F1: Primer for the 2006 Season, Part One
The first race of 2006 isn't for about six weeks, in Bahrain. Below is a primer for this season.
For all the changes that happened in 2005, the upcoming season will likely have more. Half of the teams underwent significant metamorphoses during the interim. Many of these changes consist of ownership buyouts, others involve new or different drivers at many teams.
To start, Honda bought out the BAR team after several years of partial ownership and infrequent success. This marks Honda's return to F1 as a full factory team after about two decades. It also marks the arrival of a 2nd major Japanese team, the other being Toyota. This brings promise of intense rivalry over national pride, probably entertaining hordes of Japanese fans, thereby definitely entertaining the rest of us. It makes me wonder what shit-talking sounds like in Japanese.
2006 will also mark the return of an American to F1, driving for Squadra Toro Rosso. Speed (what are the odds his name is real?) basically beat out almost every other American in a Red Bull-sponsored competition, and did well enough in lower racing leagues to earn his seat at STR. Some of those competitions, by the way, were at XPlex, the Vegas outdoor kart track where you guys went. Some of the greatest drivers in F1 have been Americans, but that hasn't been since the 60's. Since then, the lack of US auto companies and teams entering F1, as well as probably NASCAR and local open-wheel racing leagues meant that there is no money for an American driver, and so no chance for one to prove himself.
Another development is BMW moving up the ranks from engine supplier to full factory team, after buying out Sauber. Though unlikely to make waves in its first year, it does offer the chance for 1997 World Champion Jacques Villesneuve to prove himself after almost a decade of exorbitant salary, poor results, getting fired, getting rehired, and general mediocrity. In his defense, his poor results cannot be easily separated from having slow and unreliable cars. So as with many of the new teams, having the backing of a major manufacturer's resources might allow JV to prove himself once again. The son of a celebrated F1 World Champion, Jacques won in 1997 after winning both IRL and the Indy 500, so the skill is probably there.
Apparently the only activity he does more than racing is play video games. He also lives in Switzerland or Monaco, and probably dates French Canadian hotties, in sum earning my perpetual envy.
In Part 2, I'll finish up this primer, and probably talk about the single greatest pass of 2005, and probably the 21st century, by Fernando Alonso.
For all the changes that happened in 2005, the upcoming season will likely have more. Half of the teams underwent significant metamorphoses during the interim. Many of these changes consist of ownership buyouts, others involve new or different drivers at many teams.
To start, Honda bought out the BAR team after several years of partial ownership and infrequent success. This marks Honda's return to F1 as a full factory team after about two decades. It also marks the arrival of a 2nd major Japanese team, the other being Toyota. This brings promise of intense rivalry over national pride, probably entertaining hordes of Japanese fans, thereby definitely entertaining the rest of us. It makes me wonder what shit-talking sounds like in Japanese.
2006 will also mark the return of an American to F1, driving for Squadra Toro Rosso. Speed (what are the odds his name is real?) basically beat out almost every other American in a Red Bull-sponsored competition, and did well enough in lower racing leagues to earn his seat at STR. Some of those competitions, by the way, were at XPlex, the Vegas outdoor kart track where you guys went. Some of the greatest drivers in F1 have been Americans, but that hasn't been since the 60's. Since then, the lack of US auto companies and teams entering F1, as well as probably NASCAR and local open-wheel racing leagues meant that there is no money for an American driver, and so no chance for one to prove himself.
Another development is BMW moving up the ranks from engine supplier to full factory team, after buying out Sauber. Though unlikely to make waves in its first year, it does offer the chance for 1997 World Champion Jacques Villesneuve to prove himself after almost a decade of exorbitant salary, poor results, getting fired, getting rehired, and general mediocrity. In his defense, his poor results cannot be easily separated from having slow and unreliable cars. So as with many of the new teams, having the backing of a major manufacturer's resources might allow JV to prove himself once again. The son of a celebrated F1 World Champion, Jacques won in 1997 after winning both IRL and the Indy 500, so the skill is probably there.
Apparently the only activity he does more than racing is play video games. He also lives in Switzerland or Monaco, and probably dates French Canadian hotties, in sum earning my perpetual envy.
In Part 2, I'll finish up this primer, and probably talk about the single greatest pass of 2005, and probably the 21st century, by Fernando Alonso.
posted by joe at 11:27 PM
6 Comments:
"Some of those competitions, by the way, were at XPlex, the Vegas outdoor kart track where you guys went."
It's likely you have a larger readership than the three or four people who have gone to XPlex with you. I know for a fact that both Lauren and Brigid have seen your blog at least once, but I don't think they've ever been to XPlex.
So true.
noted. Obviously, then, the solution calls for Lauren and Brigid to go karting at XPlex next time they are in Vegas. Women, especially ones with hand-eye coordination of at least Nintendo-level, theoretically should make better racers.
"Women theoretically should make better racers."
Joe, I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. Men are way better at doing things that involve thinking and/or physical ability. Are you trying to say racecar driving requires neither of this things??
Also, your blog is linked to from my blog, which has at least a 5 or 6 readers... so you may get some other passers-by. Will you bring them to XPlex, too?
First, I'd like to say, yeah, I guess race car driving requires neither of those things. Besides, Ben's always talking about how the hottest Korean girls are the counterstrike champs. I figure Joe might know something about this. Also, I, Lauren, challenge you, Keith, to play DDR. Then we'll see who's better.
1. Yes, so that I may maintain an infallibly consistent and uncorrected blog, any reader should go to www.lasvegaskarting.com as a standard part of any Las Vegas experience. They also might have fun too, and experience a professional kart track.
2. I stand by my statement, however, it is true that there might be an unthinking savant somewhere who is an unpracticed natural at the finer aspects of heel-toe downshifting, tire slip angles, apexing, throttle control, game theory, psychology, awesomeness, and smacktalking. Therefore, such a savant may not have to think. However racing does require a slight degree of fitness and moderate upper body strength. Women are lighter however, and supposedly have better reaction times, so maybe this compensates.
But in sum Keith, yes you are correct. Racing does not necessarily require thinking or physical ability. However this is only absolutely true for savants. On the other hand, as we all know, women are only known to be savants in color coordination and baking souffles and whatnot.
But usually, racing does require thinking. So I guess its up to Lauren or Brigid or one of their ilk to put down the cookie cutters and prove it on the track.
3. Korean girls and counter-strike. I can only theorize about this. When I played CS, I played for fun. Getting good was second-nature (clearly a male trait). But it was too difficult to find a clan that was serious about team play and tactics.
Girls, on the other hand, tend to huddle in small herds, and speak in some kind of indecipherable communal language. Only when a male crush is involved do they separate, in which case they usually kill or eat each other alive. But their communal sub-social structure allows for high levels of coordination.
Being Korean just means an intrinsic understanding with CS. This means that Korean girls get +2 points in weapons usage, achieving near parity with males. However, their herd-like movements in real life translate extraordinarily easily to CS, making them experts in simultaneous squad-level movements all while maintaining maximal fields-of-fire.
Plus they probably use cheap guns like the para and auto-shotty or awps with bots.
Post a Comment
<< Home