Formula 1 2014: General Discussion Thread

Andrew76

Ghost Train wrote: »

Did like Ron Dennis but also liked Whitmarsh, maybe Ron's a bit more intense and is what the team needs but could be the wrong time to make a major change.

Would be difficult to see Whitmarsh having any role with McLaren now? Maybe a few months off for him

I'm not sure, they haven't won a title in ages, now is as good a time as any to try something different. Whitmarsh seemed like a nice chap but was he too much of a friendly figure I wonder? Maybe he needed to sack a few aero people and poach from other teams.

Bugatti wrote: »

If Whitmarsh does leave the team now could Ross Brawn be lined up to take over as Team Principal?

Also I wonder how this will affect the possibly signing of Alonso in 2015? Anyone know if Fernando and Ron ever buried the hatchet?

Ross would be the perfect man for the job as long as he gets full control running the team, surprised if he doesn't still take that sabatical though.

This article mentioned Ron wouldn't have an issue with a return. I reckon if McClaren did away with the equal driver status philosophy he could be tempted back, that and building a better car might win them something again.

Firewalkwithme

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

http://au.eurosport.com/formula-1/nascar-s-haas-plans-new-f1-team_sto4092404/story.shtml

It's a crazy time to be setting up a new team from scratch when you could hold out for a team to get in trouble and buy it for a song.

So to replace HRT we could have HRD... with another crappy Dallara chassis.

IF this does happen and it's a BIG IF, I think it's a fairly safe bet to say this team will never score a point before it goes bust or gets bought up.

Firewalkwithme

With McLaren in need of a new sponsor, I can't help but wonder if whoever it is that is about to pony up the dough insisted on Ron being back in charge as a condition of their endorsement.

He may not be the most likeable person, but he knows how to get the job done and investors want a return at the end of the day, not a likeable character.

smellslikeshoes

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Buying out a failing team is still for a song relative to what will be involved in setting up a new team.

If they have to take on all the debt and liabilities then it won't. If they want to wait so they can buy the licence and the company is dissolved they'll be waiting a while and will face competition which will push the price up to what they'd pay anyway. Even if someone was somehow able to negotiate to get it on the cheap the FIA aren't stupid enough to let that happen.

Ghost Train

Andrew76 wrote: »

I'm not sure, they haven't won a title in ages, now is as good a time as any to try something different. Whitmarsh seemed like a nice chap but was he too much of a friendly figure I wonder? Maybe he needed to sack a few aero people and poach from other teams.

It's just the most crazy time of the year for the teams, anything which throws the them off balance could ruin this season before it starts.

Hopefully the cars far enough along that the change works, I think they have been picking up aero engineers (McLaren grabbing Red Bull chief aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou (but not till 2015) & picked up a Ferrari aerodynamicist called Matteo Sansavini), bit of a game of musical chairs here

Frankie Lee

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

With McLaren in need of a new sponsor, I can't help but wonder if whoever it is that is about to pony up the dough insisted on Ron being back in charge as a condition of their endorsement.

He may not be the most likeable person, but he knows how to get the job done and investors want a return at the end of the day, not a likeable character.

With Bahrain being the main shareholders I'd imagine their title sponsor will be coming from that region anyway.

Zcott

Frankie Lee wrote: »

With Bahrain being the main shareholders I'd imagine their title sponsor will be coming from that region anyway.

I think it was expected to be Sony, actually.

Jordan 199

We will know tomorrow week who will be the new McLaren sponsor when they will unveil this years car.

smellslikeshoes

Deleted User wrote: »

If they have to take on all the debt and liabilities then it won't. If they want to wait so they can buy the licence and the company is dissolved they'll be waiting a while and will face competition which will push the price up to what they'd pay anyway. Even if someone was somehow able to negotiate to get it on the cheap the FIA aren't stupid enough to let that happen.

I think you are talking about a team being liquidated and picking up the pieces, I'm talking about a buyout/rescue. If the team is worth saving the creditors would be given a serious haircut so the debt would be manageable. The deal would be done conditional upon the team receiving a FIA entry similar to how Peter Sauber retook BMW Sauber. It would be far far cheaper than starting a team from scratch.

Just look at the sort of losses Marussia has been making even now 4 years after joining F1, their most recent numbers gave them a loss of 70 million euro for the year. There's a reason why most of the current F1 teams have changed hands repeatedly over the years. It's because making an F1 team successful from scratch takes a metric **** ton of money and many years of developing facilities. The last time a team that was started from scratch got any reasonable amount of success was Toyota. They came into the sport with some of the deepest pockets of any team and still didn't win a GP in 10+ years and left with their tail between their legs.

smellslikeshoes

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

I think you are talking about a team being liquidated and picking up the pieces, I'm talking about a buyout/rescue. If the team is worth saving the creditors would be given a serious haircut so the debt would be manageable. The deal would be done conditional upon the team receiving a FIA entry similar to how Peter Sauber retook BMW Sauber. It would be far far cheaper than starting a team from scratch.

Just look at the sort of losses Marussia has been making even now 4 years after joining F1, their most recent numbers gave them a loss of 70 million euro for the year. There's a reason why most of the current F1 teams have changed hands repeatedly over the years. It's because making an F1 team successful from scratch takes a metric **** ton of money and many years of developing facilities. The last time a team that was started from scratch got any reasonable amount of success was Toyota. They came into the sport with some of the deepest pockets of any team and still didn't win a GP in 10+ years and left with their tail between their legs.

BMW could absorb much of the loss though, which makes a big difference.

I understand the FIA are looking to add teams (which may be a smokescreen before they allow 3 cars per team) over the next while. If a team is bought then it'll cost the facilities plus the licence value plus wages. If there's something owed then that will transfer to the new company, unless it was maybe Mercedes in the situation (a la Honda). Shaving liabilities isn't straightforward and it wouldn't be in the FIA's interests to allow a new group to get in on the cheap, they could veto any attempt and tell them to apply through the "proper channels" like everyone else will be. What they might allow would be after a team goes bust the assets could be bought out and put through the "proper channels". Don't forget the FIA's limitless and arbitrary power over the entry process.

smellslikeshoes

Deleted User wrote: »

BMW could absorb much of the loss though, which makes a big difference.

I understand the FIA are looking to add teams (which may be a smokescreen before they allow 3 cars per team) over the next while. If a team is bought then it'll cost the facilities plus the licence value plus wages. If there's something owed then that will transfer to the new company, unless it was maybe Mercedes in the situation (a la Honda). Shaving liabilities isn't straightforward and it wouldn't be in the FIA's interests to allow a new group to get in on the cheap, they could veto any attempt and tell them to apply through the "proper channels" like everyone else will be. What they might allow would be after a team goes bust the assets could be bought out and put through the "proper channels". Don't forget the FIA's limitless and arbitrary power over the entry process.

I think you have a skewed view of the entry process. It is in the FIA's interests to keep teams in F1 and not have teams disbanding. Also why would the FIA care about "teams getting in on the cheap"? The FIA doesn't get a big wad of cash to keep when a new team joins F1, it makes no difference to them if a team is a brand new outfit or a team that was bought out, the FIA get the same entry fee.

smellslikeshoes

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

I think you have a skewed view of the entry process. It is in the FIA's interests to keep teams in F1 and not have teams disbanding. Also why would the FIA care about "teams getting in on the cheap"? The FIA doesn't get a big wad of cash to keep when a new team joins F1, it makes no difference to them if a team is a brand new outfit or a team that was bought out, the FIA get the same entry fee.

There'll be new teams coming in at the end of next year, that'll round things back up.
New teams are beneficial financially for the FIA. The new teams didn't get TV money for the first few years after they started (may have been prize money which admittedly wouldn't be as much :P ). That right there is a big saving if they get a new team rather than allow a change in registration.
The FIA make FIFA look like a fairly run and transparent organisation. How many million dollars extra do Ferrari get just for being Ferrari? Why weren't Stefan GP allowed in a few years ago after USF1 pulled out? Or even before that, since they bought up much of Toyota's IP?
If Lotus can limp through at least part of next season the FIA will let them go and get new teams in for '15. Odds are the Enstone facility and employees will mostly then be hired by a new team.

smellslikeshoes

Deleted User wrote: »

There'll be new teams coming in at the end of next year, that'll round things back up.
New teams are beneficial financially for the FIA. The new teams didn't get TV money for the first few years after they started (may have been prize money which admittedly wouldn't be as much :P ). That right there is a big saving if they get a new team rather than allow a change in registration.
The FIA make FIFA look like a fairly run and transparent organisation. How many million dollars extra do Ferrari get just for being Ferrari? Why weren't Stefan GP allowed in a few years ago after USF1 pulled out? Or even before that, since they bought up much of Toyota's IP?
If Lotus can limp through at least part of next season the FIA will let them go and get new teams in for '15. Odds are the Enstone facility and employees will mostly then be hired by a new team.

You have mixed up the FIA which is a non profit organization solely for the licensing and arbitration of motorsport with the Formula one group which is the commercial rights holder.

Firewalkwithme

Get a private room you two.... :rolleyes:

smellslikeshoes

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

You have mixed up the FIA which is a non profit organization solely for the licensing and arbitration of motorsport with the Formula one group which is the commercial rights holder.

Which is the transparently-run one?

smellslikeshoes

Deleted User wrote: »

Which is the transparently-run one?

smellslikeshoes

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Glad we finally agree :P

ZiabR

Zcott wrote: »

I think it was expected to be Sony, actually.

Is there any truth to this? Sony?

Jordan 199

Lotus back talking to Quantum.

Peanut Butter Jelly

So Lotus are basically that girl that everyone wants, that was originally going out with the douchebag Quantum, that she dumped because he cheated on her, and now Lotus wants to get back together with him because he has a rich daddy. can we get Jeremy Kyle in here to sort this shid out.

Max_Charger

Peanut Butter Jelly wrote: »

So Lotus are basically that girl that everyone wants, that was originally going out with the douchebag Quantum, that she dumped because he cheated on her, and now Lotus wants to get back together with him because he has a rich daddy. can we get Jeremy Kyle in here to sort this shid out.

That, or Lotus just found out she's pregnant.

ZiabR

Peanut Butter Jelly wrote: »

So Lotus are basically that girl that everyone wants, that was originally going out with the douchebag Quantum, that she dumped because he cheated on her, and now Lotus wants to get back together with him because he has a rich daddy. can we get Jeremy Kyle in here to sort this shid out.

Something like that it would seem. Can't believe they are even talking again.

Zcott

logik wrote: »

Is there any truth to this? Sony?

https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/ruminations-on-mclarens-title-sponsor/

SamAK

logik wrote: »

Can't believe they are even talking again.

On a somewhat related note, how about Hamilton and Nicole?

http://www.independent.ie/woman/nicole-scherzinger-seriously-considering-moving-to-monaco-with-lewis-hamilton-29926140.html


Fcuk off Scherzinger, and let the man concentrate on winning another title!

Brian_Zeluz

McLaren to launch their team kit on the 20th, surely we'll see the title sponsor then?

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/424216373967863808

SamAK

Brian_Zeluz wrote: »

McLaren to launch their team kit on the 20th, surely we'll see the title sponsor then?

Sony...?:pac:




:cool:

Zcott

Nice mockup, looks well.

Ghost Train

I'd say they'll want move away from existing look back towards old honda look



Maybe more orange than red for the sony bits and bit less white than above :pac:

Killinator

If it's Sony surely it'll have some blue thrown in

SamAK

Yeah if it was me, I'd be scrapping the shiny silver and going for something new, or returning to the legendary red/white! But they were sponsored by Marlboro back then...