The 2014 Formula 1 race calendar is shaping up to be a very different season from the last couple.
This season opens in Melbourne, Australia with the most radical rule changes in the history of F1 racing.
F1’s appeal is partly because of its cutting-edge engineering and having a glamorous fan spectacle at every exotic race track around the globe, with the who’s who in the business and entertainment world flocking to each race, wanting to be seen, photographed and witness the world’s best drivers and cars racing at average speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour) and regularly hitting speeds over 185 mph.
But the teams are having some difficulty with the new rules which include a different engine, less fuel allowed per race, larger energy recovery and electric power trains for the cars.
Last year’s dominant team was Red Bull Racing and their four-time world champion driver Sebastian Vettel but even seems to be having the most problems of all the major teams.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and Felipe Massa for Williams performed the best in the pre-season testing.
Speculation is that with all the changes, Vettel will not be able to dominate as previously.
Hamilton echoed the sentiments of many when he said he hopes the new season will see the end of Red Bull’s domination and be the most exciting year for some time and admitted he is tired of watching the brilliant German continually winning.
Cayman’s local F1 fans will be gathering at PD’s Bar & Grill in the Galleria Mall at 9 a.m. every race Sunday to watch the races in a delayed recording.
The Formula 1 Fans of the Cayman Islands, aka F1FCI on their popular Facebook site, thoroughly enjoy the races, no matter which driver and team they support.
The group’s organizer, Danny Roach said, “All our fans watch the races live, so they can enjoy the camaraderie of watching as a group at our new location at PD’s.
“We will have lots of great door prizes again and we still ask each person to donate $2 or more and this money all goes to local charities.
“The first charity to benefit this year will be Cayman Hospice Care. The first races last year saw more than 60 people coming out to watch.”
Roach expects Mercedes, Williams, Ferrari, Sauber and Red Bull to be fighting for the top points this season.
Last year, the F1FCI group raised over $13,000 for local charities from their race mornings and two very successful events held at the Camana Bay Cinema for a movie premiere event of Rush and a season ending race event at the Cayman Motor Museum which raised over $4,000 for the Meals On Wheels program.
This time, the three major sponsors are Automotive Art who have donated $1,000 of gift cards, Cayman Airways and Rubis who are donating $25 vouchers.
F1FCI has decided to support the same local charities as last year. They are the HospiceCare, Meals on Wheels, Cancer Society, Humane Society and The Pines Retirement Home.
Hamilton echoed the sentiments of many when he said he hopes the new season will see the end of Red Bull’s domination and be the most exciting year for some time and admitted he is tired of watching the brilliant German continually winning.
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