2022 Formula 1 Thread

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by danegrey

Saw this last night and just shook my head... don't understand Aston Martin and don't understand Alonso

The investment Aston are making, new factory, wind tunnel etc is very large and shows progress. Alpine have done that and I also think Alonso is not sensing the team working with him as closely as he likes. Ocon is young and fast. He is the future more so than FA.

Money talks and Stroll was working the phones to Alonso as soon as Vettel announced. NO ONE was warned Vettel was leaving either.

Stroll also needs a WDC to be avail in the paddock for investors/guests and adverts for his Aston car sales.

[Ventruck]

Originally Posted by danegrey

Saw this last night and just shook my head... don't understand Aston Martin and don't understand Alonso

That's just the cool thing to do:

Have your career get crapped on by Ferrari
Then have it end with Aston

Seb knows.
Lewis probably to follow.

[DLSTR]

Alpine: Piastri can’t leave us for McLaren F1 seat in wake of shock Alonso exit
Alpine Formula 1 boss Otmar Szafnauer insists that Oscar Piastri is contractually obliged to drive for the team in 2023 after Fernando Alonso's departure made a race seat available.

[God-Speed]

As far as the Ferrari Team goes, they have became their own worst enemy.

[DLSTR]

Now we have an F1 soap opera lol

--Piastri denies he has signed with Alpine to race in F1 in 2023
Oscar Piastri has released a statement denying he has signed a deal to race for Alpine in Formula 1 next season just hours after the team stated otherwise.--

[danegrey]

Originally Posted by DLSTR

Now we have an F1 soap opera lol

--Piastri denies he has signed with Alpine to race in F1 in 2023
Oscar Piastri has released a statement denying he has signed a deal to race for Alpine in Formula 1 next season just hours after the team stated otherwise.--

so I wonder with all this crap who really going to drive for McLaren
Palou - states Ganassi blocking him from F1
Herta - tested
O'Ward - has something in his contract... test days

will get interesting

[Ventruck]

- Started with Seb out
- to Alonso weirdly lusting over that AMR spot (or is Alpine that awful?)
- to Alpine claiming Piastri as Alonso's replacement
- to Piastri denying he will drive for Alpine (lol imagine turning down an F1 seat, maybe Alpine is that awful)
- to Alpine not letting Piastri go to McLaren
- and while this is all transpiring, sounds like a given that McLaren wants Riccardo's *** out. (maybe both teams are awful)

I'm not really rooting for/against anyone, but this just funny, and it doesn't even have to do with Ferrari.

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by Ventruck

- Started with Seb out
- to Alonso weirdly lusting over that AMR spot (or is Alpine that awful?)
- to Alpine claiming Piastri as Alonso's replacement
- to Piastri denying he will drive for Alpine (lol imagine turning down an F1 seat, maybe Alpine is that awful)
- to Alpine not letting Piastri go to McLaren
- and while this is all transpiring, sounds like a given that McLaren wants Riccardo's *** out. (maybe both teams are awful)

I'm not really rooting for/against anyone, but this just funny, and it doesn't even have to do with Ferrari.

Yes all this shite over teams that are not about to win or anything else. They look good getting passed LOL

[ZCanadian]

Binotto must be happy - two days after the cluster-F at Budapest, and he's no longer the main topic of discussion on F1 threads! LOL

For Piastri to so publicly humiliate Alpine means that he already has a firm contract to drive with another team. He just cannot say which one as yet. I cannot read it any other way. Can you?

[DLSTR]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/wh...gain/10348498/

Why Red Bull and Porsche's F1 green light has been delayed again
Red Bull and Porsche’s plans to link up from 2026 currently stand as the worst-kept secret in Formula 1, but announcement plans continue to be pushed back.


By: Luke Smith
Co-author: Christian Nimmervoll
Aug 4, 2022, 12:58 PM


The two parties are set to enter a partnership under the next generation of power unit rules after the Volkswagen Group advisory board gave the nod for Porsche and its sister brand, Audi, to explore entering F1 earlier this year.

The deal will see Porsche take a 50% stake in Red Bull’s F1 operation, as confirmed in legal paperwork that emerged in Morocco towards the end of last month.

The documents also claimed the deal could be announced as early as today, 4th August, but the green light has still not been given.

Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner said in Hungary there was still a “lengthy process” to go through before any possible deal could be announced, noting the “caveats” surrounding Porsche’s status as a new engine manufacturer and what concessions it may get.

The VW Group has been reluctant to given final approval until the engine rules for 2026 are finalised, meaning so long as the regulations remain unfinished, Red Bull and Porsche’s announcement must wait. Red Bull had hoped to go public with the news at its home race in Austria almost a month ago.

Some of the details include how many hours will be allowed in engine testing for a new entity such as Porsche, as well as the material used for engine pistons. While the existing manufacturers want to use steel given their prior experience, Porsche is understood to be keen on a switch to aluminium.

The haggling over these issues has caused the e-vote planned by the World Motor Sport Council to be postponed. A vote was initially meant to take place on 2nd August, but this has now been pushed back to 8th August. The results may take longer to come through due to the summer break.


Speaking to Autosport sister publication Motorsport-Total.com in Hungary, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said the matter was “very simple.”

“VW’s board decision is that if the technical regulations meet the criteria, then they have the mandate to go into Formula 1,” Marko said.

“That primarily relates to cost cap, sustainability, zero-emission fuel, equal opportunity as a newcomer, so more dyno capacity, and so on.

“But in purely formal terms, these new regulations don't exist yet. The FIA president is supposedly going to put it to the vote soon in an e-mail vote. Only then will things officially get underway.”

Ferrari and Mercedes have previously denied they were dragging their heels in approving the new rules to frustrate Porsche and Audi’s plans.

But Marko said the “established players” in F1 were “trying to get the best out of it for themselves” by eating into the time for any newcomers to prepare.

Red Bull announced earlier this week that Honda would continue to provide technical support for its power units and engines until the end of 2025.

Red Bull formed its own operation known as Red Bull Powertrains at Milton Keynes that was set to take over from Honda at the end of this year following the Japanese manufacturer’s decision to end its F1 involvement after 2021, only for the engine freeze to change these support plans.

The extension of this deal means there is less doubt over the status of Red Bull Powertrains as a new entrant from 2026, when it is poised to work with Porsche.

“They're just working toward the 2026 regulations,” Marko said of the current focus at Red Bull Powertrains. “If a new manufacturer comes along, they can cooperate.”


Marko also confirmed that Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri will continue to use the same powertrains from 2026, paving the way for Porsche to also supply engines to the Italian squad should the regulations be finalised. Ownership of AlphaTauri is set to remain 100% in the hands of Red Bull.

[DLSTR]

McLaren all tras n no class lol. So Pastry-unproven-Boy is the next hot thing lol. Ok! Build a BETTER car!!!

—McLaren set to end Ricciardo’s 2023 F1 deal to make way for Piastri—

The McLaren Formula 1 team has officially told Daniel Ricciardo that it intends to replace him with Oscar Piastri next year, Autosport understands.

Adam Cooper
By:
Adam Cooper
Aug 5, 2022, 12:46 PM
McLaren set to end Ricciardo’s 2023 F1 deal to make way for Piastri
McLaren is believed to have signed Piastri initially on a reserve driver deal for 2023, one that it intends to upgrade to a race seat, assuming that a plan for Ricciardo’s early exit is eventually agreed.

Ricciardo has a firm McLaren contract for next season as part of the original three-year deal that he signed in early 2020, while still at Renault.

Ricciardo and the team will now have to agree a settlement involving a substantial pay-off in order for him to walk away at the end of this season.

He is understood to have no interest in moving sideways into the team’s Formula E programme, and is determined to find another seat in F1.

The Woking-based team is confident that it can hang on to Piastri despite Alpine’s claim that it has a valid contract with the youngster for 2023.

The Enstone team made an announcement to that effect on Tuesday that was subsequently challenged by Piastri on social media.

It’s believed that Piastri’s ability to walk away from Alpine is based on a claim that his 2023 deal with the team was never properly signed. The 31st July date – widely believed to be related to an option the team had on him – is understood to have no special relevance.

The dispute looks set to go to the Contract Recognition Board, although there is also some question of whether Alpine actually lodged a contract with the CRB that covered 2023.


It has emerged that McLaren began to explore the possibility of hiring Piastri several weeks ago as it looked for possible replacements for Ricciardo.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl is close to Piastri’s manager Mark Webber, having worked with him with Porsche in the World Endurance Championship.

At that time Piastri looked set to go to Williams on a loan deal that would see him return to Alpine in 2024 or 2025.

However, after McLaren showed an interest, it emerged that Piastri could be a free agent for 2023 after all, and with the Woking outfit seen as a step up from Williams, negotiations became more serious.

Ricciardo meanwhile is clearly high on the list of possible replacements for Fernando Alonso at Alpine, although he upset the Renault top management when he agreed his McLaren move, and that hurdle will have to be overcome.

Read Also:
Ricciardo will use F1 summer break to build up “hunger”
Alonso’s age a factor in why Alpine would not commit to long-term F1 deal
Autosport Podcast: Alonso, Piastri, Aston and Alpine - making sense of driver market madness
Haas could also be an option if as expected Mick Schumacher leaves, although in theory Ferrari has a claim on who takes the seat.

Sometimes pay-off deals like the one Ricciardo is set to receive can be impacted by the driver concerned subsequently finding a seat elsewhere. When Kimi Raikkonen was dropped by Ferrari at the end of 2009 he spent two years out of F1 in part so he could retain the full amount.

However, it’s understood that given the sums involved required to satisfy Ricciardo’s original deal, one scenario is that even if he lands a drive elsewhere he may end up still being paid by McLaren not to race for the team in 2023.

[axmea?]

I like DR but he's not even close to LN plus too many excuses or promises. He's not getting the job done and so no choice but to let him go.

[DLSTR]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/wh...les-/10353381/

Why Mercedes steered clear of an F1 car concept revamp despite early struggles
Mercedes opted against revamping its Formula 1 car concept despite its early struggles in 2022 as it felt following other designs would "only get you so far."
Luke Smith
By:
Luke Smith
Co-author:
Jonathan Noble
Aug 16, 2022, 5:13 PM
Why Mercedes steered clear of an F1 car concept revamp despite early struggles

Mercedes failed to regularly challenge Red Bull and Ferrari at the front of the pack through the first half of this season as it struggled with porpoising and bouncing on its W13 car.

The team opted for a different design route compared to the rest of the field, chasing a slimline sidepod solution that was dubbed the 'zeropod' when it debuted in Bahrain testing.

As the season progressed, Mercedes gained a better understanding of its car and the issues it faced, paving the way for George Russell to score pole in Hungary at the end of July.

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained Mercedes was "not wanting to go down the route of just copying the fastest car that we could see", instead taking a long-term view with its car concept.

"When you look at the long-term future as a team through a set of regulations, if you don't understand it, copying will only get you so far," Shovlin told Autosport.

"The most sensitive elements of the car's aerodynamics exist underneath it. So the bit that you are least able to copy is the bit that's most important anyway.

"I would say that in the media, the concept of the narrow bodywork was probably a much bigger talking point than it was within the team.

"But we weren't clinging to it through any kind of sort of affection for our own ideas."

Shovlin said the problems Mercedes faced "would not have been solved by changing our bodywork in a hurry" and following other design routes for this year, particularly given the pressure of the budget cap.

"We need to be very careful about where we're where we're spending that [resource] and what we didn't want to do was embark on a project that might take four to six weeks to deliver," Shovlin said.

"We wanted to go step-by-step and check, does what we're doing on the car makes sense with all of our tools and all of our expectations?

"Because we were almost tiptoeing through the early steps of development, just to see if we can make a change to the car and get the expected effect, rather than put all our hopes in motion for something that looks physically different and can suddenly rocket us up the grid."
Read Also:


Mercedes has not ruled out switching car concept for next year and following a Red Bull-style design route, given the majority of teams have opted for its sidepod solution.

Team principal Toto Wolff said Mercedes had "no specific preference" over what concept it follows, but that it is simply "about having the quickest car."

"We will never copy anybody else, but we may see things on other cars that we deem to be better," Wolff told Autosport.

"So these fundamental questions are being discussed at the moment and [will be] answered by September."

[axmea?]

Toto and MB are too proud to follow others and will not admit it, is one reason they're apprehensive to change and sticking with their design. They'll continue to invest resources and find a way to make it work.

He'll also influence to change the rules instead of change their design/concept.

[DLSTR]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/co...eams/10353821/

Could late rule changes to F1 2023 floors aid bigger teams?
The FIA World Motor Sport Council finally pushed through rule changes to address porpoising for the 2023 Formula 1 season, amid suggestions the late alterations will help bigger teams.
By:
Filip Cleeren
Co-author:
Luke Smith
Aug 17, 2022, 5:11 PM
Could late rule changes to F1 2023 floors aid bigger teams?

After much debate, the edge of the cars' floors will be raised for 2023 and the diffuser throat height will also be raised, while the floor edges will also be stiffened to combat the dreaded bouncing issue that has plagued some F1 teams in 2022.

The FIA will also demand the placement of additional sensor on the floor to monitor porpoising.

Rather than the 25mm floor raise that the FIA initially proposed, and which several teams lobbied against, a compromise of 15mm has now been pushed through.

Ferrari and Red Bull were among the teams against the changes, while McLaren and Mercedes - which struggled the most with bouncing – pushed for the change on safety grounds.

In Tuesday's announcement the FIA said the changes will be implemented in a way that should "avoid any impact on the teams' designs of the mechanical components".

But with designs for the 2023 machinery already at an advanced stage by now, some suggest the late nature of the changes will make it easier for the bigger teams to respond.

Speaking ahead of the summer break and the final decision on the rule changes, Alpine chief technical officer Pat Fry said he believed the tweaks to F1’s floor regulations for 2023 will only aid bigger teams as they could call on more staff to react to the issue.

“For us it is engineering resource, we’ve clearly got a lot smaller aero department than the three above us and the one we are fighting with, they are all bigger than us,” Fry said.

“They might have 20 people parked outside the cost cap doing sailing or push bikes, but they can quite easily drag them back in to hit a problem and then send them away again.

“So when you’ve got that level of extra capacity, they’ve got a huge advantage. Delaying the rules for them is great, because they know all the small teams are not going to be able to cope.”
2023 Proposal rules front view

2023 Proposal rules front view

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Fry said that although Alpine was “growing and getting better”, it remained “sensibly-sized” within the cost cap and without the “massive overspill” of staff that other outfits had.

Teams were forced to work to the new cost cap of $145 million per season from last year, prompting some of the bigger squads to divert staff to other projects.

“It is a little bit challenging for us,” Fry said before the rule changes were confirmed. “The sooner for us to know [about the changes], the better really, because if it is going to change, we are going to tear up what we are going to do already.

“I am sure every team is running some number of weeks in the windtunnel for next year’s car concept anyway, we certainly are.

“But how much of that work we’ve actually done is going to get changed with a rule change.”

The FIA has also ratified a roll hoop change in response to a scary accident for Zhou Guanyu in July's British Grand Prix, in which the Alfa Romeo's roll hoop was sheared off.

The top of the roll hoop design will be tweaked, while homologation tests have also been revised ahead of further planned changes in 2024.