chgowiz

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Ha! I just had a captcha that said "congressional slacker"

Oh, almost forgot! I played another night of 3:16 Carnage in Space. Had a lot of fun!

New on Examiner.com Gaming 101 - Restarting a campaign bit.ly/4saV3d

I'm about to beat the head in of every programmer who creates CRUD sprocs without really understanding how to use them!!!!

Old Guy's RPG Blog: S&W Whitebox cover revealed bit.ly/8W3bb3

Production fix in place. Badly written SQL annoys the bejeezus out of me.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/britsonpole/~3/UakuCbM5nRo/fans-welcome-wheatcroft-pledge-to-secure-doningtons-future-post19631

http://www.britsonpole.com/?p=19631

The threat to Donington Park following the collapse of its Formula One ambitions looks to have lifted after the family owning it pledged to protect its future.

Fans organising on Facebook to help support the historic circuit have welcomed the news, with campaign organiser Lee Coombs saying he was relieved to know that cars and motorcycles would be able to race there in the future.

Kevin Wheatcroft, son of original owner Tom, has already begun the difficult and expensive task of restoring the circuit to its former glory, according to an interview given to a local newspaper.

Donington: not just a race track, also a legendary venue

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph in response to Coombs’ efforts, he said the museum, cafe and race control office had already been re-opened, and he was working to save as many jobs as he could.

And, in a contrast to the gloomy multi-million pound estimates of the work needed to undo the physical damage done to the circuit by Simon Gillett’s failed F1 bid, he said it would cost about £600,000 to “put things back as they were”.

In the longer term the family believes the job of running the circuit is too big for it and is seeking another leaseholder – Wheatcroft said so far 12 possible buyers have been found since the lease reverted on Christmas Eve.

He said: “I can reassure people we are doing everything we can to get things back to normal at Donington Park. It has been a very difficult time for the whole family, especially with the death of my father being played out against the problems at the circuit.

“We were given back the keys to the circuit and immediately started to work out what happens next. The first thing has been to try to save as many jobs as possible. We have been assessing what is required to put things back as they were.

“We owe it to the many people who have been loyal to us throughout this, including the fans, the race and rally organisers and our staff. We never ceased to be amazed by the level of love people have for this place and no-one has shown it more than the people signing up to the social networking group.”

Donington pitlane

This is the 2500-strong Facebook group set up by Coombs to show fan support for the circuit and to promote a rally of vintage, historic and classic cars there in March as a further demonstration. Members include Indy Lights racer Pippa Mann and Brits on Pole co-principal Andy Darley.

The campaign now also has a separate website at savedonington.co.uk and a MySpace page at myspace.com/savedonington.

Speaking to Brits on Pole, Coombs said: “It was such a relief to hear that they have made the decision to restore the track and invite race cars and bikes back again.”

He said the historic vehicle rally had originally been planned to involve a few members from a Lotus owners’ forum he belongs to, but word had spread across other forums and once the Facebook page gained momentum the idea really took off.

But he was keen to point out the intention had never been to lobby the Wheatcroft family or to stage a protest – instead, it was to show support. He said: “I wanted to make sure they knew that if they paid to restore the circuit, it would be money well spent. But obviously I didn’t want to create any pressure as it’s the family’s first Christmas without Tom Wheatcroft and, frankly, a long period of silence is understandable. This is just a show of support.”

The biggest fear of group members had been that the circuit would be sold off for housing following the collapse of Gillett’s scheme, which has left sections of the track dug up and much of the infield stripped down to bare earth.

Much work is needed before cars and motorcycles will exit here again

But Wheatcroft, who spent almost 32 years working there with his father, reassured them by saying: “It’s a difficult time to speculate with the world economy as it is, but I worked with my father for all those years and loved it alongside him enough to know what it means to everyone to ensure it will be still be there for the future.”

Tom Wheatcroft was the successful businessman and car collector who bought the circuit in the 1970s, renovating it and restoring it as a racing venue. He died in October last year, just as the Gillett bid to host the 2010 British Grand Prix was finally disintegrating.

His son’s frank and poignant statement fell short of openly criticising Gillett, but left no doubt about where he placed the blame for a dismal period in the circuit’s history and for the lack of enthusiasm among investors.

He said: “In my view, the debts and problems associated with the whole nightmare put people off. I think everyone felt misled by the situation.

“My father lived for his work and motorsport. He put his heart and soul into Donington Park and he was very upset by what happened to it and the mess it was left in.

“I am particularly upset because the Donington problems took up time that should have been spent with my father as he was dying. Whatever happens in the future, I will make sure his name will always be synonymous with the park.”

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/britsonpole/~3/IgMGCqHg280/qa-with-hannah-james-of-yourracingcar-com-post19491

http://www.britsonpole.com/?p=19491

YourRacingCar is an attempt by motorsports professional Hannah James to fund a race squad through the force of fan power, providing opportunities for up-and-coming drivers in the process.

Hannah James, YRC founder, is moving into top gear

On the books already is 23-year-old Fulvio Mussi from Colchester, who came fourth in this year’s Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup for YRC, scoring four podiums on the way.

Joining him for 2010 is Sarah Moore, 16, from Tockwith in North Yorkshire – reigning Ginetta Junior champion and a nominee for the 2009 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award, as well as the winner of the BRDC Club Driver of the Year award.

So, what’s on offer for fans wanting to help keep these two on the road? Individuals who subscribe to the YRC club get their names and pictures or logos on the team’s new Ginetta G40 race car, trackside access, special offers and a members’ pack full of goodies.

There is also an option for small businesses which aims to harness the power of motorsport to kickstart their marketing. In return, the team is able to try out a business model that is more flexible and less reliant on attracting and keeping the scarce attention of traditional sponsors.

A year after the project was founded, we asked Hannah to explain a little more about the YRC concept, what it has achieved so far and what she thinks the future might hold. Her replies follow below. To find out more, visit the YRC website here.

BritsOnPole: Tell us a little about the Ginetta G50 – it’s described on your website as “Bold, British and Brutal” which sounds like fun…

Hannah James: The G50 is a tricky customer but it’s a fun car. We chose it for the 2009 season primarily because it was entirely new to the British Touring Car package and we needed something that was going to attract lots of interest to launch the YourRacingCar.com club. There have been a lot of changes this year to the rules and regulations as well as the type of competitor challenging for the title so we’ll just have to see what happens.

How did you choose which drivers to back?

It’s not easy, that’s for sure. They need to have so much more to them than what the spectators see on track. The list of favourable characteristics is endless and being able to help us develop the YRC club is almost as important as talent behind the wheel. If I ever work out a formula, I’ll bottle it.

Fan-funded ventures have been tried before in various formats – such as Justin Wilson’s bid to fund himself by selling shares in his future earnings, and even a bid by myF1dream.com to lodge a team entry with the FIA this year. What made you decide on the particular format that you are using?

My background in touring cars is what really started it. A few years ago I knew absolutely nothing about racing (and some would argue I still don’t!) but I was with an amazing crew at SEAT Sport UK. There wasn’t one member of the team who didn’t take time to answer my questions, however stupid they might have seemed, and it made me realise how much that goes on isn’t readily available to the fans. There are a huge number of very knowledgeable people on the racing forums but I wanted people to have direct access to the horse’s mouth. That’s the backbone of the YRC concept.

The other thing that underpins it is recognising the fans’ importance. I wanted each member to have their name and a picture on the car – as any sponsor would. Logistically, I knew what we were doing was a nightmare for everyone involved – from the engineers to the sticker guys – but it was important. I also wanted people to get value for money – each member now gets well in excess of the price of membership back in benefits and we have our partners to thank for that, not least of all Thruxton who stumped up a massive discount on BTCC tickets for each member.

How important is the marketing side of the venture? Contributors are eligible for benefits and offers from your corporate partners – how big a part of the business model is this?

Marketing is arguably all we do – we’re listed as a sports marketing agency as there’s nothing better to describe us as. We’ve had naff-all budget for any conventional marketing activities so we’ve relied heavily on our partners to help us in this area, the MK Dons Football Club for example. They allowed us to bring the car to the stadium on match day and Fulvio took part in a hilarious ‘mascot race’ at half time (you can find it on our YouTube channel). Most organisations would charge a fortune for that kind of exposure but the MK Dons are also ‘fan people’ so they let us do it for nothing. We promote the football club to our members and they see some ticket sales from that so everyone’s a winner. Partners are really important.

Do you feel ventures like yours, that seek new methods of funding and supporting young drivers, could be a big factor in motorsport in the future? Do you see a limit to how far it could reach, or is the sky the limit?

In all honesty, I don’t know. Seeking innovative funding methods to support motor racing activities is nothing new but most people revert back to the more traditional sponsorship methods in the end. Introducing anything new takes a lot of time and effort and the rewards are certainly not instant – I think a few of the other initiatives that have surfaced in recent years have failed because they didn’t have a long term view. You can’t enter into something like this thinking that it’s a quick fix to raise a budget. It’s not.

Giving young drivers a leg-up is extremely important. There are too many excellent young prospects instructing on track days because there’s no money in the system to support their racing. The plan for YRC is to head into touring cars. Everything we do is focused in that direction. There is a limit as to how far YRC can reach because there are is a limited active motorsport fan base. If you do the maths you’ll realise that with an average of 20,000-30,000 BTCC fans attending each race weekend, raising a touring car budget solely on £15 and £25 contributions is unrealistic. We’ve already launched a new project in the Guerrilla Marketing Club. It’s based on the same principles as YRC membership, involving a large number of small businesses instead of the well-heeled few.

What is the best decision you made, and is there a decision that you would tackle differently if you could make it again?

The best decision I made was choosing Fulvio. We’ve had our moments and there’ll always be things we disagree on but we couldn’t have achieved what we have so far with anyone else. Plus he’s a constant source of ridicule which is very important to a motor racing outfit. The driver always needs to be the butt of every joke! As for tackling things differently, cheesy to say it but I wouldn’t change anything because every decision we’ve made has led us to where we are now. I don’t tend to regret things, it’s not worth it. I won’t however be making some of those same decisions again!

This sounds like a stressful, if fun project – what do you do to relax?

Go racing – that’s the relaxing bit. I find the ‘real world’ horribly stressful and I spend as little time involved in it as possible. I’m a bit faddy when it comes to hobbies and my latest phase is swanning around my local gym pretending to get fit. It’s totally exhausting and there’s a real art to not breaking a sweat in the gym.

Karting then a junior open-wheel series is often seen as the definitive route to success for young drivers. Can you tell us about some of the advantages and challenges of seeking to make an impression
in a tintop?

It depends how you define success – success for us is making it to each weekend first and foremost. I can’t really answer that question by comparing them because I have no experience of open wheel racing. However, I love tintop racing and I think the plus points for young drivers are many – it’s comparatively inexpensive (I can’t believe I just used that word in relation to motorsport), unpretentious, entertaining to compete in and to watch (every time) and I think it’s got far greater commercial value than open-wheel racing. Tintop is no longer the graveyard for retired open-wheel racers and a career can last considerably longer than is the norm in competitive open-wheel racing. There’s a spirit in successful tintop drivers that I don’t see in lid-less racing and, after all, this is show-business.

Do you think open-wheel racing will feature in your future?

I don’t think so.

What is the key piece of advice you would give to an up and coming driver?

Chuck out the rule book.

What are your ambitions for the future, short-term and long-term?

Short term is to keep all the YRC members involved and happy to be part of the club. Mid-term is to make it to the grid with competitive cars. Long term is to keep the YRC clubs and concepts going from strength to strength and continue to give fans a real inside view of our world. The ultimate ambition is to enter NASCAR under British fan power.

Now, wouldn’t that be immense?

- – – – -

A veteran of commercial and sporting roles in the British Touring Car, Le Mans Series and British GT Championships, Hannah James established YourRacingCar on the back of a beer mat at the world famous Autosport International Show in Birmingham in January 2009. Just three months later she found herself standing on the grid at Brands Hatch beside the YRC Ginetta G50 covered with the names of the founding supporters.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/britsonpole/~3/SuXQJnxUcT4/yrc-the-fan-fuelled-british-team-aiming-for-american-glory-post19592

http://www.britsonpole.com/?p=19592

A fan-powered racing team that puts its cars on track through subscriptions from ordinary supporters and support from small businesses has set its sights on NASCAR as its ultimate goal.

The YRC car in action

YourRacingCar.com is the brainchild of motorsports marketer Hannah James, who funded the fourth-placed finisher in the 2009 Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup entirely on fan support.

For 2010 the team is adding a second car in a second series – alongside the returning Fulvio Mussi in the G50, now paid for by a ‘guerrilla marketing club’ of small businesses, will be BRDC club driver of the year Sarah Moore with a fan-funded drive in the Ginetta G40 Junior Championship.

According to James, speaking in an interview with Brits on Pole, the point of creating the team was to offer ordinary fans an inside view of a touring car weekend that normally is only available to team personnel and deep-pocketed sponsors.

Fulvio Mussi on the podium in 2009

She said working in race marketing “made me realise how much that goes on isn’t readily available to the fans. I wanted people to have direct access to the horse’s mouth. That’s the backbone of the YRC concept.

“The other thing that underpins it is recognising the fans’ importance. I wanted each member to have their name and a picture on the car – as any sponsor would. Logistically, I knew what we were doing was a nightmare for everyone involved – from the engineers to the sticker guys – but it was important.”

Adding a second car has increased the costs and forced an expansion of the concept to include business sponsors – but, again, prices are pitched at a level to include companies that would normally miss out because of the cost.

She said: “The plan for YRC is to head into touring cars. Everything we do is focused in that direction. There is a limit as to how far YRC can reach because there are is a limited active motorsport fan base.

“If you do the maths you’ll realise that with an average of 20,000-30,000 BTCC fans attending each race weekend, raising a touring car budget solely on £15 and £25 contributions is unrealistic. We’ve already launched a new project in the Guerrilla Marketing Club. It’s based on the same principles as YRC membership, involving a large number of small businesses instead of the well-heeled few.”

And where will it all end up? Across the pond, if James has anything to do with it: “The ultimate ambition is to enter NASCAR under British fan power. Now, wouldn’t that be immense?”

To get involved as a fan or as a sponsor, visit the team website at YourRacingCar.com.

chgowiz

I hate it when a mini that I'm painting and mounted on temp stand falls off and breaks into pieces. Repairable but annoying/scary.

The #adjam text spam is hitting sprint now. It hit Verizon and AT&T earlier. Keeping an eye on forums.

Old School Star Trek RPG forum - just what I need. More distractions! :D is.gd/5MXZp

#IloveGameMastering because I can share the worlds and adventures in my head with other people and explore as they explore them.

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chgowiz

New on Examiner.com RPG news roundup (1/4) bit.ly/8hNihH

Old Guy's RPG Blog: A side project - community OD&D study bit.ly/4UaBxY

Twitter is quiet. Too quiet! It's a trap!

I didn't think it was formally announced but NASA apparently gives up on freeing Spirit from sandtrap is.gd/5Meqg #nasa #mars #rovers

hilltop

Hello, 

I was just looking through an art web site and came across your Gallery.Hope you are good today ? I am presently converting my Home to a guest house for Commercial purpose and would like to have some of your Renown works in the rooms of the Guest House. I tried to search for your detailed website so I can select some art works but could not get any web page that would assist me.
 
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Best Regards,

Edward Ford.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/britsonpole/~3/vVKcevVkwUo/what-have-fans-been-talking-about-in-the-off-season-post19475

http://www.britsonpole.com/?p=19475

What have racing fans found to talk about since the end of the season? The on-track F1 action may have finished at the Abu Dhabi finale on November 1, but the twists and turns kept on coming, bringing with them new topics of conversation.

With Jenson Button’s move to McLaren, Mercedes’ decision to take over Brawn GP (meaning the former privateer team will have perhaps the shortest winning streak in F1 history) and Michael Schumacher’s shock return to top-flight racing at the age of 41, it’s almost as if the season never came to an end.

It’s been a bit calmer in most other series – but, while things are slightly quieter, we’d though we’d take a look at what’s been making headlines among motorsports bloggers in the last two months of 2009.

To do this, we used IceRocket, a tool which allows you to plot the influence of up to five search terms against each other, and view the results as pretty graphs and tables. Find out more, or try it yourself, here.

And this is how we got on. Below you will find results for F1 drivers, F1 teams, F1 newcomers and racing series excluding F1. Happy reading!

And, don’t forget, you can visit our full 2009 F1 season review here.

F1 drivers: Schumacher and Alonso creating most buzz

The most buzz-worthy F1 drivers

As the graph above shows, the topic of the off-season has undoubtedly been Michael Schumacher’s prospective return to the cockpit of a F1 car. The idea that he could come back to the sport was first raised after Felipe Massa’s mid-season accident saw him pencilled in for a Ferrari drive. But, when that failed to materialise, his old mate Ross Brawn got on the phone and raised the seemingly incredible possibility of a return with Mercedes instead.

It took a long time for the F1 establishment to take the idea seriously. But somehow it just wouldn’t die. And, as it gathered momentum, we realised that – neck and back injuries permitting – Schumi really would be breaking his decade-long alliance with the Scuderia to return to top-flight racing at the age of 41. You can see very clearly the massive spike of interest when the announcement was made.

Jenson Button’s shock move from Brawn GP to McLaren was easily the most buzz-worthy topic in mid-November, after it became clear that his long-running negotiations to renew his contract with his existing team were going nowhere. The move, completed on November 18, was greeted with disbelief by many fans, who could not understand why he would choose to leave Brawn GP and did not like his chances when going head-to-head with McLaren’s long-term prospect Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking of the 2008 World Champion, it’s fair to say his appearances on the graph seem to have less to do with his own actions than with reflected buzz from his new team-mate and his new adversary Schumacher – see how peaks in his light-green line coincide with peaks in coverage for those drivers.

A steady rate of interest in Fernando Alonso’s debut with Ferrari peaked on November 15 when he was sitting on the rear of a Ferrari California driven into the gravel trap in front of a grandstand full of fans at the Valencia circuit by Luca di Montezemolo. Another peak seems to coincide with di Montezemolo’s statement in early December that Alonso would be better for the team than predecessor Kimi Raikkonen.

But Alonso, like Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (see below) has also benefited from the buzz caused by Schumacher’s return as fans wonder what it will be like to see two multiple world champions face off against each other. Steady interest in Massa’s recovery from his life-threatening accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix, plus speculation about how he will fare as Alonso’s team-mate, have both kept him fresh in bloggers’ minds.

Here’s the data in a table:

Buzz-worthy F1 drivers

IceRocket allows us to compare a maximum of five values – but bubbling just under the leading drivers were Nico Rosberg, the subject of 2,331 articles in this period, an average of nearly 39 per day, and Kimi Raikkonen, the subject of 2,045 articles, an average of 34 per day. The next-most popular driver was Rubens Barrichello with 1,387 mentions, followed by Vettel, Kubica and Webber all just crossing the 1,000 barrier.

F1 teams: Brawn/Mercedes unseats Ferrari

The most buzz-worthy F1 teams

It’s a given that Ferrari is the most popular F1 team. The overriding reason given for the wide latitude given to that outfit by the FIA has always been that its vast popularity means the sport needs it very badly. This makes the fact that Brawn GP, winner of the 2009 drivers’ and constructors’ championship has achieved an immense feat by knocking it off its perch as the most buzz-worthy F1 squad. Certainly this is not the result that we were expecting to see.

It’s all the more incredible if you take into account that Mercedes F1, the squad that Brawn GP is set to become next year, is generating almost as much buzz as Ferrari on its own. Of course, both are benefiting mightily from the Schumacher effect while McLaren fielding two world champions and ongoing discussions about the future of Renault provoked plenty of discussion about those two squads.

Clear spikes on this graph include the announcement of Jenson Button’s new drive and of Schumacher’s contract with Mercedes, provisionally resting on his doctors’ say-so. Renault briefly became the most talked-about team in the middle of this period when it announced the sale of a large stake to an external investor.

Here’s the data in a table:

Which F1 teams are the most buzz-worthy?

These teams were in a buzz-worthy league of their own, being the only ones to cross the hurdle of 2,000 blog mentions. However, Toyota’s F1 exit and the team’s and drivers’ futures continued to generate considerable discussion, with 1,874 blog mentions during this period, an average of 31 articles a day. Best of the rest was Lotus F1, with 1,682 mentions, or 22 articles a day. Williams clocked up 1,365 mentions, or nearly 23 articles a day while Sauber clocked up 1,337 mentions or an average of 22 articles a day. Just behind them were Toro Rosso, followed by Red Bull and USF1.

F1 teams: Who are the most talked-about new kids on the block?

How much buzz are the new F1 teams attracting?

Here’s what happens when you compare the buzz surrounding the four teams making their debut on the F1 grid next year. The big spike in the dark-blue Lotus F1 line coincides with the announcement that established drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen would be the first to appear for the Norfolk-based squad. On December 16 Lotus principal Tony Fernandes and Virgin F1 backer Sir Richard Branson made a bet that the losing team’s boss should work on the winner’s airline for a day dressed as a stewardess.

While you would not necessarily expect these teams to be generating anything like the levels of interest commanded by the top existing squads, Lotus have clearly made the biggest impression. The straightforwardness of the USF1 concept and its appeal to American fans might also be visible, or the buzz might be less positive. However Sir Richard definitely has a bit of work to do on the team’s profile. Only Campos is doing worse than Virgin, being forced to fight rumours that it will not have the cash to make the starting grid, and clearly has considerable work of its own to increase its public profile.

Here’s the data in a table:

How much buzz are new F1 teams attracting?

Series: F1 and GP2 dominate

Making a comparison of series at this time of year is a tricky task. Representing it visually is even trickier. F1 dominates to such a degree that, by plotting it on the same graph as any other series, all meaningful information is lost. This is made worse by the fact that, while most forms of open-wheel racing have gone into hibernation for the winter, a delayed driver market seasoned by a generous helping of politics has kept the F1 circus well and truly in town.

To demonstrate the discrepancy, we can tell you that in the period since November 1 Icerocket records Formula One as notching up nearly 44,000 blog mentions, an average of more than 700 a day. And that’s before we start searching on alternative terms such as F1, which would bring in about half as many again. And this isn’t really telling us anything we couldn’t observe for ourselves.

So, with F1 removed, what can we learn about bloggers’ interest in alternative open-wheel series? Well, for a start, that it’s hard to write blog articles when nothing much is happening. Still, some brave souls are trying, as the graph below demonstrates:

Which open-wheel racing series is most buzz-worthy?

The F1 driver market is doubtless creating buzz for GP2 with recent graduates Nico Hulkenberg, Kamui Kobayashi, Lucas di Grassi and Bruno Senna among those installed in top-flight drives as well as a keenly-contested driver market of its own. Indeed, confirmation of di Grassi plus Parente and Luis Razia as Virgin’s race and reserve drivers may have been responsible for the December 15 spike, as well as the issue of the series’ new race calendar around that time.

As far as the IndyCar Series is concerned, early in December Andretti Autosport driver Danica Patrick caused a stir in the blogosphere by announcing that she would be contesting a number of race in NASCAR’s junior Nationwide Series. Another long-running story has been the viability of the Brazilian date that will kick off the 2010 calendar, and which may also have fuelled off-season interest.

Here’s the data in a table:

Which open-wheel racing series are buzzworthy?

Curiosity continues about the future of the seemingly-defunct and bankrupt A1GP which, like a pet which wanders out of the house one day and never returns, has received no proper send-off and offers fans no closure. Outside the top five, football-themed Superleague Formula kept its end up with 211 blog mentions, an average of nearly four a day.

* A note about methodology: F2 gave a very good showing in this category, proving nearly twice as popular as GP2. But given that champion Andy Soucek has not yet nailed down an F1 seat, and that its winter testing only hit the beginning of this period, it is very hard to see how this is anything other than a false result. We have been unable to find a way of getting at a more accurate figure and so have excluded it.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/britsonpole/~3/wMQYK5kvWB4/f1-button-arrives-at-mclaren-post19448

http://www.britsonpole.com/?p=19448

On January 1 Jenson Button officially became a McLaren driver – and the team has wasted no time in making the most of its latest asset.

It started the year with a bank-holiday press release celebrating Button’s appearance in the New Year’s Honours list on the very first day he was contractually available to do promotional work for the team.

The release included a picture of Button in silver shirt and Vodafone cap, leaning on the heavily-branded rear diffuser of the team car. It is a slightly unsettling sight after his seven years wearing white for BAR, Honda and then Brawn GP.

Consider McLaren’s new territory well and truly staked out.

And today, the first working day of the new year, the team has released a Q&A with both its drivers, stressing its key messages for 2010.

It emphasises the presence of the last two world champions on the books at Woking, the expectation of a good working relationship between the pair, and the team’s determination to retain the drivers’ championship. It does this while prudently refusing to talk up the prospects for the MP4-25 until it has been through its paces out on track.

Button says that the move to McLaren represents “a big cultural change” for him – but also describes his move as exhilarating.

He said: “But, honestly, I really cannot wait to get out to Valencia and get my first run in the MP4-25 – I think that’s when it will finally sink in that I’m a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton says his priority at the moment is to get his hands on the car – after his experience with the MP4-24, which proved to be significantly less competitive in testing than was anticipated, it will be an important moment.

He said: “You can never take competitiveness for granted in Formula 1 – we saw that last year – so our common goal has to be to make MP4-25 a winning proposition as quickly as possible.

“Only once we’ve achieved that can we start looking at winning races and then, eventually, the world championship.”

The full Q&A

Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion – You’re now officially a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver – how does it feel?

Obviously, it’s fantastic to be part of one of the most famous names in Formula 1. But it’s also exhilarating: I’d been at the same team for seven years so this is a big cultural change for me, and something that I’m really looking forward to. There are a lot of new faces to remember and lots of names to learn – and that’s all got to be done alongside the engineering and limited testing we have ahead of the 2010 season. But I’m loving every minute of it – the atmosphere within the team feels fantastic, and I’ve already started to feel at home here. I can’t wait to get out in the fantastic new car the team has built for me!

Where do your priorities lie over the next four weeks?

Having no testing until the first week of February is something of a mixed blessing – it gives me the time to really get to know the guys at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and to properly integrate myself into the team – which I am absolutely committed to doing – but, equally, it’s another month without any running in the car – and getting miles under my belt will be crucial ahead of the first race. So, it’s only natural that there will be a lot of factory-based work for the next few weeks. I’ll be starting to work with my engineers, who are a fantastic bunch of guys. But, honestly, I really cannot wait to get out to Valencia and get my first run in the MP4-25 – I think that’s when it will finally sink in that I’m a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.

2010: a new year – how are you planning the successful defence of your world title?

Obviously, my aim is to keep the number one on my car for as long as possible! But, at the moment, it’s a little bit too early to start talking about the world championship. The backbone of any title challenge is built on good preparation, hard word, focus and dedication. And the hard work starts here – the next 10 weeks could well largely dictate the destiny of the 2010 world championship, so it’s crucial that we start testing very strongly and that we never let up. I’m more motivated than ever to work with the team and my engineers, and I’ve extremely positive for the year ahead.

Lewis Hamilton, 2008 Formula 1 World Champion – How have you been preparing for the 2010 season

I’ve been mainly training and trying to keep fit. At the end of the 2009 season, I promised myself that I would aim to be 100 per cent fit and focused on the new year, so I’ve been working hard. When I’m not training, I’ve just been at home in Geneva, preparing for Christmas and the new year.

Are you looking forward to trying the new car for the first time?

Yes, I’m excited and can’t wait to see it and test it. Hopefully, it’s going to be great for our team next year. I’ll be working closely with my engineers and the team to make sure we all hit the ground running with the new car. You can never take competitiveness for granted in Formula 1 – we saw that last year – so our common goal has to be to make MP4-25 a winning proposition as quickly as possible. Only once we’ve achieved that can we start looking at winning races and then, eventually, the world championship.

Have you had much of a chance to speak to Jenson yet?

Not yet, unfortunately. Our paths haven’t really crossed since he was announced at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in November. We’ve both been to MTC for our seat fittings – but they were on different days. The first time we’ll start working together is later this month, when we’ll both be at Woking together, then we’ll have the launch and the first test. We’ll be sharing the pre-season testing equally, and it will be important to keep a crossover of information between us to make sure we are both pulling in the right direction.

Source: McLaren.com

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chgowiz

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