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F1 2019

Good morning race fans, some news and gossip. First it is being reported that the FIA has implemented seven new technical directives to close loopholes in the regulations, I have looked at the FIA site and can't see what they are but two are covered in the press. One involves the rear wing, specifying the way the main plane should be bolted to the endplates. The implication is that some teams wings were overly flexing (both Ferrari and Mercedes have pointed the finger at eachother over this issue). Another directive relates to the engine and exhaust, stopping teams from blowing air onto mini-wings on the rear crash structure for aerodynamic effect. It is believed two teams have asked for a two-race delay in the implementation of the directive in order to rewrite engine software (one of those teams is thought to be Ferrari).

It is also being reported that the stewards from the Canadian race have reported to the police that they have been threatened after the decision to give Vettel a penalty.

There are also rumors doing the rounds that the top three teams are using there power to force the FIA to water down their plans for the 2020 regulations and also the new Concorde agreement for 2021. It is claimed that they have told the FIA they will withdraw from the F1 series if some of their plans are forced through. It is believed it is the new financial cap and the extension of the parc ferme rules, that would mean teams have to race the car they bring to the track and will not be able to make major changes to the car during the race weekend. There were also other issues but i have forgotten what they are for the moment :)
 
1%er said:
Good morning race fans, some news and gossip. First it is being reported that the FIA has implemented seven new technical directives to close loopholes in the regulations, I have looked at the FIA site and can't see what they are but two are covered in the press. One involves the rear wing, specifying the way the main plane should be bolted to the endplates. The implication is that some teams wings were overly flexing (both Ferrari and Mercedes have pointed the finger at eachother over this issue). Another directive relates to the engine and exhaust, stopping teams from blowing air onto mini-wings on the rear crash structure for aerodynamic effect. It is believed two teams have asked for a two-race delay in the implementation of the directive in order to rewrite engine software (one of those teams is thought to be Ferrari).

It is also being reported that the stewards from the Canadian race have reported to the police that they have been threatened after the decision to give Vettel a penalty.

There are also rumors doing the rounds that the top three teams are using there power to force the FIA to water down their plans for the 2020 regulations and also the new Concorde agreement for 2021. It is claimed that they have told the FIA they will withdraw from the F1 series if some of their plans are forced through. It is believed it is the new financial cap and the extension of the parc ferme rules, that would mean teams have to race the car they bring to the track and will not be able to make major changes to the car during the race weekend. There were also other issues but i have forgotten what they are for the moment :)
Click to expand...

It's all going off! lol :D
 
Good update 1%er

All strapped in RaceFam?

Think the Mercs will get this but will be some great battles with Vettel down in 7th and generally it is a good track for action. Wonder how Verstappen will go off the start too :cool:

Allez Allez McLaren :D

I have a joint of beef in the oven and some spuds cooking so this is a good Sunday.
 
Unlucky lando. Does like like Danny ric touched him coming out of that corner too, so going to be interesting to see how the stewards deal with this one. Also looks like Danny overtook kimi while being over the track limit.

How will they sort the positions out if they do feel Danny gained an advantage. Not once but twice.
 
Anyone know how many passes there were? Allegedly there were 50 last year. Not sure there were that many this time. And in any case less-than-one-pass per lap is hardly riveting viewing.
 
cybershot said:
Unlucky lando. Does like like Danny ric touched him coming out of that corner too, so going to be interesting to see how the stewards deal with this one. Also looks like Danny overtook kimi while being over the track limit.

How will they sort the positions out if they do feel Danny gained an advantage. Not once but twice.
Click to expand...
Having watched the replays I think for sure Danny Ric will get some sort of penalty, he could get 5 seconds for re-entering the track and forcing Lando off, also 5 seconds for his off track overtake of Kimi. All the others seemed to be OK.
 
OK we are out of here after Ted's notebook, there are a few cold ones for us waiting at the local beach bar, it could be a very long afternoon :)

Catch you all in just a few days time for the race in Austria :cool::thumbs:
 
REVISED TOP TEN: FRENCH GRAND PRIX

1 Hamilton
2 Bottas
3 Leclerc
4 Verstappen
5 Vettel
6 Sainz
7 Raikkonen
8 Hulkenberg
9 Norris
10 Gasly


Good for Norris
 
Lets talk about Brazil
Well the Brazilian GP at least, Chase Carey flew here straight after last weekends French GP. His first stop was Brasilia where he met with a clown (otherwise known as president Bolsonaro) and Wilson Witzel the Govener of Rio. All the talk of the race moving there next year appears to have been forgotten (as I mentioned above, this is Brazil and regardless of how much political will and money is thrown at the project, it would be impossible to build a circuit in that amount of time). They are now talking about a race in Rio in 2021, but before anyone gets carried away there is a couple of small points that need to be addressed. The first is who is going to put up the $200 million to build the new track and facilities? secondly no-one has yet bothered to draw up a circuit plan or submit it to the FIA Circuits Commission.

Carey then went to Rio itself to meet with the owners of TV Globo, the TV station that has the highest viewing figures of any TV station across the globe, but despite the supposed positivity of the Brasilia meeting, the F1 boss left Rio without a new deal with the broadcaster, and no deal with Globo almost certainly means no F1 in Brazil. From there, Carey headed to Sao Paulo where he met with the city's governor, Joao Doria, a possible presidential candidate in 2022 :hmm: who insists that the race will remain at Interlagos, where further improvements are currently being made courtesy of considerable investment using some State funds.

To be frank, money is what Liberty Media is all about, that is the only reason they brought the sport in the first place, so Liberty couldn't really give a fuck where the Brazilian race is held. I'm sure he is fully aware the all the talk about Rio is political posturing by Bolsonaro whose political base in Rio. I really can't see any Brazilian companies raising the $200 million needed to build a new track and also fund the hosting fee in the current financial climate. Work on the Rio circuit is meant to start in September, but no money has yet shown up and no plans have been given to the FIA for approval. Bolsonaro is telling anyone who'll listen "there is a 99 percent chance or more that F1 will be in Rio in 2021."

Ocon to Renault in 2020?
That is the speculation following Toto Wolff's conversation with reporters yesterday. Apparently it was agreed between Mercedes and Renault that Ocon would be driving for Renault this season. According to Toto the deal was done, he and Abiteboul had shaken hands and had a “gentleman's agreement”. Again the Frenchman is being linked to Renault with reports claiming he could replace Nico Hulkenberg next season.

Wolff says he is open to the Mercedes protege doing a loan deal, but this time Abiteboul needs to be a “gentleman” in his dealings. “I like Cyril but in order to become a gentleman with the handshake, he needs to restore his gentleman image,” Wolff told Reuters when asked if he’d consider a loan deal with Renault. “We are looking at all options. Esteban is a hot topic because he’s clearly one of the most promising young drivers and he deserves to be in Formula One, and we can see that with the interest that he generates. I am very optimistic that we will see him in a Formula One car next year”.

Paddy Lowe leaves Williams officially
Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe will not return to the struggling Formula One team after his departure was confirmed yesterday. Lowe had been on a leave of absence since the week before the F1 season got underway after a series of production issues delayed the roll-out of the new FW42 for pre-season testing. That followed a bitterly disappointing 2018 season that saw Williams finish last in the constructors' championship. "After a period of careful reflection I have reached the decision that I will not return to work at Williams," said Lowe in a team statement. Williams are the only team yet to register a point in this season's championship after eight races.

The British team, which has won nine constructors and seven drivers world titles, has drafted in co-founder and former technical chief Patrick Head on a consultancy basis to fill the gap until a replacement for Lowe can be found. What a shame it is to see a once great team floundering around like some armature team from the 1960s only racing because someone with money wants a little fun.

Interesting rumor about Ferrari
This story has started to appear in the Italian press, but could be more hope over expectation than anything else. There are reports that Frederic Vasseur CEO and managing director at Alfa Romeo racing since 2017 back when the team were named Sauber could be drafted in at Ferrari to take some of the load away from Binotto.

I think Vasseur could have started this rumor by accident when speaking to the press last weekend, he was asked by a reporter from TF1, a private national French TV channel if he thought his future could involve Ferrari, his answer was "Everything is possible, I started in Formula Renault, on the grid here at Paul Ricard, I'm focused on what we're doing today because that is what's important. I think Mattia is doing a good job, and we'll see later about the rest".
 
How Bernie would fix F1
Speaking to ESPN Bernie has spelt out his blueprint for fixing F1.

Firstly, I wouldn't be talking to the teams. It's like having a committee and you don't need that when making decisions like this. I would be saying: We're going to have two championships. They're both world championships; one is the Constructors' World Championship and the other is the Teams' World Championship. The Drivers' World Championship would not be affected in any way.

The Constructors' Championship is for the teams that manufacture the engine and the chassis; teams such as Ferrari and Mercedes. For the Teams' Championship, I'd build a car like a very sophisticated F2 car. If Honda decided they weren't going to be in F1 or if Renault decided not to be a constructor I'd do a good deal for one of them to supply everyone. These would be engines similar to those we have today. But one engine has to last a full season, with one spare engine only to be used if the original one has a failure.

So if you want to start a team, here's your chance. I'd give you a complete car and a spare engine. And I'd give you $30 million a year. That way we can forget all this cost cap nonsense. You've got to run the team as best you can. You've got $30m to get you going, so you need to go out and find some sponsors. People would then say: "Wait a minute! Even with a good driver, there's no way we're going to beat the constructors. How are we going to beat Ferrari?" Don't worry, you're going to be okay. We're going to balance things out by doing a couple of things to help the Teams' Championship.

Firstly, if you want to, you can refuel. You have just one set of tyres but, if you want to stop and refuel, you can also change tyres. Then maybe we'd have to change the weight of the car. If we found the team cars weren't quick, we'd make sure the constructors' cars were a bit heavier. That way, you could easily find two seconds. With a refueling strategy and change of tyres, you'd find another, say, second a lap. But only if you want to do that. It's up to you. And one more thing; the teams could enter just one car, if they wanted.

The rules governing the design of the constructors' cars would be as they are today. That way, they couldn't complain. The only thing I'd do with the rules is point to where the weight is stated and say we may need to change that a little. This may make people currently outside F1 think: "We can do that." I know for a fact that Volkswagen through Audi very nearly did it four years ago because I had come close to an agreement with them. But then they had all that trouble with emissions in America. They're confident their engineers are talented enough to design a car and engine that would be competitive within two years.

You'd have the Constructors' World Championship and the winner could go out and say: "We're World Champions." The team people could say: "We won the Teams' World Championship." You'd have a sponsor for each championship. The guy in the grandstand isn't going to say: "That's not fair, because this team is spending $350m a year and that one is spending $70m." All he wants is good racing. And we'd get that. In my opinion, it would be bloody good. The idea is to balance up the two types of car and the teams spending $70m may have a chance on some occasions to be on the podium.

Some people will say: "That's all very well, but what about the investment that teams such as Racing Point have made with their facilities, and the redundancies that might follow?" The answer to that is Racing Point would have had to close their doors had Lawrence Stroll not made his investment. There's other small teams in a similar situation. If they want to stay in F1, this is a way to do it.

It's something that's brand new. Saying that, if you think back, Stirling Moss beat Ferrari and everyone else to win a couple of grands prix in a single car entry for Rob Walker, with what were then customer cars (Cooper and Lotus). The idea of 'brand new' is because we've moved forward technically, but who's to say we can't go back to a single entry? Obviously, the constructors have more chance of winning races than the teams. But that's not new because when Moss won for Rob Walker, it was at a time when the factory teams [constructors] usually had the best chance of winning.

By having two championships, aside from the drivers in this way, we're helping the small teams while letting the manufacturers race the way they want. But if Ferrari want to stop, they can stop. Or they can join the team people if they want to. The choice is theirs. It's the same for the engine manufacturers. If you're Renault, you would be looking at being a constructor and spending $350m. Or being an engine supplier and I'd make them supply the engines free to all but in return there's a big space on the car saying it's a Renault engine. They would gain more publicity than they get now, and it would cost them less.

F1 has to get people's attention again. If you've got four friends going to a race, you want to have a situation where none of them can agree on who is going to win. This is all about Ferrari and Mercedes racing up front, but other teams having a chance to be in among them for about a fifth of the budget. Everything is up for discussion. But the bottom line is having affordable entertainment rather than very expensive technology.
 
EDIT: found the race on YT and watched it. Now I wish I hadn’t bothered!

What a dull race and if I had to miss one through being away from home, then that was a pretty good one to have missed!
 
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