Motorsport Off Topic Thread

JBeck · 15 May 2019 at 08:30

timmeh said:
They’ve axed Mexico in favour of the new Dutch GP. How many races has that new track hosted? 3? I can think of more deserving tracks to axe

Yes just three races...

GravyMonster · 15 May 2019 at 10:42

justbeats said:
It is all a little strange really, seems to be nothing more than a money laundering scheme for god knows who. I would fully expect Haas to distance themselves quite soon, this stupid copying of someone else's logo has brought a lot of attention and the judge in the case was absolutely scathing of Storey, expect more to follow I imagine.

Indeed. You can add Peter Windsor to the list of people on the Rich Energy payroll. His 'interview' video with Storey was shockingly bad. I barely rated Windsor's journalistic integrity beforehand, and it went through the floor afterwards. It's a shame Scarbs is also hitched to Windsor's wagon, but I refuse to watch either of them now.

I'd be interested to see Haas' finances for this year to see how much RE have actually paid them so far, and how much they're on the hook for. If I was Steiner I'd be making sure that the contract states they get paid first by the liquidators when the legal action starts and RE gets dissected by lawyers.

GravyMonster · 15 May 2019 at 11:00

Also, reading the news on the logo court case I found this little nugget:

“For example, when Mr Wyand in cross-examination tried to understand his evidence about the sales figures of Rich Energy drinks, and put to him that he had been quoted in the press in February 2019 as saying that the First Defendant had produced 90 million cans, Mr Storey explained that it had produced 90 million cans, but had not yet filled and sold them.”

...

If Rich Energy sold 3-million cans as Storey claimed, at €2.00 per can, that’s €6-million income for the start-up but in reality a pittance in a sport which gobbles up money like a vacuum cleaner on steroids.

Flavio may have been just as dirty, but at least he had some charisma about him. Storey's a delusional, bearded weirdo who's obviously a puppet for someone.

timmeh · 15 May 2019 at 18:58

Armageus said:
Really? Seemed a decent enough track, and the altitude made a difference to performance/downforce?

I think you misread my post. I said that I *can* think of other tracks more deserving of the axe like Monaco, Russia or Spain. The races in Mexico have been better than most.

Armageus · 15 May 2019 at 19:25

timmeh said:
I think you misread my post. I said that I *can* think of other tracks more deserving of the axe like Monaco, Russia or Spain. The races in Mexico have been better than most.

Sorry poorly worded on my part - really was aimed at "them", I cant believe they've axed it

JRS · 15 May 2019 at 19:42

Armageus said:
Really? Seemed a decent enough track, and the altitude made a difference to performance/downforce?

The Mexican government wants to take the 400 million pesos (around $20m) that they'd pay to Liberty every year for the race to go towards building a railway line instead. Can't say that I blame them, but the race weekend was supposed to be a net gain for the economy (tourism etc.) so maybe they have gone the wrong way.

Junglist · 17 May 2019 at 11:57

Hopefully will be one of the more interesting Lewis Hamilton interviews.

JRS · 18 May 2019 at 23:06

Alonso is making a bit of a meal out of Indy 500 qualifying. The car handling looks a bit...well, if I was a charitable man I'd call it 'challenging' but I'm not so I shall call it 'evil'. Looks like he's going to have to take part in the final row shootout tomorrow to get onto the grid, when the six cars not qualified in the top 30 go one last time to qualify for the last three spots.

He needs to win this one to get the Triple Crown of Motorsport under either of the definitions usually given for it (Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Monaco GP or Indy, Le Mans and F1 championship). At the rate he's going this weekend, Graham Hill's record is going to stand alone for at least another year...

MissChief · 19 May 2019 at 00:17

JRS said:
Alonso is making a bit of a meal out of Indy 500 qualifying. The car handling looks a bit...well, if I was a charitable man I'd call it 'challenging' but I'm not so I shall call it 'evil'. Looks like he's going to have to take part in the final row shootout tomorrow to get onto the grid, when the six cars not qualified in the top 30 go one last time to qualify for the last three spots.

He needs to win this one to get the Triple Crown of Motorsport under either of the definitions usually given for it (Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Monaco GP or Indy, Le Mans and F1 championship). At the rate he's going this weekend, Graham Hill's record is going to stand alone for at least another year...

Not sure they’ve gone about it the right way. They partnered with Andretti racing last year and they know all about setting up an Indycar. Now that they’ve gone it alone they’re basically learning it all and with one car and curtailed running due to his crash and electrical issues they’re really struggling. He may not even qualify.

JRS · 19 May 2019 at 00:29

MissChief said:
snip

I think it just goes to show that Indy is really quite difficult, and you can rock up with one of the better drivers in the world and still find it hard to make it into the show.

That, or it just goes to show that McLaren are a bunch of incompetent boobs.

YMMV.

Flibster · 19 May 2019 at 02:26

It is a little bit of a shambolic display.

vanpeebles · 19 May 2019 at 11:59

Bundle of tyres in place on the chicane at Thruxton for touring cars

vanpeebles · 19 May 2019 at 12:53

Classic mini racing on the btcc! I could cry with happyness!

JRS · 19 May 2019 at 15:56

vanpeebles said:
Classic mini racing on the btcc! I could cry with happyness!

I genuinely had a monumental grin on my face watching that

Ninco! · 19 May 2019 at 16:06

When they mentioned the return of the Mini's, I thought it was going to be the BMW type - Nope the real deal. Awesome racing.

Always enjoy the Ginetta Juniors.

vanpeebles · 19 May 2019 at 16:20

Ninco! said:
When they mentioned the return of the Mini's, I thought it was going to be the BMW type - Nope the real deal. Awesome racing.

Always enjoy the Ginetta Juniors.

I was the same! When they said minis next, I thought, aye probably the crap ones, then it said classic sevens and miglias, and I was like 0_0

GravyMonster · 19 May 2019 at 17:15

MissChief said:
Not sure they’ve gone about it the right way. They partnered with Andretti racing last year and they know all about setting up an Indycar. Now that they’ve gone it alone they’re basically learning it all and with one car and curtailed running due to his crash and electrical issues they’re really struggling. He may not even qualify.

This year they're partnered with Carlin, but yeah none of their drivers seem to be doing well.

Flibster · 19 May 2019 at 18:17

Pretty soggy at Indy atm.
Personally, stick some wets on them and send them out. May not be fast, but hell, it could be fun to watch.

Ninco! · 19 May 2019 at 20:16

A brilliant documentary on early eighties F1 (1981-2).

Clive James is very sadly missed.

Flibster · 19 May 2019 at 21:16

Ninco! said:
Clive James is very sadly missed.

Whilst still being alive.

But yeah, he was seemingly everyone in the 80's and 90's. Very sharp guy.