PJ Tierney: How an Artist Interprets F1

"India" Formula 1 Poster Series by PJ TierneyI can't recall exactly how I came across PJ Tierney’s 2011 Formula 1™ Poster Series; it’s almost as if they’ve been a part of my memory for some time. When I started pinning F1 items on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to include his work. I remembered seeing his set of posters for the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship season – India was my favorite – and with a little digging I was able to attribute him to the original design and discovered his website – www.PJTierney.net.

Seeing that we’re just about one month away from the 2012 season, I reached out to PJ to learn more about his inspiration and his plans for 2012. Also, I thought that fans of his work, including many American racing fans, would like to know if there are plans for an F1 poster for the USA. Great news folks: PJ’s online store is launching today.

PJ resides in Ireland and graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 2010 with a degree in Sculpture & Combined Media. For the majority of his four years at Limerick his work focused on video games, as that's his major pastime when he’s not working on projects. It was there that he first came across the Adobe Creative Suite, and he spent every spare minute he had in the Multimedia Rooms playing on Photoshop and Illustrator. As of now he’s working from home, just outside of Limerick city (in the West of Ireland). PJ works freelance which allows him to take on projects from clients when they need them and work on personal projects, like the F1 series. He’s also an avid blogger and player of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, having worked with the game's distributors (Konami) on various projects: writing for their official strategy site, working as a member of the European coverage team and providing live updates from events in places like Paris, Milan and Amsterdam. 

PJ Tierney

As far as his design style goes, PJ likes to keep things clean and organized, and always tries to take the minor details into consideration. It's not unusual for him to be working on (Adobe) Illustrator with the canvas zoomed in to over 500% in order to make sure everything's in the right place. He continues:

“I was never a fan of clutter and when I was earning my degree I hated getting my hands messy with paints and so-on, which lead to me moving to digital art. That being said I don't feel that I have one particular "style," as limiting oneself to one way of working can get boring after a while. I like to try out different things to keep the interest levels up, be it a vector illustration, some basic 3D work or whatever else springs to mind.”

PJ draws inspiration from a wide variety of things. He’s active on Twitter and works to surround himself with fellow designers and artists everyday. He says, “It's good to see what projects they're working on, what they think of the work that's out there and so-on. That keeps me in the mindset of making things and is a great motivator.” PJ also checks in with a daily digest of design sites, often spending 30 minutes or so looking through them all at once. Sites like Abduzeedo, Signalnoise, From Up North, Other Focus and My Modern Metropolis are constantly updated, offering inspiration everyday from what others are making.

So why has PJ focused on F1? He says it’s hard to pinpoint one single thing: he loves the shape of the cars, the noise, the “sheer speed they can take corners at, all of that.” There's also the drama off the track, the stories you hear about drivers and teams (“though the whole Lotus v Lotus thing felt a bit ridiculous”), the technical innovations and the general spectacle of it all:

“When you watch a Grand Prix weekend from start to finish you really get a sense that this is a grand occasion, that the whole world is watching, and it happens 20 times a year.”

Why F1 and not something else? It could simply be because he grew up with it. PJ’s first F1 memory was seeing Martin Brundle's Jordan fly upside down into a gravel trap at Melbourne 1996, and he’s a big fan of Michael Schumacher and the way he approaches races.

Having an Irish team in the sport at the time helped, and when Jordan started winning in 1998 and 1999 he was glued to his TV set, even in the middle of the night to catch the Asian races – a sentiment the die-hard American racing fans can definitely relate to. He also says that it helps that F1 is more accessible than other forms of motorsport, though he plans on watching a few more special events this year like LeMans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours. PJ watched the Indy 500 (online) for the first time last year and notes “it was an exciting experience (shame about Hildebrand though, he was so close).”

Vintage Monaco Grand Prix automobile Ferrari racing 1933 advertising poster, by George Ham

 I was curious if PJ was inspired by the iconic 1930’s Monaco racing posters, put he explains there were many things that influenced his F1 poster series: the vintage racing posters is certainly one of those, as he loves the illustrative style of them, backed up by powerful lettering. PJ explains:

 “One of the main influences in the layout of the original F1 poster series (2011) was actually the F1 2010 video game by Codemasters. That game's user interface had a very powerful usage of DIN Pro, the typeface you see across all the official Formula 1 graphics.”

Outside of motorsport he’s a big fan of the work of James White, and when the TRON: Legacy film was in cinemas James created one poster every day, counting down to its release. PJ did the same for his F1 posters and created one poster everyday for three weeks leading up to the 2011 season opener in Australia; he says the quick turnaround time helped keep his mind busy and that “it was fun to find creative solutions in a short space of time.”

TRON: Legacy poster, by James White

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the response to PJ’s F1 posters has been “massive.” He originally created the posters just to give him something to do and to learn a bit more about Adobe Illustrator, and he was amazed when various websites started to feature his work. He heard from people as far away as Malaysia and Brazil that were saying: "Hey, check out these posters if you like F1" which was incredible. People liked them so much that he was constantly being asked about selling them, and once he did the orders came in right away. One thing a lot of people told him was that they liked picking up their home country's poster, and they thought it was interesting how the flags and cars interacted with each other. For the 2012 series he focused entirely on the flag portion of the posters, and it seems to have gone down well with people. Regarding promotion; it's all online. Ireland's “a very small place and ever since Jordan Grand Prix left the sport in the previous decade the sport hasn't been as popular over here, compared to soccer, rugby and Gaelic games.”

But it’s not just web-based sales that have helped PJ with his F1 poster series: without social media he wouldn't be where he is today. As mentioned above he’s quite active on Twitter, and he explains that it’s free from the clutter that one finds on Facebook, which makes it easier to “get into.” When he put the original series together he uploaded one picture a day, and by the end of the series people were "tuning in" to see what he would do with the Indian flag, or the Brazilian one, or what Japan's one would look like – “That was a fun experience,” PJ recalls fondly.

Once his F1 poster series launched they got picked up by various Formula 1 and design blogs, and people often linked back to them around the time of each Grand Prix. Speaking of, he created a set of banners incorporating the posters for one of his favorite F1 blogs, F1 Fanatic. That site produces an unofficial race program on the Thursday of each race weekend with links to everything from the TV times to driver interviews, and he'd often see people commenting on the banner as well as the race itself. PJ also post updates to Facebook and has his own personal blog where he shows people what he’s working on, as well as some of the cool stuff he finds online.

"USA" by PJ TierneyWe enjoyed learning more about PJ’s process and inspiration and how F1 has affected him as an artist. We hope you enjoy his work as we have; we believe the F1 poster series will remain a design standard in F1 for some time.

PJ’s 2012 F1 race series posters will launch today at 8AM CST (2PM GMT). The posters can be picked up via his site, www.PJTierney.net or Shop.PJTierney.net. The majority of them come in 2 sizes; A2 (close enough to 18" x 24") and A3 (about half that). You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook or check out his blog.

PJ wants to thank everyone that’s supported him over the past year: “it means a lot!” He also wishes us the best for a great 2012 US Grand Prix; we hope he can make it across the pond by November for the Inaugural Formula One United States Grand Prix!

FTW! Introducing the Williams FW34

In the wee hours of the morning (in Austin, at least), Williams F1 Team revealed their car for the 2012 Formula One season: the Williams Renault FW34. Check it out:

Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado pose with the new Williams FW34 Renault. Photo: Andrew Ferraro/Williams F1

// The Car

The 2012 F1 season marks the team's 35th year competing in the sport, but it's far from "business as usual." Williams has rejoined forces with Renault for the first time since 1997 and is hoping to add to their previous partnership's 63 race wins, 4 Drivers' and 5 Constructors' titles. The Renault engine is a V8 power unit "renowned for its drivability, flexibility and durability." As a result of revised FIA technical regulations, this year's contender uses less than 5% of the parts from last year's FW33 and features the dropped nose at the front of the car.

A new Technical Director, Mike Coughlan, is behind the design and development direction of the FW34 and is excited to race:

“We are really looking forward to this season and from a personal perspective I can't wait to get the FW34 on to the race track. The factory has worked extremely hard over the winter to ensure that the car met its design, build and rig test targets and we start testing with the car prepared to a high standard. We’ve worked in close co-operation with all of our partners to achieve that, including Renault Sport F1. In the run-up to Australia, we will be working hard with our exciting new driver line-up to ensure that we maximise and unlock the full potential of the FW34. It is imperative that we demonstrate a continuous improvement in our performance and deliver results throughout the season.”

// The Drivers

Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas return to the line up, as Driver and Official Reserve Driver, respectively, and they are joined by Driver Bruno Senna after a consideredable winter evaluation process. All three competitors are excited about the FW34, team synergy and opportunities for the 2012 season. Maldonado is excited for his home country of Venezuela and hopes to give them good results as a thank you for their continued support. Vottas is looking forward to driving one practice session at 15 races in order to give him a better understanding of the car outside of the factory. And Senna added:

“I’m very excited to be back in action with the Williams F1 Team in Jerez. This is my ever first pre-season testing programme since I started in Formula One two years ago. I’m really motivated and looking forward to working hard and with everyone in the team. I hope we have a successful month testing and developing the car so we arrive in Melbourne as well prepared as possible.”

Williams F1 Team will join their competitors during winter testing in Jerez, Spain this week. Maldonado will drive Tuesday and Wednesday and Senna will be behind the wheel Thursday and Friday.

// The Partners

In addition to new car, new engine, new driver and new technical direction, Williams is also excited to expand their partnerships with some names even Americans will recognize, including Gillette and Head & Shoulders. Will we will see any commercials of Bruno stepping out of the shower and shaking a full head of hair? I can picture it now...

Hitting even closer to home, Williams continues to develop their partnership with native Texan Michael Johnson. Johnson is a retired American sprinter who still holds Olympic records in sprinting in addition to four Olympic gold metals and eight world championship gold medals. Last month, Williams F1 Team announced their partnership with Johnson's company, Michael Johnson Performance, which focuses on training top athletes in all sports. His performance center is located about 250 miles north of Circuit of The Americas (outside Dallas, Texas) but he has been spending time with the Williams team gearing up for a promising 2012 season. 

When Matt Jones, Head of Williams F1 Team's Marketing Services, visited Austin last month, it was evident that Williams is aligning a winning attitude with a dedication to excellence. You can sense Sir Frank Williams' excitement from today's launch:

“One could say that looking at the Williams F1 Team today we are off to a truly fresh start. We have a new car, new driver line up, new engine and new senior personnel. We also have a number of new partners who have joined the team in the past few months. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome them formally and sincerely wish that they have an enjoyable and, most importantly, a valuable experience with us. The team has had a good winter at the factory and we feel ready and strong for the fight.”

Michael Johnson, Sir Frank Williams, Chairman and Team Principal, Williams F1, with Adam Parr, CEO, Williams F1. Photo: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Photographic

But that's not it. Williams just activated a new application on Facebook that allows YOU to discover in-depth info on the FW34, technical videos, un-released stats and facts, driver interviews and more. Via this app, they'll reveal exclusive content and give you a chance to win a personalized signed image and framed print from Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna:

• Feb. 7 - Tech changes
• Feb. 10 - Engine & exhaust
• Feb. 14 - Chassis & aerodynamic parts
• Feb. 18 - Tires/tyres
• Feb. 23 - Transmission & suspension
• Feb. 27 - Cockpit & drivers
• Mar. 1 - DRS & KERS
• Mar. 5 - Pitstops
• Mar. 9 - Final Reveal

Kudos to Williams for creatively keeping fans engaged; it will have us coming back for more. Go check it out on their Williams F1 Team Facebook page.

Save Your Seat In Line at COTA

Seating diagram of Main Grandstand provided by Circuit of The Americas.

This evening COTA announced a waitlist-style deposit option for "Select Seating" at the circuit, and released a seating diagram for the Main Grandstand.  Though the details provided by COTA are relatively vague as to the location of these seating options There are still many details yet to be released, but fans are able to place a deposit of $100 through the Circuit's Paypal account to reserve their position in the waitlist for these future purchase opportunities and "seating licenses."

Combined with a website redo, Seat Licensing information and FAQ can be found here at the Circuit's new website.

Detailed information about location and pricing of these seating options are not specific, and no seating chart or map has been provided but the seating diagram helps to understand the general locations and types of options available.  Additional information was provided by COTA to John Maher at the Austin American-Statesman:

The seat licenses will be for all racing events at the circuit for the next 15 years. A license does not include the price of tickets for those events. The price for the seat license varies according to the proximity to the finish line and the amenities offered.

In the main grandstand, which will have 26 rows, those amenities will include stadium seats, in-seat food and beverage service, priority on-site parking and a direct view of three big video boards. The main grandstand features a view of the start/finish line and the pit area.

There will also be select seating available at two spots that figure to provide some of the most dramatic views of the race — Turn 1, and Turns 15 and 16.

The seat license does not include the price of tickets, though from the FAQ it says it will be refunded if you decline to purchase later.  It does not indicate whether or not the $100 seat deposit purchase will eb applied towards any future monies spent with COTA.

The newest rendering from Circuit of The Americas, released Jan. 21, 2012The most interesting part of this story is the ticketing portion of the timeline which goes well into the summer of 2012.  The priority based waitlist system went active at 10:00PM January 21, 2012 and lasts until Febuary 13; after that, the website indicates, a survey will be sent out and then sales representatives will contact individuals who made deposits in order to process transactions beginning March 1, 2012.

Those fans hoping to lock in Grandstand tickets before they make travel arrangements will likely be quite frustrated as those tickets are not expected to go on sale until Summer 2012.  Details on regular grandstand tickets and general admission have not been annouced as of yet.

We will continue to update you with progress as more details are released.

// UPDATE 01

We received a more-detailed seating diagram, posted it above and updated the article to reflect this information.

Piecing It All Together: From the White Board to the Dirt Mound

Out of all the photos from last week’s site visit at Circuit of The Americas, only a few adequately capture the magnitude of the project. In fact, it takes 17 frames compiled together to create the following high-resolution panoramic photo. This is a panoramic photo taken from atop Turn 1, the most south-eastern point of the circuit, facing west. The far left of the photo is the south side of the property, and as you pan your view to the right, you are looking north.

Compiled from 17 photos, this panoramic shows the racetrack site from atop Turn 1.

We rode down the hill and made a pit stop in the temporary job site offices. Inside, we were greeted by grandstand seating options, restroom hardware and miscellaneous fixture options. Though it might seem trivial, selection of this hardware is a critical part of the project, and when done right, each doorhandle and light fixture intgrates seemlessly with the design. Just behind us, a detailed and colorful ten foot long rendering was tacked onto a white board, but it extended well past it. This was the first full size print out availible, so I also compiled numerous frames of it to deliver this high-res panoramic rendering, which mirrors the above panoramic shot from Turn 1.

Panoramic view from the top of Turn 1. Conceptual rendering from COTA, all rights reserved.

WOW! What a view! From this position, you can see the start/finish line, the pit and paddock building, and Turns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20.  Very few tracks in the world offer this comprehensive of a view from a single location.  The seating from this vantage point will be highly coveted and possibly limited; but there will be numerous seating options throughout the circuit that provide multiple views of the track, versus a 5-second drive/fly-by.

The magnitude of this project is starting to sink in, rivaling the scale of an Olympic complex or a Walt Disney World theme park. As the Austin Commercial construction team works towards an August deadline, daily progress amounts to significant visual changes, and the reality of the project inches closer to (pardon the pun) the finish line.

In case you missed our first article of this update, Turn 1: Austin's Zenith, check out the gallery below.

Update

on 2012-01-20 23:07 by Kevin Olsen

If you're having trouble seeing the high-res photo, follow these steps:

1. Click on the photo from the article; it will open in a new window.
2. In the new window, right click on the image and choose "View image." This will shrink the image to fit on one page. Hover your mouse/cursor over various areas of the image and you will see a "+" magnifying glass.
3. Click once on the "+" magnifying glass to zoom in on the desired area, and then click again on the "-" magnifying glass to zoom out.
4. Repeat the zoom in and zoom out process on various areas of the image.

Mid-August Target for COTA

Circuit officials are meeting with Bernie Ecclestone this week in London to discuss progress at the facility.  According to Jonathan Noble of Autosport, several members of the executive team including President Steve Sexton, Executive VP Bruce Knox, Director of Racing Operations Chuck Aksland, and Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Geoff Moore.

Geoff Moore was quoted by Noble:

"The race is on. Construction is happening six days a week. The paddock buildings are being topped off, work on the main grandstand has started and we are looking at mid-August for completion."

Details about other discussions with Ecclestone have not been released, though the most promising news in this story is the mid-August target completion date.

The mid-August date gives a three month buffer before the scheduled Nov 18 USGP and an opportunity to hold other events at the circuit.  In presentations from COTA, they have spoken about programming at the circuit to include bike or foot races, smaller racing series, large scale conferences and live entertainment.  Details about such events have been relatively vague since the April 2011 press conference but are more likely to emerge over the coming months with this new target date. Without a doubt, there will be the need to hold an event of some kind before the first Formula 1 race.  I don't think anyone would expect the F1 race to be the first thing held at COTA so we'll have to wait to see what this event will be.

Mid-August is roughly 7 months from today, and though that might seem unattainable, with a 6-day crew going two or three shifts, it is possible.  Over the past month, the paddock building has completely transformed from a foundation into a three story building and the main grandstand foundation is going in as we speak.  Let's hope, for construction's sake, for another dry spring and summer.

The Comeback Kid: Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi in the 2012 Lotus GP race car (source Lotus GP)Rarely do successful athletes relive their glory days after taking a hiatus from their sport. Only a few of the best have accomplished this feat, with many quickly losing the edge on their game as age begins to take its toll. Michael Jordan is one of the few athletes to conquer this feat; he dabbled in baseball in 1994 after leaving his highly successful career in the NBA. With just a year of minor league baseball under his belt, Jordan ended up returning to basketball, making a great run for the playoffs but falling short of winning the title again.

Niki Lauda driving the McLaren MP4/2 in the 1984 Dallas Grand PrixIn the motorsports world, drivers don't often return to the hot seat; they either move on to another series or retire after competing in Formula 1.  The most recent reminder in the industry is seven time world champion Michael Schumacher who left the sport in 2006 and returned in 2010. Despite fighting hard for his position, Schumacher has not made it back into the championship spotlight and has struggled to keep his car in contention for points.

Former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda made quite a comeback following a serious accident and retirement from the sport in 1979, and even went on to earn another championship in 1984 by just half a point over Alain Prost. However, since Schumacher's return to F1, he has yet to step foot on the podium and finish above fourth position. This is quite a disappointment in many respects, yet maybe not a surprise at all.

Before it sounds like I am joining the anti-Schumacher camp (I'm not, I promise), we need to turn the attention back on Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Championship winner and a promising young driver who is making his comeback to Formula 1 this 2012 season.

Kimi had a successful early start in the sport and a great season in 2007, crowning him the world champ in his first year in the Ferrari car. Following a frustrating 2008 and 2009 season, he left the sport after failing to secure a contract with a team. From 2009 until 2011, Kimi had some short stints in other series, including a decent run in World Rally Championship (WRC) and races in both the NASCAR Truck and semi-pro NASCAR series.

Kimi Raikonnen with Lotus Renault GP team principal Eric Boullier Rumors began to run about of Kimi's return to Formula 1 last fall. Then, there was speculation that he would be joining the Williams team. However, on November 29 Lotus Renault GP announced they snatched him up for a two year contract beginning in 2012.

So, can we expect a modern day comeback to shake up the sport?  If Schumacher's sabbatical was an indication, any time spent out of an F1 car can feel like a lifetime.  Kimi, though ten years younger than Michael, must overcome additional obstacles. In addition to a two year hiatus from F1, the FIA rules have evolved (grumble grumble): back then we didn't have the same technical challenges that we have today, such as DRS. Luckily though, Kimi did get a chance to play around with the early KERS system in 2009 with Ferrari, though it was largely in it's infancy of development.

According to former Mclaren teamate David Coulthard and driver Jenson Button, Kimi's return will be stronger than ever before and a welcome sight for the sport. David says the following about Kimi while at the Race of Champions (ROC) this past December to Autosport:

"Kimi stopped too early in his career, there's no question about that," said Coulthard. "He's gone off and had some fun in rallying.

"I did an event with him earlier this year at the Red Bull Ring and he was just jumping on everything - whether it was motocross bikes or the different cars that were there, he just has a great feeling for pushing the limits. So I've got no doubt at all that he will be on the pace."

Even Jenson Button chimed in, offering his surprise about returning to the sport with Lotus Renault instead of Williams and the likely partying that will ensue:

"It was a shock to me that he's going to be racing for the team he is," said Button. "I was really surprised when they announced Kimi. I thought he had a chance at Williams."

"I think it's really good for the sport. As a driver, he's very, very competitive. If he really wants to race, he's going to be quick.

"From what I've heard from the engineers at McLaren, he knows what he's doing in terms of engineering and setting up the car.

"It's good to have him back and the races will be more fun and obviously the evenings after the races will be more fun..."

Kimi's return is likely to shake up the sport a bit, especially with the rise of the Lotus Renault team who has steadily climbed back into the spotlight this past year with a solid 5th position in the constructors championship, moving them into the 'top-tier' with the heavy hitters. Given the rough past couple of years at Williams, Kimi's decision to go with Lotus Renault may prove to be a great launching platform for him to return to the sport, get back into the groove of things, and pull off some great races this year. 

Finally, let's not forget that Kimi is likely to be a great personality for new and existing fans of the sport.  His stoic media contact has earned him the nickname of "Iceman," but off track, Kimi carries somewhat of a party animal reputation (just google "Kimi Raikkonen Boat Monaco"). Without a doubt, he's going to bring more excitement to the sport and cause quite a stir within the Formula 1 establishment. 2012 is going to be a great season.

// Lotus is doing a solid job of sharing info about Kimi's return via their site Lotus Renault GP, here's some Q&A's with Kimi.