Formula 1

Terrific stuff by Hamilton and Alonso in that race, making a great strategic choice to start on the mediums, staying out of trouble from the various collisions in the midfield and then making great use of the safety car periods. Delighted especially for Alonso who was fantastic on a track where you'd have expected the McLarens to get swamped. Still got massive steps to make but it shows the progress the team have made in a year from being the joke back markers they were last year to competitive midfield runners. The goal next year will have to be challenging and beating Williams and Force India, most likely with Alonso and Vandoorne at the helm.

Felipe Massa has announced his retirement for the end of this season. Great servant to the sport since he made his debut in 2002 in Sauber! 11 race wins and so near to becoming world champion in 2008 is nothing to be sniffed at. Fantastic career!

Felipe Massa has announced his retirement for the end of this season. Great servant to the sport since he made his debut in 2002 in Sauber! 11 race wins and so near to becoming world champion in 2008 is nothing to be sniffed at. Fantastic career!

14 years in F1. Wow!
That makes me feel old alright.

14 years in F1. Wow!
That makes me feel old alright.

Typo?! Thought I was missing a big chunk of his career then!

Massa retiring is bad enough although if you'd said to me back in 2002 that he'd be in the sport until 2016 I would be impressed! As I recall he was very quick in 2002 but had a tendency to smash the car up a bit!

The sucker punch for me will be when Button retires (which could and probably will be this year) and Kimi and Fernando. From end of 2000 start of 2001 was when I fell in love with the sport as a 9/10 year old and these guys were the new generation. Now they're heading out. Even more scary - it was 10 years ago since Alonso won his last title!

Typo?! Thought I was missing a big chunk of his career then!

Massa retiring is bad enough although if you'd said to me back in 2002 that he'd be in the sport until 2016 I would be impressed! As I recall he was very quick in 2002 but had a tendency to smash the car up a bit!

The sucker punch for me will be when Button retires (which could and probably will be this year) and Kimi and Fernando. From end of 2000 start of 2001 was when I fell in love with the sport as a 9/10 year old and these guys were the new generation. Now they're heading out. Even more scary - it was 10 years ago since Alonso won his last title!

Just a bit. Ha.
Been a long week.

Pure brilliance from Hamilton in quali this afternoon. Absolutely dominant - qualifying on pole nearly half a second faster than Rosberg at Monza of all places where you'd think the gap would be marginal at best! The way he straightens that car so quickly with a flick of the wheel coming out of the corners and how he rings it out on the Parabolica makes Rosberg look conservative in comparison.

Struggling to remember a better qualifying performance from Hamilton. As if he was competing in a higher formula all together compared to the rest. Incredible driving!

On his advantage per lap he will take a full pit stop out of Rosberg and probably lap most of the field he was stunning today.

Button confirms he will not race next year in f1 effectively becoming a reserve option for McLaren. Looks like the end for one of F1s modern greats.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Iaz1-8VC0

That was his greatest moment in my opinion. He may have been champion in 2009 but he drove even better in 2011 finishing runner up to a dominant Red Bull car driven by Vettel. That he finished ahead of Alonso in what was fairly equal machinery dispelled any doubts about the brilliance of Jenson. Already an established driver when I started watching 16 years ago, it will be so so sad to see him no longer on the grid.

Seeing as it's Italian Grand Prix weekend...presenting to you the fastest f1 lap in history courtesy of the one and only Juan Pablo Montoya in the 2004 Williams BMW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Feel that adrenaline coursing through your veins!

Rosberg due a puncture 

Rosberg due a puncture 

Can't believe the start from Lewis...

Rosberg handed win on a plate...deficit down to 2 points...

Can't believe the start from Lewis...

Rosberg handed win on a plate...deficit down to 2 points...

Looking interesting now.

No Nico - you're not Italian as much as you say so on the podium! You're already part German, part Finnish, part Monaco native!

Dropped a clanger there did Lewis. Not taking anything away from Rosberg because he does most things without fault but it would be nice to see him win a Grand Prix going wheel to wheel with someone for once.

Can't believe the start from Lewis...

Rosberg handed win on a plate...deficit down to 2 points...

He's got into a bad habit with some of his starts this season     Only two points clear now! Who said it wasn't exciting  Come on Hammy!! We can do this 

No Nico - you're not Italian as much as you say so on the podium! You're already part German, part Finnish, part Monaco native!

Dropped a clanger there did Lewis. Not taking anything away from Rosberg because he does most things without fault but it would be nice to see him win a Grand Prix going wheel to wheel with someone for once.

I think when it boils down to race craft, Lewis seems to have the edge over Nico.
Getting interesting.

I think when it boils down to race craft, Lewis seems to have the edge over Nico.
Getting interesting.

Deffo, it's a shame Lewis could not get to a 2 sec drop off from Nico with 10 Laps or less to go... If Lewis did then sure Nico would have made a forced error knowing Lewis is closing in fast...

I see Damon Hill has an autobiography coming out that is receiving some rave reviews particularly from Richard Williams the guardian. Too young to remember Hill in his prime but finding youtube videos of some great moments he experienced uncovers some great gems like the one below.

When you look at the cars at the back of the grid these days they bear no hint of the kind of bitchiness and horror drives that some of the famous (or infamous!) back markers in days gone by. Just watching this video of Damon Hill (the then World Champion no less!) wrestling, drifting and sliding his Arrows through Albert Park at the start of the 1997 season just underlines how far technology and design has come particularly in the aero department! Even more astonishing is how Hill so nearly secured one of the most remarkable victories in F1 history in Hungary later that year in that car! Can't find any clips of it on youtube but it must go down as one of the great f1 drives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlfcHdJyUs

https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2016/09/its-official-new-dawn-for-f1-as-liberty-media-takes-over-ecclestone-very-happy/

Exciting future for F1's money men as new owners of the sport have been confirmed tonight. Call me cynical but it merely looks like a new and innovative way to milk the fans dry. Good luck with your hundreds of thousands of viewers watching the races in future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReVb5P0mdds

For f1 buffs out there this is an astonishing interview found on youtube giving us the insight into the fairytale story of Brawn GP.

Only watched about half an hour of the interview but a couple of standout points:

* There was an unnamed fraud (who's now in jail) tried to buy the team in the space between Honda announcing their departure and the Brawn management buyout.

* Brawn GPs total expenditure up until the summer break in the 2009 season was £600,000!! (putting that into context Nick Fry suspects many of the other teams were spending double that per race!) The team drove through most of the 2009 season with just two monocoques, the lack of racing equipment a big reason why Barrichello was rehired alongside Jenson Button to ensure that they had two drivers who were reliable with the car instead of a young hotshot. Any major crashes of the two cars would have provided severe difficulties!

Rosberg! Oh dear, what a shame.

....Bollocks.

Wow... Engine blow out for Lewis..

I feel sick