2017 F1 Season Compendium

[G'day Mate]

Driver changes, launches, testing, races, controversy ... go

https://thef1poet.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/f1-green-light.jpg

[MR2 Fan]

Officially retired from F1: Felipe Massa, Jensen Button, Nico Rosberg, anyone else?

[Freude am Fahren]

Ron Dennis? :D

Wanna put numbers on the next Mercedes driver?

Bottas? Alonso? Ocon? Wehrlein? Jensen? Stroll? I assume anyone under contract with a Mercedes powered team is a possibility, though I would expect someone loaned out by Mercedes, or just not in F1 currently.

Can Red Bull pull another one on the new regs and overcome what has been a let down of a Powerplant to compete for wins? On the other hand, Renault seemed to have quite the surge in the latter half of the season, could they have a really good PU next year? Could Red Bull be on level with Mercedes? What is Ferrari doing?

[G'day Mate]

Surely not Jensen ...

[FaultyMario]

DiResta for $20.

[CudaMan]

According to FB it should be me. :twitch:

[Crazed_Insanity]

Yes it should.

[Godson]

Have your agent give them a call. You have a super license?

[FaultyMario]

Yeah, call them!

You could always fall back on a AMG GT.

[balki]

What are the new rules / where are the the 5 second faster lap times coming from?
Wider from wing and wider tires .... ?
Are the 13" rims still around?
Will lowering and moving back the rear wing help with cars following each other?

[Freude am Fahren]

I'm betting following won't be much better, except maybe in extremely slow corners.

[drew]

According to FB it should be me. :twitch:

DO IT [troll comment]

[FaultyMario]

What are the new rules / where are the the 5 second faster lap times coming from?
Wider from wing and wider tires .... ?
Are the 13" rims still around?
Will lowering and moving back the rear wing help with cars following each other?

There's more surface to create downforce, and the rules have so been written (with a lot of input from RB's tech dept) so that the 4 DF producing areas are better integrated (entry, split, floor and exit).

[balki]

good to know they didn't just agree to more downforce without seriously considering the wake

So tires are going from 245 and 325mm wide to 305 and 405 (https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2016/5/pirelli-reveal-wider--faster-2017-tyres.html)? More tread as well. :up:

[FaultyMario]

wake is wake.

I think it's one of those laws of physics, the faster you go there's an exponential amount of energy spent and relative to that energy there would be added waste; and as air is sliced thru by faster vehicles wake will be generated in correlated amounts.

[Random]

From Facebook:

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15420924_10154822743594265_954566697102622134_n.jp g?oh=4e7231bef743062910aadbe9f977407f&oe=58B92FE6

Caption: "Pastor Maldonado just arrived for his interview with Toto!"

[balki]

but I thought Facebook only did fake news

[Godson]

Fucking hell Russ.

That is exactly what I needed to see today.

[Freude am Fahren]

:lol:

[Reynard]

DO IT [troll comment]

No, don't do it. I don't care if it's the best car on the grid but I really, really think you don't want to work for/with Toto. ;)

[CudaMan]

Probably worth it for a time for the $xmillion.

[Kchrpm]

"My new boss sucks, but it's a 1000000% raise, so I guess it's a wash."

[Drachen596]

Whats the worst youll get? A no thanks email/letter.

[MR2 Fan]

Whats the worst youll get? A no thanks email/letter.

:up:

[Blerpa]

Bottas at Mercedes, Massa remains another year at Williams. Done deal.
Also Pat Symond leaves Williams. Force India gets Johnnie Walker's sponsorship.

[samoht]

Good break for Bottas, thought he might miss his chance tbh but now we should see what he's really capable of.

[balki]

Probably not much with Lewis as his teammate, expecting him to be a clear #2 unlike Rosberg

[dodint]

Massa isn't retiring? What a turd, that's Jensen's move.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Is this done deal official?

[Freude am Fahren]

Last I heard was that Bottas to Mercedes was not a done deal, but that Massa had signed to come back if Valterri leaves.

[Crazed_Insanity]

That's what I thought too. At least Williams now has the back up plan in place to support Valterri's move. Get their engine discount and still be able to have an experienced driver for next season.

Anyway, if Mercedes is looking for a clear #2 to run behind Hamilton, then really should just give their own Jr drivers a chance. What would be the point of going thru all that trouble for Bottas?

If they're looking to score maximum amount of points with a proven champ next season and if Alonso is really not willing to sign on, then Jenson is really the best and simplest choice.

[dodint]

Lifted from my hockey forum:

According to the BBC, Williams' sponsorship contract with Martini requires Williams to maintain at least one driver over 25 for promotional reasons, and Lance Stroll is only 18. They need to have someone old enough to feature in the title sponsor's booze ads. Williams thought Massa was the best option for a driver over 25, so they asked him to come back for another year. The BBC also says that Williams will get a massive discount on their 2017 Mercedes engines in exchange for shipping over Bottas—nearly to the point where Williams will be getting its 2017 engines for free. Hard to argue with that much cash.

[The359]

Shouldn't Williams have known this requirement before signing Stroll?

[Alan P]

Shouldn't Williams have known this requirement before signing Stroll?

They weren't expecting to lose Bottas though were they?

[FaultyMario]

Yup, sponsorship money was the deal maker here.

So, James goes to Brackley?

I think FI could stay 4th if ocon gets a better points haul than stroll and kvyat combined.

[samoht]

I don't want to be negative, but I fear 2017 is going to be a rather boring season.

Ferrari are all set to shoot themselves in the foot with in-fighting and enter another slump. Red Bull will be stronger, but I can't quite see them being on terms with Merc, since they weren't faster anywhere this year.

The only rivalry for the championship since the turbos returned has been Lewis v Nico, but I can't see Bottas coming in and being a real threat to Hamilton, who will likely be looking forward to another WDC.

Add this to more downforce and thus less passing, and I can't see it being that exciting.

Of course, I could be wrong, RB could get on terms, Bottas could show his true speed, and the wider tyres could lead to thrilling four-way battles for races and the championship. But it seems an outside bet unfortunately.

[FaultyMario]

It seems that Rory Byrne was heavily involved as an advisor to next year's car and some people are hopeful (http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/analysis-does-byrnes-involvement-point-to-radical-2017-ferrari-858502/) Ferrari have a good package in the works.

[FaultyMario]

My prediction.

Merc on top by a lesser margin.
Ferrari - RedBull - Force India - Williams. Mixed for best of the rest at least until Russia. Further into the season it's gonna be either Ferrari or Red Bull taking it to the top step, depending on whose design is less contested by rivals. I think Merc's adavantage will get eroded faster than Brawn's in 2009.

I frankly can't see McHonda on both their feet and Hulk has already said Renault will find it hard to fight points.
Toro Rosso should be in good shape, James Key has a good nose for radical changes, it's just a matter of how long he stays at TR I suppose it's him or the other James lined up to fill Paddy's shoes at MB.
Haas' good fortune in achieving their points targets early on means they could have chosen to direct resources to the new car early, I guess it's a matter of how much Ferrari are still willing to help and how good Gunther is at allocating resources. I expect that Marchionne will soon want to move the Haas model onto the resurrected Alfa brand.

Sauber, fingers crossed for a smooth transition to the new owners. Same goes for Manor, I hope Hellmund can take over and put the old bosses back at the helm.

[IMOA]

There's big aero changes, Newey is back full time and the Renault is a lot closer to the merc than it used to be. Red bull made up a hell of a lot more distance when they went from mid pack to leading team and this time they've got more experience at the front and better drivers. I don't consider it to be another easy season for merc at all.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Yeah, not sure about Ferrari, but with Newey returning to a season relying heavily on good aero design and 2 of the sports youngest hottest drivers on the grid, I'm pretty confident Hamilton will not be able to win the championship by too big of a margin if any at all...

[FaultyMario]

I guess, for Mercedes, it goes down to how different the new Pirellis are. 2012/13 levels of unknown and they're fucked. Michael and other old schoolers did have the hardest time adapting, so in that sense, the red bull pair seems the best if they're thrown a curveball.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C0vNu3UVQAELOrk.jpg:large

[Freude am Fahren]

Speaking of Marchionne wanting to brand Haas as Alfa, why not as one of FCA's American brands? It'd be kinda ridiculous to see Dodge on an F1 car, but why the hell not? Or Jeep? Chrysler? :lol:

[FaultyMario]

I don't think it'd be Haas as Alfa, it'd be another team. Sauber maybe?

[The359]

Haas would make more sense since Alfa Romeo is attempting to re-enter the US market.

[FaultyMario]

Wehrlein gets one of the last four musical chairs. He has been confirmed for Sauber.

So I guess he's out of the Mercedes JV program.

[FaultyMario]

The other Sauber seat will apparently go to Ericsson and Manor is left wit Guti/Nasr.

Giovinazzi has sensibly taken the reserve driver spot at Ferrari. Whatever happened to JEV, is he still part of Ferrari?

[Crazed_Insanity]

I thought he transitioned to Formula E... though he was still a Ferrari test driver last year...

[Random]

http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/inside-the-mtc/2017-tech-lowdown-1122565

Discussion of the new car regs from McLaren.

[Freude am Fahren]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--G1Equ2K2--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/bg5bcxcaueoakm0wb3wm.png

It's official. Massa to come back to Williams as well.

I'd be curious to know how much Massa is making, and how much of that is paid by Mercedes (all of it, presumably).

[balki]

I thought Mercedes were giving their engines for free to Williams, Massa can't be making half of that cost.

[FaultyMario]

It seems the engine discount went easily, the thing that was holding the negotiations was the length of Paddy's gardening leave.

[balki]

I don't get it; seems like Mercedes is paying $30+M just to be able to sign Bottas for a year (plus his actually salary).
He hasn't been nearly as impressive the last two years (barely beat Massa last year) and in his late-20's
Don't see much of an improvement over Pascal Wehrlein (who would also more readily accept a no. 2 role)

[FaultyMario]

Pascal is difficult to work with. How exactly, I don't know. But that was the reason Force India succinctly gave for going with Ocon.

From the outside, Mercedes have enough drama already; from the inside they must be pretty clear on what Hamilton's teammate should be like.

I'm sure both Toto and Hulkenberg are each hating the timing of Rosberg's announcement. That was the ideal partnership.

[Alan P]

I'd have loved to see Hulkenberg at Mercedes. He never seems to get the chances he deserves. The more I think about it, the more Rosberg's snap decision was actually immensely disrespectful to Mercedes, Toto and the other drivers. The only person it didn't screw over, it seems, is Bottas.

[dodint]

And Rosberg. ;)

[FaultyMario]

http://youtu.be/Yrxi-NZZ1Jk?t=1m57s

That should put some arguments about Vettel's abilities to sleep.

Also, the F1 guys had some huge advantage when driving the Ariel Atom Cup.

[Kchrpm]

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/bernie-ecclestone-is-reportedly-out-at-formula-one-1791524656

I thought he would hold on far longer, but it looks like Bernie's out.


Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport, as translated by Google:

"I was deposed today. Just go away. This is official. I do not run the company anymore. My position has been taken over by Chase Carey."

[dodint]

http://i.giphy.com/4q0T4l26KcBI4.gif

[FaultyMario]

Far longer?

Hopefully this means people like Flavio are also gone...

[Kchrpm]

Far longer?
Yeah, basically I thought he'd die before he let someone take it away from him, even new owners.

[FaultyMario]

I think he'd rather stay in bed banging his girlfriend.

I hope.

[Kchrpm]

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/ecclestone-instrumental-in-splitting-indycar-says-villeneuve-866081/


Villeneuve, who finished third in Atlantics in ’93, before graduating to Indy cars in ’94, and winning the Indy 500 and CART title in ’95, said: “At that point I was thinking it would be great to make it to F1, but perhaps the rest of my career would be in the States. Remember that’s when Nigel Mansell went to Indy car, and Indy car was starting to be bigger and bigger and bigger, and the viewership was starting to get super-strong.

“I guess that annoyed Bernie and I think he was very instrumental in separating IndyCar so they would have separate championships. That’s why Indy car racing died – because it was starting to damage Formula 1."

:(

[dodint]

What is F1 v. Indy viewership nowadays? Globally it's a tilt towards F1 but I assume domestically Indy has them beat? They're on a major network in the afternoon, not buried on NBCSN at 5am.

[Kchrpm]

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2016/12/formula-one-ratings-viewership-nbc-nbcsn/


The NBC Sports family of networks averaged 482,000 for Formula 1 racing this season (20 telecasts), down 7% from last year (521K) but up 5% from 2014 (457K). Despite the decline, it was still the second-most watched F1 season since at least 2011.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2016/09/indycar-ratings-sonoma-finale-season-viewership-nbcsn-abc/


Overall, the full IndyCar season averaged 1.3 million viewers across the NBC networks and ABC, per Sports Business Daily — up from 1.2 million last year and the largest audience since 2011. ABC made up for the lower numbers on NBCSN, posting an uptick in ratings both with the Indy 500 included (from 1.5 to 1.6) and without it (from 0.7 to 0.8).

You're right, Indy beats F1 in America. But oh what it could have been *puts on rose-colored hindsight glasses*

[dodint]

Interesting. I thought both would be higher.

[Godson]

No shit!

[balki]

KENTUCKY DERBY VIEWERSHIP
2015 16.0 million NBC
2014 15.3 million NBC
2013 16.2 million NBC
2012 14.8 million NBC

Indy 500 plus 21 F1 races combined <<<< horseracing

[dodint]

Nobody bets on F1.

No sane people, anyway.

[Godson]

Lol. Should have bet on rosberg retiring...

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C23McGBVIAIdghe.jpg:large

A distinguished lecture http://blog.axisofoversteer.com/2017/01/a-distinguished-lecture.html

edit: link to the YT video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eHtaa-Z8jI

Very interesting.

[G'day Mate]

Indeed

[Blerpa]

Manor F1 is finished.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127902/manor-closes-as-efforts-to-find-buyer-fail

[FaultyMario]

And Bernie has plans for a breakaway series for 2019.

[dodint]

Manor F1 is finished.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127902/manor-closes-as-efforts-to-find-buyer-fail

So none of the teams that came in for 2010 are around anymore. *whomp*

[Freude am Fahren]

McLaren to change car names from MP4- to MCL- and bring back Papaya Orange livery!?

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/mclaren-renames-f1-entry-mcl-reintroduces-orange-liveries?utm_source=RacingDaily20170203&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=headline-center&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awracingdaily

Not sure if it's just for practice like they used to or the whole season as the article implies.

[Alan P]

Last rumour was a black or dark base with either an orange circuit board style design or a hexagonal style design.

[G'day Mate]

Launch dates ...

Feb 21 - Renault
Feb 22 - Force India
Feb 23 - Mercedes
Feb 24 - Ferrari, McLaren
Feb 26 - Toro Rosso

[Alan P]

Not sure if this has been posted or not.

https://drivetribe.com/p/P-8g8xvCRp2ZD2m5jUUeaQ/Q40BDEujQfSbtrwKy410Kg?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=main-&utm_content=mclarenconcepts

[Crazed_Insanity]

I like the red/white scheme... maybe also add a driver with a yellow helmet. That's the kind of McLaren Honda I like! ;)

[G'day Mate]

http://media.crash.net/original/AU1536416.jpg

[2ndMoparMan]

If they didn't have that stupid fin, this would be acceptable.

[Freude am Fahren]

I love how optimistic they are. That big white space will probably remain blank most of the season.

[G'day Mate]

https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/amp/0mPQqDg6/s6/f1-renault-sport-f1-team-rs17-launch-2017-renault-sport-f1-team-rs17.jpg

Other pictures make the yellow look more yellow

[balki]

what's the fin for?

[FaultyMario]

Stabilization, surely.

So they don't become crazy airborne if weirdly crashed, probably.

[Kchrpm]

http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/shark_fin.html


performance wise it is said to make the rear of the car (diffuser) and rear wing more effective by proving a barrier to stop air crisscrossing from one side of the engine cover to the another, acts as a flow straightener, by aligning the airflow towards the rear wing reducing turbulent air off the back of the airbox unit, and therefore 'cleaning' the air that enters the rear wing area, making the wing much more effective. That's why shark fin will provide stability at the rear when going through high speed corners. Device also acts like a wind vane and its side surface area prevents yaw (tail slide), which helps with stability into turns. It doesn't really do anything to the aero at low speed corners. Furthermore, they don't in themselves make the cars more stable during cornering, but under braking they do reduce yaw and thus increase stability. It better manages airflow close to the engine cover, and in particular reduces turbulence generated by spillage from the engine air inlets (more about air spillage from the airbox you can learn here).

[balki]

and in particular reduces turbulence generated by spillage from the engine air inlets
This is what I was hoping for; to make following a car's wake possible (not expecting it)

[Kchrpm]

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/mercedes-may-have-already-found-a-loophole-in-f1s-new-r-1792682849

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/j5kwiw6saz2gyloavo3x.jpg

[G'day Mate]

http://media.crash.net/original/AU1537169.jpg

[FaultyMario]

Orange is the new Marussia.

I'm sorry blerps but it's going to be a downhill slide now that Ron is gone.

[balki]

downhill from 6th last year and what will be their 20th consecutive non-Constructors' Championship season?
The worst part is that they finished 5th in 2014 with by far the best engine. Can they really be headed where Williams was before the latest turbo era?

[FaultyMario]

Imagine that!

Just by looking at the new car's livery, it looks half assed. And i don't think that under Dennis anybody was allowed to half ass anything.

[Freude am Fahren]

I don't know why teams that don't have sponsorship reasons insist on two-tone liveries, especially with one area being boring black or white. A solid orange car (or blue with gold highlights for Sauber) would be much nicer and stand out better.

[CudaMan]

One would think with the budgets F1 teams are dealing with they could hire talented artists to do liveries. So many disappointing ones in recent years. So far this year the Sauber and Renault are probably the best, but let's wait till we see the rest.

[The359]

Dare I sare, it doesn't even look like the right shade of orange.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Mercedes is so far the best looking, minus that funky little tail.... Wonder if it really does something or just there to throw people off...

Anyway. Looking fwd to neweys latest creation...

[Freude am Fahren]

It does seem a bit redder? in those images. We'll have to wait to see it on track I think. I think it's closest to the F1-LM pic below, but maybe paler?

Here's some images for comparison

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c8/16/af/c816afd666c96688959719149153bf89.jpg

https://www.carsbase.com/photo/McLaren-F1_LM_mp117_pic_54698.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5aMFChXEAAsYbJ.jpg:large

And because lighting is everything:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5b3kvNWgAAtn7l.jpg:large

[Godson]

McLaren is fucked.

[FaultyMario]

In their defense, as this was only a video and image reveal (with some suggesting that Alonso and Vandoorne were 'shopped in) there's still hope of image manipulation to hide some aerodynamic details.

[Freude am Fahren]

Haas VF-17:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--AQhd58rQ--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/yfpbbbzvmzhet4sagc7q.jpg

from earlier shots, those dark gray areas seem very reflective.

Red Bull RB13:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--soC92jCM--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/va0y8ibrcw3pht28e8vt.png

Interesting nose.

[Freude am Fahren]

And the Torro Rosso STR 12:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s---1RQLQM---/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/xzlvqeflyjo1bq7llgot.jpg

Something different!

[Crazed_Insanity]

Cool.

Looks more like Torro Silverado to me! :D

[balki]

pictures of Alonso's MCL in today's test
http://adn.gpupdate.net/large/299506.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5rvjoNWMAEjNJR.jpg:large

[FaultyMario]

Latest rumors, the real RB13 won't be seen until the last test day. What we are a seeing is a 12'ed 13, if that makes sense.

As for the shark fin. RB wanted to have it banned under "aesthetics" reasons. Which, as translated by more tech versed people, means that for a number for years RBR have learned to massively rake the car in order to, among other things, control yaw, the shark fin is a shortcut to that end, and it will give teams that don't have the expertise in controlling corner movement by intricate suspension/aero a step up in that direction.

This I think would partly explain the spectacular recovery by Verstappen in the wet last year, the RB12 was very fast under conditions that made everyone else very slow.

If this shark fin equalizes things in the midfield, then it's going to be a welcomed addition. A question, however, why doesn't the Mercedes have the full fin and instead has that weird little moustache?

[MR2 Fan]

some of the cars in 2008 had fins like this

[FaultyMario]

I think they were banned in 2011.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5l5FhmWMAEgGlS.jpg:large

Red Bull on launch day vs Red Bull at the first race. pic.twitter.com/NsqS1EIjS3

[FaultyMario]

Yup.

[Rare White Ape]

Someone's live-streaming the test on YouTube RIGHT NOW


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHS_zF3NqUs

[FaultyMario]

https://hasstrollcrashedyet.com/

[balki]

So far (after day 3 of testing) it looks like Mercedes continues to sandbag. The other teams seems fairly close, except McLaren. Either they're sandbagging hard or they'll be fighting against last place with Sauber/STR/Haas (or the safety car which is much slower but is actually reliable)

[CudaMan]

Ross Brawn talking a lot of sense in this 20 minute interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7JnEGSsjRE

I particularly like what he says about working to create an environment that results in the 20 (ish) best drivers in the world, not the handful of best drivers in the world plus good drivers who provide backing.

[dodint]

https://hasstrollcrashedyet.com/


lol, 53 minutes ago, meaning he has crashed in the time between when you posted and when I replied.

[XHawkeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ue72vx82A

[XHawkeye]

VIDEO: Kimi Raikkonen crash at turn 3 (https://twitter.com/f1writers/status/839504079290318857) <----- Open link for video

https://twitter.com/f1writers/status/839504079290318857

[balki]

Winter testing times show that the new cars are still behind the 2008 V8s , and further back from 2004 V10s (not sure how to compare the current ultra soft tires with what Michelin and Bridgestone had back then)

[Freude am Fahren]

With testing times, or race weekend times?

I can't imagine any times in testing at that representative of what we'll see on race weekend. At least out of the top teams, and over whole laps.

[balki]

Vettel ran a 1:19.0 this morning on ultrasofts, with him having backed off only on the final turn's exit (Vettel's ideal lap time, not accounting for the laps in which he backed off approaching the finish line, was a 1:18.781 (http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/350374/vettel-fastest-for-ferrari-masks-pace/)).
Massa ran a 1:18.3 in Friday practice in 2008 (the 2004 cars were roughly 2-3 seconds quicker at most tracks)

Back in 2004 one of (perhaps) the fastest attainable street cars was a 405hp C5 Z06, now it's behind the base Corvette
Not a fan of complex regulations that just slow the car down with almost no room for safety improvement (as long as they remain open-wheel open-cockpit)

at least the low body work and fat tires look hella nice.

[CudaMan]

DannyRic in fine form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG9sC7AQYoY

[G'day Mate]

... pink??

[The359]

Apparently this BWT company paints all their sponsored cars pink.

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/04/AUE_mbcom-667x375.jpg

[Freude am Fahren]

???

Edit: Oh.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--5Njjdekc--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/feyspdnp3e9so0b736ls.jpg

[Crazed_Insanity]

Pretty!

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C65BeHWWcAAbh4I.jpg:large

Thanks @ForceIndiaF1 for the memories… pic.twitter.com/D6oxB95xKA

[balki]

360° F1 On-Board Lap with HUD - Sauber F1 Team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhvC0xbcbc8
Have to say, I like the looser media restrictions of the new owners.

[XHawkeye]

McLaren: "Finally we'll have a livery that will stand out"
Force India: "Hold my beer"

#truestory (https://twitter.com/Mattzel89/status/841709410858745856)

[Fogelhund]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-sounds-out-mercedes-about-f1-engine-supply-883240/

McLaren rumoured to have talked to Mercedes about engine supply.

[balki]

On one hand Honda clearly blows this time around.
On the other hand McLaren had the best engine in 2014 and still finished 5th (they also finished well behind Lotus the year before).
Plus they insisted that they be Honda's sole customer.

[FaultyMario]

Could Honda benefit from Lowe at Williams if they were to move teams?

[balki]

Didn't even cross my mind that Honda would stay in F1 at that point.
What constructor would seriously consider them? Ferrari is supposedly really close to Mercedes in power and Renault has made huge leaps in the last year or so.

[FaultyMario]

I think if they can find 2 teams to supply and even out the loads, they'd stay.

I really don't know about corporate culture in Japan, and maybe Greg can provide some insight, but AFAIK their problems stem from they wanting to learn from their failures, and so they'd rather do it on their own and come out a stronger organization than have someone from the outside come and tell them what to do.

[balki]

But they've also been pushing to supply more teams for more data, that should help for the 2+ teams willing to risk it (maybe Sauber if they were given engines almost for free and .... Toro Rosso?)

[MR2 Fan]

Honda should join up with Force India if their cars are going to look like that...KAWAII SELLS in Japan!!

[samoht]

To me it's not that surprising that Honda is having more trouble this year than in 2016.

Last year, due to the regulations restricting how many 'change tokens' they could use, they were constrained to an incremental development of their 2015 engine, so there were fewer unknowns or unproven parts. This year, changes are unrestricted, so they have been able to start with a clean sheet. This has more potential, but also more risk.

What I don't know is whether they have a fundamentally good design with some teething flaws to iron out, or if they have taken yet another wrong turning and will need to scrap this design and start over yet again.

[FaultyMario]

Quick notes after AUS Quali.

Ferrari should be faster than Mercedes on race distance. They were sandbagging and messed up their qualifying.

Mercedes have also more pace on hand but i think it's one lap Pace like they had in 2013. I think they're going to have problems over a race distance, maybe they haven't gotten on top of their tire management.

Having said that, woah, Lewis... The boy's in beast mode

A different sort of beast... Lance stroll. Uy uy uy.
There or whereabouts, Marcus Ericsson. I expect an ass whopping from Antonio. Barring some DNF, he should give a good show of his talent. Thankfully teams now contractually secure their drivers or we'd see another Schumacher snatched from Jordan situation.

Expect a good result from RoGro, Pérez, Hulk and the Torros.

[Freude am Fahren]

What make you think that about Mercedes tires? Didn't Lewis do like 25 laps on a set of Ultra Softs on Friday?

I don't see Ferrari having a better race, personally.

Lance looked bad. The car looked bad on his on-boards, but Massa didn't do that bad, maybe setup issues?

[FaultyMario]

It's a hunch. like in Singapore 2015 when they were nowhere after the tire pressures were changed. They've always had difficulties with their rear tires, but their engine dominance more than made up for that .

[balki]

The 2017 cars look faster and better, in terms of overall design, perceived speed on track and most of the liveries
Not sure what to make of the race, a lot less passing (looks like the V10 era where the cars are fast but most of the passing is done in the pits), but Vettel was able to stay within a second of Hamilton during the first stint; either the cars' wakes having gotten much worse or Ferrari had much better pace.
Regardless, the cars are faster and they'll be at least two teams fighting for wins.

...Ferrari should be faster than Mercedes on race distance...
Mercedes ... they're going to have problems over a race distance, maybe they haven't gotten on top of their tire management.
A different sort of beast... Lance stroll. Uy uy uy.
I expect an ass whopping from Antonio.
Expect a good result from RoGro, Pérez, Hulk and the Torros.
damn, aside from the hulk that was spot-on

[samoht]

Yeah. good call on Merc burning their tyres. I was sure Hamilton was going to walk it again this year, but maybe not !

[dodint]

Looks like a season of processional races where Saturday is more important than Sunday. A strategists delight where the fans root for rain races so they can see some action.

[Freude am Fahren]

Yeah, looks like passing will be pretty much non-existent this year. I think Lewis' tire problems were a result of being stuck behind the Red Bull.

[Alan P]

After avoiding the result all day and very nearly seeing the winner but for a timely look-away I have to say it wasn't the procession many were expecting!

The Ferrari looks far better balanced than the Mercedes who appear to have tire wear issues and, as in just about every season of the Hybrid engines, their aero doesn't work anywhere near as well when following another car. Vettel was able to maintain a decent distance so as not to be left behind at the beginning of the race and Lewis seemed to wear the tyres a little bit faster because he was pushing so hard.

Some excellent moments and the drivers now seem to realise they need to PASS people rather than just waiting for DRS so we may see some more aggression from the drivers.

One disappointment was the number of cars and runners lapped. Everyone up to 6th and Perez would have been lapped in another lap or two and I suspect Vettel eased off. Some teams really need a kick up the arse and it's shown, once again rather glaringly that you need the full aero and engine package and that **** costs money and a lot of it. With the new aero and old engine formula there's zero chance of anyone other than Ferrari or Mercedes winning a race at the moment. Unless Renault massively up their game I can't see Red bull fighting for wins at all either. Better than Mercedes or Mercedes I guess, but still disappointing. Changes need to be made, but everyone knows that.

[dodint]

There were, officially, two total on track overtakes in the race.

Processional.

[balki]

? Just the two when Alonso was passed by Hulkenberg and theotherguythatiforgot at the same time?
The cars were able to follow fairly closely, so it's not just the aero (pretty bad track for passing, only chances are on the hard braking zones which are now shorter than ever).

[dodint]

Yeah, my understanding is they were both on Alonso. Which means they weren't even competitive.

[FaultyMario]

I guess that gem from Pérez on sainz didn't count because Lap 1

[Yobbo NZ]

I was standing at turn 6, the were all braking right on the 50m board.
I ended up leaving early due to not being able to see much with the sporadically placed big screens.

[M4FFU]

There were, officially, two total on track overtakes in the race.

Processional.

I did expect some better things from all the changes. The cars looked great early season, but I was still cynical so didn't bother going to my FiL's to watch the race. He text later: Vettel passed Ham in the pits.

Nice.

:rolleyes:

[Freude am Fahren]

I bet the best thing for increasing passing would be mandating steel brakes. When your braking zone is only twice as long as your car, it's hard to make much progress.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C73BZtHXwAAsurN.jpg:large

We are going to have 6 months of hard winter... #MclarenHonda #F1 #MarmotMclarenDay pic.twitter.com/XU5FVoBX3B

[Alan P]

:lol:

[FaultyMario]

Webber thinks Alonso won't finish the year. (http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/sporten/automotor/1.2932998#) Skip to 2:00

[balki]

One count showed there were just 5 passes during the Australian grand prix, down from two dozen in 2016. (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns36060.html)
But there's hope of quality (http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/351111/opinion-don-t-judge-2017-overtaking-on-opener/). Ricciardo's and Grosjean's retirements didn't help the cause (13 cars finished)

I bet the best thing for increasing passing would be mandating steel brakes. When your braking zone is only twice as long as your car, it's hard to make much progress.
Is that an option (for 2018, or more realistically 2020)?
Say, 13" -> 17" or even 20" wheels with much bigger steel brakes. Would there be a safety issue with fade, overheating, failure, ... ?

[dodint]

"Safety issue" was my first thought. Not that it's a valid issue, but that that will be the argument from the teams.

[FaultyMario]

Would a vertical plane in the rear, with a function like that of CART's Hanford Device be a solution?

[Blerpa]

Ban aerodynamics. It's like 20 years we keep saying that.
Like no winglets, no added wings and so on, just a bare front wing and rear one. And all the shape must be solid and continous.
Not a snowball chance in hell it will ever happen...

[Godson]

The issue with that is, aero is the most important aspect in advancing automotive efficiency. Can engines get better, yes. But the lowest common denominator is aero to increase efficiency. It sure sucks.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Winglets are not the culprits. Need to get rid of all wings because as long as they're generating downforce, you're going to have a trail of 'upwash', which will screw up the aerodynamics of the cars behind. They need to further minimize wing sizes to minimize that effect if not getting rid of it all together. Have aero folks focus on just drag reduction, rather than increasing downforce...

If they don't want to get rid of the looks of the wings so drastically, mandating something like CART's Hanford device should also work somewhat. A trail for turbulent flow should be better than a trail of 'upwash'.

[FaultyMario]

I meant in the short term. They've poured tens of millions in this generation of cars, they're not gonna go to waste.

They've known for 40 years that turbulent air is a byproduct of downforce and that running in turbulent air is more taxing than not. I think they ought to ban the most disruptive aero surfaces, which I think are the diffuser and the rear wing, and from there they would have to compensate towards the rest of the car.

[Freude am Fahren]

Tickets purchase for COTA!

[Alan P]

Tickets purchase for COTA!

:up: I've got Silverstone tickets for my boy and myself this year too!

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8o1ZqlXcAAaCr3.jpg:large

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8mc9dJXsAIHxqH.jpg:large

Old but gold. #F1 pic.twitter.com/LDtBunIlvK

[Freude am Fahren]

simpsons pic

http://www.freudeamfoto.com/gtx/fernando.jpg
FTFY

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8t8hnxXcAAeQKq.jpg:large

Even his name is crying. pic.twitter.com/mPl2jTfPz7

[XHawkeye]

BREAKING NEWS: The real reason behind the FP1 disruption! (https://twitter.com/Jason_A_Swales/status/850194429511991296)

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C84YBhSXkAIOR44.jpg:large

mpressive P13 for Fernando Alonso. #F1 #ChineseGp @alo_oficial you are the best pic.twitter.com/19uDfeCTrT

[Alan P]

Probably faster......

[FaultyMario]

Uy! Lance Stroll.

Rude awakening for a rookie. You're racing men now buddy, "my corner" does not apply if you can't chicken them to the offline.

[XHawkeye]

What happens when Honda has zero chance to win and needs to change the subject.

Hope Andretti can prepare an extra car.

Unlike Mansell, hope Alonso's car lasts the whole race.

http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/139538-exclusive-alonso-to-race-2017-indy-500-with-andretti

[XHawkeye]

Mercedes feeling left out.

https://twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/852106999743610880

[dodint]

Alonso to skip Monaco to run the Indy 500.

Outstanding.

[Godson]

Jesus. That driver lineup for Andretti is fucking STOUT.

[FaultyMario]

With his luck...

[Freude am Fahren]

And Jensen may take his seat in Monaco...

[Reynard]

With his luck...

he may end up like Nelson? I certainly hope not.

[dodint]

And Jensen may take his seat in Monaco...

No. No. No.

Do fuck off.

[Crazed_Insanity]

What wrong with Jensen?

Anyway, this will certainly make this year's indy500 more interesting...

[FaultyMario]

Old, whiny and slow.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9SWSSuXYAAgQiq.jpg:large

2017 #Indy500 trophy 😂 via @Mauro_Serafin pic.twitter.com/1VZSD86eH3

[G'day Mate]

If he were to win Indy ... well are there any other current drivers within a shout of the triple crown?

[Drachen596]

Only JPM if I'm not mistaken. he needs a Le Mans Win.

[Blerpa]

What wrong with Jensen?

Only that his name is Jenson and you english speaking people always misname him, I've no idea why.

[Freude am Fahren]

I do it for the simple reason that the next town over to where I grew up is called Jensen Beach. So it's habit. Funny enough, one year they printed all the local phone books with "Jenson Beach" on them.

Also, chrome redlines Jenson, but not Jensen.

And yeah, just JPM, though if Hulk manage to win some freak Monaco race, he'd only need Indy :) There were lots of rumors (or really just hopes) when Mark (who has Monaco win, 2nd at Le Mans, btw) left Porsche that they'd pick up Montoya. That would have been awesome if they did, and he could pull it off.

[Random]

Only that his name is Jenson and you english speaking people always misname him, I've no idea why.

Not sure what being an English speaker has to do with anything.

If it is relevant, it would be that speaking English actually makes it harder to spell names correctly because one is so used to homophones. Examples of names that are pronounced the same​: Bryan, Brian. Kerry, Carrie, Kari.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Hmm..., I know his name is spelled Jenson. I wasn't even aware that I typed Jensen. Spelling with 'son' does invoke the typo redline for Firefox too. On the iphone, if you typed his name with capital J, it'll be fine. If not, iphone will change jenson into Henson.

I don't remember if I posted that using firefox or on the phone... anyway, maybe my automatic brain is somehow in line with these browsers' spellchecker... I must have actually typed Jensen somehow. Oh well.

Anyway, as old as he is, I'm pretty sure he's still better than Massa... and should be at least on par with Kimi and Bottas if not better( if Jenson has their cars).

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9X8wzuWAAQzbPz.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9YDX5LVYAEN2lK.jpg:large



https://twitter.com/F1/status/852882196532576256 <-- w/ sound

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9YcHdnXoAA5FIZ.jpg:large

Kimi and ALonso on the Moon...😂😂#F1 #BahrainGp by @MickTurski pic.twitter.com/2pFap6DtdD

[dodint]

Only that his name is Jenson and you english speaking people always misname him, I've no idea why.

I don't respect him enough to learn it properly.

[Freude am Fahren]

Did Valtteri's engineer say "fuck Nico?" :lol:

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9crCgDXcAItwT9.jpg:large

This is the best one I´ve seen so far!!! #boysinthedesert pic.twitter.com/47VI64y1po

[FaultyMario]

Stroll is lucky to not be in the designed to degrade era.

[FaultyMario]

Curious to see what stewards decide on the SAI/STR... parking lot crash.

[Freude am Fahren]

I'm going to side with Stroll. Clearly he must have taken it easy into the corner for Sainz to catch up, but It's gotta be on the car coming out of the pits to keep it clean.

If he had been beside him at speed before braking, that's be one thing, but he came from way back. Not sure he wouldn't have gone way wide if Stroll wasn't there.

[Godson]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sainz-gets-three-place-grid-penalty-for-russia-894824/amp/

I completely agree with this. Sainz came from way back, after being in the pit, and tried to dive under Lance.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I'd side more with stroll too, but that was clearly a brain fart racing incident. Their collisions should be penalty enough, I do believe additional grid penalties to be a bit excessive. But I suppose the penalty will give stroll some sense of justice. Still, the guy shouldn't be so slow to bait over ambitious moves like that... ;)

[Godson]

Dude, Sainz has been known to dive bomb in the past.

Best part is they called his move "a bit maldonadoish"

[dodint]

:lol:

Yeah.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9tV3n2XUAA0iv9.jpg:large

@GrandPrixDiary nice to see the talents at MTC haven't gone to waste, look they designed a tow truck for the car pic.twitter.com/JeOrV1Ni4G

[XHawkeye]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/39353973_571941a294.jpg

Old view

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9uL102XsAk4Hah.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9uL9M4W0AAJQZ0.jpg

2017 (https://twitter.com/F1Photographer/status/854430927698763776)

[IMOA]

I don't respect him enough to learn it properly.

Whys that? He's a decent driver who held his position on merit rather than bankroll. Not a great but good enough to take the world championship when the opportunity presented. He's always been pretty easy going, loyal and doesn't take himself too seriously nor does he go out of his way to undermine others. He's not my favorite driver but I'm not seeing why someone would dislike him so much that they would think knowing his name would be a step too far.

[Crazed_Insanity]

My thoughts exactly.

[dodint]

Whys that? He's a decent driver who held his position on merit rather than bankroll. Not a great but good enough to take the world championship when the opportunity presented. He's always been pretty easy going, loyal and doesn't take himself too seriously nor does he go out of his way to undermine others. He's not my favorite driver but I'm not seeing why someone would dislike him so much that they would think knowing his name would be a step too far.

The name thing was tongue in cheek banter with Blerpa.

I came to F1 in 2005, and I've been told that I missed the endearing part of his career. From my seat all I see is a sniveling whiner that backed into a WDC because Brawn made the right gamble with that double diffuser. I just have zero patience for him when he starts pissing and moaning. Most guys I dislike in their careers I'd love to have a beer with and can appreciate as humans. JB is just a smug dipshit I hope to never to see again.

[Tom Servo]

I also enjoy the fact that every time you hear him over the radio when he's driving, it sounds like someone screaming into a particularly poorly maintained McDonald's drive through stand.

[balki]

Can't say I know of any driver who doesn't sound like a sniveling whiner (think Kimi has become the worst offener this year)
JB just did it with his jaw clenched

[dodint]

Vettel is cheeky and fun with his whining.

[Crazed_Insanity]

The name thing was tongue in cheek banter with Blerpa.

I came to F1 in 2005, and I've been told that I missed the endearing part of his career. From my seat all I see is a sniveling whiner that backed into a WDC because Brawn made the right gamble with that double diffuser. I just have zero patience for him when he starts pissing and moaning. Most guys I dislike in their careers I'd love to have a beer with and can appreciate as humans. JB is just a smug dipshit I hope to never to see again.

Not sure if he had any endearing part of his career, unless you count his lazy playboy image as endearing? Anyway, surely he endured a lot to get to where he is.

Pretty decent driver, but always getting passed over by the team bosses. Williams loaned them to Benetton/Renault for Montoya... and Renault later got rid of him for test driver named Alonso... suffered probably more so than what Alonso is going thru now in the slow BAR Honda for years... until that double diffuser break.

Still, Button has proven to be faster than his teammate in order to capitalize this gift and win the championship. He has also proven that he can almost be as fast as Hamilton without creating a huge rivalry within the team...

As for whining, yeah, who on the grid doesn't whine?

If you just don't like his face, then I suppose there's nothing he can do about that... ;)

Who else would you hire to take place of Alonso at Monaco if you're the boss at McLaren? (Let's ignore the fact that Jenson is already on McLaren's payroll...)

[FaultyMario]

Lance Stroll swapping ends under SC?

:lol:

[dodint]

Massa sucks. Thanks for ruining the moment we spent 20 laps building up to, turd.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-qRbZzWsAAlVK6.jpg

Yes, Fernando it's an Impossible Mission, mate! 😨😨😨 #F1 #RussianGp pic.twitter.com/xT6zneYJjI

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CT17hg2XAAAk7vM.jpg

#PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe XVI. ..😂to be continued pic.twitter.com/etUJiqgMxc

[Blerpa]

Oh, com'on now, it's racing and these things happen with backmarkers or lapped cars.
It's not like Vettel was going to pass Bottas anyway, honestly.
Blaming Massa here is like blaming Timo Glock for Hamilton's pass in brasilian 2008's showdown race.
Impressed by Ocon, btw.

[FaultyMario]

Ocon is making the contracts of Palmer and Stroll look like... like shit I guess.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-2H_bRXsAALIZH.jpg:large

Sympa comme ça #Ferrari #f1 pic.twitter.com/sM0VBKPEWu

[Blerpa]

Alonso first test at Indy. LIVE now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXh9uxthFnk

[XHawkeye]

Only 8 Finns have ever raced in F1, @ValtteriBottas is the 5th to win a race 🇫🇮

That deserves a pat on the back… (https://twitter.com/F1/status/859113441839140869)

[Alan P]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-2H_bRXsAALIZH.jpg:large

Sympa comme ça #Ferrari #f1 pic.twitter.com/sM0VBKPEWu

Micromachines F1 edition!

[Blerpa]

Ferrari will receive the largest share of revenues allocated for Formula 1 teams despite finishing third in the 2016 constructors' championship, Autosport can reveal.

At the start of each season, Formula One Management projects revenues from three streams - hosting fees, media rights and other income avenues, such as hospitality and trackside sponsorship.
FOM's 2017 turnover is estimated at $1.83bn, with underlying revenues estimated at $1.38bn.
It then distributes approximately 68% of projected underlying revenues among the qualifying teams.

That figure of $940m is 3.5% down on last year's figure due to anticipated increases in marketing costs in line with FOM owner Liberty's plans, and a reduction in the number of grands prix from 21 to 20.
Revenues are distributed across the 10 teams through nine monthly payments from April, with a final "check" payment - when definitive revenues have been calculated - in March 2018.
The amount each team receives is based on a series of factors, including performance over the course of the season, past success and special agreements.
The table below, sourced by Autosport, details how revenues are distributed.

2383

Column 1 payments are calculated based on a team's classification over two of the past three years, while Column 2 payments are based solely on a team's 2016 classification with only the top 10 qualifying.
The Column 1 pot is divided equally among all qualifying teams, with each estimated to earn $36m.
Had Manor survived, that figure would have been $32.5m, $1m down on the previous season, but following the outfit's closure, that payment was shared equally with the other nine qualifying teams.
As Haas has only completed one season, it does not qualify for Column 1 payments.

Column 2 is calculated on a sliding scale from first to 10th place with first receiving 19% of the fund, sixth 9% and 10th 4%.
Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren have agreed separate deals for constructors' championship bonus payments.

Ferrari also receives a long-standing team payment while Williams collects a heritage payment.
Red Bull receives an extra payment for being the first team to sign the current bi-lateral agreement, which runs to 2020, and this totals $35m.
After meeting its agreed target of two world championships, Mercedes earns a special annual payment that matches Red Bull's.
Ferrari will receive $180m, representing almost one fifth of the total 'pot' but $12m less than last year.
That's $108m more than Force India receives, despite the latter finishing just one place adrift in the constructors' championship.
Mercedes won both the drivers' and constructors' championships for the third successive year, but still received $9m less than Ferrari.
Force India and Williams both finished ahead of McLaren in the standings, but each receive less courtesy of McLaren's CCB payment.

If the pot was shared out equally, each team would get $94m. That would leave Ferrari's payment down by $86m while Sauber, the final team to qualify for Column 1 and 2 payments, would receive an extra $45m.
Autosport contacted FOM, which refused to comment on the revenues.

[FaultyMario]

McLaren's seems most unfair given their performance in '15 and '16.

But yeah, that's​a two-tier championship in the facts.

[The359]

How is McLaren not a heritage team the same as Williams? :?

And 35 million for Red Bull for just signing a deal?

[Godson]

It makes sense. He first team to sign the deal will pressure other teams to do the same. Reward those willing to take risks..

As for the heritage team thing, who knows what the qualification thing is.

Sad part, Ferrari has more money and does less with it...

[FaultyMario]

Iirc, Williams has a heritage payment.

Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren have a bonus on their WCCs. Which seems generous in the case of McLaren.

[Blerpa]

- Alonso, who missed FP1 due to a Honda engine failure, only emerged half an hour into the session after an engine change, and had to wait longer to complete proper runs.
Having turned a session-low 21 laps, Alonso ranted on the radio at one stage that: "The engine feels good. Much slower than before. Amazing." -

It is truly becoming a nightmare.

[Freude am Fahren]

I watched about 5 minutes of FP2 this morning. Enough to see Alonso turn one hot lap. It was 5+ seconds off the pace, and he was doing about 190mph in the speed trap, more than 10mph slower than anyone else. Vandoorne looked like he was somewhere in the midpack though.

[FaultyMario]

The new Mercedes looks like it's gonna be much faster than the Ferrari.

I think they'll look up the rest of the front rows, but struggle on sundays with the tiny tire operating window they still have.

[balki]

So, Hamilton passed Vettel ...
When was the last time that happened (lead change after the final round of pit stops) between two different teams?
With all the passing that happened the last few years I don't recall them being for the lead unless it was early in the race when tire/pit strategies were being played out.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_yvn4AXsAA9snX.jpg:large

Sad Kimi Kid is a legend! #SpanishGP #F1 #Ferrari pic.twitter.com/aYiFaLhi4t

[Crazed_Insanity]

:(

[Freude am Fahren]

So McLaren is now the only team without any points this season. Has that every happened in their history?

[balki]

If you don't count the 2007 season then they've never scored less than 3 points, and that was 50/51 years ago when they debuted, and they only gave the top 6 points, and there were only 9 races
They did finish 9th (out of 14 or 15) in 1980 with Alain Prost

The Kimi kid expressed how I felt 15 seconds into the race.
they showed that replay again towards the end of the race then cut away with him in Ferrari's hospitality area with Kimi. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMKd5nc76LQ)
The happy ending makes it okay to laugh at the over the top crying

[FaultyMario]

I'm probably going to jinx him, but, what the fuck, JPM for the 500.

He's in serious "you want to get the triple crown? bitch, please!" fire-in-the-belly mode.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DAr268KXUAI1xB-.jpg:large

Monaco Grand Prix. Thursday shot of the day. No zoom lens required! More Monte madness here: https://drivetribe.com/p/JRE7v2YaSHS6KnLqkUTfNw?iid=cFS1knsPTIK9VrAH4XF4qA … pic.twitter.com/OZrnKr6SeS

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA1dFd8W0AEEfZA.jpg:large

The Ice Man celebrating the pole!

[XHawkeye]

Open for one board of pole lap---> https://twitter.com/F1/status/868462821050163200

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA2GSm8XUAA5HCH.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA2GSnJXgAAsaQl.jpg

Here's how #F1's current crop of youngsters looked the last time Kimi Raikkonen bagged pole.

👶🏁 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/u1ah6mW4xO

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA6dqyjXYAAOuhV.jpg:large

#Hülkenbergs parks it at the set of "The Truman Show" #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/WEc9m9vtzP

[Freude am Fahren]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA2GSm8XUAA5HCH.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DA2GSnJXgAAsaQl.jpg

Here's how #F1's current crop of youngsters looked the last time Kimi Raikkonen bagged pole.

���� #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/u1ah6mW4xO

Crazy Finns. Valtteri looks the same.

[Godson]

Good race, I'm gutted for Kimi. He needed that race win.

[FaultyMario]

There's all sorts of theories going around, IMHO it was a fair fight, I'm sure Arrivbenne let them race but Vettel got lucky with traffic and was able to not lose time.

Gutted for Kimi, but the car's right and he's gonna put a stellar drive in Spa. Mark my words.

[Alan P]

There's all sorts of theories going around, IMHO it was a fair fight, I'm sure Arrivbenne let them race but Vettel got lucky with traffic and was able to not lose time.

Gutted for Kimi, but the car's right and he's gonna put a stellar drive in Spa. Mark my words.

If he doesn't he'll be relegated to number 2 for the entire rest of the season. I mean he is anyway, but he'll be Vettel's bitch until November.

[Crazed_Insanity]

It'll be hard to stay #2 if he continues to snatch the poles. Should be an interesting race at spa!

[Freude am Fahren]

Looked like his second set of tires may have been shit too. He was losing a lot of time to Vettel.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Anyway, I really don't believe Ferrari is that capable enough to engineer a win for Vettel like that. For this particular race, leader should just pit as late as possible... if you can managed it, only pit after everyone else has pitted maybe? The fact that this happened to Red Bull showed that it's just more advantageous to pit later..., no way RB was purposely helping Daniel and force Max to be a #2. Vettel also pumped out the fast laps he needed with old tires too... so I think he deserved this win.

Of course the hope is that this incident has motivated Kimi enough to get his mojo back!

[Kchrpm]

"As late as possible" is a moving target. At some point the wear of the tires causes more loss of speed than the weight loss from fuel burn can cover for and you start to bleed time. You have to decide what bleed rate is "as late as possible."

[Blerpa]

Actually in F1 the driver ahead in a race has priority for pitting (over his/her teammate) and the advantage to do so, pretty much the accepted method.
Ferrari actually fucked it up a bit, and went through motions without engineering much of it... it just turned more beneficial for Vettel, which was a much better preferred result for the red team.
Fuck Ferrari always.

[Godson]

Same happened to max the axe. Which was why he was bitching too.

[FaultyMario]

Yeah, but max was running behind a slow car (Bottas) which compromised his "ALAP" as defined by keef.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Fall of Mercedes is near? Now being labeled as a slow car... ;)

Anyway, I think those who pited with Kimi suffer, those who could manage their old tires as much as they could benefited by the later stop... It Ferrari really planned this, they certainly tricked a lot of folks into pitting...

[Freude am Fahren]

I think most people saw this coming. Mercedes was always going to look its worst at Monaco with the way their car is. Canada, Azerbaijan, Hungary, and Singapore will probably all favor the Ferrari.

[balki]

maybe RBR for those last two