F1 2022

[svensktoppen]

It's the same "news" that goes round every time there's a lull

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Maybe they'd partner as engine manufacturer with some existing team, maybe run their own cars.

Or maybe they won't do anything at all and just stick with electric motorsport.

Or just sell cars.

If would be great with another engine in F1, but who knows.

 

[stevyg]

But this time it says that the VW group have actually just bought a controlling stake in McLaren. I'm not sure why they would split the brands Audi & Porsche essentially competing against each other but it smells like a take-over of McLaren in the long run.

 

[svensktoppen]

That's another story that was doing the rounds last year, and still is. The usual click-bait sites copying each other. There has been no new investment in McL as far as I know, maybe I missed something over the holidays though?

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Maybe they have approached McL and others, maybe they haven't. Who knows.

I can't see them entering unless they know they can win. And that means controlling regulations. Mercedes have been on top of that in this current era.

How Liberty plays it the next couple of years will come into it who enters and leaves as well.

Like it or not, F1 is changing.

 

[Captain Starlet]

That's another story that was doing the rounds last year, and still is. The usual click-bait sites copying each other. There has been no new investment in McL as far as I know, maybe I missed something over the holidays though?

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Maybe they have approached McL and others, maybe they haven't. Who knows.

I can't see them entering unless they know they can win. And that means controlling regulations. Mercedes have been on top of that in this current era.

How Liberty plays it the next couple of years will come into it who enters and leaves as well.

Like it or not, F1 is changing.

If anyone can work around regulations it's VW

 

[Gibbo]

Hamilton saying he won't decide if he is taking part this season until the results of the inquiry come out.

Think just needs to get over it and get on with it at this stage.

 

[gpaevo]

Hamilton saying he won't decide if he is taking part this season until the results of the inquiry come out.

Think just needs to get over it and get on with it at this stage.

Political stunt, there is no way he'll not compete.

 

[NickR]

He is acting like a spoilt child in my opinion. There have been plenty of instances over the years were decisions have went his way. This time it didn't. Just get over it and move on.

 

[RallyCiaran]

They have to keep the pressure on the FIA to investigate what happened rather than allowing it to be swept under the carpet. The system needs to be reformed.

 

[pablo]

He is acting like a spoilt child in my opinion. There have been plenty of instances over the years were decisions have went his way. This time it didn't. Just get over it and move on.

I mean the race and championship was effectively rigged, not just some bad call. Questions defo need to be answered.

Not being salty, Id have liked to see a new champion for the good of the sport.

 

[cauld1]

I'd say dropping the appeal was 'getting over it' tbh.

 

[big_pete]

Merc dropped the appeal on the condition that it was investigated by the FIA.

The whole thing is a farce.

I can’t see Lewis not racing. For the sake of the sport I hope he does.

 

[pablo]

he will for sure, if only to come back and whap Verstappen

 

[carmad.]

maybe he is worried George Russell in the same car and Max could be a tough enough year

 

[stevyg]

I hope he comes back but if he doesn't I can't blame him. It will be so bad for F1 & the FIA. To have the biggest F1 star and most successful driver of all time quit because of their stupid decision making will forever hang over them. While they are at it, I'd also like to know what happened with Ferrari in 2019.

 

[RallyCiaran]

F1 needs Hamilton now more than Hamilton needs F1.
There are massive amounts of fans around the world who follow Hamilton rather than F1.

I was listening to a podcast a while ago and one of the commentators was saying he was out giving a non-F1 talk somewhere in Africa to a huge room of business leaders. He mentioned F1 and all the hands in the room shot up to show that they watched, but the vast majority had only started watching since Hamilton has been involved.

 

[AidanMcG]

I do think he'll come back and I hope the outcome of that final lap will ignite the same sort of fire in him that was ignited in Brazil after the quali DSQ

 

[mrloaf]

I do think he'll come back and I hope the outcome of that final lap will ignite the same sort of fire in him that was ignited in Brazil after the quali DSQ

Think that was more the 'spicy' engine he was running at that time when he passed basically everybody over the 2 races that weekend (and/or whatever else was going on with their rear wing that Rb were so vocal about at the time)

 

[svensktoppen]

"Review process" announced by FIA, to conclude basically the day before the first race.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59987230

One part is about the rules around safety cars. Don't know what they are supposed to talk about there - the rules are clear, the question is about how those rules have been applied (or not...).

Another is about "optimising" the FIA organisation. There is less detail about this one.

Looks like a first key stage of it all will be a meeting of the F1 commission later this month.

Obviously what is not mentioned is any interaction with Lewis or Mercedes behind the scenes. Or RB for that matter.

The rumour mills will be in overdrive over the next month or so. By the first test surely we will all know what will happen, it obviously can't wait until the first race day.

 

[RallyCiaran]

One part is about the rules around safety cars. Don't know what they are supposed to talk about there - the rules are clear, the question is about how those rules have been applied (or not...).

I think there will be a push to not allow teams to pit under the safety car.
It's an unfair advantage, but it also adds to the strategy of a race so it a tough call.

 

[stevyg]

It's hard to police not allowing people to pit if they genuinely need to but can't, it's dangerous or if they were about to pit anyway then the SC came out it would be hard to deny them pitting. I think changing tyres under a red flag will be looked at.
The big question is will Hamilton be racing? He said it will depend on the outcome of the FIAs investigation which we all know will be a bunch of old farts in a room trying to prove the FIA did nothing wrong, go around in circles and come up with absolutely no resolution. Does he quit the day before the season starts? Does he participate in testing? Lets say they award him a joint championship title, does he still quit? Or if they tell him all procedures were followed and there's nothing they can do, does he quit or come back to chase #8? I'm not sure how this is going to play out.

 

[cauld1]

I'd say he wouldn't want a joint championship, and to be honest at this stage any change of that result would be a farce.

Surely the inquiry needs to put a clear approach to how erratic RD actions (as their had been all year) will be avoided going forward. If that means Masi is the fall guy, so be it.

I'd be shocked if he quits, and think it would be a shame tbh.

 

[pablo]

It's hard to police not allowing people to pit if they genuinely need to but can't, it's dangerous or if they were about to pit anyway then the SC came out it would be hard to deny them pitting. I think changing tyres under a red flag will be looked at.
The big question is will Hamilton be racing? He said it will depend on the outcome of the FIAs investigation which we all know will be a bunch of old farts in a room trying to prove the FIA did nothing wrong, go around in circles and come up with absolutely no resolution. Does he quit the day before the season starts? Does he participate in testing? Lets say they award him a joint championship title, does he still quit? Or if they tell him all procedures were followed and there's nothing they can do, does he quit or come back to chase #8? I'm not sure how this is going to play out.

seemingly the day before kick off is the rubber stamp day and the plans should be done early-mid Feb

 

[svensktoppen]

Surely the inquiry needs to put a clear approach to how erratic RD actions (as their had been all year) will be avoided going forward. If that means Masi is the fall guy, so be it.

This.

It's not about rehashing who was champion last year, that's done.

Neither is it about safety car rules. The rules are actually pretty clear.

The problem throughout last year was the random and inconsistent way rules were applied.

This is the "optimising the FIA organisation" part.

Mercedes have already said firing/redeploying Masa isn't the point. So while that might still happen, just putting someone else in his place (who?) won't solve it.

There have been talks between Mercedes/Lewis and FIA. There probably is some general understanding of what needs to change and this process is just FIA going through the motions to try to deliver whatever that is.

We should know by the time of the FIA commission meeting in February whether that has worked or not.

Or it could just be FIA playing for the galleries, who knows, lol.

But it's certainly cutting things very fine.

 

[gpaevo]

FIA under Mohammed bin Sulayem seem to be not taking an nonsense. They already basically told Carlos Sainz to dry his eyes at the Dakar after all he did was moan that he'd been disadvantaged in the etron and the road book fiasco. Basically it wasn't going his way and in the past he's had an influence. Not this time.

They also had very experienced Dakar driver as the FIA rep. Tiff Needel was saying they should have an ex F1 champ as the only advisor at each F1, rally.at WRC etc etc

 

[cauld1]

I'd say that approach is great, but wouldnt take long to run out of ex wrc and f1 champs the way the past dominations have been!

And some of the older F1 champs (eg Stewart on comments the past few years) will be way out of touch.

I do agree though, that what hinders a lot of the ruling bodies is that they are run by guys who've had limited experience running events let alone competing.