Motorsport Off Topic Thread

Skeeter · 3 May 2016 at 20:12

I'm not sure, both Red Bull and Renault mutually agreed to terminate the contract, so they didn't have a contract for 2016, that was the whole problem (they terminated the Renault one and then couldn't get a replacement).

Either way it wouldn't have been Mercedes. The rules say they will enforce a forced contract on engine suppliers based on those who supply the least first. So with no Renault contract for RBR or STR that left Renault with only 1 customer and Honda with 1.

Actually no, the Renault deal wasn't done until after the season ended. At the point the contract would have been forced (June), Renault had no teams confirmed to be using their engines this year, and no confirmation they would even be in F1. That means both teams would have been forced to use Hondas.

smr · 4 May 2016 at 14:08

Mercedes have seriously had to write a letter to butthurt Hamilton fans that it's not a conspiracy to muck his races up? Wow. That's just, wow.

Skeeter · 4 May 2016 at 17:12

McLaren had to allow an FIA delegate to watch over them in the garage to ensure they weren't unduly screwing over Alonso.

In other news, I had no idea the F1 Commission was such a total farse!

http://www.autosport.com/premium/feature/6976/behind-the-scenes-of-f1-latest-mess

Of the 25 members, 9 didn't bother to show up to the critical 2017 rules finalization meeting. A number of members carry large question marks over why they still hold a spot on the Commission, and Race Promoters seem to be able to shout that they want changes made, yet can't be bothered to actually attend the meeting to discuss the changes they demanded?!

So the F1 Strategy Group is a votes for cash shambles the FIA have lost control of, and then the F1 Commission who vote on the shambolic rules is a questionable collection of disinterested parties and random nobodies who just happen to be someones mate.

Wow, F1 is screwed.

Dup · 4 May 2016 at 22:45

http://www.f1today.net/en/news/f1/2...akes-over-seat-of-kvyat-with-immediate-effect

WAT?

The_Abyss · 4 May 2016 at 22:50

Yep - saw that. With RBR I wouldn't be surprised. It protects the Verstappen talent and relegates yet another of their young drivers to the scrap heap in one move.

MagicBoy · 4 May 2016 at 23:05

I'll believe it once it's in Autosport.

drunkenmaster · 5 May 2016 at 02:30

Skeeter said:
McLaren had to allow an FIA delegate to watch over them in the garage to ensure they weren't unduly screwing over Alonso.

In other news, I had no idea the F1 Commission was such a total farse!

http://www.autosport.com/premium/feature/6976/behind-the-scenes-of-f1-latest-mess

Of the 25 members, 9 didn't bother to show up to the critical 2017 rules finalization meeting. A number of members carry large question marks over why they still hold a spot on the Commission, and Race Promoters seem to be able to shout that they want changes made, yet can't be bothered to actually attend the meeting to discuss the changes they demanded?!

So the F1 Strategy Group is a votes for cash shambles the FIA have lost control of, and then the F1 Commission who vote on the shambolic rules is a questionable collection of disinterested parties and random nobodies who just happen to be someones mate.

Wow, F1 is screwed.

This is nothing news, this isn't 1975, there is a thing called e-mail, the internet, mobile phones. F1 is a completely worldwide sport, people have jobs to do even within the actual weekend of F1. Team bosses all have a dozen high profile sponsors to talk to and getting 10 teams, every race promoter, every single guy in the same room every two weeks and all fit perfectly around all their sponsors schedules so that no team boss or head honcho has to upset a sponsor, or a local mayor, or a billionaire, prince, King or whatever, it's simply not possible.

People don't attend every meeting, that is how life is. Congress, UK parliament, despite how important that is not everyone shows up to every session. This is the way the world works but as usual crappy journalism means it has to be a sign of F1 crumbling and the shambles everything is, nope it's just how the real world works. Meetings are had, most people attend and it takes a half dozen meetings to get things agreed on because not everyone can attend every meeting.

drunkenmaster · 5 May 2016 at 02:38

The story that Kvyat had a poor performance in China is freaking nuts, brilliant move plus a podium in a car that probably hasn't got that performance but because Vettel freaks out it's a bad performance? Yeah, last race he had bad performance, he hit someone, I can't name a world champion who hasn't caused stupid collisions, it's part and parcel of the sport. But one stupid contact shouldn't cause him to lose his seat, even if Verstappen maybe is a better driver.

It's also possible that RBR just find a technicality to sign up Verstappen as their young driver and the rumour has gotten garbled, maybe Verstappen is running in the in season test for RBR? It would certainly be a good way for them to get some data on Verstappen running in that car though you would think there is no problem getting him in the RBR simulator and comparing him to the other two that way.

Honestly though RBR have no problem ditching drivers and nor should they. Verstappen looks top notch and probably deserves a chance in a top car. Another reason for potentially doing it is other teams sniffing around Verstappen. He's easily the most promising young driver and Ferrari/Merc and others have to be thinking about offering him pre-contracts for the future. RBR could be reacting to those kinds of talks, ie Jos goes to Horner and says Ferrari/Merc are offering us this already for a 2018 drive... do something that makes us not sign it, RBR react by saying fine, we'll put you in the RBR now with a new 5 year contract or something along those lines.

MissChief · 5 May 2016 at 03:40

That bastion of journalistic quality F1today.net ran an article today claiming that Max V. Was being moved up to Red Bull in place of Kyvat. Nowhere else has even a rumour. Click bait in the extreme.

Skeeter · 5 May 2016 at 07:13

"Poor performance in China"

He came 3rd!

Guerrilla · 5 May 2016 at 08:24

It's amazing to see some drivers given chance after chance and excuses being made and others hung out to dry after a couple of incidents, Kvyat is just 22 and if this is true could well be the start of the end for his F1 career.

MooMoo444 · 5 May 2016 at 08:29

wow, talk about knee jerk. Kvyat has a bad race (still finishing highly) and gets dropped immediately? People like Maldonado had whole seasons of crashing into people.

The_Abyss · 5 May 2016 at 08:38

That's some scoop for them - it turned out to be true!

englishpremier · 5 May 2016 at 08:43

Kvyat has been mediocre at the very best. Though this does seem very harsh.

I would Sainz would be a better match for Ricciardo. Verstappen is too wild. He's likely to end up with less points than Kvyat would over a season.

UTmaniac · 5 May 2016 at 08:47

If Kvyat does get dropped by RBR, I hope he gets a seat at Williams, or one of the two seats I think will be vacant through frustration at Mclaren by the end of this year.

this_is_gav · 5 May 2016 at 08:54

englishpremier said:
Kvyat has been mediocre at the very best. Though this does seem very harsh.

I would Sainz would be a better match for Ricciardo. Verstappen is too wild. He's likely to end up with less points than Kvyat would over a season.

I wouldn't disagree with this, but this will be partly to try to shield him from Ferrari's radar.

Has any Red Bull driver gone from the main squad to the junior one? I guess they haven't given up on Kyvat, but want him to get him to up his game and hope this doesn't grind him down and he responds positively, but it's hard to imagine how he could possibly get back into the Red Bull team with Ricciardo and Verstappen in there, unless Red Bull do genuinely fear one of them will jump ship at the end of the season.

I think the last effective swap of cars mid-season would have been Frentzen and Alesi switching between Jordan and Prost in 2001.

MooMoo444 · 5 May 2016 at 09:03

Still, it will be interesting to see what Verstappen can do with the main RB team. It's not race winning, but it's shown to be able to mingle up there with the Ferrari cars on its day.

KiNgPiN83 · 5 May 2016 at 09:29

MooMoo444 said:
Still, it will be interesting to see what Verstappen can do with the main RB team. It's not race winning, but it's shown to be able to mingle up there with the Ferrari cars on its day.

He will tangle with someone and annoy their team as he'll be too over confident in the better car and then they will then swap him with Carlos Sainz.

You heard it here first.

Flibster · 5 May 2016 at 09:42

Ouch...
Well, that sounds like Kvyat's career in F1 with Red Bull will be over at the end of the year. Stay in F1 with another team or stay with Red Bull in another arena?

I'm not entirely sure that it's about his performance in Russia. I'm wondering if it's about Max and Red Bull avoiding the silly season for 2017.

SS-89 · 5 May 2016 at 12:35

KiNgPiN83 said:
He will tangle with someone and annoy their team as he'll be too over confident in the better car and then they will then swap him with Carlos Sainz.

You heard it here first.

You joke but he's a very aggressive driver (not a bad thing) so it's not impossible. It would be funny to see red bulls response if he does crash into someone