Crazy Canada

Firstly, apologies for this being nearly a week late. Things happening at home meant that I couldn't get this entry ready in time to publish it in conjunction with the video going online. I've published it as a double-bill with this week's answers though, so enjoy!


One of my favourite races of the year certainly lived up to expectations. Realistically it wasn't going to top last year, and it did lull a little in the middle of the race (maybe we should start calling this phase of the race "no-man's land"?), but the end more than made up for it. And I must admit, I did get emotional when I saw Lewis driving back to parc ferme with the Union flag in his hand...

© LAT Photographic

Q1) With Grosjean and Perez both claiming spots on the podium this weekend, do you believe that they are the best of the new crop of young drivers?

A: Up to now, definitely. Grosjean especially has really impressed me - I thought Kimi would be whipping him this year, but he's proven that when he can stay out of trouble he's got brilliant pace. Perez, meanwhile, seems to be the only driver on the grid that can make the Pirelli tyres work to his liking to some extent, letting him gamble with the conservative strategies that he's become famous for. If Grosjean can become more consistent with his results and Perez can improve his qualifying performances, people are going to take even more notice of them.

Having said this, there's new drivers further down the grid that haven't got the cars to be able to show their true potential. Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniel Ricciardo and Charles Pic in particular could be very talented for all we know, but the Marussia and Toro Rosso won't let them showcase their true potential.


Q2 [as suggested by @domcovkid]) Why, if Lewis Hamilton is repeatedly consistent with the McLaren, has Jenson Button been so poor in recent races when they both have the same car?

A: I think Jenson needs a much more stable car to suit his smoother driving style, unlike Lewis, who can really drag the car around the track as he's so aggressive. His performances have gone downhill quite dramatically since McLaren have used the modified, slightly curved nose... maybe that has something to do with it?


Q3) SKY viewers - what did you make of Jacques Villeneuve working for SKY this weekend?

A: Quite interesting actually! One thing you're guaranteed with Jacques Villeneuve is that you're going to get a straight answer - you may not like it, you may disagree with it and you may not like the man for it, but you have to have some respect for him for not being afraid to say what he truly thinks. For that one race I think he added a bit of something different, but I don't think I'd like him as a permanent pundit, à la Johnny Herbert. It's his new Dr Eggman look he's rocking. It scares me a little. All he needs is a pair of fancy goggles, a massive moustache and he'd be sorted:

BONUS) Who would you have liked to see join Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in the river after the Grand Prix?

A: My favourite moment of the weekend, hehe! Judging by his many and lovely photo shoots, maybe Bruno Senna? Though that may have been a bit too much - just Seb and Mark in there was enough to get me, @Thrinne1 and @Sammybingo giggling like little girls!

Mega Melbourne

Wow, what a brilliant race we've had this weekend! There were plenty of great performances from a whole host of drivers and teams which made for a really exciting race, though I'll admit Vettel was extremely lucky with that safety car. Well done to Button for a great win, hard luck Lewis, but I'm sure he'll bounce back. Onwards with #FanFormula!

Q1) Williams appear to have come back strong with a great battle between Maldonado and Alonso. But what did you make of the 'midfield' teams today battling against the like of Ferrari and Mercedes?

A: I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It was great to see Williams fighting for those points after such a torrid couple of seasons and I was genuinely gutted for Maldonado when he had his hefty shunt, despite some questionable moves earlier on in the race. Watching the 'midfield' teams mixing it up with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes was so exciting to watch; Sauber's tussles with the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg made up half the action that went on in the race, and it was so wonderful to see them have a really good go at getting some points. The battle between Alonso and Maldonado was gripping too, kudos to Fernando for managing to stave off Pastor in the end, as it was no mean feat with that extra DRS zone this year. All in all it was just such an exciting first race, helped a lot by Ferrari and Mercedes' performances seemingly becoming the opposite of their qualifying pace.

Q2) What do you make of the rule that lets back-markers unlap themselves under the safety car? Does it just prolong the safety car period, or is it fairer on those that would be out of place due to lapped cars?

A: Let me start by saying that knowing Hamilton would be pushing for Vettel, unhindered, after that safety car today was a quite a nerve-wracking thought! It certainly makes for a much more exciting spectacle for the fans, but for sure it prolongs the safety car period by quite a distance. I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking 'just get on with it' by the fourth lap under it, but I think it'll be something we'll get used to eventually. Given more time, the positive of drivers being able to have clear runs at each other on the restart will outweigh the negative of waiting longer to see it happen.


Q3) If you watched via Sky what is your overall opinion of the new team and coverage? If you watched via BBC, how did you find watching the highlights show rather than live coverage? Did it lack the excitement knowing that the race was already over?

A: I watched both the Sky and BBC coverage as I'm still in two minds as to which provider I'm going to stick with this season.

Sky Sports F1

Sky need to be given some space for the first few races, as they're new to covering the sport and the team will need time to gel and properly understand how they'll work together. A lot of people have argued that Simon Lazenby seems to be a little 'wooden' and lacking some knowledge and charisma, but the guy is relatively new to Formula 1 and I imagine must have been quite nervous (it's shown, with him sometimes interrupting Martin Brundle and/or Damon Hill in full flow to get a word in), so I'll be giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. Getting Ted Kravitz as part of the team has been a major coup, because the money Sky have to invest in technology has allowed him to really delve deep into the technical side of the sport; I've really enjoyed him explaining about the new innovations with the SkyPad, particularly Mercedes' rear-wing 'F-duct' and the different solutions teams have come up with in trying to cope with the double diffuser ban. In the commentary box David Croft and Martin Brundle seem to be a great pairing, you can tell they get on well and both have a raft of knowledge - Crofty made a few mistakes today but it was a pretty hectic race, and you can't deny that the guy has passion.

Having said all that, up to now I've been a little disappointed with build-up and post quali/race round-ups. This may just be because I have a short attention span, but 30 minutes build-up for practice and 90 minutes for the race seems much too long, so much so that at some points Simon seemed to struggle to think of what to bring up for Martin and Damon to discuss. Keep in mind that this is being written prior to the airing of the F1 magazine show, but I can't see what Georgie Thompson is bringing to the coverage up to now, apart from being something pretty to look at. When she's presented analysis on the SkyPad it's been clear that she doesn't really understand what Anthony Davidson is saying. Again, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but I'm sure she knows that she'll need to do her homework to keep up to speed. Overall I think Sky have made a very promising start and that given time, they'll improve even more.

BBC F1

Watching extended highlights will of course never be the same as watching a race live, but the BBC seem to have coped incredibly well with the budget cuts imposed on them. I wasn't too keen on the idea of Ben Edwards taking the lead comms helm but I take it back now - he may get a bit over-excited, but him and David Coulthard have already established a good rapport and were pretty much flawless during the race. Gary Anderson's technical input has also been a very interesting addition, while the camaraderie between Jake, DC and Eddie Jordan is still great to watch despite the shirt jokes being very old now. It's this in particular that gives the BBC a much more casual feel, which is perfect for them as the casual F1 fan is their target audience after all. It's not to everyone's taste, but they're doing a good job and I'll look forward to watching their live race coverage.


BONUS) What was your favourite moment of the weekend?

Vettel's pass on Rosberg in the first couple of laps was sublime, it was very brave of him to try that on the outside of a corner and it payed off beautifully. And who said he couldn't overtake?

Your Formula!

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good week because it's time for #FanFormula again. I'm writing this week's answers up just as pre-season testing has ended, with a less-than-ideal day for the Red Bull boys - Seb Vettel only got 23 laps of running, after front wing damage and a gearbox problem hindered the team's plans. A resounding 'boooooo!' from here. Still, it's best that these problems happen in testing than in FP1 in Melbourne, which is only 12 days away now. To know that this time in two weeks we'll know our first Grand Prix winner of the season... exciting times indeed.


Q1) What is it about F1 as a sport that you love and what do you hope this season will bring?

A: There's two things that make me love Formula 1 as I do. Firstly, the rate of technological advancement in the sport is just phenomenal. Even though I'm not a sciency person at all, it's hard not to appreciate the creativity, hard work and dedication each team member puts into making each hand-made car as perfect as possible, and it's great to know that some of these innovations are being applied outside the track to make a difference for those less fortunate.

The main thing that makes me love the sport so much is that no matter who you support we're all here to appreciate these drivers and team personnel, who are potentially putting themselves in great danger, to entertain us. The sport has its fanboys and fangirls of course, but the vast majority of fans treat each other with the upmost respect and can have a laugh with each other. Unlike with some sections of other sports, it's extremely rare to see drivers/teams and fans being abused for their views and performances, with any criticisms largely being conveyed in a thoughtful manner or as cheeky banter. It's this mutual respect between us that I think makes Formula 1 different from other sports and which makes it such a pleasure to be involved in. As @AilishCatherine* once said, "we're all one big, happy family united by our love for Formula 1" and it couldn't be more true.

For what this season will bring, obviously I'd love Red Bull to get the World Drivers' Championship and Constructors for the third season in a row. Though I'd like the competition to be closer this time around, as even I was getting a bit bored of Seb running off into the distance by the end of the year. If that doesn't happen then Jenson Button winning another WDC would be brilliant, just so he could prove to everyone that 2009 wasn't a fluke.

(*Ailish is a regular #FanFormula contributor who's aspiring to work in Formula 1 as a PR consultant. She's had many lucky run-ins with drivers and teams, which include work experience with Force India and various invites to the Grand Prix Paddock and testing sessions, all of which she writes about in her blog. If you're interested in this part of the Formula 1 world then take a look, it's a great read!)

Q2) What team/driver do you support and why did you choose to support them?

A: I have mentioned this before, but for those of you who are new I'm a Red Bull fan, supporting both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Though I've been developing a soft spot for Jenson Button lately, because he seems like such a lovely guy and I like his smooth driving style. I was quite a big Jaguar fan when I was little, at first because I liked their livery (as you do when you're a kid), but being a British team and being British myself, there's just something about us that makes us want to support an underdog. As Mark drove for the team back then, and now that Jaguar are Red Bull Racing, it just seemed natural to continue supporting both of them. I've followed Sebastian Vettel since his drive back at Indianapolis 2007, because I felt I had to keep an eye on him after scoring points in his first ever race! Nearly five years down the line and it's been a good ride up to now. Not sure how I'd cope if he ever went to Ferrari though...

Q3) If you could be in charge of F1 for the day, what three rules would you put into the sport? (This can include the removal of any rules you dislike)

A: Ban team orders, unless a driver is mathematically out of the championship and his team-mate is still in contention - this might be a controversial opinion, especially with me being a Red Bull fan. In fact having our fair share of team orders and favouritism controversy is what really annoys me when supporting them! But the fact is that I've hated team orders ever since I watched Rubens Barrichello have to give up his win to Michael Schumacher, back at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix. It was the first time that I'd ever gotten truly angry over a sporting moment and it's one that I don't think I'll ever forget. Everyone who I watched the race with just felt cheated out of seeing what would've been a great win for Rubens. Putting emotions to one side for a moment, however, Formula 1 is fundamentally a team sport and if there's a time when a driver has been mathematically ruled out of the championship, but his team-mate is still in contention, I don't have a problem with team orders then as it's for the greater good of the team. But only then.

Remove the rule making the top 10 start on their qualifying tyres - this is a particular gripe of mine. Not because of how it affects the race, but how it makes qualifying such an anti-climax for those of us watching. By definition the Q3 shoot-out should be just that - the best drivers on the day pushing everything to try and get the best out of their cars, until the chequered flag drops. As it is, too often we've seen a lot of them putting in one or two laps and then pitting to save their tyres. I can understand why the FIA brought the rule in and it does save rubber, but as a spectacle for the fans it's backfired badly! If money truly was no object I'd probably bring in special qualifying tyres, so that we could see what the cars were truly capable of and make Q3 the exciting, nerve-inducing finale it should be.

Bring back V10 engines - again, if money was no object, there'd be nothing better than hearing the V10 singing again. Here it is along with the current V8 to compare:

BONUS) If you were a team principal, which two drivers would you want to drive for you and why?

A: Wishful thinking, but if he ever got into the shape he was pre-crash Robert Kubica would definitely be in there. Despite the terrible bad luck Bobby K's had over the last few years he's shown that he's quick as well as consistent; he claimed a maiden win and fourth overall in the 2008 championship with a car that got gradually weaker as the season progressed, while he was regularly fighting for higher points and the odd podium with Renault in 2010. Here's hoping that his ongoing recovery is a speedy one and that if he ever gets back to full fitness, he gets to have a good shot at the championship one day.

The other driver I'd pick is Fernando Alonso. For those of you who know me on Twitter this may come as a shock! I do take the mick out of him a lot and I don't like the way he's gone about things in the past (qualifying at Hungary in 2007 comes to mind), but you can't deny that he's one of the best drivers on the grid at the moment. The results he achieved with Renault back in 2009 are proof of his talent, finishing in the points 8 times in a car that was nowhere near competitive, and he's achieved good results in his current stint at Ferrari despite them being off the pace compared to their rivals. How he'd cope with a fully-fit Kubica as a partner in a front-running team, however, would be interesting to see...

That's a wrap for this time, don't forget that you can always head over to the Fan Formula homepage if you're interested in getting involved. Hope anyone that comes across this has a lovely week as ever, and remember, just 12 more sleeps until Formula 1 is back. Until next Sunday, much love.