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Get well soon Rob

He is regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation, some regard him as one of the best of all time, but today Robert Kubica’s career is hanging on by a thread after partially severing his right hand and receiving multiple fractures to the body after a rally accident yesterday.
 
What he was doing rallying 5 weeks prior to the start of the championship is a question that has been lauded by pundits and fans alike, what remains however the biggest question is, will he be able to return to driving a Formula 1 car?

Robert Kubica appeared on the Formula 1 scene in 2006 after BMW boss Mario Thiesen noticed his speed in the F3 championship and recruited him as a back up driver for the team. He later went onto race for the team as a stand in at the Hungarian Grand Prix after an accident to Jacques Villeneuve ruled him out. He was in fact so impressive he remained for the rest of the season as circumstances forced Villeneuve out.

In 2007 he survived one of the most spectacular crashes in Formula 1 history as his car rolled over several times at high speed at the Canadian Grand Prix (a venue he would later win in 2008). He was unscathed and drove the French GP just 2 weeks later.

This post isn’t however about his career.

For me, Robert Kubica is one of “those” drivers. The kind that gets in the car, races the boots off it, then goes for a drink afterwards. Fellow tweeter Quemeford wrote “He’s a no nonsense driver who wants to win bad, but won’t throw his toys out of the pram if he doesn’t (Alonso)”. His talent is unquestionable, his attitude likewise. He doesn’t do the whole razmatazz that goes with the F1 circus. He’s reserved in public, but a joker in private. He’s one of the greats even without winning a championship….yet.

Yet because as reports stand, he is recovering and we should never rule out someone who has the will to fight on and get back into something they love. With the right car and the right team he could be a future champ.

Rallying

F1 drivers are renown for seeking the thrills away from the track, in fact back in the 50’s and 60’s it was common place for drivers to be competing in other categories of Formula. Back then it claimed the lives of Jim Clarke and Ascari to name but two, so why is it so different today?

GomezGooner, an F1 enthusiast wrote “I  don’t think doing this rally was the best idea in the world either. Its kinda like going on a drinking binge the day before an exam or a footballer running the marathon the day before the cup final. Needless risk. Kubica may enjoy rallying but isn’t he paid to race for renault?” He went on to say, “there’s loads of things we’d all like to do but due to circumstances we can’t do it. Kubica is obviously very unlucky no doubt, but he was playing fire with fire at the same time. I know a lot would disagree with me and say I’m harsh but for the sake of an exhibition rally his f1 career is probably over which is a major shame.”

And in some ways I have to agree.

He is paid a lot of money by Renault to race for them in F1. Whilst Rallying is a sport he is passionate about, so close to the start of the season seems just unfathomable. It raises the question now about the type of activities drivers can take part in.

Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Bruno Senna are keen triathletes - will this start posing a problem for teams? Mark Webber is an adrenaline fitness junkie and is probably never going to touch a mountain bike again after injuring himself 2 years ago and end of the season last year with 4 races to go.

Either way I hope he has a speedy recovery and comes back to F1. Losing Kubica now robs us all of a man that could seriously make anyone’s life miserable when he is on firing on all cylinders.

He’s as fast, as aggressive and as intelligent as any other champion on the grid.

Decency begins with a ‘Good Morning”

It has only been 3 days into a new job, and whilst my time there is very young I have noticed one thing which makes my day compared to my last post. People have the courtesy to say “good morning”. 

Now it’s not a big thing is it? Basic human courtesy which is fitting in any society in any country around the globe. 

Now, in my last job, I had the pleasure of working with some really nice people, and most of whom would be courteous to greet me every day. But it would be a few individuals who decided that instead of even addressing me, they would simply scowl. Apparently using the 17 muscles and 42 neuro inputs to say good morning is too ardous a task. A kick to the nuts may have been more fitting for these people. 

And it’s not just the good mornings or lack of that need to be addressed in society, but basic manners are equally as bad. 

Grown ups should know better, but it scares me that it has become common place to not say “please” or “thank you”. I mean seriously people, have we become paleolithic in attitude as well as diet? 

So the next time someone opens the door for you, or walks into the office, just think what will it take for me to be a pleasant, decent human being. 

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

Guitar hero: no, not the game that everyone is playing instead of learning a real guitar!

The other day I came across an old video on youtube of Hotel California and it reminded me of the romantic notion that I had when I was a mere boy and that I wanted to learn to play guitar; in some ways it was the epiphany I longed for. However it was only until I turned 17 I turned my hand to it. 11 years later I have by no means mastered the art but here’s to hard work and sacrifice! 

It then made me think of who my guitar hero or heroes are. 

It’s hard to distinguish on many levels who they are. I am the son of the blues, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Clapton, Beck and even John Mayer has made it accessible to listen to. 

(On a side note, here is a link of BB King playing with John Mayer simply brilliant!)

Jimi (Hendrix) is still light years ahead of anyone who ever plays guitar today. His sound is unique on so many levels, and his style is so different that few attempt to do what he did. 

My traditions in rock would make me think of Jimmy Page, Brian May, Paul Kossoff and Slash. 

Then I can’t forget the guitarists which transcend genres and are unique in their own style of play, Richards, Vai, Knopfler, Moore and so on. 

But my guitar hero would have to be the guy who taught me. 

James Fisher would turn up every Thursday night and would go through chords, riffs, sounds and technique. He would have the patience to make sure that I was doing things right and would not get visibly annoyed with my crapness. He knew what worked in getting me passionate about playing and he would spend the time to teach me about why a piece of music would be considered a good technical piece to learn and which things I could improve on. 

We got to a point where we would be competing on speed, and the first one to muck up the riff would have to buy the first drink - it was always me - and I get drunk staring at beer, so it worked out well for everyone. 

Jim (James) is a legend, and I can’t thank him enough for having taught me to play. I look forward to meeting up sometime in the future and having a proper good old jam session.

Anonymous asked: Sport is sociologically defined as skilled, competitive with physical requirements. I am not a golfer. But there are physiological demands. Motor racing in general, rely's heavily on car design, research and car construction. We've recently seen how important the right car is, and potentially how the right car can dictate success or failure. The ability and of course fitness of drivers is seldom significantly greater than other competitors with only those that live a little closer to the edge (Michael, Ayrton, etc) appearing noticeably better.

I respect the obviously opinionated comments within the blog. You obviously understand that golf IS a sport, and if you think that Formula 1 is a sport, then you KNOW that Golf is a sport.

More accurately you might have suggested that you don't respect golfers as sports persons because as a person you don't see value in the skills or physiological requirements. You are obviously more a car orientated person.

Let's be clear GOLF, in it's nature devised for husbands to get away from the wife's (Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden). Could perhaps be perceived as the PERFECT sport. It's competition is only really ever with yourself.

Interesting points, some accurate, some just off touch. 

Whilst sport is defined as skilled, competitive with physical requirements it is also defined as “Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.” 

Whilst I can appreciate that the PGA is classed as a competition, I don’t quite understand how a set of obligatory rules about course setting, limitations and scratch cards can mean that is competitive from the outset. 

Whilst I take your point about drivers only being an element, it’s still a pretty big element. Robert Kubica was in a car in 2010 that on average was 0.600 behind the Red Bull (the fastest car of 2010) - yet on 3 occassions managed to get within 0.005 on a single lap? Was this down to the car being ultimately faster on that particular lap? Yes aereodynamics, technology et al all play their part but driver skill is massive, and to aid drivers being physically fit is not an advantage but a necessity. Could someone of Colin Montgomerie’s physical prowess fit into and drive an F1 car on the limit - which is what all drivers are asked to do week in week out? The honest answer is…NO! 

Just because I recognise that F1 is a sport doesn’t mean that I see golf as a sport, I respect a lot about it, but I don’t see it as a sport and that was the point to my post. 

And, the whole car orientated thing…I’m southern Italian, we live by three sporting religions…Motorsport, Football and Cycling - I love my cycling, and the guys that do the Giro/Tour/Vuelta are extreme athletes (undoubtedly drugged to the eye balls to do the distances they do) and belong in teams - it’s a team sport. 

If competing with yourself is to be classed as a sport, then I will take more notice when having to chose which laundry detergent would suit me best because that’s always the most mental battle I have to face. 

Thanks for your input though :)