Hungarian GP this weekend

Hungaroring grid.

As a racing venue, Hungary has a long history, with its first GP run in 1906, and regular events in Budapest since 1926. Built with state backing, and laid out in a natural amphitheatre, the Hungaroring opened in 1986 and attracted an estimated 200,000 spectators. Though the event was well organized, and the hosts very appreciative, it was felt that the 4 km Hungaroring had been laid out more in the style of a twisty street circuit rather than a bespoke road track. There were few opportunities for overtaking, though things were eased from 1989 when a tight corner was by-passed and the lap distance became slightly less than 4 km. However, it remains a circuit that is not high on any of the drivers’ lists, unless you are after a piece of quick action behind the pits, as the Hungarian government actually erected (nice word in the sex scene) some mobile brothels a couple of years ago (sponsored by Viagra?). I think they are still in use today!

After the German GP, will we get the same sort of racing? Find out this weekend. I will be watching from my favorite roost at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR (next to Nova Park) and the racing begins at 7 p.m. We get there early and have something to eat and wet the whistle before the racing begins, while watching the dedicated F1 channel which has no adverts during the race, and is so much better than the others. Why don’t you join me at around 6 p.m. for a natter and some food (the Sunday Special is great value) and amber liquids and then sit down for the Grand Prix in front of the big screen.

Espresso on the move

Fiat 500L

One of the more ridiculous optional extras in the automotive world is Fiat’s latest tick the box for an espresso machine, which comes with matching cups, and has been made for Fiat by the Italian coffee company Lavazza - known as “Italy’s favorite coffee” and uses the company’s “A Modo Mio” coffee pods.

The car which can be optioned up for ‘espresso on the move’ is the about to be released Fiat 500L. This L(onger and Larger) version also sports four doors, similar to the MINI Countryman, which is not “mini” any longer.

However, at the presentation of the car in Turin this month, Fiat announced that the 500L will be “the first standard-production car in the world to offer a true espresso coffee machine.” Talk about a useless option! Perhaps MINI might like to come out with a cheese grater in the Countryman, equally as useful on the move.

Fiat says the machine “is perfectly integrated in the car with a deck designed expressly by Fiat.” But if you think this is some very Latin idea, the Fiat 500L is being built in Serbia. Would the coffee maker be a distraction, or is it a safety feature to keep the driver awake and on the ball?

Lavazza Fiat

Accidental meetings

Did the Mail get through?

One of my American friends, Jerry Coffey, sent over a whole bunch of photos of car accidents in the early days of motoring in the US. These were taken by Leslie Jones, who was the staff photographer at the Boston-Herald Traveler newspaper from 1917 to 1956.

Mr Jones captured everything that happened in the city for five decades and when he died in 1967, his family donated a vast collection of 34,000 prints to the Boston Public Library.

He certainly had a nose for wrecks, some of which seemed totally destroyed, due in many instances to the construction methods of the day with wood framed bodies on steel ladder chassis. Car design and primary safety have come along a lot since the 1920’s.

What did we learn from the German GP?

Well, we learned that even in Germany, a German World Champion can be beaten by the stewards at the German Grand Prix. The “passing maneuver” on Button (McLaren) in second place carried out by Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) could only be done by using the run-off area, because Button had the apex (and was ahead of Vettel at that point - watch TV re-runs if you don’t believe me). If Vettel had immediately handed back second place to Button, no further action would have been necessary. However, he did not, was obviously in the wrong, and not only lost his unfairly gained podium position but had a 20 second penalty applied as well, relegating him to fifth. As they say in Thailand ‘som nam na!’

What can you say about Alonso (Ferrari) and his win, other than faultless? He is looking true championship material and will become the new world champion if he keeps up this standard of driving (and calculating). What can you say about his team mate Felipe Massa? It really is time Felipe fell on his sword. His driving just is not good enough, in a car that wins races in his team mate’s hands. But to be down the back of the grid with the wobblers is not where Ferrari expects of him. Ferrari may put up with this till the end of the year, but you can forget about 2013, Felipe.

We also learned that McLaren’s updates do work, and it was a rejuvenated Jenson Button who (eventually) was given his second place back. Lewis Hamilton also showed the speed in the new McLaren package, and after his unfortunate puncture on the second lap drove well to unlap himself getting fairly past Vettel (who was still whining about it after the race) and Alonso (who was quite happy to see Hamilton between himself and Vettel). However, Alonso is older than Vettel, who still does revert to thumb-sucking at times.

Raikkonen (“Lotus”) was elevated to third after Vettel’s demotion, and drove a solid, if uninspiring, race. The TV directors thought so too, as we rarely got to see him. His team mate never got out of the back markers and reverted to hitting people again. Ah well, he’s still young too.

Krasher Ken Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) belied his nickname and drove an excellent race to eventually finish fourth and five seconds in front of team mate Perez.

After Perez came Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) who despite his 3rd place after Qualifying, could not maintain position and slipped backwards during the race eventually 7th. An old driver getting tired? Actually I think not. On lap 57 he set the fastest lap of the race. Schumacher knows how to pace himself, and finished well in front of his younger team mate Rosberg. I think the sad part is that Brawn’s Mercedes is just not quick enough.

In eighth came the second Red Bull of Mark Webber, who drove like an old tart all day, but is a big enough man to admit it. “I had no pace today and wasn’t quick. I couldn’t stay with people that I normally can. This is a completely different track (to Silverstone where he won), but we have to be quick in all conditions and today we weren’t for whatever reason.” Despite this bad weekend, I expect him to feature strongly in Hungary this weekend.

As for the rest, just make-weights, I am afraid. Even the TV cameras couldn’t be bothered with the likes of Marussia, HRT and Caterham and Williams were nowhere, though Maldonado avoided crashing into people.

Our Colorado wins five-star safety rating

In Australia, our Chevrolet Colorado is rebadged and sold as the Holden Colorado, but don’t get confused, it is ours!

News from Down-Under is that the all-new Colorado crew-cab pick-up has become the latest pick-up to score the maximum five star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

The result is a crucial one for this newest model as an increasing number of major fleet customers - the latest being mining giant BHP Billiton - make a five-star rating a pre-requisite for their fleet. It joins other five-star pick-ups including once again, our Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50.

Unlike the Ranger and BT-50, side/thorax airbags are not offered, as the Colorado’s high-strength steel structure and side impact protection beams proved sufficient for ANCAP to give the highest five star rating.

Holden executive director of sales, marketing and after sales John Elsworth said, “Colorado has earned a well-deserved reputation as a hard-working, solid, safe and reliable light commercial vehicle and this announcement will further enhance that status. We’ve been thrilled with the response to Colorado; it’s generated genuine excitement across our dealer network and in the marketplace, and this announcement cements what a great addition the all-new Colorado is to the Holden portfolio.”

Our local GM factory and all its workforce, have added another positive reputation to the Thai built vehicles. Well done, all of you!

B-Quik and some amazing race tyres

Dedicated race tyres are a necessity on racing cars, even in the Nitto 3K Retro Series that we run in. With my Scottish heritage to the fore, we were running on some that were a couple of seasons old, but were now down to the canvas and could not be used any longer!

We had arranged through the good people at B-Quik for some new slick racing tyres, but I was unsure of what we should get. B-Quik MD Henk Kiks, another retro racer himself, told me that Hankook tyres would be good, but I didn’t know just how good (or bad) they might be, never having had any experience with the Hankook brand!

Lap times mean everything in motor racing, as your time in Qualifying determines the starting position for each race. Bolting on the Hankook slicks we went out for Qualifying and returned a time eight seconds a lap faster than we had ever recorded before with our usual tyres. Eight seconds! In motor racing eight seconds is eternity. Eight seconds is around 200 meters at most tracks, so we had left the mid-field cars we used to race against before and were now battling with the bigger cars like the 3 litre racing BMWs. We were ecstatic!

We are so happy with the Hankooks, I have even got a set of their road tyres for the family Fortuner. Thank you B-Quik.

Autotrivia quiz

Last week I wrote that in May 1986 there was a historic motoring event in the USA. I asked what was it? It was in March 1896, Charles and Frank Duryea offered for sale the first commercial automobile, the Duryea motor wagon. Two months later, New York City motorist Henry Wells hit a cyclist with his new Duryea. The rider suffered a broken leg. Wells spent a night in jail and the nation’s first traffic accident was recorded.

(Post script - I goofed! In last week’s quiz I inadvertently transposed the number in 1896 to make 1986. That certainly had the Googler’s confused! Sorry again, and I will write out 100 times “I must be more careful with my dates!”)

So to this week. Which car in 1996 was the first to wear the manufacturer’s nameplate, instead of one of its brands? Clue: think left hand side of the Atlantic ocean. Remember I want the car, not the manufacturer.

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