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.
“What do I have to lose? That I’m bad in NASCAR racing? I don’t care.” Kimi Raikkonen is a F1 World Champion driver with nothing to prove. Despite that, the 42-year-old is venturing way out to make his first-career NASCAR Cup Series start. He’s elected for an unfamiliar path, similar […]
Love Kimi.
One of the best moments in F1 ever!
“Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing”
Squat ta Piss UroWeenies !
Interesting...
Was the road testing development of the Corvette done at Rattlesnake racetrack
in Midland Texas ?
I was told that by Jim Hall Jr. Who salvaged a Chopped up chassis.
100% classic Iceman...
not sure where development was done, but, i would NOT be surprised if Hall did just that...
““Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing””
Mrs. BBB333 gave me a T-shirt with that phrase — attributed to Kimi — once.
What a character!
Give her a ^5 from me, that’s great!
F1 is back this Sunday, and here’s what you can expect to see during the longest season in F1 history.
BY AARON COLE | PUBLISHED MAR 2, 2023 7:00 PM
There are only a few certainties in a Formula 1 season: It will rain at Spa, Christian Horner will complain, and Monaco will be simultaneously the most glamorous and most boring race on the dockets. Those are constants. For all the other variables, it’s why they race.
The 2023 F1 calendar has 23 entries to figure it all out, the longest season in F1 history. This weekend’s opener in Bahrain is bookended by the finale in Abu Dhabi and there are lots, and lots, and lots, of miles in between. Let’s go:
The Best
Red Bull
Of course, we’re not hugely surprised about Red Bull’s apparent dominance this year—even after a slap on the wrist in wind tunnel testing for overspending. Despite winning back-to-back championships, Max Verstappen’s reign as the top dog still feels pyrrhic; the first came on a controversial last-race call, and the second came in a year the team was charged with cheating. Can Max convince all his skeptics that he’s the best driver on the grid, not just an opportunist? (Eds note: Probably not.)
Perhaps a bigger question is how Sergio Perez fits into his role with the team. In theory, both Red Bull drivers will start the season on even ground, although the car is undeniably suited for Max. Checo’s shown panache at times to assert his rightful place as a top-tier driver, but in equal turns he’s deferred to team orders when it suited Max’s agenda. Between the two, it should be possible for Red Bull to achieve something that’s never been done before in an F1 season: a complete lockout. That is, unless the two turn against each other.
Ferrari
The Scuderia’s in a weird spot this year. With Mattia Binotto gone at the top and Fred Vasseur taking the reins, the focus this year is less on the drivers and more on management. That’s a pretty boring storyline, to be honest, but Ferrari could use a break from finding new ways to lose races. Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz are reportedly on the same footing without a named No. 1 driver, although that’s not likely to last if Ferrari can legitimately compete for the top podium spot.
Sainz is in a win-more-or-go-home point in his career, and he could redirect his legacy from “frontrunner” to “front” with another win after the first of his career last year at the British Grand Prix. LeClerc isn’t quite in the same spot, but growing tensions last year with team management could spill over this year if Ferrari can't get out of its own way.
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton’s legacy is largely already written, but the rest of his career could be contingent on how this year shakes out. Hamilton has signaled his interest in continuing to race, although it’s an open question for long he’ll continue in an F1 car—and a Mercedes one at that. Hamilton’s contract reportedly hangs on the idea that Mercedes can field a competitive car this year and from early season tests, it doesn’t appear that Mercedes will be fighting for podiums in the first few races. If Hamilton’s contract isn’t settled by the summer break, the silly season could find a high gear between teams looking to hire the legendary driver.
George Russell’s ascent at Mercedes could help Hamilton make up his mind, too. As Mercedes ponders life after Lewis, Russell could be the team’s top concern going forward and they may need to find ways to secure his future long-term with the team. Russell is confirmed to drive for Mercedes through 2024, and his performance this year in an off-contract year could show the Brackley team where to build going forward.
The Rest
Aston Martin
Lance Stroll’s quick return after an injury isn’t the most surprising news from Bahrain, Aston Martin’s pace is. The team has been derided before for bringing out copycat cars—even dating back to the prior ownership group—but this year’s car appears to have the outright speed that could keep it competitive on tracks with long straights: Monza and Azerbaijan, places where Stroll has earned podium finishes before. The Fernando Alonso love-in may not last for long, especially if he’s forced to give up pace for his teammate. Fernando does Fernando best.
Alpine
Alpine’s lineup of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon is its own storyline: the two reportedly were good friends before on-track spats split the two. But its management of reserve driver Oscar Piastri and their on-then-off relationship is a cloud hanging over the team. Piastri is reportedly the next Max Verstappen—whatever that means—and some pundits have said Alpine’s misdealing with the Australian driver will go down as one of the biggest recent blunders in F1.
McLaren
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have their work cut out for them. Their cars were no doubt disappointing during preseason testing, and it's unclear which driver will be their top priority. Norris has been the team’s focus for a while now, and aside from a third-place finish in the constructor’s championship in 2020, the team has averaged a finish in the bottom half of the grid for the past decade. Piastri’s promise and potential are huge, but how he fits in with McLaren isn’t immediately apparent.
Haas
Kevin Magnussen’s Cinderella season back in F1 is done and the only American team on the grid has a long walk to take to get back into the promise they once showed as a new team. Mick Schumacher’s gone, and if Drive to Survive is believable, team boss Guenther Steiner couldn’t be happier. Nico Hulkenberg doesn’t feel like a long-term fit for the team, but the 11-year F1 vet driver could offer some predictability that Schumacher couldn’t. There’s no indication the Haas will fight for anything more than a mid-pack finish this year again, although like the team’s first pole last year: anything can happen when it gets wet.
Honorable mention
Without Vasseur at the helm, Alfa Romeo’s early pace is promising but the car is perpetually struggling with technical issues. Will Valtteri Bottas' mustache get any creepier this year? Will their new team boss Andreas Seidl tame those this year for his team? Or is he looking forward to Audi’s integration into the team in the coming years? Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant is the only full-time American racing on the grid this year but his campaign is reminiscent of the last time an American raced in F1: Alexander Rossi’s tenure behind the wheel of an F1 car in the back runners wasn’t much to cheer about. Nyck de Vries isn’t a rookie by any means for AlphaTauri—his debut F1 race was last year with Williams at Monza—but it’ll take veteran patience to deal with a team that has raw pace to compete in the midfield, but not much more.
This will be fun to watch:
“...Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant is the only full-time American racing on the grid this year...”
Bloody Mary’s Sunday morning!
Lewis Hamilton is given a medical exemption by F1 chiefs that means he CAN wear his two nose studs while driving... because of ‘concerns about disfigurement’ if he was to repeatedly take it out
Formula One stewards have exempted Lewis Hamilton from a jewellery ban
They accepted he risked disfigurement if his nose piercings were removed
let’s go...
I’ve been going thru F1 withdrawal since last Fall; now, I’ll be “better” on Sunday. Plus, IMSA and IndyCars are back, too.
let’s roll...
LET’S DO THAT!
23 races (3 in America). Might be an exciting year.
welcome... 100%
Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc has opted to replace his current energy store in his power unit with a new one for the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP. With this change, the Ferrari driver has used up half of his allocation of energy stores for the year. Leclerc will not be incurring a penalty for the change.
The power unit is made up of six components: Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Turbo, MGU-K, MGU-H, Control Electronics, and Energy Store. Each driver is allowed to take two new energy store components throughout the season.
Chris Medland
Chris Medland
@ChrisMedlandF1
Leclerc has taken a new energy store under parc ferme regulations ahead of the race. No penalty, but each driver is only allowed two for the whole season #F1 #BahrainGP
2300
110
With the change coming before the first race of the season, Ferrari has clearly suffered a major setback. If the car suffers an issue in the following races, the team won’t have enough replacements without incurring penalties.
Charles Leclerc starts the Bahrain GP in the second row, qualifying behind the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The Monagasque did not expect to be in the fight for the pole and a strategic decision put his Ferrari out of Q3 early. The lap time he had set earlier was enough to take third in the session.
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