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where is Bernie’s influence when I need it? #f1 #canadiangp

Posted on June 11, 2011 by thatconsultantbloke

OK, so the diminutive one can fix it so that F1 makes a significant contribution to global warming by running the Far East races under the lights at night, wasting thousands of candlepower so that the race is delayed until midday in Europe. So instead of wasting everyone’s time trying to rescue the Bahrain GP that almost no-one wants, why isn’t he getting the Canadians out of bed and running qualifying at 0800 their time so that the rest of it can watch it at 1300 (UK time) as well?

Now I don’t want to see F1 at night. NASCAR yes, but F1 should be run in the day time, and if that means that I have to get up at 0500 to watch on TV then so what? There is a natural order to these things that should not be messed with, and that is why I will not watch a grand prix run at night.

So no, I don’t really want the Canadians running their race first thing in the morning, but I don’t want Bernie mucking about with the timings in the East either. If we must have a standard timetable, then let’s keep it standard.

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Bahrain GP 2011 off again

Posted on June 10, 2011 by thatconsultantbloke

So it took the teams to put the lid on the re-instatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix 2011. This has been a sorry mess and has done F1, and motorpsort in general, little credit.

Fines and suspensions are amongst the penalties that the FIA can impose on teams, drivers and team employees for brining the sport into disrepute; a shame that the sport cannot sanction the FIA similarly. Maybe, though, this might be another wedge in the crack that might see a breakaway series established.

Filed under: Circuits, Drivers, F1, Teams | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Sir Stirling retires

Posted on June 10, 2011 by thatconsultantbloke

Best wishes to Sir Stirling Moss on his retirement. Candid as ever in admitting that fear came into the equation.

Thankfully we still have him amongst us, always forthright and entertaining. A good bloke.

Filed under: Drivers, F1, Retro Moments | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Good to know Mr 500 is still going strong at 88

Posted on June 6, 2011 by thatconsultantbloke

There’s a link below to a NASCAR item on Andy Granatelli, legend of the Indy 500, STP Oil Treatment, Studebaker, Paxton Products, Grancor and more. The man is a fantastic character and it’s great to hear that he is still with us and as irrepressible as ever.

Stories about him are legion (and he maybe wrote most of them), but as a salesman, promoter, innovator and all round showman the world of  motor sport would have been a lot less fun without him.

The feeling of excitement when I first saw the pictures of his 1967 STP Paxton Turbocar is with me still. It was an awesome device, and, like the innovations from Midland, Texas in Can-Am, you somehow knew that a ban would come. It did, but not before further efforts to castrate the beast had yielded the 1968 Lotus 56 STP Turbocars that also almost pulled off the win. A great shame that both of these cars never made winner’s circle, and somewhat ironic that the 1969 STP Lotus entries were pulled so that Mario Andretti had to start in his back up car, and won!

The Italian connection of Andretti and Granatelli had some rotten luck at Indy, and their one win between them is that 1969 race in the second string car. Never mind, they tried. Boy did they try. Happy memories.

Read the article here.

Filed under: Cars, Circuits, Drivers, F1, Indycar, NASCAR, Teams | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Bahrain GP back on? Just how stupid can you get? #bahraingp

Posted on June 4, 2011 by thatconsultantbloke

I am staggered by the decision to put Bahrain back into the calendar for 2011, and to announce the decision on a day when certain civil rights events were taking place is the height of insensitivity, let alone stupidity.

Other than lining the pockets of a tiny minority what possible benefit can come from this decision? What if some teams or drivers refuse to take part? What if the event leads to protests that are brutally put down?

This decision deserves the widest condemnation and brings nothing but shame on those that made it.

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