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[Psychotext]

Explains why they were so off the pace at the start... that said, to get it back to the extent they did, Newey and his team are beasts.

I wonder if we'll see similar shenanigans this year from the FIA in an attempt to level the field.

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

Poor Timo.

I don't like Wolf, he hated Kimi's radio messages and said some silly thing about it. I can't wait until Lewis throws one of his tantrums on the team and see how he'll react to it

 

[Dilly]

I laughed at this:

Then I cried :/

Interesting interview with Newey out today explaining how their original exhaust configuration for 2012 was banned before it ran in testing.


Full interview

Sums up what state the sport is in.

Rich boys like Chilton buying their way in backmarker teams because they're rich combined with lame technical regulations where some smart bloke that finds a loophole wins a championship. One team dominance isn't doing any favours either. I'd rather have a WEC Prototype class where smart people actually focus on development of interesting technologies that can be relevant to street cars instead of this whole "let's blow hot air on our rear diffuser somehow" shenanigans of the last 3 years.

Can't wait for the new WEC season to kick in, might finally also start watching DTM.

 

[Psychotext]

KERS was supposed to be advantageous to production vehicles... didn't really work out that way though.

If you want them to focus on the core tech though you're going to have to mandate a standard shell, which would be shit. Until that day you'll always find more speed through aero than any other area. (I'd mention allowing continual engine development... but that's never coming back)

 

[Dilly]

LMP1 aren't fixed shells?

 

[Psychotext]

Endurance is as much about fuel economy as speed though. F1 is a very different beast. Not to mention how much more leeway they have with their engines. I'd personally love to see F1 afforded those sort of regs, but those days are gone.

That aside, LMP1 isn't exactly a great advert for competition... given the absolute dominance of one team in recent years. Not to mention the fact that there are only really 2 competitive teams in LMP1 full stop.

 

[Dilly]

Endurance is as much about fuel economy as speed though. F1 is a very different beast. Not to mention how much more leeway they have with their engines. I'd personally love to see F1 afforded those sort of regs, but those days are gone.

That aside, LMP1 isn't exactly a great advert for competition... given the absolute dominance of one team in recent years. Not to mention the fact that there are only really 2 competitive teams in LMP1 full stop.

Which has more to do with not attracting enough teams, which is changing for the next years than shoddy regulations.

Despite that, the fight for winning the LeMans 24h has been more than interesting for the last few years.

 

[Psychotext]

I must say I am looking forward to Porsche... but I digress, it's starting to get a bit off topic.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

The Liana will return this series, Hamilton will have a pop at beating Vettel's time.

 

[DrM]

"What am I doing here"

 

[Pizza Luigi]

That looks so weird.

 

[Ark]

At least Hamilton can promote a more varied bunch of cars now, than the same MP4-12C over and over.

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

"What am I doing here"

Ironically it looks a lot like the McLaren base at a glance.

 

[DrM]

"Fancy bathtub"

 

[Adamm]

He doesn't look too happy

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

He doesn't look too happy

Note to self: Insert the following clause into my next contract; will only stand on level surfaces.

Edit: Sport Bild have spat out a pretty crazy Paddy Lowe rumour; He's off to Mercedes. I can't imagine it's true, but then, they were first with the news of Wolff and Glock.

 

[DrM]

Edit: Sport Bild have spat out a pretty crazy Paddy Lowe rumour; He's off to Mercedes. I can't imagine it's true, but then, they were first with the news of Wolff and Glock.

There have been rumors that Mercedes is after some senior staff from other top teams.

And some more pics with Lewis on http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/01/21/pictures-hamilton-mercedes/

 

[Chris R]

He doesn't look too happy

But hey, at least he is even richer now!

 

[navanman]

Note to self: Insert the following clause into my next contract; will only stand on level surfaces.

Edit: Sport Bild have spat out a pretty crazy Paddy Lowe rumour; He's off to Mercedes. I can't imagine it's true, but then, they were first with the news of Wolff and Glock.

Its not a rumour, its happened already according to those in the know.
I imagine a few McLaren personnel that are unhappy with Hamilton leaving will move over to Mercedes.

Edit:
Looks like Wolff had him down to move to Williams as new technical director, now that he has moved to Mercedes, Lowe follows him there.

The other rumour is that Di Resta could get the boot from Force India too. Same reason as Glock, they need the money!

 

[cmr-94]

Edit: Sport Bild have spat out a pretty crazy Paddy Lowe rumour; He's off to Mercedes. I can't imagine it's true, but then, they were first with the news of Wolff and Glock.

McLaren ‏@TheFifthDriver

Next week Technical Director Paddy Lowe will answer questions ahead of the car reveal and the 2013 season. What would you ask? #AskPaddy

That was on the 17th of January so I suppose things could have conspired since then..however, would have thought it unlikely

Also, Hamilton interview http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/01/21/hamilton-mercedes-compete-top-teams-2013/

 

[DrM]

He would probably end on gardening leave for 6 months, before joining Mercedes. But he could make this move for 2014 season, when Mercedes could have major advantage due to their engine.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Who is Lauda getting fired next?

 

[DrM]

Who is Lauda getting fired next?

Probably Brawn or maybe even himself

 

[navanman]

Who is Lauda getting fired next?

Bobby Bell getting the sack with Lowe taking his place is the rumour. Brawn would stay as team principal for the moment but I imagine Wolff is eyeing up that job.

 

[navanman]

After such a quiet pre- season things have gone mental in the last week. Makes a nice change.

 

[Ark]

After such a quiet pre- season things have gone mental in the last week. Makes a nice change.

People have to make their gambles for 2014.

I'm really getting sick of this pay-driver formula. When sponsorship money becomes more important than raw talent, something is wrong. Very wrong.

 

[PdotMichael]

Alonso claims that he turned down several Red Bull offers

http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/v...he_turned_down_Red_Bull_offers_several_times/

Very nice of Alonso that he doesn't want to drive a Newey car.

 

[brotkasten]

He doesn't look too happy

Is that better?

 

[Psychotext]

Alonso claims that he turned down several Red Bull offers

I wish he'd shut it with the PR all the time. He's a fantastic racer, I'd just rather he'd drop the politics and get on with it.

 

[Ark]

I wish he'd shut it with the PR all the time. He's a fantastic racer, I'd just rather he'd drop the politics and get on with it.

Vettel did the same thing with Ferrari..

 

[Psychotext]

Yeah... and he's getting to be nearly as bad as Alonso too.

 

[Adam Scott Aukerman]

He would probably end on gardening leave for 6 months, before joining Mercedes. But he could make this move for 2014 season, when Mercedes could have major advantage due to their engine.

He definitely would, and given that 5thDriver tweet, it would indicate that if this is the real deal, it's a very recent decision and he wouldn't be joining Mercedes until June/july. He could have a decent impact on the 2014 car by then, but it's not ideal.

The part of the rumour that really makes me sceptical though is the idea that Lowe is just following Wolff. I'd think for Lowe to be tempted away from McLaren to Williams, he'd have to have a desire to build up an ailing team in the similar way to what Newey has done with Red Bull, and going to Mercedes is something else entirely - and probably not something you'd decide in a rush.

I also don't buy into this belief that Mercedes are going to have a massive advantage over their engine customers next year.

 

[Xun]

But hey, at least he is even richer now!

Is this even confirmed?

 

[Shaneus]

Sums up what state the sport is in.

Rich boys like Chilton buying their way in backmarker teams because they're rich combined with lame technical regulations where some smart bloke that finds a loophole wins a championship. One team dominance isn't doing any favours either. I'd rather have a WEC Prototype class where smart people actually focus on development of interesting technologies that can be relevant to street cars instead of this whole "let's blow hot air on our rear diffuser somehow" shenanigans of the last 3 years.

Can't wait for the new WEC season to kick in, might finally also start watching DTM.

Pretty much. I do love the sport for what it is (or what it was) but it's getting to a point where if you haven't got a metric fuckload of financial backing then you're fucked. Remember a time when guys were able to enter in their own fucking cars... and win?

Like I said, I'm mad for it, but there's a part of me that hopes that F1 implodes on itself and they have to get closer to what it was back in the 80s and early 90s. Or even just have some restrictions that allow as many teams as possible to operate on the same playing field, rather than those with the biggest access to cashola being able to exploit the system the most.

Is there a list of the team budgets available for 2012 anywhere? I'd be curious to see what each team is operating with (and how efficient each of them are with it).

 

[brotkasten]

I thought we established that we always had "pay drivers" in F1?

 

[Ark]

I thought we established that we always had "pay drivers" in F1?

It seems worse now more than ever though.

@Shaneus: The size of a team's budget isn't everything, look at Toyota.

 

[navanman]

I thought we established that we always had "pay drivers" in F1?

Agree, this is just returning to the normal balance of things IMO. The last 3 years has probably seen the least amount of paid drivers on the grid in the last 30 years.

2013 is going to be one of the most expensive years to compete in since 2008. Teams effectively have 2 radically different cars to design.
By May/June, the teams will have to start designing the cars with the new 2014 regulations in mind, all the while keeping up some type of active development on the current car.
The higher up the grid you are the more this cost will be as the top teams will be pushing hard on winning races.

 

[Igo]

Agree, this is just returning to the normal balance of things IMO. The last 3 years has probably seen the least amount of paid drivers on the grid in the last 30 years.

There were probably less pay drivers in the 06-08 period when Toyota, Honda, Super Aguri and BMW were still on the grid.

 

[Big Takeover]

The problem isn't at the back, it's at the front. F1 is in desperate need of another apex manufacturer that can not only field a top tier team, but provide for the mid/lower teams too.

 

[Shaneus]

It seems worse now more than ever though.

@Shaneus: The size of a team's budget isn't everything, look at Toyota.

True, but it's a lot.

I think I'm less arguing about pay drivers (it sucks, though) but more that there are teams who can afford to pay their drivers tens of millions on top of what they pay their chief staff, while other teams practically have to beg for cash. If everyone was on the same lower limit, there'd still be the level of ingenuity required to get the most out of the car, they just have another restriction to work with alongside the actual design regulations required. And they wouldn't have to rely (at least, not as much) on the drivers bringing in cash.

It'd be difficult to police, but I think something needs to be done so the lower teams (and hell, even a mid-tier one or two) don't have to resort to it to stay in the sport. That way, they don't need to go for the guy who brings in the most as there'd be a limit to how much they can contribute to the team.

 

[Tempy]

"Red Bull confirms Buemi as reserve driver"

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/289554/red-bull-confirms-buemi-as-reserve-driver/

 

[brotkasten]

"Red Bull confirms Buemi as reserve driver"

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/289554/red-bull-confirms-buemi-as-reserve-driver/

As reserve driver? Then what are they going to do with Webber?

 

[Psychotext]

His brakes (and legs) will fail in the first race.

Shaneus will hunt down Helmut Marko and beat him to death live on the internet.

 

[navanman]

Looks like a real shakeup at Mercedes by Lauda if rumours are true. Next up for the sack is Ross Brawn.

Mercedes want to replace team principal Ross Brawn as part of a restructure aimed at improving the team's performance.
The proposal is to replace Brawn, who masterminded Michael Schumacher's seven world titles at Benetton and Ferrari, with two new appointments.
New executive director Toto Wolff is the first of these and he agreed a deal to bring in McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe.
Their intended job titles are not clear but Wolff, 41, will likely be team boss and figurehead with Lowe, 50, running the sporting and technical aspects of the team.

BBC News, Andrew Benson

 

[Psychotext]

Looks like a real shakeup at Mercedes by Lauda if rumours are true. Next up for the sack is Ross Brawn.

Mercedes want to replace team principal Ross Brawn as part of a restructure aimed at improving the team's performance.
The proposal is to replace Brawn, who masterminded Michael Schumacher's seven world titles at Benetton and Ferrari, with two new appointments.
New executive director Toto Wolff is the first of these and he agreed a deal to bring in McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe.
Their intended job titles are not clear but Wolff, 41, will likely be team boss and figurehead with Lowe, 50, running the sporting and technical aspects of the team.

BBC News, Andrew Benson

Was just about to post that... saved me some time.

 

[brotkasten]

Wolff bailing on Williams still baffles me a bit. He got promoted and was supposed to take Frank's role, but I guess Mercedes just had the better offer. Still a shame.

e: Stupid question time: Everyone mentions Lauda making decisions at Mercedes. We're not talking about Nicki Lauda, right?

 

[navanman]

Stupid question time: Everyone mentions Lauda making decisions at Mercedes. We're not talking about Nicki Lauda, right?

The one and only. Came in as top dog on Mercedes motorsport board room last year and is looking to shake things up.

 

[navanman]

Teleconference with Wolff on now with F1 journalists:

Toto Wolff says that he wants Ross Brawn to stay at Mercedes F1 team. Can't say anything about Paddy Lowe rumour

 

[brotkasten]

The one and only. Came in as top dog on Mercedes motorsport board room last year and is looking to shake things up.

Interesting, I totally missed that. He wasn't that great at Jaguar, but everyone deserves a second chance, I guess.

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Teleconference with Wolff on now with F1 journalists:

Brawn is toast!

I knew he wouldn't see in the 2014 season with Mercedes, he's been an absolute disaster for them.

The Jordan has spoken:

Paddy Lowe is going to Mercedes and it would appear that Brawn and Fry are on their way out, and Lowe will be there in a very senior capacity,"

"Lowe won't be technical director; he'll be more senior than that. But he won't be called team principal either,"

"because that will be Wolff. But Lowe will effectively be running the team on a day-to-day basis."

Christian Nimmervoll ‏@MST_ChristianN
hear that ross #brawn is not at all happy with recent developments at #MercedesAMGF1 and indicated he might consider resignation.