F1 2022 thread - see post 1 for rules

As others have said… I like them, but if they were removed tomorrow it wouldn’t bother me either! It’s six extra “lights out and away we go” next year…. That’s hardly a bad thing 😜

Not really a fan of the sprint. Takes away from the excitement of raceday, and makes qualifying less important. Really don't see any benefit to the spectator.

I do. Get rid of them and make the actual real races exciting instead.

That’s your view (and your perfectly entitled to it) but the results of the FIA’s “screen test” are in and the reception is mostly positive, hence the decision to expand to more race weekends next season! I’m not bothered either way but it would appear you’re in the minority as far as the FIA are concerned.

I read that his personal trainer comes from County Laois.

Worth keeping an eye on this over the weekend. Its coming from an Italian source so could be Ferrari Propaganda but worth seeing if there's anything in it.

There's absolutely no way they'll go that far. It's a bit of a test case for the budget cap rules so they might impose a decent sanction on next year's development

Yeah that's utter nonsense, by all accounts, even if they were over it's by less than the 5% that's specifically called out in the rules as a "minor breach" that will result in a reprimand or fine. They're not the only team over either.

Given how much costs they incurred as a direct result of their cars being taken out and obliterated by Mercedes drivers during the championship, if there was a further disproportionately severe punishment for the cost of doing repairs then that basically further legitimises the tactic of taking out your rival when you can't beat them in a straight fair fight.

Ugh utterly dreadful news. Sky are such parasites on sport in general

Toto says its red bull in breach according to interview on sky and claims its serious. Went on about Merc making 40 people redundant etc

Problem with it is Hamilton gets paid $40m a year.

Cost cap is pointless unless it includes everyone

It kinda makes a mockery of the cost cap but also kinda makes sense. Lots of things are non competitive but still cost cost a fortune, like transport, catering, running a factory. If the cost cap only included the things then there wouldn't be any diffrrbetween the teams. The fact that drivers and designers are not included in the cap means you can still get some teams which have some key people but are run more efficiently than others and that makes the difference.

I think they're allowed 5 key people excluded from the cost cap. So that's your drivers, team principal, chief designer and another top person. Those 5 people can make a difference and I think that's fine.

Merc employed 1500 people which was 2 or 3 times as many as most other teams. Toto whinging about having to make staff redundant but other teams went through that about 2 years ago.

The engines aren't part of the cap from what I can see, so teams can just transfer people to engine development companies so they are off the cap.

Cap would be better served being a total cap on everything.

So, if as Horner eludes to that unless comments are taken back that Redbull will look at their options (and he obviously means take legal action) - do those costs come off the cap? 🤣

It will all come out in the wash anyways but I don't think it is right that Sky are giving significant air time and platforms are been given for people to talk about allegations in a manner as if they were facts, covering themselves by saying alleged every now and then.

After the fiasco of Abu Dhabi after one of the greatest seasons ever, the FIA wouldn't want to just overturn the results in this fashion, it would only make the credibility ten times worse. A fine to the amount of the overspend plus a bit more would be my preferred punishment.

I don’t mind when they’re being an arse defending their own team but Toto pushing for massive punishment before anything has actually been published is fairly low. And of course he’s being enabled by Sky. As much as they’re a world feed they’re clearly a British channel first which can be really grating.