43 replies to this topic

[potmotr]

Everyone's favorite former driver, commentator and Sunday Times columnist is racing at Spa this weekend in the Formula Palmer Audi championship. He'll be up against his son Alex and dozens of other hungry, fearless, mad young men. Will he still be fast? Could he get hurt? How do we think he'll go?

[undersquare]

Originally posted by potmotr
Everyone's favorite former driver, commentator and Sunday Times columnist is racing at Spa this weekend in the Formula Palmer Audi championship. He'll be up against his son Alex and dozens of other hungry, fearless, mad young men. Will he still be fast? Could he get hurt? How do we think he'll go?

It'll be interesting to see! In his heyday a midfield F1 pedaller so would have won it easily, car permitting. I saw a couple of races on TV, Alex wasn't looking that great at the time.

I suspect Martin might be too much of a target to get to the finish.

[Josta]

Originally posted by potmotr
Everyone's favorite former driver, commentator and Sunday Times columnist is racing at Spa this weekend in the Formula Palmer Audi championship. He'll be up against his son Alex and dozens of other hungry, fearless, mad young men. Will he still be fast? Could he get hurt? How do we think he'll go?

I am surprised that he is starting in FPA. That is basically a first step on the ladder for people with (comparatively) not much cash. I would have thought that Brundle would be able to bankroll his son for at least a WSR ride.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by undersquare


I suspect Martin might be too much of a target to get to the finish.

It is a brave, brave move. And I notice Jonathan Palmer isn't racing and his son is competing at Spa too.
I'd really hate to see Brundle injured by some 15-year-old kid with no fear.

[noikeee]

Originally posted by Josta


I am surprised that he is starting in FPA. That is basically a first step on the ladder for people with (comparatively) not much cash. I would have thought that Brundle would be able to bankroll his son for at least a WSR ride.

WSR?! That's slightly higher level than Formula 3. And usually F3 drivers do a couple seasons in lower formulas.

Nobody goes straight into WSR at the age of 17, without experience in other formulas.

[sKunk]

The palmer audi is a nice race car to drive, if a little underpowered. Should be interesting to see how Brundle gets on.

[Ross Stonefeld]

How often are junior drivers injured? It's not like FPA at Spa is Death Race 5000.

As it were, they had a 'shootout' at the Bedford test track a few weeks ago between JPalmer and his kid, and Alex and Martin Brundle. Martin was slower than son by about half a second. Which would have put him about 7th to 9th on the grid for the last round at Brands Hatch GP circuit, where his kid was on pole.

[Josta]

Originally posted by paranoik0


WSR?! That's slightly higher level than Formula 3. And usually F3 drivers do a couple seasons in lower formulas.

Nobody goes straight into WSR at the age of 17, without experience in other formulas.

Fernando Alonso?

[noikeee]

Originally posted by Josta


Fernando Alonso?

Well.. umm, that was a long time ago.. (you got me there )

Still, it's not very common. Most drivers don't go that way, there must be a reason.

[Ross Stonefeld]

WSR back then was basically an F3 car. Alonso did that and then F3000.

[eoin]

I hope he does a better job than he did in the Lotus 49 last weekend!

[Josta]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
WSR back then was basically an F3 car. Alonso did that and then F3000.

And F3000 was the same as GP2 today.

[president evil]

Originally posted by eoin
I hope he does a better job than he did in the Lotus 49 last weekend!

I think to be fair he didn't go flat out in it because he was only doing some demo laps and was surely reminded not to go too fast and trash the thing!

[karlth]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
How often are junior drivers injured? It's not like FPA at Spa is Death Race 5000.

As it were, they had a 'shootout' at the Bedford test track a few weeks ago between JPalmer and his kid, and Alex and Martin Brundle. Martin was slower than son by about half a second.

The difference is that Brundle Jr. has probably driven some hundreds of laps on that circuit.

Spa should be more interesting.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
How often are junior drivers injured? It's not like FPA at Spa is Death Race 5000.

True, true. I'm being alarmist. I remember people banging on about the potential for driver injury when Grand Prix Masters started up. As it was the only injury was to the ego and massive arse of Alan Jones when he tried to wedge himself into a car.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by president evil


I think to be fair he didn't go flat out in it because he was only doing some demo laps and was surely reminded not to go too fast and trash the thing!

I actually thought he went much harder in the 1950s number (a Masserati?) the week before, with no seat belts! Perhaps the old old cars look more spectacular at lower speeds.

[rolf123]

Yeah that old Lotus should be wheelspinning all the time almost like a rally car. I noticed that Brundle barely pushed the car at all!

[pingu666]

probably tried gpl to practise and died 500 times

hope enjoys his spa experience

[potmotr]

Originally posted by rolf123
I noticed that Brundle barely pushed the car at all!

I'd love to know what the conditions are for those tests. I mean, a lot of rich enthusiasts want to see their pride and joy pushed by a top level driver but I guess you don't want it returning in a box of bits.
I seem to remember a 1985 McLaren being totalled during demonstration laps at Donnington last year. Can't recall the driver.

[ghinzani]

Wonder if they will turn the boost up on Martins car? Its a two bit series for rich old men and rich kids and is rightly treated as a joke by the motorsport world.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Well it's panned by people who have personal axes to grind, which you have done any and every time it's come up. Every series has its pros and cons, Palmersport is no better or worse.

[howardt]

I'da thought that - like pretty much any sport - you need to be practicing week-in/week-out to be any good. Martin's not been in a competetive racing series for ? years, he'll get mugged, even as a former-F1 driver.
I've driven a FPA. Sadly not at Spa, tho. ISTR there weren't many horses it it, you can spend most of the time at full throttle. I guess that's a good place to learn racing lines, though.

[Youichi]

Originally posted by potmotr


I'd love to know what the conditions are for those tests. I mean, a lot of rich enthusiasts want to see their pride and joy pushed by a top level driver but I guess you don't want it returning in a box of bits.
I seem to remember a 1985 McLaren being totalled during demonstration laps at Donnington last year. Can't recall the driver.

It probably depends on what the car owner tells him, maybe the Maserati owner told him "thrash it all you want, it'll take it" so he did.

But the Lotus owner said "the engine's a bit fragile, take care of it" so he drove gently. Whats the going rate for a 1960's DFV, £50,000 ?

[donald29]

Would love him to show all the young guns how it is done

[potmotr]

Brundle has raced in four different decades. With that accumulated knowledge he should be able to put the manners on the youngsters.
What is the laptime for an FPA at Spa? Must be around 2.30"?

[blackhand2010]

I'm thinking he'll be really spectacular or totally disappointing. I'd err towards the latter. No offence to him, but he's older, likely to be heavier than the youngsters, and not really looking at taking the same risks as them (after all there's a championship at stake for them).
Good luck to him though, it's nice to see hime getting involved at such a level of the sport, even if it for his son.
What price Damon in a Ginetta?

[potmotr]

Originally posted by blackhand2010
What price Damon in a Ginetta?

I think Damon had lost his nerve in a racing car a good few months before he gave up the ghost at Suzuka in 1999. Apart from a few demonstration laps I get the impression he is a very happy family man with no desire to race again.

[Josta]

Originally posted by potmotr


I think Damon had lost his nerve in a racing car a good few months before he gave up the ghost at Suzuka in 1999. Apart from a few demonstration laps I get the impression he is a very happy family man with no desire to race again.

He tested a GP Masters car and said he might be interested. Incidentally, when looking this piece of info up, I came across his music career blurb. It seems his music was an inspiration for Max Mosley. It was called "Sex, Hitler and the Hormones"

[potmotr]

Originally posted by Josta


I came across his music career blurb. It seems his music was an inspiration for Max Mosley. It was called "Sex, Hitler and the Hormones"

That's quite classic.

[Gregor Marshall]

Imagine what will happen if it's wet, that would certainly help MB out.

[potmotr]

Brundle (senior) seems to have gone already in the first qualifying session...

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, qualifying one results:

1. Tom Bradshaw, 2m22.412s
2. Jack Clarke, +0.063s
3. Jason Moore, +0.148s
4. Jolyon Palmer, +0.250s
5. Ivan Lukashevich, +0.608s
6. Alex Brundle, +0.987s
7. Richard Plant, +1.061s
8. Adam Foster, +1.067s
9. Martin Brundle, +1.252s
10. Dan Rozwadowski, +1.610s

[SevenTwoSeven]

9th? ...Brundle in Crisis!!!! The Brundle & Brundle, Allen and Blunders & co FPA Racing team has today took the shock decision to SACK Martin Brundle after only ending up ninth.....Owner/driver/commentator/the nations favorite Martin Brundle said today "Im really shocked at myself sacking myself." Rumours put Fernando Alonso in the seat for the main event.

Expect a full investigation in next weeks autosport - the magazine that told you BMW were now the second best team, and then told you er....no they are not actualy, not today anyway*.

*May not be true

[blackhand2010]

Originally posted by potmotr
Brundle (senior) seems to have gone already in the first qualifying session...

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, qualifying one results:

1. Tom Bradshaw, 2m22.412s
2. Jack Clarke, +0.063s
3. Jason Moore, +0.148s
4. Jolyon Palmer, +0.250s
5. Ivan Lukashevich, +0.608s
6. Alex Brundle, +0.987s
7. Richard Plant, +1.061s
8. Adam Foster, +1.067s
9. Martin Brundle, +1.252s
10. Dan Rozwadowski, +1.610s

Y'know that's a lot better than I expected.
Okay, I know the cars aren't exactly the quickest, and the field won't be "the best of the best" but still, only 1.2 seconds off the pace on a 2.22 lap ain't bad for a guy who hasn't driven competively for a few years.
Good on him, though I wonder whether with the competitive juices flowing he might consider more racing in the future...?

[pacificquay]

Only 0.3 off his son, and Martin's always been a racer rather than a qualifier...;)

[potmotr]

Originally posted by pacificquay
Only 0.3 off his son, and Martin's always been a racer rather than a qualifier...;)

No, that's not true! He's a racer's racer. Remember Monaco 1989?

[MichaelPM]

Those FPA guys are super aggresive and competative, he'll enjoy it but won't do anything impressive.

[potmotr]

It seems Brundle's wet weather prowess has come to the fore.
He's gone sixth fastest in second qualifying, faster than his boy...!

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, qualifying two results:

1. Jason Moore, 2m40.475s
2. Jolyon Palmer, +2.180s
3. Paul Rees, +2.223s
4. Ivan Lukashevich, +2.707s
5. Jack Clarke, +3.184s
6. Martin Brundle, +3.467s
7. Damien Charveriat, +3.494s
8, Daniel Brown, +3.853s
9. Richard Plant, +3.906s
10. Tom Bradshaw, +3.954s

Moore takes pole at a wet Spa-Francorchamps
Tricky conditions in qualifying two

Jason Moore was able to take advantage of the damp conditions as qualifying two got underway before the infamous rain at Spa-Francorchamps put paid to any improvements in time for the leading positions.

Moore's first flying lap was enough to take pole in front of Jolyon Palmer and Paul Rees.

Moore said: "I knew I had to go for it on the first lap as the conditions were clearly getting worse. I pushed hard and got the pole."

It was also a welcome return to the top three for Paul Rees: "We are looking really quick in the wet but I feel that I can run at the front in any conditions," he said.

After the field switched mid-session to wet tyres, drivers were beginning to challenge the top six positions before Alex Brundle made impact with the barriers coming out of Blanchimont. With his car stopped close to the track, a red flag was thrown ending the session early.

It was enough for Ivan Lukashevich, Jack Clarke and Martin Brundle to keep fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

[potmotr]

A couple of good results for Brundle at Spa so far. His son must be thinking it's time for another career...

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, round six result:
1. Jolyon Palmer, 9 laps.
2. Ivan Lukashevich, +3.281s
3. Jack Clarke, +10.054s
4. Jason Moore, +11.734s
5. Adam Foster, +14.441s
6. Alex Brundle, +18.574s
7. Tom Bradshaw, +19.566s
8. Martin Brundle, +22.875s
9. Paul Rees, +26.008s
10. Daniel Brown, +29.484s

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, round seven results:

1. Jason Moore, 9 laps
2. Jolyon Palmer, +2.649s
3. Jack Clarke, +2.943s
4. Paul Rees, +3.468s
5. Ivan Lukashevich, +3.699s
6. Richard Plant, +3.995s
7. Martin Brundle, +4.468s
8. Daniel Brown, +5.025s
9. Alex Brundle, +7.598s
10. Dan Rozwadowski, +9.065s

[donald29]

well he was always inside the top 10 (not sure how big the field is) and hasn't driven competitivly for a while as mentioned, so not a bad effort by martin

[Blythy]

It's not gonna be a happy night at the brundle home, junior got beat in the third race as well.

[potmotr]

2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship, Spa-Francorchamps, round eight results:
1. Jason Moore, 9 laps
2. Jolyon Palmer, +0.246s
3. Richard Plant, +0.824s
4. Jack Clarke, +6.043s
5. Ivan Lukashevich, +6.207s
6. Martin Brundle, +7.703s
7. Tom Bradshaw, +9.890s
8. Paul Rees, +18.836s
9. Dan Rozwadowski, +19.472s
10. Alex Brundle, +19.910s

[pingu666]

guess that means hes still got it then..
how many races they do?

[potmotr]

Originally posted by pingu666
guess that means hes still got it then..
how many races they do?

They did three races at Spa, all the results are above in this thread.
As far as I know this is Brundle's only outing.

[Paul Prost]

Top work by Martin!