h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

More Lewis mania. TV clip from Blue Peter from 97. I know, a bit childish, but actually you get a look at the way Lewis and his dad think:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/sol/newsid_6740000/newsid_6746200?redirect=6746213.stm&news=1&bbwm=1&nbwm=1&nbram=1&bbram=1

I actually found that half way down the page on here:
"Walker tips Hamilton for F1 title"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6739951.stm

Paff

Thanks for the link of LH in 1997!

And more linkage

I love the smell of Sour Grapes in the Morning

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6744297.stm

And I'm sure Fisi said the same thing about you too

It's a shame he's done the sour grapes thing, not going to help his position.

It's because he's not center of attention as he was at Renault, He thought, because he's the World Champion, that he was going to have everyone running around after him, then along comes this young upstart who was supposed to be the No 2 driver and drive for him not for himself, but of course Ron Dennis doesn't care who wins the drivers championship just as long as he wins the constructors championship. I bet the Spanish press are just as biased when it comes to Alonso (which he seems to have conveniently forgotten) as ours are with Hamilton, it's the same when Hill and Schumacher tangled in the 90's

*cough dust*
i really think it has all been blown out of all preportion.
lewis currently is the gloden boy of british sport and consiquently has all the meeja coverage. as i would think Fernado gets in spain. being a spanish radio interveiw i woudl imagine that they would try and spin it from that angle anyway.
of course there is a level of competitiveness between drivers but i doubt that it is the "massive rift at McLaren" that the press are making it out to be.
saying that it could be prost and senna all over again.

I agree, this is hardly Senna Prost, Schmi Hill and Villeneuve Peroni stuff, Fernando's sulking because his nose is pushed out of joint, that's all. How's life pete, still working for Uncle Ron?

Yep, a bit of Spanish spin + the Brit spin on that = "Massive Rift at McLaren"!

To be fair, we've had two races where you could argue that McLaren favoured Alonso over Hamilton:
At Oz, Martin Whitmarsh's comments implied that they engineered Ferdy's overtaking of Lewis using pit strategy.
In Monaco, Ron - quite rightly - told Hamilton to hold station after the second stops (although Lewis had his chance in the run up to the first stops and blew it).


In Canada, Fernando had his chance to show Lewis how it's done - ie. stay close till the first stops then nail it for a couple of laps and come out ahead. But Ferdy tried too hard and blew it.

Although I'm not a Schumi fan, Monaco and Canada are two races where Schumacher would've won if he'd started in second place. Lewis's excuse is he's a rookie. Fernando's excuse is he's been rattled by a rookie.

Paff

Oh, and hello again Ultrapete. Wondered where you'd got to.

yes
hello all
i got a new job at McLaren Wroking on the F1 roadcar as opposed to the SLR and along with getting engaged, moving house and about a billion other things i have unable to get onto H2G2 much.
ill tell you what though. ever since before the season started it feels like i am working for a different company. the race boys feel like they are working for a new team. with the new sponsor and driver line up, and i think it show with the results they have had this year.

Talking about McLaren, has anyone been watching Jekyll on the Beeb? There's this office place he works at that looks suspiciously like the McLaren Technology Centre. It's been briefly shown in both episodes.

i did catch that and yes its very simmiler design
but i think its Electronic Arts European Headquarters
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/0958/Default.aspx
another Norman Foster building thats just down the road from McLaren. my mate used to work their as a games tester (not as good as it sounds imagine having to play the same level of harry potter on the game boy for 8 hours a day!) and i had a sneak round one day.
its very nice!

Yep you're right Ultrapete, looking at the pics it is the Electronic Arts European HQ. The trees are a dead giveaway now that I compare the two.

For anyone else interested, here's the McLaren Technology Centre:
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/0995/Default.aspx

i have stuck a couple of pics i took on the day the queen did the official opening on my flikr site if anyone wnats to see. sorry they are more of cars than the building.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mankypete/sets/72057594124279125/

FIA have given their decision on the spy scandal.

McLaren say it's "very balanced and fair":
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61162

Ferrari say "they must have a punishment":
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61167

The only member of the FIA to vote guilty was, oddly enough, an Italian.

Paff

So Bernie said the French GP was off. But has now changed his mind:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61121

Do we suppose he'll change his mind about ditching the US GP too?

My on the spy thing:

If McLaren are to be held accountable for the actions of a rogue individual within the team... shouldn't Ferrari be held responsible for Stepney's actions? It was, after all, Ferrari employee Stepney who did the actual spying.

I'd be a little more careful if I were Jean 'Toad' Todt. Much more of his rants and Ferrari could be Bringing The Sport Into Disrepute. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61180

Gif

I was thinking the same thing, Gif. Let both teams off, or kick them both out of the championship.

They should let the drivers keep their points though. That way we still have an interesting fight for the driver's title, plus BMW get to win the manufacturer's championship a few years earlier than they might have done .