British Grand Prix Friday update
July 9, 2010
Force India pitstop practice
Live from the Silverstone paddock
It’s great to be back at Silverstone. It may not have the best facilities or the best accommodation options for that matter but there’s just something about the place that makes it feel like motor racing belongs.
Yesterday was spent racking up some interview material, catching up with friends and colleagues whom I haven’t seen for a good few months and walking the circuit to get a look at the new Arena complex.
To be honest, I’m not convinced that the new layout will help overtaking, but as I saw this morning, it’s quite spectacular watching the cars fly through the new Abbey bend.
The drivers, though, aren’t so happy with the new Abbey configuration and complained about a bump which upsets the car and prevents them from driving at full throttle.
The circuit has enjoyed a huge upgrade elsewhere too, largely to appease the MotoGP championship’s safety regulations but the downside is that there’s a lot more runoff and the grandstands have been pushed further back so the crowd is that little bit further away.
Last night, Hispania Racing announced that Bruno Senna would be replaced for this weekend’s grand prix in favour of pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto. Senna hasn’t had the best of starts to his Formula 1 career and it’s a shame that he’s been dropped so soon. But this is Formula 1 and Hispania need money. It’s not yet known whether the change is permanent.
Today, the sun is shining, the grandstands are packed and the public areas are buzzing. The Red Bulls looked ominously fast in first practice this morning, as did the Force Indias whose factory is based next door to the circuit. You can’t count out McLaren, though, and the extra support is sure to give them an extra boost.
