Who would have thought it was going to happen? Jenson Button, one of our most celebrated British GoKarting champions, effectively leaves Brawn and without ceremony, voluntarily hands his hard fought F1 crown over to someone else.

Why say that?  Well he can not win the 2010 championship in a McLaren Formula 1 car as that prize would have to go to, another of our British Gokarting champions, Lewis Hamilton, so the very best result Jenson can manage is to finish 2nd.

So why did Brawn let Jenson go or perhaps why did Jenson feel he had reason to go?

The underlying reason must have everything to do with the new Mercedes input and that Brawn will not be Brawn in 2010.  Our last blog entry stated loyalty is rare in Motorsport and now Nick Fry has said publicly said that “Loyalty would be nice”, but in the real world money talks, and it clearly does.  We think that between themselves (Brawn, Mercedes and Jenson) they have messed it up, and that is the real pity.

Still the positive is that F1 will have a very British affair feel about it, even if we don’t stage the British Grand Prix .  With Lewis and Jenson now in a relationship there could be more break ups, busts up, kisses and make ups than Pete Doherty and Kate Moss ever had. Another simple fact is McLaren must be laughing all the way to the sponsors bank.

The new season is going to be an intriguing one – who’s side are you going to be on?

To see if you can be a future Formula 1 champion, why not challenge some mates and race at one of our selected gokarting tracks, chose a track at http://www.gokarting.co.uk/ and find out if you have what it takes. Give us a call on 020 7476 1234 to book your exclusive gokarting race.

One footnote to this commentary : Was Richard Branson the deciding factor?  Surely more will come out in the Motorsport wash in the forthcoming weeks.

At São Paulo Jenson Button demonstrated his “in the blood” gokarting instincts and virtually weaved his way through the field, from an impossible position of 14th on the grid, to meet the chequered flag in fifth and grab the F1 World Champions crown away from the other seasons F1 pretenders, Sebastian Vettel, Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber.  He could have played safe but maneuver after maneuver showed he has the steel, bottle and driving skills to warrant his new title.  Strange coincidence is the 2009 and 2008 F1 Champions have sealed the title at São Paulo finishing 5th in car number 22, spooky!

The one thing we have learnt is that Jenson Button remains talented. He started of as a go karting Cadet in 1988 going through the classic gokarting route all the way to European Super A champion in 1997, then onto Formula Ford Champion, Formula 3 then into Formula 1. Twenty one years pass and today he raced at the stunning Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with an unassailable lead.  Little else needed to be said or proved but why not cement the season with a podium finish, just to remind everyone who is the boss this year!  Jenson drove brilliantly to climb onto the podium, behind Vettel and Webber in their Red Bull Renault machines.

Button can now focus on his bonus of a bumper pay day next season.  No one can see Brawn wanting Jenson to leave and Jenson surely can’t sense a snub. Loyalty is rare in Motorsport as money literally talks but Button will surely want to defend his position in the Brawn team and visa versa.  Would Virgin want to spoil their new entry into F1 with a frosty, miserly treatment of a new sporting hero who will do wonders for their increased profile and street credibility, No.
Given these factors perhaps Jenson should aim for a bigger pay day.  Leaving a team and defending in a new car has hardly proven successful, look at Alonso, Hill, Prost to name a few, so a Brawn defense looks certain.

Recent speculation has linked Button joining forces with Hamilton, how very British and how very traditional.  Two former British Karting champions in a British car – would that combination be welcome on such a vast world stage?

On the subject of British, will there be a British F1 Grand Prix?  Discussions and financial fines are flying around and it does not look good so having had back to back British F1 champions their home soil race is in serious jeopardy. It would be good if that is the only disappointment Button experiences next year.

Quite incredibly eight F1 teams are currently based in Britain, include the numerous British and European biased sponsors as well as the last two F1 Champions, it would be a serious set back to British Motorsport and the nations reputation if the venue issue is not resolved.  Silverstone will try hard to step in.

Will Jenson defend his title successfully?  He did it while GoKarting, so why not F1!

Will Jenson get such a good start in 2010? Highly unlikely, but Brawn is a genius!

Who looks favorite to win the 2010 F1 Championship?  Lets stick say it could be a Battle of Britons between Button and Hamilton.

We are sure Jenson Buton will continue to smile and to shine, as he has done throughout this season, and we believe GOKARTING has thrown up yet another Worldwide Role Model that the country should be proud of.

So how did it start for Jenson Button? Stories circulate about the family selling kart parts to have enough diesel to get home and selling karts to finance the next season.  Jenson relied heavily on his fathers dealings and did not have Ron Dennis as his benefactor. After 34 consecutive wins to grab the 1991 British cadet kart championship he went on to bag 3 British Open Kart Championships.  Once you have proven yourself in Britain it is then into the big wide world of European karting so in 1997 Jenson Button became the youngest European Super A champion in 1997.
Clinching that European championship in Genk, Belgium was Jenson “best ever” race.  In the last race Jenson needed to finish third. Jenson started second on the grid in a wet race but lost control of his kart at the first corner, ending up in the gravel.  The race was all but lost but he managed a miracle drive and came back from 24th all the way through to finish third.  Will Brazil 2009 beat that label of his “best ever” race?

Button easily progressed into Formula Ford next and piloted his Hayward car to victory and left the competition as the 1998 champ.  Next up for Jenson was Formula 3 in 1999 and managed to finish in an overall 3rd. proving again he can adapt to all disciplines of motor sport.
In 2000 Frank Williams gave him his opening into Formula 1, in the Williams BMW, and as a novice did extraordinarily well to finish 8th for the season, but disappointed a little as he failed to reach a podium finish.

In 2001 & 2002 Jenson joined the Benetton-Renault team and managed only 17th and then 7th respectively.
He then piloted the newly formed, and well financed, BAR-Honda team but things only went well in 2004 when he finish 3rd overall but still had to contend with the fact that he was unable to win a race.  2005 did not go well and could only manage 9th overall, matching his performance in the Bar during 2003.
His first Formula 1 Grand Prix win, after 114 attempts, to register 1st win came with his new Honda Team in Hungary during 2006.  A mixed season of luck and the car remained competitive despite Alonso and Schumacher taking much of the control.
Things went down hill in 2007 where Jenson finish 15th and even worse in 2008 with a lowly 3 points and finishing 18th overall.

2009 did look grim and Honda finally decided to pull their financial plug.

Ross Brawn stepped in to head the failed Honda team and turned its fortunes on its head.
Button believed in the team and hung on to his drive with Brawn.
Everything then started with a bang in 2009.  Six Grand Prix wins out of the first 7 races virtually sealed the teams season and as Button gradually collected points which has seen him finish well and truly ahead of his rivals.

There is one last question to post – is Jenson better than Lewis Hamilton?  The Times journalist, Kevin Eason, reckons so, as he ranks Jenson 16th on the grid and Lewis only a few meters behind in 21st. Lets see how that ranking changes in what is bound to be a fascinating 2010.

If you fancy racing at track that both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton raced on take a look at the Hoddesdon circuit.

Congratulations Jenson Button. You are a Motorsport star.

Already a proven winner.  Former GOKARTING champion, is he now the most deserving Formula One champion?
We thought Lewis Hamilton had a story but is Jenson Buttons better.

Jenson Button has now won 4 out of 5 Formula One races in this 2009 season.
How spectacular is that?  He is British as well.  Is the F1 championship now in the bag?

Lewis Hamilton must be more than frustrated.

The Brawn-Mercedes team has excelled itself with design, development and spirit.

We all know the team was “built” in a few months from the Honda leftovers and Jenson was no longer contracted to a Team.
We all know funding was a major factor and Buttons future as a driver was more than a major doubt.

So just how good is this period in F1 racing?  Four initial victories out of five only rings one recent Schumacher bell.
Is Jenson that good or has he luckily landed a relationship with a dream team led by the masterful, former Ferrari officiando, Ross Brawn.

Take a quick look at Jenson Button’s official website and his biography, it tells you a long motorsport story.

www.jensonbutton.com/#/Jenson/Biography/

It lets you know in detail just how his career started in GoKarting.  Starting in 1988 he wins his first competitive race at the Clay Pigeon circuit.
You will soon discover Jenson Button became the European Super A Kart Champion in 1997.  He was also the youngest ever driver to achieve that prize.
That background ultimately proves the gokarting cream, Lewis Hamilton included, rises to the top, eventually.

His personal thoughts are –
“I loved my years in karting because it’s the best form of racing in the world. It’s real bumper-to-bumper stuff and you learn so much about driving and about the sport.
The most important thing that I learnt in karts was to be smooth, and I’ve carried that through to F1.
I had coaching from a man called Dave Spence, who told me early on that I was a bit jerky with the steering wheel.
As soon as I smoothed that out, I started to get much better results.”

Given such comments and listening to many F1 commentaries Jenson is a smooth F1 driver which is paramount.
His style has been likened to Jackie Stewart, turning his steering wheel only once through corners and look where he got to in the sport.

So that’s the Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and Spain Grand Prix under his belt – surely he is favourite to become the 2009 Formula One Champion.
Good luck Jenson.

Have you been passed the dubious privilege of organising your best mates Stag or Hen Do?
If so, booking your GoKarting race is simpler at gokarting.co.uk.
All our Go Karting race tracks are either inside London or a little distance outside of London.
Here are a couple of tips that we will advise you to do.

Firstly, decide on your preferred GoKarting venue – consider an alternative just in case the venue you prefer is already booked.
Take a look at the tracks detailed on the gokarting.co.uk site.
If a track appeals request a Price list from the RECEIVE AN UP TO DATE PRICE LIST section available on each of the track pages.
Once you have filled in your email address we will email you instantly, whatever time you are surfing the site.
Take time to read the brochure – race formats and prices will be detailed.
Consider whether your group are prepared to travel or perhaps go for a centrally located track.

Secondly, Budget – once you have a preferred GOKARTING track ensure everyone is told how much the race is likely to be.
Keep a list of those that have agreed to the pricing.

Thirdly, the more GoKarters participating, the merrier your competition will be so choose a date that suits everyone best.
Get an idea of the Minimum number of drivers – its amazing how many bookings start with 30 and ends with 10.
At the initial booking stage commit to the minimum race requirements and then ask that you commit your Maximum number of drivers a couple of weeks prior to your event.

Fourthly, book well in advance – please bear in mind you are not the only Stag or Hen group looking for some GoKarting fun.
We recommend booking your GoKarting race at least 6 weeks in advance.  Slots go quickly so be prepared to make a prompt decision.

Prior to calling us or emailing you should have a fair idea to all of the above factors.
Once you have been told availability we are happy to hold a slot for 3 days while you make that final decision to proceed.
To confirm your event you will need to pay the 50% deposit.  The remaining balance + any additional drivers you have confirmed can be paid the week prior to your event.

All events must be paid for in advance.

Your Gokarting Stag or Hen Checklist
1 – Pick your venue
2 – Price OK with everyone
3 – How many drivers
4 – Date
5 – Call us 020 7476 1234 or email us events@gokarting.co.uk

Due to popular demand we have introduced kids Gokarting parties at the Greenwich Docklands Raceway.

We now have avaialble GoKarting party packages for two age ranges.

Firstly, the  Cadet  Karting party accomodates the ages 6 to 10 year olds (so that is a Primary School group).
Secondly the  Junior  Karting party caters for 11 to 16 year olds (so that is a Senior school group).

The facilities are unsurpassed in the UK, so if you really want to impress your school mates, this is the place to race.

The karts have been especially tailored for each age range and the 400 metre track means every karter will experience everything you would expect from a karting track, turns, overtaking straights and tunnels.  The track is great and even longer than some Adult tracks we know of.

You will get an hours worth of track time and each child will get at least 30 minutes of time behind the wheel.  All laps times are recorded and presented to each driver once the party has finished.

As the track is Indoor you get all the benefits of having an Indoor karting party - most importantly, a dry experience.

With plenty of parking on site and a refreshments cafe available trackside, you will not have a worry once you have booked your exclusive Kids GoKarting party.

The fun is fast, it is safe and the venue is unique.  Give it a go, please call us on 020 8859 4545 to book your gokarting kids event.

To take a look at more of the details feel free to check out the new page on our website - Greenwich Gokarting for KIDS.

www.gokartingkids.co.uk is a new direct way to find and book your exclusive GO-Karting party in the UK.  Each GO Karting Kids party is designed to give every child a fun filled exciting motorsport experience.

The website is simple and your closest GOKARTING Kids venue is easy to find.

Let your Kids Formula 1 driving enthusiasm begin the way Lewis Hamilton did - behind the wheel of a GOKART.
Each GOKARTING Kids party is age relevant so everyone will be racing with similar abilities.
GOKARTING is a non contact sport, so it is also generally safe.
All your safety equipment is provided, so it is also a good way to find out if your child is interested in Gokarting, at little cost.
The GO KARTS themselves are simple to drive.
Every Kids GOKART has a single engine, a steering wheel, an accelerator to move forward and a brake to slow down - it is as simple as that.
So if you want to look further simply follow the link to the new GOKARTING FOR KIDS website www.gokartingkids.co.uk.

It is also worth knowing that all our Karting parties are professionally marshaled and client safety is paramount.  So do not hesitate, book you next karting party using www.gokartingkids.co.uk.

After an action packed Brazilian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton finally found the determination to gather the necessary points to be crowned Formula 1 champion for 2008.  Having been in a similar position last year he found the courage to grab the points to decide the F1 championship.  It was a race full of drama as Hamilton played it safe and then had to chase that vital 5th position in the last moments of the race.  Surely he must have thought the title race was over and Ferrari were going to rob him again.

Massa won the Grand Prix but Lewis benefited most as Timo Glock, in his Toyota, struggled to remain competitive on the final lap, which essentially helped Lewis snatch the necessary fifth place and the trophy lifting four points. After 18 races across the world he won the title with a solitary point ahead of Massa.  It was close, closer than we all would have hoped for, but the result went his way, so credit where credit is due.

Lewis Hamilton has a long history in Motorsport and is now the youngest ever champion.
It is a proud moment for his family, the McLaren team and especially Rod Dennis who has kept him under his wing since Lewis’s karting days.  Lewis has competed at many UK Gokarting tracks and this history and experience certainly paved the way to his Formula 1 career.

There is also a good chance Lewis will win the BBC Personality of the Year to cap a memorable year for him - do not think he will be a good price at the bookies though.

Congratulations Lewis, lets hope he can grab as many championships as Michael Schumacher but with a bit more room to spare next time, please.

What a highly entertaining evening was had by all.

The Heats proved to be fast and furious.  All racers were in high spirits.  Some of the overtaking manoeuvres even surprised our Race Directors, Peter and Luke.

27 races and 6 black flags later the overall winning teams were announced.

1st : BGC Partners Team 3 - Some fine gokarting displayed and all 3 team members made it to the finals, which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.  This was a great demonstration of team skills by - Ian, Andrew and Alex.

2nd : SAXO Bank - Helped by the fact Ulrik raced well in all his heats and made it all the way to the Final.

3rd : BGC Partners Team 6 - who just edged a tight finish above Kartastrophy.

That was not all, the Individual GoKarting prize went to Andrew Wooley who won the Grand Final showing you don’t have to be Pole or Provisional Pole position to win a race.

Finally, the fastest lap of the night went to Darren Ilsley from the Kartastrophy team - see him here with his WWW.GOKARTING.CO.UK Kart Trophy.  His team name almost predicted it!

It was a closely competed event but the team who managed to get all three of their team members through to the final races won the overall Team event - a tip for next time maybe.

For those of you at Tradition.com your teams finished 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th.

New Edge Group stayed just above FSA.

This is a friendly blog but lets say FSA were the strongest team in the pack - holding the others up.

A big thank you goes to Jim and Anna from Accomplish Management for organising the competition.  Equal thanks goes to St. James’s Place Wealth Management and Haibun Partners for their generous sponsorship.

Well it would be great to see you all again in the near future.

For more details simply click on the link to view.

If you simply want to check availability and pricing feel free to call us on 020 7476 1234.

If you are considering a Conference in or around the Docklands area please take a look at our fantastic meeting rooms in Docklands.  We are confident we can tailor an event to suit your requirements.

This exclusive facility offers your group a great space to deliver your message, as well as giving you the chance to enjoy go karting before or after your meeting.  What is better than having both business and pleasure under one roof?

Our rooms can be tailored to your needs, Cabaret, Theatre or even Exam layout.
Catering is provided by our inside caterers so quality is of a high standard.
You can also hire our modern, spacious bar.

We are pretty sure you will not get a more exhilarating experience elsewhere.

If you do choose to go karting afterwards we know that peoples attention is certainly held throughout the day.  Delegates are focused and relish the thought of getting on our exclusive go karting circuit to show their driving skills.

This is a super Indoor venue, it really is a unique conference facility so why not visit the Raceway conference rooms by giving us an call.

Don’t hesitate to contact us we are here to help your day be a successful one.  Simply call us on 020 7476 1234 to learn more.

Every go karter now has a great opportunity to go karting at the best Indoor track in the country.  For the first time we will run an Open Team Endurance race on Sunday 6th April at the exclusive Greenwich Docklands Raceway.

As demand is going to be incredibly popular the race will be sold on a first come first served basis so please call 020 7476 1234 to book your team entry.

The 90 minute race will allow 2 to 4 drivers to compete as a team against other keen karters.  Practise will be given to everyone to establish Grid position.  The 1.5 hour race then starts and the first three teams past the chequered flag will receive their trophies.

Its up to you how you share the 90 minutes of non stop go karting, but we usually recommend drivers swap the driving responsibility every 10, 15 or 20 minutes.

The venue is the best Indoor karting track you will find - what a super Birthday gift for husband No.1 or No.2.  Perhaps you have a Stag or Hen weekend planned - this is the gokarting event for you - simply decide how many teams you require and give us a call.

Gokarting is very popular so it is best to confirm your interest as soon as possible.

Everyone entered will need to be at the race track by 11am for registration and practise.  All joining instructions are provided upon payment of your team.

Soft drinks and snacks will be available to keep you hydrated and energised through out your event from the exclusive trackside cafe.  Go karting is a tough sport so it is important to keep refreshed.

Closest BR station is Charlton and the closet tube is North Greenwich.

Teams cost £175 excluding Vat for either two, three or four drivers (£205.63)

To make sure of your participation call 020 7476 1234 to book your team entry.

Perhaps you want more than one team, if so please call as soon as you have made a decision - spaces will disappear.  The maximum number of teams will be 20.  Minimum age is 18.

Once the event is over a photo of the top 3 teams will be displayed on this gokarting blog - Fame at last, maybe.