F1 2014 : All Chat Here

[svensktoppen]

I think Button is out of F1. He has done his stints in the midfield, and had his chance in a top team. No point going backwards.

He will be off to a well earned retirement in sports cars.

Wonder where Ross Brawn will pop up in all the musical chairs

Ferrari perhaps? Bound to turn up somewhere...

Lotus to use Mercedes-AMG Power Units from next year.

If RenaultLotus ditch the Renault engine, then surely that means the Renault engine is dead? Only RB left using it?

 

[DC.]

If RenaultLotus ditch the Renault engine, then surely that means the Renault engine is dead? Only RB left using it?

I think RedBull will help with the development of it from now on, supplying Toro Rosso & maybe Caterham too (if they're still going)

 

[svensktoppen]

TR are still Ferrari though, are they not?

So basically an RB in-house engine? They must have a good financial deal with Renault...

With Lotus making a push to get back up the grid, maybe we will see Kimi back there? He did a lot better at Lotus than this year of disaster at Ferrari.

 

[lackingBHP]

Red Bull either bought or took control of Renault Sport (engines) so they are looking at getting the engine freeze lifted then they might have something better than the 1.5 dci that Renault supplied this year.

 

[svensktoppen]

Looks like business as usual in Russia in practise so far.

Track feels a lot like a street circuit, lots of right angle corners and short straights between them. Not sure if that is a good thing, race could end up a procession...

 

[Dave..]

Looks like business as usual in Russia in practise so far.

Track feels a lot like a street circuit, lots of right angle corners and short straights between them. Not sure if that is a good thing, race could end up a procession...

Please nooooo.......
Thank goodness I can record it and use the FF button.

 

[svensktoppen]

Another decent column by Lewis:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29559860

 

[Marc.W]

Marussia running 1 car this weekend

 

[davecoupe]

Marussia running 1 car this weekend

Rossi was on the official entry list to drive, but after talking with the FIA they are leaving a fully prepared second car sitting in the garage carrying #JB17 livery:

On the engine manufacturer topic previously ....... Among the Bianchi, new track and driver roundabout news this weekend a big vote is happening on engine development, with everyone except Merc pushing for a relaxation on engine development during the season in the hope that it will stop the monopoly of results. Personally, I'm 100% in favor.

Oh, and Sky have finally lifted the veneer of being non-bias this weekend too, Crofty shouting "ohhhh, Yess" when Rosberg locked up in FP1 .

 

[Dave..]

Ref engine development, if results had all been in RB favour I wonder would they support any changes?

 

[davecoupe]

Ref engine development, if results had all been in RB favour I wonder would they support any changes?

Probably would tbh.

Since they are going to be the sole recipient of reno engines next season being able to constantly develop it would still be in their interest.

 

[Wild Thing]

Feck russia just realised it is clashing with BTCC so I will personally be on ITV4 screaming at the box if that stock car driver Plato is behind turks

 

[svensktoppen]

Just record and watch both @Wild Thing

 

[svensktoppen]

The engine development is a bit a Pandora's box though, is it not? Why stop at engines?

Obviously Merc will be against, and the others for. That is just normal politics.

Personally I would love to see in-season testing, and engine development, to allow teams to catch up. With current rules, you get one team running away with it, and it takes too long for everyone else to catch up without testing.

But then you are back in the exponential cost scenario again, which favours the top constructors as they get the bulk of money. One really good thing with the current system is that we have seen teams like Williams, Force India and Lotus knocking on the door in recent years.

Swings and roundabouts and all that...

 

[pablo]

Oh, and Sky have finally lifted the veneer of being non-bias this weekend too, Crofty shouting "ohhhh, Yess" when Rosberg locked up in FP1 .

Brundle must sit with his head in his hands most of the time when Croft is talking. guy is a total idiot.

 

[Wild Thing]

never the same when its recorded

 

[Peadar]

Brundle must sit with his head in his hands most of the time when Croft is talking. guy is a total idiot.

It's the same with all those commentators who don't come from a racing background. Jonathan Legard was the same.

Brundle is forever correcting them. Of course Murray Walker was the exception to the norm.

 

[davecoupe]

Personally I would love to see in-season testing, and engine development, to allow teams to catch up. With current rules, you get one team running away with it, and it takes too long for everyone else to catch up without testing.

But then you are back in the exponential cost scenario again, which favours the top constructors as they get the bulk of money. One really good thing with the current system is that we have seen teams like Williams, Force India and Lotus knocking on the door in recent years.

Swings and roundabouts and all that...

Yeah, I'd love to see the test drivers pound around Paul Riccard or Mugello all year, tweaking the cars to make them as fast as possible within the rules ...... but then you would just end up with the team with the biggest budget dominating like Ferrari did.

There is a very fine balance I there I think.

 

[stevyg]

Interesting news about Vettel, strange that Horner would mention Ferrari and Vettel hasn't said a word about where he is going. Alonso said in an interview that he has a plan in place and Vettels move is a sign of what his plan is....so I thought either Alonso is leaving Ferrari for RB or Vettel is going to be his team mate. But then Honda has offered to pay Alonsos early dismissal fee if he joins McLaren so I'm stumped. I can't see Lewis leaving Mercedes with the car he has under him, though if he wins the WDC this year and Ferrari have a decent car next year, when Kimi leaves at the end of next year and Hamiltons contract is up, I could see Ferrari going after him.

One thing I personally hate about F1 is all the smoke & mirrors nonsense that goes on. In fact most of them flat out lie 'I'm not interested in any other team' etc etc then 3 days later they announce they are off to another team and have been in talks with them for months. Like Vettel, the day before he announced he was leaving RB said in an interview he was happy in his current team, he wasn't thinking about moving and has a contract in place until the end of next year etc. 10 hours later boom, I'm leaving. I just don't understand that.

Yeah, I'd love to see the test drivers pound around Paul Riccard or Mugello all year, tweaking the cars to make them as fast as possible within the rules ...... but then you would just end up with the team with the biggest budget dominating like Ferrari did.

You would think that but Toyota actually had a much bigger budget than Ferrari back then but Toyota lost the plot, they never got anywhere hence they left F1. Ferrari dominated because they had the FIA in their back pocket, they had a substantial budget, they had the ultimate all star team in their peak and they had Schumacher at the wheel.

 

[svensktoppen]

Go Bottas!!! How close was that!

He should be given the pole just for the effort

With any luck, maybe he could bother Nico in the race

 

[svensktoppen]

Ferrari dominated because they had the FIA in their back pocket, they had a substantial budget, they had the ultimate all star team in their peak and they had Schumacher at the wheel.

And in that order

 

[Wild Thing]

Button very down beat under interview, maybe he is on his way, shame if he is.

 

[jimcupra]

Oh below the belt read it the other way round

And in that order

 

[adam1942]

Should be an interesting start with bottas having less down force and the slipstream of both Mercs. Hopefully not crash at the first corner as they will be doing what 180mph+ ?

 

[Shaun]

The track and around it is amazing!! Some money about there anyway!