Formula 1 - F1 - Current Season Discussion

[bdavro23]

Supersub is back! Surprising that his pink, FI-spec helmet wasn't available to him. Maybe it's at the factory...

I still dont see a seat for him next year. Bringing Alonso back was a terrible idea, and Checo is now looking for a ride too. Gio has to be on his last set of tires along with Kvyat.

 

[Texasmade]

KMag, Gio, Romain, Kyvat should all be looking at the end of their F1 careers.

 

[sugarbutch]

It's looking RAI & SCH at Alfa, and PER at Haas (assuming he thinks that's more interesting than Indycar, and it's not, but he knows that once he steps off the merry-go-round, he can't get back on). Since Steiner said Ilot is not on his short list, I guess that leaves a spot for Hulk, but maybe he's trying to get Ferrari to pay to put young Mick in their car instead of the Alfa.

 

[sugarbutch]

DAN!

 

[bdavro23]

One of the more interesting, or at least watchable races of the year, but its damning that retirements, mechanicals and safety cars are the only things keeping it interesting in Formula 1 these days. That was still largely a procession and but for the last safety car, Verstappen and Hamilton would have lapped the rest of the field.

F1 needs to undergo a massive reorg in my opinion. The cars are so big now the tracks dont offer much in terms of passing opportunities, and absent some sort of calamity, the podium places are pretty much determined before the race starts. To my mind, thats not a sustainable business model. Make the tracks 25% wider, go back to the V8 or even V12 engines, lower the cost of entry onto the grid, entice the VW group and BMW to start producing engines and chasis. SOMETHING!

On a happier note, I'm well pleased for Daniel and thought he drove a great race today. Albon... ****. So much talent and promise and its getting worrying that he ends up with so few points. Really needs to improve his outcomes. I love Vettel, but the season simply cannot end soon enough for him. Sainz must be dreading the end of the season on the other hand knowing hes climbing into such a **** car.

Finally, I was going to *********** on Grosjean, since I feel like the most appropriate seat for him is behind the wheel of an Uber. However, credit where its due for coming home in the points today in what can only be described as an anonymous performance.

 

[Texasmade]

One of the more interesting, or at least watchable races of the year, but its damning that retirements, mechanicals and safety cars are the only things keeping it interesting in Formula 1 these days. That was still largely a procession and but for the last safety car, Verstappen and Hamilton would have lapped the rest of the field.

F1 needs to undergo a massive reorg in my opinion. The cars are so big now the tracks dont offer much in terms of passing opportunities, and absent some sort of calamity, the podium places are pretty much determined before the race starts. To my mind, thats not a sustainable business model. Make the tracks 25% wider, go back to the V8 or even V12 engines, lower the cost of entry onto the grid, entice the VW group and BMW to start producing engines and chasis. SOMETHING!

On a happier note, I'm well pleased for Daniel and thought he drove a great race today. Albon... ****. So much talent and promise and its getting worrying that he ends up with so few points. Really needs to improve his outcomes. I love Vettel, but the season simply cannot end soon enough for him. Sainz must be dreading the end of the season on the other hand knowing hes climbing into such a **** car.

Finally, I was going to *********** on Grosjean, since I feel like the most appropriate seat for him is behind the wheel of an Uber. However, credit where its due for coming home in the points today in what can only be described as an anonymous performance.

No manufacturer is going to join F1 with V8 or larger engines. Future is electric/hybrid. Best you’re going to get with V8’s are specialty shops like Cosworth or something like that.

I do agree though that the cars are too big and wide. Push them back to the 2016 width and length.

 

[bdavro23]

No manufacturer is going to join F1 with V8 or larger engines. Future is electric/hybrid. Best you’re going to get with V8’s are specialty shops like Cosworth or something like that.

I do agree though that the cars are too big and wide. Push them back to the 2016 width and length.

You're right of course, but the V6-turbo-electric-hybrid-battery engine that they have now is immensely complicated, for very little gain. The cost of entry for new engines is ridiculously high, which stifles competitiveness in the championship. I know that isnt going to change, but I can dream. Also, there is zero doubt that F1 was more fun during the pre-hybrid era, but whatever.

Reduce downforce, rely more on mechanical grip, make the cars smaller, make the tracks wider, reduce telemetry data, offer points for overtaking, get rid of hybrid engines. There are lots of ways they COULD make things more interesting, I just dont feel like there is much appetite from the participants. It has to change though. I mean, how ******* boring is Monaco? If the poll sitter doenst win then something has gone horribly wrong for them...

 

[Texasmade]

You can't really do much for track width for safety reasons. Best we can hope for are smaller cars.

 

[sugarbutch]

The fundamental problem in F1 is that it takes $300 million annually to be competitive. That's a resolvable problem, and there are fixes coming for that. Next year we have the first budget cap *and* the opportunity for teams lower down the pecking order to get more time in the wind tunnel relative to the higher-placed teams. The results of these changes won't be immediate, but I think we will look back on this as the beginning of a real shift in competitiveness of the sport.

The second problem is that one team is simply better than the rest and has a driver who has shown that he can make the difference when they are not quite the best. That sort of team performance is available to Red Bull and Ferrari who have budgets to fight Mercedes on even terms, but they choose to run their teams differently and get different results. There's nothing stopping, for example, Red Bull given that the Honda power unit is roughly on par with the Merc, and they have a driver who can make the difference when they are not quite the best. Ferrari chose to cheat rather than honestly develop their package, and this year they are paying the price for it. They also have a driver who looks to be one who can make the difference.

The new formula for 2022 may or may not be good for competitiveness, but I am hopeful. Especially if Red Bull buy the Honda IP and become a fully fledged constructor a la Mercedes/Ferrari/Renault, I think the best thing they could do to close up the field is freeze power unit development at some point in the near future.

 

[Schwazer]

Good job from the Hulk given how much notice he was given.

 

[Betelgeuse]

That was still largely a procession and but for the last safety car, Verstappen and Hamilton would have lapped the rest of the field.

Yeap, when I saw Lewis lapped Sainz, I started to really pay attention until the Safety Car came out and put things interesting between Checo and Ricciardo. Happy to see Ricciardo on the podium again.

 

[sugarbutch]

 

[sugarbutch]

Masi insists there are no loopholes in F1’s COVID protocols...

Stroll reveals positive COVID-19 test after F1 Eifel GP

Racing Point Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll has confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19 after the Eifel Grand Prix, but he is fit to race in Portugal this weekend

www.autosport.com

 

[Schwazer]

Magnussen and Grosjean will leave Haas at the end of year.

 

[bdavro23]

This doesnt exactly fill me with hope that there will be compelling racing going on...