FanFormula: Week 14. Mugello Testing.

So this week's FanFormula video is all about the Mugello test.
So good was the Mugello test, that I didn't even really know it had even occurred. :(
This FanFormula video really shows that the one talent I should be putting on my C.V is the art of the blag.

Also in this week's FanFormula video. My new phrase seems to be "At the end of the day", I call the Mugello test "Dry" and I start to accidentally sing the classic Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe song Barcelona in honour of this weekends race. Badly.

And so on to this week's FanFormula questions.

Question One
Did you take much interest into the test at Mugello or would you rather just wait and see the developments which have been made when the teams bring them to Barcelona?

Question Two
Do you think it was a mistake by the McLaren team to not use either Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton over the test especially seeing that Hamilton stated a particular need and interest to go?

Question Three
What do you make of Petrov's comments about the Mugello circuit and do you agree and why?

Bonus Question
Do you think that because the teams use Barcelona to test that there isn't as much excitement about set up as the teams are quite aware of how their car performs at that track?



If you want to get involved with FanFormula. You can by going to the website. http://fanformula.weebly.com/

You can also follow me on twitter where I will proceed to play this video at least three times a day over the GP weekend. @squiffany

Diary of a F1 weekend: Malaysia

So after an exciting Grand Prix weekend in Australia.
We hardly have time to blink before it's the turn of Malaysia and the start of another early morning race.

So expect blurred vision and tiredness throughout my weekend diary.

Thursday/Friday
2am

Hoorah. I am actually up ready for FP1 however it's fair to say I'm not feeling on top form.
I noticed that in the fly away races especially the back to back ones. My sleep patterns go completely awry.
Luckily I managed to stay awake for 45 minutes of FP1 before realising that I couldn't hang on.
So decided to go to bed and wake up instead for FP2.

Notes for FP1

• Karthikeyan gearbox decided to fail. 
• Hamilton should good pace to top the table
• Vettel showed that Red Bull didn't have the pace. 
• All the cars seemed to be close in terms of time. 
• #BOTTAS

Now instead of my alarm waking me up for FP2. It decided to let me sleep through.

So I missed all of FP2.
This is not the first time this has happened. Luckily I recorded FP2 for this very reason.

Notes for FP2

• More woe for Karthikeyan
• Vettel still struggling for pace in 10th
• Vergne and Ricciardo show their hand. Top ten placings for both. 
• Then Karthikeyan has some more woe thrown in. 
• Hamilton quickest again

Friday/Saturday

FP3.

Ahhh. So I missed all of FP3. 

This lately seems a F.F.F tradition. 

There is no excuse for this.

But of course I was up for Qualifying. (Because I'm good like that.)
And even though it was 5am and I had to go to Sheffield later in the day.
I managed to not sleep through it.
I think the pack of fig rolls I brought may of helped, along with the copious amounts of coffee.

Notes for Qualifying

• Bad starts for Heikki and Kimi with five place grid drops. 
• Massa still struggling for raw pace and dropping out in Q2
• Webber out qualifying Vettel again. 
• Schumacher qualifying in the top three.
• Hamilton and Button bagging a One-Two for Mclaren. 

Saturday/Sunday

Race day. 8am.

With my alarm clock actually waking me up. 

Even with the change of clocks. (Yes it gets lighter earlier but it meant a hour's less sleep. *Grumps*)

It was time to get my cup of coffee on the go, along with another pack of fig rolls. (I'm getting lardy because of this.)

Ready for another great race.

Now what I love about watching F1, is that comedy can come from nowhere.
Now I tweet has the race is on. So when 9 laps in the race the rain came down and the red flag came out.
So did best comedy moments.

All 50 minutes of non racing was filled with entertainment that consisted of Gazebo chat. 

Who had the best gazebo?

Who was doing the BBQ?

Why did HRT only have a Tesco carrier bag?

Then it turned into a scene from the Carry On films because we started perving on the wet drivers/team members. Ooo Matron. 

Then it came full circle back 2009 with a W.W.K.D.

Or the long version. 'What would Kimi do?'

We all secretly hoped he would get the ice cream back out. Sadly this was not to be. Even if Lotus did get the Ice Creams back out for him. 

Luckily the race did start back up again but under the safety car. 

When the safety car came back in. The fun could begin again.
And boy did it.
We had Button lose his front wing.
Then Vettel got a puncture. 

I may of had some micro naps between all of this going on.
But I managed to stay awake when the fight for the lead was between Ferrari and Sauber. (Words I didn't really expect to say this year.)

And even though Perez had a moment off track and couldn't catch Alonso back up.
It was worth me having Horner jiggly leg for.

It was pure racing at it's best.
F1 is definitely back and it has come back swinging. 

Notes for the race.

• Rain
• Red Flag
• Gazebo's are entertaining
• Grosjean failing in the race for the second week in a row. 
• Karthikeyan injuring several cars. 
• Pastor losing out on points on the last lap.
• Hamilton still not looking happy after another podium.
• Vettel coming up with a new insult system and raising a new finger. Twice.
• Button's brutal honesty
• The Perez and Alonso battle.

Today was a good day to be an F1 fan. 

Remember if you want to hear more of my F1 ramblings. You can also follow me on twitter @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

Heat's top 101 hottest men.

So some back story.
Me and my friend from work Chan.
Were on our way back from Leeds after a work visit.

Since it's a two hour train journey from Nottingham to Leeds, we decided to buy a couple of magazines to keep us going.
Chan bought Heat, which this week is running a 101 hottest hunks section.

I thought after a long inspection. I thought I better check for any of the F1 community in this long and beautiful list.

Turns out Heat does know a couple of them.

But only the British ones
And only the ones that drive for McLaren.

Which is good in some sense.
Because I didn't see many other sporting people in there.
Apart from David Beckham and he doesn't really count. After all he just seems to model all the time.

But bad in others.
Have Heat not seen Sebastian Vettel, Bruno Senna and Nico Rosberg before.
I mean I could go on listing beautiful F1 people.

If you want to know who beat who.
If it was Jenson or Lewis?

I will just post the results.

So by twenty places.
Jenson Button wins the F1 related Heat 101 hottest hunks.

Next year.
I'm demanding more F1 related hotties.
Heat I'm watching you.

(P.S Photo quality is poor because I took these whilst I was on a moving train. Even when I'm travelling I'm thinking of FFF)

Do you think Jenson was the worthy winner?
Who else should of been considered?

Comment or tweet me @squiffany

The Schadenfreude of Lewis Hamilton's wardrobe.

Now normally FFF isn't really that Bitchy but after a conversation with Vicky (Or F1_Obsessive) we got to talking about the schadenfreude that is Lewis Hamiton's wardrobe.

Now for those who don't know what schadenfreude is.
It's basically enjoying the misfortune of others.

Avenue Q and Adam Hills describe it better then I can.



Watch from 2.30 in for Adam Hills take on schadenfreude.


Me and Vikki enjoy the schadenfreude of Lewis Hamilton's wardrobe so much.
We made a top ten.
With comments.

(For ease of use. My comments are in red and Vicky's are in green)

Picture One.


To be honest. This is how I dress when going to Tesco. Then again there is less chance of me getting papped. MUST TRY HARDER. 


I think it's the childish sulky face that really sets this ensemble off. And the hood up? Unless your looting the place it's hardly necessary. 


Picture Two.



Oversized clothes + poncy pictures = Man trying too hard. 


Notorious H.A.M seriously wants to be a rapper and given recent events, we may be in 'luck'. Gains points in this one for achieving the look of a starstruck (and short) fanboy. 

Picture Three.



Lewis has at least some excuse for this photo.  He is after all promoting Reebok. However it does look like someone may have puked on his shoulders though. Should been paid more. 


Maybe head and shoulders were a better sponsor choice after all. At least he has the self-respect to look fairly depressed in this situation.

Picture Four.


To be honest Nicole's horrible shoes distracted me from Lewis's man bag. This can only be a good thing. 


Made for each other, these two. Both looking equally terrible. I'm just hoping McLaren don't have the bright idea of making team hats that look like that. Run, Jenson, run!

Picture Five.


We have all been there. Just one colour catcher could have saved Lewis from dinghy whites. 


Even Nicole has the audacity to look disgusted with him here. Maybe he's just told her what he's doing with his hand in his pocket.

Picture Six.


Does he own just one pair of trackies? Reebok, give Lewis some more. 


The trackies, the twat hat, the hood-up, the cold dead eyes as they smile. - It's all there.

Picture Seven.


A shiny jacket and shorts doth makes a sun reflector plausible. 


As if the shiny, highly flammable fabric isn't enough, they are shorts. Note the body language in the foot area: that of a child caught pushing a sibling down the stairs. (Felipe baby?)

Picture Eight.


My eyes hurt. That is all. May my retina's burn in hell.


You would need sunglasses that dense to view his outfit choice. Good grief.

Picture Nine.


Ah crushed velvet. My arch Nemesis.


Was this when the happy bubble burst? Also, those shoes look like they're held together with masking tape. Not a good look. 

Picture Ten.


So that's where all the left over material from prom dresses goes?


I'm struggling here because I don't know how to spell the noise I made upon seeing this picture. Just...Just...Awful. 

Now I know that we may seem harsh on Lewis but I promise it's all in good fun.
After all that's schadenfreude.

Feel free to comment below or talk to us on twitter @squiffany and @F1_Obsessive.

If only F1 did off-season taxi races?

So after Jenson's taxi ride to promote crisps.
(See previous post. In the end...)

@duskyBlogF1 Pointed me into another taxi ride advert.
Which got me thinking.
This needs to be the new sport in the F1 off-season.

It would just be like the Race of Champions.
Only a really really poor version.
On motorways and with traffic...

See for yourself.
It could be the future.



Need more F1 ramblings. Follow me on twitter @squiffany

In the end I forgot it was about crisps...

So my friend Vicky (Follow her here at @F1_Obsessive  and you should. Her F1 tweets are amazing) and me were having a chat about Jenson Button when we started discussing this advert.

Now I forgot all about it but it definitely needs to be brought back into the public's attention.
I have no idea why. I just saw Jenson, went a bit gooey eyed and lost my train of thought....

This advert is a lot more appealing because unlike Jenson's Head and Shoulders advert it's not at all about being bracing.

Jenson is just himself.
A.K.A Comedy gold.

All I am saying is that Jenson can insult the cougars for me any day of the week.
But only if he drives a taxi...



Oh yeah by the way this advert is promoting crisps who would of thought it...
To hear more of my F1 rambles Follow me @squiffany on twitter.

Top five F1 teams.

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.

This post is all about the top five F1 teams.
Now as you can tell from this list.
I am a huge fan of the underdog.
It's the British side of me.

Some of these teams have now sadly gone and some teams are still going strong.
But without these five teams.
The last 13 years of F1 would have been a bit dull.

Jordan.


The first team I ever truly loved, mainly due to Damon Hill but mainly due to Eddie Jordan's complete determination and use of a press call.
You couldn't miss Jordan.
They took risks and made some great racing. Sometimes they were the wrong call but were never afraid of calling a spade... a spade.
A team greatly missed.
Eddie Jordan's shirts however aren't.

McLaren











In the first two years of my Formula one life. McLaren were my team of choice.
Dominant and always provided great racing.
Especially against the Ferrari's.
Even after a slump in the mid 2000's they still had some great inter driver rivalry's.
Alonso/Hamilton
Raikkonen/Montoya
Now with two world champions in Button/Hamilton. McLaren makes you quite proud to be British.

Sauber.

I do love an underdog. To me Sauber are the epitome of this.
Always bringing new and exciting drivers into F1. Like Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.
Even when times were tough and the team were under the verge of collapse, they always pull through.
Like Jordan, they take risks and that's what makes them exciting.
Now with Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel more exciting drives lie ahead.

Minardi

Like Sauber, Minardi were known for putting great F1 talent into there cars.
Even future world champions.
They did also put in some dud drivers. Luca Badoer anyone?
They may have been known for there great coffee rather then there great racing and they may have been the HRT of there day.
But they tried.
And I do love a trier.
Especially a Formula One trier.

Ferrari.

Now anyone who knows me, knows I have never been a fan of Ferrari.
Sometimes controversial.
Sometimes dominant.
But without Ferrari. F1 would have been a duller place.
I can say to my kids I saw Schumacher's dominance, Massa's near championship and heard Rob Smedley voice in an F1 crisis.

Your top five teams?
Feel free to comment below.

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.