tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933932002228726142024-02-20T15:08:39.465-08:00Pole Catthere's only one position she likesCat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-71043560746334950172013-04-20T16:11:00.001-07:002013-04-20T16:11:53.517-07:00Farewell to The Pole Cat BlogDue to things getting a bit more serious...like I-now-pay-my-rent-with-my-words serious, I'm having to streamline my responsibilities.<div>
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You can now find all motorsport and car-related blog posts at <a href="http://www.catdow.com/" target="_blank">my shiny, new website</a> - go on, take a look...it's got a bit more about me, who pays me for my words and what projects I'm currently working on.</div>
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If you followed @pole_cat_blog on Twitter, that'll be winding down too, but don't worry, all car-related stuff will now be found on @catladydriver, which is the Twitter feed for my all new YouTube channel. It's gonna be great, so make sure you check it out.</div>
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For any random Cat-musings, you can always follow @catdow - but be warned I share music, politics, car stuff and random thoughts. </div>
Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-83008229057387911242013-04-07T13:31:00.000-07:002013-04-07T13:31:00.303-07:00MotoGP: Testament to tussle triumph over team orders<br />
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Like the banter between
skiers and snowboarders, the cheeky bickering between two wheels and four
wheels is always good fun. Today’s 2013 inaugural MotoGP in Qatar, however, was unarguably a joy to behold for any motorsport fan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Much to the delight of
No. 46 fans, Valentino Rossi found his natural fluidity with the Yahama works
bike and began a campaign for a podium position. Posting times faster than the
race leader, Lorenzo, he eventually climbed from seventh place to finish
second. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, the drama
came from the Hondas. Showcasing their infamous straight-line speed, Spaniard
Dani Pedrosa and highly-regarded rookie, Marc Marquez, held second and third
places solidly for the majority of the race. Marquez feeling the heat from Brit
boy Cal Crutchlow and lapping four tenths faster than his team mate bravely
challenged for the second spot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unlike the F1, where
the argument over team orders has continued to frustrate both drivers and fans
alike, Pedrosa and Marquez were given the freedom to take each other on –
braking at speeds of 210mph. If that wasn’t dramatic enough, Rossi’s
unprecedented ascent momentarily spooked Crutchlow, who couldn’t brake tight
enough and ended up off the track. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider recovered
well to demonstrate the competitive edge he brings to the season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rossi then went on to
do what Crutchlow had struggled with. Using his experienced racecraft, he
slipped past Pedrosa and challenged Marquez. Unflinchingly, Marquez conceded
only to challenge Rossi, his hero, a few corners later. He held position until
the penultimate lap, when The Doctor squeezed by. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The true racing,
unhampered by team agendas or dominated by the business of the sport, created
an electric atmosphere. Post-chequered flag, there wasn’t a spectator in sight
without a massive smile on their face. “Sensational!”Azi Farni, pit-lane
reporter for the BBC MotoGP coverage, enthused as 20-year-old Marc Marquez
sidled up to her mic, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The positivity exuded
was a stark contrast to the podium of the Sepang F1, where Vettel obnoxiously
defied team instructions to beat team mate, Mark Webber, to first position on
the podium. Provoking a wave of “naughty step” jokes and fervent discussion on
fan forums, F1 officials perhaps need to look to MotoGP to emulate the success
of the sport, pushing the passion forward and the business back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-63361970838025258822013-02-25T12:16:00.000-08:002013-02-25T12:16:38.224-08:00I call ‘Bullshit’ on Electric “fear”<br />
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Recently, the ex-CEO
of Volvo, Stefan Jacoby, announced that electric cars had no future down to the
overall “fear” of the car buying public.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Citing our needs to
want a reliable, rechargeable car, he stated that our behaviour with mobile
phones was a clear indication of this apparent fear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Granted, we want to
know our car will get from A to B, even if there is a bit more traffic than
expected, but do we ‘fear’ not making it? No, in the same way we don’t ‘fear’
running out of petrol. We will be peeved. We will find it hugely inconvenient
and we MIGHT even use a few more offensive swear words. In the same way we did
all these things when Nokia’s charge pin shrunk and Apple’s Lightning charger
cable replaced a perfectly usable one.
(Oh, hell was I peeved!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, like normal human
beings, when we spot that we are running low, we will go to a station and fill
up, or recharge in this case. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not saying this is
easy. In fact, I’ve just spent the last week, running around on the electric
experience “from hell”…if I really wanted to sensationalise things. Was it really hell though? No. Sanity check: Palestine/Terminal Illness/Three-day hangover. No, it was definitely not hell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few things didn’t go
my way. Living in an apartment with no exterior power point was my first
mistake, but half of the reason for loaning the car, was actually to test this
theory.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The electric car
itself, a <a href="http://recombu.com/cars/reviews/smart-fortwo-electric-drive-coupe-55" target="_blank">Smart Fortwo Electric Drive Coupé</a>, was loads of fun to drive. Hot off
the lights, it whizzed around all my little localities, to-ing and fro-ing to
friends’ houses, and less enjoyably to charging points. It was cool though.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My experience was
hindered by a couple of things, namely my lack of due diligence and Mercedes’
failure to equip me with a charge card. This latter issue, however, was quickly
resolved by the lovely people at <a href="http://www.pod-point.com/" target="_blank">Pod Point (Thanks, Hannah!</a>). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cruising around the streets
of Soho looking for a point could have been avoided, if I’d pre-scoped the
area. But I chose to wing it. Two visits to Peckham and an unsuccessful visit
to E14 later, I simply giggled when I saw that the forecourt of Ancaster Nissan
was closed on Sunday (bollards up), with a LEAF parked directly in my way anyhoo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This experience wasn’t
an infrastructure problem. Nor was it an electric car problem. It was just pure
bad luck. Was I fearful?! NO! I did not fear that the big bad hairy battery
juice guzzler was going to come and steal the remaining supply of my charge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I did what any normal
human being would do and returned the six-miles to the point I knew DID work
and I left it there overnight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fact, it gave me
the opportunity to do a bit of training that I’d missed out on all week. That said, I appreciate 3.8 miles back
home isn’t ideal, so I’m pleased to hear the government has announced measures
to dole out £13.5m to customers buying electric, on top of their £5,000 tax
relief, to help with the cost of fitting a charging station to their home, or
in their street. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If having an electric
car does nothing else, it certainly widens your social circle. And if you hear
manufacturers talking “range anxiety”, don’t believe the hype.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-68524949812745864582013-02-17T23:48:00.002-08:002013-02-17T23:49:38.108-08:00Danica Proves Worthy In The Face Of Negativity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Danica Patrick has
clinched the first female pole, after setting the fastest time at the Daytona
International Speedway in Florida, ahead of this season’s inaugural NASCAR
race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the revelation
that she is dating track rival Ricky Stenhouse Jnr., she finished strongly in
practice, almost a full second faster than the rest of the field. Topping
speeds of 196mph, she clocked a lap time of 45.8 seconds to secure the historic
pole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ex-Indycar500
driver will undoubtedly welcome the focus back to a more professional topic. While
it shouldn’t really matter who she is dating, media scrutiny has led to
questions on both her relationship and her perceived image as a female driver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/02/danica_patrick_godaddy_ads_racing_s_fastest_female_is_throwing_the_women.html" target="_blank">TheSlate’s Laura Helmuth scathingly described her ‘GoDaddy girl’ image as‘spectacularly offensive’</a> and suggested it was setting the women’s movement
back, following the advert for the website-hosting company on Superbowl Sunday.
Citing Janet Guthrie’s scientific background and subsequent commercial
appearance in an engine oil advert, Helmuth’s unveiled disappointment was
palpable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Patrick’s involvement
with the advert is fairly disappointing. As a motorsport-spectating female
myself, it would be great to see more females out on track across any of the
championships and using their profiles wisely, to encourage more girls into the
industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, in the same
week that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21463651" target="_blank">FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh commented on the financial instability of many F1 teams</a>, it is clear that sponsorship matters. Bottom line:
money talks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the benefit of doubt, Patrick
probably wasn’t aware of the graphic nature of the final edit. Had the advert
lacked the hideous stereotypes, gratuitious ‘kiss’ scene or had even an ounce
of humour, Patrick’s ‘GoDaddy Girl’ status would have been untarnished. Though
the execution of the advert may have failed, her performance on the track hasn’t.
And </span><i>that</i> is far more important. </span><!--EndFragment-->Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-53411754358638296912013-01-24T06:38:00.001-08:002013-01-24T06:40:42.922-08:00New Panamera Is Snow BeautifulIt's no secret that, since it's launch, I've never been a big fan of the Porsche Panamera. For me, it looks dated and the shape reminds me too much of a duck-billed platypus to take it seriously.<br />
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However, while perusing le t'interweb this morning, I came across <a href="http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/spy-shots-revised-porsche-panamera-caught-testing-in-the-snow-ar145191.html">spy shot</a> of the new Panamera. In one of the shots, you're able to compare old design and the new, which is clearly moving away from the instantly-recognisable Porsche shape so well-suited to a two door sports car. Nice one, Porsche!<br />
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<br />Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-54851978958495900662013-01-21T14:07:00.000-08:002013-01-21T14:08:52.478-08:00Drivers Beware As Big Freeze Increases Accidents Six-FoldAnnually, I look forward to the patronising driver safety tips broadcast on every news channel to equip us for the five flakes of UK snowfall predicted.<br />
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However, this year is slightly different. I’ve actually seen snow! Yes, real white stuff. In INCHES! Forgive me for sounding a little satirical – the journey to the office this morning wasn’t as easy…and on the basis of that, here’s some interesting information we thought I’d share.<br />
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The lovely people of Mytyres.co.uk have released information saying your summer tyres aren’t going to cope well in this weather. Hold off on the slow clap. They’re kindly offering to change them for you, which is dead nice of them. If, however, you don’t want to spank £200+ straight after Christmas, we suggest you drive really carefully. They aren’t BS-ing when they say driver accidents during the winter months are six times more likely. The increase in flu and cold symptoms, which driver concentration and alertness, is acknowledged to play a part. This coupled with the difficult road conditions mean more accidents, if you’re not the one with a car full of snot rags and Lemsip.<br />
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Statistically, over half of annual insurance claims are made during the same period. After the pre-Christmas hikes we’ve seen, following the introduction of non-gender based policies, considering winter tyres may save a few pennies in the long run.<br />
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On a similar note, GEM Motoring Assist has been requesting function over fashion on the footwear front. David Williams, CEO, said, “We know that fashion dictates which winter boots are popular this season. However, many don’t offer enough grip and could cause your foot to slip off or in between pedals when driving.”<br />
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As I moodily kick off my hot pink, gold-toed platforms, I have a few words of advice:<br />
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- Keep a blanket in the car, you may need to conserve heat <a href="http://recombu.com/cars/articles/features/is-it-legal-to-have-sex-in-your-car">(or create it ;)) with someone else and as I mentioned, you need to make sure the windows are covered</a><br />
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- Don’t “pop out” without your wallet, fully-charged mobile and coat – your wallet has your roadside assistance card in it, which is rendered useless if your phone battery dies*<br />
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- A couple of bottles of water, two tins of Red Bull and bag of Haribo Starmix and Peanut M&Ms will ensure you’ll be alive and wired when they find you, should you get stranded. Particularly if you’ve only been gone an hour.*<br />
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- Check the car over after you’ve spent two minutes using your redundant Library card to give yourself some visibility – tyre pressure, radiator, water bottle, oil, petrol. You feel like more of a jackass having to call for help because there’s no fuel.*<br />
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*No, I don’t care what you think. I have TOTALLY not done this myself.**<br />
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**I may be entirely fibbing right now.
Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-3347952799446435852011-05-15T14:33:00.000-07:002011-05-15T14:33:06.996-07:00BBC MotoGP Coverage Good, Though Still Room For ImprovementThere's no denying that I am incredibly relieved with the replacement of Jennie Gow, last season's MotoGP presenter. It was always going to be difficult following the fabulous Suzi Perry (@suziperry), but Gow did little to demonstrate her knowledge of the sport (if there ever was any), and fly the flag for women in biking. Often blogging on her BBC real estate about non-related subjects (Canadian weddings) or how she'd spent time 'catching up on her knowledge' (youtube-ing previous races perhaps?!), she had me bored stiff and I did wonder what had possessed the BBC to hire her in the first place.<br />
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2011 saw the promotion of Matt Roberts (@mattrobertsbbc), and for this I was grateful. Easy on the eye, the Yorkshireman knows, or at least presents to know, about the sport, contributing intelligently to the wise commentary of Steve Parrish and fits naturally to the deck. <br />
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Furthermore, the new pitlane recruit, Azi Farni (@azifarni), brings a splash of respectable feminine touch, desperately needed and has both qualities my friend, Onions, considered Miss Gow to be lacking in,<br />
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"You either have to know shit loads about motorsport, or be dropdead gorgeous."<br />
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Waxing lyrical over, I was left slightly disappointed today though, when searching through the race reports to glean various pieces of information I'd missed during the race, I'd discovered the Reuters release had been 'borrowed' for about four different sites, all on links from the BBC's race report, also a copy.<br />
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I know this kind of reporting, particularly for the weekend, isn't uncommon, but Beeb, if you're really struggling, I'll swap my yearly licence fee for a bespoke report each weekend, if needs be!Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-33062289943737898062011-05-15T14:12:00.000-07:002011-05-15T14:14:18.759-07:00Pole Cat Loves A Good Cat Fight: Spaniards lash out at SimoncelliAfter an enthralling French MotoGP, which saw Stoner take the top spot and Rossi secure his first podium win of the season, the most heated discussions centre around the decision by officials to penalise Marco Simoncelli for seemingly cutting up Dani Pedrosa. <br />
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The twenty-four year-old Italian, who was publicly attacked by World Championship titleholder Jorge Lorenzo for riding 'dangerously', <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/13404309.stm">attempted to overtake round the outside</a>, while the two battled for 2nd place. In launching for the apex too early, he left Pedrosa with very little room to manoeuvre or pull up and the Repsol Honda went crashing out of the race on Lap 17. <br />
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Simoncelli was penalised with a ride-through, though still managed to finish fifth behind Lorenzo, leaving many believing he should have been blackflagged. Post-race, Pedrosa spoke of his disappointment. Having only just returned magnificiently to top form in Portugal a mere fortnight ago, after a titanium plate was removed from his left collarbone, the Spaniard has discovered he has now fractured his collarbone on the right side, which will undoubtedly impact his claims to the 2011 title.<br />
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While Simoncelli sympathised sincerely with Pedrosa's situation, he fervently claimed the manoeuvre was entirely fair, directing doubters to telemetry readings for evidence. The Italian, whose 'Sideshow Bob' styled hair do is as wild as his riding style, is receiving all kinds of debatably unwarranted negativity of late. <br />
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Displaying the talent, speed and aggression of a younger Lorenzo, it's surprising the frontrunner, who had a comparatively weak weekend, is <a href="http://www.twowheelsblog.com/post/6276/another-duel-in-the-making-jorge-lorenzo-vs-marco-simoncelli">finding Simoncelli such a threat</a>. If Lorenzo continues to let Simoncelli get under his skin, he could find himself in a mental battle, fighting demons he's created himself. Though as a newly self-appointed spokesman, campaigning for more safety awareness in motorcycling, we may see the focus shift from his riding to more drama off the track than on it.Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-32528934187463356432011-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:002011-05-09T12:40:22.131-07:00Schuey Needs The BootI’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, there is no room for those once at the top of their game and retired, to make a career-changing, media-hyped comeback. It did nothing for Morrissey or music (my other greatest love) and it’s done nothing for Schumacher.<br />
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The hotly-anticipated 2010 comeback allowed more recent World Champion title holders an opportunity to compete with the multiple-title winning driver, and no doubt, one of their childhood legends but after a dismal start to his second returning season, Schumacher has had to face an incredible amount of criticism over his inability to “beat” team mate, Nico Rosberg.<br />
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In Schumacher’s defence, that’s like expecting your granddad to know his way around better than you – an electronic word processor, great for its day, not a patch on the Office Suite.<br />
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I’ll concede that it IS a completely different sport to when he used to rule the championship and it’s almost admirable that he wanted to challenge himself again, but he never seems to learn – and they say that wisdom comes with age! The move he pulled on Barrichello at the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix he claimed initially was to make the race ‘spectacular’, though what would have been more spectacular, though undesirable, would have been a crash of astronomical proportion. <a href="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je71qzTdzx0&sns=em">Anyone see the crash at Brands Hatch in the same week?!</a> Apologising only after fans and media pressure intensified, you may almost mistaken the German for being arrogant - who'd have guessed?!<br />
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Following last season, Mercedes Petronas GP made some vague pre-2011 season claims that he would be in contention for the title in 2011 and with some kind of momentum beginning to build in the Chinese GP, in which he showed signs that he still possesses nuggets of that legendary racing flair, the true, ever-loyal Ferrari fans would have no doubt believed he could be a frontrunner.<br />
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But like a certain FIA lion, those fans are incredibly biased and often can’t see the calories for all the pasta and sauce. Schumacher is no longer a racing legend. Race-by-race he comes closer to losing all credibility he’s so carefully crafted in past years, to the point of embarrassment. Do him a favour, Mercedes, lose him before he loses it completely.Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-26918655037886571782011-04-16T00:53:00.000-07:002011-04-16T00:53:28.293-07:00Quali report – ShanghaiVettel (1:33:70) maintained his consistently strong performance in free practice, then going onto secure pole for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. Unlike his team mate, Mark Webber, who’s practice sessions had been fraught with a number of mechanical issues. Taking the RedBull car out on the prime tyres, his Q1 session was riddled with understeer, a lack of speed and non-existent KERS, so he struggled to within the 107% only to have Pastor Maldonado push him out into the cold with a slight nudge and take P10.<br />
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Fuming he sulked around the garage, whilst the Ferrari team, for a second race running, put both drivers out on two sets of option tyres. Initially this strategy seemed to be paying off as they secured P1 and P2 in Q1. It was not to last as Petrov, showing glimmers of the underdog spirit, taking P1 back just before the end of Q1. In Q2, the Russian put in a flying lap, which secured P4, until a hydraulics failure brought his car to a complete standstill, much to the dissatisfaction of other drivers, notably Barrichello.<br />
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Officials red-flagged the session with just over two minutes to go. Cue a scramble into the pits to ensure access at the restart to the frontrunners. Young Sergio Perez won this minor battle, but failed to stave off Alonso, who would only eventually manage a P5. <br />
The restart offered an exciting end to the session, as drivers battled to gain times that would secure a start from the top ten grid positions tomorrow and the McLarens made good use of this, Button (1:34:42) finishing on the front row for the first time since Italy last season and Hamilton in third (1:34:46).<br />
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Schumacher continued his frustrated return to Formula One, failing to compete in the second session and being outshone by his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who secured P4. Not the only experienced driver usurped by his younger teammate, rookie Paul Di Resta (1:36:19) made the most notably drive of the day, taking P8 for Force India, leaving Adrian Sutil (1:35:87) at Q2 in 11th position.<br />
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As the Scot returned on the inlap, the green and orange car kicked up a bit of a fuss, which may prove damaging to his efforts. Only tomorrow can confirm that one way or other.Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-43968137161390314282010-12-30T05:19:00.000-08:002010-12-30T05:19:28.252-08:00Jaguar XJL – Go on, Dad, buy one!The new supercharged Jaguar is awesome. Not in a sexy way. I mean, it is sexy, well, no not sexy. Sexy is a word for the Zonda or Ferrari 458 – it does things to you without you touching yourself, er, and ‘sexy’ and ‘Dad’ should not be associated. <br /><br />I’ve always associated Jaguars with old men, which was no doubt emotionally enforced when the white-haired Inspector Morse got into that beautiful Mk II Jaguar – yeah, the one I always wanted as my first car. “Dream on,” Daddy said, understandably.<br /><br />The XJL doesn’t perform like a Dad car. In fact, it’s pretty nippy, And the semi-automatic version left me surprised. Dropping it down to 1 manually with the flappy paddles, as advised by My Stig, made leaving the lights a lot of fun - stunning given the size of the car. It was less ‘Granddad’ and definitely more executive-style ‘Dad’. So much so, that I’m dying for my Dad to get one. He’d love it, the comfort of the electronically adjustable seats will look after the bones that don’t feel like they used to, while sports-mode will remind him of how young he still is.<br /><br />The digital speedometer and electronic handbrake were marks of wizardry that made my little face light up and the rear-facing camera, which fed into the touchscreen sat nav system, allowed you to see exactly where the car was tracking to, great news for a girl who admits she struggles to park. Hey! How was I to know what six inches REALLY looked like?!Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-1318026245793080362010-08-01T01:01:00.000-07:002010-08-01T01:02:29.760-07:00I'm Blue - Dabba Di Dabba DieSunday morning chuckle to <a href="http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/clamped-lamborghini-murcielago-koenigsegg-ccx-2010-07-30">this particular article</a>:<br />
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</div>Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-33966144367671640822010-07-29T23:39:00.000-07:002010-07-30T00:00:15.145-07:00Engineering For Dummies - Blown DiffusersForce India give us <a href="http://www.forceindiaf1.com/index/page_id/356/news_id/430">an explanation</a> a child could understand of the component keeping McLaren and Red Bulls more stable than their competitors.Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-45191901972179757212010-07-29T14:07:00.000-07:002010-07-31T00:33:51.711-07:00F1 Teams vs. F1 Fans – don’t forget the money starts with us!<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let’s be clear. F1 teams run those cars because the sport is lucrative. In the wake of last weekend’s rule contravention by Ferrari, angry opinions spewed forth, as though the Government had let a dying terrorist out of prison, only to discover his prognosis had improved once he was safely back in his homeland.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coulthard argued that the teams invest...(<a href="http://www.beehivecity.com/sport/f1-teams-vs-f1-fans-%E2%80%93-don%E2%80%99t-forget-the-money-starts-with-us/">read more</a>)</span></span></div>Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-82860533775446629982010-07-29T13:53:00.000-07:002010-07-30T00:03:11.332-07:00Ferrari: Right Or Wrong? FIA, Choose One.<div class="MsoNormal">The half-baked $100,000 fine thrown at Ferrari, in the week succeeding the German Grand Prix’s overtaking fiasco, is one of the most disappointing gestures of all time. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most fans will be amazed that the FIA took any action at all, what with former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt as elected FIA chair. However, it is stunning that a moan from the ever-complaining Alonso proved catalyst for one of the most controversial decisions all season. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.beehivecity.com/sport/why-dont-f1-teams-just-admit-its-ok-to-have-favourites14572/">Despite the rush to deny any favouritism within teams from McLaren and Red Bull the previous week</a></span>, Ferrari clearly had no qualms in publicly indicating which driver they favoured. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The FIA’s decision to fine but not reverse the race result is ludicious. The stewards have cowardly passed the buck to the WMSC, whether to distance themselves from a decision that woud have no doubt changed the FIA/Ferrari relationship forever, or for other reasons. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the situation is undeniable. Either you believe Massa is lying, in which case the race result is void – or you believe he made the executive, uninfluenced decision for the unchallenged pass of his own accord, in which case, no fine is necessary. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Moreover, for a manoeuvre that was supposed to defend the “team” against Vettel, they may just have put him on top and gifted him 25 points - not the only thing Red Bull’s Team Principal Christian Horner, who has been spared further media focus since the weekend, will be thanking Stefano Domenicali for.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the <span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjd5p8dDQdU&feature=related">anniversary of Massa’s near-death collision</a></span> at the 2009 Hungarian GP, the Ferrari driver conceded the top spot to his Spanish teammate. Fans were outraged to be somewhat ‘cheated’ out of a brilliant in-team battle and of what would have been a marvellous opportunity to celebrate the Brazilian’s recovery.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">F1 Fanatic blogger, Keith Collantine, <span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/07/27/why-the-team-orders-rule-must-stay/">demonstrated how Massa stood as much of a chance for the World Championship as Alonso</a></span>, given the eight races left, but on Lap 48 of 67, Ferrari’s preference for the Spaniard was abundantly clear and the Brazilian begrudgingly allowed the pass.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Criticised severely on home turf on Monday, in the year of the late and very great Senna’s 50<sup>th</sup> birthday, Massa deserved the stick for his faltering fighting spirit. Back in the UK, viewers seemed more sympathetic to Massa’s clear disappointment. Yet, he was defending his team <span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jreVi_Hb6W0">every interview of the way</a></span>, no matter how gritted his teeth may have been. Simply put, there’s no justification for breaking the rules, no matter how wrong that rule may be.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rules, good or bad, must still be adhered to, in order to make the victories of the sport as fair as possible and to provide the entertainment for which the fans spend so much money to enjoy. Surely?<o:p></o:p></div>Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-51382470309310886802010-07-28T14:55:00.000-07:002010-07-30T00:05:31.972-07:00Why Don't F1 Teams Just Admit It's OK To Have Favourites?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">McLaren, Red Bull…they’re all at it! These days motorsport is amok with teams denying any favouritism between drivers.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Despite <a href="http://www.blogger.com/hightech/its-hard-to-fathom-the-starbucks-coca-cola-red-bull-facebook-fans16550923/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #205b87; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_self" title="Red Bull Facebooker's">our recent observation that over 6 million Facebookers favour the sugar-clad energy drink Red Bull</a>, Monday saw the branded F1 team officially insist...(<a href="http://www.beehivecity.com/sport/why-dont-f1-teams-just-admit-its-ok-to-have-favourites14572/">read more</a>)</div><br />
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First published piece for over six years. Wow. That makes me feel old.Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-51272074030340811152010-07-28T05:12:00.000-07:002010-07-30T00:04:10.487-07:00Ducati SportClassic Sport 1000 - the affordable version<div><br />
</div><div>So since visiting Motegi MotoGP, this has been the objection of my biking desire.</div><div><br />
</div><div>We're a fair way off from ever owning it, meanwhile, I'll add <a href="http://www.motoringminiatures.co.uk/shop/products/Ducati-SportClassic-Sport-1000,-Red-%252d-1:18.html">this badboy</a> to my wishlist ;)</div>Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193393200222872614.post-64093377883869253282010-07-28T03:10:00.000-07:002010-07-28T03:13:08.983-07:00The name's Bond, and I'm on a HuntOn the way to a friend's birthday party last night, I spotted the most beautiful vintage Aston Martin. Registration plate: STU 407J, I know it has to be older than 1973, but even after a brief Google image search, I can't seem to locate it...<div><br /></div><div>If you spot, let me know.</div>Cat Dowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525661149942937656noreply@blogger.com3