Hungarian GP this weekend!

After the action packed Grand Prix in Germany, where Rubens Barichello in the Ferrari scored his maiden win, and Michael Schumacher was again punted into the shrubbery on the first corner, you can expect some real fireworks in Hungary.

With Schumacher the elder now only two points in front of the McLaren Mercedes duo of Coulthard and Hakkinen and ten points in front of Barichello, we now have four drivers in with a show of snaring the title with six races to go.

Looking at the drivers this year, there are certainly plenty of pointers as to who has a future in F1 - and who hasn’t. Johnny Herbert (Jaguar) has already booked his ticket to America at the end of the year, while Wurz (Benetton) will be another looking for a seat in a sedan or whatever he can fit his large frame into. Jenson Button (BMW Williams) with now 8 points under his belt has a secure future, even if it is not with Sir Frank, that well known benefactor of itinerant race drivers. Montoya is still tipped to take Button’s place in the Williams line-up. Poor old Jean Alesi in the Prost Peugeot has certainly gone past his use-by date, but it will be sad not to see his tail-out, balls-out style of driving. Peugeot are also pulling out of F1 at the end of the year. Pedro Diniz (Sauber) won’t get another start, unless Daddy sends more pantechnicons of pesos, while Salo looks assured.

Find of the year has to be Pedro de la Rosa, gaining useful points and getting the Arrows up the sharp end. Zonta (BAR) has surprised in the last couple of meetings, out-qualifying Jacques Villeneuve, but he still has too much attraction for walls, barriers and other immovable objects to make him worthwhile in F1. The big tip is Olivier Panis to take his place after this year in the wilderness as the test driver for McLaren Mercedes.

For all the action, and the ribald comments, join me trackside on Sunday at Delaney’s Pub on Second Road in front of the big screen. Should be on at 7 p.m. our time, but check the TV guide.

Malaysia invades Tibet - Indo China next

I know that China has done the Tibet thing already, and I suppose it could be said that I’m stretching truth to the point of no return over this one, but it’s sort of correct. Last year, a bunch of Malaysian Offroaders headed out from KL and went all the way to Tibet (see photograph), where they all froze to death. Again, not quite correct, they turned around and headed back down again to the warmer climes of Malaysia and told everyone of their great adventure.

One of the groups they told was the national Malaysian petrol company, Petronas, who for this year have swung behind the Offroaders to form the Petronas Adventure Team Malaysia.

The initial foray for the new team, which was launched by the Malaysian Sports Minister, Dato Hishammudin Tun Husseain, is another marathon, this time the Indo China 2000, which starts on the 31st of August, which is the Malaysian National Day. The entire trip will take 26 days and cover 9,800 kilometres as they drive through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and then back through Thailand with a reception in Bangkok before returning home to KL.

Naturally, they will fill up at Petronas stations, so I hope they have long range tanks on their Toyota Landbruisers, as it will be quite a step from the local Petronas servo on Sukhumvit to the next one!

The entire group of 15 vehicles will stop for the night of the 1st of September, in Pattaya, after the fill-up. I met eight of them on the recce trip and they seem a fun bunch.

Now I wonder if I could get Pavena Hongsakula interested in sponsoring a team of VIA Daihatsu Miras on a long rally through to Sri Racha?

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week we asked whom it was who said, “He makes the fastest lorries in the world” and what cars was he referring to. It was very easy and of course referred to Ettore Bugatti, who said the disparaging remarks about the Bentleys of the day. Bugatti opting for small displacement light cars, while the Bentleys were anything from 3 litres through to 8 litres, with the famous “Blower Bentleys” being supercharged as well.

So to this week. Daihatsu, gawdblessem, have made a car with the most outrageous name ever, possibly in the entire history of automobilia (well, perhaps after the Sex-Auto built in America). The Daihatsu Naked! This was built to conform the Kei-car rules, so is limited to 660 cc. For the quiz question this week - why did they call it the Naked?

For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected].

BMW’s new Press & PR Director

Following the resignation of Khun Sopapim from the top spot in BMW PR, I received a Press Release to say that her chair in the BeeEmm Bangers headquarters has been taken by Dr. Wit Sittivaekin, formerly a news anchorman at UBC 8. Since my TV has the selector channel knob welded to the Pattaya Mail Channel, I have not seen the renowned Dr. Wit, but after chatting to him, he seems a likeable enough sort of chap.

It is actually quite amazing how difficult it is to get on the mailing list for Press and PR handouts from the local car companies. GeeEmm have only now got round to sending blurb routinely to the Pattaya Mail - after two and a half years of Automania columns. However, the best was when I first rang FoMoCo and asked to get on the list, and I was asked, “Why do you want this?” I must admit I almost fell off my chair. In Oz, when you ring the car company’s PR Department, they practically jump down the phone and deliver a test car by the afternoon. By the way, FoMoCo, I’m still waiting for a Ford Press Release! It is certainly more difficult here. Other than BMW, who have always made sure that this columnist is fed with information and even suggested test cars for us. And the others wonder why BeeEmm gets a good run?

Unchained malady

Thank you to all those folk who rang to tell me that the VIA Courtesy Car was chained up to a lamp post last week. In actual fact, the police chained the lamp post to the Daihatsu Mira, afraid that the light pole might fall over during the night, not the other way round. And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything!

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