Formula One 2022

[Lineker]

Lost the rear into the gravel...

 

Now Max is off!

[Chris2K]

Turn 4 appears to have turned into the world's hottest ice rink.

[Lineker]

I did have an inkling that things were going all too well for Leclerc!

[Chris2K]

Huge development, hopefully George can keep Max behind him (although I'm expecting him to get undercut now).

[Lineker]

Zhou out with PU issue too. Wonder if the Ferrari enginges are just over-cooking in this heat.

[Chris2K]

Surely having a drone camera flying around the track is just an accident waiting to happen?

 

EDIT: There it is again. I assume those F1 fans who love sprint races must have also been longing for seeing the cars in unsteady, low-definition video output.

[Lineker]

1 hour ago, Chris2K said:

Hearing Lewis essentially give up on a race on lap 5 is a little bit concerning.

P4!

 

(OK, P5. But still!)

[The Lusophone]

Feel kinda bad for Checo.

[Chris2K]

Today feels like the unspoken understanding that Max is #1 and Checo is #2 in the team became a loudly shouted fact. Not being allowed to overtake Max twice and being told to move over for him twice in the sixth race of a 22 race season is more than enough proof that Checo will never be allowed to contend for the title.

[Twist]

7 hours ago, Chris2K said:

Today feels like the unspoken understanding that Max is #1 and Checo is #2 in the team became a loudly shouted fact. Not being allowed to overtake Max twice and being told to move over for him twice in the sixth race of a 22 race season is more than enough proof that Checo will never be allowed to contend for the title.

I don’t think there are many if any other examples of clear number 1 and 2 drivers based on performance than Red Bull though.

Checo is normally only ever in a position to win when Max has made a mistake which are becoming rarer. This isn’t a comment on Checo either, Max is on another level to damn near everyone.

[JasonM]

Sucks for Checo, but with Red Bull being so focused on getting their second title in as many years, he was going to be victimized. The fact Leclerc had retired and Sainz had a dog of a race furthered the need/desire to maximize Max's point haul for this race.

The choice would've been between Max being 1 point behind Leclerc, and being 6 points ahead of him. The season is still long, but with how close the title was last year, you don't want to be at the end of the season going "We should've gotten him those 7 points in Spain".

Mercedes did it, Ferrari has done it back in the day. It's just a part of the sport.

Ferrari should definitely scratch themselves on the head, though. Leclerc retiring is super unfortunate, but you really don't want these reliability issues because it'll cost them the title against an opponent who is nigh-on imperious every weekend. Carlos Sainz also has shown some worrying mistakes, too, and losing valuable points in the process is something you can't use.

But the most surprising racer this entire season has to be Ricciardo, he's been shocking all year with only points in one race and one sprint race. Last season wasn't great but still had bright spots, but ever since the latter part of last season he's been on a woeful skid and you wonder what he's struggling with, because Lando is generally in the points and quite a ways up the field.

[Lineker]

We've got the terrible Monaco TV directors again, it seems.

[Lineker]

....  

[Bobfoc]

I'd like to see Max's face now.

[Lineker]

Fascinating grid for tomorrow though. LEC - SAI - PER - VER - NOR - RUS - ALO - HAM - VET - OCO. With the possibility that Perez and/or Sainz suffered suspension damage there.

 

Oh - and rain is forecast for the race tomorrow.

[Chris2K]

Nice bit of chaos at the end, I hope Carlos doesn't get punished, I can't see how he could have reacted any faster.

Obviously rain tomorrow would be the saviour of the usual procession, and it could potentially be the last Monaco GP for good measure (although as lovely as that would be, I'm sure they'll find a way to sort out the issues).

[Chris2K]

The predicted rain in Monaco has been all but written off, so adjust your expectations for an entertaining race accordingly.

[Lineker]

Sainz has had his gearbox changed.

Quote

Formula 1 will not turn its back on Europe despite a fresh push to expand the calendar in Africa and Asia, says the championship’s CEO Stefano Domenicali.

Amid growing indications that a South African race in Kyalami is F1’s next target, and potentially as early as next year if the logistics can be sorted, it is looking increasingly likely that there will be some form of calendar shake up on the cards.

The F1 schedule is currently capped at 24 races, and the addition of grands prix in Las Vegas and Qatar in 2023, as well as a desire to group races regionally, means some current events could fall by the wayside.

Indications point to the French Grand Prix taking place every other year, and the Belgian GP could also lose a regular slot on the schedule.

The future of the Monaco GP is also not guaranteed, with F1 demanding a series of concessions if the famous principality is to secure a fresh contract.

F1 owner Liberty Media has focused efforts in the last few years on expanding the championship’s reach in the United States, and the addition of Miami and Las Vegas alongside Austin means that mission has now been achieved.

Speaking at the Business of F1 Forum organised by the Financial Times and Motorsport Network in Monaco on Friday, Domenicali said attention was now shifting to Africa and Asia.

However, he made it clear that F1 was not about to ditch a number of classic European races simply to add fresh markets.

“There are areas of the world that wants to have Formula 1, and I think that one area that we want to develop is the African area,” he said. “We are a world championship, and that's an area where we are not there.

“We are working very hard to make sure of this scenario, where we are going to have a grand prix soon, and then there is the interest of the Far East.

“But we don't want to lose the interest, of course, of Europe. We were born here, and we will stay here.

“I hear a lot of voices that are not true. I mean, the beauty of the situation we're living in today is that we have a lot of options. And we're going to make the right decision, thinking about the strategy, thinking about the DNA of the sport, thinking about how every promoter wants to be involved with us.”

Speaking at the same event, F1’s global director of race promotion Chloe Targett-Adams, said that the series was focused on getting the right balance of new markets and the traditional European venues.

“We're a global sport, we need global traction,” she said. “A foothold in Africa is something that we've been working on for many years now.

“COVID showed us that we can race quickly, but really to get where we want to be strategically, to build the sport, and build the fan base, it is a kind of a couple of years’ process.

“The US is still very much in our sights, and Africa and Asia, I think is where we need to be.

“If you look at China, with the way COVID has happened, we've been out of that market for now coming on three years, and next year is still a question mark.

“How we race in Europe is also a big question: making sure we really keep that heartland of the sport.

“But it's a wonderful position to be in because everyone wants a race. That just gives us the best opportunity to create the most strategically focused, growth driven calendar that we've been able to do for many, many years.”

 

[Lineker]

1 hour ago, Chris2K said:

The predicted rain in Monaco has been all but written off, so adjust your expectations for an entertaining race accordingly.

Rain five minutes before the formation lap, ho!

[Chris2K]

I did say "all but written off" though .

It really does need this though, these cars are bigger than ever so the chances of anyone having room to overtake are very low.