Sebastian Vettel: Does He Deserve The Hate?

I remember the 2006 season, I was aware of a BMW Sauber third driver of Sebastian Vettel, I knew at the time he was 19 and is German. That is the most I remember of him, apart from him setting the fastest free practice time at the Hungarian GP, because of the thrilling championship battle Michael Schumacher and eventual winner Fernando Alonso provided. Suddenly, in 2007, he raced for BMW Sauber at the United States Grand Prix, where he replaced Robert Kubica because of the crash he had in Canada, and Vettel took his first point in Formula One, becoming the youngest point scorer at the age of 19, beating Jenson Button's record of 20 back in 2000. Scuderia Toro Rosso signed him up, and incredibly, he finished 5th at the Chinese Grand Prix, which many in the paddock took notice of the young German.

In 2008, he had a dismal season until the Italian GP, where he qualified in pole position, becoming the youngest ever pole sitter, in the rain and in a car that used to be a Minardi until 2005, and a car that wasn't quick enough to match the pace of the Ferrari or Mclaren's. The race on Sunday proved what a Talent he was by winning the Italian GP, finishing ahead of the McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen, even in an underpowered car compared to the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, and earned the nickname 'baby Schumi', a reference to a younger version of Michael Schumacher.

2009 saw a new set of regulations, including wider front wings, narrower rear wings and slick tytes re-introduced. He joined the Red Bull Racing team, losing out to the world championship to Jenson Button of Brawn GP, but yet won several races. In 2010 he became a world champion, and boy it wasn't easy. A crash with Mark Webber at Turkey almost ended his title challenge, as it came to the final race, the winner of the race, that was the only time he lead the championship in 2010; Alonso got held up by a strong Vitaly Petrov for Renault. Abu Dhabi GP of 2010 was the first time in Formula One history that four drivers were mathematically in contention for the championship (Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel).

In 2011 he dominated the season; reminded me of a Schumacher in the Ferrari-he collected 15 pole positions, the most ever in a season, and collected 11 wins in what was a season that Vettel was unstoppable. A few mutters about the legality of the front wing was brought into question, as from onboard footage showed that it flexed so much, that it almost touched the floor. However it was deemed legal after the FIA conducted a weights test. Also the revolutionary blown defuser, which is a system where blown exhaust gases are aimed at the rear diffuser, thus generating more downforce. This was Vettel's second championship, and the youngest double champion, beating Fernando Alonso's record.

2012 was a mixed season, struggled at the start, won the Bahrain round after pressure from Raikkonen. Fernando Alonso was running away towards his third championship for Ferrari, until Vettel kept winning races and form was there at the second half of the season. At the Abu Dhabi GP, he qualified 3rd, but due to having less than one litre of fuel for checks, he was sent to back of the grid, but Red Bull opted to start him from the pit lane so they can change settings so they can get Vettel up the grid. After two wing damages forcing him to pit, he managed an incredible 3rd, unbelievable considering how he lost time in the race. He could of won had it not been for several incidents. Brazil was even crazier. He didn't start well, and was spun out and hit by Bruno Senna, however he managed to get racing again and after a debate on wether he overtook on yellow flags, he was found to have overtook Vergne as a marshall was waving a green flag. Before that, he overtook a HRT under a yellow flag, but the HRT looked as if he went to wide. Anyway, Vettel found himself behind Alonso. Silly errors could of cost Vettel the championship to Alonso such as the pit stop where lack of radio communication meant Red Bull pit crew were late in fitting Vettel with new tyres. Vettel pushed. His hero Michael Schumacher let him by; Alonso was 2nd, Vettel ended up in 6th position which was enough for him to win his 3rd championship. A crash by Paul Di Resta in the final straight brought out the safety car, which lasted until the end of the race. The race ended, Vettel become the 3 times world champion, the youngest in fact, beating a dejected Fernando Alonso.

2013 provided a controversial start; at the Malaysian GP, Vettel was ordered to stay behind Mark Webber who had turned his engine down. Mark Webber won the race. But then Vettel wanted the win so bad he took over Webber and became the winner. It caused controversy amongst the media, fans and the team. "You wanted the win so bad, but you have some explaining to do", is what Vettel was told over the radio. Vettel has earnt a few boos, especially after retiring at the British GP, and at the Italian GP where the Tifosi booed him on the podium ceremony. He looks favourite to become a 4 times world champion. He keeps getting booed all the time; the fans are sick of him winning, but it is down to his driving and teamwork. At the Singapore GP, after the safety car come in at lap 31, he led Nico.Rosberg a stunning 3.2 seconds in just one lap, and built a 30 second gap before entering the pits then came out ahead of Alonso. Vettel then quickly finished with a lead of 32.6 seconds. Absolutely crazy.

Now, the booing stems down from when he controversially overtook Mark Webber, despite team orders forbidding him to do so. He has become the hated of F1. With a 60 point lead going into the Korean GP in 2 weeks time, he is on the verge of becoming a 4 times back to back champion. The only person to ever do that in.a row is Michael Schumacher. It seems that the former champion reckons Sebastian can equal or better his records. He is only 26, and has beaten Alonsos win tally; the former has 33 and the latter has 32. That must hurt Alonso, a two times champion. Vettel may be dominating Formula One, but he deserves credit for his records at such a young age. People prefer Alonso, but he has been inolved in more controversial incidents, including emails in the Spygate scandal of 2007. The only thing wrong is that Vettel did the dirty on Webber and that is it in theory, and perhaps becoming too boring. Anyway, it is down to the fans with the opinions, it seems that the 'haters' are holding onto Malaysia 2013. Alonso never got booed when he commited his crimes in 2007, Schumacher never got booed when he stalled his car on the Monaco circuit. Both have had several moments of controversy, but Vettel's only crime is to wanting to win by denying team orders.

GTA V: Preview

Not long now until the most hyped up game of 2013 hits our shelves, 4 days infact until Grand Theft Auto 5 is released and boy is it a big game. This week we have learnt that the map is ginormous, however critics have scoffed at how small the city portion looks compared to other GTA games. They need not worry as the city portion is bigger than Liberty City from GTA IV, and that was quite a big size.

Been sniffing around sites and videos to investigate the catostrophic detail of the game and i must say a video on youtube shows what one of the three protagonists would look like from above, then zoom out of the map to see the huge scale; i was impressed-same video did one for GTA IV, where it showed a zoom out of Niko Bellick, and the latter is no match for the size of the map of GTA V.

The map is apparently 49 squares miles. We all know how San Andreas (2004) was quite a huge map, but that was only 13 square miles, so in theory, GTA V is almost three times the size; that is pretty massive! We revisit Los Santos, a fictional counterpart of Los Angeles, in which we first seen in the hit Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It will be a big rendition of the city, however the size of the countryside and desert will dwarf it, and there will be plenty of activity for players to be involved in.

Enough about the map, so what can we expect. We have three would be heroes; Michael-a former bank robber, Franklin who looks like a gangster and Trevor, the less said about him the better, as said in one of the trailers. The player will take control of these three in order to complete the story mode, including bank heists and helicopter chases. Away from.the missions, you can play tennis, road biking, skydive, base jumping, fly many types of aeroplanes, get involved in stocks and shares, buy cars. I'm amazed at what you can do, actually-what you can't do as animals will be included as you can hunt them or they can hunt you. The theme in this game is the economy, where everything is involved around money.

With the launch only being on PS3 and XBOX 360, the game looks like it could be a next gen title, as the graphical detail is phenomanol. 5 and half years of pain stacking work from Rockstar could see the £170 million cost of making the game see it hit $1 Billion (US Dollars) before the end of the year, but as November comes around with the PS4 and XBOX ONE launching as next gen' machines, it may not affect the popularity of GTA V. However, with Call of Duty Ghosts and FIFA 14 around the corner, GTA V will face competition for sales as the two biggest franchises launches towards the end of the year.

So September 17th is launch day, it promises to be one of the biggest launches in the history of gaming, it may fail students or make people pull sickies at work as people will be glued to the highly anticipated game of 2013, or the decade so far

Italian GP: Review-Vettel wins. Again!

Would you have bet on anyone winning the race other than Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel? If you did, you might be fustrated just like the Tifosi, who wanted a Ferrari driver to be on the top step of the podium at the famous 3.6 mile circuit. The race was certainly thrilling, and tense for the Red Bull pit wall as Vettel and Mark Webber had to short shift gears out of corners, as a gearbox issue was raised at the later stages of the races.

First lap was almost clean; Vettel flat spotted his front right tyre, but managed to maintain the lead on the first lap. Fernando Alonso passed Webber on the finish of the Curve Grande, but light contact was made on the chicane but never created problems. Paul Di Resta locked up his Force India into the second chicane, in which he crashed into Lotus' Romain Grosjean, ending Di Restas race. Hamilton was determined to make a positive impact on his race, however a communication issue ensured he missed a call into the pits, to replace a slow-puncturing tyre. He was fighting the likes of Raikkonen and Mclarens at the end of the race, and finished 9th. His title challenge is all but over as 175 are there for the taking, as Singapore is the venue in the next 2 weeks. Hulkenburg finished an impressive 5th, prompting rumours amongst the paddock that he could be heading to Ferrari.

Vettel leads Alonso by 53 points, 2 wins clear and on 222 points. Can anyone catch the German? He proved unpopular on the podium ceremony as the Tifosi booed which could be heard over the German national anthem. Stay tuned for more news and reviews.

Bloxwich Signal Box To Be Demolished

Bloxwich's signal box has stood in its place for more than 50 years, but with the new signalling system controlled at Birminghams signalling centre, it means the old pull system will be no more, as all will be controlled by computer; this means all signal boxes between Walsall and Rugeley are set for the same fate.

The benefits to this is that the section between Walsall and Rugeley is to be electrufied, meaning overhead gantries and wires are to be installed, and with the new signalling system, it means better speeds for trains. At present, the limit on the level crossing for trains was 20mph, but this is to be increased in the future when all of the level crossing will cease to exist, making drivers use Central Drive as a way to get to Beechdale and Willenhall.

Network Rail contractors have been working just off the signal box for the last few weeks, presumedly preparing the section for light signals controlled by conputer, which will replace the levering system.

It means another historic part of Bloxwich will be flattened, but local benefits will be good for the town. Faster electric trains, longer platforms, stopping service between Manchester Piccidilly and Stoke could be extended to Birmingham, and serve Bloxwich, one of the Birmingham to Liverpool trains that is twice an hour, one could be used on the Walsall section, also serving Bloxwich area, and the use of electric trains has a faster acceleration compared to the current diesel trains used on the line. The 16 miles section between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley is expected to be wired up by 2017, with preperation work happening next year. For now, Walsall has a poor train service for such a large town, this will end soon with connections to more destinations.

F1 Italian GP Race Preview 2013

Here we are again, I haven't posted anything for some time, but I am back. I am previewing tomorrows race where the Red Bull duo head the rest of the pack at the Italian GP, for tomorrows race. Ferrari at their home track are feeling the strain after Felipe Massa outqualified Fernando Alonso 4th and 5th respectively, and a tow that went wrong, as Alonso used Massa as a way of gaining a better time-hence what sounded like a criticism aimed at his team.

Sebastian Vettel is on the verge of winning 4 straight titles in a row, whilst Alonso aims to reduce the 46 point deficite infront of the Tifosi. Vettel at present is almost unstoppable; Hamilton who has gained 4 consecutive pole positions at the last grand prixs, has admitted he drove like an 'idiot', after only qualifying 12th aswell as being impedded by Adrian Sutil-Force India driver. He is aiming to make up positions tomorrow.

Mark webber is 2nd, and to the suprise of the F1 world, Nico Hulkenburg of Sauber qualified an amazing 3rd. Autodromo Nazionale Monza as the tracks official name, suits the Saubers, who has Ferrari engines, as Sergio Perez went from 12th to 2nd last year, beating the works Ferrari. Hamilton can use that knowledge to make up places tomorrow. Kimi Raikkonen had a suprise exit in Q2, as the Lotus Renault legend could not gain a place in the final part of qualifying.

Prediction

Vettel is a strong favourite to level Alonsos win tally of 32 wins, at the age of just 26 compared to Alonso who is now 33. However, i expect the latter to gain positions on the first lap and challenge Vettel at stages of the race. Webber may have clutch issues so might fall back, and Hamilton will be a contender for a podium. Tune in tomorrow on BBC or Sky Sports F1 to view the historical race of the Italian GP.

FORZA!

Maidens Review: Ashes Test 2-England v Australia

England have totally destroyed Australia to take a 2-0 lead in the Ashes series by 347 runs, in a test dominated by a newcomer Joe Root, who made 180 runs in the second innings. Australia used to be a dominant force back in the day when team lineups included the likes of Steve and Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and the list goes on. Back in 2007 Australia thrashed England in that years Ashes series. How times have changed.

First innings by England at the start looked shaky, but thanks to Ian Bells spell, he produced a stunning tally which England made 234 runs. Slightly comfortable but Australia had a chance to make use of a good pitch. However, the tourists made 128 in the first innings, and 235 in the second innings but could not match Englands unpresidented 234 then 349-7 declared.

Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson each created important dismisals, but the young Joe Root also contributed hugely to Englands successful Ashes series so far. I must say Australia were unlucky at times regarding decisions made against some dismisals, there were several reviews which were wrong but having that being said, it was highly unlikely that the Ausies would catch the overall target of 583. Michael Clarke said his sides batting wasn't to par and will use the extra weeks break before the next test at Old Trafford, Manchester; to improve the batting quality-"We must improve". Indeed so, England has a strong experience squad-Ian Bell, Graeme Swann, Kevin Pieterson, Matt Prior, Johnathon Trott, Jimmy Anderson and Alastair cook has has a few good years test experience and have won past Ashes tests before the current series. Australia has a very young squad, with Michael Clarke (Captain) being around for years with the likes of Shane Watson and Peter Siddle, the most experienced in the team. They will come back strong if they play their cards right, it isn't over yet and they could fight back.

More blog posts to come, keep an eye out.

HS2's costs spiralling out of control.

High Speed Rail 2 was originally predicted to cost over £30 billion, including the spur towards the North of England towards Manchester and Leeds. But the London to Birmingham/Macnhester and Leeds route is now predicted to reach £50 billion, and according to Newsnight when they did a feature on HS2 (17th July 2013), the eventual cost could even hit £70 billion.

The whole purpose of the high speed rail route is to easy capacity on lines such as the West Coast Main Line, and provide a faster journey between London and three major cities. The trains could reach 250mph, almost as fast as a Bugatti Veyron, but the overall flaws of the route are overweighing the postitives. As mentioned in a previous blogpost, the line would require to use tunnels under the countryside, cut throughs peoples homes and other land, which is causing a lot of controversy.

The first stage of the route would go from London to Birmingham, seving Birmingham Airport and Heathrow. However, peoples viewpoints are that the route would need to see more stations installed along the route, in order to generate customer and overall return in investment, as well as ease congestion on the West Coast Main Line. According to HS2 board members, the UK could not do without HS2, so they are maintaing a strong case for the line.

Most people are sceptics; the line is too expensive and with increasing predicted costs, it is unlikely to see an a return or break even. For every pound spent on the route, apparently more will be gained through ticket sales, which means that for every pound, there will be some profit. But this may not be the case; for every pound spent, the total spendage could like be half of that, meaning that HS2 could be proved useless. This will be a contunuing debate for many years running, some people are on the fence with this project, meaning they have no idea whether to back the scheme or not. We will see in the next couple of years about the developments. More to come regarding this big project, keep an eye out.