2024 F1 General Discussion Thread

Wanderer78

its very sad to see danny ric now, he had a hell of a lot of potential in his hay day, i ll be very sad to see him go

mickdw

I was starting to.believe after he got a new chassis and immediately out performed yuki.

But a great result in the sprint followed by nothing in the grand prix..... I don't know.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122124621#Comment_122124621

I'm beginning to wonder if I was mad to think he was class and now he's not uo to F1 standard. But that's that happened, isn't it? I'm not imagining it.

Thinking of the great racing and brilliant late brake overtaking, he was class. Such a pity he's not at that level anymore.

But shur lookit, nobody died. If he's not good anymore then it's no no loss if he drops off the grid.

dulpit

He was class. But couldn't handle or didn't want to handle the pressure of red bull becoming max's team. If he had stayed put he'd have a few more wins to his name and possibly would have been in a better position to challenge max at start of last season, but unlikely to have actually beaten him.

Still, he's extremely popular and has made a hell of a lot of money, he'll be grand.

dulpit

He should do a season in indycar or nascar though, they'd love him in the States.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127784#Comment_122127784

I think you're missing the point that he's not good anymore. He's not pushing to the limit of his ability and falling short. He's not able to push to the limit of his ability anymore.

I think he's just finished. I wonder if he just re evaluated his life and realised he's grand and doesn't have to push himself to the limit anymore.

Hard to explaina guy who was class and made a fortune, lost his place in F1, came back and was not really good enough. All in his prime years.

This is it

Nothing to do with any driver, just F1 in general, but isn't it crazy that half a second can be the difference between an amazing driver and someone who doesn't really care/has lost the edge.

My misses looks at me when I moan about LeClerc being 3 tenths off Red Bull/Max, isn't it crazy to think just how much 3 tenths means in F1!?

bennyx_o

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127949#Comment_122127949

How do you know he's not pushing to the limit of his ability & falling short? How do you know he's not able to push to the limit of his ability? Do you know the limit of his ability? Sure he hasn't had great performances, I recall reading an article somewhere when he moved to McLaren and he was saying the biggest difference between Red Bull, Renault & McLaren was braking and he is having to adapt to a car which behaves differently under braking, he could be trying to still get used to this.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122128962#Comment_122128962

Yeah. And before, he was able to get great results and have great battles. Now he is being beaten by his young teammate who is grand, but nobody is suggesting is a top driver.

So either his level of ability has changed or he's not able to get to that level anymore. Maybe he's just failing to adapt to the last few cars he's had but that doesn't really wash. It's fine for one car, but he had that failing with mclaren, had it with Renault and now has it with RB. If its a persistent pattern then its just the fact that he can't adapt to the cars.

MadYaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129284#Comment_122129284

I don't have an explanation for it but if you go back and watch quali from Monaco 2018, highlights are on youtube, it's like watching a different driver. Maybe he has just lost his confidence during the Mclaren stint and never got it back.

muckwarrior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127949#Comment_122127949

He wouldn't be the first sub-par F1 driver to do well in the States.

bennyx_o

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129284#Comment_122129284

I agree that he's no where near as good as he used to be. The point I'm trying to make is we don't know why Ricciardo has fallen from grace so spectacularly, but you have flat out said he's not able to push to the limit of his ability anymore - how do you know this?

mickdw

I don't think any driver loses the ability. They lose the need to put life on the line.

Once a driver starts to think.... Jesus I don't want to hit that wall, they are finished.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129417#Comment_122129417

I refined the position in my last post. Either his level of ability has changed or he can't reach his level of ability anymore, or maybe he just can't adapt to the cars anymore.

What other possibilities are there?

muckwarrior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129477#Comment_122129477

That may be true in some cases, but there are a lot more possibilities, both physical and mental. It's normal for professionals in all sports to have good and bad periods. Some manage to regain their form, some don't.

PsychoPete

Watching the Monaco historique race, it's some shambles of a race

dulpit

Re. Ricciardo, it's possible that he has a fundamental issue with adapting to new cars. Took him a while to get used to the Renault, he never really got to grips with the McLaren, and he might have a flaw with ground effect too.

Or it could be just that he's ending his career and it doesn't mean as much subconsciously as when he was in his early 20s.

Jordan 199

Its race week. Emilia Romagna GP.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129850#Comment_122129850

Ye I think that too. Maybe you just can't brake as late and as hard in these ground effect cars or at least Daniel can't anyway. Maybe Danieks driving style just does not work with these ground effect F1 cars like it did on the more aerodynamic wing type F1 effect cars.

oceanman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127384#Comment_122127384

true, and i would give some young driver a chance at getting a seat.

dulpit

Alex Albon has signed a long term deal with Williams. I'm a little surprised here, I thought he'd have been looking for a bump up to a higher placed team.

https://x.com/WilliamsRacing/status/1790668568826155053

Jacovs

I was thinking, maybe hoping, he would get a shot at the Merc seat.

flazio

Not sure there is a higher place team to go to. He got badly burned at Red Bull trying to pick up Max's scraps so not much he can achieve there. I reckon the deal with Sainz to Mercedes Benz is all but signed. Alonso is staying at Aston Martin, Stroll would have to be permanently incapacitated before that seat came available, McLaren have their drivers secured. Cash ATM or whatever they're called, Alpine Sauber and Haas are roughly at the same level now but Williams probably still has the most potential to climb.

Williams have come to a bump in the road, it'd be very short sighted to think they will never overcome that. Look at McLaren.

MadYaker

Id say he tried but there aren’t really any options for him at teams that are much further up the grid. Sainz is ahead of him in the pecking order.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140407#Comment_122140407

Yeah, hope the shine wears off Sainz in a few years and they need a change. Not a great option but the other options weren't great either. It's a medum-long shot at a Mercedes drive, which isn't a bad bet.

Jacovs

Albon didnt get the Merc seat now, he never will. He seems committed to Williams, and now he is on paper too.

The dominoes start falling 1 by 1.

As it stands:

Redbull: Max (end of 2028 season), TBC

Mercedes: Russell (end of 2025 season), TBC

Ferrari: Charles and Hamilton (both on multi-year contracts, so at least till end of 2026 season)

Aston Martin: Stroll (who knows), Alonso (at least till end of 2026 season)

McLaren: Lando (multi-year, at least past 2025 season), Piastri (end of 2026 season)

Alpine: TBC, TBC

Williams: Albon (at least end of 2026 season), TBC

Haas: TBC, TBC

Stake F1 (Audi soon): Nico Hulkenberg, TBC

Visa RB: TBC, TBC

Thats half the seats still to be confirmed.

Current drivers still needing seats from top to bottom according to current championship points (excl Bearman, although can see him getting Hulkenberg's seat at Haas):

Perez

Sainz

Tsunoda

Ricciardo

Ocon

Magnussen

Guanyu

Gasly

Bottas

Sargeant

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140706#Comment_122140706

Sargent and Zhou are, in my mind anyway, gone at end of season. Bottas and Magnusson must be clinging on too depending on other moves.

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140949#Comment_122140949

I tend to agree. And its hard to see past Perez at Redbull and Sainz at Merc, top 2 remaining drivers in top 2 seats.

But with Sainz's dad's links to Audi, and them needing to make a statement signing, its possible he goes there. Will just be a wasted year there next year.

Bottas show some glimpses sometimes, especially in qualifying, but could be gone too. Popular guy though. Any of the rest can be gone too, but for someone to replace them.

jv2000

I reckon the only danger to Gasly or Ocon would be if Alpine/Renault decide to pull out of F1 again… No signs of that anytime soon. Both good drivers and French, surprised they have not been confirmed yet.

flazio

Someone will always keep Enstone running, Andretti are standing by