Formula 1 2019 - General Discussion Thread

I would pay good money to be able to watch F1 with commentary in English without ever having to hear Paul DiResta say "meejum tyre" again.

Can’t wait for all these rule changes. Yesterday was so boring.

Crofty said something all the lines of not a lot of wheel to wheel action today but the strategies are fascinating.

Ok the strategy is interesting to a point but come on! I watch motorsport to see wheel to wheel action, overtakes etc.. not bleeding strategy.

Knowing that it’ll be Ferrari, Mercedes, to a lesser extent Red Bull and then don’t concern yourself with the rest is boring.

I watched a bit of the formula e this year. It had a different winner every other race. Everyone has a chance.

Ps.. I’m not the biggest Vettel fan but when Charles le clerc went all man child on the radio AGAIN yesterday I wanted to punch him and for Vettel to win just to spite the little spoilt child. But alas, Ferrari be Ferrari. Ugh

murphyebass wrote: »

Can’t wait for all these rule changes. Yesterday was so boring.

Crofty said something all the lines of not a lot of wheel to wheel action today but the strategies are fascinating.

Ok the strategy is interesting to a point but come on! I watch motorsport to see wheel to wheel action, overtakes etc.. not bleeding strategy.

Knowing that it’ll be Ferrari, Mercedes, to a lesser extent Red Bull and then don’t concern yourself with the rest is boring.

I watched a bit of the formula e this year. It had a different winner every other race. Everyone has a chance.

Ps.. I’m not the biggest Vettel fan but when Charles le clerc went all man child on the radio AGAIN yesterday I wanted to punch him and for Vettel to win just to spite the little spoilt child. But alas, Ferrari be Ferrari. Ugh

I watch for the strategy couldn't really care who is overtaking who.

And I feel the opposite about the Ferrari situation, LeClerc would be far ahead of Vettel if LeClerc wasn't playing the team game all the time and then Vettel won't give back the help he is being given. Vettel needs to be dropped for Hulk or Alonso. Whatever happens LeClerc needs to stop playing the team game and get talking to Mercedes and Red Bull.

pjohnson wrote: »

Manufacturers just want easy money. FE is lost cost to enter and is a (per Season 5 figures) rapidly growing market. Growing market = increasing returns. Low cost and effort required to enter then yielding potential decent returns = very attractive and no real risk attached.

Its just basic business. "Future" doesnt make money, low risk investments are a no brainer.

“Manufacturers just want easy money”
“Future” doesn’t make money”.

Ah here. You’re right about the growing viewership, but these two statements are miles off the mark.

“Future doesn’t make money” is a particular low point when discussing an industry that spends billions on future technologies.

As an example, Jaguar spent £100m on a “future technologies” research facility in Warwick. Then joined FE.

GarIT wrote: »

I watch for the strategy couldn't really care who is overtaking who.

And I feel the opposite about the Ferrari situation, LeClerc would be far ahead of Vettel if LeClerc wasn't playing the team game all the time and then Vettel won't give back the help he is being given. Vettel needs to be dropped for Hulk or Alonso. Whatever happens LeClerc needs to stop playing the team game and get talking to Mercedes and Red Bull.

I absolutely agree with you ! ( well, 90% agree )
Just drop the Alonso talk, that man left a disaster after him in every team he was with.
I don't rate Hulkenberg very much, but I think the harmony between himself and Charles would be good.

GarIT wrote: »

Did you not hear Vettel yesterday? I think they would have a hard time trying to convince him to be a full time wingman for LeClerc.

Multi21 was the first thing that came to mind yesterday when I heard Vettel.

Its fairly obvious that Vettel is not a team player, or at least, won't give up a win unnecessarily. Multi 21 is all Charles needs to know. He shouldn't be fooled twice and should now just race for himself, and help the team only if it utilmately benefits him.

PopePalpatine wrote: »

He misses a few races every year because of health concerns. Sure beats putting up with David Croft's shïtstirring.

Is it health though? I read somewhere that he only commits to X number of races, so if there are more on the calendar he doesn't do them.

He's hardly watching his health if he's racing!

recyclebin wrote: »

Le Clerc will have learned a lot so far this season. I can see a Hamilton/Rosberg type scenario developing where both Ferrari will take each other out at first corner just to prove a point.

Hope so. A bit of action at least!!

GarIT wrote: »

I watch for the strategy couldn't really care who is overtaking who.

And I feel the opposite about the Ferrari situation, LeClerc would be far ahead of Vettel if LeClerc wasn't playing the team game all the time and then Vettel won't give back the help he is being given. Vettel needs to be dropped for Hulk or Alonso. Whatever happens LeClerc needs to stop playing the team game and get talking to Mercedes and Red Bull.

It would not be Alonso anyway. He had his chance and time in F1. I think Nico Hulkenberg is racing better than he ever raced and think he would do great at Ferrari.

meeeeh wrote: »

There is a running joke in our house that according to Autosport Ferrari should give a chance to Kubica and Hulkenberg. They deserve it.

No sane Ferrari fan would want either Hulkenberg or Alonso. One had enough chances and didn't even manage the podium and the other one would burn down his own garage if it suited them. Maybe Mercedes should replace Bottas with one of them or maybe they should both go to McLaren. I'm sure they will win everything next year with their fastest chassis on the grid.

Anyway Vettel and Leclerc is good, despite their bickering Ferrari can actually attempt strategic racing using their second driver.

While I agree with yo about Alonso I disagree about Nico Hulnenberg. I think he is racing great of late and would be really good for Ferrari and at Ferrari. He is what the team need.

astrofluff wrote: »

Its fairly obvious that Vettel is not a team player, or at least, won't give up a win unnecessarily. Multi 21 is all Charles needs to know. He shouldn't be fooled twice and should now just race for himself, and help the team only if it utilmately benefits him.

Vettel is selfish just like most racers once they are in the car and just wants to win. I do think Ferrari thinking they could do a strategy like they tried yesterday was a mistake and that it would be better to just let both of them race. Maybe now that they have no chance of winning the WDC or WCC they will just let them race now. Next year hopefully Ferrari will still be right at the front and they can start of fresh and decide who is no1 and 2 driver as the season goes on if they are beating Mercedes.

GarIT wrote: »

Did you not hear Vettel yesterday? I think they would have a hard time trying to convince him to be a full time wingman for LeClerc.

Unless you think someone on Verstappen's level should be number two to someone who was beaten by Ricciardo.

Well the new Verstappen should be first able to get close enough to his teammate. Yesterday Leclerc wasn't able to follow Vettel. At the moment Leclerc won 2 races hell have to show a bit more before he can claim no1 status. I like Leclerc and he reminds me of young Schumacher but it will take a bit longer to establish how good he actually is. Vettel was much better getting through the traffic in Singapore for example.

the Verstappen/Ricciardo thing cannot been thown in every time . Yes Ricciardo beat Vettel ... Vettels Replacement Kvyat Beat Riccicardo and then it took 2 full seasons before Verstappen came out on top of Ricciardo.

The problem Ferrari had at the weekend should have been solved on race pace. Vettel was faster yesterday Leclerc is the road block ( I am aware there was an agreement but Vettels pace as unmatched , Singapore Vettel clearly faster in the race , Leclerc Road block . Monza Leclerc Clearly faster on the day Vettel should have been a road block but he F'd that up. Spa leclerc was clearly faster on the day . Vettel job Road block which he did . They cannot win the drivers championship this year unless lewis completely implodes but they could have probalby got the constructors . The Team should be first in this case managment have blown this . Drivers are all self involved when it comes to winning I dont blame them . Handling them should be easy at this stage for Ferrari but they never seem to fully learn.

What are we left with after yesterday . Bunch of grown men driving Red cars sounding like spoiled kids and Lewis H laughing his hole off cause he was gifted a win .

Much as I like Hulk, if he went to Ferrari he'd be a definite number 2 driver. Sure, he might get a few wins and podiums but he would never be the favourite.

Leclerc is a very fortunate young man indeed to have landed the Ferrari gig so early in his career. Verstappen is a much more accomplished racer but has made a mistake signing with Red Bull again. He needs to be in a silver or red car. Vettel is desperate to win a title with Ferrari but the team bosses clearly no longer want him around.

Hulkenberg is the new Kubica. While Kubica won, Hulk has no podium to show in 10 years of F1.

Id say Ferrari will get second place not a hope for 1st place this year in constructors, lets hope they roll over the performance for next year and keep it close to Mercedes.

astrofluff wrote: »

Its fairly obvious that Vettel is not a team player, or at least, won't give up a win unnecessarily. Multi 21 is all Charles needs to know. He shouldn't be fooled twice and should now just race for himself, and help the team only if it utilmately benefits him.

He literally sacrificed his entire race a few races ago to help Leclerc at Spa. At the following race at Monza the favour was returned by Leclerc utterly screwing him in qualifying by taking the tow on his qualifying lap then not returning the favour. Lap analysis showed that with what the tow was worth, Vettel would have been on pole in a straight fight.

Seb went on to win in Singapore having been supreme on his in and out laps and dealt with the traffic far better than anyone else, pulling out a fairly large lead before the safety car brought the pack back together, but he comfortably controlled the race from there, while Leclerc petulantly bitched and moaned on the radio all race. Tellingly, in the last few laps when they went for the fastest lap point, Leclerc just couldn't live with Vettel at all.

Then in Russia Vettel got into the lead, was the fastest man on track and pulled out a gap, yet the team stupidly and bizarrely tried to throw away the race.

Vettel has struggled a bit on Saturdays lately (though the stats are way overblown when you take into account things like the shenanigans at Monza and engine failures at Germany and Austria) but he's been regularly the stronger driver on Sunday, and in the case where he wasn't in Spa, he willingly sacrificed himself to help Leclerc.

I really don't see how Vettel is the problem here. Ferrari's behaviour has been utterly bizarre, I don't know if Leclerc has big sponsor connections or they just want to placate him because he's obviously quite petulant while Vettel is more accommodating, but it's costing the team badly and it'd be a shame if it ends in Vettel walking away when he's been the driving force in getting the team back to the front.

PopePalpatine wrote: »

I'd say Ferrari's leaning towards Leclerc is because he offers more of an upside than a - let's face it - aging Vettel who's got a family to worry about.

Ferrari also have form in ousting Germans in favour of younger talent.

Leclerc is the best option to counter the "Verstappen effect"; He's easy to sell, especially in Italy as he's seen as pretty much a local boy being from Monaco (a place that will forever be stuck being a bit French and a bit Italian) and most importantly, he's a product of the "Ferrari Driver Academy", a program which has been under intense criticism for failing to bring out ANY talent compared to Red Bull's and Mercedes young driver programs; Sure, there was Jules Bianchi, but we all sadly know about that history of unfulfilled potential.



In terms of charisma, sheer likeability and old-fashioned racer mentality, Ferrari haven't had a driver of the same impact on the crowds since Jean Alesi; Schumacher won hearts with victories and world championships, but to be idolized like Jean was when the best hope was for the occasional podium, it takes a different type of character. Which Leclerc is - people in Italy were absolutely crazy about him well before the maiden win in Spa. If he goes on to win a WDC in a Ferrari, he may very well go down in history as the most popular Ferrari World Champion.

Cork Trucker wrote: »

I wonder if Schumacher would have been dropped for 2007 if he didn't go of his own accord, or at least it looked that way publicly. They drop Finn's also. Salo would have been a good number 2 for Schumacher in the same way as Barrichello was, instead they dropped him and Raikkonen (twice).

Back then, it was a well regarded "rumor" that Schumacher's decision to retire at the end of the 2006 season was born out of contingency - Ferrari had already hired Raikkonen, and Michael had an option to stay on for 2007, which he decided not to exercise, in part to take a break and in part because it would have meant Massa, to which he was pretty much a mentor, would have lost his seat.

Infoanon wrote: »

That would be the same Adrian Campos-racing-aiming-to-begin-new-team-in who was involved in the team that became known as HRT.
Plan has already been knocked on the head with Rossi Brawn quoted as saying no new teams before 2022.

Maybe they will be like Haas they will be starting up in 2021 but will not actually race until 2022. I would say it would be no harm if they were there in 2021 if they do not have to build there own engines as they would be getting them from one of the manufactures in the sport more than likely it would be Renault and they would have the capacity to do that as they would just give them the engines that Mclaren would have been getting from them.

I had thought of something similar. That the season winning car should be made available for all teams to inspect in detail. Possibly with a time delay. Or something lke making last season's winning car available to everyone to examine and/or test during winter testing.