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Formula 1

Race Review: Abu Dhabi GP

 Kimi Raikkonen grabs his first win in F1 since his return to the sport (photo courtesy of Lotus F1 Team/LAT)

Incredible. Against all odds. Non-stop action. These words sum up the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

First, there was the massive upset at qualifying when Vettel's fuel issue forced him to start from the pit lane. As one of the final two drivers battling it out in the remaining races, starting from essentially P24 is soul-crushing. With Vettel now starting from the pit lane, Hamilton's superb qualifying session put him at the front, not unusual for the former champion, but after a solid first stint he would be forced to retire on Lap 20, an unexpected twist in the weekend's race.

The Starting Grid: Ron Howard Visits Austin

Ron Howard speaks in Austin about the making of his film RUSH, slated for a Fall 2013 release

The official countdown to the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ kicked off in Austin, Texas on Thursday with a celebratory luncheon. Hollywood legend and two-time Academy Award®-winning director Ron Howard entertained a packed house of over one thousand attendees, while serving as guest speaker for The Starting Grid luncheon at Austin’s Downtown Hilton Hotel.

The Starting Grid: “Don’t mess with Red and Bob!”

A Ferrari Formula 1 car on display at The Starting Grid Luncheon. Photo by Mike Boone.

The following is by AGP friend Mike Boone. Mike is an active participant in the Austin motorsports scene and contributes to this site from time to time. He attended The Starting Grid Luncheon and had this to share about his experience.  

The official countdown to the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ kicked off in Austin, Texas on Thursday with a celebratory luncheon. Hollywood legend and two-time Academy Award®-winning director Ron Howard entertained a packed house, while serving as guest speaker for The Starting Grid luncheon at Austin’s Downtown Hilton Hotel.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Every Man's an Island...

Somebody famous once coined an expression about ‘money making the world go around’, which could so readily be linked to ‘oiling the wheels of an industry’ and, let’s face it, Formula One is a financially-orientated industry that makes millionaires out of its victors, as it travels the globe and (hopefully) aids prosperity, by promoting inward investment, tourism, sporting prowess and entrepreneurial spirit. However, Abu Dhabi is in the heartland of the oil business and, without it, Grand Prix would be a whole lot less slick.

Race Review: Indian Grand Prix

5 Wheel-change Pit Stop by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team - Lewis Hamilton at the 2012 Indian Grand Prix

Indian Grand Prix 2012 will go down in the records as "the race in which Vettel continues his path of complete domination in the closing races of the season." Coming off of a fantastic qualifying, Vettel lead from lights to flag, replicating his win in 2011. It's a tell-tale sign on where the teams are at when we look at the grid positions at the start of the race where Red Bull had front row locked, then McLaren, then Ferrari. Clearly Red Bull has continued to fine tune their race cars, also called the "Adrian Newey car" while other teams are merely catching up. It's hard to comprehend why McLaren and Ferrari with hefty financial backing have not been able to make their race cars more competitive. Who are the weakest links in these teams that's ruining the chances for the drivers and for the teams? Is it strategy (both in qualifying and in pit stop calls) or is it the technical challenges on the car itself?

Bob Varsha of SPEED TV at COTA Opening Ceremony

Last week we shared Mario Andretti's first laps at Circuit of The Americas' opening ceremony and then side-by-side comparisons of Andretti and Lotus F1 Team Reserve Driver, Jérôme d'Ambrosio, testing the new track.

After interviewing Andretti we spoke to Bob Varsha, the host of Formula 1 coverage in America, which is currently broadcast on SPEED TV. A few weeks ago we learned that NBC has picked up the F1 television rights for America and the SPEED network will no longer be providing F1 coverage.

Since first getting satellite cable in 2000, 99% of my Formula 1 experience has been through TV, and SPEED's coverage has taken me through the the last twelve years of the sport.  From the height of Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, to the rising stars of Alonso, Hamilton, Räikkönen and more, SPEED has been a necessary household expense and I've enjoyed watching their coverage evolve over the years.

You may recall we spoke with Bob after the COTA naming ceremony in April 2011. It was a pleasure to speak with him again and hear his perspective of the track, especially after he had a chance to ride it for the first time.

 

Bob Varsha Talks COTA from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

As mentioned in the video, we'd like to thank SPEED TV for their F1 coverage the past 17 years. Thank you and we hope to see you on NBC!