F1 Formula 1 Gossip

[smiffy]

Just remind me, since the introduction of captive wheel nuts, exactly how many wheels have come adrift from a car outside the pit lane?

And just remind me how many of them have been hovering stationary in front of a car at race speed, or travelling at 150mph against the flow of traffic?

That risk is non existent. It is a hideous structure which serves no purpose other than to pacify H&S or drivers that maybe shouldn't be in a sport that carries an element of risk.

What next speed limiters?

 

[t-tony]

That has to depend on whether you're inside looking out or outside looking in?

Tony.

 

[smiffy]

I tell you what would make it really safe, is if we sit the drivers in a nice comfy pod in the pits and have them drive remote control cars instead!

 

[hard top]

BREAKING News: Vettel signs new Ferrari deal.
Sebastian Vettel has signed a new contract to stay with Ferrari next season,

Ferrari are not messing around as they cement their driver line up for 2018 as once again Sebastian Vettel teams up with Kimi Raikkonen.

Three-year deal for Vettel
Ferrari announce Vettel - three-year deal, they say, to the end of 2020.

Sebastian Vettel underlines his commitment to Ferrari by signing a three-year deal.
Interestingly, Niki Lauda has apparently said Mercedes were talking to Vettel as recently as June.

Intriguingly Niki Lauda has just admitted to Sky that Merc talked to VET, but stopped a couple of months ago.

 

[hard top]

In Ferrari's time-honoured style, the statement on Sebastian Vettel signing a new deal contained no quotes or further information from the driver or the team.

Ferrari announced earlier this week that it had retained Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen for one more season.

Vettel had made it clear his preference was for the Finn to stay.

 

[hard top]

The domino effect:

Vettel's decision is likely to be followed by confirmation from Mercedes that it will retain Valtteri Bottas for at least another season alongside Hamilton.

The Finn was signed on a one-year deal to replace world champion Nico Rosberg after the German retired from F1 after winning the title last year.

Hamilton is contracted to Mercedes until the end of 2018.

 

[hard top]

Hamilton looking for blood

As well as a 68th pole position, Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of reaching another significant figure as well.

Tomorrow will be his 200th race in Formula 1 and he insists he is as hungry for success now as he was before race number one.

“I’m here to win. I’m here to stay," he said.

"It is strange when you have been racing so long, this is my 200th race, you would think the passion and desire to win would fade but it is stronger than ever. And that’s exciting for me."

“One thing for sure in this second part of the season, the most prominent thing is that I’m here for blood."

 

[hard top]

Max Verstappen says Red Bull will need to improve if he is going to stay when his contract ends in 2019. The team, winners of four successive constructors' championships from 2010-13, are third in the standings, 173 points behind leaders Mercedes. Verstappen says: "At the moment we are not where I want to be, but that doesn't mean you have to give up straight away. But after two, three years without improving, that would be a different story."

Red Bull team-mates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have spoken "one-on-one in private" after colliding at the Hungarian Grand Prix. "He was sincere when we shook hands and I was satisfied with that," said Ricciardo.

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber says Max Verstappen has been "flaky" in practice and qualifying sessions.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has warned Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas not to take anything for granted before this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen believes he can still win races and fight for championships after agreeing a contract extension for next season with Ferrari. At 37, the 2007 world champion is the oldest driver on the starting grid.

 

[hard top]

Friday, 8 September

F1 teams are facing a "big struggle" to make 2018 winter testing following the introduction of Halo next season, says Force India technical director Andrew Green.

Porsche are seriously considering a return to Formula One from 2021 after holding talks with F1's motorsport managing director Ross Brawn.

After showing reluctance to do the same last year, Lewis Hamilton has put himself forward to sample Pirelli's 2018 compounds at Paul Ricard this week.

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team believe Ferrari have taken a step backwards in the battle for the Formula 1 title.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has called for an urgent review of F1's engine-penalty rules in the wake of the Italian GP being transformed by grid demotions.

Jolyon Palmer says he does not care about Fernando Alonso's complaints in the aftermath of their Italian Grand Prix collision.

 

[hard top]

McLaren-Honda split after three years of troubled partnership.

McLaren are to switch to Renault engines, having concluded a three-year deal, while Honda are moving to Toro Rosso.

In addition, Renault have announced that Carlos Sainz, who drives for Toro Rosso this season, will join them next year.

And Fernando Alonso is close to agreeing a new deal to stay at McLaren in 2018, prolonging the two-time champion's F1 career and giving the Spaniard the opportunity to end his career on a relative high.

In a related but separate development, it emerged on Thursday that Red Bull are set to split with Renault at the end of 2018, after the French car company told them they would not be extending their contract, after years of antagonism between the two partners.

 

[hard top]

Friday, 22 September

Mark Webber has suggested the first-lap collision between Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen was triggered by a move Vettel has tried unsuccessfully before.

Sebastian Vettel's title hopes are not over but his failure to finish the Singapore Grand Prix has made his task "more difficult", according to his boss at Ferrari, Maurizio Arrivabene.

Sebastian Vettel's Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 engine is available to use again after Ferrari found there was no damage to the unit following his first-lap crash.

Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen believes it is wrong to assume Ferrari will struggle against championship rival Mercedes in the upcoming races.

Max Verstappen admits he has doubts whether Red Bull can win another race this season.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says his team will not give Lewis Hamilton any favourable treatment over team-mate Valtteri Bottas, despite the English driver having a 28-point lead at the top of the world championship standings.

 

[5harp3y]

Defo vettels fault that accident.

He's very aggressive and this time it bit him

Biggest shame was Alonso who could have had a great race

 

[hard top]

​

Monday, 25 September

Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Palmer said his company could look to get involved in F1 as an engine manufacturer after Red Bull announced a new sponsorship deal in 2018.
So the cars get an Aston Martin sticker, (@t-tony is going to love this)

Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, says Sebastian Vettel escaped punishment for the crash at the Singapore Grand Prix for political reasons.

​

Three-time champion Lewis Hamilton says he has "no desire" to chase Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles.

Sauber team boss Fred Vasseur says Pascal Wehrlein still has a chance of retaining his seat next season despite pressure from Marcus Ericsson.

Paul di Resta could line up for Williams next year as they look to find a suitable partner for Lance Stroll.

McLaren slumped to a £6m loss last year - down from a £4m profit in 2015.

 

[smiffy]

political reasons.

wot? Brexit or good old "nose up someones ar53"?

McLaren slumped to a £6m loss last year - down from a £4m profit in 2015.

So, you're a budding playboy with a few quid to spend, you ain't gonna buy a McLaren road car and have the Chelsea wine bar set sniggering at you are you!

Or, you're a Corporation looking to spend some corporate advertising budget, even a mid-fielder that only gets seen as it is lapped is better than a car in the garage!

Roll on 2018

 

[hard top]

Biggest shame was Alonso who could have had a great race

Thursday, 28 September

Fernando Alonso has admitted that he was responsible for the fist-sized hole that appeared in the wall of his driver room in the McLaren building after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Thursday Alonso said: "Yes... It is still there. It was frustration."

The Spaniard said he punched the wall after watching replays of the start-line crash, and realising he would have been running second on the first lap had he not been taken out by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

He said he believed he could have finished on the podium, adding: "That podium could have been one of the biggest things of my career and we missed it."

 

[hard top]

Three-time world champion and British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is to agree a sponsorship deal with motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta that will see him release £60,000 bike.

Williams Formula 1 team's profit during the first half of 2017 was boosted by a £10m payment from Mercedes for driver Valtteri Bottas.

Aston Martin President and CEO Andy Palmer says the British manufacturer is eager to build its own engines but it will depend on the future regulations set to be introduced in 2021.

McLaren team boss Eric Boullier says lack of competitiveness during their partnership with Honda has been hugely damaging to credibility.

 

[5harp3y]

Aston Martin sponsorship is cool but no chance of new engine unless the rules change to make them loads cheaper

 

[hard top]

Lewis Hamilton believes there is a space for protests in Formula 1 and has hinted he could join with NFL players protesting against Donald Trump.

Lewis Hamilton says he will consider whether to "take a knee" during the playing of the American national anthem before the start of the US Grand Prix in Austin this month.

"I have not thought about it," he says, "but of course I will have to start to think about it — what would be right for me to do or do I even need to get involved?"

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has suggested that Lewis Hamilton should rethink the way he expresses his political views.

 

[hard top]

Toro Rosso's Formula 1 debutant Pierre Gasly reckons the "massive pressure" Red Bull has put on him throughout his career helped him handle his first grand prix.

Meanwhile, Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost says it is "all open" for Daniil Kvyat to return to a race seat with the team in the future despite being dropped for Malaysia.

 

[hard top]

Mad Max must have been drinking them mixed with Red Bull that gave him wings.....

Red Bull teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen went head-to-head in a cocktail making contest before the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Robert Kubica has admitted his chances of a full-time return to Formula 1 are "very slight" despite enjoying three test appearances with Renault this year.

Formula 1 is to 'turn pink' at next month's United States Grand Prix after announcing a partnership with Susan G Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organisation.

The Chinese GP will remain on the Formula 1 calendar for at least another three years after agreeing a new race contract - while its 2018 edition is set to swap dates with the Bahrain GP.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali has criticised those responsible for spreading fake documents and misleading rumours regarding the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso says he will turn his attention towards a new contract for 2018 after the F1 double-header in Malaysia and Japan, but still "needs more information" on whether to stay at McLaren.