F1 - General discussion and 2017

[Dave]

Watched the race and Ferrari was abysmal all weekend. Crap qualifiying, crap in race.

They seem to have lost their race pace a bit since the oil burn story became public

Riccardio is firmly establishing himself as a quality driver - He's been on the money so many times this season. He just needs a competitive engine and he'll win a WC IMO.

I was really hoping Ric would catch Vettel before the end of the race...

 

[Willie Trombone]

Watched the race and Ferrari was abysmal all weekend. Crap qualifiying, crap in race.

Riccardio is firmly establishing himself as a quality driver - He's been on the money so many times this season. He just needs a competitive engine and he'll win a WC IMO.

Would pay to see that.

 

[rsifan]

Best bit of radio was from Ricciardo:
Pit: "OK mate Raikkonen is on his own, he’s vulnerable again, let’s get him.”
Ricciardo: "I like them vulnerable"

 

[thestaggy]

Ricciardo's only hope of a top drive is Mercedes. He won't sit in a Ferrari so long as Vettel is there. Vettel is pulling a Prost and making sure he doesn't have to endure a Mansell/Senna situation.

And his chances at Mercedes may be slim as well but not because Hamilton will block it (I don't think he is afraid of an internal challenge) and more down to that fact that I reckon Mercedes are quite happy to have Hamilton doing what he is doing and having a solid, non-threatening teammate a few seconds further down the road riding shotgun. For the first time in 4-seasons they seem to have a harmonious lineup and I doubt they'll be in a hurry to unsettle it again. Ricciardo is not Webber and not just personality wise. He's legit #1 material.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Always like reading stuff like this.

Porsche ‘encouraged’ after Monza meeting


Porsche's financial boss Lutz Meschke has said they are "encouraged" by the ongoing engine discussions for 2021 and beyond, and are open to joining Formula 1.

Porsche are leaving the LMP1 class of the World Endurance Championship at the end of the season and are preparing to join the fast-growing Formula E series in 2019, but are seriously considering entering Formula 1 as a engine supplier as opposed to a full works team.

Regular meetings about engine regulations have taken place between F1 bosses, FIA and numerous potentially interested new parties.

And Porsche met again with F1 chiefs at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, with Meschke hopeful that a path to Formula 1 is becoming clearer.

"F1 could be one of the right places," Meschke told Motorsport.com.

"As you know Formula E is very important for us now, and F1 is always a good topic to think about. And I think we are in quite good discussions regarding the new engine."

A change to simpler twin-turbo V6 engines is the ultimate objective, and that it is what it would take for Porsche to continue to be interested in Formula 1.

"Absolutely," Meschke added. "We have to cut costs in F1, and it's a good way to reach this target."

 

[caroper]

McLaren Porsche would sound so much better than McLaren Renault - but unfortunately 2021 is too far away.

 

[Fox1]

Porsche are works team in WEC and they would strive to be the same in F1. McLaren should be developing their own engines by now considering just how much experience they have.

 

[sox63]

McLaren Porsche would sound so much better than McLaren Renault - but unfortunately 2021 is too far away.

Well, Mclaren Porsche have 2 constructors (84, 85) and three driver titles (84, 85, 86) to their names already, so would revive a successful history. Although that was the thinking with Honda as well

 

[caroper]

Porsche are works team in WEC and they would strive to be the same in F1. McLaren should be developing their own engines by now considering just how much experience they have.

But in F1 a works team must be willing to supply power units to up to 3 teams, so McLaren could be a Customer team of the Porsche Works Team.

They have ruled out developing their own power unit due to R&D costs - McLaren are a wealthy team by F1 standards but don't have the R&D budget of Mercedes / Honda / Renault.

 

[thestaggy]

Porsche are works team in WEC and they would strive to be the same in F1. McLaren should be developing their own engines by now considering just how much experience they have.

They've never built an engine though, so they have no experience there and making a modern hybrid unit your first ever engine is a massive task. The costs would be astronomical as well.

 

[UrBaN963]

They've never built an engine though, so they have no experience there and making a modern hybrid unit your first ever engine is a massive task. The costs would be astronomical as well.

Making a hybrid isn't new to them, look at the 918. Obviously the engine format is hugely different, but the basics are the same. Plus they'll be working from some fairly specific documentation so it's not like they're starting from a point of ignorance.

 

[Zyraz]

Minardi: Agreement between McLaren and Renault has already been signed!

According to Gian Carlo Minardi founder of Minardi Formula 1 team which later on was bought by Red Bull and turned into Toro Rosso, he says that an agreement between the Woking based team McLaren and Renault has already been made during qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix Monza.

After three years of constant disappointment between McLaren and Honda it looks like McLaren are ready to move on and break up from the Japanese Manufacture Honda.

According to Minardi the agreement was made during qualifying which was stopped due to heavy rain on the circuit. Apparently McLaren boss Zack Brown signed an agreement with Cyril Abiteboul for the supply of the Renault power-unit beginning as soon as 2018.

Honda’s chief of Motorsport Yusuke Hasegawa apparently is flying to Japan to draw up the new program. Honda will try to remain in Formula 1 and currently they will try to approach again Toro Rosso in order for them to use Honda engines for 2018.

Formula 1 bosses are trying to help Honda to remain in Formula 1, and for the Japanese manufacture their only option at the moment remains Toro Rosso, earlier this season Honda were in talks with Sauber, but then Sauber decided to stick to Ferrari engines for 2018.

http://www.f1undercover.com/minardi-agreement-mclaren-renault-already-signed/

 

[Naks]

one week to go for Singapore *woot*

 

[Bryn]

Lol, Honda is going to have a tough time getting anyone to take their engines.

 

[mubeend]

Lol, Honda is going to have a tough time getting anyone to take their engines.

They may have to supply them for practically nothing or free.

 

[Dave]

They may have to supply them for practically nothing or free.

McLaren were being paid to use them, to the tune of $100 million a season.

Interestingly Brown refers to the received paddock wisdom that McLaren would not dump Honda because they are beholden to them for financial support; their net contribution when you take into account free engines plus financial input is around $100 million a year when compared with McLaren paying a supplier like Mercedes for engines and not having the Honda cash.

https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2017...aching-the-end-of-the-f1-road-or-just-a-fork/

 

[Fox1]

Porsche make a fantastic engine in the WEC which is similar hybrid concept to F1. By 2021, I wonder if V6 Turbo's would Hit 19000rpm.

Honda's other option is to enter as a Works team. They already have the facilities and personnel and third party support in Europe to do so.

 

[thestaggy]

Making a hybrid isn't new to them, look at the 918. Obviously the engine format is hugely different, but the basics are the same. Plus they'll be working from some fairly specific documentation so it's not like they're starting from a point of ignorance.

I was responding to Fox1 saying McLaren should make an engine. I don't doubt that Porsche will know where to start but for McLaren it will be something entirely new different.

"McLaren Automotive is a different business unit with some common shareholders who we work very closely with," he said.

"Their engine is a McLaren engine but the F1 team has a different set of economic priorities and ways to go racing so that is not a conversation that we've had.

"What we can do in 10 years, who knows?

"But that is not a conversation [for now].

"We are not an engine builder, we are a racing team and a car constructor."

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/128782/mclaren-rules-out-building-its-own-engine

From the above I take it that they have no expertise there and the costs of a modern F1 engine programme are beyond them.

 

[UrBaN963]

Makes sense. I thought you were referring to Porsche for some reason, maybe I misread.

 

[Polish]

F1 week