Caption This

In honour of Felipe Massa's 31st birthday, it's time for a special 'Caption This'.

Send your entries in to me on twitter @AilishCatherine or leave them below. 

Have fun and get your caption on.

Big thank you

2,000 views already and the blog has been up and running for 3 months.

Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time out to read my blog. I really appreciate it.

I look forward to the next milestone of views and hope you all enjoy what's to come.

Sunny Sakhir

Here's this week's #FanFormula entry

Here. Have a blogswap

A new trend is in town. Blogswapping.

Bloggers are coming together and showing each other what we've got.

@JackLeslieF1 contacted me about taking part in a 'blogswap' with his self and of course I took up on the offer.
I've seen on twitter a little bit about Jack's journey into blogging and was interested in finding out more. I asked Jack if he could write in more detail his blogging aspirations as I saw he had the opportunity to go down and meet the new Sky F1 team in a media day and I wanted to know more about that experience.

Jack asked me to write about Lewis Hamilton and what has been going wrong for the 2008 World Champion in recent seasons. This has been a question on everyone's lips, from bloggers to journalists in the F1 paddock.

You can check out Jack's blogswap with me here: http://ailishcatherine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/jack-leslie-aspirations-for-future.html

You can also check out my blogswap with Jack here:  http://jackleslief1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/from-zero-to-hero-ailish-clarke.html

Follow Jack on twitter @JackLeslieF1 and check out his blog http://jackleslief1.blogspot.co.uk/

Blogswapping is the future, so get involved.

From zero to hero

Lewis Hamilton, believe it or not, has only been in Formula 1 for 6 seasons and already he's accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. 

In 2007, his rookie season, Lewis Hamilton achieved more than anyones' expectation and throughout the season delivered result after result for McLaren, but lost out to winning the championship by just a single point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. He quickly bounced back, and the following season blew everyone away to win the World Championship in a brilliant finale race. Lewis won the championship on the last corner, of the last lap, of the last race of the season.

Lewis Hamilton has been destined for great things in his Formula 1 career, but over the past 2 seasons, he has slowly began to fall under pressure. So where did it all go wrong?

Going in to the 2009 season as the current World Champion, you'd expect to show everyone what you're made of. This wasn't exactly the season for Lewis Hamilton. Winning only 2 races all season meant he was out of the picture to clinch his 2nd title.
2010 saw Jenson Button, the 2009 World Champion join McLaren and drive alongside Lewis.
With team mate troubles in the past, would this cause problems within the team? The answer to that. No!
With both a championship to their names, they were hungry for another title, but didn't let their ego's get in the way and created a successful partnership within the team.
Button and Hamilton were both in the race for the championship but were edged out, in a dramatic ending to the 2010 season with Sebastian Vettel winning the World Championship at the final race in Abu Dhabi.

What happened next?

The 2011 season is a season that will want to be forgotten in more ways than one for the McLaren driver.
The season was full of distractions off track rather than on track, as his personal relationship with on again, off again girlfriend, Nicole Scherzinger a major talking point throughout the season. Disappointing results, endless meetings with race stewards and coming together with Ferrari's Felipe Massa on a number of occasions, outbursts with the media. You may remember the infamous "Is it 'cause I'm black. Ali G" comment that Lewis made at the Monaco Grand Prix after coming together (again) with Felipe Massa. This wasn't the Lewis Hamilton we've grown to admire.

After this comment was made it was clear that Lewis Hamilton had changed. Was his father to blame?
 
Anthony Hamilton has been hands on in Lewis's driving career, ever since the word go, but after an argument resulting in Anthony leaving his son as manager and Lewis going at it on his own. Was this the reason for the lack of form?
Lewis is now managed by Simon Fuller, the same management company that is linked with David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, JLO and Andy Murray, to name a few. Maybe the glamourous red carpet events, hanging out with stars like P Diddy, Rihanna and Will.i.am is what it's all about now for Lewis Hamilton.

Over the off season Lewis spent time rekindling his romance with Nicole Scherzinger and from the looks of it, are back on (again). With his father being at the races, albeit managing fellow Brit, Paul Di Resta, Lewis has finally found that support 'bubble' he has been missing out on.

The start of the 2012 season has been a corker so far, for Lewis Hamilton. Going into the 4th race of season in Bahrain this weekend, Lewis has been on pole position twice and finishing 3rd in each race so far, this year is definitely looking promising.

There's still a long way to go but it's fair to say, Lewis Hamilton is back.

Jack Leslie. Aspirations for the future

Since a young age, I have sat in front of my TV set and watched the Formula 1. It was not until 2004 that I really got hooked, but later still until my aspirations were for a career in the sport.

In July 2011 I decided to start an F1 blog, at the time named TalkFromJackLeslieF1. I had always been told I was better at coursework at school, researching and writing. The idea of starting a blog or website had been in my head for a while but I finally plucked up the courage to start one. I asked Peter Windsor, legend in the F1 Journalism world, whether it was a good starting point or not and he said yes.

As I wrote more articles I started to see the improvements and I learnt a huge amount in the early days. Designing the website was also quite enjoyable and showed my creative side, the format of BlogSpot was great because I had no clue how to make a website from scratch. The views were building and in the first full month of being online I had around 3,000 views.

Slowly the website started to gain in popularity and my writing had improved heavily. That is when I realised that I really wanted to be an F1 Writer or Journalist. People on Twitter always said that I would replace Jake Humphrey or someone like that but being in front of the camera does not interest me, nor do I think I would be very good. In person and in front of the camera I am generally abit shy at first, so writing is great for expressing my views. It is all about the writing. It was so overwhelming to see support and great comments on social media and that really boosted my confidence.

After my website became “JackLeslieF1” in January 2012 it really picked up. I got scouted, of sorts, by Sky Sports and got the opportunity of meeting all of their new channel crew. It was a great experience, I was very nervous and abit too quiet at first, as I was alongside accomplished writers and journalists. Being so young, the youngest in the room, it was abit intimidating but also so great to see them at work and think that I could be in their position.

After that meeting with the Sky F1 people they have really helped by RTing, tweeting links on twitter and emailing me advice. Those things have helped my work be shown to such a diverse range of people so it is great and I really appreciate their help.

So far my website has been viewed over 55,000 times which is pretty unbelievable for around 9 months. I have also posted some amazing guest posts and had great feedback with Polls and comments. It really is amazing. Just recently I gained my first official “partner” with Official Merchandise, an F1 merchandise retailer. I have also gained permission from Sky Sports to interview all of their TV team and have lots more to come.

I started writing for other projects like Track Reviewers, Final Sector and more recently RichlandF1 and The Write Formula and that really helped me improve and gain experience. If you now look on my portfolio page it goes on a good while which I am so proud about because I am only 17. I have also interviewed some great people and, even if it is only be email, those people are just so great, giving up their time to talk to little old (young) me.

I really aspire to write for websites or magazines, like Sky Sports F1 or F1 Racing. Whether it is an accurate or realistic goal I do not know but I think I have the writing talent. At the current time I’m studying for my AS exams and university is still a question mark. On the one hand it would be great to help me improve my writing but it is expensive and a number of people have told me that you can get to the top without going.

F1 Writing really interests me, it is something I enjoy doing and also reading others. I love all the different styles and how you are the one giving people breaking news, reviews and things like that. It is by no means easy and you will always be scrutinized but I always try and look at the positives.

So maybe you will be seeing my work in F1 magazines and F1 websites in the coming future, at the moment though I will focus on my A Level exams and also keeping my website up to date, improving and pushing to get my work seen.

Chaotic China

This week's #FanFormula entry

Easter Special

This week's Easter Special #FanFormula

I do like the publicity

Here's the video that was shot at the Williams F1 factory with Ingenie and Natalie Pinkham.

As I love getting my face in anywhere related to Formula 1. Please enjoy

10 percent

Here's this weeks #FanFormula entry.

You're only limited by your own imagination

A quote today from Natalie Pinkham, and it really has inspired me.

The 29th of March was just a regular Thursday, apart from the fact I spent it at the Williams F1 factory, down in the Grove, Oxfordshire.

As soon as you walk into the conference centre, you are immediately hit with history and heritage of the team.
I was there as a guest of Ingenie. They are a car insurance company for 17-25 year olds and ran a competition via twitter. I was lucky enough to be one of the 10 winners.
Walking through the corridors you are surrounded by photos of past Williams drivers, and moments from history.
Stepping into the conference room where we were based for the day, I was immediately greeted by Natalie Pinkham. She is an ambassador for Ingenie. She introduced herself and asked who I was, where I was from, etc. Such a genuine person, so lovely, who, throughout the entire day spent time to talk to every single competition winner. She was truly wonderful and a pleasure to talk to.

The CEO of Ingenie opened the day activities with a speech congratulating us and giving us a little bit more detail of who Ingenie are and their intentions. Then we got underway.
Firstly we were split into 2 groups. The first group went down to see the Williams' Grand Prix collection and the second group went straight onto the F1 simulator.
I was in the first group and got to dive straight into the history of Williams in their Grand Prix collection.

My one and only word to describe the collection is 'WOW' it's mind blowing.

You are literally walking through history, with videos showing moments in Williams' Formula 1 life that has established them as such an iconic team. I had so many emotions when walking through the collection. I was overwhelmed being there. Knowing that only a select few have been there to witness this collection in real life. Being surrounded by a collection worth over £50 million. Just WOW!
I was also a little emotional. Being able to touch the car that Ayrton Senna drove, before he was sadly taken from us.
I just couldn't believe I was in the presence of all these championship winning cars, that are a legendary piece in the history of Formula 1.

After the Grand Prix collection it was simulator time. Once in a lifetime experience.
Beforehand, Adam Parr came in to say hello.

The last ever picture you shall see of Adam Parr in a Williams shirt and you have my lovely self in as 

well.

The simulator was just incredible. I always say when I'm watching Formula 1 "How hard can it be?"

I can give a first hand experience and say it's bloody hard.

The simulator was automatic gearbox and I did 6 laps. Don't know how they do 50-60+ laps. I really don't. 

As you can read. The car was driven by Jenson Button and Ralf Schumacher. Such an honour to say my bottom has been where Jenson's bottom has been. 

When it came to driving. To give a picture of how difficult it was. Driving out of the garage, I drove straight into the pit wall. 

I've done karting, and I passed my driving test first time, so I know how to drive. This is just another level of driving. If I had the chance to have a few more laps I would've mastered it and been a pro.

6 laps just wasn't enough. I did make it into the Top 10 though. Quite a few seconds off the pace but we don't need to mention that.

Natalie Pinkham finished in 8th with myself only half a second behind her. 

My photo of the day. On the Williams F1 simulator with Natalie Pinkham right beside. 

It was just an amazing day that I shall cherish with me forever. It's my third F1 factory I've been lucky enough to see and by far the best. 

I could just go on and on....... Just. Amazing!