The Official F1 Thread - V2

[KartRacerBoy]

I saw another article on Red Bull and Alonso. Horner said Alonso burned too many bridges behind him with people he used to work with. This made me chortle as Horner has done the exact same thing with Renault due to their engines the past 2+ yrs.

 

Pot to Kettle. Come in Kettle.

[KartRacerBoy]

I think this is a good indicator McLaren isn't going to form an IndyCar team for 2019. Scott Dixon, supposedly the driver they wanted alongside Alonso, is staying with Ganassi (for the 18th year in a row!). It's only a one year contract, so I wonder if that was to give Dixon the chance of a being a McLaren driver in 2020...

 

https://racer.com/2018/08/12/dixon-to-stay-with-ganassi-for-2019/

[KartRacerBoy]

And the music begins again for the musical chairs that is the F1 driver's market. Alonso announced that he will not race in F1 in 2019 but did not say if or where he will be driving -- WEC or IndyCar. Too late for Andretti to run an extra car in '19? Ganassi has said he won't run more cars next year. Penske has three drivers full season and Helio for Indy, making four there. A lesser IndyCar team for Alonso? He's already won Le Mans so I don't see the point of him running WEC unless he loves the racing there or has no other options.

 

https://racer.com/2018/08/14/alonso-will-not-race-f1-in-2019/

Edited August 14, 2018 by KartRacerBoy

[baconbits]

Wow

[KartRacerBoy]

Alonso is going to have a road test in IndyCars this fall.

 

https://racer.com/2018/08/15/alonso-set-for-indycar-road-course-test/

 

McLaren is eyeballing Sainz for the Alonso seat and Van Doorne may not be long for his seat there either after being broken by Alonso this year.

[KartRacerBoy]

Since Force India was bought by Lance Stroll's daddy, will he go there in 2019 if daddy buys out his Williams contract? Will that mean that Kubica will drive for pathetic Williams in 2019? Who at Force India would get shoved out? Ocon? Perez who brings much $$$?

[KartRacerBoy]

Nice summary of all the F1 teams and how long their driver contracts go and open seats. Most of the grid, it seems!

 

https://www.planetf1.com/news/how-is-the-2019-driver-line-up-shaping-up/

[KartRacerBoy]

I'm watching the Pocono 500. Robert Wickens went airborne and into the catch fence at the restart. It's been half an hour with no word on his condition. Horrific crash, but at least the safety cell was intact. I hope he is alive.

 

Paul Tracy, commentator, said there was no rush around his car for half an hour and said that was a good sign. I can think of another reason there was no rush. My thoughts are with you Robert Wickens.

[bosco]

Awake and alert.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/robert-wickens-involved-violent-indycar-crash-pocono-184756256.html

[KartRacerBoy]

Gasly is moving to Red Bull from Toro Rosso in 2019, predictably. So who will TR bring up?

 

https://racer.com/2018/08/20/red-bull-confirms-gasly-will-replace-ricciardo/

 

Perez, as the savior of Force India, is close to a deal there for '19 (so said Riciardo ). So will Stroll move to daddy's team in '19 from Williams? Kubica to replace Stroll (maybe Claire Williams now realizes an experienced drive will help development now)? Where will Ocon go? Second seat at McLaren to replace the blown away by Alonso Van Doorne? Or will McLaren bring up its development driver Norris?

Edited August 20, 2018 by KartRacerBoy

[GTEASER]

Wickens had 2 broken ankles, a broken arm, possibly fractured vertebrae in his back and a pulmonary contusion. Dude is lucky to be alive and not maimed for life.

[KartRacerBoy]

He's lucky he's not Jeff Krosnoff, going into a pole right at the cockpit. Here's hoping to a swift recovery, especially the back.

[KartRacerBoy]

So far Wickens has only had back surgery to stabilize a vertebra with screws and rods. No surgery yet on the arm or ankles. Apparently there was some damage to the spinal cord, too, but the doctors can't tell the extent of it.

 

https://racer.com/2018/08/21/updated-wickens-undergoes-spinal-surgery/

[baconbits]

https://wtf1.com/post/force-india-could-lose-all-2018-championship-points-to-continue-in-f1/

 

I guess Stroll & Co. only bought the assets, not the name. If true, they'll need a new team name which resets them back to zero points. Harsh.

 

It's not a motorsport.com article so I can't say how accurate that is but still, that's a scary proposition.

[KartRacerBoy]

I think the bankruptcy judge set a deadline that made it difficult to impossible to buy the Force India entity as a going concern becz of the criminal legal problems Mallaya had in India from what I've read. No buyers could meet the deadline so they were forced to buy assets.

 

Not only does the team lose points, but the team will not get the end of year money they've earned to-date. I think Williams, McLaren, and another team have pushed this position to get Force India's share of the 2018 manufacturers championship money. And since it takes two years before a new entry can earn year ed manufacturers money, they won't get any of that until at least 2020. But all the other teams have agreed the new entry can keep the championship money owed Force India prior to this season.

 

If Lance Stroll is moved to "Farce India," where will Ocon go? McLaren? Williams in a seat switch?

Edited August 25, 2018 by KartRacerBoy

[KartRacerBoy]

Anyone see qualifying. It was fun in Q3 since it rained for a bit making slicks useless on the first run. Much confusion with Ferrari and Red Bull, both not having enough fuel in the cars for Kimi or either RB to get a second run, and on getting out intermediates.

 

Force India locked up the second row as they came out as the track dried late in Q3 (but 2+seconds off P2), as did Hamilton and Vettel (front row both). I imagine on a dry track Force India will be fighting for best of the rest.

 

Ocon ended up Q3 and told Hamilton and Vettel he is gone from Force India next year -- Stroll has a seat fitting Tuesday there. Ocon doesn't have a ride set up for 2019. Ocan at McLaren replacing Van Doorne? Could be worse. He could go to Williams.

[baconbits]

I was disappointed at that Q3 finish although it'll make the start interesting. Kimi was almost owed pole after his Q1 and Q2 runs but that could just be my bias.

[KartRacerBoy]

I actually thought Q3 was great. It's nice that it threw starting places into the wind of unpredictability. Makes for an interesting scramble during the race rather than train that often results at fast tracks. I think Lewis is on a back foot to Vettel in the race. Can he hold Seb off with strategy or will rain tomorrow again throw the dice into the results.

 

Sorry about Kimi. Pole would've been nice or even front row and a fight for the win. But wouldn't it be funny to see Lewis or Seb throw it away in a mid race rain shower?

 

As David Hobbs would say, "Rain at Spa? Paaaaark it." (In your best Hobbs drawl).

[KartRacerBoy]

Just spit ballin' here, but Robert Wickens is finally breathing on his own today without medical assistance. His spinal injury was in his thoracic region where the nerves control his breathing, heart, etc. Still no word on how severe his spinal injury is.

 

I'm thinking Robert is going to have a long road before he races again, if ever, given that he hasn't been able to breath on his own. I hope I'm wrong, very wrong.

 

Still thinking about you Robert.

[KartRacerBoy]

Spa this morning was relatively bland aside from Air Alonso at the start, but Bottas went from last on the grid to 4th, showing just how much faster the top 3 are than the best of the rest. Force India held on to P5 and P6, though. Haas was just as fast but couldn't catch them.

 

Meh race.

[ehsnils]

I agree. Sucks for Alonso - not his fault. The Halo did prove itself though.

[baconbits]

As goofy as the Halo looks, Leclerc would be dead without it.

 

They showed a closeup of the car on the side of the track (maybe about 2/3 through the race) where the announcers were saying the Halo had a big tire mark on it but that was the paint rubbed/worn off. If you look closely at it, I'm pretty sure it was cracked, severely, in a couple spots.

[Tschagfreebird151]

Anyone going to the Indy Race at Portland this weekend?

 

I will be on Sunday.

[KartRacerBoy]

Not sure LeClerc would be dead or even injured without halo. Plenty have survived such an accident without injuries before. Hunter-Ray survived the accident with Wicken's at Pocono as Wicken's car went over Ray's. However, I will say the aesthetics of F1 cars isn't injured near as much as I thought it would be with the halo. Turns out to be a worthwhile safety addition.

 

Meanwhile, Felipe Massa is being a little bitch complaining about how IndyCar doesn't do enough for safety after Wicken's accident. Since Wiggins' injuries occurred due to the fencing and F1 uses the same kind of fencing, I'm not really sure where he's coming from. Higher concrete or Safer barriers maybe? That's valid, but Graham Rahal's retort that IndyCar doesn't have several hundred million dollar budgets like F1 and can't afford to throw money around is an apt response.

 

Stick to driving Massa if you're not going to make any sense.

Edited August 27, 2018 by KartRacerBoy

[KartRacerBoy]

Kimi got pole at Monza and Vettel said Kimi could race for the win.

 

How many of you actually believe that? If Seb is behind a P1 Kimi near the end of the race tomorrow, who actually believes Kimi won't be told to let Seb past?

 

But a better question, if told to, would Kimi follow the order?