Looking Back: Honda RA300

Since the racing season is still a month and a half away, I thought that this would be the right time to share this picture of the 1967 Honda RA300. This car did not achieve much in its short time span, but it certainly makes someone like me, who was not even born when this car was built, think about how great this racing era must have been. A design like that is the quintessence of racing action from the time when Formula One was more of a sport and less of a business. I certainly would like to drive one of these some day.

The image is copyrighted to 3oneseven.

Europe is no more

According to this Marca interview with Bernie Ecclestone, Europe is the least important destination for Formula 1 races. Incidentally, Europe is where most of the sport's fans are (the rest are in Brazil). His statement makes it most obvious (in case anyone is still doubting) that Formula One is becoming more of a business and less of a sport. The exotic new places where the races are taking place attract more sponsors, but are the hardcore fans being alienated? At the same time, the F1 governing body has constantly failed to make the sport any better.

My personal opinion is that a man at 81 years of age should never be allowed anywhere near where a decision about such an important sport with millions of followers is being taken. Cerebral activity starts deteriorating well before that age, and at this point Mr. Bernie is just a blabbering old man who would not be out of place in a nice and warm retirement home.

Vettel's second is almost here

Sebastian Vettel's second consecutive title win is just behind the corner as the F1 season's next race takes place in Japan. He only needs one point from tomorrow's race, but  the reigning champion is going to snatch the championship in style by keeping on doing what he did so far: winning all the remining races until the end of the season.

Vettel is already in pole position, and by taking a look at his previous performances on the Suzuka track we can see that he also won here in the two previous years. So this is the best opportunity to clinch the title for the German wonder-boy. Fernando Alonso, who was the last winner on this track before Vettel's supremacy, is a bit behind in fifth place, but he is always ready to overtake from the set-go. The only title contender, Jenson Button however will start the race also in the front row and may attempt to outrun his adversary.

This is also a race between McLaren and Red Bull, and without the support of Mark Webber in sixth place Vettel will have to win the race with his own hands, whilst Lewis Hamilton in third place will also be a threat for first place. So what will happen? Most probably this will be no big deal for Sebastian Vettel, and Jenson Button's race is all about how he handles seeing the championship slip away from his hands whilst keeping his cool in order to retain his second place in the driver's standings.

Red Bull: History repeats itself?

As I was leafing through the news this week, I came upon this article about how Red Bull Racing have declared a profit for last year, mainly due to prize money (and I guess increased interest from sponsors). That is the icing on the cake, after winning the driver championship two years in a row (we all know that Mr. Button has no chance to make a comeback, even statistically).

It's nice to see a relatively new team rise up from the back rows and finally beating the racing giants at their own game. However, I already heard a similar story that occurred some 20 years previously and went by the name of Benetton. Benetton was a team owned by a manufacturing company, just as Red Bull. They started their winning streak under a German driver. Again just as Red Bull. They won two driver titles, just as... OK, I'm stretching it a bit here, but you get the gist.



What I hope doesn't happen is that, a couple of years from now the dream comes to an end, with half of the team moving out to Ferrari and the other half getting sold to one of the old boys who wants to make a comeback (such as Honda). Not to mention that the German driver that Benetton produced was in fact a monster who almost killed off the sport because no other rival could keep up with him. What do you think will happen?

F1 2011 hits the road

The game that you have all been waiting for, F1 2011 has just been released this week for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

You also get free shipping when you order the game from Amazon.

F1 2011 is Formula One racing game that challenges players to "Be the Driver and Live the Life" as they take on the role of an up-and-coming driver on the FIA Formula One World circuit. Sequel to Codemasters Birmingham's F1 2010 game, F1 2011 is designed around the EGO game engine, which renders more detailed damage and physics for in-game cars across larger environments than technologies used in other games. Additional features include: unprecedented authenticity with real-world Formula One racing, a huge range of tunable vehicle variables, your favorite drivers from the FIA circuit, new circuits and rule changes for 2011 and a new focus on multiplayer gaming, including a co-op option.

A True Formula One Experience

F1 2011 is the sequel to the BAFTA winning Formula One video game from Codemasters, the developer and publisher of award-winning racing games. Developed under Codemasters' exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One World Championship Limited, F1 2011 comes complete with all the official drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Be the Driver, Live the Life
From the paddock to the track, F1 2011 takes players closer to the experience of being a Formula One driver than ever before. A new Parc Ferme area, an expanded and revamped Paddock, new Pit Lane, celebration and reaction cinematics and an enhanced media interaction system fully immerse players in the glamour, pressure and excitement of being a Formula One driver. Players progress from rookie to FIA Formula One Drivers' World Champion in an extensive career mode where gamers fight to become priority driver and shape the development of the car by performing well in races and earning performance upgrades.

KERS, DRS and More
F1 2011 includes all the new rule changes set to make this year's season the most exciting yet. F1 2011 debuts DRS (Drag Reduction System) - the new system which enables drivers to adjust the rear wing on the car to give a boost of up to 10km. KERS also returns, giving players an extra 80BHP for up to 6.67 seconds, enabling drivers to blast past rivals. Combined, these systems encourage close wheel-to-wheel racing with new options for both defense and attack. This season's new Pirelli tires are faithfully simulated in the game, and if players push their car too hard they may experience a range of authentic new damage failures. 

The World's Greatest Cars, the Most Exciting Racing
Building on the heritage of producing award-winning racing games for over a decade, Codemasters is uniquely placed to realize the spectacle and exhilaration of racing 200MPH+ Formula One cars for all fans. F1 2011 can be tuned for players from a wide range of skill levels, from the casual gamer to the hardcore simulation enthusiast and those in between, with a range of differing skill levels. A huge range of vehicle variables can be tuned to suit each player's unique driving style, or drivers can entrust their race engineer to set their car up and head straight onto the track. F1 2011 will support a comprehensive range of racing wheels for the ultimate racing experience.



For more information on gameplay and how to purchase this game, click here.

BBC F1 at Red Bull Racing Simulator

The BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey has a go at beating ex-driver and currently BBC F1 presenter David Coulthard, and Red Bull Team Princpal Christian Horner on a lap around Monza in the Red Bull Racing Simulator with an added interview with Christian Horner in the pit lane in Monza.


Uploaded by doctorwhofan on Sep 11, 2011

F1 in the States: Good or Bad?

It's a fact that Formula One racing is coming to the United States next year, with an event in Austin, Texas. I heard many comments online that it is a bad decision, but I'll try to name some good points along with the bad. Here goes.

Pros:

• It seems that Hollywood is taking an increased interest in F1 after the success of the Senna documentary. Bringing the sport closer to the limelight is bound to be beneficial to its exposure in the US.
• F1 already had an event in the US in the past, but was removed due to the dwindling interest from the local public. The track was mainly held to blame, however this time the track is being built with hosting the F1 event in mind.
• The track will be unique for F1, and by offering unique challenges and overtaking opportunities will perhaps be the track of the future for this sport.
• The track construction and maintenance will also be one of the ways to increase US jobs.

Cons:

• The US race is currently set on the same date as the NASCAR finale, making potential race fanatics that may be interested in the new sport think twice about attending the event. The race date has already been moved once, so maybe it will not be too much of a problem to shift it by at least one week.
• It also happens to be the penultimate race of the season, and if Red Bull or some other team keep getting the fun out of F1 by winning all the races, there will be no fun left at the end of the season to take to America.
• There are no US drivers currently racing in F1. Just one participant will make the interest rise, because people will want to cheer the driver that would be representing their nation against the world.
• The track is not ready yet. Let's hope it will be this time next year.

As you can see, it's a mixed bag of problems and opportunities. What is your opinion?