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What did we learn from
the Japan Grand Prix?
We learned that motor racing is dangerous. At no time can
you relax, even when driving to the grid before the race starts. Lucas di
Grassi graced himself by comprehensively destroying a perfectly good (but
perfectly slow) Virgin race car. Do not expect to see di Grassi in a Virgin
(or in anything) next year.
Of the remaining 23 drivers who faced the starter, even
old age pensioners like Felipe Massa (Ferrari) need to be reminded that you
do not win the race on the first corner - you only lose the race on the
first corner. This is also a lesson that Petrov (Renault) has not managed to
take on board.
However, Vitaly Petrov will have sealed his fate with his
start-line crash in Japan. He has cost Renault more in repairs to wrecked
cars than he brought to the team in Russian petro-rubles and the odd Lada
taxi. Not only is Renault unhappy with his performance, but the FIA was not
impressed either, handing him a five grid spot demotion for Korea. Do not
expect to see either Vitaly or his Mum in 2011.
Vettel (Red Bull) drove a well judged race and is now on
equal second place in the driver’s championship (WDC), and if he keeps up
that momentum can pull off the WDC, despite his early crashes. Team mate
Webber needs another win to secure the championship, but right now it looks
as if he will be bridesmaid, unless Vettel gets another attack of the red
mist.
Kamikaze Kobayashi (Sauber) was the driver of the day
attacking anyone who got in his way. If we had a field of 24 drivers who
could drive like Kobayashi, what a race that would be. Sorry, 23 drivers, as
di Grassi is having problems getting to his grid spot.
McLaren going through a bad patch again? “I’ve lost third
gear!” shouts Hamilton to his pit. “We’re looking at it,” was the less than
helpful reply. Did they have it in their hands, I wonder?
Team mate Button is getting desperate, with tyre
strategies that might just come off if the moon aligns with Mars. Jenson
will be unscrewing his Number 1 number plate and handing it in by the end of
the year.
Kubica (Renault) and Rosberg (Mercedes) managed to put a
new slant on the over-used phrase “driving the wheels off”, both managing to
shed rear wheels. The Renault chief race engineer stated that “We suspect
some sort of mechanical failure.” Wow! I worked out that same diagnosis
watching the TV. I wonder if there’s a well paid job going at Renault for
me?
Great racing from Rosberg and Schumacher, with Schumi
doing it easy. Has he found his speed again? Korea will tell us.
Tonio Liuzzi from Team Poppadum had an interesting
opinion on the first corner accident with Massa. “I saw Felipe coming up on
the inside - I don’t know if he had broken something on the car but he
seemed to come into my side like a bullet. I don’t think he was in control
of the car at the time.” Probably broken his brain’s ‘on’ switch.
Alonso, Ferrari’s number one, drove a balanced race and
is still an outside chance in the WDC.
Way down at the tail of the field, the Hispania Racing
Team was shaking hands with itself in the fact that they had two cars
running at the end. Bruno Senna stating in the post race press release, “I
can’t leave Japan without saying thank you to all the spectators who have
been supporting us during the weekend.” Just what did he mean by that? Did
they have a tip box outside the motor home or something?
More cheapies coming
With Nissan going well with sales of their Nissan March,
this fact has not been missed by the other manufacturers. Toyota have a
cheapie they plan to sell in India, called the Etios (where do they get
these names from, I wonder) which just might find its way into the Thai
domestic market.
Toyota
Etios
This appeared to be confirmed when Yukitoshi Funo, an
executive vice-president of Toyota Motor Corp in Japan, said this week that
a low-cost car would be sold in Thailand and similar models would be offered
in emerging markets including China, India and Brazil.
Now if this new small car is the Etios destined for India
this December, it is very similar in length to the Nissan March and the
engine size at 1.2 liters should all get this car into the Thai eco-car
fold. “It’s too early, as more discussions will be held to conclude which
type of low-cost car will be built or sold here,” said a spokesman for
Toyota Motor Thailand.
One of the supposed worries is that the Etios may not
have the specification level expected in Thailand and despite price, and
would not fire up the low end marketplace.
Industry watchers claim that Toyota have a car in design
stage for Thailand and other SE Asian markets, but this would not be ready
for release until 2012 or 2013. This might be giving Nissan and others too
great of a head start, and with the eco-car regulations stating that by year
five of the model life, the manufacturer has to be producing 100,000 cars a
year, a late start does not help Toyota in achieving this.
Formula BMW Pacific into the future
This year, BMW signaled the end of their involvement as
Formula BMW, the stepping stone category for young drivers with an eye
towards F1. Despite BMW stepping back, there has been, apparently, interest
in the series continuing in some format or other. Following the
announcement, made during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 9th July,
that the Formula BMW Pacific (formerly Asia) Series will be continuing in an
independent form in 2011, Motorsport Asia, under David Sonenscher, the
organizer and promoter of the series since its inception in 2003, has been
hard at work putting plans in place for next season.
Formula
Who?
Motorsport Asia has received huge interest for the
recently announced 2011 Formula Pacific Series. To date 34 applications have
been received from various teams who have confirmed their intention to
participate in the 2011 season.
“There is absolutely huge interest from both the existing
teams as well as new teams who want to join. This reconfirms our belief that
this series provides a vital role in the Asian Motorsport scene. In
addition, we are in advanced discussions with several major sponsors who
recognize the amazing opportunity that this championship provides and I hope
to be able to make an announcement on that very soon,” said David Sonenscher,
CEO, Motorsport Asia.
A confirmed calendar will be released within the next two
weeks, but it is certain that it will consist of a minimum of six events and
will include a minimum of three F1 Grand Prix circuits. The remaining events
are to be held as part of the Asian Festival Of Speed (AFOS), which has
rounds confirmed in Malaysia and Korea already for 2011. Motorsport Asia is
also holding an option to continue the championship’s involvement at the
Macau Grand Prix, meaning that the prospective calendar will be made up of
between 15 and 20 races in total.
Sonenscher commented, “Of course everyone is waiting for
the calendar to be released, but we still need a little more time to
finalize some of the detailed negotiations. One of the objectives is to
continue our involvement at the F1 events and I have already held positive
discussions in this regard.
“Whatever the outcome of those discussions are, let there
be no doubt that we will continue this championship and it will be at a very
high level. Motorsport Asia has been running the premier Asian Single-seater
Series year in and year out since 1996 and we do not intend to stop now.
Some people tend to forget that we brought Formula BMW to Asia. As far as we
are concerned, nothing much has changed and we have all of the necessary
agreements in place to carry on.
“Personally, I see this as a major opportunity and I
think all the other stakeholders feel the same way. That is why they have
all committed to 34 cars. Personally, I can’t wait to get going,” said
Sonenscher.
Lies, damned lies and statistics
An insurance group in Scotland claims to be investigating
driver skills in various age groups and have come up with the conclusion
that drivers in their 20’s and 50’s are found to be the safest.
Elderly
driver
As part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of
driving habits, seven motorists aged between 19 and 76 agreed to re-sit
their driving tests to find out if they would pass the second time around -
with some surprising results.
Only two of the seven participants in the first round of
the experiment passed their test.
Anna Dunlop (23) and Alan Hamilton (50) flew the flag for
their age groups, with those in their teens, 30s, 40s, 60s and 70s all
failing to impress the driving examiner. The oldest participant, 76 year old
Robert Wright, failed after driving through a red light.
Now, do you know what this “proves”? Absolutely nothing!
This Scottish group burst into print after testing seven drivers, and then
tried to tell us that on the basis of one driver in her 20’s and another in
his 50’s, this level of skill will be demonstrated by all drivers in those
two age groups. Total codswallop. If they had tested 1000 drivers in each
age group, then (and only then) you might begin to see a trend emerging.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what was the only wicker bodied car to
go into production in 1924? An easy one! And it was not the 1897 Hugot or
the 1928 Chevrolet. It was the Hanomag company in Germany, which prior to
1924 had been building railway locomotives. The Hanomag had a 500 cc single
cylinder engine in the rear and they sold 16,000 of the metal bodied ones,
but only a few hundred of the wicker ones.
So to this week. What car was released at the Earls Court
Motor Show in 1956 and weighed 61 kg? It was then, the world’s smallest car,
and may even be so today.
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first
correct answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
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