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Thursday 17 March 2011

Formula One 2011: Who's Doing What And Where And How

Right, one of the few posts on this blog that decicated to opinions on sport over anything else. And this time formula one has come under my radar, below is a quick snippit of each of the drivers for this season, along with my predictions for each of them, followed by a quick overview of everything at the end...expect this to be fairly long, theres 24 drivers, 12 teams and alot of changes to go through.

1. Sebastian Vettel: The defending champion for this year, with a teams complete backing, and a stupid amount of talent yet untapped, i cant exactly see him doing any worse this year...and that irritates me to pick a champion this early, but ive got to. Top 5 finish, my pick for champion

2. Mark Webber: Now dont get me wrong, he's in the best car on the grid and more than capable of summoning the ability to defeat anyone...but i expect the team to side entirely with vettel, while this may galvanise him, i can see his determination being tested to the limit this year, most want his seat, including his own team (to give to someone else of course) so expect the highest of scrutiny as well. Top 5 finish, will retire at the end of this year

3. Lewis Hamilton: For the purpose of this blog i will ignore patriotic influences...he's one of only three drivers on the grid that can easily make a car do what it shouldnt, but as usual, he's going into the season knowing its exactly that...he's got a dog of a car and in anyone else's hands would just fall apart...but watch this space, McLaren have a habit of turning water into wine with cars. Top 5 finish

4. Jenson Button: If anyone is looking forward to the new tyres more, its this guy. Last years champion is looking a serious contender not through ability alone but through his knack of making tyres do what they really shouldnt...his finish this year depends entirely on pirelli and a perfect car...yeah...about the second one... Top 5 Finish, unless pirelli matter, then world champion

5. Fernando Alonso: Again, i have to avoid bias in this report (as i hate the guy) but its clear to see that ferarri are close to regaining the schumi-esque dominance of old...and alonso is the sole reason for that, fierce, talented and with a lapdog for a teammate, you can expect alonso to be the big challenger to vettel's crown this year...unless reliability ends them again (which looks unlikely this year). Top 5 Finish, Above massa regardless

6. Felipe Massa: I feel sorry for this guy, he's got the talent to be a world champion if he's in the right car, but the major problem is that while he's in a team with the likes of alonso, he stands no chance whatsoever of doing better than his team mate...whileever he's in ferrari, he's destined to finish second best, only now without team orders being banned...this season will show it all to clearly. Regardless of finish, its behind Alonso

7. Micheal Schumacher: Oh god, thats the last thing we need...schumi with a car built to him that actually looks fast...he's always been brutally honest with his opinions so when he sets the fastest ever testing time this season, plus is wearing a huge smile on his face...im feeling rather worried he might just get another title. Dont get me wrong i fully expect youth to beat experience this season, but still. Anywhere in the top 10

8. Nico Rosberg: Hmmm, this is a tricky one...we all know the car is built to his schumi-ness, and not to rosberg...but this guy happens to be young enough to alter his driving style to adapt, so his finish entirely depends on how fast he does that, past then, its anyone's guess... Top 10 finish, will win his first race this season

9. Nick Heidfeld: This guy has to be the luckiest man alive, seriously three times he's been on the brink of the abyss, and every time something comes up, while he is in effectively the darkest seat in the paddock this year, heidfeld is the type to put that to one side and make the most of the situation. Top 10 finish, but will retire at most once all season

10. Vitaly Petrov: Come on petrov this year is your chance, heidfeld is old and on his way out, and you dont have a juggernought like Kubica to deal with...renault will look to petrov this year to up his game, and if he doesnt i can imagine the only reason he'd stay in next season to be because of his sponsors. im yet to be convinced of his ability to do anything but annoy the front runners however. Mid table finish, pays for his seat next season, suicidal bank manager as a result

11. Rubens Barrichello: This guy just will not give up! youd think after 300+ races and endless near misses he would just retire, but clearly not. barrichello will front the williams revival and i fully expect him to do that well...the big question will be the next man on this list, as rubens's points are consistent if not small. Mid table finish, maybe the odd podium threat

12. Pastor Maldonado: Now i know nothing about this guy apart from being the defending GP2 champion, as such i expect decent things from his, largely because of the drivers that have won it in the past. Mid table finish, you never know though

13. Why the hell do they miss this number out?!

14. Adrian Sutil: Im bored to death of sutil being considered a good driver, because in formula one his skills have been VERY wide ranging, one minute he's on the cusp of a podium, the next he crashes through his own doing...inconsistency does not breed champions, although a certian hamilton would disagree with that. Mid table finish, Position tenative

15. Paul Di Resta: YES!!! ive been waiting for this guy to make his debut for quite some time, and finally he gets the chance to prove his worth, throughout his younger career he's beaten the people that in F1 are considered the best, so it will be nice to see it again, force india have a package...but could paul be the 4th to create chances that just shouldnt exist with said package? Mid table finish, but one of my two darkhorses this season, will NOT be in force india for long

16. Kamui Kobayashi: Yikes, the japanese tsunami was one of the most feared on record. and the wave was pretty strong too. seriously though kobayashi is one of those drivers that just doesnt care about his car's 5 million plus price tag, he'd sooner bury it into the wall getting a space than sit back and take anything less...if sauber's package is as good as some are saying, we may just have a lunatic with a good car...funtimes ahead. Mid table finish, but that will be off the back of massive results, and massive crashes along the way, my second darkhorse this season

17. Sergio Perez: If his talent is anything close to the wallet that brought this seat, then we could have a shocker on our hands, but i highly doubt that, yes he topped the timesheets one session, but that was a qualifying pace...wait isnt that half of the work? oh yeah... Mid to bottom table finish, but will last about as long as his wallet does, and no longer, expect his results to directly correlate to his bank balance

18. Sebastian Buemi: Now this guy annoys the living hell out of me, he's an ok driver, but by no means brilliant, i cant see his making much headway this season apart from a few decent finishes, but the seat he will inevitably get in red bull at the end of this season is NOT deserved in anyway shape or form...good job hamilton become avaliable the year after then i guess... Bottom table finish, will end the season not deserving of the red bull seat, but end up getting it anyway

19. Jamie Alguersuari: Simply put i rate jamie over buemi, but the only downside is i cant imagine him being the best of the two at the end of the season, which is a shame...this is a team that is pretty much an auto-promotion to the bigger times...and i dont reckon that idea works, but oh well...oh and yeah, sort your super liscence out, as it stands your a drag racer, not an f1 driver! Bottom table finish, may get the red bull seat but will seriously have to pull a rabbit out of his backside to make it happen

20. Jarno Trulli: He is beginning to stagnate about as much as his wine...and be about as repulsive to the senses as well (ive drank the stuff, its crap)...while he used to have that spark back in the day he's falling from grace like all drivers do, the only downside is he's slating everyone on the way down as well... Bottom table finish, i hear the vineyards calling...

21. Heikki Kovalainen: Far too good to be in the team he is but lotus are making serious noises that theyve improved, and i believe it, its just that the flying finn really should be flying...to another team, and fast. he wasnt good enough for mclaren, but he's too good for this outfit. Bottom table finish, but will score the teams first points...he would be one of those "gets more out of the car" types...but this low down, thats not hard

22. Narain Karthikeyan: didnt you retire? why didnt you stay that way?...the only reason he scored points was because of THAT race...and to be honest its a wonder he scored any then either (yes, it was impossible not to score, im aware of this...), its good to see an indian on the grid for the new race, but really? your entire earnings from america? really?? Bottom table finish, what a waste of money

23. Timo Glock: I really dont know what to make of this guy, in toyota he looked decent, but down here he looks awful, im sure its just the car...or at least i hope it is, but down here he stands no chance of ever making it back out, basically what timo did was crawl down a pit then threw away his own key going to virgin. Bottom table finish, key still missing

24. Jerome D'ambrosio: I'm sorry, anyone named after a custard is going to flop in my book, and judging by the car, it looks about as flimsy as well. if i knew something about this guy i could say more, but he's about as unknown as anyone could be. Bottom table finish, my pick for the wooden spoon

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Hope Unrivaled, Spirits On Edge

Writing this at half two in the morning sort of brings home the whole point of this blog really...the thoughts and feelings that cannot be expressed any other way...and tonight, this morning, this day week or month...I think, feel and worry more than pretty much ever before

University has always been my goal, my aspiration...my whole purpose and drive for so many long years. But august 19th last year tore that from me...only through a last gasp effort, not to mention serious sacrifices...kept that dream alive. And while I'm happy to have not completely failed, those sacrifices made in those last hours have really been hitting home, moreso now knowing that I could have missed my chance at a better future by mere days.

I detest derby with a passion most people are all to familiar with. Organisation is terrible, the commuting hurts like crazy, the tutors are crap at the best of times, the work is far easier than expected but for the first year ultimately pointless...the students mostly have attitude problems and the general feel of the place is that it's a case of "this is the best you could do"

And that's not me...I've never been the person to sit back and take second best! I'm the person that pushes boundaries, causes controversy, expects the most and usually gets it. For all the pessimism I've never once actually given up hope...never once thought all was lost, there's always been that fire, no matter how tiny...that burning passion to get everything I want, when I want it. Fighters never die...and nearly 20 years on, this kid surely hasn't either.

Recently though this drive has left me with the biggest hurt in my life. For I am a person all about knowledge. And not knowing something is not what I'm built to do, I prise information wherever I can, at whatever price...I have the chance to go to Nottingham Trent. The university (quite literally) of my dreams...but it's late applications, and nobody is sure, least of all me...if my application got in in time...I had ten days leeway from last years final deadline...but they've had over 200 extra applicants...yes the requirements are up 40 points, but is that enough? Has that made the defining difference that keeps me under the deadline. I don't know, nobody can tell me for sure and that's what's killing me inside.

If I've made it, the elation will be all to plain to see
If I've not made it, the despair will be all to plain to see

If one thing in my life has ever meant something to me more, it's this...every night I lay here and dream, wish, hope that my dream becomes a reality, that I prove to the world how much I really am worth. That my original aims are always within my reach. To drag myself out of this dump and make something of my life the way I want to...I spend my nights crying with worry...the lack of knowing hurting me the most. The praying lasting the longest...

The hope is Unrivaled, my spirits on edge. For that one moment in my life may lead to greater things, happier times...or the realisation that I've failed in my quest. The worry is killing me...the lack of knowing is killing me more...

Monday 7 March 2011

Bouncing Back

My word, two blogs in two days...its not going to stay this way but at the moment I feel on top of the world...only one thing can make this complete, but I'll save that for another blog if it actually happens

I write this, with a feeling in my stomach I haven't experienced since the "I don't give a f*ck cause its going to work" days...back when I was 9 years old...I feel rejuvenated, alive, confident, prepared for the challenges ahead knowing that just a simple case of having some balls really is the key to success

This last weekend was a tale of three parts, but each part has sown in me the seeds to feel bigger than ever before, to feel as if whatever I do can be accomplished if I put my mind to it.

Friday: a night out planned at the last moment but still managed to be quite good, sure I ended up depressed, but something told me it was just a drop in the ocean

Saturday: a night where I needed serious persuading to come out and a night where for ten brief seconds I'd given up all hope of nights out, seeing people...everything, but something changed (yes, I'm not being cryptic with this one)...James, if your reading this, thank you, I'm fairly sure you did almost all the work to make things tick, but i had to prove I was worth the time, and while I could be proved wrong, I think I did pretty f*cking well on that night...what it has done is present me with a dilemma...I've never had that situation arise before, it's brought back a craving I haven't experienced in years...but it's one I feel can be achieved if I be who I am, rather than who people tell me I am...confident to the point of arrogance...but actually able to back it up

Sunday: a night that wasn't even planned again...but turned out to be rather sick, Neil, if your reading this...you've relit the passion I'd lost after being cast into the wilderness...since my return it's made me crave more, crave better...this is where I make my name...and now I truly believe I can do it, it may take years, but it's gonna be a hell of a ride


Yeah...im bouncing back, it may have been 10 years of feeling like a worthless piece of crap, but with the few friends around me, and the healing process almost over...and the results starting to show after so long, I reckon this could be the start of something rather nice :)

Sunday 6 March 2011

A Journey Not Faced Alone

Many days ago, in the depths of 2008...I had a vision, it was a strange one filled with hope, promise and expectation...it was one to shape the lives of those that believed in it, and influence those around it...and while the route has been met with difficulty along the way, struggles and challenges alike...it only makes the heart grow fonder.

To become successful at a game I'd spent almost my entire life playing was ambitious, but hardly out of reach...to experience each final table knowing it continued me on the path I needed to be, each win pointing out this was more than mere fantasy...I would love to experience that mix of emotions again...and while a little rusty, I expect the return to the heights being quick in time, and thrilling along the way

My return didn't last long, the mistakes were those of someone not playing live for a while...obvious, but at the same time correctable. What matters is the feeling that I had that day. A feeling of elation, I'd served my time reluctantly, but it just relit the passion and the fire within...it burns bright, a beacon in the night sky to guide along the same path I was pulled off six months ago.

And that's where I make a new pledge, but it's one I cannot do alone...I ask all of you, regardless of background and past opinions. To join me on this journey...it may be long, it may have bumps along the way...but I assure you, the feeling along the way will not be rivalled by anything....the end goal without equal...I will promise to see all those along this road well...one wins, we all win...

A journey not faced alone is a good one, the support channeled through makes one feel invincible...for that one moment in life, with friends, family and well-wishers by the side, where we say we Have. No. Equal