ciao, Marco.

[re-posted from my other blog, Living. by VMR]

shocking. I really shouldn’t have to do this two Mondays in a row, but there’s little else I can think or write about and even my clothes seem to fit poorly. This tragedy hits a bit closer to home, since I’ve actually seen Marco Simoncelli in person, seen him ride a motorcycle at high speeds, and seen him save something that really shouldn’t have been saved. Still, in a random bit of high drama, another Sunday has come and gone, and so too has another motorsports talent.

Simoncelli was not quite twenty-five, a bright and vivacious, if controversial, rider in a sport that encourages personalities in a way that few others still do. The Italian rider, who had yet to win a race in the premier class of MotoGP racing, but who had won the 2008 250cc world championship, passed due to injuries sustained in a crash on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

He had lost control of his motorcycle in a lowside, one that oddly drew him back across the track and directly into the path of two other riders. Both veterans of the sport, Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi had nowhere to go but into Simoncelli. Edwards struck the young Italian with his front wheel, then proceeded to cartwheel himself and his own motorcycle down the track, resulting in a severely dislocated shoulder for the American. Rossi hit the front wheel of Simoncelli’s bike. Ironically, the elder Italian considered the younger to be his younger brother and often appeared to have seen him as his heir apparent to Rossi’s nine world titles and an international following. The impact from both riders managed to tear Simoncelli’s helmet off, though it was the impact to his chest and neck that actually resulted in his death less than an hour after the incident. Just like last week and Dan Wheldon’s tragic accident at Las Vegas, the race was halted, then canceled altogether.

Simoncelli had both hair and a personality larger than life. He was fiery and sometimes thoughtless on the track, pushing hard to make his machine go faster than it was capable when in the hands of others. He pushed and sometimes shoved his way to his title, but seemed to have settled down in the latter half or third of this season. It was only his second in the premier class. Simoncelli was already a great talent and needed only better machinery and the wonders of time to show just how far he might have gone. His death leaves no question as to the safety of an inherently dangerous sport: there’s nothing that can be done when no one has anywhere else to go.

Simoncelli has inspired the second great outpouring of sadness within the racing community in less than a week. No matter if one drives on four wheels or rides on two, these men and sometimes women, their family and friends, all know the dangers they face every day they make their living. It doesn’t make it any less tragic, but it does band together the various athletes and their fans across disciplines. Wheldon’s memorial service was Sunday, less than twelve hours after Simoncelli’s death and exactly one week after his own. Death, and especially death of a young and public figure, bring a lot of things into perspective. Tears may blur one’s vision, but they rarely cloud the future. Rejoice in family, in friends, in life. Be careful, but be fulfilled.

ciao, Marco.

F1 Spa Race Results & Report: Vettel Takes the Win, Button Podium, Schumacher 5th

What Happens When There is Serious Racing

9:47am EST — Sebastian Vettel won the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, a race highlighted by close dicing, dry conditions, a safety car, and a charge through the field by world champions. He led a Red Bull one-two with Mark Webber coming across the line second, and an entertaining charge by Jenson Button brought the Briton from thirteenth to third. Michael Schumacher also showed his mettle, fighting through the field to finish fifth after starting last. Fernando Alonso, who lost pace near the end of the race, finished fourth. Lewis Hamilton looked to be on line to fight for the win when an incident with Kamui Kobayashi ended the Briton’s race in dramatic fashion.

Vettel started on pole, having taken that position from Hamilton in the final seconds after the flag had fallen on Saturday’s eventful qualifying session. Webber, Massa, Rosberg, Alguersuari, Senna, Alonso, Perez, and Petrov completed the top ten starting grid for the race after Spa’s rainy and damp conditions provided an eventful show. Schumacher began the 20th anniversary of his first F1 start last on the grid after losing a rear wheel on his out lap in Q1, Hamilton and Maldonado collided in anger, Button and di Resta were forced into the wrong calls, and Massa outqualified Alonso for what felt like the first time in years, all in the span of an hour.

Webber led most of the practices, with only Schumacher beating him to the top of the timesheets after an early time in the dry on Friday morning. The Australian driver was fastest in the Friday afternoon session and again Saturday morning, as McLaren continued to be quick in the latter half of the season. Ferrari attempted to save tires in the wet before qualifying and was caught out by Sutil’s red flag in Q2.

Spa appeared surprisingly bone-dry for the start of the forty-four lap race, though there were issues with tires blistering, especially for Red Bull. The team asked to change their tires after qualifying due to their poor, worn, and blistered conditions (as the RBR camber was a bit outside the typical specifications) but were not allowed to do so. Weather forecasts differed as to whether the entire race would be dry, but the start certainly was. Most drivers were on the softer tire, though both Button and Schumacher started on the harder dry tire.

On the grid, Rosberg had a bit of smoke seemingly coming from his Mercedes as Vettel took a great start, but it was Rosberg was into third, then around Massa for second on a flying start. Webber again got a bad start, but it was the racing at the front that was dramatic, as Rosberg was around Vettel for the lead into Les Combes. In the middle of the pack, there was contact into the first turn. Massa made a great move to momentarily go through to second, but it was Senna hitting Alguersuri and shoving him into Alonso that broke the Toro Rosso suspension. As the field checked up, the two Lotus drivers got together and Sutil suffered some damage as well.

At the end of L1, Rosberg led Vettel, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Buemi, Perez, Webber, Kobayashi, and Petrov as the top ten. Alonso took a look on Hamilton for fourth, then simply powered around the McLaren on the run to Les Combes before the DRS was activated. Schumacher was also moving through the pack, already up to thirteenth by the end of the second lap.

F1 Spa Quali Results & Report: Vettel Takes Pole From Hamilton in Dramatic Session

What Happens When Spa Equals Drama, Drama, Drama

9:20am EST — Sebastian Vettel (1:48.298) won pole in an eventful qualifying session for the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix. Though the result might appear to indicate that it was business as usual for Red Bull in qualifying, that belies the dramatic nature of Saturday’s sessions at Spa. Lewis Hamilton held pole for moments at the very end of the session, only to have Vettel take it away by a half second in a dry, suny, and wet qualifying. Michael Schumacher did not complete a single lap, losing a rear wheel in Q1.

Both Jenson Button and Paul di Resta were stuck with bad calls that knocked them out in Q2 and Q2 respectively, and a red flag in Q2 for Adrian Sutil nearly ended Fernando Alonso’s day. Mark Webber, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg, and Jaime Alguersuari will complete the front three rows of the starting grid, with Alonso starting only eighth and Button thirteenth. Hamilton was again embroiled in some controversy as Button pulled over on his suspected cool down lap for his teammate and Maldonado damaged Hamilton’s McLaren after Q2, likely in response to an aggresive move by the Briton earlier in the session.

Webber led two-thirds of the practice sessions with quick times in the wet. Though Mercedes might have looked strong from the timesheets in the Friday morning session, it was pure luck that Schumacher and Rosberg set times before the heavens opened on the rest of the field. Instead, Webber was quickest in the damp-dry-wet Friday afternoon session and the all-wet Saturday morning session as word came that he had re-signed with Red Bull for 2012. Ferrari spent that last session essentially in the garage, saving wet tires for the changeable Ardennes conditions. However, both McLaren drivers were strong in all three sessions, despite an uncharacteristically quick morning from the Toro Rosso duo. There were no major practice incidents as the conditions were generally either bad enough to keep drivers off the track or fair enough to allow moderately safe running.

Q1:
With the sun actually shining at the start of the twenty-minute Q1 session, the Toro Rossos, Virgin Racing cars, and Lotus drivers were lined up and waiting on the green light. They were also joined by Vettel and the McLarens, even as spray continued to fly behind the cars. Less than two minutes into the session, Schumacher lost a rear wheel on the straight heading toward Rivage, forcing him into the wall, down the track, and into the gravel. Buemi posted the first fastest time, with a bogey of 2:11.806, only for Hamilton to take more than two seconds off his time. Button slotted into third on his first lap, with Alonso taking second as many, many drivers finished their laps.

F1 Spa FP3 Results & Report: Webber Fastest In Continued Damp Conditions

What Happens When Webber Celebrates His Birthday With a Contract & Fast Lap

6:18am EST — Running was slowed again in the final practice session for the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix by rain, as teams stayed in the garage in terribly wet conditions to save tires. Mark Webber (2:08.988) ended the session on his birthday fastest, with Lewis Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari, Jenson Button, and Sebastian Buemi completing the top five. Felipe Massa set a time only in the final moments and well off the pace as Ferrari conserved their tires in the very wet conditions, while teammate Alonso set no timed laps.

Friday was a day marked by when rain had fallen and when it was going to fall next in the Ardennes. Schumacher (1:54.355) and Rosberg led the morning session simply because they posted times before anyone else, and before the heavens opened. Though there was some drier running at the end of the morning session, the truer times were posted in the first half of the afternoon practice.

It began in somewhat damp conditions, and rain was again pelting down when forty minutes remained. In the time when the track began to properly dry and slick tires were used, fast times came from a number of drivers, though Webber (1:50.321), Alonso, and Button were the men on top as the rain began. Hamilton and Massa completed the fastest five in a day that, surprisingly, had only two incidents. Both Senna and di Resta hit the barrier at Turn 9 in the morning, though neither crash caused an excessive amount of damage. di Resta did bring out a red flag, as the corner workers were still returning Senna’s Renault to the garage.

As had become typical, ten minutes before the final, sixty minute, practice began Saturday morning, rain began falling on the track. Also typical, D’Ambrosio was the first driver out onto the track, followed by Perez. With the rain falling rather lightly, and forecast to be far worse later, ten drivers were quickly out and completing their installation laps. Though most went out on the intermediates, McLaren waited a bit and were forced to put on the full wet tires for their first laps, which came five minutes into the session. Ferrari also put Alonso and Massa on the full wets, though they were out slightly earlier than McLaren. Soon, only Button was out on the very wet track for his single instal lap. Kovalainen summed the conditions up neatly, “It’s hardcore. It’s fun for sure, but a bit risky…”

The track had only rain on it a quarter of the way through the session, as Button explained that the conditions were “worse than Canada.” Ricciardo had not bothered to complete an installation lap, though he was the only driver who had not. He did make his way out a few minutes later when the conditions bettered, moving even more slowly than usual in the HRT and with spray streaming out behind him. Soon Buemi was also back out, as the rain appeared to have stopped. He was joined by teammate Alguersuari as Toro Rosso performed their typical track cleaning duties near the halfway point of the session.

F1 Spa FP2 Results & Report: Webber Quickest on Friday as Rain Falls Again

What Happens When It’s Dry, Then Wet

9:37am EST — Mark Webber (1:50.321) was the fastest driver of the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix weekend on Friday, leading Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Felipe Massa as the fastest five in the afternoon practice session. Though the track was damp at the start, it soon dried and drivers were out testing longer runs on both slick tire compounds, right up to the point where rain began falling heavily again just past the halfway point. The most lurid moment came for Timo Glock when the rain lightened near the end of the session, as he had a long spin and slide across the track and a paved runoff area. He continued on with an unscathed car.

The Mercedes duo led the timesheets in the first practice, as the German drivers were the only ones to set a time before rain began pelting down early in the morning practice session. Schumacher (1:54.355) led his younger teammate, while late drying times from Button (2:02.740), Vettel, Hamilton, Sutil, Massa, Barrichello, Alguersuari, and Kobayashi completed the fastest ten. Though many drivers slid off the slippery track, only Senna and di Resta made contact with the barriers. Both drivers went off at Turn 9, as Senna’s crash damaged his Renault more heavily than di Resta’s his Force India. However, it was di Resta’s that brought out a red flag, as the equipment to remove his car form the circuit was still busy returning the Renault to the garage.

Rain was not falling minutes before the second, ninety minute, session began, though the track was a bit damp. Kobayashi led a bevy of drivers out in the dry-ish, slippery, and increasingly damp conditions. Just five minutes into the session, Kobayashi set the first time of 2:16.279, with Ricciardo second fastest. At that point, all but Vettel, Hamilton, Senna, and di Resta had already made their way onto the track. Webber was quickly fastest by nearly five seconds. He smartly bettered his time on the next lap, despite a bit of traffic and some seemingly careful driving.

Alonso was just three tenths slower on his own quick lap, as Alguersuari, Kobayashi, Schumacher, Petrov, Barrichello, Buemi, Maldonado, and Rosberg were the fastest ten, ten minutes into the session. Still, neither McLaren driver nor Massa had not set a time. Webber continued to improve, while a surprising Senna slotted into third fastest, a hundredth slower than Alonso. Soon, they were displaced by Petrov, showing some across the board speed from the Renault, only for Senna to pop up to second fastest. Webber, however, remained over a second faster, right up to the point that Senna, then Vettel took their own times to the top. Vettel was nearly 1.9s faster than Senna as the track continued to dry. Times came fast and furious as the drivers took half- and full-second chunks out of their own and each others’ time on the drying track.

F1 Spa FP1 Results & Report: Schumacher Fastest in Dry, Wet Belgian Practice

What Happens When It Rains in Spa

5:46am EST — Rain and a red flag slowed the first practice session of the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as Michael Schumacher (1:54.355) led teammate Nico Rosberg at the top of the timesheets. They were the only two drivers to manage early dry times before the rain lashed the Spa circuit.Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil, and Felipe Massa completed the fastest five in the damp. Paul di Resta brought the action to a standstill, going off at Turn 9 after the marshals were busy returning Bruno Senna’s Renault to the garage after the Brazilian binned his new ride.

Kobayashi was the first out, in a session that looked to have no rain in the early stages, but threatened inclimate weather in the latter half. Twelve other drivers quickly followed him out. Within three minutes, all drivers but Hamilton and Massa had completed an installation lap. Schumacher (1:55.007) was the first to set a time, with teammate Rosberg second. Both Germans soon improved their times, as they were the only two lapping on the track, along with Massa and Sutil. All other drivers had returned to the garage after single installation laps.

Those drivers who were on track remained typically in flux, as Ferrari tweeted, “As usual on Fridays, there is a quite intense testing programme, with some new aero components to be evaluated. ” Massa was an unhappy Ferrari driver, with complaints that his helmet was too heavy, both on the radio and out of the car. Meanwhile, it had begun raining on bits of the Belgian track, leading Trulli across the grass. Those conditions brought all drivers back to the pit lane. Schumacher (1:54.355) and Rosberg were the only drivers with set times; Rosberg nearly a half second slower than his more illustrious teammate. Quite soon, the rain was pouring down from the angry skies, fifteen minutes into the session.

Though that rain did not last for long, it did begin again quite quickly, thus ending the running for a good portion of the first practice session. Vettel was the first back out onto the very damp track, with fifty-six minutes remaining, but only braved a single, second installation lap. Hamilton was the next to do so, with both on inters. Hamilton had a far more exciting lap than the German with a bit of aquaplaning, and he too returned quickly to the garage. Nearing the halfway point, Sutil was out, with Alguersuari tiptoeing around once as well. No one had joined Schumacher and Rosberg with a time.

F1 Hungaroring Race Results & Report: Button for the Win While Hamilton Gets Another Penalty

What Happens When It’s a Fine Day for A Race, Even When It Rains

9:57am EST — Jenson Button stormed to victory in a 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix that featured rain, fire, fighting teammates, and as many as six trips to pit lane by teams calling multiple strategies. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso joined him on the podium, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth despite five stops and a drive-through penalty, holding off Mark Webber after passing him in the final laps. It was Button’s second win at the Hungaroring, where he won his first grand prix, on his 200th F1 race start.

Vettel (1:19.815) won pole on his last lap, keeping Hamilton at bay during Saturday’s qualifying session after the Briton had led both Friday practice sessions. Vettel’s late lap stunner came after a late night by the Red Bull mechanics and despite a poor time from teammate Webber, who started only sixth. Between them, Button was barely slower than his teammate, while Massa out-qualified Alonso to fourth. The Spaniard will start next to Webber on the grid.

Hamilton led the Friday morning practice while both Red Bulls were somewhat off their usual pace, with Webber losing the final seventeen minutes to a crash that tore off the nose of his car. Hamilton was also quickest in the afternoon session, but remained unable to string together a fast lap to beat Vettel on Saturday morning. On Sunday, rain was falling an hour and a half before the race start, with Mike Gascoyne susinctly summing up the weather, “Pouring down with rain here now. Since the forecast said it would stop rain and the chance of further rain was decreasing its rained nonstop.” By the time the start rolled around, the rain was still falling and the track was both damp and dry in places, and the two sides of the starting grid had different conditions.

Race Start:
On the start, Hamilton speared across the track, but could only manage to hope to take position from his teammate. Alonso got ahead of Massa while the McLaren drivers went down the track next to each other, possibly touching. The Ferraris slid backward, with Rosberg and Schumacher getting ahead of them. Alonso had a look on Schumacher by the German held him off. Vettel led Hamilton, Button, Rosberg, Alonso, Schuamcher, Massa, Webber, di Resta, and Kobayashi as the top nine at end of the first lap. As the third lap began, Hamilton had a go on Vettel for the lead, with both getting a bit sideways. However, Vettel would not allow Hamilton through. Meanwhile, Alonso had taken fourth from Rosberg.

Vettel and Hamilton continued to fight over the lead while, a bit further back, Alonso got off onto the paint, sliding off and back on, then getting retaken by Rosberg. Hamilton got next to Vettel with the DRS, but could not make a pass stick. He finally pushed Vettel wide onto the paint in Turn 2, taking the lead on L5. Button was next right behind Vettel, pushing the championship leader hard. Soon, Hamilton had two and a half seconds on Vettel, iwth the entire field having started on intermediates.

F1 Hungaroring Quali Results & Report: Vettel On Pole Belies Fighting to Get There

What Happens When It’s a Fight For the Same

9:12am EST — Sebastian Vettel (1:19.815) took pole from Lewis Hamilton on his final lap in qualifying, in a Q3 shootout that involved six drivers from three teams. Jenson Button will start third, with Felipe Massa next to him on the second row as both bumped Fernando Alonso to fifth in the final seconds. Mark Webber, who was suffering from continued KERS issues, will start sixth and alongside Alonso.

Vettel (1:21.168) was fastest in the final practice on Saturday morning after a late night by the Red Bull crew, their first curfew violation of the season. Each team is allowed four before being punished, with former Benetton mechanic (and SPEEDtv commentator) Steve Matchett explaining on Twitter, “the chaps in Hungary were awaiting set-up data/simulation confirmation from the vehicle dynamics department back in Milton Keynes, England.” Alonso, Button, Webber, and Massa were the five fastest at the end of that session, with Hamilton back in seventh.

The former world champion had led both the Friday morning and afternoon practice sessions, but was unable to put down a fast lap Saturday morning on the super soft tires. He complained that the breaks didn’t work on his first lap when he went wide into Turn 1, but proceeded to lock up on his next lap as well. Alonso was in the top three in all three sessions, with the Red Bulls, McLarens and Ferraris locking out the top six in each session, but for Rosberg on Saturday morning. For qualifying Hamilton was, according to Peter Windsor, “looking to go back to his unusual N’ring brake set-up – Brembo front, CI rear, Akebono calipers all round.” Also, Buemi will lose five grid positions due to a penalty from last weekend’s race, involving a collision with Heidfeld.