Sunday, November 23, 2008
Capella university
More overtaking
Formula One has largely been criticised in recent years for the lack over overtaking as cars tour the tracks in a procession with only a few passing moves taking place.
However, next year's championship will see a change in the aerodynamic regulations, which McLaren test driver de la Rosa reckons should improve overtaking.
"Yes, definitely," said de la Rosa when asked for his thoughts on overtaking in 2009.
"Considering this is Formula One - if people think the introduction of KERS and the reduction in downforce and slicks is going to transform Formula One, then forget it.
"It will still be a wide car, there will still be aerodynamic effect and offline will stay dirty. It will be easier, but it won't be MotoGP. And people need to understand that.
"The changes are headed in the right direction. The difficulty comes from having so many changes and a massive reduction in testing for next year.
"It will make fine-tuning your car between the races very difficult. It's going to be very interesting - and there won't be enough time to test everything."
Heidfeld happy with his car
The F1 team are trying out an interim car fitted with 2009-specifications, details which include both a wide front wing and narrow rear wing.
Despite Heidfeld's team-mate Robert Kubica and test driver Christian Klien's negative comments regarding the car's appearance, the 31-year-old German star believes the car has been performing particularly well.
"The first day was with let's call it the 'B car', with the next year's rules-style aerodynamics on the front and rear wing, with a lot less downforce in total, with the KERS on the car I was driving, and with the slicks," Heidfeld said.
"Obviously the set-up is far from ideal, especially on my car as I was focusing mainly on the KERS systems.
"We're still having quite a few problems there, but at least we have it in the car. But therefore we were not focusing on set-up work, and that's why we still have quite a lot to learn.
"But I think it's good. Looking around in the paddock, comparing us to the other cars, we already have a nice B-car developed to hopefully get some good information."
Medical supplies
Vettel on Fire
The German, who has left Toro Rosso in favour of Red Bull, put the RB4 through its pace, clocking a 1min 19.751secs lap around the Circuit de Catalunya.
That put him just over a quarter of a second ahead of Monday's pace-setter Takuma Sato. The Japanese driver, who is hoping to land a Toro Rosso race-seat for next year's championship, posted a 1:20.017 to beat his rivals for the drive, Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi.
It was an impressive showing from Toro Rosso, although their cars were fitted out to the 2008 specifications and not next year's.
Fifth place went to McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, who finished just under half a second off Vettel's pace as he tried out the Woking outfit's new Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).
Robert Kubica in the rather different-looking interim BMW, which features a long, flat front wing and a short, high back wing, was sixth quickest ahead of Nico Rosberg. Like Kubica he was also driving a interim car, fitted out to next year's aero specs.
Jenson Button completed the top eight for Honda.
Pedro de la Rosa, driving the Force India for the first time, was the slowest driver of the day.
Although Force India have both Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil on the books, the team is believed to be set to drop one of them to make way for McLaren test driver de la Rosa as part of the team's deal with the Woking outfit.
Earlier this month Force India agreed a technical-support deal with McLaren that will see the championship-winning team providing the backmarker outfit with engines, gearboxes and the new KERS system.
Raikkonen lacked motivation
And although the 29-year-old repeatedly denied this, he has finally conceded that at times when he was not in a position to win he didn't try all that hard.
"When there are no opportunities to overtake or to improve your position it is definitely not very interesting. But that is the way it is," he told Finnish broadcaster MTV3.
"If you know you are fighting only for third place then you maybe don't have the same speed for the whole race as normal.
"When you are driving for the title, naturally things are completely different."
The Finn eventually finished the Championship in third place, 23 points behind winner Lewis Hamilton.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Plastic surgery
Joyce aims to go out on a high
The 30-year-old has agreed to join Sussex next season but will represent the club where he has spent his entire professional career in Asia at the lucrative competition.
"If we do well in this and I do well it would be brilliant to finish off on a winning note," Joyce said.
He added: "That's what I'm hoping. It's been weird because I moved clubs at the end of last season but I've been still hanging around and training with the Middlesex players even though I'm going to Sussex next season.
"I can't wait (for the Champions League). It's the first one ever, there are lots of good players and it's going to be huge."
Winning the Champions League, which comprises club teams from Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan and England, would bag Middlesex £2million, which chief executive Vinny Codrington said would be a massive boost for the club.
"It will be great for everybody if we win it," he said.
"It will allow us to build a new indoor school and it will be great for the players - they'll be going round with very broad smiles. They stand to do very well out of it if we win and they deserve it.
"We are very excited and very honoured and delighted to be the first representatives from this country to take part in the Champions League.
"It's a new adventure for absolutely everybody and it's something we're looking forward to with a lot of relish."
Dhoni threats to quit captaincy
According to television reports - which reported a source close to one of the selectors - Dhoni was far from happy when the decision was made to drop R P Singh and include Irfan Pathan instead.
Dhoni made it known that he did not agrree and and immediately decided to resign.
The BBCI, however, have been quick to rubbish the reports. "I can't respond to something that is being floated around by somebody", BCCI secretary N Srinivisan said.
Further reports have said that BCCI President Shashank Manohar was forced to intervene in a bid to resolve the problem.
The newly formed selection committee, headed by former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, had met on Thursday for the team selection when the differences occurred.
Only last year, Rahul Dravid also relinquished captaincy, with a lack of say in selection matters being widely touted as the reason behind Dravid's abrupt decision.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Zenni Opticals
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Discount Jewelry
Sehwag joins elite
The Delhi lad, who struggled with the bat in the Test, finished with five for 104 off 40 overs to emerge as India's leading wicket-taker in Australia's first innings at the Ferozeshah Kotla.
This was his maiden five-wicket haul, bettering his three for 12 against South Africa at Kanpur earlier this year.
The feat at Kotla had earlier been achieved only by three Indian top notch spinners that includes Bishan Singh Bedi (5/37 in 1969-70), Erapalli Prasanna (5/42 in 1969-70) and Anil Kumble (5/67 in 1996-97).
This was also the first that Sehwag bowled more than 30 overs in an innings. He had bowled exactly 30 overs against West Indies in their second innings at Gros Islet in 2006 returning figures of 30-9-48-1.