Formula 1 - Back on track

The new Formula 1 season begins next week Down Under.The hard work and long hours that the teams and their mechanics have been putting in during the winter testing for the new car will be up for all to see in an extremely competitive display.

The weapons for higher speeds are being hoarded, teams are pushing for new technology and fine tuning the aerodynamics. Some cars will be the light of the field, while some may find all their hard work go up in smoke or exhaust plumes, if you may.

This season is a potential blockbuster for a surfeit of immediately visible facts. There are 5 former world champions challenging the current champion Sebestian Vettel for the title which is an unprecedented situation. There is much enthusiasm about Kimi Räikkönen’s return to the sport magnified by the impressive showing of his Lotus-Renault team in testing.

Apart from that the teams are closer bunched together than ever before. The mid–level cars can potentially take a step forward and challenge for podium on their good days. Pirelli must be complimented for making the tyres and making strategy important again and they are expected to keep up the good work this year.

Counting from 2007, we have had 3 seasons out of 5 decided in the last laps of the final race – in favour of Kimi Räikkönen in 2007, Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and Sebastian Vettel in 2010. That 2012 would be such a season that would be on my wish list. More drivers winning races, more drivers getting up the podiums, middle level teams and rookies fighting tooth and nail for the share of spoils. If the whole grid is closer together, it makes for substantial overtaking on track .With that, mix in some tyre and fuel strategy and lap after lap of adrenaline pumping action is guaranteed. This year, the cars with their platypus nosed design might not be the most aesthetically designed machines. The reason being the change of rule for the height of the front nose and several teams insistence on continuing with their 2011 chassis. McLaren’s design doesn’t feature the platypus nose and it looks better than others. Whether it is a faster and better car than the rest of the pack would be fascinating to see.

And so for the upcoming season, the wishlist includes :

• Closer qualifying, even closer split second racing.
• Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul di Resta and Brunno Senna score podium finishes.
• Felipe Massa winning a race. Can we please have the fighting spirit of the Felipe of 2007-08 back?
• Michael Schumacher, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen being regular challengers for the podium.
• All top 8 drivers win atleast a race each. That is both drivers from RedBull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. If not, then 8-9 distinct winners of Grand Prixs through out the course of a evenly contested season.
• Wet races in Monaco, Spa, Singapore, Japan and Brazil. Rain separates the men from the boys. Ask Jenson Button , who won the epic Canadian Grand Prix in torrential Montreal rain in June last year.
• The RedBull is not the best car and the most innovative design feature lies in some other car; maybe Torro Rosso or Lotus Renault.
• The championship is decided in the last race in Brazil in a 3 way shootout .

Formula one 2012 Race Schedule

Australian Grand Prix / March 18, Melbourne – Albert Park

Malaysian Grand Prix / March 25, Kuala Lumpur - Sepang

Chinese Grand Prix / April 15, Shanghai – Shanghai International Circuit

Bahrain Grand Prix / April 22, Sakhir – Bahrain International Circuit

Spanish Grand Prix / May 13, Barcelona – Circuit de Cataluña

Monaco Grand Prix / May 27, Monaco - Circuit de Monaco

Canadian Grand Prix / June 10, Montreal- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

European Grand Prix / June 24, Valencia – Valencia Street Circuit

British Grand Prix / July 8, Silverstone – Silverstone Circuit

German Grand Prix / July 22, Hockenheim- Hockenheimring

Hungarian Grand Prix / July 29, Budapest- Hungaroring

Belgian Grand Prix / Sep 2, Spa – Spa Francorchamps

Italian Grand Prix / Sep 9, Monza – Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Singapore Grand Prix / Sep 23, Singapore – Marina Bay Street Circuit

Japanese Grand Prix / Oct 7, Suzuka, Suzuka Circuit

Korean Grand Prix / Oct 14, Yeongam, Korean International Circuit

Indian Grand Prix / Oct 28, Greater Noida, Buddh International Circuit

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix / Nov 4, Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit

United States Grand Prix / Nov 18, Austin, Circuit of the Americas

Brazilian Grand Prix / Nov 25, São Paolo, Interlagos

Danny MacAskill - Way Back Home Edinburgh to Skye

The short film- Way Back Home tracks a journey street trials artist Danny MacAskill from Edinburgh to Skye with beautiful locales of Scotland as he travels to his hometown of Dunvegan in the Isle of Skye.

It has him performing stunts in Scottish villages,bakery streets,phone booths,wartime bunkers,Edinburgh castle,old arc bridges and hydoelectric power stations.At 1:46 mark in the video,he continues cycling where its clearly written ‘cyclists dismount’- confident and defiant.

Each move succesively better than the previous one .It falls into Nadia Comăneci’s perfect 10 category in grace and control,but the video is edited product ,however I doubt if Danny MacAskill ever missed a trick ..incredible,almost orgasmic control .

By his own admisssion, MacAskill has said that he didn’t believe that he could make a living out of his cycling stunts.His earlier video brought him recognition and help him get an ad of Volkswagen .This is the follow up video and has an incredible viral quality .Such is it beauty that you will surely watch it multuiple times.I have watched 4 times already.At this point ,since 8 days of its release on the net,it has got 2.25 million hits.

But then I shoudn’t be surprised he has skill in his name ;)

Produced by RedBull,and shot by his flatmate and friend Dave Sowerby, it has used two songs,Wax and Wire by Loch Lomond and A Little Piece by The Jezebels.The video,the location,the stunts,the music,it all just ...works.Its too good for words to form a summation .Watch it and you will know why !!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw

New F1 Champion

With his fifth victory from the 10 poles this season Sebastian Vettel became the youngest to win the Formula One Championship. He won in Malaysia, Valencia, Japan, Brazil and today in Abu Dhabi.An astonishing end to one of the most dramatic seasons in the sport's 60 years as the leaderboard changed with even a single twitch or turn .We have had 5 different championship leaders this season and four of them could have won the championship today at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. We had the steady defending champion in Jenson Button,pugnacious Lewis Hamilton,an inspired Fernando Alonso ,bullish Mark Webber and prodigious Vettel fighting it all year across 19 races.

Sebastian Vettel led the championship for the first time this season, and for the only time that mattered - after the last race.Vettel was clearly in tears on his slow-down lap as he attempted to speak over the in-car radio, with team principal Christian Horner proclaiming: "Sebastian Vettel you are the world champion!"

Its heartbreaking for his teamate Aussie Mark Webber for being so near,yet so far .Ferrari and Alonso will be frustrated after their superb late season charge failed to materialise in claiming either championship.It has been a very close season with Vettel winning by just 4 points from Alonso.Lastly about the ciruit itself..what do you call a race that starts at twilight and ends in bright lights? Twinight race or dusklight race? Whatever,that Yas Island is something special.

The next season starts in 120 days in the desert of Bahrain,with 5 previous world champions on grid.Sounds deliciously promising.