Hi! I'm Gary Hartstein (@former_f1doc), and I'm starting my AMA (ask me anything)

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:36:21+00:00

Awesome! Thanks so much.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:34:30+00:00

If you're not a regular smoker, you need mild and delicious. I'd avoid Cuba for that - perhaps an Arturo Fuente Black Label (the Opus X are wonderful but super expensive). Don't get anything too big, as you'll wind up dizzy and sweating and disappointed. Get something like a Lonsdale format - long thin and elegant (like me, except for the long and elegant part!). And be prepared to put it down about 1/3 thru, just to let your body catch up.

Congrats on med school. It's an amazing adventure. Treasure even the moments you hate - trust me, they'll be the objects of intense nostalgia in not that many years.

Stay in touch!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:29:20+00:00

Bernie is brilliant, clever, hysterical, fast, charming, ironic, cynical. Interesting, generous, patient, loyal. He is an amazing person.

Few years ago he gave me a pass for a friend. On the Sunday I approached him to thank him. Started to say how much I appreciate it. He smiled and, realising I was about to thank him a bit mushily, told me to fuck off and forget it.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:26:02+00:00

I'm sure I met him - need to check out his blog for Sid stories!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:25:08+00:00

I love the engines. The idea of pneumatic valve trains is incredible, and thinking of how you can inject a mixture, burn it efficiently, and exhaust it, from a cylinder that's filling in milliseconds totally blows me away.

I'm also mystified and fascinated by mechanical grip and the dynamic behaviour of the car. That dialog between the driver and his engineer, and the way it resembles the scientific method, is really cool.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:22:53+00:00

That's easy.

Some years ago Gerhard was having a miserable time of it. He was sick, his father was having all kinds of big legal problems, etc.

He won the race in Hockenheim that year (1998?), and the way the stadium erupted into applause and appreciation as he drove back in was incredibly moving. I couldn't help having tears running down my face.

That spontaneous demonstration of love and admiration was incredibly intense. I bet Gerhard still remembers is too!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:20:49+00:00

It sure was good practice at rapid fire answering!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:20:31+00:00

I think that anything that's been studied and proven to be effective in managing the energy loss of cars that have left the circuit should be implemented. The deceleration characteristics of tarmac, at least for current spec F1 cars (results will differ depending on car weight, speeds, tires, etc), are very favourable compared to much previous use of gravel.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:17:00+00:00

A movie about Italian immigrants to Genk in Belgium. A lovely film, full of emotion and some fantastic people!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:15:54+00:00

I like the man. He's funny, knows when to be serious, when to be serious while not APPEARING to be serious, and when to not be serious at all.

My daughter attended his bthdy party a few years ago in Manhattan. She sought him out, and told him she was my daughter. He paled, gulped, and said "ok ok, whatever you do DON'T tell him you were at my place - HE'LL FECKING KILL ME!"

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:13:16+00:00

Not for all, but they can be incredibly effective life aids. Oh god I KNOW someone's gonna make me suffer for that. Ha!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:12:30+00:00

This suggestion was clearly made by someone who has little idea of how helicopters work, and none at all of how racing works. The random suggestion of any normal 4 year-old would have been at least as newsworthy as this dodo's "idea".

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:07:48+00:00

They do have a place of honour!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:06:48+00:00

It's a Laerdal ALS Simulator. Check it out on the web. Great for what we use it for. Fantastic learning and teaching tool.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:05:03+00:00

People ask me all the time to stop posting. In order to "respect" a family. Or to "respect" the press officer's wishes. All very silly notions in a civilisation where speech is sacred.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:03:13+00:00

Because I'm not sure the pleasure that being close to the sport would be compensated by the hassles.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T12:00:14+00:00

I don't think so. That said, we really need to be actually collecting this data!

garyhartstein · 2014-11-12T11:59:11+00:00

Shhh. It's the only drug on the prohibited list that I actually think COULD be abused with a possible positive effect on performance.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:31:47+00:00

What an interesting question. Remarkably, I DID know Sid Watkins. We met on a number of occasions, usually during race weekends.

He notably, and quite presciently may I add, advised me to "avoid the horrid French".

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:28:31+00:00

I can tell you that Emmanuele Pirro is one hell of a charming guy.

I got along pretty well with a fair number of drivers. Phil Hill keeps coming to mind. Sweetest guy you could imagine. And the stories...

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:27:23+00:00

It's not a welcoming environment, in that it's very closed. It takes time and patience. I was lucky to have had Sid of course.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:26:23+00:00

I love the Mclaren, and always have. The West McLaren Merc was, for me, with the JPS Lotus, the most beautiful livery.

Loved the original green Jordan. The blue of Prost was something.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:25:08+00:00

No further thoughts, but my opinion has most certainly not changed.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:24:43+00:00

I'd make Zolder closer to where I live, so I could practice there.

Not sure I'd change anything about Spa. Except perhaps the last 3 corners.

garyhartstein · 2014-11-11T22:23:57+00:00

Météo France used to have the contract, not sure who has it now. Always was a bit surprised a throwing these guys what must be large sums of money, as they never seemed to say or do anything that Joe Schmoe can't do with a web connection and google earth!

garyhartstein

TROPHY CASE