78 replies to this topic

[Neutreus]

Thought I'd kick off the annual commencement of F1 gossip and debate.

 

So .......... Day 1 of testing today and Williams have already announced that their car won't be ready until Wednesday at the earliest (ergo missing 25% of total pre-season testing minimum). Very sad news for them. And to make matters worse, insiders are reporting that the car is slower than last years at the moment, a purported 2 seconds a lap off the top guys.

 

Not much else to report thus far other than a couple of livery changes and Sauber now being Alfa Romeo (read: Ferrari junior team)

[Chubbs]

Feel very sorry for Williams and very interested to see how Leclerc/Vettel plays out.

[blobbish]

First week of testing has produced some interesting results.

 

Looks like Renault are going to be much stronger this year, and I'm pleased that, although late to testing, Williams posted some good test laps.

 

I think this year may be something to watch.

[PaulW]

To soon to say but lots of reliability right across the field and all seem to be able to do a time when they want so this could be a cracker of a season. Imagine Mercedes fighting for 6th with Renault and Toro Rosso locking out the front two rows of the grid

[Neutreus]

Have to admit that although my interest in F1 isn't what it used got be, I'm looking forward ot this season. Could be a belter!

[Paul_S]

Very disappointed to see than Karun has moved to the evil SKY corporation

[LESmo]

Even more so that at the moment Ted seems to have disappeared from Sky.  you only have to search on twitter #Wherested its been trending for the past day or so since he didn't turn up at the first test last week and no one has heard from him.

 

https://www.change.o...o-sky-sports-f1

[LESmo]

I wonder if Williams Chief Technical Officer Paddy Lowe is still in charge at Australia.  I have no idea what happened when they came to bolt the car together.  But it wasn't good for them or their new sponsor to miss so much track time.  Drivers handled themselves well in public.

[JohnFK]

Found this a very interesting read this morning: https://www.bbc.co.u...rmula1/47422390

Not 2019 but looks like 18" wheels for 2021...

[Neutreus]

I'm hoping that the racing will be a lot closer with all of the changes discussed in that article (good read by the way, thanks John) but I'm still skeptical about what of these changes will go through (escpecially budgetary ones) bcause if Ferrari and Mercedes start making threats, do Liberty Media have the cohonas to say "there's the door then" and make the changes anyway?

[blobbish]

There are 3 issues that need to be rectified.

 

1. Scrap the £100m annual bonus and rule veto that Ferrari get for competing. Although I think this is due to end in 2020

2. Scrap this stupid idea on having one off circuits in areas that have little to no F1 interest and concentrate on the historic circuits that have full capacity

3. Bring F1 out of PPV as interest will drop dramatically and the future F1 generations will instead be tuning into other series. This also pays into point 2

 

The speeds shown by the teams this year is encouraging even if there is still a little unknown on the top cars actual speed. What testing did show is that the lower teams are much quicker and should be more reliable this year. But until we get them racing we have no real idea how down force, power gains and reliability will actually pan out. 

[JohnFK]

So... This year will see 1 driver's point for fastest lap per GP. Sounds good to me.

[Neutreus]

So... This year will see 1 driver's point for fastest lap per GP. Sounds good to me.

 

Really? I hadn't seen that. Is that at any point in the GP? If it is, I always thought they wanted to avoid that to stop people pitting with 3 laps to go and just smashing in the laps on fresh tyres (and could end up with an Ocon and Verstappen ala Brazil moment again)

[John_K]

I understand that the point is only awarded if they also finish in the top ten.

Should throw up some interesting last points scoring place battles, or even inter team battles (eg Vettel leading, Le Clerc 2nd but with the fastest lap point, could Vettel resist?...and then bin it on the last lap?)

[A Pair Of Flabby Wings]

It does bring up a wonderful tactical dilemma.  There are certain drivers who, over the last ten years, have been very good at banging in a very fast lap towards the end of a race, even when quite forcefully asked not to by their engineer.  At least now there is a more tangible reward for doing so.  However, is that reward and the benefit the extra point might bring at the end of the season going to encourage drivers to push a little too far in the latter stage of a race? 

 

As the season progresses it will be good to see whether that extra point encourages a few drivers to push too hard and throw away the points they would otherwise have won.  It might also prolong the championship battle, with 26 points potentially available.

 

I like the idea a lot, even though part of me is thinking the word "gimmick".  If it prolongs the season then I will not think that any more.

[Chubbs]

If a point had been awarded for fastest lap at our Milton Keynes Karting Meet* last year, at least I'd have left with a point in the pocket.

This may have eased the long-term pain of my catastrophic spin in the middle of the race (yes, the memory still hurts)

 

F1? Who needs it when you've got a kart?

 

 

*If you want to try to beat me, sign up for this year's event (on Sat the 23rd March 2019) - LINK - There are still a couple of spaces for drivers. Think y'er 'ard enough??? Scared to take on a pensioner??? Eh??? Eh???

[LESmo]

Nascar do points for Lead Laps,  Points for leading in the three segments (the race is split into three) as well as points for leading most laps.  Splitting the race up into segments forces mini races inside races.  For long (up to 6 hour races).  It does add another tactic.

[Paul_S]

If a point had been awarded for fastest lap at our Milton Keynes Karting Meet* last year, at least I'd have left with a point in the pocket.

This may have eased the long-term pain of my catastrophic spin in the middle of the race (yes, the memory still hurts)

 

F1? Who needs it when you've got a kart?

 

 

*If you want to try to beat me, sign up for this year's event (on Sat the 23rd March 2019) - LINK - There are still a couple of spaces for drivers. Think y'er 'ard enough??? Scared to take on a pensioner??? Eh??? Eh???

This is true.  I heard it's part of the reason that Hamilton gave up karting and moved into F1 - too much competition...

[Neutreus]

It will be interesting to see if they are allowed to push in the last few laps because don't forget that those engines have to last a long time now and a couple of 'qualifying' laps toward the end could put stress on the engine and cause penalties for replacement parts. Oh, the conundrum!

[Alex_C]

Sad news this morning on the eve of the season

 

https://www.bbc.co.u...rmula1/47564762