F1 2008 Round 6 Race Review. Monaco Grand Prix.

Well race fans the Grand Prix of Monaco for 2008 must go down as one of the more interesting and dramatic races in recent memory. With an all Ferrari front row for the race it looked as though the Monaco drought may end for the Italian marque. However, rain began to fall as the cars sat on the grid with all teams switching to intermediate tyres. One team though tried to hang on just that little bit too long to see what the weather was going to do. That of course was Kimi Raikkonen’s team. They had not fully fitted their tyres within the regulatory ‘3 mins before the start of the warm-up lap’ and the Fin was hit with a drive through penalty. This was to be just the start of his troubles for the race. Without the aid of traction control and other banned driving aids this was going to be a race and a half, and we weren’t dissapointed here at Gadget Freaks at all!

Massa led off the start with Lewis Hamilton edging by Raikkonen with a great start, almost getting alongside Massa into the first corner. As rain began to fall the field miraculously managed to get around the opening lap  without incident, quite a feat at Monaco.

The order did not last long as incident after incident brought chaos and drama. Alonso was driving like he was in Nascar causing several collisions due to being over optimistic. Still it was nice to see some competitive overtaking on the street circuit! Lap 6 and Lewis Hamilton hits the armco barrier with his rear wheel destroying the tyre but nothing else. He was able to pit and hence change his race strategy. He rejoined the race in a good position and when on lap 16 Massa went off handing the lead to Robert Kubica, Lewis was looking good. 

 The conditions out on the circuit were treacherous as the number of front wing replacements would testify. Hamilton had found his way to the lead after the first round of pit stops and appeared to get some extra speed, leaving the rest in his wake ( or should that be spray? ) Kubica had passed Massa at the stops relegating the Brazilian to third with Adrian Sutil in the Force India car a brilliant fourth. Sutil was driving the race of his life and it looked as though the new team would not only get points but were perhaps in line for a podium finish. Sutil was racing the two Ferraris ! However, exiting the tunnel Raikkonen lost control under braking, his car weaving and skidding out of control smashing into the back of Sutil. Both cars sustained damage with Force India having to retire, much to the disdain of all watching. Raikkonen rejoined the race to finish in ninth place.

So at the checkered flag it was a jubilant Hamilton from Robert Kubica then Massa with Australian Mark Webber fourth, continuing his good run of points finishes this year. All in all it was a great race which saw Massa slip up again and Hamilton regaining the lead in the 2008 Championship. Raikkonen had a day to forget and was slammed in the press by former 2-time F1 Champ Niki Lauda who said, ” I cannot understand how the highest paid driver can have a race as stupid as that.”

After the excitement of the F1 Monaco race we here at Gadget Freaks are looking forward to the race of the year! The Moto GP Grand Prix of Italy at Mugello, June 1st 2008.

Moto GP 2008 Round 5 Race Preview.

Well we are late in posting our race review from Sundays action but we though we’d make a few post-race comments. It was an amazing race full of action, drama and some absolutely sensational riding. The French weather loomed and caused all sorts of tension and uncertainty. Would it rain would it hold off. The race was declared a ‘dry race’ however, it did drizzle slightly.

Casey Stoner got a blinding start and led for the first section of the race. He was hauled in by a hard charging Rossi and was later overtaken by Pedrosa. Meanwhile Rossi was creating a gap at the front while Jorge Lorenzo was making his way up the field after a bad start.

Casey Stoner seemed to regain some composure after looking uncomfortable for a spell but that was to come to nothing as his machine seemed to expire at the end of the main straight. Stoner had to push his Ducati to get back to the pits where a spare bike with ‘wets’ had been prepared for him. Hoping for a miracle (rain), he rejoined the race two laps down. Meanwhile Rossi was in vintage form at the front while Lorenzo had amazingly moved up to second with Colin Edwards third and Pedrosa dropping off to fourth. And that would be how they crossed the finish line with Chris Vermeulin in fifth.

It was a welcome victory for ‘The Doctor’ who equalled Angel Nieto’s total of 90 Grand Prix wins. Rossi collected Nieto on the warm down lap and let the legend ride his M1 Yamaha with Valentino as passenger holding a flag that read ’90+90′. Only Giacomo Agostini has more wins than Rossi but with 32 more to get the record it remains to be seen if even the great Vale will be able to reach the milestone.

Special mention goes to “Iron Man”, Jorge Lorenzo! What an amazing ride to come from 10th place at the start of the race to second and was actually pulling time on Rossi. Simply amazing considering the guy can hardly walk! We here at Gadget Freaks firmly believe that if he can keep himself out of trouble he will be in line for a real upset this year. We’ll have to check the record books to see when the last time a rookie won the premier class.

So a great weekend for Yamaha getting a clean sweep of the podium. Ducati, however had a weekend to forget. With Casey Stoner’s (16th) machine failure and Marco Melandri (15th) at odds again with his machinery there will be some serious searching as the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello is next and they will be certainly be hoping for a taste of the Moet on home soil.

Championship Postions After 5 Rounds.

1- Valentino Rossi Yamaha  97

2- Jorge Lorenzo    Yamaha  94

3- Dani Pedrosa     Honda    94

4- Casey Stoner     Ducati    56

5- Colin Edwards   Yamaha  47

Next Race; Italian Grand Prix Mugello Italy June 1, 2008

Schumi Debuts in German Superbike Championship.

Well after all the rumours and speculation,  Formula One legend Michael Schumacher indeed made his debut in the German Superbike series. Somewhat of a mixed weekend for the 37 year old and his Honda CBR1000RR. After qualifying 39th fastest he finished race one in 28th at the flag posting times just 3 seconds of the pace of teamate and race winner Martin Bauer. Unfortunately, race two saw Schumi crash out while working his way through the pack.

                                      Schumacher gets a taste of the German tarmac

There has been quite a lot of talk about why Schumacher has chosen to take up bike racing. Even Bernie Ecclestone has commented in the press hinting that it is not really a good idea. However, hats of to him and we’ll certainly be watching his exploits here at Gadget Freaks.

Moto GP 2008 Round 5 Race Preview.

Well Moto GP fans it’s on again. This weekend sees the Grand Prix of France at the historic Le Mans circuit. With 4 different winners from as many races so far this season, this Sunday looks set to be a cracking battle between Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo. And as usual we here at Gadget Freaks have preparations well under way for the big race! 

FP 1 & 2- Pedrosa clocked the fastest combined times on Friday with Casey Stoner less than five-hundreths of a second behind. Yamaha veteran Colin Edwards was a further eleven thousandths of a second behind. Ever so close behind this trio was ‘Iron Man’ , Jorge Lorenzo. Although still injured from his Shanghai crash, the rookie is right amongst it but reportedly had to be stretchered back to his motorhome from the pit garage after taking a tumble in the session. Australian, Chris Vermeulin set the fifth fastest time and will be looking for a good result after taking the win at this circuit in 2007.

                      ‘Iron Man’ Jorge Lorenzo looks relaxed with his MP3 shades.

FP 3 – The Saturday morning session saw Colin Edwards set the fastest time on the latter stages. Valentino Rossi was second fastest followed by Dani Pedrosa. Casey Stoner was the early pace setter but finished fourth for the session. Poor Jorge Lorenzo had a rather short session crashing early and was required to visit the Clinica Mobile for precautionary checks. Let’s hope he can settle himself for qualifying later today. He registered the 13th fastest time, a sitiuation he will be very eager to improve.

                                                         Jorge Lorenzo crashes in FP3

In other motorcycle racing news it has been confirmed that 7 time World Formula One Champion, Michael Schumacher will compete in The German Superbike Championship. It is said that Schumi will pilot a 190 HP Honda CBR 100RR in the series. Way to go!

                                    Guess Who? Michael Schumacher on his CBR1000RR

The Weird & Wonderful World of Motorcycles!

We here at Gadget Freaks just love motorcycles and motorcycle racing of all kinds( esp. Moto GP). Throughout the ages there have been some amazing motorcycle designs and some monster creations. Some of these have caught on while others just kind of fade away and pop up in a museum somewhere. The golden era of the 50s and 60s saw some of the best and worst in bike design especially in competition machinery with some crazy aerodynamics. However, the entrance of the Japanese manufacturers in the 1970’s saw somewhat of a homogenization in bike design. These days though there many new designers bringing out some awesome concept bikes and radical new designs and as with the past some will be groundbreakers while others will just be bank breakers.

One of the legendary competition bikes that really set tongues wagging was the 1975 Yamaha TZ750 Dirt Tracker ridden by none other than the legend himself, Kenny Roberts. When they wheeled this thing out for the 1975 AMA series most people( including Roberts himself) thought they were joking. King Kenny had won the 73 and 74 series using Yamaha 4 stroke twin engines but 1975 saw Harley Davidson pull back the advantage. So Yamaha decided to take the TZ 750 4 cylinder two stroke road race motor and slot it into the dirt track frame! Pure insanity! The machine spawned one of the most famous quotes in the history of motorcycle racing.” They don’t pay me enough to ride that thing”, said Kenny Roberts. Read More……. 

 

Who could forget the movie ‘Easyrider’. That iconic flick where Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper go in search of America on motorcycles. As ‘iconic’ as the movie itself was Fonda’s Captain America chopper. Starting life as a 1952 Harley Hydra Glide which Fonda bought at a police auction, only the original HD pan head engine was retained while everything else was chopped stretched or twisted to make the final bike. Read More……..

 

Going way way back now to the dawn of motorcycle racing in The US. Back in 1908 if you were looking for a supersport bike for racing this is probably what you would have ridden. This 1908 Indian 1000cc twin was the state of the art back then and would have cost you US$360. It weighed 120 Lbs and had a top speed of 65 mph. Pure history. Read More…….

 

Well after looking at 3 of the classics we have this rather strange looking cycle! Almost a hyrid Segway/motorcycle this Uno Cycle looks like it has one wheel but in fact has two. Controls are quite simple as it only has an on/off  switch and its electric motor is controlled much in the way a Segway is. That is push forward to slow/stop, lean back to accelerate. Looks sporty enough but will it stand the test of time. Read More…… 

F1 2008 Round 4 Race Review. Turkish Delight for Massa.

What would we do without Lewis Hamilton? For me his passing move set up in the fastest corner in GP racing was the highlight of a race that almost cured my insomnia. Well it wasn’t the Ferrari whitewash that we expected with the Loveable Lewis Hamilton splitting the Ferraris and Robert Kubica’s BMW a distant fourth. I thought Hamilton had the race in the bag after his move on Massa but a 3 stop strategy put the Briton back a spot behind the Brazilian. I briefly fell asleep after Hamilton took the lead and awoke at the flag wondering what the hell had happened! Anyway, the French GP this weekend will surely keep me up- Moto GP that is! Read more……

Turkey Shoot! F1 2008 Round 5 Preview

After the excitement and drama of the Shanghai Moto GP last weekend we here at Gadget Freaks are looking forward to a bit of humdrum on Sunday with the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey. After a brilliant start to the season, Mc Laren seem to have dropped off the pace. Either that or Ferrari has lifted its game to lofty levels that the other teams cannot reach.

After early practise sessions at the Istanbul Park Circuit it seems Ferrari with Kimi Raikkonen are having an easy time at the top of the time sheets. Lewis Hamilton has struggled into second with Massa the Crasha in third after a few customary excursions onto the Turkish grass. Great early news for David Coulthard as the veteran Scottish driver clocked the fourth fastest time. The BMWs of Nick Hiedfeld and Robert Kubica were down in 10th and 6th respectively with some work to do to get up the grid.

The Istanbul Park Circuit is a great racetrack so let’s hope that we will see the 3 top teams all at their best on Sunday. With the banning of traction control and some electronic driver aids this year we are seeing the cars sliding around more which has made for some spectacular action. We here at Gadget Freaks are hoping this will bring the cars much closer for the duration of the race and maybe one day we might see 3 cars fighting for the lead on the last lap with tension and drama and………well we can always dream!

 

Moto GP 2008 Round 4 Race Review

After all the action and drama of practise and qualifying the stage was set for a great race. The morning warm-up was run in full wet conditions and it was uncertain what the weather would do. As the field sat on the grid during the pre-race build up there weren’t many happy faces among the riders. Track conditions were less than ideal with wet sections and a fairly distinctive dry line around most of the circuit. Despite the race being officially declared ‘wet’ all riders had chosen slick tyres. 

More pain for Jorge Lorenzo as his bike stalled on the grid as the riders took off for the warm-up lap. It looked as though Lorenzo had forgotten his injured ankles as he instinctively jumped off the bike and began to push it in an attempt to get it started…..ouch! Very cruel indeed. Finally his crew were able to run on to the grid and get him started.

Off the start it was veteran Colin Edwards with the lead into the first corner but Casey Stoner just squeezed past. The pace was fast and furious as the lead pack began to settle in and start to think about where to now. Pedrosa was the first to break away with Rossi in hot pusuit. Casey Stoner settled into third and was looking like he may join the battle at the front. Rossi got past Pedrosa for the lead and the two put on a display that saw them lapping at near record pace. Rossi was at his best and as hard as Pedrosa tried he could not find a way past ‘The Doctor’. Stoner had dropped of the pace somewhat and looked settled in third. Pedrosa also eventually relinquished and thoughts of catching Rossi and settled for second. Meanwhile, Jorge Lorenzo who had earlier dropped to ninth had carved his way through the field to finish fourth in what must be said was a brilliant and brave ride considering his injuries.

So that would seem to be  the last Chinese Moto GP we are likely to see for some time as the race will go elsewhere in 2009. Judging by the lack of spectators it appears that Moto GP is going to take some time to gain in popularity in China. Or maybe it is just that everyone is too Olympic focused to pay any attention to anything else. Not to mention the problems associated with the race namely the trouble many riders and teams faced with visa uncertainty and dramas with flights due to red tape and delays getting paperwork in order.

World Championship Positions ( after 4 rounds )

1- Dani Pedrosa ( Spain ) Honda  81

2- Jorge Lorenzo ( Spain ) Yamaha 74

3- Valentino Rossi ( Italy ) Yamaha 72

4- Casey Stoner ( Australia ) Ducati 56

5- Loris Capirossi ( Italy ) Suzuki 33

6- James Toseland ( Britain ) Yamaha 33

7- Colin Edwards ( USA ) Yamaha 31

8- Nicky Hayden ( USA ) Honda 29

9- Andrea Dovizioso ( Italy ) Honda 26

10- John Hopkins ( USA ) Kawasaki 26

Next Race : Le Mans, France May 18th.

 

 

 

Moto GP 2008 Round 4 Preview

Well fans they’re back! It’s Moto GP time again as the championship heads to China and the magnificent Shanghai circuit. A true test of man and machine, the track features a range of different corners and of course that long long back straight into a full hairpin. This is the fourth year that the Chinese Grand Prix has been run with Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner all having tasted victory. Sadly, it looks as though the race will be dropped from the calendar in 2009 with the race reportedly going to Hungary or Turkey.

FP1 this morning saw a real battle between Rossi and Stoner as both riders seemed determined to see the session out on top of the time sheets. It was Rossi though who triumphed while Fiat Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo seemed to struggle during the first half of the session. Unfortunately for the young rookie he suffered a vicious high-side ( see below ) in the latter part of practise and was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured right ankle, cut heel to that foot, damage to the left knee and ankle. Not the start to the weekend he would have been hoping for to say the least. However, signs are good he will be relatively fit to ride in Sundays race.

 

FP2 was all Stoner with the Australian all but dominating the session. Valentino Rossi challenged the young Australian throughout the session and finished second fastest while title rival Pedrosa claimed third spot.

1- Casey Stoner ( Australia ) 2’00″163

2- Valentino Rossi ( Italy ) 2’00″215

3- Dani Pedrosa ( Spain ) 2’00″361

The injuries to Jorge Lorenzo were confirmed as a chipped left ankle and general bruising and other minor injuries to the lower body. Yamaha in a statement said that he will take part in FP3 and qualifying tomorrow.

Gadget Freaks Gadget Regurge !

Isn’t it really annoying when you sit down for your favourite sitcom and it’s as if they’ve run out of ideas and you get a  regurgative ‘ walk down memory lane’ type show. You know like on Seinfeld when they sit around and Jerry says,” Hey remember the time Elaine and Peterman……….” And 30 minutes of cliche ridden segways follows to hightlights from past episodes!  I think you get the idea. Almost as bad as the retro nostalgic trend to remake movies of the classic 60’s TV shows like Get Smart and The Thunderbirds!

Anyway despair not! Today here at Gadget Freaks we thought we’d take a look at some of the more interesting gadgets we’ve reviewed to celebrate our 3 month anniversary here on WordPress.

Retro and nosltalgic in itself, this USB powered mini-fridge is just the ticket now that summer is well on its way. Styled on a 1950’s refrigerator, it has hot and cold controls and is just perfect for cooling a can on a hot day whilst watching Moto GP or something just as cool.

 

Staying on a retro theme, we really loved this MP 3 cassette player. Shaped like and old tape it is in fact an MP 3 gadget you can actually use in and old cassette player. Roll out all those 70’s hits and impress your younger friends who may have never seen such a thing!

 

Ah and who could forget our post and review on the 2008 Ducati Desmosedici GP 8 Moto GP bike. With its V4 Fourstroke 799cc motor pumping out 200+ horsepower weighing 148(dry) kg and hitting a top speed in excess of 310 kmh it surely is the ultimate gadget.

 

 

Anyway that’s it for our walk down memory lane. If you missed any of our past posts take your own retro read of our gizmo & gadgets reviews and race previews. Stay tuned for new any interesting gadgets and news right here on WordPress!