The F1 thread

boogieman

Cols said:

fretmeister said:

dazzajl said:

The rumour mill seems to be suggesting that the leak starting this whole investigation came from the Verstappen camp. Now while I’m as Machiavellian as the next chap and think Jos’ morals seem lower than a snakes belly, I’m not seeing a gain for them. 

Unless Horner was planing to put a more competitive driver in the other car but I’ve never got the sense that was attractive to him. 

Unless they want Horner out and try to get Jos as team boss. 

Unlikely - as far as I’m aware Jos’s only relevant work experience is a mediocre F1 career and a couple of stints in A1 Grand Prix and sports cars.

It’d be hilarious though.  Like the Strolls in reverse.

For all Horner’s smugness and sometimes dodgy attitudes, RB would be mad to get shot of him in favour of Jos. Horner has achieved huge things since he’s been team principle, Jos probably thinks he’s the best but hasn’t proved anything. 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Anyone reckon there'll be some better deals for a Now TV Sports package in the coming week or two? Past couple of seasons I've got signed up on one of those "6 month reduced price" offers just before the season kicks off, and then cancelled it once the season finished.

Currently the price is £34.99 per month. That might be decent value if you watch tons of sport like some do, but F1 would literally be the only thing I watch so I'm reluctant to fork out that much a month.

fretmeister

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Anyone reckon there'll be some better deals for a Now TV Sports package in the coming week or two? Past couple of seasons I've got signed up on one of those "6 month reduced price" offers just before the season kicks off, and then cancelled it once the season finished.

Currently the price is £34.99 per month. That might be decent value if you watch tons of sport like some do, but F1 would literally be the only thing I watch so I'm reluctant to fork out that much a month.

I got an email for an offer at £26.99 a few days ago - only lasts 6 months. I didn't go for it.
Last year I waited and got a 19.99 for 9 months. I'm hoping for something the same, or else I'm just watching highlights.

The Sky Sports sub is worse value for me this year as they have lost the rights to the rugby Autumn Internationals. I don't watch football. 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

fretmeister said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Anyone reckon there'll be some better deals for a Now TV Sports package in the coming week or two? Past couple of seasons I've got signed up on one of those "6 month reduced price" offers just before the season kicks off, and then cancelled it once the season finished.

Currently the price is £34.99 per month. That might be decent value if you watch tons of sport like some do, but F1 would literally be the only thing I watch so I'm reluctant to fork out that much a month.

I got an email for an offer at £26.99 a few days ago - only lasts 6 months. I didn't go for it.
Last year I waited and got a 19.99 for 9 months. I'm hoping for something the same, or else I'm just watching highlights.

The Sky Sports sub is worse value for me this year as they have lost the rights to the rugby Autumn Internationals. I don't watch football. 

I could be making it up, but I'm sure in the past the day passes were something like £5.99? I didn't mind paying that for race days, especially as I sometimes work weekends so can't watch them anyway. However, they're now £11.99 per day! Not a chance I'm paying that just for the Sundays.

fretmeister

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

fretmeister said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Anyone reckon there'll be some better deals for a Now TV Sports package in the coming week or two? Past couple of seasons I've got signed up on one of those "6 month reduced price" offers just before the season kicks off, and then cancelled it once the season finished.

Currently the price is £34.99 per month. That might be decent value if you watch tons of sport like some do, but F1 would literally be the only thing I watch so I'm reluctant to fork out that much a month.

I got an email for an offer at £26.99 a few days ago - only lasts 6 months. I didn't go for it.
Last year I waited and got a 19.99 for 9 months. I'm hoping for something the same, or else I'm just watching highlights.

The Sky Sports sub is worse value for me this year as they have lost the rights to the rugby Autumn Internationals. I don't watch football. 

I could be making it up, but I'm sure in the past the day passes were something like £5.99? I didn't mind paying that for race days, especially as I sometimes work weekends so can't watch them anyway. However, they're now £11.99 per day! Not a chance I'm paying that just for the Sundays.

They were £5.99 to watch on a smart phone! If you wanted to watch it on something bigger then it cost more!

PC_Dave

I know testing times, especially on day 1, aren't properly representative, but I can't help but get a sinking feeling when I see this after a couple of hours of the first session:

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:32.548

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) + 0.699

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) + 0.8337

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) + 1.264

Yuki Tsunoda (RB) +1.558

Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) +1.883

Alex Albon (Williams) + 2.039

Esteban Ocon (Alpine) + 2.129

Kevin Magnussen (Haas) + 3.144

George Russell (Mercedes) + 3.994

stickyfiddle

I don't want to even look at times. Laps completed at the end of all testing is the only metric that's even close to being meaningful.

We know Max will be at the sharp end. Even if they'd just entered the Abu Dhabi-spec RB19 he'd still be in the fight. 

stickyfiddle

Also - REMEMBER THE FIRST 2 RACES ARE ON SATURDAY THIS YEAR 

Bahrain - 3pm (UK) on Saturday 2 March

Jeddah - 5pm (UK) on Saturday 9 March

fretmeister

stickyfiddle said:

Also - REMEMBER THE FIRST 2 RACES ARE ON SATURDAY THIS YEAR 

Bahrain - 3pm (UK) on Saturday 2 March

Jeddah - 5pm (UK) on Saturday 9 March

I am supremely annoyed at this.

Boromedic

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

Also - REMEMBER THE FIRST 2 RACES ARE ON SATURDAY THIS YEAR 

Bahrain - 3pm (UK) on Saturday 2 March

Jeddah - 5pm (UK) on Saturday 9 March

I am supremely annoyed at this.

Same

Cols

stickyfiddle said:

I don't want to even look at times. Laps completed at the end of all testing is the only metric that's even close to being meaningful.

In that case, Mercedes are double-sandbagging so far with the slowest lap time and the least number of laps.

Boromedic

Anyone know if @chillidoggy is okay? Not seen him on here in a while (which obviously is fine and probably more healthy!! ). Just hoping he's okay, not meaning to pry or anything like that.

euan

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

Also - REMEMBER THE FIRST 2 RACES ARE ON SATURDAY THIS YEAR 

Bahrain - 3pm (UK) on Saturday 2 March

Jeddah - 5pm (UK) on Saturday 9 March

I am supremely annoyed at this.

just remembered I’ve booked tickets to see Dune 2 during this. 

skullfunkerry

fretmeister said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

fretmeister said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Anyone reckon there'll be some better deals for a Now TV Sports package in the coming week or two? Past couple of seasons I've got signed up on one of those "6 month reduced price" offers just before the season kicks off, and then cancelled it once the season finished.

Currently the price is £34.99 per month. That might be decent value if you watch tons of sport like some do, but F1 would literally be the only thing I watch so I'm reluctant to fork out that much a month.

I got an email for an offer at £26.99 a few days ago - only lasts 6 months. I didn't go for it.
Last year I waited and got a 19.99 for 9 months. I'm hoping for something the same, or else I'm just watching highlights.

The Sky Sports sub is worse value for me this year as they have lost the rights to the rugby Autumn Internationals. I don't watch football. 

I could be making it up, but I'm sure in the past the day passes were something like £5.99? I didn't mind paying that for race days, especially as I sometimes work weekends so can't watch them anyway. However, they're now £11.99 per day! Not a chance I'm paying that just for the Sundays.

They were £5.99 to watch on a smart phone! If you wanted to watch it on something bigger then it cost more!

I tend to watch the highlights most of the time these days anyway. Ch4's commentary team is better than Sky's now, imo. I love Martin but I can't be doing with Crofty's terrible punnage - or not so much the puns themselves, but the way he insists on shoehorning them in every few minutes  

fretmeister

I love Crofty! 

boogieman

Boromedic said:

Anyone know if @chillidoggy is okay? Not seen him on here in a while (which obviously is fine and probably more healthy!! ). Just hoping he's okay, not meaning to pry or anything like that.

I asked a while back, he’s fine, just taking a break. 

stickyfiddle

I don't hate Crofty but I wish he'd switch up the vocab a bit. "They've gone wheel to wheel!" and "Nothing doing this time" grate a bit after half a race. 

Meanwhile I'm at least glad Sauber has gone lurid green cos it'll be easy to spot them on screen 



While Aston has a new version of the Vantage for the safety car, which is much prettier than the old squinty one, but they've spoiled it with a stupid camo paint job

stickyfiddle

McLaren livery turns out to still be a mess for any angles outside the press shots

 

Merc seems to look good from every angle. Ant says they were doing race sim work all of yesterday, so no need to even think about lap time. They often do this in testing apparently, which to be fair is probably what I'd do too, but it still makes me nevrvous

Boromedic

I'm trying to remain optimistic after day 1 as no one is really going to show their hand, RB are still ahead and by a big margin I think. Neweys new design appears to have made a leap forward that Mercedes couldn't manage with their zeropod design. Gonna be a depressing start to the season I think, I want to believe otherwise but my head is saying otherwise.

stickyfiddle

Boromedic said:

I'm trying to remain optimistic after day 1 as no one is really going to show their hand, RB are still ahead and by a big margin I think. Neweys new design appears to have made a leap forward that Mercedes couldn't manage with their zeropod design. Gonna be a depressing start to the season I think, I want to believe otherwise but my head is saying otherwise.

Agreed. I honestly don't see anyone beating the RB/Max combo until the 2026 reg change (assuming Horner doesn't leave and Newey goes with him, at least) 

But I hope I'm wrong