Ultimately, it was McLaren’s Ayrton Senna who took the higher step on the 1992 German Grand Prix podium, taking second to Michael Schumacher’s third (Williams’ Nigel Mansell would win the race). But, it is nice to know that the two legends-in-the-making discussed it. And, though Senna won the German Grand Prix three times (all at Hockenheim, 1988-1990), it was the German driver who would take the higher number of wins at his home race. By a whopping one win (also all at Hockenheim, in 1995, 2002, 2004, and 2006). But, who is counting? Come on. It’s Schumacher and Senna, for crying out loud!
(schumacher & senna: is a clever caption really necessary? /// 1992 grand prix of germany /// courtesy of fia on facebook)
…But, with a total square mile area of .78 (with 2.5mi of coastline) and a circuit length of just under 2.08mi, it’s just Monaco.
…And, man, is it looking like one of the vintage travel ads I have around (today).
…Whereas yesterday was a washout under grey skies and soundtracked by a rough sea, today is a sunny Mediterranean day in the mid-60s (Fahrenheit).
…For more details on what happens in wet conditions, review my P2 running commentary.
Right now, I am looking at the first of three knock-out qualifying rounds.
Toro Rosso’s 20-year-old Russian rookie, Kvyat, has had a little spin with barrier contact.
…All is well, but some bodywork will need some replacing.
…This is not only Kvyat’s first time on this circuit, it is his first time in the principality.
…I suspect his mind is being blown this weekend.
…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
…I had major doubts about Kvyat.
…But, I have been nothing short of impressed by him.
…His driving, his attitude, that photo of him with nesting dolls…
…Everything.
…He seems like a pretty cool kid who is both enjoying the experience and making the most of the opportunity.
…Please, F1, don’t corrupt him.
McLaren’s Danish rookie, Magnussen, just missed a major head-on with a barrier.
Ooo…
…In other rookie news, Caterham’s Swede, Ericsson, has just collided with Williams veteran Brazilian, Massa.
…It was a tight Monaco turn, the Swede misjudged, and they just got caught in one another.
…If you’ll recall, Massa started his season off, being taken out by a brake-less, out of control Kobayashi.
…He has got to be tired of those Caterhams.
…Also, remember that Massa exited twice through Monaco in 2013.
…In the same place, in the same way.
…So, I would suspect he’s not happy with the big blonde guy, ruining his road to redemption.
Q1 wraps…
…Alonso slips into fourth, Hamilton takes third, Rosberg grabs second, and, in first…
…Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne!
…Yes!!!
…I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m pretty stoked about that one.
…Vergne’s a solid driver who’s had some rotten luck.
…He’s (always) just behind.
…Not this round!
…Where he’ll take it from here, who knows.
…(Well, as this is on delay, I do, actually; but, let the suspension of disbelief roll on.)
…But, Vergne will come away with a little positive reinforcement in the form of a Q1 win.
So, onto Q2 we go.
Last year’s runner-up, Red Bull’s Vettel, is reporting an energy crisis.
…Not really.
…But, he is radioing-in a drop in power.
…As has been the case all season for Red Bull.
…In this brave new world of F1.
The cars are taking this round far better than I would have bet on.
…The combination is rabid beast cars and the tight, twisting, narrow, hilly streets just seemed like a recipe for disaster.
…But, everyone seems to be doing pretty okay.
…I mean, there aren’t cars in trees and on yachts, or anything.
…So, I hope no one (actually) wandered over to the Casino and placed their bets on that one.
Q2 ends…
…Uh oh.
…Force India’s Hülkenberg will not be moving on.
…HÜLKENBERG NO LIKE 11TH!!!
…HÜLKENBERG THROW CARS INTO MARINA!!!
…Anyway…
…Mercedes returns to the top.
…Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, and Alonso lead the way, into the final Qualifying round.
…The top six are both Mercedes, both Red Bulls, and both Ferraris.
…So, we’re doing that (again), are we?
…Remember Bahrain?
…It was like a parade.
…Or, a school trip, with teammates using the buddy system.
…If the buddy system entailed battling your assigned buddy.
Hmmm…
…Williams’ Finn, Bottas, was knocked out (13th place).
…Not that it matters for him.
…The dude is one of those great starters.
…Like Kimi, like Alonso.
…The kind that make it look like Frogger.
…They just see these gaps and squeeze on through.
…Monaco may be the most impossible circuit to pass on, but don’t rule out guys like that.
…By the way, Bottas has a disco ball, glitter bomb helmet for this weekend.
…With “Racing on the Streets of Monaco” inscribed on it.
…It’s tradition to rock insane helmet art for Monaco.
…Remember Vettel’s last year?
…The pinup, whose top disappeared when she warmed up?
…It’s just a part of the complete Monaco Grand Prix package.
…If there’s any race to watch, this is it.
…If there’s any race that gets me to utter those words I don’t believe in saying, “I wish I was there”, in regret – every year – this is it.
…It is perfection.
Speaking of perfection…
…Well, not really.
…But, very impressive.
…Kvyat, who had crashed in Q1, is (still) going.
…With a minute and a half remaining, he’s in 10th.
I’m not mentioning Mercedes much, as they’re naughty children who need a time out.
…Seriously.
…Research it and read about it, yourself.
…I need a Mercedes disco nap.
Time is up.
…Flying laps are coming in.
…Rosberg takes pole.
…Second year in a row.
…And, the local boy won last year.
…Making it the first time a father (Keke) and son have won the same grand prix.
…Next to Rosberg, on the grid, will be his teammate (Hamilton).
…So, that continues.
…Behind them will be the Red Bulls of Ricciardo and Vettel.
…And, behind the Red Bulls will be the Ferraris of Alonso and Räikkönen.
…Because, we’re all going to hold hands (again).
…Expect a lot of slapping with those hands.
…Let me put it this way…
…The Red Bulls are the most well-adjusted and sportsmanlike of that group.
…Well, the Ferrari boys are grown ups, so they manage their issues pretty okay.
…Behind that color-coded group are Q1 winner Vergne and Magnussen, comeback kid Kvyat and Perez, and so on.
Press conference…
…So…
…The always stoked Ricciardo looks like he wants to scoot away from the other two without them noticing.
…Hamilton looks rage-y.
…Oh, but it’s “fine”.
…Dude, it’s not fine when you look like your head is about to spin as you spew pea soup.
…Rosberg looks happy, but like he knows his teammate is miffed.
…I hope Ricciardo got out alright.
…Every driver should have a code worked out with their team for when podiums and press conferences are uncomfortable.
…Blink once for get me out of here as soon as possible.
…Twice for “please, help me; please”.
I miss Vettel dominating.
…Malaysia 2013 (when he knew what he did), aside, he (always) seemed so excited.
…It was a mixed bag on the podiums.
…There’s just something missing with the Mercedes domination.
…I mean, I like Rosberg and Hamilton, they seem like good guys and all.
…But, there’s just something I can’t quite put my finger on that’s different from Vettel’s domination.
…And, not just because Vettel is the only person I’ve ever declared to be “quite possibly dateable” on this site.
…Yes, I did. Last year (I think). Do a search, it’s there.
…I don’t know.
…Is it just that they’re (both) such bad losers?
…You know it’s true.
…They try to be civil, but their faces should avoid the Casino.
…I don’t know.
…It’s just different.
…Again, I do like them; I do. They seem very nice, they’re (both) ridiculously talented and deserving.
…But…
…(Maybe) they should just run each other off track, Senna and Prost style, and let the likes of Ricciardo take a turn.
…See, now that Ricciardo has escaped, he’s back to his amazing, uncontrollable smiling.
…Get that guy on the top step.
…It’s a safe bet that everyone behind the Mercedes boys are welcoming them to try wheel-to-wheel on the Monaco circuit.
…Not that anyone wants a bad crash or anything.
…But, a nice, slow meeting, like Massa and Ericsson (today), could make things more interesting.
Speaking of Ericsson and Massa…
…Just a follow-up…
…Ericsson, who placed dead-last, will be starting from the pitlane.
…As, it was decided he was at fault.
…Which, he accepts and looks forward to moving on from.
Okay, well, that’s that.
If you’re watching in the US…
…The pre-race show will be on NBCSN at 7am ET.
…The race will air on NBC at 7:30am ET.
…The post race show will air immediately after on NBCSN.
…That will be followed by a rebroadcast of the race, I do believe.
…Tonight, on NBCSN, “Road to Ferrari” will air at 7pm.
…It will be followed by the F1 documentary, ‘1’.
…Which I have sitting between ‘Rush’ and ‘Senna’, by piles of Everest docs and rom coms (obviously).
…That will be followed by two new F1-related programs…
…”Drive”, which takes supercar tours of race locations and will start with Monaco.
…And, “Off the Grid”, which is a behind-the-scenes look at the races and will start with Barcelona.
…For everything in-between and beyond, consult your local listings.
…But, I hope that prompts you to look.
…Last night, NBCSN aired a new Senna doc, showed ‘Senna’, and premiered, “The Last Teammate”, a look at Imola and beyond, through the eyes of Senna and Ratzenberger’s teammates (Hill and Brabham, respectively).
…Please, if you love F1 and F1 history, look these programs up.
…You won’t regret it.
Right.
I will be back tomorrow, bright and early.
…And, live.
…Have a lovely rest of your Saturday.
Au revoir!
…(I hope this was a bit better than last night’s commentary.)
…(I think I forgot to mention that it was Rubens Barrichello’s birthday yesterday. How bad is that?)
In the world of motorsport, there will (always) be a unhealthy helping of rivalry, complete with an unsavory side of superiority. Too often, when it comes to the worlds of the World Rally Championship and Formula One, the worlds collide in an explosion of WRC fans, blasting F1 for being “boring”, while F1 fans, well, just fail to notice the WRC (at all). And, it can get pretty ugly. For fans of both sports, reading the complaints (most of which could be easily resolved by just not watching an event you have no interest in, or saving yourself some energy by refraining from clogging social media timelines with unnecessary negativity) is on par with dealing with parents who cannot be in the same room. Hideous. Just hideous. And, oddly exhausting. But, like those children of battling parents (the nice ones, not the bratty ones who milk the situation for all it is worth), we are not here to pick sides. We are here to celebrate how delicious and nutritious these apples and oranges of the motorsport universe are. And, we are going to do it on what would be the 54th birthday of F1 legend Ayrton Senna (BRA). With a little help from WRC superstar Sébastien Ogier (FRA/Volkswagen Motorsport). Because, in case you missed it, Ogier, WRC driver that he is, is a huge fan of Senna, F1 driver that he was.
(ogier: you might want some tissues with that one /// 2013 rally finland /// courtesy of sébastien ogier on facebook)
It would appear that Ogier is (also) a fan of Nutella, orange juice, and fine documentaries with sniffling, tissue-clenching endings (yes, we knew how it would end; it was the way the montage was done! the way it was done!!!). (Clearly) the guy not only knows how to get stuff done, he (to put it bluntly and casually) knows what’s up. Not a bad ally to have in your corner of the universe, if we might say so (ourselves). The corner where F1 and the WRC meet in a lovely prism of motorsport wonder, complete with a rainbow, representing the beautifully wide spectrum of sports and personalities, from Senna to Ogier and everything and everyone in-between and beyond. (Or, something poetic like that.)
(ogier: taking a moment to acknowledge 54 years of universal legend & all-around good guy, senna /// 2014 /// courtesy of sébastien ogier on twitter)
The Battle of McLaren teammates Ayrton Senna (BRA) and Alain Prost (FRA) would come to an end as dramatic as the battle, itself, at the 1989 Australian Grand Prix. Held in an absolute washout on the waterlogged Adelaide Street Circuit, the race would commence after multiple delays, prompting Prost, who was leading the Drivers’ Championship, to announce his intention to run one lap to assess the situation. Sticking to his guns and feeling the conditions were (still) hazardous, Prost would pull the Honda-powered McLaren into the pits and walk away from the season finale. Senna, seizing the late opportunity, would push his way into a cushy lead, only to fall victim to that famous Formula 1 car spray, ending his (own) season with a matching retirement.
Despite their double retirement (following the infamous collision at the Japanese Grand Prix, which would retire Prost and disqualify Senna), McLaren would end 1989 with Prost taking first, Senna taking second, and the team taking the Championship. Prost would move onto a two-year run with Ferrari, coming in second (1990) and fifth (1991), take break in 1992, and come back to win one more Championship (with Williams), before retiring after the 1993 season. Prost remains active in F1, acting as a Renault ambassador (among other things), and serves as an advisor to the Ayrton Senna Institute, a foundation continuing Senna’s work with the underprivileged children of his native Brazil. And, as for Prost and Senna? Well, sometimes even the closest of friends cannot work together. And, in spite of all those stress fractures, that rivalry was one hell of a solid foundation for a pretty beautiful friendship.
MOTORSPORT /// F1 /// 2012 GRAND PRIX OF BRAZIL (25.11.2012): Q1 QUICKIE… L HAMILTON (GBR/MCLAREN) — B SENNA (BRA/WILLIAMS) — J BUTTON (GBR/MCLAREN) — N HÜLKENBERG (GER/FORCE INDIA) -hitchcockblonde
…Even the layout is streamlined. No funky twists, etc.
…It’s so clean that the tyre marks are distracting.
Right. And we’re off!
Hülkenberg and Senna are off after T1!
Grosjean has a puncture. Front right flapping.
Uh oh. Hülkenberg’s Force India is being lifted off and out.
…How many times does it have to be said? Don’t make him angry.
Where the hell did Räikkönen come from?!
…Well, fourth. Yes.
…He’s fighting #1 Hamilton!
…Classic Kimi! Sneaky, stealthy Finn!
…Once that Lotus is perfected…Aw, yeah.
OK, now seeing Vettel, who started from the pitlane following his bump to the back.
…In case anyone missed it, Vettel ran out of fuel during Q3.
…Rather than roll to finish on fumes, Red Bull instructed him to stop.
…The stop prompted an investigation which found they were running below minimum fuel requirements.
…Vettel was sent to the back from third.
…Awesome weight-saving strategy, Red Bull.
Going into this, Vettel has a tiny lead over Alonso in the Drivers’ Championship.
…Alonso and Ferrari opted to run Q3 with fuel, resulting in a 6th-place start.
We have another off. HRT and Mercedes. Rosberg and Karthikeyan?
…Oh, that was nasty. Rosberg flew over Karthikeyan and ran straight into the wall.
…Karthikeyan’s HRT suddenly slowed, looks like there wasn’t much either could do.
…Both are OK and chatting. Friendly and relieved.
…Track is littered with car bits. Safety car is out.
It’s a little weird to have watched Vettel passing Caterhams.
…Sorry, Caterham. But, you know where you stand.
Transmissions of Vettel, screaming in surprise after hitting a foam sign, were pretty priceless.
…Screaming, surprised Germans are hilarious. Admit it.
It should be noted that in order for cars to reenter from the pits, they have to shoot through a winding tunnel.
…It’s something to see. Footage of that, alone, would be fantastic programming.
Safety car is (still) out.
…Not as many pit stops as one would think during this.
Alonso and Webber going at it, resulting in Webber, (almost) going at it with the wall.
Currently watching Vettel, trying to get ahead of Grosjean.
…That had to be pointed out. Because, how often does this scenario play out?
I bet Webber would have better luck if his poopypants attitude improved.
Vettel and Grosjean are in a back-and-forth battle. Brilliant!
…And brilliant for Grosjean. He needs a good battle like this. He’s up for it.
…Uh oh. More accusations that Vettel has all four over the white.
…Looks honest, though. Especially given the back-and-forth.
…But, I’m not a steward.
How the fuck did Räikkönen sneak all the way up to second?
…Stupid question. It’s Kimi. And he’s Finntastic.
SPEED: “Alonso is absolutely inhuman!” Ha! Why are we losing this coverage, F1?!
Hamilton is slowing!!! He’s stopped!!! The leader is out!!!
KIMI LEADING!!!!!!! THE LOTUS IS AHEAD!!!!!!!
RAI, ALO, MAL.
…Yes, that’s Maldonado in third at this very moment. Insane!
“Leave me alone, I know what to do!”, shouts Räikkönen over the radio (in response to Lotus directions).
…He’s the Iceman. And he is Finnfuckingtastic.
Webber has spun off in an attempt to pass Maldonado.
…Think Webber will blame Maldonado for that contact?
…As he did when he slowed and Grosjean hit him a while back?
…Having contact records makes them easy targets. Gotta go pretty low to pick on that.
Did Webber just bump Massa into a spin?
…What is Webber doing?!
All the while, Vettel has sped his way up to seventh. From 24th.
Räikkönen appears to have the track to himself. This is crazy.
This race is goddamn crazy.
Webber is (now) under investigation.
…Looks like they’re going to let the incidents go.
2.7sec stop for Alonso/Ferrari!
What IS this race?! What am I watching?!
If you’re reading this and missed it, maybe new to F1, there will be rebroadcasts. Give it a go!
I’ve not have time to mention that the sun has set over Yas Marina.
…The roof lights are changing colour.
…Truly a beautiful circuit.
2.8sec stop for Button/McLaren.
2.6sec stop for Webber. Bonus: he didn’t bump any of the pit crew.
3.6sec stop for Räikkönen. How…relaxed.
Vettel is in second. Not kidding. Second. From a pitlane start.
…Currently RAI, VET, ALO.
…No, really. Even I couldn’t make this shit up.
This is ridiculous. In the best way.
Vettel is in a race against his tyres.
…Apparently, the tyre options for today were soft, medium, and magical.
…He’s just not stopping.
Fascinating transmission between Alonso and his engineer. Probably.
…They communicate in Italian.
Grosjean is leading the battle for fifth. Fighting with Vettel paid off for both of them.
Vettel made a pit stop. Finally.
…3.9secs.
…Reemerged from the tunnel in fourth.
Christ on a cracker! Chain reaction multicar hit!
…Webber, Perez, di Resta, Grosjean
…Webber out!
Safety car out. Again.
Another amazing transmission from Kimi “Greta Garbo” Räikkönen.
…”Yes, yes, yes; I don’t have to be reminded every second.”
…He’s a god. He just is. As a quiet, cranky Finnish-American F1 and WRC fan, I can verify that he is a deity.
Button in third, Vettel right behind. RAI and ALO remain in the lead.
…Maldonado right behind Vettel.
…Given where they started, how’s that for an interesting lineup?
Monisha Kaltenborn! Sauber principal. YOU GO, MONISHA!
Nine laps to go. Can Lotus leave Kimi alone?
Vettel, clearly looking for an opportunity to pass Button. Button, remaining steady.
Toro Rosso. DRINK.
Button and Vettel are just dancing at this point. And Button is leading.
Someone lit a fire under Alonso’s ass. Still in second, he keeps setting fastest lap times.
Ooo-heart (actually) fluttering at the very real possibility that Räikkönen could win.
…Trying so hard not to put a jinx into the atmosphere, though.
Vettel pulls ahead of Button!!!
…Can Vettel fight for a win? Why yes, yes he can!
…Can Button? Why yes, yes he can!
Alonso is only 1sec behind Räikkönen (now)! Fight (still) on!
NO ONE TALK TO KIMI!!!
SWEATY PALMS! GOING TO BE ELECTROCUTED BY MY LAPTOP!
LAST LAP!
DON’T JINX IT!!! EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!
GOGOGO!!!!!!!
KIMI OF ESPOO HAS TAKEN IT!!!!!!!
FIRST WIN AFTER A TWO-YEAR ABSENCE!
FIRST WIN WITH LOTUS!
That wave was so Räikkönen!
Oh, that will go down as the sweatiest commentary I’ve ever done for anything.
Kovalainen runs over for congrats! Finnfuckingtastic!
I have a shirt that reads, “It’s motherfucking booze time”. Where is it?
…Classy, I know. It’s very subtle, I assure you. I wear it with sweet, innocent cardigans.
By the way, RÄIKKÖNEN WON!!!!!!!
Sorry: Alonso came in second, Vettel comes back from 24th to take third.
Ssshhh…Finnish national anthem.
That’s Kimi atop the podium!
…Looking stoked as usual.
Vettel, excited as usual. As he should be.
Alonso…Spanish as usual. Cannot argue with that.
Yeah, booze up, Kimi!
Oh, shit. He’s going to speak. This should be rich as usual.
…Minimum words, maximum impact. The Scandinavian way.
Podium interviews…
…Conducted by David Coulthard.
…Kimi’s got very little. He’s turned it around to how the season could have been better. Classic.
…He’s happy for the team. It’s pretty OK for him.
…”Your feelings?” “Not much.”
…It’s cool. You can (always) count on a Spaniard to pick these things up.
…Vettel has a lot to say. Not nearly as much as could be told about his performance today.
…Yeah, so…we all heard Vettel say “fuck it up”. And it was good.
…It was written off as speaking in a second language! Ha! Vettel is a notorious potty mouth!
…Kimi, fueling up as Vettel struggles with English (apparently).
…To summarize: Kimi is excited for the partying, not excited for the hangover (“…tomorrow, when we’re feeling bad…”), and doesn’t think the win is anything to get overexcited about.
…”Nothing to jump up and down about.” Unlike the partying. Kimi of Espoo. Finnish deity.
Maybe Vettel and Räikkönen could celebrate with a puzzle. Turn it into a drinking game.
That’s it. Next up: COTA. Less than 2000mi south of me. Same time zone. Woo!
…Note the absence of “Good (so-and-so)”. It’s 4:30am. Screw good. Let’s start with figuring out whether this is day or night, first, eh?
Fun F1 in the US facts…
…COTA is open for business.
…Mr Dr Meredith Grey (Patrick Dempsey) attended the opening. Obviously, things went smoothly.
…Seats (still) available for the penultimate race. 18.11.2012. Austin, TX.
…Insane bat population in Austin.
…Jersey had to pull out of the 2013 schedule.
…Surely they jest. New Jersey. US. Where -is- that shocked face?
Yesterday was Bernie Ecclestone’s birthday. So, a very happy birthday to one of the greatest characters on “The Flintstones” who never was.
…Oh, he’s 82. Whatever. After 30, isn’t it all conveniently forgotten (anyway)?
Pole reminder: this was yet another Red Bull 1-2 (Vettel and Webber).
…Red Bull. DRINK.
…And (for those wondering), yes, the whole point of the Red Bull drinking game IS alcohol poisoning.
…It’s the only escape from this Red Bullshit world.
…No, there have been no trials. No literal ghost writing.
Here we go!
Toro Rosso. DRINK.
Everyone is right on one another from the get-go.
Puncture reported for Schumacher.
…And, by ‘puncture’, they mean that the rubber is flapping off the spinning wheel.
Is the weather looking iffy or is the atmosphere (really) that hazy around New Delhi? Yikes.
Going into India, Vettel, Alonso, and Räikkönen are nestled safely at the top of the standings. Everyone else can be excluded from the Championship fight after this race.
…Räikkönen is in third with zero wins this season.
…This is how the Iceman rolls.
…Quiet, sneaky, sisu-packing Finn.
Watching the sparks fly off Vergne’s front wing is mesmerizing at this time of day/night.
…Front wing damage was incurred whilst popping Schumacher’s tyre.
Yes. A reminder: though the track is open, watch the car-thrashing orange stripes.
They keep tuning into Karthikeyan’s transmissions.
…Well, it’s not like he’s going to get a podium spot.
…He’s not.
…(As for) Force India? Not so much.
Ooo!!! Ooo!!! Grosjean, challenging Maldonado!!! This could be amazingly hilarious/horrifying!
…Ha! Senna flew through both of them!
This is some impressive pit stop avoidance. It’s like Pee-Wee and the snakes.
Perez’s rear right tyre has decided to make Schumacher’s tyre its hero.
…Contact with Ricciardo’s front wing.
Is that smog getting worse? And hanging lower?
Suddenly craving curry.
This is a tyre endurance race at the moment. It’s a little crazy.
…The team strategies appear to be like when parents shove their kids back outside on a nice day when they try to go back inside.
Brief (tyre-shredding) contact, aside, there’s been no major hits and very few stops. This is the Energizer Bunny race.
3.0sec stop for Massa.
Massa comes out for a fight with Räikkönen.
…They’re leap-frogging through the corners.
…It looks like a high-speed highway road rage battle.
…Classic Kimi.
Maldonado makes contact with Kobayashi, runs off, pulls back right before hitting the wall.
…Back on and (almost) slams a Red Bull.
Hamilton and Vettel, battling.
Hamilton pits.
…Ha! 3.3secs for all four tyres and a new steering wheel!
…Go McLaren!
Vettel pits.
…2.6secs!
…DRINK!
What IS this race? They’re not pitting. Then, when they’re pitting, they’re not pitting. Insane!
…F1 haters, wake up and tune in!
Silly Season is winding down, that pressure is off, it’s the end of the season, we’re seeing final pushes.
…VERY exciting.
…Saw similar enthusiasm last weekend at WRC Rally Italia Sardegna.
…Except, in the opposite. Everyone crashed right off the bat.
I’m sorry, did I just hear that Räikkönen is “…driving his nuts off”? Please, NBC, I’m begging you. Keep the SPEED F1 commentators.
…I realize I’m biased, being known for using variations of “balls” in various languages. But, still.
Now discussing the visibility. Which is REALLY horrible at the moment.
…They’ve offered smog and fires, caught in the humidity.
…I’m tossing cremation into the mix.
Btw, when I said “steering wheel” (earlier), I meant “Sega Game Gear”.
de la Rosa is in the tyre wall.
Reports of transmissions asking drivers to conserve fuel. And the craziness continues.
Schumacher suspected of impeding another driver.
…Please let it be Räikkönen.
…Schumacher’s been trying to make him his new Häkkinen.
…He has failed. Hence, re-retirement.
…That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.
de la Rosa’s crash attributed to brake failure.
…The oh-so-normal tractors and forklifts used to get those super-high tech “cars” off the track never fails to amuse.
…Shouldn’t they have developed some insane “Jetsons”-esque removal technology by now?
Ooo-Vettel’s car IS sparking, isn’t it? It’s like an upper caste Indian wedding!
Are those spectators or just… India is very densely populated.
This has become all Sparky and Alonso. Talk about a battle for first, eh?
…As Schumacher wanders away from the track, off into the haze. Again.
Fourth consecutive win for Vettel.
Alonso takes fast lap from Vettel.
Button takes fast lap from Alonso.
And, on a less spectacular/more amusing note, Massa runs out of fuel at the finish.
Final: Vettel, Alonso, Webber
We will soon find out if Webber is (still) going to be Mr Frustrated Poopypants, leaving skid marks all over the interviews and press conference in the form of words and facial expressions.
Anyone else in the mood to watch ‘The Party’?
Bygones.
Where have I heard this national anthem before… Ah, yes. Bets on hearing it next week?
In his spare time, Vettel enjoys playing badminton, assembling puzzles, and comparing exotic looks with Räikkönen. (Let me reference myself here.)
Did Vettel just hose the girls?
…Hey, no problem here. You show up, you get hosed.
Martin Brundle just wandered in. (Yep. Sticking to that theory as well.)
Man, people everywhere LOVE Alonso. That response was on par with Italy.
…It’s the eyebrows.
…And being a Spaniard. Like the French, they’re just better.
Btw, Räikkönen came in seventh.
…Remember: Buddh virgin, no simulators.
…Way to pop that cherry, Kimi of Espoo – F1 savant at large.
I think Kovalainen can (still) win the Drivers’ Championship.
On that note, that’s it for India. We’ll see if Abu Dhabi is a real place next weekend.
★ c + g s ★ 