Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

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:
DameDeepRedBetty · 24/01/2014 12:08

placemark to keep this thread findable again... it vanished from TIO as I didn't visit for so long while sulking over Vettel winning again.

EauRouge · 24/01/2014 12:11

Ooh, it's all starting to happen! Not surprised at all about Boullier leaving Lotus. There was so much potential there :( What a shame.

Just got my new copy of F1 Racing through the door this morning so been having a skim through that. Hard to read it properly when DD2 is pointing at every car and saying 'is that Mike-o Schumacher?'.

OP posts:
StyleOverSubstance · 24/01/2014 12:16

McLaren launch was just a small slide show of pictures of the car from various angles with option to look at it from 360 degrees and a list of compoments from whoever and wherever. No one talking about it - but as they are in a state of flux with personnel at the top at the moment, understandable. Disappointing though as usually more excitement attached to unveiling and especially with such a radical change this year, was expecting more.

Just remembered clause in Lotus contracts - if staff haven't been paid, they don't have to go on gardening leave they can just go straight to another job, so if that is the case, Boullier is free to walk away and join McLaren for the start of the season. Think Lotus's entry for 2014 grid still pending too.

Stupid double points for last race looks like it is going to stand, not pleased that Interlagos is not last as it always throws a bit of something into the mix as it is one of the older circuits and all sorts can happen there to spice things up.

MostWicked · 24/01/2014 15:26

Stupid double points for last race looks like it is going to stand

That has got to be, the most ridiculous idea they have ever come up with. All to leave it open that bit longer.

EauRouge · 24/01/2014 15:28

Bernie is softening us up for his sprinkler idea.

OP posts:
MrsVamos · 24/01/2014 15:30

Marking place. I love a good race, and especially one where Vettell doesn't win. Grin

Only see half of them though. Angry I assume BBC still have some rights for this year ?

Double points for last race ? F1 has officially gone mad !

Whose going to have MW job at Maclaren then ? Ron, or Ross Brawn ?

EauRouge · 24/01/2014 15:58

I think the BBC are going to be allowed to show the queue of traffic to get into all the F1 races.

Anyone still up for Mumsnet Fantasy F1 this year?

OP posts:
MrsVamos · 24/01/2014 15:59

Grin EauRouge

Probably not far wrong.

I don't know what MN Fantasy F1 is...

DameDeepRedBetty · 24/01/2014 20:19

Well MrsVamos on one level MN Fantasy F1 is a game where you pick a driver and a (different) team and tot up points earned over the season. And the winner at the end gets lots of big hugs and admiring pm's.

On another level it is basically which driver you lust over and have disturbing dreams which involve him, a large amount of whipped cream and a curiously shaped bit off the exhaust manifold.

I know which one I prefer...

StyleOverSubstance · 24/01/2014 23:13

Ha! Maldonado's choice of 13 is looking like it is becoming distinctly unlucky for Lotus with the mass exodus that seems to be occurring. Grin Either that or they are drawing straws as to who gets to work on his side of the garage and the losers are walking rather than stay and work with him!!!

Wonder what Grosjean will do if Boullier has left to go to McLaren as Boullier is his manager and without him at the helm of Lotus as TP, I think he would have been dropped some time ago, but Boullier kept faith with him and managed to convert his speed with silly mistakes into speed without mishaps, which is basically what Maldonado is going to need this year - but suspect that the car they will have this year isn't going to be as good as previous years as James Allison wont have had any input in its design, so doubt that either of them will be appearing regularly on the podium, which in Grosjean's case is a pity as he has come a long way in the last 12 months.

I wouldn't like to speculate on Lotus's future at the moment with the disclosure of a £114 Million debt, makes Maldonado's contribution look like a drop in the ocean and maybe The Hulk not getting a drive there was divine providence as I think Force India are going to be a better option for him.

I hope Sam Michaels goes from McLaren in the big shake up - nothing against him personally, but he did nothing for Williams and not a lot for McLaren and his pardon the pun - track record - is patchy to say the least. McLaren need rebooting from the bottom up!! Am hoping that the Kimi/Fernando dynamic does work as they are both going to benefit if it does - if the car is good enough they are easily going to be a regular pair on the podium which takes valuable constructors and WDC points away from Red Bull, who I see in a weaker position with Daniel Ricciardo stepping up to the bigger team and having to settle in with Seb - don't see him being a regular on the podium yet, but time will tell! Kimi and Nando both know how to win races.

EauRouge · 25/01/2014 07:21

I'm having a good old laugh at Maldonado Grin Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke.

I've never been a McLaren fan but I'm hoping to see them do better this season. It'll be interesting to see how Magnussen does- their last gamble on a rookie paid off pretty well!

MrsVamos- I was thinking something like this for Fantasy F1, we can make a Mumsnet league.

OP posts:
Frettchen · 28/01/2014 11:36

Have you all seen the spate of pointy-noses?

Look at them all!

EauRouge · 28/01/2014 11:46

The new Ferrari looks just like my vacuum cleaner.

OP posts:
Frettchen · 28/01/2014 12:06

I'm just trying not to imagine the cars jousting next year!

Frettchen · 28/01/2014 12:06

I'm just trying not to imagine the cars jousting next year!

EauRouge · 28/01/2014 12:21

First crash of the season!

OP posts:
Frettchen · 28/01/2014 13:32

They did say we'd have some reliability issues to start things off. Kimi and Perez have both had to stop on track, Lewis is just upping the drama!

StyleOverSubstance · 28/01/2014 16:11

Don't know about the lower noses being safer/preventing more dangerous t-boning accidents, I'm with Adrian Newey on this one and think that this design is going to be more dangerous. More chance of car running into one in front and submarining underneath it as per a Schumacher accident quoted by Adrian.

On the plus side, should mix things up a bit as everyone got a steep learning curve and judging from todays running, it is a distinct disadvantage to have missed the opportunity to test the new car designs.

Apparently Lotus have contacted Martin Whitmarsh (who is staying at his house in France) to see if he would like the job of Lotus Team Principal............. So sounds like he could definitely be out of McLaren altogether rather than a sideways move.

Not heard any updates on Schumacher either, just as an aside, so difficult to know if no news is good news or whether they are just keeping things low key to help his family who must be going through hell at the moment.

EauRouge · 28/01/2014 16:34

Apparently his family have imposed a media blackout, although I don't think there's much to report at the moment anyway.

Whitmarsh at Lotus? They've had a hell of a change of personnel. Can't see them doing well this season but who knows with all the rule changes.

OP posts:
StyleOverSubstance · 29/01/2014 20:42

Day 2 - Jerez
Well, Boullier confirmed at McLaren, but interesting that he is not an outright replacement for MW. Seems Ron has decided to implement another level of management between - so does that leave the door open for MW to in effect stay at his current designation but without being involved in day to day running or is it an option to allow Ross Brawn to come into the team???? Cant see a RD/RB/EB management team working particularly well, but who knows??? RB has said on many occasions that it is better if there is just one boss and lets face it with his track record and experience, I for one wouldn't argue with him.

Renault seem to be struggling more with their engines than Mercedes and Ferrari, so maybe one good thing that McLaren have in their favour is that they are sticking with them during this, their transition year, before Honda come back. Presumably Honda will learn a fair bit from what goes on this season as it unfolds as to what makes a successful package. SV already gone home to Switzerland after having the least runs out in the car, but be interesting to see how thing progress and if Mercedes does turn out to be the best/most reliable package, what effect it will have on the title challenge for this year.

Rumours that Schumi is improving and they are starting to bring him round from his coma. Not had chance to watch much of the testing today, so am hoping to settle down in an hour or so when kids in bed/lunches done and so on and catch up.

Roll on March and the start of the season!!!

EauRouge · 30/01/2014 09:07

Told you the mad old bastard was softening us up for another bonkers rule.

Lots in the press about Perfect Seb doing badly yesterday; it's too early to tell anything meaningful but I think everyone is hoping the Vettel domination won't be quite so bad this year (it did get boring to watch).

I haven't seen any news about Schumi, last I heard his family and doctors had said they weren't updating the press so I think most stories around are just speculation. Fingers crossed for him but it doesn't look good :(

Interesting to see how the McLaren structure is being put together- sounds like Ron wants total control but doesn't want to go to all the races. Fair enough. I think with Ross Brawn as well there will definitely be too many cooks. I dunno if they will offer MW a sideways move but would he even take it after everything that's happened? Think he's more likely to go to Lotus.

45 days to go!

OP posts:
MostWicked · 30/01/2014 17:27

Stupid man! I understand he wants to keep the tv audiences to the very end, but the audience is made up of racing fans and racing fan want to see racing.

Confirmed they are bringing Michael out of his coma. I hope it's given his brain the time it needed to heal. I suspect this is going to be a long, slow recovery.

StyleOverSubstance · 30/01/2014 19:41

Am beginning to think Mr E is losing his marbles if he wants to put in place a double points scheme for the last 3 races - problem is after years of his 'ducking and diving' obtuse answers its going to take a while to find out for sure! Unless, that is, he has realised it will take Red Bull/Renault up to the near the summer break to sort out their respective problems and its his way of 'helping' them out when the car finally hits its stride towards the end of the season and they can make up for the earlier losses ......... just a thought!

Other ideas that have been proposed are that each team could have a 'joker' where they can choose a circuit they think their car will favour and whatever points tally they get, they can double it. Another one was that the 4 'old school' circuits still left on the calendar like Spa and Suzuka would be chosen to have the double points award. Or allocating points for getting pole or fastest lap, but once you start on this path, where does it end??? Just leave things as they are - especially this year. Personally, I think for the first few races, getting to the end of the race will be a big enough achievement!!

The Marussia car unveiled today has won my 'best looking car' admiration, sorry Ferrari! Ironically or maybe its a good thing - Lotus will have the benefit of Torro Rosso and Red Bull ironing out the gremlins in the engine, so may not be quite as big a loss as I first thought it may be that they are not at Jerez. Really don't see Martin Whitmarsh going to Lotus as their TP, but who knows what will happen this season.

Feel really sorry for Jensen, must be really tough for him not having the support of his dad for the first time and not having MW there either, who he gets on well with. He seems to have become the appointed spokesperson for McLaren whilst they sort themselves out and I suspect he just wants to go away and come to terms with his loss.

Good to hear that Shumi is on the road to recovery, however long it takes, just good to hear something positive. How good a recovery it will be and if there is any long term effects have yet to be discovered, but at least todays news is a step in the right direction. Was watching a BBC video today from when he retired from his second career and was interviewed by Jake Humphries and I don't mind saying it brought a tear to my eye. I didn't like him in his first career as he pulled some really dodgy moves on occasions (Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve) and didnt come across as particularly pleasant, but really warmed to him in his second career and was sorry to see him retire.

Looking forward to watching Teds Notebook later and the miniscule coverage on Sky, have been following Beebs live feed on-line in the day as and when I could.

God, haven't I rambled on?? that's what comes of having no-one to talk to extensively on my favourite subject!! DH likes F1, but not to the extent I do. Sorry folks!!

StyleOverSubstance · 31/01/2014 13:46

Judging by the past three days, looks like Mercedes have got a real handle on the powertrain package, their cars and other teams running their engines seem to have been the best so far, Ferrari powered cars in the middle and the Renault powered engines are playing catch up.

Seems as though Red Bull are paying the price for concentrating so much on winning 4th double championship and less time on 2014, but think it will be a blip that will soon be ironed out. At the end of the day, 4 doubles on the bounce is probably worth taking a hit for in the early part of 2014, especially when everyone was aware what a massive change this year was going to be.

Really impressed with Kevin Magnussen, he seems to be the real deal and having come through the McLaren ranks is well aware of what is expected of him. Has a nice balance of 'rookie excitement' and common sense approach and seems very mature for one so young. Rumours were that Perez had a bit of an 'attitude' and was a bit lazy and that is what let him down as he hadn't caught onto what was expected of him stepping up to be a McLaren driver, engineers voted Magnussen in based on quality of his feedback and work ethic and Perez out. Cant wait to see Kvyatt (sp??) either - think the two of them are going to be something special.

Think Massa and Bottas will do well this year as a pairing, Massa already looks a lot more relaxed and happier - be nice to see Williams do well.

Just hope same can be said of Caterham after Tony Fernandes comments about this year being make or break - but it looks as though the what seemed odd Mercedes top heavy management structure is what is needed in F1 these days along with a budget to match!

StyleOverSubstance · 04/02/2014 12:13

OMG - have I killed the thread? Where's everyone gone? Or am I the only person who watched testing???