Remembering Jules Bianchi

The worst weekend in Formula 1 history will always be the weekend of the Grand Prix at Imola in 1994. The weekend nearly saw the end of Rubens Barrichello's career after a terribly accident. The circuit did claim the lives of Roland Ratzenberger during qualifying and Ayrton Senna during the race. For 21 years, that would stand as the last Formula 1 fatality relate to a racing accident.


On October 5, 2014, as the rains began to pour down during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Sauber driver Adrian Sutil crashed out around the Dunlop Curve (Turn 7). The race marshals issued double yellow flags for that portion of the track as workers moved out a heavy crane to lift Sutil's broken car.

As the track workers lifted Sutil's car from the run-off area, Jules Bianchi lost control of his Marussia car and speared directly into the back of the crane. His car essentially sideswiped the crane with enough force to lift the heavy machine off the ground, causing Sutil's car to drop back to the ground. The entire left side of Bianchi's car was demolished, including the roll bar. Bianchi's helmet struck the crane with great force.

He was reported unresponsive by both the team over radio and by track medical workers. Bianchi was treated and ruched to the on-site medical center before being driven to the Mie Prefecture General Medical Center, the nearest hospital to the Suzuka Circuit, which was nearly ten miles away. The rains from Typhoon Phanfone were making it impossible for helicopters to make the trip much faster. Bianchi's condition after the accident was not positive. He was comatose, suffering a diffuse axonal injury.

Bianchi remained in the hospital in Yokkaido for several weeks before being transferred to a hospital closer to his family in Nice, France. Bianchi remained in a coma from October 2014 until July 2015. His father revealed only days before that the family was "less optimistic" about Bianchi's chances for recovery. Only a few days later, after a nearly ten month long fight, Bianchi succumbed to his injuries. He was 25 years old.

Bianchi is the first Formula 1 driver to die of injuries sustained during an in-race accident since Ayrton Senna's death in 1994. Senna's death sparked a revolution in safety measures within the series. Bianchi's injuries have already brought about positive changes in Formula 1. Race times have been pushed forward to avoid dim-light situations like we saw at Suzuka. F1 also instituted the "virtual safety car," allowing the race director to essentially "freeze" the race field in order to account for driver safety during any situation that could potentially prove dangerous for drivers.

 Bianchi started 34 Formula 1 Grands Prix. He drove solely for the Marussia F1 team, though he was a test driver for both Scuderia Ferrari and Sahara Force India. At the Mocao Grand Prix in 2014, Bianchi scored the only points Marussia has scored in Formula 1. While he never got the opportunity to rack up impressive stats in F1, Bianchi showed huge promise. He was a driver on the rise, pegged by many to be a potential future title contender.

Formula 1 has lost one of its best up-and-coming drivers. Bianchi will be remembered by those who got to see him race. He was always in an inferior car, but he wrung every bit of performance he could out of it.

Forza Jules!

F1 2015 Preview: Malaysian Grand Prix

Let's be honest...the Australian Grand Prix was a bit of a bore. Only fifteen cars ran, and by the end they barely had enough of a grid to fill out the points paying positions. Jenson Button piloted his McLaren-Honda to an 11th place finish, but the team was happy to see the car finish. Sauber's Felipe Nasr finished 5th; a better finish than Sauber scored throughout the entire 2014 season.

Now, though, it's time to go racing in Malaysia.

While the weather was nice and comfy in Melbourne, Sepang promises to be a different story. Temps are expected to top out between 90° and 95° F on Saturday and Sunday. Humidity will be through the roof. Rain is essentially guaranteed. Cars are going to overheat. The track conditions will vary depending on the precipitation. In short, it will be one of the most trying races of the season.


Woes of McLaren-Honda

Jenson Button very nearly scored points in the maiden outing of the new McLaren-Honda partnership. But the team was happier that he finished. It's going to be a rough, long year for McLaren. The outfit is accustomed to winning, and their current design is not conducive to victory at the moment. The car struggled with overheating in the upper 60s in Melbourne. Sepang is set for 90°-plus temps and rain. Personally, I think McLaren will struggle to even finish this weekend, even with Fernando Alonso finally returning to the grid.

Horner says Equalization; Hamilton Laughs in his Face

Mercedes AMG Petronas is, hands down, the most dominant outfit on the grid right now. They are leaving everyone in their wake. Ferrari and Williams are their closest competitors, and frankly Mercedes just out-classes them at every turn. Kimi Raikkonen seems to have found some speed for Ferrari, but Hamilton and Rosberg remain out of reach over race distance.

Red Bull Renault's team boss Christian Horner has come out in favor of some sort of equalization method to bring Mercedes back to the field. Regardless your feelings on the matter, Mercedes driver, and defending World Driver's Champion, Lewis Hamilton fired back at Horner, saying that it's funny how Horner was not in favor of equalization when it was Red Bull running away from the field, but the moment someone other than Red Bull dominates, Horner thinks they should be punished.

Sepang International Circuit

Here is a breakdown of the Sepang circuit I wrote in April 2010:

The start finish line gives way to a quick right-left-downhill bit. A sweeping right-hander going back uphill leads into a a sharp right-hander. Too much speed going into this turn will definitely send you off.

This sharp right gives way to a gradual left-to-right S-curve that, if taken properly, can almost be run flat-out. Beyond this S-curve is a quick succession of right-handers that are nearly 90-degree turns, but are shallow enough to be taken with some speed. The second of these right-handers leads downhill to a very sharp, very slow left-hander that begins taking the cars back up-hill.

A semi-gradual run through turn 10 leads to a sharp turn 11. Another pseudo-S-curve (turns 12 and 13), bring the cars to a sharp sharp sharp right-hander, leading onto the long straight.

At the end of this straight is turn 15, the hairpin, that brings the cars back around to the start-finish line. 

Race Predictions

The second race of the saeson is almost as tricky to predict as the first race of the season. There are still mechanical complications to be sorted. Just ask McLaren-Honda how that's working out.

It's still not exactly going to be a shock for Mercedes to walk away with this race, likely with a 1-2 finish (and probably with a 1-2 start). While it is still too early to really talk about pecking order, Mercedes is the team to beat this year. They've already claimed a commanding lead in the Constructor's Championship, and a 1-2 finish at Sepang will further that gap.

The weather is going to play a huge roll in the race. I'm looking for several teams to drop out entirely, and many single cars to not finish.

Podium Prediction
I nailed the top two spots on the podium at Australia, but the conditions and the practice runs at Sepang have changed my mind for this race. I still think Lewis Hamilton wins, and I still think Nico Rosberg comes in second. But I think Kimi Raikkonen has found the magic formula for this weekend and will grab the final podium step.

It think we're looking at a podium of:

1st: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas

2nd: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG Petronas

3rd: Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari

F1 2015 Preview: Australian Grand Prix

The Formula 1 season finally swings into high gear this weekend. The cars have been unveiled. The driver lineups have been confirmed. The preseason testing sessions have wrapped up.

It's time to go racing.

The first race of the season takes place at the Albert Park Circuit. As evidenced in the video, the track is a rather fun blast around Albert Park Lake in central Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

It is late summer in Australia, and the current weather forecast calls for temperatures near 90°F for qualifying on Saturday (2:00am EDT) but much cooler for the actual race on Sunday, with a high of 68°F. That should sufficiently effect track conditions, especially with overnight rain in the forecast.

The week leading up to the grand prix has been exciting.

Sauber, Giedo van der Garde, and the Courts

Sauber was hit with a lawsuit from former driver Giedo van der Garde over a race seat and, effectively, lost wages. The Dutch driver was signed to a Sauber race seat, along with Adrian Sutil, last season, but both men were kicked aside in favor of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr, who provided better sponsorship money. Sutil faded into F1 obscurity, but van der Garde decided to fight. Especially since he lost his race seat after every other team had decided their lineups. That means this is a lost season for him and his sponsors.

So van der Garde launched a court case demanding that he be allowed to race this weekend. Sauber said no, as it would not be safe. The current Sauber cars were designed for Ericsson and Nasr, not for van der Garde. The courts, though, agreed with the Dutch driver, saying Sauber should provide him a race seat for the grand prix. Sauber is now refusing to recognize van der Garde as a nominated driver, meaning the Dutchman cannot obtain an FIA super-license in order to race in F1.

This case will get uglier before it gets settled.

McLaren-Honda Growing Pains

It's not like Honda has been away from the sport for a long time. Just a few years, actually...but much has changed. As such, the new partnership between McLaren and Honda has been off to a slow start.

The team failed to put in anywhere close tot he number of laps their competitors were churning out in testing. Then Fernando Alonso suffered a massive crash (that is still under investigation) and has been medically ruled out of the Australian Grand Prix.

Perhaps McLaren-Honda will gather momentum as the season progresses. But right now I'm thinking the bottom third of the points-paying positions is probably the best Button and Magnussen/Alonso can honestly hope for.

Race Predictions

The first race of the season is always tricky. Everyone is still working out reliability issues. Unforeseen technical complications are bound to ruin someone's race. A surprise or two is never out of the question.

That said, it's not exactly going to be a shock for Mercedes to walk away with this race, likely with a 1-2 finish (and probably with a 1-2 start). It is entirely too early in the season to start talking about the pecking order, but like last year, it is obvious to everyone involved that Mercedes outclasses the field right now.

So which constructor claims a stake on the #2 slot? Personally, I think Red Bull is taking a step back this year. McLaren is not yet ready. Ferrari is lagging, even with a total of five World Driver's Championships piloting the ponies. No, this year belongs to a classic team that spent last season completing the long hard trudge up the mountain back to excellence.

Williams. I'm looking for Williams-Martini Racing to have a great season, and for that season to start right in Melbourne.

Podium Prediction

When all is said and done, after the smoke has finally cleared, after whatever other cliche has run its course, who will stand on the podium in Melbourne?

It think we're looking at a podium of:

1st: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas

2nd: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG Petronas

3rd: Valtteri Bottas, Williams Martini Racing

Bernie Ecclestone and the Great British Foot in the Mouth

No one has ever shed a tear for Bernie Ecclestone, though many tears have been shed as a result of Bernie Ecclestone. Who is Bernie Ecclestone? He’s the head man of the world’s top motor racing series, Formula 1. He’s also 84 years old, filled with terrible ideas, and a recent victim of open-mouth-insert-foot-itis.

Bernie's normal look of confusion...

See, F1 is struggling under some hard times right now. Smaller teams (Caterham, Marussia, Sauber, Force India, Toro Rosso) are feeling the sting as more and more money is diverted to the, to borrow a college football term, Power 5 teams (Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams).

Caterham and Marussia entered administration after the Russian Grand Prix. This rendered the teams incapable of competing at both the America. How did Bernie respond to the situation? By saying:

"Nobody will miss the two teams because they're not front-running teams; they've only got a name that people would know because of the problem they're in. If you want to get recognised, you've got to do something."

He even compared them to Oscar Pistorius, who has been in the news for his lengthy murder trial of girlfriend Reva Steenkamp. Ecclestone said, “This poor guy in South Africa, for instance, has got more interest because of what happened with him than when he was winning gold medals. He won medals and afterwards nobody thought about him. If this case hadn't happened he would have been forgotten, probably. Same with these two teams.”

Ecclestone also flashed out some of his trademark Ferrari favoritism, spouting “You need teams like Ferrari. If they go anywhere and you say to somebody 'Ferrari', they'll know what you are talking about."

It’s good to know that the man in charge of Formula 1 cares so much about the teams. But Bernie wasn’t finished running his mouth. Oh no, far more idiotic drivel was primed to come pouring out.

Ecclestone is, as stated earlier, the head of the highest ranking class of motorsport competition on the planet. His series is well-known for its claim to be the pinnacle of racing technology. And yet, only recently have they truly begun using Twitter in earnest. Bernie, showing off the avuncular good cheer of a lovable luddite, said of social media, "I'm not interested in tweeting, Facebook and whatever this nonsense is. I tried to find out but in any case I'm too old-fashioned. I couldn't see any value in it. And, I don't know what the so-called 'young generation' of today really wants. What is it?"

Yes, Bernie Ecclestone, head of the organization that supposedly leads the world in automotive technological innovation, says Facebook is nonsense. But the most telling quote in that bundle of loosely connected senile thoughts is “I couldn’t see any value in it.” Remember, for Bernie Ecclestone, if something isn’t going to make him another $100 million, he doesn’t care about it. This is a man with a net worth over $4 billion US dollars. His well-publicized squabbles with race promoters reveals an incredible fascination not with providing the best product for his viewers, thereby making him more money in the long term, but with making the most sound, for him and no one else, fiscal investments now for immediate payoffs.

Countries like India, Korea, and others have removed from the F1 calendar because they couldn’t afford Bernie’s exorbitant race fees. Like FIFA, Bernie has a propensity for dealing with governments instead of private investors. Maybe that’s just a European thing, I don’t know…

But Bernie has a way of connecting with an audience…wait, did I say “connecting?”...I meant, alienating…

“…you're telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula 1 because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit. Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can't afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS - these kids don't care about banking. They haven't got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That's what I think. I don't know why people want to get to the so-called 'young generation'. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven't got any money.”

One thing we’ve learned from the increasingly incoherent ramblings of this Beatles cover band reject is that he doesn’t seem to believe that people get older or that they can learn to make better financial decisions. But it’s all part of the mystique that is Bernie Ecclestone. And let me tell you, there’s a lot of mystique about this guy…

Take this statement for example: "I'd rather get to the 70-year-old guy who's got plenty of cash. So, there's no point trying to reach these kids because they won't buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney."

The Bernie Ecclestone School of Modern Marketing, ladies and gentlemen. Only target septuagenarians who have large bank accounts. No teenager will ever grow up and get a job. Nope, from now until eternity the people who are 70 with big banks accounts will forever be 70 with big bank accounts and the teenage hoodlums will forever be teenage hoodlums.

That, in a nutshell, is Bernie Ecclestone. And love him or hate him, Bernie is slowly destroying the sport he helped build into the behemoth it is today.

Formula 1: A Mid-season Review

The Summer Break

Half of the Formula 1 season has been run. Now that the Hungarian Grand Prix has wrapped up, the teams are headed home. The factories will close up shop for a mandatory two week break period. Drivers will go on vacation. Team principals will look over the books before stepping out of the office for a while.

When the teams return to action, we’re going to have one heck of a season to close out. And the first race back is at my favorite track: Spa-Francorchamps.

Mercedes Dominance

The Mercedes AMG Petronas factory team is, far and away, the most dominant team in F1 this season. Nico Rosberg currently leads the Driver’s Championship standings by 11 points over teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg has been, undoubtedly, the most consistent driver all year. Only twice in 11 races has he failed to reach the podium, and one of those two times he finished 4th, right behind Hamilton.

Lewis, meanwhile, has finished on the podium in every race since the disaster that was Montreal. He has one win, one second place, and two third places. I argue, however, that those third place finishes are more impressive. In Germany, Hamilton’s brakes exploded, slamming him into the wall during qualifying. He started from the back of the grid and, within 16 laps, was in second place. He finished third. In Hungary, at the outset of Q1, Hamilton’s entire car basically exploded. Back to back qualifying disasters would set anyone on edge. Hamilton started from the pit lane, since his Silver Arrow had to be rebuilt. He began slicing his way through the field and soon found himself running second and involved in a tight battle with Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo. Lewis finished third. In neither race should he have had a chance, but this shows the dominance of the Mercedes chassis.

The race to open the second “half” of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, is a race Hamilton always runs well. The wide open nature of the track (and the next race at Monza) will greatly benefit the Mercedes team.

A Star Is Born

Red Bull Renault is, for all intents and purposes, “captained” by Sebastian Vettel. He is the four time defend World Driver’s Champion. His team is the four time defending Constructor’s Champion. (And yes, all of those titles will be leaving the Milton Keynes outfit this year, heading most likely to Brackley.) So whenever someone talks about Red Bull Renault, thoughts typically go to Vettel.

But not this year. No, this year Vettel has been outshined at every turn by his teammate, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo. The younger RBR driver currently has a 43 point advantage over the veteran Vettel. Ricciardo is the only non-Mercedes driver to stand on the top step of the podium this season.

At the Hockenheimring, Ricciardo and double World Champion Fernando Alonso locked horns for an epic multi-lap battle around the neutered circuit (thanks, Tilke). A week later, in the weather-troubled Hungarian Grand Prix, Ricciardo once again found himself in battle with Alonso, only this time he had another World Champion to contend with, as Lewis Hamilton’s epic drive placed him in the scrap for the top spot.

If this had been a year in which one team wasn’t so overly dominant, we’d be speaking of Ricciardo as a Driver’s Championship contender. He’s currently about three race-wins off the lead (Rosberg leads him by 73), but the Mercedes duo is going to be difficult to leapfrog in the standings.

Predictions Revisited

Earlier this year I made a series of predictions about the upcoming season. Now that half the season is gone, let’s look back and see just how right or wrong I’ve been:

Driver’s Championship:

On February 27, I wrote: “…there was one [driver] I kept coming back to. He’s been on the rise the last two seasons, is a proven race winner, and is partnered with a previous Driver’s Champion, so he has a brain to pick when trying to figure things out. His car looks to be one of the best on the grid this year, which can’t hurt. For Driver’s Champion of 2014, I’m picking Nico Rosberg.”

Today, I think: “Yeah, that’s pretty accurate. Lewis is a more aggressive driver than Rosberg, so he’s more prone to mistakes. So long as the reliability issues of Montreal and Silverstone stay away, Rosberg should be champion. He’ll have to fight for it, as Lewis definitely will not go gently into the night, but he should win. Rosberg leads Hamilton 202-191. Ricciardo is in third, with 131.”

Top 5 Driver’s Championship:

On February 27, I wrote: “Obviously I’ve got Rosberg at the top, and I think Hamilton will be highly placed, as well. When it’s all said and done, I think the driver’s top five will look like this: Rosberg, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, Hulkenberg.”

Today, I think: “Wow, that was a bit off. The current standings are:
1. Rosberg – 202
2. Hamilton – 191
3. Ricciardo – 131
4. Alonso – 115
5. Bottas – 95
Vettel is currently sixth (88) and Hulkenberg is seventh (69). Raikkonen is way down in 12th, with only 27 points.”

Constructor’s Championship:

On February 27, I wrote: “I think Mercedes will double up this year. I’ve pegged Rosberg for the Driver’s Title, and I think Lewis Hamilton will return to form and pick up two or three wins. Silver Arrows wrap up the Constructor’s Title.”

Today, I think: “Again, pretty much spot on. Lewis actually has more wins already than Rosberg (5 to 4), but Rosberg is more consistent. Mercedes currently leads Red Bull 393-219. Ferrari is a distant third with 142.”

Top 5 Constructor’s Championship:

On February 27, I wrote: “As I said earlier, I think the Mercedes factory teams pulls the double this year. But I also think Force India will have a strong year and McLaren will bounce back from the god-awful 2013 campaign. I see the Constructor’s Standings playing out like this: Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Force India, Red Bull Renault.”

Today, I think: “My pick here is closer than the Driver’s pick. The current standings are:
1. Mercedes - 393
2. Red Bull Renault - 219
3. Ferrari - 142
4. Williams - 135
5. Force India - 98
McLaren is sixth (97) and Toro Rosso is eighth, with 17 points. Sauber and Caterham have zero points between them. Even Marussia has scored, this year, with Bianchi picking up 2 points at Monaco.”

A Most Welcome Surprise

The Williams Martini Racing team has been quite good this year. Sure, Felipe Massa has been caught up in some ugly accidents (Melbourne, Montreal, Hockenheim), but his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, has placed on the podium fairly regularly. I won’t be surprised at all to see Bottas win a race this year. It’s good to see Williams back near the top.

F1 Goes To Azerbaijan

When you read the word “Europe,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

The Alps? Sure, they’re beautiful. The rolling hills of Germany and Austria? Yeah, those, too. The winter wonderland that is Scandinavia? Uh-huh. The lake districts of England? The Scottish highlands? Tuscany? The Vatican? Yes, to all.

Azerbaijan?

Wait, what? Huh? Azerbaijan?

That’s right, Azerbaijan. According to F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Azerbaijan is so distinctly European that, starting in 2016, a street circuit in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku will host the Grand Prix of Europe. According to Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, “Azerbaijan is a modern European country that has established a reputation as a center of sporting excellence. The deal to bring Formula 1 racing to Baku is a very significant new chapter in our ongoing success to attract the world's largest sporting events to our country.”

Baku is located 1000 miles East of the easternmost “European” F1 circuit, Istanbul Park. As for circuits currently on the calendar, the closest European circuit to Baku is the Hungaroring, which is only 1500 miles away, straight-line distance.

F1 Rules & Regs for 2015 (or, How I Learned To Stop Caring And Embrace The Insanity)

Beginning next year, safety car periods in Formula 1 will be followed by a standing restart from the grid. This rule only applies to restarts after the first two laps of the race and before the final five laps of a race.

Why?

What is the point of this?

Truthfully, what happened is that the FIA released the updated rules and regulations for 2015, and this is just one of many rules changes. The noses of the cars will once more face redesign work, brake discs will now have to rotate at the same speed as the tire, and the wheel attachments will be redesigned for added security.

But the standing start rule is already catching the most flak. It seems like yet another mad-cap idea from Bernie Ecclestone to create drama instead of allowing for racing to occur.

So let's do it; let's make F1 even more of a spectacle. How, you ask? By following these simple rules changes:

1. Qualifying will now take place on Friday night in prime time as an American Idol or Britain's Got Talent type show in which the viewing audience can call in a vote on the starting order for each grand prix.

2. Each car will be fitted with a paintball gun that can be fired at all other cars. Every hit is tallied at the end of the race, with each hit resulting in a 1/4 second addition of time. Cars hit fewer times will be able to move up the grid. Cars hit more often will move down.

3. The winner of each race will have to carry a 100-pound ballast at the next race to increase parity.

4. Races will now feature a halftime period.

5. Each team must feature a male driver and a female driver.

6. F1 will now run the 24-hours of Le Mans, and it will feature as a octuple-points event.

7. The points at the last race of the season will be multiplied by 6.782, or whatever value ensures Sebastian Vettel another championship.

8. Monaco is all about spectacle. To make it even more spectacular, half the grid will run the race clockwise, the other half will run anti-clockwise.

9. Sprinklers will be installed at certain tracks, but only to throw water on the audience, not the track.

10. F1 will now be part of the Summer and Winter Olympics.

11. Sailboats.

12. Instead of a Driver's Championship trophy being handed out, Bernie Ecclestone will be bronzed and handed to the winning driver every year.

Formula 1 2014: A Partial Season Review

Silver Arrows. That's been the name of the game for the first few races of the season.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Pertonas

Lewis Hamilton has the most wins on the young season, with 4 top step finishes. His teammate, Nico Rosberg, has two wins, but when he's not won he's finished second, so he leads the points at the moment, 140-118 over Hamilton. Rosberg was our pre-season championship pick, by the way. Only one other driver has claimed a victory this season, and he drivers for Red Bull Racing. No, it isn't Sebastian Vettel. It's new RBR driver Daniel Ricciardo, who claimed a solid victory in Canada after the Silver Arrows of Mercedes AMG Petronas both met with serious mechanical issues.

Currently the boys with the fast cars are in Austria, at the Red Bull Ring (formerly the A-1 Ring). The Mercedes domination looked likely to continue through qualifying, until Lewis's car stepped out on his fast lap, costing him a qualifying time and relegating him to a ninth place starting spot. Nico Rosberg set a blistering time, but it was only good enough for third, as the Williams Martini Racing duo of Felipe Massa and Valteri Bottas claimed the front row, the first time Williams has locked out a front row in eleven years. It's the first time that Felipe Massa has claimed pole since the famed Brazilian Grand Prix of 2008.

Felipe Massa, Williams Martini Racing
Austrian Grand Prix Pole Winner

The season has been a real joy for me, as I grew so sick of Red Bull dominating a season that, even though Mercedes seems to be the dominant force now, I'm okay with it. Sebastian Vettel is having such a rough season he didn't even make it out of Q2 at the track named after his own team.

First, let me say a few words about the Red Bull Ring. I love it. It's is one of the highest elevation tracks that I've seen. The track is relatively short, only 2.6 miles and only 9 turns. But it is a cracker. The run from turn 9 up the start straight to turns 1-2 rises some 240 feet. Everything after that is essentially downhill and a good bit off-camber. Everyone is running wide at turn 8, to the point that FIA Race Direct Charlie Whiting has told the teams any lap in which all four wheels go off at turn 8, onto the ample run-off space, will be discounted. Basically the FIA is telling the drivers to slow down even more.

And that's been a problem with the FIA lately. The group that oversees much of the global racing scene has taken it upon themselves to do everything humanly, and corporately, possible to strip away any excitement from Formula 1. They then try to inject new excitement into the series by using gimmicks. KERS and DRS are among the more recent gimmicks, but even in Austria the FIA has been playing their game. Nico Rosberg was noted to be running additional skid plates on his W05 Silver Arrow Mercedes, as part of an FIA initiative to generate more sparks and thereby make the racing "look" more exciting.

I wonder sometimes just how long it will be before we actually get Bernie "Fifth Beatle" Ecclestone's desired shortcuts and sprinklers.

Australia, as I'm accustomed to, kicked off the season. This was the trial of reliability, as each team had yet to learn just how the new regulations would hold up under true race conditions. Mercedes learned that their kit wasn't totally up to snuff just yet, as Nico Rosberg won but Lewis Hamilton suffered a mechanical issue and the team called him in, setting up his first DNF of the season. Daniel Ricciardo made headlines by dominating much of the race (as far as any non-Mercedes powered chassis can dominate), but his Red Bull failed scrutineering and he was disqualified.

Malaysia, Bahrain, Shanghai, and Catalunya all told the story of Lewis Hamilton dominating and Nico Rosberg chasing. Rosberg gave Hamilton a great fight at Catalunya, but otherwise Hamilton was superior over this stretch.

Rosberg reclaimed the top spot at Mercedes by winning at Monaco. Lewis fought hard, especially after getting a bit of dirt in his eye and basically driving the final ten laps with one eye closed. If there is a track anywhere that you really need both eyes to navigate, it's Monaco.

Formula 1 then came to North America, for the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villenueve, one of my favorite tracks. Rosberg and Hamilton once again began putting on a show, but technical issues struck and struck hard. Both cars suffered power failures. Hamilton's brakes failed in spectacular fashion, forcing his second DNF of the season and leaving Rosberg to carry the silver banner. Rosberg fought valiantly, but Daniel Ricciardo finally broke through, claiming the first non-Mercedes powered victory of the season and gaining some vindication for Australia.

Now the fast cars have reached Austria. There are three races remaining until the summer break, so the trailing cars will be doing everything in their power to close the gap to Mercedes. Otherwise, the Silver Arrows are going to just walk away with the title.

In other F1 news, Flavio Briatore, the former team boss of Renault Racing, has slammed the new Formula 1, saying it is no longer a sport of gladiators, but is now a sport of accountants. I hate to break it to Flavio, but I've been watching F1 since the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2008 and it has never once, in all that time, been a sport of gladiators. The accountants have always dominated the sport. Plus, to call F1 a sport of gladiators is a misnomer to begin with. F1 a sport of precision and power. Not contact. In fact, contact in F1 typically ends in abject disaster. Just ask Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez after their crash two weeks ago in Montreal.

A Little Bit of Everything

Politics

Let’s get the heavy stuff out of the way first.

President Obama with Bob & Jani Bergdahl

Very recently the United States negotiated the release of a captured US Soldier, Bowe Bergdahl, the only American POW in Afghanistan. Not all the information is yet available, so it’s not really a good idea to jump to any conclusions about this entire episode, but I feel compelled to at least share my reaction.

Bergdahl was a captive of the Taliban, though reports exist that he originally deserted his post and at one time sought to renounce his US citizenship. The latter is his right, I suppose, should he so desire. The former, however, is a very bad thing. Especially considering that several other soldiers lost their lives searching for Bergdahl. It’s all very tragic.

So the opportunity arose for a deal to free Bowe Bergdahl. A total of five inmates from the Guantanamo Bay facility were traded to the Taliban for Bergdahl’s freedom. Bergdahl’s father, Bob, and mother, Jani, were invited to a Rose Garden press conference. The elder Bergdahl, reports state, began studying radical Islamic philosophy in an effort to understand his son’s captors. He refused to shave or trim his beard in the years after Bowe’s capture. He is reported to have become more liberal in his politics, especially campaigning against the use of drones and the continued operation of Guantanamo Bay. Bob Bergdahl’s recent tweets include “Democracy is a cult in the West” and “I am still working to free all Guantanamo prisoners. God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen!” (this last tweet was deleted).

Once President Obama introduced the Bergdahls, Bob Bergdahl (a native Idahoan) stepped up to the microphone and claimed that he was having a difficult time speaking English. The next words out of his mouth were “bism allah alrahman alraheem.” As far as I can work out, from what little research I can find through the magical power of Google, this phrase is recited at the beginning of each chapter of the Quran (except the ninth chapter) and is often translated as “in the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful.”

Some talking heads are saying this amounts to an Islamic claim on the White House. I wouldn’t go that far at all, as it seems a bit over-reactive. That said, it doesn’t really sit right with me. Call it a gut instinct if you want to… Imagine the general reaction if an Iranian prisoner was released and the parents of that prisoner went before the Iranian Parliament and saying “We thank God the Father and His son Jesus Christ…” or if they said “Praise be to God, Shalom and Amen.” The reaction would likely be far different.

Again, I’m just sharing my initial reaction. I would really like to think the best of my fellow man, but the last few years have somewhat soured me on the ideal.

Senate Democrats and that Pesky Bill of Rights

Over forty Senate Democrats have joined forces in announcing a plan to craft an amendment that would limit the amount of money any single person, institution, or corporation can give to a political campaign. The problem is the language they are using is so broadly defined that it could eventually topple the First Amendment itself. The proposal is so vague that it could allow the federal government to actually ban all campaign spending period.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) spoke out in favor of this proposal, saying that this is an opportunity for both sides to “work together to change the system, to get this shady money out of our democracy and restore the basic principles of one American, on vote.” That’s all well and good, until one remembers that we are not, nor have we ever been, a “democracy.” For a long time, the word “democracy” was frowned upon, because then it was seen for what it really is: mob rule. A true democracy, if you’ll pardon the cliché, is two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner.

In true Harry Reid fashion, the Nevada Democrat pointed the finger of blame at the Koch Brothers. 

Personally, I’m taking this one with a grain of salt, as Reid also listed the Koch Brothers as a primary cause of climate change. I rarely agree with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but he summed it up well in saying that Reid’s attack on the Koch Brothers was a diversion away from how truly awful this proposal is.

The wording of the proposal is deliberately vague, as all things political are in this day and age. The proposal would allow the federal government and the state governments to set limits on how much any one person or group could spend on a campaign. The press would not be restricted in any way by this bill. Of course, the press is largely liberal in their political leanings. It brings to question just who would qualify for exemption as a member of the press.

This proposal would give the government (read: federal) the power to tell an individual just how much they could spend on an issue they support. Now, I’m all for limiting campaign spending, as I hate the idea of a person spending millions of dollars for a job that will only pay them a few hundred thousand. But I don’t want the government telling me what I can and cannot spend. To me, that’s like telling someone they can support any issue they want, but they can only talk about it for five minutes. Once those five minutes are up, they can only support it at the ballot box. No more talking.

Chuck Schumer tells us how Thomas
Jefferson wrote the Bill of Rights.

And yes, I believe this would become a strictly federal power. The Constitution has this wonderful clause in it, called the Supremacy Clause, which allows federal law to outrank state law. I can see this topic being brought up on the grounds of the Supremacy Clause and the federal government being able to overrule a state mandate.

New York Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer weighed in, saying “I think if Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Bill of Rights, were looking down on what's being proposed here, he'd agree with it. He would agree that the First Amendment cannot be absolute.” Nice one, Chuck. Oh, one other thing…Jefferson didn’t write the Bill of Rights. James Madison did.

Formula 1 in Canada

Okay, so the heavy lifting is over. Let’s talk about something fun… This weekend Formula 1 rolls into Montreal for the Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This in one of my absolute favorite tracks.

This is pretty much how the Canadian Grand Prix should end...

The Mercedes AMG Petronas factory team is simply dominant this year. No one can touch them. But Canada has a tendency to level the playing field. It’s one of the tightest circuits on the calendar, with little run-off area, meaning little room for error.

Red Bull Renault is in an interesting spot at this point in the season. Daniel Ricciardo, theoretically Driver #2 for the outfit, is basically out-performing his much more successful teammate, Sebastian Vettel, at every turn. But Red Bull is so far behind Mercedes that the RBR team is actually talking about billing Renault for damages. The 1.6-Liter turbocharged V6 engine that Renault manufactures for Red Bull has given the outfit problems, and because they are lagging so in their title defense, it could lead to “lost revenue.”

Anyway, here’s how I think Montreal plays out, in the form of a podium prediction:

First: Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes AMG Petronas
Second: Nico Rosberg – Mercedes AMG Petronas
Third: Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull Renault

Let's Talk a Little Racing...

Monaco, Spectacle, and Feuding Teammates

Last weekend was the Monaco Grand Prix. This is the crown jewel of the F1 calendar. It’s spectacle at its highest. It’s also usually boring…like “paint drying” boring. Don’t get me wrong, I love the track. I love driving it on any of the F1 video games I have. But the track is so tight that you’re left with only a few places to make a pass. It can lead to some incredible processional racing.

Qualifying at Monaco is usually the show-stealer. That title definitely applies this year, as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton battled for pole from start to finish. There just doesn’t seem to be anyone else remotely in Mercedes’ league this season.

As Qualifying Session 3 was ticking down to its last few seconds, Rosberg held the best time with a lap of 1:15:989. Silver Arrows teammate Lewis Hamilton had already dropped a 1:16:048 and was on a flying lap at the end of the session. He had already put in his personal best first sector when a local yellow was displayed, basically ruining any chance Hamilton had of reaching P1. The reason for the yellow? Nico Rosberg had gone off track at Mirabeau (turn 5).

Monaco Grand Prix Track Map

Immediately the wheels of conspiracy theory began to spin, recalling the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, when Michael Schumacher “parked” his Ferrari in the Rascasse turn while Fernando Alonso was on a faster qualifying lap. Schumacher was punished by the race stewards and forced to start on the back row. The same scenario was thought to possibly play out this year, but the stewards deemed Rosberg had done nothing wrong. His P1 time stood and Lewis Hamilton was not allowed to complete a flying lap, thanks to having to slow down for the local yellow.

The race itself was a procession, by and large. Nico Rosberg took the win, reclaiming the points lead from Lewis Hamilton. Lewis, though, gave us all a fantastic drive, especially considering that, over the last 12 laps he basically was driving with one eye closed, as a bit of dirt had gotten in his right eye.. Nico’s average finishing position this season is 1.67. Lewis had an aberration at Melbourne, finishing classified as 19th, though having retired with mechanical problems. Lewis is averaging a 4.17 finishing position. Rosberg currently has a 122-118 lead over Hamilton in the Driver’s Standings. Third place is Fernando Alonso, with 61.

The Constructor’s Championship is no closer. Mercedes currently leads the second place team by 141 points. In fact, if Red Bull, Ferrari, and Force India were to combine all of their Constructor’s points, they would lead the Silver Arrows 244-240. This is the most dominant start to a season I can recall a team having since I started watching. The run Mercedes is on is even more dominant than BrawnGP’s 2009 season.

I have to imagine the battle between Rosberg and Hamilton will force the drivers to new heights, and make the championship run worthwhile, even if no one else has a shot. That, or it will end in tears, like the Senna-Prost battles of old…

Fifth Beatle Snubs France, Looks Longingly at Asia

Bernie Ecclestone, the rejected fifth member of the Beatles, is reported to have shut the door on the possible return of the French Grand Prix. Rumors have swirled for the last few seasons that France was hoping to return to the calendar, either at Magny-Cours or at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Bernie and (some of) the Beatles

Neither of those options appear to be on the table, though. Bernie Ecclestone, in his never-ending quest to once and for all slay the mythical beast that used to be enjoyable Formula 1, would rather have races at a personality-devoid circuit in Sochi (piggybacking the Russian Winter Olympics, but in reality piggybacking on Russia’s attempted (however successfully) takeover of Crimea. Bernie would also rather have a grand prix in Baku. Yep…Baku. I’ll let you look that one up and figure out just where the cars would go…

NASCAR Points for Formula 1???

As much as I hate math and hate dealing with numbers, there is something enticing about points systems when it comes to racing. From the basics of consistency in motorsport to the outlandish ravings of a Beatles cover band reject wanting to replace the points with Olympic style medals, points are always good for discussion.

(*NOTE* That Beatles cover band reject also wanted to put sprinklers on tracks to simulate rain conditions. He also wanted to install shortcuts on the circuit, a la Mario Kart, that could be used once or twice per race. No word yet on the building schedule for Rainbow Road.)

Forgiving the fact that this season will feature the points gimmick to end all points gimmicks, double points at Abu Dhabi, the points battle is heating up (if you are a Mercedes fan).

I’m also still a bit of a NASCAR fan, even though I lose more and more interest in oval track racing each season. NASCAR has the “progressive” approach of, essentially, everyone gets a trophy. Every position in a NASCAR race receives points. A standard NASCAR field has 43 cars. Whoever finishes in 43rd place receives 1 championship point.

How would a system like that work in F1? To find out, I had to devise a system similar to NASCAR’s, in which the winner receives a set number of points, plus some bonus points for winning, leading a lap, etc. In the end, the system I landed on goes as follows.

The winner of an F1 race receives 25 points, just like they do currently. Second place, instead of receiving 18 points, would now receive 21. Third place would receive 20; fourth place would receive 19. So on and so forth until the last place car received a single point. So how does this new system shake out against the old one? Just look.

Current Standings				NASCAR-style Standings
Pos	Name	Pts		Pos	Name	Pts
1	Rosberg	122		1	Rosberg	134
2	Hamilton	118		2	Hamilton	130
3	Alonso	61		3	Alonso	108
4	Ricciardo	54		4	Hulkenberg	101
5	Hulkenberg	47		5	Bottas	89
6	Vettel	45		6	Ricciardo	85
7	Bottas	34		7	Button	84
8	Button	31		8	Raikkonen	82
9	Magnussen	21		9	Vettel	81
10	Perez	20		10	Magnussen	70

The top three are the same, just much closer under NASCAR’s “Everybody Wins” mentality. In fact, while tenth place is 102 points out under the current system, using NASCAR’s points template we find that tenth place is only 64 points out.

For those of you wondering, I’ve also reverse-engineered this entire experiment and charted NASCAR’s season using F1’s points structure. Under the current NASCAR rules, first place gets upwards of 47 points or so, but a win also basically locks a driver in for the “playoffs.” F1 has no “playoff,” as they award season-long consistency (except for that gimmick race at the end).

For NASCAR, I just applied the current F1 system of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 points for the top ten finishing positions. So what does NASCAR look like under a Formula 1 points structure? Let’s see…

Current System					F1-Style Points
Pos	Name	Pts	Wins		Pos	Name	Pts
1	Logano	378	2		1	Earnhardt Jr.	110
2	Harvick	345	2		2	Gordon	103
3	Gordon	432	1		3	Harvick	98
4	Ky. Busch	408	1		4	Logano	98
5	Edwards	408	1		5	Johnson	86
6	Earnhardt Jr.	394	1		6	Kenseth	73
7	Johnson	388	1		7	Keselowski	68
8	Keselowski	361	1		8	Ky. Busch	67
9	Hamlin	340	1		9	Edwards	62
10	Ku. Busch	215	1		10	Hamlin	51
11	Kenseth	421	0		11	Vickers	40
12	Vickers	365	0		12	Biffle	40
13	Newman	361	0		13	Ku. Busch	40
14	Biffle	351	0		14	Larson	35
15	Larson	344	0		15	Menard	32
16	Dillon	334	0		16	Kahne	27

As you can see, the current system makes very little sense, thanks to this “win and you’re in” idea for NASCAR’s postseason. Kurt Busch has one race victory, so he’s basically locked in to the playoff. If this component were not part of the equation, Kurt Busch would currently be 28th in the standings, not 10th. Busch has only two top ten finishes (actually both were top three finishes). Otherwise he’s finished outside the points in every other race.

You can see that the system is more cut and dried under the F1 points. You only get points for where you finish, and only the top ten gets points. Austin Dillon is 16th under NASCAR’s current points. He’s 26th in an F1 style system.

NASCAR is set this season, for the first time, to try an elimination component in its postseason. Sixteen drivers will qualify for the playoff Chase. After the first three races, the lowest four points scorers will be eliminated. After the sixth race, the next four lowest are eliminated. This elimination happens again after the ninth race. The final race of the season will have the four highest scoring drivers in the Chase battle it out, with the highest finisher winning the Championship. Sounds great, right? Just wait until those four drivers (let’s say Johnson, Earnhardt, Kenseth, and Logano) get caught up in a crash and Logano skids on his roof farther down the back-straight than any other driver does. All four have crashed out, but Logano went the furthest. So your champion, with a 37th place DNF, would be Joey Logano.

I would bet money NASCAR changes that little rule in five seasons or less.