To mark this month’s release of Batman’s latest big-screen outing, The Dark Knight, Toyota F1 will adopt a new look at Silverstone this weekend. Both its TF108s will run with Dark Knight artwork will feature on the TF108s and the overalls of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, as well as the team’s motor home.
Also on show at Silverstone will be the iconic Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles; the Batmobile will even take to the Silverstone track on Thursday evening for a demonstration run alongside the TF108. We know which car our money would be on, and it’s not the one containing a psychologically damaged superhero.
Honda’s chief geek reveals what Alonso really wants
Amid speculation that cash-rich Honda could be Nando Alonso’s next destination, Ross Brawn, the team’s principal, admits that “every team” would be interested in signing the former double world champion for 2009 - hmm, not sure Ron Dennis would agree, but we take Brawn’s point.
“Honda is no different, of course,” Brawn told the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell.
“Fernando is a very good driver that everyone would like to have sitting in their car,” said the man who was formerly Ferrari’s technical director.
“(But) I know what team he would like to go to, everyone does [i.e. Ferrari]. The reality is that, before we can talk seriously with him, the situation with Ferrari must be resolved.”
Reebok’s newest brand ambassador meets virtual match
Lil’ Lewis was called upon to jump through several high-tech hoops in Amsterdam yesterday, where he was unveiled as a new brand ambassador for Reebok. He stood next to a holgram image of himself, although we have no idea why. Why the hell not?
The sportswear giant is paying Hamilton £10m in a five-year deal. For that, Lewis has to make 10 personal appearances a year. However, Reebok can’t use any imagery of Hamilton in his McLaren racing gear - they’d have to pay a lot more cash to the F1 team for that right. Instead, they are paying for his “personality” and “individualism”, a spokeswoman said.
More pics of Real Lewis vs Virtual Lewis right this way…
Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into Nascar series leader Kyle Busch - intentionally! - during Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (we won’t use any other undustrial tools). The fiery Colombian was hit with a two-lap penalty for “rough driving” and so relegated to a 32nd-place finish.
“Honestly, I have no idea (what happened). I got a run on him with 50 laps to go and got to his outside and he kept coming up a little bit,” Busch said after the race.
“I was just trying to get around (Dario Franchitti) who was in front of us, touched (Montoya) on the door and he turned left and spun me out. I don’t know what his beef is.”
McLaren driver wants to stay with team and live happily ever after
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he wants to stay at McLaren until he quits F1. In an interview with German publication Auto Motor und Sport, the British driver said “My plan is to stay with McLaren for the rest of my career”.
Lewis is contracted to McLaren until 2012, but he said he’d feel “lucky” to sign another contract that would tie him to the team until he hangs up his racing gloves and overalls.
He also compared being at McLaren to being part of “a big family”, and said that the team - especially Ron Dennis, who he has known for 13 years - helps to take much of the pressure of his shoulders.
We have to stop typing now…no, we’re not crying - that’s from chopping oinions, honestly.
Here’s Lewis showing off his MC skills at the recent Mandela birthday gig in London.
The man spent 27 years in prison, for this? You think the organisers might have booked someone better than the f**king Sugababes. Come on people, this is Nelson Mandela, not Noel Edmonds. Talk about disrespect.
BONUS VIDEO of Lewis at Silverstone last week, talking about Mandela, as well his chances at the forthcoming British GP…
Renault driver sees his country end 44 years of hurt
Ah, the perks of being an F1 superstar. We imagine that all Alonso had to do was click his fingers and a VIP ticket for the Euro 2008 final in Vienna magically appeared on his doormat.
Nando (and his mate) opted to wear Euro 2008’s hottest fashion accessory, a crisp white shirt - as sported by German head coach Jogi Loew and Turkey boss Fatih Terim - paired with a cute Spain button badge, just in case you weren’t sure who he was supporting.
After the game, football nut Alonso revealed that he had predicted that Spain would win the final 1-0. They did.
Good prediction skills, but that doesn’t stop you being a dirty diver…
The long-range weather forecast predicts that Friday at Silverstone will feature sunny spells, but conditions will worsen over the following 24 hours with rain forecast for Saturday (quali) and Sunday (race day). Temperatures are also set to drop sharply, with a high of around 16C on Sunday… so this is what it feels like to be a weatherman.
With Ferrari set to dominate a dry race, the Scuderia’s rivals - including title challengers Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica - will surely be delighted at the prospect of a wet, unpredictable race.
Honda driver on why he loves pushing himself to the limit
Grid Crasher has told you about the impressive triathlon exploits of Super Jens. Now the Honda driver has revealed why he has fallen in love with the punishing event. In an exclusive interview with his team, he said:
“I like the pain and I like pushing my body to the limit. I also enjoy the fact that there’s nobody else involved. It’s just me on my own and if I’m not quick enough, then it’s solely down to me.”
Translation: “When I’m competing in a triathlon, I’m not compromised by Honda’s slow-ass car.”
Daniel Craig’s 007 is back. Here’s the first official trailer
After a couple of accidents involving stunt vehicles, the makers of the latest Bond film, A Quantum of Solace, have finally treated us to a first look at the movie. It’s got car chases, speedboat chases, hot girls, and agents in tuxedos delivering Martini dry one-liners. It looks like a Bond film. We can’t wait until 31 October ‘08, when it’s released in the UK.
