The F1 thread

DesVegas

just gonna leave this here re CH

The Horndog Files (youtube.com)

Cols

euan said:

Cols said:

euan said:

Boromedic said:

euan said:

Bearman is one of the top F2 drivers and there this weekend. 

And will be the first British driver to race for Ferrari since Nigel Mansell

Except for Eddie Irvine, as kindly pointed out to me previously

I was aware 

You don’t regard Irvine as British?

Irvine doesn’t regard Irvine as British. He raced with an Irish license, with a shamrock on his helmet. I don’t think he had the British anthem play when he won, and actually had death threats over the use of the Tricolour being used when he won 

(Treading carefully to avoid the F1 thread being exiled to P&E…)

Irvine is Northern Irish.  He held a racing license issued by the Republic of Ireland, but held a British passport and raced under the British flag.

I suspect that Irvine, a canny sort who liked to stick to money whenever he could, realised that an Irish competition licence was less expensive than a UK one.  And being born on the island of Ireland, he could get one.

In any case, he had absolutely no time for the whole flags argument and would have preferred to race under something neutral.

In any case, here’s a picture of the last Ferrari win by a British driver.  Hopefully 2025 adds lots more to that tally (because I rather doubt Saturday will).

euan

Irvine has explicitly said in interviews that despite a British passport, he is Irish. 

Cols

euan said:

Irvine has explicitly said in interviews that despite a British passport, he is Irish. 

To quote him warmly and accurately:

"I suppose I'm Irish when it suits me and British when it suits me to be British.“

euan

So we are both right. 

Anyway. Cmon Bearman 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Ooof, that was close for Bearman getting into Q3 - what a shame! Still a cracking performance from the kid!

stickyfiddle

Yeah, brilliant debut considering he first drove the car 3 hours before Q1. 

Hopefully Charles can bring a bit of challenge to MV in the race, but I can't help but assume not! 

euan

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

dazzajl

Meh, with the prospect of further Meh in the race tomorrow 

Nitefly

Why are the races on Saturdays now?

Cols

Nitefly said:

Why are the races on Saturdays now?

It’s just the first two.  Ramadan starts this Sunday, so they wanted to avoid a clash this weekend.  And because Bahrain is one week before, they wanted to ensure the teams had a minimum gap between the races to get from one circuit to the other.

stickyfiddle

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Crikey looks like this might actually be true. 

Just in case Max fucked off mid-season.. could we actually end up with a competitive year?!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

stickyfiddle said:

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Crikey looks like this might actually be true. 

Just in case Max fucked off mid-season.. could we actually end up with a competitive year?!

I can't quite see it happening. Ok, so he already has 3 titles and plenty of years ahead of him, but to walk away from a team/car that has virtually guaranteed him a 4th WDC at a canter? That would be madness in a sporting sense!

Plus where would he go? Presumably he'd just have to sit out the rest of 2024?

RandallFlagg

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

stickyfiddle said:

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Crikey looks like this might actually be true. 

Just in case Max fucked off mid-season.. could we actually end up with a competitive year?!

I can't quite see it happening. Ok, so he already has 3 titles and plenty of years ahead of him, but to walk away from a team/car that has virtually guaranteed him a 4th WDC at a canter? That would be madness in a sporting sense!

Plus where would he go? Presumably he'd just have to sit out the rest of 2024?

He’ll be less bullish about walking away mid contract once the lawyers have advised his manager.

skullfunkerry

RandallFlagg said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

stickyfiddle said:

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Crikey looks like this might actually be true. 

Just in case Max fucked off mid-season.. could we actually end up with a competitive year?!

I can't quite see it happening. Ok, so he already has 3 titles and plenty of years ahead of him, but to walk away from a team/car that has virtually guaranteed him a 4th WDC at a canter? That would be madness in a sporting sense!

Plus where would he go? Presumably he'd just have to sit out the rest of 2024?

He’ll be less bullish about walking away mid contract once the lawyers have advised his manager.

I suspect he'll go at the end of the season rather than midway through. Apparently there are all sorts of get-out clauses in his contract... what a time to be into F1, eh?

Cols

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Apparently Marko is under investigation and may face disciplinary action relating to leaks made to the media since the inquiry into Horner began. No comment from Red Bull.

Verstappen has responded: “I have a lot of respect for Helmut, and what we have achieved together. It goes very far. My loyalty to him is very big, and I have always expressed this to everyone within the team, everyone high up, that he is an important part in my decision making for the future.

It is very important that he stays. I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, and I have told the team this, that it is not good for my situation as well.”

In the meantime the wronged woman is suspended from her job, Geri is flown in to smile and wave as a dutiful wife, and Verstappen is well-placed for another easy cruise to victory.  As @dazzajl says “Meh, meh and thrice meh”.

fretmeister

RandallFlagg said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

stickyfiddle said:

euan said:

Marko is possibly on the way out and Verstappen has said if that happens so is he

Crikey looks like this might actually be true. 

Just in case Max fucked off mid-season.. could we actually end up with a competitive year?!

I can't quite see it happening. Ok, so he already has 3 titles and plenty of years ahead of him, but to walk away from a team/car that has virtually guaranteed him a 4th WDC at a canter? That would be madness in a sporting sense!

Plus where would he go? Presumably he'd just have to sit out the rest of 2024?

He’ll be less bullish about walking away mid contract once the lawyers have advised his manager.

Cannot force anyone to work where they don’t want.

Nothing in his contract can force him to drive. But it can have financial penalties and Max will be aware of them.

fretmeister

I have a long night sleep and you people just cause more drama! 

boogieman

I can’t see Max going if Marko doe get kicked out, his so-called loyalty will only stretch so far when it comes to keeping a multi million dollar job, having a shot at another (or several) WDC’s and the threat of his dad kicking his arse if he actually did it. Max is only interested in Max IMO. 

Cols

Having lost Hamilton to Ferrari, Mercedes may well be in a ‘money no object’ mood when it comes to making an offer to Max.

And faced with the prospect of losing their star driver, designer and future engine partner over internal power struggles and their team principal’s pervy adolescent texts, Red Bull may also be in a ‘money no object’ mood when it comes to renegotiating Max’s contract.

Personally I’d like to see him go to Mercedes.  Take him out of the ‘you’re the best, you’re the greatest’ comfort blanket of Red Bull and see how he fares.