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Pretty boring race. The only point of interest was the pit stop strategy, which worked for Vettel. If this is going to be what the rest of the year is like...yawn. Curious how many one stop races we will see.
Good to see Ferrari give MB a challenge. It will be interesting to see how much competition Buttocks will give Hamilton at MB.
Australia is always a wierd race and not indicative of the season. All the teams will make adjustments. Good to see 2 top constructors on level ground for once.
OUT UNTIL SOCHI? THE CURIOUS CASE OF PASCAL WEHRLEIN AND F1 SUPER SUB GIOVINAZZI
This is very, very strange.
Absolutely not about his fitness.
Clash of Mercedes backed and Toto managed driver in Ferrari backed team, Ferrari wanting Giovinazzi up to speed for 2018 - maybe for a Haas drive, Maybe a Haas drive when Hass inevitably ditch Kevin or when Grosjean goes to Ferrari, Sauber not paying his salary (they have form for that), Pascal already has a reputation for being a Prima Donna and difficult to work with... did he throw his toys out of the pram again?
But it's 100% not about his fitness/bad back
"As the Wheels Turn", the continuing soap opera of F1.
The whole not fit enough story sure sounding fishy.
Too good to miss
Pascal Wehrlein sits another Grand Prix out, a risky move in a risky business?
Only he knows for sure.
But Pascal Wehrlein must also know that he is playing a game more dangerous in the longer term than squirting an oddball three-wheeler around a Miami stadium as part of a bit-of-fluff event.
The back injury he sustained in January’s Race of Champions has caused him to miss the first test at Barcelona and all bar the Friday practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix.
It has now been confirmed that he will miss this weekend’s Chinese GP, too, and that his participation in Bahrain is in doubt.
Back in time for Sochi? It’s Russian Roulette.
The 22-year-old German insists that he has recovered from the injury but not yet the hole that it knocked in his pre-season training.
Such precaution is understandable given that the new cars, the fastest in history, place a greater physical demand on drivers. But although Formula 1 has changed with the times and become less risk-averse, old attitudes are ingrained.
Sauber is supportive of Wehrlein. For now. As were we all, it was impressed by the performance of Italian stand-in Antonio Giovinazzi in Melbourne, in a car much improved from the one that Wehrlein experienced in Barcelona.
And with that, the undeniably talented individual, who last winter was under consideration for the best seat in the house alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes-Benz – ironically he says that a lack of experience cost him the job – is on a career precipice. Already overlooked by Force India, now Wehrlein’s mental toughness is being called into question.
Thirty years ago another hot property arrived in Australia and flunked. Stefano Modena, the newly crowned Formula 3000 champion, replaced Riccardo Patrese at Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham, qualified mid-grid for the season finale and called it quits, knackered, after 31 of 82 laps in Adelaide.
An opportunity he couldn’t refuse had worked against him, and five subsequent seasons of F1, including podium finishes in Monaco and Montreal, were insufficient to wash away the stain.
His stuff wasn’t right.
Macho F1 demands unreasonable acts, not measured responses. Men who spring from steaming wreckage and sprint to the pits to grab the spare; men who sit in a hip-bath of petrol because they have broken their neck to be there; and men who drive with bandaged burned hands lest their team founder in the aftermath of the sudden death of its founder.
Men like Derek Warwick, Nigel Mansell and Denny Hulme; men you’d want on your side in a pub fight.
Of course, if Jackie Stewart were on your side, chances are that there would be mediation instead – chaired by a man bestowed everlasting respect for scoring a most remarkable GP victory at the world’s most dangerous circuit with a broken wrist laced tightly into a plastic cast.
And Stewart reckons Niki Lauda’s comeback at Monza in 1976 the bravest sporting act he has witnessed, the Austrian peeling strips of fried skin from his scalp every time he removed his crash helmet.
The cerebral Lauda was not averse to reasoned response. It’s just that Ferrari had gone behind his back and signed Carlos Reutemann, not a name on Niki’s dance card, as replacement. There was no way on God’s green Earth that Lauda was going to let the Argentinian benefit from his hard work at the Scuderia.
Hence his unreasonable act of bringing his return forward.
There could be no questioning his mental toughness after that – even though Lauda later admitted that he was terrified. Nor after he had withdrawn from the title showdown with James Hunt at a flooded Fuji. He had earned the right to do so. Everybody thought so – except Enzo Ferrari.
The latter measured his drivers against the most daring of all: Tazio Nuvolari.
When in 1925 a try-out of a GP Alfa Romeo at Monza ended with a fiery crash, Nuvolari discharged himself early from hospital on the agreement that he would do nothing ‘imprudent’.
His understanding of that word must have differed from that of his doctors, for he had himself patched and padded in such a way that he could swing a leg over a 350cc Bianchi motorbike.
In this trussed fashion he was able to win the GP of Nations at Monza. Though no doubt he rejoiced at the race’s shortening from 400 to 300km because of bad weather, his was still a 2hr 25min battle against rivals, the elements and pain.
Nine years later he broke his left leg when he crashed a Maserati 8CM – Nuvolari blamed a quartet of baulking Scuderia Ferrari Tipo Bs – at Alessandria in April 1934.
Five weeks later, leg in plaster and the Maserati jury-rigged so that he could operate all its pedals with his good right leg, he finished fifth in the Avusrennen, despite using tyres unsuited to the wet conditions.
The following week, however, even he had to admit physical defeat after six laps of the Eifelrennen at the bone-jarring Nürburgring. But, like Lauda, he had earned the right to do so.
For all Wehrlein’s achievements to date, he has yet to be so accorded, hence the sniping at his perceived weakness.
He and his handlers must have their reasons for the decisions taken. For their sakes I hope that they meet with the somewhat twisted needs and values extant in modern F1, no matter how compassionate it purports to be.
Meanwhile, Giovinazzi must be rubbing his gloves. Might he, with useful Sauber experience behind him, next winter be under consideration for the best seat in the house – alongside Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari?
Only he knows for sure.
Great race in China.
Verstappen's first lap, Vettel's passes.
The China Grand Prix was much more entertaining than the Australia GP. More passes and plenty of strategy. Hopefully there won't be too many more races that run at 1:00 AM in my time zone.
Alonso to skip Monaco GP to contest Indy 500
Wow.
Quote:
Fernando Alonso is to make a shock assault on the Indianapolis 500 this year, and will therefore skip the clashing Monaco Grand Prix.
The surprise move has come against the backdrop of a disappointing start to the 2017 Formula 1 season for the Spaniard, with the McLaren-Honda package not delivering all that had been hoped.
However, despite Monaco perhaps offering McLaren its best chance of a result early in the campaign, the lure of contesting the iconic Indy 500 has proved too much for Alonso.
Following weeks of secret talks involving Honda, McLaren and Alonso, agreement has been reached for the two-time F1 champion to race in a McLaren-Honda entry run by Andretti Autosport, which will be painted in McLaren's iconic orange livery.
It will be Alonso’s first attempt on IndyCar’s most famous race and his first experience of oval racing.
“I’m immensely excited that I’ll be racing in this year’s Indy 500, with McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport," said the Spaniard.
Yes it was. And with the new cars this year laps time were 4+ seconds faster per lap than last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grange
I think that is cool. At least I will be paying attention to Indy this year. Just happened to catch it last year in Hawaii only to watch an f1 super-licensed driver win it. (Fuel strategy notwithstanding). Would love to see Alonso (Zac Brown's best driver in the world) (can't argue with him) come to grips with the brickyard. More power to him and McLaren-Honda.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
Alonso and Montoya will both be fast at Indy. Hopefully the Honda has oval speed this year.
It's very, very cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by wickstad
Hopefully he gets his Le Mans chance soon to... Although I don't see Honda letting him drive a Porsche or Toyota LMP1 car... or for that matter Honda building him one.
I think the story remains Alonso at Indy. Even though this f1 season is really interesting. As much as these Indy car guys are perceived as crazy by the f1 guys, Indy itself is not the normal high banked oval track that typical American race fans are used to. I think it was David Hobbes today who said it's more like spa with the high speed corners. And then you have Will Buxton relaying what Alexander Rossi told him (a skateboard on an ice rink) to Fernando Alonso and Alonso's reaction. I can imagine Alonso seeking out Michael Andretti or even perhaps the other way around...what would that conversation be like? "It's really hard to win here..."?
I guess if you can't compete in F1 you might as well step.down a series.
Good race today. Erase that 5 sec penalty and it would have been a great race. Stoked to watch Indy this year. Alonso might have a car that will finish a race. What a disaster for Honda in F1. Who would have predicted this?
Why does NBCSN keep moving their damn schedule of F1 around? Yesterday the schedule was for 11am CST and when I got up this morning it was moved to 3pm CST. The race is now TV now, but the results are in. The race is still entertaining, but a little anti-climatic.
it was on cnbc this morning, i think.
Yeah. But I wouldn't have known that unless I watched fp2 or qualifying. Sorry. Should have posted it here.
Pretty sweet race. Hamilton better outqualify his teammate if he wants to start on the clean side of the track. Oh wait...how'd that work out for Senna?
I'd have loved to see Max Verstappen finish the race. The kid's driving has been fun to watch so far this season.
The kid is incredible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grange
It's going to be interesting to see how or if Ricciardo can come up with an answer to him.
trust me don't look for video of this poor kid's accident... tragic
British Formula 4 racer Billy Monger has lost both of his lower legs after a horrific crash during last weekend's final Donington Park race.
The 17-year-old JHR Developments driver collided with Patrik Pasma after being completely unsighted as the Finn’s car was stranded at Schwantz Curve.
Monger had to be airlifted to hospital after medics took nearly two hours to extract him from his car, but the extent of his injuries has emerged only now.
Ugh fuck. Reading a detailed description was enough for me to not watch the video. Crazy how long it took to extract him from the carQuote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
In somewhat cheerier newsQuote:
Originally Posted by abraham
Ex-Formula 1 racer Robert Kubica tested a single-seater racing car for the first time in six years on Wednesday, completing laps in a GP3 car at Franciacorta Circuit in Italy
Qualifying is on CNBC. It looks like it will be replayed on NBCSN but live on CNBC. Race looks like it's on NBCSN. Beautiful shots today from Sochi.
Hello! Anybody home? We have a bonafide championship duel! Bottas vs. Vettel!
I caught the last 10 seconds of qualifying Saturday. I returned home Sunday afternoon and watched the last 5 laps. That was enough to fill me up for quite a while. Nice to see Kimi grab another fastest lap and as always, his interview was deadpan awesome. Saw that Sauber is going to run Honda "powerunits" next year, looks like Fred will have some company on the DNS walk in the future.
Yea, no shit. malaysian-gp-promoter-felt-ripped-off-by-ecclestone
https://rockyriver4.wikispaces.com/f...48609/yawn.jpg
The Indycars are fast this year. Alonzo right on the white line.
And ugly...Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
Alonso up to speed today. No surprise. A sure threat for poll. Fast Friday tomorrow.
Bourdais at 233+ mph today. Montoya fastest Chevy. This is gong to be a good race.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...friday-8867140 Incredible. Obviously still a crap shoot but the "what ifs" are starting to become less blurry.
Honda owning most of the field....they can't even finish on the F1 circuitQuote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
Watching some practice rounds helped me get over their ugliness for the 230MPH speeds
Alonso in fast nine.
Bourdais accident just brutal..
You probably wouldn't catch Alonso at a Taco Bell.
Dixon, Franchitti robbed at gunpoint at Taco Bell
Because F1 drivers a soooo above the rest.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
errrrr. yeah.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
This is interesting.
McLaren has not charged its F1 sponsors any extra for the branding and exposure they are receiving from its Indianapolis 500 venture with Fernando Alonso.
Not sure how much it helps them. I suspect the people in the high rise hotels and yachts are more likely to buy a McLaren then the yahoos at the brick yard. Drunken Brits watching from the hillside excepted.