Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

County Cricket

2007-05-05T22:07:40Z

Matt8: Categorising and smartening up

In England the county season is played as a domestic version of the World Cup and infamous Ashes season. It is widely respected as a nursery for top class English cricketers

== Winston Award ==

The Winston Award is one of Cricket's most important awards given to young players from the domestic season. Having been created as the Mike Gatting Award in 1984 and dropped until 2003, when it was revived and renamed after the legendary Sri Lankan spinner Winston Gowshian Vasanthakumar.

In 2003 it was won by Jack Owen, 2004 by James Thiemann, 2005 by Sanjeev Ramachandran and 2006 by Josh Wills. The pundits tip Azeem Sheikh to win ther 2007 award, due to his different but highly successful bowling action which took him to the height of the Pakistan youth team for this years World Cup

== Middlesex ==
Recently Middlesex have been utterly dominant, with Ed Joyce and Owais Shah making big runs. This has been backed up by some superb bowling from Sri Lankans Ramachandran and Vaas, the former picking up 150 wickets last season in just ten games, such was his dominance. Middlesex cruised to the title, Joyce scoring 377* against Yorkshire, skippered by Jack Owen, to clinch it. Ramachandran's inspired 66 in that match was inspired. James Cormack, Scottish skipper, has been brave in taking many wickets, including 6-2 against Liverpool, to clinch the title despite a horrifying leg fracture in 2003 which saw him in hospital for six months.

== Surrey ==
Surrey, despite brave leadership from Harry Graham, have bowed out of division two and have recently been disbanded, owing to the ball-tampering affair which has shrouded some of their players since Summer 2006. Graham's media-covered trial for bringing the game into disrepute continues and may last until early 2008, with a likely punishment being a 5 year ban. This will rule Graham out of a World Cup place. Ex-spinner Richard Matthews recently retired from the game after shattering his right arm against Essex paceman Josh Wills.

== Smaller Counties ==

Liverpool City Cricket Club have been brilliant, Jimmy Watts scoring 200 against Somerset. Dave Twyman has also picked up wickets for Cornwall, as has James Thiemann for Kent. Meanwhile, New Zealand paceman Luke Watson has singlehandedly taken crucial wickets and scored well to boost Cumbria and Westmorland into a playoff position

County Cricket

2007-05-02T20:36:46Z

Matt8: New page: In England the county season is played as a domestic version of the World Cup and infamous Ashes season. Recently Middlesex have been utterly dominant, with Ed Joyce and Owais Shah making ...

In England the county season is played as a domestic version of the World Cup and infamous Ashes season. Recently Middlesex have been utterly dominant, with Ed Joyce and Owais Shah making big runs. This has been backed up by some superb bowling from Sri Lankans Ramachandran and Vaas, the former picking up 150 wickets last season in just ten games, such was his dominance. Middlesex cruised to the title, Joyce scoring 377* against Yorkshire, skippered by Jack Owen, to clinch it
Surrey, despite brave leadership from Harry Graham, have bowed out of division two and have recently been disbanded, owing to the ball-tampering affair which has shrouded some of their players since Summer 2006. Graham's trial for bringing the game into disrepute continues
Though other counties have been more successful than Surrey. Liverpool City Cricket Club have been brilliant, Jimmy Watts scoring 200 against Somerset. Dave Twyman has also picked up wickets for Cornwall, as has James Thiemann for Kent

== Winston Award ==

The Winston Award is one of Cricket's most important awards given to young players from the domestic season. Having been created as the Mike Gatting Award in 1984 and dropped until 2003, when it was revived and renamed after the legendary Sri Lankan spinner Winston Gowshian Vasanthakumar.

In 2003 it was won by Jack Owen, 2004 by James Thiemann, 2005 by Sanjeev Ramachandran and 2006 by Josh Wills. The pundits tip Azeem Sheikh to win ther 2007 award, due to his different but highly successful bowling action

Cricket World Cup

2007-05-01T17:32:38Z

Matt8:

[[Image:Image-WCL.jpg|right|thumb|Official Logo of the World Cricket League.]]
The '''[[Cricket]] World Cup''' is a tournament played by the cricketing nations of the world. The first was in 1795 AD, and the most recent one is the current [[2007]] Cup. Held in a period believed to be every four years, the tournament is anticipated greatly by a whole variety of religious, ethnic and political groups, primarily because cricket is viewed by a significant proportion of non-American countries as perhaps the "unifying" sport. The Cricket World Cup is organized by the International Perennial Cricket Council (IPCC), which regulates all international matches. However, the World Cup has a reputation for certain controversies and mysterious disappearances; such as the tragic death of Bob Woolmer on the 23rd of March 2007. {{fact}}

==Structure==

Nevertheless, the World Cup is often perceived as a momentous occasion, despite its somewhat inexplicable unpopularity in the USA and non-[[Commonwealth Nations]]. Theories have been put forward that the slow pace of the game and the lack of Britain's influence during the rapid augmentation in America's strength and military might during the 20th Century may be factors. The World Cup is also clearly a catalyst to the rise of many players, such as the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya and Ed "Spud" Joyce, as well as the wicket-keeper Matthew Thomlinson, reputedly the greatest batsmen in the world. Furthermore, more infamous characters, such as Azeem Raza Sheikh, front-line pace bowler for the Pakistan Cricket Team, has been known for his sledging and cutting jokes. Ayaz Hussain, Bowling Coach and legendary ex-spinner for Pakistan, nonetheless supports Sheikh for his immense contributions to the game.

The rules employed in the World Cup are similar to those of the regular rules of cricket ("The Laws
Of Cricket"; a document believed to be written by a certain [[L.A. Wilding]], although this is disputed). However, the one major difference is the introduction of the "Home Run", which equates to 12 runs, when a batsman launches the ball out of the stadium.

The structure of the World Cup varies greatly from decade to decade, a thing that the IPCC has been criticized about. The usual route of the world cup is as follows: Qualifying stages, Group Matches, Round 2 matches (for example, the "Super Sevens" in the 2007 Cup), the Semi-Finals and the Final. Winners of the Final have the honor of taking the 3 foot high Golden Cup, on which the famous cricketing slogan "Muttu Poda Naye" is inscribed; this is can roughly be translated as "To the one are the many", which originated from India.

==Developments and progress over the years==

Another great innovation of the World Cup is by the renowned Muttiah Muralitharan, chief panellist for the IPCC. He worked out a way in which the results of rained out cricket matches can be calculated, which has hindered many tournaments in the past. The winner will be the team that attains a greater value from the following equation, developed in 1993-4:

W=3x+2zy, where W is the Critical Value, x the runs scored so far in the tournament, y the number of wickets taken and z being the "Constant of Muralitharan", named after the panellist himself; this, however, an irrational number, expressed by the term e<sup>e!</sup>

==History==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Country
! Player of Tournament
|-
| 1975
| Sri Lanka
| Pt-Ed Joyce
|-
| 1979
| West Indies
| Clive Joyce
|-
| 1983
| India
| Ed Joyce
|-
| 1987
| Australia
| Sunil Gavaskar
|-
| 1992
| Pakistan
| Imran Khan/Sanath Jayasuriya
|-
| 1996
| Sri Lanka
| Sanath Jayasuriya
|-
| 1999
| Sri Lanka
| Sanath Jayasuriya
|-
| 2003
| England
| Matthew Thomlinson
|-
| 2007
| England
| Unknown
|}

==Historic Occasions in Previous World Cups==

*'''1975:''' Sri Lanka storm through the tournament to win the first ever World Cup. Ed Joyce breaks a world record to score the first ever 150 in the game, with 5 "home runs"
*'''1979:''' James Cormack, captain of the Scotland Cricket Team, end up with brilliant figures of 7-15 in 10 overs as well as a batting score of 75* (the first ever batsman to do so), leading to an unprecendented 7-wicket victory over West Indies
*'''1983:''' Umpire Publius Sextus Quintus Fell entered a controversial race row in an India vs South Africa match, in which Fell allegedly no-balled leg-spinner Ramachandran repeatedly on the ground of "smelling like curry" and for "chucking". He was also accused of muttering swear words in Africaans during the match.
*'''1992:''' Sheikh picks up a five-wicket haul in the finals against England to take the Cup.
*'''1996:''' Jayasuirya, George Chamberlain and Dave "The Rave" Twymann all score huge centuries in the Cup, making it the most exciting tournament since its inaugaration in 1975.
*'''1999:''' James "Watty" Watts was suspended and subsequently expelled from the Cup after allegations of drug-taking and bullying Avi Mayorcas after the latter's stunning catch to dismiss Watts.
*'''2003:''' Thomlinson scores a crushing double century in just 120 deliveries to take the Cup in the finals against Sri Lanka. Michael Craddock hits 7 "home runs" (a new record) against New Zealand, but was also accused of singing too much by angry Kiwi supporters.
*'''2007:''' Sanghon Kim captains the Korean side and leads them to a shock victory over Australia by a narrow margin of 2 runs, in which Kim achieved bowling figures of 2-8 and scored 56. Jack Owen scores a mesmerising 152* off just 99 balls to gain a 9 wicket victory over Austalia in the finals; England consequently take the cup after surpassing Australia's score of 322-7 in 45.4 overs. Aveenash Sekhar emerges as the leading all-rounder and statistically the greatest in terms of wickets and runs, with over 8000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs.

==Controversy==

Since Watts's expulsion from the Cricket World Cup, fans have been leading protests against the IPCC and do not wish the competition to be continued. They feel it is a tragedy that such an event happened, and thus far their protests have fallen on deaf ears. The famous pagan feminist Lewis Newburn is rumoured to be leading these protests, and his frustration over nothing changing in the past eight years has caused much amusement - some have seen him swearing in his anger, which is not a Christian activity.

== Updates ==
Since the recent World Cup of 2007, the International Cricketing Council have decided to introduce a new, prestigious award to the batsman who has shone in the previous domestic season. It has been named the Winston Award after the infamous Sri Lankan leg spinner Winston Vasanthakumar.
The winner of this award for 2007 was Josh Wills of Middlesex. He scored 1050 runs in the 2006 season at an average of 56.77 and a best of 221*. This merited his selection for the England B tour to the Caribbean later in 2007
[[category:sports]]

Spa Francorchamps

2007-04-17T23:11:45Z

Matt8: New page: The twisty Belgian circuit of Spa Francorchamps was designed by Henri Langlois Van Ophem, Ann Francesca Gilliat and Jules de Their was first raced on in 1924 covering the towns of Francor...

The twisty Belgian circuit of Spa Francorchamps was designed by Henri Langlois Van Ophem, Ann Francesca Gilliat and Jules de Their was first raced on in 1924 covering the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot.
In recent years this has been updated due to removal of the deadly Masta Kink and the introduction of a midfield section. The pits have been updated causing the lack of Spa from the calendar in 2003 and 2006

== Eau Rouge ==
The most dangerous corner on the F1 calendar, Eau Rouge has recently caught out Alex Zanardi's Lotus in 1993, Belgian Women's Volkswagen V8 champion Jessica Harrison in 1995, Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta's B.A.Rs in 1999, Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault in 2005 and Steffan Bellof's horrifying Porsche accident.

== Infamous races ==
In 1995 Michael Schumacher came from 16th on the grid in the streaming wet to win crucially against the ailing Damon Hill and David Coulthard to claim 10 crucial points.
In 1997 Schumacher won dominantly in the wet to prove his "Regenmeister" prowess.
In 1998 an 18-car pile up caused by David Coulthard led to a race in which Damon Hill won in the wettest conditions ever seen.

Silverstone

2007-04-17T22:57:06Z

Matt8: New page: Silverstone has played host to the British Grand Prix in the Formula One racing series since its formation in the 1950s. Being one of the most famous circuits in Grand Prix history, Silver...

Silverstone has played host to the British Grand Prix in the Formula One racing series since its formation in the 1950s.
Being one of the most famous circuits in Grand Prix history, Silverstone has currently survived Bernie Ecclestone's attempts to axe it from the calendar, along with the Magny Cours circuit in France

== History ==
Built as the brainchild of English aristocrat Oliver Keattch in the late 1940s, it incorporated the two runways of the old Silverstone runways of World War Two. Since 1950 it has seen many improvements such as the introduction of the Woodcote/Brooklands/Cormack/Luffield section.
Being the stamping ground of British heroes Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and,possibly for 2007, Lewis Hamilton, Silverstone has been a happy place for British winners since the 1990s, with no fewer than four British winners having won there from 1992-1999.
In previous years the race has been accused of being dull, but threats of closure have been limited due to the Imola circuits impending improvements

== The course ==
185kph for Copse corner. Sweep down 150kmh for Maggots and Becketts left right complex. 105mph
Down Hangar Straight down to Stowe, 110mph, and into the 1991 built Craddock complex. 55mph. Moving into Club corner, this complex is widely received as a break for drivers due to its long sweep.
Luffield follows, to Cormack, Brooklands and Woodcote in a 100mph. This tight right hander leads to the main straight and a new lap

== The Fans ==
The fans at Silverstone are notoriously Hamilton-mad, particularly in 2007 after the fall and fall of "Buttonmania", after Jenson Button's diabolical performances.
After Mansellmania in the early 1990s, Damon Hill took over in the Fans' hearts in 1994, winning brilliantly, after Race Director Richard Keegal controversally black flagged Michael Schumacher for passing Hill illegally
After Hill won, the fans broke ranks to show their delight. This was repeated in 1995 after Johnny Herbert won his first race, brilliantly, for Benetton.

== The Weather ==
Rain is as big a problem as the traffic from the M40 motorway. In 2000 the Grand Prix was unfathomably held in April, leading to swamps appearing in the drenched campsites around the circuits. There have been some disappearances from these wet campsites with some claiming that the mud injures approximately 2.47 campers per year, more when it is wet such as in 1998 and 2002.

Ed Joyce

2007-04-13T21:36:55Z

Matt8: New page: Edmund Christopher Joyce, commonly referred to as "Spud" or "Ed" is an integral member of the English Cricket Team. Born on 22nd September 1978 he was born in Dublin yet took up playing fo...

Edmund Christopher Joyce, commonly referred to as "Spud" or "Ed" is an integral member of the English Cricket Team. Born on 22nd September 1978 he was born in Dublin yet took up playing for England in Summer 2006. He bats left handed and high in the order, regularly scoring double hundreds for county and country

== One Day Internationals ==
He has played 15 ODIs to date including an average of 30.66 and one ODI hundred and three 50s in the Commonwealth Bank Series, Winter 2006/7. In a decision regarded by most cricketing pundits as absurd, Joyce was dropped for the remaining Super Eight games despite two World Cup half centuries

== County ==
Joyce, Middlesex opener and voted Middlesex Player of the Decade, has scored over 2,000 country runs, hitting many shots over the Lords Media Centre, to the delight of the hardline Middlesex Crusader fans, noted for their hooligan antics especially at away games. Middlesex's relegation last season, due to an error in points calculation, was due to Joyce's absence for four weeks due to an injury sustained in an ODI against Sri Lanka. This season his aims include passing the 3,000 run mark and to rewrite the Middlesex history books as they aim to be promoted once again.

Chaminda Vaas

2007-04-13T21:23:24Z

Matt8: New page: Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Usantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (WPUJC Vaas). He is a left handed Medium pace bowler and left handed bat, and specialises in taking quick wickets at the start of m...

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Usantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (WPUJC Vaas). He is a left handed Medium pace bowler and left handed bat, and specialises in taking quick wickets at the start of matches, claiming big name scalps to win crucial matches for international side Sri Lanka. His infamous battle cry of "Muttu", the Sri Lankan cultural gesture, is World renowned.

== Bowling ==
Having taken over 300 test wickets Vaas, affectionately known by teammates and close friends as "Vaasy" and scored the earliest hattrick ever, in the 2003 [[Cricket World Cup]] against Bangladesh in the first three balls. He is a mainstay in the Sri Lankan bowling lineup and is very useful with the bat with a top score of 74*

== County Cricket ==
For 2007 Vaas will play for [[Middlesex County Cricket Club]]and will lead the bowling assault along with new signing Murali Kartik and aid with the bat alongside such England mainstays as [[Ed Joyce]]and Andrew Strauss. This signing will signigicantly bolster the Middlesex side who are challenging from promotion this season from the Second Division. At the present he is a protagonist in Sri Lanka's marauding success in the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Sanath Jayasuriya

2007-04-13T19:59:04Z

Matt8:

A Sri Lankan cricketing legend, Sanath Teran Jayasuriya was born on 30th June 1969 in Matara. He is a left hand batsman and a slow left handed Orthodox bowler, with a distinctive action. Despite having retired in early 2006, he was recalled for the series in England in the summer of that year where he was super-effective against medium paced bowlers.

== Style ==
Opening the Sri Lankan order alongside Upul Tharanga or Sanjeev Ramachandran, with whom he is great friends. His tactic of hitting the ball to the boundary in a hyper-aggressive opening to an innings has led to some momentous and memorable scores such as 340 against India in 1997, and was named one of the players of the tournament in the 1996 [[Cricket World Cup]]. His notable bowling style helps to reduce the amount of pressure on Muttiah Muralitharan and Middlesex legend Chaminda Vaas.

== At the present ==
Jayasuriya is very successful at present, scoring 64 on Thursday 12th March 2007 against New Zealand and was on his way to a big total against Australia before being bowled by Luke Watson. He also scored 109 against Bangladesh and 115 against the West Indies. This was his 25th ODI century and Sri Lanka are now highly tipped for victory in the tournament. He has also scored 14 Test
centuries but the last was against Azeem Sheikh captained Pakistan in 2004

Sanath Jayasuriya

2007-04-13T19:58:36Z

Matt8: New page: A Sri Lankan cricketing legend, Sanath Teran Jayasuriya was born on 30th June 1969 in Matara. He is a left hand batsman and a slow left handed Orthodox bowler, with a distinctive action. D...

A Sri Lankan cricketing legend, Sanath Teran Jayasuriya was born on 30th June 1969 in Matara. He is a left hand batsman and a slow left handed Orthodox bowler, with a distinctive action. Despite having retired in early 2006, he was recalled for the series in England in the summer of that year where he was super-effective against medium paced bowlers.

== Style ==
Opening the Sri Lankan order alongside Upul Tharanga or Sanjeev Ramachandran, with whom he is great friends. His tactic of hitting the ball to the boundary in a hyper-aggressive opening to an innings has led to some momentous and memorable scores such as 340 against India in 1997, and was named one of the players of the tournament in the 1996 [[Cricket World Cup]]. His notable bowling style helps to reduce the amount of pressure on Muttiah Muralitharan and Middlesex legend Chaminda Vaas.

== At the present ==
Jayasuriya is very successful at present, scoring 64 on Thursday 12th March 2007 against New Zealand and was on his way to a big total against Australia before being bowled by Luke Watson. He also scored 109 against Bangladesh and 115 against the West Indies. This was his 25th ODI century and Sri Lanka are now highly tipped for victory in the tournament. He has also scored 14 Test centuries but the last was against Azeem Sheikh captained Pakistan in 2004

F1 racing

2007-04-13T09:38:59Z

Matt8: Undo revision 103338 by Special:Contributions/Jacobin (User talk:Jacobin)

The highest ranking of single seater formula in the World of motor racing.
Having been created in 1950 it has risen, especially in the 1980s and 1990s to being one of the most successful and money-spinning sports of all time.
[[Drivers]]
Since the 1950s, such notable drivers as Michael Schumacher, affectionately referred to by Damon Hill as a "cheating scumbag"; Jenson Button, acknowledged in the Formula One world as a complete failure, although it is believed that noone wishes to say this to his face for fear of upsetting his notoriously fragile personality; and Jean Denis Deletraz, who scored a stunning 16th place in the European Grand Prix of 1995. And who can forget Andrea De Cesaris, who was once referred to as a "moving chicane" and "De Crasheris" by commentator Murray Walker and who, despite over 200 races never managed to cross the finish line first

[[Teams]]
Since 1985, the Minardi team has been at the forefront of Grand Prix racing and, with such classic drivers as Gaston Mazzacane and Zsolt Baumgartner, has managed to earn the respect of all in the F1 world. Against all odds, such as a decrepit V8 engine, Baumgartner scored one point in 2004.
A notable addition is Ferrari who, despite rumoured favouritism towards their prodigy Michael Schumacher, have reigned supreme. He won 8 titles from 1994 to 2006

[[A grand Prix]]
When a Grand Prix starts, five red lights go out. Many drivers usually jump the start and are penalised. Despite flamboyant protests over team radio and very complicated cockpit instruments saying "STOP" and "GO" this is still a problem. Therefore more driver aids are being introduced and, in late 2005, a idea was proposed that drivers would race using a games console from the comfort of their own garage. It was scrapped.
If a driver does get down to the first corner, they have to get through the challenge of not being punted off the circuit by such infamous figures at Eddie "Irv the Swerve" Irvine or David "Flying Scotsman" Coulthard, the latter being famed for causing an 18 car pile up in Belgium in 1998.
And even if the first corner incident is avoided, Michael Schumacher used to reign terror by driving into other opponents and then blaming them for the incident as happened in Austria and Germany 2000. Despite having been nowhere near the incidents, Ricardo Zonta and Giancarlo Fisichella seemed understandably bemused to have the wrath of the German unleashed on them.

[[Pit stops]]
When a car needs fuel or tyres it comes into the pitlane. Narrowly avoiding other cars and mechanics, the fuel hose is attached to the car and tyres changed. Yet in 1964 Gianseppini Alboretini left the pitlane 1 wheel short, the wheel severely hurting another mechanic.
And in 1994, Dutchman Jos Verstappen's Benetton caught fire in an inferno in Germany. This left the mechanics on fire, all trying to jump cartoon-style into buckets of water. This, however, was deadly serious. Luckily nobody was too badly hurt

[[Crashes]]
When a car hits the wall or goes off it crashes. In all honesty, most F1 fans watch it for the crashes. In recent years there have been some very spectacular accidents such as a 10 car accident in America in 2006. This time neither Schumacher or Coulthard was to blame, however Juan Pablo Montoya, fabled earlier in his career for not fitting in his car and missing two Grand Prix for getting tennis elbow, took the blame and was sacked for the next race.

[[Winning]]
''"Formula One was always a waste of good champagne"''Unknown critic
After a driver crosses the line, they win the race. Sometimes they are so happy they cry or, in one case, lose control of their car and have an enormous shunt. But on the podium the anthems are played and the drivers attempt to sing along whilst looking nervously down at the crew. The 2nd and 3rd placed drivers are usually in vile moods and tend to stand on the podium feeling very depressed. Yet Formula One has never produced such levels of depression as those seen in the emo-subculture. Quite the opposite in fact. Crying on the podium has been part of the sport for a while now. Such drivers as Rubens Barrichello in 2000, or Michael Schumacher later that year, have been seen to burst into tears after winning a race with Barrichello even doing a mock-conduction of the Italian national anthem after his first win.

[[Glamour]]
Notable "glamorous" events include the Monaco Grand Prix in May and the British Grand Prix in July, despite the latter often being affected by conveniently timed thunderstorms causing the infamous campers around Silverstone to sink into the mud. It is reported that three deaths per year are caused by people sinking into the Silverstone mud. No bodies have ever been found.
And the infamous Watson's Glen circuit was blighted by the now infamous "bog people" who torched anyone who entered's car or possessions. This is surprising yet rumours are that they developed from the loathing of local 1890s politicians such as Michael Craddock or James Cormack, who intended on banning motor racing in this early period.
One track, the Old Nurburgring was over 26km long and each lap took 8 minutes. This race was scrapped after the large death toll in only a few years due to the acute angles the corners were at to each other, such as the infamous Karusel 270 degree sweep.

[[Link title]]

F1 racing

2007-04-12T22:30:52Z

Matt8: New page: The highest ranking of single seater formula in the World of motor racing. Having been created in 1950 it has risen, especially in the 1980s and 1990s to being one of the most successful ...

The highest ranking of single seater formula in the World of motor racing.
Having been created in 1950 it has risen, especially in the 1980s and 1990s to being one of the most successful and money-spinning sports of all time.
[[Drivers]]
Since the 1950s, such notable drivers as Michael Schumacher, affectionately referred to by Damon Hill as a "cheating scumbag"; Jenson Button, acknowledged in the Formula One world as a complete failure, although it is believed that noone wishes to say this to his face for fear of upsetting his notoriously fragile personality; and Jean Denis Deletraz, who scored a stunning 16th place in the European Grand Prix of 1995. And who can forget Andrea De Cesaris, who was once referred to as a "moving chicane" and "De Crasheris" and who, despite over 200 races never managed to get a win.

[[Teams]]
Since 1985, the Minardi team has been at the forefront of Grand Prix racing and, with such classic drivers as Gaston Mazzacane and Zsolt Baumgartner, has managed to earn the respect of all in the F1 world.
A notable addition is Ferrari who, despite rumoured favouritism towards their prodigy Michael Schumacher, have reigned supreme. He won 8 titles from 1994 to 2006

[[A grand Prix]]
When a Grand Prix starts, five red lights go out. Many drivers usually jump the start and are penalised. Despite flamboyant protests over team radio and very complicated cockpit instruments saying "GO NOW" they still get this wrong. Therefore more driver aids are being introduced and, in 2005, an idea was proposed that drivers would race using a games console from the comfort of their own garage. It was scrapped.
If a driver does get down to the first corner, they have to get through the challenge of not being punted off the circuit by such infamous figures at Eddie "Irv the Swerve" Irvine or David "Flying Scotsman" Coulthard, the latter being famed for causing an 18 car pile up in Belgium in 1998. This was later referred to by many critics as the most ridiculous example of driving they had ever seen.
And even if the first corner incident is avoided, Michael Schumacher used to reign terror by driving into other opponents and then blaming them for the incident as happened in Austria and Germany 2000. Despite having been nowhere near the incidents, Ricardo Zonta and Giancarlo Fisichella seemed understandably bemused to have the wrath of the German unleashed on them.

[[Pit stops]]
When a car needs fuel or tyres it comes into the pitlane. Narrowly avoiding other cars and mechanics, the fuel hose is attached to the car and tyres changed. Yet in 1964 Gianseppini Alboretini left the pitlane 1 wheel short, the wheel severely hurting another mechanic.
And in 1994, Dutchman Jostopher Verstappen's Benetton caught fire in an inferno in Germany. This left the mechanics on fire, all trying to jump cartoon-style into buckets of water. This, however, was deadly serious

[[Crashes]]
When a car hits the wall or goes off it crashes. In all honesty, most F1 fans watch it for the crashes. In recent years there have been some very spectacular accidents such as a 10 car accident in America in 2006. This time neither Schumacher or Coulthard was to blame, however Juan Pablo Montoya, fabled earlier in his career for not fitting in his car, took the rap and was sacked.

[[Winning]]
''"Formula One was always a waste of good champagne"''Unknown
After a driver crosses the line, they win the race. Sometimes they are so happy they cry or, in one case, lose control of their car and have an enormous shunt. But on the podium the anthems are played and the drivers attempt to sing along whilst looking nervously down at the crew. The 2nd and 3rd placed drivers are usually in vile moods and tend to stand on the podium feeling very depressed. Yet Formula One has never produced such levels of depression as those seen in the emo-subculture. Quite the opposite in fact.

[[Glamour]]
Notable "glamorous" events include the Monaco Grand Prix in May and the British Grand Prix in July, despite the latter often being affected by conveniently timed thunderstorms causing the infamous campers around Silverstone to sink into the mud. It is reported that three deaths per year are caused by people sinking into the Silverstone mud. No bodies have ever been found.
And the infamous Watson's Glen circuit was blighted by the now infamous "bog people" who torched anyone who entered's car or possessions. This is surprising yet rumours are that they developed from the loathing of local 1890s politicians such as Michael Craddock or James Cormack, who intended on banning motor racing in this early period.
One track, the Old Nurburgring was over 26km long and each lap took 8 minutes. This race was scrapped after the large death toll in only a few years due to the acute angles the corners were at to each other

[[Link title]]