The Formula One Thread

Mario is in a unique spot for the racing history books. He really wasn't the best IndyCar driver (Foyt IMO) wasn't the best in F1, or Nascar, or Sprint cars. But he may be the best racer ever.

 

In a world where Hulk, Checo and even KMag dont have a seat, we get another year of Giovanazzi.

 

Meh, every year in every series, worthy drivers are left out of the musical chairs. If anything, F1 needs to get back to 26 cars. But, the way the series is going, where you have to have factory support or be a direct factory team, and until they restructure the team payments to have teams be viable for several years to try and establish themselves, we won't see more than 20 cars most likely moving forward. Factories really don't want much to do with F1. MB is getting bored, Audi thought about it, Porsche thought about it. Aston Martin is doing it in name....but for how long.

I still feel that F1 should be about some tech, not space race tech, and driver skill. Leave the hyper-tech and tree-hugging aspects of hybrids to WEC, where road car applicability is more of a straight line. Go back to normally aspirated engines, remove some of the aero, make the cars a handful to drive again at the limit, ditch some of the driver aids and fake passing aids, and get back to racing. Danny Ric was told he had a penalty and he said he would drive faster, and he did. Twatter was alight with "why didn't he just drive faster from the start?" Driving to conserve tires and engine parts to make their four PU max requirements have not helped the sport. Those that watched back in the 1980's, Nigel would finish races absolutely knackered. Senna screamed at his Dad to not touch him after a race he was so sore from fighting his car stuck in gear. Drivers now can mainly have a normal conversation during the entire race. Only rarely do you get the "shut up, I am focusing" retort. Drivers now barely are sweating at the end of the race. (yes, I know professional fitness is now more a thing than back in the day, when drivers would light up a dart the second they were not in the car).

Wow, this went "Get off my lawn" quickly........wasn't the intention when I started it. Bottom lining it.....F1 needs more teams that can stick around and they need to restructure the rules and payment to make that happen.

 

Did anyone see an explanation for why no practice today? Seems odd, haven't been on that track in awhile...

 

2 day event

 

It is Saturday.

 

Yes, I see that, I was curious as to why. Only one practice.

 

Cause that all Hamilton needs to whip all their asses.

 

Because they seriously thought the transporters could not make it from Portugal to Imola in just two days. Not sure why other back to back events didn't have these issues. The teams have two or three paddock setups moving around the world in a normal year anyway. Some are freighted and others are driven.

We use to have to go from Barber to Fontana back to back, and then have a week off from Fontana to the round at Laguna. How did that make scheduling sense?

 

Huh? It's like traveling from Michigan to Florida. If 80 year old snow birds can do that in 2.5 days a professional lorry driver should be able to in 2 days.

 

Well unlike the US, that distance means driving across like 3 other countries (Portugal > Spain > France > Italy), and with Covid, I'm sure the borders are slower getting through.

 

Plus errybody knows them foreners don't drive as good as us.

 

Unless you're a top talent at a manufacturer team, it's really a money game.

Kimi probably is the only reason anybody cares about Sauber, while I'm betting Alfa put in their sponsorship contract that AG (or some other Italian) was at the wheel. Hell, even Kubica was able to elbow his way into a test drive seat at Sauber w/ his Polish oil money.

 

It's on right now...

 

You are probably just joking (?), but my experience is 180 degrees opposite (England, Portugal, Spain, Botswana, Croatia, Australia). It's so obvious it takes 5 minutes to be glaring.

 

Lol George Russell

 

I am at the point now where I want Russell to have a Hulkenberg like streak for not scoring a point.

 

Bottas has this stupid habit of pulling out to fake a pass, being far too far back to actually do anything, then being off line for the next corner and losing several car lengths. Did it again two corners after the restart today.

 

I know Hamilton is a great driver, but he sure has luck on his side quite often.

 

I really enjoyed that. Welcome back, Imola!