THE WORLD OF MOTORSPORT DIRECTLY TO YOUR DESKTOP
Issue 240 | February 7-13 2012
E N O D D N A E DON
V8 FIELD FULL AFTER GARRY’S FRENCH CONNECTION
PLUS THE LATEST FROM V8 SUPERCAR AND F1 LAUNCH SEASON
Opinion Editorial Editor: Mitchell Adam Executive Editor: Phil Branagan
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Editor Mitchell Adam
mitchell@mnews.com.au @DrMitchellAdam
O
K, and be honest now, who checked the date last week when they saw web links to a story saying Garry Rogers had signed Alexandre Prémat? Far from being an April Fools joke, Garry has made the most unexpected driver signing in the history of V8 Supercars. Since it became clear Lee Holdsworth would be moving on, the second seat at GRM has been discussed ad nauseum. In the last four or five months, I’d say that every other conversation I’ve had with V8 paddock people has included the question ‘what do you reckon Garry will do?’ A host of rookies, experienced drivers and internationals were linked with the ride, and Garry – as Garry does – kept his cards close to his chest. Everyone was a candidate and a decision would only be made when it needed to be made. He didn’t need a driver until the test on February 11, after all. Now that it’s been announced, I found a quote from Garry in GRM’s press release interesting. When explaining the decision not to go with another ‘young’ driver, he’s attributed as saying “the V8 Supercar Category is ultra competitive and you no longer can afford the time and results that come with the inexperienced drivers.” A number of the well-credentialed drivers who had been linked with the drive may also find that interesting. Sure, Premat has plenty of motorsport experience. You don’t win what he’s won in Europe by being a mug. But he has no experience in these cars – other than a hitout in GRM’s ridecar the other week. Would a driver
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such as Alex Davison – with several Main Game seasons – or David Russell – with several DVS seasons and enduro campaigns – have been a safer bet in the short to medium term at least? Premat will know that he’s facing a steep learning curve. Many internationals have come to Australia to sample V8 Supercars and it hasn’t clicked. However, most of those have been jumping in cold for the two endurance races, one of those always held at the region’s biggest, baddest circuit, Bathurst. In Premat’s favour, he’ll have a full season to get his head around it, including test days. The Sprint Tyre will help, as will the sequential gearbox, luxuries (for want of a better term) most internationals missed out on. And quite a few imports have figured V8 Supercars out quickly on the Gold Coast in 2010 and 2011. And he’s probably joining the series at a good time. He’ll spend this year learning the circuits and the way everything operates, before everyone goes back to Square 1 in 2013 with the Car of the Future. Suddenly, his gulf of relative experience is lot less. He’s spent a lot more time learning different cars than guys like Whincup and Tander in recent years, and, by all accounts, the COTF is closer to a GT sportscar. Overall, it’s a bold move, but a typically Garry move. He’s never been afraid to take a chance, and that’s what you have to do sometimes in life. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all pans out. AS you may have already read, this is the 240th and final edition of Motorsport eNews. Since it was launched nearly five years ago,
Issue No. 240 | 7-02-12 to 13-02-12
Vive le Garry | Premat gets second GRM seat And it’s Gold for HRT! | HRT, DJR launch
10 Post-Christmas shopping | MWM gets an FG 12 Ugly duckings | Ferrari and co launch F1 2012
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eNews has been a major player in the Australian motorsport media landscape. Ultimately, that landscape has changed, and the focus of Motorsport News as an entity will now be directed towards the Motorsport News print mag. I’m proud of the magazines we’ve produced in that time. I’ve always considered it our primary mission to tell you something on a Monday night. And I feel we’ve done that. In addition to breaking more than our share of news, we’ve led the industry on opinion, analysis and race coverage – all for just over a dollaridoo a week. On behalf of all that have ever worked on eNews, I’d like to sincerely thank you – our subscribers – for reading and, importantly, your
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FOR almost 15 years Australian Motorsport News has published as a print magazine including in-depth features, behind the scenes information and race reviews. This has been complimented with a weekly web-based eNews newsletter that has been available for close to five years. There has been a significant shift in the way motorsport fans access and consume news and information. Accordingly we have reviewed the business model for Australian Motorsport News and eNews and decided to focus on continuing to provide the most comprehensive motorsport coverage in the monthly magazine. Unfortunately, going forward this will mean that the weekly eNews publication will cease with this issue #240 being the last. David Gardiner, CEO of NextMedia commented “The explosion of available motorsport information from live TV coverage, promoters, race teams, social media and websites, often in a truncated press release form has made the timely delivery of quality breaking news increasingly difficult. Our Australian Motorsport readers rightfully demand high quality information on the sport of their passion and NextMedia is committed to the ongoing publication of Australian Motorsport News which has and will continue to be staffed by some of the most respected motorsport news journalists in the country.” The monthly Australian Motorsport News magazine will continue to publish 12 times a year, and will also be made available as a web-based version on the RealView platform for those readers who want to continue to view their magazine online. eNews subscribers will be able to convert their subscriptions to the monthly publication. Advertisers will be able to reach the target audience through the magazine, on the web-based version or positions on the website. support in subscribing. I’ve definitely enjoyed being a part of eNews each Monday since I came on board for Issue 130 in November 2009 and this last month as Editor. I’d also like to thank all of our hard working contributors for their outstanding efforts over the years. It’s greatly appreciated. Those thanks are doubled on a personal note. I’ll be leaving MNews at the end of next week after two-and-a-half years here. It’s been good, but now it’s time to do a Garry; roll the dice and see where life takes me. P.S. I’m sorry about the big picture of the Ferrari F2012 on Page 12.
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