F1 2022 News/Misc.

Left field, if true this is huge:

I think this is a perfect fit and much better for the sport than Porsche simply replacing Honda. Dorilton Capital make a bunch of money and a backmarker becomes a factory outfit, like Audi and Sauber. The overall strength of the grid improves significantly, and if there is any truth to the Ford and Hyundai rumors as well, look out.
 
Thankfully this mess is settled. I'm sure a lot of people are going to be disappointed it wasn't a bigger penalty, but I'm just glad 2021 is finally over.

 
WCC already works at 70% maximum wind tunnel time/CFD usage using the new development parity scale, so with a 10% reduction they’ll be working at 63% for most of the next year.

Seems like a pretty fair punishment to me, all things considered. I’m sure the beans on toast gang are still livid but it’s time to move on.
 


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So they are essentially BOPing the field using CDF and wind tunnel time?
It’s one of the cost-cutting/parity measures they introduced with the budget cap last year.

It’s an interesting concept but hardly a guarantee of parity. Williams can operate at 115% in wind tunnel time and CFD runs but you still need quality personnel to design and interpret and re-design stuff.
 
It’s an interesting concept but hardly a guarantee of parity.
I think the fairest thing is always to have the same rules for everyone.

Giving a team more test time because they got poor results is pretty much the same thing as a BOP. It's just a different way of doing it.
Williams can operate at 115% in wind tunnel time and CFD runs but you still need quality personnel to design and interpret and re-design stuff.
Williams is in better shape than we might think. They probably have more scope to improve than any team on the grid. For one, they are not scraping nickels together anymore. The team was broke, and it takes time to come back from that, especially now when cost caps restrict what you can spend. 15% more tunnel time will be useful, but they have a Merc, Albon and one as yet unnamed superstar. There is no reason they can't put something together a good midfield effort for next year.

I forgot who wrote it, but someone mentioned Willaims would be a step up from Hass for Mick. Williams is going to get better and Haas probably won't, or at least that's the conventional thinking. It would make a great story to have Mick do well in a resurgent Williams team. Out of everyone in F1, those two are on the bottom right now. It would make a great Rocky story.
 
I think the fairest thing is always to have the same rules for everyone.

Giving a team more test time because they got poor results is pretty much the same thing as a BOP. It's just a different way of doing it.

Williams is in better shape than we might think. They probably have more scope to improve than any team on the grid. For one, they are not scraping nickels together anymore. The team was broke, and it takes time to come back from that, especially now when cost caps restrict what you can spend. 15% more tunnel time will be useful, but they have a Merc, Albon and one as yet unnamed superstar. There is no reason they can't put something together a good midfield effort for next year.

I forgot who wrote it, but someone mentioned Willaims would be a step up from Hass for Mick. Williams is going to get better and Haas probably won't, or at least that's the conventional thinking. It would make a great story to have Mick do well in a resurgent Williams team. Out of everyone in F1, those two are on the bottom right now. It would make a great Rocky story.
Well, these are the rules everyone has agreed to for the time being. Every other sport has rules for parity like draft picks in reverse order of success, so it’s kinda like that. Ultimately it’s still up to the teams to make efficient use of the time and simulations allotted to them. Having someone like Adrian Newey at the head of your development team is still going to be a decisive advantage. If it tightens up the grid over time, the sport will be better off for it.

Logan Sargeant is going to be the second Williams driver next year so long as he doesn’t have a total meltdown in the F2 finale weekend at Abu Dhabi and finishes high enough up in the championship. On the off chance that he doesn’t, perhaps Mick will be the best option then.
 
I think it would be a mistake to let Mick leave F1. If he gets the boot he might want to try to get back in with Ferrari and maybe get into their Hypersled program.
 
Both Haas and Sauber should be operating at or near the budget cap next season. Great news.

 
Haas gets a shot in the arm for next 3 years.
Moneygram on board for 20 mil / year.
P5 here we come!
 
Not sure what to think about this. Great to have Nico back. Sorry to see Mick go.

Nico is a sure set of expereinced hands, something that Gunther has been very vocal about. Hulk is not an inspiring choice, but he gets the job done with what he has. He has beaten multiple drivers on the grid on merit (Sainz and Perez), so he isn't a slouch.

Mick will be fine, if Merc signs him on as a test driver, I think it will be a more favorable situation. Once he left the FDA, Gunther and Ferrari both lost interest. Haas was not a good place, I think Merc will nurture him a lot more than now.
 
Nico is a sure set of expereinced hands, something that Gunther has been very vocal about. Hulk is not an inspiring choice, but he gets the job done with what he has. He has beaten multiple drivers on the grid on merit (Sainz and Perez), so he isn't a slouch.
It's just the Haas ride. Nico could have just moved on the sportscars and maybe had a shot at winning something. Porsche would have probably loved to have him, but now he's going to be driving a boat anchor.

Mick will be fine, if Merc signs him on as a test driver, I think it will be a more favorable situation.
I had not heard the merc rumors, but if it were your team, would you go that way, or maybe try to scoop up Ricciardo?

Once he left the FDA, Gunther and Ferrari both lost interest.
That one did not make sense to me. I'de hang in there and hope that would b my way to the Ferrari LMH program if he could not stay in F1.
Haas was not a good place, I think Merc will nurture him a lot more than now.
Hass had essentially a full year's head start on the entire field because they did nothing to update their 2021 car. All the effort went into the 22 car and it still wasn't that great. Mick is probably better off going somewhere else.
 
Nico isn’t a sexy hire but he’s proven to be a capable midfield driver and points getter, which is what Haas need if they’re to take a step next year with more funding. Veteran experience as far as development should be a help as well.

It’s unfortunate to see Mick lose a seat but Mercedes will be a tremendous place for him to learn if that comes to fruition. I hope this isn’t the end of him in a full-time F1 seat.
 
I had not heard the merc rumors, but if it were your team, would you go that way, or maybe try to scoop up Ricciardo?


That one did not make sense to me. I'de hang in there and hope that would b my way to the Ferrari LMH program if he could not stay in F1.

Hass had essentially a full year's head start on the entire field because they did nothing to update their 2021 car. All the effort went into the 22 car and it still wasn't that great. Mick is probably better off going somewhere else.
Ricciardo is rumored to be headed back to Red Bull as reserve, Mick to Mercedes to replace De Vries.

Mick and Ferrari splitting seemed like a product of up or out, they no longer have real influence on a Haas or Alfa Romeo seat and Steiner was fed up, nowhere else for Mick to be placed really. Ferrari have a couple of studs moving up to F2 and F3 in 2023 and one of them may be the next teenaged F1 driver.

Haas couldn’t spend up to the budget cap this year and failed to keep up in the development war but they insist the new sponsorship will change that next season, so let’s hope it’s the case. They started out strong this season but couldn’t hang with the updates.
 
It's just the Haas ride. Nico could have just moved on the sportscars and maybe had a shot at winning something. Porsche would have probably loved to have him, but now he's going to be driving a boat anchor.


I had not heard the merc rumors, but if it were your team, would you go that way, or maybe try to scoop up Ricciardo?


That one did not make sense to me. I'de hang in there and hope that would b my way to the Ferrari LMH program if he could not stay in F1.

Hass had essentially a full year's head start on the entire field because they did nothing to update their 2021 car. All the effort went into the 22 car and it still wasn't that great. Mick is probably better off going somewhere else.
You have to consider the salary these guys and gals get in F1 is pretty substantial. Nico has a family, so I understand why. Make 2 or 3 million euros a in a year for a mid-field ride is a win for the wallet.

Mick has not officially stated it, but he did leave the FDA. Also, Ricciardo mentioned that he did not want to drive for Haas, so that was out of range. @FLRacingFan mentioned everything above is on point. Take the risk and be a Merc reserve for now to be a sub and prep for '24. Maybe right himself for Audi in '26?
 
Nico isn’t a sexy hire but he’s proven to be a capable midfield driver and points getter, which is what Haas need if they’re to take a step next year with more funding. Veteran experience as far as development should be a help as well.
This is a good move for Haas, but is it a good move for Herc? I'de be very surprised if Haas improves at all. I know the new funding will help, but they had a year head start on everyone this year and couldn't do much with t.

It’s unfortunate to see Mick lose a seat but Mercedes will be a tremendous place for him to learn if that comes to fruition. I hope this isn’t the end of him in a full-time F1 seat.
If he ends up at Mercedes, that will be win for him and the team. They want at least one German in the team and Nico retiring at the last second put them in a bind. The best they could get was Botas, who did rather well, but you can bet they would have rather had a German.
 
Ricciardo is rumored to be headed back to Red Bull as reserve, Mick to Mercedes to replace De Vries.
Sorry I missed this part.

Going back to Red Bull might seem like a good move for him, but I doubt he will push either of the current drivers out of their seat. I don't think it's a good way to get back on the grid because there is nowhere to go in this team. It's just a paycheck until something competitive opens up.

Conversely, he would be in the paddock every week and if there is an opportunity, provided Merc will let him take it, Danny will be on the premises with his gear. Also, being there is one way to avoid being forgotten.

Danny seems too good natured to be in F1 with all the teammate squabbles and backstabbing. He would be perfect for Indycar. He just needs to get over the oval thing.
 
Not sure what to think about this. Great to have Nico back. Sorry to see Mick go.

It's a head-scratcher for sure. Mick wasn't consistent but he did have some good runs. Mick is a young driver with a lot of potential while Hülkenberg is gonna be one of the oldest guys in the field who hasn't raced regularly for 3 years and will be looking to become the first driver in F1 history to start 200 races without ever finishing on the podium.
Ralf has been quite vocal about his views on this move.

At least we've seen an interesting Silly Season.
 
In the event that one of the teams needs a driver would they actually put Lawson in? I kinda have my doubts, but he looked very good in FP1 today. To start off next season Ricciardo will effectively be the #4 at Red Bull.

 
"So I guess Ricciardo will mainly be used for show runs and other marketing stuff"
The ultimate demotion :p not a big fan of this guy, but if I was him, I would pack my bag and head for the USA
 
"So I guess Ricciardo will mainly be used for show runs and other marketing stuff"
The ultimate demotion :p not a big fan of this guy, but if I was him, I would pack my bag and head for the USA
Being paid to be the Red Bull F1 marketing guy that does donuts on the Vegas Strip probably rocks but it also kinda shows he just wants to be associated with F1 and isn’t really that interested in being a genuine racer. It probably pays well and he gets to have fun doing random stuff. There’s just a different between him and the Alonso types that take a sabbatical to go race different things.
 
As far as having lots of battles for the lead and lots of different winners, this year was sort of disappointing, but there were so many fierce battles up and down the field that it was still a fun season.

I don't think anyone liked the way 2021 went down, but no one is talking about it anymore because Max answered his critics with a smashmouth kind of performance all year long. There is absolutely no doubt who the rightful champion is. My problem with Max disappeared as soon as it became apparent, he was done using dirty tricks. He may have had the best car, but he won straight up, and you have to respect that.

And, like I may have mentioned before, the best Lewis Hamilton is the one with his back against the wall, and that's what we saw almost all year. He had a few miserable races in Imola and Baku, but for the most part he and George got everything they could out of the Mercedes sled.

I can't remember a year where so many good drivers have left the series or been forced out. Losing Vettel will be a gut punch, but it's probably better than seeing him spend another year in a no-hope ride. Ricciardo just needs to get out and do something else for a year, then maybe try to come back. Mick may be out of F1 for now, but made a slick move on Mags and made it stick, so he's not leaving without showing he still belongs.

Overall, the competition for wins was disappointing, but we have been through this so many times a lot of us have just learned to appreciate the greatness we are seeing. At least the midfield battles were cracking, and the cars looked amazing, so it was still a good year.

The thing with track limits has reduced race control to being mere referees who mark who is and isn't out of bounds. It was not all that long ago if you violated track limits you were either in the lobby of a hotel or the trees. I'm not saying we need a more dangerous sport but imagine the guys who would still be with us if they had raced with the cars and circuits we have today.

The tire game and DRS remain fake and phony, and both need to be rethought. I believe they have learned enough this year to make the next generation of cars disturb even less air to the car behind, and I believe they need to work on that. DRS is just fake and phony, but it may be a necessary evil.

The tire thing though, may be impossible to fix. The way it is now, the entire telecast is devoted to who stopped when and how many laps they can run without degging off the cliff. It's all tires, tires, tires all the time on every lap. It used to be race, race, race, but that was back when the tire companies were allowed to make the best tire they could and not worry about having them fall apart at an artificial predetermined rate.

What does Pirelli get out of it? They get two full hours of "the tires were finished after one lap," or "the tires would not switch on," or even "we could not get the tires to work in the right window." Man, after watching the petite Lemans and hearing every driver on the grid talk about how much grip they had for three stints on their Michelins, or how well the tire performed in the wet, I know what kind of tires I am putting on the wife's cars when she wears out her current Michelins. I mean, maybe I am looking at this the wrong way, but can you ever remember any driver on the F1 grid talking about how great the Pirellis were? Yeah, me neither.

So, now we have at least two months off, but at least the first race will be the Rolex and we will have 24 full hours to enjoy.
 
Being paid to be the Red Bull F1 marketing guy that does donuts on the Vegas Strip probably rocks but it also kinda shows he just wants to be associated with F1 and isn’t really that interested in being a genuine racer.
Danny went from winning to driving Renault and McLaren sleds. Getting comprehensively smoked off by Lando didn't help him either, so if it took a little stuffing out of him that's easy to understand. One of two things is going on here, Either Danny has had his soul crushed, or he just needs a break. Losing for as long as Danny has can just beat you down and make you hate the sport. He just needs to do something with less pressure and more fun, maybe get a win or two, and then either come back or stay where he is having a good time.

There’s just a different between him and the Alonso types that take a sabbatical to go race different things.
I'm betting Chip would put Danny in a car right now, but Ricciardo is so freaked about the oval thing that won't happen. I'm sure Danny could even land a Nascar gig, or even an IMSA or WEC ride. He could go home and race Mega V8 (or whatever they call them). Danny could probably race anywhere in the world in any series he chose except F1, but for some reason a lot of these guys feel like it is more of an achievement to land on the back of the F1 grid than to win anywhere else.

Ricciardo may have not had that many opportunities he wanted to look at. As far as Hass, who can blame him? Alpine? He was never going to beat out a French driver, so who was left? If it were my career, at this point a seven race WEC would make a nice hobby and probably an OK paycheck.
 
Danny went from winning to driving Renault and McLaren sleds. Getting comprehensively smoked off by Lando didn't help him either, so if it took a little stuffing out of him that's easy to understand. One of two things is going on here, Either Danny has had his soul crushed, or he just needs a break. Losing for as long as Danny has can just beat you down and make you hate the sport. He just needs to do something with less pressure and more fun, maybe get a win or two, and then either come back or stay where he is having a good time.


I'm betting Chip would put Danny in a car right now, but Ricciardo is so freaked about the oval thing that won't happen. I'm sure Danny could even land a Nascar gig, or even an IMSA or WEC ride. He could go home and race Mega V8 (or whatever they call them). Danny could probably race anywhere in the world in any series he chose except F1, but for some reason a lot of these guys feel like it is more of an achievement to land on the back of the F1 grid than to win anywhere else.

Ricciardo may have not had that many opportunities he wanted to look at. As far as Hass, who can blame him? Alpine? He was never going to beat out a French driver, so who was left? If it were my career, at this point a seven race WEC would make a nice hobby and probably an OK paycheck.
I read an article that said he wants to take a year away from racing to recharge and see if he misses it. If he decides not to come back it's because he's going to be doing a lot of other cool stuff.
 
The tire thing though, may be impossible to fix. The way it is now, the entire telecast is devoted to who stopped when and how many laps they can run without degging off the cliff. It's all tires, tires, tires all the time on every lap. It used to be race, race, race, but that was back when the tire companies were allowed to make the best tire they could and not worry about having them fall apart at an artificial predetermined rate.
Not sure I agree with you on the tire thing, there are 3 types and they are specificlly engeenired for their individual optimum performance, this is a good thing.
Just think how more boring some races would be if it wasn't for a tire strategy.
 
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