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Button will pick up where Alonso leaves off in terms of power units, according to radio 5
Yes, this is the case. Also confirmed by JAonF1 and Channel 4
Top 4 separated by half a second in final practice - qually should be good! Merc need to top up those oil tanks! 😉
I would love to see Kimi grab a race win this year.
And Red Bull only a teeny bit faster than a retired bloke in a Williams (and 1.5s off the pace at the front) - Mr. Newey is losing his touch it seems.
Power track innit? Impressed that Red Bull are as high as they are tbh, says a lot for the handling
Another poor drive by Palmer, bad mistake to make that.
Shocker!! 😯
Nice work from Massa too. Stroll needs to step up a little! 🙂
Another poor drive by Palmer, bad mistake to make that.
Palmer's a funny one, he really seemed to have the whole F1 one thing sorted by the end of the last season, but he's started this one very poorly. He's in my team too!! Pull it together JP! 🙂
Boom - game on!
It's going to be interesting watching Lewis implode this season. Nico was a known quantity - he can do nothing about Vettel. And if Bottas out qualifies him on a regular basis that will really get to him.
It's going to be interesting watching Lewis implode this season.
I think it's already started! His penultimate flying lap was a total mess. Bailed out of a lot free practice laps too. I think we're definitely going to see some Hamtrums this weekend 😉
Yeah I can see a few let me pass orders to keep him Ham happy. Ham not at the races today but should make a bit of progress when Bottas' tyres go off. That is if Verstappen doesnt have a torpedo moment.
Sauber have finally announced a Honda deal for next year. Wonder if they'll be the only team using them?
The same Sauber that (kinda) brought Mercedes into modern F1, maybe they'll do a better job of it 😉
Alonso not even finishing the warm-up lap.
Sauber have finally announced a Honda deal for next year.Wonder if they'll be the only team using them?
Eddie Jordan is absolutely certain that this will be the case (for whatever that is worth!)
JP out Alonso in for Spain!!??? 😆
JP out Alonso in for Spain!!???
I wouldn't surprised!! 🙂
Is everyone awake after a Sunday afternoon snooze!?
Bit of excitement at the end but generally a but meh.
Yep, no change in order from the first corner onwards is a bit dull. Good to see Bottas take the win though!
How have they managed to make F1 even more boring?
Yes, I don't think there was a single on track overtake all race was there? Even among the back markers.
Thought Vettel was really going to Bring the pressure, but he seemed to get from 5 secs back to 1.5 secs back in 5 laps, and then spend 10 laps only clawing back another 0.5 secs. Perhaps symptomatic of those cars really being tough to follow.
How have they managed to make F1 even more boring?
They revised the rules to suit the team that made Sebastian Vettel a four times champ.
As always,excellent insight into the race that you don't find in most write ups
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/f1/2017-russian-grand-prix-report
Awful race, the overheating engines turned it from a Grand Prix into something more like a 24 hour endurance event.
That McLaren is still sh**t. How can Honda be so incapable of making a remotely competitive (or even working) engine.
nemesis,
Thanks for the link, great report. All down to a wrong weather forecast (partly!)
Exactly. A lot more to it than what you see on the face of it
Sounds like it's a done deal with Sauber using Honda engines and McLaren gearboxes next year.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/129258
In the FantasyF1 league, well done to Merchant Banker moving up 5 places into the lead.
Second place is SvladCjelli.
And bronze for Shermer75.
This is only the second race I've watched this year and I caught myself wondering why I was bothering. I know Sochi's not a great track and other races should be better so I'm not quite done with it yet, but there need to be some more interesting races sooner rather than later.
Sounds like it's a done deal with Sauber using Honda engines and McLaren gearboxes next year.
This sort of confirms McLaren are sticking with Honda too for 2018. I can't see them building 2 designs of gearbox, one for Honda and one for a Merc engine.
As always,excellent insight into the race that you don't find in most write upshttp://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/f1/2017-russian-grand-prix-report
That was actually more interesting than the race. Still fair play to Bottas
the-muffin-man - Member
This sort of confirms McLaren are sticking with Honda too for 2018. I can't see them building 2 designs of gearbox, one for Honda and one for a Merc engine.POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
Unless Mclaren suddenly for some reason have a load of Honda compatible gearboxes they have no use for 😛
I'm with you on that one MrSalmon. I'm losing patience with it as well. I'm paying a chunk of money every month to have SkySports and I think I'm just going to cancel it.
The lack of overtaking is making the races extremely boring. I know some tracks lend themselves more to being able to overtake but still.. The amount of aero dripping off every conceivable surface of the car is crazy.
I think I'm going to start following the superbikes to get my motorsport fix!
The lack of overtaking is making the races extremely boring.
Some of the camera work doesn't help either. There was one frequent shot of them turning on to the straight, presumably shot from the far end, and at first I wondered if it was slowed down - no sensation of speed at all.
The camera angles have always been poor at showing the sensation of speed. They seem to be chosen to show the maximum amount of advertising signage for the maximum amount of time rather than showing the dramatic changes in direction or the cars moving around.
The camera angles have always been poor at showing the sensation of speed. They seem to be chosen to show the maximum amount of advertising signage for the maximum amount of time rather than showing the dramatic changes in direction or the cars moving around
A lot of the time I think they do capture it, Russia seemed particularly poor in that respect though.
Live stream of Alono's Indycar test - if anyone wants a window open while they are working!...
Yes, I don't think there was a single on track overtake all race was there? Even among the back markers.
Only the fourth race in the history of Formula 1 to feature no overtakes after the first lap
[url= https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2017/05/sochi-f1-analysis-did-ferrari-miss-an-opportunity-to-win-by-not-pitting-vettel-sooner/ ]Hot sauce[/url]
Live stream of Alono's Indycar test - if anyone wants a window open while they are working!...
Does this mean we can watch the race too?
This is an awesome quote!
Spanish IndyCar driver Oriol Servia says countryman Fernando Alonso's decision to skip the Monaco GP to race at the Indy 500 is like 'Bill Gates showing up at the Apple Christmas party instead of his own, because he knows it's going to be cooler'.
😆
Any lurkers heading over to Barcelona for the race this weekend?
Big update for Mercedes...not sure what's going on with the nose
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https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/6aka4v/craig_scarborough_massive_aero_update_to_the_w08/
Intriguing.
The Merc is a highly specialized aerodynamic package, when leading from the front in clean air it's very efficient, but clearly the aero doesn't behave anywhere near as well when the Merc is in the dirty air flowing from the Ferrari in front.
However, the solution is ingenious. Merc have gone down the radical route of attaching a SEAT hatchback to the front wing, thereby unsettling the aero flow over the car.
i think Alonso is leaving Mclaren at the end of the year. I presume Honda no longer have to pay his wages and part of the exit deal is toalow them to supply Sauber. But hey ho what do I know
My word - they've thrown the a whole warehouse full of kitchen sinks at that Merc! 😯
Alonso wasn't staying at McLaren - not a chance. I think Renault is his only real option. Why would Ferrari take him when thinks are running smoothly. He's a disruptive character.
Jordan (I know) seems to think vettel is off to merc so Ferrari would need a #1 driver. Alonso has got to go back to one of his previous teams, so why not them? Unless he [b]really[/b] burned his bridges
I've never understood why the commentators are so adamant that he won't be returning to Ferrari considering he went back to McLaren! 🙂
He also went back to Renault too so going a full ciricle.. well actually if he went to Torro rosso , that would be complete!
He will got where he thinks he can win.
cheekymonkey888 - Member
i think Alonso is leaving Mclaren at the end of the year. I presume Honda no longer have to pay his wages and part of the exit deal is toalow them to supply Sauber. But hey ho what do I knowPOSTED 11 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
I don't know. What do you know and just as importantly, how do you know whatever it is concerning Alonso? Are you his agent? Masseur? Confidante? Lover?
He will got where he thinks he can win.
He will go anywhere they will have him.
He's expensive.
He's not a team player.
You got me.. I am Aussiegrit and I'm not his Massa
He will go anywhere they will have him.
Given that he's still widely regarded as the best driver of the current crop, that'll be most of the teams then.
And given that it took just 12 mins of FP1 for his latest Honda to blow up I reckon his price will be tumbling. He'll be celebrating seeing the chequered flag this year.
With Honda embarrassing doesn't really cover it. It's just a pathetic effort.
And if Vettel is going to Merc, where is Lewis going? A few seasons with Ferrari would book-end his career nicely.
He is regarded by engineers and team bosses as a very good driver.
Regularly commentators talk of him being up there with other top drivers, so I reckon he can still command a top slot.
When he has driven crap cars he regularly finished higher up than expected (look what he did in that crap Ferrari he had a few years ago) and out raced his team mates in the same car.
So I would imagine lots of top teams would want him in a seat.
From Sky's FP1 feed...
[b]"Fernando Alonso has left the Circuit de Catalunya and returned to his hotel.
Sky F1 asked his manager if the Spaniard will return for Practice Two and got the reply "I hope so".
We will see..."[/b]
He's just tweeted pics of himself playing tennis at the hotel, so I guess FP2 depends on whether the match goes to 5 sets 😉
I've completely lost interest with what's happening at the front of the grid - I'm solely concerned with the goings on at McLaren. Whatever their mechanical troubles right now, I reckon they're absolutely dominating the F1 social media feed.
PJM1974 - Member
I've completely lost interest with what's happening at the front of the grid - I'm solely concerned with the goings on at McLaren. Whatever their mechanical troubles right now, I reckon they're absolutely dominating the F1 social media feed.
It has been quite fascinating to watch.
Sauber must be shitting bricks at this point.
He is regarded by engineers and team bosses as a very good driver.
I am in no doubt of his talent.
But...
He has been closely implicated in two of the biggest scandals of recent F1 and got away with it; dropping the team in the crap instead. That's not great on your cv.
His recent history is going to a team to turn them around and doing nothing of the sort. If anything they get worse as they move into orbit around his ego.
"Fernando is faster than you"
I bet Massa still laughs when he laps him these days.
Alonso is back for FP2, how many laps can Honda do this time?
I bet Massa still laughs when he laps him these days.
Really a 2nd rate driver plodding around mid-table, against a double world champion?
Yes.
So he will take all the little victories he can.
"Fernando ees no longer faster than me...."
Unless we see the data the team bosses see we are only really guessing at how good/bad drivers are.
Has there ever been a worse engine than the current Honda? I'm struggling to think of one!
Lamborghini liked to go up in flames a lot, usually got to at least the 3rd corner though
Has there ever been a worse engine than the current Honda?
[url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Racing_Engines ]Life Racing Engines[/url]
Good read that! Yes, it's fair to say that Life Racing was worse lol 🙂
Porsche supplied Footwork with engines in 1990/91? (can't remember) they were really woeful, I think they rarely qualified at all. and never finished a race
Alonso might even be smiling after this! Good to see!
By 'eck! 7th for Alonso! 😯
Bit late to the party, but just saw my first F1 for the season. Pink car! 😯
Love the pink!
Amazing stuff from Alonso, that guy can be so electrifying!
Nicely poised for tomorrow, think HAM will get it but should be interesting at the start.
By 'eck! 7th for Alonso! 😯
He was really hustling that thing wasn't he 😀
Guessing he just turned the engine up full and let it choose whether to blow up or not. A show for his home fans before he goes to conquer America!
Guessing he just turned the engine up full and let it choose whether to blow up or not.
The garage were smiling so maybe not? ...... lets hope.
The odds on the McLaren blowing up on the formation lap have just been slashed
Alonso is outstanding. He will easily get a drive next year.
I don't reckon Alonso will have an engine beyond lap 14.
I'd say lap 14 is optimistic
I've actually got a little theory about the Honda engine's troubles.
When they run it on low power mode (lean fuelling/retarded ignition etc) it sets up vibrations in the engine that rattle it to bits eventually. When they turn it up to full power it settles down and runs reasonably as designed, it's then we see results like P7. Maybe the engineers focused on it's performance at full chat and forgot to ensure it worked in fuel-saving mode, that's now the nub of their issues. When Alonso grabs it by the scruff of the neck and drives flat-out it works but as soon as they turn it down to save the engine or save fuel it rattles away to itself again. This could be exacerbation any other issues in their design too.
Just a theory mind.
Possibly something in that but they've been reasonably open about the issues up to now and that hasn't been mentioned. I suspect that their stress analysis and dyno testing just isn't correlating well to the track so they're never really sure what will happen. That seems like an area that Merc could help them with.
When they run it on low power mode (lean fuelling/retarded ignition etc) it sets up vibrations in the engine that rattle it to bits eventually
No, I think the vibration problem occurs when they try to run it at full power, so I guess it's setting up harmonics at high revs that are damaging other components. Apparently, they did a lot of test bench work last year using single cylinder prototypes to develop the internal combustion engine. They thought that was successful and the complete engine was a major improvement when tested on the dyno. However, once they installed it in the car, things kept breaking whenever they tried to run it at full power. Alonso's P7 suggests that they have sorted out some of the problems and managed to turn up the power a bit, and also that the car itself is reasonably competitive. If they have managed to sort out the vibration issues, then they should be able to focus on power and efficiency. They seem to have the fourth fastest car now, so it's not impossible that they are faster than Red Bull by the end of the year. If that's the case, Alonso might decide he's better to stay put than gamble on Renault or Ferrari. Unlikely, for sure, but not impossible given that P7.
I can remember seasons where a team were bedding something new in that failed all over the place - only for it to be sorted and spectacular a year later. Active suspensions, semi-auto / flappy paddle gear boxes.