Formula 1 2021 - General Discussion Thread (Read 1st post rules)

muckwarrior

recyclebin wrote: »

I much preferred the red, blue and chrome livery of the Toro Rosso. The Alpha Tauri livery is so bland. Its like someone took the old 90s Williams livery and then made a pigs ear of it.

Yeah, I couldn't understand when people were raving about it last year. It's grand like.

quokula

Car launches are so boring these days. Used to be that there'd always be at least one or two teams that would do something innovative and new, and most would have something interesting to see. For the last few years it's almost always basically the same car in an updated livery. You could paint them black and you'd struggle to tell which was the new one, aside from the mandated narrowing of the floor at the back.

pjohnson

Did anyone expect anything revolutionary? Given they spent two-years planning for the proposed 2021 regs that they dont have a new 2020 reg car ready for 2021?

AMKC

Maybe next years launches will be better as the cars will be all new then. Who knows some could decide to launch on Amazon like Honda recently did with it's new HRV or on You-Tube like Nissan did for it's new Qashqai or even or some other site.

flazio

pjohnson wrote: »

Journos on Twitter saying BWT have pulled out of Haas discussions. Haas apparently already have a title sponsor anyway.


Williams now linked with BWT.

Well that dried up quickly.

Frank Bullitt

I'g glad that Haas already have a title sponsor, and would be great for Williams.

Love the white wheels on the AT.

Harika

Frank Bullitt wrote: »

I'g glad that Haas already have a title sponsor, and would be great for Williams.

Love the white wheels on the AT.

Let's hope their title sponsor is not the is not the rich energy buddy

Frank Bullitt

Harika wrote: »

Let's hope their title sponsor is not the is not the rich energy buddy

That cowboy deserves to be kept away from all forms of motorsport.

Pen Rua

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1362748779091292161

AMKC

Red bull to reveal there car on the 23rd I think. Seen if today nearly sure its is the 23rd so two reveals that day.

Jordan 199

Alfa Romeo launch is on Monday the 22nd in Warsaw followed by Red Bull on Tuesday the 23rd.

I always used to look forward to car launches, but I'm feeling pretty much 'meh' about them this year.

AMKC

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Alfa Romeo launch is on Monday the 22nd in Warsaw followed by Red Bull on Tuesday the 23rd.

I always used to look forward to car launches, but I'm feeling pretty much 'meh' about them this year.

Yes they have been very 'meh' and dull so far this year. Let's hope the racing is better.

El_Duderino 09

AMKC wrote: »

Yes they have been very 'meh' and dull so far this year. Let's hope the racing is better.

What do you normally like about car launches? Is it the variety in design which is probabgoing to be lacking this year?

I’d say it’s probably similar to this in the 7th year of a formula. Ideas have pretty much been explored and the fastest design is established by now and *Spoiler* it’s the Mercedes. So there are no innovations because it’s the last year of the formula so no reward in taking risks. Instead they’re just taking the safe and fast route of converging in the Mercedes design. Hopeful next year will have more variety in design philosophy.

AMKC

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What do you normally like about car launches? Is it the variety in design which is probabgoing to be lacking this year?

I’d say it’s probably similar to this in the 7th year of a formula. Ideas have pretty much been explored and the fastest design is established by now and *Spoiler* it’s the Mercedes. So there are no innovations because it’s the last year of the formula so no reward in taking risks. Instead they’re just taking the safe and fast route of converging in the Mercedes design. Hopeful next year will have more variety in design philosophy.

The new livery's as well as the designs. Of course the design of all the cars over the last 5 or 6 years have been very similar. I think the last unique design on a modern F1 car was the Lotus twin nose design. There was also the Ferrari hover nose design and the Lego Ferrari like design. Let's hope 22 brings some unique ideas and designs.

flazio

Rich aren't getting anywhere near Alfa Romeo it appears. Looks like Kubica is still bank rolling.
https://twitter.com/Kos__Michal/status/1363476075351855105?s=19

Pen Rua

flazio wrote: »

Rich aren't getting anywhere near Alfa Romeo it appears. Looks like Kubica is still bank rolling.
https://twitter.com/Kos__Michal/status/1363476075351855105?s=19

Tweet unavailable?

Their car launch is in Poland tomorrow AM.

flazio

Pen Rua wrote: »

Tweet unavailable?

Their car launch is in Poland tomorrow AM.

It showed the car being rolled into place with a sheet over it but the sidepod and rear wing exposed. The side is red with Orlen (Kubicas main sponsor) prominent on it. The back of the rear wing has Alfa Romeo written on it.

Cork Trucker

Orlen can’t solely be backing Kubica in a test/reserve role. Is he being lined up to replace Raikkonen when the time comes?

Pen Rua

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Orlen can’t solely be backing Kubica in a test/reserve role. Is he being lined up to replace Raikkonen when the time comes?

I was thinking the same - seems like a big commitment on Orlen's side to go for a co-title sponsorship to back "their" driver.

As much as I loved the Kubica come back fairy tale, the guy will be 37/38 by the time 2021 rolls around and he's had two shots at F1. Whatever about Kimi, I really think new blood in the sport should get the seat ahead of Kubica. The FDA is STACKED this year (what - 4 drivers in F2? Not to mention Illot and Mick) so I'd much rather see Ferrari try leverage their role in Sauber / Alfa and get the two seats there for one, if not two, of their juniors.

Plus, Kubica is dipping his toes into endurance racing where he might actually challenge for a (class) win as opposed to floating around the midfield with Alfa / Sauber.

vectra

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Orlen can’t solely be backing Kubica in a test/reserve role. Is he being lined up to replace Raikkonen when the time comes?

Can never see Kubica in a full time seat again to be honest.

mickdw

vectra wrote: »

Can never see Kubica in a full time seat again to be honest.

Hard to see it alright.

pjohnson

Hes probably pencilled in for a lot of FP1's but doubt he gets a full time seat.

El_Duderino 09

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Orlen can’t solely be backing Kubica in a test/reserve role. Is he being lined up to replace Raikkonen when the time comes?

I really doubt it. Particularly after his disastrous return with Williams and being totally outpaced up by a rookie. AR is getting loads of money and all they have to do is give RK a few FP1s and move the car launch to Poland. Job’s a good’ne ad far as they’re concerned

mickdw

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I really doubt it. Particularly after his disastrous return with Williams and being totally outpaced up by a rookie. AR is getting loads of money and all they have to do is give RK a few FP1s and move the car launch to Poland. Job’s a good’ne ad far as they’re concerned

I think given Russels ability, probably a quick as anyone on the grid, kubicas result against him is not as shabby as it looked at the time.
I would like to see him getting some races in the car and doing well but its unlikely.

El_Duderino 09

mickdw wrote: »

I think given Russels ability, probably a quick as anyone on the grid, kubicas result against him is not as shabby as it looked at the time.
I would like to see him getting some races in the car and doing well but its unlikely.

What would you want to see him for? He’s a half second slower than a top driver (in Russell’s first season) That’s too much of a gap in f1. A decent team wouldn’t want him and if he’s with a slow team he’ll be hanging off the back of the grid again. No team wants him and Alfa already gets his money without having to give him a race seat.

He’s a pay driver. We don’t need more pay drivers.

muckwarrior

I was hoping Kubica would succeed, but he had a fair chance and it was clear he was no longer as fast as he once was.

Yes, Russel wasn't your average rookie, and Kubica may well not even have been the slowest driver on the grid, but he obviously was a long way from the fastest too, so I don't see how he could return on merit.

El_Duderino 09

muckwarrior wrote: »

I was hoping Kubica would succeed, but he had a fair chance and it was clear he was no longer as fast as he once was.

Yes, Russel wasn't your average rookie, and Kubica may well not even have been the slowest driver on the grid, but he obviously was a long way from the fastest too, so I don't see how he could return on merit.

Im not sure he was hired on merit at Williams. They only employ pay drivers for the last while. Even Russell is a pay driver as part of the Mercedes scheme.

Pen Rua

The Alfa Romeo / Sauber C41.

https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1363809963366350849

Looks to be the prior year livery inverted. Looks clean, and the touch of green is nice.

A funny naming quirk has the 2021 car named C41 while 2020 was called C39. The C40 was designated to be the car for the new rules which was pushed back to 2022.

Better res pics, including comparisons with 2020.

https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/1363811768846462976

recyclebin

Alfa and Alpha marketing teams: let's just invert the colours from the 2020 livery and we have a new livery for 2021!

Pen Rua

recyclebin wrote: »

Alfa and Alpha marketing teams: let's just invert the colours from the 2020 livery and we have a new livery for 2021!

Why fix what isn't broken? Of the three cars revealed, all three had solid 2020 liveries. With the cars being the same, and new cars coming in 2022, why not hold off on a livery refresh till we move to the new formula in 2022?