The 2017 Silly Season thread

[Nessafox]

Is it wrong that I'm still daring to dream? Also, I can't help but notice this:

Nyck De Vries is yet to announce his plans.
[LINK]

Could it perhaps tie in with a last-minute Honda engine supply deal if Manor were to return and to run a McHonda young driver in return for a discount? Or have I entered the realm of truly silly conjecture.

We can dream... But indeed it were to be expected that he'd drive for ART in GP2 or GP3, which has ties with both McLaren and Honda atm, however ART has already signed drivers for all of their seats.
When looking trough which GP2 drivers havent confirmed their plans yet, i also noticed the name of Sirotkin, who last year also drove for ART...

[CaptainGetz12]

Apparently one of the potential buyers of the Manor outfit is the man who tried to form USF1. Small world
http://www.mystatesman.com/sports/motor ... j3bMtOyZJ/

[yannicksamlad]

When looking trough which GP2 drivers havent confirmed their plans yet, i also noticed the name of Sirotkin, who last year also drove for ART...

Sergey has enough superlicence points so I think he's just doing Renault reserve duties...and hoping Palmer struggles. He won't want to drive for Trident or Rapax in GP2 , surely?

GP2 grid thins out - no Carlin, and no sign of Hilmer's return , nor Status who we also lost. Shame that decent , powerful, spectacular cars are left unraced, and good decent racers can't get in the GP2 action . Mind you , with only 20 F1 spots and 40 superlicence points required, everyone knows how slim your chances are of making to F1..so that's got to cut demand

[Ataxia]

Apparently one of the potential buyers of the Manor outfit is the man who tried to form USF1. Small world
http://www.mystatesman.com/sports/motor ... j3bMtOyZJ/

Tavo Hellmund was nothing to do with USF1, I think you've mis-read that.

Sirotkin's got the official Renault reserve gig, which might put him in the frame for a few FP1 chances later in the year.

[dr-baker]

Apparently one of the potential buyers of the Manor outfit is the man who tried to form USF1. Small world
http://www.mystatesman.com/sports/motor ... j3bMtOyZJ/

Tavo Hellmund was nothing to do with USF1, I think you've mis-read that.

He's the guy that's involved with the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, isn't he?

[Waris]

Apparently one of the potential buyers of the Manor outfit is the man who tried to form USF1. Small world
http://www.mystatesman.com/sports/motor ... j3bMtOyZJ/

Tavo Hellmund was nothing to do with USF1, I think you've mis-read that.

He's the guy that's involved with the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, isn't he?

Yes, he is, and also helped bring back the Mexican Grand Prix.

[dr-baker]

And Tatiana Calderon has been signed by Sauber as a development driver!

[Aislabie]

And Tatiana Calderon has been signed by Sauber as a development driver!

Excellent news.

Less excellent is that Manor's very last of last chances has fallen on its arse. The administrators start selling stuff tomorrow.

[Waris]

R.I.P. for good now Manor.

[CaptainGetz12]

And Tatiana Calderon has been signed by Sauber as a development driver!

Excellent news.

Less excellent is that Manor's very last of last chances has fallen on its arse. The administrators start selling stuff tomorrow.

Is there anything of value that the other teams may want to buy from the outfit? Or any notable staff to pick up?

[mario]

And Tatiana Calderon has been signed by Sauber as a development driver!

Excellent news.

Less excellent is that Manor's very last of last chances has fallen on its arse. The administrators start selling stuff tomorrow.

Is there anything of value that the other teams may want to buy from the outfit? Or any notable staff to pick up?

Some smaller teams might possibly want to buy the wind tunnel models that Manor had created for their 2017 car, but I would have thought that, following the previous asset sale when the team first went into administration, most of the higher value assets would have already been sold off back then.

[Samster]

Its official, GP2 becomes Formula 2 starting from this season.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... ampionship

Seeing as they want a clear ladder from F4 to F1, I wonder how long they will keep GP3 around. Will they merge it with F3 and have that on the support schedule?

Also Cecotto will continue to make GP2/F2 a career as he joins Rapax. This will be the ninth season to see him take part in at least one meeting. He is paired with Nyck De Vries.

[Dj_bereta]

Ninth season? Whoa, Cecotto really making a career in GP2. Sure he holds the record of most starts.

[Samster]

Its official, GP2 becomes Formula 2 starting from this season.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... ampionship

Seeing as they want a clear ladder from F4 to F1, I wonder how long they will keep GP3 around. Will they merge it with F3 and have that on the support schedule?

Also Cecotto will continue to make GP2/F2 a career as he joins Rapax. This will be the ninth season to see him take part in at least one meeting. He is paired with Nyck De Vries.

And just realised I went and put this in the wrong thread.

[AustralianStig]

Wet standing starts definitely happening after Lap 1 safety car periods

I found this part pretty interesting:

Drivers cannot follow the safety car into the pits and switch to intermediates or slicks for the start proper, or they will face a subsequent 10 second stop-go penalty. And any driver that pits during the safety car phase before the start will be forced to take the race start from the pit lane.

I wonder if there'd ever be a situation where the track has cleared up to the point that changing to inters/slicks and taking the stop/go penalty would be quicker than remaining out on wets for the the start?

Let's hope this brings plenty of opportunity for rejectdom!

[DanielPT]

I wonder if there'd ever be a situation where the track has cleared up to the point that changing to inters/slicks and taking the stop/go penalty would be quicker than remaining out on wets for the the start?

Let's hope this brings plenty of opportunity for rejectdom!

It will be difficult given that a pit stop is usually about 20s plus 10s of penalty. That means the inters/slicks would need to be at least about 30s faster than wets for it to pay off.

Having said this, obviously the track will be drier than hay in the summer by the time they deem it safe for a restart.

[Miguel98]

Better than grey.. but ... what? Pink in an F1 car?

[CoopsII]

That will certainly help identify the more backwards-looking among us.

[CarloSpace]

I think it looks fantastic in the picture! Hopefully it looks as great on track too.

If they cut the shark fin along that silver/red shape it'd be perfect (barring the awkward bump on the nose).

[Rob Dylan]

It's so out there it might just work

I don't know which scenario would be better: that car winning a race, or that car being another fantastic backmarker livery.

[Aislabie]

I must say I love it.

Trivia time: If Force India were to win a race in this year's Championship, it would not be the first pink car to do so. Which is the other?

[dr-baker]

Pink in an F1 car?

Yes.

Trivia time: If Force India were to win a race in this year's Championship, it would not be the first pink car to do so. Which is the other?

Obviously not Hill in the Brabham above!

[golic_2004]

Now I got that Aerosmith song in my head.

[Ducktanian]

Wow, I'm loving the new Force India livery. Very much an improvement!

Trivia time: If Force India were to win a race in this year's Championship, it would not be the first pink car to do so. Which is the other?

Penelope Pitstop?

[tommykl]

I must say I love it.

Trivia time: If Force India were to win a race in this year's Championship, it would not be the first pink car to do so. Which is the other?

I was pretty convinced this was an Indianapolis 500 winner, and some quick Googling confirmed that Bob Sweikert's 1955 winning car was indeed pink and white.

[Bleu]

Does that mean that he will become reserve driver?

[Aislabie]

I must say I love it.

Trivia time: If Force India were to win a race in this year's Championship, it would not be the first pink car to do so. Which is the other?

I was pretty convinced this was an Indianapolis 500 winner, and some quick Googling confirmed that Bob Sweikert's 1955 winning car was indeed pink and white.

DING DING

I admit I was being a little crafty with the wording - "a race in the Championship" but not necessarily a Grand Prix. Good knowledge

[UncreativeUsername37]

As the pictures show, we've seen a sort of dark magenta before. Force India are still making history with the first relatively pastel, truly pink car. Pink isn't the colour of an F1 car, some will say. And they've been waiting to make that statement until it's wrong.

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Really digging that Force India livery. I think overall we have a nice contrast to previous years with a good deal of the visible spectrum being represented. Just missing some green, brown and purple. Oh, and black.

Anyway, that's not why I'm here, this is.

I for one think it's a noble cause, and it feels good knowing that signing this petition will make a difference. I would encourage you all to share in this feeling.

[Salamander]

I can really get behind top international racing star Jose Maria Lopez being in Formula 1, as he is indeed famous for his top results all around the world.

[Nuppiz]

As the pictures show, we've seen a sort of dark magenta before. Force India are still making history with the first relatively pastel, truly pink car. Pink isn't the colour of an F1 car, some will say. And they've been waiting to make that statement until it's wrong.

*Raises hand*

[Rob Dylan]

Admittedly I don't know very much about Liberty Media, but this is the kind of attitude I can get behind. And hopefully now that Bernie has gone, the extent of quick-buck money-extraction races popping up around the world will stop.

"I think it's our job to do far more to help the promoters to be successful," said Maffei.

"Frankly Bernie's attitude was, 'How much can I extract from them?'

"I heard him call them the victims - 'How much can I extract, how much up front?'

"So we end up with races in places like Baku in Azerbaijan, where they paid us a big race fee, but it does nothing to build the long-term brand and health of the business."

[DanielPT]

Admittedly I don't know very much about Liberty Media, but this is the kind of attitude I can get behind. And hopefully now that Bernie has gone, the extent of quick-buck money-extraction races popping up around the world will stop.

"I think it's our job to do far more to help the promoters to be successful," said Maffei.

"Frankly Bernie's attitude was, 'How much can I extract from them?'

"I heard him call them the victims - 'How much can I extract, how much up front?'

"So we end up with races in places like Baku in Azerbaijan, where they paid us a big race fee, but it does nothing to build the long-term brand and health of the business."

This sends shivers down my spine. There is so much right in this, so much "let's put the sport back in the right track" that I feel the chaotic universe as we know and love it is about to collapse into a newly created Briatore-like black hole.

[dr-baker]

This sends shivers down my spine. There is so much right in this, so much "let's put the sport back in the right track" that I feel the chaotic universe as we know and love it is about to collapse into a newly created Briatore-like black hole.

This made me think that now would be a good time for someone to write a driver reject profile for a Mr Bernard Charles Ecclestone Esq.

[CoopsII]

This made me think that now would be a good time for someone to write a driver reject profile for a Mr Bernard Charles Ecclestone Esq.

My advice would be to wait until the blessed Bernie has shuffled off this mortal coil before writing that one. He has spies everywhere....

[Aislabie]

The McHonda soap opera continues.

[Nuppiz]

Admittedly I don't know very much about Liberty Media, but this is the kind of attitude I can get behind. And hopefully now that Bernie has gone, the extent of quick-buck money-extraction races popping up around the world will stop.

"I think it's our job to do far more to help the promoters to be successful," said Maffei.

"Frankly Bernie's attitude was, 'How much can I extract from them?'

"I heard him call them the victims - 'How much can I extract, how much up front?'

"So we end up with races in places like Baku in Azerbaijan, where they paid us a big race fee, but it does nothing to build the long-term brand and health of the business."

This sends shivers down my spine. There is so much right in this, so much "let's put the sport back in the right track" that I feel the chaotic universe as we know and love it is about to collapse into a newly created Briatore-like black hole.

Make F1 Great Again?

[DanielPT]

This sends shivers down my spine. There is so much right in this, so much "let's put the sport back in the right track" that I feel the chaotic universe as we know and love it is about to collapse into a newly created Briatore-like black hole.

Make F1 Great Again?

There is generally a small issue with making something great again: We cannot go back in time.

Since we can only go forward in time, circumstances are always changing and replicating the stuff that used to make something great again will invariably lead to other less savory conclusions than the greatness of before.
As such, in order to make F1 great again we had to go back to my infancy where F1 was great. It was for me at least. Which would not be ideal for some of you due to the fact of not being born yet (see, even this way present less savory conclusions). Which is why I would already be satisfied by going forward and "make F1 suck a bit less again".

[mario]

Admittedly I don't know very much about Liberty Media, but this is the kind of attitude I can get behind. And hopefully now that Bernie has gone, the extent of quick-buck money-extraction races popping up around the world will stop.

"I think it's our job to do far more to help the promoters to be successful," said Maffei.

"Frankly Bernie's attitude was, 'How much can I extract from them?'

"I heard him call them the victims - 'How much can I extract, how much up front?'

"So we end up with races in places like Baku in Azerbaijan, where they paid us a big race fee, but it does nothing to build the long-term brand and health of the business."

This sends shivers down my spine. There is so much right in this, so much "let's put the sport back in the right track" that I feel the chaotic universe as we know and love it is about to collapse into a newly created Briatore-like black hole.

The thing is, it is one thing to make those sorts of statements and quite another for them to actually implement the changes in direction they are promising. I'd rather wait and see what they actually deliver on first before getting too carried away...

I'd also agree with your sentiment that there do seem to be a number of fans who have spoken about "going back to how things were", although invariably it is almost always a highly romanticised version of the past that has been heavily stripped of the less pleasant side. It will never be possible to replicate that vision - the world has moved on far from those days, and every attempt to try and "reset the clock", as it were, would almost certainly be a failure as it could never possibly live up to the idealised version that people want to exist and never can.

[CoopsII]

They're certainly making all the right noises at the moment and it appears to be making people happy. Happy people spend money and I expect that part to come next.