Formula 1 FanCast

2011 F1 End of Season Review on Formula1 FanCast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:23:32 -0500

2011 was another action packed year for Formula One. Both Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Paul Hadsley reflect on the 2011 season in this podcast.

Mark Webber was able to pick up his first and only win of 2011 at the season finale in Brazil. Sebastian Vettel came home in second despite constant gearbox issues with McLaren’s Jenson Button finishing third.

Both Ferrari’s and Force India’s finished in the points. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished fourth and fifth. Adrian Sutil put in a strong performance to finish sixth with Force India team-mate Paul di Resta coming home in eighth.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi finished ninth to pick up two crucial points with Lotus Renault’s Vitaly Petrov scoring the final point in tenth.

As well as looking back on the Brazilian Grand Prix, we give our reflections on how all the teams fared in 2011 and look ahead to 2012. And of course not forgetting the 2011 Formula1 FanCast End of Season Awards. Listen in to find out who has won what.

To keep up to date with the latest F1 news visit www.formula1fancast.com. Don’t forget you can have your say on the season by commenting on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/Formula1FanCast) and Twitter (@Formula1FanCast) pages. Also follow Manish (@Baggies20) and Paul (@paulhadsley) on Twitter.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Formula1 FanCast.

Hamilton Back in Business " Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:34:44 -0500

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel looks back on the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix along with Scratch Radio’s F1 pundit Will Vincent.

Lewis Hamilton got back to winning ways to pick up his third win of the season with his latest victory coming at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 2008 World Champion always had the race under control once Sebastian Vettel retired from the race on lap two. Jenson Button finished on the final step of the podium to make it a memorable day for McLaren.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso split the two McLaren’s as he came home in second. The Spaniard is still in contention to finish second in the Drivers Championship. Felipe Massa had an incident free race to finish fifth.

Mark Webber was the only Red Bull to score points as the Aussie finished the race in fourth. Sebastian Vettel was forced to retire in the early stages of the race.

Both Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished in the points as the Mercedes duo came home in sixth and seventh. Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta finished eighth and ninth to pick up six crucial points for Force India to consolidate sixth in the Constructors.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi scored a priceless point as he finished 10^th. The battle for seventh in the Constructors between Sauber and Toro Rosso will go down to the final race of the season in Brazil.

Williams had a Saturday to forget with Rubens Barrichello unable to set a time in qualifying and Pastor Maldonado was given a 10-place grid drop after using his ninth engine of the season. But Barrichello was able to scythe his way through the field to finish 12^th.

A heads up on the final podcast of the year, we will be reflecting on the final race of the season at Brazil as well as assessing how all the teams fared this year.

We will have our Formula1 FanCast End of Season Awards. This is an opportunity for you fans out there to take part. There are 10 different categories in this years End of Season Awards - Team Of The Year, Most Improved Team of The Year, Worst Team of The Year, Driver of The Year, Most Improved Driver of The Season, Best Grand Prix of The Season, Rookie of The Year, Best Overtaking Manoeuvre of The Season, 2012 – Team To Watch Out For, Funniest Moment of The Season. You can go to my Twitter page @Baggies20 and there will be a post labelled @Formula1FanCast End of Season Awards. Click on the URL link provided and you will be taken to an online form where you can submit your votes for this years End of Season Awards. You only have until Midnight on 30^th November to submit your votes so get voting.

No.11 For Vettel - Indian Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:08:40 -0400

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Formula One pundit Will Vincent reflect on a successful Indian Grand Prix.

It will not be remembered as a classic but India certainly delivered and the Indians did a fine job throughout the weekend.

Sebastian Vettel took his 11^th win of the season with his latest win coming at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Mark Webber could only finish fourth despite starting the race on the front row behind Vettel.

McLaren’s Jenson Button put in another strong performance to come home in second. Lewis Hamilton endured another frustrating weekend as the 2008 World Champion ended the race in seventh.

Fernando Alonso finished third with team-mate Felipe Massa having another collision with Hamilton in as many races. The Brazilian retired from the race to cap off a miserable weekend.

Michael Schumacher came home ahead of Nico Rosberg as the Mercedes duo finished the race fifth and sixth. Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari put in another superb performance to finish eighth.

Force India’s Adrian Sutil gave the home crowd something to cheer about as the German picked up two points by coming home in ninth. Paul di Resta finished 13^th.

Sergio Perez was able to hold off Renault’s Vitaly Petrov for the final points scoring position to score a point for Sauber.

Heikki Kovalainen was able to finish the race ahead of Williams’ Rubens Barrichello in 14^th. And finally Narain Karthikeyan finished the race in front of his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in 17^th.

You can visit www.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest Formula One news. Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter @Formula1FanCast. You can also follow Manish on Twitter @Baggies20.

Red Bull And Vettel At It Again " Korean Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:58:26 -0400

Any chance of Sebastian Vettel taking his foot off the gas after securing his second Drivers title? No chance.

The German made it ten victories in 2011 with his latest win coming at the Korean Grand Prix. Team-mate Mark Webber had a decent weekend and finished the race third.

Lewis Hamilton had a much better weekend as he came home second ahead of Webber. The 2008 World Champion knocked Red Bull off pole for the first time this season but was unable to take the race win on Sunday. Jenson Button finished fourth.

The Ferrari’s of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished fifth and sixth. The Spaniard uncharacteristically came on the radio near the end of the race saying ‘I give up’. Read into that what you will.

Nico Rosberg finished eighth for Mercedes. Toro Rosso had a strong weekend with Jaime Alguersuari coming home in an impressive seventh and Sebastian Buemi picking up two points in ninth.

Force India’s Paul di Resta finished 10^th to take the final point. It was another struggling weekend for Williams as Rubens Barrichello finished 12^th after qualifying 18^th and Pastor Maldonado retired from the race.

Heikki Kovalainen had a decent day at the office as the Team Lotus driver finished 14^th ahead of both Sauber drivers.

Jerome d’Ambrosio yet again finished another race and the Marussia Virgin driver has certainly given team-mate Timo Glock a run for his money.

Finally HRT’s Daniel Ricciardo finished the race 19^th ahead of d’Ambrosio and his more experienced team-mate Tonio Liuzzi.

And we also woke up to sad news on Monday morning as the 2005 Indy Car Series Champion Dan Wheldon died following a massive accident at the Las Vegas Indy 300.

You can visit www.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest F1 news. And you can also follow us on Twitter @Formula1FanCast and you can also follow me @Baggies20.

Had some technical issues during the recording of this podcast so I do apologise for the quality of sound at times.

No Real Surprises at Suzuka - Japanese Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:11:49 -0400

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and pundit Will Vincent reflect on an enthralling Japanese Grand Prix.

It was always going inevitable that Sebastian Vettel would be crowned World Champion in Japan. The German only needed a point to take his second Drivers title and was able to do so by finishing the race third. Vettel has become Formula One’s youngest ever double Champion.

McLaren’s Jenson Button put in a sensational performance to take race victory at Suzuka. The 2009 World Champion was able to get past Vettel in the second round of pit stops and despite the safety car coming out, Button was able to manage the gap between himself and the chasing pack to take the chequered flag.

Team-mate Lewis Hamilton came home fifth and was involved in another incident with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa who finished the race seventh. Fernando Alonso drove a solid race to finish second just behind Button.

Mark Webber came home in fourth. Michael Schumacher put his Singapore disappointment behind him as he finished Sunday’s race sixth with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg ending up in tenth.

Sauber’s Sergio Perez scored four points as he finished eighth. The Mexican had started the race 17^th. And finally Renault’s Vitaly Petrov came home in ninth to score much needed points for him and the team.

You can visit www.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest F1 news. And you can also follow us on Twitter @Formula1FanCast.

Not Long To Go - Singapore Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:13:20 -0400

Formula1 FanCast's Manish Patel reflects on the Singapore Grand Prix along with F1 pundit Will Vincent.

Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag in Singapore to make it nine race victories in 2011. Vettel now only needs a point from the remaining five races to be crowned World Champion for the second year running. Mark Webber had a better weekend as the Australian finished the race third despite making another poor start.

McLaren's Jenson Button put in a fine performance to finish second and his final stint on the super-softs saw him end the race only a second behind Vettel. Lewis Hamilton had another eventful race and was given another drive through by the stewards. Hamilton came home in fifth.

Fernando Alonso finished Sunday's race fourth for Ferrari and not for the first time this season Alonso made another flying start to the race. Felipe Massa finished ninth and the Brazilian certainly vented his anger out on Lewis Hamilton in a sarcastic manner in the media area after the race. Massa suffered a puncture on lap 12 after being hit by Hamilton.

Force India's Paul di Resta put in a stunning drive to finish sixth with team-mate Adrian Sutil coming home in eighth. Nico Rosberg finished seventh and Sauber's Sergio Perez rounded off the top ten.

Visit ww.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest Formula One news. You can also follow us on Twitter @Formula1FanCast.

Vintage Vettel - 2011 Italian Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:24:41 -0400

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Formula One pundit Will Vincent look back on an exciting Italian Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel edged closer to his second consecutive Drivers title after the German made it eight wins in 2011 with his latest victory came at the illustrious Monza. Providing results go his way and he wins in Singapore, Vettel will be crowned World Champion.

Delight for one Red Bull driver but disappointment for the other as Mark Webber retired from the race. The Australian lost his front wing at Turn two after trying to get past Felipe Massa and then Webber went straight into the wall at the Parabolica on lap five. It was yet another frustrating weekend for Mark.

McLaren’s Jenson Button finished Sunday’s race second ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton who came home in fourth. Button is currently ahead of Lewis in the Drivers Championship and some would say this is Jenson’s best chance to stay ahead of Hamilton.

The Tifosi turned out in their thousands hoping to see a repeat of last years Italian Grand Prix where Fernando Alonso stepped onto the top step of the podium. The Spaniard in this years race finished third with Felipe Massa in sixth.

Michael Schumacher put in another fine performance to beat his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. Schumacher finished the race fifth and was involved in an enthralling battle with Lewis Hamilton.

Toro Rosso have fond memories of Monza after Sebastian Vettel picked up their first and only win in F1 at Monza in 2008. This year Jaime Alguersuari once again came through the field to finish in an impressive seventh place and Sebastian Buemi finished in tenth.

Force India’s Paul di Resta came home in eighth and Renault’s Bruno Senna scored his first ever points in Formula One as he took the chequered in ninth.

Visit www.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest Formula One news and you can also follow us on Twitter @Formula1FanCast.

You can also visit www.youtube.com/user/TheManishism to listen to all the Formula1 FanCast podcasts this year.

Belgian Grand Prix Podcast - Red Bull Domination AGAIN

Formula 1 FanCast — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:36:41 -0400

The second half of the 2011 Formula One season kicked off in Belgium at the famous Spa-Francorchamps track. Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Will Vincent reflect on another gripping Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel once again took the chequered flag to take another race victory in 2011 and seemingly on his way to his second drivers title. And despite making another poor start to the race, Mark Webber made his way through the field to finish second.

After a disappointing Saturday and only being able to qualify 13^th, Jenson Button scythed his way up the grid to finish 3rd and on the way he pulled off some fantastic overtaking manoeuvres.

Joy for one McLaren driver but frustration for other as Lewis Hamilton retired from the race after colliding with Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi. Lewis was also involved in an incident with Williams’ Pastor Maldonado at the end of the Q2 session in Qualifying on Saturday.

Fernando Alonso finished the race 4^th for Ferrari with team-mate Felipe Massa coming home in 8^th. It was not the strongest of weekends for the team but with the next Grand Prix at Italy, Ferrari will be expected to be right up there.

All eyes were on Michael Schumacher as the seven times World Champion celebrated his 20^th anniversary in Formula One. He started the race from the back of the grid but despite this, Michael put in a stunning drive to finish 5^th and he also got past his team-mate Nico Rosberg with 2 laps to go.

Force India’s Adrian Sutil finished seventh with Lotus Renault’s Vitaly Petrov coming home in ninth. But the big news surrounding the team was Bruno Senna announced as replacing Nick Heidfeld for the Belgian and Italian Grand Prix’s. Senna may well even take Heidfeld’s seat for the remainder of the season.

If you want to have your say on the Grand Prix then you can send us a Tweet either to @Formula1Fancast or @Baggies20. To keep up to date with the latest Formula One news visit www.formula1fancast.com.

A Button Masterclass " Hungarian Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:10:40 -0400

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Formula One pundit Will Vincent reflect on an eventful Hungarian Grand Prix.

I do apologise for the quality of the audio and I apologise if there are bits of the podcast you cannot hear.

The McLaren revival continued as Jenson Button took his second win of 2011. Button excelled yet again in the changeable conditions and the 2009 World Champion bounced back in fine style in his 200^th start in Formula One after DNF’s at Silverstone and the Nurburgring.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing and had Lewis Hamilton not served a drive through and not gone onto the intermediates on lap 55, it might well have been him who won the race. Lewis in the end finished 4^th. But McLaren have made significant improvements in the last two races which will please both Lewis and Jenson.

Sebastian Vettel finished the race behind Jenson Button in 2^nd. Despite not winning the race, Vettel was able to extend his lead in the Drivers. And unless he has a couple of retirements and mechanical failures, it is difficult to see Vettel losing his 80+ points lead. But it was another frustrating weekend for Mark Webber as he came home in 5^th.

It wasn’t the strongest of weekends for Ferrari as Fernando Alonso finished the race 3^rd with his team-mate Felipe Massa coming home in 6^th. Alonso and Ferrari have gained strong momentum since Monaco and have been knocking on the door of both McLaren and Red Bull. Also well done to Felipe Massa who outqualified his team-mate for the first time this year.

Force India’s Paul di Resta put in a great drive to finish the race 7th. The Scotsman picked up six points and those points have edged Force India closer to Sauber in the Constructors.

Nico Rosberg came home in 9^th and both Toro Rosso drivers finished in the points. Sebastian Buemi came through the field to finish 8^th after starting the race 23^rd and Jaime Alguersuari continued his resurgence with a 10^th place finish.

Plus Manish and Will give their reaction to the new TV Rights for Formula One next season. From 2012 Sky Sports televise each Formula One weekend including all the Free Practice and Qualifying sessions as well as the Races. BBC TV will only be providing coverage of 10 Races although BBC Radio 5Live will continue to cover all the races live.

As all the Formula One teams have a well deserved break, Manish and Will also give their brief half-term reports on all the teams and give them a mark out of ten.

You can send us your thoughts on the Hungarian Grand Prix as well as the Formula One TV Coverage for 2012 by sending us a Tweet to either @Formula1FanCast or @Baggies20. You can also post you comments on our Facebook page Formula1 FanCast.

Hamilton Back In The Game - German Grand Prix Podcast

Formula 1 FanCast — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:05:34 -0400

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Will Vincent reflect on an enthralling German Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton took his second win of the 2011 season. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso came home in second ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber.

Lewis put in a faultless performance in both qualifying and in the race. The turning point of the race you could argue came on lap 33 when Hamilton pulled off a tremendous move on Fernando Alonso by taking the outside line at Turn 2 to get past the Spaniard.

Delight for one McLaren driver but despair for the other. Jenson Button had a frustrating weekend after only being able to qualify 7^th and a full second behind his team-mate. Button was forced to retire from the race due to hydraulics problems.

After his stunning win at Silverstone, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished the race 2^nd. The Spaniard started the race from 4^th but come the end of race day he found himself standing on the second step of the podium. It was another strong weekend for Alonso and Ferrari. Fernando’s team-mate Felipe Massa came home 5^th after losing out to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on the final lap in the final pit stop.

Sebastian Vettel failed to make it onto the front row of the grid for the first time this season and during the race we saw him making him some rare mistakes. But Vettel still finds himself 70+ clear of his nearest rival in the Drivers standings.

As for Mark Webber he put in a fantastic lap on Saturday to qualify pole. But on Sunday, the Australian was unable to capitalise and finished the race 3^rd. It was another missed opportunity for Webber to register his first win of the season.

Force India’s Adrian Sutil will have been a contender for driver of the day after the German finished the race in a superb 6^th place. Sutil was able to make his two stop strategy work and he even beat both Mercedes drivers.

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished Sunday’s race 7^th and 8^th for Mercedes. Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi finished in the points yet again as he finished 9^th. And Lotus Renault’s Vitaly Petrov picked up the final point as he came home in 10^th.

HRT’s Daniel Ricciardo finished the race in only his second start in Formula One. And Karun Chandhok who made his Team Lotus debut also finished the race at the Nurburgring. The Indian driver replaced Jarno Trulli for the German Grand Prix weekend.

If you want to have your say on the German Grand Prix then you can send us a Tweet @Formula1FanCast or @Baggies20. And to keep up to date with the latest Formula1 news visit www.formula1fancast.com. You can also read about Manish’s thoughts on every Grand Prix by visiting his blog http://mannyi.wordpress.com/