#and I only got into f1 right after the 2019 season ended but I followed 2020 very closely as well as 2021 so far

[f1]

Formula 1: The Haas team to retain Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in 2024

Kevin Magnussen (left) and Nico Hulkenberg (right) will remain with the Haas team in 2024 The Haas team will keep Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen as their drivers for a second Formula 1 season in 2024. Team principal Guenther Steiner said: "We've had an extremely solid driver pairing this season and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that." Both Hulkenberg and Magnussen are vastly experienced drivers whose careers were given a lifeline by Haas. Steiner said their feedback had been "invaluable" in a difficult 2023. Magnussen made a surprise return to F1 in 2022 after a year away when Haas' Russian driver Nikita Mazepin was dropped on the eve of the season following the invasion of Ukraine. And Hulkenberg, who had not had a full-time seat since being dropped by Renault at the end of 2019, was drafted in by Haas for 2023 when the team dispensed with Mick Schumacher after his sophomore season, preferring a more seasoned, proven quantity. Hulkenberg has particularly impressed this season, having a comfortable edge over Magnussen in qualifying - including a season's best second on the grid in Canada in June - and scoring the team's best finish with seventh in the third race of the season in Australia. Haas have struggled converting sometimes strong qualifying results - Hulkenberg has been in the top 10 in six of the 12 races so far - into points finishes because of the car's heavy tyre usage. Upgrades for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, where the season resumes after a summer break, are intended to make a start on addressing this issue by reducing the heat going into the tyres from the brakes. Steiner said: "Kevin and Nico gelled well right from the get-go and together they've both scored points, and in particular, Nico has excelled in qualifying - getting into Q3 on six occasions. "Having not raced in Formula 1 full-time since 2019, that shows you just how professional he is and how he's looked after himself physically. "Of note is also just how much energy both drivers bring to the table, they've been fantastic not only in terms of their engagement within the team, but critically, in our partner activations and fan facing opportunities." Hulkenberg said: "It's nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance. "I enjoy being part of the team and share Gene [Haas] and Guenther's passion for it. We're competing in a very tight midfield and I'm looking forward to building on what we've done together so far and taking that forward into 2024." Magnussen said: "My return in 2022 had been unexpected but was filled with numerous highlights, and although this season hasn't gone quite as we'd hoped, we've still managed to get into the points and shown potential in the package we have. "There's plenty of racing remaining in 2023 and we've got a lot of work to do to continue to understand the VF-23 - that learning can be applied into the 2024 car." via BBC Sport - Formula 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/

#F1 #Formula 1: The Haas team to retain Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in 2024 #Formula 1

[vapeman]

I wanna post more about f1 on this blog because I’m obsessed but idk who to follow… if ur active on f1 tumblr (which I presume exists) pls like this post or msg me and I’ll probably follow u

(EDIT I follow from @mars29)

#formula 1 #f1 #lewis hamilton #daniel ricciardo #sergio perez #pierre gasly #I’m a big lewis daniel checo and pierre fan #just a warning: I’m american😳 #and I only got into f1 right after the 2019 season ended but I followed 2020 very closely as well as 2021 so far #but I like to think I know enough about the history and its key players that I can have decently informed opinions on the sport #if u read all these tags bless u lol

[leqclerc]

Hi! I’ve seen a post about reddit people saying charles has caused a lot of dnfs (up to 2020 i think it said he caused 12) saying he’s worse than kvyat etc, and like I know he does tend to go for the slightest of margins to get the best results so I kind of get why he has that driving mentality but do you think it’s fair to say that he is worse than the likes of romain? And like obvs we are slightly more biased but I do prefer criticizing on a more educated basis so I just wanted your opinion as well.

Hello!

A short view back to the past...The penalty system, as we know it today, was introduced in 2014. No one will ever state it outright, but it's sort of generally accepted that this new system was introduced as a direct response to Pastor Maldonado and, to a lesser extent, Romain Grosjean's, on track, er...antics, shall we say.

I only caught the tail end of Pastor's (whose recklessness earned him the nickname Crashtor among the online community) career in 2015, but there are many Youtube compilations of his crashes and incidents if anyone wants to catch up on that era of F1. For starters, he was the most reprimanded Formula One driver in 2012 (two years before the current penalty system was introduced.) Out of 96 grands prix (that he raced in), there were 29 retirements, and he incurred 39 penalties in his colourful F1 career (that's one every 2.4 races and 12 were for causing a collision.) When you start being recognised for your crashing more than your driving...there's a problem.

Similarly Romain was a...definitely an interesting figure over the years? Opinions on him were divided. A lot of people saw him as a bit of an on-track troublemaker, an accident-prone driver who could probably be replaced by someone "better." On the other hand, though, he'd earned himself a following of loyal fans who travelled around as much as they could to meet him and make their support for him felt. He was also one of the first drivers of the modern era (afaik) to publicly speak out about mental health and the fact that he's been working with a sports psychologist throughout his career.

And then there's Max. As of right now, the current championship leader. He's generally praised for his on-the-limit but relatively incident-free driving, certainly this season. But here's the thing about Max: he's been in F1 since 2015, in a top team since May 2016 (in a curious twist of fate he was switched with Daniil after Seb complained about Daniil crashing into him at the previous race). No matter which way you spin it (no pun intended), he's got seasons of experience over Charles, never mind the gang that joined as rookies in 2019. That can't be overstated. Especially since the beginning was rough. After Pastor's departure in 2015 it seemed Max was on a mission to fill the void - sure, he had moments of on-track brilliance (Brazil 2016 comes to mind) but my god did it come at a cost. I remember being lowkey scared every time he was anywhere near Nico (my then-fave driver) or Seb or anyone I cared about sjdjef More stats because why the hell not... between Monaco 2015 and Monaco 2019 he'd accumulated a whopping 21 penalty points (sharing the top spot with Romain) for what the stewards deemed dangerous driving - four instances of causing a collision, three instances of gaining an advantage, etc.) Despite all this, I remember even back in the day he gained a following for being "balls to the wall" about his approach and just going for it where others would've probably backed off. Whether he made it work or not didn't seem to matter - people were impressed that he was doing it. Now he's obviously grown as a person and as a driver and you can clearly see that in the way he drives and chases and overtakes today. Still ballsy, still on the limit, but it seldom results in an incident these days, whereas a few years back it likely would've put him and possibly someone else as well out of the race.

Not gonna open this particular can of worms but there are other drivers out there that also turned to on-the-limit tactics and often ended up forcing other drivers wide, including their teammate (since there seems to be this idea of be more lenient when it's your teammate, think of the team.) Again, it was...praise-worthy if anything and rarely resulted in penalties. Comparing these incidents and accidents is like comparing apples and oranges, but I'm just saying...this isn't new.

I think Charles is a mix of these. Add into that the frustration and desperation of 2020, the way he knew that his best chance of a decent finish came if he just catapulted himself up the grid on the first lap, and, well. Sometimes he's on the limit but clever about it and it pays off, other times it doesn't work out so well (for him or for someone else or both.) Do I wish he were fast, an effective overtaker, and incident-free all the time? Sure. But realistically that's not going to happen. All drivers, regardless of age or team or experience, will end up tangling with other drivers at some point. That's just racing. It doesn't mean they have some kind of personal vendetta or agenda against said person. He said he's learning from his mistakes and trying to be a bit more mindful about his approach, and that's good enough for me. Ultimately if he goes too hard he'll likely end up hurting his own chances and I think he gets that.

And regarding penalties...I mean, look. He's not a steward, is he? It's not up to him to make those decisions. They've been inconsistent since way before Charles ever showed up in F1, so claiming the system is rigged to benefit him is ludicrous imo. But people will believe what they want to believe so, whatever.

TL;DR: No, I genuinely don't think Charles's incident history is comparable to the likes of Maldonado or Romain at the "worst" stage of his career. I'll put it this way: if you think of his career, do his accidents overshadow his race craft and qualy and race results and overtakes? I don't think that's the case. If it were...then it'd be a problem.

#replies #anonymous #discussions and predictions #long post #charles leclerc #and like. i've put my tinfoil hat away okay #as someone who has been watching since 2015... i have seen some shit. he's nowhere near the 'worst' when it comes to that stuff #i know the newer fans have no point of reference for the pre-dits events but ho ho fuck it was A Lot

[someone-worth-racing-for]

Hi 🤗 so I have this theory about Daniel and I’m really eager to know your opinion, of course only if you mind to share :) I also get these somehow off/off vibe from Daniel, I don’t really think he is as nice or chill as he shows. I’ve been thinking why he can’t really succeed this year (no doubt, he has talent) while Lando is just flying with the same car, and I think it is because he is absolutely no team player and bc of that he doesn’t fit in. Carlos and Lando had always shown respect, gratitude and honest appreciation for the team while I don’t see any of it from Danny Ric. F1 is not just about the athletes and their talent and about a good car in my opinion. And I think this is what Daniel gets wrong. I somehow have the feeling after some of his interviews, that he expects that a team works for him and not him working WITH THEM together. I think this is what really was different with Carlos, and that is why Lando is the absolut King of McLaren now. We got to see how a big family this team is and I’m kinda sad that Ricciardo just stands out.

Oh and I can’t finish without some Carlando 🙈: I can’t help myself but imagine, how Carlos said to Lando, that from now on he should take care of the others at the Team bc Carlos was always so thoughtful of them (engineers should eat the food they were trying in Japan etc etc) and Lando just doing the maximum effort now, all the media stuff everything. Carlos taught his little Cabron well 🥺🥺

Of course I’m willing to share my opinion to that topic, especially when you ask so nicely, anonym 😊

I mean, first of all I’m not the biggest Daniel fan, I just don’t really like him or at least not that much like other – I think you have already known that before, anonym, but I even tho he is definitely not one my favourites, I don’t think that Daniel is someone who only pretends to be someone he actually isn’t. I think that the way he shows himself to the world or better what we are able to see from him, is real. I’m sure he is not always that big smiley, loud and funny guy, he also has other sides, but I really don’t think that it’s just an act. If so, he is a really good actor, since he is like that since the begging of his F1 career, I guess.

Going to Daniel’s missing success and performance this year – first, I actually still don’t know too much about F1 and all those things and knowledge that comes with it, so if you want to get a professional answer to your questions, you should better ask someone else, but of course I will still try, but remember it’s only my opinion/my thoughts and I really don’t say I’m right, it’s just what I have heard/read and what I’m thinking about this all here.

I mean, first of all Daniel is new in the team and it seems to be normal to struggle in the first time until you get to know the car better and you are able to understand it and handle it to finally get back to your old, performing self. I think Daniel and Seb are pretty similar at the moment. They still try to figure out everything, while their teammates are already used to the team and car. Lando and Lance already exactly know what to do to cause the car to make those moves they want or how far they can go with it, which the new ones still need to learn and find out. Obviously Carlos seems to be a little exception here.. (LUCKILY!)

So, I think that’s the first point why Daniel’s performance is how it is so far. The second point I think has been explained by Lando during the last press conference. I wasn’t aware of that before (like I have said – I focus more on the drivers, not on the sports itself), but it makes sense to me. Lando has said that Daniel maybe also struggles, because he is used to/prefers it to have a car, which is made for him. You know, what I mean? I’m pretty sure McLaren hasn’t made a complete new car just for Daniel when he has just joined the team and they hadn't known back then how he will perform, because they also had to think of Lando, the one who was already with them for two seasons and who will probably be their future. So it would have been first unfair from team to create a car only for Daniel’s skills (like F1 every cares about something being fair..) and if you ask me, it would also be stupid and very risky for them to do so, since he is the new driver in their team.

So Daniel has to live with it that he probably hasn’t got everything he has asked for and that’s why he is maybe still struggling with it. My boyfriend has already told me the same about Seb a few times, because he is the same like Daniel here (I think Lando has also mentioned that in the press conference). It really doesn’t make neither Daniel nor Seb a bad racer, even the contrary, because if they would have a car, which performs like they want, I think it would be pretty hard to beat them. It’s just the if, you know. Because they obviously don’t have that car, at least not at the moment.

But I guess that’s just the sport. Either you get what you want or you have to try to work with what you have got and I’m sure Daniel doesn’t like it how it is at the moment either, but he probably also can’t really help himself. He just has to keep going. It depends on him, how long he wants to try it and of course also the team (he has a three-year-contract or?).

But I’m sure that also the McLarens for the next few years won’t get built according to Daniel’s wishes, especially since we got to know about Lando’s new contract last week. If one of the McLaren drivers gets a car according to their skills, it will probably be Lando (if anyway), but I’m pretty sure it won’t be Daniel. I mean, think about it – it would make zero sense to give Lando not the best possible car, since he is performing the way he does so far. McLaren would only harm themselves with it and I think it wouldn’t bring them forward one bit. They just have to focus on the better driver and at the moment it is definitely Lando and not Daniel, even when he is more experienced and like many would say maybe also more talented.

I really also don’t know if I’m right here, but back in 2019 when Lando and Carlos have joined McLaren, they were both new in the team and maybe McLaren has found a compromise between the two of them and their wishes for the car and their skills. Maybe that’s why they have both been performing really great in those two years they have been teammates. They were on one level almost the whole time, their performances were always pretty close to each other, when not even similar, because the car was made for both, not only for one of them.

And like Lando has also said in the press conference, Carlos obviously is different compared to Daniel when it comes to that. Please, tell me if I’m wrong here again and it also kind of hurt me to say the following, but I think by now Carlos is already used to be the number two driver, to not be the team’s first choice. It definitely was so back in his Toro Rosso days and probably also at Renault. He had to take what he had got there and work with it. McLaren was different, if you ask me, there has never been a number one driver as long as Lando and Carlos had been teammates, or at least I haven’t been able to tell. But Carlos is definitely the number two at Ferrari once again right now, that’s out of question. And I actually don’t mean that in a bad kind of way – I mean, it’s obvious and actually also logical or? It would be the same as with McLaren – it would make zero sense to build the car around Carlos, their new driver, and not for Charles, who is already used to the car and who has also already won races for them. It would actually really be ridiculous if they would do so. Maybe that’s the reason why Carlos struggles less, because next to all the hard work he had already put into it (and I really don’t want to say here that Daniel or Seb aren’t hard workers), but maybe it’s really because he is already “used” to not have a car for his abilities and just trying to make the best out of his situation and the car he has got. You know what I mean?

Carlos and Daniel are pretty different when it comes to that and both types aren’t bad nor perfect. I mean, if Daniel should ever get the right car, he could become a world champion, but if he won’t get that soon, he probably also won’t ever become a world champion. And if Carlos should ever feel that comfortable in a car that isn’t made for him to even really become a world champion, then it’s pretty great for him, but I think the chances aren’t that big.. But he will be able to collect good points for the team, maybe even winning races in his career and be the best of the rest, but will it last to be the best in the end?! 🤷🏼‍♀️

So, but finally back to your actual ask, anonym – I really don’t know Daniel good enough to say if he is a team player or not. I think the biggest difference between Carlos’ relationship to Lando and Daniel’s to Lando is, that the two of them maybe don’t even have a relationship at all. They are probably only teammates and actually there is really nothing wrong about that, because in the end of the day, they only have to be teammates and no one should expect from them to become friends. Maybe that’s the reason why it maybe looks a little like Daniel isn’t a team player, but I think compared to what Carlos and Lando had, no one would look like a team player.

Daniel probably only does HIS job and not also Lando’s – I don’t mean that Carlos has done so, but I also can’t see Daniel staying in the garage to watch his teammate’s race after a DNF/DNS and support him or to even give him tips and share data (as long as McLaren doesn’t tell him to do so). Daniel’s job would have been done for that day, so he would probably don't see a reason why he should stay and “be there” for his teammate. And again, it’s actually okay like that, because that’s what they are there for – racing, doing their jobs and nothing more.

I always say that I’m too soft for this sport and if you ask me, I would also say that it shouldn't just only be about money and who has the most, but yeah – that’s obviously how F1 works sadly.. Also, I could never be a racer, because I would probably instantly start a friendship with my teammate and I would probably also cry if I would hear said teammate swearing about me on the team radio – I’m just not made for it at all. But at the moment it really seems like F1 is all about money, even tho Lando and Carlos has also showed us, that it can be different (their friendship/teamwork) and that this difference can also work, but that doesn’t mean that every teammates have to get along that great, as long as it doesn’t harm the team and the results.

Lando and Daniel are doing what the team expects them to do – they are teammates. Not more, not less and it’s okay that way. What the fans have expected from the two of them is another thing. I know many have thought the two of them would get along easily and they probably even do, but not in the way the fans had hoped for.

Many had hoped that those McLaren challenges will go on like they had while Carlos was still with McLaren or maybe get even more, and funnier content, but it seems like the contrary is happening. And if I’m serious, I think that maybe Daniel has told them, that he isn’t willing to do some kind of challenges. I don’t want to say because of his age (Daniel is not a grandpa), but it’s a fact that Daniel is 10 years older than Lando. So maybe he really wants to only focus on his job and don’t do such challenges. I really don’t know if it had really happened like that, but maybe – who knows..

But yeah, Lando has really used his chance to show the team and everyone else what he is able to do, when he feels comfortable in the team and car and I’m really happy to see him succeed like that. He really deserves his seat in F1 and the new contract. I’m actually pretty proud of our bub 😊

Just give Daniel some more time to get used to the team and the car, who knows what will happen as soon as he has found his confidence at McLaren?! Even tho I hope at the same time, that Lando keeps that amazing performance, since I’m supporting him.

Oh, and yes of course – some Carlando!

I can so picture Carlos laying his hand in a brotherly way on top of Lando’s shoulder and telling him, on the day he had left the team “You belong to the big boys now, cabrón. You have to watch out for team and show them and everyone else your talent and what they would miss without you in F1. I’m sure you can do this. Take care of them and also of yourself.”

[pierregasly]

Would love to hear your full take on Pierre,,,

Sorry this took me a few days to get to, I meant to answer it immediately but never found the motivation :( Anyways, onto Pierre. 

I believe you are commenting on a post of mine where I stated my fear that the Middle Generation of drivers (Charles, Carlos, Pierre and Max specifically) have/are going to miss out on opportunities and will never reach their full potential in F1. This is similar to what happened to the “Lost Generation” which is comprised of drivers such as Daniel, Kevin, Nico and Checo. To reiterate something that another asker was confused about: it has nothing to do with talent. The generations are not lumped together based on talent but based on their similar ages/entrance into F1 and I am speaking on the wasted potential that this group never got to achieve. (For example, Nico’s full potential was podiums--he never got here. And Daniel’s full potential was a championship--which he’ll never get.) 

I am not going to waste your time and state what I said briefly about Charles, Carlos and Max but I will go into depth more so about what I hardly touched upon with Pierre. As I said, Pierre is a phenomenal talent. As much as his podium and race win may have proven it to the world, many still call him a “luck driver” who is not good enough for a higher team. This is, obviously, because of  his time at Red Bull dramatically overshadowed his career. 

I started following Pierre around 2017 when I first got interested in F1 because of the history. In 2017 he wasn’t racing in Europe but in Super Formula so I took the time to catch up on his career thus far (I will go into depth on this in a moment). I didn’t start watching F1 until 2018 and the only driver (non-historical) I really was attached to was Pierre (others would comes later). Obviously, if you remember, Pierre ended up taking P5 in qualifying and P4 in a Toro Rosso in front of the whole world in only a few races at Bahrain. It was absolutely incredible and for the rest of the season until his Red Bull announcement, Pierre was dishing points place after points place after points place in only his first full season in F1. Therefore, while it was only his FIRST FULL SEASON, the jump to Red Bull ultimately felt justified. 

Of course, this did not end up being the case. Our joy over Pierre getting to be in a higher team made us completely and utterly forget the track record Red Bull has left with its second drivers. For those of you who are new to F1 (either coming in 2019, mid-2019 or 2020) you missed out on Pierre’s debut season which was fantastic for the car he was given. Furthermore, if you came in during mid-2019 or 2020 and you think that the treatment RB gave to Alex is horrible--you are hardly touching the surface. The treatment that RB is giving Alex versus Pierre is like taking your sons on summer vacation and then having one of them sleep on the comfy twin bed with two blankets and the other kid on the floor without so much as PJs. We haven’t even touched upon Daniil. Daniil would be like the parents leaving the kid outside to sleep. 

Let’s move on. It is very easy to look at Pierre’s season and tout only negative things. It was not his best moment and, yes, he certainly could’ve done better. However, with what he was given? Are we even sure about that? For example, Pierre become open with the media following his demotion. Not only did RB leave it to the very last moment but they also would:

1) Use Pierre’s car and car parts to test Max. 

2) When Pierre requested a more experienced engineer, he was denied. However, when Alex requested the same thing, he was given it. 

3) RB consistently spoke horribly of him in front of the media. They constantly spoke that he needed to do better and never tried to build him up. 

4) Emotionally pressured Pierre to his breaking limit.

Now the difference between RB and many other teams is that when the going gets tough for their drivers, many teams choose to build their drivers up to set them up for success. RB’s method is to tear their drivers down and hope that they can pick up their own pieces once they become annoyed with humiliation. The demotion was far, far too quick. Think of Alex--he has been getting worse and worse and worse with a year and half of time at Red Bull. Pierre managed half a season before they gave him the boot. The boot was also without warning even despite Pierre getting better and better each race. 

This is all information you probably already know, I said earlier I would touch upon his younger career and how this has been overshadowed and forgotten due to his time at RB. Here are some facts/statistics that will be important for my point later:

Finished 3rd in the French F4 championship with four wins, two poles and seven podiums over the course of only fourteen races despite having three retirements (the 2nd placer had 0 and the 1st placer only had 1). 

In his first season at Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished 10th of 51 different racers and every person but one who finished before him in the championship was older than him. Pierre was only 16 when Stoffel V was 20, Daniil K was 18, Oliver R was 20, Norman N was 20, Nyck V was 17, Paul L was 21, Oscar T was 16, Melville M was 18 and Alex R was 18. 

In his second season of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished first in front of the likes of Esteban Ocon, Oliver Rowland, Jake Dennis, Nyck de Vries, Luca Ghitto and Alexander Albon.

Finished 6th in the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps Series despite missing half of the season and there being 42 competitors total (everyone ahead of him completed the full season). 

Finished 2nd of 28 competitors in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series and lost to none other than Carlos Sainz Jr. 

Finished 1st in his second full season of GP2 (now formally classified as F2).

The GP2 race he won in Silverstone happened right after a huge roadcar accident in which his mother ended up in the hospital. Pierre himself fractured his vertebrae and still went on to win the race while his mother was in the hospital and he had a broken bone. 

Was called in to replace a Renault edams driver in Formula E. He was jet lagged, tired and got only a few hours in the sims. He still managed to secure P4 in qualifying and then was set for a P3 finish but he crashed into the wall on the last corner of the last lap and came home in P4. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME EVER IN AN FE RACE OR AN FE CAR.

Finished second in Super Formula in 2017 but lost by only half a point. One of the races in the season was abandoned when he was set to win because of flooding and storm. Had it not been abandoned he would’ve finished first at the end of the season. 

All this pretty much brings you up to speed to when he entered into F1 (which all his amazing stuff you should be familiar with). Moving more onto my “take” regarding Pierre. I have shown evidence for why he is an incredible driver, however, now we’re moving onto the not so great bit. I suppose I must answer one question before I move on. 

Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent podiums if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent wins if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to fight/win a championship one day if given the proper car? This I firmly believe is possible (other thing I’ll get into if someone wants).

The reason I worry and am distressed about Pierre is because I don’t believe he’ll ever get a go at a higher team again. RB really put a shadow over his career, a shadow that is going to worry other teams from placing him into their cars. He has ultimately proven himself with podiums and, of course, the race win. However, seeing as there is so much young talent coming into F1, I don't see there being a place for him. 

Mercedes is set to most likely be Max and George when Lewis retires. Red Bull would never dare to put him in that seat again. Ferrari has their “golden generation” of Charles and Mick to look after. And those are the seemingly “top teams” (if you can even all Ferrari that). Let’s look at the others. Racing Point is going to be Lance and Seb until Seb retires. I don’t see Pierre ever going to Alpha Romeo. And McLaren is set up for the next few years with Lando and Daniel. Haas--I don’t think so. This is ultimately dangerous for Pierre’s career because RB likes to keep fresh meat in their B team car (or if you trust Horner it’s their “sister team” lol). Pierre’s best chance is the escape the RB family. AND I UNDERSTAND that the regulations could make things VERY different in F1 for the future. These are just my hypothesis and guesses--all is subjective and up to interpretation so @ anybody reading this--relax, buddy. So where does Pierre fit in in the future? These are some scenarios I have conjured up. 

1) Mercedes. Let’s say that, possibly. Max never ends up moving into that second Merc seat and instead remains at RB wasting away until they can get him a better car for the rest of his career (ooo burn sorry it’s for the scenario don’t hate me). This would open up a place at Merc for Pierre to truly shine his potential. Most likely, he would play second fiddle to George but hey--it’s still a seat where can utilize that potential. 

2) Red Bull. This would be if they get desperate. I don’t think if given a second chance, Pierre would say no. If Max were still in the team, he would be second fiddle. I can see Pierre going to RB if Max leaves for Merc in the next few years and they want him to lead Yuki or if Yuki doesn’t shine in AT and they end up dropping him they are going to be slim Pickens... I don’t know if being at RB will give him a place where he can utilize his potential but it’s a possibility. 

3) Ferrari. This would be only a chance if Mick doesn’t do great in Alpha Romeo and they need someone to fill the seat of their obvious place holder Carlos. He would be alongside Charles. Other than that.... Ferrari seems pretty set and there isn’t any space. 

4) McLaren. This I don’t see as very possible? I would love to see him in orange but they seem pretty set with Daniel and Lando. I think Daniel is probably going to ride out the end of his career there. Lando seems very integrated into the team and I can’t see him leaving unless he got a better offer like Merc. If Max didn’t end up taking the second Merc seat in the future and remains at RB then Lando might be given an offer which would open up a place that Pierre could possibly take. Do I count this as realistic? Not really, but it could happen. At McLaren I could see Pierre utilizing his potential. 

5) Renault. This is one of the options that seems most realistic to me. They're set with Fernando for the next few years. If they decided, after 2021, to give the boot to Esteban, that would open up a place for Pierre in a French team that would love a French driver (they already have one but Pierre is a FRENCH WINNER). You know that teams loves their nationalism.... Anyways. Or, possibly, Fernando retires after two years (again lol) which would open up a seat for Pierre to take along Esteban. However, I don’t really see Esteban staying long term because Renault probably needs to put one of their Renault babies like Guanyu or Christian in there. 

6) Williams. Lol. No. 

7) Haas. I don’t see it happening really??? I have my reasons but my gut just says... Au revoir.

8) Racing Point. THIS. This I see as 100% 100% a possibility. Let’s say that Seb retires after two years--this would open up a seat. Pierre is a strong, consistent and stable driver who doesn’t make mistakes. Here he could really use his potential!! #PierreInGreen!!

9) Alpha Romeo. As I said... I really don’t see it. They seem pretty busy with all their young guys. 

So to conclude, the future for Pierre lies at either Renault or Racing Point (less chance but possible includes Merc to McLaren). To not take up any more of  your time, this is what I mean by Pierre being an incredible talent who may or may not get a chance at a higher team. He deserves to have more and to have a second chance. He has really proven himself and is pulling the absolutely maximum out of himself. I really want to see him with more, like he deserves. 

Even Charles wanted him as his teammate at Ferrari back in April... that’s saying even more. Everyone on the grid except Esteban rate him highly as a person and as a driver. His potential deserves smth better. He has proven himself time and time again against everyone who told him he wasn't good enough and who still say it was all just luck. There exists luck. But firmer than luck, there exists skill. 

Pierre Gasly is a race winner in an Alpha Tauri. Do not forget that. 

#oh fuck this is long lol #pierre gasly #flood pressles box #sincerely anonymous

[meaningofmotorsport]

Mid-Week Motorsport Headlines - 28th July 2021

F1

Red Bull has requested a ‘right to review’, the incident on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, which will mean a new inquiry will occur tomorrow on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix. This last happened after Vettel was penalised during the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix, and thus lost the win, and the team will need to provide new evidence if they want to have the result changed at all, which I find unlikely!

Lewis Hamilton has donated £20 million to a new charity, which has been set up to support under-represented groups. It is called Mission 44, and will help to increase diversity in Motorsport!

The final cost for the crash at Silverstone has been released by Red Bull, at a whopping £1.3 million, more than 1% of their budget for the year! This could be a huge dent in their hopes for this year and going forwards!

IndyCar

Herta has topped a test at Gateway, which included Grosjean doing his first laps on an oval. Grosjean himself was midpack, as he got up to speed in this new style of racing! McLaughlin also impressed, as he ended up 3rd fastest, showing his oval speed is no fluke!

Following on from my article yesterday, sources are suggesting that Grosjean is set to move to the No. 28 car at Andretti for 2022, with DHL sponsorship! They also suggest that Pagenaud may well be out at Team Penske, possibly going to Meyer Shank Racing!

Formula E

The new circuit in Cape Town is set to be built around a FIFA World Cup Stadium, which was used back in 2010. We have no details on the layout yet, but hopefully it does not just utilise the car parks around the stadium!

MotoGP

Crutchlow will return to MotoGP for a couple of races, to replace the injured Morbidelli at SRT. Franco has had to undergo further surgery, after a previous knee injury sprung back up again! The best bit for Cal, is that he will be able to race again for his home race, at Silverstone!

According to Aleix Espargaro, Dovizioso was not very fast when he tested the Aprilia this year, and goes further to suggest that he cannot see Andrea partnering him at the team next year! This may help to fuel the strong rumours that it will be Vinales who joins the team, after departing Yamaha!

Whilst it is highly unlikely, Rea is not shutting down rumours that he could join MotoGP in the coming years! The Brit is currently dominating World Superbikes, and does have long term contract with Kawasaki, which is why the odds are slim of it happening!

Other News

Australian Supercars has repeated that there are talks going on with a 3rd Manufacturer to join the series in 2023. The situation is complicated by the fact that the new generation of cars will only be introduced to full on racing in the middle of next season! I personally think that at this point it would just be better to delay it all until the start of 2023, to make it less complicated, and allow for more testing and support from all sides!

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

Also, if you want to support me, I have a Patreon Page at: https://www.patreon.com/meaningofmotorsport

#f1 #hungariangp #indycar #indy500 #motogp #hungarian gp 2021 #indygp #motorsport

[maxielxy]

Max’s highlights at 2019 press conferences

Australia Thursday

Q：Max, you said some things could have been better. What could have been better?

MV: Some things. I cannot go into detail, can I? No, I can’t.

Q：What was the nicest, funniest or weirdest thing you’ve done in the winter of 2018/2019?

MV：Some more exciting things happened, some less exciting things happened but should I share them? I don’t think so.

Spain Sunday

Q：What are the strengths of your car? What are the good characteristics?

MV: I think at the moment we’re not really better in any corner than Mercedes.

Monaco Wednesday

Q: Now, with many people saying you are in the best moment as a driver, does it disturb you, to think to enjoy your moment, to change your history in this grand prix?

MV: I’ve done four, hopefully I’ll do another 20, so I have a lot of chances to do a good result.

Q:  They always say ‘after that, he became more mature.’ How do you see that yourself?

MV：Well, I think not only after that, I think in general, it’s life. I’m getting older, general life experience but yes, sometimes you have to make mistakes to become a better driver and so this was one of them.

Monaco Saturday

Q: What was the target, what was realistic and are you satisfied with third place?

MV：I think this is my first qualifying here but I’ve only done three now.

Austria Thursday

Q: Just tell us a little bit about the performance of the car？

MV: Great!

Q：How would you like a race on London streets – or would you rather stay at Silverstone if it was one or the other?

MV: Silverstone is a great track, so, if they want a street circuit it needs to be an extra grand prix then.

Q: How do you like the idea to have only ex-Formula One drivers as stewards?

MV: For me, I think it’s not good to have the same stewards all the time – because it’s the same in football: if you have a referee who doesn’t like you, and you always have to play with that same referee, I don’t think it’s a lot of fun.

Q：As drivers, do you feel the sport’s in crisis?

CL: As Checo said, already from having a closer field would help, cars that can follow closer to each other will help also for overtaking and these are done by a few things and these other points agreed inside the… FDA!? No?!

MV: Ferrari driver academy?

CL: … the GPDA

MV： At the end of the day, even with the new rules coming at the moment, everybody is just speaking for their own advantage. Maybe it’s just better to leave out all the teams from the discussions and just say these are the rules and you deal with it.

Q:   Is it more skewed to qualifying than the race and is it still that balance of car and engine that’s holding you back?

MV: I think I explained that in the beginning of the press conference where I see I’m losing, compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. Probably somebody recorded it so you can look back at it.

Austria Saturday

Q: Yesterday Helmut Marko confirmed there is an escape clause in your contract. Can you tell the details about it?

MV: What do you think, my friend? Of course not! Why would I? I know, but I don’t care.

Austria Sunday

Q:Juan Pablo Montoya said yesterday that he wanted to be a race steward,  are you happy with that? 

MV: I think he was quite a hard racer himself so I would definitely support him being a steward. I think he would be my mate.

Germany Sunday

Q: How does it compare to the other six wins?

MV: Are you going to keep asking me that question: ‘how does it feel compared to the other ones’? I don’t know. It’s always different.  I mean now, after the race, I can say I did that 360 for the crowd, but at the time it was a bit tricky out there with the medium tyre, very low grip.

Q: Seb, do you consider this second place almost as a victory from what happened yesterday, from what happened today?

SV：For us it’s dull, as drivers so I think we rather enjoy here, close to the Netherlands with a lot of Dutch people coming…

MV: It was a bit tricky today because it was orange against red, you know those colours don’t really match.

SV: Well, they’re similar. I was taking the orange as well on my side.

MV: When they were going up, right?

Hungary Saturday

Q: Lewis, seven years ago you were here the winner but 2012 we had six champions in the peloton and you were only a one-time champion. Today we have only three champions in the peloton and you are a five-time champion.

MV: I didn’t know we had a peloton…

Q：Max is the top scorer in the last four races?

MV: You need to be the top scorer over the whole season, that’s what counts.

Q:  Max, throughout your career so far you’ve held the majority of records for being the youngest driver to hit certain achievements. This is one of the few things you’ve missed out on. Do you care much for those kind of accolades and records – or not really?

MV: No. I don't’ know, I can make it a long story but it’s not so. It’s nice but it doesn’t make me sleep better, or anything.

Q: Renault claims that the engine is now at 1000bhp. What about Honda and Mercedes engines in this case? And an engineer said it’s impossible right now in this state to break this, also for Ferrari.

MV: Well, if they claim to have a thousand horsepower they have a really bad car! I think it’s better to do the talking on the track than in the media anyway.

Hungary Sunday

Q: How do you feel close with nine championship titles.

MV: I don’t know what to say! I have none! I don’t know what to comment on this! I still have a few years, hopefully in F1, so hopefully one day I can add one. Yeah. That’s it, I think.

Belgium Thursday

Q:We know you for five seasons already and every time we are writing ‘Max is a very good young driver’. What do you think? How long can you be a young driver?

MV: Until I’m old. Is it 30 that you get old? Thirty. OK. Well, I guess there’s eight and a half more years.

Japan Thursday

Q: Do you want to be consulted when it comes to deciding whether it goes ahead on Saturday?

MV: I’ve got my speedboat on standby so I’m ready to go for Saturday.

United States Thursday

Q:Lewis had some comments to say about you after the last race. Said he affords you more space than other drivers in fear of being torpedoed. And I think Seb also said that he copy-and-pasted what Lewis had to say. I was wondering what your feeling is about those two comments?

MV: From my side, yeah, it was a bit of a silly comment to make. I think I’m always a hard racer but fair. I think it’s just not correct – but of course it’s easy to have a dig at someone. From my side, it’s fine. It’s always positive when the talk about you. That means you’re in their head, So, for my side, I just focus on my driving and I think that’s enough said.

Q: Do you think that you’re getting dug out by Lewis, by Sebastian? They don’t seem to dig anyone else out, it just seems to be you; you seem to be the centre of attention a lot of time.

MV: I think from my side it only shows that I’m in their heads and I guess that’s a good thing but from my side I don’t need to dig in to other people in the press conferences because first of all I think it’s a bit disrespectful as well and I prefer to fight on track which I love to do and of course I like to fight hard but on the edge. Otherwise, if they want me to stay behind, it’s also better to stay at home. I really want to take the fight to them because that’s what we are here for. We are racers, we in Formula One, I think we are the best out there and we do fight for victories because that’s what I live for.

Abu Dhabi Thursday

Q: Max, you’d like to offer your worst of the season?

MV: Er, no – save the time.

Q:  If you were the director of the Drive to Survive documentary on Netflix, what moment of the season would you definitely put in?

MV: Hockenheim.

Q: Do you every focus yourself like looking at Lewis, maybe winning six?

MV: I was thinking about ten.

Abu Dhabi Sunday

Q: Were you surprised by your dominance today, because you were 13 seconds ahead of Max after 20 laps?

LH: Yeah, I definitely wasn’t expecting to haver the pace advantage to that extent.

MV: You could have slowed down!

#Max Verstappen

[fake-f1-news]

Ones to Watch in Formula 1 2019

With the season finale of the winter break™ fast approaching, here are my drivers to look out for as we approach F1′s 70th season.

The Safety Car driver 

Although he is never on the official driver entry list for any F1 race or team, whenever you see him in a race, he’s always leading. In fact, I can’t think of a time when he was on track and WASN’T in 1st place. It’s only a matter of time before he’s finally able to win a race, and this season could be his best chance in a while. Also seems to follow the philosophy of winning at the slowest possible pace. Due to the Safety Car being a Mercedes, this could lead to some 1-2-3 results, in a conspiracy to help Mercedes win the Constructors title.

Lastname

Although he has disappeared since his brief appearances at Australia and Baku last year, he immediately showed immense talent, putting Kimi Raikkonen under pressure in Melbourne. Should he take part in any race in 2019, he’s already proven that he’s a force (india) to be reckoned with.

Rich Energy

Just watch out for them, really, and should you ever see a can of Rich Energy, report it immediately to the authorities. Unknown reward, but can wanted, empty or full.

Daniil Kvyat

With Ericsson having departed the sport at the end of 2018, Haas lost their favourite driver to blame Grosjean’s crashes on. As such, they have appointed Kvyat to the position instead. However, with Kvyat’s prolific record of crashing, he might actually be responsible for a few of Grosjean’s incidents, unlike Marcus.

British Grand Prix

First one after Brexit. Don’t mention Brexit. I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it all right.

F1 Viewing Figures

With F1 coverage moving away from "free minus the license fee” TV, it’ll be interesting to see how many Channel 4 viewers will be willing to pay to watch David Croft commentate on races.

Overuse of Haas Pun

It Haas to happen every season. Will Buxton is the prime suspect.

Williams

With the team’s recent downturn in performance, many expect them to change their name to “Hispania Racing Team” if the drop off continues. Claire Williams Waire Clilliams has suggested that they’re sandbagging, so they may only be 1 second slower than the 9th quickest car, rather than 6 seconds slower.

#F1 #Formula 1 #Haas #Will Buxton #Rich Energy #Daniil Kvyat #Romain Grosjean #Williams

[ilovejevsjeans]

Ricciardo's 'ballsy' move: 'My instinct was telling me it was right'

The plane stopped climbing, the seatbelt sign extinguished, and Daniel Ricciardo exhaled for what felt like the first time in months. The Australian formula one ace was on his way from London to Los Angeles to meet some mates for a mid-season break, and was finally on his own time. No commitments, no fans, no media, no hangers-on. It was the headspace he'd been craving.

Out of contract at the end of 2018 and set to become an F1 free agent for the first time, Ricciardo had been determined to explore every option, even as the speculation over his future intensified by each passing month, and against the backdrop of teammate Max Verstappen committing to Red Bull Racing on a big-money deal until the end of 2020 last October. But the clock was ticking, and the 10 hours crossing the Atlantic gave him pause for thought. It was time to shake things up.

Earlier this month, Ricciardo dropped the bombshell that he'd be leaving Red Bull, home to all seven of his F1 wins since joining the team as the successor to compatriot Mark Webber in 2014, to join Renault, the French manufacturer ramping up its involvement in the sport as constructor in its own right in addition to being a supplier of engines to multiple teams, including Red Bull. It was a move few, certainly not Ricciardo's current employers, saw coming.

Leaving a race-winning team to move to a midfield outfit with aspirations of reprising its most recent glory days of 2005-06 with Fernando Alonso is, Ricciardo admits, "ballsy". But the 29-year-old feels it's a move that's necessary, both personally and professionally.

"I think a lot of people expected me to take the soft option and stay because they see me as a soft guy," Ricciardo told Fairfax Media in an exclusive interview.

"I'm maybe perceived as someone who is a friendly guy who wouldn't push back and make a big decision. It's good for everyone to see that I have the balls to make a call like this."

For most of 2018, much of the speculation over Ricciardo's future focused on Mercedes and Ferrari if he was to leave the only F1 family he's ever known. His five seasons at Red Bull Racing follow a two-year apprenticeship at its sister team, Toro Rosso. Mercedes has been the sport's dominant team since F1 switched to V6 turbo hybrid engines in 2014, while Ferrari, with Sebastian Vettel leading its charge, seemed the squad most likely to knock Mercedes from its perch. But doors that could have flapped open never quite came ajar.

As Ferrari dithered over whether to retain Vettel's 38-year-old teammate Kimi Raikkonen or promote promising young Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, Mercedes elected to re-sign Valtteri Bottas to play support act to world champion Lewis Hamilton for a third season in 2019.

With a bottleneck at the top two teams, most expected Ricciardo to stay with Red Bull, where he's demonstrated an ability to win multiple races in machinery that, in his tenure, has never been capable of a championship push. But a surprise player came onto the scene in the immediate aftermath of Ricciardo's second win this season, around the streets of Monaco.

"Renault first expressed some interest around then, with Cyril [Abiteboul, Renault F1 managing director] contacting Glenn [Beavis, Ricciardo's manager]," he says.

"There were several options. I spoke to Renault, I had a couple of meetings with McLaren, and I got to speak with [Red Bull company founder] Dietrich [Mateschitz] in Barcelona and again in Austria.

"Initially, I had it in my mind that I'd be staying [at Red Bull]. But the more I thought about starting something different and taking on a new challenge, I got excited. I met with Renault and got a sense for their long-term plan. Obviously I want to win tomorrow, but the strength of Ferrari and Mercedes at the moment means it's very hard for anyone to take them on in the short-term."

Ricciardo says Renault didn't promise him the earth – in fact, the French team did quite the opposite.

"The thing that struck me about Renault was that they were prepared to be honest," he says.

"Straight away, they said 'we're not going to be quicker than Red Bull next year', but what they told me about their plans for 2020 and for when the next rule changes come in for '21 … they had some good structure in place, they're recruiting a lot of good key people, and they're preparing to win. They have a winning mentality and a realistic way of going about it, which I liked."

As Renault's approach became more serious, Ricciardo still had a two-year deal from Red Bull on the table, but something about the thought of standing pat didn’t feel quite right.

"There's been times this year that I've felt exhausted, maybe a bit jaded, and for the first time in my career, not completely enjoying F1," Ricciardo admits.

"There's been times when I've thought 'this is why [2016 world champion Nico] Rosberg retired', and he had it a lot more intense than me. Or why Casey Stoner retired from MotoGP very young. I can see how you could feel burnt out or a bit over it.

"I pushed for a one-year deal, which Red Bull agreed to, but still in the back of my mind, I wasn't sure. What if I was in the same position, had the same feeling a year from now? Would there still be other options available? I didn't want to snooker myself."

Renault set a deadline for Ricciardo to accept its two-year deal over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend in late July, but he needed more time to ponder his options.

"Renault wanted an answer in Budapest, and the Red Bull offer was still there," he says.

"There was too much going on, so I managed to buy a few more days. But I had to make a call."

Three days after that race weekend, Ricciardo was in London, bound for LA, and with a decision to make. He'd been on the phone to his manager right up until his flight boarded.

"For the first time in I can't remember how long, I had 10 hours to myself, didn't need to be at a race weekend, didn’t need to be at an event, and I was on my own time," Ricciardo says.

"There was something about being alone on that flight that gave me the clarity I needed. The one thing I kept coming back to was being energised again, wanting a new challenge, and that the chance to change excited me. So as we got phone signal as I was coming into LA, I called Glenn and told him it was Renault."

Ricciardo met his three friends in LA, and as the quartet headed to Las Vegas for the weekend, spent most of the four-hour drive on the phone.

"The others all went out when we got to Vegas, but I stayed in the hotel because of how exhausted I was," he says.

"The next morning, I called [Red Bull motorsport adviser] Helmut [Marko] and then [team principal] Christian [Horner]. Helmut said he wasn't too surprised, that he expected it in a way. He said he had a feeling that I wanted to move on. Christian, at first anyway, thought I was taking the piss.

"After I'd made those calls, I felt like a big weight had come off my shoulders straight away. They weren't easy calls to make. But my instinct was telling me it was right. My gut feel was telling me it was right. I was waiting to have that feeling the whole way through the process as it went for months, and I got it for the first time on that flight to LA. When I finished that last phone call and it was done, I knew. I turned my phone off and left it in the hotel safe for three days …"

Ricciardo says the decision to leave is "one of the toughest" he's made in life, not just his racing career.

"It's been a 10-year journey with Red Bull. I was in their junior program in 2008, so amazing memories and things I'll always be grateful for, and things I'll never forget," he says.

"I'm sad to move on, absolutely, but excited by the challenge at Renault. Personally I felt it was good for me to have a fresh start somewhere else, I think it will be healthy.

"I've been pretty stressed all year, and now life feels pretty stress-free." (X)

#daniel ricciardo #dan #article #so dan liked the fact renault were honest with him #hmm funny that

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/01/02/f1-news-yuki-tsunoda-will-give-gasly-a-run-for-his-money/

F1 news: Yuki Tsunoda will give Gasly 'a run for his money'

Carlin boss Trevor Carlin has watched Tsunoda become the 27th driver to graduate from his squad to an F1 race seat, and he reckons the Japanese will shine. 

“He’s been an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Carlin.  “We’ve only had him for one season, and he did everything and more than what we expected.  

“Time will tell where he ends up in the pecking order, but I think he’s got a very exciting future ahead of him, and as long as he’s not overwhelmed by the F1 environment, I see no reason why he can’t match what Lando [Norris] is doing, and you never know, he could have a little bit of Max [Verstappen] in him.  

“The speed he learns and understands the car, he’s got the natural ability, so it’s just a case of tailoring it to each championship and then getting on with it.  

“If he picks up F1 as fast as he picked up F2 then I think he’ll be giving Pierre a good run for his money once they get back to Europe.” 

Tsunoda steps up to F1 after finishing third in F2, one position lower than Carlin’s previous F2-to-F1 graduate Norris achieved in 2018 before his rookie season with McLaren. 

Carlin says Tsunoda is as ready to take on F1 as Norris was in 2019. 

“Absolutely – I’ve got no shadow of a doubt,” he said. “He is lacking a bit of experience compared to Lando, but his overall pace and understanding of driving a racing car is there. He’s ready to go, for sure.  

“The thing with Yuki is, he learns so fast. With F1 you actually get a lot more practice than you do in F2, which will help. He’s got to go to a load of new tracks, but he didn’t seem to have any trouble getting up to speed – Sochi for instance, he was quick.  

“I’m very hopeful. I would expect him to have some incidents in the first few rounds, but once that’s over and done with I think you’ll find he could shock a few people.” 

Daruvala, Ticktum likely to form 2021 line-up

Carlin also said he is hopeful that Tsunoda’s 2020 teammate, fellow Red Bull Junior Jehan Daruvala, plus Dan Ticktum will form his F2 line-up next year. 

Daruvala topped last month’s Bahrain test, while Williams protege Ticktum was fourth-quickest overall after switching from DAMS, the team he raced with this season. 

It would be a fourth season at Carlin for Daruvala, who also represented the team in the F3 European Championship in 2017 and 2018, while Ticktum made his F3 debut with the squad in 2016 and returned to contest the Macau Grand Prix in 2019. 

“We haven’t signed anybody yet, but that’s our preferred line-up given a following wind and sorting the details out,” said Carlin. “They’re certainly right at the top of our list – I’d be very happy to go with both those guys.  

“We’ve known Dan for a long time – he’s a friend of the team anyway. We know his ups and downs and we feel we can give him some stability and some trust, because we really believe in him.  

“Dan is a very very good racer, and because of that next year could be a good year for him, because effectively we’ve got two reversed-grid races each weekend.  

“So I think it will play into the hands of the guys who can a) hold position and b) make up positions. I’m fairly confident that with those two we would have a very good line-up.” 

Related video

Source

[leqclerc]

Merc's junior program is rough! Look at Esteban - he was Toto's protege, the boy who beat Max in F3, the one who was lined up for a merc seat. But George came along, and Toto's focus has shifted entirely, and Esteban's left his Merc affiliation so he could actually get a seat. It's only a matter of time before Toto's next big thing comes along and George is forgotten too. They're worse than RB for this.

I don’t know if it’s worse than RB but...Look, I’ll give RB one (1) right and say that at least they give the young drivers a chance. They don’t give them enough support for them to thrive in their roles, the working environment is stressful and often downright toxic, and they obviously prioritize the other side of the garage, but at least they let them have a go, which is more than you can say for the young Mercedes drivers so far. 

Again, I was around for 2015-2016 when Pascal was a big young talent. He took part in various Mercedes events alongside Nico, Lewis and Toto, featured in photoshoots, etc. When Nico and Lewis’s intra-team conflict was at its peak - and later, when Nico unexpectedly announced his retirement - a lot of people were speculating that Pascal may be the answer. But Toto opted to go for the sensible option and used his Williams connection to get Valtteri instead, who was also a protégé of sorts. They initially gave him a one year contract to see how he performs and works alongside Lewis and...fast forward to present day and they’re still giving him one year contracts although he’s going into his...fifth season with them? Something like that. Meanwhile Pascal’s F1 career fizzled out, and he ended up racing in other categories. The Mercedes link was officially severed after 2018 (interestingly he was replaced at Sauber by...Charles himself.) In 2019 he actually became Ferrari’s development driver or simulator driver or something (I’ve seen it be called both things) but I personally haven’t seen him around much in that role, and with the FDA being a booming business...

Then you’ve got Esteban who also became, like you pointed out, Toto’s protégé. I didn’t follow his career too closely, I’ll be honest, but I do know he sort of benefited from that Mercedes link when they took him on as reserve driver in 2019 after Lawrence Stroll got involved in Force India/Racing Point and Lance took his place, letting him “sit out” the year but still sort of be involved in F1. According to Wikipedia, He was a contender to take the second Mercedes seat alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2020, however the team decided to continue with Valtteri Bottas. I don’t have the full picture, but my understanding is that (if you look at DTS’s portrayal of the situation at least) Toto was instrumental in securing Esteban the Renault drive from 2020 onwards. However, that meant he was no longer part of the Mercedes junior programme. So that’s another young driver they lost to other teams/racing categories. 

And then obviously there’s George who, admittedly, out of all them has gotten the closest to getting a shot at being a proper Mercedes F1 driver. Depending on how things work out, if Lewis indeed does decide to retire at the end of the 2021 season, I do think they might try to promote George. Whether he’ll be driving alongside Valtteri or whether they’ll opt for a completely fresh lineup going into the new reg era, I guess we’ll see. But I think 2022 is, like, the final call if they’re really serious about promoting George. Otherwise...either someone else will take him on (Red Bull has apparently expressed interest?) or he’ll be forced to take his career in another direction. 

If Red Bull are too brash and hasty in their decision-making, promoting and demoting drivers mid-season and trying to figure out what lineup works essentially through guesswork and trial and error, then Mercedes are too careful. And I get it. From their point of view, what they have right now works - they’re converting their work model to poles and wins which, in their mind, means that it’s a viable one. As much as they’re like, “Oh, hope some other team catches up and challenges us!” Mercedes like winning. They’re more than a team, they’re a business, one that’s run very efficiently. You can see Toto’s years of business involvement and investing coming through in the way they do things - they run a tight ship. Hell, even Ferrari - traditional, set in their ways Ferrari took a huge risk by promoting Charles after just one year in F1. A lot of people were very skeptical about their new lineup and a lot of people I think assumed Charles would crumble under the pressure - or, at the very least, not be able to keep up with the demands and pressures of being a young driver at Ferrari. And he ended up proving himself and two seasons later they’re trying to mold him into a leader that will take them to victory in the future. Something something does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes. Maybe this is just the way Charles is; maybe he was given the support he felt he needed to thrive; maybe if it were anybody else it wouldn’t have worked out the way it did. But at least they took the chance - and it paid off. Mercedes are clinging to their current model because it works right now, but if they want to continue being competitive and being on top in years to come, then they really need to think of ways to shake things up. And I think Toto knows that. George is a huge asset; how and when they choose to utilize his skills is up to them. But the clock is ticking and I think Toto’s aware of that. While I have no personal emotional stake in the team, I’m curious to see what they decide to do going forward. I’m not sure they can afford (in the not strictly material sense) to lose George the way they did their previous young drivers. 

#replies #anonymous #guess what time it is kids? it's ✨ essay ✨ time #no i can't keep things brief...........it's a Problem #all opinions expressed are my own and all that good stuff #and this is in no way meant to slight valtteri btw #in fact i think it's quite shitty of them to keep feeding him one year extensions #mostly so they can easily drop him in case someone 'better' comes along #like either you're serious about him being an important member of the team - in which case reward him with a multi-year deal #or admit that you're not satisfied with him or that you want someone else and be upfront about it #mercedes is sleazier than people give them credit for tbh. but y'know toto is hot and they all have cuddles and compliment each other #so it *must* mean that everything's fine #long post

[meaningofmotorsport]

British Grand Prix Review

In a weekend of changes, the one constant we had, the Grand Prix, turned out to be the one we least expected, with major drama occurring right at the front!

Let’s get straight to the biggest talking point! It was the climax of two drivers being overly aggressive on Lap 1, and has left both teams overstating their sides of the story! Both sides had a part to play in the end result, but the blame does lie slightly more on Hamilton, whether it was worth a penalty is up for debate, I think given it cost Verstappen any result, the FIA felt they had to penalise Lewis! Max could have left more room on the apex, and allowed Lewis more room going into the corner, to avoid him understeering. However, it was Hamilton who made the dive, and simply could not stop the car from understeering, as he missed the apex by half a metre, causing the contact with Max. He was never ahead going into the corner, and at the point of contact was well behind him. In closing, the teams have made a bigger deal out of this than it really should be, as you would expect, and abuse on social media by fans from both sides, but especially racially against Lewis, is despicable!

Coming into this weekend Mercedes made improvements to the car, with a raft of upgrades, but I think it was choosing a low downforce set up that helped them the most. Hamilton nailed qualifying, well ahead of Max on pace, but lost out at the start in the Sprint race, despite trying his all. The low downforce was what kept Lewis in the hunt on Lap 1 of the Grand Prix on Sunday, and knowing how strong Red Bull’s race pace was, Hamilton knew it was his only chance for the win, which led to what we saw. Who knows how it would have played out with Max still in the race, but in this scenario, Lewis drove superbly, despite not looking great in the first stint, he closed on Leclerc in the closing stages, to take another home win! It was a typical Bottas race really, not on pace with his teammate, and even struggling to beat Norris at some points! He played the team game, which is his biggest aid in keeping that seat! Going to Hungary, Red Bull are still a threat, so Mercedes just needs to keep the pressure on!

Talking of pressure, Red Bull looked like a team under pressure! Verstappen raced Lap 1, unsurprisingly, like a driver not in the championship, rather than a championship leader, which played its part in the crash that occurred! Then when the accident happened, the team imploded! The entire team acted like drama queens over the crash, acting as though Lewis did it on purpose, and that it was a rookie error, when it was in fact just a small Lap 1 mistake. I hope they calm down soon, as this could really derail their season, if they keep on getting stressed over very little! There was no better evidence of the mess the team was in after Lap 1, than the strategy of Perez, which was totally abysmal! They cost themselves a spot right inside the points, and did the petty thing of costing themselves points, to make sure Hamilton didn’t get fastest lap!

As if the chaos between the top two teams wasn’t enough, we then saw the best race from Ferrari possibly since 2019, as Leclerc barely missed out on a win for the team. After taking the lead on Lap 1, he controlled the restart, and had excellent pace on the mediums, with the dirty air stopping any advances by Hamilton. Their pace on the hard’s was also very competitive, better than anyone except Lewis, who showed what he could really do as he closed down on Charles. You have to really feel for Ferrari, they did deserve the win, and without those engine issues today, he could have got it done! Who knows if they will get another chance like this in 2021, but I think many people hope they will! Sainz fought back well from the contact in the Sprint race, and could have battled with Norris, however, just couldn’t quite pass Ricciardo in the end. At least they have gained on McLaren!

Talking of McLaren, what could have been for Norris, if he hadn’t of had that slow pitstop. It wouldn’t have been easy to hold off Bottas, but he isn’t exactly a passing master! Ordinarily the team’s pace would have looked absolutely stellar, yet with how well Ferrari went, it was kind of overlooked! Given what has happened to Lando this past week, he coped with everything very well, and is back up to 3rd in the driver’s championship, which is amazing! Daniel also did his bit for the team, as his pace improved again, and whilst he couldn’t match his teammate, there are signs of a better future for the Aussie!

The rest of the top 10 was almost forgotten in that race, but Alpine used the gains they made in the Sprint Race to great effect, to get a double point score for the team, and close back in on Aston Martin and Alpha Tauri. For Ocon this was desperately needed result, after a horrible few races, even though he is still being beaten by Alonso, who is on fire right now!

It was a mixed day for Aston Martin, Stroll yet again made amazing progress from an underwhelming starting spot, with the team using strategy to get some points! Vettel would have been in the running for points too, however, made a simple mistake under traction, causing the car to spin, thus ruining his race! Even more unnoticed, is that Tsunoda outraced Gasly to get the final point. He finally had a quiet weekend, and it netted a brilliant result. He just needs to keep this going now!

Russell just didn’t have the pace for points here, even with the luck of Verstappen and Perez not scoring, he couldn’t get to 10th, although he was rather close! The philosophy of making a peaky car this year by Williams is working superbly, they just need to reap the rewards of it soon! Alfa Romeo and Haas were not really seen at all in the race, as they came home well outside the points!

The Sprint format was by no means a disaster this weekend, I am just not sure it added that much to the weekend, as whilst we gained some action early on in the weekend, it took something away from the excitement in the build-up for the race! I am glad we tried it, and if it were implemented at tracks where overtaking is possible, it could be alright, however I am not that fussed about it!

Incredibly the Sprint race is not the biggest news coming out of the weekend, as everything is really heating up in the title fight! I expect things will calm down a bit before Hungary, although Red Bull will have a point to prove, and may still be annoyed at Mercedes! This is shaping up to be another classic year for F1!

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

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#britishgp #british grand prix #f1 #f12021 #british gp 2021 #britishgrandprix #f1 2021 #formula1 #motorsport

[junker-town]

‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ is a perfect intro to the best soap opera in sports

The second season of the acclaimed Neflix show sets the stage for F1 racing’s future.

The second season of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive dropped on Feb. 28, and it’s just as good as the extremely well-received first season. Like any good Millennial, I watched the entire series in a couple of days, even though the new Formula 1 season doesn’t start until March 15. The ten half-hour episodes are extremely bingeable.

Eight teams get significant air time over the show’s 10 episodes. The big teams sat out last year’s show, but after seeing how successful it was, they decided they wanted in on the action. Ferrari and Mercedes feature, but just like Season 1, the really good stuff comes from struggling teams like Williams and Haas.

Notably absent from the show are Racing Point and Alfa Romeo, who almost exactly met expectations last season, and return the same drivers for 2020. The producers opted not to force any drama for those teams. Fans of teenage shitposter/Twitch streamer/McLaren driver Lando Norris will also be disappointed to see that he’s barely mentioned.

What’s missing is much less important than what’s in the show, however. Drive to Survive is still amazing, and a perfect introduction to the best soap opera in sports. Minor spoilers below.

Is it a reality show? Is it a documentary? I don’t know, it’s just really good

I’m not really sure how you would classify Drive to Survive. It’s definitely more documentary than reality television, though the interviews feel very reality TV-influenced.

No matter what you call it, the show is made by the level of access that the producers are granted. Because the teams are promised that the show won’t air until the season ends and the driver lineup for the following season is set, they’re free to be themselves. It doesn’t feel like any of the teams’ drivers or principals are guarded in any way. The result is a show that does a brilliant job promoting what makes F1: Off-the-track drama.

Formula 1 is basically WWE for rich Europeans. The races are hit or miss, but the politics and promos are the really engrossing stuff. If you watch an F1 race without any knowledge of its inner workings, it might not seem that interesting. But when you understand the behind-the-scenes ramifications of a result, a pass for 10th place can feel as important as a pass for first.

The show’s format lets viewers into this world by focusing on the narrative arcs of individual characters and teams, rather than telling a chronological story. And though the show jumps around the calendar, it isn’t misleading or confusing. I imagine this was a difficult choice for the producers, but they got it right.

Most importantly for the show’s purposes, F1 is also involved in the production, so it also works as an advertisement. Viewers are left with an understanding of multiple storylines and who to root for in 2020. I think it would be hard to come away from the show without wanting to follow a team or driver in the upcoming season.

It’s so painful when you know what’s coming

If you did not follow the 2019 F1 season, you will have a different experience watching this show than I did. But if you did follow along last season, you’ll find yourself saying “oh noooo” at the screen several times just before the big reveals.

The results of storylines involving drivers like Pierre Gasly and Niko Hulkeberg, and teams like Haas and Williams, are foreshadowed well in advance. The portions covering the deaths of Niki Lauda and Anthoine Hubert are probably more serious tearjerkers when you see them coming.

If you didn’t follow F1 last year and watch the show, let me know if the foreshadowing was obvious to you. I’m very curious.

Guenther Steiner is once again the best character

The breakout star of the first season of Drive to Survive was Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, a hilarious character who curses at his drivers and staff in ways that American football coaches would envy. English is not his first language, but he’s an artist with the f-word.

Steiner’s home life is presented in stark contrast to the way he acts on the track. He’s very calm and kind with his wife and daughter, and is presented as a loving husband and father.

But then he has to go to work and deal with the mistake-riddled work of his engineers and drivers.

“This is not a fucking kindergarten here,” Steiner says to his staff at one point. Following a collision between Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, Steiner delivers the best line of the series.

“Gene spends 100 fucking million dollars a year of his own fucking money,” Steiner says to his drivers, referring to team owner Gene Haas, “and wants to pull the plug and let everybody down because of two fucking idiots.”

Haas never really got better after that, but Steiner still has his job, as do Grosjean and Magnussen. Their owner has not pulled the plug, though he was unable to recruit a title sponsor to replace the ill-fated Rich Energy.

I have no idea how Haas will do in 2020, but I do know that Steiner will likely be the best character in Season 3 of the show, too.

I empathize so much with Claire Williams

Williams Formula One has won seven drivers’ world championships and nine constructors’ championships under the leadership of legendary founder Frank Williams. But their last honors came in 1997, and Frank’s daughter Claire has been tasked with turning the team around. Thus far, she has failed — Williams was by far the worst team on the grid in 2019 — and it’s impossible to tell if it’s because she can’t hack it, or because of circumstances beyond her control.

In the trailer for Season 1, Claire Williams said something that has stuck with me ever since I heard it: “Every day I break out in a cold sweat thinking, ‘do I have the skillset to do this?’”

This is something that I think a lot of women have felt at work. Plenty of men too, but this is disproportionately a female experience.

In Williams’ case specifically, she has reached the highest position of any woman in F1, an organization that has historically been outrageously chauvinistic. Her detractors will argue that she only has her job because of her father, and her supporters will argue that the most qualified and experienced team principal in the world couldn’t turn around Williams on F1’s lowest budget.

The show follows the Williams team as it fails to finish its car in time for preseason testing. Claire’s rage at director of engineering Paddy Lowe can be felt through the screen, even if she never raises her voice.

I’m not sure if she holds back because that’s not her personality, or because she feels like it would be deemed unacceptable for a woman to do so. When Steiner blows up and calls his subordinates “fucking idiots,” we all have a good laugh. I feel like the reaction would be a bit different if Claire Williams did the same.

“I don’t want to disgrace the Williams name,” Claire says in an interview. “I don’t want Williams to fall apart under my watch.” I wonder how often she feels powerless to prevent that from happening, even though she’s ostensibly in charge?

Leclerc vs. Vettel is the story in F1

In 2020, all eyes are going to be on Ferrari.

Last season, youngster Charles Leclerc signed on to represent F1’s most iconic brand. He knew he’d be a clear No. 2 driver behind four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. But as the season wore on, the pecking order got a lot less clear. As it turns out, Leclerc might be the better driver.

Vettel’s last world championship was in 2013, with Red Bull. He left for Ferrari when he felt like his old team was falling miles behind Mercedes, but he hasn’t been able to recapture his championship form in the famous red car. Following a couple of second-place finishes and preseason hype that he could challenge Lewis Hamilton, Vettel disappointed in 2019, finishing fifth.

Leclerc, meanwhile, exceeded expectations in his first year with Ferrari. Despite Vettel being given preferential strategy in multiple races — a huge point of contention that’s explored on the show — Leclerc outperformed his teammate. His win in Ferrari’s home race at the Italian Grand Prix was arguably the feel-good moment of the year, and he out-qualified Vettel on a regular basis. His fourth-place finish in the drivers’ championship, ahead of Vettel, suggests he should not have to defer to the veteran anymore.

But F1 is not just about who is better at driving. It is a competition that is equal parts skill, engineering and politics. And though Leclerc may be a better driver than Vettel, he’s no politician. Whenever he complains about fairness on the show, Vettel finds a way to take advantage of Leclerc’s naiveté.

However, that’s the only thing Vettel did better than Leclerc in 2019. If all things are equal, Ferrari is going to start siding with the younger driver sooner rather than later.

Drive to Survive sets up 2020 perfectly as the end of an era

This upcoming season is the last with unlimited spending, and most of the drivers will be out of a contract at the end of the campaign. There will be new car requirements for 2021 as well. For this reason, a lot of teams are treading water this season, putting their money into new facilities and preparing for when they are finally able to compete with Mercedes, the runaway leaders, in 2021.

It feels likely that this season will be a ceremonial victory lap for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes before things get tough in 2021. If the two championships are the only things that interest you, I regret to inform you that this F1 campaign is unlikely to be compelling. But in terms of long-term storylines and interpersonal drama, this is going to be one of the wildest seasons in the sport’s history.

Everyone is fighting for their livelihoods. No one’s job is secure. A great midfield performance could position a driver for world championship contention next season. George Russell will struggle to score a single point for Williams, but he’s still trying to prove he’s ready to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps at Mercedes.

The drivers’ and constructors’ championships might not be up for grabs in 2020, but the future of the sport is.