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So why not Lamborghini, Bugatti or Porsche?
Audi have their sportscar wins and they will springboard that into F1. Bugatti and Lamborghini don't need the halo effect and Porsche have their own series.
It'll make sales managers feel good about their diesel estates and justify their claim on the outside lane.
But wouldn't out be great to have the Bugatti name back in grand prix racing?..
Porsche are committed to WEC. As are Toyota, Audi and Nissan.
The series is gaining momentum while contrived F1 is loosing fans had over fist.
It's a shame the WEC is under the FIA umbrella. It'd be good to see the weight limit reduced and the cars going faster than those F1 go karts.
I'm guessing this is what attracts the manufacturers though...
"The global advertising value of Mercedes' television appearances during its F1 campaign in 2014 was $2.8bn (£1.8bn).
Experts believe the equivalent value for VAG of their sportscar and touring car programmes was about $30m (£19m).
Mercedes spent a net 130m euros (£103m) on F1, once external sponsorship and prize money is taken into account. VAG spent about 320m euros (£254m) on DTM and sportscars."
[quote=JCL ]Porsche are committed to WEC. As are Toyota, Audi and Nissan.
The series is gaining momentum while contrived F1 is loosing fans had over fist.
So now it's watched by 2 men and a dog?
Yep and all three know the difference between a sport and a business. Brazil was a great race apart from Webber's accident.
The cars make open wheel single seaters look shite.
I could get into WEC but how do you cope with the 6 hour race length? Just watch the highlights?
and where is the best place to watch it, Eurosport?
I watch WEC for the consistent wheel to wheel racing and all the thrilling overtaking moves. Oh hang on...
[quote=JCL ]Yep and all three know the difference between a sport and a business.
As do VAG, and I know which one they're more interested in, which is the whole point.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKIc1BcWDlM
Highlights of WEC? It seems even the dog's gone home.
Blimey! Some suzzbags have ram-raided Red bull HQ, and have had off with the Trophies 😯
Sickening for the team and hard gear to shift on the market. They must've had a real grudge against RedBull. Was there an Australian man driving a Porsche as a getaway car?
Was there an Australian man driving a Porsche as a getaway car?
Nah, the getaway car was bright red with a prancing horse on the bonnet 😉
[quote=andyl ]Nah, the getaway car was bright red with a prancing horse on the bonnet
Surely you want something fast as a getaway car?
Surely you want something fast as a getaway car?
So that would need a mercedes engine then, definitely not a renault. 🙂
So they left behind the legit-won trophies? 🙂
image of suspect
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you just got to wonder where those things would sell? or is it to be melted down and then sold?
I could get into WEC but how do you cope with the 6 hour race length? Just watch the highlights?
I usually watch the whole thing over two/three days after someone uploads it to YouTube.
I watch WEC for the consistent wheel to wheel racing and all the thrilling overtaking moves. Oh hang on...
I saw more overtaking at the last race than I saw all year in F1. And nobody was 'managing tyres' or having to press a button to enable them to overtake the car in front when they got close enough 😆
Hora, I can only assume from you posting on here an hour ago that you're not coming over to Sheffield for the Christmas curry with us all.
Melting them down is the only real option. Scumbags 🙁
Melting them down is the only real option. Scumbags
It is a bit of a mystery. Maybe they were stolen to order by a rich and crazy fan?
Steal a car then.
According to the police statement there was a Mercedes involved 😈
And nobody was 'managing tyres'
Every race that involves wheels is all about tyres, they are so bloody important that it can't not be. The only difference between F1 and other series is they talk about it a lot more and it seems to be a popular stick to beat the sport with. Interview any racing driver after any race they haven't won and all they talk about is tyres.
I could get into WEC but how do you cope with the 6 hour race length? Just watch the highlights?
It's not really a live viewing thing unless you're there - great events to attend.
IMO GP2 and GP3 are well worth watching live if you're looking for something other than F1.
Hello - hello McLaren ?? your a frikin joke of a team to your drivers, whoever you pick youve lost my support
anyone else feel the same?
I was going to ask for bets as to JB or KM but I suppose it'd just be guesses given that none of us know if or what sponsorship they've managed to put together on the back of FA signing.
I hope they just announce Alonso to troll everyone.
😆
It'll be Bruno Senna and Hamilton . . . just to have all 'nostalgia' avenues covered!
Ron will do a speech about his emotionless, clinical and statistical analysis of the merits of each option available on the driver market and somewhere in the Ronspeak there will be some clue as to who they've signed but everyone will either be asleep by then or too baffled to understand it. Then Jenson will drive his MP12C through the windows on one side of the MTC, do a massive burnout leaving huge 11s on the white floor while flicking V's at Ron then drive through the other windows and ditch it in the lake before escaping on a speedboat driven by Jessica. Maybe.
Then Jenson will drive his MP12C through the windows on one side of the MTC, do a massive burnout leaving huge 11s on the white floor while flicking V's at Ron then drive through the other windows and ditch it in the lake before escaping on a speedboat driven by Jessica. Maybe.
Fun fact that will delight the RD haters, In the bit a the front of the MTC (where they do all the press stuff/display cars and that) there is a lovely grey slate floor, it's immaculate, you can barely see the joins between the slates. Apart from 1. Evidently someone broke it not long after it was finished, but they couldn't get an exact colour match. it's close, but not nearly close enough for Ron, and it grates on him. Every. Single. Day. knowing that in his perfect vision of perfection, that slightly off slate exisits.
Daily Fail and Telegraph reporting that Button will partner Alonso next year.
Button definitely deserves another year at the top, here's hoping Honda and McLaren give him something half decent.
Also being reported by the Beeb now.
It would be great if he told them to stick it 🙂
Very strong line up for next year which will help for constructors championship. I will be interested on which of the two comes out on top I think it will be Alonso. I'm sure JB will be happy that he is against another top driver it was one of the main reasons he joined the team.
Last few seasons I have just had faith in McLaren that they can do a good job. This year I have a stronger basis.
Pete Prom
Honda
Alo/JB
A dream team.
Curious to see how well McLaren will deal with two top drivers.
Curious to see how well McLaren will deal with two top drivers.
Never been an issue befo......hang on.
More interesting to see how JB fares against Captain Haddock.
Since he's so useless and Fernandoo is the best on the grid.
Looking forwards to that
Great news. I really hope they give JB and FA a decent car that they can challenge with, it should make for a superb season. Chuffed for Jenson
"Jenson, Fernando is faster than you"
More interesting to see how JB fares against Captain Haddock.Since he's so useless and Fernandoo is the best on the grid.
Looking forwards to that
Me too
If FA can consistently put 2/10ths on JB, I'll give him the nod, both of them are great at 'bringing the car home' so there shouldn't be much in it from that side of things.
Captain Haddock?
Alonso
Why?
Beard
"Jenson, Fernando is faster than you, give up 8th place to him"
FTFY
sounds like Ron wanted one thing (KM) and everyone else wanted the other (JB), and probably HONDA wanted him too.
shove it Ron, you should resign now then!
I find Alonso's move a little confusing, for sure he could have done 1 more year at Ferrari and been in a much better negotiating position with Mercedes when their contracts are up, or RBR or even Williams....
moving to a new engine thats never been in the back of that mclaren is a huge risk at his career "age"
i suspect he has a number of get out clauses for his first year there.
The problem with Alonso at Ferrari was that when they succeeded it was always because of Alonso heroics, when they failed it was because Ferrari failed. Never the other way round.
Given what he has achieved v his supposed talent, he will never be considered a true great of the sport. Also, given his standing any team taking him on will be doing it on the basis that all the success will be attributed to Alonso and not to the team.
Given what he has achieved v his supposed talent, he will never be considered a true great of the sport.
Don't agree with that. He's already being talked about as a great and he's still got a little while to go yet.
Interesting thing I read today was that apparently RD did indeed promise FA priority at McL in 2007, hence FA's annoyance was justified to some extent.
More interesting to see how JB fares against Captain Haddock.Since he's so useless and Fernandoo is the best on the grid.
Looking forwards to that
I think Alonso will have the edge over the season but he's not going to wipe the floor with Button. I get the impression Alonso rates him than a lot of people outside the paddock do.
I reckon 2015 will be Button's last year unless McLaren tell him pretty early in the season they want to keep him.
It's official official now - JB and FA at McL with KM as third driver - mclaren have confirmed it on twitter.
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FA still has his beard which RD is reputed to hate 🙂
I'm no FA fan, but he's a real racer and has been a F1 World Champion, I do wonder about his fit within McLaren and Jenson, but we'll have to wait and see, we maybe pleasantly surprised.
So long as the car is half decent and heading in the right direction, I reckon things will be fine. Should that not be the case though...
[quote=nemesis ]FA still has his beard which RD is reputed to hate
If I was him I'd keep it for that reason alone.
Once really disliked him, but I don't know if he's changed or it's just me - at first I respected him a lot, but I now think I actually quite like him. I wonder if we'll see more wheel to wheel battles between him and JB now - they have been one of my highlights of this season, and given the way they both behave I can't see any reason at all why the team would want to stop them.
I don't think there is any great surprise if FA really did have a preference for JB - not because he thinks he can beat him, but because he won't do something unpredictable and stupid (not that I'm saying KM would, but you can rely on JB not doing so). That and his clear value in developing a new package. They do also genuinely appear to get on well.
see how they took the pic, in front of the cars that actually won something, prob. with HONDA in the back,
note JB far away from RD 🙂
KM with gritted teeth in the middle, trying hard to smile.
Kev's in a great spot. 3rd and reserve + waiting to step back up in 2016
Not a bad result all round.
see how they took the pic, in front of the cars that actually won something, prob. with HONDA in the back,
I seem to recall they've also won a lot of races and 3 drivers titles with Mercedes engines in the back! So not a bad stint.
Jenson gets to keep his courtesy P1 for another year 🙂
If you look a the pic of the wokshops on here, there is an access panel set to the right of the central groutline. I used to have it as my screen saver but it does my head in.
I think there are enough totes disgustaballs slobs in the world. A few more like RD would be fine by me.
You could have just photoshopped it out, surely...
Besides, it's a drain, isn't it? 😉
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Kev's in a great spot. 3rd and reserve + waiting to step back up in 2016Not a bad result all round.
^^This^^
I reckon 2015 is probably JB's last year in F1.
FA will be hoping that an established, experience but slightly demob happy JB helps iron the kinks out of the car and the team for him...
And McL actually have a bit of a "Drivers Roadmap": KM getting a race seat in 2016, after a year of testing and being in reserve, FA won't be feeling too threatened, but the team should get two seasons of stability and managed transition...
I think everyone comes out of it with a silver lining really...
I'm not so sure FA will beat Button. Everyone was expecting Hamilton to do so and Button scored more points than Hamilton.
Button and Hamilton did remind me a wee bit of Prost and Senna, one clearly the faster 'natural talent' for want of a better phrase but the other able to keep up and sometimes beat him by using his brain more. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar happen next year.
Reckon FA has a good brain as well as the driving talent though. Although I still think if Button is in a top car set up 100% to his liking he can beat anyone.
Love that group photo. All in suits. Management with ties, free spirit drivers no ties. But still buttoned up suits.
Nor me.andrewh - Member
I'm not so sure FA will beat Button.
If I were forced at gunpoint to put my all £12.50 of my life's savings one way or the other, I'd go Alonso, but it is a very marginal call. IMHO, there have been too many races where Button has managed variables exceptionally well to discount him.
I think they're both extremely clever drivers, though clever in different ways. Both are also good at dispatching overtakes with disdainful ease. I;d love to see them work together, pool their knowledge and cunning.
I also hope KM does not have to wait too long to get back into a driving seat. Good result all round though.
[quote=cookeaa ]I reckon 2015 is probably JB's last year in F1.
Even if Honda produce a stonker of an [s]engine[/s] power unit, McLaren manage not to make a completely rubbish car to put it in (stranger things have happened) and JB does as many are predicting and has the better of FA? I suppose it would be one way to go out...
[quote=andrewh ]Button and Hamilton did remind me a wee bit of Prost and Senna, one clearly the faster 'natural talent' for want of a better phrase but the other able to keep up and sometimes beat him by using his brain more. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar happen next year.
Interesting reading the press release where FA has Senna as his hero, whilst JB is more admiring of Prost. Though that could just be the roles assigned to them and not their own words.
I'm not so sure FA will beat Button. Everyone was expecting Hamilton to do so and Button scored more points than Hamilton.
oh my god, pick a stat just to support your own argument, see below and after digesting it tell me that Button was a better driver than Hamilton!
Qualifying
Faster qualifying time: Hamilton 44 / Button 14
Poles: Hamilton 9 / Button 1
Front rows: Hamilton: 23 / Button 9
Races
Wins: Hamilton 10 / Button 8
Podiums: Hamilton 22 / Button 25
Points finishes: Hamilton 45 / Button 47
DNFs: Hamilton 13 / Button 8
Best race result (inc DNFs): Hamilton 32 / Button 26
Ahead in two-car finish: Hamilton 24 / Button 13
Championship
Overall points: Hamilton 657 / Button 672
Seasons finished higher in standings: Hamilton 2 / Button 1
Highest championship placing: Hamilton 4th (2010, 2012) / Button 2nd (2011)
So everyone is sort of happy now. Button has his drive and the chance to impress another team for 2016.
What I thought was interesting is he is on 50% of the money. Oh to be a fly on the wall for the Hamilton negotiations.
I'm not so sure FA will beat Button. Everyone was expecting Hamilton to do so and Button scored more points than Hamilton.
Only if you add all three seasons points together, which is really manipulating the numbers to get the answer you want.
JB scored more points than LH in 2011, LH scored the most in 2010 and 2012.
I don't however think FA will easily beat JB, but beat him, he probably will I'm afraid. It may well come down to reliability in 2015 with a new power unit so we may never find out for sure.
I reckon 2015 is probably JB's last year in F1.
I'll have to correct you, and myself apparently.
JB has signed a 'multi-year' contract. Which was possibly one of the stumbling blocks.
Good lad!
multi year contracts mean nothing, the team always have the option to drop/keep.
[quote=mashiehood ]I'm not so sure FA will beat Button. Everyone was expecting Hamilton to do so and Button scored more points than Hamilton.
oh my god, pick a stat just to support your own argument, see below and after digesting it tell me that Button was a better driver than Hamilton!
Qualifying
Faster qualifying time: Hamilton 44 / Button 14
Poles: Hamilton 9 / Button 1
Front rows: Hamilton: 23 / Button 9
Races
Wins: Hamilton 10 / Button 8
Podiums: Hamilton 22 / Button 25
Points finishes: Hamilton 45 / Button 47
DNFs: Hamilton 13 / Button 8
Best race result (inc DNFs): Hamilton 32 / Button 26
Ahead in two-car finish: Hamilton 24 / Button 13
Championship
Overall points: Hamilton 657 / Button 672
Seasons finished higher in standings: Hamilton 2 / Button 1
Highest championship placing: Hamilton 4th (2010, 2012) / Button 2nd (2011)
Button: good guy
Hamilton: w@nk
[url= http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2014/12/lewis-hamilton-wins-bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year/ ]Very happy about this![/url] Lewis Hamilton won by a landslide. I thought it would be closer! Well deserved 🙂
Button comes across as a thoroughly nice guy. An alrounder to have in a team whereas Kimi comes across as half the package.
Lewis is on his way to joining the greats. Would you bet against him in 2015? Hes firmly got his self-belief back. Remember when Merc told him to move over for Nico? He could have gone back into his dark place then. No, he flourished. His raw talent has definitely matured.
The only remaining chink in his armour was him being popular back home. Apart from the odd article saying 'do we love Lewis'? You don't hear much (yes the flags etc at races but what about the wider public?).
This vote says he IS popular. Nico though? 😆 8)
His raw talent has definitely matured.
Completely agree, that's what I witnessed this season too.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-30503589 ]Red Bull robbery: 20 stolen trophies found in a lake[/url]