Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sports

Whether you're into football, athletics, tennis, golf or cricket, join the dicsussion on our Sport forum.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

F1 silly season

396 replies

EauRouge · 29/07/2013 18:35

It's getting very silly now with these rumours of Alonso going to Red Bull- can't see it happening. I hope it won't be Kimi either. Seb needs a good number 2 behind him, someone that won't challenge him for the championship. I reckon Ricciardo is Red Bull's best bet.

OP posts:
StyleOverSubstance · 23/12/2013 11:59

With you all the way Eau, but suspect it may go more the other way when Bernie goes and it does become more corporate - I can see it becoming like Mercedes with a top heavy management structure.

EauRougemasTree · 29/12/2013 14:32

Schumi injured in skiing accident.. This story has gone from 'serious head injury' to 'slight concussion', but either way I hope he's better soon.

TheEyeofHarmony · 29/12/2013 22:33

Not looking great at the moment. Get better soon Michael.

ShouldEAUldAcquaintanceBeForgo · 29/12/2013 23:16

I think there's always a lot of uncertainties with head injuries. hopefully tomorrow the doctors will have a better idea of what is happening.

StyleOverSubstance · 30/12/2013 23:27

Really shocked at news - just hope he pulls through and is ok. Hoping for a miracle and he will be sat up in bed celebrating his birthday on 3rd Jan..........

Frettchen · 31/12/2013 11:32

Today's news just says that he's in a more stable condition and is showing slight improvement, but that it's still very early days.

Hopefully he'll continue to fight on through this.

StyleOverSubstance · 31/12/2013 17:28

fingers crossed for continued improvement frettchen, fingers and everything else crossed! Still cant believe that he has been so unlucky to be badly injured skiing after all those years roaring round F1 circuits. Just shows how much safer F1 is now.

Wasn't overly impressed by end of year reviews by Beeb or Sky, but then not really a lot to say when Seb swept the board. Was hoping to have more info on new regs and various bits of gossip from the paddock re who is going where etc. Highlight was watching Damon's impression of the MP4/4 from when he was watching the race in Casino Square in Monaco. (I have the photo of when Ayrton crashed into the barrier and Damon is in the picture as a spectator in one of my Senna books). Cant believe it is 20 years since that horrible, horrible weekend at Imola. Goodwood are supposed to be doing some sort of special celebration to commemorate Senna on the 20th Anniversary, but haven't heard what yet.

ShouldEAUldAcquaintanceBeForgo · 31/12/2013 17:47

20 years since Senna died? Bloody hell. I remember it so clearly, I was so upset.

StyleOverSubstance · 06/01/2014 14:41

yes, Eau twenty years this year, unbelievable isn't it? Think it doesn't seem so long because there is so much footage still shown of various races as well as quite a few mentions when various milestone records are neared or broken as Ayrton held a goodly number - Schumi cried when he beat one of them a few years ago and Seb was really moved 2012 season when one of the commentators told him he had beaten a Senna record. My favourite Senna lap is still Donnington 93 and watching him race around Monaco.

Original poster
EauRouge · 11/01/2014 18:46

So, the drivers have all chosen their numbers. I still think this is a stupid idea. Maldonado's picked number 13 Grin

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 11/01/2014 18:50

This is a blast from the past. i thought he was great. Not heard anything about him for years.

Original poster
EauRouge · 13/01/2014 16:23

JB senior has died :(

OP posts:
magimedi · 13/01/2014 16:39

How sad - he always seemed like such a nice guy, unaffected by the glitz of F1 & a great father.

Sparklingbrook · 13/01/2014 17:24

Oh no. Sad

magimedi · 13/01/2014 17:47

Very nice obituary here

It's also, in my opinion, one of the best of the F1 blogs.

StyleOverSubstance · 14/01/2014 10:58

Very sad news re: JB senior, will be much missed by everyone in F1 as well as family.

News on Schumi is that they are doing some more tests to check on brain activity and see which areas are most damaged. Not sounding too promising for him. Still cant believe that he spent 20 odd years racing round various circuits and then retires, goes skiing and this happens. Ironically, F1 kept him safe.

MostWicked · 14/01/2014 11:12

How very sad for Jenson and his family :(

Pennies · 15/01/2014 15:49

Does anyone have any advice on getting tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix, preferably with pit lane walks?

StyleOverSubstance · 16/01/2014 13:28

Sebastian Vettel and girlfriend have become parents on Sunday 12th to a baby girl.

Circle of life isn't it - sad loss of JB's dad and start of a new chapter for Seb.

Frettchen · 16/01/2014 15:24

And confirmation's in that Bernie's going to trial. He's stepped down from the board but will continue to run the business on a day-to-day basis, albeit with some monitoring.

Sounds like we're going to start the season with things continuing as they have been, but we could see some drama around/after April.

(Legal Disclaimer: I know very little about the alleged bribery, aside from what I have just read on the bbc website, and am most definitely not saying that he did or did not do it!)

StyleOverSubstance · 16/01/2014 18:34

Yes!! Ron Dennis CEO of McLaren again - hope that this is the start of a return to the glory days of old!!!! Although I like Martin Whitmarsh as a person, he is just not cut from the right cloth to be a TP. Not clear yet whether Ron will be TP again (suspect not as he retains responsibility for other areas of the business) or maybe we will see a certain Ross Brawn in charge soon. Mercedes were fools to let him go and could well regret their decision if he does go to McLaren.

MostWicked · 16/01/2014 23:46

Does anyone have any advice on getting tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix, preferably with pit lane walks?

Rob a bank or marry a megastar.

MostWicked · 16/01/2014 23:47

Does anyone have any advice on getting tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix, preferably with pit lane walks?

Rob a bank or marry a megastar.

Original poster
EauRouge · 17/01/2014 07:32

Become a hip hop star and make friends with Lewis Hamilton Grin

Never thought I'd say this (not a McLaren fan), but it'd be great to see Ron back in the pit lane. McLaren have slipped so much since he stopped being TP, it must have been so frustrating to see all that hard work slipping away. MW was never really cut out for the job, I always assumed he was a stop-gap before finding a new TP.

OP posts:
StyleOverSubstance · 24/01/2014 11:49

McLaren Launch today online - 12 noon - have got McLaren page set up and ready to go...... Martin Whitmarsh will not be present apparently for the first time a car is launced in 25 years........ Am hoping that they have found him something back at the MTC in another part of the business as I like him as a person and would hate to see him go, but he is sadly not TP material.

Liking the colour scheme of the new force india (also a good choice as the darker background colour makes it more difficult to see some of the finer design details!!)

Shock news of the day - or maybe not - Eric Boullier has left Lotus and is rumoured to be joining McLaren as their new TP. He has done a brilliant job for Lotus under very difficult conditions and if rumour is true, will do equally as well for McLaren with a significantly higher budget to play with (McLaren say that this is the biggest spend they have ever had for a car this year). Suspect he has probably had issues with payment too! Gerard Lopez is going to be running team with Andy Ruhar. So Maldonado may not have made such a good choice after all - Williams will be delighted that the smirker smirked too soon as I think they will be in a much better place next year to be scoring points with their new line-up of personnel.

Feel sorry for Lotus though as they had a brilliant little team with James Allison designing the cars, Kimi as one of their drivers and Boullier as TP and it seemed to be a really good set-up and had they had the finances they could I am sure, have kept the good staff they had and gone onto greater things. Ciaran Pilbeam has left to go to McLaren (I think it is ).

Cant wait for the new season - am pretty miffed that Jerez coverage is going to be so minimal, but better some than none at all.