The F1 thread

stickyfiddle

Full details below from the official site - it’s almost a Race of Champions vibe. I’m sure it’ll be semi-artificial chaos, especially in the first year, but it should be fun to watch. 

I grew up with WRC through the 90s and still love a bit of rallying but it’s impossible to really properly cover on TV

https://www.extreme-e.com/en/race-format#race-format-01

SATURDAY RACE FORMAT

Four races held on Saturday: 
Qualifying 1 (two races)
Qualifying 2 (two races). 

4 cars in each race. 

Choice of starting position for Qualifying 1 based on lottery. 

Saturday event points for each race (for calculation of Sunday starting positions):
1st: 3 points
2nd: 2 points
3rd: 1 point
4th: 0 points

Top four point scorers after Saturday races qualify for Semi-Final 1 and bottom four qualify for Semi-Final 2 (Crazy Race)

SUNDAY RACE FORMAT

Three races held on Sunday: Semi-Final 1, Semi-Final 2 (Crazy Race) and Final. 

4 cars in each race. 

Choice of track starting position for Semi-Finals based on points order after Qualifying rounds. 

First three finishing teams from Semi-Final 1 
and winning driver from Semi-Final 2 qualify 
for the Final. 

Choice of track starting position for Finals 
based on finishing position in Semi-Finals. 

Standby team for the Final to be the fourth placed team in Semi-Final 1.

chillidoggy

Wonder whether they'll dub in some decent engine noise, just like they dub in cheering punters with football matches and Strictly.

TimmyO

What does "(crazy race)" mean? 

not_the_dj

TimmyO said:

What does "(crazy race)" mean? 

Last chance to get in the final of those that didn’t make it through the qualifying rounds. Only the winner of that race goes through.

There’s another gimmick, a boost for the car that does the longest jump on the first lap ;-) 

Could be fun with the decision of driver order, so we’ll see pro drivers hunting down the am drivers on the second lap. 

I’m really looking forward to it, I love following WRC for the driving skill at speed but also WRX for crazy close racing and the pro/am
set up from GT, so this could be a nice combination of all those, and some stunning scenery. I didn’t tire of endless slow motion shots of desert racing following the Dakar this year, expecting more of that in the opening round. 

goldtop

Listened to Button being 'interviewed' on R4 this morning. Softball questions, PR answers, so very nice.

I get that F1 is super enviro-unfriendly, but at no point did the whole "how exactly is this new global race series sustainable" question come up. Seems like a lot of greenwash for boys-and-their-toys stuff to me.

Can't imagine that there's serious $$$$ in it, anyway.

(Took my grumpy pill early today)

markr76

goldtop said:

Listened to Button being 'interviewed' on R4 this morning. Softball questions, PR answers, so very nice.

I get that F1 is super enviro-unfriendly, but at no point did the whole "how exactly is this new global race series sustainable" question come up. Seems like a lot of greenwash for boys-and-their-toys stuff to me.

Can't imagine that there's serious $$$$ in it, anyway.

(Took my grumpy pill early today)

It’s funny though. The f1 cars themselves are not that environmental unfriendly. They’re actually quite green. It’s the shipping of all the equipment around the world that’s the main problem. 

I’d argue that any racing formula that travels round the world would have similar problems. 

I think f1 needs to shrink the travelling size of each team. I’m not sure how many actual team members travel to each race these days. But it’s got to be 60-100 people. Plus the amount of equipment, motor homes etc. Is just silly!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Well this sounds....erm......interesting....?

De Niro and Boyega to star in Netflix F1 film The Formula | F1 News | Autosport

Crime film involving F1 drivers and the Mafia - sounds utterly ridiculous, but there's plenty of talent signed on to participate, so maybe the concept/screenplay isn't horrific as it sounds on the surface?!

Cols

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Well this sounds....erm......interesting....?

De Niro and Boyega to star in Netflix F1 film The Formula | F1 News | Autosport

Crime film involving F1 drivers and the Mafia - sounds utterly ridiculous, but there's plenty of talent signed on to participate, so maybe the concept/screenplay isn't horrific as it sounds on the surface?!

I suspect the F1 angle is going to be nothing more than a background for Boyega’s character (American F1 star by day, getaway driver by night) than a lot of actual track racing action.  Looks like a heist film.

stickyfiddle

Very glad to see K-Mag enjoying IMSA, and he’s right at the sharp end straight away.

I think he’ll do very well in sports cars over the next few years.

Cols

Seat fitting for Vettel at Aston Martin.  Evidently looking for every possible aerodynamic advantage, right down to the hair coverage on top...

https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1354498943837679616

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

To be fair, those lockdown home hair-clipping experiments are a recipe for disaster. Feel for the lad! 

Cols

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

To be fair, those lockdown home hair-clipping experiments are a recipe for disaster. Feel for the lad! 

Shouldn’t have let the missus at it.

chillidoggy

I see there’s still no announcement about Hamster/Merc contracts. It’s going down to the wire, I don’t remember anything happening like this before!

brooom

chillidoggy said:

I see there’s still no announcement about Hamster/Merc contracts. It’s going down to the wire, I don’t remember anything happening like this before!

let's be realistic, he's not going to let the opportunity of an 8th championship go. Nor should he.

brooom

And he should make Mercedes pay for it. Being the team that led a driver to his 8th champioship record... he's a good position to negotiate.

dazzajl

brooom said:

chillidoggy said:

I see there’s still no announcement about Hamster/Merc contracts. It’s going down to the wire, I don’t remember anything happening like this before!

let's be realistic, he's not going to let the opportunity of an 8th championship go. Nor should he.

This is the point I keep coming back to in my head. If Mercedes turn around and offer a pittance of salary and increased media duties, is he really going to walk away? In a choice of pride or that record 8th Championship , what will he do? What would you do?

Cols

If I recall correctly, in 1993 McLaren didn’t have a season contract with Senna.  He ended up on a race by race deal, at $1 million per race.

History repeating itself?

chillidoggy

I've sat in Board meetings for the last 23 years (thank God, not any more). The biggest factor was always money, or rather value for money. I'd say Merc is in a 'comfortable' position, and given the current global situation, is unlikely to be throwing it around. I suspect they will know precisely how much any investment will return. Hamster's status and marketing brings all kinds of attractive toys to the party. But I reckon there will have to be compromise on both sides.

sammysaber

Cols said:

Seat fitting for Vettel at Aston Martin.  Evidently looking for every possible aerodynamic advantage, right down to the hair coverage on top...

https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1354498943837679616

Oh no Lewis must have lent him his shampoo !



So far looks like a one year plus an extension for Hamilton :  


Wolff: Hamilton will sign "soon" - but not a 3-year contract

Hamilton does not get a three-year contract

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to sign a three-year contract with Mercedes. "I don't think so," said Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff in an exclusive interview with RTL / ntv. Because of the budget cap that has been in force since this year and the new F1 rules from 2022, the team has to "keep your eyes open", according to the Austrian.



However, Hamilton will "soon" sign a new working paper and also drive for the Silver Arrows in 2021, assured Wolff. In the end, there must be a "sensible agreement and we are not far from it". Wolff explains in the video what makes the negotiations so complicated.

Relationship with Hamilton not damaged
Soon it will be a "flexible term", said Wolff with a smile. The contract will be "dry" by the first test drives in Bahrain in mid-March at the latest.


The Mercedes team boss contradicted rumors that his relationship with Hamilton had suffered from the contract poker. "Our relationship is not only professional, but also a friendship. Lewis is incredibly important, not only for our team, but also for the Mercedes brand." But, according to Wolff: "The landscape is currently changing."

Does Mercedes have to make compromises?


Hamilton and Mercedes have been negotiating a new contract for months. Points of contention should be Hamilton's salary (previously around 40 million euros a year) and the 36-year-old's demand for financial stakes in the Mercedes team.

According to media reports, there was also a crunch between the poker parties in terms of contract duration. Accordingly, Mercedes was not ready to fulfill Hamilton's request for a new three-year contract - and has thus prevailed, according to Wolff. The question is whether Mercedes has to make compromises elsewhere, and if so: which ones?


Hamilton chases the eight

Hamilton can win his eighth world title this year. He would overtake Michael Schumacher and would be the sole record world champion. Last season, Hamilton had set the record for the now 52-year-old.

Hamilton celebrated six of his seven World Cup triumphs in a Mercedes, and when he won his first World Cup in 2008, his McLaren was powered by at least one Mercedes engine

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://www.rtl.de/cms/lewis-hamilton-formel-1-weltmeister-bekommt-bei-mercedes-laut-toto-wolff-keinen-3-jahresvertrag-4693325.html&prev=search&pto=aue

stickyfiddle

I reckon Ham will get a 1+2 (optional on both sides) with lower salary but huge bonuses for winning.