No F1 thread?

[duncs500]

I'm not bothering watching this year. I've limited free time in my life and its not best spent watching fish pout win easily, nor paying more to Sky for the privilege.

Will tune back in for 2025.

I'm in much the same situation, can't justify a couple of hours out of my weekend to watch mostly boring F1 (kids eh?). Only reason I managed to watch this race is that it was on while everyone else was sleeping. Happily slightly more interesting than usual.

[Gavin]

Alonso signed another 2 years at AM. Sainz heavily rumoured to be off to Mercedes.

Much as I like some of te established drivers, there could do with being a decent cull of guys who have had their shot.

Magnusson
Hulk
Danny Ric (Gutting but he just doesn't look fast)
Zhou
Bottas
Tsunoda possibly, Lawson certainly made him look ordinary with little practice
Ocon
Gasly
Perez
Sargent
Stroll

most have either had a crack in a top team or are simply never going to get one. There have been some decent drivers come through F2 and F3 recently and very few have made it to F1 because teams want a safe pair of hands.

[DaveE]

It might be nice if there was a fund that could be used to encourage smaller teams to take on less experienced drivers, or drivers without significant backing of their own

Kind of how in the NFL, the worst team gets the chance to pick first from each year's draft of new players

[Delphi]

Alonso signed another 2 years at AM. Sainz heavily rumoured to be off to Mercedes.

Much as I like some of the established drivers, there could do with being a decent cull of guys who have had their shot.

Magnusson
Hulk
Danny Ric (Gutting but he just doesn't look fast)
Zhou
Bottas
Tsunoda possibly, Lawson certainly made him look ordinary with little practice
Ocon
Gasly
Perez
Sargent
Stroll

most have either had a crack in a top team or are simply never going to get one. There have been some decent drivers come through F2 and F3 recently and very few have made it to F1 because teams want a safe pair of hands.

Gasly's decent, he's just got a really shit car. He's better than Ocon. Tsunoda is also a bit underrated - he's getting the job done. Am I the only one who thinks LeClerc is massively overrated? Despite all the hype, he just seems a bit ordinary to me - I've not seen anything from him that warrants the hype.

[Mito Man]

Leclerc and Sainz. The latter finally driving well now that he’s got the boot, should have done that from day 1.

[duncs500]

Kind of how in the NFL, the worst team gets the chance to pick first from each year's draft of new players

It's a great system the NFL has to keep it competitive. I think the problem lies with money, the NFL is able to do that because they are fed by a massively successful college system. If you don't have that then the teams themselves have to invest in development, and if the top teams are (as would most likely be the case) investing the most in development they want access to the fruits of their expenditure.

The tragedy in motorsport as we all know is that it's not a typical meritocracy, monetary backing is first and then maybe some consideration of talent second.

[Mito Man]

2026 regulations sound awful, essentially the cars will be like BMW i3s with range extenders at full chat all the time.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/newey ... /10597235/
As Newey says, this is what happens when you let the clueless marketing teams set the rules.

[jamcg]

Maybe that’s the reason for all the rumours around Newey supposedly being in talks with Ferrari, they’re probably the only ones with enough sway to change anything that seems dumb as fuck like that, and they possibly even have a veto on things

[Zonda_]

So if the engines are going to be working flat out as generators thereby using more fuel, does that not make the use of a hybrid powertrain pointless?

[DaveE]

It sounds awful...

[RobYob]

So if the engines are going to be working flat out as generators thereby using more fuel, does that not make the use of a hybrid powertrain pointless?

Potentially "flat out" at peak efficiency revs not peak rpm. The instantaneous fuel consumption limit kinda cripples the current engines anyway. They could rev far higher but are limited in fuel.

[Ascender]

My daughter is still massively into F1 and has been raving about Drive to Survive which we're watching together and I'm really enjoying it. Almost enough to make me watch an actual race again...

[jamcg]

Newey apparently confirmed as leaving red bull. No confirmation as to where he’s going but Aston and Ferrari the forerunners at the mo

[DeskJockey]

Interesting. That'll be a blow to their future strategy.

[jamcg]

Interesting. That'll be a blow to their future strategy.

Especially as the reason given is because of all the Horner shite. Should have got rid when they had the chance

[DeskJockey]

Yes. Hopefully it'll end their dominance.

[IanF]

I saw him Friday.. still RBR stickers etc so will only believe it when he shows up wearing light blue/red or orange!

[Mito Man]

Hopefully it won't be one of those ridiculous 18 month gardening leaves which seems to be all the more common for important people in F1.

[Zonda_]

I imagine Ferrari and Aston will write him a blank cheque.

[Swervin_Mervin]

I imagine Ferrari and Aston will write him a blank cheque.

Can't do that with a cost cap. Unless he suddenly has a desire to start a catering company of course