It's on Sun 24th August, at 2.00pm (local Valencia time) which equates to 10.00pm AEST.

No telecast times available as yet.

It's a street circuit, so I guess that qualifying and grid position will be critical.

Strange how Spain now get two GP's (for a while at least) while other countries miss out.?  (maybe they have more palm grease for Bernie)

I've never been to Spain, bur Valencia seems to be a nice place and they seem to be getting excited about the race.

Street race?? WHEEEEEeeeee!!

I drove down to Wiseman's Ferry over the weekend, and the road to the place was nice and windy.

I had a thought that they should introduce a variety of tracks, not just those that Tilke makes. Ie in different areas, different scenery etc. Almost the way they have in racing games

Yeah, and I'd love to see them bring back a race like the Mille Miglia, although I suppose it would be considered too dangerous these days.

Never heard of it. What was it like?

The 'Millie Miglia' (it means 'thousand mile') race was held in Italy between 1927 and 1957 and was for open sports touring cars.

The race went from Brescia to Rome and back.

There was a movie made about the race and the people involved, it was called "The Racers", and was made in the late 50's.  I have it here on tape somewhere, as long as it hasn't deteriorated too much.

oooooh... cooool!

Stirling Moss (who I consider to be one of the greatest drivers never to win a world championship) won it in 1955 in a Mercedes Benz, with Denis Jenkinson as co driver.

Obviously (being an Italian race) Ferrari and Alfa Romeo figured prominently among the winning manufacturers.

Those were the days....

I watch clips of those races, and I wish I was born earlier. Things are so.... sterile I think is the word I'm looking for.... now

Yeah, I first became interested in motor racing in the 50's, when names like Fangio, Moss, Hawthorne, Farina, Ascari, and Brabham, were the big names of the sport.

However without TV and no live radio coverage, it could be days before you heard the results, and weeks before you saw a pic in a magazine, or a clip on a newsreel at the movies.

Yeah.... that would be the downside

In those days you had Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Maserati, competing against other, now all three are owned by Fiat..

Ah! that would be why the other two aren't in F1!

yep, thats why Alfa and Maserati went out of F1.

Yeah.... that would be the downside 

We didn't know anything else, so it didn't really bother us. 

hahaha true....

1. 1950 Winner...Nino Farina................Alfa Romeo.
2. 1951     '"     ...Juan Manuel Fangio.....  "      "
3. 1952     ""    ...Alberto Ascari............Ferrari
4. 1953     ""    ...Alberto Ascari............Ferrari
5. 1954     ""    ...Juan Manuel Fangio....Maserati&Mercedes
6. 1955     ""    ...   "        "          "    ....Mercedes
7. 1956     ""    ...   "        "          "    ....Lancia/Ferrari
8. 1957     ""    ...   "        "          "    ....Maserati
9. 1958     ""    ...   Mike Hawthorn     ...Ferrari
10. 1959     ""    ...   Jack Brabham     ....Cooper Climax
11. 1960     ""    ...      "        "            ....     "          "

So that was my intro to F1. 1950 was the first year of F1 as we know it.

Ferrari and Mercedes are the only manufacturers left who were there at the beginning.

I started watching almost 50 years after you!

Yeah, that makes me an old fart..

hehehehe

Old man!!

My mate used to buy "Modern Motor" magazine and I used to buy "Sports Car World" and we would then swap them with other. Too poor/mean to buy them both. 

Thank goodness for the web - no need to buy magazines anymore!

(I've always seen them as a waste of money, although I used to buy them occasionally when I was younger)

Yeah I don't buy them any more, but in those days it was the only way to stay informed. No TV in Qld till 1956, and then only rich people had it.

They used to have a television set playing in the shop windows with an outside speaker, so you could hear the sound. People used to bring chairs down and sit on the footpath at night to watch it.  I was lucky though my girlfriend's (later my wife) parents bought a TV (her father was very sick) so I was able to go around there and watch it. 

Yeh, watching the TV was such an event.

Was the same early in my life, and later in our village in India. Good times!

Yeah, memories...*sigh*

Bridgestone see Ferrari and McLaren handling traits and tyre wear as the difference between the two teams.

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development, also claims that when the Ferrari is handling perfectly, then Massa is the better driver, but that when things are not perfect and the driver has to overcome some technical deficiencies, then Kimi is the better driver.

I'm not sure I fully agree with Hamashima's reasoning, but there is definitely something that appears to hamper Kimi's driving at times.

It's interesting isn't it? Given that Ferarri were the ones initially with Bridgestone. I guess no one can say they had an advantage!

I still don't understand why Ferrari have gotten it so wrong though

Whilst Ferrari were originally on Bridgstone, it was a different tyre to the Bridgestone of today, as there were completely new tyre spec's ussued when Bridgestone became the sole tyre providers, therefore Ferrari didn't really have any advantage at all.

I don';t understand what's happening at Ferrari at the moment either.

But in saying that, don't forget that they were only a couple of laps away from winning at Budapest and that was just bad luck. Also don't forget that Hamilton was crap there too.

Ohhh.... I thought there was some sort of continuity there. Oops.

Yeh, true that. Lewis wasn't able to catch and clear Massa. Still....

Meanwhile, one week has passed. I can't believe there are 2 more to go!

*pulling hair out*

Meanwhile, one week has passed. I can't believe there are 2 more to go!

Here are a few snippets of info about Kimi's car probs at Budapest.......

Stephano Domenicali said "No, no, no. [Kimi's problem was] completely different [from Massa's engine problem]. We saw there was something on the mechanical side on the rear that was not properly working."

Does this mean that the problem is not engine related? I remember watching Speed TV's coverage and they noticed that Kimi's car tended to lean to the side more while cornering which could be a sign of something wrong with his suspension.

Any ideas?

"In the specialist Italian media, meanwhile, it is said Kimi Raikkonen was lucky to finish Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix in third position, as he was protecting a failing component in the rear suspension."

So it would appear that Kimi had trouble with their new suspension.

I hope they get it right for Valencia..  

And of Massa's engine failure...........

On Tuesday Austrian technicians visited Maranello to discuss the failure of the engine. Coming out of the factory, the piston rod of the V8 may have cracked due to the counterweight which is to damp down vibrations of the driveshaft of the engine. 

It appears that the piston rods (I presume they mean connecting or con rods) are manufactured in Austria.   What I don't understand is how the "counterweight" (Which is normally part of the driveshaft/crankshaft) could cause a con rod to crack and put a hole in the crank case??  Unless of course part of the crankshaft was broken, but it this were the case then why call in the Austrians, who manufacture the con rods.??

It's bloody difficult doing diagnostic work on an engine, when you are on the other side of the world..   

I'm just trying to keep the F1 ball rolling..

Only two more weeks now.. 

But the good news is..................

M. Schumacher to test Ferrari again at Monza
Wednesday 6 August at 12:09 : Former seven time world champion and occasional Ferrari test driver Michael Schumacher will be back in action for the Italian marque at the group Monza test later this month, reports in Germany on Tuesday said.

Let's hope that Schumi has some positive input, for a system that is looking increasingly incapable of putting a reliable, fast, and stable car on the track.

It's bloody difficult doing diagnostic work on an engine, when you are on the other side of the world..

LOL!

Yeh, hopefully Schumi does some good.... though how he can affect reliability is beyond me.

Those issues (and the responses) are far from promising

One-eyed codswallop and yet more excuses...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just a reminder

It's on Sun 24th August, at 2.00pm (local Valencia time) which equates to 10.00pm AEST.

TV telecast times are ....Sun....Ch 10 HD 9.00pm (F1 Pre race) and the race itself at 9.50pm................ Ch10 fta..11.20pm..

Looks like 10 HD will be showing it live....

YAAAAAY!!!

We made it thru the 3 weeks!

(it's about bloody time )

ooooo Andro - Loving the new avatar!

It's my new race weekend avatar, glad you like it..

Here's a few pics from Valencia.........

Valencia.......

The Bridge..........

Just put it over there.......

Alphonzo being arrested........

All the drivers.........

More later if time permits..

Kimi looking good as ever

This just arrived from my favourite Shell Technology Manager, Lisa Lilley..

It’s Lisa Lilley here (Shell Technology Manager for Ferrari). We’ve arrived here in beautiful Valencia, Spain, for the European Grand Prix. Unlike the Hungaroring three weeks ago, where Formula One has been held since 1986, the new street circuit at Valencia welcomes the teams for the first time.
I can’t wait to see the cars race down the long bridge over the canal. I’m told that they are expected to top 200 mph here before reaching the tight hairpins and chicanes and will also exceed 140 mph on the start-finish straight.

After this weekend, we will travel to Spa in Belgium and you’ll get another quick note from us then!

Speak soon,

Lisa

I can't wait either Lisa....

A ha! Brand new track!

Should be good for a few 'incidents'

From the pics I've seen, it looks like a difficult place to pass and maybe lots of crashes.

Look at the cranes they've ordered especially for Hamilton and Alphonzo..

hhahahaha terrible!

Woo hoo!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7576360.stm

Good one Deezee, I hope Kimi can win this one, he's certainly due for some better luck.

I also thought Webbies description of the Valencia circuit was very interesting and novel.

You wanna ride in one of my boat's??

More Valencia......

Alonzo's drive for 2009......... (a preview)

Not much room for error..........

Starting Grid:

01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:38.989
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:39.199
03 R. Kubica BMW 1:39.392
04 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:39.488
05 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:39.937
06 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:40.142
07 J. Trulli Toyota 1:40.309
08 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:40.631
09 N. Rosberg Williams 1:40.721
10 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:40.750
11 K. Nakajima Williams 1:38.428
12 F. Alonso Renault 1:38.435
13 T. Glock Toyota 1:38.499
14 M. Webber Red Bull 1:38.515
15 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:38.744
16 J. Button Honda 1:38.880
17 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:39.235
18 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:39.268
19 R. Barrichello Honda 1:39.811
20 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:39.943  

Yes Ferrari take poll, once again!

I watched quali last night and thought the Ferrari's were impressive and Hamiltons driving was reckless..

I didn't realise it was a street race too! Totally looking forwards to the race now.

I tried to watch quali, but fell asleep even before the end of Q1 I think.

A very interesting, and slightly topsy turvy grid!

Woohoo, another Ferrari win!

Pity about Kimi's poor performance, and blowing his engine up..

Another poor performance by the Ferrari tacticians, in getting Filipe out just in front of (a lighter) Kimi Raikkonen, after Massa's pit stop..    Also the refueling debacle at Kimi's pit stop, where one of the Ferrari guys was injured????  What the bloody hell is going on in the Ferrari pits these days???

Massa was also let go (prematurely) in the pit lane and almost collided with Adrian Sutil, which could have seen Massa penalised and cost us the race.  (In the end Massa escaped with a €10000 fine)

I just love to see those over-rated ferrari engines take it in turns to shit themselves every race...all that smoke and oil...they are an environmental menace...

*SIGH*

That's all I gotta say

just love to see those over-rated ferrari engines shit themselves every race.

Don't make me laugh...... Did you not observe that Ferrari won the race..

LOL!