Five ways to pass the Summer Break!
by Craig Normansell on Aug 9th, 2011Remember when you were at school and the holidays came around? Yes, the joy was there for a few days but then the boredom set in, with constant "What do you want to do today?" from your all-too-keen parents. The time used to pass slowly and it was hot. It's kind've like the F1 summer break; there's ages until the next race (19 days, not that we're counting or anything).
So what can you do to pass the time? The Badgerometer tries to give some hints and tips to help you get over the gap.
Read a book
What better way pass any sort of time than with a good book? There's plenty on offer for your F1 needs, including the ones pictured above. There's plenty of choice, whether it be biographies of the sport's favourite characters (and Bernie Ecclestone), or a good examination of rivalries throughout the decades. We can thoroughly recommend Senna vs Prost, a detailed look into both great driver's careers and includes something the Senna documentary missed - an interview with Alain Prost himself.
Play a game
Not like a board game or anything, we mean the best racing video games money can buy (or rent, to be honest). F1 2010, although nearly a year old, is still the best representation of Formula One on any platform. If you don't fancy precision racing, how about something a little less grippy with Dirt 3, also made by Codemasters? It's rally driving at it's very best, but not only that, you also get a crack at Ken Block's famous Gymkhana routines. More on that later.
And if you're salivating over the release of the anticipated F1 2011 - the sequel to F1 2010, funnily enough - you can read our hands on test from last month here.
Watch a film
A few "racing" genre films, plus a few with driving inspired titles
OK, so the films in the picture above are a little loose when it comes to racing content, but then again, if you like your action high octane then I'm sure there's something in there for you.
Maybe that's what you'll be missing the most though - a bit of action. There isn't really an F1 film that can manage that - maybe a documentary of two - so why not try Days of Thunder, the NASCAR drama from 1990? Sure, it stars Tom Cruise, is a bit cheesy and drags on a bit, but the racing is spectacular to watch.
Just stay away from Driven. Trust us.
Scour YouTube
If you can't afford to go out and get DVD's on a whim, fear not - there's a whole vault of racing goodness at your fingertips online! Simply type "Formula One" into YouTube and you get a feast of examples of how great the sport is. We did, and got these two cracking videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OilctTl9Xik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRp-Ef6-QYk
There's some glaring errors in the last one. Badger points go to those who can spot them!
And of course, we get back to Ken Block, who is quite the internet sensation. On August 16th, he'll debut the next video in his range of Gymkhana displays, cleverly entitled "Gymkhana 4". To get you acquainted with his work, here's his most recent video, erm, "Gymkhana 3"!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TshFWSsrn8
Attend some live motorsport
Perhaps the best way to get through not watching F1 is to attend a real life motorsport event. It's usually affordable, always bags of fun and, so long as you don't mind rubbing shoulders with the odd racing anorak (we don't, so long as they're clean) full of great people.
There's tons to choose from: like unnecessarily big wheels? Go watch some monstor trucks at Santa Pod Raceway, Northamptonshire on August 21st. Want to see F1 drivers of the future in action? Formula Renault 3.5 runs at Silverstone that same weekend and has a mega grid this season. This weekend we've got the Richard Burns Memorial Rally, the Club Lotus Show & Festival at Donington and some classic motorcycle racing at Darley Moor Motorsport Centre. We don't even know where that last one is but it sounds fun. So if you're missing the excesses of Formula One why not remedy the emptiness with something altogether more pure: a bit of club-level motorsport.*
* And Formula Renault 3.5. It's not club racing, but go anyway.
Comments and Discussion
What do you mean stay away from Driven? It's one of the best (worst) films ever (not just car related). It's so bad it's a must see just for giggles (best watched while consuming alcohol).
I'd also recommend a couple of John Frankengheimer movies:
1) Ronin. Some excellent car chases around Paris, made all the more special by being at high speed and not just 30mph with shaky cam, fast zooms and fast cuts as Hollywood usually does.
2) Grand Prix. OK it's not modern F1, but it seems all the more realistic by being in a different era. The made up characters mingle with REAL!!! drivers of the time and it all just seems to plausible. Having Tom Cruise driving for Ferrari alongside Alonso in a modern equivalent just wouldn't work.
While I'm on the subject of 60s Grand Prix, try out the super-realistic Grand Prix Legends on the PC. The community had modded it to death so there's a great variety of cars outside the original '67 season, and you can even drive the full 44mile Targa Florio track! The physics are still regarded to be very accurate, and you even get the car rocking sideways when you rev the engine in the pits diue to the inertia of the cranks.
GPL is rock hard, but once you've tried a lap of the original Spa you realise just how heroic the drivers of the 60s were. (Note: Steering wheel essential!)
Some? of errors I reckon are:
Benetton 193B was in 1993 (4 wheel steer and all that)
FW15 was 1993
The "Lotus Renault R31" looks odd to me. Can't place it - maybe a GP2 car or their track day special?
And that mercedes looks suspiciously like a Brawn painted silver to me
Can't believe you've not included Herbie in the suggestions of films to watch... shocking.
...I dunno, I take a two week summer Badger-break...
The original not the remake I hope!
You could also include the pod race from The Phantom Menace, but just be sure to only watch that bit
The "Lotus Renault R31" is, I believe the Renault R29 painted up in a 2011 livery. The Team Lotus and maybe the Mercedes are also this year's cars.
The Red Bull is also no way 2005; it's got the post-2009 high rear and low front wings. The 2009 car maybe?
Ah, my mistake, the Mercedes is the Brawn painted silver. I knew it wasn't this year's car.
The Renault driven by Bruno Senna is the track car featured on Top Gear, the Lotus 125, painted in the JPS livery. You can, if you can afford it, plump for the Gold Leaf or Camel alternatives.
The "Mercedes" is a repainted Brawn too. Good job!
Unless I'm missing something, the T125 isn't in this video. I've just had a look and that's definitely a re-livered R29. It's got the fat nose:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Romain_Grosjean_2009_Japan_3rd_Free_Practice_2.jpg
The T125's a very different shape, and whilst it does come in a replica LRGP livery, it's not painted up with sponsors...
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/lotus_t125_2.jpg
/anorak
That is quite good, actually, unlike the rest of the film.
I've never seen Herbie. We discussed this and you were horrified. I've never seen Herbie and I never will.
I have seen Herbie. The classic ones that don't involve Lindsay Lohan or the guy that was once Batman though.
There's two Lotus Renault GP's, the first one you see is Petrov in the '09 car with '11 livery, the second is Bruno Senna in the JPS coloured T125.
That'll teach me to not watch til the end...