Personal commentary
If you have been following my blog and wondering why I am so inactive and my last post was actually posted three months ago when you clearly remembered reading one in August... WELL... It's a long story but I will try to summarise it into one sentence (or maybe two)...
Due to this marshal policy all marshals have to comply with, I had to remove my previous post ("I'm Employed as a Volunteer") because I am supposedly not allowed to mention ANYTHING about the Singapore Grand Prix. Of course I was mad but there was just no other choice I could do else I will be flagged down (basically losing my chance of even working as a flag marshal over the SGP weekend).
Some of you may know that I'm currently a journalism uni student and my dream is to obviously make it big in the motorsport world in Singapore in the future. That was one of the reasons that got me blogging and creating a blog solely for F1. However, I have been learning a range of journalism tools along the way that offer better variety and that made me think of other alternatives besides Blogger.
I am also aiming to be a writer for one F1 fan site (still working out on which at the moment), just so to make my resume look pretty in the future. Of course, it is not all about academic records. I have been reflecting a lot lately on my future and it seems apparent I should be getting as much experience as I can in my field to have better chances in achieving my dreams. Getting a writing job would do me good.
Therefore, this post is basically just to let you guys know that I may leave this blog as it is of now and move on to another website I have just launched as part of my side project ("A girl's journey to seeking her adrenaline junkie guise."). I am honoured to have that piece of work shared on Die Hard F1 Fan's Facebook page and pleased to see the feedback I am getting so far. I had great fun writing this and I hope you guys will feel the same when you read it.
It is safe to say that you'll be seeing more of me here from now on. Thanks for standing by me (even though I could not be as active as I can as compared to other F1 bloggers) through the good and bad and sticking up to my rubbish posts. Writing is what I like and combined it with F1, my passion will never die but improve as I learn more from this world.
A massive thank you once again and I know it is too much to ask but it would be encouraging to see your support again as I move on elsewhere.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Atavist (my new website)
Till then, take care and see you guys very soon! :)
Within the 107.
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Formula Disaster
Personal commentary
It has now officially been a day. I still find it hard to believe Jules Bianchi has parted from the face of this earth yesterday. I believe he is in a better place now, high above with the rest of the other F1 drivers. May he find more happiness there. May the emotional wounds of his loved ones be healed in a faster process. May the F1 family stand united and strong for Bianchi's passing. Thank you for those many years of fine quality racing you've showed us as a fighter in your own right. As they say, "champions never die", we shall see you again very soon in the future.
The reason why I decided to blog today is part of Jules Bianchi's death. I take writing as my form of solace. I just needed to get rid of the trauma I still have from yesterday and the best way to do so is through writing. The other reason would be for the reason that there is no F1 this weekend when the German GP is supposed to take place later today.
If you are one of those who have been reading the news lately, the Holocene extinction, also known as earth's sixth mass extinction, is bound to happen. Today, I am very sad to announce a seventh mass extinction has just been discovered. The difference would be that human beings will be the cause to the sixth whereas the seventh is caused by a specific human being by the name of Mr Bernie Ecclestone. Like all researchers, one gets to name anything new he/she discovers after his/her name or anything he/she finds fit. I shall name this the Banishment (I know it sounds so cool, thank you *inserts sarcasm*. More on the explanation of the name will be done in the new few paragraphs).
According to an online dictionary, one of the two meanings of banish is to "get rid of (something unwanted)". I find this word rather accurate to describe the current situation in F1. Classic tracks are getting banished, the volume of the engines are banished, the freedom for aerodynamic development are banished... So now you understand why I name the seventh extinction as the Banishment. I know the word is kind of extreme but it is the only way I can emphasise the seriousness of how F1 is turning into.
As mentioned a few paragraphs before, the German GP was supposed to happen this weekend. It was on the calendar before the season began. Unfortunately the race was cut out from the 2015 schedule in mid March. We are promised a German GP comeback next year in Hockenheim but can we be guaranteed that something like this won't happen again in 2016? I would say the prospect of another race fallout is a 50/50. Our Hitler of the F1 world has warned that the 2016 German GP might be axed IF the Hockenheim race organisers do not cover the cost on time. In a nutshell, it means all tickets (or at least close to that) must be sold and attendance must be filled, so long as the money from Hockenheim is transferred to Ecclestone's already fat ass bank account then the 2016 German GP will go ahead.
Classic race tracks in the European region are slowly dwindling and losing out to newer tracks of little personality; the track layouts are bland where they look like great looking tracks but not delivering the best of corners and straights...
"If Monza goes, it goes. Whatever goes, goes." - Bernie Ecclestone
That sentence absolutely disgusts me. I mean, why is F1 even keeping this money sucking bastard in the sport, he is just bringing it down with him to his death. By the time someone takes over from his reign or he realises his mistake (which would only take a miracle to see that happening), F1 would be so damaged that it will be too hard to bring back up. It is unbelievable how Ecclestone could say that. With our once beloved tracks like Zandvoort, Magny Cours, Imola and Valencia left for newer tracks with richer spectators, the German tracks and Monza are his next targets to pushing more F1 tracks to non-existence.
I don't mind having new F1 tracks. Like heck yes to new races in new countries across the globe, that just means we have more F1 fans from around the world! The problem is that the tracks are simply made to just be a track any car can drive around without pure thrill. We need more to that. We need all cars to be fast and competitive on all fields to race as close to each other on a proper track.
Race tracks have a strong influence on defining how a race turns out; whether it is entertaining or dull to watch. I see no more hope in bringing the wonderful classic tracks of the past back but I do beg that no current tracks will be kicked aside in favour of Ecclestone earning more money from every new track he builds on a rich land with no genuine interest in F1. The European tracks are the ones that brought F1 to glory, brought racing to justice and placed F1 on the world map on how amazing this motorsport is (or was, for now)... F1 is meant to be for everyone, money shouldn't have been the issue in the very beginning. It is true F1 is supposedly the most glamorous motorsport of all but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by the middle and lower classes. That is one of the reasons why the number of spectators decreases each year, idiot. Without the massive number of followings decades ago, F1 wouldn't be here. So deal with it, Ecclestone, and just grant us fans these simple little things to bring F1 back to life and make us hate you a little less.
It has now officially been a day. I still find it hard to believe Jules Bianchi has parted from the face of this earth yesterday. I believe he is in a better place now, high above with the rest of the other F1 drivers. May he find more happiness there. May the emotional wounds of his loved ones be healed in a faster process. May the F1 family stand united and strong for Bianchi's passing. Thank you for those many years of fine quality racing you've showed us as a fighter in your own right. As they say, "champions never die", we shall see you again very soon in the future.
The reason why I decided to blog today is part of Jules Bianchi's death. I take writing as my form of solace. I just needed to get rid of the trauma I still have from yesterday and the best way to do so is through writing. The other reason would be for the reason that there is no F1 this weekend when the German GP is supposed to take place later today.
If you are one of those who have been reading the news lately, the Holocene extinction, also known as earth's sixth mass extinction, is bound to happen. Today, I am very sad to announce a seventh mass extinction has just been discovered. The difference would be that human beings will be the cause to the sixth whereas the seventh is caused by a specific human being by the name of Mr Bernie Ecclestone. Like all researchers, one gets to name anything new he/she discovers after his/her name or anything he/she finds fit. I shall name this the Banishment (I know it sounds so cool, thank you *inserts sarcasm*. More on the explanation of the name will be done in the new few paragraphs).
According to an online dictionary, one of the two meanings of banish is to "get rid of (something unwanted)". I find this word rather accurate to describe the current situation in F1. Classic tracks are getting banished, the volume of the engines are banished, the freedom for aerodynamic development are banished... So now you understand why I name the seventh extinction as the Banishment. I know the word is kind of extreme but it is the only way I can emphasise the seriousness of how F1 is turning into.
As mentioned a few paragraphs before, the German GP was supposed to happen this weekend. It was on the calendar before the season began. Unfortunately the race was cut out from the 2015 schedule in mid March. We are promised a German GP comeback next year in Hockenheim but can we be guaranteed that something like this won't happen again in 2016? I would say the prospect of another race fallout is a 50/50. Our Hitler of the F1 world has warned that the 2016 German GP might be axed IF the Hockenheim race organisers do not cover the cost on time. In a nutshell, it means all tickets (or at least close to that) must be sold and attendance must be filled, so long as the money from Hockenheim is transferred to Ecclestone's already fat ass bank account then the 2016 German GP will go ahead.
Classic race tracks in the European region are slowly dwindling and losing out to newer tracks of little personality; the track layouts are bland where they look like great looking tracks but not delivering the best of corners and straights...
"If Monza goes, it goes. Whatever goes, goes." - Bernie Ecclestone
That sentence absolutely disgusts me. I mean, why is F1 even keeping this money sucking bastard in the sport, he is just bringing it down with him to his death. By the time someone takes over from his reign or he realises his mistake (which would only take a miracle to see that happening), F1 would be so damaged that it will be too hard to bring back up. It is unbelievable how Ecclestone could say that. With our once beloved tracks like Zandvoort, Magny Cours, Imola and Valencia left for newer tracks with richer spectators, the German tracks and Monza are his next targets to pushing more F1 tracks to non-existence.
I don't mind having new F1 tracks. Like heck yes to new races in new countries across the globe, that just means we have more F1 fans from around the world! The problem is that the tracks are simply made to just be a track any car can drive around without pure thrill. We need more to that. We need all cars to be fast and competitive on all fields to race as close to each other on a proper track.
Race tracks have a strong influence on defining how a race turns out; whether it is entertaining or dull to watch. I see no more hope in bringing the wonderful classic tracks of the past back but I do beg that no current tracks will be kicked aside in favour of Ecclestone earning more money from every new track he builds on a rich land with no genuine interest in F1. The European tracks are the ones that brought F1 to glory, brought racing to justice and placed F1 on the world map on how amazing this motorsport is (or was, for now)... F1 is meant to be for everyone, money shouldn't have been the issue in the very beginning. It is true F1 is supposedly the most glamorous motorsport of all but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by the middle and lower classes. That is one of the reasons why the number of spectators decreases each year, idiot. Without the massive number of followings decades ago, F1 wouldn't be here. So deal with it, Ecclestone, and just grant us fans these simple little things to bring F1 back to life and make us hate you a little less.
Labels:
F1,
Formula 1,
Formula One,
Grand Prix
Location:
Jervois Close, Singapore
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Busy. Unmotivated. Busy. Busy. Procrastination.
This is just a post to say I have finally found the time and drive to blog something. Also, it's because I kinda promised someone I will post something on my absolutely untouched blog of three months (Since April. I know, how did time fly by just like that?) once I get myself a role someplace. More about that later. :)
First things first, my absence was mainly because of university. Yeah I know that's a very lame reason. You see journalist students still finding the time to blog anytime, anywhere. I gotta give them the double thumbs up, the round of applause, the pat on the back; you name it, they shall have it from me. I guess time is their friend. As for me, I'm not sure if time is one of my mine. It's very rare of me to be able to either sleep early or wake up late. OK, let me give you an explanation on why I used "sleep early" instead of "sleep late" and "wake up late" instead of "wake up early". I have a terribly busy schedule, no kidding. My daily schedule is filled with neat rows of blanks (sarcasm detected: I don't plan, I usually go with the flow) . It gets so busy to the extent that I have to push back some activities to the next day because I have to juggle with so many tasks at hand (This is true. Some of you know, I update my Instagram on a daily basis. It's no easy social media to upkeep because I'm pretty much a perfectionist. I source for the best of pictures, edit them to look pretty and come up with captions. All of these take up so much of my time. Depending on how important the F1 news is, I would sometimes post about it and share with my followers on Instagram). My sleeping time is so messed up, usually sleeping only at 0400 and waking up at 0900 for uni. If I'm lucky enough, I get to wake up at 1100. With so little hours of sleep, I'm absolutely grateful I haven't been sick for more than a year. Maybe my body is numbed from all the laptop and mobile phone radiation and I'll only get the serious illnesses in a few years' time. God only knows what might happen. I do however wish nothing unfortunate will befall on me. I'm still young and I have yet to see the whole world. Jokes aside, I have been awfully busy last semester. There were lots of assessments I had to work hard for week after week. What's more, I had my very first test (actually there were more than one but who cares now that they're over) in university. I could hardly find enough rest. If I had blogged two times on every race weekend last semester, I am so sure I would have a taurine addiction by now. Hey now, I am not saying I don't enjoy blogging anymore. It's just that my assignments are preventing from blogging. My assignments are draining my creative juices out of me as they require me to write 2000-word essays out of each. By the time I may have found the time to blog, my fingers and brain would be too exhausted to think and type. Hence, the three month absence.
Secondly ever since I got back to Singapore for the winter break (Yes, Australia is having winter now), I have been chilling, catching up with my good pals, spending time with family and also travelling places. I am literally making full use of this break to rest my brain (from thinking, at all) because I feel my brain has been overworked last semester. It has been fried and it needs to cool down before another new (even more hectic) semester.
Here's the last reason to explain why I am blogging after three months (I know I've said this so many times but you've gotta bear with me because I do feel so guilty for not making this blog of mine more active). Two weeks ago, I went to a Singapore university to attend a module and take a test. Two days ago, I received an email telling me that I have passed the test and all I have to do is log into the portal to look at my role and sector allocation. I am very happy to say that I am going to be a race official for the 2015 Singapore GP, specifically a flag marshal!!! :D It's my absolute dream to be able to get this opportunity. Really really thankful. :) Training will be on 25 OR 26/7/15 which is about two weeks away. I'm really excited to live this experience of a lifetime. I wanna thank my friends (you know who you are) who supported me in this. Thanks for having so much faith and helping me during the process. ^~^ I would also like to thank Singapore GP for giving me the opportunity, that even though I'm living in Brisbane most of the time now since I'm studying there, they still gave me a chance to attend the make-up session. THANK YOU! I am so blessed to be able to get the job on my first try.
I honestly can't guarantee where will my blog go from here. I'm thinking of making my F1 blog more news topic based, meaning I blog whenever anything F1 related piques my interest. I'm afraid I won't be able to commit so much time into blogging every race weekend now that I have assignments, projects and tests/exams to take care of next semester in addition to my weekly badminton practices and a week off from uni to volunteer my time during the Singapore GP weekend. Next semester is going to be even more demanding and stressful. I just hope I won't go mad. Till then, I shall be blogging fairly soon. If there's nothing on between now and my flag marshal training at the end of July, just don't give up on me and my blog. I'll make sure my posts won't disappoint. :)
First things first, my absence was mainly because of university. Yeah I know that's a very lame reason. You see journalist students still finding the time to blog anytime, anywhere. I gotta give them the double thumbs up, the round of applause, the pat on the back; you name it, they shall have it from me. I guess time is their friend. As for me, I'm not sure if time is one of my mine. It's very rare of me to be able to either sleep early or wake up late. OK, let me give you an explanation on why I used "sleep early" instead of "sleep late" and "wake up late" instead of "wake up early". I have a terribly busy schedule, no kidding. My daily schedule is filled with neat rows of blanks (sarcasm detected: I don't plan, I usually go with the flow) . It gets so busy to the extent that I have to push back some activities to the next day because I have to juggle with so many tasks at hand (This is true. Some of you know, I update my Instagram on a daily basis. It's no easy social media to upkeep because I'm pretty much a perfectionist. I source for the best of pictures, edit them to look pretty and come up with captions. All of these take up so much of my time. Depending on how important the F1 news is, I would sometimes post about it and share with my followers on Instagram). My sleeping time is so messed up, usually sleeping only at 0400 and waking up at 0900 for uni. If I'm lucky enough, I get to wake up at 1100. With so little hours of sleep, I'm absolutely grateful I haven't been sick for more than a year. Maybe my body is numbed from all the laptop and mobile phone radiation and I'll only get the serious illnesses in a few years' time. God only knows what might happen. I do however wish nothing unfortunate will befall on me. I'm still young and I have yet to see the whole world. Jokes aside, I have been awfully busy last semester. There were lots of assessments I had to work hard for week after week. What's more, I had my very first test (actually there were more than one but who cares now that they're over) in university. I could hardly find enough rest. If I had blogged two times on every race weekend last semester, I am so sure I would have a taurine addiction by now. Hey now, I am not saying I don't enjoy blogging anymore. It's just that my assignments are preventing from blogging. My assignments are draining my creative juices out of me as they require me to write 2000-word essays out of each. By the time I may have found the time to blog, my fingers and brain would be too exhausted to think and type. Hence, the three month absence.
Secondly ever since I got back to Singapore for the winter break (Yes, Australia is having winter now), I have been chilling, catching up with my good pals, spending time with family and also travelling places. I am literally making full use of this break to rest my brain (from thinking, at all) because I feel my brain has been overworked last semester. It has been fried and it needs to cool down before another new (even more hectic) semester.
Here's the last reason to explain why I am blogging after three months (I know I've said this so many times but you've gotta bear with me because I do feel so guilty for not making this blog of mine more active). Two weeks ago, I went to a Singapore university to attend a module and take a test. Two days ago, I received an email telling me that I have passed the test and all I have to do is log into the portal to look at my role and sector allocation. I am very happy to say that I am going to be a race official for the 2015 Singapore GP, specifically a flag marshal!!! :D It's my absolute dream to be able to get this opportunity. Really really thankful. :) Training will be on 25 OR 26/7/15 which is about two weeks away. I'm really excited to live this experience of a lifetime. I wanna thank my friends (you know who you are) who supported me in this. Thanks for having so much faith and helping me during the process. ^~^ I would also like to thank Singapore GP for giving me the opportunity, that even though I'm living in Brisbane most of the time now since I'm studying there, they still gave me a chance to attend the make-up session. THANK YOU! I am so blessed to be able to get the job on my first try.
I honestly can't guarantee where will my blog go from here. I'm thinking of making my F1 blog more news topic based, meaning I blog whenever anything F1 related piques my interest. I'm afraid I won't be able to commit so much time into blogging every race weekend now that I have assignments, projects and tests/exams to take care of next semester in addition to my weekly badminton practices and a week off from uni to volunteer my time during the Singapore GP weekend. Next semester is going to be even more demanding and stressful. I just hope I won't go mad. Till then, I shall be blogging fairly soon. If there's nothing on between now and my flag marshal training at the end of July, just don't give up on me and my blog. I'll make sure my posts won't disappoint. :)
Sunday, 12 April 2015
Max Maxed Out
Personal commentary. (Chinese Grand Prix 2015 - Race)
I may have been spoilt for given too much
hope from the previous race or am I the only one who actually felt that the
race was such a torture to watch?
The first lap was really good but aren’t
all first laps always the most delightful part of the race? It is the most
chaotic lap that builds up to what is to come and pretty much determines where
the drivers end up in.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsITQhyphenhyphenjmzdstLP3jAdGR86qoP9G8ZkRaRXQS-HUY6t7WhUbx8MRROsXnfF_Gkzc5YSiv89YAHQsOKDjZfDyw-QfUKo-2mj4EKBm6u70dsZivVyQm6j261-WtR6uMd9Jq3Fp_V42XhvYif/s1600/f1-chinese-gp-2015-max-verstappen-scuderia-toro-rosso.jpg)
To me, Max Verstappen was the driver to
have brought life to the race. Starting from 13th and having to
overtake three times through Marcus Ericsson, Felipe Nasr and Sergio Perez, one
has to remember that was a doing of a 17-year-old who is just in his third F1
race of his F1 career. If it was not for him, it was just like watching a
two-hour race that is as repetitive as watching NASCAR cars going round in
ovals. My heart cried out for how unfortunate Verstappen’s race ended at the
second final lap. He was so close to adding more points to make up for what he
lost at the Australian GP!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOez8kUthEWF2Z50LU9yjvxMPvtWhJ-I9YhDknY7jFoFlxYKRT7zAjgk7TJFmqJOzuy3WkNIF7SYYK4MvSR71Np22fKKtM4x9-S_fWB2FCXVUZmLHwXkGJ5bJc8E6ZW9sLAVkjwcEBstP/s1600/f1-chinese-gp-2015-daniil-kvyat-red-bull-racing-rb11-retired-from-the-race-with-a-blown-en.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-cyQV6qM8jfDM098cUWSVsPRR_03qLYRD708LVZhgsxogW_mLIdD5KC2dFBfofXpz-KiHCCTRssOxDBsWk_nbXhFUVGQx8qMEWfm1ZUGAeexFcnwOzibj4ptiKIbJc1soKpUC5Y-o7VF/s1600/f1-chinese-gp-2015-marcus-ericsson-sauber-f1-team.jpg)
This is the race we finally see McLaren
catching up to get closer to the top ten. It was also the one they had caused
Pastor Maldonado to be falsely accused. Jenson Button and the Venezuelan made
contact, the Briton touching his rear that had resulted in a spin. Just at the
right time, Button’s teammate Fernando Alonso had seized the opportunity to
move up when the two were struggling to get back their grip from their cars.
Mega congratulations to both McLaren and
Manor-Marussia for getting both cars through the chequered flag. It definitely
is not the best positions to be in but it is definitely an achievement and
progression. Also the same extend to the Saubers who have both cars through the top ten and Romain Grosjean for scoring Lotus' first points.
I have not found the time to watch the replay of the post race press conference but I did read tweets about it and it seems like Mercedes will have a difficult time controlling their drivers from next race onwards. More team orders will be broken and putting Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will never be the same again. Everyone will be in a state of nerves as the race goes on to the final races of the season.
I have a friend who saw the race in a
different viewpoint. His views somehow opened my eyes to watching races. He
pointed out that different tracks are designed differently and they cannot be
made perfect in the sight of a F1 fan. This is how there will be a specific
race that will be etched in our memory at the end of each season. There has to
be a stand out to make that race special and the most memorable. As a true F1
fan, one should not miss the other aspects in the race that that makes up for
it. If you are a true F1 fan, we should actually look forward to each race and
end up enjoying it rather than picking on it. Boring is too much of a vague
description (a big UNLESS you are completely watching a race that has zero
overtakes). We can definitely do better than that. That being said, I will
still set my expectations at a minimum before watching the race next Sunday (it
will be Monday midnight for me, hah) just so I will not be let down.
Chinese Grand Prix Race:
1. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-Mercedes 56 laps 1hr 39m 42.008s
2. Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes-Mercedes +0.7s
3. Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari-Ferrari +2.9s
4. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Ferrari-Ferrari +3.8s
5. Felipe Massa BRZ Williams-Mercedes +8.5s
6. Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams-Mercedes +9.8s
7. Romain Grosjean FRA Lotus-Mercedes +19.0s
8. Felipe Nasr BRZ Sauber-Ferrari +22.6s
9. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-Renault +32.1s
10. Marcus Ericsson SWE Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
11. Sergio Perez MEX Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
12. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren-Honda +1 lap
13. Carlos Sainz Jr ESP Toro Rosso-Renault +1 lap
14. Jenson Button GBR McLaren-Honda +1 lap *
15. Will Stevens GBR Manor-Ferrari +2 laps
16. Roberto Merhi ESP Manor-Ferrari +2 laps **
Rtd Max Verstappen NED Toro Rosso-Renault 53 laps completed engine
Rtd Pastor Maldonado VEN Lotus-Mercedes 50 laps completed accident damage
Rtd Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull-Renault 16 laps completed engine
Rtd Nico Hulkenberg GER Force India-Mercedes 9 laps completed gearbox
2. Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes-Mercedes +0.7s
3. Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari-Ferrari +2.9s
4. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Ferrari-Ferrari +3.8s
5. Felipe Massa BRZ Williams-Mercedes +8.5s
6. Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams-Mercedes +9.8s
7. Romain Grosjean FRA Lotus-Mercedes +19.0s
8. Felipe Nasr BRZ Sauber-Ferrari +22.6s
9. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-Renault +32.1s
10. Marcus Ericsson SWE Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
11. Sergio Perez MEX Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
12. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren-Honda +1 lap
13. Carlos Sainz Jr ESP Toro Rosso-Renault +1 lap
14. Jenson Button GBR McLaren-Honda +1 lap *
15. Will Stevens GBR Manor-Ferrari +2 laps
16. Roberto Merhi ESP Manor-Ferrari +2 laps **
Rtd Max Verstappen NED Toro Rosso-Renault 53 laps completed engine
Rtd Pastor Maldonado VEN Lotus-Mercedes 50 laps completed accident damage
Rtd Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull-Renault 16 laps completed engine
Rtd Nico Hulkenberg GER Force India-Mercedes 9 laps completed gearbox
Saturday, 11 April 2015
Mercedes Still Shang (above) the Rest
Personal commentary (Chinese GP 2015 - FP1, FP2, FP3 and Qualifying)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvYBuoB7Dvbnht1qEySIwqchG4btIbILS8FxLLs-UdzD69ApDxyby65pDLxde-aGcINged1iFKTXlT0bap4rkBaN4-YwvJerSLY5eUK4SEdSVhK_QyPwIYZgs8N6bVYHj8g_JBsngPx4X/s1600/f1-chinese-gp-2015-dr-helmut-marko-red-bull-motorsport-consultant-with-christian-horner-re.jpg)
This week we once again hear the open threats of Red Bull quitting F1. With how little the cars are able to provide this weekend: Daniil Kvyat failed to make it through Q3 for the second time in three qualifying sessions, and Daniel Ricciardo only came in seventh, behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams, it does not seem Dietrich Mateschitz will have any more patience for the team. I just think he should have a deep study on the other teams before actually making such foolish comments. Just because you are a four time world constructors’ champion, it does not mean you will not encounter obstacles. I love Red Bull and their line-ups because this is the team where they pick the best out of their Red Bull junior programme (Toro Rosso) and these drivers usually turn out to be winners. Without them, it will not only be a loss in F1 but also to the team who might lose out in nurturing potential world champions. I just hope they will be up to speed and get somewhere closer to the front-liners just so they can satisfy Dietrich Mateschitz and stay for a few more years. F1 cannot afford to lose more teams and drivers.
Mercedes and Ferrari have been really close this week. Lewis Hamilton has won his third pole in the Chinese Grand Prix, beating Fernando Alonso's qualifying record. Nico Rosberg is no inept driver on this track either with a record win and pole. I suppose the race will all come down to tyre strategy. The weather will be way cooler than what we have at Sepang but tyre wear will be on the extreme side due to the combination of fast long and tight abrupt corners. I recall having a lack of interest before the race start of the Malaysian GP two weeks back, only to have things turned around due to the many actions we see in both the front runners and mid-tier teams. I am just hoping tomorrow will be the same just so it shows that F1 is not on the verge of “extinction” just of yet and in the near future.
Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying:
Nope, you did not miss the Malaysian GP weekend blog entries. They were simply not posted and created in the first place. Although F1 is something I hold dear, I had to set the right priorities that weekend. It was a painful decision to make but I simply did not want to put my dad’s money to complete waste and flunk in any more assessments (yes, I failed in one of my early assessments and it was absolutely depressing because it is the first in a long time). Despite so, I have a deep heartfelt of regrets for not blogging that weekend. That was perhaps the most entertaining race I have watched in a long time. It was not because Sebastian Vettel won the race (in case you are unacquainted about my favourite driver, there you have it: a Vettelian), it was because it just shows there is a higher chance of a F1 revival.
The Shanghai International Circuit is not one of those Asian races I particularly like, mainly because it is such a long track (mind you, it is the longest currently used F1 track on the calendar) that is mostly featureless. It just looks like driving on a smooth highway, added with the pressure of being overtaken by your rivals (that is just a teensy likelihood).
This week’s practice and qualifying sessions were not that special either. McLarens are still struggling albeit the two drivers positively saying the car is getting better and that it has been big progress (that might be true but not to a huge extent, we see their cars still grappling with reliability issues). It is like working on a complete new car so some people have to understand that this might take more than just a few months (yes, I have read some of my Instagram followers’ comments stating they just want to move on to support another team because they cannot even make it to top ten, such narrow-minded thinking if he/she claimed to be a F1 fan). Once they get the hang of it, it can only get better and they might just end up in those glory days when they will be back in close battle for the championship. Take a look at Sauber and Lotus this year and compare it to the last. Never underestimate a struggling team.
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Williams and Sauber seem to have gained back the resurgence during qualifying. Williams have found the speed in getting closer to the Mercedes, listing them as another rival of the German team alongside Ferrari.
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Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying:
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:38.285 1:36.423 1:35.782 12
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:38.496 1:36.747 1:35.824 12
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:37.502 1:36.957 1:36.687 17
4 Felipe Massa Williams 1:38.433 1:37.357 1:36.954 15
5 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:38.014 1:37.763 1:37.143 15
6 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:37.790 1:37.109 1:37.232 17
7 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:38.534 1:37.939 1:37.540 18
8 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:38.209 1:38.063 1:37.905 20
9 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:38.521 1:38.017 1:38.067 16
10 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:38.941 1:38.127 1:38.158 15
11 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:38.563 1:38.134 13
12 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing 1:39.051 1:38.209 13
13 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso 1:38.387 1:38.393 14
14 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:38.622 1:38.538 14
15 Sergio Perez Force India 1:38.903 1:39.290 10
16 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:39.216 6
17 Jenson Button McLaren 1:39.276 6
18 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:39.280 8
19 Will Stevens Marussia 1:42.091 6
20 Roberto Merhi Marussia 1:42.842 8
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:38.496 1:36.747 1:35.824 12
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:37.502 1:36.957 1:36.687 17
4 Felipe Massa Williams 1:38.433 1:37.357 1:36.954 15
5 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:38.014 1:37.763 1:37.143 15
6 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:37.790 1:37.109 1:37.232 17
7 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:38.534 1:37.939 1:37.540 18
8 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:38.209 1:38.063 1:37.905 20
9 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:38.521 1:38.017 1:38.067 16
10 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:38.941 1:38.127 1:38.158 15
11 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:38.563 1:38.134 13
12 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing 1:39.051 1:38.209 13
13 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso 1:38.387 1:38.393 14
14 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:38.622 1:38.538 14
15 Sergio Perez Force India 1:38.903 1:39.290 10
16 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:39.216 6
17 Jenson Button McLaren 1:39.276 6
18 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:39.280 8
19 Will Stevens Marussia 1:42.091 6
20 Roberto Merhi Marussia 1:42.842 8
Monday, 16 March 2015
Cars Going Bonkers
Personal commentary. (Australian GP 2015 - Race)
Who would have thought we would have less
than twenty people starting the grid in the first race of the season? Not me
for sure. We were told yesterday that Manor would be missing the Australian GP
today. That brings the total number of drivers from 20 to 18. Valtteri Bottas
was admitted to hospital yesterday after qualifying for a back problem he
experienced during Q2. This morning, all of us were updated that he would be
sitting out for the race because of a tear of the disc in his lower back. So we
were down to 17. Right on the installation lap, Daniil Kvyat’s and Kevin Magnussen’s
cars would not move ahead like the rest of the other cars. Each to their
personal problem: Kvyat with a broken gearbox whereas Magnussen had a Honda
engine failure. Before the green lights went out, we only had 15 drivers racing
in the 2015 season opener, that is the lowest number of starters we see for a
season opener since 1963. Nevertheless,
the figure does not stop there.
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I would say the race was more interesting
to watch from the back than the front. The rookies have clearly given their all
in their debut race with Carlos Sainz Jr and Felipe Nasr making it into the
points. Unfortunately for Max Verstappen who, again, missed the opportunity to
finish the race with a possible point due to engine failure. Even Aussie’s
favourite Daniel Ricciardo had his chance of a podium robbed away for the RB11’s
slow pace. It was clearly a Renault trouble week. The drivers at Sauber have
taken the week’s unfortunate development and turned it around into an
outstanding achievement by both drivers. They have collected 14 points in their
very first race: one as a rookie and another as a new Sauber driver, giving the
team the most points they have scored in more than a season. This has placed
them third on the constructors’ standings, just one point shy from Ferrari. It
is true that the number of drivers on the grid makes it hard to assess the true
performance of the car but their overtaking skills on track were enough to
prove that Sauber was way better than where they left off last season without a
single point.
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First laps have become a crucial period
in which a driver will try his best to squeeze himself through the mass of
slower cars to gain a better position. Aside from the first two drivers at the
front, that was what the rest of the 13 drivers tried to do. That was the lap
we saw Lewis Hamilton getting far ahead from Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel
getting in contact with Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Nasr sandwiching between the
Finn and Pastor Maldonado that sadly sent the next casualty out of the race as
Maldonado crashed to the wall. His teammate was not lucky either as Romain
Grosjean’s car faced an engine failure just a few minutes later.
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The Sergio Perez-Jenson Button battle rages
on as both went head-to-head to stay ahead of being the last driver. Button was
comfortably ahead of Perez for some number of laps and being a three-time
champion on this track, he was doing his best to keep up to that record. At lap
12, the Mexican was gaining speed to the Brit for an overtaking attempt. Button
did not give in easily, showing us seconds of brilliant defences. It took Perez
another two laps before he finally took hold of his former teammate’s position
but not without slight contact, severing a bit of his car. With his unstable
Honda machinery, it was a bonus for Button to have finished the race albeit
coming in last with the possibility of finishing in the points. It is safe to say that Fernando Alonso made the right choice to take this week and the next off to recuperate and make more preparations for the Malaysian GP. If you think of it this way, he would not have been as lucky as his teammate because the car he would have been given would be what Kevin Magnussen drove in.
Ferrari has found a better footing in the
WCC fight. Both drivers have a competent car. If Ferrari would have bucked up
on their pitstop: reduce the time taken to pull everything together within a
few milliseconds and be more alert at changing the car parts, they would not
have caused Kimi Raikkonen and the team their points because the Finn clearly
had found the momentum in the car. As for Sebastian Vettel along with Ferrari’s
clever strategy, the team had helped move Vettel up head of Felipe Massa for
third, delivering a stunning performance in his first race with the Scuderia. Looking
happier in the scarlet red colours as compared to the race in 2014, it is clear
that the four-time world champion is more comfortable and confident at where he
is at to break more records.
By the end of the race, we only have 11
finishers. Mercedes’ one-two win just proves that the WCC title is here to
stay. How long will it take for us to see teams getting closer to them to close
the gap? Just like Daniel Ricciardo lament of another boring
race and Sebastian Vettel's observation of the Mercedes' 34s gap away from the third driver, when will the other teams be able to keep up to their level to give us F1
fans the thrill we were so used to watching in F1 a few years back? With
Caterham’s departure from F1 and some other mid-tier teams struggling with
finances, when will we see F1 becoming too expensive, leaving these teams
failing to meet demands and “disappear” from the F1 world as a result? Also,
with the increase of restrictions FIA sets each year, how is F1 still an
entertaining motorsport? This is no longer the king of motorsport, it is
getting lower in status. With rumours of a Renault comeback and again those
annual hearsays of an Audi involvement, will this be enough to challenge the
dominant German team or will F1 be a dying rigid motorsport in the future?
Australian Grand Prix Race:
Australian Grand Prix Race:
1. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-Mercedes 58 laps 1hr 31m 54.067s
2. Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes-Mercedes +1.3s
3. Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari-Ferrari +34.5s
4. Felipe Massa BRZ Williams-Mercedes +38.1s
5. Felipe Nasr BRZ Sauber-Ferrari +1m 35.1s
6. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-Renault +1 lap
7. Nico Hulkenberg GER Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
8. Marcus Ericsson SWE Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
9. Carlos Sainz Jr ESP Toro Rosso-Renault +1 lap
10. Sergio Perez MEX Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
11. Jenson Button GBR McLaren-Honda +2 laps
Not Classified
Rtd Kimi Raikkonen FIN Ferrari-Ferrari 40 laps completed
Rtd Max Verstappen NED Toro Rosso-Renault 32 laps completed
Rtd Romain Grosjean FRA Lotus-Mercedes 0 laps completed
Rtd Pastor Maldonado VEN Lotus-Mercedes 0 laps completed
Did Not Start
Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull-Renault gearbox
Kevin Magnussen DEN McLaren-Honda engine
Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams-Mercedes back injury
Will Stevens GBR Manor-Ferrari did not qualify
Roberto Merhi ESP Manor-Ferrari did not qualify
Thanks to Michael West (who knows how huge of a fan I am of Vettel) for the photos of Sebastian Vettel and also for all the motivation you would give me every time I blog! :) Sorry if this entry is way lousy than the previous one. I had writer's block yesterday and I kinda rushed through this 24 hours later after the race. My bad. :(
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