Hey, party animals in Sao Paulo?

If you would like to win two VIPs passes for F1 Rocks The Afterparty on Sunday night, we have another competition. Go to Twitter by clicking this link, and mention @joesaward, and answer the following question: In what year did Lewis Hamilton win the F1 World Championship at Interlagos? a) 2007 b) 2008 c) 2010 [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/hey-party-animals-in-sao-paulo/

Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino Jerry Hoyt Nico Hulkenberg Denny Hulme

Reflections on Japan and Korea

Greetings from Seoul. It's 0800 on Monday and I'm sitting in bed with a coffee, contemplating when to prize myself out of a comfy bed and into the shower.

We are now playing the waiting game and twiddling our thumbs until we can clamber aboard the plane home. A further 12 hours and an epic fortnight in Japan and South Korea is over.

There are many wonderful pleasures attached to this job, and arriving home in the UK is certainly one of them.

After two weeks of emotional, fraught, pressurised and dramatic television - the kind I think only live sport can deliver - walking in through the front door always feels strange, and it takes a couple of days to adjust emotionally as the adrenalin melts away.

I normally help the process along by heading out to my local pub for dinner with my wife, just to really feel like I'm home. By the time you're reading this I may well already be there - pint of bitter in hand.

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In the fortnight we have been out of the UK, history has been written.

Sebastian Vettel has been crowned the Formula 1 world champion, Red Bull have defended their constructors' title, and I have turned 33.

Many thanks, incidentally, to the person on Twitter who tweeted simply, "4 months and you'll be a third of the way to 100-Happy Birthday"...

Well, perhaps using my advancing years - but, I'm glad to say, not receding hairline - as an example, let's consider how impressive the achievements of the past two weeks actually are.

Let's start with the team of the moment - Red Bull.

I think what team principal Christian Horner, chief technical officer Adrian Newey, adviser Helmut Marko and all at their Milton Keynes base have achieved is incredible.

Consider the dedication at McLaren, the blueprint for success at Ferrari, the wealth of Mercedes and the casualty rate of new teams. For Red Bull to achieve what they have in just six years is stunning.

I know they weren't a start-up like Virgin Racing or Team Lotus, they were a reincarnation of an existing team, but as an example it has been a similar amount of time since the Jordan name left F1. In that time Midland, Spyker and now Force India have operated from the same base and their achievements are incomparable to Red Bull's.

Yes, the company's commercial success in selling fizzy drinks means they are able to fund big salaries and huge budgets, but only a fool would think money alone could buy the titles.

I have been impressed by the passion in the squad. They are racers and there is a huge desire to win, true disappointment when they don't, and an ability to have a good party when things go their way. Which I also like ;-).

There is a strange ethos in F1 that you don't stop to smell the roses.

I often wonder whether Robert Kubica revelled sufficiently in his 2008 Canadian Grand Prix win, or whether Lewis Hamilton really absorbed what an incredible start he had to his career in 2007.

The thing I say most to my wife is "savour it" and I'll be the same with my children. I think that's the most important lesson a person can learn.

It was John Lennon who said "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" and you, me, Vettel, everyone should avoid that at all costs. Life is too short - so savour it.

And on that front I'm happy to report that, having been just feet from him as he won title number two, Vettel is well aware of his achievements and just how lucky he is.

Whether you like him as a driver or not, he is very impressive as a person. Without naming names, there are a number of drivers who not only are reluctant to speak to the media, but, even worse, are quite dismissive or condescending.

I guess that the F1 paddock is just a snapshot of everyday life and so therefore it is to be expected, even if some might consider it unforgivable.

However, you can trust me when I tell you that Vettel is as impressive as anyone who currently drives an F1 car, for all the right reasons. He is approachable, accessible and, most importantly, genuine.

Those who have known him for a while say he's always been the same and so credit to his parents for bringing up a person who realises that being the fastest driver in the world is just a phase. World champion isn't who Vettel is; it's a title he wears.

On Sunday he talked about when he retires in many, many years, and he is already aware that even he doesn't possess the talent of immortality among his many skills.

When the fawning has died down, the trophies have become tarnished and the attention has turned to someone younger and faster, the man left behind is what matters. On that score, Vettel is also a champion.

My highlight of this whole trip was the F1 Forum after the Japanese Grand Prix. I remember a few grumbles at the start of the year about the new-look forum, where we move around the pit lane rather that sit in a motorhome by a big TV. Well, Japan - or Monaco - this year, are exactly why we don't do that anymore. To be in the heart of that drama, the celebrations, the rare display of emotions in the scientific world of F1 is great to see.

I loved Japan, particularly the racing history it has seen. The past couple of weeks I've been out running the tracks with a couple of members of the BBC production team, producer Tom Gent and video editor Robin Nurse.

It was great fun, particulary Japan, where we pointed out where Nigel Mansell had a couple of big accidents, and stopped at the exact places where Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had their famous incidents.

Those are just a few examples where, in those moments, the people involved thought of nothing but what had just happened on track.

It would have been all-consuming, no time to stop and appreciate the moment. Yet suddenly, here we are 20 years later. The bodywork has long been swept up, the tears of joy and happiness have dried, and all we, and they, have left are our memories and Murray Walker's wonderful voice.

With that in mind - and particularly having seen the sad events in Las Vegas on Sunday that led to the death of British driver Dan Wheldon - whatever you are up to this week, wherever in the world you are, my only advice to you is very simple - savour it.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/10/greetings_from_seoul_its_0800.html

Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly

Video: Top Gear at the Movies Teaser

Richard Hammond and James May - two names not really needing any further introduction - are two of the three stars of Top Gear and together they are presenting a trailer video for the "Top Gear at the Movies" - a DVD that was inspired by the famous Top Gear show. This new DVD shows off "the most memorable automotive moments in cinema history."

"Cars are the bedrock of the most memorable moments in cinema history, so be prepared for a thrilling selection of races, stunts and awesome feats as Richard Hammond and James May celebrate cars on the big screen through a blend of action, amazing driving and exotic metal."

The new "Top Gear at the Movies" will be available for DVD, Blu-ray, and iTunes starting November 14, 2011. For anyone not able to catch Top Gear UK episodes the first time around, this DVD will be a great way to watch all of the highlights in one sitting!

Video: Top Gear at the Movies Teaser originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 29 October 2011 23:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/video-top-gear-at-the-movies-teaser-ar118992.html

Chuck Weyant Ken Wharton Ted Whiteaway Graham Whitehead Peter Whitehead

India ready to spice up Formula 1

The glamorous globetrotters of Formula 1 will stop in South Asia for the first time this week as India makes its debut on the grand prix calendar.

There is a real sense of anticipation within the sport that the race outside the capital city of Delhi will add some spice to the season now both championships have been settled - as well as introducing a new global powerbroker into F1.

"It's a historic and symbolic moment," enthused Narain Karthikeyan, India's first F1 driver, who returns to a seat at the HRT team this weekend.

"Never did I think there would be Indian race in Formula 1 and never did I think I'd be in it. It's going to be the biggest day of my career."

Despite spreading east and west, it has taken F1 more than 60 years to make its way to the world's second most populous nation.

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The sport's first appearance in India was back in 1982, when the Force India team's co-owner Vijay Mallya, then a young businessman with a fascination for fast cars, drove Nelson Piquet's 1978 Ensign in a series of events around India.

But despite Mallya's early foray, the sport's commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, waited until the mid-nineties before pursuing plans to add India to the calendar. An agreement to stage the race in Greater Noida, a new city outside Delhi, was finally reached four years ago.

Unusually for a new entrant on the F1 calendar, government is not committing any funds to the grand prix. Instead it is a private venture funded by construction specialists the Jaypee Group, which has spent £205m on the new track alone.

Organising the grand prix is the firm's first foray into sport but, despite F1's notoriously high price tag, Jaypee views the project as a strong investment.

The Buddh International Circuit - designed by Ecclestone's favoured architect, Hermann Tilke - has been devised as the centre piece of an ambitious 'Sports City', which will include hockey and tennis stadiums - pitches have already been dug in for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium.

Building cricket stadiums for the sport's devoted Indian audience can be viewed as a pretty safe bet but India's appetite for F1 is more of an unknown quantity.

"You cannot compare F1 with cricket in India because cricket is like a religion," explained president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India Vicky Chandhok, who described himself as Ecclestone's "eyes" in India.

"But F1 is a vibrant sport, it oozes glamour, it oozes sex and we have the perfect audience - the youngest population in the world are in India."

Karthikeyan, who first saw F1 when a friend bought him a 1989 season review video, agrees the sport should not try to compete for the cricket audience.

"F1 is definitely not watched by the same demographic as cricket," he said. "The urban areas are where F1 is most popular, among people who like technology.

"They have other things on their mind in the predominantly rural areas; where there are farmers, I don't the connection with F1 is that big, whereas cricket is accessible to everyone."

Who F1 will appeal to is one thing but the other big question is how many?

The Indian potential audience is huge, with a population of 1.18 billion. However, a large population and a growing economy does not necessarily make for a receptive audience - as has been proved by the lacklustre response to the Chinese Grand Prix, which has been running for eight years but still struggles to attract a crowd.

Before the Indian GP, it is estimated that 27m Indians tune in to watch F1.

ESPN Star Sports is the sport's sole broadcaster in India - although eight national news channels have also been accredited for the race - and F1 is included in part of a satellite subscription package which Karthikeyan says costs less than a pound a month.

Television audiences for the first Indian GP are expected to rise above 30m, with an estimated 200,000 expected to watch from the grandstands over three days.

The novelty of the first race is bound to lure in a new audience but sustaining both interest and growth in F1 when the circus leaves town is a different challenge.

Thousands of fans turned out in Bangalore to meet McLaren star Lewis Hamilton

On the plus side, motorsport has some established some roots, with national karting and rallying championships already in place as well as a three-tiered single-seater series powered by engine manufacturer Suzuki, whose subsidiary Maruti Suzuki is India's biggest car manufacturer.

Chandhok, whose son Karun is the Team Lotus reserve and only the second F1 driver from India, is confident the GP will spark new interest.

"I honestly think there is going to be a huge boom in motorsport," he said. "People like Karun really struggled to make it because of the [lack of] financial backing but the next generation will find it easier."

Karthikeyan is more cautious: "It could go two ways; one like the Korean Grand Prix where it happens, there is some attention and then nothing happens in any form of motorsport for the rest of the year.

"Or it could be like Malaysia where, after F1 arrived, there is a huge interest in the lower formulae and a lot of motorsport is going on there in a big way.

"There are lot of kids who will see the race in India and want to emulate the drivers."

Force India, who regard the grand prix as an "emotional" home race, have launched their own academy to help ensure the Indian GP is not the only outlet for Indian talent.

"There are three sectors," explained deputy team principal Robert Fearnley. "The first is the one-in-a-billion search for an Indian driver, the second is the idea to help bright young Indian aerodynamicists and mechanical engineers through university and the third is a vocational plan to bring in technicians and mechanics."

There is also confidence that F1 and India will go on to forge mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.

Sauber's Indian-born chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn says: "It was always a bit of a mystery why we couldn't attract Indian companies.

"Because the Indian market is so big, most products and brands didn't necessarily see beyond their boundaries, but now they can use F1 as a platform and we offer our partners something additional if India is a big market for them. It's a win-win situation."

There are, then, a lot of expectations weighing on the first Indian GP, whether it is winning the hearts and minds of a nation, acting as a catalyst for grassroots motorsport or building new global business partnerships.

But there is also a warm confidence that F1 and India are only at the beginning of a fulfilling, new relationship - and there should be some fun to be had too.

"I think you'll enjoy it," smiled Karthikeyan. "You'll be in good hands."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/10/the_glamorous_globetrotters_of.html

Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow