Formula One ( F1 )

My flatmate's blog:
http://literalf1.com/2012/06/07/paul-hembery-interview/
an interview with the head of pirelli motorsport.

FP1 is about to start, and it looks as if Canada is going to be cool, weather wise. A possible Mercedes win then.

Could we get 7 from 7?

Andrew Benson from t'BBC
"Extracting an opinion from Michael Schumacher about how he will get on at a given grand prix weekend is usually like getting blood from a stone. Not this weekend - and it betrays exactly how confident the veteran German is, after setting pole in Monaco before being demoted with a five-place grid penalty. 'I am very confident on this one,' Schumacher said in his news conference on Thursday. 'If you take the comeback time from the start to now, probably this is the closest that we can be of having a good result this weekend.' Askedto rate his chances of becoming the seventh winner in F1 this season, he said: "Put it this way, I like number seven.' This, of course, being the seventh race of the season, which if Schumacher won he would be the seventh winner. And he is in car number seven."

^ Hate to admit it but I have to say, theoretically he has a very good chance. Though I hope he doesn't.

Hopefully Hamilton, or Kimi will have this one in the bag to make it 7 from 7.

Or Button.

Button has already won a race this season so that wouldn't make it 7 from 7. Obviously it would be good if he did win but somehow I doubt he will.

If Schumey's reliability issues have been sorted, I expect to see him at the front, battling for the lead with Vettel and Lewis. If Lewis' gearing is right, I don't see him being less than second place. .

Button has already won a race this season so that wouldn't make it 7 from 7. Obviously it would be good if he did win but somehow I doubt he will.

My mistake - he won in Straylia.

Canadian Grand Prix Qualifying:

Vettel, Hamilton,
Alonso, Webber,
Rosberg, Massa,
Grosjean, Di Resta,
Schumacher and Button

Really interesting qualifying. Vettel clearly feels supremely comfortable and confident in his car, and was chucking that thing around like a toy. His pole is hard earned.

Is it my imagination, or did Lewis brush the last wall, and then pulled back on his fastest lap? It looked like it to me. His and Vettel were both on flyers, and at the first timing point, Lewis was 0.09 behind, and by the end of the second timing sector, he was 0.03 behind. I felt by the end he would have caught Vettel, except for his close shave with the wall. I'm not saying Vettel wouldn't have kept pole; I'm saying that it looked like Lewis was very close, and could have possibly edged it.

I think the dangermen behind Vettel and Lewis, will be Alonso and Schumey.

I predict an absolutely fantastic race.

Oh yes. it's going to be a great race.

I predict epic tussles, lots of overtaking and safety cars. If I remember rightly, last year Button won from coming all the way through the field from the back?

Hopefully Lewis can do it this time.

Maldonado's brush with the wall was pretty crazy!

Heading for seven from seven that is assuming the McLaren mechanics don't manage to fuck things up for Lewis.

Oh dear, the big boss is in town, they have had 50 practice pitstops during the week and they still fuck it up, it always seems to be the right rear, could there be a problem with the design of the wheel nuts?

1st. Hamilton
2nd. Grosjean
3rd. Perez

That was AMAZING!!!!! I love Formula 1!

Well done Lewis. Though I can't say well done McLaren, as they didn't do a very good job for Jenson. In fact, in the last 2 races it almost seems like Lewis has become the official preferred driver, and Jenson has been relegated to the number two. I know McLaren have always said that they let their drivers race equally, but somehow, it just seems that the balance has changed.

Excellent drive by Lewis. But........what on earth were Ferrari and Red Bull thinking, by not bringing in Alonso and Vettel earlier, and giving them a real shot at the podium? Serious miscalculations there, and Fernando will not be happy.

Extremely well done to Grosjean and Perez. Seeing them finish 2nd and 3rd is a real tonic for the chasing teams. Super job, by both of them.

A Lotus and a Sauber beating Ferrari? It's like the 1970s again!

Great race, and Alonso, your mum rang. She said you're a useless cunt.

Askedto rate his chances of becoming the seventh winner in F1 this season, he said: "Put it this way, I like number seven.' This, of course, being the seventh race of the season, which if Schumacher won he would be the seventh winner. And he is in car number seven."

I was really hoping he would come in 7th.

Listening to Lewis' shifty accent makes me feel sick.

You're from fucking Stevenage, not the west coast of America.

Seeing his stroppy bit of fluff pouting on the sky coverage pisses me off considerably more than his crap accent, ffs, I want to watch the racing not some overpaid, second rate singer bitching to her friends about how unfair it is for her multi-millionaire, racing driver boyfriend when his mechanics fuck up.

A Lotus and a Sauber beating Ferrari? It's like the 1970s again!

Great race, and Alonso, your mum rang. She said you're a useless cunt.

Love it.

Well deserved win for LH.

Seeing his stroppy bit of fluff pouting on the sky coverage pisses me off considerably more than his crap accent, ffs, I want to watch the racing not some overpaid, second rate singer bitching to her friends about how unfair it is for her multi-millionaire, racing driver boyfriend when his mechanics fuck up.

Awesome bit of commentary on Sky F1 when Lewis's second pit stop was a bit slow due to that rear wheel. They cut to a reaction shot of Nicole thumping the table in frustration at the delay 1.6 second extra wheel-putting on time...
Brundle: "Lewis Hamilton's girlfriend there showing her frustration with those 1.6 seconds"
Croft: "That's probably not the first time that's happened"

A Lotus and a Sauber beating Ferrari? It's like the 1970s again!

Great race, and Alonso, your mum rang. She said you're a useless cunt.

Like Alonso said, they were taking a chance, they wanted the win. Red Bull had the same idea so in terms of points difference between Alonso and his main rival, there wasn't much in it. If Hamilton was unable to pass Alonso, that would've pushed Vettel a fair way down the points in the championship. A worthy gamble I figured.

By the way, when do we start going out about how useless Jenson becoming now that Massa is back up to speed a bit. Recovering from 20th and passing Jenson to get back in the points was quite a good drive from him. It seems that the upgrades have been more focused on the driveability of the car than raw pace.

By the way, when do we start going out about how useless Jenson becoming now that Massa is back up to speed a bit.

I have been pondering this ever since the chequered flag yesterday. What really gets me is the moaney tone that all of the published soundbites seem to have:

"It's not tyres, I can't be the only person who can't drive the tyres," he said. "It's impossible."

I don't think he's as moany as his toy-throwing team mate.

Anthony Hamilton is clearly a driven man, in every sense of the word.

If everything was going swimmingly then why did his apparently gifted offspring choose other management?

Lewis is a busted flush. He had his time and he capitalised on it once. For a team that was built around him, both sides are now unsure about where he'll be sitting next season. McLaren did it once for him and he reciprocated. His arrogance didn't allow for the fact that there was (and is) somebody better than him.

I would be genuinely elated for him to win another title, but I think an ego the size of his will always be difficult to fit into a carbon fibre monocoque.

Busted flush eh? Uh huh.

He won't win the title this season.

To be honest, I did agree with you on Lewis' chances of being world champion, as he had been too much of a hothead, but he seems to have turned a corner. It seems that slowly, Lewis has taught himself patience and discipline. The days of trying to stupidly barge people out of the way.......look to be in the past. His last few drives have shown maturity and patience. He's managing his tyres as well as anyone, and can put the hammer down when needed.

I didn't think he would have a chance at the championship before, but now its actually looking much better for him.