The Official Formula 1 Thread 🏁

[bdkane]

I read somewhere that the FIA wants to give Red Bull a 25% decrease in R&D and wind tunnel time plus a fine. They are pushing back, of course.

Without a points deduction, it was worth the cheating.

 

[Lootha VanDraws]

Without a points deduction, it was worth the cheating.

I agree, especially for last season and this one. But 25% less wind tunnel and development will hurt for the upcoming season, especially since they will already be getting the least time of all the teams. I don't think a points deduction was ever happening (FIA doesn't have the balls). This might be the next best thing.

 

[MoneyTron]

Without a points deduction, it was worth the cheating.

I can't think of any major for-profit sport ever revoking a championship almost a year later regardless of violation. The Olympics does, but they operate by a different set of rules.

 

[bdkane]

I can't think of any major for-profit sport ever revoking a championship almost a year later regardless of violation. The Olympics does, but they operate by a different set of rules.

Maybe they need to adopt the Olympic rules. If you gain an benefit by breaking the rules, that benefit should be taken from you. The NCAA does it as well. They will take a title and an award away. The FIA is arbitrary as fucc and arbitrary enforcement of rules and laws give us 2021 Abu Dhabi, the current RB wrist slap, and usually harms people who look like me and Lewis. Also NASCAR will deduct points. We all know what's going on here.

 

[Jean toomer]

I can't think of any major for-profit sport ever revoking a championship almost a year later regardless of violation. The Olympics does, but they operate by a different set of rules.

Astros were stealing signs looking like the mossad. Got caught, paid 5 million, lost a couple of draft picks and kept it pushing. 5 years later and hear we are.

 

[MoneyTron]

Astros were stealing signs looking like the mossad. Got caught, paid 5 million, lost a couple of draft picks and kept it pushing. 5 years later and hear we are.

That's the game. What's done is done.

 

[Legal]

Astros were stealing signs looking like the mossad. Got caught, paid 5 million, lost a couple of draft picks and kept it pushing. 5 years later and hear we are.

It's tough to compare the Astros to this though, since draft picks don't matter nearly as much in Baseball as they do in other draft sports.

In theory, hitting them with a severe reduction in wind tunnel time would be a pretty heavy blow, assuming they don't do some fukk shyt like illegally share wind tunnel info with the other fukking team they wholely own that will get more tunnel time.

 

[bdkane]

i

It's tough to compare the Astros to this though, since draft picks don't matter nearly as much in Baseball as they do in other draft sports.

In theory, hitting them with a severe reduction in wind tunnel time would be a pretty heavy blowz assuming they don't do some fukk shyt like illegally share wind tunnel info with the other fukking team they wholely own that will get more tunnel time.

It's Red Bull so you should assume some foolishness.

 

[nyknick]

Without a points deduction, it was worth the cheating.

It was never going to happen, numbers were already massaged with catering/sick leave stuff to make it more palatable.

 

[calh45]

It was never going to happen, numbers were already massaged with catering/sick leave stuff to make it more palatable.

Their fans are also the loudest online plus buy the most merch and their young driver program made them a FIA favorite. The FIA knows they aren't really gonna punish them, but they gotta find a way to prevent Merc and Ferrari to go fukk this cap and burn money to get a championship. Ferrari and Merc got deep pockets and the guy in the Red Bull corporation who REALLY loved F1 just died this past weekend. RBR probably won't overspend again because a new Red Bull CEO probably won't have the same dedication to F1, but Merc and Ferrari are just waiting for this to be light work and they'll make sure to account for the penalty in their budget.

 

[Reflected]

Lewis Hamilton im Interview: „Werde Mercedes-Vertrag verlängern“

Lewis Hamilton spricht im Interview ausführlich darüber, wie er die WM-Niederlage 2021 verdaut hat, wie er die Probleme mit dem aktuellen Mercedes erlebt hat und wie lange er noch in der Formel 1 bleiben will.

www.auto-motor-und-sport.de

Translated here:



p1

Spoiler

Lewis Hamilton talks in detail in an interview about how he digested the 2021 World Cup defeat, how he experienced the problems with the current Mercedes and how long he wants to stay in Formula 1.

How close were you to resigning after the 2021 final in Abu Dhabi?

Hamilton: It feels like it was years ago. It was heartbreaking or devastating, no matter what you want to call it. Have I ever thought of resigning? I'm not one who gives up so easily.

But what went through your mind?

Hamilton: What was really hard to accept is that sport allowed such a thing. You are dependent on so many people in this sport. And you can expect everyone to do the job properly. If the outcome of a World Cup for which so many people have worked so hard depends on a wrong decision by an individual, it is hard to bear. That was probably what excited me the most. You can lose a World Cup because you yourself or the team made mistakes, but not like that. I spent a lot of time with my family afterwards. That was the best healing process. I spent my time in winter building snowmen for the kids and having time for them. That gave me the strength to fight back. If I hadn't had that, I would have fallen into a hole.

Did you feel like it was done intentionally to see another win?

Hamilton: I don't know. It was all so long ago. I think the wrong decisions were simply made. There were egos in the game and many people who whispered. But I didn't feel like they were targeting me.

Have you made the events in Abu Dhabi even hungrier, according to the motto: Now even more so?

Hamilton: Of course. At first it was a bit difficult to resume training. You can't just flip a switch like that and say: Now I'm motivated. It took me a while to rebuilt it. I'm generally a guy who keeps his fitness high. I don't have a week or two without training. I have to keep a certain rhythm. So it wasn't like I wasn't fit and should have climbed a huge mountain. But I had to find the drive to challenge my body and mind even more. If you have won seven world titles and more races than anyone else, then you have to find something that makes you hungry. I don't want to be any less hungry. If it were so, there would be no reason to continue. So I wanted to come back stronger. But then we had all the dramas with our car.

If you had subsequently made the verdict on Red Bull the world champion in the cost cap affair, would you have been happy with it?

Hamilton: No. The damage has been done. I know for myself what we did as a team and how we did it. We gave everything and did it in the right way, and I am proud of that.

Do you still think about it like Toto Wolff?

Hamilton: No, that's ticked off. I refuse to live in the past. In 2007, I had this experience as a newcomer. That gave me sleepless nights at the time and charged me negatively. If you allow this, you will go backwards. I'm just looking ahead, no matter what happened in the past. I won't let that get to me anymore. I can't change it anyway. I gave everything and sacrificed everything, and I am ready to do it again.

How hard was it to digest that you don't have the best car this year?

Hamilton: That's not nice for any of us. Toto will tell you the same. In February, we were all hot and optimistic. The engineers told us that we would have an incredibly fast car. This has electrified us all and made us work even longer and harder in winter. Especially at a time when ordinary people are more likely to put something back. And then we suddenly realize that this damn thing doesn't work and we have this bouncing. That was a bitter pill for everyone. We then went through a process to deal with this situation first. Surprisingly, this has welded us even closer together as a team and made us stronger.

p2

Spoiler

When did you know: This car will not be a winning car?

Hamilton: I had the first suspicion when I drove the car for the first time. But you never know. We hoped to solve the problems by the first race. It is always difficult to estimate how long it will take for such a problem to be solved. In addition, there was a problem that we have never had before. Nobody thought it would take so long for us to understand the reasons that trigger bouncing. The engineers first had to create new tools to understand it. You live in constant hope during this time. The first upgrade is coming, and it doesn't work. Then the next one, and it doesn't work either. We saw progress in the wind tunnel, but not on the racetrack. Every time we got a slap in the face. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It won't be easy to turn the car into a winning car next year, but we now have a much better understanding of why this car is the way it is.

What phases of development did this car go through?

Hamilton: The car has many weak points. Bouncing was the most dominant and visible. But we also have problems with the characteristics of the aerodynamics and with the stiffness of the car. Stiff to a point where the suspension practically no longer works because it springs harder than the tires. Then the tires begin to deform and you get bouncing over walking the tires. In addition, our aerodynamic deficits. Air resistance is a big problem for us. In certain situations, others simply pull us away. One problem is, for example, when you brake and the car immerse yourself in the front and come up at the back and the downforce shifts, and even if we accelerate. This also feels different in slow and fast curves. Because there were so many problems, I probably tried every setup you can think of. I did that in the first part of the season. It was not about achieving the best possible result. It was about solving the problems. That's why I sacrificed many weekends to collect data and information to give the factory a better understanding of what keeps us up.

Is it still possible to assess your own performance?

Hamilton: Very heavy. I mean, there is also the cost cap that you have to take into account. At first, our underfloors were constantly damaged. The more damage, the higher the cost. This restricts you more and more. You want to increase development work, but you have to shut it down. I tried everything to describe our car as well as possible to the engineers. When driving, you try to get as close as possible to the point where the car does not surprise you. So to choose the brake point so that it doesn't drop you off. If you're just a little over it, the rear will come and you'll never catch the car again. This car is a miracle bag.

You once said: We are still racing, only the perspective has changed. How difficult is it to accept this as a driver who has won so much?

Hamilton: At first it didn't feel so difficult. But then we came into a phase in which hope arose. There were weekends when we finished second. But we were nowhere again at the next race. If this happens a few times, it will hit you. You do all the work in the simulator, but it tells you a different story than what you experience on the track. The engineers say that they have an upgrade worth three tenths, and then in reality you are a tenth slower. That's so confusing. That's why I eventually gave up putting hopes in something. It is better to expect less and get more.

Your teammate George Russell is as close to you as Fernando Alonso did recently. How did you experience this in this difficult environment?

Hamilton: It was an unusual year. George is doing a great job. I have no problem with that. There are no problems between us. George and his team didn't experiment as much with the car as we did. That's normal. I've been there for a long time and have known for ten years how people tick and how to exchange ideas with them. Andrew Shovlin (chief engineer) and I can argue about things, argue constructively. George is new to the team, and he does his job as best he can. He tries much less during setup. I'll try this and that, take another wing and try to find out if it helps. If we hopefully have a better car next year, then we can focus again on getting the most out of the car instead of messing with crazy votes. Then it will be a more honest duel. If he lands in front of me in the World Cup this year, I don't mind. We leave at fifth and sixth place. It would be a different story when it came to first and second place.

The engineers say that they have learned a lot in the course of problem solving and that you can therefore take something positive from the season with you. What are you taking with you from this season?

Hamilton: Everything has its value, because you learn to do so. It's not that I experience such a season for the first time. I definitely drove better this year than in the other difficult years. And I have become a better teamworker, how I communicate with people, how I drive them. In my life outside, I have found a better balance.

How many races would you have won this year due to your performance if you had had a better car?

Hamilton: Not as many as in the past. You wonder if you are still as focused as you used to be. But I can say with a clear conscience that I prepare better than ever before. That my training was harder and more consistent than ever. That the diet was healthier. That I took less time away than before so that I could really concentrate on the weekends. I have invested more time to be in the factory. But you never really got smart from this car. It's the most unpredictable car I've ever driven.

How much energy does it cost to deal with these problems?

Hamilton: It's just different. In fact, such a year opens your eyes to how hard everyone in the team works. The people standing at the racetrack on Sunday will be at the factory on Monday. They don't even take half a day off. Sometimes I had to remind them not to overdo it, otherwise they will burn out and pay for it next weekend. I sometimes had to remember it myself.

Has the difficult time burdened relationships in the team?

Hamilton: No, that was one of the best years we had together. Of course, everyone is happy when we win races. But this year has promoted cohesion. There were never any problems with Toto. We are more open in dialogue than we have ever been.

p3

Spoiler

Have the circumstances last year and the fact that Red Bull exceeded the cost cap last year changed their view of the sport?

Hamilton: They haven't. They also have no influence on my plans for the future. I try to focus on things I can control. And these things are beyond my control. So I don't have to worry about it either. Surely the cost cap story brought the emotions up a bit again, because the topic was actually buried and you were now reminded of it again. But I'm reacting as before. Check off and continue.

What does this mean for the future?

Hamilton: The time has come again when you are thinking about what to do next. You analyze the past year and try to imagine what the next three or five years could look like. Where do I see myself? What do I want to do? What are my goals? I entered many shops outside of sports with a good chance of success. But I want to keep racing. I love what I do. I've been doing this for 30 years and never felt like I should stop. I want to do it even better. I therefore plan to be there even longer.

Sebastian Vettel is your generation, and he fights outside of sport for the same things as you...

Hamilton: Similar, not the same.

He resigns at the end of the year. Is this an occasion for you to think about it too?

Hamilton: I don't make my decisions according to what others do. I admire Seb's decision. But he is in a different situation than me. He has children. I don't have a family and am therefore still 100 percent committed. I can imagine that this is more difficult with a family because you have to sacrifice so much of what is important to you. I don't have to make any sacrifices in the relationship. Of course there are my parents, but I'm working to improve that. Seb and I are simply on a different path in life. Will I still drive if I am older than 40 years? Maybe. Mercedes and I will definitely extend the contract. We will sit down in the next two months. I have been with Mercedes since I was 13 years old. This is my family. We went through thick and thin. They remained loyal to me when I was expelled from school. They went with me through everything that happened in the 2020 season. They held to me when I made mistakes or with every crap that was in the press. They were there, at all the ups and downs. I believe in this brand and the people who work for us. That's why I want to be the best teammate there is. We can make the brand even better and stronger, and I want to be an important part of it.

You have the chance of success while your old teammate Alonso just keeps driving on because he loves what he does. Can you imagine other seasons like this?

Hamilton: We are very different personalities with different values. I admire Fernando for his tenacity, because it requires a lot from you to come back. But he hasn't organized his life after that. I do. I could stop today and have many other things that would keep me busy. I stay because I love working in this team. You have to endure it a little more with me.

Solid questions, I will never forget that championship decider, that nonsense was probably worse than any boxing decision I have ever seen, and I have seen the most perplexing robberies, it was hard to take the sport seriously after that, ratings should never come before the integrity of "fair" competition.

 

[MoneyTron]

Their fans are also the loudest online plus buy the most merch and their young driver program made them a FIA favorite. The FIA knows they aren't really gonna punish them, but they gotta find a way to prevent Merc and Ferrari to go fukk this cap and burn money to get a championship. Ferrari and Merc got deep pockets and the guy in the Red Bull corporation who REALLY loved F1 just died this past weekend. RBR probably won't overspend again because a new Red Bull CEO probably won't have the same dedication to F1, but Merc and Ferrari are just waiting for this to be light work and they'll make sure to account for the penalty in their budget.

Nothing to support this. Materschitz threw money at almost every sport. F1 is their biggest success and there’s nothing to suggest RB’s support of the venture will decrease going forward.

Mercedes and Ferrari will continue doing what they’ve always done. They will not push past the cap because they aren’t in a position to recover from the likely wind tunnel/CFD penalties RB will face. RB won’t do it again if the penalty is appropriate.

 

[MoneyTron]

Looks like RB agreed to terms with the FIA. I'm guessing it'll be kept secret...hopefully not.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

Interesting point about RBR being able to deploy about 100% per lap vs 70-80% for everyone else.

 

[calh45]

Nothing to support this. Materschitz threw money at almost every sport. F1 is their biggest success and there’s nothing to suggest RB’s support of the venture will decrease going forward.

Mercedes and Ferrari will continue doing what they’ve always done. They will not push past the cap because they aren’t in a position to recover from the likely wind tunnel/CFD penalties RB will face. RB won’t do it again if the penalty is appropriate.

It's a marketing expense for their drink, that's all their sport investment is about, instead of sponsoring a ton of athletes like Nike does they just straight up buy a teams to guarantee exposure, but also reread what I wrote.

I didn't say they would decrease support. I said they wouldn't OVERSPEND.

The supporting case for it is the reality that the person pushing the F1 team's expense was the person who just died. He was the CEO. He wasn't some retired guy who let other people run the company. There is literally no one else from an executive perspective of the drink company who's passion is racing especially for only a 10% return on investment that happens in F1.

I also said IF the penalty is a slap on the wrist that Ferrari and Merc are overspending in the offseason, and will take a penalty at the end of next year, if it meant they won the championship especially in Ferrari's case.