We are experimenting with Twitter when covering live events, like the testing programme in Barcelona or major press conferences. It’s all very new, but we are having fun and hope you will appreciate the immediacy of the information. If you tell us it works well, we will seek to use this as a way of covering the action during the season. It will not be LIVE all the time but we will work out a way of letting you know when we plan a session. Feel free to download the widget on your websites.
Follow us on Twitter at “jamesallenonf1” & for those picking this up by RSS you might want a preview on the full site.
allenonf1.wordpress.com 
“Kimi said nothing interesting”! Tell us something we don’t know…
I think that what he meant to say was that “the ridiculously overpaid Kimi could not be bothered to talk to the media again”. Are there any millionnaire sportsmen on earth less media-friendly than this burping Finn?
Problem is JA is always too polite …
Sorry everyone but could you tell me how to operate this tittle tattle thing?
It’s okay all sorted – for a while i was following someone with a very similar name to james allen. He had some interesting ideas on crop rotation. [ lol! – Moderator]
Guy, are you implying that ‘our’ James Allen doesn’t also have interesting ideas on crop rotation? 😉
In the words of Bono:
“I will follow …..”
Does not seem to be working, it says the last update was 17 hours ago. Have I got it all wrong? Does this mean you will stop this blog? Or commit to doing both blog and twit? [ The blog will not be affected. We envisage that the Twitter service could be most useful during newsworthy or fast-moving events, eg: press conferences, tests and race weekends. I have proposed to JA that he work on his “Tweet-On” & “Tweet-Off” signatures to alert its subscribers when the service is active. We can only hope that “One-Man-Band” Allen will always be able to find a suitable place to leave the big base drum while he keys in the updates … – Moderator ]
I should add that I have put tates in where we had the runner beans last year. Planted first earlies already chitted yesterday.
The Twitter link is not working. [ The “300” (who subscribed in the first 24hrs!) would disagree. Try again. Twitter’s servers are not always the sharpest – Moderator ]
Looking forward to this use of Twitter! Race weekends would be ideal times to twitter and always remember that it also keeps JA in touch with us, his readers.
Keep those phones handy and ready to bust some trivia/web searches for him.
Twitter is a silly passing fad.
It’d become a stone around James’ neck. At fast moving events he needs to have his eyes focused on the event not a mobile keyboard.
Far better to simply make notes and post a summary here at the conclusion.
Lance Armstrong used Twitter during his Au comeback ride and it was pathetic, a real turn off.
“I’m having dinner with Bruyneel” type posts.
Makes him look a berk.
Say no James. Your quality posts here will keep us coming back.
I’m a follower: “Blogging is for what you can’t say in 140 characters, Twitter shows how much you can!”
Glad you’re using twitter, I’ve already added you to my follow list.
One request though… don’t witter on twitter. I quickly stop following people that tell me what they had for breakfast or what colour toilet paper they prefer.
searched for jamesallenonf1 on Twitter this morning and got zero search results. Has the Tweeting stopped?
here is a question for ya. how come in your season preview for itv.com/f1 you left out one of the star teams from winter…Renault.
Also to everyone here who says Kimi is over paid this and over paid that. He is better than all of you and Kimi has never been one for talking to interviewers so why should he start now? I guess Hamilton fans are bit upset he looks set to be running for the title while Lewis finds out what its like to drive a slow car at the back, just like Kimi, Alonso, Trulli…hell even Micheal Schumacher. This is where we find out just how good Lewis really is.
question; why aren’t you with the bbc f1 team??………
Because they have a guy on the BBC staff called Jonathan Legard, who did some F1 commentary on Radio 5 Live in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Come on James, We have to rely on you now for up to date info.
Its 07:39 in the UK and there is absolutely nothing from the bbc or Itv. Only Planet F1 have news. (amongst my RSS feeds)
James, I’m sorry you’re not part of the new BBC commentary team, but I’m enjoying your online blog, newspaper column and also twitter stuff (which is new to me too). Keep up the great work.
Just wanted to say that looking at the Beeb’s woeful F1 web effort, there’s a gap to be filled with insightful, up-to-the-minute f1 analysis.
Looking at the number times I’ve returned to this site over the past 48 hrs you’ve quickly filled it.
Well done!
Thanks for the Twitter feed. Great for us in regional Australia who don’t always get the Grand Prix live.
Already missing your commentary. Hopefully there will be a “Bring back James” petition sent to the BBC. You are the voice of Formula One
James, in the hope that you moderate these comments, I was hoping that you would look at my blog which aims to give an armchair fans perspective. I’ve received some praise for my ‘In Defense of Fernando Alonso’ article.
One day James, I hope to be able to travel with the F1 circus, and if I keep updating this blog, you never know!
I’ve taken much inspiration from you over the years and I’m really enjoying your insight which you can’t get anywhere else. You’ve really filled a gap for all us F1 followers!
Wow Cool!
Hi James,
I want to take this opportunity to say how disappointed I am that you are not involved in any form on the BBC’s coverage this season.
Is it just me (well it seems this way!) or does everyone who contributes to those BBC forums, praising their “perfect” coverage no end, wear huge rose-tinted glasses? Because I swear they are watching a different programme to me!
I’m in the minority, but I miss ITV’s coverage. Yes the adverts were annoying, and better pundits should have been used.
But for people to say, including the BBC’s own presenter Jake Humphrey, that the BBC’s coverage of the first 2 races is light-years ahead of anything ITV achieved in 12 years is quite frankly a disgraceful insult. Humphrey himself is a disgrace who is so out of his depth and posesses no gravitas what so ever.
The BBC pre-show show mimics ITV’s in so many ways, in fact is almost identical, and single-minded people don’t realise this. The BBC have not evolved the show as much as they said they would. There is nothing new on the BBC show. I think only Charles Sale of the Daily Mail has been the only one who has commented on this in the press.
The BBC have been average so far. Nothing special or “perfect” as people keep saying, and they have many areas to improve on, but I won’t rant!
As a lifelong racing fan though, I have thoroughly enjoyed the season so far regardless. Enjoying your Twitters and blogs by the way, keep up the good work!!
Hi James,
How do you think of Ferrari reshuffle to Dyer? Will this help them out of difficulties?
Hi
I think your live Twitter updates are brilliant and I always look forward to your great insights into what is going on in the sport. You often seem to get the message out on the latest happenings within the paddock well before the usual main stream media sources which is brilliant. Both your blog and tweets have a really Human feel to them which I think is a real positive. Keep up the good work!
Great idea. I hope it works most of the time.
Why have Maclaren not protested that Kovi was blocked by 2 cars during one of his quali runs? This was clearly shown on the BBC coverage?
Are they conscious of not upsetting the teams further with a stewards appeal?
Tom
Twitter was good James, but may be you need to reduce the number of updates
I have to say I don’t know James Allen as a commentator because I am not British, but I have his book “The edge of greatness” on Michael Schumacher and I liked it very much. He was trying to dig deep into the personality of Michael and tried to discover “what makes him tick”. I’m not sure if he succeeded in that 😉 but it was an enjoyable read.
I am a Michael fan myself, but I think it’s a good book for “moderates” on both sides. Perhaps if you are a too fanatical Schumacher fan you will find it offensive sometimes, or if you are a too big “anti-Schumacher” then you will find that there’s too much admiration in it.
For me it seemed OK and fairly balanced for a British author 😉 :p , although, I don’t agree with everything in it and sometimes maybe Michael was a little “over-analyized”. I don’t think his psyché that complex, to be honest.
I really like this site James. In the past I just watched the races on tv and never knew much about what goes on behind the scenes in F1. I bought your book “the edge of greatness” as a result of reading your articles on this site and can’t put the down!
Love the website James and especially the analysis. However, one part I really enjoyed were the ‘different’ updates you would provide us….around the weekend…who is travelling with who, who you met at check-in, at which party etc.
This being Monaco; I would have loved to see more of this…especially the yachts and who is seen on whose yacht? Also pics of the team principles boarding or meeting on Falvios yacht would be interesting.
the way F1 is going at the moment we need more of this…
Thanks for the very informative website – keep it up!
Sami
I like your website I check it every day. Just wanted to say what a great read, Michael Schumacher, edge of greatness book is. Read it 3 times, the best book I have read. Hopefully you will write one on Kimi Raikkonen.