Formula 1 2025

[Mactech]

The MotoGP season isn't far away and with the personnel changes in many teams, once again the factory Ducati team look the ones to beat.
A pairing of Bagnaia and M Marquez will be very strong and I don't anticipate current WC Jorge Martin's move to Aprillia being a step up.
Team to watch this season, Yamaha. Very impressive times with the new V4 engine in pre season testing. Look out for Fabio Quatararo to start getting some good results again.

Agreed, but don't discount our current champion on the Aprilia. I think he will be strong.
The Yamaha does look stronger than of late, but it is still the inline 4. The V4 is not circuit ready as yet, but may make an appearance next year.

 

[GeeJayW]

Shame that Eurosport coverage in the UK is leaving Sky TV. Not sure where to watch bikes without paying even more.

 

[Chrishazle]

Hopefully it will be on TNT, which I have, or failing that on Discovery+, which I also have. One of my reasons years ago for switching to BTTV and BTSport (now TNT sport) was the bike racing, which I love to watch, far better then F1.

 

[AMGeed]

Agreed, but don't discount our current champion on the Aprilia. I think he will be strong.
The Yamaha does look stronger than of late, but it is still the inline 4. The V4 is not circuit ready as yet, but may make an appearance next year.

You are right about the inline 4. I thought it was the V4 setting the pace in practice..

Yamaha talk Inline, V4 and 850cc: Three bikes, three MotoGP seasons? - Exclusive

“It may end up with three bike [configurations] in three seasons... It’s an exciting, complicated phase”

www.crash.net

 

[AMGeed]

Shame that Eurosport coverage in the UK is leaving Sky TV. Not sure where to watch bikes without paying even more.

Hopefully it will be on TNT, which I have, or failing that on Discovery+, which I also have. One of my reasons years ago for switching to BTTV and BTSport (now TNT sport) was the bike racing, which I love to watch, far better then F1.

It is on TNT Sport this season along with WSB and BSB.
All motorsport now on PPV if you want to watch it live.
Damn shame.

 

[Bellow]

Hamilton's win at Silverstone last year is a record for the number of wins at the same circuit it being his ninth there. Sebastien Ogier won the Monte Carlo Rally last month - for the tenth time. He has won the championship eight times but is surpassed by Sebastien Loeb's nine titles. (I could include Valentino Rossi - but aren't his 250 and 125 championships more akin to F2?) Always the talk is of Hamilton beating Schumacher's record but I wonder if he views championships won in other genres of motorsport as targets.

 

[SmartAmg]

He probably does. It's all motorsport, after all. But I definitely think, he wants that, 8th
formula one championship. If he ever will
is a different matter.

 

[GeeJayW]

He probably does. It's all motorsport, after all. But I definitely think, he wants that, 8th
formula one championship. If he ever will
is a different matter.

I certainly think that Hamilton wants to drive a car that he feels will allow him to properly compete for an 8th title. I don't think he's interested (anymore) in trying to drag a car to the top of the time sheet, when it's really not having it. Hence the move to Ferrari as it was pretty evident that Mercedes thus far under the current regulations, have been unable to produce a car that is consistently on the pace. Who knows, they (MB) may have cracked it for this final season before the new regs come into play?

 

[Dryce]

I certainly think that Hamilton wants to drive a car that he feels will allow him to properly compete for an 8th title.

When Hamilton had won his previous championships he went "off the boil" after the championship was realised in the season.

I don't think the individual win stats or points stats bother him. And given the increased number of races in a season they are more likely to be beaten anyway.

I think the opportunity for a championship is the only motivator.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

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[GeeJayW]

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Ta

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Ta

I remember that race like it was yesterday. Where does time go???

 

[Mactech]

Lewis's hero was always that Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna. Who would have thought that this unassuming property on the outskirts of Norwich was the rented home of that Brazilian icon in 1981 and 1982?
Ayron was driving in Formula Ford and Ford 2000 for the Snetterton based Van Diemen.
In June 1982, Eddie Jordan invited Ayrton to come to Silverstone to test our F3 car. It was on pole the previous weekend in the hands of James Weaver, and Ayrton jumped at the chance.


ADS on the lap sheet was Ayrton Da Silva, and Eddie's note on the business card says how impressed we were with him as he managed to equal James's pole position time within half and hour of sitting in an F3 car. So I became the first person to strap him in an F3 car and the following year he became the opposition when Eddie and I ran Martin Brundle (OBE)!
Ayrton asked us to send him the lap sheets after the test, so I jotted down his address on the back of the sheets. I was Buckinghamshire based at the time and the Norwich address meant little to me, but now I live a lot closer!


His English was not great and my Portuguese is rubbish, so the spelling of 'Rugge' was quite difficult! Try getting a Brazilian to say 'Thistle' and the result is something like 'tea-cell' so I remember having a bit of a giggle with him about that...

Stuff you never thought you needed to know eh!

 

[Mactech]

With just one day of MotoGP testing left prior to the first event, the testing times are looking good if your a Marquez fan....

2025 Official Buriram MotoGP Test Results - Day 1 (Wednesday)

Final lap times as of 6pm during Wednesday’s opening day of the 2025 Official Buriram MotoGP test.

www.crash.net

 

[AMGeed]

^ Disappointing the Yamaha's aren't placed higher after earlier optimism.
Bagnaia not where I expected either.

 

[Mactech]

^ Disappointing the Yamaha's aren't placed higher after earlier optimism.
Bagnaia not where I expected either.

The caveat of ‘it’s only testing’ always applies!

 

[GeeJayW]

^ Disappointing the Yamaha's aren't placed higher after earlier optimism.
Bagnaia not where I expected either.

Maybe things will improve when they get their new engine...

Alex Rins explains Yamaha plan to introduce V4

“For sure, as riders, we ask…”

www.crash.net

 

[Chrishazle]

More to the point, seems it's only a couple of weeks until proper racing returns to our screens (if you have TNT Sports!).

 

[Mactech]

Maybe things will improve when they get their new engine...

Alex Rins explains Yamaha plan to introduce V4

“For sure, as riders, we ask…”

www.crash.net

As so often in motorsport, the V4 engine itself is not the 'holy grail' but the ability to package the modern MotoGP around it. A V4 Yamaha will be a completely new bike. There is nothing wrong with either power or power delivery of the inline 4. It's just that with the addition of ride height devices and aero the engine width does not allow it to be mounted as low in the bike as the narrower V4.
If you ever get to see in the engine bay of and F1 car, the V6 engine is a tiny jewel of a thing packaged very low and mostly hidden.

 

[baxlin]

View attachment 167733

View attachment 167737
His English was not great and my Portuguese is rubbish, so the spelling of 'Rugge' was quite difficult! Try getting a Brazilian to say 'Thistle' and the result is something like 'tea-cell' so I remember having a bit of a giggle with him about that...

Stuff you never thought you needed to know eh!

Small world: a few years later in the 80s, my sister bought the bungalow on Bluebell Crescent that backed onto 29 Rugge Drive.

(Not much of a claim to fame, admittedly…)