Formula 1 2020 (Will Contain Race Day Spoilers)

[Mactech]

Yes, Alonso is now officially with Renault for 2 years from 2021.
Do you think Riciardo had some inside info all the way down in Perth..(the end of the earth!) I'm not so sure.
Maybe after last weekend's showing, Mclaren will be a step up in performance from Renault, something that perhaps was not lost on Ferrari bound Sainz

 

[GeeJayW]

Yes, Alonso is now officially with Renault for 2 years from 2021.
Do you think Riciardo had some inside info all the way down in Perth..(the end of the earth!) I'm not so sure.
Maybe after last weekend's showing, Mclaren will be a step up in performance from Renault, something that perhaps was not lost on Ferrari bound Sainz

Danny Ric is no mug, so I wouldn't be surprised if he (or his people) heard enough to step away to McLaren.

Sainz must be wondering if he's made the right move.

 

[Dryce]

Yes, Alonso is now officially with Renault for 2 years from 2021.
Do you think Riciardo had some inside info all the way down in Perth..(the end of the earth!) I'm not so sure.

I don't think FA had any bearing on DR's decision. And I assume that Renault have only approached and confracted FA as a result of DR's departure.

Maybe after last weekend's showing, Mclaren will be a step up in performance from Renault, something that perhaps was not lost on Ferrari bound Sainz

Renault engine did OK for McLaren this weekend.

So DR presumably might look at Mclaren as a better opportunity even without their transition to Mercedes.

 

[bob6600]

I don't think Alonso has anything to do with RIC's departure. RIC could see that the Renault was not where it should have been in the time he was there. McLaren are doing a lot better and with a seat available there, it made sense to jump ship.

 

[Dryce]

FA will pass 40 in his 2021 return season and 41 in the 2022 season

Meanwhile it and it looks like a possibility SV may leave at (only) 33.

 

[zipdip]

Not sure FA will do much having been to the US and not exactly set things alight over there,the bit of news that has got me thinking is that the prancing horse are bring two updates to their car this weekend,if they fail to lift their car then they will be in big trouble.

 

[GeeJayW]

Not sure FA will do much having been to the US and not exactly set things alight over there,the bit of news that has got me thinking is that the prancing horse are bring two updates to their car this weekend,if they fail to lift their car then they will be in big trouble.

But (by driving the only hybrid LMP1 in the field on each occasion) FA won Le Mans twice during his absence from F1...

 

[bob6600]

Like him or loathe him, he is a quick driver who can extract more out of the car than most, look at his last stint with McLaren. Perhaps this is what Renault are hoping.

I must have missed it over the weekend but apparently Seb gave the real reason he left Ferrari - his services were no longer required. He said that he received a phone call to say that they would not be offering him a contract so there was no sticking point in discussions as there was never a contract on the table.

 

[Dryce]

Like him or loathe him, he is a quick driver who can extract more out of the car than most, look at his last stint with McLaren. Perhaps this is what Renault are hoping.

Problem is he doesn't seem to extract more from the team.

And there are those who think he also became part of the problem at McLaren.

I also wonder how much of his interest in driving in F1 is driven by his need to be in a position to promote his brand.

 

[zipdip]

But (by driving the only hybrid LMP1 in the field on each occasion) FA won Le Mans twice during his absence from F1...

Well a number of ex F1 drivers have done well at LeMans, Brundle,Wurz,Mass,Herbert and Ickx, the time FA has spent away will not make it easy to be a force on the track when he gets behind the wheel,I just think we have a new crop of young drivers getting a chance in F1 bringing older drivers back is not the way to go.

 

[GeeJayW]

Like him or loathe him, he is a quick driver who can extract more out of the car than most, look at his last stint with McLaren. Perhaps this is what Renault are hoping.

I must have missed it over the weekend but apparently Seb gave the real reason he left Ferrari - his services were no longer required. He said that he received a phone call to say that they would not be offering him a contract so there was no sticking point in discussions as there was never a contract on the table.

Extracting more from the team brings more success than simply driving the wheels off the car. Alonso is a quick driver, but he undermines his own team. Have a little chat with good folks at Honda for example.... He may be successful at Renault....

Seb has demonstrated that he can be more of a liability than an asset. He has simply not delivered for Ferrari. If he can be in a fast car, get pole and scamper away, he can be first to the chequered flag. Under pressure, he is brittle and truculent. Neither qualities are useful in a racing driver.

 

[zipdip]

Well first practice over and teams are on soft tyres to beat the MB times set on medium compound.

 

[st13phil]

Seb has demonstrated that he can be more of a liability than an asset. He has simply not delivered for Ferrari. If he can be in a fast car, get pole and scamper away, he can be first to the chequered flag. Under pressure, he is brittle and truculent.

Completely agree.

While no-one can become World Champion without a special ability, I've never rated SV particularly highly due to the unique combination of circumstances that allowed him and the Red Bull to dominate when they did.

Once he ceased to have a car that allowed him to control the race from P1 (the tactic employed in his RB days was always to push like mad from the start in order to get out of DRS range, and then control the pace) and instead have to mix it with other drivers his fragility has been his undoing.

 

[bob6600]

Lando has been given a 3 place penalty for overtaking during yellow flags in FP1

FP2 could be interesting as there is heavy rain forecast for tomorrow. Should FP3 and Qualy not take place, the FP2 times will form the grid

 

[Dazsw]

Ahh it's great to have F1 back, and what a first race of the season.

Hopefully this one is just as fun, lot's of places to challenge here for such a small track so makes things interesting as does the car destroying kerbs

 

[zipdip]

Is this the second mistake from MB,both cars seemed to be trying out things and did not seem to be worried about setting the best times,with tomorrow likely to be wet it is just possible that pratice times will apply to the grid

 

[bob6600]

Two more races added, confirmed calendar so far

The 2020 F1 calendar - so far
COMPLETED: Austrian GP, Red Bull Ring
THIS WEEKEND: Styrian GP, Red Bull Ring
July 19: Hungarian GP, Budapest
August 2: British GP, Silverstone
August 9: 70th Anniversary GP, Silverstone
August 16: Spanish GP, Barcelona
August 30: Belgian GP, Spa-Francorchamps
September 6: Italian GP, Monza
September 13: Tuscan GP, Mugello
September 27: Russian GP, Sochi

 

[zipdip]

Well as I posted yesterday a monumental mistake by MB,they did not contest the practice and at the moment it looks like qualifying is not going ahead,

 

[190]

They have said they will run qualifying on Sunday morning if it can't be run today. P2 times will only be used if the Sunday qualifying can't be run.

 

[zipdip]

Well it is coming down hard,it might well be Sunday then,thats the trouble with mountain circuits,the weather is great for weeks then it turns and it bad for days on end,still cannot understand why Mercedes did not nail practice,all they did was give the other teams the belief that they could get a pole position,you never want to give them any hope,now well it is a complete lottery,the rain is coming down so hard I doubt this is going off today.