The F1 thread

Hoof

chillidoggy said:

BBC reporting Silverstone won't be renewing F1 race contract.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40518666

Or maybe just trying to get a reduced rate out of Liberty Media/subsidy from govt.

Boromedic

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

Awwwww, thanks Seb...... What a gent you are.

Another PR exercise then, waste of time.

http://m.bbc.com/sport/formula1/40488056

Good to see Todt and Ferrari International Assistance are still maintaining their standards of fair play and integrity. I wonder what would have happened had it been the other way round.

Yep, I had some high hopes that Liberty might, just might be prepared to stand up to them. Look where optimism gets you!

As above, if the shoe was on the other foot then Hamilton would've been disqualified and banned I'm sure. At the end of the day though Lewis lost the race due to someone not installing his headrest properly as obviously Vettel's good luck charms are still working, he should now be holding a lead over him not be a further 2 points behind. I think Ferrari will see some engine pens in future races though so he should be ahead or at least evens by the midsummer break fingers crossed.

stickyfiddle

They have a break clause for 2019, as I understand. Given they're on a 5% price escalator and Germany and France just got mega new deals for (presumably) way less than Bernie was previously asking, they're betting they can to the same. Liberty won't let the British GP disappear.

chillidoggy

As I understood it, BRDC decided they have no choice, as it's unaffordable for them to continue. Unlike a lot of other circuits which are propped up or even funded by their governments, it's a commercial enterprise and has to generate a profit.

I hope they manage to get something sorted out with Liberty, though. It's not my favourite circuit by some margin, but it would be a shame to lose it.

Fretwired

chillidoggy said:

As I understood it, BRDC decided they have no choice, as it's unaffordable for them to continue. Unlike a lot of other circuits which are propped up or even funded by their governments, it's a commercial enterprise and has to generate a profit.

I hope they manage to get something sorted out with Liberty, though. It's not my favourite circuit by some margin, but it would be a shame to lose it.

Liberty media are sharp. Bernie's business model was unsustainable. Cut the fees to the tracks, improve the weekend experience - maybe a fastest lap shoot-out on test days or something else competitive to get the crowds in for a weekend like they do at Silverstone. Get the sport back on free-to-air to increase the fan base and then make money from sponsors. The big sponsors were pulling out as the audience on TV dwindled and some race tracks were half empty.

The one thing Silverstone has going for it is a sell out 100,000 crowd - all the teams love going there as it's great for their sponsors. There's no way they'd let it vanish so I think Silverstone are being smart.

stickyfiddle

@Fretwired Exactly. There are plenty of big companies who I'm sure would be happy to sponsor F1, but it needs to read enough viewers for that cost to make sense. How many top-level football teams are there with far greater sponsorship deals than the F1 teams achieve. 

Liberty realise that the best way to make F1 really successful isn't working out how to split the cake differently to keep people happy, it's to bake a bigger cake in the first place.

Majorscale

Hamiltons facing a grid penalty for a gearbox change prior to arriving in Austria. Maybe Sebastian's little punt up the backside of the Merc has become a little more strategic!

Boromedic

No it's just Sebs good luck charms working again, the fella must shit unicorns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows...... 

Fretwired

Majorscale said:

Hamiltons facing a grid penalty for a gearbox change prior to arriving in Austria. Maybe Sebastian's little punt up the backside of the Merc has become a little more strategic!

Shame .. I think he's pretty much lost the Championship .. he gets a lot of bad luck.

simonk

Fretwired said:

Majorscale said:

Hamiltons facing a grid penalty for a gearbox change prior to arriving in Austria. Maybe Sebastian's little punt up the backside of the Merc has become a little more strategic!

Shame .. I think he's pretty much lost the Championship .. he gets a lot of bad luck.

Nah, too early to call that yet. Whether the Ferrari was burning oil or not, it looks like Mercedes have taken a step towards understanding their car and have pace in hand when they need it. I still think it's Lewis' to lose this year.

Nomad

Hamilton is pretty good a digging deep when the luck is running against him, and he never gives up. Didn't he go behind by more than a race win twice in one year against Rosberg and still win the championship? And, last year, after seemingly endless bad luck he was still in with a mathematical chance and played his last card (back Rosberg into the following cars) to the max.

stickyfiddle

Ham will be in it till the last race. A grid penalty will still see him finish in the top 4, most likely, and the chances are Sebbwill get his own DNF and/or engine penalties later in the year. 

We're not even half way yet, right? 

chillidoggy

A 5-place penalty should make it more interesting, at least.

And it's such a shame that Alonso is not in a car with a decent power unit. If Ferrari don't snap him up next year I'll be very surprised.

Fretwired

Only 8th for Hamilton (after penalty). A bad day at the office for him ...

Hoof

Fretwired said:

Only 8th for Hamilton (after penalty). A bad day at the office for him ...

Yeah but with Bottas on pole he can hold the field up a bit. Hamilton is also starting on the more durable tyre so he'll get the advantage earlier on. Austria is good for overtaking too. 

Hamilton can realistically still win it tomorrow. Possible rain during the race too.

Fretwired

Ferrari can block him with Kimi.

simonk

Fretwired said:

Ferrari can block him with Kimi.

Assuming Kimi feels like following orders.

Fretwired

simonk said:

Fretwired said:

Ferrari can block him with Kimi.

Assuming Kimi feels like following orders.

Kimi has said publicly he'll support the team and Seb.

chillidoggy

Merc has said Bottas won't be backing up the field, too.

I don't think there's too many overtaking opportunities on the Mickey-Mouse Ring.

Fretwired

chillidoggy said:

Merc has said Bottas won't be backing up the field, too.

I don't think there's too many overtaking opportunities on the Mickey-Mouse Ring.

Hamilton's biggest issue will be trying to stay out of trouble at the start - he also needs Bottas to win. Overtaking will be difficult in this year's cars.