For everything 2018 related 

McLaren to continue for a 5th straight year with no Title sponsor (and no free engines this time).

 

Lucky for them the majority owners are pretty much "the Royal Mint of Bahrain"

 

Team Principal Zak Brown is spinning this just the way Ron would have - We don't need a title sponsor, our brand is stronger without one, blah, blah

 

 

 

 

Ferrari announce new car online launch date as Feb 22.

 

At the same event FCA boss Marchionne was quoted as saying "we will be in the 2018 title fight".

 

He also repeated his threat to quit F1, but this time he added the context of resurrecting the rival series plans with the other major teams.

 

This alternative to F1 was originally the manufacturers GPWC which would have started in 2008.

 

A second try saw an alternative 2010 race schedule published by the FOTA teams who were in dispute with the FIA over the budget cap.

 

The FIAT boss clearly thinks this is the way to force the engine rules in a direction he wants for 2020.

 

 

 

 

Edited 19 December, 20178 yr by camelspyyder

Rather than an 'alternative' F1 I would like to see something like a revised F5000. Simple cars with BIG power and relatively small wings and limited aero package to be driven by minted hobby drivers and/or talented enthusiasts with guest drivers from established teams/disciplines. I think someone like Max Verstappen would love it, the crowd would love the spectacle, the drivers would enjoy the thrill of oversteer and competing against drivers from the top echelons of motorsport (not just F1, the guest could be from sports cars, touring cars etc).

 

I know it will never happen but I would much rather watch this than an 'alternative F1' created to keep the rich teams rich and the poor teams poor. A bit like a Tory Party manifesto!

Lance Stroll - any good or somewhat deluded?

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/133672/my-2017-results-answered-my-critics--stroll

 

In this article it mentions that he finished the season 1 place and 3 points behind Massa, but without the Baku suspension failure on Felipe's car the gap would have been nearer 30 points (Tech director Paddy Lowe is convinced Massa would have won that race had he not had a damper failure after the restart).

 

I think Stroll's biggest issue is his dire lack of qualifying pace, losing 17-2 to the veteran Brazilian and on average being 0.7s slower (that's huge - it might as well be 0.7 light-years)

 

Will he do better this year?  He's probably not even at Ericsson's standard yet, and I've long thought Marcus the least capable driver out there.

 

 

Edited 27 December, 20178 yr by camelspyyder

Well, I've always viewed Lance more as "access to Lawrence's chequebook" than as a competitive driver. Being beaten by someone who had retired and then came back as an emergency signing didn't really help his cause there.

Yeah, especially since Felipe has rarely been noted for out-qualifying teammates such as Bottas, Alonso in the last decade.

 

Admittedly as a young lad, he occasionally beat Schuey and KImi in qually but that's a long time ago.

Ericsson still in cloud cuckoo land:

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/133737/ericsson-wehrlein-hype-was-good-for-me

 

He thinks only getting slightly beaten by a rookie is good for his standing and career.

 

"Asked by Autosport why he thought he was not considered a serious prospect by teams further up the grid, Ericsson replied: "The problem is when you're driving for a team that's at the back of the grid it's really difficult to impress people and to show what you can do."

 

He means - his hometown sugar daddies cant afford to buy another team further up the grid!

Edited 3 January, 20188 yr by camelspyyder

Sirotkin gets Williams second seat. Kubica gets reserve

(and Di resta ?.....)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/42700482

 

1 hour ago, Wet Kipper said:

Sirotkin gets Williams second seat. Kubica gets reserve

(and Di resta ?.....)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/42700482

 

...doesn't have a blank cheque to go with his signature.

but he was fastest on a day of formula E testing this week.

Haas & Williams don't seem visually new. Although Williams claiming major changes have been done. Worryingly for the yanks, boss Gunther says the biggest change was engineering the halo.

Riccardo crashes new RB on wet shakedown day.

 

New Sauber-Alfa looks desperately short of sponsors, just like last years car.

Mercedes and Ferrari went public today, both very clean looking designs,

 

Force India insists they are not considering selling up to Rich Energy.  So they are then?

And we apparently have a "new team", "Little White Bull".

well, if Rich energy do take on Force India, we should try and get Irn-Bru to sponsor on the McLaren car, seeing as the colours fit.

Monster are already involved with Mercedes, which other drinks companies can get involved ?

 

 

Irn-Bru eh?

 

Hows the new recipe? (I cant buy it here)

I've actually been on the sugar free and extra versions for the past 18 months or so, but tried the new recipe yesterday. Seems a flatter taste, or maybe bigger bubbles (less tingly) and definitely a different flavour. Not fussed, really. Will stick to the non sugar versions 

On 2/23/2018 at 21:07, camelspyyder said:

Irn-Bru eh?

 

Hows the new recipe? (I cant buy it here)

I'm intellectually aware of it, but haven't noticed it as such.

Testing day 1. RedBull fastest at lunch from Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault close. Alonso lost a wheel early on, delaying Mclaren somewhat.

 

Riccardo has done a 1:20.1

Last years fastest time before lunch was a 1:22.7

 

 

Edited 26 February, 20188 yr by camelspyyder

3 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

Testing day 1. RedBull fastest at lunch from Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault close. Alonso lost a wheel early on, delaying Mclaren somewhat.

 

Riccardo has done a 1:20.1

Last years fastest time before lunch was a 1:22.7

 

 

 

Only drivers to do decent times in today's sessions...........

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134546/ricciardo-ends-first-day-of-testing-on-top

 

Where was LH, MV and SV?     Sandbagging?   Shortage of test cars?

 

 

1	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull/Renault	1m20.179s	-	60
2	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1m20.349s	0.170s	58
3	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	1m20.506s	0.327s	60
4	Nico Hulkenberg	Renault	1m20.547s	0.368s	73

 

 

Edited 26 February, 20188 yr by lol-lol

Lewis only ran PM when it was a. cold and b. raining.

Max and Seb not scheduled to drive today. 

Each team only runs 1 car.

8 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

 

Only drivers to do decent times in today's sessions...........

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/134546/ricciardo-ends-first-day-of-testing-on-top

 

Where was LH, MV and SV?     Sandbagging?   Shortage of test cars?

 

 

1	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull/Renault	1m20.179s	-	60
2	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1m20.349s	0.170s	58
3	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	1m20.506s	0.327s	60
4	Nico Hulkenberg	Renault	1m20.547s	0.368s	73

 

 

Err.....it's testing each team will be looking at different aspects, handling, engines, reliability etc,etc. 

Vettel fastest by 0.3 from Bo77as (on slower tyres though). He's already faster than any lap at last years first test.

 

Unfortunately Pirelli's 9 tyre options for this year don't include a snow tyre, and it's now snowing in Barcelona.

 

 

 

Edited 27 February, 20188 yr by camelspyyder

MV should do well now:

 

https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/961930555205079040/vid/1280x720/sBIYgQL3jtoXiuLr.mp4

Edited 27 February, 20188 yr by camelspyyder