Wednesday Meeting Productive

After Wednesday’s meeting between FOTA and the FIA Max Mosely (FIA) had this to say about the cost cutting negotiations for 2010: "I am willing to compromise, but only if small and new teams can operate with much lower budgets and are not much slower than the others."

The details of the compromise are not clear but it is likely it will be slowly introduced over a number of years.

Mosley added: "I am very optimistic about a solution. The big and small teams have very different interests and we have to protect everyone. Will Ferrari enter by Friday? I think so. I am optimistic and confident. Ferrari is very important for Formula One, but Formula One is very important for Ferrari as well."

The deadline for team entry for 2010 is this coming Friday. As of yet only Williams have confirmed entry. It is likely Brawn and Force India will also sign up to 2010 by Friday as they, like Williams, rely solely on Formula One for their income and business.

Hopefully Brawn and Force India will not weaken FOTA’s strength and will enable for them to negotiate to a point where they are happy and all the Formula One teams can sign up for the 2010 championship.

Rumours Briatore Buying Renault

There are rumours that Flavio Briatore could buy Renault and run his own Formula One Team in 2010. After many years running successfully with Briatore it would appear Renault are looking for an exit strategy because of the political unrest over the cost cutting by the FIA for 2010. Also Alonso is supposed to have a deal with Ferrari for 2010 onwards… However I believe they have a contract stating Alonso will go to Ferrari when Kimi Raikkonen leaves and he can have clear number one status.

If Briatore does take over from Renault it is likely they will still continue to provide engines to Formula One teams probably including Briatore’s team. This would enable Renault to continue engine development and world exposure.

Rumours Toyota Will Quit

There are more rumours that Toyota will quit Formula One at the end of the year due to their poor form compared to their huge budget. Also they are continuing to become more and more disillusioned with the continuing political row over cost cutting brought in by the FIA for 2010.

Speculation continues that Tokyo executives have already made the decision to cut back Toyota’s motorsport programme, which would include Formula 1.

Timo Glock stated: “Clearly this relates also to my own job, but I cannot influence the politics,” which obviously must be at least causing unrest within Toyota. When asked about Toyota’s poor Monaco form he said “I am confident Monaco was a one-off because we had been really competitive in the previous races, so we know the car is pretty good.”

The jury is out however if Toyota’s huge budget is worth the results and development they are getting in Formula 1. Especially considering the issues surrounding Formula 1 at the moment and the global economic down turn.

Formula 1 Drivers Do The Silliest Things

Some classic youtube moments of Formula 1 Drivers to make you smile.

Kimi Gets Blind Drunk & Falls Off His Yacht





Nick Heidfeld Dances Like A Kid





Funny & Silly Things From F1

Williams Kicked Out Of FOTA

Williams have signed up for the 2010 season with the FIA. Because of this the FOTA have suspended Williams from FOTA. This is no doubt a political move to keep the teams other smaller teams in line and show their strength against the FIA.

Frank Williams had this to say: “FOTA’s decision, although regrettable, is understandable. However, as a racing team and a company whose only business is Formula 1, with obligations to our partners and our employees, submitting our entry to next year’s championship was unquestionable. In addition, we are legally obliged under our contract with FOM and the FIA to participate in the world championship until the end of 2012”

Personally I feel sorry for Williams, they have to cement their position in Formula One. As a small team which relies entirely on sponsorship and running on a limited budget Williams need stability more than anyone. Rumours have been about for the last few seasons they were going to be bought out. At least they’ve safeguarded another season in Formula One by signing with the FIA.

Constructors' World Championship Table

Drivers' World Championship Table

Turkish Grand Prix BBC Coverage

Friday 5th Of June
First practice: 1000-1130 (0800-0930 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0800-0930, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Second practice: 1400-1530 (1200-1330 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1200-1330, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online

Saturday 6th Of June
Third practice: 1100-1200 (0900-1000 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0900-1000, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying: 1400 (1200 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1110-1315, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying replay: Times TBC

Sunday 7th Of June
Race: 1500 (1300 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1210-1500, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live/online.
Interactive forum: 1500-1600, BBC Red Button/online:
Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three/Red Button/online
Race loop: Times TBC

FOTA, FIA and FOM Meeting Wednesday

The FOTA, FIA and FOM are meeting again in London on Wednesday. This is to discuss the future of Formula One for 2010 and beyond. Most notably the cost capping scheme proposed by the FIA will be under discussion again.

Monaco Grand Prix Race Lap Chart

The race lap chart for the Monaco Grand Prix is available here.

Monaco Grand Prix Press Conference

A transcript of the FIA press conference is available here.

Also BBC TV coverage is available of the press conference for UK users only here.

Monaco Grand Prix Results

1. BUTTON Brawn
2. BARRICHELLO Brawn +7.6s
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +13.4s
4. MASSA Ferrari +15.1s
5. WEBBER Red Bull +15.7s
6. ROSBERG Williams +33.5s
7. ALONSO Renault +37.8s
8. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +63.1s
9. FISICHELLA Force India +65.0s
10. GLOCK Toyota +1 lap
11. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
12. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
13. TRULLI Toyota +1 lap
14. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
15. NAKAJIMA Williams +2 laps
16. KOVALAINEN McLaren +27 laps
17. KUBICA BMW +50 laps
18. VETTEL Red Bull +63 laps
19. PIQUET Renault +68 laps
20. BUEMI Toro Rosso +68 laps

Fuel Adjusted Top 10

1 Button - lap 20
2 Raikkonen +0.113secs - lap 18
3 Barrichello +0.162secs - lap 19
4 Massa +0.635 - lap 18
5 Rosberg +0.691 - lap 17
6 Kovalainen +0.702 - lap 18
7 Vettel +0.769 - lap 11
8 Webber +0.776 - lap 19
9 Alonso +0.945 - lap 23
10 Nakajima +1.929 - lap 31

Monaco Grand Prix Grid

1. BUTTON Brawn
2. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. MASSA Ferrari
6. ROSBERG Williams
7. KOVALAINEN McLaren
8. WEBBER Red Bull
9. ALONSO Renault
10. NAKAJIMA Williams
11. BUEMI Toro Rosso
12. PIQUET Renault
13. FISICHELLA Force India
14. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
15. SUTIL Force India
16. HEIDFELD BMW
17. KUBICA BMW
18. TRULLI Toyota
19. GLOCK Toyota
20. HAMILTON McLaren*

* penalised for gearbox change

Monaco Grand Prix Thursday FIA Press Conference

TEAM PRINCIPALS: Norbert HAUG (Mercedes), Vijay MALLYA (Force India), Mario
THEISSEN (BMW Sauber), Frank WILLIAMS (Williams)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: A question to you all. What are your feelings about the new regulations for this year?How they’ve worked, whether they’ve worked. Are they good or bad? Have they done what they were supposed to do?

Mario THEISSEN: My personal feeling is that they have not done what they ought to do. From the fans perspective it is certainly an exciting championship. We have a fresh pecking order, unexpectedly. But even more important the field has come very close together, just the opposite of what most people expected with the new regulations. If you look back in Bahrain, (Jarno) Trulli dominated qualifying, in Barcelona he just slipped in as P15 into Q2 with a gap of only 0.7 of a second behind the first, so that means nobody is safe. It is very exciting for the spectator and for us, sometimes too exciting. You see that almost every team goes out on two sets of fresh options even in first qualifying in order to make it into the second run. That is a scenario which no-one expected and which we haven’t seen in the past 10 years, so I think that is the upside. On overtaking maybe we had expected a bit more from the new regulations and on cost saving I think it has met about the expectations. The aero restrictions we currently have are not as tight as we thought they would be, so I think we could do more at this end.

Vijay MALLYA: I agree with what Mario said in terms of the racing being a lot more competitive, far more spectator-friendly from that point of view. For the smaller teams we have had a chance to close the gap quite significantly compared to previous years. I saw a couple of drivers who were actually quicker this year than last year which perhaps was not quite the intention. But having said that I think the 2009 regulations provided a good platform and base. As you well know there are further discussions continuing on how to deal with 2010 and beyond.

Norbert HAUG: I think it was fine so far. I think the chances and circumstances have been the same for everybody. Obviously some teams have been more busy towards the end of the year than during the season but this is not an excuse, it just explains a little bit that some cars on the track right now put more effort in but that is fair enough, that is how it is. We all need to play a little bit catch-up and I think lots of people have been surprised by the high level of the competitiveness of the new cars as Mario pointed out already and Vijay as well. The order is mixed. I think there were no presents made. Of course there were a lot of discussions about the diffuser but at the end of the day this is behind us. I think we saw some exciting races. The last one, Barcelona, was never a very interesting race in history. This is how things are. It is a challenging track and very demanding for the cars, especially for the aerodynamic of the cars and a mixture of everything. But it tends to be very boring around there and the last race was very similar, let’s say. But generally speaking I think we have seen more overtaking manoeuvres. I saw a statistic, so it is heading in the right direction. In fairness we have to admit that none of the KERS cars is currently in a position to win races and I think if that would be the case, or if you would think about a combination of very good car with very good KERS then that would probably be a different story. I hope obviously that we will be the ones that can move quickly in that direction, but catching up is a difficult process and certainly not achievable in a couple of weeks. It is rather months than weeks, so we need to be patient. Looking now at the results I think this is not a typical race track. We have always been quite good and quite strong around here, won quite a few races in the last years. But this is not a...

To read the full transcript click here.

Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice Session Two

Times:

1. ROSBERG Williams 1m15.243s
2. HAMILTON McLaren 1m15.445s
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m15.590s
4. BUTTON Brawn 1m15.774s
5. MASSA Ferrari 1m15.832s
6. VETTEL Red Bull 1m15.847s
7. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m15.984s
8. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m15.985s
9. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m16.260s
10. PIQUET Renault 1m16.286s
11. ALONSO Renault 1m16.552s
12. WEBBER Red Bull 1m16.579s
13. SUTIL Force India 1m16.675s
14. TRULLI Toyota 1m16.915s
15. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m16.983s
16. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m17.052s
17. HEIDFELD BMW 1m17.109s
18. GLOCK Toyota 1m17.207s
19. FISICHELLA Force India 1m17.504s
20. KUBICA BMW no time

Ecclestone To Buy Silverstone?

The Observer (Sunday's Guardian) has suggested that perhaps BRDC (owners of Silverstone) are poised to sell out to Bernie Ecclestone? That move would certainly guarantee the British Grand Prix for the foreseeable future.

How much would Bernie upgrade Silverstone though? He'd have to go some way to bring it up to the standards he has wanted and been 'nagging' the BRDC to achieve. Also where would that leave Donnington?

To read the article click here.

Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice Session One

Times:

1. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m17.189s
2. MASSA Ferrari 1m17.499s
3. HAMILTON McLaren 1m17.578s
4. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m17.686s
5. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m17.839s
6. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m18.000s
7. ROSBERG Williams 1m18.024s
8. BUTTON Brawn 1m18.080s
9. ALONSO Renault 1m18.283s
10. WEBBER Red Bull 1m18.348s
11. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m18.695s
12. PIQUET Renault 1m19.204s
13. VETTEL Red Bull 1m19.233s
14. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m19.255s
15. FISICHELLA Force India 1m19.534s
16. KUBICA BMW 1m19.560s
17. HEIDFELD BMW 1m19.579s
18. SUTIL Force India 1m19.600s
19. GLOCK Toyota 1m19.698s
20. TRULLI Toyota 1m19.831s

Monaco Grand Prix Wednesday FIA Press Conference

DRIVERS: Sébastien BOURDAIS (Toro Rosso), Felipe MASSA (Ferrari), Adrian SUTIL (Force
India), Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Adrian, memories of last year here. Do you ever look back and think what might have been?
Arian SUTIL: No, I look back in a good way. I think it was a great race for me being in fourth place between the Ferraris. It was a big success. For sure, a really unlucky ending and a lot of tears but that’s how it is, that’s sport. You have to bring it to the chequered flag. For the team it was very good and still I get lots of questions about it. It is good to hear that they talk about it and it is still in their memories.

Q: Recently you have been showing the same sort of perseverance, the same sort of
staying power to the end of the race. Are you hopeful that with the slightly different nature of this circuit it might reap a good performance this weekend?
AS: Yeah, I think all the field will be really close, so every tenth, every hundredth will count for a good lap and finally maybe to get a few places on the grid. But let’s see. I think everything is possible in Monaco. It is a tricky circuit. I like street circuits very much and it is one of my favourites, so I hope it will help me for a better position.

Q: I think you are still the Formula Three record holder here?
AS: Yeah, still. Exactly. Hopefully it is a good omen.

Q: What are your feelings about the performances recently? It seems that the technical side of the car is improving.
AS: Yeah, step by step we are doing our improvements. The problem is that the other teams improved their cars quite a lot, in big steps, so it is hard for us to catch up. But of course overall the balance is really good and it is definitely a big change to last year. We are very fast on the straight line, so straight line speed is really good. We need a little bit more downforce but reliability-wise it is really promising. There is potential in the car but we need somehow to catch up the train. It is difficult.

Q: We do see that your straight line speed is very good. But can you have downforce as well?
AS: Yeah, that’s the thing. It is a compromise we are looking for but right now the factory is pushing a lot and trying to give their support in the best way. But as I said it is difficult for us but let’s see how we go on. We are trying our best to put everything on the car right now.

Q: Sébastien, your feelings about the season so far and your own performances?
Sébastien BOURDAIS: Yeah, it has been obviously a steep learning curve for us as we had zero kilometres, or nearly, before the first race. The car has been changing every race, so it hasn’t been easy to understand the car and optimise it. Here and there we felt we did a good job. I think obviously at the last one we got a major update and we were hoping for a big step forward and a great performance which didn’t come. I think as a whole we didn’t optimise what we had and that was a bit of a shame and obviously here it is a completely different game. You can’t be quite sure...

To read the entire transcript click here.

2009 Formula One Grand Prix Season So Far...

Australian Grand Prix
Melbourne - 29th March 2009

This was Brawn GP’s first Grand Prix and they pulledoff first and second places. A second career win andfirst pole position for Jenson Button, who at the endof the last season was not even sure of a place in F1in 2009.

The two Brawns were in the first row on the startingline. As the starting light turned green, Button shotforward, but his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, remainedstuck on the grid. Meanwhile the Toyotasstarted from the pits. There was a crash on the firstcorner involving Barrichello, Heidfeld, Sutil, Webberand Kovalainen. Kovalainen retired to the pits andabandoned the race, while Heidfeld, Webber and Sutilpitted for repairs. On lap 10, Kimi Raikkonen got into difficulty with soft tyres and was overtaken by Rosberg andthen Barrichello. He then headed to the pits to change to hard tyres. On lap 18, Nakajima left the track, hit a walland abandoned. The safety car was deployed from lap 19 to lap 24. Alonso took advantage to refuel. On lap 25,following a momentary loss of concentration, Piquet drove into the sand trap on the first corner and was forcedto abandon. On lap 42, Raikkonen skidded off the track and had to head back to the pits, while team mate FelipeMassa abandoned on lap 46, after breaking his wing support. In doing so, he impeded Button, who was entering thepits to refuel for the second time. Button re-exited in the lead, 1½ seconds in front of Vettel. On lap 55, the safetycar was deployed for a second time after Vettel and Kubica collided and then abandoned the race. On lap 58, thesafety car was withdrawn and Button passed the line first, in front of Barrichello and then Trulli.


Malaysian Grand Prix
Sepang - 5th April 2009

This marked a third victory and 15th pole position for Jenson Button and a second victory in a row for Brawn GP. At the outset, Rosberg, who was in the second row, made a perfect start and reached the first corner before Trulli, Alonso, Button and Raikkonen. Kovalainen veered off the track, ending in the gravel trap andabandoned. On the second lap, Kubica was forced to abandon when his engine broke down. Vettel was the first to pit and refuel on lap 13. When Raikkonen entered the pits on lap 18, his mechanics fitted wet weather tyres anticipating rain. Button, on the other hand, pitted on the following lap and left with slicks. The rain arrived on lap 21 and Alonso skidded into a sand trap. On the following lap, all the drivers pitted to change their tyres to either wets or intermediates. It was an excellent choice for those who chose intermediates, until the rain started to really pour down. Button, fitted intermediates on lap 29, and re-emerged in second place behind Timo Glock, retaking the lead on the following lap when Glock pitted to change his tyres. Driving conditions deteriorated rapidly after that. Button pitted again on lap 31 to change to wets. Drivers were finding it very difficult to keep their cars on the track and once again the safety car was deployed. On lap 32, the stewards brought out the red flag and the drivers were brought to a halt on the straight in front of the pits. After a 50 minute wait, the grand prix was halted definitively for safety reasons and to Button’s surprise he was declared the winner, with Heidfeld in secondand Glock in third. Drivers and constructors were only awarded half points for this race.

Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai – 19th April 2009

This was yet another similar race in Shanghai, withrain forcing the safety car to be deployed for the start, and Kubica and Glock starting from the pits. On lap 8, the safety car was retired and the race proper started. Vettel was leading, followed by, Webber, Barrichello,Button, Trulli, Raikkonen and Hamilton. The two RedBulls led the two Brawns. Raikkonen got into trouble on lap 11 and was overtaken by Buemi and Massa; Hamilton spun round completely, without damage, but dropped to 10th place. Webber made his first pitstop on lap 14.

Kubica bumped into Trulli’s car, which was making its way slowly to the pits and then had to abandon the race. The safety car was deployed again. Massa quit on lap 20 when his engine died. The safety car was retired on lap 22 with Vettel leading Button and Webber. Bourdais, who was in 8th place, made an error and spun round. On lap 29, Button left the track momentarily, Webber grabbed second place, but went on to make an error a couple of laps later. A heated sequence of overtaking then ensued between Button and Webber. Alonso spun on lap 36 and dropped down to 13th place. By lap 43, the two Red Bulls were in first and second with Vettel leading Webber. On lap 47, Hamilton left the track and lost 5th place to his team mate, Kovalainen. On lap 49, Hamilton lost control again, this time dropping to 7th place behind Sutil. However, on the following lap, Sutil’s Force India aquaplaned across the track into a wall of tyres. Vettel crossed the line first, in his second ever career win, and also his second ever pole position. Webber finished second, which sealed first and second for Red Bull for the first time ever. This was also their first victory and first pole position in 74 grand prix. Fernando Alonso had the fastest lap.

Bahrain Grand Prix

26th April 2009

In a first for Toyota, since their arrival in F1 in 2002, they took first and second on the grid in this fourth Grand Prix of the season, with Jarno Trulli in pole and Timo Glock in second.

Glock had the better start and took the lead at the first bend. Hamilton had a roaring start and although starting in 5th found himself behind Glock after only three corners. Trulli managed to overtake him againbefore the end of the first lap, and on the following lap, Button overtook him. Nakajima had a light scrap with the two BMWs forcing them to head to the pits to change their front wings. On the next lap Kimi Rakkonen and Felipe Massa’s cars touched slightly and the latter also had to pit. On lap 10, Glock, who was in first place, refuelled for the first time and reemerged in10th place. Alonso passed Trulli on lap 13. Meanwhile Button, who had been leading since Trulli’s pitstop, stoppedon lap 15 for more fuel, followed by Hamilton. Sebastien Vettel was now in the lead but refulled on lap 19, reemerging in 4th place. On lap 21, Raikkonen stopped and Button became the new leader, widening his lead with his newsoft tyres. Button, Trulli and Hamilton all made their second pitstop at the same time, which left Vettel in the lead until lap 40, when he made his second stop. Button took advantage of his competitor stops to move into the lead on lap 49, and he held on to this lead until the chequered flag fell. Vettel finished second and Trulli third. This marked Button’s fourth victory - his third of the season.

Spanish Grand Prix

Bercelona – 10th MAY 2009

It had been generally expected that the major teamswould be staging a comeback at the opening eventof the European season in Barcelona, but Brawn GPswept the board and scored its 4th victory out of 5 races this season. For the team it was a one-two onthe finishing line but for Button it was a victory and pole position whilst Barrichello secured the fastest lap time.

Massa had a great start as he took his place at the first bend behind the two Brawns (Barrichello and Button). He was followed by the two Red Bulls, whilst further back there was a crash involving Bourdais, Buemi, Trulli and Sutil. Rosberg came off the track but, as he got on again, Trulli had skidded across. Sutil was unable to avoid the Toyota whilst Buemi braked andwas hit by his team mate Bourdais; Nakajima could not avoid a collision damaging the front of his car and was obliged to pit to have it replaced. The Safety Car was deployed for 5 laps. At lap 7, Kovalainen, placed 11th , pittedand abandoned the race with a broken gearbox. In lap 18, it was Kimi Raikkonen’s turn to retire on account of accelerator problems. The first refuelling series started with Glock during lap 17. Button pulled in one lap later and Barichello in lap 19 as Massa took the lead which Barichello took back in the following lap.

As Rubens refuelled for the second time, a little before halfway through the race, Button was able to regain the race leadership. He never let go of that position until the very finish. Massa had to conserve fuel and dropped a place. Competition is hotting up especially with Scuderia Ferrari who appears to have reacted most promptly although Brawn GP and Toro Rosso remain ahead.

2008 Monaco Grand Prix Photographs

Ferrari Loses Court Injunction Against FIA

Ferrari have failed to win a court injunction in Paris against the FIA cost capping the sport. Ferrari may appeal against it and prolong the court case.

Either way the issue of cost capping isn't going to be resolved by the 29th of May which is the official deadline for entries into the 2010 world championship. That puts into genuine doubt what is going to happen between the FIA and teams, especially Ferrari over cost capping.

2009 Monaco Grand Prix FIA Press Conference Schedule

Wednesday, May 20 1500 hrs
Sébastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso)
Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
Adrian Sutil (Force India)
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

Thursday, May 21 1600 hrs
Norbert Haug (Mercedes)
Vijay Mallya (Force India)
Mario Theissen (BMW Sauber)
Frank Williams (Williams)

Saturday, May 23
Post Qualifying * Three fastest Drivers from Qualifying

Sunday, May 24
Post Race * First three finishing Drivers

2009 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

The sixth event of the Formula One calendar takes place at the Circuit de Monaco which is laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo around the harbour of the principality of Monaco and is probably the ultimate test of driver skill in Formula One.

Today’s street circuit features many elevation shifts, tight corners and is generally a narrow course. It is demanding, requires maximum downforce and features twists and turns that will test the concentration and consistency of both drivers and team members alike.

The inaugural Monaco Grand Prix was held in 1929. Since then the event has kept many of its traditions, including its unique timetable, where the race weekend starts on Wednesday, takes a break on Friday, and then resumes on Saturday.

CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2008

• The guardrail on the left after turn 18 has been extended.
• A number of higher and more robust debris fences have been installed.
• The road between Monte Carlo avenue and Madone avenue, between Portier’s bend and the ‘Bureau de tabac’ bend as well as the escape lane at the Mirabeau bend have been resurfaced.
• Parts of the tyre protection system have been replaced by the TECPRO system.

CIRCUIT DE MONACO – INTERESTING FACTS

• The construction of the circuit takes up to six weeks and a further three weeks are required to dismantle it.
• 1100 tons of grandstands, 33 km of safety rails, 20.000 m2 of wire netting and 5000 protection tyres are used.

Circuit data

Length of lap: 3.340km
Offset: 0.000km
Total number of race laps: 78
Total race distance: 206.520km
Speed limits in the pit lane: 60km/h during practice sessions; 100km/h during race

Classic Monaco Grand Prixs From The BBC

Monaco BBC Grand Prix Highlights 1996

Monaco BBC Grand Prix Highlights 1981

Short Highlights are also available of: 1961, 1981, 1982, 1992 and 1996

BBC 2009 Monaco Grand Prix Coverage

Thursday 21st (Correct, No Practice On Fridays)
First practice: 1000-1130 (0900-1030 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0900-1030, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Second practice: 1400-1530 (1300-1430 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1300-1430, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online

Saturday 23rd
Third practice: 1100-1200 (1000-1100 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1000-1100, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying: 1400 (1300 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1210-1515, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying replay: Times TBC

Sunday 24th
Race: 1400 (1300 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1210-1515, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live/online.
Interactive forum: 1515-1615, BBC Red Button/online:
Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three/Red Button/online
Race loop: Times TBC

Mosely On Friday Meeting

After the Friday meeting Max Mosely had this to say:

“We had an interesting meeting and exchange of views but nothing concrete has come out of it. I think there will be further developments. The teams have gone off to see if they can come up with something better than the cost cap and we will be happy to listen to what they have to say. But what we have said to them is that it's really not possible; if you are going to dramatically reduce the costs, to do anything better than a cost cut. We think that when they think about it when they consider it properly they will come back and agree."

From what I can tell this simply means they both listened to each other and then agreed to disagree… Where they go from here, who knows? It doesn’t sound too good. But I would imagine if the teams come up with a workable version of his idea which they are happy with Mosely will jump at the chance to take it on as he simply cannot afford to loose the big teams.

Ecclestone, FIA & FOTA To Meet

F1-live.com are reporting that the head of FIA max Mosley and Benie Ecclestone are to meet the FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) on Friday in London. This is the first time a meeting like this has been called at such short notice. Most noticeably Bernie Ecclestone is getting involved. The likes of which we haven’t seen since the driver’s strikes and other shenanigans which went on in the late 70s and early 80s. It is obvious that the FIA have perhaps realised that the teams actually mean what their saying. Also the fact Bernie Ecclestone almost laughed off the Ferrari quit threats yet now seems to be taking them slightly more seriously. We wait to see the outcome of the meeting. It will probably just be a preliminary conversation to see where everyone sits on the issue of cost capping. Hopefully it will be productive… We all want to see Formula One continue with the top teams.

Ferrari Not Bluffing

Ferrari have made it clear they are not being flippant about their quitting threat. They are adamant that they will if cost capping and a two tier formula 1 is introduced.

Ferrari along with Red Bull, Toyota and Renault all object to the cost capping proposal for 2010 by the FIA and they may form a breakaway formula.

Piero Ferrari said "Our first objection is to the budget cap, which we don't believe it's possible to control. The second is that it is wrong that a team accepting the budget cap has more freedom and different technical regulations. If we are on the starting line of a grand prix, we have to stay within the same regulations, the same technical specifications.

Ferrari stated: "It's like soccer. In Italy we have ¬Internazionale, who are winning, and they spend huge amounts of money for the best players. But in Serie A you also have a team like Catania, who have no money. So do you say to Catania, 'You can play with 12 players' and to Inter, 'You must play with nine'? It wouldn't be fair.

But this is what the new Formula 1 rules are like. They're not acceptable at all. ¬
Everybody on the grid has to start with the same rules, otherwise there's no ¬competition and it's somebody else ¬deciding who's going to win.”

The introduction of the cost capping is to lower expenses. However Mr Ferrari states: "This is not because we want to spend money. We want to save money. All the constructors are keen on reducing the F1 expenses.

But you can reduce the expenditure without having a budget cap. And it's not enforceable, anyway. It's difficult enough to enforce the technical rules, as was proved recently by the business of the diffuser. So how can you enforce or control a budget cap?

A better way is by controlling the expenses on the technical side. We are doing it on engines and it will be done next year on the gearbox. We can even introduce limits on material costs - carbon fibre, maybe.

I have good friends racing in Nascar in the United States. They control the costs - the number of ¬mechanics, for instance - and the teams are racing with the same rules for everybody. We could do something like that."

At least Piero Ferrari is attempting to bring ideas to the table and not just problems. However whatever formula they end up in or creating I know I will be following that. If I follow F1 as well… Well that depends who’s in it. Which is what the FIA has to realise. No major teams or drivers to follow means no sport to follow. Would you still follow football if your team wasn’t playing anymore?

Mosley To Meet FOTA?

There are unconfirmed reports that Max Mosley is to meet the FOTA in Paris next week. No doubt this is to try and ease the tension between the teams and FIA. If that is possible remains to be seen but no doubt further teams will come forward to say their willing to quit over the proposed cost capping rule changes in 2010.

This all smacks of a breakaway formula... Which has been threatened for a long time. It's about time the FIA realise that FOTA are serious and people will tune in to see Ferrari, Renault and BMW etc over a group of privateer racers... No matter even if the formula is called 1.

FOTA will end up controlling Formula 1 in conjunction with the FIA or there will be a separate formula... In the meantime if just Ferrari leave they will probably go into GT racing or maybe even an American formula... So I'll be booking my tickets for Le Mans if Ferrari are going to be there in an official capacity.

Renault To Quit Too In 2010?

The Renault Team have released the statement below. It seems that their as annoyed as Ferrari about the FIA proposal. However the underlying gripe seems to be the fact that the FIA have just decided to do the cost capping without consulting the teams properly first. Read the statement in full below:

- - -

The decision of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to introduce two
sets of Formula One technical regulations for the 2010 Formula One season has
caused the Renault Group to reconsider its entry in next year’s FIA Formula One
World Championship.

There is frustration that FOTA’s constructive proposals, including major cost saving
measures to be adopted progressively between 2009 and 2012, which were carefully
constructed by FOTA members, have been completely ignored without any form of
consultation by the FIA with the teams.

It should be stressed that FOTA has set the same, if not lower, financial objective as the FIA, but Renault strongly believes that this must be introduced through a different procedure agreed by all parties.

Renault also believes that it is paramount that the governance of the sport is
coordinated with a spirit of consultation with all parties (FIA, FOM, FOTA) in order to achieve a better balance between the costs and the revenues. Renault is also of the firm view that all entrants in the World Championship must adhere to and operate
under the same regulations.

President of the ING Renault F1 Team, Bernard Rey, commented: “Renault has
always considered Formula One as the pinnacle of motor sport and the perfect stage
to demonstrate technical excellence. We remain committed to the sport, however we
cannot be involved in a championship operating with different sets of rules, and if
such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out from next season.”

ING Renault F1 Team Managing Director, Flavio Briatore, commented: “Our aim is to
reduce costs while maintaining the high standards that make Formula One one of the
most prestigious brands on the market. We want to achieve this in a coordinated
manner with the regulatory and commercial bodies, and we refuse to accept
unilateral governance handed out by the FIA. If the decisions announced by the
World Council on the 29th of April 2009 are not revised, we have no choice but to
withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of 2009.”

Ferrari Statement

Ferrari have released the statement below after their meting. It makes for an interesting read and they seem pretty serious about it all. Have they just got too big for their boots or are Ferrari really that hacked off they will quit. Or are they just threatening to try and gain clout against the FIA regarding rule changes. Either way it isn't healthy for the sport or Ferrari. Here's the statement in full:

- - -

Maranello 12 May 2009 - Ferrari’s Board of Directors, chaired by Luca di Montezemolo, today analysed the first quarter results for 2009. Despite the current international economic climate, which has hit the automotive sector in particular, Ferrari’s figures were in line with the record levels reached in 2008. Turnover for the first three months was 441 million euro compared to 455.7 million euro over the same period in 2008. The first quarter closed with a trading profit of 54 million euro compared to last year’s 59 million euro.

These results reflect the introduction of new models, in particular the success of the Ferrari California and the Scuderia Spider 16M, the constant growth in activities linked to the brand (e-commerce, licensing, merchandising and retail) and the company’s continuing efforts to maximise efficiency.

The Board of Directors also examined developments related to recent decisions taken by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile during an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on 29 April 2009. Although this meeting was originally called only to examine a disciplinary matter, the decisions taken mean that, for the first time ever in Formula One, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.

The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula One in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari’s uninterrupted participation in the World Championship over the last 60 years - the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 - would come to a close.

The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams. The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula One over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations. The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA’s endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula One are the priorities for the future. If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula One World Championship.

Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia’s approach to motor sport and to Formula One in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values. The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company’s interests.

BBC Spanish Grand Prix Highlights

Highlights - Spanish Grand Prix (7mins)
Watch highlights as Jenson Button wins his fourth race of the season in Spain ahead of Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
Available to UK users only.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8042785.stm


Spanish Grand Prix in 90 seconds
Watch short highlights from Spain where Jenson Button wins his fourth race of the season ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
Available to UK users only.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8043081.stm


Spanish GP post-race news conference
Watch the post-race news conference from the Spanish Grand Prix as Jenson Button wins from team-mate Rubens Barrichello with Mark Webber third.
Available to UK users only.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8042842.stm


BBC iPlayer
The latest Formula 1 on BBC iPlayer.
Available to UK users only.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/categories/sport/formula_one/

Ferrari 'To Quit' in 2010 Over Budgets

Ferrari have said their quit at the end of this season if Formula One has a £40m budget cap from 2010.

"No F1 in 2010 if the rules do not change, Ferrari does not intend to register cars for the 2010 F1 world championship." read a statement.

Mosely said : "The sport could survive without Ferrari. It would be very sad. It is the Italian national team."

Bernie Ecclestone, told the Times: "Ferrari are not stupid. They don't want to leave Formula 1 and we don't want to lose them, so we'll get to grips with it."

Ferrari are worried there will be a two tier championship with those who have the budget caps and those who don't and can develop their cars with fewer restrictions.

Why they are so opposed to this however has not been clearly established. It is unlike the Ferrari team to make such bold statements and does not seem to be the political posturing we have seen of other teams.

Spanish Grand Prix In 90 Seconds

Watch short BBC highlights from Spain where Jenson Button wins his fourth race of the season ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull's Mark Webber. Available to UK users only.

Click Here

Rubens Threatens To Quit Over Driver Preference

Barrichello has made a threat to quit on SpeedTV after there are rumours Jenson Button got preference at the Grand Prix. Barrichello has suffered all that at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher and left because of it in 2005. So he really is not going to stand for it again. Brawn insists that Jenson just swapped strategy to make sure he got out in front of Rosberg, which Barrichello only just did.

Ruben’s had better be careful. As Brawn may call his bluff… I don’t think their too bothered about keeping the veteran. He’s going to go anyway in a year or two and Jenson is outperforming him completely. Also I’m sure they would love to get a young driver with lots of money in… Bruno Senna perhaps?

Spanish Grand Prix Results

1. BUTTON Brawn
2. BARRICHELLO Brawn +13.0s
3. WEBBER Red Bull +13.9s
4. VETTEL Red Bull +18.9s
5. ALONSO Renault +43.1s
6. MASSA Ferrari +50.8s
7. HEIDFELD BMW +52.3s
8. ROSBERG Williams +65.2s
9. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
10. GLOCK Toyota +1 lap
11. KUBICA BMW +1 lap
12. PIQUET Renault +1 lap
13. NAKAJIMA Williams +1 lap
14. FISICHELLA Force India +1 lap
R. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +49 laps
R. KOVALAINEN McLaren +59 laps
R. TRULLI Toyota +66 laps
R. BUEMI Toro Rosso +66 laps
R. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +66 laps
R. SUTIL Force India +66 laps


Fastest lap: BARRICHELLO 1m22.762s (lap 28)

Spanish Grand Prix Press Conference

Post-Race Press Conference organised by the FIA at the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix.

1. Jenson BUTTON (Brawn GP), 1h37m19.202s
2. Rubens BARRICHELLO (Brawn GP), 1h37m32.258s
3. Mark WEBBER (Red Bull), 1h37m33.126s

TV UNILATERALS

Q: Jenson, another brilliant day for you and your team. A switch for your team-mate to a three stop strategy relatively early in the race and then just a great day for you.
Jenson BUTTON: Well, it was the other way around. We were both going that direction but they switched me to a two stop just to cover all our bases. Three stop was the quicker strategy we thought and I wasn’t sure about going to a two stop. When we put the fuel on board it felt very, very heavy and I didn’t think I would come out in front of (Felipe) Massa and (Sebastian) Vettel but I did. From then on I could get my head down and concentrate on putting the laps in and being as consistent as possible. So to come away with a win, they all mean a lot obviously but coming back to Europe and winning in Barcelona, a circuit that I’ve always found a little bit tough, it’s a good feeling and gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

Q: Rubens, a great team performance as well. Tell us about the race from your point of view.
Rubens BARRICHELLO: The race evolved quite well. I had a great start, went to the lead. I was running a tiny bit quicker than Jenson to begin with and I had two more laps of fuel. It was running quite well and then I heard they changed Jenson’s strategy and I had to keep on pushing. My third set of tyres was not good. I don’t know if there was something broken on the car or anything. I could not keep my pace up as well as the last set, so I guess it wasn’t the tyre, it must be something to do with the car and from there on it was a struggle. I had a big struggle to keep the car on the track and a relief to come second and a big thank you to the whole group as it is still first and second back in Europe. Disappointed that I haven’t won the race as I thought I had it in the bag today but it is still a good effort from the whole team.

Q: Mark, a strong result for you and the team. Your team-mate Sebastian Vettel obviously spent most of the race behind Felipe Massa’s Ferrari. But a great ending to your second stint to make up that time.
Mark WEBBER: Yeah, exactly. It was a tough first stint in terms of we knew that it was in qualifying that it was going to be difficult to get track position on those guys, particularly Felipe round this place as you can’t do much on the circuit. We did our best to hang in there in the first stint as best as we could. I knew I was one lap shorter which is never ideal but that’s the way it was because of qualifying. The car went incredibly neutral in the high speed in the last few laps of the first stint, so we made a balance correction for the second stint and the second stint went very well for me. It was very long, we knew we had to go extremely long to try and jump and give us very good field position if you like with the people around us.

Click here to read the press conference in its entirety.

Click here to watch the press conference in its entirety.
(Available to UK users only)

Spanish Grand Prix Free Practice Session Two

1. ROSBERG Williams 1m21.588s
2. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m21.740s
3. ALONSO Renault 1m21.781s
4. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m21.843s
5. WEBBER Red Bull 1m22.027s
6. BUTTON Brawn 1m22.052s
7. VETTEL Red Bull 1m22.082s
8. PIQUET Renault 1m22.349s
9. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m22.571s
10. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m22.499s
11. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m22.615s
12. FISICHELLA Force India 1m22.670s
13. HAMILTON McLaren 1m22.809s
14. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m22.876s
15. MASSA Ferrari 1m22.878s
16. KUBICA BMW 1m22.948s
17. HEIDFELD BMW 1m23.173s
18. GLOCK Toyota 1m23.360s
19. TRULLI Toyota 1m23.623s
20. SUTIL Force India no time

Spanish Grand Prix Free Practice Session One

1. BUTTON Brawn 1m21.799s
2. TRULLI Toyota 1m22.154s
3. KUBICA BMW 1m22.221s
4. HEIDFELD BMW 1m22.658s
5. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m22.659s
6. ROSBERG Williams 1m22.667s
7. PIQUET Renault 1m22.753s
8. GLOCK Toyota 1m22.828s
9. MASSA Ferrari 1m22.855s
10. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m22.859s
11. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m22.873s
12. WEBBER Red Bull 1m22.934s
13. VETTEL Red Bull 1m22.959s
14. HAMILTON McLaren 1m23.077s
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m23.088s
16. FISICHELLA Force India 1m23.089s
17. ALONSO Renault 1m23.157s
18. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m23.185s
19. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m23.522s
20. SUTIL Force India 1m23.536s

Spanish Grand Prix Thursday Press Conference

Thursday Press Conference organised by the FIA at the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix.

DRIVERS: Fernando ALONSO (Renault),
Giancarlo FISICHELLA (Force India),
Lewis HAMILTON (McLaren Mercedes),
Nick HEIDFELD (BMW Sauber)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Nick, how do you turn around the massive disappointment in Bahrain?
Nick HEIDFELD: Well, I think the position obviously was quite poor for the team. We could have performed stronger from our pace but it still would have been difficult to get into the points. Unfortunately we both had to change our front nose as we made contact with some other cars in turn one but that happens a lot easier if you don’t start at the front. We knew that we would struggle more and more in certain races as we did not get any major updates as the team decided pretty early on that rather than bringing small updates we would provide a big package here in Barcelona. Here in the past it worked and I think this year the theory behind it was logical because everybody, including myself, was surprised by how close the teams were together this season. Everybody thought with the new regulations there would be massive differences but if you look at the last couple of races there are sometimes 10 cars within just a couple of tenths. Therefore it would have been the right choice to do small steps. We hope that we will make a bigger one here.

Q: You have brought new bits and pieces here. Do you think that is going to bring you right back into the top 10?
NH: Impossible to answer that. First of all we hope to see on the track what we have seen in simulation and the wind tunnel, then we can carry on with proper development. But as you all know the big question is what do all the other guys bring.

Q: And yet you are not using the double diffuser or the KERS here. What would that do?
NH: Well, we found out with KERS this season that it is not as big an advantage as probably people thought before the season. Some teams use it, some don‘t. Sometimes you put it in one race and take it out the other. Here probably it definitely would have been an advantage on the start because I think it is the longest straight until turn one, so it would have a big effect there. But in terms of overall lap time it is not that easy to simulate. We are still working on it and plan to have it back in the car in Istanbul as well as a double diffuser.

Q: Lewis, have you found KERS useful this year and can you envisage not using it?
Lewis HAMILTON: I think we would be a bit further behind if we did not have it. Mercedes Benz have done a fantastic job in preparing ours... Read the entire transcript here.

A Song For Felipe Massa "Felipe Baby"

Song about "Felipe Baby" - based on the radio transmission to him at Singapore. It is genuinely funny. Enjoy :)

BBC Spanish Grand Prix Coverage

Barcelona, 8-10 May 2009

Friday 8
First practice: 1000-1130 (0900-1030 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0900-1030, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Second practice: 1400-1530 (1300-1430 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1300-1430, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online

Saturday 9
Third practice: 1100-1200 (1000-1100 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1000-1100, Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying: 1400 (1300 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1210-1415, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live sports extra/online
Qualifying replay: 1800-1000 (Sunday), BBC Red Button (Not on Freeview)

Sunday 10
Race: 1400 (1300 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 1210-1500, BBC One/Red Button/5 Live/online.
Interactive forum: 1500-1600 ,BBC Red Button/online
Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three/Red Button/online
Race loop: 1600-0600 (Tuesday), BBC Red Button (Not on Freeview)

Schedule For Spanish Grand Prix Press Conferences

Schedule of Press Conferences organised by the FIA for the Spanish Grand Prix. All the press conferences will be availble here from the FIA.

Thursday, May 7 1500 hrs
Fernando Alonso (Renault)
Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India)
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes)
Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber)

Friday, May 8 1600 hrs
Ross Brawn (Brawn GP)
Aldo Costa (Ferrari)
Patrick Head (Williams)
Patrick Symonds (Renault)

Saturday, May 9 Post Qualifying * Three fastest Drivers from Qualifying

Sunday, May 10 Post Race * First three finishing Drivers

All Press Conferences will take place in the Press Conference Room of the Media Centre.

* The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews, which will be broadcasted in the Media Centre and the Press Conference Room.

Max Mosley's Son Found Dead

39 year old Alexander Mosley (Son of Max) has been discovered dead at his property in Notting Hill on Tuesday.

A Metropolitan Police (MET) have said the death is "non-suspicious" and that officers were in the process of informing the family.

The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) have issued this statement:

The FIA extends sincere condolences to the Mosley family on the sad news of the death of Alexander Mosley.

Our thoughts are with Alexander’s family and friends, and we would request that the media respect the Mosley family’s privacy at this difficult time.

Spanish Grand Prix Preview

The fifth event of the Formula One calendar, which is also the start of the European season, takes place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. The 4.655 kilometre track is located in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona and is a favourite for test drivers. The circuit’s location leaves it exposed to variable winds, making effective car settings crucial to any team hoping for victory.

The track has few slow corners and the sweeping bends are made all the more difficult by the challenging gradients as the circuit runs up and down the hillside overlooking the massive pit and paddock complex. It is one of the more challenging circuits on the calendar from a technical standpoint and it is certain to provide an exciting Grand Prix for spectators and competitors alike.


BARCELONA – CIRCUIT GRAPHICS



CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2008

• A large section of the gravel at turn 3 has been replaced by asphalt.
• New kerbs with better drainage behind them have been installed on the apex of turns 5, 11 and 15.
• The rear of the gravel trap at turn 9 has been raised by 1.5m to give it a gradual upward incline, the gravel itself has also been renewed.
• The kerb and the artificial grass behind it on the exit of turn 9 have been extended by 10 metres.
• An additional conveyor belt has been fitted after two rows of tyres in the five and six row sections straight on at turns 1, 9 and 10.


CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA – INTERESTING FACTS

• Improvements have been made to the circuit with regards to safety. A total of 440m of conveyor belts along with 1,150m of water collection channels were connected and a total of 360km of kerbs renewed. The total length of the new tyre barriers is 3980m which includes 19,000 tyres.

Circuit data

Length of lap: 4.655km
Offset: 0.126km
Total number of race laps: 66
Total race distance: 307.104km
Speed limits in the pit lane: 60km/h during practice sessions; 100km/h during race

15 Years Since Senna’s Death

Here is a tribute to Ayrton Senna I made several years ago.

Anyone in Formula One or who follows it will know that today 15 years ago Ayrton Senna was killed at Imola at the San Marino Grand Prix. He will forever be missed and remain in the hearts and minds of his fans and those privileged enough to of known him.

He was undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever in Formula One and in my opinion the greatest out and out driver. I had the privilege to see him race twice. Unfortunately both times in desperately uncompetitive cars. But it was apparent to even an 11 year old lad that however much I wanted my hero, Mansell to win I had to grudgingly respect Senna was an awesome driver. I use the word awesome in its true sense.

The BBC have an excellent article about him as well as the full Senna documentary they originally broadcast in 1995. Which is simply the best documentary about his life I’ve seen. It is available here.

If you’re new to Formula One then do a bit of research and look up Ayrton Senna. He was unique and one of the greatest…

Where words fail,
Memories will prevail.

- We miss you Ayrton