Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
RB mechanics not even bothering to go out to the fence any more.
F1 2023
- Thread starter spitfire
- Start date
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
First one in a long time without multiple red flags, right? We've gotten used to more dramatic races this season.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
I think all sports people get criticism for moving to a low-tax residence. There's a short window for making a lifetime's earnings and they want to hang onto as much as they can.
I recall Hammy getting stick in the UK for (perfectly legally) getting the VAT refunded on a private jet.
I still think Max is a git, obv.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Piquet loses appeal against verdict on Hamilton comments
Nelson Piquet has been unsuccessful in his bid to overturn a fine for racist and homophobic comments made against Lewis Hamilton. In March, the three-time Formula 1 World Champion was ordered to pay five million Brazilian Reals ($953,000) by a court after charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance. Piquet's comments came from interviews from 2016 and 2022 where he discussed Hamilton's championship battles with Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen respectively.Piquet, who is the father of Max Verstappen's girlfriend Kelly Piquet, had apologised for his comments and described them as "ill-thought-out", and has always maintained that he had no racist motivation for using his comments in the interviews. In his statement at the time, the 70-year-old also claimed that the racist term is widely used in Brazilian-Portuguese to mean "guy" or "person". According to Globo in Brazil, Piquet's recent attempt to appeal the fine has been unsuccessful, and the same financial penalty stands. Speaking after Piquet's apology in June last year, Hamilton responded: "I'm incredibly grateful to all those that have been supportive within the sport, particularly the drivers. I've been on the receiving end of racism and criticism and that negativity and archaic narratives for a long, long time, and undertones of discrimination, so there's nothing really particularly new for me."
1%er
Well-Known Member
Renault CEO addresses rumours linking him to big Ferrari switch
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has dismissed talk linking him with a similar role at Ferrari as “just rumours”, and he has “never been close” to the team. Ferrari have struggled this season in the fight for ‘best of the rest’ behind a dominant Red Bull team, with Mercedes and Aston Martin also in on the fight for podiums alongside the Scuderia. Team principal Fred Vasseur is still relatively new to the role, largely seen as one of the most pressured in all of Formula 1, with the weight of the sport’s largest global fanbase – as well as the nation of Italy – on his shoulders on a race by race basis.Renault boss De Meo, which oversees the Alpine operation in Formula 1, has seen high-profile criticism from Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi do the rounds in the media of late surrounding the team’s performances, calling them “amateurish” and “unacceptable” last month. De Meo was present to see how the team were performing in Spain and was asked about a rumour from Italy linking him with a move to a similar position within the Scuderia, but he was quick to brush that aside. “Formula 1 is growing rapidly thanks to the extraordinary work of another important Italian in Stefano Domenicali,” De Meo told Italian radio station Rai. “Am I close to Ferrari? In the past it was just rumours. I admire [Luca di] Montezemolo a lot, but in fact I’ve never been close to Ferrari.”
Alpine’s performances have picked up of late, with a significant upgrade package introduced in Monaco appearing to pay dividends with a strong showing from Esteban Ocon putting him on the podium that weekend. Pierre Gasly also qualified fourth in Barcelona, but two separate penalties for impeding dropped him to 10th and left a frustrating Sunday afternoon for him in Spain. With the team around a quarter of the way through a 100-race plan to get to the front of the grid, the Renault CEO is looking at a wider view when it comes to Alpine being able to compete with the likes of Ferrari on a regular basis at the front of the grid.
“The podium in Monte Carlo was important, especially at an event that is worth double,” De Meo said. “In Alpine we have a long-term project, and we are aware that staying at the top levels and battling it out with big teams like Ferrari, Red Bull or Mercedes requires a lot of work. Part of our project is to create an academy as it is at the top teams. Davide Brivio, formerly in MotoGP, is taking care of it. We’re trying to bring talented people into F1. We have always tried to be a forge of talent, as in the case of [Fernando] Alonso. He exploded with us and continues in his splendid career to be the protagonist today.”
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
seeming as they like to make bad choices at this team bring in another Italian who current arguing with his own highly experienced team principle at alpine
id expect his transfer to be completed before the end of the season and La clonk having to look elsewhere if he every want a chance at the WC
id expect his transfer to be completed before the end of the season and La clonk having to look elsewhere if he every want a chance at the WC
1%er
Well-Known Member
Will Red Bull supply McLaren with power units following senior move?
The recent announcement of Rob Marshall’s transition to McLaren may have deeper implications than initially thought. While negotiations between Red Bull and Ferrari over the release of Laurent Mekies to Alpha Tauri in 2024 are ongoing and contentious, McLaren secured a key member of Red Bull’s staff amicably, taking Rob Marshall. With no resolution having been reached between Red Bull and Ferrari after the Italian team criticized AlphaTauri’s announcement of Mekies as the Faenza outfit’s new team principal, the two teams appear locked in a standoff. AlphaTauri’s departing boss Franz Tost revealed in Barcelona that the team has a backup plan if Ferrari continue to block Mekies from departing this year: “If Laurent is not coming, then at least we have Peter Bayer.”Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, confirmed that Laurent is still associated with Ferrari and stressed the need for a deal with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. However, when it comes to Rob Marshall’s impending move to McLaren as chief designer, a positive atmosphere has been maintained in the paddock, with a well-coordinated press release announcing the news. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the respect shown by Red Bull towards Marshall, stating: “I think at Red Bull, they know very well the role that Rob played over time, and I think this invokes respect for people.” World champion Max Verstappen also expressed support for Marshall’s departure, highlighting his role in future projects, particularly those related to 2026. “He was already more on future projects anyway, for 2026. I find it difficult to estimate how much it will matter because everyone else who is working on that new generation of cars is still there,” Verstappen said. Verstappen concurred with Dr Helmut Marko’s suggestion that Marshall was likely enticed by a significant financial offer. "If someone receives such an offer, I of course understand that he will switch,” Verstappen added. “I think he is already in his 50s, so he’ll be earning well for a few years, and of course, I understand that.”
Amidst the latest move in the paddock, a new rumour has emerged that suggests that Marshall’s move to McLaren might be part of a broader deal involving Red Bull Powertrains supplying engines to McLaren starting from 2026 and extending into the future.
1%er
Well-Known Member
James Key to Become New Technical Director of Alfa Romeo F1 Team from September
James Key has been announced as the new Technical Director of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake, and he will join his new team from 1 September 2023. Key will link up again with his former Team Principal at the McLaren F1 Team, Andreas Seidl, who became the CEO of the Sauber Group earlier this year. Key will take over the role from current Technical Director Jan Monchaux. Key left McLaren earlier this year after an underwhelming start to the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, and his appointment sees him return to the team where he acted as Technical Director between 2010 and 2012 when they were known as the Sauber F1 Team.2023 will be the last year of the Alfa Romeo-Sauber link-up, with the team set to revert back to the Sauber name in 2024. However, in 2026 they will become the works Audi Sport team in Formula 1, something Key is eager to build up to. “I am delighted to be returning to Hinwil to work with old, and new, colleagues at Sauber; I have very fond memories of my time there before,” said Key. “I am looking forward to leading the technical side of the team at one of the most critical junctures of its long history as we head towards a new and exciting future. There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, but I am confident that every single member of our team working in Hinwil will have the commitment, determination and hunger to get us to the top. We know it will require time, effort and perseverance, and the dividends from this work will only arrive over the next two seasons and beyond, but we have a journey ahead of us and a roadmap to follow which I am eager to get started. I am grateful to Andreas for the confidence he has placed in me and look forward to repaying his trust and working closely with him on the challenges and ambitions ahead.”
Seidl is delighted to welcome Key to the team to help shape the future of Sauber, and he hopes that his appointment can help them make that next step forward. He believes he will be a ‘crucial’ part of the future of the team across the next few years. “I am delighted to welcome James back home to Hinwil as he joins us to shape the future of this team,” said Seidl. “The operation he will find has changed a lot since his time here, but the same drive, the same commitment that contributed to making the team successful in his previous experience are still the same: I am sure that, together with this very talented and committed team, we will be able to continue on the path of growth on which we have embarked. James’s appointment is a crucial step on this journey: he has an outstanding amount of experience in the sport, not just as Technical Director, but also in various other roles within the technical organisation of a team. He will lead the transformation process of the technical side of the team, giving us the tools and direction we need to tackle the future.”
Seidl also took time to thank outgoing Technical Director Monchaux for his work at Sauber/Alfa Romeo, a year after he helped them secure their best Constructors’ Championship position in more than a decade. “I also want to thank Jan for his precious contribution to taking Sauber to where it is now, following our most successful season in a decade, in which we climbed to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship,” added Seidl.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Ecclestone pleads not guilty to £400m tax fraud charge
Ex-Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has pleaded not guilty to a tax fraud charge brought against him by UK prosecutors. Ecclestone faces a tax fraud charge in relation to his alleged failure to declare hundreds of millions of dollars in a Singapore trust to the British government. The 92-year-old appeared at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday where he confirmed his name and entered a not guilty plea to fraud between July 2013 and October 2016. Ecclestone will face trial on November 16 following a worldwide investigation by the British tax office.Prosecutors allege that the ex-F1 boss failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account holding around £400m ($650m) when asked about any foreign trusts he was involved in. It is understood that Ecclestone claimed he had set up “only a single trust” in favour of his three daughters, and that he was “not the settler nor the beneficiary of any trust in or outside of the UK.” The charge against him was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in July last year following an investigation by HMRC, the UK tax office. Prosecutors accused Ecclestone of acting “dishonestly” and intending to profit from the claims. Ecclestone stepped down as F1 chief executive in 2017 following a four-decade reign of the sport.
1%er
Well-Known Member
FIA official admits ‘political will’ for Formula 1 to race in Madrid
Amidst growing speculation that Madrid could replace Barcelona as the host of the Spanish Grand Prix, a top official from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has played down the rumours. Carmelo Sanz de Barros, who is also the president of Spain’s automobile club Real Automovil Club de Espana, dismissed the notion, stating that there is currently no approved circuit or firm proposal for a Madrid event. “There’s a lot of noise but the circuit has not been approved and there is no firm proposal,” de Barros said.However, De Barros did acknowledge the existence of “political will” to organise a race in Madrid, a sentiment echoed by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. Domenicali warned Barcelona that it must improve its offerings if it wants to extend the current race deal beyond 2026. However, de Barros emphasised that Madrid’s plans are not yet at an advanced stage. “The first request would be to the Spanish federation and then to the FIA. Then the commercial proposal would go to Formula One Management (FOM),” de Barros explained. “I can confirm that there is nothing for now, and due to the political situation, the situation will continue like this until September at least.”
De Barros reassured that Barcelona’s Spanish Grand Prix is not in doubt, as both the FIA and FOM have a history of fulfilling their contracts. Manuel Avino, another prominent Spanish motor racing and FIA official, expressed the desire to avoid a conflict between Barcelona and Madrid over hosting rights. “What interests us is keeping it in Spain, and if there can be two races, even better. We had two in Spain not so long ago, with Barcelona and Valencia,” Avino remarked. However, Domenicali downplayed the possibility of multiple races in Spain, while FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem acknowledged it as a potential option. “I like this country, and the interest in having more than one Grand Prix is good news,” Ben Sulayem stated. “In fact, there could be two or even three,” he added with a smile, referring to his meetings in Barcelona with a delegation from Jerez.”
While the future of the Spanish Grand Prix remains uncertain, discussions continue among FIA officials, FOM, and various stakeholders to determine the best course of action for the sport’s presence in Spain.
1%er
Well-Known Member
F1 says race 'not at risk' despite air-quality issues from wildfires
The Canadian Grand Prix is "not at risk" despite wildfires causing air-quality issues across much of North America, Formula 1 has said. Quebec, the province in which the Montreal race will be held next weekend, is the origin of much of the smoke. F1 said it had been "assured the situation in Montreal is different to other parts of the country and US". It added: "The risk remains low and the air quality is good in Montreal."Millions of people have been advised to wear N95 masks outdoors as a result of poor air-quality levels due to the fires. New York will begin distributing free masks on Thursday, while Canada has said people should wear a mask if they have to go outdoors. The smog is expected to spread beyond New York to other east coast areas. Environment Canada said conditions were worsening in Toronto on Thursday, as more smoke blows in.
There are 150 fires burning in Quebec, which is already facing its worst fire season on record. F1 has been discussing the issue with the race promoter and Canadian authorities, and its own security and health and safety are in Canada preparing for the event, with the arrival of personnel from early next week. The sport's bosses have no concerns about going to Canada or for the event itself at this stage, but F1 will keep the situation under review in the coming days. The Canadian Grand Prix is held on the Ile Notre-Dame, an island in the St Lawrence Seaway next to downtown Montreal. The situation comes less than a month since F1 abandoned the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as a result of widespread flooding across northern Italy.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Red Bull paid 'millions' to stop Ferrari signing Christian Horner, says Marko
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was on the brink of joining Ferrari in a shocking move during the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, but Red Bull had to shell out "millions" to retain his services, according to Helmut Marko. Marko, speaking to Blick, revealed that Ferrari had been long-time admirers of Horner, who has led Red Bull since they entered into Grand Prix racing in 2005, achieving an impressive record of 99 race wins and 11 World Championship titles. Ferrari had also set their sights on poaching Red Bull's technical genius, Adrian Newey, as well as two senior members of the team. The near-successful attempt to acquire Horner occurred at last year's Montreal race.Marko, Red Bull's advisor who holds much sway at the F1 team, recounted the intense negotiations, stating: "It took me a whole night to convince Horner to stay at Red Bull. It cost us millions more." Despite Horner's decision to remain, key technical personnel have left or are set to leave Red Bull. Aston Martin appointed Dan Fallows as their technical director, while McLaren successfully lured engineering chief Rob Marshall, whose role will commence in 2024. Furthermore, Ferrari's pursuit of Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache was rebuffed, as teams endeavour to secure Newey's top lieutenants in the absence of securing Newey himself.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Rival F1 team eyeing SHOCK move for Fernando Alonso
Alfa Romeo team principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi has confirmed that he would like to sign Fernando Alonso for the Audi Sauber project in 2026. Audi will take over the Alfa Romeo project in 2026 and with both Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas expected to return next season, Bravi has plenty of thinking to do about his driver line-up. Adding further chaos into the mix is Sauber junior driver Theo Pourchaire, who is currently fighting for the F2 title with the likes of Frederik Vesti and Ayumu Iwasa.However, a left-field name could be in contention for a spot with the Audi team after Alunni Bravi made his admiration for Fernando Alonso public knowledge. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Alunni Bravi said: “I would always sign Fernando, even at 45 years or more. I was able to get to know him well at McLaren when I was the manager of Stoffel Vandoorne, who was his team-mate. I was able to see first-hand the work he can do on a day-to-day basis as a driver, his ability, his great determination. He is a champion. You don’t win two F1 world titles if you don’t have certain characteristics. It’s a pleasure for me to see him.”
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Some fluff, (the article, not the subjects of the article).
1%er
Well-Known Member
Adrian Newey identifies potential ‘big risk’ on the horizon for F1
Adrian Newey has warned there could be another Mercedes-style era of dominance once the new power unit regulations come in. The Silver Arrows’ period of dominance coincided with sweeping engine changes and the reintroduction of a turbocharged power unit. Such was the dominance of the Mercedes engine, it took years for other suppliers to draw level. Now, it is said the four suppliers – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault – produce engines of similar levels of performance but Newey has warned that could change come the 2026 season.Formula 1 is bracing itself for the first major power unit regulation changes since that 2014 season and Newey predicts that it could disperse the field once again. “When the hybrid regulations first came in, there were huge differences,” he told Sky Italia. “Mercedes did a fantastic job with their power unit and others were varying levels behind. Now it’s closed up so I would say there’s maybe two or three per cent in the power difference, which is 0.2 to 0.3s difference perhaps, which when the grid is so tight, is still a big number. But it’s not like the one second when the regulations came out. The big risk now is another power unit shake-up in 2026, there could be a gap for a while. If there’s a big gap in power units, it takes time for the manufacturers to understand and close it, whereas chassis people can have a quicker reaction time.”
Red Bull have their own power unit project to work on having established Red Bull Powertrains in 2021 following the departure of Honda. The Milton Keynes outfit is still receiving help from Honda for the time being but that will change in 2026 when the Japanese supplier partners with Aston Martin. Newey revealed that the sole focus of the Red Bull Powertrains subdivision was the 2026 season. “On the chassis side, not so much,” Newey replied when asked on the Talking Bull podcast how much the 2026 regulation changes were affecting his plans. “On the engine side? Yes, absolutely. So Ben Hodgkinson [technical director at Red Bull Powertrains] and the RB Powertrains team, their sole focus is the ’26 engine. On the chassis side, for the ’26 engine, we’re looking at how that packages. So Rob Marshall [Marshall will leave Red Bull to join McLaren at the start of 2024], is kind of the guy that’s really looking after us and he’s doing a great job, looking forward at how we integrate all that. But other than that, we don’t have a proper set of ergonomic regulations or anything else yet to go on so there’s no point in us spending too much time on that until we have a much more defined set of regulations.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
Max Verstappen v Jos Verstappen: Who is the dirtier F1 driver?
Max Verstappen has revealed whether it’s himself or father Jos who is the more aggressive behind the wheel. The two-time World Champion has said that, as aggressive as his own driving style is, he’s not quite as bad as his father Jos. The elder Verstappen raced in Formula 1 between 1994 and 2003, before concentrating fully on the career of his young son Max. With Verstappen junior going on to become a generational talent and well on his way to scoring his third successive Drivers’ Championship, he’s become well-known for being a hard-nosed and aggressive racing driver. But the Dutch racer believes that his level of aggression is nowhere near that of his father, while also revealing that his mother, highly successful karting racer Sophie Kumpen, was far cleaner in her approach.“They were very different,” he told the UK’s Times. “My Dad was more aggressive; you could tell it from how he was sitting in the go-kart and the way he was driving. My Mum was more on the clean side. That has to do a bit with how much strength you have. I spoke to my Mum about it and sometimes she was struggling a bit for strength; she was small compared to the guys. Then you can’t force the go-kart, you have to find another way. I was probably in the middle of the two. I am still aggressive but probably a bit cleaner [than my father].”
Verstappen also revealed that, while he and Kumpen don’t chat F1 to the same extent as he does with his father, Kumpen likes to joke that “maybe your style is more like me”. The Dutch driver said he takes after his mother more than his dad: “My sister is more like my Dad and I am more like my Mum, more calm. My sister is more of a strong character, fired up.”
Might Max Verstappen one day race with Jos?
Verstappen has made it very clear he intends to step away from Formula 1 while still young enough to take on racing challenges outside of the sport. Like grid-mate Kevin Magnussen and his father Jan, Verstappen has hinted at a possible attempt at Le Mans alongside Jos, but said his dad is no longer brimming with confidence the way he once did. “I want to do it [endurance racing],” Verstappen said. “It seems at the moment he doesn’t really want to. We are both very competitive. When we compete we want to win. My Dad knows that he’s no longer how he was in his thirties. I think because of that he is a little bit scared — no, not scared — but if he feels that he is the one holding me back a bit, he doesn’t like that.”
Jos has begun dabbling in rallying to re-ignite his racing driver career, and Max believes that if he “works with him, he is still in the window where you can win a race.” Amusingly, this puts Verstappen in the unusual position of mentoring his father back to racing prowess, in a complete role reversal from when Max was climbing the ladder. The 25-year-old believes he’d teach Jos in the same way his father taught him: “I would probably react the same way to him — because that’s how we communicated all the time with each other and we know we can take it from each other. That’s why it works so well. I already had a few test days with him in GT3 cars. You go through the data [afterwards] and you see a few corners where he is lacking. I’m like, ‘Why are you slow there? Why are you lifting? Come on, pull your finger out.’ These are fun days together.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
Alonso singled out for FIA INSPECTIONS ahead of Canadian GP
Fernando Alonso has been singled out for an FIA investigation ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix with the stewards performing 'more extensive physical inspections'. The 41-year-old currently sits P3 in the driver standings following an immense start to the campaign, although an underwhelming weekend on home soil saw Lewis Hamilton close in with a P2 finish. Aston Martin remain unphased by their relative struggles in Barcelona though, with team owner Lawrence Stroll claiming that both drivers could be on the podium this weekend. The Canadian Grand Prix is a special one for the Aston Martin team, serving as a home race for both the owner, Lawrence, and Alonso's team-mate, Lance Stroll.Tense times for Alonso
The FIA published a document on Thursday confirming that Alonso's car had been selected for further physical inspections ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. The checks for this are understood to have been taken directly following the Spanish Grand Prix. These checks are done at random and selected from the top tens cars in the standings, ensuring compliance with the sport's technical regulations. Thankfully for Alonso and Aston Martin, the checks were passed without any issue with all parts found to be in compliance with FIA regulations. In the FIA's official document, they confirmed that "subject to these physical inspections was the steering system (including the steering wheel) as well as all attached sensors, their loom routing and connections to the SECU and other units.
1%er
Well-Known Member
W Series: All-female championship enters administration after failing to secure funding
The all-female W Series has entered administration after the single-seater championship failed to secure funding. In October, the single-seater series announced it was ending its 2022 season three races early because of financial difficulties. Alice Powell, who raced in the series from its start in 2019, said it had "inspired" many young female fans and "created" opportunities for drivers."W Series DID NOT fail," said the 30-year-old Briton. "At the end of the day, W Series got me out racing again, whether you agreed with the championship or not. I have many great memories from racing in the championship, including my win at the British GP in 2021, which will stay with me forever." Britain's Jamie Chadwick dominated W Series and was crowned champion three times. The 25-year-old is now racing in the United States-based Indy NXT and is also part of Williams' academy.
Administrators Evelyn Partners LLP said that most staff had already left the business or been made redundant. Kevin Ley, one of the joint administrators, said: "The news will be upsetting for the company's employees and drivers together with the worldwide supporters of the championship. The company had been unable to commit to the 2023 race season due to its liquidity position. The directors had been in discussions with various parties to provide additional funding together with a potential sale of the business. Unfortunately, these discussions did not progress."
Ley's joint administrator, Harry Shinners, added: "The joint administrators will explore all available options to allow the W Series to restart in the future. We are seeking expressions of interest in the business and assets of the company." In November, Formula 1 - which has not had a female driver compete in a race since 1976 - launched the F1 Academy, an all-female series aimed at helping women drivers progress through motorsport. The inaugural season features seven rounds with the final race supporting the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, in October.
