From Monaco to the Indy 500 ultimately Motorsport Wins

Sunday was a double-header with two of the most prestigious races in motorsport history providing terrific entertainment for any sports fan. Along with the Le Mans 24 hour race, the Monaco GP and Indy 500 are unofficially regarded as the Triple Crown in any driver’s career. Both races were closely fought and while the Monaco GP finish was ruined due to a red flag the Indy 500 more than made up for it with a last corner thriller.

Vettel (Sebastian) continued his domination of this year’s championship by taking his fifth win out of six races. Both Alonso (Fernando) and Button (Jenson) will feel let down by the red flag as they both thought they had a shot of winning. There was nothing to choose from the top three drivers as they headed into the final ten laps. In the end Vettel managed to do a staggering 54 laps on the soft tyre which was remarkable and only possible at Monaco, where track position is everything and overtaking is close to impossible. The irony here is that Red Bull actually made a mistake in their pitstop by putting Vettel on the soft tyres instead of the super soft tyres. When luck is on your side I guess nothing can stop you. Am not sure if Alonso or Button would have actually got past Vettel but his tyres would have been in really bad shape and it would have been anyone’s race. While most of the drivers have concluded that nothing can stop Vettel from taking the title let us hope that even if he does, McLaren and Ferrari ensure that they take the battle to the last race like last year.

This weekend was not with controversy and the FIA should have a look into some of the following areas. Firstly from a fan’s perspective there should be a change to the red flag rule where the teams are allowed to make changes to their car, be it tyres, wing adjustments etc. Without these changes we would have surely had a race to the finish with things similar to what they were before the flag came out. Secondly when the safety car does come out the lapped cars should move aside for those on the lead lap. This was the case earlier but looks like they FIA have changed the rule once again.

Thirdly and most important is the stewards view on penalties for overtaking or attempting to overtake. Some of the penalties that are being handed out this year are ridiculous and discourage the drivers from taking risks. Alonso’s move on Hamilton in Malaysia this year, Paul Di Resta’s move on Jaime Alguesuari and Hamilton’s move on Felipe Massa are good examples from this year. Drivers are paid to race and to overtake and if penalties are always handed out for cars touching each other no one is going to attempt a move. Each race an ex-F1 driver as a guest steward which should give them a position to give the other stewards the driver’s perspective. On one side FIA and the F1 teams are looking at every possible way to increase overtaking in F1 and on the other side they are discouraging it. I agree extreme cases should be penalised but the milder cases can be given a reprimand and three reprimands can then be given a penalty.

This is a perfect time to talk about Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco GP and subsequent outburst. Hamilton started on the back foot when he got caught out in qualifying and started only in 9^th position. He was then given a drive-thru penalty for trying to overtake Massa (Felipe) and then yet another penalty for his move on Maldonado (Pastor). Hamilton is a born racer and one of the best overtakers in F1 today, if not the best. Hamilton went on to blast the FIA stewards accuse them of bias and call them a ‘joke’. It was very uncharacteristic of the modern racer and will definitely have repercussions, but something had to be said and Lewis said it.

Now away from F1 and a quick note on the Indy 500 which was a classic with the last 5 laps having 5 lead changes. Finally it was a first timer JR Hildebrand who took the lead from 2-time winner Dario Franchitti at the Brickyard with 3 laps to go. When Hildebrand was trying to get past a backmarker in the final corner on the last lap he hit the wall and finished the race in second place with his damaged car as eventual winner Dan Wheldon drove past. It was Wheldon’s second win here. Please go to the below link to see the unbelievable finish to the race - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZc_u2lfOeo&feature=youtu.be

Monaco – Separating men from the boys

We witnessed one of the most exciting Spanish GPs in recent times as we saw an intense battle between championship favourite Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton that went right down to the wire. Hamilton tried everything possible to get past the Red Bull but Vettel defended brilliantly, even without use of his KERS at most time, to further extend his lead at the front.

Jenson Button finished third after having a disastrous first lap which dropped him back to 10^th place while Webber failed to impress after starting on pole. The last 15 laps of the race were intense with Hamilton trying everything to get past Vettel but not close enough to attempt an overtaking move due to the high downforce of the Red Bull. While the Red Bull’s seem to be absolutely dominant in qualifying, their race pace does not seem to be superior at all. If McLaren can be more consistent with their race pace there still might be a chance of beating Vettel.

Fernando Alonso had a lightning start and looked like he could take the fight to both Red Bull and McLaren but ended up finishing a lap down on the leaders. Ferrari never looked on the pace all weekend and the only reason they were in that position was because of Alonso’s brilliance. Ferrari always seems to make the mistake of reacting to the strategy around them rather than sticking to their own. Their desperation to cover Vettel cost them too much time as they had to finish almost half the race on the hard tyres, on which they were 3 seconds a la slower than the leaders.

In less than a week’s time we will have our sixth race of the season when we head to the streets of Monaco. Monaco separates the boys from men and the good from the great. Monaco is one track in the world where you have to be on the limit every second of the lap as the drivers drive barely inches from the wall. Almost all drivers will pick Monaco as one of their favourite tracks and it is every driver’s dream to win at the principality. This year’s racing might be spiced up with the new regulations but I only see the tyres making a big difference here.

Qualifying will be key to get track position and strategies will be crucial here as well so as not to get stuck behind slower cars, especially for the top teams. It is also possible that this might be the place where we have a different winner this year.

The DRS zone for this weekend has been identified as the start-finish straight but don’t think drivers will be close enough to take advantage of it. DRS had absolutely no or little impact in Sunday’s race as it was once again proved that tyres will be main game changer. DRS has been heavily debated for this race with most drivers pushing to ban DRS for this weekend. However it is believed Michael Schumacher is a big supporter of the device as he believes it will benefit his Mercedes. FIA are also in the process of deciding whether to ban DRS in the tunnel due to safety requirements. With regard to the DRS, the drivers are worried that the wing setting is either fully open or fully closed which will result in a big step difference between downforce levels if they use the device.

The other area of interest has been around the ‘hot-cold blown diffuser’ that has been making rounds. FIA is trying to clamp down on the way the engines are used to generate exhaust gas pressure on the over-run, in other words when the driver lifts off the throttle. The system is used to increase downforce by using hot exhaust gases as part of the aerodynamic flow under the car, into the rear diffuser. As clarified by FIA’s Charlie Whiting it’s not blown diffusers that were being banned, just the over-run part of their function.

The FIA decided to ban it before the Spanish GP and then did an immediate u-turn as the teams complained that they needed more time to make the change. While Red Bull seems to have the best system all the top team will also suffer if it is banned. However some teams including HRT and Virgin have said they would make a formal protest if teams do run with it this weekend. What do you know if that does happen and the teams get disqualified we could see HRT’s Narain Karthikeyan and the Virgin drivers on the podium.

Vettel is the clear favourite

Sebastian Vettel heads into round five of the F1 2011 world championship at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona as the favourite without a doubt. After three wins and one second place in the first four races the German definitely looks unstoppable as he heads back to F1’s favourite testing track.

While Red Bull took a commanding 1-2 last time out in Turkey the tight battle behind them looks set to resume again. Ferrari and McLaren are bringing aggressive upgrades to Barcelona as they try to close the gap to Vettel’s Red Bull. Ferrari’s updates helped bridge the gap slightly in Turkey and they are hoping to be even closer to the leader, especially in qualifying. While I don’t expect anyone to stop Vettel from taking his sixth consecutive pole the race might be closer this time out. I strongly believe that if Vettel leads into the first corner he is almost impossible to stop. However if he is stuck behind another car after lap 1, the chances of beating him are really high, as seen in Chinese GP last month. I expect Hamilton (Lewis), Alonso (Fernando) and Webber (Mark) to all be strong this weekend and hopefully challenging Vettel.

The Circuit de Catalunya is like a second home to all teams and drivers as majority of F1 testing is done here - this is because a car that performs well here normally performs well on all circuits. Traditionally, Barcelona has always signalled the beginning of the European season and it will be interesting to see whether the 2011 regulations are successful here. Barcelona is predominantly known to be one of the most boring races on the calendar due to its lack of overtaking opportunities. With the combination of DRS, KERS and the rapidly degrading Pirelli tyres will the Spanish fans be in for a surprise? Am not sure we will require as many tyre stops as we did in Turkey(4 stops), as the tyres have been tested extensively at this circuit and degradation should be less.

Another interesting area to watch out for will be the various development packages that all teams will be bringing this weekend. In F1 the ‘development race’ is key to winning the championship. The cars that the teams start the season with is completely different to the one they finish the season with as new parts and updates are brought frequently to almost every race. Last year the only reason that Alonso (Fernando) could fight for the title was due to development of the car throughout the year and this year if Ferrari or McLaren stand any chance of beating Red Bull, they will have to be aggressive with their updates. Even one race without small updates can have repercussions, as seen by McLaren last time out in Turkey.

The midfield teams Williams, Force India, Renault and Sauber will all be bringing significant updates to their cars as well in a bid to catch the front four. At the same time Red Bull will not be sitting quietly and will be doing everything in their power to make their car go even faster.

The Indian contingent will also be back to do their best in Barcelona with Narain Karthikeyan hoping to beat fellow newcomers Virgin Racing. Karun Chandhok will hope to be back behind the wheel of the Team Lotus Renault as he continues to fulfil his third driver responsibilities on Friday morning. His Team Lotus too are bringing in a raft of updates that will hopefully enable the team to battle the midfield teams. Considering the team is less than 2 years old this will be a remarkable achievement if they are successful.

Apart from the 2011 regulations and updated packages, all eyes will be on seven time world champion Michael Schumacher. He was severely criticized last race and there are stories circulating that he will hang up his boots soon. Schumacher has struggled to match his team-mate Rosberg all along but he will come back strongly after the disappointment of the last race.

F1 comes alive

So as Sebastian Vettel continues to dominate proceedings in the 2011 Formula One season one would wonder how the viewership in F1 is at an all-time high!! Well for any motorsport fan that is quite simple – racing has become fun again. While Vettel has been in a league of his own, the battle behind him has been getting closer and closer over the last few races. In a normal year, everybody would be complaining that F1 was so boring and predictable, and switching off. The new regulations that were drafted to make it more exciting definitely seems to be working, with races this year becoming unpredictable, enthralling and nail-biting till the very end. I thought we could take a deeper look to understand how these changes have impacted F1 this year.

The combination of the new Pirelli tyres, KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), and DRS (drag reduction system) rear wing overtaking aid has given us motorsport fans what we have always craved for - wheel-to-wheel banging amongst the world’s best drivers.

In my view the rapidly degrading Pirelli tyres is the main reason for closely fought battles this season. Some drivers had to make four stops last race and three stops the race before and mind you the only time that normally happens is when the race is rain affected. The difference between the old tyre and new tyre is sometimes close to three second which means drivers can make up the pitstop time in 5-6 laps, which is what Mark Webber has been doing in the last couple of races.

Drivers have also seen the importance of saving new tyres for the race rather than using them in qualifying. In future races my worry is that qualifying will lose its appeal as the drivers will sacrifice their starting position to save the tyres for the race.

The controversial DRS rear wing which was introduced this year has definitely spiced up the races this year. Overtaking has always been really tough and The FIA (motorsport governing body) came from a position where overtaking had become too hard and DRS was introduced to make overtaking possible - but not too easy.

The idea behind it is that it opens a slot gap in the rear wing, creating less drag and allowing the car to go faster down the straight. During the Turkish GP not only the fans, but some drivers thought it made overtaking too easy. There was a lot of overtaking with cars sailing past each other on the straight and not having to take any risks. However it must be noted that only when the tyres began to wear down, the drivers got close enough to use the DRS. Webber (Mark) and Alonso (Fernando) only got past Rosberg (Nico) when his tyres were in bad shape, Alonso got past Webber the same way, and Webber repaid Alonso the favour when he had new tyres and the latter was on the older tyres. I think DRS is a great and powerful tool for F1, as long as the DRS zone is set properly. Indian F1 driver Karun Chandhok had told me at the beginning of the year that while the DRS system will be great for F1, it will be trial and error process to get it right and he was also confident FIA will make it a success.

Sadly for all the teams and drivers, the new-style F1 leaves very little margin for error. It's so close on track that the smallest margin will have the biggest effect on the race.

With that said this season looks like it will be even more interesting than last years. McLaren and Ferrari, main challengers to Red Bull’s Vettel will have to really work out of their skins to stop the German from finishing the season early.

Next week I will preview the Spanish GPO and also discuss the importance of the ‘development race’ and how that will end up deciding the 2011 F1 title.

In God We Trust - Sachin Tendulkar

When our generation thinks of the world best cricketers the first name that undoubtedly comes up is Sachin Tendulkar. From our time the other greats include Viv Richards, Imran Khan, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, and the list goes on and on.. Please excuse me for not including players like Sobers, Bradman, Worrell as I never had a chance to watch them play and grow as cricketers.

Sachin has been seen by most of us since he made his debut on the Pakistan tour in 1989. None of us will forget his hammering of the great Abdul Qadir for 28 runs in over which included 4 sixes and a four. That was the day we all started looking forward to watching Sachin bat. Over the next few years Sachin was not as aggressive as he became but was always in the runs. Prior to the 1996 WC Sachin decided to take on all the bowlers and this set the stage for Sachin to become one of the most destructive players in the history of the sport.

But what makes this man great? Is it his 99 centuries, his 154 half-centuries, his 32,835 runs in both forms?? For me it is quite simple, it is his thirst, commitment and dedication in a career that has spanned over 21 years. Being at the top of a sport for 3-4 years is tough enough, but for 20 years is close to impossible. While other players have let the fame and fortune get to them, Sachin has been the greatest ambassador to the sport and a perfect platform for all sportsmen to learn from. He is very humble and down to earth and prefers to stay away from controversies both off and on the field. This all stems from his love for the sport. Pakistani cricketing legend Javed Miandad once said, "He (Sachin) loves cricket and with his hard work, focus and commitment he has truly become an outstanding ambassador for the sport at a time when commercialism is so rampant."

His commitment has been second to none and upcoming sportsmen should look at him for inspiration. Being a sportsman is no easy task, be it a cricketer, golfer, racing driver, footballer etc. Being a successful sportsman at the end of the day depends on how much you really want it. The mental and physical aspect here is immense and Sachin is here due to hard work and hunger for success. In a recent interview Indian coach Gary Kirsten said of Sachin, “After all these years, he still has a real desire and motivation to work hard at his game. Whenever Sachin walks out to bat, he treats his batting with absolute humility.”

He has changed his game to whatever the situation requires and will play accordingly. Even the bat he uses will be chosen according to the situation. His decision to stay away from T20 cricket in 2007 was made with the idea of prolonging his career in both ODIs and Tests, easily his favourite format. And it seems to have been a masterstroke as he has enjoyed one of his most successful runs in both forms in the last couple of years. Everything he has been able to achieve he has done with the pressure of a billion people on him. This is what makes him different to any sportsman in the world – the ability to consistently perform with the whole country depending on him. Sporting icons like Muhammad Ali, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods never had to deal with this aspect of the sport.

For a number of years Sachin was criticized for not being a good finisher or not taking his team through. But the memorable 1998 Sharjah finals against Australia, 2008 ODI series win against Australia in Australia and his century in Chennai to beat England couple of years ago proves otherwise. Wasim Akram once said, "I have a quiet laugh when I read or hear some people argue that Sachin has not been a true match winner or good finisher for India. To them, I say grow up! What more can you expect from the man, a great cricketer and the best role model for not just young cricketers but all sportsmen."

The only thing left for Sachin to achieve is winning the World Cup. This will not alter the image of the man even if India don't win tomorrow but is there any man more deserving of this. If there is anyone who can help us win the World Cup it is Sachin Tendulkar and we will have to trust him to do it.

Unfortunately at some point in the near future the great man will call it quits, and that time will be a sad time for any cricket fan. Normally people are considered great only after they quit, but with Sachin he was already being called the greatest cricketer midway through his career.

When he does hang up his boots, believe me, cricket is going to lose a lot of fans.

Q&A with Karun Chandhok

Q. You've been confirmed as the Team Lotus reserve driver for this year. How did that deal come about?

Karun Chandhok: I first started speaking to Tony [Fernandes] when he called me after the Monaco Grand Prix last year. He said he thought I had done a really good race, and that the team had been waiting for me to make a mistake for 35 laps with Jarno [Trulli] sat right behind me in a car that was a lot quicker. In the end Jarno ended up on top of me!

Then we started talking about where I could see myself going, and where he sees himself going, and I was straight away impressed about how he wanted to build his Asian team - with Asian drivers, an Asian team principal and having more of an Asian influence in personnel as well. That is how we got linked up. The deal took a little while to come, as things seems to take these days when you have multiple drivers, but we got there in the end.

Q. How important is this deal for you - in terms of being out there on track in a car again?

KC: I think the fact that they have straightaway stuck me in the car in Melbourne for FP1, shows that from both sides they are quite serious about having me on board. For me as well, this weekend in all honestly is not about being heroic. I haven't tested the car and I haven't driven the new Pirelli tyres. It is quite good that this is one of the rounds with an extra set of tyres, so it will be quite nice to get some miles underneath my belt and get to know the people and the car. This is a weekend for intelligence rather than heroics.

Q. You've seen the team operate during testing. What is your impression of the way it works?

KC: The team seems very, very driven. I think it has benefited from the partnership with Renault and Red Bull Racing. The packaging around the rear end of the car is fantastic. I knew the engine and gearbox package it had last year and I think Cosworth did a great job, but there were a few issues of reliability – especially with Xtrac. But when you look at the Red Bull gearbox, with its packaging and size, it is just incredible. Therefore the team can do the aero a lot better.

Operationally the whole thing looks very slick. The team is not at the level of teams like McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, but it is certainly heading in the right way to be a midfield team – hopefully by next year. This year again will be tough, although with the tyre situation there could be a weekend where the ducks line up in the right way for them and it doesn't for one of the other midfield teams. Then they could be in with a shout. Just looking at the testing times they are looking more competitive than last year.

Q. How many Fridays are you likely to be doing?

KC: A fair amount. It still needs to be decided how many exactly – and I think there will be some juggling as [Davide] Valsecchi and [Luiz] Razia have been announced as well and they are doing some Fridays, so there is a little bit of juggling yet to do. But I will do some decent mileage this year.

Q. But it must be a no-brainer for you to do free practice in India?

KC: I guess so. There are a few details that need to be sorted, but I haven't had the chance to sit down with Tony [Fernandes] and Mike [Gascoyne] on the same table for the last month, so we will sit down this weekend and sort it out.

Q. How do you think the Indian fans will react?

KC: Indian motorsport has never had it so good. Two drivers involved in F1, with a team in F1 and a race happening. We are slowly chipping away, but we still need to get through the first race.

I am going straight from Australia to Delhi, as the second layer of asphalt is being put down so I am going to drive around it for the first time. They want me to drive it before anyone else. I'll be doing it in the road car, and it will be nice to drive on a piece of asphalt there properly. They have tweaked some of the corners and changed the width of the circuit based on Charlie [Whiting's] suggestions for overtaking. It will be interesting to see how that works out.

Q. Your role this season will probably make you busier than last year, when you only did the half season for HRT. Does it feel like a step up for you?

KC: Yes, it is nice because it feels like a team that has a little bit more structure to it. I will never discredit HRT because it gave me an opportunity to get a foot in the door of F1, and I will always appreciate it for that, but I think Lotus ended last year as the best of the new teams. Looking at testing times it also looks like it has made the best progress. So it is a step up as a team. For me, it is a chance also to learn from drivers who have done between them around 400 races. You just listen on the radio and you can pick up interesting things. They have so much experience, and hopefully I can benefit from that.

Q. One of the things that Tony Fernandes talks about a lot is the spirit at Team Lotus, and the passion of the staff who work there. Have you noticed that?

KC: I guess it's exactly what Jordan must have been like back in the day of the late-1990's. It was a smaller team trying to punch above its weight and everyone realised – okay, you have to do a bit more individually than you would do in a bigger team with more resources. That is clear to see at Team Lotus – everyone is really up for it. Also looking beyond this week, next month or the next six months – there is a much bigger long-term plan in terms of building the infrastructure of the team up. So, I think it is a great place to be at the moment.

Q. What it is like working with Tony?

KC: In a very short space of time, he has earned a lot of respect in the paddock. You speak to people in other teams, whether that is Williams or someone like Christian Horner, and most people have got a good word to say about him. But there have obviously been a couple of issues along the way. What I like about him is that he has achieved a lot with his airline and the other business, but he is just a normal bloke. I go down to his house in the afternoon sometimes and we gossip about people in the paddock, cricket, whatever. He is just a nice, nice guy more than anything else.

Q. Tony Fernandes is quite prolific on Twitter, as are you. Who is going to win that battle in 2011?

KC: I don't know! He is a bit more gutsy with his comments – and doesn't hold back his punches. I am a bit more diplomatic! I think I might win on volume then, but he will throw bigger punches here and there!

Q&A courtesy Autosport.com

KARUN CHANDHOK BACK IN F1 AS TEAM LOTUS RESERVE DRIVER

As mentioned in my blog yesterday huge announcement today with Karun being confirmed as the Reserve Driver for Team Lotus. Story below...

Team Lotus has today finalised its 2011 driver line-up with the confirmation that Karun Chandhok is theteam’s Reserve Driver, joining Race Drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, Third Driver Luiz Razia and Test Drivers Davide Valsecchi and Ricardo Teixeira in the Anglo / Malaysian team’s stable of driving talent.

Karun is one of the most exciting and popular drivers in global motorsport and has enjoyed a stellar career in his rise up through the ranks to Formula One. He will be taking part in a number of Friday Practice sessions for Team Lotus including FP1 in Melbourne and his technical input and obvious talent will provide the team with more valuable insights into how to optimise the T128’s performance potential on-track, alongside his ambassadorial role for the team as one of its official drivers.

Team Lotus Team Principal Tony Fernandes is delighted that the team can now confirm Karun’s role for 2011 and beyond: “This is another great day for Team Lotus. Karun's appointment to our team gives us not only his immense driving talent and F1 experience, both of which will help us develop the car even further, but also brings one of the warmest, most professional personalities I have the pleasure of knowing into the Team Lotus family. I do not think it is going too far to say that Karun represents the future of motor racing – he is living proof that geography is no boundary to talent and ambition and that you will succeed if you work hard and keep dreaming. He is fiercely proud of his Indian heritage but he has a truly global outlook and I am honoured that Team Lotus is now giving one of India’s brightest stars the chance to continue to develop his talent. Everyone in the team is excited about working with Karun, and I cannot wait to see him representing the Indian nation in our car.”

Karun Chandhok: “I’ve been talking to the team for quite a while about a role with them and I’m delighted we’re now able to confirm that I will be driving for Team Lotus in 2011. The details of exactly which sessions I will be in the car for are being worked out now and after having spent some time with them at the recent pre-season tests I can see exactly how passionate everyone in Team Lotus is about taking this team back to the top of the F1 grid. These are very exciting times for Team Lotus and it’s a real honour to be able to play a part in helping shape this team’s future. I want to thank Tony, Din, Nasa, Riad and Mike for having the faith in me to give me a chance to help the team develop and I’ll do my best to repay that faith wherever I can.”

Birth of Adrenna!!

Can't believe that it has actually been more than 1.5years since my last blog entry. This year I have made a promise to my self to make sure I go back to my blogging ways. The timing is actually perfect as one Mr. Suhail Chandhok (yes yes brother of Karun Chandhok) and I launched our Sports Communications firm earlier this month. We both love sports and we both are super passionate about it so hey why not blog about as well right??

While I used to write solely on Formula One earlier I will expand that now to write on other sports as well, which I am truly passionate about. Rather than ranting and raving to my wife, I will put my thoughts down on this blog. Every time I tell her see I told you this would happen she turns around and says why don't you say it everyone else rather than telling only me. This weekend she got an overdose of sports: Saturday started with the Australia -Pakistan cricket match, then the Manchester United - Bolton Wanderers EPL match, followed by the MotoGP qualifying, and wait there is one more - Nadal vs. Del Potro tennis match at Indian Wells. Sunday was pretty similar sports-wise but India - West Indies, Chelsea - Manchester City, MotoGP race and Nadal - Djokovic final. Luckily she did not have to watch all of it. Anyway what I am trying to say is that like any other Indian I love my sports and constantly try to learn more and more about each of them.

I hope to use this blog not only as a platform to share my views but also to use it to talk to other sportsmen and hear their views as well. I plan to put up interviews, events, discussions, news and whole list of other things on this platform. If you have good things to say please feel free to comment, else send me a mail.

Tomorrow's blog will be the first of hopefully many and will definitely be an interesting read as it will include a big announcement. Will sign out now...