F1 2019 (spoilers obviously)

Only one non-Ferrai.
Gasley wins

My assumption is that they will compare the factory Ferraris with the customer engines because the customer engines may not be identical. If the Ferrari (or Honda) fuel system is found to be illegal, then all cars fitted with that system will be penalized. The non-Ferrari might only be included as a reference of how a legitimate system works.

If it’s a new loophole then the result will likely stand and a technical clarification will be issued before Abu Dhabi to make it illegal.  Sorry George.

I’m colossally late to the party, but I’ve just caught the highlights of the Brazilian GP. Utterly nuts! I was absolutely delighted to see Gasly – not too long ago turfed out of his wayward Red Bull and unceremoniously demoted back to Toro Rosso – fight Lewis right to the finish line and claim a second place, his first podium and at Interlagos! Cocking marvelous.

And then it was rendered almost moot by Hamilton getting a 5 sec penalty. Gasly would still have claimed second regardless of whether he’d fought for position.

But that’s not all…Hamilton is penalised and Carlos Sainz, in a McLaren that started from P20 had climbed up the grid, avoiding contact right up until a hard fought P4 got him within five seconds of Hamilton. The McLaren podium that I’d hoped to see all season finally happened.

Stick a fork in me, I’m done.

It was so amazing!! The saddest thing is this may well be one of the last grand prix to be raced here 🙁

Latifi cofirmed at Williams – hope they have a better car out of the box next year as they don’t have much experience to lead the development.

That was my first thought too, but looking at what GR’s done (won F4,F3,F2, did 2 test days for Force India, 2 for Merc) and obviously a year at Williams with RK who’s known for being good at giving feedback, I would hope he knows what he needs to do! God help Williams if they’re not closer next year…

I’m already expecting a “we’re focusing on the 2021 car” statement anytime soon

So….    Ferrari and Honda engines deemed to have been examined and a “technical clarification requiring an additional fuel sensor in 2020” added.

XXX International Assistance at work again, because in reality they and Honda cheated recently and should have their (at least Brasil) results struck off, but to do so would:

a) Piss off Ferrari

b) interfered with Honda’s decision to commit to F1

How do we know they cheated rather than stretched the rules?

Got a link Kryton? Can’t find it anywhere.

https://www.insideracing.com/index.php/formula-1/9994-fia-takes-further-action-to-police-fuel-flow-rules-after-ferrari-investigation

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fuel-flow-second-sensor-2020/4601058/

https://www.pitpass.com/66290/FIA-issues-new-fuel-flow-directive

F1 set to tighten engine rules with extra fuel sensor in 2020

Details on FIA’s Ferrari investigation on fuel cheating, now include Honda

Unproven then with 3 new derictives in to ensure it doesn’t happen in future? Sounds fairly standard F1 “Mercedes’ James Allison observed. “So it’s an interesting thing, but not anything you could draw any solid conclusions from.””

EDIT: or a conspiracy of course

The top engineers are paid to find and exploit the loopholes in the rules. All the greats have done it: Newey, Brawn, Murray… that’s why they’re the greats. This is business as usual and means Ferrari and Honda have played it smart: they secured a technical advantage without getting into trouble. Unless you have some smoking-gun information to hand, it’s neither cheating nor a conspiracy.

Thanks for the links hols & kryton

they secured a technical advantage without getting into trouble

I wonder if there’s a list of these sorts of things anywhere? Seens a couple of videos of innovations that got banned, but i bet there are loads that have been forgotten about (that are considerably more exciting than finding ways to add a tiny bit more fuel)

Haven’t seen a complete list anywhere, but the F1 YT channel had a vid on that subject a month or two back

Blimey, Bottas has dropped his marriage for the sake of his career. Häkkinen and someone else close to him, I forget who, were saying he had something special up his sleeve in terms of planning to hit 2020 hard; looks like whatever his plan is, he’s taking no prisoners.

Unfortunately I have to share you the news that the marriage between Emilia and myself has come to an end: pic.twitter.com/EyaRI6Fp73

— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) November 28, 2019

Didn’t Senna divorce his wife so he would be able to concentrate on racing?

I see Seb’s lost the back end again and put it in the wall.

Are Ferrari fast or slow again after that latest technical clarification?  😀

Don’t know how representatives the times are, but they both ended the session about 2 seconds off the front and split by a Haas…

Didn’t Senna divorce his wife so he would be able to concentrate on racing?

It’s quite understandable, I mean, it’s pretty distracting trying to follow the commentary when someone’s hoovering right round you.

Great result for Lewis in what must’ve been a dispiriting session for Bottas. Brand new engine, MGUH and MGUK and still Lewis beats him by 0.3seconds.

Embarrassing for Ferrari, again. They’ve had a shocker this season.

I had myself a little chuckle at the start of Q1.

As soon as Albon said over the radio “the track’s pretty slippery” I thought, ha, Vettel’s going to lose the back end somewhere.

Maybe sixty seconds later, there he was on the screen, rolling backwards over the finish line 🤣

And yeah, Ferrari, the eternal shambles. Piss-ups and breweries spring to mind.

For all of their shambolic showing at times, that Ferrari isn’t a dog. At times this season it’s been quicker than the Merc – although as Bez has pointed out this may or may not have been aided by some clever interpretations of rules that appear to have been closed in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari have a great car, just as they have done for the last two seasons as well, what’s holding them back are all the bungling errors in strategy, team management and on track (90% of which seem to be Vettel’s)

Good chance they just ruined Leclercs race before the start. Fuel discrepancies

Boring now that the drs is working again.

Boring now that the drs is working again.

But amusing when they messed up Vettel’s pit stop.

Bottas on a quali powered run at Leclerc!

I’m calling it, he’s a cyborg and doesn’t blink !!

can’t see Mattia Binotto being in charge of ferrari next season, wasn’t even very close 15-3 in wins is a trouncing especially when you have the “faster” car :/

30 lap old hard tyres and sets the fastest lap of the race to end the season with a grand slam!

They’ve been nowhere near since the FIA clarified the fuel flow/monitoring rules. Hmmmmmmmmm.

I’ve officially fallen back in love with McLaren this season, the vibe within the team and drivers is fantastic.

Did anyone else hear Lando and his engineer? https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ioDQ2namT/?igshid=1tunkf6y6rr35

McLaren has been the story of the season for me, Sainz and young Norris have done an outstanding job.

The second big story of the year has been Gasly – from a torrid time at Red Bull to a fully deserved P2 in Brazil in his Toro Rosso, he’s got his head down and is proving potential.

McLaren have been outstanding this season. After the early testing predictions of having them been the 8th fastest team and glory runs in testing they have been a revelation. Soundly beating the factory engine supplier. They have a youthful energy in the team and I hope it continues. Going forward they could be in demand in 2021.

Did anyone else hear Lando and his engineer? https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ioDQ2namT/?igshid=1tunkf6y6rr35

Amazing!!

Why was Verstappen so much quicker in a straight line near the end than Leclerc when it was the other way round at the start?