F1 2019

[1%er]

I think Ferrari told Leclerc to hang back and not attack Vettel, way to go Ferrari a great way to demotivate your future world champion Vettel would have said something to the team, how embarrassing would it have been to be beaten by the young upstart

Great to see Honda working well

 

[MrCurry]

Loving the fastest lap point

I agree. Wasn’t quite sure how that would work, but it does add some interest st the end of the race.

I think Ferrari told Leclerc to hang back and not attack Vettel, way to go Ferrari a great way to demotivate your future world champion Vettel would have said something to the team, how embarrassing would it have been to be beaten by the young upstart

Yeah, not much chance that he will be allowed to challenge Vettel this year, but I guess he’s hoping to prove himself strong enough that he’s given more opportunity next year.

I was a bit surprised they didn’t pit LEC at the end and go for fastest lap. He had, what, 35 secs lead over MAG? Maybe they didn’t think he would have the necessary pace, even with new rubber.

Good first race though. Looks like it will be interesting with Merc, Ferrari and Red Bull all in the hunt for victories this year.

 

[1%er]

So Leclerc confirms that he was told not to challenge Vettel "I thought the radio message went out over the air, we were told too hold position"

Shame there was no Ted's notebook I miss that, maybe he'll be back soon. Right I'm out of here see you in Bahrain, I'm off take the dog for a walk on the beach and watch the sunrise before I go to bed

 

[Badgers]

Car porn

 

[MrCurry]

So that’s how posh car dealers sell. No “FSH” in sight, nor any price for that matter. I guess “eye watering” is enough you need to know about the price.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Wonder why Ferrari didn't bother pitting Leclerc to give him a pop at the fastest lap point? Seems like a waste of an opportunity if they weren't going to let him pass Vettel.

 

[MrCurry]

I also wondered the same. Maybe they want him to get more miles under himself before he starts doing a quali lap at the end of a race. Too much risk, perhaps?

I see Merc are citing car damage as Lewis’s problem. Managing the media to take some pressure off Lewis, or a real thing? I didn’t see him have any contact, so where would floor damage have come from?

Mercedes uncover Lewis Hamilton car damage after Australian GP

 

[Limejuice]

From that story ^^^:

'Team boss Christian Horner was more effusive, describing the result as "a fantastic performance and a dream start. Honda have given us a great product."'

Translation: "Up yours, McLaren, and thanks for all the years perfecting our new engine for us."

 

[Ax^]

hmm so will full race highlights be on skyone

or just the opener

 

[Buddy Bradley]

I see Merc are citing car damage as Lewis’s problem. Managing the media to take some pressure off Lewis, or a real thing?

Hard to see what else would have caused him to be so far off Bottas' pace. Considering Ricciardo managed to knock his wing off on a patch of grass, it's not completely unbelievable that Lewis picked up some minor damage somehow.

 

[Indeliblelink]

love this

 

[1%er]

Vettel and Binotto contradict each other over Ferrari problems
Binotto admitted to Sky Italia post-race that the car lacked balance and was not in the right operating window, almost as if it were a surprise to the team after winter testing at Barcelona. “What we are certain of is that this is not the real potential of our car,” said Binotto in an obvious bid to reassure the Italian audience. “Ferrari has a superior potential, which for some reason here in Australia we have not been able to exploit. We didn’t feel comfortable on this circuit all weekend long. We lacked the right balance, we tried to review the setup but if there’s no balance the driver can’t drive to the limit.” explained Binotto.

But Vettel told the press post-race that this year the car balance felt good, and that it’s the complete opposite to 2018 when they finished winter testing expecting to struggle at Melbourne. “Last year we left winter testing with problems with the car. It wasn’t behaving the way we wanted it or the way it should. This year was the opposite. The car was behaving the way we expected and it felt very good. We came here last year and the balance wasn’t right. We had a very poor rear end last year and we had to trim the car towards understeer a lot. That didn’t feel great. We managed for this weekend last year and obviously the race pace was fine but we weren’t there in qualifying. We got lucky in the race. By Bahrain we had a fix to our issues in winter testing and the first race last year and that’s why we all of a sudden unlocked a lot more pace last year”.

There is a rumour in the paddock that the Ferrari experienced some significant overheating problems in Melbourne (I mentioned this during the testing when there was also a rumour the car had overheating problems), forcing the team to turn down their engine power and open up the cooling on the bodywork. Turning down power hits the hardest on Saturday, when the engine modes are required to be at the max when drivers are bidding for pole. Not only does extra cooling suggest power unit problems, but the biggest issue encountered when having to open up the car’s bodywork for extra cooling is the knock-on effect on aero balance and tyre performance.

Wonder why Ferrari didn't bother pitting Leclerc to give him a pop at the fastest lap point? Seems like a waste of an opportunity if they weren't going to let him pass Vettel.

Binotto asnwered this question when ask by the Italian press, he said "We had the window to pit Charles for new tyres and go for the fastest lap, but whenever you pit, it may be a risk, and I think it was more important for us to bring the car home and score the points. There are sometimes races where you are not the best but it is still important to score points, and at the end, that was our choice. We will eventually review the decision, but the decision was for that reason".

There had been some radio released in regards to Leclerc overtaking Vettel, apparently the radio went like this;
Leclerc "Should I stay behind Sebastian, yes or no"
Team "Yes and back off to have some margin"
Leclerc "OK"

Even though it is just the first race the Italian press are not happy with the result or the fact that Ferrair stopped Leclerc having a go at Vettel, they are calling Vettels performance “weak”. La Gazzetta dello Sport said: “Leclerc seems to have more energy and openly admits that he was told to stay behind in the final stages of the race”. Sky Sports Italia journalist Mara Sangiorgio said even through it is just the first race the team in red needs to react in Bahrain. Sangiorgio wrote: “The two Ferrari drivers have both shown that they have neither rhythm nor speed. The SF90 struggled throughout the weekend. It is [up to] the Ferrari team principal to immediately stop alarms and deny any other technical and more serious problems”. (I think he is talking here about the overheating rumour).

I see Merc are citing car damage as Lewis’s problem. Managing the media to take some pressure off Lewis, or a real thing? I didn’t see him have any contact, so where would floor damage have come from?

This image appears to show slight damage to Lewis's car floor which the team claim could have cost him four-tenths a lap, the piece of floor, although small, channels air to the diffuser and helps with tyre management, which means not only would Hamilton's W10 have been unbalanced, but also worse on its tyres.

 

[MrCurry]

Interesting to see the Italian press are already taking pops at Vettel and talking up LeClerc. What will they be saying if and when LeClerc finishes in front of Seb?

Vettel really needs the WDC this year to put his critics in their place, as another squandered opportunity will surely not be forgiven.

 

[1%er]

Talk in Melbourne
Another race in the USA is still a top priority for Liberty Media, but all the talk of a race in Miami has gone quiet recently. It seems that Las Vegas is now top of the list and it is rumored that a deal is close. The only problem is that the track that is available is not very interesting and the design of the circuit is under discussion because there is absolutely no point in F1 going into the US market if it produces a poor show as a result of the circuit design.

While we are on the subject of tracks, the word is that a number of the existing circuits are being looked at to find ways to make overtaking possible, notably Melbourne and Abu Dhabi, the first and last races of the year, which tend to produce uneventful races. Elsewhere the work continues to try to keep Auston on the F1 calendar following the bizarre bureaucratic glitch that resulted in the race promoter failing to get the $25 million reimbursement that was due because one page in a 300-page application was omitted. I have to say that the whole thing smells a bit odd to me. The State and COTA both say that they want the race to happen but cannot go ahead because of the demands of transparent government. It makes no sense and thus there are folk speculating that the whole business is designed to get the Formula One group to agree to step in and promote the race, leaving the promoter free to rent the circuit and not have to pay the bills. There are whispers of F1 going back to Indianapolis if Austin doesn't get its act together, it is the one place where F1 can arrived and go into action, without any work needing to be done.

There continues to be a lot of working going on in relation to the 2020 calendar, with some important deadlines coming up soon. The Dutch need to have a deal by the end of the month if Zandvoort is to go ahead. They are not very positive, but F1 seems to think that there will be a Dutch GP in 2020. We will see. The other key date to watch for at the moment is May 8, which is election day in South Africa. If the African National Congress wins the election, we could see the South African GP revived at Kyalami, with funding from the government.

In the wider world of Formula 1, the word is that Racing Point F1 will shortly launch an application for planning permission at Silverstone to build a new factory on land adjacent to the current site. It is expected that permission will be given, but the necessary steps will take time. There are still suggestions in the F1 paddock that we have not heard the last about the dispute between Haas and Racing Point over the way in which Force India was acquired by the latter last year. Under the terms of the existing commercial agreements, the two teams and the Formula One group could end up going to arbitration in Switzerland in order to find a solution, but everything they do is covered by confidentiality agreements and so we should not be hearing about it.

Elsewhere, the rumours are beginning to build about who will lead the Williams F1 technical team, as it is very clear that Paddy Lowe's leave of absence "for personal reasons" is PR chaff. Lowe is gone and there will no doubt be legal action at some point to find a settlement, but Williams now needs a carpetbeater to come in and get the place up to speed. The death of Charlie Whiting cast a cloud over F1 in Australia, as one would expect, but I think it would be great if the FIA was to decide that Race Control will be known as "Charlie" from now on, which would be a brilliant memorial. They might come up with some daft acronym to achieve this but I much prefer the idea that it be called Charlie.

Some people are saying that the light sequence at the start of the Australian GP was the fastest ever starting lights, I have to say I didn't notice them being quicker than norman, but people who have better access to stuff like that claim they were very fast. Ross Brawn and the drivers appear to be at odds over about the new aero. The drivers say it is still had to over take but Brawn says the stats from the first race show it is easier. Melbourne is a hard track to overtake at the best of times but the figures appear to show Brawn is correct, The F1 technical boss claims that people forget quickly that the layout of the Albert Park Circuit has never been suited for overtaking. A year ago there were only three non-DRS overtakes. This year there have been fourteen, six of them without the help of DRS. I think we will have to wait and see as one race doesn't really give is that much info and with the mid-field being closer this season who can tell if it was the aero that help cars pass.

F1 has gone back to a free to air channels in the Middle East, so maybe F1 have realised that pay TV is having a big effect on their audience. The group that won the contract was founded by Saudi businessman Waleed al-Ibrahim, includes 18 free-to-air channels as well as digital and social media platforms in a region with a population of more than 400 million. It will be interesting to see how the viewing figures go and could be the start of free to air races in other regions.

 

[1%er]

Unintended consequence
It would seem that the new bigger rear wings on the 2019 cars has had unintended consequence, a number of drivers have complained to the FIA that they were unable to see the start lights because the wing of the car in front of them on the grid blocked their view. This is a serious problem as it could cause cars behind those who can't see to rear-end them when getting off the line.

Robert Kubica complained that the wing on Carlos Sainz’s McLaren blocked the lights “I had a bit of panic because when I stopped I couldn’t see the lights. The rear wing of the McLaren was hiding it. I could see the first block and not the rest. So I had to move to the left and it was a bit of a panic moment”. Pierre Gasly explained “With the new bigger rear wings, I couldn’t see the lights on the grid so I had to react with the cars around me and I lost a couple of places”.

An FIA spokesman said “We are working on a solution for the rest of the year starting at the Bahrain Grand Prix”.

Zandvoort get a boost to it chances of holding a race
Zandvoort has received a boost in their efforts to secure the return of the Dutch Grand Prix in 2020. Having hosted Formula 1 until 1985, the circuit has been considered the preferred option for one of Liberty Media's top priorities, as they look to capitalise on the popularity of Max Verstappen. However, with a deadline of the end of March to reach a deal, securing the financial support has been tough, particularly after the national government ruled out investment.

Now though, 4m Euros has been granted by the local council in Zandvoort towards the redevelopment of the circuit in the hopes of pushing through what they see as a big opportunity to host a major international sporting event. "We are happy to invest in the return of Formula 1 to the most beautiful circuit in the Netherlands, we are proud of Formula 1 and Circuit Park Zandvoort and are prepared to stick our neck out for that" said local councillor Ellen Verheij.

Pointless Williams
Could Williams do worse this season than last? It would be had as they finished last season at the bottom of the constructors table, but it is possible as it looks like they could finish the 2019 season with no points at all. It would seem as though the only way for the Grove based team to go at this point is up. But that may not be the case, as their start to the 2019 season illustrated absolutely no potential for them whatsoever. The team’s two drivers for this season, George Russell and Robert Kubica, finished the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, in 16th and 17th place respectively. Three of the 20 drivers who started the race failed to finish it, so the Williams teammates were effectively the lowest finishing drivers of it.

Russell was lapped twice and Kubica was lapped three times. This disastrous result for the team took place after an equally horrendous qualifying session for them. Russell and Kubica qualified for the race in 19th and 20th place, respectively. Is there any chance that Williams can make the necessary improvements, preferably in both qualifying sessions and races themselves, so that they can score at least one point this year with at least one top 10 finish? It seems unlikely, as it looks like they would need at least 9 other cars not to finish for 1 of their cars to get a point. With how things are going right now, there is absolutely no chance that either one or both of the Williams teammates will finish ahead of more than half of the rest of the field in any race this season.

It really is a shame to see what was once a great team hanging off the back of the grid by such a distance.

 

[1%er]

Badgers Hey remember that poster who has been thinking of linking their laptop to their smart TV for the last 30 years? Well they don't need to do it now There is an app called Mobdro (a tool that constantly looks for free video streams available on the web and makes them accessible on your mobile devices, most computer operating systems and smart TV).

Here is how to install it on your smart TV
In your Smart TV, go to the Settings
Then, scroll down to find the Security & Restrictions and click on Unknown Sources and turn it ON.
Now, install the ES File Explorer on your TV. To do this, click on the Search box. Type the “ES File Explorer” and press enter. Click on the download button.
Once its downloaded then open the Es File Explorer.
Now, click on Add.
Fill the Path field as “Mobdro APK 2.1.30 Download (Official Latest Version 2019)” and Name as “Mobdro TV“. Click on Add.
Go back to bookmark section and click on “Mobdro TV”. Now, you’ll get a window there click on “Download for Android” button to download Mobdro APK File on TV.
Click on Install and follow the next respective steps and complete the installation.
Finally, go to the apps section and find the Mobdro and click to open the app. Enjoy the Mobdro channels on your TV.

It always has the F1 races and loads of other sports

(If you search google for Mobdro and your make of TV you may find a better way to install it on your system, it also works with both windows and apple operating systems).

Hope it works for you

 

[Badgers]

Nice one 1%er

I am away working for Bahrain but promise you I will TRY to get this in place for China

The thing is I DO have a mates SkyGo app/login on my computer but not doubt Rupert the Cunt will have some sort of block. Will investigate best option and hopefully get on the big screen laptop is okay but too small and the sound is shite

 

[weltweit]

I may be destined not to see any races this year. Even C4 for Melbourne happened while I was otherwise occupied.

Oh dear what a shame nevermind

 

[cybershot]

Nice one 1%er

I am away working for Bahrain but promise you I will TRY to get this in place for China

The thing is I DO have a mates SkyGo app/login on my computer but not doubt Rupert the Cunt will have some sort of block. Will investigate best option and hopefully get on the big screen laptop is okay but too small and the sound is shite

Sky are adding some pin thing now, which the main account holder has to set up, OH got message to set it up, but as I only ever use Sky Go when shes over here for F1 purposes, haven't had to do it yet. It wouldn't surprise me if soon enough they bring in some sort of 2FA where the account holder has to put in a random code each time they want to watch live TV. This new PIN thing is only for stuff that's live, so box sets etc you don't need it.

 

[MrCurry]

It’s been a long time since I gambled, but my eye was taken by 3/1 on Vettel for WDC. If one were minded to, I think this might be the time of maximum opportunity to put a bet down on that outcome, as one bad race has probably shifted the odds against Vettel, and I would not be at all surprised to see them come back in Bahrain with a car that looks dominant like it did in testing.

In fact, thinking of that, how does one bet not on the outcome itself but to trade the odds so you profit when odds improve or lessen? Betfair I guess?

Even if the Ferrari doesn’t carry Vettel to a championship title, surely the odds will shorten when they show better relative pace in Bahrain?

 

[1%er]

Tomorrow is the big day for F1
The big players will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) in London, with a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, followed by an F1 Commission. If all goes well, we should by then have the basics of Formula 1's plans for 2021 and beyond, including new regulations, commercial structures and changes to the governance. While the whole package may not be fully finalized at the meeting, there is still time to sort out problems as the deals do not need to be completed until the end of June. Of course, we may not be told the results of the deliberations tomorrow as it all needs to go in front of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which meets on June 14, but it is likely that news will leak out, given the number of people involved.

What seems to be fairly clear is that the planned budget cap will go ahead with a glide path towards a cap of $135 million in 2023 and onwards. This will start with a limit of $220 million in 2020, reduce to $185 million in 2021, then $160 million in 2021 and finally $135 million in 2023. There are going to be some major exclusions from the budget cap, such as driver and top executive salaries, marketing and hospitality costs, but the principle seems to have been accepted and the aim now is for the Formula One group to raise revenues so that the teams will all get $135 million or more a year from the prize funds, which will mean that they will be covering their costs and all additional revenues will become profits. This will allow teams to invest in other activities if they wish to grow their businesses, or to sell or float their businesses, as their "franchises" will have value, something which teams had never really managed in the past. In order to reach the level of revenues required, the Formula 1 group will need to find something in the region of $500 million more revenue each year. That may sound like a lot of money but Liberty Media has invested in a whole range of new revenue streams and believes that these will pay off as they mature. If the F1 TV over-the-top direct-to-consumer service is picked up by a modest five million fans, which is about 10 percent of the hard core F1 fans in the world, the target will be exceeded, so it is obviously attainable, particularly given that other revenue streams will simply add to the value of the business.

There is still room for cost-cutting and the word is that there will be an increased number of common parts that all the teams will use, as these are deemed not to be key in performance terms. The biggest such item will probably be the gearbox internals, which have been put out to tender. It is fair to say that all the F1 gearboxes are now so advanced that there is little or no advantage to be found from them and so it is pointless for teams to waste money on them and much simpler to get a common supplier capable of producing reliable machinery at a decent price. There are expected to be other areas where there will be stricter rules notably with regard to using parts made by other teams. The aim of this is to reduce the B team concept and make the teams build their own machinery so that F1 retains its unique position of being a competition between teams that build their own cars, rather than having everyone using the same, as happens in all the other major championships. The key areas which need to remain free are engine development and aerodynamics, as these are the major performance elements in the sport. Keeping the same engine formula is the best choice for the future as the current competitors are beginning to get to a point where they are struggling more to find additional horsepower and that means that not only will the fields close up but also the sport will become more attractive to newcomers as they will be able to see a way to become competitive quickly.

From a commercial point of view, the word is that the payment structures will be pretty much as proposed by Liberty Media, with special deals that previously existed being axed and the money being redistributed in a fairer way. There will still be a special deal for Ferrari, but it will be $40 million, as opposed to the previous five percent off the top (which was about $70 million), and teams that are also engine suppliers will also get a $10 million bonus each year. They will still have to supply engines to teams that want them and will have a limit on the price, but it should help them to balance the books. There is not much word at the moment on changes to the sporting regulations, which could change the format of race weekends nor have we heard anything much about how the governance will change, although it would be wise for all the teams included equally in the decision-making process. More races in a season is something Liberty Media want, they are looking to get to 25 races a season.

Zak Brown has admitted that McLaren could be forced to leave Formula 1 in 2021. The team feel that unless the rule changes suit them and make them more competitive then they would have to seriously consider their Formula 1 future. A few weeks ago Red Bull also threatened to leave Formula 1 but it is thought that both teams are trying to ensure that the rule changes suit them.

Zak Brown is reported as saying “for McLaren, it has to tick two boxes, to be financially viable and to be able to fight fairly and competitively. If it wasn’t that, we would seriously have to consider our position in F1. That’s not a position we want to be in. People throw it out there as a negotiating tactic but this has to be a fiscally responsible, competitive racing team and, if we feel the new rules don’t put us in that situation, we would have to review our participation in F1. There should be recognition for your history. We all agree Ferrari is the biggest name and should be remunerated as such but not at the level that it is and you also should not be able to put that money into the racing”.

Drive to Survive season 2
Mercedes will consider taking part in the second series of Netflix's F1 fly-on-the-wall documentary series. Mercedes is open minded about participating in the second series of Formula 1’s Netflix fly-on-the-wall documentary, having opted out of the first season. The reigning world champions feature little in the 10 episode Drive to Survive series offering a behind-the-scenes look into the world of F1, with the title triumphs of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes only loosely followed. Following a positive reception to the series, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the team will consider taking part in the second series which will document the 2019 F1 season.

Wolff explained “I am open minded and I watched the first three episodes on my way over to Australia and liked some of the things in there and certainly the production is great and on a very high level. The competent people in the team tell us it’s good and it shines a completely different light on Formula 1. The narrative is interesting and it creates stories that are not the obvious ones, it’s not about Ferrari against Mercedes and the sport is maybe not the primary narrative but there are interesting other stories. I get feedback that are not normally interested in Formula 1 and they say it is great. So therefore we need to make up our minds and we will stick our heads together and evaluate whether we want to do this or not”.

 

[cybershot]

Surely if they are doing Drive to Survive S2, filming has already started!

 

[1%er]

Bernie stirring the pot
Bernie has claimed that two Formula 1 team bosses recently discussed the possibility of forming a rival breakaway series with him. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Lawrence Stroll, who took over the Racing Point team last year, met with Ecclestone at his home in Gstaad, Switzerland during Formula 1’s pre-season test period. Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was also present, however no current Ferrari staff nor any representatives of the other seven teams, including Red Bull, attended.

The threat of a rival, breakaway series could give the teams leverage in their negotiations with Liberty Media. However Ecclestone, who saw off several such threats during his time in charge of the sport, it is claimed he said “I don’t think it would ever happen. I can’t see they’d get everyone to agree. They’d need to get all the promoters to agree, everyone to agree. The trouble with all these things are people sit around and talk and talk and talk. But when it comes to pulling the trigger there’s a big list of missing people”.

I'm guessing that when we hear from Toto or Stroll about what went on we will hear that, yes they dinner with Bernie but no serious discussion about any "breakaway series" was talked about, just old friends having a chat. Liberty Media will have had more lawyers looking over the paperwork when they brought F1 than you could shake a stick at, so for sure Bernie would have had to sign a non-compete clause, he is just stirring the pot and letting everyone know he is still alive, good old Bernie

Williams watch
So what is going on at Williams, not much at the moment. There is still no news about who will take over as Chief Technical Officer now Paddy Lowe has gone, while it is claimed he is on leave for personal reasons, he has really left the team. Williams may not be in a position to replace him until both the team and Lowe have sorted-out the terms of his departure. His contract will have to be paid off and Williams will also have to find a way to get the shares he now owns in the team back, shares he was given by Williams to lure him to the team in the first place.

It must also not be forgotten that Williams lost their head of vehicle performance Rob Smedley, who left at the end of 2018. Their chief designer Ed Wood also left the team last season, the rumor is that Paddy Lowe wanted him out because of the poor performance of last years car and Wood left the team last May, It seems that not only do Williams need to build a new car this season if they want to get any points, they also need to build a new team. There must also be a question over Claire Williams position with-in the team, she is the person in charge of the day to day running of Williams and must at some point take some responsibility for the dire straits the times finds itself in.

Beyond The Grid
In the upcoming Beyond The Grid podcast ex-Ferrari boss Luca Di Montezemolo is interviewed and speak about why Fernando Alonso and why he didn't become a multiple world champion with Ferrari. Di Montezemolo picked out Alonso’s character as one reason why perhaps he didn’t succeed in the way multiple world champions Michael Schumacher or Niki Lauda did at Ferrari. He claims “He was Alonso, not Alonso-Ferrari, when he wins, he’s happy. When he doesn’t win, it’s the problem of the team, he’s unhappy. In other words, he’s less close to the team than Michael and Niki, particularly in the difficult moments. To be close to the team in the good moments is easy. In terms of performance, Fernando was very good. For me, Alonso is with Lewis Hamilton and Vettel and in the race, he’s very close to Michael. In the race, Alonso was and is a fantastic driver. He lost the championship in 2010 and 2012 not for his mistakes. If he won one championship, today we are talking about something different. We are talking that Alonso, despite many years he didn’t have the best car, he was able to win the championship. Alonso is very strong”.

Sounds like it could be a good podcast.

 

[1%er]

Surely if they are doing Drive to Survive S2, filming has already started!

While the series was shown on Netflix it was produced by F1. There is little news available about season 2 but word is filming started in Barcelona during pre-season testing. As mentioned above Mercedes will consider taking part in the second series but it looks likely that Ferrari are not interested. Ross Brawn is also quoted in some press reports as saying he wants all teams to take part in season two,

"I think this sport is able to grow, and it will grow quicker if all the teams are part of that process, there's no doubt," said Brawn, speaking at a launch event for the series. "I think the teams are starting to recognise that their involvement is not just on the track, there's an involvement in everywhere we can improve the sport. Maybe not every team is reaching that conclusion at the same time, but they are all reaching that conclusion. I think we'll see another step forward in 2019".

 

[spitfire]

Someone suggest this to Liberty Media, it would up the entertainment levels considerably.

 

[Limejuice]

Bahrain this weekend. Pretty civilised times for everyone.

The UK schedule is:

Fri 29 Mar
FP1 - 11.00
FP2 - 15.00

Sat 30 Mar
FP3 - 12.00
Qual - 15.00

Sun 31 Mar
Race - 16.10 (BST)

The clocks go forward overnight on Sat / Sun. So the race is 15.10 UTC or GMT)

I think that's right...

 

[1%er]

Is ground effect returning to F1
As I think I have mentioned before, if drivers can't overtake each other on track because they lose up-to 70% of their downforce when following a car closely, why doesn't the FIA and Liberty Media reintroduce ground effect. Well it seems that maybe the time has come. As mentioned above the teams, the FIA and the rights holders held a meeting this week to try and sort out what is going to happen in 2021 with the new Concorde Agreement. Liberty Media asked the teams to maintain radio silence about what was discussed at the meeting but someone has spoken to Auto Motor und Sport apparently.

It seems that a new car concept, code-named 'India', has been developed in the Sauber wind tunnel. Supposedly a car that will still have 80 per cent of its downforce intact when closely following a rival who is planning an overtaking move, compared to 30pc of downforce we are told is available at present. That will be thanks to a new front wing that connects to the nose rather than supports and the removal of bargeboards. It is also reported that this concept car has a two-channel 'ground effect' floor. However, the already heavy F1 cars look set to get heavier again, apparently due to the imposition of several standardised components in 2021.

Where is Ted
I'm sure you all missed Ted Kravitz and his notebook in Australia and it seems he will also not be at this weekends Bahrain Grand Prix I have heard that he will return for the Chinese Grand Prix on April the 14, but it is unclear at the moment if he will attend all the other races or if he will swap places with Karun Chandhok at different races. I have been unable as yet to find a link to his new midweek show "F1 Midweek Debrief" but I'm sure someone will post it up soon.

Williams watch
It appears that Williams are still lagging behind the other teams but not only on track, both their drivers are reported in the press as saying they can't go anywhere near the curbs and will have to take things very carefully in Bahrain as the team doesn't have any spare parts, so if something breaks they may miss the race. Surely this can only be down to money as it has a big staff (except it is looking to fill at least 3 top jobs), so why are they still short of part

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

While I know the idea of F1 and global politics is somewhat of a joke, it still makes me angry that they race in Bahrain.

 

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Vettel try's to explain away team orders in Australia
When asked in Bahrain about the team orders in the last race Vettel said "I think from the team's point of view it was quite clear that fourth and fifth was the best result we could get. Obviously you never see completely what's going on at that point in the race, both of us had to manage quite a lot to make it to the chequered flag. We still had some fuel to save, so it's not the first time and obviously it depends if you have anybody in front or behind, but it's not the first time that people have been asked to freeze the race there and make sure you bring home the points. You can understand that, I don't think this was a strong team order. I can see for you and people there's quite a lot of excitement in these kind of things, maybe there's a story, but internally it was pretty straightforward".

When asked if Ferrari had a cooling issues issue Vettel ducked the question, but later had a bit of a dig at Red Bulls Dr Helmut Marko, who has been telling anyone who'll listen that Ferrari have a cooling issues. Vettel told reporters "We found some answers, but whether we have them all, we don't know, I don't think our situation is too different from the other teams. As for Helmut, after the race in Australia he was asleep on the plane, so I'm not sure when he managed to analyse everything! We were losing everywhere, including on the straight, but I wouldn't be hasty with the conclusions".

FP1 so far
Max Verstappen has had a small problem, he had a hydraulic leak in the power-steering system so was late out on track. Red Bull appear to be running two different rear wings, Max’s car has got a higher downforce rear wing. You can see the angle has got much more than Pierre Gasly car.

Carlos Sainz has received a number of new power unit elements for the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. Sainz confirmed that his MGU-K was beyond repair after he retired from the season-opening race in Australia two weeks ago. The Spaniard's Renault power unit caught fire early on in the race which forced him onto the sidelines. The FIA has confirmed that as well as a new MGU-K, Sainz has taken on a second internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger and MGU-H.

Drivers are allowed to use three ICEs, turbochargers and MGU-Ks throughout the season before they are dished out penalties. Similarly, two MGU-Ks, energy stores and controls electronics can be used before penalties are handed to the driver. So far no other driver has taken on a new power unit element for the weekend.

 

[1%er]

News from Bahrain
Williams watch
Sir Patrick Head is back working with Williams. After a dire winter period and season opener in Australia, the once-great British team's troubles have deepened in Bahrain amid a shortage of spare parts, but set to help Williams emerge from its deep crisis is Patrick Head. Now 72 Head was recruited to the team by co-founder Sir Frank Williams in the late 70s, and was the key to the team's technical dominance of the 80s and 90s. Head left the team in 2012. But the Oxfordshire based team has issued a statement saying: "We can confirm that Sir Patrick Head is currently offering some support to our engineering team on a short-term consultancy basis".

Dutch GP
Zandvoort looks set to get the green light for a F1 race in 2020. Speculation about the return to the calendar of a Dutch grand prix has been rife in recent days ahead of a March 31 deadline imposed by Liberty Media. Kolner Express newspaper now reports that the deal is essentially done. The report said a late July race date for the Dutch GP could be to the detriment of the German grand prix, which is yet to agree a new deal with Liberty. "It is getting closer. the promoters, and the people who want to invest, are giving gas to the project" said Jan Lammers, a former F1 driver who is the spokesman for the Zandvoort race organisers, told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. he added.

Additional lights for Bahrain
Following an issue relating to the visibility of the start lights reported by drivers at the rear of the grid in Australia, an additional set of repeater lights has been installed in Bahrain. These lights, which are situated further back down the grid than the main starting light gantry, will ensure that the race start signal can clearly be seen by all drivers, regardless of grid position. The Williams duo of George Russell and Robert Kubica and Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly were among those who reported problems seeing the start lights in Melbourne because the increased height of this year’s rear wings meant the car in front obscured their view.

A change to qualifying is again being talked about
A change to the qualifying format could be introduced as early as next season with F1’s Strategy Group toying with the idea of a Q4 session again.
The current qualifying format is split into three sessions Q1, Q2 and Q3 with five drivers being eliminated in the first two sessions respectively before a top-10 shoot-out commences in the final Q3 session. But, based on a research process and further discussion in Bahrain, an agreement is close to being in place to introduce a fourth qualifying session for next season. The new format would mean four cars are eliminated after Q1, Q2 and Q3, leaving eight cars to take part in the final Q4 session to help add some more drama and unpredictability to proceedings.

Brawn drops hint about British GP and new races
Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has hinted at a rosy future for the British Grand Prix and other races under threat of dropping off the calendar at the end of 2019. However, it remains unclear if the British GP will remain at Silverstone, whose F1 contract runs out after this year's race. Silverstone's owners the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) enacted a break clause in its F1 contract due to spiralling hosting costs and Brawn has previously hinted that the race could move from the venue which hosted the very first grand prix in 1950.

With Spain, Germany, Italy and Mexico also facing uncertain futures beyond the end of the year, Brawn does not expect the advent of the Vietnam GP, and potentially the Miami GP too, to mean existing races will make way. Brawn told Sky Sports "Despite the pessimism, I'd be surprised if we lose any of the races we have. We've got some exciting races coming up. Vietnam I'm really excited about because we've been much more involved with the circuit design there. Incredibly enthusiastic, new culture and new place for people to visit. There are some other races on the horizon. We want to have two or three more races in a season and we believe we can do that without over-stressing the teams, by refining their weekends".

Liberty met with teams in the week to present the 2021 regulations to them, a meeting that Brawn says was a positive move. "It was a step along the way," he said. "A year ago we spoke about these topics and I think we had a vision of where we wanted to be and Tuesday was a really good step in the right direction to get us to where we want to be".