Forza 3 for Xbox 360

Waited a long time for this particular title and wondered whether it would be worth the wait and if the title would be a step forward from Forza 2.
Considering it was just released on Friday I have not had too much time with Microsoft's racing sim, but the good news is that it is fabulous. The vehicle dynamics are superb, actually feeling heavy as you push the car through a corner.

All the familiar tracks are there from Forza 2 such as Tsukuba, Silverstone, Mugello etc and there's some new ones such as the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain and the Sedona Raceway.
The online multiplayer version is so good its hard to drag myself away and get stuck into the season mode to build up credits and buy more cars.

Gotta go and get back to this little gem.

2 minutes to the European GP

Lewis on pole, then Heikki, Rubens, Vettel and Button .......... Will the results from this race increase or decrease Jensons Championship lead.
Go Go Go.......... !

Vettel commits to Red Bull

Christian Horner announces on BBC TV that Sebastien Vettel has signed up for a further year with Red Bull. He's now with the team until end of 2011 with options beyond. Sebastien is a product of the Red Bull driver development project and confirms his continued commitment to the team. Valencia free practice 1 brings to a close the Grand Prix circus' Summer break. Many changes have taken place over the last three weeks including Schumachers cancelled return at Ferrari which has now lead to Luca Badoer sitting in the cockpit of Felipe Massa's Ferrari. Badoer has been the test driver at Maranello for the last 12 years but is rusty on race craft with his last race in 1999. Piquet has been replaced by Romain Grosjean at Renault who have been allowed to race at Valencia. Their heavy race ban after Alonso lost a wheel at Hungary has been overturned by the FIA and changed to a $50,000 fine.

I'm back and its all change again

Schummi back out of the Ferrari again after all those ticket sales and a weakened neck halting his much vaunted return ............ Badoer (yawn) in as a replacement for Felipe Massa and we're awaiting the FIA decision on Renaults re-instatement after 'losing that wheel' at Hungary. It was an extreme and unecessary penalty for Alonso, his team and of course those thousands of paying Spanish spectators, wanting to see their star, who now get the double wammy of seeing no local star or Scumacher. Wouldn't it have been fun if Ferrari had dabbled with the idea of a Villeneuve name back in the red car ............ ? Will the FIA do the right thing and let the French team play?

The return of Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is returning as stand in for Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia Spain on the 23rd August and until Felipe is fit to return to Grand Prix. He will have to undergo fitness tests but looks up for the task.
As one famous German name returns another leaves. BMW have anounced they will leave Formula One at the end of the current season. This came as a shock to their two drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica.

Hamilton Back on Top

Lewis Hamilton took a deserved win at the Hungarian Grand Prix and it served as proof of Mclaren's return to form. Alonso's pole turned out to be a bit of a red herring. His pace at the start of the race was proof that his planned three stop strategy was not going to work. Rrenaults bumbled first pit stop, resulting in a lost wheel cover and then lost wheel managed to hide the lack of pace required to win the race. Lewis dominated and his management of tyres went a long long way to return the World Champion to his winning ways. Kimi Raikkonen drove a fast steady race, landing him a convincing second place with Mark Webber bringing in the last podium place. He has leap frogged his team mate to second place in the championship. Jenson Button managed some damage limitation and a couple of points, finishing seventh with two points. Jenson's championship lead has shrunk to 18.5 points and the BrawnGP team need to do some serious head scratching in the next four weeks to discover where the pace has gone compared to the start of the season. They are in danger of clutching defeat fron the jaws of victory.

Felipe Massa

A bizarre accident saw Felipe Massa crash out of the qualifying session of the Hungarian Grand Prix after he was struck on the head by a suspension spring. This is believed to have been released from the rear of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn just moments before. Felipe was taken from the circuit to a nearby military hospital where he underwent surgery and was then placed into an induced coma in the intensive care unit. He is said to be stable but in a critical condition suffering from a skull fracture. The spring may have punctured his crash helmet. Felipe's family have left Sao Paulo to be at his side.

The Qualifying session ended in what can only be described as a confused state as all the timing screens failed and none of the drivers or teams new what times had been set. Drivers strolled around the pit lane asking each other what times they had set. Later Fernando Alonso was a suprise pole with the Red Bulls of Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber close behind. An improving Mclaren allowed the World Champion to set 4th quickest and as McLaren improve then Brawn team are moving in the opposite direction as this years championship leader, Jenson Button could only manage 8th, but is thought to be running heavy.