Category: Opinion Pages

Opinion pages for fans of Formula One to voice their F1 opinions.

My Singapore Grand Prix Experience

One of our contributors took a trip this year to the Singapore Grand Prix in September and wrote about his experience. We realise this is a bit late but he’s had quite a busy schedule since he’s been back.

Please note that the views expressed in this piece do not reflect the views of F1 Madness and are the personal views of our contributor.

So it all started way back in April when I was looking for a Grand Prix to attend. Admittedly, Singapore was not my first choice but it was on my list behind Monza and Spa. In the end it was more of a financial decision to attend the Singapore Grand Prix.

Flight tickets, Grand Prix tickets and hotel all confirmed for my first Grand Prix. Now came the wait. It was agonising. The excitement was building as each day grew closer and finally, it was time.

The flight was scheduled to land on Friday which meant I missed out on the Thursday pit lane walk. My flight landed in the morning. I still had the whole day to wait to get to the track. I could not contain my excitement. Although I could not sleep on the flight, my excitement and the anticipation carried me through.

Walking into the track area I could hear the Porsche Cup cars in their practice session. All I wanted to hear was the sound of the F1 cars as they screamed passed me. I made my way to the Bay Grand Stand and took my place and took it all in.

Free Practice – I watched on the big screen as the cars made their way on to the track and I waited for them to come around. I could hear the cars brake for turn 16, then a short burst for Turn 17 and then straight across from where I was seated. It was so quick, but it’s something you don’t forget.

You hear the engine roar passed you and you realise that its much louder than on the television. I soaked it all up. In a very short time you’re able to listen for the slight variations in engine tone.

It’s truly amazing to experience it.

During practice on Friday I took a walk along the track and stood between Turn 14 and Turn 16 to get closer to the cars. I picked a spot in the braking zone for T16 and enjoyed the view and the sound. When you’re that close you hear the different ways the drivers gear down before approaching corners. For instance, Hamilton does gears down before he gets to the turn while Ricciardo on a few occasions geared down as he turned in. If you watch really closely you can see the tiny differences as each driver takes a corner.

Saturday came and I was at the track early waiting for Free Practice 3. It was much of the same from the Friday Practice sessions but there is a sense of urgency from the teams and drivers. Mercedes were struggling to find their pace while Ferrari had a good rhythm going. Then came qualifying.

While watching live you do miss some of the action. The big screens and track commentary do help to an extent though.

Race day was something different.

Walking to the track you can sense the excitement in the air. As I was walking to the grand stand I was greeted by a rather enthusiastic fellow Tifosi member who high-fived me as I walked passed him. We both shouted “Vettel!” at the same time. It was rather interesting for the three Red Bull supporters walking behind me fully clad in their Red Bull kit.

I’ve always got some nervousness at the start of a race, even when I’m at home. This was just that much more. It was a good feeling though. After the start we followed the cars on the big screen until they filed passed us. By then Vettel already had a substantial lead. I could not believe how quickly he had done it. After that it was fairly routine apart from the time when Button and Maldonado had a carbon fibre fighting match in front of us.

The crowd were on their feet and a collective “oooooohhhh” could be head when parts of Button’s wing went flying. The fun part was watching the marshals that were cleaning the pieces of carbon fibre off the track. It all looks very clumsy and disorganised. It was fun to watch though.

The race itself wasn’t the most exciting race around except for the small safety car periods. Vettel took the win and it was over as quickly as it started. I was expecting more of a party atmosphere but there wasn’t much. Most of the crowd just stood up and left.

I made my way down to walk on the track. We were finally allowed on the track at Turn 18/19 and the first thought that came to mind was, “wow this is narrower than I was expecting.” It was extraordinary. And to think the drivers go through there at speeds that boggle the mind. And then I wondered how on earth Max Verstappen got his car to fit down the inside of T18. That kid has zero fear.

There is one thing that I think would improve things and maybe get fans closer to the action while still doing it in a safe way. Everywhere I went I saw people struggling to get a perfect shot of the action. Now I realise that we cannot all be photographers, but for a small extra fee, organisers could sell amateur photographer tickets that give you access to certain spots on the circuit to capture great moments.

For my first time attending a Grand Prix, it is something I’m never going to forget. It’s just a shame that I took so long. I should’ve done it much sooner. But better late than never. Every fan should attend at least one race in their lifetime. Will I attend another race? Yes. Definitely! Will I go to the Singapore Grand Prix again? Well, maybe.

Don’t get me wrong. The entertainment was fantastic. The atmosphere, the spectacle of it all was great. But it’s just not one of the classic F1 races. Although the Singapore Grand Prix has been with us since 2008, there’s no history attached to the venue, there’s no soul. The passion from the fans is lacking. Maybe it was just where I was sitting?

Next on the list for me is Silverstone or Monza (if the manage to hang on to it long enough).

It’s tougher than it looks to follow the cars track side

October 6, 2015
Roman de Beer strong in the midfield at the Hockenheimring

Article by Reynard Gelderblom

South African single seater sensation Roman de Beer competed in the fourth round of the 2014 GP3 Series at the Hockenheimring in Germany over the weekend of 18-20 July, 2014. The fourth round took place as a support category to the 2014 Santander German Formula 1 Grand Prix and consisted of two races – the first on Saturday afternoon and the second on Sunday morning.

Nineteen-year old Roman De Beer, driving for Trident, impressed during practice by setting the ninth fastest time – beating both his team mates Mitchell Gilbert and Victor Carbone in the process. In qualifying De Beer built on his earlier pace by qualifying twelfth – 0.691 seconds off the pace of pole sitter Marvin Kirchhofer (ART Grand Prix). Gilbert qualified sixth and Carbone twenty-sixth.

The races saw De Beer having to make the best of the available grip and his fast-degrading Pirelli tyres. In the sprint race both De Beer and Gilbert lost out as a result of this with De Beer finishing twenty-first and Gilbert fourteenth, with Carbone finishing twenty-third. De Beer finished the race 41.959 seconds behind the winner Kirchhofer.

The feature race saw De Beer cross the line in seventeenth position – 29.522 seconds behind race-winner Jann Mardenborough (Arden International). On route to finishing the 18-lap race, De Beer also held off Santiago Urrutia (Koiranen GP) and also finished the race as the highest placed Trident entry with Carbone finishing twentieth and Gilbert retiring after 12 laps.

After the fourth round, Roman De Beer is ranked fourteenth in the championship with 8 points behind his name – his highest finish this season being a fourth place at the Red Bull ring in Austria during the sprint race.

The fifth round of the GP3 series will take place at Hungaroring in Budapest on the weekend of 25-27 July, 2014 – in support of the Pirelli Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The GP3 Series was initiated as a feeder category for the GP2 Series, although former competitors such as Jean-Eric Vergne, Valtteri Bottas and Daniil Kvyat have made a transition straight to F1 from GP3 in recent years.

Photo credits: GP3 Series

July 25, 2014
RIP Sir Jack Brabham

The 19th of May 2014 will forever be remembered in the Formula One world as the day we lost the legendary Sir Jack Brabham who died at his Gold Coast home at the age of 88 with his wife Margaret by his side.

The triple world champion lost a lengthy battle with liver disease and died peacefully at home according to his son David Brabham. “It’s a very sad day for all of us. My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning,” he said in a statement. “He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of and he will continue to live on through the astounding legacy he leaves behind.”

Brabham won two consecutive drivers’ championships in 1959 and 1960 with the Cooper Racing Team and again in 1966 in his own Brabham car. He remains the only man in Formula 1 history to win a championship in a car he built himself, a feat which is very unlikely to ever be repeated. He was also the first driver to be knighted for services to motorsport.

He was also the first Australian to secure a Formula One title. Such was his determination and passion that he famously pushed his car uphill to the finish line after running out of fuel on the final lap of the 1959 US Grand Prix to secure the title. “My car ran out of petrol about half a mile from the end. I couldn’t do anything but just coast to a stop,” he recounted years later. “I eventually stopped about 100 yards from the finishing line, and I started pushing. If anybody assisted me, I’d be disqualified. It was a big thrill to me to find out after I was exhausted on the ground, I found out that I’d actually won the championship. It was a fantastic thing.”

His final race win was claimed on SA soil at the 1970 South African GP before he retired from Formula One that year. He had 14 Grand Prix wins.

Jack Brabham was also acclaimed as a brilliant engineer. He worked as a a Royal Australian Air Force flight mechanic and ran a small engineering workshop before he started racing midget cars in 1948. Some of the technological innovations brought about by the Brabham team helped to shape the sport we have today. In partnership with Ron Tauranac, over 500 Brabham race cars were built from the Brabham team’s British Surrey base in the 1960s alone, while the Brabham name continued in F1 for well over 30 years.

Tributes have poured in from every corner of the F1 community. Sir Sterling Moss, a fierce rival of Brabham’s during their tenure in F1 said of the legendary Sir Jack, “My career would have been far less if it had not been for him because every race we would fight against each other. He was a terrific driver, a really hard guy to race against. He was a man I enjoyed being with as well as driving with and against.”

Fellow Australian former Formula One driver, Mark Webber said that Brabham was a trailblazer. “He took the hardest road and made it easier for the rest of us to follow,” he said in a statement. “When I thinkof Jack, I think of a tenacious individual; an absolute grafter; he did it his own way and made it stick.”

Daniel Ricciardo, also a fellow Australian said that Sir Jack Brabham was, “a great Australian who inspired many Aussies to pursue our dreams.”

2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, said on Twitter, “RIP Sir Jack Brabham. What an amazing driver and man.”

McLaren team boss and a former Brabham employee, Ron Dennis added that calling Brabham a legend was entirely justified, “The word ‘legend’ is often used to describe successful sportsmen,” he said, “but often it exaggerates their status. In the case of Sir Jack Brabham, however, it’s entirely justified.”

Go well Sir Jack Brabham. And thank you for your massive contribution to Formula One. Rest in Peace.

Sir Jack Brabham (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014).

May 19, 2014
What is wrong with F1 at the Moment?

The short answer is not much. Apart from the hideous looking noses on the 2014 cars. I can’t really see much wrong with the sport at the moment.

Some would say the changes to the sporting regulations, are a welcome change. Others think it’s the spawn of the devil himself. Personally, I feel that these changes can only benefit the sport in the long run. The change to smaller, lighter engines for example, is a natural progression from preceding years. Especially considering the fact that car manufacturers are becoming every more environmentally aware and are on this whole ‘reduce carbon emissions because it’s bad for the climate’ thing. A lot of pressure was being placed on Formula One to make the sport more environmentally friendly. But it was inevitable.

If you ask any of my friends or colleagues here at F1 Madness, they’l tell you that I hated the idea of 1.6l V6 engines. No one liked the idea. There was nothing wrong with the previous roaring V8 engines (which were already limited to 18 000rpm). But that is old technology. Yet KERS was there from 2010? Yes it was, and it was a small a technological jump, a platform for the engines we have for this season.

This season we have a lot more electrically assisted power in F1. It’s called ERS. The engine is smaller, but it has a turbo. But wait, that means that F1 is turning into a hybrid racing formula. In fact, that is exactly what it is now. Formula Hybrid. But is that such a bad thing?

Again. No. If you look at some of the top hyper cars that we’re getting from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche, you’ll see that their flagship hyper cars are all hybrids. The LaFerrari from Ferrari, the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918, all hybrids. All those cars have similar DNA to the F1 cars we are seeing now. Battery power to supplement the power from the engine, brake energy recovery etc. All from Formule One. And that is what F1 is meant to do. It’s meant to bring the technology used on the track to the cars that we drive.

Upon hearing the cars in testing I was admittedly a bit surprised. I was expecting the sound to be much louder. But I quite liked the sound. It was very raw and hoarse and there was the turbo whistle on gearing down. I knew this would be different in the race when the full field of 22 cars are going around at full chat.

On race day, I’ll admit I was slightly disappointed at the sound of all the cars on the starting grid. For the first time we could hear tyre lock ups. I don’t think that has happened before.

Good old uncle Bernie himself doesn’t like the sound of the new cars and the Australian Grand Prix organisers reportedly threatened to sue due to the fact that it was less of a spectacle than previous years. I don’t blame them. One of the big marketing draw cards of F1 is the sound of the cars.

The thing is though that everything is still very new. It will take a while to get used to the sound of the new cars as well as the new regulations. Remember how weird it was back in 2009 when the cars suddenly had very narrow rear wings? We got used to it. The same with the new noses. It will just take time. It’s only been the first race of the season. I don’t think we need to make snap judgements and decisions. There are going to be some purists out there that love the sound of the old V12’s or even the V10’s. I’ll be the first to admit that if they went back to the V10’s I’ll be the happiest guy in the world.

But let’s give this new era a chance, before we all jump on the band wagon and slam it. The first race of the season was after all, spectacular, to say the very least!

February 12, 2014
F1 and the Big Boo Theories

The world of F1 always dishes up a good deal of speed, fun, scandal and every now and then, a bit of booing. Reynard Gelderblom sent us his thoughts on the last week in F1.

Even though the 2013 Italian Grand Prix in itself wasn’t the most exciting F1 race of the season, the entire week at Monza proved to be one of the most interesting. Usually at this point in time I’d have expressed my point of view on one big issue relating to Formula 1, this time I’ll touch on a few.

First off, you can’t call yourself a F1 fan if just the mere thought of the Italian GP doesn’t bring a shivering sense of anticipation to you. One of the most historic circuits in the country known for Ferrari and the beyond-fanatical support for the manufacturer. Regardless of where your allegiance lies, everyone loves the tifosi – the loyal fraternity of the Prancing Horse.

During the podium celebrations at the Italian GP I would admit that I lost some respect for some of them. Regardless of the fact that the budget for one F1 season is probably greater than that of some developing countries per annum, it’s still and always will be a sport. There is no place for “booing” in sport.

My message to those tifosi: Your man Fernando Alonso was never in contention for the victory during the race. It wasn’t a close fight to the flag – it was Sebastian Vettel showing dominance. Stand up and salute the victor or sit down and shut up if you can’t be real sportsmen.

I live in Cape Town and that sort of behaviour is the exact reason why Western Province rugby and cricket fans are considered the most unsportsmanlike supporters this side of hemisphere. By the way the first place goes to the fans of Galatasaray Football Club.

And, did anyone notice how visibly disgusted Mark Webber looked with his team mate’s win? Yes, we all know that he’s still sour about the Malaysian GP when Vettel passed him despite team orders, but go ask anyone in the nearby fashion capital Milan, and they’ll tell you: “There’s never a reason to walk around looking like last month’s jug of milk in the back of the fridge”.

Let’s dish out a good award here as well though…

The set of brake pads for the fastest driver of the week goes to…. Felipe Massa. If he ever enters a head-to-head fastest tweet competition, his opponent should be playing off a handicap. Massa was just a tad eager to announce his departure from Ferrari after 2013 on the social network platform, Twitter.

Eeeaasy there son, save that speed for the Sunday race – and I don’t mean on the way to the race. The Brazilian of course also made the news for a speeding ticket he collected on route to Monza on Sunday morning.

Given the amount of booing Vettel received for beating Alonso in the race, I wouldn’t have wanted to be the traffic cop involved when he went back to the office saying “Hey guys, I just booked a Ferrari F1 driver, in a Ferrari, on the Sunday of the Italian GP for speeding on the way to Monza”.

Be sure that I will be watching Twitter to see if any of the reporters I’m following are tweeting something about a traffic cop facing treason charges.

And still at Ferrari: Out with the old… in with the… eh old. Kimi Raikkonen has finally been confirmed as Fernando Alonso’s team mate for 2014.

I’m certainly looking forward to this and I’m sure now that the Iceman has picked his spot, the rest of the F1 paddock can now continue their game of F1 musical chairs to decide who drives what. Something I would like to mention though: Remember Senna and Prost at Mclaren in 1989, Alonso and Hamilton at McLaren in 2008?

Alonso is no one’s No.2 and Raikkonen is certainly not going to be anyone’s either – and there can only be one No.1. Alonso doesn’t play well with others and Raikkonen plays at his best on his own. While I’m sure that Vettel is picking a hairstyle to celebrate his fourth World championship already, I’m looking forward to the hair flying at Ferrari in 2014.

And a final note: This article goes out to the person who asked me recently “How can you sit and watch anything as boring as F1?” No name calling here… Too many people called each other idiots at Monza.

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

Photo Credits:

Tifosi from the podium – Fernando Alonso (Twitter)

Alonso selfie – Fernando Alonso (Twitter)

Kimi Raikkonen – F1 Madness screengrab

September 15, 2013
Gentlemen, let your F1 silly season begin

With F1 Silly Season in full swing, Motorsport Editor for Streetmotion, Reynard Gelderblom, wrote in to give us his views on who will be filling which remaining seats in the Formula One paddock. Here are his F1 Silly Season thoughts.

We’ve only just past the halfway point and the proverbial F1 silly season of the 2013 F1 championship is in full swing. Several seats are already filled, but some big questions still remain.

In many ways Kimi Raikkonen’s signature holds the key to various open seats. Then there’s the second McLaren seat too. Let’s clear up who’s in, who’s out and caught in between.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel is staying with the team and despite rumours linking various names, I was expecting an announcement before the Italian Grand Prix that Daniel Ricciardo will be partnering him. That announcement is now in. But it would’ve been nice to see Raikkonen or Fernando Alonso alongside him. There’s nothing as spectacular as a top team with two of the best drivers on level terms – remember McLaren with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the end of the eighties?

Still, to ensure that the young driver programme remains a success, it is fitting that Mark Webber’s successor comes from the lower ranks. Ricciardo has done enough to secure his opportunity and it is a well earned promotion for him. Unlike Jean-Eric Vergne, the Australian just looked like being the one who stuck his hand up when it mattered … And this did get noticed.

Ferrari

The dream of two top drivers in a front running team can still be realised when the Italian team announce who will be partnering Alonso in 2014. Raikkonen would love to return to Ferrari. The Finn has one goal in mind: Winning. Sadly, despite strong form early in 2013, Lotus has not quite delivered the car to put him in this position.

The question is however: Will Alonso want Raikkonen alongside him? With the Spanish Santander money following Alonso, even a financially strong team like Ferrari must make decision based on money. We all know Fernando doesn’t play well with others on a level playing field, just ask Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jnr.

Also, don’t expect Raikkonen to be the nice guy that Felipe Massa was during the 2012 American GP. My views for Ferrari: It’s time for Massa to go and I’d love to see Raikkonen back in a Ferrari. I’m however expecting Nico Hulkenberg to drive the second Ferrari in 2014.

Mercedes

I’ve been guilty of calling Mercedes “just another Toyota”, and calling Hamilton a fool for joining them and Nico Rosberg “just another driver as good as his car”. The truth is I was wrong on all three counts. What we’ve seen so far in 2013 is a team and driver pairing that can well bring back the glory days for the Silver Arrows.

Despite the rule changes and new engines, they’re the only team with a confirmed unchanged line-up for 2014. Everything just seems to build towards something big for Mercedes and consistency may well be the key aspect in the changing world of 2014. Watch out Vettel, that Red Bull cloud may have a very silver lining next season.

Lotus

A lot rides on where Raikkonen will go. Ferrari is an option, McLaren not. If Lotus can provide a fast car and pay him, Lotus may just be the best option for him. And if Lotus wants to be smart, they should also keep their line-up intact. Raikkonen’s record with the team speaks for itself and Romain Grosjean has developed into a more mature driver as well. What if Raikkonen does go to Ferrari though? What about Giedo van der Garde, Adrian Sutil or even GP2 championship leader Stefano Coletti? Of the front running teams, Lotus may be the team who’ll surprise all of us when they announce their driver line-up.

Force India

Paul di Resta will be staying with the team. The big question is who should partner him? Despite being replaced in 2012, Sutil has become somewhat part of the Force India furniture. The German is good, make no mistake about it but if he’s not going to progress up the ladder, is he good enough to deserve yet another season? Jules Bianchi tested for the team at the start of the season and has somehow looked better than in his Marussia. Perhaps it’s time to bring some young blood into the team. Also, given his experience as Mercedes test driver and current GP2 form, don’t discount Sam Bird either.

McLaren

The 2009 World champion Jenson Button does not have a contract yet and don’t be surprised if this will be the last season we’ll see the Brit in F1 either. This has been a somewhat hopeless year for McLaren. Sergio Perez is still contracted and one can only hope that his erratic streak comes to an end. Perhaps we’ll see Button for another season, but I doubt it. I’ve heard a lot of names flying around though: Sutil, Bird and Gary Paffett just being a few of them. Never discount McLaren for fielding young blood. Mika Hakkinen, Raikkonen and Hamilton are just three drivers whose careers took off since joining them. On that note, also don’t be surprised to see the name Valtteri Bottas being mentioned here as well.

Torro Rosso

Ricciardo leaves to join Red Bull and I don’t see Jean-Eric Vergne being given a third season, especially not with him not being in contention for any future Red Bull plans. But which of the Red Bull young drivers do you field? Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat and Antonio Felix da Costa all look promising, but you have to remember that all of them only have GP3 knowledge. Torro Rosso might wait till very late to announce their line-up for 2014. With Renault being announced as their engine supplier, we could we see this also influencing their line-up.

Sauber F1

Sauber needs money. Hulkenberg needs a competitive car and Esteban Gutierrez needs to deliver on his pre-season potential. Sauber also still needs an engine for 2014. There are rumours that Massa could be ending his career with them, but without Ferrari engines I somehow don’t see this materialising. There’s speculation of Russian money coming in, and with that maybe a Russian driver. This could mean that we can see Vitaly Petrov making a comeback to F1. Still, I just get the feeling that Sauber will somehow be happy to have two cars competing for the lower points on the gird in 2014, having at least one competitive driver will be a huge bonus.

Williams

I just want to page through the history files here for a bit: Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve – all names that won championships with them during the last 30 years. Senna lost his life while driving for the then dream team. They’ve brought us drivers like David Coulthard, Button and Montoya and once had Ralf Schumacher being in contention for the title.

Where exactly did things go wrong for them that they’ve become the home of pay drivers such as Pastor Maldonado? I can’t stress this point enough; it’s time for Maldonado to go. 2014 will see them switching to Mercedes engines and with that I’m hoping to see either Sutil or Bird coming in. If Bottas can’t secure a top drive, I’d like to see him retain his seat too.

Marussia

Just ask Timo Glock how loud money can speak at the back of the grid. Max Chilton hasn’t quite lived up to any expectation in 2013 and unless he comes with a hefty cheque, I’d be surprised to see him back. I’d also be surprised to see Bianchi not moving up. This could open doors for Luiz Razia who tested with them at the start of the season, or test driver Rodolfo Gonzalez. For all we know Maldonado might even have a lifeline here. They’re another team with a good young driver programme in both GP2 and GP3, but I foresee money speaking louder than talent here.

Caterham

The same goes for Caterham. Charles Pic is already confirmed and Van der Garde has done enough to move up. Test driver Alexander Rossi is fast, but I doubt if this will be enough.

Money may speak louder than talent at the back, but no one can speak louder than Raikkonen at the front end. Watch this space on Street Motion and F1 Madness as we’ll bring you more F1 silly season updates during the rest of the season.

What changes and surprises do you think the F1 Silly Season will still bring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

Photo Credits:

Kimi Raikkonen – F1 Madness Screengrab

Alonso and Massa – Ferrari F1 Twitter team

Sutil – Force India Twitter team

Maldonado – Williams F1 Twitter Team

September 3, 2013
Humbled by F1 headlines – by @Reynardg

I hate to lose and I hate it even more if I lose and people can put me in my place about it.

To top it all off – I’m actually the one who started this. With this being my usual post-race F1 column, everything expressed here is my own opinion. This however started on my personal Facebook profile on Thursday night where after three weeks of no F1, I was very much looking forward to the race and a win for Sebastian Vettel.

It was probably a good thing that I didn’t bet any money on the race, however it would’ve been a safe bet if I predicted which of my colleagues and friends would be the first to remind me of how over-optimistic I was. However, while sitting and licking my wounds, I did indeed start thinking of how interesting this current F1 season still can become.

Here are the facts: Red Bull has looked fairly indestructible in recent times. Between them and Lotus they made the tyre issues look like a little niggle.

Remember however, at Silverstone the Gearbox on Vettel’s car packed up and at Budapest it was KERS.

Meanwhile Pirelli brought along some new tyres and teams now had their fair share of legal and illegal tyre tests.

Now let’s add the drivers here. No one really knows what goes on in the mind of Iceman Kimi Raikkonen although I’ll bet his mind is set on winning races rather than crying over a salary.

Ever since he announced his retirement Mark Webber has been looking like a new man and one on a mission to leave a legacy. Looking past his penalty, Romain Grosjean has started living up to the potential we always knew he had. Nico Rosberg secured two wins in the first part of the season and has really become a driver that just looks more like believing that he can win a title. Then there’s Lewis Hamilton, newly single and just looking all that more motivated.

Vettel is still in the lead of the championship, but the road to winning four consecutive titles is not an easy one and it’s not a sure bet. At the end of the race we all heard him saying “Sorry guys, I did all I could” and in all honesty… he did.

Hungary 2013 was a GP in which all the key contenders did all they could. There’s still a lot that can happen this year and the championship may well again carry on until the last lap at Interlagos.

Hungary taught Vettel to be humble, it taught me not to pre-write headlines, but more so – I hope it taught all the those who constantly write off F1 as a boring sport that there’s nothing like a foregone conclusion in the fastest sport in the world.

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

August 1, 2013
Fan Opinion: Red Bull Young Driver Program

Reynard Gelderblom, Motorsport Editor of Streetmotion, sent us his perspective on the Red Bull young driver program.

We’d love to hear your thoughts too! Let us know what you think in the comments below, or let us know if you’d like us to publish your opinion too.

Here’s what Reynard had to say:

Do I see red for the young bulls?

Well there is certainly lots to talk about after the German Grand Prix, so let me start off by saying what I’m not going to talk about…

I’m not going to talk about tyres again. We’ll have to wait for what comes from the Silverstone test and after the Hungarian GP where Pirelli will introduce some more tyre upgrades. On that point, I’m also going to disappoint those who tweeted me to talk about Mercedes still being excluded from the young driver portion of the Silverstone tests since all the teams will now be doing tests with 2013 cars and drivers as well. It’s a penalty, or more of a slap on the wrist – live with it.

I’m also not going to talk about safety gear for media – that’s a point for the FIA to address. Then there are cars reversing over a straight, wheel guns and Sauber going to Mother Russia… all of those are tempting, but no.

Now we’ve filtered it down to Lewis Hamilton’s love life, but this is of course a column for two online motorsport publications. If an entertainment magazine would approach me I’d love to sit here and give my views of how Lewis is driving better when Sir Cliff’s “Bachelor Boy” is playing on his iPod, sadly none of them have contacted me yet.

That leaves me with something I’ve been looking at now for the last few weeks: The Red Bull young driver program. We all know what a success story this turned out to be. Sebastian Vettel is a three-time consecutive World champion and came through the ranks which included the Red Bull “B” team, Torro Rosso.

In fact, at Monza 2008, Vettel took what was essentially a rebadged Minardi to a maiden win for a Red Bull liveried car. At the end of June 2013, Mark Webber announced his retirement from Formula 1 which means there’ll be an opening in the Red Bull teams for 2014. With Torro Rosso retaining both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne for 2013, this surely means that it will be up to one of them to progress. Wrong.

Here are the names that are being mentioned: Kimi Raikkonen, Adrian Sutil, Romain Grosjean… oh and Ricciardo. With Sauber’s salary checks being written by the same people designing the soft compound tyres you can probably expect the name Nico Hulkenberg to be added to that list shortly considering that he’s on every other team manager’s shortlist now. Vergne has been putting in some good performances, but those are really few and far between compared to Ricciardo. That means one name from the young driver program is realistically in the running, although I’m quite sure that Raikkonen must be the favourite.

Ricciardo and Vergne aren’t the only two names who may never make it higher in the organisation than the “B” team. This program started long before the popular energy drink manufacturer purchased their first team, Jaguar in 2004. Have a look at this list: Enrique Bernoldi provided some capital for Arrows, Christian Klein brought 10 Million Euros to Jaguar and no real results, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Robert Doornbos, Patrick Friesacher, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chadhok filled gaps here and there.

In fact if there’s something which this program did well through the years, it was to supply drivers-on-demand for the HRT team. Scott Speed, Sebastian Bordais, Sebastian Buemi and Jamie Alguersuari all looked promising at the start of their Torro Rosso careers, but eventually they all slipped back as well. Neel Jani and Adrian Zaugg at least had a taste of success in the former A1GP series. At present there are six driver in the program with Antonio Felix da Costa, Carlos Sainz Jnr and Daniil Kvyat looking like the next to be in line for future vacancies.

Vettel made it through this system, but granted he is being compared by some to Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. A good driver will always find a way to the top… even in a mediocre car. Have Red Bull backed the wrong drivers through the years or is there maybe a bigger problem here – maybe a lack of actual driver development? Has the program become a victim of its own success? Has it really become too overpopulated? I don’t know but one F1 race winner in fourteen years hardly screams of success.

In my point of view, Ricciardo is the man who should be looking forward to partnering Vettel in 2014. If not, maybe it’s time to relook something which has been globally called a success story, because choosing Raikkonen or Sutil will prove the exact opposite.

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

July 13, 2013
Let’s talk tyres … again – a fan’s perspective by @Reynardg

Reynard Gelderblom, Motorsport Editor of Streetmotion, sent us his perspective on the entire tyre debacle.

We’d love to hear your thoughts too! Let us know what you think in the comments below, or let us know if you’d like us to publish your opinion too.

Here’s what Reynard had to say:

I’m starting to feel like I’ve become a stuck record, but yet again the topic after the race is tyres. In fact, I’ve mentioned the name Pirelli so much during the 2013 season that I should start asking them to pay me for doing so.

With F1 moving back to a purpose-built racing circuit for the first time since Barcelona and the controversial ‘testgate’ scandal, everyone was waiting in anticipation to see what Mercedes would’ve gained. With the penalty for their part in this being nothing more than an eighth grade teacher telling you “If I catch you smoking behind the rugby pavilion again…”.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg ensured a Mercedes front row, but we’ve seen them strong in qualifying before this season. Soon after the start, Hamilton’s left rear tyre called it a day with what seemed to be a puncture and a dramatic delamination. One lap later Ferrari’s Felipe Massa’s left rear did the same at almost the same spot.

“Okay, debris on the circuit or something about that curb” is what we thought. A few laps later Jean-Eric Vergne’s left rear and our theory blew out at the end of a straight. After the first round of pitstops, Red Bull reported something that resembled cuts in the left rear tyre that came off Sebastian Vettel’s car. Then the news broke that the general talk in the paddock was that this might be caused by the heat generated on the faster straights. Near the end of the race, McLaren who already had a bad weekend, suffered another blow out with Sergio Perez.

Earlier in 2013, I said the FIA asked Pirelli to supply a tyre which won’t last till half race distance, but I don’t think that anyone wanted anything like what we’ve seen at Silverstone. This has taken the tyre concerns from being something for the teams to work around, to being something outright dangerous. After everything that has been said over the secret tests with Mercedes at Barcelona, you at least would think that 1 000km of testing with a 2013 car would’ve provided some valuable data for further development.

Shortly after the GP, Pirelli came out with a statement that the new bonding process is not to blame for this, although they themselves appear to be clueless for now on possible causes.

Or do they just prefer to remain quiet? The FIA still needs to announce the sole tyre supplier for 2014. Hankook is one of the names which have been mentioned, but there is speculation that the FIA would love to see Michelin back in F1 in the near future. However, despite no contract yet, changing tyre leftovers may prove to be a bit easier than changing a tyre supplier. The money and advertising aspect alone would provide Pirelli with enough grounds for a better day in court than at the races.

With only six months remaining in the 2013 season, there’s not nearly enough time to start a legitimate tender process and then still expect a manufacturer to come up with something which will be reliable. So the immediate future of Pirelli in F1 may not be as uncertain as we would like to think.

A suitable solution needs to be found though – and soon. With fast circuit races like the Belgium, Italian and Indian GPs coming up I’m sure I’m not the only one who wouldn’t like to see a repeat of what we saw at Silverstone.

Even the night race in Singapore features some fairly fast straights for a street circuit and the bumpy surface at the Brazilian GP with it’s fast main straight could be a genuine reason for concern.

Nor would I think anyone would like to see a repeat of the 2005 USA GP when teams participated in a strike action due to safety issues relating from tyres, but you have to ask: With drivers putting their lives on the line at more than 300km/h, and having to rely on the equipment they’ve been given – how far are we away from someone saying “I’m boxing this lap, these tyres are unsafe”?

An even worse thought – are we going to have to see someone die on a live TV broadcast before we start coming up with ideas on how this could’ve been prevented?

Surely the British GP served as a stark warning that for the safety of all the competitors and spectators involved, someone should come up with answers and solutions that are better than extra sets of tyres or controversial secret tests.

Hopefully the questions of when something is going to be done about this will only be asked by happy fans next to a bar counter and not by a crying family member next to an open grave.

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

July 2, 2013
F1 action at Top Gear Live Festival in Durban

On 15 June 2013, the Top Gear Festival came around to SA again. F1 and @F1_Madness fan, Charlene Sprong (@LeneZone) sent us a summary of the awesome experience!

In December 2012, we decided we were going to attend the 2013 Top Gear Live Festival in Durban (our first time). When the tickets became available earlier this year, we snapped them up and started making arrangements. The main highlight for me was anything to do with Formula 1, but we were not sure what F1 action there would be happening at the show at first.

About a month after the tickets went on sale, we were delighted with a surprise announcement from Top Gear SA that Formula 1 World Champion racing driver Mika Häkkinen would be appearing at the festival’s street circuit events which take place before the main show. Our excitement escalated even more, when about another month later the next surprise announcement was that Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s RB7 (raced in 2011) would be a highlight of the show. We were ecstatic!!!

After a few street circuit events, including Mika Häkkinen racing against street circuit presenters Gugu Zulu and Sasha Martinengo in Tuk Tuks (of all cars) which entertained the crowd greatly. It was very amusing and they all had great fun racing each other. Check out the video of the Tuk Tuk action here.

A bit later, I went to buy a T-shirt in the Top Gear Village as I was getting too hot in my jersey. Just after the purchase, I heard the loud unmistakable sound of an F1 car on the street circuit … I literally RAN back to my seat on the grand stand, wildly looking around. At first I saw nothing, only heard it.

Then, it made its grand appearance. What a BEAUTIFUL piece of machinery! It was the first time I had seen a Formula 1 car in the flesh. It came zooming by, driven by Red Bull Junior Team member, António Félix da Costa.

I watched in awe as it went around the circuit a few times and then set the fastest time of the day at 1:14:09. It then did a cool off lap, to be followed by more F1 action. In order to show the speed and power of the Formula 1 phenomenon, it got set to race against a KTM X-Bow (which had set the previous fastest lap earlier in the day, at 1:27:02).

To watch the raw speed of the RB7 against an already fast racing car was just staggering.

All this excitement and the main show inside the Moses Mabida stadium was yet to come!! We got seated, and watched several highly entertaining events hosted by the ever amusing TopGear presenters.

We were treated to some synchronised drifting when again, we heard the sound of the F1 car at the other end of the stadium, the RB7 had arrived, it was about to show the drifters how some rubber really gets laid on the track by The Stig …

See Video of the RB7 street circuit and live show here.

It was just fantastic and I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone! Go and watch the Top Gear Live show if you can!! To get that close to a F1 car without literally attending an F1 GP race is such a great chance and an awesome experience.

June 23, 2013