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NEWS 10 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012 D escribed as the world’s most glamorous supercar rally, the winter edition of the Dodgeball rally is being held on March 1, seeing billionaires and eccentrics racing expensive toys across Europe. Speaking to The Sunday Times Motoring, Johnny Dodge, the man behind the rally, said that the name for the rally was a spin on his surname, the iconic ‘Cannon Ball Run’ and diehard adventurer Erwin G. ‘Cannon- ball’ Baker, who had set 143 American distance records, in- cluding a 53½ hour coast-to- coast solo drive averaging over 50 mph in 1933. The rally is held twice a year in summer and winter and leaves Mayfair in London with the first stop in Paris for dinner and some fun on a closed run- way, onto the Magny Cours racetrack where the exclusive unveiling of the Furtive eGT, one of the world’s most power- ful electric cars, will be held. The day comes to an end with a night stop in Burgundy. The following morning the drivers will go on a private tour around the small workshops of Loiseau, makers of the world’s most expensive watches. The final leg of the rally is a straight shot to an ice table in Verbier, in the Swiss moun- tains. The rally is open to an exclu- sive group of 30 lucky and rich participants and is limited to 15 cars. This will allow participants to meet each other and to fully enjoy the seven-star services they swear by. However, not any car is al- lowed in. “It’s all about the wow factor,” Dodge said. Among the most exotic cars to be entered were a gold- plated Bugatti Veyron, a chrome Mercedes McLaren SLRs, and a unique Lamborgh- ini Performante driven by Spencer Matthews from hit British TV show Made in Chelsea. No Maltese has ever entered the rally, but Dodge assured me he was always looking for new entrants from around the world to join in the fun. NIKOLAI ATTARD Supercar Rally L ewis Hamilton and Jenson Button adopted a different approach to their winter regime in a bid to become For- mula One world champion again. For Hamilton, it was a case of becoming mentally leaner after the very public issues that blighted him on and off track last season. For Button, approaching his 13th season in the sport, the 32- year-old has suddenly cottoned on to employing specialist nutri- tional advice to give him that extra edge. Hamilton certainly appeared liberated on his first day back in the spotlight since the end of last season as McLaren unveiled their new challenger for the coming campaign, the MP4-27. e genuine article was on show at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, a far cry from the tormented soul that suffered over the closing stages of last season. Numerous on-track incidents and accidents were compounded when he split from long-term girl- friend Nicole Scherzinger, pro- fessing at the final race weekend in Brazil he still loved her. Just over two months on and the 27-year-old has now wrestled with the demons in his mind fol- lowing a winter in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Speaking to Press Association Sport, Hamilton said: “I feel fresh. I had a really good winter. e team gave me a good bit of time off after such a long season, and obviously we went through a lot. “But it was just a fantastic win- ter where I got to spend time with friends and family and was able to wind down and let loose.en I got into quite an intense training regime, sitting down in between times where I analysed the year and certain things in my personal life which weren’t as good as they could be. “I went about correcting those things, and today I just feel very fresh in my mind and very free of any of the burdens I had on me last year.” Button admitted that on a mental level “nothing had changed” as he was “pretty happy at the end of last year”. Instead, to gain the slender ad- vantage this year, Button will turn to a great British staple – a cooked breakfast. In tandem with Befit Monaco, an exclusive specialist training and dietary centre for elite performers, Button said: “We’ve been working on nutrition and things like that. “It sounds crazy, but when you are at the top of any sport you’ve got to look for anything, to run through different things. “It can keep you positive and in the right frame of mind for the time you need it within the car, and also out of it. “You’d think it’s easy, not to have fat and things like that, but that doesn’t work for certain people. “So a full English is not a bad thing for me actually. Steak and eggs is the best thing for me for breakfast. “It’s all going really well. I’m enjoying it. It’s been a lot of fun.” IAN PARKES McLaren drivers’ new approach
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NIKOLAI ATTARD IAN PARKES 10 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012 Just over two months on and the 27-year-old has now wrestled with the demons in his mind fol- lowing a winter in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Speaking to Press Association Sport, Hamilton said: “I feel fresh. I had a really good winter. The
Transcript of 010
NEWS
10 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012
Described as the world’smost glamorous supercarrally, the winter edition of
the Dodgeball rally is being heldon March 1, seeing billionairesand eccentrics racing expensivetoys across Europe.
Speaking to The SundayTimes Motoring, Johnny Dodge,the man behind the rally, saidthat the name for the rally was aspin on his surname, the iconic‘Cannon Ball Run’ and diehardadventurer Erwin G. ‘Cannon-ball’ Baker, who had set 143American distance records, in-cluding a 53½ hour coast-to-coast solo drive averaging over50 mph in 1933.
The rally is held twice a yearin summer and winter andleaves Mayfair in London withthe first stop in Paris for dinnerand some fun on a closed run-way, onto the Magny Coursracetrack where the exclusiveunveiling of the Furtive eGT,one of the world’s most power-ful electric cars, will be held.
The day comes to an end witha night stop in Burgundy.
The following morning thedrivers will go on a private touraround the small workshops ofLoiseau, makers of the world’smost expensive watches.
The final leg of the rally is astraight shot to an ice table inVerbier, in the Swiss moun-tains.
The rally is open to an exclu-sive group of 30 lucky and richparticipants and is limited to 15cars.
This will allow participants tomeet each other and to fullyenjoy the seven-star servicesthey swear by.
However, not any car is al-lowed in. “It’s all about the wowfactor,” Dodge said.
Among the most exotic carsto be entered were a gold-plated Bugatti Veyron, achrome Mercedes McLarenSLRs, and a unique Lamborgh-ini Performante drivenby Spencer Matthews from hitBritish TV show Made inChelsea.
No Maltese has ever enteredthe rally, but Dodge assured mehe was always looking for newentrants from around the worldto join in the fun.
NIKOLAI ATTARD
Supercar Rally
L ewis Hamilton and JensonButton adopted a differentapproach to their winter
regime in a bid to become For-mula One world champion again.
For Hamilton, it was a case ofbecoming mentally leaner afterthe very public issues thatblighted him on and off track lastseason.
For Button, approaching his13th season in the sport, the 32-year-old has suddenly cottonedon to employing specialist nutri-tional advice to give him thatextra edge.
Hamilton certainly appearedliberated on his first day back inthe spotlight since the end of lastseason as McLaren unveiled theirnew challenger for the comingcampaign, the MP4-27.
The genuine article was onshow at the McLaren TechnologyCentre in Woking, a far cry fromthe tormented soul that sufferedover the closing stages of lastseason.
Numerous on-track incidentsand accidents were compoundedwhen he split from long-term girl-friend Nicole Scherzinger, pro-fessing at the final race weekendin Brazil he still loved her.
Just over two months on andthe 27-year-old has now wrestledwith the demons in his mind fol-lowing a winter in Colorado’sRocky Mountains.
Speaking to Press AssociationSport, Hamilton said: “I feel fresh.I had a really good winter. The
team gave me a good bit of timeoff after such a long season, andobviously we went through a lot.
“But it was just a fantastic win-ter where I got to spend time withfriends and family and was able towind down and let loose.Then Igot into quite an intense training
regime, sitting down inbetween times where I analysedthe year and certain things in mypersonal life which weren’t asgood as they could be.
“I went about correcting thosethings, and today I just feel veryfresh in my mind and very free of
any of the burdens I had on melast year.”
Button admitted that on amental level “nothing hadchanged” as he was “prettyhappy at the end of last year”.
Instead, to gain the slender ad-vantage this year, Button willturn to a great British staple – acooked breakfast.
In tandem with Befit Monaco,an exclusive specialist training
and dietary centre for eliteperformers, Button said:“We’ve been working onnutrition and things likethat.
“It sounds crazy, butwhen you are at the top of
any sport you’ve got to lookfor anything, to run through
different things.“It can keep you positive
and in the right frame ofmind for the time you need
it within the car, and also outof it.
“You’d think it’s easy, not tohave fat and things like that, butthat doesn’t work for certainpeople.
“So a full English is not a badthing for me actually. Steak andeggs is the best thing for me forbreakfast.
“It’s all going really well. I’menjoying it. It’s been a lot of fun.”
IAN PARKES
McLaren drivers’ new approach
