Pre-Season 2020 Testing and Car Launches

[RasputinLives]

interesting from sky sports news, that toto wolff is apparently worried & is sure red bull are holding back a second a lap on engine modes

Has Toto started the 'we're not the best car in the grid we're struggling' thing already? Geez we're going to be in for a dull season. Has Lewis come out with his "We have a lot of work to do and the insert team here's car is looking really good" quote yet?

 

[Ruslan]

My general feeling is that the top 3 works aren't showing their true form. They are running on an 80-90% only and working on reliability while testing race paces.

Welcome back Radical F1

 

[cider_and_toast]

Has Lewis come out with his "We have a lot of work to do and the insert team here's car is looking really good" quote yet?

Mercedes faces "plenty of problems" before 2020 F1 opener - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes is battling "plenty of problems", admitting the engine reliability dramas that have affected the Formula 1 team during pre-season testing are a concern

www.autosport.com

 

[RasputinLives]

Could be worse I guess. Could be LMP1 in WEC. This year's Le Man's will have only 6 cars in the category, only 2 of them can realistically win and the team have already decided which one it is before the race starts.

Hang on....that does sound a lot like F1 doesn't it?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Could be worse I guess. Could be LMP1 in WEC. This year's Le Man's will have only 6 cars in the category, only 2 of them can realistically win and the team have already decided which one it is before the race starts.

Hang on....that does sound a lot like F1 doesn't it?

but the difference is that hamilton wasnt given the he was just that much better than bottas. who isnt bad but just world champion level

 

[RasputinLives]

Sorry to go all Christian Horner on you but ermm yeah no. It's true but it's not. Hamilton is better than Bottas however if Bottas suddenly was as good as Hamilton Merc still wouldn't let him win. They don't pay Hamilton all that money to be second and how can they sell cars using Valteri Bottas's face? None of the Kardashian's even follow him on Twitter for Christ sake.

 

[F1Brits_90]

now your just being silly RasputinLives , they spent all that money for Rosberg to nearly be 2x world champion in 2014 & 16. Bottas was more than in with a chance after 4 races & then steamrollered him. i wouldnt almost go as far to say that Irvine is a better driver than bottas

Bottas in football terms is a cup team. he great & can beat the best once in while. but will never win the league because he doesnt have the consistency

 

[Radical F1]

Welcome back Radical F1

Thanks Ruslan. Is my friend Angel around ?

 

[RasputinLives]

F1Brits_90 Rosberg was a different kettle of fish. He was the glamorous German son of an F1 champion and thus was very marketable therefore they didn't mind him winning. Bottas was brought to team for 2 reasons. Firstly to be the number 2 driver to Hamilton (no matter how quick he ever is) and secondly to give Toto a nice little Xmas bonus every year through the percentage he gets from the signing on fee.

 

[Ruslan]

Thanks Ruslan. Is my friend Angel around ?

She is but she hasn't been posting lately. I think she is not really excited about this upcoming season.

 

[F1Brits_90]

She is but she hasn't been posting lately. I think she is not really excited about this upcoming season.

i hope shes back soon because from 3rd - 20th i think we are we in for a cracker

 

[F1Brits_90]

some testing stats for you

 

[F1Brits_90]

C5
Bottas - 1:16.196 - day 3
Riccardio - 1:16.276 - day 3
Leclerc - 1:16.360 - day 3
Hamilton - 1:16.410 - day 3
Ocon - 1:16.433 - day 3
Perez - 1:16.634 - day 3
Vettel - 1:16.841 - day 2
Russell - 1:16.871 - day 3
Kubica - 1:16.942 - day 1
Gasly - 1:17.066 - day 2
Latifi - 1:17.313 - day 2
Kimi - 1:17.415 - day 3

C4
Verstappen - 1:16.269 - day 3
Sainz - 1:16.820 - day 3
Kvyat - 1:16.914 - day 3
Grosjean - 1:17.037 - day 3
Magnussen - 1:17.495 - day 3
Gasly - 1:17.540 - day 1
Ocon - 1:18.013 - day 2
Latifi - 1:18.300 - day 1

C3
Perez - 1:16.658 - day 3
Verstappen - 1:17.347 - day 1
Kvyat - 1:17.456 - day 1
Stroll - 1:17.118 - day 2
Norris - 1:17.572 - day 2
Albon - 1:17.803 - day 3
Bottas - 1:17.985 - day 2
Vettel - 1:18.113 - day 1
Sainz - 1:18.221 - day 1
Leclerc - 1:18.224 - day 1
Magnussen - 1:18.225 - day 2
Riccardio - 1:18.395 - day 2
Russell - - 1:18.535 - day 1
Grosjean - 1:18.670 - day 1
Kimi - 1:19.515 - day 1

 

[Radical F1]

She is but she hasn't been posting lately. I think she is not really excited about this upcoming season.

Thanks I can understand how she feels. We just need to give her time to find reasons to get excited with F1 again. I'm sure she'll come around.
She has been a great support to me when I was down so I do respect her a lot.

We are also getting negative vibes here in Japan not just for the F1 but most specially the 2020 Olympics. So many uncertainty which is leading to many anxiety. But for some reason I am just feeling ok. I guess all the past calamities has given me strength or perhaps I just learned how to say - **** it ! as I just got tired of worrying and getting upset.
For now I will just lower my expectations on all that is happening

 

[Ruslan]

Thanks I can understand how she feels. We just need to give her time to find reasons to get excited with F1 again. I'm sure she'll come around.
She has been a great support to me when I was down so I do respect her a lot.

We are also getting negative vibes here in Japan not just for the F1 but most specially the 2020 Olympics. So many uncertainty which is leading to many anxiety. But for some reason I am just feeling ok. I guess all the past calamities has given me strength or perhaps I just learned how to say - **** it ! as I just got tired of worrying and getting upset.
For now I will just lower my expectations on all that is happening

I am sure she will be back at soon. She is a Vettel fan....so I suspect this is going to be a tough season for Vettel fans. Right now, Binotto is sounding like he is getting ready to throw in the towel and start working on the 2021 car.

Well, the Coronavirus is a tough one because of all the effort it takes to contain it. I wonder how many sporting events and grand prixs it will end up being delayed or cancelled. I mean, Japan has gone through the extra-ordinary step of shutting down all the schools for a month, and they only have 274 reported cases. Italy has 2,036 reported cases and this is almost certainly an under-count.

 

[Radical F1]

I am sure she will be back at soon. She is a Vettel fan....so I suspect this is going to be a tough season for Vettel fans. Right now, Binotto is sounding like he is getting ready to throw in the towel and start working on the 2021 car.

Well, the Coronavirus is a tough one because of all the effort it takes to contain it. I wonder how many sporting events and grand prixs it will end up being delayed or cancelled. I mean, Japan has gone through the extra-ordinary step of shutting down all the schools for a month, and they only have 274 reported cases. Italy has 2,036 reported cases and this is almost certainly an under-count.

Yep Not just F1 but we are also racing against time against Corona. My guess is we have 3 months window to from now to contain it or we see some unimaginable things happening. That said I am confident it can be controlled by then.

 

[Ruslan]

Yep Not just F1 but we are also racing against time against Corona. My guess is we have 3 months window to from now to contain it or we see some unimaginable things happening. That said I am confident it can be controlled by then.

Yea it appears that you need to identify it and completely contain it early on. It does seem like Japan is doing that. The problem is you have countries like Iran which did not do that, so they are going to continue broadcasting the virus out to everyone else. So I suspect we are going to see repeated outbreaks in different spots of the world until we develop a vaccine and distribute it, which is going to take a year or two. So hopefully we can keep this mostly contained until then.

Returning the discussion to F1:
1. I gather the Chinese GP has been delayed indefinately (and may not occur this year).
2. Vietnam seems to have contained the city with only 16 cars, so the GP should happen. Right now they are insisting that anyone from Italy be quarenteed for two weeks. This certainly creates some complications for a couple of F1 teams. Something will have to be worked out or I don’t think Ferrari will be able to race.
3. With over 2,000 cases in Italy and around Milan, they may have some challenges with Monza.
4. Bahrain has around 50 cases right now and it has been slowly growing. This might be an issue.

We probably need a thread on the Coronavirus as it is actually having an impact on F1. It might also effect some of the sponsors. The budget cap may have come just in time.

 

[RasputinLives]

The other thing that may impact the series is that it's only a certain amount of time before the super rich decided to retreat from public events due to the uproar. I can see Lewis Hamilton refusing to attend events and even races as he is locked away in his own personal quantine.

I mentioned it on the Formula E thread but Jean Eric Vergne was not allowed to drive in practice, quantined for 12 hours and sent to be tested for Coronavirus at the race in Marrakesh this weekend. Thankfully he came back negative and jumped back in the car to race with a case of the flu .

 

[F1Brits_90]

Ruslan yeah i felt that it would be because it 22 races is enough. never mind effectively 23. team weren't never going to extend the season or lose a week of summer break. in i believe the 2nd warmest & wettest month in Shanghai

F1 will always go ahead. cant forget that civil war stopped F1 in 2011 but not 2012. but i can see a way we have Australia Vietnam & Holland. but if Ferrari cant race in Vietnam does that become a non championship race for 1st time 40? yrs or a return to dropped scores of 80s & early 90s

 

[Ruslan]

Ruslan yeah i felt that it would be because it 22 races is enough. never mind effectively 23. team weren't never going to extend the season or lose a week of summer break. in i believe the 2nd warmest & wettest month in Shanghai

F1 will always go ahead. cant forget that civil war stopped F1 in 2011 but not 2012. but i can see a way we have Australia Vietnam & Holland. but if Ferrari cant race in Vietnam does that become a non championship race for 1st time 40? yrs or a return to dropped scores of 80s & early 90s

Well, I suspect Vietnam will make an exception to the quarantine for the F1 teams, but may not for the fans. So far Vietnam has been very successful at containing the virus.

Brawn has said it can’t be a championship race if some teams can’t attend.

Good thing they scheduled lots of races this year as they may have to cancel two or three.