Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/Pg4fTtTtl4o/wmsc-decision-to-reinstate-bahrain.html
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Nico Rosberg - classic F1 2011
Nico Rosberg is the latest grand prix driver to select his five favourite all-time races for our classic Formula 1 series.
As regular readers will know, BBC Sport is serialising the F1 drivers' choices before every race this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and the red button on BBC television in the UK.
Rosberg, who is for the second season in a row putting F1 legend Michael Schumacher firmly in the shade at Mercedes, is the first driver so far this season to choose races only because of their status as all-time classics, with not one of his own making the list. Although the German took part in one of his selected events, he has chosen it for reasons that have nothing to do with himself.
In chronological order, Rosberg's choices are as follows:
The 1985 South African Grand Prix, which featured a memorable performance from Rosberg's father Keke. He finished second to Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell, but was at least as impressive as the Englishman on the day.
The 1987 British Grand Prix and Mansell's famous fightback to win, when he made up 30 seconds on team-mate Nelson Piquet and pulled off one of the great passing moves to overtake the Brazilian and win the race.
The 1997 European Grand Prix, when Schumacher notoriously - and unsuccessfully - tried to take out Jacques Villeneuve's Williams as they were battling for the world title at the final race of the season.
The 2000 Belgian Grand Prix, featuring the famous all-time classic overtaking move by McLaren's Mika Hakkinen on Schumacher.
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton, a former team-mate of Rosberg in the lower categories, snatched the world title with an overtaking move on the final corner of the final lap.
Regular readers of this feature will know that we pick one of the driver's choices to offer special treatment, and in this case we have plumped for the 1985 South African Grand Prix.
This choice was made partly because it an excellent race that has been somewhat overlooked, and also because the tape we were given of the 1997 European Grand Prix, which was covered by ITV, has a significant proportion of the race missing, so we are unable to provide highlights of that event.
I was intrigued as to why Rosberg chose the 1985 race at the brilliant original Kyalami circuit. After all, his father had many career highlights and this was a race he did not win - whereas he took stunning victories in Monaco 1983 and Dallas 1984 and starred in many other superb grands prix.
Clearly Nico was not old enough to have watched any of his dad's races live and remember them - he was just coming up for four months old at the time Keke was racing in Kyalami, and the elder Rosberg retired from F1 for good at the end of the following season, when Nico was a year and a half old.
So I asked Nico why he had plumped for that race above all.
"Because it was fun to see my dad beyond all limits," he said, pointing out that he had watched it on a video.
Keke in extremis, you mean, I said.
"Yeah. Fun, eh?"
Indeed it was. And Nico is right - it was one of Keke Rosberg's greatest drives.
Fresh from being beaten by Mansell at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, Rosberg qualified third in South Africa behind the Englishman and Piquet's Brabham-BMW, paying generous tribute to his team-mate's lap afterwards.
"I wonder if McLaren are beginning to think they've signed the wrong Williams driver," he joked.
Rosberg dropped to sixth at the end of the first lap, but quickly climbed through the field and took the lead from Mansell heading into lap nine, after the Englishman waved him through on the pit straight because the Finn was at that stage of the race using more turbo boost pressure than his team-mate.
Unfortunately for Rosberg, he had chosen the wrong moment to lead the race. It meant that on the very next lap he was the first to come across an oil slick dropped by the Toleman of Piercarlo Ghinzani. With no warning from the marshals that the track was slippery, Rosberg spun into the sandy outfield.
Mansell, not far behind his team-mate, had just enough warning to slow down and he managed to stay on the track. He survived his own scary moment and skated into the lead, leaving Rosberg to rejoin in sixth place in his sand-covered car.
As Mansell cruised off to a comfortable win, his second in succession following his breakthrough maiden victory at the previous race, Rosberg fought superbly back through the field to finish second.
You will find the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme from the day of the race embedded below. Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's European Grand Prix in Valencia, which featured Mark Webber's terrifying somersault, from which the Australian was fortunate to escape unscathed.
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CLICK HERE FOR SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
On the subject of the BBC broadcast of the 1985 South African race, there is an interesting story to tell.
As usual, the commentary team was Murray Walker and James Hunt. They were calling the race from a studio in London - and although this was quite common back then at far-flung races, it was not communicated to the audience. Practices were very different 26 years ago.
Hunt had very strong views on apartheid, which was still nine years away from ending in South Africa, and during the live broadcast he suddenly launched into a withering attack on the evils of the system and the South African government.
As I'm sure you are aware, the BBC is very careful not to stray into political comment in a sports broadcast, however commonplace and justifiable the views expressed might be. So the producer Mark Wilkin - now the BBC's F1 editor - handed Hunt a note which read: "Talk about the race!"
At which point, Hunt said: "Anyway, thank goodness we are not actually there."
The arrangements for these races on the BBC red button in the UK are as follows:
Extended highlights of South Africa '85, short highlights of Britain '87, Belgium 2000 and Brazil 2008 and extended highlights of the 2010 European Grand Prix will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 2000 BST on Wednesday 22 June until 1145 BST on Thursday 23 June, and again from 2000 BST on Thursday 23 June until 0845 BST on Friday 24 June.
Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of Wimbledon means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
UPDATE, 1700 BST:
We have managed to free up some space on Freeview to show classic F1. It will now be shown on the BBC red button between first and second practice on Friday 24 June, ie from 1035 to 1200 BST.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/nico_rosberg_-_classic_f1_2011.html
Why the Monaco GP still packs a punch
Once a year Formula 1 absolutely lives up to its billing as the most glamorous sport in the world and that time comes at the Monaco Grand Prix.
On Friday morning, I had to gingerly step aboard a tender and then climb a rope ladder dangling from the side of a yacht to interview Renault's Nick Heidfeld on deck. Yes, this really could only happen in Monaco.
Without a doubt, the glamour and prestige of the tiny principality, where residents are required to have a significant sum in the bank, inflates F1's wow factor.
"I love it here, it is fantastic," crooned Lewis Hamilton, a Monaco race-winner in 2008 for McLaren. "Wow, this is such a beautiful place to be."
Monaco's street circuit provides a unique thrill for spectators (Getty)
After a muted showing in recent years, the harbour is once again crammed with multi-million pound yachts. Force India owner Vijay Mallya held a Bollywood-themed party on the Indian Empress while the imposing Force Blue made its return with flamboyant owner and former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on board.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso have also taken to water in their floating motorhome - complete with its own swimming pool - while Ferrari have gone one better by putting up their personnel on a yacht.
With such exotic playthings at hand it's hardly surprising the guest list includes Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo di Caprio.
But for all the privilege and status on show, the Monaco Grand Prix also provides unrivalled access for fans.
The more affluent spectator can fork out up to �3,800 for Sunday's race but the cheapest seat is �65 and offers amazing trackside views and a party atmosphere from the Rochers hill along the side of the royal palace.
It's also the only paddock where fans can walk along the waterfront and peer into the teams' inner sanctums before posing for photos with their heroes as they emerge from the motorhomes.
And when the racing is over and dusk falls, the party begins on the track as fans sip a biere or two at the Rascasse bar.
Glitzy promotional events are par for the course in Monaco (Getty)
When Stirling Moss raced here during the Sixties he developed a habit of waving at female fans sunning themselves along the harbour.
Moss said he even used it as a ploy in the 1961 grand prix when he was under pressure from Richie Ginther's chasing Ferrari. Moss took his hand off the wheel to salute a girl and prove he wasn't feeling under pressure.
But can McLaren driver Jenson Button, a Monaco playboy turned triathlete, still have a sneaky glimpse at an average speed of 100mph? "No," he answered sternly.
Whatever you think of Monaco's champagne and celebrity, the yachts and those who pose upon them, Button is spot on - none of it detracts from the racing through the streets.
The miniature land, stacked on a rocky lip of land between France's Mont Angel mountain and the Mediterranean, is just made for the fastest cars in the world to hurtle around.
First comes the noise, the hum hidden among the biscuit-coloured buildings that gathers to a roar as the cars flash past.
Watching the cars fly by the grand Casino, weave nose-to-tail round the hairpin, thunder through the tunnel and then out again in a blink of light past the water and back round to Rascasse is mesmerising, and often nail-biting.
The late Ayrton Senna, who won in Monaco a record six times, spoke of an out of body experience as he glided between the barriers and round the twisting curves.
Driving precision is everything here and there is virtually no let-up, no straights to clear the head over 78 laps.
Two-time Monaco winner turned BBC pundit David Coulthard commented: "For me there's no better challenge for the driver than Monte Carlo and no more glamorous grand prix. For me it's still a thrill."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/05/once_a_year_formula_1.html
Rolls-Royce 102EX undergoes testing for world tour
1996 Lamborghini Diablo VT
Here's my Diablo that I built back in 2006 from Revell. This was a pretty good kit to build. Painted it Black with Black Leather and Red Suede seats and Suede Red interior.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/965963.aspx
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Pirelli won?t use hard tyres in Germany and Hungary | 2011 F1 season
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Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
2012 Chevrolet Camaro Transformers Special Edition announced
Bahrain F1: Live Race Results and Positions after 1st Lap
Here are the standings after the 1st lap at Bahrain F1 Grand Prix:
1 VETTEL ? Red Bull
2 ALONSO ? Ferrari
3 MASSA ? Ferrari
4 ROSBERG ? Mercedes
5 HAMILTON ? McLaren
6 [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/RBJWIX-d9BU/
Could Hamilton join Red Bull?
As Lewis Hamilton ponders the fall-out from his controversial performance in Canada, he has more on his mind than a few lost points in the world championship.
Formula 1's most exciting driver is pondering his future as he watches Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel canter to a second consecutive world title.
As Mark Hughes explained in his column, Hamilton's frustration is down to the fact that he believes he is the fastest driver in the world, that he would beat any of his rivals if they were all driving the same car. It is a belief largely shared within Formula 1.
Most would probably say Fernando Alonso was the best driver - by which they mean the most complete - but they would agree that Hamilton is certainly the quickest. Although Vettel is gaining increasing support in both categories.
For Hamilton, it is proving increasingly hard to cope with the fact that he has won the world title just once, in 2008, and that he is facing a third consecutive year in a car that is arguably not really fast enough to allow him to compete for another.
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McLaren's race pace - far superior to its qualifying speed - is clouding the issue slightly, but it's hard to argue with Vettel's five wins and two second places in seven races.
Given these circumstances, it is easy to see why the 26-year-old Englishman might be beginning to wonder whether McLaren is the team to satisfy his burning ambitions.
Not for the first time, the concept of Hamilton joining Red Bull raised its head again in Montreal - and that was even before Autosport revealed on Monday that he had spent 15 minutes in a private meeting with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on Saturday evening at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
According to Autosport, the meeting was described by a Red Bull "source" as a "social visit". That "source" may or may not be Horner himself.
Hamilton has played down the idea of leaving McLaren, saying the team have a car capable of winning races and that there is no reason to leave while they remain competitive. He also says it is not unusual for him to talk to rival team bosses.
But that is not an outright denial, so the issue of his future will continue to remain a source of speculation.
Could the meeting with Horner be the start of serious negotiations about a move to Red Bull? Certain sections of the media suggest it is wrong to attach too much significance to Saturday's chat, claiming it would be foolish for a driver to walk over to a rival team's HQ in full view of the F1 paddock with the express intention of discussing his future.
But people have either got short memories or do not pay close enough attention.
When Alonso joined McLaren for 2007, it was the culmination of a process that began in 2005. Ron Dennis, who was the team boss of McLaren at the time, mooted the idea to the Spaniard in a chance conversation as both men waited to go out on to the podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso having just won his first world title for Renault.
Likewise, in Belgium in 2007, with his relationship with McLaren in pieces, Alonso strolled over to the Red Bull motorhome, where he discussed the chances of joining the team with Horner as they sat on the open top deck. I know, because I watched them from the upper level of the paddock.
And so the 2011 F1 driver market 'silly season' starts in earnest.
Alonso has just signed up with Ferrari until 2016, the double world champion is not going anywhere. The same goes for Vettel, who is under contract to Red Bull until 2014. So, of F1's big three, that leaves Hamilton.
Theoretically, he is contracted to McLaren until next year, the result of a five-year deal that was signed in the wake of his stunning debut season alongside Alonso in 2007.
That has always been assumed to be a firm five-year contract, which means any move Hamilton makes - to Red Bull, for example - would have to wait until 2013.
However, it would be very unusual for a driver to sign away his future to a team for that length of time without any opt-out clauses, even if - as in the case of Hamilton and McLaren - that team had groomed him for success since he was 11 years old.
And even if the contract is solid, it does not mean Hamilton cannot move. As one veteran driver manager said: "I don't know the details of Hamilton's contract but if the team-driver relationship gets to an irreconcilable point then it won't matter what the contract says."
So a Hamilton move to Red Bull for next year cannot be ruled out, especially in light of the mixed messages coming out of Red Bull about the future of Mark Webber.
On Thursday, Horner said Webber had made it clear he would like to drive for the team next year, adding that he felt the Australian still had the "motivation and desire" and that Red Bull were "very happy with him in the team".
But 24 hours later, Webber did not sound so sure. "We'll see how we go," he said. "There's a bit to go yet in the summer. Keep thinking."
So what is going on?
Horner shrugged his shoulders when I asked why Webber would say that if he had told him he wanted to continue. But when I explained the situation to a man with long experience of the driver market, he said: "I think you can read that as Horner trying to tease another driver out, getting him to make up his mind."
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Could that driver be Hamilton? Is it a coincidence that the Englishman went to speak to Horner two days after the Red Bull boss made those comments to the media?
On the face of it, you might wonder why Red Bull would want Hamilton. They already have Vettel. Putting Hamilton alongside the German would be a wonderful proposition for F1's audience but it would be a massive headache for those inside the team. And such a move would be guaranteed to infuriate Vettel, the company's blue-eyed boy wonder.
But from a global marketing perspective, what could be better? Red Bull have long made a point of letting their drivers race. What better scenario for a company wishing to project an exciting, dynamic, youthful image, than two of F1's three most exciting drivers going at it head-to-head in the same team?
It would be a tricky situation for Horner to handle, as he has already admitted himself, but why would that be a concern for Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz?
Equally, while Vettel would probably be furious at having Hamilton alongside him to start with, he might well come round to the idea. He already has an advantage as the incumbent and, while he may not be as fast as Hamilton, he is, by reputation, better at working with his engineers to get the best out of his car.
If Hamilton did go to Red Bull, it would be in place of Webber. The Australian will not be drawn on the apparent disconnect between his words in Montreal and Horner's but many believe he will leave the team at the end of the year - either into retirement or to another team for one last hurrah.
That team could be Ferrari, where Felipe Massa's future is in question. The Brazilian has a contract for 2012 but he is an inconsistent performer. He is pretty close to Alonso at some races but nowhere near at others.
Massa, I'm told, will keep his seat if he puts in a strong showing at the next race, the European Grand Prix at Valencia on 26 June. If not, Webber is one of the drivers on Ferrari's list of candidates.
Ferrari are, I understand, also interested in Jenson Button and have had some contact with him. When Button joined McLaren in 2010, it was said that he had a three-year contract. But I am told he is a free agent at the end of this year if he wants to be. The prospect - however slim - of losing both his drivers must be giving McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh sleepless nights.
Ferrari are also interested in Nico Rosberg, who has impressed since joining Michael Schumacher at Mercedes last year. However, the rumours are Rosberg has been offered a big pay packet to stick with the German team.
That is not surprising given the uncertain form of Schumacher, whose excellent performance in Montreal will not bury memories of less convincing races elsewhere.
Schumacher is on a three-year deal but will he continue beyond 2011 if he cannot retain the speed he showed in Canada? If he doesn't, Paul di Resta, who has impressed enormously in his debut season with Force India, must be a strong candidate to replace him, as a Mercedes prot�g�.
How many of these prospective moves actually happen remains to be seen but it certainly promises to be an interesting summer.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/could_hamilton_join_red_bull.html
1990 F150 4x4 WIP
When I saw the Monogram F250 Super Duty kit, I thought, "Cool! I can build a model of my 1:1 truck, like this:
I got the kit, and discovered it is an F250 extended cab, with a V8, automatic trans, 4x2, power windows, bucket seats, body side moldings, and the wrong mirrors. My truck is none of those. Other than that, they are just the same!
So I added the Lindberg F150 Off Road, and the Monogram '80 Bronco. The Bronco has the right mirrors! Here's the kits:
To be continued:
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/957255.aspx
Johnny Herbert takes Michael Owen round Silverstone! (Video)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
F1 Teams and Drivers for 2011 Season
The defending F1 Driver’s Champion in 2011 is Sebastian Vettel, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/vhqQ2_KnnTk/
Ferrari: Alonso says Red Bull up to a second faster | 2011 European GP team review
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/XTydiC1TvqA/
Could Hamilton join Red Bull?
As Lewis Hamilton ponders the fall-out from his controversial performance in Canada, he has more on his mind than a few lost points in the world championship.
Formula 1's most exciting driver is pondering his future as he watches Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel canter to a second consecutive world title.
As Mark Hughes explained in his column, Hamilton's frustration is down to the fact that he believes he is the fastest driver in the world, that he would beat any of his rivals if they were all driving the same car. It is a belief largely shared within Formula 1.
Most would probably say Fernando Alonso was the best driver - by which they mean the most complete - but they would agree that Hamilton is certainly the quickest. Although Vettel is gaining increasing support in both categories.
For Hamilton, it is proving increasingly hard to cope with the fact that he has won the world title just once, in 2008, and that he is facing a third consecutive year in a car that is arguably not really fast enough to allow him to compete for another.
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McLaren's race pace - far superior to its qualifying speed - is clouding the issue slightly, but it's hard to argue with Vettel's five wins and two second places in seven races.
Given these circumstances, it is easy to see why the 26-year-old Englishman might be beginning to wonder whether McLaren is the team to satisfy his burning ambitions.
Not for the first time, the concept of Hamilton joining Red Bull raised its head again in Montreal - and that was even before Autosport revealed on Monday that he had spent 15 minutes in a private meeting with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on Saturday evening at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
According to Autosport, the meeting was described by a Red Bull "source" as a "social visit". That "source" may or may not be Horner himself.
Hamilton has played down the idea of leaving McLaren, saying the team have a car capable of winning races and that there is no reason to leave while they remain competitive. He also says it is not unusual for him to talk to rival team bosses.
But that is not an outright denial, so the issue of his future will continue to remain a source of speculation.
Could the meeting with Horner be the start of serious negotiations about a move to Red Bull? Certain sections of the media suggest it is wrong to attach too much significance to Saturday's chat, claiming it would be foolish for a driver to walk over to a rival team's HQ in full view of the F1 paddock with the express intention of discussing his future.
But people have either got short memories or do not pay close enough attention.
When Alonso joined McLaren for 2007, it was the culmination of a process that began in 2005. Ron Dennis, who was the team boss of McLaren at the time, mooted the idea to the Spaniard in a chance conversation as both men waited to go out on to the podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso having just won his first world title for Renault.
Likewise, in Belgium in 2007, with his relationship with McLaren in pieces, Alonso strolled over to the Red Bull motorhome, where he discussed the chances of joining the team with Horner as they sat on the open top deck. I know, because I watched them from the upper level of the paddock.
And so the 2011 F1 driver market 'silly season' starts in earnest.
Alonso has just signed up with Ferrari until 2016, the double world champion is not going anywhere. The same goes for Vettel, who is under contract to Red Bull until 2014. So, of F1's big three, that leaves Hamilton.
Theoretically, he is contracted to McLaren until next year, the result of a five-year deal that was signed in the wake of his stunning debut season alongside Alonso in 2007.
That has always been assumed to be a firm five-year contract, which means any move Hamilton makes - to Red Bull, for example - would have to wait until 2013.
However, it would be very unusual for a driver to sign away his future to a team for that length of time without any opt-out clauses, even if - as in the case of Hamilton and McLaren - that team had groomed him for success since he was 11 years old.
And even if the contract is solid, it does not mean Hamilton cannot move. As one veteran driver manager said: "I don't know the details of Hamilton's contract but if the team-driver relationship gets to an irreconcilable point then it won't matter what the contract says."
So a Hamilton move to Red Bull for next year cannot be ruled out, especially in light of the mixed messages coming out of Red Bull about the future of Mark Webber.
On Thursday, Horner said Webber had made it clear he would like to drive for the team next year, adding that he felt the Australian still had the "motivation and desire" and that Red Bull were "very happy with him in the team".
But 24 hours later, Webber did not sound so sure. "We'll see how we go," he said. "There's a bit to go yet in the summer. Keep thinking."
So what is going on?
Horner shrugged his shoulders when I asked why Webber would say that if he had told him he wanted to continue. But when I explained the situation to a man with long experience of the driver market, he said: "I think you can read that as Horner trying to tease another driver out, getting him to make up his mind."
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Could that driver be Hamilton? Is it a coincidence that the Englishman went to speak to Horner two days after the Red Bull boss made those comments to the media?
On the face of it, you might wonder why Red Bull would want Hamilton. They already have Vettel. Putting Hamilton alongside the German would be a wonderful proposition for F1's audience but it would be a massive headache for those inside the team. And such a move would be guaranteed to infuriate Vettel, the company's blue-eyed boy wonder.
But from a global marketing perspective, what could be better? Red Bull have long made a point of letting their drivers race. What better scenario for a company wishing to project an exciting, dynamic, youthful image, than two of F1's three most exciting drivers going at it head-to-head in the same team?
It would be a tricky situation for Horner to handle, as he has already admitted himself, but why would that be a concern for Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz?
Equally, while Vettel would probably be furious at having Hamilton alongside him to start with, he might well come round to the idea. He already has an advantage as the incumbent and, while he may not be as fast as Hamilton, he is, by reputation, better at working with his engineers to get the best out of his car.
If Hamilton did go to Red Bull, it would be in place of Webber. The Australian will not be drawn on the apparent disconnect between his words in Montreal and Horner's but many believe he will leave the team at the end of the year - either into retirement or to another team for one last hurrah.
That team could be Ferrari, where Felipe Massa's future is in question. The Brazilian has a contract for 2012 but he is an inconsistent performer. He is pretty close to Alonso at some races but nowhere near at others.
Massa, I'm told, will keep his seat if he puts in a strong showing at the next race, the European Grand Prix at Valencia on 26 June. If not, Webber is one of the drivers on Ferrari's list of candidates.
Ferrari are, I understand, also interested in Jenson Button and have had some contact with him. When Button joined McLaren in 2010, it was said that he had a three-year contract. But I am told he is a free agent at the end of this year if he wants to be. The prospect - however slim - of losing both his drivers must be giving McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh sleepless nights.
Ferrari are also interested in Nico Rosberg, who has impressed since joining Michael Schumacher at Mercedes last year. However, the rumours are Rosberg has been offered a big pay packet to stick with the German team.
That is not surprising given the uncertain form of Schumacher, whose excellent performance in Montreal will not bury memories of less convincing races elsewhere.
Schumacher is on a three-year deal but will he continue beyond 2011 if he cannot retain the speed he showed in Canada? If he doesn't, Paul di Resta, who has impressed enormously in his debut season with Force India, must be a strong candidate to replace him, as a Mercedes prot�g�.
How many of these prospective moves actually happen remains to be seen but it certainly promises to be an interesting summer.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/could_hamilton_join_red_bull.html
Stefano Domenicali: ?On race pace we were there?
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/26/stefano-domenicali-on-race-pace-we-were-there/
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Defiant Hamilton denies newspaper quotes
Monday, June 27, 2011
Paul di Resta - classic F1 2011
Scotland's Paul di Resta, who has made such an impressive start to his grand prix career with Force India this season, is the latest driver to feature in our revised classic Formula 1 series.
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the 25-year-old has picked his five favourite all-time F1 races. We will broadcast highlights of each of his choices in this blog and on the BBC red button to whet your appetites for the action to come in Montreal this weekend.
Di Resta follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso and Nick Heidfeld so far this season.
The drivers have all taken a different approach to this task. Vettel, for example, picked only races from his own career, while the others drivers we have showcased so far have all to one degree or another chosen a mix of races in which they featured and ones from before their own time in the sport.
Di Resta has raced in only seven grands prix so far, so it is no surprise that four of his five choices are from the archive.
His first is this year's Australian Grand Prix - after all, a driver will always remember his F1 debut fondly.
The rest are as follows:
The 1968 German Grand Prix, which has gone down in history as one of the great Jackie Stewart's most extraordinary victories, and one of the greatest of all time.
Di Resta says he "read about it in Jackie's autobiography - sounded exciting". The race, memorably described by Stewart himself, was held in teeming rain and dense fog, and Stewart was in a league of his own, winning by four minutes in his Matra.
The next choice is the 1979 French Grand Prix, famous for the thrilling duel over second place between Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve and Renault's Rene Arnoux in the final three laps, the two men passing and re-passing, banging wheels in lurid, thrilling fashion, until Villeneuve finally prevailed.
It was one of the iconic Villeneuve's landmark performances, a man of sublime talent transcending the limitations of his machinery and taking on faster cars.
A similar description can be applied to Di Resta's next choice, the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park, which has entered F1 folklore as one of the late Ayrton Senna's greatest wins.
In a race of constantly changing conditions, Senna moved from fifth to first in the course of a stunning first lap and raced off into a league of his own. Such was his superiority that at one point he had lapped the entire field.
Finally, Di Resta has chosen the climax to the 2008 world title fight at the Brazilian Grand Prix, when, as he puts it, "the championship went to the last corner".
Many will recall that Ferrari's Felipe Massa would overhaul McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and take the title if the Brazilian could win, with Hamilton finishing lower than fifth.
Massa completed his part of the bargain and, as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag, Hamilton was down in sixth place, having recently been passed by Toro Rosso's Vettel.
In the Ferrari pit they celebrated, but with rain falling all was not lost for Hamilton. Ahead of him the Toyotas, which had decided not to stop for wet-weather tyres, were struggling, and the Englishman passed the gripless Timo Glock at the last corner of the race to sneak the place he needed.
As regular readers will know, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight and I have to admit that the initial inclination was to run Di Resta's choices ahead of the German Grand Prix and show the '68 race at the Nurburgring.
Highlights of that race do not exist in the BBC archive, though, so instead we have moved Di Resta to Canada and chosen the '79 French race because of Villeneuve, after whom Canada's F1 track is named.
So the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the evening of that race is embedded below - it has never been shown since that day 32 years ago.
Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's Canadian Grand Prix. It was arguably the best race of the season last year, featuring a thrilling battle between all five of the men who fought out the championship - Hamilton, his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bull drivers Vettel and Mark Webber.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
The details for the BBC red button on digital television in the UK are as follows:
Long highlights from France 1979, short highlights of Europe 1993, Brazil 2008 and Australia 2011 plus extended highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix 2010 will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 1500 BST on Wednesday 8 June until 1700 BST on Sunday 12 June.
Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of the Queens tennis tournament means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/paul_di_resta_-_classic_f1.html
Bahrain F1: Live Race Results and Positions after 1st Lap
Here are the standings after the 1st lap at Bahrain F1 Grand Prix:
1 VETTEL ? Red Bull
2 ALONSO ? Ferrari
3 MASSA ? Ferrari
4 ROSBERG ? Mercedes
5 HAMILTON ? McLaren
6 [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/RBJWIX-d9BU/
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari
Great destination, shame about the race
It's almost 8pm here in Valencia and I've clearly bored Ted Kravitz because he has just made his excuses and sloped off to find some food!
I'm sitting by gate B6 about to board our flight home to London Gatwick and thought it was the perfect opportunity to get my blog done.
The airline we're flying with aren't famous for their generous cabin space, and with my daddy long-leg like arms, I think it's best to get this written now.
There are drivers, team bosses, designers, mechanics and engineers sitting in the very brightly coloured 'Medos' cafe in front of me trying to get some energy back into their systems with a beer and a sandwich.
Mind you, despite working away in the searing heat all day there are a variety of laptops already open as the teams continue to analyse the data from the race. Ah yes, that brings me onto the race.
There are many things to love about Valencia. I received plenty of Twitter abuse for mentioning the Tinglados once or twice.
I was just fascinated that many years ago, people built those warehouses to do a job as unglamorous as sell fish and here we are turning them into the hub of a race that is all about the most up-to-date technology.
I also love that Formula 1 visits a beach city, which means you can grab a short holiday, have a dip in the sea, eat some great food and then watch a bit of F1.
Oh, hang on, 'Mikey Muscles', Jenson's full-time personal trainer who we bumped into during my grid walk with Eddie, has just joined me at the gate with his tail between his legs.
He will dictate the next paragraph. In his words here's why he blanked me as I was bigging him up on the grid pre-race.
'In one short sentence, it's not about me *giggles*, so I'm told. Jake was very kindly about to introduce me to the world at which point my driver had already disappeared, so I had to follow him like a sheep. It was 13 minutes before the race start and he needs to be in the cockpit 10 minutes before - so time for small-talk was at a premium. I thank Jake for his consideration and maybe we can have a moment sometime soon'.
I assume by 'moment' he is referring to me grabbing him on the grid at a future race. He will be lucky! Only joking, he's a great guy and is obviously there to do a job despite me wanting to make him famous.
By the way, if I seem distracted while writing this, it's because a guy to my right is making a bad attempt at taking my photo without me noticing.
Anyway, back to the race. After I'd been blanked on the grid, it was down to business and a chance for Valencia to live up to the incredible drama that Canada provided. To be honest, that was a tall order for any circuit.
Sunday's race was a quiet affair compared to other grands prix this season
Perhaps it could be a new BBC show with Andrew Lloyd Webber - 'How to solve a problem like Valencia' - but I think even 'The Lord' would struggle with this one.
You could argue that every race this year has been a spectacle, perhaps even that the season opener in Australia, which is usually a cracker, had been the least exciting race. That is until now.
I think we've now readily accepted the DRS overtaking aid, Kers power-boost system and marginal tyres as integral to the excitement in modern F1. But here in Valencia, even though they gave us more overtakes than the single pass we saw in 2009, it still lacked spark on track and something to get genuinely excited about.
I enjoyed the Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber battle behind Sebastian Vettel, I enjoyed Sergio Perez's valiant attempt to pick up points by just doing a single stop and it was also interesting to watch Paul Di Resta drop in and out of the points all afternoon - but I still wasn't on the edge of my seat.
There is no doubt that we as F1 fans have been well and truly spoiled this season with the action that has been thrown up, particularly after Canada, and during any other season this would have seemed like a relatively exciting afternoon.
I wonder if Valencia has a future. It's certainly a packed calendar next year and two Spanish races may be overkill.
In any case I still had a blast on air. I have never driven an F1 car so therefore I think going live is one of the most exciting things a man can do - but it does have its challenges.
For example, I was in Jenson's garage just seconds before we went live on Saturday and suddenly Lewis' engine roared into life.
As I was actually in the garage, you wouldn't have been able to hear a thing, so with about five seconds to go until BBC One viewers were welcomed to Spain, we had to get myself, two pundits, two cameras and three other people to the far side of the pitlane in an instant - and still look calm and collected when Richard the director shouted 'cue'. And boy does he shout!
'RUN VT' is the kind of thing Richard barks at the top of his voice, which is ironic when you think he joined us late on Friday due to directing in the serene environment of Wimbledon. He returns to SW19 on Monday morning, and I hope he is a little quieter there or he might scupper Andy Murray's chances with an untimely, overexcited outburst!
So, as I sit here with my jeans stuck to my legs, a slightly red neck, and with the good and bad bits of the show running through my head, I can also look ahead to a really exciting few weeks for British motorsport.
It's Goodwood this coming weekend and I'll be there, followed by the British Grand Prix, which is always my favourite race weekend of the year.
However, it's also National Motorsport Week which means you can get through the doors of your local F1 team or just find ways to get involved in motor racing - and you don't need to be a millionaire! Just check out www.gomotorsport.net.
Anyway, the last word on this week's blog goes to Robert Burnett. He and his Dad just introduced themselves to me in the airport. Robert had just been brought to his first ever Grand Prix and he was wearing a Ferrari top but claimed to love Lewis Hamilton!?
Whatever the case, he's only five-years-old so it's good to see a new generation of fans watching the sport and that's what National Motorsport week is all about - inspiring the next generation.
Here's hoping for an inspiring race in two weeks' time as well, perhaps we could release a charity single- 'F1's coming home!'
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/06/roaring_engines_and_a_camera-s.html
Bahrain F1: Live Race Results and Positions after 1st Lap
Here are the standings after the 1st lap at Bahrain F1 Grand Prix:
1 VETTEL ? Red Bull
2 ALONSO ? Ferrari
3 MASSA ? Ferrari
4 ROSBERG ? Mercedes
5 HAMILTON ? McLaren
6 [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/RBJWIX-d9BU/
All-action Button thrills in Canada
One of the most spectacular races in a very long time produced an appropriately stunning win from Jenson Button in the Canadian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver came from last place to first in the space of 30 amazing laps on a track that, while it regularly produces the best race of the Formula 1 season, has never produced a race quite like this one.
It will surely go down as one of the most amazing grands prix in history and Button's performance matched it.
For a long, long time, Sebastian Vettel appeared to be on the way to another imperious victory, but the German made his first mistake in what has been a virtually flawless season to hand his English rival a fully deserved victory half way around the last lap.
"An amazing day," said a scarcely believing Button as he sat down in front of the media a few minutes after climbing out of the car.
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And as if to underline just how incredible it was, how much the end result turned on the right decisions and the right breaks at the right time, the heavens opened again no more than an hour after the end of the race, in even more dramatic fashion than they had in the course of an afternoon that left almost everyone involved dizzy.
For more than half the race, Button appeared completely out of contention.
He collided with team-mate Lewis Hamilton - an incident for which he apologised even though it appeared to be at least as much Hamilton's fault; made five pit stops to change tyres; survived a collision with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso; and visited the pits a further time to serve a drive-through penalty for going too fast when the safety car was deployed.
Button was last at the penultimate of four restarts under the safety car, with 30 laps to go.
And yet he sliced through the backmarkers with the clinical precision he displays when he is on top form and timed a final pit stop to change to slick tyres perfectly - only one lap after Mark Webber made the call himself, one that was instrumental in moving Vettel's team-mate from the midfield into podium contention.
Those final 20 laps were some of the most exhilarating I have witnessed since I started watching F1 30 or so years ago, as Button closed in on the lead at a pace Webber described as "on a different planet from the rest of us".
With 15 laps to go, Vettel looked unassailable as he pulled away in the lead and Button homed in on a battling Michael Schumacher, who produced by far the most convincing drive of his comeback so far, and Webber.
A final safety car on lap 57 was what put Button into victory contention. He would have easily passed Schumacher and Webber, but the safety car reduced Vettel's lead from a probably uncatchable 10 seconds to zero.
At the restart, the German pulled it out to 3.1 seconds again while Button battled to get past Webber and Schumacher but the Englishman was in range.
He closed remorselessly in - 1.6secs, 1.3secs, 1.1secs, 0.9secs - and Vettel buckled under the pressure.
Hamilton paid generous tribute afterwards. "Jenson drove absolutely amazing," he told BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz as he filmed his behind the scenes report for this website.
"With all the commotion going on, the pressure he put on Vettel at the end, I knew he was going to get him."
Despite his error, Vettel is still in a very strong position in the championship. He actually extended his lead by two points and is now two wins and a fifth place clear of his closest rival, which is now Button following Hamilton's retirement.
His mistake proves that he is beatable if he is pushed hard enough, as was the case last year.
But Hamilton - who still seems the man with the biggest chance of overhauling him for all Button's genius on Sunday - will need to get his act together again if he is to do so.
His controversial collision with Button led to his visiting the race stewards to explain his actions for the sixth time in seven races - an extension of a record that led to the McLaren driver coming out with his now-infamous Ali G remarks after the last race in Monaco.
In the midst of Hamilton's reaction, one phrase was particularly telling. Where does your season go from here, he was asked. "Onwards and upwards," he replied. "Go to the next one and try to stay out of trouble."
Hamilton at least finished an incident-packed race in Monaco. In Canada, where in hindsight he could have won, there were more errors.
He was in the wars as soon as the drivers were released following a safety car start, colliding with Webber in an incident Hamilton admitted was his fault.
Two laps later, as he fought to make up lost ground, came the collision with Button.
It was a racing incident - Button should probably have seen Hamilton, who should probably have realised the gap was going to close.
But who was to blame is not really the point. Hamilton does seem to have turned into a magnet for trouble this year, and there seems little doubt that the situation is arising out of frustration at helplessly watching another title slip away.
Be that as it may, a slight change of approach is required if Hamilton is to deliver fully his fantastic potential.
"It's the nature of Lewis's attacking style," said David Coulthard as he analysed the Button-Hamilton collision on BBC One. "It's easy to knock someone when they're involved in a series of incidents, but it's why Lewis has so many fans around the world.
"This is just a phase he's going through. He believes he's the best driver in the world. Right now McLaren are not able to give him a winning car, and he's getting frustrated.
Lewis Hamilton was penalised twice by the stewards at the Monaco Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Photo: Getty
"He wants to win, and that passion, that drive, is what's causing him to get up close and personal with other cars. If I was his management, I'd be saying: 'Chill. Everyone knows you're a great driver, just enjoy it.'"
Heading into the weekend, Hamilton named Ayrton Senna and Gilles Villeneuve as two legendary drivers to whom he would like to be compared.
Undoubtedly Hamilton shares their speed, their verve, their charisma, and their good looks. But he also shares their occasional tendency to go over the limit.
That is, of course, what has given all three their enormous global appeal but in all three cases it also led to races lost through going too far.
Hamilton might well think he fancies his chances against Vettel in a Red Bull.
And, brilliantly as the world champion is driving at the moment, Hamilton is not alone in thinking that is with good reason. What a battle it would be.
But, apparently under contract to McLaren until the end of next season, that prospect is probably not a possibility for the foreseeable future.
Hamilton has to do battle with what he has and make the most of it. If he is to do that, he must stop fretting about Vettel and relax into his racing. In that, he could learn a thing or two from his team-mate.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/all-action_button_thrills_in_c.html
Going to Silverstone?
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/going-to-silverstone/
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Rate the race: 2011 European Grand Prix | 2011 European Grand Prix
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/I3zfDip7koQ/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Chrome McLaren MP4-12C revealed at UK dealer launch [video]
Revells 1962 Impala SS is out with new parts!!!!!
HI again,
I bought this kit this week and I had to post some pics for all of you to look at ther are some new parts in this kit the front bucket seats, the tires for the street version, decla sheet and a new front bumper here are the pics of the parts I'm talking about looks like a nice kit from Revell again!!!!!!!.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/964911.aspx
Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth
Scion talks about the FR-S concept [videos]
Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/doctors_use_formula_one_pit_cr.php
Top Gear season 17 preview - the boys are back
Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels
Amt ertl General Lee Replacement decals
Hi I am currently building Amt/ertl 1/25 the Dukes Of Hazzard General Lee but the Decals that came with kit were stuck to the parts bag, when tried to remove them the damaged and were unusable. I not sure if this question has been asked but does anybody know where I can buy some more ? I bought some on Ebay but they are to small. Many Thanks In advance.
Regards
Michael
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/963705.aspx
Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem
Top Gear season 17 preview - the boys are back
Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Mark Webber Top Gear Interview and Lap ? Worth Watching! (Video)
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php