Fantastic F1 Fanatic 06/08/2007 Normally on a Monday following a GP I would write about my thoughts on the race. But I have posted so much about the McLaren pit stop fiasco and its results that it seems unnecessary to rehash the whole thing yet again. That incident in qualifying was just about the only point of interest in the weekend anyway, the race being processional apart from Alonso getting back a couple of places to minimize the penalty handed him by the stewards. Kimi Raikkonen had it right when he said the race was boring.Fernando AlonsoInstead, I want to issue a complaint about Keith Collantine's blog, F1 Fanatic. It is by far the best F1 blog on the net and I find it impossible to avoid getting involved in the discussions that arise in his comments section. This draws me away from what I should be doing - keeping my thoughts for F1 Insight. In fact, if you want to know my opinions on the events of the weekend, the place to find them most fully explained is in Keith's comment section (just look for the posts with the greatest number of comments).This has to be bad for my own blog. I can hide behind the excuse that Keith and I are not in competition, since he is primarily involved in delivering news as it happens, whereas I let things stew a bit before giving my opinion, but the fact remains that the blighter drags my thoughts from me before I can get back to Insight.What am I to do? Keith writes posts that are so relevant and interesting that a discussion is inevitable. And the comments are of such a high standard that I find myself forced to put in my two cents' worth. Before I know what has happened, I've blown a perfectly good blog post on his blasted comments system. There are times when I think I might as well just put up a link to Keith's site as my post for the day.In fact, that seems to be more or less what I am doing today. All I can do is beg my readers to read both of us; I'll keep some stuff for Insight alone, I promise, but be sure to read Keith too. He's far too good to be missed.
Clive
doctorvee Don't worry too much. It is thanks to all the comments you have posted at F1Fanatic that I discovered your blog, which I now view as a must-read! Date Added: 06/08/2007
Madmin Want me to take his site down? ;) Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive Thank you, Doctor Vee - and, having read your blog, I can see that F1 Fanatic is not all I have to worry about! Great stuff. :) Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive No-o-o-o, Mad, you would spoil my daily fun in doing that! Date Added: 06/08/2007
Madmin Not that I really know how... or would anyway. :p Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive It's best to keep 'em thinking that you could, Mad... ;) Date Added: 06/08/2007
Craig I was actually going to post something on my blog, headed to F1Fanatic and found myself writing it in various comments instead - so I know exactly how you feel!! Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive The man's a terror, isn't he, Craig! ;) Date Added: 06/08/2007
sidepodcast.com does your blog do trackbacks? that's another way to be part of the conversation but still keep most of the content on your own blog. Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive Unfortunately, it doesn't, Sidepod. It's one of the items on Mad's list of developments for the blog but it seems that it's a deep and mysterious art that requires time to get the hang of. In the meantime, I get around the problem by writing the occasional cheeky post like this one. ;) Date Added: 06/08/2007
milos this was a good one :-) I had same problem today, but I did manage to write something myself too what would we do without these controversies ... Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive Thank you, Milos. I'm writing one at the moment but must admit that the idea came from a sentence in one of Keith's posts. ;)And as for controversy, you're right - it is the lifeblood of all blogs! Date Added: 06/08/2007
Dan M I believe the two sites are quite different and thats why I will continue to visit both. Kieth's news is always spot on accurate and updated often. At the same time I love this blog because its IS somewhat bias, of course coming from a man who has followed the sport since before I was alive and then some! (I'm only as old as the turbo era: ) Date Added: 06/08/2007
Keith Wow, well, that's what I call link love!Thank you Clive and everyone else for your very kind words - you know I really enjoy F1 Insight too as well as all your contributions to my posts.It was a busy weekend with all the news coming out of Hungary around the time of the McLaren scandal. I think at one point seven of the ten stories on my home page were about the McLaren scandal (the new one, that is!)I just wish there were more exciting races to talk about instead of exciting qualifying session and intriguing controversies.As for Madmin, rest assured I am coming to get you :-) Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive Thanks, Dan, I value your comments as important feedback and addition to what I've said. It's easy to forget things that I meant to say or miss important points but I can count on you to fill in where necessary.As for the bias, hey, it's the bias that's the spice! Date Added: 06/08/2007
Clive My pleasure entirely, Keith. And I know exactly what you mean about the weekend - at one point you mentioned that you were tired and I could only shake my head and think, "Me too!" We had both been following the developing saga for hours by then and it was certainly exhausting.One thing I did forget to mention was your speed. On Sunday I watched the race and the podium to the end and then wandered through to the computer to see what was happening - and there you were with full race report and another post already up. Amazing, just amazing... Date Added: 06/08/2007
journeyer Lovely site, clive! One of the few truly educated minds in the F1 blogging world. It's so hard to find good reads nowadays. Fortunately, there's you and this site!Cheers. :) Date Added: 07/08/2007
Clive Thank you, Journeyer. As a Brit, I am trained from birth to find it almost impossible to accept praise without going into long explanations of why I am really not fit to be appreciated. My American friends have taught me that this is not necessary and that compliments can be easily dealt with by the simple and suitably modest response of "thank you." So, once again, I thank you.Fortunately, you cannot see my blushes... ;) Date Added: 07/08/2007
Mad What discerning readers you have! Date Added: 07/08/2007
Clive But of course, Mad!But you would say that, wouldn't you...? ;) Date Added: 07/08/2007
Dan M Speaking of bias, I'm not too big a fan of Pitpass. They have nothing but bad to say about Speed but now that Liuzzi is on his way out he feels that it was unjust..... Maybe he's just jealous of Americans. Date Added: 07/08/2007
Clive It pains me to have to admit it, Dan, but it's true that some Europeans are prejudiced against Americans. Generally it's very polarized over there - they either hate or love "los Yanquis". Personally, I'm in the "love" camp, since I enjoy their openness and relaxed attitude to life (plus I'm married to one, of course!).Pitpass is a funny old stick, as we used to say in England; it has some very strange views but is quick with the news and very good at giving in-depth studies of particular aspects of the sport. So I have to forgive its ignorance in the case of Scott Speed (it is not alone in that, unfortunately) and take what I want from it. In the end, it's what I do with all F1 sites - ignore the nonsense and keep the good stuff. Not everyone can be F1 Fanatic after all! Date Added: 07/08/2007
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