Sidepodcast

• Length: 8:03 
• Size: 7.4 MB 
• File: digest49.mp3 
• Transcript: digest49.pdf 
• Torrent: digest49.torrent 

One of the most highly rated circuits on the calendar means we must be at Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix. With many teams counting on rain, we preview what the drivers are thinking ahead of the weekend.

Vital Statistics

• Date: 7th September
• Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps
• Length: 7.0km
• Laps: 44
• 2007 Winner: Kimi Raikkonen

Preview

The Eau Rouge corner, the fact that the track can be raining at one point and bone dry at another, the Bus Stop and the greenery of the forests. All of these are reasons why we love Spa, and the drivers feel the same. Except tester Alex Wurz, who’s a bit of a downer on the eve of what should be a great weekend.

• Length: 50:23 
• Size: 44.9 MB 
• File: episode74.mp3 
• Enhanced: episode74.m4a 
• Transcript: Coming soon 
• Torrent: episode74.torrent 

It’s no secret that Valencia wasn’t what we were hoping for, and yet it still seems to have created the talking point of the season.

Intro

I said it would never happen, but we go live once again.

Good Week / Bad Week

Good week for safety and for returning to the sporting action, but a bad week for thefts and for Force India’s morale.

Qualifying

Renault are still circling way too slowly for our liking, and it’s not as though they were taking in the scenery. Did Ferrari get to choose which end of the pitlane they were at? Also what is up with Valencian security, because there was litter and a man or two on the track. Oh, and Trulli was awesome.

Continue reading…

There’s been much consternation on this site and elsewhere around the web, relating to the various merits of the latest addition to the Formula 1 calendar. A couple of criticisms levelled at the Valencian street circuit is that it featured way to much concrete, didn’t produce particularly close racing and was nothing but a let down after all the pre-race hype built around the event.

However, it wasn’t until I read today’s race round-up from Axis of Oversteer that I realised where Bernie and the organisers had gone wrong.

Continue reading…

• Length: 9:40 
• Size: 8.9 MB 
• File: digest48.mp3 
• Transcript: digest48.pdf 
• Torrent: digest48.torrent 

Race day in Valencia finally took place then after weeks of anticipation. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype and was marred by controversy rather than action. F1 Digest presents a full round up of events.

The Race

We were probably expecting too much, and as the field got further and further apart, it didn’t look like it was going to deliver. In the end, it was a couple of retirements and some pit lane incidents that caused the excitement.

Conclusions

Only a couple of drivers had a good day, Vettel and Massa in particular. Most people were frustrated with their performance, thinking things could have gone better, and everyone is looking forward to Spa.

Welcome to the inaugural race day for the Valencian street circuit. Things look to be a little brighter today in terms of the weather, with no rain expected for the afternoon, although there were some showers overnight. This will have cleaned the track of rubber somewhat, but with a couple of support races taking place before the race, it remains to be seen how this will affect our drivers.

Talking of support series, the GP2 feature race yesterday held some clues as to what to expect as soon as the lights go out. For reasons best known to himself, Mr. Whiting has decided to switch over the pole positions at the last minute. I believe it was announced just before qualifying, after the practice sessions had been observed. For the GP2 event, the pole sitter simply lined up one place back on the grid, followed by the rest of the field. At least they didn’t have to have the whole place repainted!

Off the grid, the 3rd and 5th place GP2-ers got past their counterparts in 2nd and 4th, meaning that the dirty side of the grid is a real hindrance here just like Hungary. For Hamilton and Raikkonen this is not the place to be, and the start is going to be crucial.

As has been mentioned previously, a lot of teams have been tweaking their strategy to include the possibility of a safety car. In fact, some teams are positively hoping for it so they can make the most of a difficult afternoon. If there is a safety car, it’s likely going to be a long one, as aside from the massive run off areas, there seems to be little room for manoeuvre around the extensive circuit.

Continue reading…

• Length: 10:42 
• Size: 9.8 MB 
• File: digest47.mp3 
• Transcript: digest47.pdf 
• Torrent: digest47.torrent 

Despite all the unusual events we have seen, with drivers topping timesheets when we weren’t expecting it, qualifying ended up as we might have anticipated. Still, F1 Digest rounds up all the action that got us there.

Free Practice 3

Very overcast at the beginning of the day, and poor Trulli was very much under a cloud. He only managed two laps, without setting a time. Probably better than the Renault’s though who set ridiculously slow times. When will that be banned?

Qualifying

Although Toro Rosso looked to be amazingly strong throughout every session, they couldn’t quite make it stick. Both through to Q3, but that’s about it. Massa and Hamilton both outshone their team mates as well.

Conclusions

It seems as though one side of the grid is more favourable than the other, so Hamilton is understandably concerned about the pace Massa will show off the line. Some of the names who are more used to being at the front are also expressing worries about being in amongst the traffic. Who’s money is on a safety car?

Perhaps it was the rain that meant we still didn’t learn much from FP3. Overnight showers cleaned up the track and meant we were basically starting from scratch again. Or perhaps this is the way Valencia is going to be, with the lower teams getting an advantage from some unknown element.

I think all will become clear in qualifying. If Raikkonen really was sandbagging down in 15th, we’ll know. If Toro Rosso really are strong enough to be in third, we will find out. My money is on things shaking out to normality, so the usual three will be fighting for pole and the others scrapping to get in to the top 10.

Particular things to watch out for are Force India’s last ditch effort to get into Q2. They’ve been trying all year, and if they can’t do it now, with a mixed up grid and a brand new gearbox, they never will. I hope they’ll manage it if only as a boost to the team. We also need to keep our eye on Trulli who had apparent gearbox problems in FP3. If he ends up with a penalty, he’ll need to qualify well, which isn’t out of the realms of possibility for the one-lap specialist.

Hamilton has been quite vocal about the problems he’s experienced with traffic, apparently finding the behaviour of some of his fellow drivers not up to scratch. A lot of the corners in Valencia are blind, so discovering a slow moving car at the last minute can be an issue. I imagine if ever this was going to be a problem, it will be in qualifying. There are always traffic issues especially in the last two sessions, and even though it’s a long track, timing will be crucial for all.

Continue reading…

Let’s be honest, yesterday told us nothing. I’m sure we’re not ashamed to admit that it was difficult to follow the track, and the results left us scratching our heads.

The early sessions saw Toro Rosso on fine form, but they didn’t seem able to keep the momentum going through the afternoon. On the flip side, Raikkonen was way down in 7th for the first session, then just edged out Alonso for the top spot in the afternoon. Talking of which, how the hell was Button up in third?

It’s not just us who are struggling with the track though, as Joe pointed out in the comments, Alonso has admitted that he gets confused exactly where he is on the track. Not surprising considering how long it is, and how very similar it all looked. Alonso is also suffering from a lighter wallet, thanks to a hefty fine for cutting the entrance to the pit lane. He admits to the mistake and accepts the fine with good grace, but I think it’s a bit harsh. With Hamilton already being penalised for arriving to the press conference two minutes too late (I’m sure that’s a song), we’ll have to wait and see who will make it a hat trick.

We still haven’t seen any major incidents, which on the one hand is a good thing, but on the other isn’t what we were expecting at all. The run off area is being put to good use, but the bets are still open on who is going to lose it first. Rosberg almost claimed the title as he tried to take Webber with him yesterday, but it was a well-avoided accident.

Continue reading…

• Length: 9:34 
• Size: 8.8 MB 
• File: digest46.mp3 
• Transcript: digest46.pdf 
• Torrent: digest46.torrent 

With the anticipation building for Valencia since before the Hungarian GP, it’s hardly surprising that today didn’t quite live up to it. However, there was still plenty to take in, and F1 Digest is here to wrap it all up.

Free Practice 1

Despite not knowing the track very well, there was the usual format of installation laps then a break in the action, but once it got going, it was fascinating to watch. Plenty of off-track action, although nothing series.

Free Practice 2

Some troubles with some intruders on the track couldn’t take away from the fact that our drivers were still struggling to get their heads around the circuit layout and the tyre demands.

Continue reading…

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I found that first session a bit of a let down. I suppose I built it up too much to start with, but when the highlight of the hour and a half is spotting a lime green building, you know something’s up.

I suppose it takes time to get used to the track, the feeling of the circuit, and the atmosphere in Valencia, and that’s just for us! Never mind the drivers.

For Free Practice 2, then, I am curious to see whether Vettel was showing off a little, or if he can keep it up as the track gets even better. The dust should be clearing, bit by bit, and we should be seeing the times drop somewhat.

I noted in the FP1 comments that the official simulation was giving a lap time of 1m 37s, but we have yet to see anything like that.

Elsewhere, we’ll need to see what’s going on with Red Bull, as the bottom of the timesheets is bad even for them, and also whether Sutil is up in 13th on merit, or because the other drivers were struggling.

There were no major incidents in FP1, just a few slides and spins, so we’ll be eagerly awaiting the first driver to stuff it up properly. Place your bets now. There are concerns that Valencia hasn’t been planned out particularly well in terms of recovering any stricken cars. Hopefully, if the worst does happen, the sessions won’t be disrupted too much.

Continue reading…