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

Williams to launch 17th of February.
https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/status/1223169052702662656?s=19

Infoanon wrote: »

True - my point was more a customer team winning a race (let alone a championship ) just doesn't happen anymore.

There's however an argument for the "customer teams" being underfunded (Williams) or doing a crap job with their chassis (McLaren, HAAS) rather than just being "designed" to be 3rd at best unless both cars from the "senior team" are out (Toro Rosso, Alfa Romeo, Racing Point).



McLaren especially - if they design a good chassis, they could win the odd race regardless of whatever engine they have in the car.

Infoanon wrote: »

True - my point was more a customer team winning a race (let alone a championship ) just doesn't happen anymore.

This idea of needing a works engine came from Ron Dennis, completely ignoring the failings of McLaren's chassis when using by far the best engine available, being soundly beaten by Williams in 2014.

If Red Bull had been a customer of a competent hybrid engine manufacturer then it is entirely possible their winning streak would have continued past 2013. They would definitely have stopped Mercedes being in a class of one for most of the last 6 years if they had been a Merc customer team. There is a reason why Merc and Ferrari refused to supply them after their relationship with Renault broke down, they knew they were the only customer team capable of building a competitive car and outperforming them with their own power units.

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

I'm only doing a bit of investigative research into it at the moment, but has anyone any tips regarding heading to a Grand Prix?

The only one I'd be interested in is Belgium or maybe Austria, is the best way to buy tickets the official channels?

I'm assuming the package deals from the likes of Marathon etc are a good bit more expensive than buying all yourself?

Went to Monza a few years ago and bought from touts at the gate on the Friday on the way to practice, good a good deal but you've to watch them like a hawk. There was an official ticket booth there too.

I'd imagine each track has a different setup though

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 did see one year that testing was around €20 for three days. With below €50 flights I was tempted to go when the new regulations came in.


Especially now with EU data roaming to keep you occupied during the time's where no cars on the track I might go when the 2021 regs come in.

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.

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 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.

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

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 wrote: »

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

Estoril isn't coming back.

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 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.

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.

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.

Nice to see two launches on the same day.

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

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 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.

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Season 2 of the F1 docu on netflix is out on the 28th of this month

Excellent, thought last year's one was really good TV. Hopefully this season is to the same standard.

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Any update on this? The f1 group meeting was yesterday. I googled it and found contradictory stories.

Ross Brawn is quoted as saying that F1 is waiting for the promoters and Chinese government to make the decision aka $$$$, who is going to pay for the race being cancelled.

The foreign office has stated that only essential travel to China should be undertaken - F1 is not essential - and I believe to travel to China against the foreign offices advice would invalidate insurances. Thus all the UK teams won't be travelling unless things change.

All other major sporting events are cancelled in China.

This most really be hitting the Chinese economy very hard all these events been cancelled there and there cities in lockdown. If as a poster above said the insurance companies will not insure the teams if they travel then I can't see the chinese race happening.
If there is a case discovered in Vietnam as well then I can see that race cancelled too.

eljono wrote: »

Excellent, thought last year's one was really good TV. Hopefully this season is to the same standard.

That show was more exciting than the actual season.