F1; The Official 2017 Thread

[matthewb0051]

I don't see how Toro Rosso can tolerate Kvyat much longer. The guy is a menace.


Interesting Pirelli tyre situation for Ferrari at the end of the race.


I think this WDC will go down to the wire. The constructor's not so much unless Ferrari can get some 1 / 2's. Otherwise, it is Mercedes' to lose.


Listening to the NBCSN guys on Friday and Saturday discussing Hammy skipping the London event. They wanted so badly to say he is a tool for doing that but just couldn't bring themselves to say it. Hobbs got close and almost said it under his breath.

Very cool photo in the pre-race of Hobbs in the '68? British GP.

[rusnak]

The amount of ghetto mamma-ing that Wolff does over Hamilton has gotten unseemly.

Wolff rubbishes reports of a rift | PlanetF1 : PlanetF1

Could you even picture Jean Todt, Ron Dennis, or Frank Williams standing on the rooftops screaming that "mah baby such a good boy, wah he evah done wrong!" ?

[matthewb0051]

What a toss pot, both of them.

“Before his home race at Silverstone and after rough weekends in Baku and Austria to treat the local superstar in that way is absolutely against how l see things.

That is utter nonsense. Try this Toto: for Lewis to treat the fans this way when he claims that they mean the world to him is rubbish. In reality, they should have booed him but instead chose to love him at the race. The media were right in questioning his agenda when EVERY OTHER DRIVER ATTENDED THE EVENT.

Hammy just comes off as disingenuous which is why I cannot stand to listen to him or watch him. Think about the podium yesterday, congratulating Bottas on his race. Yep he will do that so long as he wins. Twice this year he has asked the team to back Bottas up when Hammy was further down the field, simply to help his race and without regard to Bottas' race.

“I give him freedom to organise his days in the way he wants. If he feels being away from Formula 1 environment, being with his friends, helps him extract performance then so be it

But as his employer, you could have told him to be there. I wonder if Bottas decided to not attend the London event if that would have been allowed. Five bucks says no way.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

I don't see how Toro Rosso can tolerate Kvyat much longer. The guy is a menace.

This is on kvyat's helmet. ISYN!

[legion]

1) Kvyatt needs a pink slip ASAP. He does not belong in F1. He belongs at my county fairgrounds in the demolition derby. I feel like he'd get thrown out of NASCAR after a couple of races (and probably get beaten up for his antics too).

2) Alonso needs to just move to IndyCar. The prospects of him getting in a good car look dim. Some of that is his own fault.

3) I feel like we have a 4-way fight for the title between Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, and Ricciardo.

4) WTF was up with Ferrari's left front tire on lap 50?

5) Verstappen would be in contention too if he didn't have such bad luck in the opening laps.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

This is on kvyat's helmet. ISYN!

There is embracing your reputation then there is this. What a knob.

[matthewb0051]

[QUOTE=legion;9666042]
2) Alonso needs to just move to IndyCar. The prospects of him getting in a good car look dim. Some of that is his own fault.

[QUOTE]


IDK. I would move to some other European formula, WEC, GP Masters, something. The Iowa Corn 300 is just not appealing and a far fall from Monaco, Monza, Spa, etc.

[sammyg2]

One thing to remember about kvyat, he brings with him a sheetload of sponsorship money. Cubic. I've heard it was $20 million pounds/year.
Or at least he did when he started, not sure if it still applies.
Basically bought the ride with his sponsors.

[matthewb0051]

Pretty sure Maldonado brought a considerable amount of money as well. That only lasted for so long though.

Seems like Kvyat has been in F1 about as long as Maldonado was at this point. Time to move along.

[Deschodt]

Some rumors from insider mags I read yesterday... guesses I'm sure, but generally good...

Sainz is in line to go to Renault - RB wants $8Mil to "liberate" him but Renault Spain is very keen to have him, big commercial tie-in... the fly in that ointment is Robert Kubica who might make a come back with Renault as well. Super talented but physically diminished... Who do you pick ? Either way Palmer is out. Renault also wanted Ocon but he's pretty locked up by Mercedes apparently, suggesting they keep him as a potential replacement for a short term bottas or retiring Hamilton in the future..

Bottas is a done deal at Merc and Ferrari told Fernando to pound sand. Sounds like ALO will stay at McLaren *if* they dump Honda but otherwise he's gone...

Sauber apparently dumped Honda - never signed the contract that was announced a few months back - team boss job got taken over by Fred Vasseur who talked to mclaren a lot, and thinks Honda will remain crap, and wants a deal with Ferrari or Mercedes instead.

Apparently it's also possible Honda will buy a team so they can do it at their pace, they have a longer window of development (7 years total) which is incompatible with McLaren - and because they'd be out of engine customers.... possibly Sauber but that doesn't jive with the above, or enter a new team, which I am sure F1 would welcome... Toro rosso is always for sale...

That's all I remember....

[yellowperil]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Pretty sure Maldonado brought a considerable amount of money as well. That only lasted for so long though.

Seems like Kvyat has been in F1 about as long as Maldonado was at this point. Time to move along.

Yes, Kvyat and Maldonado are very much alike, except he's (Kvyat) unlikely to ever
win a race. Maldonado at least has that going for him.

[Aragorn]

Just a quick comment on Verstappen. I see him as a driver who has great talent but puts himself in bad situations by being too aggressive at the wrong moments. Monaco 2015 comes to mind as does a few other races this season.

As far as Alonso, I think he has proved that he still has the talent and the desire to win in any good car he drives. Maybe a year in IndyCar is just what he needs to get his career back on track. Raikkonen seemed to get recharged in Rally and Nascar Trucks and came back to win with Lotus in 2012.

Ferrari seems to have fallen apart in the last few races. Hamilton seems to have the momentum to push for the championship. I think Vettel is too preoccupied with Hamilton to concentrate on car prep and winning.

[Deschodt]

So the halo is in.... Put that in your pipe and smoke it for a second...

All that effort to make the cars look better and they stick a flip flop on top of the cockpit.
Damn... I hate making useless threats nobody cares about (Felicia?) but I may quit watching F1 and hope many others do just to send a message...

This is stupid... Those are well paid drivers who for the most part accept the risk. 9/10 team are against it. Halo would not have helped Massa or Bianchi. It might trap drivers in a fire... FIA at its best "lawsuit scared"....

just enclose the cars like a sports car then... Not the flip flop....

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

So the halo is in.... Halo would not have helped Massa or Bianchi. ....

I'm with you.

The Halo may have deflected the spring that hit Massa, straight into his unprotected chest. As it was, it hit him in the one protected place on his soft flesh. Imagine my 'what if', the halo deflects the spring into Massa's chest or throat and kills him.

And when did we last see a spring hit someone in the head?

This would not have helped Jules either or Senna. I'm just not sure I see the point.

What if Alonso had one in Australia 2016? Could or would it have broken off and impaled him?

[Deschodt]

Spa with the halo. Top notch view

[TheMentat]

^^^ LOL... awesome...

[oldE]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Spa with the halo. Top notch view

Now there is an example of mindless BS. Not the Halo, but the image which purports to be the view past the Halo. The Halo is above the driver's helmet. The driver's sight line is just above the nose of the car.

I wonder how long before someone manages to get downforce with one.

Best
Les

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by oldE

I wonder how long before someone manages to get downforce with one.

Best
Les

Not sure if they are allowed to mod the halo, Suspect it will be a standardized item, like a HANS device.

[astrochex]

I think the halo is an abomination. Its not something teams or drivers want, it limits driver visibility and egress, and it may only be useful in a one in a millionth scenario.

If they implement it next year, I will be done with F1 after over 30yrs of being a fan. If Robert Kubica is driving, however, I will monitor his progress.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by astrochex

I think the halo is an abomination. Its not something teams or drivers want, it limits driver visibility and egress, and it may only be useful in a one in a millionth scenario.

If they implement it next year, I will be done with F1 after over 30yrs of being a fan. If Robert Kubica is driving, however, I will monitor his progress.

I find it strange that , the halo, of all things, would be the thing that makes somebody stop watching F1.

I stopped ages ago, because it's gotten boring.
Which is a function of lack of exitement , to much downforce, ***** sounding engines and drivers that have about as much entertainment value as a funeral director in interviews.. stuff like that...

The halo, quite frankly, I can imagine the drivers not liking it, it looks a bit silly , but then again so does everything on a modern F1 car if you compare it the old F1 cars.. to much gimmicks. Form follows function and all that crap.. It's the function that makes something unwatchable, and the Halo isn't really a function that has any impact on intertainment value... at all..