Up until last Sunday (29th May), the 2016 F1 season had been a bit of a damp squib for me, lacking in excitement and engagement and high on frustration. Watching Nico Rosberg winning race after race without actually having to race/overtake anyone (other than off the line) was boring and Lewis’ technical challenges were “shout-at-the-telly” annoying. Learning that Hamilton’s mechanics had been switched with Rosberg’s and reading that the Mercedes team bosses could see no links between that act and his subsequent mechanical issues, didn’t help my feeling that our three-times-world-champion was being dealt a duff hand.
In Spain, the crash that took Hamilton and Rosberg out of the GP altogether had been the highlight of the season because at least that allowed Verstappen to win his first race for Red Bull. And it stopped the pundits from talking/writing about Rosberg’s unbeaten run and his likelihood of winning the 2016 drivers’ championship.
The Monaco Grand Prix, usually dull and processional, was the best race of the year so far and the event that has reignited my interest in this season. In the wet/damp, Lewis showed his true race-craft and he totally outclassed his team mate, who was told to get out of Hamilton’s way by his team and ultimately, could only finish in 7th.
Hamilton’s win was dramatic and I hope that it is the catalyst that blows open the championship.
Unlike Rosberg, in all the previous GPs (bar Spain), Lewis has had to race hard for his results and I am hoping that Rosberg will now have to race hard too if he wants to claim his title. The points gap between the two protagonists is 24 (reduced from 43 by Monaco) and whilst that gives Rosberg some comfort, Hamilton has reeled in that kind of deficit before. Thank God, the race is back on.
And back on brings me to Top Gear.
The new series started on Sunday night and Mrs Baldwin and I sat down in front of the TV at 8pm hoping that the TG magic was still evident.
The pressure on the production team and presenters Evans and LeBlanc to pick up where Clarkson, Hammond and May (CHM) left off, was enormous. In fact, I wrote a post in June last year on this very topic - you can refresh yourself here:
http://www.adrianbaldwin.net/blog/evans-gets-the-top-gear-gig
I’ll admit that I watched with mixed feelings because too much of the format was the same – the studio, the sofa & coffee table, the Stig’s introduction, lap times in super/hyper cars, special guests, we have seen Reliant Robins done to death, cars versus guns etc.
I had hoped that more would have evolved. The tarmac “star” test track being changed to a rally cross variant was good, but more could have been done to create some distance from the CHM era. I am however also a believer in the maxim “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” so I understand the challenges that Top Gear and the BBC faced and appreciate that the collective had no chance of satisfying everyone.
Change it too much and there would be uproar and change it too little and there would be uproar. There is a “change it just enough” middle ground that will hopefully be discovered in coming weeks.
Since Sunday I have read/listened to some damning media commentary and have heard colleagues voicing their discontent…
…but despite all the negativity, I can report that Mrs Baldwin and I chuckled throughout, enjoyed the programme
and we are looking forward to this week’s edition. The chemistry between Evans and LeBlanc was good, the humour was evident, the production qualities undiminished.
Mrs Baldwin actually prefers Evans to Clarkson – she thinks Evans is a brilliant all-rounder and that Clarkson is a cock. And despite how highly I rate Clarkson, I have to concede that she won’t be alone in having that opinion.
Evans and LeBlanc deserve their chance (Clarkson blew his and he isn’t coming back to Top Gear) and all the dissenters ought to save their vitriol until the series is over. Damning it on episode one isn’t fair. Though it is long in the past, remember, it took Clarkson a while to get into his stride too.
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In Spain, the crash that took Hamilton and Rosberg out of the GP altogether had been the highlight of the season because at least that allowed Verstappen to win his first race for Red Bull. And it stopped the pundits from talking/writing about Rosberg’s unbeaten run and his likelihood of winning the 2016 drivers’ championship.
The Monaco Grand Prix, usually dull and processional, was the best race of the year so far and the event that has reignited my interest in this season. In the wet/damp, Lewis showed his true race-craft and he totally outclassed his team mate, who was told to get out of Hamilton’s way by his team and ultimately, could only finish in 7th.
Hamilton’s win was dramatic and I hope that it is the catalyst that blows open the championship.
Unlike Rosberg, in all the previous GPs (bar Spain), Lewis has had to race hard for his results and I am hoping that Rosberg will now have to race hard too if he wants to claim his title. The points gap between the two protagonists is 24 (reduced from 43 by Monaco) and whilst that gives Rosberg some comfort, Hamilton has reeled in that kind of deficit before. Thank God, the race is back on.
And back on brings me to Top Gear.
The new series started on Sunday night and Mrs Baldwin and I sat down in front of the TV at 8pm hoping that the TG magic was still evident.
The pressure on the production team and presenters Evans and LeBlanc to pick up where Clarkson, Hammond and May (CHM) left off, was enormous. In fact, I wrote a post in June last year on this very topic - you can refresh yourself here:
http://www.adrianbaldwin.net/blog/evans-gets-the-top-gear-gig
I’ll admit that I watched with mixed feelings because too much of the format was the same – the studio, the sofa & coffee table, the Stig’s introduction, lap times in super/hyper cars, special guests, we have seen Reliant Robins done to death, cars versus guns etc.
I had hoped that more would have evolved. The tarmac “star” test track being changed to a rally cross variant was good, but more could have been done to create some distance from the CHM era. I am however also a believer in the maxim “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” so I understand the challenges that Top Gear and the BBC faced and appreciate that the collective had no chance of satisfying everyone.
Change it too much and there would be uproar and change it too little and there would be uproar. There is a “change it just enough” middle ground that will hopefully be discovered in coming weeks.
Since Sunday I have read/listened to some damning media commentary and have heard colleagues voicing their discontent…
…but despite all the negativity, I can report that Mrs Baldwin and I chuckled throughout, enjoyed the programme
and we are looking forward to this week’s edition. The chemistry between Evans and LeBlanc was good, the humour was evident, the production qualities undiminished.
Mrs Baldwin actually prefers Evans to Clarkson – she thinks Evans is a brilliant all-rounder and that Clarkson is a cock. And despite how highly I rate Clarkson, I have to concede that she won’t be alone in having that opinion.
Evans and LeBlanc deserve their chance (Clarkson blew his and he isn’t coming back to Top Gear) and all the dissenters ought to save their vitriol until the series is over. Damning it on episode one isn’t fair. Though it is long in the past, remember, it took Clarkson a while to get into his stride too.
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