F1 2019
- Thread starter 1%er
- Start date
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
I don't think Toto will pull a Frank Williams and sack a proven winner. If Botty keeps this up, he's going to be in a silver car next season.
1%er
Well-Known Member
According to the press he wants to be re-signed before the summer break, he is well aware of Ocon in the wings
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
I'll be out of commission for that race, alas. I have tickets for the European Rugby champions final on the Saturday, and it's guaranteed to turn into an intergalactic drinking contest.
1%er
Well-Known Member
I hope so, but I think Lewis will start to pull a gap and it is them we will see if Bottas can stay with him
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Maybe Toto keeps Ocon hanging around to wind Botty up. If so, it's working.
1%er
Well-Known Member
I bet he is working hard to find Ocon a drive for next year while Bottas is on this form
Watched the 7pm highlights on C4. Race was not a great spectacle but still interesting.
Killed time between lunch and 7pm watching the Netflix show (Drive to Survive) which was excellent.
Killed time between lunch and 7pm watching the Netflix show (Drive to Survive) which was excellent.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Tomorrow is Senna day
Tomorrow while the rest of the world celebrates International Workers Day, here in Brazil many will mourn the death of one of Brazil greatest sportsman. A master on the Formula One racing track, triple world champion Ayrton Senna was the pride of Brazil. Twenty-five years after his tragic death in the San Marino Grand Prix, he remains one of the country's biggest sporting legends. The anniversary of Senna's death tomorrow, dubbed "Senna Day" will revive the sense of loss and bewilderment that followed the shocking crash on the Imola circuit in Italy on May 1, 1994, that took the 34-year-old's life.
It will also serve as a bitter reminder that since Senna's last title in 1991, there has never been a Brazilian world champion. Senna's death sparked an outpouring of grief around the world. But his loss was felt acutely in Brazil where the sight of Senna, easily identifiable by his distinctive yellow crash helmet, taking the chequered flag, had been a rare source of joy for ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.
Apart from his exceptional driving skills, his attention to other elements of the sport, such as physical and mental preparation, as well as understanding the vehicle and the technology that powered it, set him apart from other drivers. Such was his popularity among Brazilians that 25 years after his death Senna's image continues to be used in advertising and social campaigns. A survey in 2014 showed 47 percent of people in Senna's home city of Sao Paulo ranked him as the biggest sporting name in the country.
Football great Pele was a distant second. Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, played at a time when people listened to football on the radio or read it in the newspaper, it wasn't the same intensity or emotion. With Senna, it was Sundays with the family in front of the television. Cultural and sporting events are planned for "Senna Day" at Sao Paulo's Interlagos track.
Charismatic and controversial, Senna was crowned the F1 world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991 when he drove for McLaren. He had already switched to the Williams team when he was killed. It was at McLaren that Senna's notorious rivalry with French driver Alain Prost began a relationship that has been scrutinized over and over by F1 observers for years. It's obvious that everything was not perfect. There was rivalry on the track, However the positive aspects outweighed the negative I believe. After years of public bickering the two drivers appeared to resolve their differences before Senna's death and Prost helped carry the coffin of his deceased team-mate.
Before Senna, two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi (1972 and 1974) and three-time world champion Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and 1987) put Brazil on the F1 map. In the past 25 years, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa eleven podiums each but without a world title were the best Brazilian F1 drivers. This year, there is not a single Brazilian on the grid.
I along with many will also mourn the death of Roland Ratzenberger who died the same weekend, on the 30th April during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.
Tomorrow while the rest of the world celebrates International Workers Day, here in Brazil many will mourn the death of one of Brazil greatest sportsman. A master on the Formula One racing track, triple world champion Ayrton Senna was the pride of Brazil. Twenty-five years after his tragic death in the San Marino Grand Prix, he remains one of the country's biggest sporting legends. The anniversary of Senna's death tomorrow, dubbed "Senna Day" will revive the sense of loss and bewilderment that followed the shocking crash on the Imola circuit in Italy on May 1, 1994, that took the 34-year-old's life.
It will also serve as a bitter reminder that since Senna's last title in 1991, there has never been a Brazilian world champion. Senna's death sparked an outpouring of grief around the world. But his loss was felt acutely in Brazil where the sight of Senna, easily identifiable by his distinctive yellow crash helmet, taking the chequered flag, had been a rare source of joy for ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.
Apart from his exceptional driving skills, his attention to other elements of the sport, such as physical and mental preparation, as well as understanding the vehicle and the technology that powered it, set him apart from other drivers. Such was his popularity among Brazilians that 25 years after his death Senna's image continues to be used in advertising and social campaigns. A survey in 2014 showed 47 percent of people in Senna's home city of Sao Paulo ranked him as the biggest sporting name in the country.
Football great Pele was a distant second. Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, played at a time when people listened to football on the radio or read it in the newspaper, it wasn't the same intensity or emotion. With Senna, it was Sundays with the family in front of the television. Cultural and sporting events are planned for "Senna Day" at Sao Paulo's Interlagos track.
Charismatic and controversial, Senna was crowned the F1 world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991 when he drove for McLaren. He had already switched to the Williams team when he was killed. It was at McLaren that Senna's notorious rivalry with French driver Alain Prost began a relationship that has been scrutinized over and over by F1 observers for years. It's obvious that everything was not perfect. There was rivalry on the track, However the positive aspects outweighed the negative I believe. After years of public bickering the two drivers appeared to resolve their differences before Senna's death and Prost helped carry the coffin of his deceased team-mate.
Before Senna, two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi (1972 and 1974) and three-time world champion Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and 1987) put Brazil on the F1 map. In the past 25 years, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa eleven podiums each but without a world title were the best Brazilian F1 drivers. This year, there is not a single Brazilian on the grid.
I along with many will also mourn the death of Roland Ratzenberger who died the same weekend, on the 30th April during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.
1%er
Well-Known Member
News and gossip about new and old races
Netherlands
Perhaps something that’s been on the cards for quite a long time, certainly since the rise of Max Verstappen and his Orange fanatics have poured into Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, now they will get a GP of their own. Hints from several sources have been given in recent weeks. Now since these rumours, more weight has been thrown onto the speculation that now seems to be actually happening. According to Dutch Formula 1 commentator Olav Mol, Liberty Media owned Formula One Management will announce that the Dutch Grand Prix will be back as soon as next year.
The Dutch sports commentator claimed that the announcement will happen between the 14th and 16th of May. Olav says that his talks with some FOM bosses over the Baku weekend revealed that the announcement is imminent. The announcement is thought to be at around the same time as Max Verstappen’s "Jumbo Racedagen" event to be held at the Zandvoort Circuit. It is believed that F1 will once again race in the sand dunes of Holland.
According to Zandvoort circuit spokesperson Jan Lammers, there will be some minor changes to the track. Namely the Hugenholtz-corner (which is the hairpin) and the part coming on to the main straight, also some work will need to be done to the Paddock area. These changes can be made very quickly, in a matter of a few months, in time for next year. Doubters that the infrastructure can be implemented might want to look back to the Mexican race, where the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City was in a terrible state of repair just a short time before the first race in the modern era a few years ago.
Barcelona Spain
Will the next race on the calendar the Barcelona Grand Prix be the last race in Spain for sometime. The word is that the new Dutch GP will be taking Spanish race place and be held on the 10th May 2020. Barcelona is one of five races whose contracts expire after this season, along with Silverstone, Hockenheim, Monza and Mexico City Political problems between the Spanish national government and Catalonia are likely to make it impossible for a deal to be struck in the near future. All of the above races face financial challenges, but the Spanish event is widely regarded as the most vulnerable after losing government support. The absence of Fernando Alonso will be an ongoing blow to ticket sales, unless the double World Champion makes a surprise return to the grid.
Monza Italy
The Italian Grand Prix is set to continue at Monza circuit for another five years. The current deal expires at the end of the season but yesterday the Italian Automobile Club said it reached an agreement in principle with Formula One owner Liberty Media on "the economic details of the contract" to keep the race at the historic circuit until 2024. Monza, which first hosted an Italian GP in 1922, is one of the most beloved tracks on the circuit. No circuit has hosted more F1 racing. It was on the inaugural 1950 calendar and dropped off only in 1980 when Imola hosted the Italian GP.
Silverstone UK
Is there a deal or isn't there, well that is a very interesting question, as a number of people have reported that the deal is done, claiming that a 3 year deal has been signed. Yet both FOM and the track owners the British Racing Drivers' Club claim there is no deal in place. I think the real situation is that a deal was done but then the BRDC just before signing wanted some extra bits and bobs. For sure one thing that is holding up is the deal is exclusivity, I believe. FOM have said publicly that they are in talks to hold a street race somewhere in London and the BRDC are concerned that if they find a venue and the London street race gets on the calendar, it will have a detrimental effect of ticket sales for Silverstone. but having two races in the UK has happened before on several occasions and did not have any dramatic effect on either venue. Silverstone sells out each year and I am sure that a street race in London would sell out as well.
I think other issues that may be holding things up are the rumors that the race fee for Vietnam is very low and that Spa recently did a deal with a reduced fee, much lower than has been offered to Silverstone and also that FOM offered Miami "a revenue sharing plan" that would have offset the risk to the race promoter. Personally I don't believe Vietnam have a lower fee than Silverstone, but if the rumors about Spa and Miami are true this could be holding things up. It must be remembered that Silverstone is the only race on the calendar that gets no help from government (local, regional or national) to fund the race.
More standardized parts in the pipeline
The FIA has initiated tenders for standard brake systems and wheel rims for Formula 1 from 2021, when the sport ushers in its new regulation platform. In a bid to reduce costs and simplify to a certain extent F1 technology, commercial rights owner Liberty Media and the FIA, along with the teams, have opted to introduce standardized parts into Grand Prix racing. A tender was opened earlier this year to invite potential suppliers of gearboxes to participate in the procurement process. And now F1's governing body is offering contracts for two additional components that will cover the 2021 to 2024 period.
Regarding a standardized brake system, the tender is divided into two elements, brake pads and frictions disc on one side and a brake hydraulic system on the other. The FIA emphasized that the brake hydraulic system would consist of front and rear brake calipers, a master cylinder and a brake-by-wire system. Teams however would be allowed to design their own specific brake lines, hoses and reservoirs for the system. The second tender involves 18-inch wheel rims, with the FIA specifying that there will be scope for the wheel width to change slightly for 2021, with potential suppliers expected to deliver 60 sets of wheel rims over the course of the season.
Netherlands
Perhaps something that’s been on the cards for quite a long time, certainly since the rise of Max Verstappen and his Orange fanatics have poured into Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, now they will get a GP of their own. Hints from several sources have been given in recent weeks. Now since these rumours, more weight has been thrown onto the speculation that now seems to be actually happening. According to Dutch Formula 1 commentator Olav Mol, Liberty Media owned Formula One Management will announce that the Dutch Grand Prix will be back as soon as next year.
The Dutch sports commentator claimed that the announcement will happen between the 14th and 16th of May. Olav says that his talks with some FOM bosses over the Baku weekend revealed that the announcement is imminent. The announcement is thought to be at around the same time as Max Verstappen’s "Jumbo Racedagen" event to be held at the Zandvoort Circuit. It is believed that F1 will once again race in the sand dunes of Holland.
According to Zandvoort circuit spokesperson Jan Lammers, there will be some minor changes to the track. Namely the Hugenholtz-corner (which is the hairpin) and the part coming on to the main straight, also some work will need to be done to the Paddock area. These changes can be made very quickly, in a matter of a few months, in time for next year. Doubters that the infrastructure can be implemented might want to look back to the Mexican race, where the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City was in a terrible state of repair just a short time before the first race in the modern era a few years ago.
Barcelona Spain
Will the next race on the calendar the Barcelona Grand Prix be the last race in Spain for sometime. The word is that the new Dutch GP will be taking Spanish race place and be held on the 10th May 2020. Barcelona is one of five races whose contracts expire after this season, along with Silverstone, Hockenheim, Monza and Mexico City Political problems between the Spanish national government and Catalonia are likely to make it impossible for a deal to be struck in the near future. All of the above races face financial challenges, but the Spanish event is widely regarded as the most vulnerable after losing government support. The absence of Fernando Alonso will be an ongoing blow to ticket sales, unless the double World Champion makes a surprise return to the grid.
Monza Italy
The Italian Grand Prix is set to continue at Monza circuit for another five years. The current deal expires at the end of the season but yesterday the Italian Automobile Club said it reached an agreement in principle with Formula One owner Liberty Media on "the economic details of the contract" to keep the race at the historic circuit until 2024. Monza, which first hosted an Italian GP in 1922, is one of the most beloved tracks on the circuit. No circuit has hosted more F1 racing. It was on the inaugural 1950 calendar and dropped off only in 1980 when Imola hosted the Italian GP.
Silverstone UK
Is there a deal or isn't there, well that is a very interesting question, as a number of people have reported that the deal is done, claiming that a 3 year deal has been signed. Yet both FOM and the track owners the British Racing Drivers' Club claim there is no deal in place. I think the real situation is that a deal was done but then the BRDC just before signing wanted some extra bits and bobs. For sure one thing that is holding up is the deal is exclusivity, I believe. FOM have said publicly that they are in talks to hold a street race somewhere in London and the BRDC are concerned that if they find a venue and the London street race gets on the calendar, it will have a detrimental effect of ticket sales for Silverstone. but having two races in the UK has happened before on several occasions and did not have any dramatic effect on either venue. Silverstone sells out each year and I am sure that a street race in London would sell out as well.
I think other issues that may be holding things up are the rumors that the race fee for Vietnam is very low and that Spa recently did a deal with a reduced fee, much lower than has been offered to Silverstone and also that FOM offered Miami "a revenue sharing plan" that would have offset the risk to the race promoter. Personally I don't believe Vietnam have a lower fee than Silverstone, but if the rumors about Spa and Miami are true this could be holding things up. It must be remembered that Silverstone is the only race on the calendar that gets no help from government (local, regional or national) to fund the race.
More standardized parts in the pipeline
The FIA has initiated tenders for standard brake systems and wheel rims for Formula 1 from 2021, when the sport ushers in its new regulation platform. In a bid to reduce costs and simplify to a certain extent F1 technology, commercial rights owner Liberty Media and the FIA, along with the teams, have opted to introduce standardized parts into Grand Prix racing. A tender was opened earlier this year to invite potential suppliers of gearboxes to participate in the procurement process. And now F1's governing body is offering contracts for two additional components that will cover the 2021 to 2024 period.
Regarding a standardized brake system, the tender is divided into two elements, brake pads and frictions disc on one side and a brake hydraulic system on the other. The FIA emphasized that the brake hydraulic system would consist of front and rear brake calipers, a master cylinder and a brake-by-wire system. Teams however would be allowed to design their own specific brake lines, hoses and reservoirs for the system. The second tender involves 18-inch wheel rims, with the FIA specifying that there will be scope for the wheel width to change slightly for 2021, with potential suppliers expected to deliver 60 sets of wheel rims over the course of the season.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Viewer numbers for Channel 4's highlights coverage of the Bahrain Grand Prix showed a drop of 44% on 2018, is followed by the revelation that audience numbers for the subsequent Chinese Grand Prix were down a further 13.2%.
Broadcasters Audience Research Board figures state that 1,410,100 viewers watched the broadcast on their TVs, while 19,959 tuned in on a PC or laptop, 5,236 watched it on a tablet and 4,086 used a smartphone. This gives a total of 1,439,381 which is a drop of 13.2% on the 1,658,137 who watched the Bahrain race and 30.1% down on viewer numbers for the 2018 event in Shanghai.
In fact, this year's audience figures for the Shanghai race marked Channel 4's lowest for the event since the broadcaster began covering F1 in 2016. That same year, 1.8 million tuned in, with a peak of 2.1 million in 2018, dropping this year to 1.4 million.
I agree with you about Drive to Survive and the good news is that they are currently making season two.
1%er
Well-Known Member
No change to qualifying in 2020
Above I posted that authorities were considering adding a fourth segment to the current knockout style qualifying sessions. But this has now been taken off the table. The FIA published the 2020 sporting regulations on Tuesday and it showed that the current 'Q3' qualifying format remains unchanged, I haven't had a chance to take a close look at them yet, but if there are any important changes I'll post something here.
The FIA published both the 2020 sporting regulations and the 2020 technical regulations on the 30th April and for anyone who want to read them they can be downloaded from here in PDF format. Just scroll down the page to "latest documents" and click on the links.
Saudi Arabia offers $60 million to host race
Saudi Arabia has allegedly made a massive offer to Liberty Media to host an F1 Grand Prix in the city of Riyadh in the near future. Saudi Arabia is offering $60 million for the right to organize a round of the F1 world championship in the country's capital, a hefty amount that must have surely got Liberty Media's full attention. While Riyadh would be the venue of choice for an F1 Grand Prix, no specific location for a track has yet been determined.
As enticing and lucrative as Saudi Arabia's offer may be for Formula 1, it's likely to generate controversy among the public and the sport's fans given the conservative country's poor human rights record and the shortfalls of bin Salman's reforms. However, Liberty Media will likely remain tone deaf to the criticism, and humbly accept the big bucks that could come its way.
Above I posted that authorities were considering adding a fourth segment to the current knockout style qualifying sessions. But this has now been taken off the table. The FIA published the 2020 sporting regulations on Tuesday and it showed that the current 'Q3' qualifying format remains unchanged, I haven't had a chance to take a close look at them yet, but if there are any important changes I'll post something here.
The FIA published both the 2020 sporting regulations and the 2020 technical regulations on the 30th April and for anyone who want to read them they can be downloaded from here in PDF format. Just scroll down the page to "latest documents" and click on the links.
Saudi Arabia offers $60 million to host race
Saudi Arabia has allegedly made a massive offer to Liberty Media to host an F1 Grand Prix in the city of Riyadh in the near future. Saudi Arabia is offering $60 million for the right to organize a round of the F1 world championship in the country's capital, a hefty amount that must have surely got Liberty Media's full attention. While Riyadh would be the venue of choice for an F1 Grand Prix, no specific location for a track has yet been determined.
As enticing and lucrative as Saudi Arabia's offer may be for Formula 1, it's likely to generate controversy among the public and the sport's fans given the conservative country's poor human rights record and the shortfalls of bin Salman's reforms. However, Liberty Media will likely remain tone deaf to the criticism, and humbly accept the big bucks that could come its way.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Liberty will shrug its shoulders and say human rights are an internal matter.
The protests in Bahrain had no lasting effect. The race was cancelled in 2011 but staged in 2012 and ever since. Put a gun to its head, Liberty will express concern through its PR agencies. But media companies would sell their grandmothers to the slave trade to get one more pair of eyes and a cent on the stock price.
The protests in Bahrain had no lasting effect. The race was cancelled in 2011 but staged in 2012 and ever since. Put a gun to its head, Liberty will express concern through its PR agencies. But media companies would sell their grandmothers to the slave trade to get one more pair of eyes and a cent on the stock price.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Big upgrades in Barcelona for Ferrari
According to reports in the Italian press Ferrari are looking to change both their front wing and rear wing for next weeks Spanish Grand Prix. The upgrades are aimed at improving aerodynamics and subsequently the heating of the tyres. Tyre temperature, and particularly the heating of tyres, has been a big issue for the Scuderia, particularly on softer compounds. Ferrari have looked the quickest car on the grid on numerous occasion, but for various reasons, it hasn't quite come out during the races. Ferrari have looked the quickest car on the grid on numerous occasion, but for various reasons, it hasn't quite come out during the races.
The Spanish Grand Prix, historically has never been a favourable track for Ferrari, with their last win coming back in 2013. It's also the race where most teams bring their first big upgrades, usually causing big changes in the pecking order of the grid.
Commander Gordon Murray
Legendary automotive designer Gordon Murray, the creative mind behind so many winning Brabham and McLaren F1 cars was made a Commander of the British Empire on Thursday. It recognized the contributions made by Murray to motorsport and the automotive industry in the past 50 years. He also created what was the world’s fastest production car the iconic McLaren F1 road car.
According to reports in the Italian press Ferrari are looking to change both their front wing and rear wing for next weeks Spanish Grand Prix. The upgrades are aimed at improving aerodynamics and subsequently the heating of the tyres. Tyre temperature, and particularly the heating of tyres, has been a big issue for the Scuderia, particularly on softer compounds. Ferrari have looked the quickest car on the grid on numerous occasion, but for various reasons, it hasn't quite come out during the races. Ferrari have looked the quickest car on the grid on numerous occasion, but for various reasons, it hasn't quite come out during the races.
The Spanish Grand Prix, historically has never been a favourable track for Ferrari, with their last win coming back in 2013. It's also the race where most teams bring their first big upgrades, usually causing big changes in the pecking order of the grid.
Commander Gordon Murray
Legendary automotive designer Gordon Murray, the creative mind behind so many winning Brabham and McLaren F1 cars was made a Commander of the British Empire on Thursday. It recognized the contributions made by Murray to motorsport and the automotive industry in the past 50 years. He also created what was the world’s fastest production car the iconic McLaren F1 road car.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
I’m looking forward to seeing how the pecking order shakes out in Barcelona. It’s such a benchmark track and like 1%er said above, normally the venue for the first set of real upgrades of the year. The bet I put on Vettel for WDC is not looking very safe at the minute, so if Ferrari take a dominant win this weekend I’ll naturally be very relieved!
1%er
Well-Known Member
Some Gossip and news
Track news
After all the toing and froing about Silverstone, it seems that a deal has been done and the circuit has signed a new 3 year deal with FOM to host the race until 2022. It is still looking very likely that this weeks Grand Prix in Spain will be the last for sometime, there are loads of stories doing the rounds claiming that Zandvoort in North Holland will be holding the first European race from 2020 and that Spain will drop off the calendar, I think we will hear a lot more about this story over the weekend. There is also a lot of talk about the German Race dropping of the calendar, as I'm sure you will remember, last season the German GP was given a one year extension, it was also claimed that Hockenheim and FOM agreed to half the hosting fee. I'd find it strange if Germany disappeared off the calendar with Mercedes doing so well over the last few years and it being their home race, but Vettel doesn't pull in the crowds like Schumacher used too and it is rumored that Mercedes are unwilling to help pay for the race.
So of the 5 races that looked under threat for 2020 (Circuit de Catalunya the Spanish Grand Prix, Silverstone the British Grand Prix, Hockenheim the German Grand Prix, Monza the Italian Grand Prix and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Mexican Grand Prix) only two have signed new contracts, they are Silverstone and Monza. With regards to Mexico the news isn't great as the government has said it no longer has the resource to continue finding the race, if money can't be found from elsewhere it looks likely that race will not be on the 2020 calendar also. There are also whispers that Singapore will not extend its contract with F1 past 2020. I don't think we will see a smaller calendar though as FOM claim to be talking to a number of places, I'm sure you have seen the list I have posted of cities and countries reported to be "in talks" with Liberty Media.
People on the move
McLaren Chief Operating Officer Simon Roberts is reported to be leaving the team after 15 years at Woking, also leaving McLaren is Dave Probyn who was employed as a "management consultant" with the team a couple of years ago, having spent 5 years with Mercedes F1 team in various rolls. Mariano Alperin who has been head of aerodynamic development at Sauber and also worked for BAR is moving to Racing point and another new face at Racing Point looks likely to be Lord Bamford the billionaire owner of JCB, it seems he is buying into the consortium that owns Racing Point. He is a longtime friend of Lawrence Stroll and has sponsored Lance Stroll in recent years.
Track news
After all the toing and froing about Silverstone, it seems that a deal has been done and the circuit has signed a new 3 year deal with FOM to host the race until 2022. It is still looking very likely that this weeks Grand Prix in Spain will be the last for sometime, there are loads of stories doing the rounds claiming that Zandvoort in North Holland will be holding the first European race from 2020 and that Spain will drop off the calendar, I think we will hear a lot more about this story over the weekend. There is also a lot of talk about the German Race dropping of the calendar, as I'm sure you will remember, last season the German GP was given a one year extension, it was also claimed that Hockenheim and FOM agreed to half the hosting fee. I'd find it strange if Germany disappeared off the calendar with Mercedes doing so well over the last few years and it being their home race, but Vettel doesn't pull in the crowds like Schumacher used too and it is rumored that Mercedes are unwilling to help pay for the race.
So of the 5 races that looked under threat for 2020 (Circuit de Catalunya the Spanish Grand Prix, Silverstone the British Grand Prix, Hockenheim the German Grand Prix, Monza the Italian Grand Prix and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Mexican Grand Prix) only two have signed new contracts, they are Silverstone and Monza. With regards to Mexico the news isn't great as the government has said it no longer has the resource to continue finding the race, if money can't be found from elsewhere it looks likely that race will not be on the 2020 calendar also. There are also whispers that Singapore will not extend its contract with F1 past 2020. I don't think we will see a smaller calendar though as FOM claim to be talking to a number of places, I'm sure you have seen the list I have posted of cities and countries reported to be "in talks" with Liberty Media.
People on the move
McLaren Chief Operating Officer Simon Roberts is reported to be leaving the team after 15 years at Woking, also leaving McLaren is Dave Probyn who was employed as a "management consultant" with the team a couple of years ago, having spent 5 years with Mercedes F1 team in various rolls. Mariano Alperin who has been head of aerodynamic development at Sauber and also worked for BAR is moving to Racing point and another new face at Racing Point looks likely to be Lord Bamford the billionaire owner of JCB, it seems he is buying into the consortium that owns Racing Point. He is a longtime friend of Lawrence Stroll and has sponsored Lance Stroll in recent years.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Toto Wolff and Liberty Media
Let me give you some "newspaper facts", Toto owns 30% of Mercedes F1 (and Niki Lauda owns 10%, both are subject to a "pull option" meaning if they leave the team Mercedes can buy back their shares). Toto is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the 2020 season. Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche will soon step down from his role to be replaced by Ola Kallenius. It is rumored that Ola Kallenius isn't a massive fan of F1 and has said publicly that Mercedes should be more involved in Formula E. It is also rumored that Toto and Ola relationship is not the most healthy. There is going to be a new Concorde agreement in place for the 2021 season.
Chase Carey was due to step down as CEO at the end of the 2019 season, but signed a 12-month extension to help with the transition towards the new regulations coming into effect in 2021. Carey is both Chairman and CEO of Liberty Media and while he is expected to give up the of CEO after the 1 year extension he is going to remain Chairman post 2020.
Could it be that Toto Wolff takes over the roll of CEO at Liberty? As there will be little driver movement at the end of the season, with all the top drivers being under contract for 2020 (except Bottas but his place is likely to go to Ocon if there is a change at Mercedes), the silly season will not have much to talk about, so I think this story will be all over the press during the summer.
Spanish Grand Prix team upgrades
What do we know so far from press reports;
Ferrari
Four straight defeats to Mercedes has left Ferrari 74 points adrift in the constructors' championship while Sebastian Vettel is 35 shy in the drivers' standings. Even with 17 races remaining, those numbers are big, especially as Mercedes has shown few weaknesses and, so far, Ferrari has looked less reliable. It's not game over by any means, but the Italian team desperately needs a win. Ferrari were planning to have an upgraded power-unit for the Canadian race in 4 weeks time, but they are bringing it this weekend for the race in Barcelona. It will be combined with upgraded oil from supplier Shell. For Ferrari to make such a big change in its planning, the new power-unit must be putting out very promising numbers on the dyno. More aerodynamic upgrades will follow to add to the new turning vanes, barge boards and floor the team brought to Baku.
The most frustrating thing about Ferrari's first four races of 2019 is that the car is clearly better than the results suggest. Mistakes from both the drivers and team have proved hugely costly and pure pace victories were possible in Bahrain and Baku.The season is only four races old, but it's not an exaggeration to say Spain is a must win for Ferrari. This was the location where the Ferrari looked every bit a world-beater in preseason testing and if it can't edge ahead of Mercedes this weekend, the hope of it doing so consistently over the rest of season takes a big hit. The team is clearly pushing hard, it managed to bring a sizable upgrade package to Baku but Mercedes is not standing still and is planning upgrades of its own for Spain.
Red Bull
Another winter, another start to the season off the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari. There were big changes at Red Bull as it switched to Honda power during the off-season and perhaps this was always going to be a development year. But it's still disappointing to see a team like Red Bull, and a driver like Max Verstappen, off the pace. Unlike previous years, Red Bull says its Spanish GP update package is relatively small. Whether we should believe that or not, we will find out in Barcelona. Keep an eye out for a new motorhome in the paddock though.
The main concern for Red Bull ahead of the year was how Honda would perform, but the Japanese manufacturer has made a solid start. If anything, the concern switched to the chassis side at the opening few races and it was only in Baku that the team really started to extract something closer to true performance. But Baku was still a power track, so seeing the Red Bull on a circuit like Barcelona, which rewards a strong aero package, should provide a better indication of how it will perform over the rest of the season.
Renault
We are now in the fourth season of Renault's five-year plan and it was meant to be the one where it closed the gap to the top three. But despite significant investment in its headquarters over the last few years, it has not yielded the results the team was expecting on track. And with one of the most exciting driver line-ups on the grid, the team can only look internally for what is going wrong. The team claims to have a number of reasonable upgrades that are positive. They will include front wing upgrades, changes to the rear of the car and some mechanical tweaks to help the drivers find the right balance.
After finishing fourth last year, Renault should have been aiming to close the gap to the top three teams. By almost every measure they have failed in that goal at the opening four races while also encountering continued reliability concerns with the MGU-K. Perhaps most worrying of all is the team's performance relative to customer teams like McLaren. We shouldn't play down McLaren's recovery over the winter, but when you consider where the two teams were at the end of last year, Renault appears to have fallen behind.
Haas
Haas showed promising pace throughout preseason testing but has struggled to realise that in races due to problems maintaining tyre temperature. Pirelli's 2019 tyres have a thinner tread than previous years and that makes it harder to retain the necessary temperature to get the compound working. Oddly, Haas seems to be struggling more than most to find the right setup to combat the issue. A fresh delivery of new bodywork parts will come from chassis manufacturer Dallara this weekend and not a moment too soon. Romain Grosjean has suggested something verging on a B-car but a more detailed list of the new parts clams it is, the front wing, the floor and a lot of the smaller parts, like mirrors. It's a quite significant upgrade.
The Haas problem is very specific and if they can find a solution to keep the temperature in the tyres then it should unlock a lot of performance very quickly. Haas are not alone in struggling with the 2019 rubber, but perhaps the team's lack of simulation tools compared to its rivals has made it difficult to find a solution. The drivers report that the problem escalates rapidly after a handful of laps as the tyre surface starts to grain and performance and temperature spirals downwards. On the plus side, Barcelona is a high-energy circuit, which combined with sunny weather, should make it much easier to generate and retain temperature. However, Haas will still be keen to find a long-term solution with the low-energy tracks of Monaco and Canada following in quick succession.
Williams
Where to start? In testing the team missed the opening two days when the car turned up late and it has been playing catch-up ever since. That wouldn't be a disaster if the car was quick, but as of qualifying in Baku it was still five seconds off the ultimate pace. The team says it has a number of test items for Spain but will only focus on ones that offer an advantage for this weekend on Friday before completing some tests focused on longer-term performance at the two days of testing after the race.
One round of updates is not going to come close to solving Williams' problems, but a positive step towards the back of the midfield is essential to keep spirits high at the team. The updates that come in Spain will be ones developed earlier in the season/pre-season and will not necessarily represent the reshuffle going on at the team under returning technical boss Patrick Head. In George Russell the team at least has a shining light who is likely to get the most from the car in what remains a very difficult situation.
Let me give you some "newspaper facts", Toto owns 30% of Mercedes F1 (and Niki Lauda owns 10%, both are subject to a "pull option" meaning if they leave the team Mercedes can buy back their shares). Toto is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the 2020 season. Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche will soon step down from his role to be replaced by Ola Kallenius. It is rumored that Ola Kallenius isn't a massive fan of F1 and has said publicly that Mercedes should be more involved in Formula E. It is also rumored that Toto and Ola relationship is not the most healthy. There is going to be a new Concorde agreement in place for the 2021 season.
Chase Carey was due to step down as CEO at the end of the 2019 season, but signed a 12-month extension to help with the transition towards the new regulations coming into effect in 2021. Carey is both Chairman and CEO of Liberty Media and while he is expected to give up the of CEO after the 1 year extension he is going to remain Chairman post 2020.
Could it be that Toto Wolff takes over the roll of CEO at Liberty? As there will be little driver movement at the end of the season, with all the top drivers being under contract for 2020 (except Bottas but his place is likely to go to Ocon if there is a change at Mercedes), the silly season will not have much to talk about, so I think this story will be all over the press during the summer.
Spanish Grand Prix team upgrades
What do we know so far from press reports;
Ferrari
Four straight defeats to Mercedes has left Ferrari 74 points adrift in the constructors' championship while Sebastian Vettel is 35 shy in the drivers' standings. Even with 17 races remaining, those numbers are big, especially as Mercedes has shown few weaknesses and, so far, Ferrari has looked less reliable. It's not game over by any means, but the Italian team desperately needs a win. Ferrari were planning to have an upgraded power-unit for the Canadian race in 4 weeks time, but they are bringing it this weekend for the race in Barcelona. It will be combined with upgraded oil from supplier Shell. For Ferrari to make such a big change in its planning, the new power-unit must be putting out very promising numbers on the dyno. More aerodynamic upgrades will follow to add to the new turning vanes, barge boards and floor the team brought to Baku.
The most frustrating thing about Ferrari's first four races of 2019 is that the car is clearly better than the results suggest. Mistakes from both the drivers and team have proved hugely costly and pure pace victories were possible in Bahrain and Baku.The season is only four races old, but it's not an exaggeration to say Spain is a must win for Ferrari. This was the location where the Ferrari looked every bit a world-beater in preseason testing and if it can't edge ahead of Mercedes this weekend, the hope of it doing so consistently over the rest of season takes a big hit. The team is clearly pushing hard, it managed to bring a sizable upgrade package to Baku but Mercedes is not standing still and is planning upgrades of its own for Spain.
Red Bull
Another winter, another start to the season off the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari. There were big changes at Red Bull as it switched to Honda power during the off-season and perhaps this was always going to be a development year. But it's still disappointing to see a team like Red Bull, and a driver like Max Verstappen, off the pace. Unlike previous years, Red Bull says its Spanish GP update package is relatively small. Whether we should believe that or not, we will find out in Barcelona. Keep an eye out for a new motorhome in the paddock though.
The main concern for Red Bull ahead of the year was how Honda would perform, but the Japanese manufacturer has made a solid start. If anything, the concern switched to the chassis side at the opening few races and it was only in Baku that the team really started to extract something closer to true performance. But Baku was still a power track, so seeing the Red Bull on a circuit like Barcelona, which rewards a strong aero package, should provide a better indication of how it will perform over the rest of the season.
Renault
We are now in the fourth season of Renault's five-year plan and it was meant to be the one where it closed the gap to the top three. But despite significant investment in its headquarters over the last few years, it has not yielded the results the team was expecting on track. And with one of the most exciting driver line-ups on the grid, the team can only look internally for what is going wrong. The team claims to have a number of reasonable upgrades that are positive. They will include front wing upgrades, changes to the rear of the car and some mechanical tweaks to help the drivers find the right balance.
After finishing fourth last year, Renault should have been aiming to close the gap to the top three teams. By almost every measure they have failed in that goal at the opening four races while also encountering continued reliability concerns with the MGU-K. Perhaps most worrying of all is the team's performance relative to customer teams like McLaren. We shouldn't play down McLaren's recovery over the winter, but when you consider where the two teams were at the end of last year, Renault appears to have fallen behind.
Haas
Haas showed promising pace throughout preseason testing but has struggled to realise that in races due to problems maintaining tyre temperature. Pirelli's 2019 tyres have a thinner tread than previous years and that makes it harder to retain the necessary temperature to get the compound working. Oddly, Haas seems to be struggling more than most to find the right setup to combat the issue. A fresh delivery of new bodywork parts will come from chassis manufacturer Dallara this weekend and not a moment too soon. Romain Grosjean has suggested something verging on a B-car but a more detailed list of the new parts clams it is, the front wing, the floor and a lot of the smaller parts, like mirrors. It's a quite significant upgrade.
The Haas problem is very specific and if they can find a solution to keep the temperature in the tyres then it should unlock a lot of performance very quickly. Haas are not alone in struggling with the 2019 rubber, but perhaps the team's lack of simulation tools compared to its rivals has made it difficult to find a solution. The drivers report that the problem escalates rapidly after a handful of laps as the tyre surface starts to grain and performance and temperature spirals downwards. On the plus side, Barcelona is a high-energy circuit, which combined with sunny weather, should make it much easier to generate and retain temperature. However, Haas will still be keen to find a long-term solution with the low-energy tracks of Monaco and Canada following in quick succession.
Williams
Where to start? In testing the team missed the opening two days when the car turned up late and it has been playing catch-up ever since. That wouldn't be a disaster if the car was quick, but as of qualifying in Baku it was still five seconds off the ultimate pace. The team says it has a number of test items for Spain but will only focus on ones that offer an advantage for this weekend on Friday before completing some tests focused on longer-term performance at the two days of testing after the race.
One round of updates is not going to come close to solving Williams' problems, but a positive step towards the back of the midfield is essential to keep spirits high at the team. The updates that come in Spain will be ones developed earlier in the season/pre-season and will not necessarily represent the reshuffle going on at the team under returning technical boss Patrick Head. In George Russell the team at least has a shining light who is likely to get the most from the car in what remains a very difficult situation.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Alas, I shall not be around. There's a European rugby final and an Intergalactic Drinking Contest with my name all over it.
For those with less debauched plans, and room for vrooms, these are the UK times:
Fri 10 May
FP1 - 10.00
FP2 - 14.00
Sat 11 May
FP3 - 11.00
Qual - 14.00
Sun 12 May
Race 14.10
Hasta la vista!
Alas, I shall not be around. There's a European rugby final and an Intergalactic Drinking Contest with my name all over it.
For those with less debauched plans, and room for vrooms, these are the UK times:
Fri 10 May
FP1 - 10.00
FP2 - 14.00
Sat 11 May
FP3 - 11.00
Qual - 14.00
Sun 12 May
Race 14.10
Hasta la vista!
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Silverstone to be resurfaced for the 2nd time in 2 years
Silverstone to be resurfaced again before July's British Grand Prix
Is it the second resurfacing there or in fact the third..? This story seems to come up every few years anyway, and it seems whoever has been doing the resurfacing, or managing the activity from the circuit side, has been messing it up. Harsh maybe, but much as I love Silverstone the place, Silverstone’s management and organisational skills have long been lacking a certain professionalism. I and many other past GP visitors can attest to that.
Silverstone to be resurfaced again before July's British Grand Prix
Is it the second resurfacing there or in fact the third..? This story seems to come up every few years anyway, and it seems whoever has been doing the resurfacing, or managing the activity from the circuit side, has been messing it up. Harsh maybe, but much as I love Silverstone the place, Silverstone’s management and organisational skills have long been lacking a certain professionalism. I and many other past GP visitors can attest to that.
1%er
Well-Known Member
President Jair Bolsonaro and the Brazilian Grand Prix
Well, well the poor mans Trump and the latest clown to be elected as Brazilian President has tweeted this, “After our victory in the elections, Formula 1, which would leave Brazil, decided not only to remain, but also to build a new race track in RJ [Rio de Janeiro], which will have the name of the idol Ayrton Senna". When asked about this tweet he told the press that "the track will be built with-in 6 to 7 months" and also that "the 2020 F1 race will be held there".
His story is full of holes. Both Rio State and City government are broke and they have already said they will not be giving any financial support to this project (they couldn't even if they wanted to as they have no money to give). Interlagos and the promoter of the Brazilian GP have a contract with Liberty Media for the race to remain at the track until the end of 2020 and I can't see Liberty Media walking away from that contract without consent from the promoter as it would cost them millions. Also if you read his tweet carefully it says "Formula 1, which would leave Brazil, decided not only to remain, but also to build a new race track in RJ [Rio de Janeiro]", the problem with that is that Liberty Media don't build race circuits and I'm sure will not pay for a track to be built in Brazil.
So before anyone gets to excited about a race in Rio and books tickets
I would caution them not too as this story doesn't really make any sense on many levels. I guess I should also add that the race at Interlagos is under threat because many sponsors pilled out in 2017 but that didn't stop the race continuing until today, so I'm sure they will be able to finance the race in 2020. It should also be understood that a consortium is currently looking at how to finance a contract extension until 2024.
McLaren's new team principal starts work
McLaren will have a new man at the helm of the team for the Spanish Grand Prix, with Andreas Seidl starting duties as team principal at the Circuit de Catalunya. Former Porsche LMP1 boss Seidl formally began working a McLaren last week, having been drafted onto the management team earlier this year. Seidl's arrival follows that of James Key from Toro Rosso to head up the technical department as McLaren look to revive their flagging fortunes of recent years. The German has previous F1 experience with BMW and led Porsche to two World Endurance Championship titles, with helping McLaren on their track back to the top of F1 now his aim.
Well, well the poor mans Trump and the latest clown to be elected as Brazilian President has tweeted this, “After our victory in the elections, Formula 1, which would leave Brazil, decided not only to remain, but also to build a new race track in RJ [Rio de Janeiro], which will have the name of the idol Ayrton Senna". When asked about this tweet he told the press that "the track will be built with-in 6 to 7 months" and also that "the 2020 F1 race will be held there".
His story is full of holes. Both Rio State and City government are broke and they have already said they will not be giving any financial support to this project (they couldn't even if they wanted to as they have no money to give). Interlagos and the promoter of the Brazilian GP have a contract with Liberty Media for the race to remain at the track until the end of 2020 and I can't see Liberty Media walking away from that contract without consent from the promoter as it would cost them millions. Also if you read his tweet carefully it says "Formula 1, which would leave Brazil, decided not only to remain, but also to build a new race track in RJ [Rio de Janeiro]", the problem with that is that Liberty Media don't build race circuits and I'm sure will not pay for a track to be built in Brazil.
So before anyone gets to excited about a race in Rio and books tickets
I would caution them not too as this story doesn't really make any sense on many levels. I guess I should also add that the race at Interlagos is under threat because many sponsors pilled out in 2017 but that didn't stop the race continuing until today, so I'm sure they will be able to finance the race in 2020. It should also be understood that a consortium is currently looking at how to finance a contract extension until 2024. McLaren's new team principal starts work
McLaren will have a new man at the helm of the team for the Spanish Grand Prix, with Andreas Seidl starting duties as team principal at the Circuit de Catalunya. Former Porsche LMP1 boss Seidl formally began working a McLaren last week, having been drafted onto the management team earlier this year. Seidl's arrival follows that of James Key from Toro Rosso to head up the technical department as McLaren look to revive their flagging fortunes of recent years. The German has previous F1 experience with BMW and led Porsche to two World Endurance Championship titles, with helping McLaren on their track back to the top of F1 now his aim.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Two races to drop of 2020 calendar confirms Carey
Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has confirmed that two current races will make way on the 2020 calendar for the Vietnam Grand Prix and another race, likely the returning Dutch Grand Prix. With a Hanoi street race already confirmed, a return to Zandvoort is expected to be rubber-stamped next week. Widespread reports have suggested that Zandvoort will replace the Circuit de Catalunya on the F1 calendar, with much scrutiny on the decision ahead of this weekend's Spanish GP. It is unknown which other race will drop off the calendar, although Silverstone, Mexico City and Hockenheim all have deals that expire at the end of the season.
However, speaking on a conference call following the release of Liberty's Q1 financial results, Carey said "We're in the process of finalising our 2020 race calendar, we have agreements in principle on two renewals, and are actively engaged on three other renewals. In addition we have already announced our race in Hanoi, and construction has begun on the track and facilities. In addition to Hanoi, we also have an agreement in principle to add another new circuit to our calendar in 2020. We've not finalised the number of races in 2020, but we currently expect it to be 21, the same as 2019. Obviously the math means that we will not be able to renew all our current races".
Carey has previously suggested that the F1 calendar could contain up to 25 races and he once again returned to the theme of swelling the schedule even further. He added: "We clearly have demand for more than 21 races in 2020, and do expect that number of races in a year will increase slightly after 2020. However we want to make sure that we're maximising the opportunities for the sport and fans, and not rush to decisions. And we do believe that a limited expansion of the calendar, and churn, are important for creating a fresh and exciting dynamic for fans and for our ongoing growth".
Highlights from FP1
Championship leader Valtteri Bottas ended the opening free-practice session of the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the fastest time as drivers up and down the pit lane worked through their team’s updates brought to the first European event of the season. The Mercedes driver, who has won two of the opening four races of 2019 and finished second in the other two, set a best time of 1:17.951s to edge the first session, although it was curtailed early with an apparent oil leak that required his engineers to remove his floor.
The session itself was ended with just over a minute remaining when Lance Stroll crashed his Racing Point F1 Team car at turn nine, the Canadian touching the grass on entry and hitting the barrier with the front of the car. He was able to get out of the car unaided, but his car will need some repairing before the second session later in the day. At the front of the field, despite a couple of wild moments early in the session, Bottas finished 0.115 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with the German using the updated Ferrari engine for the first time along with a new oil from Shell, with his team-mate Charles Leclerc just 0.094 seconds further back in third.
Lewis Hamilton was not as happy as his team-mate at the front of the field and was 0.624 seconds behind Bottas in fourth place, with the reigning World Champion complaining on the radio about his rear tyre preparation not being as it should have been after his quickest lap of the session. Romain Grosjean used the updates from his Haas F1 Team to good effect to finish fifth, just under a second back on the pacesetting time of Bottas, but the Frenchman did have an off-track moment of his own at turn seven where a snap of oversteer saw him run across the gravel trap. Carlos Sainz Jr., who has scored points in each of his four previous Spanish Grand Prix outings, ended up sixth fastest for the McLaren F1 Team ahead of the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen, although he did not have the same updates as his team-mate for this session as the team tried to analyse the tyre issues they have faced earlier in the season.
Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has confirmed that two current races will make way on the 2020 calendar for the Vietnam Grand Prix and another race, likely the returning Dutch Grand Prix. With a Hanoi street race already confirmed, a return to Zandvoort is expected to be rubber-stamped next week. Widespread reports have suggested that Zandvoort will replace the Circuit de Catalunya on the F1 calendar, with much scrutiny on the decision ahead of this weekend's Spanish GP. It is unknown which other race will drop off the calendar, although Silverstone, Mexico City and Hockenheim all have deals that expire at the end of the season.
However, speaking on a conference call following the release of Liberty's Q1 financial results, Carey said "We're in the process of finalising our 2020 race calendar, we have agreements in principle on two renewals, and are actively engaged on three other renewals. In addition we have already announced our race in Hanoi, and construction has begun on the track and facilities. In addition to Hanoi, we also have an agreement in principle to add another new circuit to our calendar in 2020. We've not finalised the number of races in 2020, but we currently expect it to be 21, the same as 2019. Obviously the math means that we will not be able to renew all our current races".
Carey has previously suggested that the F1 calendar could contain up to 25 races and he once again returned to the theme of swelling the schedule even further. He added: "We clearly have demand for more than 21 races in 2020, and do expect that number of races in a year will increase slightly after 2020. However we want to make sure that we're maximising the opportunities for the sport and fans, and not rush to decisions. And we do believe that a limited expansion of the calendar, and churn, are important for creating a fresh and exciting dynamic for fans and for our ongoing growth".
Highlights from FP1
Championship leader Valtteri Bottas ended the opening free-practice session of the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the fastest time as drivers up and down the pit lane worked through their team’s updates brought to the first European event of the season. The Mercedes driver, who has won two of the opening four races of 2019 and finished second in the other two, set a best time of 1:17.951s to edge the first session, although it was curtailed early with an apparent oil leak that required his engineers to remove his floor.
The session itself was ended with just over a minute remaining when Lance Stroll crashed his Racing Point F1 Team car at turn nine, the Canadian touching the grass on entry and hitting the barrier with the front of the car. He was able to get out of the car unaided, but his car will need some repairing before the second session later in the day. At the front of the field, despite a couple of wild moments early in the session, Bottas finished 0.115 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with the German using the updated Ferrari engine for the first time along with a new oil from Shell, with his team-mate Charles Leclerc just 0.094 seconds further back in third.
Lewis Hamilton was not as happy as his team-mate at the front of the field and was 0.624 seconds behind Bottas in fourth place, with the reigning World Champion complaining on the radio about his rear tyre preparation not being as it should have been after his quickest lap of the session. Romain Grosjean used the updates from his Haas F1 Team to good effect to finish fifth, just under a second back on the pacesetting time of Bottas, but the Frenchman did have an off-track moment of his own at turn seven where a snap of oversteer saw him run across the gravel trap. Carlos Sainz Jr., who has scored points in each of his four previous Spanish Grand Prix outings, ended up sixth fastest for the McLaren F1 Team ahead of the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen, although he did not have the same updates as his team-mate for this session as the team tried to analyse the tyre issues they have faced earlier in the season.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Whispers, whispers
There have been lots of whispers about Gasly being replaced at Red Bull before the season is out, personally I think it is far to early for talk like that, it started after just two races and is still going on. but who would they replace him with Kvyat?
Now there are also whispers that Robert Kubica could be ousted by Williams. The Pole has struggled alongside George Russell on his return to F1 after an eight year absence with a permanent arm injury, but is the problem with Kubica or the car? Kubica has been questioning whether his car is identical to Russell’s, so for Barcelona the pair’s respective chassis have been switched, but it seems so far to have made little difference, as Russell remained significantly faster in the second Friday practice session in Barcelona. Le Journal de Montreal claims that Canadian Nicholas Latifi, the Williams reserve driver whose father is a billionaire, could replace Kubica before the end of the season (maybe he could but for sure he would need to bring much more money than Kubica is bring in sponsorship). The newspaper is claiming “According to our information, it is time for major decisions within the British team. Apparently Kubica has a clause in his contract stating that he could be replaced during the season” (how they would know that is a mystery, as I'm sure Kubica's contract isn't available to the public).
Spain talking up the chance of a contract extension
The president of the Circuit de Catalunya says there is a more than 90% chance the Spanish Grand Prix will return at the track in 2020. Vicenc Aguilera told reporters he expects a new deal to keep the race on the 2020 F1 calendar will be signed before the summer break. “If it’s a clear game of ‘go/no-go’ I think today we are even more than 90%. We should be able to reach an agreement before the peak of the summer, I don’t know if it will be July but I expect an agreement on these dates. We are preparing everything to have that”. he race is one of five rounds on this year’s schedule whose contract expires at the end of this season. The addition of a new race in Vietnam next year, plus the possible return of the Dutch Grand Prix, has put Catalunya under pressure.
Toto Wolff on taking over from Chase Carey
Wolff became Mercedes' motorsport chief in 2013 and has overseen the team's domination of F1 since the dawning of the V6 Hybrid era the following year. The Silver Arrows have won the constructors' and drivers' titles in each of the past five seasons and lead both championships after four races so far in 2019.
Such success is in sharp contrast to Carey's tenure over F1 over the past few years, with teams and fans alike both unimpressed with many changes made under the American's watch, however Wolff insists he has no interest in taking over. He told reporters in Spain when asked the question "I could not take my job seriously if I participated in such speculation. A journalist has written a funny story which is full of speculation. But I am still at Mercedes for a long time and have a great task to lead this team. It's fun and not something I want to change" (well he would say that wouldn't he).
Regardless of Wolff's desire or not, any move to take him to the top job in F1 could be cancelled by Ferrari, who hold a veto over such decisions. It remains unclear if the Scuderia's veto will remain a part of the 2021 regulations, which are still being drawn up, but team boss Mattia Binotto says it is important to keep check over the sport. "Certainly the veto right is something important for Ferrari but also important for F1 overall, it's not only protecting us but also all the teams against maybe some decisions which could be against the spirit or the interest of the teams" he said.
There have been lots of whispers about Gasly being replaced at Red Bull before the season is out, personally I think it is far to early for talk like that, it started after just two races and is still going on. but who would they replace him with Kvyat?
Now there are also whispers that Robert Kubica could be ousted by Williams. The Pole has struggled alongside George Russell on his return to F1 after an eight year absence with a permanent arm injury, but is the problem with Kubica or the car? Kubica has been questioning whether his car is identical to Russell’s, so for Barcelona the pair’s respective chassis have been switched, but it seems so far to have made little difference, as Russell remained significantly faster in the second Friday practice session in Barcelona. Le Journal de Montreal claims that Canadian Nicholas Latifi, the Williams reserve driver whose father is a billionaire, could replace Kubica before the end of the season (maybe he could but for sure he would need to bring much more money than Kubica is bring in sponsorship). The newspaper is claiming “According to our information, it is time for major decisions within the British team. Apparently Kubica has a clause in his contract stating that he could be replaced during the season” (how they would know that is a mystery, as I'm sure Kubica's contract isn't available to the public).
Spain talking up the chance of a contract extension
The president of the Circuit de Catalunya says there is a more than 90% chance the Spanish Grand Prix will return at the track in 2020. Vicenc Aguilera told reporters he expects a new deal to keep the race on the 2020 F1 calendar will be signed before the summer break. “If it’s a clear game of ‘go/no-go’ I think today we are even more than 90%. We should be able to reach an agreement before the peak of the summer, I don’t know if it will be July but I expect an agreement on these dates. We are preparing everything to have that”. he race is one of five rounds on this year’s schedule whose contract expires at the end of this season. The addition of a new race in Vietnam next year, plus the possible return of the Dutch Grand Prix, has put Catalunya under pressure.
Toto Wolff on taking over from Chase Carey
Wolff became Mercedes' motorsport chief in 2013 and has overseen the team's domination of F1 since the dawning of the V6 Hybrid era the following year. The Silver Arrows have won the constructors' and drivers' titles in each of the past five seasons and lead both championships after four races so far in 2019.
Such success is in sharp contrast to Carey's tenure over F1 over the past few years, with teams and fans alike both unimpressed with many changes made under the American's watch, however Wolff insists he has no interest in taking over. He told reporters in Spain when asked the question "I could not take my job seriously if I participated in such speculation. A journalist has written a funny story which is full of speculation. But I am still at Mercedes for a long time and have a great task to lead this team. It's fun and not something I want to change" (well he would say that wouldn't he).
Regardless of Wolff's desire or not, any move to take him to the top job in F1 could be cancelled by Ferrari, who hold a veto over such decisions. It remains unclear if the Scuderia's veto will remain a part of the 2021 regulations, which are still being drawn up, but team boss Mattia Binotto says it is important to keep check over the sport. "Certainly the veto right is something important for Ferrari but also important for F1 overall, it's not only protecting us but also all the teams against maybe some decisions which could be against the spirit or the interest of the teams" he said.
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