Formula One thread

[Dayviewer]

Zandvoort is building up, incredible to see the track being transformed, I last visited the track 3 years ago and it's unrecognizable.
Qualy should be absolute madness, the race we'll have to wait and see, will probably be strategy heavy, things could get interesting with the tires (2 banked corners) and a very small pit entry/exit.

 

[BenjaminW]

Kimi’s retirement is confirmed.

 

[Dayviewer]

Such a great driver and unique personality in the paddock, he will be missed!

 

[StevenC]

That sure was a race I watched 72 laps of (minus a few when Sky Go died).

 

[Dayviewer]

Yea apart from some seeing how the strategies could play out it was pretty boring, cool images of the atmosphere though
But yea, on to Monza! I think the championship is gonna go down to the very last race eventually, can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

 

[StevenC]

Yea apart from some seeing how the strategies could play out it was pretty boring, cool images of the atmosphere though
But yea, on to Monza! I think the championship is gonna go down to the very last race eventually, can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

The crowd did look great, but I have been saying for a while (maybe not in this thread) that something has to be done about those flairs because there were times it looked like a serious safety concern. Though we still go to Spa...

 

[Mathemagician]

Idk, for me it was definitely a strategy-heavy race. I mean to see Merc with 2 cars in the top 3 gambling on plans to try to mess with RB with just one car even in the points for over half the race was interesting.

So for now the passing spots for most people are Turn 1, Turn 3 if you’re bold, and a chicane.*




*Rules do not apply to Perez

 

[Bodes]

I wonder if it was just the coverage that made the race boring (again). Was great hearing Jensen commentate, but he kept saying things about passing in the mid-pack.
Where TF was the footage of all these passes?

I am feeling like that because they (F1, Sky or both) have not made as much money these past two seasons, they are taking cash from the major sponsors from certain few teams to show their company logos. Why did we need to see Bottas for 3 laps when he was by himself and doing nothing, comparative to the mid-pack?!?

Well done to Red Bull for getting far enough ahead of the Mercedes then making the call on pitting.

Bottas has to go after not helping the team. He really didn't seem to have much care. Dropped too far back to really force Red Bull's hand into a potential pit mistake. Wolfe said they would be pushing the RB into mistakes but, well, yeah...

 

[StevenC]

Bottas confirmed at Alfa Romeo for next year. I wonder who will take the Mercedes seat?

 

[Vostre Roy]

Bottas confirmed at Alfa Romeo for next year. I wonder who will take the Mercedes seat?

Rumors are going towards Russel's direction, which wouldn't be too surprising

 

[Mathemagician]

It’s definitely Russell to Merc. And Looks like Albon to Williams though Toto wants DeVries to Williams. The contract where Merc controls a Williams seat ends this year so Williams’s gets to choose both their drivers going forward.

 

[r33per]

Bottas confirmed at Alfa Romeo for next year. I wonder who will take the Mercedes seat?

In an epic 4D chess move, Mercedes announce Alex Albon for 2022.

 

[StevenC]

The contract where Merc controls a Williams seat ends this year

Do you have any source on this? That's genuinely the first time I've seen it phrased like that. Mercedes didn't pay for Russell's seat, at least initially, by all reports. Williams chose Bottas, Massa, Stroll, Sirotkin and Latifi independently too. I can see how they might have a driver veto in their engine supply contract if the driver is currently an engine competitor's junior driver, however, but don't see why that would end before the rest of the contract.

 

[r33per]

Christian Horner: "There is so much support for [Max], and I have never seen a nation get behind a driver in this manner."

 

[Dayviewer]

Russel is said to be confirmed tomorrow, and De Vries is now rumored for Alfa Romeo now for some reason I won’t be surprised if we’ll know the whole thing by the end of the week.

 

[StevenC]

Russel is said to be confirmed tomorrow, and De Vries is now rumored for Alfa Romeo now for some reason I won’t be surprised if we’ll know the whole thing by the end of the week.

The rumour is Mercedes have a seat for DeVries in either Alfa or Williams and Albon/Red Bull prefer the Williams seat. And Williams claim they make decisions idependent of Mercedes, so I wouldn't blame them for taking Albon over De Vries because it's the right move.

 

[Mathemagician]

Yeah DeVries is an FE champ which is impressive AF, meanwhile Albon drove for a top team, was in their dev program, and has lived inside an F1 simulator for the last year.

 

[StevenC]

Yeah DeVries is an FE champ which is impressive AF, meanwhile Albon drove for a top team, was in their dev program, and has lived inside an F1 simulator for the last year.

Except FE is basically a lottery these days. Hence why every manufacturer is leaving.

 

[Mathemagician]

Do you have any source on this? That's genuinely the first time I've seen it phrased like that. Mercedes didn't pay for Russell's seat, at least initially, by all reports. Williams chose Bottas, Massa, Stroll, Sirotkin and Latifi independently too. I can see how they might have a driver veto in their engine supply contract if the driver is currently an engine competitor's junior driver, however, but don't see why that would end before the rest of the contract.

I can’t remember where I read it. But a lot of manufacturer teams negotiate a lower engine price for customer teams if they’ll let them out a driver in that seat for X number of years.

Now as for the Albon to Williams rumors, all info stolen from Rapid Racing:



Edit: This is all legible on my phone. Apologies if it’s sized poorly on desktop.

 

[StevenC]

I can’t remember where I read it. But a lot of manufacturer teams negotiate a lower engine price for customer teams if they’ll let them out a driver in that seat for X number of years.

Now as for the Albon to Williams rumors, all info stolen from Rapid Racing:

View attachment 97459 View attachment 97460 View attachment 97461

Edit: This is all legible on my phone. Apologies if it’s sized poorly on desktop.

Yeah, Williams have Mercedes engines until 2025 and they'd have to get some crazy deal to break that contract. I'd be surprised if Mercedes doesn't get a say until 2025.