F1 2022 Discussion Thread

[GrandSlamFinale]

After many weeks and months of waiting, we finally have an F1 discussion thread on MN!

Anyone who wants to join is welcome - regardless of how long you've been watching the sport or who you support. My only request is that we keep it respectful even when criticising our favourite driver's rivals.

We're in Barcelona this weekend for round 6 of what has been a thriller of a championship so far. I'm really excited to see how the race unfolds today, if overtaking will prove as difficult as it historically has here, if the Mercs have done a step forward in race pace, how RB and Ferrari will play around with strategy and tyres.

I didn’t realise the cost cap included everything, I thought it was just what they were allowed to spend on the car. I’m a red bull fan though and hope that next year despite the loss of air tunnel time and less time practise running that they still kick ass and shut the moaning (Mercedes) fans up.

I don't think it is only Mercedes fans moaning. How is it ok to cheat? The penalty is a complete and utter joke and Horner still won't admit they are guilty.

I hate him and his team so much. They are bringing F1 down with their awful attitudes

@SirMoose Not just Mercedes’ moaning

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl told Sky Sports he did not follow Horner's conference. Seidl said: 'No, I didn’t listen to it. I can imagine it was another fairy tale hour, probably. No, I’m not really interested in that.'

The 46-year-old added: 'In the end, on the positive side, it’s good to see that the FIA did a good job in terms of doing the audit. Nine teams got it right and it was clear one team was in breach. That’s a positive outcome.

'On the negative side, it’s clear the penalty doesn’t fit the breach. I just hope that moving forward we have stricter penalties in place.'

Also do you really think anyone owes RB an apology as CH said?

No absolutely not. Crying the poor tale for weeks now, he makes himself and RB more unlikeable every time he opens his mouth.

^This. I'm not a huge RBR fan and can't bear Mr Halliwell in particular but Lewis and now George have made whinging and bitching into a professional sport.

No one has disappointed in my 50 odd years of watching F1 as George Russell.

I'm defo not a Mercedes fan and Red Bulls carry on and lack of admitting fault is a joke. Cristian Horner stood there and said that the FIA would find nothing wrong with their accounts when he knew it wasn't true, they did cheat overspending when everyone else towed the line, tried to say it was spent on catering then , never apologised and then got to negotiate the fine! Imagine being before a judge and being found guilty and negotiating with the judge you punishment. The FIA would want to get a grip and stop that nonsense . They and they alone should decide and inform the team

Totally agree.

The FIA are beyond a joke. They should have already decided what the penalties would be depending how over budget a team went and then enforced that penalty.

Never heard anything so ridiculous as negotiating a penalty. As you say, you don't get to discuss with a Judge what your punishment is do you.

I have never liked Horner and, over the years, he has become more and more unlikeable. His whinging annoys me but we now know he also is a complete and utter liar.

I'm a bit nervous for the first corner today lol! George has previous for locking up when he's out front and then taking out a car or two....

I did like George and thought going to Mercedes would be a great move for him, but I agree with PP, he's just as bad as Lewis with all the moaning and bitching - must be something in the contract

Fingers and toes crossed that the lovely Checo ends at least on the podium again this year! He's got a hard job trying to get ahead of the two mercedes today but I'm not sure he will do it :( alas, everything crossed he's on the podium though!

Not surprised at CH trying to negotiate the penalty. Trying to play it down when he has been downright cheating. I'd say I'm disappointed in him, but I'm not surprised.

Hoping Sainz gets to finish the race today!

DH has made a very good point....

SPY GATE!

In 2007 - when Lewis Hamilton was racing for McLaren at the time, the team got the biggest fine ever given out - £100 million! They were banned from the championship for that year, but they said it wasn't to do with Lewis as the driver so he got to keep his points.

Same with Ferrari in 2019 by cheating with their fuel tanks, the drivers got to keep their points etc.

And totally unrelated.... but I knew Fernando Alonso had been in F1 for years.... but 21 years?!? Wow! Guy has aged like a fine wine too!

I was watching something on the TV earlier where he was being interviewed next to Michael Schumacher and I was like "wait a minute - just how long as he been in f1 for?!"

One of the things I have found particularly distasteful this weekend from CH and restated by Martin Brundle and others is that part of the overspend was on sick pay because a team member was very unwell. Emphasising RB are caring employers and no gain on developing the car.

Firstly if they were caring employers RB would not publicly make an employee who is off work sick feel they are to blame for the overspend. You would also respect their legal right to confidentiality.

Secondly only RB did not do a dry run in 2020 to make sure they fully understood the cost cap rules.

Every team has sick pay and other employee costs along with catering, travel etc. As Zac Brown said managing budgets is normal in business. Anyone who manages budgets knows you monitor throughout the year and adjust accordingly. Guenther Steiner has made it clear all Mick’s crashes are making him unaffordable for Haas.

@ChecoPerez Horner didn't just "try" to negotiate the penalty. He and, I assume, other members of the team DID negotiate the penalty. How on earth can that be fair?

As I said, there should be set penalties and any team breaking the rules get the penalty that has been set

@mydogisthebest I never said it was fair....

Great to see Checo on the podium!

I kept watching till the end hoping for something to happen....anything to happen. Mercedes strategy didn't work. Least they are up near the front now unlike the first half of the season.

Such a boring race but good to see Lewis come 2nd. Pathetic crowd booing him.

DH has just read that RB are not going to do any interviews with Sky because they don't like what Ted Kravitz said about Verstappen's win last year. So that's a bonus not having to see Horner's ugly face or hear his whinging voice

@mydogisthebest I just read the article you mentioned about Red Bull boycotting sky sports. I thought Red Bull didn't agree with singling people out and 'bullying' after what happened to their friend Michael Masi? Yet here they are acting like playground bullies themselves. I would have had more respect for them if they had risen above it and carried on....like Lewis had to at the end of last season.

It's getting pathetic and beyond a joke now! Just with CH would put his arms up and say yes ok, we did what we did, we apologise etc but that will never happen! He let the lie drag too long and I've lost respect for him.

Can't really say it's a pathetic crowd because they boo'ed Lewis.... when we go to Silverstone, the crowd boo Max lol, but no one calls them pathetic because obviously it's not Lewis getting boo'ed. it's all part of the sport! You go to football matches, and the opposition team boo each other!

'Checo wagged his finger at the Mexico crowd for booing Lewis Hamilton during his interview'

twitter.com/espnf1/status/1586844685787697157?s=42&t=iCX1GrH5YzFlEUw7_o9sPA

I don't think any booing is on really. Never used to happen.

Sadly F1 is becoming more and more like football

Mercedes should have risked one car on long stint + sofas. Ricciardo showed that could have worked - so pleased he had a better race as he needed it.

All Ted Kravitz said was factual, RB throwing their toys out of the pram is so funny. If you read twitter everyone is like thank you Ted no CH on sky.😂

Delighted for Danny Ric. Yes he took Yuki out but got the 10 secs and dealt with it. Great to see him drive well . His interview after last week when he was close to tears nearly had me crying so great to see yesterday. Merc should have pitted George alot earlier and changed to softs seeing as Daniel was driving so well on them .
Ferrari breaking my heart . Whole weekend an absolute disaster . I mean putting out statements yesterday saying their goal is to have the two cars just finish the race . Season of two halves.

Yes Ted Kravitz said what over half of F1 fans think about the shambles of last year. I like Ted and at least he said what he thinks unlike some of the other commentators.

Not seeing Horner or Verstappen being interviewed is definitely a bonus in my book.

@dublino i really don’t understand what’s happened to Ferrari.

It appears they had to turn the engines right down to ovoid over heating this weekend. Even so they just seem to have not developed at the same rate as RB and Mercedes.

And ferrari have done it again. Feel for Leclerc.