Hockenhiem – Alonso’s dark side returns…

Posted: 26th July 2010 by Kevin in Formula One
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Try as he might he could never get the number one badge to stick at McLaren. So off Mr Alonso went to Renault whilst patiently waiting for that available seat at Ferrari (a seat which appeared a year before the red teams existing driver contracts expired no less). Mind you during the Renault days he did almost manage to wreck the French car constructor’s global image when, suprise suprise, he was involved in the “crash to let him win” scenario which reared it’s ugly head when Nelson Piquet decided he didn’t really want to drive in a team which clearly favoured Alonso and involved risking his life to get the Spaniard a win… 

So 2010 arrived and Mr Alonso was proudly unveiled at Ferrari and after a lot of barging and charging, cutting and weaving team mate Felipe Massa of the track, almost from the start of the season, the Spaniard finally managed to do it - bend a top team round to his way of thinking, to make the team his own, and worst of all return Ferrari back to those dreadful team order days when Michael Schumacher ruled the roost.

We truly feel for Felipe – he’s been nothing but 100% loyal to Ferrari for all his years at the team and indeed could have won the championship for them in 2008 had it not been for poor reliability at the start of that season. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like some F2 newbie who’s just recently arrived into the Formula One arena.

So how did Alonso do it? Blackmail like he tried at McLaren? Secret meetings behind Felipes back? Securing a contract which gives him number one status at Ferrari? Who knows and quite frankly – who cares. We think Alonso is a spolit brat who spits the dummy whenever he doesn’t get his own way – like in Valencia and Silverstone when he clearly thought his view on things was correct and the race stewards and FIA were completely wrong – to the extent he confidently announced to the media that the FIA were fixing the championship!!!! This behaviour clearly shows that he’s living in a dream world where everything and everyone revolve around him - and the worst thing is Ferrari are being dragged into these crazy and extreme ways by siding with Alonso’s petty whims and backing his comments in the media!!!

Mark our words – Alonso will stoop to any depth to get his own way and Ferrari’s reputation and legendary relationship with the FIA are being severely strained by a driver who couldn’t spell “team” let alone be part of one.  Let’s not forget this is the same driver who tried to destroy McLaren with his disgusting antics and “kiss and tell” stories to the FIA, when he realised he wasn’t going to be allowed number one status, and of course the “Crashgate” episode at Renault which we mentioned earlier.  The question has to be asked – What will he do to Ferrari if they don’t play along? Get them a $100000 fine? Get them dragged up in front of the World Motor Sport Council? Or what about frequent race penalties for unfair driving (why should I give a place back to another driver after I overtake him by cutting a corner? ). Oh no wait a minute – these are all things he’s got Ferrai involved in already.  And trust us it’s just the tip of the iceberg – He’s trouble boys and you’ve placed all your eggs in a very unstable basket….

You know what the worst part is? Us, the fans, are being deprived of real wheel to wheel racing action again - instead we’re stuck with robotic drivers who don’t actually race anymore - they simply obey every whim from the pitlane and the team managers decide who can and can’t win the race depending on crucial factors like “do we like him  more than the other one?”.

Endless discussions have taken place, there’s been FOTA forums and masses of polls and question surveys asking the vital question.

What do Formula One fans want and how can we improve “the show”?

Simple really – let racing drivers race – unimpeded and without fear of that dreaded radio message that asks them to stop being a racing driver. If not then F1 really is just a “show” and, like Big Brother, becomes so unbelievable and blatantly fixed that your fan base feel their intelligence is being insulted and lose interest. 

If Grand Prix race results are to be engineered then it’s not real racing anymore and the championship simply can’t be taken seriously as the pinnacle of motorsport… More like that really bad acting you get in WWF wrestling…and that’s something none of us want!

Silverstone – A lap with DC

Posted: 10th July 2010 by Kevin in Formula One
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Silverstone – A lap with DC

As you head under the lights on the start-finish straight, take a deep breath, you are about to hit Coppice in seventh gear. If the weather is good you will be able to take it easy flat, at 170mph, trusting in the physical phenomenon of downforce to keep you glued to the track. It is a daunting prospect.

From Abbey you would previously veer left towards Bridge but you now loop infield through Farm Curve. I think you might have a chance of a second overtaking opportunity through Village Corner, a tight right-hander taken in second gear, although you will almost certainly have to scrabble to make the move stick.

As you exit Club, newly tightened, bask in the colour and noise up on the banking; a sea of spectators and Union flags, utterly unique. Then head on up the back straight – which will in 2011 become the start-finish straight – and prepare yourself for the new Arena Section.

After hitting seventh gear again down Hangar Straight, stand on the brakes to take the downhill, medium-fast right-hander at Stowe, then get back on the throttle up to Vale, one of few overtaking opportunities. This is the first time you brake properly – down to first gear – and you are already halfway. This sets Silverstone apart.

Maggot’s-Becketts-Chapel. A classic sequence of corners, up there with Eau Rouge at Spa and Turn Eight in Istanbul, this is a roller-coaster ride. You enter at over 180mph in seventh gear and although you have dropped to fourth by the time you exit the complex, the right-left-right combination has been taken at an average of 120mph.

The Loop is a classic hairpin and from there you will pick up speed through Aintree Corner, a left kink with a bump in the middle, then it is back on the throttle in a big way, reaching maximum speed under the bridge down the Wellington Straight with the BRDC building on your right.

Brooklands is where the new section rejoins the old but watch out: the left-hander drops away and the track is very wide, which means you have no reference point and makes it very hard to nail the braking point. I think we may see a few guys lock up. Then it is straight into the never-ending Luffield Corner.

Final corner Woodcote is a super-fast right-hander taken in seventh gear with the new, elevated main pits grandstand on the outside. It was here that Jody Scheckter caused an almighty pile-up in 1973 that took out half the field.

Then it is time to take a deep breath again, you are fast approaching Coppice …


David Coulthard writes on the Telegraphs F1 pages on behalf of Red Bull Racing F1, for whom he acts as a consultant.

Valencia – David’s Telegraph Column

Posted: 1st July 2010 by Kevin in Formula One
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Valencia – David’s Telegraph Column

Successive McLaren one-twos in Istanbul and Montreal have seen Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button leapfrog Red Bull at the top of the standings but it is desperately tight and there are signs that Ferrari and Mercedes may be about to re-enter the fray.

At this point in the season if you’re not sprinting you’re standing still. Teams are throwing parts on their car with reckless abandon and the rewards can be huge.

Fernando Alonso topped practice on Friday, to the delight of his adoring home fans, and it was reckoned that the new Red Bull-style low exhaust configuration on his Ferrari may be giving him an extra half a second per lap compared with a fortnight ago.

Some people are unhappy that he essentially conducted a ‘shakedown’ of the new car during a media day at Fiorano last week – in-season testing is banned – but I say fair play to them; the rules are the same for everyone.

Mercedes and Renault are also trialling their versions of the Red Bull exhaust system here but McLaren are waiting until Silverstone to deploy theirs. Time will tell if that proves costly.

Valencia should suit street-wise McLaren

What McLaren have that the others don’t is the definitive F-Duct, another device that teams up and down the pit lane are desperate to replicate.

With the F-Duct the driver directs air flow to the rear wing to maximise straight-line speed, and it should be a big help here, as it was in Montreal.

This street circuit has a number of long straights but only medium-speed corners (and some slow ones, at turns 2, 10, 12 and 17) rather than the high-speed ones which Red Bull so enjoy.

Valencia, with its harbour setting, has clearly tried to model itself on Monaco but it only partially succeeds.

Lots of cash has been spent on giving the city a facelift – more for the America’s Cup than the F1 – but atmosphere-wise it is lagging behind. There are no vantage points of the kind you get in Monaco and the track is too spread out for my liking.

Moveable wings for 2011

Talking of arms wars, the rules of engagement for 2011 have been a major talking point out here this week, with the announcement that the FIA intends to introduce driver-adjustable rear wings, which can be deployed only to help overtake rather than defend. Lotus’s Jarno Trulli said he thought it could prove dangerous and I tend to agree.

A driver should always be able to enter Casino Square in Monte Carlo at 150mph and make any adjustment he needs to in a split second.

If you are fiddling with a booster button, or trying to raise or lower your wing, you are not concentrating on the road. In any case, look at the last race in Montreal – 60 overtaking moves – if Sunday’s race is anything like Canada, we’re in for a treat.

Never mind your vuvezelas, try 24 V8s, naturally-aspirated reciprocating engines for some banshee-screaming noise.


David writes an exclusive column for the Telegraph Newspapers’ Formula One page on behalf of Red Bull Racing F1, for whom he acts as a consultant.

Canada – DC’s view on the race

Posted: 16th June 2010 by Kevin in Formula One
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Canada – DC’s view on the race

I’m not sure how Tiger Woods will fare on his return to St Andrews for the Open championship this summer but if he hacks his way around the Old Course for two days, just about scrapes the cut and ends up with the also-rans come Sunday evening, I imagine it will be a lot like watching Michael Schumacher struggle to 11th place in Montreal last weekend.

He pitted three times and was still lapping over 4 seconds off the pace in his final stint. He just could not get his tyres working and in my view resorted to some pretty questionable racing in an effort to hold position. He was particularly fortunate to escape sanction for the late collision with Massa, his old protégé at Ferrari. The rules are clear: you cannot make two moves under braking. I’m not sure why they let him off.

I’m not beating up on Michael. We have had our differences in the past but I have tremendous respect for him. And I have consistently said we need to give him half a season before we judge his comeback. But with eight races gone and 11 to go, we are getting dangerously close to that tipping point.

What is wrong with him? I don’t know but something is clearly missing. It seems a case of one step forward, two steps backwards at the moment. I don’t think the reactions have gone, his fitness is fine and to be fair to him he has shown glimpses of his old race craft; the move on Alonso on the final lap in Monaco was like a visitation from the ghost of Schumi past.

If I had to guess I would say it is F1 that has changed. Michael’s struggles with the new tyres are well documented but I have another theory which is that he is not a fan of the 18,000rpm limit. The power band of the engine is very small these days; there is no torque. You spend your whole race changing gears. I didn’t really enjoy F1 towards the end of my career for this very reason.

By the way, I don’t agree with those who say he is damaging his legacy by making a comeback at the age of 41. If Michael thinks he still has something to offer then I support his decision 100 per cent. But for me it’s like U2 releasing Zooropa; average just isn’t good enough when you have come to expect excellence.

On the whole the Canadian Grand Prix was a belter. The differing strategies made for a fantastically entertaining race, with drivers having to reach the finish with their tyres right on the limit. And although the circuit was widely predicted to suit McLaren, it turned out to be a genuine three-way scrap between McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari for the win. Just as it is for the championship. We really are being spoilt this season.

One thing that did worry me, though, was the way Lewis Hamilton ran out of fuel on his in-lap after qualifying. Like team orders, which I touched upon in my last column, this is a grey area that needs clearing up and fast. My understanding has always been that you need enough fuel to get the car back to the pits and provide a one-litre sample for the stewards. Would it be so hard to write that into the regulations?
You might get cars ‘breaking down’ mysteriously in an attempt to circumvent the rules but they would have to prove that to the stewards – which is not easy with the standard ECU.

The fact is a lap of fuel is worth a tenth of a second. Lewis claimed pole and won the race. Can I accept it was a genuine mistake on McLaren’s part?
Absolutely. Should it happen again? Never. A $10,000 fine is paltry considering the potential benefits of starting on pole. McLaren have used their joker for the season but other teams will think they can still play theirs.

Absolutely. Should it happen again? Never. A $10,000 fine is paltry considering the potential benefits of starting on pole. McLaren have used their joker for the season but other teams will think they can still play theirs.

David Coulthard writes for The Telegraph each week on behalf of Red Bull Racing F1, for whom he acts as a consultant.

You can view the Telegraph Formula 1 pages here.

The Australian Grand Prix

Posted: 26th March 2010 by Kevin in Formula One
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Somehow the Australian Grand Prix feels like the natural and correct 2010 season opener. Looking back at the snorefest that was the Bahrain Grand Prix maybe we should just put it behind us and forget it ever happened!!! So with that in mind welcome to the new season proper!!!

The Albert Park track never fails to deliver exciting races and we think this weekends Grand Prix will be no exception – driver error will probably feature highly in the race and we think the orderly fashion into the first corner (which we saw in Bahrain) won’t be the case in Australia – expect to see some very short races for a good number of drivers – and of course we’ll have the normal “drivers getting too adventurous into turns 1,2 and 3 thing” and planting it into the barriers. It’s a good bet we’ll have numerous safety car periods – let’s hope for nothing serious though.

So who’s going to win? It’s still hard to tell who truly has the most competitive package and, like last year, it may be a case of different teams having the fastest car due to each circuits specific factors like tyre wear, car downforce characteristics and fuel efficiency. Remember last year when the Force India cars blew the competition out if the water at Spa but were back markers in the British Grand Prix? The team on the pace constantly changed throughout the season last year and it may be very similar this year.

We tend to find that whichever team has a fast car out of the box at the first race tends to dominate the first four fly away races (until everyone can get their development and upgrade packages on their cars once the series returns to Europe). With this in mind you’d have to say Red Bull will be the team to beat this weekend unless weather conditions throw a spanner in the works during Saturdays qualifying. McLaren appear to have a faster car (going by Free Practise times) but is this simply low fuel headline grabbing runs or true pace? Ferrari on the surface appear to be off the pace but Mr Alonso is far from concerned which would make you think that the Italian team are more than happy with their single lap pace and are concentrating on the handling of the car when heavy with fuel – time will tell…..

Further down the pecking order it remains to be seen if Mercedes GP are simply struggling to unleash the true potential of their car, due to not finding the optimum set up, or whether it’s back to the drawing board to design some new bits to find the grip and downforce they’re lacking. BMW Sauber have suprised a few people with the speed in which they’ve copied McLarens F Duct but whether it’s effective and gives them an advantage – or indeed if it’s even used on race day remains to be seen. Force India are quietly confident they’ve designed a good car this year and with a Mercedes engine in the back anythings possible – watch this space.

We think it’ll be a struggle for the new teams again this weekend and a finish on race day has to be the target for Hispania, Virgin Racing and Lotus – we wish the guys well during this really difficult time getting their teams established.

So who’s going to win this weekend?

Who knows but we’ll be watching with interest to see if the no refuelling rules really have completely ruined the 2010 season or whether Bahrain was just a case of another boring Tilke circuit where overtaking is about as possible as an MP telling the truth.

Enjoy – and we’d really love to hear your views on the race.

The 2010 Formula One Season

Posted: 7th March 2010 by Kevin in General
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So here it is then – the start of another Formula One season.

After a relatively rapid period of testing and preparation the cars have all been unveiled, the teams have all confirmed their drivers and we almost know which teams are going to be racing in 2010. There’s a million and one questions which have already been well documented – Will Michael Schumacher still be on the pace, Will Lewis Hamilton blow Jenson Button away at McLaren, Will Red Bull’s reliability improve enough to let Mark and Sebastian have another real crack at the title, Will Alonso bring Ferrari back to it’s winning ways and will Massa let him?  These are all questions soon to be answered. What we want to know is simply:

Will the racing be any good?

As we said last year – We’re not interested in the politics and scandals - and we absolutely want to see less of the ridiculous penalties which have blighted previous races and turned the whole series into a farce at times. So will the racing be good?

Mutterings from the paddock have been mixed. On one hand it could be a great season with drivers having to overtake to win races rather than wait for pit stops and at the same time protect their tyres throughout the race or risk a drop in performance and ultimately lose them the win…….

or

………the season could go the other way in that the fastest cars stay at the front and the slowest cars stay at the back – leading to dull and boring processional races.

Let’s not get too negative though. With Michael Schumacher’s return, Jenson’t move to McLaren and at least five teams in with a real chance of winning races (Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes GP and surprisingly BMW Sauber) 2010 could prove to be a fantastic and memorable season – heck we haven’t even mentioned that old wet weather conditions curve ball or the new circuit we’ll visit in Korea later in the year.

We’re also looking forward to more awesome Formula One coverage from the BBC and wish David, Jake, Eddie, Martin and the rest of the team all the best for the new season.

Let’s hope 2010 is a season to remember for all the RIGHT reasons. Enjoy the first race and we look forward to your replies and thoughts throughout the year.

Have fun.

Is Formula 1 as we know it doomed

Posted: 4th November 2009 by Lewis in Formula One
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Despite several assurances from Toyota staff throughout the season they have decided to withdraw from Formula 1. Toyota is one of those teams that should have done better but just couldn’t find what it takes to be an F1 winner. Bridgestone are also to leave the sport next year with BMW already bowed out, and now Renault are to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to decide whether or not they wish to partake any more. So the question is, has F1 suffered more damage than it can recover from. More teams are certainly signed up to join next year but with the global recession continuing to hurt every economy will they last the course, and will F1 purses be tightened so much it becomes a glorified GP2.

I guess we face an almost agonizing four months before we start to find the answers

Brazilian Quali

Posted: 17th October 2009 by Admin in Formula One
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And we thought the Singapore qualifing was exciting, well how about that. Action was put on hold for an hour and a half after just seven drivers managed to post a time and some of the big guns falling at the first post. Both McLaren drivers and crucially for the championship Sebastian Vettel only managing 16th. Then once the pandamonium started again and the times began to tumble, Jenson found himself struggling and ended up back in 14th while his number 2 team mate romped to P1 allowing the possibility that this years championship could be as exciting as last years finale. I’m felling a bit of F1 excitement building up in the pit of my stomach again after the secong half of this season has been some what dull with no driver showing any get up and go about them.
Perhaps this will put a spring in the step of the three contenders and give us some great racing

Lewis

Only two races left then…

Posted: 5th October 2009 by Kevin in Formula One
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And then there was two! Can you believe the 2009 Formula One season has nearly finished? Where has the year gone?

Well done to Sebastian Vettel for his win in Japan. We like the German and think his huge smile and cheeky comments always brighten up the paddock.

That said though we would still love Jenson Button to win this years championship simply because we think he’s been the better driver over the full season – look at his dominant wins at the start of the season – that was the driving of a champion. Sure his qualifying and race performances haven’t been putting him on the top step of the podium since the Turkish Grand Prix but is that a driver or car problem? Besides nothing could probably compare to the pressure that Jenson is under right now and even though drivers say they’re soaking it up you have to think that this might not be entirely true – look at Lewis Hamilton’s final races in 2007 and 2008 for proof of that.

We’ve been following Jenson on his official Twitter and the feedback from that is that he’s very relaxed and knows what he’s got to do to win the championship. So hopefully it’s only a matter of time for the Brit and after numerous years in Formula One he’s finally going to realise his ultimate dream of winning the championship – and in a car that wasn’t even going to be on the grid in February last year – what a great story…

As for Sebastian – well you have feel he’ll win the championship sooner rather than later if not this year – the guy has got a fantastic natural driving ability and all the makings of one of F1′s all time greats.

So it’s onto Brazil in two weeks time and we can’t wait. Looking back at previous years we can’t remember a Brazilian Grand Prix which didn’t provide superb action packed racing – just the way we like it.

Bring it on.

The Japanese Grand Prix

Posted: 3rd October 2009 by Kevin in Formula One
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Welcome back Suzuka! Quite why F1 hasn’t been here for two years is a complete mystery as it’s simply one of the best circuits in the world. Nothing against the guys at Fuji but their track is no comparison and won’t be missed this year!

If the race is anything like qualifying then we really will have a spectacle to behold. We’re really really happy that none of the drivers were seriously injured after their various shunts and hats off to the FIA safety team who really have improved the driver protection aspects of Formula One cars over the last few years.

After a long and extremely welcome lack of activity the dubious, and suspiciously timed, FIA grid penalties are back and leaving, not only the teams, but the fans in a state of total confusion as to where their drivers actually start the race tomorrow.

We’re told that the final grid positions will be announced / decided by the FIA on race day morning which leaves you wondering – what was the point of watching today’s qualifying sessions if the results were only going to be manipulated and changed anyway?

So let’s become fortune tellers then: Vettel wins at Suzuka , Barrichello has a great race and scores good points and, would you believe it, Jenson doesn’t score any – two races to go and three drivers can now all win the championship – but hey you’ll have to wait until the last lap of the last race to find out which one it is – Oh no – that was last years storyline wasn’t it!!

Sorry for the sarcasm folks but cmon!!

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