Formula One - 2020

[BOF]

6 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Putting Russell in as Hamilton's number two might be damaging to Russell in the long run - Hamilton won't welcome a challenge from within the team and the team will most likely ensure that Hamilton is happy and looked after in the number one car - two years of that might well take a toll on the younger driver.

I genuinely don't think so tbh. I think they'd both be fine together.  He would go in as Hamilton's protégé and learn the ropes of being a lead driver in a top team with all that that entails, with a view to a seamless transition in a year or two. Yes he'd win on occasion but Lewis would have the edge as he should do.  The fact Hamilton regularly talks about not being sure how long more he'll be in F1 should be giving Merc enough impetus to put replacement plans together, and this method of doing so is probably more in line with what has happened historically in F1.

[BOF]

So did anyone apart from myself and @YouUnastanFren watch the F2 and/or F3 championships this season?  You're really missing out if you're not. They were every bit as good as the F1 and often moreso. Can't wait for next season in those either  

[Withnail]

For some reason only watched this last one. Twas excellent.  Like bees buzzing around.  Passing all over the place. Will certainly watch next year.

[Withnail]

I hadn’t even thought of F3. How did that compare to F2. Does my bee analogy hold?

[BOF]

10 hours ago, Withnail said:

I hadn’t even thought of F3. How did that compare to F2. Does my bee analogy hold?

They are very similar yes. You just have to remember every now and again that they're all a couple of years younger than the F2 group, and they're that much more raw as a result. It's not a calamity or anything; far from it; but every now and again a bit of racecraft will leave something to be desired (actually, is that really much different at all ? ). Watching all 3 over a race weekend was just such a feast of racing.  It's a little different next year with the way the calendars have been laid out and the formats have been absolutely butchered by people who I struggle to believe are racing people, but ho hum. It should hopefully still be worth watching though, and I will  

[BOF]

Regarding the butchered formats.  F2 and F3 raced on the same weekend this season. F2 supported F1 for 12 rounds and F3 followed for 9 rounds. 2 races each per weekend, so 42 races over the season.

For cost saving purposes, next season F2 and F3 will alternate which weekends they support F1 (less travel per series) and they will each have 3 races per weekend instead.  So it'll be 8 weekends of 3 races for F2 and 7x3 for F3 giving us 45 races.

Now for the format change.
This season you'd qualify. The feature race would be Saturday (race 1) in the order of qualifying, and then the sprint grid on Sunday would be done using the result of the feature race with the front 8 reversed (so 8th on Saturday started 1st on Sunday, 2nd to 7th etc).

Next year they've decided to 'spice' things up (uh oh).

In other words make a bollocks of the top drivers.

The feature race is Sunday (race 3) and there are 2 sprint races on the Saturday.

Fine so far.

You qualify on the Saturday.  Qualifying becomes the grid order for race 3.  Sprint race 1 however, reverses the top 10 from qualifying. So pole position in qualifying starts you 10th in race 1.  The grid for race 2 is then a top 10 reverse of the result from race 1. So 2 reverse grids.  Say the man who qualified on pole manages to climb from 10th in race 1 to say 3rd place. His reward in race 2 is to start from 8th.  So the fastest drivers spend the whole of Saturday constantly being put into the middle of the pack with lesser drivers being shoved to the front where the exposure is.  "Ooh but that's exciting" I hear the playstation generation cry. It's not racing. It's completely anathema to racing. As Tiff Needell put it, these are young drivers at a critical point in their careers, needing to showcase their talents at the front, often for sponsorship etc and their reward is to be shoved into the middle of the pack with lesser drivers getting the glory on the Saturday.  It is completely unfair on them.  One reverse grid is fine at the end of the week if you must.  But two to start off with is not right.

[BOF]

Haas condemns “abhorrent” Mazepin social media video

Quote

Haas condemns “abhorrent” Mazepin social media video

Haas has issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the behaviour of Nikita Mazepin, its new driver for the 2021 F1 season, in a video posted to his social media account yesterday.

A video appeared on Mazepin’s Instagram profile which appeared to show him reaching from the passenger seat of a car to touch the breast of a woman sat behind him, who tried to move his hand away. The footage was subsequently deleted, but has circulated elsewhere on social media, to widespread criticism.

Haas, who announced last week Mazepin will drive for them next year, responded by issuing a statement criticising both the video and Mazepin’s decision to share it on social media.

“Haas F1 Team does not condone the behaviour of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media,” it said.

“Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team.

“The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time.”

More in link

Well, this is all starting off just wonderfully isn't it? Having already said 'we have our hands full' with the rookie because of how he behaves on track, they're already having to condemn his actions off it.  You do wonder how much they'll tolerate. Probably not much choice with Daddy's rubles in their pockets. They've certainly picked a doozy

[YouUnastanFren]

24 minutes ago, BOF said:

You qualify on the Saturday.  Qualifying becomes the grid order for race 3.  Sprint race 1 however, reverses the top 10 from qualifying. So pole position in qualifying starts you 10th in race 1.  The grid for race 2 is then a top 10 reverse of the result from race 1. So 2 reverse grids.  Say the man who qualified on pole manages to climb from 10th in race 1 to say 3rd place. His reward in race 2 is to start from 8th.  So the fastest drivers spend the whole of Saturday constantly being put into the middle of the pack with lesser drivers being shoved to the front where the exposure is.  "Ooh but that's exciting" I hear the playstation generation cry. It's not racing. It's completely anathema to racing. As Tiff Needell put it, these are young drivers at a critical point in their careers, needing to showcase their talents at the front, often for sponsorship etc and their reward is to be shoved into the middle of the pack with lesser drivers getting the glory on the Saturday.  It is completely unfair on them.  One reverse grid is fine at the end of the week if you must.  But two to start off with is not right.

Ugh, they're a gnat's bollock hair's width away from implementing Bernie's random water cannons at this point. Formula Mario Kart 2021

RE Mazepin - I'd be shocked if he's punished for that by Haas, he'll just keep getting away with being a little turd. Annoyingly he's bought masses more time in F1 cars than Mick has had so he might even start the season off relatively okay, hopefully it won't be long before he's getting outclassed though.

[YouUnastanFren]

'Dealt with internally' in this instance is code for 'we'll do absolutely nothing'

[Genie]

2009 George Russell waiting to get Lewis’s autograph.

Now he’s driving his car.

[YouUnastanFren]

1 hour ago, Genie said:

2009 George Russell waiting to get Lewis’s autograph.

Now he’s driving his car.

There's something very Schumacher-Vettel-esque about this.

 

Hopefully RUS can get multiple WDCs to complete the similarities.

[Farlz]

 

[Withnail]

6 hours ago, Farlz said:

 

Bottas gets an early Christmas present. 

[YouUnastanFren]

13 hours ago, Farlz said:

 

Would've been nice for one more race where there's some interest in the inter-team Merc battle, can't blame him at all for doing everything possible to get back in the seat in time. He wouldn't be Hamilton if he didn't.

As a side note he's signed Loeb to his new Xtreme E racing team, I haven't looked into the format in detail but it seems like just about the strongest signing he could make.

[Farlz]

Max has given us something to look forward too with that pole position, a superb effort. Shoutout to Lando also for that mega lap, really hope him and Sainz can bring it home tomorrow and give McLaren P3 in the constructors. 

[Farlz]

You can always count on Abu Dhabi to deliver a terrible race to end the year but Max won and McLaren got P3 in the constructors so I'm happy. Obviously apart from the complete lack of Championship battle, it hasn't been too bad of a season. Wins for Gasly and Perez with multiple other new podiums. 

Now we've just got to wait 3 months and we can do it all over again. 

[Genie]

14 minutes ago, Farlz said:

You can always count on Abu Dhabi to deliver a terrible race to end the year but Max won and McLaren got P3 in the constructors so I'm happy. Obviously apart from the complete lack of Championship battle, it hasn't been too bad of a season. Wins for Gasly and Perez with multiple other new podiums. 

Now we've just got to wait 3 months and we can do it all over again. 

Do Abu Dhabi pay a premium to have the last race of the year? It’s always shit. Bring back Brazil for the season finale I say (I know this year it wasn’t possible).

 

[mykeyb]

I could be wrong but I am sure when it was instated as the last race it was mentioned they had paid a lot of money for it. Didn't they also want the race to have double points too.

 

[BOF]

13 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I could be wrong but I am sure when it was instated as the last race it was mentioned they had paid a lot of money for it. Didn't they also want the race to have double points too.

Yes I remember the double points idea being mooted. I wouldn't put anything past them.

[CardiffGreens]

I can't believe you have all forgotten this classic:

 

Quote

The 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (formally known as the 2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix)^[1] was a Formula One motor race held at the Yas Marina Circuit on 23 November 2014. The race was the nineteenth and final round of the 2014 season, the 916th World Championship race, and marked the sixth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Double points were awarded for the first time at this race. This change to the points system was not well received in the months leading up to the race, and the implementation of this system turned out to be a one-off. The series would revert to the 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 system in use since 2010 for all races, beginning with the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.