American Conor Daly Testing F1 Car Again

Conor Daly will test the Sahara Force India Team's VJM-05 again

Fresh off a second place finish in the GP3 series at Silverstone this past weekend, American Conor Daly is making his way up the ranks with a potential American seat in Formula 1. Son of former F1 and CART driver Derek Daly, Conor is testing today with the Sahara Force India Team in England. This will be the second testing session the American will undergo in a Formula 1 car, inching his way closer to a permanent position in the sport. Obviously excited to pilot the car just two months after his first run with the team, Conor had this to share about his work with the team:

"Formula One cars are very complex, just learning how to operate the steering wheel takes time. These tests help me understand what it takes to drive an F1 car and of course the biggest contribution I want to make is to the team's ongoing improvement over the season," said Daly. "It's amazing how much work we get through in a day as I spend most of the time in the car."

In today's session, Conor will do a series of runs to test various aerodynamic components of the car and give the team more data on how the car is performing at top speeds. To maximize the speed and decrease the potential of incidents, this type of session is conducted on an airstrip where the track is long and easy to reach top speeds, as well as plenty of run-off space to correct mistakes.

With this session being Conor's second piloting the Force India VJM-05, there's an ever increasing chance the young American could see a more permanent role in the top racing series. His GP3 performance shows he has the chops to hang with the best in his class, so any time in an F1 car should give him an edge over other young drivers looking to make the jump from other amateur series.

// Update

Though it's not from the Sahara Force India Team, this video from Team Lotus at Duxford with Caterham shows what a straight line aero testing session looks like.  Included are some interviews and a Caterham doing some doughnuts.

Race Review: British Grand Prix

I had high hopes for the British Grand Prix. I even brewed some good tea for the occasion, and practiced my British accents. I wanted rain on race day, plenty of overtaking, dark horse race car that comes from behind. I think I may have set the bar too high since we've been treated with so many unbelievably thrilling races so far. The British Grand Prix seemed to have paled by a lightest of shade. 

That's not to say the race was not exciting. The Silverstone race certainly had its great moments - great defensive start by Alonso who was on pole, massive duel between Alonso and Hamilton on Lap 19 with Alonso making a pass on Hamilton only to have Hamilton come back in the next corner and then Alonso taking one more pass on Hamilton, and then of course, the winning pass that Webber did over Alonso at Lap 46 of the 52-Lap race to clench the very sweet victory.

Webber is the silent and stealthy driver of the season. He's been quietly scoring good points (currently 2nd in Championship standing), out qualifying more than his double-World Champion team mate Vettel, winning the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix and now taking home the trophy for another iconic Grand Prix. Webber also managed to be a double winner of the Silverstone track as well as the 2nd double winner of this season. Tyres strategy played a key role in Webber's win over Alonso near the end of the race, but that should not take away from the beautiful yet aggressive way that Webber has driven in this race. Immense respect for Webber!

None of the British drivers were able to fulfill the home crowds' dream of a British driver on the top of the podium - Hamilton had no pace overall, Button was stuck way behind after qualifying 16th, and di Resta was taken out in Lap 1 since he made contact and received a puncture.

One thing to note is that McLaren's pit stops have FINALLY improved for this race. Their pit stop times have been quick and, more importantly, error-free. Hope they keep this up, every action counts in a tight race like this season.

There was also a bit of track drama that was caused by the incident between Maldonado and Perez in Lap 12 after they came out from the pit. Maldonado claimed another victim by nudging Perez off, causing both cars to spin around and ultimately an early retire for Perez. Perez had some harsh words to say to Maldonado, including juicy bits about all the drivers think Maldonado is reckless and have no respect for other drivers and for the sport. It's definitely easy to be on Perez's side when this is not the first time Maldonado brought troubles to another driver.

During the race broadcast, I spotted the Grid girl outfit. I had to do a double take because at first I thought flight attendance in red uniforms were hanging about in the grid, then I realize they are Grid girls instead. Can we get some more sass into those Grid girls outfits? I'm not looking for couture fashion, just more interesting and/or more stylish will do. What about the Best Post-race hair? This race was a tough one to call, all the podium winners' hair were pretty decent but no one stands out. I suppose if I really had to pick, Webber would be the Best post-race hair winner. I know, seems unfair for one person to win both the Grand Prix AND Best Post-race hair, but I had to keep the award as unpredictable as the race itself, it's tough work and someone has to do it!

Catch you in 2 weeks' time for the German Grand Prix 7/20 - 7/22!

McLaren "Tooning Up" Their Image

Sometimes I get very envious of the unique coverage that F1 fans overseas are privy to. I've seen the BBC F1 coverage before and it is uninterrupted, non-stop F1 action for a nice chunk of time on race day. It is fantastic. But alas, I'll save that discussion for another day.

Before yesterday's British GP, SKY Sports F1 (which I've also heard pulls out all the stops for F1 coverage) aired a new McLaren animation series, "Tooned." It's a CGI-animated series, in Pixar fashion, that features Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, as well as British actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong.

I'm amused to see Ron Dennis talking so candidly about cartoon characters. Enjoy this behind the scenes look, and the full video also below.

This looks like a great opportunity to reach a whole new demographic: future F1 Fans!

And who can argue with a spot of British humor?

The Water Factor

Every now and then, fans expect the rain to interfere with the outcome of the race and create an exciting spectacle at the same time. While we all quietly wish for another repeat of the 1988 Japanese GP each time there is potential for rain at a grand prix, the truth is water is an enormously difficult and dangerous factor to consider for teams and their drivers.

With many close calls on Friday and Saturday during practice and qualifying, the evidence of failed water management at Silverstone is extensive and easy to spot.  On the screen, puddles and sheets of water are clearly visible as drivers travel through each obstacle with a distinct wake from their tire treads. 

After closer analysis, there seems to be a pattern of behavior throughout the circuit.  As I mentioned before, Will Buxton's rant about Silverstone's remodel and the new flooding prone pit lane is evidence that concerns are significant enough to stir up a nationally televised discussion about the situation.

If Silverstone is looking to tackle this problem in order to prevent accidents, race delays, and ensure the comfort and safety of everyone in attendance, then a serious implementation of water management is necessary. Though much of the circuit's remodel was focused on extending the track and the aforementioned new paddock building, it's really no excuse that puddles are forming on such a high-class facility.

With hindsight, it's always easy to give Silverstone a hard time for these issues, so instead we focus on what steps can be done to address them.  To do so means looking no further than our facility here in Austin, and how Circuit of The Americas is working to make sure fans, drivers and teams are well insulated from overflows of water. 

In our recent trip to the Austin circuit for interviews with Australian V8 Supercar driver Mark "Frosty" Winterbottom, I also spoke with the head of the project from Tilke, Frank Both.  In our discussions, I learned more about the plans the Tilke engineering team has set in motion to address the water retition at COTA.

We first discussed the overall progress of COTA and took a look at the surrounding situation at Turn 11.  At our feet was the initial layers of asphalt on the track with two white paint lines at a slight change in elevation.  Frank explained after the initial layers of asphalt are set down, the surface is cut and forms are laid for the curbs along with drainage pipes. 

Lining the circuit and staged ready for placement behind the curbs, a modular drainage system waits to be set into place.  I asked Frank about this system and he explained the drainage system lined the whole circuit to ensure proper collection of water at any point along the track.  Thus, the necessary infrastructure to prevent puddles and streaks of water across the circuit is not localized, but instead a continuous network around the whole circuit. Should rain become a factor at this year's USGP, fans can be assured that the necessary infrastructure is in place to make sure all the action stays on track and doesn't spill off (as much as one can ensure, anyway!).

After this weekend's British GP, there's plenty of evidence that careful consideration for water retention should not be taken lightly. Failing to do so may end up costing a driver some points or even put him in the wall.  After speaking with Frank Both and learning more about Tilke's plans for COTA, I've gained another level of respect for their expertise in circuit construction. We can rest assured the dangers of excessive water on the track will be absent, thanks to the foresight of Tilke and the contractors constructing COTA.