John AV.'s blog listings.

Red Bull rear steer?

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 08:13:43 -0500

In Montreal, it looks from the rear on-board that the Red Bull rear-steers. The other teams have looked at the RedBull suspension, diffuser, exhaust, etc., yet nothing too serious. This, though, if accurate, is another matter. Very clever as it may be. Any thoughts or feedback out there? Keep an eye on that rearview on-board.

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China 2010 Preview

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:02:50 -0500

Okay, Malaysia was pretty good, almost mid-80's like and Oz was wizardly but will China 2010 be as exciting? With rain on the horizon will the wizardry continue, perhaps, or will Shanghai shortly reveal a new complexion to the season. So far, all has been fairly status quo, more or less. Teams with the most miles in pre-season were slightly ahead and so on...

Last race Red Bull caught up and Mercedes is said to be ready with a B spec car by Spain. Ferrari, with Alonso on his back foot with engine supply and a re-surgent Massa look the strongest all around, though three races on the trot and a few technical issues have emerged at the Scuderia.

Mclaren is a little bit lost, it seems, at least distracted which through the confusion saw Jenson Button win his first race with them. That f-duct sure gves them serious top-end and in China that could prove useful, should they get near Red Bull.

Vettel and Weber both go well here, and without any significant progress since Malaysia, we can presume that another one two may be in the cards.

Kubica may be there too and maybe Rosberg and Schumi, who quietly is getting back up to speed. The mid-field is very close and highly competitive with the newbies not too far behind either.

To this point F1 has delivered a decent show all things considered and has generated enough in the away from the track stuff to keep it in the newspapers, for the most part.

It hasn't been super amazing awesome but then again nothing else really is either yet with so many world champions in this year's field F1 still has got the upper hand when it comes to the truly best drivers in the world, technical overload aside.

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The F1 of Winter Sports

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:42:50 -0600

All you want to know about the F1 of the Winter Olympic Sports, Snowboard-Cross. While we are at it, the Men's downhill course had a few bus-stop like chicane sections in it as well, which is weird for a downhill, but it was an exciting event nonetheless. Could F1's global reach be more pervasive then first realized? more info at www.mirror.co.uk/sport/more-sport/2010/0...

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FOTA gasping for air...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:34:11 -0500

Miffed at the fact that the FIA is prepared to go the distance on the 2010 issue, FOTA has aligned with the ACEA (a honorary body, without legal effect) to plead it's unteneable case. Bring on more new teams and let the carmakers blow their wads on useless charades in futility, much like what F1 has become with them involved. Those in the know, will know that car manufacturers are best suited as engine suppliers rather than dragging in their complicated businesses and making their problems F1's problems as well. It is a simple sport, put a car on the track and race it. All else is corporate egotism and engineering madness run amock. Go Max go!!

www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21560.html

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When it rains, it pours...

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:12:40 -0500

Vettel's second win in awful conditions and Red Bull Sr.'s first 1-2 with Webber runner up, put a nice touch on what was a nasty week all around, with Ron Dennis stepping away, Flavio blasting Brawn, Kers systems being removed, and Bridgestone being slated for tyres that don't allow the drivers to drive. As if there wasn't enough to worry about in the top flight. Vettel, though, drove a great race, as is becoming his custom, in the appalling conditions, yet behind him it was fairly boring, well, with a safety car start, totally necessary of course, yet dull nonetheless. A few crashes here and there and cars going off, coming back on, makes us wait for Bahrain and the sunshine, and hopefully no sand on the track to create another race of improperly set-up cars slip sliding away. The Sunday parc-ferme rules needs to be looked at, as a wild card if it rains as seeing F1 cars that aren't at their optimum is like watching the Indy Cars at Long Beach, without the Hollywood actresses to cheer on their man, just shots of middle aged dudes, in the pits, we's think that was Webber's father, perhaps, and John Button in a see-through slicker. Sure, he may work wonders for the ladies, but over half the audience is male, at least, and the eye-candy, through grey skies was lacking. To desert they now doth travel...

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Brawn-away in the UK!

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:00:23 -0500

Great result, as all have seen, by the Brawn GP people, with Richard B's Virgin brand and the strong Mercedes engine unit. All a testament to the new order in F1 and the absolute need for a shorter off-season and more races in between to create a new season worth staying up until 3am to watch on the telly. Nice new functions on-screen as well, yet still a bit static, but a good start in the right direction, nonetheless.

Vettel's Villeneuve impersonation after punting the equally grim Kubica rank as lo-lite highlights as do, Hamilton's inspired charge from the rear and Ferrari's comedy of error's as they show again that they like to do it the hard way and play catch-up.

Which they will, because that Brawn is fast, diffuser aside, and so are the Toyota's and the William's and Vettel too, who looks like the next Senna, nevermind Schumacher. Buemi atoned himself well, as did Barrichello, who without Jens would not have had the pressure to push so hard.

A sloppy win, but it looks like a sloppy formula for the next while anyway, with the new cars to figure out, the performance gap between tire compounds, and the Kers versus the non-Kers vehicles creating a grid full of risk-management and mistakes for others to pounce upon and create excitement.

Many more frustrated and wooly events are sure to be in store, as well as wild rumours, such as Canada re-appearing in October to take over a behind schedule Abu Dhabi. I'm not sure snow tires are made in slick format though it will be interesting to see where it all ends up, anyway.

Onward, to Malaysia, where Brawn looks set to repeat, unless the rest can calm it down a notch and work on their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

Looking forward to it, indeed!

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New Ferrari looks Good!

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:25:40 -0600

In spite of the spite, the new F1 cars will look like proper racing cars. Also looking good is Kimi snow-boarding, quite a natural, though Felipe seems like he's still learning on the ski's, more of a water style then snow, seemingly. Soon in full testing we will see who will lead the way. more photos at...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/4221861/Ferrari-unveil-new-Formula-One-car.html

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2009 Cars Debut

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:30:37 -0600

Although pundits have been preparing everyone for the worst, the 2009 cars look like proper racing cars, all big tyres and big wings without all the extra bits that had blighted F1 racing for the last twenty years, aesthetician Christian Klien and his new skool views aside. After what was a great season in 2008, with these new cars, kers, medals perhaps and a couple of new tracks, 2009 looks set for a cracking year. Good job from everyone behind the scenes working so hard, let's go racing, already!!

http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=99031

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What the Glock?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:35:40 -0600

Although, obviously a happy day for Hamilton and his bro, and almost as happy day for Ferrari, one has to wonder how Timo 'lost' all that time on the last lap and if any radio communication influenced it... Sure, it was raining but 18 secs. in one lap from a German, driving for a team based in Germany and known mostly for their safe, teflon like, bureaucratic tendencies and not much else in F1. Perhaps the call was made after the calculations on how car sales might be negatively effected if a Toyota had affected the outcome of the World Championship as they would have and with Glock out of the podium and not in any fight in the overall points table, what's the difference between 4th or 6th for him anyway, besides the ever lasting memory as being the one who spoilt the other fellow German based engine company's bid at a driver's championship. Surely, Vettel, with a Ferrari engine had no qualms and even Trulli at the start had said Lewis and Felipe have had all year to figure it out, so he was going to race for himself, yet fell away no doubt to the 'flu he was still suffering with. Alonso in 2nd looked gutted himself and both Massa and Raikkonen put on brave faces afterward, but still as much as one can't help feeling positive for Lewis and his title win the same can't be said for Ferrari and how awful it was after against all odds they were still short by what seemed more of a political manouvre than a straight fight out on the track. Because, that they won... though they didn't do themselves any favors with the functionairies in F1 when Kimi let Massa past in China and through no fault of their own lost alot of support when the FIA rightly demoted Hamilton after his sketchy pass of Kimi at Spa. All's fair in love and war and F1 apparently. Plus, Ferrari, with a flair for the dramatic, chose to do it the hard way, Massa having a terrible start to the season, his engine failure in Hungary, the disaster in Singapore and the team supporting two equal number ones as opposed to the singular McLaren favouritism of Hamilton -- even with all that behind them it was still all summed up today in a wild and wooly finale. The fans sure got their moneys worth and it was obviously exciting even if it doesn't feel quite right, but simply put, that's racin'. This will all just ride for the sake of the commercial aspects of the most exciting championship in years, sporting and political considerations and liberties aside. Like David Couthard who was beached on Lap 1, sometimes it stinks.

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John AV.'s blog listings.

Red Bull rear steer?

China 2010 Preview

The F1 of Winter Sports

Top 20 F1 Stories of 2009

FOTA gasping for air...

When it rains, it pours...

Brawn-away in the UK!

New Ferrari looks Good!

2009 Cars Debut

What the Glock?