2018 F1 News Thread

FLRacingFan said:
The day has finally come...Fernando retires from F1.

McLaren confirms Fernando Alonso decision
Fernando will not race in Formula 1 in 2019
https://www.mclaren.com/formula1/team/fernando-alonso/mclaren-confirms-fernando-alonso-decision/
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Alonso hasn't been on an F1 podium since 2014 and I don't think he would have been able to get back up there with McLaren. Since he didn't get that RedBull seat, retiring from F1 was probably the smartest desicion he could make.
I hope he'll be back in IndyCar in 2019, his motorsports career is far from finished.
 
He's not going to Indycar. A few months ago he said the Indycar schedule doesn't appeal to him.
 
donthaveanickname said:
Good bye Vandoorne!
Won't say "Good bye Kimi" yet, he could still drive for Sauber, even though it seems unlikely.

Norris will be fun to watch. Can't wait to see him in the McLaren!
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I don't think Norris will even help. McLaren is a total mess and like Magnussen and Perez, Vandoorne is the scape goat. I guess the Ron Dennis tradition continues.

I like George Russell more tbh from Merc.
 
I gotta agree with Bob Pockrass on this. I realize there are many countervailing issues in building a schedule, but I believe F1 has stepped in a cow pie yet again...

The Formula 1 draft 2019 schedule was released Friday, and the race at Austin in 2019 is scheduled for the same weekend NASCAR is scheduled to race in Fort Worth. Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage: “Shame on Formula One for doing this to the fans. Fans have recognized this as the NASCAR date on this weekend since its inception long before Circuit of the Americas was built. I would think a lot of fans – myself included – would enjoy going to both races. Now Formula 1 is making fans choose only one. Yet another bad call by Formula 1 showing their infamous indifference toward the fans.”


i

Bob Pockrass
 
It appears that COTA Chairman Bobby Epstein is quite reasonable about this. He states that COTA itself would prefer an October date that is not in conflict with the Texas NASCAR race, and that the specific date they get is out of their hands. F1 has larger considerations to manage. Since the schedule released is a preliminary draft, perhaps the U.S. and Mexican GP dates will be swapped back.

Having said that, generally when a scheduling conflict like this arises, it is the more...vulnerable of the two events that complains loudest. I'm a little surprised that TMS is more threatened and upset about this than COTA.

https://www.mystatesman.com/sports/...-collides-with-nascar/VlvrEHFjeU8YZ3HctPu2wN/
 
After winning all three races at the Nürburgring this weekend, Mick Schumacher is now 2nd in the European F3 Championship, 3 points behind Ticktum.
I'd not be surprised to see him in F1 by 2020 or 2021. He seems to have it all: talent, a famous name, and he is still supported by his dad's former sponsors.
 
Meanwhile Ocon is going to be out of F1 come next year.

Cmon Williams, sign the man and team him up with Sirotkin.
 
Frankly, I'm shocked to hear that Raikkonen will drive the Sauber. I wonder if Ferrari has put him there. Ferrari has the right to designate one Sauber driver, IIRC. The new Ferrari CEO is said to be very close to Kimi. I wonder if that would include paying a fat paycheck...?
 
Renault says 'slave teams' a "real problem" for F1

Formula 1 will face a "real problem" of only having a couple of manufacturers ever able to win races if the sport does not act fast to stop the use of 'slave teams', says Renault technical chief Nick Chester.
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Gee, ya think? There is so much about the structure of F1 that needs fixing or improving, this seems like the tip of the iceberg. If Liberty management can find a way to expand the number of truly competitive entries, that would be quite an accomplishment given the interests working against it.
By Jonathan Noble

Moves towards a budget cap in F1 from 2021 have led to concerns that one way for the bigger outfits to get around their spending restrictions will be to collaborate with smaller teams.


It would help the manufacturer ensure that its performance could progress with the spending being done by the smaller outfit.

The FIA has already promised to act on the matter, and Chester is clear that the situation needs to be taken very seriously if F1 is to maintain a competitive field.

"I think it is a real problem if that model continues into budget cap," said Chester, when asked by Motorsport.com for his views on team collaboration. "I cannot see how a team can fight at the front without having one or two satellite teams.

"I think it is something really important that the FIA and F1 need to look at. If that model cannot be effectively got rid of, it will be a big problem and you will end up where, if you want to win, you have to be a manufacturer with two satellite teams or you don't think about winning. So, I think it has a lot of implications going forward."

F1 race director Charlie Whiting said over the Italian GP that the FIA had been alerted about the fears of servant teams, and would be looking into what can be done.

"It's something that we should be concerned about, and it's something we will be discussing," said Whiting. "The [Haas/Ferrari] relationship started it.

"We knew exactly how that was possible in the beginning, and there was a loophole in the beginning which has been closed to new entrants, which is what [Haas] were able to do, a lot more work than a current team, before they were established as a proper entrant.

"But the sort of things we're hearing about are alliances between existing teams. I think that needs to be looked at very carefully."

Chester believes that one way to act would be to increase the number of parts that teams have to produce themselves so cannot be shared – or make more components standard.

"We either need to reverse out of some of the non-listed parts, so there is less part sharing, or if there is going to be part sharing then they need to be standardised," he said.

"Otherwise there are just too many benefits to the satellite team model, which just makes it unattractive for anyone not operating that model."

Asked about what would happen if action was not taken, Chester replied: "I think it is bad news because ideally you want a lot of teams that can win.

"You want the manufacturers, you want some very good independents, and if you have this model where teams can collaborate, there is no point in being an independent any more. It kills that chance of having a good independent team.

"None of the satellites will ever make it to the front either, so you will just end up with three teams at the top."
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Reck said:
I'm surprise Kimi is going to not outright retire and instead decided to make laps on unrealible cars.
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I'm kinda shocked he's actually going to Sauber. I didn't think he had the motivation to run at the back of the field in his age.
However, a driver with that much experience can only be good for Sauber. I really hope he gets to win another race with Ferrari before the end of the season.
 
gnomesayin said:

Gee, ya think? There is so much about the structure of F1 that needs fixing or improving, this seems like the tip of the iceberg. If Liberty management can find a way to expand the number of truly competitive entries, that would be quite an accomplishment given the interests working against it.
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yeah, merc and ferrari owning a third of the field each doesnt hurt competition at all /s
 
Kiante said:
Meanwhile Ocon is going to be out of F1 come next year.

Cmon Williams, sign the man and team him up with Sirotkin.
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This is nuts to me. With them pulling out of DTM as well the competition for FE seats is going to be fierce...and at the end of the day, it's FE anyways. Not sure what Mercedes may have for him outside of factory GT3 drives? Stash him i Super Formula or something? There's too much talent not able to compete in F1 right now.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This is nuts to me. With them pulling out of DTM as well the competition for FE seats is going to be fierce...and at the end of the day, it's FE anyways. Not sure what Mercedes may have for him outside of factory GT3 drives? Stash him i Super Formula or something? There's too much talent not able to compete in F1 right now.
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LOL this guy. I was about to pour one for my homie soon. Glad to see you around, son.
 
donthaveanickname said:
After winning all three races at the Nürburgring this weekend, Mick Schumacher is now 2nd in the European F3 Championship, 3 points behind Ticktum.
I'd not be surprised to see him in F1 by 2020 or 2021. He seems to have it all: talent, a famous name, and he is still supported by his dad's former sponsors.
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After two more wins and a 2nd-place-finish at the Red Bull Ring, Schumacher is now leading the championship with 49 points ahead of Ticktum with 3 races to go.
With the comments Arrivabene made about him, I could see him end up in a Ferrari once Vettel retires.
 
Mick Schumacher wins the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with a 2nd-place-finish in the second race at Hockenheim.

George Russell will make his F1 début driving for Williams in 2019.
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11523470/george-russell-joins-williams-for-formula-1-2019

So far 16 out of 20 drivers are confirmed for 2019.
Mercedes:
44 - Lewis Hamilton
77 - Valtteri Bottas

Ferrari:
5 - Sebastian Vettel
16 - Charles Leclerc

Red Bull:
10 - Pierre Gasly
33 - Max Verstappen

Renault:
3 - Daniel Ricciardo
27 - Nico Hülkenberg

Haas:
8 - Romain Grosjean
20 - Kevin Magnussen

McLaren:
? - Lando Norris
55 - Carlos Sainz, Jr.

Force India:
? (most likely Stroll)
? (most likely Perez)

Toro Rosso:
26 - Daniil Kvyat
?

Sauber:
7 - Kimi Räikkönen
? - Antonio Giovinazzi

Williams:
? - George Russell
?​
 
I'm sorry, but the Austin COTA track bores me to tears. I wish I could change my opinion
but the good racing I have viewed since the track opened is in the 15 percentile range.
The other 85% has been a loud boring parade. I think the drivers just like getting in
a rhythm with lots of room between them and enjoy the drive so I am sure they like it.
 
Hey, at least you now know that Stern doesn't just find negative stuff to post regarding NASCAR, right? :D

While I believe F1 would benefit from more competitive balance through the field, and it is my personal preference, I like this response. Many observers automatically assume that 'parity' is good for business without actually bothering to investigate if evidence supports that. Whatever period can be said to be F1's golden age, I guarantee you there was one dominant driver and one dominant team, with fleeting glimpses of two dominant ones overlapping briefly.

 
What is wrong with these people. If Formula One keeps making choices like this, people will be begging Bernie to come back. Another Tilke track? they have too many of them already. Another street course? Do they want to turn F1 into indy car? Hanoi is a destination for excitement? What kind of excitement are they looking for? This track is supposed to create more wheel to wheel competition? They better look into making the cars more competitive first. I see this as a cash grab, because everything I see in this has disaster written all over it.
 
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