Don’t Buy Your New Car from Toro Rosso
I’ve just seen rather a spectacular crash during practice for the Shanghai Grand Prix on the BBC.
Sebastien Buemi escaped unhurt after the front wheels flew off his Toro Rosso car in a dramatic crash unhurt during Chinese Grand Prix practice.
The Swiss, 21, careered off the track at the end of the long back straight, where cars are doing about 194mph.
Buemi, clearly shaken, vented his anger at his team on his return to the pits.
Toro Rosso said the crash had been caused by a failure if the front-right upright, which caused an immediate failure of the same part on the left.
The BBC has a video here.
It would appear to be a pretty bad design failure, as the uprights didn’t seem strong enough.
A Gluten-Free Lunch at Newmarket
I went to Newmarket races this afternoon. Judging by the number of cars in the car park, a lot of other people had the same idea. I blame the sunshine! It was cold though, but people were wrapped up well, as this photo shows.
Newmarket Races
Note the large number of cars in the background.
I needed lunch and went to the Bistro. If I’d done this some years ago and asked if the liver was gluten-free, I’d have got a blank look. But for the last couple of years, they’ve known what was in any of the meals.
The liver was excellent and as I was driving I washed it down with a pint of Diet Coke. The cost was even reasonable for a racecourse, or even any sit-down meal with service, at twenty pounds. That service was very much on the good side of four out of five.
They only charged two pounds for the Coke, which is about the same you’ll pay for it in a motorway service station. And in that case you don’t get a glass and you have to pour it yourself.
What a Trophy!
I saw this trophy in the Museum of London.
The Chris Brasher Sporting Life Trophy
It was originally presented by the Sporting Life in 1909 to the winner of the Polytechnic Marathon. In 2003 Chris Brasher‘s name was added to commemorate his founding of the London Marathon.
But there is also controversy about the ownership of the trophy, according to this on Ian Ridpath’s web site.
I have always had a soft spot for Brasher.
I remember, as a nine-year-old, getting up in 1956 and hearing that he had won the gold medal in the 3,000 metres steeplechase in the Melbourne Olympics. I’ve also worn his walking boots for years, I’ve watched many of his London Marathons and admired his journalism on both the television and the printed media.
He also was the interviewer when Barnes Wallis, the designer of the bouncing bomb, said one of my favourite quotations.
There is no greater thrill in life than proving something is impossible and then showing how it can be done.
Never give up in life!
Connor Wickham
Keep it quiet, but Connor Wickham is getting better and better!
I have just watched the goals he scored made and scored in Ipswich’s three-one win at Derby. Just watch the clip in this page and you’ll see he’s mentioned all the time.
Note his long throw that nearly results in a second goal. If he can throw like that at just seventeen, is he the next Rory Delap? He might be, but he’s certainly got an amazing all round game.
Dynamite Comes in Small Parcels
What I like about football is that it is a game where all sorts and sizes can be poor, good, brilliant or truly great. I have just watched Arsenal be trounced by Lionel Messi. Lionel is two centimetres shorter than me at 1.69 metres!
Even as a one-time Spurs supporter in my youth, I had hoped that Arsenal had won this one. But they couldn’t!
BBC Norwich Get It Wrong
On the evening news the BBC in Norwich said that Ipswich had won 2-0, whereas in fact they had won 3-1!
But then they are just jealous that Ipswich are a league above.
They didn’t give any video clips either.
Formula Boring – 3
The dross continues!
The Malaysian Grand Prix did show signs of life, but it all fizzled out like some damp squib, when Hamilton couldn’t get past Sutil and Alonso couldn’t pass Button.
We need overtaking for excitement! Endless replays of the manuevers that do happen don’t count.
At least Vettel won another very naff trophy!
Water Football
I’m just watching Burnley entertain Manchester City to a game of water football. As it’s at the start of the second half and Burnley are five-nil down, I suspect they hope the rain continues to deluge and we get an abandonment.
I can remember an Ipswich against Manchester City match that was called off in similar circumstances at Maine Road.
It Pays Not to be Arrogant
Just watching the qualifying for the Malaysian leg of Formula Boring and perhaps it isn’t so.
Maclaren and Ferrari tried to be too clever and didn’t get past the first qualifying section. Whereas Lotus did what Eddie Irvine said you should and get a good lap in the bank early and made the second section.
The Anonymous Widower 