2008 Malaysian Grand Prix

Ferrari dominated the Malaysian Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen cruising to a comfortable victory after Felipe Massa lost the car in a bizarre snap over steer.

	DRIVER	ENTRANT	TIME
1.	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	1h31m18.555
2.	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	19.570
3.	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	38.450
4.	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	45.832
5.	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	46.548
6.	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	49.833
7.	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1m08.130
8.	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1m10.041
9.	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	1m16.220
10.	Jenson Button	Honda	1m26.214
11.	Nelson Piquet	Renault	1m32.202
12.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	1 Lap
13.	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	1 Lap
14.	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	1 Lap
15.	Anthony Davidson	Super Aguri-Honda	1 Lap
16.	Takuma Sato	Super Aguri-Honda	2 Laps
17.	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	2 Laps
R	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	Hydraulics
R	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Spin
R	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	Hydraulics
R	Timo Glock	Toyota	Damage
R	Sebastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	Spin

2008 Malaysian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Felipe Massa takes his tenth pole position with an absolutely stunning lap that was more than a half second clear of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen.  Heikki Kovalainen takes P3, another half second adrift beating his teammate Lewis Hamilton who was almost one second off the pace of Massa.  If the Ferrari's can stay reliable, they will definitely have the upper hand at tomorrows grand prix.

Top Times
Felipe Massa	1:35.748
Kimi Raikkonen	1:36.230
Heikki Kovalainen	1:36.613
Lewis Hamilton	1:36.709
Jarno Trulli	1:36.711
Robert Kubica	1:36.727

Qualifying Details

Is the BMW the ugliest car ever?

When they show a head-on shot of the F1.08 I don't know whether to laugh, or cringe and avert my eyes. It looks like somebody attacked it with Post-It® Notes. I've been wondering if it's the result of a bizarre hazing of a new aerodynamicist gone wrong, if Nick or Robert pissed off an aero guy--I couldn't decide. I like the team and want to like the car. One of my road cars is a Bimmer, after all. But it's hard to fall in love with something that ugly.

Oh, the team will tell you that it's all about performance. But something that ghastly has to have a good story behind it. A theory just hit me this morning. I think this is why BMW-Sauber put all those Post-It® flaps on:

Imagine with me...

The cars have just finished their final pitstops. McLaren or Ferrari have pipped the BMW at the first corner and they're fighting for position. The Macca or Ferrari driver takes a look in the mirrors to assess the competition and starts laughing. Distracted, they miss an apex and the BMW sails home to its maiden win. Hey, it's as plausible as anything. Discuss.

2008 Malaysian Grand Prix - Friday Practice

Friday Practice 1

Friday Practice 2

Ferrari look like the team to beat so far setting the pace throughout the bulk of both sessions.  Lewis Hamilton went out on fumes to set his fastest lap in session two and had to slow down so much on his cool down lap that he balked Massa a lot completely destroying his flyer.  Peter Windsor continued his bid to be Lewis Hamilton's lover boy.  In smoothing over the fact that Lewis tends to put more wear on his rear tires than his teammates, Peter claims that they are "beautifully worn" while the others are more inconsistently worn.  The fact is, Lewis drives more with his feet and less with his hands,  hence he has more rear tire wear...can't hide that one.  Good try though Peter.

2008 Australian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton wins the chaotic 2008 Australian Grand Prix. 

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton - P1
Heikki Kavalainen - P5
Keeping his head above the roaring waves of catastrophe, Lewis stayed in front and brought the car home.  Heikki did pretty well except for one little blunder down the main straight where he hit the speed limiter while pulling a tear off away.

Ferrari
Felipe Massa - Retired (Engine Failure)
Kimi Raikkonnen - P8 - Retired (Engine Failure)
The Ferraris had a miserable day without either driver making it to the end.  Presumably they had some form of valve failure on both cars.  Reliability issues aside, neither driver was really putting in a descent drive.  They both made ridiculous mistakes and showed an overall lack of concentration.

BMW
Nick Heidfeld - P2
Robert Kubica - Retired (Accident)
After putting in a great qualifying performance, Robert Kubica had a horrible race.  Not entirely through any fault of his own, he was hit in the back behind the pace car by Kazuki Nakajima.  After that he was pretty well off the pace for the rest of the race.  Nick Heidfeld on the other hand quietly did his job as he always does and brought in a great second place finish.  All in all, BMW Sauber should be proud of their new found pace and what looks like a very bright future for this season.

Williams-Toyota
Nico Rosberg - P3
Kazuki Nakajima - P6
Leading what many hope to be a resurgence of Williams, Nico Rosberg drove an excellent race bringing his Williams-Toyota home in third.  His rookie teammate, which we will call "Spaz" Nakajima showed that he was ready for F1 by slamming into the back of Robert Kubica behind the safety car and then actually finishing the race in sixth.  Did he find one of Schumi's lucky charms in the paddock somewhere?

Renault
Fernando Alonso - P4
Nelsinho Piquet - Retired (Accident)
Getting one over on McLaren, Fernando Alonso finished ahead of Heikki Kovalainen in fourth place.  He squeezed everything possible out of the current Renault F1 offering.  Nelsinho Piquet didn't come close finishing only thirty of the fifty eight laps.

STR-Ferrari
Sebastien Bourdais - P7
Sebastian Vettel - Retired (Accident)
After the other Sebastian retired early, this Sebastien went on to have a great first grand prix finishing seventh.  For a while he was even holding off some of the bigger players until they got the better of him.  Good showing for our old Minardi team which we just learned is currently up for sale.  Where's my wallet?

Toyota
Timo Glock - Retired (Accident)
Jarno Trulli - Retired (Electrical Failure)

Super Aguri
Takuma Sato - Retired (Transmission Failure)
Anthony Davidson - Retired (Accident)

Red Bull-Renault
David Coulthard - Retired (Accident)
Mark Webber - Retired (Accident)

Force India-Ferrari
Adrian Sutil - Retired (Hydraulic Failure)
Giancarlo Fisichella - Retired (Accident)

Honda
Jenson Button - Retired (Accident)
Rubens Barrichello - DSQ (Exited pits under red light)

Complete Finishing Order

Excellent 2008 Season Video Preview

Lewis Hamilton takes Pole at Australia

Ferrari drop the ball and McLaren take the advantage in Australia with Lewis Hamilton on Pole.  The most impressive drive however came from Robert Kubica putting the BMW Sauber in P2 with a stunning lap that quite possibly could have taken pole if not for a minor off.  Raikkonen is mysteriously absent from the top as well after he had a fuel pressure problem at the close of Q1.

Top Times
Lewis Hamilton	1:26.714
Robert Kubica	1:26.869
Heikki Kovalainen	1:27.079
Felipe Massa	1:27.178
Nick Heidfeld	1:27.236
Jarno Trulli	1:28.527

 Qualifying Details

2008 Australian Grand Prix - Friday Practice

Friday Practice 1

Friday Practice 2

It's great to see and hear the machines of Formula One on track again.  Both practice sessions were fairly uneventful and the times were as different as the testing strategies were.  If you take away the qualifying simulations by Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, you can see quite clearly that the top four are practically on top of each other.  This is going to be a great race!

Top Times Combined
Raikkonen	1:26.461
Hamilton	1:26.559
Massa	1:26.958
Kovalainen	1:27.114

Part 4 - 2008 Formula One Season Preview

BMW Sauber

2007 Points:  101

Current Driver Lineup:  Nick Heidfeld & Robert Kubica

Chassis: F1.08

Engine: BMW

Not the fastest on the grid, but definitely not just the best of the rest, BMW Sauber were in their own  category in 2007.  If they can maintain that momentum into 2008, they should be able to stay at the pointy end all season long.  Unfortunately, that may be just a dream for them.  They have struggled all winter with suspension and aero problems.  The later of which being their biggest issue.  They may not be able to fix those issues in time.

A little stability is a good thing and BMW Sauber have chosen to do that by retaining Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica.  In 2007 Heidfeld did an absolutely brilliant job taking it to McLaren and Ferrari on many occasions.  He has continued to impress year after year while keeping a relatively low profile in Formula One.  Kubica on the other hand was pretty mediocre for most of the season.  He did have the occasional splash, but he is definitely going to have to up his game if he's going to compete with Heidfeld.  Lets hope the team can solve their aero problems so these guys can go at it and solidify BMW Sauber's position at the front of the grid. 

 

 

Ferrari

2007 Points:  204

Current Driver Lineup:  Kimi Raikkonen & Felipe Massa

Chassis: F2008

Engine: Ferrari Type 056

Coming back to defend their titles, Ferrari have a beautiful new car and a very confident team.  With all of the drama that came about from catching McLaren cheating and the distractions that came with it, I'm sure that Ferrari are very ready to just put it all on the track again.  Throughout the winter they looked like the team to beat, but in the final test they were definitely not blowing everybody off.  It looks like we may have another very close fight for the championship this year.  A far cry from the Schumi era.

Ferrari have both of their drivers from 2007 coming back for this year to drive the new prancing horse.  Kimi Raikkonen won the championship last year and is very keen to add another one to it.  He could be even more dangerous to the competition this year simply because he doesn't have anything to prove.  On the other side of the coin we have Felipe Massa who has loads to prove.  No question about it, he is ridiculously quick, but he hasn't had the luck and patience to go along with it.  If he continues to absorb everything that he can from Michael Schumacher he could very well become the next Ferrari champion.  If they can have some reliability from their equipment, Raikkonen and Massa could be battling neck and neck throughout the season.  Either way that you look at it, the 2008 season should provide for some very exciting racing.

Part 3 - 2008 Formula One Season Preview

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2

 

Red Bull

2007 Points: 24

Current Driver Lineup:  David Coulthard & Mark Webber

Chassis: RB4

Engine: Renault RS27

An impressive run for the old Jaguar team, 2007 ended up being a pretty good year for Red Bull.  Having to run a car that was an evolution of their 2006 chassis in the first half of the year, the revisions penned by their new hire, Adrian Newey, provided for a very productive second half of the season.  Reliability improved as did their overall performance.  Newey seems to definitely be enjoying himself at his new home in Formula One.

Although they are a couple of the oldest drivers in F1, David Coulthard and Mark Webber provide plenty of fire for this very aggressive team.  They have both proven to be quite proficient in developing a car as well.  David Coulthard left a very lucrative gig at McLaren to take on this position and seems to be proving himself with every turn of the wheel.  Mark Webber, although not turning out to be the genius that many thought he would be, is still putting in quite a show and is a good enough driver to bring a car home in the toughest of times.  We expect to see more of the same from this duo and maybe a bit more in 2008 with hopefully a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

 

Williams

2007 Points: 33

Current Driver Lineup:  Nico Rosberg & Kazuki Nakajima

Chassis:  FW30

Engine: Toyota

After a horrendous 2006, Williams F1 seemed to finally have their lags back under them for 2007.  They are improving at a very respectable rate and are coming up with what appears to be a very good chassis for 2008.   We expected them to implode after 2006, so we are very delighted to see them come this far and have such a bright future in front of them.

Williams struck gold when they landed Nico Rosberg.  He's intelligent, quick and extremely motivated.  He has the skills to take Williams even further than they went last year.  The question remains though, can they provide him the car to get it done?  The first driver to graduate from the Toyota development program, Kazuki Nakajima is an unknown quantity.  On paper Nakajima doesn't give us warm fuzzy's.  In testing he hasn't proven to be all that quick either.  So, we're predicting that he will either be out before the year is up or this will be a "one hit wonder" for Kazuki.  That said, Nico should provide plenty of points for Williams to keep moving ahead.

 

Renault

2007 Points: 51

Current Driver Lineup:  Fernando Alonso & Nelsinho Piquet

Chassis:  R28

Engine:  Renault Rs27

Renault never quite recovered from Michelin pulling out of Formula One.  With their revolutionary suspension being a collaboration between them and Michelin it was bound to be a problem when they were forced to change tire suppliers.  Now that their prodigal son has returned, Renault hope to rekindle what they had and produce a winning team again.  This could be one of the smartest moves Fernando has ever made or it could destroy his career in F1.  We'll have to wait and see.

Alonso has a lot of work to do now that he's back home.  He has a pig of a car and a lot of pressure on his shoulders.  We're not completely convinced that his team has forgiven him for leaving yet either, which could provide for some tension within the garage itself.  Nevertheless, he has to get on with it and if he can stop twitching from being stabbed in the back so many times at McLaren, he should be able to drag Renault back to where they belong.  Quietly doing his job on the other side of the garage, we have Nelsinho Piquet.  We are predicting that he will be a huge surprise to most F1 fans as he is very capable of getting a car to move quite briskly around a track.  We think that Alonso may have his hands full with yet another rookie.  Watch your back Fernando.

Reversal...has it really come to this?

Patrick, Patrick, Patrick. So you want to do the reverse grid trick in F1. Where do I start? I just don't see "rewarding" somebody for being the best driver in qualifying by sticking him at the back of the grid. It smacks of desperation. It also fits into a world view I find a bit disturbing. 'Oh, that kid is faster than everyone else so let the rest have a head start.'

Rhetorical question #493: Whatever happened to letting people (and teams) succeed or fail on their own merit? There are supposed to be life lessons available in sport, and apparently the lesson now is that if you're not good enough you get the rules changed. Hey, at least it'll be exciting.

Well, thanks, but for this F1 fan the racing is fine, in fact better, if left alone. I used to watch a bit of TransAm racing several years ago until they lost the beam with things like "competition yellows." If a driver is stomping the field on a given day just sit back and enjoy the perfect convergence of driving skill, setup, strategy, car, luck, etc. Don't pull him in the pits for a soda so everyone else can catch up and give us a fake photo finish.

Who will 'Stepney' in it first?

Reading the articles about the FIA taking no formal action against former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney for his admitted role in the McLaren spygate incident got me to wondering... Which team will hire him?

If F1 is anything like other major sports, you know somebody will give him a shot, the FIA's 'suggestion' that nobody hire him before July 2009 notwithstanding. The key phrase in the release was, "without conducting appropriate due diligence regarding his suitability for involvement in international motor sport."

How many times have we seen recycled football or basketball coaches, not to mention the players who get second (or seventh) chances? Some team will issue a statement about his hiring, along with the requisite use of the word "diligence" in reference to their thorough investigation which convinces them that ole Nige has plenty to offer their team and the sport.

This will be interesting to watch, though I think I'll worry more about the actual racing. Just a few days to go now...

Part 2 - 2008 Formula One Season Preview

Click here for Part 1

Honda

2007 Points: 6

Current Driver Lineup: Jenson Button & Rubens Barrichello

Chassis: RA108

Engine: Honda RA808E

After finishing fourth in 2006, Honda fell down the charts in 2007. The problems in 2007 were apparently due to aerodynamic calibrations early on, but either way that you look at it there was obviously a lot of confusion around the development of the RA107. Honda snatched some shiny new brains in Chief aerodynamicist Loic Bigois and assistant Fancois Martinet to hopefully develop the new car a little more thoroughly. The biggest news however, came with the announcement that Ross Brawn is Honda's new team principal. His reputation alone should improve what they had in 2007, so we are very excited to see what he can do with Honda Racing F1.

Scoring all six of their points in 2007, Jenson Button will be back to see what Brawn can squeeze out of the team as well. Jenson scored points in three of the seventeen races run. If he hadn't retired in six of the races, he quite possibly could have scored more. You really can't ask much more from someone driving something like the RA107. It was a complete pig. If his smooth driving style contributed quite a lot to masking out the problems inherent in a car with aero problems, Rubens' driving style ripped the mask right off. I love Rubino, but he is not what you want when you are trying to move a team up the grid. Nevertheless, they have chosen to bring both of them back for 2008 and seem to be confident in bringing them a competitive car. I would put my money on Brawn pulling it off.

Toro Rosso

2007 Points: 8

Current Driver Lineup: Sebastien Bourdais &

Sebastian Vettel

Chassis: STR2B

Engine: Ferrari 056

I can't help it, but I still think of them as our little Minardi Minnows. I always cheered on Minardi in the past and I will continue to cheer on Minardi...er...Toro Rosso to take on the big boys. Last year Toro Rosso provided us plenty of drama both on and off the track. When the cars weren't performing as rolling grenades on track the team were apparently beating the drivers with whips in the back of the garage. Scott Speed had enough after the team expected him to drive through the lake that was forming at the first turn at the Nurburgring. Tonio couldn't wait to get out of there as well and both claimed that the team were conspiring against them.

Now that's all out of the way and Toro Rosso have two new drivers in Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastian Vettel, maybe our little minnow can get on with it and give the big boys hell. I just hope they leave the whips at home this time.

Toyota

2007 Points: 13

Current Driver Lineup: Jarno Trulli & Timo Glock

Chassis: TF108

Engine: Toyota RVX-08

When you have the biggest budget in Formula One and still can't get anywhere with it, you may need to start asking yourself a few questions. Is it that we go through more drivers and mechanics than any other team in pit row? Is it the fact that we can't keep engineers because they keep getting caught stealing information from other teams? No, it's the simple fact that you cannot run an F1 team like a business. I don't care what people try to tell you. Yes, there are business components to F1 and it is more of a business now than it has ever been before. But, Formula One is about winning and the passion to win. As long as Toyota continues to run their team as a cold business venture, they will never move forward. They will have to build a culture for success in the mold of Ferrari or McLaren before they will ever move ahead.

I'm not a huge fan of Ralf Schumacher, but I also don't think that he was their problem either. Regardless, they have yet another new driver in Timo Glock. I like Timo, but he's no Schumi. He will struggle just as much as Ralfy boy did. All the while, the always friendly Jarno Trulli just keeps grinning ( and gritting) and goes on with his job for another year. For both of their futures, I hope Toyota can actually bring their team together and compete as a cohesive unit this time.

Techno Tightrope

I wrote the other day in support of my opinion that the FIA is coming down too tightly with rules that limit the ingenuity of engineers, thus threatening the soul of F1. Coming squarely from the other side are Eddie Irvine and Alain Prost.

I'll let you read the articles if you haven't seen them already, but the upshot is that they believe technology has reduced the importance of the driver, making it too easy for lesser talents to succeed. Strange thing is, without taking anything away from my previous post, I also see their point. I guess this is one of the beauties of F1. It's that uncertainty, those discussions over shades of gray, and different ways of viewing the same thing, that helps lend passion to the sport.

Just as we can argue over whether Schumi or Hill had a corner, we can argue over what's best for the sport while agreeing on the beauty inherent in it. With a week to go I can almost smell the fuel and rubber and can't wait for the '08 season.

Part 1 - 2008 Formula One Season Preview

It happens about the same time every year.  I find myself vibrating like a tuning fork in anticipation of the upcoming Formula One season.  The sights, smells, and sounds of F1 start surging into my mind.  With the way last season turned out, I cannot fathom what we have in store for this year.  First, we have to get everything straightened out with teams and drivers.  With all of the information that we need to cover, this is going to be a four part series.  We are going to go in ascending order of constructors points from 2007 (sorry McLaren).

 

McLaren - Mercedes

2007 Points:     0

Current Driver Lineup:     Lewis Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen

Chassis:     MP4-23

Engine:     Mercedes-Benz FO 108V

After a tumultuous year full of controversy and plenty of drama, McLaren are probably looking forward to starting a fresh season.  Unfortunately, they are going to have to start it from the smallest garage in pit lane as they are neighbors with Force India (Formerly Spyker).  How a team like McLaren are going to handle the humiliation that comes with being that far down the paddock we will have to see, but it's not going to be a benefit...that's for sure.

If you have survived wave after wave of Lewis Hamilton drivel, you would have noticed that McLaren have a new driver lineup.  Heikki Kovalainen has arrived without much fanfare which is probably what they were looking for after last year regardless of his credentials.  That said, keeping an eye on winter testing has shown that he's not going to be the door mat that Lewis and McLaren were hoping for.  They could end up with more of a challenging duo than they had bargained for.

 

Force India

2007 Points:     1 (As Spyker F1)

Current Driver Lineup:     Adrian Sutil & Giancarlo Fisichella

Chassis:     Spyker F8-VII

Engine:     Ferrari

Bought by a consortium headed by Indian billionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya, the former Spyker team is clambering over themselves to get a competitive team together.  They aren't starting from scratch however.  Mike Gascoyne is still heading up their car development and he's no punter when it comes to putting a decent package together.  With a decent budget, Force India could make some good progress this year in spite of their horrendous name.

When it comes to putting a proper driver lineup together you can't go wrong with experience.  Giancarlo Fisichella fits that mold perfectly.  Although he is past his prime, the friendly Italian still has a lot to offer in terms of development.  Adrian Sutil on the other hand is a bit of a question mark.  He is young and has proven to have plenty of aggression which is nice to have when you're battling at the back of the grid.  We'll enjoy watching this driver combo to see what they can do with a Force India F1 car.

 

Super Aguri

2007 Points:     4

Current Driver Lineup:     Takumo Sato & Anthony Davidson

Chassis:     SA08

Engine:     Honda

For a team that was put together by Honda to give their Golden Boy Takumo Sato a ride, Super Aguri did an amazing job last season.  If Honda didn't bring in Ross Brawn for their own factory team, Super Aguri would have been on my list to come out ahead of Honda F1 in 2008.  There must be a little magic left in that old Arrows facility in Leafield.

As far as driver lineups go, you couldn't find a nicer couple of guys.  Off the track, both Takumo and Anthony are very pleasant to have a chat with and both are very passionate about what they do.  Takumo has made some bone headed moves in the past, but he has also made some brilliant moves like his pass on Fernando Alonso.  Anthony Davidson quietly did a brilliant job last year.  What he did, which you rarely see at this level of motorsport, was keep learning as the year went on.  Keep an eye on both of these drivers as they will provide quite a bit of action as 2008 progresses.

F1: Check your soul at the door?

As we near the beginning of another season of Formula 1, I find myself considering the changes the FIA has made to my favorite sport over the recent years. Done in the name of cost-savings, rules have been changed all across the board--engines, qualifying, the points system...too many to type here.

No sport remains static, and I'm not suggesting that Formula 1 should. F1 is probably the epitome of a sport that cannot remain static and be true to itself, due to the emphasis on cutting edge technology, but there is good change and bad change. I remain concerned that many of the modifications of the past several years fall into the latter category.

Over the decades F1 has allowed the very best and brightest engineers and designers to explore the limits of the fusion between man and automobile. It has never been an inexpensive endeavor. Out of that expensive struggle to find the tiny tweak to an engine or chassis that nets the crucial tenth of a second, comes not only classic racing results that remain in our hearts and minds for decades, but also innovation that can be applied to the "real" world.

F1 and other racing engineers have given us such things as variable valve timing, variable intake and exhaust manifolds, exhaust tuning, multi-path exhaust systems, electro/hydraulic differential control, pneumatic valves, variable vane turbo charging, active suspension designs, tire designs and ECU control. Putting artificial fetters on the technical staff is a self-limiting and defeatist approach that, pushed too far, will drive some of those bright minds to other fields. That may not be bad for humankind (depending on where they land) but is a topic for another forum.

What we lose by removing innovation and cutting edge technology from F1 is the very soul of the sport--the thing that differentiates it from almost every other motorsport. F1 fans love more than just fast cars and talented drivers. We love more than just G forces, duels for an apex, and bubbly on the podium. We love the tension inherent in the push to ever-higher levels of technology and the marriage of the driver's skill with that technology. It represents the best and brightest of human acheivement, and it's sad to see it slipping away.

"Family Guy" really made me think

Okay, you're wondering what Family Guy has to do with F1. Bear with me. I have a large number of series recordings set on my DVR. One of these is the animated Fox show Family Guy. Last night I finished watching another recorded show and deleted it, which brought me back to live TV. The Family Guy recording had ended about nine minutes earlier, but what should confront my eyes but the very episode that was supposed to be over?

So I pulled up the recording of The Simpsons from 90 minutes before and found the recording polluted with about 25 minutes from the end of whatever boring NASCAR race took place this weekend. As I fast-forwarded through this tripe it hit me that I was scrolling through a technically beautiful, high-definition telecast, live and complete with TV heads right there at the track (using the term loosely).

Although there is much to enjoy and praise about SpeedTV's F1 broadcast's here in the States, it sadly still cannot be found in HD, nor is the crew normally physically at the track. That's when the contradiction hit me: NASCAR is stuck by rule and choice in the deep technological past yet is covered by the most technically sophisticated means here in America. F1 is the most technologically advanced motorsport (currently threatened by the FIA's bag 'o rules, but that's for another post), but is covered in a limited way, with archaic technology, and often tape-delayed when optioned by the "major" networks.

So what did Family Guy have to do with F1? Not much besides prompting me to write this post. But now they are forever linked...or however long the 0s and 1s that make this post exist somewhere on a server hard drive.