Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/9V0G6rJhwrs/speedy-u-turn.html
martedì 31 maggio 2011
Massa threatened with jail over team orders
 |
?A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa?s apparent lack of ambition.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/massa_threatened_with_jail_ove.php
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Why the Monaco GP still packs a punch
Once a year Formula 1 absolutely lives up to its billing as the most glamorous sport in the world and that time comes at the Monaco Grand Prix.
On Friday morning, I had to gingerly step aboard a tender and then climb a rope ladder dangling from the side of a yacht to interview Renault's Nick Heidfeld on deck. Yes, this really could only happen in Monaco.
Without a doubt, the glamour and prestige of the tiny principality, where residents are required to have a significant sum in the bank, inflates F1's wow factor.
"I love it here, it is fantastic," crooned Lewis Hamilton, a Monaco race-winner in 2008 for McLaren. "Wow, this is such a beautiful place to be."
Monaco's street circuit provides a unique thrill for spectators (Getty)
After a muted showing in recent years, the harbour is once again crammed with multi-million pound yachts. Force India owner Vijay Mallya held a Bollywood-themed party on the Indian Empress while the imposing Force Blue made its return with flamboyant owner and former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on board.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso have also taken to water in their floating motorhome - complete with its own swimming pool - while Ferrari have gone one better by putting up their personnel on a yacht.
With such exotic playthings at hand it's hardly surprising the guest list includes Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo di Caprio.
But for all the privilege and status on show, the Monaco Grand Prix also provides unrivalled access for fans.
The more affluent spectator can fork out up to �3,800 for Sunday's race but the cheapest seat is �65 and offers amazing trackside views and a party atmosphere from the Rochers hill along the side of the royal palace.
It's also the only paddock where fans can walk along the waterfront and peer into the teams' inner sanctums before posing for photos with their heroes as they emerge from the motorhomes.
And when the racing is over and dusk falls, the party begins on the track as fans sip a biere or two at the Rascasse bar.
Glitzy promotional events are par for the course in Monaco (Getty)
When Stirling Moss raced here during the Sixties he developed a habit of waving at female fans sunning themselves along the harbour.
Moss said he even used it as a ploy in the 1961 grand prix when he was under pressure from Richie Ginther's chasing Ferrari. Moss took his hand off the wheel to salute a girl and prove he wasn't feeling under pressure.
But can McLaren driver Jenson Button, a Monaco playboy turned triathlete, still have a sneaky glimpse at an average speed of 100mph? "No," he answered sternly.
Whatever you think of Monaco's champagne and celebrity, the yachts and those who pose upon them, Button is spot on - none of it detracts from the racing through the streets.
The miniature land, stacked on a rocky lip of land between France's Mont Angel mountain and the Mediterranean, is just made for the fastest cars in the world to hurtle around.
First comes the noise, the hum hidden among the biscuit-coloured buildings that gathers to a roar as the cars flash past.
Watching the cars fly by the grand Casino, weave nose-to-tail round the hairpin, thunder through the tunnel and then out again in a blink of light past the water and back round to Rascasse is mesmerising, and often nail-biting.
The late Ayrton Senna, who won in Monaco a record six times, spoke of an out of body experience as he glided between the barriers and round the twisting curves.
Driving precision is everything here and there is virtually no let-up, no straights to clear the head over 78 laps.
Two-time Monaco winner turned BBC pundit David Coulthard commented: "For me there's no better challenge for the driver than Monte Carlo and no more glamorous grand prix. For me it's still a thrill."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/05/once_a_year_formula_1.html
Fernando Alonso - classic F1 2011
It is the turn of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to pick his five favourite all-time grands prix in the latest edition of our classic Formula 1 series.
We have asked all the drivers to do the same, and are broadcasting their choices - and highlights of the relevant races - ahead of each grand prix this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and on the red button in the UK.
Alonso follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi and Rubens Barrichello so far this season.
We have chosen Spain's double world champion this time because it is his home race this weekend, and among his choices is a grand prix from the Circuit de Catalunya that has hosted the event since 1991.
That choice is the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix, which Alonso won to become the first Spaniard to win his home race. Of his 26 career victories, and 162 grands prix, the 29-year-old says this one "may be for me still the most emotional race".
Alonso has picked only two races from his own career, the other being his remarkable victory in last year's maiden Korean Grand Prix.
Those who remember his manic cackle over the radio on the slow-down lap - part disbelief, part sheer joy, part cartoon villain - will not be surprised that he has chosen that race. You may, though, be as surprised as I was that he did not choose his superb victory in the Italian Grand Prix last year, in his first season at Ferrari, which he likened to his Spanish victory.
For Alonso, Korea last year marked the climax of a quite brilliant fightback in the world championship battle.
Leaving the British Grand Prix, the 10th of 19 races last year, Alonso was 47 points off the championship lead. His victory in Korea, seven races later, put him at the top of the standings. Of course, he went on to lose the championship by just four points to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after a catastrophic strategic error by Ferrari in the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In Korea, Alonso was engaged in an intense race-long battle for the lead with Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton which was finally decided in the Ferrari driver's favour when Vettel suffered an engine failure in the closing stages.
But that was not the only reason Alonso remembers the race so fondly - in fact, he did not even mention that he won it.
He said: "I will always remember the first race in Korea because the conditions were so extreme in terms of light.
"It was completely dark and it was so wet. It was one hour delayed because of the wet. We could not follow the safety car because of the spray.
"There were so many things in one race that it remains quite shocking what we did in Korea."
Alonso's other three choices are ones that have already proved popular among the other drivers.
He has chosen the two notorious Japanese Grands Prix of 1989 and 1990, in both of which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided to decide the destiny of the world title. These were also chosen by Buemi.
And finally there is Belgium 2000, featuring Mika Hakkinen's famous pass of Schumacher, as the two went either side of the backmarker Ricardo Zonta. This race was also chosen by Schumacher.
Alonso says: "One of my favourite races was Senna-Prost fight in Suzuka when in Turn One they finished both in the gravel (1990), and the year before, when one of them (Prost) finished stopped in the chicane.
"I also like, and have seen many times on TV, the race at Spa with Mika and Michael, when they overtook Ricardo Zonta at the end of the straight. That was a super race - from both of them."
An interesting footnote about that weekend in Belgium in 2000 is that it was also crucial in Alonso's career.
He was racing in Formula 3000, the forerunner of today's GP2 feeder series, driving for the Astromega team, who were not one of the better outfits.
In terms of bald statistics, it was not a great season. At Spa, though, on one of the world's great driver circuits, Alonso was in a league of his own, taking pole position, a dominant victory and fastest lap.
His performance impressed many of those watching the race in the F1 paddock, among them a certain Flavio Briatore, who pretty much immediately signed Alonso up for his driver management business.
The next year, Alonso was driving for Minardi in F1, the year after that he was test driver for Briatore's Renault team, in 2003 he was promoted to a race drive and the rest is history.
In Hungary that year, Alonso's became the sport's youngest ever race winner and two years later its youngest world champion, and a year after that the youngest double champion.
Now, back to classic F1.
In these blogs, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight. Logically, this time it would be Spain 2006, this being not only Alonso's favourite race but also the one that is most directly related to the forthcoming event.
The victory hinged on a blistering opening stint from Alonso - he was making a first stop much earlier than Schumacher's Ferrari and for a while there some tension about whether he was doing a three-stop strategy to Schumacher's two, and whether he would pull out enough of a gap to make it work.
As it turned out, Alonso did only two stops, with a long middle stint, and while it was a powerful and impressive drive, the race was pretty uneventful. So we have decided instead to showcase last year's Korean Grand Prix, which was completely the opposite.
So, long highlights of that race are embedded below. A link to the short highlights is underneath, along with long and short highlights of Mark Webber impressive victory for Red Bull in last year's Spanish Grand Prix. Highlights of the other races Alonso picked are linked out of the relevant point in this blog.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
On digital satellite and cable television on the BBC red button in the UK, we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 and Spain 2010 from 1500 BST on Wednesday 18 May until 1200 BST Sunday 22 May.
On Freeview we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 from 1040 BST until 1250 BST on Friday 20 May.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/fernando_alonso_picks_his_five.html
PHOTOS: Aston Zagato Circles The Ring
Fresh from last week's unveiling, Aston Martin V12 Zagato begins testing in competition form at Nurburgring.
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-aston-zagato-circles-the-ring/
Perez escapes injury in Monaco shunt
Sergio Perez has escaped with no serious injuries from his huge crash in qualifying in Monaco. Despite the severity of the accident his helmet was unmarked, although the headrest foam did its job and was cracked. He will have to … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/28/perez-escapes-injury-in-monaco-shunt/
Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
?Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari?s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari?s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
?The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.?The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them �65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
lunedì 30 maggio 2011
Video: Aston Martin 'Reverie' commercial
One of the most impressive commercials ever have been brought to our attention today. It is called Aston Martin ’Reverie’ and was made by Gentleman Scholar, a multimedia production studio based in Los Angeles. As you guessed it the video is about an Aston Martin model, but not any Aston Martin: a V12 Vantage.
The idea behind this commercial was to create something that encapsulated the ’power’, ’beauty’, and ’soul’ of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. And they did. Next to speed and energy, the production company added stunning visual-effects, heavy explosions and morphing buildings, impressive landscapes and artistically lit cityscapes and they have created something that really manages to bring to our attention the essence of the V12 Vantage.
"From there we began to build our shots; moving cameras, animating the car, figuring out what and where our environments should be and look like. Our references introduced the car at dusk with a storm building on a desert horizon ? taking on a sense of danger and anticipation. The use of CG allowed our imaginations to run free in terms of elegant camera moves and story-telling perspectives without worrying about the expense of helicopter shots and process trailers."
Video: Aston Martin 'Reverie' commercial originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 May 2011 18:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/video-aston-martin-reverie-commercial-ar110327.html
Robert Kubica Could Be Ruled Out For At Least A Year Following Accident
Polish racing driver Robert Kubica will spend at least one whole year recovering from a rally crash he suffered this morning, according to his surgeon. Kubica, who races for Renault Lotus crashed the Skoda Fabia rally car this morning and was airlifted to hospital suffering serious injuries. He has spent many hours in surgery, with [...]
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Fernando Alonso - classic F1 2011
It is the turn of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to pick his five favourite all-time grands prix in the latest edition of our classic Formula 1 series.
We have asked all the drivers to do the same, and are broadcasting their choices - and highlights of the relevant races - ahead of each grand prix this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and on the red button in the UK.
Alonso follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi and Rubens Barrichello so far this season.
We have chosen Spain's double world champion this time because it is his home race this weekend, and among his choices is a grand prix from the Circuit de Catalunya that has hosted the event since 1991.
That choice is the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix, which Alonso won to become the first Spaniard to win his home race. Of his 26 career victories, and 162 grands prix, the 29-year-old says this one "may be for me still the most emotional race".
Alonso has picked only two races from his own career, the other being his remarkable victory in last year's maiden Korean Grand Prix.
Those who remember his manic cackle over the radio on the slow-down lap - part disbelief, part sheer joy, part cartoon villain - will not be surprised that he has chosen that race. You may, though, be as surprised as I was that he did not choose his superb victory in the Italian Grand Prix last year, in his first season at Ferrari, which he likened to his Spanish victory.
For Alonso, Korea last year marked the climax of a quite brilliant fightback in the world championship battle.
Leaving the British Grand Prix, the 10th of 19 races last year, Alonso was 47 points off the championship lead. His victory in Korea, seven races later, put him at the top of the standings. Of course, he went on to lose the championship by just four points to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after a catastrophic strategic error by Ferrari in the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In Korea, Alonso was engaged in an intense race-long battle for the lead with Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton which was finally decided in the Ferrari driver's favour when Vettel suffered an engine failure in the closing stages.
But that was not the only reason Alonso remembers the race so fondly - in fact, he did not even mention that he won it.
He said: "I will always remember the first race in Korea because the conditions were so extreme in terms of light.
"It was completely dark and it was so wet. It was one hour delayed because of the wet. We could not follow the safety car because of the spray.
"There were so many things in one race that it remains quite shocking what we did in Korea."
Alonso's other three choices are ones that have already proved popular among the other drivers.
He has chosen the two notorious Japanese Grands Prix of 1989 and 1990, in both of which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided to decide the destiny of the world title. These were also chosen by Buemi.
And finally there is Belgium 2000, featuring Mika Hakkinen's famous pass of Schumacher, as the two went either side of the backmarker Ricardo Zonta. This race was also chosen by Schumacher.
Alonso says: "One of my favourite races was Senna-Prost fight in Suzuka when in Turn One they finished both in the gravel (1990), and the year before, when one of them (Prost) finished stopped in the chicane.
"I also like, and have seen many times on TV, the race at Spa with Mika and Michael, when they overtook Ricardo Zonta at the end of the straight. That was a super race - from both of them."
An interesting footnote about that weekend in Belgium in 2000 is that it was also crucial in Alonso's career.
He was racing in Formula 3000, the forerunner of today's GP2 feeder series, driving for the Astromega team, who were not one of the better outfits.
In terms of bald statistics, it was not a great season. At Spa, though, on one of the world's great driver circuits, Alonso was in a league of his own, taking pole position, a dominant victory and fastest lap.
His performance impressed many of those watching the race in the F1 paddock, among them a certain Flavio Briatore, who pretty much immediately signed Alonso up for his driver management business.
The next year, Alonso was driving for Minardi in F1, the year after that he was test driver for Briatore's Renault team, in 2003 he was promoted to a race drive and the rest is history.
In Hungary that year, Alonso's became the sport's youngest ever race winner and two years later its youngest world champion, and a year after that the youngest double champion.
Now, back to classic F1.
In these blogs, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight. Logically, this time it would be Spain 2006, this being not only Alonso's favourite race but also the one that is most directly related to the forthcoming event.
The victory hinged on a blistering opening stint from Alonso - he was making a first stop much earlier than Schumacher's Ferrari and for a while there some tension about whether he was doing a three-stop strategy to Schumacher's two, and whether he would pull out enough of a gap to make it work.
As it turned out, Alonso did only two stops, with a long middle stint, and while it was a powerful and impressive drive, the race was pretty uneventful. So we have decided instead to showcase last year's Korean Grand Prix, which was completely the opposite.
So, long highlights of that race are embedded below. A link to the short highlights is underneath, along with long and short highlights of Mark Webber impressive victory for Red Bull in last year's Spanish Grand Prix. Highlights of the other races Alonso picked are linked out of the relevant point in this blog.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
On digital satellite and cable television on the BBC red button in the UK, we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 and Spain 2010 from 1500 BST on Wednesday 18 May until 1200 BST Sunday 22 May.
On Freeview we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 from 1040 BST until 1250 BST on Friday 20 May.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/fernando_alonso_picks_his_five.html
1960 Ford Starliner
My new project is a '60 Ford Starliner. The kit has been in the stash for a few years and it is time to build it.
I am going for a tu-tone paint scheme on this one. I was originally planning on a white top and green body and interior, but I have decided on a Tamiya TS-26 white top over Model Master Acapolco Blue Metallic body with a Model Master Federal Standard Blue interior.
A few mold lines to content with and then it's off to the paint booth!
More to come...
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/954486.aspx
Fernando Alonso eyes home win at the Spanish Grand Prix 2010
Spanish Grand Prix will kick start on Sunday bring enough joy to the home crowd. The 2010 Spanish Grand Prix will feature three local drivers – Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) and Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber). There is obviously much to cheers about these three lads especially Fernando Alonso if he can [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/F75cOQhYomI/
Perez escapes injury in Monaco shunt
Sergio Perez has escaped with no serious injuries from his huge crash in qualifying in Monaco. Despite the severity of the accident his helmet was unmarked, although the headrest foam did its job and was cracked. He will have to … Continue reading
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/28/perez-escapes-injury-in-monaco-shunt/
Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Volvo announces Flywheel KERS system [video]
The details are fairly technical, but Volvo says the Flywheel KERS will improve performance and increase fuel efficiency by up to 20%.Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi
domenica 29 maggio 2011
Post your Movie/TV Show Inspired Rides Here
I wanted to see what Movie Inspired models were built out there by fellow Modelers. 
Here's a few of my builds inspired from some of the Movie/TV Shows:
From Bad Boys 2 - Ferrari 575M Maranello
From BULLITT - 1968 Mustang GT
From BULLITT - 1968 Dodge Charger
From the Movie Christine - 1958 Plymouth Belvedere/Fury
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/957555.aspx
Volvo announces Flywheel KERS system [video]
The details are fairly technical, but Volvo says the Flywheel KERS will improve performance and increase fuel efficiency by up to 20%.Furious Hamilton calls penalties ?a joke? | 2011 Monaco Grand Prix
"Out of six races I've been to the stewards five times. It's a joke. It's an absolute fricking joke."
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/78FjwgLoYoQ/
Ferrari FXX crashes at Laguna Seca
The 2011 edition of the Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca was supposed to be a fun day of merry-making amongst owners of the Prancing Horse.
The weekend-long event featured a number of races involving cars from the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, including that of the new 458 Italia, as well as the FXX and the 599 XX.
Unfortunately, one owner of a rare Ferrari FXX didn’t have as good a weekend as his contemporaries after crashing his supercar out on the infamous ’Corkscrew’ section of the racetrack. While the damage doesn’t appear to be as serious as it should have been - FXX models are not meant for collisions - the dings and scratches are still noticeable enough to leave a pretty big dent in the owner’s wallet.
He could probably still afford paying for the damage done to his street-illegal sports car, but for a vehicle that could fetch millions of dollars in the market, the owner of this FXX should probably take good care of his prized stallion the next time he takes it out on the race track.
Ferrari FXX crashes at Laguna Seca originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 28 May 2011 06:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/ferrari-fxx-crashes-at-laguna-seca-ar110089.html
Volkswagen creates edible ad for the Golf R
Dubbed Eat the Road, the edible ad was made with glutinous rice flour, water, salt, propylene glycol FD&C color and glycerin.Mercedes SLS AMG by MEC Design
MEC Design has released the first pictures of their new styling package for the Mercedes SLS AMG.Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/ElqGOPCXf1o/mercedes-sls-amg-by-mec-design
FOTA writes to F1 fans
FOTA has today written a letter to F1 fans summing up the organisation’s achievements in the light of last year’s fan survey – although it will be interesting to see how Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA react to some of … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/27/fota-writes-to-f1-fans/
Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen
dusters last stand
I am trying to build some of the old monogram funny cars, the 57chevy, duster and cuda. I am trying to find photos of Dusters Last Stand. I believe it is based on the cop out funny car. Any help would be great.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/961100.aspx
sabato 28 maggio 2011
Vettel set for titles aplenty
 |
?Here, after all, is a young man, already dubbed ?Baby Schumi? by Germany?s tabloid press, winning the first of what will presumably be multiple world championships, and all at the tender age of 23. Plenty of time yet to match Schumacher's incredible haul of seven world titles. And yet, their phenomenal ability to drive racing cars apart, there is little similarity between the two men. ?There are still lingering doubts over his racing ability but with such blistering qualifying pace he is nearly always leading from the front anyway. Vettel is set for multiple world championships. Just don?t call him Baby Schumi.?The Guardian?s Paul Weaver says it was difficult to begrudge Vettel his moment of glory after he won the first of what will be many world titles. He also looks back at some of the season?s highlights.
?An amazing Formula One season produced its final twist here on Sunday when Sebastian Vettel, who had never led the title race, won his first world championship. It is difficult to begrudge him his glory, for he had more poles (10) than any other driver and shared the most wins (five) with Fernando Alonso. There will be red faces as well as red cars and overalls at Ferrari, though, for deciding to bring their man in when they did, only to see him re-emerge into heavy traffic. ?Among the highlights, and every race felt like a highlight after the bore-start in Bahrain, there was that wonderful beginning to his McLaren career by Jenson Button, who won two of his first four races, even though he couldn't keep up the pace, especially in qualifying. ?Hamilton once again drove his heart out, and outperformed a car that looked a little too ordinary at times. He was superb in Montreal. Then there was Webber, the Anglophile Aussie who was the favourite among most neutrals to win the title. There was that spectacular crash when he ran into the back of Heikki Kovalainen and the most famous of his four wins, at Silverstone, when he said to his team at the end of the race: 'Not bad for a No2 driver.' ?But in the end there was only one German who mattered. It was the remarkable Vettel. This will be the first of a clutch of championships for him.?The Independent?s David Tremayne focuses on the plight of the other title contenders, writing it is easier to feel more sorry for one than the other.
?It was impossible not to feel for both Webber and Alonso. Yet while a frustrated Alonso gestured at Petrov after the race, the Australian, predictably, refused to complain about his pitstop timing. ?A world championship seemed an inevitable part of Sebastian Vettel's future, but it came a little sooner than most expected, after his recent tribulations. You wouldn't bet against several more, and if that record-breaking streak continues, perhaps even Schumacher's achievements will be overshadowed.?And the Mirror?s Byron Young elaborates further on the petulant behaviour of Fernando Alonso on his slowing down lap after his title dreams ended behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov.
?Fernando Alonso was hurled into more controversy last night for a wild gesture at the former Lada racer who cost him the title. But the Spaniard brushed off accusations he gave Russian Vitaly Petrov the finger for ruining his title hopes by blocking him for 40 laps as they duelled over sixth place. "The Ferrari ace was caught on television cruising alongside the Renault driver on the slowing down lap and gesticulating from the cockpit. Petrov was unrepentant: "What was I supposed to do? Just get out of his way, pull to the side? I don't think that is how we race. It was important for the team for me to get points."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/vettel_set_for_titles_aplenty_1.php
Porsche 911 China 10th Anniversary Edition announced
Based on the Turbo S, the unique model features a gold exterior with a carbon fiber hood, a carbon fiber rear spoiler and 19-inch Sport Classic wheels.Fernando Alonso - classic F1 2011
It is the turn of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to pick his five favourite all-time grands prix in the latest edition of our classic Formula 1 series.
We have asked all the drivers to do the same, and are broadcasting their choices - and highlights of the relevant races - ahead of each grand prix this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and on the red button in the UK.
Alonso follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi and Rubens Barrichello so far this season.
We have chosen Spain's double world champion this time because it is his home race this weekend, and among his choices is a grand prix from the Circuit de Catalunya that has hosted the event since 1991.
That choice is the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix, which Alonso won to become the first Spaniard to win his home race. Of his 26 career victories, and 162 grands prix, the 29-year-old says this one "may be for me still the most emotional race".
Alonso has picked only two races from his own career, the other being his remarkable victory in last year's maiden Korean Grand Prix.
Those who remember his manic cackle over the radio on the slow-down lap - part disbelief, part sheer joy, part cartoon villain - will not be surprised that he has chosen that race. You may, though, be as surprised as I was that he did not choose his superb victory in the Italian Grand Prix last year, in his first season at Ferrari, which he likened to his Spanish victory.
For Alonso, Korea last year marked the climax of a quite brilliant fightback in the world championship battle.
Leaving the British Grand Prix, the 10th of 19 races last year, Alonso was 47 points off the championship lead. His victory in Korea, seven races later, put him at the top of the standings. Of course, he went on to lose the championship by just four points to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after a catastrophic strategic error by Ferrari in the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In Korea, Alonso was engaged in an intense race-long battle for the lead with Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton which was finally decided in the Ferrari driver's favour when Vettel suffered an engine failure in the closing stages.
But that was not the only reason Alonso remembers the race so fondly - in fact, he did not even mention that he won it.
He said: "I will always remember the first race in Korea because the conditions were so extreme in terms of light.
"It was completely dark and it was so wet. It was one hour delayed because of the wet. We could not follow the safety car because of the spray.
"There were so many things in one race that it remains quite shocking what we did in Korea."
Alonso's other three choices are ones that have already proved popular among the other drivers.
He has chosen the two notorious Japanese Grands Prix of 1989 and 1990, in both of which Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided to decide the destiny of the world title. These were also chosen by Buemi.
And finally there is Belgium 2000, featuring Mika Hakkinen's famous pass of Schumacher, as the two went either side of the backmarker Ricardo Zonta. This race was also chosen by Schumacher.
Alonso says: "One of my favourite races was Senna-Prost fight in Suzuka when in Turn One they finished both in the gravel (1990), and the year before, when one of them (Prost) finished stopped in the chicane.
"I also like, and have seen many times on TV, the race at Spa with Mika and Michael, when they overtook Ricardo Zonta at the end of the straight. That was a super race - from both of them."
An interesting footnote about that weekend in Belgium in 2000 is that it was also crucial in Alonso's career.
He was racing in Formula 3000, the forerunner of today's GP2 feeder series, driving for the Astromega team, who were not one of the better outfits.
In terms of bald statistics, it was not a great season. At Spa, though, on one of the world's great driver circuits, Alonso was in a league of his own, taking pole position, a dominant victory and fastest lap.
His performance impressed many of those watching the race in the F1 paddock, among them a certain Flavio Briatore, who pretty much immediately signed Alonso up for his driver management business.
The next year, Alonso was driving for Minardi in F1, the year after that he was test driver for Briatore's Renault team, in 2003 he was promoted to a race drive and the rest is history.
In Hungary that year, Alonso's became the sport's youngest ever race winner and two years later its youngest world champion, and a year after that the youngest double champion.
Now, back to classic F1.
In these blogs, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight. Logically, this time it would be Spain 2006, this being not only Alonso's favourite race but also the one that is most directly related to the forthcoming event.
The victory hinged on a blistering opening stint from Alonso - he was making a first stop much earlier than Schumacher's Ferrari and for a while there some tension about whether he was doing a three-stop strategy to Schumacher's two, and whether he would pull out enough of a gap to make it work.
As it turned out, Alonso did only two stops, with a long middle stint, and while it was a powerful and impressive drive, the race was pretty uneventful. So we have decided instead to showcase last year's Korean Grand Prix, which was completely the opposite.
So, long highlights of that race are embedded below. A link to the short highlights is underneath, along with long and short highlights of Mark Webber impressive victory for Red Bull in last year's Spanish Grand Prix. Highlights of the other races Alonso picked are linked out of the relevant point in this blog.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
On digital satellite and cable television on the BBC red button in the UK, we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 and Spain 2010 from 1500 BST on Wednesday 18 May until 1200 BST Sunday 22 May.
On Freeview we will be showing short highlights from Japan 1989, Belgium 2000 and Spain 2006 as well as extended highlights of Korea 2010 from 1040 BST until 1250 BST on Friday 20 May.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/fernando_alonso_picks_his_five.html
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