The 'Tyregate' Tribunal Hearing in Full

Paris, yesterday

Justice Malheureusement (chairman of the FIA International Tribunal hearing): Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation my colleagues and I have reached a verdict in this hearing. It is our view that, by taking part in the disputed three day tyre testing session in Barcelona, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team clearly and wilfully acted in breach of articles 1 and 151 of the International Sporting Code. We therefore have no choice but to punish the team to the full extent of our powers.

Sir Philip Ecspensyve (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 legal representative): My client regretfully understands your verdict and certainly hopes it won’t cause Mercedes to decide that they no longer want to participate in Formula 1.

Justice Malheureusement: The punishment is as follows; Mercedes is to pay a fine of 100 million dollars and will be stripped of all world championship points accrued…

Bernard Ecclestone: [coughs loudly]

Justice Malheureusement: Erm… accrued to date in the 2013 seas…

Jean Todt: [coughs very loudly]

Justice Malheureusement: I’m sorry, I appear to have mis-read my own writing. The punishment accorded to Mercedes F1 is to be told that they are very naughty and to spend the next five minutes looking at their shoes. Furthermore, they will be sent to bed tonight with no supper.

Sir Philip Ecspensyve: My client respectfully accepts this punishment.

Justice Malheureusement: Good. Oh, and they can’t take part in the forthcoming young driver test day.

Sam Bird: [anguished cry]

Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013) My memories of a great man

When I first went to the F3 and GT race meeting at Brands Hatch way back in 2008, I had no particular favourite team in the British GT championship. All this changed in a couple of hours when I met Ferrari drivers Hector Lester and his Danish Teammate Allan Simonsen. I got a signed poster off of them that to this day remains on my ceiling, but meeting those two guys changed my view of motorsport forever. Time and time again, we have seen arrogant sports "stars" who are in there for themselves, but Hector and Allan were happy to chat to everyone, rather than signing a poster and then ushering the fans onwards. They both seemed to be involved in motorsport not just because they were good, but because they enjoyed themselves and never seemed to take things too seriously. I immediately became a fan of them both. Their attitudes were a breath of fresh air against the single-mindedness of the F3 drivers. I returned in 2009 and again found myself having a pleasant chat with the drivers I supported most in British GT. Again I was surprised by how much time  they were willing to spend with their fans, rather than retreating to their motorhomes like the vast majority of the F3 drivers. I was back in 2010 and again in 2012, largely just to see those two who really made you feel like the only reason that they could go racing at all. You got the feeling that Hector and Allan cherished every single fan. I tuned in to 2013's Le Mans 24 hour race and caught the start, but at the end of lap 1 my parents forced me to take a walk with them. When I returned, I found out that Allan Simonsen had crashed. I am not a major follower of endurance racing, with my only attendance being the Britcar 'Into the Night' race in 2011 at Brands Hatch, so I didn't even know that Allan was racing at Le Mans this year. I heard the commentators say that he was conscious in hospital and I searched YouTube for the accident during an ad break. I saw the aftermath and did not think any more of it until two hours into the race, when the Eurosport commentators announced that he had succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. I went numb. I was sure it was a different guy called Alan. I was sure. In the very next ad break, I frantically searched and then it hit me: he was gone. Allan, long may your name be celebrated for as long as there is motorsport. May we never forget the talented driver, and more than that, a true sportsman and a perfect character.

Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013)

A true hero gone,

Rest in peace

The signed poster on my ceiling showing Lester and Simonsen's car out in front

Mercedes banned from young driver test after illegal tyre test

Mercedes have been banned from this year's young driver test and reprimanded for taking part in a controversial Pirelli tyre test.

Pirelli has also been reprimanded for its role in Lewis Hamilton's team running a 2013 car at the three-day test in Spain last month.

An FIA tribunal found the team breached F1's rules and an article covering bringing the sport into disrepute.

It took into account that the FIA had given "qualified approval" to the test.

In a statement Mercedes said it "acknowledges and accepts the decision of the FIA International Tribunal."

It added: "In the best interests of the sport, the team does not intend to avail itself of any right to appeal the decision.

"We now wish to bring this matter to a close and focus on the forthcoming British and German Grands Prix, both of which are important home races for the team."

The young driver test runs for three days at Silverstone from 17-19 July. Last year, Mercedes completed 1,354 kilometres in the rookie test. The Pirelli test, conducted with race drivers Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the Circuit de Catalunya on 15-17 May, ran for 1,000km.

Costs of the investigation and international tribunal procedure have been shared equally between Mercedes, Pirelli and governing body the FIA.

The tribunal said that:

• Mercedes had broken article 22.4 of the sporting regulations by running an illegal in-season test with a current car

• The FIA's qualified approval did not and could not override article 22.4

• Mercedes "did obtain some material advantage" which "at least potentially gave it an unfair sporting advantage"

The tribunal found in mitigation that:

• There was no intention by either Pirelli or Mercedes to gain "any unfair sporting advantage"

• Neither Pirelli not Mercedes acted in bad faith

• Pirelli and Mercedes "disclosed to the FIA at least the essence of what they intended to do in relation to the test and attempted to obtain permission for it; and Mercedes had no reason to believe that approval had not been given"

• The action of FIA race director Charlie Whiting, who had indicated the test would be permissible, were "taken in good faith and with the intention of assisting the parties and consistent with sporting fairness"

The tribunal said it was "unable to express any opinion" as to whether testing carried out by Ferrari with a two-year-old car in 2012 and 2013 was "properly authorised". But it said it was "equally unsatisfactory" that Whiting had given his consent to this even though the tribunal "had no evidence before it which indicates his opinion had in fact been wrong".

The decision to split the costs equally suggests the tribunal felt the FIA was not completely blameless in the episode.

The hearing on Thursday had established that Mercedes had asked permission for the test from the FIA, which had said it was theoretically possible as long as the other teams were given the same opportunity.

Neither Pirelli nor Mercedes informed the other teams of the test, apparently thinking that a previous general request to the teams asking for assistance in tyre testing was sufficient.

The test was conducted behind closed doors with Hamilton and Rosberg wearing black helmets rather than their normal colours.

Mercedes said at the hearing that they regretted the decision to change their helmets and apologised for it.

The test caused outrage among the other teams when they first heard about it at the Monaco Grand Prix. They insisted that running a current car was against the rules.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged an official protest against Mercedes,starting the process that led to the tribunal.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said of the verdict: "We raised the protest as we wanted clarity on whether you are allowed to test in-season with a current car, as we believe this was a breach of the regulations.

"The penalty is not for us to decide. It was for the tribunal to decide and they have made their decision."

Need For Speed Most Wanted: a sad end to it all (NEED FOR SPEED IS DEAD)

2012's Most Wanted has to be one of the worst video games I have ever played, worse than the established front runners such as GT Racers, Enthusia and so on. With a dismal score of just 7 out of a possible 100, the Need For Speed series now occupies the top

three places on my list of the worst video games of all time. In fact, I ended up bored after 20 minutes (a new record) and, in just my first sitting with the game, I threw the case with the disk inside onto the floor and stamped on it. The case has suffered damage to the closing mechanism and now will not shut anymore. Furthermore, I have decided that, whilst I will still be publishing information about future releases, I will not be purchasing or reviewing any future Need For Speed game for the foreseeable future. The only thing that will change this situation is a radical change to the series. New developers, new technology, new direction for the series. This autumn, I will not be buying Need For Speed: Rivals as EA Games and Criterion have shown us, through the making of Most Wanted, that they have simply run out of ideas and cannot make anything new, as the game was 99% recycled components, either from The Run, Hot Pursuit or Burnout Paradise. Need For Speed died, in my eyes, in 2008, after Undercover left our shelves. Since then, we have subjected to a cash cow rather than products made for our enjoyment, with the VIP passes being the proof of that. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Need For Speed fan. It's just that all good things must come to an end, though the goodness ended years ago. So, Need For Speed, my childhood friend, goodbye.

Need For Speed (the good stuff)

1994-2008

The damaged case

Need For Speed: Rivals first look

As the most successful racing game series of all time continues to decline after 2012's Most Wanted only stopped the series sinking lower, rather than actually reviving it, 2013 sees yet another reboot of a previous game. 1999's Need For Speed: High Stakes will now have a sequel in the new Need For Speed: Rivals.

A sequel to a game from 1999. And I thought GRID 2 took ages

So what do we know at the moment? Well, The good news is that Ferrari will return to Need for Speed for the first time since Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 in 2002, with the F12 berlinetta being the first Ferrari confirmed.

The addition of Ferrari for the first time since 2002 (except DLC) gives EA something to talk about 

From there, though, things start to go downhill for fans of the series such as myself. Firstly, the vastly overused Autolog system returns once again in 2013 to offer more misery and to force you to try to beat your friends time even though you really couldn't care less about their progression in the game. There is also a new AllDrive system that supposedly brings down the barriers between single and multiplayer, hinting that for the fifth game in a row, single player will be sacrificed because online is obviously more important, meaning that those without Xbox Live or PSN (yes, they do exist) might as well give up on purchasing this game unless you want another overpriced version of Need For Speed: World that isn't just for Windows computers.

A lack of single player makes me look at NFS World. Not a good thing

Dynamic weather returns to "make the world feel alive in a much bigger sense than any other Need for Speed game", obviously apart from Underground 2. Oh and Most Wanted as well. And Carbon for that matter. Basically, they are bringing back a feature that was nice to have many years ago but made no actual difference to the gameplay, but they dropped it several years ago for no apparent reason, so now they are bringing it back to...um...hmm...erm...make it appear more interesting to journalists and also so that they have something to say when their latest "effort" is blasted away by Forza Motorsport 5 later this year.

Customisation returns, but it won't be anywhere near as good as Underground 2

After many years of being moaned at, EA Games have brought back customisation, although it is actually worse than Forza's customisation! You can change your paint, rims, vinyls, and licence plates. Ooh, wow. For a minute there I thought they were going to include actual customisation, like in Underground 2. The Burnout handling model returns for another year (please God, no, anything but this), as do the Mario Kart weapons seen in 2010's Hot Pursuit, as the cops and robbers racing returns from that title, as do the stupid and rather pointless jumps and speed traps, the latter of which was included in Most Wanted to try in vain to keep up with Forza Horizon.

Rain. Just what British gamers need the most

So what is this Need For Speed: Rivals then? As far as I can see, It's Hot Pursuit all over again. Maybe EA have given up on the series, because it doesn't really look like they've made much of an effort with this one. Looks like they will be beaten, for the fifth time in a row, by Forza, and I am sad to see this, as I love Need For Speed. But this isn't the Need For Speed I know and love. This, then, should actually be called Burnout: Rivals Mario Kart Edition.

What the cover SHOULD look like. Oh dear

Mercedes and Pirelli face disciplinary charges over illegal test

Mercedes and tyre supplier Pirelli face disciplinary charges on Thursday on what promises to be a dramatic day that could have major repercussions.

The pair are accused of breaking rules governing testing and a guilty verdict could have far-reaching consequences.

Pirelli is considering suing F1's governing body the FIA if the company is hit with a heavy penalty.

And Mercedes may feel it would have to consider its F1 future if the company's integrity is impugned in any way.

Mercedes and Pirelli are the first participants to face the new international tribunal of the FIA, F1's governing body.

Senior figures from rival teams have said they cannot see how Mercedes can escape punishment for their actions after using a current car to conduct a three-day, 1,000km tyre test at Pirelli's request at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on 15-17 May.

But team principal Ross Brawn told BBC Sport at the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month: "Sporting integrity is vital to Mercedes. It would be easy for me to challenge that.

"When we get to the international tribunal and everything's explained, people can make a judgement when they know the facts. I'm not going to pre-empt those facts. It's unfortunate to be making judgements before the facts are known."

Brawn has made it clear that taking part in the test was his decision.

The 58-year-old is expected to step down from his position in the short to medium term, perhaps even at the end of the year, and any punishment could potentially bring that day forward.

Mercedes have said they are confident they will be cleared once the truth comes out in the hearing.

Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes motorsport and executive chairman (business) of the F1 team, said: "We have prepared our documents; we can do no more.

"On Thursday the judgement comes and we will see whether we can live with it.

"We have no feelings, neither a positive nor a negative. Our belief is we have done nothing wrong."

The Mercedes case will be argued by Paul Harris, the same QC who represented Brawn in 2009, when the team that became Mercedes successfully argued at a previous FIA hearing that a controversial aerodynamic part known as a "double diffuser" was legal.

The key allegation is that the team used a current car to conduct the test, when article 22 of the sporting regulations, as well as other contracts and agreements between the teams dictate that is not allowed.

A potentially vital part of the evidence will be whether Mercedes and Pirelli received any form of communication from the FIA saying that the test would be allowed.

Some sources say the team have an email from the FIA race director Charlie Whiting saying that in his view they would be allowed to use a current car.

Others say this is irrelevant as Whiting is only in a position to offer an opinion, and that it is up to others to decide whether it reflects the regulations.

Pirelli, which has a contract with the FIA allowing it to do limited tyre testing, is also under scrutiny.

The tyre company's contract with F1 expires this year but it wants to continue on the right terms.

The evidence will be watched closely for information about what exactly Pirelli asked the FIA in terms of what was allowed.

An important distinction could be whether Pirelli merely asked the FIA a general question about whether it was possible to run a 2013 car in such circumstances - which it is accepted it did - or whether the tyre supplier went back to ask for specific permission for this test.

Some sources say it did not ask for specific permission for that test and nor did it inform the other teams - and that its failure to do both those things could leave it in breach of contract with the FIA.

The other teams did not know about the test - details emerged at the Monaco Grand Prix last month, when Red Bull and Ferrari lodged an official protest against Mercedes accusing them of breaking the rules involving testing.

The FIA said it was "unlikely" that there would be a verdict on Thursday.

A wide range of penalties are open to the tribunal, from exclusion from the championship, through race bans to fines. They could also choose to acquit either or both parties.

Paul Di Resta is the new Doctor Who

The new Doctor, yesterday

Just days after revealing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who, the BBC today stunned sci-fi fans with news that his replacement will be gloomy Scottish F1 jockey Paul di Resta.

BBC spies say di Resta won the coveted role after lengthy screen tests in which he impressed producers with his carefully media-trained responses to the dialogue delivered by other actors. ‘Paul really made the part his own,’ said one Beeb insider. ‘For example, when another character said the line “The Cybermen are attacking!” the script called for the Doctor to reply, “We’ll see about that”. But what Paul said was, “The Cybermen are attacking, and that’s definitely something that we’re addressing but, you know, we’ve made good progress this weekend and the guys have done a great job so it’s fair to say I’m feeling confident in the circumstances”. Those of us who hadn’t fallen asleep half way through were really impressed.’

Although future storylines are kept tightly under wraps, it’s believed that di Resta’s first adventure as the new Doctor will see the dour Force India driver struggling to get to the distant planet of Mornthraw and looking set to arrive on time only to suffer some misfortune which causes him to find that 13 or 14 other time lords have got there first.

As a further shock for Who fans, it’s believed that the new Doctor’s assistant will be played by F1 pit lane reporter Lee McKenzie whose job will be to sit around in the Tardis until the Doctor returns from another unsuccessful mission and solemnly ask him if he is ‘bitterly disappointed’.

Your guide to 2013's F1 drivers and teams

RED BULL
Full name: Inexplicably Infiniti Red Bull Racing
Engine: Renault
The reigning champions have changed their name for 2013, adding the word ‘Infiniti’ to their official title to boost the presence of their key sponsor, the car company more commonly known as ‘shit Lexus’. The new RB9 racing car reflects this in two ways. Firstly, because it has a horribly over-ornate clock in the dashboard. And secondly, because you will never see more than two of them in your entire life. Red Bull enjoy a great driver line up in Sebastian Vettel, who is motivated by his desire for a fourth world title, and Mark Webber, who is motivated by his desire to stop that happening.

FERRARI
Full name: Scuderia Totally Legitimate Nothing To See Here Ferrari
Engine: Ferrari
It’s business as usual at Ferrari with grumpy charm-vacuum Fernando Alonso and panda-faced pace-o-phobe Felipe Massa taking care of driving chores, all under the stewardship of Director Of Appearing On Television, Stefano Domenicali who sometimes finds time to run the team, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the vital business of locating and standing in front of TV cameras looking like a strangely unfunny impersonation of Vic Reeves. Boosted by successful pre-season testing, the team is said to be confident it can find several rules to bend and promises it is in good shape to make an annoyingly pompous fuss whenever another team does anything wrong.

McLAREN
Full name: Vodafone McLaren Vodafone Mercedes Vodafone
Engine: Mercedes
McLaren set some quick times in pre-season testing yet rumours persist that they are ‘struggling to understand the car’, largely because it was accidentally designed with a thick Glaswegian accent. With the departure of technical director Paddy Lowe, his replacement Matt Goss promises to ‘drop the boy’ and ‘put the cat among the pigeons, oooo oh.’ Stalwart British driver Jenson Button is to adopt the classic ‘red five’ made famous by Nigel Mansell and is planning to complete the nostalgic effect by growing a moustache, developing a whining Midlands accent and, since he is driving for McLaren, becoming too fat to fit in the car. Button is said to be delighted that Sergio Perez has replaced Lewis Hamilton and his delight can be summed up in just one word; ‘beatable’.

LOTUS
Full name: Lotus Quack Quack Oops We’re Mad We Are F1 Team
Engine: Renault
Inspired by famously laid back driver Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus have decided to adopt the ‘maverick team’ schtick that Red Bull used to peddle before they decided it was better to get on with actually winning things. Raikkonen is likely to continue giving the impression that he finds this entire carry-on utterly tedious, as indeed does the rest of the world. Second driver Romain Grosjean may look like a rural simpleton but the bungling Frenchman has big ambitions for 2013 including a desire to book a ‘rhuem’ and to ask a blind man if they have a licence for that ‘minky’. During the Monte Carlo GP he is expected to drive a Citroen 2CV van into a ‘swimming peul’.

MERCEDES
Full name: Mercedes AMG Petronas Don’t Mention The War F1 Team
Engine: Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton takes over Michael Schumacher’s seat although the team promises they let it dry out and sprayed it with Febreze first. Rivals think the British ace could be a real contender this year. Hamilton himself isn’t so sure, perhaps because he’s actually driven the car. Alongside the ex-McLaren driver is Nico Rosberg who remains a Merc man through and through, at least until he gets a confirmed appointment for the rest of his sex change. It’s widely believed that this will be the last season at the team for Ross Brawn following rumours of a falling out with other high profile members of management. Mercedes denies this, though a spokesman did admit that Brawn’s full codename for the 2013 car is the F1 W-Niki Lauda Is A Twat-04.

SAUBER
Full name: Sauber Plucky Underdog Everyone Likes Us F1 Team
Engine: Ferrari
Sauber hope to spend 2013 doing just what they always do; qualifying reasonably well, racing reasonably well and putting in the odd surprise performance whilst never forgetting their most important role; being solidly midfield. Nico Hulkenberg remains well liked, though this is mostly  because of his amusing nickname, ‘The Kenb’. Newcomer Esteban Gutiérrez raised the money to reach F1 by selling his name to the producers of Hollywood action movies whenever they were stuck for something to call the bad guy who runs the cocaine cartel.

FORCE INDIA
Full name: Sahara Force India Your Company Name Could Be Here F1 Team
Engine: Mercedes
Force India boss Vijay Mallya has been experiencing financial difficulties recently but denies that this will have any effect on his team. Nonetheless, at recent pre-season testing he was repeatedly heard to bark ‘put it in seventh’ over the radio, even during the slower corners. A team insider later admitted they had no idea how the car had performed as all their laptops were dummy display models and they had spent the entire test ‘pretending’ to examine data in order to ‘look cool’ in front of other teams. Force India will not run KERS on Paul di Resta’s car this season, preferring to use a unique hybrid system that harnesses the pure power of Scottish misery. Many pundits say Adrian Sutil is a disappointing choice for second driver unless he’s in the same room as them and there is glassware on the table in which case they say he is brilliant and a future world champion.

WILLIAMS
Full name: FW Consistently Disappointing F1 Team
Engine: Renault Clio 1.2
Williams are unique on the 2013 grid in that they are a former world championship team which seems to have no idea how to win a world championship. There is concern that they’ve already demonstrated this before the first race by quietly changing an illegal exhaust vane where a true championship contender like Ferrari would have made a massive fucking fuss about it and then accused McLaren of cheating too. Familiar driver Pastor Maldonado is talented and, as he proved in Spain last year, capable of winning. Unfortunately, at many races he is beaten to the car by his evil, accident-prone twin Bastor Maldonado who is shit. Newcomer Valtteri Bottas is not to be confused with his mum, Valerie Bottas, who runs the Finnish branch of the WI.

TORO ROSSO
Full name: Toro Rosso Scuderia Second Best
Engine: Ferrari seconds shop
The Red Bull back-up team has struggled for success recently and has attempted to deflect attention from this by changing their official slogan to ‘The team Sebastian Vettel used to drive for!’ Daniel Ricciardo gets quicker when he stops smiling which, unfortunately for the team, is almost never. Jean-Eric Vergne is famed for being the only F1 driver who lives under the sea. The team need a decent car for 2013 or risk another season being known as ‘those people who stop the backmarkers getting too close to the talent’.

CATERHAM
Full name: Lotus Caterham Lotus F1 Team Lotus
Engine: The ones Renault can’t get to run right
The team that used to be a more likeable Lotus is now the only F1 outfit in history to be run by a man called Cyril. Probably. The team struggled for pace in testing and seems to be short of money since they can’t even afford a vanity plate to cover up that bloody awful nose. Driver-wise, Charles Pic returns to F1 which is a surprise since he only drove in 2012 because it was his gap year. He’s joined by Giedo van der Garde of the Netherlands who was hoping to copy Jos ‘The Boss’ Verstappen by using a nickname that rhymed with his first name but has run through the options and thought better of it.

MARUSSIA
Full name: Rolling Chicane F1 Team
Engine: Ford ‘Essex’ 3-litre V6
Rear axle: mk4 Cortina
Without HRT on the grid this season, it falls to Marussia to be 2013’s comedy no-hopers. Despite actively courting pay drivers, the team still struggles for money which is why their race truck is also their factory and their official test driver is recorded as ‘John’s mate Dan (if he’s free)’. Ex-Ferrari tester Jules Bianchi is not without talent, especially when it comes to writing cheques, whilst British driver Max Chilton has taken inspiration from Kimi ‘The Iceman’ Raikkonen and Nico ‘Britney’ Rosberg, by arriving in F1 with his own nickname; ‘The Wallet’. Meanwhile, team consultant and disgraced former Renault engineering director Pat Symonds insists he won’t be going back to his old ways by ordering the Marussia drivers to crash. ‘There’s really no need,’ he sighs.

A heartwarming tale about an elephant

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE STORY!!!!! In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University .

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.

 

The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.

 

He got down on one knee, inspected the elephants foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

 

As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his knife,

 

after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

 

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

 

Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

 

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

 

Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

 

 

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son.

 

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and

 

walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing.

 

The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down.

 

The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

 

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this was the same elephant.

 

Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure.

 

He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

 

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs

 

and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

 

 

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Track Marshall killed at the Canadian Grand Prix

A 38-year-old marshal was killed at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix after being hit by a recovery truck.

The accident happened while Esteban Gutierrez's stricken Sauber was being removed from the Montreal circuit.

The International Automobile Federation said the man, who has yet to be named, had stumbled after dropping his radio.

"My dearest condolences to the family of the marshal who lost his life today, our prayers for him and his family. RIP," said Gutierrez on Twitter.

The FIA said the marshal stumbled while attempting to pick up his radio as workers used a mobile crane to lift Gutierrez's car and return it to the pits.

He was run over by the recovery vehicle, whose driver could not see him, added the FIA.

Medics stabilised the victim at the track before he was airlifted to hospital where he later died.

Dr Jacques Bouchard, the Grand Prix's chief medical officer, said the marshal "suffered major trauma with multiple fractures and a serious abdominal contusion".

The FIA have yet to release any details about an investigation.

"I am very, very sad to hear this news and my thoughts are with his family and friends," said Sebastian Vettel, who won the race for Red Bull.

"The work of marshals is not always seen but it is vital to our sport and without their commitment, time and dedication there would be no motorsport," added the three-time world champion.

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, who finished second, said the man's death was "terrible news".

"Today there is nothing to celebrate," added the Spaniard on Twitter.

This was the first marshal fatality since 2001 when Graham Beveridge was fatally injured by a loose wheel from Jacques Villeneuve's BAR-Honda at the Australian Grand Prix.

At the previous year's Italian Grand Prix, volunteer firefighter Paolo Ghislimberti died from head and chest injuries after being hit by a loose wheel from Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Jordan.

25 Things to ponder...

Ponder on these imponderables for a minute:- 
1. If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times,
does he become disoriented?

2. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from
Holland called Holes?

3. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

4. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

5. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

6. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

7. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

8. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person
who drives a racing car not called a racist?

9. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

10. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

11. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

12. 'I am' is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language.

Could it be that 'I do' is the longest sentence?

13. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow
that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged,
models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

14. What hair colour do they put on the driver's licences of bald men?

15. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little
spoons and forks so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?

16. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What
are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their
pictures on the postage stamps so the postmen can look for them while
they deliver the mail?

17. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. (my fav)

18. No one ever says, 'It's only a game' when their team is winning.

19. Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those
little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE

20. Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing
section in a swimming pool?

22. OK ... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the 'Jags' and
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the 'Bucs,' what does that make
the Tennessee Titans?

23. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhoea, does that mean that one
enjoys it?

24. Why if you send something by road it is called a shipment, but when
you send it by sea it is called cargo?

25. If a convenience store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year, why are there locks on the door?

2013 World Submarine Racing Championship in pictures

The 2013 
World Submarine Racing Championships

  
 

Well, ...For god sake what did you expect to see??!! 

..Hope the rest of your day goes better!     
PS - .....I looked at all the photos too.

The Biggest Damn Snake Ever

Yes it is. 
Don't believe me? 
Watch the video. 

I had to take a video because it wouldn't fit in a photo!
This video was not allowed on YouTube for some reason!

Sebastian Vettel to retire in five years

World champion Sebastian Vettel has said he may quit Formula 1 in five years' time.

The 25-year-old made the remarks in German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag in response to a question about whether he would leave Red Bull one day.

Vettel, who has won the last three drivers' titles, made it clear he was talking in the abstract.

"I can't say. Perhaps I will no longer be driving in five years' time because I no longer have the urge to," he said.

"Perhaps I will compete for another team in five years because I feel ready for a fresh challenge.Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen - one of Vettel's two main title rivals this year, along with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - has been strongly linked with the team.

Asked whether he would like the Finn as his team-mate, Vettel said: "I don't know how realistic that is. But I get along very well with him."

The two men are said to be friends and occasionally meet up socially, including to play badminton.

But asked if an F1 driver could be friends with his team-mate, Vettel said: "Well, friends is perhaps a bit exaggerated.

"We see each other at races and - time permitting - also between the events. We are both uncomplicated, straightforward, honest. We get along fine.

"But true friends, people you trust with everything, those do not exist in Formula 1." Every human being evolves as time goes by, priorities shift.

"Right now I feel completely at ease here and I could not imagine driving anywhere else.

"The car is quick, the team does well - I see no reason to leave. But that does not automatically mean I will stay forever."

Vettel has long been linked to an eventual move to Ferrari, but any possibility of a move seems some years away.

Red Bull have publically said Vettel is contracted to the end of 2014,and it is believed he has actually signed until 2015 and has options to stay with the team beyond that.

A more immediate question for Red Bull is the identity of his team-mate in 2014.

Vettel has had a tempestuous relationship with Mark Webber, his colleague since the German joined the team in 2009, and their relationship took a turn for the worse when Vettel ignored team orders not to pass Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Although Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has said Webber can stay if he wants, it is considered likely that the 36-year-old will leave the team - and probably F1 altogether - at the end of the season.

'Differences' series-in progress

I am currently creating a series for YouTube that is called "Differences". It is a series where I take two popular items from society and pitch them against each other. In the comments, let me know what things you want to see, such as Forza vs Call Of Duty or something like that

Canadian Grand Prix Preview

Round seven of the championship sees the paddock crossing the Atlantic to Montreal’s Isle Notre-Dame and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2013. Lewis Hamilton took victory for McLaren last season, but can he do the same for Mercedes this year? Those involved discuss their prospects for the race…

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
2012 Qualifying - 17th, 2012 Race - 13th
“Montreal is definitely one of the most challenging tracks, especially when it rains as the downpours can be quite heavy. Obviously this causes changes to the strategy regarding pit stops and tyres. It also makes life much more challenging on the track because there are certain places where puddles form. In the past there has been a high frequency of safety cars during the race as well which will again affect race strategy. The track itself starts off very dirty on Friday because it’s only used once a year and it isn't really until the Saturday qualifying session that more grip can be found after we have had a chance to lay down more rubber. It’s interesting to drive on a track that changes so much as the weekend unfolds and the layout feels a bit like a street circuit which gets the adrenaline pumping. The whole city comes alive during the week of the Grand Prix and the atmosphere is one of the best all year so I really enjoy visiting Canada.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“This will be my first time driving at Montreal and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s similar to the last race in Monaco in some respects, being a street circuit with a number of the corners and straights very close to the walls. The challenge is therefore to quickly find the cars limit and use as much of the circuit as you can, without taking too many risks. I’m particularly looking forward to the last corner, the wall of champions, which is very iconic. As this is my first time driving the track, Friday morning is going to be important to get the right car setup. There are long straights on this circuit so good traction is needed out of the slow speed chicanes, and you also need really good straight line speed, especially in the race. If you have better straight line speed than your competitors, the racing will be much easier for you to defend and overtake so we need to find a good compromise between downforce and drag.”

Mike Coughlan, Williams technical director
“The track is quite challenging with high speed straights and tight slow corners, which makes it very hard on brakes. Montreal has the lowest pit loss time of the year, at 15.9 seconds, which typically favours higher stop strategies, however there is a relatively high chance of getting a safety car around here. The track roughness is the lowest of the season and coupled with low tyre energy this can lead to a high tendency towards tyre graining. Weather is also a factor here as the low temperatures can cause trouble for the tyres due to the circuit layout and rain is always a threat. We had a difficult weekend in Monaco, but we did find a good direction for development which we will be carrying through to Canada with a number of new parts. There is still a lot of work to do, but we are confident that everyone in the team is pushing hard to get us back to where we need to be.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has the quickest single lap time of the season, taking just 75 seconds on average. This is due in part to the relatively short length, but also to the long straights of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The straights are connected by tight hairpins where the cars brake down to a little under 60 km/h, so the RS27 must combine good top end power with effective engine braking and pick up on the entry and exits to the corners so acceleration is not compromised down the straights.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2012 Qualifying - 12th, 2012 Race - 8th
“I have won (in Canada) which was pretty good, but I have experienced some setbacks there as well. Many times the race has been quite a lottery as there seem to be different things which affect it. The weather can change a lot, sometimes the tyres or the track aren’t working very well, sometimes there are a lot of safety cars, or sometimes another driver runs into the back of you when you’re waiting at a red light. As for the place itself, I’ve always liked Montréal. It is one of the nicest cities we visit all year. What do you need for a good result in Canada? A good car. Like at every circuit you need to get the set-up exactly right. You need a well-balanced chassis in the medium downforce configuration and you don’t want to be too hard on brakes as there’s a lot of aggressive braking there. It’s something I quite enjoy, the stop and go style of the circuit. Qualifying is important at every circuit, but not as essential as it was in Monaco to get a good result. It’s not easy to get past, but there are one or two places to overtake.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2012 Qualifying - 7th, 2012 Race - 2nd
“Last year we had a fantastic result at this race and we’ll certainly be trying for a fantastic result once more. For sure it will be a bit more difficult with the (10-place grid) penalty, but we’ll take the challenge and do the very best we can. The track is interesting; not an easy one to learn, but as we say most of the time if you have a good result then you like the track! I’d certainly like to finish this year’s race on the podium again; that would be a good record to maintain. I enjoy the sensation of being close to the walls; although as I learnt this year in Monaco… I don’t enjoy the sensation of being too close to the walls! Montréal is different from Monaco as there are some long straights and big braking moments. The track surface can also present challenges as we’ve seen in past seasons, so it will be interesting to see what the grip level is like this year. Finally, the weather in Montréal can be quite changeable as we’ve seen many times. I’m sure it’ll be a challenging and exciting Grand Prix. The city’s great too. People speak French, the place is lively, there are some great restaurants and everybody is really welcoming.”

Eric Boullier
“We did well (in Canada) last year and it’s good in terms of the memories, but that doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily do well there this year. What we do know is that this year’s car is strong and has performed well on all different types of track layout, so it’s reasonable to expect a good weekend in Canada. I don’t think it will be an easy weekend, but we’ll be disappointed if both cars aren’t close to - or on - the podium.

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“Montréal is the first circuit we run at with a medium downforce level. Monaco is super high and everywhere else we’ve visited so far is high, so it will be interesting to validate our performance with lower downforce levels on the car. There are similarities to Monaco; no real high speed corners, with most turns taken in first or second gear and the kerbs used for the majority of them. As most of the corners are chicanes, you have a set-up trade-off between sufficient roll stiffness to allow the driver to have a sharp car for change of direction, but with suspension soft enough to ride over the kerbs. The track used to be very bumpy - especially under braking - but recent resurfacing has improved this enormously. 

“It’s the highest brake energy circuit of the year, but this won’t pose any significant problems. In years gone by we would have spent a lot of the weekend focusing on brake wear and ensuring we weren’t running too hot. Brake disc development over the past five years means this isn’t an issue or concern anymore. Our focus will be ensuring the brake temperatures are in the optimal range for operation and ensuring the brakes are matched at both front and rear for stability.

“Traditionally this circuit is fairly easy on tyres thanks to a smooth track surface. We’ll use Pirelli’s super soft and medium compounds to the original, non-revised 2013 constructions for the race. In the practice sessions we will have an opportunity to sample some development tyres; two sets per driver with a new rear construction.

“Last year was a mixture of one and two stop strategies and it’s reasonable to expect a similar approach this year; depending on the conditions experienced in the race of course. For Romain we will be looking at all the options and seeing if there’s anything different we can do to help vault him up the order, as he will be starting out of position thanks to his penalty. We went well with both cars last year and there’s nothing to suggest we shouldn’t go well this year.

“(In terms of updates) we have a revised aero package, with track specific front and rear wings as well as an update to the floor. There aren’t too many changes for this race, but looking ahead to the subsequent Grand Prix we have a revised bodywork package for Silverstone.”

Jenson Button, McLaren
2012 Qualifying - 10th, 2012 Race - 16th
“I’ve always enjoyed the Canadian Grand Prix – Montreal is one of the nicest cities on the calendar, we’re always made to feel welcome by the Quebecois, and it’s a race that everyone in Formula 1 looks forward to. Like Monaco, the Canadian Grand Prix can be something of an enjoyable lottery – but whereas Monaco is a low-speed, high-grip place, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the opposite: high-speed and low-grip. It's a mix that always comes together to provide the fans with great racing, which is another reason why it’s become one of the most popular races of the year. Going back to Canada always brings back happy memories of my race there in 2011. Coming through from last to first really does show that anything’s possible in Formula 1. While we won’t be heading to Montreal with a winning package, we’re making steady progress, and there’s always that added motivation that you can pull off a surprising result at this race. I’m looking forward to a great weekend in Canada.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren
2012 Qualifying - 15th, 2012 Race - 3rd
“There may not be much to show from Monaco, but it was another positive race for me – we had stronger pace throughout the weekend, and I felt that I raced hard and fairly, earning my positions the hard way – by competing for, and winning, them on the track. There are plenty of positives to take forward to Canada. It’s a race I enjoy – I finished on the podium there last year; and I feel like the team is bringing performance to the car at every race. Although we’re still not where we need to be, I hope the Montreal weekend will be another step. At the very least, I think we can have a good weekend – it’s a race that can reward a fighter because it’s often so unpredictable. For me, racing in Canada is always special because it’s one of the three races closest to my home in Mexico. As in Austin last year, I hope there’ll be plenty of Mexican fans travelling up to Montreal to support me during my first Canadian Grand Prix for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“McLaren has always gone well in Canada – we’ve won 13 Canadian Grands Prix – and while we’re not heading to Montreal next week with a realistic shot at victory, we well know that this is a race where an unexpected result is always possible. The Canadian Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Formula 1 calendar, and a race that the whole paddock enjoys. It’s a showcase for F1 at its best – the track has a natural flow that encourages bold driving, but which punishes mistakes with narrow run-offs and uncompromising concrete walls. The track surface is abrasive and relatively gripless, and the long back straight is perfect for lengthy slipstreaming battles and overtaking. In addition, the Canadian and North American fans are passionate and knowledgeable about the sport – it’s one of those races that’s packed-out from Thursday to Sunday, and filled with a varied and exciting support race timetable. It’s one of the best races of the year.”

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2012 Qualifying - 1st, 2012 Race - 4th
“Why do I like the Canadian Grand Prix? The circuit has a nice rhythm and it’s one of the best races we have all year. The atmosphere and fans are great, the whole city lives F1 for the whole week and that makes us feel very special. I like it. Obviously one of the craziest moments was in 2011. There was so much rain; I haven’t seen that much rain carry on for so long since! During the race we had a big break and were in the lead. The race was difficult and with half a lap to go, I made my first mistake of the race which cost us the win. But that’s racing and it’s probably great for the fans to watch when they don’t know who is going to win until the last moment.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull
2012 Qualifying - 4th, 2012 Race - 7th
“Canada is a really good race. It’s a popular Grand Prix for fans and drivers; the fans are very passionate and it’s always an interesting Grand Prix because it’s another street circuit. There are some very good restaurants in Montreal, the whole city stops for the race and the atmosphere is a bit more traditional I would say. I haven’t been on the podium there yet, so I need to sort that out. It’s not a favourite memory, but I remember when (Nigel) Mansell retired on the last lap when he was in the lead. Also when Jean Alesi won his only race there, that was good.”

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
2012 Qualifying - 13th, 2012 Race - 12th
“The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is one of my favourites. It’s a challenging track with a mixture of a permanent racetrack and a street circuit. It has some tight sections that don’t allow for any mistakes. I like the whole layout and, in particular, the kerbs. The atmosphere on Île Notre-Dame is always great and the whole city of Montréal welcomes Formula One. It’s a very nice Grand Prix, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“So far I have driven once at the track on Île Notre-Dame, and that was in 2007 in Formula BMW. It went quite well with one podium finish and a fourth place. It’s a really nice circuit and I like it a lot. The track is slippery and tyre management will yet again be very important, which gives us an opportunity to put a good strategy together. Obviously overtaking will be easier than in Monaco, which can benefit us. It’s hard to judge how competitive we will be, as it will also depend on the weather. Hopefully with better conditions we can have a more consistent weekend, which will help us to progress and make the most of our potential.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“The Montréal circuit is very narrow and has walls very close to the track. It typically produces one of the most exciting races of the season and a Safety Car is highly likely. The circuit is comprised of long straights and slow speed corners, which encourage overtaking, and also contribute to it being one of the hardest for the brakes. The circuit efficiency requires a lower drag level rear wing compared to Monaco, but you still need a strong car in low speed corners. This year the medium compound replaces the soft as the prime tyre, while the option remains as the super soft. Pirelli has also announced we will have a new rear construction to evaluate on Friday before its planned race introduction at Silverstone.”

Jules Bianchi, Marussia
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“I was hoping for better things at my home race last weekend but now I am fully focused on the races ahead, not looking back. Canada is one of the races I have been most looking forward to all season and I have heard a lot of things about the track and the fantastic city of Montreal. Having been in the simulator this week I feel excited for the weekend, although I think we can expect to be challenged by the demands of the circuit characteristics. The last race was the first retirement of the season for myself and the Team, which is disappointing after such a good run of 10 car finishes in 10 races until then. It seems to be an isolated problem, so we look forward to getting back to full reliability and continuing to push forwards.”

Max Chilton, Marussia
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“I’m looking forward to my Canadian Grand Prix debut and returning to the learning experience of an unknown track. From what I know and have seen in the simulator, this is one of those circuits that will keep the drivers and the engineers fully occupied by the engineering challenge, as there is such a careful balance to strike between the low and higher downforce sections of the track, at the same time as managing brakes and tyres. After a good result in Monaco I am hopeful that we can carry that momentum forward and enjoy a positive weekend.”

John Booth, Marussia team principal
“Everyone at the Marussia F1 Team thoroughly enjoys the Canadian Grand Prix experience, although the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has not necessarily favoured our car on our three previous visits. We are hopeful that we can turn that corner in Montreal next weekend. It has been quite a tight turnaround after Monaco to prepare the cars for the freight but they leave this weekend and in the intervening period before we arrive we’ll continue to evaluate a frustrating Monaco and try to get a good head start for the race ahead. Canada always throws up quite a few challenges - a technically demanding track, variable weather and the rather more unusual concern over groundhogs. The one thing we were pleased with in the last race was our result and relative performance, so we’ll be happy to continue building on that next weekend.”

Alexander Rossi, Caterham reserve driver
“After Monaco I was home in the States for the first time since January, preparing for my FP1 session at the Canadian GP, and then for the start of my Le Mans work straight after Montreal! Looking back, Monaco wasn’t a great weekend for us in GP2 with Caterham Racing, but we’ll bounce back at Silverstone. We know the areas that we need to improve the situation.

“Returning to F1 action is obviously another important step in the plan I’ve worked over a decade for and I take all the opportunities I get very seriously. This will be my first outing in the CT03 and on the 2013 Pirelli tyres in F1 and it’s good that my 2013 F1 debut is on North American soil, in front of a crowd who are seriously passionate about F1 and really know what our sport is all about. I’ve raced and won in Montreal back in Formula BMW and I enjoy the circuit a lot - it will be a special feeling to play an active role in the race weekend with the team.

“Even though FP1 sessions always seem to be over in the blink of an eye, it’ll be good to play an important part in the team’s work on track. I was last in an F1 car in the CT02 2012 car in Abu Dhabi, last November for the young driver test so I’m looking forward to see how far the car has progressed since then. This year for the F1 team I’ve done aero testing, simulation work and I drove at the team’s filming day, so this will be a good session for me to use what I learnt about the car in the sim and the aero tests as a comparison to help the team progress this weekend. It will be all about working to the run plan for the session and helping the team set the car up for the race drivers for the rest of the weekend.

“I leave Montreal on Friday evening, straight after FP2 and head back to Europe for the first Le Mans sessions. That’s another boxed ticked on my list of things for my CV. It’s great to be taking part in one of the great races with a team that’s already been successful in endurance racing, and to help a bunch of Caterham guys I already know well. Like F1, my aim in the first few days with the Le Mans team will be to learn as much I can and build up to the performance, adding value where it counts. It’s a huge honour to be able to take part and it’s something I’ll remember for ever, but first my main priority is F1.”

Charles Pic, Caterham
2012 Qualifying - 23rd, 2012 Race - 20th
“Straight after Monaco it’s on to another French speaking race as we go to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Last year was my first time racing in Canada and I have to say it was one of the best races of the year, maybe not so much for the final result but for the atmosphere on track which was really good. We go to a few races where the track is full of fans from Thursday morning, and Montreal is one of those. I guess having Jacques and Gilles Villeneuve as locals to have supported in the past means F1 is very special to fans in Montreal, but whatever the reasons, they love F1!

“On track it’s a very good challenge. It’s a semi-street circuit, with the barriers very close for most of the lap, and it’s a very technical circuit. The track surface is smooth and on Friday morning there’s very little grip. It does evolve over the weekend but it’s still hard on tyres all weekend so managing deg levels is going to be even more important than normal. It’s also very hard on brakes - there’s a couple of very heavy braking zones and you need to be able to really attack those to get the best lap time in, so we’ll also be working a lot in the practice sessions on maximising braking stability and, depending on what the weather does, brake cooling.

“You also need to be able to attack the kerbs, both to maintain speed and to save time, so that’ll be another area we’ll look at in FP1 and FP2, making sure we can really hit the kerbs hard without losing stability and balance. If you get all that right it’s a very satisfying feeling when you get to the end of the lap as it’s quick, a lap that feels really good in an F1 car!”

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“Next up it’s Canada, a track I’ve never raced at but one I went to last year with Caterham as reserve driver. I sat in on all the briefings and debriefs last year so I have quite a bit of information about what it’s going to be like from 2012, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time on my sim at home trying the track, but you obviously don’t really know what it’s like until you drive around it, but it will only take a couple of laps to get used to it.

“What I do remember from last year was how hardcore the fans are in Montreal! We have a couple of big North American sponsors, so the team had a lot of guests in the paddock and in the grandstands, but I remember that from early on Thursday morning the whole place was packed! In the city itself it was the same - there’s one street where the whole place is shut down for the race weekend and we had a team dinner there on the Saturday night. It was a fantastic atmosphere, a lot like it is at home in Holland for big sports events, so I felt really comfortable there and am excited about getting back, this time to race!

“On track I think it’ll be interesting to see where we are after Monaco. I was glad to bring the car home, but after the best Saturday of the year so far we obviously wanted to finish higher up. Even with that, there were some good signs in the race that we are making decent progress. Personally, for me it was another step in the learning curve, and for the team in general we saw that we’d fixed the rear wing issue we’d found in Barcelona, and had enough pace to get the car into Q2 and to record one of the fastest laps in the race in the early stages. Montreal is a medium to low downforce track and with the constant updates we’re making to the package we took to Spain, I think we could be ok.”