Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/28/2094942/video-kasey-kahne-wins-coca-cola.html
Ayrton Senna† Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier
donderdag 31 mei 2012
Who remembers the 1988 Australian Grand Prix?
We are not too far away from the 2012 Australian Grand Prix and everyone is rightly excited. You can check out the drivers that need to deliver in 2012 right here. However, we are going to be building up to Melbourne with a series of videos from races gone by. To begin with, do you [...]
Carl Scarborough Ludovico Scarfiotti Giorgio Scarlatti Ian Scheckter Jody Scheckter Harry Schell Tim Schenken
Coffee and the newspapers?
Perusing the international press this morning over coffee, I was struck by two stories that are unrelated to Formula 1 but interesting in their implications. The first was from Hong Kong where London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds has announced that it is delaying its $1 billion share sale in Hong Kong, citing adverse market conditions. The [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/coffee-and-the-newspapers/
Andy Sutcliffe Adrian Sutil Len Sutton Aguri Suzuki Toshio Suzuki Jacques Swaters Bob Sweikert
Perez revels in success
Fernando Alonso raced home to clinch first place in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, but you might argue that for all his joy at winning, there might have been someone just slightly happier at Sepang that day. Step forward Sergio Perez. The Mexican might not be a household name just yet but, aged 22, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/-_7itVK0ToQ/perez-revels-in-success
Ricardo Zunino Pedro de la Rosa Keke Rosberg† Nico Rosberg Mauri Rose
woensdag 30 mei 2012
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
Alejandro de Tomaso Charles de Tornaco Tony Trimmer Maurice Trintignant Wolfgang von Trips Jarno Trulli Esteban Tuero
dinsdag 29 mei 2012
1988ish Chevy longbed pick up truck cap?
Hi,
I am trying to replicate a truck for a friend and am in need of a pickup truck cap for a 1/24th Chevy long bed. Does anyone make a resin or aftermarket item or something that can be modified without too much trouble?
Thanks in advance, Steve
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1017605.aspx
Jacques Villeneuve Sr Luigi Villoresi Emilio de Villota Ottorino Volonterio Jo Vonlanthen
Crane delays Porsche race
A bizarre situation has developed overnight at Monaco where a 60- ton crane is stuck at the Anthony Noghes corner just before the start finish straight with a seized axle. The Automobile Club de Monaco found a solution, but the start of the Porsche Supercup race was delayed by 15 minutes while the blockage was [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/potential-start-delay-at-monaco/
Bob Sweikert Toranosuke Takagi Noritake Takahara Kunimitsu Takahashi Patrick Tambay Luigi Taramazzo Gabriele Tarquini
maandag 28 mei 2012
Life in the pit lane
 The Mercedes pit crew prepare for Michael Schumacher in Singapore |
These are not select millionaires but up to 16 ordinary, yet gifted, guys; team mechanics who have worked their way up the system and often migrate from team to team, are paid real-world wages of between �30,000 and �50,000 a year, are drilled to perfection ? and whose split-second synchronisation brings their teams huge rewards.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/life_in_the_pit_lane.php
Ayrton Senna† Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier Johnny ServozGavin Tony Settember
1988ish Chevy longbed pick up truck cap?
Hi,
I am trying to replicate a truck for a friend and am in need of a pickup truck cap for a 1/24th Chevy long bed. Does anyone make a resin or aftermarket item or something that can be modified without too much trouble?
Thanks in advance, Steve
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1017605.aspx
Jo Vonlanthen Ernie de Vos Bill Vukovich Syd van der Vyver Fred Wacker David Walker Peter Walker
zondag 27 mei 2012
'37 Ford Street Rod - Monogram 1987 Release
The question I want to ask is, "Are the manufacturers making better kits than they were 25 years ago, or are they just making them cheaper?"
This kit was produced in 1987, and for a lot of reasons, it's better than the kits of today that I've built. First of all, the body and chassis are solid and heavy plastic. The pieces fit together remarkably well, and even though the "chrome" isn't as shiny, it was easy to match with a "steel" metallic paint by Vallejo that I used. The only part that was poorly plated (the grill) was easy to strip and solidly cast so that it was easy to repaint with Alclad.
Granted, I would like to have had a better way to "glass" the windows (that's the last time I use PSA by Micro-Mark... this stuff doesn't dry as quickly as we are led to believe, and if you apply enough to actually hold a window in place, chances are good it'll still be soft and will smear all over the place - 4 of my windows had to be discarded...) but very little else needed any "modern tooling"!
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1014434.aspx
Jos Verstappen Sebastian Vettel Gilles Villeneuve Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Villeneuve Sr Luigi Villoresi Emilio de Villota
The provisional grid for Monaco
If there are no additional penalties after qualifying, the grid at Monaco will be as follows: 1 M Webber Red Bull 1:14.381 2 N Rosberg Mercedes 1:14.572 3 L Hamilton McLaren 1:14.583 4 R Grosjean Lotus 1:14.639 5 F Alonso Ferrari 1:14.948 6 M Schumacher Mercedes 1:14.301 7 F Massa Ferrari 1:15.049 8 K Raikkonen [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/the-provisional-grid-for-monaco/
Bill Schindler JeanLouis Schlesser Jo Schlesser Bernd Schneider Rudolf Schoeller Rob Schroeder Michael Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton: ?I?ve got a good feeling about the weekend??
Lewis Hamilton was in a good mood after qualifying in Monaco, despite finishing the session in only fourth place – the first time all year he has been outside the top two. Normally that would not be very encouraging, but … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/26/lewis-hamilton-ive-got-a-good-feeling-about-the-weekend/
Henry Taylor John Taylor Mike Taylor Trevor Taylor Marshall Teague
Karthikeyan Makes Surprise F1 Return With HRT
Narain Karthikeyan has made a surprise return to Formula One after being announced as one of Hispania HRT’s drivers for the 2011 season. The Indian driver was unveiled as the first racer to be working with the Spanish based squad, who look likely to enter into a second season of racing despite on-going financial concerns. [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/karthikeyan-makes-surprise-f1-return-with-hrt/
Bill Whitehouse Robin Widdows Eppie Wietzes Mike Wilds Jonathan Williams Roger Williamson Dempsey Wilson
Silver polish
Nico Rosberg set the pace on saturday morning in Monaco with a lap that was just faster than Felipe Massa’s best for Ferrari. But the times once again need to be taken with a pinch of salt as the final minutes of the session were lost after Pastor Maldonado tagged the barriers in Casino Square [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/silver-polish-2/
Eliseo Salazar Mika Salo Roy Salvadori Consalvo Sanesi Stephane Sarrazin Takuma Sato Carl Scarborough
zaterdag 26 mei 2012
I build my model cars with cardboard.
I scratchbuild my own model cars with cardboard. If you would like to see them, I have a website where you can view them: http://cardboardmodelcarshowcase.lefora.com/
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1017918.aspx
Mike Thackwell Alfonso Thiele Eric Thompson Johnny Thomson Leslie Thorne Bud Tingelstad Sam Tingle
Hamilton decision-making under the microscope
 Lewis Hamilton has come in for criticism |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/hamilton_decisionmaking_under_1.php
Nino Vaccarella Bob Veith Jos Verstappen Sebastian Vettel Gilles Villeneuve
vrijdag 25 mei 2012
2012 Indianapolis 500 preview: America?s great race gets a new look | IndyCar
2012 Indianapolis 500 preview: America’s great race gets a new look is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
IndyCar's new chassis and engines promise to provide a spectacular and unpredictable 96th Indianapolis 500. Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's great race.
2012 Indianapolis 500 preview: America’s great race gets a new look is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/DRZbnz-kEBg/
Stephen South Mike Sparken Scott Speed Mike Spence Alan Stacey Gaetano Starrabba Chuck Stevenson
Michael Schumacher: ?We?re not focussing on what happens next year?
Michael Schumacher says he has not yet had any thoughts about plans for next season, despite his difficult start to 2012. Schumacher has always talked about his comeback as a three-year plan, and in his third season he has yet … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/23/michael-schumacher-were-not-focussing-on-what-happens-next-year/
Ludovico Scarfiotti Giorgio Scarlatti Ian Scheckter Jody Scheckter Harry Schell
The reality? as was
There are all kinds of stories circulating about the future ownership of the Formula One group. While details of who the shares will be split in the future are anything but clear, it is worth noting that until recently the shareholdings in Delta Topco Ltd (Jersey) were as follows: five CVC funds collectively own 63.3 [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/the-reality-as-was/
Brian ShaweTaylor Carroll Shelby Tony Shelly Jo Siffert Andre Simon Rob Slotemaker Moises Solana
Damon Hill enjoys comeback ? but no plans for more
Damon Hill says he has no thoughts of a proper racing comeback – or perhaps doing a 24 hour race with son Josh – despite showing well in the VW Scirocco-R Cup at Brands Hatch last weekend. Hill, who retired … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/21/damon-hill-enjoys-comeback-but-no-plans-for-more/
Adrian Sutil Len Sutton Aguri Suzuki Toshio Suzuki Jacques Swaters Bob Sweikert Toranosuke Takagi
Hellmund hits back in COTA legal dispute
The ongoing battle between Tavo Hellmund and COTA is continuing to boost the coffers of Austin legal firms. Yesterday COTA said that Hellmund had committed in writing to arbitration to settle any dispute, but Hellmund quickly struck back by insisting … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/25/hellmund-hits-back-in-cota-legal-dispute/
Roger Williamson Dempsey Wilson Desire Wilson Justin Wilson Vic Wilson Joachim Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock
donderdag 24 mei 2012
Gearing up for the new F1 season
Hello there? How's your winter been? I hope this blog finds you well, my friends, and that 2012 is being kind to you. It's certainly about to get kinder for us F1 fans as the season gets under way this weekend.
My winter flew by faster than Seb in qualifying as I juggled various TV commitments, along with the usual jobs such as visiting the dentist, watching Norwich City (amazing!) and doing a spot of gardening (thankfully my garden is tiny) - all things that between March and November there just isn't time for!
Thankfully, just a couple of weeks ago I managed to grab a week in the Maldives with my wife, and that break will be valuable as I jump onto a treadmill that will carry us to the end of 2012.
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For me it's the start of the F1 season, off to the European Football Championship, the British GP, two weeks at the Olympics and then the end of the F1 season followed by Sports Personality of the Year. So time to take a deep breath and dive on in as the stories develop, the drama unfolds and air miles continue to clock up.
As you know this weekend is the start of a new era of F1 coverage on the BBC, and the job for the team over the winter has been to best deal with the cards we've been dealt in terms of the broadcast rights.
Having sat through various production meetings, having exchanged emails, swapped ideas and planned how best to bring the season to life, I'm confident we will deliver a new-look season that you will enjoy.
It's been like the first day at school for some of the new faces to our team this weekend. Gary Anderson and I got the tram together to collect our accreditation when we arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and it was great fun being regaled by stories of F1 from the days when Gary was designing race winning cars.
He also had a few decent stories about being employed by Eddie Jordan but I think they're best left out off the blog - as entertaining as they were!
I'd also really like to welcome Ben Edwards to the fray. Ben is a great commentator who has raced cars himself and spent the last few years commentating on all forms of motor racing.
He's passionate, informative, hopefully likes a night out and a beer, and best of all he's as much a journalist as he is a fan. Good luck keeping David Coulthard in check Ben!
Talking of DC, we had our first dinner of the new season together last night as we both headed out for some Japanese food and a drop of sake here in buzzy, beautiful Melbourne.
Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna and Lewis Hamilton were all in there tucking into sushi and sashimi while working out whether to chat to each other or act cool and bag an early psychological advantage ahead of a year when the competition will be intense.
They mainly opted for the latter by the way. I'll post a blog later in the season about how the drivers live and work together while still being rivals - it's fascinating.
Meanwhile on radio we've got a whole new team - and it's a great line-up of commentator James Allen, pit-lane reporter Jennie Gow and co-commentator Jaime Alguersuari, who brings real insight having just stepped out of an F1 car himself.
So, what have I learned so far this week? Well I've been told that the two new drivers at Toro Rosso have made Mark Webber feel more motivated than ever.
I chatted to Jenson Button who (if it's possible) seems even more chilled out than he did in 2011.
I've also been to the other end of the paddock where Caterham say the decision to put Vitaly Petrov in the car instead of Jarno Trulli is the right move regarding both finances and the future - and I've heard plenty of speculation and gossip surrounding HRT and Marussia, who have not run at all in pre-season.
Anyway, it's amazing how quickly we all get back into the swing of F1. My 'no crisps' rule lasted all of 30 minutes, the first running order for Saturday's qualifying show has been written, and I've got a date with Chris Moyles on Radio 1.
We're delighted to be back, I'm really happy DC and EJ remain part of the team, and this weekend don't worry about setting your alarm.
We've got highlights of qualifying at 1pm on Saturday, and a full two-hour highlights show from 2pm on Sunday. We'll have all the important action, and plenty of driver interviews and race reaction.
Three years ago I started these blogs - there will be plenty more coming your way in our fourth season of coverage. But what you get is up to you - what do you want to see here during the season..?
Have a great weekend. We're back!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2012/03/gearing_up_for_the_new_f1_seas_1.html
Andy Sutcliffe Adrian Sutil Len Sutton Aguri Suzuki Toshio Suzuki
Williams begin ?beginning of a rebuilding process?
If Ferrari fans thought that their team had perhaps not lived up its name last season then they should talk to fans of Williams. The team that dominated in the early 90?s winning multiple World Championships managed to score only five points last season. Five. It?s a sad fall from grace and one, that at [...]
Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier Johnny ServozGavin Tony Settember Hap Sharp Brian ShaweTaylor
Williams begin ?beginning of a rebuilding process?
If Ferrari fans thought that their team had perhaps not lived up its name last season then they should talk to fans of Williams. The team that dominated in the early 90?s winning multiple World Championships managed to score only five points last season. Five. It?s a sad fall from grace and one, that at [...]
Toshio Suzuki Jacques Swaters Bob Sweikert Toranosuke Takagi Noritake Takahara Kunimitsu Takahashi Patrick Tambay
Alonso sets the standard
Fernando Alonso's face as he stood on the top step of the podium said it all - a mixture of extreme satisfaction, delight and disbelief.
"Incredible, incredible," he said in Spanish in his television interviews immediately afterwards, and that seemed as good a summing up as any of one of the most remarkable and thrilling grands prix for some time.
Alonso's victory was the 28th of his career and it moved him ahead of Sir Jackie Stewart in the all-time list of winners - he is now behind only Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, whose 31 wins are his next target.
The Ferrari team leader's presence in such celebrated company is a reminder, as if one was needed, of what a great grand prix driver Alonso is and it was appropriate that his drive on Sunday was one that befitted such a landmark.
Alonso moved up to fifth on the all-time victories list with his win in Malaysia. Photo: Getty
Arguably not the greatest qualifier, Alonso has produced some stunning races in his career, and the one in Malaysia on Sunday ranks up there with the very best.
The Ferrari in its current form has no business whatsoever being able to win a race. In normal, dry conditions, it is way off the pace of the McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus, and almost certainly slower also than the Williams and the Sauber.
And yet there was Alonso, up in fifth place from eighth on the grid by the end of lap one, challenging world champion Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull, which he moved ahead of thanks to stopping one lap earlier for wet tyres in the downpour that led to the race being stopped on lap six.
What won him the race, though, were the laps after the re-start.
He emerged in the lead on lap 16, helped by McLaren having to hold Lewis Hamilton in the pits as Felipe Massa came past.
After everyone had stopped for intermediate tyres, Alonso was 2.4 seconds ahead of Sauber's Sergio Perez - of whose stunning performance more later - and 6.2secs ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren.
At that point, most would have expected Hamilton - one of the greatest wet-weather drivers in history - to close in on the two cars ahead of him. Instead, Alonso pulled away from Perez, who himself pulled away from Hamilton.
This was, as BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard said, "Alonso at his brilliant best", as he built an eight-second lead over Perez in 12 laps.
Alonso is such a benchmark, so peerless, so utterly relentless and unforgiving when he senses a sniff of a win, that it seemed impossible at that stage that he would not win the race.
But then Perez began to come back at him - showing the differing characteristics of the two cars that have been apparent since the start of pre-season testing. The Ferrari is hard on its tyres and the Sauber is the opposite.
Closer and closer Perez got, first by fractions, then by full seconds until by lap 40 he appeared to have Alonso at his mercy.
Stopping a lap earlier than Perez for 'slick' dry-weather tyres put his lead back up to seven seconds, but on these the Sauber was even more superior.
Perez was within a second of Alonso by lap 48 - with eight to go - and what would have been a fully deserved victory by a man who from the beginning of his career last year has looked destined for great things seemed inevitable.
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F1 being what it is, a lot may well be made of the radio call that Perez received at about this point. "Checo, be careful, we need this position," he was told by his team, who use Ferrari engines. Was this simply a team that is known to be struggling for finance sensibly warning an excited young driver to make sure he didn't bin it when a valuable podium place was up for grabs? Or was it, as some will surmise, team orders in disguise, an order not to try to deprive the company on whose largesse they have depended in many more seasons than this one of a much-needed win? If it was a team order, Perez didn't seem to pay any attention - he continued to push hard until he made that fateful error. And team principal Monisha Kaltenborn dismissed any thoughts of a conspiracy.
"What we meant was get the car home," she said. "It was important to us to get the result - there was nothing else to it. There was no instruction."
Either of them would have been a deserving winner after two superlative drives - and there were other noteworthy performances down the field, too.
Bruno Senna showed something of his famous uncle's wet-weather skills with his climb up from last place at the restart to finish an impressive sixth.
And Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne, who narrowly missed out on a point on his debut last weekend in Australia, delivered in spades with a sure-footed drive in the treacherous conditions at Sepang.
The Frenchman was the only driver to stick with intermediate tyres in the early downpour, and he continued to perform impressively on his way to eighth place, just behind last year's rookie of the year Paul di Resta, who also looked good.
Senna, Vergne and most of all Perez clearly have bright futures ahead of them.
But ahead of them all was the man whose consistent excellence over a 10-year career not only they but everyone else in F1 has to aspire to.
"Great race for Alonso, top job, and also Perez," Jenson Button said on Sunday evening in Malaysia. You can say that again.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/alonso_sets_the_standard.html
Guy Tunmer Jack Turner Toni Ulmen Bobby Unser Jerry Unser Alberto Uria Nino Vaccarella
woensdag 23 mei 2012
Montezemolo: ?The championship is very open?
Luca di Montezemolo has attempted to rally the Ferrari staff by telling them that the 2012 title can still be won. The company president made the comments in an open letter to his employees. Fernando Alonso is currently an impressive … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/21/montezemolo-the-championship-is-very-open/
Jimmy Stewart Siegfried Stohr Rolf Stommelen Philippe Streiff Hans Stuck Hans Joachim Stuck Otto Stuppacher
1979 Camaro Z/28 - Replicating My Old 1:1 Car - Finished
I thought I would try something different here this time and try replicating my black 1979 Camaro Z/28 I bought brand new back in January of 1979. It's funny how I never gave this car I once owned much thought until recently and it seems now I can't get my mind off of it. I sure wished I had it today...how many of us have said that before? It was my first "brand new car" and I sure had fun with it until kids came along and then I started thinking conservatively and a muscle car did not seem practical any longer so I sold it and bought a full sized Chevy Caprice. Anyway, if I want to own a car like this today it will have to be a model and that is why I decided to build this Revell version. Unfortunately my car did not have the "T" top as this model does but this kit does not include the optional aluminum wheels which my car had so I will have to go with the standard "body coloured" steel wheels but this will be as close as I can get to it. I have a set of Red/Orange decals coming from Keith Marks but I'm going to get started on the kit anyway and hope the timing works out with the decals arriving so I don't have an interuption in the "wip". When you ordered a carmine (red) interior General Motors automatically included the trim decals in Red/Orange to match the interior. Thanks for following this topic.
My 1:1 car
The model. Exterior will be painted Testors "Gloss Black" enamel and the interior painted in Testors "Flat Red".
Engine will be painted in the correct factory colour "General Motors Blue".
More to come......................
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1005364.aspx
Gunther Seiffert Ayrton Senna† Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra
Five ways to improve F1
 Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php
Maurice Trintignant Wolfgang von Trips Jarno Trulli Esteban Tuero Guy Tunmer Jack Turner Toni Ulmen
Fiat Drag car
This is one that i wasnt quite happy with so i dug through my parts box and found a nice blower and hat, some chrome wheels, and a moon tank. I pulled her apart and dug in! It doesnt have much detail but im happy with how it came out. Enjoy
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1017493.aspx
Ayrton Senna† Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier
dinsdag 22 mei 2012
Millionaire man Maldonado answers critics
At the Circuit de Catalunya
The smile on Pastor Maldonado's face dropped in the immediate aftermath of the frightening fire that broke out in the Williams garage after the Spanish Grand Prix, but it soon came back again once he was told nobody had been seriously hurt. You can bet it will stay for quite some time.
Maldonado started this season as a man who owed his place in Formula 1 to the millions provided to his Williams team by the Venezuelan government.
After yet another bizarre and unexpected twist in this most unpredictable of seasons, he leaves Barcelona as a grand prix winner and talking about a possible championship challenge.
Maldonado drove a superb race at the Circuit de Catalunya, mature and controlled in a way of which few in the paddock believed him capable.
He came into F1 with a reputation for being quick but fiery and a bit accident-prone. In his first season last year he fitted the mould.
This season started in the same way - Williams's upturn in form had him battling with some unfamiliar rivals close to the front. But he started the season wrecking what would have been a strong points finish in the first race of the season when he crashed chasing Ferrari's Fernando Alonso for fifth place on the final lap.
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Since then, though, Maldonado has turned a corner with some strong performances. But no-one - not even Williams - expected what happened in Spain.
The Mugello test before this race went well, and Williams knew they had improved their car. They thought they had made a step forward, Friday practice confirmed it, but not in their wildest dreams did they imagine they would qualify on the front row.
Second place, half a second behind Lewis Hamilton, was impressive enough, but it became pole position after the McLaren driver's penalty and, despite losing the lead to Alonso at the start, Maldonado always looked in contention for victory.
Alonso is the most formidable of rivals, but Maldonado kept him in sight in the first and second stints, before Williams succeeded in 'undercutting' the Ferrari at the second stops.
Ferrari almost certainly made a mistake in leaving the Spaniard out for two laps before his stop - nearly all of which he spent behind Marussia's Charles Pic, who was subsequently penalised for not letting Alonso by.
But Maldonado's pace on his first lap out of the pits suggested he might well have taken the lead anyway.
The pressure never relented, though. After the final stops, Alonso came back at Maldonado, but the Williams driver raced like a veteran and always looked in control of the situation.
The win does not change the reality of why Maldonado has his drive - but it certainly proves beyond all doubt that he deserves his place in F1, even if one inevitably has to wonder what the Williams would be capable of with Alonso or Hamilton behind the wheel.
To his credit, Maldonado does not seek to hide the financial support he is given, nor the fact that he is basically a state-sponsored driver who has the personal backing of his President, Hugo Chavez. In fact, he embraces it.
"I'm very lucky to have a country behind me, pushing so hard, to see me here in Formula 1 and especially to be here, between these guys," he said in the post-race news conference, as he sat between Alonso and another world champion, Kimi Raikkonen.
"I'm pretty happy for Venezuela, I'm happy for Williams as well. They did a wonderful job to give me a great car for this race. We are getting better and better, race after race."
There has been no magic in Williams's revival this year after several seasons in which they seemed to be inexorable decline.
There have been changes at the top of the engineering team, and a focus on fixing obvious, major operational and technical problems.
"We made big changes in the factory," Maldonado said. "We have new staff in some of the departments and completely changed the approach to building the car.
"I need to say that this year's car has great performance, great potential to become even stronger than it is and, for sure, this is great for motivation, to motivate the team, the factory, to keep pushing like that. I think this is the way. We are motivated and we need to keep pushing."
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Whether Williams can maintain this form remains an open question - but the same goes for every other team in this incredibly topsy-turvy season.
There have been five different winners from five different teams in the first five races. It is the first time that has happened since 1983, when Williams were reigning world champions and were also, incidentally, the fifth winner.
Monaco could easily provide the sixth winner in six races, as Raikkonen's Lotus team also seem on the verge of a victory.
The 1983 season eventually settled down into a title fight between three teams. This one may well go the same way, but you wouldn't count on it right now.
The new tyres created by Pirelli this year have left all the teams scratching their heads.
One weekend you can be winning, the next you can be nowhere and not know why, as world champions Red Bull found out in Spain, following Sebastian Vettel's victory in Bahrain last time out.
As Alonso put it after the race: "We were 57 seconds behind Vettel in Bahrain, and we were lapping (his team-mate Mark) Webber here. No one understands probably. Not us either."
There is a recognition throughout the sport that this unpredictability is adding to the superficial appeal of F1, especially as the years of Michael Schumacher's domination with Ferrari are not so very long ago.
Nevertheless, there is also a growing sense of unease - largely unspoken publicly until now, apart from Schumacher's comments after Bahrain - that it's somehow not quite real.
The tyres, some feel, are introducing too much of a random element that demeans the sport in some ways. That F1, whisper it, may have gone too far the other way.
Fun, though, isn't it?
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/05/maldonados_maiden_victory_over.html
Vern Schuppan Adolfo Schwelm Cruz Bob Scott Archie Scott Brown Piero Scotti
Lola goes into adminstration as buyers sought
Legendary racing car manufacturer Lola is set to go into administration after hitting a cashflow shortfall. The company says that the decision will provide an opportunity to secure fresh investment or find a new owner. A statement from Lola Group … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/16/lola-goes-into-adminstration-as-buyers-sought/
Jerry Unser Alberto Uria Nino Vaccarella Bob Veith Jos Verstappen Sebastian Vettel Gilles Villeneuve
A lot of smoke and mirrors
At the moment the politics of F1 are rather murky, with all manner of stories swirling about in the mist. There are stories of deals being done with Mercedes-Benz, of rival bids, of Ferrari changing sides and so on. The only thing one can say with any certainty in this matter is that at the [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/a-lot-of-smoke-and-mirrors/
Dorino Serafini Chico Serra Doug Serrurier Johnny ServozGavin Tony Settember Hap Sharp Brian ShaweTaylor
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