Fan Formula Awards 2012

Favourite Race: European Grand Prix (Valencia)

It was a very close contest between this and Brazil, but I went for Valencia because it was arguably the most exciting dry race we had all season. 

And for it being the first recorded instance of an exciting race at Valencia.

Joking aside though, it had everything Brazil had apart from the rain. Cars going off, breakdowns, overtaking, and the best driver of the season won when the car was still pretty terrible. It summed up what a crazy season it's been.

Favourite win: Pastor Maldonado (Spain)

Even though I'm not a fan of Pastor per se, it was great to see a driver get their first win and Williams' first since 2004. And on Frank Williams' 70th birthday to boot. Only overshadowed by the fire in the garages afterwards, but even that showed the true spirit of the sport.

Most enjoyable overtake: Fernando Alonso on Felipe Massa and Mark Webber (Brazil)

Taking two cars at once into the Senna S, in very tricky conditions, in what was far from the best car in the field, can only be yet another reason why people are naming Alonso as the driver of the season. Magnifique!

Favorite Quote of the Season: "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing!" (Kimi Raikkonen, Abu Dhabi)

Nothing more needs to be said really. You know a quote is good when it's immortalised as a t-shirt slogan.

Favourite VT: BBC's 2012 Season in Review

The arguments about the BBC's commitment to Formula 1 since the coverage split are still going on, but there's no denying that they can still make a VT that tugs at the heartstrings. It keeps the focus on the key moments, while not going overboard with the funny moments from Jake, DC and Eddie. It feels very final; shots of tracks and their lingering fans in the sunset, and the teams packing away equipment, are very well edited, and filming artist Nikki Douthwaite making a portrait of Vettel from dots of Formula 1-themed newspaper cuttings was a clever touch. But it's the use of Alistair Griffin's 'Always Number 1' that I think adds to the poignancy the most, emphasising the feeling that we might never witness a season like this again. I'll admit that it did make me tear up a bit!

Most Shocking Moment of the Season: Maria de Villota's test crash

I think everyone was shocked when they heard how seriously Maria had been injured in the test at Duxford back in July. As soon as you see the words 'life-threatening injuries', nothing other than them pulling through matters.  This more than anything else this season brought home the fact that motorsport is still dangerous. We hope that Maria keeps on her remarkable path to recovery.

Naughty Boy of the Year: Romain Grosjean/Pastor Maldonado

Couldn't really mention one without the other here, for obvious reasons! Hopefully Pastor will keep on his calm and collected streak, and Romain will develop his spacial awareness more. Because they're both clearly very fast drivers, and although the controversies surrounding them added to the excitement of the season, it's not nice to see a lot of penalties in every other race.

Most Emotional Moment: Vettel in last place after being hit (Brazil)

A moment of despair for a Red Bull fan, and in the midst of the whole bar we were in cheering wildly, I honestly thought it was all over after this happened. My initial thought at the time was, "so this is what Fernando felt like back in 2010...". The next 2 hours were spent nervously drumming the table and keeping tabs on Seb's progress through the field, and a massive sigh of relief when he finally came across the line a triple world champion. Nerve-wracking stuff.

Most Hilarious Moment: Kimi Raikkonen getting lost (Brazil) and High Five Fail (USA)

Couldn't really separate these two, as I've never heard a whole room howl with laughter as much as when these two things happened. Kimi trying to find the gate back to the track gave way to this brilliant parody video, and the VIPs epic fail has been GIF'd for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Most Breathtaking Moment: THAT first-corner crash (Belgium)

If anything, I think this made us even more thankful than we already are, that Formula 1 cars are strong enough to withstand an impact like that these days. I was watching the race at the pub with some friends, and the emotions went from shock > fear > anxiety > relief in the space between the crash starting, to everyone involved being safely out of their cars. It literally took our breath away and left us in an uneasy silence. Definitely the scariest moment of 2012, and we were damn lucky that no-one was seriously injured.

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year everyone! I hoped you all enjoyed your Christmas holidays and gorging on fine food and drink.

You'll have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a very long time, but it's been for good reason. Back in October last year I started writing for the F1 webzine BadgerGP, which has been great fun. But because I really wanted to make my work for them the best it could be, and other things happening at home that I won't go into, something had to give. Hence having nothing on here until now...

So now, I'm going to try my best to get back into my Fan Formula posts on a regular basis. A mini New Year's Resolution, if you will.

Plus, it's not all that long until we'll be seeing some motorsport again - the 24 at Daytona is at the end of the month, along with F1 car launches and the beginning of winter testing not long after. It's going to be a busy year, and if 2012 was anything to go by, it'll be brilliant. Looking forward to it already!

Step Into The Ring - Sauber's 2013

News of Lewis Hamilton moving to Mercedes has come as no big surprise to many people, but Sergio Perez taking his place at McLaren has caused a stir. The man who Luca di Montezemelo recently said 'needed more experience' to join Ferrari, is now going to one of their main rivals and one of the most successful teams in the sport.

But what now for Sauber in 2013? The loss of Perez's unquestionable talent, and the many millions of dollars of sponsorship money he brings from Telmex, will be a blow to a team with lots of potential, but lacking the funds to make a car capable of challenging for anything more than the occasional podium. In terms of the drivers market they have a few options open to them, depending on which direction they want to take:

Michael Schumacher

If you were to believe all the rumblings you've heard during F1 Silly Season, Michael Schumacher going to Sauber has become an increasingly likely option. Nothing needs to be said about his credentials, they're out there for all to see, but his second coming at Mercedes has surely been far from what he had in mind. In both 2010 and 2011 he was beaten in the championship standings by Nico Rosberg, and poor reliability this year has meant he is currently languishing in 12th overall. Flashes of his past brilliance, with his pole in Monaco and podium at Valencia, have been muted by accidents in Barcelona and Singapore. Nevertheless, disregarding breakdowns he is still a regular points finisher, and has all the experience that comes with being a seven-time world champion.

The question is, would Schumi want to make the perceived step backwards to Sauber? Peter Sauber himself has said that's he's welcome to discussion, and he has driven a Sauber before, albeit in a test back in 1997. It would of course be a major coup for the team, and Kamui Kobayashi would do well to learn from such an esteemed team-mate - if he were to stay, that is. Although he's brought in some solid results (his 4th place in Hockenheim being the highlight), Kobayashi has been outdriven by Perez this year and there are many rumours that he may be let go. If that were the case, pairing Schumi with a younger pair of hands would provide a good balance for a team looking to move forward on a limited budget. Though we still don't know if Schumi will retire. Again.

Jaime Alguersuari

Many were shocked to see the young Spaniard dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of last year. Despite becoming another ball of paper to be added to the Red Bull Junior Programme's waste bin, Alguersuari showed some promise in his brief time in Formula 1, finishing in the points 7 times in 2011 at the wheel of an uncompetitive car. His stats in the lower formulae speak for themselves - out of 22 races in the 2008 British F3 season, he won 5, gained 12 podiums and only failed to finish in the points 3 times. Very impressive results, but they don't seem to have brought him much luck...

What will make Jaime an attractive prospect is his knowledge of the Pirelli tyres, through his role as the company's test driver. How the various compounds work under specific conditions has been a nut the teams have found hard to crack, and so any inside knowledge or data, however slight, would prove extremely valuable. However, a year out of the sport may have made Alguersuari a little rusty, and his lack of money now Red Bull have dropped him may prove to be a block in contract negotiations. Though everyone deserves a second chance, and Jaime has his youth and experience on his side to persuade a team to give him another shot.

Esteban Gutierrez

Another Mexican with substantial financial backing from Telmex, Sauber's reserve driver has impressed in GP2 this year, finishing third in the championship with 3 wins and 6 podiums. Although clearly talented, he's often been outshone by his rookie team-mate James Calado and would've finished behind him in the championship standings, had it not been for a string of bad luck on the Briton's part.

Gutierrez's consistency would be a welcome addition to the team, and would complement Kamui Kobayashi's aggressive driving style well, should he be kept on. The money he would bring is much-needed by Sauber, and his solid if unremarkable outings in the 2011 Young Drivers Test will also stand him in good stead. But taking on another rookie with only two years of GP2 under his belt is a big risk, albeit one that has seemed to pay off for Sauber in the recent past.


Davide Valsecchi

The new GP2 champion dominated the first half of this year by taking 6 podiums from the first 12 races, with three of those being back-to-back wins. Despite faltering somewhat at Valencia, Valsecchi went on to take one more win at Monza, 4 podiums and 10 points finishes to claim the title after a season-long battle with Luiz Razia, in turn becoming the only driver to win both the main championship and the now defunct GP2 Asia Series.

 Valsecchi has spent five seasons in GP2, tested for HRT and has also had a first practice outing with Caterham, giving him a wealth of single-seater experience. However, the fact that it's taken him five seasons to win the GP2 title may be of concern to prospective teams, who will be looking for a driver who is quick straight away and doesn't need much time to get acquainted with a new car. An unfair approach perhaps, given that drivers mature and grow at different rates, but an understandable one given the financial rewards at stake for the F1 teams. Nevertheless Davide has proven he is quick, and unless he decides to spend yet another season in GP2 or move to another racing series, he can't be ruled out.

Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list by any means. GP2 veteran Luca Filippi highly impressed by winning the feature race at Monza this season, in what was his first race for nearly a year, though a lack of funding means that his chances of reaching Formula 1 seem very slim. Other names such as Jules Bianchi and Luiz Razia have also been mentioned, but may need to be given more time to assess their talent. Only time, and most probably money, will tell who will get the chance.

On The Road: 2012 British Grand Prix

I did mean to write this up as soon as I got back, but various things have got in the way - not to mention having to put myself on the radiator for a few days to dry out... but better late than never, and the few months break has given me time to really think through how the weekend went. It's going to be written in the standard Fan Formula layout for the On The Road posts, so here you are - my review of the 2012 British Grand Prix!

Why Silverstone?

Originally I'd planned to go to the Spanish Grand Prix, but when plans for that fell through, using the money saved to buy an expensive ticket for Silverstone seemed like the best alternative. With the way this season has been so unpredictable, everyone thought we were going to see the true pace of the teams, as the weather forecasts at the time were predicting sun all weekend (how wrong they were...!).

And it's a cliché, but Silverstone feels like home. There's a really positive vibe, which can't even be dampened by the weather, and everyone is extremely friendly and respectful of each other regardless of what team or driver they support. Where else are you going to find Mexican waves transcending three grandstands to fill up a delay, or a massive mud-sliding competition after the race? The racing almost seems like an add-on compared to the fun you'll have!

Did you meet anyone in particular?

Unless you're very lucky to win a pit lane/paddock pass at the competitions they put on at the Luffield Stage, or get close to the pit wall after invading the track at the end of the race, it's nigh on impossible to meet any of the drivers or other famous faces. Security is extremely tight and you'll be caught very quickly if you try to sneak in anywhere. A pit walk on the Thursday, like most other races have, would be a welcome addition (though you can get in, if you're lucky - more on that later). However, the Grand Prix After-Party, held at the Luffield Stage, goes a long way to make up for this. If you're prepared to leave your place before the end of the race (there's a big screen there, so you won't miss anything), get a spot near the front and take the full brunt of any bad weather, then you're rewarded with live music and interviews with a lot of the drivers:

 

What about the cost?

It'll be as expensive as you want to make it. You can do Silverstone on a budget, if you go General Admission and bring your own food. But prices for grandstand tickets, and on-track catering in particular, are high. Prices for a bacon roll or burger were averaging £5, £8 for fish and chips, £2 for a tea/coffee and £3 for a pint of lager, although you have Chinese, Thai, Italian and Spanish cuisine to add variety and it's all good quality. I bought a 3-day ticket with a reserved, front-row seat for Sunday in the temporary Luffield Complex grandstand, for £285. Which is expensive, but proved to be a good choice, despite its lack of cover. We got to see Pastor Maldonado bump Sergio Perez off the track, and it was also the place where Mark Webber passed Fernando Alonso for the win! It's a shame they're not going to build it for 2013, as it gave great views and plenty of opportunity to take photographs due to the corners here being slow.

Camping was £60 for 5 nights at Silverstone's official campsite, Woodlands, which is great value for money. Food and drink are track prices but very tasty, and you have plenty to keep you occupied, with an on-site pub and various bands and DJs playing throughout the weekend. The Wimbledon tennis final was also shown on a big screen in The Big Top, which proved very popular. Although the campsite is divided into zones, it doesn't really matter which you choose unless you have a campervan or motorhome, where you're automatically assigned.  The campsite operates a tractor shuttle from various bus stops, so you can pitch up in the furthest Quiet Zone and be taken to the track entrance in about 10 minutes. Having said this, the Lively zones weren't overly rowdy and there were plenty of children staying in them - but if live music until 1am and shouts of 'IAN!' in the middle of the night aren't your cup of tea, you may want to try somewhere a bit quieter.

What advice would you give to others?

1) Pack for dry and wet weather, dress in layers and bring a good pair of walking shoes - Silverstone is a huge place and distances between grandstands are large, so you'll be doing a lot of walking. There's also a very cold wind due to the lack of trees, so dress in layers or the cold will get to you, especially if a session is delayed like this year. And as it's Britain, the weather changes constantly - one minute you'll be perishing in the mud and pouring rain, the next you'll be getting sunburn, and often you'll get soaked and sunburnt at the same time!

2) Don't be shy - wear your team/driver colours and be proud of it, you won't be bashed for who you support! You may be teased if whoever you support isn't doing well (especially if you're a Ferrari or Red Bull fan), but it's all in good humour and never nasty. Take advantage of the friendliness of the Silverstone fans and get chatting to those around you, you'll make friends in no time.

3) Plan what you want to see and do - there's so much going on during the weekend that it can get a bit overwhelming. A few days or weeks before you go, sit down and decide what you want to get out of your visit. If you want to take lots of photos, head to slower corners like Vale and Luffield, where you'll have more chance of getting a clear shot of the cars. If you just want to see as much of the track as you can, the Woodcote grandstands let you see the cars for nearly half the lap, from the Wellington Straight into Copse. And if you want to really appreciate how fast the cars can go, watch from Abbey and Maggots/Becketts complex; the speed at which the cars can change direction going through these corners is mind-boggling.

4) Stick around after the race - not everyone can do this, but if you're going for the weekend, stay on Sunday night. The vast majority of the campsites don't close until midday Monday, and the traffic straight after the race is horrendous. There's still plenty to do, the after-party being one thing, but you can also pick up teamwear and mementos from the F1 Village on the old Bridge corner, and even walk the track. I'd definitely recommend walking the track, because you could get more than you bargained for - while on the start-finish straight this year, the pit gates were opened to let the teams' forklifts in, and they allowed the fans in for a while! It was brilliant to get so close to the garages and see how all the packing up worked, and the mechanics are more than happy to have a chat if you don't disturb their work. 

You can see more driver interviews from the after-party in my Youtube playlist, and lots more photos in my imgur album. If you have any more questions about the race, you can get in touch via my Twitter account above or in the comments. Hope you enjoyed it!

Special Silverstone

It is indeed special. My second time at Silverstone in as many years promised to be a brilliant weekend, and it turned out just like that. The massive post on that will be on its way soon!

© F1Fanatic

Q1) Which part of the Silverstone circuit is your favourite bit to watch the drivers and cars conquer throughout each lap?

A: There's two main parts of Silverstone that do it for me. For taking photos and generally seeing the cars for as long as possible if you're there, I love the exit of Luffield into Woodcote. You feel like you're seeing the cars for an age - from Woodcote B in particular, you can see them coming out of Brooklands, into and out of Luffield, into Woodcote, speeding down the National Pit Straight, and even braking into Copse if the weather's clear. This combination of slow and high speed corners also lets you see just how quick these machines can accelerate and slow down. Naturally they're expensive seats, but very much worth it.

The other part of Silverstone I really like is Abbey corner, going into Farm Curve. The speed at which the cars change direction going through there is phenomenal. It's not quite as good as Maggots/Becketts/Chapel, but it still gives you a great sense of how sophisticated these machines are. Though I am a bit biased, as I saw my first 'big' moment here last year - during qualifying, Timo Glock got the entry into Abbey a bit wrong, went wide and threw up loads of dust coming back onto the track - heart in mouth stuff, as we thought he'd crashed, and the echo of 'oooooh!'s coming from the crowd didn't help!


Q2) In its history Silverstone has thrown up some incredible races, but which one was your favourite and why?

A: I'm not in a great position to answer this question, as I haven't watched many classic Grands Prix from Silverstone. But from the few that I have seen, I'd go for the 1987 race. We all know how intense the rivalry between Mansell and Piquet was, so for Mansell to get one over him at his home Grand Prix, and in some style, was brilliant to watch. And the crowd pouring onto the track afterwards was great, you wouldn't see anything like that nowadays.

Q3) Last year saw Fernando Alonso take his first and only win in the 2011 season. Do you think for the drivers who are yet to win this season, that this race could be their opportunity to take the top step of the podium?

A: Leaving this question as it's already been answered by the results :P


BONUS [as suggested by @EyeofAlexg1977]) Now that Bernie Ecclestone has stepped in regarding the possibility of London holding a Grand Prix, and has even pledged to put his hand in his pocket to help fund the promotion, how do you feel that this could possibly affect Silverstone's place on the calendar?

A: I can't see it affecting Silverstone's position, as I can't see a London Grand Prix happening any time soon. Even if Bernie has publicly said he'll put his own money towards it, history has shown what Bernie says and what Bernie does turns out to be a very different matter. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong though - I have nothing against a Grand Prix in London, indeed, I'd love to see one there if the vast majority were happy for it to take place - but I don't think enough people would back it, the logistical work of hosting it would be a very difficult task to handle, and there isn't any obvious venue that stands out to be suitable for the event. Having said this, we've had the recent bid for the Olympic Park to host it come under official consideration in the last few days. Personally, I'd prefer the Olympic Stadium to be left as an athletics venue as part of the legacy of the Games, but you can't rule out the bid being accepted. Either way, with the sheer amount of money that has been, and continues to be, invested into Silverstone, and with its contract to host the British Grand Prix running into the 2020s, a London Grand Prix doesn't seem much of a threat at all...

The future venue of a Grand Prix? © Jason Hawkes

Extraordinary Europe

Hello everyone. Again, apologies for massively falling behind on these blog posts. I decided to take a break from writing for a little while. Not only have I been really busy with things at home, as well as going to British Grand Prix (more on that in a separate, very long and multimedia-filled post, that I'll link to here <), I haven't really had the feeling to write lately. It's horrible and I know it leaves you all in limbo, but given the choice of waiting until I felt I could write something of some value again, or continuing to write and pumping out any old dross that doesn't read well, I went for the former. After all, these are my thoughts and I want to articulate them properly, so those of you who do read them know what I really think and feel about this crazy sport that we all love. Thankfully, the break has done me the world of good and I'm feeling very energetic about the whole project again now, so normal service should hopefully have been resumed. Thank you very much to all those of you who continue to read this blog by the way, it always surprises me how interested people are in my views. We've got a good little community here at Fan Formula :)

So now, there's going to be about 5 posts in the space of a day or two, in order to catch up on what I've missed. Starting with the first recorded instance of an exciting race at Valencia!

F1 So Far

Q1) Throughout the season several drivers have added slight adaptations or had radical design changes to their helmets. Do you think that drivers should stick to one distinctive design, and then just adapt their design slightly for special occasions to keep a consistency, or do you like seeing the constant changes?

A: Couldn't help but giggle at this question when I first read it! The regular Fan Formula crew will know why, especially @AilishCatherine, @squiffany and @PAGIE03. #F1Smut. I'll say no more ;)

But being childish aside, I really don't mind what the drivers do with their helmets. Yes it's a pain trying to figure out who's driving what car when they change their designs constantly, some being worse than others (yes Mr Pointy Finger, I'm looking at you). But a racing driver's helmet is their identity, and a person's identity is ever-evolving, so I've no problem with them doing as they please with them.

This may be a slightly biased view, seeing as I'm entering a certain helmet design competition...


Q2) Which driver has disappointed you through their performance the most this season and why?

A: Jean-Eric Vergne. When you look at his performances compared to Daniel Ricciardo, he really hasn't done that badly (JEV's average finishing position has been 12th, compared to Ricciardo's 11th), but he hasn't been as good as I was expecting him to be. All the pre-season hype, as well as the high expectations of the Red Bull young driver programme, were promising great things from him that haven't materialised yet. It's a shame really, as despite him not looking very good at the moment I think the car is holding both of the Toro Rosso drivers back.

Q3) [as suggested by @F1_Fans_Updates]) We've had seven races and seven different winners, but what was your favourite race win and why?

A: I have two. Sorry for being awkward!

They're both for drivers that got their first wins. Nico Rosberg's victory in China is one of my choices as it was brilliant to see everyone willing him on to win. The outpouring of affection and congratulations for him on Twitter was lovely and I'll remember it for some time.

The other is Pastor Maldonado's win in Spain. Not because I'm a fan of Maldonado, but because it was wonderful to see Williams finally get a win after the torrid time they've endured of late, and it was their first win in eight years! It was long overdue and the best reward for the Williams crew, who will have worked very hard over the winter to deliver what's turned out to be a decent car up to now. It was quite emotional!


BONUS) This weekend saw a break for Formula One but a variety of other motorsport races taking place. Did you watch any of them and if so, which ones and why? If not, why not?

A: I didn't watch the MotoGP race at Silverstone as I'm not really into bikes. Although, kudos has to be given to Cal Crutchlow for racing with a broken AND dislocated ankle, and finishing the race in 6th after starting last. What a man!

My main focus for the weekend was the Le Mans 24 Hours. I wanted to make an effort to watch it despite not knowing the faintest thing about endurance racing, and I'm glad I did as I really enjoyed it, despite being a wooss and going to sleep at 1am. So much so, that a couple of the Fan Formula crew want to go next year! It's only a pipe-dream at the moment, but I've met many great people through Twitter and I'm sure a Fan Formula holiday would provide more of the same, so it'd be a weekend I'd definitely be up for. Just need to get saving the pennies now...