Podium or Pits is ignoring silly season this week (it's just, well, silly), in favour of lots of very high-brow quality news stories from around the F1 world...
Nigel Mansell - POP has none other than Jonathan Legard to thank for this tit bit of Mansell trivia:
Things you never knew: Nigel Mansell was a dab hand at card tricks. Could have been table magician at Lotus cars event tonight. Great form
Magic and F1 - who knew they went so well? Even Alonso is a wannabe-wizard!
The return of the French grand prix? wait, there's no French grand prix? When did THAT happen? Yes, folks, you could be forgiven for just assuming that the French grand prix was one of those races that you mysteriously miss every year, but no - it really hasn't existed since 2008. The French PM has created a taskforce (read = Bernie Ecclestone hit squad) to get the race back on the calendar by 2013. Good stuff.
Alonso's stalker fan - here at Badger, we love comments! Even the weird ones. So when we discovered this comment to an Alonso blog entry, we couldn't resist but share it with Podium or Pits readers (the bits in bold are, in the words of Benson Jammichello, "particularly terrifying")...
Hi Sweetheart Just a note to wish you good luck in Spain, I am glad you are there, with tons of support. I hope it will be as special for you as you are hoping it will be. You know you have all of my support, always. You will be great, because you are super awesome!!! I know you will fight hard, and give everything you have because you always do, but please remember to stay safe. I am going to climb for cancer on Saturday. We are climbing for a friend. We are going to climb the stairs of the CN Tower in Toronto. There are 2579 steps in all. My friend and I are going to do this together. He is a professional lacrosse player and a full time fire fighter, so I know he will be fine, I just hope I can keep up with him. My inspiration for this climb will be you. You have a big climb ahead of you as well in your championship fight, and if you can do it, so can I. I won't have to deal with weather, so really mine won't be as difficult. I will keep your sweet face in my mind the whole time, and with that, I know I can do it. I am wrapping my arms around you so tight in the world biggest hug, and I am adding a kiss for good luck. Stay safe, and good luck my love XXXXXOOOOOOO Kim (Canada)
Jenson Button - in yet another display of POP's dedication to high-quality journalism, Jenson Button was spotted thisweek MEETING HIS EX.
I know, neither BAR, Honda, or Brawn GP exist anymore - it was, in fact, his former fiance Louise Griffiths! Debate in the Sett on this topic has, however, centred around the oddness of her dog.
Benson Jammichello called it her "bizarre canine chum", Jimmy Von Weeks wondered "why is it wearing a jumper?" to which Benson replied "Dogs get cold sometimes." Even in Los Angeles no less. The debate over the dog of Jenson's ex fiance which is wearing a little coat thing in the middle of Los Angeles in the summer continues ....
McLaren - the team have just opened a shop in the fancy Knightsbridge One Hyde Park development, where a 3 bedroom flat recently changed hands for nearly £17 million. INSANE! McLaren certainly know their target market well. At nearly £170,000 per McLaren MP4 12C, you need to be stupidly wealthy, or just stupid, to buy one.
BBC - apparently the BBC may not be able to afford to renew its licence to show F1 after 2013. POP is in denial...
Comments and Discussion
Mentioned in POP - Ben and I have truly arrived.
I know. Is it wrong I feel a sense of pride?
I'm still terrified by those Alonso comments.
You say 'particularly terrifying'... I say romantic...
Does anyone actually watch BBC3 or 4? I mean apart from when there's F1 on them, i'm sure they could easily afford to keep our sport if they dropped those channels.
I'm looking forward to the day that the TV licence gains an opt-out clause to the BBC. Because at the moment we're forced to pay extra for something which for the most part is a load of rubbish. The ONLY thing they have going for them right now is the F1.
If they're stupid enough to lose that then i shall start my campaigning for a choice in the matter of what we're paying for!
I think that Alonso stalker is just a general example of the type of fan the modern media exposure is grooming. It's because everything's 'interactive' and 'get involved' and 'have your say' nowadays. It's pushing small-minded desperados into the belief that just because their 'hero' ('s agent) responded to an email/tweet/mention, they're good friends all of a sudden, close even.
We most likely missed the previous interaction where Alonso's spokesperson heard about Kim's previous charity work and said "well done". Thereby fooling the poor girl/boy into thinking Fernando actually cares about what Kim from Canada is doing.
Now she wants to keep him updated.
Just a couple of rants that this piece awakened within.
Incidently is POP becoming the Heat magazine of F1? Why do we care that Jenson met up with his ex? He's not stupid enough to risk anything against his current gf, i'm sure she knew about his meet-up.
The French GP bid is to host it at Paul Ricard again, rather than Magny Cours. Which is good, as it's a MUCH more interesting track. An older-style track with flow, rather than the stop-start which punctuates many modern circuits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7PvhggQJXM
Let's have it instead of Valencia.
Also let's return to Zandvoort as well while we're at it, in place of Abu Dhabi
Well the doubts re: BBC are coming from the times who is owned by none other than Mr Murdock off of sky. Truck-load of salt is my suggestion.
Dave, quite apart from whether they keep the F1 coverage, I think the BBC is excellent value for money, especially when you consider the depth and breadth of services you get for your £140 per year ish.
Four main TV channels, plus the children's ones, plus the news, plus Parliament. All the radio services (national and local). iPlayer. The website.
Anyway, I'll stop now.
Maybe it is value for money. But when you don't want it and you're forced to pay regardless, then it's a waste of money.
It's like if you buy a subscription to Autosport, you also HAVE to pay £12 a month for Sewage Tunnel Modeller Monthly kit. And there's no opt-out.
Sure there might be a kid's page and a scratch and sniff for old people, but does that make it okay that you have no choice?
Do you, by any chance, work for the BBC Benson Jammichello?
Goodbye to our fun Badger monikers
Hello Facebook real names ...
Weird thing about alonso's fan is that she's not unique the ammount of messages i have seen like that around f1 forums.
As for jensons exs dogs jumper it's quite simple...... A tiny-alien-bioandroid-jumper has entered her head via the ear canal and facehugger-style latched onto her brain. Whilst there it deflects the all important delta brain waves, which as we all know hold all of our rational thoughts. It simultaneously releases jump-ons into her blood stream the combined effect of which create a jackie-chun-strength hypnosis. The poor woman then completely under the control of the jumpers can only respond to external stimulus with a dazed jumper related euphoria. The dog was only barking for it's breakfast.
Looks like she got jenson to someones got to stop her!!!!!!!
http://fashionzclothing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Jenson-Button-and-Lewis-hamilton-51.jpg
Still optional, just thought we'd try it out