Trackside shots were generally good. Onboard… maybe not so much. Losing speed on the straights still isn’t a good look
Mainly because it wasn’t as shit as the F1 ‘analysts’ had predicted so they’re pushing new agendas as to why it was shit to justify their last 3 days output.
Not really an aficionado but have a passing interest so I've no shit to lose particularly over new regs and 'purity' of engine tech and the like.
But from watching the highlights this am, seems to me like these changes are brilliant? 3x as many overtakes as last year, lead swapping several times and not just by being better at scheduling a tyre change. On the hoof strategy decisions of when to boost and not. What's not to like?
If you are seriously offended by the fact that they don't go as fast in straight line or make as much noise as in the past - is drag racing not what you're after?
Well I thought it was crap - silly boost buttons and stuff, it’s becoming a video game. When do they get to start throwing banana skins out of their cars?
3x as many overtakes as last year, lead swapping several times and not just by being better at scheduling a tyre change. On the hoof strategy decisions of when to boost and not.
This was the first race of the new regs. The teams and drivers were still figuring out strategies and tactics. They will have those figured out within a few races and the racing will probably become more predictable. Still, good that the most doom-laden predictions didn't pan out.
Twitter is hilarious this morning - people properly losing their shit!! 🤣🤣
Mainly because it wasn’t as shit as the F1 ‘analysts’ had predicted so they’re pushing new agendas as to why it was shit to justify their last 3 days output.
3 days. I wish. Most have been in doom and gloom mode since Christmas if not before
Good race, enjoyed that a lot.
Wonder if Ferrari could have won it if they'd pitted during the VSC. Surprised how weak Mclaren looked, some work to do there!
Glad to see the Ferrari is competitive. They should benefit from their smaller turbo on tracks like Monaco and Hungary so quite possible that Merc won't just dominate. I think a lot of Merc's advantage over McLaren was better energy harvesting and deployment strategies. McLaren should improve a lot there, plus everyone will introduce upgrade packages so I expect the top teams to be a lot closer within a few months.
Coming at this with little more than a passing interest....
But the fanfare this season about the new 50/50 engines seems a bit disingenuous. Unless I'm reading it wrong it's 100% of the energy being provided by the 'sustainable' fuel, but some of the energy being diverted to the battery to deploy later (in addition to the energy recovered from braking going to the battery too). On battery alone they'd struggle to limp around a single lap.
If I've read that right, what's the point? Where is the real world application? Are we not beyond what is essentially a fancy non-plugin hybrid? Is it that they don't feel they can stay as full fossil fuel knuckle draggers but Formula E has taken the marketing space for full electric so they've sort of fudged a middle ground?
Well I thought it was crap - silly boost buttons and stuff, it’s becoming a video game.
Like KERS was? That was a boost button.
Indycar has push-to-pass and people are saying how pure the racing is there (if you ignore yellows thrown 'tactically' to spice up the racing).
And DRS created fake racing where drivers never went for a pass as they'd wait until the next DRS zone.
And then there were DRS trains that meant no one could move forward even if they had a faster car.
All forms of motorsport have their ways to manipulate the results.
If I've read that right, what's the point?
The point was to keep manufacturers interested - and the money rolling in. It bought Audi in and Ford and kept Honda in.
As electric cars become the norm on the road they'll become less interested. Well go back to V8's/V10's built by bespoke engine manufacturers like Hart and Judd using synthetic fuels.
The big money will move away and it'll be a niche sport again like it was in the 60s and 70s. But honestly I can't see F1 being around as we know it in ten years.
The point was to keep manufacturers interested - and the money rolling in. It bought Audi in and Ford and kept Honda in.
That's what I was alluding to. What is it about these changes that has any sort of real world application/crossover that would have them spending hundreds of millions to enter the fray? I don't get it. It just looks like a complete dead end of a technology route that'll never see light of day on the road or other racing formulas. Clearly they must see something - and I just don't understand.
What is it about these changes that has any sort of real world application/crossover that would have them spending hundreds of millions to enter the fray?
F1 technology has never really been applicable to road cars, the benefit is for marketing - companies like Mercedes and VW spend billions on marketing so a couple of hundred million isn't a big deal for them. Audi and Honda believe that hybrids with a 50-50 split between electric and ICE has marketing benefit so that's why we have this.
Wonder if Ferrari could have won it if they'd pitted during the VSC. Surprised how weak Mclaren looked, some work to do there!
The gaps certainly imply they had a shot, but I do wonder if Mercedes had a bit up their sleeve if they’d needed it
Did anyone else google how tall Kita Alexander (the lady who sand the national anthem) is? It looked like she was twice the height of the guy playing didgeridoo, it was like watching Lord of the Rings
Lance Stroll - Aston Martin +15laps…
…
…
…
There’re no words.
The 8 minutes highlights were good!! 👍 almost tempted to watch the channel 4 highlights 🤣
Just watching the highlights on C4 - God they sounded awful at the start. It was like a lawnmower convention.
Mainly because it wasn’t as shit as the F1 ‘analysts’ had predicted so they’re pushing new agendas as to why it was shit to justify their last 3 days output.
Not really an aficionado but have a passing interest so I've no shit to lose particularly over new regs and 'purity' of engine tech and the like.
But from watching the highlights this am, seems to me like these changes are brilliant? 3x as many overtakes as last year, lead swapping several times and not just by being better at scheduling a tyre change. On the hoof strategy decisions of when to boost and not. What's not to like?
If you are seriously offended by the fact that they don't go as fast in straight line or make as much noise as in the past - is drag racing not what you're after?
I enjoyed it too, new regs mixing things up nicely. Hopefull for the rest of the season going off that! Cars look great too.
Would love Lewis to win his 8th this season and retire on a high, probs not gonna happen but this years seems to be his best chance at a shot at it in years
Does anyone else find it weird how rapidly they are able to recharge the batteries with such huge amounts of charge? It’s like they are behaving more like super capacitors rather than batteries
Squeaky bum time for Franco, lovely save! https://youtube.com/shorts/OV_ovja30Rc?si=7soNB2SwH5Bwwsdj
I was pleseanty surprised by the race weekend. A couple of pints of jeapody with Verstappen in quali and Piastri but basically a good race.
I know that people care that it is 3 seconds a lap slower or what ever, it was entertaining, mostly.
Was going to get up for the 8am showing but was awake at 3:30 so got up and watched live. Enjoyed it generally, the start and first few laps were a bit crazy, but in the end it all seemed to level out and finished with splits not really changing. Even Norris seemed to find a bit of something to hold Max off. Apart from Lewis catching Lecerc, gutted he didn't have another lap.
Does seem like it's pretty much impossible to defend when someone hits the boost button. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out.
Like KERS was? That was a boost button.
Yes, but now it’s just concentrated even more than before. As a spectator, it’s almost impossible to work out what is going on. There’s one thing having a bit of boost, but right now it makes no clear sense - we don’t know who’s in the lead on merit, who’s about to Nitro in front, who’s then going to lose Boost. Nah, right now, all I can say is that it’s an interesting spectacle, but it’s not racing.
Well that was gripping enough early on that I had to go and open a packet of biscuits.
I was thinking as Piastri binned it that Lewis must have had a smile on his face: a Ferrari with a clear space in front of it on the grid? Shame the gap closed, but hey. Good to see Ferrari in the mix. Already got an apartment booked in Monza just in case 😀 Kind of facepalmed when they didn’t stop on the first VSC but I guess they were banking on Merc two-stopping.
Lindblad really impressive. I don’t generally watch the lower formulas so all I’d really seen of him was Monza where he was mostly playing skittles. But fair play, great race.
The cars still seem like they must be a bit crappy to have to drive, but from outside the cockpit? Lots to like, bring it on.
Anyone care to speculate on whether the Bahrain and/or Saudi races take place as scheduled?
Any freight logistics experts here with insider knowledge on when the go/no go call has to be made?
Based on current events, I can't see it happening myself...or if it does, the grandstands will be empty
Watched the highlights, that was corking. 🙂 F1 has had buttons to push for the driver to change the performance of their car since the seventies - I'm at peace with it. 🙂
Does anyone else find it weird how rapidly they are able to recharge the batteries with such huge amounts of charge? It’s like they are behaving more like super capacitors rather than batteries
It is a liquid cooled battery, of about 1.1KWh capacity, that can charge / discharge at around 350KW. The cells are designed for rapid high power cycling, not long term storage.
They use a battery over capacitor as a battery can maintain voltage of over 800v during discharge, while a capacitor could not.
As a Lollipop Man fan, this made me chuckle
Anyone care to speculate on whether the Bahrain and/or Saudi races take place as scheduled?
Can't see it happened to be honest.
It is a liquid cooled battery, of about 1.1KWh capacity, that can charge / discharge at around 350KW. The cells are designed for rapid high power cycling, not long term storage.
They use a battery over capacitor as a battery can maintain voltage of over 800v during discharge, while a capacitor could not.
They limit recharge to 250kW but its still a massive amount of power available to recharge the battery. It also makes calibrating the brake bias and the brake by wire system really tricky as any issue with it and you lock the rear wheels and spin violently towards the scenery, just ask Max!
I think the new regs are interesting but perhaps its removed some of the purity from the racing? Elements of driving now seem to be gamified and a bit more artificial than they could be, maybe some tweaks to the regs will fix it, slightly larger energy stores, slightly dfifferent energy deployment rules, tweaks to the ICE to let it develop a bit more power. But the trend to smaller cars with less grip and weight isn't a bad one.
But the trend to smaller cars with less grip and weight isn't a bad one.
Yep I had to laugh at Lando(?) saying the last cars were the best ever - when those regs started everyone was moaning they were too heavy, too long, too complex etc etc etc
but perhaps its removed some of the purity from the racing? Elements of driving now seem to be gamified
F1 has been game-ified for decades now though, and arguably it hasn't been 'pure racing' since Chapman put a wing on the car for the '68 Monaco GP. Flat bottomed cars (after the first GE era) refueling/no refueling, driver aids, active suspension, DRS, narrowed suspension grooved tyres. All to try to overcome the simple fact that if you run very aero-dependent cars closely, then there's an effect to the following car which make it difficult to overtake. This is just in the next line of trying to mitigate pretty basic rules of aerodynamics.
The Race were losing their minds on their podcast on Sunday. They were actually complaining about the numbers of overtakes, saying that it needs 'context' and that a simple metric of "numbers" is meaningless. The thing everyone has complained about for years now - that F1 races can be dull processions were in fact apparently brilliantly tactical sophisticated racing for purists.
They've been busy telling everyone that the new regs will be a disaster, and when it's not, and actually produces an entertaining race - especially at a circuit that for the last few years at least has been one of those dull processions, that most folks enjoyed, they've decided they've got to come up with some proper sour grapes.
One thing that I think is unavoidably true, though, is that the nature of passing is now very different. Where we have previously had a lot of passes under braking, they’re going to be largely gone now—in fact most of the late braking on Sunday was defensive, because overtaking is now largely down to deploying boost and passing early on the straight. That power differential was never there before. So it’s different. Not necessarily worse or better, but a very different approach to racing.
On a tangent, and I assume it wasn’t just me that was irked by the graphics labelled “battery power” when they were displaying battery charge? I mean… I know it’s entertainment, but if you’re (rightly) going to treat the engineering as part of that entertainment then get the basics right.
Yes, but there is a difference between "gaming" the regs to encourage closer racing and / or limit the speed of the cars and giving the cars a "boost mode". Its probably KERs that started the trend, it became more prevalent with DRS and we've now got Boost and Overtake mode.
The difference with this set of regs is just how powerful the hybrid system is and how helpless you are if you run out of energy. A 500hp difference between a car on full deployment and one with no battery left makes overtaking absolutely trivial.
Having said that I don't necessarily have a problem with overtaking aids and the drivers taking advantage of different energy management strategies BUT I think it needs a bit of tweaking so the cars are a bit less energy starved over a lap, however it might all work itself out at tracks where recovering energy is a lot easier.
The Race are reporting that tweaks are on the way soon...
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-could-change-its-2026-rules-as-early-as-round-three/
Remember also that the first 10-20 racing laps where so much of the battery boost passing happened were the first 10-20 laps that these cars, drivers and engineers had actually had to race other cars. Until now they have been focused on chasing lap time which apparently isn't the same as going wheel to wheel with another car.
I'll stick with my prediction that by the time we get to Miami a lot of this will have been optimised away because they've all worked out the best way to do it. We'll still see the odd unusual pass when someone gets a bit desperate but I don't think MotoGP levels of pass and repass will be the norm for F1.
I'm looking forward to seeing these cars around Monaco.
The fast acceleration and clearly sharper handling and quick change of direction should make for some awesome swimming pool shots.
I'm looking forward to seeing these cars around Monaco.
The fast acceleration and clearly sharper handling and quick change of direction should make for some awesome swimming pool shots.
But it will still be a dull procession of a race unless the weather intervenes. Max boost to the first corner and then just make your slightly narrower car as wide as possible for endless laps
I was/am critical of the regs but am prepared to admit I was wrong if the racing continues to be enjoyable. The biggest thing I personally don't like is that they are no longer cornering to the limit of grip, but 30+ MPH slower to recharge - especially in quali. But who knows, maybe that opens overtaking opportunities in the race? 🤷🏻♂️ Maybe it's worth it over all.
It will be interesting to see if it's still delivering good races later in the season, a big part of what was good this race was down to people making mistakes setting up the systems. e.g. Russell starting with a flat battery and trying to fight Leclerc while also recharging.
They limit recharge to 250kW
AFAIK it's currently:
250 KW during super clipping (driving full throttle but using the MGU-K as a generator)
350 KW during braking
The biggest thing I personally don't like is that they are no longer cornering to the limit of grip, but 30+ MPH slower to recharge - especially in quali.
This is the bit I don’t understand. If they are not at the limit of grip why don’t the drivers shorten the track by taking the corner tighter so they do exploit the limit of grip? Do these cars need to take a different racing line where they are not grip limited?
If they are not at the limit of grip why don’t the drivers shorten the track by taking the corner tighter so they do exploit the limit of grip? Do these cars need to take a different racing line where they are not grip limited?
I think the issue is that, for fast corners, the cars aren't travelling fast enough to exploit the limits of grip because they are trading speed for battery charge to use in other sectors of the track.
The greater the turning angle (and the greater the speed), the greater the lateral forces at the tyre surface, the more kinetic energy is turned into heat. Basically, if you make a tighter turn than necessary then you lose even more speed and increase tyre wear.
Basically, if you make a tighter turn than necessary then you lose even more speed and increase tyre wear.
Impresses the ladies though.
The biggest thing I personally don't like is that they are no longer cornering to the limit of grip, but 30+ MPH slower to recharge - especially in quali.
Wasn't this just a function of Albert park though? Other tracks will have enough braking points to recharge the battery fully each lap, so no super clipping, I'll bet; give it a couple of years and we'll be back to where quali times were at the end of 2025.
The greater the turning angle (and the greater the speed), the greater the lateral forces at the tyre surface, the more kinetic energy is turned into heat. Basically, if you make a tighter turn than necessary then you lose even more speed and increase tyre wear.
But your if your not at the limit of grip then you can maintain a tighter, and thus shorter, corner at the same speed. I accept tyres will wear more because they are at the limit of grip more often but I don’t think anyone is worried about that.
My daughter was at the GP for the third year in a row, didn't really notice any difference in speed (at turn 6 again), noise was slightly different. What they all noticed, was that the cars smell different, obviously something to do with the fuel they now use, sustainable carbon neutral rather than the traditional oil based potions of the past. Overall the spectacle was the same.
But your if your not at the limit of grip then you can maintain a tighter, and thus shorter, corner at the same speed.
Of course, but you’re still wasting energy and increasing tyre wear.
I accept tyres will wear more because they are at the limit of grip more often but I don’t think anyone is worried about that.
I think tyre wear is a concern 🙂 Always has been. Norris was talking about tyres being shot after 10 laps. And look at Ferrari’s call on the first VSC. I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought pitting that early was committing to a two-stop, when their simulations showed the one-stop being better for them. And then Mercedes stretch out their second stint all the way to the end—perhaps few people expected that (Antonelli’s radio seemed to suggest so). Were they able to do it because they were able to reduce tyre wear by gently Lico-ing into and through the high speed corners? Possibly, I don’t know without the data.
But whatever happened, tightening corners just isn’t a fast (if you’re energy-rich) or efficient (if you’re energy-poor) tactic.
Sounds like Max has already had enough:
> https://www.the-race.com/endurance/verstappen-to-make-nurburgring-24-hours-debut-in-red-bull-backed-mercedes/ <
I can see him racing in WEC next year if things dont improve
What they all noticed, was that the cars smell different,
like the dieselS that smell of fried food because of the homemade bio-diesel sauce from the chip shop.
Well I thought it was crap - silly boost buttons and stuff, it’s becoming a video game. When do they get to start throwing banana skins out of their cars?
Well, it seems that Leclerc and others feel the same as me LOL... “This is like the mushroom in Mario Kart,” said Leclerc, not the only driver to compare it to video games.
Anyone want an F1 souvenir?
One careful owner, low mileage, etc
I've read toto is making a bid for the 24% stake in Alpine thats up for sale.
I cant see this being anything other than attempt to wind up Christian Horner who is rumoured to be trying to buy into the team.
Hilarious.
(as a significant shareholder in merc F1 would he even be allowed to own a significant chunk in another team (as well as that team being a customer)
(as a significant shareholder in merc F1 would he even be allowed to own a significant chunk in another team (as well as that team being a customer)
Have you noticed how Red Bull and the Racing Bulls team have very similar names, the same sponsor, the same engine, and drivers swap back and forth constantly?
Have you noticed how Red Bull and the Racing Bulls team have very similar names, the same sponsor, the same engine, and drivers swap back and forth constantly?
😂😂😂
Anyone want an F1 souvenir?
One careful owner, low mileage, etc
Nah, there's one on Autotrader same year and mileage at £75000.
Seems that BYD are looking into an F1 entry! 😬
Anyone want an F1 souvenir?
One careful owner, low mileage, etc
On the one hand, pretty cool. On the other, you’d always know you’d be driving a car that got the sack after everyone complained it was too slow, on which basis you might as well buy a Fiat Tempra 🙂
No F1 chat this morning - have we given up on 2026 already!! 🤣 🤣
It’s only sprint qualifying. George will still by moaning about some thing
Looks like it 😥
I wonder whether Red Bull will drop Max to VCarb if he has another poor weekend...
I wonder whether Red Bull will drop Max to VCarb if he has another poor weekend...
Can't see Max staying at Red Bull unless they improve massively by mid-season. I'm guessing Jos has Toto on speed dial looking to take Antonelli's seat.
What the hell is this graph from the F1 site?
Negative gap* to the fastest strategy? How can any strategy be faster than the fastest strategy?
* I mean… it’s not entirely clear how they’re using positive and negative here… normally a negative gap means faster, but actually it looks like the other way round here. Either way, two of the curves are at times faster than fastest. The yellow line should be horizontal (being the fastest strategy, with obviously zero gap to itself) and the other two should be relative to that…
Can't see Max staying at Red Bull unless they improve massively by mid-season. I'm guessing Jos has Toto on speed dial looking to take Antonelli's seat.
I think he’s more likely to go and pwn some other formula/series. He’s proven what he needs to prove in F1, other than getting eight titles to become the definitive Goat, which means at least 5 more years in F1 driving cars he doesn’t really enjoy no matter which position they finish in. Can’t see him changing teams and hanging around just to go from four titles to five or six.
Off to endurance racing, win all of that. Then maybe the Triple Crown just to rub salt in Fernando’s many wounds 🙂
BBC reporting that Bahrain and Saudi races are being canned. Oh well, although a shame that there isn’t time to organise a Portimao instead
BBC reporting that Bahrain and Saudi races are being canned. Oh well, although a shame that there isn’t time to organise a Portimao instead
Apparently according to the Bild Toyota offered to host a race at Fuji motor speedway and cover costs but it was declined.
Can’t see him changing teams and hanging around just to go from four titles to five or six.
Off to endurance racing, win all of that. Then maybe the Triple Crown just to rub salt in Fernando’s many wounds
Yes, that's quite possible too. I'd like to see him have a crack at Nascar. He's apparently mates with Shane van Gisbergen, who went from Aussie Supercars to Nascar and is utterly dominant on road and street courses, but finding ovals a very steep learning curve. A lot of people sneer at Nascar as just driving in circles, but racing in a pack at 200 mph takes a lot of skill and courage. I could imagine Max wanting to give it a shot.
What the hell is this graph from the F1 site?
The only thing I can think of is that they have a template that they recycle for those articles and they left that graph in there by mistake with some nonsense data. The graph is in a section of the article that is talking about something totally different, and the section that talks about tyres doesn't refer to the graph.
The sprint race and GP qualifying both sound pretty spicy!
Maybe this is going to work?
(Also happy to see Hamilton getting his mojo back!)
But lots of people have been saying it’s all about how good a driver Max is and not the car. They seem to be going quiet now
This could be a good race. If last week was anything to go by I can see it being a Ferrari 1 2 at the first corner. Then it will depend on if they can manage not to mess up strategy and give themselves a decent chance of keeping the mercs behind them
That was so exciting to watch! I know we’re supposed to hate everything now because that’s how social media works, but I’m really enjoying this season so far. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the teams and drivers solve all the challenges of this new formula as well, although it’ll probably get a bit more dull once things have been worked out and the number of overtakes reduces down to more of a typical F1 procession
Anyone else thinking that there’s a real start issue that needs to be fixed? 2 of the leading cars having identical issues off the line is asking for trouble sooner or later. I bet we see at least 1 car having trouble tomorrow too
Anyone else thinking that there’s a real start issue that needs to be fixed? 2 of the leading cars having identical issues off the line is asking for trouble sooner or later. I bet we see at least 1 car having trouble tomorrow too
No. Teams knew about the issue and chose to ignore it. Others took it into account so should be allowed the advantage it gave them as they have compromised somewhere else
The teams are within the rules, rules that have resulted in repeated instances of cars getting dangerously bogged down. If you’ve forgotten why that’s dangerous, just have a look at today’s Porsche Cup race.
Do they have repeated instances of getting dangerously bogged down?
rules that have resulted in repeated instances of some cars getting dangerously bogged down
Sounds like the designers of those cars need to take a look at what they've come up with and make modifications.
Do they have repeated instances of getting dangerously bogged down?
Yes. 1 in Australia, 2 today. 1 unsighted car is all it takes eg Australia’s near miss and today’s Porsche race.
Sounds like the designers of those cars need to take a look at what they've come up with and make modifications.
This includes the “best” engine and a brand new one.
We already know the start situation is a dogs dinner. See the procedure change after the test starts
Lewis is going to finish 4th again isn't he! ☹️