Formula One 2016

[Chris2K]

I think Kimi is quite lucky that Red Bull promoted Verstappen otherwise I'm sure his seat would have been under more of a threat.

I've got nothing against KImi at all but, whilst he's tied with Vettel on points etc., it just feels like Vettel is the #1 driver and Raikkonen is #2 in terms of talent. It would have been nice to see a youngster in the team to see what they could do against Seb.

[JasonM]

6 minutes ago, Chris2K said:

I think Kimi is quite lucky that Red Bull promoted Verstappen otherwise I'm sure his seat would have been under more of a threat.

I've got nothing against KImi at all but, whilst he's tied with Vettel on points etc., it just feels like Vettel is the #1 driver and Raikkonen is #2 in terms of talent. It would have been nice to see a youngster in the team to see what they could do against Seb.

But as more as we want it, Ferrari has never been a team of equal drivers, going back since before Jacky Ickx. At times they've had two very comparable drivers (Kimi/Massa, Schumi/Irvine 97-99, Prost/Mansell, Scheckter/Gilles) but even then there was a clear #1 and a clear #2 at all times, if not on the track then in the paddock.

Ferrari loves their hierarchy, they want a driver that can win them titles and one that brings them a constructors title on the heels of that. The other driver needs to be capable of accepting that there's one guy ahead of him that'll get the nod in 9/10 cases. And right now Kimi Raikkonen is the perfect driver for that, a guy that's popular in his own right, but clearly no longer has the ambition to aspire to a second world title. He's enjoying driving, he's still very competitive, and he doesn't moan. So in the eyes of Ferrari he's the best they can get out of the current crop.

At best i'd have pegged them to make a pass at Jenson Button for that role, but he wants to compete for wins and also will no doubt make a return to Williams F1 for a farewell tour.

[Chris2K]

I hate Safety Car starts so much. It's raining (or it was), deal with it, it's either too wet to race or they race as usual.

[Lineker]

The radio ban rules are so stupid.

[Katsuya]

Bernie has signed a deal with Imola to take over the Italian GP from 2017, due to Monza's continuing financial issues. Still has to signed off by the Italian Auto club though, who have been supporting Monza throughout this.

Part of me will be really sad to see no more Monza, but another part of me ADORES Imola.

[JasonM]

Personally not a fan of Imola. Sure, it might be more technical than Monza, but Monza's one of those special classics that you never ever want to see leave. 

I'd prefer if the European GP is rotated on a year-by-year basis instead, this year the Baku GP, next year Imola, the year after that Nurburgring, and so forth. 

Edited July 18, 2016 by Jasonmufc

[Lineker]

I will miss the Monza podium so much  (and the amazing race too obviously)

[Katsuya]

Eh. The problem with Monza is, I can't ever massively remember a great GP there for a while. The best ones from memory were Vettel's victory in the STR and Perez nearly winning in the Sauber. Otherwise there's not one that jumps out.

It's legendary, yes, but there's not much else. The Tifosi will just as happily take over at Imola.

[Lineker]

Quote

Bernie Ecclestone has agreed terms for Imola to host a Formula 1 race, but the Italian Grand Prix is still likely to remain at Monza.

Ecclestone previously cited the political impasse surrounding a new contract for Monza as a major stumbling block in the long-running saga of Italy's place on the F1 calendar, and has confirmed to Autosport an agreement is now in place with Imola.

But Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of Italian motorsport's governing body the Automobile Club d'Italia, claims the issues hanging over Monza have been removed and hopes a conclusion can swiftly be reached with Formula One Management.

The Imola contract will be irrelevant if the ACI completes the Monza deal.

"We have finally solved all the problems there were with the territorial entities - the region [of Lombardy], the cities of Milan and Monza, and the Park Authority," Sticchi Damiani told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We have found an agreement between ACI Milan and SIAS [which owns Monza through the ACI], and we are preparing a binding offer to be sent to FOM.

"At this point there are no more political problems."

The vice-president of the Lombardy region, Fabrizio Sala, claims his department is providing €5million per year to help "close the contract".

Sala added: "We are pleased the president of the ACI has clarified there is no political problem, and a binding offer is to be sent to FOM.

"We hope we quickly arrive at a conclusion. The Italian GP is Monza, is part of our tradition, and we cannot allow it to go away."

Ecclestone claims he has done all he can, and despite having a deal in place with Imola, which last hosted the San Marino GP in 2006, the fact Sticchi Damiani is such a staunch supporter of Monza makes a change of venue less likely.

"We've now an agreement [with Imola] there that's ready to go," Ecclestone told Autosport.

"But we've a guy there that's saying 'Either we do things my way, or not at all', so when people say that you know what the answer is going to be.

"He must do what he thinks is the right thing to do, and if we don't have a race in Italy it won't be because of me.

"He has a contract, and all that is required is a signature. As I've said before, he has to get a pen and sign.

"They're good deals for them. They can please themselves."

Ecclestone confirmed that even if a race at Imola took the San Marino GP tag again rather than being the Italian GP, it would still have to be signed off by Sticchi Damiani.

"They [Imola] have signed their contract, but I cannot sign off on my side because the ACI is unwilling to sign on its part," added Ecclestone.

"And wherever we race, be it Imola or Monza, it needs to be sanctioned by him anyway, whatever you call it."

[Lineker]

Sauber have now been officially taken over. Team identity and Monisha both remain but Peter Sauber will retire.

[Katsuya]

FIA have now clarified the rules again on what can be said during the race. Effectively, they can now tell the driver whatever the hell they want whilst the driver's in the pitlane - so, in theory, Mercedes could have told Lewis to drive through the pits in Baku to fix the problem with his car, but at the cost of having to effectively do a drive-through penalty. Which makes sense, but of course it's the FIA, so they've now added the caveat that if a team tells a driver that a part is having too much wear / there's an issue, the car must immediately come in to the pits for repairs or retire. 

[Adam]

 

Quote

 

Fernando Alonso: McLaren driver says F1 is 'too controlled'

Fernando Alonso has criticised the state of Formula 1, saying that it is too controlled and restrictive.

The two-time champion said F1 needed "a little bit more freedom" for the teams to design and operate their cars - and in the running of the sport in general.

"If you painted all the cars black, you would not know which team built which car," said McLaren's Alonso, 34.

Ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, he added that drivers were "allowed to breathe and not much more".

Alonso has already been quoted this week by Italian magazine Autosprint reiterating his common complaint since Pirelli tyres were introduced into F1 in 2011 that they do not allow drivers to push flat out.

On Thursday, the sport's governing body the FIA strengthened restrictions on radio communication between teams and drivers - a move described by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel as "a joke".

"We can never drive the cars to their real limit," said Alonso, the 2005 and 2006 champion. "We can never attack as much as we would like because the tyres don't allow you to.

"If you push too hard they overheat, and lose grip immediately. If you use the engine too much, you step over consumption parameters.

"To be quick in today's F1, you must not attack too much, that's the secret, but that's something against a driver's instincts."

In a news conference on Thursday, the Spaniard added that F1's problems were not with the fact Mercedes were dominating.

"I don't think that there being one team dominant [is the problem], it has always been like this in a way," he said.

"But the show was good enough and now it is not good enough for whatever reason - because the cars are too slow, too heavy or the noise is not good or the prices are too high or whatever.

"Whatever it is, I don't know, it's not the same and it's something obvious."

Alonso, questioning the number of tweaks made to F1 regulations, said: "I think they have made this to talk about something between races, because it makes no sense.

"Relaxing everything a little bit would be good, like it always used to be in F1.

"We have to do the same thing at the same time at the same hour and if you don't do one of these things you have to go to the stewards and you will have a penalty - a time penalty, a reprimand, points.

"It doesn't matter if you are five minutes late to the briefing or if you go five minutes late to the autograph session. You are allowed to breathe and not much more."

 

Every word correct. Seems each week something new is changed to make the sport worse. It's such a shame what they've done to it these last 6 or so years.

[Lineker]

Dull race.

[Katsuya]

Rumour is that Stoffel will be taking over from Haryanto soon at Manor, which will be awesome if just to see Vandoorne and Wehrlein directly against each other.

[Lineker]

Snetterton names a corner in memory of Justin Wilson

[Katsuya]

A Russian news site is saying Red Bull have told Kvyat he's not being kept on for 2017.

[Lineker]

Nobody seriously thought he would be though? Especially with Gasly waiting in the wings.

[JasonM]

40 minutes ago, Katsuya loves Oslo said:

A Russian news site is saying Red Bull have told Kvyat he's not being kept on for 2017.

Really not surprised. He's just stumbled right down the order all season long, and it's become painfully obvious that the guys confidence is completely shot.
The only thing I wonder is who would replace him at STR though, since with the new (40) points system it has become a lot tougher to put developmental drivers in a seat.

Currently these guys are eligible... (Keeping out the older ones, because there's no way anyone over 25 is gonna be driving for STR).
Stoffel Vandoorne - McLaren Reserve driver
Nyck de Vries - McLaren Junior Driver
Esteban Ocon - Renault Junior Driver
Oliver Rowland - Renault Junior Driver
Felix Rosenqvist -  Mercedes Junior Driver
Alex Lynn - Williams Test Driver
Raffaelle Marciello - Ferrari Junior Driver
Antonio Giovinazzi - Ferrari Junior Driver(?)
Sergey Sirotkin - Renault Test Driver
Alex Rossi - Indy 500 winner, Manor reserve driver
Marvin Kirchhofer - Is struggling in GP2, but has 40 points

Pierry Gasly is on 39 points currently, but he's most likely going to get above 40 at the end of the season.

Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/12/07/revealed-which-drivers-have-enough-superlicence-points-to-race-in-f1/

If the STR programme works as it does, and Sainz is true on his word, RBR might have some real issues finding a new driver after 2017

Edited July 26, 2016 by Jasonmufc

[FestiveJack]

Vandoorne's surely taking Button's seat, isn't he?

[JasonM]

17 minutes ago, Mad Jack said:

Vandoorne's surely taking Button's seat, isn't he?

If Button leaves, there's no doubt about Vandoorne getting the spot. But Button's been playing coy about his racing future all season, so the're always the chance he adds another McLaren season to his resumé.

Also, Vandoorne is also rumoured to get Haryanto's seat for the rest of the season, if Rio's backers cant pony up the money for the rest of the season.