimmicks like that.
I personally couldn’t care less about any of the fancy buildings or any of that stuff. If the track is a bit dated but provides a great race then i’m happy (example Interlagos or the old Hockenheim) and it doesn’t have to be in th US either……
If the racing isn’t up to scratch then that’s what really matters.
Bernie doesn’t care to see great racing, he cares to see
$$$$$$$$$$/€€€€€€€€€€/££££££££££/¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥.
Delete as appropriate.
Patrickl
26th March 2010, 4:03
Those quote from Alonso are taken from a Q&A that Autosport has a much bigger bit from:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82357
Alonso gives some great answers.
They also did a Q&A with Schumacher, but weren’t really able to get a proper answer out of him.
Joey-Poey
26th March 2010, 4:21
out of curiosity, when will the Australian race predictions post go up? I’m going to be very busy Saturday sooooo I kinda need it up before then :(
The Comedian 39
26th March 2010, 9:16
click on the ‘community’ tab at the top of the page on the navigation bar, you’ll find the prediction championship there. :)
Joey-Poey
26th March 2010, 13:20
sweet, thanks! :)
kapow
26th March 2010, 8:49
We can all pitch in and create the F1 Fanatic GP series.
VXR
26th March 2010, 9:38
The teams and the FIA have been talking about the ‘show’ again. Apparently Charlie Whiting has suggested that only the super soft tyres and the hard tyres be used for every race.
Also on the agender was talk of cutting the rev limit to 17,000 rpm and then allowing the drivers a fixed amount of time to use 18,000 rpm.
McLaren also suggested success ballast in qualifying!
Icthyes
26th March 2010, 13:05
Charlie’s idea is a very good one.
The rev limit is also good, except it should go up from 18,000 rpm, not down :P
McLaren are saying too many strange things at the moment!
David A
26th March 2010, 18:17
Success ballast in qualifying? If Mclaren want that, then they should set up a touring car team.
Richard Branson
26th March 2010, 10:58
How big’s an A1GP fuel tank?
Tony Fernandes
26th March 2010, 11:34
Get your air hostess outfit ready beardy
Tony Fernandes
26th March 2010, 11:48
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8588432.stm
Not F1 news, but this is relevant to anyone who follows The Times’ F1 coverage- from June they’re going to charge us £1 to use the website for a day. I hope this isn’t the start of a trend…
I like their F1 stuff, especially how they tend to get exclusive interviews with Bernie Ecclestone, but from what I’ve read from Kevin Eason so far I think I don’t think he’ll do as good a job as Ed Gorman.
Tom
26th March 2010, 12:22
I can buy a paper instead but it’s very harsh on readers outside the UK. Personally I wouldn’t pay for either of those two writers, both too negative about F1 for my liking. Maybe that’s editorial policy because F1’s not on Sky…
The Sunday Times is much better with Martin Brundle and Mark Hughes on race days, but there’s enough of their stuff available free elsewhere.
David A
26th March 2010, 18:19
If people don’t subscribe, then hopefully the idea will be scrapped.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th March 2010, 13:56
Lewis Hamilton in trouble with the Melbourne police: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62P2GC20100326
macahan
26th March 2010, 14:55
oops.. someone forgot to turn the speed limiter ;) Flying high still after FP2 or forgot he was no longer in FP?
Stephen_P83
26th March 2010, 18:14
Well, he is a race car driver after all right? Hasn’t he been in some of those FIA Make Roads Safe adds recently?
James_mc
26th March 2010, 17:01
Not sure where to put this:
I personally think that Virgin’s re-design of the tub for a new fuel tank could have a silver lining. Going by current form it would be a while before they could actually run a race distance but if they have to re-design and re-homologate their tub, then they too can put in an “F-duct”
Patrickl
26th March 2010, 19:50
I thought they were only redesigning the floor and rear bodywork?
patrick Uk
26th March 2010, 21:30
Personally I think virgin have been given too much leeway by the FIA.THEY should have known their cars deficiencies during testing before Bahrain .NOW that they have beeen given the go ahead to build a completely new chasis so that it can be re crash tested for homologation again by the FIA.this sounds like reverse engineering to me and virgn should admit to all formula one fans that the so called CFD design thing IS A FAILURE and trying to do things on the cheap in formula one will get them nowhere…looking at the extra added costs of having to somewhat start from scratch again is not in the interest of the so called cost cutting measures by the powers that be.
Chaz
31st March 2010, 14:42
Rosberg should continue as he has been and do his talking ‘against’ Schumacher on the track…