by Tess Tarossa on Aug 25th, 2011

This week in Podium or Pits, your regular good week/bad week of Formula 1 ... POP gets excited about the return of F1, Tom Cruise eyes up Mark Webber's seat at Red Bull, a man makes his own DIY F1 car, and much more...

Mission Impossible: driving an invisible F1 car! - Garth Milan/Red Bull Media House North America, Inc.

Cruise Control - is Hollywood star Tom Cruise preparing for the title role of the upcoming F1 film 'Rush' ? (whoever is responsible for that title should be shot)  It centres around the 1976 championship battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.  POP bets that Cruise fancies himself as the charming, and eventual 1976 champion, Hunt.  Perhaps not, but anyway, he's been spotted with the Red Bull team having a test drive recently.  "Tom's the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver,” said David Coulthard, who was showing Cruise the ropes.  Judging by the picture, however, he seems to be struggling with the concept of needing to be in the actual car in order to drive it.  There's no 'cruise control' in F1, mate!

LegoF1 - it's official, there's definitely something odd about the Danes.  Denmark is famous for literally handfuls of things: bacon, racing drivers Tom Belsø, Nicolas Kiesa, Jan Magnussen and Jac Nelleman, and LEGO!  BadgerGP's Jimmy Von Weeks dug up this bizarre Camberwick Green-style LEGO Formula 1 race, including a rather slow pit stop from what looks like a Jordan, and two cars which crash and mysteriously combine to make one 'super' car.

Badger GP on Facebook - to some, Facebook is the devil incarnate, to others it is as essential as breakfast.  Regardless of your beliefs surrounding the book of faces, Badger GP has a fun-filled page where we have caption competitions, debate hot topics, commission impromptu polls, and share our favourite videos and photos from around the web.  Get involved by clicking here!

Geoff from Virgin Racing - for those of you who attended our Brazil Bash last year live at the Sports Cafe in London, you may remember our exclusive behind-the-scenes talk from Virgin Racing's Geoff Collins.  Well, you'll be pleased to hear that he has a blog (click here) which gives an amazing insight into the world of F1 when the cameras stop rolling.  Worth checking out for all those nosy F1 fans out there...

DIY F1 car - no, POP isn't talking about the HRT car!  An F1 fan with too much time on his hands set about creating his very own F1-style car out of spare parts of cars and motorbikes.  Amazingly, it's even road legal.  It's creator has dubbed it the 'Furore F1', and it can even hold some groceries despite its 170mph top speed!  Certainly beats the kit cars of yesteryear.

F1 is back! - it can only be a podium to celebrate the return of Formula 1 after its annual summer holidays!  And it's Spa! SPA! SPAAAA!!! Yay!  Can you tell POP is excited?  Thought so.

Comments and Discussion

Chris T

Can I suggest this weeks POP is renamed Podium or Podium as there is a distinct lack of Pits!

- posted on 25th August 2011 at 4:36 pm
Tess Tarossa

Well spotted Chris - it's probably the elation that F1 is on this weekend that meant no-one got a Pits!

Any suggestions for Pits welcome though?

- posted on 25th August 2011 at 4:38 pm
Stray dog howling

Renault deserve to be in the pits for dumpimng 'Quick Nick' for 'Snail's-pace Senna'.

And 'Quck Nick' should be on the podium for turning up at Spa in his overalls and insisting that he going to race. For sure.

- posted on 25th August 2011 at 6:01 pm
scott

I reckon that Lego is the pits, it made me feel mildly uncomfortable watching it lol. whoever made that had way too much time on their hands. although i did love the snails!

- posted on 26th August 2011 at 8:11 am
geeksandlies

Not that i mean to be picky but; i believe the Furore was based on an old F3 chassis! Still, looks the part and would give most whiplash from whipping round to look as it went past you the other way :) Have been speaking to Russ for a while now as i keep thinking about building one. The website is a little basic *cough* but well worth looking at just to go "cooool!" http://www.furorecars.co.uk/index.php

- posted on 26th August 2011 at 12:18 pm
kat

podium for Jens doing a demo in Manchester, Pits for him refusing my offeer of company for the 3 weeks Jessica is away

- posted on 30th August 2011 at 9:33 pm

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