Thoughts from FP1 and FP2... We were seated at the grandstand at Casino.
Both Saubers were always out on track first. The RBRs are unbeatable around that twisty part of the circuit, although that's obviously not the case elsewhere. Mercedes are obviously able to do stunningly quick laptimes. With Alonso tracking just behind them... It Raikkonen as though Alonso was lining up his race strategy for both sessions.. Raikkonen also, but not quite as close.
On Super Softs, whilst on long runs the Mercs were slow.. on Softs they were quite quick. The Ferrari looked quick on both and Raikkonen was super quick on Softs. These were whilst doing long runs.
I think the difference between Mercs and Lotus was a second or even two seconds a lap..!
Alonso seems to be working out how to get his best grid slot possible, whilst having a lot of focus on race pace.. He must be thinking about making up one grid slot place in the race and looking to nick another if the opportunity arises. Q3 is going to be highly entertaining!
Friday, 24 May 2013
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Le Mans 24hrs App updated for 2013
Our popular Le Mans App for the 24 hour race at La Sarthe has been updated for 2013. This includes all Runners and Riders (some still TBC) and photos of the cars who entered the Silverstone round of the WEC. The remaining details will be updated before and just after the Official Le Mans test day, capturing all of the missing photos.
It's the 90th Anniversary of the 1st ever race at La Sarthe. Whilst the Toyota challenge looks to be a little muted at the moment, you can be sure that the inter-team rivalry at Audi will keep things interesting. The number one and number two cars both really want the win.
In LMP2 there is a dazzling array of machinery and a number of entries, so the action should last for the whole weekend.
GT (Pro and Am) sees the return of the Vipers! All of the manufacturers seem to have upped their commitment here. For us the Aston Martin team look the strongest, but you never know...!
The Motorsport Calendar Team are off to Monaco this weekend to partake of the F1 race there! :)
It's the 90th Anniversary of the 1st ever race at La Sarthe. Whilst the Toyota challenge looks to be a little muted at the moment, you can be sure that the inter-team rivalry at Audi will keep things interesting. The number one and number two cars both really want the win.
In LMP2 there is a dazzling array of machinery and a number of entries, so the action should last for the whole weekend.
GT (Pro and Am) sees the return of the Vipers! All of the manufacturers seem to have upped their commitment here. For us the Aston Martin team look the strongest, but you never know...!
The Motorsport Calendar Team are off to Monaco this weekend to partake of the F1 race there! :)
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Start to the 2013 Sportscar season
The Motorsport Calendar team made the trip to Silverstone over the weekend, to see the ELMS and 1st round of the 2013 WEC Championship. In addition to this, there were two races for the 2013 Euro F3 Championship.
Friday, mainly for Testing and Qualifying (Euro F3 only), was a little wet and windy, as Silverstone always can be!! The newer International Pits were used by the WEC cars, with the ELMS and F3 teams based in the National Pits. However it should be noted that the Start - Finish line for all of the races was in fact on the International Pits straight. There was a lot of action on the track and so it was quite an interesting day, all cars took the track apart from the (only) new Aston Martin, number 97, due to some sensor settings indicating an engine issue, which meant that it had to be changed. The LMP1 cars looked imperious on track, quick and purposeful. Of note, the new Porsche cars looked good, but were actually a little slow overall. The Astons looked quick, mighty quick. We also noted that the Rebellion cars looked and sounded awesome, with the G Drive cars also looking like they were going quicker than they should have been. The WEC cars were the last session on the track and after a short downpour all of the cars returned to the Pits. We took the tactical decision to go back home then, as it was felt that with about 20 minutes left, it was unlikely that too many cars were going to return to the action and even then, wouldn't improve.
The whole circuit was busy, with a single decker bus running from the rear of the International Pits up to the National Pits Scrutineering area, just inside Copse. This was handy, as access to the rear of the International Pits is a bit limited and quite a trek. Why didn't they build a pedestrian tunnel or bridge from the outside to the inside of the track, when constructing the International Pits complex? Surely a big oversight. To the rear of the Pits, there was of course the Paddock area, which was open to all and a FanZone, which whilst a little underwhelming was a welcome area for those with young children.
Saturday, the WEC cars took to the track first and the Motorsport Calendar team were able to get some good photos for their Le Mans App, which is in the process of being updated. The cars all used the circuit to good effect, whilst it was dry and pumped in a good number of dry laps. The F3 races were interesting to see, with some good battles and a little sprinkling of rain to spice things up! Josh Hill had a disappointing race, posting a DNF. The 3hr ELMS race was an entertaining one, again the elements helped in making things a little more interesting. Brendan Hartley drove an excellent first stint, but then wasted all that good work and effort by visiting the kitty litter. There were a number of changes at the front of the race while drivers attempted to gain an advantage over their rivals, but in the end those that exercised a little caution in the conditions managed to prosper. Whilst the rain came and went and came back again (and again!) the amount of rain wasn't particularly of note, but the track surface just never fully dried out. A Safety Car session then meant that the racecars weren't clearing the track of water and so it just kept on being wet and slippery. The race was eventually allowed to run, under the Safety Car to 75% and then halted by the Race Director.
Sunday, the WEC 6hrs race was an entertaining one, especially in the final few laps. The Number 2 Audi being driven by Alan McNish overhauled the Number 1 car and won. Admittedly whilst it looked very impressive, the Number 1 car had, had a front drive issue, which meant that the supplemental Hybrid Power didn't work. Toyota completed the podium. The Astons took a clean sweep of the GT classes, winning both Pro and Am classes. In LMP2 the G Drive car of Tor Graves, Pizzonia and Walker took the top step of the podium.
Alledgedly the Toyota cars (2012) made the wrong Tyre selection, which hampered their race pace early on. The Audis were incorrectly set up, so used a lot more fuel than they should have and were slowed down. The 2013 Toyotas will be much more tightly focussed in their design, as the 2012 cars were designed to accept Hybrid power being delivered to the front or rear wheels. The 2013 car only puts the extra power generated by the hybrid system to the rear wheels.
As ever the Radio Le Mans team gave excellent coverage and banter, keeping the spectator updated and informed of what was occurring and why. They were joined by some guest commentators who took over the reins during the F3, single seater, races.
Spa next and of course the Le Mans 24hrs to look forward to! The Motorsport Calendar team will be attending the race at La Sarthe.
Friday, mainly for Testing and Qualifying (Euro F3 only), was a little wet and windy, as Silverstone always can be!! The newer International Pits were used by the WEC cars, with the ELMS and F3 teams based in the National Pits. However it should be noted that the Start - Finish line for all of the races was in fact on the International Pits straight. There was a lot of action on the track and so it was quite an interesting day, all cars took the track apart from the (only) new Aston Martin, number 97, due to some sensor settings indicating an engine issue, which meant that it had to be changed. The LMP1 cars looked imperious on track, quick and purposeful. Of note, the new Porsche cars looked good, but were actually a little slow overall. The Astons looked quick, mighty quick. We also noted that the Rebellion cars looked and sounded awesome, with the G Drive cars also looking like they were going quicker than they should have been. The WEC cars were the last session on the track and after a short downpour all of the cars returned to the Pits. We took the tactical decision to go back home then, as it was felt that with about 20 minutes left, it was unlikely that too many cars were going to return to the action and even then, wouldn't improve.
The whole circuit was busy, with a single decker bus running from the rear of the International Pits up to the National Pits Scrutineering area, just inside Copse. This was handy, as access to the rear of the International Pits is a bit limited and quite a trek. Why didn't they build a pedestrian tunnel or bridge from the outside to the inside of the track, when constructing the International Pits complex? Surely a big oversight. To the rear of the Pits, there was of course the Paddock area, which was open to all and a FanZone, which whilst a little underwhelming was a welcome area for those with young children.
Saturday, the WEC cars took to the track first and the Motorsport Calendar team were able to get some good photos for their Le Mans App, which is in the process of being updated. The cars all used the circuit to good effect, whilst it was dry and pumped in a good number of dry laps. The F3 races were interesting to see, with some good battles and a little sprinkling of rain to spice things up! Josh Hill had a disappointing race, posting a DNF. The 3hr ELMS race was an entertaining one, again the elements helped in making things a little more interesting. Brendan Hartley drove an excellent first stint, but then wasted all that good work and effort by visiting the kitty litter. There were a number of changes at the front of the race while drivers attempted to gain an advantage over their rivals, but in the end those that exercised a little caution in the conditions managed to prosper. Whilst the rain came and went and came back again (and again!) the amount of rain wasn't particularly of note, but the track surface just never fully dried out. A Safety Car session then meant that the racecars weren't clearing the track of water and so it just kept on being wet and slippery. The race was eventually allowed to run, under the Safety Car to 75% and then halted by the Race Director.
Sunday, the WEC 6hrs race was an entertaining one, especially in the final few laps. The Number 2 Audi being driven by Alan McNish overhauled the Number 1 car and won. Admittedly whilst it looked very impressive, the Number 1 car had, had a front drive issue, which meant that the supplemental Hybrid Power didn't work. Toyota completed the podium. The Astons took a clean sweep of the GT classes, winning both Pro and Am classes. In LMP2 the G Drive car of Tor Graves, Pizzonia and Walker took the top step of the podium.
Alledgedly the Toyota cars (2012) made the wrong Tyre selection, which hampered their race pace early on. The Audis were incorrectly set up, so used a lot more fuel than they should have and were slowed down. The 2013 Toyotas will be much more tightly focussed in their design, as the 2012 cars were designed to accept Hybrid power being delivered to the front or rear wheels. The 2013 car only puts the extra power generated by the hybrid system to the rear wheels.
As ever the Radio Le Mans team gave excellent coverage and banter, keeping the spectator updated and informed of what was occurring and why. They were joined by some guest commentators who took over the reins during the F3, single seater, races.
Spa next and of course the Le Mans 24hrs to look forward to! The Motorsport Calendar team will be attending the race at La Sarthe.
Friday, 22 March 2013
2013 season is go go go!
As most of you will have noticed, the Motorsport Calendar Free App has been updated for 2013. Featuring more races and series than before, it now offers a much more up-to-date experience and continues to rise in the number of Active Users, we've now got the most Active Users for the App that we've ever had.
We've also been busy updating our other Apps, the Stock Car Calendar App (BriSCA, UK based only) and the Olympic Calendar - in readiness for Sochi 2014, which is less than a year away now! We're looking to bring some serious improvements to the Apps in terms of User Experience and all for free. We will be looking to bring Paid For versions of the Apps to the market this year, with extra features and no Advertisements of course. We are looking to improve and enhance the User Experience for all, please let us know if there are features you would like to see.
Please stay tuned for more updates, as and when they occur.
:)
We've also been busy updating our other Apps, the Stock Car Calendar App (BriSCA, UK based only) and the Olympic Calendar - in readiness for Sochi 2014, which is less than a year away now! We're looking to bring some serious improvements to the Apps in terms of User Experience and all for free. We will be looking to bring Paid For versions of the Apps to the market this year, with extra features and no Advertisements of course. We are looking to improve and enhance the User Experience for all, please let us know if there are features you would like to see.
Please stay tuned for more updates, as and when they occur.
:)
Monday, 28 May 2012
Le Mans 2012 Android App
The team behind TheMotorsportCalendar are proud to announce the launch of our new Le Mans 2012 Android App
Available now (for free!) on the Google Play market.
The application gives details of all the entries in this year's race along with some humourous comments and tips.
Information will be updated as the entry list evolves and once the track action from the Test Day has taken place.
Your indispensable Guide to Le Mans 2012.
Available now (for free!) on the Google Play market.
The application gives details of all the entries in this year's race along with some humourous comments and tips.
Information will be updated as the entry list evolves and once the track action from the Test Day has taken place.
Your indispensable Guide to Le Mans 2012.
Monday, 30 April 2012
New Android App: The Stockcar Calendar
The team at theMotorsportCalendar.com are pleased to announce the next Android app in our portfolio, theStockCarCalendar.
Produced in association with BriscaF2.com and SaloonStockcars.com it details the 2012 programme for those series as well as BRISCA F1.
Available to download FREE from the Google Play marketplace.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Weekend in Motorsport (7-9 April 2012)
Easter Greetings.
It's all about GTs this week, the SRO promoted GT1 and European GT3 series kickoff at Nogaro in France.
Looking Forward... Event of the Week
What the GT1 series has done very well in previous years is its online video coverage in addition to live coverage on the Bloomberg news channel (a seemingly bizarre choice but it reaches people working in the financial industry worldwide so is popular with sponsors). This season the video links on their website point to a YouTube Channel and whilst live coverage will definitely be on ESPN in the UK (a subscription channel) there is rumours of live coverage on Bloomberg but there is no mention of it on the schedules or electronic programme guide. At least the race timetable is clearly displayed on the official website, other series take note... (GT3 is live on MotorsTV)
We at The MSC are big GT fans, but they do make things difficult for even those of us with our fingers close to the pulse so Lord knows how the casual fan will discover or follow the series.
The GT3 grid is not especially stellar, due I suspect to the popularity of the longer Blancpain Series.
Another SRO series making its traditional Easter start is British GT at Oulton Park. The Trackspeed team are fielding 3 GT3 spec 911s with decent drivers (including ex-factory driver Richard Westbrook) so look like the people to beat. There's a nicely varied selection of cars too with Mercedes SLS, Corvette, Nissan GTR, Lotus, Ginetta, BMW and Chevron joining the obligatory Porsche and Ferrari entrants.
Looking Back...
Kiwi hillclimb legend Rod Millen has created a southern hemisphere motorsport festival based at his farm entitled the Leadfoot Festival featuring vehicles from New Zealand illustrious motorsport heritage.
There's an excellent write up and pictures on the SpeedHunters site.
If I Won the Lotto This Week, I Would Buy...
The clock change signally the beginning of British Summer Time and the appearance of some sunshine had Your Reporter taking to Google to daydream about sitting with some wine and fragrant fromage whilst touring the continent in a modestly sized motorhome. The Mercedes Sprinter based Hymer Starline 590 (with the optional V6 engine and heavy duty 5300kg chassis upgrade, naturally) would fit the bill nicely. (Perhaps painted something other than white though.)
Sadly, we might not be only people with the same idea.
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