2019 F1 News and Prediction Tournament

[pharvey]

Vettel was not a happy bunny!

I''ve got Hamilton to win, but Verstappen is looking very good.....

[Nereus]

Results
Pos Driver Time Pts
1 L. Hamilton
Mercedes·#44 1:21:08.452 26
2 V. Bottas
Mercedes·#77 +24.928s 18
3 C. Leclerc
Ferrari·#16 +30.117s 15
4 P. Gasly
Red Bull·#10 +34.692s 12
5 M. Verstappen
Red Bull·#33 +39.458s 10
6 C. Sainz Jr.
McLaren·#55 +53.639s 8
7 D. Ricciardo
Renault·#3 +54.401s 6
8 K. Räikkönen
Alfa Romeo·#7 +65.540s 4
9 D. Kvyat
Toro Rosso·#26 +66.720s 2
10 N. Hülkenberg
Renault·#27 +72.733s 1
11 L. Norris
McLaren·#4 +74.281s 0
12 A. Albon
Toro Rosso·#23 +75.617s 0
13 L. Stroll
Racing Point·#18 +81.086s 0
14 G. Russell
Williams·#63 +1 Lap 0
15 R. Kubica
Williams·#88 +1 Lap 0
16 S. Vettel
Ferrari·#5 +1 Lap 0
17 S. Pérez
Racing Point·#11 +1 Lap 0
18 A. Giovinazzi
Alfa Romeo·#99 DNF 0
19 R. Grosjean
Haas·#8 DNF 0
20 K. Magnussen
Haas·#20 DNF 0
..........................................................................................

Vettel was not a happy bunny!

And got his just deserts!

[Nereus]

'What the f***': Crazy moment rocks British Grand Prix

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/british-gra ... 27569.html

Max Verstappen admits he's not sure how he finished the British Grand Prix after a bizarre crash involving Sebastian Vettel.

The Red Bull driver had just overtaken the four-time Formula One world champion, who attempted to regain his place immediately but misjudged the manoeuvre and crashed straight into the back of Verstappen.

The Dutchman went momentarily airborne as he skidded over a kerb and into the gravel, but somehow recovered to finish fifth.

Vettel, meanwhile, was forced to pit and, having been handed a 10-second penalty, came home in 16th, second-last of those to complete the race.

“What the f***?” Verstappen said over the radio.

The Dutchman could also be heard over team radio asking how there was not greater damage to his car and afterwards expressed his amazement at being able to make it to the chequered flag.

"I was catching Seb, managing the tyres a bit, then I went for it, got around the outside. Then I defended into 17 but got rear-ended," Verstappen said.

"We already spoke to each other and he apologised. I honestly don't know how I brought that car to the finish.
"I think my power steering failed. My seat was out so every time braking I was moving forward. At corners I was moving left and right.

To his credit, Vettel took full responsibility for the crash after the race.
“It was my mistake,” Vettel told Sky Sports F1.

“He passed me into Stowe, he ran a bit wide which gave me the chance to run back. Then it looked for a second he was going to the right and I went to the left, but it didn’t open and it was already too late and I crashed.”

Lewis Hamilton made the most of the drama to claim a record sixth British Grand Prix victory at a packed Silverstone.
The defending five-time world champion clocking fastest lap on his final lap to finish 25 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate and nearest title rival Valtteri Bottas after an action-packed contest.

The Briton moved 39 points clear of the Finn behind in the title race, but Bottas was unlucky with the timing of the safety car which effectively gave Hamilton a free pit stop.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was third.

Pierre Gasly finished fourth ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Verstappen, following the incident with Vettel.

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[pharvey]

^ What is going on in that petulant Germanic head?

Is it arogance, petulance or simply frustration at not "making the grade" at the moment? What the hell does it mean simply giving him a 10 second penalty when his race was ultimately finished - he could well have put MV out of the race or worse. The muppet should be docked points (or a race) for that move!

Congrats to LH on his record breaking 6th GB F1 win, but Bottas was unlucky with the timing of the Safety Car - which IMHO should not have been out.

Quite exciting race overall I thought.

[pharvey]

F1 Regulations Look to Reinvent Racing and Bring Back ‘Wow Factor’

"Formula One has revealed details on its proposed plans to improve the racing with new regulations for 2021 that are set to be officially confirmed in October. Ross Brawn, F1’s sporting director, has been leading the investigation of ways to reinvent the sport. The most detailed version of their vision, including an intent to bring back the “wow” factor, was unveiled on Wednesday.

F1 revealed four categories on which it has been working: more raceable cars; more competitive grids; ensuring cars that are attractive; and a financially viable championship. Of most interest to fans and drivers has long been the pursuit of cars that can follow one another more closely, enabling more overtaking, potentially without the artificial aid of DRS. Lewis Hamilton is among those to have called on F1 and the FIA to impose their proposals without allowing the teams to have a say. [I'd be very suprised if Ferrari don't get a say!!]

The central proposal is to reintroduce ground effect, to produce downforce from under the car rather than eternal aerodynamic components. Estimates are it will decrease the loss in downforce in chasing cars from 50% to 5-10%. To further the impact, harder, more durable tyres will be employed, with F1’s chief technical officer, Pat Symonds, admitting they had asked “completely the wrong thing” of Pirelli for the last two years in requesting high-degradation rubber.

Recognising that fans wanted to see aesthetically pleasing cars racing, the FIA and F1 will work with an automotive stylist to attempt to ensure an attractive design is reflected in the regulations. Nicholas Tombazis, the FIA’s head of single-seater technical matters, said they wanted “a car that promotes a certain amount of passion and a ‘wow factor’”.

After the last two rounds at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone delivered superb racing, with drivers emphasising that it was the track layouts that promoted the competition, there has also been a commitment to analysing circuits to pursue a new philosophy of what F1 should do in track terms in future.

In pursuing a more competitive grid, Brawn said the aerodynamic regulations would be more prescriptive, with the intent of preventing a team discovering a silver bullet that would give them a major advantage. They were also investigating putting more emphasis on the driver, with the removal of some driver aids, a reduction of telemetry and proposing that the drivers manage tyre wear and heating rather than relying on instruction from engineers.

F1 has already agreed to impose a cost cap of $175m for 2021 but now also proposes the imposition of some standardised parts to further cut costs. They include wheel rims, brakes, radiators and pit equipment, alongside a ban on hydraulic suspension systems."

Taken From: - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... wow-factor

[Nereus]

Daniel Ricciardo at centre of extraordinary $18m lawsuit

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/daniel-ricc ... S-jv8YT8uX

Daniel Ricciardo's former advisor is suing the Australian for more than £10 million (AU$18 million) over alleged unpaid commissions following the driver’s move to Renault.

Autosport has revealed Ricciardo's ex-agent Glenn Beavis is claiming the damages in the United Kingdom High Court of Justice.

Ricciardo shocked the sport last year when he announced he would leave Red Bull to take up a two-year deal with Renault ahead of the 2019 F1 season.

The 30-year-old subsequently split with Beavis, ending a partnership that began in 2012, to sign with American talent agency giants CAA Sports.

Earlier this month, Beavis served claims that he is owed a debt of 20 per cent commission on Ricciardo's base salary at Renault and a number of contractual details.

Ricciardo denies that to be the case and will fight Beavis in court.

"There is no substance to Glenn Beavis's claim," Ricciardo told Autosport.
"It is unfortunate that he has decided to bring this wholly unmeritorious claim which I intend to fully defend in the court process."

Long-term discussions pay off

According to the documents filed by Beavis, he first discussed the driver’s move to Renault midway through 2017.

Based on Beavis's claim for £10m (AU$18m) it is suggested that Ricciardo's base salary with Renault is more than £20m – or AU$35m – per year.

"In December 2018, Beavis claims Ricciardo wanted to terminate their agreement with immediate effect," Autosport reports.

"This was delayed until the end of January 2019 as Beavis allegedly requested time to complete the long-form of the Renault F1 driver contracts.

"However, according to the claim these contracts were not finalised and signed by the end of January and Beavis continued to provide services to Ricciardo beyond that date.

"Ricciardo's Renault contract was eventually concluded on March 7, 10 days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix."

The issues behind the lawsuit

The court claims comes after Beavis, who submitted an invoice for the 20 per cent fee, says he was informed twice that he was not due any commission from the Renault contract.

He is said to have been told first in early April by a company acting on behalf of Ricciardo and his company, and again in late May by Ricciardo's lawyers.

Other aspects to the £10m claim include commission on potential deals for two brand ambassador roles and an appearance in an F1 film.

[Nereus]

F1 bosses establish 'rule breaking' group for 2021 rules

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/f1-bosses-e ... 26121.html

With F1 and the FIA now in discussions with teams about finalising the details of the new car concept, there is a determination to ensure that the aims of delivering better racing are not derailed by teams exploiting grey areas in the rules.

The chief concern is that teams could find ways to exploit the regulations to boost their own speed which at the same time wreck F1's efforts to help cars follow each other closely.

Current data from the latest concept of 2021 car shows that the loss of downforce when following another rival closely has been reduced from the 45 percent at present to between five and 10 percent.

More on F1 2021:

Explained: F1’s 2021 blueprint aimed at making the racing betterTech analysis: F1’s 2021 changes by the numbersBrawn rejects "nonsense" complaints 2021 cars will look alike

The FIA’s head of single-seater technical matters Nikolas Tombazis says that an unprecedented effort is now being made to ensure that the work on a car design that allows good racing is not derailed.

“There is work there to ‘break the rules’ - what was lacking in previous attempts [to change things],” said Tombazis.
“With new regulations, it is an opportunity to really try to push them to the extreme, and see ourselves if certain areas have loopholes, or if other unintended consequences would emerge from the rules.

“If we have an opportunity to do this ourselves, then it means we may avoid some certain rules that otherwise could create problems later.

My colleagues at F1, in their aero department, have now put a hat on. It is not as a rule maker, it is like an aero team trying to do the work of the aero [team] and seeing how much they can stretch the rules.

“Part of that is also to establish whether finding a wing that creates more downforce and is much more efficient, if it negates some of the good things have been achieved with the following car’s performance. If such cases are found then we will react to try to avoid these issues.”

While it is hoped the teams and the FIA can agree on the rules by September 15, ahead of ratification by the FIA World Motor Sport Council by October 31, F1 is clear that work on improving the regulations and removing further loopholes will not end then.

F1’s managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn said: “The group we have at FOM will not stop work when the rules are issued.

“That group is going to carry on working. As we see the team’s solutions evolve, we will analyse those solutions and, if we understand they are starting to negate the objectives, we will steer it back again.

“This is not a one-stop shop: we will monitor and develop and tune the solutions to make sure we maintain these objectives [of better racing].”

Tombazis added: “We are aware that when development takes place from teams who don’t care what the following car performance is like, and just care about the front car, that may negate some of these gains.

“Our task is to make rules that try to prevent that as much as possible. This breaking the rules process is to avoid this happening, to keep all the gains.”

[Nereus]

2019 F1 German Grand Prix preview with Esso Synergy Fuel

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/promoted-20 ... 48298.html

Round 11 of the 2019 Formula 1 world championship will take place at the historic Hockenheim circuit. The 2.8-mile track first hosted the German Grand Prix in 1970 and more recently has been on the calendar every second year since 2006.

In its former guise, Hockenheim was famous for its very long straights where cars would blast into the forests at speeds in excess of 200mph. The only thing slowing them down was three chicanes, before a tricky stadium section to finish the lap.

The last part of the circuit is still in place, but in 2002 Hockenheim was shortened in length with just one long fast straight leading into a tight hairpin.

The lap begins with a demanding, 167mph right-hander which features high kerbs on the outside of the corner in a bid to prevent drivers from running wide and gaining an advantage. After a short straight, there follows the tricky Turn 2 which drivers approach at 190mph before braking to 68mph for the third gear right-hander. Getting the power down cleanly on exit is vital for the straight that follows.

Full evaluation at the link...……………………………………>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

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[pharvey]

Certainly not a good time for Ferrari - initial practice were good at least for Charles Leclerc and he did look quick...... unfortunately that all fell apart rapidly due to mechanical problems and Leclerc starts 10th on the grid with Vettel at the back in 20th (sorry, but have to at that!).........

Hamilton takes yet another pole for Mercedes with Verstappen in 2nd and Bottas 3rd, Pierre Gasly in 4th. Could well be an interesting race between Mercedes and Red Bull.

Full Grid: -

[pharvey]

Certainly a concern for Mercedes is the reported "mystery illness" troubling Hamilton: -

"At one point on Saturday morning, Lewis Hamilton was not even sure he would be able to race in the German Grand Prix, so bad did he feel with an illness that has been bothering him this weekend at Hockenheim and which took a turn for the worse overnight.

His Mercedes team had prepared the car for the possibility that they might have to sub the world champion out of qualifying and replace him with reserve driver Esteban Ocon.

So to take yet another pole position was a bigger achievement than it might at first look in a season that so far has passed in a blur of silver.

"I was really not expecting to be able to fight for pole today," Hamilton said. "I felt pretty bad this morning and there was a moment when we weren't even sure we would be doing the weekend.

"But I have never missed a race weekend in my life and for us competitors you can't miss a single race.

"I haven't even been in most of the (engineering) meetings; I've just been sleeping and then waking up and getting in the car. But the team have done such a great job in terms of the processes we went through and I was really happy with the car in my last lap."

It's not entirely clear whether Hamilton would have been able to take pole had Ferrari, who went into qualifying as favourites, not shot themselves in the foot again, with the cars of both Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel going out with engine problems that left them 10th and last.

But Hamilton was so pleased with his performance, despite his personal discomfort, that he reckoned he would have had a chance either way.

"It would have been close between us and the Ferraris," he said. "I am not convinced they would have been much quicker than us, if at all. Leclerc was doing some good times over the weekend but it wasn't meant to be."

Hamilton would not say what was wrong with him, simply saying he was "a bit under the weather".

But it's clearly a bit more than that, because he went on to say: "It has been a real challenge and tomorrow is going to be worse.

"Just doing 12 laps today - and yesterday in practice - was so hard. I don't know how tomorrow will go (in the race).

"I will try to sleep as much as I can and just try to recuperate and make sure I have got as much energy as possible. If it is super-hot like yesterday or even like today it could be really bad, but if it's a little bit cooler like it's forecast to be, it might it ease it up a little bit. But where there's a will there's a way. I won't give up, that's for sure.""

Taken from: - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/49140331

[PeteC]

Germany Qualifying

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[PeteC]

German results:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/49144467

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[PeteC]

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[PeteC]

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[PeteC]

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