It was a breathtaking win for Lewis Hamilton where he outwitted and outraced Formula One World Championship leader Sebastien Vettel by overtaking him with just 4 laps remaining in the race. Although with an atrocious beard like that I was hoping he wouldn’t win

Lewis Hamilton was on an unconventional three stop strategy and in the end that seemed to have made the difference with his McLaren outclassing the Red Bull of Vettel. The fresher tyres ensured he was able to overtake the Red Bull. It was nice to see strategy again playing a part in the races after the Red Bulls have truly shown technological dominance on the racetrack (Interpretation of Rules again ?, someone please enlighten !). Sebastien Vettel has already won the 1st 2 formula one races and does seem to be on-track for a successful title defense.

Mark Webber was third and Jenson Button took the 4th place. Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg outclassed Michael Schumacher once again and was 5th while the veteran German could manage only 8th. Questions are again being asked about the German’s comeback decision and whether it was a disastrous decision to make. Personally I am proud of him, it takes courage to put your legacy on the line like he has

Sorry for the short and intermittent updates, too much work these day ! But like all things , this too shall pass !

Good old Jenson Button was having fun this Tuesday at Australia’s Mt. Panorama circuit, here is a press release and some really nice photos from the sessions.

TUESDAY 22 MARCH 2011: Ahead of defending his Australian F1™ race grand prix crown, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ace and 2009 World Champion Jenson Button wrote history today, becoming the first-ever race driver to take on Australia’s iconic Mount Panorama circuit in an F1™ race car.
 
The historic event proved to be irresistible to motorsport fans, with thousands flocking to line the Mount Panorama circuit to see a Formula 1™ car soar around the legendary track. Button completed five laps in the MP4-23 car, before five-times Bathurst champion, TeamVodafone’s Craig Lowndes, himself wrote his own new chapter in Australian motorsport history, becoming the first-ever Australian driver to pilot a Formula 1™ car around the famous Mount Panorama circuit.

 
The unique event, organised by Vodafone with the support of Bathurst Council, was inspired by Jenson himself, who after taking Lowndes’ team mate, TeamVodafone driver Jamie Whincup’s V8 Supercar, for a spin around Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit last year, declared his desire to have a crack at The Mountain.
 
For V8 Supercar legend, Craig Lowndes, the event presented him with a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive a Formula One car around a track he knows (arguably) better than anyone else.

 
When Button took to the wheel of the TeamVodafone V8 Supercar, he fulfilled a dream- to thread a V8 racecar through the famous walls of Mount Panorama, a race he grew up watching as a young child in the UK.

 
Both Button and Lowndes paid tribute to fans, thanking them for travelling all across Australia to be part of this unique event and also for their kind donations to the Queensland and Victoria Flood Appeal.
 
JENSON BUTTON 
 
Jenson on his first impressions on the track
These guys are crazy – they really are. This place is fantastic. Television just doesn’t do it justice. When I drove around earlier in a Mercedes road car it even felt fast. I think I’m going to have more fun in the V8 car than the F1 because you can actually use all the kerbs and get a good flow. I’m really excited about the challenge. It’s
the second time I’ll be driving a V8 and I’ve got so many good memories of watching the V8s on TV and hopefully one day I get to drive one for real and it not just be four laps.
 
Jenson on fulfilling his childhood dream of driving at Bathurst
As a driver you have your favourite tracks. Like Macau and Silverstone for instance. But this is the one I haven’t had the possibility of driving and I’m going to fulfil a childhood dream in not only a V8 but also in a Formula 1 car – which I think is pretty special myself.
 
Jenson Button on the advice given to him by TeamVodafone V8 Supercar legend, Craig Lowndes
He jokingly said it’s flat everywhere and that if you don’t come back with wing mirrors that’s pretty normal!
 
Jenson Button on how it felt to be the first driver to pilot an F1™ at Mt. Panorama
This is an iconic race track and it’s great to celebrate the unofficial fastest lap in a F1 car. That was phenomenal. It was such a rush. Once you get over the straights being quite hard to control the car over it is such a pleasure. It’s just a pity I don’t have more laps to test it out.

Jenson Button on how different was it driving the V8 compared to watching them on TV?
I didn’t expect so much grip. It took me a while to get used to it. I haven’t hammered a car over kerbs like that for 12 years so it was a new experience for me and something I’ve missed.
 
Jenson Button on what it was like up on top of the mountain in a V8?
I was holding on tight all the way. It takes everything out of you. It was the experience I’ve wanted to have for many years and I’ve finally done it. In a way it’s probably not a good thing because it’s made me more hungry to come back.

Last year was Michael Schumacher’s return to the world of formula one, the veteran with multiple championships under his belt was beaten pretty convincingly by most teams and a little less convincingly by his teammate Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP car.

However he indicated that this season would be much better. He seemed confident of podium finishes and at least some victories this season.

“I am confident that we can compete for podium finishes, and I am hopeful we can fight for victories at some of the races,” Schumacher said

On being prodded further about the story this year, this is what he had to say :

“This year feels very different indeed. Last year everything was new again; the testing situation, the car, the team, the structures. It was very exciting but it was still something you had to find your way through,” Michael Schumacher said.

“Now, one year later, I know much better which areas to work in. I am much more familiar with the team and we have a great group of very skilled and dedicated people. I enjoy what I do, I enjoy working with Mercedes, and I have never regretted my decision to return … if that is what you wanted to ask next!”

“My feeling is a good one. The team has been working very hard over the (European) winter to shape our car in all of the areas which had been identified by us as needing improvement,” he said.

“The data I have seen over the winter has been quite encouraging, but then we all know that the realities of data and the race track can be quite different.

“As a driver, you obviously hope for a good step forward and I think this is what we have achieved.

“Saying that, we will only see the truth once the season gets underway, so I can hardly wait to go to Melbourne to finally see what the real picture is.”

Vijay Mallya had one aim for his formula one team, he wanted to bring his team to a level that would ensure a podium finish for the team at the first Indian Grand Prix and quite frankly they are almost there. Mr. Vijay Mallya has not run the Force India F1 team as a side business but like a sport entity should be run, with passion, determination and ofcourse force. He also has the distinction of being one of the few people with top level categories for them .

This is just a small article showcasing how the team looks for the 2011 season, the team calls its 2011 challenger the VJM04.

The team seems all charged up for the 2011 season, while poster boy Adrian Sutil was retained for the 2011 season as primary driver, Nico Hulkenberg will be the reserve driver and Brit blood (Scottish for some ) Paula Di Resta has come into the team as the secondary driver. Vitantonio Liuzzi is out of the team (surprised ? ).

Testing has been proceeding well for the team and Adrian Sutil seemed happy with the recently concluded testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Adrian’s comments after the test were :

Adrian Sutil
A very productive day in general for us. We made some good progress with the balance and we’ve now got a basic set-up that feels smooth and easy to drive. I also got a run on the supersoft tyres, which we didn’t manage to do yesterday. Of course we also put the KERS on the car. It ran reliably and allowed us to complete the full test programme: very promising for this point in testing. It’s still early days for the system but we have got ourselves into a good rhythm and can feed this back into the factory to get some more performance for the next test.

Dominic Harlow, circuit engineering director also added his thoughts :

A good final day’s testing concentrating on KERS set-up, reliability and also some aero tests that remained on our program. Adrian also looked at some ride height sweeps and a few procedural checks. It’s been a productive four days for the team and overall the car seems to be performing reliably and according to expectations in all the major areas.

The comments are very much in contrast with those of the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. In other news, Martin Whitmarsh has issued a whip to the  various drivers taking gripes at the new F1 tyre suppliers Pirelli.

“Being a tire supplier is a thankless task,” Martin Whitmarsh said.

“The quick deterioration is a characteristic, requested by the teams and organization, to improve the show.”

Images : Force India F1 Media

Last week an event was held in Australia to create awareness about Glaucoma and its effects on driving. Ian Luff was present at the event to showcase how driving is affected by Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the name given to a series of diseases that irreversibly damage the eye‟s optic nerve.  If left unchecked, this can result in serious vision loss over time. Glaucoma is commonly detected by measuring the pressure in the eye, also known as
intraocular pressure (IOP). When eye pressure increases over time, the optic nerve becomes damaged. Worldwide, an estimated 6.7 million people are blind from glaucoma, with approximately 70 million people living with the condition. 

Research that investigated the on-road driving performance of patients with glaucoma which included interventions to prevent unsafe situations found that patients with glaucoma were six times more likely than those with normal vision to have an instructor intervene. This was primarily due to difficulty detecting peripheral obstacles and hazards and reaction to unexpected events.

Motoring expert Ian Luff, Founder of “Drive to Survive”, a driver education program, and Ambassador of the World Glaucoma Week 2011, believes driving a motor vehicle requires precise judgement and actions.

“With four decades of experience in post-licence driver education and training, I believe peripheral or side vision used effectively increases a driver?s level of awareness. Having effective vision provides a driver with the ability to anticipate what is happening around them. Alcohol, drugs, fatigue and medical conditions are common causes of accidents and road trauma,” states Mr Luff.

As glaucoma develops gradually, patients may not be aware that they are suffering from the disease. “Although the effects of glaucoma can be devastating, early detection and treatment can significantly reduce damage to the eyes.  Glaucoma causes permanent, irreversible damage to the eyes and for this reason, early detection plays a crucial role in the management of the disease. It is important to be aware of the risk factors and to discuss any concerns with an eye health professional,” adds Dr. Healey.

So go and get checked out for Glaucoma today !