The F1 thread

goldtop

prowla said:

Curious how Ferrari couldn't out-drag Merc today; it's almost as if they've lost the magic beans which were powering their engine mid-season...

And Hamilton won't be off to Ferrari until he's beaten Schumacher's records and doesn't need to rely on sketchiness going undiscovered.

Fretwired

goldtop said:

prowla said:

Curious how Ferrari couldn't out-drag Merc today; it's almost as if they've lost the magic beans which were powering their engine mid-season...

And Hamilton won't be off to Ferrari until he's beaten Schumacher's records and doesn't need to rely on sketchiness going undiscovered.

It depends if the Mercedes team is around in 2021. The jury is out ..

Fretwired

Cols said:

Fretwired said:

Got to love the pitlane gossip. If Wolff becomes head of F1 (as is being tipped in the paddock) in 2021 then Hamilton would look to move to Ferrari. In an interview, Hamilton said his future could depend on what Wolff does. Probably pants, but who knows.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/hamilton-also-a-factor-in-wolffs-mercedes-future/

It’s also worth noting that Daimler announced this week that they’re cutting at least 10000 jobs worldwide.  With that scale of cutback, it’s probably increasingly difficult to continue to spend $500 million a year on the F1 project.

A Mercedes board member said F1 was cost-neutral - if Mercedes stop winning that could change. Mercedes will continue in 2020 as there are no major rule changes and they have a good car/driver lineup. Red Bull and McLaren could become more competitive and Ferrari could stop making mistakes leading to some close exciting racing. I guess Toto and Lewis will see what Mercedes decide to do in 2021. I suppose one option would be to sell the team but remain an engine supplier like Honda or just walk away or carry on with a full works team.

PC_Dave

Fretwired said:

Cols said:

Fretwired said:

Got to love the pitlane gossip. If Wolff becomes head of F1 (as is being tipped in the paddock) in 2021 then Hamilton would look to move to Ferrari. In an interview, Hamilton said his future could depend on what Wolff does. Probably pants, but who knows.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/hamilton-also-a-factor-in-wolffs-mercedes-future/

It’s also worth noting that Daimler announced this week that they’re cutting at least 10000 jobs worldwide.  With that scale of cutback, it’s probably increasingly difficult to continue to spend $500 million a year on the F1 project.

A Mercedes board member said F1 was cost-neutral - if Mercedes stop winning that could change. Mercedes will continue in 2020 as there are no major rule changes and they have a good car/driver lineup. Red Bull and McLaren could become more competitive and Ferrari could stop making mistakes leading to some close exciting racing. I guess Toto and Lewis will see what Mercedes decide to do in 2021. I suppose one option would be to sell the team but remain an engine supplier like Honda or just walk away or carry on with a full works team.

Mercedes will be in F1 at least as an engine supplier in 2021 onwards, seeing as McLaren have signed up with them. 

Fretwired

PC_Dave said:

Mercedes will be in F1 at least as an engine supplier in 2021 onwards, seeing as McLaren have signed up with them. 

I'm convinced you're right. However, the 'Greta effect' will slowly affect F1. Teams are finding it harder to attract sponsors for a sport that's not green or environmentally friendly. It's not just the fact F1 uses petrol-powered combustion engines. It's the carbon footprint of a sport that ships cars, parts and people all over the world - this, in turn, attracts fans, media people and sponsors who also fly.

Social media savvy brands won't want to be associated with an activity that could damage the brand. How long will it be before the likes of Mercedes, Honda, Renault and Red Bull pull out citing damaging publicity on F1's carbon footprint?

Formula 1 has launched a plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. The intention is to wipe out the carbon footprint of activity at race tracks, including road and air transport of staff and equipment to the events.

F1 says it will "move to ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories" and offset emissions that cannot be cut.

F1 said as a first step it would begin carbon-reduction projects immediately. It added that it will make all events "sustainable" by 2025, including eliminating single-use plastics and ensuring all waste is reused, recycled or composted. And in 2021, rules will demand that the petrol used in F1 has a biofuel content of at least 10%. It seems very smoke and mirrors to me.

Here's some negative publicity:

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/04/30/the-gigantic-carbon-footprint-of-formula-one/

PC_Dave

Fretwired said:

PC_Dave said:

Mercedes will be in F1 at least as an engine supplier in 2021 onwards, seeing as McLaren have signed up with them. 

I'm convinced you're right. However, the 'Greta effect' will slowly affect F1. Teams are finding it harder to attract sponsors for a sport that's not green or environmentally friendly. It's not just the fact F1 uses petrol-powered combustion engines. It's the carbon footprint of a sport that ships cars, parts and people all over the world - this, in turn, attracts fans, media people and sponsors who also fly.

Social media savvy brands won't want to be associated with an activity that could damage the brand. How long will it be before the likes of Mercedes, Honda, Renault and Red Bull pull out citing damaging publicity on F1's carbon footprint?

Formula 1 has launched a plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. The intention is to wipe out the carbon footprint of activity at race tracks, including road and air transport of staff and equipment to the events.

F1 says it will "move to ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories" and offset emissions that cannot be cut.

F1 said as a first step it would begin carbon-reduction projects immediately. It added that it will make all events "sustainable" by 2025, including eliminating single-use plastics and ensuring all waste is reused, recycled or composted. And in 2021, rules will demand that the petrol used in F1 has a biofuel content of at least 10%. It seems very smoke and mirrors to me.

Here's some negative publicity:

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/04/30/the-gigantic-carbon-footprint-of-formula-one/

Thanks for the link - I actually find it hard to argue with any of the points it raises, to be honest

Fretwired

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

Yep. He was at least as good as Lando in F2/GP2. Potential champion in waiting. He’ll be at Merc next time Bottas’ contract expires. 

PC_Dave

Fretwired said:

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

Only Williams testing then....?

Fretwired

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

Only Williams testing then....?

He was in a Mercedes ... Wolff wanted to take a look at him as he is a Mercedes driver.

Fretwired

stickyfiddle said:

Fretwired said:

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

Yep. He was at least as good as Lando in F2/GP2. Potential champion in waiting. He’ll be at Merc next time Bottas’ contract expires. 

He beat Lando - wasn't he GP2 champion?

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

stickyfiddle said:

Fretwired said:

George Russell fastest in testing today .. would be great to see him in a competitive car.

Yep. He was at least as good as Lando in F2/GP2. Potential champion in waiting. He’ll be at Merc next time Bottas’ contract expires. 

He beat Lando - wasn't he GP2 champion?

Yep, exactly. He won both GP3 and GP2 on his first try. But I’m aware they’re not fully spec series either, do a good car can flatter a driver vs someone in a slightly less well-sorted team. Though I firmly doubt that happened there - he’s much more like a Hamilton than a Stroll. 

I can’t wait to see him in better machinery.

https://youtu.be/0hVmgbcktGY

stickyfiddle

Something for the off-season. A great description of a drive in an Renault (Lotus) F1 car

Fretwired

Ferrari have confirmed that they have met with Lewis Hamilton and would not rule him out as a driver for 2021. Interesting.

goldtop

Fretwired said:

Ferrari have confirmed that they have met with Lewis Hamilton and would not rule him out as a driver for 2021. Interesting.

They're betting that he will beat Schumacher's record and in the (sad) absence of MS for personal appearances in red cars, they need that association. Hamilton's reach is already huge, and it works to both sides' advantage.

Bet he can effectively name his price.

(It will not make me like red cars!)

Fretwired

goldtop said:

Fretwired said:

Ferrari have confirmed that they have met with Lewis Hamilton and would not rule him out as a driver for 2021. Interesting.

They're betting that he will beat Schumacher's record and in the (sad) absence of MS for personal appearances in red cars, they need that association. Hamilton's reach is already huge, and it works to both sides' advantage.

Bet he can effectively name his price.

(It will not make me like red cars!)

You're right. Hamilton owns quite a few Ferrari's ... rumour is Wolff will quit Mercedes to take over as head of F1. If that happens I think Hamilton might jump ship. If Wolff stays I think he'd convince Hamilton to remain. They are close.

stickyfiddle

Ferrari comes with a load of romance, that’s unquestioned. But they haven’t had a good enough car and team at the same time at any point in the last 10 years. 

The most compelling rumour I saw was that Ferrari wanted Wolff AND Lewis because that’s what they actually need to win.

I think he’d be nuts to jump into the team as it currently is, unless it came with massive assurances to structure the whole team around him and how he knows to win. 

Fretwired

People said Lewis was mad to leave McLaren. It depends if Mercedes remain in F1 as a works team or sell the team and stick to engines and branding.

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

People said Lewis was mad to leave McLaren. It depends if Mercedes remain in F1 as a works team or sell the team and stick to engines and branding.

I didn't :P 

With Brawn there and the budget they had running up to the hybrid era it wasn't anywhere near the crazy move some said it was, especially after 4 relatively weak seasons at McLaren. 

I could absolutely see him going to Ferrari, but only if there is a plan to change how the team is run and that needs a leader in the Wolff/Horner/Seidl mould, which Ferrari haven't had since the Schumacher days. 

prowla

Hamilton is just helping his contract negotiations along...

That said, without Lauda and Wolff, Merc would become a bit faceless.