Formula 1

[DarloRich]

F1 in sensible decision shocker!

 

[JD2168]

F1 has made the best decision in the current circumstances. I hope that things will improve for the people who live in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy with the flooding.

 

[PG]

Presumably most of the teams will already have trucks making the journey to Italy. Do they recall them back to base or redirect them to Monaco?

 

[kristiang85]

Watching the local news at the moment, it is 100% the right decision. And everyone is in very good humour and understanding about it, which is great to see.

 

[JamesT]

Presumably most of the teams will already have trucks making the journey to Italy. Do they recall them back to base or redirect them to Monaco?

The news reports mention F1 personnel being told to leave the circuit on Tuesday. So at least part of the team is already there.
I would think that anything not already at Imola would return to base. Given it’s Monaco, I don’t expect there’s anywhere they could put the trucks if they turned up early.

 

[PG]

Given it’s Monaco, I don’t expect there’s anywhere they could put the trucks if they turned up early.

Tell them to park up in the south of France and enjoy a few days R&R

 

[brad465]

I'll probably be shot for bringing this subject up, but when one of the most polluting sports essentially reaps the whirlwind from its activity, maybe this is what it will take for more folk, especially in the richest sections of society, to take climate change more seriously. (I'm not saying F1 has to be banned, but itself and some of its indirect activities/sponsors may wish to consider alternative fuel/behaviour more rapidly).

 

[SynthD]

F1 has made large changes towards being carbon neutral. I believe the trucks run biofuel and soon the cars will run fuel made from carbon capture. The calendar will be reordered to be eco friendly, while still avoiding the incompatible weather events like monsoon.

I hope they start talking more about this. I think Domenicalli gave a more detailed plan at the start of the year, but nothing since.

 

[JD2168]

With regards the flooding in the Emilia Romagna region Ferrari has donated 1million Euros to support the relief effort.

 

[Howardh]

With regards the flooding in the Emilia Romagna region Ferrari has donated 1million Euros to support the relief effort.

F1 should too!

 

[E27007]

F1 has made large changes towards being carbon neutral. I believe the trucks run biofuel and soon the cars will run fuel made from carbon capture. The calendar will be reordered to be eco friendly, while still avoiding the incompatible weather events like monsoon.

I hope they start talking more about this. I think Domenicalli gave a more detailed plan at the start of the year, but nothing since.

Surely the direct pollution of F1, the F1 cars driving in the race, is modest compared to the combined pollution of all the spectators who drive / fly / sail to and from the circuit?

 

[DelW]

Surely the direct pollution of F1, the F1 cars driving in the race, is modest compared to the combined pollution of all the spectators who drive / fly / sail to and from the circuit?

Even without considering the spectators, the carbon footprint of flying and driving the teams' personnel, trucks, cars and other equipment around the world, often pointlessly zigzagging between continents, vastly exceeds the direct fuel consumption of the cars themselves. There must be a lots of carbon consumption in building the cars, engines, and replacement / consumable parts too.

I've watched F1 since the days of Jim Clark, and the almost back-street workshop teams of that era were a world away from the vastly expensive high tech teams of today. I haven't been to an F1 race since the 1980s, and if I wanted to go to live racing, I'd much rather go to see Lotus 25s and their like competing at Goodwood than watch current cars at Silverstone. As with many sports, too much money being involved simply brings in people and organisations whose sole interest is making money to the exclusion of all else. Arguably, Ecclestone started the rot which led to Liberty Media and the appalling Marsi.

 

[JD2168]

F1 should too!

F1 has now donated 1 million Euros as well.

 

[Howardh]

F1 has now donated 1 million Euros as well.

Excellent.

 

[Broucek]

Did anyone else watch the Indy 500 qualifying?

I always assumed that one-by-one would be dull. But the UK's Jack Harvey bumping his team mate (and team owner's son...) at the last minute by less than 0.01mph average speed was pretty amazing. And there was barely a cigarette paper between the top 3 qualifiers.

Another UK shout-out to Katherine Legge who was only 30th but: a) is not a regular series driver; b) hasn't driven at Indy for 10 years; and c) outqualified all her team mates, one of whom was on pole for the last race...

 

[75A]

Watched it avidly, brilliant.

Unfortunately I wont be able to watch the race live as I'm away @ Santa Pod for 4 days @ the FIA 'Main Event'
So it is being recorded.

 

[kristiang85]

Surely the direct pollution of F1, the F1 cars driving in the race, is modest compared to the combined pollution of all the spectators who drive / fly / sail to and from the circuit?

Only 0.7%!

 

[Broucek]

Only 0.7%!

I read somewhere that the Tour de France is one of the most polluting sporting event in large part due to spectator transport

 

[gswindale]

Honda are back, but with Aston Martin rather than Red Bull.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65682563

Honda is to return to Formula 1 in a formal capacity in 2026 as engine partner for the Aston Martin team.

The company officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021 but its engines are still used by the two Red Bull teams and are called Hondas again in 2023.

They must have performed more U turns than most drivers by now!

 

[D365]

Back to another of their former teams! (Jordan, as was)

 

[PG]

Hopefully it goes better with Aston Martin than the last time they returned with McLaren. ISTR a certain driver expressing their displeasure at the engine in the back of their car...

 

[Tetchytyke]

Aston Martin may have the same issue that McLaren did. With only having the engine supplied to one team it’s impossible to work out if the engine is rubbish, the car is rubbish, or a bit of both. The Honda engine wasn’t great at the start but it wasn’t as bad as the McLaren made it look.

I also imagine that the amount of support Mercedes give AM will steadily decrease now, to prevent Honda learning the secrets.

 

[1Q18]

Hopefully it goes better with Aston Martin than the last time they returned with McLaren. ISTR a certain driver expressing their displeasure at the engine in the back of their car...

At least Honda have proved they can build an engine which can win championships and isn’t just ‘GP2’ since then!

 

[JamesT]

Isn't the big difference from the McLaren situation that they'll be evolving the successful engine in the back of the Red Bull, rather than starting from scratch?
I wonder what F1 would look like if McLaren had stuck it out and managed to get the engine that Red Bull eventually got.

 

[JD2168]

Images have appeared in the Monaco Pit Lane of the new Mercedes upgrades which has removed the Zeropod & put in a more conventional Sidepod design.

 

[tomuk]

Images have appeared in the Monaco Pit Lane of the new Mercedes upgrades which has removed the Zeropod & put in a more conventional Sidepod design.

The shoulders on the car look ridiculous.

 

[D365]

Isn't the big difference from the McLaren situation that they'll be evolving the successful engine in the back of the Red Bull, rather than starting from scratch?

I'm still not clear on this. My understanding was that RBPT has taken over the IP of the 2021/22 Honda engine.

I wonder what F1 would look like if McLaren had stuck it out and managed to get the engine that Red Bull eventually got.

As much as I'm a McLaren fan, that engine would not have existed with them.

 

[JamesT]

I'm still not clear on this. My understanding was that RBPT has taken over the IP of the 2021/22 Honda engine.

I think that was the original idea when Honda announced they were pulling out in 2020, but they changed their mind and RBPT are essentially just rebadging.

 

[PG]

I think that was the original idea when Honda announced they were pulling out in 2020, but they changed their mind and RBPT are essentially just rebadging.

The waters aren't exactly crystal clear who is going to be doing what and with who's IP come 2026. Red Bull are going to want something to show for their investment in RBPT, though I suppose they could always allow Honda to take a stake in it?

 

[tomuk]

The waters aren't exactly crystal clear who is going to be doing what and with who's IP come 2026. Red Bull are going to want something to show for their investment in RBPT, though I suppose they could always allow Honda to take a stake in it?

They have already agreed a partnership with Ford from 2026.