“Opening in 2010, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is set to be the world’s largest indoor theme park, sitting under a roof designed in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. There is energy, excitement and passion for the entire family at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. With over 20 rides and attractions, including the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Ferrari World is more than a theme park – it is where Ferrari’s legendary story is unveiled.”
Photographing is harder than you’d think. I mean you know where the cars are coming from, roughly where they are going to be and what is likely to happen. Even then it’s possible to have Michael Schumacher nicely framed as he rounds the bend only for…. move your damn hands!
Anyway, here are some tips from someone who takes better Formula 1 shots that me!
Picture this! Ever wondered how F1 photographers get such awesome photos from grands prix, or how you could be an F1 photographer? Wonder no more – The Badger has managed to catch up with one of F1’s official photographers, ask a few questions and find out more about being an international motorsport photographer… Please welcome Martin Trenkler to the Sett…
I bet Kimi (or Fiat PR) didn't think Michael Schumacher would be coming back to Formula 1 when they made this advertisement!
Felipe Massa's accident was terrible and I hope he has a speedy recovery but must admit Michael Schumacher's return is rather intriguing! It will be interesting to see how "The Pensioner" shapes up .
Yet another manufacturer does an abrupt exit from Formula 1*. Times have changed but the justifications for leaving;
"Munich.The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One campaign after the end of the 2009 season. Resources freed up as a result are to be dedicated to the development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability."
Seem somewhat similar to those quoted when joining;
"This project represents a strong, long-term commitment to Formula One on BMW's part. For the BMW Group, Formula One acts as a high-tech laboratory and technology accelerator."
We’ve brought in the big guns for our expert talks this weekend. Join top motorsport commentator Bob McMurray, original McLaren racing team mechanic Walter Willmott and motorsport historian and F1 aficionado Michael Clark, as they walk through the exhibition and a history of the sport.
Formula One™ - The Great Design Race Tour is organised by the Design Museum, London and at Te Papa from 15 July to 1 November 2009.
I'm heading to Wellington sometime in July for this, most likely the opening weekend as the McLaren Trust will be there with some special New Zealand McLaren exhibits in addition to the touring exhibit:
Thrilling, seductive, and addictive, Formula One is among the world’s most popular sports. This exhibition traces the development of the Formula One racing car from the 1950s to the 2000s – one of the great design stories of our time. Follow the incredible technology, see iconic cars, and discover New Zealand’s Formula One heroes.
15 July 2009–1 November 2009 Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4 Admission charges apply.
F1: The great design race | Walking Leaf At the Design Museum in London, a fascinating exhibit is on display showcasing the innovation in design and the advancements in technology over the past 50 years. To see the racing cars up close is a wonderful experience. You can’t believe how much the sporting regulation and the use of materials have defined the look of these extreme machines.
As much as I admired his ability, I wasn't really a Senna fan. However the memory of that race, that tragic weekend which ended both Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna's lives is still very real, fifteen years later.
This s an interesting new way to see Formula 1. Of course there is the television satellite feed from the BBC, via Sky N.Z., live Web Timing (as seen by the teams) on Formula 1.com and live Tweets from;
From about November through March I wonder why i bother with Sky Satellite TV. They have some good content but much of what I watch eventually turns up on free to air. I only watch a few movies, barely watch other sport but when live Formula 1 coverage is not available any other way what choice do I have?
This year Sky have improved things by showing the Friday and Saturday Practice sessions in addition to the Qualifying and Race we got previously. I hope this isn't just for Melbourne as it was really good! Was this because it was the first chance to see the new cars and how everyone was really performing? Perhaps the testing restrictions mean Friday practice will be more interesting, more important, than previous years?
For the Practice we got BBC radio commentary which was a bit verbose, they can't stop talking I guess, but still pretty good.The Qualifying coverage matched ITV's and I was glad to hear Martin Brundle's familiar voice again.
With the race coverage it's hard to judge who decides what we see. I hope it wasn't the BBC who determined it as we saw too much of Lewis Hamilton in a race where he was not really in the frame until toward the end (although I just read he got promoted to third!). At one stage Vettel was chasing down Button and all we got was Hamilton chasing for mid-field. Apart from that the race vision, and commentary were fine but It was good to have FIA Timing and, for the first time, Twitter adding more info! Geeky Formula 1 at it's best!
There was a terrible sound mix up in the post race interview, Hamilton this time speaking over vision of Jenson, and out of sync sound/vision. This also happened to ITV.which leads me to suspect the feed providers or maybe the cross patch to Sky.
It was brilliant to have advert free coverage, I feared Sky NZ might try & sneak some in but it didn't happen. It was good to see the Beeb back, for the first time in a few months I won't mind paying my Sky subscription.
Brawn won today because Honda failed last year. They made the brave choice to write off 2008 and spend the year working on the car that was the class of the field today.
It's a pity Honda couldn't live their dream. That decision to pull out of F1 might make financial sense but it's cost them a fortune in publicity this week, month, maybe even a title this year. The eyeball to dollar value of F1 is high, especially when you are winning.
You can't count out McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull or even Toyota (last to third!) but Brawn have a healthy advantage and several flyaway races to make the most of it.
Congratulations to Brawn, Jenson, Rubens and the team. Commiserations to all those at Honda who helped make it happen and weren't there to live the dream. Who kicked out their ladder?
Imagine if you'd told the Honda Board last year that the first Grand Prix Qualifying of 2009 would see:
McLaren languishing at the tail end of the field: P14,15
Ferrari struggling to qualify in the top ten: P7,9
Honda locking out the front row: Pole and Second
Would they still have pulled out of Formula 1?
That's what happened today leaving Brawn GP and Virgin, thanks to a last minute deal from a very happy Richard Branson, to benefit of the hundreds of millions Honda invested since taking over BAR.
It's quite possible they'll win the race tomorrow, maybe even the rest of the fly-away races leaving McLaren, Ferrari and the rest scrambling to catch up. Imagine Brawn GP get to mid-year with cars at the sharp end of the championship and a real possibility of challenging for the title?
Honda funded all that, then walked away at precisely the wrong time. A money saving decision that might turn out to be one of the most expensive mistakes in Formula 1 history.
PS: One thing Brawn do need to work on is a better website. The current one is littered with PDF files leading to a miserable browsing experience. Given the turmoil of the last few months, and the fact that they've made a winning car, maybe it's only temporary.
In spite of his talent Kimi is just so dull = Support McLaren
McLaren is a legendary team, Ferrari is a religion = Support Ferrari
Support Ferrari=Support McLaren so I’ll just enjoy what looks to be the best Formula One battle in years! *
* Which, judging by pre-season speed, could even be Brawn. That's a real long-shot but wouldn't it bizarre if Honda walked away from a championship the year they could have won it?!
A long time ago, when Ford ran Jaguar and several other manufacturers threatened a rival series, I remember reading a comment from Bernie Ecclestone that Formula 1 dominated by car manufacturers was not a good thing. He said something like 'if times get tough they'll leave, with no independent teams Formula 1 will be at risk'.
Today Honda have proved Bernie, as usual, was right...
In a week where trillions of "dollars" are being shredded, and printed, what impact will it have on my favourite sport which only requires billions! This feature from ITV outlines what will likely be a rocky ride.
Sky TV (New Zealand) LIVE coverage joined the Formula 1 Qualifying 52 seconds before the first (20 minute) session ended.
Oh, and while it was happening LIVE they showed promo's about how they show it LIVE, followed by "Live coverage brought to you by Bridgestone" adverts..
What part of LIVE don't they understand.
Update:
Martin Brundle "It was the best qualifying of 2008" - Pity we didn't see 1/3 of it
It also appears live means silent at there is no sound from Monza as I write.
Brilliant! I’ve been a few times and loved it. Melbourne at Grand Prix time is awesome. Hope to get back for some more now it’s going to be around for a while.
Grand Prix to stay until 2015 | theage.com.au MELBOURNE will host formula one racing until 2015 after the Brumby Government stared down race organisers over their demand for a night Grand Prix
The Telegraph have a great profile of Ferrari (& Fiat) Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo as momentum builds for the launch of the “affordable” Ferrari California. Apart from some dubious styling, the 612, and occasionally tacky merchandising Ferrari are on form thanks to his leadership.
No stopping Ferrari - Telegraph Ferrari's chairman has overseen a resurgence in the famous marque, and he is far from finished, reports Russell Hotten…
I just sent this to Sky New Zealand who chose not to show the Formula 1 Qualifying this morning;
I have Sky to watch Formula 1. If you didn’t have Formula 1 I would not have Sky.
From: SKY TV [mailto:noreply@skytv.co.nz] Sent: Sunday, 8 June 2008 01:00 To: robin.capper
Subject: FIA Formula One Qualifying LIVE
Reminder from SKY TV Alerts Service
FIA Formula One Qualifying LIVE will be showing at: 08/06/2008 5:00 AM SKY Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the qualifying race from the Grand Prix du Canada at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal
I get up at 5:00 to watch the qualifying (as per the email above) only to find Cricket is still on. Fair enough, it’s running late, but there are 2 other sport channels so I look for the F1 on them but no sign. They have “live” events on also so I suppose it’s a bit rough to interrupt them.
Then see the SS1 notice “Live Formula 1... will be at 05:30”, then a notice saying it will not be shown at all except for a replay 15 hours after it was “Live”.
All of that would be annoying enough but especially when I find the live Soccer SS3 is also being screened on Prime so you have one event live twicewhile not screening the only sport I pay for Sky to see at all!
The result is one pissed off subscriber who got up at 05:00 to watch his reason for having Sky “bumped” when there were channels free to show it. Even more annoying is this happened the a few days after I get notified of a price increase.
I’d like some form of compensation, you’ve wiped out 1/18th of my Formula 1 enjoyment, 18 races/year, or about a month’s worth of subscription value
-Don’t reply you have a replay, 15 hours later is not live. You advertise “Formula 1 Live”.
-Don’t reply you didn’t have capacity, soccer on Prime and SS3 at the same time left a channel free
-Don’t reply you have hundreds of channels of other crap and that’s some form of compensation. I have Sky because you have Formula 1. The day you don’t have Formula 1 I cancel Sky, as happened last time Sky lost Formula 1.
Surely after the events in Malaysia the FIA need to impose a 110% rule, run at best pace +10% max, for Qualifying Session 3 to prevent the “fuel save touring”. Either that or allow top-up of the cars to “race fuel” after Q3 so there is no benefit in saving fuel.
Although McLaren were pinged for being the worst offenders it’s plain stupid to allow anyone to trickle around at slow speed to save fuel with cars still doing qualifying runs.
It will impact us as we get the current ITV feed, via Sky TV (NZ not UK).
I hope it’s a change for the better but that won’t be hard if the Melbourne coverage is any guide. We had no commentary, nothing but ambient sound, for about 1/3 of the Qualifying. In the qualifying and races there are often audio gaps, when ITV go to adverts, and we don’t see, but get the audio for, many of the ITV replays. There is also little or no race build-up and the transfer from NZ to ITV is like amateur hour – often silent film, or just ambient sound before the tired old F1 logo and music sequence runs.
Bernie might set high standards, and like pressuring hosts like Melbourne to improve their standards, but our view of Formula 1 – only possible via a paid satellite feed – is pretty crappy.
Formula One - Times Online - WBLG: The BBC gets the rights back Big change for Formula One in Britain as it emerges that the BBC has won back the television rights from ITV from next year(and for the next five years) to go along with its coverage on radio and the Internet.
Felipe Massa has a been presented with very special Fiat 500 Turbo. I remember remember reading Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi also owned 500’s but theirs were the, slower, 1950’s Nuova 500. I wonder if this is really an upcoming Fiat Abarth 500 in plain clothes?
Should you come across Ferrari Formula One Driver, Felipe Massa, driving his new Fiat 500 don’t be tempted to take him on because not only is the talented Brazilian one of the fastest drivers around but also because his 500 is rather special – it’s the most powerful 500 that Fiat have ever made..
In New Zealand the term “Boy Racer” is associated with jerks that drive high powered road cars on public roads, badly, so I think Stuff have “stuffed up” using it in this context. Brendon Hartley is a racer, some may consider him a boy (I don’t), but he’s no “Boy Racer”.
What he’s doing and what he is capable of achieving is amazing. I hope he gets to Formula One but doubt New Zealand’s ball sport fixated media will be capable reporting it.
A Palmerston North teenager is receiving millions of dollars of backing in his quest for motor racing's ultimate prize. Brendon Hartley may as well have been born in a racing car…
You’d think someone who’d trek across the Tasman to the Australian Grand Prix would drive a few hours down the road to the A1 Grand Prix at Taupo. You’d be wrong. For some reason A1 Grand Prix does nothing for me. I’m not knocking the efforts of the Kiwi Team or brilliant contribution from Colin Giltrap and sponsors. It’s just that the series doesn’t excite me.
It certainly doesn’t compare to Formula One. The ultimate expression of both series is “the race”. When you look at what happens on the track they are fairly comparable. A1GP has great drivers, close racing amongst the top teams and, thanks to the power boost, more potential for overtaking.
It’s what happens off the track which makes the difference. Equal cars means A1GP doesn’t have the same design or technology race. The series is also missing most of the glamour, sex, lies and politics which make Formula One so intriguing.
I’d travel around the world to see Formula One but have no real regrets about missing Taupo. A1 Grand Prix is like Formula One with half the Formula One missing.
It was a tough end to a tough year for McLaren and sad that a mechanical glitch, beyond his control, was the ultimate downfall for Louis Hamilton’s “rookie” year title. Will be fascinating to see what he achieves next year, and who he’s driving alongside…
Thanks to hopeless local reporting, by sports media who only understand sports beginning with “Rugby”, I suspect few Kiwis are aware Lewis Hamilton had a role other than victim in the Hungarian McLaren debacle. All the reports I’ve heard locally paint Alonso as the villain yet when you read the events it’s apparent both were at fault. Thanks ITV!
itv.com/f1 - Explaining 'Pitlanegate' The McLaren qualifying incident in Hungary and the subsequent fall-out has, for the moment at least, replaced the spy saga as Formula 1's controversy du jour…
A very Schumacher like drive by Felipe Massa in Spain, a better than Schumacher F1 career start for Lewis Hamilton. Perhaps the title will be between these two?
I’d not discount Alonso & but apart from Melbourne Raikkonen has been less than mega. Interesting times in Formula One!
New Zealand legend Bruce McLaren’s amazing life and achievements are going to be the subject of a feature length film. Many are familiar with the McLaren name from Formula One but often are unaware of the Kiwi connection. Bruce conquered Formula One, Le Man and Can-Am as an engineer, designer, mechanic and driver as outlined in this article by Sandy Myhre. With this story and a talented production team it promises to be a wonderful movie.
Bruce McLaren Film To Be Made - Xtra Motoring 22/01/2007 Sandy Myhre A full-length feature film on the life and times of New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren is to be made over the next two years….
Bruce McLaren Trust Website “Bruce McLaren was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1937 and was died tragically whilst testing one of his cars at Goodwood circuit, England on June 1970. From the young school boy with Perthes Disease, strapped to a metal frame at the Wilson Home in Takapuna, Auckland, to a world class international motor racing driver, engineer and designer whose name is still used in Formula 1 motor racing today, is a remarkable achievement.”
The New Zealand Heroes : Bruce McLaren : www.nzedge.com Team McLaren has been the most successful team in world motorsport since it appeared in 1966. McLaren cars and drivers have taken the chequered flag at Grand Prix races 123 times, won 19 Formula One World Championship titles (more than any other team in the history of the sport), dominated Cam-Am events (56 wins between 1967 and 1972) and taken three Indianapolis 500 races. The man who started it all, Aucklander Bruce McLaren, was a brilliant driver, with vision that extended far beyond the driver's seat…
Two things were born today. One is sexy, fast (hopefully) and very red while the other, which arrived decades earlier, is not sexy, or fast and only slightly red after catching some sun while cycling yesterday…
He didn’t win, or even make the podium, but today Michael Schumacher showed he is retiring at the peak of his career. After Japan the championship was effectively off, if still possible, and the qualifying fuel problem made a win unlikely but his drive from the start, then recovery from a post puncture 18th (last) to 4th showed what a class act he is.
Controversial, certainly, but without doubt the greatest driver of the modern age. You could argue for Senna or Prost but the combination of Michael, Todt, Brawn & Byrne rebuilt a legend into a modern winning team and I think that is his true legacy.
Yet, somehow it was fitting that although he proved his point with a storming drive it was the next generation that stood on the podium. Schumacher adds a final Fastest Lap to Career Statistics that will be virtually impossible to match. Alonso takes a brilliant second World Championship and Massa a deserved victory in his home GP. If anything it’s Massa who has stood out this year. Once fast and erratic he has matured to be a true rival for Michael, for Kimi next year, which is something few expected.
McLarens origin means being a Ferrari fan presents a certain conflict for Kiwi. As a kid it was Niki Lauda, his story & fight for life, that made me a Ferrari fan which makes this quote special:
I saw one of his 90 wins live, Melbourne 2001, and all the others on the box. Thanks for the privilege.
itv.com/f1 - Final Schu facts and stats We round up all of the amazing records and statistics that Michael Schumacher amassed throughout his extraordinary career, up to and including his final race in Brazil
It’s a long weekend here which means, for once, I could sleep in on Monday after sitting up till 03:00 watching Grand Prix. With Brazil the time difference means having to get up at 06:00 Monday to see the start!
One of the best Formula One circuits returns just as one of the best Formula One circuits is abandoned…
Belgian GP set to return in 2007 | BBC SPORT The race's comeback was assured after the signing of a contract between F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the race's new management team.
Since reading of the link between Spyker & Ferrari, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development is a shareholder in both, perhaps its not such a surprise to see they get a Ferrari Engine deal. Does this help Fiat with it’s goal to own 100% of Ferrari again?
Might not think much of Midland/Spyker but signing this guy is likely to make more people take notice;
New Midland owner signs Gascoyne - BBC SPORT The Midland Formula One team have been sold to Dutch sports car maker Spyker and the new owner has signed leading designer Mike Gascoyne.
Fiat bring Ferrari back into the family. It will be interesting to see what they do with the brand. The article mentions a link to Spyker, who are currently buying Midland F1 Team, which I wasn’t aware of before.
I saw one of his 90 wins live, Melbourne 2001, and all the others on the box. Todays announcement means Formula One loses it’s greatest driver at the end of the year. Looking though the statistics at ITV gives only a hint of what Michael Schumacher really achieved in rebuilding the Ferrari team, the Ferrari magic. If the year ends with another world championship win it will be a fitting end to a career, not without controversy, that has transformed Formula One. The mega team built around Michael Schumacher transformed Ferrari from also-ran to winner. He will be missed.
Schumacher facts and stats - itv.com/f1. We round up all of the amazing records and statistics that Michael Schumacher has amassed throughout his career up to an including his win in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Aardvark News Bruce "anyone can build a cruise missle" Simpsons News Site.
aardvark (ard'-vark) a controversial animal with a long probing nose used for sniffing out the facts and stimulating thought and discussion.
Adventure South New Zealand Great Bicycle Tours, Walking Tours & Adventure Travel is what they promise. I've found its exactly what they deliver!
Aurum Wines Aurum Wines Ltd. was established by Joan and Tony Lawrence in 2002 to produce premium Central Otago wines.
Aurum Wines winery and tasting facility are located on the main road to Wanaka and the West Coast, State Highway 6, just 2km from Cromwell township.
Italian cars in Australia ItalianCar is an Australian resource on Italian cars - Fiat to Ferrari, Alfa to Maserati.
Italiaspeed.com The Italian automotive news information portal
LinkedIn LinkedIn is a networking tool that helps you discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners.
Marbecks New Zealand's leading music specialist. Visit the store in Queens Arcade, Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand or buy online.
The Maritime Crew THE MARITIME CREW was formed in 1994 with the primary purpose of entertaining visitors to the National Maritime Museum at Auckland's Hobson Wharf.
The New Zealand Edge NZ identity, people, stories, achievements and place in the world.
The Best of Car Magazine A blast from the past but still great reading today. From supercars to not super cars (Ford Capri), tales of CANAM and Formula One from the 60's, and when will the oil run out from the 70's (hint, it should have already) this is a great mix of nostalgia. One of the best articles is a "behind the scenes" look at filming the racing movie "Le Mans". Another highlight is the faithfully reproduced totally sexist advertising!
Karl Kruszelnicki: Great Mythconceptions: The Science Behind the Myths Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki is an Aussie "celebrity scientist". This book is a collection of his columns which expose the truth behind many commonly quoted "facts".
Do we really use only 10 percent of our brain? Read this book and you'll find out...
Jean-Michel Jarre : The Symphonic Jean-Michel Jarre (2CD Set) I've always liked Jarre's work, his live concert DVDs especially, but the thought of it done by a symphony orchestra had me wondering: "elevator music"?
This disc proves I was wrong. The symphonic nature of his compositions is expressed brilliantly by superb arrangements. Recommended for more than elevators! You can hear samples, or buy as mp3's, from the Amazon page.
Pat Metheny: One Quiet Night I liked Norah Jones hit track "Don’t Know Why", but not a fan of hers. Pat's solo guitar version on this album is lovely.
Anna Maria Jopek: Secret Anna Maria Jopek's first English album is a mix of original and covers. The voice is pure rather than powerful but refreshing.
Shane Jacobson: Kenny To say it's Aussie Toilet humour is, well it's accurate, but doesn't do this film justice. Wonderful script, brilliant acting and finely balanced, like a teetering porterloo, mix of humour and pathos. It's nearly as good as "The Castle", my favourite Aussie film.
Christopher Nolan: The Prestige I didn't know anything about this movie before seeing it but it's one of the best for years. About illusionists, it is packed with constant twists and surprises. Add a great cast, direction and production and you have a must see.
Todd Field: Little Children Don't expect a happy childhood story. It's confrontational and disturbing but also rewarding. Worth seeing for Kate Winslets performance alone.
I saw this advert from Honda on a site today.
He didn’t win, or even make the podium, but today Michael Schumacher showed he is retiring at the peak of his career. After Japan the championship was effectively off, if still possible, and the qualifying fuel problem made a win unlikely but his drive from the start, then recovery from a post puncture 18th (last) to 4th showed what a class act he is. 
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