Motorsports Formula 1 Discussion

[Karan]

Could've probably done without all the red flags, at least the 2nd one, could've easily been handled under SC. But the new FIA race director seems more intent on spicing up the show NASCAR-style and the race ended under chaotic fashion. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

Miami GP? Oh-well another RB runaway. Glad for ALO though. He’s keeping my interest in this campaign. Ferrari and MB not quite right just yet. Rest of the field is just the rest of the field. Hoping for some good racing this season but so far…

[Morphinity 2.0]

I haven't really watched this season and I'm not sure I will. I'm usually pretty hyped for Formula 1 to begin the season, but lose it sometime after Monaco because summer activities get in the way. But, this year, the annoying schedule breaks coupled with the non-competitive nature of the sport right now, have made it extremely undesirable to watch. Not sure what can be done, but it's just a total dud. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

I haven't been as tuned in either and just happened to be home when the race started yesterday so I got sucked in...and folded laundry. LOL

 

ALO - Whether he's dating, doing or hoping to do Taylor Swift doesn't really matter. He's nailing something this season.

 

Q? Is RB still benefiting from their over-spend last year? If so, you would think the rest of the field can catch up at some point, no?

 

Newey. That's the comment.

 

Q? Ferrari is perplexing at best. Quali speed is great and fighting for pole is great but what happens race day? LEC's face after he got out of the car and was talking with SAI says it all. I was the 'WTF?' look.

 

Q? MB appears to be taking solid, measurable steps forward albeit slowly. Can they maintain the trend?

 

McLaren.

 

FIA - F1 has always been a rich person's sport and catering to VIPs is smart. BUT...pricing and access to these USA events have gone beyond reason. Vegas pricing would lead one to believe it was sold out only to have another batch of multi-thousand dollar tix released after the first wave sold. I get it but I'm not playing or paying. BTW - I found $400/race-day tix to Montreal for standing area only. And those were between the bleachers exiting the hairpin. Not much sightline in that spot - I've sat at the hairpin before. FIA is not helping itself.

 

CART and Indy 500 are going to get eyeballs and I'd wager, more than a few crossover fans.

[Karan]

2 hours ago, Morphinity 2.0 said:

I haven't really watched this season and I'm not sure I will. I'm usually pretty hyped for Formula 1 to begin the season, but lose it sometime after Monaco because summer activities get in the way. But, this year, the annoying schedule breaks coupled with the non-competitive nature of the sport right now, have made it extremely undesirable to watch. Not sure what can be done, but it's just a total dud. 

2023 is shaping up to be basically a replica of the recent Hamilton domination years. As usual, one team has made a huge step up over all the years with the lead driver at the top of his game. Going to be a very unwatchable season from a fan perspective unless watching midfield and backmarker battles are entertaining.

[Karan]

16 minutes ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

I haven't been as tuned in either and just happened to be home when the race started yesterday so I got sucked in...and folded laundry. LOL

 

ALO - Whether he's dating, doing or hoping to do Taylor Swift doesn't really matter. He's nailing something this season.

 

Q? Is RB still benefiting from their over-spend last year? If so, you would think the rest of the field can catch up at some point, no?

 

Newey. That's the comment.

 

Q? Ferrari is perplexing at best. Quali speed is great and fighting for pole is great but what happens race day? LEC's face after he got out of the car and was talking with SAI says it all. I was the 'WTF?' look.

 

Q? MB appears to be taking solid, measurable steps forward albeit slowly. Can they maintain the trend?

 

McLaren.

 

FIA - F1 has always been a rich person's sport and catering to VIPs is smart. BUT...pricing and access to these USA events have gone beyond reason. Vegas pricing would lead one to believe it was sold out only to have another batch of multi-thousand dollar tix released after the first wave sold. I get it but I'm not playing or paying. BTW - I found $400/race-day tix to Montreal for standing area only. And those were between the bleachers exiting the hairpin. Not much sightline in that spot - I've sat at the hairpin before. FIA is not helping itself.

 

CART and Indy 500 are going to get eyeballs and I'd wager, more than a few crossover fans.

 

Yeah Alonso looks completely rejuvinated this season. It really is a shame McLaren was so putrid a few years ago as we really lost a lot of Alonso at his prime, he could've easily have been dicing it with Hamilton.

 

Honestly, Ferrari look worse than last year to me. Their qualifying pace is worse than in 2022 and their race pace is about as bad as late last season. Obviously it's going to take a while for Vasseur to make any changes but 2023 looks like another lost season for them with piss poor race pace.

 

I really don't think Mercedes are taking any steps forward, not at the moment at least. Wolff just called the car "a nasty piece of work". And when your team boss uses language like that, it's saying something. Having said that, Mercedes always do well at the in-season development so I'm sure their upgrades will bring them closer to the front but likely just fighting with Aston Martin. No one's going to touch Red Bull this year. 

[Karan]

By the way, I had a chance to walk around the Imola and Montreal circuits during my vacation last month! Will post some photos. It's definitely quite a different perspective when you walk the track versus what you see on TV. 

[Morphinity 2.0]

15 minutes ago, Karan said:

2023 is shaping up to be basically a replica of the recent Hamilton domination years. As usual, one team has made a huge step up over all the years with the lead driver at the top of his game. Going to be a very unwatchable season from a fan perspective unless watching midfield and backmarker battles are entertaining.

I think it's worse than the Hamilton years. There was at least some competition between Merc and Ferrari for some parts of the season. But this year, RBR is so far ahead of everyone, you don't even have that. 

 

There really aren't even particularly interesting midfield battles with teams like McLaren so far off the pace. .

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

Aston Martin taking a step forward has been fun and I think the Alplines have done very well but nobody is going to challenge RBR for anything. Im mad at myself for not betting a Max win. from p9 it was still + Money like obviously he's gonna win.

 

If Bottas managed to get himself in the points I would have hit a big parlay but the alfa romeo isn't competitive enough. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

I’m looking forward to IMSA Watkins Glen June 25. Got my ticket, parking pass and hotel set to go. Just me. Taking a cigar, packing a cooler and looking forward to the sights, sounds and smells of racing. 

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

apparently Daniel Ricciardo might take over in the Alpha Tauri if Devries doesn't get his shit together.

 

will be absolutely hilarious to see him passing McLarens 

[Karan]

5 hours ago, BlairBettsBlocksEverything said:

apparently Daniel Ricciardo might take over in the Alpha Tauri if Devries doesn't get his shit together.

 

will be absolutely hilarious to see him passing McLarens 

 

I'd be shocked if they only give DeVries less than half a season to perform. That's cutthroat even by AlphaTauri's standards. Plus what would be the point of putting Ricciardo in the car who's himself struggled the past few years? DeVries is an F2 and FE champ with a lot of potential once he gets settled in. IMO you have to give him at least a full season and then evaluate whether to keep or dump him in early 2024. Plus it's no guarantee for them that Tsunoda will get the job done too. 

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

yeah im sure its just all talk but it would be kinda funny lol. maybe they give him a few races off to work on things and go back to him in this instance?

 

 

[Karan]

This weekend's Imola GP has been officially cancelled due to catastrophic flooding in the area: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-update-on-the-emilia-romagna-grand-prix-at-imola.14xk8GLh2Lr8wBGdJqhxnO.html

 

Looks like I got very fortunate not to get caught up in the bad weather while I was there a few weeks ago

 

Personal updates from De Vries and Tsunoda as they drove through the affected areas: https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/37675244/de-vries-tsunoda-share-stories-italy-flooding

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Karan

[4EverRangerFrank]

Ugly scene and glad that wiser heads prevailed canceling the race. Safety first. Concern for all area citizens affected is paramount. (Ferrari with a sigh of relief?) The circus moves ahead.  

[4EverRangerFrank]

"When F1 unveiled its new engine regulations for 2026, Honda were enticed by the requirement to use 100% sustainable fuels and the greater focus on electrical power, as it delivered synergies with the automotive company's goals.

But with Red Bull pursuing their own path with an in-house power unit division, aided by their new partner, American car giant Ford, Honda had to look elsewhere – and signed a deal with Aston Martin, who were keen on finding a works partner to develop an engine bespoke for the team."

 

Honda coming back to F1 with Aston Martin

[4EverRangerFrank]

Spain GP was a ho-hum affair for the win - VER had a pretty easy ride to victory. Much of the action was lower in the field so at least there was a bit of drama. Still, unless you are a RB fan, this season hasn't held much excitement or fan's attention. I'm looking forward to LeMans this weekend.

 

Anyone going to Montreal? I see tix available on Vivid Seats.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

2 hours ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

Spain GP was a ho-hum affair for the win - VER had a pretty easy ride to victory. Much of the action was lower in the field so at least there was a bit of drama. Still, unless you are a RB fan, this season hasn't held much excitement or fan's attention. I'm looking forward to LeMans this weekend.

 

Anyone going to Montreal? I see tix available on Vivid Seats.

 

i think the easiest bet to cash in f1 these days is the margin of victory being 10+ seconds. Max will win every race by 20 at least for the rest of the year 

[4EverRangerFrank]

Ferrari Hypercar wins LeMans! 50 years in the making. Antonio Giovinazzi one of the winning drivers. Glad to finally see some winning for Ferrari. LEC was there the entire time supporting the cause. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

#AustriaGP was one of the more entertaining races of this season. Sure, VER won again but Ferrari led some laps. LEC P2 was a very good result despite SAI not being able to hold on to third yielding to PER. Ferrari’s 800th podium.

The shorter track and a couple of safety car appearances kept the field tight in this short track. Plenty of overtakes at the front and throughout the field. That was fun. 
 

Silverstone projects 480,000 next weekend. Las Vegas tix $8000? GTFO 

 

I’m hoping the upgrades keep coming and turn boring into some good watchable racing. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

Watkins Glen - had a real good time. Didn’t realize the my GA ticket would allow me to move to just about any seat at the track including pit walk and garages before the race. Decent food a no rain topped of a great day about 3.5 hours from home. 
 

PS - GTP Pro are quick. Having several classes of cars on track for 6 hours is wild. 

[Karan]

On 6/11/2023 at 4:14 PM, 4EverRangerFrank said:

Ferrari Hypercar wins LeMans! 50 years in the making. Antonio Giovinazzi one of the winning drivers. Glad to finally see some winning for Ferrari. LEC was there the entire time supporting the cause. 

 

Yeah pretty impressive considering that car hit the track for the first time in testing barely a year ago. It was fun to see a few other manufacturers joining Toyota at the top in the Hypercar category. 

[Karan]

On 7/2/2023 at 6:22 PM, 4EverRangerFrank said:

#AustriaGP was one of the more entertaining races of this season. Sure, VER won again but Ferrari led some laps. LEC P2 was a very good result despite SAI not being able to hold on to third yielding to PER. Ferrari’s 800th podium.

The shorter track and a couple of safety car appearances kept the field tight in this short track. Plenty of overtakes at the front and throughout the field. That was fun. 
 

Silverstone projects 480,000 next weekend. Las Vegas tix $8000? GTFO 

 

I’m hoping the upgrades keep coming and turn boring into some good watchable racing. 

 

Pretty entertaining weekend overall, the sprint race thanks to the rain was awesome! The race itself was kinda bland up front as Verstappen just had so much performance in hand that he was able to cruise past Leclerc and build enough of a gap for an extra pit stop. And that was despite Leclerc making his pit stop under the VSC. Still, some good battles in the midfield. Definitely enjoyed Perez and Sainz going at it.

 

The story of the weekend was undoubtedly the track limit infractions. Around 50 laps deleted in qualifying. Half the grid penalized in the race. That's kind of a joke and viewers have no idea what the actual results are until hours after the race has finished. That's unacceptable IMO. They really need to make some kerb changes at this track, maybe put some grass on the edge of the track or gravel, as due to the highspeed nature of this track and these huge F1 cars, drivers will always drift over the white line from time to time.

[Karan]

2024 calendar out now.

 

February start and finish in December, making it the longest season ever. Although let's see if China actually remains on the calendar. FYI Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be on Saturday due to Ramadan.

 

 

[4EverRangerFrank]

Hope to get to at least one of these in ‘24. You?