The bolt that holds the wheel on (green) looks to go through the ‘blue’ plate which probably comes off when the wheel comes off then the wheel back on ‘blue’ plate then bolt again. ‘Red’ cover I assume stays on all the time….

In the previous pic, with the cars viewed from the front, the rooster tail of the front one does look like it may be thinner/less dense than the rear one without guards.

The front one definitely has lower/wider spray off the front tyres though, but track surface, wetness and braking force could all influence the spray patterns between ront and rear cars.

Albon sticking with Williams

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/albon-signs-new-multi-year-f1-contract-with-williams/10611069/

Is anyone else thinking that the F1 press are over-hyping McLaren’s B Spec car and its going to be business as usual this weekend?

That’s good news as a Williams fan, would have liked to see what he could do in the other Mercedes seat though.

nickc

Full Member
Is anyone else thinking that the F1 press are over-hyping McLaren’s B Spec car and its going to be business as usual this weekend?

Yeah I had the same feeling mate, but it’s hard to say with the floor damage on Verstappen’s car last race. Fingers crossed it’s legit though!

Usually the case though as the regs stabilise the field closes up as they all work out how to get the most out of them. This year is closer than last, next year should be closer than this and the year after that should be, oh bugger.

I think McLaren and Ferrari are getting close enough to Red Bull that things like track conditions and  tyre warmup can make the difference. If Red Bull don’t have a perfect weekend, the other teams can beat them on pace and Perez can’t be guaranteed to be there to put pressure on them.

Merc will have the second half of their update this weekend too…

…so that will bring them 0.0000001 seconds closer to the pointy end! 🙂

I’m a big fan of Albon, I hope that him extending with Williams is a vote of confidence in the team’s trajectory.  It’s a shame that he’s not in the second Mercedes though.

Is anyone else thinking that the F1 press are over-hyping McLaren’s B Spec car and its going to be business as usual this weekend?

Yeah, this.  IIRC Red Bull & Ferrari have significant updates due to debut at Imola.

Spy pictures of the new F1 wet-weather tyre revealed

Is anyone else thinking that the F1 press are over-hyping McLaren’s B Spec car and its going to be business as usual this weekend?

It’s definitely what normally happens, but it would be nice to be surprised for a change. More than 2 teams in serious contention for the championships would be an incredibly exciting prospect for next year, and the first time it’s happened for over ten years

It was either 2010 or 2012, I can’t remember which, but we had something like 7 different winners over the first 7 races, it’s hard to imagine that ever happened now!

2012:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Formula_One_World_Championship

Albon sticking with Williams

WTF?!?

As a driver of his level, why would you rule yourself out of any opportunity of driving for a race winning team for the next 3 years?

If anyone can turn Williams around its Vowles, but its going to take several years to do so so it feels like hes writing his career off?

Unless hes been told that all the other opportunities have been closed off, but what happens the day that either Lewis/Alonso retire. Either hes stuck at Williams or that ‘vote of confidence’ is undermined by exit clauses.

As a driver of his level, why would you rule yourself out of any opportunity of driving for a race winning team for the next 3 years?

Because every other option is blocked off.

Merc – full

Ferrari – full

Red Bull – full

Aston – full

And after those it’s just shuffling up and down the mid-pack teams.

And this is also a driver who not that long ago didn’t look like he’d have an F1 career at all.

On The Race latest youtube, the discussion was that this year there could be a record number of changes.  But also that many are moving/signing very early in the season, or even pre-season. So I would not say that all those teams are necessarily full.

There certainly is a level of get something sorted now before it’s too late.

Hope it is confidence that Williams is on an upwards trend.  I mean it wasn’t all that long ago that McLaren were getting like 800 grid place penalties as well as qualifying last. So there’s scope.

I had Albon down to partner Russell. But sainz is the one with the biggest issue. Be criminal if he’s not signed for next year, even more criminal than the year that Ocon had to sit out.

WTF?!?

Williams are taking a hit now for transforming their operation. It’s very likely that by the start of next year they’ll be very much on an upward trajectory. They’re a known quantity and Albon will have seen all the work being done behind the scenes.

Whereas, the alternatives…? Haas: never going to be a top flight team by virtue of their operating model, let alone the way Gene sticks his oar in. Alpine: absolutely in crisis with no publicly visible solution to their issues. Sauber/Audi: viable as a prospect but unlikely to have Albon high on their list for the one vacant seat. VCARB: already oversubscribed and can never be more than a stepping stone to RB, which Albon knows is a toxic environment for him. McLaren, Ferrari, Aston all full (assuming Lance doesn’t spontaneously combust), RB looking elsewhere and—as mentioned—toxic anyway with Max still there. Merc also looking elsewhere and putting their long term bet on Antonelli. Williams really is the best horse in Albontown. He’s well regarded there and whatever growth the team sees he will be able to shape.

I can see that there might be no options for next year, but he already had a contract covering that.

What happens if Lewis wins the championship with Ferrari in 26 and then retires?

Hes already taken himself out of the driver market for that scenario, with the contract extension.

If Ferrari came knocking then Williams will think of a number and ask Ferrari for that as compensation.

In reality that’s not going to happen – he’s decent but not that good.

And we never know – Williams may have talked Newey into a part-time remote working consultancy role while he’s off sailing around the world! 🙂

Aston all full (assuming Lance doesn’t spontaneously combust)

Given that Lawrence Stroll has said that he’s planning for top 3 status for the team, when do we think he’s going to suggest to his son that perhaps his career in racing is going to be outside F1..?

Albon will have release clauses in his contract. He’s already talked to all the teams, none of the top ones want him. If they change their minds, he’ll be able to buy his way out of his contract.

Given that Lawrence Stroll has said that he’s planning for top 3 status for the team, when do we think he’s going to suggest to his son that perhaps his career in racing is going to be outside F1..?

Rumours are that he’ll move over to WEC once Aston join in 25

Potentially opening the door for Tsunoda to tie in with the Honda engine switch

So if Sainz really doesn’t want to go to Red Bull then the seat remains Cheeco’s I guess. Neither Tsunoda or Riccardo have done enough to get it IMO. I like Ricardo a lot but it’s time to accept that he’s well past his best, I suspect he’ll be out to make way for Lawson unless by some miracle he can replicate the Miami sprint performance for the rest of the year.

If Bearman and Lawson are in, and Sergant and Ricardo are out then there’s only so many permutations of where the rest can go. Antonelli in would mean one more has to drop out somewhere, probably Bottas or Zhou.

We really need Andretti

I wonder if Albon and his management actually believed he was more in demand than he actually was and that’s why he has stuck with Williams.

Albon was on the Beyond the Grid podcast a few months back.  To me it came across that he really fits in with the team and likes being part of that team and what they are trying to achieve.

I imagine he has a few scars from the Red Bull days and maybe now he highly values being somewhere where you are respected and treated better?

why he has stuck with Williams

My understanding is that that Williams were keen to retain him. He consistently puts that car way up the grid where it has no right to be, and their view is that (like Verstappen at RB) if they can build him a car that’s actually as fast as he’s [more than] capable of driving, they have a potential podium/point scoring combination.

Plus for Albon, why go to another mid-pack team to be maybe a No2 and have to start all over again with a new crew, when the changes that James Vowles has already bought to the team are going to only wash out next year and beyond? If he goes now, he’ll have put in all the hard work just for some other driver to potentially pick up all the glory.

Newey is saying that he would rather change F1 team rather than retire. It would be so exciting if he ends up at Ferrari!

Newey to Andretti!!!

Only joking 🙂

Given that Lawrence Stroll has said that he’s planning for top 3 status

He’d struggle to make top 3 driver within the team, so he might as well **** off now.

I think you’re mixing up Lawrence and Lance! Lawrence definitely has the money and determination to get Aston there, Lance definitely doesn’t have the driving talent!

Jason, Jason, Jason, It’s so old but it’s still true…

Seb organised a run/cycle/scoot round the track for the F1/F2/F3 drivers to pay homage to Roland and Ayrton.

Mercedes lose another key member of staff…

https://www.planetf1.com/news/gioacchino-vino-mercedes-exit-aero-chief-leaves

…Hamilton jumping ship is looking like an inspired move as each day goes by.

And interesting FP1 – Max isn’t happy with his car which is always a good thing! Lets hope it stays that way. 🙂

Two Ferraris and a Merc in the top three. Feels like old times. The McLaren’s are no where to be seen though, let’s hope they pick it up a bit in 2nd practice

Mercedes lose another key member of staff…

Hard to know how much of this churn is down to good people leaving a lost team vs the people who have overseen  the recent lack of performance being “managed out” (as an ex employer of mine used to call it)

According to Benson on the chequered flag podcast, 2 personnel are going from Ferrari to Mercedes, they just haven’t announced it yet.

It’s only tomorrow afternoon when it really counts Verstappen will put it on pole, then romp off.

All very tight in FP2 – we might have a race on!! 🤞🤞

Certainly there are hints that the rest of the season might not turn out to be the Red Bull Demonstration Run that we thought it might be… (he says, rather hopefully).

McLaren and Ferrari are looking quick, should be a good qualifying