Notes Taken During the 2008 Formula 1 British Grand Prix

Notes taken during the Fox broadcast of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, England, July 6, 2008.

Welcome to Silverstone (British pronunciation: "silvahstun"). Historic. First GP ever rolled here in 1950. Intro points montage. Lewis Hamilton, then Kimi Räikkönen, Robert Kubica, Felipe Massa. Major points battle going on.

Bob Varsha, F1 analyst, says welcome to the "high holy days of sport in Great Britain, the British Grand Prix." Flyover gets air. It's raining and unlike those wussies at Wimbledon, we race in the rain, baby. Wet tires on the cars now, may go to the dry tires later.

pressdog beer of the race is Smithwick's Irish Ale, a "superior ale brewed and matured by traditional methods." Brewed since 1710 at St. Francis Abby in Kilkenny, Ireland. Brought to you by the Guinness & Company empire. A good Irish red-ish ale. Pretty smooth.

Story Lines:

Holy Chest Grabber, David Hobbs, former driver and comic relief in the booth, says Heikki Kovalainen is on the pole. First ever for the Finn. Plus MARK WEBBER qualified P2. Red Bull in the front roooooooowwww. Defib paddles are being juiced around the F1 world at the news. Hobbs says Heikki digs the rain. Could win it!

Steve Matchett, F1 technical geek and third member of the booth troika, says at P2, Mark Webber gives Red Bull i's first-ever front row start.

Varsha says despite the Webber is a big underdog to win the thing. A broken damper (shock absorber) screwed BMW's Bob Kubica out of a run at the pole. Didn't even get out in the last qualifying session.

Video of Massa hitting some oil puked out by another car and doing a flat spin into the tires. BAM. Big hit. He's OK but the car is trashed and has to be rebuilt. Video of him dropping what I think is an f-bomb in the garage.

Peter Windsor on the grid in Silverstone with the unseen John Me-shell camera dude. Windsor tells us that BMW says no interviews with Kovalainen, but Windsor doesn't care! You don't tell Pete Windsor who he can and cannot talk to. Pete is tight with FLAVIO, after all. "I'm just going to wish him well from his American fans" ... and then ask him a question. He's a trickster, that Windsor! Pete -- Feel good when you woke up to rain today? Kovalainen -- I felt same as always. Don't care about the weather. Fine with whatever.

This is a 60-lapper. Expect the track to dry during the race. Parade laps. Three Brits in the field -- Lewis, Jensen Button and David Coulthard. Coulthard will retire at the end of this year so it's his last British GP.

During qualifying the booth guys talked about how the British GP will move from Silverstone to Donington Park in 2010. Much incredulity among the booth guys here. Varsha said plans call for pouring $100 MEEYUN into Donington to get it up to F1 standards. Consensus that it needed every dollar of that to get there. Main reason for the proposed move seems to be F1 boss Bernie Eccelstone can get more cash out of Donington Park. It's not about the track condition. It's alllll about cash. Booth guys were scoffing.

Let me just toss in here that it was refreshing to hear the announcers being critical of the league where appropriate as per their jobs serving fans' interests, and not acting like they are sales representatives for said league. (As in, "Well, I'm sure F1 has a good reason for moving ..." )

Starting lineup: Kovalainen, Webber, Räikkönen, Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld, Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet, Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa (!), Robert Kubica, David Coulthard, Timo Glock, Sebastien Bourdais, Jarno Trulli, Kazuki Nakajima, Rubens Barrichello, Jensen Button, Nico Rosberg (who is starting from the pit, which I'm not sure that that is), David Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella.

Gridded. Standing start. Let's light this candle. Red, red, red, red --- dark means green-green-green.

Holy space shot! Hamilton gets a mega start and streaks up the inside to the lead -- NO. Kovalainen gets defensive to stay in front. SPRAY everywhere. No idea how people back in the pack can see anything. Matchett reminds us there is no traction control at all on these cars.

Webber ass-around and facing backwards on the track. Hairy. He may get to see who hits him, at least. No contact, fortunately. Keeps it running and gets back underway.

Matchett -- great start by Hamilton. Great defensive drive by Kovalainen (they celebrate blocking in F1). NO YELLOW for Webber's spin. DUDE, I love watching F1 because it takes an air strike to get a full-course yellow.

Hobbs -- The track is very wide and very flat so that if it does rain it tends to puddle. (Puddles + F1 cars = Circus Symphony.)

Right on cue, it's Circus Music Time! Nakajima is off. Massa around! Coulthard and Vettel off. Local yellow only. The rest of the track stays green. OMG, I love the flag guys. GREEN-GREEN-GREEN. Over in the Indy Racing League we'd be full-course yellow for roughly 19 laps over this.

Vettel and Coulthard are beached. TOAST. Overhead replays. Teammates Hamilton and Kovalainen touched on the start! Thud. That caused Kovalainen to get way fishy but he hung onto it. Huge save.

Still a local yellow only. I wipe manly tears. 

58 to go -- Hamilton has a look at Kovalainen. No. Windsor reports that Hamilton has two more laps of fuel onboard so if he can get around Kovalainen it will be huge.

Kovalainen, Hamilton and Räikkönen. Mark Webber spin replay. Onboard with with Webber. Gets fishy and then goes around and backwards. Cars coming at him out of the mist at about 100 mph. Not so fun.

Replay onboard with Massa. He's around as well. Matchett reminds everyone again that there is no traction control on these cars any more and in wet conditions it's a bitch.

57 to go -- MASSA SPINS AGAIN. He's spinning more times than the Big 6 Wheel at Vegas. A tiny motorboat roars up and 29 clowns in wet suits and flippers jump out and wave local yellows. Shot of Ferrari crew -- nothing. May have been wax figures.

Replay of Massa going around.

Kovalainen, Hamilton, Räikkönen, Alonso, Heidfeld, Piquet, Trulli, Kubica.

In car cameras show major sprayage. Can't see jack.

56 to go -- Hamilton inside Kovalainen ... CLEAR. He got him. British crowd goes INSANE.

Replay of Hamilton stuffing it under Kovalainen coming out of a big sweeping straight. Balls of steel. Makes it look easy. Kovalainen didn't mash down on him. Props for that.

Now Räikkönen is gaining on Kovalainen. Hamilton is instantly two seconds ahead of Kovalainen. Alonso gaining on Räikkönen.

Replay -- Kovalainen power slide! Extremely dirt track. Woooo-whoooooo!

53 to go -- Vettel and Coulthard are out. Hobbs -- I have a nasty feeling Coulthard put them both out.

Hamilton sets fastest lap. Matchett -- When track becomes dry enough the teams will have to decide when to go to dry-weather tires.

51 to go -- Webber inside Bourdais. Webber under Sutil. On a mission.

50 to go. Räikkönen has gotten passed Kovalainen and is now P2. Kova is P3 and under attack by Alonso.

Varsha -- Kovalainen got off track. Onboard with Kovalainen. Does a 360 and keeps it going, but Räikkönen inhales him before he can get back under way.

Mark Webber sets fastest lap. Dogs and cats prepare to live together. Varsha -- Webber has 900 horse power plus a little bit of anger propelling him.

Sutil is sliding sideways like a surf board. AIRBORNE for a second. Onboard replay of it from Bourdais car. Sutil hits a puddle and goes into a flat spin. Now he's BEACHED.

Still only local yellows. No full course!

49 to go -- Varsha -- great race for Honda so far. Typically the slowest car in a straight line on at any F1 race but the rain is a big equalizer.

45 to go -- Matchett -- Honda chasis been a bit of a disaster this year.

Hamilton, Räikkönen, Kovalainen, Alonso, Heidfeld, Piquet.

42 to go -- Räikkönen is 2.3 behind Hamilton.

41 to go -- Kovalainen pits from P3. Thermal cam! Shows what's hot. The whiter the hotter. Engine and tires are stark white. New tires going on are just as hot as the old ones going off due to tire warmers.

40 to go. -- Alonso in. No tire change! Stays with his worn intermediate rain tires. (F1 has two rain tires, the "extreme wet" and the "intermediate wet." Extreme has more tread.)

Hamilton and Räikkönen in. No tires for Räikkönen. New "inters" for Hamilton. Hamilton out in front of Räikkönen. Matchett - Timing and scoring has Hamilton faster than Räikkönen.

Replay. Nakijama spins. Heidfeld around Glock and then dives under Alonso. Stunning double pass move.

Räikkönen must have spun because he lost mega time on Hamilton. WTF? Räikkönen passed by Kovalainen AND Heidfeld and then Heidfeld dives under Kovalainen. Temperature of sun reported at an estimated 43 degrees.

Hobbs says Heidfeld driving brilliantly today.

Replay -- Alonso. Fuel to end but doesn't change tires? Many incredulous remarks. Alonso didn't change tires LAST time, so he's going out again on old tires?

Heidfeld's last lap was four seconds faster than Hamilton's. Onboard with Hamilton. Nakajima PASSES MASSA. The fire pits of hell are starting to freeze. Ferrari fans on suicide watch. The relative rookie Nakajima passes the World Championship Contender Massa. Dogs and cats are now living together.

30 to go. Räikkönen pits. 7.6 seconds. Has a bit of a false start but doesn't pull out too soon. Räikkönen out in 11th. Heidfeld radio -- Going to stop in the next couple of minutes. Keep pushing.

Massa pits. He's 15th and LAPPED. Satan goes skating in his front yard.

28 to go -- Matchett says he thinks the video we saw of Alonso that was allegedly his second stop was really a replay of his first stop. He did change tires on the second stop.

Onboard with Glock. Can't see SHIT. Raining like a some-bitch.

Timo Glock AROUND Massa and then Glock shakes his fist at Massa. Hell is officially frozen.

Varsha -- I think Massa returned the favor as he went by and was telling him you're number 1 with me, buddy.

27 to go -- Aerial view. Kovalainen goes wide and Kubica dives under him. Beauty move.

26 to go -- Kovalainen in. 6.6-second stop. Hamilton is now 25.1 seconds ahead.

Matchett would bring Hamilton in right now just to avoid any kind of safety car issue. If the Safety car comes out, field packs up, Hamilton can't use his huge lead to stay in the lead if he pits.

25 to go. Glock spins. 360. Insane. STILL no full-course yellow in this race.

Barichello in. Piquet spins and is beached. Button is off (I believe). Matchett is insane now, screaming for them to bring in Hamilton for the love of all that's holy. Think of the children! "If the safety car comes out he's DOOMED."

Another Ferarri spins. Not sure which one. Massa again. Hamilton is dirt tracking. Massa did a 360.

Circus Music is everywhere! Booth guys are basically screaming random utterances into the mic. wooooooo. woe woe woe. There isn't this much spinning on an episode of Wheel of Fortune.

23 to go. All local yellows. Barichello is on "extreme wet" tires. BLOWS by Lewis and unlaps himself. WTF? Barichello in a Honda passes Hamilton. Sun starts to dip in the sky under the weight of ice.

Another Ferrari is off. We think this one is Räikkönen. Lewis stays out. "What is Ron Dennis thinking?" Matchett is INCREDULOUS. You can almost hear the frothing in the background and the anti-hyperventilation bag inflating and deflating.

Varsha -- Somebody get Steve Matchett a tranquilizer!

Pit set up for Hamilton. Matchett -- Ah FINALLY! Hobbs -- put the tranquilizer away, I guess. Hamilton in. Gets the intermediate wet tires. Matchett -- Another set of inters!? Matchett is freshly incensed. He says the Honda -- the HONDA -- is 13 seconds per lap faster than the McLaren due to the full-wet tires. Incredulous that McLaren didn't go full wets there.

Räikkönen spins AGAIN. Last 21 laps Barichello has taken 23 seconds out of the field on the full wets.

20 to go. Kubica is spinning like a top and ends up in the sand trap. He had just gotten around Kovalainen for sixth and went into a side spin. ("PUNCH US OUT, Goose!")

Rosberg into the back of Timo Glock and de-nosed. Wing is under his front end. Pushing it around in front of him like a snow plow. Insane.

19 to go. Matchett is fixated on Barichello's times in the full wets. Matchett -- Barichello is driving that aweful Honda chassis and taking the fight to Hamilton and Heidfeld. Barichello is 7 seconds faster than the field now.

17 to go -- Barichello passes Heidfeld into second. Varsha and Hobbs stick Matchett's wallet in his mouth so he won't hurt himself during his grand mal seizure.

Glock spins into the tires and is off.

Barichello in p2 does a 1:40.6. Hamilton in P1 does a 1:40.8

7 on the lead lap. Matchett -- Honda is praying for more rain. Rubens does a 1:38.9 and Hamilton does a 1:40.8

15 to go -- Windsor -- BMW (possibly McLaren Mercedes) thought the percentages favored the intermediates.

Team is setting out stuff for Barichello. He has another stop coming. That's why Hamilton et al were not freaked out. He has to stop again. Simmer down, Steveo.

Barichello in for fuel and intermediate tires. Hobbs would stay on the wets.

Bourdais spins. Kovalainen into P4. Massa spins again. That's about six or so now. The Lion and the Lamb lay down together. Varsha -- hard to believe. Hobbs -- Massa is two laps down now.

10 to go -- Hamilton's last lap was 1:39.3. He's SIXTY THREE seconds in front of Heidfeld. Massa pits. Booth guys wonder if he's going to call it a day.

Hamiton passes Räikkönen and Alonso who are battling for position. Both let him by. Class move. Overhead Räikkönen resumes working on Alonso.

Räikkönen under. Varsha -- Gotta make it stick! Matchett -- Oooooooooo. Hobbs -- Räikkönen is very good in the rain! ... CLEAR. Räikkönen into fifth.

Two to go. Hamilton is up by a day. Will win even if there is an air strike. Has lapped up to THIRD (Barichello). Kovalainen gets under Alonso for 6th.

Replay. Kovalainen goes wide and then under Alonso.

Crew shot. (Hamilton's crew, I think). Someone gives the thumbs up! Some animation there. What do you know?

Now Nakajima is having a go at Alonso. Insane.

One to go. This will be Barichello's first podium since the 2005 USGP debacle where Michelin brought the wrong tire and six whole cars ran the race.

Hamilton wins. Fist pump. Second is more than a minute behind. Track is covered in Hamilton bitchslap inches thick. Hobbs -- "He didn't just win, he ab-so-lute-ly pulverized the competition."

Hobbs says it was a good run for Heidfeld who needed it like (say it with me) he needed oxygen.

Commercial just as Heidfeld comes across in second. No love for Rubens! Gets no air as he finishes third.

Come back to a compressed podium show that features Lewis listening to the British anthem. Champagne spray. Hamilton says it's by far his best race ever. As he did the last lap he saw everyone standing and was just "praying, praying,praying just to keep it on the track." You can't imagine the emotion. Alludes to trouble he's been going through (after ass-ending Räikkönen in Canada and getting a 10-grid penalty, I assume).

That's it from Britain. No comments from Barichello who used a totally brilliant tire call to get the bronze. Pity.

Lap 60 -- Hamiton, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Räikkönen (-1), Kovalainen (-1), Alonso (-1), Trulli (-1), Nakajima (-1), Rosberg (-1), Webber (-1), Bourdais (-1), Glock (-1), Massa (-2), Kubica (DNF), Button (DNF), Piquet (DNF), Fisichella (DNF), Sutil (DNF), Vettel (DNF), Coulthard (DNF).

Tune in for the FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2008 (German Grand Prix) on July 20. Not sure what time it will be on Fox, though. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS.

Comments

[PatW]

Silverstone is fun in the wet! Buzz on our broadcast was that Donington won't be ready in time, could do a deal with Silverstone so it stays where it is.

I know F1 doesn't like the safety car but I still can't believe they didn't use it in this race!

I also can't believe how much I enjoyed a race with such a big winning margin. I was using the formula1.com live timing (which kicks ass) as well as the live broadcast, you could really see who was making up time. It asks for a login and needs Java installed but it is worth it if you are watching live and near a computer.

[PatW]

Oh yeah, Barrichello. It was funny because the other 2 drivers interviewed (Lewis and Heidfeld) both had said their teams chose which tyres to be on. Then it was his turn and he made a point of saying 'I chose the extremes'. Like: I'm an adult and can make my own decisions, thanks.

Transcript is here:
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8060.html

We don't usually see the full interviews here, must have made an exception for our home race. The TV stuff ends at the line 'Press Conference' after they returned to Lewis.

[GaryP]

Despite the fact that it was a bitch-slapping of epic proportions this was still one of the most cool F1 races I've watched in a long time. When they went to the infra-red cam on the McLaren stop I said aloud "my viewing is enhanced!" And when Varsha said "somebody get Matchette a tranqualizer" I about fell out of my chair. Don't tell me Varsha's not reading the P-dog blog!

I was shocked when BMW pitted both drivers 3 laps after Barichello went to extreme wets and decided to stay on intermediates. Very next lap Kubica was off the track, a mistake that dropped him from first to 4th in the championship.

[pressdog]

Matchett was in the whiskey there for a while, that's for sure.

[Doug]

"Shot of Ferrari crew -- nothing. May have been wax figures."

I just did a spit-take! Great stuff as usual. (..and what an entertaining race, eh?)

[pressdog]

Thanks. Dude, those crew shots ... it's like someone just screamed "nobody moves or you're all dead" before the camera came on.

[Jason]

Just getting into racing (moreso ICS than F1), and I love this site. You crack me up, p-dog. You have to check out the Silent Pagoda on IndyCar.com. Its unreal.

http://www.indycar.com/blogs/index.php?/categories/3-The-Silent-Pagoda