F1 2022 season - Michael Masi sacked

First topic message reminder :

Rumours suggesting Fernando Alonso's deal with Aston Martin could be up to 4 years long. 2 years guaranteed. Third year is driver side option and fourth year is team side option.
Alonso might never retire at this rate LOL

Verstappen’s busted RB16B from Silverstone had no salvageable parts. So they basically had to rebuild an entire new car. Which Bottas proceeded to smash up in the next race.

Supposedly the Silverstone incident cost Red Bull $2m - that’s the amount they claim. No real way to verify though.

dummy_half wrote:If that's true, then a complete storm in a tea cup. Surprising that this couldn't be hidden by a few accounting tricks.

Presumably they (and the other teams) had plenty of 'interesting' ideas about how things should be accounted for, and which ones were deemed acceptable determined where they land in the range between the 'massively over' rival speculation and 'actually under' RB claims.

Theyre all as bad as each other honestly. I cant be bothered with it

No outcome today, FIA pushed it to Monday

For the skeptics, I suspect there is not a great chance the FIA is about to take meaningful action the day after Max could win his second wdc

Seems like Red Bull wants to take Ferrari and Mercedes to court…

Hamilton hinting at another 2 year deal that would take him to the end of 2025.

Apparently the initial breach was up to 10m. The gist seems to be that because engine development was not frozen, RB were permitted to do testing in that area which wasnt subject to the cost cap.

With that removed the breach is about 120k.

As close to a write off day as you'll get. Track is soaked and forecast is dry for quali and race

GSC wrote:Apparently the initial breach was up to 10m. The gist seems to be that because engine development was not frozen, RB were permitted to do testing in that area which wasnt subject to the cost cap.

With that removed the breach is about 120k.

The cost of minor bodywork repairs

Alonso was fastest in FP1
Russell fastest in FP2

Meaningless, as GSC mentioned, it was like a swimming pool on the track.

Pierre Gasly to Alpine is done. Announcement any time now.

Gasly joins Renault on a multiple year deal
de Vries joins AlphaTauri

Both confirmed now.

Wonder if that's an olive branch from RB to Mercedes. De Vries isn't a typical AT target

Max probably taking a grid drop for forcing Norris off track

Meanwhile his first lap in Q3 is enough for pole. But doubt he keeps it

Credible P9 for Vettel

Mercedes in a fight with Alpine today

Verstappen pole
LeClerc
Sainz
Perez

Pretty close been the top 4

Just a reprimand for Verstappen, close but think he's a bit fortunate there

Ricciardo confirms no seat for 2023. At this point he’s literally hoping Mercedes remain rubbish in 2023 and Hamilton retires.

GSC wrote:Wonder if that's an olive branch from RB to Mercedes. De Vries isn't a typical AT target

Max played a large part in getting de Vries the seat.

Still don't get how de Vries and AT ended up at the top of each other's lists, but it probably makes slighly more sense for NdV.
Ricciardo's deluding himself if he thinks he's a contender to take over from Hamilton, unless they want a stopgap designated nr. 2. Great deal for the team though, who'd have an experienced and popular stand-in if needed.

This sport is so ridiculously dumb

I think having a crane on track during the japanese GP in heavy wet conditions speaks for itself

Don't understand why there are full wet tyres if teams have to be forced to fit them

Anyhow there won't be 75% distance so no title today

And immediately everyone junks the wets for inters

Max in a class of his own right now, dropping Charles like he's a backmarker

Might get a Charles Checo scrap for 2nd before the end

Max wins a 27 lap race by 25 seconds. Complete domination. title will be a formality on the US if he finishes

Ocon holding back Lewis, Merc just too draggy to punch a hole without drs. Vettel and Latifi made good use of strategy to take p6 and p9

LeClerc probably making a trip to the stewards for his last corner defense but I'm not making predictions again

Verstappen wins his 32nd Grand Prix, equals Fernando Alonso’s career tally.
Verstappen is many levels above the rest. Ominous.

5 seconds for blocking Perez takes p2.

RB could've pitted for FL and won the title after all

Max is champion

Verstappen joins the legends whom have with their first two titles back to back

Alberto Ascari: 1952-1953
Jack Brabham: 1959-1960
Alain Prost: 1985-1986
Michael Schumacher: 1994-1995
Mika Hakkinen: 1998-1999
Fernando Alonso: 2005-2006
Sebastian Vettel: 2010-2013

He's not, he needed 8 points and he only got 7

Someone get the calculator out

112 points remaining, gap is 111.

Bit embarrassing

Full points
Verstappen is champion

So they only award reduced points if the race doesnt finish on the road.

Dumb rule. Not that it matters

Another banner day for the FIA

Full points because of the early red flag. Not sure how they make up these rules.

But either way at 25 years and 9 days - second youngest double champion. Must be a Red Bull thing...

So essentially they could come out with 5 minutes to go, run 2 laps behind the SC and award full points

Red flag + half distance means full points - I’m not sure how these rules are worded.

It's whether it ends on track. If it was red flagged 5 minutes before the end it would be reduced points

Binotto talking about how Charles didn't gain time cutting the chicane, think it was probably more moving over on Checo before he went around

In any case it is mildly redundant. Even under reduced points Charles would have to win all 4 races, take fastest lap in each and win the sprint while Max failed to score in any race.

Binotto facing the sack…it’s in the Italian press.
And you can’t appeal on track penalty anyway.
It’s time to be humble Mattia, not stupid.

Hopefully next year Ferrari or Merc can close down the gap RB have opened since midseason. But it is a large one

Red Bull are so far ahead, especially in Verstappen’s hands. I would consider it somewhat a miracle if Verstappen didn’t win his third championship in 2023…

Should also be pointed out F1 wants to move the race to early season rather than monsoon season but the race organisers have refused

Max is now 1 win behind Michael and Sebs record of 13 in a single season, with 4 races left and RB favoured in all

He's won 23 of the last 39 gps.

GSC wrote:Max is now 1 win behind Michael and Sebs record of 13 in a single season, with 4 races left and RB favoured in all

He's won 23 of the last 39 gps.

Yeah he’s a little decent is the Dutchman...