On the Podium this week is Kamui Kobayashi, or Krazy KK for short, F1-ancient Johnny Herbert, and big-screen F1. But in the dreaded Pits are two entire countries! Madness.
PODIUM. Kamui Kobayashi –
When he’s not driving like a loopy, albeit brilliantly entertaining, cowboy, Krazy KK (as POP is dubbing him) is doing charity work! Bless. He’s even donating the very clothes off his back to good causes. Click here to bid for his clothes with proceeds going to the Grand Prix Mechanics Charitable Trust.
PITS. Jacques Villeneuve –
You can’t fault the man for trying. After winning the world championship many many moons ago, the Canadian driver has spent the last couple of years desperately trying to burrow his way back into Formula 1.
POP isn’t sure what the straw was that broke the camel’s back, but apparently Jacques has officially thrown in the towel. “I think it’s time to not bother looking at F1 anymore” said Jacques recently. Better get back in the recording studio to record a moody melancholy album then, eh Jacques?
PODIUM. Big screen Formula 1 –
Formula 1 is expensive to watch live. You’ve either got to know the right people, or be prepared to fork out upwards of £100 just to get your foot through the smelly gates of many F1 events. Of course, watching the real thing is truly, utterly, superb. But not all of us are made of money! A fact which billionaire Bernie Ecclestone never seems to remember (well, he is now 80).
So here at the Sett we did some pondering on this sticky situation, and came up with the brilliantly-named… Badger’s Big Brazilian Bash! Aside from such catchy titles, it gives us regular F1 fans the chance to watch F1 with fellow fans, with several huge screens (one even shows the live stats – sad, but ace), drinks, and all in central London so no sitting in post-race traffic jams! What’s not to like? And with special guests Virgin Racing, prizes, the Badger team, and of course the Brazilian grand prix, it’s going to be a race to remember. Click here for more details.
PODIUM. Jerome D’Ambrosio –
Apparently life really is like a box of chocolates for the Belgian driver Jerome D’Ambrosio. The driver is 95% certain that he’ll be in Formula 1 next season… in a Virgin Racing car. So, sorry Lucas di Grassi. D’Ambrosio has already been doing some Friday testing for the team, but can he go from Friday-form to Sunday-spectacular?
Maybe it’ll mean that Virgin will be getting D’results pretty soon too?
PITS. Hungary and Turkey –
Just before you thought it was all about the ‘Podium’ this week … Hungary and Turkey could be in the ‘Pits’ pretty soon with the news that the Bulgarian grand prix could bump them off the burgeoning F1 calendar.
Ok, so no-one actually goes to see Turkey, but it’s one of the few marginally good Tilke-tracks, so that’s a bit rubbish. As for Hungary? Hmm, POP isn’t so fussed really.
PODIUM. Johnny Herbert –
When POP was little, and Formula 1 was seemingly inundated with decidedly bizarre moustaches, it was Johnny Herbert who garnered POP’s whole-hearted support.
No, there is no rational reason, but live with it. So great was his popularity that the family goldfish was re-named after him.
The goldfish very soon went to watery heaven, and Johnny Herbert never did win more than 3 races in Formula 1. Nevermind, aside from the memory-lane musings Mr Herbert is to return to F1 as a steward for the Brazilian grand prix. Given the tensions going into the race on Sunday Johnny’s got his work cut out, but POP couldn’t frankly think of a more worthy candidate to deal with such matters.
PODIUM. Red Bulletin –
When our Editor, Adam was first thinking of writing about F1 on t’interweb back in the mid-noughties, a copy of the Red Bulletin landed in his hands while at the Belgian grand prix – my, he thought, “this is entertaining stuff” and it no doubt inspired him to get fingers on the keyboard and to start tapping away…
Now, the Red Bulletin isn’t just about F1 and it’s not produced at the races, but it’s still free, inside the Daily Telegraph on the first Sunday of every month – get your copy this weekend, it includes a brilliant article with Mark Webber (we’ve had a sneak preview!) and speaking of the popular-potential-champion Aussie, he really is one step ahead, already showing us how to get around Abu Dhabi – focus Mark – it’s Brazil on Sunday!
PITS. Eddie Irvine –
We weren’t sure whether this story belonged to the PITS or the PODIUM, but seeing as we’re talking about Eddie… Anyhow, one of Badger’s favourite websites – Grand Prix Diary has run with an amazing story regarding a prancing horse bronze statue in a village in Ireland, erected in a farmers field rather than being given to Eddie because he turned his back on Ferrari after 1999. Read more here, no matter if it’s a true or a hoax, it aint half funny!
