Pirelli complete five-day test

F1 Fanatic round-up

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Pirelli has completed a five-day test session at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain, with help from former Formula 1 drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Romain Grosjean.

The tyre manufacturer has now notched up more than 10,000 kilometres of private testing, not counting the official test in Abu Dhabi in November.

Links

Pirelli wraps up five-day Bahrain test (Autosport)

"Pirelli has completed the final test of the year following a five-day session at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.

"In total, the Pirelli testing team completed nearly 3,000 kilometers, with Pedro de la Rosa and Romain Grosjean in charge of driving duties."

BBC gamble �200m F1 deal by promoting Martin Brundle to hot seat and dropping Jonathan Legard (The Daily Mail)

"Martin Brundle will become the voice of Formula One after BBC chiefs decided to take a massive gamble on the former driver."

Newey: 2011 form impossible to predict (Autosport)

"Red Bull Racing’s technical chief Adrian Newey says it is impossible to say whether his team will continue to be the dominant force in 2011 following this year’s titles."

Comment of the day

Ged is thinking of going to the Hungarian Grand Prix next year and has a few questions:

On the Thursday are you allowed access to the track? Is there a pit-lane walk for ticket holders to get drivers autographs?

On the Friday are you allowed access to all stands, regardless of your actual numbered ticket for the Saturday & Sunday?

I’ve been to Monza in 07 & 09 which was great for allowing both of the above, but Valencia in 08 on the other hand, was very restrictive.
Ged

From the forum

The F1 Fanatic Rolling Trivia Quiz continues.

Happy birthday!

A big happy birthday to Scott Joslin – hope you have a great day!

On this day in F1

And happy birthday to Jerome d’Ambrosio, who is 25 years old today.

D’Ambrosio was recently signed by Virgin to drive alongside Timo Glock in 2011. The Belgian driver, who appeared for Virgin in four practice sessions at the end of this year, will replace Lucas di Grassi.

D’Ambrosio finished 12th in this year’s GP2 championship behind Virgin’s reserve driver Luiz Razia.

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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46 comments on “Pirelli complete five-day test”

  1. I hope MB is up to the task of minute by minute commentary.

    1. I’m ecstatic about this decision. Both he and DC have an air of calmness in presentation, while Legard tried to force excitement into every comment and fill every moment with (often) unnecessary drivel.

      As long as he knows when a little exuberance is necessary (which hopefully he’ll recall from his days with the great Murray Walker, I think we’re in for an excellent season of commentary.

      Now would just like to see Eddie Jordan get on the international broadcast, not just 5 live.

      1. Fairly sure i’ll continue with the five lot after this. Promoting DC is a ridiculous desicion, depriving the veiwer of possibly the best of Brundle and a fantastic commentator in David Croft.

        Don’t know why they think two colour commentators are up for the job but apparently they do.

        1. I agree, it’s travesty. Maybe they are hedging their bets or maybe they are just pandering to the cult of celebrity. Either way they are denying us (and themselves) what would be a remarkable partnership.

          1. I agree but what people overlook is the possibility that David Croft is happy at 5 live

            He has a great team and seems like he has a fantastic time with them. Why would he want to leave? Same job but not with your friends and open to far more criticism!!

      2. I must say I am rather sceptical on this, although it is hard not to agree on replacing Legard, as he did not impress more in his second season than Piquet Jr. did at Renault.

        I just hope Brundle and DC make an interesting team for the comentary.

  2. How is promoting Brundle a ‘gamble’? Sure, he’ll have to adapt to talk non-stop, but his gridwalks show that he’s capable of talking for more than just one qualifying lap. Also, I think DC will bring out the best in him. The moment Brundle entered the commentary box after the gridwalks, he seemed to lose his spark and became bored with Legard’s description of what everyone could see anyway.

    Hardly a gamble to let Legard go and to promote Brundle, who in my eyes is a fabulous presenter. To have two knowledgeable people in the commentary box is invaluable.

  3. Brundle and Coulthard?
    I’m not so sure, Brundles a great commentator but how much do we really want to hear Coulthard go on about red bull?

    I can’t help but feel they should have given Crofty or Davidson the job!

    1. I can’t help but feel they should have given Crofty or Davidson the job!

      Totally agree with you.

    2. DC is a bore. I hope they replace him within the first couple races.

      I wonder if he’ll blame the asphalt if Vettel and Webber collide again.

    3. If, and this is a big if, Coulthard can keep the Red Bull fan boy gig down to a low rumble, Then I suspect he could be quite ok.

      I am a little surprised they didn’t go for a “proper” commentator… But I’d rather like DC to be given a shot before people jump on him.

    4. yeah i agree should have been davidson or crofty

  4. NewBoyLewisFan
    27th December 2010, 1:03

    yea i think that brundle and crofty would have been the winner, but they probs dont want to take him away from 5 Live, shame

    1. Think Crofty might be with a seperate production company or something or this would have been damn obvs.

  5. Jeez Keith don’t you think the site’s been a bit low on content in the last couple of days?! I’m not impressed.

    1. It’s Christmas, Ned. Give the guy a break!

      1. I… was… joking

        1. wasiF1…is…funnier…than…you
          Please confirm you understand this message 8)

          1. Haha! Poor Ned!
            That one never gets old.

        2. I was drunk.. apologies for this misunderstand, Ned.

    2. Off season and Christmas you don’t want much do you. Go listen to yourself.
      I’m not impressed with your comments.
      Jeez!

      1. I believe a sarcasm tag is in order. I’m amazed but please that the new Mrs C. allows him to work at all over the ‘break’.

        1. The internet is to be taken seriously at all times, anyone caught not taking the internet seriously is to be taken outside and shot.

          Anyone caught attempting humour on the internet is to be taken outside and shot.

  6. I hope Pirelli tyres will be better in compound difference so that we can have more races like 2010 Canada & they need to tear up which will force driver to make two pit stop.

  7. watched this vid:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPO93o5slWo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
    made me realise how good HAM is. one of the greats.

  8. Though I wasn’t as bothered as some people were by Legard, I will not miss him, that’s for sure. He did spout some truly daft lines at times, but then so did Murray and everyone loved him! (alas I was not following while Murray was still commentating, but I have watched old broadcasts, and I can see why everyone so adored his style) I suppose it’s the difference between loveable lunacy and then someone who’s gratingly out of the loop.

    What I’m curious about is how the chemistry will work between Brundle and Coulthard. As others have said before, the best way about things tends to be your everyman and your expert. Brundle has played the role of the expert quite well for a while, so will it work placing him alongside another former driver? I’m willing to give it a chance as I have no idea what to expect.

    Now… if you wanted a hilariously odd-couple pairing, I say bring over Darrel Waltrip from NASCAR and team him up with Brundle ;)

    1. I remember a lot of haters of Murray when he was commentating, just as many as Legard really… the problem is, I do think you need the everyman…the one who says the obvious, the one that comes out with the cliché one liners, the “It’s go, go, go” etc the commentator that has the excited “in the moment voice”….this is not for the fans of F1, but for the layman, the person who is mildly interested but not sure what is happening….and Legard filled that role….unless DC and Brundle surprise us, I’m not sure if either of them fit that role, that may not be bad for avid F1 fans….but for the laymen…for all those sound bites….it may be…

      An example….when you seen a replay of an iconic event in f1 past, recent or vintage…it is often the over excited sound bite of the layman commentator that is used….because they are stating the obvious…they are in the moment…and have that vocal quality the technical assistant commentator lacks….

      I just hope I’m wrong….and they do a great job…but it could be an odd one…

    2. half the time legard didnt relise something was a replay

  9. Without trying to sound like a complete F1 nut, I have a full copy of nearly every F1 from the last two years and you can definately hear Legard getting more random and confused, esp towards the end of this year. Its a shame really because, even though he could be annoying, he did bring something to the team which I doubt we’ll get with Brundle and Coulthard. Time will tell however (how long to the first race!)…

  10. Do we have confirmation from the BBC yet? This is still the Daily Mail, after all.

    Apart from the piece linked to, the same edition of the Mail also ran stories on how Jonathan Legard a) gives you cancer and b) negatively affects house prices.

  11. I’ve just soiled myself by following the link to the Daily Mail story . . .
    It’s the way that they present it as a “£200 million gamble” that really gets me. The fee was £200m for five years and we are just about to start year three. So how is swapping commentary blokes a £200m gamble? Are they suggesting that if DC isn’t up to the job, no one at all will watch the next three years of the contract?

    1. Haha it is a pretty ridiculous headline isn’t it. But then it is a pretty ridiculous paper…

      1. It might be a ridiculous story….*shudders*

  12. I wish they would get rid of Jake humphries, he doesn’t know anything about the game and talks to drivers and team owners like their idiots down the pub lol. He irritates me. Same with eddie Jordan with is interrogations, he is an hypocrite as I’m sure he didn’t tell lies as a team owner

    1. I think Jordan was quite entertaining with Coulthard next to him. In almost every sentence Eddie mentions how he had a team once and how good he was and how he would handle things and usually coulthard just shoots him down in an entertaining way. I liked that. lets see how it’ll go from now on.

  13. Can’t remember where I commented but this was my exact prediction on the commentary team!

  14. I wish the BBC would have the balls to allow a bit of dead-air during the TV broadcast; we don’t need to be talked at continuously.

    1. I like the way you think!

    2. A few years ago there was a strike at the Canadian national broadcaster that left the hockey games with nothing but the sounds of the arena and zero commentary – it was fantastic. Not sure that would work as well for F1, but some silent bits with nothing but race sounds would be good.

      1. The BBC red button has an option for no commentary.

        I was thinking it would be easy to have a F1 fanatic web comentary team that people could use online while watching the footage on TV

  15. I still think that Di Grassi deserves the seat more than d’Ambrosio.

  16. It’s kinda depressing when you reach the same age as an F1 rookie, isn’t it?

    I don’t get all the negativity. I’ve never heard a bad thing about MB’s commentating when something happens in the middle of him talking, so why now suddenly is being lead commentator going to be so bad? How many other sports have ex-competitors for commentators, and they do just fine. Okay, they’re never as good as the Motsons, Walkers or Wadells, but they’re usually decent.

  17. This is the best news in a while. Thank you so much for this great present of truly wonderful news. Legard has been booted off the BBC commentary team. Good riddance. I sincerely hope he is entirely booted from the F1 broadcast team as I do not want to see him pop up on 5live. I appreciate I may sound insensitive but he is oops was absolutely awful and lacking in every regard. Nice one Brundle…

  18. NOW ! Lets think about this for a mo.

    I don’t have a problem with Martin Brundle as a commentator but I think he may have to much sway as to who his sidekick is to be.

    If you were in his position, and given the chance, would you choose someone who you know well, knows about F1 and wouldn’t overshadow or usurp you in any way, therefore asserting you as Number1.

    or would you choose someone who is known to be a good and knowledgeable commentator, flamboyant and well liked, who may just be better than you and threaten your position or continuation, in the job ? ? ?

    1. I have to admit I did consider that. Though I figured it was probably more that he recommended coulthard due to the friendship between them rather than his own gain.

      (Or maybe he’s still under contract, who knows?)

  19. I don’t know why the Dailymail is saying the BBC is gambling, Martin Blundel is awesome as a commentator, so he is not professionally trained, so what? I don’t like the way he attacks Schumy, but then he carried Murray Walker in the later years Murray’s career and he is literally carrying Ledger. He is up to the job, but what is DC doing in the Dock? That is the question. Martin will be fine, but I can’t say the same for DC.

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