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F1 2019

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F1 2019 Race Calendar
March 17 Melbourne Australia
March 31 Sakhir Bahrain
April 14 Shanghai China
April 28 Baku Azerbaijan
May 12 Barcelona Spain
May 26 Monaco Monaco
June 9 Montreal Canada
June 23 Le Castellet France
June 30 Spielberg Austria
July 14 Silverstone Great Britain
July 28 Hockenheim Germany
August 4 Budapest Hungary
September 1 Spa-Francorchamps Belgium
September 8 Monza Italy
September 22 Singapore Singapore
September 29 Sochi Russia
October 13 Suzuka Japan
October 27 Mexico City Mexico
November 3 Austin USA
November 17 Sao Paolo Brazil
December 1 Yas Marina Abu Dhabi

Driver Line-up
MERCEDES Lewis Hamilton Valtteri Bottas
FERRARI Sebastian Vettel Charles Leclerc
RED BULL Max Verstappen Pierre Gasly
RENAULT Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hulkenberg
HAAS Romain Grosjean Kevin Magnussen
MCLAREN Carlos Sainz Lando Norris
FORCE INDIA Sergio Perez Lance Stroll
TORO ROSSO Daniil Kvyat Alex Albon
SAUBER Kimi Raikkonen Antonio Giovinazzi
WILLIAMS George Russell Robert Kubica

Teams Engine supplier
Mercedes engines: Mercedes, Force India, Williams
Ferrari engines: Ferrari, Haas, Sauber
Renault engines: Renault, McLaren
Honda engines: Red Bull, Toro Rosso

Winter Testing Dates 2019
Test One February 18 to February 21 Barcelona
Test Two February 26 to March 1 Barcelona



 
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Changes to the Sporting Regulations for 2019
Changes to the Safety Car regulations to ensure there is a consistent point at which drivers may overtake when the Safety Car returns to the pits. This will now be the same in all three types of restart.
The teams will now be responsible for initial scrutineering of their cars. Before the cars go on track for the first time, teams must declare conformity with all safety related matters.
The official end-of-race signal will now be a chequered light panel, although the chequered flag will still be shown.

Changes to the Technical Regulations for 2019
Simplified front wing, with a larger span and low outwash potential
Simplified front brake duct with no winglets
Changes to the mirror regulations and also associated rear wing changes (height) for rear view visibility and safety.
The on-board camera regulations will be modified to improve the TV spectacle.
Rear endplate lights are to be added for safety.
Minor modifications to the halo fairing are to be made for safety reasons during a potential driver extraction.
 
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Post season test at Abu Dhabi
Charles Leclerc closed out the final official Formula 1 running in 2018 at the top of the time-sheets for Ferrari as he finished almost 1.5 seconds clear of the field on the second day of testing in Abu Dhabi. In his first official outing for Ferrari since being named in a 2019 race seat alongside Sebastian Vettel, Leclerc was able to beat his teammate’s benchmark from Tuesday by almost four-tenths of a second, ending the day with a best lap of 1m36.450s.

Another driver changing team colours for the Abu Dhabi test was Pierre Gasly, who completed his first running for Red Bull since August 2017 ahead of his move into a race seat for next year, replacing Daniel Ricciardo. Gasly finished the day second-fastest, 1.466 seconds down on Leclerc. Lance Stroll completed a full day of running for Force India, despite still not being confirmed as its second driver for next year and took third overall, finishing ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who was fourth as the Mercedes W09 car enjoyed its final run in anger.

Ross Brawn "we can't go on like this"
Over the last two seasons, only twice has a driver for a team other than Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull, made it to the podium. In both instances it was in Azerbaijan, in 2017 Lance Stroll joined Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas, while this year it was the turn of Sergio Perez to join Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen. As the sport seeks to level the playing field, Brawn warns that this 'championship of two halves' cannot continue.

In an interview Brawn has said, "As was the case in 2017, only once and significantly, on a very unusual street circuit like Baku, did a driver from one of those seven teams make it to the podium. Two podiums from a total of 123 is unacceptable, especially when it comes with an ever increasing technical and financial divide. It's a problem we are tackling together with the FIA and the teams, because the future of Formula 1 depends on it, there are various solutions on the table and we must all accept that we can't go on like this for too much longer. Sauber fought back after struggling for the previous two years, partly thanks to the talents of Leclerc. But a special word goes out to the men and women of Force India who worked hard all season without letting themselves get distracted by the serious problems that affected the company and threatened its very existence. I think that managing to keep Force India on the grid and assuring it a stable future is one of the most important things that happened in 2018".

At the heart of the sport's bid to level the field is a budget cap which would limit the teams to the same limit on spending, whilst also distributing the prize money more equally. While the smaller teams make no secret of the fact they want this to happen, the proposal has not down well with the big three. In terms of the technical regulations, F1 have already backtracked on plans to revamp the engine formula in 2021, a change to the technical regulations will depend on the impact of the new aero regulations for 2019, some team bosses are already claiming that they will make little difference once the season is underway. Furthermore, new regulations means increased spending in F1's vicious circle.

Haas drop appeal
Haas will not appeal the FIA's decision to throw out their protest against Force India at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Stewards found that Force India had not flouted regulations surrounding their status as a constructor, but did classify them as a new team, which could have future impacts on their financial standing in Formula 1. Racing Point Force India replaced Sahara Force India on the grid, starting with no constructors championship points, and the Haas appeal concerned Force India's standing as a constructor, as defined by FIA regulations, as they used parts and cars previously used by the former entity following the mid-season takeover.

The FIA ruled that the new Force India team can be classed as a constructor, the stewards findings were: "The former team was not a 'competitor' within the Sporting Regulations. The former team was no longer a competitor in the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship as it had forfeited all its rights and ability to field two cars at any further grand prix in 2018. In relation to the definition of 'outsourcing', there is no regulatory support for the argument that outsourcing of listed parts cannot come from a former or excluded team and therefore the procurement, by the Racing Point Force India F1 Team of listed parts from the administrator, was permitted".

Haas were upset that the new Force India were able to keep 'column 1' payments that can reach $60million as the American team[Haas] were not eligible for them in their first two years as a constructor. Crucially, the stewards ruled that Force India are classed as a "new team", which could support that side of the Haas argument.Haas decision to leave the matter as it is suggests that they have indeed gained the clarification they were after and it remains to be seen if future challenges over Force India's position will be determined.
 
Did Polish Government get Robert Kubica the Williams drive
Poland has defended the financial investment into Robert Kubica's return to Formula 1. Just days after signing Kubica for 2019, Williams also announced that Polish oil company PKN Orlen is sponsoring the British team. The move to sponsor Williams was defended by Polish sports minister Witold Banka who said "Many companies have found that it is better to sponsor athletes directly than to give money to sponsoring sports associations, Robert Kubica arouses emotions all over the world, as he is one of the most recognised Poles. Investing in such a story is justified".

From a prodigious start to tragedy and on to an amazing comeback, Robert Kubica will be back on the F1 grid full time in 2019. It's a story bordering on the miraculous and it's not finished yet. Grand prix winner Kubica, 33, is returning to F1 after an eight year absence due to his permanent right arm injury.
 
Liberty Media confirm talks with Las Vegas
Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei recently gave the first official confirmation of negotiations for a Formula 1 race in Las Vegas. Up to that point it was clear that F1 was interested in the city but there was no word of actual progress. The mention of the LVCVA is because this is a very important body in any decision-making in the city, while the casino operators are also very important (The "LVCVA" and "The Sphere" are references to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority). These days most casino's are listed companies and they are driven only by the push for more dollars. The city is keen to attract more people because of the changing habits of gamblers and the new laws which mean that people no longer need to travel to Vegas to gamble. This means that the city needs to attract more people for conventions and family events switching the image of Vegas to that of a place packed with attractions, with a few casinos as well, rather than the opposite. The mention of The Sphere is because of a big new attraction that is now under construction, an 18,000-seat entertainment venue inside a 360-foot-tall sphere, which is being built on a 63-acre lot to the east of the Sands Expo & Convention Center, as a partnership between Madison Square Garden in partnership with the Las Vegas Sands Corp, which knows all about Formula 1 thanks to its dramatic Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. The sphere is due to be completed in 2021 on a 63-acre lot to the east of The Sands Convention Center and might be a useful focal point for a race.

Could Honda buy Toro Rosso
There is a rumor that Honda may buy Toro Rosso and become a manufacturer team, as is common knowledge Toro Rosso have been up for sale for a number of years now (I think I may have mentioned this is the F1 2018 thread). Both Red Bull and Honda have said this isn't the case, but that does not mean it could not happen one day. Toro Rosso is complicated team with lots of different buildings and staff at two locations: 350 in Italy and 150 in the UK. It would probably be easier to start a new team, it is no secret that Honda is desperately keen to get some Japanese drivers into F1 and there will be a scythe going through the current crop of Honda youngsters with Formula 2 drivers Tadasuke Makino and Nirei Fukuzumi both being sent home and the experienced Nobuharu Matsushita, who finished sixth in GP2 in 2017 back in F2 next year along with Super Formula and SuperGT Champion Naoki Yamamoto. There will also be a couple of Honda youngsters in the new FIA Formula 3. Yamamoto and two newcomers are expected in Formula 3.
 
Force India announce new name
Well not really a new name but a shorter name, they will from 2019 be called just Racing Point F1 (I can't edit the first post to reflect this, but I'm sure F1 fans will know what team it is). The rebranded team is expected to retain its pink livery for the 2019 Formula 1 season. It was confirmed in the official 2019 F1 entry list published by the FIA on Friday that Force India will be renamed Racing Point F1 from next season, which will see the Force India name disappear from the sport. Former team boss Vijay Mallya purchased the Spyker squad at the end of the 2007 season, with the team’s origins stemming from the Jordan Grand Prix outfit that went on to become Midland F1 Racing in 2006.

Despite its takeover and re-naming, Racing Point is set to keep its striking pink livery that debuted in 2017 after signing a major sponsorship deal with Austrian-based water technology firm BWT. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend that he is “99 percent sure” the team’s livery will remain unchanged. The team will field Lance Stroll alongside Sergio Perez in its driver line-up for the 2019 season, after the Canadian’s anticipated switch from Williams was finally announced following post-season testing in Abu Dhabi.

Lewis crashes his Yamaha YZF-R1
I bet Mercedes are not to impressed that Lewis is testing superbikes, he took part in a World Superbike test at Jerez this weekend with Alex Lowes and Michael Van der Mark. During the test he had a small spill on the Yamaha R1 he was riding but thankfully, the British multiple-time F1 champion escaped uninjured. Hamilton’s a big fan of motorcycles and over the last few year’s he’s becoming more and more involved with the sport. Last year, he became an ambassador of famous motorcycling brand MV Agusta, and even put his name to a limited edition bike developed by the Italian firm, the F4 LH 44. And the five-time F1 champion also shared a track with LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow earlier this year, when the pair spent a day riding Superbikes at the Californian Chuckwalla Valley track.

Hamilton’s been out to a No Limits organised test day in Jerez, riding a Yamaha YZF-R1 the same bike used in the World Superbike championship by the works-backed Crescent team this year. Hamilton worked closely with Crescent during the test, riding a completely black bike with stickers bearing his racing number 44. His day was hampered slightly by a small crash at Turn 7, but he escaped the incident without any injuries and was able to continue riding afterwards. F1 fans can breathe easy for another day.
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Off-season gossip
While journalists are scrambling around for F1 news over the winter I found some gossip that may or may not be true, but worth posting.

Max Verstappen has apparently been telling reporters that he has a "plan B" if Honda don't perform in 2019. After 12 years with Renault, Red Bull have opted to change engines to the under performing Honda and despite all the hype from Red Bull that the Honda engine is better than the Renault, I don't believe there is any evidence of that at all. Toro Rosso used more engine elements than any other driver last season and both drivers use around 8 power-units each at least, which shows that Honda still haven't found the sweet-spot between performance and reliability. I really hope they can run at the front as it would be good for F1, but I can't see it happening in 2019.

Now back to Max and his plan B. Prior to re-signing with Red Bull, Max was well aware of the engine swap, so I thing we can be sure that he has a few get-out clauses in his contract. His father Jos Verstappen raced in F1 between 1994 and 2003, while he never won a race he did manage 2 podiums but only accrued 17 championship points in total. What I'm sure Jos did learn during his time in F1 was about contracts, so you can be sure that Max has a way out if Honda don't perform. Could we see Max in a Ferrari in 2020?

Daniel Ricciardo has said that "someone said no" to him moving to Ferrari in 2019, he hasn't said who it was but I think we can rule out one obvious person as they are no longer with us. talking to automoto Danny said "Evidently someone said no when I arrived [at Ferrari]. Who? I’d like to know, but maybe I have an idea". When pressed on who that "someone" could be, he replied: "Good question, maybe it’s better if you ask them. Did he mean ask Ferrari or the person who said no? If he meant the latter we can rule-out Sergio Marchionne, as clearly no-one can ask him :hmm: At the time some of the press were claiming he didn't get tje drive because he wanted too much money, when this was put to him he answered "I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who said I’d asked for too much money?" I'm sure all will be answered in his book, as you can be sure he will write one some day :)

Valtteri Bottas, will he still be driving a Mercedes at the end of 2019? Valtteri has a 1 year contract with Mercedes and finished only 5th in this years drivers championship. Esteban Ocon will be testing for Mercedes and if he out-performs Bottas in testing and during free practice he could well be put in the car to replace Bottas before the season ends according to members of the press. Ocon will spend 2019 as the third and reserve driver for Mercedes after his contract with Force India expired.

London GP anyone? While Silverstone is still dithering about signing up for more F1 races after 2019 Liberty media are apparently working behind the scenes to get a race around the streets of London. This would be a massive deal if they can get it (I'd love to see a race around the City), I think it would also give massive kudos to any Mayor who managed to pull it off. It would brings millions into the London economy and is back by London business apparently.
 
beesonthewhatnow said:
Oh fuck off with a London race, why have they got this obsession with street circuits? Race on proper tracks ffs :mad:
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Well, Liberty are in the telly biz, not the racing business, and they're an American corporation. Forget brand building and long-term thinking. They look at financial returns quarterly. Any viewer is good, even if it means diluting the product and morph it from motorsporty, oily-rag, danger-fests to celeb-fixated, glamour wallpaper for low-interest, gadfly-brained, snack-grazing Walmart-ists.

That means they want eyeballs right now. So maybe street circuits are more appealing and viewer-friendly for audiences that are watching for the colours and scenery. That's why the TV director keeps cutting to whichever celeb has been invited paid to appeal to the minimally interested Hello! magazine reader that Liberty imagines is the future of F1. I guess that's why they want online streaming - in case there's a lonely, homebound person in rural Thailand with a water-driven modem who might accidentally watch a single GP, and every bhat counts.

Also, street circuits are tourism oriented, which means local and regional governments can be persuaded to fund the promoter fees. That's pure gravy for a telly biz corp. Also fixed circuits are expensive to build and maintain - maybe street they're cheaper and more flexible.

My view is that the occasional street circuit is fun, because it should mix up the grid and offer chances for more teams to do well. But in general street circuits are a bit like taking a bunch of thoroughbred horses and racing them round your garden. It's different. It might even be fun for a few minutes. But it's not giving the nags, jockeys or trainers the chance to show how good they are.
 
but, they are pretty boring with limited overtaking spots, so not enjoyable to watch regardless of the 'spectacle'

I know some people enjoyed the Will Smith cameos and social media spots in Abu Dhabi, but I found it really annoying.
 
Limejuice said:
Well, Liberty are in the telly biz, not the racing business, and they're an American corporation. Forget brand building and long-term thinking. They look at financial returns quarterly. Any viewer is good, even if it means diluting the product and morph it from motorsporty, oily-rag, danger-fests to celeb-fixated, glamour wallpaper for low-interest, gadfly-brained, snack-grazing Walmart-ists.

That means they want eyeballs right now. So maybe street circuits are more appealing and viewer-friendly for audiences that are watching for the colours and scenery. That's why the TV director keeps cutting to whichever celeb has been invited paid to appeal to the minimally interested Hello! magazine reader that Liberty imagines is the future of F1. I guess that's why they want online streaming - in case there's a lonely, homebound person in rural Thailand with a water-driven modem who might accidentally watch a single GP, and every bhat counts.

Also, street circuits are tourism oriented, which means local and regional governments can be persuaded to fund the promoter fees. That's pure gravy for a telly biz corp. Also fixed circuits are expensive to build and maintain - maybe street they're cheaper and more flexible.

My view is that the occasional street circuit is fun, because it should mix up the grid and offer chances for more teams to do well. But in general street circuits are a bit like taking a bunch of thoroughbred horses and racing them round your garden. It's different. It might even be fun for a few minutes. But it's not giving the nags, jockeys or trainers the chance to show how good they are.
Click to expand...
100% spot on.
 
Is the Mexican GP going to drop-off the calendar
Having won the best promoter award again this year (it has won it every year since coming back on the calendar) it seems that it may well not continue past it current contract. Mexico has a new president (Andes Manuel Lopez Obrador) and he has hinted that the Mexican government will not support an extension to the race’s contract with the FIA. The new president has already announced an austerity programme which includes selling superfluous properties, one of the cost-saving measures could be an end to the Grand Prix.

Ana Gabriela Guevara of the Mexican National Sports Commission recently claimed “The corruption in this country has caused the Grand Prix to return to Mexico.A lot of bribes were paid to bring this event to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. In Mexico, there are worse things going on as a large part of the population lives below the poverty line. We need to find out how we can solve this situation but it is not the intention that tax money will be released to keep this event going” .

Lewis collects his champion trophy
It seems from reading the stories about the FIA awards this year that Kimi Raikkonen stole the show, it seems his reputation for getting drunk extended to the awards ceremony were it is reported that he was pissed as a newt.
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Bernie wanted to buy Silverstone
The revelation is significant as the future of the British Grand Prix is in doubt after the 2019 race. When asked for his thoughts on the British GP beyond 2019, Ecclestone said: “It would be nice to have one. They could do a deal there, but I think they’ll have to come up with some sort of an idea of sharing the losses. Or profits, or whatever. They must be comfortable, Silverstone. I asked them if they wanted to sell because I would have bought it, and they didn’t want to sell. They were not interested. We could have had the race, obviously. Anyway, they don’t want to sell, so they’re comfortable. They’re not desperate, but they’ve got to have an F1 race". The British Racing Drivers Club, owners of the Silverstone track did not comment on Ecclestone’s claim.

Liberty Media are still looking at a race around the streets of London, if they loose the race at Silverstone. Bernie claims he tried that 10 years ago and no-one was interested in putting the money up. He said when asked about it "We looked at it. We looked at the whole thing, about eight or 10 years ago. It’s too complicated, with too many restrictions. I had the whole thing laid out for the centre of London, past Buckingham Palace, everything was done. During the meetings, I tried to explain to the City of Westminster and the mayor at the time that we’ve got to find the money to do this. And in the end, let’s see how much money you’re prepared to put in. Between the two people that made a difference, it was £3million. I said, that will probably cover the cost of the mineral water for the hundreds of meetings we’ll have to have. So, I think we’ll forget that”.

A race around the streets of London is far better than no British GP at all.
 
Formula Money database shows some interesting information
Formula money's database is now available for anyone to look at (at a price, you must subscribe). It shows that F1 sponsorship is down by over 25% in the last 5 years. Total team sponsorship came to an estimated £616.3m in 2018, compared to more than £780m in 2013. Although the drop was partly accounted for by a reduction in the number of teams from 11 to 10, this was not the main factor in the decline as the average sponsorship haul per team also fell by over 18%. The findings reflect the concerns of several team bosses who have admitted that it is increasingly difficult to find sponsors in a climate where traditional properties such as sports teams are competing against social media.

Although total team sponsorship was up by 11% on 2017 driven by Sauber's new title sponsorship from Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin's expanded deal with Red Bull Racing, it was still the second lowest annual total since Formula Money started assessing sponsorship values in 2005. Formula Money calculates that in 2018 198 companies fuelled 229 team sponsorship deals, with an average value of £2.71m. The biggest of these deals was Malaysian oil giant Petronas's title sponsorship of world champion, Mercedes, at an estimated annual £59.8m. However, this did not make Mercedes the best sponsored team. That title went to Ferrari, with a total sponsorship budget calculated at £136.8m.

The database covers not only team sponsorship, but also series partnership deals, race title sponsorships, trackside advertising, and team owner spending. All together the data covers 989 companies, with 5,559 separate entries, generating almost £22.3bn in deals over 14 years. Information dating back to 2005 shows that things were very different than with tobacco companies, spending almost a quarter of a billion dollars between them in the last full year before advertising restrictions drove them from the sport. Back then the average team sponsorship budget was £80.7m, the highest annual total during the date range of the database compared to £61.6m in 2018.

Unrest still continues at Ferrari claims the Italian media
As the season comes to an end and factories get ready to ramp up development, Ferrari continues to suffer from internal conflicts between team boss Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director Mattia Binotto. The first hint of discord between the two came out in summer and although Arrivabene has denied such rumours, the Italian media is getting reports of the continued rivalry. Italy’s Corriere Della Sera recently reported that the problem is still ongoing at Maranello. According to the correspondents Daniele Sparisci and Giorgio Terruzzi, “In the days after Abu Dhabi, Binotto asked for a meeting with his bosses to understand how to proceed”. The technical director “has received offers from various teams, but he would like to stay to continue the unfinished mission” they added.

Binotto is keen to complete the “unfinished mission” of bringing back the title to the Red Squad. “To do so requires clarity, a protection of roles and serenity in the environment” the correspondents added. The sudden death of Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne last summer has left a big power vacuum and Scuderia is missing the strong hand that made all the decisions. The effects of the loss were seen in the team’s indecisiveness in several races post-summer break. Marchionne’s successor John Elkann has been visiting Maranello often in the last few months to bring more stability to the team and to improve their confidence. “He inherited the organisation of the team but has not touched anything in recent months while his public appearances were very rare,” the daily noted. “But now he has been called on to restore serenity and strength”.

The Italian media and fans are hoping the rivalry does not impact the development of the next year’s car.

Happy birthday Emerson Fittipaldi
F1 legend and two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi turns 72-years-young today. The great Brazilian driver remains as impassioned about racing today as he was when he blazed the trail for his countrymen almost five decades ago. It all started in 1970, when the shy 24-year-old made his Grand Prix debut driving a third works Lotus at the British Grand Prix. Later that summer, Fittipaldi was elevated to the role of team leader following the tragic death of Jochen Rindt at Monza. As the mourning squad regrouped for the North American races, Emerson pulled off the remarkable feat of winning at Watkins Glen. His outstanding career, which garnered 14 Grand Prix wins and two F1 world championships, as well as many successes in IndyCar, spurred on several generations of young Brazilian drivers but also fueled an expansion of the Fittipaldi heritage.
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Hamilton under fire for 'slums' comment

I think Hammy used the word 'slums' hyperbolically - to emphasise the ascent in his career, rather than to describe with socio-economic exactitude, and on a comparative basis, the amenities and beauty of the absolute dump he grew up in.

He corrected himself "It really was a dream for us all as a family to do something different. For us to get out of the slums. Well, not the slums, but to get out of somewhere and do something."

He was talking off the cuff. I wouldn't expect Stephen Fry to be as careless with his language, but c'mon - Hammy may have a jet but he ain't in MENSA.

The reaction is a fine example of how social media kick-starts the process of schooled offence and amplifies it to volume 11.

"I find that offensive!" Well, so fucking what? No person or organisation has a right never to be offended. Maybe Stevenage council could have look at improving their town rather than throwing an adolescent snit because someone was imprecise in his terminology and modest with his praise.

Any PR person worth their corn would tell Stevenage they'd be far better off to respond along the lines of: "Well, no town's perfect, but we still love our favourite son, Hammy, even if he isn't proud of us. Five times world champion. Who wouldn't be proud of that?"
 
Could the FIA end up in Court over the sale of Force India
In the 2018 thread I posted a number of story's about the sale of Force India to Racing Point and the fact that another bidder felt that the Administrators has favored Racing Point over other bidders. This legal action is still ongoing in the UK courts and now Uralkali (the Russian potash fertilizer producer) who are taking the legal action have won the first of a number of cases taken in the US for the release of documents from members of the racing Point consortium.

A court in New York has issued an order compelling Mr. John D. Idol (the CEO of Michael Kors), to provide documents in his possession which are relevant to Uralkali's claims brought in the U.K. against the administrators of Force India Formula One Team. According to court papers there is also legal action pending against John McCaw Jr. another consortium member and Uralkali has issued a statement claiming that "similar applications against other members of the consortium are being considered" it went on to say "Uralkali continues to pursue its claim and looks forward to proving the administrators liability for selecting Racing Point's inferior bid over that put forward by Uralkali". The applications were made to obtain information relevant to the claim filed by Uralkali on September 28 in the High Court of London against the joint administrators of Force India, Geoffrey Paul Rowley and Jason Daniel Baker, seeking damages caused by their misrepresentations and negligence in conducting the bid process for the sale of Force India.

What has this got to do with the FIA I hear you ask, well the FIA stuck their nose into this after the fact when maybe they should have just kept stum. After the deal was done with Racing Point, the FIA issued a statement (their first comment on the deal). It should be remembered the FIA issued this statement after Uralkali claimed the administrators had acted unlawfully. In the statement from the FIA issued in Jean Todt name they said "since the Force India Formula One Team Limited was placed into administration on 27 July, the FIA has worked in collaboration with the Joint Administrators, Racing Point UK Limited and Formula One Management to ensure the expedient and compliant transition of the team's assets to the new entrant". Where were the FIA lawyers when this statement was issued knowing Uralkali had already said it was going to make a legal claim? It seems to me having followed this story that the FIA are effectively claiming that from the day that Force India went into administration, the FIA's clear aim was for Racing Point to be the new F1 entrant as their statement says clearly they were working with Racing Point. Interestingly FOM issued no public statement about being involved, I think maybe their lawyers were awake and could see that they could be drawn into Uralkali's legal action.

Time will tell if the FIA are drawn into this and maybe some of the documents will give a better indication. This story has some legs I believe and will run for some time, unless a settlement is reached, I have no idea how much money the joint administrators have between them but the FIA have very deep pockets.

A small tweak to the Grid penalty's
The manner in which engine grid penalties will be applied in Formula 1 has been tweaked for 2019. Under current regulations drivers are penalised should they exceed their season allocation of power unit components. Each driver is permitted three Internal Combustion Engines, MGU-Hs and Turbochargers, and just two Energy Stores, Control Electronics and MGU-Ks. Should an individual sanction exceed 15 positions, in effect taking on an entirely fresh power unit, they are automatically relegated to the back of the grid. But on occasion in 2018 more than one driver took up such a sanction, meaning multiple participants were in effect issued with the same penalty. That meant that penalised drivers were lined up on the grid in the order in which their car took to the circuit for the opening practice session of the Grand Prix weekend, leading to a queue at the end of the pit lane. This was most prominent in Russia, when five drivers queued at the end of the pit lane prior to FP1.

For 2019 this has been revised, and instead penalised drivers will be arranged in the order in which they qualify. This could also act as an incentive for drivers to participate in as much of the session as possible, after some clocked only a lap in Q1 in 2018 before saving tyres. Elsewhere the regulations have been tweaked to allow any driver starting from the pit lane to complete a reconnaissance lap, and also take part in the formation lap, before returning to the pits, should they wish to do so.
 
Is there a message in Bernie's Christmas card
With the advent of technology, many have forgotten the essence of sending out Christmas cards, but not so one Bernard Charles Ecclestone. While he's no longer running the show, Bernie still keeps tabs on Formula 1, popping up in the paddock every now and then or lurking in the wings, keeping his ear to the ground. This year, Ecclestone's traditional Christmas card depicts the former supremo sitting in a booth (check the upper left-hand corner), overlooking a group of scheming, collusive team bosses, with someone opposite the pitlane saying "Just organizing the plotting". Are they referring to Bernie or to the managers? Or perhaps they're pointing to F1 CEO Chase Carey with his trademark coffee to go in hand and FIA president Jean Todt, casually conversing above it all?
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While viewing figures are down attendance is up at races
The number of people who attended Grands Prix across the 2018 season rose by 2.7% from 2017, Formula One Management has confirmed. The number of people who flocked to the races tallied up to 4,093,305, which comes in at an average of 194,919 per race. In 2017, 4,071,400 people were recorded across the 20-race season, which worked out at an average of 203,570 per race. That figure suggests that race attendance has fallen for 2018, however FOM noted that last years numbers were altered. Adjustments made to certain 2017 attendance figures subsequent to the release of last year’s attendance results and the increase from 20 to 21 to the total number of events, the overall increase in attendance from 2017 to 2018 is 7.83% in absolute terms.

Malaysia decided to drop itself from the schedule after 2017, while the European events of France and Germany returned to the calendar. Those two particular weekends saw attendances of 150,000 and 165,000 respectively. The British Grand Prix attracted the most race-day fans, with an estimated 140,500 turning up to the Silverstone circuit on July 8th. The average race-day attendance was 81,093, with 1,702,959 the total of race-day goers. At some of the events, FOM logged the experience from those who attended: In 15 of the 16 events where the research took place, 70% of the spectators judged the experience ‘very enjoyable,’.
 
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