What’s the point?

Maybe Formula 1 should become a gameshow with points for prizes

It seems slightly odd to me that, in a week where we have such varied Formula 1 news, I still find myself very frustrated at a simple announcement. If you’ve not heard or seen by now then let me explain what I mean. The World Motorsport Council today confirmed that, from 2010, Formula 1 will be implementing a new form of scoring, as follows:

From 1st to 10th position, the points scoring will be:  25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1.

This comes from a proposal from the Formula 1 commission itself after talks with the teams and an agreement to increase the points totals to what we now have confirmed. Once again, as has happened many a times with rules changes in this sport, I just ask myself one question – Why?!

The obvious excuse comes from the World Motorsport Council, who say that the increased number of teams to 26 drivers on the grid sees the need for a greater amount of point place finishes. You may think me very critical to say this, but who cares if there’s more teams! If anything, having the typical 1st-8th points finishes should in theory make the newer teams or those wanting to get into the points strive for success more. sure, it can only be a point or two but those small points could easily change a teams morale. You may say that with this new system they can achieve this easier but as far as I’m concerned, this should never be the case. This is the pinnacle of motorsport, not a nursery handing out drinks at nap time.

Furthermore, unless I have misread the situation (and feel free to correct me if I have) this idea was suggested by the teams themselves. I find this a bit of a joke if I’m honest with you, whilst I am very much in favour of change that can boost the sport and change that is needed, unnecessary change for self advantage is ludicrous and not what is needed to push this sport forward. This week of news has seen many excellent moments of optimism for Formula 1; the acknowledgment of the fact the sport needs to embrace new media so much more than it does, comments from Tony Fernandes expressing the new Lotus’ desire to stay faithful to Colin Chapman’s heritage (which I truly think they can do without damaging the brand), the fact the Sporting Working Group are going to listen to a wider audience of ideas for the sport, but sadly this just absolutelt drives me nutty in why the system system needs to be changed once again in this decade. Even more so is the fact that it absolutely didn’t need to be changed – there were no demands for it to be changed, there was no outcry that the points didn’t work, there was no build up to the event of this change. It just simply happened.

I can understand that consistency has never been the name of the game with the points in F1 – the winner of a race seems to have gotten more and more points as the previous century made it’s way towards the 21st Century year by year at times with changes along the way. It just seems odd to me as to why the need to jump up to 25 points seemed necessary – it almost devalues the idea of points to me with such ridiculous numbers being involved with massive gaps between certain positions. The system doesn’t come close to Bernie Ecclestone’s joke idea of a medal system, but it’s something I’ll definitely need to get used to if I want to support it. Right now, it’s still very fresh and of course I can only see what it does before absolutely knowing if it’s right or wrong for formula 1. I do offer my apologies if these seems hypercritical of something that’s just been confirmed but, as you can tell from the previous few paragraphs the idea totally annoys me and almost angers me, but that’s Formula 1. It’s the sport I love and even though it drives me mental at times, I’ll stand by it.

The obvious fact remains though. Formula 1 does need change, that I cannot dispute and that I want to happen, but it does not need change where change is not needed.

Has Sutil made the right choice to stick with Vijay?

Has Sutil thought into this decision enough?

Force India this afternoon announced to the world that in 2010, as expected, they would be sticking with their driver linup of Adrian Sutil and Antonio Luizzi. Now this announcement doesn’t come as a shock to many, which is fair enough, but personally I feel that that Vijay Mallya has done an excellent job in retaining the services of Sutil as his number one for the team.

Sutil has been in Formula 1 now for 3 full years, of course making his mark on the team with Midland, before debuting with Spyker with the team then evolving into what we know now as Force India (of course, if your name is Eddie Jordan these names are all your children, or so he seems to feel). It would be a fair assessment to suggest that Sutil hasn’t exactly set the world the alight consistently with performances for the team through their various guises but  from time to time, he’s shown that he is a very good driver and with Force India having a stronger car in the 2009 season, this past year I feel that he’s shown from time to time more so than previous years that he deserves to be in Formula 1 rather than simply swapping in and other with the minnow teams struggling to establish a career.

The problem with Sutil though is that over his career so far there seems to be a lot of inconsistency in his driving. On his day, he can seriously do the job – look at his performance at Monaco 2008 where he found himself up in a high points paying position until a damp track caused Kimi Raikonnen to crash into the rear of his car, as well as China and Germany 2009 where he found himself in very good positions only for the weather or, again, a clash with Kimi Raikonnen to scupper his chances. The man seems to have bad luck at times but he has found himself in many a low position on the grid from qualifying as well as finishing low in a car that, over his career, has barely gone beyond the midfield of the formula 1 grid.

In a way Sutil’s performances remind me slightly of Rubens Barrichello; although it’s still relatively early in the 26 year old’s career seeing as he goes into his 4th season of Formula 1 in 2010, he has shown glimpses of excellence in a sea of inconsistency at times but there’s plenty more chances in the future for him. Barrichello proved himself many a time as he went from a young Jordan driver hoping to prove himself into the realms of the Stewart team, providing Jackie Stewart with several moments of unexpected happiness as a team owner with some startling drives for them. We all know that Barrichello is a very. very good driver and I’m not saying in 10 years time we’ll still see Sutil driving for a top team but he does remind me of how Barrichello seemed early in his career, and now Sutil just needs to take his driving to the next level and really prove himself in 2010.

So should Sutil have moved on from Force India and seeked his fortune elsewhere? I don’t think so myself. His decision to stick with Force India, despite the odd rumour previously of a possibly move to McLaren or Williams until obviously both teams got their drivers sorted, is a good one for both Sutil and Force India. He calls the team ‘his home’ and obviously, with his career so far being with the guys at Force India, he has a strong conenction with how to take the team forward. Not only that but Force India had a very good 2009 in comparison to previous years – his former teammate Fisichella managing to get pole at Spa Francorchamps was simply astonishing, and Sutil himself found his way onto the front row for the Italian GP. Both Force India and Sutil have the potential to shine out from a shadowy, dark few years of low level results and disappointing seasons, so for Sutil’s sake I hope 2010 brings much success to a driver who can take it to the next level if he puts his mind to it.

Thursday Thoughts – Should F1 teams launch 2010 cars in a single event?

No news yet whether Jarno blamed Sutil for no Oscar win

Another Thursday and another question posed over at Sidepodcast, and a quetsion I myself found a quite interesting one to think about:

Should F1 teams launch 2010 cars in a single launch event?

This one, for me at least, is a very easy answer and I shall get straight to the point – no. There is absolutely no reason why there should be one launch for all the teams at one event. It’s understandable why the idea has come up, as we’re in a world where economic savings are at the front thought of many a sport and individual during a recession – that I more than understand. It still sticks with me though that how much money can you save before losing character?

It may seem like an odd question but let me explain myself a little. The launch of a new car for your team is your initial walking steps into the new season. Whether that be as a rebranded team, a team coming off a successful year, or a new team making their steps into the sport for the first time. The launch is the first propr opportunity after testing to walk out the curtain and show yourself off to the world with the character that your team possesses. Showing off the livery, the grandeur of the event, the drivers and the team in general, it seems ridiculous to me that to save money we should get rid of these events for a generic event  to get all the cars out there in a hurry.

I do like the whole cheesiness of the events sometimes. You do get some proper self absorbed launches with ridiculous over the top spectacles debuting the cars – I remember Eddie Jordan launching his team’s car one year with all sorts of acts and famous people appearing here and there, and even in  more modern times McLaren have tried their hardest to be ridiuclously over the top with their launches. But I love it! I love the wholoe spectale and ridiculousness of it all. We can’t get rid of that!!

So that’s how I feel about this week’s topic. It’s an odd question but I did love thinking about it and some of the launches I’ve seen over the years. It seems more than appropriate to finish off this with the fantastic, ridiculous and downright brilliant video produced by Toyota F1 at the launch of their 2009 car. Enjoy.

Ah it never, ever gets old. I love it. Long live car launches!!!

http://sidepodcast.com/2009/11/26/thursday-thoughts-team-launches/

Formula 1 2009 (Wii) – The Review

Will it live up to the expectation?

I posted this guest post over at Sidepodcast, but thought I would share it here on my own f1 blog as well. Enjoy!

After many years of waiting, Formula 1 finally saw a release of a new official video game – Formula 1 2009. The game has been released on the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation portable handheld, with this review studying the Wii release that I have already put many hours into. So, was it worth the wait? Have Codemasters and Sumo Digital done enough to make it a formidable addition to the long running series of F1 games over the years? Thankfully, to me at least, the Wii version of Formula 1 2009 is an absolute joy to behold and get involved with.

From my own honest point of view, despite my excitement I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect – the Wii is very much a casual console for a massive audience ranging from young to old, with most Wii racers being very arcade-y and intended for quick use. Sumo Digital, the developers behind the Wii installment of F1 2009, decided that whilst the audience was there for the more casual user, the hardcore Formula 1 fan such as me who wants a proper simulation experience should be accommodated for. They definitely succeeded.

First of all, what’s important is that a game must be fun. Sure, it can look wonderful and pretty, and promise this and do that but if it isn’t fun, what’s the point in carrying on? I found myself picking up Formula 1 2009 (with the F1 style Wheel Wii that can come with the game) and soon getting really into the moment. It’s fun and exhilarating; switching the camera into the onboard view or the helmet view was definitely not a let-down as a massive sense of speed can be felt through the game, and the way the handling is set up makes it feel a pleasure to race with. It’s fair to say that I’m not a massive fan of using motion controllers for my racing, I’ve very much been brought up playing racing games with analog sticks, but after a few practice sessions and races, I soon found my stride. The best way to describe the handling of the cars with the wheel would be to say it’s a mix of arcade and simulation racing – whilst the cars do feel slidy at times, it’s all about picking your line and getting through a corner in the same way a real Formula 1 driver would.

The only complaint I have concerning the motion controller is that, after a certain degree of turning, it feels as if it stops recognising the turn anymore. It very rarely comes up, only when you go to do a full lock if you’re going into the gravel trap, but when it happens and you find yourself not turning then it may give you a bit of grief. I’ve had a few really funny but completely random moments with the AI as well – Nelson Piquet has twice smashed me out of a race for no apparent reason (!) and there have been moments where I’ve been on a straight and a car ahead just seems to slow down completely.

There’s been a fair amount of criticism from reviews across the gaming world about the graphics. The Wii itself is certainly not the most powerful console out at the moment in terms of it’s presentation – it’s rivals are leagues ahead – but what matters for F1 2009 is that the presentation works fine. The graphics aren’t actually anything to complain about in my opinion, whilst some of the car liveries do look bland at times the actual race environments and how the game looks in motion with 19 other cars around you does a fine job for the Wii. Each location on the Formula 1 calendar is very recognisable and true to their real life form, and every car has the livery as you’d expect. The downside is that, at times, the frame rate does tend to drop (to be less technical, you may notice a few skips in animation sometimes) but this seems to be at certain corners on certain tracks rather than too much going on at one time on the screen. Much like my previous complaint though, it is honestly unnoticeable for 99% of the time and I’ve just picked up on it a few times. It doesn’t even affect the game, as previously stated, when in motion it runs so smoothly.

In terms of modes and lifespan, we’ve been absolutely treated by the guys behind the game. You have your typical World Championship mode, where you can pick a car and go through the entire championship (all sessions included for race weekends), a single race weekend with all sessions to have a go at, a quick race where you jump straight into the race, split screen multiplayer with another friend (who you can actually go through a championship with!), Challenge mode where there are a vast amount of challenges from the simple (like get into Q3) to the impossible (overtake loads of people in the wet on slicks…!), which are great fun, and finally Career mode. Now, I ended with Career mode here because this is what I’ve really found myself getting into so far with the game and it’s such a great addition to the modes in the game.

You start as a nobody, someone who’s getting emails from lower level teams willing to give you a test and perhaps give you a drive. Eventually, within a 3 year span in the career, it’s your goal to get wherever you can in the world of Formula 1 and succeed from goal to goal. It felt really good just watching the cars go out in practice sessions and putting in new times, or keeping an eye on my Qualifying times then going out to beat others, it’s just something that I could keep playing without getting bored for a silly amount of time. Sure, it doesn’t invent anything new and in all fairness it’s been done before, but I’m really enjoying the sense of reward and success you get from doing well in your own career as an F1 driver. Furthermore, it really gave me a chuckle when at the start of the season I had an email concerning an arrogant press release from Ferrari regarding the season ahead. Little touches like that always impress me.

Sadly, there is no online multiplayer, I’m afraid. Mario Kart Wii has had such a successful lifespan with the online aspect to the game but it’s probably the biggest disappointment of the game that Codemasters and Sumo Digital didn’t go for it here; a missed opportunity without a doubt. Nevertheless, there is absolutely plenty to keep you amused and happy!

So, let’s assess this from two different viewpoints – what does Formula 1 2009 do for the casual gamer who just wants to pick up and play, and what does it do for the more hardcore fan looking for a F1 sim? The casual audience will be happy to know that, if you just want a short race that lasts a few laps and you’re having trouble controlling your car and braking, the assists and help are there for you and are very helpful in letting you jump into the game and just have fun your way. On the other hand, if you love tweaking your setups, sorting out your fuel strategy going into Q3 and messing about with ratios whilst having full damage (the damage collision is quite poor, though) with all the flags and rules on, perhaps having it at 25/50% or even full race distance, then they are all there for you too! The game basically opens itself up to how you want to race, and how you want to play. Luckily, it really, really works too.

Pros:

• Very fun to play, especially qualifying and Challenge mode, and very addictive once you get into it
• All the tracks modelled realistically and all the cars are there from 2009
• Plenty to keep you amused and busy!
• Gives both new players and experienced racers a proper chance
• Arguably one of the best racing games on the Wii
• No politics to ruin the racing!!!

Cons:

• No online multiplayer!
• Poor damage model and collision detection
• AI (computer controlled cars) have the odd moment here and there
• No Badoer/Grosjean/Alguersauri/etc

In summary, F1 2009 is a must buy for any formula 1 fan who owns a Wii. Sure, it’s not the detailed super simulation games on the PC like rFactor but the fact is it’s a fantastic game and very impressive, so much more impressive than I was expecting. Even with its flaws it’s still one of the better Wii games to satisfy your racing needs and I’d heartedly recommend it to anyone! Christmas is soon approaching, people…

Thursday Thoughts – Who Should be the Next FOTA President?

Just ignore Flavio. I'm an expert at doing so now.

Once again we find ourselves staring at another Thursday, whether that be a good or bad thing who knows! However, one good thing about Thursday is another set of Thursday Thoughts brought out by the excellent online Formula 1 community, and this weeks question over at Sidepodcast gets us wonder who will be taking over Luca Di Montezemelo from his role as FOTA President. This past week Mr Di Montezemelo has talked about how he has more than 1 job to do, and that he can’t do everything at once so the possibility of a new boss of FOTA is definitely viable. In my honest opinion, it is for the best – Di Montezemelo and new FIA President Jean Todt have a bit of a flared history between them which could be risky. That said, most of the F1 paddock probably has some kind of history with Todt! So, who are the viable options for the new President? I have a few possibilities…

Ross Brawn – This is the obvious choice to some people it seems. We all know about Ross’ Formula 1 life over the pas few decades and he has plenty of experience with dealing with problems, resolving issues and looking to push the sport forward. He always comes across as a listenable, fair guy and the last thing FOTA would need is to go tearing apart the relationship between the FIA and themselves – something that nearly caused all manners of mayhem earlier in 2009. Brawn would make a good spokesperson for a group of team principals that respect him, and he of course knows Jean Todt very well after his years at Ferrari guiding Schumacher to so much success, so he’s definitely a contendor for me.

Ron Dennis – Now, now now, hold on just a second. Don’t close the window just yet and ridicule my blog and throw tomatoes at it by me suggesting this. Whether you like Ron, or whether you think he’s just another product of his own Ronspeak, the man is a leader and can get things done. He’s a bit of a controversial figure but, much like Brawn, his history in the sport and experience with drivers and teams would make him a possible choice for a FOTA President to run things. He does have McLaren Automatives to keep an eye on though (in much the same way Luca does with Ferrari, mind you) so that could hinder his role but, despite his marmite status to some f1 fans, I’d say it’s a fair shout he could do the role.

Mario Theissen – I’d quite like to see Ned Fla- ahem, I mean Mr Theissen be given the opportunity to run FOTA. Whilst he doesn’t have a prolific history in Formula 1 in the same way that the previous options do, as BMW team principal he ws a very well liked individual and has a good knowledge and understanding in motorsport as he kept his eye over BMW’s general motorsport activities as well as Formula 1. Whereas BMW didn’t always get the success they seemed almost grasping at, Theissen constantly kept a cool head and looked for alternatives to push the team forward, and seems to enjoy being a part of the paddock such to the point where he’s put the future of the team ahead of his own job possibilities, although the man has been keeping his options open with a future in Formula 1. Whilst he’d be an outside possibility, I’d think he’d do a good job myself.

The problem with all this however is I can’t help but wonder just how united FOTA are. In the past year, Flavio Briatore (despite being a lowlife personally, he was a big part of FOTA) has been suspended until the end of mankind, John Howett has left with the end of Toyota F1, Di Montezemelo has criticised the 4 new teams are joining FOTA, they’ve tried to pull out of Formula 1, teams like Williams and Force India being suspended and we all know how they constantly found themselves battling with Max Mosley, I can’t help but wonder just how united FOTA are at times. If FOTA are to move forward and be a successful standpoint for not just the teams and the drivers but also the fans watching on, they need someone to keep them united and not someone who’s going to ignite problems to absurd levels. Whether that person is one of the choices I have brought up is another matter; these are just my thoughts and my considerations. Hopefully FOTA will get someone new to carry on the world of Mr Di Montezemelo with much success though – as Formula 1 fans we can only hope!!

The Curious Case of Jenson Button

What choice will the 2009 World Champion make?

You all probably know by know just as much as I do that the name ‘Brawn GP’ no longer exists in Formula 1. Mercedes have, of course, through themselves into this hectic sport by buying out Ross Brawn’s championship winning guise and renaming them to the stern Mercedes GP. It’s definitely been one hell of a year for Ross – struggling to keep Honda F1 beyond drowning in a sea of forgotten teams before taking them to both championships with the buyout of Mercedes as the icing on a very tasty cake. Nevertheless, with Brawn GP going ’silver’, we have a new story to look at. The story of Jenson Button’s future.

If you asked me 5 months ago who I thought Jenson Button would be driving for in 2010, I would have placed all the money I own on it being Brawn GP. The man was cruising with a wonderful car,  a team he knew and wanted to be part of, a stunning model girlfriend and a championship lead that many would be enviable of. Yet it seems we find this man mulling over a probably move from Brackley to Oxford, as it seems Jenson is jumping Mercedes ship to a future at Mclaren. I’ve long asked myself the same question though since rumours started solidifying into believable sources – ‘why’?

It’s obvious what the main reason is – money. Despite the new ownership from Dieter Zetsche, Ross Brawn simply can’t offer Jenson what he wants as world champion. You can aregue back and forth if Jenson deserves the £8million he’s reportedly asking for, but it’s obviously not what he’s going to get with Ross Brawn and Mercedes. Of course, adding to the saga was Jenson’s visit to the Mclaren headquarters with his manager Richard Goddard last week. As much as I wish I could say it was Jenson simply scouting out a possibility, all this feels to me is Jenson Button sorting out what he wants now he’s a world champion.

If I’m honest, as a Brawn GP fan it really upsets me to think that Jenson would basically turn his back on Brawn and everyone at Brackley over such money issues. The critics and cynics out there may say that the team never meant anything to Jenson and that his attempts to save Honda last winter were just to save his own career,  but the team have gone through thick and thin together, and for that to be simply ignored over contractual issues of money annoys me a considerable amount. Honda and Brawn GP were a huge part of Jenson’s career, and I still consider the best option for him is to  stick with Ross Brawn, Mercedes and everyone at Brackley.

Would Jenson moving to Mclaren benefit his career? For me, it’s a no. Whilst i respect that Lewis Hamilton is one of the best drivers in Formula 1, look at how drivers have been treated under Lewis at McLaren. We all know how much Alonso disliked the management setup and treatment he felt he received whilst at Mclaren compared to a rookie in his first season, and even Heikki Kovaleinen appears to have been pushed to the wayside at times to help improve Lewis’ car and put upgrades on him rather than try it on both. Fair enough Kovaleinen isn’t the driver that Lewis is, but it still oozes unfairness to me and there is a great worry that Button will be treated as an obvious No. 2 to Hamilton. If it could happen to Fernando Alonso, then it could happen to anyone on the grid. I could be proved wrong. I hope so.

This is all speculation and my own personal feelings about the possible future of Jenson Button though. It’s been a rough few days as a fan of Brawn and Button; whilst the deal is no doubt amazing for Mr Brawn it just feels that a wonderful year as an independent team has come to an abrupt end thanks to Mercedes’ willingness to move away from McLaren and concentrate on a team that I’ve followed so long for, and maybe it’s just the change that I’m uncomfortably with. The man is a hell of a driver and, as he finally proved when he got the right car, he is one of the better talents in Formula 1. I just don’t want to see his reputation torn to shreds over this ordeal. Whilst Mercedes’ future is all but sorted, Jenson’s is still up in the air and we’re all just sitting here waiting to see where this future lands.

What a mad few days… what happened to the off-season?!

Thursday Thoughts – Who Should Be Awarded Title of 2009 F1 Team Principal of the Year?

Not exactly the pub is it?

This evening a great little idea was popped up over at Sidepodcast regarding the idea of Thursday Thoughts, a weekly post from the many F1 bloggers that circulate the comments regarding a certain topic. As you can guess by now, this week we’re handling ‘Who Should Be Awarded Title of 2009 F1 Team Principal of the Year?’, and I’m sure you’re going to be shocked to find out that my answer is of course Ross Brawn.

It has been an immense year for Brawn GP and Mr Brawn himself. This time last year they were looking forward to a hopefully successful 2009 with Honda after an extensive program into the 2009 car, only to have their employers pull out a month later. So, without a team over most of the winter, much of the team at Brackley pulled together to work on the car continually whilst the likes of Ross Brawn, Nick Fry and other important individuals helped save the team. Come March 2009, we had the arrival of Brawn GP and the start of Brawn’s success story over the season just passed.

It’s unsurprising why Ross Brawn should be ‘crowned’ team principal of the year though. He’s helped guide a stricken team into the face of glory whilst winning both drivers and constructors championships, he’s dealt with choices such as the consequences of Rubens Barrichello’s frustrated comments at the German GP as well as keeping the team running over the year and securing a financial future for Brawn GP, and he’s been a figurehead in reminded us Formula 1 fans, in my opinion, what a team principal should be. His achievements over the past decade or two will of course be remembered but this year in particular shows just how much of a genius Ross Brawn is, and a credit to Formula 1.

Nevertheless, there are a few close runs for the prize. Sebastien Horner has managed to bring Red Bull to the forefront with a fantastic season for the team, even Martin Whitmarsh to me has matured over the year from a Team Principal already in crisis in Melbourne to a confident and assured leader for McLaren by the end of the season despite a few silly moments along the way, and of course, Flavio Briatore, who finally got revealed as the big caniving cheat that he always has been.

No, I’m kidding, if I could give Flavio Briatore an award it would be an award for finally leaving the sport. Nevertheless, congratulations to Ross Brawn!

http://sidepodcast.com/2009/11/12/thursday-thoughts/

The off-season experience

Is this your off-season?

The Formula One season is over for another year and we sit waiting for the launch of  driver lineups, testing, the new liveries and eventually the new season obviously in 2010. It is, of course, the off-season for the world of F1 once again, and it’s a long couple of months for some – the reaction of the off-season seems to be a mixed bag at times. Some seem to love the break, a chance to recharge their batteries from the utter madness that can be following Formula 1 at times, whilst others seem to hate the fact they have to go many Sundays in a row without that fulfilling sensation of a Grand Prix.

For me, I’m a little bit on the fence. Yeah I know, bit of a rubbish answer really but whilst I do adore Formula 1 being around (of course) having this little break from it always makes me love it even more once that first practise session of the new season comes crashing into my world. It’s been one hell of a year to be a Brawn GP fan though, and I could have happily taken this year to continue with no end but even the greatest things in life have to come to an end eventually! The off-season though is a nice opportunity to just look back at the season and look forward to all the upcoming announcements and surprises over the next few months for me though. Although my best thing about the off season is getting the yearly Formula 1 Yearbook to read at Christmas – always a highlight!! Woohoo!

It does feel odd going Sunday after Sunday without a Grand prix though, I will admit. I’ve watched Formula 1 for just over a decade and somehow I still never seem to get used to it; the negative side of a several month break without a doubt. Hopefully I’ll still be able to keep up to track with you guys and analyse the updates and revelations from within the Formula 1 world over the off season!

So where do you sit? Are you in the camp of relief for the season’s end or on the march of expectancy for the new season to arrive?

Putting the Wii into Steering Wheel

In two weeks time, the release of the first Formula 1 game to hit our shores since 2009 will arrive on the Nintendo Wii and the PSP. Now, for me as a gamer anyways, it’s something I’ve been looking forward to with a great deal of anticipation but I thought I would take the opportunity to explain why Formula 1 fans with either console should definitely be looking towards this as an investment, especially going towards Christmas. Here’s a lengthy explanation from the developers over at Sumo Digital, as well as the ever welcome discussion from Radio 5 Live commentator David Croft and his partner in crime/race driver Anthony Davidson on everything F1 2009:

Cheers to IncGamers for the footage!

It is a lengthy watch but one definitely worth watching. The game is looking pretty fantastic for a console that, compared to its rivals on the market right now, is an extremely underwhelming piece of hardware. Don’t let the looks deter you though at all for either the Wii or PSP! The great thing about this is that the guys over at Sumo Digital have accommodated for those out there who simply want to have a quick mess around on a circuit with friends, or perhaps aren’t very good at racing games (guilty, as charged), as well as thinking of those racing fans out there who are after the whole experience and want a proper racing game on their Wii or PSP. I’ll personally be buying it on the Wii because, let’s face it, racing with an F1 style steering wheel for a controller is just an easy way for Codemasters to get my cash!

The great thing about it on the Wii is the fact that it’s such a family orientated console that it could get a wider audience into the sport by playing a fun game. Codemasters and Sumo Digital have stated plenty of times that, whilst they daren’t forget about the ‘hardcore’ fanbase of gamers, they’re also looking to bring in the casual level of gaming with a more hold-their-hand style of playing the game and getting them into improving their skill. The release in 2 weeks time is also set for the Sony PSP, which as a handheld device will be perfect for those pick up and play moments wherever you may be to get rid of spells of boredom.

It seriously looks like it’s coming along fantastically though and I can’t wait to try the game out when it is released in the UK on the 20th November. The last official Formula 1 videogame to be developed was on the Sony Playstation 2/3 back in 2006, so the wait has been more than enough between then and now. Of course, Codemasters are following up this upcoming release with an even more in-depth release of Formula 1 2010 sometime in the new year for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3. The game is expected to be a lot more simulation-based (realistic, basically) and should look pretty incredible based on what those consoles can do.

So what do you think? Are you looking forward to Formula 1 2009? Perhaps you’re a big Formula 1 fan but have never really tried out any games? Whatever the case, definitely keep your eye on this is you love your Formula 1. let me know what you’re hoping from it and if you plan to buy it, and I’ll get back to you on the game in 2 weeks time to tell you what I reckon!

On my way to the starting grid…

Look! It's all about to kick off (Image from Formul1.com)

Hello! Welcome to Gridwalk Talk!! If you have little or no knowledge about me then let me briefly introduce myself and my new blog here at WordPress. My name is Luke McCarthy-Reed, I’m a 20-year-old student and, simply put, I’m mad for Formula 1. It’s been just over a decade since I first got into this magnificently frustrating sport and I’ve never looked back. What I’m hoping is that, with Gridwalk Talk, I can bring my views and feelings about events, occurrences and the ups and down of Formula 1, as well as spread F1 related goodiness to the masses!

So what is Gridwalk Talk and what’s with the name? It is pretty self-explanatory to be fair, the name was influenced by the gridwalks that Martin Brundle presents at nearly every race previously for ITV and now for the BBC. I know people want to slap him for some of his gridwalks, which I understand, but I’m hoping that with this new blog I can keep you guys more interested and not go off on tangents talking to the major Formula 1 experts out there like Naomi Campbell. *cough*

You can also catch me over at my personal blog Thoughts of a Trying Atheist where I seem to talk a stupid amount about Muse, games, and of course, Formula 1 which will now be vented out on here instead…

So… yep. This is my brief hello to all the F1 fans out there and I hope that you keep updated with the updates and entries over time! It’s still early days yet so we’ll see how it goes, perhaps starting an f1 blog right as the season finishes isn’t the most genius idea ever, but what can I say… it’ll make the job of staying good over the winter even more fun!