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SET UP THOUGHTS
JANUARY 2009 - STEVE FARRELL of Milldent Motorsport
Resources at every level, from karting through to F1 are not limitless, and the trend will be for less rather than more! And by resources I include not only money and people but also track time. We would all test more if we could, so based on the fact that we can’t, we need to really focus on what will give us the best return on our spend. We need to identify areas that will reap the biggest benefit for our effort. If you are fortunate enough to have a team of data analysts to draw upon then you are home and hosed: you’ve (hopefully) worked all this out for yourself. However, if you are in that vast group that are the owner/driver/engineer all wrapped up in one and are as likely to have a sophisticated track simulation programme to guide you as Boris Johnson has a comb then time spent pondering your particular situation may prove fruitful. I would like to focus this on those stalwarts who, like me, started out with the most sophisticated piece of technology we owned being a 5/16” ring spanner. I may have moved on a bit since then but I haven’t forgotten that whilst technology is nice, it’s not essential.
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JACKIE STEWART THINKS SO TOO!
The more I’ve been involved in motorsport, the more I’m amazed
how little we do to develop a driver’s skill. No other sport compares
to it. And it can be done in such simple ways. Don’t imagine as a
karter or someone new to Formula Ford that its out of your reach. This is
where the most modest advice and guidence can have the biggest effects.
If you’re your budget is limited (and that’s just about everyone)
then its vital to use that budget in the most efficient way. A few hundred
pounds can save thousands.
"This is the only sport that I can think of that doesn't have coaching….And
for sure it makes a difference. And when you suggest that they might benefit
from it, there is a resistance. I don't understand that. “
The above is quote from Jackie Stewart extracted from an article on this
subject (Jonathan Noble, Autosport website July 1st, 2008). And he went
on to say that he thought engineers, not sports psychologists etc make the
best coaches. Those who can help most are the people who understand the
car. That’s where I feel most comfortable. At all levels I feel I
have that empathy with what the driver is trying to do and having been around
a bit, I know that each driver has to get the right feeling from the vehicle,
otherwise there’s no way that best performance can be achieved. I
feel that I can broaden that out even more. I’ve certainly done the
engineering bit, but I’ve also raced myself, and I’ve had to
go through running teams on a budget and being constantly on the alert to
make sure we’re doing the best with the available money.
I look forward to discussing your requirements. Don’t
forget, the first meeting is 100% free. I can do that, even
though there’s a lot of good stuff that will be discussed at that
meeting, because I know that, in a longer term relationship, I can save
you more than you’ll spend with me and you’ll want to come back.
SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA AT ZOLDER
The former home of the Belgian Grand Prix will play host to a cross-border battle as Nurburgring podium rivals RSC Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven renew their fight in the next round of the Superleague Formula championship at Zolder this week.
While PSV Eindhoven’s Yelmer Buurman won the second race at the last round in Germany, RSC Anderlecht’s Craig Dolby was the star of the day – scoring second place in both races and charging up the “premiership” standings to fourth place.
AC Milan’s Robert Doornbos actually made it a Dutch double by winning the opening race – bouncing back from a disastrous opening round at Donington Park. Zolder will be familiar territory for a number of the stars in the new football-themed championship.
After two rounds of the championship, Beijing Guoan’s Davide Rigon leads the “premiership” – now enjoying a 24 point gap over PSV Eindhoven after the Chinese club scored a pair of top five finishes at the Nürburgring. Zolder is expected to attract fans from both Belgium and the Netherlands – in fact, the track is actually closer to Eindhoven than RSC Anderlecht’s base in Brussels.
Steve Farrell is Superleague Formula’s Technical Director, dealing with series regulations and technical suppliers.
