Absolute travesty that they are wanting to rotate this historic circuit, but expand into new areas with bland tracks with poor attendance (looks at Las Vegas and the Middle East venues)
Its like saying we're only going to Wimbledon every other year, as someone in Timbuktu is giving us a load of cash so they can host an event.
As much as Bernie would threaten to remove these circuits to get them up improve, he always knew there value to the championship.
I don't mind a bit of rotation - keeps things interesting. And I'd rather have some Spa than no Spa.
And I'm not sure circuit history is such a big thing for many new F1 fans. It's all about 'the story' now, and drivers and team personalities are a much bigger deal.
Spa doesn't even have a roller coaster, simulated marina or human rights violations. Boring TBQH.
Looks like Colapinto will be in the Alpine after the first 6 races.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/franco-colapinto-f1-2025-role-jack-doohan/
I'm not against rotation so long as it also includes identikit tracks in dismal countries - but it won't.
I've only been to Silverstone and Spa and as much as I liked the British GP the track and the inclines at Spa was way above although Maggotts,Becketts and Chapel are great
Brands Hatch must have been great in it's day with F1 Donnington '93 Senna on the first lap in the wet
Wee mention for Knockhill if you've never been it's worth a visit if the weather is good
BITD I preferred going to Brands Hatch to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. Even though Silverstone was closer.0
https://twitter.com/sim3744/status/1877273678057976286?s=12&mx=2
...with a 44 sign in the background. 🙂
I thought she'd stopped working with Lewis a couple of years ago? Or am I missing the obvious news???
absolute travesty that they are wanting to rotate this historic circuit
I'm not so sure, I know it's a fan favourite and the drivers like it, but that doesn't always mean good racing. Unless it's wet, Spa can be pretty dull, Eau Rouge is flat out now, Albon even questioned whether it was really a corner anymore. I think some of these historic tracks (Monaco also springs to mind) could do with being 'rested' occasionally to give other less well known circuits a go around. Portimao was pretty well rec'd during covid after all.
I thought she’d stopped working with Lewis a couple of years ago? Or am I missing the obvious news???
She did - the obvious teaser here is they are back together at Ferrari.
At this time of year though people look for any snippet of F1 related news to keep interest up! 🙂
I’m not so sure, I know it’s a fan favourite and the drivers like it, but that doesn’t always mean good racing. Unless it’s wet, Spa can be pretty dull
Yup, it’s also a circuit whose interest has been somewhat dampened by DRS as well as modern aero. Get a good exit from La Source and it’s flat through Eau Rouge and a shoo-in pass on the Kemmel.
I don’t know why it is, but Silverstone is the track that’s been delivering the best racing—or at least, most consistently delivering one of the best races of the season if not the best—for a good few years now.
Dohoan has a contract for the first 6 races apparently, he will be out after that.
Excellent choice of car in the background. The last of the interesting Ferraris IMHO 🙂
Although is it me or does the outfit make it look a bit like he’s about to ask a guy in a bulldozer to chuck a couple of E-Types and an Aston off the side of an alpine pass? 😀
Definite Mafia vibes! 🙂
Excellent choice of car in the background. The last of the interesting Ferraris IMHO ?
F50 was pretty special too, but I approve of the choice
Let’s hope that’s not the 3rd F40 getting crashed this week
F50 was pretty special too, but I approve of the choice
Ferrari are all over the numbers in their social media build-up to Lewis's arrival - bet the F40 is there because it was his 40th birthday a week and a bit ago.
Good job they hadn't got Lando's F40 pencilled in for the photoshoot! 🙂
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-f40-lando-norris-crash-footage-emerges
Definite Mafia vibes
My guess is he's saying Ferrari made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Re this:
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/trick-that-toppled-red-bull-could-be-key-to-f1-2025-revival/
A simplistic view of this is that both Red Bull and Ferrari could make a significant step forward with their 2025 cars, catching up with changes already banked by McLaren and Mercedes.
Given that in the latter half of the season Ferrari often seemed to be close to McLaren and ahead of Red Bull, does this now make them look like the favourites to hit 2025 on the front foot? With Red Bull and McLaren vying for second best and Mercedes fourth?
An interesting prospect if so.
I had similar thoughts to Bez when I read that article. One question will be how close to maximizing the flexi-wing McLaren is? Another will be whether the Red Bull suspension (with extreme anti-dive and anti-squat) is optimal for a flexi-wing. Related to that will be whether the downstream aero needs to be optimized for a flexi-wing. Another factor will whether a flexi-wing makes the Red Bull much easier to drive and Lawson is fast enough to fight for podiums and wins. One thing I'm willing to predict is that Hamilton and Leclerc won't be mates by the end of the year.
I'm copyrighting "Hamo maF1a"
I'm excited for this season with the changes in driver pairings.
Reckon it is Ferrari v McClaren for constructors.
Drivers it will be interesting to see Lewis v Charles, I hope Lewis is a success. It didn’t work out for Seb when he did his Ferrari move. Oscar's development with Lando and that team mate-rivalry playing out will be good. I actually think Max will take the drivers. You'll have Lewis and Charles taking points off each other, and the same for Lando with Oscar.
Shame Sainz doesn't have a better seat. RB should have taken him. Can't see Lawson being a success there, the car will still be tricky and the team structure is clearly not helpful to developing the number 2.
More comedy regulations from the FIA! If I were the drivers I'd go all 1970s unions on the FIA - one out all out if anyone gets a 1 month ban - leave them with an empty grid. Bloody ridiculous...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-drivers-could-face-misconduct-bans-under-new-fia-guidelines/
Christ. It’s just getting silly now.
So would Hamilton’s BLM comments and taking of the knee in 2020 have fallen into the political statements offence?
And language that is “coarse” or “rude” is 40,000 Euros a pop? How are we defining that, then?
Is it me or does that sound a load of vindictive old pony?
Ben Sulayem is up for re-election later this year, so that might be an interesting sideshow in the second half of the season. Can't see him being the preferred candidate of the F1 community but the post is actually elected by motoring orgs around the world who don't necessarily care what is going on in F1
For some real racing the 24hrs of Daytona is this weekend! Live on YouTube.
the post is actually elected by motoring orgs around the world who don’t necessarily care what is going on in F1
My understanding is that each motoring organization (i.e. each country) gets an equal vote. Some are much richer than others and Ben Sulayem has been "fundraising" for the less well off ones.
McLaren sign rival team boss, hoped it would be Gunther lol
Herbert sacked by the FIA: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/c4g7j0j8357o
I also read something earlier - during the week of the British GP Estiban Ocon was using an Alpine company car, someone at Alpine noticed from the car's tracking data that it had been parked outside the Williams factory for 5 hours. Oops!
I also read something earlier – during the week of the British GP Estiban Ocon was using an Alpine company car, someone at Alpine noticed from the car’s tracking data that it had been parked outside the Williams factory for 5 hours.
Well he knew he’d be needing drive at that point didn’t he?
Certainly puts paid to the BS that a tracker is there for safety and security.
So now they are going to get tougher on flexiwings, but only from 1 June. This just makes them look silly. I'm a long-time McLaren fan, but I thought the flexiwings were pushing things beyond the intent of the regulations. Was happy enough that McLaren won the constructor's title, but changing the tests mid-year doesn't make any sense to me, it's just an admission that they should have been tougher on it last year when the problem first arose.
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/43641013/fia-introduce-flexi-wing-clampdown-2025-f1-season
I can’t see the point in this rule either - just let them run flexi for the rest of this regs lifespan.
Teams have now got to spend money on flexi till June and more money for non-flexi just for a few months racing. All alongside developing their 2026 cars!
Completely agree. It’s the last year of these regulations. Just leave them alone and go racing there is enough of a change for 26 to keep the engineers busy
Good Gary Anderson article on the subject...
Not F1, but probably of interest to most on here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0027vqq
(Nicky Grist)
Camo! First 2025 car on track...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mclaren-reveals-first-2025-f1-car-surprise-launch/
Right, time to get the 2025 hype train rolling!
The Mclaren is out on track today for a shakedown. Not visible in the pic, but it's got new front (and possibly rear) suspension too.
Believe Williams are revealing their new car tomorrow.
