F1 2022
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1%er
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Brundle reveals 'heated FIA arguments' before Monaco Grand Prix
Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has suggested "heated arguments" took place in the FIA's race control room ahead of a Monaco Grand Prix he feels was wrong not to start on time. Brundle has called for the FIA to implement a "root-and-branch change" of race direction despite the overhaul undertaken following the dismissal of Michael Masi earlier this year. Eduardo Freitas, one of the FIA's two new race directors alongside Niels Wittich, took charge of the Monaco race and baffled all by not starting it at 3pm local time when only light rain was falling. Freitas instead waited for predicted heavy rain to pass through which struck when the cars were on a formation lap behind the safety car that had set off at 3.16pm, with the downpour so intense, the event had to be red-flagged.A bemused Brundle, via his Sky Sports column, wrote: "Holding up a race in anticipation of incoming weather is not necessary. "We have virtual and real safety cars, red flags, pit stop crews who can change tyres in two seconds, and two types of wet weather tyres to cover those challenges. That's what Formula 1 racing is all about. A couple of reliable sources tell me that there were heated arguments in race control during the impasse as we all looked on unsure of what was happening. This presumably explains the periods of inaction and lack of information, and the reason why the safety car was not out exploring track conditions as usual."
Heavily criticising the way race control is currently run, with Freitas and Wittich taking joint responsibility, with Herbie Blash working under them in an advisory role, Brundle added: "The FIA, for the well-being of F1, urgently needs a root-and-branch change." Brundle feels the sport requires "a fully dedicated and empowered race director with at least one understudy, a dedicated circuit and systems inspector, plus an empowered and effective communications department. I consider this a highest priority issue. What happened in the championship defining circumstances in Abu Dhabi last year had been brewing up for months, perhaps even years, since the death of Charlie Whiting. It was inevitable given that we had 39 races, including many hurriedly assembled 'pop-up' events taking place during the pandemic without due resource and structure at the FIA. And what happened to Michael Masi in the aftermath has made the job a poisoned chalice and that'll take some fixing, if indeed that's possible. He was the right man for the job, Charlie's understudy, but frankly F1 and the FIA were winging it at times and the whole thing skidded off track with regard to dominant race control and refereeing, which is essential."
1%er
Well-Known Member
Ecclestone opens up on ‘embarrassing’ ordeal in Brazil
Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists that he was not arrested in Brazil, and affirms that the offence he committed was not registering his gun as opposed to possessing it. Ecclestone was about to catch a flight from Brazil to Switzerland earlier in the week, but as he was going through airport security, they picked up on a gun that he had accidentally packed in his luggage. The 91-year-old got the small firearm in 2016 when his mother-in-law was kidnapped, and the presence of it in the airport raised several eyebrows, but he affirms that it was no more than that.“No, I wasn’t arrested, I was questioned,” he said, “I had a small, tiny little handgun, like a woman carries in her handbag in case someone tries to jump them. I got it from somebody years ago, a mechanic in Formula One, who said it is good to carry in your pocket in Brazil because they are mugging people all the time out there, and you can say bugger off. It has no bullets or anything, and it was just a show-thing. Whether it would have worked or not, I don’t know because it has never happened to me. I only ever had it in the house and I have never walked around with it.”
The former Brabham team owner revealed that he had been messing around with the unloaded gun at home, and he packed the shirt he had put the gun into by mistake. “But I was mucking about with it at home, jokingly pretending to arrest somebody, and then I took my shirt off,” added Ecclestone. "I left my things to be packed and that shirt was packed in with my luggage. When we got to the airport, I was asked to come to immigration because they had scanned our luggage and they said it looks like there is a gun. They said we won’t open anything until you are there. I arrived, we opened the bag, we all looked through the luggage, we couldn’t find it, and eventually we found it. I told them what it was and they said now we have got a problem because it has to be reported. The gun is legal in Brazil but where they were upset is that it is not registered. The offence was not having the gun but that it wasn’t registered.”
The Briton was fined 6,000 reals, which is just under £1,000, but he was eventually allowed to leave after a “friendly” but “embarrassing” experience. “We spent forever trying to sort it out to report things, and by then the airport was closed, and we couldn’t leave until five in the morning [on Thursday] so I spent a pleasant few hours with the police. But it was all very friendly, very nice and there were lots of Formula One enthusiasts to speak to. They wouldn’t take dollars so it had to be local currency and it was 6,000 reals which was nothing. It was all very embarrassing for everybody – a lot of aggravation for nothing.” Ecclestone was eventually allowed to leave the country, and he is currently in Portugal.
[Ok I have a couple of problems with Bernies story, first is I don't believe he accidentally packed it in his luggage, I mean who the fuck accidentally packs a gun in their luggage, but Bernie is 91 so maybe he isn't as sharp as he once was.
Secondly, while there is a lot of crime in Brazil the perception is much greater than the actual. But that being the case Bernie doesn't just wonder around he has bodyguards around him and his family all the time since his mother-in-law was kidnapped, while he isn't in the UK papers much nowadays he is often in the Brazilian papers when he is photographed out in public and there are always bodyguards in the background. Also the size of the gun isn't an issue, the fact that he had a gun is the issue, don't play it down Bernie size doesn't matter in this case. Also I have taken professional advice (and also given it when I was working) from both private security and the police, both of which gave me the same advice "If you are going to carry a gun you must be prepared to use it and use it first, otherwise you will be the person who gets shot".
At first Bernie says he packed it buy mistakenly, then he says "I left my things to be packed and that shirt was packed in with my luggage", for sure Bernie doesn't pack his own luggage, he has maids for that sort of thing and I can't see a maid working for someone like Bernie putting a dirty shirt in his bag, this just doesn't read right to me and knowing how staff are in Brazil who work for the rich. Again when Bernie says "The gun was legal in Brazil" that means he must personally own a gun license. He is right to say that not having it registered is a minor problem as it is here, if you have a license you can register your guns online, it is that easy you just need to log-on to the Federal Police site. (Bolsonaro has made gun ownership very easy here but most people are hoping the next president will change that).
Bernie was very luck to get away with a 6,000 reals fine. That is why I believe he must have a gun licence as penalties for illegal firearm possession range between one to three years in prison (Bernie is to rich to go to jail so I think this fine was for having an unregistered gun). Getting a permit to carry a gun in public still isn't that easy and I'd be surprised if they gave a carry permit to a 91 year old, but this is Brazil and anything is possible if you know the system and the right people. I'm not going to say if we have guns at home but I can tell you for sure if I wanted a carry permit I could get one with just one or two phone calls it really is that easy if you have money and know the right people.]
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
And this is why Brundle is so respected.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
It also makes it clear that people who were in the FIA race control are talking to Brundle about what went on, which will not please Mohammed Ben whatshisface. Sounds like Herbie thought the race should go ahead and has tipped off Martin B.
1%er
Well-Known Member
FIA’s most senior F1 figure leaves, replaced by ex-Wolff advisor
The FIA’s new-for-2022 Formula 1 structure will undergo a major change following the departure of Peter Bayer. As the secretary general and newly-appointed head of single-seater matters, Bayer was the most senior figure in the FIA’s F1 organisation. He will be replaced on what the FIA described as an interim basis by Shaila-Ann Rao. Rao was the FIA’s legal director until the end of 2018, but has most recently been working as a special advisor to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. In the wake of the FIA’s mishandling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which controversially altered the outcome of the race and championship, new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem oversaw a number of changes. He had tasked Bayer with proposals to “review and optimise the organisation of the FIA F1 structure” for 2022.The changes included replacing the FIA race director of the last three years, Michael Masi, with a rotation of the race director role between Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas. A new ‘remote operations centre’ (ROC) was also set up at the FIA’s Geneva headquarters. But there has been growing dissent within F1 at the start of the new era ushered in by Ben Sulayem. Rows over the clampdown on drivers wearing jewellery, complaints about stewarding and confusion around how the start of the Monaco Grand Prix was handled, have raised concerns over the impact the changes within the FIA’s F1 structure have had.
There are also increasingly serious bigger picture issues in the background, such as the division between the FIA and F1 over increasing the number of sprint races next season. Senior figures within F1 have even started to privately question whether the FIA’s role in the running of the championship needs to be scaled back. The FIA statement announcing Bayer’s exit thanked him for “the achievements he has contributed to the development of motorsport over the last five years”. It highlighted his work on the junior single-seater pyramid, the creation of a new world championship for cross-country rallying and other work on safety and sustainability.
1%er
Well-Known Member
French GP seeking rotation deal to preserve event
Organisers of Formula 1’s French Grand Prix are seeking a rotation deal in order to preserve the future of the event. France returned to Formula 1’s calendar for 2018 at Circuit Paul Ricard after a decade-long absence. Its initial five-year deal – it did not hold an event in 2020 due to the pandemic – expires after next month’s grand prix. Formula 1 continues to expand its calendar, with Qatar due to return in 2023, Las Vegas lined up to debut, while China is due to return depending on Covid-19 restrictions.That leaves Formula 1 needing to drop one event – at the very least – to remain within the contractual limit of 24 grands prix. France is believed to be the event at greatest risk of dropping from the schedule. It is understood that organisers of the grand prix have now accepted that a rotation deal is their only shot at remaining in the championship and that seeking an annual contract is not feasible. Monaco, which held its annual grand prix last weekend, and Belgium – which is scheduled for late August – are also out of contract after 2022.
1%er
Well-Known Member
The F1 drivers at risk of being ditched by their teams...
Rumours and speculation are part and parcel of F1 with drivers that are underperforming at risk of losing their drives for next year.2022 is no different with the rumour mill already circulating. Whether it’s Alpine having to decide between Fernando Alonso or Oscar Piastri or the uncertainty surrounding Daniel Ricciardo amid his form and comments from McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
Here are six drivers that are most at risk of being replaced for 2023:
Daniel Ricciardo
Since joining McLaren at the start of last season, Ricciardo has struggled to settle in at the Woking-based team. Despite taking McLaren’s first F1 victory since 2012 at Monza, Ricciardo has been comprehensively beaten by teammate Lando Norris during their time together.
Even despite McLaren compromising their car design to cater for Ricciardo, he’s endured a miserable 2022 campaign with just 11 points in seven rounds. Ahead of the Monaco GP, McLaren CEO Zak Brown cast doubt about Ricciardo’s future despite him having a contract for next year. “I don’t want to get into the contract, but there are mechanisms in which we’re committed to each other, and mechanisms in which we’re not,” Brown said. McLaren have Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward weighting in the wings while Pierre Gasly could be a good option should his time with AlphaTauri come to an end.
Fernando Alonso
Alpine have highly-rated F2 champion Piastri on the sidelines for 2021 so they have a big decision as to who partners Esteban Ocon for next year. There’s no doubt that Alonso is still performing at the peak of his powers despite his measly points tally after seven rounds with lady luck not on the Spaniard’s side so far. Alonso has strongly expressed his desire to remain on the grid beyond 2023 but Alpine can’t afford to lose their hot prospect. Alonso’s options are fairly limited although several publications have linked the 40-year-old to Aston Martin in place of Sebastian Vettel. However, that seems less likely given Vettel’s recent impressive form but should the German decide to retire at the end of the year due to Aston Martin’s lack of competitiveness, that could happen. A third stint with McLaren to team up with Norris would give them a formidable line-up, but that’s less realistic.
Pierre Gasly
With Sergio Perez’s contract extension now finalised, Gasly has zero chance of returning to Red Bull after his dreadful stint with the team in the first half of 2019. Since his return to the Faenza outfit, Gasly has been mightily impressive, even leading to suggestions that he will be the man to replace Lewis Hamilton when the seven-time champion decides to retire. Unfortunately for Gasly, Hamilton looks to be sticking around and Yuki Tsunoda’s notable improvement in 2022 will impact how highly people rate the Frenchman. Gasly needs to leave the Red Bull stable, as Carlos Sainz did, with McLaren his best shot at a competitive seat. Red Bull juniors Liam Lawson and Juri Vips are first in line to replace Gasly, but both have been underwhelming in F2.
Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher hasn’t lived up to expectations with the German still yet to score a single point in his F1 career. While his dismantling of Nikita Mazepin last year was impressive, Kevin Magnussen has proved to be a much sterner test. Schumacher has shown glimpses of pace and potential but he has made too many mistakes, putting Haas in a difficult position with regard to the cost cap. Team principal Guenther Steiner expressed his annoyance after the race on Sunday: “With Mick, we obviously saw what happened. It’s not very satisfactory having a big crash again. We need to see how we move forward from here.” Schumacher has to turn his season around quickly.
Nicholas Latifi
Nicholas Latifi is fighting for his F1 career after a poor start to 2022. Littered with crashes and mistakes, Latifi appears to have taken a step back relative to last year. New signing Alex Albon has enjoyed the upper hand, even scoring points on two occasions this year despite Williams having the slowest car on the field. Nyck de Vries has been heavily linked with the team but if Alpine aren’t able to give Piastri a drive for next year, Williams could be a good option.
Guanyu Zhou
The Chinese rookie has scored just one point compared to Valtteri Bottas’ 40. While Zhou has been impacted by several reliability issues on race day, he was never running inside the top 10 at any of these races. Alfa Romeo have often had the fourth or fifth fastest car at a given weekend and should be challenging McLaren in the constructors’ championship. With Theo Pourchaire part of Sauber’s academy, he could be given a promotion from F2 for 2023. However, Zhou needs time to adapt to F1 and with significant backing behind him, some good performances in the second half of the year could see him retained.
cybershot
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a man that hates the grid walk so much now he's creating himself a new job.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Sabahınız xeyir.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix awaits!
The charmingly simple timings for this weekend will be:
Fri 10 June
FP1 - 12:00
FP2 - 15:00
Sat 11 June
FP3 - 12:00
Qual - 15:00
Sun 12 June
Race - 12:00
And as they say in Baku: Biz hamımız ümid edirik ki, Red Bull avtomobilləri bir trilyon kiçik parıldayan komponentə çevriləcək.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix awaits!
The charmingly simple timings for this weekend will be:
Fri 10 June
FP1 - 12:00
FP2 - 15:00
Sat 11 June
FP3 - 12:00
Qual - 15:00
Sun 12 June
Race - 12:00
And as they say in Baku: Biz hamımız ümid edirik ki, Red Bull avtomobilləri bir trilyon kiçik parıldayan komponentə çevriləcək.
1%er
Well-Known Member
McLaren unable to fire Ricciardo despite woeful form
Daniel Ricciardo has had a disastrous start to the 2022 season, with tension between himself and the McLaren F1 Team growing. Rumours have already began to circulate that McLaren CEO Zak Brown has become disillusioned with the Australian, and is looking to IndyCar for his replacement. However, it has been reported by Scott Mitchell from The Race that only Ricciardo can end their contract. “It’s Ricciardo with the option of triggering a break clause,” Mitchell reported. "So whether Ricciardo’s 2023 contract is upheld seems to be down to him. It seems to be his choice to make, at least. And it’s worth noting he has so far had nothing bad to say about how McLaren has treated him, or the effort it is putting in to help him turn things around. That’s important because how Ricciardo feels within McLaren will inform his decision. Either McLaren will decide to persevere to the very end or it will conclude this just isn’t working out and that it’s in its best interest if Ricciardo leaves. It could then try to encourage Ricciardo to do that.”After seven rounds, Ricciardo has only one top ten finish and sits well behind his team-mate, Lando Norris, in the championship. McLaren have kept it no secret that their becoming ever more frustrated with the Honey Badger, with Brown telling the media that Ricciardo “had not met expectations”. Ricciardo has only scored 11 points so far this season, compared to Lando Norris’ 48 points. The Australian is aware that things aren’t going well at the moment, with his McLaren career yet to really take-off. Apart from his victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, last season was also incredibly disappointing for someone of Ricciardo’s calibre. Ricciardo explained how he is in a “battle”, however, the Aussie is aiming to improve at the upcoming races. “For me at the moment to get up to that, to push my car on the limit and to get it out of myself, it’s still a little bit of a difficulty or a battle,” he said. “I say a little bit – it is, obviously. So it’s now really just trying to keep picking it apart. And I’ll also try and learn from last year. This is unfortunately known territory from 12 months ago. I think there’s things we did well in these situations and things that we probably look back on and say we could have probably done it differently. That’s where I’ll try and attack it in a more productive way,” Ricciardo concluded.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Sergio Perez: The massive pay rise and new terms behind new Red Bull contract
Sergio Perez has received a pay rise in his new Red Bull contract that takes him to within touching distance of both Ferrari drivers’ salaries. Perez is now paid €7m with a bonus €3m (a total of £8.6m), according to reports. Perez was previously paid €5m, with a bonus of €3m (a total of £6.8m), the report says. His new salary takes him behind only the reported pay of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (£9.8m each), Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel (£12.2m each), Fernando Alonso (£14.9m), Lando Norris (£20m), Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (£40m each).After winning the F1 Monaco Grand Prix he was overheard joking to team principal Christian Horner that he had signed his new deal too quickly. The sponsorship from his home country of Mexico was a key part of Perez’s contract negotiations. He reportedly brings €20m (£17m) into the Red Bull coffers. Perez’s new deal is also a guaranteed two-year extension rather than one year plus the option of another year, the report says. Horner said about Perez: “Time and again he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player but as his level of comfort has grown he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid.”
Perez is 15 points behind teammate Verstappen in the championship standings ahead of the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Just a week earlier he was instructed via team radio to allow Verstappen to pass him, and he reacted with clear frustration.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Netflix Gearing Up for Formula 1 Rights Push
Since its founding, Netflix has eschewed acquiring rights to live sports — until now. The global streaming leader is reportedly among those competing for Formula 1’s U.S. broadcast rights, according to Business Insider. Disney-owned ESPN hopes to retain the rights, which expire this year. NBCUniversal and Amazon are also in the mix for the global racing series that has exploded in popularity, in part due to Netflix’ hit docuseries “Drive to Survive.”- ESPN submitted an initial bid of $70 million per year.
- F1 parent Liberty Media is seeking a contract around $100 million annually.
Netflix’ Gear Shift
Netflix, which lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade over the first quarter, plans to introduce an ad-supported user tier next year. While the slip has caused consternation across the streaming industry, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei seems undeterred. “It is interesting how the world fragmented with cable households, and how many there are compared to Netflix households and [Amazon] Prime households,” said Maffei prior to the Miami Grand Prix. “The idea that the broadest audience is on cable — that’s becoming a lot less clear.” Netflix had 221.6 million subscribers at the end of Q1, including 74.6 million in the U.S. and Canada.
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
F1: Apple purchase rights for Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt and involving Lewis Hamilton
Apple has produced the rights to a Formula 1 film that will star Brad Pitt and also involve Lewis Hamilton as a producer
www.givemesport.com
1%er
Well-Known Member
FIA notes on pit exit line updated after Monaco controversy
The FIA race director’s instructions regarding the pitlane exit line have been updated for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following the Monaco controversy in which Ferrari protested Red Bull. Ferrari initially protested both Red Bull drivers, accusing them of crossing the pitlane exit line. It withdrew the challenge against race winner Sergio Perez but maintained that championship leader Max Verstappen had defied the race director’s instructions. Ferrari maintained that part of Verstappen’s front and rear left tyres were on the left of the yellow line and that this breached the race director’s event notes, which stated that drivers “must keep to the right of the solid yellow line at the pit exit when leaving the pits and stay to the right of this line until it finishes after Turn 1”.The argument was that after a clarification in Turkey in 2020, the instruction meant no part of the car could touch the pit exit line. Ferrari’s protest was thrown out as the FIA stewards said the race director’s event notes were erroneously outdated and did not reflect the revised-for-2022 International Sporting Code. The relevant part of the ISC has been changed for 2022 and instead of specifying that the pit exit line “must not be crossed by any part of a car leaving the pits”, it says “any tyre of a car exiting the pit lane must not cross” the pit exit line. Race director Eduardo Freitas’s event notes did not reflect this because they were a “cut and paste from the 2021 version of the event notes”.
Niels Wittich is back in the race director role for the Azerbaijan GP and his first set of event notes included a much-simplified instruction on the relevant procedures. It now states: “In accordance with Chapter 4, Article 4 and 5 of Appendix L to the ISC drivers must follow the procedures at pit entry and pit exit.” Switching from an interpretation of the ISC to an explicit reference to the ISC’s own wording should eliminate any confusion and support the Monaco stewards’ view that on that new description a full wheel must be to the left of the pit exit line to “cross” it.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Gasly told to ‘do a Sainz’ and leave Red Bull for McLaren
Formula 1 journalist Tom Clarkson believes Pierre Gasly should follow the same path as Carlos Sainz and leave Red Bull. Sainz made his Formula 1 breakthrough as part of the Red Bull driver programme, he and Max Verstappen both debuting for Toro Rosso in 2015. Both drivers went on to take different career paths though, Verstappen now a Red Bull driver and World Champion, while Sainz currently finds himself fighting Red Bull at the front of the grid as part of the Ferrari team. Sainz joined Ferrari from 2021, following stints at Renault and McLaren.Another Red Bull driver is now faced with a choice, that being Pierre Gasly, who has seen his hopes of returning to the main Red Bull team take a huge hit now that Sergio Perez’s contract has been extended until 2024. Gasly then will remain at sister team AlphaTauri, with his contract up at the end of 2023. And Clarkson feels this is the opportunity for Gasly to bid farewell to Red Bull, naming McLaren as a good next destination as rumours continue to swirl regarding Daniel Ricciardo’s future with the team.
“Pierre needs to do a Carlos Sainz,” said Clarkson on the F1 Nation podcast. “He needs to leave the Red Bull family to progress his Formula One career. And I think for him McLaren would be a very good shout.” 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill added: “Well he definitely can’t go up to the big team now, because it’s a lockout unless Max leaves.” To that point, Clarkson believes that Perez’s upturn in form at Red Bull has done very little to help Ricciardo’s cause. Both Perez and Ricciardo struggled to adapt to their respective new teams in 2021, but this season following the sweeping regulation changes, Perez is now much closer to Verstappen in terms of performance, helping him to that multi-year deal, but Ricciardo is still struggling to rise to the standard being set by his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
Presenter Natalie Pinkham questioned why it is the case that after Ricciardo won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, it simply just will not “click again” for the Aussie? Clarkson would then suggest that Perez’s improvement has not helped Ricciardo and how his performances are being viewed. “I don’t think Checo Perez’s performances this year have helped Daniel,” Clarkson claimed. “I think he and Daniel had very similar seasons last year, in terms of getting used to their new teams, getting used to their new cars. Checo has then taken a big step forward this year.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
Next F1 rookie may have signed Williams contract in Monaco
Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel thinks that Oscar Piastri will race for Williams in 2023, as he has suggested that the Australian may have already signed his contract. Piastri was unable to find a seat on the grid for 2022, despite storming to three championship wins in a row in Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 2, and instead took on the role of reserve driver at Alpine. He has been regularly spotted testing for the French outfit, including during a recent run behind the wheel of the A521 at the Red Bull Ring, but is yet to show his face during an official Formula 1 session. However, he could be in line to replace Nicholas Latifi at Williams for the 2023 season, according to Coronel, as part of a loan move funded by Alpine to hand their young driver some F1 racing experience.Williams could become training ground for Piastri
Latifi's poor start to the season could see his career in F1 come to an end after 2022 with his replacement having already been lined up, according to Coronel. "We will, of course, see the Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri drive there," said the Dutch racer, who was present in Monaco, speaking on the podcast. "That seems to have already been signed in Monaco. I don't know when they're going to come out with it. That's a strong rumour."If you want to mature someone in Formula 1, like Piastri, then Alpine has set aside a decent budget for this: a budget to park him and get him used to Formula 1."
Piastri move would confirm Alonso's F1 future
The announcement of a seat at Williams for Piastri in 2023 would all but confirm that Fernando Alonso will be staying with Alpine beyond the end of his current deal. Alonso returned to F1 for the 2021 season, to partner Esteban Ocon, and outscored his younger, highly-rated teammate by seven points. "You wouldn't loan out a driver like Piastri," Coronel continued. "You don't put him in a Williams for nothing. That means [Alpine] would like to keep their driver line-up unchanged."
1%er
Well-Known Member
F1 bans Rosberg over vaccine decision
2016 world champion Nico Rosberg has been banned from Formula 1 for refusing to take the covid-19 vaccines. Viewers of Sky Deutschland's F1 coverage in Monaco wondered why the 36-year-old was reporting from his nearby apartment rather than joining his colleagues in the paddock. His ban, in accordance with the sport's controversial mandatory vaccination policy, is despite the fact that his 2016 title granted him a paddock pass for life. "I recovered well from the corona disease and therefore have strong antibodies," Rosberg told Sport1. "I also have my antibodies tested regularly. Under these circumstances, my doctor advised me that vaccination would make absolutely no sense."[Lets hope it keeps him off air for the rest of the season]
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
I mean, I wasn’t exactly short of reasons to dislike him, but I’ll always take another.
1%er
Well-Known Member
F1 driver Hamilton given honorary Brazilian citizenship
Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton became an honorary citizen of Brazil late Thursday, recognizing his affinity for the country. "Speechless. Today I was granted honorary citizenship to one of my favorite places in the world. I don’t really have the words right now," Mercedes' British driver Hamilton, 37, said on Instagram.“Thank you Brasil, I love you, I can’t wait to see you again,” he added. Hamilton also praised former Brazilian F1 driver Ayrton Senna, calling him an idol. In November 2021 the British driver lionized Senna, calling him his “greatest inspiration.” He wrote: “It was the way he raced, his passion for life and for the sport. But more than anything it was the way he faced alone a system that wasn’t always kind to him. May Ayrton Senna’s legacy live on forever."
Victorious in the Nov. 14, 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, Mercedes' Hamilton unfurled a Brazilian flag on the podium, despite being a UK citizen. Senna died on May 1, 1994 at age 34 after a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. The winner of the 1988, 1990, and 1991 world championships, Hamilton is still seen as one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Azerbaijan FP1
Sergio Perez continued his strong run of form by leading the opening practice session for Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Perez set a time of 1:45.476s on Soft tyres to finish the first one-hour session 0.127s clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the Baku City Circuit. Max Verstappen finished third, 0.334s behind his team-mate, with the DRS flap on his rear wing vibrating excessively along the main straight. Verstappen also had an usual spin through Turn 15 during the closing stages of the session but was fortunately able to avoid hitting the wall.
Carlos Sainz was fourth, half a second adrift of Perez, while Fernando Alonso put in a strong late lap to move into fifth place for Alpine. Several teams suffered from severe bouncing along the lengthy full-throttle final sector, with Ferrari and Mercedes particularly affected. Mercedes’ drivers ended up sixth and eighth respectively, with Lewis Hamilton ahead of George Russell. They were split by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, while Pierre Gasly consolidated an encouraging start for the team by classifying ninth, ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
The only two full-time drivers yet to score a point in 2022 both had truncated sessions. Mick Schumacher suffered a loss of water pressure on his Haas VF-22 on only his third lap, with fluid pouring from the side of the car, forcing him to stop trackside. Nicholas Latifi’s session lasted only a little longer as he encountered a sudden power loss that prompted the Canadian to park his FW44 in the Turn 5 run-off.
Sergio Perez continued his strong run of form by leading the opening practice session for Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Perez set a time of 1:45.476s on Soft tyres to finish the first one-hour session 0.127s clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the Baku City Circuit. Max Verstappen finished third, 0.334s behind his team-mate, with the DRS flap on his rear wing vibrating excessively along the main straight. Verstappen also had an usual spin through Turn 15 during the closing stages of the session but was fortunately able to avoid hitting the wall.
Carlos Sainz was fourth, half a second adrift of Perez, while Fernando Alonso put in a strong late lap to move into fifth place for Alpine. Several teams suffered from severe bouncing along the lengthy full-throttle final sector, with Ferrari and Mercedes particularly affected. Mercedes’ drivers ended up sixth and eighth respectively, with Lewis Hamilton ahead of George Russell. They were split by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, while Pierre Gasly consolidated an encouraging start for the team by classifying ninth, ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
The only two full-time drivers yet to score a point in 2022 both had truncated sessions. Mick Schumacher suffered a loss of water pressure on his Haas VF-22 on only his third lap, with fluid pouring from the side of the car, forcing him to stop trackside. Nicholas Latifi’s session lasted only a little longer as he encountered a sudden power loss that prompted the Canadian to park his FW44 in the Turn 5 run-off.
| 2022 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) | ||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m45.476s |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari | 1m45.603s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m45.810s |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Scuderia Ferrari | 1m46.012s |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m46.517s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team | 1m46.667s |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Scuderia AlphaTauri | 1m46.696s |
| 8 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team | 1m46.705s |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Scuderia AlphaTauri | 1m46.830s |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m46.917s |
| 11 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 1m47.691s |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team | 1m47.847s |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas F1 Team | 1m47.946s |
| 14 | Sebastian Vettel | GER | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team | 1m47.970s |
| 15 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen | 1m48.078s |
| 16 | Guanyu Zhou | CHN | Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen | 1m48.222s |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Racing | 1m48.419s |
| 18 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 1m48.810s |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi | CAN | Williams Racing | 1m50.921s |
| 20 | Mick Schumacher | GER | Haas F1 Team | 1m58.332s |
Indeliblelink
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I'm sure a WDC win for Chico would be popular with F1/Liberty Media, nearest thing we'd get to a US world champion, the market they're trying their hardest to crack. Let's face it, neither of the Canadians are likely to get near a winning car..
1%er
Well-Known Member
what do you think the Lewis Hamilton's charitable foundation is about? just because he doesn't jump and down about it doesn't mans he does nothing
