Today’s your last chance to enter the competition to win one of five copies of Stuart Codling’s “Art of the Formula 1 Race Car.” Get your entry in before midnight GMT.
Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
The big man is hungry (Metro F1)
Toro Rosso’s Giorgio Ascanelli on developing an F-duct for the STR5: “If I have ten euros and am hungry, I would buy two sandwiches instead of three grams of caviar.”
Intense work session at Ferrari Driver Academy (Ferrari)
“Jules Bianchi, Daniel Zampieri and Mirko Bortolotti were driving behind the wheel of a F2008 from the F1 Clienti department today.”
Comment of the day
I can’t add add anything to this other than well said Calum:
I apologise to Jenson for doubting you and saying you were finished in ’08 when you were standing dejected next to a flaming Honda Earth car, while your fellow countryman was celebrating winning the title.
I apologise for saying your first win for Brawn was a fluke and you woudn’t be able to go all the way because you would be distracted, you certainly proved me wrong last year and I’m glad you did, another excellent ambassador from Britain for the sport.
I apologise for saying you made a mistake joining McLaren alongside Hamilton, but two victories out of four races speaks for itself, top of the league going to Europe again, I see no reason as why you can’t repeat ’09, keep it up Jenson I’m glad your constant plugging away in your early F1 career is finally being rewarded, you as they say have made me eat my words.
Calum
Site updates
Yesterday I did some more work on restoring the avatars which I know some of you are very keen to have back. At the moment enabling them would double page load speed so I’m sure you understand why I’m not prepared to do that. I’m looking into a solution for caching them on the site to keep loading times to a minimum, but I haven’t been able to implement the solution yet. Rest assured it is still a priority.
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 British Grand Prix was held unusually early in the year on this day ten years ago.
It was a disaster for the spectators who had to trudge to the race through fields of mud to the Silverstone circuit. Thousands were unable to make it to qualifying on Saturday as the car parks were closed for repair to allow people to make it in for the race on Sunday.
Sensibly the race was moved back to its July spot the following year. The crowd were at least treated to a home victory for David Coulthard.
Lenny
23rd April 2010, 0:24
Does anyone else agree with me in saying that Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are the best driver partnership in F1 that we’ve seen in the past 10 or 15 years?
Two world class drivers who are supremely quick, but two very different racing styles. Hamilton tends to be agressive and charge through the field, with Button taking a more tentative approach using excellent strategic calls. If Lewis’ race doesn’t work out then Jensons will and vice versa. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a McLaren on the podium for nearly every race this year because of this partnership.
I’m throwing my hat in the ring and tipping McLaren for both championships despite not having the fastest car, but for having the best driver pairing in F1 today.
Sush Meerkat
23rd April 2010, 0:28
It shows how far Jensen’s come to be considered an all time great amongst his peers.
Bertie
23rd April 2010, 8:58
I couldn’t agree more. I hope all the nay sayers out there who thought McLaren wouldn’t be able to develop a car that would suit them both are feeling adequately sheepish.
djdaveyp
23rd April 2010, 12:02
From the moment I heard a rumour it would happen I knew it would be a perfect combination! They are both awesome and completely different in style. They can learn so much from each other.
Christopher
23rd April 2010, 0:50
Weren’t the avatars from Gravatar, who surely implement a pretty aggressive caching strategy and are likely to have better-powered servers?
i.e. I don’t see, if enabling them, how hosting them on F1F would have any speed advantage over leaving it to Gravatar (aside from saving one DNS lookup).
Christopher
23rd April 2010, 0:55
Actually, I may take that back having actually checked.. :)
Surprisingly, Gravatar only tell your browser to cache avatars for five minutes, as far as I can see.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd April 2010, 8:50
Yeah each one is an individual HTTP call.
There are caching solutions available but at the moment they conflict with other stuff on the site which is more important.
Ned Flanders
23rd April 2010, 1:00
Great, can’t wait to have Gravatars back. I know they’re only pictures but I think they add a bit of colour and give everyone who uses them more of an online identity, which is good. And I’m looking forward to putting my Stupid Sexy Flanders pic back up!
Rob R.
23rd April 2010, 1:26
Without these avatars, feels like I’m wearin’ nothin at all!
(I’m here all week)
Ned Flanders
23rd April 2010, 1:06
I know this is a really strange/ geeky F1 question, but it’s something a bit different and in the abscence of the Forum this seems like the best place to ask it:
What’s everyone’s favourite F1 pitlanes?!
I used to like the Magny Cours pit lane as it missed both the first and last corners, and was really short, but obviously Magny Cours is now an ex F1 circuit. So I’ll go for Monaco- narrow, cuts both the first and last corners and it backs onto another part of the circuit which is a nice novelty.
Christopher
23rd April 2010, 1:09
Surely Brazil is a great one.
Ridiculously fast entry that you narrowly miss when not using it, then a downhill, S-bend exit joining after the third corner onto the straight.
Ned Flanders
23rd April 2010, 1:20
I think the Interlagos pit lane entry has the potential to create a monumental accident. There’s a little barrier seperating the pit lane and the racetrack that the drivers whiz past at 200mph. If anyone ever misjudges their pit entry and ends up in that wall, it’s going to be nasty…
sato113
23rd April 2010, 3:16
if that’s bad in terms of entry speed, then monza must be worse! even faster and much more head on.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd April 2010, 8:51
If any designer tried to build a track with the Interlagos pit lane these days they’d be fired on the spot!
I think the new Monaco pit lane is cool, though, just because it’s unusual.
Untitled258
23rd April 2010, 1:13
It has to be the Yas Marina, just because it goes through a tunnel!
Tunnels = Awesome.
It has to be said :-D
sato113
23rd April 2010, 3:15
i like spa how it runs high above the track on entry and then bends around to spit you out before eau rouge.
and for non f1 events, it has a double pit lane with the pit exit running up alongside eau rouge! with cars leaving at the top.
Mike
23rd April 2010, 6:54
Have they changed the spa one in recent years? I seem to remember something like that…
The one that I remember enters just before the bus stop and exits on the outside of turn 1.
George
23rd April 2010, 7:26
Yeah, they have a two grids at Spa, the F1 grid comes after the bus stop so the pits are on that side, for endurance races the grid is between La Source and Eau Rouge, so the pits are that side(I think the entry is where the F1 cars leave, not 100% sure though).
steph
23rd April 2010, 8:41
Brazil and Abu Dhabi for me.
BasCB
23rd April 2010, 9:19
I liked the old Monaco pit lane, but just because it was almost non existant!
DanThorn
23rd April 2010, 10:47
I quite like the one at the Nurburgring, and I think China has a fairly decent pitlane entrance. Also, anyone who’s driven Sepang on a video game will know just how hard it is to see the pitlane entrance there!
I think pitlanes used to be better though. I remember Albert Park’s entrance used to have a chicane before the speed limit line and it was fantastic seeing the drivers attacking it. Magny-Cours was also good – even if it did facilitate the ridiculousness of a four stop strategy!
steph
23rd April 2010, 12:18
“I quite like the one at the Nurburgring”
Hehe I remember when Kimi fell out of it in 07. That race was insane!
DC
23rd April 2010, 10:32
Great news! Evidently there are serious efforts underway to bring F1 back to Indianapolis. Remember the rumours about Tony George meeting Bernie in China? It wasn’t just a “holiday,” as George stated. One of the guys with him, Zak Brown of Just Marketing was there to show Bernie the money (or maybe only some money).
This is from Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100423/SPORTS01/4230324/1052/SPORTS01/Can-the-right-numbers-be-found-for-F-1-s-return-to-Indy
DC
23rd April 2010, 10:33
Forgot to mention: they are targetting 2012.
djdaveyp
23rd April 2010, 12:01
Well deserved comment of the day!
F1silverarrows
23rd April 2010, 15:23
I had faith in Jenson to show where he stands but i did think Lewis would struggle with his tyres every race this year, a doubt which he has pritty much prooved me wrong since he is doing as well as anybody.
But I still stand where I was from the first race: “It’s Vettel’s to lose” whoever beats vettel this year to the title very much deserves it with having a car nothing close to the Red Bull’s.
Untitled258
23rd April 2010, 15:49
Am i the only person in the world who thaught that Jenson wouldn’t get his **** kicked at Mclaren?
Ive said for months he will surprise people when he moves there but noone bloody listened.
I said in 2008 that Jenson will be a good shot for winning the races with in 09, knowing they where aggressively developing the car, and no one listened then!!
Keep the faith people!
Hallard
23rd April 2010, 17:52
I’m glad I am not the only who is eating his words about Jenson Button. I was very critical of him in the last half of 09 but he is certainly doing a good job defending his title. Best of luck to him, and Lewis as well.
soulmonkey
23rd April 2010, 21:57
As much as I enjoyed and respect Jenson’s efforts so far this year, he still needs to prove himself in the dry. Button race wins have come on tactical decision. I want him to win one or two by “racing” for it. Then I won’t eat my words, since I made no claim as to what would be his outcome, but I will take my cap off to him truly.
We want turbos
23rd April 2010, 23:41
Always been a fan of Jensen met him in 08 at silverstone on the Monday after the race, really nice genuine bloke!! Also I’m glad some of his doubters can agree he is talented. He’s shown his quality and proved so many wrong this year as well even if he finishes 5th in the WDC he’s still proved himself! Also how casual does he look?