AUTO MANIA: by Dr. Iain Corness [email protected]

Japan GP this weekend

 Suzuka Circuit

One of the greatest tracks used in Formula One today, Japan’s Suzuka circuit is a massive test of car and driver ability. Built by Honda as a test facility in 1962, the track was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the Hermann Tilke of his day (but don’t let that put you off). A huge theme park was also constructed at the track, including the famous big wheel which dominates the Suzuka skyline.
At Suzuka the race has provided the scene for many nail-biting end-of-season deciders, including the infamous collisions involving Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. This week, will it be Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean, or Felipe Massa in the colliding business?
Suzuka includes some of the Grand Prix calendar’s most challenging corners. Among the drivers’ favorites are the high-speed 130R taken at over 300 km/h and the famous Spoon Curve taken at 140 km/h on the way in and at 180 km/h coming out.

With the results from Korea one week ago still in everybody’s minds, will Suzuka be a firecracker or a fizzer? With a circuit that encourages passing, it would have to be a better race than Singapore for example, and I don’t care how many “celebrities” Bernie invites.
I will be watching from my usual perch at Jameson’s Irish Pub, Soi AR, next to Nova Park for the 53 lap GP of the 5.8 km circuit. We have the big screen and the dedicated F1 channel with no adverts during the race. That’s a bonus by itself! Now, important - with the time differential between here and Japan, the race on Sunday starts at 1 p.m. Thai time. Qualifying on the Saturday is 12 noon. Join us for lunch and a couple of jars before the red lights go out.

Korea KO’s some drivers’ aspirations

If you can find any bookmaker anywhere who will give you odds on “The Finger” Vettel (Red Bull) winning the 2013 driver’s championship, take it. Once again total domination by the German driver, winning as he pleased despite two Safety Car periods. However, during the slowing down lap, there was one plus side to the interruption in service caused by the rain in Pattaya. We were spared the girlish screams from the winner!
And while still on Red Bull, does Helmut Marko have a “magic button” with the power to cause Webber’s Red Bull to ignite? Two fires in two meetings, and a KERS that wouldn’t charge properly, and a puncture. Webber will be glad to leave the Red Bull corral and move to the uber-reliable Porsche stable.
Once again Mr. Pirelli’s tyres were the recipients of attention, with another delaminating tread causing havoc. It simply isn’t good enough that Pirelli (in cahoots with the FIA) produces tyres that last 10 laps and can delaminate. The positions in any race are now dependent upon how many laps have been done on the tyres, with five seconds difference per lap between new and “old” (more than 10 laps) race rubber.
The two “Lotus” entries circulated happily and collected second (Raikkonen) and third (Grosjean), though this only occurred as the safety car periods meant that their tyres could then go the distance.
Of the drivers without a seat, but hopeful of getting one in a competitive team, very few covered themselves with glory. Massa (Ferrari, but soon to be unemployed) managed one of his spins under pressure and spent the rest of the race playing catch-up. Di Resta in the F1ndia, a driver who has had his hand up for Ferrari (unsuccessfully) had yet another accident through driver error. Sorry Paul, stay at Team Poppadum (if they’ll have you back again).
His running mate Sutil is another driver hardly covering himself with glory. It was his spin that collected Mark Webber and set the Red Bull alight. (Perhaps he is in the pay of Helmut?)
Fortunately Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) has already signed his contract with Red Bull, to take over Webber’s seat, or he would be another doubtful with his current performances.
The standout drive came from Hulkenberg (Sauber), who withstood all the pressure that Hamilton (Mercedes) could throw at him. Pencil in Hulkenberg at “Lotus”. He really deserved the Ferrari drive, but “Lotus” is second best.
The rest of the field was notable by not being seen, other than Perez (McLaren) who remains a loose cannon. And an excitable one at that!
For most of the race, it really was a high speed procession, despite two DRS zones. The cars were just holding station until the last 10 laps when they had a go at passing each other, generally without any luck, such as Hulkenberg (Sauber), Hamilton (Mercedes), Alonso (Ferrari) and Rosberg (Mercedes) who finished still in that order.
The long term future of the Korean GP must be in doubt. Hours away from any large city and the spectators stayed away in droves. Some grandstands had no people in them at all. Their GP is an indulgence, brought about by Malaysia, Singapore and India having one, so they want one too. If a Thai GP ever happens, it will be for the same reason.

Formula 1 Provisional Calendar 2014, pencil it in

16 March Grand Prix of Australia
30 March Grand Prix of Malaysia
06 April Grand Prix of Bahrain
20 April Grand Prix of China
27 April Grand Prix of Korea
11 May Grand Prix of Spain
25 May Grand Prix of Monaco
01 June Grand Prix of America, New Jersey
08 June Grand Prix of Canada
22 June Grand Prix of Austria
06 July Grand Prix of Great Britain
20 July Grand Prix of Germany (Hockenheim)
27 July Grand Prix of Hungary
24 August Grand Prix of Belgium
07 September Grand Prix of Italy
21 September Grand Prix of Singapore
05 October Grand Prix of Russia (Sochi)
12 October Grand Prix of Japan
26 October Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
09 November Grand Prix of USA (Austin)
16 November Grand Prix of Mexico
30 November Grand Prix of Brazil

Natter Nosh and Noggin

The Pattaya car club meets at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR next to Nova Park. The next meeting is on Monday October 14 at Jameson’s at 7 p.m. A totally informal meeting of like-minded souls to discuss their pet motoring (and motorcycling) loves and hates (plus lies and outright exaggerations). Come along and meet the guys who have a common interest in cars and bikes, and enjoy the Jameson’s specials, washed down with a few beers. A couple of the members are scrutineers at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so they may have some scuttlebutt about the F1 scene, with one having just been over to the US to watch the Indy 500. Always a fun night. Be prepared to laugh a lot at some of the antics of the members (when they were younger)! The Car Club nights are always on the second Monday of the month (not every second Monday)!

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked which horseless carriage added a horse’s head to stop it frightening horses? It was in 1899 with the Horsey Horseless, a “brainfart” writes Time, that came complete with a model horse’s head on the front of the car in order to make actual horses more comfortable around cars.
So to this week. Grand Prix engines have been twin overhead cam and four valves per cylinder for 101 years. Who was first?
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].