New Address – www.f1underground.com

Folks, it was bound to happen. No sooner did I get settled in and comfortable at WordPress than the urge to own my own piece of the web struck again. This will be the final post on F1journal.wordpress.com but not the last word.

You can find all the old articles as well as new daily posts online at:

www.f1underground.com

The new site will continue to post informed opinion, news and lifestyle and historical features. Because of the blog format, stories will in most cases appear on a daily basis which is preferable to a monthly newsletter format. News articles will hopefully be much more current and topical.

The blog is open as well for your comments and opinions. Feel free to post. I hope some of my writing generates some lively conversation.

The F1Underground site will slowly develop a different look and brand but the content will continue to be decidedly focused on F1 from a fan perspective.

I hope you enjoy it.

Rob Huntley

www.f1underground.com

Homecoming

Renault’s wayward son returned home today. Fernando Alonso stepped back into a Renault uniform this morning at Jerez, Spain for a run in the team’s R27 race car. The Spaniard’s return to the French team from McLaren closes an ugly chapter in his career that tarnished an otherwise stellar image.

For both the team and driver the focus in 2008 will be on rebuilding reputations. Renault was fortunate to only drop as far as third in the team championship last year, thanks to the McLaren disqualification, and will be eager to get back to the top on merit. The team had achieved great success in 2005 and 2006 when they beat McLaren and Ferrari respectively to the titles.

Similarly, Alonso will be desperate to rebuild his reputation as the world’s best driver. He will need to get on top of his rookie teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr., quickly if he is to erase the memory of being beaten by Lewis Hamilton last year. The Spaniard cannot afford to play the childish political games that went on in 2007 at McLaren. On-track results are all that matter and they need to be accomplished fairly.

Needing to restore their pride will be a powerful motivator for both driver and team. Fernando and Renault are wounded animals and writing off either would be a serious mistake. If Renault build a reasonable car, Alonso will use it to great effect, especially against McLaren if given the chance.

*Alonso finished the day at the top of the timesheets. Though this is winter testing and lap times alone cannot determine who will be fastest when the season starts, there should be no doubt that today’s performance was a message sent to and understood by the rest of the paddock. Fernando is still a threat.

WilliamsF1 Milestones!

2008 will see several important milestones reached for the Williams F1 racing team.  Incorporated in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the team will contest their 500th race at the Turkish GP this year.  Williams himself will celebrate his 600th Grand Prix when the F1 circus arrives at Monaco in May.  The added races are because Frank ran a number of customer cars for nearly as decade before establishing the current marque.

The team will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first design, the FW06, and with a reasonable amount of reliability, they will complete their 50,000th race lap at some stage of the Spanish Grand Prix.

To commemorate these milestones, the team will debut six different themed liveries during the two month winter testing campaign in Spain. Despite Williams opting not to have an official launch this season, fans will have even more reason to keep an eye on the ever changing FW29B. No official date was available online for the FW30 model that the team will use for the opening race in Melbourne, Australia on March 16, 2008

Overstaying A Welcome

I’m still on a bit of a high from the Jackie Stewart book signing last week and my inspired investigations into the Scot’s career tell the tale of a man who left the sport at exactly the right moment – at the pinnacle of success and in one piece. With his third world championship secured and with the death of his teammate and friend, Francois Cevert, at Watkins Glen fresh in his mind, Jackie retired from F1. That decision cemented Stewart as a legend in the sport.

Fast forward to the present and the announcement from Force India (the latest incarnation of Jordan F1) that they have signed Giancarlo Fisichella for two years. If ever there was someone in the sport today who should consider how helpful retirement would be to their reputation, its Fisichella.

While the Italian driver was at Minardi, Jordan, Bennetton, Jordan (again) and Sauber, people claimed Fisi was a champion in waiting who just needed a winning car. Pundits rated him amongst the top three racers in the sport. Of course, he finally landed a winning car in 2005 and 2006. So what happened? Well, Fisichella managed to win one race each year. Meanwhile, his teammate won 14 races and 2 world championships. By all accounts a pretty underwhelming performance.

So at 35, Fisichella has raced in twelve seasons of F1 – 196 races (nearly twice as many as Stewart -99) and is looking forward to another two years of racing at the very back of the grid. To what end? What will another two years of making up the numbers and touring around in circles provide? Instinctively I can say there won’t be wins or even podiums and there won’t be anymore talk of, “if only…” from the pundits.

What there will be is one more driver who believes he is entitled to his place in F1 and will stubbornly stay in the sport, only to deprive some young and talented rookie from starting his career. I believe everyone should get a chance at the brass ring and now Fisi has had his and missed. Its time to get off the merry-go-round that is F1 and give a youngster a chance.

Giancarlo, your contemporaries have moved on, voluntarily or not, and its time you did the same.

Really.

Sir Jackie Stewart – Author!

Race fans of all descriptions in Toronto, Canada were given a special treat today – a visit from Sir Jackie Stewart: three times F1 World Champion, ambassador of motor racing, former team owner, and former President of the British Racing Driver’s Club. To this long and distinguished list can now be added the title of author. Jackie was in town to sign copies of his new autobiography, “Winning is Not Enough.”

The event was scheduled to kick off at 7 PM with the arrival of Sir Jackie and it is with no embarrassment that I admit that I was jittery with excitement throughout the day. In fact, a disturbing portion of my day was spent determining exactly how early I should plan to line up.

The early bird gets the worm, or in this case the front row seat and when its a living legend is on stage, you don’t want to be in the back of the theater. Anyone who has heard Jackie speak before knows to expect a warm and witty evening of stories. However, I think everyone in attendance was delighted with the intimacy and charm Stewart shared with his audience as he described the details of his life inside and outside of racing. For the best part of an hour I, like everyone in the crowd, hung on every word and cherished every anecdote.

Its been nearly 35 years since Jackie raced in F1 and the sport is barely recognizable now from what it was then. These days, the paddock is closed off to fans, the drivers do not have friendships with one another and the driver salaries have skyrocketed. But, the tracks and cars are safer and drivers do not leave home for a race thinking they might not return. For these things, we have Jackie Stewart to thank.

Jackie should forever be remembered as much for his safety crusade as for his success on the track. While some people felt that race drivers should be prepared to accept death as part of racing, Jackie believed that it was the skill and not the risk that was the heart of the sport. How right he was.

The book though, is not just about racing, it is about the rich life he shared with family, friends and contemporaries. I can’t comment on the prose or pace of the writing as I am just sitting down to read it. However, I can say that Jackie Stewart is a gifted storyteller with an epic story to tell and that fills me with optimism.

So you want to be an F1 editor?

OK, it’s probably not the most glamorous job in the pitlane – interviewing drivers, getting the scoop on who’s spying on whom or how much last week’s prodigal son will earn next season. Actually, it sounds pretty bloody good and the job could be yours if you are the successful ’sub-editor’ applicant at F1 Racing Magazine – The World’s Best Selling Grand Prix magazine.

The advertisement, posted on F1 Racing’s parent publisher Haymarket’s website (see link below) seeks the following:

Our ideal candidate will be a skilled and flexible wordsmith …

The successful applicant will be an experienced, meticulous sub-editor with proven expertise in headline and caption writing, and with a flair for making copy sparkle. He or she will be equally comfortable proof-reading and helping the managing editor to oversee the production process. He or she will also help to maintain a team of high-quality freelance sub-editors.

Knowledge of Formula 1 is useful, but not as important as the ability to work comfortably within a small, tightly knit team

Now I don’t want to sound critical, but shouldn’t knowledge of F1 be paramount for an F1 editor? It’s great to know where all the commas go and yes, quotations can be a “bitch.” But, I’d want my sub-editor to know that it was Farina and not Fangio who won the first World Championship and that the Swiss Grand Prix was never actually run in Switzerland.

I think the majority of people who are deep into F1 want articulate, informed writing from authors, not sensationalist headlines taking up most of the page. Substance speaks for itself and glossy fluff finds itself lining birdcages.

I hope the editor of F1 Racing finds a stellar candidate for the job and I hope that person is a genuine fan of the sport -someone who can recognize not just good writing but a good story that should be shared with others.

Like me.

A Fan.

Rob Huntley

* To apply for the position, or just to see the actual ad, follow this link:

http://careers.haymarket.com/f/exp/Opportunities.aspx?VacancyId=7904

McLaren – Looking to the future!

McLaren boss Ron Dennis today told reporters at the launch of the new MP4/23 that he was focused on the future and not looking back. No surprise given that in 2007 the team were stripped of all their team points, effectively finishing last, were fined a record 100 million dollars and lost the driver’s championship by a point in the final race. Ron definitely has a knack for understatement.

Still, today’s launch in Stuttgart was all smiles. Lewis Hamilton, who today celebrated his 23rd birthday, was brimming with excitement as was Renault refugee Heikki Kovalainen. Its an ideal pairing for Ron Dennis as its expected Hamilton will only face moderate pressure from the Finn. Everyone will have learned how destructive two bulls in the same pasture can be from last year’s Hamilton/Alonso partnership.

Still, its hard not to root for Heikki and hope he gives Hamilton a bit to think about. Like Hamilton last year, there is little pressure and an established benchmark to compete against. Will he be the Berger to Hamilton’s Senna and easily assume the number 2 position or will he embrace his racer’s instinct and challenge Hamilton? I look forward to it being the latter scenario.

McLaren are a resilient team with massive depth in all their departments. The setbacks of 2007 will likely be overcome but not soon enough to stop a Ferrari juggernaut from steamrolling to the title. Simply, McLaren need to play it too straight with the rules and the FIA this year to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.

Toyota to Launch online!

Toyota Racing will unveil their 2008 race car live over the internet so fans can catch every moment of the official launch. You can check out all the action via streaming video on the Toyota racing website Thursday January 10th at 10:30 AM German Standard Time.

(http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/en/index_e.html)

Toyota management are launching their contender just as news surfaces that the team have been told they have just two more years to produce some serious results in F1 or else! Nearly a decade after they started and with the biggest budget in F1, the world’s largest automaker has accomplished very little. The serious concern for F1 is whether the ultimatum was directed at the racing team’s management or Toyota’s commitment to continue in F1 at all.

Veteran driver Jarno Trulli and newcomer Timo Glock will campaign for Toyota this season. Some may remember that Timo drove briefly for Jordan (nee Midland; nee Spyker; nee Force India) a few years ago. Timo went on to race in Champ Cars before heading back to Europe for GP2.

Launch Season Begins

F1 fans rejoice! The pre-season of F1 has begun with the launch Sunday (January 6, 2008) of the the aptly (and temporarily?) named Ferrari F2008. We can now expect a weekly diet from the F1 teams as they reveal their ’08 challengers in an atmosphere of increasingly antiseptic corporate flair.

Its unlikely we’ll see The Who rocking out while Teutonic BMW executives pull back the covers on their new car. It just wouldn’t be an efficient use of the shareholders money, would it? Maybe Red Bull or Torro Rosso will make some noise this season but never like it was in the 90′s. No Spice Girls, no Albert Hall, just suits.

So while we might mourn the loss of Posh, Baby et al , one thing will certainly live on – the affirmation that this year will be: 1. a better year; 2. a breakout year; 3. ‘The’ year. Honestly, after so many ‘breakout’ and ‘better’ years, you would think “insert team name here” would have won a championship or even a race by now.

How refreshing would it be to see a press release that said, ‘This year, we won’t be fined back to the dark ages.’ or ‘We’re confident the race car is significantly faster than the safety car this year.’ Just give us something tangible.

But I digress…

With every launch and every press release, we’re closer to the start of the season. If you need your F1 fix as badly as I do, the launch dates for each team are listed below (or updated as they are announced).

• Ferrari – January 6
• McLaren – January 7
• Toyota – January 10
• BMW-Sauber – January 14-15
• Red Bull – January 16
• Honda – January 29
• Renault – January 31
• Williams – * (see below)
• Force India-
• Toro Rosso -
• Super Aguri -

* Williams F1 have opted not to officially launch their car. With a respectable 2007 performance in the can and a catalog of sponsors in its pocket, maybe Williams felt the didn’t need to tell any tall tales this season and plan to just get on with it. Very British, very Frank.

2007: Lessons

As a fan, 2007 was a watershed year for my ongoing F1 education. Here are a few things I learned:

1. You can indeed get into the F1 paddock. It just takes one drink too many and a load of cash (or plastic) when the charity auction hammer drops. Hey Honda, please get back to me and explain exactly what happened to my “Christian Klein Guided Tour.”

2. It is possible for an unknown internet writer to talk his way into getting press credentials. It wasn’t Formula 1 but it was historic grand prix racing in all its glory. I stood trackside (no fences) as some of the prettiest cars racing has ever seen raced past on the legendary Mosport track. Some of the best shots are in a back issue of my BrakeTest newsletter.

3. Networking pays off. My newsletter fell into the hands of a local author who needed a photographer for the Toronto Grand Prix. “Race photos? Katherine Legge? Three days? Sure, I’m your man!” Not a single usable photo for her book but a hell of an education for me!

4. Racing can cost more than money. While on honeymoon in Scotland, I made a personal pilgrimage to the grave of Jim Clark, one of the most gifted race drivers ever to grace F1. Standing there in the cemetery reminded me of the price that has sometimes been paid in this sport. In an age of carbonfiber safety cells and emasculated tracks, its easy to forget how dangerous it was and is.

5. Its easy to overextend. While all of the above was going on, I was putting together a monthly newsletter on racing, preparing for a September wedding and honeymoon, working a full time job and buying a house (10 days before said wedding). It took its toll and the end result was that BrakeTest.net will be wrapped up shortly. It was a good run but too time consuming.

My desire to write will hopefully be contained by this blog while some larger projects gel in the background. I’m looking forward to the more interactive environment the blog provides and hope to hear from old friends from BrakeTest and new F1 fans alike.

Happy New Year

Rob Huntley