spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Yeah RB will drop checo like a hot piece of toast if that's what they think will work for them.
I do think with the recent massive improvement at McLaren Lando will hang in there rather than playing second fiddle to Max.
F1 2023
- Thread starter spitfire
- Start date
Yeah RB will drop checo like a hot piece of toast if that's what they think will work for them.
I do think with the recent massive improvement at McLaren Lando will hang in there rather than playing second fiddle to Max.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Another Maxterclass. 
1%er
Well-Known Member
I think it would come down to money and where he thinks he has the best chance of winning a title. Not sure he'd be worried about the team making him play second fiddle, his contract will sort that out.
That's the big question. All the top drivers have contracts for next season I believe, but drivers may have a clause that's allows them to leave for a better team. I really can't see them keeping Checohmm he brings a lot of sponsorship
don't see danny ric getting any better results than Chico
who else could they put in the team
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
Another Maxterclass.
hmm for adrian newey
last multiple champion for redbull went where after leaving adrians cars
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
Piastri beating his teammate twice in one weekend.
Ridiculous recovery drive by George.
Ridiculous recovery drive by George.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
"Two weeks, Ted..."Ted said when talking to the American fans earlier, see you next week in Austin, my calendar says it is two weeks away on the 22nd
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Yeah, he took it on the chin, rightly so. George being a team player as well.
‘100% my fault’: Hamilton apologises to Russell for ‘unfortunate’ Qatar crash
Both Mercedes drivers have played down a fraying in their relationship after colliding with each other on the first lap
Both drivers initially believed the other to be at fault but when Hamilton saw the incident he accepted he was to blame. “I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Apologies to my team and to George.”
The pair are both contracted to Mercedes until 2025 and Hamilton insisted they would continue to work together constructively.
“The relationship is not broken,” he said. “I don’t have any problems with George. We have a great relationship and we always talk about things. This is just unfortunate and I am sure he was frustrated in the moment, as I was, but we will talk about it offline and move forwards.”
Russell, who went on to recover to finish fourth, also believed the pair would be able to put the incident behind them
“There was nothing intentional both ways,” he said. “These cars are so difficult to see when you are racing – there are blind spots. We have so much respect for one another, we will get past this and I am sure we will speak and I am sure everything will be OK.”
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Max isn't unbeatable - Hamilton and Alonso have got legit claims to being just as good, and the likes of Norris, Russell, Sainz and Leclerc on their day can be just as fast.
Red Bull aren't unbeatable - McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and even Aston Martin are regularly mixing it with and beating Perez.
But the combination of Max and Red Bull together are unbeatable.
Red Bull aren't unbeatable - McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and even Aston Martin are regularly mixing it with and beating Perez.
But the combination of Max and Red Bull together are unbeatable.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Sounds pretty hard out there last night.
www.theguardian.com
Leading Formula One drivers have condemned the intense heat in which they had to race at the Qatar Grand Prix, describing it as “dangerous” and “unacceptable”.
Max Verstappen won the race at the Lusail circuit on Sunday but, when it came to a close, many drivers had been suffering in dizzying temperatures of up to 50C (122F) in their cockpits.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/09/mika-hakkinen-backs-max-verstappen-dominance-f1
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon revealed he had vomited inside his helmet because of the extreme temperature. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll said he had been in danger of losing consciousness, while Williams’s Alex Albon had to attend the medical centre owing to heat exhaustion. Logan Sargeant, his teammate, was forced to retire while suffering from dehydration, having been ill with flu earlier in the week. Both Stroll and Albon had to be helped from their cars by team members after the race.
The Mercedes driver George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said he too had come close to losing consciousness and was explicit in stating that drivers’ lives should not be put at risk.
“It was beyond the limit of what is acceptable,” he said. “Over 50% of the grid said they were feeling sick, couldn’t drive and were close to passing out. You don’t want to be passing out at the wheel when you are driving at 200mph, and that is how I felt at times.
Russell and Norris lead driver outcry over ‘dangerous’ Qatar cockpit heat
Drivers experienced temperatures of up to 50C in their cockpits, with Mercedes’s George Russell saying many were ‘close to passing out’
Leading Formula One drivers have condemned the intense heat in which they had to race at the Qatar Grand Prix, describing it as “dangerous” and “unacceptable”.
Max Verstappen won the race at the Lusail circuit on Sunday but, when it came to a close, many drivers had been suffering in dizzying temperatures of up to 50C (122F) in their cockpits.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/09/mika-hakkinen-backs-max-verstappen-dominance-f1
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon revealed he had vomited inside his helmet because of the extreme temperature. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll said he had been in danger of losing consciousness, while Williams’s Alex Albon had to attend the medical centre owing to heat exhaustion. Logan Sargeant, his teammate, was forced to retire while suffering from dehydration, having been ill with flu earlier in the week. Both Stroll and Albon had to be helped from their cars by team members after the race.
The Mercedes driver George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said he too had come close to losing consciousness and was explicit in stating that drivers’ lives should not be put at risk.
“It was beyond the limit of what is acceptable,” he said. “Over 50% of the grid said they were feeling sick, couldn’t drive and were close to passing out. You don’t want to be passing out at the wheel when you are driving at 200mph, and that is how I felt at times.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Sergio Perez blames Red Bull as he faces axe
Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez has attributed his multiple track limits penalties during the F1 Qatar Grand Prix to his seating position in the car. Despite teammate Max Verstappen’s dominant performance, securing his 14th win of the season, Perez faced a tough race, finishing in 10th place. Perez incurred three five-second time penalties for repeatedly exceeding track limits on six separate occasions throughout the 57-lap race. Track limits had been a hot topic throughout the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, with Perez also having his fastest qualifying lap deleted due to the same violation.After Sunday’s race, Perez opened up about the challenges he faced due to his low seating position in the car. “Track limits, to be honest, it was hard for me inside the car to judge them,” Perez explained during an interview with Sky. “But it was the same for everybody, so I should’ve done a better job.” When questioned about why he found it particularly challenging, Perez stated, “I had the same issue in Austria; I’m sitting too low in the car. Probably that made things a bit harder. When they changed it at the last minute, I should’ve gone up.”
Perez, who has been under intense scrutiny for his recent performances, acknowledged that his second consecutive challenging weekend “wasn’t ideal.” He elaborated, “It was a really difficult afternoon. Starting on the hard tires really complicated things for us, especially with the Safety Car; we couldn’t warm up the tires. We ended up losing positions and couldn’t make progress quickly enough. It just meant we could not progress as much as we should have.” The Mexican driver further added, “I couldn’t get temperature in the tire. By the time I did, we had to stop with the mandatory pit stops. So it wasn’t an ideal race; it was a very difficult one, not just the race but the whole weekend in all. There’s plenty to look at.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
Lewis Hamilton slapped with huge fine by F1
Lewis Hamilton has been handed a €50,000 (£43,000) fine and a non-driving reprimand by F1 stewards following the Qatar Grand Prix. The Mercedes star, a seven-time world drivers' champion, was at fault for a crash with team-mate George Russell during the first-lap which ruled him out the race as Russell finished fourth. However, the subject of Hamilton's fine were his actions that followed. The 38-year-old decided to walk across the track in order to get back to the pit lane despite the race being live. Hamilton's decision which came seconds before Russell emerged from the pits led to a post-race investigation.The fine, half of which is suspended until the end of the season, came with a statement from the Lusail International Circuit's stewarding panel. It reads: "After crashing out of the race in Lap 1, the driver of Car 44 [Hamilton] abandoned his car in the gravel and ran back to the pits. He thereby crossed the track that was live at this time and reached the inside edge of the track just seconds before Car 63 [Russell] arrived at high speed after exiting the pits. He then continued to walk alongside the track until finally exiting the track. During the hearing the driver of Car 44 was very apologetic and realised that the situation could have been very dangerous for him as well as the drivers approaching. The stewards reinforced the fact that crossing a live track can cause extremely dangerous situations and the drivers have to be very cautious about it."
The fine won't cause any sort of dent on Hamilton's net worth, which is believed to be in the region of £250million. Hamilton had said of the crash: "I’ve watched the replay, and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and to George." Russell then replied: "Lewis and I, we'll be fine. We've got a huge respect for each other; nothing was intentional from either side."
1%er
Well-Known Member
Las Vegas Grand Prix to ditch HUGE F1 tradition due to dark past
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is making a change to a traditional aspect of F1 at its race weekend, as it ditches the name ‘paddock’. The nighttime Nevada showcase is the first race promoted and organised by Liberty Media – and the third US race on the calendar looks sure become a highlight of the season given the nature of the surroundings and general glitz and glamour of the location. The term 'paddock' has been used in motorsport for decades, deriving from a paddock where racehorses would gather before lining up to race. But organisers of the Las Vegas race have decided that the name should not be used during the race weekend, with an alternative yet to be announced. In the interim, a spokesperson said the organisers will use the term ‘pit building’.A troubled history
But why would such an innocuous term cause consternation in Las Vegas in particular? In October 2017, a man named Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of people at a festival on the Las Vegas strip. The shooting killed 60 people and injured 867 others. Given this difficult history, race organisers seem to wish to distance Formula 1 from the event by way of changing the name ‘paddock’. A spokesperson for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix told reporter's: “The Las Vegas Grand Prix empathises with this sensitive topic in the community, and as such has always intended to announce an alternate name for our complex that will feature F1 activations, food & beverage, merchandise stores, event space and more throughout the year. While we will be announcing the go-forward name in the coming weeks, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will only refer to the building as the ‘pit building’ and limit usage of sensitive terminology only to its traditional operational context exclusively during race week.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
Audi respond to rumours of shock decision over F1 2026 entry
Audi have responded to the rumours circulating that they might pull the plug on their planned takeover of the Alfa Romeo/Sauber team. The German marque are two years away from even entering F1, but are already having to defend against rumours that they may opt to pull the plug on their planned entry to the sport. Audi will enter partnership with the Sauber team, currently known as Alfa Romeo – the Hinwil-based squad will revert to their Sauber name for the 2024 and ’25 seasons before being rebranded as Audi from 2026 in what has been a long-awaited arrival of the VW Group in F1.Audi deny rumours of F1 withdrawal
Rumours emerged in French media recently that Audi may be set to pull the plug on their planned takeover of the F1 team, with the issue apparently set to be put to a vote with the company board at an upcoming meeting. Approached for comment, a spokesperson for Audi flatly denied the rumours to reporters. “Audi‘s F1 entry in 2026 is based on a decision of the Board of AUDI AG in alignment with the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG,” said the statement. “As well as the Board and the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Group. The schedule of Audi Formula Racing GmbH for the build-up of the organisation and the development of the 2026 F1 Power Unit at the site in Neuburg/Germany remains unchanged.”
Audi have already made preparations to cease their customer racing operations at the conclusion of 2023 as a result of their expanding F1 operation, and follows on from their exit of the LMDh project in the World Endurance Championship and IMSA, leaving Formula E, and an earlier exit from the DTM in 2020. Over the weekend, Audi held a Family Festival at their Neuberg facility to showcase their F1 project, with board member and chief technical officer Oliver Hoffmann speaking with the employees. Audi’s F1 CEO Adam Baker, and managing director Stefan Dreyer and Miriam Haubner, were also in attendance to meet and greet with the large gathering, as well as give talks on the plans for the F1 project.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Red Bull drop massive hint about signing Fernando Alonso for 2024
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has admitted that he sees Fernando Alonso as the only driver who’d be able to keep up with Max Verstappen, if the Spaniard raced for Red Bull. Marko’s comments come after Sergio Perez endured yet another dreadful Grand Prix last weekend in Qatar, with Lewis Hamilton now being just 30 points behind in the fight for second in the Drivers’ Championship. Perez was incredibly fortunate that Hamilton crashed on the opening lap, given that the Mexican finished P10.Concerningly, the 33-year-old has scored just a single point in the last three races, with Red Bull desperately needing Perez to find some form to secure P2 in the standings. Red Bull have never claimed a 1-2 in the Drivers’ Championship, something they should really achieve with ease given how superior their car is. However, Perez just can’t get the most out of the RB19 currently and is clearly putting himself under immense pressure. As things stand, there is little chance that Red Bull will retain Perez for 2025, although Marko has stressed that the team will “respect” his deal for next season.
“I repeat myself, but Perez has a contract and we want to respect it,” Marko told Sport1. “We’re doing everything we can to get him back on track.” One of the main reasons why Perez’s position is safe for 2024 is that Marko has admitted that they “don’t have any alternatives” currently who they think will perform better than Checo. If they did have a driver ready to take Perez’s place though, then the 80-year-old has noted that the Mexican “might have a problem”.
“We just don’t have any alternatives. Otherwise he might have a problem,” Marko admitted. Perez is seemingly struggling with being Verstappen’s team-mate, given just how dominant the Dutchman is. Verstappen is winning races with ease, whilst Perez is having to work ridiculously hard just to get into Q3. Drivers unable to cope with the pressure of being alongside Verstappen is something which has been seen several times, with Marko believing that only Alonso could deal with the three-time World Champion. “At the moment I only see one person who could come close to keeping up with Max – Fernando Alonso,” said Marko.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Crikey.
Bernie Ecclestone pleads guilty to fraud
The former F1 boss admits failing to declare more than £400m of overseas assets.
www.bbc.co.uk
1%er
Well-Known Member
Bernie was sentenced to 17 months in jail, suspended for two years and has to pay HMRC £652.6m covering 18 tax years.
[He'd never have gone to jail as he now lives here in Brazil and has a Brazil child to his Brazilian wife Fabiana (and for sure wouldn't have appeared without a deal keeping him out of jail). Brazil does not extradite people living here who have a Brazilian child. That is how Ronnie Biggs and others were able to stay here.]
[He'd never have gone to jail as he now lives here in Brazil and has a Brazil child to his Brazilian wife Fabiana (and for sure wouldn't have appeared without a deal keeping him out of jail). Brazil does not extradite people living here who have a Brazilian child. That is how Ronnie Biggs and others were able to stay here.]
1%er
Well-Known Member
The Silverstone-based outfit will reveal the new name early next year.
Aston Martin is set to change the name of its F1 team from next season. The Silverstone-based outfit, currently branded as Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, will at least drop it's global technology services partner from title sponsorship. Cognizant has been with Aston Martin since owner Lawrence Stroll rebadged the squad from Racing Point for the 2021 season and, at the Qatar Grand Prix, a strengthening of the relationship was announced with a joint effort across operational efficiency, diversity and inclusivity initiatives. “Cognizant was Aston Martin’s first F1 title partner," said Stroll in a statement alongside the announcement.
"They completely understood how a high-profile sports marketing partnership could raise their international profile, and the first phase of our relationship has succeeded spectacularly in increasing their global brand awareness. As we enter this new phase of our partnership, we will deepen our relationship: we see things the same way, we have the same goals, and we work together in a truly unique and innovative way. It is a pleasure to work with such an ambitious and like-minded partner, so today’s announcement that they have chosen to extend their relationship with us speaks volumes for the harmony we enjoy together. What we’re seeing from working with Cognizant, is that they can really leverage their expertise in data, analytics and machine learning to make a marked difference to our efforts as a design team to build a faster racing car and become a leaner, more efficient organisation. I firmly believe that this is the way all sports marketing partnerships should be: true synergies. I couldn’t be happier with the pathway forward that we have established together.”
Team name change
Whilst the strength of Aston Martin and Cognizant's partnership is strengthening, it seems the American company will lose its title sponsorship. An Aston Martin spokesperson told reporters “Cognizant was our first title partner – and they engaged with Aston Martin in order to build the reputation of their brand. Cognizant is a $35b company with 300,000 employees – but three years ago it wasn’t a household name. Through the first phase of their partnership with us, they’ve achieved that – now, lots more people know who Cognizant are and what they do. This was always planned as phase two of that relationship – after achieving global brand awareness, they are deepening their partnership with us, they are applying their digital transformation to our business – both on and off the racetrack – and we are now building a deeper, broader relationship with them. The new team name will be confirmed in early 2024.”
Whilst no indication of what the new team name will be, Saudi Arabian oil brand Aramco would likely be the front-runner to take over sole title sponsorship of Aston Martin. However, with the rise in F1's popularity providing a launchpad for business through team partnerships, there will no doubt be brands seeking a partnership - especially with a platform such as Aston Martin.
Aston Martin is set to change the name of its F1 team from next season. The Silverstone-based outfit, currently branded as Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, will at least drop it's global technology services partner from title sponsorship. Cognizant has been with Aston Martin since owner Lawrence Stroll rebadged the squad from Racing Point for the 2021 season and, at the Qatar Grand Prix, a strengthening of the relationship was announced with a joint effort across operational efficiency, diversity and inclusivity initiatives. “Cognizant was Aston Martin’s first F1 title partner," said Stroll in a statement alongside the announcement.
"They completely understood how a high-profile sports marketing partnership could raise their international profile, and the first phase of our relationship has succeeded spectacularly in increasing their global brand awareness. As we enter this new phase of our partnership, we will deepen our relationship: we see things the same way, we have the same goals, and we work together in a truly unique and innovative way. It is a pleasure to work with such an ambitious and like-minded partner, so today’s announcement that they have chosen to extend their relationship with us speaks volumes for the harmony we enjoy together. What we’re seeing from working with Cognizant, is that they can really leverage their expertise in data, analytics and machine learning to make a marked difference to our efforts as a design team to build a faster racing car and become a leaner, more efficient organisation. I firmly believe that this is the way all sports marketing partnerships should be: true synergies. I couldn’t be happier with the pathway forward that we have established together.”
Team name change
Whilst the strength of Aston Martin and Cognizant's partnership is strengthening, it seems the American company will lose its title sponsorship. An Aston Martin spokesperson told reporters “Cognizant was our first title partner – and they engaged with Aston Martin in order to build the reputation of their brand. Cognizant is a $35b company with 300,000 employees – but three years ago it wasn’t a household name. Through the first phase of their partnership with us, they’ve achieved that – now, lots more people know who Cognizant are and what they do. This was always planned as phase two of that relationship – after achieving global brand awareness, they are deepening their partnership with us, they are applying their digital transformation to our business – both on and off the racetrack – and we are now building a deeper, broader relationship with them. The new team name will be confirmed in early 2024.”
Whilst no indication of what the new team name will be, Saudi Arabian oil brand Aramco would likely be the front-runner to take over sole title sponsorship of Aston Martin. However, with the rise in F1's popularity providing a launchpad for business through team partnerships, there will no doubt be brands seeking a partnership - especially with a platform such as Aston Martin.
1%er
Well-Known Member
F1 could now scrap historic Grand Prix after 2025
Liberty Media will hold talks with the CEO of Spa-Francorchamps this week to discuss the future of the Belgian Grand Prix with it only on the Formula 1 calendar until 2024. That is according to HLN, which reports that Spa CEO Melchior Wathelet has worked intently in the background fighting to secure a longer-term contract. Talks between the organisers of the Belgian GP and Liberty Media chiefs are now edging closer to a positive verdict for 2025. Spa currently only has a contract with Liberty Media and Formula 1 to host the Belgian GP in 2024. Its place on the calendar has also been hanging by a thread for the last few years. But the regular demise of aims to revive the South African GP has seen F1 keep returning to Spa.Spa is set to seal a contract to host the 2025 Belgian GP
It was very likely that the 2022 Belgian GP would be F1’s last visit to Spa for some significant time. Yet the plans to bring the South African GP back for the first time since 1993 collapsing saw Liberty Media give Spa a contract for 2023. This year’s triumphs sealed it another year. Wathelet impressed Liberty Media with how Spa hosted side events across the 2023 Belgian GP weekend. So, with the South African GP again off the table, Liberty Media awarded Spa a contract for 2024. But talks remained ongoing to try and negotiate a longer-term extension.
Liberty Media could still scrap the Belgian GP after 2025
Spa hoped to secure a contract to host the Belgian GP until at least 2026 or 2027. Wathelet has been working on the project for several months and talks with Liberty Media are now in the final stages. But it is likely that Liberty Media only hands Spa another one-year contract. Talks will continue this week over the final details of Spa’s contract to host the Belgian GP in 2025. Yet Liberty Media is giving the historic circuit no guarantees about its place on the F1 calendar beyond that. Confirmation of its contract for the 2025 season is also not imminent.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
I'm sure it's just posturing and Spa will end up being retained. But just so Liberty know - if Spa gets canned while some of the shitty shitty non-event tracks get retained and the almighty oil dollar becomes ever more important, I will personally hunt down those responsible and fart on their pillows. Monaco should do the decent thing and throw itself in front of Belgium shouting " NO, TAKE MEEEEEEEE INSTEAD!"
