was very déjà-vu watching a supreme lights to flag drive by a german in a Italian car, (bet hes regretting agreeing to join the daddy team now!) that's three new race winners since Canada and glock got a second in that time too, future looks brilliant, and when there's the, unfortunately rare, race with no controversy present looks good too. Jus need Williams, honda and force India to challenge points and I've never known a more open midfield.

The midfield pack is extraordinarily close, it's more like a single chassis Formula in there. And with only 20 seats available, I think the drivers will have to start being able to demonstrate additional skills to get their foot in the door. Cooking. Juggling at children's parties. Degree in fluid dynamics. That sort of thing.

I've recently started blogging on motor racing issues, incidentally. So if you're interested in sporadically updated ramblings featuring a high proportion of list-making behaviour, it might be up your street: Toto Roche's Flag.

Excellent blog, dotmund. Please let me know if you ever make it down to Monza (either for the GP or otherwise).

I've left you a comment about Pantano.

If anyone is interested, there is a supplement titled "The Business of Sport: Formula One" in today's Financial Times.

Anyone else looking forward to Sunday's night race? Especially as it's likely to be a soggy one...

Ursus Minor and I were just discussing this on the way to school this morning. It should be a spectacle, and I'm especially interested to see how Vettel and Toro Rosso react to their new status as media and paddock darlings.

Gangster Octopus wrote:

QUOTE:
Anyone else looking forward to Sunday's night race? Especially as it's likely to be a soggy one...

Nah - I'll catch the result afterwards ...although I think I can pretty much write it myself:

"Due to a technicality uncovered by FIA race stewards in the post-race analysis, the race has had to be retrospectively truncated to only 6 laps, after which the chequered flag should have been waved. Since Lewis Hamilton only overtook Massa on lap 7, his victory will not count. He will be stripped of the points for this race.

Furthermore, since he then led the rest of the pack on a merry little dance for another 54 illegal laps, with all the other competitors - bravely led by the heroic Ferrari drivers - attempting to flag him down and get him to pull over, he will also be stripped of all of the rest of his championship points and fined £70 million billion pounds."

ursus arctos wrote:

QUOTE:
I'm especially interested to see how Vettel and Toro Rosso react to their new status as media and paddock darlings.

When was the last time that the Italian national anthems played for a non-Ferrari or Italian driver?

Whether or not the Italian anthem would have been played - the podium ceremony has become much more standardised and regulated in recent decades - but the last time a non-Ferrari Italian car won a World Championship Grand Prix was 4th August 1957. Juan Manuel Fangio won his most famous ever victory in a Maserati 250F.

As regards Vettel, I think he will kick on from this. I'd not be surprised to see him trouble the podium again this season.

I thought it must be Maserati. Probably one of the most evocative names in motor racing for old gits like me...

Indeed.

The whole circus would be much more entertaining if we were able to resurrect Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Auto Union and Lotus, and if McLaren had to race in orange.

Do we think that Mateschitz is going to regret having Vettel in the "other" team next season? Or does he only care about the brand on the car?

We'll never see Maserati or Alfa F1 cars again, as they're owned by the same folk (Fiat) who own Ferrari.

Lotus on he other hand are ownded by Proton. If Malaysia ever decided it wants to do F1 really, really seriously, then we might sees Lotuses out there once more - although the ban on tobacco sponsorship wouild mean no more black & gold JPS paint jobs, alas...

blameless wrote:

QUOTE:
although the ban on tobacco sponsorship wouild mean no more black & gold JPS paint jobs, alas...

Lotuses should be British Racing Green with a single yellow stripe. Sponsorship's when F1 jumped the shark.

And be driven by Jim Clark.

We can always dream.

I'm presuming they only play the anthem for the constructor, and not the engine manufacturer? Brabham ran (and won) with Alfa engines in the late 70s.....

Indeed, Renault and Honda never got musical credit for all of those victories in the 90s.

Ferrari's lack of a lolly fucks them up again. That new system's just not working.