Posted on 08/05/2009 7:57:45 PM PDT by Chode
This will be a general purpose thread for F1 news and pings that really don't require a thread of their own.
“...Hamilton has been outshone by Leclerc since the high of his first Sprint win as a Ferrari driver. The Monegasque outqualified him by four places and held onto his position during the race.
“The result is that Hamilton remains below Williams driver Alex Albon in the championship ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. While his disqualification in China has contributed, he’s only averaging five points per weekend so far.
“Ferrari and Hamilton looked like the class of the field in the Sprint sessions in Shanghai, but otherwise, they’ve often seemed to be the fourth-fastest team. How can the performance swing so significantly?
Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car has a small working window – just like last year’s Mercedes
“According to Bild, ‘the Ferrari is not a bad car’, but ‘the working window is too small’. That means the car is only a contender within narrow parameters – be it set-up, temperature or track conditions.
“Hamilton ‘doesn’t like that at all’, having been plagued by a similar issue at Mercedes in 2024. Speaking to Autosport last summer, he described the W15 as ‘peaky’....”
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ferrari-have-now-discovered-the-same-car-problem-that-plagued-lewis-hamilton-at-mercedes-in-2024/
https://www.bild.de/sport/mehr-sport/ferrari-lewis-hamilton-ergeht-es-wie-michael-schumacher-67f3a11134eeb05559beb06f
Not only was his less-experienced teammate faster than him last year (and still is this year), his new less-experienced teammate is also faster than him. So how is that the car’s fault?
What an absolute putz he will look if Leclerc and Russell both finish higher than he in the 2025 WDC.
But hey, them sneakers are selling like hotcakes.
There was only one (competitive) among the top 10 starters at Japan. Which some thought made it a boring race.
Which prompted Jezza Clarkson to remark that F1 should abandon the tracks at which there is little to no overtaking.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/jeremy-clarkson-on-how-to-fix-f1-ditch-tracks-where-passing-is-hard
Which seems to be a fabulous idea, except the only tracks built in about the last 25 years were Hermann Tilke designs, and those are the worst of the lot for overtaking. I’m guessing he made the most lucrative kickback deal with (multi-billionaire) Ecclestone, because once he hired Tilke, he used him exclusively the rest of his tenure as El Supremo, despite the absolute dearth of overtaking on Tilke circuits.
The article concludes, “While it was an honest (and logical) remark from Clarkson, we’ll have to add this one to the “Never Gonna Happen” pile.”
Roger #3?
I love all those guys.
100%
McLaren will chase overall victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time in nearly 30 years as part of a World Endurance Championship campaign in 2027.
In a brief statement on Thursday, the British sportscar manufacturer confirmed an attempt to reprise the Le Mans win with the McLaren F1 GTR 30 years ago.
Update on Felipe Massa’s lawsuit against F1:
thx...
Granted the courts in formerly great Britain now appear to have been were scripted by Rod Serling but I can’t imagine the scenario under which they would strip a knight of the realm of his WDC and gift it to a Brazilian.
Yeppers
I really need to get off my ass and go visit the shop.
F1 track that cost £540m was abandoned before staging a Grand Prix and is now completely overgrown
"...Back in 2020, F1 was meant to be held in Hanoi, [North] Vietnam, with the permanent section of the Hanoi Circuit completed in February with the race scheduled to be held on April 5.
The Hanoi Circuit spanned 5.613 kilometres and featured a mix of public roads and a purpose-built section, which would have been opened to the public. There were 23 turns in total and it also had one of the longest straights on the F1 calendar.
Initially, it was suggested the track cost around $600 million (£540 million) to build, with the renowned Herman Tilke responsible for the design....
This was an even more idiotic decision than the Buddh circuit outside of New Delhi (also a Tilke design).
Sorry, I’ve lost track of the source but I read an online F1 site claiming that the key to McLaren’s speed was the ability to control rear tire temperatures.
For the timebeing, McLaren’s secret is safe and no one yet knows how they’re doing it but the data shows they’re getting longer life out of the rears despite accelerating harder out of the corners by somehow keeping them cool.
Sort of like when Red Bull was blowing exhaust on the rears on the start grid to keep them warm while the slow cars formed up for the start, only in reverse.
Found the reference for the above post.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mclaren-2025-f1-car-advantage-theories/
Thanks
You always post some great info.
Happy Easter!
Max Verstappen 'to take year off from Formula One' as Red Bull star delivers baby update
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen could be set to take a year away from the sport to look after his new baby.
The Dutch driver and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together on May 6.
Verstappen announced the pregnancy last December, with Piquet, daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, set to give birth after the Miami Grand Prix.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen could be set to take a year away from the sport to look after his new baby.
The Dutch driver and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together on May 6.
Verstappen announced the pregnancy last December, with Piquet, daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, set to give birth after the Miami Grand Prix.
This timing would allow Verstappen to be present for the birth before returning for the Imola race scheduled for May 16-18.
An unnamed F1 driver has suggested Verstappen's most likely move could be taking a year off from the sport.
Speculation about Verstappen's future beyond Red Bull has been constant, with Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko recently fuelling rumours.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen could be set to take a year away from the sport to look after his new baby.
The Dutch driver and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together on May 6.
Verstappen announced the pregnancy last December, with Piquet, daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, set to give birth after the Miami Grand Prix.
This timing would allow Verstappen to be present for the birth before returning for the Imola race scheduled for May 16-18.
An unnamed F1 driver has suggested Verstappen's most likely move could be taking a year off from the sport.
Speculation about Verstappen's future beyond Red Bull has been constant, with Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko recently fuelling rumours.
Marko stated last weekend that the concern about the Dutchman leaving was "great".
The 2026 regulation changes have created uncertainty about which teams will dominate Formula 1 next season.
Mercedes and Aston Martin have been mentioned as possible destinations for Verstappen should he leave Red Bull.
The four-time world champion is currently under contract with Red Bull until 2028.
However, his deal reportedly includes an exit clause that could allow him to move elsewhere.
Verstappen currently sits third in the driver's standings, five points behind Oscar Piastri and three below championship leader Lando Norris.
While Mercedes has been mentioned as a potential destination, Williams team boss James Vowles believes Verstappen wouldn't be a good fit there.
Vowles, who joined Williams from Mercedes in 2023 after more than two decades as an engineer at the team, shared his candid assessment.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen could be set to take a year away from the sport to look after his new baby.
The Dutch driver and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together on May 6.
Verstappen announced the pregnancy last December, with Piquet, daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, set to give birth after the Miami Grand Prix.
This timing would allow Verstappen to be present for the birth before returning for the Imola race scheduled for May 16-18.
An unnamed F1 driver has suggested Verstappen's most likely move could be taking a year off from the sport.
Speculation about Verstappen's future beyond Red Bull has been constant, with Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko recently fuelling rumours.
Marko stated last weekend that the concern about the Dutchman leaving was "great".
The 2026 regulation changes have created uncertainty about which teams will dominate Formula 1 next season.
Mercedes and Aston Martin have been mentioned as possible destinations for Verstappen should he leave Red Bull.
The four-time world champion is currently under contract with Red Bull until 2028.
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However, his deal reportedly includes an exit clause that could allow him to move elsewhere.
Verstappen currently sits third in the driver's standings, five points behind Oscar Piastri and three below championship leader Lando Norris.
While Mercedes has been mentioned as a potential destination, Williams team boss James Vowles believes Verstappen wouldn't be a good fit there.
Vowles, who joined Williams from Mercedes in 2023 after more than two decades as an engineer at the team, shared his candid assessment.
"Can you add a tiny bit more performance? Yes, I think there is more performance to be added through Max," Vowles said.
"I don't think anyone in the room would deny that he is extraordinary in what he can do. [Verstappen's performance in] Japan was, for me, jaw-dropping. Well done to him."
"But he comes with a lot of downsides as well that you have to acknowledge."
Vowles suggested Mercedes would be better off keeping its current line-up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
It bears mention that this comes from a conservative (by British standards) news aggregator, not from a trashy tabloid.
i will be soooooo happy when the poofter is gone for good...
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