Would Kubica have been better?

So after last weekend's race.

Several comments were being mentioned time and time again.

Would Kubica of done a better job then Petrov?

If Kubica was here?
How much Kubica feel seeing Petrov do so well?

Etc etc...

Now most F1 fans know that in the 2010 season Kubica was amazing, picking up podium positions, whilst Petrov was languishing in mid-field trying to pretty much keep on the road.

Petrov wasn't that great.

From the mid season the rumour mill kept banding about that Petrov was going to be replaced.

This didn't happen.

It was to be Petrov and Kubica at Renault for 2011.

Then in the first week of February, Kubica went rallying in the off season.
Something he has been doing for years.

When he crashed badly and had to be cut out of the car.

Kubica sustained injuries to his hand, arm and leg.

His right hand suffered the most damage, being partially severed.

So after days in intensive care and countless surgeries.

Kubica's doctor said he could be out of F1 for up to a year.

Then that meant a huge decision for Renault.

Who would take the lead seat?

After having loads of reserve drivers testing for the seat including Senna, Grosjean and Fauzy.

Renault decided to go for a driver who had lots of experience.

My favourite Occasionally Quick Nick

Or Nick Heidfeld to everyone else.

Now with Nick leading the team and his vast experience surely it would only be a matter of time before Petrov would probably be replaced, then the first race in Australia happened.

And Petrov shone.

Not because Heidfeld was poor in Australia, not because Kubica wasn't there.

But because Petrov had matured over the winter.

People forget that it was Petrov's rookie season last year.

It always takes time to familiarize yourself with tracks and with the machinery.

So when Petrov had an amazing race.

I struggled to comprehend when pundits and members of the F1 community were talking to and about Petrov, about how if Kubica was in the Renault how everything would be different.

It was just all about Kubica.

Now it's true it could of been different but it's all what if's.

You can't lead a life on what ifs especially in F1

Now I know that me, F1 fans and the team are going to miss Robert.

He is a great driver and if he returns to F1. I can say with all honesty I can see him with a world championship in a few years.

But it was Petrov's day.

Petrov's race.

Why take that away from him?

Hopefully he will keep on proving everyone wrong and people will be mention Vitaly Petrov more.

Race Report: Australia

Hey bloggers.

Hope you are having a lovely day.

Just a quick race report for the Australian GP.

Now for race reports I want to make them as short as possible, mainly so you don't get bored but also so you get all the facts in more bitesize pieces so the race report will be a breakdown of what happened and when.

Other then me writing tons and losing you after two lines.

This is how most race reports will look.

(Only they will be posted more quickly then this one :))

The Podium

1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
3. Vitaly Petrov (Renualt)

Retirements

Lap 9: Pastor Maldonado (Willams) Transmission Failure

Lap 19: Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) Puncture damage
Lap 19: Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) Water Leak
Lap 22: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) Accident damage

Lap 48: Rubens Barrichello (Williams) Transmission

Incidents/crashes/Disqualifications

• Michael Schumacher and Jaime Alguersuari having a mini crash on the first lap
• Sergio Perez managing to only pit once when everyone else did two or three stops
• Jenson Button getting a drive through penalty for cutting the corner when fighting with Felipe Massa
• Rubens Barrichello and Nico Rosberg having an incident on lap 22.
• Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi getting disqualified for there rear wing being too short.
• Paul Di Resta (A British driver) ending up with points as a result of the saubers being disqualified.

Overtake move of the race.

Jenson Button using the DRS button to get past Massa.
(That button will most likely come into effect more in Malaysia)

Man of the Race

For me it's a joint honour.

Both Vitaly Petrov and Sergio Perez deserve it.

Petrov proved to his team and the world that Renault need him and that he is just has good in the car has the absent Robert Kubica

Sergio on his debut race, managed to only stop once on tyres that fade quickly and he didn't put a foot wrong, even though his points were taken off him due to an infringement. I think we will see more to come of this young driver

Loser of the race

Rubens Barrichello.

For a man with 19 years experience in F1. Barrichello made some massive schoolboy errors, especially with overtaking. I hope this is just a blip in an otherwise maturing F1 driver.

My thoughts

Now every F1 fan expects a thriller of an opening race, especially after the dullness of Bahrain last year.

Now Australia is a great track but the race was OK but not memorable.

However this race I think is going to lead a fantastic season of F1.

The race was mainly though a tale of two halves
The rookies shone (Perez and Di Resta). The oldies seemed to forget there marbles (Schumacher and Barrichello)

Some teams amazed (Sauber) and some fell into a heap (HRT and Mercedes)

and above all Red Bull dominated and the rest of the pack have to catch up.

I have a suspicion that it will though.

:):)

Championship lead.

1. Vettel 25

2. Hamilton 18
3. Petrov 15

Team standings.

1. Red Bull 35

2. McLaren 26

3. Ferrari 18

Any comments?

Then write below or you can comment on my twitter page @squiffany

Diary of an F1 weekend: Australia.

Hey bloggers.

Hope you had a lovely weekend, especially because the F1 season was finally back :)

Here to share with you is my Female Formula Fun Diary of an F1 weekend.

Warning: I'm actually pretty dull....

25th March 2011

It's 12.38am and I am scribbling this on a piece of paper in pretty much pitch black conditions. It's only an hour till Free practice one and I'm pretty excited.

It's been nearly six long months since an F1 car turned a wheel and it seems like six months too long.

I have work at 11am today and for the past few days I have been suffering with fatigue. I just haven't been 100% in weeks. So coping with a different time zone race is going to be even harder then usual.

I'm expecting not to even get the chance to watch some of free practice, I will probably be getting some ZZZ's instead.

1.32am

Karun Chandhok has lost it and ended up in the barriers. We are less then 2 minutes into the start of practice.

It's gonna be one of those seasons.

3.05am

Managed to stay awake for the whole of FP1. I set my alarm for FP2 at 5am but know it's probably going to be too much for me to do. With work and being a bit poorly it's not looking good.

4.55am

Alarm goes off.
I turn it off. Refresh laptop page. Then fall back to sleep.

9am

Awake for work. I knew that I would miss FP2 but managed to read the standings and decide to watch it on Iplayer after work.

26th March 2011

12am

I'm in bed ready for work and GP in the morning. I'm in early 9 till 2, which means that I have to get up at 6.30am anyway so with qualifying starting at 6am it's not so hard to get up.

I decided to miss FP3 mainly so I don't oversleep for work and so I feel more refreshed for quali.

5.50am

I get up and make myself a strong cup of coffee and some toast and sneak downstairs to put on BBC One.

7.30am

I am getting dressed whilst watching the Qualifying, which I can reassure you is a skill.

Gutted that Heidfeld was out in Quali One.

As most of you know I am a fan of Occasionally Quick Nick.

Sadly not quick at the moment, down in a lowly 18th.

The HRT boys failed to qualify for the race at all, this surprised no-one... except for HRT.

9am

By the time I leave for work Qualifying has finished.

Barrichello (The most experienced driver no less) makes a rookie error and ends up down the tail end of the grid along with OQN.

Sutil use of DRS (Or drag reduction system for newbies: Basically it reduces drag and makes the cars faster) nearly costs him a car. He spins but luckily manages to keep the car on the track.

The rookies all pretty much end up in the midfield.

Petrov surprises everyone by being 6th on the grid...Then everyone started comparing how much better Kubica would of done if he was there and in the car. (A post on this coming up later in the week)

Then it was really between the Red Bulls and Mclarens for pole.

Vettel smashed it.

Getting pole by over 8 tenths over Lewis Hamilton.

It looks like Vettel really is going to be the one to beat this year.

27th March

It's 5.55am and I am off work meaning I can get up for the grand prix and I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day.

I get up, with my blanket for warmth. Plus a dog ( My dog always sits with me on grand prix day...mainly hogging the blanket) and make myself some coffee and some nutella on toast and sit down ready for the pre race build up.

Wearing my lucky Aussie T-shirt with no make up on.

I do love the race build up. Mainly for these top gear style moments like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKD1yw3tn8

7.00am

The Australian race begins.

(Race report to follow)

9.00am

Race has finished and it's time to switch to the forum (The extra wind down for the BBC F1 coverage.)
It's time for me to go back to bed for a few more hours.

The race may not been the most exciting but it did produce the best comedy moment ever in Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard. After commenting on how curtains had been put up around the paddock to stop punters seeing the cars.

EJ- Look here's Red bull

There's no big banner up there, no cloak..

DC- There's also no cars there.

EJ- That's a good point

DC- I thought I would just point out that small detail

....Oh but hold on there is a small fold down chair.

Sometimes F1 is priceless even if ain't always an exciting affair.

Geek girl's guide to F1.

Hello bloggers.
Hope your day was lovely.

With the start of the championship literally days away. It's time to get gadget girl Tiff up to date.

What I mean by that is, I work a lot of the time and sometimes work or life will clash with a practice, qualifying or a race.

So I need to be gadget-ed up.

Now with more technology then ever I need to be sure not to miss a moment of F1.

Now I don't have a HD telly (Though if anyone would like to send me a free one I wouldn't turn it down) so F1 coverage for me will still be in standard definition. Not a bad thing but the Tv and laptop are ready for an F1 showdown.

I have my twitter ready and waiting. Last year I only used twitter on the web. Now with my Samsung Galaxy smartphone so I have twitter on the move. Perfect for catching up with F1 jokes, up to minute reports and trying to talk to F1 related celebrities.

Now this week Android have finally released an F1 timing app. and the best thing is that it is free.

So I can even catch up to the minute timings from every race.

Can even check the weather, wind speed and humidity too. Result.

Now for entertainment purposes I have joined the F1 Badger fantasy F1 league.
Picking F1 teams and driver with fantasy money.
Fun but also exciting trying to beat F1 friends.

FemaleFormulaFun has a friends league too.
So if you join F1 badger you can enter my friend league.

Join here and when you have signed up
http://badgergp.com/fantasygp/

Go onto friends leagues and add yourself to FemaleFormulaFun and use password HMvAdE

So with technology just about covered, the only thing left to do is to get things ready for a ^am start.

Coffee, sweeties and maybe some matchsticks.

Follow me on twitter @squiffany

F1 Fitty of the week.

Hey all.

Hope you are having a great day.

At the request of my Non- F1 following friends.

My Blog needed a fitty of the week.

Now of course I know that my idea of fit is completely different to somebody else's idea of gorgeous.

So to stop Fitty of the week just being my picks

You can write to me at squiffany87@gmail.com

and send me your picture and your reasons why you should have the fitty of the week.

Requests are always welcome. :)

Now it's late at night as I write this post and this time next week I will be getting ready for my stupidly early start of F1 watching.

Australia may have the one of the best races but it does my sleep pattern no good.

6am starts are a killer. Especially when you have work the next day.

:(:(

But one of the F1 fitties that helps me get up in the morning is the BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey.

Yum.

Now I know strictly speaking he isn't F1 totty.

He is presenting totty.

But this Ex CBBC presenter has done a lot to change the image of the F1 coverage.

Come on we used to have to look at this at every F1 race.

For newbies that is the ITV F1 presenter we used to have. *Chills*

So Jake is tall and very attractive but the main beauty of Jake is his passion for F1 and his sense of humour.

Jake blogs and tweets continuously and is very much all about the F1 fans, something that past presenters didn't seem to care about.

(He also tweeted me once, something that I like to tell anyone who will listen.)

He also asks F1 persona's the difficult questions that fans need answers about, whether it is about a scandal or the politics of F1 to the more informal questions about the drivers.

Jake covers it all with the fans in mind.

Plus anyone who can take the piss out Eddie Jordan shirts is always going to be a beauty in my book.

So early morning F1 starts.

With Jake at the helm, it makes it seem a little more worth it.

Roll on next weekend

Any comments?

Just post below the blog page :)

2011 F1 Season begins...with bets.

Hello

Hope you having a nice day.

Just thought I would talk to you about the 2011 F1 season.

Now last year I was talking to my friend about New years resolutions.

One of these was to meet an F1 Driver by the end of 2011.

Three months in.

I'm nowhere near, so whilst that stays a pipedream.

I will just have to look to my telly box instead.

Now the last couple of years I haven't really supported a team and I don't support one main driver.

Well I do.

Nick Heidfeld but every year he always get replaced or forgotten about (Always the bridesmaid...)

So I am very excited for Occasionally Quick Nick to have a drive this year.

Even if it is by default.

So apart from OQN.

How do I make F1 exciting for me, when I don't support a main driver with a top team.

Simple.

I place bets.

Last year was interesting where bets were concerned.

I placed money on Massa or Vettel to win the championship

and for Alonso to win exactly six races.

Lets just say that I did make a profit on these bets.

Just.

Alonso won five races.

So no money there but it made the last race even more interesting to watch. I was more gutted because if he had won. I would of made a huge bit of cash.

Massa was never gonna win me any money.

I don't know what I was thinking at the time.

but Vettel saved me from being down money wise by winning the championship.

Now this year I want your help.

I always bet with William Hill.

So I'm gonna leave the link with you and I would love to hear your tips about what I should pick.

I always pick two drivers for championship winner.

I also always pick a special, which this year are...

Jenson Button number of GP wins in 2011

Lewis Hamilton number of GP wins in 2011

Michael Schumacher to win at least one race in 2011.

Lewis Hamilton to fastest lap, Qualify and win race at Silverstone

Michael Schumacher to retire during the season.

I will pick one championship winner.

The one with the most votes by you will be my other choice.

Here is the link to odds and drivers for championship

http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/479212/Drivers-Championship-2011.html

As for the special you can also decide which one I should pick and which outcome I should take.

This is here for you to look at.

http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/betting/g/540971/2011-Specials.html

I'm making the bets next week. Pay day :)

So comment on the blog what you think or you can twitter me your comments @squiffany and use the hashtag #FFFF1BETS

Formula One. When girls do win.

Hello.

Hope you are all OK.

One thing I love about being a woman F1 fan is the amount of arguements and disagreements you get into when Formula One is mentioned.

Mainly when you know more about F1 then the bloke you are arguing with.

These tend to occur more often then you think.

Tonight for example I was talking to my male work colleague about F1.

We were talking about how much F1 drivers get paid, when my friend said.

"When Coulthard left in 1997, he was paid loads and he won 12 races that year."

Ahh.

Then my big gob opened with.

One Coulthard didn't leave F1 till 2008

and two he only ever won 13 races in his whole career.

So that can't be true.

It turns out nothing makes a bloke shut up faster, when then realise they have no comeback.

Because you know more about the subject then they do.

Facts are always a winner in an F1 arguement but what happens when the F1 disagreement is about opinion and not fact.

Sadly these are the arguements that you tend to only win by being the loudest or even the mardy-est.

To this day me and my brother in law still argue about Schumacher in his glory days of 2000-2004.

It turns out my Italian Brother in law Ferrari fan and me (Who changes teams and drivers more then my shoes) can just never win because opinion is always a hard arguement to adjudicate.

So you just have agree to disagree

But if you wants to win an F1 fight.

You just need to remember the facts.

:):):)

In the gossip magazines this week.

Hello all.

Hope your all good.

Now Tuesday's are a great day for me.

Mainly because like today I'm off work (Yay) but even better for me it's mag day.

So I get to toddle off to the shop's and buy all the trashy girly mags my tiny hands can carry.

What I love about these magazines is how Formula One gets a subtle mention now and again.

But of course not to do with the fact they are talented drivers.

It's how attractive or which famous celebrity they have been linked to.

It's the apparently the only way to get girls liking F1.

Well it's not far wrong...

So welcome to the start of Formula One Mag watch.

Of course I can't read every magazine so if you find a F1 face I have missed then email me at squiffany87@gmail.com

Credit of course will be given :)

So this week.

March 15th

We have two spots but they are of the same driver so I will just mention the one mag instead. Mainly so I don't bore you to tears.

In this week's More magazine Alan Carr was interviewing Nicole schhhhhhslingerrr. (Yes That's how I'm gonna spell it)

Girlfriend of Lewis Hamilton.

Well she does have a single to promote.

So of course Mr Hamilton was mentioned.

Quite a bit. (Yawn)

But the funnest bit of the whole interview was this photo.

Do you think Nicole knows that isn't Lewis's car.

It's the wrong colour for a start....

Girlfriends promoting wrong teams.

Priceless.

Feel free to comment and also follow me on twitter @squiffany

A way to F1 girls heart... A huge plug.

Hello all.

Hope your having a lovely day/night.

So F1 season starts in less then two weeks.

I am extremely excited.

I know I am because I have been boring the pants off everybody with F1 starting talk.

Now for non or new F1 fans.

F1 has been off our TV screens for just under 6 months.

So how did I keep myself entertained.

Simple I laughed at F1.

Now I can safely reassure you that I'm not that funny/clever to make myself laugh and giggle at F1 by myself.

I had help.

Lots of help.

In the form of some amazing websites.

You think I'm funny.

Then your in for an F1 hoot with these guys.

So in no real order.

WTF1

http://wtf1.co.uk/

Made by a Nottingham lad. (Hometowns for the win)

This is main website I always seems to refer F1 fans to.

Mainly because it doesn't talk about facts and figures but has a good old giggle at the absurdities of F1.

From F1 cakes to photoshopped eyebrows.

This has been well and truely been keeping me entertained in the off-season.

Box Of Neutrals

http://boxofneutrals.com/

The only Australian F1 radio show. Apparently. :)

This is my podcast of choice.

Three blokes talking F1 usually ain't a win, but this show is very different.

Found by accident when an Aussie friend (@GigglingBelle) directed me to her radio show and I somehow ended up stumbling into finding box of neutrals instead.

Michael, Rob and Pete talk about the serious side of F1 but then forget about being serious and make me giggle every week with their idiosyncrasies.

Ranging from the Trolololo man, To educating Pete and Telling the time with Timo Glock.

This makes my whole girly Friday.

Unlap

http://www.unlap.co.uk/

The best F1 related merchandise in the world.

With so many topical T-shirts (and in woman's sizes too) and beautiful F1 prints

and is also one of the most generous websites for giving away his products as prizes in twitter competitions.

Plus Luke has helped other F1 sites by making merchandise for them.

Luke really knows how to treat his F1 fans.

Now I'm putting these two together because not only do they have great websites but their twitter pages also make F1 extremely fun during race season.

http://grandprixdiary.com/

http://www.pitflaps.co.uk/

Grand Prix Diary and Pitflaps have a reputation for lateness of F1 news.

Does it matter.

Nope.

These two sites always raise a smile, mainly because they just take the mickey out of F1.

GPD prides itself of being alternative F1 news.

Pitflaps prides itself on being printed on internet ink.

Without these F1 sites in my life.

I wouldn't be half as funny and F1 really would be just cars going round a track.

And F1 girls really do know that really isn't the case.

:):)

New blog. New start.

Hello.

I'm Tiff.

This me looking a little bit retro.

You may know me a little bit better from the Make Up blog, Get your glitter out.

Where I ramble about Make Up several days a week.

What you may not know is that I also have another passion.

I love Formula One.

It's not a secret either.

But it is hard talking to people about it.

Mainly because people stereotype liking Formula One to men.

At times my opinions and comments are seen as too girly but what's wrong with being too girly about F1 now and again.

I know enough about the sport. (I have been a fan for 13 years now) To know the technical and even the mechanical side of it.

But sometimes I just want to talk about how fit/beautiful/dumb or crazy F1 people can be.

So this blog may have a serious and maybe a little bit of technical talk some of the time but most time I just want to appeal F1 to more women and have a laugh and girly giggle at the same time and why not?

So Female Formula Fun is going to be the blog that does just that.

So with the F1 season just a week and an half away.

Join me for fun, fitty's and female views on F1.

You can also see my F1 opinions on twitter @squiffany

And you can also email any photos, ideas or requests about the blog to squiffany87@gmail.com