Formula One ( F1 )

Great racing in Japan today. Fantastic start from Grosjean! Gutted he only got 3rd in the end but still a great performance. He's definitely a changed man for the better.

Very exciting finish to the BTCC today too, with Andrew Jordan taking the championship from the back of the grid in the final race of a rain soaked Brands Hatch after being punted out of the second race.

Awesome wasn't it?

Watching Senna on the goggle box right now, I didn't remember that he got shafted this badly.

Probably because he didn't and it's a dramatisation.

I didn't realise you were French Mick?

Probably because he didn't and it's a dramatisation.

Ha!

Man just went up in my estimation

Never done that before? Oh please.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/14/jenson-button-mclaren-engines

I didn't realise you were French Mick?

Far from it! Big fan of both drivers but can't help that that film marked a huge step in turning Prost into a pantomime-esque villian. There are plenty of relatively unbiased documentries on the Senna-Prost battles. One that's catering to popcorn munchers probably isn't the best source of information. I've yet to watch Rush but I feel it will be much of the same.

Apparently Prost was very unhappy with the film as he felt it depicted a (bad) relationship with Senna which he claims was false- he was a pall bearer at Senna's funeral, and a friend whilst he was alive.

Sounds similar to Rush, in that conflict makes for a better film than the truth. The truth was that Lauda and Hunt were good friends, having even shared a flat, unlike the relationship portrayed in the film.

Not necessarily F1, but his old man pulled Lauda out of his flame-engulfed car in '76. A tragedy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/24532901

Isn't Webber off to race Porsche's next year?

That's really sad.

Far from it! Big fan of both drivers but can't help that that film marked a huge step in turning Prost into a pantomime-esque villian. There are plenty of relatively unbiased documentries on the Senna-Prost battles. One that's catering to popcorn munchers probably isn't the best source of information. I've yet to watch Rush but I feel it will be much of the same.

Have you read Mansell's autobiography? It makes the portrayal in Senna quite credible. He absolutely hated Prost, accusing him of all sorts of underhand political moves to try and win before the car was even on the track; doing deals with Honda to get a more powerful engine than Mansell, for example.
The fact that only Prost is leaping to Prost's defence is also telling.

I think the friends off-track, rivals on it relationship between Hunt and Lauda is so well known that whatever Rush portrays, the truth will be the version of events that sticks.

Isn't Webber off to race Porsche's next year?

Yes, but LMP1 rather than GT/Supercup. In one of these:

Now Slim Pickens has waded into the debate. The man who famously had so much trouble squeezing himself into his 'Rarri they had to give him a Renault Espace to qualify:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24568089

He's right though.

I recall when he couldn't even get into his McLaren, so they had to hire the svelte Mark Blundell to race instead.

Now Slim Pickens has waded into the debate. The man who famously had so much trouble squeezing himself into his 'Rarri they had to give him a Renault Espace to qualify:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24568089

That's a poorly written article.

However, much of the extra 48kg is expected to be taken up by the new power units, leaving less leeway for the weight of the drivers.

This reads to me like the new engines will add almost, but not more than, 48kg - which would give more leeway! It sounds like the changes are adding a lot more than 48kg.

Does anyone know how much ballast any teams ran with this year?

I imagine that they wouldn't want that figure to be too well understood.

I am struggling to recall who it was now, possible Gerhard Berger? Anyway- he was, at the end of his career, judged to be too tall due to his helmet interfering with airflow into the airbox that was (normally) above the drivers head.

Also a few years ago Newey offered the McLaran drivers (I think one was Montoya, might have been just before him) a choice between losing 6kg and having power steering, or staying the same weight but not having PS.

This tension between size of driver and overall weight/dimensions of the car is nothing new- just as it has been suggested by some that child-sized astronauts make a lot more sense I am sure that most F1 designers would be over the moon if their pair of drivers were each 3' tall and weighed 4 stone.

They have the best engineers in the world. Engineer a lighter car you blouses and stop moaning.

enters next year's Tour and starts legal proceedings against ASO for discriminating against the Bonus Ballast Brigade™

smog in india ?
or just mizzling

Chilton's done alright in the last few races. Beat Bianchi again today.

Ross Brawn has left Mercedes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24725406

Not exactly unsurprising, wouldn't be surprised to see him find a job elsewhere in the paddock.