F1 2021

[MrCurry]

Twat or not, I quite like Marko’s outspokenness. Feels like you get to hear exactly what he thinks, unfiltered by PR bullshit and in a big money sport that’s a rare thing. A few times he’s blurted out things which gave me, as a fan, a better understanding of what was really going on in the world of F1 politics and you don’t often get that elsewhere.

Will be lovely if Lewis can win this weekend and Max is second so the points are levelled up before the last race. Then we will see them all sweating, Marko included.

 

[spitfire]

 

[1%er]

Hill ‘worried about the speed’ of Jeddah F1 track​

1996 Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has expressed concern over the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The track will host the very first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, after the gulf nation secured a long-term agreement with F1. With an expected average speed of 252km/h, the track is on course to be the fastest street circuit on the calendar. Organisers have expressed that it anticipates cars will peak at 322km/h between the flat-out sections of Turns 25 to 27.

But Hill says that the track poses a high-risk for drivers due to the little run-off area that is present. “The track, we’re going to discover, it’s going to be a big challenge by the looks of things,” Hill said “I’m a bit worried about the speed. There’s not much run-off. They’ve got the SAFER barrier that they’re using, which is like they do in Indianapolis, but it’s going to be very high speed and not much run-off. So high-risk, high jeopardy. That always gets your attention as a racing driver.”

This weekend marks the first opportunity this season for Max Verstappen to claim his maiden F1 title, but momentum appears to be with Mercedes, who has won the last two grands prix. However, Hill says it is too difficult to know if the circuit will suit Red Bull or Mercedes ahead of the weekend. “It’s a very difficult one to judge, because it’s such an unusual-looking track,” he stated. “I compared it to possibly like Baku, and I was told off by Ross Brawn who said, ‘No, no, it’s not like that at all. It’s a completely different type of track. It’s got banked corners and stuff’. Some of the sweeps look quite long, so I’m racking my brains I think it could be a cross between something like Singapore and Baku. I think it’s great that nobody knows where they’re going. This is a completely unknown place, an unknown track. It’s at that crucial point in the championship. This is going to be so important for the championship, this race coming up.”

 

[Ax^]

Twat or not, I quite like Marko’s outspokenness. Feels like you get to hear exactly what he thinks, unfiltered by PR bullshit and in a big money sport that’s a rare thing. A few times he’s blurted out things which gave me, as a fan, a better understanding of what was really going on in the world of F1 politics and you don’t often get that elsewhere.

Will be lovely if Lewis can win this weekend and Max is second so the points are levelled up before the last race. Then we will see them all sweating, Marko included.

if unfiltered you mean let red bull and max win or we start crying about leaving the sport

He plays the sport like a fiddle i'll give them him that best since Flavio Briatore

better than Horner anyways but still a wanker in my book

Just after they let Max try to ram Lewis off the wall to pay back for silverstone
and the FIA have to release more wing test results and have reported stronger wing testing implemented next year


also Helmut is complaining about Merc Baised year

in a seaons where they changed the rules in his favour to highlight the strengths of a high rake car

 

[MrCurry]

if unfiltered you mean let red bull and max win or we start crying about leaving the sport

He plays the sport like a fiddle i'll give them him that best since Flavio Briatore

better than Horner anyways but still a wanker in my book

Just after they let Max try to ram Lewis off the wall to pay back for silverstone
and the FIA have to release more wing test results and have reported stronger wing testing implemented next year


also Helmut is complaining about Merc Baised year

in a seaons where they changed the rules in his favour to highlight the strengths of a high rake car

Yeah, I’m not saying he’s not a twat, just that it’s good for the spectacle and drama within the sport that he shoots his mouth off so uninhibitedly and tells us what he’s actually thinking, not some PR-filtered, sponsor-friendly version of BS.

 

[MrCurry]

So I wonder if they’ve actually finished building this new track and pits complex now. F1 must have arrived in town by now so I guess we would have heard if not.

How long does tarmac take to firm up in desert heat anyway? We are not going to have a situation where the cars start churning it up once they run on track I hope.

I keep hearing how many high speed corners there are in the Jeddah layout. Might be hard to overtake this year with cars that don’t want to follow each other closely, but maybe a whole new story next year with the 2022 ground effect cars nailed nose to tail thru the fast bends?

 

[1%er]

Red Bull hint at engine change for Max Verstappen as F1 season reaches final two races​

An engine change and grid penalty are not off the cards for Max Verstappen before the Formula 1 season is up, according to Red Bull. The Dutchman leads defending champion Lewis Hamilton by eight points with two races left this season, with the Briton having served two engine-related grid penalties this year, while Verstappen is still on his third engine – the permitted amount. But, with Hamilton closing in, the 24-year-old might be forced to change engines before the year is over, receiving a five-place grid penalty if he is to do so.

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told reporters “An engine change is not planned in Saudi Arabia at the moment. If it does, it will come in Abu Dhabi,” where the season finale takes place on 12 December. Meanwhile, team principal Christian Horner said ahead of last month’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix: “All things being normal, we expect to get to the end of the year with the combustion engines that we have. The three are still all in use from the beginning of the year. We obviously lost one following the crash at Silverstone, but with the penalty that we took in Sochi, that got us back into good shape. So bar abnormal circumstances, we expect to get to the end of the year.” Verstappen is seeking his first F1 title, while Hamilton is looking to go clear of joint-record-holder Michael Schumacher on eight.

 

[1%er]

The FIA pays tribute to Claude Le Guézec​

The FIA Community pays tribute to Claude Le Guézec, passed away at the age of 98. From 1972 to 1977, he was Secretary General of the CSI (Commission Sportive Internationale, former name of the FISA, integrated in the FIA in 1993). Claude Le Guézec was a multi-faceted figure in motor sport. Of Breton origin, very active in the French Resistance during the World War II, he began in the motor industry, first as a journalist and as a car salesman. He started his Sport career in Rally from 1951 to 1966, both at the wheel and as a teammate, notably with Bernard Consten and Jo Schlesser. He participated in some of the greatest events of the discipline: Rally Monte Carlo, Mille Milles, Tour Auto, Safari…

He became John Wyer's assistant at the 24 Hours of Le Mans before joining Peugeot, then Matra Sports and Ligier as sporting director, before being appointed Secretary General of the CSI. He retired near Grasse, where he died on 27 November.

All our thoughts are with his family and friends.

 

[MrCurry]

That is what you call a “green” circuit. Freshly laid. Dusty. Zero rubber down.

 

[Ax^]

so how many red flags tomorrow

 

[Limejuice]

so how many red flags tomorrow

As I understand these things, new tarmac tends to exude its oils to make a nicely lubricated surface...

So I'll go with 5 tomorrow, and see how it goes for Saturday practice and qualifying.

#skiddyslideydeathtrap

 

[1%er]

so how many red flags tomorrow

These are the best drivers in the world so none of course

This is a really fast track so if there is an accident it is likely to be a big one, not very big run-offs here by the look of it

 

[1%er]

Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has announced that he is moving to Monaco permanently. ​

Lando Morris joins a long list of F1 drivers who have become Monaco residents: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo (among others). The 22-year-old British protégé of the McLaren team previously lived in Surrey (southern England). He regularly visited the Principality as part of his motor racing training. The announcement of Lando Morris’s move came as a surprise to some. In fact, the pilot said during an interview in April 2021: “I am happy in Surrey, I enjoy the cold British weather and I play golf. If I moved to Monaco, I wouldn’t get that.”

Lando Morris would seem to have changed his mind, as he has stated publicly: “It is not an easy decision. And it’s not something I’ve been thinking about for many years. I just think I’m in a comfortable enough situation right now to make that decision.” A choice primarily driven by financial reasons? Perhaps, but Lando Morris does not see why he should hide it: “Of course, there will be [criticisms], for sure. But people do a lot of things in life for the money.” He added: “I’ve still got a lot to gain personally and for my career being at McLaren and being able to go there whenever I want.”

 

[1%er]

As we approach the halfway mark of this session, the timesheets look like this:

1. Verstappen
2. Hamilton
3. Bottas
4. Norris
5. Leclerc

(for those who can't watch live)

 

[Limejuice]

That's a big, fuck-off yacht the TV camera strays to from time-to-time.

Saudi royal family?

 

[1%er]

That's a big, fuck-off yacht the TV camera strays to from time-to-time.

Saudi royal family?

no me

 

[dessiato]

C'mon Max!! We must get this win.

 

[Ax^]

Merc sand bagging


and has the red bull rear wing cracked yet

 

[1%er]

It's now Hamilton at the top, with a lap of 1:29.786. Bottas is pushed down to second, whilst Verstappen remains in third.

 

[spitfire]

C'mon Max!! We must get this win.

Welcome back Dess.

 

[MrCurry]

Kind of impressed by the circuit at first sight. A bit more spectacular than the average street circuit due to the corner speeds, but still a bit of a moot point how easily they’ll be able to overtake.

Lots of random rubbish showing up on track during the session. Multiple plastic bags and some other unidentified crap. I wonder if there’s just a lot of airborne detritus drifting around the local area and if that might affect the GP if someone gets a blocked brake duct or radiator. Hope not.

 

[dessiato]

My wife's been in Scotland for two weeks, she gets back on Sunday. I've bought her some wine, we'll watch the race. Who said romance is dead?

 

[Limejuice]

Kind of impressed by the circuit at first sight. A bit more spectacular than the average street circuit due to the corner speeds, but still a bit of a moot point how easily they’ll be able to overtake.

Lots of random rubbish showing up on track during the session. Multiple plastic bags and some other unidentified crap. I wonder if there’s just a lot of airborne detritus drifting around the local area and if that might affect the GP if someone gets a blocked brake duct or radiator. Hope not.

Disappointingly grippy, too.

 

[Badgers]

Looking forward to this one and who will blink first

 

[1%er]

Saudi Arabian GP FP1​

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton drew first blood as he edged out Formula One title rival Max Verstappen to go fastest in the opening practice session for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Briton, lapped the 6.1-km long circuit in one minute, 29.786 seconds in his Mercedes, pipping Verstappen by just 0.056 seconds.

Finland's Valtteri Bottas was third in the other Mercedes, two-tenths of a second off his teammate's pace. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the first of only two races left on this year's Formula One calendar, with the hard fought battle of the generations between 36-year-old Hamilton and 24-year-old Verstappen racing towards its conclusion. Verstappen leads Hamilton by eight points in the overall standings and has his first shot at wrapping up a maiden title with a race to spare this weekend. Hamilton, who only needs to finish fifth to keep the battle alive into next week's Abu Dhabi finale. Verstappen, quick out of the blocks, set the early pace as drivers got to grips with the unfamiliar flat-out blasts of the Jeddah track.

Hamilton, whose Mercedes is expected to have an advantage around the circuit's high-speed layout, dialled himself in more gradually, vaulting to the top of the timesheets with 15 minutes of the hour-long session to run. The Dutchman responded with a late run on soft tyres but was unable to usurp Hamilton. Behind the top-three, Frenchman Pierre Gasly was fourth for AlphaTauri. Antonio Giovinazzi, making way at Alfa Romeo for Chinese rookie Guyanyu Zhou next season, was fifth. Carlos Sainz led Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc in sixth with McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo and former champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel completing the top 10 for Alpine and Aston Martin, respectively.

The Jeddah track, which runs along the Red Sea, is expected to be the second fastest on the calendar behind only Italy's "Temple of Speed", Monza. Hemmed in by walls, drivers and teams had feared lengthy stoppages in the case of any incidents. But, despite drivers exploring its limits, Friday's opening session remained uneventful. The track also drew praise, as did organisers' efforts to complete it in time. Teams also carried a tribute to Sir Frank Williams on their cars, co-founder of the Williams team, who died on Sunday. The squad, among the sport's most successful outfits, was sold last year but continues to race under the Williams name.

Cla​	Driver​	Chassis​	Time​	Gap​
1	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1'29.786
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1'29.842	0.056
3	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1'30.009	0.223
4	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1'30.263	0.477
5	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo	1'30.318	0.532
6	Carlos Sainz Jr	Ferrari	1'30.564	0.778
7	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'30.600	0.814
8	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1'30.608	0.822
9	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1'30.842	1.056
10	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1'30.886	1.100
11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	1'30.960	1.174
12	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1'31.023	1.237
13	Lando Norris	McLaren	1'31.029	1.243
14	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1'31.044	1.258
15	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1'31.099	1.313
16	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo	1'31.296	1.510
17	George Russell	Williams	1'31.343	1.557
18	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1'31.525	1.739
19	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1'31.821	2.035
20	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1'33.464	3.678

 

[1%er]

We're now about halfway through this session, and the timings currently look like this:

1. Hamilton
2. Bottas
3. Verstappen
4. Tsunoda
5. Sainz

 

[1%er]

Pierre Gasly is up in third, just 0.081 seconds behind Hamilton's fastest lap. Another strong performance from the AlphaTauri driver.

 

[1%er]

Sergio Perez seems to have improved in this session after appearing to struggle in FP1. The Mexican is in ninth on the timesheets as things stand, and could play a vital role this weekend in teammate Max Verstappen's title bid.

 

[1%er]

The session is red flagged after Charles Leclerc hits the wall. He fortunately reports over the radio that he is okay, the car is smashed too bits

 

[Limejuice]

First red flag.

What a fucking mess. Leclonk converts a Ferrari into 1,000 self-assembly pieces.