Formula 1 Formula 1 2018-19 off season thread

Use this thread to discuss anything about Formula 1 that is on your mind, be it Testing, rumours, theories, news stories or anything else related to the off season.

NOTE: This is for topics that do not fit in these three threads.
Driver transfers and discussion - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...ransfer-discussion-speculation-thread.370305/
Constructor development - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/2018-f1-constructor-development-tech.370112/
Calendar and circuits - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/2019-formula-1-calendar-thread.382479/
Car Launches - 2019 Car Launch thread not created or needed yet.

 

LeClerc faster than Vettel. I'd love to see another Alonso.vs.Hamilton sort of season next year

 

Shame Ricciardo wasn't released from his Red Bull contract for the tyre test. Would have been intresting to see what his times in the Renault would have been like.

 

Saved the best for last. Amazing duo.

 

They didn't release Vettel in 2014 either, but he just went to hang out with Ferrari anyways.

 

Here's a compilation of all spins and crashes from the 2018 season.

 

I hope both Danny Ric and Max get to carry on like this next year despite being in different times. Renault will need to 'loosen the belt' a little and let DR and the hulk get up to a bit of nonsense off track, although DR had it pretty good with Aston Martin as a naming rights sponsor. A bit harder to drift while towing a caravan in a Megane...

 

End of an era

I hope Renault steps up their YouTube game.

 

Not sure where I should put this but Duke Video are rereleasing the old F1 season reviews on DVD.

Box sets include:
1970-79
1980-89
1990-99
2000-09

https://www.dukevideo.com/F1

 

I always really really enjoyed them. I had 1994-2002 when I was younger; it's pretty much the source of all my late 90s F1 trivia.

They've released the BTCC reviews on DVD too.

 

I spent loads on getting old VHS reviews off eBay and then converting them to DVD myself.

I may pick these up when they reduce in price, no doubt the quality would be better than what I have now.

 

Yeah, Dukes does good stuff, but they're awfully proud with the prices most of the time - prohibitively so. I have some of their old BTCC stuff when they were on sale.

 

The F1 Youtube channel just uploaded this, I thought it was hilarious.

 

Renault's F1 YouTube channel hasn't posted anything in over a year. It's sad we're going to lose a big part of his personality that shined in Redbull's social media.

No other f1 team is even close in that area.

 

Renault did have a wacky twitter back in the day though, one can hope.

 

WTF1 does a “Twitter World Championship”. Every race, each team’s official twitter feed tries to post the wittiest memes they can, and then Matt judges them all on the Monday after the event when he does his WTF1 wrap up post. Teams are awarded points based on their memes, and points are added up at the end of the year. For 2018, Renault won by a country mile, if I’m remembering the stats correctly.

 

That's just Twitter. RedBull is great with YouTube videos

 

That guy is useless. At the USGP Mercedes tweeted Toro Rosso using a GTA reference and he didn't even mention it.
Straight busta.

 

Big things about to happen at Ferrari, it seems.

https://www.gazzetta.it/Formula-1/06-01-2019/ferrari-arrivabene-binotto-comando-320153883448.shtml

 

delete please

 

Here’s an article detailing changes in the regulations that are happening for 2019, some interesting ones in there beyond the changes in car design.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...at's-new-for-2019.2DIt7TEs9YqI8IY6mEcwsM.html

 

Part of Verstappen’s public service for shoving Ocon last year, is to be forced to sit through a Formula E race

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/verstappen-public-service-formula-e/4322589/

On one hand, I get what the FIA is trying to do by letting a young driver see how things work in the steward’s office....but it doesn’t exactly seem like a “public service”, especially since I’m guessing the trip to a foreign country to watch a prestigious sporting event will be payed for someone other than Max. I also think there’s something to the notion that Max’s precense at the FE race will just give FE promoters something to talk about.

On the whole, from the shove, to the “public service” punishment, to this actual announcement....the whole thing is a farce

 

If the FIA had done nothing, the media would have likely spun it way out of control and we'd probably never hear the end of it. So instead, they took what was basically a spat of poor sportsmanship that warranted a verbal warning at best, and turned it into a free PR session with one of their most popular drivers.

I mean, they can't exactly use Bernie's preferred method of telling everyone "stop moaning about it" and leaving it at that, so may as well make the most of it.

 

Mick Schumacher has signed as a Ferrari Academy driver and is expected to take part in two tests this year. That's going to be worth some press if nothing else... although the world expects a lot else!

 

Yeah, I have to say if I was a Schumacher spawn...I'd have gone into rally, or sports car - anything other than open wheel.

 

pressure, n.

The use of intimidation or persuasion on someone else to achieve certain goals, often in expectation.

I'd be delighted if he did well out of it but there's going to be a monumental weight upon his shoulders and an unnecessary one at that.

 

Quite, and on the other side of the coin I see that some parts of the internet already claim that it's a nepotistic appointment without merit. As I recall he actually used his mother's maiden name to race under in junior leagues?

 

There’s going to be pressure for sure, but I don’t know if it’ll be impossible to overcome...depends on his character I guess.

I think there’s a lot of parallels that could be drawn between the expectations placed on Mick and those that were placed on Dale Earnhardt Jr. Although Jr didn’t achieve the same winning success of his father, he carried himself in an admirable way, such that he helped grow to the Earnhardt legacy (as opposed to a Nelson Jr or Marco).

I look for the same from Mick....in my eyes, he doesn’t need to break his father’s records to be considered a success. More important to me will be how he carries himself throughout his carrier. So far he seems to be doing an alright job.

 

I'm not sure if that's really a fair comparison. Junior had (and still has) a level of fan engagement throughout his entire career that very few other drivers have had in any motorsport, so much so that his popularity has completely transcended his on-track performance. That's really a unique scenario, and one that I certainly can't see being replicated in a highly scrutinized area like open wheel racing.

Not meant to condemn Mick so early on of course. I certainly do hope he'll have a long and successful career ahead of him. But he doesn't really strike me as having that "face of the franchise" appeal that would prevent unwarranted criticism being heaped on him as a result of not being his dad.

 

It might not be 'without merit' but it is still very likely nepotism even if the person in question tries to shun it.

With nepotism even without expressly courting it one can benefit from it. Things come your way, even if doesn't ask or even try and run from them. He is flat out turning it down?... no, so it's taking something up that has undoubtedly been (in part) given to him. If I take a handout because they know who I am even if I'm not broadcasting it from the rooftops it's still technically nepotism.

Either way there won't be a news outlet in the land not starting a sentence with 'Michael Schumacher's' son. It will be interesting to see how he does with all this pressure of history on him, he won't be the first but he will have the most to deal with.