Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/310858.aspx
Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi
Remarkably I managed to get through the past week in Singapore while tricking my body that I was still in Europe.
It may seem strange that I was eating muesli at two in the afternoon, feeling ready for lunch at eight in the evening and finishing the day by sharing some grub with Martin Brundle at three in the morning but it felt oddly routine.
For a variety of reasons this has quickly become my favourite race of the season. I think it is largely because the drivers, press officers, production team and everyone else are a little wired - slightly giddy because of the time difference. That creates an atmosphere totally unique to the Singapore GP.
The Singapore Grand Prix portrays a beautiful picture under the beaming floodlights. Photo: Getty
This is my working day, Singapore-style...
11am
Sunlight is coming through the curtains, while Beach Road in downtown Singapore is alive with commuters and passers-by. I try to ignore it and carry on dozing.
2pm
Time to start the day. Mine usually begins with a call to my wife Harriet, or my parents. If there is time, my favourite pastime is Skyping my niece and nephew. On a Saturday we would be gearing up for our qualifying show.
I much prefer writing scripts in the morning, possibly because my brain feels a little more alive at that time. That could be because of 10 years delivering the Eastern Daily Press to the locals of Upper Stoke Holy Cross.
Anyway, I'll start scripting the show and, at this point, I start clock-watching, working out how many hours until I'll be delivering these lines to a few million people. Once I've written a few links and given myself keywords to prompt me during interviews, it's time to get myself sorted.
I go through the running order and think about the guests we should try to get. I have to think what the stories are and the people you guys would like to hear from - plus the locations where we will be for each link. Everything has to be planned because we need permission from the teams to be live in their garages and to tell them the precise time we will be there.
That doesn't mean my ideas are final - the Editor, Mark Wilkin will have his own opinions and might not like my ideas.
Once I've scripted, showered and shaved, it's time to iron my 'show shirt'. I like to do this myself as I hate creases in them. This weekend I even ended up doing fellow presenter Lee McKenzie's ironing - don't ask!
3.30pm
Departure time. In Singapore it was �2 to get a cab to the circuit, which is far more appealing than walking, otherwise you end up looking like you've had a shower with your clothes on due to the humidity.
On Saturday I jumped in a cab with Rebekah, our Production Manager. While we were busy gossiping our poor driver took a wrong turn and we ended up on the other side of Marina Bay, seemingly unable to get back across the water.
On Sunday, I was the fool as I left my shoes in the hotel lobby. To make it worse I was wearing bright white trainers, which isn't very BBC Sport. Production coordinator Louise Elliott went back in a cab for me. I'll say it again - thanks Louise, I am an idiot.
4pm
Myself, senior producer Richard Carr, assistant editor Steve Aldous and film editor Mark Wilkin share our thoughts on the script. Once we've decided which drivers, team bosses and garages we want to get involved with, it's up to Steve to sort things out. With gentle persuasion, the odd reminder of a favour we are owed and some occasional begging, he makes it look easy.
Some people ask why we never speak to certain drivers and if we are biased against them. Often our first-choice driver turns us down, so we have to make a sudden change of plan. Sometimes we ask three or four teams before we get a 'Yes' to one of our requests.
6pm
David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Martin Brundle rock up. DC makes tea the most, Martin is the most punctual and Eddie probably misses one in every three meetings for some reason - but we let him off.
We then watch the various video pieces. Sometimes we collectively decide to make a change to one of them but very rarely is a glaring error spotted.
Once I say, "Ted Kravitz reports...", we usually have to sprint three garages down the pit-lane, find our next interviewee and check they are ready to go live. Mark will update the three of us as to whether we are over or under time - or if there is any breaking news while Richard Carr directs the cameras and Louise lets us know how long is left on the video.
The fact we have already seen it means we can reference back to it, or simply keep the chat along the right lines.
7pm
Out to the paddock to do a tech check with the crew. On Saturday, we walked live into McLaren. One of the crew realised he was the wrong side of the camera and had to make a dash to safety. You can watch the moment on iPlayer and see the flash of white as he athletically sprints out of, or rather into, shot.
These guys arrive days before us, set up the office, the communication links with the paddock, plug in the kettle and make sure that, when us creative types come up with a ludicrous idea to push the boundaries, that it can be achieved.
It hasn't gone unnoticed and no other F1 coverage has ever got so close to the action. You won't find better, harder-working pros.
8pm
Live to the nation! The final few seconds before we are on air never fail to be exhilarating, petrifying and surreal in equal measure.
10.30pm
The show is over and, after pre-recording a chat for BBC News and the trail you may often see on the BBC later that night, it's back to the office to think about the following day's race programme. We always discuss what worked, what didn't and what we could have done differently or better.
Midnight
We go through the video packages for the following day. I love the creativity and madness of the people who create these. The music is an important part of the show and can come from anywhere. I was running the track on Thursday and the Black Eyed Peas song Get Ready For The Showdown was on my playlist. We have now done over 50 Grand Prix on the BBC and these guys certainly haven't run out of ideas - or music.
3am
We have decided on the running order for Sunday, drunk enough tea to refresh an army and, despite how strange it feels, it is actually time to leave the track and head out for dinner.
At this point I usually ring my parents as I still like to get their feedback on the show and find out what's happening in Norwich. Missing loved ones and home is the only real negative of this job.
An average Singapore Grand Prix day ends with the team heading somewhere to grab some noodles and a beer. I wouldn't usually admit to drinking at four in the morning before a Grand Prix, but that's the beauty of this race - in reality it's only nine in the evening.
There are many similarities with every Grand Prix but this one is slightly different. It is more exciting and electric than normal.
As we draw near to the end of another season, let me place on record my thanks to all the guys who have worked on the BBC F1 output this year. I can honestly say that, despite all the well-publicised distractions of the past few months, our team have been as hard-working, professional and perhaps even a little more driven and keen for success than ever.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/09/it_worked_remarkably_i_managed.html
Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa
Jenson Button arrived in Japan as the last man standing in the fight to stop Sebastian Vettel winning the 2011 title.
To keep his title hopes alive, the McLaren driver has to win this weekend and hope Red Bull's championship leader fails to score a single point.
It is a task almost certainly doomed to fail and Button joked in Suzuka that Vettel was the only person still saying he had a chance to steal a second title from under his nose.
Vettel, who is seeking a third straight pole-to-flag victory in Japan, is the favourite this weekend after taking a mind-boggling 12th pole of the season in Suzuka, but Button lines up second after two days in which McLaren have looked surprisingly competitive.
Button's hopes of victory are very real and, regardless of the championship situation, the 2009 champion has both professional and personal reasons to want to perform well on Sunday.
The day after stepping off the plane from Singapore, where he finished second, Button and his race engineer Dave Robson got to work plotting how to win for the first time at Suzuka.
"I've always loved racing here," Button, whose best finish in Suzuka is third for Honda in 2004, told BBC Sport. "It would mean a lot to me to win here.
"The first year I came here was in 1996 when I raced karts and that was an unbelievable circuit, like the F1 track. Then the first time I came here in Formula 1 in 2000, I qualified fifth and I've finished every year I raced here in Suzuka.
"It's a very special race - I remember watching Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racing round here wheel-to-wheel - and it does feel like a second home race for me."
Button has been dating Japanese-born Jessica Michibata for three years. Photo: Reuters
McLaren also want Button, or team-mate Lewis Hamilton, to finish as runner-up in the championship and are determined to hold off Ferrari to finish a more lucrative second in the team standings.
With five races left to go, Button leads a compelling battle for second from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber, and is 17 points ahead of Hamilton.
Beyond points and position, Button, a former Honda driver, is also driven by emotional incentives, not least that he is dating Japanese-born model Jessica Michibata.
"I have a lot of very good connections," said Button, who has in Japanese kanji symbols 'Ichi Ban' - which translates as number one - inked onto his ankle.
"I worked with a Japanese team for seven years, I've had a Japanese girlfriend for the last three and I love this place. I spend a lot of time here in Japan, Kyoto and Hiroshima. I've just been down the coast to a fishing port that has the most amazing sushi.
"I really enjoy the Japanese culture, the food and how respectful the people are and how they welcome other people in. The karaoke is great too - my missus would go to karaoke during the day if she had an hour free, which seems strange to us in Britain!"
In March, while Button was testing in Spain, Michibata was sheltering under a table as an earthquake shook Tokyo.
The after-effects of the tsunami and earthquake, which devastated many coastal parts of island country and killed more than 15,000 people, is another reason why Button wants to race well in front of his Japanese fans.
"It was a really horrible feeling as I couldn't get hold of her," added Button, who, along with Hamilton, is auctioning his race helmet to raise funds for a Japanese charity. "But it was nothing like what the people on the ground were going through.
"Having that connection to Japan it's difficult but I think the Japanese people have shown us how strong they are and how they pull together. They had people going through the rubble and finding things that were worth money and handing them in for charity. I've got a lot of respect for the Japanese people and I think we can learn a lot from them."
Button is hugely popular in Japan and as you wander among the passionate fans in Suzuka many of them are wrapped in British flags or with 'Button' painted on their cheeks and even finger nails.
The English racer might not be able to stop Vettel taking the title in Suzuka but if he can push the German hard for the victory, as he did in Singapore, his efforts will not go unnoticed.
"Japanese people love to celebrate," he added. "Hopefully we can put on a good show for them this weekend and plant a good memory."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/10/jenson_button_seeks_win_at_sec.html
Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel
I'm working on one of the new reissue 1/16th General Less and the round front fender cut outs are driving me crazy. Who makes a good putty/filler to use once I have made the proper pieces to make the tops of the cut outs flat like the rears? Aslo where to get this putty/filler. I would prefer LHS first over online.
Thanks
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/984329.aspx
Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard
Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche made the proposal to Renault's leadership to co-develop premium vehicles.
Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham Gary Brabham
Lewis Hamilton talked about using the Korean Grand Prix to "redeem" himself after a turbulent series of races. It was a strong choice of word, reflective it seems of a man somewhat battle-weary after a long, trying season. But if redemption was what he was after, he went a long way towards achieving it in Yeongam.
Unable to keep pace with Sebastian Vettel's winning Red Bull, Hamilton drove a virtually flawless defensive race, holding off the faster car of the German's team-mate Mark Webber for the duration.
His one mistake came on the first lap, when after converting pole position into a lead at the first corner, Hamilton admitted that he "didn't position my car very well" on the run down to Turn Four. "I didn't realise there was a car-length gap on the side," he said.
It was all the invitation Vettel needed to take the lead and drive off into a race of his own, taking his 10th win of the season to keep alive the possibility of equalling Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 13 wins in a season. Red Bull's one-three sealed a constructors' title that was as inevitable as the drivers' crown Vettel won in Japan a week ago.
After a taking a superb pole position on Saturday, Hamilton had hopes of winning in Korea. But the context of Sunday afternoon suggests that he achieved that position at the front of the grid more through sheer driving bravado than any car advantage.
It was certainly a stunning lap - the car dancing on the edge, alive in Hamilton's hands, in a way it has not been in recent races.
But come race day, Vettel's Red Bull was untouchable. He drove it like he has so many others this year, using just enough of the car's pace to pull out a comfortable gap without stressing the tyres and controlling the race from there.
Just how much pace Vettel had in hand became clear on the last lap when, just for fun, he went for the fastest lap of the race. The result was a time a massive 0.854 seconds faster than the mark Hamilton had set the lap before.
As Hamilton himself said ruefully: "Either way, he was going to overtake me." The other Red Bull, though, did not.
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh described Hamilton's performance as "one of his great, great drives".
"When you have a car behind you which is frankly quicker and has DRS," Whitmarsh said, "to be able to hold on and hold on like that was a truly brilliant drive."
In truth, it is unlikely to be remembered alongside some of Hamilton's true landmark performances - among which are his two wins this season. Whitmarsh, it should be remembered, is trying to boost the confidence of a man going through a difficult period. But it was certainly of the highest calibre.
Struggling with understeer - the handling characteristic Hamilton dislikes most - he did not put a foot wrong in defending from Webber for the entire 55 laps.
The closest it got was after their second pit stops on lap 34, when Webber made a determined challenge into Turn Four, and the two diced it out for the remainder of the lap. Hamilton used all his peerless race craft to hang on.
Hamilton's subdued mood after qualifying caused much comment and although he was not exactly jumping around after the race, he did at least afford himself a smile.
"Especially with the amount of pressure I was being put under," he said, "it's very easy to lock up and make mistakes, to go wide but I didn't do that once so I'm very, very happy in terms of that performance.
"The last six races I've not been anywhere near that position so it feels good to be back."
It has, as has been well documented, been a difficult season for Hamilton, but the last few races have been particularly tough for him.
After his victory in Germany, hard-won in a race-long battle with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Webber, Hamilton again led for much of the Hungarian Grand Prix a week later, only for two incorrect tyre choices to leave him down in fourth at the flag, as his team-mate Jenson Button won.
But it was after the summer break that things really began to unravel.
In Belgium, he tangled with Williams's Pastor Maldonado in qualifying and then crashed out of the race after colliding with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi when, in hindsight, he could have got at least a podium finish, and perhaps even won.
That led to a subdued performance in Italy, in which he spent a harrowing time trying to break Schumacher's aggressive defence after making a mistake in letting the German pass him at a restart.
Singapore was another eventful weekend, featuring contretemps with Ferrari's Felipe Massa on and off the track in both qualifying and race.
In this period, Button had driven consistently superbly, and Hamilton's team-mate left Singapore having finished second to Vettel and as the only one of the Red Bull driver's rivals still in with a mathematical chance of stopping him winning the title.
And then came Japan. McLaren had the fastest car at Suzuka and Hamilton missed a chance to take pole when he failed to get round in time to start a second qualifying lap before the session ended and he lined up third, behind Vettel and Button.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Hamilton was quickly up to second behind Vettel on the first lap, but from there he went backwards, his race ruined by high tyre wear, and he finished fifth as Button won.
The suspicion is that this disparity between the McLaren drivers' performances in Japan is what explains Hamilton's behaviour in Korea, particularly after qualifying.
This is a man who believes strongly that he is the fastest driver in the world - and also that both he and Alonso are better than Vettel.
Already he has had to watch Vettel win two world titles in the fastest car - titles Hamilton believes he would have won had he been in that car.
Yet at Suzuka, Button, it could be said, was conclusively, out-and-out faster than Hamilton for the first time ever in a fully dry race - at arguably the world's greatest drivers' circuit. That will have taken some swallowing.
In that context, Hamilton's remarks about "redeeming myself" make more sense. And the seemingly innocuous comment after the race that he was "happy to be the one who got the most points for the team" takes on more meaning.
With the drivers' title settled, some have said, this season is effectively dead with three races still to go.
In fact, it's quite the reverse - out there on the race track, there remains an awful lot at stake.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/10/post_3.html
Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess
Series of concepts include a Camaro ZL1 Carbon Concept and a Corvette Carlisle Blue Grand Sport Concept. 
Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen
MINI-branded items include a folding bike and a 'Black Jack Watch' as well as a bib and baby socks for the little ones. 
Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/_u4mrGINfHY/mini-gift-ideas-for-christmas-2011
Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer
hi,
here is my new creations, a station wagon, not to change
Lou Callasibetta's '57 "Surfari" Transcontinental Safari station wagon took the Post War Best of Show Award. The mild custom featured many tasteful touches, yet still remained true to the original design. Lou runs The Old Stillwater Garage in Stillwater, New Jersey, and has turned out some spectacular vehicles.
here is my version. I started this project in April. finished for the show "frankfurt"
I used a resin with "shawn carpenter"
frame 55 chevy nomad,
chevy 57 engine bay ,
engine 65 pontiac.
modification of the resin, to transform it into "Transcontinental." Scratch Intérior full door panels, body lines, roof rack..... there are 160 pictures on my Fotki to explain the changes, the images speak for themselves.
some assembly steps
FULL WIP HERE
[url]http://public.fotki..../pontiac-57-sw/[/url]
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/982423.aspx
Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut
2013 GT-R should beat its previous best time of 7 minutes and 24 seconds on the ring by means of more output and improved aerodynamics. 
Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman
Jenson Button arrived in Japan as the last man standing in the fight to stop Sebastian Vettel winning the 2011 title.
To keep his title hopes alive, the McLaren driver has to win this weekend and hope Red Bull's championship leader fails to score a single point.
It is a task almost certainly doomed to fail and Button joked in Suzuka that Vettel was the only person still saying he had a chance to steal a second title from under his nose.
Vettel, who is seeking a third straight pole-to-flag victory in Japan, is the favourite this weekend after taking a mind-boggling 12th pole of the season in Suzuka, but Button lines up second after two days in which McLaren have looked surprisingly competitive.
Button's hopes of victory are very real and, regardless of the championship situation, the 2009 champion has both professional and personal reasons to want to perform well on Sunday.
The day after stepping off the plane from Singapore, where he finished second, Button and his race engineer Dave Robson got to work plotting how to win for the first time at Suzuka.
"I've always loved racing here," Button, whose best finish in Suzuka is third for Honda in 2004, told BBC Sport. "It would mean a lot to me to win here.
"The first year I came here was in 1996 when I raced karts and that was an unbelievable circuit, like the F1 track. Then the first time I came here in Formula 1 in 2000, I qualified fifth and I've finished every year I raced here in Suzuka.
"It's a very special race - I remember watching Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racing round here wheel-to-wheel - and it does feel like a second home race for me."
Button has been dating Japanese-born Jessica Michibata for three years. Photo: Reuters
McLaren also want Button, or team-mate Lewis Hamilton, to finish as runner-up in the championship and are determined to hold off Ferrari to finish a more lucrative second in the team standings.
With five races left to go, Button leads a compelling battle for second from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber, and is 17 points ahead of Hamilton.
Beyond points and position, Button, a former Honda driver, is also driven by emotional incentives, not least that he is dating Japanese-born model Jessica Michibata.
"I have a lot of very good connections," said Button, who has in Japanese kanji symbols 'Ichi Ban' - which translates as number one - inked onto his ankle.
"I worked with a Japanese team for seven years, I've had a Japanese girlfriend for the last three and I love this place. I spend a lot of time here in Japan, Kyoto and Hiroshima. I've just been down the coast to a fishing port that has the most amazing sushi.
"I really enjoy the Japanese culture, the food and how respectful the people are and how they welcome other people in. The karaoke is great too - my missus would go to karaoke during the day if she had an hour free, which seems strange to us in Britain!"
In March, while Button was testing in Spain, Michibata was sheltering under a table as an earthquake shook Tokyo.
The after-effects of the tsunami and earthquake, which devastated many coastal parts of island country and killed more than 15,000 people, is another reason why Button wants to race well in front of his Japanese fans.
"It was a really horrible feeling as I couldn't get hold of her," added Button, who, along with Hamilton, is auctioning his race helmet to raise funds for a Japanese charity. "But it was nothing like what the people on the ground were going through.
"Having that connection to Japan it's difficult but I think the Japanese people have shown us how strong they are and how they pull together. They had people going through the rubble and finding things that were worth money and handing them in for charity. I've got a lot of respect for the Japanese people and I think we can learn a lot from them."
Button is hugely popular in Japan and as you wander among the passionate fans in Suzuka many of them are wrapped in British flags or with 'Button' painted on their cheeks and even finger nails.
The English racer might not be able to stop Vettel taking the title in Suzuka but if he can push the German hard for the victory, as he did in Singapore, his efforts will not go unnoticed.
"Japanese people love to celebrate," he added. "Hopefully we can put on a good show for them this weekend and plant a good memory."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/10/jenson_button_seeks_win_at_sec.html
Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa Ettore Chimeri Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/10/25/new-jersey-race-has-10-year-deal-starting-in-2013/
Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones
Car & Driver tests the M5 and gets a much healthier acceleration figure than BMW's own underrated 4.4 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint. 
Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard
Mazda will put the zoom-zoom into SEMA by introducing two new concepts in Las Vegas. 
Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly Christian Danner
It is an open secret in Formula 1 that Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest double world champion in history this year, is motivated at least partly by statistics.
The Red Bull driver himself, though, has been a little shy about admitting it so far - but on Wednesday he went as far as he ever has towards acknowledging that, yes, he would not mind having a crack at the all-time records.
Until Vettel's remarkable run of success, particularly this year, Michael Schumacher's landmarks of seven titles, 91 wins and 68 pole positions looked unbeatable.
But Vettel, at the age of 24, already has 20 victories and 27 poles, as well as those two titles. Suddenly, Schumacher's records don't look quite so impregnable after all.
Vettel on his 2011: "Seasons like this don't happen too often... we want to enjoy it." Photo: Getty
"I like statistics," Vettel said, "as in I care about the sport, I know the sport, I know ex-F1 drivers, the big names, and know a little bit the numbers according to the drivers.
"The only thing I like from time to time is to see if my name is somewhere there. I don't really set myself a target of wins and poles, I am not racing for statistics, so I know some numbers, but not all. I love Formula 1, I always did as a small kid and that hasn't changed."
A little later, the mask seemed to slip a little further when someone asked him who was the youngest three-time world champion.
"I don't know," Vettel replied. "Michael is the youngest seven-time world champion."
So that's the ambition?
"That is a long, long way to go," Vettel said. "Obviously we have had two phenomenal seasons and sometimes then you get over-excited and start to talk about those things.
"But really we know how much it takes to win a race, and a whole championship. That really puts things in perspective. It's a long, long way. I don't think you can set the target to say I want to win seven world titles. What Michael achieved in many ways was outstanding."
Vettel was talking at Red Bull Racing's Milton Keynes headquarters, where a news conference on Wednesday morning preceded a private team party in the afternoon.
Vettel - and Red Bull - have every reason to celebrate, after putting together one of the most extraordinary seasons in F1 history.
With 16 races down and three still to go, Vettel has won 10 races, taken 13 pole positions, finished on the podium in every race but one (when he was fourth) and tied up the title in Japan 10 days ago with four races to spare.
But he admitted that it took the most mundane of things for the fact that he was a double world champion to finally sink in properly.
He arrived home in Switzerland on Monday from the Korean Grand Prix to find that his heating had broken. "It was quite cold, so I put the fire on," he said, laughing. "I won't go into details."
Regardless, he said, "I really enjoyed the moment of opening the door, going into the house, knowing what we have achieved. It's those small things that really make you realise what has happened.
"I really like it when nothing is happening, to enjoy the peace, to enjoy time. I didn't do anything special on Monday - just surfing the internet, sleeping, just enjoy the peace and no stress. That's when things really start to sink in.
"It's a nice feeling, because you know all the hours you have spent in the gym, on the race track, it paid off."
Vettel was in a sunny mood on Wednesday - as he so often is. But there was no mistaking the underlying steeliness that is part of what makes him such a formidable competitor.
Anyone who thought his ambition might have been dulled by such towering success so young will need to recalibrate their expectations.
Can you be as dominant next season, he was asked.
"We try," he said. "You never want to come back and do worse than you have done. We set the benchmark very high, and it has been a special season for both sides.
"I had a very good run and the team had a phenomenal run, reliability was great - we've had no technical failures so far. We'll see. We are working hard and we are extremely motivated."
Sebastian Vettel "drove perfectly" all season, according to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Photo: Getty
None of their rivals at McLaren and Ferrari are under any illusions that Vettel and Red Bull will be anything other than formidably tough to beat next year.
After a 2010 season in which, as Vettel has admitted himself, a series of mistakes made winning his first world title much more difficult than it should have been, he and the team have moved on to another level.
He did make mistakes this year. One thinks of the half-spin on the last lap in Canada that handed victory to a charging Jenson Button. Or another spin when trying to stay in touch with the leaders in Germany, his least competitive race of the season. Or his couple of crashes in Friday practice sessions.
But none of them badly affected him, and overall he "drove perfectly", as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the previous youngest double champion, described it.
Vettel looked at the new form F1 took on this season with deliberately high-wear Pirelli tyres and the DRS overtaking aid, realised what was needed to succeed in races, and ruthlessly used the best car on the grid to crush his rivals.
Race after race, he took pole, used the car's inherent pace advantage to build the lead he needed to protect himself at the first pit stops while taking only what he needed to out of the tyres, and held the cushion for the rest of the race.
This strategy formed the bedrock of his season, and generally worked even on the few occasions when the Red Bull was not the fastest car in the race.
His driving was matched by a team that, operationally as well as in terms of the performance of its car, was in a league of its own.
"After every race, I get a print out of the race results, the championship standings and everything and the first thing I do is rip the championship standings off, because the only thing that matters is what we did on that day," Vettel said.
"If you get beaten, you have to accept it. You shouldn't like it, because then you would be in the wrong sport, but there are other very smart people and other very good drivers, and you never get beaten for no reason.
"This year some of the racing has been close, but if there was a chance to open a gap and benefit from it for the rest of the race we were always in a very strong position and many times used that to go for that.
"But I don't think it's fair to say we had a massive advantage all year long. Seasons like this don't happen too often and that's why we want to enjoy it.
"I am extremely proud and to see my name alongside some of the great names is really special. As much as the first world title, the second one people can't take away from you. Many things in life come and go but this will stay forever."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/10/stats_speed_and_success_spur_o.html
Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen
Lewis Hamilton talked about using the Korean Grand Prix to "redeem" himself after a turbulent series of races. It was a strong choice of word, reflective it seems of a man somewhat battle-weary after a long, trying season. But if redemption was what he was after, he went a long way towards achieving it in Yeongam.
Unable to keep pace with Sebastian Vettel's winning Red Bull, Hamilton drove a virtually flawless defensive race, holding off the faster car of the German's team-mate Mark Webber for the duration.
His one mistake came on the first lap, when after converting pole position into a lead at the first corner, Hamilton admitted that he "didn't position my car very well" on the run down to Turn Four. "I didn't realise there was a car-length gap on the side," he said.
It was all the invitation Vettel needed to take the lead and drive off into a race of his own, taking his 10th win of the season to keep alive the possibility of equalling Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 13 wins in a season. Red Bull's one-three sealed a constructors' title that was as inevitable as the drivers' crown Vettel won in Japan a week ago.
After a taking a superb pole position on Saturday, Hamilton had hopes of winning in Korea. But the context of Sunday afternoon suggests that he achieved that position at the front of the grid more through sheer driving bravado than any car advantage.
It was certainly a stunning lap - the car dancing on the edge, alive in Hamilton's hands, in a way it has not been in recent races.
But come race day, Vettel's Red Bull was untouchable. He drove it like he has so many others this year, using just enough of the car's pace to pull out a comfortable gap without stressing the tyres and controlling the race from there.
Just how much pace Vettel had in hand became clear on the last lap when, just for fun, he went for the fastest lap of the race. The result was a time a massive 0.854 seconds faster than the mark Hamilton had set the lap before.
As Hamilton himself said ruefully: "Either way, he was going to overtake me." The other Red Bull, though, did not.
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh described Hamilton's performance as "one of his great, great drives".
"When you have a car behind you which is frankly quicker and has DRS," Whitmarsh said, "to be able to hold on and hold on like that was a truly brilliant drive."
In truth, it is unlikely to be remembered alongside some of Hamilton's true landmark performances - among which are his two wins this season. Whitmarsh, it should be remembered, is trying to boost the confidence of a man going through a difficult period. But it was certainly of the highest calibre.
Struggling with understeer - the handling characteristic Hamilton dislikes most - he did not put a foot wrong in defending from Webber for the entire 55 laps.
The closest it got was after their second pit stops on lap 34, when Webber made a determined challenge into Turn Four, and the two diced it out for the remainder of the lap. Hamilton used all his peerless race craft to hang on.
Hamilton's subdued mood after qualifying caused much comment and although he was not exactly jumping around after the race, he did at least afford himself a smile.
"Especially with the amount of pressure I was being put under," he said, "it's very easy to lock up and make mistakes, to go wide but I didn't do that once so I'm very, very happy in terms of that performance.
"The last six races I've not been anywhere near that position so it feels good to be back."
It has, as has been well documented, been a difficult season for Hamilton, but the last few races have been particularly tough for him.
After his victory in Germany, hard-won in a race-long battle with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Webber, Hamilton again led for much of the Hungarian Grand Prix a week later, only for two incorrect tyre choices to leave him down in fourth at the flag, as his team-mate Jenson Button won.
But it was after the summer break that things really began to unravel.
In Belgium, he tangled with Williams's Pastor Maldonado in qualifying and then crashed out of the race after colliding with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi when, in hindsight, he could have got at least a podium finish, and perhaps even won.
That led to a subdued performance in Italy, in which he spent a harrowing time trying to break Schumacher's aggressive defence after making a mistake in letting the German pass him at a restart.
Singapore was another eventful weekend, featuring contretemps with Ferrari's Felipe Massa on and off the track in both qualifying and race.
In this period, Button had driven consistently superbly, and Hamilton's team-mate left Singapore having finished second to Vettel and as the only one of the Red Bull driver's rivals still in with a mathematical chance of stopping him winning the title.
And then came Japan. McLaren had the fastest car at Suzuka and Hamilton missed a chance to take pole when he failed to get round in time to start a second qualifying lap before the session ended and he lined up third, behind Vettel and Button.
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Hamilton was quickly up to second behind Vettel on the first lap, but from there he went backwards, his race ruined by high tyre wear, and he finished fifth as Button won.
The suspicion is that this disparity between the McLaren drivers' performances in Japan is what explains Hamilton's behaviour in Korea, particularly after qualifying.
This is a man who believes strongly that he is the fastest driver in the world - and also that both he and Alonso are better than Vettel.
Already he has had to watch Vettel win two world titles in the fastest car - titles Hamilton believes he would have won had he been in that car.
Yet at Suzuka, Button, it could be said, was conclusively, out-and-out faster than Hamilton for the first time ever in a fully dry race - at arguably the world's greatest drivers' circuit. That will have taken some swallowing.
In that context, Hamilton's remarks about "redeeming myself" make more sense. And the seemingly innocuous comment after the race that he was "happy to be the one who got the most points for the team" takes on more meaning.
With the drivers' title settled, some have said, this season is effectively dead with three races still to go.
In fact, it's quite the reverse - out there on the race track, there remains an awful lot at stake.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/10/post_3.html
Adrián Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/formula-one-goes-high-definition/
Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem
I am looking to trade for the 1/25 AMT/Ertl 1965 GTO hood and dashboard pieces.
These pieces can be fresh-from-the-tree, from a built-up, or in restoreable condition.
I have a fairly-extensive parts box to trade from. Thanks!
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/983821.aspx
Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel Menato Boffa
Creating a design sketch from plain paper to digital rendering takes a long time, but AMG has condensed the process for us to show what's involved. 
Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti
Starting with the Revell 70's Chevy Van kit, I'm retrofitting the body to accept the grille and bumpers from the Chevy van kit that came with the race car trailer. I've decided to cut off the kit front air dam fender extensions and move the the air dam up to make it look more like a simple front spoiler. It's also so I can lower the van on the wheels/tires I have. I'm also planning on building my own interior for it, since I don't really like the kit interior too much.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/983592.aspx
Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner
Creating a design sketch from plain paper to digital rendering takes a long time, but AMG has condensed the process for us to show what's involved. Alan Brown Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle
hi,
here is my new creations, a station wagon, not to change
Lou Callasibetta's '57 "Surfari" Transcontinental Safari station wagon took the Post War Best of Show Award. The mild custom featured many tasteful touches, yet still remained true to the original design. Lou runs The Old Stillwater Garage in Stillwater, New Jersey, and has turned out some spectacular vehicles.
here is my version. I started this project in April. finished for the show "frankfurt"
I used a resin with "shawn carpenter"
frame 55 chevy nomad,
chevy 57 engine bay ,
engine 65 pontiac.
modification of the resin, to transform it into "Transcontinental." Scratch Intérior full door panels, body lines, roof rack..... there are 160 pictures on my Fotki to explain the changes, the images speak for themselves.
some assembly steps
FULL WIP HERE
[url]http://public.fotki..../pontiac-57-sw/[/url]
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/982423.aspx
JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal
