F1 2019
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Ax^
Silly Rabbit
1%er
Well-Known Member
According to viewing figures, they have gone up by a factor of 5 in the middle-east now that F1 is no longer behind a pay wall.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Rio GP problems, who'd have thought it
It is not smooth sailing for the new Formula 1 track in Rio de Janeiro. Last month the proposed venue for the 2021 Brazilian GP was being accused of being embroiled in “one of the largest corruption cases in public tenders” ever seen in the city. Now, Rio’s justice department has suspended the bidding process altogether, citing the lack of an environmental impact study.
“From the information in the file, the degradation of the environment is probable,” the judge said, according to Globo. Rio Motorpark responded by confirming it will “comply” with the cessation but insisted that a major environmental impact study is currently “underway”. In June, Liberty Media CEO Chase Carey met with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who said he was “99 per cent” sure Rio would host a F1 race in 2021.
Over a million people want to attend te Dutch GP
Over a million Dutch people want to attend Max Verstappen’s first home grand prix next year. Zandvoort will feature on the 2020 calendar, and race boss Jan Lammers says the interest in tickets for the event has been overwhelming. “We knew it was popular, but more than a million (requests) is insane,” he told the Hart van Nederland programme when asked about interest in the tickets. “We could have sold out six times for the Sunday, there are 105,000 spectators per day but we are looking into whether this can be expanded. But it must remain pleasant for all the visitors,” he said.
Ricciardo in £10 million lawsuit
According to United Kingdom High Court of Justice documents, Ricciardo’s former advisor Glenn Beavis claims he is owed “various sums” for the contract Ricciardo has entered into with Renault. Beavis' claim, served earlier this month, alleges a debt of 20% commission on Ricciardo’s base Renault salary, various contractual elements, including the cost of Ricciardo's superlicence, use of a Renault road car and cost of a physiotherapist and other items. In a statement Ricciardo responded “There is no substance to Glenn Beavis’ claim. It is unfortunate that he has decided to bring this wholly unmeritorious claim which I intend to fully defend in the court process”.
Beavis’ company Sivana Sports International FZE has claimed that Ricciardo’s British Virgin Islands-incorporated company Whitedunes has failed to pay fees in accordance with the commission agreed between the parties. Whitedunes was set up in 2013 to control Ricciardo’s commercial and marketing rights. It represents the views of Ricciardo, his parents and Joe Passione, a close family friend. Ahead of this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo was announced as part of Creative Arts Agency subsidiary CAA Sports.
Prior to that, Beavis provided management and consultancy services to Ricciardo since 2012. The agreement between Ricciardo and Beavis was revised after Ricciardo's successful first season with the Red Bull senior team in 2014, when he won three grands prix. Beavis claims to have taken on more tasks and in return was paid a retainer of £225,000, paid evenly across 12 months, plus 20% commission on the value of all new deals he introduced that were concluded by Whitedunes or Ricciardo. According to the court document, that retainer fee was revised to $20,000 a month a few months into 2015 and the new figure was suggested by Beavis after Ricciardo allegedly wished to renegotiate that fee. Beavis states he was paid his revised retainer fee and also commission on new deals, including one at 20% per the agreement and one in the form of a “rare Rolex wrist watch” in lieu of the commission due.
Beavis was featured alongside Ricciardo during an episode of F1's Netflix show Drive To Survive that documented Ricciardo’s future decision-making process during the 2018 season. According to the legal document, Beavis began discussions with Renault and its F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul about a possible move for Ricciardo in mid-2017, one year before Ricciardo's shock deal was announced. The full details of Ricciardo’s Renault contract are redacted in the official documents, but Beavis’s claim refers to the terms agreed in August 2018 as “a value very substantially in excess of” his Red Bull deal.
As his £10m+ claim relates to 20% commission on Ricciardo’s fee, that puts the Renault driver’s salary at more than £20m per year. In December 2018, Beavis claims Ricciardo wanted to terminate their agreement with immediate effect. This was delayed until the end of January 2019 as Beavis allegedly requested time to complete the long-form of the Renault F1 driver contracts. However, according to the claim these contracts were not finalised and signed by the end of January and Beavis continued to provide services to Ricciardo beyond that date. Ricciardo’s Renault contract was eventually concluded on March 7, 10 days before the season-opening Australian GP.
Beavis claims to have continued to provide services per his revised agreement with Ricciardo until the agreement was terminated on March 31. The claim states that Ricciardo’s Renault contract was a new deal introduced by Beavis and subsequently concluded by Ricciardo, so Beavis submitted an invoice for 20% of Ricciardo’s fixed Renault fee.
Other aspects of the value of Ricciardo’s Renault contract including the cost of his superlicence, use of a Renault road car, physiotherapist and medical expenses, season-end and win bonuses and two undisclosed clauses were not claimed at that time. The right to further commissions on these “future contingent sums” was not waived, the court document states, and Beavis has staked his claim to commissions for three other deals he introduced Ricciardo to, two brand ambassador roles and an F1 film appearance, if they result in finalised agreements. However, Beavis says he was informed on April 4 by R&H Trust Co (Jersey) Limited, acting “on behalf of Whitedunes and/or Ricciardo”, that no commission was payable in respect of the Renault contract.
A letter dated May 30 from solicitors acting for Ricciardo allegedly reiterated that Beavis “has no entitlement to the commission, or to any other form or amount of commission, in relation to the Renault contract”, including the future contingent sums or any other deal introduced by Beavis. That has led Beavis to claim for an amount in excess of £10million, which includes but is not limited to, the payment of debts from the unpaid commission, interest on these debts and a declaration of entitlement to future payments. Ricciardo will be represented by The Ebury Partnership LLP as he contests the claim.
It is not smooth sailing for the new Formula 1 track in Rio de Janeiro. Last month the proposed venue for the 2021 Brazilian GP was being accused of being embroiled in “one of the largest corruption cases in public tenders” ever seen in the city. Now, Rio’s justice department has suspended the bidding process altogether, citing the lack of an environmental impact study.
“From the information in the file, the degradation of the environment is probable,” the judge said, according to Globo. Rio Motorpark responded by confirming it will “comply” with the cessation but insisted that a major environmental impact study is currently “underway”. In June, Liberty Media CEO Chase Carey met with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who said he was “99 per cent” sure Rio would host a F1 race in 2021.
Over a million people want to attend te Dutch GP
Over a million Dutch people want to attend Max Verstappen’s first home grand prix next year. Zandvoort will feature on the 2020 calendar, and race boss Jan Lammers says the interest in tickets for the event has been overwhelming. “We knew it was popular, but more than a million (requests) is insane,” he told the Hart van Nederland programme when asked about interest in the tickets. “We could have sold out six times for the Sunday, there are 105,000 spectators per day but we are looking into whether this can be expanded. But it must remain pleasant for all the visitors,” he said.
Ricciardo in £10 million lawsuit
According to United Kingdom High Court of Justice documents, Ricciardo’s former advisor Glenn Beavis claims he is owed “various sums” for the contract Ricciardo has entered into with Renault. Beavis' claim, served earlier this month, alleges a debt of 20% commission on Ricciardo’s base Renault salary, various contractual elements, including the cost of Ricciardo's superlicence, use of a Renault road car and cost of a physiotherapist and other items. In a statement Ricciardo responded “There is no substance to Glenn Beavis’ claim. It is unfortunate that he has decided to bring this wholly unmeritorious claim which I intend to fully defend in the court process”.
Beavis’ company Sivana Sports International FZE has claimed that Ricciardo’s British Virgin Islands-incorporated company Whitedunes has failed to pay fees in accordance with the commission agreed between the parties. Whitedunes was set up in 2013 to control Ricciardo’s commercial and marketing rights. It represents the views of Ricciardo, his parents and Joe Passione, a close family friend. Ahead of this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo was announced as part of Creative Arts Agency subsidiary CAA Sports.
Prior to that, Beavis provided management and consultancy services to Ricciardo since 2012. The agreement between Ricciardo and Beavis was revised after Ricciardo's successful first season with the Red Bull senior team in 2014, when he won three grands prix. Beavis claims to have taken on more tasks and in return was paid a retainer of £225,000, paid evenly across 12 months, plus 20% commission on the value of all new deals he introduced that were concluded by Whitedunes or Ricciardo. According to the court document, that retainer fee was revised to $20,000 a month a few months into 2015 and the new figure was suggested by Beavis after Ricciardo allegedly wished to renegotiate that fee. Beavis states he was paid his revised retainer fee and also commission on new deals, including one at 20% per the agreement and one in the form of a “rare Rolex wrist watch” in lieu of the commission due.
Beavis was featured alongside Ricciardo during an episode of F1's Netflix show Drive To Survive that documented Ricciardo’s future decision-making process during the 2018 season. According to the legal document, Beavis began discussions with Renault and its F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul about a possible move for Ricciardo in mid-2017, one year before Ricciardo's shock deal was announced. The full details of Ricciardo’s Renault contract are redacted in the official documents, but Beavis’s claim refers to the terms agreed in August 2018 as “a value very substantially in excess of” his Red Bull deal.
As his £10m+ claim relates to 20% commission on Ricciardo’s fee, that puts the Renault driver’s salary at more than £20m per year. In December 2018, Beavis claims Ricciardo wanted to terminate their agreement with immediate effect. This was delayed until the end of January 2019 as Beavis allegedly requested time to complete the long-form of the Renault F1 driver contracts. However, according to the claim these contracts were not finalised and signed by the end of January and Beavis continued to provide services to Ricciardo beyond that date. Ricciardo’s Renault contract was eventually concluded on March 7, 10 days before the season-opening Australian GP.
Beavis claims to have continued to provide services per his revised agreement with Ricciardo until the agreement was terminated on March 31. The claim states that Ricciardo’s Renault contract was a new deal introduced by Beavis and subsequently concluded by Ricciardo, so Beavis submitted an invoice for 20% of Ricciardo’s fixed Renault fee.
Other aspects of the value of Ricciardo’s Renault contract including the cost of his superlicence, use of a Renault road car, physiotherapist and medical expenses, season-end and win bonuses and two undisclosed clauses were not claimed at that time. The right to further commissions on these “future contingent sums” was not waived, the court document states, and Beavis has staked his claim to commissions for three other deals he introduced Ricciardo to, two brand ambassador roles and an F1 film appearance, if they result in finalised agreements. However, Beavis says he was informed on April 4 by R&H Trust Co (Jersey) Limited, acting “on behalf of Whitedunes and/or Ricciardo”, that no commission was payable in respect of the Renault contract.
A letter dated May 30 from solicitors acting for Ricciardo allegedly reiterated that Beavis “has no entitlement to the commission, or to any other form or amount of commission, in relation to the Renault contract”, including the future contingent sums or any other deal introduced by Beavis. That has led Beavis to claim for an amount in excess of £10million, which includes but is not limited to, the payment of debts from the unpaid commission, interest on these debts and a declaration of entitlement to future payments. Ricciardo will be represented by The Ebury Partnership LLP as he contests the claim.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
These are the same lawyers representing Haas in their shenanigans with Rich Energy and Storey. Clearly, they're the go-to firm for wheel-to-wheel litigation.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Drivers silly season is off and running
Lets start with Ocon, three stories about him, first he is going to take Grosjean's seat at Haas, Oh no he isn't, he is going to take Hulkenberg seat at Renault. really? Isn't he going to take Kubica’s seat at Williams[ Interestingly no-one is saying Ocon to replace Bottas at Mercedes]
Then we have Hulkenberg, apparently he is going to Red Bull to replace Pierre Gasly, others claim he is going to Haas in place of Grosjean.
We also have Vettle leaving Ferrari and returning to Red Bull to take Gasly's seat, to be replaced at Ferrari by Bottas, Bottas you say. don't you mean Max.
I could go on by that's enough for now LOL
Mercedes one off livery for Germany
Mercedes are celebrating 125 years of motorsport this weekend and with it being their home race in Germany it is the perfect occasion to do so. Since returning to the pinnacle of motorsport we haven't seen many variations in their livery but the German Grand Prix is set to change that. Below is meant to be a glimpse of wat their levery could look like for this weekend race.
Lets start with Ocon, three stories about him, first he is going to take Grosjean's seat at Haas, Oh no he isn't, he is going to take Hulkenberg seat at Renault. really? Isn't he going to take Kubica’s seat at Williams
[ Interestingly no-one is saying Ocon to replace Bottas at Mercedes] Then we have Hulkenberg, apparently he is going to Red Bull to replace Pierre Gasly, others claim he is going to Haas in place of Grosjean.
We also have Vettle leaving Ferrari and returning to Red Bull to take Gasly's seat, to be replaced at Ferrari by Bottas, Bottas you say. don't you mean Max.
I could go on by that's enough for now
LOLMercedes one off livery for Germany
Mercedes are celebrating 125 years of motorsport this weekend and with it being their home race in Germany it is the perfect occasion to do so. Since returning to the pinnacle of motorsport we haven't seen many variations in their livery but the German Grand Prix is set to change that. Below is meant to be a glimpse of wat their levery could look like for this weekend race.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Silly season musings:
I can't imagine Botty is at risk of defenestration at Mercedes. Given his place in the standings, it's hard to think how he could have done better, short of regularly beating the five-times world champion, and no supposed replacement driver can do that either. Given the best car on the grid, he's proven himself the second-best driver to you-know-who. The proof is in the pudding, and better than taking a punt on a less-experienced driver. I like Botty.
Gasly's not performing as well as Max, but it's normal to find a pecking order among drivers in the same team. The only difference is Max is regularly beating one or both Ferraris. Another way to look at that is to say Ferrari have succeeded in splitting the two Red bulls. To get a driver to replace and outperform Gasly, RB would have to find another driver as good as Max or the two Ferrari drivers, and those aren't thick on the ground. I can't see Vettel being a good team fit as number two to Max, which is what he'd become if he jumped (or was pushed) from Ferrari. I don't think Gasly's failed yet.
Hulkenburg at Renault is only a few points behind Danny Ric, which suggests the car isn't performing rather than the two experienced drivers. If Hulky's proving sulky, Renault have their car to blame.
In all seriousness, I can see why Haas would replace Grosjean. Two points only so far, although he's not far behind K Mag. As neither of their drivers has what I would call the sunniest disposition, I could see Haas re-organising a bit if they want to distract attention from what seems to be a mediocre car.
Other under-performers: Giovinazzi - one point to Kimi's 25; the only drivers he's beating are the two Williams guys, which means he's pretty useless. Lance Stroll on a disappointing six points, but I'm betting his seat's safe.
Kubica... Sorry, I think Williams imagined their gesture to Kubica would attract some fairy-tale-ending karma. Even if Williams had a points-scoring car, I'm not sure he'd be able to collect any. They may reason that their car is so shite no-one could pilot it to points, and they might as well stick with acting as Kubica's rehabilitation clinic, if only for the kudos.
Wow, it's hot here at 30 C. *Fans self* *Cold drink*
I can't imagine Botty is at risk of defenestration at Mercedes. Given his place in the standings, it's hard to think how he could have done better, short of regularly beating the five-times world champion, and no supposed replacement driver can do that either. Given the best car on the grid, he's proven himself the second-best driver to you-know-who. The proof is in the pudding, and better than taking a punt on a less-experienced driver. I like Botty.
Gasly's not performing as well as Max, but it's normal to find a pecking order among drivers in the same team. The only difference is Max is regularly beating one or both Ferraris. Another way to look at that is to say Ferrari have succeeded in splitting the two Red bulls. To get a driver to replace and outperform Gasly, RB would have to find another driver as good as Max or the two Ferrari drivers, and those aren't thick on the ground. I can't see Vettel being a good team fit as number two to Max, which is what he'd become if he jumped (or was pushed) from Ferrari. I don't think Gasly's failed yet.
Hulkenburg at Renault is only a few points behind Danny Ric, which suggests the car isn't performing rather than the two experienced drivers. If Hulky's proving sulky, Renault have their car to blame.
In all seriousness, I can see why Haas would replace Grosjean. Two points only so far, although he's not far behind K Mag. As neither of their drivers has what I would call the sunniest disposition, I could see Haas re-organising a bit if they want to distract attention from what seems to be a mediocre car.
Other under-performers: Giovinazzi - one point to Kimi's 25; the only drivers he's beating are the two Williams guys, which means he's pretty useless. Lance Stroll on a disappointing six points, but I'm betting his seat's safe.
Kubica... Sorry, I think Williams imagined their gesture to Kubica would attract some fairy-tale-ending karma. Even if Williams had a points-scoring car, I'm not sure he'd be able to collect any. They may reason that their car is so shite no-one could pilot it to points, and they might as well stick with acting as Kubica's rehabilitation clinic, if only for the kudos.
Wow, it's hot here at 30 C. *Fans self* *Cold drink*
1%er
Well-Known Member
Mercedes "new" livery for the German GP
Whoooooooops
A bus has crashed into the starting lights a day before Formula 1 action begins on track ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix. It looks like the driver underestimated the high of his vehicle. It looks like a new set of lights will need to be installed as the current set look unrepairable. It's not the first time a non-racing vehicle has crashed on track during the 2019 Formula 1 season. In the streets of Baku, a recovery lorry crashed into a bridge while it was carrying George Russell's Williams car.
FIA have changed DRS zones again
he FIA has modified the DRS zones for this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, leaving drivers with two activation points. In 2018, drivers could use their Drag Reduction System on the main straight, but that zone has now been discarded. Instead, an activation point located before Turn 1 will allow driver to deploy DRS right after Hockenheim's first corner all the way to Turn 2. The second DRS zone will start right after Turn 4 and run all the way down to Hockenheim's Turn 6 hairpin, where most of the overtaking is expected to take place on Sunday.
While scorching heat is expected this weekend in the Mannheim area not exactly Mercedes' preferred outlook given the cooling issues encountered by its W10 in Austria, race day could prove entertaining with a risk of rain currently forecast for Sunday afternoon.
Whoooooooops
A bus has crashed into the starting lights a day before Formula 1 action begins on track ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix. It looks like the driver underestimated the high of his vehicle. It looks like a new set of lights will need to be installed as the current set look unrepairable. It's not the first time a non-racing vehicle has crashed on track during the 2019 Formula 1 season. In the streets of Baku, a recovery lorry crashed into a bridge while it was carrying George Russell's Williams car.
FIA have changed DRS zones again
he FIA has modified the DRS zones for this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, leaving drivers with two activation points. In 2018, drivers could use their Drag Reduction System on the main straight, but that zone has now been discarded. Instead, an activation point located before Turn 1 will allow driver to deploy DRS right after Hockenheim's first corner all the way to Turn 2. The second DRS zone will start right after Turn 4 and run all the way down to Hockenheim's Turn 6 hairpin, where most of the overtaking is expected to take place on Sunday.
While scorching heat is expected this weekend in the Mannheim area not exactly Mercedes' preferred outlook given the cooling issues encountered by its W10 in Austria, race day could prove entertaining with a risk of rain currently forecast for Sunday afternoon.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
It's the usual European times for Hockenheim: 10am, 2pm, 11am, 2pm and the race at 2:10pm.
Weather's going to be a challenge for the teams. Friday will be 38 and sunny; Saturday thundery with a 30-50% of rain; Sunday thundery with a 35 - 50% chance of rain.
Hockenheim - BBC Weather
Weather's going to be a challenge for the teams. Friday will be 38 and sunny; Saturday thundery with a 30-50% of rain; Sunday thundery with a 35 - 50% chance of rain.
Hockenheim - BBC Weather
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Someone who let that bus onto the circuit is going to find their Marshall’s pass busted down to a carpark attendant’s one next year, if there even is a German GP (am I right in thinking it’s being dropped)?
Merc’s cooling issues will surely be a significant factor in this race. They can open up the bodywork as much as possible and suffer the consequences in drag, but is even that enough to be able to use the engine fully without overheating, or do they get the double whammy of extra drag and having to turn the engine down?
Max for the win??
Merc’s cooling issues will surely be a significant factor in this race. They can open up the bodywork as much as possible and suffer the consequences in drag, but is even that enough to be able to use the engine fully without overheating, or do they get the double whammy of extra drag and having to turn the engine down?
Max for the win??
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Cooling will definitely be an issue today. But tomorrow and Sunday the temperatures are forecast at 25C, which isn't too bad. (According to the supplier of BBC weather, so who the hell really knows?)
It's the high percentage chance of thundery rain they need to watch out for during qualifying and the race. Rain is a great leveller as far as out-and-out car performance is concerned. Okay, I don't see Williams on the podium, but you know what I mean. Rain demands more from team decisions and seat-of-the-arse driving skills. With any luck we'll get some brave tyre swapping and nail-biting driving.
Fingers crossed for a wildly changeable weekend.
It's the high percentage chance of thundery rain they need to watch out for during qualifying and the race. Rain is a great leveller as far as out-and-out car performance is concerned. Okay, I don't see Williams on the podium, but you know what I mean. Rain demands more from team decisions and seat-of-the-arse driving skills. With any luck we'll get some brave tyre swapping and nail-biting driving.
Fingers crossed for a wildly changeable weekend.
1%er
Well-Known Member
All the signs are that both the German GP and the Spanish GP will be the 2 races dropped to make way for Vietnam and the Netherlands joining the 2020 line-up. But according to Ara (that well known Catalonia newspaper read by all F1 fans) an agreement has been reached between the Catalan government and Liberty Media over funding for a potential 2020 grand prix, with the figure estimated to be around 21 Million Euros. Where they will fit it on the calendar is had to see, as Liberty Media have already told the teams that 2020 will be a 21 race season.
Mexico, Italy and Germany are the other races without a confirmed 2020 deal, but Mexico is expected to stay, while an agreement in principle has already been reached with Italy.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Thanks 1%er. Looks like Ferrari are the team to beat after FP1 and FP2, but haven’t we seen that a few times this season and then when the race comes, suddenly Merc turn things up and take over?
We should have a sweepstake on when Gasly gets the chop. Hard to see him even making it to the end of the season.
We should have a sweepstake on when Gasly gets the chop. Hard to see him even making it to the end of the season.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Ferrari change electronic store
This weekend’s German Grand Prix marks the halfway point of the 2019 FIA Formula One Championship. Due to the strict Sporting Regulation, teams have to plan carefully already ahead of the season-opener how they approach the season in terms of the power unit components, also taking their development programme into account. For Hockenheim, Ferrari made the decision to install a new electronic store in to the car of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. As no more than two units can be used per driver during the entire season, this change means that Vettel and Leclerc have to complete the remainder of the championship with the fresh electronic store. Of course, they are also allowed to use their old one which they may do regularly in the Friday practice session to save mileage on the second unit.
With the exception of Vettel, five of the six Ferrari-powered car were fitted with a new motor generator unit – kinetics. As Leclerc, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi have all used only one unit so far this season, the change was in conformity with the Sporting Regulation. Vettel has been already using his second MGU-K, meaning that he has to cover the remaining eleven races with their two used units if he intends to avoid a grid-drop penalty. The hybrid power units consist of six different elements. All six Ferrari-powered cars can still introduce a fresh internal combustion engine, a turbocharger and a motor generator unit – heat. It also indicates that Ferrari’s last engine development, the third-specification 2019 power unit which is expected to make its debut at Spa or at Monza revolves around these three PU components. It is no wonder though as changes to these elements provide with the biggest performance gain in the hybrid era.
Grosjean and Gasly change gearbox
Pierre Gasly and Romain Grosjean are the only two drivers to have started the German Grand Prix weekend with a fresh gearbox. The Red Bull driver was free to use a fresh unit as his previous gearbox completed six consecutive events. The Haas driver did not finish the previous race meeting at Silverstone, allowing him to use a fresh gearbox at Hockenheim which the Genf-born man happily took.
Barcelona has denied deal has been done
Just above I wrote Diari Ara claims that the Generalitat de Catalunya (the regional government) has now come to the rescue so that Barcelona can pay the EUR 21 million fee for a one-year race deal for 2020. The circuit has denied this. “No agreement has been reached yet,” a spokesperson for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya said. “The negotiations continue, and are still open. As soon as an agreement has been reached, whether for a renewal or a non-renewal, it will be made known officially through the usual channels.”
It is believed that a 2020 deal with Barcelona could mean that Liberty Media needs all ten teams to agree to attend an extra race next year. Earlier, F1 CEO Chase Carey said the calendar would not expand beyond its current 21 races. “I don’t think there should be 21 races,” Williams boss Claire Williams said at Hockenheim. “Personally, I think there should be five fewer races.”
This weekend’s German Grand Prix marks the halfway point of the 2019 FIA Formula One Championship. Due to the strict Sporting Regulation, teams have to plan carefully already ahead of the season-opener how they approach the season in terms of the power unit components, also taking their development programme into account. For Hockenheim, Ferrari made the decision to install a new electronic store in to the car of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. As no more than two units can be used per driver during the entire season, this change means that Vettel and Leclerc have to complete the remainder of the championship with the fresh electronic store. Of course, they are also allowed to use their old one which they may do regularly in the Friday practice session to save mileage on the second unit.
With the exception of Vettel, five of the six Ferrari-powered car were fitted with a new motor generator unit – kinetics. As Leclerc, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi have all used only one unit so far this season, the change was in conformity with the Sporting Regulation. Vettel has been already using his second MGU-K, meaning that he has to cover the remaining eleven races with their two used units if he intends to avoid a grid-drop penalty. The hybrid power units consist of six different elements. All six Ferrari-powered cars can still introduce a fresh internal combustion engine, a turbocharger and a motor generator unit – heat. It also indicates that Ferrari’s last engine development, the third-specification 2019 power unit which is expected to make its debut at Spa or at Monza revolves around these three PU components. It is no wonder though as changes to these elements provide with the biggest performance gain in the hybrid era.
Grosjean and Gasly change gearbox
Pierre Gasly and Romain Grosjean are the only two drivers to have started the German Grand Prix weekend with a fresh gearbox. The Red Bull driver was free to use a fresh unit as his previous gearbox completed six consecutive events. The Haas driver did not finish the previous race meeting at Silverstone, allowing him to use a fresh gearbox at Hockenheim which the Genf-born man happily took.
Barcelona has denied deal has been done
Just above I wrote Diari Ara claims that the Generalitat de Catalunya (the regional government) has now come to the rescue so that Barcelona can pay the EUR 21 million fee for a one-year race deal for 2020. The circuit has denied this. “No agreement has been reached yet,” a spokesperson for Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya said. “The negotiations continue, and are still open. As soon as an agreement has been reached, whether for a renewal or a non-renewal, it will be made known officially through the usual channels.”
It is believed that a 2020 deal with Barcelona could mean that Liberty Media needs all ten teams to agree to attend an extra race next year. Earlier, F1 CEO Chase Carey said the calendar would not expand beyond its current 21 races. “I don’t think there should be 21 races,” Williams boss Claire Williams said at Hockenheim. “Personally, I think there should be five fewer races.”
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
We saw a snippet of his smug and sanctimonious dial before FP3.
My demure and pouting better half asked: "Isn't that the gutless creep who left Formula 1? What's he doing hanging around like a dog eating its own sick?"
She has a way with words.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
I’m looking forward to quali - seems like red bull and Ferrari will be giving mercs a challenge. Will Ferrari let LeClerc win if the ferraris are running 1-2 in the race? Would be a major talking point if they used team orders to deny the young buck his maiden win.
But maybe Mercedes will turn the engines up as usual and what we’ve seen in practice will be illusory. It’s giving me some problems making my fantasy F1 league picks, which is exactly how F1 should be after all!
But maybe Mercedes will turn the engines up as usual and what we’ve seen in practice will be illusory. It’s giving me some problems making my fantasy F1 league picks, which is exactly how F1 should be after all!
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1%er
Well-Known Member
Out on soft that could compromise his race strategyMax too ffs
