Formula 1

[baz962]

So we shouldn't impose sanctions either, after all the average Russian isn't invading Ukraine either.

To be fair I don't like affecting the normal people. However I do grudgingly accept sanctions to make the military invasion too expensive and unaffordable as that hopefully ultimately saves lives. But excluding a football team won't and you know it. Putin will care for the money first and if that doesn't work , you think football will.

 

[najaB]

However I do grudgingly accept sanctions to make the military invasion too expensive and unaffordable as that hopefully ultimately saves lives.

That's one point of sanctions, however the more important one is to make the action too *politically* expensive due to an unhappy populace. After all, the Russian army already has the weapons they're using, they're not trying to buy them now and 90-something percent of their military spending is domestic anyway so wouldn't be directly affected by sanctions.

 

[Geezertronic]

Andretti want their own team and have Renault on board to supply AFAIK.

But if the option to buy Haas comes up then he'd most likely purchase an established team rather than set his own team up. Andretti would almost certainly be in F1 already if the deal to buy Alfa Romeo went through but the deal fell through as Sauber wanted to keep some control which Andretti was not happy about

 

[LOL The Irony]

But if the option to buy Haas comes up then he'd most likely purchase an established team rather than set his own team up. Andretti would almost certainly be in F1 already if the deal to buy Alfa Romeo went through but the deal fell through as Sauber wanted to keep some control which Andretti was not happy about

Michael Andretti asked Gene Haas several times and was told it's not for sale.

 

[najaB]

Michael Andretti asked Gene Haas several times and was told it's not for sale.

I suspect it might be for sale, but not to someone who Haas sees as a peer. Ego quite often trumps finance.

 

[DarloRich]

And it's conclusion is that drivers from Russia and Belarus, CAN compete in FIA sanctioned series but under the FIA Flag.

A cop out - even FIFA got it right, eventually!

EDIT: Russian drivers in Formula 1 banned from competing in UK

BBC:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60586914

Russian drivers have been banned from competing in the UK by Britain's national motorsport authority.

Motorsport UK will refuse to recognise licenses of competitors from the Russian federation until further notice.

It means Nikita Mazepin cannot race in the British Grand Prix even if he continues to be part of the Haas team.

Mazepin's father Dmitry provides financial backing to Haas and is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Haas are expected to sever their links with their Russian driver.

 

[D365]

At least one person has pointed out that banning of Russian/Belarusian drivers is fair enough. Given that the ongoing situation would make it very difficult for a Ukrainian driver to compete.

 

[SynthD]

Would it? Nearly all the drivers live in Western Europe, even Mazepin.

 

[najaB]

Would it? Nearly all the drivers live in Western Europe, even Mazepin.

It might not be physically difficult but do you think any driver's focus is going to be where it needs to be if their family (immediate or extended) are under threat by the Russian forces in Ukraine? I fully expect that most professional Ukrainian sportspeople will start pulling out of any events they are involved in.

 

[Non Multi]

Russian drivers banned from competing in UK

So for example, Russian Leo Machitski is the 2021 British GT Championship GT3 co-champion (with co-driver Dennis Lind). He cannot now defend his title. As Machitski was the amateur pay driver for the British GT entry for car #1, the Barwell Motorsport team can't run the car until a new pay driver is found to pair up with Dennis Lind.

So yes, this sanction from Motorsport UK will have an immediate impact.

 

[DarloRich]

So for example, Russian Leo Machitski is the 2021 British GT Championship GT3 co-champion (with co-driver Dennis Lind). He cannot now defend his title. As Machitski was the amateur pay driver for the British GT entry for car #1, the Barwell Motorsport team can't run the car until a new pay driver is found to pair up with Dennis Lind.

So yes, this sanction from Motorsport UK will have an immediate impact.

Unlucky. I am sure the team will find another pay driver.

 

[Domh245]

Unlucky. I am sure the team will find another pay driver.

Hopefully, but Barwell are an in-demand team, so I'm sure they'll find somebody, even if it is only for some but not all races. This all presupposes that Leo doesn't abandon his Russian license and instead take up a British one, for example (that certainly seems to be allowable under the FIA's edict, presume it'd also apply to the MSUK ruling). That'd be the only real stumbling block as the highlighter yellow the car runs in certainly can't be mistaken for russian colour or symbols!

In other recently announced news, F1 have now emphatically ruled out a return to Russia for the foreseeable, cancelling the contract with the promoter:

Formula 1 terminates contract with Russian Grand Prix

Formula 1 terminates its contract with the Russian Grand Prix and the sport will not race in Russia for the foreseeable future.

www.bbc.co.uk

Formula 1 has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix.

The sport's commercial arm, which controls the calendar, has decided racing in the country is impossible in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
The race in Sochi scheduled for September this year has already been cancelled. There will now no longer be a race in St Petersburg, where it was due to move in 2023.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was key in establishing the event in 2014.

Putin, who remains closely associated with the race, has a palace in Sochi and St Petersburg is his home town.

The decision means F1 will not race in Russia for the foreseeable future - effectively, at least for as long as Putin remains in power.

F1 has discussed what action to take next over the days since it decided to cancel this year's race last week, a day after the invasion. It was concluded that holding a race in Russia was not tenable after what has happened.

The race is one of the most lucrative on the calendar and had a long-term contract.

The action by F1's commercial arm stands in stark contrast to the decision by governing body the FIA this week to allow Russian competitors to take part in global motorsport events.

It is a rare public split between F1 and the FIA, and an indication of F1's dismay at the FIA's stance on Russia.

The FIA has already faced a backlash from the decision by its world motorsport council on Tuesday. The following day UK motorsport's governing body banned all Russian licence holders from competing in the UK.

The FIA justified its decision by saying it was in line with the policy of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

But the IOC, to which the FIA is affiliated, recommended on Tuesday that "event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions… in order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all participants".

It added a second clause allowing athletes and officials to participate on neutral terms "wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons".

The FIA has not answered questions as to the grounds on which it decided this was the case for motorsport, in which most championships have not yet started in 2022.

On Thursday the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) reversed a previous decision and banned athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, saying the "situation in the athlete villages" had become "untenable".

 

[DarloRich]

Hopefully, but Barwell are an in-demand team,

They are a successful GT team so will be ok I am sure - in any event losing pay drivers is hardly unknown in motorsport! ( admittedly not in this way but they often enough don't show up with the suggested coin)

 

[PG]

Max Verstappen signs new Red Bull contract until 2028, so he's there for 7 years, rumoured to be on a salary of £33m to £41m. Also speculation that RB will seek to involve VAG in future engine development.

The new contract is said to be worth in the region of €40-50m (£33.3-41.7m) a year, which would make it among the most lucrative in F1 history.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: "To have Max signed with Red Bull Racing through to the end of 2028 is a real statement of intent.

"Our immediate focus is on retaining Max's world championship title but this deal also shows he is a part of the team's long-term planning."

Red Bull enter a new era in 2022 following the departure of engine partner Honda from F1.

Red Bull have taken over the intellectual property for the engine and set up their own engine division on their campus in Milton Keynes.

The original plan had been for Red Bull to take over the manufacture of the engines from 2023 but motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said in an interview earlier this year that the engines would continue to come from Honda's R&D base in Japan until 2025, after which a new engine-design formula will come into force in F1.

In theory, Red Bull would have to build its own engines for the new era, when the engines will feature a greater proportion of their power from hybrid energy, and use fully sustainable, probably synthetic, fuels.

However, Red Bull have been strongly linked with the Volkswagen Group, which is expected to enter F1 from 2026 with either its Porsche or Audi brands.

Also now confirmed that Formula 1 has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix, so no race at Sochi this year or in St Petersburg next year.
EDIT removed quote as I see @Domh245 has beaten me to it!

 

[LOL The Irony]

It was reported by F1 accredited journalist Sergio Rodriguez this morning that Mazepin was going to be dropped by Haas.
https://twitter.com/sergiorf97/status/1499299172922675204?t=2rORntxj1xZbu8agYzcXUg&s=19

Haas have decided: Mazepin is OUT. Fittipaldi will replace him; official statement very soon as the brazillian will be behind the wheel in Barhain pre-season testing!

Now, Sky Sports F1 Germany are reporting that he's gone.
https://twitter.com/skysportformel1/status/1499424786094698502?t=9DMRjMFWQbNXxIuAsGGmzg&s=19

Haas has separated from Nikita Mazepin according to Sky information. Reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi is to take over the cockpit from Mazepin and will already be at the wheel during the tests in Bahrain

 

[Geezertronic]

Hopefully the driver dynamic of Haas will see an improvement as a result as I don't think it was any secret that Mick didn't like Mazapin as a driver and as a person based on what happened on and off the track

 

[KashmireHawker]

BREAKING: Haas TERMINATE the contract of Mazepin and Uralkali

https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1500031737581158412/photo/1

Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin.

As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.

And in following up, BBC Sport states there is at least 3 candidates to replace him.

Nikita Mazepin: Haas end driver's contract & partnership with Russian chemicals company

Formula 1 team Haas terminate the contract of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and ends a sponsorship agreement with a chemicals company part-owned by his father.

www.bbc.co.uk

Haas said news on Mazepin's replacement was expected early next week.

Among the drivers said to be under consideration are the team's reserve Pietro Fittipaldi, who stood in for Romain Grosjean for two races at the end of 2020 after the Frenchman's fiery accident in Bahrain, Indian Formula 2 driver Jehan Daruvala, and Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri, the reigning F2 champion.

 

[D365]

Grosjean, Magnussen or Hülkenberg don't fancy a comeback?

[tongue in cheek]

 

[PG]

Grosjean, Magnussen or Hülkenberg don't fancy a comeback?

[tongue in cheek]

Has Kimi definitely retired?

 

[D365]

Has Kimi definitely retired?

More retired than JB was in 2017

 

[LOL The Irony]

Has Kimi definitely retired?

Well he currently runs the Kawasaki motocross team.

 

[43172]

Magnussen has been announced as Mazepin's replacement
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60684180

Dane Kevin Magnussen will make a comeback to Formula 1 as the replacement for Nikita Mazepin at the US-based Haas team.

Magnussen, 29, drove for Haas from 2017 to 2020 before the team decided to replace him and Romain Grosjean with Mazepin and Mick Schumacher.
Mazepin was sacked on Sunday as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Haas said Magnussen signed a "multi-year contract" and will drive at the pre-season test in Bahrain this week.

(My bold)

Am surprised by the fact it's a multi-year contract, had felt whoever was going to be Mazepin's replacement would've signed a one year contract

 

[LOL The Irony]

Magnussen has been announced as Mazepin's replacement... Am surprised by the fact it's a multi-year contract, had felt whoever was going to be Mazepin's replacement would've signed a one year contract

So does that mean Peugeot is off the cards for KMag?

 

[Non Multi]

So does that mean Peugeot is off the cards for KMag?

Looks like it. He's also exited his Ganassi drive in the IMSA (North American) sportscar championship.

Considering his recently published book burnt a lot of bridges with his previous employers, there's going to be a few unhappy to see him back in the F1 paddock.

 

[bspahh]

Magnussen has been announced as Mazepin's replacement
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60684180


(My bold)

Am surprised by the fact it's a multi-year contract, had felt whoever was going to be Mazepin's replacement would've signed a one year contract

It can be a "multi-year contract", but with performance clauses for him and the team on the track, and possibly for him to bring in sponsorship. It doesn't mean that he will be a fixture for years.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Looks like it. He's also exited his Ganassi drive in the IMSA (North American) sportscar championship.

Shame, I really wanted to see how he'd do.

Considering his recently published book burnt a lot of bridges with his previous employers, there's going to be a few unhappy to see him back in the F1 paddock.

Well he must still be in good standing with Gene and Gunther.

 

[Non Multi]

Shame, I really wanted to see how he'd do.

Well he must still be in good standing with Gene and Gunther.

He was complimentary about their 'no nonsense' approach to racing. If anyone's interested in the Twitter thread with snippets from the KMag book (far too many to be put here): https://www.twitter.com/F1ToRuleThemAll/status/1476226599624318976

 

[birchesgreen]

Watched some of the testing yesterday and got a first proper look at the new cars, the new wheels do look quite odd. Though i suspect within a few races they'll be hardly noticeable.

 

[Pete_uk]

The cars look good. Is the Mercedes and Hamilton's 'We are not going to compete for wins' thing another bit of manure and they will turn up and be half a second a lap faster than everyone else?

 

[JamesT]

The cars look good. Is the Mercedes and Hamilton's 'We are not going to compete for wins' thing another bit of manure and they will turn up and be half a second a lap faster than everyone else?

It’s very hard to say, we’ll only know the true pace of the cars next weekend.
Though the pundits do seem to reckon that the Mercedes is looking a handful whereas fast cars normally look smooth.