Apologies that we don’t have a Sebastian Vettel image for you there, the prudes at Red Bull media feel we don’t deserve access to their media section.

As the race telecast began, the atmosphere was electric, there were people with their faces painted, there were dancers dancing bhangra and there were the who’s who of bollywood and even hollywood (atleast Lady Gaga ) at the track. There were murmurs all around of the ticket pricing though. Everyone seemed discontent with the high ticket pricing. And most of these were the ones who had paid Rs.2.5k , imagine the light of those who had paid Rs.35000 for the 3 day pass. The feeling though was still upbeat, India was finally hosting it and with minimal government intervention. Suresh Kalmadi thankfully had nothing to do with this event and the private consortium Jaypee Sports was able to pull it off.

As the warm-up lap started, the newly converted formula one fan crowd started to applause, don’t ask me why. The noise obviously was deafening, those without earplugs were the unluckiest and would most probably lose some hearing ability. I couldn’t secure media access , partly due to my laziness, so I don’t know what the atmosphere was in the media room.

I wouldn’t review whole of the race, you can find that anywhere else, we usually talk about the race and other stuff around the races and it usually isnt coherent also. The post is peppered with a few photos of the Indian Grand Prix I know you would enjoy. Heading into the race Red Bull is easily the team to beat, Sebastian Vettel is breaking record after record. His comparison once was done with Michael Schumacher, but now those are moving to Ayrton Senna. I somehow disagree with those comparisons. Both Schumacher and Senna have proven themselves with average cars, Vettel on the other hand is blessed with a car that beats the rest of the grid. Same way that Brawn GP had beat almost everyone else last season and Button was the hero of heroes.

As the five red lights went out and the Indian GP was go, there was a first corner incident, nothing like Spa though. Button tried to make moves on Vettel, but to no avail.  Most of the race wasn’t very interesting though, Vettel lead from start to finish.

The bigger highlight was Sachin Tendulkar waving the chequered flag for the formula one cars. There were some interesting bits on Lap 24, Lewis Hamilton tried to take the inside line on Felipe Massa, Massa tried to block and hit Hamilton. Seeing it on High Definition on ESPN later , it does seem to be Massa’s fault, but I read somewhere that Hamilton’s been told to reduce the bad blood with Felipe Massa on the track. Like that would go any good. Ask Ron Dennis what happens when you are Lewis Hamilton to do anything. Looking at Rowan Atkinson during the incident just made by day. No Mr.Bean face could have said it better.

The ending was perfect, with Vettel sipping champagne and telling everyone that Indian girls are good looking. Quite a few social networking jokes on that. Overall it was pulled off without a hitch and the Indianess usually expected from huge events held at India. Sure traffic was a mess, but you cant have your cake and eat it too.

It was an action packed qualifying session, the traffic snarls at the venue were legendary with the snarls extending to late evening when I was passing by the track. Spotted a few team folks in various cars Team Lotus prefers the Renault Fluence to travel in style.

Sebastian Vettel grabbed another pole position showing the dominance of his Red Bull, he is just three wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in a formula one season and looks all set to equal that if he continues his current form.

“The car was fantastic since yesterday and throughout qualifying,” said Sebastian Vettel. “In the end there was a little bit left in the first sector.

“I’m extremely happy and it’s good to be here. It will be a very interesting race on a challenging circuit.

“You have to really make sure you stay on the line and the circuit here is not forgiving mistakes. It’s not easy but I enjoy what I do and I was excited when I came here.”

Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in qualifying however due to a penalty he was given on Friday, he got thrown back three places and will start fifth on the grid. Fernando Alonso who will start third on the grid and seemed pleased with Hamilton’s penalty :

“With Hamilton’s penalty, starting third will be even better,” The Spaniard said

Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa could manage only sixth position in contrast. He has been quite a press favorite with certain Indian tabloids going gaga over his resemblance to his brother whatshisname Massa.

Meanwhile Narain Karthikeyan would have entered the bad books of Michael Schumacher. Narain impeded the German champion in his hot lap and was penalized five places. Needless to say that generally means Narain Karthikeyan would be starting last on the grid. However since Timo Glock is approved to race despite being too slow, Narain wont be last on the grid.

Adrian Sutil of Force India qualified in eight position impressing new boss Subrata Roy (in photo with Nico Hulkenberg). Force India fans will remember Sahara bought stake in the team rechristening it the Sahara Force India formula one team.

It seemed to be straight out of a Hollywood movie depicting India, after the embarrassment with Rubens Barrichello’s press conference which was marred by a power cut. Practice today was delayed by a stray dog incident wherein practice had to be delayed due to a stray dog entering on the track. It was chased out by a safety car. There are also reports of a bat entering the media room which newspapers reported being chased out by a man with a broom .

In racing related news, Lewis Hamilton was fastest in P1. Sebatien Vettel was second while Mark Webber finished the top 3 in the practice session. But needless to say, that wasn’t the highlight of the day with the dog taking the honours.

Once again , sorry for the hiatus in posts, work has been a busy busy place and I didn’t get time to update the blog despite there being so many juicy news updates, from the Sahara Group acquiring stake in Force India Formula One team to Sebastien Vettel and Red Bull winning the drivers and constructor’s titles with a couple of races to spare. Congrats to Vettel who has proven his mettle once again (that almost rhymed).

However this post isn’t about his achievements or Red Bull’s continued domination of formula one now and whether its making the sport monotonous. Its about the marketing blitzkrieg that’s been unleashed in India to make the inaugural formula one Indian Grand Prix a resounding success. And it will be, but it wont be a success for the formula one fan. It would just be a commercial success.

Step into a shopping mall, you see models and people dressed up in formula one gear greeting you, formula one car shells spewed here and there and more ‘offers’ on the Indian Grand Prix, win tickets, win VIP passes, win hospitality suite passes etc. Real fans have been unable to grab any decently priced tickets, while models who pose for sponsors have been bathing in VIP suite passes. Well you may have guessed, I wasn’t able to get passes for the event. That’s ok. What sucks is that some super random folks I know have VIP passes and they certainly don’t care about formula one, just the whole sponsor hoopla over the Indian Grand Prix has assured them passes, or so they claim.

I am a reasonable person, I am all in for the Indian Grand Prix, but for the formula one fan. I would rather not have random wannabees at the circuit who know nothing about formula one , watching the race just because they think its cool. Not only will that spoil the environment it would ensure a new breed of fanboys into the sport of formula one who speak for a team without knowing anything about the history of the sport or the team.

Already news channels are broadcasting random viewpoints of street folk who are disappointed that Karun Chandhok wont race for Lotus or those who feel Narain Karthikeyan might just get podium. Now imagine 15000 of these at the formula one track. Others wonder how Red Bull can be a race team and blindly cheer for Manchester headquartered Force India formula one team.

The ticket prices honestly are atrocious except for the Rs.2500 one. Paying Rs.25000 (roughly $500) plus some more for parking doesn’t sound right to me. No normal formula one fan can afford that and it would make the event a showcase for the rich and famous. Now that may work in a place like Monaco, but in India , it doesn’t. Being a formula one fan for more than a decade, I wasn’t able to secure reasonably priced tickets. I often get invites to team’s pits for a number of races on the calendar, but for the Indian Grand Prix, I wasn’t even able to get cheap 3 day no seat passes. Doesn’t sound fair to me !

Hoping the Indian Grand Prix organisers take a cue and make it more of a people’s event from next year.

I write this post as the latest game in the series ‘F1 2011’ is launched and yes it includes the new Buddh International circuit at Noida. Its coded by codemasters and is marketed by Zapak in India.

The game has a number of new gameplay options, one of which is the much awaited co-op mode, you and your friend compete as formula one racing partners for a team. I have just got my review copy and cant wait to play it out. If you are looking for features, they are all listed here. You can also view the release trailer here, the graphics look simply awesome ! Am awaiting my Xbox copy to really see the HD graphics

The game is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

F1 2011™ is the sequel to the BAFTA winning FORMULA ONE™ videogame 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 will come complete with all the official drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE World Championship™. Zapak Games, the licensing & merchandising arm of Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd. will distribute the title in India.

Developed using Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform F1 2011 will deliver an unrivalled FORMULA ONE experience that puts players into the heart of the world’s most exciting sport, powered by cutting edge graphics, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

· Go Compete!  F1 2011 builds extensively on the multiplayer options from F1 2010. Split-screen racing is included for the first time in a high-definition FORMULA ONE title. Competitive online racing is extended with 16 players going head-to-head in GRAND PRIX™ with up to 8 AI drivers added to simulate the full grid of 24 drivers. An innovative new co-op Championship enables two players to lead their favourite FORMULA ONE team to Driver and Constructor glory across the course of a FORMULA ONE season. These enhancements are complimented by additional quick fire modes including Time Attack.

· New Circuits for 2011. Two stunning new additions to the race calendar extend the number of circuits to feature in F1 2011 to 19. Players will be able to debut ahead of the drivers on the Buddh International Circuit, the home of the first FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF INDIA and players will be able to test themselves on the iconic Nürburging circuit for the first time in High Definition, as this legendary track returns for the 2011 season.

· 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.

· All the cars, all the stars. Fully licensed, F1 2011 features all the drivers set to contest the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. All 2011 teams are represented including Ferrari, Red Rull Racing, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Lotus Renault GP in their iconic black and gold livery.

· 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 defence and attack. This season’s new Pirelli tyres are faithfully simulated in the game, and if players push their car too hard they may experience a range of authentic new damage failures.

· Full Day / Night Racing. The 2011 FORMULA 1 ETHIAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX comes alive with a full day/ night transition which recreates the special atmosphere at this unique track. Every one of the existing circuits from the 2010 roster has been given a complete visual overhaul. New atmospheric effects, including dynamic clouds, compliment a weather system which features an advanced rain model that affects on-track grip.  Powered by the EGO Game Technology Platforms, F1 2011 pushes forward the graphical standard of what can be achieved in a racing game.

· 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 realise 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.

· Unprecedented authenticity. Codemasters has used its unprecedented access to the world of FORMULA ONE to connect the development team directly with FORMULA ONE teams and tyre manufacturers. Extensive consultancy has taken place with a range of FORMULA ONE professionals, including race engineers, mechanics and drivers. This has been combined with real world data including CAD and on-board telemetry to deliver a race experience complete with authentic handling, accurate circuits and precisely modelled racing cars.

· EGO powered FORMULA ONE. F1 2011 is being developed on the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO engine. Enabling Codemasters development talent to share tools and technology across Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

Jaypee Sports International Limited (JPSI), which had launched the online sale of tickets for the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India earlier this month, is pleased to announce that tickets for the event are now also available offline. In addition to www.bookmyshow.com, tickets for the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India are now available at selected Café Coffee Day outlets and Mercedes-Benz (the official automotive partner for Buddh Interntional Circuit) dealerships. These outlets are:

Café Coffee Day
Gurgaon: Cyber Green
Mumbai: Andheri, Matunga, Clanfield – Lokhandwala
New Delhi: Ajmal Khan Road, Club Road – Punjabi Bagh, PVR Saket
Noida: Great India Place   

Mercedes-Benz
Bangalore: 107, Kasturba Road
Mumbai: Kotian Nirman, Ground Floor, New Link Road, Andheri (West)
Mumbai: Rajan House, Ground Floor, Appa Saheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi
New Delhi: Plot no.212, Okhala Industrial Estate, Phase 3 

The World Motor Sport council voted to get the Bahrain Grand Prix re-instated in a move that was praised by Bahrain’s prince but met with sharp criticism elsewhere.

The Bahrain Grand Prix now pushes the Inaugural Indian Grand Prix to the end of the season. The Indian Grand Prix will now be held in December andd Bahrain Grand Prix takes the 30th October slot.

The Bahrain Crown prince praised the move :

“Having the race back in Bahrain has, indeed, significantly unified the people of Bahrain in this period,” Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said

“Their love for their country and caring for its interest has motivated them in supporting efforts to bring the race back to Bahrain this year,” he added.

This is ofcourse in stark contrast to what the rest of the world feels. We had recently reported on the democracy protests in Bahrain, what we didn’t report (as we aren’t a political blog) was how the protests were crushed and citizens detained in the kingdom state. Its no wonder that the decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix has people up in anger all over the Internet.

Former FIA president Max Mosely was vocal of his criticism and hoped that the decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix would be reversed. In a piece for the Daily Telegraph, he wrote :

“Surely the line has to be drawn when a sporting event is not mere entertainment in a less-than-perfect country, but is being used by an oppressive regime to camouflage its actions” Max Mosley wrote.

“If a sport accepts this role, it becomes a tool of government. If Formula 1 allows itself to be used in this way in Bahrain, it will share the regime’s guilt as surely as if it went out and helped brutalize unarmed protesters.”

“Having carried out these horrific acts, the Bahrain government wants to clean up its image. That’s where the grand prix comes in. By running the race they hope to show the world the troubles were just a small, temporary difficulty and everything is now back to normal.

“By agreeing to race there, Formula 1 becomes complicit in what has happened. It becomes one of the Bahrain government’s instruments of repression. The decision to hold the race is a mistake which will not be forgotten and, if not reversed, will eventually cost Formula 1 dear.”

Red Bull driver Mark Webber was also critical and till now one of the only f1 drivers who seems to have come out openly against the decision, He wrote on his website :

“In my personal opinion, the sport should have taken a much firmer stance earlier this year rather than constantly delaying its decision in the hope of being able to reschedule it in 2011.

“It would have sent a very clear message about F1′s position on something as fundamental as human rights and how it deals with moral issues.”

“Like it or not, F1 and sport in general isn’t above having a social responsibility and conscience. I hope F1 is able to return to Bahrain eventually but now isn’t the right time.

“As a competitor I do not feel at all comfortable going there to compete in an event when, despite reassurances to the contrary, it seems inevitable that it will cause more tension for the people of that country.

“I don’t understand why my sport wishes to place itself in a position to be a catalyst for that.”

For better or for worse, formula one is motivated by money,  of course we overlook that 30% of the McLaren formula one team is owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

However its (commercial interests) working in the other way also, countless petitions have been started to pressurize Red Bull and other consumer dependent companies to pull out of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

FOTA is another key player in this mess, however FOTA’s current president is from the McLaren team who are owned partially by Kingdom of Bahrain, so expectations are low from them.

At this point, it does not seem like we have seen the last of this matter. Its likely to snowball into something huge in the coming days.

Photo : Soman, under CC Attribution/Share Alike 2.5

I am not sure if it was the end of race frustration on Monaco stewards or he figured it was ok to joke about it because he is of african origin, but Lewis Hamilton thinks its funny to joke :

Maybe it’s because I’m black‎

Any respectful person will find these comments extremely tasteless and boorish and unexpected from a formula one race champion. We hope that he apologizes for the fans of the sport. The comments , even if said in jest are not appropriate.

It was a double whammy for Lewis Hamilton during today’s Monaco Grand Prix, who got a drive through penalty for an incident with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and later was slapped with another 20 seconds of penalty for an incident with Pastor Maldonado.

“Out of six races I’ve been to the stewards five times. It’s a joke. It’s an absolute … joke,” Lewis Hamilton said.

“You know, you can’t overtake here and very, very rarely do you ever get an opportunity. I was quite a lot quicker than Massa. I went up the inside and the guy turned so early and just, turned into me. And I tried to go over the kerb to avoid him and we’re stuck together, and so, I mean, it was just…

And of course I get the penalty, which is usual.  He held me up in qualifying and I got the penalty. He turned into me and I got the penalty. And then I went up the inside of Maldonado, and you can see on the screen he turned in a good car length too early to stop me from overtaking him and crashed into me. I mean, it’s just ridiculous. These drivers are absolutely frickin’ ridiculous. It’s stupid.”

When prodded about why he received so many penalties, he jokingly replied :”

“Maybe it’s because I’m black. That’s what Ali G says”

He is said to have apologized to the stewards later, a good thing IMO. Just needs to apologize to the millions of fans he has hurt.

We will soon be posting a testimonial to the track club day where you can get a chance to compete in real racing cars and fulfill your dreams of driving like Schumacher/Hakkinen/Hamilton (take your pick).

After you’ve taken part in a supercar driving experience or one of the increasingly popular Formula One-style driving experiences, you’ll most likely be aching all over – using all those unfamiliar muscles and being subjected to all that power in the confined space of the car’s cockpit is exhilarating, but also totally exhausting.

So as you’re nursing your lower back muscles, spare a thought for what pro drivers have to go through for 90 minutes or so of flat-out concentration, stamina and skill in the beating sun! Your driving experience will have given you some taste of what it takes – but read this and you’ll have renewed respect for the pros…

Heat is a primary concern for any athlete, and in Formula One training facilities, drivers are subjected to exercise programmes involving specialised heat chambers. Drivers can lose up to 3kg of their bodyweight during a single race.

Reflexes are paramount in a sport dealing in performance differences of fractions of a second per lap. Formula One drivers train using a machine called BATAK, a unit of LED clusters which must be stretched towards and touched when they light up to train and improve response times.

Physical strength conditioning is very specific with Formula One drivers – the neck is under five or six Gs of pressure and with the weight of a helmet, the neck has to cope with supporting up to 24 kgs of weight. Neck, shoulder and chest muscles need to be trained ruthlessly with specialist unforgiving robot gym machines, and with the use of large elastic bands to imitate G-Forces and train them to cope with the strain. The core muscles of the midriff and abdomen are also key to success: F1 drivers train on exercise balls with blindfolds on to coax the microfine control over this area of the body they need out on the track.

Stamina-wise, experts believe an F1 drive can be as grueling as a 26-mile run. This literally marathon undertaking therefore requires up to four hours a day of intensive cardiovascular exertion. The typical F1 driver would have a 7% bodyfat ratio, achieved through swimming, cycling, jogging and even… rollerblading. And their heartbeats are measured at an average of 170 over the course of a 90-minute race – higher than in any other sport.

Nutrition and hydration for drivers mirrors that of top-class track and field athletes. It’s the familiar story of carb loading before a race, as well as the intake of huge amounts of water to combat dehydration and its attendant threat to concentration and focus.

Photos courtesy of the Porsche Human Performance Centre

For anyone who’s caught the driving experience bug, and is serious about finding out precisely how ‘fit to drive’ they are, driver fitness assessment facilities like the Porsche Human Performance centre located at Silverstone offer rigorous checks for athletes, monitoring all aspects of fitness related to driving in state-of-the-art facilities.