Formula 1 2022

[Hobby]

15 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

I still dislike being able to change tyres behind a safety car or during a red flag. There is no need & it unnecessarily screws with the race. But it is within the rules, so it is a valid part of the strategy.

 

Completely agree!

 

14 hours ago, woodenhead said:

they allowed themselves to fall into a position where whatever Mercedes did, Red Bull could do the opposite and win.

 

No, I can't agree with that, it happened in the last few laps and nothing Merc could have done in the last twenty laps or so could have changed the result once Masi had made his decision to change the rules, it was Hamilton's race to lose, 12 secs clear and only a handful of laps to run I think most of us thought he'd done it, bar a puncture or engine failure. And he would have won it if things had been left as they should have, Max would have had to overtake half a dozen cars and pass Lewis in one lap, which as Masi and the rest of us knew wouldn't have happened, though it would have been interesting to watch. It's over and done with now, but to try to put even some blame on Merc in that final race is wrong, they got it dead right... If everyone followed the rules.

[EddieB]

Well I guess it was worth waiting for the C4 highlights finally to be released on catch-up, but the editing left much to be desired.  It was hard to follow the story of the race - e.g. we didn’t see the leaders’ pit-stops, why Zhou retired and the full extent of some of the incidents sparking stewards’ investigations.

 

Given how awful some of the modern circuits (Saudi, Sochi) are, I suppose Miami isn’t that bad - though it needs a better, more stable surface.  That may explain some passing moves, where going off line was punished - such as Bottas seemingly surrendering to the Mercs.

[Pete the Elaner]

3 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

Completely agree!

 

 

No, I can't agree with that, it happened in the last few laps and nothing Merc could have done in the last twenty laps or so could have changed the result once Masi had made his decision to change the rules, it was Hamilton's race to lose, 12 secs clear and only a handful of laps to run I think most of us thought he'd done it, bar a puncture or engine failure. And he would have won it if things had been left as they should have, Max would have had to overtake half a dozen cars and pass Lewis in one lap, which as Masi and the rest of us knew wouldn't have happened, though it would have been interesting to watch. It's over and done with now, but to try to put even some blame on Merc in that final race is wrong, they got it dead right... If everyone followed the rules.

 

Wouldn't it have been 2 laps if the SC had been pulled in straight away without letting any lapped cars past? If Max had then passed all 5 back markers (which may well have been possible with blue flags) then caught & passed Lewis, I would have argued that it was a mis-calculation by Mercedes, but not a glaring error.

But this is not what happened.

[rocor]

The safety car has the primary function of bunching up the race cars to allow the track marshals to perform their duties safely in the event of an incident, (something that the virtual safety car does not achieve). There is no doubt that it is also being used to inject some extra excitement into the race, maybe at the expense of a fair contest?

 

It is not as though it has to be this way. Technically, it should be possible once the safety car  has left the track, to bring the cars around to the start/finish strait with the same gap that they had between them when the safety car came out, the drivers would be given the signal to floor it at precisely the same point on the track. Anyone that had to pit during the safety car could have the extra time added to the pit stop to ensure that they would be back on the track, in a position they would have been under full race conditions.

 

Not going to happen, of course, because F1 is as much about entertainment as it is about competition. 

[Pete the Elaner]

36 minutes ago, rocor said:

 

It is not as though it has to be this way. Technically, it should be possible once the safety car  has left the track, to bring the cars around to the start/finish strait with the same gap that they had between them when the safety car came out, the drivers would be given the signal to floor it at precisely the same point on the track. Anyone that had to pit during the safety car could have the extra time added to the pit stop to ensure that they would be back on the track, in a position they would have been under full race conditions.

 

Not going to happen, of course, because F1 is as much about entertainment as it is about competition. 

 

The practicality of creating the same gap is probably not very easy & would certainly take longer then just letting them go again.

It is rare for cars to need to pit behind the SC. They just use it to gain a tactical advantage. The pit lane used to be closed when the SC was deployed, but when this was in the pit window for fuel stops several cars got stranded on the track, which caused a hazard.

The same problem does not exist with tyres. While they may wear quickly at speeds of 150+ mph, they only suffer a fraction of this wear at safety car speeds so they will not suddenly run out of grip. We all know teams would find an excuse for pitting so impose a penalty if they do, maybe by making them wait at the end of the pit lane for 20 seconds before they are allowed back on to the track. If they have genuine damage like a puncture or broken wing, they will accept this penalty.

 

But as you point out, the current SC regulations throw a random element to the race to artificially mix up the order by putting cars where they don't really belong.

[LNERandBR]

At one point Safety Car restarts were predictable in that the same procedures would happen and the Driver at the front of the field would try to do the same thing. Floor it at the right moment so they weren't caught when they crossed the start finish and didn't catch the Safety Car up.

 

Then we had things getting 'played with', the SC lights not being turned off until the last moment is one I remember. Resulting in a 'crawl to the line' which caused another accident, I forget which race that was but it was either last year or year before. To be honest, this seemed to start happening when Masi got thrust into being Race Director.

 

A safety car period should always be an opportunity I feel. I think being able to change tyres and bunching the field are acceptable things. Don't play with the Safety Car processes and all works out fine. Yes, some will lose out and as a Lewis fan the whole debacle at the end of last season was wrong. However, the issue there was the procedure being mucked around with. Keep things as they are and Teams, Drivers and, most importantly, Fans will know what is happening and what is supposed to happen. 

 

Let fans get excited because the leader's comfortable 'cruise to the line' gap has now gone and their nearest rival is now tucked under their rear wing on fresher, softer tyres. We keep getting lap after lap of hard racing this year when Verstappen and Leclerc get close together. If the Safety Car forces that to happen then so be it.

 

[Reorte]

I'm firmly of the opinion that the safety car should have as little influence on the race as is possible. Obviously it's going to have some, that's an unavoidable side-effect, but it exists for one reason only, so that a hazard like a stopped car can be removed safely.

[57xx]

On 09/05/2022 at 11:29, Andrew P said:

Lewis already had a contract for this year having signed a 2 year extension for 21/22, it was more a case of shall I honor it, or use a get out clause.

 

It was more a case of slow news and the media creating false jeopardy stories in line with the Liberty travesty of Merkinisation of F1. I still think, as I always did, there was never an intention for him to quit or that he was even thinking about it. Regrouping after being robbed of a championship is all it was, Hamilton is a true racer, not a quitter.

[Pete the Elaner]

1 hour ago, LNERandBR said:

 

Then we had things getting 'played with', the SC lights not being turned off until the last moment is one I remember. Resulting in a 'crawl to the line' which caused another accident, I forget which race that was but it was either last year or year before. To be honest, this seemed to start happening when Masi got thrust into being Race Director.

 

 

That was Mugello in 2020. The straight was so long that Bottas tried to accelerate as late as possible to reduce the slipstream anyone following would benefit from.

It was not to do with the SC lights being turned off late. They are turned off during the SC's in lap but the SC is still effective until it leaves the circuit, then the leader is limited to a 'safe' speed until the SC line. They can then accelerate to racing speed anywhere between here & the start line.

[Hobby]

3 hours ago, LNERandBR said:

Let fans get excited because the leader's comfortable 'cruise to the line' gap has now gone and their nearest rival is now tucked under their rear wing on fresher, softer tyres.

 

That will only happen if both drivers are allowed to change tyres without losing grid position, and that's why the end was such a farce, as far as I know what happened last year can still happen now with the driver that was in front losing out as Lewis did as they can't afford to pit.

 

They need to change it so either all cars can change tyres, and keep grid position, or none, no in between.

[SR71]

That the conversation here went back to last year so quickly underlines my feeling about the race in Miami. Having finally been able to watch it on catch up this evening I won't be upset if the sponge bob square pants GP doesn't return.

[LNERandBR]

I think if it had been ran last year it would have been even worse than it was. The only saving grace was the cars can actually follow each other lap after lap this year which once again drew out the fight for the lead.

[Jol Wilkinson]

18 hours ago, rocor said:

Not going to happen, of course, because F1 is as much about entertainment as it is about competition. 

 

It is probably all about Liberty's revenue, created through "entertainment. The element of competition is simply to increase the amount of entertainment, especially for those who want crashes, spins, etc. 

 

It is interesting/informative that the BAFTA award for "Sport" went to Sky Sports coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Goodness only knows why. On the rare occasions I’ve watched Sky’s F1 coverage (like when they put it on one of their other channels that I can get) I’ve thought it quite dreadful, not comparable at all to C4’s, which seems to have a greatly superior presenting and commentary team, plus the delightful Lee McKenzie ❤️.

[Andrew P]

22 hours ago, Obi-Jiff Kenobi said:

Goodness only knows why. On the rare occasions I’ve watched Sky’s F1 coverage (like when they put it on one of their other channels that I can get) I’ve thought it quite dreadful, not comparable at all to C4’s, which seems to have a greatly superior presenting and commentary team, plus the delightful Lee McKenzie ❤️.

OOOOOooooooo DON'T MENTION Lee McKenzie, now I need a COLD SHOWER. 😮   Its the eye's wot dose it for me.🤪

[Andrew P]

Why Hamilton isn’t the only driver questioning the FIA’s jewellery clampdown.

 

https://www.racefans.net/2022/05/12/why-hamilton-isnt-the-only-driver-questioning-the-fias-jewellery-clampdown/?fbclid=IwAR3LXxpm9eo4bxfMHBJmTaZS_IucJUwkzH7CesAWLuuoHF-pK0-ImWVBTpA

[Andrew P]

SORRY Lewis, but I disagree with you on this one. AP.

 

Lewis Hamilton wants F1 to focus on city races

 

https://formula1daily.com/2022/05/lewis-hamilton-wants-f1-to-focus-on-city-races?fbclid=IwAR3esvJYaumJprMGIzcnrMzlUWv9u9X1dppq4z6QIzvghTaKHGPPsncaj_E

[Pete the Elaner]

On 12/05/2022 at 19:44, Andrew P said:

Why Hamilton isn’t the only driver questioning the FIA’s jewellery clampdown.

 

https://www.racefans.net/2022/05/12/why-hamilton-isnt-the-only-driver-questioning-the-fias-jewellery-clampdown/?fbclid=IwAR3LXxpm9eo4bxfMHBJmTaZS_IucJUwkzH7CesAWLuuoHF-pK0-ImWVBTpA

& I am against him on this one.

Rules are there for everybody. If they don't make sense, update them, don't ignore them.

The statement mentioned that the FIA believe the rule makes sense.

They don't ask drivers to remove all jewellery before they enter the complex, just while they are driving.

The teams spend huge amounts to cut down the weight of everything right down to the last gram. I fail to understand why the drivers want to carry any unnecessary weight in the form of jewellery anyway.

[rocor]

On 12/05/2022 at 19:44, Andrew P said:

Why Hamilton isn’t the only driver questioning the FIA’s jewellery clampdown.

 

https://www.racefans.net/2022/05/12/why-hamilton-isnt-the-only-driver-questioning-the-fias-jewellery-clampdown/?fbclid=IwAR3LXxpm9eo4bxfMHBJmTaZS_IucJUwkzH7CesAWLuuoHF-pK0-ImWVBTpA

 

This emphasizes the concept that jewellery is not just pieces of metal wrapped around a person's skin, but can be, to the individual wearing it, a strong representation of the expression as to their personnel identity.

 

Kevin Magnussen:-

 

'I don’t want to pay the €250,000 (£214,000) fine, I understand what they are they saying, but it is a wedding ring around your finger,  I’ll take a bit of extra burn on my finger to race in my wedding ring,  and if something was going to happen, something bad, I would want to wear my wedding ring, it kind of feels bad to take it off.'

 

Roman Grosjean:-

 

 'I’ve been wearing my wedding ring all of my career, where my ring was I was protected, so I was protected by my wife, saved by my kids. I understand some of it, but I wouldn’t like to race without my wedding ring. That is big for me.'

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, Pete the Elaner said:

& I am against him on this one.

Rules are there for everybody. If they don't make sense, update them, don't ignore them.

The statement mentioned that the FIA believe the rule makes sense.

They don't ask drivers to remove all jewellery before they enter the complex, just while they are driving.

The teams spend huge amounts to cut down the weight of everything right down to the last gram. I fail to understand why the drivers want to carry any unnecessary weight in the form of jewellery anyway.

Good point. 👍

[Jonboy]

1 hour ago, rocor said:

 

This emphasizes the concept that jewellery is not just pieces of metal wrapped around a person's skin, but can be, to the individual wearing it, a strong representation of the expression as to their personnel identity.

 

Kevin Magnussen:-

 

'I don’t want to pay the €250,000 (£214,000) fine, I understand what they are they saying, but it is a wedding ring around your finger,  I’ll take a bit of extra burn on my finger to race in my wedding ring,  and if something was going to happen, something bad, I would want to wear my wedding ring, it kind of feels bad to take it off.'

 

Roman Grosjean:-

 

 'I’ve been wearing my wedding ring all of my career, where my ring was I was protected, so I was protected by my wife, saved by my kids. I understand some of it, but I wouldn’t like to race without my wedding ring. That is big for me.'

 

God forbid they ever get a job in a factory where they have to remove it to avoid it getting caught in tools/scratching the product/food hygiene requirements….or any of the other reasons mere mortals have to take them off in their working day…

[PhilJ W]

43 minutes ago, Jonboy said:

God forbid they ever get a job in a factory where they have to remove it to avoid it getting caught in tools/scratching the product/food hygiene requirements….or any of the other reasons mere mortals have to take them off in their working day…

My brother was an electrician, when he was doing any work he had to remove rings and metal watch straps.

[Andrew P]

F1 will not replace cancelled Russian Grand Prix, season to have 22 races.

 

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/33937930/f1-not-replace-cancelled-russian-grand-prix-season-22-races

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

I think 20 races is sufficient. F1 is chasing the money from venues, at the expense of the ‘event’ status that’s felt when there are fewer races per season.

[Andrew P]

34 minutes ago, Obi-Jiff Kenobi said:

I think 20 races is sufficient. F1 is chasing the money from venues, at the expense of the ‘event’ status that’s felt when there are fewer races per season.

TOTALLY AGREE, Plus you have to feel for the Back Room Boys and Girls, the Roadies, Tech Support, Catering, Hospitality, they don't get any rest over a Race Weekend or in between sometimes. The Facilities don't build them selves.