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F1 2024

I got up to watch the start and stayed for the restart. Then I went out and walked Lily, came back, nothing much had changed.

F1 is such an exciting sport these days. Not.

:mad:
 

‘Factions’ at Aston Martin pushing for Sainz to replace Alonso​

Aston Martin finds itself at a crossroads regarding its driver lineup for the 2025 F1 season, with some within the team reportedly pushing for Carlos Sainz to replace Fernando Alonso. At 42, Alonso’s future in the sport remains unclear. The F1 veteran has repeatedly claimed that Aston Martin would be his first choice should he decide to extend his presence on the grid. And team boss Mike Krack has also said that his team is eager to keep the two-time world champion in its ranks for a third season.

However, some believe that Alonso’s mentions of retirement are a bargaining chip for a better 2025 contract. Additionally, rumors continue to swirl about potential interest from Red Bull and Mercedes, with both outfits having vacant seats for 2025. Although Sainz lost his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton for 2025, his stock is trending higher.

The Spaniard holds the distinction of being the only driver besides Red Bull's to win races in the past two seasons, with victories in Singapore last year and a remarkable triumph in Australia this year, even after recovering from appendix surgery. He's also been linked to Red Bull and Mercedes for 2025, while Audi is also rumored to have approached the three-time F1 winner. But according to reports, “factions” within Aston Martin are keen to see Sainz join the outfit next season in place of Alonso.

The potential opening presents a fascinating twist for Sainz. The 28-year-old could lead the team into Grand Prix racing’s new era as its clear number one driver, a position he wouldn't have at Mercedes or potentially Red Bull. Aston Martin now faces a difficult choice – continue with the experienced Alonso – if the latter decides to remain in F1 – or take a chance on the in-demand Sainz. The decision will significantly impact the team's trajectory moving into the 2026 rule changes. The upcoming weeks will likely see intense negotiations and speculation as Aston Martin decides who will spearhead their future.

However, Sainz will have the last word...
 

Red Bull’s second F1 team could change hands for a hefty sum​

In a surprising twist in the Formula 1 saga, the energy drink behemoth Red Bull is contemplating the sale of its secondary Formula 1 squad, now operating under the moniker Visa Cash App RB. This move comes amid a palpable tension between Red Bull’s Austrian and Thai shareholders, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the team formerly known as Toro Rosso and Alpha Tauri.

Helmut Marko, a key figure aligned with the Austrian faction, revealed to the Osterreich newspaper, “There are a lot of interested parties.” He further clarified, “Ultimately it’s a shareholder decision,” highlighting the complexities of internal dynamics. Marko didn’t shy away from noting, “The price is high for a team, but nothing has been decided yet,” indicating a significant valuation but an open-ended conclusion. Meanwhile, in the buzzing environment of the Suzuka circuit, whispers of Haas F1 Team’s potential buyout added another layer of intrigue, suggesting a market eager for investments in the sport’s smaller entities.

Ralf Schumacher, not one to mince his words, especially given his critical stance towards Haas following his nephew Mick’s stint, openly discouraged Nico Hulkenberg from renewing his ties with Haas for the 2025 season. His advice stemmed from his perception of Haas as a commendable team with a future that seemed uncertain due to its current operational ethos and structure, “certainly not” conducive to long-term planning according to Schumacher. “It’s certainly a great team and everything will get better there, but the structure is not geared towards the future and is not looking towards the future either,” he articulated to Sky Deutschland, adding a layer of complexity to the ongoing narrative about Haas’s direction. He lamented the lack of investments, attributing it to Gene Haas’s divergent priorities, “Investments are pending, but they are not being made because Gene Haas has other ideas. I understand that.”

Schumacher further mentioned, “It’s currently a nice small team for newcomers like Oliver Bearman,” acknowledging the team’s potential in nurturing new talent. Yet, he cautioned, “but they still have to get used to working with young drivers. They have work to do on that,” highlighting areas needing improvement. As the 2024 season unfolds, both Red Bull’s secondary team and Haas have emerged as notable competitors, vying for the title of ‘best of the rest’ behind the leading five teams. This achievement underscores their potential value and strategic importance in the Formula 1 hierarchy. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen shared at Suzuka, “We’ll put some upgrades on the car soon that will hopefully help us fight Alpha Tauri or whatever they’re called.”
 

‘Worrying news’ emerges for F1 2026 as simulator data raises active aero concerns​

Recent F1 simulator sessions seem to indicate that all is not well when it comes to the 2026 chassis regulations. Work on honing the 2026 chassis regulations in light of the already existing power unit regulations continues apace in the background, but recent simulator sessions are causing alarm.

F1 2026 power unit regulations causing ethos change
2026 marks a major regulation change, with the power unit regulations already decided. While sticking with a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6, the new power units will see an increase in electrical output to create a 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and the hybrid components. With such an increase in electrification, the chassis changes required to make the formula work without a major compromise on performance have seen the introduction of the idea of moveable aerodynamics.

This idea will see the car’s wings adapt to a given scenario on track, moving from high-downforce configurations through corners to utilising a low-drag setup down the straights in order to produce strong lap times. According to a report in Motorsport.com, some of the teams have begun simulator testing the base-spec car, dubbed the ‘Fangio’ and the tests have not resulted in positive situations. The report asserts that sources say when the “rear wing was in its most low-drag configuration and the engine was at full power, the car was almost undriveable – with multiple examples of drivers spinning on straights under acceleration or being unable to take the smallest of curves without the rear stepping out. This was triggered by a shift in aero balance that was estimated to be three times as much as is currently experienced when DRS is open.”

This scenario was triggered when the movable aero was applied to the rear wing only – which is seen as the most simple scenario for introduction at present. The report claims that suggestions have been made that the only way “to prevent the cars spinning was to drive so conservatively that the lap times ended up being slower than current Formula 2 machinery.” As a result, following FIA representatives being presented with this information, the moveable aero plan will now have to incorporate both front and rear wings moving in collaboration with each other in order to deliver the performance characteristics desired, as this will reduce the aerodynamic imbalance.

With the regulations yet to be fully determined, as work continues to try moulding the chassis around the power unit rather than vice versa, it’s led broadcaster and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok to express concerns with how the rulebook is being approached. “Worrying news on 2026 rules…” he said. “As far as I can recall, this is the first time ever that the engine rules seem to dictate the chassis rules in F1. Done to entice Audi and Honda, it’s too late to change the PU rules now so what do they do? Moveable aero / DRS is bad for overtaking! For the past few years I’ve been saying that I wished 2026 would go to a V10, non-hybrid car on sustainable fuels. Smaller, lighter, noisier, more challenging cars. Road car companies are investing in ICE programs again. FIA seems to have missed the boat with F1 IMO…”

Christian Horner: The FIA is taking on board the feedback
Last year, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner warned that F1 risks introducing “Frankenstein” cars based on the proposed regulations, and said he’s pleased to see the FIA taking on board the learnings of the current simulator work. “I think there’s been some good progression,” Horner told Motorsport.com. “I think that the FIA has taken on board some of the feedback and some alterations have been made. We’re waiting for the chassis regulations, which will be a fundamental part of the 2026 package now, and how that interacts with these power units. The various working groups are working hard on that and it’s important that we conclude something in the near future.”

The teams are prevented from carrying out any aerodynamic CFD or wind tunnel testing based on the 2026 regulations at present, with the restriction on this testing lifting in January 2025. For now, the work being carried out is simulator-based only, and Horner said the findings aren’t yet a cause for concern. “The rules are the same for everybody at the end of the day,” he said. “So, it’s how you apply them and translate them. I don’t think we’re afraid of whatever the rules will be, as it’s the same starting point for everybody. When they’re finalised, that’s when we’ll no doubt discover whatever issues there are with the rules, but that’s no different to any other regulation change.”
 
1%er said:

Red Bull’s second F1 team could change hands for a hefty sum​

In a surprising twist in the Formula 1 saga, the energy drink behemoth Red Bull is contemplating the sale of its secondary Formula 1 squad, now operating under the moniker Visa Cash App RB. This move comes amid a palpable tension between Red Bull’s Austrian and Thai shareholders, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the team formerly known as Toro Rosso and Alpha Tauri.

Helmut Marko, a key figure aligned with the Austrian faction, revealed to the Osterreich newspaper, “There are a lot of interested parties.” He further clarified, “Ultimately it’s a shareholder decision,” highlighting the complexities of internal dynamics. Marko didn’t shy away from noting, “The price is high for a team, but nothing has been decided yet,” indicating a significant valuation but an open-ended conclusion. Meanwhile, in the buzzing environment of the Suzuka circuit, whispers of Haas F1 Team’s potential buyout added another layer of intrigue, suggesting a market eager for investments in the sport’s smaller entities.

Ralf Schumacher, not one to mince his words, especially given his critical stance towards Haas following his nephew Mick’s stint, openly discouraged Nico Hulkenberg from renewing his ties with Haas for the 2025 season. His advice stemmed from his perception of Haas as a commendable team with a future that seemed uncertain due to its current operational ethos and structure, “certainly not” conducive to long-term planning according to Schumacher. “It’s certainly a great team and everything will get better there, but the structure is not geared towards the future and is not looking towards the future either,” he articulated to Sky Deutschland, adding a layer of complexity to the ongoing narrative about Haas’s direction. He lamented the lack of investments, attributing it to Gene Haas’s divergent priorities, “Investments are pending, but they are not being made because Gene Haas has other ideas. I understand that.”

Schumacher further mentioned, “It’s currently a nice small team for newcomers like Oliver Bearman,” acknowledging the team’s potential in nurturing new talent. Yet, he cautioned, “but they still have to get used to working with young drivers. They have work to do on that,” highlighting areas needing improvement. As the 2024 season unfolds, both Red Bull’s secondary team and Haas have emerged as notable competitors, vying for the title of ‘best of the rest’ behind the leading five teams. This achievement underscores their potential value and strategic importance in the Formula 1 hierarchy. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen shared at Suzuka, “We’ll put some upgrades on the car soon that will hopefully help us fight Alpha Tauri or whatever they’re called.”
Click to expand...
This could be Andrettis move into formula 1
 
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Who needs those pesky drivers when you can have the AI powered Autonomous Racing League [A2RL], starting this month in Abu Dhabi.
a2rl.io

Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League in UAE | A2RL

ASPIRE established the World’s largest Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League aka A2RL set to take place at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. It will establish a series of high-profile autonomous races including drones and dune buggies, with the inaugural league event set for Q2 2024 with...
a2rl.io a2rl.io

 
Well, here's the third and final lap in the far-east races.

And it's one of those Jeux Sans Frontières weekends, with sprints and qualifiers and points galore for driving backwards, or in a clown suit, or through a vat of custard.

Drivers can earn Bonus Points ("Neweys"), or win the Jos 'n' Helmut Cup for any car designed by Newey himself.

It's time to hook your nuclear-powered alarm clock to the high tension grid, and harness that spare overnight capacity.

The UK telly times will be:

Fri 19 April
FP1 - 04:30
Shootout - 08:30

Sat 20 April
Sprint - 04:00
Qual - 08:00

Sun 21 April
Race - 08:00

I wonder if I can order a venue-appropriate salver of snacks from Just Eat?


​

 

F1 to introduce new weekend format at Chinese GP​

Sprint races in Formula 1 are divisive with equal numbers of fans, and drivers, keen to either see them stay or be consigned to the history books, World Champion Max Verstappen among them. But as in 2023, there will be six Sprint races coming up on the 2024 calendar, taking place in China, Miami, Austria, the United States, Brazil and Qatar, with the final three taking place in the final six races of the year. And once again, there are some format changes to the Sprint, designed in part due to blowback from teams and drivers after the 2023 format flopped.

Grand Prix qualifying was moved to Friday afternoon in 2023 after just 60 minutes of practice, meaning parc ferme conditions kicked in after an hour of running and could lock teams into the wrong, or even illegal set-ups as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc found out in Austin where they were disqualified for excessive plank wear. This was put down to the ride-heights being too low, something that could have been fixed had more practice been available and so the teams, F1 and the FIA came up with a new weekend format for the Sprint events.

New Sprint format
In the 2024 Sprint races, Free Practice 1 is held as normal on Friday, but then the Sprint Shootout qualifying session takes place. Parc ferme then kicks in for the Sprint which takes place on Saturday morning, before parc ferme is then reopened ahead of qualifying on Saturday afternoon with the main race on Sunday as normal. The Sprint remains at 100km distance, or one-third of the usual grand prix distance.
 
hmm how many sprint races have we had that have been any good or have lifted the weekend in any way?

anyone been to a weekend of racing with a sprint race added in

did it added to the experience?

if it a failure in execution how is messing with the rules going to make it any better :hmm:
 
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