It’s the start of the second week of the three-week break between the Chinese and Spanish rounds. If going that long without a Grand Prix is getting you down, remember this is the longest break we’ll have until the end of July.
Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
‘Button is seeing the bigger picture’ (ESPN)
Stirling Moss: “Hamilton has shown immense talent coming through the field but Button has out-qualified him and scored more points. The difference is that Button is thinking properly. It reminds me of the story of the young bull and the old bull. The two of them are stood at the top of the field and the young bull says to the old bull, ‘Let’s run down there and screw one of those cows.’ To which the old bull replies, ‘No, let’s walk down there and screw the lot of them’. A crude analogy maybe, but Button is seeing the bigger picture and he’s winning.”
Comment of the day
The Dutch Bear wrote a good summary of the questions we covered in the last part of the “Making F1 better” discussion. The next part will be up later today.
F1 is about the world’s best racing drivers in the world’s fastest cars on the best racing tracks in the world. I think the drivers are more important, but the technical side of F1 should be there.
Technical competition is one part of F1 being the pinnacle of motorsport. The automotive industry should to be allowed to do innovation in F1. We, the consumers, will get better cars in the future because of this.
I think F1 shouldn’t be deadly. I mean a track should punish you when you make a mistake. I don’t want tarmac run off areas as big as huge car parks. But a track shouldn’t kill you.
The Dutch Bear
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to MarkD!
On this day in F1
Jean-Pierre Beltoise turns 73 today. The Frenchman won a single race in his F1 career, at Monaco in pouring rain in 1972. His son Anthony took up motor racing and previously competed in the World Touring Car Championship for Seat.
Read more: Grand Prix flashback: Monaco 1972
Ned Flanders
26th April 2010, 1:23
I wish Stirling Moss was my Grandad!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th April 2010, 8:30
I think that’s the first interview with him I’ve read where he doesn’t use the word “crumpet” :-)
wasiF1
26th April 2010, 2:00
Ban on Stirling Moss.What a interview.
wasiF1
26th April 2010, 2:09
” Anthony was a very positive influence at the races and Lewis has lost that now ”
Can’t argue with Moss.
mvi
26th April 2010, 9:19
But I wonder if it is the absence of Anthony Hamilton that has encouraged Lewis to develop a good team-mate friendship and rivalry with Jenson Button rather than a more on-guard relationship.
George
26th April 2010, 7:16
Great to hear from Stirling, a lot of very reasonable opinions in that piece.
BasCB
26th April 2010, 7:35
I think Moss sums it up pretty good with Hamilton and Button. Ferrari will be interesting, i think Alonso is getting at Massa more and more. First the pass at the start of Bahrain, now clearly showing he does not accept being second. I hope Massa gets into his stride a bit more this year.
Schumacher is good for Mercedes, because he gets Rosbert at the top of his bill and constantly pushing.
If the car will be good, then Schumi will probably win some races.
dsob
26th April 2010, 8:18
Sir Stirling is my hero. :) Haven’t heard the bull story in years, just brilliant…and spot on, too.
He also touches on something I’ve been observing…whether Schumacher came back to F1 with a fire to win, or a need to be warmed by the spotlight. One will win races, one will win a ticket to second retirement.
ummmmm…..Michael, I have some nice restful beachfront property for sale….lovely for retired couples
Electrolite
26th April 2010, 9:41
loving the Young/Old Bull quote!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th April 2010, 12:43
Am testing a new implementation of the Gravatars for the next 24 hours. Hopefully site performance will remain good enough so we can keep them.
Ned Flanders
26th April 2010, 13:08
Wahoo Gravatars are back!
vettelfan
26th April 2010, 16:06
My thoughts too! lol
David A
26th April 2010, 16:18
My beautiful 2000 title winner is back! And so is Devil Flanders!
J.A. Summers
29th April 2010, 17:39
My Gravatar doesn’t work. =C
Also, brilliant, Sir Stirling!! What a great man.
Icthyes
26th April 2010, 13:11
Gravatars! It seems so odd having them back.
I just wonder what Moss would be saying if it had rained more in Australia and China? I do find all this praise of Button a bit too premature. Button has come out on top overall, but in the two dry races Hamilton trounced him, and as genius as his decision in Australia was, it was practically forced onto him, and in China Hamilton wasn’t alone in going for the inters, with the easing of the rain nearly as much luck as prediction.
Icthyes
26th April 2010, 13:12
Or rather “prematurely hyped”. The guy’s done well already, of that there can be little dispute.
Ned Flanders
26th April 2010, 14:20
You’re probably right, Hamilton on the whole has been quicker than him in every race so far but has not made the sensible decisions that Button has.
But Button deserves a load of credit for being on the pace right from the off in ‘Hamilton’s team’. He’s already won two more races than I expected he would this season
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th April 2010, 14:36
Button didn’t just make two good tyre calls – he also had to make them work.
No-one else ran a stint as long as his on the soft tyres in Australia.
And in Shanghai he and Hamilton had intermediates on for the final stint and Button was quicker to begin with. true, Hamilton was quicker by the end, but how much of that was Button pacing himself and managing the gap?
He’s not got Hamilton beaten yet by any measure. But he’s off to a far better start than I expected.
BasCB
26th April 2010, 14:54
I think Button actually said, that he could not get heat back into the tyres after missing the hairpin.
But i agree, Button deserves respect for first making the tyre calls and then making the best out of them.
Icthyes
29th April 2010, 2:59
And that’s sort of out what I meant, though I didn’t think of it in those terms before. Button is getting praise for a choice he pretty much had to take and a choice a lot of others also made, rather than making those choices work.
Still, I do wonder how much of it is Button keeping his tyres well and how much (considering the tyre heating issue in China you mention) it’s to do with just not being able to put his tyres under that kind of stress, i.e. when it’s needed. Something to consider in our analyses (and the reverse situation for Hamilton).
F1silverarrows
26th April 2010, 14:18
“claps” good story moss, LEGEND!!!!
Calum
26th April 2010, 15:55
Indy want the GP back, if they give bernie the money, it will be better for the sport because it’s back in the USA, and completes the North American leg of the world tour, simple as.
David A
26th April 2010, 16:21
If F1 returns to Indy, they must use a configuration that uses a good deal of the oval. Preferably even more than the old circuit did.
BasCB
26th April 2010, 16:32
Yes, have them use 2 turns and the straight and less of that mikey mouse infield to make it more of an Oval experience.
manatcna
26th April 2010, 23:46
I prefer tracks where cars don’t only turn left
David A
27th April 2010, 0:54
But we weren’t suggesting using the whole oval, merely more of the oval than before, which means a decent degree of banking on the corner(s).
Mike
27th April 2010, 8:56
I wouldn’t mind 1 oval, Just to see what F1 cars would do, and if it were to be an Oval, Indy would be the one due to the history with f1 cars there.
The problem is, the fastest car in a strait line will win, They are like Indy cars and close on top speed performance, the designs are so different, that some, like the McLaren, Will have a stupidly easy race.
Also, what happens if the Michelin things happens again?? only all cars are running the same tyre?
David A
27th April 2010, 15:21
Who knows? Maybe “competition cautions” every few laps like they had in NASCAR’s race at Indy a few years ago, but that’s probably too logical for F1.
BasCB
26th April 2010, 16:37
Thumbs up for Alonso: http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/formula-1-news/233230/alonso-s-thumbs-insured-by-santander/
Anyone else for funny insurance deals in F1?
Chaz
26th April 2010, 19:23
lol seems many people are changing their tune about Jenson…
manatcna
26th April 2010, 23:43
He’s a good driver, apparently better than Kovalainen.
I think Hamilton will score more points over the season, though.
Mike
27th April 2010, 8:58
I like Jenson, Hamilton is too, well, I don’t like him, but saying that, If I placed a bet, It would still, reluctantly be for Hamilton.
Adin
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