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F1 2023

have worked for a french owned company I can say that the difference in working culture between France and England can be a little tension builder


less work hours in France and an hour ahead

if pushed to hard from people who go home at 4pm GMT it a motivation killer when you still their at 22:00

joys of cross country ownership
 

F1 teams granted cost cap break Ferrari calls 'dangerous'​

Formula 1 teams have been granted an increased capital expenditure (CapEx) allowance under the cost cap regulations, which will allow teams such as Williams to spend an extra $20million in 2024 as part of a rule change Ferrari's Fred Vasseur suggested was "dangerous".

Williams team principal James Vowles has been at the forefront of lobbying for an increase in the CapEx allowance, which is accounted for separately from the operational expenditure allowance. Before the summer break, an attempt to increase the CapEx allowance was rejected, but talks have been ongoing.

The changes allow teams to spend between $6m and $20m extra, decided, according to Vowles “in line to a certain extent with the facilities”. This will allow teams that have not invested so heavily in infrastructure in recent times to reduce the deficit to the bigger teams.

While Vowles described this as “not perhaps the hundred [million] I was looking for, but a good step in the right direction”, he sees it as a big boost for Williams.

“Good work with all the teams has meant that we've managed to unlock an exemption in our favour of 20 million or so,” said Vowles. “So there was agreement and good discussions have been taking place since February.

“We have an agreement on the table after six months that is sloped, so teams at the front will not get as much as teams at the back. We will benefit more, which is in line to a certain extent with the facilities.

“There’s quite a large amount of change that we need to do within Williams, I've been very clear and open about that. Part of it is CapEx for sure, part of it is growth of the organisation and change at the organisation, part of it is growth of the site.

“So when you put that all together you'll start seeing large, large [spending] numbers appear on the table.”

F1’s financial regulations previously set a uniform CapEx limit for all teams. This is effectively $45million for the four-year reporting period covering 2021-2024, which then dropped to $36m for 2022-2025.

Calculating this on a rolling, multi-year basis allows teams to front or backload their CapEx spending, while the reason for the switch from three years to four years in terms of the total CapEx reporting is that the cost cap regulations kicked in for the first time in 2021.

Now, for 2021-2024 all 10 teams have had their allowance increased, but not equally. Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari’s allowance has increased by $6m to $51m, with McLaren, Alpine and Aston Martin rising by $13m to $58m.

The group Williams is in containing AlphaTauri, Sauber, Haas and Williams has increased by $20m to $65m.

For the subsequent four-year reporting periods ending in each of 2025, ’26, ’27 and ’28 the CapEx limit for Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari is $42m, for McLaren, Alpine and Aston Martin is $49m and Williams, Sauber, Haas and Williams $56m.

The financial regulations also state that for the reporting period covering 2026-2029, the CapEx limit returns to $36m for all teams.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur criticised the proposals tabled ahead of the August break and says he’s unconvinced by the change.

He called it “dangerous” and a move that risks damaging the carefully constructed spending control limits implemented in F1.

“I’m not really convinced,” said Vasseur. “First, if you ask your engineers if they want to get more, they will always say 'yes, we want to get more'. And it's a non-ending process. And I think that we opened the door a couple of times to change to the cost cap regulation and this is very dangerous.

“Again, I'm coming back to the previous topic. We have to keep in mind the situation of 2019, and it's not because the business is going well today that we have to change everything and to come back to the previous situation.

“And I think we are taking every single opportunity to break everything. This is dangerous.”

AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer, who worked for the FIA when the financial regulations were being created, supported Vasseur’s position.

However, he also admitted that the Red Bull-owned team currently doesn’t have the money to up its CapEx spending.

“I agree with Fred, actually,” said Bayer. “Having been involved in the development of the cost cap, the idea was really to make sure that all the teams would either squeeze into a certain number or have a chance to actually hit that number.

Now, on the OpEx we're having inflation indexation, on the CapEx we have another increase. And whilst in principle it's nice, currently we don't have the money. So I have to try and find the money, the sponsorship!

“It's challenging because you're making a plan and you're deciding on your investment, and then suddenly within six months [the] regulations change and you have to go back to your shareholders, in my case, and that was not as pleasant as it might look!

“But, we'll deal with it, but that's probably my opinion."
 
hey got nothing against the french they have it right

older english right wing types think it admiral that the unions were defeated in 70's

oh aye not have a 35 hour week is lovely :facepalm:
 

F1 Qualifying Results: Qatar Grand Prix 2023​

1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]: 1:23.778s

2. George Russell [Mercedes]

3. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]

4. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]

5. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]

6. Oscar Piastri [McLaren]

7. Pierre Gasly [Alpine]

8. Esteban Ocon [Alpine]

9. Valtteri Bottas [Alfa Romeo]

10. Lando Norris [McLaren]

ELIMINATED IN Q2​


11.Yuki Tsunoda [AlphaTauri]

12. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]

13. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]

14. Alex Albon [Williams]

15. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas]

ELIMINATED IN Q1​

16. Logan Sargeant [Williams]

17. Lance Stroll [Aston Martin]

18. Liam Lawson [AlphaTauri]

19. Kevin Magnussen [Haas]

20. Zhou Guanyu [Alfa Romeo]
 

Mandatory three-stop race could be imposed amid F1 tyre safety fears at Qatar GP

The FIA has introduced emergency safety measures at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix in the wake of tyre concerns. F1’s governing body has announced the action in response to “separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords” being discovered on many tyres that were checked following Friday’s free practice running. The FIA said there will be “extensive tyre analysis” following the sprint race and that further action, including imposing maximum stint lengths and a mandatory three-stop strategy, may be taken ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

“Following the standard analysis of tyres used during Free Practice 1 yesterday, in which tyres that have been used for approximately 20 laps are examined by Pirelli to check various safety parameters, a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of tyres that were checked was discovered,” an FIA statement read. “It is the view of the FIA and Pirelli that a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue. This issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs. The following actions will be taken on safety grounds in response to this issue:

"1) Track limits at Turns 12-13 will be revised.

"2) There will be a 10-minute Practice Familiarisation Session, scheduled to start at 16:00 local time, following the revision of the track limits, to allow drivers to adjust to the changes. The Sprint Shootout will therefore start 20 minutes later than scheduled (16:20 local time).

"There will extensive tyre analysis following the Sprint (19 laps), to decide whether further action needs to be taken ahead of the Grand Prix. In the event the problem is still evident, we will be issuing the following directive for Sunday’s Grand Prix, on safety grounds:

  • The tyre life parameter must not exceed 20 for new tyres used in the race. This number would rise to 22 for any used tyres fitted in the race, to account for in-out laps in qualifying.
  • All drivers will be obliged to perform at least three tyre-change pitstops during the race.
“Pirelli and the FIA will carry out extensive research and simulations in order to establish with complete confidence the reasons behind this issue, and to work on solutions to avoid it in the future.”
 

Lance Stroll in trouble after assaulting Aston Martin employee​

Lance Stroll has found himself in hot water following qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix, after appearing to push his personal trainer. Stroll’s miserable season failed to get any better in qualifying, as the Canadian was eliminated in Q1 once again. The 24-year-old could only salvage P17, behind both Williams drivers and well behind team-mate Fernando Alonso, who’ll start Sunday’s race from fourth.

Stroll’s best Q1 lap was a worrying 1.1 seconds slower than the two-time World Champion’s, proving that the AMR23 does have pace in Qatar, with Stroll just not being able to extract it. He was visibly absolutely furious to have been eliminated once again, as he jumped out of his car in rapid fashion. An Aston Martin employee was waiting for him in the garage and pointed to the driver that he needed to go out the front of the garage to get himself weighed, an FIA and F1 requirement.

Stroll walked straight past the employee and pointed that he was going out the back of the garage, to which the employee appeared to continue informing the driver that he needed to be weighed. As the pair went to the back of the garage, cameras showed what looked like Stroll pushing the employee; however, it should be noted that it’s not been confirmed if this happened.

Stroll could simply be seen performing a pushing action, whilst the employee was already out of camera shot. Whether the employee was pushed or not, it’s a shocking look for the Canadian. His furious body language and attitude continued in the media pen, where he gave a blunt and incredibly short interview. When asked for his feelings regarding his Q1 exit, Stroll replied: “Yeah shit”. The interviewee on F1’s official feed was forced to apologise for the language, before asking Stroll what’s not clicking for him at the moment. “I don’t know,” was the Canadian’s response, before insisting that he’d simply “keep driving” when asked how he’d approach Saturday and Sunday.

This was followed by the driver walking off. It marks another worrying moment for the team, as yet again it was all down to Alonso to salvage a good result.
 

Stroll rumours swirl in Qatar paddock with quit speculation mooted​

Stroll’s struggles alongside two-time World Champion Alonso in 2023 have fuelled speculation that he could choose to walk away from F1 in the near future despite father Lawrence’s ownership of both the Aston Martin F1 team and the road car company. Now a report by German publication F1 Insider claims both father and son could both quit the sport, with Lawrence Stroll “toying with the idea” of selling the team.

With Stroll’s own mother applying pressure on him to call time on his racing career this year after a number of accidents – including a big hit in qualifying in Singapore, which forced him to miss the race – it is claimed by “reputable sources” that father Lawrence now “lacks the motivation” to finance his son’s career. Mr. Stroll, who took charge of the Aston Martin road car company in January 2020 before rebranding the F1 team the following year, is said to be considering selling the F1 operation to a newly-founded Saudi Arabia state fund.

One of Aston Martin’s title sponsors, the Saudi oil company Aramco, is reportedly leading negotiations on behalf of the fund, which has been established to promote sport in the country. The team could be sold for an eye-watering €800million. The report adds that while the Aston Martin team have officially denied the rumour, insisting that Mr. Stroll “has made it clear that a sale is out of the question” at a time F1 is growing in popularity and the value of individual teams is increasing, the man himself recently appeared open to the possibility.

“That is not planned at the moment,” he is quoted as saying on a potential sale. “However, we have been approached. Formula 1 is a sport and a business that burns.” The suggestion that Stroll could sell comes in a year in which Aston Martin have recorded worrying financial results both on and off the track. In March it emerged that the road car company’s losses had more than doubled during 2022, with the F1 team recording significant losses last year despite an increase in income from sponsorship and prizes.

Aston Martin have enjoyed a productive season in F1, with Alonso claiming seven podium finishes in total, but have slipped behind the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes in the development race over recent months. Earlier this year the team moved into a new state-of-the-art factory close to the Silverstone base, an ambitious £200m project funded by Stroll, and in May announced a works engine deal with Honda from the start of the 2026 season.

Stroll Jr, who arrived on the grid as an 18-year-old with Williams in 2017, has scored just 47 points compared to Alonso’s 174 in 2023 and was forced to deny rumours in August that he was considering leaving F1 to launch a professional tennis career. On Wednesday, Aston Martin announced plans to compete at the historic Le Mans 24 Hours event in 2025 with a hypercar based on the Valkyrie model, designed by F1 tech legend Adrian Newey during the company’s arrangement with Red Bull.
 

F1 Sprint Shootout Results: Qatar Grand Prix 2023​

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 1:24.454s

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)*

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

9. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

ELIMINATED IN SQ2
11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

12. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

13. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)

14. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)

15. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)

ELIMINATED IN SQ1
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

17. Alex Albon (Williams)

18. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)

19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

20. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

*I think Max went off in his last run so that lap may yet be deleted
 
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Sergio Perez braced for Red Bull sacking next month​

Sergio Perez experienced a challenging qualifying session during the Qatar Grand Prix, marking his eighth failure to make it through to Q3 this season. The Mexican driver encountered a setback when his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5 in the closing moments of Q2, pushing him outside the top ten and relegating him to a 13th-place start on the grid for Sunday’s race.

However, it’s worth noting that this penalty does not affect his starting position for the Sprint race. Perez’s task is now clear: he must realistically secure a victory in the Sprint race on Saturday to thwart his teammate Max Verstappen’s quest for a third World Championship title. Verstappen requires only a sixth-place finish to clinch the championship.

Reflecting on his challenging qualifying session, Perez shared his perspective with F1 TV, stating, “It was quite difficult, we struggled a lot for balance. Basically, we had so many issues, every corner was pretty much different. I think the conditions are very difficult overall, but I just struggled a lot.” Despite the difficulties, Perez maintains hope that he can contribute to Red Bull’s success and keep the championship battle alive while also protecting his second-place standing in the Drivers’ Championship.

He acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “It’s not over. It’s obviously going to be very difficult to pass, especially with the track conditions that we currently have. But we’ll see what we are able to do and recover from there.” Perez’s challenging start in the Sprint race comes amid questions about his future, with Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda all ready to take his seat. While signed in to his contract until 2025, Red Bull is famously ruthless with underperforming drivers, willingly sacking drivers mid-season if they underperform. As such, it is difficult to imagine how Perez will still be a Red Bull driver in 2024.
 
I think will be Red Bulls view

Lawson would be my choice if I was Horner. Danny's already tried and failed and Yuki's not up to the job IMO.

Might as well go with a rookie as they have less pressure initially to match up to Max.
 
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