Chris2K Posted May 27, 2018 Report Share Posted May 27, 2018 As god as Danny Ric's drive was, let's not take away from how utterly garbage the race was to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted May 31, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 Quote Vijay Mallya has resigned as a director of Force India and is expected to handed the board role to his son Siddarth, while he remains the team principal of the Silverstone outfit. Mallya says he want to focus on his own legal issues, and doesn't want them to impact the team. Although best known in his home country as an actor and media personality, 31-year-old Siddarth has also worked in the family business, and served as a director of the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL cricket team. "I continue as team principal," Mallya told Autosport. "There was no compulsion anywhere to resign, it's just that I decided that my son should replace me. "I have my own legal issues to take care of, so it's better that the company remains unaffected." Mallya downplayed ongoing suggestions that the team is close to a sale. "Rumours keep going on and on and on, and people talk and talk and talk," he said. "That's what the F1 paddock is all about. The finances of Force India, whether I'm selling or not selling, has been a matter of speculation on and off for many years. "We don't go around with a 'for sale' sign. The bottom line is that we are focusing on getting the best performance out of the car, and that is our priority. We're focusing on getting more sponsors. "There are three shareholders, remember, I'm not the only one. "If somebody comes along with a serious offer, and puts cash on the table, we will jointly consider it." Mallya also denied rumours Mercedes might strengthen its ties with Force India by extending the current cooperation on engines and gearbox and making into a junior or B-team. "I have not had any discussions with Mercedes, they have not made any approach to us," he said. "This hasn't even featured in casual discussions." Regarding this season's form he said: "We've not had the best of luck. Last year we had the good fortune of both cars finishing, and both in the points. "This season for one reason or another both cars have not finished in the points yet. Hopefully that will get corrected as the season goes on. "In terms of competitiveness and race pace this is evolving, and we're getting better through the year as we develop. "We're quite pleased with where we are, we just have to make sure both cars are in the points from now on. There's a long way to go." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted June 6, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 Quote Lando Norris insists an approach from Toro Rosso to join its Formula 1 line-up will not distract him from his Formula 2 efforts or his role as McLaren's reserve driver. It emerged on Wednesday that McLaren, which looks after Norris's career, rejected an offer from Toro Rosso for the young British driver to replace Brendon Hartley from the Austrian Grand Prix. Hartley has had a disappointing start to the season - albeit having encountered bad luck - and there has been speculation since the Monaco Grand Prix that the New Zealander's long-term future could be in doubt. Toro Rosso has started evaluating its options but its offer to promote Norris was knocked back by McLaren, which is believed to be considering promoting its junior driver to its own F1 team next year. Speaking about the Toro Rosso offer, Norris said: "I'm flattered by the stories but I'm focussed on F2 and committed to McLaren. I leave this sort of thing to my management." It is understood that the Toro Rosso offer would have committed Norris to the Red Bull junior team for longer than just this season. Neither of McLaren's drivers are committed for the 2019 F1 campaign. Fernando Alonso's future beyond the end of this year is not guaranteed, with the Spaniard having to decide if he wants to stay in F1, while Stoffel Vandoorne's fate rests on him improving after a tough start to 2018. With uncertainty over both its drivers, McLaren needs Norris to be available as a back-up option, if it believes he is ready to step up to F1 in 2019. Should McLaren eventually keep both of its current drivers, then it would be more open to loaning Norris out to give him more experience. A McLaren spokesman said: "We are not surprised that other teams approach our drivers. They clearly believe they are as talented as we do." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted June 6, 2018 Report Share Posted June 6, 2018 Poor Hartley, but he's really not looked comfortable in F1 at all. He's just one of those guys that has genuine racing talent in one class of racing, but just doesn't translate it into the next. I'd say he's best off finding a spot in WEC again, granted, with the season underway it might be tough to get that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2K Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 Williams are expected to re-sign Lance Stroll for next year as he has "met expectations". I assume those expectations are for him to turn up at race weekends and for his daddy's money to be in the account on time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2K Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 I never thought I'd say this about a Canadian Grand Prix, but after the first couple of racing laps this has been atrociously dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meacon Keaton Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 10 minutes ago, Chris2K said: I never thought I'd say this about a Canadian Grand Prix, but after the first couple of racing laps this has been atrociously dull. This is only the third race I’ve caught live this season, and my god yes it has been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 4 minutes ago, Meacon said: This is only the third race I’ve caught live this season, and my god yes it has been. When it doesn't rain and if there are no safety cars, Canada has always been a woefully dull affair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meacon Keaton Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 The only reason I’m still watching is to not see Hamilton on the podium. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2K Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 They've waved the chequered flag a lap early Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katsuya Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 Yeah, I've not been one to get on the "F1's getting boring" train, but when they managed to make Canada that dull, it's worrying. Grosjean on something like 30 lap younger tyres couldn't get past Gasly, which in cars as matches as the Toro Rosso & Haas makes no sense. Still, another point for Leclerc, so I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 The races are basically becoming 10-15 laps of 'racing' where no one can pass due to aero and then 50-60 laps of conserving fuel, engines and tyres where no one even tries to pass. Cars that can do 1.10 in qualifying should not be driving around doing 1.15's and leading. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted June 10, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 We need three stop races again. Bring actual strategy back into it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 (edited) 40 minutes ago, The Gazz said: The races are basically becoming 10-15 laps of 'racing' where no one can pass due to aero and then 50-60 laps of conserving fuel, engines and tyres where no one even tries to pass. Cars that can do 1.10 in qualifying should not be driving around doing 1.15's and leading. Well to be fair, Cars have never been as fast in the race than they were in Qualifying except that one period where Quali had to be driven with full tanks and race tyres. As simple as it is, In quali cars are driving with an empty tank and on a fresh set of the quickest tyre available, on engine modes that aren't designed to do a full race distance. They're always gonna be faster in Quali than in races. Now that doesn't mean there's certainly massive frustrations with the rule. There's indeed too much fuel management, and the tyre differences have become silly with there now being fifty different compounds in a single season. But the biggest issue is easily the insane amounts of dirty air the aero parts are creating, cars need to be on average 1s a lap FASTER than the car in front to even have a shot at making a pass. Which is ridiculous, and which causes faster cars to get stuck behind a slower car for inordinate amounts of time, because what the win on the straights they immediately lose in corners because the downforce gets ruined. Also to continue on the tyres, it's ridiculous that Pirelli still makes the softest least durable tyre last half races, and the middle tyre possibly last entire races. There's just barely any cliff on those rubbers anymore, and due to commercial considerations they won't make the tyres worse because they want to sell sell sell. They need to step away from an x amount of standardized tyres and have Pirelli design three compounds for every respective race, to make sure that the softest tyres aren't going to be running 30 laps in a 70 lap race, and that there's an actual cliff that punishes teams for overdoing their stints. Edited June 10, 2018 by Jasonmufc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted June 10, 2018 Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 I'm aware of the differences in setups for qualifying and the race, what I'm saying is that the difference between a pole position qualifying lap and the average lap time of the leader over the final quarter of the race shouldn't be nearly 7%. Are we going to get to Spa and see the field chugging around doing two minute laps? Drivers are driving at 75% and are not being tested, when was the last time someone actually decent spun out of a race and ended up in the gravel trap because they were putting the car on the limit? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted June 11, 2018 Report Share Posted June 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Switzerlineker said: We need three stop races again. Bring actual strategy back into it. The day they banned refuelling was a big turning point for me. I used to love the differing strategy of each team and the importance of getting the pit stop right in what was a 10 second window rather than like 3 seconds. I mean, a million other things have contributed to the racing being ruined too but that's definitely up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted June 14, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 Alonso's Toyota is on pole for Le Mans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 10 hours ago, Switzerlineker said: Alonso's Toyota is on pole for Le Mans. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. (I mean, not really a surprise at all, it was either Toyota 7 or Toyota 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted June 18, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Quote Red Bull has decided to switch to Honda Formula 1 engines next year, high level sources have revealed, with confirmation of the move likely ahead of this weekend's French Grand Prix. Although the Milton Keynes-based team had been expected to wait until the Austrian GP to make its final decision on the 2019 engine call, indications now suggest senior management has made its mind up. Following close evaluation of the performance steps made by both car manufacturers over the Canadian GP weekend, and well aware that Renault could not guarantee it could keep its engine supply offer open, Red Bull is set on committing to Honda. It is understood its decision was communicated to external parties late on Monday night. Red Bull was unavailable for comment, and it is unclear when the move will be made official, but there are suggestions it could come before this weekend's race at Paul Ricard. Red Bull has elected, after more than a decade with Renault that yielded all its world championships during the V8 engine era, to throw its focus in with the Japanese manufacturer. The move will come as a blow to Renault which had been hoping to keep Red Bull on board to act as a benchmark for its own works team. Speaking at last weekend's Canadian GP, Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said: "I understand what they are looking to get. "They are looking to the technical and commercial side, because it is clearly different remaining a customer and partner of Renault versus becoming a works team with Honda. "I appreciate that. But frankly, as far as I am concerned, they have a chance with us to become world champion again. I cannot say for Honda." Honda has made progress this year with Toro Rosso, following its split from McLaren at the end of last year. An upgrade at the Canadian Grand Prix produced a significant performance step, despite Pierre Gasly needing a replacement engine following a problem in final practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted June 19, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted June 19, 2018 Quote Red Bull Racing has officially confirmed that it will switch to Honda power from the 2019 Formula 1 season onwards. As reported by Autosport last night, Red Bull Racing management has opted to ditch Renault engines in favour of Honda units after this campaign. The move was announced on Tuesday morning, and spells the end of a 12-year partnership between RBR and Renault that has yielded 57 grand prix wins so far and four world championship doubles between 2010 and '13. Team principal Christian Horner said the switch was being made because it gave Red Bull the best chance to compete for titles again. "This multi-year agreement with Honda signals the start of an exciting new phase in Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's efforts to compete not just for grand prix wins but for what is always our goal: championship titles," he said. "We have always taken decisions such as this dispassionately and with only one criteria in mind: do we believe the outcome will allow us to compete at a higher level? "After careful consideration and evaluation we are certain this partnership with Honda is the right direction for the team." Red Bull has been monitoring Honda's development since sister team Toro Rosso replaced McLaren as the factory Honda F1 squad for this year. "We have been impressed by Honda's commitment to F1, by the rapid steps they have made in recent times with our sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso, and by the scope of their ambition, which matches our own," Horner added. "We look forward to working with Honda in the coming years and to racing together in pursuit of F1's biggest prizes." Toro Rosso will continue to run Honda power as well, giving the Japanese firm two F1 teams for the first time since it had Super Aguri alongside its works outfit in 2007/08. Honda motor company president and representative director Takahiro Hachigo said: "Having two teams means we can access twice as much data as previously. "We believe that working with both Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing will allow us to get closer to our goal of winning races and championships, building two strong partnerships. "Discussions proceeded very quickly, thanks to Red Bull's open and respectful attitude towards Honda, leading to a deal that is fair and equitable for all parties." Relations between Red Bull and Renault had grown increasingly fractious in the years following their last title together, as Renault proved unable to match Mercedes and Ferrari in F1's hybrid era. "We would like to thank Renault for the past 12 years, a period during which we experienced some incredible moments together," said Horner. "We have sometimes had our differences but Renault has always worked tirelessly and to the best of its ability to provide us with a competitive power unit." A Renault statement reacting to Red Bull's move said: "Two years after Renault's return as a works team, we consider this is a natural evolution for both Renault and Red Bull Racing in view of their respective aspirations. "We are fully focused on the strong progression of Renault Sport Formula 1 Team, while continuing to foster the fresh relationship with McLaren Racing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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