A small win with "Giant" effect- The Eagles soar at the Meadowlands

The Eagles flew to a 36-21 victory against a now 0-5 Giants on their home turf this past Sunday, and whilst you can't judge a team on its ability to beat a team who concedes an average of 36 points per game, the win itself meant that the Eagles are now tied at the top of their division along with the Dallas Cowboys after they faced a heartbreaking loss against the Broncos. In comparison, both the Raiders and the Chargers are on 2-3 and they are tied for bottom in the AFC West. In that sense, this win was crucial.


But with every silver lining there is a cloud, and this could well be a thunder storm waiting to rip Philly apart or it could be the cloud needed to fire the team up and rebuild after the storm passes. An MRI Monday morning revealed that Vick suffered a pulled hamstring in the second quarter, Kelly said. It didn't look overly serious as he was seen walking up and down the sideline trying to see if he could return to the game but the decision to keep him off the field could well mean he starts against Tampa Bay in week 6 if he is fit.
     

It was Nick Foles who took over the Quarterback spot and did an impressive job, scoring two touchdowns and completing 16 passes out of 25 attempts. He may not have the scrambling ability or the read option threat that Vick possesses but a solid arm on Sunday from the 24 year old showed the world that if Vick does get injured seriously at some point in the future, then there is a man ready to lead this Eagles offense.

The game itself was again plagued with penalties and turnovers, but this time not from the Eagles. Manning completed 24 of 52 for 334 yards and two touchdowns, but three penalties for intentional grounding along with his three straight interceptions in the fourth quarter. One turnover came from Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who managed to fumble in the second quarter without even being hit, the ball simply slipped from his grasp, very much so like the victory the team were chasing so desperately.


On the Eagles side of the ball, Foles led the Eagles to 17 second-half points with five field goals overall from kicker Alex Henery. As mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to judge how well a team is playing against the Giants because the majority of the attention is being based on how many issues there are surrounding the team. The Eagles came away with a win and have a right to feel happy about it. The defense picked up 3 interceptions but is that due to poor offence or has the Eagles Defensive unit found some good form? Nick Foles was able to score two touchdowns and for a second string QB that is a very respectable feat. Was this down to his accuracy or down to the poor defensive effort from New York?


With Vick still doubtful to start week 6, there are mixed emotions going into the Tampa Bay matchup. Can Foles carry on his current from and bring the Eagles to a 3-3 record? Has our defense improved or was it simply New York giving the unit too many easy opportunities making interceptions as easy as taking candy from a baby?

All will be answered in week 6 but for now, Philadelphia fans can hold their head high. If being Tied first for the division and facing an 0-4 Tampa Bay next week doesn't give fans a slight reason to smile after a slightly troubled start to the Chip Kelly era then they need to realize that at least they are playing better than the Jaguars!

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What happened to the NFC "B"East?- NFL's toughest division struggles in 2013

Just over a month ago the NFC East promised to be the closest the division has been in years. It has always been one of the toughest in the league but this year was looking to be something truly special. Going into the season you had the Giants who are always strong, the Cowboys, the new redesigned Chip Kelly Eagles Offence and the return of RGIII and the Redskins.
    Going into week four and the NFC Beast has turned into something a lot less intimidating. Only three of the four teams were in action on Sunday after the Eagles suffered a loss to the Chiefs and former coach Andy Reid. Two of those teams lost whilst just one team came away with a win from the entire week.
             Let's take a look at the NFC East standings after the opening three games of the season.

1st. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
2nd. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
3rd. New York Giants (0-3)
4th. Washington Redskins (0-3)

In comparison to last season's table at this stage it almost looks like an entirely different division? But what is causing such a big dip in performance from three of the four teams and is there any hope of redemption as we head towards the end of the first quarter in the 2013 season?


Dallas Cowboys- 


Ways to prove critics and the internet wrong.
1. Decimate the St Louis Rams
2. Take advantage of a crumbling NFC East
3. Rush for 175 yards.


Sitting at the top of the division right now, the Cowboys have gotten off to a very good start. Especially after coming out with a 31-7 home win against the St Louis Rams. A lot of that however was down to a fantastic running game from DeMarco Murray as he rushed for a massive 175 yards with the longest being 41. Quarterback Tony Romo finished for a 17/24 completion rate, 210 yards and three touchdowns. A very respectable feat considering the game beforehand they too, like the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs with Romo averaging 6.8 yards per play. The Cowboys showed real signs of improvement this week in a simply must win situation. Easily the most impressive team in the division at the moment as Romo looks capitalize on the poor form of their three rivals by racking up as many wins as they can. Next up they face the Chargers who were halted by the Titans on Sunday in the final few moments of the game. It will be a very intense matchup, that's almost certain.




Philadelphia Eagles-

A season which started out so promising has slowly taken a turn for the worst as old habits return to the city of Brotherly love. After a week one victory against fellow NFC East team and bitter rivals the Redskins, Philadelphia took a big hit as they lost to the Chargers by a field goal. A few days later they played their most emotional game of the season as 14 year head coach at the team Andy Reid took his Chiefs to a 3-0 record leaving the team exhausted and scratching their heads. 

     Fatigue could be used as an excuse for the team after playing three games in just eleven days. With the tempo that Chip expects his offence to perform at it is obvious that the team will eventually get worn down. The signs have already become evident as star running back LeSean McCoy limped off the field at the end of the first half last Thursday with Vick also showing signs of light injury. If this hurry up style offence is going to work then the Eagles HAVE to stay in top condition. Fighting the unknown is a very hard thing to do, but fighting the unknown who simply give you the ball is a much easier feat to accomplish. The defense did show signs of improvement with a great job at getting the ball back for Michael and the offence but there is only so much the Defense can do if the Offence fail to score. They simply cannot turn the ball over five times and expect to win the match.
    The road from here on out does not get too much easier as they travel to the Denver Broncos next Sunday. Being captained by Peyton Manning and already stamping their authority over the much more tightly contested AFC West where all four teams have taken victories. The Broncos are now 3-0 after a huge victory over the Oakland Raiders where Manning yet again threw for 300 yards and left Oakland trailing 37-21. Still yet to record his first interception, the Eagles will travel to the Mile High stadium with an almighty task on their hands before they face divisional rivals, the struggling New York Giants.


New York Giants-

If you were to place a bet on the Giants going 0-3 in the 2013 season the returns would be huge. If you were to also put a bet on their game against the Panthers being a shutout and losing 38-0 you may very well have become a millionaire. If you also bet on Manning being sacked a whopping SEVEN yes SEVEN times then you could buy the entire franchise.
   New York have had their worst start to a season since 1996 and as if the odds of the Giants making the playoffs weren't low enough, only 3 of the 115 teams that have started 0-3 have reached the postseason. But why are such a prestigious team suffering so much? And why is it that Eli Manning is in a situation where he is being sacked three straight plays in a row?
 For starters the trademark New York "Pass rush" which was once something to be feared was non-existent, the running game ran for a hugely disappointing 17 yards in the first half with 14 coming from a desperate effort to escape being bought down a 23rd this season by Eli Manning. 
     As was the story in the Eagles loss, penalties played a big factor in overshadowing first downs and completely wrecking scoring field position. 
       With all of these factors, the Giants were nothing but a shadow of their 2012 form and it looks like it is going to continue unless something changes dramatically. Yes, the Carolina defense is very good and yes Cam Newton was on fire but the point is a loss is barely acceptable for a dynasty like the Giants, a big loss is angering but a shutout by 38 points must be sending big red warning lights straight to coach Coughlin. Is it time for a coach change or can the Giants break the trend of never making the playoffs after losing their opening three games? Only time will tell as they face the 3-0 Chiefs in week 4 and then Division rivals the Eagles in week 5. A game which both teams need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive and stop Dallas running into the sunset before the season hits the halfway mark. A lot will be on the line and it could very well come down to a few big plays from either team but one thing is for sure, the whole team needs to improve, and they need to do it now.


Washington Redskins- 

Griffin fumbles a promising run and gives Detroit a crucial touchdown.

Where do we start with the Redskins? Divisional champions last year and currently sit with 0 wins and 3 losses. RGIII came back from Knee Surgery after missing the pre season still searching for his earlier form in all 3 games. The defense with the exception of Riley in their first two games seemed to just not have the hunger they did last year. How can we prove this? They're on track for giving up the most yards in a single season and after 53 snaps of the ball in the first half alone against the Eagles, the Redskins are left searching for anything that is going to help them turn their season around.
      Their defense definitely showed signs of improvement against Detroit but it was the team on the other side of the football who let them down. The offense is still yet to produce that explosiveness that they dominated the 2012 season with.
     It doesn't help when Griffin rushes the football with a chance for a touchdown before tripping over and handing it to back to the Lions who as a result won the week 3 matchup 27-20. A reversed touchdown call came late in the fourth quarter which secured victory for Megatron and the Lions and as they head to a 2-1 record, the Redskins are still searching for that first win. Their next game is against Oakland before going into the bye, but Washington are confident that they can come out on top. We will see if that confident converts into success in under a weeks time.



The NFC East has shocked a lot of people this year with its lack of wins. The entire division is 1-7 against opponents who aren't in their divison with the only win coming from the Cowboys against the Rams. As we head towards the end of the first quarter of the season the division is looking to be the least impressive in the entire NFL. We will see how things change in the coming weeks. Can the Giants make history and bring their team to the playoffs? Can Dallas find their form and win their first divisional championship since 2009? Can the Redskins find their winning form from 2012 and just how long can the Eagles keep this high tempo offence running? All will be revealed in the next few weeks.

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Reid all about it- The Chiefs halt the high flying Eagles

Last night Andy Reid made his return to Lincoln Financial Field and was greeted with a warm welcome from the city of Brotherly Love but the reactions soon changed as the most successful coach in Eagles history showed the world that he has not lost his touch. 

The Gatorade bath ended an emotional game for Andy Reid

     The game could be summed up by just a single word. Well, maybe two. Mistakes and Turnovers. The mistakes started from the get go when the Eagles received the ball after an impressive defensive drive, Johnson who was meant to catch the ball did not get his elbows tucked in quick enough and the ball slipped from his grasp handing the Chiefs possession and ultimately a 3-0 lead. Things only seemed to get worse for the birds as Quarterback Michael Vick threw his first interception of the season on just his second pass resulting in a touchdown for the Kansas team. 
   From then on it was an uphill battle with glimmers of excellence from both teams being overshadowed by poor quality on both sides of the field. Michael Vick was causing a storm on the running game with a big 61 yard run down the field ending in a Touchdown pass to Jason Avant making the score 10-6. The extra point wasn't missed, in fact Chip being Chip having spent most of his career in the College ranks decided to go for the two pointer which was fended off by the Kansas Defense. 
    But what could overshadow such a great drive early on, numerous impressive runs by Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and the ever exciting LeSean McCoy? Penalties. The Chiefs suffering numerous penalties for illegal formations whilst the Eagles had their own issues with plenty of holding and face mask calls by referee Walt Anderson.
       As mentioned earlier however, the two main words of the day were mistakes and turnovers. Kansas were able to force four turnovers on the Eagles offence but headed into the final quarter leading by a single touchdown. The statistic is quite puzzling as the Chiefs had so many chances given to them on a silver platter yet were unable to convert as the Eagles Defense kept the game within reach. But only just. 
   The Eagles were not the only team struggling with receiving it seems as McCluster dropped the ball on a reception a few minutes after Charles reeled in another 6 points, forcing Alex Smith to start his drive from their own five yard line.The momentum was evidently on the side of the birds but the Chiefs did a brilliant job at running the clock down taking out a massive 8 minutes on just one single drive. They drove it all the way to the 21 yard line and were able to kick for three points, extending their lead and surely putting the game beyond all reach.
   Philly weren't going to go down without a fight however as Vick and the recovering LeSean McCoy (who limped to the locker room before half time) were able to get another touchdown on the board making it a one score game as Shady took it to the house for another touchdown and another 100 yard rushing game for the Eagles running back.

Reid wins on his return and shakes hand with his replacement
Chip Kelly

   The final two minutes, the situation in which you would expect an Eagles team with the ball to excel considering their play style were simply disappointing. Vick had one last chance to tie the game but the Chiefs defense did a fantastic job at keeping the pride of Virginia tech at bay. They also did a great job marking DeSean Jackson all night long, he was able to make one big play for the offense but I'm sure it was in the game plan to make sure he does not get the football and more importantly does not score. A goal achieved by Kansas.
     The night was all about number 5 as Donovan McNabb retired his Eagles Jersey, the legendary Quarterback who worked so close with Andy Reid over his career was given a ceremony at half time. But upon reflection the number 5 cropped up numerous times. 5 forced Eagles Turnovers and 5 sacks on Michael Vick from the Chiefs Defense. 
  
      
 The game finished 26-16 to Kansas City who head off to face another NFC East team, this time the New York Giants who are on a slightly worrying 0-2 record so far. Eli Manning will be hungry to get himself and his team back to winning ways as they face the now 3-0 and surely confident Kansas City Chiefs.
      Philadelphia now have a much needed rest after playing 3 games in just 11 days but the storm may have only just begun as they will face star Quarterback Peyton Manning and his 2-0 Broncos in week 4. A game which is crucial to both parties and will be a spectacle for sure. 
       After a decimating win in week one and a loss in week 2, the Eagles sink to a 1-2 record. Have the other 31 teams finally found away to stop this hurry up offence or are the team just tired? When you play at that kind of pace for three games in eleven days then the offence is going to get worn down extremely easily. This is not an excuse however, a lot of flaws have come to light and they will all be addressed by Kelly in the coming days. But for Coach Andy Reid, he will leave Lincoln Financial Field as he has entered many times before in his fourteen year career at the team, a winner. 

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RG-III or RG-Knee- why the Redskins are struggling this season

Over the past 4 years, 30 teams have started the season 0-2. None of them made the playoffs. Before the season began, there was a lot of speculation about the Washington Redksins and how Robert Griffin III would perform. But the fans remained optimistic following on from their first division win since 1999.
     But two weeks have passed now and the Washington team have sank to a disappointing 0-2 record. Whilst that may not be the end of the world for fans, something that could be a cause for concern is the fact that they have allowed over 1000 yards in just two games. Here are the five reasons in my opinion, why the Redskins are struggling this season.

The name RG-Knee has been floating around since a big loss against rivals Philadelphia, the Redskins Quarterback has not been playing to the same level as most fans and players alike expected him too. This is probably down to the fact that he is still recovering from his Knee Surgery and is at about 80%. When you have a rookie of the year at the helm and a man who should be as dangerous as Mike Vick when it comes to scrambling and accuracy, he needs time in the pocket to complete a few passes and build up the confidence.
    Unfortunately that hasn't been the case and both the Packers and the Eagles were getting to Griffin too easily halting any chance of a big play. When Robert finally got the ball away, it was either incomplete or worse an interception. 33 incompletions and 3 interceptions over 2 games isn't exactly a statistic that fantasy football players will be drooling over.
           Griffin has shown a trend over both games to improve in the second half but at this stage it's too little too late. He HAS to attack from the start and work out how to get the ball away quickly so he has less time to get hit and more importantly reduce the risk of getting injured. 
   
        There is no point in being able to score on every drive if you concede the very next one. And having only scored 23 points in the opening two games, that means that if the Redskins had any chance of winning it had to come from the defense. Again this hasn't happened and Washington look vulnerable at the line. They have allowed an enormous 1023 yards over just two games and are currently 32nd in the rankings on defense. Something HAS to change.
   Arguably they have had two very difficult games against a hurry up college offense in Philly which subjected them to a first half from hell giving them 53 snaps in one half and then traveled to a ticked off Green Bay who lost against the 49ers in week one and desperately wanted to get that first win on the board. But the defense look like they are being coordinated by a 9 year old!
   There is a lot of confusion between plays and when they finally get to the quarterback through the blitz, the very next play the give up massive yardage and the momentum goes. The defense are in an SOS situation and need one solid game to get their season back underway. But facing the Lions next week and more importantly facing Megatron Calvin Johnson himself is not going to be an easy task. DeSean Jackson made mince meat of the Line Backers, Corners and Safety's so what exactly is a man who had an amazing game against Minnesota going to do? He has unrelenting pace and the ability to shake off some big tackles. Another area where the Redksins are struggling.
     Not all of the blame can be placed on the defensive line, if anything it's the men behind the line who need to be making the big tackles. But none of them are succeeding, two games in a row the tackles are being shrugged off like it's nothing. The main flaw that I have spotted is that when entering a tackle the heads are down. How are you supposed to make a tackle if you aren't looking at what you're hitting? If a player spins away and you're admiring how green the turf looks then the chances of bringing him down are close to nothing.
 
The bottom line is that the entire team needs to find their form and find it quick if they have any hope of making the playoffs this year. There is a small glimmer of hope and that is that all three of the other teams in the NFC East lost this weekend so they just need a single win to be back within contention as no team is running away with the division at this early stage on a 2-0. Against an impressive Lions Defense, RG III needs to show us what he can do, we have seen how amazing he can play throughout the 2012 season but if you live in the past then you will stay there. Griffin needs to focus on the games ahead and get himself in the best shape he can as he fights his way through recovery.
As for the defense, well they need to start completing tackles, collapsing the pocket quicker and more importantly make the right calls at the right time. If they lose another 500 yards against the Lions I fear this could be the beginning of a very long and difficult road for the Redksins. It's do or die this Sunday.

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Philadelphia Eagles 2013 season preview

Two years since the so called superteam shook up the NFL and a year since the Eagles went a disappointing  4-12, they come back with a new play style, new lineup and a new head coach. But are these changes going to help restore the team to their former glory and maybe to a championship?

Chip off the old block-

After having the worst season in the Andy Reid era, the Eagles have found themselves a new head coach who is ready to completely revamp the team. Ex Oregon coach Chip Kelly is the man in charge, a man who won 46 games in 4 seasons with Oregon including three championships and two BCS bowl games. Chip is expected to bring his uptempo style to the team and increase the amount of running plays used per game. He has already altered the training programs with different workouts and even involving music. Some teams would react horribly to a drastic change but the players have nothing but praise and respect for their new coach. With fans worldwide eager to see how the new Eagles lineup fair in the pre-season, Chip could be the change the team so desperately needed.

Vicktorious- the battle of the quarterbacks.

Michael Vick had a somewhat disappointing season in the six games he played prior to injury. Completing under 60% of his passes and throwing interceptions far to often meant the Eagles were relying on their defence to get them out of sticky situations. However not all of the blame can be placed on the pride of Virginia Tech, the offensive line were not helping and receivers simply could not find the space for the ball to be thrown to them. 

    The second half of he season saw rookie Nick Foles fill the injured Vicks shoes and they were big shoes to fill. Throwing 1699 yards and 6 touchdowns is a fairly respectable statistic for the number 88 draft pick of 2012. What Foles lacks in mobility and agility he makes up for in decision making. Nick is very good ad getting the ball out of trouble, making short passes and throwing it out of bounds if needed. 

  The attention has been on Nick this pre-season as he has seemingly shifted the gaze of head coach Kelly back to him after a very successful training day completing 15 out of 18 passes with 2 long touchdowns. Now this is either a blessing or a curse for Vick. Kelly wants competition he wants to see raw determination to earn your spot in the team, it won't be gifted to you on a plate or perhaps as easy as it has been in previous years. Vick has already been working overdrive to prove his worth and there is nothing like a threat from an underdog to spur you on to work harder. We won't know for sure who will be the starting QB until after the pre-season which makes the next few weeks crucial for both Foles and Vick.

      The Eagles have also signed Matt Barkley in the draft, a QB who helped to beat Oregon in the past. Chip saw his potential first hand and signed him up. With a style very similar to Foles he is probably going to spend his first season as a third string QB but may make the odd appearance to see just what talent the kid has. He isn't expected to shake up the league but saying that neither was a certain Tom Brady when he was drafted.

    The bottom line is the race for the first string QB spot is hotter than ever which is exactly what the new coach wants. The only question left is who will be the man leading the offence this season?

Time is running out-

Every coach has their own style but Chip will be bringing a more aggressive college style play book to the field this season which theoretically means the running game will prove to be more of a factor, something that the Eagles lacked last season having failed to utilise the full potential of LeSean McCoy. It has been speculated that the running game could be used up to 60% of the time. If you have the pace of McCoy with the unpredictability of Vick this again could be a huge improvement for the team.

Maclin out-

With so much momentum going into this season it was almost too good to be true, and that it was. Jeremy Maclin, the top receiver for the team last season is out for the entire year with an injury. This means that Cooper is going to have to step up much like Foles did at the QB last season and again they are big boots to fill. Cooper is a solid receiver but does not have that creativity and outside the box mentality that Jeremy had. With Jackson's pace and all the focus being shifted to him it allowed Maclin to find holes in the defence and sneak through. 

  But with the new college style playbook the team have to keep moving forward. They need to not let this dampen the spirits and keep the chemistry high. It also means that the players like Celek have to slightly change their style with the new rotation system. Every position is being contested so players have to show now more than ever that they can play well in numerous positions but only time will tell how much of a hole Maclin's injury has left.

Overall the team has been completely reshaped and will go into this season with the hopes of making the playoffs. There is still much to be decided but the Eagles have to make an impact this season or the next few years could be very difficult.

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Hungarian Grand Prix Preview- The title race starts now

After a long summer break we head to Budapest for what could be one of the most crucial rounds of the championship so far. Pirelli are bringing their new revised tyres which could arguably shake up the field entirely and we will find out how badly Mercedes suffer after missing the Young Drivers Test.

  This combination means that midfield teams such as Williams and Force India have a real shot of achieving a big result. 

Pirelli's lifeline

But the main question on everyone's lips is how are the revised tyres going to hold up around the Hungaroring. The circuit is quite slow and has plenty of tight corners, partner that with temperatures which are expected to soar on the track it means that the tyres are going to be put under a lot of stress. Ten of the corners at the circuit where McLaren have had such a presence over the past 10 years are taken at under 155/KPH and the cars require the same downforce level as a circuit like Monaco. The perfect platform to become a hero or a villain. Pirelli have the chance to prove a lot of critics wrong this weekend but they have to get this right. They have re added the Kevlar belts seen at the Nurburgring which were also used in 2012 but can they hold on? Everyone makes mistakes but when there are such a spread of them in such a short space of time eventually resulting in the safety of the driver being at risk then drastic measures have to be taken. Pirelli need a race with no complaints and no incidents involving a tyre fault or this could well be the beginning of the end for them.

Mercedes rue missed opportunity

Every formula one team took to Silverstone recently for the Young Drivers Test, well every team except Mercedes that is. Normally it's what it says on the tin. A test...for young drivers. But the 2013 test was a little different as teams were Able to test Pirelli's new tyres ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend. This was absolutely crucial as the teams had the chance to collect enough data and statistics to make Oxford university jealous. Longevity, temperatures, potential strategies, how they run with different downforce levels or fuel loads amongst many more factors that could come into play this weekend. Mercedes missed their chance due to the secret test which took place earlier in the season. Because of this and because of how much data the teams would have collected it means that Friday practice is going to be like getting your homework done at 9AM the morning it's due when your lesson is in 20 minutes. It will be a frantic rush to catch up and make up all of the ground lost. We have no way of knowing how much ground the rest of the field have gained on the team who sit second in the constructors standings until qualifying where the silver arrows always seem to shine. Only time will tell if they are going to struggle around the demanding Hungaroring or if Ross Brawn is going to pull a bunny out of his hat. 

Team to watch

Whilst they have not had the easiest or strongest start to the season, McLaren have always shone at this circuit taking a total of eleven victories with six of those being in the past eight years. Perhaps the Young Drivers Test will have been the catalyst needed to get their season pointing in the right direction. Maybe not a podium place but expect to see a strong presence in qualifying and maybe even a double points finish during the race.

Driver to watch

The circuit has always been one that Finnish drivers seem to excel at. Heikki took his only Formula One Victory there back in 2008 and Hakkinen also took two wins at the Grand Prix. Raikkonen has not won there since 2005 but last year took second place with Romain also on the podium in third. The two races previous to that when he was driving a Ferrari, the Iceman also came second and third. He will be chasing victory number 21 this weekend and the Lotus could be the key to unlock the door that victory sits behind.

Top 5 prediction

Fernando Alonso

Kimi Raikkonen

Sebastian Vettel

Felipe Massa

Paul Di Resta

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Read between the dotted lines- The Red Bull Traction Control Saga

The canadian Grand Prix as everyone knows was a race which  was maybe a bit too quiet after the Pirelli Tyre war had simmered down, the politics in Formula One remained almost unheard of and it was a great week of racing. Until now that is..


Mark Webber is the latest driver to be at the centre of suspicion as videos and images arise of apparent traction control use following the incident with Van Der Garde. The images and the video show after the Aussie pulls away out of the hairpin, two lines appear which then slowly dot away due to wheelspin. The question here is was this down to bumps on the circuit or have Red Bull tried to implement a very subtle traction control system which may not have been subtle enough?


One key thing to consider is if the Red Bull's have been using Traction Control wouldn't it be more apparent at earlier circuits in which the car carries less downforce or will struggle for grip? The Monaco circuit for example would be a more noticeable circuit for sure but did the Red Bull gain any kind of advantage there? No is the answer however they did pull off a solid second and third place. 

Catalunya, another venue in which the use of the device would have been clear. The final sector has always been tricky since the inclusion of the chicane and many cars have had minor moments and full spins in the past. Surely it would have given them a much bigger advantage and the Red Bull's would have gained a considerable amount of time each lap.

 But in Canada where the so called Traction Control has been noticed, winner Sebastian Vettel gained an incredible 2.5 second advantage on Lewis Hamilton by the end of the first lap alone. So has the reason for the RB9's speed been found?

 Traction Control as we all know is banned by the FIA but most teams have tried to master the art of engine mapping with all having different results. Engineers may intentionally reduce the amount of torque available in the mid RPM range, or where a driver's RPM will most likely max out when exiting a corner. By reducing the torque when the driver is on full throttle exiting a corner, the car does not max out and experience oversteer or anything similar, thus creating a similar effect. But if all teams use it and it isn't illegal does this put the argument to rest?

The FIA have searched but found nothing suspicious on the RB9 to date. So the question is what was creating those lines as Webber exited the corner? Was it just generated by wheel spin? Were there bumps on the track caused by debris or was it degrading rubber?The answer remains unclear, but what are your thoughts? Was it something as simple as a bump in the tarmac or are Red Bull going to be crossed off Santa's list this year? Leave your opinions below.

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Race Marshalls: A Thank You

On the evening after the Canadian Grand Prix, the world was made aware of a shocking incident. One of the Marshal's who was helping to recover Esteban's car from the side of the track was hit by the recovery vehicle. It was said that he dropped his radio and as he bent over to pick it up he stumbled.
 This is a terrible accident and one that has shocked the world but also made us aware of how much the Marshall's truly give for us.

Every weekend, weather it be at a small Hill Climb event, a NASCAR race in America or Formula One, race marshall's are in the thick of the action. Keeping the drivers and fans safe and clearing up any debris or accidents in a very short amount of time. They risk their lives week after week so some of the best drivers in series all over the world can compete and entertain the fans. Without them, there simply would not be any Motorsport and they frankly do not get enough recognition for the blood sweat and tears they put in to making events such as the Canadian Grand Prix possible.

After the race a few drivers tweeted out their respect including second place finisher Fernando Alonso: “Today there is nothing to celebrate. Terrible news arrive with the death of a marshal this race. Very sad. R.I.P.”
    
 When I commentated on the BARC Finals at Thruxton, I sat in the restaurant area among them. All in their bright orange jackets on top of the world and excited for another fantastic day of Motorsport. It was a fantastic feeling and I wasn't even marshalling. But just to feel their excitement and passion for Motorsport was something surreal.

On behalf of everyone who is involved with or simply loves racing, I send my condolences and all of my thoughts to the friends and family of that brave Marshall and a thank you to every single person who travels to a circuit every weekend to Marshall. Getting up at ridiculous times in all weathers making sure that the racing goes on and coming home late after making sure the track is in perfect condition, exhausted, drained and filled with adrenaline.

Yesterday was a very sad day in Motorsport, and one which will remain in the memories of fans, drivers and marshalls alike for a long time.

Rest In Peace

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My Top 5 Monaco Moments

Monaco, the jewel in the crown for the Formula One season. A race which every driver wants to win. It carries such a reputation with it when legends such as Senna and Graham Hill dominated the track year after year. But the streets of Monte Carlo can often show another side to a driver. A side which provokes hatred or love from the spectators and a side which can earn you a place in the hall of fame, or the hall of shame.
These are my personal top 5 Monaco moments.

Number 5:- Triumphant Trulli (2004)
Jarno Trulli had always shown that he had a considerable amount of pace inside his Renault R24 but could never tick that final box of winning a Grand Prix. So, how do you go about winning your first Formula One Race? The answer, at the streets of Monaco in 2004. The Italian took a mighty pole position from Jenson Button and was looking to make it a perfect weekend in one of the most eventful races of the season. With only 9 drivers finishing it almost became like a last man standing event! Alonso, Michael Schumacher and both Mclarens had all retired along with the other 9 drivers who couldn't make it to the end. But it was the patience and the perfect strategy that saw Jarno Trulli break the spell of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher and show the world that they can be beaten. It was to be his only ever victory in Formula One, but he did it on the grandest stage of them all.


Number 4:- Schumacher's true colors shine through (2006)

A race dominated by spaniard Fernando Alonso and the news dominated by the antics of 7 time World Champion Michael Schumacher. At the end of qualifying Michael had pole position within reach, but Fernando was flying around the streets of Monte Carlo and in the final minute of the session, the German parked his car into the penultimate corner, stopping the session and seeing him keep his pole position. 
   After the session he claimed that he simply locked his brakes and almost hit the barrier, but the onboard footage was enough to see that this was no accident. This effort to keep his pole position had the reverse effect. Michael started from the very back of the grid
 Alonso was able to keep his lead during the race and cross the line  to win his first of two Monaco Grand Prix's to date. Michael still defied the odds and from 22nd on the grid brought his Ferrari home in 5th place at least getting some points for the team. But this impressive drive has been still over shadowed to this day by his actions at Rascasse.

Number 3:- A Fairytale ending (2008)

One of the most eventful races in recent memory saw Lewis Hamilton take his first ever Monaco win.
After Massa dominated qualifying in a dry session, the heavens opened the next day, meaning drivers would start the race on Wet tyres. The first pit stop came on lap 6. No this was not down to a Pirelli tyre wear pit stop, but for Lewis Hamilton who had touched the wall on the exit of Tabac picking up a puncture. The Mclaren team tried something extremely risky and fitted the Intermediates on the car. He came out in fifth due to the field being spread out all over the circuit and fate played into his hands nicely. Massa was running away with the race until Coulthard and Bourdais collided on lap 8. The safety car was brought out and all of his hard work was lost.

    Later on saw Nico Rosbergs massive incident at the swimming pool again bringing out the safety car. But just as the fans thought the action was coming to a close, Kimi Raikkonen lost control of his Ferrari exiting the tunnel and hitting the back of Sutil who was up until that point having a sensational race.

 But at the end of the race it was Lewis Hamilton who at one point looked like he stood no chance of finishing in the top 5, came through and won the race. His first Monaco GP win was delivered in style.

Number 2:- "Sennasational" (1992)

Nigel Mansell in 1992 was tipped to win the championship. His Williams-Renault was the fastest car on the grid and his driving was relentless. But none of that mattered at Monaco. Mansell was dominating the race until the final stint. A loose wheel nut forced him to pit in, bringing him out behind one of the only men to give him the race of a lifetime– Ayrton Senna. It took just two laps of Mansell coming out behind Ayrton for the lead to be crushed from six seconds to two. He then spent the last five laps desperately trying to get past, ducking and diving at every possible opportunity. Corner after corner Nigel tried his absolute best to push past the young charger but Senna was too smart that day. He took the chequered flag for the fifth time as a winner in Monaco and his fifth Monaco win, equalling the record of British racing icon Graham Hill. One he would beat year later.

Number 1:- An underdog story (1996)

My personal favorite moment in all of Monaco's exciting history has to be the year where Olivier Panis took his first and only Grand Prix win. In  races which see the attrition rate sky rocket, the winner is normally the man that keeps his nose clean, his head down and drives his own race. This was proven once again at the Monaco Grand Prix, 1996.
 The race started on a drying track and the odds favored the Pole sitter Michael Schumacher and his rival Damon Hill who was keen to win at Monaco like his father before him.The two sat on the front row but the Germans race ended much quicker than he imagined as he crashed heavily in the opening stint. Hill realised the opportunity he had  and continued to lead through the race until his engine suffered a failure which was rare for the team.
  Jean Alesi was granted the lead but it was almost like every driver in the lead was cursed as Jean later retied with a suspension failure.
  Panis was now in the lead in his Ligier and all he had to do was stay in front of David Coulthard. In a dash to the line Panis took the chequered flag and won his only ever Grand prix race, and Ligiers first in 15 years. Only 4 cars finished out of 22 starters making it one of the most exciting races in Monaco history.

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The great Pirelli Ponder:- Are the 2013 tires a blessing or a curse?

The opening five races in the 2013 Formula One season have been and gone and instead of the fans talking about the Red Bull Supremacy or how Lotus have been the underdogs and could be dark horses for the championship taking a total of 5 podiums and one victory , they are talking about something a little more serious. The life of the Pirelli tires.

This has been the main talking point of the championship since the very first round with drivers, team bosses and fans alike all up in arms about how limited this years rubber is proving to be. The tires degrade so quickly and most drivers had to perfect a 4 stop strategy this past weekend in Spain.

In my opinion Pirelli have got this completely wrong. In an attempt to make the racing more exciting and add another factor into the championship, they have changed it from “racing” to a tire management game. If Pirelli want to gain a lot of publicity and show how durable their road tires are, this is not the way to go about it. People are complaining after around 5-10 laps that the tires have completely gone and this should not be happening in any form of racing let alone Formula One. If this was Formula 3 and it was making the drivers stop halfway into a race then that would add another level of excitement and unpredictability. But with races on the calendar up to 70 laps long this is not the right home for them.

Paul Hembery said Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya "was very demanding on the tyres because of the unique characteristics of this circuit.” One key phrase to take note of there, “Unique characteristics”. If this was the case then why has it happened at EVERY race on the calendar so far? If anything, the Circuit de Catalunya is normally quite easy on tire wear in comparison to some of the tracks on the calendar.

In Pirelli’s defence the idea did not originate from their own company and they politely agreed to it to make F1 more exciting. If you find cars pitting in after 6 laps of racing exciting then you will love the opening half of the season so far. But if like me you want to see drivers race until there is nothing left on the tires and to leave every bit of energy out on the tarmac, doing the best they can to make a move then this season may not be the best to show your best friend why F1 is your favorite sport.

Hembery also added in an interview to the BBC "Unless you all want us to give Red Bull the tires to win the championship. It's pretty clear. If we did that, there would be one team that would benefit and it would be them. “

Again this is a fair point and everyone knows that the Red Bull is ridiculously quick but it is a much closer playing field this year. You can to an extent push the tires in qualifying more than you can in the race due to the lack of life in them and we have seen Mercedes looking extremely competitive, Ferrari taking two victories and Lotus being the most consistent team on the track. But is this down the tires or just to the mid field teams making up a lot of ground on the front runners during the post and pre season?

The way I see it is Formula One Is a marathon and the drivers are the runners. How boring would a marathon be if they couldn’t run at full speed because every mile or two they need to change their shoes because the sole has come loose? The answer is pretty obvious as it is no longer a race. It’s who can perfect their strategy and tire management and that is not what Formula One is about.

F1 is THE pinnacle of motorsport, a place where the best of the best do battle all over the world in breath taking moments which cannot be rivaled by any other series. But we are seeing less and less of that each race these Pirelli’s fail to last over 10 laps. The drivers aren't racing as the word suggests but nursing the tires and treating it like a different sport entirely.It’s up to Pirelli to make a tire that degrades faster but still leaves the driver able to race in every sense of the word. Until then though, we may not truly know who is the fastest man on the circuit.

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The Jenkins Judgement- Endurance Racing

14th April 2013, the day that my eyes were opened properly to a brand new form of Motorsport. Now like many motorsport fans I tune in to Le Mans when possible but was never a die hard endurance racing fan. I preferred the shorter sprint races like you see in the BTCC or Formula 3. But Simraceway had organised for me to go up to Silverstone for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship. 

  I was extremely excited as not only would this be my first time at the home of British Motorsport but I was also able to meet the Radio Le Mans team and one of my commentary inspirations John Hindhaugh along with Jonny Palmer who I had previously worked with on the BARC finals at Thruxton. This was an amazing experience as I was allowed inside the booth whilst the live broadcast was taking place, seeing just how much work goes into it.

Me interviewing Anthony Davidson at Silverstone

That accompanied with the chance to conduct an interview with Anthony Davidson meant that this was one of the best weekends I had ever had. But on to the racing.

I don't think anything quite matched the adrenaline and tension of seeing over 30 cars slowly leave their grid slots to begin the formation lap. 6 hours of hard and strategic racing were about to get underway and I couldn't wait. The roar of the crowd and the silence of the mechanics as they nervously await the start of the race and hearing the roar of the engines slowly get louder as the cars circulated their way to the Club chicane. This is the World Endurance Championship.The sound was just remarkable as the green flag flew and the four categories of sports cars separated out and began their individual race.

One factor that makes these races so tense is traffic. A term used frequently in Formula One to describe slower cars more than a lap down who have to yield to the leaders. The World Endurance Championship makes Formula One look like a lonely country road when it comes to traffic. After just four laps or so the LMP1's were already navigating their way past the GTE-AM's and it was just incredible. With the class still fiercely competing and fighting for positions the LMP1 drivers had to be so nimble when overtaking.

The sheer distance of the event is also what makes it stand out. 6 hours of racing means that you get such a different driving style to what you would perhaps see in Formula One or a similar open wheel series. It's very close and competitive but also conservative. You don't see drivers going for moves unless they are absolutely sure they can make it stick.

Strategy is also crucial when it comes to the WEC. Tires that can last more than one stint with a single driver provide a major advantage to the team that equips them. However with each driver having a different driving style and attacking corners in sometimes a completely unique way it truly is a gamble to make these tires

last if the second driver is on worn tires. They could give at any moment and punctures are seen quite often. Another factor which makes endurance racing truly spectacular to watch.

It's no wonder that car manufacturers such as Audi take such pride in their victories throughout the several endurance series they compete in and of course multiple Le Mans wins. Where a team finish is as much down to the driver as it is to the car. If you are pushing a car to its absolute limits for 6 hours with a few pit stop breaks it needs to be the best it can be. If a car can be better than every other competing manufacturer out there and avoid mechanical problems then it truly deserves its spot at the top of the podium. "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is an old saying that certainly backs up this point as Audi have had Mr McNish voice a few adverts regarding new technology in their road cars.

Another reason why I enjoyed it so much is down to the fact that I took a shine to the LMP1 team Rebellion Racing. Not only did the car sound so incredible it sent chills down my spine every time it accelerated down the main straight but it is a pure underdog team. It isn't a manufacturer like Audi or Toyota they are a privateer team. Meaning that they don't have the funds or technology to compete with the Manufacturer teams.

Bearing that in mind, they were only a couple of seconds off of the pace that the two leading LMP1 teams were setting which is a remarkable feat. Both cars finished behind one another and achieved the same result at the 6 hours of Spa this past weekend with the gap if anything a little closer to the big boys. As many of you will know I am a massive Lotus F1 fan and have been since a young age (although back then it was because Benneton had a nice livery) so I have followed them through all of the highs and lows. The Lotus powered Lola counterpart in the WEC could be another reason as to why I like them. The livery is almost identical and one of their drivers is German Ex-F1 star Nick Heidfeld who ironically used to drive for Lotus.

The team also have a “big announcement” to make that has been delayed. Now this could be anything from a new driver to a car upgrade or something as simple as Gary the mechanic is celebrating his 32^nd birthday, who knows!

Needless to say I was very impressed with the World Endurance Championship and everything about it. It takes all of the emotion and excitement from the shorter races and adds factors like unpredictable weather which could turn a race upside down, the sense of despair when a mechanical breakdown occurs or when your favourite driver spins into the gravel. Not to mention the tension of not knowing what is going to happen as the law of physics take their toll on some of the greatest sports cars this generation.

Not only that but to seal the deal, a 6 hour race came down to the final few laps with Allan McNish storming to victory in his Audi. The British fans went crazy and it really was an amazing feeling to be part of such a passionate fanbase on an occasion that truly deserved to be celebrated.

 I was very impressed with the opening two rounds of the World Endurance Championship and really cannot wait for the 24 Hours Of Le Mans. If you haven't watched an endurance race yet due not having the time or being skeptical

I would highly recommend you to do so, you will not be disappointed.

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Real Reacing 3:- A Journalistic review

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say this but since the dawn of iPhones and Android phones we as sim racers have longed for a realistic racing game with licensed cars, tracks and good physics to replace those 2D bike racers which sound like a hedge trimmer on concrete! This is where EA come in with their new FREE title Real Racing 3. Now EA have been making racing games for years, they've had the F1 license in the past and of course their baby Need For Speed is now a household name but could they conquer the phone market?


 CONTENT:- Before we even touch on the gameplay lets just take into account how much content this game has. 45 cars (at the time of release) with more being added, 22 car grids, tracks like Spa, Laguna Seca, Silverstone and Hockenheim with countless variations. The cars feature manufacturers such as Porsche, Audi,Lamborghini, Dodge and Bugatti. For a FREE game that is an incredible list. With cars like the R8 LMS Ultra GT3, if they decided to add a custom mode where you can set the stipulation of a race which doesn't count towards your career, you could potentially make a little endurance GT series!


 GAMEPLAY:- The game represents the kind of career mode that Forza has with multiple different series and progressing your driver level in order to unlock the cars to compete in them. The higher your rank the harder the challenges, the faster the cars and the quicker the AI. It's a rewarding method to say the least. Upgrading your cars and buying new ones with the money you earn in game or money you put into the game (Come on it's EA, there were always going to be micro transactions) does encourage you to play on and unlock even more. Now this is all great but it's been done countless times before except not on a phone and not free to play. So what makes this stand out and why am I so addicted to it?
                 The answer,Time Shifted Multiplayer. Now what's that you all sit there stunned by EA confusing out minds with big words. Essentially what it enables you to do is connect the game to your Facebook account and race your friends. But not in the traditional way, instead your friends take the form of AI opponents that you race against based on their strength. So if your friend completed an event and his best time was a 1:39:00, his AI in your game would represent that pace. This alone makes it SO competitive. There is nothing more rewarding than slamming your best friends time by a good few tenths of a second and then him coming back to beat it by a few hundredths.
                Not only do you get money for every event you do which is handy for these friend wars but the events can be replayed meaning that you and your friend can be battling for the fastest time all night long and earning credits to spend.
        The only downside I could think of whilst playing this is having to repair or service your car after every race, it's nowhere near as damaging as you level up but to start with if you earn $1000, a good $300 will be spent on repairing the windscreen yo
u smashed in by hitting one of the AI cars. Servicing is a bit of a pain but a realistic pain as the parts will wear down the more you use them. Servicing gets them back to peak performance at a cost and a period of time. You can speed this up using some of the tokens (separate to credits) but these are harder to come by and I would much rather wait and spend them on a new car. But the money is easy to earn and you wont be spending hours upon hours trying to earn enough to put new parts on the car.
     The AI do seem to be very basic, not in the fact that they're slow, but in the fact that they will just not move off of their racing line. They do overtake eachother but they have no spacial awareness of you whatsoever. But as the game goes on this does improve and it does feel like a simcade racing game. Another example of the hybrid genre would be the Grid series or the F1 series. Taking the best of both Arcade and Simulation and putting them in a blender.


 CONTROLS:- I was honestly quite surprised by how good the gameplay was. Utilizing the classic tilt motion control you assume it's a beautiful game with an awful control scheme. BUT EA threw a curve ball. By allowing you to remove the braking assists and throttle assists as well as Automatic gears it actually makes the game rather exciting. You could easily buy a specialised pad for your phone and use that with no issue at all. The handling is smooth and the touch pedals are very responsive.
   It also has many different options so you can customise it to your liking. If you want all the assists off then you can do that or you can race with minimal assists. The sort of options menu you would expect to see in a Forza game.


 GRAPHICS:- Possibly the best graphics I have EVER seen on a mobile phone. 3 years ago I would never have thought a game this good could be played on a phone. It looks simply beautiful. It will look a lot better on tablets and iPads but for a Samsung Galaxy S2 it looks great. Crisp, clear and smooth. It does suffer a little from frame loss especially when you go into Eau Rouge at Spa for instance but that's due to having to process so much at one time.


 SCORE:- Overall this is a MUST for any racing fan. If you like F1 or BTCC or even NASCAR you will still find something to love about this. The TSM works fantastically and it's visually stunning. The best part is that this game is free! It's not a pay to win despite the option for micro transactions and it really does take hours out of your social life. Performance will vary depending on your phone but it's free you're not going to lose anything!
 Graphics- 9/10
 Physics- 8/10
 Gameplay- 8/10
Content- 9/10
Sound- 7.5/10
 OVERALL- 8/10

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A Game from Christmas Past- NASCAR Racing 2003 Season

It’s that time of the year again where everyone gets festive and watches that awful adaptation of A Christmas Carol. However, this year I thought why not put a “twist” on the idea (for all of those Dickens fans out there) and turn it into a game I loved, a game I love and a game I am almost sure I will love. Starting in traditional fashion let’s take a step back in time to 2003. The year in which the first Call Of Duty was released along with The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker. But for Sim-Racers it could have been the most iconic year in the whole of the genre. Papyrus released Nascar Racing 2003. It was the NASCAR sim for the season including all the cars, tracks and the ability to use a wheel with force feedback! Whilst this all seems pretty ordinary, there are several things which makes this game unique. For those of you who have never played it but passionate fans of iRacing, I do reccommend picking it up as it is made by the same company (just under a different name after the company split) and carries a lot of the same traits. It’s almost like NASCAR 2003 is the infant child and iRacing is that child all grown up.

The Force Feedback for a game so old is pretty good, it’s not too heavy so you feel like you’re driving a truck and doesn’t have a ON/OFF switch and that’s it. (like some sims at the time). The controls are very customisable which makes it even better for the NASCAR enthusiast who wants to find the perfect setup. Talking of setups, you can customise just about everything on the car that you could expect to customise in iRacing. Again this will make fans very happy. Every slight adjustment affects the handling and speed of the car which again for its time is brilliant. Which brings me on to the physics. In my opinion these are very hard to get right, you don’t want to feel like you’re driving a weightless blob but also not like you’re driving a tank. Again this title delivers and can even rival those of the early Sim Bin titles. One key feature for me was the AI. The AI in the game are very smart, responsive and very..very..clean. Now that’s great but what makes NASCAR so different as a sport is the amount of wrecks and unpredictability. So, how did Papyrus bring this into the game? Easy, edit the AI yourself. By going into one of the files in the root folder, you can customise amounts of mechanical failures, aggression, drafting distance and much more. Meaning you could either set up a demolition derby, a realistic race, or a gentleman’s race with no incidents for 200 laps! This made it perfect for every player so that they find their comfort zone or will even branch out to try something new. There were and still are many good times to be had messing around with the AI settings.

The graphics are also excellent and in my opinion are almost up to scratch with those from rFactor. There is a lot of customisation and again you get that sesne of iRacing blood coursing through its veins with the way it looks. The cars look brilliant and at the start of a race you can even see the white stripes on the tires from being fresh out of the paddock which is a really nice feature. The scenery is very well crafted and changes from track to track which again adds a sense of it being an official title. But perhaps one of the best features of this long lost treasure is the community. It is still extremely strong and every year there are 2 or 3 mods for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series. Bringing you all the cars, liveries, tracks to what seems to be an outdated title. But it works beautifully. For NASCAR fans outside of the USA who do not have a region free console or do not want to spend endless hours on the internet looking for a way to get Eutechnyx’ latest console title it is perfect. You get all the drivers, teams and liveries put into a game where you can customise just about every characteristic of the AI. There is even an option in the game for an Opponent Manager. This effectively is a simple version of the .ini file and you can model each opponent as to what their real life counterpart is doing. So if you wanted to see Trevor Bayne at the front of the field (like myself) then you can boost his stats up which for the time is a fantastic feature. It also carries more similarities to iRacing than first thought. The spotter feeds you the same information, and even the F1, F2 and F3 buttons bring up the Session info, Standings and Fuel! Overall NASCAR Racing 2003 is a fantastic title, and if you never had the chance to play it then you are truly missing out. Endless mods and endless fun for a game which was way ahead of its time. You still find yourself playing through season after season and not many games give you that burning passion to play it after a long day when they’re 9 years old. But how does it compare to the Game of Christmas Present? Liam Jenkins

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