Australian GP this weekend

Finally, the new F1 season opens, with the first race of the year at Albert Park, Melbourne Australia. Up till now, we have had test sessions only for the teams, and it is very difficult to put much credence into the times. Very often teams will send the drivers out on a spoonful of petrol to set a quick time, whilst others ‘sandbag’ by having full tanks at all times.

We return to Jameson’s to watch the GP on the big screen, and we will have a choice between BBC and Sky Sports. Which one will give the better coverage, we do not know right now, but we will see after the weekend.

In the front running teams, expect Red Bull and McLaren to be there. Ferrari at this stage seem to be troubled, whilst Lotus (which used to be Renault) with Raikkonen at the wheel is looking good at this stage. Mercedes appear to be only a mid-fielder again, but it is too early to predict. We will know more after Qualifying at 1.00 p.m. Saturday.

The Grand Prix begins at 1.00 p.m. Thai time Sunday, so we’ll get there early for lunch and liquids and settle back to watch the action.

Jameson’s Irish Pub is on Soi AR, next to Nova Park. Turn right off Second Road at Soi 4 (Bangkok Bank) and follow the road up 200 meters and around to the right. Jameson’s is immediately on your left. You can’t miss it. See you there.

The Road Toll

I try to shy away from contentious subjects in this column, as it was designed to be a lighthearted look at things motoring, but sometimes a lighthearted look may not be appropriate. For the nation’s road toll, this is one of those times.

What prompted me on this line of thought was the fact I was almost run over by songthaews running the red light on the zebra crossing on Second Road. For those who have not been to Pattaya recently, you will find that Beach Road now has pedestrian traffic lights every 200 meters. However, unfortunately all these do is to instill a false sense of security for those on foot.

Now when we look at the road toll, what were prime factors?

1. 80 percent of those killed are between 15-60 years

2. 75 percent of the people killed are male

3. 80 percent were riding motorcycles

4. 85 percent had no crash helmet

5. More than 50 percent of those injured had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit of 0.05. (Figures for blood alcohol levels of those killed are notoriously under-reported to avoid police/insurance problems.)

So what has been done? Even back in 2001 the BBC reported that the Thai government was considering cutting short the country’s main holiday to reduce the number of traffic accidents and discourage Thais from going abroad. That is like saying they will ban all motorcycles from the road over holiday weekends. Impractical and would be rejected by the population.

In December 2010, the Thaksin University in Songkla, published a treatise in their website, saying 12,000 Thai people per year are killed, or 33 per day and doubling during the Songkran festival and New Year’s Day. The item went on to say that, “There are three major causes of road accidents in Thailand that are driver’s behaviors, mechanical failure, and road conditions.”

This idea that mechanical failures are a prime factor has also been seized upon by governments, with a government spokesman saying that about 50,000 vocational students would be sent to checkpoints and car maintenance spots across the country to provide vehicle inspection services over the New Year break.

It does not need a Mensa IQ score to see that diverting attention to vehicle maintenance is not going to change the road toll, but driver behavior and alcohol are related and have a direct effect on the total number of people killed.

However, the greatest numbers should be attacked as the first priority. 80 percent of fatalities come from motorcycles. If it were possible to prevent these, you would have lowered the death toll by 80 percent, but that is Utopian and not possible. But - if you could get the 85 percent who were not wearing helmets to wear a helmet of a decent standard then you would produce an immediate lowering of the annual toll.

This is not Utopian. The legislation regarding the wearing of helmets is already law - if this was policed properly, and it is not difficult to spot a motorcycle rider not wearing a helmet, then you would see a dramatic fall in the numbers.

Of course, I have stated it needs helmets “of a decent standard”. Again, this is not difficult. Apply US Snell or the British Standard to all new helmets sold in Thailand. Give the shops six months to clear the old stock and thereafter only helmets meeting the standards are allowed to be sold. This is also not difficult to police - a walk down the supermarket shelves will soon show whether the helmets have the certification.

The salient figures are already there, the legislation is already there. The members of the Think Tank committees can finish their morning coffee and go home.

But is Thailand ready?

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what has Rembrandt got to do with super-opulent motoring? The answer was that Ettore Bugatti’s brother was called Rembrandt, and he designed the elephant radiator mascot for the Bugatti Royale.

So to this week. What rare French car was associated with a hump? Lateral thinking needed here!

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected]

Jaguar’s UK, Indian, Chinese heritage

Just how global is the auto industry these days? Answer: it has become so global that your once ‘national’ marques now may be manufactured anywhere. Take the British makes Jaguar and Land Rover as an example, which are now both owned by India’s Tata Motors, which in turn is trying to secure a deal to manufacture in China.

The latest attempt to secure a Chinese partner (as required by Chinese legislation) sees Tata hooking up with Chery (maker of the bargain basement Chery QQ) to initially produce Land Rover SUV’s and then the luxury Jaguar sedan range in China, to compete against Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi for the nouveau riche Chinese public. Audi, for example sold over 300,000 units in China last year.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II released

Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

Thailand finally gets its first dedicated R-R dealership, but lags behind China which has 16 authorized dealerships for the prestige brand. The manufacturer also used the Geneva Auto show to reveal the new Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

BMW, the parent manufacturer, is touting the fact that the new Phantom II has reduced its fuel consumption by 10 percent and the emissions from the chrome-plated tail pipe have been reduced from 388 grams/kilometer to “only” 347. And if you could afford an R-R would you really care? I doubt it, however, in today’s age one is supposed to be very responsible and espouse such ‘greenery’.

The new Phantom II with sedan, coupe and convertible variants comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, full LED headlights, new bumpers and re-styled lights.

“These cars are timeless in their appeal, but technology moves rapidly and we cannot afford to stand still,” says Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Technology they may have by the gigabyteful, but they are still enormous barges in the flesh.

Interestingly, there are more than 60 R-R’s registered in Thailand (though most of these have come in via the grey market), so the new dealership should manage to remain busy by offering factory supported servicing.

And they are so affordable - you can get an R-R Ghost in your driveway for only 20 million baht.

Ducati receives prestigious German awards in three categories

Ducati Panigale.

Readers of the prestigious German magazine, Motorrad, one of the highest selling magazines in Europe, have awarded Ducati “Best Motorcycle of 2012” in three different categories.

Over 39,000 readers voted in Motorrad’s 14th edition of “Motorcycle of the Year”, an increase of 11,000 over 2011 and further indication of the international interest generated by Ducati, the famous motorcycle brand, based in the Borgo Panigale region of Bologna, Italy.

Ducati was the most successful manufacturer at the award ceremony, winning three of the eight main categories, with the brand new and revolutionary Ducati 1199 Panigale stealing the coveted prize for “Best Sport Motorcycle” with 41.2 percent of the vote, 20 percent more than runner-up, BMW for its S1000RR.

The voting of Motorrad’s readers not only revealed Ducati to be the “Best Sport Motorcycle Manufacturer 2012” with 77 percent of the vote just ahead of Aprilia and MV Agusta, but also recognised Ducati as “best in style and design” under the title of “Good Look 2012”. These recognitions combined to establish Ducati as “Preferred Manufacturer 2012”, with 52 percent of the voting ahead of BMW and Triumph.

“We feel very proud to receive this series of impressive awards and recognitions and our thanks go to Motorrad and the readers who voted for these awards,” said Gabriele Del Torchio, President of Ducati Motor Holding. “This is an important result for our company and reward for everyone who has worked so hard on the quality and innovation of our motorcycles. It is a result also confirmed by our growth in Germany, a demanding market in which high quality is essential for success and confirmation of our great work in these recent years.”

That growth in Germany can also be seen here in Pattaya, with the new Ducati showroom on Third Road. The two wheel brigade will be able to spend many an enjoyable moment looking over the new models on offer.

The Datto returns!

Ducati Panigale.

Nissan dropped the name “Datsun” over 30 years ago, but there are still the odd Datsun Bluebird plying the back streets of Bangkok, where they were the ubiquitous taxi in the 1970’s.

Now Nissan are talking about reviving the nameplate to use on a cheaper range of vehicles in India, followed by Indonesia and Russia. These cars will be offered in a form that will suit the lower cost bracket in the different countries, and sources within Nissan are talking outputs of 300,000 vehicles annually, at a price of less than 200,000 THB. I doubt if it will come with air-conditioning for that money.