Formula 1 2020 - General Discussion Thread (See MOD warning on first post)

Cork Trucker

Thank god my Sky subscription is gone, yesterday was the first race I missed in 20 years and had no interest in. I don’t know who to thank for slowly killing F1, Mercedes or the FIA.

g1983d

GarIT wrote: »

On principle I disagree but emotionally I completely agree.

I wish Crofty would calm down. I just noticed the cheating when Hamilton crosses the line to win. Can we not get E.R. from Winnie the Pooh to commentate on the last lap. "Lewis Hamilton wins again, who would have guessed, oh well, maybe next time"

Not a Crofty fan and although I like Brundle his hamilton love fests are annoying too, but during yesterday's snore fest both of them did say a few times that the racing needs to be bteer and were even willing bottas and verstappen to be able tk get stuck into hamilton

Man with broke phone

As far as I could tell there was more overtakes yesterday than any race in years, why the outrage now. You just have to pick a mid pack driver and suppirt him, thats how to enjoy them now.

I think they should pick names out of a hat. First name out, first on the grid. And let them defend their position on track by whatever means necessary. Or, to be on the podium you have to finish in 6th, 7th and 8th place.

Make the win more exciting!

El_Duderino 09

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Well I posted a few pages back about Mercedes finding the sort of performance this year that Ferrari lost and nobody on the grid seems to be questioning that. In circumstances where chassis and engine development are about to be frozen, someone having that kind of sizeable advantage is not a good thing for the sport. Already some on Italy are wondering aloud on social media if what's going on is the beginning of a preplanned Ferrari exit. I certainly hope not but today's performance does add a little creedance to that notion

It's up to the teams to question Mercedes performance gain and lodge an appeal if applicable. They haven't done so yet, so I presume they have no reason to do so yet.

I presume the teams will try every dirty trick thinkable. Have private investigators to find out which Mercedes team members are in financial trouble and bribe them to "suggest" an area of the car to lodge an appeal against.

Nobody has even raised suspicion about the Mercedes being illegal yet so we can only assume nobody has evidence of them cheating yet. Honda has also made huge leaps forward last year and this year and nobody is suggesting they're cheating either. If Renault and ferrari had evidence Honda were cheat, they'd appeal. But they haven't.

pjohnson

Even when Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the championship they were threatened almost every race by McLaren and Mika/Kimi. Occasionally Williams/Montoya, Renault/Alonso, Button/BAR, would also get very racy with the front runners.


Now there is nothing.

Lewis in the best car.
A number two strictly not allowed/able to challenge in the best car.
Max in not the best car.

The rest.

Ferrari doing everything wrong.
Ferrari powered teams racing Williams.

jv2000

H8GHOTI wrote: »

It’s a shame the FIA stopped Ferrari doing whatever they were doing to gain performance last year. Don’t care if it was illegal, it was making the races more interesting.

The big problem with this is exactly as we saw last season. Even when Ferrari had an advantage apart from the odd race here and there they were not able to capitalise. This is due to the fact that the entire team is not fit for purpose (drivers aside). As far as strategy is concerned the drivers would probably have fared better if they did the opposite of what they were asked to do. It has descended into farce recently with the team's thinking out loud approach to strategy over the team radio. Maybe they are soliciting tweets on the best strategy to take....

If Honda managed something like Ferrari did then that could be a lot more interesting especially considering that Alpha Tauri also look half-decent at the moment. Maybe Renault to an extent but I have this image in my mind of their engine going pop anytime it is turned up.

SMC92Ian

Sorry but F Ferrari, so what if they're a big name in the sport, so was Williams and McLaren and I remember Ferrari taking shots at them when they started to decline, well it's your turn now boys. Shouldn't of cheated, Karma.

Yes I also do not like Crofty, it's a shame C4 don't have all the races.

El_Duderino 09

The alpha Tauri looking so good makes you wonder how good the Red Bull actually is. I suspect the reason for the deficit from max to the second red bull, and the reason the second red bull is struggling to get to towards the front is:
1 max is not just a good driver but actually an incredibly fast driver.
2 the red bull is not very good and the second car, whether it's Albon or Gasley or Kvyat, is about where the car should be when driven by an average/good driver.

I think Adrian Newey hasn't had much to write home about for the last few years. Surprised he hasn't come in for more scrutiny in the last few years TBH

PukkaStukka

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

It's up to the teams to question Mercedes performance gain and lodge an appeal if applicable. They haven't done so yet, so I presume they have no reason to do so yet.

I presume the teams will try every dirty trick thinkable. Have private investigators to find out which Mercedes team members are in financial trouble and bribe them to "suggest" an area of the car to lodge an appeal against.

Nobody has even raised suspicion about the Mercedes being illegal yet so we can only assume nobody has evidence of them cheating yet. Honda has also made huge leaps forward last year and this year and nobody is suggesting they're cheating either. If Renault and Ferrari had evidence Honda were cheat, they'd appeal. But they haven't.

You're correct its up to the teams to call something out with facts if / when they have it. Already the engine modes thing is a crude attempt to reign Mercedes in in qualifying that will make no real difference. My bigger concern is the impending freeze on engine and chassis development that will lock in any performance advantages currently held and to me that will be game over. Seasoned fans here and elsewhere are bemoaning the state of the sport and poor or over-regulation has a big part of play in that. I'm watching F1 for 40 years now, this is the worst I have seen it after years of seeing McLaren, Ferrari and Williams domination.

As an aside to this, Toto Wolff made a comments over last weekend in a QA over Enginegate that Mercedes have lost people through burnout and possible health issues. I'm taking this as pointing at Andy Cowell but I could be wrong

Autosport wrote:

Wolff said on Sunday that he would agree with Horner's "sour taste" comment, revealing that Mercedes lost engine staff as a result of being stretched by Ferrari.

"Ferrari is an iconic brand, and fantastic people that build these cars," Wolff said.

"It's difficult to say, because I don't want to put any more oil into this.

"But we were really stretched so much last year and the year before, that we suffered.

"We lost some people. We lost some people in terms of, just being at the end of their health.

Parsnips

Gintonious wrote: »

I have to ask lads, is anyone else like me when they are properly frustrated/upset with the current state of F1 and how it is being run?

We literally have snoozefests week in and week out now, nothing about it AT ALL is exciting, and I really mean nothing right now. We have very little close racing, very little excitement, no drama or anything. I am lost at this.

Yes, Ferrari dominated the sport in the early 2000's, but this level or boredom makes that look like an Irish wedding in comparison. Also, where the hell are the FIA right now with doing anything meaningful at all with making a change. We had plenty of rule changes (some minor, and some major) that switched things up before, like the tire rules in 2005, or the aero changes in some seasons. Even fast forward to the early 2010's we had close battles.

I would hazard a guess that the lack of leadership and action from the FIA is because one of the main chaps at the helm worked for the team who are walking away with it right now...would you say?

Anyway, I seem to rant a lot in here lately, I really have turned into my Da it seems. But mother of Christ...what the hell has happened to the sport I used to wake up at 6am on a Sunday to watch a race for...

I agree.
I cannot bring myself to watch a live race now. Im recording each 1 so I have the option to FF . unfortunately that is every race. Im watching 30years now and even my wife has has asked me why I keep watching as I am repeating myself every week on how dismal the racing is. I love F1 but it has now become the most boring sport in the world IMO

GarIT

Man with broke phone wrote: »

As far as I could tell there was more overtakes yesterday than any race in years, why the outrage now.

The TV director is ****e. There needs to be a ban on showing a car that doesn't have another car within two seconds of it. It needs to be mandatory that any car is shown if there is another car within 1 second. Obviously there are loads of cases where that doesn't work but I'm sick of watching bottas a good few seconds behind Hamilton and the closest we get to seeing some racing is when the names change order on the left while we watch Hamilton at the other side of the track.

Cool_CM

Looks like there will be fans at Mugello - limited to 2880 fans per day.

GarIT

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I think they should pick names out of a hat. First name out, first on the grid. And let them defend their position on track by whatever means necessary. Or, to be on the podium you have to finish in 6th, 7th and 8th place.

Make the win more exciting!

Nah. Qualifying needs to be replaced with an elimination race, one driver eliminated each lap. The starting order for the elimination race should be decided based on reverse points order.


They should get rid of the VSC, it's the most boring thing ever and consider getting rid of the safety car. Any issues red flag and everyone lines up on the grid to start again.

And introduce a draft system for drivers. The drivers should not be allowed have contracts with teams. The drivers should be paid by the FIA based on position the same way the teams are. At the start of the year all the potential drivers gather in a room and the team principals pick drivers the same way players would be picked at playground football match.

Frank Bullitt

Cool_CM wrote: »

Looks like there will be fans at Mugello - limited to 2880 fans per day.

They will be wasting their time.

Man with broke phone

GarIT wrote: »

The TV director is ****e. There needs to be a ban on showing a car that doesn't have another car within two seconds of it. It needs to be mandatory that any car is shown if there is another car within 1 second. Obviously there are loads of cases where that doesn't work but I'm sick of watching bottas a good few seconds behind Hamilton and the closest we get to seeing some racing is when the names change order on the left while we watch Hamilton at the other side of the track.

This sums it up perfect. I watch the races live every race. I look at the scoreboard on the side more than the tv coverage.

Cool_CM

Gintonious wrote: »

They will be wasting their time.

What better way to spend a day out than watching your team take a hammering at their own circuit on the occasion of their 1,000th race

Parsnips

And dont even get me started on Williams.
WTAF.

Frank Bullitt

Cool_CM wrote: »

What better way to spend a day out than watching your team take a hammering at their own circuit on the occasion of their 1,000th race

The next 2 races will be grim for Ferrari, only one suffering more is probably Sainz, his face yesterday when Leclerc was overtaken was almost sad to see. He really is turning into Alonso part 2.

AMKC

Jordan 199 wrote: »

The Constructors Championship between third and sixth place is tight. Nine points between third placed McLaren and sixth place Renault.

3rd: McLaren: 68 points.

4th: Racing Point: 66 points.

5th: Ferrari: 61 points.

6th: Renault: 59 points.

I can see that changing soon. Soon Ferrari will be in 6th and Renault in 5th.

Parsnips

AMKC wrote: »

I can see that changing soon. Soon Ferrari will be in 6th and Renault in 5th.

Renault clearly Jizzed their pants yesterday at the chequered flag. Hats off to them in fairness.

Wanderer78

Cool_CM wrote:

What better way to spend a day out than watching your team take a hammering at their own circuit on the occasion of their 1,000th race

Parsnips wrote:

And dont even get me started on Williams. WTAF.

Tis shocking how bad both teams have become, WTF!

vectra

Kimi laughing :pac::pac:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1300142619532709888

Wanderer78

I just love the guy, gimme 22 kimis any day!

Edit: Jesus, f1 would be some craic again, a full grid of them!

Jordan 199

AMKC wrote: »

I can see that changing soon. Soon Ferrari will be in 6th and Renault in 5th.

That change will be this weekend. I'm hoping Renault will finish in the top four in the Constructors Championship.

AMKC

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Tis shocking how bad both teams have become, WTF!

William's are doing ok. To be honest they could not do any worse than last year really so the only way for them now is to improve and come up the order mow especially with the new investor they have on them. There is more chance of a William's doing well now than a Ferrari I would say in the next few races.

Wanderer78

AMKC wrote:

William's are doing ok. To be honest they could not do any worse than last year really so the only way for them now is to improve and come up the order mow especially with the new investor they have on them. There is more chance of a William's doing well now than a Ferrari I would say in the next few races.

I understand that alright, but I'm actually comparing the 90's/00's Williams to now, Jesus, what a fall, but ferrari is also shocking, what the hell is going on there! Seb completely disconnected along time ago there, he didn't win those championships like that, he's well capable of better things, his ultimate dream of following his ultimate hero, has been crushed

El_Duderino 09

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I just love the guy, gimme 22 kimis any day!

Edit: Jesus, f1 would be some craic again, a full grid of them!

That would be worse than it is now. Kimi expresses absolutely no opinions on absolutely everything. It would be like 22 civil servants from the accountancy department. They'd shuffle in, do the job, shuffle out and say almost nothing all the time.

The myth about kimi being hilarious is probably the biggest hype train in all of F1. He hight be hilarious in his spare time off camera, but he shows none of it to us.

vectra

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

That would be worse than it is now. Kimi expresses absolutely no opinions on absolutely everything. It would be like 22 civil servants from the accountancy department. They'd shuffle in, do the job, shuffle out and say almost nothing all the time.

The myth about kimi being hilarious is probably the biggest hype train in all of F1. He hight be hilarious in his spare time off camera, but he shows none of it to us.

On the other hand, Kimi is not and never was a corporate dummy like the rest of the grid.

El_Duderino 09

vectra wrote: »

On the other hand, Kimi is not and never was a corporate dummy like the rest of the grid.

True but the myth of Kimi's keen wit is a massive exaggeration. Hamilton talking for 5 mins and saying nothing vs Kimi just saying nothing. No real difference there.

The adage that springs to mind: better to stay silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.