F1 2023 - Watchalong thread

[LookItsMeAgain]

At the moment it's pre-season testing and they are in Bahrain as that is where the first race happens

Is anyone watching the preseason testing at the moment?

Anyone follow the WTF1 personnel change over the past few weeks (social media channel) and that Tommy & Matt have set up P1 with just Matt & Tommy as co-owners?

I'm really looking forward to seeing what progress the other teams have been able to make since RBR had their wind tunnel time reduced due to their overspend in 2022 (that was their punishment for doing that).

@Sulusu - If that rumour is true about Lando, would he actually want to move to RBR where he would be the definite number 2 driver and the atmosphere in the team too? Lando signed a 5 year contract at the start of last year with McLaren, so he'll be there for a few years unless some team has deep pockets.

Similar to Scuderia Ferrari, there is a definite #1 and #2 driver in their line up.

If you've been the #1 driver in the team would you actually go to be a #2 driver elsewhere or stick with it?

On a similar but not entirely unrelated train of thought, in DTS there was two main commentators that we got to see on camera. The main one is Will Buxton and the other (only seen briefly in the latter episodes) is Jennie Gow. She recently had a stroke and is making a steady recovery from it. Just didn't know if people were aware. She does a lot on BBC 5 Live for F1 as well as appearing in DTS.

The Lando/RB rumour was being discussed on the F1 channel the other night, I can see it. Who else is their future? Not Checo, not Ricciardo.

So pleased to find you!

just been on the Mercedes shop sending links to my kids for Mother's Day 😂

I love dts think I'm on episode 4? Will watch the rest over the weekend in between practice, quali and race

whoever said they will never get over '21 I'm afraid I can't either. I have tried but it just eats me up - I haven't watched the race again and try to stay away from arguments. But when Lewis says "I'm Lewis Hamilton and I'm trying to win the championship that was taken from me"
I'm right back in the depths of my rage 😡 😂 Morner does not help my zen either.

great to see some new faces on the grid - nick de vreis bless him remember when he had to ask for help getting out of the car last season when he stood in for Albon? Apparently his last name won't be used because it sounds like 'debris' and they don't want any on track driver confusion 😀

good luck to Ferrari- hope their strategy plans come together.

i hope lando doesn't go to red bull but I fear if they sniff he will lift his tail

back tomorrow for FP1!
👋

Re Lando and Red Bull, I'm watching the SKY pre season show thingy, and Karun seems to think that Red Bull are eyeing up Nyck De Vries, and that Nyck is more likely to replace Checo than Daniel R is.

Interesting!

DTS reminds me just how vile a man Horner is. Trying to act the victim in overspending of £400k was awful.

Why did DTS not touch on Verstappen refusing to follow team orders and allow Perez to overtake? I love Yuki but I'd like it to focus on the other teams too.

We don't have Now tv so just watch highlights on C4, just means avoiding news till we've watched! I heard Aston Martin are looking quick so that's be exciting for Alonso.

Never liked Verstappen and his racism so can't support him.

I started watching the DTS episode that covers the last race of 2021. I thought I was ready to watch it but all my anger came back and I ended up shouting at the tv. Had to turn it off as I was worried I might have a stroke.

I don't think I will ever forget it or get over it.

I so hope Lewis can do well this year. If he had another bad year and if Verstappen wins almost every race I think I will give up watching which will be sad as I have been an F1 fan for over 40 years. I just dislike Verstappen and Horner so much

Verstappen and Horner have made F1 incredibly unpleasant. I still remember the race where Verstappen kept edging out in front of Hamilton under safety car, the arrogance is clear.

I like watching the smaller teams as they seem to be more interesting.

100% all of your post @Stellaris22 😆

I mean to RBR and to Horner £400k might not be a lot of money (he made a point of it being a 0.6% or something of their annual budget) but to the likes of Haas or Williams it is a hell of a lot of money for their team.
Also, many of the other teams didn't go over their budget so suck it up Whinger Spice!

Again, with Verstappen refusing to follow orders and Checo taking the heat for the crash in Monaco...I think if they want to keep their viewers, they are going to have to be more impartial than they are. They are definitely not impartial in their presentation of the situations that unfold on and off the track.

I didn't realise that Oscar Piastri's manager is Mark Webber (he of RBR stable).

Just reading your posts, it's very clear that the combination of Horner and Verstappen and I'm going to throw in Helmut Marko is becoming very toxic for F1.

Even when Ferrari were winning everything under the sun back in the Michael Schumacher era, the sense from the team was that there was fairness and while Barrachello knew he was #2 to Michael, there was fairness (none of the Multi-21 malarkey). There just doesn't seem to be that element of fairness up and down the grid.

Something that Martin Brundle mentioned on Sky Sports F1, as they were discussing the movement of the Team Principals up and down the grid is that none (apart from Toto) has a stake in the team anymore.
When Brawn Racing existed, Ross Brawn owned the team he was principal of. Similar to Frank Williams owning Williams Racing, Eddie Jordan owning Jordan Racing and even when Jean Todt and Stefano Domenicalli were running Ferrari, they had a reason to stay with the team more than the principals today do.

I agree with a lot of posts MV, CH and Marco are a toxic combination and have done Max no favours. There is just something about Cristians behaviour that isn’t sporting.

Even with Mercedes dominating, Toto nearly always lets the drivers race. He made sure Valterri had a seat before announcing George etc. A very different approach to RB.

Ah I've just watched episode 8, Yuki really just is like a teenager but he's calming down, a little! He'll really miss Gasly who seems to do a great job of looking out for him and keeping him on the straight & narrow!

I too absolutely can't bear Max, or Lando who has a dreadful attitude.

Let's hope Mercedes are back this year, I love all of them!

Tentatively checking in. Big F1 fans disillusioned since Abu Dhabi '21. We refused to watch the last episode of the previous DTS and haven't braved the new season yet. We usually go to one race a year but haven't booked anything for this year in case it's another RB year, if I sound bitter...it's because I am! We just want Lewis to get his 8th so much, he was robbed.

@kljk78 I’m still disillusioned with some of F1. I think RB had, and still has, too cosy a relationship with the FIA.

I still maintain the only way to fairly resolve AD21 was to declare Lewis and Max joint world champions. Particularly with the cost cap breach.

Like you I want Lewis to get No 8.

At some point the next exceptional driver of his generation will come along and I don’t think Max will respond well if they behave like he has and that will be interesting to watch.

I also have very mixed feelings about DTS, it has brought in new fans, particularly from US. 3 US races and astronomical rises in ticket prices are impacting long standing fans. However, f1 is a commercial business and this may be a price we have to pay.

Hello, checking in 👋
Hope this season isn't dominated by RBR.
Those who have now TV, how much is it with the code? Can you do catch up with races on it? I got a now TV box cheap but never actually used it.

Checking in! I’m a red bull fan though, sorry!!

Yay! Another one, hello!

Checking in to fiercely defend Max for the year, though I can't say the same for some of RB's actions

Another Max fan here, can't wait for first race !

Can't see past another RB cakewalk, though it would be nice if Ferrari can cut out the self-inflicted errors and give them a bit more of a challenge on the track. Another abject season for Merc would be amusing, if only because of how much it clearly vexes the Sky team that their hero is proving no better than ordinary when stuck in ordinary machinery. Hopefully the George Russell features are kept to a minimum becuase lad is a total personality vacuum.

Checking in. I'm a total outlier on F1 stuff as I can't bear LH.

Always been a Williams fan since I was a child so really had hopes for GR in the Merc. Maybe this season.

DS is a rabid RBR fan and DH is McLaren so we have entertaining weekends.

Won't be able to watch live on Sunday as DH IS away so we will wait until he is home.

🤞🤞 for a clean season, lots of overtakes and a few competitive teams 🏎🏁

Checking in too. Love the chequered flag podcast. Have you listened to the pre-season review? It’s good, but definitely missing Jennie Gow.
Looking forward to seeing how improved the Aston Martin really is this season. Would be great to see Alonso battling nearer the front.

Hoping Alonso will get a chance to be quick with Aston Martin this season.

I just can't get behind supporting Verstappen, I dislike his entitled attitude. Refusing to let Perez overtake when he'd already won the drivers championship at that point was incredibly petty. That and his driving style in the previous season where he kept edging out in front of Hamilton under safety car (leading to a new rule being introduced to stop that happening again).

I like seeing the smaller teams be more competitive and have a soft spot for Williams.

Aston Martin showing good speed so far. I don't like Alonso but would enjoy seeing him up at the front as he gives no fucks about anyone but himself, and it would take no shit from Max and Horner. Would make for an entertaining season.

I can see Alonso as a future manager of Ferrari, he would enjoy himself immensely.

Good to see the red bulls split in fp1 by alonso - I agree with everything you@Sulusu said!

Not watched any testing but am ready to get stuck into the new season!