New regulations new season....
Can redbull keep up the pace
Sounds like Haas are reviewing everything for talks ahead of next week.
It is hard to see how he stays in F1 if his prime sponsor is not allowed. It is also just a tad sketchy that his dad was at a meeting with Putin just this week.
As for Haas, I hope they stay around, and I am hopeful they will. Sounds like a few are interested in joining as sponsors so I hope that happens.
Hulkenberg is the obvious choice for a steady pair of hands but apparently he's always struggled get sponsorship.
Hulk would be a good comparison for Mick too. But he's also 34 so won't be getting any faster over the last year he was out of the sport.
Not to mention the fact that the cars are totally different now and Nico Hulkenberg has zero experience of them. Would be great to see him back do.
Gio’s name has been bandied about and given his past links with Ferrari could make sense.
So the first test has ended with Mercedes 1st and 2nd and Red Bull 3rd and 4th.
Testing times are always to be taken with a massive pinch of salt of course with varying tyres and who knows what fuel loads but it's a worrying sign for those of us hoping to see more competition to have the usual names back at the top again.
Looks brilliant like that.
Giovinazzi is the teams reserve driver so is the most obvious to step in, Fittipaldi is still their development driver so is the other contender.
Hulk isn't an option hes Aston Martins reserve driver.
What about K-Mag or Grosjean back?
I don't think for a moment that the Merc RB status is accurate right now. Ferrari are up there, McLaren too. All teams will have used this for more of a bedding in process than a performance one, that will be done at Bahrain.
I wouldn't have thought it was indicative of the running order if hass and Alpha Tauri had finished on top. If I had to bet on the running order, regardless of testing results, I'd say Mercedes and red bull at the top. So I'd say it's more confirmation bias than anything else.
Testing results mean almost nothing. Laps completed is important in terms of doing their testing programme. That's about all we can pretend to knownn
If the teams have used it for bedding in more than performance, how do you know Ferrari and Mclaren are up there?
They had an equally good test to RB and Merc, so I would have them all very close.
Good in what ways?
Ferrari had the highest mileage of all teams at the test, McLaren are in the middle of Merc and RB as well. Ferrari in particular don't need to do "glory" runs to impress sponsors, and the car is responding well to the drivers inputs, that's what has been reported from track side observations. Same as well for McLaren.
So I would call that good.
Maybe we could all chip in a fiver and get a boards logo on there ????
Mileage is the main metric then?
Heh, interview with Mario Andretti, said they have engines sorted and all. Renault. Said there was almost an issue with Toto being worried Ferrari would end up with more votes than Mercedes. The game never stops!
It is one of them yes, high mileage points to a good test...considering that is what testing is for.
Yeah I'd agree. Williams did 20 fewer laps than red bull but nobody is suggesting they are fifth fastest. Its just a test. Mileage suggests they probably got through their testing programme so they probably understand their car better than a team who struggled with reliability. It doesn't really suggest speed at all.
Mercedes completed fewest laps of all at last years test.
If you say so.
From track side observations, and tires used etc, it’s a fairly decent guess that it’s a mix of Ferrari, McLaren, RB and Merc in some sort of order. But engine modes etc…we will never know.
Wheres the interview? Is it on You-Tube?
I wonder is it with Renault?
I would say his ideal choice do would probably be Ferrari or if he could Honda but Red Bull would not be too happy about that.
Honda will be on their way out the door by the time Andretti arrive. Renault makes sense, they need another team to get mileage and data on their engines, and for Andretti it would make sense to have a close manufacturer partner rather than being the 4th Ferrari or Mercedes team.
Of course the other option could be VW / Porsche / Audi depending on their plans. I get the impression we’re going to have Red Bull Porsche and McLaren Audi when the new engine rules come in but time will tell. Andretti could fit in to those plans somewhere too. They could use Lamborghini or Cupra branding perhaps.
That David Land guy does decent coverage of US racing.
Haas and Alfa Romeo did the fewest laps of all. They both seemed to give up on 2021 car for 2022 and still look to be back of grid.
Mercedes set their fast time on C5 tyres, Red Bull and Mclaren on the C4 and Ferrari on the C3. It looks close between them all but its only testing. It's a development race between now and when the lights go out at the first grand prix.
That's great to hear. Hopefully Renault will much more reliable and faster by then too. They really need this Renaulr. Can't come soon enough.
Andretti Renault has a nice ring to it.
Renault seems the most likely choice but Renault doesn't have a presence in America so it doesn't make broader commercial sense.
The other engine manufacturers won't come in until the new engine formula (is it 2025 or 26?). So it's between the existing manufacturers. Honda is exclusive to Red Bull Bull teams. Honda had done a deal to switch from McLaren to Sauber/Alfa but then Red Bull wanted them and they dropped Sauber/Alfa. Plus Honda might or might not be in the sport in 2024. Mercedes already supply 4 teams with engines and Ferrari already supply 3 teams including works teams. So Renault is the only one who really wants to supply a team.
I remember the Sauber Honda deal differently. They were going with Honda untill the new boss came in and said no thats crazy much better to go with Ferrari.
You would have to wonder do that if Sauber had went with Honda would they be better or worse off and would Honda still be in the sport now. Red Bull only got talking to Honda as soon as they heard the Sauber deal was off.
That's the way I remember it anyway.
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