A year ago, I wrote: “You know it is time to close down for Christmas when there are stories being published that Volkswagen is once again denying plans to come to Formula 1 in the future”.
So, given that this has again been happening in recent days, it is time for me to bow out for a bit. Be warned that over the Christmas break the majority of F1 decision-makers take time off and so, in the finest tradition of the festive period, the only feed you are going to get will be leftovers, cobbled together by those who have promised to fill pages with news that is not really there. I am sure that Mr E’s favourite little helper will be on hand to report his every belch, although oddly his usual outlets had to use staff reporters to tell the story of Bernie’s latest legal troubles in Germany.
Anyway, I will be back in action on or about January 5, although I am travelling that day so it may be a little hit and miss. In the interim I hope that you all have a great Christmas and that 2015 brings us all good sport and some honest reporting.
If you are bored over the holidays you can always sign up for a 2015 subscription of GP+ e-magazine, as we have included the 120-page 2014 seasonal review in the package, so that there is plenty to read. Simply go to www.grandprixplus.com.
If you subscribed in 2014 remember too that the subscription ends on December 31 and so after that you will not be able to download the magazines any longer.
If you are desperate for a last-minute Christmas gift, don’t worry we will go on accepting gift subscriptions until Christmas Eve and will deliver the gift notification on Christmas Day, taking into account timezones as well.
And if you cannot slow down and get into the Christmas mood, or if you are still hung-up on the question of engine noise, may I suggest that you click on the link below and it might help you remember that there is more to life than F1… and that there are far more beautiful things to come out of Austria than Red Bull cans.
joeblogsf1 
Nollaig Shona
Merry Christmas to you and your family Joe. I hope that you enjoy the holiday season.
Bom Natal!
Thanks Joe, i’m looking forward to the Magazine next year. Best wishes.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year. Rest assured I’ll be renewing my GP+ subscription for 2015.
Happy Christmas Joe. I still relish and in fact I have written down last years Xmas message in which you completely deconstructed Christmas and gave a historians viewpoint of its past, as it makes me smile at this time of year. So I shall read it again!
Thank you Joe, for another excellent year of F1 reporting mixed with the glorious travelogue of the global traveller that you are.
Thanks for always being on the ball, never distracted by the BS from BCE, and for doing the job the FIA and FOM should have been doing to promote the amazing technical achievements of F1 in 2014.
Marry Christmas Joe – have a good break and Best Wishes for 2015.
Likewise to all fellow blog readers.
Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een gelukkig nieuwjaar!
Thanks for another great year, Joe.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
Happy Christmas Joe and many thanks for your efforts over the past year
Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!
Merry Christmas, Joe, and to all who pass through here.
Very nice Joe, thanks for this year, a good Christmas and prosperous and healthy new year.
Will order GP+ for next year later this evening.
Cheers!
Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr
I hired a few minions to wish you Happy Holidays:
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year to you and your family Joe. Likewise to all fellow readers of your blog. Enjoy the turkey and christmas pudding.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to Joe & Family, and to all the people who inhabit the blog here! Hope you all have a Peaceful, happy time with your nearest and dearest, as I shall be doing!
Merry Christmas Joe!
Enjoy the break and I very much look forward to another season of GP+ and hopefully an Audience in London around the time of the first tests. Feels like an annual tradition even after only two years!!
All the best,
John
Have a great Christmas and new year.
Loved the season review GP+ which greatly eased my 7 hour train journey today.
Hi Joe
May I wish you and your colleagues on GP+ a Merry Christmas and an excellent ‘Grand Prix 2015’ and thanks for opening some windows on the machinations of 2014.
F1 is being devalued by the hour, but Grand Prix’s will live, for at least for the foreseeable future. I live in Hope, literally, but do wish the Sport was in better hands at the moment.
I am busy downloading my archive GP+ and trying not to get too diverted by the ‘headlines’ which are almost worth the subscription on their own!
Thank you again, Joyeaux Noel.
Merry Christmas,
Have a fun break and I’m sure I will see you in the New Year.
Thanks,
L
Joe
I made the mistake of leaving the video to ‘watch later’.
I have corrected that now. Absolutely stunning.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas all!
Thanks for the blog Joe, always illuminating. Enjoy your break.
Roll on the second week of March 2015…..
Merry Christmas and happy New Year, Joe.
Make it a good one.
Thanks for all those blogs again.
Merry Christmas joe, it’s been a great ride, as always, can’t wait for next year.
Merry Christmas Joe, to you and your family. Thanks again for a fantastic series of blogs, information, speculation, humour and occasional rumour. You get the stories behind the stories, the context around them, the implications. It allows the rest of us to run wild with the “opinion” thing, hopefully providing you with some entertainment, and a little head shaking, along the way.
Merry Christmas to the many fine souls who post, debate, discuss, and digress. We may not all always agree, but I’ve learnt a lot from you, sometimes especially from those that hold different perspectives.
Here’s to a safe, relaxing enjoyable Christmas and break for everyone. Look after each other, and always maintain a situational awareness, these are troubled times, at times. I look forward to next year, the season, the racing, our continuing discussions. Joyeux Noel.
You and yours have a great one Joe and safe New Year too.
Look forward to your return, esp. as you’ve been in rare form lately. 🙂
Thanks for the year just gone Joe and have a great festive season. Look forward to seeing you in Melbourne next March.
Leslie
Have a nice break, regards to Mme Saward.
Nadolig llawen, Joe a pawb … from a Welshman in Straya.
Joe.. a thought to ponder over Christmas. I’m one of a largish party from Oz attending – again – the Malaysian Grand Prix. An audience perhaps…?
My observation has been that, for all sorts of reasons, the Albert Park event has been becoming less attractive in recent times. By contrast, if you dress for the sauna, Sepang has a lot to recommend itself.
vrolijk kerstfeest!
Wesolych Swiat from Poland. Have a very welll deserved break. Thanks for all your hardwork this year.
Merry Christmas to you and all you hold dear.
Nollaig Shona
Merry Xmas Joe and family – may 2015 bring you many flight upgrades and fast internet at the journalist centers!
Joe,
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2015! Thank you again for your informative blog over the last year. Looking forward to more of the same for 2015.
Cheers!
Have a proper one, Joe! All my best to you and yours.
And as always thank you to everyone who makes such a great crowd, the silent masses especially, as well as the intrepid who comment here: you guys always make my year, for real, thank you.
Happy Christmas!
~ john other
Happy Holidays Mr. Saward and family.
Not sure I can find appropriate words to express my gratitude for this must read blog. Merci à vous !
Best wishes and perfect health for you and your team.
P.S. #ForzaJules
Dear Joe, all
From Bathurst, Australia, where Xmas day started in a pea soup fog, and is heading for 30deg, humidity, and thunderstorms . (Just thought I would throw that in for all you folk freezing in the Northern Hemisphere:-p)
To all, a peaceful, joyful Christmas, surrounded by loved ones, and good cheer.
And, best wishes to all who contribute their opinions on the best F1 blog of them all.
Cheers
MarkR