Race Review: British Grand Prix

I had high hopes for the British Grand Prix. I even brewed some good tea for the occasion, and practiced my British accents. I wanted rain on race day, plenty of overtaking, dark horse race car that comes from behind. I think I may have set the bar too high since we've been treated with so many unbelievably thrilling races so far. The British Grand Prix seemed to have paled by a lightest of shade. 

That's not to say the race was not exciting. The Silverstone race certainly had its great moments - great defensive start by Alonso who was on pole, massive duel between Alonso and Hamilton on Lap 19 with Alonso making a pass on Hamilton only to have Hamilton come back in the next corner and then Alonso taking one more pass on Hamilton, and then of course, the winning pass that Webber did over Alonso at Lap 46 of the 52-Lap race to clench the very sweet victory.

Webber is the silent and stealthy driver of the season. He's been quietly scoring good points (currently 2nd in Championship standing), out qualifying more than his double-World Champion team mate Vettel, winning the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix and now taking home the trophy for another iconic Grand Prix. Webber also managed to be a double winner of the Silverstone track as well as the 2nd double winner of this season. Tyres strategy played a key role in Webber's win over Alonso near the end of the race, but that should not take away from the beautiful yet aggressive way that Webber has driven in this race. Immense respect for Webber!

None of the British drivers were able to fulfill the home crowds' dream of a British driver on the top of the podium - Hamilton had no pace overall, Button was stuck way behind after qualifying 16th, and di Resta was taken out in Lap 1 since he made contact and received a puncture.

One thing to note is that McLaren's pit stops have FINALLY improved for this race. Their pit stop times have been quick and, more importantly, error-free. Hope they keep this up, every action counts in a tight race like this season.

There was also a bit of track drama that was caused by the incident between Maldonado and Perez in Lap 12 after they came out from the pit. Maldonado claimed another victim by nudging Perez off, causing both cars to spin around and ultimately an early retire for Perez. Perez had some harsh words to say to Maldonado, including juicy bits about all the drivers think Maldonado is reckless and have no respect for other drivers and for the sport. It's definitely easy to be on Perez's side when this is not the first time Maldonado brought troubles to another driver.

During the race broadcast, I spotted the Grid girl outfit. I had to do a double take because at first I thought flight attendance in red uniforms were hanging about in the grid, then I realize they are Grid girls instead. Can we get some more sass into those Grid girls outfits? I'm not looking for couture fashion, just more interesting and/or more stylish will do. What about the Best Post-race hair? This race was a tough one to call, all the podium winners' hair were pretty decent but no one stands out. I suppose if I really had to pick, Webber would be the Best post-race hair winner. I know, seems unfair for one person to win both the Grand Prix AND Best Post-race hair, but I had to keep the award as unpredictable as the race itself, it's tough work and someone has to do it!

Catch you in 2 weeks' time for the German Grand Prix 7/20 - 7/22!

Austin Officials On The Ground for British GP

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, City Manager Marc Ott and Police Chief Art Acevedo are just some of the Texans at Silverstone this weekend for the British Grand Prix. Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr had to cancel her trip due to fire danger in Central Texas with our lack of rain and 100' F+ temperatures (typical Texas summer).

The purpose of this trip is for city officials to start to understand the magnitude of a Formula 1 weekend in person. As the Statesman reported last week, representatives at Silverstone will meet with their Austin counterparts in the track's nearby county of Northamptonshire. "Silverstone is similar to the F1 track near Elroy, as both are permanent tracks in somewhat rural areas," said COTA spokeswoman Julie Loignon.

Before he boarded his flight, here is what Chief Acevedo had to say:

On my way to ABIA for London fact finding mission. Look forward to the learning, and hope to bring back some solid lessons learned.

Austin's YNN reporters Russell Wilde and Jeff Stensland are also in England, and took some time to speak with Chief Acevedo after his first day at Silverstone.  The 24-hour news channel is the only local Austin news crew in attendance this weekend, gaining valuable first-hand knowledge to share with Austin upon their return. Chief Acevedo shared his thoughts with YNN about the scale of the event:

You can't truly appreciate or grasp the complexity and the monstrosity that this event is going to be for Austin. It's going to be something we've never experienced.

Kudos to Police Chief Art Acevedo who is tweeting up a storm! Pun intended, as Silverstone is getting dumped on by non-stop rain which greatly affected this morning's practice 3 and qualifying sessions. Hey gang - bring back some rain for us, deal?

From his Twitter account, Chief Acevedo is giving his followers a feel for what is to be expected during an F1 weekend. Check out these highlights in conjunction with his photos above.

// Friday

F-1 traffic is really bad. Today venue only has practice races and the roads in the area are dead stopped. Contra flow will be used in ATX.

Police operations are up and running.

Lot of folks are bringing camper trailers out here in the Silverstone Area.

Lots of rain in Great Britain. Flood warnings issues throughout the county.

My thanks go out to the British Government for their assistance with logistics today.

Just finished nearly 30 hour work day. Getting a bite to eat and get some down time. Good first day discussions with British Officials.

// Saturday

On the road for day two of fact finding mission. Forecast calls for more rain. Slept like a log.

Traffic challenges have been a huge eye opener.

Traffic nightmare started early today. Contra flow is being used tomorrow. Flexibility of operation will be critical.

Traffic lines start early and last all day.

F1 traffic backed up early on qualifying day. No Law Enforcement in sight along traffic route. 80,000 folks expected.

Significant number of attendees are using bicycles as mode of transportation.

F1 traffic on way in to venue is one lane most of the way in. Lots of folks in foot. Extensive use of double decker buses in/around venue.

Inside F1 venue at Silverstone. Cool day with heavy menacing cloud cover.

Double decker buses at F1 being used extensively. (See photo above)

Mobile police and EMS command posts on site.

EMS First Aid station. (See photo above)

Steady flow of helicopters constantly shuttling folks in. With close vicinity of ABIA ATC should plan on extra staff.

Heavy rain on and off here wrecking havoc.

Made it to the event site this morning. Sorry couldn't tweet with the heavy rain and large crowds cell coverage poor.

Mobile police station inside venue. Public safety highly visible presence.

Mobile first aid station inside. Significant EMS presence throughout venue. Hundreds of medical incidents during event.

Received a lot of good information from local officers. Rain related frustration at camp sites were problematic.

Mobile field hospital inside venue. Receives extensive briefing. Issues range from headaches to cardiac arrest.

Plenty of EMS coverage as [seen] below. (See photo above)

[Medical] evacuation copter on site at all times. ATX will have contact with Star Flight.

Inside Command post. We will have EOC at CTECC, DOC at APD and CP at Formula 1 activated.

We can't go on without fuel. Local cod fish and chips. Pretty good stuff. Wish my 4 year old was here to eat my peas! (See photo above)

Overall very good information gathered today. The interaction with local public safety personnel was very informative.

We have meetings set up with local government officials tomorrow. Looking forward to coming home. Missing ATX!

Great to travel with a Mayor and CM who ask questions that are relevant and on point. Observations lead to talk about application to ATX.

security appears to be tight and effective.

Rain has finally taken a time out after heavy down pours.

Interesting to see 43,000 folks camping at sites around F1 venue. ATX will not offer option at site this year but will as early as 2013.

// TV Coverage

Just a reminder that the British Grand Prix will be broadcast at 11AM Central on your local FOX channel tomorrow. The pre-race and post-race show will be on SPEED channel. Enjoy the race!

Race Preview: British Grand Prix

Our well wishes are with Maria de Villota of Marussia F1 Team (photo courtesy of www.MariddeVillota.es)Excitement and anticipation to the British Grand Prix was mounting this week until a freak accident on Tuesday with Marussia F1 test driver Maria de Villota which brought everything to an abrupt halt.

Nobody knows what exactly happened yet, but Maria's car evidently malfunctioned and ran into the Marussia support truck. Maria has since reported to have suffered serious head and facial injuries, including tragically losing her right eye. The F1 community, drivers and crew and fans are sending well wishes to Maria and her family.

I'm saddened to see a female driver just setting off her journey into F1, with great potential in attracting more women to watch and get involve with the sport, to have her racing career cut short. The silver lining is that she's alive. It reminds us again that F1, despite all the safety measures on the car, at the garage or on the track, has an element of danger that will never fully go away. Much kudos to all the drivers and the pit crews!

About the famous Silverstone race this weekend, based on the latest prediction on Weather.com, there is a 50% chance of rain in Silverstone this Saturday and a 40% chance of wetness on Sunday race day! Woo! It's been over 100°F in Chicago the last few days and more hot days to come, so not only is the sight of rain a welcomed relief (even if in far off land), rainy race day means we will be treated to an even more unpredictable race. Tyres choice will be paramount, the qualifying session and the race will be extra challenging, aquaplaning will be rear its ugly head.

It'll also be interesting to see how Red Bull will fare with their car at this race, their pace last time at Valencia was unmatched by any other team. Vettel and Hamilton will both be hungry as ever to get some serious points to stay competitive in the championship. Button will surely want some rain to help him turn on a super drive at the Grand Prix in front of a home crowd. If you look at the British Grand Prix winners of last few years, you see Alonso (2011), Webber (2010), Vettel (2009), Hamilton (2008), Raikkonen (2007), Alonso (2006). These are familiar names and I have the inkling that we will see one of these drivers on the podium this weekend.

That's all for now! Catch you again at the British Grand Prix Race Recap!

Lotus F1 Teams Up With Batman Film

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The Lotus Formula 1 team announced today they will be working with Warner Bros Pictures to promote the Dark Knight Rises, the latest Batman film from Christopher Nolan.  The hype preceding the film's release next week in the UK is likely to gain the team some additional fans this week for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The Lotus F1 team garage, helmets, and overalls will be featuring livery from the film, and a special photoshoot and press event with the film's famous vehicles, the Tumbler and Bat-Pod, will happen tomorrow on the track.  Eric Boullier, Team Principle at Lotus F1 has the following to share about the partnership:

“This season we have been the dark horses in the championship fight, so this partnership with The Dark Knight Rises is a fantastic match. Our car, the E20, looks superb with the Batman branding and we are looking forward to seeing the reaction of our numerous fans when it takes to the Silverstone circuit this weekend. We are certainly hoping for an epic conclusion for The Dark Knight Rises E20 in the Grand Prix.”

Some might see this partnership as a little odd, but it's not the first time that Formula 1 and the movie industry has partnered up.  Taking the win for my favorite pit crew uniforms ever, is the Red Bull + Star Wars promo for the 2005 Monaco GP.  Teaming up for the star studded event was a perfect combo for both the young F1 team and George Lucas' film empire (no pun intended). 

The Red Bull pit crew in Star Wars uniforms at the 2005 Monaco GP; Image from GizMag.com

If the photos of storm troopers in the pits didn't impress you, or even the Darth Vader as the "lollypop man," it was the whole cast and crew at the private party that made you laugh quite a bit and shake off a bit of jealously that you weren't there drinking martinis with George Lucas, David Coulthard, and Chewbacca.

This partnership announcement from Lotus is a postivie step for them as the anticipation about the film is growing tremendously, the most recent trailer has 20 million views already, and will garner them some more press coverage for this weekend's British GP. 

Hot Texas Nights Bring Motorsports to Austinites

 // More photos in the gallery

What do you get when you mix a hot new venue with a lively international bunch and one of the oldest automobile manufacturers in the sport of Formula 1? Another successful event creating buzz about Formula 1 and motorsports in Austin.

// Javelina

Javelina is the first restaurant to open up in a popular part of Austin - Rainey Street. This recognized historic district is now Austin's newest entertainment district, situated close enough to a highway (IH-35) but closer yet to Lady Bird Lake in southeast downtown. The majority of the bungalow-style homes have been renovated and repurposed as bars with food trailers sprinkled throughout the 120 acres, but when Javelina opened earlier this winter it became the latest laid-back Austin bar to offer cocktails uniquely paired with in-house prepared bites.

What makes it uniquely Austin is its ample patio space: lining the lot line is a very rustic, very Austin untreated mesquite wood fence, lined with just the right amount of twinkle for hot Texas nights. Speaking of heat, even though we hit 100' F as guests started to arrive at 6:00 PM, the conversation, crowd and vibe was so great it wasn't a point of contention. An equally inviting indoor space provided relief for guests until the sun set, with a newly installed shuffleboard table providing entertainment for guests.

Javelina prepared light hors d'oeuvres and offered a $5 "F1 Burger" (or veggie burger) for the event, but one of my favorite stories from the night comes from Adam Moorehead of Legion Firearms. He joined a table of guests and started learning about the dynamic international makeup of the group. Adam prepared a plate with chips and queso - a Texas staple - and others at the table did not know what queso was. Adam took advantage of the opportunity to introduce the group to the melted cheese appetizer that is served in nearly every restaurant in Texas, especially of the Tex-Mex variety, and they (of course) loved it! This is a small example of friendly Texans sharing and teaching others, this time over food.

With queso and cocktails flowing, Javelina's General Manager, Carlos Gacharna, noticed everyone having a good time. He said it was great to see all the name tags with countries from all over the world.

// EuroCircle

That's a unique feature of EuroCircle events that many enjoy: Kaisa Kokkonen, who is originally from Finland, founded EuroCircle in New York in 1999 and is now an Austin resident, prepares the nametags which list the guest and their country of origin. This proves to be an instant conversation starter as you quickly get a sense of the true diversity of the crowd. Guests easily connect with others by reading the country listed on their nametag and greeting each other in their native language.

You may recall we joined forces with the largest networking group with an international influence a few months ago. We had such a positive experience that we wanted to do it again, and this time we invited a new partner to join us to make the connection to motorsports even more apparent.

// Mercedes Benz of Austin

If you're an F1 fan you are already familiar with Mercedes' involvement in Formula 1 - the Mercedes AMG Petronas team had a great showing at last week's European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain. Arguably the most well-known F1 driver of modern day, Michael Schumacher, completed his first podium finish since returning to the sport in 2006 after a short retirement. His teammate, Nico Rosberg, won this year's Chinese Grand Prix, took second place in Monaco, and is currently 5th in the Formula One World Championship with a total of 75 points.

For Austinites not yet familiar with Mercedes AMG, the event proved to be another experience to teach others in a social environment. Patrick Van den Nieuwenhuysen of Mercedes Benz of Austin provided the hosts with stylish white, turquoise and silver Mercedes AMG Petronas hats (team colors) so guests could easily identify us among the lively crowd. Our helpful event ambassadors, Jenny Tynes, Mike Boone, Allison Berguin and Mike McKinnon greeted guests at the entrance and mingled throughout the night while sharing their working knowledge of motorsports with fans of every experience level. They also distributed Mercedes' gifts of embroidered bags, key chains and tire pressure gauges to guests which were appropriately themed for the event.

Patrick also invited Will Hardeman of Continental Automotive Group to experience his first EuroCircle event and showcase one of the slickest cars on the road right now - the Mercedes E Class. Javelina had a perfect space in front of the raw-mesquite fence out front to position the car for guests to check out on their way in to the event. It also proved to be an opportunity for passersby to peek in and join us.

Thank you to Mercedes Benz of Austin for providing the light hors d'oeuvres and goodies for our guests and Javelina Bar for hosting us for the evening. We'd also like to thank Mike Boone and Jenny Tynes for welcoming the 200+ guests and Kaisa Kokkonen and Allison Berguin for insuring EuroCircle Austin members came out and enjoyed the evening.

// We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event!

 // More photos in the gallery