Thursday

LOOKING AHEAD TO MUGELLO.

In -season testing is a great opportunity for teams to bring new updates to their cars and see how they will work. They already, after four races, know a lot about their cars and certainly a lot more than they know in pre-season testing meaning they have more of an idea as to what their car needs for improved performance. It's the first time since 2008 that the teams have had this chance so it will be interesting to see how much teams benefit from it and how much progress it enables them to make. And it's a great way to fill the 3-week gap between Grands Prix that we must sadly endure.

McLaren's Jenson Button and possibly Lewis Hamilton won't be at the Mugello test because "there aren't any massive updates to try" according to the former. McLaren have had impressive pace so far so they may not see the point of more updates but if their rivals, like Red Bull, do have updates McLaren may be ruing a lost opportunity. Lewis Hamilton has indicated his desire to take part in the test but the team have not yet altered their plans and their test drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey are set to drive instead. 

The next Grand Prix won't be until 13th May in Spain and the fact that there is a test before it means more unpredictability in the season is to be expected. Many of the top teams will be seeking to work on and eliminate their weaknesses thus far and that can surely only mean they will become closer in terms of performance.

More on Mugello and other F1 news as and when I can update!

Aqsa

APOLOGIES.

I'd just like to say sorry for not updating in a while but I have two German speaking exams coming up so unfortunately I just haven't found the time to blog recently. Regular posts and updates will return shortly!

Until then here's an image of Jake Humphrey kissing Jenson Button because who doesn't want to see that?

Aqsa

(Image taken from tumblr)

Sunday

SETTING THE SCENE.

I'm only supposed to use the one picture that I feel sums up the Grand Prix for me but Bahrain wasn't all just about the on-track action so I'm going to cheat and use two, if that's ok...
Firstly, Red Bull are back on top as demonstrated by the finger, the smiles and a rather spectacular trophy. Congratulations to the whole team!
Here you can see smoke behind the track whilst the cars are racing as protests are ongoing in Bahrain against the government and against F1. Let's hope Formula 1 can move on from this and that no further casualties are reported as a result of F1 being in the country.

Aqsa

(Images: dailymail,co.uk)

SEB (BAH)RAINS ON MCLAREN'S PARADE!

Who would have thought that only a week after failing to make it to Q3 Sebastian Vettel would not only win the next Grand Prix but find himself leading the Drivers' Championship? He had definitely not been written off but not many people expected the win to come so soon at race number 4. Red Bull got everything together for this weekend and it all paid off. Sebastian drove a very cool race in the Bahraini heat to take a pole to chequered flag victory.
Kimi Raikkonen was the only person to pose a real threat to Vettel's race win as he closed in on the German towards the end of the second stint. However, failure to undercut Red Bull at the final pit stop meant that the Iceman wasn't able to get close enough to overtake Vettel for the lead. Nevertheless, second place is still a great result for Raikkonen as he gets his comeback to Formula 1 firmly underway. I'm definitely glad to see Lotus challenge at the front with the final podium spot going to Kimi's team mate Romain Grosjean who is also making the most of his comeback and his joy at finishing on his first ever podium was very clear.

Lewis Hamilton could only manage eighth place in his McLaren but at least he got some points unlike team mate Jenson Button. Button unfortunately didn't even see the chequered flag making this the second time he has finished out of the points this season. Lewis suffered from two faulty pit-stops which took approximately 21 seconds collectively. He did pull off some great overtakes to finish eighth but something tells me that won't really be a consolation for him. McLaren's weaknesses today further highlight the unpredictability of this season and the fact that there definitely aren't any favourites for race wins or championships. Before McLaren start thinking that far ahead in to the future, however, they will need to sort those pit-stops out.
Elsewhere, Felipe Massa also won a few points in Bahrain and whilst this does not remove any of the pressure the Brazilian is under, it is at least one hurdle crossed. Daniel Ricciardio failed to capitalise on his 6th place start and this shows that although you can enjoy and be pleased with your qualifying performances, points aren't awarded on a Saturday and if you can't deliver the goods on race day you aren't guaranteed a seat in a car next season.

Paul Di Resta impressed in his Force India to finish in sixth position; ahead of both McLarens, Ferraris and a Mercedes. That's a nice bunch of points for the young Scot and a nice boost to carry into the European leg. Nico Rosberg finished ahead of Di Resta to come fifth after a race where he forced more than one other driver off the race track. He finished ahead of his victims, Alonso and Hamilton, but I'm sure he didn't have fifth place in his mind after his maiden victory in Shanghai. But in F1 these days that's the difference a week makes...

I don't think anyone can question how thrilling this race was and there was excitement and surprises up and down the grid. I spent so much of the race literally on the edge of my seat and my heart race was very unstable. A wonderful first win of 2012 for Sebastian blows this championship wide open and the double world-champions, Vettel and Red Bull, are certainly ready for the fight.

Aqsa

(Images: dailymail.co.uk)

Saturday

RETURN OF THE FINGER.

Finally, after three race weekends, Sebastian Vettel put his RB8 right at the front of the grid following qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. It has been a long time coming but he had an excuse to flash that famous finger as he climbed out of the car and celebrated with a few of his team members. I don't think many people would have seen this coming but the German got the job done and finally out-qualified his team mate Mark Webber, who also put in a great performance to get his Red Bull in to third on the grid.
The McLaren of Lewis Hamilton splits the Red Bulls and despite being very close to Vettel in terms of lap times, he just couldn't get more out of his car. Jenson Button may be a bit disappointed but when he won the race in 2009 he did so from fourth place. What can the '09 world champion do tomorrow?

Of course Michael Schumacher will be anything but pleased with qualifying 18th after coming to Bahrain as a definite front-row contender. Fellow Mercedes driver Rosberg will be disappointed with his performance as he was in with a shot at pole but could only manage fifth. He only did one run, like in China, but this time didn't get what he needed out of his flying lap. Perhaps he could have beaten Vettel had he run twice but that's just a what-if situation and the reality is that he simply couldn't make it two in a row.

The most interesting occurrence of Qualifying, for me, is the fact that the Toro Rosso drivers are experiencing  totally contrasting Saturdays. A great performance from Daniel Ricciardo saw him in the top 10 shoot out and finish in a stunning sixth position. On the other hand, Jean-Eric Vergne in the second Toro Rosso couldn't even get past the first hurdle of Q1 as he qualified in a lacklustre 18th. Ricciardo himself told Sky Sports' Natalie Pinkham that he doesn't know why they're seeing such different qualifying results but I'm sure that won't bother him as much as it will bother Vergne. The famously ruthless team he finds himself driving for won't be best pleased with the Frenchman's Saturdays either and he needs to step up his game now- or at least tomorrow- to be guaranteed with a seat for the whole of 2012.

So the cars have battled it out for grid position and the next time they take to the track will be for the race. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with the Grand Prix going ahead I can't wait for all of tomorrow's action. Can Sebastian Vettel follow up his incredible pole position with a race win, his first of 2012? It's something he's definitely used to doing but I can think of a few people who won't be making his life any easier...

Aqsa

(Image: BBC Sport)

Friday

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

Two practice sessions took place over in Bahrain earlier today and the standings after them make for very interesting reading.

In second practice Nico Rosberg was fastest overall showing that his form has carried over into this race weekend and only a fool would write him off as a pole contender. Understandably high after his maiden race win in China, Nico has a great chance at making it two in a row...

The big surprise of the day for me was the fact that the Red Bulls of Mark and Sebastian were 2nd and 3rd respectively. The double world champion has switched to the newer car that Mark was running with last week after saying he preferred the older design. The results from China, in qualifying and in the race, showed that the newer package was faster and Vettel can't afford to carry on being beaten by his team mate. The Bulls showed they had pace and were capable of matching or even beating McLaren but remember that in practice in Shanghai, Red Bull weren't too far off the pace but we all know that qualifying certainly didn't go to plan for them.
Speaking of McLaren, I can't imagine they're totally happy with how practice went as they were beaten by Red Bull in second practice; Lewis finished fourth after Vettel. Button was "feeling massively no grip" and it seems that his poor qualifying performance in China may be repeated tomorrow. However the fact that Lewis went fastest in first practice once again underlines just how unpredictable this season promises to be, let alone tomorrow's qualifying.
There were no other major surprises amongst the teams with Ferrari finishing in eighth with Alonso; a position they're definitely getting used to particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.

I don't think anyone knows what is going to happen tomorrow and I'm sure that qualifying in Bahrain will leave us with plenty of talking points just as Saturday sessions have done all year so far.

Of course the race isn't the only thing that will get the world watching and F1 will have a lot more attention placed on it this weekend due to the political conditions in Bahrain. Whether the race goes ahead or not (it's unlikely to be cancelled anyway) is not in the hands of F1 fans so let's just enjoy the on-track action as much as we can whilst not forgetting what the innocent people of Bahrain are fighting for and praying that everyone (teams, drivers, fans and protesters) stays safe.
So will Vettel make it to Q3 or finally beat his team mate? Will Nico take pole position again? Or will Hamilton rain on his parade? Unfortunately I can't answer any of these and you'll just have to watch qualifying to find out, won't you? Then you can join me right here so we can talk about it all. See you then...

Aqsa

P.S. My laptop has gone off for repairs (I somehow cracked the screen) so I may not be able to post/tweet as regularly as I would like to next week but I'll try my best. I'm sure my sister won't mind me stealing borrowing hers.

(All images: dailymail.co.uk)

Wednesday

DON'T STOP BELIEVING...

I recently discovered a blog called the Daily Post and they set bloggers a weekly challenge of posting a picture on a theme they choose. I decided to do a post on the theme 'Journey' (ok it may not be this week's theme but it's the one I liked the most!).

So I began thinking of how the word 'Journey' could be applied to Formula 1. My first thought was of how the F1 world, teams, drivers, the media and of course fans, travels to and from some of the most exciting and beautiful countries in the world on an almost weekly basis. This is the obvious thing that one would associate with journeys in Formula 1 but I wanted to focus on the other journey that drivers in Formula 1 go on. This is the emotional and mental journey that they and their families take that eventually, for a lucky few, culminates with the realisation of their dreams and the paying-off of years of hard work. 


Therefore, the picture I have gone for is of woman of the moment, Alice Powell
Alice is one of many young drivers taking that journey and the recent news that she will be competing in the GP3 series means that she is one step closer to reaching her ultimate goal of an F1 drive.


Aqsa


(Image: oxfordmail.co.uk)

Monday

WINNING STATE OF MIND.

Following Nico Rosberg's historical win in Shanghai the F1 world moves to the Middle East and with three different drivers having won the three Grands Prix we've had so far, it will most definitely be thrilling to see who can clench the win in Bahrain. Rosberg will be a contender with him and Mercedes considered to be the pacesetters of the season so far. Sure, it was the first time we saw a performance worth mentioning from the team but because the weekend of the Chinese Grand Prix was the only one that had stable conditions throughout, from practice to the chequered flag, it is the only one that has given us any indication as to where the teams relatively are in terms of performance. Jenson Button echoed this sentiment when he said "I'm sure this won't be Nico's first and last win".
It took the 26 year old 110 races before he was able to enjoy the sweet taste of victory meaning that he has only won 0.9% of the races in his Formula 1 career. However, there are other honours that he can enjoy. Not only did he give his team their first win since 1955 but he also became the first German driver in 73 years to win a Grand Prix in a German car. Whilst these facts don't define a driver's career, I'm sure they're nice accolades to have. 


So, it took Nico a while to get on to the top step of the podium but he is someone who has proven that he has the ability to win and I can't think of any better motivator to keep winning than actually experiencing a victory. World Champion Jenson Button took slightly longer than Rosberg to get his first win. He raced in 112 Grands Prix before that big moment. Button won in Hungary in 2006 and didn't win again until 2009 but he didn't have a capable car. With a much tighter season this year, Rosberg's Mercedes certainly has the capability of winning. Combining this with the extra confidence he has I wouldn't be surprised to see him grabbing more wins in 2012 and years to come.


Aqsa


(Image taken from BBC Sport website)




Sunday

RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS...

...not quite!

SETTING THE SCENE.

This will be a regular feature where I will pick just one picture that sums up a particular Grand Prix for me. Today, as you know, was China's turn to host the F1 circus and here is my choice.
I had to go for this picture of the three podium-finishers! Only one man was ever going to win this race and it is great to see him enjoying his first ever Formula 1 win. The two McLaren boys also drove incredibly today to get second and third. Both of them performed some magnificent overtakes and Jenson managed to recover from an unusually long pit stop. A well deserved podium for all three drivers!

Aqsa

P.S. I promise the picture won't always be of the podium, in case you were worried...

(Image from dailymail.co.uk)

SHANGHAI DELIVERS, AS DOES ROSBERG.

As far as I'm concerned there is only one word to sum up the Chinese Grand Prix: Wow! I'd say that applies more to the second half of the race as the first half saw the cars pretty much staying in position and there wasn't as much overtaking as was expected from this circuit. But there are still plenty of talking points...

Let's begin at the start, naturally! Nico Rosberg got away from the rest of the pack incredibly and wasn't put under any pressure from those behind him on the grid. There wasn't too much action in the rest of the top 10 except for the fact that Button got himself in to third position behind the Mercedes of veteran driver Michael Schumacher. Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel is clearly being affected by starting right in the middle of the pack because he lost about four places immediately after a slow start. He admitted to not waking up early enough after the lights went out. 
Rosberg gets off to a flier

As I mentioned the first part of the race was fairly uneventful as no one was pulling any extraordinary overtakes and positions didn't change around too much. Following Mark Webber's first pit stop it looked quite clear that many would follow a 3 stop strategy and we began to see a lot more action on the track as new tyres breathed some life into the racing. Rosberg managed to maintain a gap at the front of the pack but unfortunately for his team-mate a problem with his front-right wheel nut, after his very first pit stop, meant that he had to retire from the race. I'm sure this was more than just frustrating for Schumacher as it seems that he's just not getting any luck on Sundays. How long will it be before he can follow up a strong qualifying performance with a good amount of points on race day? So, for the remainder of the race, the hopes of an entire Mercedes team were placed on the 26 year old German, Rosberg.

I'll move on now to that battle for 2nd place between Raikkonen, Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Webber and for some part Grosjean and Senna. Now wasn't that something? After Vettel finally made a move on Raikkonen it seemed the Finn had lost all grip in his tyres and tumbled a further seven places in the space of one lap. This gave Button a chance to have a go at Vettel (who was on a 2 stop strategy) and, with the benefit of newer tyres, he finally clawed back second place on Lap 51. Lewis Hamilton was next up to add to Sebastian's woes and add to them he did when he passed him going into the hairpin only three laps after Button. Despite Vettel's attempts to regain position, Hamilton clung on to his third third-place of the season. Fast forward by one lap and the two Red Bulls were wheel-to-wheel when the double world champion's tyres succumbed once again to the newer tyres of Mark Webber. That rounded off the top 5 and they all contributed to one of the most exciting race ends we've seen for a while.
Vettel is "satisfied" with a 5th place finish
Romain Grosjean took his Lotus over the line in sixth position and it was the first time he'd seen the chequered flag in 2012. This will no doubt be a boost to him, especially because fellow Lotus driver Raikkonen finished well out of the points in 14th. Williams picked up a cool 7th and 8th finish and I am so glad to see this team, with the history they have, get off to a great start this season considering a woeful 2011.

China didn't disappoint in providing some great talking points and due to the stable conditions, it allowed us to see what the cars are really capable of, although no clear pecking order has yet emerged. If there were any doubts that this season is going to be a lot tighter than we have been used to in recent times, let the fact that there have already been six different drivers (Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Perez) on the podium in only three races this season compared to the seven in eighteen races last year. 
Rosberg celebrates his first ever F1 win

The attention now refocuses on Bahrain and, considering it is highly unlikely that the race won't go ahead, it's sure to be another amazing race. Many drivers will be trying to go one better than they managed this time round and many will be imagining themselves on the top step of the podium. 

And the best news? The excitement all starts in less than a week.

Aqsa

(Image 1: dailymail.co.uk, Image 2: redbull.com, Image 3: telegraph.co.uk)


Saturday

ON YOUR MARKS...

Well, what a qualifying session that turned out to be! Any predictions anyone, including myself, had before the session began were thrown right out of the window and rendered useless as Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix didn't fail to shock and stun audiences everywhere. And I have no idea where to begin...

With the usual line up not progressing through to Q2 there isn't much to say about the first part of Qualifying, except for the fact that teams were opting for the soft, option tyre much earlier on than anticipated, with those that set their times on the medium tyre just hovering above the drop-out zone.

On to Q2 and the main talking point is most definitely the fact that Sebastian Vettel failed to get to Q3! After enjoying all of 2011 as the man to beat on Saturday, 2012 must come as bit of an unwelcome surprise to him as his highest qualifying position so far this season has been sixth. As China has a circuit notorious for overtaking Sebastian does have the chance to move up through the grid and he also benefits from the fact that his main rivals aren't starting too far ahead of him. Adding the fact that he will be able to start the race on a fresh set of tyres I don't see any reason to write him off just yet. I do, however, think that Sebastian better get used to seeing plenty of cars around him on the grid as it doesn't seem like the RB8 will be a pole contender for a while.
(All images in this post taken from BBC Sport website)

Lewis Hamilton also benefits from the strange fortunes of others as, despite his five place grid penalty, he starts right behind his McLaren team-mate and the Red Bull of Mark Webber. This means the start will be very interesting indeed as these cars, and Vettel and Alonso not far behind them, will be aiming for the best start possible in the run down to the first corner. And then there will be plenty of position swapping in Turn 1 and Turn 2 as well...

Of course you can't talk about Qualifying without mentioning who got the coveted pole position. That honour belongs to Nico Rosberg. He won his first pole ever and finished about half a second ahead of his nearest challenger, despite only setting one timed lap. Nico will enjoy starting at the front of the grid next to his team mate Schumacher as the pair give Mercedes their first front row lockout since 1955. The question now is whether they can convert strong grid positions to world championship points. Mercedes only have 1 point in the Constructors' Championship and it will be a bitter disappointment if this figure doesn't significantly increase tomorrow.
Rounding off the top 3 is Kamui Kobayashi. He adds to the joys of Sauber who followed up a solid second position in Malaysia perfectly with a very strong qualifying in China. I am sure that we can expect big things from the team tomorrow and for the rest of 2012 as they get stronger and stronger.
I am not going to even bother making any predictions for tomorrow because I know that the race will be just as impossible to call as qualifying was. What I can predict is that the Chinese GP is going to be a thriller and my heart rate will dramatically increase as a result; especially at the start of the race when there will be action throughout the pack.

I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the best parts of the race. That is if I manage to digest them all...

Aqsa

Friday

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

With FP1 AND FP2 completed over in China we can see how hard teams have worked since Malaysia to improve their packages but what have we actually learnt?

It seems to me that McLaren are still the frontrunners with their cars- particularly Lewis'- posting times right at the top of the leader board. Lewis was second fastest overall but Jenson experienced a slightly different practice session. He complained of "way too much understeer" and said he was struggling with his tyres whilst trying to find a good set-up. So Lewis may go faster on Saturday but due to his grid-place penalty may not start in front of Button on the grid.

Also fast were Mercedes and Michael Schumacher went fastest overall. Their controversial DRS-activated W-duct (/F-duct/whatever we're now calling it) no doubt helps them with flying lap pace but Mercedes have struggled on race day despite positive qualifying sessions. Nico Rosberg only managed fifth fastest so it will be interesting to see whether he can close the gap to Michael tomorrow.

(Image taken from automobilsport.com)

Red Bull have certainly made improvements to their car and Vettel and Webber were running on different exhaust systems for both practice sessions. Vettel feels "a bit more comfortable" driving his exhaust package so maybe some of the problems he was encountering at the start of the season have been addressed. We can only find out tomorrow as it was mainly qualifying where Red Bull looked to be seriously behind both Mercedes and McLaren.

Elsewhere, Ferrari could only manage tenth fastest with Alonso but remember that despite never having qualified higher than eighth, Alonso is still leading the world championship. Ferrari are in a strange position and even though Alonso won in Malaysia I'd say that was more due to the man and the conditions rather than the car. It won't be until the beginning of the European leg that we can think of the Ferrari as a big contender in qualifying.

(Image taken from ca.sports.yahoo.com)

Another point of interest; Kamui Kobayashi was faster than Perez but the young Mexican will be the centre of a lot of attention this week after claiming his first podium three weeks ago. A confident driver and a confident Sauber team will certainly be fancying their chances at another one in a couple of days time.

(Image taken from riotengine.in)

I can not wait for qualifying, I think I might enjoy it more than the race itself. Ok, that was a bit of an exaggeration but it's always exciting and even more so now that the man sitting on pole is not a safe bet. However, if I was a betting person, I'd go with Lewis fastest in Q3 but Schumacher starting at the front. There is also the Red Bull battle to look out for as Vettel has been out-qualified by Mark both times this season.

It will definitely be worth the early start, so enjoy it and expect a little piece from me tomorrow on what the grid positions may mean for the race...

Aqsa

Thursday

CLASH OF THE TITANS.

So this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix marks the first time the BBC and Sky go head-to-head with their live coverage and it's a battle the media will be talking about just as much as the one on the race track. So what exactly are the main pros and cons of each and which one should you (in my opinion anyway) go for?

BBC pros
(Image taken from tenniswood.co.uk)

  • Jake, EJ and DC- the three musketeers! They have great banter between each other and the drivers and all three are able to lead a great interview.
  • Lee McKenzie- asks the right questions before and after the race. Lee is a great journalist and is representing women in Formula 1.
  • Original programming- the Beeb's features are always original, entertaining and innovative.
  • Humour- I've already mentioned the banter between the main presenters of the coverage but there's something about the BBC's coverage that is light-hearted and humorous!
  • F1 forum after the race gives viewers an even deeper insight into the paddock.
  • No adverts during the build up!!! (Yes, this is worthy of three exclamation marks!)

BBC cons

  • Betrayal- abandoning 10 races but paying millions for shows like 'The Voice'? That hurt!
  • No Ted Kravitz- loved how he could make complex, technical F1 language understandable! But Gary Anderson's doing a great job, no?
Sky pros
(Image taken from duncanblog.dailymail.co.uk)
  • The F1 Show- takes viewers one step closer to the sport as we get to see what happens on a Friday before the race weekend.
  • Ted Kravitz- see above.
  • Martin Brundle's great commentary- although, to be honest, I think Ben Edwards is also doing a stellar job and let's not forget Brundle doesn't even have the role of lead commentator.

Sky cons
  • Adverts during build up!!!
  • Costs £££
  • Simon Lazenby does not yet have the ease of presenting that Jake does but I guess that will come with experience so I can't be too harsh! 
So, that's my personal list and guide to the F1 TV coverage and I will be reverting back to the BBC for this race because it just feels natural and comfortable for me. (No disrespect to Sky, I think they're doing an ok job with their first season in F1.) After all, it was the BBC that nurtured and encouraged my love for Formula 1 and to it I remain loyal. I was very impressed with their highlights packages for the first two Grands Prix and I'm excited to see what they're going to be adding to their live coverage in order to compete with Sky. 

So who will you be watching? BBC or Sky?

Aqsa

OH LEWIS.

Poor Lewis Hamilton's frustrations this season are set to increase due to a 5 place grid penalty he will suffer because of a gearbox change. After two third place finishes in both Australia and Malaysia it seems he will have to wait at least another round for that elusive win. It is unlikely, assuming that there are no major external factors like the red flag in Malaysia, that Lewis will be able to charge through the pack to take the win (Wouldn't it be something if he proved me wrong?). This does not however rule out a podium finish and a great bunch of world championship points.

(Image taken from topnews.in)

The news will be great for Jenson Button as we know that the McLaren has been the fastest car on a Saturday but Lewis the fastest driver. If Red Bull have not made considerable improvements to their single, hot-lap pace, Jenson Button could finally be starting on pole position for the first time since 2009 and for the first time with McLaren.

This certainly adds some extra excitement to Saturday's qualifying session and Button and the Red Bulls will all definitely be fancying their chances at starting at the front of the grid for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix.

UPDATE: You can watch this video, Lewis says he's still feeling positive despite the penalty. In all fairness, he does have a great track record at China so it'll be exciting to see what he can do.

Aqsa

Tuesday

BAHRAIN- MORE THAN JUST A RACE.

With all the talk surrounding the Bahrain Grand Prix it only makes sense that I do some kind of post on the matter. I'm sure you've heard all about the controversy surrounding the race (if not I recommend you read this handy BBC article! It has information on the questions raised about the Grand Prix and an update on the situation in the country.) and there are plenty of bloggers and news sites out there that can describe what's going on. Therefore, I don't want to simply tell you why people are talking about it, I just want to offer my thoughts on the situation.

The mass human rights abuses that are taking place in Bahrain right now are plain and clear for us all to see. And why are innocent people being brutally targeted by their Government? For simply demanding their right to live in a democracy! Many of us are blessed with this privilege already and so it's difficult for us to place ourselves in the mind of a Bahraini (or Syrian, Libyan etc) citizen and it is difficult for us to show our support of their cause. However, one organisation that does have the power and influence to affect the way people view a situation is Formula 1. It is in a unique position as a sport that is so closely tied with politics and other world issues but it should view this position as a positive. Should F1 be going to a country and helping the government make money with which it will orchestrate the murder of its own civilians? The answer is simple. The answer is no.


(Image taken from arabianbusiness.com) 

The teams and drivers only seem to be concerned with safety and whilst this is an important aspect, this issue is deeper than motor racing. It is about showing an alliance with the Bahraini people and refusing to hold a Grand Prix alongside a brutal regime.

So as the world awaits a final decision on this Grand Prix it is important to remember that even if the race is cancelled the problems in Bahrain continue. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Bahrain and it is clear that they too don't want this race to go ahead (see Youtube for some anti-F1 protests).

(Image taken from blogs.aljazeera.net)

I didn't foresee myself getting so 'deep' on this blog but one of the great things about Formula 1 is the impact it has on the world and it is definitely more than just a sport.

Aqsa

Monday

EASY AS ABC.

I thought it's be fun to do an F1 A-Z, summing up what F1 means to me right now! And let me know what some of your favourite things about F1 are as well...

A is for Australia- perfect venue for the opening race!
B is for Bahrain- plenty of controversy around this GP and rightly so!
C is for cars- duh! I was going to go for Canada but I'm missing this year's race because I'll be revising :(
D is for dangerous- 2 motorsport deaths last year were saddening and watching Senna reminded me of how much these athletes risk to do what they love! (I cried like a baby at that film.)
(image from staticmass.net)
E is for Ecclestone- sometimes eccentric, always entertaining!
F is for France- would love a French GP (imagine a Paris street race) but please not at the expense of Spa.
G is for Great Britain- home of motorsport and if I was an F1 driver it'd be the venue of my home Grand Prix.
H is for Hamilton- I have a lot of opinions on him but as I said in an earlier post, i'm going to try to remain impartial! ;)
I is for ingenious- some of the greatest minds in the world work in a sport at the pinnacle of technology!
J is for Japan- last year's race was fantastic and of course where Vettel was crowned youngest ever double world champion!
K is for KERS- I can never remember what that stands for but I think I've got it now; Kinetic Energy Recovery System! (And no, I didn't just Google it!)
L is for lights out- the most exciting moment of the race, for me, is the start when all 5 lights go out and you hear the engines roar for the first time- love it!
M is for 'more please'- 20 races aren't enough to satisfy my F1 cravings! Oh and Monaco- I would love to visit one day to watch the race and enjoy the glamour!
N is for night race- Singapore if my favourite race on the calendar for this reason! What can I say? I'm a very nocturnal person...
(image from motorauthority.com)
O is for overtaking- We see much more of it thanks to DRS but does that make racing fake? Whatever you think of DRS it has certainly led to some exciting race moments!
P is for Pakistan- it is my dream to one day see a Pakistani GP! However, I understand that this is unlikely.
Q is for (this is a tricky one!) questions- I feel journalists don't always ask the questions we viewers want answers to! Just give me a microphone... And a press pass... And flight tickets... You get my point!
R is for Red Bull- they have been the team to beat since 2010 but do we see that halo slipping?
(image from blogs.bettor.com)
S is for Spa- a classic for a reason and as I said earlier, I would hate to see it alternating with a French GP!
T is for time consuming- I spend race weekends watching the race, being too excited for the race or recovering from the race! Needless to say, work never gets done and this is why I won't be watching Canada- thank God for the BBC's excellent highlights package.
U is for understeer- I recently started taking driving lessons and I now understand why drivers hate this so much.
V is for Vettel (honestly took me a while to think of that)- record breaker by profession!
W is for wings, both front and rear- I watched Megafactories: Williams F1 and learnt a lot about front wings! I would highly recommend you watch it too.
X is for (Are you kidding me?) XX- Roman numerals for 20- the record number of races on the 2012 calendar!
Y is for yelling- and a lot of it! I'm always left with a sore throat on Monday morning.
Z is for Zzzz- I miss out on a lot of sleep to watch races like Australia and Japan but it is so worth it!

There are so many more I would add- like New Jersey (Can. Not. Wait!) or topical things of interest like the Resource Restriction Agreement but I think this list is reflective of the first things that come to mind when I think about Formula 1. Are there any that you would agree with or that you would change?

Aqsa

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

Anonymous team principal: “I feel very uncomfortable about going to Bahrain. If I’m brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lock-down there. And I think that would be unacceptable, both for Formula One and for Bahrain. But I don’t see any other way they can do it.”


Whilst it is encouraging to see someone speaking out about Bahrain, post with more on the situation most likely tomorrow, I don't think this team principal should remain anonymous. Can you imagine the effect it would have if someone like Whitmarsh or Horner publicly condemned the GP? Or a driver like Alonso, Button or Schumacher? I don't think the people at the forefront of Formula 1 should remain silent; now is the time for them to make a difference!

CHINA- ONLY A WEEK AWAY

Today's Monday meaning there is less than a week until the Chinese Grand Prix- 3rd of the season! Three whole weeks separate Malaysia and China and that means the F1 withdrawal is getting pretty much unbearable! I even referred to Richard Hammond as Hamilton the other day. Imagine what I'm like in August...

So looking ahead to China, it certainly promises to be an exciting one! Weather and tyre degradation will all play an important role in a race that has a lot to live up to following the excitement of Malaysia. Two title favourites failed to score any points, Alonso won, a Sauber finished 2nd (and had a mighty shot at 1st) and there was even a cucumber on the grid!

After the race many commentators started speculating on Vettel and Red Bull's title chances after only two races- the first of which Vettel finished in an impressive second place! I think it's all too soon to be talking about the title and who's won it. We all know that 2012 is going to be a much closer season and everything could change by the summer break, which is still 3 months away, so I wouldn't start placing any bets right now! Sure, Red Bull have fallen behind McLaren, particularly in qualifying, but that doesn't mean that they won't bring upgrades to Shanghai and in Newey, Horner and Vettel they have a team that likes the taste of winning and doesn't plan on giving it up.

Lewis Hamilton has spoken of how he plans to try a different strategy this season by aiming for consistency rather than always going for the win (he had the same amount of DNFs as he did race wins in 2011). I think this will be key in how the season plays out because there's no doubt that Lewis' often foolish mistakes last season scuppered his chances of second place in the championship (first was never an option, realistically). But could this new-thinking Lewis risk his position as one of the most exciting drivers on the grid? Hamilton always gives fans something to shout about, be it during the race or his comments after it, and by going for a more 'boring' approach he risks alienating the fans that love him for his sometimes reckless driving. Nevertheless, he has chosen the wiser approach and only time will tell whether this will win him the championship.

I personally can't wait until the cars take to the grid for qualifying in only 5 days time and there will be a lot to look out for! A Red Bull 'comeback'?, a stronger Mercedes on Sunday?, a wiser Lewis?, another podium for Perez? and the first live BBC coverage of the season. It's going to be a cracker...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...