A translation (ignoring that I seem to have caught yet another cold, wtf..)
First of all, allow me to direct you towards my newest music mix Poisoned stories. It's a general mix, so take your pick, give it a try, tell me what you think =)
Second of all, I'm going to try regularly translating Jaime Alguersuari's blog (as regularly as possible). This is mainly for loveberlinxo and whoever else likes him and can't read the blog because it's in Spanish, but it's also because I really like how he writes. I'm not generally that much of a fan of known people's blogs, tbh, but this one I definitely like. I'll do my best in translating it as well as possible to convey that he's good with words ^^
My notes in bold.
Hello friends and most especially (girl)friends,
Today I'm writing from the Hilton Morumbí in São Paulo and by the time you read this, I'll already be on my way back to Spain. I have good news for you: I finished the Brazilian GP, at Interlagos, in perfect physical shape! I competed on all three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which added 800 more kms to my F1 racing experience.
I find it incredible that I embarked on this adventure only three months ago, in Hungary. In three months, I participated in seven F1 GPs. I keep needing to explain to my friends that I'm still only an apprentice, that my boss Franz Tost keeps telling me after every race not to forget that "19 are racing, one is training."
I suppose I must be doing a very good job, because some journalists are judging me as if I were already an experienced driver. I swear sometimes I can barely contain my laughter.
I swear I couldn't keep myself from smiling broadly when I got into Q2 in Japan, and now in Brazil, with weather conditions that I haven't seen even on the worst days in British F3. I had drivers such as Vettel, Hamilton and Kovalainen behind me on the grid. It was surprising.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was a superb lesson for me during which, unlike Spa (which was over due to Grosjean's pile-up in the first lap), unlike Monza (ended before time due to the broken gearbox), unlike Singapore (failed to finish due to brake performance) and unlike Japan (the only time when I made a mistake, but with only 8 laps to go until the finish), I finally completed a whole weekend since the first free practice on Friday until the chequered flag on Sunday.
Perhaps I'm lucky, because I get to be a part of the most competitive Formula 1 in history, and in a formidable team to boot. Toro Rosso is a group of excellent people with Franz Tost and Giorgio Ascanelli as leaders, who have been able to produce a car that gets more competitive all the time.
During Friday's free practice sessions, I drove with caution and I finished 19th, ahead of Fisichella and 7 tenths away from Fernando, who set the fastest time. Can you imagine? 19 guys in 7 tenths of a second! In F1!
The qualifying session in the worst conditions of water and fog I've ever seen was a terror film. I kept yelling at my engineer on the radio "I can't see anything! I can't see anything!", but while I was yelling, I didn't move my foot from the pedal at all. Truly, that was the real F1.
During Q2, both Toro Rossos were very close with extreme wet tyres, but it was clear that the intermediate strategy was the way to go. We had to make a decision about my car and we bet on a wet set-up for the race. They said it would rain, and you never know with tropical climates. It didn't rain in the end...
There was only time to attend to one of us, so Buemi went in and set the sixth fastest time. I maintained the twelfth position and got into my second Q2. If I would have gone for intermediates, I would have got in Q3 as well.
Water and I have been best friends since I was 9. I like racing on wet because the experience of thousands of kilometres on dry simply vanishes. On wet, we all depend on our fingers, the sensitivity in our ass (yes, I know how that sounds, but I can't make it sound better than he said it :P), and having "pianist's" feet (I suppose this is about the pedals?). Especially with 800 horse-power to control.
That's why I knew that my options to finish in the points for the first time depended on wet conditions. It didn't go like that. The GP was complicated and I faced it with just one plan: make Vettel's progression easier. He was fighting for the title and I definitely didn't want to be a nuisance for him.
After my first pit stop, I came out behind Fisichella, who had a one-stop strategy, and who'd gotten close to me after the Trulli/Sutil incident caused a Safety Car, so I wasted a lot of time behind him and it was very hard to do better. With the rain set-up the car was slower, so my rivals had no problems in overtaking me. I kept losing 6kph in the main straight! I did my fastest lap in 1:14:861, and that's more than acceptable, considering the situation (13th best out of 17).
I don't want to conclude this without first thanking all of you for your condolences for my grandfather, whom I admired so much.
Next weekend I'll finally finish my motorsport career in lower categories. I'll be in Alcañiz on the fantastic Motorland circuit, racing in the final of the Renault World Series. I'll be fighting for the second place in the championship.
I promise you that you'll see the best Jaime if you'll be there, as long as the car has oversteering. Out of the 9 races in the championship, my car was only perfect once, in Portimão, where I won. I hope Carlin and my engineer James will be able to give me the car I need.
It's dedicated to you, my blog friends!
Second of all, I'm going to try regularly translating Jaime Alguersuari's blog (as regularly as possible). This is mainly for loveberlinxo and whoever else likes him and can't read the blog because it's in Spanish, but it's also because I really like how he writes. I'm not generally that much of a fan of known people's blogs, tbh, but this one I definitely like. I'll do my best in translating it as well as possible to convey that he's good with words ^^
My notes in bold.
Hello friends and most especially (girl)friends,
Today I'm writing from the Hilton Morumbí in São Paulo and by the time you read this, I'll already be on my way back to Spain. I have good news for you: I finished the Brazilian GP, at Interlagos, in perfect physical shape! I competed on all three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which added 800 more kms to my F1 racing experience.
I find it incredible that I embarked on this adventure only three months ago, in Hungary. In three months, I participated in seven F1 GPs. I keep needing to explain to my friends that I'm still only an apprentice, that my boss Franz Tost keeps telling me after every race not to forget that "19 are racing, one is training."
I suppose I must be doing a very good job, because some journalists are judging me as if I were already an experienced driver. I swear sometimes I can barely contain my laughter.
I swear I couldn't keep myself from smiling broadly when I got into Q2 in Japan, and now in Brazil, with weather conditions that I haven't seen even on the worst days in British F3. I had drivers such as Vettel, Hamilton and Kovalainen behind me on the grid. It was surprising.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was a superb lesson for me during which, unlike Spa (which was over due to Grosjean's pile-up in the first lap), unlike Monza (ended before time due to the broken gearbox), unlike Singapore (failed to finish due to brake performance) and unlike Japan (the only time when I made a mistake, but with only 8 laps to go until the finish), I finally completed a whole weekend since the first free practice on Friday until the chequered flag on Sunday.
Perhaps I'm lucky, because I get to be a part of the most competitive Formula 1 in history, and in a formidable team to boot. Toro Rosso is a group of excellent people with Franz Tost and Giorgio Ascanelli as leaders, who have been able to produce a car that gets more competitive all the time.
During Friday's free practice sessions, I drove with caution and I finished 19th, ahead of Fisichella and 7 tenths away from Fernando, who set the fastest time. Can you imagine? 19 guys in 7 tenths of a second! In F1!
The qualifying session in the worst conditions of water and fog I've ever seen was a terror film. I kept yelling at my engineer on the radio "I can't see anything! I can't see anything!", but while I was yelling, I didn't move my foot from the pedal at all. Truly, that was the real F1.
During Q2, both Toro Rossos were very close with extreme wet tyres, but it was clear that the intermediate strategy was the way to go. We had to make a decision about my car and we bet on a wet set-up for the race. They said it would rain, and you never know with tropical climates. It didn't rain in the end...
There was only time to attend to one of us, so Buemi went in and set the sixth fastest time. I maintained the twelfth position and got into my second Q2. If I would have gone for intermediates, I would have got in Q3 as well.
Water and I have been best friends since I was 9. I like racing on wet because the experience of thousands of kilometres on dry simply vanishes. On wet, we all depend on our fingers, the sensitivity in our ass (yes, I know how that sounds, but I can't make it sound better than he said it :P), and having "pianist's" feet (I suppose this is about the pedals?). Especially with 800 horse-power to control.
That's why I knew that my options to finish in the points for the first time depended on wet conditions. It didn't go like that. The GP was complicated and I faced it with just one plan: make Vettel's progression easier. He was fighting for the title and I definitely didn't want to be a nuisance for him.
After my first pit stop, I came out behind Fisichella, who had a one-stop strategy, and who'd gotten close to me after the Trulli/Sutil incident caused a Safety Car, so I wasted a lot of time behind him and it was very hard to do better. With the rain set-up the car was slower, so my rivals had no problems in overtaking me. I kept losing 6kph in the main straight! I did my fastest lap in 1:14:861, and that's more than acceptable, considering the situation (13th best out of 17).
I don't want to conclude this without first thanking all of you for your condolences for my grandfather, whom I admired so much.
Next weekend I'll finally finish my motorsport career in lower categories. I'll be in Alcañiz on the fantastic Motorland circuit, racing in the final of the Renault World Series. I'll be fighting for the second place in the championship.
I promise you that you'll see the best Jaime if you'll be there, as long as the car has oversteering. Out of the 9 races in the championship, my car was only perfect once, in Portimão, where I won. I hope Carlin and my engineer James will be able to give me the car I need.
It's dedicated to you, my blog friends!