F1 2018
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1%er
Well-Known Member
Martini leaving Williams at the end of the season
From the comments of Claire Williams it would seem that Martini did have an age clause in their contract, but the team say that has nothing to do with the Martini leaving. “I talked quite a lot last year about making sure that we had drivers who were able to activate from a marketing perspective because of Martini’s 25-year-old age limit" she told reporters at today's test, but she must have forgotten that Williams were saying during the off season when looking for a replacement for Massa, that there was no age limit clause in the contract.
She went on to say “Martini is leaving us at the end of this year. It’s the end of its contract, and we have been in discussion for many months now about an extension beyond 2018, as you would expect. We talked to Martini going into this year about drivers, it’s quite hard to find drivers over 25 but they were fully supportive about us bringing Sergey on board. That age limit played no part in Martini’s decision making process. It was fully aware of our plans and supportive of it. I suppose next year, it gives us the freedom to do what we are able to do without having to worry about any age limit,” she said. [again she talks about drivers over 25 and an age limit].
Other sponsors news
The McLaren looks very blank and could do with a few more sponsors logos on the car, they still have no title sponsor for 2018 but the team seems to have brought on more sponsors than any other team, they have 5 new sponsors so far in 2018, I wonder if we will see Martini on the McLaren next season
Ferrari have lost Santander who were a major sponsor but as Philip Morris has renewed they will not be shot of money. The sponsorship by Philip Morris almost covers the cost for Ferrari to build the cars and go racing, yet they have recently had very little branding visible on the cars. This season Philip Morris will be promoting Iqos, which is a vaporizer, according to them, it is a "high-tech technology device that heats rather than burns tobacco, releasing a nicotine-containing vapour for the user".
Testing day 2
Not sure we will see much of anything today other than the cars just collecting mileage, conditions are set to remain unseasonably cold, over 10°c below the average, with air temperature unlikely to exceed 5°c.
From the comments of Claire Williams it would seem that Martini did have an age clause in their contract, but the team say that has nothing to do with the Martini leaving. “I talked quite a lot last year about making sure that we had drivers who were able to activate from a marketing perspective because of Martini’s 25-year-old age limit" she told reporters at today's test, but she must have forgotten that Williams were saying during the off season when looking for a replacement for Massa, that there was no age limit clause in the contract.
She went on to say “Martini is leaving us at the end of this year. It’s the end of its contract, and we have been in discussion for many months now about an extension beyond 2018, as you would expect. We talked to Martini going into this year about drivers, it’s quite hard to find drivers over 25 but they were fully supportive about us bringing Sergey on board. That age limit played no part in Martini’s decision making process. It was fully aware of our plans and supportive of it. I suppose next year, it gives us the freedom to do what we are able to do without having to worry about any age limit,” she said. [again she talks about drivers over 25 and an age limit].
Other sponsors news
The McLaren looks very blank and could do with a few more sponsors logos on the car, they still have no title sponsor for 2018 but the team seems to have brought on more sponsors than any other team, they have 5 new sponsors so far in 2018, I wonder if we will see Martini on the McLaren next season
Ferrari have lost Santander who were a major sponsor but as Philip Morris has renewed they will not be shot of money. The sponsorship by Philip Morris almost covers the cost for Ferrari to build the cars and go racing, yet they have recently had very little branding visible on the cars. This season Philip Morris will be promoting Iqos, which is a vaporizer, according to them, it is a "high-tech technology device that heats rather than burns tobacco, releasing a nicotine-containing vapour for the user".
Testing day 2
Not sure we will see much of anything today other than the cars just collecting mileage, conditions are set to remain unseasonably cold, over 10°c below the average, with air temperature unlikely to exceed 5°c.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Testing day 2 review
Sebastian Vettel beat Valtteri Bottas to top spot on day two of Formula 1's 2018 testing by 0.3sec, with the pair the first to dip below the 1min 20sec barrier so far. Testing was restricted by poor weather on day two, with cold conditions and even snow late in the day hampering proceedings. Vettel's day wasn't without drama, one lap setting the fastest time so far and the next finding himself beached in the gravel. Charles Leclerc, a Ferrari junior, also found the gravel in the tricky conditions. The debutant eventually went 10th fastest, pipping fellow gravel visitor Kevin Magnussen in the Haas by six-thousandths of a second.
Stoffel Vandoorne used the hyper-soft tyre to claim third fastest in the McLaren, two-tenths shy of Daniel Ricciardo's day one benchmark. His Red Bull team-mate, Max Verstappen, fell 0.001sec short of Vandoorne's time in fourth. Vandoorne managed 37 laps, before a broken exhaust clip curtailed his day. Robert Kubica bettered Sergey Sirotkin's morning time, having taken over for the afternoon, lapping a second quicker than Stroll managed the day before.
Much of the morning was quiet, with temperatures so low that no meaningful running was possible. The lunch break was cancelled, allowing teams to stay on the track throughout the day. Further adverse weather is predicted for Wednesday, but the test will go on as planned amid rumors that the test would be extended for an extra day due to snow.
Liberty Media launch of live Grand Prix subscription service F1 TV
The new over the top (OTT) platform plans to revolutionise the way the sport is broadcast around the globe. "With the launch of F1 TV, we are beginning on the journey to build a cornerstone of our digital transformation," said Frank Arthofer, Director of Digital and New Business, Formula 1. He added that the intention is to provide F1 fans "with the best sports OTT customer experience in the world".
Commercial-free live streams of each race will come with multi-language commentary options in English, French, German and Spanish. There will also be access to all 20 driver on-board cameras during each race session. F1 TV Pro will also have additional unique feeds not available on any other platform. It will offer multi-level personalisation with subscribers being able to choose the content they want, and how and when to access it. Practice sessions, qualifying and races will be offered live, as will press conferences and pre- and post-race interviews with drivers and team principals.
In addition, subscribers will be able to watch support races from Formula 2, GP3 Series and Porsche Supercup, among others. "F1 TV subscription products are clearly and centrally aimed at our hardest core fans," said Arthofer. "We are firm believers that while we are bringing a new audience to the sport, we must always remain focused on delivering products and experiences that serve the most avid F1 fans".
The service will be available in nearly two dozen markets at launch. Confirmed countries able to access the service include Germany, France, USA, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and much of Latin America [I've yet to look and see if it will be available in Brazil, if it is I may well subscribe as it appears to offer much more than the Sky coverage I steal
].
F1’s biggest investment in its digital transformation to date will offer a number of subscription-free features. Complimenting F1 TV Pro, F1 TV Access will provide live race timing data, radio commentary and extended highlights of each race weekend session. There will also be unprecedented access to archive video content from the Formula 1 archives. The subscription-free service will be available on a near-global basis at launch. Both F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Access services will be provided by Tata Communications, Formula 1’s Official Connectivity Provider.
“F1 is the first global sport to adopt such an ambitious mobile strategy - and we’re excited to be part of it," said Mehul Kapadia, Managing Director, Tata Communications’ F1 Business. "A single global OTT video platform, with multiple live feeds and hundreds of hours of past highlights, gives fans the power to create their own unique, immersive motorsports experiences. It’s a way to keep existing audiences hooked and attract new fans to the world of F1 too."
Sebastian Vettel beat Valtteri Bottas to top spot on day two of Formula 1's 2018 testing by 0.3sec, with the pair the first to dip below the 1min 20sec barrier so far. Testing was restricted by poor weather on day two, with cold conditions and even snow late in the day hampering proceedings. Vettel's day wasn't without drama, one lap setting the fastest time so far and the next finding himself beached in the gravel. Charles Leclerc, a Ferrari junior, also found the gravel in the tricky conditions. The debutant eventually went 10th fastest, pipping fellow gravel visitor Kevin Magnussen in the Haas by six-thousandths of a second.
Stoffel Vandoorne used the hyper-soft tyre to claim third fastest in the McLaren, two-tenths shy of Daniel Ricciardo's day one benchmark. His Red Bull team-mate, Max Verstappen, fell 0.001sec short of Vandoorne's time in fourth. Vandoorne managed 37 laps, before a broken exhaust clip curtailed his day. Robert Kubica bettered Sergey Sirotkin's morning time, having taken over for the afternoon, lapping a second quicker than Stroll managed the day before.
Much of the morning was quiet, with temperatures so low that no meaningful running was possible. The lunch break was cancelled, allowing teams to stay on the track throughout the day. Further adverse weather is predicted for Wednesday, but the test will go on as planned amid rumors that the test would be extended for an extra day due to snow.
Liberty Media launch of live Grand Prix subscription service F1 TV
The new over the top (OTT) platform plans to revolutionise the way the sport is broadcast around the globe. "With the launch of F1 TV, we are beginning on the journey to build a cornerstone of our digital transformation," said Frank Arthofer, Director of Digital and New Business, Formula 1. He added that the intention is to provide F1 fans "with the best sports OTT customer experience in the world".
Commercial-free live streams of each race will come with multi-language commentary options in English, French, German and Spanish. There will also be access to all 20 driver on-board cameras during each race session. F1 TV Pro will also have additional unique feeds not available on any other platform. It will offer multi-level personalisation with subscribers being able to choose the content they want, and how and when to access it. Practice sessions, qualifying and races will be offered live, as will press conferences and pre- and post-race interviews with drivers and team principals.
In addition, subscribers will be able to watch support races from Formula 2, GP3 Series and Porsche Supercup, among others. "F1 TV subscription products are clearly and centrally aimed at our hardest core fans," said Arthofer. "We are firm believers that while we are bringing a new audience to the sport, we must always remain focused on delivering products and experiences that serve the most avid F1 fans".
The service will be available in nearly two dozen markets at launch. Confirmed countries able to access the service include Germany, France, USA, Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and much of Latin America [I've yet to look and see if it will be available in Brazil, if it is I may well subscribe as it appears to offer much more than the Sky coverage I steal
]. F1’s biggest investment in its digital transformation to date will offer a number of subscription-free features. Complimenting F1 TV Pro, F1 TV Access will provide live race timing data, radio commentary and extended highlights of each race weekend session. There will also be unprecedented access to archive video content from the Formula 1 archives. The subscription-free service will be available on a near-global basis at launch. Both F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Access services will be provided by Tata Communications, Formula 1’s Official Connectivity Provider.
“F1 is the first global sport to adopt such an ambitious mobile strategy - and we’re excited to be part of it," said Mehul Kapadia, Managing Director, Tata Communications’ F1 Business. "A single global OTT video platform, with multiple live feeds and hundreds of hours of past highlights, gives fans the power to create their own unique, immersive motorsports experiences. It’s a way to keep existing audiences hooked and attract new fans to the world of F1 too."
1%er
Well-Known Member
Testing day 3 review
Snow blew out the third day of Formula One’s pre-season testing on Wednesday, with only five drivers eventually venturing out on the slippery track and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso alone in completing a timed lap. The Spaniard’s ‘fastest’ time of two minutes 18.545 seconds, set right at the end, was nearly a minute slower than Sebastian Vettel’s Tuesday best for Ferrari. Neither Ferrari nor Mercedes sent a car out of the garage, with the Italians deciding early on that there was no point.
Apart from Alonso, who ended up with 11 laps, the only drivers to appear were Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley, Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and Robert Kubica for Williams. With the grandstands empty for most of a day that started with the paddock and circuit under a white blanket, the pit lane was declared open at 1200 local time a delay of three hours as snow gave way to rain. The chequered flag came down with a total of 17 laps recorded.
The first of two pre-season tests is due to end on tomorrow, with the second at the Circuit de Catalunya next week. The season starts in Australia on March 25. Teams had discussed adding a day on to the second test but that would only have been possible by all agreeing to scrap Wednesday’s session. The lack of testing was a blow to Mexican Sergio Perez, who had been due in the Force India today and has yet to drive his team’s new car. Four-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who completed 25 laps for Mercedes in cold and damp conditions on Monday, was another lacking mileage which at least allowed Valtteri Bottas to feel ahead of his team mate.
Snow blew out the third day of Formula One’s pre-season testing on Wednesday, with only five drivers eventually venturing out on the slippery track and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso alone in completing a timed lap. The Spaniard’s ‘fastest’ time of two minutes 18.545 seconds, set right at the end, was nearly a minute slower than Sebastian Vettel’s Tuesday best for Ferrari. Neither Ferrari nor Mercedes sent a car out of the garage, with the Italians deciding early on that there was no point.
Apart from Alonso, who ended up with 11 laps, the only drivers to appear were Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley, Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and Robert Kubica for Williams. With the grandstands empty for most of a day that started with the paddock and circuit under a white blanket, the pit lane was declared open at 1200 local time a delay of three hours as snow gave way to rain. The chequered flag came down with a total of 17 laps recorded.
The first of two pre-season tests is due to end on tomorrow, with the second at the Circuit de Catalunya next week. The season starts in Australia on March 25. Teams had discussed adding a day on to the second test but that would only have been possible by all agreeing to scrap Wednesday’s session. The lack of testing was a blow to Mexican Sergio Perez, who had been due in the Force India today and has yet to drive his team’s new car. Four-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who completed 25 laps for Mercedes in cold and damp conditions on Monday, was another lacking mileage which at least allowed Valtteri Bottas to feel ahead of his team mate.
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1%er
Well-Known Member
Testing day 4 review
Formula One teams took their cars out to the track early Thursday, trying to make up for the lost time caused by bad weather earlier in the week in preseason testing. Temperatures improved for today's final session of the week and teams immediately sent their cars to the track near Barcelona. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes was in front early in the afternoon with a time of 1 minute, 24.319 seconds. The session was stopped briefly in the morning after Marcus Ericsson went off the track with his Sauber.
Drivers still needed wet tires as the track wasn't yet fully dry. Unusually cold weather significantly reduced practice time for the teams this week as the track remained without enough grip for proper runs. There will be another four-day test session in Barcelona beginning next Tuesday. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is March 25.
Danny Ric and Red Bull talks have broken down
The Australian’s current deal runs until the end of the 2018 season and talks took place over an extension at the end of last season. But Ricciardo says things are now on hold and talks are not likely to resume until after a few races. "Nothing has really developed since the end of the season. I switched off from F1. I think realistically around April things will start to be spoken. After a few races, hopefully I win the first few and I can have a powerful say in what I do!" he told sky in an interview.
Ricciardo has been linked with a move to Mercedes to race with Lewis Hamilton as Valtteri Bottas’ replacement. But Red Bull are keen to tie him down and keep him alongside Max Verstappen, who signed a new deal until 2020 last year. Ricciardo though is keen to challenge for the world title and previously described his next step as the biggest decision of his career.
He has previously said "I'm not just going to settle on something because I want it to be off my mind, because there's a lot at stake. It's a big decision for me, so if I need to take time to make it, I will. I'm planning on being in the sport for a long while yet, but in saying that, if I was to sign, say, a three-year deal, that's a big chunk of the next part of my career. I need to get it right, so it's a big call - the most important one for me yet, I think".
Could we have 2 new races next season (maybe3 by 2020)
There are rumors going around about a leaked document claiming that Liberty Media have agreed to have races in both Miami and Hanoi as soon as 2019. Negotiations between FOM and the promoters of the planned street races in Florida and in Vietnam are expected to reach a positive conclusion. According to reports, a 6-kilometer track layout located in the center of the Vietnamese capital has already been approved by FIA officials, while a 17-turn 5.2-kilometer course running on Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami has also been given the green light. In both cases, all the necessary infrastructure work is likely to be overseen by Herman Tilke, F1's resident architect is expected to be completed by next year.
Argentina
There are also claims that Argentina is pressing on with its plans to return the country to the F1 calendar in the future, with the historical Autodromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez in Buenos Aires chosen as the venue. Last summer, it was reported that FIA F1 race director and safety delegate Charlie Whiting had visited Buenos Aires and conducted a track inspection to evaluate the work necessary to bring the circuit up to modern F1 standards. The event's promoters are currently hard at work trying to secure funding from the local government to finance the circuit's mandatory upgrade. What races could we loose, for sure the Brazilian GP is under threat as are both the British and German GP's, if I remember I'll do a little research over the weekend and write something next week.
Did Martini pulling out cost Robert Kubica his Williams seat
Had Kubica got the seat at Williams for sure they would have had to pay him to drive. I'm interested in knowing how long Williams have been aware that Martini were pulling out, as I believe this may well have had a big influence on them going with 2 young pay drivers to secure their financial support for the next couple of seasons at least? Williams have now admitted that there was a clause in the contract that one driver had to be over 25.
Sorry to those who wanted to look at Ted's Testing notebook, but it seems FOM are getting quicker and quicker at removing copyrighted video's. I will try and post his testing round-up video later tonight, it is likely to be available from around 8pm my time (so 11pmish UK time) but could be taken down at anytime.
In William's case it wouldn’t be unnatural if the team was discussing a contract renewal with Martini for next season while also selecting their drivers for 2018. The team would have known long before about a renewal not coming through but chose to announce it much later to avoid any linkages between a sponsor’s exit and their need to sign to high paying drivers. Basically one way or the other, money from Sirotkin or the lack of money from Martini could have cost Robert Kubica his comeback, I now believe.
Formula One teams took their cars out to the track early Thursday, trying to make up for the lost time caused by bad weather earlier in the week in preseason testing. Temperatures improved for today's final session of the week and teams immediately sent their cars to the track near Barcelona. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes was in front early in the afternoon with a time of 1 minute, 24.319 seconds. The session was stopped briefly in the morning after Marcus Ericsson went off the track with his Sauber.
Drivers still needed wet tires as the track wasn't yet fully dry. Unusually cold weather significantly reduced practice time for the teams this week as the track remained without enough grip for proper runs. There will be another four-day test session in Barcelona beginning next Tuesday. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is March 25.
Danny Ric and Red Bull talks have broken down
The Australian’s current deal runs until the end of the 2018 season and talks took place over an extension at the end of last season. But Ricciardo says things are now on hold and talks are not likely to resume until after a few races. "Nothing has really developed since the end of the season. I switched off from F1. I think realistically around April things will start to be spoken. After a few races, hopefully I win the first few and I can have a powerful say in what I do!" he told sky in an interview.
Ricciardo has been linked with a move to Mercedes to race with Lewis Hamilton as Valtteri Bottas’ replacement. But Red Bull are keen to tie him down and keep him alongside Max Verstappen, who signed a new deal until 2020 last year. Ricciardo though is keen to challenge for the world title and previously described his next step as the biggest decision of his career.
He has previously said "I'm not just going to settle on something because I want it to be off my mind, because there's a lot at stake. It's a big decision for me, so if I need to take time to make it, I will. I'm planning on being in the sport for a long while yet, but in saying that, if I was to sign, say, a three-year deal, that's a big chunk of the next part of my career. I need to get it right, so it's a big call - the most important one for me yet, I think".
Could we have 2 new races next season (maybe3 by 2020)
There are rumors going around about a leaked document claiming that Liberty Media have agreed to have races in both Miami and Hanoi as soon as 2019. Negotiations between FOM and the promoters of the planned street races in Florida and in Vietnam are expected to reach a positive conclusion. According to reports, a 6-kilometer track layout located in the center of the Vietnamese capital has already been approved by FIA officials, while a 17-turn 5.2-kilometer course running on Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami has also been given the green light. In both cases, all the necessary infrastructure work is likely to be overseen by Herman Tilke, F1's resident architect is expected to be completed by next year.
Argentina
There are also claims that Argentina is pressing on with its plans to return the country to the F1 calendar in the future, with the historical Autodromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez in Buenos Aires chosen as the venue. Last summer, it was reported that FIA F1 race director and safety delegate Charlie Whiting had visited Buenos Aires and conducted a track inspection to evaluate the work necessary to bring the circuit up to modern F1 standards. The event's promoters are currently hard at work trying to secure funding from the local government to finance the circuit's mandatory upgrade. What races could we loose, for sure the Brazilian GP is under threat as are both the British and German GP's, if I remember I'll do a little research over the weekend and write something next week.
Did Martini pulling out cost Robert Kubica his Williams seat
Had Kubica got the seat at Williams for sure they would have had to pay him to drive. I'm interested in knowing how long Williams have been aware that Martini were pulling out, as I believe this may well have had a big influence on them going with 2 young pay drivers to secure their financial support for the next couple of seasons at least? Williams have now admitted that there was a clause in the contract that one driver had to be over 25.
Sorry to those who wanted to look at Ted's Testing notebook, but it seems FOM are getting quicker and quicker at removing copyrighted video's. I will try and post his testing round-up video later tonight, it is likely to be available from around 8pm my time (so 11pmish UK time) but could be taken down at anytime.
In William's case it wouldn’t be unnatural if the team was discussing a contract renewal with Martini for next season while also selecting their drivers for 2018. The team would have known long before about a renewal not coming through but chose to announce it much later to avoid any linkages between a sponsor’s exit and their need to sign to high paying drivers. Basically one way or the other, money from Sirotkin or the lack of money from Martini could have cost Robert Kubica his comeback, I now believe.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
It is available on Sky's website but a day behind (I think). Not sure if it is available in Brazil though.....
Ted's Notebook - 1st Test, Day 3
And thanks for the news bulletins, saves me trawling the web for stuff I don't even think about.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Ted's final day Notebook ^^^^ is excellent if you like to try to understand aero strategy. Lots of barge-board and halo fairing comparisons.
Also, eagle-eyed viewers should look out for Ted's halo-load-bearing demonstration kit on the window-sill behind the laptop...
Also, eagle-eyed viewers should look out for Ted's halo-load-bearing demonstration kit on the window-sill behind the laptop...
1%er
Well-Known Member
Formula 1 to compose their own theme music
Leading Hollywood composer Brian Tyler has been commissioned to write official F1 theme music. It is understood that Tyler was commissioned by F1’s new TV chief David Hill, and that his music will feature on the new F1 OTT service that was announced earlier this week. It is not yet clear whether it will also have wider usage, for example on the world feed used by all broadcasters, over circuit public address on race weekends, or in gaming – an area in which Tyler is also a specialist. Emmy-nominated Tyler is regarded as one of the hottest young film and TV composers, having worked on three of the top 10 grossing movies of all time. His impressive CV includes five episodes of the Fast and The Furious franchise, the Expendables series, The Mummy, Rambo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as Marvel films Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. He also has a lot of experience with TV themes, having written the intro for ESPN’s NFL coverage.
Leading Hollywood composer Brian Tyler has been commissioned to write official F1 theme music. It is understood that Tyler was commissioned by F1’s new TV chief David Hill, and that his music will feature on the new F1 OTT service that was announced earlier this week. It is not yet clear whether it will also have wider usage, for example on the world feed used by all broadcasters, over circuit public address on race weekends, or in gaming – an area in which Tyler is also a specialist. Emmy-nominated Tyler is regarded as one of the hottest young film and TV composers, having worked on three of the top 10 grossing movies of all time. His impressive CV includes five episodes of the Fast and The Furious franchise, the Expendables series, The Mummy, Rambo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well as Marvel films Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. He also has a lot of experience with TV themes, having written the intro for ESPN’s NFL coverage.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Force India team takeover
Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs!! Reports in the F1 media are claiming that the sale of Force India to Rich Energy, a small British energy drinks company, that according to Companies House is owned by 3 people, William Storey from the UK a Computer Consultant, Zoran Terzic from Croatian a Keep Fit Instructor and Richard Fletcher also from the UK and a Public House Manager (see post 99 above), could be completed by the end of the month. It is claimed that this is the reason the team haven't announced the name change, apparently the buyers, Rich Energy, want to change the name next season after they have brought the team. If Force India change the name this year the new owners could/would have to wait as long as 5 years to change it again, as the Formula 1 Commission has rules about teams changing their name.
Force India denied a deal was being discussed when this news first hit the headlines, back on the 21st of February, but have made no comment about this latest news story. I smell Bernie Ecclestone's in this somewhere
, could Bernie be buying a team now he has no say in the running of F1, for sure someone is behind this and it isn't Rich Energy, according to their latest accounts they couldn't even afford to buy a Dacia Duster.
Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs!! Reports in the F1 media are claiming that the sale of Force India to Rich Energy, a small British energy drinks company, that according to Companies House is owned by 3 people, William Storey from the UK a Computer Consultant, Zoran Terzic from Croatian a Keep Fit Instructor and Richard Fletcher also from the UK and a Public House Manager (see post 99 above), could be completed by the end of the month. It is claimed that this is the reason the team haven't announced the name change, apparently the buyers, Rich Energy, want to change the name next season after they have brought the team. If Force India change the name this year the new owners could/would have to wait as long as 5 years to change it again, as the Formula 1 Commission has rules about teams changing their name.
Force India denied a deal was being discussed when this news first hit the headlines, back on the 21st of February, but have made no comment about this latest news story. I smell Bernie Ecclestone's in this somewhere
, could Bernie be buying a team now he has no say in the running of F1, for sure someone is behind this and it isn't Rich Energy, according to their latest accounts they couldn't even afford to buy a Dacia Duster.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Fleetwood Mac already wrote the F1 theme music, 40 years ago.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Second test day 1 review
Sebastian Vettel was fastest on the opening day of the second Formula 1 pre-season test at Barcelona, as McLaren suffered stoppages in the morning and afternoon. It took Vettel until just after midday to overhaul early pacesetter Valtteri Bottas, but when he did, his 1m20.396s on medium tyres stood as the benchmark to the end. Bottas, on softs, was two tenths slower than the Ferrari driver before handing over the Mercedes W09 to Lewis Hamilton for the afternoon. The reigning champion made gradual progress up the order throughout the afternoon, eventually overhauling Pierre Gasly's Toro Rosso using soft tyres and then improving to a best time of 1m20.808s.
Max Verstappen's Red Bull split the two Mercedes drivers with his morning time, and though his afternoon was hampered when he stopped at Turn 1 with an hour and a half to go, he was able to return to the track for the final 15 minutes. Gasly ended up best of the rest behind the big three in fifth but endured a mixed day as Toro Rosso suffered the first real trouble of pre-season testing with Honda. Red Bull's junior team was limited to just 54 laps after not taking to the track at all for the final three and a half hours due to a brake system issue.
Kevin Magnussen did not improve on his morning time, which was good enough for the Haas driver to end the day sixth fastest. Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Renault, with Carlos Sainz eighth after taking over the RS18 for the second half of the day. While the works team enjoyed a productive Tuesday, its new customer McLaren fared worse. Stoffel Vandoorne suffered a power shutdown at the end of his installation lap at the beginning of the day, then an hour later came to a halt exiting the final corner with a similar problem. McLaren got him out in time for three laps at the end of the morning, but his afternoon running was cut short by a hydraulics problem with just 38 laps to the MCL33's name. The extent of McLaren's lack of mileage was laid bare as several teams took full advantage of the conditions being considerably better than last week.
Mercedes clocked 177 between Hamilton and Bottas, while Vettel racked up 171 laps on his own for Ferrari. Renault, Red Bull, Williams and Sauber also used the sunny and dry conditions to clock well clear of 100 laps each, while Haas and Force India ended with 96 and 93 respectively.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m20.396s 171
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1m20.596s +0.200 86
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1m20.649s +0.253 130
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.808s +0.412 91
5 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1m20.973s +0.577 54
6 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1m21.298s +0.902 96
7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1m21.432s +1.036 48
8 Carlos Sainz Renault 1m21.455s +1.059 93
9 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1m21.588s +1.192 42
10 Sergio Perez Force India 1m21.643s +1.247 93
11 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1m21.706s +1.310 120
12 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1m21.946s +1.550 38
13 Lance Stroll Williams 1m22.937s +2.541 86
Sebastian Vettel was fastest on the opening day of the second Formula 1 pre-season test at Barcelona, as McLaren suffered stoppages in the morning and afternoon. It took Vettel until just after midday to overhaul early pacesetter Valtteri Bottas, but when he did, his 1m20.396s on medium tyres stood as the benchmark to the end. Bottas, on softs, was two tenths slower than the Ferrari driver before handing over the Mercedes W09 to Lewis Hamilton for the afternoon. The reigning champion made gradual progress up the order throughout the afternoon, eventually overhauling Pierre Gasly's Toro Rosso using soft tyres and then improving to a best time of 1m20.808s.
Max Verstappen's Red Bull split the two Mercedes drivers with his morning time, and though his afternoon was hampered when he stopped at Turn 1 with an hour and a half to go, he was able to return to the track for the final 15 minutes. Gasly ended up best of the rest behind the big three in fifth but endured a mixed day as Toro Rosso suffered the first real trouble of pre-season testing with Honda. Red Bull's junior team was limited to just 54 laps after not taking to the track at all for the final three and a half hours due to a brake system issue.
Kevin Magnussen did not improve on his morning time, which was good enough for the Haas driver to end the day sixth fastest. Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Renault, with Carlos Sainz eighth after taking over the RS18 for the second half of the day. While the works team enjoyed a productive Tuesday, its new customer McLaren fared worse. Stoffel Vandoorne suffered a power shutdown at the end of his installation lap at the beginning of the day, then an hour later came to a halt exiting the final corner with a similar problem. McLaren got him out in time for three laps at the end of the morning, but his afternoon running was cut short by a hydraulics problem with just 38 laps to the MCL33's name. The extent of McLaren's lack of mileage was laid bare as several teams took full advantage of the conditions being considerably better than last week.
Mercedes clocked 177 between Hamilton and Bottas, while Vettel racked up 171 laps on his own for Ferrari. Renault, Red Bull, Williams and Sauber also used the sunny and dry conditions to clock well clear of 100 laps each, while Haas and Force India ended with 96 and 93 respectively.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m20.396s 171
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1m20.596s +0.200 86
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1m20.649s +0.253 130
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.808s +0.412 91
5 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1m20.973s +0.577 54
6 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1m21.298s +0.902 96
7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1m21.432s +1.036 48
8 Carlos Sainz Renault 1m21.455s +1.059 93
9 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1m21.588s +1.192 42
10 Sergio Perez Force India 1m21.643s +1.247 93
11 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1m21.706s +1.310 120
12 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1m21.946s +1.550 38
13 Lance Stroll Williams 1m22.937s +2.541 86
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
It's really not looking good for McLaren, is it?
1%er
Well-Known Member
McLaren
Oh dear!
Today
Just when McLaren thought things were looking up in pre-season testing, the British Formula One team suffered yet another setback. Fernando Alonso was beginning to show his ability in the Renault-powered McLaren during day two of the he final test today, the Spanish driver completed 46 impressive laps in the morning session, more than McLaren managed in the whole of day one at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. But disaster struck when Alonso's car stopped on the track, forcing the two-time champion to climb out of his challenger and assess what caused the breakdown. The McLaren came to a stop at Turn 7, and track marshalls were forced to apply solution to the circuit which suggested there was some sort of leak.
Yesterday
The McLaren broke down three times yesterday during the test, Stoffel Vandoorne was twice hit by electrical problems in the morning before a technical issue ended his day’s work after lunch.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Teams putting pressure on Liberty Media
After the strong words about F1’s owners Liberty Media from Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne on Tuesday, Toto Wolff of Mercedes and McLaren’s Zak Brown have also waded in, throwing their support behind Ferrari’s view. Their position is that F1 has a certain DNA, a certain technical level and if Liberty intends to dumb it down – in order to close up the field – then they aren’t interested in participating. At least that’s how Marchionne expresses it. The other two say that they support his position and Brown pressed Liberty to act soon to reveal the plans for 2021 onwards, as time is running short and the engine in particular is a critical thing to get right.
The Ferrari boss spelled it out clearly on Monday,”We are interested in saving the DNA of this sport, which cannot be diluted for commercial reasons or for the show,” he said. “If you can no longer distinguish one competitor from another on a technical level then I’m not interested. If you can’t tell a Ferrari from a Mercedes, then I’m not interested, “Liberty should let us work; if they no longer give us the chance to compete then we will be leaving”. These three powerful teams stand together then; on the other side is Red Bull, which would have much to gain from the others leaving F1 and which has always supported the entertainment route. The other key factor is that they don’t produce engines, something which has put them at a clear disadvantage to Ferrari and Mercedes since the advent of hybrid turbos in 2014. Everyone is waiting for plans. Time is running short for many things, but especially for the engine that F1 will use from 2021 onwards.
The timeline calls for the plans to be revealed in April and then to be developed into a set of regulations for 2021, so the engine builders can get to work. Lead times are very long with engines. The faultline is that Liberty’s team, with Ross Brawn at the helm technically, want to simplify the engine, to go the entertainment route, while maintaining the hybrid turbo technology which gives road relevance as the automotive world moves towards miniaturisation and electrification.
One key stumbling block is the MGU-H, the motor generator unit in the hybrid system which harvests heat energy from the turbo. Mercedes and Ferrari want to keep this. Liberty want to get rid of it, so do Red Bull and the smaller teams on the grounds of cost, while Porsche is believed to have the removal of the MGU-H as a condition of coming into the sport in 2021. Other teams say that they have no clarity on what is going on in this process. There was an outline relased in October, which Marchionne reacted strongly to and since then it’s been quiet as the leading manufacturers discuss with Liberty and the FIA.
These two entities need to be aligned and progress needs to be made, was the message from Brown in a media session yesterday. He wants Liberty and the FIA to act positively and get the process started. It promises to be a season of intense political activity behind the scenes.
These decisions on the DNA of F1 after 2020 are absolutely critical. The very soul of motorsport needs to be examined to make sure the product is appealing to fans around the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the sport. Millions still love horse racing and marvel at equestrian skills over a century after the car replaced the horse and carriages but it does mean that the world’s most skilled and courageous drivers pilot cars that people want to watch.
More problems for Vijay Mallya
A $93m super-yacht owned by Indian multimillionaire Vijay Mallya has been impounded in Malta in a dispute over his failure to pay the crew more than $1m in wages. Mallya’s 95-metre Indian Empress was boarded by port officials and prevented from leaving Malta yesterday as part of the crew’s legal action to recover unpaid wages.
More than 40 crew, including several Britons, Indians and eastern European workers, have not been paid since September when Mallya abandoned the vessel. Some of the senior crew, who have not left the vessel since it was abandoned, are owed up to $92,000 in unpaid wages. Mallya the self-proclaimed “King of the Good Times”, was arrested in London last year over allegations he supported his F1 team with money-laundered cash. Indian authorities are seeking his extradition to face trial in India. Mallya is on bail pending an extradition hearing scheduled to begin in April.
Ricciardo given deadline to sign new contract
Danny Ric is widely regarded as one of the grid’s most talented drivers but has won just four races since joining Red Bull from sister team Toro Rosso back in 2014. The Australian’s current contract expires at the end of 2018 and he is yet to make a decision over where his future lies. It is clear that both Mercedes and Ferrari would be interested in his services if he does become a free agent, but Ricciardo himself has not ruled out staying with Red Bull.
Red Bull have also repeatedly stated that they will not wait forever for Ricciardo to choose his next step and the team’s top motor sport adviser Helmut Marko has revealed there is now a date in the diary by which time he must let them know if he is staying or leaving (but of cause they haven't made that date public). Ricciardo’s situation is complicated by the fact that there could be vacancies at Ferrari and Mercedes next year with Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas both out of contract at the end of 2018.
After the strong words about F1’s owners Liberty Media from Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne on Tuesday, Toto Wolff of Mercedes and McLaren’s Zak Brown have also waded in, throwing their support behind Ferrari’s view. Their position is that F1 has a certain DNA, a certain technical level and if Liberty intends to dumb it down – in order to close up the field – then they aren’t interested in participating. At least that’s how Marchionne expresses it. The other two say that they support his position and Brown pressed Liberty to act soon to reveal the plans for 2021 onwards, as time is running short and the engine in particular is a critical thing to get right.
The Ferrari boss spelled it out clearly on Monday,”We are interested in saving the DNA of this sport, which cannot be diluted for commercial reasons or for the show,” he said. “If you can no longer distinguish one competitor from another on a technical level then I’m not interested. If you can’t tell a Ferrari from a Mercedes, then I’m not interested, “Liberty should let us work; if they no longer give us the chance to compete then we will be leaving”. These three powerful teams stand together then; on the other side is Red Bull, which would have much to gain from the others leaving F1 and which has always supported the entertainment route. The other key factor is that they don’t produce engines, something which has put them at a clear disadvantage to Ferrari and Mercedes since the advent of hybrid turbos in 2014. Everyone is waiting for plans. Time is running short for many things, but especially for the engine that F1 will use from 2021 onwards.
The timeline calls for the plans to be revealed in April and then to be developed into a set of regulations for 2021, so the engine builders can get to work. Lead times are very long with engines. The faultline is that Liberty’s team, with Ross Brawn at the helm technically, want to simplify the engine, to go the entertainment route, while maintaining the hybrid turbo technology which gives road relevance as the automotive world moves towards miniaturisation and electrification.
One key stumbling block is the MGU-H, the motor generator unit in the hybrid system which harvests heat energy from the turbo. Mercedes and Ferrari want to keep this. Liberty want to get rid of it, so do Red Bull and the smaller teams on the grounds of cost, while Porsche is believed to have the removal of the MGU-H as a condition of coming into the sport in 2021. Other teams say that they have no clarity on what is going on in this process. There was an outline relased in October, which Marchionne reacted strongly to and since then it’s been quiet as the leading manufacturers discuss with Liberty and the FIA.
These two entities need to be aligned and progress needs to be made, was the message from Brown in a media session yesterday. He wants Liberty and the FIA to act positively and get the process started. It promises to be a season of intense political activity behind the scenes.
These decisions on the DNA of F1 after 2020 are absolutely critical. The very soul of motorsport needs to be examined to make sure the product is appealing to fans around the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the sport. Millions still love horse racing and marvel at equestrian skills over a century after the car replaced the horse and carriages but it does mean that the world’s most skilled and courageous drivers pilot cars that people want to watch.
More problems for Vijay Mallya
A $93m super-yacht owned by Indian multimillionaire Vijay Mallya has been impounded in Malta in a dispute over his failure to pay the crew more than $1m in wages. Mallya’s 95-metre Indian Empress was boarded by port officials and prevented from leaving Malta yesterday as part of the crew’s legal action to recover unpaid wages.
More than 40 crew, including several Britons, Indians and eastern European workers, have not been paid since September when Mallya abandoned the vessel. Some of the senior crew, who have not left the vessel since it was abandoned, are owed up to $92,000 in unpaid wages. Mallya the self-proclaimed “King of the Good Times”, was arrested in London last year over allegations he supported his F1 team with money-laundered cash. Indian authorities are seeking his extradition to face trial in India. Mallya is on bail pending an extradition hearing scheduled to begin in April.
Ricciardo given deadline to sign new contract
Danny Ric is widely regarded as one of the grid’s most talented drivers but has won just four races since joining Red Bull from sister team Toro Rosso back in 2014. The Australian’s current contract expires at the end of 2018 and he is yet to make a decision over where his future lies. It is clear that both Mercedes and Ferrari would be interested in his services if he does become a free agent, but Ricciardo himself has not ruled out staying with Red Bull.
Red Bull have also repeatedly stated that they will not wait forever for Ricciardo to choose his next step and the team’s top motor sport adviser Helmut Marko has revealed there is now a date in the diary by which time he must let them know if he is staying or leaving (but of cause they haven't made that date public). Ricciardo’s situation is complicated by the fact that there could be vacancies at Ferrari and Mercedes next year with Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas both out of contract at the end of 2018.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Henry Hope-Frost RIP
The motorsport community mourns following the death of popular broadcaster Henry Hope-Frost. The journalist and presenter tragically passed away following a motorbike accident yesterday afternoon. The incident happened at around 4.30pm on the A286 in Surrey when Hope-Frost's bike crashed into a car and Hope-Frost was declared dead at the scene. He is survived by his wife Charlotte and three young sons. Hope-Frost began his career at motorsport magazine Autosport and went on to spend 22 years with the company. He also contributed to various other publications before moving into commentary. He was also heavily involved in Goodwood Road and Racing.
Former F1 world champion Jenson Button was among those to pay tribute. He wrote: "So sad that such a great man lost his life yesterday in a road accident. You could always tell how passionate Henry Hope-Frost was about motorsport when he interviewed you, it felt so natural like you were having a good old chinwag with your closest mate. Sending love to his family."
Another nightmare day for McLaren
McLaren endured yet another disastrous start to on the last day of testing after Fernando Alonso broke down inside the first hour this morning. The double world champion was completing only his seventh lap when he stopped at turn seven of Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. McLaren are changing Alonso's engine as they investigate the cause of his car's failure, but the Spaniard is set to lose further valuable track time. McLaren's latest issue marks the third day of this week's concluding four-day test in Spain in which the British team have encountered problems.
Teams protest Renault "blown rear wing"
Renault has denied that its blown rear wing contravenes F1's rules after rumors of a formal protest from rival teams emerged in Barcelona. The French manufacturer's new R.S.18 includes a subtle rear end design, where the car's exhausts are cleverly angled to direct the outflow of gases towards the rear wing. The rules governing blown rear wings were altered this year in a bid to reduce the practice. A ban on "monkey seats" and stringent specifications linked to exhaust positioning have been applied.
Renault technical director Nick Chester is adamant however that the team's controversial angled exhaust layout fully complies with the regulations. "I haven’t heard anything at the moment," he said when addressing rival team's potential grievances.
"You can put your exhaust in a bodywork box, and we have just got it towards the top of the bodywork box. So so far, no concerns about that". For astute observers, the presence of special heat-proof shielding on the R.S.18's rear wing was further validation of the deliberate purpose of Renault's design (Ted asked Renault about this in one of his note books this week). Chester minimized the observation however, and the effects of today's blown rear wing concept compared to when elaborate diffusers were the norm. "Everybody has to have an exhaust and all exhausts are going to blow the rear wing to a degree,' said the engineer. "The whole reason we came up with the bodywork box for the exhaust was to limit how far you could go. If you run to the top of the bodywork box, I don’t see it as too big a problem".
See for yourself, legal or not
The motorsport community mourns following the death of popular broadcaster Henry Hope-Frost. The journalist and presenter tragically passed away following a motorbike accident yesterday afternoon. The incident happened at around 4.30pm on the A286 in Surrey when Hope-Frost's bike crashed into a car and Hope-Frost was declared dead at the scene. He is survived by his wife Charlotte and three young sons. Hope-Frost began his career at motorsport magazine Autosport and went on to spend 22 years with the company. He also contributed to various other publications before moving into commentary. He was also heavily involved in Goodwood Road and Racing.
Former F1 world champion Jenson Button was among those to pay tribute. He wrote: "So sad that such a great man lost his life yesterday in a road accident. You could always tell how passionate Henry Hope-Frost was about motorsport when he interviewed you, it felt so natural like you were having a good old chinwag with your closest mate. Sending love to his family."
Another nightmare day for McLaren
McLaren endured yet another disastrous start to on the last day of testing after Fernando Alonso broke down inside the first hour this morning. The double world champion was completing only his seventh lap when he stopped at turn seven of Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. McLaren are changing Alonso's engine as they investigate the cause of his car's failure, but the Spaniard is set to lose further valuable track time. McLaren's latest issue marks the third day of this week's concluding four-day test in Spain in which the British team have encountered problems.
Teams protest Renault "blown rear wing"
Renault has denied that its blown rear wing contravenes F1's rules after rumors of a formal protest from rival teams emerged in Barcelona. The French manufacturer's new R.S.18 includes a subtle rear end design, where the car's exhausts are cleverly angled to direct the outflow of gases towards the rear wing. The rules governing blown rear wings were altered this year in a bid to reduce the practice. A ban on "monkey seats" and stringent specifications linked to exhaust positioning have been applied.
Renault technical director Nick Chester is adamant however that the team's controversial angled exhaust layout fully complies with the regulations. "I haven’t heard anything at the moment," he said when addressing rival team's potential grievances.
"You can put your exhaust in a bodywork box, and we have just got it towards the top of the bodywork box. So so far, no concerns about that". For astute observers, the presence of special heat-proof shielding on the R.S.18's rear wing was further validation of the deliberate purpose of Renault's design (Ted asked Renault about this in one of his note books this week). Chester minimized the observation however, and the effects of today's blown rear wing concept compared to when elaborate diffusers were the norm. "Everybody has to have an exhaust and all exhausts are going to blow the rear wing to a degree,' said the engineer. "The whole reason we came up with the bodywork box for the exhaust was to limit how far you could go. If you run to the top of the bodywork box, I don’t see it as too big a problem".
See for yourself, legal or not
1%er
Well-Known Member
Top 3 teams start the season with different tyre strategies
Formula 1 title rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have opted for differing tyre strategies for the opening race of the season in Melbourne. While Pirelli mandates three sets of tyres for use each race weekend, F1 teams are free to choose the remaining 10 sets, with Mercedes the most aggressive of the trio. Mercedes, who had problems with blistering on the softer compounds during pre-season testing in Barcelona, have chosen nine sets of the ultrasofts, the softest available compound for each of their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Red Bull have been slightly more conservative and gone for eight ultrasofts for each of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have just seven sets apiece, with the remainder of their allocation split evenly between the soft and supersoft tyres.
Williams and McLaren have followed Mercedes’ aggressive approach in favouring the ultrasoft, with nine sets for each of their drivers. A number of drivers, including Hamilton, Sergey Sirotkin and Romain Grosjean have just one set of the soft – the hardest available compound.
So we should see how the new compounds effect the racing and number of put-stops from the very first race. It is interesting that Mercedes have gone for the ultrasofts, as they didn't use them during testing.
Red Bull and Renault have started fighting even before the season starts
Following on from last seasons spat between Red Bull and Renault, where Renault told Red Bull they wouldn't supply them with engines after 2018, Renault have now told Red Bull they must confirm by May if they want to continue with Renault for the 2019 season. But Red Bull says they will only inform Renault "at the end of the summer".
The FIA rules changed in 2017 when Red Bull looked like they may not have an engine supplier because of their argument with Renault, but were unable to find a supply from Ferrari or Mercedes (who supplied 3 teams each). The FIA made it clear that "the FIA can make it compulsory for the manufacturer with the lowest number of customers to step in and supply a team (you'd think this would be Honda, but it seems the rule doesn't apply to the newest manufacture apparently)".
Red Bull claim that the May deadline only applies to FIA rulings "where teams must give the FIA an indication what engine they will run, and an indication isn't a full commitment". If history is to be the judge, it seems clear that Mercedes nor Ferrari will supply Red Bull, so their only options for 2019 are to continue with Renault or switch to Honda. Honda at the moment doesn't look to bad when compared to last season, but clearly Red Bull want to take a much longer look at Honda's power and reliability before making any sort of commitment, so clearly late summer is much better for them than a May deadline.
I suspect the FIA and Liberty media will have to get involved again to sort out this dispute, I'm sure Bernie will be loving this as it fits so well with his divide and rule system of managing the teams.
Formula 1 title rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have opted for differing tyre strategies for the opening race of the season in Melbourne. While Pirelli mandates three sets of tyres for use each race weekend, F1 teams are free to choose the remaining 10 sets, with Mercedes the most aggressive of the trio. Mercedes, who had problems with blistering on the softer compounds during pre-season testing in Barcelona, have chosen nine sets of the ultrasofts, the softest available compound for each of their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Red Bull have been slightly more conservative and gone for eight ultrasofts for each of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have just seven sets apiece, with the remainder of their allocation split evenly between the soft and supersoft tyres.
Williams and McLaren have followed Mercedes’ aggressive approach in favouring the ultrasoft, with nine sets for each of their drivers. A number of drivers, including Hamilton, Sergey Sirotkin and Romain Grosjean have just one set of the soft – the hardest available compound.
So we should see how the new compounds effect the racing and number of put-stops from the very first race. It is interesting that Mercedes have gone for the ultrasofts, as they didn't use them during testing.
Red Bull and Renault have started fighting even before the season starts
Following on from last seasons spat between Red Bull and Renault, where Renault told Red Bull they wouldn't supply them with engines after 2018, Renault have now told Red Bull they must confirm by May if they want to continue with Renault for the 2019 season. But Red Bull says they will only inform Renault "at the end of the summer".
The FIA rules changed in 2017 when Red Bull looked like they may not have an engine supplier because of their argument with Renault, but were unable to find a supply from Ferrari or Mercedes (who supplied 3 teams each). The FIA made it clear that "the FIA can make it compulsory for the manufacturer with the lowest number of customers to step in and supply a team (you'd think this would be Honda, but it seems the rule doesn't apply to the newest manufacture apparently)".
Red Bull claim that the May deadline only applies to FIA rulings "where teams must give the FIA an indication what engine they will run, and an indication isn't a full commitment". If history is to be the judge, it seems clear that Mercedes nor Ferrari will supply Red Bull, so their only options for 2019 are to continue with Renault or switch to Honda. Honda at the moment doesn't look to bad when compared to last season, but clearly Red Bull want to take a much longer look at Honda's power and reliability before making any sort of commitment, so clearly late summer is much better for them than a May deadline.
I suspect the FIA and Liberty media will have to get involved again to sort out this dispute, I'm sure Bernie will be loving this as it fits so well with his divide and rule system of managing the teams.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Ferrari hypocrisy
Last season Ferrari were extremely outspoken when Marcin Budkowski head of the FIA's technical department, was confirmed to be joining Renault, as he would have gained a detailed knowledge of team's car plans for 2018. But now Ferrari have employed Laurent Mekies the FIA's safety director. As safety director Mekies oversaw the implementation of the Halo device for this year, while he has also served as deputy to F1 race director Charlie Whiting since the start of 2017. Though he has now stepped down as deputy race director and will not be involved in any F1 matters until his switch to Maranello, he will continue on as safety director until September.
Following Budkowski move to Renault F1 teams agreed at the last Strategy Group meeting that a period of 12 months would be a new appropriate minimum wait for any team wanting to sign a former employee of the FIA or F1 Group. But Mekies will join Ferrari after just 6 months gardening leave from his job as deputy race director and will remain as the F1 safety director until he joins Ferrari. It seems that agreements made at the Strategy Group mean nothing to Ferrari, lets hope that group is scrapped in the next few months.
Is the unlikely takeover now looking likely
It is being reported that British energy drinks company Rich Energy are in the "very final stages" of finalising a deal to acquire UK-based Formula One motor-racing team Force India and William Storey the chief executive of Rich Energy has broken his silence. Speaking to the press he is reported as saying “Formula One makes a lot of sense to support international expansion and motor racing is the sweet spot for our marketing function. As a platform, it’s the pinnacle of motor sport and that’s really where we want to be. To take on Red Bull in Formula One creates a perfect narrative for what we’re doing with our brand”.
Looking at Rich Energy account fillings at companies house they appear to have profits and assets for the years ending September 2016 of just £412,117, so I can't understand how they can be the company buying Force India for £200 million. Clearly they are acting as a front company for someone with far bigger assets and money. Are they acting for Bernie, David Brabham or someone else
Last season Ferrari were extremely outspoken when Marcin Budkowski head of the FIA's technical department, was confirmed to be joining Renault, as he would have gained a detailed knowledge of team's car plans for 2018. But now Ferrari have employed Laurent Mekies the FIA's safety director. As safety director Mekies oversaw the implementation of the Halo device for this year, while he has also served as deputy to F1 race director Charlie Whiting since the start of 2017. Though he has now stepped down as deputy race director and will not be involved in any F1 matters until his switch to Maranello, he will continue on as safety director until September.
Following Budkowski move to Renault F1 teams agreed at the last Strategy Group meeting that a period of 12 months would be a new appropriate minimum wait for any team wanting to sign a former employee of the FIA or F1 Group. But Mekies will join Ferrari after just 6 months gardening leave from his job as deputy race director and will remain as the F1 safety director until he joins Ferrari. It seems that agreements made at the Strategy Group mean nothing to Ferrari, lets hope that group is scrapped in the next few months.
Is the unlikely takeover now looking likely
It is being reported that British energy drinks company Rich Energy are in the "very final stages" of finalising a deal to acquire UK-based Formula One motor-racing team Force India and William Storey the chief executive of Rich Energy has broken his silence. Speaking to the press he is reported as saying “Formula One makes a lot of sense to support international expansion and motor racing is the sweet spot for our marketing function. As a platform, it’s the pinnacle of motor sport and that’s really where we want to be. To take on Red Bull in Formula One creates a perfect narrative for what we’re doing with our brand”.
Looking at Rich Energy account fillings at companies house they appear to have profits and assets for the years ending September 2016 of just £412,117, so I can't understand how they can be the company buying Force India for £200 million. Clearly they are acting as a front company for someone with far bigger assets and money. Are they acting for Bernie, David Brabham or someone else
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think they must be fronting for someone else, or some venture capital people really have confidence in funding a hideously expensive promotion campaign for a pop brand. Their web site is, um, aspirational.
What's that old gag?
Q - What's the fastest way to become a millionaire?
A - Be a billionaire and buy an F1 team.
Ho ho.
What's that old gag?
Q - What's the fastest way to become a millionaire?
A - Be a billionaire and buy an F1 team.
Ho ho.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Funny how this come to pass
Just over 2 years ago, on the 6th March 2016 I posted the comment below. Today I read in the news that McLaren-Renault have done a deal, not with havaianas but one of there biggest competitors, Gandys will be the sponsor on the Halo at the Australian Grand Prix and will make a limited edition sandal for the McLaren merchandise range. I wonder if I can claim intellectual rights and get some cash out of this
Just over 2 years ago, on the 6th March 2016 I posted the comment below. Today I read in the news that McLaren-Renault have done a deal, not with havaianas but one of there biggest competitors, Gandys will be the sponsor on the Halo at the Australian Grand Prix and will make a limited edition sandal for the McLaren merchandise range. I wonder if I can claim intellectual rights and get some cash out of this
Halo halo halo what's going on here then
You know that feeling you get, when you see something and it reminds you of something else but you can't put your finger on it? Well the new Halo devise had been driving me mad for a few weeks now, I knew it reminded me of something but I couldn't think of what it was. Well this morning while taking the dog for a walk along the beach I noticed a pair of Havaianas and had a eureka moment
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
It's that time again! A Grand Prix weekend looms. Huzzah!
Here are the important times for people mad enough to watch the Melbourne stuff live:
(UK times - NB our clocks go forward at at 1am Sunday 25th March. So Friday and Saturday events are GMT or UTC, while the Sunday race is BST or GMT+1)
Fri 23 Mar
FP1 - 01.00
FP2 - 05.00
Sat 24 Mar
FP-3 - 03.00
Qual - 06.00
Sun 25 Mar
Race - 06.10 (UTC 05.10)
I think I've got that right.
Hideous times for Western-based F1 fans, but it's the first of the season and I feel obliged to make the effort.
Here are the important times for people mad enough to watch the Melbourne stuff live:
(UK times - NB our clocks go forward at at 1am Sunday 25th March. So Friday and Saturday events are GMT or UTC, while the Sunday race is BST or GMT+1)
Fri 23 Mar
FP1 - 01.00
FP2 - 05.00
Sat 24 Mar
FP-3 - 03.00
Qual - 06.00
Sun 25 Mar
Race - 06.10 (UTC 05.10)
I think I've got that right.
Hideous times for Western-based F1 fans, but it's the first of the season and I feel obliged to make the effort.
