Grand Prix Rejects

Hi guys! In the midst of the off-season I've started a "F1 Winter Series" on F1 Challenge and I thought that I could do some race reports on it. So here's your first one.

Round 1 of 22 - Teretonga Circuit, New Zealand

For the first ever F1 winter series, the drivers have stayed seated with their existing teams, accept Renault who have drafted in an unknown quantity in 20-year end Englishman, Ashley Watkinson. Watkinson has very limited single seater appearances, but it known to be quick out of the box, if a little accident prone. He can't be much worse than Grosjean though can he?

Qualifying:

The first round of the series brought F1 to the realms of New Zealand, and the short flowing Teretonga circuit. F1 cars can lap this circuit in less than 3 quarters of a minute, but the FIA felt that New Zealand deserved a round in tribute to Bruce McLaren contribution to the sport, and the up and coming talent in Brendon Hartley. Ashley Watkinson was first out of the pits in qualifying, closely followed by Nico Rosberg, but it didn't take long for the new boy to find the wall, smashing his nosecone on only his second tour. He built confidence though and posted a time of 44.299secs. Kubica in his BMW Sauber was the early pace setter on a 43.858, but the times began to tumble and Watkinson's lap was made to look not so good. Eventually, Jarno Trulli took pole with a 42.626, and two tenths faster than second placed Hamilton. Fernando Alonso was around a second faster than his new Renault team mate, in 12th place.

Pole. Jarno Trulli - 42.626
2. Lewis Hamilton - 42.840
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 42.854
4. Kamui Kobayashi - 42.865
5. Sebastian Buemi - 42.887
6. Rubens Barrichello - 42.942
7. Heikki Kovalainen - 42.946
8. Mark Webber - 43.129
9. Nick Heidfeld - 43.131
10. Robert Kubica - 43.266
11. Jenson Button - 43.285
12. Fernando Alonso - 43.307
13. Vitantonio Liuzzi - 43.415
14. Jaime Alguersuari - 43.676
15. Ashley Watkinson - 44.299
16. Nico Rosberg - 44.707
17. Sebastian Vettel - 45.062
18. Giancarlo Fisichella - 45.334
19. Kazuki Nakajima - 45.342
20. Adrian Sutil - 47.930

Race (10 laps): New Zealand GP

PS Was there ever a time when we could embed videos or was that stopped after the whole spam porn episode?














Full results:
1. Lewis Hamilton – 7:32.123
2. Jarno Trulli - +0.295
3. Kimi Raikkonen - + 1.101
4. Kamui Kobayashi - +2.105
5. Heikki Kovalainen - +2.406
6. Sebastian Buemi - +4.093
7. Robert Kubica - +4.257
8. Rubens Barrichello - +5.447
9. Mark Webber - +6.335
10. Nick Heidfeld - +7.118
11. Jenson Button - +7.668
12. Nico Rosberg - +10.473
13. Vitantonio Liuzzi - +11.244
14. Jaime Alguersuari - +11.581
15. Sebastian Vettel - +12.803
16. Giancarlo Fisichella - +16.481
17. Adrian Sutil - +17.824
18. Fernando Alonso - +18.454
19. Ashley Watkinson - +24.234
20. Kazuki Nakajima - +1 lap

hmm... sounds all good so far. I'm doing something similar on GP4 (2001 season) and so far in Alesi's Jordan I've qualified 5th, 8th, 16th (That was a shocker of a session) and 8th and finished 4th, DNF, 10th and currently leading the latest race at Imola. Up to lap 7 or something like that.

And watka at that rate you'ld qualify for rejectdom in no time

Interesting! I shall definately be following this, and might even do something similar myself in GP4 once I've either replaced my gamepad, or bought a steering wheel.

I think I'll start a season with Larrousse in the '94 Mod...

Sorry guys, I started this at the worst possible time with some exams coming up. I should have plenty of time from this time next week to get some more vids up (the Phillip Island race was a good one!).