The Official F1 Thread

Where goats go to escape
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Un Pilier
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Don’t seem to have one yet, and we are up and running this weekend :D :D :D
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iarmhí
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Max for the win. Home grand prix for red bull
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Un Pilier
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Lewis again? Max mebees? Charles? Not Lando, Shirley?
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Un Pilier
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iarmhí wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:37 pm Max for the win. Home grand prix for red bull
He was most impressive there last year, for sure.
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Sandstorm
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3 months off. I foresee lots of reliability issues.
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Saint
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Un Pilier wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:41 pm
iarmhí wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:37 pm Max for the win. Home grand prix for red bull
He was most impressive there last year, for sure.
The Mercs were cooling compromised last year. It would be wise to assume they've fixed that problem

Hamilton usually has a slow start to the season, so it will be interesting to see how he comes out the blocks
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Saint
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Sandstorm wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:45 pm 3 months off. I foresee lots of reliability issues.
I forsee lots of slow pitstops
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Caley_Red
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Did anyone watch the F1 documentary on Netflix?

I haven't watched F1 since the days of Schumacher, Coulthard, Villeneuve etc but that documentary has got me back and interested again.
And on the 7th day, the Lord said "Let there be Finn Russell".
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TB63
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Mansells got a chance...
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Sandstorm
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TB63 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:24 pm Mansells got a chance...
:lol:
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Un Pilier
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TB63 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:24 pm Mansells got a chance...
:D It would be good to see Mansell pushing the awesome FW14 to its limits. An iconic car in the blue and yellow livery with the red 5. There is one in the museum at Donington iirc. Well worth a visit if you are anywhere close.
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ScarfaceClaw
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There was an article on the BBC suggesting that Ferrari had to go back to the drawing board with their car design. It wasn’t giving them the performance gains they were expecting and it’s a dead end. They’re not going to have anything competitive for the first couple of races from the sounds of it. It’ll be a merc and red bull season from the sounds of it with Hamilton #blessed winning again.
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Insane_Homer
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The Ferrari engine is going to be compromised since the rule 'clarification' and FIA 'deal'

It will be interesting to see where Honda have got to now too.
“Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true.”
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Un Pilier
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It’s surprising how much impact one little clarification can have. I agree about Honda btw ; I’m just looking forward to having a new crop of issues, theories and controversies to get stuck into. :D
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Saint
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Interesting secret aerodynamicist article on the BBC
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MrMojo
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Going to be interesting seeing if the fancy new Merc steering mechanism (DAS?) makes them untouchable or is just a distraction.
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Hugo
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Caley_Red wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:21 pm Did anyone watch the F1 documentary on Netflix?

I haven't watched F1 since the days of Schumacher, Coulthard, Villeneuve etc but that documentary has got me back and interested again.
Yes, I am in the exact same boat although my interest in F1 had waned a little earlier, I was a fanatic until Mansell's exodus from Williams in 1992 and only a casual for the rest of the 90s. I think this will be the first GP I have watched in over 20 years.
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Saint
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Interesting from Vettel today - apparently Ferrari never even offered him a contract. He claims he just got a call from Maranello saying his services would not be required for 2021

I suspect that team orders will be largely ignored in the Ferrari garage this season
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Saint
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MrMojo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:28 pm Going to be interesting seeing if the fancy new Merc steering mechanism (DAS?) makes them untouchable or is just a distraction.
Mercedes themselves are unsure if it will actually provide an advantage.
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Hugo
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Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:58 pm Interesting from Vettel today - apparently Ferrari never even offered him a contract. He claims he just got a call from Maranello saying his services would not be required for 2021

I suspect that team orders will be largely ignored in the Ferrari garage this season

Is it customary for driving changes to be made this early into the year given the way that it changes team dynamics/loyalties?
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Saint
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Hugo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:13 pm
Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:58 pm Interesting from Vettel today - apparently Ferrari never even offered him a contract. He claims he just got a call from Maranello saying his services would not be required for 2021

I suspect that team orders will be largely ignored in the Ferrari garage this season

Is it customary for driving changes to be made this early into the year given the way that it changes team dynamics/loyalties?
Around this time of year is usually whensilky season gets into full swing. But it seems that with little else to do for the last 4-5 months everyone decided to get it out of the way.

This has created an unusual situation - normally you know, even if you're leaving the team, what they might still be fighting for as a team. Add to that Vettel's known penchant for disregarding team orders if he doesn't like them (multi22 etc) then this could all end very badly
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Un Pilier
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Hugo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:13 pm
Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:58 pm Interesting from Vettel today - apparently Ferrari never even offered him a contract. He claims he just got a call from Maranello saying his services would not be required for 2021

I suspect that team orders will be largely ignored in the Ferrari garage this season

Is it customary for driving changes to be made this early into the year given the way that it changes team dynamics/loyalties?
I think this year the team/driver dynamics are going to be different. Contracts were signed anticipating major rule / technology changes next season but they have been deferred for a year. Then we have the team specific stuff. Vettel at Ferrari and whatever will happen at Williams etc etc.
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Hugo
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Thanks Saint and Un Pilier. Am I right in saying that Williams were essentially bailed out by a Canadian billionaire who now has an ownership stake in the team?
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Un Pilier
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Hugo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:09 pm Thanks Saint and Un Pilier. Am I right in saying that Williams were essentially bailed out by a Canadian billionaire who now has an ownership stake in the team?
You are probably thinking Stroll and the Racing Point Team, where his son Lance is a driver. Used to be Force India.
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Saint
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Un Pilier wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:13 pm
Hugo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:09 pm Thanks Saint and Un Pilier. Am I right in saying that Williams were essentially bailed out by a Canadian billionaire who now has an ownership stake in the team?
You are probably thinking Stroll and the Racing Point Team, where his son Lance is a driver. Used to be Force India.
Which will soon be Aston Martin F1 thanks to Stroll's joint ownership of that brand now

Williams have lost 2 major sponsors (including their title sponsor) this season due at least in part to Coronavirus, and are effectively up for sale. On the plus side, the livery looks much better now
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Longshanks
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Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:59 pm
MrMojo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:28 pm Going to be interesting seeing if the fancy new Merc steering mechanism (DAS?) makes them untouchable or is just a distraction.
Mercedes themselves are unsure if it will actually provide an advantage.
Which means it will.
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Saint
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Longshanks wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:04 pm
Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:59 pm
MrMojo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:28 pm Going to be interesting seeing if the fancy new Merc steering mechanism (DAS?) makes them untouchable or is just a distraction.
Mercedes themselves are unsure if it will actually provide an advantage.
Which means it will.
I think it will be track specific. The real benefit, if there is one, will likely be at tracks with long straights - which will also help the drivers in terms of "things to do".

Regardless, it's an interesting short term experiment seeing as it's banned for next season
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iarmhí
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So this RB16 engine?

Have Red Bull the car to properly challenge this year? They have the drivers.
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Saint
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iarmhí wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:10 pm So this RB16 engine?

Have Red Bull the car to properly challenge this year? They have the drivers.

They lookEd the closest in pre-season to challenging Mercedes. Ferrari think they've walked into a dead end and it's going to take them till Hungary to reverse out, but if Mercedes keep their reliability then they're still the team to beat
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Un Pilier
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Saint wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:52 pm
Un Pilier wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:13 pm
Hugo wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:09 pm Thanks Saint and Un Pilier. Am I right in saying that Williams were essentially bailed out by a Canadian billionaire who now has an ownership stake in the team?
You are probably thinking Stroll and the Racing Point Team, where his son Lance is a driver. Used to be Force India.
Which will soon be Aston Martin F1 thanks to Stroll's joint ownership of that brand now

Williams have lost 2 major sponsors (including their title sponsor) this season due at least in part to Coronavirus, and are effectively up for sale. On the plus side, the livery looks much better now
Quite. This weekend could be hugely important for Williams, a chance to show they have progressed and have the potential to justify acquisition.
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Guy Smiley
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The Mercedes looks fantastic in black.
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Saint
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I think less this weekend, but more the first half of the season. They need to show not only that they have improved, but are capable of improving further.

I suspect the likely answer will be a new title sponsor rather than a full sale of the team, although I wouldn't rule out an equity sale of part of the team
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Saint
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So, after FP1....

Hamilton ahead of Bottas by 0.3s, who in turn was ahead of Max by 0.3s

Ferraris down in 10th and 12th, although neither ran the soft tyre. Racing Point and McLaren look like they could be in for an interesting season......

Off track, Red Bull have an "interesting" take on DAS - apparently they;re seeking a rules clarification on it, while at the same time claiming to have it available to them to install.


Watching F2 Practise now, where they;re running 18" rims (in anticipation of the switch in F1 now delayed to 2022). But they;re doing it on last year's suspension, and at the moment it;s showing why the suspension model will have to change in F1 to allow for this change - the curbs look like a dangerous place to be right now for them
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Saint
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That Mercedes looks very menacing on track
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Saint
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End of FP2, Hamilton and Mercedes dominant. Racing Point (aka Mercedes 2019) very competitive also. RBR believed to be holding something back (and Max had a few issues)..

At the back of the grid, Latifi is currenty way off the pace, but there are signs that Russel might be able to drag the Williams off the back row. Certainly that car is not the complete and utter donkey that it was last season

Lots of discussion about DAS. Mercedes have released a statement saying that they say it;s doing for them, but no-one appears to believe it - the consensus is that Merc's claim couldn't generate enough additional performance to offset the additional weight (particularly as it's "high" weight, so it;s moving the CoG significantly higher)
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Un Pilier
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Yes, the Pink Mercedes is looking quick. Racing Point reckoned they copied the Merc all by themselves don’t they - quite an achievement if they moved from high to low rake technologies in that time period and have it working straight out of the crate. I’m not sure what to believe.
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Saint
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It;s not just high rake to low rake, there's a lot of general concepts in other areas that aren't rake specific that appear to have changed overnight. Maybe they have the next Adrian Newey?
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Un Pilier
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Saint wrote: Fri Jul 03, 2020 5:15 pm It;s not just high rake to low rake, there's a lot of general concepts in other areas that aren't rake specific that appear to have changed overnight. Maybe they have the next Adrian Newey?
Yes, it must be that ;)
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Saint
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Red Bull have lodged their official protest against DAS. Up to the stewards now to see if they agree with the FIA - steering, or aerodynamics?
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Sandstorm
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Saint wrote: Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:20 pm Red Bull have lodged their official protest against DAS. Up to the stewards now to see if they agree with the FIA - steering, or aerodynamics?
If Merc smash everyone else on Sunday, they’ll ban it. If RB win, FIA will let it slide.
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