Sidepodcast

This week sees the debut of Sidepodquiz - a test of Formula 1 knowledge past and present. This pilot show sees Ollie from BlogF1 answer our fiendishly tricky questions, and get a very respectable score.

If you want to hear Ollie take the quiz, it’s available via this audio player, otherwise have a go at the quiz yourself - the questions are below. We’d love to hear how you got on, so please let us know your score in the comments.

The Rookie Round

10 questions, 1 point per question

1. Which high-speed circuit in the Austrian mountains made its debut in 1970? Osterreichring or A1-Ring
2. In the 2007 season, two drivers participated in only one race. Winkelhock was one, who was the other? Nakajima
3. Which engine did Sauber debut with in 1993? Ilmor or Mercedes or Sauber
4. What does the black flag with an orange circle in the centre represent to drivers? Mechanical problem with car, driver must return to pit
5. Which year did the points system change to its current format? 2003
6. Which year did the Australian Grand Prix move from Adelaide to Melbourne? 1996
7. Niki Lauda famously won the world driver’s championship by the smallest margin ever when he finished half a point ahead of his nearest rival. What year was this? 1984
8. Which team had to change its livery prior to the start of the 1999 season? BAR
9. Which current TV presenter and wannabe Formula 1 star drove an Ensign in the 1980 Belgian Grand Prix? Tiff Needell
10. What was the relationship between Ian Scheckter and Jody Scheckter? Brothers

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Please do not forget to update your Fantasy Racers team.

Last week. I was ridiculed for my choice of just two drivers. The system dictated that I start at the top of the championship and work my way down until I run out of money. With Hamilton and Massa at the top, I was out of cash pretty quickly. However, to all those who laughed at me, it was one of my better points hauls, so there.

This week, with very little time to think about who I’d like in my team, as if I would anyway, I’ve gone for another arbitrary system. This time I’m flipping the same idea I had last week, so now I start from the bottom. You’ll all be pleased to know I could afford more than two drivers, although when you see who they are, perhaps not.

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Please do not forget to update your Fantasy Racers team.

The format of picking a lot of drivers, even if they’re not expected to be getting results, has worked quite well for me in the past. Unfortunately, the last race was a particularly poor showing for Sidepodcast Racers, but that’s okay, this week we’re going to bounce back.

I’ve decided to pick the top two drivers in the championship. The plan was to start from the top and work my way down until I ran out of money, but that only meant I could afford two drivers. That’s Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. The total is only £26.10 million, which is quite annoying, but Raikkonen is next and he’s just too damn expensive.

I’d love to know what strategy you’re using, whether the Free Practice results are useful to you at all. Visit Fantasy Racers to update, or to register a new team. It’s probably a bit late to be a serious threat in the Sidepodcast League, but we have plenty of very welcome latecomers and we’re almost seeing a secondary championship forming. Join in, and have fun.

Please do not forget to update your Fantasy Racers team.

How I do look forward to the Friday of a race weekend, when I get to share my latest scheme for my Fantasy Racers team.

You’ve got until 5 o’clock BST to alter your teams, which gives you a good few hours. You can even wait until after FP2 if you so desire.

Personally, I have no need to watch those drivers pootling round that track, I can make all the decisions I need based on a simple system. This week it is all the drivers whose surname falls between A and C.

Here is my team:

I predict that this will not be a strong weekend for Sidepodcast Racers, but I have faith in the arbitrary system. Anything can happen at a new track.

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Please do not forget to update your Fantasy Racers team.

Ah, it’s that time of the week again, where we must review our Fantasy Racers selections.

I have done some extensive research, and evaluated all the drivers comparitively during Free Practice 1 in Hungary. I have decided upon, drum roll please, a completely arbitrary selection. You knew that already, though, didn’t you?

Here’s mine:

My thought process this time was to pick the cheapest drivers and stack my team full of them. Discounting the Super Aguri boys (because even I’m not crazy enough to choose a driver that’s not even racing), I started at the cheapest - Sutil - and kept clicking the next most expensive driver until I ran out of cash. I’m quite annoyed I have some money left over, but I don’t want to spoil the system.

So, don’t forget to visit Fantasy Racers and update your team, or sign up if you haven’t already and want to feel the satisfaction of beating Sidepodcast Racers. Let us know what your team is in the comments, and feel free to poke fun at my selection.