Here we sit on March 27th, 2011, the start of the 2011 Formula One season. The most anticipated start to a season in a long time. Cars sit on the grid, each one on equal ground, all with the same chance to take home glory, each with the same chance to go home in failure. Fans and teams anxious to see how the new Pirelli tires will play into team strategy. Would KERS and the ‘movable’ rear wing make any difference? Once the lights go out, all bets are off. Everyone is ready. Everyone that is except for HRT. Back in the rule book this year is the 107% rule. Teams that can not finish qualifying within 107% of the pole sitter’s time, will be deemed too slow to race. The Hispania duo was just a wee bit outside that margin. It seems that maybe trying to join the rest for a little preseason practice may not have been such a bad idea after all. This is Formula One after all and not the participation league Division One NCAA football is becoming. But I digress.
Race weekend would kick off with McLaren finding the missing time from preseason practice. Most of the top teams expected to battle it out were looking to be on form, with everyone sharing the top spot at some point during the weekend’s practice sessions. Then came qualifying and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who seemed to have a rocket attached to his car. While all other drivers, except the newer teams who were without, were making use of KERS, Vettel would go on to claim pole without using the extra 80 break horse power. The other teams would start the race on notice. Vettel would start right where he left off, right up front. Hamilton would share the front row with the Red Bull and teammates Button and Webber would hold down the second row.
Here it is, another year and another season of racing is upon us. Endurance racing is on its merry way and NASCAR is revving up as well. Now on to the important stuff, Formula One is starting back up. The season is only a few weeks away (or more) and testing is well underway, and as testing goes, almost all the teams are in shape to win the title. That is why just about every team will say not to put too much into testing. Many faces this season are the same and there are some new ones, as well as the return of German Nick Heidfeld. And what season would not be complete if the rumors to replace poor Massa did not surface.
Rules have been altered some in an attempt to increase passing but many of the drivers are leery. The change that I am most looking forward to is the adoption of the ‘movable’ rear wing. Drivers will have the ability to alter the down-force on the rear wing when in close quarters in order to make a move for position. One thing the wing will not take into consideration is the ability of the driver being passed. KERS also makes a comeback this year. For those not versed in this technology, it allows energy built up under breaking to be stored for later use. The temporary increase in horsepower can be used in the straights to help gain position and make the pass. The last time KERS was available, not all the teams made use of it and those that had it, suffered a weight penalty making it not that big of a performance gain, since all the increase from straight line speed was lost in the turns. Formula One tracks have a lot of turns. Refueling is still left out this year but new tire supplier, Pirelli, brings a new twist to the battle of the pits. Many of the drivers are liking the new rubber but most all of them are talking about the shorter life compared to the Bridgestones of last season. This could be a win for the fans as the cars will have to make an extra stop or two for new tires, possibly erasing some of the large leads that cars up front could gain. With the new toys available to increase passing many drivers are not very optimistic that it will happen, especially among the top cars. I’m pretty sure I think I heard Sauber pilot Kobayashi state that he will show them how its done.
Two major things have happened recently that will have a major impact on the season. First, there was the accident involving Renault Lotus driver Robert Kubica. While racing in a rally event in Italy, the car crashed, sending the Pole to the hospital to have several surgeries to save his hand. As much as he wants to return, Nick Heidfeld should occupy the seat for the season. You can take the driver out of the race but you can not take the race out of the driver. Get well Robert but take your time, we will keep the seat warm for you. Then that brings us to the other major news to start the season, political unrest. The season kicks off in Bahrain, a wealthy kingdom in the Middle East that has not escaped the unrest that has taken over a large part of the region. Word is to come soon from the all mighty troll, Ecclestone, on whether or not the unrest will pose a risk to the safety of everyone involved. Do we really need to think about this? The people of a country are revolting against tyranny and we have to think about having a race in the midst of a revolution is a good idea or not?
The Mazda5. The mini-minivan, euro-van, microvan. What ever you wish to call it, Mazda shows that owners do not have to sacrifice the desire for a smaller car while having the need to haul a massive amount of stuff. The newest generation was unveiled at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show in a way that showcases this vehicle, while small, has a massive appetite. With 44.4 cubic feet of cargo space, there is plenty of room for what the journey calls for: a trip to the hardware store, camping, or packing the band up for tonight’s show (or all three), the Mazda5 is more than up for the task. As well as leaving room for the ‘band’ too.
At the show, Mazda laid out material for a home improvement job, enough camping gear for four, and equipment for a rock band. As the timer goes off, four individuals race to pack all of the stuff into the car, as well as morphing into the ‘roles’. Amazingly they are left with enough room to fit themselves and a few seconds to spare. An amazing feat, no matter how one looks at it. With the view of Americans slowly starting to see smaller cars as a viable option and not just speed bumps, it is easy to see that small and practical are possible while still being fun to drive. The mazda5 more that fills the role.
Mazda and I are asking for feedback on this display from the auto show. Tell us if you think a MPV is right for most families who are purchasing larger long wheelbase minivans or crossovers?
Episode two of Top Gear America was better than the first episode. The hosts relaxed a little, the camera work improved slightly, and a couple of the segments didn’t make me reach for the remote to fast forward. But there are still some problems with the show.
The Show:
This week’s show started off with Tanner Foust taking a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution up to Mammoth Mountain, a skiing resort in California. The challenge was to have the Lancer Evolution race two skiers down to a ski lodge somewhere on the mountain. As Foust puts it,
“But since Mitsubishi claims that this is no ordinary car, we needed an extraordinary test.”
So we meet the two skiers who will race against the Evolution which Tanner calls skittles due to their brightly colored clothing. But the skiers got their revenge for being called skittles by taking the keys of the Lancer Evolution and running a few feet before dropping them, thus delaying Foust from leaving. Foust had an advantage over the skiers; the skiers would need to take a 14 minute trip on a gondola up to the point where they would begin skiing. However the advantage Foust had eroded away by getting stuck by a big stupid bus and then a truck carrying propane tanks.
The 2010 Formula One season has sadly come to an end but what a ride it was along the way. With three new teams and many new rules, many were left wondering what the racing was going to be like. After the season opener, many were ready to head for the door. By far, one of the most boring races there has every been. Thank you Herman Tilke and your horrid track designs. The final two rounds of the Championship, while almost parade like, were nail biting to the very end. Going in, only two teams were truly up to the challenge of the all important Constructor’s Championship but four were technically still alive for the Driver’s.
The Grand Prix of Brazil seemed to have more action of the track, thanks to the seedy under belly of Interlagos (Sao Paulo), then on the track. While out driving, the car carrying Jenson Button was surrounded by armed gunmen. Luckily the driver was well trained in this situation and escaped without harm. As well, several Renault personnel were held up and relieved of their brief cases. The other big news of the weekend was Pole, captured by the Williams rookie Nico Hulkenberg, who was creating some new lines for his resume for next season. Out of nowhere, this young rookie set a blistering pace during qualifying and had the paddock area abuzz. Come race day, this new pace seemed to evaporate quickly under the pressure of the big guns, Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. Aside from usual battles at mid-pack, the Red Bulls would storm out to an early lead and not look back from there. Vettel would capture the much need victory and Button would fall out of the chase in fifth. Webber and Alonso would finish behind the young German, giving Vettel a hope for his maiden Driver’s Championship. Hamilton would finish fourth, just keeping the hope alive but would need the top three to finish out of the points.
This past Sunday, Top Gear USA premiered on the History Channel. To say it’s been a long and hard road for the show to appear on the airwaves would be an understatement. When news came out that America would be getting its on version of the famous show, groans could be heard coming from the fans of the British version. Typical complaints ranged from it not being like the original, to who can replace Clarkson, Hammond, and May. Two different networks (Discovery and NBC) first tried to get Top Gear US off the launchpad with varying different types of show talent before finally settling on Tanner Foust, Adam Ferrara, Rutledge Wood.
My first thought for someone trying to produce a version of Top Gear for America was: FAIL. It couldn’t capture the charm and magic of the BBC/British version. All the US version would be was a carbon copy with some ‘Americana’ slapped over it. But then reports came in from people who went to the taping of Top Gear and comments were somewhat positive. So I decided to sit down this past Sunday and watch the premier of Top Gear. Here are my thoughts:
If I were to write a list of the things that irk auto enthusiasts, public transit would be right near the top. Talk about public transit to any auto enthusiasts and you might get back “la, la, la, la, I’m not listening to you,” or just a mild glazed over look from your listener. Despite the naysayers, there are a lot of advantages to taking public transit instead of your own car.
One person who can attest to the benefits is Dave Foley (a.k.a. @Miradart on twitter). Foley is an avid auto enthusiast settled in Edmonton, Canada. Despite the desire to burn rubber, Foley ended up submitting to rationality of public transit, at least for a while. Here are his reasons why:
“When I got out of technical school, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a lab tech at a professional photo lab. We dealt almost exclusively with professional photographers from all around the city. This lab was located right in the middle of downtown Edmonton in an historic building.
“My first issue for choosing transit over commuting is cost. I moved into an apartment on the south side of the city specifically because it was very near to a major transit center. This transit center ran peak hour “Express” busses into the downtown arriving every 4-6 minutes. The monthly pass cost about C$65 loonies. Occasionally, I did take my car to work, but that didn’t happen very often because of the cost of parking, which was as high as C$14/day or C$420/month. It just didn’t make financial sense to drive.
“Another issue was time: Time is always the issue when trying to get to work. The trip on the bus took about 25 minutes. On days that I slept in, I thought I could save time by driving because I wouldn’t have the problem waiting for the bus, waiting for other passengers to load onto the bus, and for things like “time stops”. When it all worked out, it actually never saved me any time at all. Even though I would drive the same route as the “Express” bus (which was actually the most direct route) and passed them whenever they stopped to pick up passengers, that very same bus would always pass me back on the “Bus ONLY” lanes that the city set up so that busses could keep their schedule. I never saved time.
In the final races of the season, what seemed to be a two man battle for World Champion has now become a five way battle. This is due to the rebirth of Ferrari over the last two races. Both Monza and Singapore have been clinics brought to us by Fernando Alonso. In each race, Alonso has led from start to finish with barely a fight. Is this to be what we will see for the rest of the season? I highly doubt it. Red Bull and McLaren are not ready to roll over and play dead just yet.
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is for the most part a great race to watch. With its long straightaways, it is the fastest circuit on the calendar. The only action this year was Lewis Hamilton leaving his brain at the starting line and ending his race by the third corner when he collected the Ferrari of Felipe Massa. The big problem being, only his race ended. The Ferrari proved once again that it is made of something special and carried on with out a sign of damage. The uneventful race would end with the McLaren of Jenson Button splitting the Ferrari’s on the Podium.
The Grand Prix of Singapore, in its third year, is the first and only night race on the Formula One calendar. A wonderfully laid out street circuit in the Marina Bay. The race would start again with Alonso on pole but poor Felipe was at the back due to engine issue. The trick to Singapore is to survive the walls and make sure the brakes last, since the ability to overtake is very limited. This time, Alonso was followed off into the distance by the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, who wisely saw that eighteen points for second place was better than no points resulting from a mistake while trying to pass for the win. Lewis Hamilton showed what happens there, again. This time it was more of a racing incident than a mistake. Hamilton was in the process of passing Mark Webber for the final podium spot when the two collided, destroying the rear suspension of the McLaren. Game over again for Lewis.
The drive of the race will go to Timo Glock of Virgin. After a safety car, he found himself in eleventh position and managed to keep it there for quite a few laps. Eventually the underpowered Virgin would give up seven positions and fall back into eighteenth where he would retire due to hydraulic problems. The award for toughest nerves would go to none other than a Finn, Heikki Kovalainen. With just a few laps to go, the Lotus decided to spontaneously combust. The man currently wearing the Finnish Crown of Ice, calmly pulled the car over, got out, got a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. Only a Finn would be able to do that.
With another grueling North American International Auto Show behind us, Justin and Joel round up Adam Barrera, from Highmileage.org, and Zane Merva, from autoinsane.com, to discuss their winners and losers.
