Healthy the breakfast of champions

A couple of decades ago, this article would not of have needed to have been written. You would have a story like this in a copy of Woman's Own then in a Formula One blog. 

Today I'm talking about diets. Well really more about being slim. Too slim. In fact just being unhealthy.

When I first got into Formula One. I used to always buy the F1 Racing magazine's season preview, which had all the drivers vital statistics. Mainly weight and height. Now me being a very geeky math loving child. I used to work out the BMI of all the drivers to see if they were in the healthy range. Most of them were in the healthy range and only the odd one were on the low range of normal BMI. Even though BMI isn't the best way of working out health, it is a good indictator. 

But now a story has come out about Adrian Sutil starving himself for two days to test his limit. Although Sutil admits that he did this of his accord and I know the Sauber team couldn't do anything about that. It turns out that Sutil did drive the Malaysian GP without a water bottle in the car in 50 degree heat and in a race where you can lose upto 3kg even with fluids on board. I find that absurd that the Sauber team didn't take matters into their own hands and protect the safety and health of their driver. 

But the Sutil malnutrition thing sadly isn't something new in Formula One. In the last few years the taller drivers have had a massive disadvantage when it comes to weight and because they can carry more weight they have to be even more careful in a career where weight can cost time. 

We've seen this with Mark Webber in the past and even now with Jenson Button and Nico Hulkenburg where they look incredibly skinny (and in my opinion ill) at the start of the season. Something which doesn't sit right with me. 

To combat this problem this year the car's weight was increased by nearly 50 kg, which should of worked out better for the drivers. Unfortunately though roughly 45kg of this was the brand new hybrid system leaving only a narrow margin for drivers weights.

Meaning that in even in 2014 with the amount of information we have on fitness and nutrition. A driver's health could be suffering just for the sake of a few tenths. It's completely dangerous. 

A driver at the end of the day should be healthy because a healthy driver will have a higher level of concentration then a driver who is weak from dehydration/malnutrition and that is surely worth more in time then in the mistakes that could occur. 

A story like this shouldn't be anywhere in today's society. Not even in Woman's Own.

If you want to you can follow my ramblings on Twitter at @squiffany.

Fan Formula. Week One.

Since I started FFF. I have always wanted to branch out into making video blogs.
Sadly though, I never find a good subject to talk about.
That's why lately I have started to join in with FanFormula.

FanFormula was created by Grace Cunningham (@GraceF1Fanatic) to bring Formula One fans together.
Every week Grace sets a few questions which anyone can answer, either written or by video blog.
Grace then edits these combined video blogs together to create one video with many opinions.

For the last two weeks. I have been participating in FanFormula and not only enjoying it but finding more people talk to on twitter. Especially Female F1 fans. (That sounded more pervy then it needed to be)

So every week I will post my response on FFF
So it does mean you have to see my mug on a weekly basis. (You poor sods)

So here are last week questions and my video.

Week One. Feb 5th.
With the first session only a few days away. F1 in the news is gradually starting to build up hype and this edition of Fan Formula will focus on the latest headlines.

Question One
This week Adrian Sutil was found guilty of GBH against Eric Lux and has received an 18 month suspended sentence and a £160,000 fine to charity. However he has since said that his friendship with Hamilton is over and branded him a 'Coward'. What do you think of Adrian's sentence and also of his comments about Hamilton for not attending the trial?

Question Two
McLaren were the first team to hold a live launch event this week but do you prefer teams holding official launch sessions or teams using online/printed launch schemes used by Caterham?

Question Three
Rubens Barrichello has completed several testing hours in an IndyCar this week. Do you think that he will move into IndyCar and what effect will this have on F1 and IndyCar?

Bonus

Daniel Ricciardo joined twitter this week but which current non tweeting F1 driver (Racing in 2012) would you like to see appear on twitter before the new season begins?

So here is my first FanFormula video.
Sorry for being ill. 

To see the collective video for FanFormula for yourself you can go to.
http://fanformula.weebly.com/index.html

Feel free to comment below or tweet me @squiffany

The gossip that went away, came back and probably will come back round again.

So nearly nine months after the story broke.
We now have a resolution to the Sutil/Lux case.

Sutil was given an 18 months suspended sentence for the count of GBH and £160,000 fine to go to charity.

Now personally I'm glad justice has been done.

Nine months ago I wrote in my blog post. 

"All Formula One drivers have a right to a private life, this I agree on but these guys are role models to so many people. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour in public. If I "Unintentionally" hit someone. I could easily be done on an assault charge in the UK. Just because this happened in China, it makes no difference. A sorry by Sutil doesn't cover it, not by any stretch."

This isn't about who is wrong or right. This about showing the world that just because you drive Formula One cars, doesn't mean you can act irresponsibly.

You have a job not only has a driver but has a role model to Formula One fans and the general public alike. 

I'm glad that Sutil didn't go to prison. I don't think that would of helped anyone's cause.
Formula One needs decent promotion. A jailed driver would not have gone down too well. 

Sadly even with a resolution the case still hasn't been dropped.
Not with Sutil/Lux but with the case of the missing witness in Lewis Hamilton. 

So maybe in nine months time I may be writing my follow up to side of the case. 

To hear more F1 related ramblings or what time my tea is. Then you can follow me on twitter @squiffany

The gossip that isn't going away.

So after I wrote about this on Wednesday.

http://femaleformulafun.blogspot.com/2011/05/gossip-i-dont-want-to-go-away.html

I thought I should do a quick update on what has occurred since then.

Now I said I didn't want this story to die. Mainly because of how serious the claims were and mainly because there was still a lot of unanswered questions.

Like.

What actually happened?

What was said that caused the "Unintentional" accident?

What injuries did Eric Lux suffer?

And finally what's going to happen with this story?

So the details on this story still aren't clear but from what we roughly know.

We know that Eric Lux was injured by a champagne glass. Causing him to need stitches in his neck.

We still don't know what provoked this attack from Sutil.

But we do know that Eric Lux has filed charges for assault against Adrian Sutil. Not in China but in France. (That's complicated in itself)

The full story is here on this French website.

http://www.sport24.com/auto-moto/formule-1/actualites/eric-lux-attaque-adrian-sutil-en-justice-474734/

So since the story broke out today of criminal proceedings. Twitter and F1 website have gone mad.

I told you in the earlier post I wouldn't let the story drop. Yet it's taken nearly a week for the story to really hit big.

Seems like violence ain't a big story in the F1 world, so long has you drive well around a track.

But now it is finally out there. Thankfully.

One vital question remains.

What is going to happen to Adrian Sutil and his career?

Sadly no one knows the answer.

Mainly because we (F1 fans) don't have all the facts.

Because as much has we can be the jury. Only the court can give the verdict.

Until then Sutil's career is pretty much limbo.

Along with his reputation.

All I know is that this story needs a resolution and soon.

For the victims, the accused, the teams and the fans alike.

Comments?

Just post below or follow me on twitter @squiffany

The gossip I don't want to go away.

So a few days ago word was spread of a scuffle between Force India driver Adrian Sutil and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton in a bar in China.

Nothing more was said really which left me and I'm sure a few other F1 fans slightly confused as to what actually occured.

Well today came the confirmation we needed.

442race.com got the exclusive. Has you can see here.

http://www.422race.com/2011/esclusivo-rissa-in-cina-tra-sutil-e-un-boss-renault/

But I will post the jist. (This was translated from Italian to English, so there might be a few spelling and grammar mistakes. Just like all my blog posts)

422race.com is now able to reveal the details of the event: the person involved in the brawl with the Force India driver is Eric Lux, the number two of Genii Capital, an investment fund that owns the Lotus team Renault GP and the right arm of team president Gerard Lopez. Observers have noted in the paddock several wounds on the throat of Lux at the last weekend in Istanbul and a team spokesman confirmed the incident.

"I can confirm that on the evening of Sunday after the Grand Prix there was an incident involving Eric Lux, Capital of the Genii," he told 422race.com. "Lotus Renault GP, however, not in a position to make any comment because it is a private matter between Eric and the other person. " And the other person to whom the spokesperson refers to, but being very careful not to name it, it's Adrian Sutil.

The brawl happened at the club M1NT Sunday night. Some people have noticed this in a hurry Lux make their way through the crowd coming out of a private with his neck bleeding and frightened expression. Seconds later, Lewis Hamilton emerged from the same small room, surrounded by his bodyguards. Our sources have not been able to confirm if his friend Adrian Sutil was with him but after a few seconds, entering the same VIP room, there was no sign of him.

Nothing is known about the reasons for the punch, even if Sutil would have run away from China shortly after to avoid legal problems in this regard. An official spokesman for the FIA, however, confirmed to 422race.com that the Federation is investigating the matter and that no action will be taken on in respect of Sutil. A substantial "no comment" even by the Force India, who have declared our microphones through a spokesman: "It 's a private matter between the parties involved and we have no information on it, so we do not intend to make any comment."

So Lewis wasn't the one in the fight at all. He just happened to be in the same room. (We all know Sutil and Hamilton are really good friends off track.)

It was this man. Eric Lux

So the teams aren't commenting on this. The FIA isn't getting involved and all we get is this statement from Adrian, which doesn't tell us much.

Firstly it has everything to do with Formula One.

Secondly how do you "Unintentionally" hit someone anyway?

So with a million questions unanswered. That apparently it.

But it definitely shouldn't be.

This can't be allowed to be forgotten. Not at least until we know all the facts has to why Sutil "Unintentionally" hit Eric Lux

All Formula One drivers have a right to a private life, this I agree on but these guys are role models to so many people. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour in public. If I "Unintentionally" hit someone. I could easily be done on an assault charge in the UK. Just because this happened in China,it makes no difference. A sorry by Sutil doesn't cover it, not by any stretch.

So until a proper reason breaks though for why this incident occurred. I promise to keep this in the public eye. Violence, doesn't solve anything and violence shouldn't be in Formula One. Full Stop.