Formula 1 - 2020 + 2021

[r0tor]

I'm not going to believe that piece until tomorrow after qualifying

[CaminoRacer]

Other than Aston Martin maybe getting a lot better (we'll see), it seems like the winter break was not very successful for the other teams. McLaren isn't ready for the season, Mercedes improvements yet to be seen, etc. We'll see if some teams surprise us, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Rich]

https://youtu.be/KjrNcuc89Pc

[FoMoJo]

All the cards are not out yet, but it could be interesting...F1 Bahrain GP: Alonso beats both Red Bulls again to top final practice


1   Fernando Alonso     Aston Martin   Mercedes  13   1'32.340
2   Max Verstappen      Red Bull       Red Bull    13   1'32.345   0.005
3   Sergio Perez           Red Bull       Red Bull    12   1'32.446   0.106
4   Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes     Mercedes   17     1'32.555   0.215
5   Charles Leclerc        Ferrari         Ferrari       21   1'32.624   0.284
6   George Russell        Mercedes     Mercedes   17   1'32.731   0.391
7   Lance Stroll            Aston Martin   Mercedes  16   1'32.919   0.579
8   Carlos Sainz           Ferrari          Ferrari      21   1'32.945   0.605

[FoMoJo]

No real surprises in qualifying.  Nice to see Alonso somewhat competitive.  As for Red Bull, Adrian Newey is obviously still at the top of his game. 

[r0tor]

Pretty much looks like the same old same old.  I'm not even convinced that Red Bull even emptied all of their sand bags yet.

[FoMoJo]

Looks like Mercedes have finally given up on their "zero pod" concept...Wolff: Mercedes must change car concept to return to top in F1

[r0tor]

All max.needs to do is keep it on the road and finish races to win probably every race...

[FoMoJo]

Mercedes better start looking closely at what Aston Martin have done with their car.  It has pretty much the same running gear as Mercedes, engine, transmission, suspension, but it goes a lot smoother on the track, and faster.  Good to see Alonso doing well.

[CaminoRacer]

Williams in the points!

Sargeant with the best result of the noobies too

[FoMoJo]

Lots of action in Melbourne...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FExS3lFEwqc

[CaminoRacer]

That was such a mess. I might as well watch NASCAR

[FoMoJo]

The most overrated, or unluckiest driver, has to be Leclerc.

[r0tor]

I think there is a rather high percentage of first lap calamity for LEC when he gets out qualified by a teammate

That last red flag though... Yeesh, rewind a couple years and there is probably a different world champion.  Set a precedent and live with it.

[FoMoJo]

This kinda sucks...Motor racing-Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix called off due to weather

[FoMoJo]

Things just might get interesting for the race, finally...Hungary

At least 4 competitive cars, maybe 5.

[FoMoJo]

Anyone here still following f1?

[r0tor]

I still do.  Last week was great mostly due to the lack of Red Bull at the front

[FoMoJo]

It's good to see a bit of competitiveness at the front, though Singapore is a bit of an oddball track.  Seems Max was pretty pissed off though.

[CaminoRacer]

I've been watching all season except Monza

[FoMoJo]

Louis and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...

Hamilton tangled with Russell into Turn 1 at the start of the Losail race, being spat out into the gravel by the contact that broke his right-rear wheel and ended his race.

While the race was under the safety car Hamilton then crossed the live circuit from the outside of Turn 1 to the pitlane on the inside, just seconds before Russell emerged from the pits.

The FIA stewards heard from an apologetic Hamilton after the race and handed him his first reprimand of 2023 as well as a €50,000 fine, half of which is suspended for the rest of the season.

[r0tor]

Crazy race for sure... All the pit stops reminded me of the circus that is an Indy car race.  McLaren is getting close!

F1 got lucky nobody got seriously hurt in that race.  Sargent had a heat stroke.  Stroll admitted to passing out while driving a few times.  Occon puked in his helmet.  Also read Albon might have been taken in after the race as well

[FoMoJo]

This sucks...Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified from United States Grand Prix for technical breach

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both been disqualified from the United States Grand Prix. Following the race in Austin, their cars were inspected and irregularities were spotted by the FIA Technical team after a plank wear inspection was carried out.

But at least the Mercedes was showing good pace.

[r0tor]

For a bit of a treat search out "The Racer Channel" in YouTube.  McLaren brought some of their historic F1 cars out to Sonoma and let current drivers rip around.

[giant_mtb]

For a bit of a treat search out "The Racer Channel" in YouTube.  McLaren brought some of their historic F1 cars out to Sonoma and let current drivers rip around.

Very cool videos.  Noted in one of them (Pato O'Ward Drives Hamilton's 2008 McLaren MP4/23) he says they could spend a few days with setups and shatter the track record with it.  With a car from 2008?  What does that say about modern F1 cars?  Or was he referencing that specific car's record?

[r0tor]

Very cool videos.  Noted in one of them (Pato O'Ward Drives Hamilton's 2008 McLaren MP4/23) he says they could spend a few days with setups and shatter the track record with it.  With a car from 2008?  What does that say about modern F1 cars?  Or was he referencing that specific car's record?

He definitely meant the Sonoma track record... Which is a term that is a bit complicated as the track has so many different layouts.

Looking at wiki the track record could either mean something set by a privated owned 2004 F1 car or one of the old lemans prototype Audi R8 racecars

[Galaxy]

Re: Las Vegas. I am surprised how quickly they were able to solve the issues with the water valve covers coming lose. It was not an issue with poor welds that has happened 3,4 times previously, the F1 cars were pulling up the entire concrete casings. I thought this might endanger the whole weekend. The city of Las Vegas allowed the FIA to unbureaucratically remove the covers and casings and just plug the hole with a mix of concrete, asphalt and epoxy.

I hate to be the Las Vegas maintenance crew that has to chisel this all out on Monday. I also hope no one needs their water shut off in an emergency.....

[CaminoRacer]

Vegas was actually pretty great. I think the calendar needs some adjustment so the track is a bit warmer and maybe not so late at night, but otherwise the layout seemed pretty good and the casino lights did impress. The cool down Rolls Royce was the best cool down room too

[Galaxy]

I agree it was a good race, the low level of traction made it almost like a wet race. Perhaps there is something to Bernie's sprinkler idea after all. 

From a TV coverage perspective, it could use some tweaking. My problem was you only get the Las Vegas atmosphere in the wide angle shots. In the close up, focused on the cars shots, you mostly saw cars driving between metal fences. It had almost a Prison atmosphere. Saudi Arabia has the same issue. For some  reason this works better in Monaco and Baku. 


I am surprised Max was not booed during the podium ceremony after he shit all over the city, with his "Monaco is Champions league , Vegas is national league comment." And then of course there was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLALrHjALHk


I agree with some points, but he did not have to be so condescending.

[Galaxy]

This was curious The other teams had no reason to cover Toto Wolff/Mercedes GP.









Aston Martin also posted the same, but I could not link.