Formula 1

[jimmy101]

Formula One has pretty much always been that way tbf. People act like the 1960s - where you could stick a Cosworth in the back of the car and go racing - has been the historic norm.

Brabham had BMW, McLaren had Porsche, Williams and then McLaren had Honda, Williams and then Bennetton had Renault, McLaren had Mercedes, Red Bull had Renault...Brawn in 2009 are the exception (and even they had factory support from Honda before they pulled the plug).

Indeed, the DFV was a game changer. Cheap, simple & the best on the grid. F1 will never operate like that again.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Kimi!

Great to see him back on top

 

[jimmy101]

So what's this mysterious M sponsor Ferrari have now? Are the still receiving sneaky Marlboro sponsorship?

 

[cpr]

They've always continued to get Marlboro money, just couldn't run it on the cars - They still team up with them for sponsorship events in countries where cigarette advertising isn't banned.

But yes, this is Marlboro getting their bang for their buck, not by advertising smoking, but some 'lets make life better for smokers' campaign they've got. Its a blatant move, but its not F1 who bans the advertising, its the nations they race in, so it's going to take a government to spend the money to prove this Mission Winnow isn't all it claims to be.

 

[jimmy101]

Ah yes, I see it now on the drivers' hats, "Mission Winnow". Rather interesting the way they've skirted the laws this time as they technically aren't advertising cigarettes.

 

[Furball]

So what's this mysterious M sponsor Ferrari have now? Are the still receiving sneaky Marlboro sponsorship?

Pretty sure Ferrari sell their space to Philip Morris, and it's Philip Morris who actually sell the space to the likes of Weichai etc.

 

[jimmy101]

Looks pretty good. I can spot at least three overtaking spots.

 

[cpr]

That back straight it stupidly long, might even be longer than Baku. Can see them ruining it and putting a DRS zone on it though. That should be pure car v car racing on that. Turn one and the roundabout there are going to give a few chances coming onto the middle straight. The last section is going to be all follow the leader trying to get DRS on the home straight though

 

[jimmy101]

Oh yeah, they're definitely gonna make one, if not both, of those long straights a DRS zone. Thankfully the longer of the two straights leads into a heavy braking zone which should make for some exciting racing.

 

[cpr]

Not if there's DRS on the straight, as whoever gets to the corner is probably going to have 3 seconds lead thanks to the boost. The 90 degree right into the last section is going to catch a lot of drivers out, as they'll be wanting to take as much speed as possible through it and will run wide. That'll need a Baku/Sainte Devote style run off to spin around in. Apart from that, getting the speed out of those two roundabouts is going to be key - first one especially if its triggering a DRS zone after the second

 

[jimmy101]

Bugger, you're right actually. The advantage gained from DRS is all but going to kill of any competition into that tight corner at the extreme right of the diagram. It will be interesting to see if the track will be walled off ala Monaco/Baku. I have a feeling that will be the case with that twisty final sector, which seems to weave through a couple of stadiums, or something. Could make that 90 degree curve you mentioned a corner of intrigue. May very well become the new Wall of Champions.

 

[cpr]

looking at it on google earth (its in Phu Do, about 7k due west of the centre), the final sector and the home straight is all on newly built racing area around the stadium, kinda like Sochi. Even the first 270 corner is new. Its only the 2nd and 3rd straight and its return to the stadium thats on very wide streets.

 

[jimmy101]

Little surprise to see that the most boring-looking part of the track is the only purpose built part.

 

[jimmy101]

Not F1, but the final round of the 2018 WRC is set to kick off in a few days. If Thierry Neuville can outscore Sébastien Ogier it will be the first time a non-French driver will have won the championship since 2003!

 

[jimmy101]

Kubica to return to F1 racing in 2019 with Williams

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Despite all the rumours, I still really had my doubts as to if this would actually happen, but lo and behold here we are. Thrilled for Kubica though, will certainly be excited to see what he still has to offer

And in other motorsport news, the Supercars champoinship wrapped up in Newcastle yesterday, Scott McLaughlin wins his first title. End of an era with Craig Lowndes to retire from fulltime racing

 

[jimmy101]

New theory emerges for Schumacher cheating scandal

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Yeah, saw that, was an interesting read. 1994 was a strange strange year in many respects.

Anyone this might as well make this a general F1 thread, not just 2018 specific. Irritatingly I can't edit the title of the thread, if a mod could do that it would be good.

 

[Flem274*]

if a model could do that it would be good.

you'll be waiting a while on here

 

[jimmy101]

Don't mind the look of the new Haas, I had always thought their Red/White/Black scheme was very generic. It just smacked of a HRT style rent-a-livery.

May very well clash with Renault though.