2023-24 Formula 1 Off-Track Thread

[McLaren]

Alpine F1: Rob White sacked as operations director

Alpine sack veteran operations director Rob White in the latest example of management turmoil at the French team.

www.bbc.com

They're going to have a hard time attracting new people to their team by running it like this. They would have to be pretty desperate for a job, because why would anyone want to work for Renault if there are other options on the table?

I don't even really blame Famin, he's under enormous pressure too. It all comes from the very top, they expect a prime rib dinner with the budget of a happy meal.

Just part of the 100-race plan, I'm sure.

 

[TheCracker]

I was waiting for an oppertune moment in the caption competition to talk about Bruno Famin.

Is it Frank Bruno Famine - or Bruno 'Famine' Mars? (or Bruno 'Famine' Tonioli for that matter)

 

[MagpieRacer]

At what point to Renault just go, you know what, this isn't working, and sell to Andretti?

 

[Liquid]

Enstone is the crap that keeps on crapping. Briatore is rumoured to be back in.

 

[Har1MAS1415]

Rest in Peace David Walker 1941-2024.

1969 British FFord 1600 Champion, British F3 Champion in 1970 and 1971, infamously scored no points for Lotus in 1972 while team-mate Emerson Fittipaldi went on win the title.

 

[EngieDiesel]

At what point to Renault just go, you know what, this isn't working, and sell to Andretti?

A French team being sold to the Americans? I think they'd set their facility on fire rather than allow that.

Seriously though, I'm expecting buying out a team is going to be the only realistic way Andretti will get in now. I'd been wondering if Haas would be a possible acquisition, given that Gene is shutting down his NASCAR team after this season and apparently isn't all that interested with showing up in general anymore, but I'm not sure if that would lock Andretti into having to honor a Ferrari engine contract for some length of time, which obviously isn't part of the plan.

 

[RACECAR]

 

[MagpieRacer]

A French team being sold to the Americans? I think they'd set their facility on fire rather than allow that.

Seriously though, I'm expecting buying out a team is going to be the only realistic way Andretti will get in now. I'd been wondering if Haas would be a possible acquisition, given that Gene is shutting down his NASCAR team after this season and apparently isn't all that interested with showing up in general anymore, but I'm not sure if that would lock Andretti into having to honor a Ferrari engine contract for some length of time, which obviously isn't part of the plan.

Let them burn it, Andretti have built a new one anyway 🤣.

Would Haas sell to Andretti though? I can see the Alpine deal more than that, especially as the engine deal they had/have was Renault.

 

[EngieDiesel]

Let them burn it, Andretti have built a new one anyway 🤣.

Would Haas sell to Andretti though? I can see the Alpine deal more than that, especially as the engine deal they had/have was Renault.

If the price is right, probably. Though thinking on it some more, Ferrari would probably have a squawk about it since as much as Haas tries to deny it, they are pretty much Ferrari's B-team. I can't imagine them wanting to lose that avenue for their junior drivers, even if it's more of a purgatory than anything.

 

[MagpieRacer]

It's incredible how different Albert Park looks like when the GP isn't in town.

 

[Fezzik]

A street circuit that’s so good you forget it’s a street circuit.

 

[ScottPuss20]

It's incredible how different Albert Park looks like when the GP isn't in town.

Yeah tell me about it.

 

[McLaren]

Let them burn it, Andretti have built a new one anyway 🤣.

Would Haas sell to Andretti though? I can see the Alpine deal more than that, especially as the engine deal they had/have was Renault.

Gene will never. If he wasn't intent on selling it during their lower points, I doubt he'd want to sell now. They've even gone as much to clarify that the closing of Haas-Stewart racing will have zero effect on Haas' F1 effort.

And to @EngieDiesel 's point, there's been talk that Ferrari wants Bearman in that vacant seat that Hulk is leaving & KMag wants to stay as well. Combined with a new TP, I would expect that Gene is still all-in on his F1 campaign.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I don't know what it means, but it's interesting.

Clever Red Bull suspension trick discovered as Mercedes and Ferrari F1 follow suit

Mercedes and Ferrari are reportedly among four teams to have adopted a clever Red Bull suspension trick for the F1 2024 season.

www.planetf1.com

 

[Jezza819]

 

[DG_Silva]

I don't know what it means, but it's interesting.

Clever Red Bull suspension trick discovered as Mercedes and Ferrari F1 follow suit

Mercedes and Ferrari are reportedly among four teams to have adopted a clever Red Bull suspension trick for the F1 2024 season.

www.planetf1.com

From my understanding, it's a bit like the suspension trick Merc had in 2021 - the back of the car hunkers down on the straights just enough to stop the rear wing producing too much drag without being so soft that the Venturi tunnels don't work.

It has made the Merc, an already difficult to set up car much trickier, because the ideal window is even smaller, but it does mean that one can add more rear downforce to make it more stable in the corners.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

I wonder if Estie Bestie getting replaced by Jack for FP1 at the Canadian GP is what they had in mind as a punishment?

Looks like musical chairs is about to speed up, Mercedes looks to be best seat available for a chance of winning in 2025 but maybe no chance of 2026 option unless your name is Max Verstappen or Kimi Antonelli. Williams looks like a decent seat for 2026 given they have much more development testing time and are focussing on that already. With Audi, it's hard to know if they are taking it seriously the level of competition or not so it is a risky choice.

Anyway, looks like 2026 regulations will get revealed tomorrow.



This has the chance to be the Benny Hill of F1 regulations. Might make F1 more entertaining in a silly way with the kind of overtakes you will be able to see. Let's see if they will stick to it or delay it to make it better...

 

[MagpieRacer]

 

[sillybilly]

It would be pretty bold to move to a flat floor - would this reduce or remove the "ground effects"?

I would be shocked if they admitted the direction was wrong - even tho it has been a spectacular disaster - I expect Fl yes men to be nodding heads that it is correct like a drivers helmet bouncing when the porpoising cars first hit the track.

My expectations are so low, I used to be an optimist on so many thing but they are on a hot streak of the last few regulations turning out stinkers...

 

[MagpieRacer]

It would be pretty bold to move to a flat floor - would this reduce or remove the "ground effects"?

I would be shocked if they admitted the direction was wrong - even tho it has been a spectacular disaster - I expect Fl yes men to be nodding heads that it is correct like a drivers helmet bouncing when the porpoising cars first hit the track.

My expectations are so low, I used to be an optimist on so many thing but they are on a hot streak of the last few regulations turning out stinkers...

Yes I think if they go flat floor that will likely remove ground effect as it couldn't have the tunnels, could be wrong though, I'm not an engineer but it seems thay way to me.

Kind of a blend of 2017 and 2005 I'd what I'm seeing.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Lighter, shorter, narrower.

 

[Famine]

Lighter, shorter, narrower.

And apparently severe front axle toe-out and rear axle toe-in...

 

[TheCracker]

Disapointing that they'll still be heavy, long and relatively narrow (in looks at least).

If they'd made the packaging challenge a bit harder, there may have been some actual innovation in how they all looked and some noticable variation between cars, for a season or two at least.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Ah yes, the 2026 regulations, a set of rules with the "going to cause massive crashes with servo latency or failures" active aero compromise to cover up the weaknesses of the over-electrified 2026 engine regulations that all the manufacturers wanted.

Still, reducing the cars' width is a bonus and we'll see what the rest of this brings.

I still hate the look of the 18" wheels and wish we can go back to 13".

 

[MagpieRacer]

The F1 teams are not happy, the regs weren't approved and it's the active aero that the teams said was a non starter. 2 teams threatening to walk allegedly.

 

[toastet]

I was a bit surprised yesterday for todays announcement since the deadline was/is still 30th June 2024 so no sense announcing sth 3 weeks prior. Funny FIA again.

 

[sillybilly]

Ah yes, the 2026 regulations, a set of rules with the "going to cause massive crashes with servo latency or failures" active aero compromise to cover up the weaknesses of the over-electrified 2026 engine regulations that all the manufacturers wanted.

Still, reducing the cars' width is a bonus and we'll see what the rest of this brings.

I still hate the look of the 18" wheels and wish we can go back to 13".

I was optimistic for the 18" wheels before they were introduced but I hate them now. I don't mind base model hatchbacks on black steel wheels with fake alloys removed looks alright aaaaih - not sure if this level of approachable style is what Fl should be aspiring to tho.

I think the style of the covers on the 18" wheel look absolute crap, and the tyres are too high profile... look at formula e and indycar have larger than 13" wheel and they both look good. Especially formula e - it's tyre and wheel looks fantastic.

 

[DK]

The F1 teams are not happy, the regs weren't approved and it's the active aero that the teams said was a non starter. 2 teams threatening to walk allegedly.

A monkey's paw must have curled when Michael Andretti wished that he could find a way in.

 

[Roo]

No teams are going to walk away from a profit centre. Whichever 2 they are are just posturing and anyone even remotely intelligent in the FIA knows this.

 

[EngieDiesel]

I can almost guarantee that Ferrari is one of the teams threatening to leave. Any time regulations change that they don't like, they start rattling their saber about walking away.