Formula 1 2018: General Discussion Thread

Mike Litoris

I've no problem with paying but I aint paying to listen to Crofty, Kravitz and co. I'll deal with it when it happens next year!

elperello

Subscription to Autosport?

flazio

PukkaStukka wrote: »

With Channel 4 ceasing live coverage next year, and given that Eir Sports redistributes the CH4 feed, one wonders if Eir Sports will be able to continue its F1 coverage. If Eir goes, the alternatives thereafter are ropey streams or expensive Sky F1.

I've a an additional satellite dish for RTL from Germany purely for F1 coverage. I believe they too may be ceasing their F1 coverage too after 2020

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2017/12/f1-and-rtl-germany-extend-broadcast-deal-until-2020-.html

I can't find a link but it was confirmed around the same time as Sky getting exclusive rights that this covers Ireland as well, so Eir are out.

rock22

Harika wrote: »

Seems to not be ready, but Aston Martin came out and said they won't very likley not build an engine.
http://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21898/aston-martin-not-likely-to-expand-f1-program-despite-upcoming-regulation-changes

On the other side, the plot for Porsche thickens.

Was this ever likely. Aston Martin buy engines from Daimler for their road cars - what expertise have they in engine development?

I think it was always about marketing and advertisement , similar to the 'return of Alfa Romeo'.

Harika

rock22 wrote: »

Was this ever likely. Aston Martin buy engines from Daimler for their road cars - what expertise have they in engine development?

I think it was always about marketing and advertisement , similar to the 'return of Alfa Romeo'.

They put in a lot of money in sponsoring RedBull, so I think they were actually interested. But the technology of those power units is far too complex for a relative small company. It is not like the V10 area where engine builder like Hart, Cosworth, Mugen and so on could get a decent engine out.

Schorpio

Cool_CM wrote: »

Just booked Hungary - fupin' delighted!

I went last year. Great time - but very hot! Suncream an absolute must!!

Frank Bullitt

https://www.mclaren.com/formula1/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-racing-announces-changes-leadership-structure/

Boullier gone from McLaren.

skipper_G

Gintonious wrote: »

https://www.mclaren.com/formula1/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-racing-announces-changes-leadership-structure/

Boullier gone from McLaren.

Not a surprise given how bad the car is, but the timing is strange. Right in the middle of a triple header. Anyway, change was needed hopefully it stops them becoming even more of a laughing stock

Harika

Strange timing, in the middle of the triple header, but maybe he couldn't face the disastrous home GP in Silverstone.

Joeface

Suppose it Changes the questions for Mclaren this weekend from "Whats wrong with the Car ?" to "Why did this take so long ?" & "where is the new guy so we can blame him for stuff ?"

Charlie-Bravo

Boullier was a bit of a damp squib with nothing to offer to Renault or McLaren. I'm wondering which team is his next victim, Force India?

meeeeh

Maybe media articles about chocolate bonuses were too distracting and I would guess there is quite a bit of fighting behind the doors. Plus move to Renault didn't go to plan. Listening to all the Alonso bickering about Honda over the radio just puts it in the spotlight.

Inviere

astrofluff wrote: »

Boullier was a bit of a damp squib with nothing to offer to Renault or McLaren. I'm wondering which team is his next victim, Force India?

Any time I see him I always get the impression he's an absolute b@stard to work for.

Harika

OSI wrote: »

Probably the best timing really. All the prep work and organisation for the triple header will be long done by now, gives the new guy a race weekend to get settled in and he can dive straight into prep for the next one.

Don't think they will have the new guy sorted in three days, or will Andrea Stella be permanent? Also didn't know Gil deFerran was working there.

g1983d

Gintonious wrote: »

https://www.mclaren.com/formula1/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-racing-announces-changes-leadership-structure/

Boullier gone from McLaren.

Not suprised

flazio

F1 has launched a new official podcast. It's going to consist of 1 to 1 interviews conducted by Tom Clarkson
https://twitter.com/F1/status/1014477833463386112?s=09

skipper_G

Harika wrote: »

Don't think they will have the new guy sorted in three days, or will Andrea Stella be permanent? Also didn't know Gil deFerran was working there.

I don't think they're necessarily planning to replace Boullier, sounds like his responsibilities are being split between the three guys. Stella was already head of race operations now he's just got an expanded role.
Gil de Ferran has been advising them since Alonso went over to do the 500.

mickdw

New start for Mclaren. Bouillier was a clown. I don't know alot about Zak Brown other than he is an American who was big in advertising but I can't see how he is the right man for the position he has at Mclaren.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

This post has been deleted.

AMKC

astrofluff wrote: »

Boullier was a bit of a damp squib with nothing to offer to Renault or McLaren. I'm wondering which team is his next victim, Force India?

Probably Williams. Not like that team could get any worse at the moment anyway.

Jordan 199

AMKC wrote: »

Probably Williams. Not like that team could get any worse at the moment anyway.

I could see Boullier exiting the sport.

flazio

I also think Boulier is finished with F1 whether he likes it or not.
Anyone hear from Monisha Kaltenborn for instance?

AMKC

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Adrian Newey leaving
Ron Dennis leaving in 2009
Lewis Hamilton leaving

These three leaving certainly had a big impact on the team.

The split from Mercedes certainly did not help them either.

Martin Whitmarsh leaving was no harm. He did not do a whole lot except the decision to drop Mercedes engines and go with Honda ones which but them on the back foot.

Boullier and Brown have not done much really to make the team better.

TCP/IP

The biggest problem for McLaren is that bluffer Zak Brown an absolute waste of time and should only work on commercial sponsorship for the business not let near an F1 team.
As a business, they should now just stick to road car design and F1 the idea of getting into other streams of motorsport is madness.
Something I constantly think about is that McLaren is the next Williams and both teams will eventually be taken over by the likes of Audi and Porsche.
They simply cannot compete and attract the right talent and honestly its embarrassing watching the two once great teams to move from one shambles to another.

mickdw

I'd agree that Williams cannot compete with the manufacturers but mclaren possibly can given the size of the business.
Ron was blamed for being unrealistic with pricing for not having sponsorship on the car but Zak Brown isn't doing too much better. Half the sponsorship is Alonsos company.

H3llR4iser

McLaren has been a royal clusterfcuk for a decade now, marred by one bad decision after the other, often dictated by poor insight and sheer rush to do "something". They seem obsessed with the concept of being a "works team", which is indeed understandable as they want to win races and championships, but seem to fail to realize they need to sort their own sh!t before being an attractive partner for an engine manufacturer.

The Honda partnership was bound to be a complete disaster - I anticipated it back when it was announced; The rules around PUs are complex and the Japanese marque has a history of getting stuck in their own ways resulting in spectacular failures, but people get rose tinted glasses and only remember the short span between 1987 and 1990 when they dominated, not the failures of the '60s and 2000s; On top of this, we had a team that had clearly been going backwards in terms of chassis end development, so it was more or less "Untested new PU from a company that won't ever admit they got things wrong if they do + most likely rubbish chassis" - what could possibly have gone wrong?

And let's not get started about they "but we have one of the best chassis!!!" that McLaren themselves kept shouting out and the British press kept fanning the flames of - now they have a PU capable of winning races (ask Ricciardo and Verstappen), and it's clear the chassis is inferior to Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault, Haas, Force India, Toro Rosso and it's a matter of time until Sauber/Alfa overtakes them, given the progress shown.

vectra

H3llR4iser wrote: »

McLaren has been a royal clusterfcuk for a decade now, marred by one bad decision after the other, often dictated by poor insight and sheer rush to do "something".

Admit it, It's all Alonso's fault, Sure look where Ferrari went when he joined them.
Too much input from a dictator

elperello

Meanwhile in other news -

Heading into the 10th race of the season best of the rest K Mag in a Haas. I didn't see that coming

Adamocovic

George Russell has been talking about the positive impact the young F1 drivers are having in regards to the chances of current F2/F3 drivers.

"I think times are changing slightly, you have the likes of Verstappen, Ocon and Leclerc going into F1," said the 20-year-old. "These guys can come in and challenge the experienced drivers in the field.

"I think what Charles is doing now is a great example of how competitive some junior series are. He won GP3 and then F2, and I won GP3 last year and currently leading F2.

"From my personal selling point of view lets say, there's a very good example in Charles to show what he's capable of and what we're doing this year."

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/137177/leclerc-is-boosting-2019-f1-chance--russell

I really think there is some promising and exciting future battles we may be getting. If teams end up at their academy teams we could potentially have:

Ferrari: Leclerc
McLaren: Lando Norris
Mercedes: George Russell
RedBull: Pierre Gasly

And that's only the four that come to mind for me, and not even including others and likes of Verstappen who will be around for a long while. Very promising talents on the rise.

g1983d

Adamocovic wrote: »

George Russell has been talking about the positive impact the young F1 drivers are having in regards to the chances of current F2/F3 drivers.



https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/137177/leclerc-is-boosting-2019-f1-chance--russell

I really think there is some promising and exciting future battles we may be getting. If teams end up at their academy teams we could potentially have:

Ferrari: Leclerc
McLaren: Lando Norris
Mercedes: George Russell
RedBull: Pierre Gasly

And that's only the four that come to mind for me, and not even including others and likes of Verstappen who will be around for a long while. Very promising talents on the rise.

Whats needed is more teams so these guys can get a drive and these teams need to be able to fight at the front for at least one race a year even if it's by luck. Think of a lot of Jordans podium finishes, weather and crashes did a lot for them