The Blog of G

On the 23 September 2011, Codemasters will release the highly originally titled, “F1 2011” the official game of the 2011 F1 championship. I can’t wait, I was a big fan of last years F1 2010 as well so I really want to get my hands on the update.

It’s all the new things that were added, what with F1′s rule changes this year there’s now the added complication of two “push-to-pass” buttons. One of which you can only use in certain places under certain conditions. Then of course there are the new cars and circuits (enjoy the Turkish race as the 2012 title won’t have that) and we’re told to expect different engineers voices depending on which team you’re driving for.

It appears that the graphics have been improved, at least, judging from the trailers we’ve seen so far. When I think back to the first racing games I played over 30 years ago I’m truly astounded and humbled by how far gaming has come.

There’s also new and improved 16 way online action with a full 24 car race field. Apparently you and your mate will also be able to play as team mates, in an obvious but hither-to-unheard-of co-op mode in a racing game… astonishing.

You can pre-order from Amazon now for delivery on release date.

So there’s a Senna racing, a Lotus car, with a Renault engine, in black and gold colours, in the Spa GP this weekend.

This has happened twice before.

The previous results were first(’85) and second(’86)

Here’s some footage from the end of the ’85 race

I have a feeling that Bruno may not make the podium this weekend but what a story it would make if he did. That’s part of the reason I hate all the negativity about him getting his chance “at Nick’s expense”. Nick has had his chances, way more than most get and when was the last time he won a race? in any category?

Good luck Bruno.

is a movie about the life of Ayrton Senna De Silva, The greatest F1 driver of his generation and arguably of all time. His name became legend as he raced in far away and exotic locations all over the world and it’s all captured in this Movie.

Jeremy Clarkson did a piece on Top Gear in his honour which I think is one of the best tribute pieces I’ve seen.

But if we’re to believe the hype this Movie leaves it in the dust and brings the legend that is Senna to an entirely new generation.

I wonder if this clip from Ireland’s own Mondello Park was used, I’ll let you know once I see the movie.

Senna opens Friday 3rd of June in the IFI in Temple Bar and I will be there, will you?

Yes indeed kiddies, the 2010 F1 season is going to be officially kicking off in just a few short hours with the first practice session of the first race. Yeah there has been testing before now but you can’t trust the lap times in testing because we don’t know if we’re seeing a lap on full fuel tanks or low-fuel etc.

With the return of no refuelling for this season, it makes trying to judge the form for the upcoming season a wildly pointless affair, at least that’s my thoughts on it anyway. Although we can see that the big names (Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Redbull and possibly Lada sorry meant to type Renault) are looking like they will remain at the pointy end of things.

This year has got to be the most eagerly anticipated season in F1 for a long time. Why? well there are so many reasons, there have been rule changes, driver changes, new teams, new circuits and more announced and in F1 the more new things you throw into the mix the more the anticipation builds.

Will the rule changes mean that one team gets a relative jump in performance like Brawn GP did last year? will any of the new “rookie” drivers surprise and excite people the way Hamilton’s arrival did? Will the new teams be the “mobile chicanes” or “embarrassment” that some have suggested? Will the new circuits bring new excitement to the circus?

At this point, every question brings to mind another and another and another, you get the idea. There is another reason to be excited about this season as well and it’s a doozy, something that hasn’t happened in F1 in so long that I’m not sure it’s happened since I started following the sport in 1978. There are 4 (former) F1 World Champions starting the season and they’re all in cars that I’m expecting to be highly competitive and 2 of them are in the same team! I’m starting to sound like an informercial

Monza, Parabolica, Tyre wall

But wait there’s more! (yes, i went there) As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s another big story, in fact a huge story and one that is sure to dominate a lot of F1 columns this season (it certainly has taken a lot of them in the season build up) The return of the one, the only, the legendary, Micheal Schumacher.

Without question the most successful F1 driver of all time, is he going to add to the legend or destroy it, at his age (41) and with his name already on almost every page of the f1 record book I don’t think he can destroy the legend. But what is there left for him to achieve? well for one thing he’s only 9 victories away from having 100 F1 race wins to his name and that might be enough to grab him another world title.

All these questions will start to be answered on Sunday, when the lights go out and the engines roar. I can’t wait, really I can’t, I may not sleep again until the first race is over. There is one final question that only I can answer?

Who will I be supporting this year?

Well, I’ve been called a Ferrari Fan but that’s only because some of my favourite drivers have driven for them (Giles Villeneuve, Stefan Johansen, Michael Schumacher & Felipe Massa) But I was a Schumacher fan before he was a Ferrari driver and the same goes for Felipe. Am I an Alonso Fan? well no, some of my previous posts about him should make that clear.

So I have 2 drivers to choose between from that statement alone, but I’m also a fan of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, so that could make me a Red Bull fan, but then there’s, also an up and coming driver who I think has been underrated, Nico Rosberg and finally a driver whose name alone brings memories flooding back like Jacques Villenueve‘s arrival did.

That’s Bruno Senna, he like Jacques has a legendary shadow hanging over him, Uncle Ayrton, I don’t think he has a car to compete with the big boys this year but then Uncle Ayrton won in a Lotus that people didn’t rate terribly highly either.

Oh the choices, I guess I’ll just have to support them all as much as I can, I’d love to see anyone of them lift the crown at the end of the year, but there can be only one WDC 2010 and I guess when I look deep, deep down into my soul, I want to see Schumacher lift the crown again, I want to see the “old guy” (at least in F1 terms) not just beat the “young pretenders” but do it by a humiliating margin.

Why?

Oh come on do you really need me to answer that?

Schuey wins Nurburg 2006

Oh alright then, It would be the greatest comeback of all time, it would be the ultimate “never give up” story, jaysus it’d be like Rocky come to life!

And finally, here’s a thought to keep you distracted from all the other F1 goodness until sunday. I remember way back in Schuey’s early days an interview where he was asked what his ultimate goal in F1 was, his answer? to win 10 World championships, he has 7 and he’s signed to Mercedes for 3 seasons and I think he’ll need luck on his side but, I don’t see any other driver on the grid this weekend that has a chance of ever winning 10. Go Michael!

This craziness landed in my Twitter stream via some of my ex-work-mates in Blacknight namely Brian and Niall

Seeing as how some friends of mine have been/are away Snowboarding I wonder have any of them tried this…

Thanks to Darragh Doyle for sharing

F1 tweets of the week from @redbullf1spy

We’re launching on Wednesday because that’s when the test begins, not because it takes two days to put it together the first time…

…now, fit nosecone A onto chassis B, remembering to use jack C. If nosecone generates lift, assembly has been installed upside down…

The Superbowl ads, some actually inspired me to look up the products, shame the ones that I found interesting are US only either way, I may be starting to loose my ad blindness

And finally, given the week that’s in it, I can’t really neglect to mention George Lee. When the game wasn’t going your way, you picked up the ball and ran away. Thanks for wasting the electorates time, energy and money. There’s a word beginning with C that rhymes with hunt that I think suits you perfectly sir. but on a lighter note…

Thanks to Damien Mulley for sharing.