F1- 2024 season

[mr.bluesky]

So the new F1 season is just around the corner but breaking news is that Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing for Ferrari for the 2025 season.  So this year will be his last season at Mercedes. I just hope Ferrari get their act together for next year otherwise its going to be a frustrating time for Hamilton.  Looks like he will replace Sainz next year. Ferrari were probably the closest team to Red Bull last season for race pace but they always seem to find a way to screw it up for one reason or another, reliability or wrong tactics has cost them wins in the past.

[timsussex]

He'll get a nice car to drive - round the M25 !

[mr.bluesky]

So now it's official, Hamilton off to Ferrari in 2025, the staff at Mercedes HQ in Brackley have been informed today.

[Lilywhite]

If he takes Bono, surely that might solve a few of the Ferrari Ferrarisms.

[mr.bluesky]

If he takes Bono, surely that might solve a few of the Ferrari Ferrarisms.

They'll have to prise Bono away from U2 first, 
Seriously Ferrari will have to get their act together,  Not forgetting Leclerc is going to be a very tough team mate to beat.

[Lilywhite]

They'll have to prise Bono away from U2 first, 
Seriously Ferrari will have to get their act together,  Not forgetting Leclerc is going to be a very tough team mate to beat.

Haha obviously I mean Peter Bonnington.

I kinda feel like Lewis wasn't loving George (and vice versa) last season. I think Charles is more a team player.

[mr.bluesky]

Haha obviously I mean Peter Bonnington.

I kinda feel like Lewis wasn't loving George (and vice versa) last season. I think Charles is more a team player.

It will be interesting to see how Hamilton will be treated by his Mercedes team this season,  will they favour Russell now they know Hamilton is leaving .
Hamilton had signed a two year deal before the start of this season,  now he will be leaving before the end of the contract is up. It suggests that Hamilton does not have much faith in this year's car. 
I think you could sense a bit of friction creeping in between Hamilton and Russell towards the end of last season.

[webpunter]

I didnt see this move happening

Ferrari roll out on the new car middle of this month, whats gonna be top of the agenda ?

External Link/Members Only

With a link to Sky Sports F1 coverage which is interesting

More red shirts @ Silverstone next year

The driver merry go round will be interesting

[mr.bluesky]

There were rumours of Hamilton having talks with Ferrari before last season had finished  which he never denied at the time.  Looks like it's all come to fruition now. Obviously signed contracts in F1 have as much worth as they do in football.

[Lilywhite]

It's pretty amusing that Horner was getting shit for saying Lewis' team had reached out at some point recently. Looks like that may have been the case if he was team shopping.

[Blackpool Rock]

They'll have to prise Bono away from U2 first, 
Seriously Ferrari will have to get their act together,  Not forgetting Leclerc is going to be a very tough team mate to beat.

Schumacher seemed to galvanise Ferrari when he was there as he had a massive input, hopefully Hamilton will do the same (Only as I want Hamilton to get an 8th title), unfortunately this means I have to partly cheer on Ferrari.
I do cheer all the Brits and I can see why every driver would want Ferrari on their CV but to me they are like the Man Utd of F1 

I believe Hamilton is pissed off that he's not been consulted about the Merc's development, I bet if Lauda had still been there the drivers would have been asked for input 

[chrishornx]

There were rumours of Hamilton having talks with Ferrari before last season had finished  which he never denied at the time.  Looks like it's all come to fruition now. Obviously signed contracts in F1 have as much worth as they do in football.

think the contracts are valid - which one isn't?

[webpunter]

Schumacher seemed to galvanise Ferrari when he was there as he had a massive input, hopefully Hamilton will do the same (Only as I want Hamilton to get an 8th title), unfortunately this means I have to partly cheer on Ferrari.
I do cheer all the Brits and I can see why every driver would want Ferrari on their CV but to me they are like the Man Utd of F1 

I believe Hamilton is pissed off that he's not been consulted about the Merc's development, I bet if Lauda had still been there the drivers would have been asked for input 

Good call on what LH can bring to the team
I want LH to win so will cheer him on, not quite to the extent of him & George in a british based team
Then again not that much to cheer about the last two seasons

IMO LH wont look as cool in red as in black for Mercedes

As for comparing Wankchester to Ferrari a rare post for you where you seem to have headed in the wrong directions perhaps ?
Wankchester are a bunch of ***** which aligns them to Red Bull
Obviously not in terms of performance

[webpunter]

So the new F1 season is just around the corner but breaking news is that Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing for Ferrari for the 2025 season.

A fine way to open this years thread 

[webpunter]

If he takes Bono, surely that might solve a few of the Ferrari Ferrarisms.

Fab to have a female on the thread
Get a different perspective 

On the Ferrarisms [a supa new word, which rhymes with something else  ] like the team asking the driver what to do mid race
Not like the driver has got anything else going on
Like trying to keep the car on the track avoid other drivers whilst doing 200mph [edit: on the limit] with their view of the race being like looking through a letterbox 

Quick question - which of the drivers would you most want to shag ?   If you want to compile a list in order feel free 

[mr.bluesky]

Not forgetting the last English man to drive for Ferrari was Nigel Mansel back in 1989 who won in his very first race for the team.

[Blackpool Rock]

Good call on what LH can bring to the team
I want LH to win so will cheer him on, not quite to the extent of him & George in a british based team
Then again not that much to cheer about the last two seasons

IMO LH wont look as cool in red as in black for Mercedes

As for comparing Wankchester to Ferrari a rare post for you where you seem to have headed in the wrong directions perhaps ?
Wankchester are a bunch of ***** which aligns them to Red Bull
Obviously not in terms of performance

I did write a big long post about glory hunters and people who are attracted to certain brands but really don't want to divert the thread onto footy and Man Utd bashing which I need to rein in on the footy thread too, all i'll say is have you not made a connection that so many people of a certain ilk support both 
Perhaps they are attracted to teams in red 
Hell at one point they were both sponsored by Vodafone so you only had to buy one shirt to support both teams / sports 

[mr.bluesky]

I did write a big long post about glory hunters and people who are attracted to certain brands but really don't want to divert the thread onto footy and Man Utd bashing which I need to rein in on the footy thread too, all i'll say is have you not made a connection that so many people of a certain ilk support both 
Perhaps they are attracted to teams in red 
Hell at one point they were both sponsored by Vodafone so you only had to buy one shirt to support both teams / sports 

By coincidence both teams have a great history but both have been underachievers in recent years. I see the glory years returning to Ferrari a lot sooner than to the other lot though. 

[daviemac]

I don't particularly follow F1 but out of curiosity how 'British' is Ferrari compared to Mercedes?   

[anotherwoody69]

I don't particularly follow F1 but out of curiosity how 'British' is Ferrari compared to Mercedes?   

It has some UK connections and history.
The current Mercedes team is based in Brackley and employees a large number of UK people, but more Germans towards the top of the structure. Its also one third owned by Ineos (Jim Ratcliffe).
Merc used to be more of an engine supplier only, but bought out Brawn GP (Ross Brawn) in 2010. I guess with that transaction they got the workshops etc and all the staff of what was a UK team.

Ferrari by comparison are based only in Italy and whilst they have some UK people its mainly Italian workers.

So if you wanted to wave you're British flag for a team, Merc does edge it but its still not "British" British.

Pure British would be McLaren F1 in most peoples eyes, but they are majority owned by the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain.
Even Aston Martin is partly owned by a Canadian (not sure if its majority or simply the largest) and Williams are owned by Dorilton Capital (USA).

These days with the cost of running an F1 team being what it is there's really not many people or institutions in the UK who have the financial resources to own outright.

[daviemac]

It has some UK connections and history.
The current Mercedes team is based in Brackley and employees a large number of UK people, but more Germans towards the top of the structure. Its also one third owned by Ineos (Jim Ratcliffe).
Merc used to be more of an engine supplier only, but bought out Brawn GP (Ross Brawn) in 2010. I guess with that transaction they got the workshops etc and all the staff of what was a UK team.

Ferrari by comparison are based only in Italy and whilst they have some UK people its mainly Italian workers.

So if you wanted to wave you're British flag for a team, Merc does edge it but its still not "British" British.

Pure British would be McLaren F1 in most peoples eyes, but they are majority owned by the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain.
Even Aston Martin is partly owned by a Canadian (not sure if its majority or simply the largest) and Williams are owned by Dorilton Capital (USA).

These days with the cost of running an F1 team being what it is there's really not many people or institutions in the UK who have the financial resources to own outright.

The point I was making is that no matter who actually owns Mercedes they are based in the UK and employ British workers and plan to increase the number to 1,900.

As I understand it 6 of the 10 F1 teams are based in this country, Ferrari not being one of them.

[mr.bluesky]

The point I was making is that no matter who actually owns Mercedes they are based in the UK and employ British workers and plan to increase the number to 1,900.

As I understand it 6 of the 10 F1 teams are based in this country, Ferrari not being one of them.

Yeah Britain could be classed as the home of Formula 1 with so many teams based here like Aston Martin, McLaren, Williams, Mercedes etc . Ferrari 100% Italian based in Modena Italy even the Red Bull team is based in Milton Keynes but operating under a Austrian license as that's where the sponsors originates from.
Alfa Romeo despite being an Italian car manufacturer are based in Switzerland.

[anotherwoody69]

The point I was making is that no matter who actually owns Mercedes they are based in the UK and employ British workers and plan to increase the number to 1,900.

As I understand it 6 of the 10 F1 teams are based in this country, Ferrari not being one of them.

You're right Davie, it does have a very British core and employs probably more people than any other team.

The UK has been considered the "home" of F1 teams for many years, we are fortunate to have a very good motorsport skills base here that continues to be attractive to teams. If you drop below the F1 level and look at what's out there it really is exceptional, there are so many small companies offering skill sets across all levels of motorsport.

[Blackpool Rock]

You're right Davie, it does have a very British core and employs probably more people than any other team.

The UK has been considered the "home" of F1 teams for many years, we are fortunate to have a very good motorsport skills base here that continues to be attractive to teams. If you drop below the F1 level and look at what's out there it really is exceptional, there are so many small companies offering skill sets across all levels of motorsport.

Yes I believe recently even the works Renault team were based in the UK, can't believe that wasn't based in France somewhere 

You do often get within a country and internationally a hub where certain sectors gain a strong hold and draw talent in which then multiplies, I believe around Cambridge there is a prevalence of electronics
I did a road trip with work about 10 years ago and the guy driving liked motorsport, as we were driving down the M40 he was talking about how many F1 teams were based along that "Corridor" and then we drove past Prodrive etc

This country can't compete on cheap manufacturing anymore; in years gone by we were the leaders in things like textiles which is why places like Manchester (AKA Cottonopolis) grew in size and wealth and there was a saying "The countries bread hangs on Lancashire's thread)
These days we need cutting edge technology development and high end engineering, we have been good at inventing stuff for 200 years

[Lilywhite]

Fab to have a female on the thread
Get a different perspective 

On the Ferrarisms [a supa new word, which rhymes with something else  ] like the team asking the driver what to do mid race
Not like the driver has got anything else going on
Like trying to keep the car on the track avoid other drivers whilst doing 200mph [edit: on the limit] with their view of the race being like looking through a letterbox 

Quick question - which of the drivers would you most want to shag ?   If you want to compile a list in order feel free 

I've been a fan since I was a kid- my mum is a huge fan so it was a staple in our house every weekend. Now I go to quite a few races each year (actually heading to Bahrain, but unfortunately couldn't justify the expensive of testing also).

I'm hoping this season is more competitive. McLaren are my favourite team so I'm crossing my fingers that they've done a good job over the break.

As for shagging, I think Alonso would be the only one who knows what he's doing. But Toto would be my actual pick.

[Rozd85]

Hi guys big F1 fan here. At the moment I'm a lando fan as I've always loved McLaren. Bit of an Alex albon fan too.

As for this season and the next, I'm not that optimistic. I don't see much hope for anything but a red bull white wash. Maybe the Lewis move will bring something to Ferrari with a bit of a star power. Who knows max and Adrian seems pretty unbeatable at the moment!

[mr.bluesky]

Hi guys big F1 fan here. At the moment I'm a lando fan as I've always loved McLaren. Bit of an Alex albon fan too.

As for this season and the next, I'm not that optimistic. I don't see much hope for anything but a red bull white wash. Maybe the Lewis move will bring something to Ferrari with a bit of a star power. Who knows max and Adrian seems pretty unbeatable at the moment!

The regulations regarding various car size dimensions are due to change in 2026 so everybody will be back to square one but unless the other teams get their acts together before then a dominance by Red Bull this year and next won't be good for the sport

[nearlypastit1234]

Id sooner liaten to bumble bee flying round my living room. Same sound and not race fixing with team orders. 

[Watts.E.Dunn]

I wonder who will be George Russels new co-driver?.

Be intresting if they mamage a better car this season..

[mr.bluesky]

I wonder who will be George Russels new co-driver?.

Be intresting if they mamage a better car this season..

Maybe Carlos Sainz will do a straight swap, Alex Albon's name has been mentioned as has Fernando Alonso.  It depends whether Mercedes have a competitive car this year 🤔

[chrishornx]

I wonder who will be George Russels new co-driver?.

Be intresting if they mamage a better car this season..

Ironic if Mercedes produce a noticeably better car than Ferrari.

Perhaps unlikely but Hamilton would look a chump if he then left them

[mr.bluesky]

Ironic if Mercedes produce a noticeably better car than Ferrari.

Perhaps unlikely but Hamilton would look a chump if he then left them

People seem to forget that Mercedes still finished 2nd in last years constructors championship ahead of Ferrari.

[Blackpool Rock]

People seem to forget that Mercedes still finished 2nd in last years constructors championship ahead of Ferrari.

A country mile behind though and a mile behind the cunt 

[webpunter]

People seem to forget that Mercedes still finished 2nd in last years constructors championship ahead of Ferrari.

However it seemed to me that overall Ferrari were quicker
Certainly in quali looking at being on the front row & back through the grid
& Leclerc & to a lesser extent Sainz being closer to the RB drivers come the end of each race
Where they were let down is with poor race management & tactics
As i mentioned ⬆️ asking the drivers what to do mid race 

[mr.bluesky]

A country mile behind though and a mile behind the cunt 

And only 3pts ahead of Ferrari who threw a lot of points away due to poor strategy.

[webpunter]

As referenced by @LW interesting to see if Bono follows LH
I can see LH wanting the move as he knows he can rely on him on the pit wall
The two of them must have developed a close understanding
Where Bono seeing the whole of the race roll out is able to intuitively communicate with him helping to plot the best strategy in advance
[compared to Ferrari figuring things out after, even after the race is finished)
If he doesn't there wont be any of:   ‘OK Lewis, it’s Hammertime’ 

[mr.bluesky]

As referenced by @LW interesting to see if Bono follows LH
I can see LH wanting the move as he knows he can rely on him on the pit wall
The two of them must have developed a close understanding
Where Bono seeing the whole of the race roll out is able to intuitively communicate with him helping to plot the best strategy in advance
[compared to Ferrari figuring things out after, even after the race is finished)
If he doesn't there wont be any of:   ‘OK Lewis, it’s Hammertime’ 

What's Hammertime in Italian 

[webpunter]

What's Hammertime in Italian 

With the aid of goggle translate
hammer = martello
hammertime = tempo di martello
Its doesnt really translate does it .... ummm

I'm thinking that 'tempo di martello' is most likely found with the eye-tie ultras battering the shit out of the oppo fans with hammers
& any foreigners stupid enough to go watch the footy there

[Rozd85]

Someone has rumoured that Carlos will be the Perez replacement next year. So maybe albon making the grade to Merc?

[Lilywhite]

Someone has rumoured that Carlos will be the Perez replacement next year. So maybe albon making the grade to Merc?

Haha, I read Albon to RB for a 3 year deal in 2025! Loads of rumours about.

[mr.bluesky]

Haha, I read Albon to RB for a 3 year deal in 2025! Loads of rumours about.

Alex Albon did have a short spell with the Red Bull team and sister team Toro Rosso and was later dropped.  I think he felt under too much pressure at that time at Red Bull , He has come on a lot since then. You would probably think that this will be Perez's last season at Red Bull. Will the Dutch brat put up with another good young driver as team partner or is he happy for Perez to stay as he is not too much of a threat to him. I think the past couple of seasons has seen a bit of tension between the two 

[Lilywhite]

Alex Albon did have a short spell with the Red Bull team and sister team Toro Rosso and was later dropped.  I think he felt under too much pressure at that time at Red Bull , He has come on a lot since then. You would probably think that this will be Perez's last season at Red Bull. Will the Dutch brat put up with another good young driver as team partner or is he happy for Perez to stay as he is not too much of a threat to him. I think the past couple of seasons has seen a bit of tension between the two 

I personally think the minute Max sees he might not win a championship, he will retire from F1 and move on. I think he is the mentality of win or nothing now. When 2026 rule changes come in, if he feels RB are behind in any way he will throw in the towel.

[Blackpool Rock]

I personally think the minute Max sees he might not win a championship, he will retire from F1 and move on. I think he is the mentality of win or nothing now. When 2026 rule changes come in, if he feels RB are behind in any way he will throw in the towel.

I disagree as I think it depends how far behind they are and whether he thinks they have upgrades in the pipeline to improve the car that could put him back winning.
I think if faced with a huge gap to make up like everyone else had to try and catch RB then he'd look for another team or rather the team he saw as having the best car next season but then again most of the drivers would do the same 

I would have preferred Hamilton to jump ship and go to RB so we could really see who is better Sir Lewis or slapped arse for a face baby brat however I think baby brat's toys would have been out of the pram fairly quickly and not sure if he could have blocked it or caused issues in other ways 

[Lilywhite]

I disagree as I think it depends how far behind they are and whether he thinks they have upgrades in the pipeline to improve the car that could put him back winning.
I think if faced with a huge gap to make up like everyone else had to try and catch RB then he'd look for another team or rather the team he saw as having the best car next season but then again most of the drivers would do the same 

Apologies I was talking about the 2026 rule/car changes, not next season. When it's all new in 26 I think he'd leave if he thought RB weren't competitive. I assume that's why his contract is to 26.

[Blackpool Rock]

Apologies I was talking about the 2026 rule/car changes, not next season. When it's all new in 26 I think he'd leave if he thought RB weren't competitive. I assume that's why his contract is to 26.

Yes but IMO he'll still look to jump to whoever is then the best team if he thinks he can still win, I agree that he may dip out if he doesn't think he can actually win

[chrishornx]

Hamilton has clearly honoured the terms of his contract which is fair enough and now looks to pastures new


Verstappen the brat on the other hand could easily break a contract and walk away he is such a spoilt brat

[CheeseBoard]

Now Lewis has joined Ferrari, who will the No1 driver in the team?  I can't see Leclerk being happy if he is told he has to yield to Hamilton.

[mr.bluesky]

Hamilton has clearly honoured the terms of his contract which is fair enough and now looks to pastures new

Hamilton must have had a release clause written into the 2 year contract extension he signed towards the end of last season,  if so it still came as a massive shock to Toto Wolff , he wasn't told until he met up with Hamilton at Toto's home in Oxfordshire recently for Breakfast.  He described it as "a punch on the nose" when Hamilton delivered the news.
Apparently this had been discussed with Ferrari last year.

[Lilywhite]

Ok so from what I have actually heard (dated a pitcrew last year)- bigger names will have a release clause if team performance is substandard. What is seen as substandard I'm sure is in each individual contract. I'm sure KMag didn't have what Lewis did with the 'team performance' contract.

[mr.bluesky]

Ok so from what I have actually heard (dated a pitcrew last year)- bigger names will have a release clause if team performance is substandard. What is seen as substandard I'm sure is in each individual contract. I'm sure KMag didn't have what Lewis did with the 'team performance' contract.

I guess this works both ways if a team feels the driver isn't performing to expectations like Alex Albon when he went to Red Bull although I thought he made the move too soon and would perform better if he went back there now with a couple of seasons experience under his belt.