Should Formula 1 Cars Have Closed Cockpits?

The notion of closed cockpits in F1 is a thorny issue. Will Tempest decided to tackle it head on. 

This is one of the questions every Formula one fan have been wondering for a while ever since the late Justin Wilson’s fatal Indy car crash.

Ever since this tragic accident, people have been protesting for a closed cockpit for all single seated races so the fans of Formula one fans have been wondering when it is coming to Formula One.  There has been a lot on controversy about it: Indy car and Formula One cars are pretty similar but Formula One cars have always had an open cockpit ever since it started in the 1950s. Would you like to see a car ruined just to keep up with the times?

Yes, I know what you are thinking – surely if it is going to be safer to have the driver of the car, then why not? But on the other hand, at the end of every race the winning driver sometimes gets the national flag and drives around for a victory lap but if the officials are going to change the cars then how is this tradition going to carry on?  In my opinion I think if they do get closed cockpits they’re going to kill the sport for the fans and the drivers.

However, when I mentioned safety and closed cockpits, how safe would be these drivers? When a driver has a crash, the marshals run over and see if they are all right the driver would climb out and make his way to the paddock but what it the lid on the cockpit doesn’t open and the cars on fire or the cars on its head? A terrifying thought.

Finally returning to my question of whether Formula 1 cars should have closed cockpits. To sum up, the closed cockpits for the 2017 season (which is still in concept so it might not happen but if it does) is a good idea: firstly it gives the drivers a fair more bit of safety in case the car goes on its head, But on the over hand, if there’s a fire in the car and the driver can’t get because of the enclosed cockpit it could cause a danger to the driver.

In conclusion yes we might get to a time of futuristic racing but for now we have to good old version which is still pretty fast.

Why Jürgen Klopp will rule the Kop.

Bringing new talent to the team will bring some new creativity and ideas to the club, so says Rhys Bevington.

Juggen Klopp took the players to the Kop after they drew with West Bromwich Albion to “celebrate as one”. Klopp brought a German tradition to Anfield. The players all lined up, hand in hand, together to show their teamwork and commitment under Klopp’s management to show that this is what they are going to be like while he is managing them and to hope they will play together with their trust on each other for a long period of time.

There’s no doubt about it that Klopp will bring success to the club as he has already done so with other clubs in Germany but could reflect on him not knowing as much as about English football and to how different the players in the Premier League are compared to the players in the Bundesliga. While playing in Germany, he would have witnessed how the players play in England and it would have helped him learn more about the players that he is working with now and it would make it easier for himself to settle in. Klopp is described as “the leader of our band” which shows Klopp is the big man to make all of those important decisions to lead the team to victory other the other teams that they have to come up against Also, Klopp and the assistant coach, Krawietz have built a friendship which will improve their decision on the team.

He has actually brought success to other clubs that he has managed before Liverpool such as: Borussia Dortmund and Mainz 05. There’s no reason that he can’t be a success at Liverpool as he already knows a lot about them and the style of football that they like to play and he can take that on board and to the best that he could for the club.

On the other hand, he needs to work on the defensive side of his squad which seems to be a struggle lately with their issues with their defence. Bringing in a new central defender will make the defence a lot better and stronger because the defence seems to be a little weak at the moment which seems to be a massive problem surrounding them compared to the other areas of the pitch. The attacking side of the squad seems to be working fine together but it’s not quite there with all the injuries going on, especially with Daniel Sturridge who is one of their key players who scores them goals to win their games. However even though the attacking side is working really well together, they still need that one player up the pitch to make them a little stronger without any problems. Klopp still needs to start spending money on new players from around the world who will actually improve the squad’s chemistry and to just make them that stronger than what they already are.

Klopp’s success and confidence with Dortmund has been brought to Liverpool but a lot of people probable haven’t noticed but they will, just give him time, time is all he needs to get the team to the best of their ability and time is the key to his success.

 

 

 

 

Variety is the spice of life, so why isn’t it in Motorsport?

Ollie Fletcher loves Motorsport but just wishes there was a little more variety going on. 

On a miserable, misty morning, the foothills of France are alive with Round 1 of the 2016 WRC also alive with cheering supporters and the raw of the turbo engines and sequential gearboxes speeding up and down the gears.

In the past few years the WRC has been under strict rules and regulations for the manufactures to follow and if they don’t then are not allowed to compete. In my opinion they should go back to how the WRC was in the 1990s and early 2000s because that was when there was more difference in vehicles and driver skill; when WRC really was at its best and most interesting to watch.

Fresh for the 2016 season the cars have been refreshed and remade for the new regulations. Now all cars must be equipped with 1.6 litre single turbo, inline 4 engines that make no more than 320bhp. They are then backed up with 4 wheel drive and 6 speed sequential gearboxes.

The only real difference in the WRC at the moment are the drivers and there level of skill in the varying weather conditions and surfaces that are raced on. The whole aim of rallying is setting the fastest time over a given stage.

In my opinion I think the FIA should be a bit on the regulations, keep the maximum power output but not restrict engine capacity, drivetrain and air restrictors.

Apart from the drivers the other noticeable difference are the tyre choices, what type of clutch your use and your gear ratios but you have to be using a 6 speed sequential gearbox to a 4 wheel drive system.

As a long-time supporter and watcher of the sport, I’d prefer to see the sport as it was before all the restrictions and rules came into and stopped the creativity in the manufacturers and teams that entered the new 2016 WRC. I think that lots of you would agree with me in saying that WRC isn’t as fun or ‘action-packed’ as it has been.

 

 

 

 

Jamie Vardy will be having a party in euro 2016.

Louis Bedford is thinking about Jamie Vardy and England’s chances at Euro 2016. 

One of the most dazzling moments in the English Premier League history is when Jamie Vardy came running down the wing with the gob-smacked defenders outpaced and with excellence, cleanly passed the ball through David De Gea’s legs.

Jamie Vardy is extremely fit for England and he could offer a lot of success to the England football team. At 29 Jamie Vardy is at his prime: he could offer an exceptional difference to the forward line. Vardy is a good alternative for Wayne Rooney as he is past his best and some would say he is not as good as some of the young players out there that are not getting a fair chance at becoming a professional footballer. He is fitter than most of England’s strikers and the fits the role perfectly.

Vardy should play in Euro 2016 as he is at his prime fitness and him and Harry Kane would bring good chemistry to the England football team. He has broken Ruud van Nistelrooy’s world record with 11 consecutive goals in 11 games and offers excellent pace and he could out run defenders. He is also a lot quicker than Wayne Rooney.

Jamie Vardy’s fitness would be well needed in Euro 2016 as he is tall for headers and thin for his speed and he has plenty of stamina so you won’t see him walking on the pitch. Even though he is a striker he will always get back to help the midfielders and even the defenders and this will give the England a boost of confidence knowing that there is extra help at the back when they most need it. Vardy has a good attitude and believes that when he goes out on the pitch he will win the game. He has led Leicester city (an unexceptional team) from the Championship to 2^nd in the Barclay’s Premier League.

However, some would argue that the record breaking striker is too inexperienced to take on the international role. The unrecognised striker suddenly shot to fame when he scored his 11 consecutive goal in 11 games. But is Vardy really ready for the big time? Is he ready to play with the big boys? And not just playing with is local gang. He’s tall, he’s fast and he’s 29 years old and I am sure he is ready to play international football.

We have to feel sorry for the Leicester star. 10 years without a shot at the big title and now when he does he is getting threatened to take it off of him. We need have some sympathy for him even though he is getting a lot of credit Roy Hodgson still refuses to put the top scorer on the starting team.

I think we would all like to see the record breaker, top scorer, from Sheffield wearing an England shirt and leading his home side to victory.

 

 

 

Is Donald Trump a good man?

Donald Trump was the Star of US’ ‘The Apprentice’ and has recently became one of the most popular candidates applying for the role of America’s President in 2016. Jonathan Brookes analyses the good and the bad of Trump.

Donald Trump.There’s a certainty that you will recognise that name. He was once the star of the US version of The Apprentice and has recently made the decision to run for the President of America. His views are mostly negative, mostly about the Muslims and other faiths. He only says good things about himself, as if to say that everybody else is wrong (except for the supporters).

One example of his horrible behaviour is what he says that Mexicans are “rapists” and wants to “keep Muslims out” of America. He also makes horrible remarks to other people, one being Obama himself. He calls Obama the “worst President ever.” Trump is very offensive and horrible. He is referring to a whole race here, being stereotypical. How can he do this?

Another example is of a man called Sam. He was kicked out of a rally after Trump called him “overweight”. That’s when Trump said, “You know, it’s amazing. I mention food stamps and that guy who’s seriously overweight went crazy.” After Sam didn’t take offence, Trump decided to ban him completely from the Rally. Here, the big Trump is taking the freedom of speech from this man. Sam said something jokingly towards Trump, and the Big Trump instantly replied with offensive words. He needs to be controlled, why does the majority of America want this man to be president?

On the other hand, Trump is gaining popularity and does have supporters… somehow. Surprisingly, Trump is receiving 41% of the national Republican vote. The majority of Republican primary voters (59%) are voting for trump, and agree with his plan to ban Muslims from immigrating or travelling to America.

Somebody called Jeff describes Trump as being “provocative, smart, and confident.” Somebody else describes Trump’s supporters, saying, “They love Mr Trump’s strength in bringing up a subject that has been pushed under the rug.”

He promised to “Make America Great Again”, but will he be able to? Doubt it.

Reasons why people like Trump are:

• Other people describe Trump as having simple answer, although he is often wrong. “But he always sounds right.”

This is mainly what politicians are known for doing, they also tend to make promises they can’t keep.

• A lot of people dislike immigrants.

“Nearly half of registered GOP voters agree with him that undocumented immigrants should be deported.”

• He says things that people have been afraid to say.

“It’s not that Trump is willing to be provocative – he’s exciting to many people because he says the things they feel they can’t say.”

Even by these reasons, I still can’t feel the reason why people support him.

Overall, Trump is a horrible man and should be banned, not just from the election, but from other countries too due to his ‘in-your-face attitude’ and ‘offensive’ remarks. Is he a good man? Well, imagine if he was elected as the next American President – put yourself in the shoes of the immigrants and ask yourself ‘Would I want to live in a country ruled by this horrible man?’, ‘Would I mind if I was being forced out of my own country?’ and ‘Would I mind being criticized every single day because of my race and religion?’.

If the answer is a firm No, then you do not support the horrible views of Donald Trump.

 

 

Can Klopp Rule The Kop?

Jürgen Klopp taking Liverpool to Wembley could be a start of something new. Or can it? Jamie Gaukroger tackles the issue. 

Jurgen Klopp has turned the yellow of Dortmund to the red of Liverpool in his arrival to the club. Some of his stats just show what one man can do to a club. Such as his 33.3 % win ration, which is very good within 9 games and he has added 12 points to the 12 that they already had.

The way that Klopp plays is a typical style to the German game. A constant pressing style of play with the front 3 men rotating positions back and forth. Therefore this is asking a lot from the team which could have caused some of the injuries to add up such as Coutiniho, Origi, Sturridge and more. He has brought success to all the clubs that he has managed such as Dortmund and has continued it with Liverpool by getting them to the final of the Capital One Cup.

However, can Klopp’s style of play affect the injury list even more because of the amount games that you have to play in England? The Europa League, two cups, the Premier League – which is 38 games – is a lot for every player to live up to which is also the reason why I think Klopp has made so many young signings in this transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers had a better win percentage that Klopp in the first eight games which was 35.7. In addition, this was with most of the first team players fully fit at the club where as the chosen one has had to deal with the injury list and make do of what he has got.

Furthermore, some of the sides that Liverpool have gone out and beaten to the sides that they have lost to are quite unbelievable such as beating Chelsea 3-1, and Man City 4-1. Unfortunately they went and lost to Watford 3-0, 2-1 to West Ham and had to have an FA cup replay against Exeter.

Jürgen Klopp gives out constant praise such as what he said about Jon Flanagan after the game against stoke city Klopp said “He was my man of the match. He has been out since May 2014 and played 105 minutes, and even when we took him out he told us he could go on.” This suggests that the German has a positive and encouraging management to influence on the players. Surely this can only have a positive impact on the club in the future.

To conclude, When Klopp went with the whole team to the Kop after the West Brom game, could this show what Liverpool are capable for in future times?

 

 

Chelsea’s winning drought – blame it on the goalkeeper: Asmir Begovic

Freddy Clark has been thinking long and hard about the reasons for Chelsea’s current malaise. He thinks he’s got to the bottom of it though and is pointing the finger firmly and squarely at poor old Asmir Begovic. 

There can be no sadder moment in football than seeing ‘The Special One’ leave Stamford Bridge with his tail tucked between his legs. But would this have happened if it weren’t for Asmir Begovic?

Most people would believe that Jose Mourinho didn’t bring in good enough defenders such as John Stones, maybe Eden Hazard hasn’t been performing at his usual abilities. But the wool has not been pulled over my eyes: Begovic, the 28 year old Bosnia and Herzegovina born goalkeeper, has been Chelsea’s reason for disappointing form and mortifying start to the season.

Compared to the Belgian superstar keeper Thibaut Courtois, Begovic’s petty attempts to come close to being as good as Oliver Kahn or even Iker Casillas for that matter are futile. Courtois has only played 32 games with 12 clean sheets and a save percentage of 71.1, Chelsea’s Antagonistic keeper only has 7 clean sheets and a save percentage of 66.1.

See? A pointless waste of The Pensioner’s hard earned money. Anyway during the pre-season tournament against The New York Redbulls, the Belgian Keeper – Coutois played the first half and Chelsea was winning the match with a score of 1-0, although at half time, Begovic was subbed on, swapping the Belgian in goal, and in conclusion, losing the game against The Redbulls 2-4. Chelsea also lost against rivals Arsenal and Manchester City because of Begovic.

So, if it weren’t for the Big Bad Begovic, The Special One would still be with John Terry and The Blues, lifting trophies above their heads for the fans to cheer.

There might be worse keepers in the world, but none of them are at Chelsea.

Skilled drivers or killed drivers?

David Brookes is concerned about the rising numbers of accidents on our road caused by careless and irresponsible use of phones while driving. 

Recently, more and more skilled rally drivers are being killed due to their co drivers being on their phones. On a few occasions, co drivers have been seen on Instagram and Facebook, but let’s be honest, what’s more important – your life or you social popularity? A lot of motorcyclists have been hit or killed due to distracted drivers. Some motorcyclists have now started moving to the side of the road at red lights just in case distracted drivers hit them, but do we really need to go to theses extremes when we could just focus on the road instead of our mobile phones.

In motorsport, F1 pit crew have been distracted by their phones, not giving the driver information, and causing crashes to happen on the track. The same has happened in rally motorsport as co-drivers have been on their phones and not telling the driver about the road ahead. Motorcyclists have also been found on their phones, but they are at much greater risk than people, as car drivers are in a metal box but motorcyclists are practically riding on top of a rocket. On the other hand, motorcyclists are very careful when it comes to traffic as they know that they are very vulnerable because drivers have tons of metal charging down the road, as riders have a paperweight compared to cars. Would you like to be rammed off of the road by a distracted driver? I wouldn’t.

There are three main types of distracted driving, Visual: taking your eyes off of the road, such as being on your phone, Manual: taking your hands off of the steering wheel, for example eating a sandwich and Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving, such as listening to loud music. In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in crashes related to drivers being distracted while driving. This could be you if you don’t take your eyes really though, do we need to be so addicted to I phones that we can’t pull over or put it on Bluetooth? Car manufacturers are trying to limit the amount of deaths by adding Bluetooth as standard, so that less drivers will need to touch their phones and will use the Bluetooth. 69% of drivers in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed.

Each day in the United States, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. Our loved ones may be on the road, but if you call them while they are driving you are a potential distraction, so always make sure they are safe and don’t text and drive. Although you may be just checking if they are alright, it is more serious than you may think, if people text and drive they are distracted and may take their hands off of the steering wheel, which is very dangerous at high speeds.

In conclusion I feel that many drivers are skilled, but in this day and age is getting easier to get distracted. A lot of rally drivers are crashing, even though the drivers are very skilled. This is usually related to the co driver being distracted, as many drivers these days are on their phones.

Do you want to be skilled or killed at the wheel?

Does Jamie Vardy deserve a place in England’s starting XI?

Chris Parker has been wondering whether Jamie Vardy has done enough to secure an England shirt.

A lot of people have been wondering whether Jamie Vardy deserves a place in England’s starting 11. Some say that he doesn’t have a lot of experience and there are a lot more experienced players so should they be chosen instead.

Jamie Vardy has been named as one of the best strikers in the Premier League because of his performances.  He may be one of the best strikers in the Premier League but is he the right man for the job with so little experience?

Vardy is one of the top scorers in the Premier League and wants to play through the middle with only two starts but he has only played two England games. Boss Roy Hodgson said “When you have only play two games you are in no position to go to the coach and say, I will play for England but only in the middle.”

With the likes of Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings all injured, could Vardy be the man to help England to a long waited success? Vardy doesn’t have a lot of experience but is he the right man for the job? Vardy hasn’t been on top in his last few games not scoring as many goals.

The striker has a interest in bigger clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid but he is staying at Leicester for the time being. You could call him the main player at Leicester.

Jamie Vardy has potential and I think he will have a very bright future in professional football and I think he will do well while he plays for England.

 

 

 

Equality and education – room for improvement

 

Schools report that equality is slowly degenerating. Andrew Green seeks out heart of the problem.

Can you imagine your child following in Mr Trump’s footsteps, condemning an entire race because they lack the knowledge to know about a different race or religion? That’s trade profit, a new generation and equality down the drain until another idol stands against this oppression because they don’t understand how these people feel or act, its blatant racism, and with the way things are going, we are headed down a very, very dark path. We need to teach and educate our children on the races of our world.

In our schools, we are lacking in our equality education. Children are losing their confidence due to bullying and this is affecting their grades. This is only then reinforced by others not understanding how that person might feel about certain languages. For example, me being a British African, I detest the word “Nigga” as it is a humiliating word that lowers the status of anyone from an African heritage; it feels like we’re back in the 1940’s. Schools need to realize  that children need to learn more about these words at a younger and more susceptible age so that they can form an opinion and understand how it is affecting the other youth of the generation.

However, on the other hand, American rappers such as 50 cent and other main stream rappers say that “We are trying to reclaim the word to show the world who we are for once, not thugs and gangs but people with a goal…” It’s hard to find words to insult other races, but if we did and called you it, would YOU rebel against it?

Furthermore, schools all around the country need to add either a new topic into the Religious Studies subject or create a new one altogether; it’s not just about race/skin colour, it’s also about religion. A major target for this are Muslims, as with the ongoing situation with ISIS, people are prejudging others due to their religion, and it’s horrendous; it’s the younger generation of all people as well, the ones who know nothing and I mean nothing about them, as their education is lacking in that field. It’s looked at in History and RS, but that’s not enough: youth – especially teenagers – have a chronic case of “I-really- can’t-be-bothered-with-this-subject-I-want-to-go-home!” These are YOUR children, your’e THEIR role model – do something they will aspire to do about this problem, please, for the rest of humanity’s sake. If not, then we are like sheep without a shepherd or a herd.

When the American civil war happened just after slavery was abolished, who stood with the white Americans? Africans who were freed and saw a great future for them and others. Martin Luther King sacrificed his life to bring Equal rights to black people, which to give him credit, are still around. Yet a lot of shop owners and employers are prejudging people because of their ethnic background. That is the current generation, which shall leave this world in ruins due to our stereotypes and racial slurs. This is why we must teach OUR children to respect other religions, races, as well as make them know the difference between each one.

One major thing I have a problem with personally, is that people call black Africans Muslims, which is not only irritating but highly offensive, and this is once again the younger generation.

“Judge a man not by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his character!” A legend spoke these very words, which have seemed to fade away over time. If we emphasise on these key points, then we can change the younger generations, so they may fix the problems that we have made. Consider this, please, don’t make this mistake for the second time in OUR bleak, and reckless history.

Andrew Green