Pole Position - The Warriors Of Formula 1

Here's some nostalgia for you! A Formula One documentary from the early 80's.

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Last time I was in Abu Dhabi I got these.

I already wrote this on the F1-4-Life Facebook-page but just in case here it is again:

In July I was in Macau and Hong Kong. After that I started working in Espoo, Finland (Räikkönen's home town). This TV production I am working on should be done in the middle of October and then I should come up with something else to do. 

Today I decided that I will go to Dubai and then to Abu Dhabi from there. I have been to the United Arab Emirates before but I love the country so much that I must go back there. I have a chance to go and see the Abu Dhabi GP again and maybe visit Ferrari World. I am bringing my favorite cameras with me and I am planing to write my blog every day. So the question is:

What would you like me to film/take pictures of in Abu Dhabi?
There is a lot of F1 related stuff going on so please make suggestions. Let's just hope they let me take my cameras to the circuit.

Review of RUSH the Formula One movie (NO SPOILERS)

I went to see the movie "Rush" yesterday and my expectations were very high.

I had been waiting for this movie for over a year, so I told my friend at the theater, that if this is not a good movie I am going to be so disappointed.

I already knew the story cause I am not only a fan of Formula One I am a F1 freak. I know all of the champions title years and stories even in my sleep so there was no surprises there. The only thing I was interested of was how they would show the story to the people that don't follow F1 or who don't know the story. Usually directors and producers screw up situations like this so I was almost nervous to see this movie.

So the movie is about the Formula One golden age, the 1970's, and the focus is on James Hunt and Niki Lauda. You could also see drivers like Clay Regazzoni, Ronnie Peterson, Mario Andretti, Jacques Laffite, Jody Scheckter, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann, Jochen Mass, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Ickx and many more.

James Hunt is of course the handsome British playboy (played by Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda the Austrian perfectionist (played by Daniel Brül). They were both the perfect actors to play these parts. Nobody would have done this better!

The movie tells us how their personalities affects them on and of the track. Also how they became as successful as they were. This was Ron Howard's best movie I have seen and I think that I have seen them all.

At first I thought that this movie is going to be more about James Hunt and not as much about Niki Lauda. The truth is that it is about them both and the viewer gets to decide who is the number one driver or hero of the movie.

The feelings after the movie were a bit different than I expected. I thought that I was going to walk out of the theater and be like "Wow! What a movie!" or "That was f*****g awesome!" but I was very silent and moved by the movie. I didn't cry or anything like that, like I did when I saw "Senna", but I couldn't stop thinking about Niki. He was so dedicated to the sport and he still is! Nothing can take him away from F1. It's like he lives and breaths the sport and without it he dies.

Hunt on the other hand didn't really care about driving as much as Lauda. James Hunt wanted to have fun every day all day. He had so much fun that his life ended quicker. He had a lifetime of fun in a short time.

Lauda seems to be a guy like Bernie Ecclestone who lives forever and lives for Formula One.

People asked me "how many starts I would give the movie?". I'll give 5 stars of 5 but if I wasn't a Formula One fan it would probably be 4 of 5.

I could talk a lot more about this movie but maybe it would be better for you to see it yourselves.

I am going to buy this on blu-ray right away when it comes out.

2013 Italian grand prix review

I was supposed to write about this earlier but couldn't when the news about Kimi Räikkönen came.

I am going to make this short because I am leaving soon to see the Formula One movie "Rush". It premiers today in Helsinki and I made sure that I was going to be there.

Now about the last GP!

It was quite boring again. In Spa it was also really boring. It feels like I can't get the same Rush anymore from my favorite sport when the winner is always the same driver. 

I have to confess that after cheering for Jenson Button in 2009 I started cheering for Sebastian Vettel. I liked the idea that this boy would show all the experienced drivers that he is somebody to be noticed. In 2011 I stopped because it was too boring that he always won. I liked him when he was a rookie but winning as a champion doesn't make me that glad anymore. 

I mean everybody has a number one contender but it seems that Vettel is just winning races with no pressure what so ever. He's no longer the underdog. He's the big dog eating all the puppies!

Next year there will be two black horses that will run over all the others. Räikkönen and Alonso!

I hope we can finally see some one on one action and no one man shows. I have nothing against Vettel it's just that how can we enjoy the excitement when everybody knows the final results. 

Here's a good point to check out my guesses and compare them with the actual results.

First here are my guesses:

Pole position: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

Race:

1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

Fastest lap: Mark Webber, Red Bull

Surprise: Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso

OK so the pole position was correct and the surprise Ricciardo drove a great race. At least for me his position was a surprise.

Fastest lap was Hamilton and not Webber. Again you can see that all the names are correct but we have to switch between Webber and Hamilton + Alonso one position higher up.

Somehow I always get the right drivers on the list but the positions are not always the same as I have guessed.

At Home With Lewis Hamilton & Nicole Scherzinger

A comical short film about Lewis Hamilton's and Nicole Scherzinger's life at home.

A cold breeze has come to Maranello - The Iceman has returned!

I was supposed to write the GP review today but when I heard about the Kimi-Ferrari news I could not sit down and write about anything else than the latest news.

I have always believed that Räikkönen and Alonso are the kings of F1 and Hamilton+Vettel are the new generation. I know that they are also champions but somehow they just seem to be from another planet or era even though they are driving in the same time period.
Hamilton and Vettel were dreaming of F1 when Alonso and Räikkönen were winning races.

Let's move on..

In the beginning of the summer I wrote on crazy4F1's Facebook page that it's possible that Kimi would return to Ferrari and it's going to come true if he doesn't go to Red Bull.

People called me stupid after this and when I tried to explain my point and reasons why I believe in this some even said that I don't know anything about Formula One. I guess I know a little..

I was right about Kimi's Lotus contract too in 2011 when people said that it is just rumors. I read all of the rumors just like every other F1 fan. The difference is that I have read F1 rumors since the 90's and I have developed a 6th sense for these things by now. I also talked about F1 with adults as a child and they really listened and wanted my opinion.

Enough bullshit about me. I just had to explain a bit of my background before I start rambling about Ferrari's politics that people seem to be worried about. You may not believe what I am about to say or you will but anyways here goes..

Alonso is not the number one driver at Ferrari anymore. Kimi has made it very clear to Luca di Montezemolo that he is not going to be some other drivers help and he will not move to the side if they tell him to.

Martin Brundle, who is a fan of Kimi's, said also that he is not going to move to the side if they (Ferrari) ask him. Brundle continued "If they would say Fernando is faster than you to Kimi he would just answer back that if he is faster he wouldn't be behind."

I guess Alonso's comments about Ferrari's 2013 car made Montezemolo angry. Not enough to kick him out but just so much that he's number one status is in jeopardy. Alain Prost got kicked out for criticizing them even though he was more successful on his career than Alonso. Italian's don't forget that easily.

In Hungary Ferrari was ready to sign Hulkenberg but after Alonso's comments they waited. It is not that hard to guess why they wanted to wait. Hulkenberg got just a text message from Domenicali after negotiating for 8 weeks saying that they will not sign him.

Maybe Ferrari wanted to kick Alonso out but Santander stopped them? Who knows the truth but one thing is certain, next season will be very interesting. We will find out the answer to a question that has been on so many Formula One fans lips for years:

WHO IS BETTER? RÄIKKÖNEN OR ALONSO?

Ferrari has fallen in love with Kimi all over again and they know how hungry he is to win again with them. Everybody knows how consistent he has been and they need the points he gets race after race.

They are hungry to win championships and Räikkönen promised them that he will bring them back to the status that they deserve. The motivation is probably greater than ever.

They also know that Alonso will try harder than ever when Kimi is his teammate. Alonso can't afford to take it easy with this guy. Alonso wants to destroy him on the track! Just like he did with Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella.

When they both try hard and want to beat each other the team is very happy. Of course if the other driver has lost his chance to win the championship he should help the team. Could Alonso do that?

It would be pure stupidity if they couldn't compete with each other and had clear positions in the team.

What if Senna would have been Prost's number two driver just because Prost was a two time world champion? It was better to let them compete! They are seeing the big picture at last!

I truly believe in this so if I am wrong I will shut my mouth for good. This is a promise!

Legends of F1 - Gilles Villeneuve

The Canadian grand prix takes place in Montreal were the track is named after Gilles.

A lot of people say that this man was one of the best drivers ever. Even though he never won a championship he was a true legend!

His son Jaques Villeneuve took pole position in his first race in 1996 and won the championship the next year. 

Some say that Gilles spirit was a part of Jaques when he drove.