Formula 1 2020 - General Discussion Thread (See MOD warning on first post)

H3llR4iser

Oh boy...

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/28590652/fernando-alonso-targeting-f1-return-complete-unfinished-business

"Fernando Alonso is targeting a return to Formula One next year and is confident he will win the championship if given the right car."

Nando, for the love of the flying spaghetti monster, let it be...with your luck, whatever team you sign for will be languishing at the back of the field in 2021. Just go enjoy these millions, mate.

El_Duderino 09

mickdw wrote: »

Anyone been to an f1 test?
Given that the place is likely near empty, is there any better access to paddock for the ordinary fan?

I think so. Like a paddock walk.

And in Spain (maybe just Catalonia) you can't buy booze at events so you pay for an all inclusive package so the booze is included.

A mate went the last 2 year and said it was a good trip away. They stayed in Barcelona so worst case scenario it's a trio to Barcelona.

El_Duderino 09

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Oh boy...

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/28590652/fernando-alonso-targeting-f1-return-complete-unfinished-business

"Fernando Alonso is targeting a return to Formula One next year and is confident he will win the championship if given the right car."

Nando, for the love of the flying spaghetti monster, let it be...with your luck, whatever team you sign for will be languishing at the back of the field in 2021. Just go enjoy these millions, mate.

Any team boss who signs alonso is signing their own p45. Nobody would touch him. He’s a good driver, and a compete basket case. He’s not coming back to f1.

Cork Trucker

I’d still love to know who’s lying when it comes to Alonso and the Red Bull seat for 2019

El_Duderino 09

Cork Trucker wrote: »

I’d still love to know who’s lying when it comes to Alonso and the Red Bull seat for 2019

Everyone. I'd imagine they both spoke about it and red bull (Christian horner) decided against it. Everywhere he goes the team principal gets the boot. That’s how it works. Alonso joins and tries to shape the team as he wants it and the team principal gets the boot.

So I'm sure red bull and alonso spoke at some level and it was vetoed. And I'm Sure alonso kept asking and trying to advance the talks ( more talks as far as alonso is concerned) red bull keeps their options open by not outright rejecting him. It's in red bull's interest to not outright reject him in case all the junior drivers were a disaster.

So red bull say they never wanted him and alonso can say he has had ongoing discussions.

If all,the red bull junior drivers, including kvyat, were shyte, they had an option in Alonso. I’d say there was little more to it than that.

Harika

Good morning Crew, reports coming in that #Sanya #ePrix has been cancelled due to the #Coronavirus outbreak in China. No rescheduled date is agreed and #FormulaE in talks of doing a double header in #NewYork to keep the calendar same length. #FE


F1 likely to cancel the Chinese race soon. FE can move the date to later in the year,. F1 not

GarIT

I'm surprsed FE agreed to cancel it.


I wonder if that will affect the payout they were due to recieve from China for cancelling the Hong Kong race

AMKC

GarIT wrote: »

I'm surprsed FE agreed to cancel it.


I wonder if that will affect the payout they were due to recieve from China for cancelling the Hong Kong race

The way things have been in Hong Kong the last year I can,t blame Formula E for not wanting to go there this year.
I did not know China payed then not to go there do. Thats wrong.

H3llR4iser

Harika wrote: »

Good morning Crew, reports coming in that #Sanya #ePrix has been cancelled due to the #Coronavirus outbreak in China. No rescheduled date is agreed and #FormulaE in talks of doing a double header in #NewYork to keep the calendar same length. #FE


F1 likely to cancel the Chinese race soon. FE can move the date to later in the year,. F1 not

Not that there's a need for a substitute race (the F1 calendar is way too long), but if they go for one...where shall it be? Is Jerez up to F1 standards nowadays?

Cork Trucker

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Not that there's a need for a substitute race (the F1 calendar is way too long), but if they go for one...where shall it be? Is Jerez up to F1 standards nowadays?

Estoril or Imola? Wouldn’t mind seeing either or those back.

Jordan 199

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Estoril or Imola? Wouldn’t mind seeing either or those back.

Estoril isn't coming back.

Cork Trucker

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Estoril isn't coming back.

It’s only been 24 years, give it time :pac:

GarIT

AMKC wrote: »

The way things have been in Hong Kong the last year I can,t blame Formula E for not wanting to go there this year.
I did not know China payed then not to go there do. Thats wrong.

It is an unconfirmed claim that China was involved in stopping them going to Hong Kong, either via paying or not taking away payments. There are some reasonably reliable claims of something like China will cover any revenue losses if Hong Kong is cancelled to push the cancellation of Hong Kong over the line. Which I do believe is wrong. Many argued that the two should be linked, that the China race should only be allowed to go ahead if the Hong Kong race did too.

dublinman1990

Could Japan & Singapore get cancelled as well as China?

After hearing on the news that the coronavirus spread to the Philippines; that's not good news.

El_Duderino 09

dublinman1990 wrote: »

Could Japan & Singapore get cancelled as well as China?

After hearing on the news that the coronavirus spread to the Philippines; that's not good news.

And Vietnam. It’s early April and China is next in late April.

PopePalpatine

Nah, there's plenty of time left until those races roll around.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese GP goes ahead, after all F1 managed to get away with racing in Bahrain during all but one of the "Arab Spring" years.

AMKC

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Estoril isn't coming back.

The track in Korea or India would make a good stand in if they had to do that and wanted to. Thats if this carnovirius thing is still going by then. Hopefully it will not be.

Cork Trucker

AMKC wrote: »

The track in Korea or India would make a good stand in if they had to do that and wanted to. Thats if this carnovirius thing is still going by then. Hopefully it will not be.

Which one had the fire truck drive onto the track Korea was it?

Infoanon

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Estoril isn't coming back.

Joe Saward wrote a good article in fascinating facts #48 on how Estoril lost its spot - how to lose at musical chairs was the name of the article.

Estoril has not hosted any premier motor sports since 2006.

India - money , taxes to be precise, is why F1 will not be returning anytime soon , drove past the circuit two years ago and found it bewildering to see the track abandoned.

Jordan 199

AMKC wrote: »

The track in Korea or India would make a good stand in if they had to do that and wanted to. Thats if this carnovirius thing is still going by then. Hopefully it will not be.

I would like to know what the condition of the track in Korea is like now.

This is what the Red Bull of Mark Webber looked like there in 2010:

rianmcn

Would love to see Sepang back on the calendar.

Red Bull unveiling their car on Feb 12. I presume they will go with another test livery like they usually do?

Charlie-Bravo

All the dates are in for launch: 6 teams next week, and the remaining four during the week of testing.

https://twitter.com/SkySportsF1/status/1224670620572700672?s=19

Jordan 199

Nice to see two launches on the same day.

rianmcn

Looking forward to seeing what the Alpha Tauri is going to look like.

pjohnson

Jack Aitken left Renault and has become Williams official reserve driver. He has also been promised FP1 sessions.

El_Duderino 09

rianmcn wrote: »

Looking forward to seeing what the Alpha Tauri is going to look like.

A quick look at the website it’s looks like the logo is black and white and the clothes themselves are usually quite plain. Some items have the brand name across the chest but most appear pretty Spartan. I wonder if that’s a clue?

H3llR4iser

Looks like Fernando might not be at Indy this year:

https://racer.com/2020/02/02/honda-vetoes-alonso-andretti-indy-500-deal/

His only realistic options are Penske and Carpenter racing in the Chevy camp...

patmahe

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Looks like Fernando might not be at Indy this year:

https://racer.com/2020/02/02/honda-vetoes-alonso-andretti-indy-500-deal/

His only realistic options are Penske and Carpenter racing in the Chevy camp...

I like Fernando and think he is an amazing driver, but he does seem to be a toxic character.



Every team he has worked with has had problems:
McLaren(stint 1) - Lewis/Dennis relationship

Renault - Crashgate
Ferrari - Always just that bit short
McLaren(stint 2) - GP2 engine etc....


Indy last year - clusterFu(k
Indy 2020 - running out of options


The above cannot all just be coincidence, he may not be responsible for everything that has gone wrong, but trouble does seem to follow him. I think his talent deserved more than 2 titles but it seems his personality has cost him dearly.

H3llR4iser

patmahe wrote: »

I like Fernando and think he is an amazing driver, but he does seem to be a toxic character.

He, unfortunately, is - I've been saying this long, long before most people started waking up to it; When he left Ferrari, I correctly predicted he'd find no space in any of the current top teams -he ended up at an all-time-low form McLaren as it was his one and only option.



He was instrumental in creating the current situation at Ferrari - the "siete proprio dei scemi" ("you really are idiots") radio message was just the tip of the iceberg; He actively tried to shape the team in his liking, his "chief achievement" wanting and obtaining the ousting of chief designer Aldo Costa - whose "lack of talent" was shown when he went to be Mercedes' Engineering Director, overseeing the design of thechassis that dominated the last 6 seasons.

Infoanon

Honda vetoing Alonso has not been confirmed but if it is true rumour has it that Hondas issue is Toyota WEC and Toyota Dakar drives....

The 2019 Indycar entry debacle was all down to McLaren - Zak Brown has been very open about the shambolic errors that where made.

Alonso is accused of being political - no different to other multiple world champions...