F1 - General discussion and 2017

[sox63]

Someone made the point elsewhere that if Vettel is disqualified and Hamilton then moves up that position they end up on equal points going into Austria.

That would make for a spicy championship going further...

Its already spicy

But yeah, Vettel imo, needs to be disqualified from the race result, not banned for any number of upcoming races. But I would bet my salary that's not the last time this year they clash on track...

 

[Zyraz]

Who would pay for all that if it has no bearing on the championship? Just playing devil's advocate, its not a bad idea at all

Not my idea , came from one of te Sky F1 commentators while the Purchase of F1 from Bernie was still in discussion.
Well the same was said initially about T20 cricket .
I reckon you might actually have a bigger demand for tickets for that race weekend than any other race during the season as things are bound to get interesting with new implementations and focusing on entertainment and experimentation .

Look at the Springboks vs Proteas T20 games , sold out every time long before the event simply for the entertainment factor and seeing something that only happens once a year .

 

[Willie Trombone]

Its already spicy

But yeah, Vettel imo, needs to be disqualified from the race result, not banned for any number of upcoming races. But I would bet my salary that's not the last time this year they clash on track...

Judging by Vettel's form, I think so.
Can't beat this one though....

[video=youtube;kkXYROv1RPs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkXYROv1RPs[/video]

 

[Zyraz]

Spielberg Tire choices

 

[Willie Trombone]

^^Interesting difference in tyre choices for Ferrari and Merc...

 

[Zyraz]

Dennis severing all ties with McLaren

Six months after he was ousted from his position as McLaren CEO, Ron Dennis is relinquishing his board role and selling his shares in a £275m deal.

Last December, Dennis lost control of the Formula 1 team that he had helped build, ousted in a boardroom row.

According to reports, Dennis’ relationship with investor Mansour Ojjeh and the Bahrain-based investment fund Mumtalakat hit a low over disagreement over his management of the team.

This resulted in the Brit being placed on “gardening leave.”

Now, six months later, he is severing all ties with McLaren.

Sky News is reporting that Dennis is selling his shares in the McLaren Technology Group for £275m, a deal that could be confirmed as early as Friday morning.

The report added that the deal will see McLaren valued at “£2bn – making it one Britain’s most valuable private companies.”

It is not yet known if Dennis’ shares are going to existing shareholders or an outside party.

The 70-uear-old is also relinquishing his role on the McLaren Technology Group board.

Source

 

[Zyraz]

‘Don’t exclude a Ferrari return for Alonso’

Fernando Alonso could yet return to Ferrari next season; that’s according to his manager Flavio Briatore.

Alonso left Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season, frustrated that his five years with the team had yielded just three runner-up results.

But with his move to McLaren failing to offer up even that, the Spaniard is looking elsewhere for 2018.

And Briatore reckons Ferrari are still on option as the Spaniard’s only issue was with former team boss Marco Mattiacci.

“He always got along with everyone and only had problems with Mattiacci,” the manager told Italian radio Rai.

“In this life you cannot exclude anything.

“Fernando is a bit like Senna, who had no problem with any team – he only needs a car capable of winning.”

Ferrari, though, isn’t Alonso’s only option with Briatore admitting that “Red Bull and Force India can have good races, as we saw in Baku.”

Source

 

[Zyraz]

Mercedes to tweak headrest design

Mercedes will redesign the headrest of the W08 to avoid a repeat of the issue that cost Lewis Hamilton an “easy” win in Baku.

Hamilton was forced to pit during Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after his headrest came loose.

The Brit initially tried to push it back into place by himself while still driving the car but eventually had to stop, costing him positions and the win.

“The pins that fix the headrest did not click into the socket,” Mercedes non-executive director Niki Lauda told the Osterreich newspaper.

“This was worsened by the heavy load caused by the air at high speed.

“We will redesign this so that this does not happen again.”

He added: “That should have been an easy win for us.”

Source

 

[Zyraz]

Honda confirm Austrian upgrade

Honda will race their ‘Spec 3 PU’ at the Austrian Grand Prix after a successful test in Friday’s practices in Baku.

Fernando Alonso ran the updated internal combustion unit during both Friday sessions in Azerbaijan before swapping back to the old unit for the remainder of the weekend.

Despite running an older PU, the Spaniard finished ninth in Baku, scoring McLaren-Honda’s first points of this campaign.

Honda will now press on with plans to race the ‘Spec 3 PU’ at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

“For the next round in Austria, we are scheduled to bring our updated Spec 3 PU for both cars following the successful test here in Azerbaijan,” said Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

“In the meantime, we will continue our development with our best efforts in order to continue closing the gap.”

Source

 

[caroper]

Honda confirm Austrian upgrade

“In the meantime, we will continue our development with our best efforts in order to continue closing the gap.”

How can they "continue closing the gap" when they haven't even reached the gap - one finish this year on a PU they now want to replace is not closing anything. I think Honda's "Best Effort" is in line with Telkom's "Best Effort ADSL" if the copper wire is stolen you have to continue paying even though they can no longer provide the service and wont replace it.

 

[Willie Trombone]

‘Don’t exclude a Ferrari return for Alonso’


Source

Oh good! Given his luck that means a major turnaround for McLaren! About time!

 

[Willie Trombone]

How can they "continue closing the gap" when they haven't even reached the gap - one finish this year on a PU they now want to replace is not closing anything. I think Honda's "Best Effort" is in line with Telkom's "Best Effort ADSL" if the copper wire is stolen you have to continue paying even though they can no longer provide the service and wont replace it.

Well... Alonso reckons they should have won Baku.

 

[caroper]

Well... Alonso reckons they should have won Baku.

They should have won every race so far this year, according to all the press hype and promises of the past 3 years. I don't blame Ron Dennis for selling his shares. Get out whilst they are still worth something.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Honda confirm Austrian upgrade




Source

Ah, that extra hamster for their wheel finally arrived?

 

[Willie Trombone]

They should have won every race so far this year, according to all the press hype and promises of the past 3 years. I don't blame Ron Dennis for selling his shares. Get out whilst they are still worth something.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-alonso-mclaren-won-baku-race-923266/

 

[Zyraz]

McLaren announces formation of McLaren Group

The formation of the new McLaren Group will underpin the continuing rapid growth of McLaren's businesses and brand. The new McLaren Group unites McLaren Automotive - a globally-renowned producer of luxury sports and supercars - with McLaren Technology Group which includes one of the world's oldest and most successful race teams and a high growth technology IP and consulting business.

The announcement unifies all activities under a single coordinated strategy and brand, allowing the exceptional reputation of each business for technological excellence to be used across the entire Group for the benefit of all its customers, partners and employees.

The Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company and the TAG Group will remain as the long-term majority shareholders of the new group and Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa will become its Executive Chairman. Mike Flewitt, Jonathan Neale and Zak Brown continue in existing roles.

The McLaren Group has secured finance in order to acquire Ron Dennis's shareholdings, stimulate growth in its wider businesses and consolidate its financial arrangements.

The TAG Group first invested in McLaren in 1984 and is the longest standing of the McLaren Group's shareholders. They were joined 10 years ago by the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company. Both remain committed to McLaren and are excited for its next phase of growth.

"Since I became a major investor in the business 33 years ago, I am exceptionally proud of what each of our extraordinary McLaren businesses have achieved, growing independently and entrepreneurially," said Mansour Ojjeh (Executive Committee Principal, McLaren Group). "Now, as they have reached world-class scale and success, it is the right next step to unify the strategies and brands to create a stronger centre of Luxury Automotive, Racing and Technological excellence.

"In a matter of just seven short years, McLaren Automotive has established itself as one of the world's leading creators of luxury sports and supercars. Its products are now routinely hailed as best-in-class. Mike Flewitt and his team have done, and are continuing to do a brilliant job, and the company's recent announcement of a fourth consecutive year of profitability indicates a robust future. The new McLaren 720S, the first car to be launched under its Track22 business plan, is already sold out well into 2018 and there will be a lot more exciting cars where that came from.

"McLaren Racing, part of McLaren Technology Group, is not currently achieving the on-track success in Formula 1 that we know it is capable of, and that it has achieved in the past, but that will change. As motor racing is in our DNA, we exist to win in Formula 1 and be the best in everything we do. Jonathan Neale and Zak Brown, supported by Eric Boullier and the best engineers, mechanics and marketers in Formula 1, are fully engaged in the process of bringing about that turnaround, and it will be great to see McLaren back in the winners' circle before too long.

"McLaren Applied Technologies continues to go from strength to strength. Partnering with companies that share our visionary determination to innovate, it is becoming profitable as well as pioneering ground-breaking technologies. And its scope for development is exciting. This is an area of our business in which we intend to invest, with a view to achieving consistent growth."

"McLaren is unique, due to its strong heritage and passion to be best in everything it does," added Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa (Executive Chairman and Executive Committee principal, McLaren Group), "but also because no other company in the world can claim a corporate structure that comprises automotive, motorsport and applied technologies. It's clear that as one Group, each of those three pillars of our business will support and enhance the other two.

"Together they will embark on what I firmly believe to be a new and even more successful era in the McLaren brand's dynamic and fascinating 54-year history."

Source

 

[caroper]

Goodwood Festival of Speed official stream

[video=youtube_share;NEhEbPoDtHo]https://youtu.be/NEhEbPoDtHo[/video]

Live now

 

[caroper]

I hope Polish was watching the FOS Live Stream, they just interviewed Robert Kubicka.
He spoke more of his Son's career than his own but it is good to see him driving classic F1 cars and rally cars. He is running up the hill in his old Renault at the moment.

 

[Genisys]

F1 week?

 

[Polish]

F1 week?

Yuop

Austria