1%er
Well-Known Member
Yes Alonso has been testing for McLaren in Bahrain, he is still very much a part of the team although now rather than a driver he is called an ambassador.
F1 2019
- Thread starter 1%er
- Start date
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Somewhat fitting, since the car they gave him to drive performed like an Austin Ambassador.
*gets coat *
1%er
Well-Known Member
Williams watch
It seems divorce between Williams F1 and Paddy Lowe is not going well and things are turning ugly, legal action is now on the cards it seems. Lowe wants paying the full amount for his contract and is also unwilling to sell back the shares he was given as a signing bonus when he joined the team. This could be a big burden for Williams as they are very short of cash, not only from sponsors but having finished last in the 2018 season will be getting little from FOM in prize money. A large amount of the racing teams money also used to come from Williams Advanced Engineering, a subsidiary company set up by Frank Williams and Patrick Head to sell on things they learnt from their F1 activities. But it seems that Williams Advanced Engineering has gone the way of the F1 team and now contributes little to the financing of the team, as Claire Williams recently admitted in an interview with France’s Auto Hebdo. I have copied the interview below.
Claire Williams Auto Hebdo interview;
Claire Williams has admitted she was responsible for a change in Williams’ team structure that resulted in the once-great outfit’s 2019 crisis. She said that during Williams’ “four good seasons”, including third place finishes in the constructors’ championship in 2014 and 2015, she made the change. “In order to preserve our results and even make progress, we changed something in the internal structure and it turned out to be a mistake, it was my initiative and I admit my guilt.”
The result is clear to see in 2019, with Robert Kubica saying that in Australia and Bahrain, he is little more than a “passenger” in the Mercedes-powered car. Williams said: “Believe me, we are not hiding our heads in the sand. We know where we are and what you need in order to win. But it’s a long process.” Indeed, it is not just a performance crisis at Williams, but a cultural one. “We are trying to independently produce as many parts as possible, and we have 620 people working for us, which is a lot for the structure we have, to create the Williams of the future while preserving our culture is the task we are facing now.”
One part of that has been to send Paddy Lowe on leave, even though the highly respected Briton had been lured away from Mercedes to lead Williams back to the top. “I don’t want to answer that question at the moment, it’s very difficult for me to talk about Paddy and his role in this.” She will say that other engineers have picked up the slack for the now absent Lowe, adding: “I trust them completely and believe that we are moving in the right direction. Patrick Head has returned to us as a consultant and to support the engineers in such a difficult period. He has so much experience and has the sort of character that they really listen to him. His advice will be very valuable,”
Part of the problem, she admits, is that while the subsidiary Williams Advanced Engineering once generated income for the team, that is no longer the case. “It was created in 2010 to support the racing team and in response to the drop in sponsors’ interest. But it now contributes little to the financing of the team. Our funding is almost entirely dependent on sponsors and F1 income.”
So Williams warmly welcomes Liberty Media’s efforts to better distribute the revenue and drive down costs, especially via a budget cap. Everything that is now being discussed is moving in the direction that we need.” And so, Williams says, the famous team her father established is not giving up.
“We’ve been racing for 42 years because it is our passion, yes, we are at the very back of the grid now, but I know that returning to the positions we deserve is only a matter of time. I would not be talking to you now if I wasn’t sure of that.”
Add them to the list
As some of you will know I have been keeping a list on one of my many post-it notes of the names of places that have been linked to "new" F1 races since Liberty Media have taken over. Well we can add one more now, as over the weekend people from Liberty Media were heard talking about a possible race in Saudi Arabia before long. There is program in Saudi Arabia called Vision 2030 (which according to the blurb says "Vision 2030 aims to use sport to help portray a better image for the country, while also being a force for unity and to help develop national pride".) Recently there have been a couple of Motorsport events held in the country, the 2018 Race of Champions was the first ever international motorsport competition held in Saudi Arabia, last February and in December there was a Formula E street race in the Ad Diriyah district of Riyadh. I have also read that in 2020 the Dakar Rally will be moving to Saudi Arabia in January.
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has now become the head of the General Sports Authority (GSA), the government body responsible for all sports in Saudi Arabia. He has raced widely and successfully in GTs, as has Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal who is now head of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. These two have access to untold amounts of government cash and so one can assume that if they decide that a Grand Prix is a good idea, then Saudi Arabia could soon be joining the F1 merry-go-round.
List of new races in the pipeline since Liberty Media took over F1, Tunisia, USA (Miami, New York, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Daytona, California, Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway), Portugal, Macau, Norway, Denmark, UK (Silverstone) and London, Korea, Turkey, South Africa, Argentina, Netherlands (Zandvoort, Assen), 2nd race in China, Finland, Philippines and now Saudi Arabia. Vietnam isn't on the list as they have secured a race.
Another record for Lewis Hamilton
Since he began driving in Formula 1 as a 22-year-old back in the 2007 season, Hamilton has earned an estimated $489 million, according to a Forbes report. His current contract is worth roughly $57 million per year and is the most expensive contract among the contracts of the sport’s 20 active drivers. Hamilton passed none other than Schumacher on the all-time Formula 1 career earnings list to become the highest paid driver in Formula 1 history. Schumacher earned an estimated $464 million over the course of his career in the sport.
Before the 2019 season began, Hamilton also trailed the recently retired Fernando Alonso, who earned an estimated $458 million over the course of his career in the sport. The next highest drivers on the all-time Formula 1 career earnings list are Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen, both of whom are active drivers. They have earned an estimated $358 million and $331 million over the course of their careers, respectively.
It seems divorce between Williams F1 and Paddy Lowe is not going well and things are turning ugly, legal action is now on the cards it seems. Lowe wants paying the full amount for his contract and is also unwilling to sell back the shares he was given as a signing bonus when he joined the team. This could be a big burden for Williams as they are very short of cash, not only from sponsors but having finished last in the 2018 season will be getting little from FOM in prize money. A large amount of the racing teams money also used to come from Williams Advanced Engineering, a subsidiary company set up by Frank Williams and Patrick Head to sell on things they learnt from their F1 activities. But it seems that Williams Advanced Engineering has gone the way of the F1 team and now contributes little to the financing of the team, as Claire Williams recently admitted in an interview with France’s Auto Hebdo. I have copied the interview below.
Claire Williams Auto Hebdo interview;
Claire Williams has admitted she was responsible for a change in Williams’ team structure that resulted in the once-great outfit’s 2019 crisis. She said that during Williams’ “four good seasons”, including third place finishes in the constructors’ championship in 2014 and 2015, she made the change. “In order to preserve our results and even make progress, we changed something in the internal structure and it turned out to be a mistake, it was my initiative and I admit my guilt.”
The result is clear to see in 2019, with Robert Kubica saying that in Australia and Bahrain, he is little more than a “passenger” in the Mercedes-powered car. Williams said: “Believe me, we are not hiding our heads in the sand. We know where we are and what you need in order to win. But it’s a long process.” Indeed, it is not just a performance crisis at Williams, but a cultural one. “We are trying to independently produce as many parts as possible, and we have 620 people working for us, which is a lot for the structure we have, to create the Williams of the future while preserving our culture is the task we are facing now.”
One part of that has been to send Paddy Lowe on leave, even though the highly respected Briton had been lured away from Mercedes to lead Williams back to the top. “I don’t want to answer that question at the moment, it’s very difficult for me to talk about Paddy and his role in this.” She will say that other engineers have picked up the slack for the now absent Lowe, adding: “I trust them completely and believe that we are moving in the right direction. Patrick Head has returned to us as a consultant and to support the engineers in such a difficult period. He has so much experience and has the sort of character that they really listen to him. His advice will be very valuable,”
Part of the problem, she admits, is that while the subsidiary Williams Advanced Engineering once generated income for the team, that is no longer the case. “It was created in 2010 to support the racing team and in response to the drop in sponsors’ interest. But it now contributes little to the financing of the team. Our funding is almost entirely dependent on sponsors and F1 income.”
So Williams warmly welcomes Liberty Media’s efforts to better distribute the revenue and drive down costs, especially via a budget cap. Everything that is now being discussed is moving in the direction that we need.” And so, Williams says, the famous team her father established is not giving up.
“We’ve been racing for 42 years because it is our passion, yes, we are at the very back of the grid now, but I know that returning to the positions we deserve is only a matter of time. I would not be talking to you now if I wasn’t sure of that.”
Add them to the list
As some of you will know I have been keeping a list on one of my many post-it notes of the names of places that have been linked to "new" F1 races since Liberty Media have taken over. Well we can add one more now, as over the weekend people from Liberty Media were heard talking about a possible race in Saudi Arabia before long. There is program in Saudi Arabia called Vision 2030 (which according to the blurb says "Vision 2030 aims to use sport to help portray a better image for the country, while also being a force for unity and to help develop national pride".) Recently there have been a couple of Motorsport events held in the country, the 2018 Race of Champions was the first ever international motorsport competition held in Saudi Arabia, last February and in December there was a Formula E street race in the Ad Diriyah district of Riyadh. I have also read that in 2020 the Dakar Rally will be moving to Saudi Arabia in January.
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has now become the head of the General Sports Authority (GSA), the government body responsible for all sports in Saudi Arabia. He has raced widely and successfully in GTs, as has Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal who is now head of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. These two have access to untold amounts of government cash and so one can assume that if they decide that a Grand Prix is a good idea, then Saudi Arabia could soon be joining the F1 merry-go-round.
List of new races in the pipeline since Liberty Media took over F1, Tunisia, USA (Miami, New York, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Daytona, California, Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway), Portugal, Macau, Norway, Denmark, UK (Silverstone) and London, Korea, Turkey, South Africa, Argentina, Netherlands (Zandvoort, Assen), 2nd race in China, Finland, Philippines and now Saudi Arabia. Vietnam isn't on the list as they have secured a race.
Another record for Lewis Hamilton
Since he began driving in Formula 1 as a 22-year-old back in the 2007 season, Hamilton has earned an estimated $489 million, according to a Forbes report. His current contract is worth roughly $57 million per year and is the most expensive contract among the contracts of the sport’s 20 active drivers. Hamilton passed none other than Schumacher on the all-time Formula 1 career earnings list to become the highest paid driver in Formula 1 history. Schumacher earned an estimated $464 million over the course of his career in the sport.
Before the 2019 season began, Hamilton also trailed the recently retired Fernando Alonso, who earned an estimated $458 million over the course of his career in the sport. The next highest drivers on the all-time Formula 1 career earnings list are Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen, both of whom are active drivers. They have earned an estimated $358 million and $331 million over the course of their careers, respectively.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
F1 in Saudi?
*vomits*
*vomits*
1%er
Well-Known Member
Liberty Media and the BRDC close to a deal
According to news reports Liberty Media are close to signing a new deal with Silverstone to keep the British Grand Prix after this year. The circuit is the home grand prix for most Formula One teams and owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC). The future of the British Grand Prix beyond 2019 has been in doubt after the BRDC triggered a break clause in their contract with Formula One a few months after Liberty Media's takeover in the hope of negotiating better terms. The main sticking point was the cost of hosting rights for the race, which were set to rise each year under the terms of the contract the BRDC had with the former owners of Formula One and ex-chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
Both sides are not really that far apart as Liberty Media are asking for 18 million pounds a year, while the BRDC has offered 15 million pounds a year, interesting enough the report also claims that Ross Brawn was looking at other places that could again hold the British GP, we all heard in the news that he was looking at a street race in central London as an option but it seems that the Olympic park in Stratford was also talked about with people from the London Mayors office, surprise, surprise Cardiff was also under serious consideration for a street race. Plans for both Stratford and Cardiff were only abandoned in recent weeks, it seems, when FOM believed that there is no time to find another venue for the British race so are only focusing on Sliverstone now, Cardiff and Stratford have been added to the list
Williams watch
Some good news for the Williams F1 team in the form of a new sponsor. The giant Norwegian seafood company Mowi has announced a deal to sponsor the Williams F1 team for the next three years. The company is the leading producer of farmed salmon in the world, with operations in Norway, Scotland, Canada, Ireland and Chile. The firm has around 25 percent of the global salmon market and is involved in production, processing and retail activities. The company recently changed its name from Marine Harvest to Mowi and wants to raise awareness of the new branding and raise awareness of the strength of the European fishing industry, despite competition from a number of big Japanese firms.
“Formula 1 is all about luxury goods,” said CEO Eloy d’Amerval-Avril, a Frenchman, 'and we believe that it is a great fit with smoked salmon, which is still something which we all associate with special occasions. We want the world to know about our new corporate identity and with half a billion viewers, a large number of them in Asia, Formula 1 is a great way to deliver the message. Williams is a famous team with great potential but its current level of performance means that it provides terrific value for money. We hope that our contribution will help the team develop and become more competitive in the future".
In other Williams news it seems there is a dispute around Paddy Lowe and did he take up his share offer in the team when he joined. Some news reports at the time said he was given shares in the company when he joined as a signing bonus but now reports are servicing claiming that maybe he didn't or that the agreement around the shares was never signed by both parties. There is talk of legal action over his contract and I wonder if this is the basis of the dispute rather than payment for his contract, I'm sure we will hear more about this in the near future.
Everyone is looking at Ferrari's fuel
Some other teams are asking the FIA to look at Ferrari's fuel as they believe that the team has somehow found an extra 40 horse-power since the winter test season, also in Bahrain, rivals were shocked to discover that Ferrari’s engine was five tenths better in a straight line.. One new theory is that Ferrari's fuel sponsor Shell has discovered something revolutionarily new. "The fuel from the Ferrari garage smells like grapefruit juice," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said.
According to news reports Liberty Media are close to signing a new deal with Silverstone to keep the British Grand Prix after this year. The circuit is the home grand prix for most Formula One teams and owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC). The future of the British Grand Prix beyond 2019 has been in doubt after the BRDC triggered a break clause in their contract with Formula One a few months after Liberty Media's takeover in the hope of negotiating better terms. The main sticking point was the cost of hosting rights for the race, which were set to rise each year under the terms of the contract the BRDC had with the former owners of Formula One and ex-chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
Both sides are not really that far apart as Liberty Media are asking for 18 million pounds a year, while the BRDC has offered 15 million pounds a year, interesting enough the report also claims that Ross Brawn was looking at other places that could again hold the British GP, we all heard in the news that he was looking at a street race in central London as an option but it seems that the Olympic park in Stratford was also talked about with people from the London Mayors office, surprise, surprise Cardiff was also under serious consideration for a street race. Plans for both Stratford and Cardiff were only abandoned in recent weeks, it seems, when FOM believed that there is no time to find another venue for the British race so are only focusing on Sliverstone now, Cardiff and Stratford have been added to the list
Williams watch
Some good news for the Williams F1 team in the form of a new sponsor. The giant Norwegian seafood company Mowi has announced a deal to sponsor the Williams F1 team for the next three years. The company is the leading producer of farmed salmon in the world, with operations in Norway, Scotland, Canada, Ireland and Chile. The firm has around 25 percent of the global salmon market and is involved in production, processing and retail activities. The company recently changed its name from Marine Harvest to Mowi and wants to raise awareness of the new branding and raise awareness of the strength of the European fishing industry, despite competition from a number of big Japanese firms.
“Formula 1 is all about luxury goods,” said CEO Eloy d’Amerval-Avril, a Frenchman, 'and we believe that it is a great fit with smoked salmon, which is still something which we all associate with special occasions. We want the world to know about our new corporate identity and with half a billion viewers, a large number of them in Asia, Formula 1 is a great way to deliver the message. Williams is a famous team with great potential but its current level of performance means that it provides terrific value for money. We hope that our contribution will help the team develop and become more competitive in the future".
In other Williams news it seems there is a dispute around Paddy Lowe and did he take up his share offer in the team when he joined. Some news reports at the time said he was given shares in the company when he joined as a signing bonus but now reports are servicing claiming that maybe he didn't or that the agreement around the shares was never signed by both parties. There is talk of legal action over his contract and I wonder if this is the basis of the dispute rather than payment for his contract, I'm sure we will hear more about this in the near future.
Everyone is looking at Ferrari's fuel
Some other teams are asking the FIA to look at Ferrari's fuel as they believe that the team has somehow found an extra 40 horse-power since the winter test season, also in Bahrain, rivals were shocked to discover that Ferrari’s engine was five tenths better in a straight line.. One new theory is that Ferrari's fuel sponsor Shell has discovered something revolutionarily new. "The fuel from the Ferrari garage smells like grapefruit juice," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Must say, “F1 is a great fit with smoked salmon” is one of the stranger concepts I’ve heard
weltweit
Well-Known Member
Yes, as is "The fuel from the Ferrari garage smells like grapefruit juice,"Must say, “F1 is a great fit with smoked salmon” is one of the stranger concepts I’ve heard
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
The China Grand Prix. The ultimate test for petrol-heads based in the West. It's an annual Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
UK times are:
Fri 12 April
FP1 - 03.00
FP2 - 07.00
Sat 13 April
FP3 - 04.00
Qual - 07.00
Sun 14 April
Race - 07.10
I know SkyF1 is replaying the Friday sessions back-to-back at 10am, 3pm and 8pm.
UK times are:
Fri 12 April
FP1 - 03.00
FP2 - 07.00
Sat 13 April
FP3 - 04.00
Qual - 07.00
Sun 14 April
Race - 07.10
I know SkyF1 is replaying the Friday sessions back-to-back at 10am, 3pm and 8pm.
cybershot
Well-Known Member
So again, the majority of the weekend is being shown on Sky One. I have no idea why my OH is currently paying for Sky Sports packages when all she wants is the F1, and seems every race so far as been shown on Sky One too.
Impossible to tag 1%er, but if you see this, do you or any contacts you may have in F1 media world able to dig into this, because if Sky intend to show quali and live race on Sky One all season, I'll get her to cancel the sports package.
The Chinese GP: When it's on and full Sky Sports F1 TV times
Impossible to tag 1%er, but if you see this, do you or any contacts you may have in F1 media world able to dig into this, because if Sky intend to show quali and live race on Sky One all season, I'll get her to cancel the sports package.
The Chinese GP: When it's on and full Sky Sports F1 TV times
Last edited:
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
cybershot
Well-Known Member
See if you can get her interested in Rugby League and Boxing.
TBF, I got her into the cricket last year, so would be nice to carry on watching that once it gets going again, but I could live without it. I can't really be arsed with football anymore. Rugby we'll just watch when it's Six Nations and what not which is usually on normal TV and the only other 'sports entertainment' we watch is WWE, which again gets shown on Sky One, and for the big events we either pirate or occasionally sub to WWE Network every so often if there's a big NXT event on the same weekend as a main roster event, which is damn site better deal than paying Sky for them.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Bernie's been talking to the Germans
Bernie Ecclestone has been talking to the German publication Sport Bild and has caused the usual scandle he does when he speaks here are the highlights.
Williams
Bernie Ecclestone has described Williams' current situation as "terrible", and the former F1 supremo, who was at the sport's helm for the entire duration of Williams' 9 constructors' and 7 drivers' championships, is concerned the British team will struggle to recover. "Williams is in a terrible situation, just to think that quite recently they were on Ferrari's level, and now they are at the very back of the grid. The problem is that the engineers will all now be getting offers from Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull" said Ecclestone.
Lewis Hamilton
Ecclestone has also spoken about Lewis Hamilton’s F1 future and in particular the prospect of the Mercedes driver ever moving to rivals Ferrari.When asked if the five-time world champion would swap silver for red, Ecclestone said: “He’s in great shape. Formula 1 is basically Lewis’ hobby, he’s really comfortable. I don’t think he’ll change teams now. I think if Mercedes stop in 2020, Lewis will stop as well”.
Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari driver Vettel has not had the best of starts this season and is under pressure from team-mate Charles Leclerc. But don’t expect four-time title winner Vettel to move either. “He won’t change teams, he will end his career at Ferrari. And I think not much is needed for that to happen. Sebastian has a happy family life and does not want Formula 1 to put him out of balance”. Ecclestone added "People underestimate him. He will find a way out of the low he's in. I've thought a lot about it, because I really like Sebastian and he is my friend. He often makes silly mistakes when he's fighting Lewis. It's like a mental block for him. Sebastian really respects Lewis and wants to do better than him. In Bahrain, he could have overtaken him later because his car was faster". Ecclestone backs Vettel to not only win in China but also to win the 2019 drivers championship, claiming he has the car to do it.
Formula E
"It's a different form of entertainment but Formula E will begin to get much, much bigger and better, which is slowly what they are doing anyway and Formula One will suffer because of that. But I'd be a little bit concerned about Formula E for sure". When asked which he would consider to be the better business proposition right now, he said "I think I'd have to say Formula E. There's more chance there of big, big expansion and more chances commercially than there is of changing things in Formula One".
Michael Schumacher
Bernie's comments about Michael Schumacher have pissed off Schumacher's former manager Willi Weber. Ecclestone said "His [Schumacher's] problem was that he had no limits. The scandals brought a lot of publicity, but not the right kind. It was good for Formula 1 but not so good for him, but that's what I meant by him not knowing the limits". Bernie was referring to incidents like Jerez 1997, when Schumacher turned in on his championship rival Jacques Villeneuve, earning disqualification from the year's standings, but failing regardless to halt the Canadian's title charge.
Willi Weber was asked to comment on what Ecclestone had said, his response was "That's stupid talk from Ecclestone. As a racing driver, you have to go to and sometimes beyond the limit. Nobody knew this better than Michael, who became the most successful racing driver of all time. Bernie knows it too. The fact is that Villeneuve actually invited him to drive into him. I told Michael: 'If you do it, do it right, just as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna did a dozen times, but he did it half-heartedly, because as a German he knew it was shit".
You can always count on Bernie to get a reaction, keep pissing people off you old rascal KKKKKK
Is Pierre Gasly on his way out of Red Bull already
I find it hard to believe that after only two races there are hundreds of column inches being dedicated to speculation that Pierre Gasly is about to be replaced at Red Bull, I'm sure if he doesn't improve soon it will happen. His performances in these two races have landed him on the hot seat already, and this hot seat is one that may get very well get hotter well before silly season even truly starts to heat up. There are already rumors that the 23-year-old Frenchman will be replaced not only for the 2020 season but for part of the 2019 season, and these rumors suggest that he could be cut by the Milton Keynes-based team in the very near future if he does not step up his performance.
Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsports and Scuderia Ferrari have combined to win each of the 120 Formula 1 races that have taken place since Kimi Raikkonen won the 2013 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, driving for Lotus more than six years ago. These three teams are still by far the top three teams in Formula 1, and they have all finished in the top three in the constructor standings in each of the last three seasons. Their drivers have all finished in the top six in the driver standings in each of the last three seasons as well. As a result, it is pretty much expected that the six Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and Ferrari drivers will finish each race in the top six, assuming that nothing goes wrong with their cars.
Five of these six drivers have started and finished both of the season’s first two races in not only the top six but the top five. The one who hasn’t is Gasly, and he has not yet even cracked the top seven. He is also the only one of these six drivers who is not currently in the top five in the driver standings, as he sits down in 10th place. Gasly qualified in 17th place for the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, and he finished this race in 11th before going on to qualify in 13th for the season’s second race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, and finish it in eighth. This level of performance from a driver simply cannot continue at a top-tier team for much longer. Assuming Red Bull Racing do not let it continue and they promote another driver to be the new teammate to Max Verstappen, who would the 21-year-old Dutchman’s new teammate be? The two primary candidates are most definitely Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon.
Bernie Ecclestone has been talking to the German publication Sport Bild and has caused the usual scandle he does when he speaks
here are the highlights.Williams
Bernie Ecclestone has described Williams' current situation as "terrible", and the former F1 supremo, who was at the sport's helm for the entire duration of Williams' 9 constructors' and 7 drivers' championships, is concerned the British team will struggle to recover. "Williams is in a terrible situation, just to think that quite recently they were on Ferrari's level, and now they are at the very back of the grid. The problem is that the engineers will all now be getting offers from Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull" said Ecclestone.
Lewis Hamilton
Ecclestone has also spoken about Lewis Hamilton’s F1 future and in particular the prospect of the Mercedes driver ever moving to rivals Ferrari.When asked if the five-time world champion would swap silver for red, Ecclestone said: “He’s in great shape. Formula 1 is basically Lewis’ hobby, he’s really comfortable. I don’t think he’ll change teams now. I think if Mercedes stop in 2020, Lewis will stop as well”.
Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari driver Vettel has not had the best of starts this season and is under pressure from team-mate Charles Leclerc. But don’t expect four-time title winner Vettel to move either. “He won’t change teams, he will end his career at Ferrari. And I think not much is needed for that to happen. Sebastian has a happy family life and does not want Formula 1 to put him out of balance”. Ecclestone added "People underestimate him. He will find a way out of the low he's in. I've thought a lot about it, because I really like Sebastian and he is my friend. He often makes silly mistakes when he's fighting Lewis. It's like a mental block for him. Sebastian really respects Lewis and wants to do better than him. In Bahrain, he could have overtaken him later because his car was faster". Ecclestone backs Vettel to not only win in China but also to win the 2019 drivers championship, claiming he has the car to do it.
Formula E
"It's a different form of entertainment but Formula E will begin to get much, much bigger and better, which is slowly what they are doing anyway and Formula One will suffer because of that. But I'd be a little bit concerned about Formula E for sure". When asked which he would consider to be the better business proposition right now, he said "I think I'd have to say Formula E. There's more chance there of big, big expansion and more chances commercially than there is of changing things in Formula One".
Michael Schumacher
Bernie's comments about Michael Schumacher have pissed off Schumacher's former manager Willi Weber. Ecclestone said "His [Schumacher's] problem was that he had no limits. The scandals brought a lot of publicity, but not the right kind. It was good for Formula 1 but not so good for him, but that's what I meant by him not knowing the limits". Bernie was referring to incidents like Jerez 1997, when Schumacher turned in on his championship rival Jacques Villeneuve, earning disqualification from the year's standings, but failing regardless to halt the Canadian's title charge.
Willi Weber was asked to comment on what Ecclestone had said, his response was "That's stupid talk from Ecclestone. As a racing driver, you have to go to and sometimes beyond the limit. Nobody knew this better than Michael, who became the most successful racing driver of all time. Bernie knows it too. The fact is that Villeneuve actually invited him to drive into him. I told Michael: 'If you do it, do it right, just as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna did a dozen times, but he did it half-heartedly, because as a German he knew it was shit".
You can always count on Bernie to get a reaction, keep pissing people off you old rascal
KKKKKKIs Pierre Gasly on his way out of Red Bull already
I find it hard to believe that after only two races there are hundreds of column inches being dedicated to speculation that Pierre Gasly is about to be replaced at Red Bull, I'm sure if he doesn't improve soon it will happen. His performances in these two races have landed him on the hot seat already, and this hot seat is one that may get very well get hotter well before silly season even truly starts to heat up. There are already rumors that the 23-year-old Frenchman will be replaced not only for the 2020 season but for part of the 2019 season, and these rumors suggest that he could be cut by the Milton Keynes-based team in the very near future if he does not step up his performance.
Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsports and Scuderia Ferrari have combined to win each of the 120 Formula 1 races that have taken place since Kimi Raikkonen won the 2013 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, driving for Lotus more than six years ago. These three teams are still by far the top three teams in Formula 1, and they have all finished in the top three in the constructor standings in each of the last three seasons. Their drivers have all finished in the top six in the driver standings in each of the last three seasons as well. As a result, it is pretty much expected that the six Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and Ferrari drivers will finish each race in the top six, assuming that nothing goes wrong with their cars.
Five of these six drivers have started and finished both of the season’s first two races in not only the top six but the top five. The one who hasn’t is Gasly, and he has not yet even cracked the top seven. He is also the only one of these six drivers who is not currently in the top five in the driver standings, as he sits down in 10th place. Gasly qualified in 17th place for the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, and he finished this race in 11th before going on to qualify in 13th for the season’s second race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, and finish it in eighth. This level of performance from a driver simply cannot continue at a top-tier team for much longer. Assuming Red Bull Racing do not let it continue and they promote another driver to be the new teammate to Max Verstappen, who would the 21-year-old Dutchman’s new teammate be? The two primary candidates are most definitely Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon.
1%er
Well-Known Member
I have no idea about sky really I only watch the Sky link because I like the presenters and coverage better than that on Brazilian TV. They show it on Sky One to try and get people interested, so when they go to Sky F1 only people will pay for that extra package.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Very interesting comment in one of the articles 1%er pasted above, about the Ferrari fuel. They certainly have some speed from somewhere and it seems to be something they can only use with trepidation, as their extra speed deserted them in Aus but was back in Bahrain until Chuck LeChuck’s engine had a little malfunction. Who really believes this BS story Ferrari put out about a short circuit in an injector control circuit?
Seems likely to me that whatever trickery they are employing to get the extra power is marginal on reliability and just like Red Bull blaming a “spark plug problem” for Vettel’s burnt exhaust in Abu Dhabi 2010 (when Red Bull were first experimenting with retarded ignition exhaust blowing), Ferrari have put out a cover story.
I’m still backing Vettel for WDC as he’s in the best car and will be favoured by Ferrari if push comes to shove. I’ve even put £20 on him at 4:1 as after a couple of bad races the odds just became too generous to resist.
Seems likely to me that whatever trickery they are employing to get the extra power is marginal on reliability and just like Red Bull blaming a “spark plug problem” for Vettel’s burnt exhaust in Abu Dhabi 2010 (when Red Bull were first experimenting with retarded ignition exhaust blowing), Ferrari have put out a cover story.
I’m still backing Vettel for WDC as he’s in the best car and will be favoured by Ferrari if push comes to shove. I’ve even put £20 on him at 4:1 as after a couple of bad races the odds just became too generous to resist.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Mercedes and Red Bull front wings illegal
Mercedes has fallen foul of Formula 1's new front wing regulations with their update for the Chinese Grand Prix. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports a cut-out at the top of the endplate on the new concept doesn't adhere to the rule that all main elements of the front wing must not be visible when viewed from the side. While deemed illegal, it is believed Mercedes still ran the design in practice on Friday but will have to either adapt or switch back to an old spec in time for qualifying on Saturday.
As well as the cut-out in the endplate Mercedes and Red Bull (possibly Williams) have a different problem, a rules clarification ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix has prompted Red Bull and Mercedes to be asked to modify aspects of their front wing designs. But while both teams brought new wing specifications to Shanghai it’s not the new regulations that are causing the problem, but rather a much older rule. At the FIA’s request both teams changed the front edges of their endplates to prevent puncturing other cars tyres. F1 rules have long demanded a rounded leading edge to front wing endplates. This is to prevent sharp surfaces which might cut another car’s tyre. Thus, a rule of a minimum 10mm thickness and a 5mm radius applied to the front edge of the endplate has been enforced. Additionally, the front 50mm of the endplate must be made of a specific carbon fibre construction, so that is it is easier to deform against the tyre and not cut it.
The FIA are also introducing further, detail changes to this area for 2020, with any metal inserts or add-ons banned from the front of the endplate. These proposed changes probably spurred on the closer examination of the grid’s current wings.
More on the "new" Ferrari fuel
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner complained that Ferrari have a funny smelling fuel which may not lie within F1 regulations. "The fuel from the Ferrari garage smells like grapefruit juice," Horner said ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Haas have their engines supplied by Ferrari and have weighed in on the controversial topic of the fuel they receive. Steiner poked fun at Horner by suggesting a secret meeting took place to discuss the smell. "At the beginning of the season we had a meeting with Ferrari and they asked us what flavour we want, our guys like raspberry so we asked for raspberry flavour”. However, he quickly set the record straight in humorous style. "I've never heard that a fuel smelling like grapefruit, I’ve no idea, I've never smelt their fuel. I haven't noticed we have grapefruit smell in our garage!"
Fellow Red Bull chief Helmut Marko also thinks there is something suspicious at Ferrari. But he still believes the Prancing Horse are competing within the laws of the sport. "It's true that there is a funny smell from the Ferrari garage, but it's not grapefruit. It's strawberry. We assume that Ferrari has found the perfect fuel mix for its engine and done a really good job. Now we all have to do that. Their car is not illegal".
Results of FP2
Formula 1 championship leader Valtteri Bottas edged out Sebastian Vettel to set the pace as Mercedes responded to Ferrari during second practice for the Chinese Grand Prix. Ferrari had held an advantage of around two-tenths as Vettel led the way on harder tyres in the opening session, but Bottas moved to the top of the time sheets in FP2 by setting a 1m33.330s on Pirelli’s softest compound as drivers completed their qualifying simulations. Vettel ended up just 0.027s behind the Finn on the same tyre compound, with Max Verstappen two tenths further back in third place in what was an encouraging showing for the Honda-powered Red Bull squad. The Dutchman posted the outright fastest first sector and a mistake at the final corner suggested there was more time to come from his RB15.
1. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport 1m33.330s
2. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari + 0.027s
3. Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda + 0.221s
4. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport + 0.707s
5. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault F1 Team + 0.766s
6. Carlos Sainz ESP McLaren F1 Team + 0.811s
7. Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari + 0.828s
8. Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 0.966s
9. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Renault F1 Team + 1.006s
10. Pierre Gasly FRA Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda + 1.125s
11. Kimi Raikkonen ITA Alfa Romeo Racing + 1.221s
12. Alexander Albon THA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1.304s
13. Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1.364s
14. Lance Stroll CAN SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team + 1.449s
15. Sergio Perez MEX SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team + 1.454s
16. Kevin Magnussen DEN Rich Energy Haas F1 Team + 1.458s
17. Romain Grosjean FRA Rich Energy Haas F1 Team + 2.374s
18. Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing + 2.584s
19. Robert Kubica POL ROKiT Williams Racing + 2.791s
20. George Russell GBR ROKiT Williams Racing + 2.899s
Mercedes has fallen foul of Formula 1's new front wing regulations with their update for the Chinese Grand Prix. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports a cut-out at the top of the endplate on the new concept doesn't adhere to the rule that all main elements of the front wing must not be visible when viewed from the side. While deemed illegal, it is believed Mercedes still ran the design in practice on Friday but will have to either adapt or switch back to an old spec in time for qualifying on Saturday.
As well as the cut-out in the endplate Mercedes and Red Bull (possibly Williams) have a different problem, a rules clarification ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix has prompted Red Bull and Mercedes to be asked to modify aspects of their front wing designs. But while both teams brought new wing specifications to Shanghai it’s not the new regulations that are causing the problem, but rather a much older rule. At the FIA’s request both teams changed the front edges of their endplates to prevent puncturing other cars tyres. F1 rules have long demanded a rounded leading edge to front wing endplates. This is to prevent sharp surfaces which might cut another car’s tyre. Thus, a rule of a minimum 10mm thickness and a 5mm radius applied to the front edge of the endplate has been enforced. Additionally, the front 50mm of the endplate must be made of a specific carbon fibre construction, so that is it is easier to deform against the tyre and not cut it.
The FIA are also introducing further, detail changes to this area for 2020, with any metal inserts or add-ons banned from the front of the endplate. These proposed changes probably spurred on the closer examination of the grid’s current wings.
More on the "new" Ferrari fuel
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner complained that Ferrari have a funny smelling fuel which may not lie within F1 regulations. "The fuel from the Ferrari garage smells like grapefruit juice," Horner said ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Haas have their engines supplied by Ferrari and have weighed in on the controversial topic of the fuel they receive. Steiner poked fun at Horner by suggesting a secret meeting took place to discuss the smell. "At the beginning of the season we had a meeting with Ferrari and they asked us what flavour we want, our guys like raspberry so we asked for raspberry flavour”. However, he quickly set the record straight in humorous style. "I've never heard that a fuel smelling like grapefruit, I’ve no idea, I've never smelt their fuel. I haven't noticed we have grapefruit smell in our garage!"
Fellow Red Bull chief Helmut Marko also thinks there is something suspicious at Ferrari. But he still believes the Prancing Horse are competing within the laws of the sport. "It's true that there is a funny smell from the Ferrari garage, but it's not grapefruit. It's strawberry. We assume that Ferrari has found the perfect fuel mix for its engine and done a really good job. Now we all have to do that. Their car is not illegal".
Results of FP2
Formula 1 championship leader Valtteri Bottas edged out Sebastian Vettel to set the pace as Mercedes responded to Ferrari during second practice for the Chinese Grand Prix. Ferrari had held an advantage of around two-tenths as Vettel led the way on harder tyres in the opening session, but Bottas moved to the top of the time sheets in FP2 by setting a 1m33.330s on Pirelli’s softest compound as drivers completed their qualifying simulations. Vettel ended up just 0.027s behind the Finn on the same tyre compound, with Max Verstappen two tenths further back in third place in what was an encouraging showing for the Honda-powered Red Bull squad. The Dutchman posted the outright fastest first sector and a mistake at the final corner suggested there was more time to come from his RB15.
1. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport 1m33.330s
2. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari + 0.027s
3. Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda + 0.221s
4. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport + 0.707s
5. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault F1 Team + 0.766s
6. Carlos Sainz ESP McLaren F1 Team + 0.811s
7. Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari + 0.828s
8. Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 0.966s
9. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Renault F1 Team + 1.006s
10. Pierre Gasly FRA Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda + 1.125s
11. Kimi Raikkonen ITA Alfa Romeo Racing + 1.221s
12. Alexander Albon THA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1.304s
13. Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1.364s
14. Lance Stroll CAN SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team + 1.449s
15. Sergio Perez MEX SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team + 1.454s
16. Kevin Magnussen DEN Rich Energy Haas F1 Team + 1.458s
17. Romain Grosjean FRA Rich Energy Haas F1 Team + 2.374s
18. Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing + 2.584s
19. Robert Kubica POL ROKiT Williams Racing + 2.791s
20. George Russell GBR ROKiT Williams Racing + 2.899s
1%er
Well-Known Member
I had to check the date to see if it was April the 1st, 99.9% of the time I have no idea what the date is, just about know what month it is. Time means nothing to me nowadays, I think qualifying and race start time are the only thing I need to know, being retired is timeless
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Wow, haven’t seen the Albon crash yet but it sounds like a good one.
Was that Nico Rosberg you were ranting at Limejuice? I was never a fan of his and still think the move he pulled in quali at Monaco was pretty low.
I remember Nico R saying during his Beyond the Grid F1 podcast interview that he had invested some of his money in a company developing a human carrying drone which was going to launch “next year sometime” (would be around now). And of course we are all on the verge of buying giant quad copters to replace our cars, aren’t we? And the (somewhat strict) laws governing manned aviation are likely to be imminently changed to allow people to head for the heavens on oversized hover-mowers, are they not? The phrase which sprang to mind began with “a fool and his money”
Was that Nico Rosberg you were ranting at Limejuice? I was never a fan of his and still think the move he pulled in quali at Monaco was pretty low.
I remember Nico R saying during his Beyond the Grid F1 podcast interview that he had invested some of his money in a company developing a human carrying drone which was going to launch “next year sometime” (would be around now). And of course we are all on the verge of buying giant quad copters to replace our cars, aren’t we? And the (somewhat strict) laws governing manned aviation are likely to be imminently changed to allow people to head for the heavens on oversized hover-mowers, are they not? The phrase which sprang to mind began with “a fool and his money”
I met this company earlier in the year. They are already flying across the UAE so might not be too much of a stretch.
Volocopter - Home
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Yes, Nico Who? is indeed the empty footprint that scraped an F1 champion's rosette then fucked off.
Having pissed on the sport, he now seems to be epoxy-resined to the microphone making noises with that flapping bit of what appears to be a face.
