F1 2024 Part 3

[Brazilianadventure]

Continuation thread for the last race of the season.
Part 1 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sports/4980705-f1-2004-watchalong-thread?page=10&reply=136230297
Part 2
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sports/5103419-f1-2024-thread-2?page=10&reply=140245180

Marking place, thank you.

Checking in, thanks OP :)

Just for fun I went back to my predictions at the start of the season. I made more than I thought and although there is one race to go my summary is:

• Max world champion ✅
• RB constructors champions ❌
• DR replacing Perez mid season.❌😂
• Liam to VCARB ✅ and possibly a podium?
• Mercs look much better, podiums and possibly wins ✅
• 🙏 somebody other than RB wins a race. ✅
• Possibly a maiden win for Lando, ✅
• a win for Fernando & DR 😂😂❌
• The VCARB does look good so could move up the midfield.
• Alex to take the Williams midfield ❌but Logan is out at the end of the year. ✅
• Haas to be bought out by Andretti.❌
• Sauber to go to Audi with Carlos and Valtteri for 2025.❌
• Carlos to finish on a high and possibly outscore Charles.
• Pierre and Ocon to have a fist fight after taking each other out multiple times.❌

Thanks for the new thread @Brazilianadventure

Re who replaces Perez at Red Bull. I think they want someone who will do what the team want, that is be a back up for Verstappen and not challenge him too much. Lawson is fiery and might not always toe the line. Tsunoda, not sure, he is much calmer this year and seems more level headed.

Hadjar has done well in F2 but is also a bit of a hot head.

Bottas would probably be a good fit, but it's unlikely.

Just checking in...

here! with regards to what Max said about George, I wasn't actually surprised, never been able to quite put my finger on it but I have just never warmed to him like I have many of the other drivers. I admire Max actually for coming out and saying it!

Thanks for the new thread

I just can't see Yuki in the main team. He's called Yuki No Rules in our house, although he has been calmer this year.

I don't think Liam is ready yet (if ever).
I said on Saturday I would like them to go outside the RBR academy, but that's highly unlikely.

I think Ocon doing the Haas test makes sense, but I join everyone else in my Briatore hatred!

I have a feeling Lewis might decide he has had enough in the off-season and not come back at all

The FIA needs to take a long, hard look at itself over the winter 👀👀👀👀

Not sure about Lewis. I hope he will do at least one season with Ferrari. He tends to get into slumps where he gets very down, but usually pulls himself out of it.

If he gets beaten by Le Clerc across the season I think it will be his last year though.

Seems like that was a total shambles of a race, and apparently McLaren is asking for a review of the Norris penalty.

Re Max's weird 1-place grid penalty: seems to me like they wanted to make sure McLaren didn't wrap up the Constructor's this weekend and leave some jeopardy open for the final race, seeing as Max already has the Driver's.

I'm also feeling jaded about the sport, even more than I did at the end of 2021. It's always been a bit political and nonsense, but since Liberty took over it has been so much worse.

Checo clearly needs to go, but I don't know who should replace him. None of the other red bull drivers are particularly inspiring and DH said he saw something suggesting no one is particularly faster in the sim than Checo.

It's currently very close in the F2 championship standings. It's down to the race in Abu Dhabi for the title. I wonder if Red Bull are perhaps waiting to see if Hadjar clinches it. He is a current reserve driver for them.

He has a good year this year, better than previous, but is a bit temperamental, his radio messages would give Tsunoda a run for his money in explosiveness.

I think he is driving in FP1 in Abu Dhabi? Not sure if it's Verstappen's or Perez' car though.

Sponsorship money must also be a factor for them, they will be losing quite a lot of money with Perez leaving. No idea which of the potential replacements would bring in the most income for them.

I wonder who Max would view as an ideal team mate

I'm also feeling jaded about the sport, even more than I did at the end of 2021. It's always been a bit political and nonsense, but since Liberty took over it has been so much worse.

For me it's two things

1. The in race decisions rarely making any damn sense - from Stewards and Race Directors. I know I've banged on about this before but if you want to have fans invested in a sport then they need to know and rely on most of the rules - they need to be able to 'predict' what decision will be made about what actions. Otherwise, it ends up feeling like a constant roll of dice to see who gets pulled up for what. That leads to suspicions about underhand decisions to help/hurt teams and drivers. It damages race/viewer engagement.
2. They need healthier in sport debates about rules etc. Not this public spat about swearing and the FIA President telling drivers how it's run is none of their business etc. That's both dirtying and then attempting to wash the dirty linen in public. It's not transparency, it's toxic. When Bernie did it it was toxic but it was a different time and hard to argue that he hadn't, overall, brought a great deal of benefit to the sport (and god knows I didn't like the man) but MBS has not brought that same benefit and so his moral bank account is in severe debit.

Thanks for new thread.

I wonder if Carlos would have been better waiting until Perez got the sack and then taking that place.

Rubens Barichello! 😁

@sulusu

I'm really hoping Lewis has a good season and gets to leave on his own terms. Not sure what is happening at Merc right now but it doesn't appear to be anything good

RB have an issue as Lawson has not exactly set the world alight on his second go in the VCARB. Yuki deserves the RB drive but for some reason either Marko or Horner don’t want him. I personally wouldn’t put Colapinti alongside Max so who gets the second RB seat?
Yuki is the Honda boy they need to keep them onside for as long as possible for help with developing RBPT until Ford provide support in 2026. But despite saying they were pulling out Honda are now going to supply Aston so they won't want to reward a Honda drive with a RB drive.

Thanks for new thread @Brazilianadventure

I've just caught up on race. What a mess it was. I can't believe the mirror was left out for that long. Then the safety car being brought out after so many people had punctures.

Don't know if anyone watched the Behind the Scenes bit Sky did with VCARB during Las Vegas? One thing I took from it was that Lawson is clearly under a huge amount of pressure. He was talking about how not having a big financial backing made it hard to break into F1. I think he knows he has to perform more on the track than Tsunoda does. I felt a bit bad for him, as he hasn't had much luck the past couple of races. Not saying he deserves the Red Bull seat more than anyone else does, but you see how much pressure he felt during Las Vegas.

I thought this re Lewis. I almost wish that he would retire and give Carlos back his seat.

I think Lewis will do 2025 to bed into the team. Then 2026 to see if the regulation change gives him a chance of competing at the front.

I see Mclaren are appealing the Norris penalty.
Admittedly as a Norris fan I do like that idea, but know he was penalised for a reason.
What I hope the appeal brings about is a discussion on the randomness of the penalties. F1 is getting painful to watch.

I know it seems harsh but the Norris penalty was not a random one. It’s very rare for a driver not to lift under waved double yellows. As commentators have pointed out it’s a rule they race under in karts and is purely about safety.

WRT racing penalties - there definitely needs to be a review.

Yeah I think the Norris penalty was ultimately fair, but the race direction was flawed around the debris on track. Maybe they're hoping to shine a light on that.