sunsalem

Here is a link with a more detailed analysis:
http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/6...takes_in_2017/

sunsalem

FWIW...
I'll be out of touch for as long as a week starting tomorrow.
If anyone has the time or gumption to do something similar to what I have been doing (introducing the latest news for possible discussion) or any F1 topic for that matter just to keep the conversation going until I get back would be cool.

Whoever does will win a free pair of tickets to next year's Monaco GP.
And no, no I haven't been drinking....much.

BKorsaire

Some news :

Honda has decided to reshape the management of its racing division in order to rebound after three very disappointing years with McLaren. Yusuke Hasegawa will no longer be responsible for the F1 sector of Honda in 2018. Tanabe is appointed technical director and will manage the Honda engines of the Toro Rosso team. Honda will also appoint a research and development manager at the F1 plant in Sakura. The two functions had previously been integrated into a position of F1 Project Manager held by Hasegawa San, who will become the company's chief engineer.

The Penalty engine changes also for the 2018 season to make decisions easier for spectators.

From now on, as soon as a pilot gets a 15 grid penalties following the replacement of several components of his powertrain, he will automatically be sent back to the bottom of the starting grid.

Rumour today in Italy: Ferrari would like to sign an agreement with Haas of the same kind as that between Sauber and Alfa Romeo : Haas-Maserati. This agreement would be purely commercial, with the engine remaining Ferrari and the technical partnership between the manufacturer Ferrari and the American team continuing to be mainly technical.

These rumours come to light as a result of Ferrari's arm wrestling with F1 authorities, Ferrari threatening to leave F1: Marchionne would like to give Ferrari greater importance in the decisions and by locking a commercial partnership with Haas, he would thus have an additional weight in the decision-making process for Formula 1. But nothing says that Gene Haas will accept to serve as a submarine to Marchionne, he doesn't need Ferrari's dollars and doesn't want to be forced like Sauber about his pilots.

VetteDrmr

You may not have been drinking, but you've been doing SOMETHING!

Have a good week off, we'll mind the store 'til you get back.

Mike

VetteDrmr

Along those same thoughts...

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-...nio-giovinazzi

Have a good one,
Mike

VetteDrmr

After the hysterics of Ferrari....

http://www.racer.com/f1/item/146199-...oss-until-2019

Have a good one,
Mike

BKorsaire

and after Horner, Willians : enormous surprise !

Robert Kubica seemed to be favourites to occupy the free bucket at Williams in 2018 but it now appears that Sergey Sirotkin would finally have taken the lead to get the steering wheel at Williams.

Too young to be allowed to promote Martini, Williams could not count on either of the two pilots to wear his colours, but Russian billionaire Rotenberg would offer a suitcase of $15 million to $20 billion to ensure his entry into Formula 1.

Moreover, rumour has it that Sirotkin impressed Williams much more than Kubica, who was still limited by his arm injury. it seems he was more competitive than Kubica in pure performance. which would explain Renault's earlier decision not to give him a bucket.

It appears that Kubica would be on the verge of losing any chance of being in Formula 1 in 2018.

VetteDrmr

Yeah, while having Robert make it back, being gone for several years alone is a huge mountain to hurdle. Add in any kind of physical limitation and, well, sometimes you have to accept reality.

Thanks for sharing, and have a good one,
Mike

sunsalem

I'm back (sorta)...
I had some surgery done and am not 100% yet.
Sorry guys, but I'll be on Light Duty for awhile.

As much as a great story it would be, we shouldn't forget Kubica very nearly lost his right arm AND his life.

Before the accident, he was one of the best...
All he needed was a competitive car and would have challenged for WDC.
He really was that good.
After he was hurt, the teams would no longer allow their drivers to drive in other series.
Alonso was the first since then.
And if it wasn't for Honda, I don't think McLaren would have let him.
Anyway, thanx for keeping our thread warm everyone!

BKorsaire

Welcome ''mon garçon''

I thought it was a vacation. Get back on your feet and come back with us before Xmas

http://www.eurosport.com/formula-1/s...70/story.shtml

sunsalem

This seems to be the right approach:
"However, it has emerged that based purely on performance, data suggests Sirotkin is the stronger candidate.
Williams has insisted throughout the process that its decision on the driver to partner Lance Stroll next season will be based on performance."

PERFORMANCE should be the deciding issue, but people need to be paid too.
That 15m can pay a few bills the team has.

VetteDrmr

Tried to find a decent article, seems like 80% smell of "reality TV". Here's a couple that will, at least, get the "spec car" and "no he wouldn't, yes he would" arguments a boost:

http://www.racer.com/f1/item/146276-...says-ricciardo

http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/6..._in_a_Ferrari/

Have a good one,
Mike

BKorsaire

This announce is not reality tv and I think Marchionne doesn't think too lol :
Mercedes has just taken a big fish, as we say in France, it's a sizeable recruitment, directly from Ferrari : Lorenzo Sassi, the former head of the Scuderia's engine department. He is now preparing to strengthen Mercedes' F1 engine department in Brixworth, UK. It's true they needed it, Brixworth guys An other italian of Ferrari with Aldo Costa in Brixworth.

This departure of the Italian engineer was confirmed by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne himself.

sunsalem

Let's try this...directly quoting from the article itself.:
Daniel Ricciardo is optimistic that Formula 1 will eventually move towards a rule package that will diminish the car's role in determining performance, and will better reflect the talent of drivers further back in the field.
"Lewis [Hamilton] has won three of the last four championships, but if he was in a midfield team, he wouldn't have three of the last four championships," Ricciardo said. "The car is a big part of it, but you need to be a good driver to get the equipment to the top. You need both. It's still a bit more dominant with the car than the driver – I'd say maybe 75 per cent to 25 per cent.
"If we make it a bit more equal by bringing the driver in a bit more and taking the equipment out, then that would be better. A 50/50 would be something more realistic in the near future, and hopefully that's the case."

Wasn't Costa and Sassi the guys in charge of a < great powerunit?
MB can have 'em, if they think they can offer any significant help at Brixworth.

BKorsaire

I have the impression that Mercedes sets up a task force to significantly regain the advantage over Ferrari, as this year was judged too close in performance for them. Mercedes doesn't just want to win, it wants to crush. Hamilton has already announced that Mercedes will be very strong for next season and that he does not fear Vettel. The Wolf told him openly dreamed of overcoming the victories in the Todt championships at the time of Ferrari domination. Competitors are very clearly warned.

sunsalem

Uh-oh...not a good sign from Haas:
http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/6...he_backburner/

sunsalem

2016 had MB at 765 vs. Ferrari's 458 points.
2017 finished with MB at 668 vs. Ferrari's 522.


Is the difference enough to trigger some paranoia???
I don't know...maybe so.

sunsalem

VetteDrmr

No warning signs popped up to me; what did you get out of the article? Maybe short term loss, but long(er) term gains?

sunsalem

This sounds very much like a team's owners business trying to justify its lack of capital spending before the nigh.
It shows Gene Haas as being barely lukewarm about the longevity of his team in the sport...no sense throwing good money after bad.

Liberty has to deliver a formula that gives backmarkers a chance at victory.
Ultimately, it will come down to a choice of whether to change the structure of F1 or not.
And that current structure is he who has the biggest budget ($$$) wins against the most talented team.
Either F1 is a business or it's a sport...one or the other.
Trying to have both at the same time is at the root of the fans' dissatisfaction.