Simon Lazenby.

I know that what I have to say will divide opinion but sometimes a blog just has to do that.

I don't want to start a debate. I don't want to get nasty.
I just want to say how I feel about this situation.


Now you may of heard the story in the Daily Mail about Simon Lazenby being drunk and disorderly on an EasyJet flight back from Valencia.
But that's not what I want to talk about.

But I do want to talk about Simon Lazenby.
I do feel very sorry for Simon. He really does divide opinion in the F1 community.
"Oh he's just a poor Jake Humphrey"
"He knows nothing about F1"
Blah blah blah.

Funnily enough I realised that some people seem to have extremely short memories. Because I remembered that when it was announced that Jake Humphrey would be hosting the BBC F1 coverage.
There was uproar. ACTUAL UPROAR.
"How can a children's TV presenter host a major sporting event?"
"Jake who?"

Yet now Jake is so loved by the F1 community he's deemed a bloody national treasure. (Not in my eyes though. You can see why here)

Yes Simon may of made some mistakes since hosting the Sky F1 coverage and yes he may of said the wrong thing at times. But he's always admitted them and ALWAYS said sorry.
People seem to forget that he's human. He's only nine races into a new job and in the last few races, seems to have really settled into the role. Especially with people like Ted, Natalie and Johnny.

What people seem to miss about Lazenby is that he is bloody funny (He really is. Hence why he has the nickname Lolzenby to his loyal subjects.), witty and a seemingly nice bloke.
What I like about Simon is that he actually tweets to his fans. He may not post many status tweets but he does talk to some us, gains our opinions and actually wants to improve how he is on screen.
He cares about what people think of him. He wants to impress us. The F1 fans. The F1 community.
That to me makes him all the more human and all the more endearing.

So maybe at times he tries too hard and gets it a little or even all wrong.
Who else hasn't done that at some point in their lives?
I know I have.

As for the alleged drunk and disorderly plane incident.
I would like to point out that Georgie Thompson does have a drink drive conviction under her body con dress. Yet no one seems to be mentioning this when it comes to her presenting skills and so they shouldn't.
A private life is a private life. It doesn't affect her work. She does a good job.

So will Simon keep his job next year?
I don't know, but I for one hope he does.

The Spanish GP for me showed how good Simon really is.
He was cool, calm and collected when the fire broke out in the Williams garage.
He took charge. Tried to give us the fans as much information as he could possibly get, whilst trying to talk to and find influential F1 figures and make sure that they were all okay.
Spain proved that Simon and the whole Sky F1 team had class and compassion.
Something that a sport like F1 always needs.

So you can get your poison pens out for Simon Lazenby.
Bring it on.

The Simon Lazenby fan club may only be small.
Be we are mighty.

You can also follow me (Or send your abuse which ever floats your boat) on twitter @squiffany

Short Post: DC, Jake and EJ at ASI 2012

This is a quick post but I thought it would be good for some of my international followers to see.
I didn't go to the Autosport show this weekend. (I would like to put I did something really exciting here, but I didn't. True story)
But in this video clip.

Jake Humphrey does a quite decent impression of EJ.
(Don't worry my opinion of Jake hasn't changed... This post here explains all)
EJ is off doing something better.
And the BBC F1 coverage is going to wipe out all other competition. Allegedly.



The BBC F1 team there. That's your what the TV licence pays for.

To hear more of my random F1 ramblings you can also follow me on twitter @squiffany

The Jake Humphrey decline momentum.

So in the past six months. I have noticed a change in someone.
It all started when the BBC announced that the coverage of the F1 was to be shared with Sky.

Most people were quite angry about this.
(Me included. The blog post about all that debacle is here.)

This even included some of the presenters of the BBC F1 coverage.
But just one comment from one person changed my whole perception of how much they really loved F1.
That proved to me. That F1 was a just job to them not a real passion. Even though they made out that was the case

That person is Jake Humphrey.


Now of course I don't want to think one comment made me hate Jake.
Of course not, I don't tend to hate anyone and I certainly don't dislike someone just for a comment.

It's just been in recent months.
Jake Humphrey has hit the smug button and kept running.
And smug to me. Is very off putting.

It started off with the comment that just after the BBC/Sky issue, that the BBC will still have all the races.

Jake jumped in by saying roughly
"Oh but the BBC will have all the races next year and it's going to be marvellous."
But when the BBC just has delayed edited highlights for 2012 and if the last few months were anything to  go by. The BBC F1 coverage went a bit downhill any ways.



But then little things started creeping in.
That made me think that Jake is up his own arse.

His tweets do not help the situation.
Lately his tweets have gone from nice cheeky banter, a bit of F1 and little bit of Norwich.
To full on Norwich, lots of fitness related pluggery, how many times Jake is on the beeb this week and even less F1 (And this wasn't based on the off season tweeting.)

Again twitter is his personal view and if I wanted to I could unfollow him.
Twitter is not the full basis of this dislike.

I just feel like lately Jake has got smug.
Even on the BBC F1 review. (Which was pretty dire compared to previous efforts) I just didn't want to listen to Jake. I would of preferred an F1 clip show.
Now Jake has recently announced that he is writing a book about his time in F1, which six months ago I would have be first in line for.

Now though I just feel like I really couldn't care less about what Jake Humphrey has to say... about anything.

Maybe this is just me.
But I need to know if there is anyone else out there.

Comment below or tweet me @squiffany

Top five F1 comedy moments.

Now this week is the anniversary of the first time I watched Formula One.

Now it's not a celebratory number like 20 or 30 years but I'm very proud to reach my 13th year of Formula One.

So this week is the start of a top five posts series.
In which I pick my top five moments in the last thirteen years

Now this post is my top five comedy moments.
Now I have an odd sense of humour.
A combination of my mum's sarcasm and my dad's dark sadistic humour.

Some of your favourite moments may not be in here (But I would like to hear what are yours), but seeing these five clips always make me smile.

Korea 2010: Felipe Massa

Because people falling over is quite funny.




Brazil 2002: Nick Heidfeld

Watch out for that Dooooooooooor!!


Brazil 2006: Kimi Raikkonen

Poo talk on ITV.


Hungary 2011: British fan

It took one man to say what we were all thinking.


Malaysia 2009: Felipe Massa

Because the British know what to say in a crisis.


That's what I love about F1, no matter how serious the sport gets. Comedy arises from somewhere.
Not just from Eddie Jordan's shirts.

"That would be suicidal"...

So it's been quite a dark day for F1 really.
The news that Sky will broadcast all the races, whilst the BBC will only have half, is to me devastating.

It's been threatened for years that F1 might not be on any free to air channel but I think the main shock wave is that the fans had no idea at all it was going to happen.
No prior warning or even rumours.

I woke up this morning to find the whole of the F1 world upside down and a little bit in tatters.

The things that upset me the most was some fans lack of sympathy to people who can't afford to purchase Sky Sports. 

"and for those that can't afford Sky? >>> Tough luck. You are stuffed. Nothing more to add really."

Thanks.

I'm glad people who have Sky or Virgin and who CAN afford to have Sky sports. Can watch the F1. I don't begrudge them that.

What I do begrudge is that some people just can't afford Sky sports and £300-600 a year is A LOT of money to most people. That's rent or food or bill money.

Don't rub it in our faces that we haven't got the money to afford to watch the one thing we love. Your lucky. 

Then Jake Humphrey didn't manage the situation well.

I know he is just the face of the show but for three years Jake has put on the persona of someone who deeply cares about this sport. 

So to say this on his twitter wasn't his best move.

"The important thing is - BBC are still transmitting F1, every race will be accessible in the UK...AND WE'RE LIVE TOMORROW! #bbcf1"

Yeah great. The races will be accessible but only on the radio or with edited highlights later. 

Any F1 die hard, Including Jake should know that we want to see the races LIVE.

Edited highlights just won't do. If you wait for highlights you have to avoid all media if you don't want to know the result. That's not going to happen for all the races. 

We know the BBC paid way too much for F1 back when the deal was stuck. We know that the UK is in bad economic times. We know the BBC had to save money.

Surely there was a better way then losing half the Formula One season.

Take shows away from BBC Three. (I say some not all the shows are bad). Don't move the whole of the BBC up to Salford and don't send every BBC member ever to exist to the Olympics in 2012. (Yes I am still bitter over the fact I didn't ANY Olympics tickets)

Especially when Formula One is at it's peak television-ally wise and the BBC F1 coverage is second to none. 

Sky will have a lot to do to make Formula One just as amazing as the BBC. I do hope they succeed. 

I'm ending this post with the words of Bernie Ecclestone and a dark day for Formula One and fans. 

"Sky is doing an incredible job, but if you look at their audience they are nowhere. With these figures it would be almost impossible for teams to find sponsors. That would be suicidal." - Bernie Ecclestone, May 10th 2011.

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F1 Fitty of the week.

So after an interesting Monaco grand prix to say the least.

More on that later.

It's time for this week's F1 fitty of the week.

Now this week I have chosen someone who is a more... mature fitty.

He also knows how to swear, be funny and not be afraid to take the piss out of himself.

Well he is Australian after all. :)

Yes I am talking about Mark Webber.

(In a Mr Darcy moment here. Hubba hubba.)

Mark doesn't just take dips in pools.

He also organises charity treks and bike rides in Tasmania to help disadvantaged children.

Plus he parts owns a pub in England.

Pub landlord, charity worker and race driver.

What a combination.

Talking of a strange combination of talents. I said earlier that Mark like to take the piss out of himself.

Well then you need to see this.

Warning.

This is quite catchy.

So if you like a more older, wiser and more interesting F1 fitty.

Mark Webber is your man.

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 :)